916——————==

True Martial Home (眞空家鄕)

It was the moment. The instant I declared that I’d offer to Shennong, everything around me—humans and objects alike—vanished. I found myself standing in an unimaginable, cosmic darkness, resembling an endless void, with a total of 8 thrones appearing before me.

And then, a colossal voice boomed.

“By the Emperor’s will, I summon all kings to this place.”

The thrones—

Each one was immense, and upon closer inspection, they resembled a cluster of stars forming a single surface. In reality, countless stars had converged to shape these thrones, and witnessing the harmony of such a constellation nearly took my breath away.

Kugung

At the same time, I realized someone was seated upon the thrones. Eight figures, each embodying the form of an ancient king. I recognized them at once.

“The Three Sovereigns!!”

I had seen this scene before…!!

The 17th death!

Back then, having been defeated by Zhuge Yulong and pushed to the brink, I ultimately chose self-destruction by calling upon the Seven Luminaries at the Heavenly Altar. The explosion of the altar had obliterated the boundary between heaven and earth, and concurrently, I had witnessed the Three Sovereigns rising from their thrones. What I was seeing now was almost identical to that vision.

The shadows of the kings seated on the thrones appeared vastly different from the forms or avatars I was accustomed to. They seemed like a kind of [symbol], radiating a divine pressure while observing me.

Suddenly, the king draped in a pristine white dragon robe rose from his seat and spoke.

“[Baek Woong], I told you I wouldn’t engage with you. Why do you wish to offer me a tribute?”

I had never seen the visage of this king before. But no matter how different the form, I could deduce the identity of my counterpart swiftly. I smiled back at the king in a white dragon robe.

“Yan Emperor Shennong. If you dislike it, I could always direct this offering to the Emperor or Fuxi and Nüwa instead. I won’t impose on you too strenuously.”

[ ……]

Indeed. Among the 8 thrones, the higher ones belonged to the three thrones. The king in the white robe could only be the Yan Emperor, Shennong, whom I intended to offer to!

Then, a low growl emanated from another throne.

[Do you dare… betray this seat?]

I shifted my gaze to the throne where the growling sound had come from. There, a king engulfed in dark flames glared at me with a murderous gaze, as if ready to strike me down. I calmly responded.

“I merely claim my rightful demands as the presider of the offering ceremony. I can no longer serve under a king who whimsically snatches his subjects. Was it so difficult to grant me a single wish?”

[Heh… You’re quite bold. Very well… We’ll talk after this ritual concludes.]

” ……”

I flinched at the words of the sovereign, Jeon Wook. I could feel he truly intended to kill me. No matter how long I had reincarnated, I couldn’t remain unaffected by the tyrant Jeon Wook’s threats. I glanced at Jeogok and Shao Hao; they too seemed to be glaring at me intensely.

[How interesting…]

[Ha ha. I’ve never seen anyone with such guts before!]

Shao Hao seemed amused but had a gaze full of murderous intent. Yet, considering Jeogok, Shao Hao, and even Jeon Wook were merely sitting on their thrones and not attacking, I secretly sighed in relief.

‘Zhuge Yulong was right.’

Moments ago, Zhuge Yulong had advised that if the Three Sovereigns ignored me and tried to stomp on the privileges of the offering ceremony, I should switch my allegiance to the king, Shennong. I was apprehensive that Jeon Wook would try to kill me instantly, but Zhuge Yulong had steadfastly assured me.

[No, that won’t happen.]

[Why not?]

[Think carefully. If other divine statuses could interfere and harass the presider during the offering ceremony, how could Qin Shi Huang and Wu Zetian have remained intact? They weren’t powerful seekers like you were in their human lives, and Wu Zetian even made a pact with a [ruler] instead of the Three Sovereigns.]

[Ah!]

[During the offering ceremony, no matter how formidable the existence, they cannot meddle with the ritual contract. That’s the essence of a grand ceremony presided over by Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen.]

As he said, even if I betrayed Jeon Wook during the offering ceremony, the Three Sovereigns wouldn’t be able to instantly kill me while the ritual was underway.

In the tense atmosphere, the pure white king, Yan Emperor Shennong, spoke again.

[First, I wish to hear your wish.]

“My wish, you say?”

[The offering you intend to present is incredibly abundant and lavish for a mortal. If one were to accept such tributes, they would have to bestow an adequate reward upon the presider. However, I have no desire left in this world, so I cannot readily provide a reward.]

” ……”

[Speak, Baek Woong. Presider of the offering ceremony. What is your wish?]

“My wish is…”

Just as I was about to articulate my wish, something crossed my mind, and I interjected.

“…Ah right, Shennong, I asked you last time to defeat the ruler of the Life Sea. What became of that request…?”

As I cautiously inquired, Shennong paused momentarily before responding.

[I haven’t done it yet.]

“What?! But you promised…”

[I never said I’d do it right away. Be patient.]

” ……”

W-What’s going on here?!

I thought that as soon as I released Shennong’s seal, he would immediately defeat the ruler of the Life Sea and break down the door to the Death Sea, but now I hear he hasn’t even moved yet! Somehow, it seemed like Shennong was prioritizing his own kind.

But there was no point in pressing Shennong. After all, the request had been made based on his whims and favors. With that in mind, I abandoned the topic and shifted gears.

“Okay. And if I were to wish for help against the evil god to save humanity from here, would you grant that wish?”

[ ……]

Shennong displayed a contemplative expression. After some time, he spoke.

[I refuse. In such a case, seek someone else.]

“You’re the same as before. Is it really that hard to fight against the evil god?”

[I’ve said this before; the evil god is far too dangerous. While it is not impossible to win, I have no reason to clash with him and my kind’s fate. If that reason is solely the ups and downs of the mortal realm, then it’s even less feasible.]

” ……”

[Is that your wish? If that’s the case, then we will no longer share any connection.]

“Wait, please hold on.”

I halted the Yan Emperor and pondered.

‘Darn… so even the wish during the offering ceremony won’t work. It’s fairer and more objective than a regular offering ceremony, but this ritual does not impose any coercive force on the Three Sovereigns…’

Of course, even the slightest favor or blessing from the Three Sovereigns is more than enough for a mortal; this isn’t about the flaws of the offering ceremony itself. My goal was just too vast that it fell outside the norm. Desperately racking my brain, I addressed Shennong again.

“Yan Emperor. Could you possibly answer this question?”

[Is that question your wish?]

“No…”

[You are rather shameless.]

“Ugh.”

I cringed under Shennong’s mocking tone, but he continued.

[Fine. The offering you’ve presented is sufficient sincerity towards the gods. I grant you permission to ask your question.]

As I had been eager to know all along, I posed my query towards Shennong.

“I understand that if all Three Sovereigns are intact, we could prevent the [end] and the [revelation] of this world. Is there a way to achieve that?”

In that instant,

It felt as if the thrones where the Three Sovereigns sat stirred slightly. As though hearing a completely unexpected comment, even Jeon Wook, who had been glaring at me with murderous eyes, seemed taken aback.

[…Where did you hear that?]

I hesitated on how to respond and decided to weave a story.

“A Divine Thief mentioned it. That person, the greatest bandit, was pursuing the Xuanyuan Sword and seemed to have learned about it in the process. I’ve come here with this sliver of hope based on that information.”

The truth was, just before my 24th death, when I acquired the sun, Shennong had summoned me and made an offer to relocate all of humanity to the Star Realm. In the process, he had casually revealed that nugget of information as well. Of course, there was no way I could explain that backstory, so I pulled the Divine Thief into my fib.

[Do you desire to know of that way?]

“Yes. That’s correct.”

[Good. If you present the Divine Sword as an offering, I will teach you. That would be useful for me.]

“Understood.”

After all, it wasn’t like they were asking for everything, just the Divine Sword, which wasn’t a big deal given the current situation, so I readily accepted. Whether I had a sword or not, the situation wouldn’t dramatically change.

Hoo Woong

Shennong stretched out his hand, flaring his robe, and in an instant, the extended sleeve transformed into a massive size, swallowing the Divine Sword that was laid out in the hall.

Then Shennong stated.

[The method to block the predetermined [end] of this world is quite simple. Someone must gather all Seven Luminaries to summon all Three Sovereigns at once. Then, while summoning all the [old rulers] entwined with the Seven Luminaries, we must unanimously agree that we do not accept the end. Simultaneously, the contract of the Seven Luminaries would be annulled. Then, the end would be postponed for at least ten thousand years.]

“……!!”

[Gathering the Seven Luminaries will be the premise.]

Wait, what?!

The words were completely new to me, sending shockwaves through my system.

“What… What did you say?! That’s ridiculous…”

[Why is it absurd?]

“Wasn’t it the case that gathering all the Seven Luminaries meant facing the trials of the Seven Luminaries and ultimately defeating the Guardian to grasp the Sun? No one ever mentioned that there was a different route!”

Shennong responded with a laugh.

[Isn’t that obvious? That was a separate path created later by the Emperor. No one considered a ‘human king’ when the Seven Luminaries were established.]

“Huh?”

[When the Seven Luminaries come together, the options for your kind are twofold. One is to challenge the Emperor’s trial to become the [human king], the other is to annul the contract of the Seven Luminaries and choose the path of postponing the end… However, even if you choose the latter, it would be meaningless unless we desire to postpone the end, would it not?]

“……”

[As mortals, you’d naturally wish for the path to becoming the [human king] rather than gamble on a hopeless one.]

That made absolute sense. Even if we gathered the Seven Luminaries and summoned the Three Sovereigns, it didn’t change the fact that the annulment of the contract was predicated on the Three Sovereigns actively wishing to delay the end.

‘So that’s why the inheritance wasn’t passed down?’

No matter what tricks a mortal might attempt, if the Three Sovereigns had no will behind them, it was inherently pointless. Even if Qin Shi Huang or Wu Zetian had learned of this fact, it wouldn’t matter; they weren’t the types to gamble their choices on the annulment of the Seven Luminaries without the Three Sovereigns’ will!

Stunned by the overwhelming unfairness, I shouted.

“You don’t wish for it?! Why not?! Wouldn’t it mean freedom for the Three Sovereigns if the contract was annulled? Why would you not want to postpone the end?”

[That contract was a peace treaty created to avoid the endless war with the thousands of [old rulers] swarming this world while awaiting the revelation. Why would we want to open an infinite battleground when remaining passive and waiting for the [end] and [revelation] doesn’t put us at a disadvantage?]

“……”

[Think about it. To annul the contract of the Seven Luminaries and postpone the end means… rejecting the descent of the [Father], the universe’s will, and engaging in battle against the rulers for over ten thousand years. Do we, the Three Sovereigns, truly have to go that far for mere mortals, especially for just humans?]

“Th-that’s…”

I was at a loss for words, so Shennong returned to his seat.

[Furthermore, after the end, we Three Sovereigns could be free from this mundane planet and traverse the galaxy. Each of our powers ranks among the top in the universe, so someone out there must be longing for it…]

Continuing, Shennong added.

[But… in this state, it might be a bit different. If the dual thrones of the Three Sovereigns are essentially vacant, and the contract of the Seven Luminaries is precarious while the evil god is invading, then I might have the intention to annul the contract of the Seven Luminaries and postpone the end. After all, the one who breached the agreement first was the evil god.]

“Well.”

[In that case, we might unite to drive off the evil god.]

Something clicked in my mind as I realized.

“If I offer a treasure, would you help me in annulling the contract of the Seven Luminaries?”

Shennong responded in a measured tone.

[Yes. Though it seems you’ve already offered the Seven Luminaries, that’s not the crux; you’ll have to persuade the rest by force. And I’ll take down the ruler of the Life Sea in one blow. How about it?]

“……”

[With the remaining Seven Luminaries, you should be able to gather them all with your current abilities.]

I felt a great rush of excitement.

‘Huh… Wait a minute… Could it be that I might solve everything in this lifetime?!’

Put off the singularity, save the world from the evil god, and simultaneously postpone the end to rescue humanity!

It’d be literally killing three birds with one stone!

If all went well, with Shennong’s help, I could finish all my worst trials in this lifetime and feel free!

‘Maybe… yes… I should negotiate to ask for help in finding the Seven Great Spirits as part of my [wish] too, and I might really manage this!!’

While pondering this, I suddenly felt an icy chill and glanced up to the highest seat.

There, I noticed the king draped in gold, arms crossed, silently watching me since earlier.

Was it just my imagination?

He seemed to be smirking.

As if he knew I would make these choices all along.