918——————==

True Martial Home

After a moment of silence, the Yan Emperor spoke due to the words of Eungui.

[Alright. I will make you my offering and pave the way for this world!]

Crunch!

As the Yan Emperor reached out, he brutally grasped Eungui’s neck, and Eungui, with an enlightened gaze, seemed to relax his body. Soon after, the Yan Emperor exerted strength and ripped Eungui’s head off, a fountain of fresh blood burst forth. Even as the blood gushed freely, the Yan Emperor calmly plucked off each of Eungui’s four limbs and ultimately forcibly peeled away his shell.

Boom!

With blood streaming from the shell he caught underneath, the Yan Emperor shoved Eungui’s head and limbs inside, transforming Eungui’s corpse into a massive cauldron. The Yan Emperor then reached out, focused his will, and a moment later, a towering pillar of flames rose.

Whoosh—

Eungui’s tragic body was engulfed in massive flames, turning to ash in an instant. It was a horrific sight, but I couldn’t help but notice that vast particles of power were being absorbed into the Yan Emperor simultaneously.

‘What is that?’

I wasn’t quite sure what the particle was, but once the absorption was complete, the Yan Emperor spoke to me.

[Baek Woong, with Eungui’s sacrifice, I stand ready for war against the Evil God. As the main agent, you shall proceed with the remaining offering ceremony.]

“… Yes.”

Now that the biggest headache was solved with the Yan Emperor’s intervention, there was no need for hesitation. I nodded and then ordered the Yan Emperor.

“I seek your full support and blessings as I enter the outer dimension to find the Four Great Spirit Deities. Also, please protect me and my companions from the other Three Sovereigns. This is my wish. Additionally, I strongly propose to dedicate all these offerings to assist in the release of the Seven Luminaries.”

[Of course.]

“Will you grant my wish?”

[No problem. I shall grant everything. But there is one condition.]

A condition?

Surprised by the unexpected turn of events, I looked at the Yan Emperor, and he continued speaking slowly.

[If the ‘Observer’ intervenes, I will withdraw from your affairs at any time.]

“……!!”

[If that happens, know that you will be out of my reach.]

“… Understood.”

The Observer.

That entity was known to oversee the outer dimension, and while its rank was uncertain, it was presumed to be an Outer God. The Yan Emperor Shennong, aware of the Observer’s existence, must have warned me in advance.

[Then I will conclude the offering ceremony here.]

Boom!!

With the Yan Emperor’s declaration, I returned to the Heavenly Altar in the material world. Surrounding me were Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu, standing just as they were moments before I vanished.

‘It seems hardly any time has passed.’

Zhuge Yulong spoke.

“What happened?”

“……”

I contemplated explaining but feared I might unintentionally reveal the secrets of my previous life. So, I stored my memories in the obsidian and handed it over to him. Upon receiving it, Zhuge Yulong pondered and then said,

“You did quite well. Good results.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But if Eungui hadn’t intervened… you would have struggled to choose either side. Regardless, it would have been a choice filled with regret. This choice is likely what the strategist wanted to see.”

“… Hmph, quite the morbid interest.”

“In the end, you successfully negotiated without missing anything. That’s never happened before. This could be evidence that the law of cause and effect of righteous orientation is pushing you from behind.”

Zhuge Yulong stated.

“There’s no need to do anything else in the Central Plains. Let’s immediately move to the Life Sea and prepare to enter the outer dimension in conjunction with Abe no Seimei.”

“Got it. But…”

I hesitated before speaking.

“… Where has Zhuge Sa gone? I want to know where he is.”

For nearly five days, I had been moving frantically, only knowing that Zhuge Sa had been tirelessly defending against the forces of the Evil God by any means necessary. The emergence of Demon King Simon Magus in the western regions surely meant Zhuge Sa had sacrificed something. Not having seen him at all had made my concern natural.

“……”

At my words, Zhuge Yulong briefly wore a dark expression and then said,

“If you want to know, I will tell you. But you must promise you won’t speak of wanting to join the war now.”

“Understood. I promise. Where is Zhuge Sa?”

“Let’s go to Guangdong Province.”

Boom!!

I headed with Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu toward Guangdong Province. This was the last line of defense and forward base that Mangnyang had established for humanity, where all the Overlays and celestial forces were gathering to fend off the Nine Lotus Sect.

“Ugh.”

Standing atop the castle walls and gazing at the plains and battlefields outside Guangdong Province left me momentarily speechless.

It’s horrific!!

Countless alien beasts lay dead, scattered across the ground, and the stench of blood ran like a river. Dead immortals and Taoist masters were strewn about, and the horrific scenes seemed never-ending. The civilian casualties were immense, as countless human corpses lay about like rags.

‘Just how large was this battle…’

As I entered the inner castle from the castle walls, several human commanders were seated, writing documents, while the Heavenly Eight Immortals and Overlays were gathered for a meeting in the center. The Commander’s seat was occupied by the Celestial Sage, who immediately spoke upon seeing me.

“You’re here, Baek Woong!”

“Celestial Sage! What’s the situation?”

“It’s despairing.”

“……”

“Where is that Mangnyang? I need to say a word.”

“What word?”

The Celestial Sage, rarely expressing annoyance and anger, spoke with a frown.

“I want to tell that scoundrel how many humans and immortals have died while we stood here facing off against the Nine Lotus Sect! I want to question whether we had to buy time at such a cost!!”

“Hmm…”

It seemed not only the Celestial Sage felt this way, but other immortals were also exuding a rather pessimistic air. Over the past few days, the bloody battles between the celestial realm and the Nine Lotus Sect at Guangdong Province had been extraordinarily brutal. If the Celestial Sage was this frustrated, it must have indeed been a desperate defensive effort.

‘So Mangnyang had a reason for hounding me to death.’

Although Mangnyang spoke of a five-day defense, it was likely he had already foreseen it as an overly optimistic estimate. And, according to Mangnyang’s predictions, the front line had become exhausted and could hardly hold on any longer. I spoke to the Celestial Sage.

“Mangnyang is dead.”

“What!”

“And now you may pull back your forces, Celestial Sage.”

“… What the hell… Do you think I look like a fool? After incurring these sacrifices, what is it now?!”

Crunch!

The Celestial Sage, seemingly enraged, ground his teeth, then instantly stood up flashing the Fire Eye Golden Spirit. The murderous intent was so immense that I almost had a vision of my jaw getting blown away by his Ruyi Staff.

Just then, Zhuge Yulong swiftly stepped in front of me. Exposed to the Celestial Sage’s murderous intent, he bled from his mouth but didn’t waver and calmly responded.

“Celestial Sage. Please calm down for a moment. I will speak on his behalf.”

“Get out of my way! Who are you to stop me?”

Bam!

As the Celestial Sage snapped his fingers, an intangible Qi Wave burst forth, and it seemed Zhuge Yulong was trying to defend with a martial arts barrier. However, the Qi Wave was so powerful that it instantly shattered the barrier, sending Zhuge Yulong staggering forward, coughing up blood.

“Cough…”

To think that one snap of the Celestial Sage’s fingers could incapacitate Zhuge Yulong, a master of the Eight Trigrams famed in the Central Plains!

Having continuously observed the Celestial Sage’s power, I felt a mix of awe and fear. I had heard tales about how he effortlessly subdued Great Demons with a playful slap while drinking, and now those tales seemed all too real. He had held back, but if he had gone all out, Zhuge Yulong would have been torn apart right here!

Realizing I had misspoken, I quickly said to the Celestial Sage,

“Celestial Sage! Please hear me out. The order to pull back the troops is due to the support of the Three Sovereigns.”

“Hmm.”

The Celestial Sage paused, and surrounding him, the Great Immortals buzzed with surprise. Calmly, he asked me.

“What support? Which Three Sovereign is lending this support?”

“The Yan Emperor Shennong! Through the offering ceremony on the Heavenly Altar, I wished for his cooperation.”

“……”

The Celestial Sage appeared astonished, especially Zhuge Quan, one of the Eight Immortals, gasped in shock.

[So, it truly is the case! According to the divination, the aid of the divine being is directed toward us… and the source of power is the Southern Region! Is the Yan Emperor truly supporting us?]

“Indeed.”

[Unbelievable… If the offering ceremony was completed, humans would gain immortality and divine power, achieving absolute strength or immense blessing… Did you truly ask not for yourself but for the sake of the world, Baek Woong?]

“… I had no other choice.”

[Hehe…]

Hearing my words, Lee Cheol-goei beside Zhuge Quan glanced at the Celestial Sage and said,

[Sage. Please forgive him. If his words are true, he is indeed a hero.]

“Hmm, well… I admit I was a little angry. Apologies.”

The Celestial Sage sheepishly scratched his chin and apologized to me.

Living long enough to receive an apology from him, huh?

Soon, the Great Immortals beside the Celestial Sage performed healing techniques on the injured Zhuge Yulong, and I explained what had happened in broad strokes. Nodding, the Celestial Sage said,

“Alright. If that’s the case, we should start pulling back the troops. But if you say that, does it mean the Yan Emperor will send his followers instead of us to the front line?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure about that.”

I stole a glance at Zhuge Yulong. The order to pull back came from him, after all. As if he had sensed my thoughts, Zhuge Yulong, clearing his throat, stood up to explain.

“The Yan Emperor resolved to engage directly in war against the Evil God. Thus, it could mean he will descend and directly intervene in this world as opposed to indirectly assisting. If his Giant Race and divine body descend, being here would hinder their efforts.”

“Oh… He’s seriously willing to help to that extent? That’s… unexpected… Not one of us thought the Three Sovereigns would go that far.”

The Celestial Sage expressed his admiration.

Curious, I asked the Celestial Sage,

“It’s rude to ask, but… this place has a majority of the celestial realm’s remaining forces with scores of Overlays and several powerful Great Immortals. And I also believe the Nine Lotus Bishop isn’t overwhelmingly strong… so why does the situation keep worsening?”

“Ah, that matter.”

With a frown, the Celestial Sage said,

“It’s troublesome, but the Bishop… is it? Anyway, the officials just under the Nine Lotus Bishop have been getting back up with infinite regeneration power and keep getting stronger. Furthermore, high-level otherworldly beings that seem to be directly under the Evil God appeared, summoned across dimensions. They are all formidable, leading to a protracted battle here that was far more intense than you imagined.”

“……”

“It appears that the Evil God is indeed pouring his blessings directly onto this area.”

I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

‘With a situation like that, even the Celestial realm’s Overlays wouldn’t be able to hold their ground…’

The strength gained by those with divine blessings or from Apostles has proven excessively terrifying so far.

At that moment, one of the Overlays, Lee Rang-jin-gun, stepped forward and said.

[You’re Baek Woong, right? I have something to speak about.]

“Please go ahead, Overlay Lee Rang-jin-gun.”

Lee Rang-jin-gun, known for his striking appearance and the third eye on his forehead, was reputed to be formidable. He had existed since the mythological age, appearing young yet being exceptionally ancient, and it was said he could face even the Celestial Sage easily when wielding his trident.

[Actually, just before you arrived, the Overlay Yi declared that he would kill you. I want to know if that is related to you.]

“… Kill me?”

[Yes. He seemed very desperate.]

What a bizarre statement!

That Yi aimed to kill me?

‘I haven’t done anything to him!’

Unable to find reasoning, I furrowed my brows, and Zhuge Yulong comforted me by saying,

“This isn’t the priority right now. Let’s focus on other matters first.”

“Oh, okay.”

Then, Zhuge Bu took charge and led the humans to safety, meanwhile, Overlays and Great Immortals began to regroup for a retreat. While operations proceeded, I turned to Zhuge Yulong.

“Where is Zhuge Sa?”

“Baek Woong. Following Mangnyang’s strategy, the bulk of the celestial realm’s forces were gathered here to defend against the total offensive of the Evil God for five days. However, there was a flaw in that plan.”

“A flaw?”

“While we can defend by gathering forces, it creates gaps on other fronts. But it was the best defensive strategy, and filling in that gap was Zhuge Sa’s role.”

“Zhuge Sa…? How so?”

“… Follow me.”

I followed Zhuge Yulong across the empty plains. After some time employing a teleportation technique, he halted atop a hill to look down on the battlefield.

“Looks like they are in the midst of battle.”

Boom!

On one side of the plain, hundreds of alien creatures rushed like a horde, clashing with something. The alien beasts appeared quite large, at least of medium rank or above, facing a humanoid figure that extended its hand.

The reason I described it as humanoid was that, while its body resembled a human, it sported two horns on its head, and its eyes held an eerie glow, making it impossible to perceive as human. Moments later, as it clenched its fist, astonishingly, hundreds of spaces were crushed under incomprehensible pressure like crumpled paper.

Crack crack!

After a brief moment, as it released its grasp, the space shattered and exploded.

Splash!!

Seeing the alien beasts being obliterated, I instantly understood this being’s power rivaled that of great immortals. Simultaneously, it became clear the magic it wielded was not ordinary sorcery.

‘Mind Power?’

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Hmm, it seems powerful. But where is Zhuge Sa? Is that thing summoned with him as a servant?”

Suddenly, Zhuge Yulong launched into an unexpected explanation.

“Zhuge Sa sold his own soul to Simon Magus, the Demon King, along with the Portrait Immortal. And Simon Magus reincarnated him into a strong demon using his magical power, and thanks to his innate talent, Zhuge Sa adapted in no time.”

“Excuse me?”

What nonsense is this?

Thinking I must’ve misheard, I turned to Zhuge Yulong, but he was watching intently ahead, and soon I saw several identical monsters appearing in the same spot where that being had stood. They seemed to communicate telepathically before suddenly disappearing in an instant.

Zhuge Yulong said,

“That’s the current Zhuge Sa, transformed into an evil being of the Landlord Doctrines. He sold his soul solely to defend this front line.”