922——————==

True Martial Home

All other treasures were dedicated to the Offering Ceremony, but we left this Primordial Void untouched. Why? Because finding the Four Great Spirit Deities in an outer universe like this wasn’t going to be a cakewalk, and we needed at least some kind of searching tool. Originally, the National Seal was supposed to serve that purpose during our adventure, but we had already offered it up, so luckily, we could use the Primordial Void instead.

Wiying

The Primordial Void was colossal, far too bulky to carry around. As I levitated the Primordial Void into the air with my Qi, the Giant God spoke.

[So, you’re using the Primordial Void to search?]

“Yes. Right now, it’s our only shot.”

[Hope it works out.]

I hoped so too.

Since I had learned how to operate the Primordial Void from Zhuge Yulong, I placed my hands on the massive Eight Trigrams plate and began to manipulate its movements. Unlike the National Seal, which would just tell you where things were the moment you asked, the Primordial Void was a real puzzle. Only someone well-versed in the operations of the Trigrams could change the numbers to find what they were looking for.

‘Ugh… This is complicated.’

I scowled. Mastering the Trigrams wasn’t something you casually picked up; it was a demanding academic and martial accomplishment. There were hardly any experts like Zhuge Yulong or Mangnyang across the Central Plains, and they were the kind of masters you might see once every hundred years—real pros in the Trigrams and formations. Achieving even half of what they had would take an ordinary person their entire life. Why? Because the Eight Trigrams contained expert knowledge in areas like calculations, geography, and astronomy from the current era.

Why was the Primordial Void so awkward?

As I fumbled with eight trigrams, over six thousand variations occurred, leaving me pretty irked. The National Seal was convenient, but this was like pulling teeth! If I thought about it, the Primordial Void was a divine artifact, clearly not designed for human use, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.

Wiyiing…

‘Got it.’

A faint glow began to emanate from the Primordial Void. By aligning three conditions just right, it was initiating a basic reaction. I realized it was time to infuse it with Spirit Power, so I channeled my energy and declared,

“Go and find the Four Great Spirit Deities!!”

Wiying

Simultaneously, the 64 divinations engraved on the Primordial Void began to whirl in a bright pattern, lifting a trigram into the air. It moved as if it had a mind of its own, and moments later, a dark light arose and began stretching in one direction.

The path of dark light was unmatched even under the black starry sky, seemingly extending to the ends of the universe. Believing the Primordial Void had activated properly, I informed the Giant God.

“It’s working! We can follow that light to find the Four Great Spirit Deities.”

[……]

“Why the long face?”

The Giant God, arms crossed and deep in thought, replied,

[Strange. Why is it the Four Great Deities, yet only one path is showing?]

“Uh…”

[If there are four Deities, the Primordial Void should reveal four paths.]

Now that he mentioned it, that was peculiar. As I hesitated, he continued.

[The fact that only one path is shown suggests there’s a clue at the end that might lead to the remaining four.]

“Um… Why is that?”

[How would I know? But it’s bound to be a rough journey, so you’d better gather as much strength and wisdom as you can…]

“Understood.”

Boom!!

Shortly afterward, the Giant God carried me into the outer space, traveling smoothly without any tremors or collisions; it was quite pleasant. I looked from my perch.

“It looks just like outer space, but without any difference! I can see all the planets and stars clearly.”

[What are you on about? There’s a huge difference…]

“Eh?”

[Firstly, there are no warped holes to be found in this outer space. And the discomfort is almost overwhelming.]

Warped holes?

As I pondered the meaning of that, it clicked.

‘Oh… he’s talking about those black spots where the gravity of the universe becomes distorted.’

Places where everything gets sucked in due to excessive gravity. I vaguely understood their existence, thanks to the scientific knowledge I picked up when I traveled to the future. Intrigued, I asked,

“Why are there none?”

[It’s because the laws of this outer universe differ completely from those outside. Or maybe this place is a replica of the primordial universe.]

“A replica?”

[……]

The Giant God didn’t elaborate on what he meant by ‘replica.’ Instead, he said,

[Whatever conversation you had with the Observer, it’s best to find what you’re looking for and get out fast. This place is dangerous.]

“Roger that.”

Pahat

Soon, the Giant God flew me along the dark path until we reached our destination, which turned out to be a striking blue star. A planet glowing with blue light where sea and land melded together caught my eye, and upon seeing it, I gasped.

“… Earth…”

In the future, the name of our planet was labeled Earth. Judging by the shape of the continents and oceans, there was no doubt it must be Earth. And seeing the little moon orbiting Earth, I couldn’t mistake it!

In a panic, I exclaimed,

“What’s going on? How could there be another Earth in this outer universe…”

[Either way, the Primordial Void insists that the Four Great Spirit Deities are on that Earth. We have no choice but to descend.]

“I don’t understand. This is another world… The chances of another Earth existing here are astronomically low.”

[You know that calculating such probabilities in the outer universe is pointless, right? If we go by that logic, what about the probability that you unsealed Shennong’s seal and passed through the Observer’s gate to end up here?]

“……”

The Giant God coldly countered my doubts.

[Stop your nitpicking. I might kill you.]

“… Yes.”

The Giant God seemed quite annoyed by my seemingly nonsensical questions, so I decided to keep quiet.

[We’re landing.]

Kuwaaaat

A moment later, the Giant God broke through the atmosphere and landed on Earth. He started flying along the path of dark light once more, headed for the Central Plains. Upon reaching the Central Plains, he moved deeper inland until we reached an eerily familiar spot.

Tydaht

The Giant God perched atop a nearby mountain range and surveyed the scene below.

[It’s a human city.]

“……”

I definitely recognized the city right in front of me. Focusing my energy, I gazed at that dazzling urban glow of early evening, and I quickly identified the city. My voice trembled as I mumbled,

“… Luoyang… It seems.”

Luoyang!!

The position of the Four Great Spirit Deities, as indicated by the Primordial Void, was in Luoyang. Concentrating my energy further, I noticed that the people wandering around Luoyang were typically human, not drastically different from those in my time. The sounds of festive music and the sights of rivers and eateries left me speechless.

‘How could this be happening?’

I arrived at an outer universe only to land in another Earth!

And why did the Primordial Void claim that the Four Great Spirit Deities resided here?

While I was immersed in this confusion, the Giant God said,

[We don’t have time; let’s smash everything and find them fast.]

Woong

As the Giant God hefted a massive axe, he focused his strength into it, causing a red divine energy to coalesce. Managing my Spirit Power, I felt the sheer magnitude of the force enveloping that axe, and I was horrified.

‘That’s at least 50 times stronger than my Spirit Power! Attacking the city with that would…’

A single blow would surely annihilate the place!

In a panic, I urged the Giant God to stop.

“Giant God! Please, wait! I can sense the dark light extending into that city, so I’ll go search on my own.”

[What’s the threat in that city that you’d go through all that trouble? Shut up.]

“How can you slaughter all those people without reason?”

[What’s it to me…?]

The Giant God genuinely looked perplexed about what the problem was. His eyes glinted with a clear disregard for human life, making it evident that he was a true Giant God. No matter how human he appeared, he was on a whole different plane of existence, far detached from humanity. Slaughtering humans didn’t even tickle his conscience.

I tried to persuade him.

“Didn’t you find it odd earlier? That we should see four paths stretch out yet only one remains… Surely, that single path signifies a ‘guide,’ doesn’t it?”

[Hmm.]

“If that’s the case, if we rush into Luoyang and massacre everyone, we might obliterate that guide as well.”

[Fine. If you insist, then quickly find this supposed guide. I’ll just watch from the back.]

“Understood.”

Tydaht

I leaped off the Giant God’s shoulder and dashed toward Luoyang. The dark path created by the Primordial Void extended straight to the heart of Luoyang, and all I had to do was follow it. Right now, there were hardly any beings that could pose a lethal threat to me, so I dashed forward confidently.

Pabat

I had just arrived at the center of Luoyang when I felt something was off.

‘……?’

This place felt slightly different from the era I had lived in…?

People’s attire looked vaguely familiar, but upon closer inspection, it was clearly distinct from my time. It hit me that it resembled the fashion from Yeodong-bin’s era.

‘Um. Yeodong-bin’s time…? So, the Tang Dynasty, huh?’

Oddly enough, it felt somewhat different from that era too…?

I couldn’t quite pinpoint why this strange discomfort lingered. And I had no idea why, in this outer universe, I had suddenly ended up in a version of Earth from that specific time. Pushing that unsettling feeling aside, I moved deeper into the city, eventually realizing something was very wrong.

“Ah!”

I exclaimed from the rooftop.

I finally understood why this discomfort had begun in the first place.

“There aren’t any martial artists!”

As I stealthily rooftop-hopped, using my Fire Eye Golden Spirit and Qi Sense to feel for humans, there wasn’t even a trace of a single martial artist. Normally, martial artists were people who had cultivated their Inner Dan and honed their Qi techniques, emanating a distinct energy. Luoyang usually had martial artists flocking in like clouds.

But among all these people, not a single one had practiced Qi! While there seemed to be a few with innate strength, they were anything but dedicated practitioners.

This was genuinely odd. If you told the martial artists of the world that there were none in Luoyang, they’d laugh it off as a joke. There should’ve been at least hundreds, if not thousands, of martial artists in that place!

‘How is this possible…? In this world, do people not practice martial arts?’

How could that even be?

As I continued feeling uneasy, I neared where the dark path led.

I realized the dark path penetrated into a palace, and standing in the inner palace, I stared at it, mumbling,

“I wonder who’s inside…”

I never expected to be drawn back to Earth during my epic journey through the outer universe, let alone end up in the heart of a palace. Full of questions, I strode confidently inside.

Swoosh

Upon entering, I heard a voice.

“Haha! Is that you… the renowned sage of the world?”

The figure seated on the dragon throne looked up from his book, chuckling as he stood.

Draped in royal garment, he turned to the person standing across from him and said,

“Welcome, Master Dharma… The Emperor, So Yeon, has lost his dignity waiting for you.”