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00457 암천향(暗天鄕) ————————————————————————=

I returned to Jangryeong Valley and stared intently at the Flame Elemental Sword in my right hand.

‘Did I just obtain the third of the Seven Luminaries with this…’

The first I acquired was the Water Element Divine Sword, followed by the location of the Moon Sovereign’s Divine Tools. Of course, I hadn’t released both of them, but if I didn’t fear future troubles, I could obtain both at any time. And today, I had obtained the Flame Elemental Sword from the Seven Luminaries.

The red Divine Sword sealed with the sword sheath was my initial impression of the Flame Elemental Sword. Observing the sword body, it was no different from an ordinary sword, yet in length, it was undoubtedly a long sword, contrasting sharply with the somewhat shorter Water Element Divine Sword.

Unfortunately, I had successfully placed the Fire Dragon Sword into the wooden armor with the help of Yeodong-bin, but upon trying to take it back out, an intense heat radiated from it, and I couldn’t retrieve it. It seemed that since the Fire Dragon Sword was in a state of recovery, it was emitting a more powerful flame aura.

Suddenly struck with an idea, I held the Flame Elemental Sword in one hand and attempted to take out the Fire Dragon Sword again.

Guguugu

“Got it!”

I exclaimed. Sure enough, while holding the Flame Elemental Sword, the astounding power of the Fire Dragon Sword naturally neutralized. I realized I could finally wield the Fire Dragon Sword. Zhuge Sa, who had been watching my experiment, spoke up.

“To use both Divine Treasures, you’ll need to learn the Twin Sword Technique.”

“Uh… no, that’s…”

Zhuge Sa’s statement made some sense at first glance, but I frowned. Of course, at this rate, I couldn’t use the Fire Dragon Sword without holding the Flame Elemental Sword. It was clear that using both Divine Treasures simultaneously would enhance my power substantially.

However, I considered myself a master of martial arts, so I cautiously expressed my opinion.

“…That doesn’t make sense.”

“Why not?”

“Twin Sword Technique is not an extension of regular swordsmanship. It’s an entirely independent sect that requires exceptional talent in martial arts, and having become accustomed to Thunder God lineage swordsmanship, I wouldn’t be able to learn it properly.”

This was the problem.

Twin Sword Technique was not merely a martial art of swinging two swords. The balance between the left and right hands and the transition between offense and defense were entirely different from regular sword techniques or any single style. To become a master of Twin Sword Technique, I would definitely need to undergo harsh training to the extent of forgetting all the swordsmanship I had learned until now. Zhuge Sa seemed unfazed as he replied.

“Well, that’s not my concern… why don’t you try talking to the Fire Dragon Sword?”

“Talk to it?”

“There’s likely a Sword Spirit residing within the Fire Dragon Sword. Use the National Seal’s mystical power to connect with the Sword Spirit.”

“Got it.”

That definitely made sense. There were mentions that even when sealed under the Shangguan Family, while the sword’s form might have vanished, the Sword Spirit remained. And to properly wield the Fire Dragon Sword, I certainly needed to converse with its Sword Spirit.

Whoooom

I drew the spiritual energy into my forehead and focused my mind on the Fire Dragon Sword. A faint spiritual pulse began to flow into the Fire Dragon Sword, and I sensed something wriggling inside. It felt like a mental entity trapped like an egg, and even though I tried to talk to it repeatedly, it remained quietly asleep as if refusing to listen.

After finishing my attempt to communicate, I turned to Zhuge Sa and said.

“I can’t tell whether it’s ignoring me or just asleep.”

“Hmm… It’s more likely that the Sword Spirit of the Fire Dragon Sword is in a dormant state due to recovery.”

“A dormant state?”

Zhuge Sa nodded.

“The Divine Treasure, Fire Dragon Sword, had been consuming spiritual energy while sealed for hundreds of years and was nearing the end of its lifespan as a Divine Sword. Then suddenly, the immense heat from the Flame Elemental Sword surged in and restored the Fire Dragon Sword’s power. Naturally, it is probably in a dormant state to absorb more energy to recover itself.”

“When will it awaken?”

“I’m not sure, but as long as you have it, the Fire Dragon Sword will eventually reach out to you. Until then, refrain from using it.”

“Understood.”

I shifted my gaze from the Fire Dragon Sword to the Flame Elemental Sword. Then, cautiously, I spoke.

“Right now, it’s in a state of being unsealed, correct?”

“Why are you asking me? If Zhuge Wook said it was unsealed, then it’s unsealed, of course.”

“But it doesn’t feel like my strength has increased significantly…”

I had my reasons for hesitating. The Flame Elemental Sword had been released with Zhuge Wook’s permission, and I had become the master of the Seven Luminaries. However, whether it was the Water Element or the Moon Sovereign, upon release, I had definitely felt an amplification of strength, while I didn’t feel that from the Flame Elemental Sword. As I was puzzled, Zhuge Sa, with his arms crossed, commented.

“For now, it’s hypothesized that you’re borrowing strength for the recovery of the Fire Dragon Sword… The fact that you’re sharing your power with the Fire Dragon Sword through your own will might be why the released power isn’t manifesting. There might be other reasons, but…”

“Is that so…”

“Anyway, now you’re the master of the National Seal, Fire Dragon Sword, and the Flame Elemental Sword.”

Zhuge Sa smiled mischievously.

“Your next step is pretty clear, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

I responded firmly.

“I will release the Water Element through the Offering Ceremony!”

Having become the master of the Flame Elemental Sword, if I released the Water Element, I would become the first in my past life to be the master of two from the Seven Luminaries! Just thinking about the power I would gain from having both sent shivers down my spine. Then, Zhuge Sa looked at me with a serious gaze.

“Of course, that’s the goal, but given the current state, there are risks involved.”

“Is it the mission to find Changqie within ten years?”

“That and the question of whether the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors will actually allow one person to hold two of the Seven Luminaries.”

“……”

“Even if you conduct the Offering Ceremony as it is, there’s a high probability of failing to release the Water Element.”

I let out a groan at Zhuge Sa’s words.

‘True. Nüwa won’t grant permission.’

From what I knew, the Moon Sovereign, Haein, had already been released by the hands of the Master of the Twelve Joules. In this situation, if I released the Flame Element, it would mean three of the Seven Luminaries had appeared in the world simultaneously. I had already experienced how Nüwa would likely react frantically against this.

No matter how it was, the influence of the Five Emperors would undoubtedly be stronger than that of the Three Sovereigns. If Nüwa strongly opposed it, then Zhuge Wook would surely follow her opinion instead of listening to mine as just a mortal Apostle. I had realized I had hit a snag.

Zhuge Sa interlocked his fingers and continued.

“A realistic approach would be for you to successfully complete Zhuge Wook’s mission in a short time, gain recognition of your capabilities, and use that accomplishment to persuade Zhuge Wook. You’ve already found Changqie, so wouldn’t it be reasonable to argue that having two of the Seven Luminaries is justified?”

“Is that possible?”

“I don’t know either. How could a demon sorcerer like me read the intentions of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors? It’s just that this method has the highest chances.”

Zhuge Sa hesitated slightly and then raised a finger.

“Another option is to summon powerful enemies that can only be confronted by releasing the Seven Luminaries.”

“……?”

I tilted my head, unable to quickly grasp Zhuge Sa’s point. What did he mean? Zhuge Sa spoke as if he expected this response.

“To simplify, what if a powerful mortal adversary appears to cause havoc on Earth? The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would probably refrain from directly intervening due to the Law of Cause and Effect. Instead, they would elevate you, as Zhuge Wook’s Apostle, as that countermeasure, and naturally, you’d gain recognition for the additional release of the Seven Luminaries.”

So that was it!

I replied with a puzzled expression.

“I understand. But is it really possible for such luck to occur? It’s unlikely those kinds of beings would suddenly show up.”

“Hehe. Didn’t you already witness that kind of being through White Feather Fan?”

“……”

In that moment, I felt a chill from Zhuge Sa’s proposal. I suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

“Are you insane?!”

“Now you get it?”

“No, no, that’s not it… Are you saying to just let the Nine Lotus Sect appear?!”

As I reacted in shock, Zhuge Sa nodded as if it were obvious.

“Of course! Only an enemy of that caliber would force the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to recognize the release of the Seven Luminaries.”

“No, what the…”

I was flabbergasted.

This was completely reversing the situation!

I was gathering the Seven Luminaries in my rebirth to boost my power to reign over the chaotic times and ultimately defeat the [Old Ruler] of this world. Allowing the Apostle of the Evil Spirit, like the Nine Lotus Sect, to emerge was a choice I could never concede. If the Apostle of the Evil Spirit infiltrated the human world, it was obvious there would be a human sacrifice in the hundreds of thousands.

Zhuge Sa smiled coldly.

“From what I see, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors will never allow someone to hold three or more of the Seven Luminaries through regular means. They’ll go absolutely berserk even if you only possess two of them. Because the unsealing of all the Seven Luminaries signifies the dissolution of the treaty with the [Old Ruler], thereby reigniting the war of the gods, which they obviously would not want. No matter how many accomplishments you gather, or how much you lick Zhuge Wook’s boots, there’s nothing you can do.”

“……”

“Then we must take a tough approach. Apostles must face Apostles. If the Apostle of the [Old Ruler] starts to rampage using tricks, you can just step in under the pretext of stopping it. Then the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would reluctantly permit you to monopolize the Seven Luminaries.”

Zhuge Sa’s argument was logically sound. It was true that the Nine Lotus Sect, a group of Evil Spirit Apostles, manifested according to the Law of Cause and Effect, which would mean eventually, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors wouldn’t be able to interfere. In that case, it seemed highly likely that they would grant authority to me, their Apostle, to counteract them.

“Think carefully. Right now, the three major factions publicly balance each other to maintain superficial peace. There’s no reason for the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to release the Seven Luminaries. So if there’s no reason, let’s create one.”

“No, no… no wait.”

Although I momentarily faltered at Zhuge Sa’s persuasion, I shook my head.

“This is nonsense. I’ve already seen how strong the Apostle of the Evil Spirit is through the White Feather Fan. Even if I release the Seven Luminaries, whether I can win against such monsters is uncertain. And allowing the Nine Lotus Sect to surface for this reason is like setting fire to thatched huts just to catch a flea.”

As I firmly rejected, Zhuge Sa wore a mischievous expression.

“Hmph. If it were Hyun, you wouldn’t have been able to pass this advice on to you. We must not limit our methods to achieve our goals, why so stubborn? There’s no way to unseal all Seven Luminaries just through regular means.”

“Enough. Let’s talk about this later.”

I diverted the conversation for now. It seemed Zhuge Sa wanted the Nine Lotus Sect to appear in order to facilitate the release of the Seven Luminaries. Yet I couldn’t go along with that suggestion. Instead, I posed a question to Zhuge Sa.

“Then it sounds like we should prioritize the mission to find Changqie before jumping straight into releasing the Water Element.”

“Probably. Ten years may seem long, but it’s not that long. First, we should fulfill that mission to gather achievements, get Zhuge Wook’s recognition, and then proceed to release the Water Element.”

I understood the situation and concentrated my mental strength.

“O National Seal.”

Whoooom

At that moment, I felt the National Seal responding to me as the spirit of the National Seal appeared. It summoned several transparent square platforms from the darkness. I commanded the National Seal.

“Using the All-Seeing Eye, locate the History Emperor Changqie!”

[Yes, understood.]

Fabulous!

It felt as if starlight was shimmering. The dark and light inside the National Seal swirled as it rapidly analyzed the information of the world. After gathering information for quite a while, the National Seal spoke with an apparent difficulty.

[Search result for Emperor Changqie: 0.]

“What?!”

[The request has been edited by the administrator. Would you like to view related search results?]

What’s going on? I tilted my head, but Zhuge Sa, who was sharing my senses next to me, chuckled.

“I expected this. It’s not as capable as the Pnakotus or Rigveda.”

“Zhuge Sa, what are you talking about?”

“Basically, the All-Seeing Eye is a convenient search system spread over the domain of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. If you don’t have foundational knowledge, it might be a little annoying to understand, so I’ll explain it later.”

Demon sorcerers seem to know a lot about everything.

I internally grumbled, expressing my wish.

“I want to know how to locate Changqie. Is there anyone who knows its whereabouts?”

[Please wait a moment…]

After a brief pause, the National Seal spoke.

[One related search result exists.]

“Who is it?”

Fabulous!

Suddenly, a striking shape appeared in stark clarity. Since I had already seen that form before, I muttered in shock.

“Peng Zuo!”