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“Here we are at the Imperial Palace, but where’s the Crystal Stele?”

My companions and I arrived at the Imperial Palace, but instead of a grand welcome, we found ourselves staring at an empty spot where the Crystal Stele used to be. In a desperate attempt, we even checked the room where the Portrait Immortal was crafted, but it was as barren as a desert.

“Looks like they ran off with the Crystal Stele and our research成果!”

“Did that Alchemist seriously think the Imperial Palace would lose?”

“Who knows? But we need to move fast.”

There was a sense of urgency in Zhuge Sa’s tone, like he was chased by something nasty.

Next, we headed towards the barrier where the National Seal was kept, and thanks to Cheon Woo-jin’s overwhelming sorcery, we broke through it like it was made of paper. We grabbed the National Seal, and just like before, I touched it and immediately met the spirit of the contract.

After finalizing the contract, when we returned to reality, Zhuge Sa chimed in.

“We know the true name of that Alchemist. Even if he’s on the run, we can find him using the exhibition technique of the National Seal.”

“I’ll search for him right away!”

Buzz buzz!

“Oh National Seal, reveal the whereabouts of the Alchemist, Saint Germain!”

[Yes, understood.]

For a moment, the seal vibrated, and after a bit of data gathering, it answered.

[Two results found for Saint Germain.]

“Two? Where are they?”

[Here they are.]

Suddenly, a screen appeared in mid-air, showing two situations as if I was watching them live. On one screen was an old Western man trembling with hands full of dusty books, while on the other, an Alchemist fiddled with the Crystal Stele in a dark workshop.

Shocked, I remarked, “Wait, both of them are called Saint Germain?”

“One is the rat we need to catch, and the old geezer is just a low-tier impersonator. No deep thoughts needed!”

“……”

I nodded and asked the National Seal for the exact location of the Alchemist. After a moment, it plugged in the coordinates straight into my brain, and I immediately knew where he was.

‘He’s at the west border of the Arasa Empire.’

It was where the west border of the Arasa Empire ended, marking the start of the full-blown Western territories. I was slightly dumbfounded that he managed to escape so far in such a short time, but I shared the info with my companions. Mangnyang pondered aloud.

“Running west means his base is in the West.”

“We should catch him now, right?”

“… I disagree.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s see how far he’ll run. It’ll be helpful to figure out his hideout and influences.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Since we didn’t urgently need the Crystal Stele right now, we could always use the exhibition technique to get his location later. It was smarter to let the rat scurry off and find its hole.

After securing the National Seal, we ventured into the Great Dragon Hall to find the Emperor, only to be greeted by an utterly gruesome sight.

“Aaaah!”

“Your Majesty, please…”

Roar!

A monstrous one-eyed creature, towering like a giant, swung its massive claws, shredding officials and eunuchs alike. Its body was grotesquely decayed, with blood vessels and tentacles oozing out, making my stomach churn. With sheer brute force, it had already left dozens of corpses scattered throughout the palace.

Watching this gruesome tragedy unfold, I clenched my teeth.

“Is this what the Emperor has become?”

“Jin So-cheong!”

When Mangnyang shouted for Jin So-cheong, she fired off a powerful technique without missing a beat. She landed five precise strikes, and after a short while, the creature was riddled with holes, collapsing to the floor.

Crash!

After the one-eyed beast fell, it bled green for a while before its form began to shrink before our eyes. In under half a minute, this grotesque creature transformed into a naked middle-aged man. Of course, it turned out to be the unconscious Emperor of the Great Ming Empire.

Extreme Tiger checked the back of the Emperor’s neck for a pulse and declared, “He’s dead.”

“Of course. If the Demon’s sorcery goes berserk and turns someone into a monster, their soul and vitality wouldn’t be able to take it.”

Zhuge Sa then turned to me, saying, “Baek Woong, I have something to confirm. Use the Heavenly Secret Technique.”

“Will calling out the Emperor’s soul do the trick?”

“You got it.”

Zing!

Flames flickered from my fingers as I easily called out the Emperor’s soul. Shivering, the Emperor seemed confused about his death, suddenly crying out.

[Aaaah! Please, help me! I’ll do anything! Just not that place…]

Why is he so cooperative? I tilted my head, ready to ask, “What happened here—”

But at that moment.

[Kaaah!! No! Please… I hate Living Hell!!]

Ugh.

A violent wind surged, and the Emperor’s soul began getting sucked into the void. I tried to maintain the Heavenly Secret Technique while using the Soul Exchange Technique to hold on, but it just stretched the Emperor’s spirit like taffy. Just as the pulling force intensified and beads of sweat formed on my forehead, Zhuge Sa said beside me.

“Let it go.”

“Okay.”

As soon as I released my grip, the Emperor’s soul was immediately whisked away somewhere. I shook my hand, perplexed, and asked Zhuge Sa, “Isn’t this just like when Zhuge Yulong was flung away earlier? What in the world is happening?”

“All the souls within the Imperial Palace are being returned to God’s will. A deity is personally harvesting souls, and no matter how much you or I are masters of the Soul Exchange Technique, we can’t stop that.”

“……!!”

“If you’re going to do something, gather the souls of the poor dead officials. They have no reason to end up in Living Hell either.”

I flinched, shocked.

Harvesting by the deity!

So the Old Ruler wielding power over the Imperial Palace is actually collecting their souls directly? Understanding Zhuge Sa’s words, I quickly gathered the souls of the suffering people around with the Soul Exchange Technique. Following the technique rules, I temporarily held onto their souls, at which point the Sword Demon asked Zhuge Sa.

“Zhuge Sa, why do you think the deity suddenly started harvesting souls on such a large scale?”

“……”

“Zhuge Sa.”

“From the knowledge of Demon Sorcerers, I have a guess. That’s why we came to the Imperial Palace to gather everything.”

Zhuge Sa glanced at me, then continued, “If we’ve gathered everything, we need to skedaddle. This place will soon turn into chaos.”

“What do you mean? Zhuge Yulong is dead, and the Imperial Palace Forces have been wiped out. Are you saying the deities are sending down Apostles again?”

“No. Something worse is about to happen. We need to escape now!”

Bang!

We returned to Jangryeong Valley. Yet, after a long, grueling battle, no one dared to sit and rest. The outcome was far from satisfying, and Zhuge Sa’s words hinted at the challenges still to come.

As we gathered in a circle, Zhuge Sa opened his mouth.

“In my opinion, neither Jangryeong Valley nor Jinrang Valley is a safe spot. After all, it’s not too far from the capital, Luoyang. As the Portrait Immortal suggested, we should relocate further away.”

The Sword Demon looked perplexed, asking, “What do you mean? Even though Jangryeong Valley and Jinrang Valley are hundreds of Li away from the Imperial Palace, you’re saying there’s still a threat?”

“Yes. Something is about to burst.”

“And what makes you so sure?”

Zhuge Sa clasped his hands together. An unprecedented anxious light danced in his eyes.

“The Portrait Immortal responded to the summons of the Old Ruler. Usually, a normal human would merely fall under the charm and become a fanatic, but the Portrait Immortal was created as an Apostle to act on behalf of the Evil God from the start; that’s the issue.”

“What issue?”

“An Apostle dedicates their entire soul and existence to the deity. In other words, it means the Old Ruler now has the freedom to wreak havoc on Earth without limitations. Do you even understand how dangerous this is?”

Mangnyang, listening nearby, turned pale and said, “So even the Three Sovereigns cannot stop the Old Ruler from creating chaos in the Central Plains?”

“Exactly. The Three Sovereigns are the landlords of the Central Plains, but even the recognized authority of the rightful lord cannot stop a burglar from rummaging through their house.”

“They might descend themselves.”

Direct descent of the Old Ruler!

This was something I had never experienced in my 23 lives. Sure, Zhuge Sa had summoned the ruler of the jungle through his soul and Nameless Ritual Book, but even that was not a full summoning.

Recalling my past experiences, I asked Zhuge Sa, “Is it like when Jeon Wook descended into my body back then?”

“You could say it’s similar. But the freedom level is substantially higher this time. You refused to voluntarily surrender your soul, leading to Jeon Wook forcefully taking over your body. However, by responding to the summons, the Apostle has the highest degree of freedom regarding the cause and effect.”

Zhuge Sa then crossed his arms and continued, “The problem lies in to whom the Apostle dedicated their soul. I have no clue.”

“Why?”

“Though designated as a being for the Evil God, that contract is definitely linked to Enkai’s Sleeper. One wouldn’t simply let a powerful medium like the Portrait Immortal go so easily. So it’s unclear who gained the freedom of cause and effect.”

Understanding Zhuge Sa’s meaning, I nodded. “So, soon enough, either the Evil God or the Sleeper will descend upon the Central Plains.”

“That’s right. The Sleeper trying to harvest all the souls in the Imperial Palace just now was likely preparing for the great clash that would occur then.”

“Do you think the Three Sovereigns will get angry and intervene?”

“There’s a possibility, but they’ll likely just observe. You know how indifferent they can be to humans?”

“……”

That seemed very plausible. They might not even bat an eye if a million deaths occurred.

Cheon Woo-jin, who had been listening to our conversation, abruptly interrupted with a blunt tone, “This is utterly pointless!”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Cheon Woo-jin. He continued, “If that’s the case, then whatever we do now is meaningless, right? In a scenario where gods are running rampage, relocating our base will just change when we die, not if.”

“……”

He had a point.

What difference would it make to know?

A somber atmosphere filled the room, wrapping everyone in an overwhelming despair. At that moment, Zhuge Sa replied to Cheon Woo-jin.

“Ultimately, that may be true. We’re likely all going to perish. But when we die does matter.”

Zhuge Sa cast me a sideways glance and added, “Because of Baek Woong.”

“……”

“Even if humanity goes extinct, our priority right now is to keep Baek Woong alive for another day. It’s too early to throw in the towel.”

Zhuge Sa continued, “Ideally, we should stay away from the Central Plains, but we shouldn’t go too far. Any recommendations?”

At this point, Mangnyang suggested, “How about the Da-do Kingdom?”

“Are you suggesting we seek Matteo Ricci’s help?”

“It’s physically distant from the Central Plains, and supply lines won’t be a hassle.”

For a while, we discussed our options and eventually settled on moving our base first to the Da-do Kingdom, then considering the southern continent with the Fire Spirit later. We opted not to head right to the southern continent immediately for the sake of keeping an eye on the situation near the Central Plains.

I turned to Zhuge Sa and asked, “So, should we resume our search for the Seven Luminaries?”

“Of course. After all, this life isn’t going to last long. Death is closing in, so we must actively pursue the Seven Luminaries to extend whatever life we have left.”

“In that case… we should start with the Moon Sovereign or Fire Spirit first.”

“Absolutely.”

Up until now, I’d been laying low out of concern for the Master of the Twelve Joules, yet the Moon Sovereign was one of the easiest of the Seven Luminaries to acquire. Freeing it wasn’t a complication, but obtaining the unfreed Moon Sovereign was straightforward. Sure, taking down the Guardian was a pain, but I could just avoid that. There was also a method I knew to reach the Fire Spirit, though securing it now could be tricky due to the connection with the Offering Ceremony or the Celestial Realm.

‘And…’

If the Master of the Twelve Joules is really gone, then perhaps we could also secure the Wood Element.

As I was about to discuss plans for gathering the Seven Luminaries with my advisors, a thunderous noise roared across the sky.

Everyone rushed outside in shock to find the western sky seemed to shatter, with colossal thunderclouds swirling with immense force. These weren’t just ordinary clouds; they blotted out the sky itself.

In the darkness, something massive flickered and soared. Between the lightning, a form that could be either human or something cephalopod-like flashed for a moment before vanishing. However, the swirling clouds held a palpable aura of chaos.

The sky and the ground seemed to resonate, holding their breath as the impending tragedy loomed.

“Turn on the exhibition technique, Baek Woong.”

Zhuge Sa chuckled maniacally, his eyes glimmering with lunacy. “That’s Luoyang over there!”

 

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