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Chapter 584 – Dark Heaven Village

“Hey, you guys!”

Celestial Sage Mi-hu King approached us after defeating Jin A-shi. He looked at Jin So-cheong and Lee Cheong-un with the Ruyi Staff slung over his shoulder, a puzzled expression on his face.

“Why do you want to obtain the Seven Luminaries?”

“……”

It seemed that Celestial Sage had assumed that Jin So-cheong or Lee Cheong-un was the leader, not me. Jin So-cheong didn’t deny it and responded.

“The world is heading towards destruction. I’ve heard that obtaining the Seven Luminaries, a great treasure, can save humanity, so I’ve come with those who have noble intentions to obtain it. If you have something to say, please speak to me.”

Jin So-cheong redirected the arrow towards himself. This was a deceptive tactic to save my own life, just in case.

“Oh, I expected as much. And how did you know my identity?”

“At least I know you’re a famous figure of the Celestial Realm. There are many renowned sorcerers here.”

“I see.”

Celestial Sage rubbed his chin thoughtfully and spoke.

“But that’s not acceptable. I understand the circumstances, but you must give me the Moon Sovereign.”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t need to come up with a plan while seeking the Seven Luminaries; this chaos will be resolved from the Celestial Realm. So, don’t worry and hand over the Moon Sovereign.”

He glared at us, his eyes fierce, and his aura surged like flames.

“That’s the key to the apocalypse! If you hold onto it and it gets stolen by the Demon, it’ll be catastrophic.”

“……”

Jin So-cheong pondered for a moment before responding.

“Then you must grant me two requests, Celestial Sage.”

“What?!”

Celestial Sage Mi-hu King looked incredulous.

“Have you lost your mind? Just because you’re somewhat competent among humans doesn’t mean you can fight me. Just so you know, I’m not one to resolve issues through words; I typically resort to my fists.”

“That doesn’t sound very impressive…”

“Let’s leave it at that.”

Jin So-cheong spoke up.

“Countless innocent humans are dying everywhere due to the whims of the Old Ruler. Can you not spare a bit of kindness while taking our last hope, the Seven Luminaries?”

“Ugh.”

Jin So-cheong bowed deeply.

“We need to understand the situation and save the remaining humans. Please, I beg you.”

“……”

Celestial Sage scanned us, seemingly lost in deep thought. Then, he nodded with a hearty smile.

“Alright! If a mere human has the courage to come this far and fight with a guardian, I can give you that much consideration. Go ahead and say what you need.”

Huh?!

I was taken aback when Celestial Sage accepted Jin So-cheong’s words more willingly than I expected. The fact that Celestial Sage, who called himself “fists before words,” readily accepted the proposal was no empty boast; he was indeed someone accustomed to resorting to violence, yet he brushed off Jin So-cheong’s request gently. While I was surprised to see this unexpected side of him, Jin So-cheong continued.

“Please tell us your purpose and current situation.”

“Wow, that’s a question that reveals a lot in one shot. You’re quite clever, aren’t you?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Celestial Sage scratched his head and replied.

“As I said, I’ve come to work. The power of the Demon King sealed by the Three Sovereigns is growing stronger, and the seals are nearly breaking. The probability of a fusion between body and spirit, transforming into an ‘Old Existence,’ is rising. That’s why I, the magnificent and incredibly strong Celestial Sage, am going around sealing them one by one.”

There were a lot of embellishments in that statement.

“Weren’t you just saying you destroyed one?”

He chuckled lightly.

“Destroy? No way… the soul of a god is immortal. If left alone, Jin A-shi will inevitably resurrect vibrantly after a few thousand years. Of course, the Celestial Realm will seal it before that happens.”

“Are you also planning to retrieve the Seven Luminaries while you’re at it?”

Celestial Sage’s eyes sharpened for an instant.

“If possible, yes. If it doesn’t work out, there’s nothing I can do.”

He sat on a nearby rock and continued.

“Now, let me tell you a bit more about the current situation. I suppose you’re aware that the Evil Spirit unexpectedly obtained the Law of Cause and Effect, causing a reversal of the balance of Yin and Yang in the world, resulting in chaos? So, the Celestial Realm plans to descend upon the Heavenly Altar to counter the Evil Spirit’s scheme.”

Jin So-cheong also seemed to know what the Heavenly Altar was, but feigned ignorance and asked.

“What is the Heavenly Altar?”

“It’s where all the immortals from the Celestial Realm descend to maintain order on Earth. That way, at least for about ten years, the surface world will hold up fine.”

“Can the Celestial Realm just do such a thing, unilaterally?”

“What’s to stop us? It’s an order from the Three Sovereigns up top; we just follow it. As for any restrictions from the Law of Cause and Effect, it appears those great beings will handle it somehow.”

“……”

Jin So-cheong rested his chin on his hand and asked again.

“What exactly is the Evil Spirit’s scheme?”

Celestial Sage shrugged.

“It’s nothing special. Once the world descends into chaos and the negative energy runs rampant, the numbers of humans and civilizations will regress. In that gap, he aims to increase his followers and establish religions that worship the Evil Spirit here. When humans are in a life-and-death crisis, they tend to completely forget about Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, making it easy for them to believe in the Demon Sect.”

“Uh-huh…”

“If the evil religion flourishes, the end times approach quickly. Therefore, it is the Celestial Realm’s duty to directly intervene to protect you humans and contain the Evil Spirit.”

He flicked the Ruyi Staff elegantly, striking a dramatic pose.

“Don’t worry, the Celestial Realm is on your side!”

Celestial Sage’s words contained a wealth of information. As I watched him freely dispense high-level information, I realized one fact.

‘That guy is compassionate towards humans.’

Unlike the cold and ruthless Great Southern Flower Immortal, he was more in line with figures like Yeodong-bin, Fire Dragon Incarnate, and Jang Sam-bong, who had benevolent views towards humans. He might be full of pride and aggression due to his power, but at heart, Celestial Sage Mi-hu King is a good being.

If we present ourselves as “poor humans,” he seems willing to listen.

While I was thinking this, Jin So-cheong spoke up.

“Then, if I return the Moon Sovereign, will you help us just this once?”

“Huh? Why would I…?”

“I want to overcome this crisis with the blessings of the great and powerful Celestial Sage.”

And just like that, Celestial Sage seemed to brighten up, chuckling lightly.

“Haha, if that’s the case… I’ll accept!”

*Paat!*

When Celestial Sage cast his seal towards Jin So-cheong, the character “Son” briefly shone on his forehead before melting away without a trace. As Jin So-cheong touched his forehead, Celestial Sage added,

“If you’re in danger, just call my name once, and I’ll come to help.”

“Thank you.”

Jin So-cheong naturally took the Moon Sovereign from me and handed it over to Celestial Sage. As Celestial Sage confirmed it, he smiled again and waved at us.

“Then, take care~”

*Shoo!*

He vanished like a beam of light beyond the horizon in an instant. The tension in the hall dissipated, and people could finally breathe again. They murmured, looking at Jin So-cheong, especially Mangnyang, who seemed appalled.

“Jin So-cheong, how did you negotiate like that?”

“I only tried to recall what I had seen of Celestial Sage in Baek Woong’s memories and inferred his personality.”

Jin So-cheong’s face reddened slightly.

“I feel embarrassed for flattering him so inelegantly.”

I praised Jin So-cheong.

“No, you did well.”

Indeed, Jin So-cheong just did an admirable job. He not only gleaned a wealth of information from Celestial Sage but also secured a one-time assistance voucher. Being able to summon such a powerful Celestial Sage once is undoubtedly a tremendous help!

‘Is it true that geniuses excel at everything?’

I felt a twinge of jealousy, but quickly brushed that thought away. Then I said,

“Anyway, let’s head back for now.”

*Paat!*

We returned to the base of the Kingdom of Duke Du, bringing Seo San and Yu Jeong with us. As expected, the Kingdom of Duke Du was in chaos due to a major flood, and Matteo Ricci and his subordinates were too busy managing the flood to spare any time. Fortunately, the place where we were staying was on higher ground, so it wasn’t submerged.

Zhuge Sa looked up at the sky and said,

“Now that Jin A-shi has fallen, the Moon’s orbit, which has been drawing nearer, should normalize. That huge moon will slowly diminish.”

“Have we blocked the catastrophe?”

“No, this is just the beginning.”

Zhuge Sa continued,

“We may have lost the Moon Sovereign, but we must obtain the Fire Sovereign. The issue is Celestial Sage.”

“……”

That’s right. While we’d succeeded in stopping the calamity of the Moon Sovereign, there was a high probability that we’d encounter Celestial Sage again when trying to break the seal of the Fire Sovereign, as he had claimed to retrieve both treasures in his own words. While we were lucky not to have the Water Sovereign revealed, Celestial Sage might come looking for me sooner rather than later.

Mangnyang, who had been silent, added,

“The guardian of the Fire Sovereign is the Giant Clan’s Gong Gong. Gong Gong, a deity of the giants, was originally a formidable entity that could rival Jeon Wook in ancient times. If Gong Gong returns to his original strength, it could certainly be a major disaster.”

“Basically, if Gong Gong regains his strength, we won’t stand a chance.”

“There’s another problem. Right now, we can’t break through the barrier of the Fire Sovereign.”

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“Haha, it’s a complete mess. We can’t do anything!”

“……”

I felt like I was entirely stuck in a jam. If obtaining the Fire Sovereign becomes nearly impossible, we should focus on the remaining Moon Sovereign, Gold Sovereign, and Earth Sovereign. However, acquiring these three Luminaries would be even more challenging than the Fire Sovereign.

Then Lee Cheong-un crossed his arms and said,

“I think we should focus on increasing our allies right now instead of rushing to obtain the Seven Luminaries.”

“Oh? Your mind’s working well.”

Zhuge Sa looked at him with a playful interest.

“But, is that really okay? This isn’t something you should be suggesting.”

“I’ve forgotten past grievances.”

When Lee Cheong-un retorted succinctly, I sensed he was hinting at something and quickly asked,

“Are you suggesting we team up with the White Lotus Sect?”

“That’s right.”

Lee Cheong-un replied firmly.

“You give the Black and White Lotus to gain the trust of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, and even heal the Young Master. By doing so, we can turn the sect into a potential ally, forge a new alliance, and at the same time block the opportunity for the Old Ruler that may be dormant in the Young Master to descend upon the world.”

“Indeed…!!”

That was a brilliant plan, airtight!

Though the Master of the White Lotus Sect was a cunning figure, he was someone who would help when facing a problem. Gaining the assistance of the White Lotus Sect would certainly make things easier in the future.

As soon as the strategy discussion ended, I intended to head to the White Lotus Sect, but then Zhuge Sa stopped me.

“Wait a moment, Baek Woong.”

“What?”

“Yeodong-bin’s continuous refusal to cooperate is not an ordinary matter. Without the power of Yeodong-bin, we’re worse off than half-baked. You know that too.”

“……”

“Before you go to the White Lotus Sect, you must resolve that issue somehow. In a sense, it’s even more urgent than the White Lotus Sect’s problem.”

“What can I do if he won’t come even when I call?”

“You should prepare an offering ceremony.”

I reluctantly sat at the altar prepared by the sorcerers, about to begin the summoning. Simply calling out to Yeodong-bin could lead him to ignore me, but if I performed a formal summoning ceremony, he would have no choice but to appear regardless of his will.

Soon, the preparations for the altar were complete, and the ominous-looking Cheon Woo-jin began the summoning.

“Urgent, urgent, please heed my call…”

*Paat!*

A moment later, Yeodong-bin’s spirit appeared before me. His expression was more ferocious than ever, glaring at me sharply, and he soon drew his spirit sword, aiming it at me.

[Oh, Dharma Protector, draw it out.]

“Huh?”

[Draw your sword immediately.]

Yeodong-bin spoke with genuine murderous intent.

[I’m Yeodong-bin, and I cannot calm down unless I defeat you.]

“……”

While I wished to know why and wanted to retaliate, the moment I placed my hand on the handle, an overwhelming bloodlust filled the hall. Yeodong-bin was clearly serious about wanting to beat me.

Kugugugu!

The blue flames in Yeodong-bin’s eyes flared fiercely, and with an unsettling aura, the veins on his fists bulged, creating an immense sword energy.

I felt a premonition.

I might die here.