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Originally, we would have spent three days rescuing survivors in Luoyang and helping mankind. But with the sudden twist of events, there was no energy left to focus on that. In the end, we had no choice but to leave Luoyang quickly, leaving all rescue efforts and post-event organization to Yeon Jong-hwi.

“Master Mangnyang isn’t getting involved at all…”

Despite the battle between the Celestial Realm and the Nine Lotus Sect taking place in Luoyang, and even a large human sacrifice ritual and destruction of the duel grounds occurring, Master Mangnyang remained utterly indifferent. He showed no presence, seemingly only concerned with maintaining the duel grounds.

One of the signs of that indifference was that Mangnyang frantically sought Master Mangnyang but received no response—he didn’t even manifest through a dream to me. Seeing Master Mangnyang’s lack of reaction, Zhuge Sa simply concluded, “It’s likely he’s reached his limit.”

“Limit?”

“From the beginning, he’s been using most of his strength to maintain the duel grounds. In other words, with the evil deity causing chaos, he likely can’t do anything other than hold the duel grounds together.”

“……”

“Right now, Master Mangnyang is practically nonexistent.”

Perhaps that was true.

We returned to the Kingdom of Duke Du, and to check on Seo Mun-hye, we called the Five Great Physicians who were already residing there. My comrades, inheriting my memories, thought that exceptional physicians would be essential for the upcoming battles, so fifty years ago, I personally guided them to take refuge in the Kingdom of Duke Du. Therefore, currently, all the Five Great Physicians except for the great medical master Sangwan Hyuk were in the Kingdom.

The masked celestial doctor Dongbang Mu-gyeol examined Seo Mun-hye, who was unconscious, and said, “She’s perfectly fine. She just fainted. No issues with her organs or brain.”

“Really?”

“I can assure you on my name. And where is the injury? There are no wounds.”

“Hmm…”

Dongbang Mu-gyeol was the most objectively skilled healer among the Five Great Physicians. His assurance meant that Seo Mun-hye was definitely safe. Suddenly, I found it odd that he was wearing a mask and asked, “Why are you wearing a mask?”

“Why should I tell you?”

When Dongbang Mu-gyeol retorted with a snarky tone, the nearby Zhuge Sa chuckled and said, “It’d be best to talk if you don’t want to be thrown out of this island. This dopey-looking guy is essentially our lord.”

“Ugh.”

“If you want to keep fighting monsters endlessly on this hell-like Central Plains, I won’t stop you.”

“Got it, fine!”

At the mention of “exile,” Dongbang Mu-gyeol flinched and slowly removed his mask as if he had no choice.

Swish

“……!!”

I was taken aback by what lay beneath his mask.

“Uh… are you a Merfolk? Sea God Clan?”

Indeed.

Although his face retained about thirty percent of its human form, he bore a striking resemblance to the Sea God Clan—an otherworldly race that I had opposed in my previous life! By ordinary human aesthetics, anyone would say he looked like a monster. Originally, Dongbang Mu-gyeol, who had a sly appearance but was a fairly handsome middle-aged man, underwent a serious transformation.

Then, Dongbang Mu-gyeol bluntly stated, “What does it matter now? Outside in the Central Plains, interbreeding and merging with otherworldly races are all the rage… Following the methods of the Su Shin Sect, I’ve stable-ly taken in their blood, so I have no issues. I won’t lose my human traits.”

“The Su Shin Sect’s methods? What do you mean?”

“… Well, since neither the headmaster nor the dharma guardian is around, I guess it won’t matter if I tell you.”

Dongbang Mu-gyeol scratched the small gills appearing behind his cheek and continued, “It’s not just me; anyone who has inherited the Su Shin Sect’s methods will gradually begin to take on a Merfolk appearance. By regularly injecting diluted Merfolk blood while preserving spirit and soul through sorcery, one can harness only the strength of the Merfolk. This way, you gain their powerful vitality and ensure a stable operation of the Heavenly Spirit Pill, nearing immortality.”

“……”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you pitying me?”

I struggled to reply, “Your voice is changing. Aren’t you worried your voice will sound like a Merfolk’s later on?”

“That’s likely to happen. I’m holding back for now because I don’t want to transform that far.”

If that happens, Dongbang Mu-gyeol might end up speaking in a voice similar to Dokgo Jun or other experts of the Su Shin Sect, hardly sounding human at all. Just thinking about the figures I’d encountered from the Su Shin Sect sent a chill down my spine.

“You say you’ll preserve some human traits, but essentially, you’ve cast aside your humanity.”

As I spoke in disbelief, Dongbang Mu-gyeol scoffed. “What’s so great about being human?”

“What…?”

“The human body is pitifully weak, inconvenient, and dies quickly. On the other hand, this body is overflowing with life, capable of living almost permanently in water, and can live for an incredibly long time. Plus, it’s easier to operate the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Why should I remain human? Ha!”

“……”

His outburst resounded.

“Don’t meddle with those living well and mind your own business.”

Dongbang Mu-gyeol got up in a huff and left. A brief silence followed, and the other physicians nearby looked like they expected this. The Guangming Divine Doctor, Hwa Seong-myeong, broke the silence.

“You really touched on a nerve there.”

“What nerve?”

“He pretends to be indifferent, but he often laments and regrets having transformed into a Merfolk. He used to throw fits while drinking too. He seems to desire what he has gained but mourns what he has lost.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, we can confirm there’s nothing wrong with Seo Mun-hye’s body. However…”

“However?”

Fifty years later, the once-youthful Hwa Seong-myeong’s hair was completely white and gray as he continued.

“Her body is human; however, she is not quite human.”

“What do you mean?”

“To put it simply, while her exterior appears human… it feels impossibly robust and perfect. To break it down, she possesses exaggerated resistance and recovery from impact and the circulation of her Eight Extraordinary Vessels is hundreds of times more complex and powerful than an ordinary person.”

“Does that mean she has the body of an otherworldly race?”

“Not exactly…”

Hwa Seong-myeong seemed to find something frustrating as he stammered before continuing, “An enhanced human, so to speak… we could even say she’s an evolved version of humanity compared to the current humans.”

“……!!”

“You think she has the body of an otherworldly race? Surely, over fifty years, we’ve dissected enough otherworldly remains to know their examples and strengths. Yet, her body is far sturdier and more tenacious than those members of the otherworldly races. It seems even stronger than the pinnacle of martial arts practitioners could achieve after decades of training.”

He gazed at the fainted Seo Mun-hye with envious eyes, “She could walk barefoot on lava and shatter cliffs with her bare fists without any martial techniques!”

“Is that even possible?”

“Of course, such feats were originally impossible.”

Next to Hwa Seong-myeong, Gang Jeon-gil pulled out several crooked needles and said, “Look, we tried acupuncture on her, but the needles wouldn’t penetrate her skin. They just broke! So that Dongbang Mu-gyeol who just ran out used his peak energy to barely accomplish that.”

“Whoa…”

That’s insane!

After a moment of thought, I asked, “When do you think she will regain consciousness?”

“I can’t say for sure. However, even though her breathing has stopped, judging by the steady and calm blood flow, she might awaken soon. Regardless, there are no issues with her life force.”

“Understood.”

It seemed all I could do for now was keep an eye on Seo Mun-hye.

I stepped outside to discuss with Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang.

“What should we do now?”

“For now, we need to head to Mount Tai in three days when the Celestial Sage summons us. But before that, we have one more thing to do.”

Zhuge Sa continued, “Baek Woong, are you absolutely certain you’ve reached the Absolute Realm or the Overlay Technique?”

“……”

The straightforward question left me in a dilemma. Unlike before, I wasn’t flustered, but it still wasn’t an easy question to answer. After a considerable pause, I replied, “I don’t think so.”

“But didn’t you say you could sense the movements of the Absolute Realm when fighting with Jin So-cheong and Tang San?”

“That was only when I invoked the Immortal Sword Technique. As soon as I retracted it, the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique and the Moon-Style Defense Technique seemed to disappear as well.”

“Hmm.”

Zhuge Sa contemplated with interest, while Mangnyang chimed in, “That Immortal Sword Technique seems to hold some kind of secret. Baek Woong, do you have any clues?”

It seemed Mangnyang was hoping for something from my intuition. I mean, back when we were stopping the Portrait Immortal’s resurrection ritual, my instincts played a crucial role. But with the amount of time that has passed, I wasn’t sure if my instincts were still sharp.

‘The reason… why Yeodong-bin became the Immortal Sword…’

I recalled the last words of Yeodong-bin:

[ I haven’t enough evidence, but there’s a massive problem looming over you, and I’m letting it sit until the Celestial Altar sends down their forces to purge you. ]

[ But if you are confident in your righteousness, you might not even have to clash with the Celestial Realm. ]

[ Before the Celestial Altar descends, if you could awaken my master, the Fire Dragon Incarnate, I believe there’s a way. ]

[ First, awaken my master so he can tell you what to do. ]

That’s right. Yeodong-bin must have thought that if he became the Immortal Sword under the Celestial authority, he would have no choice but to raid me. So betting against the status of the great immortal to aid me seemed to be his move. But for some reason, I felt like that wasn’t the entire picture, and Mangnyang must have sensed that doubt.

What was Yeodong-bin thinking?

After my pondering, I said, “What’s clear is that we need to awaken the Fire Dragon Incarnate sleeping within this Fire Dragon Sword first. He’ll definitely have insight into how to handle this situation.”

“Awakening the Fire Dragon Incarnate requires the most potent fire energy in the world, but as for the current situation with the Fire Spirit, I can barely guess. At this moment, I can’t even think of a way to break through the barrier surrounding the Fire Spirit. Besides, the backup option, the Fire Spirit Techniques’ Dharma Guardian Han Baek-ryeong, perished in battle recently.”

“Damn it!”

Everything only got more complicated.

Then, Zhuge Sa, who had been listening, chuckled wryly.

“Well… it’s not guaranteed we can get the Fire Spirit, but exploring the Seven Luminaries isn’t a bad idea. Let’s hand it over to that monkey once we get it.”

“What? Are you suggesting we offer the Seven Luminaries to the Celestial Sage?”

Zhuge Sa nodded.

“Exactly. He always has his eye on the Seven Luminaries, trying to seize it. But we don’t even understand why he wants it so badly.”

I realized what Zhuge Sa was getting at.

“So you mean we should figure out why he wants to take the Seven Luminaries?”

“Knowing that reason and the circumstances surrounding it could be incredibly helpful moving forward. Plus, he doesn’t quite have strong ties to the Celestial Realm and he’s loyal. If we offer the Seven Luminaries first, we could earn some serious goodwill. He’s someone who does favors for those who act with righteousness.”

“Hmm…”

“In any case, with the Seven Luminaries being so difficult to break free from, the limits on what we can do are high. Collaborating with the Celestial Sage, the only remaining assistant left behind by Jin So-cheong, is inevitable. Besides, once he starts scouting us with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, it’ll be just a matter of time before the Seven Luminaries are exposed.”

“Ugh.”

I gritted my teeth.

So after all this trouble, if we do find the Seven Luminaries, we have to butter up the Celestial Sage? But whether we like it or not, in the end, we’ll be in a position to be seized, so maybe it’s better to offer it first.

Finally, I made up my mind and said, “All right. Let’s search for the Fire Spirit.”

I’ve no idea how strong the Guardian Gong Gong has become, but I had no choice but to take the risk.

Without finding the Fire Spirit and awakening the Fire Dragon Incarnate, nothing else would matter.

However, it was also doubtful whether we could break through the current barrier surrounding the Fire Spirit. That barrier wouldn’t open until the total solar eclipse occurs. Essentially, it was less about getting the Fire Spirit and more about determining if we could even obtain it.

Even if the barrier were open, challenging the Guardian head-on was unrealistic. Given that Gong Gong’s power is likely boosted several times due to the destruction of the Yin-Yang balance, it was a dim situation.

Yet still determined, I resolved to take action. If I didn’t move, nothing would happen.

With a whoosh, after a brief rest, I headed south to the region of Yulala in the southern continent of Kaltukahara. I aimed to ascertain the surrounding situation. Besides, trying to march right in would only throw me out due to the barrier.

As I approached the battlefield near Uluru, I noticed something strange.

“There are trees nearby.”

Originally, the area around Uluru was almost a barren desert, but now it seemed lush with greenery and the trees thrived. Moreover, there were quite a few massive trees, giving the land a sense of abundant life. Given that climate dictates environmental conditions, even after fifty years, a desert wouldn’t change so easily into a dense forest.

After a moment, I checked whether the barrier was still intact.

“……!!”

It was destroyed!

What originally was protected under the will of the Three Sovereigns and reinforced in crisis by the overlay summons of Uluru’s barrier had been shattered. And it didn’t seem like it just happened; a significant amount of destruction had undoubtedly occurred since there were almost no traces of the barrier left.

‘Hmm… Rather than retreating like this, should I just go ahead and check?’

I slowly climbed to the summit of the massive rocky mountain to look for the entrance. Although I reminisced and felt around, I couldn’t find a way to enter directly.

‘Damn it… as expected.’

Uluru spanned over several miles, but to access it, I had to find an entrance smaller than one palm-sized, not to mention during my past visit, I had been lucky to stumble upon it, but searching for it now would take me quite a while.

Yet, there was still a way. I had been inside the Fire Spirit’s sealing chamber once, so I could use the overlay technique to get in.

I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve.

‘In the shortest time possible, gather the Dragon Flower Tree seeds, awaken the Fire Dragon Sword’s power, obtain the Fire Spirit, and make my escape.’

With that determination, as the overlay technique activated, I swiftly aimed to absorb thousands of years’ worth of Fire energy into the Fire Dragon Sword. Since there’s no guarantee of winning a one-on-one with the Fire Spirit’s Guardian, I resolved to avoid confrontation and only do what was necessary before escaping.

“Ugh…”

But in the next moment, I froze.

Something was standing in the sealing chamber of the Fire Spirit.

[ Did the evil deity’s minions come to steal the Seven Luminaries again? Aren’t you tired of this? ]

“……”

[ Breaking the barrier does not mean it’s free to take. As long as I’m here, you’ll never have it. ]

It had a human-like height and physique and looked that way. Was it slightly taller than me? Its entire body was engulfed in flames, wielding a giant sword—a sight I was familiar with.

“Gong Gong!”

How could he be openly guarding the Fire Spirit’s sealing chamber like this? That’s cheating!

[ Are you an intruder who knows me? ]

“You were originally a giant; why did you shrink so much…?”

As I wondered aloud, Gong Gong interrupted.

[ Enough with the prattle! You intruding wretch shall die! ]

Crash!

“Ugh.”

Just as Gong Gong’s enormous sword swung at me, I summoned my blade to block his attack but was knocked back hard. I felt the tingling in my arms, along with a sinking dread.

‘Can I defeat him?’

Of all the situations, here I was face to face with the Guardian of the Fire Spirit at such timing.

 

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