Chapter 599
“With a snap of his fingers, the Celestial Sage summoned a misty cloud right before my eyes.”
The cloud looked fluffy, just like a bunch of cotton candy, and as I stared at it blankly, the Celestial Sage grinned and said, “You can ride it.”
“Um, is it going to drop me?”
“Ah, don’t worry. This is a technique and a treasure, so it’s not that complicated.”
At that moment, I stepped onto the cloud with both feet, and—
Flash!
“…?!”
“We’ve arrived.”
“Where are we?”
“This is the residence of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, White Silk Mountain.”
I felt a rush and was amazed as the scenery changed around me. Sure, I could teleport via the Golden Lamp technique, but the cloud had just breezed through the Celestial Realm’s barriers. It seems the Celestial Sage understood my astonishment as he disembarked from the cloud and added, “The cloud can ignore barriers.”
“Well, that’s… pretty impressive…”
As I was about to mention how it reminded me of something like the Four Great Spirits, I shut my mouth. After all, the Four Great Spirits were among the most powerful spirit beasts in the Celestial Realm, and knowing about them would make me a likely suspect for suspicion.
But the Celestial Sage seemed too caught up in his own thoughts, joking as he said, “Don’t get too envious— I’m not sharing.”
“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman will be out soon. But what do you want to say to her?”
“I can’t say anything until I meet her in person.”
“Hmm. Do as you please. Anyway, it will be tough to return to the mortal realm without my help.”
It sounded like the Celestial Sage didn’t want me to jump to conclusions. Understandable from his perspective, so I simply nodded.
And then it happened.
Swish!
It was like silky white sand began to rise around us, and a silver path started flowing down from the mountain. As the path reached my feet, the Divine Light illuminated the figure of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.
She looked exactly the same as I remembered from that one fleeting glance ages ago—so ethereal and beautiful that I couldn’t even entertain the thought of anything indecent! I felt a similar vibe from the Fire Dragon Incarnate, which made me think that perhaps the heavenly women all shared a certain otherworldly trait.
She opened her mouth.
“Celestial Sage, who is this human?”
Surprisingly, her voice was not ethereal but sounded like flesh and blood. The Celestial Sage scratched the back of his head, responding, “Um… he’s a human who’s here to help me.”
“I see. Then why have you brought him all the way to the Celestial White Silk Mountain?”
“He says he has something to discuss with you.”
“……”
Our eyes met. The moment they did, I felt like I had fallen into a glacier.
“Not a human!”
Her emotionless eyes… I had already suspected it, but I could feel no trace of human warmth or signs of life in them. Instead, an overpowering aura reminiscent of transcendent beings I had encountered before loomed from her. She was, after all, a great immortal, merely possessing a human form.
Regaining my composure, I summoned my sword.
Wham!
“That’s…!!”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman looked startled as she saw the sword. I spoke, “I’m the disciple of Yeodong-bin. I’ve come to meet you following advice from the Fire Dragon Incarnate.”
“Fire Dragon Incarnate…?”
Just as I finished speaking, spirit energy flowed from the Fire Dragon Sword, materializing into the avatar of the Fire Dragon Incarnate right before us. The manifested Fire Dragon Incarnate crossed his arms and said to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, “Long time no see.”
She too was speaking in her true voice, indicating that even the Great Immortal didn’t need ethereal tones within the Celestial Realm.
“I heard you vanished after subjugating the Evil Dragon.”
“That’s right.”
Gathering his thoughts, the Fire Dragon Incarnate continued, “The causal law of the Immortal Sword Technique is connected to you, Heavenly Mysterious Woman. What have you done to my disciple, Yeodong-bin?”
At his inquiry, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman stared at me for a moment before responding, “Yeodong-bin said his name is Baek Woong. Is that correct?”
“That is correct.”
“You were active 50 years ago, even before the Celestial Altar’s descent, and intended to continue his legacy, didn’t you? It seems you’ve shown up rather late.”
“……”
That certainly felt like a roundabout way of asking why I had been hiding out for 50 years. But I hesitated on how to respond. Should I mention the matter of Chi You and the Eight Parts of the Divine?
‘I can’t predict their reaction to the Eight Parts of the Divine.’
The Eight Parts of the Divine and the Celestial Realm were at odds, after all. Plus, it felt impossible to entirely trust the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and the Celestial Sage standing before me. There remained a possibility that Chi You or the Eight Parts of the Divine could be helpful later on. Besides, due to the numerous betrayals in my life, I hesitated to divulge any secrets.
‘I’ll gather more information before speaking…’
First, I had to absorb the information available. When I fell silent, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman spoke, “The reason I taught Yeodong-bin the Immortal Sword Technique and sent him to the mortal realm was to put a check on the Queen Mother of the West before a tragedy like today occurred.”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if Yeodong-bin had become the Immortal Sword and descended to the mortal realm, he would maintain his strength, but the restraints of the Celestial Realm would vanish. The watchful eyes on the Eight Immortals would also fade away. I wanted you and Yeodong-bin to cooperate to uncover whatever plots the Queen Mother of the West had in store.”
“Hmm…”
Checking the Queen Mother of the West. The plots she wove… At this, I recalled what the past Earth Immortal Mangnyang had once said to me.
[I’m… not the Mangnyang you knew… but I’ve lived my own life… and after this mission… I planned to undertake a secret task entrusted by the Heavenly Mysterious Woman… but I just can’t trample my conscience… not like that…]
[… There exists a darkness in the deepest parts of the Celestial Realm… You must uncover that…]
Mangnyang had also transmitted his memories and experiences through the Corpse Dissolution Technique. He had said that disciples and subordinates of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman had been mysteriously murdered one by one while trying to uncover the Queen Mother of the West’s suspicious activities, and that Mangnyang didn’t have the confidence to reveal it himself and left it to me as a gamble.
‘From that moment, I began to suspect the Queen Mother of the West.’
The same went for my later life. The Queen Mother of the West had shown odd behavior on multiple occasions. I questioned the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, “Isn’t the Queen Mother of the West your superior? Why are you opposing the will of the Celestial Realm and digging into her?”
If I were to spy on the Queen Mother of the West and destroy the Pangu’s lineage, that would undoubtedly be a great offense against the Celestial Realm. The issue was that the Heavenly Mysterious Woman occupied a high-ranking position within the Celestial Realm, raising suspicions about why she would feel the need to act in this manner.
Then the Heavenly Mysterious Woman responded, “The Queen Mother of the West…”
What she said next left me stunned.
“She eats Immortals.”
“……?!”
“Regularly.”
What kind of crazy talk was this?!
This revelation shocked not just me but also the Fire Dragon Incarnate. The Celestial Sage merely frowned as if already aware of this fact, but not reacting much to it. With a noticeably surprised tone, the Fire Dragon Incarnate remarked, “What are you talking about? This is the first time I’ve heard such a story.”
“Fire Dragon Incarnate, your unusual position means that no one dared to touch you, and you’ve maintained your noble status as the avatar of the Shenglong. As an outsider brought into the Celestial Realm by the Divine Temple, it’s unsurprising that you wouldn’t know of this.”
Continuing her explanation, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman said, “Ever since the battle at the Grand Hall, I have been responsible for teaching techniques to the Earth Immortals and Upper Immortals that passed through the gates of the Celestial Realm. I once fought as the Goddess of War, but I no longer had a part to play on the front lines. However, at some point, the Immortals I taught began to vanish, one by one.”
“Vanished… no way…”
“As I mentioned earlier, the Queen Mother of the West consumed them. She would abduct or lure Immortals into her palace by whatever means necessary and eventually devour them. I watched through sorcery for so long until I finally witnessed that scene.”
“That’s truly… hard to believe.”
The Fire Dragon Incarnate looked confused. But it was something that could not be ignored. There would be no reason for a top-tier Great Immortal like the Heavenly Mysterious Woman to rebel against the Queen Mother of the West and the Celestial Realm without cause. After deep contemplation, the Fire Dragon Incarnate spoke.
“The Queen Mother of the West must have realized you caught on. So, that was why a strange power struggle has ensued? As a result, you sent my disciple Yeodong-bin to the mortal realm by teaching him the Immortal Sword Technique.”
“That’s correct. Originally, I intended to investigate with only my own Earth Immortals, but I encountered a being on the level of the Overlay Technique that was assassinating my disciples.”
“With someone like the Queen Mother of the West, it’s within reason for her to have such subordinates. So you attempted to leave things to the Overlay Technique for that reason. No matter how strong a being may be, quietly dealing with the Eight Divine Parts or even Yeodong-bin is impossible.”
“Yes.”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman wore a somewhat bitter expression. “In any case, because the world is flipped upside down by the Evil God, someone had to descend to the mortal realm. That’s why, even 50 years ago, knowing that I had recruited Yeodong-bin, the Queen Mother of the West let it be.”
“I have something I’d like to ask.”
With a glare, the Fire Dragon Incarnate questioned the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, “I suspect there’s more than just that reason for your actions. If you’re withholding something, please tell us now.”
“……”
“No matter how many Immortals she has consumed, it’s not like someone as calculating as you would decide to rebel solely for that reason. What other suspicions do you have about the Queen Mother of the West?”
At the Fire Dragon Incarnate’s bold question, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman hesitated.
It was then that the Celestial Sage, who had been listening quietly, interjected.
“Fire Dragon Incarnate, I’m afraid this is getting out of hand.”
“What do you mean?”
“The story from here on out is one where you must gamble your life. Once you hear it, there’s no turning back. And you, the avatar of the Divine Dragon from the Divine Temple, think you can remain neutral in this matter?”
“… Hmm.”
The Fire Dragon Incarnate shook his head in distress. “Even I cannot grasp the True Intent of the Dragon. But I am an individual separate from him.”
“If you say that much, then can we assume you’ll follow us to the end?”
“Before that, I want to hear what my disciple has to say.”
He shot a frigid glare at the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, “Your word alone won’t suffice.”
“Indeed.”
With a swift motion, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman reached out her hand. Moments later, the sword I was holding emitted a glow and morphed directly into Yeodong-bin’s figure.
As Yeodong-bin appeared in the hall, he glanced around before nodding respectfully to both the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and the Fire Dragon Incarnate. He then turned to me and said, “Yeonja, resurrecting the teacher in a human form and arriving here before the Heavenly Mysterious Woman… That’s truly remarkable. Thanks to you, the mortal realm shall be saved.”
“Um… well…”
“What happened to the Celestial Altar? Has the Evil God retreated?”
“Um… well…”
While I was at a loss for words, the Celestial Sage bluntly interjected, “There’s nothing like that!”
“Celestial Sage.”
“It’s been 50 years since you became the Immortal Sword!”
“……?”
Yeodong-bin looked perplexed as he turned to me.
“Yeonja.”
I tried to avert my gaze from Yeodong-bin, but at that moment, he used the Overlay Technique to meet my eyes again.
“Yeonja.”
I once more dodged my gaze, but he caught my eyes yet again.
“……”
Step, step.
“Yeonja…”
Ultimately, Yeodong-bin approached me with wide eyes, fists trembling, and I felt my heart race with fear. I just wanted to kneel down and apologize.
He looked ready to smash me, his fists clenched so tightly that they turned pale, but he finally calmed down with a long sigh.
“Please explain what’s going on.”
I explained everything that had happened to him. While listening to my story, Yeodong-bin pondered for a moment before stating, “You’re hiding something.”
“……”
“You’re quite hesitant to speak about the most important reason—the reason for your 50-year disappearance. What’s behind that?”
Feeling like I could no longer conceal it, I reluctantly opened up about Chi You and the Eight Parts of the Divine. After all, with so many Great Immortals gathered here, it was clear that the Celestial Sage could threaten me with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, Yeodong-bin could pummel me, or the Heavenly Mysterious Woman could trap me in some techniques. Besides, their intentions seemed clear in wishing to confront the Celestial Realm, so I decided to speak out.
“… and that’s how things have led to this point.”
“You didn’t receive orders from Chi You?”
“No, nothing like that. I woke up and suddenly found it had been 50 years.”
“So you were abducted by the Eight Parts of the Divine.”
“Yes.”
The Celestial Sage grimaced at what I said.
“Damn it. Is that really what happened? Just as I thought, that three-eyed bastard is a real pain.”
“What do you mean?”
“I used to be colleagues with one of the Eight Parts of the Divine, and went to Tianzhu with him. That guy’s name was Tripitaka.”
“……!!”
“The name Tripitaka was given because he was the top-ranking Buddhist monk of his time, mastering the three texts—Sutra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma—only to find out later that he was part of the Eight Parts of the Divine.”
Tripitaka!
I made a note to remember that name. If I researched Tripitaka, I might uncover more information about the Eight Parts of the Divine. I turned to the Celestial Sage with a question.
“Could it be that you, the Celestial Sage, are collaborating with the Eight Parts of the Divine?”
“No, that’s not it! If I had known, I would have told you right from the start! All I did was collect some information from them when I went to Tianzhu.”
Firmly denying my question, the Celestial Sage then looked at the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and said, “Heavenly Mysterious Woman. It seems Chi You is also involved in all of this. How do you intend to handle it?”
“……”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman wore a contemplative expression. She said, “It seems the one here named Baek Woong, your disciple Yeodong-bin, bears a heavy burden. Chi You personally designated him, and there must be a reason he has remained confined for 50 years.”
“I had a feeling that might be the case.”
Yeodong-bin looked to the sky as he continued, “I heard Master Mangnyang expressed great interest and goodwill towards Baek Woong.”
“Indeed…”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman paused for a moment and then said, “In that case, I will trust you and disclose my side. The real reason we must stop the Queen Mother of the West is…”
At her next words, everyone fell silent.
“The Three Clears have already been killed by her, and the entire Celestial Realm has become her puppet.”
