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“Why is the Primordial Void Ruler here?! I can’t believe my eyes!”

I was flabbergasted. While I was panicking, Gong Gong was glaring at the Primordial Void Ruler, lifting the Golden Crow in his hand.

[Whoever they are, they don’t look like just any Great Immortal. Are they a companion of Queen Mother of the West?]

To that, the Primordial Void Ruler smoothly replied, “Rather than a companion, I’m more like an investor or an observer.”

[What do you mean?]

“It means you don’t have to waste your energy attacking me with that Seven Luminaries technique. I’m not looking to absorb a harsh attack like one from the Golden Crow.”

With a somewhat prickly tone, the Primordial Void Ruler chuckled lightly. “I’m not fond of fighting and really don’t want to tussle with you. I just wish you would honor your promise to her.”

[…]

It seemed Gong Gong sensed something off about the Primordial Void Ruler and fell silent. Normally, he wouldn’t be intimidated by someone named after the embodiement of the Three Purities, but now it felt like this ‘Primordial Void Ruler’ was something alien that required caution.

[Are you telling me to scram from the Celestial Realm smoothly?]

“Exactly. That would suffice, Giant.”

[What if I refuse?]

At that, the Primordial Void Ruler made a strange expression. “With your power, you could probably wipe out the remaining immortals in the Celestial Realm. But what would that achieve?”

[Achieve…]

“I wouldn’t waste my strength while leaving the most significant evil god untouched. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t bother with such things. Wouldn’t it be better to quietly leave the Celestial Realm and search for the remaining Seven Luminaries? If your Giant Clan gathers all of them and revives their power, even against the evil god, you might stand a chance.”

The Primordial Void Ruler’s logic was sound and precise. Furthermore, the strange aura in his voice added to its persuasive quality, wrapping around people like honey. It was almost enchanting.

Sensing the opponent’s cunning wisdom, Gong Gong let out a low grunt and spoke. [Who are you? I thought everything through before being summoned to the Celestial Realm, but I didn’t expect someone like you.]

“I am the Primordial Void Ruler,” he stated.

Gong Gong scoffed at that. [Heh! You’re definitely not some Great Immortal. Tell me the real identity hidden beneath that shell.]

“No, thank you.”

Lightly refusing Gong Gong’s inquiry, the Primordial Void Ruler stroked his chin. “Well, I find the situation intriguing, but I’m not fond of the evil god taking over the Central Plains like this. That arrogant brat runs rampant without anyone to repress him, and the pace of events is just too fast… If you Giants don’t intend to go for it, I can’t help it.”

Wiying

“Please leave. I won’t interfere any longer.”

As the Primordial Void Ruler finished speaking, a dimensional door of light appeared in the thick chaos. Clearly, this was an exit from this space. Gong Gong, displeased, crossed his arms and said.

[Are you claiming to have done me a favor? Even if you don’t open the door, I can open it with my own power.]

Crack!!

As Gong Gong lifted his hand, the Golden Crow radiated an even more intense light, and a fracture began to appear in the space, creating another exit. It was indeed possible for Gong Gong to escape by his own strength. The Primordial Void Ruler responded with an ambiguous smile.

“Well, how nice it is to be powerful, Giant.”

Swish

With that, the Primordial Void Ruler vanished into the chaotic space. Gong Gong surveyed the chaos for a moment before making his escape through the exit he created. I decided to speak to him from within Gong Gong.

[Gong Gong. The one we just met is the Primordial Void Ruler, an avatar of the Heavenly Sage.]

[That’s ridiculous. How can an avatar exist when the main body has been annihilated?]

[…]

That, too, perplexed me. I thought the Primordial Void Ruler would have vanished alongside the Three Purities’ annihilation, but here he appeared out of nowhere! There were certainly more than a few oddities about the Primordial Void Ruler, but this was truly bizarre. As I remained silent, Gong Gong spoke.

[That one is not from the Celestial Realm. His identity eludes even me.]

[Could he possibly be an avatar secretly hidden in the Celestial Realm by the Three Sovereigns? Like the Queen Mother of the West…]

[Then why didn’t he help her until she was in trouble? The Three Sovereigns, in any case, are a community woven by destiny. Given the Primordial Void Ruler’s capability, he could have definitely struck me from the shadows.]

[Hmm…]

[And the spell he just cast was something I’ve never seen in my long life. To draw an opponent into the pure chaos of the universe… He’s definitely someone to watch out for.]

Gong Gong mumbled, then looked around before he said, [Hmm, so he must have smuggled the Queen Mother’s corpse… ]

Indeed. The corpse of the Queen Mother, which had been lying there helplessly dead, was nowhere to be found. It seemed Gong Gong had prevented him from absorbing her power. Gong Gong, frowning in displeasure, said, [I should annihilate those who were constructing Pangu’s command and leave the Celestial Realm.]

Wiying

The Golden Crow floated from Gong Gong’s hand. It started emitting tremendous light and summoned countless orbs around, and I instinctively realized it was a powerful offensive technique. I quickly understood that Gong Gong’s target was the numerous immortals scattered around.

[Wait! Please stop!]

[What?]

[Those people only obeyed the Queen Mother’s commands. Besides, if all those numerous immortals are annihilated, the Celestial Realm will be destroyed, and it’s too harsh. The aftermath of the Celestial Realm’s destruction would be tremendous.]

If the Celestial Realm truly fell, the Law of Cause and Effect would tilt heavily, and the rampant evil gods might take even further advantage. Stopping Gong Gong, it amused him as he laughed out loud.

[Hahaha! I don’t care!]

[What?!]

[Immortals are merely puppets created by the Three Sovereigns to manage humanity. As an adversary of the Three Sovereigns, and being an elder of the Giant Clan, I have no reason to spare the immortals! Why should I consider their circumstances just because they followed orders?]

[But what about the evil gods…]

[Baek Woong! If the evil gods were truly up and about, could the Celestial Realm stop them? We are merely at the mercy of the whims of these eternal gods.]

Gong Gong appeared as if he was going to annihilate the immortals at any moment. The reason for killing seemed to be simply a matter of annoyance. For the Giant Clan, whether human or immortal, they were considered nothing more than pests.

‘Ugh.’

I knew they weren’t all just any Great Immortals, but rather quite a few upper and mid-level immortals, along with Earth Immortals. Even if there were many immortals in the Celestial Realm, if 108 of them were wiped out at once, their existence would be in jeopardy. I had taken the form of a disciple and accepted Gong Gong’s descent—there was no way for me to prevent his actions.

‘The Celestial Realm is finished…’

There are currently avatars stopping the Celestial Sage and the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, but they alone can’t sustain the Celestial Realm. With the Left Hand of the Dead also gone and the Queen Mother dead, if all the managerial roles were swept away, the “dimension” known as the Celestial Realm would soon collapse.

But what should I do then?

The reason the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Celestial Sage helped me was that they aimed to save the Celestial Realm. Yet I had made the very existence of the Celestial Realm impossible. The moment I step away from this spot, I would have to fight both the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and the Celestial Sage.

As I was getting dark thoughts, Gong Gong seemed to sense my emotions and chuckled.

[You don’t have to worry about those fools.]

[This is… betrayal.]

[Hehe! Don’t worry. Once my king is resurrected, everything will be resolved.]

This felt off somehow.

Like the Primordial Void Ruler said, what’s important right now isn’t the Celestial Realm. The Queen Mother was attempting to bathe the earth in destruction with her cursed spell and challenged the Celestial Realm, but even after overthrowing that dark figure, the fundamental issue of the evil god remained unresolved. Is it truly right to inflict irreversible and serious damage on the Celestial Realm, which may become an ally against the evil god in the future?

I steeled myself and resolutely said, [Gong Gong! Please let those people go. Otherwise, I will no longer cooperate with you.]

[What? You just fought to the death alongside those guys, and now you want to let them go?]

[I beg you.]

[… I don’t specifically need to listen to you, do I?]

Hearing Gong Gong’s gruff tone made me feel utterly hopeless for a moment, but soon he grumbled.

[Fine, I’ll do as you say. You’re quite useful for a human.]

The light of the Golden Crow gradually dimmed. It seemed Gong Gong could, like the Fire Dragon Incarnate, draw out the unique techniques of the Seven Luminaries. Floating the Seven Luminaries around himself, he declared, [I no longer wish to be involved with the affairs of the Celestial Realm. Now, I have to go to where my king is sealed.]

[Where is that?]

[Hehe!]

With a giggle, Gong Gong drew forth the power of the Seven Luminaries and instantly teleported somewhere.

Whoosh!

Once again, Gong Gong’s new location was a place shrouded in endless darkness. Unlike the chaotic otherworldly space that the Primordial Void Ruler called forth, this place felt more akin to the Original Night, with a fresher atmosphere. Although the heavens and earth were enveloped in darkness, whenever the sea rippled, moonlight would shine through.

However, that moon was also gray, casting a gloomy hue over this entire world. Gong Gong, arms crossed, gazed at the gray moon.

[My king is sealed within that moon.]

[Where is this? I heard that the Yan Emperor is sealed to the south, but I’ve never seen a place like this.]

In response to my question, Gong Gong replied, [This place is a shadow world existing in the Southern Continent. It operates under laws opposite to the Material World. Created directly by the Three Sovereigns’ Nüwa, it cannot be accessed through normal means or spells.]

[Hmm.]

[Getting here is just as challenging as reaching the Dark Heaven Village.]

I finally understood why, despite searching the Southern Continent thoroughly, I couldn’t find the Yan Emperor Shennong’s sealed place. Since it overlaps with the shadow world, it’s impossible to physically enter.

[That gray moon is also a spell from Nüwa. Unless you clear away the fog covering the gray moon, you can’t unlock the king’s seal.]

Gong Gong chuckled and continued, [But now that I see, my power has faded quite a bit. At this moment, I can certainly break Nüwa’s seal on my own.]

[Really?]

[Hahaha! With the powerful avatar known as the Queen Mother dead, even Nüwa must have lost a substantial part of her power. The shock of losing a main body connected directly to her avatar is incomparable to that of a usual avatar.]

Confidently, Gong Gong exclaimed, [Right now, with the power of the Four Luminaries, I will shatter Nüwa’s barrier!]

Kiiiing

Kiiiing

Four Seven Luminaries appeared around Gong Gong’s body. The Fire, Water, Gold, and Earth Luminaries circled him in a large formation. Gong Gong began to draw on the power of the Four Luminaries, squeezing it out to break their seal like before.

[Hehehe… Hahaha.]

The laughter escaped him. Watching him, I couldn’t shake a feeling of anxiety.

‘What is this? I have a bad feeling…’

Hang on. Isn’t this a bit… arrogant?

Suddenly, the prophecy of Master Mangnyang flashed in my mind, creating a tumult in my head.

‘Everything is going too smoothly.’

Frankly speaking, I had resolved to face death when confronting the Queen Mother, and yet somehow I managed to defeat her and make it this far. If the Yan Emperor Shennong’s seal is broken, it couldn’t be better, but something felt unsettling. Despite having no apparent reason to feel so, it seemed that my reborn instincts were poking at me to say this isn’t right.

I hurriedly stopped Gong Gong.

[Gong Gong! Wait a moment. Something feels off.]

[What’s off?]

[I can’t explain it well, but… I fear that something big might go wrong if we continue to break this seal.]

[Hehe, don’t talk nonsense.]

With a chuckle, Gong Gong said, [Just witness the historical moment of the Giant King’s emergence.]

Whoosh!

The seal of the Seven Luminaries was nearing completion. The spell characters engraved on each of the Seven Luminaries slowly started to disappear, and the immense divine power radiating from them made this dark world seem to shine bright.

But then it happened.

The gray moon suddenly lit up brightly, revealing ‘something’ in front of it. Upon spotting that presence, Gong Gong’s eyes widened.

[What…?]

What appeared resembled the Queen Mother, but was a touch different. The Queen Mother’s grotesque appearance softened significantly, exuding an alien beauty that felt otherworldly. Her star-like, sparkling black eyes resembled jewels.

Oooooo

All things resonated with her. The magic of the earth, sky, and moon worshiped that existence. Moreover, the divine aura emanating from her was far greater than that of the Queen Mother I had encountered in the Celestial Realm.

Indeed. The presence before me surpasses the power of the Sea God exponentially. I could assert that with confidence – feeling the opponent’s overwhelming strength even from within Gong Gong’s confined divine status. That sheer, mind-boggling power is something a mortal cannot possess.

The moon’s magic surged and boiled.

I realized, without needing Gong Gong to explain, what the current situation entailed.

That was the true body of Nüwa. The Earth Mother among the Three Sovereigns had removed her mask and manifested here!

Gong Gong sensed that something was amiss but instead shouted confidently, [It’s too late to show up now! The Seal of the Seven Luminaries has already been undone. No matter how much you’re the true body, you can’t stop my king from being unleashed.]

Nüwa did not respond nor attack; she merely stood silently before the moon.

Kaboom!

[Hrgh?!]

In an instant, Gong Gong’s body exploded, and significant injuries plagued his right arm and left leg. At once, the Four Luminaries’ seal ceased to be unbound. The spell characters glowed again and began to seal back up.

As a situation unfolded that defied Gong Gong’s expectations, my mind went blank.

What on earth is going on?

Nüwa extended a hand toward me and softly stated, [You swore a ‘promise’ by naming my avatar, the Queen Mother. Moreover, the Seven Luminaries are sealed by the ‘First Character’ placed by Chi You, so the backlash will be even greater.]

Upon hearing Nüwa’s words, Gong Gong’s eyes widened.

[What… what do you mean…?]

[How foolish. From the moment you made that promise, you could never break the seal of the Seven Luminaries. Don’t you see that injury is the backlash from the Law of Cause and Effect?]

[…!!]

[That backlash is something you cannot avoid, no matter how much you’re a divine being. It’s a cosmic promise.]

Crack!

Crack!

As she said, Gong Gong staggered seemingly struck by a massive shock. He hurriedly concentrated divine power to heal his body, but even though his appearance seemed fine, it was palpable that Gong Gong’s strength had diminished significantly. Clenching his teeth, he cried out.

[… This is my mistake, but I don’t understand. What’s the significance of that character to provoke such a backlash from the Law of Cause and Effect? And Nüwa, you must have significantly weakened after losing the Queen Mother, so how did you recover your powers so quickly?!]

Nüwa answered nonchalantly to Gong Gong’s question.

[The Queen Mother had an extra life and was a foundation of the Law of Cause and Effect…]

[What?]

[Long ago, I prepared another avatar in case the prophecy came to pass. That’s how I could easily revive. It has nothing to do with you.]

[…!]

[Now it’s time.]

Nüwa pointed her finger at Gong Gong.

[Kneel and die before your king, pitiful giant.]

Crack!

Countless divine lights radiating from Nüwa bombarded Gong Gong. Gong Gong hurriedly defended against those attacks, but even he couldn’t withstand the thousands upon thousands of divine lights. The dark otherworldly place seemed illuminated by her firepower alone. If such an attack occurred in the material world, an entire continent would combust in an instant.

[Kraaah…!!]

Crackle!

Gong Gong screamed while stretching out his hand toward the Seven Luminaries, but the Seven Luminaries did not respond at all. As Nüwa said, Gong Gong’s ability to unleash the [Liberation of the Seven Luminaries] was forbidden due to the backlash from the Law of Cause and Effect. He had effectively fallen into Nüwa’s trap, rendering him unable to use any mystical arts whatsoever.

Kaboom!

[Hrk! My King…]

Gong Gong’s head exploded under the blast, and while it quickly regenerated through his Super Regeneration, I felt that shock echo through me.

The end is here.

 

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