Chapter 633
“The time of the apocalypse has been accelerated!”
Yeodong-bin couldn’t quite wrap his head around that statement. So, he turned to Master Mangnyang and asked, “I understood that the time of the end was set, but how does the resurrection of the Dragon of the Apocalypse push that date ahead by more than a thousand years?”
Master Mangnyang’s black eyes sparkled as he replied, “It’s due to its unique ability. That beast can literally consume everything.”
“What kind of ability?” Yeodong-bin inquired.
“An ability to devour everything!” Master Mangnyang explained.
“It was a bizarre creature that was born from chaos, existing in formlessness, but Chi You took it in and granted it the form of a dragon. It then gained the ability to consume all beings belonging to chaos, which, let me tell you, is pretty much everything, making the premise moot!”
“I’ve fought against monsters and otherworldly entities that can devour anything before.” It wasn’t unusual. There were plenty of powerful beasts with predatory traits that Yeodong-bin had to constantly dodge.
Master Mangnyang continued, “In most cases, the ability to eat everything wouldn’t mean much. But the kicker is that ‘everything’ includes the Law of Cause and Effect.”
“What do you mean?” Yeodong-bin asked, bewildered.
“Anything the Dragon of the Apocalypse physically consumes can never reincarnate again. Born of pure chaos, what it devours cannot be recovered. So, what do you think happens if it eats both soul and body?”
“Those who are devoured won’t be able to resurrect through any martial arts technique.” Yeodong-bin realized.
“Exactly. And the more it consumes, the more the world’s cause and effect disappears,” Master Mangnyang added.
“This world is a finely woven game board of the gods, and the total is limited. The realm spread out before you is a feeble world established under the auspices of the Three Sovereigns. Everything from a single blade of grass to a piece of land has been artificially crafted by the cause and effect set by the Three Sovereigns. The Dragon can consume all those blessings, making it the nearly unique existence that could revert this planet to nothingness.”
Yeodong-bin was speechless.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Even if the Dragon consumes the Central Plains, the Three Sovereigns could create a continent or two with their power if they decided to flex. But the strength they’ve poured into this world will never return.”
“Are you saying…?”
“The Three Sovereigns wouldn’t sacrifice their own benefits for the world. They would rather let the end come sooner and watch the world collapse, knowing full well that the situation even uses the Dragon’s interference to drain their power,” Master Mangnyang explained.
Suddenly, Yeodong-bin understood Master Mangnyang’s words and shuddered. ‘This can’t be happening!’ If the Dragon of the Apocalypse resurrects and devours the Central Plains, it means all the blessings of the Three Sovereigns will vanish. This would mean that the prophesized end would come a thousand years sooner. But the Three Sovereigns wouldn’t feel obliged to recreate the world after such a catastrophe, just watching it unfold!
Yeodong-bin asked, “Could a powerful Great Immortal of the Celestial Realm or the Four Sovereigns step in to deal with the Dragon?”
“No. The one trying to resurrect the Dragon has very cleverly manipulated the Law of Cause and Effect, making it impossible to intervene. Even the Three Sovereigns would find it hard to get involved. They probably received significant support from the earthly power known as Empress Wu Zetian. Everything from the emergence of countless monsters to the opening of Dark Heaven Village has been meticulously orchestrated.”
Yeodong-bin thought, ‘So, this is all part of a scheme by Sang Gwanwna.’
He had one more question nagging at him. “The priest of the White Lotus Sect said that if we kill Wu Zetian, we could stop the Dragon. But that prophecy seems off. Is her ability a fake?”
Master Mangnyang shook his head. “No. I stake my name on this: that prophecy was real. She indeed possesses impressive prophetic abilities. But Chi You interfered and actively altered the future indicated by that prophecy.”
“Chi You…!!”
“He’s banking heavily on this plan and investing a lot into it. Altering the prophecy is trivial for a god who disregards the burdens of the Law of Cause and Effect.”
Yeodong-bin couldn’t help but feel helpless. Chi You seemed to be a pretty formidable divine entity, and he was working so hard to destroy the world?
“The Three Sovereigns could certainly cause chaos if they wanted, but they won’t risk injury to protect the earth. If they descend to catch the Dragon of the Apocalypse, it would severely drain their strength and the laws of reality.”
Yeodong-bin felt a chilling realization creep in—things were spiraling badly. Even the Celestial Realm and the Three Sovereigns he had thought of as a powerful force had turned their backs on the situation. Yeodong-bin asked, “So how do we prevent the Dragon from devouring the world?”
“The only thing we can do is concentrate our maximum strength to annihilate it when the Dragon manifests. We’ll need a brief moment to prepare until chaos descends and it takes form—this will be its weakest moment.”
“Please let me know when that time comes. I’ll be the one to deal with the Dragon!”
“……”
“Master.”
Master Mangnyang spoke. “I see… Is it possible that this fickleness of the Martial God has brought you here because he foresaw this situation?”
“……?”
“Is it possible he knows about the end and the world after the revelation? If so…”
Master Mangnyang appeared lost in deep thought for a moment before he said, “Yeodong-bin, I will inform you of the time and place where the Dragon of the Apocalypse descends. But in exchange, you must offer me a sacrifice.”
“A sacrifice! What kind of sacrifice?” Yeodong-bin asked.
“A sacrifice worthy of the price. I need something capable of countering the Dragon’s cause and effect. What do you think would be suitable?”
“……”
“Anything will do. Bring me a sacrifice to save the world.”
Suddenly, Yeodong-bin found himself standing outside the village, a shocked expression on his face.
Sacrifice! The moment he heard that word, the phrase “human sacrifice” flitted through his mind. Although Master Mangnyang wasn’t an evil being, he certainly couldn’t be measured by the simple scale of good and evil. Even if he wanted a human sacrifice, who would argue?
‘No. Whatever sacrifice I have to offer Master Mangnyang…’
He had no choice.
It had to be done.
Because he needed to save this world.
With a determined heart, Yeodong-bin began to search for what he could do. He met with the Eight Immortals, shared the information he had learned, and after discussion, they decided to sacrifice all their treasures. With eight treasures, it should be more than enough, right?
But when he brought the treasures to Master Mangnyang, he coldly refused. “I won’t accept this.”
“What?” Yeodong-bin exclaimed.
“Insufficient. You need to bring something of greater value.”
“……”
All the Eight Immortals were horrified. As the top cultivators on the verge of ascension, their eight treasures carried astonishing worth. Yet, that still wasn’t enough?
Outside the village, Zhongli Quan muttered. “We might as well bring the Seven Luminaries if we want him to budge. He’s so picky.”
As if hearing him, Master Mangnyang’s voice rang out from inside the village. “The Seven Luminaries? If you’re bringing them, liberate them first. At least two.”
“……”
Like that was possible!
After they withdrew, unable to say a word, Yeodong-bin was left clutching at straws, rushing to find the Master of the White Lotus Sect, Lee Gun-ak, explaining his predicament. Lee Gun-ak, looking troubled, said, “If eight treasures aren’t enough, even if we gave all of the White Lotus Sect’s treasures, it wouldn’t suffice.”
“I feel like only the world’s most precious treasure can sway the Master’s heart. Don’t you have anything?” Yeodong-bin pressed.
“The world’s most precious treasure… Hmm… Who knows? A thief would probably know better about treasures than anyone.”
“A thief?” Yeodong-bin was confused.
Lee Gun-ak chuckled, “Ha! Just joking. That was a flippant remark….”
Suddenly, Yeodong-bin recalled the mysterious being he encountered when he was set to kill Wu Zetian— the Divine Thief, who called himself the greatest thief and who really had the skills to back that claim up. He immediately stood up and began searching for Divine Thief Chi You.
Within a month, he managed to make contact with Chi You in Luoyang. Chi You, looking annoyed, spoke gruffly from a rooftop. “What brings the renowned Yeodong-bin, the Eight Immortals’ sword master, to a lowly thief like me?”
“Chi You, what do you believe is the world’s most priceless treasure?”
“Huh?” Yeodong-bin laid all the details of his dilemma before the Divine Thief. Chi You seemed to be incredulous at first but then appeared to warm up to Yeodong-bin’s sincerity. Crossing his arms, he said, “If it’s something more precious than the combined worth of eight treasures, I know exactly what it is! I can guarantee it with my honor.”
“What is it?”
“Think about it. What’s humanity’s greatest desire?” Chi You grinned wickedly.
“Hmm… A peerless beauty sounds nice, money too, but ultimately it’s immortality!” he declared. “Humans want to wield endless power and enjoy life indefinitely.”
“But Master Mangnyang is already a god. Surely, he wouldn’t desire something like that….” Yeodong-bin pondered.
“Oh, let me finish. Obviously, beings like you gods might look down on immortality, yet what truly matters is how to achieve it…” Chi You said.
“How?”
Chi You nodded. “The Offering Ceremony! The ritual that allows humans to communicate directly with the gods to make their wishes known!”
“……!!” Yeodong-bin was taken aback.
“That’s a sacred ritual, one that a human can follow but can never acquire the right to perform…. Achieving immortality through that is theoretically possible, but there’s no way to carry it out. Those without the right would just be struck down by heavenly punishment.”
“Of course, I once gave up hoping for the right to perform that Ritual too. No idea where I could go or what I should do to obtain that damned right! I traveled across the world, from the Middle Kingdom to the Western Regions and still found nothing….” Chi You rubbed his hands together.
“But there was one family that knew how to perform the Offering Ceremony without needing the right! Lucky luck!”
“No way! Really?”
“Really! And to implement it, you need just one treasure.”
“What treasure?” Yeodong-bin pressed.
“The Xuanyuan Sword!” Chi You smiled devilishly. “The legendary divine sword used by Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen to battle Chi You! If you have that, you won’t need rights, dates, or anything else; you can trade directly with the gods. Can you believe it? After the Grand Hall at Panchen was completed, the Emperor showed his good will to humanity.”
“……”
“I joined the Six Heroes after the Dragon Army as a means of searching the Imperial Palace for the Xuanyuan Sword. It is the ultimate treasure of the world, and once I acquire it, I’ll be the greatest thief alive!”
Yeodong-bin trembled with excitement. ‘To think that such a thing existed.’ Knowing that Master Mangnyang was exerting tremendous power to seal something, he had heard from the Fire Dragon Incarnate that he was indeed limited in sharing his strength. If he offered even the Xuanyuan Sword as a sacrifice, perhaps it could help him tackle the Dragon of the Apocalypse? Yeodong-bin, feeling giddy with the thought, asked, “That’s fantastic! But where can I find the Xuanyuan Sword?”
“I don’t actually know. That’s why I’m unifying the dark underbelly of Luoyang, gathering information while searching for it.” Chi You casually revealed.
So, it turned out that his quest for unifying Luoyang’s underworld stemmed from a treasure hunt! “Hmm… if that’s the case, which family provided information about the Xuanyuan Sword?”
“Dan of the Gongsun Family, Gongsun Byeok!”
“Ah….”
“Now the Gongsun Family has suffered destruction, and finding any survivors is impossible,” Chi You lamented, waving his fist at the sky.
“Damn it! I had an agreement with him to trade for information about the Xuanyuan Sword! I had prepared treasures and beauties at my disposal. Who would have thought he’d drop dead before even giving me the details?”
“……”
“Whoever killed Gongsun Byeok is going to be cursed!” Yeodong-bin’s thoughts swirled with the urgency to find the Xuanyuan Sword. “Chi You, I have a favor to ask. Would you come with me to Mount Tai?”
“Mount Tai? Are you trying to find clues about the Offering Ceremony there?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, since it doesn’t look like I can find anything worthwhile in Luoyang anymore, let’s go take a look.” With that, the two set off for Mount Tai, for there was a legend that the first unified monarch to perform the Offering Ceremony, Qin Shi Huang, had gone to Mount Tai.
Upon arriving near Mount Tai, they suddenly sensed an uncomfortable presence.
‘Demon Ki?’
A thick and powerful demon ki swirled around the peak of Mount Tai, dark clouds seeping like blood and overtaking the mountain. This was clearly not a natural phenomenon, and Yeodong-bin’s face stiffened before he shot up the mountain like an arrow.
When they reached the top of Mount Tai, Yeodong-bin spotted a familiar figure and yelled, “Sang Gwanwna!!”
It was Sang Gwanwna, who was slowly turning to face Yeodong-bin amidst the dark rain at the peak of Mount Tai.
“Yeodong-bin, what brings you here?”
“What evil deeds are you up to this time?”
“Evil deeds? I’m just honoring a promise I made to Empress Wu Zetian.”
“Promise… don’t tell me you made her a god in Dark Heaven Village?”
“Well, you seem to know a lot.” Sang Gwanwna smirked.
“I killed her then, so there’s no way that could happen.”
When Yeodong-bin shouted, Sang Gwanwna let out a soft laugh. “I simply preserved her soul before it went to the underworld, gave her a body through Western alchemy, and reintegrated her spirit. Physical death means nothing.”
“Why go to all that trouble? You could have stopped me back then.” Yeodong-bin questioned.
“……”
“Why didn’t you even try to mutate her into anotherworldly filth?”
Sang Gwanwna’s expression turned slightly surprised for a moment, morphing into a teasing smile. “A human can become a lesser deity through the Offering Ceremony, but otherworldly beings cannot. So, I thought bodily death was no big deal. It was just too much trouble to babysit her.”
“What…!!”
She continued to speak slowly. “It’s been fun, Yeodong-bin. The end of the Tang Dynasty was supposed to be over 200 years away, but since Wu Zetian led the way herself, now no one can stop us. The cause and effect of the Great Tang Empire has been wholly offered to the Dragon.”
“……!!”
“So, I’ll just sit back and watch the end unfold….”
Crack!
And with that, Sang Gwanwna vanished. Yeodong-bin stared blankly where she had been before suddenly spotting an altar. The Heavenly Altar swirled with divine power and chaotic energies, as if the Offering Ceremony had just concluded. With the emergence of a new underworld deity at Dark Heaven Village, an overwhelming spiritual energy radiated through.
“……”
Yeodong-bin slowly approached it. “The Offering Ceremony is an act of directly trading with a god…”
He reached out toward the altar, an impulsive move driven by his fervent wish to save the world.
“May my hand touch you, oh Martial God.”
