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“It feels like fate is finally on my side today.”

As Xiang Yu spoke, I realized that the winds were blowing steadily in my direction. It felt like today was a day when anything could happen. With a series of right choices, it seemed like destiny was raising my hand in approval. Feeling a surge of confidence, I turned to Xiang Yu and asked, “Could you lend me the Power of the Constellation? I want to wield it as your subordinate.”

The Power of the Constellation! It was a fearsome celestial force revered even by the Immortals, akin to the powers of the Old Ruler. If I were to acquire such power, it could significantly shorten my rebirth process.

“……”

Xiang Yu raised an eyebrow as if he heard something unexpected. He muttered, “It’s not impossible, but what price are you willing to pay?”

Yes! If he had flatly refused, I’d have been out of luck, but he might be open to negotiations. While I pondered what kind of offering I could present, the Celestial Sage beside me interjected, “It’s not my place to say, but are you sure about this?”

“Huh?”

“That…” The Celestial Sage started to say something but then fell silent.

“Never mind.”

“……?”

His reaction was a bit unsettling. It seemed the Celestial Sage had lowered his regard for me and now harbored some suspicion. However, the fact that he warned me was meaningful, so I decided to proceed with greater caution.

‘What’s the issue? What could possibly go wrong?’

If I borrow the Power of the Constellation from Xiang Yu, will there be complications?

While I ruminated on this, Xiang Yu spoke again.

“Whatever offerings you’re considering, to me they won’t hold much value. My time here has lost all sense of purpose…”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s true. I have no more desires left.” Xiang Yu’s face reflected utter weariness. He genuinely seemed tired of the world, as if he had given up his involvement despite wielding such great power.

“However, if you can fulfill one request of mine, I might be willing to relax my conditions. I’ll personally ensure you receive the Power of the Constellation.”

“What’s the request? I’ll make sure to complete it!”

As long as I could gain the power, I was ready to do whatever it took. Looking at Xiang Yu with eagerness, he slowly spoke up: “Find and bring me the soul of Yu Ji.”

“…Huh?”

“I don’t repeat myself.”

At that moment, I could only feel a wave of confusion hit me. The only Yu Ji I knew of was none other than Xiang Yu’s legendary lover!

Yu Ji! Also known as the Beautiful Yu, she was recorded as Xiang Yu’s only beloved in the legendary accounts of the Chu-Han Controversy. She was so famous that her name had given rise to the idiom ‘surrounded on all sides.’ I couldn’t possibly not know of her. She was noted as the most beautiful woman in the world at that time, rumored to have come from the Western Regions.

But how? ‘She’s been dead for over a thousand years! If she had been reborn, I would’ve heard of it… And how in the world am I supposed to bring her back to the Nine Immortals Mountain’s palace without being noticed?’ Even with the help of the Celestial Sage, getting to this point had been a struggle. Sneaking in with a soul that had died a millennia ago was surely going to be far more complex. Was it even possible to locate a soul that’s been gone for so long?

I was bewildered, but I decided to nod cautiously and say, “I’ll do my best to find her. However, I really don’t have any leads… Is there anything to help…?”

“I thought you’d have a bold personality, but you disappoint me,” Xiang Yu replied.

“……”

After taking a sip of his drink, he continued, “The power of my Celestial Duke protects her. You should look into that.”

“Thank you.” Xiang Yu shot me a glance.

“I have a question for you.”

“Yes?”

“Why do you want to kill Nüwa?”

In an instant, all eyes were on me. The Celestial Sage also seemed eager to hear my answer, indicating this was not a question I could dodge. I hesitated for a moment, fully aware that my answer could lead to more questions, then I finally spoke.

“Because… I believe she is manipulating the Celestial Realm from behind the scenes.”

“Oh? Why do you think that? While it’s true that Queen Mother of the West wields great power in the Celestial Realm, I’ve heard the Jade Emperor and Three Pure Ones are not to be disregarded either. Even if Nüwa is secretly maneuvering Queen Mother of the West, would that be a reason to kill her? Could it not be unrelated to humans?”

“……”

With a sigh, I replied, “If Nüwa’s deceit only harms the Immortals, it wouldn’t concern me. But if she is merely watching as humanity faces ruin without taking any responsibility, would that be right?”

“Hmph.”

“I may not have power, but I believe that’s a wrong that needs to be righted. I think she intentionally eliminates any chance for humans to survive.”

Xiang Yu laughed mockingly. “You’re probably too weak to even beat a low-level fighter, dreaming too big.”

“Urk…”

“Alright. I won’t pry any further, so you can go back now.”

I cautiously asked, “If I want to meet you for an offering ceremony, would you come?”

Xiang Yu frowned slightly. “As you probably know, offering ceremonies are public ceremonies, and anything discussed is reported to the Celestial high beings. Therefore, I typically refuse to attend such summons.”

“Ah…”

It seemed my previous summoning of Xiang Yu had been pure luck. And it was clear that trying to summon him without advance notice in the future might be a gamble.

“If you bring up Yu Ji during any offering ceremony, I will kill you.”

“…Understood.”

“Come back to Nine Immortals Mountain. If you succeed in your mission, I’ll ensure a proper reward.”

After our conversation ended, I exited Xiang Yu’s palace alongside the Celestial Sage. As we were about to depart Nine Immortals Mountain, the Celestial Sage said to me, “Hey. Take a seat over there.”

Is this it? I took a seat on the rock, feeling tense.

The Celestial Sage scratched his hair for a bit, pondering, before finally speaking. “You seem to know something about the ‘end.’ Are you trying to prevent it? And I suspect you think the Three Sovereigns don’t plan to stop it?”

“……!!”

“Relax, I’m not planning on killing you here.”

Though it was meant to ease my tension, I couldn’t help but feel more rigid. I had a keen sense that the Celestial Sage was sharper than he appeared. He easily inferred my intentions from just a few exchanges with Xiang Yu. I calmed my thoughts and nodded.

“That’s correct. Ever since I uncovered this truth, I have strived to prevent the end.”

“Hah, indeed. Your interest in the Seven Luminaries stems from that reasoning. With the limitations of human power, your aim is to liberate the Seven Luminaries to obtain power beyond human capability, isn’t it?”

“…Well, yes.”

“I can see where you’re going with this…”

The Celestial Sage crossed his arms and seemed to think deeply before saying, “Just to be clear, while I like you, Baek Woong, if you go after the Seven Luminaries, I will kill you. Even if I don’t, I might just seal you up somewhere.”

His tone was firm. Although he had a jovial personality, he was unwavering when it came to matters he deemed necessary. I nodded in acknowledgement, knowing well what he meant, and the Celestial Sage continued, “But you’re probably one of the rare humans making strides toward the truth of the world. Personally, I had my doubts about Queen Mother of the West, but I never thought of Nüwa until now. Hearing your words, it does sound plausible.”

“……”

“So, what do you think about trying to ascend to Immortality?”

“Ascend?”

Startled by his sudden suggestion, I questioned, and the Celestial Sage grinned.

“As you’ve noted, there are limits to power as a human. It’d certainly make more sense to become an Immortal, elevate your soul’s level, and gain more power. If you want to become an Immortal, I’ll help you with everything I’ve got.”

“But you and Xiang Yu don’t seem to have much change in power before and after ascension…”

“That’s true, but when I was appointed as a Celestial Immortal, I gained some additional abilities. I don’t see it as a bad thing. If you become an Immortal, I firmly believe you’ll be at least twice as strong.”

The Celestial Sage patted my back enthusiastically.

“Think it over. Alright?”

“Sure.”

“If you’re inclined, reach out to me through He Yu via the Ruyi Staff.”

The idea of assistance in becoming an Immortal sparked my interest. I was curious if my rebirth ability would still function if I became an Immortal. And if so, would it be possible to rebirth with all the powers of an Immortal intact?

‘That might be worth a try.’

As I fiddled with the Ruyi Staff, the Celestial Sage suddenly added, “Oh, and by the way.”

Seemingly recalling something, he said, “The Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens seems quite upset with you, but don’t worry; I’ll handle it. I’ll explain things to her so she won’t bother you for a while.”

“……”

“Alright, let’s get you back to the Earth. Being in the Celestial Realm too long might have side effects on you.”

Whoosh!

Before long, I rode the Heavenly Steed back to the hidden gate of the Celestial Realm, quickly exiting through the back. On Earth, I nodded my head towards the Celestial Sage, “Thank you.”

“Hehe, don’t mention it. If that Tripitaka guy gives you a hard time again, reach out to me. I’ll deal with him.”

“Understood.”

After parting ways with the Celestial Sage, I headed directly to the southern continent. Utilizing the Silver Phoenix, I shared everything I experienced during the negotiation with the Celestial Sage with my companions. Once the memory transfer was complete, Mangnyang remarked.

“Baek Woong, impressive. I can’t believe you actually attempted to meet Xiang Yu in that kind of situation…”

He sighed in admiration, “I might come up with such an option, but I wouldn’t have had the guts to choose it. You showed great intuition and courage.”

“Haha.”

Feeling a bit hyped, I chuckled as Zhuge Sa added, “It seems like it’s still a shameful situation to be challenging Dark Heaven Village. Originally, I planned to just toss ourselves into the thick of it and gather leads, but we keep coming away with more than expected, my lord.”

“Well, it’s not a bad thing, right?”

“That’s true.”

Zhuge Sa continued, “Given the circumstances, it’s essential we execute Xiang Yu’s request first. Right now, let’s use the National Seal to search for Yu Ji’s soul.”

“Got it.”

Whoosh!

I activated the National Seal, searching for Yu Ji’s soul through the spirits. The spirit of the National Seal glowed, announcing, [There are 0 results for the search of Yu Ji’s soul.]

“Another goose egg? Ugh… So she really is nowhere in this world?”

I couldn’t help but sulk. The National Seal is great and all, but it can only search for things that exist in this world. When I relayed the results to my companions, Mangnyang pondered before suggesting, “Baek Woong. Turn on the National Seal again.”

“Huh?”

“What if we search using the power of the Celestial Duke?”

Following Mangnyang’s advice, I tried it. Unexpectedly, the spirit of the National Seal declared, [The search for the power of the Celestial Duke has a total of 129 results.]

“Huh?! That many?”

[Would you like to view the search results?]

“Show me.”

Whoosh!

Moments later, a massive projection displaying the entirety of the world unfolded before my eyes. It was as if it revealed the oceans and continents all at once. All around the projection, hundreds of traces flickered in red. I chose the largest one and pressed it, causing the National Seal to zoom in on the area.

Whoosh!

It revealed the eerie remnants of an ancient castle. I examined the location carefully but found nothing that seemed promising. Perhaps out of habit, I asked, “Does searching for energy show the place it lingered?”

[Yes. It tracks the strong lingering energy from the Constellation and shows any individuals currently holding the energy.]

“Individuals? Show me those with the power of the Celestial Duke!”

[There are a total of 14 results.]

Upon request, 14 different windows appeared, showcasing individuals of all ages and backgrounds. However, they strangely appeared to be quite ordinary without any unique abilities. Puzzled, I muttered, “Do they really possess Constellation power? They don’t look that impressive.”

[The amount of Constellation energy they hold is extremely minimal.]

“Does that mean there’s a certain level of energy needed to demonstrate significant power?”

[That is correct.]

Though humans with celestial energy weren’t rare, those who displayed superhuman power were evidently scarce. At this rate, I couldn’t say there was a single one in the entire world who could claim to be born with the power of the Celestial Duke.

Closing the National Seal, I relayed the search results to Mangnyang. He mused, “That castle was likely where Xiang Yu was trapped by the great army of Liu Bang during the siege.”

“You mean the castle where he was cornered by Liu Bang’s great army?”

“Exactly. Yu Ji’s presence lingers there the most, and there’s nowhere else in the Central Plains that could match. Let’s first go there and use the Heavenly Secret Technique.”

He stated seriously. “If that doesn’t work, we may need to resort to the last measure.”

The last measure – likely meant crossing over to the Underworld directly.

 

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