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“Did you just say you’re offering a water spirit?”

Shin Gong-pyo looked pretty taken aback by my words. I could almost hear his thoughts: “What? The Seven Luminaries?”

“If you’re not gonna help me, this is the only way I can survive!”

Before Shin Gong-pyo could respond, I turned to the Fire Dragon Incarnate.

“Fire Dragon Incarnate, is there a place nearby where I can sense powerful Evil Qi?”

“Everywhere is a bundle of intense demon energy, so it’s hard to pinpoint. But given the attention this place has drawn, it’s clear that moving even a little will get us noticed.” The Dragon replied.

“Got it. So, let’s check any random spot then.” Just as I took a step, Shin Gong-pyo shouted.

“Wait! Are you serious?”

“Why do you ask that? What if I am?”

“Once the Seven Luminaries are in the hands of a Ruler, retrieving them is impossible! Didn’t you say your goal was to collect six luminaries and meet the Emperor? Doesn’t that sound contradictory?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Even if I die here, the situation wouldn’t change. I’d rather survive and wait for the next chance.”

“This guy…” Shin Gong-pyo grumbled.

“If you’re not gonna help me, at least don’t get in my way.”

As I moved again, Shin Gong-pyo spoke up.

“Are you really going to do this? If that’s the case, I have no choice but to kill you.”

“You should’ve done that earlier.” I replied nonchalantly.

“Go ahead and try. From what I can see, if you kill me, you won’t be able to move from this spot either, so if you want to die together, be my guest.”

Shin Gong-pyo fell silent. It seemed possible for her to kill or harm me if she unleashed her powers, but that would leave her without someone to help her.

Moreover, if the Ruler or that otherworldly race got their hands on the Ruyi Staff, a nightmare scenario would surely ensue for her. That made her hesitate to take me out.

Ironically, thanks to her displaying all that evil intent towards me, I could easily gauge the situation. If she had concealed her feelings like some cunning individuals, it could’ve turned into a psychological battle, but her blatant dislike made it clear.

Not that she couldn’t kill me, but rather she couldn’t.

Once I realized that, the upper hand was mine.

As I rounded a mountain, I spotted a bizarre canyon filled with giant eels soaring through the air. Below, countless flying eels glided through the dark canyon where formidable magical energy could be palpably sensed.

‘There must be something there.’

I thought it was ridiculous that just crossing a single mountain would lead me to the Old Ruler, and I was prepared to negotiate with the Old Ruler in the canyon below.

“Wait!”

At that moment, Shin Gong-pyo yelled strongly. She revealed her spirit body, blocking my way, and said, “I will help you instead of giving the Seven Luminaries to the Ruler. So don’t make a foolish choice.”

“As I said earlier, I can’t trust you. No matter what you say in this situation, it’s meaningless.”

“Are you really willing to show me such a divine artifact as the Seven Luminaries? You’re just not capable enough to use it, and with just one, you could dominate the world. If you got two or three more, you could overturn the Celestial Realm! Do you seriously want to make this choice without even knowing its power?”

“I know. You just showed me the potential of the Seven Luminaries not long ago.” I replied coldly. “But I have my priorities, and they differ from yours.”

Shin Gong-pyo’s eyebrows twitched slightly, indicating she was feeling embarrassed. But after a brief moment, she composed herself and said, “I will make a contract in my name.”

“What kind of contract?”

“If you free my seal, I will protect and aid you until you return to reality. If I swear in my name, you can trust it, can’t you?”

“Hmm…”

A contract in a name.

That carried immense public trust among high-level existences, making it something not to be taken lightly. This was vastly different from when Shin Gong-pyo proposed a moment ago, and I thought this was worth considering, leading me to ponder for a moment.

‘What should I do?’

It was tempting to offer the Seven Luminaries to the Ruler and go back, but getting guaranteed safety from Shin Gong-pyo for a while also sounded appealing. However, if the Ruler returned me to reality, then I wouldn’t need such a contract with Shin Gong-pyo in the first place.

“……”

After a long, contemplative pause, I suddenly thought of something and spoke up.

“Do you happen to know anything about Daji?”

“What? Why are you bringing that guy up?”

“Tell me what kind of relationship it is. Then I’ll seriously consider your proposal.”

Shin Gong-pyo answered my question.

“He’s a great demon and a demon king born from the Queen Mother of the West’s dark energy that fell to the earth. Initially, he was a faithful servant of the Queen Mother but betrayed her and allied with our faction. He was a lifelong comrade in that alliance.”

“……!!”

“I hear he’s sealed on Golden Crow Island right now.”

The dark energy of the Queen Mother? My ears pricked up at the new information; it felt thrilling. I had clashed with the formidable Daji countless times but never knew his true identity until now.

‘The Queen Mother… Could it be…’

I hesitantly asked, “Is it true that Daji is the incarnation of the Queen Mother?”

“That’s not the case. If he were an incarnation, the Queen Mother would have retrieved him long ago. Daji is closer to a failed product of the Queen Mother.”

“A failed product? What does that mean?”

“Because the Queen Mother couldn’t maintain balance with her Tai Chi, the explosion of dark energy created Daji. I don’t know the details, but that’s why Daji harbors deep feelings, both love and hatred, toward the Queen Mother.”

“Hmm… is that so?”

“He claimed he escaped before being tamed, but why are you asking about him?”

After a moment of mental calculations, I responded to Shin Gong-pyo’s remarks.

“Shin Gong-pyo, you do know about Daji’s sorcery defense barrier and the techniques of your old faction, right?”

“…is that so. Of course I know. I taught that to him.”

“Taught him? So he didn’t know it initially?”

“Exactly. His innate demon power was strong, but he didn’t know how to use it properly, so the masters of our old faction taught him the techniques. The sorcery defense barrier you speak of is all the secret arts of the alliance.”

Ah-ha!

I inwardly celebrated, crossing my arms.

“Then you should either teach me the secret arts of your alliance or show me the way to easily break that defense barrier. Also, inform me of the weaknesses of the Ten Heavenly Generals.”

“What?! Are you crazy?”

“Why? You know all this stuff.”

Shin Gong-pyo seemed furious, her spirit body trembling with rage.

” How dare you ask the head of the alliance!”

WHAM!

The moment Shin Gong-pyo’s powers surged, the Fire Dragon Incarnate stepped forward to block her.

“Stand down! Do you really think even the Dragon King can survive in front of my sabre sword?”

The Fire Dragon replied calmly, “Don’t bluff. You know that all that awaits you is destruction.”

“You fiends…!!”

Unable to contain her rage, Shin Gong-pyo trembled. Yet, realizing there was nowhere to go, she eventually stopped, shoulders slumping a bit, and said, “Fine. Let’s do it your way.”

“Understood. Negotiation complete. Let’s make a promise.”

WHOOM!

Just like that, I was about to make a promise with Shin Gong-pyo in the name of “names.” It was some sort of sorcery ritual, and with the Fire Dragon Incarnate watching over, there was no way to defraud anyone. I’d release Shin Gong-pyo’s seal, and in return, she would protect me until I returned to reality and share the secret arts as well as Daji’s secrets.

I watched the contract unfold in the light.

‘This seems worth consuming some spirit power.’

If I were just releasing Shin Gong-pyo, it wouldn’t matter, but this was a whole different game.

Daji’s sorcery defense barrier!

That was an extreme technique that made it hard for even the strongest forces of the human realm to capture him. Even Master of the White Lotus Sect or the Master of the Twelve Joules couldn’t take him down alone. A barrier created with absolute demon power—Daji himself was a disaster, and I had been tiptoeing around him since my past life.

But if the head of the alliance personally taught me the methods to break the sorcery defense barrier, my future in this life would be greatly shortened. Because the difficulty of defeating Daji would significantly lower, seizing the Imperial Palace would become much easier.

I said to Shin Gong-pyo, “By the way, is there anywhere to hide? I feel like those Eight Parts of the Divine will catch up soon…”

Even though we had distanced ourselves by thousands of miles, it meant little against divine beings like the Eight Parts of the Divine. It was a vast distance, making it hard to chase, but considering that the Tripitaka had chased all the way to the Southern Continent, distance didn’t matter to them. I needed to find a hiding place before they closed in on me in the next meal.

“Why are you looking for a hiding place? Just shut up and release my seal.”

“What?”

“We just made a contract; you can’t trust me?”

“Are you serious?”

“You filthy brat! Do you need me to repeat myself?!”

As Shin Gong-pyo erupted in indignation, I felt a bit intimidated. So, I maxed out my spirit power and injected it into the Ruyi Staff to release the final seal of the Taishang Laojun.

‘Will Shin Gong-pyo really be able to hold off the Eight Parts of the Divine…?’

I was skeptical but had no choice but to try it out. If all else failed, I decided to take my own life. Gathering my spirit power at my fingertips, I sent it to the Ruyi Staff. It felt as if the most urgent knot hidden within was slowly melting away into the water.

The final seal was about to come undone.

WHOOOOOM!

In that moment, it felt like a specter appeared before my eyes. The apparition seemed to have the qualities of a divine being, yet the face was entirely obscured—an unseen immortal. A holy energy flowed around, and the freshness it emitted was astounding.

I wondered what kind of Great Immortal had appeared, but soon the apparition spoke to me.

“I am the last will and clone left behind by Taishang Laojun. If you see me, it means someone is using divine power to release the seal on Shin Gong-pyo, head of the alliance.”

“……!!”

Taishang Laojun!

So, what’s before me is the last will of Taishang Laojun? This was the first time I had seen the three pure ones with my own eyes, while the Fire Dragon Incarnate and Shin Gong-pyo seemed unaware of his existence. It appeared that I alone recognized him, and as I turned my gaze to him, Taishang Laojun’s clone spoke.

“I cannot determine whether you are good or evil. However… we could not easily dispose of talents like Shin Gong-pyo. The chaotic talent she possesses was rare even in Chi You’s era, and we wanted to protect her through the seal to oppose the gods.”

What does that mean?

“By the time you are seeing this, both I and the Primordial Heaven Master will likely have perished. The mysterious demon that has removed the mask of our teacher, Fuxi, and forcibly returned him to his original form poses a constant threat to the Celestial Realm. I fear there might be no way for us to thwart that monster… The former leader of the Heavenly Sect also perished at its hands.”

“…..”

“It is truly frightening. That existence treats all of humanity as mere playthings. I only hope someone can seal that great demon…”

The lamenting figure of Taishang Laojun pointed at me.

“You! The one who claims to be Hong Gyun Do-in… The only ones capable of vanquishing that chaotic being, the one who calls himself Spirit Treasure Heaven Master and sees the Celestial Realm as a toy, are either your sabre sword or the Seven Luminaries! Please awaken her to the true mission of a worthy successor of the great Kunlun!”

BAAM!

In the next moment, that clone vanished. I wondered if it had been a mere illusion, but the clarity of the information I just received left no room for doubt. Taishang Laojun must have anticipated the future and conveyed his will through Shin Gong-pyo’s seal.

‘Hong Gyun Do-in? A chaotic being?’

Right now, I couldn’t really grasp it all. Eventually, a bright light burst forth, signaling Shin Gong-pyo’s physical form manifesting in the world.

POW!!

Shin Gong-pyo had resurrected.

She looked almost the same as her spirit form, but it seemed she had indeed gained a physical body released from the Ruyi Staff. Holding the staff, she tossed it to me and said, “You stay hidden. I’ll take care of those Eight Parts of the Divine.”

“What? Wait a minute…”

I tried to inform Shin Gong-pyo about what I just heard, but she seemed completely uninterested.

Roar of the Sky!!

“There you are!”

After releasing her sorcery, Shin Gong-pyo discerned information and launched the sabre sword into the sky, letting it vanish. As I stood there dumbfounded, staring at her departing figure, moments later, the eastern sky began to glow crimson.

CRACK!

‘No way…’

Since the beginning, she had been serious.

The resurrected Shin Gong-pyo had just challenged all six members of the Eight Parts of the Divine!

 

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