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After what felt like an eternity of digging through the underground, Zhuge Sa finally emerged into the daylight, holding the seed of the World Tree. He had been mucking about with both magic and sorcery, so at least he had that going for him. He headed towards the promised meeting spot, and soon, he found himself at the edge of a high cliff overlooking the ruins of the Divine City. There stood two figures under a pine tree, and a grin spread across his face.

“Hey there!”

It was Cheon Woo-jin and Jin So-cheong. They didn’t really return his cheerful greeting, their faces marred with concern. Honestly, their mission was pretty morally questionable, and Zhuge Sa wouldn’t have entertained such a vile act at all if he hadn’t gotten involved.

“This is terrifying…”

Especially for Jin So-cheong, who was feeling the full weight of the massive shift in power that Zhuge Sa’s involvement had caused. Usually, Baek Woong executed Zhuge Sa’s plans without a hitch, so he thought there would be no difference, but now that Baek Woong was out of the picture, that internal brake on Zhuge Sa’s ambitions was gone, leading to chaotic escapades.

When Cheon Woo-jin finally spoke, it was Jin So-cheong who blurted out, “What happened to the three that headed towards the summit and the Sword Demon?”

Only Zhuge Sa had the ability to grasp the situation strategically using the espionage magic. He answered, “Cheongwol and Bright Dragon have retreated from the battlefield and are currently recovering their energy at the cliff floor. The Sword Demon completed his mission but is wounded and fleeing without a destination. Extreme Tiger was captured as a hostage.”

“…!!”

Jin So-cheong clenched his teeth. To think that his childhood friend, Extreme Tiger, had been taken hostage!

He had steeled himself for death when he got swept up in this huge whirlwind, but this was serious trouble. As emotion swirled inside him, Zhuge Sa casually remarked, “Don’t worry. All the information Extreme Tiger obtained is stored in my memory.”

“… So you’re not going to rescue him?”

“If the Master of the Twelve Joules dies while fighting the Eight Parts of the Divine, I might consider it.”

This was exceptionally cold-hearted. However, Jin So-cheong begrudgingly accepted this logic as he knew firsthand how foolish it would be to rush in due to misplaced ideals and end up facing annihilation.

Finally, Cheon Woo-jin slowly opened his mouth, “So that means the Master of the Twelve Joules and the Eight Parts of the Divine are currently at odds?”

“Yep, they’re in the middle of a fierce fight. My spirit familiars are observing it.”

“There’s no way the Master of the Twelve Joules can win. We can just wait to see how things turn out and simply rescue Extreme Tiger.”

Cheon Woo-jin made a decisive statement about the outcome of the battle.

There was no way that the Master of the Twelve Joules could triumph over the Eight Parts of the Divine, especially with their leader pulling out strong powers. Given the situation, only an Old Ruler or someone of equal caliber could deal with them.

However, surprisingly, Zhuge Sa said differently, “Not yet. I didn’t expect this.”

“What?”

“He’s a real scheming guy. I never thought he’d hidden such a level of power up his sleeve…”

Zhuge Sa murmured while observing the battle through his spirit familiars. The leaders of the three major powers had many secrets tucked away, but the Master of the Twelve Joules topped them all. After collecting his scattered thoughts, he addressed Cheon Woo-jin directly, “Right now, the outcome of the Master of the Twelve Joules isn’t our main concern. But tell me, have you absorbed the core of the Spirit Energy yet?”

Cheon Woo-jin responded with a hint of irritation on his face, “I have.”

“How much stronger are you now?”

“What the hell am I supposed to say to that?”

“I mean did you get any special abilities or has your sorcery expanded at all? You’re a sorcerer, so surely you can judge for yourself.”

Zhuge Sa pressed on, and though Cheon Woo-jin’s expression flickered with anger, he swallowed it. If it had been Baek Woong, he might have thought him annoying, but Zhuge Sa was the strategist who weighed every situation carefully. After a moment of contemplation, Cheon Woo-jin replied, “My recovery techniques have improved significantly, and I’ve gained a couple of new abilities… it feels like my Spirit Energy has doubled.”

“Of course. If you’ve absorbed power from the World Tree’s core, I’d expect nothing less than that kind of boost. You’ve essentially swathed your body in that immense power.” Zhuge Sa remarked, sounding impressed. “Are you also feeling like you’ve drastically shortened your path to your maximum?”

“… I can’t tell. This is an endless road. I need to find the ‘door’ to open it, but I have no clue where that is.”

“‘Door’? Are you implying you need to break free from the interference of the Three Sovereigns?”

“Pfft. Discussing realms with a Demon Sorcerer like you is pointless, so let’s stop there. What’s the reason you wanted to know about my realm?”

At Cheon Woo-jin’s irritable question, Zhuge Sa replied, “Actually, we’ve almost completed our tasks here in this Divine City. We have little left to do, so it’s time to prepare for what’s next. You have a mission waiting for you, but with your current capabilities, it’s impossible. So I needed to find out how you’ve leveraged your power.”

Cheon Woo-jin smirked, “What do you want me to do?”

“When Baek Woong returns…”

As Zhuge Sa opened his mouth, Cheon Woo-jin’s expression turned blank. “… Are you out of your mind? You want me to do that?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re insane! No way.”

Though Cheon Woo-jin vehemently refused, Zhuge Sa calmly responded, “But I can’t ask Jin So-cheong to do that either. You know you’re the only one who can.”

“You’re out of your damn mind. Just drown yourself in a bowl of water and call it a day.”

“How long are you going to keep sulking over your pride?”

“… What?”

When Zhuge Sa’s blunt remark made Cheon Woo-jin frown, he was met with an unfeeling gaze from Zhuge Sa.

“Isn’t it about time you accepted this? You only destroyed the World Tree because you acknowledged it half-heartedly. So now you’ve got to accept that you’ll be used as a consumable.”

“……”

“You’ve already turned your back on a sorcerer’s conscience and chosen the path of a reborn person. You have no other option now.”

If it had been the usual Cheon Woo-jin, he would have been shouting in rage and knocked Zhuge Sa to the ground. However, Zhuge Sa’s words felt like a dart that struck home, leaving Cheon Woo-jin at a loss for words. After a long moment’s hesitation, he seemed to change his mind but then closed his mouth.

“……”

Silence. After an awkward moment, Cheon Woo-jin finally said, “I can’t guarantee anything. The chances of failure are several times higher.”

“That’s fine with me.”

“Alright. I’ll do it…”

Jin So-cheong, who had been observing quietly, sensed that Cheon Woo-jin had been significantly swayed. Originally despising and loathing Zhuge Sa for his involvement with the Demonic path, he had now greatly reined in his pride in this moment.

Zhuge Sa said, “Now then…”

What he was about to say suddenly froze on his lips.

“The Master of the Twelve Joules has just been slain by the scythe of the Yacha from the Eight Parts of the Divine.”

“I figured that might be the case. But why are you surprised? It’s what I expected.”

“… It’s that something expected didn’t happen as expected.”

Rubbing his temples, Zhuge Sa muttered, ‘This isn’t right.’ Despite pushing them to their limits, something about their power levels suggested they still didn’t have enough to push the Master of the Twelve Joules into a corner.

Zhuge Sa was certain of it. The strategy had been heavily reliant on deception, and they had been fortunate to have come this far. Yet, it indicated that they lacked the absolute capabilities needed to draw out the Master’s true potential.

What Zhuge Sa said next shocked Cheon Woo-jin and Jin So-cheong.

“Gin Nara, Yacha, and the Thief Gang launched their attack together, but only Yacha survived. Essentially, the Master of the Twelve Joules attacked them all once, but Yacha came back to life, which allowed the Master of the Twelve Joules to be caught off guard and ultimately killed.”

“What? How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know. Even though two out of the Seven Luminaries were released…”

Could that really happen? But since Zhuge Sa had been observing the battlefield through magic, there was no room for doubt. The Master of the Twelve Joules had released two of the Seven Luminaries and surrounded themselves with a radiant aura, engaging fiercely in combat. Yet, unexpectedly, they became strong enough to confront the Eight Parts of the Divine head-on, only to slip and fall to their defeat.

And even in their final moments, the look in the Master of the Twelve Joules’ eyes wasn’t one of defeat. It felt like they had chosen death in a scenario where they had to die—like a resolution not to waste any more strength in such a place.

‘What was that radiant aura?’

It was known that triggering the Seven Luminaries allowed access to unique techniques exclusive to each, but the Fire Spirit and Water Spirit techniques were activation-type abilities, not something to wrap around oneself.

It was clear that no one from Baek Woong’s past lives had ever used the Seven Luminaries in that manner. Many Great Immortals and Divine Beings had left their marks on his body, but all had merely utilized the techniques found within the Seven Luminaries. Yet, the Master of the Twelve Joules summoned what seemed to be a self-empowerment aura, even showcasing an attack powerful enough to break through the defensive barrier of the Eight Parts of the Divine.

Did the Master of the Twelve Joules perhaps learn a different way to utilize the Seven Luminaries from somewhere?

Suddenly, dark flames erupted from Zhuge Sa’s right eye, and an immense pain washed over him.

“… Ugh.”

“Are you okay? It seems like the Demon King’s eye is gradually consuming your soul.”

“Just give me some power. I still need to hold on.”

Cheon Woo-jin sighed.

“That’s only a temporary fix. You’re guaranteed to be blind, and no matter what magic I use, I can’t restore your sight. It was taken as payment for your contract, so you’ll have to find that yourself.”

It was a huge deal if Zhuge Sa became blind. It wasn’t something that could be easily overcome simply by transferring the soul of a doll using the Soul Exchange Technique. He had lost his eyesight as payment for a contract, signifying that even if he switched bodies, the loss of sight would pass through to the new incarnation.

“I know without you saying. Hehe.”

When Cheon Woo-jin transferred his green Spirit Energy, Zhuge Sa’s expression brightened considerably. He addressed his companions, “I’m heading off to wrap up my last day here. You all should rescue the remaining allies and head to the place we discussed before. Use the Memory Transmission Technique to show the locations you’ve seen so far.”

As Zhuge Sa transmitted the memories, Cheon Woo-jin wore a strange expression.

“Are you seriously planning to go alone?”

“Tagging along would just be a burden, so bear with it.”

“Get lost.”

“Ha ha.”

Cheon Woo-jin turned abruptly, using spatial movement to vanish. Jin So-cheong paused for a moment, gazing at Zhuge Sa before declaring, “I’ll accompany you.”

At that, Zhuge Sa looked at him as if to say, “What are you on about?”

“Why? It’s unnecessary.”

“I want to prevent your instant death. You don’t have the reflexes to handle a sneak attack.”

“I get what you’re worried about, but I’m fine. Given Yacha’s character, it won’t happen. Plus, if I’m with you, you’ll definitely die.”

“I’ll go anyway. I’m confident I can escape alive.”

“… What kind of bullheadedness is this? Who do you think you are, Baek Woong?”

Zhuge Sa frowned at the persistence, but Jin So-cheong pressed on, “You always say we should pursue efficiency and that we are all expendables, but this life is mine to live. I’m just doing what my heart desires.”

He looked Zhuge Sa straight in the eye. “You are our brain. You are pouring in your all, so I want to protect you.”

“Damn it.”

Zhuge Sa sighed.

“Seeing your eyes, I can tell you wouldn’t listen to reason, so do as you wish.”

Realizing there was no deterring him, Zhuge Sa recognized that normally, he might have tried to persuade him or brushed him off. However, given Jin So-cheong’s character, influenced by Baek Woong’s past memories, simple reasoning wouldn’t suffice. Once he made up his mind to do something, it was futile to try and stop him.

A while later, the two found themselves in a desolate land. This had once been the site of the Sacred Altar Tree, but it had split in half—leaving a huge scar upon the world—due to the divine clashes that stripped it bare.

Zhuge Sa took in the area, realizing that there was no sign of Extreme Tiger whatsoever. ‘So Hong Gil-dong took him away,’ he thought.

For whatever reason, Hong Gil-dong hadn’t joined the Master of the Twelve Joules to the very end and had fled in the midst of the battle. Given his profound loyalty to the Master of the Twelve Joules, it wouldn’t have been odd for him to fight until death, so why had he run?

Zhuge Sa deduced that his uneasy feelings were likely correct. Indeed, in this lifetime, they had failed to corner the Master of the Twelve Joules.

“Tsk. I guess I better get to work…”

He gestured to Jin So-cheong, “I’m about to start a summoning here, so don’t you dare blame me if you die.”

“I’ll ensure the area is secure until your summoning is complete.”

“Do as you wish.”

As Zhuge Sa began chanting his incantation, after what felt like twenty breaths, an attack came soaring out from somewhere.

Ka-kang!

Jin So-cheong moved like lightning, deflecting the scythe of the Yacha from the Eight Parts of the Divine. Yacha looked rather worn and human-shaped, bellowing in annoyance, “Stop! What are you thinking with that incantation?!”

Clearly flustered, considering Zhuge Sa’s spell would bring forth an unexpected entity. The other Eight Parts of the Divine had temporarily disintegrated, meaning it would take them a while to reappear. Thus, Yacha was now chanting in ancient languages rather than human speech.

Zhuge Sa was nearly done with his chant and grinned wickedly, “Looks like I misjudged? He’d probably just been resting after getting thoroughly trashed by the Master of the Twelve Joules—but here he is, quickly catching wind of my shabby little energy.”

[You jerk!!]

If Jin So-cheong hadn’t been there to protect him, Zhuge Sa might have had his head chopped off before needing to find a new safe spot to finish his spell. But even so, he had no intention of being grateful to Jin So-cheong since the time lost from his doll’s death would be a far greater loss than Jin So-cheong’s potential demise.

Ka-kang! Keng!

Yacha swung his scythe furiously but Jin So-cheong calmly defended against it. Thanks to temporarily transferring his consciousness to wield the Brain Transference Technique, he wasn’t hindered by speed.

Ssssss.

Upon completing his spell, a shadowy energy poured forth from Zhuge Sa’s body. He ignited the last of the Light from the Demon King’s eye and grinned maniacally.

“Someone is dying to meet you, so go and say hello!”

Ku-kwa-kwa-kwa!

Darkness burst forth, creating a dark cross shape in the sky for a moment. Then, from that dark cross, something began to slowly descend, with shadows of flames swirling and rapidly ramping up the temperature around the Sacred Altar Tree.

Yacha widened his eyes and screamed, “No! Why is that guy—”

In that instant, Jin So-cheong decided to stop shielding and bolted away with all his might.

His role to protect had been completed, so he needed to escape as far as possible.

At this very moment, Zhuge Wook’s right arm and second-in-command of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace—also one of the divine figures of the Mythological Age, Zhu Rong—was descending.

 

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