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“May your father rest in peace.”

Cheon Woo-jin glanced at Seo Mun-hye next to me and said.

“Thank you.”

It was a late condolence for our fallen comrade from Cheon Woo-jin. I turned to him and said, “Anyway, we need to discuss what’s happening right now.”

“You go first. That way, I can reorganize the information I’ve gathered so far.”

“Got it. Here’s the obsidian…

Ka-pow!

I cast the obsidian technique for Cheon Woo-jin. He took it in thoughtfully for a moment before saying, “I see. I was curious why the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens was here, and now I get it.”

“Cheon Gong-pyo asked me to demonstrate ‘power.’ Mangnyang said he could take you along.”

“Alright, let me explain the current situation.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued, “Five years ago, I came to this moon because I predicted it would be Banwang Hall based on Zhuge Sa’s schemes. Luckily, there were ancient techniques that allowed me to traverse the vacuum of the universe safely, so I got here easily by applying a few of them. Plus, thanks to the power of the World Tree, my magical power became stronger, making it easier.”

“Hmm. So this moon is Banwang Hall?”

Cheon Woo-jin seemed a little annoyed, saying, “Just listen to the whole thing.”

“This moon is an environment where humans can’t live, but quite a few Otherworldly Races are here. Including the Beorin tribe we’re in, there are about seven tribes. Of course, only these Beorin folks have a civilized society, while the others are typically evil Otherworldly Races. So, I decided to infiltrate the Beorin tribe and gather information.”

“Are you still looking into it?”

“No, it has become a bit troublesome.”

Cheon Woo-jin leaned back and continued, “This moon is not Banwang Hall itself but functions as a dimension door leading to it. I’ve infiltrated Banwang Hall once before, but I had to leave midway. I’m stuck here trying to find another opportunity to enter.”

Listening to him, I was puzzled and replied, “Then what’s so troublesome? It doesn’t seem like there’s anything to be bothered about.”

He fell silent for a moment before responding, “Do you remember the Guardian of the Moon Sovereign you fought several times?”

“Izanagi no Mikoto.”

“That guy ruled over this moon in the past, and his followers are still lurking around. When Jeogok took over the moon, they fled to Venus, but I’ve gathered intel that they plan to return to Earth through the moon.”

My head tilted in confusion as Seo Mun-hye calmly picked up Cheon Woo-jin’s thoughts, “There must be a reason why they want to return to our planet.”

“Exactly. Their goal is clearly the resurrection of Izanagi no Mikoto, but that’s not what’s important. The problem is why these guys, who’ve been chased to Venus for thousands of years, can come back now…”

In a grim moment, Cheon Woo-jin finally said, “That’s because of me.”

“What?”

Suddenly, why is Cheon Woo-jin blaming himself? Neither I nor Seo Mun-hye had ever seen that expression on him, and we were a bit taken aback as he continued, “I… destroyed the World Tree.”

“Wait. I don’t quite understand. Can you explain it calmly?”

He sighed and said, “Hoo, during the decisive battle in Shinshi, I infiltrated the center of the Sacred Altar Tree as laid out by Zhuge Sa’s schemes and smashed its core. Thanks to that, our side managed to neutralize the Master of the Twelve Joules, but that was something that should never have been done.”

“What happens when the Sacred Altar Tree dies?”

“The Sacred Altar Tree is the World Tree. It connects nine worlds and serves to regulate parallel worlds while producing a powerful force field. It’s the most perfect living being born from chaos and is the entity closest to the essence of the divine, which even the Old Ruler would never dare disturb. The Sacred Altar Tree not only protects the northeastern region but also serves as the divine artifact that guarantees the minimum right to survival for humans in this world.”

I felt a sense of foreboding. “Right to survival…?”

Cheon Woo-jin explained, “Just as this moon acts as a natural protective barrier against meteors and comets from the outside world, the Sacred Altar Tree served as a gate to prevent powerful Otherworldly Races from carelessly crossing over from the external realm.”

“So now that the Sacred Altar Tree has collapsed, powerful Otherworldly Races can easily come over from other worlds?”

He nodded slightly, looking down. “The great clan that followed Izanagi no Mikoto but was exiled to Venus is called Amatsukami. Those divine races from Dongyoung, who once ruled here, will be descending to Earth soon through the moon. The surface will certainly fall into great chaos…”

“…!!”

Amatsukami! My conversation with Abe no Seimei flashed in my mind.

[You Central Plains people are blessed by the Three Sovereigns, while the southern folks receive protection from Dangun, Sam Sa, and the Master of the Twelve Joules. However, in Dongyoung, after Izanagi and Izanami were exiled along with the Amatsukami, they had to fend off demons and monsters without any proper protections. That’s why more atrocious evils and tragedies occur here than in the Central Plains.]

At the same time, I recalled the conversation with the Heavenly Emperor.

[That place is called Takamagahara, which is like the divine realm in your thoughts. However, as I think about it, that place is indeed a stronghold of the Otherworldly Races.]

[Why do you think so?]

[This is meant for the Heavenly Emperor’s ears only, but Takamagahara is not a land where gods descend; it’s a place of banishment for malevolent entities and serves as a passage. Those who appeared from there wield powerful strength and ruled over Dongyoung as divine beings. I believe it’s a place where the Otherworldly beings reside.]

[I’ve heard there’s a passage to Takamagahara in Goryeo’s Gochang region. You might find some clues there.]

Slowly, I began to understand the situation. As I desperately tried to think through it all, I said to Cheon Woo-jin, “So… the Otherworldly Race and divine beings originally residing in Dark Heaven Village are the Amatsukami, and their leader is Izanagi no Mikoto. They ruled Dongyoung, causing chaos, then after the Old Ruler was sealed by the Three Sovereigns, they were chased to Venus?”

“Your analytical skills have improved quite a bit.”

“Damn it. You giving me compliments is just awkward.”

Despite my grumbling, Cheon Woo-jin’s expression didn’t brighten up. That’s because he was discussing his sins, not his accomplishments.

“That’s right. Soon, the Amatsukami will arrive on the surface, and there’s no capacity to stop them right now. This is all my fault for destroying the World Tree.”

“Huh? Don’t you think the Three Sovereigns will intervene?”

The following words from Cheon Woo-jin were shocking.

“If the Three Sovereigns were going to intervene, the Amatsukami wouldn’t have even been able to set foot in Jeogok’s territory on the moon. However, based on the information I’ve gathered over the last five years, Jeogok seems to be thinking of letting the Amatsukami into the surface.”

My eyes widened in shock. “…!!”

“They’ll likely ignore the resurrection of Izanagi no Mikoto as well.”

What?!

This was something completely unexpected, and I was taken aback. While the Three Sovereigns might be tricky players, at the very least, they had a role in ensuring human civilization could maintain itself. But to simply watch the resurrection of the new Old Ruler, allowing the followers to pass through the moon to return to Earth?!

Suddenly, alongside me, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman spoke up, revealing her spirit body, [Cheon Woo-jin. This means the Three Sovereigns are already preparing to shed their masks.]

“Heavenly Mysterious Woman. I think the same.”

She calmly expressed her opinion, [The Sacred Altar Tree served to suppress the Otherworldly Races, but it also secretly curtailed the influence of the Three Sovereigns and the Celestial Realm. With the Sacred Altar Tree destroyed, they intend to resurrect Izanagi no Mikoto to create chaos in the Law of Cause and Effect, ultimately using the Amatsukami themselves as a means to bring destruction to the world.]

“…!!”

[Once the Amatsukami appear on Earth and begin rampaging, it will align with the Three Sovereigns’ intentions. While they may not be as strong as the Old Ruler, Amatsukami ranks in the upper-middle tier of the divine status, making it difficult for the powers of the Celestial Realm to stop them. Civilizations on the surface will collapse, dominated by the Amatsukami, and forced to worship the Evil God.]

“No, that can’t be…”

[Shortly thereafter, the Three Sovereigns will claim to recreate order while summoning the Seven Luminaries or descending themselves to wipe out the Amatsukami, seeking to annihilate the world.]

I shuddered at the thought. ‘Are they planning to use the Amatsukami to shed their own masks?’

The end of the world due to the Three Sovereigns! I had felt a chill when I witnessed Jeon Wook raising the Seven Luminaries to destroy the Central Plains through personal experience. Most of the Three Sovereigns couldn’t wait for the end, eagerly shedding their “masks,” with only the likes of Nüwa standing against it.

Without realizing it, I shouted, “That can’t happen!!”

“Shut up. If I hadn’t set up a barrier, you’d have been overheard.”

“When will these Amatsukami arrive on the moon? How can we stop them?”

“I was just about to discuss that.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued in a relatively calm manner, “There are three methods. The first is for Jeogok to refuse to accept them on the moon. In principle, the Amatsukami cannot directly come to Earth from Venus without passing through the moon, making this the best option. It’s a safety measure created by the Three Sovereigns. However, since Jeogok itself is willing, this method is impractical.”

“What’s the second method?”

“The second is to borrow the power of the Golden Crow among the Seven Luminaries to seal off Venus.”

“What?”

“Did you hear incorrectly? You can seal Venus using the Golden Crow’s powers.”

“Can that even be done?”

“Damn it…!! How have you not changed after five years? When will you shake off that habit of being surprised by everything?”

Cheon Woo-jin suddenly got irritated and said, “The Golden Crow is essentially the spirit of Venus itself. That tiny artifact encompasses all the spiritual power of Venus, so if we cast sealing techniques through it, Amatsukami will undoubtedly be sealed for thousands of years. We would be sealing it even before they reach the moon.”

“Whoa!”

So the Golden Crow had that kind of power?! I knew the Golden Crow was guarded by the protector of the western world, so if we put in enough effort, I could definitely extract it. We hadn’t tried it yet, but it was worth a shot to stop the Amatsukami from returning and bringing about the world’s destruction.

Seo Mun-hye, listening from the side, spoke up in surprise, “The Seven Luminaries are truly impressive… Even if they’re divine-grade treasures, to think one could seal off a planet among the Seven Luminaries!”

“The Seven Luminaries were practically the best effort the Three Sovereigns made in preparation for the end of times. Saying they’re divine-grade treasures would be an understatement.”

I asked Cheon Woo-jin, “So what’s the last method?”

“Reviving the World Tree. If the seal is recreated, the Amatsukami won’t be able to return.”

“…? But it’s dead. The core was destroyed, how can you bring it back?”

What I said wasn’t naive. No matter how immense the gap between Cheon Woo-jin’s magical skills and mine, I knew the basics of magic. With the core of the Sacred Altar Tree destroyed, it was similar to a human’s heart bursting, meaning there was no way back to life. Cheon Woo-jin, however, spoke as if he had anticipated my confusion, “There is a way to revive the World Tree.”

“What… Ah!”

I was about to question him when something clicked in my mind.

Memories flashed through my head. [Sa, you’re looking to gain the spiritual power pooling at the roots of the World Tree and obtain the seed of the World Tree, which will allow it to regain a thousand years of life.]

[I’m certain that within it lie the seed of the World Tree and the reincarnated body. Sa, bring it on if you dare.]

Indeed. During the decisive battle in Shinshi, Zhuge Sa and Zhuge Yulong encountered each other near the roots of the World Tree, and their common goal was to retrieve the seed of the World Tree! If one possesses the seed, it could be replanted and grown again, leading to the eventual revival of the World Tree.

“Zhuge Sa has the seed of the Sacred Altar Tree!”

“Right. If you obtain the seed from Zhuge Sa, you could potentially grow the Sacred Altar Tree again. It won’t be easy to get to the Netherworld and come back alive, but it’s definitely worth a shot.”

After saying that, Cheon Woo-jin subtly looked outside and said, “In my opinion, what we should do now is return to the surface and find the Golden Crow. Right now, we cannot risk going to the depths of the Netherworld to rescue the two, so we need the guarantee of the Seven Luminaries first.”

“That makes sense.”

I crossed my arms and pondered before saying to Cheon Woo-jin, “How much time do we have left before the Amatsukami’s return?”

“If it’s a long stretch, three years; if short, one year.”

“Time is tight…”

I sighed. It was clear that Cheon Woo-jin had pivoted from infiltrating Banwang Hall to gaining information about the Amatsukami. Suddenly a thought struck me, “Is the Moon Palace Amphora’s Gwanghanjeon located inside Banwang Hall?”

“I haven’t confirmed that. While I certainly stepped into Banwang Hall, I couldn’t reach the innermost depths.”

“So the Moon Palace Amphora is inside Banwang Hall, then.”

“That’s right.”

After organizing my thoughts, I declared, “Alright, let’s head back.”

Now that Cheon Woo-jin had joined our side, we would be able to meet Cheon Gong-pyo’s conditions. There was no one else capable of disguising themselves to the point of sneaking into the Divine Temple of the Three Sovereigns.

 

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