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“How on earth do you even get to the Underworld?!”

‘The Northern Mourning Mountain guarded by the Southern Dipper Star Lord and Northern Dipper Star Lord… I guess I’ll have to break through there!’ It’s the only way to get to the Underworld!

It clicked for me immediately. There wasn’t a normal way to access the Underworld, but I had already got my entry pass in this life. The catch was that the Southern and Northern Dipper Stars granted this access yet blocked the entrance themselves. It was a challenge, but not impossible.

I turned to Cheon Woo-jin. “Let’s head to Northern Mourning Mountain!”

“……”

“Cheon Woo-jin?”

“Even if we run now, the spot where the older brother is located is the Underworld’s heart. And with no time to prepare the power to go up against the Master of the Twelve Joules, we won’t make it. Plus, without the National Seal, we don’t even know where it is.”

“Hmm.”

Cheon Woo-jin frowned, looking pensive. “How about using the Black Card?”

“Ah!”

“Use the Black Card to pray to the gods. If we eliminate the spirit of the Master of the Twelve Joules who is after the older brother’s life, that would solve our problem.”

There was a method!

I nodded, impressed by Cheon Woo-jin’s idea. “Alright, then take me to Mount Tai…”

That’s when it happened.

“Baek Woong, that’s not okay.”

Jin So-cheong stepped forward to stop me. I halted just as I was about to exit the hall with Cheon Woo-jin, surprised by Jin So-cheong’s firm stance.

“Why not?! The only way to save Mangnyang right now is to eliminate the Master of the Twelve Joules, and for that, we need to use the Black Card!”

“No.”

“Why not?!” I snapped, my annoyance bubbling over as Jin So-cheong responded calmly.

“There are two reasons.”

“What are they?”

“Firstly, although Mangnyang is in danger, using the Black Card to save him is an enormous expenditure that could dictate your fate going forward. With the Black Card, you can eliminate anyone except the gods, or even revive the dead. To put it bluntly, using it to save Mangnyang would be a waste.”

“……”

“In other words, it’s fine to revive Mangnyang after he’s dead.”

I clenched my teeth. “Damn! Who doesn’t know that? I know! But it’s not just Mangnyang who might die; Zhuge Sect will be taken down as well. If they’re all gone, we’ll have to navigate our future without a strategist. Saving our companions doesn’t require such calculations!”

“Now for the second reason.”

“What…?”

Jin So-cheong spoke with an icy calmness, sticking to his point.

“Secondly, even if you use the Black Card to eliminate the Master of the Twelve Joules, you might escape the immediate situation, but you will still have no idea why he could appear in the Underworld with a living body, or how he targets Mangnyang so precisely. This means you will have to repeat the troublesome process of figuring out the secret of the Master of the Twelve Joules next time as well.”

“……”

“Using the Black Card is very easy, convenient, and powerful. However, since the stakes have become so high and complex, as Zhuge Sect said, you need to consider your companions’ lives as long-term pawns. You need to observe the circumstances more calmly before taking action.”

After speaking, Jin So-cheong added, “This doesn’t mean to abandon Mangnyang. We just need to carefully clarify if this method is the best option and what we should do next. Right now, you’re too swept up in the situation.”

“Hmm…”

“At least Mangnyang can hold on for now. Given that assumption, perhaps we should hold a strategy meeting?”

Jin So-cheong’s cold words felt chilling, like cold water splashed in my face. Was I truly being swept away by the situation?

In a way, yes. The fact that Mangnyang and Zhuge Sect, whom I considered completely secure, were both in danger had narrowed my view in an instant. Before I could consider what was best, I had leaped to extreme measures. Reflecting on this, I spoke.

“Jin So-cheong. But realistically, if we don’t use the Black Card, we have no real way to save Mangnyang, do we?”

“As I said, it’s the most convenient and powerful method. But there must surely be another way.” Jin So-cheong glanced at Cheon Woo-jin. “Isn’t that right? As the number one sorcerer, you must at least know one.”

“……”

I asked, hopeful as Cheon Woo-jin fell silent, “Is there a way to get to the Underworld other than using the Black Card?”

“… Yes.”

“What’s the method?”

Cheon Woo-jin pointed at the still dark lake with his finger. “The dimensional door that opens and closes at the lake needs to be operated by the older brother who owns the Mirror of Clarity. Right now, however, he’s cut off from us and hasn’t closed the door. So, this lake that the older brother opened with the Mirror of Clarity can be seen as a direct connection to the place he is currently at.”

“Ah…!!” I understood Cheon Woo-jin’s meaning and shouted. “That means if we follow this lake, we can go straight to the heart of the Underworld!”

“Maybe.”

“What? You’re not sure?”

“Of course not. Even if it’s a dimensional door opened with the Mirror of Clarity, it’s just a small crack opened for communication. No one knows how many distortions exist between the eons of time and space. Entering it could easily leave us lost in the dimension. However, it’s definitely faster than entering from the entrance of Northern Mourning Mountain to find the depths of the Underworld.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued, sounding a bit edgy. “And… even if you reach the point where the older brother is, do you really think everything will go smoothly?”

“What do you mean?”

“Consider when the Master of the Twelve Joules died. He managed to take down two of the three main bodies of the Eight Parts of the Divine in a death that was almost mutual destruction. In other words, if he unleashes two of the Seven Luminaries while fighting, he would definitely be stronger than the Eight Parts of the Divine, meaning he’s something beyond the Demon King.”

“……”

“If he breaks free and no longer has the limits of a human, and he can freely use the Seven Luminaries… he would be on a different level compared to Ha Eun-cheon when he was still human.”

He looked around at the others and said, “With this power, you could face annihilation. That’s why I suggested using the Black Card to just take out the Master of the Twelve Joules.”

“Hmm… You have a point.”

It seemed Cheon Woo-jin had thought that through quickly. Nodding, Tang San suggested.

“Then let’s do this. Use the Black Card to kill the Master of the Twelve Joules, while also making direct contact with Mangnyang via this lake. And while we’re at it, let’s bring back Mangnyang, Zhuge Sect, and the Mirror of Clarity all at once! That should work!”

Cheon Woo-jin smirked in agreement. “Why hasn’t the older brother used this method to contact us multiple times through the Mirror of Clarity? Going from here to the Underworld is way easier than returning from the other side. If you mess things up and cross over, it could take centuries to get back to the surface.”

“Hmm.”

Then a thought struck me. “What about the Heavenly Mysterious Woman? If we use her Corpse Dissolution Technique, it might be possible to return from there.”

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman received help from the Fire Dragon Incarnate, successfully returning from Dark Heaven Village to the current world using the Corpse Dissolution Technique. It was obviously going to be easier than from Dark Heaven Village to the Underworld.

“That’s true, but the Heavenly Mysterious Woman returned to the Celestial Realm due to a lack of the Law of Cause and Effect. And you, having understood Chi You’s intent, exhausted most of your treasures in exchange for the Seal of the Supreme King. We don’t have enough offerings to summon her now, do we?”

“Ugh! Wait a minute…”

Thinking back, I had offered treasures for the Prophet and was left with almost nothing! The only things I had left were the Fire Spirit and the Fire Dragon Sword, which I couldn’t sacrifice. Giving up the Fire Spirit would hand two of the Seven Luminaries to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, and that was just overkill. Not to mention, sacrificing the Fire Dragon Sword would also mean abandoning the Fire Dragon Incarnate.

As I was deep in thought, Tang San chuckled to himself. “Hold up, there’s still an offering left.”

“What?”

“The food of Mount Huang. That’s still in your wooden armor, right?”

“I don’t think that will be enough…”

Usually, using a regular offering to summon the Heavenly Mysterious Woman wouldn’t last long, especially now that we needed a big Law of Cause and Effect to navigate not only the Underworld travel but also to confront the Master of the Twelve Joules. At that moment, Tang San exclaimed enthusiastically, “You could just offer up those guys! They’re worthless!”

“Who are those guys?”

“The mutated beings blessed by the Evil God!”

“……!!”

I was taken aback. The mutated beings blessed by the Evil God!

We had rescued them from the Great Thunder Valley, but they were now dog-like humans who had lost their minds. Some had even turned so black that they sealed themselves in a pupa-like shell. Since we had no way to return them after rescuing them from the Great Thunder Valley, I had just kept them in the wooden armor, and now here was Tang San mentioning them out of the blue.

I frowned. “You want to use them as offerings to summon the Heavenly Mysterious Woman? That’s no different from killing them.”

“But they would definitely be top-tier offerings! It’s just that you haven’t used them yet, but it’s guaranteed to work, heh.”

“……”

“Isn’t that right, Cheon Woo-jin?”

When Tang San asked Cheon Woo-jin, he replied, “That’s true. If they’re beings matured by the blessing of the Old Ruler, their magical power would be enormous.”

“See?”

“But that’s human sacrifice. It’s something we can’t do.”

Cheon Woo-jin was right. Zhuge Sect had their own great value as offerings and stood to become a powerful force, but there was a reason we hadn’t used them yet. They were innocent victims trapped in a human form, forcibly turned into dog-like humans after being captured by the Golden Eagle Guard. Sacrificing their lives would be an utterly heinous act.

Then Tang San shrugged. “Are you really that sure? Baek Woong, do you even know what kind of beings the ones blessed by the Evil God are? To put it simply, they are utterly worthless strangers. In comparison, Mangnyang and Zhuge Sect are our precious companions. Try comparing the lives of a few nameless individuals to the value of Mangnyang and Zhuge Sect.”

“……”

“Mangnyang and Zhuge Sect would understand too. After all, there’s no reason to leave those who can’t even think like humans rotting in the wooden armor when we have no way to return them to normal. And if you die, it’s all over, so that level of sacrifice should be acceptable, right?”

“……”

“Let’s use what we have to the fullest. That’s for the greater good.”

Tang San’s argument was tempting. But I shook my head and sighed.

“… I’ll use the Black Card.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to kill the Master of the Twelve Joules with the Black Card.”

Having held the discussion helped me solidify my resolve. Of course, sacrificing the mutated beings blessed by the Evil God to summon the Heavenly Mysterious Woman would maximize efficiency. We could take down the Master of the Twelve Joules and rescue both Mangnyang and Zhuge Sect at once.

Still, no matter how beneficial, I couldn’t allow innocent sacrifices. Most importantly, those mutated beings had no say over their fate and deciding their fate for my gain was plainly arrogant. If they had a choice, it would be a different story, but I couldn’t justify offering them up for human sacrifice.

I glanced at Jin So-cheong, and he nodded in understanding.

“I won’t oppose. You’ve thought this through thoroughly.”

With help from Cheon Woo-jin, I made my way down to the village of dog-like humans beneath Mount Tai. And after entering the wilderness with the Black Card, I prayed to the Ruler.

“Oh, mighty deity! Please eliminate the Master of the Twelve Joules!”

[ Your wish is granted… ]

Whoosh.

[ The wish has been fulfilled… ]

Something that looked like the spirit of the Master of the Twelve Joules was sucked into the Ruler’s mouth. I stared at the Ruler of the wilderness, lost in thought, and finally asked, “Oh mighty deity! I have a question!”

[ What is it…? ]

“Am I being manipulated by someone’s intentions?”

The Ruler of the wilderness seemed to roll its eyes, scrutinizing me closely. Then, with a hint of amusement, it spoke. [ Well… I can’t say for sure… but it’s interesting… if that’s the case… heh… how intriguing. ]

The Ruler continued, expressing what sounded like awe.

[ At the end of your fate… a choice will come… or rather… perhaps you’ve already made one…? ]

“What do you mean by that?”

[ To those who seek to ascend to the heights of the celestial realm… all that cunning wisdom… ultimately has its limits… yes… how can one know the depth of the incoming chaos… the abyss of the world… it should be interesting… ]

With that, I found myself back in the village under Mount Tai. Immediately with Cheon Woo-jin’s help, I returned to our base, where the lake’s silver shimmer continued to flow.

Buzzing.

A strange ringing in my ears persisted. However, there was still no sign of Mangnyang appearing again. It seemed something serious had happened over there.

‘At this rate, I have no way to confirm whether I truly eliminated the Master of the Twelve Joules or not.’

I sighed. “Hah.”

Feeling anxious and restless, but unable to do anything about it, I handed Seimei the seed of the Dragon Flower Tree, saying, “Seimei, take this. Mangnyang will need to plant this.”

Seimei stared at the seed of the Dragon Flower Tree, then said in shock, “Is this…?”

My eyes widened at Seimei’s next words. “Is this a seed of the World Tree?”

 

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