Chapter 740
“I knew that the first thing I had to do was recover the Seven Luminaries.”
Everything else could wait; I had to get to it first. Otherwise, the deaths of my comrades would be in vain!
I swung the Ruyi Staff and shouted, “Celestial Sage! Come to me!”
Rumble rumble rumble…
Though the Celestial Sage was sealed within the staff, it was still mine, and I could use it to contact him. As I infused a bit of Spirit Power into the staff, it immediately reacted and sent a signal to the Celestial Sage in the Celestial Realm. Before long, he appeared before us riding a cloud.
Swoosh!
The Celestial Sage landed like a bolt of lightning and said, “Huh? What’s going on here? This passage is…”
While he was trying to understand the situation, I quickly interjected, “Celestial Sage! We don’t have time. Moon Sovereign and Wood Sovereign are in the Underworld, and we need to find them quickly!”
“What?! Have you found the Master of the Twelve Joules?”
“He’s dead. And the Seven Luminaries have fallen into the Underworld, so we must hurry to recover them.”
“……!!”
“We have two options: either use this open dimension door by the lake or break through Northern Mourning Mountain. What do you think, Sage?”
I asked eagerly, and the Celestial Sage looked slightly flustered. Then, examining the shimmering silver lake with the Ruyi Staff, he said, “No! This place is too dangerous. The passage to the Underworld is still open, but if we enter, we may never return. We wouldn’t even reach our destination and would become lost in this dimension.”
“Then we have to break through Northern Mourning Mountain.”
“That seems…”
Just then, the Celestial Sage’s gaze sharpened, and he unleashed a flurry of clones with fiery intensity.
[Get lost, you bastard!!]
Crash!
He attacked the air, but unexpectedly, the Celestial Sage found the Master of the Twelve Joules floating there. It seemed he had been monitoring us the whole time. He must have been eavesdropping, just waiting for his chance to strike. The Master, seeing the clones launched at him, said with an air of nonchalance, [Hmph. I got all the info I needed. I’ll be taking the Seven Luminaries.]
Swish!
“Ugh, Six Demon Transfiguration…”
The Master of the Twelve Joules morphed his technique into a water arrow aimed at the silver lake. The Celestial Sage exclaimed in despair as he tried to attack the arrow with his clones, but all his attacks went right through it, having no effect! Even Jin So-cheong and Tang San’s maneuvers to hit him with their best techniques simply failed!
‘Is that the unique skill of the Master of the Heaven Holding Sect?!’
It felt too powerful to be blocked even by the Celestial Sage, but at that moment, Cheon Woo-jin clenched his fists and shouted, “Rapid Distortion! Distort the dimension!”
Bam!
[Ugh. You little…]
With the pained scream of the Master of the Twelve Joules echoing, ripples spread across the silver lake, and he completely vanished from sight. Cheon Woo-jin, with a piercing gaze, said, “This is a problem. I distorted the dimension passage to the heart of the Underworld, so even the Master won’t easily get there… but he is the strongest sorcerer alive. He might still survive and reach it.”
Cheon Woo-jin’s effort to distort the dimension passage had hindered the Master, but it wasn’t enough. I nodded in agreement, saying, “The Master has been eavesdropping on us from the beginning, so there was no way to avoid this. Now, we have no choice but to break through Northern Mourning Mountain and reach the Seven Luminaries before him.”
We could go inside the lake together, but with Cheon Woo-jin’s altered passage already, we might risk our lives if we just jumped in recklessly. No one but the strongest could hope to use that route now.
“But even if we break through Northern Mourning Mountain, it’ll take at least several months to cross to the heart of the Underworld.”
There was no time to explain further.
I turned to the Celestial Sage beside me. “Celestial Sage! Can I offer this?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
The Celestial Sage nodded and gave a hearty consent. In truth, the Ruyi Staff wasn’t that crucial to his strength, and he was surprisingly sharp, sensing what I intended to do. After receiving his permission, I said to Cheon Woo-jin, “Let’s perform the Offering Ceremony immediately. Prepare quickly!”
Swish!
When I presented the Ruyi Staff, Cheon Woo-jin appeared startled, then remarked with a strange expression, “… You’ve changed.”
Whoosh!
After a moment, Cheon Woo-jin prepared a simple Offering Ceremony, and with that, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens was summoned, glowing in midair as she spoke to me.
[So, it’s the Ruyi Staff. This will suffice as an offering.]
“Our enemies are the Southern Dipper Star Lord and the Northern Dipper Star Lord. Do you have any warnings for fighting them?”
[They can use the Book of Life and Death. Even I or the Sage will be harmed if our names are inscribed there, so it’s important to eliminate them in just one hit.]
“I’ll count on you.”
Swoosh!
A moment later, we all moved toward Northern Mourning Mountain. As we arrived, we could see all manner of Underworld officials, jailers, and evil gods watching us with keen eyes. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman unleashed the Corpse Dissolution Technique as she shouted, [Stand back!]
Crack!
The evil gods couldn’t counter the technique of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and crumbled to pieces, while the jailers vanished without a trace. Seeing this, the Southern and Northern Dipper Star Lords stepped forward, exclaiming.
[Heavenly Mysterious Woman!]
[What kind of tyranny is this?]
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman, fuming, said, [Get out of the way! You’ve done nothing to remedy this chaos in the Underworld. Isn’t your duty to oversee reincarnation? Allowing innocent souls to be devoured by the [Old Ruler] is unacceptable!]
Both Star Lords looked stunned. Then the Northern Dipper Star Lord said, [I don’t know how you found this out, but this kind of rampage cannot stand. And Heavenly Mysterious Woman, you are fundamentally… unrelated to this matter, are you not?]
[……]
[We are beings who have existed since the dawn of the Underworld… so unlike you ordinary celestial beings, we know your origins. You are not a creation of the Emperor, and your essence is similar to that of the Shenglong.]
[You know well.]
[That makes the human souls trivial to you. Reincarnation and the afterlife are of no concern to you. That’s overstepping your bounds!]
What is he talking about?
While I pondered the Northern Dipper Star Lord’s words, the Celestial Sage scratched his ears with annoyance and said, “Shut it! If you get beaten, you won’t have the chance to yap!”
[What?!]
Crash!
“Ha!”
In an instant, the Celestial Sage charged and sent a punch straight at the Northern Dipper Star Lord. The Lord staggered back, and without missing a beat, the Celestial Sage unleashed a flurry of punches all the way to the edge of the horizon.
Boom boom boom!
[I shall seal you!]
[Gah!]
Amidst the thick dust and the tremors of an earthquake, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman also quickly sealed the Northern Dipper Star Lord with her Corpse Dissolution Technique. It seemed that her abilities allowed her to bypass chants and incantations, even sealing divine beings! Seeing lesser divine beings getting suppressed so quickly was a shocking sight.
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman turned to the Northern Dipper Star Lord and said, [Order the Southern Dipper Star Lord to surrender immediately; otherwise, I shall make you the first to be obliterated here.]
[…Understood.]
After a short while, both the Southern and Northern Dipper Star Lords were subdued and brought to their knees by the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s techniques. I turned to her and said, “Wouldn’t it be better to just kill them all?”
[No. While suppressing them is one thing, killing them would heavily deplete my karma. Plus, eliminating divine beings isn’t something you can do lightly.]
That makes sense.
“Then we can keep them restrained?”
[As long as I don’t perish, the seals placed on them will remain intact.]
“Understood.”
If karma governs the extent to which she can intervene in the world, disposing of high-ranking Underworld officials and lesser divine beings all at once would be a hefty burden. It would be a waste to try killing them when we could move on faster instead.
“Then let’s head to the Underworld.”
Whoosh!
As we stepped into the unseen passage to the Underworld from Northern Mourning Mountain, time felt distorted for a brief moment. When we arrived on the other side, surprisingly, we weren’t in a desolate field but rather a vibrant and lush beautiful mountain filled with life. We could even hear the cheerful chirping of mountain birds.
What is this?
Isn’t the Underworld supposed to be filled with death energy?
Seeing my confused expression, Cheon Woo-jin said, “It’s not strange. If reincarnation in the Underworld had gone as it should, this place would have been desolate, but now, living souls are endlessly entering someone’s belly. That’s why it doesn’t need to keep souls lingering here and is consuming the dimensional energy. However, once you go further inside, it might get a bit emptier due to the Underworld jailers’ death energy.”
“I see.” I nodded and then turned to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. “Heavenly Mysterious Woman, please search for the Seven Luminaries with the Corpse Dissolution Technique and move us there.”
[……]
“What’s wrong?”
[Another powerful presence is crossing into the Underworld… probably the Eight Parts of the Divine.]
“……!!”
[There are three in total.]
I gritted my teeth.
‘As expected, they’re coming.’
Chi You had his eyes and ears everywhere throughout Heaven and Earth. He must have sensed the chaos erupting in the Underworld and sent his minions, the Eight Parts of the Divine, to investigate. If they joined the fray, they would become an extremely troublesome threat right alongside the Master of the Twelve Joules.
But I didn’t panic. I said, “Even so, what needs to be done doesn’t change. Let’s move.”
[Yes.]
There was no time for strategy meetings if we bumped into the Eight Parts of the Divine or the Master of the Twelve Joules here. Once we met them, we’d have to deal with whatever unfolded. The most important thing was to reach the Seven Luminaries as quickly as possible.
‘Getting the Seven Luminaries is the priority! I’ll think about the rest later.’
Boom!
We arrived at a ruined site the next moment.
What a sight!
It was eerily quiet like a battlefield. Tens of thousands of Underworld jailers, goblins, ghosts, and evil gods lay strewn across the vast field, even though they were already dead, their terrible state evoking a sense of contradiction. They must have been ambushed by the Seven Luminaries. They would likely be obliterated shortly.
Before us stood what once must have been a massive palace, the palace of the Wheel King, now in ruins.
‘Mangnyang had hidden in the palace’s heart after months of wandering the Underworld.’
But there was no need to go inside now because right in front of us, just a stone’s throw away, were two missing Seven Luminaries.
Moon Sovereign and Wood Sovereign.
Both lay abandoned.
I had seen the Moon Sovereign before, but this was the first view of the Wood Sovereign. It looked like a small stamp with a three-legged bird adorning it on top. I momentarily felt an urge to dash forward and grab both, but I held back and turned to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.
“Heavenly Mysterious Woman, please retrieve the Seven Luminaries.”
Swish!
As the Corpse Dissolution Technique activated to move the Seven Luminaries toward us, suddenly, a strange sound filled the air.
Bang!
And just like that, darkness enveloped the area surrounding the Seven Luminaries. I furrowed my brow in thought.
‘As I suspected, a trap.’
If I had charged in, it would have been disastrous. As the Heavenly Mysterious Woman maintained the strength of her technique, the Seven Luminaries floated up, and she addressed the unseen presence before us.
[Master of the Twelve Joules. Your techniques are indeed impressive. With the distorted passage to the Underworld being riddled with distortions, how could you arrive almost simultaneously with us? Usually, you’d become an eternal dimensional lost soul…]
At that moment, the Master of the Twelve Joules unfurled his invisibility and appeared right in front of us, glaring fiercely.
[Back off! Those Seven Luminaries belong to me. I will never yield them!]
At this, the Celestial Sage responded unpleasantly, “You think you’re the only one who won’t yield? If you insist on claiming them, I’ll truly beat you down, you rotten bastard!”
Rumble rumble rumble…
In an instant, the three of them collectively unleashed their power, creating tension in the air. I thought for a moment, ‘Should I use the Seal of the Supreme King?’
It was an intriguing situation, but I quickly regained my composure, deciding it wasn’t the right time yet. It was indeed a formidable power comparable to the Tower of Muwang, but I couldn’t use it just yet. Besides, it was too soon to view the Master as my ultimate opponent.
Instead, I stepped forward calmly and shouted at the Master of the Twelve Joules, “Master of the Twelve Joules! We need to talk for a moment.”
[What do you want? What kind of nonsense is this, with a weakling like you trying to butt in?]
The Master scoffed at me, but I brushed it off and continued, “What do you plan to do once you obtain the Seven Luminaries?”
[… Didn’t I mention before? I want to attain the true Divine Status.]
“Right. You want to attain the balance of the world, and to do that, you have to reach a singularity where the realities intertwine, gathering the points where essence and illusion overlap.”
[Ah, you have good memory for those trivial pieces of knowledge.]
“No, I understand.”
I glared at him and said, “I can clearly see that you’re trying to become exactly like the Three Sovereigns!”
[…!!]
“Is becoming the Old Ruler and looking down on the world such a grand aspiration? Were you merely playing at being a savior of humanity just because you had the power?”
[No! I’m going to gain power and become equal to the Three Sovereigns, and then I’ll save humanity! Of course, not the current humans, but rather reviving the powerful ancient humanity!]
When the Master of the Twelve Joules yelled, I couldn’t help but laugh at him.
“What a joke! What’s different between you and Chi You? No, Chi You probably understood your intentions ages ago. And as you strutted around in bravado, couldn’t you imagine the joy Chi You must feel watching you get knocked around by the Three Sovereigns? By that logic, you must be the real fool!”
[You…]
With a rush, I shouted, “Master of the Twelve Joules!!” As he was drawing his Sword of Sabre and the Six Soul Transfiguration, I pulled out the Obsidian from my pocket. And as the Master focused on me, I exclaimed, “If you truly care about the ancient humans, hear the last words of Taishang Laojun!!”
He hesitated.
The Master of the Twelve Joules, poised for battle, halted. It was as if he had seen a ghost, staring at me and asking, [Y-You mean the last words?]
“Yes! After the final knot and seal left in the Ruyi Staff, Taishang Laojun’s last wish. He seemed to want you to see this, but unfortunately, I never had the chance to relay it to you until now.”
[……]
“This Obsidian is the magic of the Great Race. It has the ability to hold memories. If you accept this, you will learn what he desired.”
[… I feel like you’re trying to trick me.]
I glared at the Master.
“I swear on my name. If this promise is a lie, I will give you all my Seven Luminaries, techniques, and treasures!”
[You crazy! Don’t you know the importance of a name’s vow?]
I yelled back, “Shut up and just take the Obsidian!! Is the so-called Master of the Heaven Holding Sect so weak-willed?”
[……!!]
The Master of the Twelve Joules looked shaken. It was clear I was gaining the upper hand in this situation. He didn’t have anything to refute my offer and looked visibly restless.
[… ,….]
After considering, he reluctantly extended his hand.
[… Let’s have it then.]
