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Dark Heaven Village

When I threw the obsidian at the Sorcerer, he didn’t just catch it with his hands. Even after we made a name-binding covenant, it seemed like he had some doubts and snatched it up with telekinesis, inspecting it suspiciously.

It took him a while, but eventually, the Sorcerer gripped the obsidian, and the memories began to flood into him.

“The final will of the Primordial Void Ruler.”

Since I remembered the content, I was able to place it into the obsidian.

[I am the last will and a clone of the Primordial Void Ruler. If you are seeing me, it’s probably because someone is using divine power to unlock Sorcerer Shin Gong-pyo’s seal.]

[… I have no way to determine if you’re good or evil. However… we couldn’t easily annihilate a valuable talent like you, unlike Shin Gong-pyo. Your chaotic talent was rare even during Chi You’s era, so we wanted to protect you through a sealing form to resist the gods.]

[By the time you’re watching this, both I and the Primordial Heaven Master may have already been extinguished. The mysterious Demon who forced our master Fuxi to revert to his original form is constantly threatening the celestial realm. I doubt we have any way of stopping that individual… The last Lord of the Celestial Temple also perished to that being.]

[It’s truly frightening. That existence regards all of humanity merely as playthings. I hope someone can seal that giant demon… Is such a miracle even possible?]

[You, the chaotic entity claiming to be Hong Gyun Do-in… The only ones who can eradicate that chaos god are either Shin Gong-pyo’s sabre sword or the Seven Luminaries. Please awaken her to her true mission as the successor of the Great Kunlun!]

The content held the ancient conspiracy left by the Primordial Void Ruler and Fuxi’s direct disciple, the founder of the celestial realm. The existence known as the Three Pure Ones, the Spirit Treasure Heaven Master and Hong Gyun Do-in, was, in fact, a Chaos Demon, and this being attacked the Three Sovereigns’ Fuxi, forcing him to revert to his original form. And just as predicted by the Primordial Void Ruler, the Three Pure Ones were soon attacked by someone and vanished, leaving the seat of the Celestial Temple empty.

How would Shin Gong-pyo react to this revelation?

Watching her, she looked confused.

[…What? That the Spirit Treasure Heaven Master was Hong Gyun Do-in…? That’s impossible.]

“The important thing isn’t that. By the time you were sealed in the Ruyi Staff, the celestial realm itself was already being toyed with by someone. You, being the ultimate leader, were completely ignorant of the shadowy figure until this very moment.”

[Ugh…]

“The Fengshen War that you stirred up claiming to save humanity was just a well-constructed play.”

[Shut up!]

I began to calmly explain my thoughts.

“And that mysterious Demon has the kind of power that allows it to attack Fuxi and rob him of his intelligence. With such a being manipulating the celestial realm from behind the scenes, what do you plan to do? Do you even know who the real enemy is?”

[…]

“The Primordial Void Ruler acknowledged you as the successor of the Great Kunlun. Furthermore, you with the position of the Celestial Master are the only existence in the world. Should you really be raising your voice and competing with the Seven Luminaries? Do you have a legitimate plan if you acquire the Seven Luminaries?”

[What are you trying to say?]

Thank goodness. Shin Gong-pyo’s eyes returned to a relatively calm state.

I sensed that I could be persuasive right now, so I continued.

“I won’t ask you to become my complete ally. But to understand how this situation is unfolding, you shouldn’t be our enemy. Similarly, we need your help. I’m saying let’s join forces until we unveil the identity of the shadowy figure in the celestial realm.”

I slowly extended my hand towards Shin Gong-pyo.

“Let’s share the power of the Seven Luminaries. We are willing.”

[Repeating what you’ve said before again.]

“This time it’s different. You have to actively assist us.”

[What?]

“Now is not the time for us to be playing solo. Chi You has already occupied Luoyang, gaining the initiative to change the world, and if we loosen our vigilance even a little, he will swallow everything. None of us can handle Chi You alone.”

[…Hmm.]

Shin Gong-pyo let out a low growl. Then she said.

[So you lot know the identity of the shadow in the celestial realm?]

“We’re close.”

[What?!!]

I slowly eased Shin Gong-pyo’s tension.

“And aren’t you curious? With the Seven Luminaries in our hands, it means we can also summon the Five Luminaries. With the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram in the Imperial Palace, we could gather the Six Luminaries.”

[…!!]

“Should you gather the Six Luminaries, I wonder if the door leading to the One Luminary will open?”

Shin Gong-pyo’s eyes widened in surprise. Then she exclaimed.

[You mean… all the Seven Luminaries can be gathered!?]

“Yes. If you just cooperate, it’s quite achievable.”

Finally, Shin Gong-pyo nodded vigorously, as if out of goodwill.

[I understand. I will cooperate with you.]

Had it been my old self, I would have jumped for joy and bowed in gratitude to Shin Gong-pyo right then and there.

‘Shin Gong-pyo, that selfish brat will change his words whenever he pleases.’

But for some reason, my head felt exceptionally clear now, and I was able to grasp the entire situation coolly. I realized I shouldn’t be satisfied with this.

“It has to be more than just talk.”

[What?]

“I made a name-binding covenant to transfer the obsidian to you. You, too, must make an oath to cooperate with us fully until the Six Luminaries are gathered, without betrayal.”

[You insane fool! Why would I do that?]

“If you refuse, although I don’t want to do this…”

Whoosh

I took out the Fire Spirit and held it in one hand. Then I looked at the Heavenly Mysterious Woman standing next to me.

“I intend to offer the Fire Spirit to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman after the Water Spirit.”

Shin Gong-pyo gasped in shock.

[What?! Are you crazy?! Handing the Seven Luminaries to someone else…]

I ignored her protests and said what needed to be said.

“And I’ll ask the Heavenly Mysterious Woman to obliterate you in exchange for presenting the Seven Luminaries. You must avoid her for the rest of your life.”

[Grrr!!]

“Do you think you can handle that?”

[W-wait a minute…]

Shin Gong-pyo looked visibly in trouble and anxious.

After all, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, having merely received the Water Spirit, had already regained her lost full power, transforming into an overwhelming force that could defy the Law of Cause and Effect. If she were to gain another, she would wield powers rivaling those of the “Old Ruler.” And no matter how powerful Shin Gong-pyo was, turning such a Heavenly Mysterious Woman into an enemy would surely spell doom for her.

Suddenly, Shin Gong-pyo said, looking as though she just had a thought.

[You might not be able to offer her so easily! The attention of all beings will be instantly drawn to her due to the Law of Cause and Effect, and enduring that backlash will not be easy.]

“That could be. In that case, I’ll offer the Fire Spirit to the Celestial Sage instead.”

[What?!…]

“If the Sage becomes the master of the Seven Luminaries, you won’t be able to handle that either.”

I spoke with conviction. While it might not reach the same power threshold as if the Heavenly Mysterious Woman received the Seven Luminaries, the Celestial Sage was already the strongest Overlay Technique in the celestial realm. Unlike me, a mere human, the Sage would be able to utilize the power to its full extent, easily overmatching Shin Gong-pyo.

The Celestial Sage, seemingly having read my intentions, chuckled and chimed in.

“Oh, that sounds great. I’m grateful. I believe I could use it well.”

[…]

“Shin Gong-pyo, let it be clear; when that time comes, I won’t be showing you any mercy. If you become greedy over the Seven Luminaries, you’ll find my little brother Baek Woong cracking your skull.”

Shin Gong-pyo, having confirmed the sincerity behind my words, shrank further in unease. It was clear to her that if the Celestial Sage with the Fire Spirit intervened, she would certainly not come out unscathed.

[Ugh…]

I bolted as Shin Gong-pyo hesitated to make a decision.

“Choose! With Chi You in the mix, we can’t afford to worry about your feelings anymore! If you keep obstructing us, I will kill you!”

[Ughhhh!]

“If you don’t want to, you can leave! But you better not show yourself to us again. If you let the legacy of the Primordial Void Ruler go to waste as the successor of the Great Kunlun, that’s fine by me!”

Shin Gong-pyo groaned loudly before reluctantly saying.

[Fine… I swear. But you better be ready to keep your promise of sharing the power of the Seven Luminaries with me.]

“Agreed. If needed, I can lend you the Seven Luminaries. But if you run away or betray us with them, you will be judged by the covenant immediately. You’ll lose all power and revert to a regular human.”

[… I agree.]

Shin Gong-pyo looked utterly defeated. If it had only been a matter of raw power difference, she would have left without a second thought. But having seen the last will of the Primordial Void Ruler, at least a sense of duty compelled her to submit to my terms. Should she continue to antagonize us, her envisioned greatness would fundamentally fall apart, leaving her with no other option but to accept my proposal.

‘Well, that means she’s not entirely evil…’

I sensed that Shin Gong-pyo’s overwhelming talent had made her self-centered and selfish, but her essence wasn’t entirely bad. If she were truly evil, the Primordial Void Ruler would have never chosen her as a successor, nor would she have instigated the Fengshen War for no reason.

Her loyalty to her master, the Primordial Void Ruler, seemed to suppress the worst aspects of Shin Gong-pyo.

[Baek Woong. Please accept the Seven Luminaries.]

Wooow

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman handed me the Moon Spirit Trinity and the Wood Spirit Sea Tide. The moment I received the two Seven Luminaries, I felt a powerful energy surging throughout my body.

Kuwoooow

“…!!”

I was taken aback. Just having three Seven Luminaries equipped was suddenly flooding me with this overwhelming strength? It was a phenomenon I had never felt before, so I looked at the Heavenly Mysterious Woman in shock.

“Is it possible to gain such strength simply by holding them?”

[The Seven Luminaries are treasures tied to the promises of colossal cosmic entities. Thus, they resonate with each other, calling to each other like brothers. It’s only natural for such power to be palpable when they are so close together. Plus, the difference between having two and three is also considerable.]

“Hmm.”

Considering now that both the Moon Spirit and Wood Spirit were already unbound, I might have thought this was all just common sense.

‘Still, if this is the result of merely equipping them, what would happen on gathering four, five, or six?’

And what if those Seven Luminaries resonated?

As I savored the energy that remained, I said,

“The Eight Parts of the Divine are nearby.”

Perhaps thanks to temporarily heightened senses from gathering the Seven Luminaries? My range of the Fire Eye Golden Spirit suddenly expanded, and I could see a distance of dozens of miles, realizing the Eight Parts of the Divine were present.

‘There are three enemies in total…’

The Celestial Sage said to me,

“This is perfect! We should eliminate the Eight Parts of the Divine, them being weak to the power of the Seven Luminaries, and we should be able to wipe them out for good.”

What the Celestial Sage said was indeed correct. Besides, with Shin Gong-pyo now on our side, our forces were overwhelming. We’d likely win without even sustaining injuries.

“…”

“Chi You, who occupies distant lands like the Underworld, won’t be able to come help either.”

But again, my mind began to cool as if submerged in ice. I was reminded of the strange instincts I’d felt when atop Mount Tai previously. Back then, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman had suggested taking down the Eight Parts of the Divine, but I’d rejected it.

‘Something feels off.’

For some reason, it didn’t seem like a good tactical move to pick off the Eight Parts of the Divine one by one.

Ever since I had conversed with Chi You, I felt an odd unease about the Eight Parts of the Divine.

‘If Chi You truly valued his incarnations, wouldn’t the proper strategy be to reduce the number of incarnations and create one strong entity instead?’

Sure, having eight Demon level entities is impressive, but when a single incarnation of Zhuge Sha can obliterate the Eight Parts of the Divine, you can’t really argue that point. I had witnessed firsthand how, even among incarnations, significant differences in power could emerge based on how much strength you pooled into one.

Even in this situation, retaining all eight incarnations felt unusual—was it a strategy that could only stem from goodwill toward his subordinates?

Even if their numbers had decreased, having six incarnations too many was undeniable. The Eight Parts of the Divine were something beyond mere subordinates and incarnations, and it felt like picking them off one by one wouldn’t be the answer; it felt almost like a trap.

I debated whether to follow logic or intuition, and I made my decision.

“No. I won’t confront them; I’ll leave quietly.”

The Celestial Sage looked incredulous, almost baffled.

“…Are you serious? Passing up such an opportunity?”

“Sorry. But something feels off.”

“Hmm… I suppose it’s unavoidable.”

I reflected on the final memories of the Sword Demon and Mangnyang.

To seize the initiative in this chaos, I must not waver.

Even if that meant holding faith in unshakeable uncertainty, I had to trust my feelings and move forward.

That was the only way to resist fate—something I had learned from the Sword Demon and Mangnyang.

Crack!

We returned to Sichuan, bringing Shin Gong-pyo along. Then we began assessing the state of the Seven Luminaries we had gathered and our current situation.

I utilized my medical skills to check up on Zhuge Sa, but he only bore signs of injuries all over without any serious damage. He had merely fallen into a state of stupor. I quickly went to gather the Guangming Divine Doctor among the Five Great Physicians. With the world falling apart around us, worrying about the Twelve Joules was not on anyone’s mind.

After conducting pulse diagnosis, the Guangming Divine Doctor said,

“Physically, there’s nothing wrong. I don’t understand the reason behind his stupor.”

“……”

Zhuge Sa had made an additional contract with the Demon King Simon Magus to save Jin So-cheong, who was previously on the verge of death, and they had fled to the Underworld. The only hypothesis I could think of was that the additional contract written then was now tormenting Zhuge Sa’s very soul.

So I asked the Heavenly Mysterious Woman to heal Zhuge Sa, and she responded.

[He has not had his soul stolen. However, his soul is currently being twisted by a powerful magical force.]

“Twisted?”

[Most likely due to the power that being, the Demon King, instilled in him. That immense magical power restored his body from serious wounds but simultaneously seeks to turn him into one of them.]

“Can’t you heal him?”

[I cannot. This magic is entwined within the covenant, and unless the master of the contract approves, it cannot be undone. If I try, I’d immediately lose my causal powers.]

I gritted my teeth.

‘Damn, that Demon King… as expected, he’s played a trick on Zhuge Sa.’

No one under the influence of the dark arts is going to do anything beneficial for others. Demon King Simon Magus must have wanted to transform Zhuge Sa into a powerful artificial demon to make him his strong servant, and thus he’s tormenting him with magical power. That Zhuge Sa had endured this long is a testament to his own willpower against the temptations of that power.

But if we pressured the Heavenly Mysterious Woman into healing him now, we would lose significant combat power. Having offered the Ruyi Staff, we couldn’t rashly expend our causal forces. I figured it would be difficult to receive Zhuge Sa’s counsel for the time being, so I asked Cheon Woo-jin to search for a solution.

“Understood. I’ll look into it as much as possible.”

Once I felt the discussions had calmed down, I shared my thoughts with everyone.

“We need to seize the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram that Chi You possesses. Then, after we take the Earth Star, we should unleash the Six Luminaries all at once, opening the final door leading to the One Luminary.”

“Hmm, the One Luminary… Baek Woong, do you really believe that confronting the Emperor at the Divine Temple will resolve anything?”

The Celestial Sage wore a somewhat unconvinced expression as he spoke, but I replied with unwavering determination.

“Yes. Otherwise, we have no way to avoid our impending doom. And the other Three Sovereigns remaining in the world lack both the authority and willpower to prevent the Apocalypse. Therefore, I believe it would be better to change the Emperor’s intentions and delay or completely stop the human extinction.”

“…I don’t know how well that’ll work, but it’s the only method available.”

The Celestial Sage sighed.

Shin Gong-pyo chimed in,

[Now seems like the time to tell me? Who exactly is the shadow of the celestial realm?]

“The Queen Mother of the West and Nüwa.”

[What?]

“The Queen Mother is an incarnation of Nüwa.”

[Gahk…!!]

Shin Gong-pyo’s expression conveyed disbelief. But looking around, it seemed everyone else was already aware of this, resulting in her shock deepening.

[T-that’s…]

“But she might not really be the true mastermind.”

[What do you mean?]

“While Nüwa controls the celestial realm through her incarnation, the Chaos Demon mentioned by the Primordial Void Ruler is a separate entity. The mess in the celestial realm was not solely Nüwa’s doing.”

[…]

“And perhaps… they could just be allies.”

Shin Gong-pyo looked at me as if I were insane.

[Allies? Are you saying she’s not subordinate to Nüwa? No matter how powerful Hong Gyun Do-in is, a being of the caliber of Nüwa is significantly higher than an ordinary ruler. It’s rare to find a divine figure as powerful as her across the universe.]

“I’m certain. They don’t have a relationship of mutual subjugation.”

Back then, I recalled the words spoken to me.

[Giant Tribe. If you made a promise, be sure to keep it.]

[It’s more like an investor or an observer rather than a colleague.]

[I don’t like fighting, and I truly don’t wish to battle you. I only hope that you respect your promise to her.]

[Well, this situation is interesting for me too, but I’m not keen on seeing the chaotic evil overpower the Central Plains. I truly believe this is developing too rapidly. …If the Giant Tribe has no intent to act, then it can’t be helped.]

[Do not intervene. I will no longer interfere.]

It was the final moments of that 23rd life.

The Grand Elder of Wudang had invaded the celestial realm and was attempting to destroy the Queen Mother of the West’s incarnation. Just at the moment he sought to absorb the powers from her corpse, an unexpected entity halted him and absconded with her remains, possessing an exceptionally suspicious identity.

However, that entity didn’t think of the Queen Mother as being above itself.

Claiming to make “investments” or “observations” of her, they at least treated her as an equal in some regard.

It might be seen as arrogance, but their tone at that time didn’t convey any hostility.

Yes— it should naturally be that way, with familiarity dominating their demeanor.

I spoke calmly.

“From now on, it’s all about gambling.”

Originally, my strategy had been to amass as many unbound Seven Luminaries as possible and threaten the Queen Mother to tilt the situation in our favor. But after deeper contemplation, I realized that in this grand game, the true control lies not with her. The existence of Nüwa as the Queen Mother is not even trying to manage the world, merely securing the status quo out of anxiety about causality.

The true puppet master is the shadowy figure observing Nüwa.

To properly hinder Chi You, I don’t need to summon a Demon from Venus, nor do I need to challenge the celestial realm.

Not even take down the Eight Parts of the Divine.

I need to make a deal with that mysterious puppet master watching everything.

“I will summon the Primordial Void Ruler.”

This is something only I can execute.

 

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