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Dark Heaven Village

So, the closer the odds are to zero, the more likely you succeed…?!

Isn’t that like hoping for the impossible to actually happen!?

I understood the words of the Fire Dragon Incarnate and immediately focused my energy, shouting,

“… Then, I will strike and slay the Shenglong with the Blessing of the Sky!”

[Hmm… Is that really possible?]

The Fire Dragon Incarnate sounded skeptical, but this was my best shot. If I had the power to flip impossible odds, then taking down my enemy in one blow was clearly the way to go.

Tydaht!

Gathering my strength, I imagined slicing through the Shenglong from head to tail and charged into the air.

Thwomp!!

“Ugh!”

But what the heck just happened?

My body bounced off the air and crashed into the ground. Thanks to the Protection Energy Technique I was fine, but it hurt quite a bit. I twisted around and stood up after a moment. Looking up at the sky, I was met with a shocking sight.

Crackle

Crackle

The Constellation Dragon had split into two bodies. One was a perfectly healthy Shenglong, while the other was the half-dismembered version I’d imagined. The two dragons floated in the air like illusions, and the intact one was reciting some kind of spell.

[As the Dragon Emperor, I shall nullify the Law of Cause and Effect!]

Hu Woong!

Then, the Constellation Dragon merged back into one.

‘What’s going on?’

It seemed the Blessing of the Sky had activated, but why couldn’t I finish it off in one strike? While I was deep in thought, the Shenglong spoke to me.

[Indeed… I never expected you to come with Master Mangnyang’s blessing. I nearly died just now.]

“Shenglong!! How did you withstand the Blessing of the Sky?”

As I shouted in question, he gazed down at me while clutching his Yuhuangzhuzhu.

[That blessing divides existence and non-existence based on parallel world probabilities and forces the favorable side upon you… So, I revealed the essence of the blessing with divine power to resist the possibility of my own destruction!]

“……!!”

[You are a dangerous being…]

The Shenglong looked at me with clear caution. It didn’t seem like he was planning to attack or defend right away; maybe he was already thinking about the possibility of a counterattack from the Blessing of the Sky! To think a powerful being like him, as the Sun Sovereign’s guardian, could be intimidated by a blessing!

At the same time, I sank into thoughts about what to do next.

‘The destroyed Golden Crow isn’t recovering… That means he believes that everything not deemed a ‘shortcut’ is counted as legitimate damage and will not recover. If it’s impossible to finish the Shenglong off in one blow, then I have to destroy the Seven Luminaries to cut off his power first.’

My mind was racing.

Having lost all hope until now, I suddenly felt a surge of courage as I thought it might be possible to fight back. I turned my thoughts frantically.

‘However, if using the Blessing of the Sky costs one usage just to break the Seven Luminaries… then I need to use it six more times and use one more to eliminate the main body. If this blessing has a limit on usage, I could run out while breaking things one by one.’

Should I push a little harder and obliterate the rest all at once!?

After deciding my strategy in my head, I picked up the Fire Dragon Sword, determined to destroy three of the Seven Luminaries in one go.

Boom!!

Sure enough, without any context, I was floating in space, and around me, the Moon Sovereign, Water Sovereign, and Wood Element were exploding. Just like that, I was left with only three of the Seven Luminaries. But the moment I thought that, I heard the Shenglong’s voice.

[The winds of the universe are howling…]

What does that mean?

Crackle

Before I could even ponder what that meant, an unexpected beam of light stretching across the cosmos appeared before me, undoubtedly the Blessing of the Sky activating to show the ‘future probabilities.’ And at that moment, a single straight line pierced through the vastness of space.

Boom!!

“Ahhhhhhh!”

Before I knew it, I screamed. An overwhelming current that stirred the interstellar was crashing down on me. It was an absurd scale that any living being would instinctively fear, as if it could sweep away the world. Talking about defensive measures was pointless in front of this relentless energy that brought chaos and created a Dragon Wind. The scale was enough to easily sweep away about thirty stars.

Kugugu

The remnants of the destroyed Wood Element and the ring began to be swept away by the storm of the universe. I felt sweat pouring from my forehead as I was pulled into the current around the Dragon Wind. Maybe the only reason I hadn’t died yet was that the Blessing of the Sky was flipping the odds in my favor.

‘The Shenglong wants me to waste the Blessing of the Sky for nothing!’

This was both his offense and defense. The Shenglong was said to have controlled winds in ancient tales, so it’s clear he could also wield the cosmic interstellar winds. And surely, knowing that the Blessing of the Sky was finite, he believed if I consumed it quickly, I would necessarily lose.

Then I had to smash the Seven Luminaries one more time!

Kugugu

“……”

Wow, this is just too much…

I felt myself being dragged helplessly into the interstellar storm. I was clearly protected by the Blessing of the Sky, but perhaps due to its ongoing effects, I continued to feel its impact. Without the blessing, I would have already died a thousand times over. I had no choice but to wish fervently to escape this space.

Pa-at

As I descended to the ground, the Shenglong spoke.

[What do you wish to achieve by meeting the Emperor?]

“I ask for his power to save the mortal beings of this world.”

[How tiresome! Can’t you feel the Emperor’s grand plan? Do you want to be a cog in the wheel of ambitions yourself?]

The Shenglong said, his eyes shining.

[Let me clarify. Even if you defeat me, the door to the Divine Temple will not open! As I said before, that’s a separate matter!]

“……”

That’s definitely true. Until now, I had been gathering everything just to gather the Seven Luminaries, but during a previous ritual when I summoned the Shenglong down to ask, he had clearly stated that [getting the Sun Sovereign] and [entering the Divine Temple] were unrelated.

‘Wait… Could it be…’

Until now, I had thought that contradictory statement was just a hint, and the strategists hadn’t attached much importance to it either. It was futile to speculate too much since the Shenglong was hiding so much. However, I had a feeling that this moment was beyond just a battle; it was an opportunity.

At the same time, I used the Blessing of the Sky and declared,

“Shenglong! Answer my questions truthfully!!”

[Hmm…!!]

In that instant, the Shenglong’s massive body writhed. One of the branches from the future reached out and pierced him; surely, the Blessing of the Sky was affecting him. Realizing I could apply the Blessing of the Sky, I proceeded to question.

“Could it be that the Sun Sovereign is not in the Divine Temple?!”

Even as I asked this, I wondered if I was wasting the Blessing of the Sky.

Could that really be true?

Why would I ask such a thing?

However, due to the strange discomfort and sensations I felt from the earlier conversation with the Shenglong, I had no choice but to ask this question, whether it was in vain or not. Because, to meet the conditions of the two differing premises, that contradictory assertion had to exist.

Then, the Shenglong’s shocking answer echoed.

[That is correct!]

“What, what did you say…”

[The Sun Sovereign does not exist in the Divine Temple! Therefore, even if you win this trial, you cannot enter the Divine Temple.]

Surprisingly, I was the one taken aback by my own question. After coming this far, there was no need for the Shenglong to lie, especially since he was forced to answer truthfully through the power of the Blessing of the Sky. To think the Sun Sovereign truly wasn’t in the Divine Temple? Then what on earth was I desperately gathering the Six Needs and challenging the trials of the Seven Luminaries for, all this time!?

As I stood there, dumbfounded, the Shenglong’s words continued.

[… However, winning this trial guarantees you can obtain the Sun Sovereign.]

“Shenglong! What do you want!?”

[What do you mean?]

“It seems you despise this trial itself. And it feels like you want to prevent anyone from reaching the Divine Temple or the Emperor! Your attitude is not that of an examiner!”

[……]

I hit a nerve. Gaining confidence, I continued questioning.

“What is your true intent? Aren’t you a servant of the Emperor?”

[Didn’t you hear it from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman? We made a deal with him to become the Emperor’s servants… Therefore, while we obey the Emperor’s orders, we don’t necessarily possess loyalty.]

“Your words differ from what you said in the past during the earthly ritual.”

[Back then, the Three Sovereigns were all chasing me, and all kinds of scum were watching that meeting; would I foolishly reveal my true intentions?]

“Hmm…”

[Personally, I think the trials of the Seven Luminaries are not quite right. However, business is business…]

The Shenglong’s Yuhuangzhuzhu turned a bright red.

[Perish!]

Flash

In that moment, the world erupted in light. It was as if the Shenglong’s breath, no longer sincere, began to envelop everything—the universe, the Seven Luminaries, all of it. It felt like the sun’s light swirled around like a wheel, sending forth hundreds of millions of light bolts as if they were meteors. In the torrent of that dazzling light, I thought this time I would genuinely die.

Crackle

Once again, the Blessing of the Sky activated. But this time, it wasn’t moving randomly as before; rather, it felt like time around me slowed down.

Kugugu

Kugugu

Kugugu….

The murderous white light approached as if it would touch my skin, but it never pierced through me. Standing there sweating, the Fire Dragon Incarnate spoke.

[This is the paradox of time and space. Because space is infinitely divided, no attack can penetrate the Blessing of the Sky and reach you.]

“Is that even possible?”

[This is the first time I’ve seen something like this. The Master Mangnyang is truly a different being.]

The Fire Dragon Incarnate mumbled in awe.

[But since you’ve used the Blessing of the Sky up to this point, you probably don’t have much left.]

“Now, it seems the only option left is to destroy the remaining Three of the Seven Luminaries.”

[… No, I don’t think that’s the case.]

“What do you mean?”

[I am the Avatar of the Shenglong. And since I recently achieved complete awakening, I can somewhat read what the main body is thinking. The Shenglong seems to think it doesn’t matter if the Seven Luminaries are completely destroyed.]

“Why is that?”

[Because that form is merged with the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. Destroying all the Seven Luminaries would only injure her; thus, if the Seven Luminaries are destroyed, the Shenglong will break the merger and try to fight you. Then, you’ll have used up every bit of the Blessing of the Sky and be exhausted, dying in one blow.]

“… Ugh.”

Could it really be such a strategy…?

I almost got played and nearly died despite having the strongest blessing. In that last moment, I was thankful I had the Fire Dragon Sword.

In a moment of clarity, the words of the Earth Spirit came to mind.

[Shall I give you a final piece of advice…?]

[You seem to have the double blessings and haven’t brought out the Fire Dragon Sword for this trial of the Seven Luminaries… You should really bring it out…]

So that’s what it meant?

Knowing well the Spirit Beast King Shenglong, the Earth Spirit must have understood the importance of the Fire Dragon Incarnate in the strategy for the Sun Sovereign trial. As I let out a sigh of relief, the Fire Dragon Incarnate spoke.

[I believe you need to use both the King’s power and the Blessing of the Sky together. No matter how great the Blessing of the Sky is, the Shenglong is an existence on par with the Five Sovereigns, so you definitely can’t win with that alone. You’ve seen him resisting even when the Blessing of the Sky was activated, haven’t you?]

I felt tempted by her words.

“Using the King’s power together…? Isn’t summoning allies a waste of the Blessing of the Sky?”

[Exactly. In this situation, it’s not a waste, but a way to create a synergistic effect.]

The Fire Dragon Incarnate continued.

[The King’s power embodies the strength of ties. Moreover, this strength can amplify the Blessing of the Sky, so you should bestow the Blessing of the Sky upon someone who is both your correspondence and blade.]