782 ——————————–

Dark Heaven Village

In that moment, a translucent image of Nüwa, which I had seen before, appeared behind Miho.

She looked somewhat like the evil goddess Queen Mother of the West, but slightly different. She radiated an otherworldly beauty, like a mysterious creature from another realm, with the Lunar magical energy boiling all over her body. Her black eyes sparkled like jewels, completely unlike anyone else. Yet, why did Miho and Nüwa look so much like sisters?

Sssss!!

The moment my command burst forth, Nüwa divided her body like a dragon. I understood immediately why this was happening since I had witnessed it moments ago.

“She’s forcibly trying to rip away the future where I can choose, using the Blessing of the Sky!”

Could beings of the Three Sovereigns possibly defend against such a thing as the Blessing of the Sky…!!

A terrifying cosmic being capable of wielding and manipulating divine domains!

While the Blessing of the Sky was powerful, it was certainly not invincible. Of course, this was merely a blessing. I couldn’t say what would happen if Master Mangnyang himself used it, but in any case, killing the Three Sovereigns seemed quite difficult.

Wuuuuuuuu

The images of Miho and Nüwa overlapped partially. It was as if Nüwa was trying to fully merge with Miho and had just emerged from her. Nüwa gazed at me and spoke.

[How absurd… To have someone feed on the pieces of me…!]

“……”

[This was part of me from the start. If I descend to this place, I could kill the dragon, yet you’re willing to lose such an opportunity over this mere fragment? In history, such an opportunity will never come again, Mortal.]

Nüwa was clearly aware of everything from start to finish. And she was planning to battle the dragon through Miho’s body, only for me to unexpectedly issue a command to attack her. I glared at Nüwa and said,

“Nüwa! What do you think Miho is? She is now an independent being! Don’t try to devour her!!”

Shouting my frustration, Nüwa responded coldly with a vacant gaze.

[I told you from the start, she belongs to me.]

“Then what about Daji?! What’s she supposed to be? If you’re going to speak like that, you should’ve reclaimed Daji from the beginning! How can someone like you, who only spreads disasters and doesn’t clean up, call yourself the Mother of Earth?!”

[…It appears we cannot have a conversation.]

Nüwa glanced at me as if she were looking at a child.

[She was born from divine energy. Therefore, from the beginning, she is a powerful being, and unlike the Sovereigns, she cannot hide her essence simply by wearing a mask. I merely shed the residues of denial to take up the role of maintaining this world, and how dare you criticize that?]

“……?”

[Rather, both Daji and Miho should be grateful for my generosity. Moreover, you should be thankful that the world of Zhonghua you lived in was maintained through my sacrifices and consumption.]

What?

What does that even mean?

My head didn’t immediately grasp it. If Zhuge Sha was here, perhaps he could explain it, but given how rapidly the situation was unfolding, I couldn’t piece my thoughts together.

Koooon

At that moment, I could hear the dragon again gathering its power towards Nüwa’s shimmering orb. It was clear it intended to unleash the same white radiant light as before, and while I could survive thanks to the Blessing of the Sky this time, I would keep wasting it. Each time I allowed the dragon’s attack, my chances of winning would plummet.

Seeing my expression harden, Nüwa spoke grimly.

[I didn’t expect someone challenging the final trial to look so wretched. But since I am generous, I will grant you a choice. If you rescind that foolish command, I will pave the way to defeat the dragon and reach the Divine Temple.]

“……”

Is that really the only way?

I looked into Miho’s eyes. She still seemed to have some level of consciousness, but the presence of Nüwa, who could surpass the Blessing of the Sky and its powers, rendered her almost helpless. No matter how strong Miho was, could she really withstand the true power of the Three Sovereigns’ Nüwa?

Yet I felt an overwhelming sense of injustice.

‘Miho….’

The current Miho was so powerful it made me question if I could ever reach this level again even in a hundred lifetimes. She had become a formidable cosmic being, just a step away from the realm of the Old Ruler. If even such Miho were to be dominated whenever Nüwa wanted, her free will would be entirely extinguished. Even with future reincarnations, Miho would have no prospects.

‘I can’t just give up everything in the name of destiny.’

If I had accepted that, I wouldn’t have made it this far after dying dozens of times!

At the very least, I needed to leave hope for this life. If not, I would feel too terrible for Miho.

I said to Miho, “Miho! You promised me!”

At the look of confusion in Miho’s eyes, I gripped her hands tightly.

“You said you’d protect me, even in the next life!”

That was back when my twenty-second life was coming to an end. Miho had tried to wake me from Jeon Wook’s grip but ultimately perished at his hands. Quite some time had passed, yet I remembered it as vividly as if it were just yesterday.

…Why was I saying such foolish things?

She didn’t have to remember passing through the Great Cycle.

She had no reason to remember. She had already become a deity, and even if she hadn’t, she was a different existence from the Miho of my twenty-second life. She hadn’t even received Obsidian to know that memory. In the end, I would only echo my despair endlessly in solitude.

Still, I wanted to say it.

That I was thankful she had risked her life to save me then.

Kugugung

[No…?]

Nüwa exclaimed in confusion. Then, the shape of Nüwa, which had been split into two, suddenly began to merge back into one. It was as if a massive thread was vibrating, causing her to reunite.

Simultaneously, Miho’s eyes brightened more, and she stared directly at me.

“…When did I say that?”

Her voice sounded so pouty.

It wasn’t the divine speech characteristic of gods but flesh and blood. I answered with a trembling voice.

“Y-you did. A long time ago.”

“Ha ha. Seriously… You’re hopeless.”

Miho chuckled bitterly.

“If there’s a miracle, this must be it.”

What is this?

As Nüwa’s shape merged back, light began to emanate from her body. Cracks appeared in Nüwa’s skin, and iridescent light flowed out from within, making her seem furious as she shouted.

[Master Mangnyang! I didn’t expect this, but you’re truly moving the threads to achieve the Great Creation? You don’t think this act will incur [Father]’s wrath?]

Nüwa’s scream seemed to reverberate with desperation.

[This is an act that hastens the true end of the ‘Cycle’! Do you truly believe yourself to be an absolute being, you arrogant fool…!!]

Kiiiiiing -?

Kwang!!

With a strange shriek, Nüwa’s form shattered, and the iridescent light that flowed from within was absorbed by Miho. Miho absorbed the light and began to radiate golden light from all over her body, causing her nine tails to grow to ten.

Could it be that Nüwa had been absorbed?

Wuuuuuuu

“……?”

I was at a loss regarding what was happening when Miho spoke.

“Here it comes.”

Kwangggg!!

At that moment, the dragon’s radiant attack erupted again, engulfing the Universe. It was just as colossal and seemed to set the entire world ablaze.

Wiiin!

However, as Miho stretched out her hand, the white light was absorbed into Miho’s golden glow and couldn’t inflict any damage. Her ten tails were radiating infinite power.

Could it be that she was blocking the dragon’s breath head-on?!

While she had been powerful before, her strength now seemed to surpass it tremendously. I truly realized that her strength had reached the realm of the Ruler; such a level of might was something beyond description. Right now, Miho had been reborn as a top-tier existence capable of manipulating the entire universe.

Without turning her head, she said,

“Baek Woong. Don’t dwell on the agony of our past deaths.”

“What?”

“Zhuge Sa persuaded us back then, and we accepted that fate. Even if it were a minuscule possibility that you could be freed from Jeon Wook, that was enough to try. Since we decided our own fates, you brooding over it would be an insult to our wills.”

Though relatively calm, her voice held profound emotion like it was trying to contain passionate feelings.

I could feel that she knew me deeply.

And it was something impossible for Miho of this cycle. She didn’t even know me in this life. Furthermore, only someone who could…

“……”

C-could it be?

That such a thing could happen…

“Others may not know, but at least this Maiden has no regrets about that. At least I reached you.”

Upon hearing Miho’s words, my mouth opened in disbelief.

“T-that means you know about that…?”

“As you think.”

She shook her shoulder for a moment and wiped her face with one arm. I couldn’t see her expression, but I could feel her emotions clearly.

“We met again.”

Could it really be happening…

I realized a miracle was unfolding before my eyes.

It had been passed down!

What stood before me was the cosmic being Miho, but she was simultaneously the Miho who had fought alongside me in my twenty-second life!

“Miho!!!”

In a rush of shock and joy, I tried to embrace her from behind, but Miho suddenly manipulated time and space to evade. As I stumbled, Miho giggled.

“Let’s save that for later. Right now, we need to catch that monster.”

“Can we?”

“…Baek Woong.”

I looked at Miho. She continued slowly.

“Just now, I glimpsed fragments of your path while transcending the Cycle with the power of fate. I saw one branch of a tree. Compared to the hardships that await you, everything that has happened till now will mean nothing.”

“…….”

“Still, I want to say something shamelessly. Keep moving forward….”

I nodded vigorously.

“Of course!!”

The reason I, talentless and pathetic, made it this far was purely my tenacity. The moment I give up, everything ends, so I resolved to face my future head-on. It is my only courage to keep battling against reality rather than frantically avoiding my ugly self.

I will surely overcome everything and make everyone happy.

No matter how long it takes, I will not give up!

Swoosh

Miho took my hand. Then she said,

“No matter how strong the Blessing of the Sky is, you can’t defeat the dragon alone. Let’s charge in together.”

I felt a sense of warmth from her hand that slightly lifted my mood. Even having reached the divine realm, Miho was still Miho. I never expected to encounter my destiny again after coming this far.

“Should I wish for the Blessing of the Sky for you?”

“Didn’t you understand? I’m here already as a result of fate and blessing. This alone is a miracle.”

“…….”

“Don’t think too deeply. Just….”

Pa-at!

The next moment, Miho and I jumped into the darkness of the universe, charging toward the dragon’s front. Miho shouted,

“Clash your will against it!!”

Wuuuu -?

The closer I got to the dragon, the more I realized just how immense it was. The pressure felt like the entirety of the universe was pouring down on me, making me feel less than a mere ant, and the meteor shower around was smaller than the dragon’s claws. Moreover, the divine essence emanating from it crushed the resolve of anyone who approached.

My entire body trembled.

It might have been the effect of Heavenly Secrets, for I hadn’t felt that pressure earlier, but facing this situation made it clear why comrades would die or lose their will just by confronting it. This was the true might of transcendents who manipulated even the movement of constellations at will.

But.

I had already encountered the mountains of transcendents. I would meet them again in the future. I can’t be sure, but if life ahead was to be a thorny path, I would eventually face a monster even more incredible than the dragon before me. I might end up fighting against beings that utterly ignored the Blessing of the Sky too. I honestly didn’t know what I would do then, but that was a matter for another time.

‘Right! Hadn’t I decided to destroy this world!?’

A smile broke out on my face that had been crumpled by despair.

Let’s wipe them all out.

Let’s destroy all the [Rulers] of this world and the despair they bring.

If it’s something I have to do, wouldn’t it be better to do it with a smile?

Grrr!!

In that moment, Miho transformed into a gigantic golden fox, matching half the size of the dragon. Now larger than stars, Miho, as a divine fox, manifested her ten tails, lunging directly at the dragon’s neck and biting down hard.

Kwak!

Even with her teeth in the dragon’s neck, it shrugged her off, swatting her away with one arm. Each time it did, Miho bore the pain, bruising her back, yet she never released her grip on the dragon’s neck. Realizing she was using all her divine energy, I felt a shining light in my gaze.

“Yahhh!!!”

I swung my sword with all my might.

I didn’t care about anything else.

I was going to bury my blade into the dragon’s forehead!!

But the moment I charged in, its eyes flared wide open.

Pa-zhik!!

Just a glance from those eyes made the space around me feel like it was vacuuming away. I suddenly realized the Blessing of the Sky had been blown away. Had it not been for the Blessing, I should’ve died dozens of times just from that gaze alone.

Feeling the imminent arrival of death made cold sweat break out on my back and nose as I felt my lower body grow strangely numb.

‘W-what…!!’

A sudden, nightmarish feeling of cowardice shot through me as I felt the grip on my sword loosen. I instinctively sensed that unless I struck with my last Blessing of the Sky now, I wouldn’t just die; I would vanish without a trace beforehand.

[Master Protector. It seems the Blessing of the Sky can manipulate the powers of fate too.]

“Fire Dragon Incarnate!”

[In that case, you must embody your wishes in your strike by infusing it with fate. Only then can the divine essence resist the Blessing of the Sky and inflict a fatal wound.]

The strongest form…?

But there was no more time to think. As death approached moment by moment, suddenly the image of the greatest sword strike I had ever seen in the past came to mind.

In this life.

No, perhaps it was the greatest sword saint (剑仙) legend of all my lives.

Heart Intent Six Harmonies

With the swirling trajectory of the sword, could it be an illusion of Yeodong-bin’s back?

“Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram.”

The next moment -?

My sword began to shine like starlight and illuminate the world.