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True Martial Home

I asked Mangnyang to summon the desired deity. He chanted an incantation for a while, and mysterious clouds wrapped around his body, soon revealing the Primordial Void Ruler.

Whoosh

After a few skips in the turn order, Tai Gong-mang, Strong Baby was summoned and presented the option to reselect. Mangnyang immediately accepted the reselect and finally got to the main point.

“Come forth, Zhongli Quan!”

Since Cheon Woo-jin had to experience divine fever to become stronger, we went through unnecessary steps even though he could have called Zhongli Quan at once.

Swoosh

[Did you call for me?]

As soon as Zhongli Quan, one of the Eight Immortals, possessed Cheon Woo-jin, I knew things were going according to plan.

‘But I can’t just lay everything out…’

Before that, I added something to what I heard from Zhuge Sa.

“Oh, Zhongli Quan. Aside from the blessings I can get from the Seven Luminaries’ offering, there are a few other things I’d like to know.”

[What do you want to know?]

“I’d like to know what kind of blessings each of the Eight Immortals can grant when called together. Please tell me the other seven.”

[Um…, can I just tell you that instead of the blessings of the offering?]

“No. In exchange for the information, I will offer you some Black and White Lotus and a Gold Bar here.”

I subtly produced a few stalks of Black and White Lotus and a lump of gold from my wooden armor. Zhongli Quan reacted somewhat displeased.

[You think little of me! Do you think an immortal would be allured by elixirs and gold bars from the mortal realm?]

That was an unexpected response.

‘Oh no. Despite his playful personality, Zhongli Quan is quite serious about his duty.’

Of course, I had seen many cases where offering such things worked for me and Zhuge Sa. But it seems the personalities of the immortals differ; Black and White Lotus and gold weren’t appealing to Zhongli Quan. I realized this new fact, but as I was in a tough spot, I racked my brain and offered Yodo Muramasa instead.

“Then, I will offer this cursed blade.”

[Hmm…, a cursed item. It has value but….]

“…I will also offer the spider’s Inner Dan. It’s not just an elixir but contains spiritual energy as well.”

[That doesn’t seem much different from the lotus…, hmm….]

After a lengthy contemplation, Zhongli Quan eventually nodded.

[Fine. I’ll tell you. Given how much the offering desires information, I should say something.]

“Thank you.”

Then Zhongli Quan opened his mouth.

[First, my blessing is the blessing of Peaceful Life, Safety in All Matters, and Unwavering Courage.]

One by one, names and types of the blessings held by the Eight Immortals flowed from his mouth.

Zhongli Quan: Peaceful Life, Safety in All Matters, Unwavering Courage.

Han Sang-ja: Spiritual Transformation.

Jang Gwa-ro: Spirit Release Technique.

Lee Cheol-goei: Corpse Return Technique.

He Xian-gu: Elixir of the Immortals.

Lan Cai-he: Unlimited Martial Prowess.

Cao Guojiu: Clear Void.

Yu Dong-bin: Heavenly Escape Sword Technique.

I wanted to know the detailed effects of each blessing, but Zhongli Quan shook his head.

[I can tell you the names of the blessings, but I cannot reveal details without the individuals’ consent.]

“Why not? Is knowing this harmful to the immortals somehow?”

[That could be the case. Because the blessings we provide are the ultimate skills that all Eight Immortals devoted their lives to refine during their human years. Bestowing a blessing means you are taking on the role of a pseudo-disciple.]

“……!!”

[If a recipient of a blessing challenges the Celestial Realm for ascension, it’s only natural for us to look favorably on those who have received our blessings.]

“Is it like extra points?”

[It might be something like being waived through.]

I had a hunch about it. The reason Yu Dong-bin’s blessing is the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique is that it was the skill he practiced most diligently to ascend to the Celestial Realm. Likewise, He Xian-gu must have mastered the technique of the elixir to a master level, and Lee Cheol-goei’s Corpse Return Technique became a legendary tale. I was also speculating that Zhuge Sa completed the Soul Exchange Technique inspired by Lee Cheol-goei’s Corpse Return Technique.

[Also, it wouldn’t be polite, so you should find the rest out for yourself. If you’re a hero who can eradicate the techniques of the Seven Luminaries, it shouldn’t be too hard.]

“…I understand. Now, I would like to receive your blessing as payment for the offering’s merit, Zhongli Quan.”

[Alright. Haaa!!]

Swoosh

After receiving Zhongli Quan’s blessing, I completed the ceremony and tidied up the altar. I then moved the unconscious Cheon Woo-jin inside and spoke to Mangnyang.

“Mangnyang. It just occurred to me, is it possible to gather enough offerings and get separate blessings from as many Great Immortals as possible?”

“Hmm. It should be possible since they’re not duplicates. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be able to explain why Yu Dong-bin’s single blessings and Heavenly Escape Sword Technique don’t conflict with the blessings received in the next rebirth…. Accepting separate blessings as opposed to duplicates shouldn’t be an issue. Also, in the last life, I still received Guanyu’s blessing and was fine….”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“It seems you’re contemplating the possibility of receiving blessings from all Eight Immortals.”

After some thought, Mangnyang said,

“Unlike duplicate blessings, that would be possible, but it’s inefficient. There’s a reason why the strategists haven’t mentioned it until now. Did they not think of that?”

“Inefficient, you say?”

“No matter how many different blessings you might cram into your body, practical power won’t significantly increase. Sure, each blessing could allow an ordinary person to have the ability to conquer the world if they only received one, but it absolutely won’t surpass the power of a Great Immortal. Unless you can elevate your standards, equivalent to your ambitions, it’d be nothing but a waste of time and resources.”

“Hmm.”

“Even if you gather an immense offering and receive blessings from the Great Immortals, you still won’t be able to defeat Queen Mother of the West. However, there may be other circumstances even if you utilize the same offerings.”

“…….”

I could see where Mangnyang was going with this.

‘Blessing of the Sky!’

No matter how many blessings you receive, Mangnyang’s Blessing of the Sky is unmatched. It grants me the most powerful blessing that enables an ordinary person like me to face a deity on par with the Three Sovereigns!

Ultimately, blessings also depend on the stature of the entity bestowing them. Since there’s currently no one surpassing Mangnyang, the Blessing of the Sky can only be seen as the strongest. I realized that the strategists had deliberately chosen to strategically conserve their offerings while collecting the Seven Luminaries because they had an inkling of this truth.

Mangnyang continued.

“With this, you now have Zhongli Quan’s blessing, allowing you to receive a favorable situation to focus on your training. But still, the malevolent actions and wicked plans of the Imperial Palace will continue. Didn’t your uncle come up with countermeasures?”

I nodded at Mangnyang’s words and replied.

“Zhuge Sa advised against direct contact with Zhuge Bu. While it would be good to tempt Zhuge Bu and disrupt the Imperial Palace’s plans from the get-go with double agents, considering Zhuge Yulong’s intellect, he warned it’s a risky endeavor.”

“Hmm…, as expected, he would surely catch on.”

“In place of that, Zhuge Sa has you, Mangnyang….”

I hesitated, and Mangnyang chuckled.

“They told you to establish the Bancheon Alliance to hold off against the Imperial Palace while buying some time.”

“…That’s right. With you, Mangnyang, I’m sure you could hold out for a minimum of ten years. But….”

“I don’t mind. If it’s something that needs to be done, I’ll do it. On the contrary, I’m motivated to think that I can buy you some time.”

“…….”

I bit my lip and shook my head.

“But I’ve rejected that plan.”

At my words, Mangnyang looked surprised, his eyes wide.

“What do you mean?”

I sighed and spilled my thoughts.

“I’ve borrowed too much from you up until now. Moreover, I feel like I’ve placed an overly heavy burden on you, utilizing your desire to achieve the greater goal. Also, considering your intense longing to grow stronger, which isn’t inferior to others, I’ve often witnessed your self-sacrifice for the greater good….”

Zhuge Sa might not understand such feelings, but I had come to realize it deeply by observing other companions nearby. Knowing how many sacrifices Mangnyang had made, I could not bear to ask him to sacrifice again, especially after the 24th cycle when he handed over the Mirror of Clarity to me.

“Hmm….”

“That’s why I want you to master a technique and ascend through the gates of the Celestial Realm to become an immortal. This time, you don’t need to forcibly become the leader of the Bancheon Alliance.”

“You wish for me to master the Corpse Dissolution Technique.”

I declared strongly.

“Yes! In this life, instead of assisting me as a strategist, you will become a strong being who helps me with your power! I believe you can fully master the Corpse Dissolution Technique.”

It’s definitely possible.

If I feed him some Black and White Lotus to simultaneously enhance his internal power and spiritual energy and give him the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate to equip him with powerful skills, he will have more than enough fundamentals. Moreover, this time, Mangnyang possesses the Mirror of Clarity and knowledge, so his potential can be deemed the greatest ever.

At my words, Mangnyang smiled and said, “Thank you. I will definitely achieve that.”

“I will also surely fulfill my wishes!”

Mangnyang and I clasped hands. With our resolve set, there’s nothing left to fear.

Mangnyang then spoke.

“That aside, what will we do about the Imperial Palace’s containment? If I neither utilize the Bancheon Alliance nor obliterate the first team nor recruit Zhuge Bu, what will you intend to do?”

“…Hmm, Zhuge Sa provided a strategy. It involves leveraging a third force’s power.”

“A third force? Could it be…?”

I held up the Silver Phoenix Fragment in my hand. At the sight of the fragment, Mangnyang immediately caught on and said.

“Matteo Ricci…. You’re planning to use the Western Jesuits.”

“With this Phoenix Fragment as bait, I intend to expose the current situation of the imperial family to them. Then I expect them to deal with the Imperial Palace themselves.”

“I wonder if uncle is making a rather risky move.”

“Aren’t you worried that the Jesuits might not have the strength to contain the Imperial Palace?”

When I asked back, Mangnyang shook his head.

“Quite the opposite. The danger is that if your uncle employs a strategy using the Jesuits, it won’t just pull them into the mix, but will draw in Western powers as well. This means rather than mere containment, Western foreign forces will start taking an interest in the Central Plains.”

“Hm. Is that really a matter of concern? Even if the [Old Ruler] who dominates the West is powerful, they are restricted from directly invading due to the truce treaties between the Three Sovereigns and the Seven Luminaries….”

“The [Old Ruler] wouldn’t even need to intervene directly.”

Mangnyang said, intertwining his fingers.

“Currently, the Holy Roman Empire rules the West, and its ruler is Charles V. You have unknowingly probed the Western situation by delivering letters to Catherine de Medici after receiving a request from the capital monk Belov, so I, too, have done some investigation for a while now. With the current strength of the Holy Roman Empire….”

His words continued slowly.

“Even if just 50,000 elite troops from the West landed in the Central Plains through the fleet, it would result in the annihilation of a million strong army from the Central Plains. An enormous chaos is expected….”

“…Isn’t that overly pessimistic? And no matter how strong their firearms are, the Central Plains still have the North Dragon Troops operated by General Hwang Yeon, and they can use firearms too.”

Mangnyang shook his head resolutely.

“Not at all. According to your rebirth experience, the West has already perfected shell development and is likely to possess even greater technology with the latest from their mainland. Perhaps fully automatic firearms could be out by now. I estimate that even a handful of martial artists below first-class wouldn’t stand a chance against just four gunners. Moreover, if the West intervenes, it will likely involve magic soldiers or demon sorcerers joining them as well.”

“…….”

“If Zhuge Yulong chooses to abandon this era and remain silent, it’s entirely possible that the Central Plains could become a colony of the West.”

“That’s impossible….”

“Your uncle disregards all earthly matters, thinking to simply ignore the ensuing conflict between the Imperial Palace and the West, allowing you to focus purely on your training without interference. It’s like letting the demonic forces fight each other. Sure, you can achieve your goals as a reborn person, but… sigh.”

Mangnyang sighed.

After some time spent in thought, Mangnyang stated:

“Baek Woong. Take me to your uncle. The strategy might not be completely wrong, but it needs adjusting.”