840——————==

真空家鄕

How do I snag Fuxi’s mask from Nüwa? Or better yet, why does Nüwa even have Fuxi’s mask in the first place?

My mind was swirling in chaos, not having the foggiest idea of what to do next, but I decided to chill out for a moment. After all, I was the one who had to figure this all out.

After leaving Master Mangnyang’s village, I decided to seek out the old capital of the first Haanara first. It would be best to gather clues from the Yeosi Chuncho before dumping all the info on Zhuge Sa.

Whoosh!

‘Hmm, here we are…’

I arrived in the northeastern area of Henan Province. I hadn’t actually visited before, but since I had been to nearby Puyang City a few times, I made a quick pit stop there before zooming my way here. This place was historically close to where Yangcheng used to be.

As I passed through the nearby village, I caught whiffs of disgusting fish and the bustling market smells, asking the vendors around for information. With those hints, I finally managed to reach the location Lü Buwei had mentioned.

It was the northern basin near the outer city, a bit detached from the castle. Just as Lü Buwei said, three small mountains formed an uneven ring around the tiny basin, and numerous shrines dotted the landscape. I remembered Lü Buwei saying he had created a secret space at the well in the innermost village where he kept his grimoire, so I set out to locate it.

‘Almost there.’

Haanara had shifted its capital multiple times. The place that King U retreated to before claiming the throne was Yangcheng, and that was the first capital. The second king, Hahuwi, moved the capital to the northern basin of the Luo River, then shifted it to Diqiu—three capital relocations in total.

Lü Buwei’s chosen spot to seal the Yeosi Chuncho was, in fact, where ancient Yangcheng used to be, the first capital of Haanara. Even though it was the first capital, no one could say for certain if it was thousands of years ago in the mythological age. Utilizing immense financial and informational resources, Lü Buwei had managed to pin down its exact location.

As I entered the inner village, I searched for the well only to find it blocked by piles of rocks. I decided to use Gong Palrae’s technique to break through the obstruction.

Boom!

The well’s passage got deeper, obviously constructed using ancient methods. I could feel the sturdy walls built to last through thousands of years, just as one should expect from a location where Lü Buwei attempted to collect and store the finest grimoires.

I ventured further into the interior passage and spotted a massive wall blocking the door, just as Lü Buwei told me. The wall had a huge inscription carved into it, shaped much like a wine vessel.

“A cup (爵), huh?”

Among the three dynasties (San Dai), which includes Haan, Shang, and Zhou, the representative artifact was the cup (爵). It was a vessel used during rituals back then, featuring a spout for pouring wine and a tail-like protrusion, supported by three legs.

According to Lü Buwei, this wall was a powerful guardian gate created through a demon offering ceremony, its carved sigil serving as a key modeled directly after a cup (爵) from Yin ruins. Naturally, it seemed the way to open this wall was to find a cup identical to the one from Yin ruins and push it into the wall’s keyhole.

But not quite. The reason this seal was so fiendish was right here. If any human were to discover this relic and attempt to excavate it, they would naturally seek out an identical cup. However, such a small cup never existed, and the method to unlock it was different.

I recited the incantation that Lü Buwei had shared with me.

Woooosh!

Bang!!

As I finished the chant, something intangible filled the void, and the moment it was filled, the inscription vanished without a trace, replaced back by the wall, and with a loud rumble, it rose up.

Exactly. Only someone who knew the liberation incantation from the start could pass through. From the beginning, Lü Buwei had no intention of handing over the treasure to anyone except himself, so he never presented any riddle to solve.

Pitiful tomb raiders trying to press into that cup-shaped hole would only trigger nearby treacherous traps, never managing to access it.

A demon sorcerer might notice something amiss, but demon sorcerers weren’t exactly common folk in this martial arts world.

‘Looks like Lü Buwei wasn’t lying to me after all.’

It was indeed a situation where he could easily have lied, but perhaps being the only one who could free himself from two thousand years of immortal confinement was a different matter. It seemed Lü Buwei chose to hand over the Yeosi Chuncho to me, hoping for my assistance, which, oddly enough, turned out to be the right choice.

With a soft step, I ventured inside and finally reached the spot where the grimoire, Yeosi Chuncho, was supposed to be stored. But instead of finding a book, there was a massive flag stuck in the ground.

I felt a potent energy radiating from that flag as I approached, furrowing my brow to explore its qualities with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit technique.

Woooosh!

‘Incredible… It has energy comparable to a treasure. It’s not a treasure but looks like a renowned sorcerer’s exorcism artifact…?’

It felt different from a treasure, and it came in one tier lower, but it still had a formidable amount of energy. This indicated that the original user of the artifact wielded significant power; that level of mastery was impressive.

As I drew near, I saw large inscriptions engraved on a column-like wall.

[To those who seek the grimoire, give up!]

“…….”

The writing looked like it hadn’t been inscribed for centuries, so faded and thick with dust it was. It seemed two thousand years had been no light stretch of time, as someone powerful must have come here ages ago to snatch the Yeosi Chuncho. Normally, one would find such a scenario outrageous, but considering two millennia’s span, it wasn’t so odd.

I effortlessly pulled out the flag. Written on its surface were the words “Pa Sa (破邪)”, and despite thrusting it around with all my might, it didn’t budge an inch. It appeared this artifact wasn’t something to be swung around with sheer strength but rather triggered by precise methods and incantations.

‘Hmm… Should I call it the Pa Sa Flag? Anyway, how on earth can I find the whereabouts of the Yeosi Chuncho…?’

I quickly realized that pondering further would lead me nowhere. So, I instantly used the technique to rush back to Zhuge Sa at Jangryeong Valley.

Whoosh!

As I showed everything I could remember to Zhuge Sa, he thought for a moment before speaking.

“This is turning into quite the interesting affair.”

“Zhuge Sa, if Nüwa has Fuxi’s mask, how do I get it?”

“…There are two methods. One is to receive it from her directly, and the other is to take her down and snatch it. But you do know the latter is a no-go, right?”

“Yeah. But I still don’t get why she has Fuxi’s mask in the first place.”

“Simple. Nüwa also participated in sealing Fuxi. She’s keeping that mask safe to ensure that Fuxi doesn’t wake up.”

“…….”

I lamented.

“Damn! So she’s never gonna part with it! There’s no way she’d let the Three Sovereigns stir back to life…”

“No, there is a way.”

“A way?”

“Obsidian.”

Zhuge Sa’s eyes sparkled.

“Give Nüwa some obsidian and hand her all your memories.”

“……!!”

“Doing that, Nüwa will have no choice but to aid you. Because you’ve witnessed the end times, and in those memories lies the twist where all the gods are betrayed by their ‘father’ and fall into ruin. If we assume Nüwa wants to preserve the Three Sovereigns, helping you is her only play.”

Ah, I get it!

I was impressed by Zhuge Sa’s insight. This wasn’t a plan that had even crossed my mind. I cheered joyfully, “Alright! Then I’ll set up the offering ceremony and summon the Queen Mother of the West, then just give her the obsidian!”

“But hold on a second. This method is risky.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s easy and simple, but… we can’t claim to fully understand Nüwa’s intentions yet. Especially since the truth of the afterlife isn’t completely revealed, and we don’t specifically know what her ties to the celestial realm’s darkness are. Right?”

“Even so, if she found out about the gods’ destruction…”

“Even then, there’s no guarantee she’ll cooperate. You’re just too weak to negotiate directly with Nüwa. Haven’t you seen how the Master of the Twelve Joules turned out?”

“She might be even tougher. Especially the Three Sovereigns could use cosmic-level secret techniques to seal you away harshly.”

“Hmm….”

“Though Nüwa might not even be able to seal the Heavenly Secret, it’s still a dangerous gamble. If we waste time due to her for centuries when we should be moving, it complicates things.”

“So, what should we do?”

Zhuge Sa took a sip of tea before replying.

“We need a little more to negotiate with Nüwa. Specifically, we need information. At the very least, we need to know why Fuxi was sealed for this to play out right. Otherwise, given Nüwa’s nature, you could be beaten down before uttering a couple of words.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

Nüwa hadn’t been phased or intimidated even when summoned by another ‘old ruler,’ fully aware of the powers she possessed as a deity. If she saw someone as weaker, she was all set to wipe them out without hesitation. She didn’t exactly enjoy toying with mortals, and didn’t shy away from violence.

“Why was Fuxi sealed in the first place?”

“Hard to say… From Nüwa’s perspective, she might’ve wanted to monopolize power in the celestial realm. However, I strongly think that’s not the whole story.”

“Why’s that?”

“The Celestial Realm is indeed a playground for the Three Sovereigns and merely an intermediary. To seize power there and seal Fuxi, who is an equal with dual attributes, would be downright absurd. It’d be like stabbing your sibling just to play war games!”

“…….”

“There’s definitely another reason. It’s a problem unable to be discussed at the level of immortal beings.”

“Hmm… How can I find out?”

Upon my question, Zhuge Sa took another sip of his tea and placed it down.

“We need a period of exploration first. We should monitor what’s going on in the celestial realm and figure out any changes before proceeding.”

“Mmhmm.”

“And I’ll extract Lü Buwei for you. You need to get the Moon Sovereign first.”

“…What?”

I thought everything else was acceptable, but I hadn’t anticipated needing the Moon Sovereign. When I blinked in surprise, Zhuge Sa shot me a sidelong glance and asked, “Is there any reason you can’t?”

“Fine.”

Whoosh!

I immediately set off to the Moon Sovereign’s seal, dragged him out, and fled. I sensed the colossal magic swirling behind me as the guardian stirred, but I decided against engaging it. I could have done so earlier, but I just didn’t fancy meddling in worldly affairs.

‘That Twelve Joules guy…’

Plus, the memory of getting wrecked by the Master of the Twelve Joules in my previous life stirred in me a desire to hit him right back. After securing the Moon Sovereign, I intended to then head for the Imperial Palace’s Crystal Stele and Portrait Immortal, before moving on to the National Seal seal in the Heart of the Forest. Normally, the barrier here wouldn’t be passable without Cheon Woo-jin, but I infused the Moon Sovereign with spirit power and slapped it down with all my might.

Crash!!

‘Hmm, it’s cracking!!’

Perhaps the successful infusion of spirit power was taking effect? When I struck with the Moon Sovereign containing spirit power, it felt like the mythical barrier was visibly fracturing.

Just when I was about to continue assaulting the National Seal’s barrier, a voice rang out behind me.

“Who the hell are you?!”

Whoosh!

Before I knew it, Zhuge Bu, the astrologers, and an alchemist surrounded me. All the astrologers were skilled in sorcery, and they were already employing spells to bind me.

The moment Zhuge Bu launched his attack at me with a falling star barrier, I lunged forward, slicing his neck in one swift motion.

Boom!

“Gah…!!”

Zhuge Bu hastily used teleportation and defensive barriers to mitigate my strike, but it seemed he couldn’t avoid the hit entirely, as he stumbled back, coughing blood. Seeing Zhuge Bu fail so swiftly startled the rest of the astrologers; I didn’t bother with their shock and unleashed my sword technique to attack the alchemist.

Swoosh!

“Gaaah….”

The alchemist fell, his heart pierced cleanly by the Moon Sovereign’s Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword, trembling on the ground. I pulled my sword out with a cold expression and murmured.

“A fake body.”

A quick stab made it evident. It looked like the alchemist had sent in a fake body to control while keeping his real self somewhere else.

So, since fighting here was ultimately pointless, I raised the Moon Sovereign’s mirror above my head the moment the astrologers unleashed their spells.

Sparkle!

“Gahhh.”

“No, it’s a reflection…?!”

As the mirror glimmered, the spells cast by the astrologers were sent right back at them. Having been thoroughly shocked by this reflective ability during the trials of the Seven Luminaries, I figured out how to use it the moment I got the Moon Sovereign. This mirror, able to bounce back most spells and sorcery, became a weapon more formidable than any treasure if wielded well.

As I incapacitated the astrologers, I unfurled my sword technique and shot the Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword into the rift ahead.

Crash!!

‘It broke!’

As soon as the barrier of the National Seal collapsed, I rushed inside. I quickly snatched the National Seal, then activated the technique to escape from that spot.

I could have annihilated Zhuge Bu and the astrologers right then and there, but I didn’t feel the need to go that far. The Imperial Palace forces were maintaining their own balance, and I couldn’t predict what Zhuge Yulong might pull off if I wiped them all out. Plus, I’d already worked with Zhuge Bu on two different occasions, so it felt off to kill him just because I hadn’t handed over the obsidian.

Right after that, I moved to the Great Hall of the Namgung Clan. And seeing that the clan leader, Sword King Namgung Myeong, wasn’t in the Great Hall, just the Eight Swords of Namgung and some lackeys, I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Hmmm….”

One of the Eight Swords of Namgung yelled at me.

“You! What kind of sorcery are you using?!”

“…….”

“Sky Team! Tie up that intruder….”

Crack!!

‘Shut up!’

I sprinted forward and smashed that guy’s head in one hit. In an instant, his head left behind only a few teeth; the people around looked utterly confused.

I drew forth the Moon Sovereign’s Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword and ruthlessly took down six members of the Eight Swords of Namgung in three heartbeats, as blood sprayed with every swing, sending everyone into shock.

“Gaaah!”

“Monster…!”

The martial artists of the Sky Team were horrified but rushed in as trained. I weaved through them using the Three Treasure Technique, effortlessly landing killing blows. None could withstand me for even a heartbeat, and dozens of experts fell like puppets all around. I captured the last remaining Eight Swords of Namgung by the neck and growled.

“Where’s Namgung Myeong?”

“The… clan leader is… resting….”

“What do you mean resting?”

“W…with the women…”

“…Hoo.”

Bam!

I crushed his head like an apple, then used the technique to head towards where the women were held. I found Namgung Myeong in the act of assaulting them.

“Namgung Myeong, wake up and grab your sword.”

“Ugh, who are you?!”

I shouted fiercely.

“Get up quickly!! Before I strip your skin off!!”

As Namgung Myeong fumbled to re-adjust his pants and grab his sword, I glared at him and said.

“Listen closely, you’ll be putting all your effort in! Just consider this a mood-lifter for me, and you need to do anything to lift my spirits!”

“What the hell are you saying!!”

“I’m coming in!”

Swoosh!

With the technique leveraging sword energy, I unleashed a heartbeat attack, colliding with Namgung Myeong’s sword for the first time. But he simply couldn’t withstand the overwhelming power of my combined internal energy and spiritual energy, and his sword was sliced cleanly in half, along with slicing off his right forearm.

“Gah!”

Swoosh!

Going toe-to-toe with the persistently wielding Namgung Myeong, I clashed again and this time severed his left leg.

In no time, he was down two limbs, flopping over. He seemed shocked, realizing I could’ve ended him in a heartbeat if I’d wanted.

“Y…you are…Beyond Heaven…!! Please spare my life…!!”

“Do I look like a Beyond Heaven to you? Do I seem like a legendary being?!”

“Yes! Please spare my life….”

“I told you, this is just for fun.”

I slowly raised my foot, mumbling in an irritated tone.

“Lift your head up. Now.”

Shudder.

“Gah… Aaaah…!”

“Yell louder.”

“Please… please…!!”

I carefully stepped onto Namgung Myeong’s neck.

“Gaaahhh!!”

Nervous beads of sweat trickled down as he screamed, yet I felt no empathy. When his screams began to taper off, I planted my foot onto his temple, gently pressing down as if stomping on tofu.

Pop!

As Namgung Myeong’s brains splattered, I coldly stared down at his corpse.

“……”

Still not feeling unburdened.

I aimed to wipe out the evils of the Namgung Clan and get my spiritual weapon, but why wasn’t I feeling refreshed?

This was a first for me.

‘It felt so great when I wiped them out with Jin So-cheong…’

Even when I used a bomb to obliterate the Namgung Clan, I felt invigorated then.

So why did I just feel slimy and uneasy now?

…What is this feeling?

It’s an unfamiliar sensation, a mix of unease but a hint of clean-up….

Perhaps it was why I hesitated despite being able to directly acquire the spiritual weapon.

“Aah, father!!”

That was Namgung Hwan’s voice. At his shocked shout, I glanced over to see him trembling in fear.

“I’ll avenge your father…”

“Die.”

Crack!

I dashed in and crushed Namgung Hwan’s head in one blow. And in that moment, I realized I was experiencing a change.

Ah.

It feels like squishing a bug to death…

“`

 

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