877——————==

True Martial Home

Order, you say?

Hearing this theory for the first time, I couldn’t help but quizzically respond.

“Order? Are you saying Pangu is the Incarnation of Order?”

Zhuge Yulong calmly explained to me.

“Isn’t order the only concept that counters chaos in the world? Technically, it can’t be called the opposite since, from a macroscopic perspective, order itself can be attributed to chaos, but at least at that point, Pangu was the manifestation of the cosmic laws aimed at creating order. The legend of Pangu breaking the Egg of Chaos and instantly growing can be seen as a metaphor for order being established in a world that was solely chaos—material existence began to emerge then.”

“Hmm… I’ll buy that. But what does Pangu being order have to do with Pangu Summoning?”

“The ceremony used to summon Pangu, the absolute embodiment of order, is entirely opposite from the Offering Ceremony used to summon the existence of chaos. In simpler terms, this statue represents the Coordinates of Order in the universe.”

Zhuge Yulong placed the statue of Pangu back upon the Heavenly Altar and continued.

“If this world, the Great Universe, is a massive mix of chaos and order, then in order to summon Pangu, the Incarnation of Order, we must realize absolute order—the state of Zhongyong (the Doctrine of the Mean).”

“Zhongyong? Isn’t that a concept created by Confucius?”

“It differs from Confucius’s usage. If I may put it, it’s somewhat similar to how the Phoenix acts as the embodiment of Zhongyong. It signifies absolute neutrality, which cannot be categorized as good or evil.”

“……”

This is a rather tough concept to grasp.

As my head was spinning with confusion, Mangnyang, sitting beside me, began to explain.

“Baek Woong, to put it simply, Pangu likely symbolizes the singularity where order emerged in the universe. That singularity is merely a phenomenon, but that very phenomenon carries a cosmic divinity.”

“The phenomenon itself is the Absolute Being?”

Is that even possible?

Isn’t it typical for gods to possess personalities and receive offerings?

“Correct. It is very likely that he isn’t a personal god. And that singularity is none other than the very birth of the Great Universe, right? Naturally, being that it transcends all timelines and spaces, no ordinary Offering Ceremony could ever reach it, but this statue of Pangu contains the Coordinates of Order, so by manifesting the Coordinates of Order here, we might temporarily get close to Pangu.”

“…It’s still hard to get fully, but at any rate, this statue of Pangu is an incredible item.”

“Indeed.”

“So what happens if I offer this statue to other Old Rulers or divine beings? If there’s a chance of summoning Pangu, it must be an extraordinary item.”

Mangnyang shook his head in response to my question.

“It would be meaningless. Why? Because the Old Rulers are the largest and most powerful entities formed from cosmic chaos. How could they appreciate the Coordinates of Order, which are in direct symmetry with their own origins? It’s likely to make them furious. Accepting it would lead them towards the singularity of order, and the beings of chaos wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Hmm.”

Are you saying Pangu itself is the opposite of the Old Rulers?

While it sounded tempting, given my stance of aiming to slay all divine beings, if Pangu itself is closer to a phenomenon or concept, I wouldn’t easily attain that power.

“Furthermore, unlike chaos, which contains a liberated force, order exists merely as a concept around an axis. Unlike relics of chaos, such relics of order do not readily grant great power to the user. That’s why this statue has remained preserved on the Heavenly Altar without incident thus far.”

When Mangnyang finished his explanation, Zhuge Yulong interjected.

“In fact, we have yet to verify whether the statue of Pangu indeed harbors the Coordinates of Order.”

“Hmm…”

“The only way to verify it is to directly hear from Pangu’s incarnation.”

Having listened to Zhuge Yulong’s explanation, I finally came to understand the situation clearly.

‘So that’s why preparations were made to summon the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens.’

I already knew that she was a summoning target because she was Pangu’s incarnation, but I was hearing about the statue and Pangu’s theory for the first time now. I finally grasped it.

I glanced at Zhuge Yulong as he surveyed the crowd before speaking up.

“We will summon the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, the incarnation of Pangu. Our aim is to awaken her true essence and simultaneously perform the Offering Ceremony for Pangu. There is no other way to directly gain power from Pangu.”

“……”

I remained silent for a moment before saying, “Isn’t there a guarantee that the Heavenly Mysterious Woman will side with us after awakening? She could easily become our enemy.”

In reality, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman had turned into our worst enemy after awakening as the Guardian of the Sun. With that nightmare still fresh in my memory, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Zhuge Sa countered.

“That’s a possibility. But it’s also likely she won’t, which is why we’re taking this chance.”

“What if she chooses not to awaken as a Guardian?”

“What for? We haven’t even gathered the Seven Luminaries to challenge the Trial of the Seven Luminaries. The essence might awaken, but the risk is low. Let’s just summon her.”

“Is it alright for the Heavenly Mysterious Woman to know about ‘that’?”

When I casually mentioned my past life, Zhuge Sa replied.

“She won’t mind. Just prepare.”

“Got it.”

I followed the preparations Zhuge Sa made, gathering the essentials for the summoning ritual of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and positioned myself in the center. As the people of the Zhuge Clan began chanting incantations and assisting from all sides, light slowly started to fill the ritual setup, and before long, a presence was summoned upon the Heavenly Altar.

Bright!

[How dare a mere human summon the Great Immortal via the Heavenly Altar of Five Great Mountains… do you not understand that this is liable to the constraints of the Celestial Realm?]

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman manifested, enveloped in an aura of divine power, her voice tinged with anger. Zhuge Sa threw a side glance at me, and I quickly stepped forward, saying, “Heavenly Mysterious Woman! I am Baek Woong! I have summoned you with great urgency to wish upon the illustrious Heavenly Mysterious Woman!”

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman addressed me in a somewhat indignant voice.

[Human. You have already sinned by summoning me. I may respond to your summoning, but I have no reason to fulfill your request, and instead, I will send a Heavenly General to make you pay for your arrogance. The Heavenly Altar is not a place a mere human can carelessly use.]

“But please, just hear me out! Even just this statue!”

As I held up the statue of Pangu, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman hesitated.

[That statue…]

“Yes, it’s the statue of Pangu.”

[What do you want from me?]

“I know many things about this statue. And I know how to resurrect your forgotten memories.”

[……]

I hastily proposed to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, “I believe many beings from the Celestial Realm are watching this summoning. If you sever all those connections, I will restore your memories instantly.”

Previously, the last time I carelessly gave a memory to the Celestial Sage, every being in the Celestial Realm became aware of my memories, causing great chaos. I was determined not to let that happen this time. Upon my proposal, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, deep in thought, slowly gestured her hand.

Ssssss

A pure white silk began to spread across the void as the Heavenly Mysterious Woman spoke.

[All connections to the Celestial Realm have been severed. No one can observe this ritual. But you must take responsibility for your words.]

It was evident that the Heavenly Mysterious Woman had a strong desire to regain her lost memories. With confidence, I filled the obsidian with memories and handed it to her.

“Once you accept this obsidian, you will know everything.”

[……]

Seemingly confident that an ordinary demonic treasure couldn’t corrupt her, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman received the obsidian without hesitation. As I performed the Memory Transfer Technique, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman trembled briefly before exclaiming in awe.

[This… how can this be…?!]

I looked at her and swiftly interrupted any mention of her past life.

“No need to speak of unnecessary things. As you now understand, you are both a subordinate of the Emperor and the incarnation of Pangu. Your original affiliation is more with Pangu than with Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. We intend to offer the Seven Luminaries to Pangu, using this statue as the medium to summon him. Please, help us.”

[……]

“I beg you. To sort out the chaos of this world, we need Pangu’s assistance.”

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman remained silent for a long time, glancing at Zhuge Sa and Zhuge Yulong before finally responding.

[Very well. I shall summon Pangu for you. This statue is also genuine, and the intent to break the Celestial Realm aligns with my will…]

Success!

As things unfolded according to plan, I felt an overwhelming surge of joy. However, the seriousness of her next words caused my expression to harden abruptly.

[But it cannot be done this way. At this state, the moment Pangu is summoned, you will all perish.]

“What do you mean? Are you saying Pangu would slay us all upon his summoning?”

[To summon Pangu means invoking the very origin of primordial order into this world. When the chaos and order of this world collide, a tremendous dual destruction will occur, much like chaos meeting the Primordial Void. Such occurrences only happen when the universe faces annihilation.]

“Whoa!”

[The origin of order that gave birth to Fuxi and Nüwa, Pangu’s summoning could annihilate an entire galaxy in the midst of that destruction. He is the utterly pure cosmic divinity, thus the act of summoning itself is a calamity.]

“……”

[Of course, the Old Rulers will manipulate cause and effect along with time and space to restore things, but… it’s unlikely they will revive you, the ones who initiated such calamity.]

Is there really that much risk in summoning the Creator God Pangu?

As I pondered in confusion, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman declared.

[However, if I exert my powers, it is possible to make the Offering to Pangu safely. As his incarnation, I can open the [Gate] that connects to the source of order.]

“Oh oh!”

[However, I cannot perform such rituals repeatedly. This will be the only time. Offering to the singularity of order itself is inherently nonsensical… and this statue of Pangu is a unique item in the world… Still, do you truly wish to proceed?]

“I will!”

I immediately offered up the Seven Luminaries I had gathered. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman glanced over the items before saying,

[With your capabilities, you could attempt the Trial of the Seven Luminaries to gather them; why aren’t you doing so?]

“Not a chance!”

[Do you not think that with the Emperor’s help, you could save the world?]

I tore into her, “Not at all! That guy is still someone I need to kill one day!”

That thought had crystallized since I had failed the Trial of the Seven Luminaries. Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen is simply an absolute being who plays with cause and effect for his own gain; he holds no tolerance for mortals! Hence, my goal of slaying all gods remains unchanged. To rely on the Trial of the Seven Luminaries that Gong Sun Xuanwen extended as charity? No way—I’d rather offer to Pangu instead.

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman nodded.

[Very well. I shall proceed with the Offering of the Seven Luminaries to the Creator God Pangu.]

Kugugugugu…!!

The beautiful form of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman began to dissolve into wisps and transformed into a colossal whirlwind. When her form completely disappeared, the Seven Luminaries were sucked into that whirlwind, and I could discern a supremely tranquil state of being beyond that whirlpool.

A world of undisturbed stasis.

That is what existed beyond the whirlwind.

Caught in a trance, as I gazed inside the whirlwind, Zhuge Sa warned me.

“Don’t get too entranced. While it appears peaceful, it is another form of death where all change has ceased. A terror as dreadful as chaos itself.”

“Yeah, understood.”

Just then.

[What are you doing?! Drawing the Creator God Pangu, who has completed his role in the Primordial Age into this world’s causality?! Are you not fearful of the consequences?!]

With a massive roar, a colossal dragon, adorned with golden scales, began to be summoned down from the heavens. The moment I saw that figure, I instantly recognized it.

‘Shenglong!!’

As expected, the Emperor’s subordinate Shenglong is sensitive to these occurrences, right? That being, too, could be rightly called both the Spirit King and the Incarnation of Pangu; clearly, it wasn’t odd that he reacted fiercely to this. Everyone in the assembly appeared immobilized by the immense presence of Shenglong.

The same overwhelming presence that had struck fear into us during the Trial of the Seven Luminaries. It clearly indicated that Shenglong was about to descend upon this world, accepting causality.

“Baek Woong. Speak thusly!”

In that moment, Mangnyang whispered into my ear the words I should say, and being the only one able to withstand Shenglong’s pressure, I quickly called out to him.

“O Shenglong! The Heavenly Mysterious Woman has recognized us and accepted the Offering to Pangu! You, along with the Three Sovereigns, have no grounds to impede us!”

[……!!]

“Contemplate your essence once again!”

After a long silence, Shenglong began to withdraw his overwhelming presence. He concealed his golden scales as he prepared to leave, leaving with one final remark.

[This universe, a plaything of chaos, what significance remains in the intervention of order…?]

The meaning behind Shenglong’s lamenting words slipped my understanding. However, he then vanished without a trace, returning to the Divine Temple.

‘Phew.’

At the very least, I had managed to prevent Shenglong’s summoning from leading to our demise, allowing a breath of relief. I turned to Mangnyang.

“Mangnyang! How were you able to speak just now? When Shenglong’s presence spreads, mortals are rendered powerless…”

Having witnessed even the peak figures tremble during the Trial of the Seven Luminaries, it baffled me how Mangnyang remained unfazed and offered sound advice. He replied.

“There’s a reason for that. And as I previously said, the Three Sovereigns have no grounds to intervene, so fret not. The world won’t descend into chaos nor will any apostle of the Three Sovereigns attack us.”

“Is that true?”

“Definitely. The origin of order Pangu resides higher in the cosmic law than the Three Sovereigns. His granting of a blessing to us won’t be influenced directly by the lesser Three Sovereigns. Especially considering the birth of Fuxi and Nüwa is directly tied to him!”

“Mm!”

“Our Zhuge Clan has meticulously laid this plan, so worry not.”

In that moment, I felt something peculiar emanating from Mangnyang. Even amidst such a dire situation, he seemed unaffected, akin to standing before the eye of a typhoon! I wasn’t sure why I felt such reliability from Mangnyang, but it filled me with trust.

Then, I heard a [voice] resonating from beyond the whirlwind.

As if an illusion, the scenery beyond the whirlwind began to change in real-time.

[… You…]

The owner of that voice appeared to be a towering giant standing behind the throne, not quite standing, but rather, appearing to support a massive ceiling—perhaps the universe itself. A faint voice escaped the giant’s mouth.

[You are… no….]

What does that even mean?

Saaah!!

In that instant, the giant’s illusion shattered, and I realized the whirlpool in the void had been washed away. In the blink of an eye, all the phenomena occurring at the Heavenly Altar had vanished, leaving behind only serene nature at the Heavenly Altar of Mount Huang.

Acknowledging that everything had concluded, I examined my body. However, it didn’t feel like I had gained any special power. My internal power remained unchanged, as did my inner divine energy and martial arts—nothing had improved, not even a semblance of divine authority had been bestowed upon me.

“…Was this a success?”

Is the blessing of the Creator God Pangu really that insignificant?

As I mumbled to myself, Zhuge Yulong slowly rose from his seat and said,

“Baek Woong, don’t you perceive it?”

“What are you talking about?”

With a faint smile, Zhuge Yulong whispered,

“At last… we have obtained what we believed impossible…the ultimate weapon. The Law of Cause and Effect has now entered our hands.”