936——————==

True Martial Home

I headed straight to Mount Huang, right to the cave.

Tydaht

And as I observed the mountainous terrain near the cave, I realized it looked quite different from my original memories. I was certain of the location, but the mountains and ridges were completely altered. But then again, if we’re talking about a thousand years ago, the terrain might have changed quite a bit.

However, I could roughly guess where the cave was. It was a place I trained like a madman, and no matter how much time had passed, how could I possibly forget? Plus, I visited it in every lifetime, so I couldn’t shake off the discomfort. So, it was when I finally reached the cave’s surroundings.

“……”

There it was.

The cave was present.

Since it was located exactly where my memory said it would be, a chill ran down my spine. Honestly, it would have been easier on my mind if it hadn’t been there at all, but it was?

‘That’s even weirder…’

I felt a shiver, but I gritted my teeth. If I got scared over just this much, what would I become? I trudged forward, stepping through the rain falling from above, slowly stretching my hand to climb a small cliff.

As I set foot inside the cave, I realized the internal scenery was similar too. A cave devoid of light, leading a person to slowly lower their head as they entered. I cautiously stepped inside, careful not to bump my head on the stalactites.

Then a glowing pearl illuminated a spot within. I felt breathless as I verified the presence of a copper box under the pearl.

How could this be?

It was the same place.

Could it be that inside that box… is the Heavenly Secret?

“…That can’t be…”

I don’t have the Heavenly Secret right now. After my body switched, it’s safe to say it’s now with the Divine Thief. Still, based on my prior experiences, I knew that just possessing the Heavenly Secret doesn’t really change anything, and there’s some unknown law at play, so I wasn’t overly worried.

But what if the Heavenly Secret is in that box, and I get to take it?

What would happen then?

I swallowed hard and moved a step forward. Just as I took a few steps, no surprise, a trap sprang out.

Squeak!

I caught the throwing dagger that sprang from the trap and tossed it aside, rendering any further danger moot. Even the trap was identical to those in the original world. I stared blankly at the copper box and slowly began to open it.

Creeeak…

“……!!”

At that moment, I was dumbfounded and shouted.

“Wait, it’s not here!”

The Heavenly Secret is gone!

Everything else was the same, yet the crucial Heavenly Secret was missing?!

I felt a strange sense of relief wash over me, but it was still shocking. If I had obtained the Heavenly Secret here, I might have gained even greater benefits. But its absence wasn’t something to be overly concerned about.

A storm of thoughts flowed chaotically through my mind.

‘The Heavenly Secret isn’t here, does that mean someone took it? But if it were taken, the trap wouldn’t have activated. If the trap did activate… does that mean the one who took it set it up? But why would they set a trap? And who would take the Heavenly Secret…?’

However, perhaps due to my lack of reasoning skills, I couldn’t come to a rational conclusion right now. After pondering for a while, I shook my head and turned around.

“Damn it… I have no clue!”

What exactly is the Heavenly Secret?!

Realizing I wouldn’t get anywhere by thinking more, I decided to move on. Since I had stored the location with the technique, if I wanted to come back, I could anytime. The next place I aimed for was the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect in Heavenly Stronghold.

Pa-at

Upon arriving at the White Lotus Sect, I asked Dalma for some money, dried meat, a map, and clothing. I didn’t necessarily need them, but with my ultimate internal power gone, traveling barehanded would be taxing on my stamina, so getting support wouldn’t hurt.

Tydaht

I set off from Heavenly Stronghold towards Astana. Since Astana was in the Arasa territory, it lay considerably north. Of course, the Arasa Empire doesn’t exist in this era, but it’s still an area under the control of the blue-eyed folk in the north.

Even though I called Heavenly Stronghold the outer part of the Central Plains, reaching Astana would require at least a thousand li and crossing the steppe. I hurriedly ran, taking occasional breaks to practice my internal power. Though it might not yield significant results, it was better than not training at all. I relentlessly headed northwest.

After about twenty days of travel, I finally arrived at the location where the previous Astana temple used to be. Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, there were quite a few villages around this area, seeming like a livable place.

‘The temple remains unchanged.’

Seeing the temple standing firm despite the upheavals of history, I felt a strange sense of anticipation. I walked inside the temple and shouted.

“Prophet, I have a deal!!”

Silence.

After waiting for a while, there was no response. Instead, a middle-aged man dressed in Eastern Orthodox priest robes walked toward me and spoke in a foreign tongue.

“#%&&@&%*…”

Hmm… I don’t understand a word…

Noticing my confusion, the middle-aged man sighed and pulled out a curious artifact resembling something from an otherworldly race. He then placed it next to his ear, and suddenly, his words were translated into my language.

“Foreigner. Leave this sacred ancient temple.”

“Huh?! Is that a translator… What’s your relation to the Prophet?”

“Seeing you recognize this item, you must be a sage well-versed in the dark knowledge… Please explain your situation.”

I explained to the Eastern Orthodox priest what the Prophet looked like and what abilities he might have and asked if he had ever seen him. The priest trembled slightly and replied.

“I am but an underling of that race. The being you describe seems highly noble and revered… Could it be that you, too, are not human, but of anotherworldly race?”

“No, I’m simply someone who needs to meet that race and can’t find a way to do so.”

“That is impossible. They do not reside on this earth. They exist in a faraway world, so we have no opportunity to encounter them.”

“They don’t live here?”

“Correct. They only bestow wisdom upon underlings like me to gather information from the earth.”

Hey, what’s going on…

Didn’t they come to this earth under the name of the Zhuyong Tribe? But from what the priest was saying, it sounded like the Prophet and his kind had never even stepped foot on this planet. Reflecting on how the Zhuyong Tribe and the Prophet in Astana lived closely here, it felt like a completely different circumstance.

Frowning, I said.

“Hmm… There must be a being that issues commands to you and sometimes shares mental space to survey this place. Likely, even now, my words are being overheard. I propose this to him: I, Baek Woong, want to meet your clan’s king, the Tao King Prophet.”

“What a ridiculous statement… Those beings are literal cosmic entities, do you really believe they would pretend to listen to you? Get lost…”

Just as the Eastern Orthodox priest was about to scream.

Creeeak

Creeeak

His eyeballs suddenly rolled back in a shocking manner, turning an eerie white. Completely under mental domination, he began to speak.

[Human, searching for our king… The king finds your existence interesting… Should you respond to our invitation, an opportunity to meet the king will be granted to you…]

“Alright, why not!”

[Good…]

Pa-at!!

As soon as the words finished, I suddenly moved from the ground and appeared in a place akin to a star world. Strange, otherworldly structures and floating vessels surrounded me, and dandelion seeds fluttered about in the sky. Additionally, five suns hung in the air, and a rainbow-like phenomenon continuously adorned the heavens.

Before my eyes, there stood a magnificent royal court, with a familiar member of the otherworldly race seated on the throne.

[Did you wish to see me…?]

The moment I saw him, joy erupted in me, and I waved my hand and shouted.

“Hey, Prophet!! Good to see you!!”

[……]

“You’re just as I remember!”

Murmurs

The actions I displayed caused the other beings nearby to emit psychic waves and chatter among themselves. The Prophet then spoke.

[It seems you’ve seen me before… Despite being exposed to our clan’s psychic waves, your brainwaves show no change… You do not struggle against the magic… How mysterious, human…]

“Do you perhaps recall our previous meeting?”

[No… not at all… This is our first encounter… If you claim to know me… hmmm…]

The Prophet spoke in a soft, amused tone.

[Yes… I know what beings like you are called… Have you crossed the [Gate]? A being from the outside… ]

“……”

[The presence allowed through the Gate is extremely limited… Then… you are likely a being who lives life repeatedly… ]

Ba, bang on the mark.

I wanted to nod, but I knew I couldn’t divulge the secret of my past lives. It was unavoidable that they figured it out, but I had to refrain from affirming it with my own words. So, I neither affirmed nor denied and spoke to the Prophet.

“What I want to know are two things. Can you teach me those two?”

[There’s nothing our clan doesn’t know in this world… However, it’s not easy to hand over precious wisdom for free… Information requires payment… ]

“What do you want as payment?”

[For now, just ask your questions… After hearing them, I’ll determine an appropriate price for the information… ]

I nodded my head and said.

“First. I want to know if beings called Master Mangnyang and Evil God exist in this world. If so, how can I contact them?”

[… And the second…?]

“Second. The great Master Dalma summoned our world’s Four Great Spirit Deities, but it seems they are fakes. What’s going on? And I want to know if his singularity has already been summoned.”

[Hmmm…]

The Prophet pondered for a moment, conversing with three vividly colored phantoms beside him through psychic waves. He finally spoke.

[It wouldn’t be difficult to answer those questions… But I will require a price in return.]

“What price?”

[When you finish all your tasks and return… Tell the Observant One that you extracted information from me because you asked a question… ]

“…That’s it?”

[Yes… Quite simple.]

Really? That’s all the price?

I was slightly anxious since I didn’t have a single treasure, but the condition was simpler than I thought. I readily nodded.

“Got it! Spill the info.”

[Hmmm… First… To learn about Master Mangnyang and the Evil God… I will need to access your memories… You must agree to share… ]

“I agree.”

[Then, I will search your memories…]

As soon as the Prophet’s tentacle touched my head, I felt an overwhelming rush as my memories were rapidly copied and read. After a brief moment, the Prophet spoke.

[The being called Master Mangnyang does not exist in this world… Such a being has never existed from the beginning. Perhaps the Evil God, however, undoubtedly exists and is sleeping in the depths of the Earth until the day the constellation returns… I’ll inform you how to contact the Evil God right now.]

Swoosh

Knowledge regarding the summoning ritual and commands to call the Evil God entered my mind. Carelessly, I muttered.

“Master Mangnyang doesn’t exist.”

[Yes… Based on your memories, he might be among the most powerful entities across the universe… However, I have neither seen nor heard of such a being… It’s puzzling, indeed…]

Hearing that Master Mangnyang didn’t exist, I felt a bit gloomy. After all, I could hang on to that cat as the last shred of hope, but here, there was nothing like that. I shook my head and said to the Prophet.

“Then for the second!”

[About the Four Great Spirit Deities purportedly summoned by Master Dalma… That is also a presence whose authenticity is unclear to me… However, because it is unclear, something does become certain…]

“What do you mean?”

[The singularity of Master Dalma has already been summoned. And it’s not you, Baek Woong.]

“Then who is it? The Divine Thief?”

[It’s not necessarily a person… ]

“……?”

[The singularity can manifest in all conceivable forms. Some might materialize as a colossal flow called destiny… Master Dalma knows this well, which is why he doesn’t hastily judge or oppose you.]

“So basically, you don’t know.”

[… Let me give you one piece of advice…]

The Prophet’s eyes sparkled.

[Great Universe’s journey… Depending on what choice you make in the end… Everything will change… It will depend on what future you wish to see… ]

Pa-at!!

As soon as those words finished, I found myself back in the Astana temple.

I knew that what had just happened wasn’t a dream. I had been summoned to a star world billions of light-years away and then returned. I gently laid the fainted Eastern Orthodox priest down comfortably and exited the temple.

‘Choice?’

What on earth does the Prophet know?

Anyway, I had done all the tasks given by Dalma, so I immediately used the technique to return to the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect. When I reported the information I had gained to Dalma, he listened carefully before saying.

[You did well… Baek Woong…]

“What should I do now?”

Dalma’s next words caught me off guard.

[Teach me your martial arts…]