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“Celestial Qi?”

With a slightly random remark from Cheon Woo-jin, I tilted my head in confusion.

“What do you mean? It’s broad daylight! What celestial qi and stars are you talking about?”

Cheon Woo-jin frowned.

“Hmph… you ignorant fool. You can’t only see celestial qi at night. You can determine it by the sun’s position, its energy, and the movements of the Eight Trigrams! Plus, my powers have strengthened, allowing me to understand it even more easily.”

“Hmm…”

Could that be true? But as far as I knew, it was common sense that you could only see celestial qi and astronomy at night…

As I was flustered, Mangnyang, who was near Cheon Woo-jin, gave a wry smile.

“Baek Woong, Cheon Woo-jin is undeniably the strongest sorcerer among mortals. His acquiring immense divine power and understanding of the law of cause and effect is why he can do this. His ability to transcend astronomical common sense is what makes him special, so there’s no need to be confused.”

“Ah, I see.”

So it’s because that jerk Cheon Woo-jin is a genius!

Ordinary sorcerers can’t do these kinds of things!

I mumbled to myself and then asked, “Anyway, why? Do you know what calamity is coming to the Central Plains from the stars?”

“I don’t really know. It’s more of a hunch than actual knowledge. But we should acknowledge that the laws of this world are already changing.”

“The laws are changing?”

Cheon Woo-jin nodded and continued, “It’s a very abstract and subtle change that I can’t explain to ordinary people… but you might understand, so let me show you.”

A moment later, Cheon Woo-jin formed a unique hand gesture I had never seen and shouted softly, “Urgent urgent as per the law!”

Wiying!

At that moment, numerous glass-like orbs were summoned around Cheon Woo-jin’s body. I watched as the orbs glimmered with strange light, slowly performing circular and elliptical movements. As I observed the complexities of their motion in silence, Cheon Woo-jin selected one of the orbs and pushed it gently with his finger.

“The current situation is that, within this complex motion of celestial phenomena, a single disharmony is occurring.”

Tiiing!

As Cheon Woo-jin pushed one orb, it collided with another orb that was rotating smoothly, creating a sound. With that initial collision, I noticed the circular motion of the many orbs began to slowly unravel.

Titi-tii! Tiiing!

Eventually, all the orbs began to collide and bounce erratically in every direction. Once that change occurred, Cheon Woo-jin added, “Disharmony in celestial phenomena has already occurred between heaven and earth. Since celestial phenomena and sorcery are tightly interconnected, the sorcery we use will also be affected.”

“How will it be affected?”

“Explaining that gets really complicated. Some sorceries are enhanced, while others are weakened. There are even some spells that have become completely unusable. Didn’t I just visualize that for you?”

“Hmm. I see.”

I felt that I could grasp a little bit of what Cheon Woo-jin was saying.

‘The movements of the stars have reached a state of chaos. That chaos is gradually destroying the order of sorcery.’

At the same time, I also realized why Cheon Woo-jin worried that I wouldn’t understand.

Those celestial movements are something that an ordinary person living in this era can never comprehend! To understand Cheon Woo-jin’s explanations, one must intuitively know that stars are glowing masses of fusion energy, and I only knew that because I experienced moving among the stars in the universe myself.

Seeing that I understood somewhat, Cheon Woo-jin displayed a look of surprise and said, “The cracks of this disharmony aren’t large yet. However, this is an irreversible type of calamity once it occurs, and gradually, the havoc caused by celestial phenomena will envelop our world.”

“Can’t you predict what kind of havoc it will be?”

“I cannot predict it. The irregular chaos among far-away stars causes effects that sequentially change the laws of this world. Predicting how actual physical laws will function to bring about a calamity is within the domain of the divine.”

“Hmm. That’s a headache.”

I frowned and asked, “You said it’s irreversible? Why is this calamity irreversible?”

Cheon Woo-jin sighed.

“Why are you asking something totally different after you heard all that? To reverse it, one must identify ‘where’ and ‘how’ the chaos formed and then rewind time throughout the universe. Such a task is hardly possible even for a god. How on earth would we rewind something that’s already occurred for countless eons?”

“……!”

“Honestly, I can’t even understand why this situation has occurred based on my knowledge! But since it has happened, we have no choice but to adapt to this abnormal phenomenon.”

The greatest sorcerer, Cheon Woo-jin, couldn’t comprehend the situation either!

From that, I had an instinctual feeling that a colossal existence was behind this.

‘An existence powerful enough to touch the laws of the entire universe.’

If such a transcendent being was targeting Earth… this was no small matter.

…man, Chapter 31 doesn’t sound easy at all.

I sighed internally and turned to Mangnyang, who was beside me.

“Mangnyang, even so, being afraid and doing nothing is meaningless. Do you have any strategies?”

“Well said. I was just about to mention a strategy.”

Mangnyang replied as if he had been waiting to speak.

“I discussed this a lot with my master, and the conclusion was astronomy.”

“Astronomy? You mean the study of the stars?”

“Yes. For now, we have no choice but to concentrate on astronomy.”

I was baffled and questioned back, “But… if the chaos started somewhere out in the universe, what’s the use of watching stars right now?”

“No, of course we lack the power to reverse the calamity, but humanity has always sought ways to survive against calamities. If we can observe the changes of the stars and know how the laws are evolving, we can devise countermeasures according to the situation. According to my master, this flow does not abruptly change everything instantly.”

“Huh! So it doesn’t mean we suddenly can’t use sorcery?”

Mangnyang nodded.

“That’s right. As the master mentioned earlier, some sorceries have become even more powerful than before. This is due to the shifting positions and arrangements of the stars, so adapting to those changes might even yield benefits.”

“Interesting. So if we study astronomy hard, we might also learn about the forces behind this event?”

“I can’t say for sure. At the moment… However, there’s a high likelihood that it will become apparent as time passes. This situation affects not only sorcerers.”

“Not only sorcerers?”

I was taken aback by Mangnyang’s words.

“Magic is also impacted by celestial changes. So, it means that all the sorcerers of the universe are probably freaking out over this situation… or actually, since magic is less stable, they might be under more immediate pressure.”

“……!”

“As time passes, many otherworldly sorcerers will research and gather information. Even getting that information later on would likely make it easier to grasp the situation.”

“Is that so…”

It reminded me of what I heard from the Necronomicon in the past.

[If you survey the entire universe, magic would dominate, but what about those in the minority, hmm, hehehe.]

…That’s right.

By the cosmic scale, magic holds the majority. Sorcery is probably the minority, and martial arts would be an even smaller minority!

It seemed like over 99% of the universe’s sorcerers would be busy researching the situation, running around like crazy. Just as Mangnyang thought, they would come up with answers even if we didn’t do much ourselves.

I understood Mangnyang’s point and said, “Alright then. How should we go about studying astronomy?”

“You could learn on your own, but right now it’s more prudent to gather those who already know how to observe the stars and get a proper setup. And we already know of such people.”

“Ah!”

“You know, I’m from the Astrologers.”

“I see! Then we need to head there first.”

“Know that they are not easily persuaded by sheer force. You need to think of a way to convince them leveraging your past life knowledge.”

“Hmm.”

For some time, I mulled over it and accordingly tried to extract from my memories to talk to Mangnyang. After a back-and-forth of ideas, a ‘countermeasure’ started to take shape.

Paat!

I stealthily infiltrated the Inner Imperial Pavilion. Inside, I snatched the Nameless Ritual Book I had memorized beforehand and triggered the security barrier on purpose.

Whahak!

Talismans flew from all around. I easily dodged them and bought some time, when suddenly, I heard a scolding voice coming from somewhere during a teleportation.

“Intruder! Die!”

Falling Soul Separation!

A frightening number of talismans flew at once, aiming to kill me instantly. The moment I saw the activated spell of Falling Soul Separation, I chuckled.

“You think this is enough?!”

Tuwoong!

In an instant, I slipped behind the sorcerer who shot the talisman at me and knocked him out cold with a hit to his neck.

“Cough.”

I stashed him in my wooden armor and headed straight toward Mount Tai.

Paat!

The main gate of Mount Tai! Here, thousands of cavalry and regular troops were stationed, and the gate itself was a fortress maintaining a secret existence. I infiltrated the gate silently and soon confirmed the fog barrier that fooled my senses.

“Cheon Woo-jin, come out.”

Taking Cheon Woo-jin out of the wooden armor, I immediately said, “Break the barrier.”

“If you just shout once, that barrier will probably disappear. Why bother with this?”

“Well, if the target gets scared and runs away, that wouldn’t do. If you handle it, we can approach quietly and cleanly.”

“You don’t mean to make me do annoying tasks all the time, do you?”

“Nah~”

Cheon Woo-jin seemed really reluctant to work. I thought about how to get him to work more but didn’t show it and just lied for now. He frowned but eventually formed his hand gesture and recited an incantation.

“Urgent urgent as per the law!”

Bang!

The next moment, all the fog barriers vanished, revealing the ordinary terrain of Mount Tai. Finally, I could sense my surroundings with my aura and locate the owner of immense power. As soon as I found him, I rushed over like teleportation and stood in front of him.

Ta’at!

His location was an ancient altar. Upon seeing me, the being who was preparing rituals and offerings glanced at me and said, “You are an unusual presence. Who are you?”

“I am Baek Woong, and beside me is the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin.”

“…Illusory God. The greatest sorcerer of the Central Plains has come.”

While eyeing Cheon Woo-jin with intrigue, the being cautiously remarked, “But for some reason, Baek Woong, you seem more dangerous than the Illusory God…”

Is it because he is a black mask of the Imperial Palace? His instincts seem quite sharp.

I couldn’t help but smirk at his words and replied, “I am the Vermilion Bird Zhuge Yulong, the Old Sage of Mount Tai, who holds the position of clan leader in the Zhuge family. I’m no more dangerous than you. Are you not plotting to offer the world to the [Old Ruler]?”

“……!”

“Here, take this.”

Swish!

I threw the young man I had captured earlier at the surprised Zhuge Yulong. Supporting the young man, he whispered.

“Hmm… have you already visited the Inner Imperial Pavilion?”

“Yes. I subdued your son, Lord of Inner Imperial Pavilion Zhuge Bu, known as the Treasure of the Central Plains.”

“……”

“No need to think too hard. In fact, Mangnyang is on my side as well.”

Having said that, I took out Mangnyang from the wooden armor. As soon as he appeared, he paid his respects to Zhuge Yulong and announced, “It’s been a long time, Father.”

“…Hyun Ah. This stranger… Who is Baek Woong?”

Mangnyang smirked at Zhuge Yulong’s reiteration.

“You already know that’s impossible. Baek Woong is simply Baek Woong, and he already knows everything about your future plans and past.”

“……!”

“Your plan to take revenge on the Celestial Realm using the Imperial Palace and the [Old Ruler] has already become meaningless. This Heavenly Altar is now pointless, and the Celestial Realm is no longer an issue.”

“What do you mean…?”

“There is much to discuss, but… it cannot be done verbally.”

Mangnyang spoke coldly to his father as if treating him like a stranger.

“Swear to devote all your divine spirits to Baek Woong. If you do so, I will disclose the full extent of the situation to you.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Then you are making the most foolish choice of your life. I dare say that not a single person in the world will be able to mock your foolishness.”

“Haha…”

Zhuge Yulong sighed. However, instead of enmity, curiosity flickered in his eyes. After much deliberation, he finally nodded.

“Very well.”

And so, we seated ourselves near the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai and began to talk. I relayed the fact that I was a reborn person and recounted all the events I had experienced! It was indeed a place where I could talk without worrying about outsiders since it served as a hideout for the black masks of the Imperial Palace.

After a thorough explanation, the atmosphere suggested that the companions somewhat understood my situation, and it was then that Zhuge Yulong spoke.

“If your words are true, then it implies that the Astrologers of the Inner Imperial Pavilion hold great importance. So you came to me to become an ally.”

“Correct. I had originally planned to do it later, but since Cheon Woo-jin warned me that the celestial qi felt off.”

“Celestial qi… I too have sensed something dangerous happening while performing rituals at the Heavenly Altar.”

“You sensed it too?”

“Yes. Perhaps this information is something you don’t possess…”

Zhuge Yulong hesitated before continuing.

“A group of demon gods from the distant universe is heading towards this world.”

“Demon gods? Are you referring to the [Old Ruler]?”

“Yes. They are said to be beings from very far in the universe, and it’s rumored that their number reaches dozens. Though we don’t know when they’ll arrive in this world, many powerful forces from the universe are keeping an eye on them. Naturally, it would take them several hundred years to reach us, but you never know.”

“……”

“They are probably influenced by those celestial anomalies. Their true identities remain unknown.”

What is going on now?

Am I going to have to go mano-a-mano with these demon gods later?

I rubbed my head, feeling increasingly overwhelmed, and said, “Cheon Woo-jin also doesn’t understand why the celestial qi is twisted. Any clues on that?”

Zhuge Yulong chuckled.

“If the Illusory God doesn’t know, how could I? Even as the black mask of the Imperial Palace, I’m just a mere human sorcerer… However, I do have a personal guess.”

“What is it?”

“Rumors about a [Prophecy] happening several hundred years earlier are spreading throughout the universe.”

I gasped at Zhuge Yulong’s next words.

“The rumors suggest the [Prophecy] may come to pass much sooner.”

“……?!”

What the?!

“The otherworldly races are somewhat conflicted regarding the recent changes in the laws of magic.”

“A-are you serious? The [Prophecy] is speeding up?”

“It’s just a rumor. There’s no way to verify if it’s true. But considering the continuous changes in the star movements, it feels plausible.”

“Hmm…!”

Anyhow… what I can do is to mobilize the Astrologers of the Inner Imperial Pavilion to start observing the stars diligently. Additionally, I will mobilize all the Imperial Palace’s forces to help you to the best of their ability.”

“Thank you.”

Zhuge Yulong’s gaze seemed to linger on me as he asked, “But I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“Do you have any intention of granting my wishes in the future?”

“……”

Surely… Zhuge Yulong’s wishes would be to save humanity from destruction 500 years in the future and to take revenge against the Celestial Realm for the death of his wife.

After considering his two desires carefully, I finally spoke.

“Saving humanity is my duty, so I will definitely do that. As for eliminating the Celestial Realm, I’m still pondering.”

“Is it because you think the Celestial Realm consists of kind beings?”

“Not at all. No one has suffered more betrayals from the Celestial Realm than I have. I sometimes want to wipe them all out.”

“Then why?”

“Regardless of the Celestial Realm’s leadership, it’s true that these immortals made significant contributions to the people of our world. With all the turmoil that’s about to arise, it would only make things tougher for me if they disappeared.”

Zhuge Yulong seemed briefly taken aback.

“… It would indeed be strange for someone with your power to care for humans as if they were mere insects.”

“What do you mean?”

“You could easily declare yourself the sole law and emperor of the human world after wiping out the Celestial Realm without anyone questioning you. In fact, they would be delighted if you used your immense powers to bring prosperity to humanity, and everyone would easily forget the past Celestial Realm.”

“……!”

“How curious. Most people would typically be driven mad by power, yet you seem remarkably low-ambition…”

Zhuge Yulong looked at me with intrigue.

“But anyway, it’s all good. If you can deal with the Three Sovereigns that are domineering over the Celestial Realm, then they’ll naturally perish. I’d say your chance of granting my wish is quite high.”

“Don’t hold your breath. I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

“Hmph. I’m certain.”

Zhuge Yulong smiled mysteriously.

“In your journey, the Celestial Realm will prove to be nothing but a cumbersome obstacle.”

“…….”

I refrained from outright denying his words. Maybe he was onto something.

A moment later, Mangnyang said, “Baek Woong. Since we are done chatting, let’s head to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.”

“Huh? Wait… I’m still not sorted out in my mind.”

“You were so eager to go before, what changed?”

“Well, I thought about it… Facing Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong feels a bit awkward.”

“Hmm. You realized that late in the game.”

As Mangnyang continued, I felt a twitch of discomfort.

“I squabbled with Lee Kwang and couldn’t wrap things up properly, so meeting him makes me uneasy, and I owe Jin So-cheong for his help, yet I regret not being able to return to Earth in time.”

“Ugh! Y-yeah.”

Exactly. Upon reflection, I had left things unfinished in a weird way after the 30th chapter, so meeting Lee Kwang would mean battling with my feelings of hatred and annoyance, and with Jin So-cheong, I feel guilty for not having returned in time after he helped me so much.

‘He sure gets it right every time…’

Mangnyang may not have directly experienced my memories, but he understood how I felt about the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School characters so precisely.

Just as I was thinking this, Mangnyang dropped another unexpected sentence.

“That’s why we should go now.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You have a great excuse to not hand over the obsidian due to the curse of the outsiders, right?”

I suddenly felt like I was hit on the head when Mangnyang said that.

“You’re suggesting I just gloss over it lightly? No sane person would lose their mind and get mad over some past life they can barely remember… This is a golden chance to rebuild relations with the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School folks without a hassle due to ignorance!”

 

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