NOVEL NEXT Chapter 568
Dark Heaven Village
Zhuge Sa continued speaking.
“As long as we don’t kill them, there’s an abundance of methods.”
“So, what method are we talking about?”
“Well, to put it simply, we could borrow the power of the [Old Ruler] to cast a petrification curse and clear the way. A soul cursed by the [Old Ruler] cannot be used as a human sacrifice for another ruler.”
I frowned.
“Ugh… if we use that method, the cursed ones would be stuck as statues forever, neither dead nor alive. Do we really have to resort to such a wicked method?”
“It’s the most reliable and easiest method, but you’re hesitating.”
“What about Cheon Woo-jin binding the feet of thousands of troops using the Wind Spirit Technique?”
“That might be possible, but if we do that, who will contain the Three Masters of the Twelve Joules?”
“……”
At that moment, Mangnyang, who had been listening, spoke up.
“Uncle, let me go first and hear the leader’s intentions. Then we can decide.”
“Do you think the leader is aware of this?”
“The leader isn’t underestimating the Vermilion Bird. Moreover, from the perspective of the same Demon Sorcerer, he might have guessed it appropriately.”
“There’s no guarantee that prediction is accurate, but let’s try it that way for now.”
Swoosh!
Finally, Mangnyang went to the vicinity of Mount Ye, arriving at a location where the experts of the Twelve Joules and the White Lotus Sect were gathered. From the hilltop, he looked down at the troops stationed around Mount Ye and said,
“If we recklessly charge in and commit a massacre, we will fall into the Vermilion Bird’s trap.”
Hearing Mangnyang’s words, the Master of the White Lotus Sect replied.
[ I know that much. That’s why we were planning an operation to break through to the interior of Mount Ye with a small elite force.]
The Master of the Twelve Joules seemed to silently agree, saying nothing further. It seemed that he had changed his mind about going in aggressively. As Mangnyang sensed the atmosphere, he immediately made his next proposal.
“Please allow our Bancheon Alliance to participate in that elite force.”
[ ……]
As the leader fell silent, the Master of the Twelve Joules, who stood next to him, said,
“We don’t have time to quibble, so let’s hurry and prepare.”
After a brief meeting, they selected an elite force.
From the Twelve Joules side were the Master of the Twelve Joules, Miyamoto Musashi, Three Masters, and three unidentified members from the Twelve Joules clan.
From the White Lotus Sect side were the Master of the White Lotus Sect, Dharma Guardians, ten experts from the Elder Council and Su Shin Sect.
Moreover, Mangnyang included almost everyone except for me and Cheon Woo-jin in the elite force. Even just this composition represented a significant number. Of course, breaking through an army of 450,000 with just this number seemed absurd, but the individual martial prowess was remarkable, making it possible.
“Shall we go then?”
With that, the Master of the Twelve Joules suddenly tapped his hands on the ground, unleashing the power of Wood Essence.
Kaboom!
Suddenly, colossal earth rose up, and enormous tree trunks shot into the sky. Some of those trunks extended high into the air, forming trees that seemed to reach dozens of tales in height. In this suddenly enclosed situation around the trees, the Master calmly said,
“Follow me.”
He walked up to the upper levels of the trees, and the rest started to follow him.
“This is…!!”
Cheon Woo-jin, with the ability to perceive afar, showed a look of astonishment. I glanced at Cheon Woo-jin and asked,
“Is it a technique you know?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why all the fuss…?”
Cheon Woo-jin replied irritably,
“The problem is that I don’t know. Where could you possibly find a technique that directly summons a World Tree to create a dimensional passage?!”
“World Tree…”
“That tree belongs to the Mythological Age. It cannot be handled by human strength.”
“……”
The tree summoned by the Master of the Twelve Joules was most likely the Sacred Altar Tree. It was the divine tree stretching across nine worlds, summoned by the strength of Wood Essence right here. I had been taking this for granted until now, so I couldn’t quite grasp why Cheon Woo-jin was making such a fuss. I curiously asked him,
“Is it also impossible with the Great Immortal’s techniques?”
“Hmm… then what exactly is that…”
Cheon Woo-jin seemed to be in awe, saying,
“The unleashed power of Wood Essence is beyond imagination.”
Could it really be?
I was engulfed in suspicion, wondering if this was merely pure unleashed power. Though Cheon Woo-jin could only receive memories, I had witnessed the Master of the Twelve Joules demonstrate tremendous abilities that were unfathomable at times. However, no matter how great the Wood Essence was, my abilities with the Seven Luminaries were nowhere near the Master of the Twelve Joules’ level.
‘Could it be…’
Considering that the power of the Seven Luminaries is determined by the user’s capacity, does this mean that the Master of the Twelve Joules is a divine being in itself? I felt the vague intuition I had been harboring coalescing into certainty within me. Controlling not just the Vermilion Bird but also the Sacred Altar Tree was certainly not something an ordinary human could attain through training.
However, even if he was a divine being, the Master of the Twelve Joules’ power seemed distant from that of the Celestial Realm. Yet, it did not seem to be from the side of the [Old Ruler] either, which left me utterly confused. As thoughts about what the Master of the Twelve Joules was hiding crossed my mind, I scratched my head in frustration.
It was then.
Whoa!
The sacred tree let out a loud roar, and the next moment, the group’s vision shifted to the dark interior of a cavern. Immediately, the Master of the Twelve Joules cast a spell to summon a light orb, revealing the surroundings.
Crash!
‘Terracotta Army!’
I was secretly amazed as I viewed the scene through my ability to perceive afar.
The interior of this gigantic cavern, carved entirely from Mount Ye, was filled with thousands and tens of thousands of artificially created figures of soldiers and horses spread throughout. Each figure was crafted with such realistic detail that they seemed alive. Looking around in wonder, Yong Bi-cheon exclaimed,
“Qin Shi Huang really loved art, it seems. These soldiers are just like the real thing.”
At that, the Master of the Twelve Joules chuckled,
“Haha. It’s not just like the real thing; it actually is the real deal.”
“……?”
All eyes turned to the Master of the Twelve Joules. However, he did not provide any further explanation, glancing at the leader before saying,
“The Absolute Formation has already been deployed. Do we break through with strength?”
The leader replied coldly.
[ Split into two groups.]
“Haha. Shall the Bancheon Alliance take the lead?”
[ That might be best…]
Without waiting for anyone to interject, the group split according to the opinions of those two. I watched, baffled by the sudden distribution of personnel, but Cheon Woo-jin quickly explained.
“The formation that unfurled inside was created based on the principle of Yin and Yang Pairing, so it inevitably must be divided.”
“Yin and Yang Pairing… how did you know that?”
“Ugh. Where did all that studying go? Can’t you tell just from looking at the banners planted around the Terracotta Army?”
Cheon Woo-jin exclaimed as if I was foolish, but I made a futile excuse.
“I understood that the formation was deployed, but recognizing it at a glance is too difficult…”
It’s not a joke; it would be strange to recognize it at a glance. The variations of the formation based on the distribution of banners easily number in the thousands, and there’s no way to memorize them all. Yet, it was peculiar for anyone to know right off the bat that it was based on Yin and Yang Pairing as soon as they arrived.
Cheon Woo-jin turned his gaze back to the screen of perception and said,
“Anyway, keep watching. You’ll have to step up when the decisive moment comes.”
“Got it.”
As much as I would normally want to keep my life safe, if a chance to seize the Divine Portrait or a major turning point presents itself, I must use the Golden Lamp to enter that Terracotta Army. Even if it means using the weapon borrowed from the Prophet, I needed to give the Bancheon Alliance an upper hand. In other words, I was a trump card in this operation.
Swoosh!
The figures moving alongside the White Lotus Sect soon felt the dark flow spreading through the Terracotta Army. Specifically, the pathways dividing the Terracotta Army began to gradually shift, creating a labyrinth and transforming into a maze. This was the very change of Absolute Formation that ensnared intruders, thus Mangnyang was the first to notice and reported to the Master of the White Lotus Sect.
“Leader! Bancheon Alliance leader Mangnyang has something to tell.”
The Master of the White Lotus Sect appeared to understand Mangnyang’s intent and responded.
[ Bancheon Alliance leader, can you delve into this change of Absolute Formation?]
“It is quite possible. Please leave it to us.”
[ ……]
As the leader pondered for a moment, Yong Bi-cheon suddenly stepped forward and shouted,
“Stop with the nonsense! How could I entrust my life to a bunch of night-bat creatures like you?!”
“……”
“I can crush this pathetic formation with my strength.”
Whoooosh!
A massive wind energy gathered in Yong Bi-cheon’s two hands. Soon, that energy formed the Dragon Wind, shooting high into the air, while Yong Bi-cheon glowed with intensity as he hurled the Dragon Wind forward.
Boom!!
Hundreds of the bronze terracotta soldiers shattered and flew into the air, the Dragon Wind disrupting everything in its path. It was a spectacle akin to a typhoon sweeping through, and Yue Bi-cheon soared into the sky, utilizing the airwalk technique and began to launch successive wind bullets the size of several tales.
Boom!
Crash!
“Ahahaha.”
How long did the thunderous sounds continue?
Utilizing his endless internal power to commit acts of unprecedented destruction, Yong Bi-cheon was suddenly commanded heavily by the Master of the White Lotus Sect.
[ Yong Bi-cheon. Stop it.]
“What?”
[ I said stop.]
Yong Bi-cheon descended in confusion. Then he pointed to the now cleared maze and said,
“I’ve destroyed all the elements of the obstructing formation. Now we just have to move forward…”
[ … Hoo. Truly a remarkable formation.]
The Master of the White Lotus Sect said that, and suddenly waved his hand.
Whoosh!
“……!!”
Suddenly, every trace of the destruction vanished, revealing the original maze of the Terracotta Army.
“No!”
“Oh my…”
Most of the group was taken aback, especially Yong Bi-cheon, who stammered in shock,
“L-leader! You didn’t… restore their formation… did you?”
[ That is not the case. Everything you thought you destroyed was merely an illusion. I merely revealed the essence.]
“Gah! That can’t be…”
[ I drew upon the infinite internal power of the Heavenly Spirit Pill, but this formation is a folded space where the void and reality cannot be distinguished. Physical destruction will likely have no effect. I’ve been aware of this illusion from the start.]
“……”
Stepping forward, Mangnyang said,
“If we cannot crush it with strength, we have no choice but to unravel it methodically. Please let me handle it.”
[ This is the first time I’ve encountered such a strange and powerful formation in my life. Perhaps this is the finest Qimen Dunjia crafted with the Vermilion Bird’s utmost potential.]
Thus muttered the Master of the White Lotus Sect as he stared intently at Mangnyang.
[ Bancheon Alliance leader. What is the extent of your Qimen Dunjia skill?]
Mangnyang calmly answered.
“I am the best in the world.”
[ ……]
Silence enveloped the area, an awkward silence at that, as Mangnyang confidently boasted about being the best in the world. Even the Dharma Guardians stared at Mangnyang with incredulous eyes.
However, moments later, the Master of the White Lotus Sect responded.
[ I will trust you.]
Then Mangnyang took the lead in unraveling the formation as they proceeded. The group moved according to Mangnyang’s orders, sometimes pulling flags to reposition them elsewhere. I watched the scene through my perception, feeling a sense of unease.
“Can Mangnyang really break that formation?”
“Of course.”
Cheon Woo-jin replied without a moment’s hesitation. As I gazed at him, he continued,
“Your past life memories indicate that your older brother solved all the Qimen Dunjia problems I presented. Right?”
“That was the case.”
“And what is the problem?”
Cheon Woo-jin said, brimming with pride.
“Only one genius in the world can unravel the illusion of the Illusory God in a glance, no matter how vast the world becomes.”
After a brief period.
The group emerged from the maze of the Terracotta Army, and as soon as they exited, the maze seemed to wash away completely. In the place where the maze had been, small figures of terracotta soldiers, only the size of a finger, clustered together within a tiny model of the maze, measuring no more than five feet.
Han Baek-ryeong, upon seeing the model, spoke in disbelief.
“So we were all wandering within this tiny model?”
“That’s the terrifying aspect of Qimen Dunjia. Within that tiny model, it can transform into a labyrinth of hundreds of miles.”
“That’s frightening…”
As the group shivered, Mangnyang placed the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line on his palm and replied,
“I’ve unraveled the formation. If we keep going straight, the Vermilion Bird will likely be waiting for us.”
It was when the group entered the straight passage.
“Welcome.”
A man wearing a mask of white cloaks stood in the middle of the passageway holding a formation circle. Naturally, most of them recognized the identity of the man, leading the Master of the White Lotus Sect to exclaim with interest,
[ Is that the White Tiger of the Imperial Palace’s Four Great Experts?]
“Indeed. I am the White Tiger.”
The leader of the Golden Eagle Guards and the Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace!
This was the guy who had once pushed me into danger and killed me during my past life, now blocking our way.