NOVEL NEXT Chapter 572
Chapter 572 – Dark Heaven Village
As I walked up the heavily damaged altar, I could tell that the people walking on it felt something was off. Han Baek-ryeong looked down at the bottom of the altar and remarked,
“…Over 2,000 steps. Quite high, isn’t it? Is it really possible to carve out a mountain to create something like this?”
The Master of the White Lotus Sect, who had been walking ahead, replied calmly,
[ This altar is also a prepared area of demonic energy. It appears to be a material realm, but the laws are distorted just like in the otherworld.]
“Sect Leader. Are we caught in a trap?”
[ Not at all. Just now, Dalgi expanded the dimension with her demon power, which caused the altar to rise as well.]
Hong Gil-dong, who was leading the way, chimed in,
“We’re almost there.”
As he said that, the dark altar began to brighten little by little, revealing the summit. Those climbing up didn’t rush but cautiously assessed their surroundings for traps or ambushes. Moments later, everyone stood on the flat, wide summit of the altar.
Crumble, crumble…
Darkness enveloped the area, with glimmering lights melting through the dark sky like starlight. It was a dreamlike landscape, but knowing it was a place carved from a mountain, it felt impossible. The Sect Leader’s assertion that it was a distorted otherworld was not incorrect.
In the heart of the altar, eight azure light spheres glowed brightly, and in the center, an enigmatic figure floated. Surrounding that figure, as if guarding it, were transformed Dragon Persons and demons with their arms crossed.
However, people’s gazes were not directed at the demon-spawning soldiers. Instead, they focused on a middle-aged man dressed in attire reminiscent of the portrait of Zhuge Liang, the Astrologer, who wore priestly garments. With his clear-cut and handsome appearance, he coldly regarded the intruders with emotionless eyes.
The Master of the White Lotus Sect focused on him and spoke,
[ Vermilion Bird.]
At the Sect Leader’s summons, the Vermilion Bird lowered his fan from his waist and replied,
“I anticipated that you would invade the Mountain. I thought you might defeat the White Tiger and Xuanwu. But… I never thought you would take down the divine apostle, Dalgi. I had my assumptions, but I never thought it would actually happen.”
[ Even an apostle has limits to their power. Even the Demon King of the Ancient Era would fall before the combined powers of humanity.]
“My assessment of your chances of victory stood below 20%. Yet you managed to come this far with minimal damage in your battle against the apostle. That implies… there’s an unforeseen existence pulling the strings behind this stage.”
[ ……]
The Master of the White Lotus Sect did not mock or ridicule him. The Vermilion Bird’s words gave him something to ponder. As the Sect Leader fell silent, the Vermilion Bird continued,
“I extend my sincere respect to you who, as a human, has managed to take down an apostle.”
The Vermilion Bird bowed politely. Then he added,
“However, I have an iron-blood ideal that I cannot compromise, so you all must die here.”
*Crumble!*
In that instant, Dragon Persons and demons emerged from all directions, surrounding the hall. They must have been the hundreds of troops they had been saving all this time. If they all rushed in at once, it might be quite difficult, but with our current strength, we could put up a fight, resulting in a strong intent of battle filling the hall.
At that moment, the Master of the White Lotus Sect said slowly,
[ One thing, I’m curious about.]
As the Vermilion Bird stared at him, the Sect Leader continued,
[ You seem to have come to understand the truths of this world through demonic magic like me. So, is your goal to serve under the god and ensure humanity’s survival beyond the apocalypse?]
“I have no reason to answer that.”
[ Regardless of who wins, this battle will be the last. Was I fighting a coward who cannot even confidently speak of his ideals?]
With a hint of mockery from the Master of the White Lotus Sect, the Vermilion Bird fell silent, wearing a grim expression. After a moment, he broke the silence,
“For now, I will destroy the Celestial Realm and kill the Jade Emperor. However, that is not my ultimate goal. What I truly desire lies in what comes ‘next’…”
[ The next, you say.]
“The conversation ends here. Die.”
*Bang!*
The Master of the White Lotus Sect shouted,
“*Halt!*”
Suddenly, over a hundred Dragon Persons let out horrified screams and were flung away. Although it was merely a spirit call, the powerful exterior of the Dragon Persons burst through like paper, a display of terrifying destructiveness.
The Dharma Protectors also unleashed their infinite internal power, attacking in all directions. As the Master of the White Lotus Sect and the Dharma Guardians began to push back the demon beings, the others calmly arrayed themselves to repel the enemy.
*Crash! Crack! Boom!*
An array of loud sounds echoed as an all-out battle unfolded. The Twelve Joules sect leaders unleashed their ultimate techniques, knocking Dragon Persons aside, while the members of the clan incapacitated demons using strange, unidentifiable sorceries. The companions of the Bancheon Alliance began to reform their formation around Mangnyang, systematically repelling the enemy.
*True Demon Blade!*
The Sword Demon spread hundreds of Qi in an instant, casting the Mind Control Technique. The blade’s trajectory scattered like falling petals, instantly severing the necks of three charging Dragon Persons. This marked the first time a master of the Bancheon Alliance had slain a monster.
Extreme Tiger followed suit. Using the Soul Removal Technique, he sent monsters flying with reckless abandon, causing considerable chaos among the ranks, which made it easier for the others to fight.
*Thud!*
In the midst of the clash, an opportunity was seized by a black-hearted demon who released dark Qi. Unlike Dragon Persons, demons had not undergone external transformation; instead, they harbored the demon beings within, allowing them to wield the power of darkness directly. Should the Extreme Tiger get caught in the demon’s aura, his self-defense would falter.
“*Deflecting the Demon’s Will.*”
*Bang!*
Although it was a sudden ambush, it appeared that Extreme Tiger skillfully dodged it as the incantation was shouted. Covered in blue light, he quickly swung his spear, striking the demon down, and nodded in acknowledgment to the Taoist who had aided him.
“Thank you! But what was your name again…?”
Was he in his early forties? The Taoist, clad in dirt-covered robes, chuckled heartily.
“I’m Jeon Woo-chi, who trained sorcery for 20 years on Jiri Mountain! I will pour all my strength into the Bancheon Alliance’s victory today.”
*Clang! Clang!*
As Extreme Tiger clashed with the Dragon Persons repeatedly, he marveled,
“You, who are Goryeo people, didn’t join the Twelve Joules but came to the Bancheon Alliance instead.”
“Moved by the righteousness of the Leader of the Bancheon Alliance, that is all.”
Jeon Woo-chi replied with a smile.
“The Leader of the Bancheon Alliance has spent a lot of his powers; rest for now! I will assist my comrades with sorcery.”
“Thank you, Jeon Woo-chi.”
Indeed, Mangnyang seemed utterly exhausted after his recent battle with Dalgi, visibly drained. Moreover, no one of Mangnyang’s caliber was currently available in the Bancheon Alliance, so Jeon Woo-chi stepped in as a substitute. Moreover, Jeon Woo-chi’s skills astonishingly surpassed those of Mangnyang, making him more than capable of taking his place.
*Boom!*
During the prolonged fierce battle, explosions reverberated.
*Rumble!*
Han Baek-ryeong unleashed the Heavenly Contraction Sword, drawing fiery symbols into the air. That colossal attack incinerated over a dozen Dragon Persons at once, but Han Baek-ryeong seemed displeased, saying,
“It doesn’t end. How many of them are there?”
Indeed, even after fighting for half a meal’s time, over seventy enemies had fallen, yet monsters continued to emerge from all directions endlessly. They were remarkably more potent than the forces faced before, estimated to be at least over five hundred.
The relentless tide of monsters matching the prowess of Peak Masters instilled a considerable sense of despair, disregarding our forces. The Master of the White Lotus Sect and the Dharma Protectors occasionally launched significant attacks to sweep the monsters away, but that was merely sufficient to delay the overwhelming mass of creatures.
Then, the Master of the White Lotus Sect said,
[ Jin So-cheong.]
*Rustle!*
“Speak.”
Responding to the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s call, Jin So-cheong was striking down three monsters with his spear technique. Either due to their exceptional strength, they stood in an open area, unsought after by the monsters. The Master of the White Lotus Sect continued,
[ We can no longer afford to delay this according to the Vermilion Bird’s wishes. I will open a path; you should eliminate the creature.]
“Understood.”
*Crumble, crumble…*
The Master of the White Lotus Sect began gathering pure power in his palm leisurely, mobilizing the Primordial Spirit’s force as if it was not for actual combat.
As the overwhelming ‘Qi’ he generated began to surge with incredible might, everyone able to sense it turned their attention to him. Even the monsters seemed to sense the urgency as they hesitated and began to back away from the Master of the White Lotus Sect.
After a brief while, he calmly released the round Qi from his palm forward.
*Whoosh!*
The world around went white. With a flash that filled everyone’s line of sight, sound hushed, and silence enveloped the battlefield temporarily. However, due to overwhelming destructive force, every monster in front vanished, and the barrier composing that space had been destroyed, resulting in an opening in the void.
Under the night sky that had been shattered, the only one moving nimbly was Jin So-cheong. He used the Soul Removal Technique to dart rapidly somewhere, where the figure of Zhuge Yulong, previously unseen, came into view. The Vermilion Bird raised his sword in counterattack against Jin So-cheong’s charge.
*Clang!*
[ Gongsun Sword Technique! ]
It was the sword technique known as the world’s number one, one I could have faced before! If I hadn’t known how to utilize the heavenly grand movement of the Seven Great Techniques, I may have been killed instantly due to its superb swordsmanship. The Vermilion Bird, a master of the Gongsun Sword Technique, was renowned as one of the Three Great Masters.
“Too weak.”
*Thud!*
“Gah…!!”
Yet, with just a mere two seconds of clashing, Jin So-cheong effortlessly pierced the Vermilion Bird’s heart with his spear and swiftly decapitated him. No matter how much of a Peak Master he was, the current Jin So-cheong wasn’t even trifling with him!
*Boom!*
Jin So-cheong gracefully descended, her elegant posture reminiscent of the conclusion of the battle at Mount Ye.
“Gasp… Gasp…”
“What do you think, Mangnyang?”
Swallowed by the amazement of Jin So-cheong’s rapid entrance, a breathless Mangnyang wiped his sweat and grabbed the Vermilion Bird’s head, looking immensely disappointed as he spoke,
“I can’t believe it turned out to be a bait again even after coming this far…”
“Looks like it was as I suspected. Something seemed off.”
“The Vermilion Bird pretended to perform a ritual here on Mount Ye while secretly whisking the Divine Portrait away. The ritual is being conducted elsewhere.”
“Abandoning all the altars on Mount Ye… You mean, the forces within the Imperial Palace are the real deal?”
“Exactly, because they were genuine, they could deceive us. The Vermilion Bird gave up all advantages on Mount Ye to try and complete the ultimate Divine Portrait, albeit partially.”
Jin So-cheong sighed.
“… Do you think we can still catch the Vermilion Bird?”
“Under normal circumstances, that would be impossible. We’ve been completely outmaneuvered. Even if we were to kill all the Dragon Persons here, it would be meaningless.”
Mangnyang spoke with a tense expression.
“Right… There’s nothing we can do now. We must rely on my uncle and Lee Cheong-un.”
*Boom!*
At that moment, the scene faded for a brief moment. Cheon Woo-jin, who had halted the casting of clairvoyance, gazed at me and said,
“It seems the time has come for you to leave.”
“Really… What kind of development is this…”
I gaped in disbelief. What I feared the most had turned into an unlikely reality before my eyes. Even when I listened to Zhuge Sa’s plan, I hesitated, but Zhuge Yulong had indeed pulled off an incredible con against us.
Cheon Woo-jin smirked.
“They’re brothers. The pride of Zhuge Sa dictates that you can be fooled once, but never twice.”
“Will they find it?”
At that moment, I heard the voice of Zhuge Sa through the suspicious fishhook I was holding.
[ Baek Woong. Bring your comrades with you to the location I’m about to tell you. It is time to finish Zhuge Yulong.]
[ Really? Where?]
[ At the Heavenly Altar of Mount Huang. We’ve even discovered Zhuge Yulong’s true form. They are working hard to complete the Divine Portrait, so hurry.]
[ Got it.]
I sighed in relief.
“Phew.”
That was it. Zhuge Sa had anticipated from the beginning the possibility that the ritual at Mount Ye was fake and sent the remaining forces to Mount Ye instead, pairing himself and Lee Cheong-un together to find the ‘real’ ritual location.
It was an absurd notion that could logically not exist, but Zhuge Yulong really did use the altars of Mount Ye as bait to strike us from behind, and Zhuge Sa had spent the day looking for the actual ritual location.
At this very moment, Zhuge Sa had completely caught up to Zhuge Yulong’s scheme.
“Let’s go!”
Of course, this time I was only bringing along my comrades from the Bancheon Alliance.
I needed neither the White Lotus Sect nor the Twelve Joules.
I would seize the ultimate Divine Portrait and emerge as the final victor!