NOVEL NEXT Chapter 599
Chapter 599 – Dark Heaven Village
With a snap of his fingers, Master Ji-seon summoned a cloud that suddenly appeared before me. It resembled a fluffy, swirling mass, and as I gazed down at it, he grinned and said,
“You can ride it.”
“What if I fall…?”
“Ah, don’t worry. It’s a technique and a treasure, so it won’t be that picky.”
At that moment, I placed both feet onto the cloud.
Flash!
“……?!”
“We’re here.”
“Where is this?”
“This is White Silk Mountain, the dwelling of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens.”
I felt an astonishing sensation as the scenery changed, almost as if my entire being was being sucked into somewhere new. While I could teleport using the Golden Lamp, this cloud had pierced straight through the barriers of the Celestial Realm. Master Ji-seon seemed to have a prescient understanding of my surprise as he dismounted from the cloud.
“The cloud can ignore barriers.”
“Well, that’s… interesting.”
I almost mentioned how it seemed like a Four Great Spirits technique, but I bit my tongue. After all, the Four Great Spirits are among the most powerful beasts in the Celestial Realm, and knowing about it might raise suspicions. But Master Ji-seon, perhaps assuming my amazement stemmed from admiration, jested,
“Don’t be too jealous~ I have no plans to share it.”
“……”
Who said I wanted it?
“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman will be out soon. But what do you want to say to her?”
“I can’t say until I meet her directly.”
“Hmm. Just do as you wish. You’ll need my help if you want to return to the Earth from here in White Silk Mountain anyway.”
It seemed like Master Ji-seon was subtly cautioning me not to act recklessly. Given his position, it was reasonable for him to be concerned, so I nodded without giving it much thought.
And then it happened.
Sssss
The white sand spread around us like silk began to rise, as a silver pathway flowed down from beyond the mountains. When the end of the path reached me, a divine light emerged, and the Heavenly Mysterious Woman appeared.
She looked the same as I remembered from the one time I saw her before. So incredibly elegant and beautiful that I couldn’t even dare to entertain lewd thoughts! This feeling reminded me of the Fire Dragon Incarnate, leading me to think that perhaps it was a common trait among the celestial women.
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman spoke.
“Master Ji-seon, who is this human?”
To my surprise, her voice came not as an ethereal sound but in full, physical speech. Master Ji-seon scratched the back of his head and replied,
“Uh… he’s a human who’s here to help me.”
“I see. Then why bring this human all the way to White Silk Mountain in the Celestial Realm?”
“Because he has something to say to you.”
“……”
Our eyes locked. The moment I met her gaze, I felt like I had fallen into an ice cave.
‘Not a human!’
Her eyes were utterly devoid of emotion!
I had expected this, but her gaze emitted no trace of humanity. Instead, it was filled with an overwhelming presence that one would expect from those otherworldly beings I had met before. Indeed, like a true ancient being, she retained a human form merely as a façade.
I composed myself and summoned my sword.
Paat!
“That’s…!!”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman displayed a shocked expression upon seeing my sword. I declared,
“I am Yeodong-bin, the disciple of the Fire Dragon Incarnate, and I have come to meet you on his guidance.”
“Fire Dragon Incarnate…?”
Sssss
Just as I finished speaking, spirit energy flowed from my Fire Dragon Sword, forming a clone of the Fire Dragon Incarnate in front of me. The manifested incarnation crossed his arms and said,
“Long time no see.”
Seeing her spoke plainly meant that even the Great Immortal didn’t find the need for ethereal tones in the Celestial Realm.
“You were rumored to have perished while subduing the Evil Dragon; I’m surprised to see you alive.”
“Indeed.”
The Fire Dragon Incarnate nodded quietly before continuing,
“The Law of Cause and Effect of Divine Sword Technique was connected to you, Heavenly Mysterious Woman. What have you done to my disciple, Yeodong-bin?”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman stared at me for a moment before answering,
“Yeodong-bin states that his master’s name is Baek Woong, is that correct?”
“Fifty years ago, before the Divine Altar descended, you were active in fulfilling his will, weren’t you? You’re quite late.”
“……”
It was clear she was indirectly asking why I had been absent for fifty years. I hesitated, unsure about how to respond. Would it be wise to mention Emperor Changqie or the Eight Parts of the Divine?
‘I can’t even guess her reaction to the mention of the Eight Parts of the Divine.’
The Eight Parts and the Celestial Realm were clearly at odds. Moreover, it was impossible to trust the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Master Ji-seon completely when they were standing right in front of me. There’s a possibility that Emperor Changqie or the Eight Parts could eventually help me. Given that I’ve had my fair share of backstabbing in my life, I was reluctant to reveal my secrets.
‘Maybe I’ll wait and gather more information before speaking…’
I decided to collect whatever information I could. When I fell silent, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman spoke.
“The reason I taught Yeodong-bin the Divine Sword Technique and sent him to the Earth was to keep watch over the Queen Mother of the West before tragedies like today could occur.”
“What do you mean?”
“Though Yeodong-bin became the sword and descended to the mortal realm, his power remains intact, but the constraints of the Celestial Realm dissipate. The eyes monitoring the Eight Immortals will vanish as well. I had hoped that you and Yeodong-bin would cooperate to uncover the plot the Queen Mother schemes.”
“Hmm…”
Monitoring the Queen Mother.
The schemes of the Queen Mother.
Her words reminded me of what Ji-seon Mangnyang had said in the past.
[I’m… not the Mangnyang you knew… but I’ve lived my own life… and once this mission is over… I had planned to undertake the secret mission given by the Heavenly Mysterious Woman… but guilt has made it impossible…]
[… there’s darkness in the deepest parts of the Celestial Realm… and you must uncover it…]
Mangnyang had transmitted his memories and experiences through the Corpse Dissolution Technique. He revealed that the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s disciples and subordinates met untimely deaths at the hands of mysterious beings, and Mangnyang had gambled on me because he couldn’t uncover it himself.
‘I’ve been suspicious of the Queen Mother since then.’
It continued into my current life. There had been plenty of times when the Queen Mother had shown herself to be unnaturally shady. I asked the Heavenly Mysterious Woman,
“Isn’t the Queen Mother your superior? Why oppose her intentions while working against the will of the Celestial Realm?”
“If you’re digging into the Queen Mother’s actions while trying to destroy Pangu, then you would have already committed a serious crime against the Celestial Realm. The problem is, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman is an esteemed entity within the Celestial Realm.”
There were but a few beings who stood higher than her.
Then the Heavenly Mysterious Woman said,
“The Queen Mother…”
Her following words came as a shock to me.
“She devours Immortals.”
“……?!”
“Regularly.”
What the hell was that supposed to mean?!
This statement left not just me but even the Fire Dragon Incarnate visibly aghast. Master Ji-seon, however, seemed unfazed like he was already aware, only frowning slightly. The Fire Dragon Incarnate spoke in a bewildered tone,
“What do you mean? That’s something I’ve never heard before.”
“Fire Dragon Incarnate. You hold a special position in the Celestial Realm, which kept you out of reach of anyone. You’ve also maintained a noble status as the incarnation of the Divine Dragon. The creature from the Divine Temple is an outsider in the Celestial Realm, so it’s understandable that you weren’t aware.”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman continued,
“I’ve been instructing the Earth Immortals and Upper Immortals who have passed through the thresholds of the Celestial Realm since the grand hall of Dukrok. Originally, I was a goddess of war, but I no longer need to fight on the front lines. However, over time, I began to notice my disciples disappearing, one by one.”
“Disappearing… Could it be…”
“As I mentioned previously, the Queen Mother devoured them. With her means, she would either abduct Immortals or lure them to her palace and ultimately consume them. I had been secretly observing the Queen Mother for a long time using magic until I witnessed that very scene.”
“That’s truly… unbelievable.”
The Fire Dragon Incarnate’s expression was one of confusion.
But it was something I had no choice but to believe. If this wasn’t true, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman wouldn’t have had a reason to revolt against the Queen Mother and the Celestial Realm. After pondering for a while, the Fire Dragon Incarnate said,
“The Queen Mother must have noticed you’ve caught on, leading to this strange internal strife? As a result, you’ve chosen to teach my disciple, Yeodong-bin, the Divine Sword Technique and sent him to the mortal realm.”
“That’s right. I initially intended to have only my subordinates, the Earth Immortals, investigate, but I faced limits due to the existence of powerful beings capable of eliminating my disciples.”
“Then the Queen Mother would certainly have that level of subordinates at her disposal. That’s why you intended to enlist the assistance of powerful beings such as Yeodong-bin. No matter how strong a being is, an unnoticed attack by such powerful existences would be impossible.”
“Yes.”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman displayed a somewhat bitter expression.
“Since the world is in turmoil due to evil spirits, someone had to descend to the Earth. That’s why the Queen Mother overlooked my recruitment of Yeodong-bin fifty years ago.”
“I have a question.”
The Fire Dragon Incarnate looked sharply at the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.
“I don’t think it’s due to that reason alone… If there’s something you’re hiding, please speak now.”
“……”
“No matter how much she devours Immortals, I wouldn’t expect someone as cautious as you to make a decision for rebellion. What other doubts do you have about the Queen Mother?”
At the bold question from the Fire Dragon Incarnate, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman seemed to hesitate.
At that moment, Master Ji-seon interjected.
“Fire Dragon Incarnate, I’m sorry, but this might be too much.”
“What do you mean?”
“The story from here on out will be life-threatening. Once you hear it, there’s no way out. But you are the incarnation of the Divine Dragon of the Divine Temple, aren’t you? Do you truly think you can remain neutral in this matter?”
“… Hmm.”
The Fire Dragon Incarnate shook his head in apparent distress.
“I don’t know of the true intentions of the Divine Dragon. But I am a separate entity from that.”
“Before that, I want to hear my disciple’s words.”
He coldly fixed his gaze on the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.
“Your words alone won’t suffice.”
“Very well.”
Swoosh
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman subtly reached out her hand. Moments later, the sword I held began to glow, transforming into the form of Yeodong-bin.
Yeodong-bin examined the space, offering polite greetings to both the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and the Fire Dragon Incarnate before turning toward me.
“Yeon-ja, resurrecting the master in a human body and reaching the Celestial Mysterious Woman’s presence with you… Truly impressive. Thanks to you, Earth will be saved.”
“I… well…”
“What happened to the Divine Altar? Did the evil spirits retreat?”
“… Uh…”
As I struggled to find words, Master Ji-seon curtly said,
“Dong-bin, there’s nothing to hear!”
“Master Ji-seon.”
“It’s been fifty years since you became the sword!”
“……?”
Yeodong-bin looked at me in confusion, the look on his face filled with bewilderment.
“Yeon-ja.”
I averted my gaze from Yeodong-bin, but he used the Overlay Technique to re-establish eye contact.
“Yeon-ja.”
Once again, I tried to turn away, but Yeodong-bin locked eyes with me once more.
“……”
Step, step
“Yeon-ja…”
Gradually, Yeodong-bin’s gaze grew sharper as he approached me, fists trembling with barely contained anger. I felt a chill run down my spine, as if my heart was pounding. I felt that I wanted to immediately drop to my knees and beg for forgiveness.
He seemed intent on hitting me, his fists clenched white-knuckled, but after a moment of calming down, he sighed.
“Could you explain what’s happening?”
I relayed the events that had transpired. As I spoke, Yeodong-bin pondered for a moment before stating,
“You’re hiding something.”
“……”
“You’re unwilling to discuss the most crucial part, ‘the reason for being missing for fifty years.’ What’s the reason?”
I realized I could no longer hide and reluctantly began to broach the topics of Emperor Changqie and the Eight Parts of the Divine. After all, with this many Great Immortals gathered, either Master Ji-seon would use his magic to threaten me, or Yeodong-bin would hit me, or the Heavenly Mysterious Woman would extract secrets with her magic. Furthermore, given the determination displayed by those gathered to oppose the Celestial Realm, I decided to speak up.
“… And that’s how I ended up here.”
“Did you receive no orders from Emperor Changqie?”
“None of that sort. I woke up and found it was fifty years later.”
“You were simply kidnapped by the Eight Parts of the Divine.”
“Yes.”
Hearing my account, Master Ji-seon frowned.
“Damn it. So that’s how it went down? That especially misfortune must be due to that Taoist Master!”
“What do you mean?”
“I once teamed up with one of the Eight Parts during a trip to Tianzhu. The guy’s name was Tripitaka. He’s one of the Eight Parts you’ve encountered.”
“……!!”
“Tripitaka, his nickname was based upon how he mastered the Jingzhang, Lüzang, and Lunzhang to become the top monk of the age, and it turns out he was one of the Eight Parts.”
Tripitaka!
I committed that name to memory. I figured I could uncover more information about the Eight Parts by investigating Tripitaka. I then curiously asked Master Ji-seon,
“Could it be that you and the Eight Parts are in cahoots?”
“No, not at all! If I had been aware, I would have obviously told you first! I only got a bit of information from them when we visited Tianzhu that time.”
Master Ji-seon firmly denied my suspicions before shooting a glance at the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and asked,
“Heavenly Mysterious Woman. It seems like Changqie has also intervened in this matter; what shall we do?”
“……”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman looked worried.
She finally spoke,
“It seems, Yeodong-bin, that your master, Baek Woong, carries a significant burden upon his shoulders. There must be a reason why Changqie confined him for fifty years.”
“I had suspected as much.”
Yeodong-bin looked to the sky, continuing,
“Master Mangnyang showed considerable interest and affection toward Baek Woong.”
“I see…”
After a moment of contemplation, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman finally said,
“Then I’ll trust you all and share my words. The true reason we must stop the Queen Mother is…”
With that, everyone fell silent.
“Because the Three Purities have already been slaughtered by her, and the entirety of the Celestial Realm has become her puppet.”