NOVEL NEXT Chapter 617
Chapter 617 – Dark Heaven Village
Pa-at!
I headed towards the underground of the Imperial Palace with Cheon Woo-jin. Cheon Woo-jin chanted a spell and temporarily created a pathway through the barrier protecting the National Seal, allowing me to enter. After becoming the owner of the National Seal, I quickly exited and spoke to Cheon Woo-jin.
“Cheon Woo-jin, about restoring the Fire Dragon Sword sealed in Luoyang…”
When Cheon Woo-jin glanced at me, I cautiously added, “Isn’t there a way to do this without relying on Yeodong-bin’s help? As far as I know, you are the foremost sorcerer in martial arts…”
“Why? Since the terminals are connected, you could just ask for his help.”
“I’d rather not be too dependent on Yeodong-bin, as he might end up being a burden if we run into the Celestial Realm in the future. I want to explore other options…”
Seemingly understanding my concerns, Cheon Woo-jin responded, “You’re worried that information might leak to the Celestial Realm through Yeodong-bin.”
“Exactly.”
“But I don’t want to deliberately use a severance command to drive Yeodong-bin away, especially considering there may be times when his help becomes essential. Plus, it would be worthless for unsealing.”
“…Fair enough.”
Getting Yeodong-bin’s help to lift the seal in Luoyang’s underground would be easy. However, seeing how Yeodong-bin was trying to cut ties with the Celestial Realm using the Divine Sword Technique made me realize that the Great Immortal is indeed tightly bound to the Celestial Realm, which is a significant constraint. Furthermore, since I had previously clashed with Yeodong-bin over the liberation issues of the Seven Luminaries, I didn’t want to rely too much on him.
Yeodong-bin isn’t the type to easily leak information to the Celestial Realm, but if our connection isn’t deep enough, he could side with them at any moment. I felt this way due to my past lives, where I realized that my emotional bond with the terminal connected to the Dharma Protector wasn’t that substantial. Building a trust relationship with Yeodong-bin requires its own process.
Suddenly, Cheon Woo-jin said, “You’ll eventually choose to fight on your own. You unconsciously favor that choice…”
“What?”
“Nothing, just talking to myself.”
Cheon Woo-jin mumbled and then explained, “Ultimately, reviving the shattered Fire Dragon Sword and strengthening the seal boils down to awakening the consciousness of the Fire Dragon Incarnate, which is the true entity of the sword, and enhancing her powers. Yeodong-bin has the ability to summon and awaken her, or one could create a separate transition using a document like Nine Stars Main Capital.”
“Hmm.”
“Ordinarily, there wouldn’t be a way, but given your current state, you might be able to awaken the dormant consciousness of the Fire Dragon Incarnate within the Fire Dragon Sword by yourself.”
“Really?”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded. “In your past life, you awakened the Fire Dragon Sword and bonded with the Fire Dragon Incarnate. Since the terminals are connected, if you communicate through it, you might awaken her like Yeodong-bin does…”
Trailing off, Cheon Woo-jin added, “The depth of your connection with the Fire Dragon Incarnate is essential.”
“What do you mean?”
“The reason Yeodong-bin can awaken her from her deep slumber is that their bond as mentor and disciple is incredibly profound. They risked their lives together thousands of times a millennium ago and ultimately vanquished the monstrous dragon to save the world. But you and the Fire Dragon Incarnate don’t share a bond of that caliber, do you?”
“……”
That was true. At best, we had merely restored the Fire Dragon Sword and spent a brief time together as connected entities. Hearing Cheon Woo-jin’s words sparked my curiosity, so I asked, “Is the power of connection that important? Is it considered a type of sorcery?”
“Hmm… the power of connection isn’t well-explained in sorcery, so you might not know much about it.” Cheon Woo-jin looked around before continuing, “Let’s exit from the sealed area. Staying here too long will arouse suspicion.”
“Got it.”
Pa-at!
Together with Cheon Woo-jin, I stepped out into a quiet area of the outside world. Cheon Woo-jin sat on a nearby rock and began explaining.
“Connection is akin to a thread. It is the most intimate power in existence.”
“A thread?”
“You likely already know about the Law of Cause and Effect. It is a principle that even divine statuses cannot escape; because there are causes, there are also effects… It’s the simplest yet most powerful law in existence. Only one entity in this universe can transcend the Law of Cause and Effect, and even that entity is so unparalleled that discussing it is pointless. It’s effectively the greatest law of the world.”
He clasped his hands and continued, “The Law of Cause and Effect conjures invisible threads, which generate connections. Every being in this world—living and non-living, divine and non-divine—forms from interactions. Since connections arise from the Law of Cause and Effect, no divine status can recklessly tamper with or sever them. Even if you can manipulate time and space, tampering with connections is out of the question.”
“Wow…”
“This thread bundles and twists together to become the root of all sorcery and magic, and it serves as the most precious foundation for forming contracts. To put it broadly, even the Old Ruler exists within the network of connections. Surely, they, too, must have a source of [causes] that birthed them, right?”
“Hmm… that makes sense.”
If that’s true, then unless they formed from complete nothingness, ignoring the flow of time and space, they cannot be free from the Law of Cause and Effect.
“Ordinarily, sorcerers don’t study connections in depth. Why? Because knowing just the basics suffices, and delving into connection sorcery is either trivial or too advanced, making it challenging to touch.”
“But it’s good to be aware that connection has another quality.”
“Another quality?”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded. “Connection is also fate, a property that transcends sorcery and possesses pure [power].”
“……!!”
“Powerful connections can wield extraordinary strength without the need for sorcery elements, such as spells, summoning, or offerings. That’s why Yeodong-bin, who isn’t a sorcerer, can awaken the Fire Dragon Incarnate just by calling her.”
Understanding Cheon Woo-jin’s explanation, I cautiously inquired, “So, powerful connections can bring about miracles?”
“That is a valid way to express it. You’ve likely experienced it a few times, right?”
“What?”
“During your past lifetimes, even when you found yourself in utterly chaotic circumstances, thanks to your connections with those around you, things improved or took miraculous turns. Ridiculous plans sometimes worked out. I believe those instances were influenced by the ‘power’ of connections.”
“……”
“However, this is a discussion of a dimension that differs from the fundamental theories of sorcery, so sorcerers don’t usually debate it. The fact that sorcery came down from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Fuxi, is another factor; it’s too profound a realm for humans to ponder fully.”
“Hmm…”
I pondered how I could deepen my connection with the Fire Dragon Incarnate, and then Cheon Woo-jin chuckled.
“Don’t entertain silly thoughts. The power of connection isn’t something you can manipulate at will. Building fake connections will become meaningless quickly. Even I, known as the Dharma Protector, would never dream of artificially controlling genuine connections. It’s not unlike manipulating the world’s fate.”
“Is that so…”
“To establish a connection with her, I think it’s better to solve the issues she harbors rather than attempting to befriend her artificially. The fact that the Fire Dragon Incarnate is sealed within the Fire Dragon Sword likely has some unique circumstances.”
“Got it!”
Cheon Woo-jin’s advice sounded plausible. Certainly, approaching her, who is the Great Immortal and the avatar of Shenglong, as just an ordinary human would be futile. Feeling grateful for Cheon Woo-jin’s guidance, I looked at him with a peculiar feeling.
“What are you staring at?”
“Why are you being so nice all of a sudden? You usually don’t act like this…”
Cheon Woo-jin scoffed. “Hah! If I don’t say anything, you’d pester me endlessly while acting innocent. What a shameless brat.”
“……”
“Anyway, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way…”
“Wait a moment!!”
I hurriedly grabbed Cheon Woo-jin. He made an openly displeased face.
“Why now?”
“Actually…”
I shared my concern about [memory leakage] with Cheon Woo-jin. After explaining the situation, I said, “If this continues, I might lose control in a hundred years or so. Is there a way to store memories clearly?”
Cheon Woo-jin thought for a moment before replying, “Hmm… I don’t know. I know many memory-enhancing sorceries better than the Thunder Spirit Classic, but none of them can fundamentally solve your problem. The Thunder Spirit Classic itself significantly enhances memory, so there may not be a substantial qualitative difference. Besides, if your past life spans thousands of years, you’ll end up like a memory loss patient.”
“Damn it!! Don’t treat this like someone else’s problem. It’s a crucial issue for me.”
Cheon Woo-jin teased me.
“I’m saying it like this because it’s someone else’s problem. Are you stupid?”
“……”
“Besides, since you don’t even understand the principles of your previous life, how would you grasp how to retain your memories? Go discuss it with Zhuge Sa first and then come back to ask me.”
Pa-at!
In the end, Cheon Woo-jin vanished as if he found me a bother. It seemed there was no more courtesy left to hear my worries. Although disappointed, I figured it was best to back off since Cheon Woo-jin wouldn’t say anything unnecessary.
‘Hmm, so shall I bring Jin So-cheong and Extreme Tiger next…?’
Pa-bat!
I swiftly moved to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and quietly sent an invitation to Jin So-cheong through the Six Harmonies Assembly. When Jin So-cheong finally appeared at the back mountain, I said to him:
“Jin So-cheong! I’ve come to repay my debt to you.”
Jin So-cheong looked puzzled. “We are meeting for the first time in life, what are you talking about? You seem to be the Half-Transition Master; reveal your identity.”
“I am Baek Woong, and I’ve received substantial help from you in the past.”
I exerted my martial authority.
“So I propose this: Let’s spar. If I win, will you accept this obsidian? It contains a sorcery for transmitting memories.”
“… I’m not quite sure what your offer is about, but it doesn’t seem like you’ll let me go easily. So let’s do this.”
Thus, I started sparring with Jin So-cheong. After a few moments of exchanging techniques, one realization struck me.
‘Jin So-cheong is inexperienced right now. However… he is subconsciously honing the techniques of the Thunder God Lineage!’
In previous spars, I wouldn’t have noticed, but as I deeply comprehended the Thunder God’s martial arts under the guidance of Lee Cheong-un and reached the realm of mastery, it became clear. Jin So-cheong was struggling at the moment, not knowing what the next level meant. Yet, he was subconsciously grasping the intricacies of the techniques I had painstakingly trained to learn. It clicked in my mind how he would rapidly grow once he recognized the technique.
What a curious phenomenon.
The disparity in martial arts between the early Jin So-cheong and me only widened – yet, with each widening gap, I increasingly recognized how remarkable his talents were, humbling myself in the process. It felt as though the horizon of martial arts itself was widening within me.
After about a hundred seconds, Jin So-cheong suddenly lowered his spear, letting out a long sigh.
“Hah… You’re toying with me too much.”
“Toying with you?”
“If you wanted, you could’ve inflicted a fatal blow within ten seconds. Yet, instead, you’re mentoring me in this spar?”
Did he realize it?
I grinned wryly and replied, “Just as I said, I’m here to show my gratitude, not to harm you.”
“You’ve been saying incomprehensible things since earlier…”
Jin So-cheong boldly extended his hand. “Show me that obsidian you mentioned. I want to understand what you’re saying.”
“Sure.”
I handed the obsidian to Jin So-cheong and transmitted the memories.
A moment later, Jin So-cheong trembled as if digesting the memories he received. After a while, he finally stopped showing a shocked expression and spoke.
“… My goodness, this is unbelievable…”
I carefully looked at Jin So-cheong and said, “This marks your 24th past life. In your previous life, you showed me something called the Divine Sword Technique before meeting your end.”
“……”
“I’m still not clear on what the Divine Sword Technique truly is. However, had it not been for you, I would have been facing death at the hands of the Nine Lotus Bishop without ever uncovering the identity of the black mask lurking behind the Celestial Realm. Thanks to you, I’ve significantly shortened my path toward my goal.”
Jin So-cheong momentarily staggered, seemingly confused. Then he said, “So, will you be going to Dark Heaven Village to die this time, like you did in your previous life?”
“I plan to.”
“Then there was no need for you to seek me out, was there?”
I smiled bitterly. “Regardless of need or not, I wish to express my gratitude to a worthy opponent, and I can’t dismiss that reason.”
“… You are indeed an honorable person.”
Jin So-cheong contemplated for a moment before saying, “Baek Woong, I have a request.”
“What is it?”
What he said next took me by surprise.
“Take me to the Master of the White Lotus Sect. I want to become his disciple.”