NOVEL NEXT Chapter 670
Chapter 670: Dark Heaven Village
“There’s no doubt about it.”
If the souls of the Otherworldly Race here are human, then they must have been part of Empress Wu Zetian’s people during the Tang Dynasty! For instance, just a moment ago, the snake-man blocking my path spoke in a manner laced with archaic phrases from that era, blending human intonation rather than sounding purely like a bizarre dialect of the Otherworldly Race.
Images of Yeodong-bin’s past memories flashed in my mind.
When Yeodong-bin had infiltrated the imperial palace, he confronted Empress Wu Zetian one-on-one.
“**Sang Gwanwna showed me what happens after death. The path to become a wandering specter after leaving the earthly realm, toward the Divine Palace… A route leading to the Underworld… and ultimately, understanding that all of it leads to becoming prey for the [Old Ruler], suffering eternally in this Living Hell.**”
“**I… originally regarded this Tang Empire as my child… because my offspring would inherit the rule. Until now, I have eradicated corrupt officials and kept the aristocracy in check… working to establish a system so that the people could live peacefully. I devoted my body and soul entirely to the revival of the empire, forsaking my own well-being.**”
“**However… if everything after death is hell… what meaning do any of these efforts hold? Yeodong-bin… If everything in this world must inevitably rush toward despair… then what significance do rule and imperial power hold?**”
“**That is why I have decided to become a god. With the help of Sang Gwanwna, after becoming a deity and ascending to Dark Heaven Village, I will gather the souls of the subjects living in the present Tang Empire and save them from the end. I have heard that if I become a Lesser Deity, I can gather my own followers there.**”
“**Yeodong-bin… I wish to become a god and save my people. Am I wrong?**”
Empress Wu Zetian’s desire was to save the souls of her subjects in the Tang Empire, whose end was drawing near. Thus, she partnered with the Eight Parts of the Divine, Yacha Sang Gwanwna, to conduct a large-scale human sacrifice and summon the Otherworldly Race, ultimately succeeding in the Offering Ceremony and becoming a deity of Dark Heaven Village using the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram.
In the meantime, while I had seen in Yeodong-bin’s recollections that Empress Wu Zetian had succeeded in the Offering Ceremony at Mount Tai, I was unaware of her subsequent actions. I vaguely knew that she had become a god, but I did not comprehend the implications of that.
‘…But.’
Did Empress Wu Zetian truly save the subjects of the Tang Empire without a selfish motive? Did she reincarnate their souls in Dark Heaven Village?
I had assumed she pursued immortality under a pretext of noble intentions, leaving me perplexed. Who would have thought she would establish her wishes in Dark Heaven Village! That was why I sought to stop her from having the Otherworldly Race slaughtered right before my eyes.
Shin Gong-pyo was openly showing his displeasure.
“Hmph, why can’t I kill these Otherworldly types?”
“I told you, they are people from the Tang Dynasty…”
“Do you really judge those as human? You’ve lost it.”
As he sneered, Shin Gong-pyo suddenly widened his eyes.
*Whoosh!*
It felt like a massive gust of wind swept past, abruptly freezing time, causing everything before me to turn black and white. I was inwardly shocked as I recognized the sudden technique Shin Gong-pyo unleashed.
‘Time stop?!’
And he did it without any incantations or actions, purely through will?!
Was it true that those who reached the pinnacle of techniques, like the Eight Parts of the Divine’s Tripitaka, could manipulate time so freely? They were not even gods but merely beings on the threshold, yet wielding such immense power made me wonder how potent the [Old Ruler] must be.
Shin Gong-pyo casually approached the snake-man and patted its chin.
“Look. This fellow’s skin is covered in scales, and it has blue blood flowing inside. And…”
*Thrust!!*
Shin Gong-pyo suddenly plunged his arm into the snake-man’s chest. As if he could manipulate internal energy, he seemed to pierce through the snake-man’s body like tofu.
*Slosh!*
As Shin Gong-pyo rummaged through the internals, he pulled out something that resembled a blood-red jade. Gazing at that crimson jade, Shin Gong-pyo spoke.
“This proves that this fellow is not a typical monster but belongs to the pure demonic class. Despite this, you still consider these beings human? They are nothing more than Otherworldly types baptized in chaos.”
I strongly objected to Shin Gong-pyo’s words.
“I told you!! They possess human souls. If their souls are human, doesn’t that mean their bodies can be considered human too?!”
Currently, even though I was lending my body to Shin Gong-pyo and retreating into my inner world, I could still activate the Fire Eye Golden Spirit and see the essence of the opponent. The snake-men were indeed the bodies of the Otherworldly Race, but the souls trapped within were unmistakably human. I was sure that even with the Soul Exchange Technique, I could definitively draw out their souls.
At that moment, Shin Gong-pyo chuckled.
“Ridiculous… You think a soul equates to being human? Do you really believe that?”
“Why? Is that wrong? Talk to those fellows and you’ll see they are human…”
*Whoosh!*
At that moment, something white rose above Shin Gong-pyo’s hand. She hovered the white mass in the air and said.
“Isn’t this also a soul?”
“Ah…”
I was taken aback.
Examining the white mass created by Shin Gong-pyo with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I realized it was indeed a soul! It was indistinguishable from a human soul, making it nearly impossible to claim it was false. Shin Gong-pyo, as if playing a prank, flicked the soul, landing it inside a nearby minuscule insect.
As the soul smoothly merged with the insect, Shin Gong-pyo picked up the insect, which had six legs and a segmented body, grinning.
“By your argument, this would make it human.”
“…”
Unbelievable.
*Pop!*
Just as I was at a loss for words, Shin Gong-pyo crushed the insect, and once more, the soul emerged from the insect’s body. He grasped the soul and crushed it, leaving me in silence. Shin Gong-pyo continued.
“Creating an artificial soul is no simple task, but for someone like me, it’s not impossible. Moreover, the essence of a soul is merely a part of the world’s substance, and judging humanity based on that? You must be ignorant of how easy it is to imbue false memories into an artificial soul.”
“…Ugh! Just because you’re playing with techniques doesn’t mean you can deny the essence of humanity! Those beings understand human life and consider themselves human; that’s what makes them human!!”
I shouted, and Shin Gong-pyo retorted.
“Spouting about absurd humanism over matters settled thousands of years ago is disgusting.”
“What?”
“My master, the Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu, along with the Original Celestial Lord, were direct disciples of Fuxi, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and practitioners of techniques. Do you think such great sages would share your views?”
“What do you mean…?”
“They began their research from the perspective that souls are trapped within bodies. They deemed the eternal flow within this false world as imprisoned. They believed that souls were the very essence of the world. Do you know what kind of experiments they conducted?”
I was greatly alarmed by Shin Gong-pyo’s next words.
“They attempted to create artificial souls to increase the world’s substance. They sought to replace souls absorbed in human sacrifice by the [Old Ruler] with artificial ones, allowing real souls to live more freely, enhancing the potential of living beings in this world and delaying the end. So they gathered their energies to forge tools that could generate souls indefinitely.”
“…!!”
“Furthermore, if the number of souls increased, they would also hypothesize that the chances of the newly born humans awakening chaotic abilities would rise significantly.”
“W-What? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“It wouldn’t have been passed down to later generations. Only I, the direct disciple, am privy to that top-secret experiment.”
“So what happened?”
“A complete failure. Artificial souls couldn’t replace real souls nor serve as new offerings. More than that, the strong influence of the body over the soul, and the inability for memories to prove the essence of the soul led to countless failures and tragedies. They ultimately abandoned the experiments. While they managed to create something rare like Nata, it was an exceptional case.”
“Ugh…”
Shin Gong-pyo spat disdainfully.
“Souls and bodies share a complementary relationship. Though they might seem independent, the soul, flesh, and spirit are organically connected. Those who diverge from this cannot be called human. This has been concluded through thousands of experiments millennia ago; thus, the snake-men before us are merely Otherworldly beings, not humans!”
“Just possessing a human soul doesn’t grant them the title of human? Is that why you want to slaughter them?”
“You understand quickly.”
*Whoosh!*
With time still frozen, Shin Gong-pyo took out his sabre sword once more. With four treasures unleashed, this palace of Empress Wu Zetian could collapse entirely. Clenching my teeth, I tried to persuade Shin Gong-pyo.
“Damn it! Think this through again. There’s nothing to gain from causing chaos here. Didn’t we have the goal of obtaining the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram? It wouldn’t be too late to follow them and see Empress Wu Zetian, the master of this palace.”
“That might be true, but I’d feel much better sweeping away these filthy Otherworldly types first.”
“Claiming that souls alone cannot equate to humanity is an egotistical stance! If you continue with this way of thinking, I too will have my own considerations.”
*Sssss!*
I began to slowly prepare within my inner world. Though I felt the situation growing increasingly tangled, I remained composed and resolved.
‘If she goes too far… I’ll have no choice but to drive her away!’
While Shin Gong-pyo’s power was essential for exploring Dark Heaven Village, I would drive her away even if it might cost me my life if she went against the principles!
As I gradually fell silent, I sensed Shin Gong-pyo realizing something was off. Finally, she spoke defensively.
“Listen. You think those fellows who possess human souls, yet live as Otherworldly beings, can still comprehend human life and harmonize with humans? But as I said, the body and soul are complementary.”
“What do you want to say?”
“Do you know how long ago Empress Wu Zetian conducted the Offering Ceremony?”
“Well, that was a thousand years ago.”
“What do you think is the likelihood that those who have lived in the bodies of Otherworldly beings for a thousand years could retain a human mindset?”
“…!!”
“The beings before us are much more likely to merely play with memories of humans, governed by the nature of their Otherworldly bodies. Their identities would be consumed, transforming into new Otherworldly entities.”
Zhuang Zhou’s dream!
As soon as Shin Gong-pyo spoke, that term arose in my mind.
‘Is a human dreaming of a butterfly… or is a butterfly dreaming of a human…? That’s impossible to judge!’
Having handled memories for so long through obsidian, I understood that uncertainty and instability very well. Memories could easily become mixed up and confusing. That was how dramatically the impact could be on one’s personality and judgment over such an extended period of time. I felt a strong sense of persuasion in Shin Gong-pyo’s words, leading me to silence myself unlike before.
Shin Gong-pyo made sense.
If these were mere Otherworldly beings understanding human language and culture, I’d seen countless examples of that. Unlike the lowly Otherworldly Race, high-level beings often proved to be many times smarter than humans.
But the thought of exterminating them merely due to doubt did not sit well with me. So I clung desperately to one last thread of hope, pleading with Shin Gong-pyo once more.
“Please, just hear me out this one time! This place is not merely where Empress Wu Zetian resides. It’s a place protected by an even more potent divine entity.”
“I anticipated that. But I doubt the [Old Ruler] would become furious over slaughtering a few bugs. I’m confident I could hold talks with them.”
“How would you know that?”
“Is there any way the Great Heavenly Ruler doesn’t understand the [Old Ruler]’s nature?”
Shin Gong-pyo retorted as if accustomed to such situations. Given her background as an ancient figure and leader of the celestial realm, she certainly seemed well acquainted with the [Old Ruler].
“Still, please…”
“…”
After a brief silence, Shin Gong-pyo finally spoke with irritation.
“…Damn ugly thing! Stay out of this! But, fine, I’ll let you pass quietly this time.”
“Really?!”
“I’ll decide after meeting that Wu Zetian lady.”
I convinced Shin Gong-pyo!
Soon after, I saw Shin Gong-pyo resurrect the snake-man whose heart she had pulled out before promptly soaring towards the highest point of the palace. It seemed she had a clear understanding of where to go in the expansive palace spanning hundreds of levels.
*Zwooosh!*
I could discern Shin Gong-pyo moving at tremendous speed, as if employing some technique. Even without using the Ruyi Staff or my divine technique, she was far exceeding them. I figured she must clearly know exactly where Empress Wu Zetian was.
‘Could it be that she figured everything out when she first used the Roar of the Sky?’
*Pa-at!*
Finally, Shin Gong-pyo reached the top floor of the towering palace, climbing to the end of the hundreds of stacked levels. She gazed upon the immense throne in the palace as she aimed her sabre sword.
“Are you the master of this palace?”
*Ku-goo-goo-goo…*
Shin Gong-pyo’s time-stop technique was still in effect. The world remained in shades of black and white, and the guards near the throne were frozen in place. Yet despite this, the being seated on the throne seemed unaffected by the time-stop, staring directly at Shin Gong-pyo.
Being a Lesser Deity likely gave them immunity to time-stop without casting any separate technique. Moreover, I could immediately sense the overwhelming magical power emanating from that bizarre being, far surpassing any overlay.
The entity seated on the throne towered over a height of over ten feet, possessing long limbs resembling a figure constructed of crystal and diamond. It was nearly impossible to identify them as a living being, but their form distinctly conveyed femininity, amplifying the peculiar ambiance. Additionally, sparkling eyes shone with fiery orange flames.
Donned in ancient royal robes, that being addressed Shin Gong-pyo.
“The legendary sabre sword of absolute teachings, the Roar of the Sky… so the fabled Heavenly Ruler has graced my kingdom with a visit.”
“Do you know me?”
“Even borrowing a mortal’s body, you are undoubtedly Shin Gong-pyo, sealed by the Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu. Though it seems you’re not here for good intentions…”
The figure leaned further back in their throne and continued.
“Still, make yourself comfortable and take your time. I grant you leave.”
Empress Wu Zetian.
The reincarnated presence governing the kingdom of Dark Heaven Village stood before me.