NOVEL NEXT Chapter 677
Chapter 677: Dark Heaven Village
It was an unexpected revelation.
I had always thought the Celestial Decree Plan was a noble war by the kind Celestials to drive out the evil minions of the Old Ruler—only to find out it was merely a process of mass slaughter and selection of humans?! I was so enthralled by this new knowledge that my eyes sparkled when the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens spoke.
[Yes, that was the plan. But don’t you know that the Three Purities have another plan of their own? And you, as the Master of the White Lotus Sect, did not comply with that plan.]
[Hmph! How naive.]
The Sorcerer, Cheon Gong-pyo, sneered.
[Uniting the power of the Celestial Sect and the White Lotus Sect to beg mercy from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors… I think it’s far more realistic to use the power of the White Lotus Sect to suppress the Celestial Sect and become the Overlord of humanity myself.]
[Regardless, you are the one who ruined the Three Purities’ plan along the way. The Three Purities attempted to minimize the impact of the Celestial Decree Plan with appeasement tactics, but your reckless actions made it impossible.]
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman regarded her with a stern gaze.
[You may have thought you were fighting for humanity, but in the end, it led to an even harsher treatment of humans in the Celestial Realm. You must have felt that the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors personally dispatched their apostles because of your strong resistance during the Divine War, didn’t you?]
[No, that’s…]
[What you expanded beyond should have been handled among the immortals. You’re the one who forced the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to intervene directly against the White Lotus Sect.]
Cheon Gong-pyo faltered. The words of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman surely struck a nerve. She hesitated, then abruptly turned her head away.
[…I don’t care. So what do you want me to do? If I reflect on this now, what’s changed?]
[How shameless to hear that from the culprit’s mouth. We don’t need your apology; just keep your promises.]
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman glared at her.
[Can the Master of the White Lotus Sect not even keep her own words?]
[Ugh… Fine.]
Cheon Gong-pyo approached me helplessly and said,
[Extend your hand.]
As she extended her hand, Cheon Gong-pyo chanted a spell.
“Ten Thousand Immortals Shining Bright.”
Ggiji-jiing!
“Huuh…!!”
In that moment, I felt a golden thread pierce through my mind, and information about the White Lotus Sect’s sorcery flooded into my head. It felt like sand slowly falling through a needle’s eye, but soon the transmission speed accelerated, sending a wave of exhilaration through my brain. I could also understand not only the techniques of the White Lotus Sect but also the spells of the Ten Heavenly Generals and their weaknesses.
But was this a limit of my ability?
Much like when I had embraced Ji-seon Mang-nyang’s memories, the information came sporadically and chaotically, leaving many parts unclear. I could see it but found it difficult to interpret. Just when I was desperately gathering information, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman spoke.
[You possess the skill to cast high-grade memory transmission spells, yet why didn’t you cultivate a successor? After you were sealed, the White Lotus Sect had no one capable enough to succeed you, leading to its downfall.]
Cheon Gong-pyo chuckled.
[Hmph… I didn’t think I would lose.]
[……]
Though Cheon Gong-pyo tried to sound impressive, she somehow came off as foolish. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman, looking incredulous, said,
[Then it’s time to prepare to return to reality.]
[Isn’t it enough if we just have the element?]
[Tch…]
Cheon Gong-pyo seemed to be reluctant. She probably wanted to let the Heavenly Mysterious Woman do the heavy lifting while conserving her own power. But the Heavenly Mysterious Woman wasn’t the type to let that happen so easily. Moments later, Cheon Gong-pyo and the Heavenly Mysterious Woman began chanting spells face to face.
Wooooooong!
As I watched the ancient incantations shift into text floating all around us, I felt a strange sensation. These surely weren’t modern words; they had to be archaic, yet I could clearly grasp the meaning of each incantation.
“Perhaps I obtained this knowledge of the White Lotus Sect’s sorcery from Cheon Gong-pyo…”
This might aid in learning ancient spells in the future, I thought, becoming more focused. During my observation, I realized something odd.
“Wait, this isn’t Chinese Characters…”
Indeed. No matter whether it was the incantations from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman or those from Cheon Gong-pyo, all the white incantations materializing and floating in the air were not Chinese Characters. They didn’t resemble ancient hieroglyphs or oracle bone script but seemed to be a language uniquely crafted for spellcasting. I found it strange why they didn’t use Chinese Characters and opted for an independent language instead, but this wasn’t the time to ask such questions.
Fwoosh!
A blue light emanated, forming a three-foot circle in the void. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman threw the element into that circle and shouted,
[Element, open the path back!]
With a piercing sound, when the element broke through the center of the circle, a blue sky began to reflect inside the dark circle. It seemed that this blue sky was proof of a connection to the real world. Seemingly assured that the door was opening, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman aimed to leap into it.
Boom!
[Ah, that guy…]
As the Heavenly Mysterious Woman retreated with a cry, the Celestial Sage Tripitaka approached in human form. He had just cast a spell to attack the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. With a grin, the Tripitaka said,
“Where do you think you’re going?”
[It’s hard with your true form, but as a human form, you must be itching to die!]
“Well, even I, with the best recovery rate, forced myself to hurry over and nearly died. But didn’t you forget something?”
The Tripitaka subtly gestured behind him.
“Aren’t the high-ranking beings who were angered by you rushing over?”
Kugugu…
Just as he said, from across the plain, chaotic masses of dark tentacles, gloomy phantoms, and winged rock giants were approaching us. Each of them was undoubtedly an [Old Ruler]. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s face stiffened at the sense of crisis, and Cheon Gong-pyo looked equally troubled.
Cheon Gong-pyo, bewildered, said,
[If those [Old Rulers] come here, you’ll also be in danger. What guts do you have to summon them? Even with your sorcery, you can’t escape for long from those beings using spatial transference.]
“Hoo hoo hoo… My master, Changhil’s lair is right here in Dark Heaven Village. The moon is inhabited by my lord, who receives the protection of great chaos, so here in Dark Heaven Village, one can be considered a noble. Besides, Lord Changhil is a special and unique existence…”
The Tripitaka burst into maniacal laughter.
“Hahaha!! In this Dark Heaven Village, regardless of what we do, most [Old Rulers] won’t even touch us! Because we are the avatars of Changhil!”
[……!! What?]
Cheon Gong-pyo’s face morphed into an expression of disbelief. And it was understandable, as [Old Rulers] represented divine statuses standing at the pinnacle of the Law of Cause and Effect, unhindered by any constraints. How could they be safe from attacks simply because they were Changhil’s subordinates?
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman calmly said,
[So you’re barking while riding on your master’s authority. Then die.]
Poof!
As the Heavenly Mysterious Woman unleashed the Corpse Dissolution Technique with a single command, the body of the Celestial Sage Tripitaka was torn asunder. Despite sustaining a fatal blow, he staggered for a while before finally collapsing. After all, he was just a clone, so this didn’t mean the Tripitaka was defeated yet.
In that moment, I knew my choice was correct.
‘Then, did offering the element to the [Old Rulers] risk losing it to the Eight Parts of the Divine?’
If Changhil reigns over this Dark Heaven Village as if he were a noble, then the Eight Parts of the Divine might seek to use Changhil’s authority to seize the Seven Luminaries from us. Of course, the [Old Rulers] might refuse, but if they did take it, that would be the absolute worst-case scenario for me!
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman glanced at Cheon Gong-pyo and said,
[There’s no time to hesitate. It’s not the time to calculate who will enter first and betray the other by closing the door.]
[I never thought that way!]
Cheon Gong-pyo retorted anxiously, but it was clear that was not her real intention. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman said,
[Let’s both go in at the same time.]
[I understand.]
With a sound like a heartbeat, they leaped through the dimensional gate they had opened with the element.
Chwaah!
And just as they jumped inside, a massive wave of magical power surged from behind, rushing in like liquid, attempting to ensnare them with a curse.
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman exclaimed in dismay,
[This…!! Such a powerful curse…]
No matter how much power the Heavenly Mysterious Woman had regained, it seemed she could not fend off the simultaneous curses from several [Old Rulers]. Cheon Gong-pyo looked equally pale, clearly grasping the gravity of their predicament.
It was then that a voice rang out.
[You have the seal; pass through.]
What did that mean?
[The rest will die.]
With a sinister voice, the massive bundle of curses that was advancing suddenly halted.
‘What is happening?’
I wanted to look back, but the Heavenly Mysterious Woman held firm against my will and told me,
[You must not look back.]
[What’s happening now…]
[The master blocking the entrance. That being is infinitely close to an Outer God, so we must not invoke his wrath.]
Chwaah!
Screeches erupted as something enormous, akin to a spider’s web, burst forth in all directions, followed by strange, haunting screams from behind. The screams were utterly chilling, but gradually began to subside. I suspected what those screams were, but I couldn’t shake the incredulous feeling.
Could it be…
Were the [Old Rulers] pursuing us getting massacred behind us?
Such a ridiculous scenario had never crossed my mind, yet it was the only explanation I could conceive. It was a direct experience of how significant gaps could exist even among the [Old Rulers].
‘Ugh… Damn it…’
I felt a chill run down my spine.
If the Guardian blocking the entrance was strong enough to slay a fellow [Old Ruler], then there was no way we could charge straight through Dark Heaven Village! The only option left would be to use the Golden Lamp or break through into the realm of dreams!
While I was lost in thought, a voice from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman reached me.
[Baek Woong, we will soon arrive in the real world—what will you do?]
[What do you mean?]
[Cheon Gong-pyo will act on her own will. The world will be destroyed and thrown into chaos by her whims, and any mortal below demigod status wouldn’t even be a match for her. Even the mightiest Great Immortal or Dragon King would be obliterated with just one or two strikes from the Sabre Sword. She is the master of the White Lotus Sect, equal in strength to the Three Purities.]
[Ugh… I suppose that’s true.]
Thinking again about Cheon Gong-pyo’s immense power filled me with awe. The Asura of the Eight Parts of the Divine had revealed her true form, yet was absurdly killed by her. How could a human-born being become so powerful?
[But even with my powers fully restored, I wouldn’t have confidence in subduing her easily. If she were to flee without fighting, there would be no way left for me.]
[……]
[Is there any way you can control Cheon Gong-pyo?]
I realized the Heavenly Mysterious Woman was seeking my advice. It seemed she recognized me as an ally since I had ventured into Dark Heaven Village and inherited the legacy of the Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu. I had to think deeply about this unexpectedly presented problem.
How could I control Cheon Gong-pyo?
As I pondered, a good idea suddenly struck me and I said,
[In this case, it might be better to let her show off her strength a bit more.]
Though I wasn’t sure if this would work, it was certainly better than a head-on collision.