NOVEL NEXT Chapter 681
Dark Heaven Village
Five years ago, that day.
After Baek Woong abruptly left for Dark Heaven Village, those who remained decided to return to the southern continent. They had clumsily provoked the White Lotus Sect, which had led to trouble with the Wudang Sect and Shaolin Temple, but there was nothing more they could do.
“But it’s a shame to lose this martial arts training facility.”
As Geuk Ho licked his lips while looking back at the artificial training facility in Shaolin Temple, Mangnyang spoke bitterly.
“There’s nothing we can do. Let’s just be satisfied with the increase in our internal power while we were here.”
“If the White Lotus Sect catches wind of this, it spells trouble.”
“Don’t worry. My priest will remain in the Central Plains to finalize things. The priest will conceal this facility while I will move the Bancheon Alliance to leave a string of influence in the Central Plains.”
“Isn’t that dangerous? If you get caught, it would be far worse than if Shin Seung or Myung Ryong got captured.”
Mangnyang replied, “I carry poison for self-destruction due to my past life experiences. It’s tucked away under my molars, allowing me to die painlessly in an instant, so don’t worry. I can manage to self-destruct with sorcery if necessary.”
“……”
“No need to give me that look. Considering the risks of taking memory in with obsidian, this is just common sense.”
Geuk Ho grimaced. His personality made him reluctant to carry around self-destructive poison. At that moment, Myung Ryong chimed in.
“The odds of that Baek Woong leaving Dark Heaven Village and dying are ridiculously high, don’t you think?”
“What are you implying?”
“Your actions now seem like you’re presuming his return while gazing into a distant future, which is quite strange for a strategist pursuing rationality.”
At Myung Ryong’s inquiry, Mangnyang chuckled softly.
“It’s not strange. On the contrary, there’s no premise that he won’t return. Whatever the odds may be.”
“What do you mean?”
“Currently, that’s the reasonable scenario. You might not fully grasp it, but this is why Jin So-cheong risked her life waiting for Baek Woong for fifty years.”
Mangnyang’s retort caused him to glance at Jin So-cheong, who understood his words and silently nodded.
Zhuge Sa suggested, “Let’s get moving. If I use my magic and Cheon Woo-jin’s sorcery, we could reach our base within two days at most.”
Pah-ahh!
Following Zhuge Sa’s words and combining magic with sorcery, it was surprisingly easy to traverse across continents. Both Zhuge Sa and Cheon Woo-jin had reached the peak in their respective fields, enabling them to accomplish this easily. As soon as they reached their base, Zhuge Sa stated, “So, I intend to use these natives for biological experiments and offerings. Extracting the hearts of ten little lambs to offer to my god would make things quite convenient.”
“……”
“Just kidding. We can’t do that yet since ‘Baek Woong will return’ is still the premise.”
Zhuge Sa chuckled slyly, but no one in the room truly thought it was a joke. They were all relieved that Zhuge Sa restrained his true nature, considering Baek Woong’s lingering influence.
Jin So-cheong remarked, “With the insights given by Baek Woong and the rapid advancement of our internal powers, I believe we will soon reach a higher realm.”
“Just to clarify, can those who have reached a higher realm uplift those who lag behind?”
“Are you referring to the gap between the Absolute Realm and Peak Expert?”
“Yes, exactly. At this point, being anything less than an Absolute Realm expert is pointless. No, all of you must become experts at the Absolute Realm. Jin So-cheong, you’ll probably be the first to reach it, so I’m asking you.”
“… Hmmm.”
After a thoughtful pause, Jin So-cheong responded, “I can’t guarantee that. The difference is incredibly subtle yet absolute… No matter how hard I try to share that knowledge, there’s no assurance someone will break through that barrier.”
“Is it not just talent that prevents Baek Woong from reaching the Absolute Realm?”
“No, not at all. Though I express it with abstract terms like ‘insight,’ it essentially revolves around whether one can extend their will to dominate the laws of this world. Reaching the Absolute Realm means coming into contact with the ‘world’ itself as your martial arts blend into it, bringing you closer to transcending humanity. I can’t make any promises.”
“You sure are taking a long time to express your lack of confidence…”
Zhuge Sa grumbled.
“It can’t be helped. For now, everyone should focus on enhancing their skills. Once the White Lotus Sect unifies Jianghu, the situation in the Central Plains will surely grow chaotic, leaving us with little room to intervene.”
And so, for about a year, they both trained diligently in their martial arts and sorceries. Jin So-cheong soon reached the Absolute Realm, while the Sword Demon and Geuk Ho seemed to be right on the brink of it. Myung Ryong and Cheongwol also benefited from receiving obsidian, allowing for rapid growth.
The most significant growth was seen in Tang San and Seo Mun-hye. Originally at a low level, Tang San quickly surpassed the threshold of Peak Expert, showcasing himself as a peerless genius by effortlessly casting the Thunder God Techniques. Seo Mun-hye, while not as exceptional as Tang San, also possessed talent and benefited from the ongoing sparring and advice of the experts around her, facilitating her rapid growth.
However, just as a year was about to pass, an unexpected event occurred.
Swoosh—
It was a day of tremendous rain.
“I am Baek Ren-ryeong, a messenger of the Master of the White Lotus Sect and practitioner of the Fire Spirit Techniques.”
A woman wearing a Fox Mask suddenly appeared before their base. All of Baek Woong’s companions observed her from the dense forest, and Baek Ren-ryeong, arms crossed, declared, “I have come to convey the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s words.”
No one questioned how she had found them. It was evident that asking would yield no answers, especially given the heavy aura surrounding her after traveling such a distance. Zhuge Sa, as the representative of the group, leisurely stepped forward and asked, “What is it?”
“I want to form an alliance with you.”
“Why? Does the mighty White Lotus Sect have any reason to come all the way to this remote place in the southern region to say such things to us?”
Zhuge Sa’s very reasonable question made Baek Ren-ryeong bite her lip before replying, “… I know that you killed the Wind Spirit Sect’s Yong Bi-cheon, but we still need your help.”
“What’s going on? Explain yourself.”
“Recently, enigmatic divine beings attacked the Master and inflicted injuries. The Master foresaw that you are the only ones who can help, so I came personally to summon you.”
“……”
“Help the White Lotus Sect. The Master said he would accept all your conditions. He would even forget that you killed the Wind Spirit Sect’s Yong Bi-cheon.”
Zhuge Sa quickly pieced together the situation in his mind.
‘It’s the Eight Parts of the Divine.’
The reason for the assault on the Master of the White Lotus Sect was likely due to a potential alliance between the Imperial Palace and the Eight Parts of the Divine. While the exact terms of any agreements made behind the scenes were unknown, it was evident that Zhuge Yulong of the Imperial Palace was looking to eliminate the White Lotus Sect with the aid of the Eight Parts of the Divine.
However, what puzzled him was ‘why’ such a method was being employed now. Until now, Zhuge Yulong had perceived the White Lotus Sect as a thorn in his side but had never directly mobilized the Eight Parts of the Divine. Given his unscrupulous nature, it seemed he hadn’t chosen not to use them until now; he simply couldn’t.
Why had he finally decided to use such a powerful faction against the White Lotus Sect?
In the next moment, Zhuge Sa confirmed his thoughts about the relationship between the Imperial Palace and the Eight Parts of the Divine.
‘The Eight Parts of the Divine are allied with the [Old Ruler] of the Imperial Palace and move as equals. Even as a priest, Zhuge Yulong is nothing but a pawn—one who would never be obeyed by the likes of them. Then, this situation is…’
Was it an impulsive action by the Eight Parts of the Divine?
‘No… that can’t be right.’
But it is unlikely that the Divine, being a manifestation, would act unilaterally. After all, even the Eight Parts of the Divine could not wound the Master alone, meaning at least two or three were involved. With that scale, only one conclusion could be drawn.
‘The one who moves the Divine is the true body. It’s the will of the Hidden Divine, Changhil.’
The Emperor’s closest aide. The inventor of letters. Once a king who ruled the Central Plains. A figure hidden within history. Now transitioned to the moon of Dark Heaven Village, becoming a god in itself.
This meant that Changhil had decided to intervene in history by moving his Divine. Zhuge Sa felt a rush of urgency as he recognized this reality.
‘This is bad. They must possess artifacts or treasures that negate the laws of cause and effect.’
He remembered that Long Nara, a subordinate of Changhil, had once clandestinely handed such treasures to the Demon King, Bijeong Sang. The Changhil faction had limited opportunities but retained the ability to bypass cause and effect concerns in their historical interventions. If they chose to use that ability for intervention, it would make everything extremely complicated.
Finishing his thoughts, Zhuge Sa said, “How badly injured is the Master? Who were the attackers?”
“He lost an arm but is still intact. Three assailants attacked together: one had newly sprouted wings, another was Jeongpa’s Three Great Masters, Geol-seon, and the last was a rather stout fellow. The Master exerted all his strength to repel them.”
Zhuge Sa maintained a stoic face while inwardly scoffing at Baek Ren-ryeong. Though she pretended to be deeply loyal to the Master, it was evident she was merely using a shield to protect herself against the threat of the Eight Parts of the Divine against the Master and the Fire Spirit Techniques.
“Hmmm. Did they not transform? They were human-shaped?”
“Yes.”
As soon as Zhuge Sa heard that, he knew they must be Garuda, Gang Leader of the Thief Gang, and Long Nara of the Eight Parts of the Divine.
‘They’re really powerful…’
He quietly exhaled. If a mere human form possessed this level of prowess, then each member of the Eight Parts of the Divine would undoubtedly possess the capability to easily kill the Master once they transformed into their true forms. Even though they were working together, the sheer power that those three had was nothing short of formidable. The moment the Eight Parts of the Divine revealed their true forms and launched an onslaught against Baek Woong and his group, he couldn’t even think of a way to cope.
Zhuge Sa declared, “Fine. I’ll speak with the Master. However, I need one of them to be summoned to the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect.”
“Who are you referring to?”
“Yong Junil.”
And with that, Zhuge Sa packed his belongings and followed Baek Ren-ryeong directly to the White Lotus Sect.
According to Zhuge Sa’s calculations, the southern continent was no longer a safe place. The Celestial Sage Tripitaka had previously used sorcery to find Baek Woong, and they would easily trace his location wherever he fled on the southern continent. With no way to escape, he thought it wiser to join forces with the Master of the White Lotus Sect to seek a way to survive.
As the group arrived in the Central Plains and disembarked at the port, Zhuge Sa instructed Tang San, “You head to the Kingdom of Duke Du and procure a powerful sorcerer. You know whom I mean?”
Unlike Baek Woong, Tang San was clever and quickly grasped the request.
“I know. It’s the strongest sorcerer of the Jesuits, whom Baek Woong tried to borrow in his previous life but failed to.”
“Umm… You’ll need something to offer for negotiations.”
“Let’s give them some gold.”
“Go for it. But don’t blame me if it doesn’t work out.”
“If that fails, bring back someone with a sword.”
Before long, the group, using the spirit of flame from the Fire Spirit Techniques, arrived at the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect in Gansu Province. Shortly after, they were able to meet the Master of the White Lotus Sect. It appeared to be true that his left arm was missing; it had disappeared altogether. Zhuge Sa immediately remarked upon seeing this.
“Your body must have transformed into an Otherworldly Race, yet you can’t recover through your regeneration ability?”
The Master replied flatly.
[The inferno unleashed by Garuda was of such destruction that it nullified all magical power. Since my arm was lost to the inferno, it cannot regenerate. It seemed the flame could directly harm even the Divine.]
“I see.”
[You must possess mysterious abilities and a powerful background. Aid myself and the White Lotus Sect.]
Zhuge Sa, coldly scrutinizing him, replied, “You are Dokgo Uncheon, the priest of the White Lotus Sect and a descendant of the Divine Maiden, aren’t you? That’s why you have resorted to divination to summon us?”
[……]
“I’m curious if you too possess the abilities for divination.”
[You know much…]
While the Master harbored malice against Zhuge Sa, he merely smiled calmly in response.
“Sorry, but I’m not in a position to be picky about methods at the moment. As you might expect, those who just attacked you are Changhil’s subordinates and near the Demon King’s level. We need to share information as we will require over ten times our current strength to face them.”
Zhuge Sa contemplated the worst-case scenario. What if the Eight Parts of the Divine underwent divine transformation and attacked with their true bodies simultaneously! Although, due to cause and effect, such a full-scale attack wasn’t possible, if even one or two managed to reveal their true forms, the threat of total annihilation was imminent.
[Sharing information, huh… Just giving information won’t count as sharing.]
“I understand. I will ensure you receive fair information in return.”
It was only then that the Master responded.
[That’s true. I possess a faint remnant of the ability to read the future through divination in my bloodline. Yet, as the years passed, that ability weakened significantly, and I barely managed to bring it forth now.]
“I see. Then why did the Eight Parts of the Divine attack you?”
[They claimed to have arrived to assist Zhuge Yulong.]
“……”
If they had said such a thing themselves, it was likely that Changhil’s goal was to disrupt the balance of the three powers, allowing Zhuge Yulong to seize control of the Central Plains with ease. However, knowing Baek Woong’s past life conduct—
‘Such behavior would undoubtedly burden Changhil himself.’
No, it was certain. Changhil was probably another entity that was saving power, waiting for his time to come – it would be normal for him to avoid unnecessary waste of energy. Yet, even so, was there reason for him to wield substantial influence over the realm the moment Baek Woong reached Dark Heaven Village?
As Zhuge Sa sorted through his thoughts, a grin suddenly spread across his face.
[Why are you smiling?]
“Just because.”
Baek Woong had achieved something in Dark Heaven Village.
While he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what, it was evident that Changhil felt compelled to lay the groundwork to either utilize or control Baek Woong, prompting him to exert considerable influence!
‘Well done, my lord.’
Zhuge Sa realized what he needed to do and told the Master, “I have a strategy.”
[Really?]
Zhuge Sa nodded.
“From this moment onward, the White Lotus Sect must spare no effort to assist us. With that, we’ll be able to fend off even a simultaneous attack from the Eight Parts of the Divine!”