NOVEL NEXT Chapter 683
Dark Heaven Village
I heard that the Zhuge clan’s Master of the White Lotus Sect had lost an arm in the attack by the Eight Parts of the Divine, but they suffered substantial damage as well due to his attack using Primordial Spirit. Therefore, I anticipated that the next assault from the Eight Parts of the Divine would be far more meticulous, and considering the cautiousness of their main body, Changhil, it would likely take a considerable amount of time.
There’s plenty of time to spare.
It will take at least over a month.
Even so, it was entirely due to the capabilities of the Zhuge clan that they were able to move from the Southern Continent to the White Lotus Sect within a month, forming an alliance with the Twelve Joules and preparing contingencies. In front of the Master of the Twelve Joules, the Zhuge clan leader spoke.
“Jou, I know the location of Mount Penglai. Can we strike there immediately?”
“What a sudden question!”
“Penglai, which is part of the Celestial Realm, is currently invaded by the Sea God Clan. If we can strike there, we can secure the passage leading to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace through the Five Demon Gate, and obtain a treasure. Gaining this treasure will help us strengthen our power.”
“… Ho!”
The Master of the Twelve Joules pondered for a moment upon hearing the Zhuge clan leader’s information.
“I won’t ask how you got this information. However, from what you said, Mount Penglai must be protected by the powerful Sea God’s magical power. How do you plan to enter?”
“If we can enter, we can sweep them all away, right?”
“You might find it difficult.”
“Going to the Seven Stars Altar of Tamra Kingdom and infusing it with strong spirit power should open it.”
“……!!”
The Master of the Twelve Joules seemed quite astonished to hear that. After a brief pause, he called the Three Masters who were standing behind him.
“Let’s go.”
“Understood.”
Whoooosh—
A little while later, the Master of the Twelve Joules stood surrounded by the Three Masters in the shape of the Three Talents, raising the Cosmic Fragment and beginning to chant a command. Watching this, the Zhuge clan leader discreetly sent a message to Jin So-cheong.
[Jin So-cheong, can you take down the Master of the Twelve Joules now?]
The Zhuge clan leader was desperate to subdue the Master of the Twelve Joules and steal the Liberation Wood Essence. In fact, as long as he obtained the Liberation Wood Essence, it would be possible to manage things with help from Cheon Woo-jin and others; what mattered most was to suppress the thorn-like Master of the Twelve Joules at least once. The thought of ambushing him didn’t even cross the Zhuge clan leader’s mind.
However, the response from Jin So-cheong was negative.
[Not possible.]
[Why? Even with this big gap, is it really not going to work?]
[I can vaguely feel Miyamoto Musashi guarding the Master of the Twelve Joules within the gap of space. He has been here from the start.]
Although Jin So-cheong wasn’t able to completely see through Musashi’s concealment techniques yet, she had suspected his presence from the beginning, allowing her to sense him.
[Tsk…]
The Zhuge clan leader clicked his tongue inwardly. If Cheon Woo-jin had been there, there might have been a chance, but it hadn’t turned out that way. Furthermore, if the Master of the Twelve Joules was aware of such risks, he wouldn’t start chanting.
Crack!
Moments later, the Cosmic Fragment raised by the Master of the Twelve Joules began to emit a blue light. Then, his body disappeared along with a green glow, as if they all moved through space. The Zhuge clan leader waited for a moment, and sure enough, the Master of the Twelve Joules reappeared in front of them along with the Three Masters.
“The door has opened.”
“Are you hoping for our help against the Sea God Clan? It’s quite an opportunity for you to claim the treasure alone.”
“Hey, don’t be like that. We’re in an alliance, after all.”
Despite the playful banter of the Master of the Twelve Joules, there was a sinister mental struggle occurring between him and the Zhuge clan leader. While the Master of the Twelve Joules had confirmed the truth of the Zhuge clan leader’s information, he was unwilling to use only his own power, not knowing what traps may lie ahead, and the Zhuge clan leader had anticipated that the Master of the Twelve Joules would return.
‘And right now, since going there together is dangerous, we should use that Jou as a shield…’
There was a reason the Zhuge clan leader let slip information about the treasures only obtainable by the group of Baek Woong. He stated, “Okay, but you must fulfill one of our requests once we arrive.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you when we get there.”
“How ominous~”
Boom!
They entered into Mount Penglai through the opened door at the Seven Stars Altar. The forces included the Master of the Twelve Joules, Miyamoto Musashi, the Three Masters, and also Han Baek-ryeong and several senior experts from the White Lotus Sect.
As they advanced towards the crucial point of Mount Penglai while defeating nearby demon beasts, they encountered a horrific scene.
Kyaaaah!
Kraaack!!
From every direction, fishermen and high-ranking Sea Gods charged at them wielding tridents and deadly weapons. The number was in the thousands, and there were quite a few monsters whose scales couldn’t be pierced without the use of sword qi. As the group dealt with the Sea Gods, they gradually felt a surge in the numbers of their foes multiplying like a snowball.
The Zhuge clan leader thought,
‘Indeed, whether the Sea God is alive or dead makes an immense difference. After the Sea God died, Baek Woong could sweep them away leisurely, but compared to those memories from before, every single one looks three times stronger now.’
Even with three experts in the Absolute Realm and the Dharma Guardian alongside them, the number of demon beasts and Sea Gods felt like a tsunami. Although they had slaughtered over a thousand of them in mere moments, the number of Sea Gods seemed endless.
Frustrated, the Master of the Twelve Joules spat out,
“Damn it. This is bothersome. Musashi!”
Swish!
Musashi, who had been tirelessly slicing through foes, appeared before the Master of the Twelve Joules. He wore an exasperated expression as he spoke.
“How much work do you intend to make me do? Jou.”
The Master of the Twelve Joules scratched the head of his puppet mask.
“I can’t use the power of the Seven Luminaries in a place like this. I feel it’s a waste. You must lend me your strength.”
“Not gonna happen. My sword wasn’t sharpened to slice up fish heads.”
“If we waste more time, they’ll multiply by tens of thousands. What kind of stubbornness is this? Are you actually planning to die here?”
Taking a step closer to Musashi, the Master of the Twelve Joules growled,
“Do it if you have to. I’ll gladly face you properly when the timing is right.”
“Keep that promise.”
Zing!
At that moment, Musashi’s sword gleamed like the blue moon, seeming to stretch out its long blade. Unlike the typical sword strength or martial energy, it felt something far more detached, and soon, its formidable might elongated into dozens.
Rumble!
Musashi’s knife grew at an insane speed, suddenly swelling large enough to split mountains, and finally rising as if to cleave the sky in half. Observing this, Jin So-cheong let out a faint exclamation.
“That’s amazing…”
The range of Musashi’s intent was expanding, and as his focus reached its zenith, he executed his cut.
Ultimate Technique.
Supreme Slash.
Boom!
The event unfolded in an instant. The advancing army of fishermen, filling the mountainside, suddenly halted. A profound silence fell, lasting for three breaths, after which the scene revealed blood forming a creek.
Thud, thud!
In an instant, Musashi’s Supreme Slash simultaneously severed the necks of thousands of Sea Gods. The heads of the slain were cleanly sliced, with not a single one able to dodge or defend.
Thud, thud, thud.
As the bodies of the Sea Gods split apart, a mass of corpses rolled down the mountainside like an avalanche of snow. Silence, as if the entire world was blanketed in death, settled in.
Musashi seemed to have consumed considerable spirit power, taking a moment to catch his breath, while the Master of the Twelve Joules, who was enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the battlefield, smirked.
“A technique that can cut anything within the range of drawing the sword… it’s always impressive.”
“You can’t brag about how many lowly enemies you’ve slashed. You struck back on first meeting me.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Hearing this, the Zhuge clan leader felt utterly dumbfounded.
‘The range of drawing the sword? Does that mean this guy Musashi can cut through things several li away?’
He pondered deeply but ultimately gave up. In the realm of martial prowess, he acknowledged that Baek Woong far surpassed him; it was an area unimaginable.
One thing was certain: experts in the Absolute Realm are superhuman!
Though the memory of Baek Woong’s past, filled with high-level existences, might have made the Absolute Realm seem insignificant, at least the experts in the Absolute Realm possessed absolute power that rendered worldly armies and powers meaningless. In realms not of the Absolute Realm, it was a conversation that would not even exist!
After annihilating the Sea Gods, they entered the building and rescued the mistreated immortals before confronting Lee Heung-pae. The defensive barrier set by Lee Heung-pae was deactivated by the Three Masters. When faced with Lee Heung-pae, the Zhuge clan leader spoke.
“Are you Lee Heung-pae, the lord of Mount Penglai?”
[… You are… the Evil Demon Sorcerer…]
The Great Immortal Lee Heung-pae spoke with a voice full of fury, making the Zhuge clan leader chuckle.
“You’re quite the pitiful soul, saved by a demon sorcerer like me. The hero of the past immortal world, indeed.”
[… What do you want…?]
“Hand over the high-grade treasure, Half Yellow Pearl. Then I shall rescue the immortals of Mount Penglai and return them to the Celestial Realm.”
[What if I refuse?]
“Then I’ll just leave you here, or perhaps… since immortal bodies are rare, I might try implanting cells of the Otherworldly Race for cultivation? I think a decent combat puppet could emerge. It can also be used as an offering to the Evil God.”
Lee Heung-pae ground his teeth in fury.
[You evil scoundrel… Fine. Take it.]
“After all, there are many worse guys in the world than me.”
Quietly—
Lee Heung-pae handed over the Half Yellow Pearl to the Zhuge clan leader and vanished. The Zhuge clan leader gazed blankly at the Half Yellow Pearl before turning to the Master of the Twelve Joules.
“Master of the Twelve Joules, I’ll give you this Half Yellow Pearl. With it, the Great Sorcerous Art empowered by the Liberation Wood Essence and the World Tree will be implemented much more easily.”
“Thank you.”
The Master of the Twelve Joules reached out for it, but the Zhuge clan leader pulled the Half Yellow Pearl closer to himself.
“However, you must fulfill one request.”
“What is it?”
“You must open the Five Demon Gate immediately. Assist me.”
“……”
The aura of the Master of the Twelve Joules turned frigid. He spoke in a harsh tone.
“There’s no reason for me to grant such an unreasonable request.”
“Why is it unreasonable?”
“Even if the Five Demon Gate, the entrance to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace, is here, we don’t have the right to pass through it. The gatekeeper will ensure all of us here perish. Don’t spout nonsense, just hand over the Half Yellow Pearl.”
“Is that so?”
“We cannot confront the gatekeeper. There’s absolutely no way we would win.”
“Ha ha ha.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“Just.”
The Zhuge clan leader chuckled softly because he had confirmed one thing.
‘So, the Master of the Twelve Joules is aware the gatekeeper of the Five Demon Gate is the Yin Spirit…’
And he was surprisingly knowledgeable about the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. If not, he wouldn’t have displayed such a hostile reaction when vague terms about opening the gate to meet the Three Sovereigns were mentioned. The power of the Yin Spirit was indeed above that of a Demon King, making it impossible to contest with the forces present, but how did he know that? Moreover, the Zhuge clan leader realized that the Master of the Twelve Joules was intensely reluctant to meet the Three Sovereigns directly.
The reason the Master of the Twelve Joules avoided the Three Sovereigns was likely related to his identity.
The Zhuge clan leader stated firmly,
“If you don’t like it, then just leave. We will open the Five Demon Gate ourselves.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“However, in that case, I cannot give you the Half Yellow Pearl either.”
“……”
The Master of the Twelve Joules gritted his teeth and then spoke.
“Do as you please. We will take our leave.”
Boom!
The Master of the Twelve Joules left along with the Three Masters and Musashi, abandoning the building where the Sea Gods had been eradicated. Left behind, the Zhuge clan leader remarked.
“Now, shall we proceed to the Five Demon Gate?”
“Are you really considering it? If the power of that being, Yeol, is as it was in Baek Woong’s memories, we could never win. That being is equivalent to a lower Demon God.”
“Doesn’t matter. Ultimately, the Master of the Twelve Joules and the Great Sorcerous Art are less important compared to this matter.”
The Zhuge clan leader grinned.
“What’s important is to leave room for chaos.”
And the Zhuge clan leader led his group toward the Five Demon Gate located in the north of Mount Penglai. Upon arriving in front of the Five Demon Gate, he shouted.
“O gatekeeper of the Five Demon Gate! I bring an immensely important piece of information; come forth!”
Hiss…
Before them, the figure of the Demon God Yeol emerged, blocking the way to the Five Demon Gate. Yeol seemed quite furious, not hiding the aura of dark power he emitted, and his presence even caused Jin So-cheong’s knees to tremble. He unleashed Yin Spirit Power and spoke.
[Human Sorcerer… The fate of your kind will be decided with the next word you utter.]
“Hehe. Naturally.”
The Zhuge clan leader, his eyes glinting mischievously, spoke.
“Changhil’s Eight Parts of the Divine will soon reveal themselves and attack us. I know their location and time precisely, so I would appreciate it if you would lend your power to help us crush them.”
[……!!]
Yeol’s dark visage flickered momentarily.
After looking up at the sky for a moment, he replied,
[Follow me. The Lord has granted audience.]