NOVEL NEXT Chapter 717
Dark Heaven Village
With the help of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, we all traveled to the southern part of the continent. The place we arrived at was Hainan Province, located at the very bottom of the Central Plains’ coastline. Of course, if we went through Yunnan Province to the Southern Barbarian region, we could go even further south, but at least on the coasts of the Central Plains, this was the lowest point.
The Fire Dragon Incarnate spoke.
[There’s something beyond that sea.]
Caw—
Being a coastal area, the sounds of seagulls were loud, and peaceful fishing villages were visible here and there. If someone wanted a vacation, the scenery here was so beautiful that one could easily live. However, the Fire Dragon Incarnate’s gaze was seriously fixed on somewhere beyond the horizon, filled with vigilance and killing intent. This clearly implied that what lay “beyond” was an evil and ominous presence.
I asked the Fire Dragon Incarnate, “Could it be a divine being?”
[That I don’t know. But there are millions of evil qi, so a dire calamity is imminent.]
“Millions!! How can there be so many?”
I gasped in disbelief. I thought a powerful High-level Otherworldly Race might be invading, but when the unit of “millions” came up, it was simply outrageous. Where could such a gigantic force comparable to the Empire’s Great Army have come from?
Then, Cheon Woo-jin, observing the horizon as well, spoke.
“It seems the cause has established itself in a place where the law of cause and effect is not visible. Ultimately, the reason may be that the Sacred Altar Tree has been damaged and the Sea God’s restraints have been lifted…”
“Cheon Woo-jin, what do you know?”
“I don’t know the details, but I will use my techniques to investigate.”
Swish.
A luminous sphere floated from Cheon Woo-jin’s hand and shot forward at the speed of light. This light vanished beyond the horizon moments later, leaving no trace behind. I was intrigued and asked Cheon Woo-jin, “What was that technique?”
“I created it because I needed it. So, it doesn’t have a name yet.”
“……”
“Wait a moment.”
Just a joke, right?
After a while, Cheon Woo-jin said, “The Sea God Clan is gathering a great army underwater and preparing to march. They are about two hundred li away, and the Sea God Clan magicians are conducting human sacrifices continuously to receive blessings.”
“……!!”
The Sea God Clan!!
Aren’t they just remnants of the Old Ruler, the Sea God? I couldn’t understand why these demon monsters, scattered across the oceans of the world, had gathered here in millions. I clenched my teeth as I looked at the fishing villages visible below the hill.
“If the Sea God Clan’s army is that large, this fishing village would be merely the beginning, and the entire Central Plains would be destroyed. I can’t just stand by.”
The Sea God Clan possessed natural physical abilities far superior to humans, along with exceptional agility and battle instincts. They weren’t lacking in intelligence either, as they were skilled in strategic tactics, martial arts, and sorcery. Even if the elite troops of the Great Ming Empire stepped up, victory against the Sea God Clan was uncertain. In fact, there had been instances where renowned experts nearly perished against just ten thousand Sea God Clan members.
Tang San, who was listening, spoke bluntly, “So what are we going to do? Are we supposed to jump in and stop the Sea God Clan ourselves?”
“Tang San, it seems you have something to say.”
When I glanced at Tang San, who was scratching his head as if annoyed, he replied, “This is meddling.”
“What?”
“Right now, the Central Plains and the Great Ming Empire are practically under the ownership of Changhil and the Eight Parts of the Divine, right? They’ll take care of the Sea God Clan without us stepping in. After all, protecting one’s own house is basic, isn’t it? Plus, we can’t let the Eight Parts of the Divine discover our actions, and the most important task right now is to find the Golden Eagle Guards, right?”
“……”
He nodded sideways.
“Let’s just pretend we didn’t see anything and move on. This isn’t our responsibility. If you were to tire yourself out here and die, it would be a tremendous loss.”
Tang San’s words seemed irritating at first glance, but they indeed held some truth.
However, even though I knew his words were reasonable, I had to counter.
“If they begin their march, at least hundreds of thousands of citizens in the southern coastal area will experience a living hell. Are you saying we should just let that happen?”
The Sea God Clan was ruthless; they practiced murder and plunder, and there was no telling if they would capture or roast humans. I had even seen humans skewered for human sacrifices. Innocent fishing villagers didn’t deserve to suffer such hell.
Tang San then let out a sarcastic laugh.
“What does it matter? You’ve already acquired a reason to let them be.”
“What do you mean?”
“The underworld is on pause, and all the dead will be swallowed by the Old Ruler, right? If they’re already destined for a living hell upon death, what reason do you have to desperately try to save them? If you can’t defeat the god, the end will be the same.”
“……”
“Admit it. This is meddling.”
In fact, Mangnyang’s direct trip to the underworld to witness the reincarnation of humans had another meaning. It meant that there was no reason for the entire world to perform good deeds, and that one could live as they pleased. Embracing evil as natural, like Zhuge Sa and Tang San, was the best life attitude to enjoy the present.
The fact that there was no salvation upon death stripped away the reason to exist for good.
But…
…that would mean anything could be justified in the name of saving the world.
If one were to think so, the strategy of killing the few for the many would become commonplace.
That’s…
“No.”
I looked directly at Tang San and continued, “I believe we can’t just turn a blind eye to this.”
“No! I understand perfectly. But even so, I can’t just stand by.”
“Hah…?”
Tang San wore a look of disbelief. To him, my actions were clearly the epitome of foolishness. Rationally speaking, my attempt to stop the advance of the Sea God Clan would only bring loss. If Zhuge Sa had been here instead of Tang San, he would have likely said the same thing.
However—if the suffering of these fishing villagers or the people of the southern Central Plains was something that couldn’t be avoided, what meaning would my life even have? The string of actions I desperately made to bring down the gods would become meaningless. Ultimately, it would be merely self-satisfaction to restore reincarnation for humanity.
I turned to my companions and said, “I’m sorry for being so stubborn, but I want to prevent the sacrifices of as many people as possible. So please help me.”
“……”
The room fell silent.
And the first to break the silence was Cheon Woo-jin.
“Foolish boy of the world. But it’s not all bad.”
“Cheon Woo-jin.”
“If your will is like that, let me share additional information I just acquired. The real problem is not the millions of Sea God Clan members, but the beings they are summoning through their human sacrifices.”
“What? Are they summoning something?”
“Indeed. The energy that the Fire Dragon Incarnate sensed is most likely the strong magical power arising from the imminent summoning of ‘that being,’ not the great army of the Sea God Clan.”
“What is it?”
Cheon Woo-jin crossed his arms.
“I suspect it might be a dragon. The enormous shape seen in the underwater city through the previous techniques resembled that of a large dragon.”
“A dragon is a sacred being. How could the Sea God Clan summon a dragon?”
“I don’t know. I have no guesses.”
It seemed Cheon Woo-jin didn’t know the details either.
At that moment, the Fire Dragon Incarnate appeared to realize something and turned pale.
[Could it be…!!]
“Fire Dragon Incarnate, what is it?”
[If my guess is correct, this could be a bigger problem than we thought. They are…]
The Fire Dragon Incarnate was unable to continue but spoke resolutely.
[Baek Woong, it’s likely that the Celestial Realm will soon intervene in this matter! Absolutely! And before they do, we need to stop them as much as possible to reduce civilian casualties!]
“What do you expect to happen?”
[I just realized it. The being being summoned beneath the sea, beyond that, is emitting a familiar aura. If it is a dragon… it must be Wang O-yoon, the Southern Dragon King.]
“The Southern Dragon King, Wang O-yoon…?”
As I racked my brain, I suddenly realized something and gasped.
“The Southern Red Dragon King! Are you saying that the Sea God Clan is summoning the Dragon King?!”
[That’s correct. The aura is unmistakable.]
Southern Sea Dragon King, Wang O-yoon!
He was surely a member of the four great dragon kings who protect the sea, and a thousand years ago, he had laid extensive barriers to defend the Central Plains against the calamity dragon. However, during that time, the calamity dragon’s ray had shot down the Eastern Sea Dragon King O-gwang and the Western Sea Dragon King O-heum, leaving the fates of the remaining dragon kings uncertain.
Upon hearing that, Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes sharpened.
“I understand now. I see why those from the Otherworld can summon a dragon… it’s because the dragon they summon was the skeleton skull.”
“Did the Southern Dragon King betray the Celestial Realm?”
“It’s not that simple. They’re a lineage of the Spirit Beast King that has existed since the time of Pangu, so they don’t even have the position to betray the Celestial Realm. However, whether they want to or not, they can still be manipulated.”
“……?”
Cheon Woo-jin said, “It’s likely that the Southern Sea Dragon King died a thousand years ago during the battle with the calamity dragon. However, being bound to the Celestial Realm means that the souls return to the Celestial Realm upon death, eventually leading to resurrection over a long period. So, if the Dragon King is being summoned now, it means the Dragon King’s soul is no longer bound to the Celestial Realm.”
“Doesn’t that mean they’ve betrayed the Celestial Realm?”
“Why? There’s no reason to do that. It’s understandable if it were the Immortals, but not for the Dragon King. They’re akin to spirits that exist along with the life and death of this world. They are far more loyal to the Celestial Realm than the Immortals. They exist primarily to preserve this world.”
“Hmmm.”
“There’s only one possibility to consider. At the moment the Dragon King’s soul weakened due to death, someone seized that soul and led it to corruption.”
“Who could have done such a thing?”
Cheon Woo-jin quietly gazed at the distant horizon without replying. The horizon shimmered with peaceful, beautiful blue, but I also felt an ominous aura seeping out.
As I stared blankly at the direction Cheon Woo-jin was looking, it suddenly hit me.
“Ah!”
“You noticed?”
“Damn… is it real?”
As I stumbled over my words, Cheon Woo-jin pointed his finger at the horizon.
“No matter how weakened the Dragon King’s soul may be after death, it’s not something even the Ancient Great Sorcerers could seize and corrupt. That requires an existence with that level of magic, one that can grant the Sea God Clan the Dragon King’s soul and body. There is only one such being.”
I clenched my teeth.
“The Sea God!”
The Sea God must have captured the Southern Sea Dragon King, who was shot down by the calamity dragon a thousand years ago, turning him into his slave!
This was likely the reason why there had been no trace of the Southern Sea Dragon King until now.
“That’s right.”
Cheon Woo-jin gazed ahead with utterly calm eyes.
“Soon, the Sea God will directly come over, intending to conquer the Central Plains.”
“……”
As I fell silent, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens spoke.
[It seems the Sea God intends to corrupt the Southern Sea Dragon King and use him as the vanguard of the Otherworld army.]
“That’s right. If they can resurrect the Dragon King’s corpse and fully utilize its power, it would be incredibly formidable.”
[If that’s the case… the Celestial Realm will surely be involved.]
“If they intervene, the law of cause and effect in this world will soon become chaos. Furthermore, if Changhil and the Eight Parts of the Divine join the fray, it will result in an unpredictable confusion.”
Having said that, Cheon Woo-jin turned to me.
“Baek Woong, if you intend to stop this, you will inevitably face the Southern Sea Dragon King. Are you prepared?”
Facing the Southern Sea Dragon King was something I had never contemplated, so I hesitated. I knew they were mythical beings of ancient times, but I didn’t quite know the extent of their power. After pondering for a bit, I asked Cheon Woo-jin, “Do you know when they will begin their march?”
“Just wait a moment.”
Swish!
Cheon Woo-jin performed another technique. After obtaining the information, he shared it with me.
“I overheard a conversation among the great sorcerers of the Sea God Clan, and it seems they plan to march in about ten days.”
“Ten days.”
A short time, yet long too.
My mind became cluttered. The tasks of acquiring the Golden Eagle Guards, aiding in the seizure of Golden Crow Island, the return of Amatsukami, and defending against the Sea God Clan all piled up.
‘It seems like critical matters are not pressing but scattered over dates. It’s my first time experiencing this, and I can’t figure out how to plan…’
As I contemplated what to do, I said, “Is it not possible to block their summoning before the Southern Sea Dragon King is summoned? By killing the priestess or the sorcerers beforehand to prevent the human sacrifices?”
“That stage is no longer possible. The physical body has already completed materialization, and summoning the soul is just a matter of time, so trying to stop it is futile. It has developed to such a point that even the Fire Dragon Incarnate can feel the magical power.”
“Hmm… then I’ll have to seek Mangnyang’s advice.”
At this moment, I wanted to come to some conclusion, but rational strategy was needed instead of impulsive decisions. I decided to put my emotions aside and consult Mangnyang first.
Swish!
That night, we threw a black mirror into the lake to summon Mangnyang. As soon as Mangnyang was summoned, he spoke to me.
[No need to explain the situation. I was observing everything that happened earlier through the mirror.]
“What should we do, Mangnyang?”
[Ultimately, while we need to stop the Sea God’s invasion, leaping in right away is not a wise action. Thus, it’s necessary to swiftly and accurately address what’s needed.]
Mangnyang’s eyes sparkled.
[First, contact Merlin in the West and receive support for an attack on the heart of the Great Ming Empire. Then, attack the heart immediately to eliminate the demon sorcerers and obtain the Golden Eagle Guards. This won’t take even ten days.]
“Go get the Golden Eagle Guards and stop the Sea God Clan?”
[That’s a foolish move, considering the power of the Golden Eagle Guards. Moreover, if it becomes known that you possess the Golden Eagle Guards, the Celestial Sage would be the first to act against you to take them.]
“Ah!”
[The Sea God Clan can be dealt with differently. So, set your goal to obtain the Golden Eagle Guards within three days. And then…]
I listened intently to Mangnyang’s strategy, feeling a sudden surge of confidence that everything would unravel smoothly if I followed his plan. Mangnyang’s words were precisely pinpointing the crux of the current situation, providing comfort to my heart.
“Understood! I will proceed swiftly.”
Pow!
We rested for a day while waiting for Jin So-cheong to awaken and then headed to the lake in Cornwall, where Merlin was. We called out fiercely for Merlin.
“Merlin! We have come to help you. We wish to join in protecting the Golden Eagle Guards, so please listen to us.”
Whooosh!
Moments later, a vision of Merlin appeared near the lake. He looked at us while shaking his beard and then spoke in a muffled tone.
[…] The talented warrior of the East, Baek Woong. It seems you have a powerful divine status descended upon you. Moreover, with the divine folk by your side… What has happened in the meantime?
I had nearly upset Merlin during my initial life by speaking incorrectly. Nevertheless, Merlin appeared willing to engage in conversation, indicating the formidable presence of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, the Fire Dragon Incarnate, Cheon Woo-jin, and others. I shook my head.
“This isn’t the time for long-winded talk. I know the Governor’s Office of the Great Ming Empire has become a den of demon sorcerers, and the protector of the West has been suffering to protect the Golden Eagle Guards. We have come to rescue them.”
[Hmm… what is the reason for seeking me out?]
“Even so, going alone might put us at a disadvantage, so I ask you to provide us with support. That place must be a den of demon beasts, fiercely guarded by powerful forbidden laws and creatures.”
[……]
Merlin thought for a moment before saying,
[Berus, Dr. Faust. Assist them.]
In an instant, it seemed as though a dark mirror reflected in the air, and two figures appeared silently: one was Berus, whom we already knew, and the other was a gaunt, pale figure dressed as a scholar from the West.
“I know Berus’s strength… but what about this Faust guy?”
Merlin added, “I am aware of your power, but do not be reckless. If the avatar of the Old Ruler manifests, be sure to flee.”
“What do you mean?”
[If the fight drags on, the demon sorcerers may summon the avatar of the ruler. And the avatar they summon is… an extremely dangerous existence. The reason our sorcerers have not attempted to rescue the protector until now is that we feared the possibility of that avatar interfering.]
“Whose avatar is it?”
[…] Pure chaos. Again, I emphasize, we must finish this quickly before the sorcerers devise any suspicious plans.”
“Understood.”
After parting ways with Merlin, we briefly introduced ourselves to Berus and Faust. Immediately afterward, I burned an ancient talisman to summon Cheon Gong-pyo.
Cheon Gong-pyo appeared in a burst of light, casting a glance at us before speaking in a haughty voice.
[Hmph! So, you intend to search for the Golden Eagle Guards with this number?]
“Indeed. Please assist us. I learned the location from Merlin, and with this crystal sphere, we can break the dimensional barriers.”
I held up the crystal sphere I received from Merlin. Even if the demon sorcerers concealed the guardian’s location with dimensional barriers, it would be revealed in no time. Moreover, communication with the Western protector was also possible. Cheon Gong-pyo coldly chuckled.
[Heh… you fight first. If it’s interesting, I might lend a hand.]
“…Alright.”
At this point, I felt no anger at his attitude. After all, I knew exactly what kind of being he was.
I sent a brief signal to Jin So-cheong, who stood beside me.
[Jin So-cheong, please watch over her as promised.]
[Of course. I will keep a close watch on her.]
Though Jin So-cheong’s face was still pale, likely not fully recovered from her fatigue, she could fight adequately thanks to the effects of Daehwandan. She responded in a chilling voice.
[If Cheon Gong-pyo tries to betray, I will risk my life to stop him.]
It was just a gut feeling.
It seemed that only Jin So-cheong could stop Cheon Gong-pyo if he intended to betray us, not the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens or the Fire Dragon Incarnate.