NOVEL NEXT Chapter 760
Chapter 760: Dark Heaven Village
As the Yan Emperor Shennong resurrected, Zhuge Yulong wore a faint smile.
“Seeing that reaction… it must be the Yan Emperor Shennong who has come back, right?”
There’s no need to ask how I knew. I had already told Zhuge Yulong about the current situation, so it would be strange if his sharp mind couldn’t predict things. Zhuge Sa spoke up.
“Brother. Do you know anything about the giant race or Chiyou?”
“You’ve already exhausted your questions with me. But if I must answer, let’s just say it’s an unknown territory for me as well…”
I guessed as much.
The war between gods and giants ended long before history properly began, and the confinement of Yan Emperor Shennong in the Southern Continent happened thousands of years ago. No matter how knowledgeable Zhuge Yulong was, he wouldn’t know everything. Especially since it’s a mystery that doesn’t directly relate to his goals.
Zhuge Sa glanced at me and said.
“Baek Woong. Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“To where the Xuanyuan Sword is…”
Huh?
What is he talking about?
I thought we had put our hunt for the Xuanyuan Sword on hold since its whereabouts were currently a mystery. But at that moment, seeing Zhuge Sa’s eyes, I quickly understood and nodded slowly.
“Ah, that sounds good.”
As we turned to leave, suddenly Zhuge Yulong called out.
“Wait!”
We stopped and turned back to Zhuge Yulong. He was looking at us without a change in expression, yet he said,
“It’s a shallow scheme, but will you fall for it? How much do you know about the Xuanyuan Sword?”
Zhuge Sa replied slyly.
“Brother, we no longer have the right to question you, so there’s no reason for you to answer that, right?”
“I predicted you would say that. Your intentions are crystal clear.”
“Even with such obvious schemes, the true joy of a strategist is controlling the opponent.”
“Huh.”
Zhuge Yulong’s eyes gleamed as he said.
“Okay… How about we share information we have regarding the topic of the Xuanyuan Sword?”
“You’re truly impressive, Brother. Even in a situation that seems to be over, you still hold on to hope… typically, when pushed this far, people give up.”
Zhuge Sa murmured in admiration.
“Great. Then I’ll share what I know first. But you must answer faithfully in return.”
“Go ahead.”
“The Xuanyuan Sword is the legendary divine sword that Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen used to fight against Chiyou. It was given to humans by the gods right after the Great Battle of Panchen, and it allows for direct communication without the Offering Ceremony.”
“Hmm… That’s right.”
So Zhuge Yulong knows something about the Xuanyuan Sword too?
As Zhuge Yulong confirmed it, Zhuge Sa raised a question.
“However, it’s quite strange. We’ve gone through so much trouble to simplify the Offering Ceremony, seeking out Changhil and gathering the Seven Luminaries, yet the Xuanyuan Sword just popped up out of nowhere. Doesn’t it seem odd for such a convenient item to appear so suddenly? It’s clearly at a higher level than the Seven Luminaries, yet there’s hardly any proper inheritance, and hardly anyone knows about its existence.”
“Have you looked for the Xuanyuan Sword?”
“A little. But not enough to say I’ve found any clues.”
“Probably the same in the future. It would be like searching for a wellspring in a desert.”
“You seem to know something.”
Zhuge Yulong spoke slowly.
“I’ve naturally acquired information about the Xuanyuan Sword. What do you think the simplest and most powerful method I chose to gain this information was?”
“You asked the gods, I suppose. With offerings and sacrifices.”
“Exactly. But the god behind the Demon Subduing Hall distinctly told me that [it does not exist in this world]. In other words, it must be in another world.”
“… I see. So it seems we need the ability to search other realms. That would mean wandering through the vast universe, which is trillions of times wider than an ocean.”
“I believe that’s as good as nonexistent.”
Zhuge Yulong was right. Based on what I had learned through Gongsun Byeok and Ye Chuk, the genuine Xuanyuan Sword had already perished when the Shang Dynasty’s divine beings committed suicide, and the only remnants were its descendants. Moreover, even if I searched this world using the National Seal, it would probably be clear it existed in another world.
“Then, brother. I wish to see you again after the world has become peaceful.”
“……”
We completely withdrew from Zhuge Yulong. After emerging from the ruins, I asked Zhuge Sa.
“Zhuge Sa, isn’t confirming what we already know about the Xuanyuan Sword just redundant?”
“Not at all. Aren’t you picking up on something?”
“What do you mean?”
“Tsk… our dull lord can think well in a crisis, but in these moments, he’s sluggish.”
Zhuge Sa clicked his tongue and said.
“There’s a high chance that the true power of the Xuanyuan Sword is not limited to just direct communication with the emperor.”
“… What do you mean?”
“The thing is, if we find the Xuanyuan Sword, we won’t need to gather the Seven Luminaries. Right? If the goal is to plead for human salvation from the emperor, we could just free the Xuanyuan Sword without all that messy gathering and freeing of the Seven Luminaries. In a way, it’s a cheating item that could make our entire journey pointless.”
“That much is true.”
“But then, why is such a Xuanyuan Sword missing from the material world? It’s the only thing designed for feeble humans but it’s nowhere to be found? Even if the original is lost, it should’ve scattered somewhere in this world, yet the divine beings all seem to agree it exists in another world. I just had a confirming realization from what Zhuge Yulong said.”
“What is it?”
“If the Xuanyuan Sword had powerful abilities for direct communication with the emperor, wouldn’t the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors have made more effort to obtain it than the Seven Luminaries? But since they haven’t, it seems there’s a reason the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors can’t use the Xuanyuan Sword.”
“Uh…”
“Isn’t it likely that the gods, including the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, can’t use the Xuanyuan Sword?”
“……!!”
Now that I think about it…
“The Xuanyuan Sword is meaningless to the gods, but provides immense benefits to humans. So it seems plausible that someone found it displeasing and cast it into the outer universe. That could have been the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors or perhaps the [Old Ruler]… in any case, not on the side of humanity. If you consider this, there might be additional abilities beyond just direct communication with the emperor; at least an ability meant solely for human heroes or kings.”
“Hmm…”
Zhuge Sa’s words held great persuasion.
Just then, listening to our conversation, Cheon Gong-pyo spoke up.
“Does the Xuanyuan Sword really exist?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve never heard of the Xuanyuan Sword existing. Back in my era, humans still had powers, yet there was no such existence. You all might just be speculating wild theories.”
Cheon Gong-pyo’s words made sense.
It could be that because it doesn’t exist, they were saying it’s not in this world.
Suddenly, I understood Zhuge Sa’s intention.
‘With the complete acquisition of the Seven Luminaries at our fingertips, there might be clues about the Xuanyuan Sword that we are unaware of. Perhaps related to the trials of the Sun God…’
Zhuge Sa’s mention of a feeling meant precisely that.
While I was pondering deeply, the Celestial Sage spoke.
“So what’s the conclusion? Are we going to search for the Xuanyuan Sword?”
The last clue we had was that perhaps the descendants of the Overlay Technique might know something. I thought that with our current power, we could intimidate the descendants of the Overlay Technique to cough up the information. Just as I was about to nod, Jin So-cheong stepped forward and said.
“No. Right now, we do not know what kind of scheme that Jin is plotting. There’s no time to be leisurely searching for the whereabouts of the Xuanyuan Sword which we might not even find. Especially since Shennong has been resurrected, we can’t know when the world might end.”
“Ah! That’s right.”
Jin So-cheong was correct. I felt a surge of clarity. Indeed, searching for the Xuanyuan Sword is something that should only be done when we have ample time, and now is not that time. The expedition for the Seven Luminaries had reached its peak, and foes were abound. There was no time to leisurely visit the Celestial Realm to bully the descendants. The moment I tried, we could be attacked by the Queen Mother of the West or Jin at any moment.
Jin So-cheong turned to Zhuge Sa.
“Zhuge Sa. Don’t just talk about the bigger picture; tell us what we should be doing right now.”
“Tch… Sometimes you’re smart in judgments, but that makes you annoying. Generally, those who are strong ought to be a bit dim-witted to be endearing.”
Zhuge Sa grumbled.
“Anyway, we’ve secured Jin’s weakness based on the information we’ve gathered. By using the puppet Zhuge Bu, we can set up the Eight Trigrams Formation; his weaknesses will be revealed. Then we should set a safe barrier to prevent him from ambushing us with his time-stopping capabilities and lead him to us.”
“That seems difficult, doesn’t it? Jin acts solo, so he could ambush us anytime he wants. Besides, the Celestial Sage can’t protect us forever, and we can’t completely block against his surprise attacks.”
“So are we going to let time just pass us by? That’s not the case. The upheaval of the world is something he’s aware of too; I’m sure he knows the giants might intervene before we settle things.”
Zhuge Sa muttered.
“Just like with us.”
“Then what are we to do?”
“If the giant race runs amok, we need to find a place that’s safe enough to withstand the end of the world and establish a fortress-like barrier to endure. In time, Jin will come, and defeating him while prepared is our best option. And that place… is most likely Luoyang.”
“Because of the Battle Ground?”
“Correct. Due to Master Mangnyang’s Battle Ground, even if the giants were to destroy the world, they’d attack Luoyang last. That’s the only thing we can rely on.”
Zhuge Sa glanced slyly at Cheon Woo-jin and Cheon Gong-pyo.
“Do you think it’ll be possible to create a barrier strong enough to withstand a demon puppet with time-stopping ability?”
“… Honestly, I’m not sure.”
Cheon Woo-jin shook his head.
“If the ability of a fully-formed Divine Portrait is as I think, we wouldn’t be able to block it. We might get a shot in, but perfect defense would be impossible. Regarding time manipulation abilities, it might not differ much from the [Old Ruler].”
Cheon Gong-pyo spoke up as well.
“It might be possible, but I don’t care to expend that much effort for you!”
“What are you unhappy about?”
“Even if I follow you to help liberate the Seven Luminaries to present to the emperor, humanity is in a state that’s essentially doomed. A mere handful are left due to the Divine Command of Changhil, but even they wouldn’t amount to a tenth of humanity. They’re barely scraps. What reason do I have to fight to the bitter end for such lower beings?”
“……”
“Regardless of whether you plead for humanity’s salvation and the emperor postpones the apocalypse by years or millennia, does that really serve as a solution?”
I quietly answered Cheon Gong-pyo’s words.
“Anything is better than this.”
“Huh! You don’t seem pleased.”
Cheon Gong-pyo appeared disinterested. He seemed to be considering helping us out of obligation, but was skeptical about the very liberation of the Seven Luminaries. After all, it made sense he wouldn’t be thrilled if he wasn’t leading things.
Just then…
KUUUUUWAH!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—
The southern sky was ablaze. From afar, it looked like celestial flames were sweeping over the horizon. It was clearly a colossal natural catastrophe, and while everyone was shocked, Cheon Gong-pyo cast the Roar of the Sky.
WHOOOM—
After realizing the situation, Cheon Gong-pyo spoke up.
“Yan Emperor Shennong is facing the Sea God in the Southern Sea.”
“What?”
“He’s currently being hammered pretty badly…”
“By the Sea God?”
“Why even ask? The two are not of comparable power.”
KUUUUUUUUU—
KUGU…
The trembling lasted just a moment before it stopped. Cheon Gong-pyo briefly spoke.
“The Sea God is dead. His corpse was completely incinerated by the flames of the Yan Emperor.”
“……”
“The Yan Emperor is beginning to move north.”
In just a breath’s time?
Could the Sea God really be taken care of so quickly?
Then Zhuge Sa’s complexion grew slightly pale, and he said,
“Damn it. Let’s hurry to Luoyang. If we’re not careful…”
FWOOOSH—
In the next moment, the massive current of heavenly flames shifted towards the west. It was like a pillar of flame, and for an instant, the entire sky seemed to be colored with a flash. Again, there was a deafening roar as the heavens shook.
KUUUUU!!!
Cheon Gong-pyo muttered quietly.
“The world is on fire….”
WOOOO—
Cheon Gong-pyo shared his vision with us through sorcery. We then saw the Yan Emperor’s flames forming a colossal ring that encircled the planet, ruthlessly scorching everything it reached. From a distance, it must have appeared as though this world was engulfed by dozens of rings of fire.
Yan Emperor Shennong.
He appeared as a flame-wreathed human figure clad in the garments of an ancient monarch. When the enormous Shennong extended his hand, we witnessed the dark demons near Aokigahara Life Sea get obliterated in an instant.
FWOOOM—
All the demon beasts from the Living Sea, Death Sea, and Entering Sea were simultaneously incinerated, while simultaneously, the monsters near the Entering Sea, said to rival the Overlay Technique, howled as they charged at the Yan Emperor Shennong.
KIIIAAA!!!
The sight was once terrifying, as all the beasts of heaven and earth rushed towards the Yan Emperor. However, Yan Emperor Shennong unleashed his will upon the world.
[Burn.]
The moment he uttered a single command, hundreds of the demon beasts from the Entering Sea vanished without a trace in a single blow. And the vast being following those demons staggered, evidently struck hard by Shennong’s command.
‘Is that the king of the Life Sea?’
The gigantic being spoke to Shennong.
[Oh Yan Emperor Shennong… I am but an entity fulfilling my duty! Do not carelessly draw otherworldly cause and effects into this realm.]
Shennong curtly replied.
[I don’t care… Soon the Seven Luminaries will gather, and you must restrain yourself and not reveal yourself to the world again. Before you clog up that filthy hole!]
[What…](?!)
[Do I need to spell it out for you?]
[Understood…]
The being, presumed to be the King of the Life Sea, vanished in that instant, along with the overwhelming poison and demon ki that had been saturating the Life Sea. The entire Dongyoung region felt as though it had been purified. In that moment, I felt a strange sensation.
‘What is going on…?’
Could it be that Yan Emperor Shennong…
As I pondered this, suddenly Yan Emperor Shennong’s gaze turned toward me. It seemed like he had already sensed I was observing him through Cheon Gong-pyo’s sorcery. He certainly looked straight at me and said.
[‘She’ mentioned… you could be relied upon… I shall watch until you gather the Six Elements.]
PA-AT
In the very next moment, Cheon Gong-pyo’s sorcery was forcibly undone. He said with irritation,
“We need to get to Luoyang quickly. Shennong has sensed us.”
No, that’s not it.
As I rapidly moved toward Luoyang with the help of the sorcerers, I was engulfed in a complex mix of emotions.
It was because of the peculiar feeling I sensed from the actions and words of Yan Emperor Shennong just now.
‘It can’t be…’
The Dongyoung region was purified, and Goryeo was as well.
Yan Emperor Shennong could have easily carbonized Goryeo and Dongyoung in an instant if he wanted to, yet he only specifically chose to burn the demons. If the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors regarded humans as mere insects, they would never exercise such precise control over their power. Furthermore, even the King of the Life Sea, who had been a persistent source of calamity in the eastern world, fled into hiding.
It’s hard to believe—
Yan Emperor Shennong truly likes humans.