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Chapter 767: Dark Heaven Village

“Don’t let them join as companions?”

“What are you talking about?”

I couldn’t help but counter Extreme Tiger. This was not something I could just brush off with a simple understanding. Even if the Trial of Wood Element fails, I wanted to directly hear the reason from Extreme Tiger.

Then, Extreme Tiger spoke.

“It’s exactly what it sounds like.”

“Just tell me the reason.”

“The reason…”

Extreme Tiger paused for a moment and looked at me. His gaze held an unusual hint of sadness that was not typical for him.

“There are various reasons, you know? I have a lot I want to share with you over a drink, but… I don’t have the luxury for that.”

“……”

“I’m not giving up just because the path to defeat the god is rough and treacherous. After all, once you pass through the [Great Wheel], it feels like listening to someone else’s story. I don’t even want to make excuses.”

“So what’s the problem then?”

Extreme Tiger opened his mouth.

“Baek Woong. If you hadn’t given me the obsidian, would I have been unhappy?”

“What?”

It was an unexpected question. I looked at Extreme Tiger with a puzzled expression, but his serious eyes made it clear he was waiting for an answer. After some thought, I responded.

“No… not really.”

Though Extreme Tiger appeared to be an unhappy inheritor of the Thunder God Lineage, he was doing his best in his own life. Calling him unhappy during that time would be an insult to him.

Extreme Tiger let out a soft laugh.

“Thank you for your honest answer. That’s exactly my reason.”

“……”

“Baek Woong, that’s my life. The hope for revenge has vanished, and every day, I’ve been simmering in anger towards the White Lotus Sect’s Dragon and Whale, doing nothing but guarding taverns—that was also my life.”

I felt like I understood something.

I couldn’t articulate it precisely, but it was because of the time I had spent with him as a friend that I felt I understood what he was trying to say. Then Jin So-cheong, who was beside me, spoke.

“Older Brother. But the reincarnated Baek Woong already exists in history. He is a being who can change the entirety of history with his own will.”

“That may be true.”

“Even if you want to solely enjoy your life, as long as he’s reincarnated, that escape is meaningless. The world, except for you, will keep moving.”

“I know. Who wouldn’t? I know that’s why the likes of Tang San are clinging to Baek Woong for advantages. From now on, anyone and everyone will want to become Baek Woong’s companion.”

Extreme Tiger shrugged lightly as he crossed his arms.

“But still, I won’t bend my will.”

“……”

“I’m going to step down from this repeating cycle.”

Jin So-cheong also seemed to sense Extreme Tiger’s determination and fell silent thereafter. However, I couldn’t accept it, and I shouted at Extreme Tiger.

“Extreme Tiger!! Did you feel empty after getting your revenge on Dragon and Whale? Do you think achieving the meaning of life is that easy? That’s not the end!!”

“If it’s not the end, then what?”

“…Help me. Help me see the end of this path as a friend!! We’re friends. You were the one who firmly settled hidden grudges!”

As I raised my voice, Extreme Tiger touched his chin gently, then said.

“Actually, there are various other reasons. So I just want to apologize.”

“What? What reasons?”

“Sigh, I’m being such a bother. When I met you again, I didn’t want this conversation to stretch on… A drink would have sufficed.”

Extreme Tiger sighed and continued.

“Alright. Let’s do this. If you pass the Trial of Seven Luminaries and become king, I will retract my words. But if you fail, you must fulfill my request. Got it?”

“That’s too presumptuous…!!”

Just as I was about to protest.

Thud.

Behind me, Mangnyang firmly grasped my shoulder. When I turned around, Mangnyang was looking at me with somewhat sad eyes and said.

“Baek Woong. Let’s go with his words.”

“……”

Mangnyang’s eyes held sincerity as well. It seemed he had read something between the lines of Extreme Tiger’s words. I realized that it wasn’t just Mangnyang; Zhuge Sa and Jin So-cheong showed similar expressions, and even the Sword Demon remained silent.

This wasn’t a cold attitude of disliking or ignoring Extreme Tiger. They felt something, intuitively understanding what Extreme Tiger was thinking. Thus, it was more of a gesture of sending him off as a companion.

‘No, that can’t be….’

Suddenly, I realized I was being obsessive. For the very first time, my past-life companion was trying to leave of his own will, and I found it strange.

Not wanting to feel that burst of pain, I recognized I was holding onto him regardless of his feelings. Extreme Tiger’s abilities or backstory became secondary; my selfishness came first.

I felt pathetic about myself, and took a moment to compose my heart.

In the end, I nodded.

“…Alright. I promise.”

“Thank you.”

Extreme Tiger smiled and began to walk slowly forward.

Then Zhuge Sa spoke from behind.

“Well, now that we’ve gathered our people, what do we plan to do next? Jin So-cheong.”

“The three martial artists will resonate with the Seven Luminaries.”

“You already know that the resonance of Seven Luminaries won’t work.”

“We’ll just change the target of amplification.”

With that answer, Zhuge Sa seemed to understand their intentions. Then he grinned.

“To come this far and gamble again. There’s no dull moment.”

Sssss.

Soon, Extreme Tiger, Jin So-cheong, and Sword Demon surrounded the unconscious body of the Wood Element, holding the power of the Seven Luminaries. They began to unleash the power of their respective Dual Luminaries, gradually engulfing their bodies in light.

Watching them, I realized what they were attempting.

‘The power arising from the resonance of the Seven Luminaries… They’re trying to enhance their ability to reach the Primordial Void!’

What a shift in thinking!

I had only considered using the resonance itself, not in such a manner. The first to refine their powers was the Sword Demon. As soon as the Sword Demon unleashed the Dual Luminary resonance, his white hair became even whiter, and an indescribable aura flowed magnificently.

Following the Sword Demon, Jin So-cheong seemed to begin reaching a ‘different realm’ as well. And soon, Extreme Tiger’s body started to vanish, consumed by the light of resonance. It felt as if I could hear his last words through my heart before he disappeared.

[It’s been fun. My friend.]

Pah.

Was it a brief moment, or had a significant amount of time passed?

When I opened my eyes, the Wood Element was gone, and all the Seven Luminaries were scattered on the ground. The three experts who had resonated were nowhere to be found.

Looking around, Mangnyang, Zhuge Sa, Cheon Woo-jin, and Celestial Sage all appeared unscathed. I asked Mangnyang.

“Mangnyang. What happened?”

“It seems we’ve overcome the Trial of Wood Element… but I don’t know what transpired.”

We looked toward Celestial Sage and Cheon Gong-pyo, but they also showed signs of being unsure about what had happened. What could have occurred in that moment?

I fixed my gaze on the rainbow-colored shimmer surrounding the Wood Element. It was evident that the shimmering colors indicated that the three must have risked their lives to eliminate the Wood Element with the power of the Primordial Void. Given that they were now missing, it was possible they had completely vanished physically.

I wanted to summon those three who had sacrificed their lives.

‘Extreme Tiger! Sword Demon! Jin So-cheong!!’

……

Huh?

I felt puzzled when I focused my mind, but the three did not appear. This had never happened before—why was this occurring? Sensing something strange in my actions, Mangnyang’s expression changed for the worse.

“…They won’t summon?”

“That’s right… What is happening here…?”

Then Zhuge Sa quickly stepped forward, seemingly using the Soul Exchange Technique. He began to utilize the technique to sense the soul energies in the vicinity and said.

“Their souls or even their lives are not here…. Just as it was back then.”

“Back then?”

“…When Jin So-cheong defeated the Nine Lotus Bishop.”

Zhuge Sa responded briefly.

“I have my suspicions. If I’m correct, those three will not be able to be summoned again after this trial.”

“What? Why?”

“There must be a being holding their souls as collateral!”

Zhuge Sa spoke those words.

“Then there’s no time to waste. Let’s quickly pass the next trial while making the most of the precious time those three bought for us.”

“……”

“Having passed the toughest trial, we should have some breathing room now.”

I felt a surge of panic when the martial artists suddenly dropped out of the assault. But as Zhuge Sa said, this wasn’t the time to think deeply about that. Instead of lamenting in detail, we needed to conserve our strength and push forward. I directed my gaze to another direction.

“The Trial of Golden Crow is open.”

Kiiing—

The chamber of the Gold Mine shone brightly. I stood up, ready to head toward the Golden Crow, but just then, Mangnyang stopped me.

“Wait a minute!”

“What is it?”

“Something feels off. I hear some shouting from the direction of the Golden Crow’s trial.”

“Shouting…?”

At his words, Cheon Gong-pyo used his technique to closely examine that direction and said.

“The army of Qin Shi Huang is already fighting.”

“……”

What?

But I realized it could be true. If Qin Shi Huang commands tens of thousands of soldiers, he wouldn’t just invest in a single Seven Luminary but could also send forces to other battlefields. Then, Mangnyang said.

“That’s good. In this case, let’s observe how their army fights rather than rushing in immediately.”

We decided to follow Mangnyang’s advice and went to observe the battlefield of the Golden Crow, watching how the troops engaged. Upon seeing how Qin Shi Huang’s army confronted the spirit of the Golden Crow, I felt shocked.

[For the Emperor!!]

[Kill them!!]

It was exactly as Cheon Woo-jin had described. Dressed in ancient armor and weaponry, the soldiers surged forward in dark waves, charging toward the glowing spirit of the Golden Crow, which shone like a golden deer.

As soon as the golden light shone from the Golden Crow, the soldiers rushing in from the front screamed.

[Urrgghhh!]

[Noooo!]

Boom!

In an instant, a scar split across the horizon as soldiers seemingly died by the thousands. The Golden Crow, seemingly annoyed, summoned some kind of rain emblem from the void, smashing it down onto the ground repeatedly, each strike turning more soldiers into torrents of blood. It was a gruesome scene.

[Noo!]

[Help me! Why am I here….]

What was this?

I had thought these soldiers were a fiercely loyal army forged by their devotion to Qin Shi Huang, but their reactions were far from that. They resembled conscripts dragged into an unwanted war, their morale severely diminished, with only a few hundred valiant warriors courageously charging at the Golden Crow.

The rest were merely standing there, trembling with spears in their hands. However, observing from behind the ranks was a commander, donning official garb, who commanded.

[Rise again.]

Swish!

Just then, the soldiers who had just been obliterated by the Golden Crow quickly resurrected. The resurrected soldiers seemed to be in shock from the trauma of death, staggering as they tried to regain their footing. The commander glanced at this with a disdainful expression and said.

[You are the Emperor’s slaves. Fight hard!!]

[Die!!]

After being brutally killed multiple times, the enraged soldiers charged at the commander, brandishing their weapons, but the high-ranking officers next to him easily dispatched them with movements reminiscent of Peak Experts.

[Urrghhh!]

The commander showed no concern upon witnessing the rebellion against him.

[You are the property of the Qin Empire and eternally its slaves! You are not permitted to die.]

Rumble…

With that, as the commander exuded an aura of darkness, the soldiers, as if entranced, became frenzied warriors once again and charged toward the Golden Crow. This process was repeated everywhere, and ultimately, the pressure against the Golden Crow showed no sign of stopping.

I watched this from a hill and, feeling incredulous, said.

“That’s futile! No matter how many times they do this, they can’t even scratch the spirit of the Seven Luminaries.”

“Does Qin Shi Huang not know this? It’s just a way to exhaust them until he arrives.”

“How can the soldiers die hundreds of times?”

“Who cares? No matter how many times they die, what does it matter to Qin Shi Huang? Do you think that monster would feel sympathy or kindness?”

“……”

Zhuge Sa remarked, seemingly intrigued.

“But he understands the nature of the trial well. It’s a very well-crafted strategy. Indeed, Qin Shi Huang is a talent fit to dominate the world.”

“What do you mean? Is this reckless nonsense a well-crafted strategy?”

“Think about the rules. Here, only a king can summon a being he recognizes as a king. However, seeing the state of these soldiers, it appears they first entered a slave contract convincing them to regard themselves as kings long before.”

“Um….”

“And he appointed the commanders as kings in their past lives, granting them summoning rights. This way, an infinite army that can never be annihilated is formed. Qin Shi Huang doesn’t even need to summon them personally.”

“……!!”

“Though the soldiers may be unfortunate, in terms of strategy, it’s top-notch. After all, they are effectively using them for exhaustion purposes, aren’t they?”

Listening to Zhuge Sa’s words left me feeling frustrated.

Certainly, the spirit of the Seven Luminaries doesn’t possess infinite strength, and there would come a time when it would tire. It is conceivable to intentionally utilize a delaying tactic for that reason. However, what they had to endure for that was to be massacred repeatedly at the hands of a colossal spirit that couldn’t even be dealt with.

Living or dead, slaves.

I could see the true identities of the soldiers.

“Those are the Terracotta Warriors from the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang.”

The mysterious army models buried in the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the Terracotta Warriors.

They hadn’t truly died but had been bound by an evil contract since ancient times, neither dead nor alive, buried for millennia. They were beings who had suffered for thousands of years just to become fodder for Qin Shi Huang in the Trial of Seven Luminaries.

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