NOVEL NEXT Chapter 771
Dark Heaven Village
“What are Nahoo and Kyedo?”
I asked Mangnyang.
“Mangnyang, do you know what that twin star is?”
“…….”
But Mangnyang looked completely drained of mental strength, his eyes vacant, and he seemed gripped by a terror so profound that he couldn’t utter a word. I hurriedly tried to restore his mental state with my own internal power, but it seemed like that shock therapy wasn’t going to work right now. As someone who learned medical techniques, I knew why this was happening.
When a living being confronts death, they reach a stage of resignation and acceptance!
That state, which could be said to be in between life and death, becomes impervious to any great medicine or healing techniques, because the spirit itself has already acknowledged death. But for someone with Mangnyang’s mental strength to succumb so easily?
I glanced at Zhuge Sa. Yet, even Zhuge Sa, though caught in madness, was trembling and barely managing to speak, as if he too felt the overwhelming fear. This indicated a presence that was almost impossible to overcome, even for those driven mad.
When our eyes met, Zhuge Sa chuckled menacingly.
“Ha… ha… You’re not scared, are you? I thought so…”
“Zhuge Sa, what are Nahoo and Kyedo?”
“It’s a little-known… theory… Originally based on the Big Dipper, the celestial deities of the world revolve around the Seven Luminaries, but in ancient astronomy, there were the Nine Heavenly Bodies… Two ominous celestial realms that retrogress against the ecliptic. Those two celestial bodies were what we called Nahoo and Kyedo, hidden from observation, and together with the Seven Luminaries, were referred to as the Nine Heavenly Bodies.”
“……!!”
“Baek Woong… The reason I deduced the twin stars are Nahoo and Kyedo is because of the traces in the sky….”
Thud.
I realized at that moment that both Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa had just drawn their last breaths. They could no longer withstand the ghastly pressure and had perished. But I didn’t have the luxury to grieve their deaths right now, so I quickly shifted my gaze skyward, just as Zhuge Sa had advised.
Uwoong—
‘So many paths…’
I had just been focusing on the sun, so I hadn’t noticed that countless star trails stretched beyond the sun’s light. There appeared to be tens of thousands, with small celestial bodies flitting about like shooting stars or comets. Among them were gigantic celestial bodies—seven in total. Those grand celestial bodies must be the planets of the Seven Luminaries.
Looking closely at the heavenly orbits, I noticed that the path of the Seven Luminaries emitted a brilliant rainbow light, with each one tracing an elliptical trajectory. Only then did I begin to comprehend Zhuge Sa’s last words.
‘The path of the twin stars following the sun leaves no trace….’
Not leaving a trace, it was deduced that Nahoo and Kyedo were ominous celestial bodies that reversely traversed the ecliptic. Even so, to infer the identity of those stars in that brief moment showcased the intellectual prowess and astronomical knowledge of Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa.
At that moment, the Master of Zen, who had been staggering on the ground beside me, spoke up.
“Baek Woong… Nahoo is the head of the dragon, and Kyedo is the tail… Therefore… the dragon may soon appear….”
“Master of Zen, what do you mean?”
Cough!
The Master of Zen coughed up blood shortly after and died. I hadn’t expected someone with such tremendous internal power to succumb so easily at this moment. Being the second strongest martial artist among us, I was taken aback.
“Hmm….”
What kind of pressure were my comrades experiencing right now, besides me?
It seemed that only Cheon Gong-pyo and Celestial Sage Yui, the remaining comrades, were not facing death like the others, likely due to their extraordinary combat power beyond that of mortals, even above that of the Demon King.
The two began to regain their composure while enduring the pressure and fear. They looked as fatigued as someone who had drunk all day and was suffering from a hangover the next morning.
Cheon Gong-pyo muttered lethargically.
“Is this truly what the trials of the Seven Luminaries are like? It’s hard to believe that this level of difficulty is imposed on mortals. Even if assuming one of the Six Luminaries were to challenge, it wouldn’t make sense.”
“Cheon Gong-pyo, is the guardian of the day the sun?”
“…I don’t know. But we have to take on the challenge.”
Cheon Gong-pyo’s voice was devoid of confidence.
Then, Celestial Sage Yui, who seemed deep in thought, spoke to me.
“Baek Woong. Grant the five luminaries to Cheon Gong-pyo.”
“What?”
I was taken aback by the unexpected suggestion and questioned him.
“I have a bad feeling. If you die, everything ends, so you should stay out of it and watch the situation for now. I’ll also remain a spectator for the time being.”
With that, Cheon Gong-pyo scoffed.
“Hmph! You’re just going to gawk while I take the lead, huh?”
“Fine! Should I go first then?”
“Enough! Even without you two, I’ll wipe them out by myself.”
“That’d be better.”
As per Celestial Sage Yui’s instruction, I transferred the five luminaries to Cheon Gong-pyo, except for the flame element I had previously given to Qin Shi Huang. Unlike me, Cheon Gong-pyo could harness the full power of the liberated luminaries, and soon, extraordinary power surged through her body.
Kugugugu…!!
She definitely felt several times stronger than before! With just one power of the water element, Cheon Gong-pyo was already powerful enough to easily contend with the Eight Divine Guards, and now, I thought she could hold her own even against the Old Ruler.
[Take this!]
Whoosh!
Cheon Gong-pyo summoned the Sabre Sword and hurled it towards the sun at the center. This wasn’t just one sword being summoned; four appeared at once, which was extraordinary considering Cheon Gong-pyo had only summoned one or two at a time before.
‘Is it possible that having multiple luminaries allows her to use the Sabre Sword all at once?’
At that moment, Qin Shi Huang summoned his army and charged forward into the void, while Celestial Sage Yui used Clone Technique to send hundreds of clones soaring into the sky. The first assault against the guardian of the day had begun.
However, something unbelievable happened while the Sabre Sword flew towards the sun.
Whir—
“Ugh….”
Cheon Gong-pyo let out an eerie scream. No wonder, as a translucent mirror had been summoned right in front of the sun out of nowhere. Moreover, it was a mirror we were already familiar with.
‘The Mirror of the Moon Sovereign?!’
No doubt about it.
As expected, Cheon Gong-pyo attempted to recall the Sabre Sword for evasion, but it was already too late—the sword’s attack was reflected right back at her. Had it merely been the Mirror of the Moon Sovereign, perhaps the Sabre Sword would have shattered, but the mirror summoned by the Sun Guardian remained intact against the Sabre Sword. A blinding silver light erupted as the spot where Cheon Gong-pyo stood was obliterated.
And this area included me, Celestial Sage Yui, and Qin Shi Huang.
What the hell?
Seriously?
Total annihilation from a single attack reflection…?
I thought about that, but there was nothing I could do. The strongest Sabre Sword empowered by all five luminaries was reflected back at me, leaving only death as my fate. Even Celestial Sage Yui and Qin Shi Huang wore expressions of despair.
At that moment, Qin Shi Huang unleashed the power of the flame element, casting his ability.
[Time, go back!]
Shiriririk
Suddenly, the reflected power of the Sabre Sword twisted and turned back like a lie. In addition, both my, Celestial Sage Yui’s, and Cheon Gong-pyo’s positions reverted to our former locations.
‘Time Recovery!’
While it bore similarities to the ability to revert [Little Wheel], one notable difference was that anyone caught in the Time Recovery could easily perceive that their past selves had returned. Even though I had yet to gain the strength to resist [Little Wheel], I clearly sensed that Qin Shi Huang had used Time Recovery.
Seeing the Sabre Sword was rendering ineffective, Cheon Gong-pyo clenched his teeth and shouted.
[Can you reflect this too…! Spirit Summoning Technique!!]
With her cry, the world seemed to be engulfed in darkness around her, while she alone shone with white light. Extending her hands, she aimed for the sun, and in that moment, time and space shattered, with the area where the sun had existed collapsing, blinding my sight.
Clang!
Simultaneously, the mirror, which was being summoned to thwart the Spirit Summoning Technique, shattered upon summoning and was consumed by the rift in space. The celestial nexus split in two, and the radiant shock wave of destruction soared into the galaxy beyond, which I observed in awe.
“Wait!!”
Is there really a technique this powerful in existence?!
‘The Spirit Summoning Technique I saw before is on a completely different level!’
It was formidable when used alongside the Corpse Dissolution Technique by the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens in the past, but if Cheon Gong-pyo cast the Spirit Summoning Technique now, it seemed most of the spirits of the Seven Luminaries would suffer tremendous damage. Witnessing such overwhelming powers akin to those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors left me in shock, prompting Celestial Sage Yui to grimace.
“Tsk…. So she already knows how to use that.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Spirit Summoning Technique can only be used once a day, no matter how powerful she is. It’s counted among the top three techniques alongside the Corpse Dissolution Technique even in the Afterlife. That’s why, while sensing the significance, I guessed she’d reserved the Sun Guardian until later, but she used it right from the start.”
“…….”
Kugugugu
As chaos poured from the remnants of the shattered sun, I wondered if this marked the end of the trials of the Seven Luminaries, but it seemed I was the only one thinking that, as the expressions of the other three turned stark and rigid. They likely didn’t believe that the Sun Guardian could perish this easily.
And then, upon seeing the two stars floating in the void, I began to think the same way. Even though the Spirit Summoning Technique had ripped apart time and space, Nahoo and Kyedo remained unscathed.
Uwooo—
The drifting Nahoo and Kyedo began to slowly separate, echoing like a ghost valley. The two stars seemed to be heading towards the horizon, and Celestial Sage Yui shouted, enraged.
“Cheon Gong-pyo!! We need to destroy at least one of them quickly!”
“I know!”
Both of them, seasoned warriors, instinctively understood that leaving Nahoo and Kyedo unchecked would unleash unparalleled catastrophe. Celestial Sage Yui combined the Clone Technique and Short-distance Transfer as he chased after Nahoo, while Cheon Gong-pyo took the opposite route to pursue Kyedo. Qin Shi Huang, perhaps sensing Celestial Sage Yui’s vulnerability, went to assist him against Nahoo.
And I remained here, gazing into the void. As I kept watch over the remnants of the destruction, I heard an indistinct voice resounding.
[You’ve finally made it here… You truly possess the qualifications of a king.]
I recognized that voice from somewhere.
As I pondered, I suddenly pieced together the identity of the voice.
“……?!”
No way, how is that possible?
Why would this happen?
As I realized the identity of the voice, I found myself bewildered, blinking in confusion as the voice continued.
[I am also the founder. I was born when this planet formed from the chaos of the universe billions of years ago and became the king of the spirits that emerged. My human form and embodiment were shaped by the Emperor’s will.]
“…….”
[When I confronted the resurrected Qin Shi Huang in this world, I received a heavenly mandate that allowed me to shed the mask I had worn until now. The Emperor had calculated the law of cause and effect where Qin Shi Huang was a colossal fragment, and I, too, resonated with that law, freeing myself from constraints. However, even after shedding the mask, I was at a loss about what to do.]
Shhhhhh
At that moment, in the remnants of the destruction, a glimmer flickered to life. The light, glowing orange, gradually grew more substantial and powerful, eventually restoring its circular form as it floated upwards.
As the center of chaos, the sun resurrected and intensified its luminescence, leaving me speechless.
[At that time, my essence suggested that I should comply with the flow…. I followed that advice and returned to my essence by shedding the mask. During the ancient war between the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and Chi You, it was before the Emperor made his offer to the true master of this land… before I became an entity with form.]
“…….”
[And as a result, Baek Woong, you’ve come here, having obtained the qualifications to become a king.]
“…Why… with your level of power, why couldn’t you defeat the Queen Mother of the West?!”
I cried out, feeling utterly deceived!
Upon my exclamation, the sun radiated.
[While the true master of this land was asleep, Nüwa faithfully fulfilled her role as the Mother of Earth. Nüwa was originally the supreme deity from the outer realm, yet she adhered loyally to her contract, causing no significant upheaval… Because of this, I couldn’t gain the justification or law of cause and effect to challenge her, nor could I unleash my full power. The Queen Mother of the West and I were merely incarnations.]
“…….”
[However… this place is the trial of the Seven Luminaries. To confirm the qualifications of a true human king, I can now utilize all the powers I sealed away in antiquity. Perhaps even the chaos instigated by Changhil wielding your form is part of the Emperor’s calculated law of cause and effect.]
In that moment, I started to realize something.
So the Corpse Dissolution Technique means…?
If my assumptions were accurate, it became clear why no one had succeeded at the Spirit Summoning Technique before. No, it had been impossible for mortals to succeed in the first place. Because it wasn’t a “technique.”
Moments later, ‘she’ left a final message.
[Baek Woong, the Nine Heavens are sounding… Now that the twin stars following me start to summon the dragon, I will then confront you as Pangu’s incarnation.]
With those words, I could no longer engage in conversation with her.
I felt that ‘personality’ faded away, returning to being the last spirit king and the guardian of the day.
Indeed.
The guardian of the day is none other than the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens.
The incarnation of the Creator God Pangu and the king of spirits who had governed this land for billions of years was the ultimate guardian.