NOVEL NEXT Chapter 787
Chapter 787: True Martial Home
“You’re going to destroy the Life Sea?”
I couldn’t help but wonder what Zhuge Sa was thinking. Then Zhuge Sa asked me,
“Baek Woong, do you know what your anomaly is?”
“I have no idea.”
“Neither do I. And I’m pretty sure no one else knows either.”
“…?”
Zhuge Sa, who usually acted like he knew everything, saying something like that was quite unexpected. I thought he was joking, but he showed no signs of humor.
“We need to find out because we don’t know. And we should do it quickly if possible, since it’s a destiny we can’t discern at this moment.”
“Ah….”
“We need to figure out if it’s a person, an event, or some colossal cause-and-effect. If it’s a person, we can just eliminate them; if it’s an event, we should avoid it. To do that, we need to explore the Life Sea as quickly as possible, since that’s the most assured target.”
“Okay, I understand that, but why destroy the Life Sea?”
“You know how the Life Sea is divided into four stages of life and death, right? And the deeper you go, the stronger the monsters get.”
“Of course.”
I nodded. Having experienced the Life Sea firsthand, I knew this fact well. Zhuge Sa continued.
“That’s why I think that warrior in the ‘Entering Sea’ is a danger. To identify or eliminate him, we need to gather our strongest forces and attack the Life Sea as quickly as possible.”
“The warrior in the Entering Sea?”
“…Did you not realize? Damn, you really didn’t think of that? Talk about being oblivious….”
Zhuge Sa muttered in disbelief before continuing.
“At that time, we were so focused on survival that we didn’t notice it, but there was an unknown entity practicing martial arts in the Entering Sea. In a hellish environment of the second-highest level! Don’t you understand what that implies?”
“It must be an expert….”
“Right now, I think he’s the most likely suspect. If anyone can be called an ‘anomaly,’ it has to be him. It’s an obvious assertion for a strategist.”
“Um….”
Zhuge Sa’s words made sense. I nodded and then asked,
“Okay, but why is there no need to search for Mangnyang?”
“Meeting Hyun means erasing your past life’s mission from Mangnyang in this life. That’s pretty clear, right?”
Suddenly, Zhuge Sa’s expression turned sharp.
“Put yourself in Hyun’s shoes for a moment. Out of nowhere, a reincarnated person shows up and shares memories, but he’s stuck trying to implement a strategy for efficiency without any chance to grow. From his perspective, that would be utterly unfair.”
“Ah….”
“Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Plus, if you don’t have the confidence to nurture him, it’s better not to mess with it at all. Now, enough pointless explanations, let’s talk about the strategy.”
“Got it.”
“Your first task is to gather all the Demon Books, by any means necessary.”
I was taken aback when he suddenly mentioned Demon Books.
“Demon Books…?”
Zhuge Sa spread his left hand wide, then started folding his fingers one by one as he explained.
“There are currently five Demon Books you can collect. One is the Heavenly Secret you have, and another is obviously the Nameless Ritual Book from the Imperial Palace. Then there’s the Nine Stars Main Capital in Great Thunder Valley where General Hwang Yeon is detained. That’s three. Do you remember the other two?”
I racked my brain and said,
“The Su Shin Sect’s book from the White Lotus Sect.”
“Yes, good memory.”
“What’s the last one?”
“The ‘Golden Branch.’ I can get that from an auction house, so for now, focus on the other four.”
“Understood!”
“Oh, and before gathering the Demon Books, make sure to collect all the treasures, including the Water Element. This time, don’t worry about potential future problems; just gather everything you can.”
*Boom!!*
I used my qi to head straight for Great Thunder Valley. After defeating the Moon Monster, I grabbed the Nine Stars Main Capital, Wooden Armor, and Twin Swords inside. Then, I immediately went to Mount Huang to gather the Water Element, Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, Black and White Lotus, and other treasures.
‘Hm. Now I need to get the Nameless Ritual Book from the Imperial Palace and the Su Shin Sect’s writing…”
Soaring out from near Mount Huang, I pondered which to tackle first. Either way, it clearly seemed like a hassle, so I picked up the statue of Jeon Wook I had obtained from the Life Sea ruins.
“Ouch…, this will hurt.”
It would be better to build up some power and then challenge it!
*Whoosh!!*
‘Cheon Woo-jin taught me a great incantation for absorbing Yin Spirit Power.’
I began to chant the incantation as I absorbed the immense Yin Spirit Power from the Jeon Wook statue. As the enormous spirit energy seeped into my body, I couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
‘This isn’t too bad….’
The sharp pain was significantly less than before because I had equipped three additional items of the Yin Spirit Power that I had freed while consuming certain energy in my previous life, in this life without any wasteful consumption, and was enriching it further, which reduced the difficulty.
*Hiss!!*
“Wait?”
Just as I thought I’d absorbed nearly all of the Yin Spirit Power and gained a decade’s worth, a strange energy suddenly floated up in the void, transforming like mist, and unexpectedly disappeared somewhere?
I was startled by the unexpected situation but soon realized my blunder.
[What is this?]
[There’s a slim chance the Yin Spirit Power could leak out and create a new monster, so I’ve put up a barrier.]
[Can that really happen?]
[What do you think Yin Spirit Power is? It’s a divine strength. The power of even a Great Demon or Great Immortal can create countless monsters out of mere fragments. So with Yin Spirit Power, it could very well spawn a new Great Demon.]
[Oh, I see. Wait. So I’d need to know how to set up this barrier whenever I draw energy from the Jeon Wook statue in my next life?]
[Setting up a barrier isn’t hard if you know how to execute Qimen Dunjia. I’ll make sure to teach you that, so don’t worry.]
I suddenly recalled my conversation with Cheon Woo-jin.
“…Aah!!”
He definitely taught me how to set up the barrier to prevent monsters after I had absorbed the Yin Spirit Power. But I had been so consumed with strengthening myself through the absorption process that I forgot to set up the barrier beforehand!!!
‘What do I do now?’
That strange energy would surely create a powerful monster, and a strong one would inflict great damage on ordinary people unless there was a skilled exorcist available. I felt my feet shifting anxiously and resolved to follow that energy.
*Thud!*
Even using Demon Removal Techniques, keeping up with that energy’s speed was a struggle. I noticed the energy darting away past a couple of mountains before it suddenly fell to the ground, so I hurried over to that spot.
*Swish -*
‘A residential area? No, this is quite a wealthy household….’
I realized the energy had fallen in a rather grand residential area. The place had a decent-sized garden and a big house, clearly upscale. Naturally, the strange energy had not physically caused any destruction; it simply vanished into the house.
Feeling a sense of urgency, I dashed inside to locate any people residing there. All the servants were asleep, and I discovered the homeowner and his spouse were also sound asleep. I searched for any trace of the strange energy but found nothing, not even a whiff of the demon power.
“….”
What do I do now?
In a panic, I decided to wake the homeowner and immediately use the Soul Exchange Technique on him to get his personal details and the location of the place. He was extremely compliant in answering, likely because the technique was at work, and I learned that he was Zhao Yongchun, a rich merchant, and this was the area of Lushang near Mount Huang.
But what’s the use of knowing that?
‘First, let’s handle immediate tasks….’
Still feeling baffled, I resolved to take action. I quickly headed to the secret space of the Namgung Clan to steal the Suspicious Fishhook and then raced to the Longmen Grottoes to snatch up the Azure Dragon Halberd and treasures. After that, I made my way to Jangryeong Valley to explain the situation to Zhuge Sa.
“….”
Zhuge Sa pondered for a moment after hearing my report and then asked,
“Baek Woong, was there a pregnant woman in Zhao Yongchun’s house?”
“Huh?”
That question made me rack my memory. I recalled that his wife had been heavily pregnant. When I relayed that to Zhuge Sa, he responded in a rather disinterested tone.
“What? What’s the big deal about that…? It’s likely that the Yin Spirit Power you absorbed bounced off and attached to the fetus inside her.”
“What?! What will happen?”
“It’s one of two possibilities. Zhao Yongchun’s child will no longer be human. They’ll be born as a half-demon, half-human blessed with extraordinary martial arts talent. They’ll be a descendant of Jeon Wook from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, which makes them quite strong.”
Zhuge Sa casually explained and continued.
“Ignoring it would be a waste of time, so just let it be and focus on your tasks. Your next step is to go to the Imperial Palace and trade the Obsidian with Zhuge Bu, then negotiate to acquire the Nameless Ritual Book right away.”
“….”
Just ignore it?
Is it really okay to just overlook this? Sure, it’s my mistake, but something about Zhuge Sa’s dismissive attitude made me feel like it was an enormous problem. I contemplated for a while before responding.
“…Fine.”
“Just to be clear, don’t go consult Hyun or Cheon Woo-jin about this.”
“What….”
“The method I’m attempting to eradicate the anomaly will brush against the boundary of unorthodox means. They’ll most likely oppose it, so don’t let feelings run high among companions.”
I turned my head to Zhuge Sa’s words and asserted,
“Zhuge Sa, as I’ve said before, I have no intention of sacrificing anyone. I could care less if it costs me my life, but I dislike the idea of you recklessly throwing your life away!”
Zhuge Sa shrugged.
“Ugh. Who cares what anyone thinks? Don’t worry; it’s not something so transcendent that should concern you. Just know that it’s a matter of delving deeper into the darkness, and I don’t want to get the Daoists involved unnecessarily. Especially Cheon Woo-jin will be hell-bent on killing or sealing me.”
“Understood.”
“So we’re agreed to not seek them out?”
“I promise.”
I decided to trust Zhuge Sa.
‘But leaving this issue unresolved because of my blunder isn’t right either….’
I contemplated before using my qi to head for Taekyung Village.
*Boom!!*
‘First, the Silver Phoenix Fragment.’
After arriving at Taekyung Village, I retrieved the Silver Phoenix Fragment from the secret space of the Hua Clan. There was one more piece with Matteo Ricci, but provoking the Jesuits at this point seemed pointless, so I settled for just this piece for now. It would be nice to acquire the ancient ruins of Balhae to complete the Silver Phoenix, but that’s not a priority right now.
Next, I made my way to Taejeong Temple nearby. Upon entering the temple, an old Taoist was waiting for me like he had anticipated my arrival. He looked a bit frail but had an overall dignified and kind demeanor, with his Taoist hat neatly worn. Most importantly, the qi emanating from him was extremely pure, indicating he was an expert from an orthodox sect.
Actually, I couldn’t possibly not recognize who he was. Eventually, the Taoist greeted me with a martial salute.
“I am Master Hyuncheon of the Wudang Sect. You are an incredibly formidable Half-Transition Master… may I ask what brings you to this Taejeong Temple?”
“…….”
It’s been a long time. I remembered our battles from back in the day. After that, I wanted to visit him again, but as the adventures grew urgent and the levels of enemies escalated, I hesitated to burden Master Hyuncheon, who commanded the Taoist experts of Taejeong Temple.
“Ah, I come to ask for your assistance with my mistake.”
“Your mistake?”
I hesitated briefly, then sighed, pulling out the Obsidian.
“Please accept this.”