NOVEL NEXT Chapter 812
Chapter 812: True Martial Home
I had a dumbfounded expression.
“…?”
What was that noise?
No… I know what it is. But it’s something I really don’t want to admit, and I just can’t bear to think about it. I just want to look away.
‘Urrgh!!’
I can’t believe I’m actually in the situation I dreaded the most!
I shuddered as irritation and discomfort swept from my crown to my tailbone in an instant. But I quickly shook off that feeling, gathered my thoughts, and replied.
“Is it true? Who is it?”
If Zhuge Sa was that certain, then it must already be a fact. So all that was left was to accept reality and devise a countermeasure. As I regained my composure, Zhuge Sa smirked and said playfully.
“Are you really ready to hear it? Hehehe.”
“Of course.”
I nodded firmly.
“No matter how many times I must die at the hands of that author, I will settle this once and for all!”
If someone from my past life is getting involved, then that person can also be considered a reborn person. And a fight between reborn folks isn’t going to just end after one or two clashes. We’d throw ourselves into a dark abyss of mutual destruction, but it would be a battle we could never give up. Noticing my determination to face reality, Zhuge Sa grinned.
“Good attitude.”
I urged Zhuge Sa.
“Just tell me quickly. The situation outside is pretty grim, so we need to mobilize aid.”
Back when I left, it seemed our forces were pushing back against Peng Zuo, but we definitely couldn’t win without further support. After all, we were up against an enemy possessing the Liberation Seven Luminaries, so they must have a trump card, and our army was bound to suffer heavy losses. I needed to move quickly to prevent my comrades from dying.
Zhuge Sa shrugged and said.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“What? You don’t know?”
“Yep. Someone has definitely intervened, but I can’t pinpoint who yet. So it’s half a success and half a failure.”
“What does that even mean…”
I was befuddled, and Zhuge Sa continued.
“I’ll explain the details later. But first, we need to gather what we need before we deal with Peng Zuo.”
Zhuge Sa moved the homunculus body to go somewhere. Tentacle masses that were along the outer wall of the ship attacked Zhuge Sa, but I swiftly severed all the tentacles with Sword Thunder and pushed the slime away with Yin Spirit Power. As I easily guarded Zhuge Sa, he said.
“There are necessary items inside.”
It was the powerful barrier that had confined Zhuge Sa earlier.
Boom!
I concentrated my Yin Spirit Power and smashed through the door, grimacing at the foul stench that accompanied the internal scenery. It was a horrific sight, with green monster corpses that looked like vomit and blobs of slime, along with tentacles and suction cups scattered everywhere, not to mention chunks of human bodies here and there. As I surveyed the nightmare-like interior, Zhuge Sa said.
“This is it.”
“This is… no way!”
I spotted a chrysalis the size of a human body and my eyes widened. They were the very things I had seen countless times in my past lives. I shouted out its identity.
“Descendants of the Evil Spirit!”
“Correct. Specifically, these are chrysalises that have been blessed to mutate into descendants of the Evil Spirit.”
“They turned humans into this?!”
“Most likely. They were probably humans who lived in the Southern Sea.”
No doubt about it. These chrysalises were the ones that the Imperial Palace had artificially mutated with magic from the prisoners trapped in Great Thunder Valley!
In my past life, I had continuously rescued these chrysalises and kept them in my wooden armor to prevent them from hatching. Zhuge Sa often suggested using these chrysalises as force or sacrifices, but since they were originally humans, I always refused.
“… Why is this here?”
I touched the chrysalis in a daze.
‘It’s… bigger by the size of a head compared to the ones in Great Thunder Valley.’
Suddenly, a warm sensation of pulsing life radiated from within, and I instinctively pulled my hand away with a slight feeling of disgust. When I had touched other ‘chrysalises,’ I had never felt such a vivid vitality; they were only hard and lifeless. Noticing my shocked reaction, Zhuge Sa smiled faintly.
“Do you see the difference?”
“These are… about to hatch, aren’t they?”
“Correct. The chrysalises from Great Thunder Valley right after your rebirth were still in the early stages of mutation, needing substantial consciousness and ritual management. The successful ones that endured the blessing turned black after several years. However, these chrysalises will hatch within three days if left alone.”
“……”
There were at least ten or more chrysalises. Considering that in my past life, the Night Lotus Bishop, who had been immensely powerful, was also a descendant of the Evil Spirit inhabiting Seo Mun-hye’s body, it was evident that when these chrysalises awaken, a tremendous calamity would certainly follow.
‘The descendants of the Evil Spirit are a powerful race on a cosmic scale. Comparing their potential to that of humans is almost an affront…’
Each of these chrysalises might possess the strength of the Great Immortal Level right upon birth.
As I stared at the chrysalises with a serious expression, Zhuge Sa said.
“After you stored all the chrysalises from Great Thunder Valley into your wooden armor, the Bancheon Alliance has been continuously thwarting the Imperial Palace’s plots for over a decade, so they couldn’t perform dedicated offerings to the Evil Spirit. These guys are different. Not many demon sorcerers can wield such powerful magic, especially that of the Evil Spirit type.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Don’t you get it? Peng Zuo has directly come from the West, and the reason he isn’t afraid of the interference from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors is connected to these blessed chrysalises.”
“… No way.”
I stared at Zhuge Sa in disbelief.
“An Evil Spirit?!”
“Correct. When my brain was just floating around, I heard the tale of Peng Zuo, so I’m sure. These chrysalises are attribute chrysalises created by Peng Zuo after receiving a blessing directly from the Evil Spirit.”
“That’s insane! That guy is sleeping in the sea, waiting for the apocalypse and revelation!”
As I shouted, Zhuge Sa shook his head.
“It’s entirely plausible.”
“Why?!”
“The Evil Spirit isn’t fully asleep like other demon gods protected in the Spoon City. It is in a half-sleep state and half-awake. Haven’t you felt in your past life that it could extend its influence at will up until now? Furthermore, if the Evil Spirit has a clear benefit, it can awaken from its slumber and be ready to move at any time.”
“……!!”
“Especially since it has acquired one of the Seven Luminaries and is equipped with superior technology in the West compared to the East. The likelihood of the Evil Spirit assisting Peng Zuo, who is at the forefront of the Eastern invasion, is monumental.”
“……”
“In other words, the ultimate opponent you must eliminate in this life is the Evil Spirit. A powerful ruler has emerged as an enemy, one so formidable that even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would hesitate to attack.”
This can’t be true.
Why has the difficulty suddenly spiked…?
‘I’ve only been training martial arts!’
As I lost my words, Zhuge Sa continued.
“… Of course, this is all absurd. In this life, you’ve done your best to not step outward, and I and my comrades from the Bancheon Alliance have been trying to control all variables. It’s almost an exaggeration to say that hardly anyone in the Martial Arts World knows the name Baek Woong. But suddenly, the Western seal was broken, and Peng Zuo and the Evil Spirit invaded the East.”
I began to piece together what Zhuge Sa was trying to say.
“So that means it’s proof that a variable exists? And that variable is another reborn person besides me?”
“Exactly. I’m confident that a variable exists behind Peng Zuo, which is why I willingly became a hostage of Peng Zuo. As you can see, I was confident I could escape anytime using the Soul Exchange Technique.”
“Hmm, you don’t mean Peng Zuo got involved in my past life…”
As I spoke with a perplexed look, Zhuge Sa leaned against a nearby tentacle wall. The tentacles seemed to squirm like they were alive, yet they showed no intention of launching an attack. Likely, the homunculus itself has a nature that prevents it from being attacked.
“Impossible. Peng Zuo knows nothing of your past life. He’s the same Peng Zuo we know. After all, he hired the Asura, the Eight Parts of the Divine that wandered aimlessly after Changhil vanished, to gain strength and obtain the Golden Crow, only to become a subordinate of the Evil Spirit.”
“Ah…”
“If he were involved in your past life from the beginning, he wouldn’t make such a ruckus about his invasion. Instead, he would have bided his time, gathering the power and information needed to securely seal you away. The very fact that he’s making such a ruckus is a clear indication that he doesn’t have that knowledge of your prior life.”
“Got it.”
“However, one of the things he said caught my attention.”
“Caught your attention? Is it the sudden disappearance of Changhil?”
“Yeah, that’s part of it, but there was something else…”
Zhuge Sa frowned.
“… The constellations have changed.”
“What do you mean?”
“The reason why Peng Zuo easily captured the Sacred Place Pallias wasn’t solely due to the power of the Eight Parts of the Divine Asura. It’s because the fortress, originally protected by immense power, has weakened due to the alterations in the magic of the constellations and their orbit.”
“Hmm… constellations…”
“The flow of the constellations in this world has completely changed. I don’t know why, but it seems to be relatively recent. According to Peng Zuo, even the most ancient rulers of the Old Ruler would not know the explanation for it.”
“……”
“The sudden disappearance of Changhil may have changed the course of the Eight Parts of the Divine Asura and led to Peng Zuo’s assistance, but that doesn’t prove that someone intervened in your past life. The cause and effect behind Changhil’s sudden disappearance is still unknown. However, the constellations are a different matter…”
Zhuge Sa’s eyes sparkled.
“The change in the constellations is an unprecedented anomaly. You’ve never caused the course of the constellations to change by being reborn, have you? Moreover, this is an anomaly that even the Old Rulers do not know about. And an area unknown even to the Old Rulers is… likely the realm of your rebirth abilities.”
“Hmm.”
“Someone definitely intervened in your rebirth abilities. I can assert that confidently.”
Is that the ‘evidence’?
I secretly admired Zhuge Sa’s insight. I hadn’t even considered such a possibility, but at the cost of his body being dismantled and tortured, he had managed to infiltrate enemy territory and gather valuable information, successfully making the connection. Without him, I would’ve had no clue and would have been blindsided repeatedly in my numerous lives.
“But I still don’t know who that entity is that altered the constellations. It’s not like they directly interfered with Peng Zuo but came through several cause-and-effect relations.”
“Ah, so that’s why you said you didn’t know.”
“The conversation ends here. It’s time to go out and catch Peng Zuo and pay him back.”
Zhuge Sa pulled himself away from the wall and began to walk.
“We need to extract every piece of knowledge Peng Zuo has, even if we have to torture him to find the greatest threat and eliminate it.”
“Understood.”
“Before we exit, gather all the chrysalises here and place them in your wooden armor, then break down the barrier at the back once more. The stolen treasures of the Celestial Realm are inside that barrier.”
“Ah-ha!”
I followed Zhuge Sa’s instructions.
‘These are things I got once in my twenty-fourth life!’
And among the stolen treasures, I took out the Blue Cloud Sword and Flower Fire Grass. The Blue Cloud Sword was in sword form, so it could immediately replace the iron sword I had been using, and I also had a rough idea of how to use the Flower Fire Grass from my previous life; it normally took the form of a statue. Zhuge Sa chuckled.
“You’ll be able to use it, right?”
“Of course!”
I replied eagerly and rushed outside with the Blue Cloud Sword in hand, accompanied by Sword Thunder.
Boom!!
Kiiing—
Unleashing both swordplay and martial arts, I soared into the sky, and the Blue Cloud Sword in my hand cried out loudly. The ancient treasures are notoriously tricky to wield and don’t readily acknowledge their owners. Because of that, I had hardly been able to use the ancient treasures I’d received in my twenty-fourth life, but now it was different.
I summoned my Yin Spirit Power from within and shouted the Fire Eye Golden Spirit technique.
[Shut up!! You belong to me!]
In that moment, the vibrations of the Blue Cloud Sword stopped, and a voice resonated from the sword.
[… Descendant of Jeon Wook… I accept… Urgh… So please, stop using the power of the divine.]
It seemed like the spirit of the Blue Cloud Sword was speaking to me. It must have been that as I poured Yin Spirit Power into the sword, the spirit awakened, only to find itself tormented by the same power.
Was it because my accumulated Yin Spirit Power had reached a considerable level?
Now it seemed that even the ancient treasures could no longer defy my commands casually.
I grumbled sternly to the Blue Cloud Sword.
[If I’m going to use you to fight, I’ll need to imbue you with my Yin Spirit Power, so what do you expect me to do?]
The Blue Cloud Sword hastily responded.
[I… I’ll work ten times harder. So please…!]
I replied nonchalantly.
[No way~ Why would I… ]
[If that’s the case, I have a blue jade on my handle. Channel your power there… Then I will fight with that strength, I swear…]
[Fine, let’s try that.]
Woooom!
I poured my Yin Spirit Power into the blue jade set into the handle of the Blue Cloud Sword. Suddenly, blue light erupted from the sword, and to my shock, my sword strength multiplied tenfold! It turned out that the Blue Cloud Sword could enhance itself!
‘Ohhh!’
This is actually useful!
Simultaneously, I infused my Yin Spirit Power into the Flower Fire Grass to awaken its spirit. The spirit of the Flower Fire Grass, which resembled a dolphin, screamed and shouted.
[Kyagya!! Stop torturing me!!]
[No way~]
The spirit of the Flower Fire Grass twisted its body and shouted.
[Damn it! Who do you plan to attack? I’ll handle it myself! Just please take away the Yin Spirit Power!!]
[That guy over there holding the shining pearl and the winged guy.]
[I got it!!]
[Hurry.]
[Understood…]
[Am I not your master?]
The Flower Fire Grass shouted irritably.
[Correct! You filthy bastard!]
In the next instant, the mythical treasure, the Flower Fire Grass, revealed the massive body of a hideous creature that blocked the sky and attacked the winged being summoned from the Golden Crow. The winged golden being flinched at first but then summoned a golden spear and hurled it at the Flower Fire Grass. The Flower Fire Grass took a few hits but then lunged forward, tackling its opponent with its massive body.
Boom!
Ka-Pow!
The sea erupted with a deafening roar, and waves surged wildly in every direction. The Flower Fire Grass dragged the golden being under while diving into the depths of the sea.
‘Nice!’
Clap!
At the same time, I charged into the hall wielding the Blue Cloud Sword, rushing straight towards Peng Zuo, who was being pressured by the Master of the White Lotus Sect and the Three Dharma Guardians. Peng Zuo glanced at me and, after judging that I wasn’t in the Absolute Realm, wore a relaxed expression. However, as soon as he caught sight of the blue light emanating from the Blue Cloud Sword in my hand, his expression changed dramatically.
[No, how do you have the Blue Cloud Sword…?]
“Ha-Yap!!”
Swish!
In a heartbeat, I severed Peng Zuo’s left wrist, sending it flying. The combined strength of the Blue Cloud Sword, boosted with Yin Spirit Power, and Sword Thunder made that possible. As Peng Zuo wore a bewildered expression, I grinned widely.
“I’ll cleanly sever your head, Peng Zuo!”
The Eight Trigrams Garment is for me to wear too!