Heavenly Realm
The next day, I set off toward the Sacred Altar.
‘Arriving too quickly would raise suspicion.’
Having personally walked to the Sacred Altar at Mount Changbai before, I could easily reach it if I put my mind to it. But doing so would inevitably lead to questions about how I arrived so hastily. Thus, I decided to take my time and enjoy the journey.
Paaaat!
Using the Destruction of Soul Technique to cross rivers and mountains, I noticed I could navigate the terrain much faster and easier than before. Compared to the harsh journey to the North Pole, the land of Goryeo felt almost flat. I didn’t push myself to the limit; I took breaks whenever I felt like it and traveled comfortably.
Even taking my time, I managed to reach near the Sacred Altar in just about six weeks. This was all thanks to the speed of my Divine Technique.
“Hmm…”
The Sacred Altar was in the Gomi basin of Mount Changbai. I could easily find my way to the Gomi basin thanks to my memory, but that’s when the real problem began.
“I’m sure it was around here somewhere.”
I couldn’t see it.
In my memories, I recalled finding the Sacred Altar without difficulty from the Gomi basin, yet this time, there was no trace of the Sacred Altar Village that I remembered. Suddenly, I thought of something the Master of the Twelve Principles had said once:
[Ha ha. That’s the Sacred Altar Tree. It’s said to reach nine worlds. As you can see, it’s as big as a mountain.]
[That’s strange.]
[What’s strange?]
[I didn’t see such a tree while crossing the mountains to get here. Why can I only see it now that I’ve entered the Sacred Altar Village?]
[It’s because of the barrier. Ordinary people can’t see the Sacred Altar Tree. Only those who have been granted permission to enter the Sacred Altar can see it.]
Now that I thought about it, the Sacred Altar was indeed a village built beneath that enormous Sacred Altar Tree. And the Master of the Twelve Principles had mentioned that only those granted access to the Sacred Altar could see it. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
‘Barrier! Permission!’
If there was a barrier around the Sacred Altar, then naturally, it wouldn’t be visible to unauthorized visitors, just like the Sacred Altar itself. Since I had not been granted permission to enter the Sacred Altar, I couldn’t find it due to the barrier. As I stood there, contemplating what to do, I began to grow frustrated.
Weeeeeeeeeeng!
Suddenly, an odd sound echoed, and the air before me parted like a curtain. From that opening emerged a pale, lanky man.
His appearance was unique. Although his attire didn’t resemble that of Goryeo, it felt strangely out of place even among the Central Plains attire. His looks were that of a handsome young man, but his paleness gave the impression that he might collapse at any moment if touched. Moreover, he towered over others, creating an aura of strangeness.
The pale giant spoke as he looked at me.
“I am Master Yun. Are you the One of the Seven Luminaries?”
“……”
Master Yun!
I had heard that name before from Miho. Although he didn’t seem to be well-known among the Twelve Regulations, I remembered that Master Yun was one of three formidable figures in the Master of the Twelve Principles’ inner circle. They were known as the Three Masters: the Master of Wind, the Master of Rain, and Master Yun. Miho had spoken of the Three Masters in such a way that it struck fear in her.
I answered cautiously.
“Yes, I am Baek Woong, the guardian of the Shadowless Gate.”
“I don’t care about worldly titles. What matters is that you are the One of the Seven Luminaries.”
“What now?”
“My duty is to take you to your lord. Follow me.”
Susssssssss!
With a wave of Master Yun‘s hand, a strange path made of rainbow clouds opened in the air. The clouds radiated a divine energy that felt comforting to anyone nearby. I instantly realized that Master Yun’s level of mastery was far from ordinary. Before stepping onto the path, I asked him,
“May I ask one thing?”
“What is it?”
“Is the ‘lord’ you mentioned, the Master of the Twelve Principles Ha Eun-cheon?”
“Partially correct and partially incorrect.”
“……?”
“I have no reason to tell you more, so just follow me.”
With that, Master Yun dashed into the colored cloud path. Left with no choice, I entered it as well. After walking about three feet through the path, I arrived at an exit.
The exit led to a small hut at the heart of the Sacred Altar, a place I had visited before. I glanced around, and indeed, the treacherous landscape was dotted with cloud bridges across the cliffs. Master Yun, who had arrived before me, said,
“Go inside.”
There was a strong pressure in his voice, an aura different from that of a martial artist. It was the kind of spiritual power that suggested Master Yun was at a phenomenal level. I recognized that such pressure was indicative of his mastery level.
It seemed that Master Yun’s power could rival that of any top-tier deity like Cheon Woo Jin. So, could Master Wind and Master Rain possess the same strength?
Lost in thought, I entered the hut, where I found a surprisingly spacious interior compared to the exterior. The grand space must have been created using high-level techniques. Within the expansive area of the hut, the Master of the Twelve Principles Ha Eun-cheon awaited me, wearing a fox mask that resembled that of a puppy.
Upon seeing me, Ha Eun-cheon waved his hand enthusiastically.
“Hey, over here, over here!”
“……”
Once again, it was the fluffy puppy mask. Seemingly amused, the mask had been groomed as well. Though I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, I just scratched my head and said,
“Master of the Twelve Principles, I have a question.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Why are you wearing that puppy mask?”
Ha Eun-cheon replied with a laugh,
“To protect myself from the twisted flow of causality.”
“……?”
“Just think of it as the latest trend!”
With a light-hearted dismissal, Ha Eun-cheon brushed off my question. However, I sensed his words held deeper meaning, so I stored them away in my memory. I then maintained my respect and said,
“I am Baek Woong, guardian of the Shadowless Gate. I was told to visit you and finally made it here.”
“Good, good! You’ve had quite the journey!”
While sitting back in his chair and resting his chin in his hand, he continued,
“Baek Woong. First, I’d like to know how you obtained the Seven Luminaries and how you liberated them.”
“Yes, that would be…”
As I opened my mouth, Ha Eun-cheon suddenly realized something.
“Oh, I should have offered you a seat!”
At the snap of his fingers, a lavish table and chairs appeared in the previously vast empty space, adorned with a sumptuous feast. Surely this was some form of magic, but as someone relatively inexperienced in the arts, I couldn’t discern its nature. Regardless, I could tell that Ha Eun-cheon’s mastery was impressive.
I sat down and continued.
“I obtained the Makyah from a remote location in Huangshan. It was a secret place hidden beyond the cliffs, and when I accidentally dove into its pond, I discovered a mysterious ruin. After defeating the spider guardian there, I acquired the Makyah.”
“That can’t be all.”
Ha Eun-cheon said with crossed arms.
“That spider isn’t a guardian of the Seven Luminaries; it’s just a throwaway addition. You must have performed a secondary liberation elsewhere.”
“……”
He clearly had in-depth knowledge regarding the Seven Luminaries. I answered warily.
“Yes, I realized that the Makyah had an additional seal on it, and so I traveled the world in search of ways to break it. Eventually, I figured out how to unbind it.”
“How?”
“I apologize if this sounds forward, but…”
I looked calmly at him and said,
“May I ask why you want to know this? While the Shadowless Gate greatly benefited from your assistance in joining the Twelve Regulations, I’d still like to understand your motives.”
“Hmm, that’s a valid question.”
Ha Eun-cheon nodded thoughtfully.
“What should I say… As the 23rd Haebak ruling over the Phoenix of the Haedong Gate’s Twelve Regulations, I feel a sense of duty… or perhaps as the ruling Dan-gun overseeing the Sacred Altar Tree, I aim to practice the principle of Hongik Ingan (benefiting humanity)… or as the owner of the Wood Luminary, I’m just curious about the other Luminaries…”
“……”
“Any of those interpretations would work.”
Listening to Ha Eun-cheon’s reply left me somewhat astonished.
‘What’s going on? He has titles I’ve never even heard of!’
Dan-gun!
This was definitely a title and position I had never come across in my life. Moreover, from what Master Yun had said earlier, it seemed they clearly distinguished between his role as Ha Eun-cheon of the Twelve Regulations and his identity as Dan-gun. I became curious about the significance of that difference and remarked,
“I learned that the method involved going to the North Pole and offering blood to the land. From there, I was guided to a designated space to receive the contract and liberate the Makyah, which is one of the Seven Luminaries.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Ha Eun-cheon relaxed his arms.
“To think the unsealing of even a single Makyah was treated with such seriousness…”
“Do you know something?”
“I mean, I know enough based on what others have said. But you, Baek Woong, are quite remarkable. Traveling all the way to the North Pole.”
He was clearly avoiding revealing any secrets he knew. So I adapted and graciously accepted his praise.
“Just fortunate, I suppose.”
“Hmm… Could I take a look at the Makyah for a moment?”
“……”
Here it comes.
I might end up losing the Makyah and getting killed here. An unsettling thought flashed through my mind, but I quickly steeled myself and prepared to hand Makyah over to Ha Eun-cheon.
‘Well, if I die, so be it.’
Understanding what kind of person Ha Eun-cheon was would already be a victory in itself.
As I warily handed over the Makyah, Ha Eun-cheon looked at my expression and said,
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of taking it from you.”
“If you decide otherwise, it would be a matter of life or death.”
“True, but at least not right now.”
Ha Eun-cheon replied lamely. He slowly examined the Makyah’s sword body and coldly remarked upon seeing the inscriptions on it,
“Indeed, the power of Four Sovereigns Changhil resides within. Is that true for all the Seven Luminaries?”
“……?”
Four Sovereigns Changhil?
I remembered that Mangnyang had mentioned that Changhil was one of the powerful subordinates of Emperor Gong Sun Heon-won. It was said that he wielded formidable power, practically on par with the deities of the ancient times.
As he continued examining the Makyah, Ha Eun-cheon finally returned it to me.
“Doing well.”
As I received the Makyah, I was left in a daze. I had expected to lose it, but he returned it without fuss. Seeing my cautious demeanor, Ha Eun-cheon said,
“It’s sensible to be cautious. The Seven Luminaries are treasures of great worth. But I don’t intend to steal from others.”
I couldn’t swallow his words whole.
Ha Eun-cheon had deceived me in the past while pretending to speak the truth. It was contradictory because information about the Second Luminary being in Dongyeong was false; in actuality, it was hidden in Manisan on Ganghwa Island, where Seosan Dae and the esteemed monk, Yujeong, were dispatched under Ha Eun-cheon’s orders. Trusting his words without skepticism might lead me to a dangerous path.
I said thoughtfully,
“It seems you’re using the Wood Luminary to guard the Yodong and the Peninsula from the Sea God.”
“Hmm? Sharp observation. Correct.”
“Were you the one who summoned the Phoenix when the Sea God invaded Seogyeong?”
“Indeed, that was me.”
So it was true.
Early in my past life, rumors spread about a Phoenix appearing in Seogyeong. I wondered if that was the clue leading to some treasure, only to find out that it was summoned to repel the Sea God’s invasion. I had suspected it was Ha Eun-cheon all along, and now I finally had confirmation.
“I can hardly believe it. The Phoenix is one of the highest divine beasts in the Heavenly Realm, yet you summoned it and lived to tell the tale…”
Ha Eun-cheon seemed to chuckle lightly.
“Ha ha. Of course, you would think that. As you guessed, it was an extraordinary event created using the power of the Wood Luminary.”
“Hmm…”
“As you know, the Seven Luminaries are treasures that can perform divine miracles. Summoning a Phoenix is not such a feat.”
“……”
Those who lacked knowledge of magic might find the miraculous outcome evident.
However, I recalled experiencing the awe-inspiring ability of Ye Dong-bin, a legendary sage, who had called forth a divine dragon from the Heavenly Realm while pouring his strength into it. Summoning a top-tier divine beast from the Heavenly Realm was a feat reserved for the mightiest of beings. Even a handful of high-level spellcasters would likely not survive the attempt. Strangely enough, the fact that he could perform it with apparent ease signified the astounding strength the Wood Luminary possessed.
“Let’s set aside the small talk.”
Ha Eun-cheon refocused on the main topic.
“It seems you want to leverage the Makyah’s powers to confront the imperial palace or the White Lotus Sect. Are you hoping that our Twelve Regulations will assist you in this endeavor?”
Casually dropping such a significant topic, Ha Eun-cheon spoke as if it were just an afterthought, yet he had pinpointed the essence of my thoughts accurately. I had devised a well-thought-out plan, so I responded immediately,
“I would be grateful if you could assist me, but not just yet.”
“Oh? What makes you think that?”
“People usually dislike lending their assistance without the prospect of a return. Right now, the Shadowless Gate and I can’t guarantee anything worthy of such a request. Therefore, I plan to find a method on my own.”
That was the correct answer.
At present, I didn’t have the counsel of Mangnyang, nor was it the right moment for my training. If I involved Ha Eun-cheon now, the discussions about responsibility and repayment would inevitably arise, potentially drawing me one step closer to forfeiting Makyah. I wanted to avoid that messy situation, which is why I answered promptly.
Ha Eun-cheon fell silent for a considerable while before speaking again.
“Baek Woong. Do you know what a constellation is?”
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