Heavenly Realm
“……!!”
Why is Mangnyang here? Has he become an Immortal in the Heavenly Realm?
As countless speculations and confusion whirled in my mind, Mangnyang swung his arm. Simultaneously, a terrifying heat from the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan shot forth.
Whoosh!!
The inferno swept through the Jade Throne room, extending far beyond it, reaching dozens of panels. In an instant, I had no choice but to use my boiling technique to evade, and as I emerged outside, I saw the roof of the Great Dragon Hall explode.
Kaboom!!
“Ugh…!!”
I could only shudder momentarily from the aftershock.
‘That’s the power of the Treasure, Five Fire Seven Bird Fan!’
Once, I had battled alongside gold-clad warriors who had received the Sorcerer’s Destiny in Taekyung Village; back then, Mangnyang had meticulously placed restrictions just to use the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan, trapping the entire village in a wall of flames. But now, he wielded that heat with a mere flourish, far surpassing that earlier display.
The inferno from the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan incinerated the upper levels of the Great Dragon Hall in an instant, leaving several flaming spheres hovering in the air. And at the center of those spheres, Mangnyang, clutching the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan, launched the flames somewhere.
Boom!
A flash and another explosion erupted from the point of impact. And from the center of that explosion, something began to rise.
Vwoosh
Zhuge Sa was hovering in midair. He had a half-open golden box floating beside him, surrounded by a semi-transparent barrier—a clear sign of a sorcery that borrowed the power of the [Ancient Ruler].
Zhuge Sa spoke.
“Just how did you arrive here today? I can’t quite grasp it, nephew.”
At those words, Mangnyang gazed at Zhuge Sa and retorted.
“I have been infiltrating the Imperial Palace for half a year now. I aimed to uncover the nature of the demons here and eradicate the lower forces. But then, the Zhuge Clan experienced turmoil with the death of Zhuge Bu. While I was looking for an opportunity, you barged in.”
“Oh, I see. So the Heavenly Realm has already mobilized.”
“No one desires the excessive expansion of the other race’s power.”
Zhuge Sa chuckled at that.
“Really? Seems like it’s not just the Heavenly Realm you dislike?”
Crackle!
As soon as his words finished, Mangnyang attacked again, and Zhuge Sa enhanced the power of the golden box to fend it off. However, the barrier wavered significantly, suggesting Mangnyang held a substantial advantage. Beads of sweat were visible on Zhuge Sa’s brow.
“Ugh.”
Mangnyang spoke in a stern voice.
“I have no intention of arguing with you here. Surrender quietly and release the minions of the [Ancient Ruler].”
“You want everything handed to you! I dealt with Zhuge Bu and cleaned up the remnants too.”
Zhuge Sa shot back. Mangnyang replied nonchalantly.
“You have no motivation for the greater good of the world. It’s blatantly obvious you’re acting out of self-interest. So why should you feel any sense of indebtedness?”
“Hahaha. You never change, no matter how many years go by.”
“That’s what I ought to say.”
Zhuge Sa fell silent for a moment and then pointed at me, who was watching the exchange from the ground.
“Just so you know, I’m working with the owner of the Seven Luminaries. If anyone should back down here, it should be you, Hyun Ah.”
“……”
“You understand how advantageous that would be for you.”
Mangnyang’s gaze turned to me. I flinched when our eyes met.
Those eyes were overwhelmingly serious.
I could instantly tell that Mangnyang had perfectly mastered his sorcery and composed his mental state to the utmost degree. Just as martial artists reach a transcendent level, it was clear that sorcerers had their own corresponding realms. Saying his sorcery had reached the level of an Immortal was no exaggeration at all.
Mangnyang said to me,
“I owe you a bit of gratitude. The news of the awakening of the Demonic Makya caused quite a stir among the Great Celestial Immortals, allowing me a chance to learn formidable spells.”
It seemed that after Yeodongbin was driven away and went to the Heavenly Realm, there had been significant changes. The liberation of the Seven Luminary Makya was likely a big deal for the Heavenly Realm. It must have contributed to Mangnyang’s rise to that level.
I hesitated before saying to Mangnyang,
“… We didn’t intend to destroy the Imperial Palace out of malice. My desire was to eradicate the demons residing within, and those who help me are merely acting in accordance to that.”
To my response, Mangnyang looked surprised.
“Do you know what kind of beings are being summoned here today?”
“I’m not sure.”
Mangnyang’s gaze shifted to the battlefield below. There, the superhuman soldiers of the Imperial Palace and the translucent demons were still engaged in a fierce battle.
“Zhuge Sa has summoned thousands of the Formless Offspring—servants of the Sleeper of Enkai, Chathogua—and on top of that, he borrowed the power of the Volcano God, Guatanacha, to petrify the innocent. Using the power of the [Ancient Ruler] in such a free and unfettered manner is unprecedented. No great sorcerer has ever managed such a feat.”
“……”
“That golden box’s power is immense. Therefore, I can assert this.”
Swish
Mangnyang aimed the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan at Zhuge Sa, glaring intently.
“If we do not kill Zhuge Sa today, he will eventually become a Demon King, far stronger than the Imperial Palace. You must reconsider your decision now.”
Demon King!
That was a term laden with terrifying implications. Even a Great Celestial Immortal could not withstand an ancient deity’s envoy; the title of Demon King was reserved for such formidable beings. If Zhuge Sa were to freely wield the power of the golden box and acquire immense power, it would not be impossible for him to become a Demon King.
I gulped as Zhuge Sa smirked and said,
“Well, it seems you got your head on straight, just like a true Zhuge. Realizing the battle is won as soon as you sway the owner of the Demand.”
“Wage? You’ve drawn him into your treacherous schemes.”
Mangnyang shot back sharply as Zhuge Sa responded.
“Let me ask you something. Why did the Heavenly Realm choose now to send you to discipline the Imperial Palace? While you are of high rank among the Celestials, there are more than ten Immortals stronger than you on Kunlun Mountain. If you intended to act, you could have subdued us before the Alchemist created the ancestral spirit.”
“……”
“The answer is simple. The Heavenly Realm fears the [Ancient Ruler]. And you Celestials have hidden, distorted, and misled the truth in the name of protecting the human race. You hypocrites aren’t hesitant to kill thousands of humans to hunt down demons.”
At Zhuge Sa’s words, Mangnyang replied,
“I will not deny that. But what good comes from revealing the truth related to the [Ancient Ruler] to the world? Just like the legendary continent that disappeared under the great ocean, serving the [Ancient Ruler] would only result in madness.”
Mangnyang raised the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan.
“I will eliminate you, who has fallen into the Demon Path, uncle.”
“If you can…”
Zhuge Sa smiled wryly and reached for the golden box. The two sorcerers faced each other, readying their highest-level spells in a tense moment. At that instant, their voices echoed in my mind almost simultaneously.
[Baek Woong!! Cut that man down immediately. No matter how powerful the flames of the Treasure, they are useless before the Demand.]
[We must eliminate Zhuge Sa! You are merely being used by him. Please make the right choice for humanity.]
“……”
I stared down at the Demand Makya in my hand. Depending on whose side I took in this situation, the outcome would surely tip drastically. The Demand Makya holds enough power to shred even the illusions of the Divine Inheritance, so it could effortlessly claim a life on either side.
‘Damn it…’
Honestly, under normal circumstances, I would have effortlessly cut down Zhuge Sa without hesitation. But now, the envoy from the Heavenly Realm who appeared as an enemy was Mangnyang, my most trusted comrade and ally. No matter that this was a different life where we first met as foes, I could never bring myself to slay Mangnyang.
Finally, I bit my lip and exclaimed,
“Stop it!!”
Both their gazes turned towards me. I shouted with a voice filled with urgency.
“Cease this fighting right now! If not, I will kill you both!”
Clang!
I aimed the Majestic Sword to show my seriousness. It was now a blade I could invoke without straining myself due to my enlightenment, and the more I infused it with my energy, the greater power surged forth. With a flickering azure thunder upon the blazing sword, both of them seemed hesitant.
Zhuge Sa clicked his tongue.
“Baek Woong. Why are you spinning in circles? If you merely cut down Hyun here, everything will smooth out. You could plunder the treasures left in the Imperial Palace and be done with it.”
I couldn’t help but shout back.
“Damn you! How could you casually mention cutting your own nephew’s throat?!”
“……”
“Let’s all take a moment to talk. There’s certainly been a misunderstanding.”
As I spoke to Mangnyang, he looked taken aback. Having observed Mangnyang for so long, I could easily discern whether he was genuine or not. After a moment of contemplation, he said,
“I can’t afford to waste time now. If I give Zhuge Sa even a moment more, he will gain immense power. We need to subdue him to keep him from moving.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think that man genuinely came to subdue the demons in the Imperial Palace? He is undoubtedly here to seize another power residing within the palace…”
Just then.
Whoosh!!
Suddenly, Zhuge Sa’s figure vanished. I flinched, watching the spot where he had been, but somehow, I couldn’t detect his whereabouts at all. Mangnyang clenched his teeth and turned to me.
“He was indeed after that!”
“What do you—”
“Owner of the Demand. Did you underestimate Zhuge Sa? If this continues, a Demon King will be born.”
Mangnyang murmured in frustration.
“What’s going on?”
At that moment, the battle before the Imperial Palace was nearly over, and Dokgo Seong was flying towards us. The dragon people and demons had been annihilated, and the demons summoned by Zhuge Sa began to dissolve, seeping back into the ground.
The swordsman on the roof glanced at Mangnyang, and upon seeing him in mid-air, wielding the Treasure, seemed to grasp the situation.
“You’ve gotten stronger, Mangnyang.”
I said to the swordsman,
“It seems we’re in quite a predicament. Zhuge Sa has vanished.”
“What?”
“Mangnyang says he had ulterior motives.”
“Hmm… It seems we’re in an urgent situation.”
Nodding thoughtfully, the swordsman asked Mangnyang,
“Mangnyang, do you know where Zhuge Sa went? Can you track him?”
“I do. I can pursue him, but…”
Mangnyang sounded incredulous.
“Why do you speak so familiarly with me, even though we’ve just met?”
“Uhh…”
The swordsman and I felt awkward. The swordsman, who shared memories of my past life, could feel familiar with Mangnyang, but to Mangnyang, we were complete strangers facing each other as foes. The fact that we were opponents made it even more peculiar for him.
The swordsman calmly said,
“The reason we know you is that we’ve met before.”
“That’s absurd.”
“I would explain, but time is short. Baek Woong.”
“Yes.”
I retrieved the obsidian from my pouch at the swordsman’s command. The swordsman held it out towards Mangnyang.
“This is a spell that conveys memories. If you wish to resolve this situation, it would be best to first understand who we are.”
“Are you saying it contains your memories? How can I trust that?”
“If you refuse to believe, so be it. But should you choose to trust us, we can achieve greater results.”
“……”
Mangnyang appeared to be pondering deeply. Finally, he ceased his aerial sorcery and landed on the roof, accepting the obsidian from the swordsman.
“I’ve taken it.”
“Good. Baek Woong.”
I began to cast the memory spell towards Mangnyang. In an instant, he seemed to accept a massive amount of memories, his expression contorting with confusion.
Vrum…
Once the transmission of memories concluded, Mangnyang’s face was blank.
Then he exclaimed,
“Impossible… Is this really true?”
“Mangnyang, you’ve reached the level now where you can wield the Treasure. You know well that this isn’t a fabrication or falsehood.”
I continued,
“Good to see you again, Mangnyang.”
“……”
Mangnyang shook his head as if in disbelief.
“Understood. Then, let’s track down Zhuge Sa.”
“Have you absorbed all the memories?”
“There’s no impossibility. And the tasks for me and you remain unchanged. Then, all that’s left is action.”
Mangnyang, unfazed, went on,
“Let’s use the Golden Boiling technique and head to the deepest part of the Great Dragon Hall.”
“The deepest part?”
“It’s an even deeper realm beyond where the crystal seal was kept. The Alchemist was tortured and revealed the secrets to Zhuge Sa.”
It seemed when I had arrived earlier, the Emperor had already been brutally murdered, and the Alchemist was being tortured. I didn’t know what kind of torment they had undergone in such a short time, but after acquiring the information he needed, Zhuge Sa must have sought to eliminate him. And Mangnyang must have exploited that moment to seize the opportunity to overpower Zhuge Sa, which I had witnessed.
Mangnyang continued,
“There lies the National Seal. Zhuge Sa must not be allowed to attain it.”
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