Chapter 266
Chapter 266
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 266
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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Heavenly Realm
A moment later, Cheon Woo-jin shook the banner, drawing the divine presence of the Grand Emptiness Heavenly Lord into his body. This was the phenomenon commonly known as spirit possession, which couldn't be achieved through knowledge or experience alone—it required a suitable [vessel]. In this gathering, only Cheon Woo-jin possessed the spiritual power for it.
The descended Grand Emptiness Heavenly Lord spoke. His voice carried a solemn gravity that seemed otherworldly.
[You've offered the essence well. I intended to bestow a blessing upon you...]
"That won't do. Instead, we seek blessings from another."
Mang-ryang replied firmly, causing Cheon Woo-jin's body to flinch. The Heavenly Lord responded in a somewhat dejected tone.
[ ...Very well...]
Whoosh.
[Have you offered the essence to the essence of the Final Night?]
Immediately after the Grand Emptiness Heavenly Lord, the divine presence of the Queen Mother of the West entered Cheon Woo-jin. Knowing she too would be denied a blessing, I assumed Mang-ryang would pass on her as well. But he seized the moment to ask something else.
"Queen Mother, may I confirm if my understanding of the possession order is correct?"
[What order do you mean?]
"It began with the Grand Emptiness Heavenly Lord, followed by you, and likely next will be the Southern Florescence Old Immortal, or perhaps Sword Immortal Yeo Dong-bin, or Yuan Yuanzi. Is that right?"
The Queen Mother replied with evident surprise.
[Correct. How did you know?]
It must have been from the patterns Mang-ryang had observed so far. I thought it obvious, but unexpectedly, he unfurled his Five Fires and Seven Golden Banners with a rustle and declared,
"It follows the Twenty-Eight Mansions in their allotted divisions. I know this is the law binding the immortals subordinate to the Nine Provinces."
[You possess remarkable knowledge. Indeed, that is so.]
"You could recommend another, but it will likely proceed thus."
[Do you have something to say?]
To the Queen Mother's question, Mang-ryang replied flatly.
"We need no other blessings. Grant us two rights instead."
[What are they?]
"First, the right for Baek Woong and me to ascend Mount Kunlun. Second, the right to perform the Fengshan ritual on Mount Tai."
[ ......!!]
I could feel the Queen Mother's shock. For a supreme divine immortal like her to falter meant the rights Mang-ryang demanded carried enormous implications. She responded,
[Your greed knows no bounds. I can grant the first, but the second is beyond my authority.]
"Yet you command the Nine Heavens Mysterious Ladies of the Heavenly Realm, making you the highest authority among female immortals save the Jade Emperor himself. I cannot believe you lack such power."
The Queen Mother let out a groan before replying.
[Human, do you grasp what possessing the right to the Fengshan ritual entails?]
"Yes, I do."
[You know it disrupts the balance of heaven and earth.]
"But the essence of the Final Night holds equivalent value."
Mang-ryang retorted coldly with a smile.
"By absorbing its life force, the withering gardens of the Heavenly Realm have bloomed, restoring vitality to the immortals. This is an unparalleled merit to the world."
[ Hmmm... Very well. If you are prepared to bear the consequences, I grant you those two rights.]
"I suspect karma's scales will demand further payment even then."
[Do you seek yet another favor?]
Mang-ryang stated firmly.
"Forgive the fallen Gumiho on earth and permit the summoning of the Eight Immortals."
[ What...]
"I believe it balances perfectly."
The Queen Mother fell silent for a long while. Then, in a voice laced with anger, she said,
[So be it. You have somehow acquired vast knowledge of the Heavenly Realm. But if you ever use it to toy with immortals again, heavenly punishment will befall you.]
"I shall remember."
[You have received your due. Withdraw.]
Swish...
The Queen Mother's presence vanished. Vitality returned to Cheon Woo-jin's eyes. Ending after two possessions, he merely seemed slightly fatigued, not collapsing as before. Yet his face filled with worry as he addressed Mang-ryang.
"Senior Brother, angering the Queen Mother brings no good. She is truly exalted."
"I know. She's met the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors face-to-face."
"Then why provoke her?"
"To uncover the truth."
"......?"
Mang-ryang chuckled softly and approached the shrine once more. He clasped his hands in salute as if nothing had happened and said,
"Master, forgive my earlier rudeness. Your disciple Mang-ryang now departs for the world."
No reply came from Master Mang-ryang.
'As expected...'
Sleepiness overwhelmed me.
Instead, an irresistible drowsiness seized me, defying any resistance from my martial arts or spells.
Soon, I faced Master Mang-ryang in a dream as before. In the form of a black cat, he said,
[My disciple, but impressive, no? No human in history has negotiated with the Queen Mother.]
"......"
[Your face brims with questions.]
I posed what had puzzled me most.
"What exactly are you?"
The most fundamental yet viscerally real question. Tail swishing, Master Mang-ryang replied,
[As you see, Master Mang-ryang. I don't understand your curiosity.]
"No. You're different."
[How so?]
"You said you stay in this village to seal the demon slumbering in Luoyang—undoubtedly the [Old Ruler] dominating the imperial palace. Its power could surely sweep the Heavenly Realm alone."
Master Mang-ryang replied impassively.
[You know quite a bit.]
Muttering to myself, I stared him down and said,
"What are you, to seal and watch such a being?!"
Until now, I'd accepted it at face value. I knew he was powerful, but it hadn't truly sunk in.
But after encountering otherworldly relics and magic through the Zhuge Clan, experiencing their might firsthand, I could no longer dismiss it. Moreover, Itaqua's power during the Seven Desires Final Night's rampage had been immense.
For a mere great divine immortal like Master Mang-ryang to seal an [Old Ruler] rivaling or surpassing Itaquaa defied logic. Even as a Taoist guardian delegated by the Jade Emperor, binding a being of such superior stature?
Master Mang-ryang gazed at me steadily before saying,
[I am the Boundary's Calamity Mang-ryang. And now, Master Mang-ryang. I have no past or future—such questions hold no meaning.]
"What does that mean?"
[Like feeling no fear without life or death.]
He muttered mockingly. Then continued,
[You and I are far from ready for this conversation.]
"What nonsense! I've already seen enough..."
That instant.
[Is this not yet the End Times?]
Meeting his eyes sent chills racing through me, cold shivers wracking my body. An alien pressure bore down on every fiber, like despair and futility from gazing into cosmic void. Not even the White Lotus Cult Leader exuded such force.
And I understood.
'A god!'
Unlike immortals with faint 'emotions' or changes, this Master Mang-ryang was utterly passive, mechanical—absolute. He mimicked personality, but no human could fathom a true entity's thoughts.
Flash.
Radiance flooded in—warm yet overwhelming, engulfing my existence. Wrapped in it, I drifted from the dream, sensing an echoing pulse of darkness. It felt strangely familiar.
[Return for today.]
Wait! Don't just boot me out!
At least give a clue about the Seven Desires!
Screaming inwardly, Master Mang-ryang relented.
[Follow Fuxi's Eight Trigrams. The simplest path to power.]
The dream ended.
"Ungh."
When I came to, Mang-ryang was already up. He extended a hand to help me stand, saying,
"Time to go."
"Yeah..."
Without much thought, I left the village with Mang-ryang. I'd done this routine countless times—it was rote. But crossing the threshold, an odd unease hit me, and I glanced back.
"Sending us off?"
Sure enough, a youthful man in his early twenties, dressed as a farmer, stood there. Naturally, it was the Illusion God Cheon Woo-jin, Mang-ryang's junior brother. He stared at me before saying,
"What nonsense? I'm following Senior Brother."
"Eh?!"
As I yelped in surprise, Mang-ryang explained,
"So it is."
"So it is? What the hell?!"
"My junior brother's talents are exceptional, so I asked Master and brought him along. His skills will greatly aid us."
"......"
Dumbfounded, I alternated glances between Mang-ryang and Cheon Woo-jin.
Bringing the Illusion God Cheon Woo-jin!
Unprecedented, I panicked, but Mang-ryang smiled.
"No reason not to. He was idle anyway and wants to see the Fengshan ritual."
"Damn it... Senior Brother, cut the crap. What do you mean 'see'?!"
Grinding his teeth, Cheon Woo-jin snapped,
"If the Fengshan goes awry, disaster follows—I must supervise!"
"Never received Heavenly grace, yet so loyal."
"You know what Fengshan entails, right?"
Mang-ryang shrugged.
"I do. That's why he'll help excellently."
"Watch your mouth, you bastard."
Watching Cheon Woo-jin grumble, it was clear he'd been half-dragged out. Mang-ryang had likely leveraged the Fengshan right to take him as a 'supervisor.' Unable to refuse, he'd fallen for the ploy.
'Never saw this coming.'
Cheon Woo-jin as a companion? How to mesh with this irritable, prickly grouch?
Soon, we reached an inn. Mang-ryang booked rooms as usual, ordered chicken dishes, and explained over the meal.
"Mm... Now, listen well—I'll assign your tasks."
"We await your words."
Tearing into a drumstick, Mang-ryang said,
"Baek Woong, head straight to the oracle and obtain one spell. Then bring Lady Miho to Jinyang Valley."
"Got it."
Mang-ryang glanced at Cheon Woo-jin.
"I'll prepare in my way. Junior Brother, drag Zhuge Sa to Jinyang Valley, beat him if needed."
"Who's Zhuge Sa?"
"My uncle—a cranky fellow in Jinyang Valley. Wields demonic arts and puppetry—beware."
"Hmph!"
Snorting disdainfully, Cheon Woo-jin vanished seamlessly from his seat.
'Disappeared without a trace!'
Amazed, I turned to Mang-ryang, who was pouring drinks.
"No need for surprise. That's true Earth Contraction Technique."
"True Earth Contraction?"
"Common versions have limits, but his folds space freely for speeds incomparable to lightness skills—the pinnacle spell. Few in the human world match him."
Worriedly, I said,
"The Sword Demon wary of Zhuge Sa—can Cheon Woo-jin capture him?"
"Demonic arts are deadly to ordinary martial artists; the Sword Demon was wise to fear him. But they won't faze Junior Brother Cheon Woo-jin."
Mang-ryang grinned.
"I guarantee: he'll be beaten just enough to drag there alive."
"......"
Mang-ryang held Cheon Woo-jin in high regard. Fitting, as he was the Central Plains' top genius in spells. Imagining Zhuge Sa thrashed soured my mood, but Mang-ryang continued,
"Baek Woong, focus solely on the Fengshan this life. It's key to our goal."
"I've wondered—Fengshan that crucial?"
"You hold Prior Mang-ryang's memories, so you know: Mount Tai's Fengshan has two forms—true and false. We secured the true one."
Mang-ryang explained slowly.
"Fengshan, first performed by the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang who claimed emperorship, is sacrifice to heaven and earth. Success grants dominion over the Nine Provinces and heavenly fortune."
"I know, but that's for rulers, not us essentially..."
Mang-ryang sighed.
"You haven't fully assimilated Prior Mang-ryang's knowledge."
I sighed too.
"Too vast and complex. Much eludes me."
True.
Though transmitted via the obsidian-like memory transfer of the Memory Severing Spell, my mind couldn't grasp it. Without deep background, immortal-level spells and lore were unusable. Mang-ryang, erudite from birth, had nearly mastered it.
Mang-ryang said,
"First, on divisions. They manifest astrology in geography—their essence: [aligning celestial stars with administrative regions]."
"Stars to regions?"
"Yes. Mapping constellations' paths onto the vast earthly Nine Provinces."
Mang-ryang defined divisions.
"Astrological division theory divides heavens mainly into Twenty-Eight Mansions and Twelve Cizhong. Heaven's fates depict earth's domains—an apex philosophy. Even Warring States' names derive from Eternal Starry Night's tongue."
"Hm..."
"Our everyday 'division' stems thence."
Clenching his fist, Mang-ryang declared,
"Heaven bestows images (Heaven垂象), earth forms shapes (Earth成形). This gripped Central Plains geography for millennia."
Pondering, I asked,
"How does that link Fengshan-granted dominion and fortune to Nine Provinces?"
"Complex, so I'll unpack it."
Uncrossing arms, he grabbed another drumstick.
"As seen, great immortals' possession order seems erratic but follows division theory—celestial order by mansions. Even immortals can't escape heaven's domains mirroring earth's. Heaven reveals divine order clearest.
Now consider: why map Nine Provinces, embracing Central Plains and barbarians, to constellations millennia ago?"
"......"
A flash: stimulated by 'constellations.'
"The [Old Rulers]?!"
"Exactly. Modern scholars call it vain ancient faith, but it tied deeply to godlike beings. Secret lore of Heavenly Realm and esoteric Taoist lineages."
Gulping wine, Mang-ryang said,
"Nine Provinces' divisions were primordial [Old Rulers'] allotted earthly domains. There, they played true gods, ruling nascent humanity via dark myths."
"......!!"
"Another Heavenly secret: they conceal [Old Rulers] desperately."
Stunned by this truth, I groaned. Fragmented knowledge unlinked—yet ancient chronicles explained it.
Mang-ryang said,
"Fengshan granting Nine Provinces' dominion and fortune means becoming world's master—and bridge-priest between gods and men."
"Priest?"
"Yes, priest."
Rare cynicism tinged his smile.
[Sacrificing masses to [Old Rulers] as fodder, securing peace and immortality's magic/power... Qin Shi Huang and successor emperors couldn't resist."
The Fengshan's true nature unveiled on Mount Tai.