Chapter 449
Chapter 449
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 449
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Township
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I mined the black obsidian and stowed it away in my wooden armor first. The miners freaked out when a massive chunk of black obsidian suddenly dropped from thin air, and Cheon Woo-jin and I stepped out from inside it. Ignoring their shock, I used Instant Teleportation again to head toward Huayo's barrier.
"Hoo..."
Cheon Woo-jin scanned Huayo's barrier with a look of astonishment.
"This is Huayo's barrier. We're on the southern continent, thousands of li from the Central Plains."
I'd brought him all the way here on purpose. I had to wait for the Demon Fox King to crush the Mount Tai forces anyway, and I needed to convince Cheon Woo-jin about the Phoenix Sealing Ritual. Showing him that I knew exactly where Huayo was would make him work more diligently.
As Cheon Woo-jin examined the barrier, he spoke.
"This barrier is incredible. It's really protecting one of the Seven Jewels...?"
"Cheon Woo-jin. I've got a question for you."
He turned to look at me. I asked him,
"I've heard you've mastered sorcery powerful enough that you don't even need to ascend to the Heavenly Realm. If that's true, you won't need to achieve immortality, so what's your goal in life from here on out?"
Cheon Woo-jin scowled.
"What? Why ask something like that? Are we that close?"
I continued naturally.
"We're not close, but this Phoenix Sealing Ritual is the most important ceremony of my life. It's only natural I'd want to know more about you, the one overseeing it. I've given you plenty of items as payment for your services so far—surely I can ask a question like this?"
I still couldn't fully trust Cheon Woo-jin, so I couldn't share the black obsidian with him yet. If I wanted to make him a potential ally going forward, I needed to figure out what kind of man he was first.
"......"
"Is it that hard to answer?"
As I pressed him, Cheon Woo-jin scratched his head, perhaps recalling all I'd given him. He had that much shame, at least, because he grumbled soon after.
"...Fine, I'll tell you, but first, you tell me your goal. I want to know what a freak like you is thinking."
"My goal is to gather the Seven Jewels."
"There must be a reason for that."
"With the Seven Jewels, I can gain the power of a god. I'll use that power to fight the [Ancient Overlords]. Ultimately, I want to drive them out of the human world."
"......"
Cheon Woo-jin was stunned by my answer. He gaped for a moment before speaking in a deflated voice.
"You... you're insane. You serious?"
"Dead serious."
"Haha... What... It'd be more realistic to say you want to become emperor or rule the world..."
Cheon Woo-jin let out a hollow laugh, then said,
"You sound crazy, but as promised, I'll tell you my goal. My life's ambition is to reach my master's level."
"Your master—Master Mangnyang?"
"That's right."
I pondered for a bit before countering,
"He's a god, isn't he? So you're saying you want to become a god too?"
"Hmm... Yeah, becoming a god is the goal. But that's a bit abbreviated, so let me elaborate."
Cheon Woo-jin waved his hand as he continued.
"Before that, I want to uncover my master's true identity. Becoming a god is just a means to that end."
"True identity...?"
"My master once told my senior brother and me that he suffers from amnesia."
"......!!"
Amnesia?!
What did that mean?!
I'd only meant to probe his thoughts and ambitions, but this was unexpected. As I stared at him, he reached out toward Huayo's barrier in front of us and examined it while speaking.
"Master says he doesn't remember his origins. His earliest memory is of conversing face-to-face with the Jade Emperor. But even the Jade Emperor didn't know who—or what—Master was, or where he came from. Instead, the Jade Emperor persuaded him to take the position of Taoism's guardian, and he's been living on earth ever since."
"......"
"The Three Pure Ones all deemed him an incomprehensible existence. None of the heavenly knowledge or common sense from ancient times could define him. No Great Immortal has ever learned his true name. I doubt anyone in the heavens knows what he is."
"Hmm..."
"That's why I haven't ascended, even though I'm more than qualified. What's the point if I know I won't find out? It'd just pile on more duties and rob me of my freedom."
This was huge.
Master Mangnyang—an existence even the Jade Emperor and Three Pure Ones couldn't comprehend?
I trembled in shock at this revelation, then blurted out something that suddenly occurred to me.
"But he's called Master Mangnyang now. Doesn't that mean he has a name?"
Cheon Woo-jin shook his head.
"The name 'Mangnyang' was temporarily given by the Supreme Lord. I don't know why it stuck as 'Boundary's Mangnyang,' but maybe the Jade Emperor, with his supreme authority, intuited something from him. Either way, it's just a nickname—not a true name."
"Hmm..."
I thought it over.
'Why didn't Mangnyang tell me any of this?'
Then it hit me.
Master Mangnyang's mysterious essence—undefinable by anyone—uncovering it would bring dangers greater than gathering the Seven Jewels. If he was on par with the [Ancient Overlords], or even beyond, it made perfect sense!
I'd acted on impulse too many times, so Mangnyang probably didn't want to spark my curiosity about him and add more burden to my already grueling quest for the Seven Jewels.
I decided to ask one more thing.
"Master Mangnyang said that Breaking Heaven's Blessing creates changes through observation in a realm without life or death, allowing entry into dualistic individual worlds. My head's not up to it—do you know what that means?"
Cheon Woo-jin grumbled,
"I explained Baek U-seon's future vision before! If you get that principle, you should have a rough idea."
"......?"
Cheon Woo-jin raised both hands, extending the index fingers on each.
"The point is that this world's future shifts based on observation. But that means a 'world being observed' and a 'world without an observer' coexist. Breaking Heaven's Blessing gives you the choice between them. It's duality even gods can't wield falling into a mortal's hands, letting you deny all reality. Never thought of it that way?"
What was he talking about?
A world being observed and one without?
Duality and reality?
As I stared blankly, he snapped irritably.
"Ah, forget it. You wouldn't get it right now anyway. Learn some sorcery from my senior brother later and build up your knowledge."
"...Got it."
"And no amount of offerings will get Breaking Heaven's Blessing from Master. It's far beyond any Great Immortal's boon."
I'd taken a harsh scolding, but I'd gained plenty. I didn't understand the explanation, but I committed it to memory. Holding onto it meant Mangnyang or other sorcerers could interpret it later.
"Wait. But isn't it impossible for you to reach divine heights without ascending to the heavens? You'd need immortality to gain a spirit body's supreme spiritual power and wield immense authority."
At my obvious question, Cheon Woo-jin smirked.
"Ascension for a Taoist is like going back in time to pass the imperial exams in the human world. Naturally, officials have greater abilities than commoners, plus fame and wealth. But that doesn't mean non-officials can't surpass them, right?"
"Hmm, so..."
"The pinnacle of ascension is becoming a Great Immortal. But a Great Immortal isn't a god in the true sense. I'm seeking a way to reach divine heights without heavenly aid."
"......"
"That's how I'll uncover Master's identity."
A bold, mad idea only a genius could have.
Tens of thousands of Taoists and cultivators on this continent dreamed of becoming Earth Immortals after lifelong asceticism. Hordes of them scrambled to breach the gates to the heavens. Those who succeeded spent centuries or millennia ascending to Great Immortals. For Cheon Woo-jin to dismiss them and aim for something greater—a god— was beyond any ordinary Taoist.
'But in the future vision I saw, you went to the heavens, Cheon Woo-jin.'
I suppressed a smile.
He probably didn't ascend in that vision out of belated realization of failure. He'd flee to the heavens to escape the overwhelming power of the Nine Yin Cult, which had grown too strong. Seeing the haughty Cheon Woo-jin's pride crushed made me feel a bit better.
At the same time, the thought of the Nine Yin Cult growing so powerful that even Cheon Woo-jin had to flee sent chills down my spine. It seemed the Nine Yin Cult would be a major obstacle and rival in my future reincarnations.
Cheon Woo-jin looked at me and said,
"But why'd you mine that black obsidian?"
"I have something I want to try with it. Can't say more."
"Fair enough. So how long are you planning to stay here? You didn't drag me all this way just to sightsee the barrier!"
"Hmm..."
I felt awkward. I'd come with extra time assuming extracting the giant black obsidian with Cheon Woo-jin would take ages, but he'd done it in seconds, leaving me with time to kill. That's why I'd shown him the barrier and pried into his story—but not enough time had passed since the Demon Fox King mobilized.
What would be the most efficient use of this time?
Something occurred to me, and I said to Cheon Woo-jin,
"Cheon Woo-jin. Do you know anything about phoenixes?"
"Huh? What nonsense is that?"
"I've heard the legendary divine beast, the phoenix, appeared in Goryeo's Seogyeong recently. With your sorcery skills, maybe you could learn something from the traces..."
I'd just remembered the rumor of a phoenix appearing in Goryeo's Seogyeong around this time. I knew the Twelve Rhythm Lords had summoned it to block the Sea God forces' invasion, but something still nagged at me. The Twelve Rhythm Lords, who constantly deceived me—were they telling the full truth?
And what did it mean that they summoned the phoenix?
On top of that, I wanted to check on the evil spirit in Seogyeong.
'Damn... This guy's gonna demand payment again.'
As I grumbled inwardly, surprisingly, Cheon Woo-jin perked up with curiosity.
"A phoenix in Goryeo... For real?"
"For real."
"Hmm. Sounds fun. Phoenix, huh... If it'll kill time, let's go check it out."
No demand for payment! I inwardly chuckled, thinking I'd scored.
'Curiosity beat out greed!'
He was probably too lazy to teleport to Goryeo himself and planned to hitch a ride on my Instant Teleportation. Either way, no cost to me—pure profit.
Flash!
I used Instant Teleportation with Cheon Woo-jin and arrived in Goryeo's Seogyeong.
Seogyeong.
It became Dongnyeong Prefecture when seized by the Yuan Dynasty and was renamed Pyongyang Prefecture under King Gongmin. After Goryeo successfully defended and reformed during the Yuan-Ming transition, and with Kings U and Chang restoring national fortune, it reclaimed the name Seogyeong. Reviving old memories, I stared at the ruins of the former Dongnyeong Prefecture building before me.
'Miyo isn't here yet.'
This was early in my reincarnation, so Miyo hadn't come to Goryeo. She was probably still bewitching the Emperor and scheming in the shogunate. I turned to Cheon Woo-jin beside me and asked,
"Feel anything?"
"Not the phoenix, but there's a massive evil spirit inside there."
"Hmm... That's probably Myocheong, an evil spirit."
Miyo, who once nested in these Dongnyeong ruins summoning yokai from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, had said she came to Goryeo to devour and absorb Myocheong. Of course, we'd negotiated to search for the Seven Jewel vessel instead, so she never ate it. Thus, Myocheong was surely dormant in there now.
Cheon Woo-jin frowned and said,
"Ignorance is one thing, but now that I know, I can't just walk past. Let's exorcise the bastard."
"Got it."
From those words, I gleaned his character.
He hated unrelated hassles and brimmed with genius arrogance, but he had a sense of justice. That's why he was Master Mangnyang's disciple.