Chapter 457
Chapter 457
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 457
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
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I returned to Zhangling Valley and stared at the Fire Treasure Dark Sword in my right hand for a long while.
'So I've obtained the third of the Seven Treasures with this...'
The first one I'd acquired was the Water Treasure Dark Night, and after that, I'd learned the location of the Moon Treasure Three Divine Tools. Of course, I hadn't liberated either one yet, but if I didn't fear the consequences, I could claim both anytime. And today, I'd finally gotten my hands on the Fire Treasure Dark Sword, the third of the Seven Treasures.
A crimson treasured sword sealed alongside its scabbard—that was my first impression upon seeing the Fire Treasure Dark Sword. Examining its blade, it looked no different from an ordinary sword; by its length, it was clearly a longsword. It stood in stark contrast to the Water Treasure Dark Night, which was like a slightly elongated dagger.
Regrettably, while I'd successfully stored the Fire Dragon Divine Sword in my spatial pouch with Ye Dongbin's help, I couldn't draw it back out due to the overwhelming heat. It seemed the Fire Dragon Divine Sword was emitting an even fiercer fiery aura now that it was in recovery.
Struck by a sudden thought, I tried drawing the Fire Dragon Divine Sword again while holding the Fire Treasure Dark Sword in one hand.
Rumble...
"Yes!"
I let out a cry of triumph. As expected, with the Fire Treasure Dark Sword in my grasp, the terrifying power of the Fire Dragon Divine Sword was naturally neutralized. Only now did I realize I could finally wield the Fire Dragon Divine Sword. Zhuge, who had been watching my experiment from the side, spoke up.
"To use both divine treasures at once, you'll need to learn dual swordsmanship."
"Hmm... No, that's..."
Zhuge's suggestion seemed reasonable at first glance, but I shook my head. Naturally, in this state, I couldn't use the Fire Dragon Divine Sword without holding the Fire Treasure Dark Sword. It went without saying that wielding both divine treasures together would yield greater power.
However, as someone who prided myself as a master of martial arts, I cautiously voiced my conviction.
"...That's nonsense."
"Why?"
"Dual swordsmanship isn't an extension of ordinary swordsmanship. It's an independent school that demands exceptional talent, so someone like me, accustomed to Thunder God Style swordsmanship, can't master it properly."
That was the problem.
Dual swordsmanship wasn't just about swinging two swords. Achieving balance between left and right hands while seamlessly switching between offense and defense was completely different from standard swordsmanship or one-sword styles. To become a master of dual swordsmanship, I'd undoubtedly need grueling training harsh enough to make me forget everything I'd learned up to now. Zhuge replied nonchalantly.
"That's none of my concern... Why not try talking to the Fire Dragon Divine Sword?"
"Talk to it?"
"The Fire Dragon Divine Sword has a sword spirit dwelling within it. Use the miracle of the Imperial Seal of All Nations to make contact."
"Got it."
He was right. Even when it had been used as a sealing tool in the Shangguan Family's underground chamber, its physical form may have vanished, but mentions confirmed the sword spirit had remained. To wield the Fire Dragon Divine Sword properly, I'd need to speak with that spirit.
Hum...
I gathered the divine power between my brows and focused my mind on the Fire Dragon Divine Sword. Faint spiritual waves seeped into its interior, where I sensed something wriggling. The consciousness trapped there like an egg remained silently asleep, ignoring my repeated attempts at communication.
Ending the contact, I said to Zhuge.
"I'm not sure if it's ignoring me or just asleep."
"Hmm... The sword spirit of the Fire Dragon Divine Sword is likely recovering from a comatose state."
"Comatose?"
Zhuge nodded.
"The treasured sword Fire Dragon Divine Sword had been sealed for centuries, expending its vital energy until it was on the verge of ending its life as a divine sword. Then, the immense fire energy from the Fire Treasure Dark Sword suddenly surged in, restoring its power. Naturally, it's put its spiritual body into a comatose state to absorb as much energy as possible for recovery."
"When will it awaken?"
"No idea, but keep it with you, and eventually, the Fire Dragon Divine Sword will speak to you first. Until then, refrain from using it."
"Understood."
I shifted my gaze from the Fire Dragon Divine Sword to the Fire Treasure Dark Sword. Then, cautiously, I asked.
"You're fully unsealed right now, aren't you?"
"Why ask me? If Cheonuk said it himself, then of course the seal is released."
"But even so, I don't feel much stronger..."
There was a reason I hesitated to say it. With Yeo Wa's permission, I'd become the master of the Fire Treasure. But unlike the clear surge of power I'd felt when liberating the Water or Moon Treasures, I hadn't sensed any enhancement from the Fire Treasure's release. As I puzzled over it, Zhuge, arms crossed in thought, spoke.
"The only guess I have is that it's lending its power to the Fire Dragon Divine Sword's recovery... As its owner, it's sharing its fire energy at your will, so it's not emitting its liberated power. Or there could be another reason."
"I see..."
"In any case, you've now become the master of the Imperial Seal of All Nations, the Fire Dragon Divine Sword, and the Fire Treasure."
Zhuge grinned.
"Now the path ahead is clear, isn't it?"
"Yes."
I answered firmly.
"I'll liberate the Water Treasure with the seal-liberation ritual!"
Now that I was the master of the Fire Treasure, liberating the Water Treasure too would make me the first in my reincarnations to possess two of the Seven Treasures! Just thinking about the power from holding two sent thrills down my spine. But Zhuge eyed me profoundly.
"Of course that's the goal, but in your current state, there are risks."
"You mean the mission to find Cangxie within ten years?"
"That, and whether the Three Emperors and Five Emperors will allow one person to hold two of the Seven Treasures."
"......"
"Even if you perform the seal-liberation ritual now, the Water Treasure's liberation will likely fail."
I let out a groan at Zhuge's words.
'He's right. Nüwa won't permit it.'
As far as I knew, the Wood Treasure Sea Seal had already been liberated by the hands of the Twelve Rites. With me unsealing the Fire Treasure on top of that, liberating the Water Treasure would mean three of the Seven Treasures loose in the world. I'd already experienced how furiously Nüwa would object.
No matter what, the Three Emperors' authority outranked the Five Emperors'. If Nüwa strongly opposed it, even Emperor Cheonuk would heed her over a mere mortal apostle like me. I'd hit a wall.
Zhuge cracked his knuckles and continued.
"The most realistic approach is to swiftly complete Cheonuk's mission, earn recognition for your ability, and use that merit to persuade him first. With the achievement of finding Cangxie, push for the right to hold two Treasures."
"Will it work?"
"Who knows? How could a demonic sorcerer like me read the minds of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors? It's just the option with the highest odds."
Zhuge glossed over it slightly, then raised a finger.
"Another is to create a formidable enemy that can only be opposed with a liberated Treasure—by our own hands."
"......?"
I tilted my head, momentarily unable to grasp Zhuge's meaning. What was he saying? As if expecting that, Zhuge explained.
"Simply put, what if a powerful mortal enemy starts rampaging on earth? The Three Emperors and Five Emperors can't intervene directly due to karmic laws. So they'd push forward Cheonuk's apostle—you—as the counter, naturally approving the additional Treasure liberation."
Ah, I get it!
I replied with a puzzled expression.
"Understood. But will we get that lucky? No way such guys just appear out of nowhere."
"Heh. Didn't you already see through the White Cloud Thread that they exist?"
"......"
A chill ran down my spine at Zhuge's idea. Startled, I shouted.
"You're insane?!"
"Figured it out?"
"No, wait—that's not... You're saying we let the Nine Yin Cult emerge?!"
Zhuge nodded matter-of-factly as I exclaimed in shock.
"Of course! Only an enemy of that caliber would make the Three Emperors and Five Emperors acknowledge a Treasure liberation."
"No, this is..."
I was flabbergasted.
This was completely turning things upside down!
The reason I'd been gathering the Seven Treasures through my reincarnations was to grow my power, pacify the chaotic world, and ultimately defeat the [Ancient Ruler]. Letting the Nine Yin Cult, apostles of the Ominous God, emerge was a choice I could never make. If the Ominous God's apostles infiltrated the human world, human sacrifices on the scale of hundreds of millions were inevitable.
Zhuge laughed coldly.
"In my view, they'll never permit one person to hold three or more Treasures through normal means. Even two will make them go berserk. Because fully unsealing the Treasures means the treaty with the [Ancient Ruler] dissolves, reigniting the war of the gods—and they don't want that. No matter how many merits you rack up or how much you grovel to Cheonuk, it's unavoidable."
"......"
"So we take a hardline approach. Apostles counter apostles—that's the way. If the [Ancient Ruler]'s apostles start rampaging with tricks, step up with the justification of stopping them. Then the Three Emperors and Five Emperors will grudgingly allow you to monopolize the Treasures."
Zhuge's logic was sound. Since the Nine Yin Cult, the Ominous God's apostle group, would emerge under legitimate karmic laws, the Three Emperors and Five Emperors couldn't touch them. In that case, the chances were high they'd empower me, their apostle, to block them in their stead.
"Think about it. Right now, the three major powers maintain a surface balance and external peace. There's no reason for the Three Emperors and Five Emperors to liberate Treasures. So if there's no reason, we create one."
"No, no... wait a second."
I was tempted for a moment by Zhuge's coaxing but shook my head.
"No way. I already saw through the White Cloud Thread how strong the Ominous God's apostles are. Even liberating a Treasure, it's uncertain if I can win against such monsters. And letting the Nine Yin Cult launch for that reason is like burning down the thatched house to kill a flea."
As I firmly refused, Zhuge made a mischievous face.
"Hmph. Hyun wouldn't give you such a scheme. It's about using any means to achieve the goal—why be so stubborn? There's no way to liberate all the Treasures by the book."
"Enough. We'll talk about that later."
I changed the subject for now. It seemed Zhuge wanted to let the enemy Nine Yin Cult emerge to liberate the Treasures. But I couldn't go along with it. Instead, I brought up another point to Zhuge.
"So, rather than rushing into liberating the Water Treasure, we should prioritize the mission to find Cangxie."
"Right. Ten years seems long, but it's not, so build merits there first, gain Cheonuk's approval, and then liberate the Water Treasure—that's ideal."
Understanding the situation, I focused my mind.
"Imperial Seal of All Nations."
Hum...
Soon, the Imperial Seal of All Nations responded, and I felt its spirit manifest. The spirit summoned several transparent rectangular windows in the darkness. I commanded the Imperial Seal of All Nations.
"Use Foresight to find where the Historian Emperor Cangxie is!"
[Yes, understood.]
Flash.
It felt like stars rippled. Inside the Imperial Seal of All Nations, darkness and light swirled, rapidly scanning the world's information. After gathering data for a long time, the Imperial Seal of All Nations spoke in a troubled tone.
[Search results for Historian Emperor Cangxie: 0 matches.]
"What?"
[Edited at administrator's request. Would you like to see related search results?]
What was this? I tilted my head, but Zhuge, sharing my senses from beside me, sneered.
"Knew it. Not even as good as Fnacothus or Rigveda."
"Zhuge, what're you talking about?"
"Just... Foresight is a convenient search system spread across the Three Emperors and Five Emperors' domain. It's a concept that's annoying to explain without base knowledge—I'll tell you later."
Demonic sorcerers sure know everything.
Grumbling inwardly, I said.
"I want to know how to find Cangxie. Is there anyone who knows his whereabouts?"
[Please wait a moment...]
Soon, the Imperial Seal of All Nations replied.
[One similar search result found.]
"Who is it?"
Flash.
A clear image appeared. Since it was someone I'd seen before, I muttered in disbelief.
"Peng Zu!"