Chapter 498
Chapter 498
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 498
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
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I momentarily thought I'd misheard, my expression turning blank.
"The reason is, as I mentioned earlier, the Heretic Cult's Demon King has risen. If that being, unaffected by the laws of causality, operates in the Central Plains martial world, it's only a matter of time before the Central Plains falls to the Heretic Cult. He's a Demon King, after all—a Apostle-level existence. His power surpasses even the Great Thunder Gods."
"That makes sense..."
"The Demon King Byok Ji-sang will undoubtedly target the Great Formation of Luoyang. The Heavenly Realm, reading the signs, immediately approved the descent of the Heavenly Emperor."
Heavenly Emperor!
It was the process where the Heavenly Realm directly lowered a heavenly ladder to the Heavenly Emperor Altar on Mount Wutai, deploying heavenly forces to the mortal world to sweep away evil hordes. Attempting to stop it by destroying the altar would only cause the Heavenly Realm to overlay this world, potentially unleashing an even greater catastrophe. Moreover, what the Heavenly Emperor 'cleansed' wasn't just the wicked—it could encompass civilization itself, foretelling massacres on the scale of millions at minimum.
I shouted fiercely.
"What the hell! Why! Of all times! Why is that bastard stirring up trouble now!!!"
It was utterly incomprehensible.
Why would the Heretic Cult's Demon King, who had sat idly by watching the world burn or not, choose now to act? Especially after granting Jegal-sa a grace period on their contract—this sudden change in behavior was too bizarre!
Mangnyang spoke calmly in response.
"That's why the three of us were discussing it. And we concluded that the Demon King's rise is no coincidence."
"No coincidence?"
"Something external must be at play. And that external force likely stems from causality generated by our actions thus far. There's a reason he chose now to rise."
"Causality..."
"You need to think carefully. What have we done differently from past lives..."
"......."
I fell silent, lost in thought. Beside me, Jegal-sa spoke in a voice suppressing pain.
"I can't just ask him. If I go to the Blood Shadow Valley now, he'll try to fully dominate my soul. He'll tighten control and turn me into a puppet. At that point, I'd become your enemy."
"Kuh."
From his tone, it seemed Jegal-sa couldn't keep rejecting the Demon King's summons forever. He was resisting with the amplified demonic power from the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture, but if this continued, he'd be forcibly summoned.
"This is our only chance to think."
"Damn... even so..."
Nothing came to mind.
Since I'd taken different actions in every life, I couldn't pinpoint what differed from previous incarnations. I racked my brain desperately until a sudden thought struck me.
"In this life, I defeated the Sea God. Could defeating the Sea God have prompted the other [Ancient Rulers] to incite Demon King Byok Ji-sang to invade the Central Plains?"
"We considered that too. But it doesn't explain how a Demon King-level being can act while ignoring the laws of causality. There are plenty of [Ancient Rulers] stronger than a Demon King—they'd invade the Central Plains themselves if that were possible, not delegate."
"Then what?"
Silence enveloped the room. With no clear answer, everyone grew restless. There was no way to explain the Demon King's sudden appearance.
That's when Cheon Woo-jin spoke.
"There's another possibility worth considering."
"What's that?"
"It's the matter of you investigating the Thunder Sound Temple."
As I looked at Cheon Woo-jin, he continued.
"While probing the Thunder Sound Temple, you uncovered information about Changhil and his avatars. That was undoubtedly a threat to Changhil. So, he's moving his avatars from the shadows to pick a fight with you."
I replied in astonishment.
"Pick a fight? You mean Changhil is the one moving the Heretic Cult's Demon King?"
"It's a possibility. Information is still scarce, but we've been debating it."
"Hmm..."
It could be. But we knew too little about Changhil and his forces to speculate further. All we had was that he had eight avatars—everything else was conjecture. As I pondered, Cheon Woo-jin said,
"First, I'll use my spells to help delay Jegal-sa's summoning as much as possible. Baek Woong, you and Senior Brother Mangnyang should find a way to stop the Heavenly Emperor."
"You mean find a way to persuade the Heavenly Realm."
"As you'll recall from past lives, even my master can only offer advice to the Heavenly Realm—he has little sway over the leadership's decisions. You'll have to act directly."
"Hmm..."
A way to persuade the Heavenly Realm to halt the Heavenly Emperor.
That meant convincing them there was no need for it.
There was only one method.
"The best option is to defeat Demon King Byok Ji-sang before the 49 days are up."
"Best indeed. Aside from its near-impossible feasibility..."
Jegal-sa, listening from the side, spoke pessimistically.
"A Demon King isn't to be trifled with. Not quite on the Sea God's level, but still beyond the Great Thunder Gods."
"There are humans like that too. If we bring in the White Lotus Leader or the Twelve Laws Lords, we might manage."
"Maybe. But can their power grow enough in 49 days to take the Demon King's head? Remember, the White Lotus Leader you've seen has grown immensely with your help."
"Hmm..."
"Moreover, the Heretic Cult's master, who has amassed demonic power through countless human sacrifices for millennia, wields terrifying evil arts. No human can win against that. Unless we prepare countermeasures for those evil arts first, even the White Lotus Leader or Twelve Laws Lords' superior martial arts won't let them stand before the Demon King."
"Damn it. Just saying it's impossible doesn't solve anything. We have to try!"
As I snapped irritably, Jegal-sa chuckled.
"Exactly. That's it. A fool like you needs to keep that reckless optimism. If even the Sea God fell to you, it's worth a shot..."
I proposed a sudden idea that came to mind.
"Use the Reversal Authority to erase Byok Ji-sang! It'd solve everything at once."
Cheon Woo-jin chided like a scolding elder.
"With three smart heads here, think we'd overlook that?"
"......"
Embarrassed, I scratched my head, and Jegal-sa said,
"That's true, but... didn't you hear the second possibility?"
"Changhil moving the Demon King?"
At my question, Mangnyang beside him nodded.
"Yes, Baek Woong. That's why we can't recklessly use the Reversal Authority."
"What's the problem with that?"
"Using the Reversal Authority—or even just informing an [Ancient Ruler] of the Demon King's location in the wilderness—would handle it. But that would resolve the current crisis without revealing why the Demon King moved."
"Ah...!!"
"We don't know the variable behind the Demon King's action. Overcoming this crisis means nothing if the same threat recurs in the next life. We need to know why to prepare."
"That's true."
"To find the optimal method and gain experience from this life, we must avoid that approach."
It made sense. The Reversal Authority was a cheat-like power to dispatch foes by beseeching a god, but using it left us ignorant of the Demon King's anomalous behavior. No learning meant a huge loss.
Jegal-sa continued.
"Another point: even if the Reversal Authority dispatches the Demon King, Changhil—who manipulated him like a puppet from behind—remains. We'll have to fight Changhil anyway. What then?"
"Ugh... right..."
"Remember what the Thunder Sound Temple's abbot said. Changhil doesn't clash with brute force—he delights in schemes and sorcery. Wasting your trump card and handing him information is the worst strategy. Changhil has surely embedded his avatars throughout the human world."
"Hmm."
"And even if the Demon King falls to such a trick this time, Changhil won't challenge you head-on. He'll toy with you through schemes until you drop dead inexplicably. You might never even encounter one of his eight avatars."
"......"
Harsh assumptions, but Jegal-sa had a point.
Changhil was likely this life's greatest foe anyway. Squandering the Reversal Authority—uncertain against him—would be wasteful. Having thought that far, I asked Jegal-sa,
"Wait. Then, leaving the Demon King and using the Reversal Authority on Changhil instead..."
"Why think of one and ignore the other?"
Jegal-sa spoke as if I were pathetic.
"It might work, but it's unlikely to."
"Why?"
"As you know, the Reversal Authority doesn't affect [Ancient Rulers]. Gods transcend life and death."
"...No way."
"If Changhil has reached immortality beyond life and death, you'd waste the Reversal Authority pointlessly. We got lucky last time, but..."
Only then did I realize how reliant I'd been on the Reversal Authority—and how monstrous Changhil and the Demon King truly were. From now on, my opponents were mythic gods and demons.
"So, don't rashly strike the enemy's leader yet. Gather information..."
*Cough!*
Suddenly, Jegal-sa vomited blood. Startled, Mangnyang supported him, but Jegal-sa waved him off.
"...The backlash from defying the contract is worsening. I can't hold out much longer."
"You..."
Jegal-sa's face was deathly pale.
"But I can't just die and escape. Bound by soul to him, it'd only hasten my exploitation..."
His words froze me.
"Baek Woong, offer me as a human sacrifice to an [Ancient Ruler]. It'd kill two birds with one stone."
"What?"
Was this guy joking?
But his face was dead serious, so I could only listen silently.
"I currently hold 40% of the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture's demonic power. Killing me and offering to a god would surely yield great blessings or treasures. It'd help immensely in future battles."
It was logical.
But his absurdity infuriated me, and I bellowed.
"You mad bastard! Shut up before I seal you in the Mountain and River Societal Chart!"
If the Demon King's call was the issue, just seal him in Cheon Woo-jin's chart. Jegal-sa continued nonchalantly.
"That won't work. Has Hwayong Zhenren recovered? Even channeling Hwayo's power for continuous healing, he hasn't awakened due to the Sea God's demonic energy. And the fight with the Sea God depleted Hwayo and the National Seal's spiritual power considerably?"
"......"
"Fighting Demon King Byok Ji-sang in this state guarantees defeat. To even have a shot, we need this human sacrifice loophole."
"We can win without sacrificing your life. We still have time—cool your head and stay put."
"Hey, Baek Woong. I told you last time: our lives are expendable resources."
Jegal-sa gazed at me with emotionless eyes.
"Whether dragged off to become the Demon King's enemy or sealed in the Mountain and River Societal Chart, I'm useless now. Better to die and maximize help for you."
"Why?"
Irritation and disbelief surged as I snapped.
"Jegal-sa. Why the rush to die? Human sacrifice means ripping out your heart alive and feeding it to a god—sounds fun? You've lost your mind!"
"Finally get it?"
As Jegal-sa cackled, Cheon Woo-jin sighed.
"Enough."
*Whoosh*
In a flash, Cheon Woo-jin unfurled the Mountain and River Societal Chart, sealing Jegal-sa inside. Suddenly, black lightning crackled from Cheon Woo-jin's arm, making him grimace.
"Damn. The Nameless Sacrificial Scripture's power is immense. Can't hold him long..."
"You sealed Jegal-sa?"
Cheon Woo-jin replied coldly.
"You two seemed feverish idiots. Cool off and think calmly. 49 days isn't long, but not short either."
"Right."
I was glad we'd recruited Cheon Woo-jin as an ally. Otherwise, I'd have been forced into a mad choice.
"Baek Woong. We must go to the Prophet."
Mangnyang said firmly.
"His information will unravel this crisis."