Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
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The Protector Lion's clone approached me, its Black Tiger mask twitching. That gait was utterly extraordinary, unlike any footwork I had ever seen.
'The clone disappears after just one solid hit.'
Not enough to injure a human—just a glancing blow would suffice. Being made of qi, the clone was extremely unstable. So in this spot, all I needed was to graze the opponent once to win.
But the Protector Lion's clone halted. Its voice turned stiff.
"Thunder God Style? Thunder Spirit Eight Forms, no less."
"You know of Thunder God Style?"
"Hah, playing dumb, are we? Wind God Style and Thunder God Style have clashed for the longest time, so of course we know each other's techniques well."
The fact that he identified it from a simple qi summoning gesture meant his words were true. And considering he was the head of Wind God Style, he likely knew more about Thunder God Style than I did.
Rumble...
The Protector Lion's clone raised its left hand. A condensed Wind Bullet hovered there, its potential power beyond even my ability to gauge. The space around the Wind Bullet warped visibly to the naked eye. The Protector Lion sneered coldly.
"Thunder God Style pup. Let's see what you've got."
Thwung!
He flicked his fingers one by one, unleashing Fierce Bullets at terrifying speed. I hurriedly swung my spear to deflect them, managing to bat away four out of the five strikes. One grazed past my waist, unblocked.
As I steadied my stance for a counterattack, the Protector Lion's clone flowed in like a ghost right before my eyes and unleashed a sudden punch.
Boom!!
"Urk!"
I surged my internal energy head-on to block it, but the weight burrowed deep into my bones. Even at just twenty percent power, it nearly stopped my breath. From that single blow, I sensed the vast gap in our abilities.
My breath caught, and my feet dragged across the ground, shoving me back a zhang.
'Damn it. Too strong...!!'
Just graze it. Just one graze, and the Wind God Style Protector Lion's clone would vanish. With that in mind, I scattered spear threads. Dozens of terrifying spear flashes sliced through the air in an instant, but the clone, now within a zhang of me, suddenly split apart.
Ssssh.
"Huh..."
It was a fantastical movement art. The clone flowed like swimming wind, untouched by my spear flashes—a level my current realm couldn't even aspire to. As I stared dazedly at that dance-like flow, the clone whistled back behind me.
Then it giggled.
"What, surprised? First time seeing Wind Soul Step?"
My face flushed red.
Like it was toying with me, he formed Wind God Style's qi summoning gesture again and said,
"Pup. Watch closely."
Whiiiing.
A sound like swarming bees echoed around the Protector Lion's clone. As I tensed in preparation, the Protector Lion spoke.
"This is Wind God Style's secret art: Wind Demon Annihilation Formation."
Swish swish swish—
"......!!"
In that instant, the clone multiplied like copies, trudging toward me step by step. Astonishingly, rather than vanishing, a new clone seemed to spawn with every step. They encircled me in a ring, but I couldn't even think of attacking. Each one brimmed with qi indistinguishable from the real thing, making it impossible to spot the true body.
'A martial art like this exists in the world?!'
Only after nearly twenty clones had formed did they begin assaulting me one after another. I swung my spear to block the bare-handed strikes and batter the clones, but they didn't disappear. Far from it—they grew stronger in qi and pressed me head-on, forcing me to retreat with Thunder Shadow Step's Heaven's Execution.
Kwa-gwak.
I began executing the ultimate technique of Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear. The qi at the spear tip intensified, and the Thunder Spirit qi scorched the clones more fiercely. The clones that resisted Thunder Spirit Eight Forms fell back in droves to the first through third forms chained together. Then, one encircling me burst into laughter.
"Uahaha! Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear! Looks like you've learned it all, huh?"
"Don't get cocky!"
Gritting my teeth, I gathered the power of Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear into one. My mind focused, imprinting the basic essences of Lan, Na, and Chul in my head. With focused concentration, the forms grew more precise and swift, until a storm of spear flashes turned the area within two zhang into a zone of death. Clones caught in the whirling spear blade tore apart.
Puk!
"Huh...!!"
I gasped at the sudden attack. A clone had popped up like a goblin and struck my face. I endured with my protective qi, but my head spun. A bit more power, and it would've snapped my neck.
At the same time, the clones circling from all sides chorused,
[Seeking Ultimate Blood Wind Divine Fist!]
Then, as if on cue, hand blades, kicks, punches, and knee strikes poured down like a squall. Clones lunged from every direction.
[Shadow Fist!]
"Kuh."
Puk-puk-puk-puk.
[Striking Scripture.]
Block one side, and a kick flew from the other, slamming my gut. I swung my spear, but nothing was there anymore.
[Hao Shu.]
"Urk."
Swing the spear, and this time a knee strike rocketed up from below.
Puk.
[Equipping Hang.]
Retreat back, and a philtrum strike came with a dantian stomp.
Kwachik.
[Secret Treasure.]
Duck my waist, and an elbow slammed my back as if waiting.
The clones politely recited their fist technique names in turn as they began beating me. They popped up like goblins everywhere, grabbing my limbs to snap them. What was absurd was their master-level proficiency—once they closed in, escape was impossible.
If I hadn't maxed my protective qi with brute internal energy, I'd have been beaten to death already.
[Wall Secret.]
Pyaak.
A low palm strike uppercut my jaw from below. I blacked out briefly.
Puk-puk-puk-puk.
"Uwaaak."
I screamed, unable to regain my senses amid the relentless beating. I held on with massive internal energy fueling my protective qi, but stars burst before my eyes. Finally, I realized why I was getting pummeled senseless.
'Damn it... I can't distinguish the clones' qi from the original's at all! And it phases through my attacks, shifting positions at will...'
The pinnacle of cloning techniques, beyond comparison to any I'd seen since birth! Even Lee Gwang could use cloning, but not with this precision, number, feints, and reality-fakes. While taking the beating, I unleashed a massive burst using the emission essence.
Kwa-gwang!
[Roar!!]
I roared a lion's cry simultaneously. A flash erupted from my body, wiping out the clones. Once that phase ended, I faced the clone again. The Protector Lion's clone leaned against a tree, arms crossed leisurely.
Looking at my thoroughly battered form, the Protector Lion said with interest,
"You're at the level to receive Thunder God Style's license exam. And that monstrous internal energy—intriguing. Hahaha..."
I gritted my teeth at the Protector Lion's leisurely laugh. I'd hoped otherwise, but this being truly operated on another plane. No wonder Miho hadn't even considered fighting and just fled.
It was only twenty percent power, but the technique gap was adult-to-child—I couldn't even touch it. The prolonged weak hits hurt even more.
"Kuh... Why."
"Why what?"
As the Protector Lion tilted its head, I growled,
"Why chase us all the way to Goryeo? I want nothing to do with the White Lotus Cult."
"Haha... Well, can't be helped."
The Wind God Style Protector Lion's clone had faded slightly. Even he couldn't maintain a clone and secret art indefinitely; the density thinned. Yet he showed no hint of disadvantage as he said,
"The sacred lotus you found is in its pure, original form. We need it to accomplish our great task—nothing we can do about it."
"Original form?"
"Exactly. So come quietly. I won't kill you if you do."
"There are worse things in the world than death."
"Hahaha... Same difference, so why struggle so?"
The laughing clone assumed a fighting stance again. Realizing it was truly hopeless, I sighed deeply.
"Hoo. This won't do."
"What won't?"
"I was too arrogant. Holding back my moves in this situation."
"What...?"
Without answering, I regulated my breathing. Lightning flashed in my eyes.
Thunder Roar!
Puk!
The moment the word ended, my body shot forward at inconceivable speed, carving lines across the clone's neck and limbs. No clone could react to that velocity. The Protector Lion's clone stared incredulously at the wounds on its body, then turned to me. In a trembling voice, it said,
"You... could it be... the ultimate secret art..."
"Shut up and vanish."
Poof.
The Protector Lion's clone disappeared. I soothed my bruises with Hua Tuo's Golden Secret Breathing and sighed.
"Damn... insanely strong. Didn't give me time to observe."
Learning it was a twenty percent clone, I'd tried drawing out its techniques rather than going all-out. Beating a clone did nothing to the original, so I wanted intel. But after taking too much from Wind Demon Annihilation Formation, I nearly died and had to use one of the two great secret arts, Thunder Roar, to finish it quickly.
'Now the real trouble begins.'
The Protector Lion now knew I commanded the ultimate secret art Thunder Roar. As Lee Gwang said, it was an ultra-rare technique, passed to only some of the Thunder God Style successors scattered across the Central Plains. He always added that Thunder Roar put Thunder God Style ahead of Wind God Style. Their grudge against it would surpass the ordinary.
Rumble!!
Sure enough, a massive explosion rocked the outer barrier. An immense qi unlike before hammered it like a sledgehammer, laced with clear fury. The Protector Lion was enraged.
But the twenty percent clone's destruction meant it could only use eighty percent now. That was why clones, despite convenience, weren't used in real fights. Destroying a qi clone meant losing that much energy outright. Recovery wasn't quick.
Wooo—!!
Soon after, the True Star Altar ritual ended, reinforcing the barrier. Leaning against a tree, I caught my breath. Miho, descending from the altar, said,
"You did well. Our lives were on the line, but you held it off."
Drained and slumped against the tree, I replied,
"That thing's a monster. What if an eighty percent clone gets in here?"
Miho smiled at my worry.
"Don't worry. This barrier can block even clones perfectly. Three grand sorcerers sacrificed their altars for this grand barrier—we can hold at least a day."
"The barrier lasts a day?"
"Yes. We'll need a plan within that."
Miho whipped around to Seosan Master.
"You monk, got any bright ideas? You saw the Protector Lion's skill—that monster, any way to handle it?"
"Hmm. Indeed, the Protector Lion is superhuman. No one here could last fifty breaths against it."
Seosan Master, having witnessed the skill during the ritual, looked grave. After pondering, he said,
"We must go to the ruins beneath the True Star Platform."
"Ruins?"
"Follow this monk."
We followed Seosan Master to a pile of stones behind the True Star Altar. Ancient-looking stone heaps dotted the area. Passing through grass between them, Seosan Master stopped at a spot and shouted,
"Hah!"
Rumble.
The ground before him split, revealing a massive underground staircase. Miho and I gaped. Who'd have thought such a thing hid in this mountain?
Miho eyed Seosan Master sharply.
"You tricked me. No—this whole Mani Mountain is the ruin."
Mani Mountain, a wild hill over 150 zhang tall.
A vast secret space and ruins lay within.
"Sorry. But this secret is too grave to reveal lightly."
Miho sneered.
"So you didn't want to die either, huh? Should thank the Protector Lion."
"Follow."
"Hmph!"
Step step.
We four descended slowly. Yujeong summoned ghostly flames, Miho foxfire—plenty of light. Leading, Seosan Master said,
"Note: I don't know if the Seven Luminaries are here. Only that it's an ancient ruin, and it harbors baleful madness."
"Madness?"
"Built far before the True Star Platform. Time passed, and it happened atop it by chance—the style and form differ greatly from what we know."
"Less talk, hurry. That monster might break the barrier anytime."
Step...
An eerie sense of déjà vu enveloped me. First time here, yet it felt familiar. Midway down the stairs, I realized why and startled.
"......!!"
"What?"
"N-nothing."
I calmed my pounding heart.
Now I saw: these stairs and carvings matched those in the Water曜 ruins! Different place and humidity hid it, but clearly the same designer.
My thought solidified into certainty. Soon, a vast cavern appeared, with ancient-style rooms everywhere. Far larger than Water曜 ruins, but carvings and jars were similar.
Seosan Master climbed an altar.
"This is the ruin's end. As you see, nothing special. No books or artifacts. Just that stele, if anything."
A stele stood before the altar.
Strange script was engraved on it.
"Hmm."
Intense pressure hit me, sharper than at Water曜 ruins—like a giant hand rummaging my brain. Something human in me felt eroded.
A brief daze later, I examined the stele.
'I can read it.'
Unlike stumbling over words at Water曜, I read over two lines clearly. Calmly observing, I grasped one fact.
[Before this... guardian... those who obtain... trial... spill blood on altar... chamber of sacrifice... guardian... from the moon... touched filth in underworld... cleansed by water... sun... storm... moon born... great... oath's... bond... great blood... covenant.... ]
Spilling blood on the altar was definite.
A 'Chamber of Sacrifice' existed, likely the trial for the Seven Luminaries.
I pondered.
Could I pass this trial?
Water曜's was easy now, but only after dying repeatedly to learn the spider's spawn, strength, attacks. No info against this guardian? Death probability skyrocketed.
Lucky: Miho and grand sorcerers here. Composing myself, I called the group.
"Listen a moment."
I explained reading the stele: blood on altar summons guardian, high chance it guards a Seven Luminaries. They hid their shock.
Thud.
Seosan Master especially yelped, falling on his butt.
"Th-this ruin dates to Gojoseon by my knowledge—studied endlessly by this land's sages and scholars. No one deciphered the stele's strange script. And you, Baek Woong, claim you did?"
"Not perfectly, but yes. Try blood on altar and see."
"Hmm. How strong is that guardian monster?"
"The one I fought, I could kill with my skill. But others? No idea. Definitely eats peak experts in under fifty breaths."
Miho, peering beyond the altar, said,
"You're right. Unholy demonic qi beyond the wall. Definitely some demon."
"...Hmm. But if it's a Seven Luminaries guardian, what is the one here?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm briefed by the Twelve Lords, so I know roughly of Seven Luminaries. Haein exists in Goryeo lands, Thousand Total Cloud Sword in Toyo lands. So what's here?"
"......"
Odd indeed. Another unknown Seven Luminaries under True Star Altar? But undiscovered for over a millennium? Unbelievable.
Miho, most invested, pondered deeply. Soon, enlightened, she said,
"Baek Woong. Recite the entire stele content. Might be a clue."
Per her request, I recited all I could read. Listening fully, Miho nodded knowingly.
"Got it. This place holds the true Lunar Luminary."
"What?"
Miho chuckled.
"Know Toyo's creation myth's Three Noble Children?"
"Not really."
"Amaterasu Omikami, Susanoo, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. The stele describes their birth—clearly linked."
"......!!"
Miho laughed gleefully.
"Ahaha! Thought it weird, right? Why Goryeo's heavenly treasures match Toyo's three divine tools? Same entity from ancient times, legends passed down sequentially. Only core divine treasures, the Seven Luminaries, remain."
"That's..."
"Lunar Thousand Total Cloud Sword was never in Toyo—it was here. Its influence from here guarded Toyo lands."
"Didn't it vanish in Genpei War?"
"Never existed there to begin with. Probably slapped Eight-Span Mirror or Eight-Inch Curved Jewel onto Thousand Total Cloud Sword to fake a heavenly treasure match. Otherwise, how could I, ruling beside the emperor for decades, miss any trace of Seven Luminaries?"
Miho's hypothesis was outlandish, but most plausible now. Only she, closest to Toyo's myth secrets via emperor, could guess it.
She continued,
"Thus, the guardian as 'one from the moon' likely means it was once Izanagi no Mikoto, creation god in ancient times. Explains everything!"
Miho hopped joyfully. Her dream of obtaining Seven Luminaries and returning heaven neared. But I couldn't rejoice fully, so cautiously,
"Mi-Miho."
"Yeah?"
Gulping, I said,
"Don't know Three Noble Children or Izanagi, but... if true, dropping blood here summons that ancient creation god Izanagi as guardian to attack us?"
"......"
Silence filled the chamber.
My lips trembled in absurdity.
'No wonder this ruin dwarfs Dark Night's—by dozens.'
The guardian's scale dwarfed spiders. How to measure an [ancient entity] worshiped as creation god?
Now I realized: time to choose.
Unseal Lunar Thousand Total Cloud Sword, fight guardian, win?
Or find another way.