Chapter 239
And the next day, I set off to the Sacred Altar.
‘Arriving too quickly would raise suspicion.’
Having already trudged to the Mount Changbai Sacred Altar once, I could easily get there again if I wanted to. But doing so would make everyone wonder how I got there so fast. So, I decided to amble to the altar, taking my sweet time.
As I used the Soul Removal Technique to cross rivers and mountains, it felt like I was moving several times faster and easier than before. Compared to the harsh journey to the North Pole, the lands of Goryeo were as flat as a pancake. I didn’t push myself to the max; I took breaks whenever I felt like it.
Even with my leisurely pace, I still managed to reach the vicinity of the Sacred Altar in about six weeks, all thanks to my speedy techniques.
“Hmm…”
The Sacred Altar was in the Gomi Basin of Mount Changbai. Since I remembered the terrain, finding my way to the Gomi Basin was easy enough, but from there on, it became tricky.
“I’m sure it was around here somewhere.”
I couldn’t see it.
I distinctly remembered finding the Sacred Altar without much trouble in my memories, but this time, there were no traces of the Sacred Altar village to be found. Suddenly, I recalled the words of the Master of the Twelve Joules from long ago.
[Haha. That’s the Sacred Altar Tree. It’s said to reach nine worlds. As you can see, it’s as big as a mountain.]
[That’s strange.]
[What’s strange?]
[I didn’t see any such tree while crossing the mountains to get here. Why is it only visible after entering this village?]
[It’s because of the barrier. Common folks can’t see the Sacred Altar Tree. Only those permitted to enter the Sacred Altar can see it.]
Come to think of it, the Sacred Altar village was built beneath the extraordinarily massive Sacred Altar Tree. And the Master of the Twelve Joules mentioned that only those authorized could see the tree. This made me realize something.
‘Barrier! Permission!’
If there was a barrier at the Sacred Altar, it made sense that an uninvited visitor like me wouldn’t be able to see the Sacred Altar Tree—or the altar itself. Since I wasn’t authorized to enter, I couldn’t find the altar. As I stood there in confusion, groaning to myself, I heard a strange sound.
Vwoooosh.
Suddenly, a peculiar sound reverberated, and the void opened up. From there, a pale man in bizarre clothes stepped out.
The man had a unique appearance. His attire bore no resemblance to Goryeo clothing, yet didn’t feel entirely Central Plains either. His looks were strikingly handsome, but his pale complexion made it seem like he might collapse if touched. Plus, he was tall, making him appear ‘interesting’ to anyone looking at him.
The pale, towering man looked at me and said, “I am Yun Sa. Are you the Master of the Seven Luminaries?”
“……”
Yun Sa!
I had heard that name before from Miho. It seemed he wasn’t well-known among the Master of the Twelve Joules, but I had heard there were three formidable figures in the Master’s inner circle. They were known as the Three Masters: Wind Master, Rain Master, and Yun Sa. Miho had mentioned the Three Masters with a hint of fear in her voice.
I cautiously responded, “Yes, I am Baek Woong, the Dharma Protector of the Shadowless Gate.”
“I do not care for worldly positions. What matters is that you are the Master of the Seven Luminaries.”
“What now?”
“It is my duty to take you to my lord. Follow me.”
With a flick of his hand, Yun Sa created a passage made of strange, multicolored clouds in the air. The divine energy from those clouds was comforting. I instinctively sensed that Yun Sa’s magical skills were no ordinary matter. Before entering the passage, I asked him, “I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“When you say ‘my lord,’ are you referring to Ha Eun-cheon, the Master of the Twelve Joules?”
“Half right, half wrong.”
“……?”
“I have no reason to tell you more than that. Just follow me.”
Having said that, Yun Sa strode into the passage of colorful clouds. Once he disappeared, I had no choice but to follow. Walking through the passage for about three Zhang, I found an exit.
As I stepped out, I was in a small hut in the very heart of the Sacred Altar. Glancing around, the area was as precarious as I remembered, with cloud bridges strung across the treacherous canyon. Yun Sa, who had arrived first, said, “Go inside.”
His command carried an unknown yet heavy pressure. It felt different from a martial artist’s imposing presence—almost like a divine telepathy. For someone to exert this kind of pressure with their intent meant Yun Sa’s level was that of a master among masters. I quietly acknowledged his strength, and a sound barely escaped my lips.
His skills seemed to rival those of the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin. If that was the case, then the other two, the Wind Master and Rain Master, must be just as powerful?
Lost in thought, I stepped into the hut and, as before, found a spacious interior even larger than the outside. The expansive space, surely several thousand pyeong, was created with high-level techniques. In the inner section of the large hut, the Master of the Twelve Joules, Ha Eun-cheon, awaited me, donning a puppy mask.
“Hey, you’re here, you’re here~”
“……”
Once again, he wore that fluffy puppy mask. He must have taken great care with it, as it looked freshly groomed. I felt like I couldn’t even crack a smile, so I stroked my head and said, “Master of the Twelve Joules, I have a question.”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Why on earth are you wearing that puppy mask?”
“To protect myself from the twisted flow of cause and effect.”
“……?”
“Haha, just think of it as the latest fashion.”
Ha Eun-cheon brushed it off lightly. However, I sensed there was something deeper behind his words and made a mental note of his response. Once again, I properly introduced myself and presented my intentions.
“I am Baek Woong, the Dharma Protector of the Shadowless Gate. I heard your invitation before, and I have come, albeit a bit late.”
“Good, good, glad you’re here~”
He propped his chin on his hands as he continued, “Baek Woong, I want to know about how you acquired the Seven Luminaries and the methods of liberation.”
“Well, that is…”
Just as I was about to speak, he suddenly realized something.
“Oh, I should offer a seat to my guest!”
As he snapped his fingers, suddenly the previously empty space filled with a lavish table and chairs. A beautifully set banquet appeared on top of it. This must be some kind of magical technique, but as someone who knew little about magic, I had no way to grasp its nature. Yet it was clear that the Master of the Twelve Joules was immensely skilled.
I sat down and continued, “I obtained the Water Element Divine Sword in a remote area of Mount Huang. It was hidden behind a cliff in a secret spot. When I accidentally jumped into the pond there, I found a mysterious ruin, and I defeated the Spider Guardian in that ruin to obtain the divine sword.”
“That can’t be all, right?”
The Master crossed his arms and remarked.
“That spider wasn’t the guardian of the Seven Luminaries. Just a weak minion that showed up as a bonus. So, Baek Woong, you must have done a secondary liberation somewhere else.”
“……”
He was clearly well-informed about the Seven Luminaries. I cautiously replied, “Yes. I realized that the divine sword had an additional seal. I traveled around the world to find a way to lift it and eventually figured out how to do it.”
“How so?”
“I apologize for asking this, but… why do you want to know?”
I calmly looked at him and asked, “Of course, since the Shadowless Gate has greatly aided the Master of the Twelve Joules, I feel obliged to share, but I do want to know your reason.”
“Hmm. That’s a valid question.”
The Master of the Twelve Joules nodded, pondering how to respond.
“Let’s see… As the 23rd River God managing the Phoenix of the Haedong Gate and the Manha Spiritual Gate, it’s a sense of duty… Or as the Dan-gun overseeing the Sacred Altar Tree among the Three Great Celestial Sovereigns, it’s about practicing the principle of Benefiting Humanity… Or perhaps as the Master of the Seven Luminaries, a curiosity about the masters of the other Luminaries…”
“……”
“Feel free to interpret it whichever way you like.”
Hearing his response, I felt utterly bewildered.
‘What? The Master of the Twelve Joules has other titles?’
Dan-gun! That was definitely the first time I had ever heard such a title or role in my life. And judging by what Yun Sa had said earlier, it seemed that his direct subordinates were clearly distinguishing between Ha Eun-cheon as the Master of the Twelve Joules and as Dan-gun. I pondered what that difference might be as I spoke up.
“I came to know that the way to lift the sealing of the divine sword involved going to the North Pole and pouring blood onto the earth. Then I was guided to a specific location to take on a contract and liberated the Water Element Divine Sword among the Seven Luminaries.”
“Hmm, so that was it.”
Ha Eun-cheon relaxed his arms and said, “To think the seal of the divine sword was placed so strictly…”
“Do you know something about it?”
“Well, I know a bit more than others. By the way, Baek Woong, you’re amazing. To make the journey back to the North Pole.”
He clearly didn’t want to let slip the secrets he knew. So I just accepted his compliments with a smile.
“I was lucky.”
“Hmm… then, may I see the Water Element Divine Sword for a moment?”
“……”
The moment had arrived.
I could end up losing the divine sword and perhaps even be killed here. A terrifying thought flashed through my mind, but I steeled my resolve and handed over the Water Element Divine Sword to the Master of the Twelve Joules.
‘If I die, then it’s fine as it is.’
Just understanding what kind of person the Master of the Twelve Joules was would be a victory in itself.
As I carefully handed over the divine sword, the Master observed my expression and said, “Don’t worry. I have no intention of stealing it.”
“If you wanted to, you could easily.”
“Well, that may be so, but at least not right now.”
For some reason, the Master’s tone felt a bit mischievous as he slowly inspected the sword’s blade. When he saw the engraving on it, his expression turned cold.
“Indeed, the power of Emperor Changhil resides within. Is this the same for all the Seven Luminaries?”
“……?”
Emperor Changhil?
Now that I think about it, Mangnyang had mentioned that Changhil, one of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s subordinates, was an incredibly powerful being. He wielded terrifying authority as a deity just below the Three Sovereigns in ancient times.
As the Master of the Twelve Joules pondered the divine sword for a moment, he returned it to me.
“You handled it well.”
When I received the divine sword back, I felt a bit dazed. I had thought he would snatch it away, yet surprisingly, he simply returned it. As I remained vigilant, the Master remarked, “It’s reasonable to be cautious. The Seven Luminaries are treasures of great value. However, I have no intention of acquiring them by force.”
I couldn’t take his words at face value.
Because the Master of the Twelve Joules had once deceived me into believing he was speaking the truth. Contrary to information about the Moon Sovereign being with Dongyoung, it turned out he was actually hidden in Mount Muni in Ganghwa Island, with high-level monks like Great Monk Seo San and Yu Jeong deployed by his orders. If I blindly believed his words, I might end up in deep trouble.
I said, “You seem to be using the Water Element Divine Sword against the alien races in Liaodong and the peninsula…”
“Hmm? You’re quite perceptive. That’s right.”
“Were you the one who summoned the Phoenix when the Sea God landed in the Western Capital in the past?”
“That’s correct. I was there too.”
No surprise there.
Once during my previous life, there were rumors that a Phoenix appeared in the Western Capital. I had thought it might be a clue to a treasure, so I traveled there, only to find out that it was summoned to fend off the Sea God’s invasion. I had long suspected the Master of the Twelve Joules was behind this, and today I had confirmed it.
“I can’t believe it. The Phoenix is considered one of the highest divine beasts; for you to summon it without a hitch…”
Then the Master of the Twelve Joules chuckled lightly.
“Haha. Naturally, you’d think that. As you guessed, it was an extraordinary feat brought about by borrowing the power of the Water Element Divine Sword.”
“Hmm…”
“As you know, the Seven Luminaries themselves are treasures capable of enacting divine miracles. Summoning a Phoenix is not really that incredible.”
“……”
Those unfamiliar with magical theories might let it slide without question.
But I had felt the energy during the legendary summoning performed by the Illusory God Yeodong-bin, where he opened all his Eight Gates to channel his strength to summon a dragon from the Celestial Realm. Summoning a top-tier divine beast from the Celestial Realm is generally beyond human capability. Even a handful of top-tier sorcerers sacrificing their lives could fall short. The very ability to conduct such feats suggests that the Water Element Divine Sword’s power must be tremendous.
“Let’s set aside the trivialities for now.”
The Master of the Twelve Joules got to the main topic.
“It seems you want to borrow the power of the Water Element Divine Sword to take on the Imperial Palace or the White Lotus Sect. Is that something you expect us Masters of the Twelve Joules to assist with?”
With casual confidence, he pulled out an important discussion. He often had a way of making casual conversation while hitting the core issue. Having given it much thought, I immediately responded.
“While I would be grateful for your assistance, it’s not the right time for that.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“Nobody wants to fulfill requests without any compensation. Right now, my Shadowless Gate and I lack the resources to ask for such help. Therefore, I’d prefer to find my own way forward.”
This was the right approach.
At the moment, I had no strategist like Mangnyang, just my own training process to enhance my power. Bringing in the Master of the Twelve Joules at this stage would lead to discussions of responsibilities and compensations, inevitably making the Sword of Water Element central to those talks. Such chaos wasn’t what I wanted, which is why I responded immediately.
The Master of the Twelve Joules was silent for a while. Then he asked, “Baek Woong, do you know what a Constellation is?”
