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00487 Dark Heaven Village ————————————————————————=

I spoke with conviction.

[Is the Sea God dead?]

[He’s not dead. He will, however, slowly die.]

[What do you mean…]

[You severed his blood flow, and Yeodong-bin, who is bound to the Fire Dragon Sword, became the seal that will kill him. He still clings to life, but over the next few decades, he’ll gradually lose his vitality and die.]

[……]

It’s truly ridiculous.

After all that, he still couldn’t kill the Sea God?

Even with his neck severed and the seal stabbing into his solar plexus, he can survive for decades?

‘ Truly, gods are nonsensical beings…’

Jeon Wook’s voice continued.

[I refrained from telling you how to activate my powers for fear of violating the laws of cause and effect, yet you have already benefited from my powers several times. Thanks to that, your body, which should have died after defeating the Sea God, remains alive.]

[Am I not dead?]

[Correct.]

I’m alive!

That news made me happy. In fact, it thrilled me more than defeating the Sea God. Until now, using every means at my disposal to defeat a formidable opponent often led to my own death, but this time, I had survived. Jeon Wook then said.

[However, it’s true that your reckless fighting is concerning. Do you realize it was like throwing eggs at a rock?]

[……]

I had no words.

It was a miracle that I could decapitate the Sea God at all, and frankly, I should have consumed all my energy there and died like a bug. I couldn’t shake the thought that I would need to unleash one more Luminary to have a fighting chance against the Sea God.

[Furthermore, you were, for my apostle, pitifully weak. I summoned your soul through the rifts in time and space to converse with you.]

While I was slightly hurt by the comment about being weak, I couldn’t argue, considering the speaker was one of the Three Sovereigns. Jeon Wook might think my struggle was utterly pathetic since he could be stronger than the Sea God himself.

[Um… um… what are the powers of my apostle?]

[That will soon be revealed to you by Ye.]

In that instant, Jeon Wook’s enormous eyes glimmered in the darkness. The pressure was immense, causing my entire body to shiver.

[A great danger will soon befall you. You must return with sufficient power.]

[What do you mean by great danger?]

[It might be even more perilous than defeating the Sea God.]

Since Jeon Wook personally issued a warning, it could not be taken lightly. The status of the Three Sovereigns rivals the [Old Rulers], meaning real danger was present. I felt my earlier joy at defeating the Sea God replace swiftly with anxiety.

‘ Damn, if I don’t get my act together, I’ll end up dead.’

It’s more trouble every time. I should not be celebrating my victory over the Sea God; I must remain vigilant. Suddenly recalling something, I spoke to Jeon Wook.

[Jeon Wook! I’ve found out about Changqie and Peng Zuo’s whereabouts.]

If I conveyed this, the mission to locate Changqie over the past ten years might come to an end!

[Speak.]

[Changqie is on the moon of Dark Heaven Village, and Peng Zuo is in the western British Empire.]

[And?]

[Huh?]

Jeon Wook spoke in a cold tone.

[What I ordered you to do as my apostle was to bring Changqie to me within ten years. Now that you’ve informed me of the locations, are you suggesting I go capture them directly?]

[Uh… no, that’s…]

I was taken aback by the icy response. I thought he asked me to find the whereabouts of Changqie not knowing their location, but it felt as if he was saying the location itself wasn’t significant.

[Oh, and Peng Zuo, although he is your grandson, has crossed to the west and immersed himself in serving the Evil God, even becoming an executive…]

[So what?]

[……]

[I have no intention of meddling in my descendants’ affairs. Moreover, if it’s become a matter of the west, I’d rather not get involved. Just know that if it hinders your mission, you are free to eliminate Peng Zuo.]

The cold order to kill his own descendant aside, does that mean he has no intention of moving even when I told him their location? However, perhaps this is the common mindset of someone referred to as a ‘king.’ Either way, my task to bring Changqie to him still stands.

[Show me a more competent side.]

With a parting comment that felt like a rebuke, Jeon Wook slowly stood up.

[Baek Woong. Enjoy the feast and return to me after you meet Ye.]

[Yes.]

Swish.

Jeon Wook disappeared, leaving behind the sight of ghosts noisily feasting at the banquet, completely absorbed in their meal.

Clatter.

Smack.

I stole a glance at the ghosts, but they merely stared back as if to say, “What are you looking at?” Each one of them possessed immense strength, causing me to swallow hard.

‘ Tch. Should I just eat and go…’

The food at the banquet was indeed delicious, so I decided to eat well by picking up my chopsticks.

Just then.

[You’re being careless. Stop eating and stand up.]

[Huh?]

In front of my table stood Ye. Without a trace, he had appeared there, looking down at me. I protested to Ye.

[Wait a minute. Let me just…]

It’s too delicious; I can’t put down my chopsticks. Ye then replied.

[You may be an apostle, but you are still human. Do you not understand the significance of a spirit coming to eat at the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace Feast?]

[……?]

[For every plate you empty, your physical body in the real world ages ten years. Each drink of alcohol will add five years. This is a phenomenon caused by the immense power of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. If you’ve already overeaten, there’s no helping it, but it’s better to be cautious about aging.]

[Ugh!]

[I came to warn you because the king is not someone who usually gives warnings.]

Ye muttered.

[… perhaps you would prefer to age and abandon your mortal body to grow stronger.]

I was shocked and looked back at what I had eaten. Thankfully, I had been sampling different dishes, so I hadn’t completely emptied a single plate yet and had only drunk one cup of alcohol.

‘ How many years am I aging from this?’

In an instant, a fear arose. What if I returned to reality only to discover I had become an old man? I immediately stood up and followed Ye.

[I’m done eating.]

No matter how delicious, aging is not welcome. Although initially, I felt I could eat ten plates, had I done so, I would have aged a hundred years and turned into one of those old geezers like Eastern Perfection or the Elder Council. I reached a level of spiritual energy that enabled me to fight, but if I wasn’t careful, I could die from aging, so I hesitated.

[Yes.]

I exited the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace following Ye and returned to the entrance of the Sky Gate. As I stepped outside, the dreamlike and mystical scenery unfolded again, with the sun and moon floating on either side.

Ye, who stood beside me, spoke.

[If you wish to return, I can adjust the exit of the Sky Gate to send you back to the present realm.]

I glanced at the Sky Gate and asked.

[What is my current state in reality?]

[Check for yourself later. You are not in a dangerous state, so do not worry.]

[Hmmm…]

[However, you must go out equipped with the power befitting an apostle. Otherwise, it will tarnish the king’s majesty.]

That’s true.

Ye continued.

[The powers granted to you as an apostle are derived from the Sun and Moon Mountain’s Sky Gate. You can infinitely sway the world’s yin and yang and possess the strength to mock the world. As the minister serving the king, I will teach you how to wield that power.]

Thus, my training began.

For quite some time afterward, Ye seemed to teach me something with great enthusiasm.

“……”

But I woke up in the real world feeling drained.

“I don’t remember…”

It felt like I trained diligently for a long time, yet I couldn’t recall anything.

Then, I felt my body suddenly lifted into the void beneath me.

“Whoa?!”

Looking around, the scene was quite familiar. My body floated in midair amidst a universe turned to ruins and chaos, and I was covered in wounds while gripping the Fire Element.

‘ Oh, right!’

Little by little, I remembered Ye’s words. According to Ye, Jeon Wook had stopped time with his powers and brought my spirit to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. Thus, the moment I returned to reality was simultaneous with my summoning to the palace.

Boom!

The enormous head of the Sea God fell to the ground, and a faint quake echoed. The issue was that I couldn’t use martial arts here, and due to the dense magical power, I couldn’t utilize my golden lamp either, making it likely I would take significant damage upon impact.

“Ugh!”

Screech!

I enhanced my body with internal power as I descended, slowing my fall by striking the Sea God’s body with the Fire Element again. During the descent, I glanced at the fiery blade of the monstrous Fire Dragon Sword embedded in his solar plexus.

Without the Fire Dragon Sword, my power would drop dramatically. Although I wanted to retrieve the legendary blade, Jeon Wook’s warning echoed in my mind.

‘ That’s right… Yeodong-bin is sacrificing himself to kill the Sea God. I can’t pull it out.’

Perhaps it was just my feeling?

The Fire Dragon Sword resonated with an increasingly powerful vibration as if to say “Don’t come near me.”

Rumbling!

If I were to extract it, the Sea God would likely regain his divine power and revive in peak condition. Reluctantly, I decided to leave the Fire Dragon Sword where it was.

“Yeodong-bin, I’m sorry.”

Should I say it was a silver lining? Even after expending so much energy to summon the Great Destruction, my body felt perfectly fine, with even a sense of freshness. I didn’t even feel the repercussions of Yeodong-bin or the Fire Dragon Incarnate pulling at my bodily potential, so I was in optimal condition.

‘ … Still used quite a bit of the power of the National Seal. Perhaps about 30% remains.’

In such a short time, if I utilized this much of the power stored in the National Seal, then it must have been a truly fierce battle. I pondered what to do next.

‘ I’d rather not face the Master of the Twelve Joules directly. It’s dangerous right now.’

Confronting him head-on could lead to him launching an attack just to steal my Luminaries. The Master of the Twelve Joules was not someone I could trust at all, and in the current state with the Fire Dragon Incarnate injured and Yeodong-bin missing, I certainly did not want a confrontation.

In that case, returning to the base with Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa was the best course of action. If the Master of the Twelve Joules had something to say, he would send a messenger later. Using the Fire Element for support, I hung suspended and used my intuition to activate Jeon Wook’s powers.

‘ Huh… was it used this way?’

Boom!

I suddenly realized I was at the top of the Sacred Altar Tree. I looked down at the pitch-black night sky, the stars, and the round earth below. I hadn’t anticipated moving here, causing me to panic and once again use my powers intuitively.

“Ah… not this…”

Boom!

This time I arrived at a location with some Western architecture. Upon finding me, Thomas More, who was kneeling in prayer, looked utterly stunned.

[How did you enter when the Black Brotherhood has erected barriers across the entire British Empire?]

It seemed that after my visit, a state of emergency had been declared, and Western sorcerers were trying to barricade against intruders. Stumped, I scratched my head, unsure what to answer.

“No, it’s not that.”

[And your exterior has changed quite drastically…]

Things were not going as planned. I was on the verge of recalling what this power was.

One thing was clear: I could utilize this power not only for ‘movement’ but in all aspects. For some reason, the memories of my training felt faintly present. Why did I forget the memories of my training?

‘ Damn. This isn’t right…’

I again let my intuition guide me and activated my powers.

Boom!

“I did it!”

I finally felt that I was using my abilities correctly.

I had returned to Jangryeong Valley!

And I began searching inside Jangryeong Valley for Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang, not long before I encountered Mangnyang. Mangnyang looked at me in surprise.

“Baek… Woong…?”

I shouted, brimming with excitement.

“Yes, Mangnyang! Do you know what I’ve done? I’ve defeated the Sea God, the [Old Ruler]!”

“……!!”

Noticing the absence of Zhuge Sa, I glanced around.

“Zhuge Sa is missing. Where could he be…”

“… Sorry, but are you really Baek Woong?”

“Huh?”

Mangnyang stared at me wordlessly, then spoke.

“The Baek Woong I know is a boy in his mid-teens. But no matter how I look at you, you’re clearly not a boy.”

“What?”

“Look at your appearance.”

He tossed me a small mirror that had been in his possession. I caught it and, looking at my reflection, was shocked.

“……!!”

A man in his mid-thirties.

That was my current appearance.

‘ I aged because of the banquet at the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace!’

The greater issue was that my looks had worsened with age, making the current visage hard to bear. While I was healthy and youthful, I bore the face of an utter ugly man; it was hard to believe I was the same as my younger self.

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