913——————==

True Martial Home

The Hat Warrior was rummaging through the room and looked set to leave after about an hour. But it seemed like he didn’t know the room had its rules; he casually stepped on a pressure plate. If he walked in a straight line, the trap wouldn’t activate, but his aimless shuffling had already triggered it.

‘Huh?’

Kukwack!

At that moment, the trap that stopped time was activated! The Hat Warrior froze in place, unable to move, and right then, gravity multiplied thousands of times, while waves of deadly poison surged in. Even I thought that if anyone got caught in that, dying was the only option.

As time resumed, I heard his startled voice.

“Gah.”

Kugugugung!

The Hat Warrior was swept away by the tide of poison. A moment later, his hat flew into the air before dropping down.

“…”

W-what, is he dead?

That monster died so easily?

I thought he might dodge or block it at the last second, but nope, he looked like he died without a struggle. From what I could see, the poison had completely dissolved flesh, blood, and bones. He likely didn’t feel much pain since it all happened in an instant, but it was still a gruesome end. I took a moment to assess the situation and then quickly jumped out to retrieve his hat.

“Ha!”

This is his clue! I need to analyze it at any cost!

But the moment I reached out to grab it, with a flash, the hat disappeared. It had been floating above the poison, unaffected, yet I failed to snatch it.

“… Tsk.”

Did I fail to uncover his identity?

Sighing, I struggled to understand what the situation was. Could it be that a guy who had casually taken down countless monsters in the Underworld was defeated by a simple trap?

Of course, this was no ordinary trap for the Wheel King. If time paused and then a wave of poison hit along with thousands of times gravity, not even an expert could survive. Nonetheless, given all the trouble he caused me, his easy demise was disappointing.

‘What to make of it… It feels oddly familiar. Like he was clumsy compared to his power…’

I thought that, but promptly shoved it aside as nonsense. There was no way such a monstrous person could have been clumsy enough to die! Shaking my head, I contacted Mangnyang to report the situation.

[Mangnyang, he’s dead.]

[… ?]

Mangnyang seemed just as baffled, but after explaining, he spoke.

[I can’t be sure he’s dead. Did you use the Soul Exchange Technique to detect his spirit?]

[Yes. I confirmed it with Fire Eye Golden Spirit too. He’s definitely dead.]

[If he was swept away by the tide of poison, we won’t be able to find a body… Well, come back for now.]

Pahat!

Moments later, I stood before Mangnyang in the current world. Mangnyang used the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan to invoke the Blessing of the Sky and summoned me from the Underworld. He looked a bit pale but spoke to me.

“You’re back, Baek Woong.”

“Now we have two days left, right?”

“Indeed. Our next destination is Golden Crow Island… cough cough!!”

Suddenly, Mangnyang coughed and spat blood. I hurried to support him and asked,

“Are you okay?”

“Um… I think I might die in a few days. My limits are near.”

His voice was disturbingly calm.

“Don’t say that.”

“There’s no need to worry. My death is already predetermined, so I’ve arranged a backup plan.”

“Predetermined?”

I was flabbergasted by Mangnyang’s words.

“You, as you know, the Blessing of the Sky is the strongest blessing, akin to Absolute Supremacy in heaven and earth. I’ve used that power too much and have now reached my limit. Death is unavoidable, so I’ve decided on my successor.”

“……!!”

“Of course, it will be a Priest, as he is the only one qualified.”

I had no idea what to say. If Mangnyang was saying things like that, then there was no way I could save him now. Suddenly, an idea struck me.

“The Soul Exchange Technique! If we extract your spirit and implant it into a doll, you could continue living!”

“My uncle wouldn’t step in, and it’s impossible even with a Soul Exchange at the pinnacle. Even using the Portrait Immortal would be pointless.”

“W-why?”

“My impending death means I’ve overused the Law of Cause and Effect and Soul Power, draining my very existence. Even if I moved my depleted soul into an artificial body, it would die within a day.”

“……”

“Baek Woong. I’m asking you. Please pass the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan to the Priest when I’m gone.”

Mangnyang slowly extended the handle of the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan toward me. I stared at the artifact blankly and replied,

“The Master is said to be omnipotent, yet he can’t even save you.”

“The Master isn’t truly omnipotent. He’s just one of the closest beings to omnipotence. And asking him to tip the balance to save me would only be an imposition on my part.”

“In the end, even a disciple like you thinks of me as mere vermin?”

“As if I could argue against that. There’s a vast difference, really…”

“Ugh.”

Frustration washed over me. If Mangnyang was even saying this, it was clear there was nothing I could do anymore. I had witnessed Mangnyang’s deaths time and again, but contemplating it again filled me with sadness and despair.

How long?

How long must I sit back and watch my friends die?

Even though I felt much stronger now, was it still not enough to oppose the gods?

But unlike before, I didn’t have the fiery anger inside me, just the stagnant emotions of sadness and regret felt like shackles tying down my heart. My thoughts replayed, realizing it was a pointless expenditure of emotions.

Perhaps these were changes from many lifetimes. I silently looked at Mangnyang, trying to muster a smile.

[Just try to smile once.]

I remembered Zhuge Sa’s words.

“……”

But my lips wouldn’t budge. It wasn’t just visible emotion; I felt genuinely down. How could I smile in such a damned situation? I should have been able to, yet here I was, incapable.

Ah, it’s torture.

It feels like my mind is shrouded in fog.

‘I can’t smile. Damn it…’

Is this what life is?

To overcome this gloom… what kind of power do I need to obtain?

As I stared blankly, Mangnyang spoke again.

“Once we obtain the treasure from Golden Crow Island, we’ll conclude by getting the Dharma Technique hidden in the White Lotus Sect’s altar. It might not be possible in two days, but let’s give it a go.”

“… Understood. The treasure from Golden Crow Island… you mean the egg?”

I responded, recalling my memory.

The treasure from Golden Crow Island.

That surely referred to the mysterious egg that Jin So-cheong randomly found when we attacked Golden Crow Island before. I had no idea what that egg was, but the Prophet had become excited and offered a significant price for it upon seeing it. It must be something precious for Mangnyang to want it.

“Right.”

“But the Ten Heavenly Generals of Golden Crow Island are probably still lingering around there, so getting it won’t be easy.”

That’s the hurdle.

Golden Crow Island itself was heavily sealed with powerful spells, making it hard to enter the otherworldly realm. Moreover, the egg was located deep within the island, which made infiltration very challenging. It was clearly a place protected by all sorts of magical barriers and traps. Though I wasn’t worried back then when I just bulldozed through, I wasn’t certain we had the strength to confront the Ten Heavenly Generals now.

Mangnyang then spoke.

“That’s why we set the route for this treasure acquisition. The order we get the treasures significantly changes the difficulty.”

“Huh?”

“Think hard about the powers of the Yellow Springs Cloak.”

Suddenly, I recalled Mangnyang’s memories and gasped.

“Ah…!!”

“Looks like you figured it out.”

“So, it means we can acquire it easily.”

“Getting into Golden Crow Island is the challenge, but I can help with that… ugh. cough!!”

Mangnyang suddenly coughed up blood again and appeared even paler. This cough looked serious; it seemed he momentarily lost consciousness. Yet, with his last strength, he shouted.

“Use Primordial Void to pinpoint the location, then infiltrate the fortress!”

“Got it!”

“Make sure to… bring it back!”

Pahat!!

Soon after, I used Primordial Void and, powered by the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan, ignored the dimensional barriers to arrive deep within Golden Crow Island, inside the stronghold of the Ten Heavenly Generals. As I arrived, I wielded the Yellow Springs Cloak and chanted the command.

“Yellow Springs Cloak, wrap around me!”

Swish!!

The moment the Yellow Springs Cloak enveloped me, the Monster Sage Dong Tian-Jun suddenly appeared nearby after a couple of breaths. Dong Tian-Jun looked around, muttering.

[Hmmm… what’s this… I could’ve sworn I sensed a human presence, but it just vanished!]

“……”

[Hey, Yuan Tian-Jun! You seemed to be here. Did you see anyone?]

When Dong Tian-Jun spoke to me, I casually replied.

“Nope, saw nothing.”

[Really didn’t see anyone? With my clairvoyance, I swear I saw an ugly human… and it was such an eyesore, there’s no way I was wrong!]

“… Ugly, you say?”

[Yeah!! I’ve never seen such an ugly little human before!]

I grit my teeth as I answered.

“Cough… huh, I guess I’m ugly then… But you seem to have developed quite an interest in humans’ aesthetic standards during my absence!!”

[Hehe… what are you saying? I’ve been around the human world long enough to know the basics. Anyway, you went invisible, but I’m going to hunt you down!]

“Of course…”

Hu Woong

Dong Tian-Jun used his spell and disappeared again. I realized the Yellow Springs Cloak wrapped around me didn’t hinder any movement and murmured.

“This is truly an amazing treasure…”

The Yellow Springs Cloak, originally offered for the supreme existence in the Underworld, the Wheel King’s secret operations, was made by the best weaver in the Underworld. It was created to monitor whether the Hell King did his job well!

It naturally contained tremendous abilities.

Whoever draped it would not be suspected by anyone, appearing as a familiar ally. Moreover, the discomfort would be so minuscule that no one could detect anything. Even the very top of the Monster Sage hierarchy, the Ten Heavenly Generals, could be fooled without a hitch!

I did think about using the Yellow Springs Cloak to escape from the Hat Warrior, but it felt too risky to attempt. If the Hat Warrior was someone who didn’t trust a soul and viewed everyone as an enemy, it was clear he’d slice through the cloak’s ruse. However, since this was the stronghold of the Ten Heavenly Generals, and they recognized each other, I felt safe to try out the Yellow Springs Cloak.

‘Now I can wander inside the fortress without raising suspicions.’

In a way, the Yellow Springs Cloak could be considered an upgraded version of my disguise ability. While I couldn’t borrow the abilities of the being I borrowed the appearance from, my masks would never be able to fool a figure like a Ten Heavenly General.

‘If I had posed as a Ten Heavenly General with my mask, I would’ve been found out immediately and attacked…’

In terms of simple transformation and deception, the Yellow Springs Cloak far exceeded my skills. I once again felt glad to have obtained the Yellow Springs Cloak as I headed toward the spot I had checked earlier using Primordial Void.

Squelch squelch

As I walked, I suddenly froze when I spotted the Golden Light Saint. She looked at me intently and asked.

[What brings you here, Yuan Tian-Jun?]

“I was looking for a… ugly human that Dong Tian-Jun mentioned. I was just investigating.”

[Is that so… then I’ll look for it, so you should head back.]

“Huh?”

[This is a place you can’t just invade. You know this is my area, right?]

“Of course I know…”

Oh no, things just got complicated.

While I wasn’t suspected as a companion, it seemed there were areas in Golden Crow Island that even the Ten Heavenly Generals couldn’t enter.

“Tsk… The egg is definitely in there…”

Should I force my way through now that I’ve come this far?

As I hesitated, I reached out to Mangnyang through Suspicious Fishhook.

[Mangnyang, I’ve hit a snag.]

There was no reply. I felt something was wrong and called again.

[Mangnyang, do you hear me?]

After a moment, instead of Mangnyang’s voice, another voice came through the Suspicious Fishhook.

[Baek Woong. Give up on the egg and come back.]

[… Zhuge Yulong?]

It seemed I was receiving a message through the Suspicious Fishhook instead.

[Correct. It’s unfortunate, but we currently can’t provide any more support. Something urgent has come up, so hurry back. If you push it too far and die, it’d be a big problem.]

[What do you mean? I came all this way using Mangnyang’s Blessing of the Sky…!]

[……]

As Zhuge Yulong continued, I froze in my spot.

[Mangnyang just died…]