Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
Kagang!
As soon as I drew the Immortal Sword, I immediately sensed Yeo Dongbin's secret technique, the Moon Palace Throwing Realm. Thanks to that, Gonggong's sword wasn't so fast that I couldn't even defend against it, but while clashing with Gonggong for three exchanges, my arms went numb, feeling like they might snap off.
'What... what is this power?'
Monstrous strength!
Pure power dozens of times greater than the muscle strength I gained by reinforcing my body with internal energy dwelled in Gonggong's massive sword. Because of that, I couldn't even dream of counterattacking and was merely deflecting with Flower Realm techniques, pushed into a defensive position. All the experts I'd faced until now had relied on qi and intent, but Gonggong possessed the potential to overwhelm even absolute experts with nothing but raw physical strength.
Suddenly, Gonggong roared like a lion.
[Haah!]
Kagung!
[Are you trying to mock me? Cut the nonsense and fight properly!]
"Wha... what do you mean? When did I ever use any nonsense?"
[Do you think you can toy with me by pretending to be human and using martial arts, you descendant of the Ominous God?]
Flames of fury burst from Gonggong's eyes.
[Return to your true form! Even if you become your true self, I will cleave that chaotic body of yours in two.]
"...I am human, though..."
[......]
Silence fell over the chamber.
Gonggong's pitch-black eyes widened as he bellowed in rage.
[What is a human doing in a place like this!]
"Ah, that is..."
[I don't want to hear it! Get lost!]
"......"
He asks and then says what?
I realized Gonggong was in a state brimming with irritation, no matter what. Provoking him rashly or trying to fight would spell disaster. Gauging his mood, I quietly continued.
"The balance of yin and yang in this world is broken, with yin energy overwhelmingly strong, yet the fire energy emanating from you, Gonggong, feels even more powerful."
Gonggong's body was originally that of a giant, but it had shrunk to the size of a tall human, and the flames blazing around him now erupted even more fiercely, like blazing fire itself. At my words, Gonggong flinched momentarily before replying.
[What do you mean?]
"According to ancient myths, you were originally the God of Water, so shouldn't your flame power weaken as yin energy strengthens? That's why I find it strange."
[...It seems you're truly human. The Ominous God's minions wouldn't know my circumstances so well.]
Gonggong, letting out a groan, responded to my words.
[Human. Did you come here aiming for the Fire Luminary?]
"To be honest, yes."
[Then there's nothing more to discuss. Get out...]
Of course, if I shut my mouth here and leave, I might be safe, but I'd gain nothing. A premonition told me I might die here at Gonggong's hands, but I gritted my teeth and decided to speak.
"Gonggong! I intend to obtain the Fire Luminary and the other Seven Luminaries to eliminate the Ominous God."
If I just saved my own skin pathetically and ended up with nothing, I'd feel too sorry toward Jin So-cheong. For the resolve of Jin So-cheong, who waited fifty years for me, I'd risk crossing this dangerous bridge now.
[......]
Gonggong looked at me with eyes of utter disbelief, but I pressed on.
"Not long ago, we humans united our strength and defeated the Nine Yin Cult Leader, who wielded the Ominous God's power by proxy. With the Seven Luminaries' power, we can seize the chance to drive out the Ominous God."
[Kuhahaha...!!]
Gonggong burst into mad laughter. Then, with a mocking smile as if watching a child up to no good, he said.
[I see. So a mere human, arrogant after toppling one of the Ominous God's toys, came all the way here for the Seven Luminaries' seals. But spare me the nonsense and get out now.]
"What are you talking about? You know the power of the Seven Luminaries better than anyone. If we gather them and resonate their power, we can..."
[You really know nothing. What the Seven Luminaries truly are...]
Gonggong snapped irritably.
[The Seven Luminaries are the key to annihilation. They are unparalleled divine relics of immense power, but using them to defeat a god is putting the cart before the horse. And that thing you defeated is just one of the Ominous God's toys—its true power is hundreds of times greater.]
"......"
[You seem like a decent hero among humans, but interfere with my business, and you'll die.]
Killing intent began to gather in Gonggong's tone. Until now, it had been like watching a spectacle and chuckling, but now he was getting annoyed enough to consider killing me. I hadn't thought Gonggong had gone all out yet, so I swallowed hard.
'What should I do? How can I persuade Gonggong...'
A different thought suddenly struck me.
Why was Gonggong here?
Why was he guarding the Fire Luminary like it was wrapped in his protection?
Was it really just because he was the 'Guardian of the Fire Luminary'?
[......!!]
The inspiration flashing through my mind like lightning made my body tremble for a moment. Trusting my reincarnator's intuition, I cautiously spoke.
"Are you here as the [Guardian of the Fire Luminary], Gonggong, or..."
At my following words, Gonggong's eyes shook violently.
"...as a god of the Giant Race?"
[...What do you mean?]
An ominous aura emanated, but thinking of Jin So-cheong's death, I didn't back down and continued.
"I know you're protecting the Fire Luminary against your will. The guardians of the Seven Luminaries were originally demon kings and gods of various regions, demoted to guardians because of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors... So, with the Fire Luminary's barrier broken and yin-yang inverted, strengthening your power, there's no need to guard it anymore, right? The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' constraints and influence are weakening by the day."
[......]
"No matter how I look at it, you don't seem bound to this place. No... you're guarding it like it's your own."
[I don't understand what you're getting at.]
Staring piercingly at Gonggong, I said.
"I'm wondering if you're pretending to guard the Fire Luminary obediently until the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' influence completely fades and the Ominous God overturns the Heavenly Realm, fully freeing you—planning to smuggle the Fire Luminary to the Giant Race later?"
[......!!]
"It's just my guess, so don't get too angry."
I'd blurted it out.
I tried to backpedal, but I'd already provoked him as much as possible. Still, I didn't regret my action. In this chaotic situation where nothing was certain, the only thing I could trust was following my intuition.
Tense silence flowed for a moment, and finally, Gonggong spoke.
[Hero of the human race, what is your name?]
"Baek Woong."
[You don't seem like a fool manipulated by the Heavenly Realm's puppets... Interesting.]
Those words were as good as Gonggong admitting my guess.
As I stared at him intently, Gonggong continued.
[What you said is mostly correct. The laws of causality on earth have already collapsed greatly, so the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' constraints might as well be gone, and I no longer need to guard the Fire Luminary. It's been over fifty years already.]
As he said, that meant the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' influence had plummeted sharply when the Ominous God wreaked havoc in Luoyang. As I recalled Gonggong's words, he spoke.
[But though I could leave this place, I chose to guard the Fire Luminary. Because, as you said, this Fire Luminary is an incredibly precious item I wanted to use for my race.]
"That doesn't make sense. Why not just take it and run?"
[Kuhuhu... The Ominous God covets the Seven Luminaries too. No matter where in this world I take it, its minions will pursue us endlessly. Better to use this barrier to protect it as long as possible than bring danger to my race's stronghold.]
"I see."
[You know unusually well about the Seven Luminaries and the gods' secrets for a human. You could probably find the locations of the other Seven Luminaries too.]
Muttering that, Gonggong said.
[Baek Woong. Will you join hands with me?]
"Join hands?"
[My conditions are two. Tell me all the information and locations of the Seven Luminaries you know, and find a way to completely break the curse binding me. If you do, I'll give you the Fire Luminary.]
"Hmm..."
[Once the seal is broken, I plan to leave this place and seek the other Seven Luminaries. Let's combine our strength and share them.]
The first condition was simple. Just tell him what I knew.
But the second—breaking the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' curse—was absurdly difficult. Frowning, I replied.
"I'm not sure what the curse binding you is. Please explain in detail."
[The final curse demoting me from Water Giant God to guardian and binding me is this flame. It's also the clever binding Zhurong placed under duress.]
Hwaruruk!!
Suddenly, Gonggong's body erupted in massive flames. The blaze held terrifying firepower comparable to Han Baek-ryeong at full power, layers of fire soaring toward the sky before subsiding. With a pained expression, Gonggong continued.
[Eliminate this flame that Zhurong placed with his divine power at Celestial Lord's command!! Without it, I can recover my strength and challenge that bastard Celestial Lord again.]
I questioned him.
"Zhurong? Do you mean Zhurong as one of the Giant Gods?"
[Kuhuhu... Huhuhuhu! Zhurong, the traitor of our race! He wields the second-highest authority after Celestial Lord in the Myriad Ghosts War, and ultimately made us lose at Pangea. If not for him... Even after Chiyou fell, we could have fought more...]
"......"
[I was born with the power of illusory flames, but Zhurong's is the flame of chaos! Its nature differs from mine, sealing my power for eons.]
Crying out bitterly, Gonggong said.
[I swear on my name. I'll keep the promise I just made! Find the method to dispel it.]
"...Understood."
[Hand over the Seven Luminaries information now too.]
"Of course."
Sighing, I said.
"Then, before that, can you grant my request?"
[What is it?]
"I must awaken the Fire Dragon True Person slumbering in the Fire Dragon Divine Sword. Please allow him to absorb the fire energy of the Fire Luminary condensed in the Sword God for thousands of years."
[That much...]
Wuuuuung
Finally, I pressed the Fire Dragon Divine Sword against the Fire Luminary to absorb its fire energy. A scorching heat poured into the sword, and I felt the Fire Dragon True Person's power stirring within.
I informed Gonggong of the locations and details of the Seven Luminaries. He pondered deeply, committing the information to memory, and I asked if I could take the Dragon Flower Water.
[Take the Dragon Flower Water. It's useless to me.]
I nodded and dug up the nearby Dragon Flower Water, storing it in my gourd.
"I'll return soon."
Paat!
With business done, I returned to base and relayed what happened to Jegal-sa and Mang-ryang via black obsidian. Mang-ryang, who had been listening, said.
"Well done, Baek Woong. A very astute judgment."
"Kekeke."
Jegal-sa, seemingly displeased, smirked maliciously and muttered.
"It would've been fun if Gonggong had smashed you into one hit."
"Don't say that."
My hands trembled.
"Gonggong wasn't even at full power. If we'd fought seriously, I'd have died before using Peerless Dragon."
Back there, I'd staked my life on words, but I had a hunch I'd lose in a real fight against Gonggong. No matter how strong Immortal Swordsmanship was, his current power felt beyond typical demon king level.
It had to be that way. Gonggong was originally a ancient deity who fought Celestial Lord on equal terms, and his seal was gradually breaking. No human could handle such a being.
Yet, thanks to Immortal Swordsmanship, I felt like I could roughly gauge the power of such transcendent beings now.
'Is it because I gained Yeo Dongbin's senses...'
As I stared at my hand vacantIy, Mang-ryang said.
"Then, to break Gonggong's curse, this divine being Zhurong is key. From what I know, Zhurong was originally a subordinate and descendant of Flame Emperor Shennong, but later vanished—a fire god from legends. I've heard there are minority tribes in the Central Plains south who worship Zhurong as a god."
"What's his relation to the Zhurong Tribe?"
"Naturally, Zhurong is likely their ancestor, so deep ties. We need to investigate that now. But the Seer has probably escaped this planet back to their homeworld..."
After a moment's thought, Mang-ryang said.
"Baek Woong. Go to the Tower of No Window and contact the Zhurong Tribe. That's our only option now."
Paat!
I went to the Tower of No Window on the southern continent. But at the location I'd visited before, nothing was there. It was empty, like a barren plain that had always been so.
'Damn. Did they follow the Seer and leave this world?'
The Zhurong Tribe, the Seer's race, possessed immense technology and power as an alien species, so leaving dimensions or planets was trivial. Rather than stay in this world where the Ominous God rampaged with causality, fleeing made sense.
Reporting the situation to Mang-ryang via messenger pearl, he replied.
[Not so. No matter how dangerous, they wouldn't leave so easily—search other places more.]
[Do you have reason for that certainty?]
[The Central Plains were always dangerous. An ancient battlefield where the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and the [Old Rulers] rampaged, yet the Zhurong Tribe stayed until the end. There must be a reason. Perhaps they too want to confirm what [the Revelation] is.]
[......!!]
[They have reason to stay in this world. Not everyone would flee. At least librarians or scouts left behind—search well, and you'll find them.]
Mang-ryang's words made sense. The tribal [king], the Seer, would evacuate, but not all underlings. Steel myselfing, I headed to the Giant Race ruins where I'd previously negotiated with the Zhurong Tribe.
Paat!
Kugugugu
The Tower of No Window near the Giant ruins where I'd come to negotiate with the Zhurong Tribe before! Landing nearby, the tower was gone as expected. Fortunately, the Giant ruins remained intact in plain view.
'They couldn't move those ruins too, I suppose.'
Or deemed no need to guard them.
Staring straight at the Giant ruins guarded by the Zhurong Tribe, I took a deep breath.
"Here goes."
Clues to the Zhurong Tribe would be inside those ruins.
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