Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
No doubt about it.
The souls of these Yi tribesfolk here—if they are human—belong to people who were subjects of Wu Zetian during the Tang Dynasty era! For instance, the words shouted by that snake-man who blocked our path just moments ago felt laced with archaic Tang-era language, not some unique Yi dialect but rather a tone blended with human speech.
What I had seen in Yeo Dongbin's flashback surfaced in my mind.
Wu Zetian, who had confronted Yeo Dongbin one-on-one after he infiltrated the imperial palace, had said:
[Shangguan Wana showed me what happens after death. The path where capable souls wander the earth as ghosts to reach the Pantheon... the path to the underworld... And all those outcomes ultimately lead to becoming fodder for the [Ancient Ruler], trapped in an eternal hell of torment.]
[I... originally thought of this Great Tang Empire as my own child... I rooted out corrupt
the earth as ghosts to reach the Pantheon... the path to the underworld... And all those outcomes ultimately lead to becoming fodder for the [Ancient Ruler], trapped in an eternal hell of torment.]
[I... originally thought of this Great Tang Empire as my own child... I rooted out corrupt officials and checked the powerful clans because I believed my child would rule through generations... I reformed the systems to let the people live in peace... I devoted my body and soul entirely to reviving the empire, forsaking my own safety.]
[Thus, I resolved to become a god. With Shangguan Wana's aid, I ascended to Dark Heaven Village as a deity, and I will gather the souls of my subjects living in the present Great Tang Empire to save them from the apocalypse. I've heard that if one becomes a lesser god and establishes their own Demon Pantheon, it is possible to shelter one's kin there.]
[Yeo Dongbin... I seek to become a god to save my people. Am I wrong?]
Wu Zetian's wish was to save at least the souls of her Great Tang Empire's subjects in a world on the brink of apocalypse. To that end, she allied with the Eight Legions yaksha Shangguan Wana to perform mass human sacrifices and summon Yi tribes, ultimately succeeding in the soul ascension rite to claim the Earthly Eight Trigrams Chart and become a god of Dark Heaven Village.
While I had seen up to Wu Zetian's successful soul ascension rite on Mount Tai in Yeo Dongbin's flashback, I knew little of her actions afterward. I vaguely knew she had become a god but had no idea what that entailed.
'...But.'
Did Wu Zetian truly save her Great Tang subjects selflessly?
god but had no idea what that entailed.
'...But.'
Did Wu Zetian truly save her Great Tang subjects selflessly?
By reincarnating their souls in Dark Heaven Village?
I had thought her a figure who pursued immortality under the guise of a noble cause, so this left me confused. To think she had actually established her domain in Dark Heaven Village! That was why I had first stopped her to prevent Shin Gongpyo from massacring the Yi tribesfolk before my eyes.
Shin Gongpyo made no effort to hide her overt displeasure.
[Hmph, yapping on... Why shouldn't I kill these Yi bastards?]
[I told you. They're people from the Tang Dynasty...]
[You consider those things human? You've lost your mind.]
Shin Gongpyo sneered, then suddenly widened her eyes.
Whoooosh!
A massive gust of wind seemed to sweep by, and abruptly time froze as everything before me shifted to black and white. I inwardly recoiled upon recognizing the spell Shin Gongpyo had unleashed out of nowhere.
'T-Time stop!'
And without any incantation or gesture—just sheer will?!
The Eight Legions' Three Great Mages could manipulate time so freely with their sorcery? And these were mere boundary-dwellers, not even full gods—how terrifyingly powerful must the true [Ancient Ruler] be if they wielded such might?
Shin Gongpyo strode forward with heavy steps and stroked the chin of the snake-man in front of her as she spoke.
[Look. This one's flesh is covered in scales, and blue blood flows through its veins. And...]
Splat!!
Shin Gongpyo suddenly thrust her arm into the snake-man's chest. Whether from knowing how to channel my internal energy or not, she pierced through its body like tofu.
Drip...
After rummaging through its innards, Shin Gongpyo withdrew her hand, holding a dark crimson orb like polished jade. She glanced at it and said:
[This is its demon core—the proof that this thing is a pure demon, distinct from ordinary yokai. With something like this inside, you still think they're human? They're merely Yi tribesfolk baptized in chaos.]
I strongly objected to Shin Gongpyo's words.
[I told you!! They possess human souls. If the soul is human, doesn't that make them human regardless of the body!!]
Though I had retreated to my inner world after lending my body to Shin Gongpyo, I could still activate the Fiery Golden Eyes to discern essences. The snake-men definitely had Yi bodies, but the souls trapped within were unmistakably human. Even with the Soul Extraction Art, I could surely draw forth their souls cleanly.
Shin Gongpyo let out a mocking laugh.
[Ridiculous... A human soul as proof? Is that what you really believe?]
[Why? Wrong? Just talk to them and you'll see they're human...]
Hummm!!
At that moment, something pure white floated above Shin Gongpyo's hand. She levitated the white mass in the air and said:
[Isn't this a soul too?]
[Ah...]
I was greatly flustered.
Upon examining the pristine white mass Shin Gongpyo had conjured with my Fiery Golden Eyes, it was indeed a soul! Indistinguishable from a human one—no way could it be called fake. Shin Gongpyo flicked the soul playfully into a nearby tiny insect.
As the soul seeped in, Shin Gongpyo picked up the six-legged, multi-headed armored insect and smirked.
[By your logic, this is human too.]
[......]
Impossible.
Crunch.
While I was at a loss for words, Shin Gongpyo crushed the insect underfoot, causing the soul to leak out again. She then grabbed and burst it. As I fell silent, Shin Gongpyo said:
[Creating artificial souls is advanced sorcery, but not beyond my capabilities. And a soul is merely part of the world's medium—what idiocy to judge humanity by it? Don't you know how easy it is to infuse false memories into an artificial soul?]
[...Kuh! Playing tricks with sorcery doesn't negate a human essence or make it okay to toy with! They understand human lives, think of themselves as human—that makes them human!!]
As I shouted, Shin Gongpyo retorted:
[Spouting petty humanism over a debate settled millennia ago—disgusting.]
[What?]
[My masters, the Supreme Elder Lord and Yuanshi Tianzun, were direct disciples of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, including Fuxi, and pioneers of sorcery. As the first to receive divine transmission of sorcery, do you think great sages like them shared your views?]
[What...]
[They began their research viewing souls as trapped in flesh. They deemed eternity flowing in a false world as imprisoned. They saw the soul as the world's essence. Know what experiment they conducted?]
I was greatly shocked by Shin Gongpyo's following words.
[They created artificial souls to expand the world's medium. To substitute real souls absorbed by the [Ancient Ruler] through human sacrifice with fakes, freeing true souls to live more
they conducted?]
I was greatly shocked by Shin Gongpyo's following words.
[They created artificial souls to expand the world's medium. To substitute real souls absorbed by the [Ancient Ruler] through human sacrifice with fakes, freeing true souls to live more freely, enhancing possibilities for this world's lifeforms, and delaying the apocalypse. To that end, they pooled their sorcery to craft a tool for infinite soul generation.]
[.......!!]
[They also judged that more souls would increase the odds of chaos talents awakening in born humans.]
[I-I've never heard of that.]
[No reason it would be passed down. It was a top-secret experiment known only to me, their direct disciple.]
[So what happened?]
[A colossal failure. Artificial souls couldn't replace real ones or serve as new offerings. Above all, souls are heavily influenced by flesh, and memories can't prove a soul's essence—leading to countless failures and tragedies. They eventually halted the experiments. They could create combat soul vessels like Asuras, but even those were rare cases.]
[Hmm...]
Shin Gongpyo spat out:
[Soul and flesh are complementary. They seem independent at a glance, but soul, flesh, and are organically linked—any discordant being cannot be called human. That's the conclusion from millennia of experiments, so these snake-men before us are Yi tribesfolk, not human!]
[Human souls alone aren't enough for recognition as human? That's why you'll slaughter
[Soul and flesh are complementary. They seem independent at a glance, but soul, flesh, and are organically linked—any discordant being cannot be called human. That's the conclusion from millennia of experiments, so these snake-men before us are Yi tribesfolk, not human!]
[Human souls alone aren't enough for recognition as human? That's why you'll slaughter them?]
[You understand well.]
Hummm.
In the gap of frozen time, Shin Gongpyo drew the Four Treasures Sword once more. If those four talismans activated, this palace of Wu Zetian might collapse entirely. Gritting my teeth, I persuaded Shin Gongpyo.
[Damn it! Think again. Causing a ruckus here gains us nothing. Our goal was the Earthly Eight Trigrams Chart, wasn't it? We can follow them and meet the palace's master, Wu Zetian, first—it's not too late.]
[Perhaps, but clearing out these filthy Yi first would feel satisfying.]
[Refusing to recognize them as human based solely on souls—what arrogant nonsense! If you're set on that, I have my own ideas.]
Rustle...
From my inner world, I slowly began preparations. Sensing things spiraling, I steeled myself coldly.
'If she gets too willful... I'll have no choice but to expel her!'
Her power was essential for exploring Dark Heaven Village, so I'd held back, but if she crossed the line, I'd drive her out even at the cost of death!
As I gradually fell silent, Shin Gongpyo seemed to sense something amiss and offered an
Her power was essential for exploring Dark Heaven Village, so I'd held back, but if she crossed the line, I'd drive her out even at the cost of death!
As I gradually fell silent, Shin Gongpyo seemed to sense something amiss and offered an excuse-like explanation.
[Listen well. You think these with human souls can understand human lives and coexist with humans despite Yi bodies... But as I said, flesh and soul are complementary.]
[What are you getting at?]
[How many years ago was Wu Zetian's soul ascension rite?]
[About a millennium.]
[What are the odds these Yi-bodied denizens of Dark Heaven Village have retained human minds over a thousand years? Don't you know how fragile the human spirit is?]
[.......!!]
[It's dozens of times more likely they're Yi tribesfolk merely toying with human memories. Their Yi flesh has probably eroded their personalities, transforming them into new Yi.]
Zhuangzi's Dream!
The phrase that sprang to mind upon hearing Shin Gongpyo.
'Is it a man dreaming he's a butterfly... or a butterfly dreaming it's a man... Impossible to judge!'
Having long handled memories via the black obsidian, I well understood that uncertainty and instability. Memories sometimes blend or confuse, profoundly affecting personality and judgment. Over a millennium? The influence would be immense. Shin Gongpyo's argument carried great weight, leaving me unusually silent.
She had a point.
I'd seen countless Yi who understood human speech and culture. Unlike lowly ones, higher Yi were often several times smarter than humans.
Yet I disliked massacring them on mere suspicion. Desperate, I made a final plea to Shin Gongpyo.
[Please, just hear me out once! This place isn't just Wu Zetian's. It's protected by deities far mightier than her.]
[I anticipated that. But killing a few bugs won't enrage the [Ancient Ruler]. I can negotiate with it too.]
[How would you know?]
[The Tongcheon Lord doesn't know the [Ancient Ruler]'s temperament?]
Shin Gongpyo replied as if long accustomed to such scenarios. As an ancient figure and celestial leader, she clearly knew and had experience with the [Ancient Ruler].
[Still, please...]
[......]
After a brief silence, Shin Gongpyo irritably said:
[...Damn ugly bastard! Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Fine, I'll pass quietly as you say.]
[Really?!]
[I'll decide after meeting that Wu Zetian or whatever.]
I persuaded Shin Gongpyo!
Soon, I sensed her restore the snake-man whose heart she had ripped out, then immediately fly toward the palace's highest point. In the vast palace of hundreds of stories, she seemed to know exactly her destination.
Whoooosh.
I realized her incredible speed stemmed from some sorcery. Without using my Ruyi Jingu Bang or lightness skill, she outpaced them. I deduced she knew precisely where Wu Zetian was.
'Did she figure it all out with the Tongcheon Roar at the start?'
Flash.
Soon, Shin Gongpyo reached the palace's topmost layer—the pinnacle of its hundreds of tower-like stories. She aimed the Four Treasures Sword at the grand throne and declared:
[Are you this palace's master?]
Rumble...
Shin Gongpyo's time-stop sorcery still held. The world remained in black and white, guards near the throne frozen solid. Yet the one seated on the throne gazed straight at Shin Gongpyo, unaffected.
As a lesser deity, it was immune to time-stop without any countermeasures. Moreover, the immense demonic power emanating from that bizarre form far surpassed the transcendent
Shin Gongpyo's time-stop sorcery still held. The world remained in black and white, guards near the throne frozen solid. Yet the one seated on the throne gazed straight at Shin Gongpyo, unaffected.
As a lesser deity, it was immune to time-stop without any countermeasures. Moreover, the immense demonic power emanating from that bizarre form far surpassed the transcendent realm—I knew it instantly.
The throne's occupant towered over ten feet, with elongated limbs and a body like sculpted crystal and diamond—an utterly alien entity. Though not lifelike, its feminine silhouette amplified the grotesqueness. Its eyes gleamed with starlight, orange flames burning within.
Clad in ancient imperial robes, the being replied to Shin Gongpyo.
[The supreme talisman sword of the Absolute Sect, the Four Treasures Sword... So the legendary Tongcheon Lord has come to my kingdom.]
[You know me?]
[Though borrowing a human body, you are Shin Gongpyo, sealed by the Supreme Elder Lord. Your purpose doesn't seem benevolent, but...]
The being reclined further on its throne and continued:
[Rest easy regardless. I permit it.]
Wu Zetian.
The being reincarnated as a lesser deity ruling Dark Heaven Village's kingdom stood before us.
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