A clear breeze that washed away the worries of the mortal world was blowing near the pavilion, whose pillars were carved from thousand-year-old juniper trees.
On the pavilion’s wooden veranda sat a woman gazing at the night sky, which looked as if silver powder had been scattered across it. Her skin was pure white without a single flaw, and her long black hair was loosely let down, fluttering in the night wind. Her appearance was like that of a celestial fairy descending from the heavens.
Despite her dazzling beauty, her eyes were deep and dark, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
She was none other than the saintess, Manwol.
Tap.
At that moment, a woman wearing bright red clothes as splendid as the sun descended in front of the pavilion.
She was Jeong Yeong, the person tasked with guarding the main family’s shrine maiden, Manwol.
“Dan Yagong has sent word that the Ice Jade Coffin has been completed.”
At Jeong Yeong’s words, Manwol gazed at the distant sky and spoke.
“Then please go meet him and deliver this message.”
Her gaze was fixed on a single sparkling star.
“Ask him to keep it in the safest place in the world.”
“Really… is there truly no other way?”
When Jeong Yeong’s eyes welled up with tears, Manwol shook her head and gave a faint smile.
“This is the only path that can save the world.”
Then she spoke even more softly.
“Please convey it to him.”
“Understood.”
The woman in red wiped her wet tears and nodded.
“I will go meet the Martial Soul Command Lord.”
***
Bu Eunseol returned to Majeon.
This was because he had received word from the Peongan Corps that Ak Muryeong had completely healed Sa Woo’s body.
‘The Lord has been making constant efforts as well.’
Ak Muryeong had known that Sa Woo was suppressing the collapse of his soul and had not returned to Nangyang Pavilion, instead focusing on rebuilding Mokka Village. Afterward, he had passed on techniques to absorb the earth’s energy to buy time and had been searching in every possible way for a method to restore Sa Woo’s soul.
However, because Pamyeong’s Return Soul Grand Technique was one of the True Demon’s secret arts and completely deviated from the common sense of martial learning, even Ak Muryeong could not easily resolve it.
But when Bu Eunseol pierced three of the acupoints with the Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse, Ak Muryeong had opened the remaining one and instantly returned Sa Woo’s body to normal.
‘Does the Lord not know the whereabouts of the Earth Divine Energy?’
If the Earth Divine Energy had been added to the Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse, he could have saved Sa Woo in one go. A deep sense of regret washed over him.
‘No, if he had known, he would have told me.’
The person who best understood Bu Eunseol’s heart in the current martial world was Yoo Unryong. On the other hand, Ak Muryeong saw straight through Bu Eunseol’s physical condition. He would not have been unaware that what Bu Eunseol lacked was the Earth Divine Energy. If he had known its location, even if he did not say it directly due to his personality, he would have found some indirect way to inform him.
‘Let’s head to the Martial Soul Society.’
After handling the overdue work at Majeon, he immediately set off for the Martial Soul Society.
This was because Yoo Unryong had sent him the following message:
—News has come from the Martial Soul Society that the Absolute Domain Project, one of the great undertakings currently in progress, has nearly reached its completion stage.
The Martial Soul Society had continued to grow and had now reached a level where it could proudly call itself the most solid fortress in the world. Moreover, having been recognized by the Sacred Domain as a sanctuary, it was safe even from attacks by the abyss forces.
Nevertheless, Bu Eunseol did not feel at ease.
‘The Sacred Domain’s recognition could be revoked at any time.’
The Martial Soul Society was home to people who must be protected at all costs. Even if he himself were to die, he needed to create numerous safety measures—including people who could carry on his will—so that those precious individuals could remain safe.
‘After all, I do not know when I might die either.’
The tasks he had to carry out from now on were extremely dangerous, and he could not guarantee his life. He was devising various methods to ensure the safety of the people in the Martial Soul Society.
‘Before long, the Martial Soul Society will become the final bastion of the martial world.’
The current martial world was gradually seeing the boundary between the righteous and demonic factions blur. The moment of the martial world’s collapse would soon arrive.
The members of the Death Shadow Corps in Majeon, the family of Azure Heaven Alliance including the Four Great Corps, precious people from the Eight Great Families such as Tang Gon and Namgung Un, numerous foreign factions like the Azure Cloud Sea Palace, North Sea Ice Palace, Yeolha Holy Palace, and Divine Beast Palace, and all the precious connections he knew—he was creating a space that no one could invade in order to protect them all.
That was the plan known as the Absolute Domain Project.
One part of the plan that had been secretly carried out until now had finally reached the verge of completion.
***
It was a mountain shaped like a sleeping dragon stirring.
The peaks that seemed to pierce the sky were submerged in a sea of clouds, revealing only their blue summits. The mist that rose morning and evening wrapped around the mountain’s waist like thin silk before scattering with a single gust of wind, fluttering like the hem of an immortal’s robe.
In the heart of the deep mountains, untouched by the dust and turmoil of the world, there stood the residence of a sage.
It was called Xuanyao Pavilion.
Time in the Xuanyao Pavilion was first revealed through color.
In spring, soft pink mountain cherry blossoms adorned the valleys. In summer, the mountain breathed with the vitality of lush greenery. In autumn, burning maple leaves blended with the evening glow to create a scenic wonder. In winter, pure white snow that swallowed all sound in the world piled thickly on every pine branch, displaying the elegant posture of a crane.
Crunch. Crunch.
A human figure walked along a winding path as twisted as old tree roots.
He wore a blue silk headband and a crane robe as white as clouds. Every time he leisurely fanned himself with the white feather fan in his hand, his deep and clear eyes seemed to pierce a thousand li ahead.
His bearing resembled a towering pine tree, and his grace was like that of an immortal.
He was Chu So, the Heavenly Mechanism Star said to possess the greatest wisdom in the world, and he was the master of the Xuanyao Pavilion.
Beep. Beep.
Along the path, green moss covered the rocks like a carpet, and nameless wildflowers shyly peeked out their heads. The surroundings were filled with the clear chirping of birds, the sound of wind brushing through bamboo, and the faint roar of a distant waterfall, adding to the tranquil charm.
The place he finally arrived at was an old hermitage.
Sitting on the small rear veranda in front of the hermitage, one could see jade-colored valley water flowing far below a thousand-zhang cliff, with layer upon layer of mountain ranges stretching endlessly beyond the horizon.
In one corner of the courtyard stood a plum tree that must have been over a hundred years old, its branches twisting like a dragon’s roar. On a small rock beside it, a half-drunk teacup was placed simply.
Time flowed slowly here.
The movement of the sun and moon was the only clock, and the changes of the four seasons were the calendar. The rights and wrongs, honors and disgraces of the mortal world could not penetrate the mist surrounding the mountain. Only the clear fragrance of tea, the scent of ink, and the refreshing sound of pine winds filled the space.
“It has gone awry again.”
Gazing at the distant sky, Chu So murmured softly and shook his head.
“I simply cannot understand it.”
The heavenly secrets were originally like the natural flow, difficult to change with human power. Yet every time he read the heavenly secrets, the flow twisted as if waiting for him.
“It was a fate that should have died.”
The person was someone who would interfere with his great undertaking and should have perished according to the natural order.
As if to prove it, a star that had been losing its light and fading away had suddenly regained its brilliant glow.
“The heavens, in the end…”
Chu So gazed at the distant sky and repeated to himself.
“Are they unwilling to permit my great undertaking?”
In the martial world, there were occasionally beings who deviated from the flow of heavenly secrets. There was the Wood Buddha, who could be called fate itself, and the Demon Emperor, who defied the will of heaven with his mysterious martial arts. But separate from them were those whose actions could not be predicted despite perfect preparation, or who produced results that could not be understood at all.
The Martial Soul Command Lord Bu Eunseol.
The Sword King Seon Woojin.
The Martial Soul Society Lord Seolso.
Although these three did not possess the caliber to influence the heavenly secrets, every time they appeared, all plans went awry.
Feeling the strangeness, Chu So had thoroughly investigated their tracks but found no special points. If there was any common feature, it was only that their martial prowess was outstanding enough for them to survive multiple clashes with the Three Attendants or the True Demon’s subordinates.
“They have also survived because they are at odds with one another.”
The upper realm had long been divided by internal strife, and the True Demon’s subordinates had long since degenerated into factions fighting to claim their lord the True Demon’s power. If a powerful enemy appeared and eliminated their competitors, they inwardly welcomed it.
Swoosh.
At that moment, a black shadow silently appeared behind Chu So. It was his most trusted confidant, the Heaven-Killer Star Eung Bi, called the strongest among the Hundred and Eight Stars.
“She has arrived.”
Eung Bi prostrated himself and respectfully reported.
“Shall I tell her you are absent again?”
Chu So gazed at the distant sky for a moment. As if recalling something, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
“No. Invite her inside.”
The person who entered the hermitage guided by the Heavenly Killing Star was a beautiful woman. Even though she covered her face with a veil, she could not hide her enchanting and mysterious aura.
“Brother.”
The woman approached Chu So,
Swish.
And removed the veil made of heavenly silk.
A face so beautiful it seemed to brighten the dark interior was revealed. Her skin, as if mixed with Han and Western Region blood, had a golden hue like Western sunlight melted into silk. Mysterious light like scattered gold dust flickered in her jet-black eyes. Her delicate facial lines were elegant like a painting, yet she possessed a high nose bridge and lips as red as coral.
She was a seductive beauty with an intensely striking impression.
“Are the immortal games in the Xuanyao Pavilion so entertaining?”
“Nariya.”
Chu So smiled brightly and spread both arms toward the approaching woman.
“Our shrine maiden, who will one day hold the world in her hands, has come.”
“One day.”
Nariya narrowed her eyes like crescents and laughed.
“Brother always hides a dagger within kind words. You don’t secretly think I won’t become the shrine maiden, do you?”
“How could that be? It’s just…”
“Yes. Manwol took all my power.”
Chu So, who had been reading her attitude and gaze, seemed to realize something. His eyes sparkled as he let out an exclamation.
“Harmony of Sun and Moon. You have finally obtained a part of it.”
Harmony of Sun and Moon.
This mysterious treasure said to have been born when heaven and earth were created. It was called the Preemptive Causality because it could bring future results into the present.
For example, if there was an ability one would someday obtain through training, its result could be pulled forward and used in this very moment.
“That’s right.”
Nariya smiled brightly.
“Soon, I will become the true shrine maiden possessing the power of the Star God.”
“Then…”
“Yes. I also saw a future vision.”
She winked and whispered.
“The sight of Manwol dying.”
A satisfied smile spread across Nariya’s face.
A future vision was an absolute result that would not change unless the heavens collapsed. If she had seen Manwol’s death through it, that fate could never be altered.
“But the Baekri Family will not let her die peacefully, will they? Didn’t they invest enormous effort using Anwol as their final card?”
Chu So clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“They even subjected her to endless trials to overcome heavenly punishment.”
“Do not worry.”
Nariya spoke firmly.
“The Baekri Family cannot step forward. At most, her guards will move.”
She sneered.
“The fact that they defied the Baekri family’s orders and helped a random man has been revealed. Because of that, their positions were stripped, and they are now constantly fleeing while being pursued by all kinds of forces.”
“Hmm.”
Chu So let out a low hum and spoke amiably.
“Then, having obtained the power of the Star God, you will soon surpass me, won’t you?”
“How could that be? I do not have the power to create the chain of reincarnation.”
At that moment, Chu So’s face turned icy cold.
The chain of reincarnation.
The power possessed only by the True Demon and the ultimate authority coveted by all factions. However, instead of seizing it, Chu So was creating new chains. Although they could not match the True Demon’s, he possessed the knowledge of East and West, ancient and modern, along with outstanding wisdom, and was cooperating with Pamyeong who knew the True Demon’s secret arts.
But this was a secret that must never be revealed to the outside. Even though this was an empty hermitage in the Xuanyao Pavilion, when she spoke of it playfully, killing intent rose within him.
“I see.”
But as if nothing had happened, he instantly hid his momentary coldness and chilly gaze and opened his mouth warmly again.
“It would be truly good if you became the shrine maiden and helped me.”
At those words, Nariya narrowed her eyes like crescents.
“That is why I came here.”
“Are you sincere? If you become the shrine maiden, you could negotiate with him as well.”
“Ruling the world together with Brother seems more fun.”
For a moment, Chu So’s expression changed subtly.
Nariya had shown affection for a long time. But he had always thought it was a calculated act to use him. Yet right now, genuine emotion was contained in her eyes.
Swallowing a hum, Chu So slightly averted his gaze and asked.
“Then we will soon learn the True Demon’s whereabouts.”
“You know, don’t you? To obtain such an answer, one must pay an appropriate price.”
Nariya smiled and changed the subject.
“Do not worry. Once I fully regain the power of the Star God, I will also learn the location of the remaining Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor Wine.”
Chu So nodded.
If that happened, the great undertaking would be advanced by ten years.
“Then shall I assign the Heavenly Killing Star to you?”
“No. Since the Inbiin Lord is with me, it will be fine.”
“That sly fellow recognized the power of the Star God first and latched on.”
Chu So took a deep breath.
“But be careful. He is the kind of person who would push the rest of the Eight Human Heavens to death for his single purpose… and never steps forward himself when carrying out any scheme.”
“It is fine. Since I have seen Manwol’s death, the result will not change.”
Nariya brought her face close to Chu So and whispered in his ear.
“Brother only needs to tell me the most perfect time and place so that I will never fail.”
The Heavenly Mechanism Star Chu So.
He was someone who could analyze the current flow and predict the future. If he set his mind to killing someone and arranged the board, even Manwol who read the heavenly secrets would not be able to avoid the trap.
“So you came to me. To surely eliminate Manwol.”
Chu So gave a faint nod.
“Good. I will send you the time and place where you can definitely cut off Manwol’s breath through a messenger, along with tools that can block any interferers.”
At that moment, Nariya’s eyes burned hotly.
—Ruling the world together with Brother seems more fun.
She had clearly said that. And accepting it and agreeing to help ultimately meant accepting her heart, did it not?
“Is there any man who would reject a beautiful and wise woman like you?”
“Thank you, Brother.”
Whoosh.
Nariya hugged Chu So tightly.
“I know. You are accepting my heart because I am useful. But it does not matter. Once I become the true shrine maiden, Brother will eventually come to like me.”
Chu So shook his head.
“For someone like me to like another person means that person is desperately needed.”
Then he whispered with a gentle expression.
“Is that level not enough for now?”
“It is enough.”
Nariya smiled brightly.
“With Brother helping me, it feels like I have obtained a thousand troops and ten thousand horses.”
Chu So gently patted her shoulder with calm, sunken eyes and spoke affectionately.
“I am at a loss for what to do now that the shrine maiden whom even the Three Attendants will worship fully trusts me. I sincerely hope you succeed.”
“Yes.”
With a satisfied smile, Nariya was about to leave the hermitage when she turned around and spoke in a low voice.
“It is truly sincere.”
“My heart that likes Brother.”
Without waiting for a reply, she quickly left the hermitage.
A bitter, cold smile hung on Chu So’s lips as he watched her go.
Once Nariya’s presence had completely disappeared,
Swoosh.
Eung Bi appeared behind Chu So once more and prostrated himself.
“Congratulations.”
“For what?”
“Seeing the future through the Harmony of Sun and Moon… She will soon become the shrine maiden in both name and reality.”
“Who knows.”
When an unenthusiastic answer came, Eung Bi blinked.
“Future visions do not change, do they?”
“Oh dear, think carefully.”
Chu So gave a cold smile.
“The future that the Harmony of Sun and Moon showed her is, after all, seen from the current point in time.”
“If it is the current point in time…”
Eung Bi narrowed his eyes.
Future visions do not change. But what showed it was the ‘current point in time.’
“Then perhaps…”
“Exactly.”
Chu So drew a bright smile on his lips as if he had found an interesting toy.
“If viewed again from the point of trying to kill Manwol, a different future vision might appear.”
He looked at Eung Bi comfortably and whispered.
“Shall I tell you one secret of the Harmony of Sun and Moon?”
A smile whose meaning could not be read appeared on Chu So’s lips.
“The power of the Harmony of Sun and Moon to bring future results into the present is not for humans.”
His voice grew increasingly quieter.
“It exists solely to lead humans to destruction. In the end, those who use the Harmony of Sun and Moon simply become sacrifices to the treasure.”
Then he gazed at the distant sky.
“It is a divine object that has toyed with humans like this for a long time.”
“Then should we not stop her?”
“That cannot be done.”
Mysterious light flashed in his eyes fixed on the sky.
“From the moment she came to find me, the power of the Harmony of Sun and Moon has already been exerted.”
Chu So lowered his head and looked at Eung Bi.
“It seems the final chapter is approaching.”
At that moment, goosebumps rose on Eung Bi.
Suddenly, a prophecy from an ancient secret book stored in the Xuanyao Pavilion came to mind.
—On the day when the chains of eternity bind the heavens, the sun and moon of creation lose their light and face each other, the culture of the nine heavens will bloom in blood… The Lord of the End who reaps the breath of all living things in the world shall descend.
According to Pamyeong, the influence of the chain of reincarnation had already manifested in reality. And comparable to that, the greatest treasures of the human world—the Harmony of Sun and Moon and the Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor—had also appeared.
That meant that before long… the world would reach the end of annihilation.
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