Chapter 697

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Zhuge Sa emerged from underground using the Earth Escape Technique, clutching the World Tree's seed, and arrived on the surface about one incense stick's time later. He was capable of using not only magic but also sorcery to a certain extent. He headed to the promised location and soon encountered his comrades on a high cliff overlooking the ruined divine city.

Zhuge Sa smirked upon seeing the two people standing under a pine tree.

"Hey."

It was Cheon Woo-jin and Jin So-cheong. They didn't respond much to Zhuge Sa's cheerful greeting and instead looked deeply troubled. And rightly so—the mission they had been assigned was morally dubious and far from just. Without Zhuge Sa's involvement, they never would have stooped to such vile and despicable acts.

'He's terrifying...'

Jin So-cheong, in particular, shuddered at how drastically things changed just because Zhuge Sa was leading the plan. He had thought there wouldn't be much difference since Baek Woong usually executed Zhuge Sa's schemes directly, but in reality, Baek Woong's values had been a major restraint on Zhuge Sa all along. The moment Baek Woong was gone, they found themselves under Zhuge Sa's lead, committing utterly outrageous rampages. Baek Woong's absence weighed heavily on them.

When Cheon Woo-jin remained silent, Jin So-cheong spoke up.

"What happened to the three who headed to the main camp and the Sword Demon?"

Only Zhuge Sa among them could strategically grasp the situation inside using eavesdropping magic.

Zhuge Sa replied.

"Cheong Wol and Myeong Ryong-ja have withdrawn from the battlefield and are now stranded at the base of the cliff, flailing around as they recover their internal energy. The Sword Demon completed his mission but is fleeing aimlessly with injuries. Geuk Ho has been taken hostage."

"...!!"

Jin So-cheong gritted his teeth. To think his senior brother from the sect, Geuk Ho, had been captured as a hostage!

They had steeled themselves for possible death from the moment they got caught in this massive vortex, but this was still a disaster. As Jin So-cheong got swept up in his emotions, Zhuge Sa said smoothly.

"Don't worry. All the information Geuk Ho obtained is memorized in my head."

"...You're not going to rescue Senior Brother Geuk Ho?"

"Only if the Twelve Laws Lord drops dead fighting the Eight Legions."

It was an utterly heartless statement. Yet Jin So-cheong, while resenting that ruthlessness, couldn't help but inwardly agree. He knew full well how foolish it would be to rush in recklessly out of naive justice or pity and end up wiped out.

Only then did Cheon Woo-jin slowly speak.

"That means the Eight Legions and the Twelve Laws Lord are fighting right now."

"Yeah. They're in the thick of it. My familiars are observing."

"There's no way the Twelve Laws Lord wins. In that case, we could just rescue Geuk Ho depending on the situation."

Cheon Woo-jin decisively concluded the battle's outcome.

The Twelve Laws Lord could never defeat the Eight Legions.

And with good reason—if it were the human forms of the Eight Legions, there might be a chance, but they had unleashed their true forms rivaling demon kings and were attacking in numbers. In that state, no one short of an [Ancient Ruler] or equivalent could handle the Eight Legions.

But unexpectedly, Zhuge Sa said something else.

"Not yet. This is surprising even for me."

"What?"

"He's a truly insidious bastard. Who knew he was hiding power like that until now..."

Zhuge Sa, watching the battle through his familiars, muttered in a way uncharacteristic of him, as if chilled. The leaders of the world's three great powers had unusually many hidden secrets, but the Twelve Laws Lord stood out above all. He organized his thoughts and said to Cheon Woo-jin.

"The Twelve Laws Lord's victory or defeat isn't the important issue right now. More importantly, Cheon Woo-jin, did you absorb the core's spirit power?"

At Zhuge Sa's question, Cheon Woo-jin made a slightly displeased face before answering.

"I did."

"How much stronger did you get?"

"Damn it. How am I supposed to explain that?"

"I mean changes like gaining special abilities or faster sorcery deployment. As a sorcery practitioner, you can judge objectively yourself."

Zhuge Sa pressed persistently. Cheon Woo-jin looked indignant but soon suppressed his emotions. If it were Baek Woong asking, he'd think the idiot was being annoying, but Zhuge Sa was a strategist who considered all circumstances. After pondering, he said.

"My recovery sorcery has improved greatly. I've gained one or two more superpowers... and my spirit power feels at least doubled."

"As expected. Power from the World Tree's core would yield that much enhancement. You bathed your body in that immense force."

Zhuge Sa continued admiringly.

"You're undoubtedly the world's top sorcerer now. Is that why the path to the Illusion God Realm feels greatly shortened?"

"...I don't know about that. This is an endless road. I need to 'open the gate,' but I can't even sense where it is."

"The gate. Does that mean escaping the interference of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns?"

"Hah. It's pointless discussing my realm with a sorcerer like you. So why ask about my realm?"

At the irritable Cheon Woo-jin's question, Zhuge Sa said.

"Truth is, we've pretty much done everything we needed to in this divine city. Not much left, so we must prepare for what comes next. You have a mission, but it's impossible with your power so far, so I had to check your achievements directly."

"What are you making me do now?"

"When Baek Woong returns, you..."

As Zhuge Sa spoke, Cheon Woo-jin looked dumbfounded. Then he said.

"...Are you sane? You're telling me to do that?"

"Yeah."

"You madman! I can't."

Cheon Woo-jin objected vehemently, but Zhuge Sa calmly replied.

"Can't exactly assign it to Jin So-cheong either. You know only you can do it."

"You're insane. Just drown yourself in a plate of water and die."

"I don't know how long you plan to stand on pride like a fool."

"...What?"

At Zhuge Sa's sudden sharp remark, Cheon Woo-jin frowned, and Zhuge Sa looked down at him with utterly emotionless eyes.

"Isn't it time you acknowledged him? You half-admitted it and destroyed the World Tree, didn't you? Then accept that you're being used as expendable."

"......"

"You've already abandoned a sorcerer's conscience and sided with the reincarnator. No other choices left."

Normally, Cheon Woo-jin might have exploded in rage and beaten Zhuge Sa down. But the words struck at his core, leaving him unable to retort. After a long hesitation, Cheon Woo-jin tried to speak but closed his mouth.

"......"

Silence.

After the awkward quiet, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

"Can't guarantee it. Failure chance is several times higher."

"Doesn't matter."

"Fine. No choice..."

Jin So-cheong, watching from the side, sensed Cheon Woo-jin backing down. As the pinnacle of sorcerers, he had always despised and loathed Zhuge Sa for colluding with demons, but now he was greatly swallowing his pride.

Zhuge Sa said.

"Then now..."

As he started to speak, his expression suddenly hardened gravely.

Then he said.

"The Twelve Laws Lord just got sliced by the Yaksha's sickle and died."

"Well, that's expected. Why the surprise? It's obvious."

"...Because the obvious didn't happen as obvious."

Zhuge Sa groaned and clutched his head.

"This isn't right."

He thought he had pushed to the very end, but something was off.

Did it mean their forces were still insufficient to truly corner the Twelve Laws Lord?

Zhuge Sa was convinced that was the case. Their scheme was full of holes, focused solely on exploiting weaknesses, so reaching this point was already lucky. But they lacked the absolute power to draw out the Twelve Laws Lord's true potential.

Cheon Woo-jin and Jin So-cheong were greatly shocked by Zhuge Sa's next words.

"Gin Nara, Yaksha, and Geondalpa all attacked together, but only the Yaksha survived. Precisely, the Twelve Laws Lord killed each once, but the Yaksha revived and struck his opening, killing him."

"What? Is that possible?"

"Don't know. Even after liberating two Seven Desires..."

Was that even feasible?

But Zhuge Sa had watched the battle directly via magic, so no room for doubt. The Twelve Laws Lord, facing the Eight Legions, liberated two Seven Desires, wrapped his body in a glow of light, and fought fiercely. Unexpectedly strong enough to clash head-on with the Eight Legions, he pressed them until exploited and defeated.

Even in his final death, the Twelve Laws Lord's eyes held no defeated glint. It felt like he coldly chose death in a situation where he must die.

As if saying—he wouldn't waste more power here.

'What was that glow?'

He knew activating a Seven Desire allowed using its unique technique. But Fire Desire Heavenly Flame or Water Desire Heavenly Ice were activation-type, not something to wrap the body.

He could assert it confidently.

No one in Baek Woong's reincarnation process had used the Seven Desires that way. Many great immortals and deities passed through his body, but all used the techniques as-is. Yet the Twelve Laws Lord summoned a glow that seemed to empower himself, even piercing the Eight Legions' barriers.

Had the Twelve Laws Lord learned some different way to use the Seven Desires somewhere?

Crackle.

Suddenly, black flames erupted from Zhuge Sa's right eye, bringing immense pain.

"...Kuhk."

"You okay? Seems the Demon King's eye is starting to erode your soul."

"Give me some spirit power. Still need to hold out."

Cheon Woo-jin sighed.

"It's just a stopgap. You're definitely going blind, and no sorcery of mine can restore your lost sight. It's the contract price to the Demon King—find it yourself."

Zhuge Sa becoming blind held great significance. It wasn't something easily overcome by transferring soul via Great Soul Separation Technique. Since both eyes were taken as contract price, even body-swapping would carry the vision loss.

"I know without you saying. Heh heh."

Flash.

As Cheon Woo-jin transferred green spirit energy, Zhuge Sa's expression eased. He said to the group.

"I'm off to wrap up the final task here. You two rescue the remaining comrades and head to the place we discussed. I'll show you the location via memory transfer."

Zhuge Sa transmitted the memory, and Cheon Woo-jin made an odd face.

"You're really going alone?"

"Tagging along to die would be a nuisance, so hold back."

"Scram."

"Heh heh."

Cheon Woo-jin turned abruptly and vanished using Shrinking Earth Technique somewhere. Jin So-cheong didn't follow him but stared at Zhuge Sa for a moment before saying.

"I'll escort you."

Zhuge Sa looked at him like he was speaking nonsense.

"Why? Pointless."

"Because I want to prevent your instant death. You lack the reflexes to handle ambushes."

"I get the concern, but it's fine. Considering the Eight Legions' nature, that won't happen. And if you come with me, you'll definitely die."

"I'll go anyway. Confident I can escape alive."

"...What stubborn shit? You think you're Baek Woong?"

As Zhuge Sa looked uncomfortable, Jin So-cheong said.

"You always say pursue efficiency and that we're all expendables, but this life is mine. And I'll follow my heart."

He looked Zhuge Sa straight in the eye.

"You're our brain. And you're giving it your all, so I want to protect you."

"Damn it."

Zhuge Sa sighed.

"Your eyes say you won't listen no matter what. Do as you please."

Zhuge Sa realized resistance was futile. Normally he'd persuade or brush it off, but based on Baek Woong's reincarnation memories, Jin So-cheong's personality wouldn't yield to that. Once decided, he saw things through, so arguing was pointless.

Flash.

Moments later, the two arrived at a desolate plain. It was where the divine altar tree once stood, but snapped at the waist, scarring the land massively, and now turned barren plain from clashes of divine beings.

Zhuge Sa thought upon seeing no sign of Geuk Ho anywhere.

'As expected, Hong Gil-dong took him.'

For some reason, Hong Gil-dong hadn't joined the Twelve Laws Lord to the end and fled midway. Likely snatched Geuk Ho in the chaos. Given his deep loyalty to the Twelve Laws Lord, fighting to death together wouldn't be odd—why?

Zhuge Sa felt his ominous premonition was correct. Indeed, they had failed to corner the Twelve Laws Lord this lifetime.

'Tch. Better do what I must...'

Swoosh.

Zhuge Sa said to Jin So-cheong.

"I'm about to start the call. Don't resent me if you die for real."

"I'll guard the perimeter until your summon ends."

"Do whatever."

Whoooong.

Zhuge Sa began chanting the incantation. About twenty breaths after it started, an attack flew from somewhere.

Clang!

Jin So-cheong moved like lightning, deflecting the Eight Legions Yaksha's sickle. The Yaksha looked exhausted, in human form, and shouted unpleasantly.

[Stop! Stop the incantation. What are you thinking?]

He seemed greatly flustered. Rightly so—Zhuge Sa's incantation summoned an unthinkable existence. The other Eight Legions besides Yaksha had temporarily vanished, needing time to reappear. Thus, Yaksha shouted not in human tongue but ancient spirit language.

Zhuge Sa, nearly finishing the chant, smirked.

"Huh, I misjudged. Thought you'd be resting after getting thoroughly beaten and killed by the Twelve Laws Lord, but you sensed this faint magic and attacked."

[You bastard!!]

If Jin So-cheong hadn't followed to escort, Zhuge Sa's throat would have been slit by the ambush, forcing him to find a new safe spot to restart—annoying. But even so, he had no intention of thanking Jin So-cheong. The time loss from his puppet dying was minor compared to losing Jin So-cheong.

Clang clang.

Yaksha swung his sickle with ferocious momentum, but Jin So-cheong calmly blocked. He could temporarily thunder-ify his body, using fragments of Thunder God Possession, unbound by speed.

Sssss.

Dark spirit energy flowed from Zhuge Sa's body as the chant ended. Burning the last light from the Demon King's eye, he grinned madly.

"Someone who's dying to meet you is here—go say hi!"

Rumble rumble rumble.

Darkness erupted, briefly etching a cross of shadow in the sky. Then, from that black cross tearing the world, 'something' began slowly descending. Dark flames roared, sharply raising the temperature around the divine altar tree site.

Yaksha's eyes bulged as he screamed.

[No! Why him...]

Jin So-cheong, at that moment, no longer blocked the Yaksha and fled at full speed.

His escort duty was done—he had to get as far as possible.

For right then, Zhu Rong—right arm of Emperor Yan, second in-command of the Myriad Ghosts Hall, and one of the great divinities of the Mythic Age—was descending.