LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 642
Dark Heaven Village
I sought the soul of an inventor who claimed to have created a printing press among the souls of the deceased. Using the Heavenly Secret Technique and the Soul Exchange Technique, I managed to hone in on his essence, and soon, the spirit stood before me, but in a rather bizarre condition.
[Crack… Aaaah…]
The spirit was torn apart.
“Is this something to call lucky?”
Had I entered the belly of the Old Ruler, I wouldn’t have been able to find him. But, lucky for me, due to the haphazardly devoured spirit, the remnant of his soul survived after having more than half of it chewed away. It seemed that maintaining a normal state for his spirit was impossible. I pondered what to do when, recalling the incident with Gongsun Byeok, I decided to inject him with Yin Spirit Power.
Whooo—
Moments later, his spirit stabilized, and the missing parts returned. As the Yin Spirit Power restored him, it appeared he regained his rationality and seemed whole again. However, he trembled in fear, pacing back and forth in anxiety.
[Aaaah… Aaaah!!! Save me!!]
“What should I save you from? You’re already dead.”
[Dead? Me… Ugh! Kraaah.]
It seemed he relived the memory of being consumed by the Old Ruler only moments ago, and he began to panic once more. I resorted to using the Yin Spirit Power again to calm him, but it felt wasteful. Each time I infused him with power, my strength diminished, elongating the time until I could master Yin Spirit Power again. After a moment, he finally calmed down enough to speak.
[Thank you… So, I was devoured by that monster… What a dreadful occurrence.]
“I apologize for not being able to help. But those monsters are gods, so there was nothing I could do.”
[No. But are you the sorcerer I’ve only heard about? You appear to be Eastern and possess a strange ability.]
“I am Baek Woong, from the Eastern Ming Empire. Are you the one who invented the double-sided printing press?”
[Ah… So you came because of that. Right, I am Richard Ho, the inventor.]
“You seem to be from the Western continent. Why have you come to this New Continent? You don’t seem like a soldier.”
[I was employed by the Holy Roman Empire and received a mission to develop new territory for them here in the New Continent. They recognized that my invention and skills would be beneficial. But…]
Richard Ho’s words trailed off.
Who could have predicted he would get eaten by the Old Ruler after coming to the New Continent! He probably had no idea what the Old Ruler was. I looked at him with pity and spoke.
“I need the knowledge you have about the double-sided printing press. Either tell me where the blueprints are or teach me how to make the press.”
[That… That’s not hard, but I have a question.]
“What is it?”
[What happens to me now? After death, do I go to the divine or to heaven or hell? What is to become of me…?]
“You will likely go to the Underworld. To be honest, I don’t really know either. It’s a mystery what happens after death.”
I genuinely didn’t know. I might be the only one in the world who has died multiple times yet doesn’t know what happens afterward. Richard Ho sighed deeply and said.
[I understand. I will teach you everything I know. As a craftsman and inventor, I don’t want my knowledge to die out.]
After a time, he revealed to me the location of the blueprints and the printing press, teaching me how it works, how to read the designs, and the technical terms used in printing. It was quite complicated and difficult, so I didn’t grasp it all immediately, and it required considerable effort. After about half a moment of explanation, my head began to throb, and I said.
“Damn it. If I stay here too long, the Old Ruler might come again… I need to leave now.”
[That… That monster is coming again? Please take me with you, or hurry and send me to the Underworld. I don’t want to be eaten again!]
Richard Ho’s spirit went into convulsions, gripped by fear.
“Did you get attacked right when you arrived at the coast? Were there any indigenous people?”
[Yes. There were savages who lived there, but they had established a great empire, and the commander was hesitant to engage in battle, remaining stationed on the coast.]
“Huh? An empire?”
I tilted my head.
‘What does this mean?’
I knew this New Continent was vast, but an empire? Under normal circumstances, I would have brushed it off, but having just witnessed the Old Rulers roaming like wild animals, it seemed absurd. Humans could never create a civilization in such a land! But since Richard Ho, who stood before me in death, had no reason to lie, I pondered before speaking.
“Please tell me where these so-called indigenous people are. If I use the Soul Exchange Technique to draw your soul there, you shouldn’t get eaten again.”
[Please, I beg you.]
Tydaht.
Following Richard Ho’s instructions, I searched the commander’s corpse for a map and compass before making my way to the location of the indigenous people’s empire. As I headed in that direction, I used the Soul Exchange Technique to pull Baek along, with Richard Ho’s spirit being drawn in accordance with the power of Baek.
‘This is great for practicing the Soul Exchange Technique.’
Once I felt I had pulled his spirit sufficiently, I left it in a suitable wilderness and said.
“Let’s part ways here.”
The continued use of the Soul Exchange Technique would drain a lot of stamina and energy. No matter what, I couldn’t drag his soul hundreds of miles.
[Aah… Oh God… Please send me to heaven.]
Richard Ho seemed to kneel on the edge of a cliff in the state of his spirit, praying. Seeing him, I felt a sense of pity.
‘God, isn’t that the Old Ruler? Who the heck is he praying to?’
I had no idea who could possibly save him. What kind of dimension is heaven anyway?
After casting one last sympathetic glance at him, I dashed onward. I was curious about how the indigenous people lived in this New Continent.
How long did I run? After passing through the dense green forest and crossing treacherous terrain several times, I detected signs of human habitation. I saw figures resembling indigenous people, half-clothed but forming a civilization. Observing from a distance, I realized roads were being maintained, and they knew how to ride horses.
‘If I follow the roads further, a large city should appear.’
It was astonishing. Even in a place where the Old Rulers roamed, the number of humans appeared to be at least in the thousands. Yet those humans didn’t seem particularly powerful, so how on earth were they surviving?
I continued along the road. After a while, I discovered a large city within a massive basin, certainly of a type of civilization I had never seen before. I was about to enter out of curiosity when an ominous feeling struck me, prompting me to look up at the sky.
“…”
Something was there.
‘Damn it…’
A moment later, I recognized that it was the Old Ruler. A curse slipped from my lips. Just seeing that gigantic tentacle writhing in the clouds filled me with dread.
That ‘something’ floating in the void, brimming with immense power and ominous intent, was undoubtedly that kind of being. I didn’t know the precise name, but having laid eyes on its form rendered me dumbfounded.
‘What the hell?’
This place made no sense in many ways. I had never seen such a high density of Old Rulers before, and they were strolling about so casually near human cities! How could humans possibly survive with such creatures around? I recalled how the city resembled a tower, with a pointed shape, and retreated, returning to the Martial World of Central Plains via the Golden Lamp.
Pa-at!
I presented the acquired double-sided printing press to Zhuge Sa and transferred as much memorized knowledge as I could from Richard Ho to him through the White Lotus Rite. Zhuge Sa accepted the knowledge and remarked with curiosity.
“This will do. If we start working on it immediately, we could evolve the printing techniques of the Central Plains within a month.”
It seemed Zhuge Sa fully comprehended even the explanations from Richard Ho that I had not understood. I cautiously called out to him.
“Zhuge Sa.”
“What is it?”
“What exactly is the Old Ruler you encountered in the New Continent? And how are these savage empire folks still intact even with such creatures roaming about?”
Zhuge Sa chuckled softly.
“Why complicate things? They’re no different from the ancient Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”
“What?”
At Zhuge Sa’s hypothesis, my face hardened.
“Those creatures probably perform regular human sacrifices to the Old Ruler. In exchange for offering humans as sacrifices, the Old Rulers bring prosperity and ensure they can thrive.”
“……!!”
He wore a chilling smile.
“Do you think the expedition dispatched by the Western Empire perished by chance? Those savage empire folks saw the expedition as a threat and sacrificed humans to their Old Ruler, praying for it to eliminate the intruders from the West. It’s no coincidence; it was destined.”
“Such outrageous…”
I said to Zhuge Sa, dumbfounded.
“Those Old Rulers see humans as mere insects, cruel and vicious beings, right? Is such a coexistence possible?”
“You just saw it yourself. The pointed tip of that enormous imperial city you witnessed probably has a human sacrifice altar set up. They’ve been surviving that way for hundreds… if not thousands of years.”
“……”
“And since you, as a reborn person, are now in direct conflict with the Old Ruler, it seems you forgot that they are beings humans cannot antagonize. Humans either serve them or go mad trying to comprehend their existence. The Old Rulers are quite generous to the ‘bugs’ that serve them, so it seems the barbarian empire folks are much more rational than you?”
Zhuge Sa continued casually.
“The only difference between the Central Plains and the New Continent is one thing: whether the Ruler has retracted into the shadows of history, or if they are out in the open. Oh, and whether there’s an intermediary like the Celestial Realm, too.”
“That’s terrifying. I can’t venture to the New Continent any longer.”
“Is it just the New Continent?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Black Continent that you have yet to explore, as well as the Antarctic, Arctic, and even the Heavenly Contraction, are all likely to be heavily influenced by the Old Rulers. If you let your guard down even a little, you might unexpectedly bump into one and get eaten.”
“… I understand.”
As I responded to Zhuge Sa’s words, I reflected deeply on the ordeal I faced. The Central Plains was relatively a livable place, while other continents and oceans were infested with the Old Rulers, who awaited their apocalypse and revelation – a hellish reality where even the treatment receiving after death isn’t guaranteed; that is the fate of humans.
Then, Zhuge Sa took the double-sided printing press from me and managed to replicate it within just three days. He appeared dissatisfied while examining his duplication and promptly began making improvements. Ten days later, he created a much faster and more stable automatic printing machine. Curious, I watched, and Zhuge Sa stated.
“The quality and quantity of metal can be easily controlled with the Crystal Stele, and reading the blueprints is less complicated than the Demon Book. Now, shall we try using it?”
“What do you plan to do?”
“I’ll create quality iron with the Crystal Stele and also make paper through alchemy. It might take some effort to do it without Zhuge Yulong noticing.”
About three months passed.
Before long, it seemed Zhuge Sa had successfully advanced the printing technology. To be precise, he had disseminated the printing press widely; as many books began to be printed, the industry itself seemed to undergo a transformation. Moreover, I noticed steam machines appearing here and there, suggesting Zhuge Sa was intent on changing the civilization of the Ming Empire.
Upon Zhuge Sa’s return to Jangryeong Valley, I voiced my concerns.
“Doing this on such a large scale will likely raise suspicions from Zhuge Yulong.”
“What’s the problem? At that time, I’ll just take him down. Are you lacking confidence?”
Zhuge Sa replied bluntly.
“There are countless methods to take down something like the Imperial Palace’s forces. If you’re willing to use ruthless methods, you’ll have more than enough options. After all, they have been gnashing their teeth, searching for weaknesses to take down all this time. Are you really so afraid now? Either way, the goal was to die in Dark Heaven Village with no regard, wasn’t it?”
“……”
“Now, once I receive the novel from Oh Seung-eun, I’ll mobilize Mangnyang’s forces and quickly popularize the novel. Then this plan will come to a close.”
Zhuge Sa stated, gesturing.
“The Sword Demon has something to say. I’ll handle this side of things, so go see him.”
As per Zhuge Sa’s directions, I visited the Sword Demon.
The Sword Demon said, “I have one good news and one bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”
Pausing for a moment to ponder, I replied, “I’d like to hear the bad news first.”
“Good. The bad news is that I failed to find the Grave of the God. Despite continuously sending the masters of the Shadowless Gate to Liaodong to search, I couldn’t find such a thing. Not even similar documents or records…”
Since I had anticipated this to some degree, I merely nodded apathetically.
‘I’ll have no choice but to seek help from the Twelve Joules later.’
The Sword Demon observed my expression before continuing, “The good news is that the scheme I had been devising with the Bright Dragon has gone well.”
“I knew you were up to something, but what exactly was it?”
“Hehe. Recently, Jin So-cheong has been absent from her post, hasn’t she?”
I nodded. The Sword Demon had sent Jin So-cheong to the Shadowless Gate as part of his plan.
“That is correct…”
“Jin So-cheong, come in.”
As the door opened, Jin So-cheong stepped into the Shadowless Gate. She appeared unchanged, but I was shocked at what the Sword Demon revealed next.
“She has defeated all the Eight Demons from the Demon Path while also sparring against the Sect Leader of the Nine Great Sects and emerged victorious. Hence, she has now earned the title of the best spear in the world throughout the Righteous Sects.”
“What?!”
“Since you’ve been secluding yourself in Jangryeong Valley all this time, you likely didn’t know.”
“What in the world…”
Then Jin So-cheong spoke up.
“Baek Woong. The top executives of the Righteous Sects schemed to raise my renown swiftly during this time. The Sect Leader of the Nine Great Sects, influenced by the Bright Dragon, admitted defeat without a proper match against me, and similarly, the Eight Demons of the Demon Path also did not battle me at my full strength. The majority of the Sect Leaders I actually contended with hardly amounted to half of them. They all planned thoroughly and kept it a secret.”
“How did you convince them?”
“The justification I provided was that I was to be placed in the heart of the White Lotus Sect as a mole to uncover their secrets. They desire to overcome the White Lotus Sect while outwardly seeming subordinate.”
“Ah…”
“Now, I am known as the man with the greatest ambition, aiming for the world’s number one martial artist. The so-called prodigy of Jianghu.”
“Could this be a plan to become a disciple of the Master of the White Lotus Sect?”
“Indeed.”
Jin So-cheong said, “In five days, I will go to the White Lotus Sect with my followers, claim to challenge the Master to a spar, and then, after losing, express my admiration for his martial arts and request to become his disciple.”
Finally, I began to understand the full scope of the plan.
The unparalleled martial artist and successor of the Thunder God Lineage, Jin So-cheong, was prepared to reveal her claws in Jianghu. But ultimately, she would have to lose to the inexplicable Master of the White Lotus Sect! And feeling a sense of reverence for that mysterious martial art, she would naturally ask to become a disciple of the Master of the White Lotus Sect.
It was unlikely that the Master of the White Lotus Sect would refuse this flow. After all, he would surely know that Jin So-cheong was a practitioner of the Thunder God Lineage, and through her, he would seek to learn the Ultimate Technique of the Thunder God Lineage.
“Do you think it’s possible? In the worst case, the Master might find you suspicious and just kill you with the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance.”
“I believe that is my fate.”
Jin So-cheong chuckled lightly.
“That is precisely why I’ve been striving to avoid any suspicion and survive thus far.”
“……”
I felt a heavy ache in my chest.
Jin So-cheong had genuinely cast away any sense of obligation toward her incarnation in this life, letting go of her vengeance and committing solely to fight alongside my reincarnated journey. The sincerity was so strong that I felt it unnecessary to harbor any doubt toward her.
The Sword Demon said, “Still, just in case, watch over Jin So-cheong during her duel with the Master of the White Lotus Sect. You might gain something useful from that confrontation.”
And then, five days later.
The anticipated duel between Jin So-cheong and the Master of the White Lotus Sect commenced, determining who would reign as the supreme champion of the world.