A Modern Man Who Got Transmigrated Into the Murim World

Chapter 91

The Harvesting Rift.

The cunning being who had long frustrated him, the practical leader of the Constellation faction, and the one who had cruelly devoured the flesh and spirit of countless humans.

The one who had violated the laws of the universe with unimaginable schemes, truly the absolute evil of the Constellation realm — how could he possibly be the Daoist ancestor Jang Sambong?

Jang Sambong had left the Daoist sect and was revered as a sage by the people, a person most fitting of the title “Great Hero.”

His gentle nature and demeanor were so profound that at times, he seemed almost naive, embodying the very image of a Daoist immortal.

But to think that such a great immortal’s true form was the utterly repugnant Harvesting Rift!

Jo Hwi couldn’t accept it easily.

What made Jo Hwi even more confused was that this very person had, over many years, constructed the “Underground Conduit” to prevent the annihilation of the central plains.

Jo Hwi had confirmed Jang Sambong’s remains at the center of that vast underground conduit.

Yet, here Jang Sambong still was, alive, and in such a profound state of power as a Constellation.

But it seemed Jang Sambong shared the same confusion.

“I can’t believe it. You found my true form so easily. Is this the treasure of the future world?”

Jang Sambong’s indifferent gaze was fixed on the Godbox that protruded from Jo Hwi’s pocket.

“How is it possible for you to still be alive…?”

Jo Hwi responded to the question with a question of his own, which seemed to annoy Jang Sambong, causing him to frown.

“Look around.”

Jo Hwi’s panicked eyes slowly followed Jang Sambong’s gaze.

The room was small, about three jang (a traditional unit of length).

However, the furnishings and pottery in the room were somewhat different from what Jo Hwi had seen in the central plains.

Having reincarnated countless times, Jo Hwi immediately recognized that these were the ancient central plains’ style.

“Could it be this era…?”

“It’s the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Soon, the Yuan will fall to the Northern Yuan, and the Ming will rise.”

At that moment, Jo Hwi hastily looked out the window.

Towering peaks rose with an imposing presence.

The sounds of Taoist incantations and the subtle aura of Taoism could be felt from all directions.

The overwhelming feeling of the rugged mountain ranges seemed to be reminding Jo Hwi of the early Wudang sect.

Jang Sambong is alive during the era of the Wudang sect!

Jo Hwi was struck with astonishment and turned back to Jang Sambong.

“Not only did you break through the level of the seat, but you can also incarnate souls from other timelines?”

“As you said, it’s only a matter of incarnating the soul of another timeline. Compared to you, who can directly govern the cause and effect of reincarnation and transcend time itself, this is a much lower level.”

The Constellation realms had multiple levels of attainment.

The ability to turn the souls from other timelines into incarnations was clearly a beginner’s level in the domain of time.

It was a stage where one began to understand space-time through immense power and spiritual energy.

Jo Hwi realized that Jang Sambong, or rather the Harvesting Rift, was almost at the same level as him in terms of power.

“But I clearly saw your corpse…”

Jang Sambong nodded quietly.

“That place was in an era where I hadn’t broken through the seat level yet. In that time, I must have died as a Taoist, fulfilling my duties. There’s nothing strange about it.”

Jo Hwi shook his head resolutely.

“That’s impossible!”

Jang Sambong knew better than anyone else.

When he had lived as Dalma, it was he who had taken Jo Hwi as his disciple.

He knew Jo Hwi’s attainment, his vast knowledge, his Taoist powers, and his upright nature. He could never have been an evil person.

He was the only disciple who understood and continued his teachings.

He was the perfect symbol of a virtuous immortal, the very embodiment of the theory of innate goodness.

Jang Sambong chuckled lightly.

“Is it so strange that in this time, I broke through the seat level?”

“It’s absolutely impossible!”

Even the major martial sects, who claimed to be the leaders of the martial world, considered it a miracle if a transcendent martial artist was born.

Let alone breaking through to the so-called divine realm of martial arts known as the Natural Dao, and surpassing the countless barriers to reach the exalted seat level.

That could only be achieved by transcending human lifespans countless times.

If such a process were easy, many martial sects or revered elders in the highest realms would have reached the seat level.

“Hm…”

Jang Sambong’s expression darkened slightly as he took out a small object, resembling a jade orb, from his robes.

Jo Hwi’s heart sank as he saw it.

“D-Dalma Jade?”

It was the very law treasure Jo Hwi had personally created to live as a reincarnated being from another timeline!

How could such a dangerous item be in Jang Sambong’s hands?

More importantly, the Dalma Jade was meant to dissolve upon merging with the soul of a reincarnated being from another timeline.

So, if that was the case…

“How do you have this…?”

Jang Sambong stared at Jo Hwi with a slightly bewildered expression.

“You know of this law treasure? The Dalma Jade? Is that what it’s called?”

“How could you have it!?”

Jang Sambong responded, looking puzzled at Jo Hwi’s intense reaction.

“The law treasure I know is called the Yuyi Wan. It’s a kind of spiritual jade completed by unknown immortals from the past, who risked their lives to create it.”

“Spiritual jade?”

Jo Hwi had never heard of a spiritual jade called Yuyi Wan.

Moreover, the nature of the spiritual power emanating from the Yuyi Wan was eerily similar to that of his Dalma Jade.

“Anyway, this law treasure is the reason I was able to break through to the seat level.”

Jang Sambong was now revealing a dangerous gamble, exposing his secrets and origins.

In front of someone with the power to negate his very existence, using shallow tricks would only result in his own annihilation.

Seeing Jo Hwi show interest, Jang Sambong had to buy time and make use of his law treasure as much as possible.

Escaping from this place was his only chance for survival.

At that moment…

Beep—

Warning! Warning! Aether energy approaching infinity detected! Time-space reversal or distortion, or even greater variables are expected!

Jo Hwi looked at the Yuyi Wan in disbelief.

Infinite aether energy?

The perfect AI, the God Box, boasted computational power millions of times greater than that of humans.

Such a God Box would never casually utter the word “infinite.”

This meant that the causal power and existence within the “Yeoihwan” artifact were at least on the level of a Star Seat or higher.

Could there really be such an existence in the material world?

“What can this artifact do?”

“It can absorb the opponent’s existence and replace it with your own.”

“What!?”

Like the suction techniques in martial arts, it could absorb the opponent’s life force! Wasn’t this precisely the unique power of the “Harvesting Rift”?

At last, Zhuo Hui understood how Zhang Sanfeng had received the divine mandate of “Harvesting Rift.”

To reach the seat of the Star Seat, which requires countless lifetimes to surpass, Zhang Sanfeng had done so simply by using this artifact to absorb the existence of others.

But in that moment…

“Could it be…!”

Zhuo Hui’s face turned extremely pale.

There had been a certain evil Taoist among the disciples he had first taken in during his time as Darma, who possessed the ability to absorb the life force of others and replace it with their own.

The “Chaotic World Demon”!

The term “Chaotic World One Realm” came from the fact that it had once been ruled by this “Chaotic World Demon.” During that time, even the immortals of the heavenly realm could not withstand his formidable power, which had been built by endlessly draining the vital essence of people.

Had Zhuo Hui not confined him as a disciple and restrained him, the Central Plains would have already perished under his malicious hands.

“Give it to me.”

When Zhuo Hui demanded it, glaring at Zhang Sanfeng as though he were going to kill him, surprisingly, Zhang Sanfeng handed over the Yeoihwan artifact without hesitation.

“Here it is.”

As Zhuo Hui took the Yeoihwan in his hands and slowly began to channel his own energy into it, his face contorted in pain, as if disfigured.

Within this Yeoihwan artifact, not only the evil power of the Chaotic World Demon was present, but also the Taoist powers of his other disciples, Yichen Zunzhi and Wutian Zhenren.

“This can’t be…!”

The pure Taoist powers of his disciples had been corrupted and mixed with the evil energy of the Chaotic World Demon, meaning that his renowned disciples had been absorbed by him.

“How could this happen?”

According to Zhang Sanfeng’s words, this was a time period after Zhuo Hui had left via his Darma Jade and his reincarnation had occurred in a different time. His disciples, who were left behind, had each created their own spiritual jades, embodying hatred for Darma.

The three spiritual jades they left behind:

Yichen Xueyu (Virtuous Heaven Blood Jade)

Honsi Tianyu (Chaotic World Heaven Jade)

Wutian Zhenyu (Martial Heaven True Jade)

Through these jades, Zhuo Hui had hoped to cultivate the extraordinary experiences and talents of these great figures in Central Plains history and awaken to the Star Seat once again.

His careful arrangements seemed flawless and unbreakable.

Yet, this outcome was clearly beyond his plans and expectations.

“Where did you find this? Do you know anything about the origin of this artifact?”

Zhang Sanfeng narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

“I found it by chance, and even I don’t know much about it.”

Zhuo Hui immediately sensed that Zhang Sanfeng was lying.

It was laughable.

The person who knew the name of the Yeoihwan artifact couldn’t possibly not know its origins.

Regardless, Zhang Sanfeng’s handing over of the Yeoihwan, his most important possession, was a clear mistake.

As Zhuo Hui silently held the Yeoihwan to his chest, Zhang Sanfeng showed no reaction.

“It’s a dangerous object; I will take it.”

“Do as you wish.”

In truth, Zhang Sanfeng didn’t care much.

The Yeoihwan was simply a required artifact to reach the Star Seat, and now that he had already embedded its power into himself, it was no longer necessary for him.

“Won’t you just destroy me?”

Zhuo Hui let out a soft sigh as he looked at the view of Mount Wudang.

“Sigh… How many people’s life forces did this artifact absorb to make you reach the Star Seat?”

“…”

Zhuo Hui didn’t need to ask how many lives had been sacrificed.

With the disguise of a Taoist priest and the face of an immortal, how many people had he deceived and consumed in his evil deeds?

“Are you trying to escape?”

Zhang Sanfeng had continuously looked for opportunities to flee, even after handing over his most prized artifact, and Zhuo Hui had already known this from the beginning.

Zhuo Hui began to slowly raise his own existence power.

“Return to nothingness. You will never return until I withdraw my will.”

***

Zhuo Hui eventually had to accept that Zhang Sanfeng, despite being a great immortal who had cultivated his Taoist powers for many years, was also someone who had been driven by the desire for strength and the thirst for the ultimate realm.

What martial artist could resist that desperate craving for power?

And regardless of how Zhang Sanfeng had obtained the Yeoihwan artifact, the terrible birth of the artifact, stemming from his disciples, meant that the appalling results were ultimately Zhuo Hui’s responsibility.

Therefore, executing Zhang Sanfeng—no, the Harvesting Rift—was not going to bring him peace.

“But the crime is too great.”

Although everything stemmed from his own actions, Zhang Sanfeng’s brutal murders could never be justified.

As Zhuo Hui raised his existence power, slowly pressing on Zhang Sanfeng…

“Do you really think that by killing me, all this karma and tribulation will end?”

Zhuo Hui hesitated for a moment.

“What do you mean by that?”

Zhang Sanfeng, struggling, pointed towards the Yeoihwan in Zhuo Hui’s possession and shouted in desperation.

“Do you think I have not suffered from torment and repentance? At times, I too despised myself for being consumed by my desires!”

“So? Do you think that absorbing and devouring the life force of countless humans can truly be atoned for?”

“That…!”

“Look here, Zhang Sanfeng. As you said, I have cultivated a power comparable to the Creator’s. Do you think that I have never experienced the temptations of evil?”

Zhuo Hui sighed deeply, filled with regret.

“Sigh… Yes. Tell me, what value is there in the Star Seat, this road you reached by replacing so many human souls with your own existence? Did you tremble with joy and thrill in the boundless omnipotence?”

“…”

“It wasn’t like that, was it? You broke through human limitations and became an immortal being, but that was never enough for you. Where there is desire, more desire follows.”

“The true way is…”

“Are you going to deny it? Isn’t it too ruthless to ignore the history of ‘the Harvesting Rift’?”

Zhuo Hui casually took the Yeuihwan from his robe and began to fiddle with it.

“Even if you defeat all humans in the Celestial Battle and rise to the level of the Creator, your desires will never end. You would inevitably try to become equal to the ‘Primordial’ itself. Would you then devour the Creators? Would you consume all the laws? What remains after you achieve equality with the Primordial and live for eternity?”

“The Primordial? What kind of being is that?”

Simply mentioning that name caused Zhang Sanfeng’s expression to darken, filled with a mixture of fear, curiosity, and determination.

Zhuo Hui’s face twisted with disdain.

“Harvesting Rift. You are addicted to desire… no, you have been consumed by it. You are the one devoured by the great demon of desire!”

At that moment, Zhang Sanfeng’s face turned pale as though he had been struck by a heavy shock.

“How dare you! You are disrespectful! Consumption is my great power! I am the one who consumes, not the one being consumed!”

“Chant!”

Zhuo Hui’s infinite power erupted as he grabbed Zhang Sanfeng’s neck.

“Existence, built upon the souls of humans! Your filthy soul, swallowed by endless desire! Your fanatic obsession with reaching the ultimate realm! I, the ‘One who Denies Existence,’ swear that I will negate everything about you endlessly!”

However, Zhang Sanfeng did not passively accept his weakening existence.

“Wait! Why do you think I handed you Yeuihwan without any resistance? That artifact belongs to this world! Even if you destroy me and escape, that dangerous artifact will remain in this world!”

Zhuo Hui knew this was true.

This was a world where a completely different law of cause and effect applied compared to the one he knew.

As soon as he returned to the Central Plains, the “laws of the universe” would recognize the reaction of cause and effect and inevitably destroy Yeuihwan.

“Surely, Yeuihwan will reach my disciples… Wudang… my Wudang…”

At this moment, Zhang Sanfeng worried that the ‘Harvesting Rift’ would pass to his disciples in Wudang.

“I will destroy it,” Zhuo Hui said firmly.

“Already, I’ve tried countless times! The power within Yeuihwan is boundless! It’s impossible!”

“No, only I can do it in this universe.”

The one who denies ‘existence’—the only celestial being capable of negating Yeuihwan’s existence was none other than Zhuo Hui.

At that moment, Zhang Sanfeng realized that today’s events had been destined by the enormous laws of the universe.

“Heh…”

Zhang Sanfeng slowly slumped, letting out a desolate laugh.

BEEP-

Insufficient ether energy, continuing the virtual tunnel for telekinesis is dangerous. Soon, a crack…

At that moment, Zhuo Hui poured his energy into the Godbox.

Warning! Warning! Using spiritual power inside the telekinesis virtual tunnel is extremely dangerous!

Zhuo Hui ignored the warning and absent-mindedly looked up at the sky outside.

Indeed, the scenery before him began to slowly distort.

The cause and effect that applied to Zhuo Hui, as he currently existed, was fundamentally different from the one Zhang Sanfeng lived by.

From the very beginning, Zhuo Hui was a being who shouldn’t exist in this world, so dimensional collapse was inevitable.

He could no longer allow this world of Zhang Sanfeng to fall into danger.

“Goodbye, Harvesting Rift. I will only remember the Zhang Sanfeng from my world.”

Zhang Sanfeng’s form slowly became transparent, starting from the top of his head.

“Heh… hehehe…”

Zhuo Hui’s will to deny existence consumed Zhang Sanfeng’s voice and laughter.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-

Finally, ‘Zhang Sanfeng’ in this world was completely negated.

As long as Zhuo Hui did not withdraw his will, Zhang Sanfeng could never materialize in this world again. It was the true, effective destruction of him.

For a legendary figure of the martial world like Zhang Sanfeng, it was a pitifully empty end.

“Master!”

“Great Master!”

The elders and disciples of Wudang, noticing the anomaly, rushed to Zhang Sanfeng’s chamber.

All they saw was the bizarre scene of their ancestor slowly being erased from existence.

The Wudang Taoists sensed the phenomenon of the heavens distorting and instantly realized it was related to the final moments of their grandmaster’s demise.

“Unmeasurable Buddha! The Ancestor has ascended to immortality!”

“Ahh!”

“Great Master!”

Zhuo Hui had already left Zhang Sanfeng’s residence, watching the Wudang disciples in a detached manner.

He didn’t bother to correct their misunderstanding about their grandmaster’s end.

There was no need to make them aware that Zhang Sanfeng had been a tremendous force of evil, the absolute demon who had caused untold harm to humanity.

What remained was now one thing.

Zhuo Hui pulled out Yeuihwan from his robe, which had been safely stored.

Despite the Godbox’s continuous warnings, Zhuo Hui summoned his infinite energy and tried to negate Yeuihwan.

Whoooom-

‘What is this?’

Zhuo Hui was deeply confused.

There was only a small vibration, and the artifact remained entirely intact.

For the first time in eons, Zhuo Hui’s power of negating existence was being negated itself.

And then, at that moment.

WHOOOOOOOOSHHH!

An overwhelming brilliance erupted from Yeuihwan.

Zhuo Hui summoned all his energy and power to block it, but the magical force contained within Yeuihwan was beyond imagination!

The calculations of the Godbox, which had described Yeuihwan’s ether as approaching infinity, were indeed accurate.

In the end, Zhuo Hui was consumed by the blinding light of Yeuihwan.

“Ugh!”

Under the immense pressure of the overwhelming magical power, which felt as though it were crushing his soul, Zho Hwi barely managed to hold onto his consciousness as he entered the spirit realm of Yeohyehwan.

Soon, a vast space unfolded before Zho Hwi’s eyes, incomparable to the ethereal realm of Uicheonhyeolok.

As the radiant power of the Yeohyehwan gradually faded, Zho Hwi hurriedly began inspecting the interior of the spirit realm.

“Hmm…”

In the sky of the spirit realm, countless flames of souls were floating in the boundless sky.

Zho Hwi instinctively knew that all of those souls were the humans consumed by Jang Sam Bong.

He could feel the vivid and desperate emotions they emitted.

Having lost their physical and spiritual forms, they could no longer reincarnate.

They were condemned to float aimlessly in this meaningless space, awaiting the slow dissolution of their very essence over countless eons.

Having experienced such a profound loneliness, a volcanic rage surged within Zho Hwi.

At that moment, footsteps approached.

Zho Hwi immediately recognized the figures.

“You!” he exclaimed.

The deep blue coronet wrapped around their heads signified the presence of Uicheon Jeonja.

The elderly figure surrounded by misty clouds, using ancient immortal techniques, was undoubtedly the Muchen Dojin.

And the final figure—the Honsema, a demonic presence—loomed over the entire spirit realm.

The overwhelming magical aura of Honsema enveloped the realm, sending chills down Zho Hwi’s spine.

He was in utter shock.

The fact that Uicheon Jeonja and Muchen Dojin’s spiritual and physical forms were intact meant that they had not been consumed by Honsema.

Could it be that they had willingly merged with Honsema’s power?

“Master, we greet you,” Uicheon Jeonja said, bowing respectfully.

Zho Hwi pointed towards the countless soul flames drifting in the sky of the spirit realm.

“Why did you commit such a wicked act?”

Uicheon Jeonja adjusted his coronet and laughed.

“Don’t you understand yet, Master?”

Muchen Dojin sat down in a cross-legged position on the ground.

“It is all your karma.”

Honsema also seated himself proudly, though his nervousness was palpable.

“This is the only way to ‘deny’ your existence.”

Zho Hwi was taken aback by their demeanor, as if they had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

“Master. Your endless struggle has always been born from your own desires,” Uicheon Jeonja said with a tone of certainty, as though he knew the entire history of the Constellation Wars.

Zho Hwi stared at them, confused and disoriented.

“How do you know…?”

Muchen Dojin sighed deeply.

“Hah, you may think your human love is pure and true, but no—it is just desire.”

Uicheon Jeonja also calmly sat down.

“Look. You were the one who ignored the will of the constellations from the very beginning. You are the one who disregarded the laws and order. Do you truly not understand how many things were sacrificed in the name of your self-righteousness to protect humanity?”

Zho Hwi finally understood their true identity as he looked at the former disciples who were speaking about cosmic secrets tied to him.

“You…” he whispered, realizing the truth.

They did not deny it.

“Yes,” they said.

“The Master’s guesses were not wrong.”

They were not mere disciples—these beings were incarnations of the very Creators that the constellations longed to reach.

Their encounter during the era of Dalma was not by Zho Hwi’s choice, but part of their plan from the start.

It was all part of a thorough scheme designed for today.

Zho Hwi sneered.

“To exert the will of a Creator over the material world where lower beings live! This is an act that directly contradicts the ‘laws of the universe’ that you yourselves created!”

Muchen Dojin laughed loudly.

“Hahaha! So, are you going to stand by and allow the dimension you created to face extinction?”

“Extinction?” Zho Hwi echoed, confused.

Uicheon Jeonja shouted sternly.

“Many of the constellations have defied the laws, invading the material realms of lower beings! You must know the punishment that awaits those who deny the laws! Will you truly just watch as the universe is destroyed?”

The annihilation of all constellations—this was a cosmic disaster far beyond the extinction of humanity.

Even the Creators could not predict what calamity would unfold if the constellations were wiped out.

***

“Look, Zho Hwi, the one who denies existence!”

As Uicheon Jeonja invoked his powers, the sky of the spirit realm began to reflect a giant copper mirror, showing another place.

It was the Middle Plains, the area where Zho Hwi’s allies were facing off against the Constellation Legions—specifically, the Great Tomb of Tian Mountain.

“There are far more constellations there than the humans you cherish! Do you truly think they are of no value to you?”

The sky over Tian Mountain was filled with constellations, blackening the heavens and casting the entire area into pitch darkness.

The number of constellations was beyond reckoning.

Uicheon Jeonja pointed towards the human forces, which were a mere fraction in comparison.

“Why is it that ‘the human flame’ is considered the highest value in the universe? The constellations too are brilliant beings, who through endless talent and passion, have reached the ranks of the creators, shining brightly in the universe’s blessings!”

Zho Hwi’s burning gaze locked onto Uicheon Jeonja.

“I have never denied the worth of the constellations. I simply despise the ‘law of superiority and inferiority’ that you created.”

Muchen Dojin sighed heavily.

“A universe without the law of superiority and inferiority cannot be sustained. Can there be order in the universe without galaxies commanding clusters, without stars leading planets?”

Zho Hwi also recognized that he could not entirely deny the law of superiority and inferiority that permeated the material world.

In the human world, the law of “survival of the fittest” was still at play.

Plants consumed microorganisms as nourishment.

Herbivores consumed plants to survive.

And ultimately, carnivores fed on the herbivores.

To deny the law of survival of the fittest would be to deny humanity, who stood at the top of that food chain.

Zho Hwi also understood the dangers of chaos that would unfold if the law of superiority and inferiority was abolished.

However, what he opposed was how the constellations applied that law—through their “games” and “pleasures.”

“Yes, the law of superiority and inferiority can operate between the constellations and the lower beings. They have earned it. But should you allow them to toy with their subordinates, playing games with them? Who will save the souls of those lower beings whose lives are ravaged by their ‘games’? Do you truly believe that their ‘play’ and ‘mischief’ should be allowed under the law of superiority and inferiority?”

The incarnations of the Creators did not show even a hint of hesitation at Zho Hwi’s words.

“Look.”

Soon, a familiar underground gambling ring appeared in the sky of the spirit realm. It resembled a common “dog fighting arena” or “cockfighting ring” in the central plains.

Blood was splattering as fighting dogs bared their teeth and snarled at each other, while fighting cocks with razor-sharp beaks relentlessly tore at each other’s flesh.

The faces of the humans in the fighting ring were full of excitement, joy, anger, and hatred as they watched the bloodshed. Mu Cheondo slowly scanned their faces.

“Why do you not punish the humans for their amusements?”

The voice of Yi Cheonjonja (the Heavenly Master) was coldly persistent, as he looked at Cho Hwi with a noble expression.

“Do you not see the contradiction of the law, when a Creator-born being, born of these dogs and chickens, stands before you to speak of it?”

“Humans…!”

Cho Hwi was about to argue that humans were the most intelligent beings, but he closed his mouth tightly.

At the moment he would try to assert humanity’s uniqueness, his reasoning would echo the same as the logic of the Creator’s avatars protecting the celestial beings. It was paradoxical; his own logic would unknowingly support theirs.

“To us, the humans you wish to protect and the celestial beings are equal. They all live under the law and seek to be reincarnated again.”

Mu Cheondo stepped forward, casting a deep gaze at Cho Hwi.

“Let them go. We can no longer allow your will to protect humanity while denying the laws of the universe.”

The fiery gaze of Honsema, the demon-like being, burned fiercely at Cho Hwi.

“Give it up. The more you try to protect humans, the greater the cosmic disaster will be. Your path will lead only to endless struggles and destruction.”

Cho Hwi’s somewhat tired gaze turned toward the countless souls floating in the spirit realm.

“What if I continue to refuse to accept the celestial beings’ amusement?”

Honsema’s firm voice rang out.

“As planned, you will perish along with this spirit realm. We will not mediate between the celestial beings and the humans confronting them. The celestial beings will perish for violating the laws, and humanity will be punished for awakening through forbidden means, leading to their extinction.”

Cho Hwi’s Dalma Jin-Gyeong, the “Neuralink Chip,” which he had perfected through advanced human science, was seen as an abomination by the Creator’s avatars as it violated the “absolute nature of time.”

Though they spoke of humanity’s sins, they were essentially blaming Cho Hwi for the situation.

Cho Hwi, deep in thought, realized that they wanted him to sever all ties to reincarnation and return to the realm of the celestial beings for self-reflection. They wanted him to either join them in correcting the cosmic order or sever his love for humanity.

But, was that the right thing to do?

If he disappeared, humans would remain as toys for the celestial beings, sometimes corrupted, sometimes in despair, contemplating their doomed fates.

Yet, he could not refute the “logic of the dogfighting ring” shown by the avatars of the Creators. They insisted that the law of superiority and inferiority, firmly rooted in the natural order of the universe, could not be denied.

Just then, cracks suddenly appeared in the sky of the spirit realm, and familiar voices echoed through the air.

“Nuah!”

“Master!”

“Siddhartha!”

“Cho Hwi!”

It was Yeowa and Jin Gahui, who had exhausted their Tianyo power and were desperately widening the cracks.

Jaecheon Daeseong, holding a huge Yeowibong staff, was supporting the cracks with all his strength, while Namgung Jangho and Yeom Sangrok, clinging to their whips, squeezed into the spirit realm.

“These crazy bastards…!” Cho Hwi exclaimed.

How dare they enter this realm?

This dangerous spirit realm had been created by the Creator’s avatars. No matter how much they had awakened, they were not capable of handling this realm.

Yeowa, Jaecheon Daeseong, and Dan Cheonyang seemed to have sacrificed their entire beings to enter the spirit realm.

Tears flowed uncontrollably from Cho Hwi’s eyes.

This was why.

These were the good humans who would give their lives without hesitation for the ones they wanted to protect.

They knew the value of fate more than any other lower species in the universe, and they possessed the brilliant courage and will to never bow to any danger.

That was why Cho Hwi loved them and wanted to protect them.

Their endless passion, their burning flame, was something he wanted to watch forever.

“Ahhh!”

“Oh no!”

As Cho Hwi looked up at his comrades falling toward the spirit realm as if they were coming to embrace him, he smiled brightly.

In that instant, a divine cosmic language spilled from Cho Hwi’s lips.

Soon, the three avatars of the Creators nodded in satisfaction.

Yi Cheonjonja’s soft whisper echoed:

“I accept.”

The comrades who were falling through the crack in the sky were about to collide with Cho Hwi.

However, instead of landing in the spirit realm, they found themselves on the vast plains of Cheonsan.

Bang! Thud!

“Ah!”

“Ugh! What’s going on?”

Yeom Sangrok, rolling in the snow, scrambled up and looked around.

“What… What’s happening?”

The celestial beings who had lined up endlessly in the sky were suddenly gone.

With the celestial beings’ disappearance, sunlight once again bathed Cheonsan, and the humans gathered in the plains stared up at the sky in a daze.

Namgung Jangho, having reverted from his giant awakened form, approached Jin Gahui.

“What happened?”

Jin Gahui, standing where Cho Hwi had been, silently wept.

She gazed at the radiant light showering down on them and smiled sadly.

“Can’t you feel it?”

Only Yeowa, the divine being of the Three Emperors, could sense it.

A massive divine blessing enveloped all of humanity.

“What do you mean?” Namgung Jangho asked. “Where is Cho Hwi?”

“He made a deal with the great beings, and in return…”

“A deal?”

“A price?”

When Cho Hwi’s comrades tilted their heads, Jin Gahui did not answer.

She couldn’t.

***

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fireworks exploded in the air, and thick smoke billowed up as people from the Po Yang Lake area gathered like clouds on the main road.

“Is that the Choga Cheonsang Bokhapru?”

“Oh my! How many floors does that even have?!”

The grandeur of the massive building complex was overwhelming, to the point of being almost suffocating!

The ten-story buildings built along the Po Yang Lake shore provided a shock to the people of the Central Plains that was greater than even seeing a heavenly landscape.

Around the buildings were beautifully decorated flower gardens.

Large ponds, pathways, squeaky waterwheels turning slowly, and all kinds of machinery powered by their water!

If there is a heavenly realm, this place seemed like it could be it.

As the people of Po Yang Lake stared blankly at the Choga Cheonsang Bokhapru complex, noisy voices began to be heard from somewhere.

“Hey! The first building is ours, the Peng family! We have a promise from Chairman Jo Hui!”

“What are you talking about! Lord So Geom Shin clearly promised the first building to our Tang family! Look at the contract!”

“What?!”

The contract with the seal of the Jo Gadae Sanghoe was examined, and Peng Yulcheon, the King of the Infinite Sword from the Hebei Peng family, became furious.

“How dare you! What do you take me for, the King of the Infinite Sword?!”

At that moment…

“Unmeasurable Buddha, what’s with this grudge?”

The illustrious figure of the Taoist priest, Qingxu Zhenzi from the Mount Wudang, arrived in a stylish rider jacket.

Though his attire, with a rider jacket on top and Taoist robe pants below, seemed somewhat comical, his expression was solemn beyond measure.

He then held out a letter from Jo Hui to Tang Jiazu Du Longzhi.

“See, the Jo Gadae Sanghoe and Mount Wudang have had a long secret agreement.”

“What is this?”

“Take a look. It’s clearly stated that the first building belongs to Mount Wudang, as he promised.”

“What?!”

The confusion escalated!

Zheng Yun, who was overseeing the completion ceremony, shivered in disbelief as he watched this absurd scene.

“These bastards!”

The empty promises that Jo Hui had made while dealing with the major factions of the Central Plains were now coming back as terrifying bills, all coming to him.

Jang Il-ryong, with his pot-like hands but delicate fingers, gently placed his hand on Zheng Yun’s shoulder.

“Heh heh, my older brother promised me the top floor too.”

“What, what did you say?!”

The top floor of the Choga Cheonsang Bokhapru was a palace-like mansion made of the finest materials, a duplex structure.

The top floor, boasting numerous luxurious amenities, was already fully booked for royals or those of equivalent status.

“No way! Do you know how much that costs?”

Jang Il-ryong’s face twisted in anger.

“Dammit, are we doing this to each other?”

Namgung Jang-ho’s younger sister, Namgung Soso, laughed and crossed her arms in front of Zheng Yun.

“This is the house my older brother and I will live in, so how can it not be?”

“What, what did you say?”

Jang Il-ryong scratched the back of his head.

“Well, that’s how it is.”

“Damn…”

Namgung Soso glared at Zheng Yun viciously.

“If it can’t be done, we have no choice. I’ll tell grandpa…”

“AAAHHH!”

With a desperate scream, Zheng Yun ran out of the hall.

Far away on the roof, Jin Ga-hee, who had been watching the scene, gazed at the coldly blue sky of Po Yang Lake.

“May you remain in peace forever.”

Somewhere,

Throughout his life, he would love humanity.

Under his sacrifice and protection, the humans living in the distant future would remain in peace forever.