The Return of the Divine (5)
In the next challenge, I dismantled the formation.
Did my studies of formations at the Revival Institute make me smarter?
Not exactly. Instead, the guide provided me with a book on formations that was crucial in breaking it down. Although he claimed he couldn’t reveal the method, the book contained enough information for me to figure it out. The guide set the table, and all I had to do was eat.
I realized something important.
While the key to breaking the formation might lie within it, there was also an external method.
It was the very act of seeking to learn how to dismantle it. Asking the guide for the book was, in itself, another way to break the formation.
Thanks to this, I passed through the formation without expending any internal energy. By the time I cleared the sixth gate, I still had more than two-thirds of my energy left.
The seventh gate awaited with twenty demon soldiers.
They were skilled in the art of combined techniques.
This gate was a test of combined techniques. Their martial prowess was on par with the leaders of the Martial Alliance. Twenty demon soldiers, each as skilled as a top-tier leader.
They weren’t opponents I could easily defeat.
As I fought, I kept reminding myself that this wasn’t the end. I pondered how to eliminate them with minimal energy expenditure.
By the third battle, I realized that using the Soul-Reaping Asura Sword Technique was far more efficient than relying on the Demon God Technique.
This gate taught me that the strongest martial art isn’t always the best solution.
Through trial and error, I gained insights at each stage.
The atmosphere in the tent was heavy.
Gal Saryang, seated at the head, remained silent for a long time. Baek Pyo waited quietly for his decision.
A day had passed since the discovery of the Celestial Egg.
Gal Saryang was still deliberating on what to do with it.
Even now, the blood within the Celestial Egg was slowly rising.
A decision had to be made.
Should they let the blood fill completely, or heed Baek Pyo’s advice?
“We can’t wait for the blood to fill completely. If it does, something terrible will happen. We can’t let that occur in the Martial Alliance’s training grounds.”
Baek Pyo’s words were convincing. Leaving it as it was would indeed lead to disaster.
Yet, Gal Saryang’s military instincts urged caution.
Why had Cheon So-seon brought it here?
Did he not expect us to dispose of it?
Unlikely. He must have anticipated that we would remove it. He wouldn’t have left it in plain sight in the middle of the Martial Alliance’s grounds without expecting it to be discovered.
Then why bring it here?
“What if it’s a trap?”
Was this deliberation itself a trap? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just remove it?
“There’s a possibility, but if it were a trap designed to explode upon tampering, why choose this method? If they had the skill to place it in the Martial Alliance’s courtyard, they could have detonated it immediately.”
That made sense.
Gal Saryang stepped outside the tent. In the distance, the Celestial Egg stood.
Cheon So-seon must have placed it there for the righteous sects to see.
As if preparing for some ritual.
Ultimately, Gal Saryang made his decision.
“Move it away from the training grounds.”
Whatever the purpose, he couldn’t let things proceed as they wished.
“Understood.”
The process of relocating the Celestial Egg began immediately. It was to be moved to a remote warehouse far from the Martial Alliance. Once there, they would work on dismantling it.
The elite warriors approached to load the Celestial Egg onto a cart.
But they couldn’t. An invisible barrier stopped them as they neared.
A subordinate rushed to report to Baek Pyo.
“An invisible barrier is blocking us.”
“What?”
Baek Pyo hurried over to confirm. Indeed, a barrier surrounded the Celestial Egg. It felt soft and elastic, like a protective shield.
“Cut it with a sword.”
“Yes.”
The warriors swung their swords.
But the blades bounced off.
“Use sword energy to break it.”
Several warriors stepped back and unleashed their sword energy.
Swish! Swish! Swoosh!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The barrier absorbed the sword energy and then repelled it.
“I’ll handle this.”
Baek Pyo stepped forward, channeling his internal energy to its limit and unleashing a powerful strike.
But the barrier absorbed the energy. It repelled ordinary force and absorbed stronger attacks.
He tried pushing against it with his body, infusing it with energy. But the barrier only flexed without tearing.
Finally, they resorted to using multiple explosive devices.
Boom!
Yet the barrier remained unscathed.
Baek Pyo returned to Gal Saryang. Having witnessed everything, no report was necessary.
“What should we do?”
Baek Pyo looked perplexed.
“Raise the alert to the Azure Dragon level.”
The Azure Dragon alert was a wartime emergency. Gal Saryang had concluded that a war had already begun.
“Evacuate all non-combatants from the Martial Alliance to other branches. Also, evacuate civilians near the main branch.”
“Understood.”
Gal Saryang gazed at the Celestial Egg, now appearing more ominous and dangerous, and spoke calmly.
“If you won’t move, then we must.”
“Finally, I’ve arrived!”
After countless attempts, I finally reached the base of the fortress.
There were thirteen gates in total.
Each gate presented a unique challenge. There were seductive demon women attempting to ensnare me with their charms, and stealthy demons using invisibility techniques. Both were masters of their craft.
Later, I had to fight a bloody battle in a labyrinth. Demons attacked relentlessly in the maze, where it was impossible to tell direction.
If not for my exceptional memory since reincarnation, I might still be wandering that maze.
There were demons wielding only swift swords, and others using heavy blades. I even faced an archery squad with skills that could turn a friendly archery club into a deadly force.
At first, I found myself repeating the same phrase over and over.
This is a crazy test!
But upon reflection, it was a trial for becoming a god. It was never meant to be easy.
In any case, I reached the fortress.
Throughout this journey, I adhered to one rule.
Always keep half of my internal energy in reserve.
Thanks to this, I stood here with half my energy intact.
I wasn’t necessarily stronger than on the first day. I had simply adapted to the test.
This battle was a fight against repetition.
I remained focused throughout the continuous battles, never growing weary of the repetition.
I always fought with all my might, constantly thinking of the most efficient way to defeat my enemies.
The greatest trap in this battle was the mental demon born from repetition.
Forget it, just do it!
Keeping half my energy? What a cowardly choice!
Trust yourself. It’s your life, after all. Trust your instincts.
This is a test to become a god. Why bother with practice? Just crush it in one blow!
These fleeting temptations were constant.
In those moments, it seemed possible, but it was really just despair from the monotony.
Fortunately, I overcame that mental demon.
Standing before the fortress gate, I hesitated.
Should I repeat the process to gather more energy?
I thought it over calmly. Perhaps I could gather a bit more energy with another attempt.
But I doubted I could stand here again with the same confidence.
I felt like I could do it. I could reach the top.
At least, this feeling wasn’t born from the mental demon.
Recognizing this might be part of the test, this feeling was more of a certainty than a temptation.
Yes, trust my judgment.
I took a deep breath, gripped the Asura King Sword, and steeled my resolve. The fate of myself and everyone waiting for me depended on this battle.
I would not lose.
As I pushed the fortress gate, it slowly began to open.
Three days had passed.
The Martial Alliance’s warriors had set up multiple layers of defense around the Celestial Egg, evacuating both the alliance’s members and nearby civilians.
Officially, it was a drill in preparation for war with the Demon Sect.
The elite warriors of the Martial Alliance, including the Demon Extermination Squad, surrounded the Celestial Egg, watching as the blood continued to rise.
Flash! Rumble.
Suddenly, thunder cracked in the clear sky, and dark clouds gathered, casting an ominous shadow as if the world was ending.
The warriors felt an involuntary shiver of fear.
The blood was nearly full.
Everyone watched tensely as it rose.
At that moment, Cheon So-seon descended from the sky. Her long robes fluttered, giving her the appearance of a goddess.
But her beautiful face was marred by an unmistakable aura of lethal intent.
“The time has come for the Blood God to descend!”
Her voice echoed powerfully, reaching even those far away. Everyone in the vicinity could hear her.
With a wave of her hand,
Whoosh.
A gust of blood-red wind blew, sending the warriors guarding the area flying backward.
Crash!
Those who hit the walls coughed up blood and died instantly.
It was an overwhelming display of power. Far beyond the strength of the Heavenly King Army that had previously invaded the Martial Alliance.
Gal Saryang ordered his men to fall back, realizing that ordinary warriors were no match for the opponent they faced. Surprisingly, this realization brought a sense of calm over him.
As he stepped forward, Baek Pyo tried to stop him.
“It’s too dangerous.”
“This is something I must do myself.”
“Let me go in your place.”
“No, you need to cover my back.”
“Then I’ll accompany you.”
Gal Saryang knew Baek Pyo would never let him go alone.
“Very well. Let’s go together.”
“Yes, sir.”
The two of them moved forward.
Cheon Soseon looked down at them with a serene smile.
“Kneel.”
But Gal Saryang did not kneel.
“I represent the Martial Alliance. As an individual, I could kneel, but as the Chief Commander, I cannot.”
Cheon Soseon flicked her finger, sending a gust of wind toward him.
Whoosh!
Bang!
Baek Pyo swung his sword to deflect the attack aimed at Gal Saryang’s knees. He managed to block it, but coughed up blood in the process.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
But Baek Pyo’s complexion was pale. The effort to block that single strike had shaken him internally.
When Cheon Soseon raised her finger again, Gal Saryang quickly knelt down.
“Very well. I will kneel.”
He pulled Baek Pyo down beside him.
-Resistance is futile.
-Understood. I will follow your lead, Commander.
Kneeling was a small price to pay. The priority was to save as many lives as possible.
Just then, unexpected figures appeared on the scene.
Song Hwarin, her father Song Wookyung, Byeok Lidan’s father Byeok Dojun, and Im Yehwa emerged.
“What are you doing here?”
Gal Saryang was shocked. They should have been safely hidden away, yet here they were in this perilous place.
But they hadn’t come of their own volition. They were already subdued, brought by Yang Sahwi.
Cheon Soseon smiled brightly at them.
“You can’t escape my sight.”
She had been the one to locate them and reveal the way through the barrier. She was now in a state between human and divine. Soon, when the Celestial Chaos opened, she would fully transform into a blood deity.
It was a pity that Byeok Lidan wasn’t present today. But the woman he loved and his parents would make excellent sacrifices. Along with the ever-annoying Yang Sahwi.
Meanwhile, the blood of the Celestial Chaos was nearly full.
“When the Celestial Chaos opens, the world’s order will change. What you believe to be good will become evil, and what you see as evil will become good. An army of a hundred thousand blood warriors will cover the world in blood.”
It was exactly as foretold in the ancient prophecy. It also signaled the end of the current world.
As the last drop of blood filled the vessel, a brilliant light burst from the Celestial Chaos. Everyone shut their eyes tightly.
Rumble!
With a deafening roar, the Celestial Chaos began to open.