Chapter 189: Chapter 187

Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

As Xiang Yu‘s colossal power slammed down on Dalgi, a volcanic heat surged through his entire being. The force Xiang Yu summoned was so immense that my body couldn’t contain it, feeling as if it might burn away. As an observer trapped in the corner of consciousness, I instinctively knew Xiang Yu‘s strength was something entirely different. After all, he wielded such power even while severely weakened in vitality and energy.

Ku-whaaaang!

Xiang Yu’s momentum split the mountains twice over. A massive gash was carved into the earth, while Dalgi, who had until now been untouchable, became a mere puddle of blood. Struggling in a pool of her own azure blood, Dalgi cried out,

[I am empowered by ‘that being’! I will not be subdued by a mere Fate Decider!!]

It sounded almost like a spell, each of her words wrapping her form in a magical glow. It seemed like she intended to invoke the forbidden technique of the Absolute Teachings mentioned by Jeom So-i.

“Die!”

But Xiang Yu disregarded Dalgi‘s flailing attempts and struck her down with all his might.

Crackle!

Thunder roared as the ground shifted. Hundreds of layers of magical defense surrounding Dalgi disintegrated in a single kick. As her body soared up, battered and bruised, Dalgi screamed,

[Aaah… this is the Great Sky‘s protection…]

Thud! Thud…

With that final scream, Dalgi halted her movements altogether.

My consciousness, shared with Xiang Yu, allowed me to feel his intuition as a warrior. Dalgi, unable to maintain her physical form, was attempting to extract her soul and flee.

[A blessing from the Fate Decider… How absurd!!]

While it seemed Dalgi‘s magical prowess was tremendous, she appeared utterly powerless against Xiang Yu. Perhaps it was due to the weight of the Great Sky‘s protection binding her.

Xiang Yu smiled coldly and reached out his hand.

“You can’t escape.”

The moment his hand extended and grasped, the empty space beyond was ensnared, emitting an overwhelming darkness that surged forth like black smoke. Xiang Yu’s strength, preventing Dalgi‘s escape, was unfathomable.

Dalgi’s soul cried,

[Is there truly such a coincidence in this world? Can a being like you be empowered in existence since creation?! And how can there be a coincidence that encompasses the Great Sky‘s protection?!]

It felt more like a lament to me. Even Dalgi, recognized as an absolute demon king, seemed bewildered by Xiang Yu’s strong resurgence. Xiang Yu replied in a deep voice,

“Die.”

[Kahaha… I will not forget this… Xiang Yu…]

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In that moment, Xiang Yu‘s ruthless fist crashed down, obliterating Dalgi’s wicked spirit into shards. As the black smoke dispersed, Xiang Yu’s cold visage flicked across my vision. He remained suspended in the air for a moment before descending to the ground.

Without further ado, Xiang Yu

pulled out the Flying Bear from my possession.

Whoosh!

Using the Flying Bear, Xiang Yu effortlessly teleported to the Imperial Palace. I was left confused as to why he suddenly appeared there, completely ignoring the fact that he could use the Flying Bear. As Xiang Yu walked calmly, seemingly talking to himself, he said,

“I came to clean up.”

Was he speaking to me?

Despite my efforts to pry into his thoughts, Xiang Yu continued to march silently forward. The moment he materialized inside the palace, the nearby Golden Eagle Guards drew their swords and cried out,

“Stop!”

“A suspicious individual! Kill him!!”

In an instant, dozens of elite Golden Eagle Guards and Heavenly Hawks with remarkable martial skills surged toward him. Not to mention the Dongchang martial artists rapidly converging from afar. However, Xiang Yu didn’t draw his weapon. He simply stomped once.

Puh-puh-puh-puh!

Massacre!

No screams had the chance to escape as blood mist thickly engulfed the area. With just a single Ground-impact Technique, all living beings within a fifty-zhang radius were obliterated. Amidst the storm of blood, Xiang Yu walked forward without a single droplet of blood on him.

Soon, two of the Imperial Palace’s Guard Corps appeared before Xiang Yu: the Golden Eagle Guards‘ commander, the White Tiger, and Xuanwu and Dongchang’s commander, Hwan-ya. They looked pale with terror as they beheld Xiang Yu.

“A… a monster.”

“I shall show you the power bestowed by the extramundane beings.”

Swish!

“Demon Transformation!”

The Golden Eagle Guards‘ commander and Hwan-ya suddenly underwent a transformation. They didn’t turn into mindless beasts but appeared as a blend of human and monster, retaining their reason. Yet the fearsome speed at which they rushed at Xiang Yu could rival Jin So-cheong’s backstab technique.

“Raaaargh!”

It was an overwhelming amalgamation of power and speed. As transformed beings, they attacked at a speed reminiscent of Jin So-cheong, encroaching on a threshold already unattainable for ordinary humans.

‘Could it be that upon mastering the alien arts, the commander fully gains the power of a demon?’

I recalled the prior Commander becoming progressively stronger over time. Probably, until his abilities were completely mastered, he would remain in an imperfect monstrous state. And once fully realized, he’d possess a grotesque power that melded both humans and beasts. The notion that the palace shouldn’t be left unattended echoed true from Mangnyang‘s warnings.

But—it was futile.

Crack!

As the two palace experts attacked, Xiang Yu’s fists swiftly obliterated their necks. Despite their broken understanding of power and speed, they appeared as nothing more than children before him. When the decapitated bodies of the two warriors slammed against the wall, Xiang Yu shook off excess blood and resumed his march.

Thud…

As he continued forward, three Portrait Figures stood before him. They seemed to be newly forged versions of the ones we once stole, with emotionless faces staring back at him.

The white-haired youth among the figures waved his hand.

“Die!”

In the next moment, Xiang Yu

exterminated all three Portrait Figures in a single motion.

“Ugh…”

With one swift twist of two necks and a decisive strike to the heart of the white-haired youth, blood gushed forth. And Xiang Yu coldly remarked,

“Such abilities do not work on me.”

“It… seems that way… you monster…”

As the Portrait Figure’s head was sent to the ground, Xiang Yu pulled his hand away and moved forward again. It was apparent that despite having invoked their ability, everything was utterly disregarded by Xiang Yu.

Thud

Thud

I felt a chill watching Xiang Yu walk, reading his emotions and momentum. Despite killing countless humans, he felt neither guilt nor remorse—only a mere annoyance, like swatting at pests. Even if an innocent stood in his path, they would likely be treated with the same disregard as a villain.

No martial expert, even one tempered through countless battles, could possess such a mental state. He seemed to see any opposition as nothing more than bugs to crush underfoot, devoid of any human emotional nuance. It was eerie to witness such a complete severance from any emotional flow.

Finally, Xiang Yu reached the emperor’s throne room. The emperor, seated upon his throne, gazed at Xiang Yu weakly and said,

“I never imagined Dalgi would lose…”

Xiang Yu seemed to realize who he was. His eyebrows twitched as he spoke,

“End your life.”

Zing!

The dagger hurled from Xiang Yu’s hand embedded itself near the emperor’s ear. The emperor slowly extracted the dagger and said,

“Thank you for your consideration. But may I know your name before I die?”

Xiang Yu answered coldly,

“Xiang Yu.”

Upon hearing that name, the emperor trembled and shuddered. He then let out a wry smile.

“Truly… an honor.”

Thud.

Finally, the emperor plunged the dagger into his own neck and committed suicide. Blood gushed forth, but he remained seated on the throne until the end. As his bloodied body slumped across the throne, Xiang Yu withdrew the dagger from the emperor’s neck.

“…”

As Xiang Yu laid waste to the Imperial Palace in an instant, he raised the Flying Bear once again.

Whoosh!

This time, Xiang Yu teleported to Ganghwa Island, a sacred place in Goryeo where the Moon Luminary was sealed. He stepped settled silently into the vault, promptly retrieving the Moon Luminary from its confinement.

Rumble rumble…

As anticipated, a great vibration echoed from outside, heralding the awakening of the guardian of the Moon Luminary. Soon, the formidable guardian would show itself. Confused as to Xiang Yu’s intent, I felt turmoil inside, but he turned to me and spoke,

“You feel relieved now, don’t you?”

What on earth was he talking about?

“Whether I offer blood to the altar or not, retrieving the Moon Luminary will awaken its guardian.”

So, you went all the way here just to tell me that?

“Correct.”

Having said that, Xiang Yu transitioned to a neighboring mountain region. Eventually, a colossal flash summoned the guardian of the Moon Luminary, its enormous form resembling Izanagi no Mikoto roared into existence.

ROOOAR!

Xiang Yu gazed at the guardian with an expressionless face, preparing to charge.

Kaboom!

It was nothing more than a body slam. However, upon receiving Xiang Yu‘s strike, the guardian staggered as a gaping hole formed in its side. The guardian, like a giant tree ripped from its roots, struggled to stabilize itself before suddenly summoning hundreds of energy beams to bombard Xiang Yu.

Kaboom! Kaboom!

Even in the wake of this destruction, Xiang Yu chose not to dodge. He swung his fist to retaliate. The beams returned, colliding with the guardian, which subsequently self-destructed.

With the explosion of thousands of rays, the guardian was reduced to mere fragments. Xiang Yu flew gracefully through the chaos, seemingly unfazed by any damage, suddenly diverting his course towards a specific spot. He had discovered something lying on the ground where Izanagi no Mikoto had dematerialized.

He bent down and picked up the object. It appeared to be a black gemstone, resembling obsidian. Looking around, he muttered,

“How intriguing.”

What could possibly be intriguing about it?

But without a single explanation, Xiang Yu activated the Flying Bear once again. This time, he arrived at a site littered with grotesque rock formations. It resembled a remote mountain range steeped in dampness and chill.

As he walked to the mountain’s summit, he remarked,

“This will be my last.”

What did he mean by ‘last’?

“My blessing ensures that you may tread the path of conquest with ease, granting any wishes you hold should you die.”

……!!

Could it be that my progress in conquest was aided by Xiang Yu’s blessing? Also, I realized for the first time that he took over my body only after his death. As I tried to piece this together, Xiang Yu continued speaking.

“I never expected to battle Dalgi, but it was entertaining. Thus, I will impart one last gift before I depart.”

But what more could he teach me? I was already dead, after all! What significance could that hold?

“You cannot see the Seal of Oblivion. Hence, the probability of your reincarnation is significantly high.”

Seal of Oblivion? What’s that?

“Every Fate Decider is marked by a seal to forget when entering the cycle of reincarnation. However, every once in a while, that seal fades away or simply doesn’t exist. Those individuals would reincarnate with their memories intact.”

After explaining, Xiang Yu added,

“We’ve almost arrived.”

The summit was utterly tranquil, the air thin. In this silent mountain place, darkness blanketed while streams of light coursed through it. A stable spiritual energy enveloped this tranquil place like a sanctuary.

Standing there, Xiang Yu said,

“This is the place between heaven and earth—where the paths to both are closed.”

This spot is where Zhuanxu, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, sealed the heavens?

“Indeed.”

Thud

Thud

“I’m not certain, but this place seems heavily guarded among the Immortals. Usually, mere mortals can never wander here, and even sorcerers will face dismemberment if detected by the Immortals.”

Why would the Immortals resort to such extreme measures?

“Immortals are merely spiritual entities. To me, they are no different than those extraterrestrial beings.”

As Xiang Yu critiqued the celestial realm, he relaxed on a nearby stone. Slowly, he reclined, muttering,

“Well then, take care.”

Simultaneously, Xiang Yu’s spirit detached from my body, ascending among the clouds in the realm above. It seemed he had come to the Heavenly Realm effortlessly. Meanwhile, my body, revived by his strength, felt fatigue wash over me.

With the energy draining from my limbs, sleepy thoughts crept in. A soft nap seemed appealing. Xiang Yu likely wished for me to succumb to a peaceful slumber.

So, I chuckled lightly,

‘Should I say thank you?’

Ah, I feel drowsy!

As consciousness faded, I drifted off into a comfortable sleep.

That marked my fourteenth death.