章 368: Chapter 368
"…Hmm, that's rather bland."
Gilgamesh crossed his legs.
Unlike before when he was bound by Dongbang Sak's sword, he was now sitting leisurely on a golden throne, watching the play of humanity.
"Dongbang Sak. It seems you have a lot on your mind. Can't you go somewhere else now?"
"Why, what are you planning to do?"
"What do I plan to do? Didn't the Martial God urgently permit it? He told me to assist in the evolution of humanity."
"…"
At those words, Dongbang Sak's hand, which had been stroking his beard, stopped.
Evolution of humanity.
The storm that Seong Jihan had caused was indeed affecting even Tuseong.
'I never guessed the Martial God would be interested in the evolution of humanity.'
Dongbang Sak recalled a recent event.
As usual, while he was monitoring Gilgamesh with his sword at his neck.
-Humanity is evolving…!?
Gilgamesh, who was watching BattleTube while being restrained, suddenly got shocked.
-Dongbang Sak, this is not the time for this. We must help them evolve!
-Help them evolve? Why should we help? We've become Constellations long ago. There would be no change for us even if humanity evolves, from the lowest-tier to the lower-tier.
Even if humanity changed from the lowest to the lower-tier, for those who had already become Constellations, there wouldn't be any drastic change.
Dongbang Sak continued, looking at Gilgamesh as if asking why the fuss.
-And don't even think about influencing the surface world. It's what the Martial God wants, for you not to meddle unnecessarily.
-Still harping on about the Martial God's command… Alright. If the Martial God retracts his command, you wouldn't interfere, would you?
-If the Martial God withdraws his command, I will follow. But what are the chances that the Martial God, who is in slumber, would do so?
-Hehe… just wait and see.
The restrained Gilgamesh laughed confidently, and not long after.
[Gilgamesh is permitted to assist in humanity's evolution. Dongbang Sak, do not prevent him from using his powers on the surface world. However, his power must only be used to aid in evolution.]
The Martial God, having sealed the third disciple and in slumber, had directly voiced his permission for this matter.
Thus, Gilgamesh, could now issue a Constellation's command on the surface world.
He watched the human players on BattleTube performing, and smirked.
"There's a command to 'Sacrifice the lesser for the greater', and they are following it so well. I just want to watch their noble efforts, but it's not fun with a watcher by my side."
"Even if you say that, I have no intention of leaving. The Constellation's command you used… you could easily twist it to exert influence on the surface world."
"Hehe… Didn't you see that my tower has shrunk? I used too much power with this command. Surely, I can keep a little benefit for myself."
The Tower of Babel, which had been split in half by Dongbang Sak,
Ever since the Constellation's command was issued, had shrunk to more than half its original size.
It meant that the buff, maintaining its effect for 7 days on the 500 human players, demanded a significant price.
"Anyway, you also have something to gain if humanity evolves, isn't that why you stepped in? Just enjoy your petty profits from there."
"And that's why… must you really keep monitoring me?"
"Yes."
Dongbang Sak, while saying this, drew his sword and silently stared at it.
Gilgamesh looked at him and frowned.
'How annoying. This is really going to end with just helping them.'
While the main objective was certainly the evolution of humanity,
Gilgamesh had a lot to gain by being the king of humanity if this was successful.
However,
Since he had already used power, it would have been preferable to utilize it in a way that benefited him more.
But, with Dongbang Sak not even sleeping and vigilantly watching by his side, it looked difficult to properly use the Constellation's command.
'I wish something would happen that could take him away for a while…'
Even as Gilgamesh watched the play of human athletes in the evolution area through the projected screen, he continued to side-eye Dongbang Sak.
* * *
In the outskirts of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation, within a crumbling world, lay Kang Sang, bisected and lying on the ground, yet sounding more energetic than ever.
"Don't just watch as the Taiji expands! It's a martial technique you unfolded. Why keep observing?"
"I am trying."
"To harness the swordsmanship from Taiji, you must control the Taiji first. You can't forge the Taiji Swordsmanship without the foundation. Start by collecting the Taiji; didn't I teach you the method?"
'I did tell him, though.'
Regulating the Yin and Yang energies forming the Taiji,
Kang Sang had explained it rather kindly.
Instead of balancing the Yin and Yang energies at 50:50, he advised to first empower the Yin to 90, then switch and empower the Yang to 90, suggesting an intentional disruption of their balance.
'It seems like disrupting the balance of Yin and Yang would actually cause the Taiji to expand more…'
At first, Seong Jihan hesitated, wondering if it would really work.
'If it keeps expanding like this, just do it.'
As the Taiji grew uncontrollably large, he decided to give it a try.
Following Kang Sang's advice, when he manipulated the energies,
Ssss…
The endlessly expanding Taiji stopped growing at a certain point.
Seeing this, Kang Sang spoke in a satisfied tone.
"Hmm… now it's not expanding anymore. Why were you just watching until now? Ah. Don't tell me. You knew how but you were teasing me?"
"Teasing? What are you talking about?"
"It's incomprehensible that a powerful fighter intending to use the Taiji doesn't even understand this basic concept."
"It's a martial art that fell from the sky. I really don't know much about it. So, what should I do next?"
"It dropped from the sky…? Oh well, that's unusual. Still, admitting ignorance and seeking teaching is a good attitude."
Although Kang Sang's face didn't entirely show agreement, he was ready to cooperate to destroy the fragments of the World Tree that were about to emerge into the world.
"Even with the power of Taiji, most things would get absorbed and destroyed, but that abomination would survive within. You must draw out the Swordsmanship from the void of Wuji within the Taiji to obliterate its soul."
"The Swordsmanship Wuji… Is that what constitutes the Taiji Swordsmanship?"
"Indeed. Here, I've only thought of it theoretically and haven't executed it. It's hard to explain just by words…"
As for how to draw out the swordsmanship, current Kang Sang had only conceptualized and not implemented it.
After pondering how to instruct,
"Take this."
Kang Sang threw the staff he had been using at Seong Jihan.
Whirl!
The staff transformed into a whip mid-air and was caught by Seong Jihan as if sucked into his hand, moving like a live snake.
"Compress the Taiji, and place the The Two Divine Aspects inside. Then you can mimic the Taiji Swordsmanship."
"The Two Divine Aspects…"
"The Two Divine Aspects is an artifact I created to obliterate souls, but it lacked the power to eliminate that abomination. However, it might be different if it gains power within the Taiji…"
After passing the The Two Divine Aspects, Kang Sang's voice gradually became fainter.
In response, Seong Jihan briefly looked back, seeing his body slowly fading.
"Did you imbue all your strength into the The Two Divine Aspects?"
"It's a chance to eliminate the abomination, so naturally… Although it seems absurd to entrust this task to you who shattered the formation, please take care of the aftermath."
Ssss…
With those final words, Kang Sang's body disintegrated into dust.
Silently witnessing this, Seong Jihan placed the writhing The Two Divine Aspects into the Taiji.
Then,
The pattern of Taiji, divided into Yin and Yang, all gathered towards the Two Divine Aspects.
The entire whip started to crack abruptly.
Rapidly converging energies of Yin and Yang,
'The Two Divine Aspects acts as a catalyst, uniting the divided Taiji into one…'
Overwhelmed by the flow within it, Seong Jihan realized,
Although Kang Sang had been defeated due to lacking strength, his understanding of martial principles was inherently unapproachable.
'If our strengths were equal, I would have been utterly crushed.'
It was only possible to fight equally in the simulations of the Void Training Room and not against the real Kang Sang.
If it had happened in reality, he would have been defeated long ago.
Such depth in martial principles contained within a human,
Really, could he be considered anything but a Martial God…?
While Seong Jihan felt a sense of defeat as a martial artist,
'…I can't miss this chance. Let's focus on learning.'
He set aside stray thoughts and concentrated solely on the flow of energy caused by the Two Divine Aspects.
The Taiji converging into a single point,
Within it, the Two Divine Aspects was destroyed.
A sword was created in its place.
Unable to comprehend what he saw and felt, the movement within the void of Wuji,
'This is…'
A white sword was revealed.
Imperfect and nowhere near the Taiji Sword Dongbang Sak had used, and even smaller, about the size of a dagger.
But it was certainly a Taiji Sword as pursued by the Taiji Swordsmanship.
And then,
As the white sword flickered once,
Light emitted darkness.
The world, engulfed in darkness in an instant,
The sealed fragment of the World Tree was no exception.
Zing, Ziiiing…!
Unlike everything else that had vanished instantly under the darkness emitted by the Taiji Swordsmanship,
The fragment of the World Tree put up a resistance by emitting a green light.
But that resistance was short-lived.
The World Tree was engulfed by darkness.
[The 'Sealed Fragment of the World Tree-1' has completely disappeared.]
A system message emerged above it.
* * *
'…I'm back underwater.'
Seong Jihan looked around.
At the bottom of the West Sea, where a small pattern of the Myriad Ghost Sealing Gods was drawn.
Seeming to have been re-summoned here after the exteriors of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation collapsed.
'The exterior of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation in the Myriad Ghost Sealing Gods has indeed disappeared…'
The outer part of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation had completely vanished.
As Seong Jihan keenly observed this,
[Due to the destruction of the sealed World Tree, a path leading to the inner sanctum is being recreated. Currently under recreation…]
A system message appeared in front of him.
'This seems to be regenerating slower than before. It'll probably take at least a month.'
Would it then take a month to enter the inner sanctum?
Seong Jihan gazed pensively at the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation.
He came here to acquire the Eternity stat but ended up unexpectedly receiving teachings on the Taiji Swordsmanship.
'The problem is that even after being taught, I don't understand it.'
Although revered as an overwhelmingly powerful entity by humanity, every time Seong Jihan contemplated Dongbang Sak's martial principles, he felt as if he turned into an idiot.
How could a human be capable of such feats?
Then,
[From the destroyed World Tree, some power is absorbed.]
[Your 'Eternity' stat increases by 7.]
'Oh, 7?'
Perhaps because the World Tree was completely eradicated, the Eternity that had been increasing by one at a time had suddenly jumped by seven.
'This means I've achieved the goal I came here for.'
He wasn't expecting much Eternity stat gain, thinking he wouldn't be able to complete the domination code.
But with an additional increase by 7, now even the latter characters are feasible to write.
'Then it's time to go back.'
Despite the complications, the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation had been fruitful, allowing him to return with much gained.
Seong Jihan returned to the BattleNet center with a refreshed mind.
'It's already morning.'
Had it been that long since he was inside the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation?
Seong Jihan watched the sunrise as he reached the center.
'Today, I need to eliminate the Constellation's Command and start with Constellation sponsorships.'
While the effects of the Constellation's Command buff were beneficial, Gilgamesh's influence could not be left unchecked.
With that in mind, Seong Jihan moved towards the area with the BattleNet connectors.
"Oh… Se, Seong Jihan sir!?"
"You're finally here!"
'Finally?'
Didn't he just see them yesterday? Why such a grand welcome?
Perplexed, Seong Jihan entered.
Then,
"Uncle…! Where were you?"
Yoon Seah suddenly bolted out from amongst the people.
"Why? What happened in just one day?"
"One day…? It's been 5 days since uncle disappeared!"
"Five days?"
Seong Jihan's eyes widened at her words.
Could time have been distorted inside the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation?
"Oh no… What about the win rate, the win rate?"
As Seong Jihan asked with a serious expression, Yoon Seah blinked.
"The win rate… it's 70%."
"…Is it?"
What?
'It's over then…'
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