Chapter 142 – Four Divine Objects

“There are a few things I want to ask.”

Whether hunting the opponent or ending things through conversation, dialogue should come first.

Lee Hanseong postponed his attack for now and initiated a conversation with Sea Serpent.

Seeing no immediate sign of attack from Lee Hanseong, Sea Serpent opened his mouth with a slightly relieved expression.

However, he hadn’t completely lowered his guard.

After all, this was someone who not only dismantled the Thirty-Six Sword Formation with just his footsteps and voice but also subdued all the Martial Artists forming the axis of the Formation.

“If this humble dragon gives you the answers you desire, will you withdraw peacefully?”

“Hmm. That depends on what answers you give.”

“…I will do my best to answer, so please ask what you wish to know.”

Sea Serpent seemed uneasy that Lee Hanseong didn’t promise safety, but he spoke without showing his inner thoughts.

Lee Hanseong activated Truth View and asked.

“Do you know where we came from?”

“…Yes. We confirmed that you emerged from the Eastern Sea, which is no longer our sea.”

As expected.

It seemed their presence had been detected by them from the moment they left the Eastern Heaven of Penglai Mountain.

“Is that all?”

“If you’re asking about my thoughts as well, I suppose you are individuals who have crossed over from the world to which our Eastern Sea has shifted.”

“Do you know about Earth?”

“Not in detail. I only vaguely sense that our Constellation has shifted to that world called Earth, and that the Haedongpa’s main palace and the Dragon King, um… Leviathan, followed and crossed over there.”

Sea Serpent added ‘Leviathan,’ perhaps thinking that just saying ‘Dragon King’ wouldn’t be understood.

“From what I hear, it seems Leviathan and the Haedongpa have already crossed over to Earth. Why are you still here?”

“Our Samdo branch is a branch that mediates between the Eastern Sea’s main palace and the Arthalian mainland. When the Eastern Sea shifted to Earth, the Samdo area where we are located was not included in that sea region.”

Well, Samdo’s location would be roughly equivalent to Tsushima Island on Earth.

It wasn’t strange that it was excluded from the sea region of the Arthalian Eastern Sea, which replaced the Japanese archipelago.

Having heard that far, Lee Hanseong revealed their true purpose.

“We intend to reverse your Eastern Sea’s erosion. Do you know anything about the source of the erosion?”

“…Hmm. I cannot be certain, but I heard that the phenomenon called erosion is something the Dragon King performed by borrowing the power of the Divine Beast Hongyi.”

“Hongyi?”

“Yes. A Divine Beast of the Dragon species, composed of a rainbow. It is said that Hongyi’s rainbow is a bridge connecting space. It can become a passage connecting two different dimensions.”

Lee Hanseong twitched his eyebrows at Hongyi’s characteristics, which sounded like a description of the Void Fairy Path.

A rainbow similar to the Path of the Fairies associated with the Wind Constellation, and also a Dragon species, a Transcendent Species of the Wheel Constellation.

Hongyi was a Divine Beast connected to both Constellations specialized in reality alteration.

“Are you saying Hongyi is the source of the erosion?”

“In my humble opinion, yes.”

Lee Hanseong inwardly agreed with Sea Serpent’s words.

A Divine Beast of that level would surely be sufficient to be the source of dimensional erosion.

“Then, where is that Hongyi?”

“I heard it is at the final gate of the Asura Three Thousand Gates.”

Asura Three Thousand Gates!

He remembered it as the place Asura mentioned.

When that guy spoke about it, Rough and Blundell were inside the cave connected to Mount Hua’s Eastern Heaven.

But since Lee Hanseong’s consciousness could broadly observe not only the senses of the possessed target but also beyond their senses, he had also perceived what Asura said.

“What kind of place is the Asura Three Thousand Gates?”

“It is a gate of Ascension created by the combined efforts of the Four Divine Beasts to produce the Martial God Asura. It is said that if a joint successor of the Four Great Martial Schools reaches the initial stage of the Profound Realm (Seven Star) and passes all three gates, they can reach the Life and Death Realm (Ten-Star).”

“Are there separate conditions for entering? Like a 7-Star Awakened who has learned the martial arts of the Four Great Martial Schools?”

“Originally, that is the case… but in fact, there is another way to enter.”

“What is it?”

Sea Serpent hesitated about whether to speak of the method, but sensing the power of Truth View that Lee Hanseong had unfurled, he judged that hiding it would be futile and revealed the method.

“It is to gather all the Divine Artifacts passed down by the Four Divine Beasts of the Four Great Martial Schools.”

Then Sea Serpent explained what the Divine Artifacts of the Four Divine Beasts were.

‘Leviathan’s Scale’

‘Fenrir’s Fang’

‘Phenex’s Feather’

‘Qliphoth’s Branch’

“And this is…”

After finishing his explanation, he took out something from his bosom that resembled a black-lustered metal.

‘Metal? No, is it a dragon scale?’

Upon checking with his Insightful Eye, he realized it was not metal but the scale of a living creature.

“That must be the Haedongpa’s Divine Artifact.”

Yes, it is the Dragon King’s Black Scale.”

Leviathan’s black Dragon Scale.

Truth View revealed a record that in the original history where Historical Alteration was not applied, the Muyeongshin Arsenal Guild had stolen it in the past, but the Four Great Martial Schools later found his secret vault and retrieved it.

“I will offer this to you, so please spare the lives of this humble dragon and my disciples.”

At the sight of Sea Serpent bowing his head and offering the Black Scale with both hands, the eyes of the subdued Haedongpa disciples wavered.

Lee Hanseong received the Black Scale and nodded with a satisfied smile.

The moment he obtained the Black Scale, the coercive force of the Geass had significantly diminished.

“Very well. Since your attitude is so sincere, all of the Haedongpa will be safe.”

Having received this much sincerity, it would be a bit much to hunt Sea Serpent as well.

Even now, he didn’t exactly feel like a robber, but since the Haedongpa side had attacked first, it was acceptable to consider it as the price for not killing them.

Thud thud.

However, staying with the Haedongpa any longer was also uncomfortable, so Lee Hanseong, having pocketed the Black Scale, immediately turned his back and went outside where his companions were waiting.

* * *

“The Sea Serpent hunt is canceled.”

“Well, that’s how it turned out.”

Having heard the entire conversation between Lee Hanseong and Sea Serpent, the other companions shifted the topic to the Divine Artifact instead of regretting the Feat they could have gained from the hunt.

“Is that the Divine Artifact?”

“Yes. It’s definitely Leviathan’s Scale.”

“Then, do we need to go get the remaining three Divine Artifacts now?”

“We have to…?”

Just as Lee Hanseong was about to answer that they would go find the remaining artifacts, Lycan suddenly came into his view.

The light point shining particularly brightly from Lycan’s fang, the closer they got to Leviathan’s Black Scale.

‘Come to think of it, they said the Western Divine Beast is Fenrir.’

Hum.

Following a sudden Intuition, he connected Lycan’s fang and Leviathan’s Black Scale with Primordial Chaos Gang Qi.

Clack.

Then, as if it were natural, the scale and fang resonated.

It proved that Lycan’s fang could substitute for Fenrir’s Moon Fang, the Divine Artifact of the Wanderers’ Association.

“This, we might not need to find three more?”

“Oh. So we only need to find two more?”

“…No, we probably don’t even need to go looking for the remaining two.”

With half of the four Divine Artifacts gathered, a way to substitute for the other two Divine Artifacts through the remaining Connection Points came to mind.

Fortunately, he had seen the Projection of Phenex summoned by the Mount Hua Sect Leader who was fighting Asura.

And as for Qliphoth, hadn’t he gained an understanding Feat of them by witnessing them directly through Hans’s eyes?

Click.

[Sympathy Spell (Unique) + Black Shadow Demon Beast (Unique) = Shadow God Projection (Legendary)]

Through Skill Tree View, he integrated the Skill needed to substitute the Divine Artifacts.

Shadow God Projection, a Legendary-grade Skill similar in context to how Hyu had summoned the Shadow Gods of other Spirits to the Reverse World in the previous Historical Alteration.

Being only Legendary Grade, it was insufficient to summon the Projection of a Divine Beast that had reached the 11th Star.

“But what I’m trying to summon is not the whole but a part. For now, this is enough.”

Wobble wobble.

A black shadow rose like threads.

Whoosh!

Woven in the void, it projected the feather of Phenex and the branch of Qliphoth that Lee Hanseong envisioned.

Not the real things, but Projections of a level sufficient to substitute for the role of the key to the Asura Three Thousand Gates that the Divine Artifacts possess.

Hum!

When he connected and resonated the two Divine Artifacts projected as Projections with the existing two Divine Artifacts…

Whoosh!

From the distant west where the mainland was, a pillar of light shot up into the sky, coming into view.

The next moment, a rainbow descended from the sky where they were.

Rumble!

Upon seeing it, he could tell this rainbow was a passage leading to the Asura Three Thousand Gates.

Simultaneously, he naturally realized that only one person could enter the Asura Three Thousand Gates through this rainbow.

“It seems like I have to go alone.”

“Then, have a safe trip. I’ll take this opportunity to prepare for Asta’s duel.”

Upon conveying the fact that they would have to part ways for a while, Jin Yuseong readily bid him farewell.

Since Asta, who had been recognized as an 11th Star in our world in the previous Historical Alteration, had already qualified to challenge the Apostle of the Golden Constellation.

If he dueled and defeated Atlas, the current Apostle of the Golden Constellation, he could officially become an Apostle in our world as well.

However, since the Golden Constellation is a Constellation that has shifted to Earth, the Apostle Duel would only be possible after returning to Earth.

No, the duel itself could be held now, but since in this Otherworld, Jin Yuseong’s consciousness cannot connect to the higher dimension where the essence of the Constellation resides.

To increase the chances of victory, it was best to challenge after returning to Earth.

Still, there wasn’t nothing they could do here.

“Since Uncle Jincheol here has experience with Apostle Duels, you can also get advice.”

“If you need my advice, I’ll gladly give it.”

Thanks to joining up with Park Jincheol, who had experience with Apostle Duels, some preparation was possible.

Thus, Jin Yuseong and Park Jincheol decided to remain here.

Instead, they left a connection through Colonization so that when the source of the erosion, Hongyi, was destroyed later, they could return to Earth together.

“What about you?”

He asked Yu Sehee, Park Seongcheol, and Lycan, who hadn’t yet expressed their opinions.

Lycan answered first.

“Fenrir is here, Master. Let me fight him. I must defeat him to become the true Fenrir.”

Since Lycan was currently in a state equivalent to being permanently transformed into an 11th Star Fenrir.

He could not grow any further.

But if he defeats the true Fenrir existing here and that Feat is recognized in our world, he will be granted the qualification to challenge for Apostle.

The concern is that the true Fenrir and Lycan are on an equal level.

“Can you win?”

“Trust me, Master!”

“Alright.”

He agreed to Lycan’s request, intending to maintain a connection through Colonization and intervene if things became dangerous.

Rumble.

Using Lycan’s fang as a medium, he created a Void Fairy Path leading to the western wilderness of Arthalia where the true Fenrir was.

Since the rainbow bridge leading to the Asura Three Thousand Gates seemed to be maintained even without the Divine Artifacts, there was no problem even if Lycan disappeared.

Tap!

After Lycan disappeared via the Void Fairy Path.

“We were thinking of hunting Divine Beasts as well.”

Yu Sehee and Park Seongcheol also requested battles with 11th Star Divine Beasts to raise the Divinity of Seras and Dice to the True God Rank.

Seras came from an Otherworld, and Dice, though he gained Authority, was still lacking in Grade and couldn’t challenge for Apostle yet.

But they judged that if they could defeat an 11th Star Divine Beast this time, they would gain the qualification to challenge for Apostle.

“If Phenex is the immortal bird I know, Seras’s extermination attribute might have an Attribute Advantage. What do you think?”

“That sounds fine. Then, Seongcheol can handle Qliphoth. With Dice’s talent, he’ll probably realize a lot from Qliphoth’s Lemegeton, so it’s a good match.”

Rumble!

Considering attributes, he created Paths of the Fairies for Yu Sehee using the Projection of Phenex’s feather as a medium, and for Park Seongcheol using the Projection of Qliphoth’s branch as a medium.

They were also connected through Colonization, so he could provide sufficient help if they were in danger.

Still, he had no intention of intervening unless absolutely necessary.

The less external intervention, the more Achievement they would gain.

Thud. Thump.

Only after Yu Sehee and Park Seongcheol each departed for the southern volcanic region and northern Black Forest of Arthalia…

Thud.

…did Lee Hanseong also step onto the rainbow bridge leading to the Asura Three Thousand Gates.

Flash!

The next moment, Lee Hanseong, enveloped in rainbow light, vanished from Samdo where the Haedongpa branch was located.

“So this is the Asura Three Thousand Gates.”

Central Arthalia, where the opposite end of the rainbow reached.

He revealed himself anew in the Eastern Heaven of the towering Mount Tai there.

Perhaps due to the condition of being at the initial stage of the Profound Realm, he was naturally in a state of Divine Possession by Duren, a 7-Star Spirit.