NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 651
Chapter 651: The Enigma of the Ruyi Staff
“Dark Heaven Village! Ruyi Staff! If this truly is the Ruyi Staff, isn’t it akin to a treasure symbolizing the Celestial Sage and the Great Emperor Mi-hu? Just imagining the destructive feats he accomplished with it in his past life sends shivers down my spine. ‘A top-tier battle treasure on par with the Seven Luminaries…!!’
I gulped, accepting the palm-sized Ruyi Staff. It sat in my palm like a toy. As I gazed at it blankly, the Celestial Sage spoke. “The Ruyi Staff is originally called the Heavenly River’s Bottom Godly Metal.”
“What is that?”
“It was an object used to measure the world’s size, but somehow ended up in my hands.”
“Hmmm… With a size this small, how can I possibly use it?”
“Just think for it to grow in your head. The opposite applies too.”
I followed the Celestial Sage’s instructions.
Whoosh!
“Oh…!”
As soon as I thought for it to grow, the Ruyi Staff responded, expanding in thickness and length. In an instant, it became a length suitable for use as a staff, and I stopped my thoughts, holding it firmly in my hand.
Thud!
“Ugh.”
But at that moment, its weight suddenly intensified, and a strong pressure hit one of my arms. This was no mere staff’s weight; it felt rather like lifting a giant rock! As I gathered my internal power to endure the Ruyi Staff’s weight, the Celestial Sage chuckled.
“Hahaha! Is it a bit heavy for a human to lift? I must have forgotten to mention it.”
It seemed like he deliberately left that out to mess with me. I had almost forgotten that the Celestial Sage had a playful nature.
“Does it get heavier in proportion to its size and length?”
“Correct! Right now, it weighs about ten thousand pounds, I suppose?”
That’s like lifting a giant boulder the size of two houses with one hand! Stunned, I exclaimed, “How can a person use something like this as a weapon?”
“What? Don’t like it? Given its weight, it’s less likely to be stolen.”
“……”
“Just kidding.”
With my internal power and intent, I might be able to use it somehow, but if it were to be ten times heavier, I wouldn’t even have the confidence to wield it properly. Even with my unparalleled internal power, if it’s this hard for me, I’d have to question its value as a weapon! While it might have overwhelming destructive power, such things weren’t significant in battles among top experts, making it virtually useless.
Then the Celestial Sage said, “Well, as a human, you must gain the acknowledgment of the spirit of the Ruyi Staff.”
“Spirit of the Ruyi Staff?”
“The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, O-kwang, sought the aid of the Heavenly Ruler to store the Ruyi Staff. He sealed away sinners from the Fengshen War within it. If that spirit acknowledges you, you’ll be able to wield the Ruyi Staff like a toothpick.”
Swish!
As the Celestial Sage waved his hand, golden light suddenly burst forth from the Ruyi Staff, revealing a beautiful young spirit. Her flawless, jade-like skin, blue hair, and golden eyes made her look otherworldly. The girl turned to the Celestial Sage and spoke.
[Hey, monkey! What nonsense do you want me for this time?]
“Hey, He Yu! Stop complaining and lend this human your strength for a moment. He’s a good one, so take good care of him!”
[Hmm…?]
The blue-haired spirit, He Yu, stared at me blankly and then said, [Got it. It’s surprising to see a greedy monkey like you lending your stuff to someone else.]
“Always adding a comment, aren’t you?”
Zing!
The moment the spirit of the Ruyi Staff vanished, I felt the weight of the staff lighten significantly. It seemed the spirit manipulated the immensely heavy staff to make it light. I turned to the Celestial Sage in wonder.
“Thank you for lending me such a powerful treasure…”
“Ha ha! It’s the first time in my life I’ve received such generous treatment from a human. I’m quite touched!”
The Celestial Sage laughed heartily and then said, “Since I’m out and about, should we grab some food?”
“I’ll treat you!”
“Ha ha!”
I took the Celestial Sage to the largest dining hall nearby. Of course, I executed my transformation technique meticulously, while the Celestial Sage’s skill in disguise was so excellent that we encountered no issues. I ordered exquisite dishes from the top rooms and served him drinks.
“Hey~ for a human, you’re quite a decent guy~”
“Oh, please take good care of me~”
As I eagerly fawned over the Celestial Sage, who was guzzling alcohol and seemed exhilarated, he remarked, “You’ve seemed to have something you want to say for a while now, so go ahead!”
“Is it alright?”
“Sure, sure~ Today I’m feeling the best I’ve felt in a hundred years!”
“There are two things…”
“Let’s hear them~”
I cautiously began to speak.
“Firstly… Do you know what happens when all seven Luminaries are gathered?”
“… Hmm?”
A sharp glint flickered in the Celestial Sage’s eyes, which had previously been flushed with enthusiasm. Before he could change his demeanor, I hurriedly continued, “Uh, my companions said that to become stronger quickly, we should gather the Seven Luminaries, but I have no idea what will happen once we collect them all… Since I just got the Ruyi Staff, I have no desire to engage in troublesome acts further… and it won’t help much for gaining power either.”
While I rambled on, the Celestial Sage’s gaze softened slightly.
“Umm… do you wish to become the emperor of the human realm?”
“Sure, that would be nice.”
“Hihi!”
It seemed the Celestial Sage mistook my desire to become an emperor for something else and chuckled, saying, “Tell your companions—knowing a bit is worse than knowing nothing. Becoming the emperor of a human empire isn’t any big deal, even without the Seven Luminaries… why bother with such a thing?”
“Do you happen to know anything about the Seven Luminaries?”
“I do… The reason I’m in the Celestial Realm is due to that damned Seven Luminaries…”
He heaved a deep sigh before continuing.
“Enough nonsense. Let’s drink more…”
“Oh, speaking of which!”
I exclaimed as if I had just remembered something.
“The Taoist Master Tripitaka mentioned that he would like you to relay a message to the Celestial Sage?”
“What?”
I told him the story of the Tripitaka’s visit. The Celestial Sage’s face twisted in dismay as he said, “… That bastard! Now he speaks of the truth of the Seven Luminaries? If I knew his location, I would have dealt with him myself.”
“……”
“If the Tripitaka came to see you directly, then you must now be involved with the ancient Law of Cause and Effect.”
The Celestial Sage glanced at me.
“Hey… If you promise not to mention what I say anywhere, I might tell you a few things.”
I nodded eagerly.
“Of course!”
“Alright, alright. I’m fine with whatever knowledge comes out, but just know you’ll be hit by the spirits!”
“……”
The Celestial Sage straightforwardly made a shocking statement.
“The Seven Luminaries is the key to the end.”
“Key to the end?”
“It’s an unspoken fact passed down through both East and West. When all seven Luminaries gather and are freed, a cataclysm unseen before will occur, one more horrific than ever. If you seek the power of the Seven Luminaries, this world will perish.”
“Umm… What kind of calamity are we talking about?”
“What’s a key? What is it used for?”
I answered reflexively at the Celestial Sage’s question.
“To open a door.”
“Exactly. To open a door is what a key is. When the [door] opens, that’s the calamity.”
“……?”
“Every contract of the Seven Luminaries has a pair from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. The reason for this pairing is that in ancient times, they individually sealed contracts with powerful [Old Rulers] that the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors could check. They agreed to delay the end but would gain priority in times of crisis.”
The Celestial Sage spoke as if unraveling some unknown mystery.
“In simple terms, when all the Seven Luminaries are freed, the world will be destroyed. Hence, it cannot happen.”
I had a vague understanding of this, but I countered, “But wouldn’t it be fine to gather just one or two? If we consider the Seven Luminaries as seals, there are seven of them, so one or two wouldn’t…”
The Celestial Sage frowned deeply.
“Do you have that many organs in your body? Wouldn’t losing a kidney or stomach be fine? You wouldn’t die since it isn’t like I’m taking all seven away.”
“……”
“Stop with the stupid comments, it ruins the taste of the drink.”
“Oh, yes…”
After being scolded by the Celestial Sage, I felt slightly embarrassed. But, this was an excellent opportunity to get closer to him, so I spent another half moment in flattery while drinking together, then subtly changed the topic.
“If there’s a great immortal recovering their power and they’ve lost a significant amount of divine energy, where would be the best place for them to recover?”
“Hmm? What’s with the sudden question?”
“Oh, one of the great immortals I know is feeling ill…”
“You speak of the great immortal as if he’s your neighbor?”
The Celestial Sage looked perplexed.
“Well, in that case, I can provide a location for such a place.”
“Where is it?”
He grinned, “The back door of the Celestial Realm! It’s my patrolling area, but I’ll make an exception for you to rest there. There’s no place richer in spirit energy than the Celestial Realm.”
“… Thank you!”
After three moments, I departed with the Celestial Sage, and we set off on a flying mount.
Whoosh!
As the Celestial Sage opened a door with spells at what was known as the back door of the Celestial Realm, we stepped inside. Beautiful scenes of the immortal realm filled my vision, and I was awestruck by the powerful spirit energy flooding in from all directions.
‘ Indeed…’
The Celestial Sage said, “Bring that great immortal here. This is my patrol area, so they’ll be able to rest comfortably.”
“Understood!”
Whoosh!
I took out the Fire Dragon Sword from my wooden armor. The Celestial Sage stared at it for a moment, then gasped in shock.
“Wha—?! Is that the Fire Dragon Sword?! What’s going on?!”
He shouted in astonishment.
“Is that great immortal the Fire Dragon Incarnate?!”
“Um, yes, the spirit of the Fire Dragon seems to be resting within this sword, but it seems they’re expending too much power…”
“N-no, that’s, um, the Fire Dragon Incarnate is the… manifestation of Shenglong…”
The Celestial Sage looked confused, struggling to articulate his thoughts. Finally, with a determined expression, he said, “Darn it! I’ve caused a mess once or twice. Stick the Fire Dragon Sword atop that sacred mount! I’ll ensure no one can harm the Fire Dragon Incarnate.”
“Thank you, brother.”
“I’m not your brother. Heavens above.”
The Celestial Sage grumbled.
Whoosh—
Then, the Fire Dragon Sword visibly absorbed divine energy at an astonishing rate of recovery. It was incomparable to the recovery speed it had at the human realm. The aura of the immortal realm was at least dozens of times more potent than that of the Earth. As I witnessed this spectacle, I couldn’t help but admire the Machiavellian plan of Mangnyang.
‘ Luring the Celestial Sage to recover the Fire Dragon Sword worked brilliantly…’
If it could absorb this much spirit energy, then the power of the Fire Dragon Incarnate would be restored within a month or two at most! While I was smiling inwardly, the Celestial Sage remarked, “With that silly face of yours, you’re genuinely a formidable one. Like a sly fox.”
“Eh?! Not really…”
“Seriously, though, I don’t feel bad at all.”
The Celestial Sage chuckled lightly and then asked, “Since you’ve become a useful fool, how about becoming even more of a fool? Do you have one last favor you’d like to request?”
“……”
Is the Celestial Sage too generous?!
I was shocked by his offer. I hadn’t expected him to have such a magnanimous nature. This fell into a realm even the strategists hadn’t anticipated; it was entirely left to my discretion. I already secured the information on the Seven Luminaries, received divine favor, and got the Fire Dragon Sword’s recovery done—everything was accomplished! As I pondered briefly, I suddenly thought of something and asked,
“… Uh, may I meet Xiang Yu?”
His expression twisted.
“Xiang Yu… you say?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you pick such difficult requests?”
The Celestial Sage nodded after contemplating.
“Alright, hop on the flying mount!”
“Really?!”
“It’s the edge of the Celestial Realm, and it’s a neighborhood occasionally patrolled by the Overlay Technique, but with my help, it’ll work somehow!”
“……!!”
I did it!
I felt an overwhelming joy surge within me. Thanks to the Celestial Sage’s unpredictable goodwill, I would finally meet the legendary Western Overlord Xiang Yu, who I had only ever heard rumors about!