Chapter 1065: The Divine Tree and the Master.

I felt various meanings in the Ancestor’s words. The arrangements mother left.

The things I had gained by searching for the Divine Tree and clashing with the General until now.

Recalling this, I brought my hand to my chest.

Sssseuuu.

The vessel, which I could no longer feel.

Fortunately, even though the vessel disappeared, the soul can still be felt. Though I don’t know what is maintaining it.

The soul lingered within, without scattering.

Within it, I could still feel the energy I had gained until now.

The fire energy of the Nine Flame Wheel Technique.

This existed within my body, although it couldn’t be activated.

The Mystic Energy of Mount Hua.

This also existed within the soul, even if the amount wasn’t large.

The fighting spirit and demonic energy of the Thieving Crow Sky-Breaking Dance also lingered as is.

Energies that were maintained without colliding.

While those energies could truly be felt as they were.

Within it, I felt one somewhat foreign energy.

Whether it was internal energy, mystic energy, fighting spirit, or demonic energy.

Something foreign that didn’t belong to any of those energies.

That nameless energy obtained from the Divine Tree was it.

Just as I wondered if that was the arrangement mother left, as the Ancestor spoke.

“That is Divinity (神格).”

The Ancestor spoke, as if confirming what I was thinking was the correct answer.

“…Divinity?”

The energy’s name is Divinity.

Just looking at the word alone, it was incredibly arrogant. God’s rank?

I wondered if it was okay to call such a name the name of an energy.

“What is Divinity?”

I understood that the energy obtained from the Divine Tree was called Divinity.

So I wondered what Divinity might be.

What was this that mother had stored within me as an arrangement?

“Divinity is literally Divinity.”

“…That’s a truly simple explanation.”

Is that what you call an explanation? I felt heat rising.

Are you trying to pick a fight? I wish it were like that. Those would be words that would relieve my frustration if I could at least fight.

However, as if that wasn’t the case, the Ancestor continued explaining to me.

“Those who possess a low rank usually meet death without being able to raise the level of their soul.”

Tzuh-juh-juk.

The sky split once more.

Then, I felt a vibration from my body.

Woo-woo-woong.

“Kkeuk.”

In pain, I knelt down.

Although it wasn’t felt originally, now I feel pain every time the sky splits.

I swallowed a groan, staggering from the feeling of my body being torn apart. Even amidst that, the Ancestor unbothered, continued explaining to me.

“It’s natural. Rank is something determined from the start. It absolutely cannot change unless something miraculous happens. However.”

The Ancestor’s gaze shifted. It was directed towards the divine elder, who was looking at me pitifully.

“Sometimes, very rarely. Even within countless eons of time, individuals exist who try to break through their rank.”

Beings who raise their rank beyond the principles set by the world.

“Those born with exceptionally high souls, who, within a life that is merely a fleeting moment, break down the thick walls of rank based on countless realizations and convictions to achieve a higher rank.”

Koo-goo-goong.

Now, beyond the tearing, my inner world begins to completely collapse. An immense pain is felt from beyond my kneeling knees.

It was so intense that it was becoming difficult to even hold onto my consciousness.

“The power obtained through such an increase in rank is precisely Divinity (神格).”

“Haa…”

“It is also the condition for becoming the Master, or the being you call Calamity.”

“…!”

At the word Calamity, I held onto my trembling consciousness and looked at the Ancestor.

Do I need that Divinity to become the Master?

“Of course, the existence of a Master itself is the same as the principles set by the world. So, even if you raise your rank, not everyone becomes the Master. Ultimately, the Master of the world is something the world decides directly.”

Hoo-doo-dook.

The Ancestor knelt down, as if meeting my gaze. Since it was merely a mass of flame in the shape of a human, I couldn’t clearly know where its eyes were.

Instinctively, I could tell that what I was seeing were eyes.

“Then, descendant. What do you suppose about the Central Plains?”

“That’s…”

“To put it clearly, the punishment the world imposed on the Central Plains was preventing the raising of rank. The world didn’t like it. It hated it so much for a being who brilliantly raised their own rank based on conviction to appear in the world that would be erased anyway.”

Great achievement.

Raising one’s rank by one’s own power is that great of a thing.

The Ancestor explained to me.

“Then, in a world with no Master and where raising rank became impossible, who do you think was the being that could substitute that role?”

Hearing those words, I answered in a tired voice.

“…The Gu family?”

“That’s right.”

“…”

“The world cannot be maintained without a Master. That’s why the Gu family’s role in the Central Plains is crucial.”

Things one can know upon becoming the family head.

Are those the things the Ancestor is talking about now?

“Regarding the things beneath the Gu family’s residence, it’s a somewhat different matter. But separately from that, the reason the direct lineage of the Gu family is outside the principle set by the world, which prevents raising rank…”

Ta-dak.

The crimson flame little by little fans the embers.

“Ultimately, it is to prevent the collapsing world by acting as a substitute for the lost Master.”

“…That’s really bullshit.”

Even amidst the pain, laughter came out.

Being able to become strong by breaking free from rank, is to act as a substitute for the Master in a world without a Master?

“…If that’s the case.”

I said, recalling the Ancestor in front of me, who resembled my grandfather.

“…Is it safe to say that guy is the Master of the Central Plains?”

If the Gu family acts as the Master’s substitute.

It was a conclusion drawn while recalling the feelings I felt looking at grandfather back then. All the Masters I had met until now possessed something profound.

Although I didn’t know it then, I could know it now.

That the feeling and presence I felt looking at grandfather were not that different from the Masters I had met until now.

That means.

‘Grandfather is the Master of the Central Plains.’

Or the substitute.

Furthermore.

‘The reason grandfather told father to fulfill the task.’

Means preparing to quickly make me the young family head and have me become the next family head.

‘…Is it because I must be placed in the position of the next Master?’

Because father, who is the family head, must be placed in the Master’s position.

If the Gu family’s duty is to continuously substitute the Master’s position, I thought it might be correct to see it that way.

“Master…”

At my words, the Ancestor made a facial expression as if thinking for a moment.

“That’s right. It’s not wrong. However.”

While seeming to affirm, perhaps not liking something, he corrected one thing.

“Not Master. Key. Calling it that seems more correct.”

“Key?”

“Yes, Key.”

Key? It’s a somewhat ambiguous word. Just as I was frowning at the word that seemed unrelated to the Master.

“Becoming the Gu family head means knowing completely about the Gu family’s duty.”

The Ancestor says, looking at me.

“Escaping from being the family head also means holding the Key in your hand.”

“…What does that mean? Holding the Key in my hand-. Kkeuk!”

I coughed, mid-sentence.

Tzuh-juh-juk-!

The sounds heard from all directions now were also coming from my body.

Looking at my hand with trembling eyes, I saw it was cracked.

Even heat was gushing out from the cracked places.

Blue flames flickered.

I clenched my fist, trying somehow to prevent it from cracking.

Even in such a situation, the Ancestor continued speaking to me.

“Yes, Key.”

“What…”

“You will naturally come to know this part once you fulfill your duty, so I won’t bother explaining. What’s important is what choice you ultimately make.”

Tuk.

As the Ancestor spoke, he moved his hand. Sparks burst forth from his slightly flickering fingertips.

The flowing flames enveloped my body. Then, the breaking body was reattached.

No, it wasn’t attached. It was closer to the feeling of being held together by pressure, so that it looked like it was.

“Currently, Divinity is contained within your body. That is also the reason your body is collapsing.”

“Haa…”

As the pain disappeared, I could barely breathe out.

“It’s a regrettable thing. Because Divinity that doesn’t fit was forcefully shoved in, doesn’t it become this state? You were too greedy.”

“…I didn’t obtain it by wanting it. Greed is fucking shit.”

“I didn’t say it was your greed. If anything, it’s closer to your mother’s greed. I told you, something that shouldn’t be there was put in.”

“…Is this such a big problem?”

“Originally, the Gu family’s soul has a predetermined Divinity that should be contained. Since it’s something passed down through generations, nothing else should be contained…”

Hwa-reu-reu-reu-reuk.

The flames surrounding my body flickered briefly. My soul seemed to be reacting little by little to those flames.

“The Dragon Emperor’s foolish act and your mother’s arrangement overlapped. It seems like this was intended, but thanks to that, the timing was pulled forward.”

“…The timing was pulled forward?”

“The time you become Calamity.”

“What?”

“You already know. You should have become Calamity. That is the principle set by the world and the end of the Central Plains.”

I had heard it long ago. It was words I had heard countless times, enough to make my ears bleed.

“The original timing was when you surpassed the family head and ascended to the position of substitute. When that time came, destiny would have been realized, and you should have become Calamity.”

“…!”

Hearing those words, I gulped air.

“That was the timing?”

‘When I ascended to grandfather’s position…’

The timing to become Calamity.

It was words that made my chest tighten.

“It should have been like that originally. It means it was destiny.”

Although the Ancestor said so, a question arose in my mind upon hearing that.

‘To call it destiny, it didn’t happen.’

In my past life, let alone grandfather’s position, I couldn’t even ascend to the family head’s position.

It was a situation where that couldn’t happen.

“It should have clearly happened, but destiny was twisted. It was the aftermath of that pitiful thing desperately tearing off the frame. Even though I told it that it wouldn’t happen no matter how many times it repeated, it stubbornly tried to do it.”

“That pitiful thing…?”

“You know. The reason you couldn’t become the family head. The one who, by doing all sorts of things, ended up tampering with the timeline.”

“…Ah?”

At the Ancestor’s words, I immediately remembered someone.

The reason I didn’t become the family head.

And the reason I ended up regressing.

That was all the work of one person.

“Heavenly Demon…?”

The Demonic Cult Leader, Heavenly Demon.

She came to mind.