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“Are you really suggesting that?”

After considering every possible situation, I never expected this proposal. The moment I mentioned being an Apostle of God, Daji’s figure flashed in my mind. Struggling to hide my discomfort, I replied, “An Apostle stands between humans and gods. I seek power, but the moment I gain the power of an Apostle, won’t my soul and body submit to the divine?”

Jeon Wook retorted as if it was obvious, “[That would indeed be the case. A fair price for granting you such power.]”

“That’s a bit… troublesome…” As I hesitated, Daji and Mangnyang Ghost, who were nearby, erupted with anger.

“You audacious fool!!”

“How dare you utter such nonsense before the Emperor?!”

The atmosphere became charged with tension as the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace trembled and an ominous roar rang out. The presence of powerful divine energy sent shivers down my spine. They might look like grotesque monsters, but they were actually fierce followers of the Great Immortal!

Realizing I was in grave danger, I understood that an attack from the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace would surely mean my end. Regardless of anything, the Three Sovereigns were overwhelming entities.

Then Jeon Wook waved his hand, twisted in chaos. “[Silence.]”

Suddenly, the fury of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace subsided. Displaying the Emperor’s nuanced authority, Jeon Wook crossed his arms and said, “[If you don’t want to, just say so. That’s all it takes.]”

“……”

A strange sensation washed over me. Initially, when Jeon Wook proposed this, it felt awkward, but now that he was suggesting it lightly, it made me feel like I’d be losing something significant. Maybe I was about to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Should I accept being Jeon Wook’s Apostle right away? At that moment, Zhuge Sa beside me signaled urgently, and I hurriedly spoke to Jeon Wook.

“Jeon Wook! It’s such a major proposal; I need some time to consider it. May I discuss it with my companions?”

[Go ahead.]

I quickly huddled with Zhuge Sa and Cheon Woo-jin. Cheon Woo-jin was the first to speak.

“There’s no need to think. I would absolutely accept it if I were you.”

I shot a glance at him. “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to be a god? Doesn’t that contradict your wishes?”

“Damn… Is that the same? That’s my problem, not yours. Becoming an Apostle of the Three Sovereigns guarantees immortality and divine power that no human could even dream of. It’s arrogant enough that the Three Sovereigns themselves are inviting a mortal to be an Apostle; I’ve never heard of that before!”

“……”

“Ordinary people would sell their souls to accept such an offer.”

Then Zhuge Sa, looking ambiguous, said, “Is that really so?”

Cheon Woo-jin and I turned our gazes to Zhuge Sa. He pondered, contemplating before he continued, “Logically, I think Cheon Woo-jin is right… but I feel your thoughts matter more, Baek Woong. This could very well be a trap.”

“A trap?”

“Well, I guess Jeon Wook is aware of everything we are saying, so I can’t say much… but Baek Woong, you know what I’ve been thinking, right?”

“……”

I silently nodded. Zhuge Sa’s indecisiveness masked his true thoughts, but I had caught on immediately due to our mutual understanding.

Heavenly Spirit Pill!

I had tirelessly sought the infinite internal power of the Heavenly Spirit Pill throughout my previous lives, only to find that acquiring it could itself be a trap. This time, Jeon Wook’s proposal to become an Apostle might not be anything different. In fact, the risks of becoming subservient to a god could be even greater.

‘Law of Cause and Effect… Law of Cause and Effect…’

I sat there, deep in thought. The first word that came to mind about Apostles was Law of Cause and Effect. This was the one law that divine beings with absolute powers had to abide by, and I knew very well that becoming an Apostle would bind me to this law.

But as Cheon Woo-jin said, opportunities to become an Apostle to the Three Sovereigns are rare. Jeon Wook seemed strangely keen on me becoming his Apostle, yet how many chances would I have like this in future lives? It was very likely that in the future, if I proposed such an offer, the Three Sovereigns would show resistance.

Would my intuition lend me a hand?

I pondered if my intuition might spark, but soon realized that such instincts don’t always work on command. Still, I felt restless, not wanting Jeon Wook to wait endlessly for me.

‘…Ah, yes! I need to clarify my goal for this life!’

My primary principle until now had been to survive while acquiring power until the very end, and if that didn’t work, I’d try to utilize Great Luck Overlap for the maximum benefit before taking my own life. If I choose the path of becoming an Apostle, I needed to consider how much more benefit I could gain compared to this principle.

What would be the advantages of becoming an Apostle?

After much contemplation, I finally spoke. “I will accept.”

“Are you serious?”

“I think there’s something to uncover by taking this gamble.”

Cheon Woo-jin looked at me as if I had lost my mind, but Zhuge Sa seemed to grasp my thoughts immediately. He understood the implications of the word “gamble.” Then he grinned.

“Hehe. It’s a gamble, alright. It makes you wonder if this is even the right moment…”

“Either way, I’ll have to try it eventually, right?”

“Whatever you decide is up to you.”

“Got it.”

I finally shouted to the waiting Jeon Wook, “Jeon Wook! I will become your Apostle!”

Jeon Wook responded as if he had anticipated my answer, “[Good. I, Jeon Wook, shall make you, Baek Woong, my Apostle.]”

As Jeon Wook extended his hand, dark energy surged from it and struck my chest. Moments later, that energy spread to my heart and began to permeate my entire being, providing an utterly unimaginable sensation of clarity.

It felt as if ice water replaced my blood, yet there was no pain, only a soothing sensation that tingled at my peripheral nerves.

“……!!”

As the dark energy settled within me, Jeon Wook proclaimed, “[Now that you are my Apostle, there’s no need to perform a sacred ceremony to release your spirit—I’ll grant you ownership of one of the Seven Luminaries.]”

What a windfall! I immediately bowed down before Jeon Wook.

“Thank you!”

“But I have a condition.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll give you ten years…” Jeon Wook’s face momentarily flickered with discomfort. Given that his form consisted of pure chaos, I shouldn’t have been able to read his expression, but somehow our bond through the Apostle connection made it possible.

“Find Changhil himself or his Avatar and bring them to my Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace.”

“You mean… the History Emperor Changhil?”

“Exactly. You seem to know a lot about the ancient era, so you should be able to track him down.”

“……”

That’s quite an unexpected task.

‘To find Changhil?’

After all, he was someone I needed to locate sooner or later, but hearing Jeon Wook’s command made it feel even more ambiguous.

The direct subordinate of the Emperor and the powerful History Emperor Changhil from the Yin Dynasty! Finding the inventor of the Chinese characters and the creator of the current offering ceremony is an incredibly daunting task. It’s likely that this will be so difficult that I won’t be able to do anything else.

But I was prepared for this. I nodded firmly. “Yes, I will make it happen.”

[Then the sacred ceremony concludes…]

Whoosh!

With that, Jeon Wook vanished along with the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. Zhuge Sa approached me afterward.

“Things just got interesting.”

“Do you think I can find the History Emperor Changhil?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. Jeon Wook seems to have taken a liking to you for your knowledge and has high expectations about you spilling the secrets of the Three Sovereigns during the ceremony.”

“……”

Is he subtly mocking me?

Cheon Woo-jin, busy collecting the flags stuck in the Heavenly Spirit Pill, interjected, “One thing’s for sure: starting now, what you’re about to do is a feat nobody in history has accomplished.”

“Hmm…”

“Looking for the History Emperor Changhil… Haha! It’s probably easier to find a needle in the desert.”

Seeing Cheon Woo-jin smirk, it was clear he thought the task was ridiculously difficult. I was blankly staring when I suddenly asked Zhuge Sa.

“If I can’t find him, does that mean I die?”

Zhuge Sa chuckled. “Hehe. What a relief if you can just die? Being bound to the relationship of a god and an Apostle means that Jeon Wook could endlessly torment you under the pretense of your failure.”

“Ugh… It seems so.”

“But that’s the nature of gambling. You already knew that, so stop dwelling on it.”

“Understood.”

Right. This is indeed a gamble!

The nature of this gamble is whether ‘God can keep my soul from reincarnating.’ I had already formed a suspicion at the moment I confronted a ruler of the jungle, but without proof, I had to take this gamble to find out.

If I fail this mission yet still exhibit the ability to reincarnate, it would carry significant implications. Being enslaved to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace and tortured for eternity would be a problem, but I convinced myself it was a gamble worth taking.

At that moment, sensing Jeon Wook’s disappearance, the Sword Demon and the Master of Shadowless Sword approached from outside. The Sword Demon shouted.

“Baek Woong! Are you safe?”

“Yes!”

After a while, I explained what had happened. The Sword Demon had already grasped the situation regarding the obsidian, so he comprehended without resistance, but the Master of Shadowless Sword appeared utterly bewildered.

Finally, the Master of Shadowless Sword exclaimed in disbelief, “What nonsense are you uttering?! Where’s the Three Sovereigns, and where’s an Apostle of God?! Have you all lost your minds?”

“……”

I found his reaction surprising, but also understandable. Most Central Plains people surely considered not only the Three Sovereigns but even the immortals to be figments of imagination. Given the foundational tendencies of Central Plains people towards extreme realism and selfishness, that reaction made sense.

Then Zhuge Sa chuckled, “Hehe. Master of Shadowless Sword, if you don’t believe it, how about testing Baek Woong’s strength as the Apostle of God?”

“What?”

“You must have already estimated Baek Woong’s martial prowess. By witnessing how much he has grown, you might begin to believe our story.”

“……”

The Master of Shadowless Sword narrowed his eyes at me for a moment before responding, “Alright! Let’s have a spar.”

In a short while, I stood facing the Master of Shadowless Sword with a distance of three paces, while the onlookers began to move back. I felt slightly puzzled about why I had to fight him, but Zhuge Sa, seeming to sense my thoughts, sent me a message that clarified things.

[He’s the best gauge to measure how much stronger you’ve become as an Apostle. He would have normally been a formidable opponent, wouldn’t he? By battling the Master of Shadowless Sword, we can ascertain what power you’ve gained as an Apostle.]

That made sense.

“Are you ready?”

I resolved to give my all against the Master of Shadowless Sword, pointing my sword at him. Observing my stance, he raised an eyebrow.

“What’s this? A mixed martial art?”

“Indeed…”

He recognized it at a glance; the Master of Shadowless Sword was indeed a top expert.

I murmured to myself: although my martial arts were primarily based on the Thunder God Lineage, I had also adopted techniques from the Shadowless Gate and the Seven Great Techniques along the way, resulting in a mishmash of styles. This had caused confusion in my sword family until it was ironed out thanks to Yeodong-bin’s Heavenly Escape Sword Technique, barely raising my level.

Yet to discern the martial style just by my stance was no ordinary feat. The Master of Shadowless Sword, capable of outmatching the entire Namgung Clan single-handedly, was nothing short of a legendary figure.

‘Fighting with all I have should reveal the true nature of the Apostle’s power.’

For a moment, we glared at each other across the space separating us. Then, without a hint of hesitation, we unleashed lightning-fast swords.

Clang!

“Kruk!”

As our swords clashed, a clear sound rang out. Meanwhile, the Master of Shadowless Sword spun twice mid-air before flying backward. In that fleeting moment of contact, I realized the gap in internal power; even the former Greatest Sword under Heaven couldn’t handle my power. Instead, his sword didn’t break but was forced to combine the force of his technique and intent to withstand it, which deserved a commendation for his remarkable martial talent.

Realizing this, the Master of Shadowless Sword exhaled, “Ugh… what terrifying internal power…”

Yet, I couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied. This was something I could do even with my original martial power; it couldn’t be called a result of my abilities as an Apostle. Therefore, pushing forward, I shouted at him, “Let’s see who’s stronger!”

“Alright!”

Crash! Bang!

With no need for swords, the Master of Shadowless Sword began releasing shadowless sword energy to slay opponents, while I unleashed a series of Absolute Slashes of the Thunder God Sword Dance against his perfectly formed Shadowless Sword Curtain. The sight of my sword qi, spilling out dozens of trails, tearing through the shadowless curtain from the outside in, was monumental.

In fact, under normal circumstances, I should have suffered a huge setback against the stealthy sword techniques. However, having learned the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword Technique from the Sword Demon and trained alongside him, I had easily grasped the essence and void of the Shadowless techniques. Tension grew as the Master of Shadowless Sword, who had been battling with me for nearly fifty seconds, likely grasped this truth, and his expression soured.

“You… you know Shadowless techniques!”

“I know the fundamentals, but that’s all. Isn’t that good enough?”

“All talk!”

As the sword light scattered, our bodies darted rapidly over a three-pacing distance. An ordinary person might struggle to keep track of our duel. After another fifty seconds, the situation became reminiscent of a standoff, but it wasn’t solely due to the equal skill levels; it was because I recognized I couldn’t face the Master of Shadowless Sword head-on in a pure sword duel.

Three Treasure Technique!

I knew that fighting purely with my Thunder God Sword Dance was no match against his Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword Technique. My sacred sword technique originating from the temple fell short when pit against the supreme swordplay of the obscure sects. Unable to use my full power or even the Thunder Sword, I resorted to minimum counterattacks while letting his strikes flow away using the Three Treasure Technique.

As a result, while neither of us managed to land solid attacks, neither could we avoid substantial damage. Normally, this approach would force me defensively into a disadvantageous position, but the differences in internal power balanced the scales, creating a stalemate.

Realizing this, the Master of Shadowless Sword seemed to contemplate a new tactic and started executing various basic techniques.

Then suddenly, he locked his gaze on me.

“Try this!”

Grumbling, the Master of Shadowless Sword suddenly let go of his sword. In that split second, I sensed his Mind Control Technique about to strike and focus all my energy into defense. Just then, a glimmer of an Invincible Sword flew toward me from a perilous gap.

Clang!

I managed to deflect the incoming sword with my sword power, but simultaneously realized a stealthily hidden Soul Removal Sword Qi was slicing at my waist. It came so quietly and powerfully that breath caught in my throat. I hastily activated the Soul Removal Technique and retreated.

‘No, please… too late!’

Destruction!

It seemed impossible to avoid the Soul Removal Sword Qi; a significant cut appeared on my abdomen. A thin line formed, and blood began to flow abundantly. I felt as if my insides might be sliced apart in waves of agony.

The Master of Shadowless Sword, executing a killing move, looked panicked and yelled, “Are you… okay?! I didn’t mean to go all out…”

“Ugh…”

“I noticed a crack in your defense due to your dodging techniques and seized the opportunity.” The Master of Shadowless Sword explained defensively. As soon as I heard that, I realized why I fell to the Invincible Sword technique.

‘He exploited my breathing gaps…!!’

Even if I claimed I could use the Three Treasure Technique in real combat, it wasn’t flawless. The Master of Shadowless Sword, being a swordsman of unparalleled mastery, had evidently noticed a flaw in my technique and struck right when my breathing was weakest.

‘I’m going to die!’

I quickly pressed down on my abdomen, preventing my insides from spilling out while kneeling. A wound of this severity wouldn’t heal easily, but there was a chance I could survive. Just as I thought so and prepared to endure the pain by clenching my teeth…

“……”

My insides? They aren’t spilling out?!

Surely, the Master of Shadowless Sword’s Invincible Sword and Sword Power had embedded themselves within me. After all, I should have been unable to withstand it. Normally, my insides would have burst and been slashed apart, spewing forth in a gruesome climax. Yet, only the mark of the cut remained, leaving me feeling strangely unaffected.

Feeling a surge of disbelief, I began to inspect my abdomen.

When I removed my clothing, the Master of Shadowless Sword gasped. “What?! What’s going on?!”

The reason for his shock was simple. The deep cut across my abdomen had formed a clean line—there was almost no blood left! This clear implication meant that the Master of Shadowless Sword’s Soul Removal Sword Qi had only inflicted a superficial wound on me, which was completely incomprehensible for someone at his level.

From the sidelines, the Sword Demon screamed. “Good grief, what a sight… that can’t be…!”

I stood and called out to the Sword Demon, “Do you know what’s happening?”

“……”

At last, the Sword Demon responded incredulously, revealing what newfound ability I had gained as an Apostle.

“It seems you’ve become indestructible!”

 

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