1001——————==

Soul of the Evil God

That right there… is the Underwater City I’ve heard about.

‘The vision I’ve always passed through in the mist of the Bursting Sound…’

Thump.

In that moment, I realized I had developed the ability to quickly skip over the illusions I had seen hundreds or thousands of times in that Bursting Sound, but truth be told, I knew the inner landscape of that city better than anyone in this world.

It was pure magic, nothing like human civilization. Just thinking about the primordial evil infused with the terror of the original source, squirming alongside its tentacles, made my heart race. However, it felt like something different from fear. It was akin to the feeling of encountering something rare and unique in the world.

But there was something strange.

‘What’s making it so big?’

Though ruled by the Evil God, I thought it would be about the size of an ordinary city in the Central Plains. But if it was visible from the Stratosphere, it could be considered a small continent. I was caught off guard by the size of the city, and that’s when Jeon Wook spoke.

[Queen Mother of the West. You’re late.]

Swish!

The moment Jeon Wook finished speaking, the form of Queen Mother of the West appeared in the air. She glanced at Jeon Wook and spoke.

[Jeon Wook. What’s going on?]

[Can’t you see? The king of the Otherworld has appeared and summoned the calamity of the twin stars. And the Evil God has raised his territory over the Great Ocean.]

It seemed Jeon Wook and Queen Mother of the West already knew each other’s identities. Naturally, no matter how secretly Queen Mother of the West had hidden her identity, Jeon Wook, being one of the Three Sovereigns, would know. Queen Mother of the West paused as if pondering something, then spoke.

[That human, Baek Woong. He seems very suspicious.]

[So?]

[The spirit bodies suitable for you to use as apostles, I will select separately from the Celestial Realm. That human, you must hand him over to me.]

Jeon Wook laughed openly at that.

[Stop joking. Hehe… why don’t you deal with the twin stars?]

[Jeon Wook. Don’t you think you’re being used by that human as well? Don’t take Ye’s words lightly.]

[Hmph. The Heavenly Goddess Nüwa seems determined to make a fool out of me.]

Jeon Wook easily brushed aside Queen Mother of the West’s words. She maintained a cold expression for a while before speaking.

[Then call Shao Hao and Jeogok.]

[Why do you keep trying to order me around? I’ve given you a noble status, but I’m not under you.]

[It’s not about pride. The fact that the Evil God has raised his territory genuinely means he is trying to influence this world. You both know it’s too big for just the two of us to handle, right?]

[……]

[If we join forces, we can lessen the damage. Act wisely.]

[Alright. That makes sense.]

Jeon Wook agreed with Queen Mother of the West. He was also a king, so he knew how to make sound judgments. Jeon Wook continued as he gazed at the black and white twin stars still floating in the sky.

[You must know that we need to destroy those two stars quickly.]

[I know. Those Creation Scriptures pull the planets of the Seven Luminaries into alignment, right?]

[You’ve seen correctly.]

I was startled by Queen Mother of the West’s next words.

[If we let it be, the Seven Luminaries will align, and the Evil God’s power will reach its peak. That must be avoided at all costs.]

What?!

‘The Seven Luminaries are going to align?’

Is such a thing possible?

The planets of the Seven Luminaries include Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, in order of proximity to the sun. I’ve heard Uranus and Neptune are outside Saturn, and beyond that lies a belt of countless asteroids, as I learned from Zhuge Sa. The reason Uranus and Neptune aren’t included in the Seven Luminaries is that they weren’t formed in this solar system, but were instead stars that drifted in from the Otherworld.

The Seven Luminaries usually orbit the vast universe with no chance of overlapping. The probability of overlap is so minimal it’s hard to even imagine. However, if the Seven Luminaries were to line up, the manifestation of that magical power would reach cosmic proportions!

Jeon Wook spoke.

[That’s why I told you to destroy the twin stars earlier. The Evil God is currently trying to fit the cause and effect in reverse, even though the spell is originally woven to raise his city according to the stars’ movements. Therefore, we need to drop those twin stars to deal the greatest blow to him.]

[……]

Queen Mother of the West addressed Jeon Wook.

[Is there a specific reason that I must undertake this task?]

[Should I do it, then? You are currently fulfilling the role of Mother of Earth on this planet, and your influence over the Moon is strong.]

[Jeogok’s Divine Temple is on the Moon, so he can handle it.]

[Are you really going to come out with this? Should I put it in words that your actions would create the least reaction in the law of cause and effect? Us Five Emperors would find it hard to touch that thing.]

Queen Mother of the West replied to Jeon Wook flatly.

[When your power weakens, I fear you will hunt my forces like vultures smelling blood.]

[…If you have a demand, say it first.]

[Promise that you won’t infringe upon Ye’s authority while weakened.]

[Alright. How petty.]

As Jeon Wook conceded, Queen Mother of the West began to change her form slowly.

Grrrr….

Boom!!

After Queen Mother of the West howled three times towards the west, the form of the fierce beast appeared before the world. The beast rushed toward the floating black and white twin stars and grew hundreds of times larger, swallowing the stars in one gulp.

Kwah!!

Just as Queen Mother of the West swallowed the two stars and stuffed them into her stomach, the two stars spun and ignited flames within her belly, lighting her skin to a bright white. Queen Mother of the West twisted in apparent agony before abruptly issuing a command.

[I shatter the Evil Stars in the name of the primordial order, Pangu!]

Kugugugugu…

Queen Mother of the West’s belly settled down completely after a while. She used her power to suppress the calamity summoned by the king, [The One Who Turns the Stars]. Jeon Wook spoke as she staggered.

[Well done. Now we need to resolve the Evil God below.]

[Wait a moment… something feels off.]

[What do you mean?]

[It feels ominous… could the Evil God have intended this from the beginning?]

Queen Mother of the West looked hesitant. Then she spoke to the Three Emperors.

[Wait to attack that city. It seems like a trick from the Evil God.]

[If you say so, that’s a foresight that touches the source of order, so I cannot ignore it. Can we know for sure?]

[I’ll use the Law of Cause and Effect to connect with the primordial light.]

Wiying

Queen Mother of the West concentrated, her appearance shifting as if she were receiving will from the universe. Exuding an unprecedented sacred energy, Queen Mother of the West soon spoke.

[…Stone Tablet…]

[Stone Tablet?]

[The Evil God is hurriedly moving the stone tablet… what does that mean?]

[What stone tablet are you talking about?]

[It’s something suspicious whose origin is completely unknown. And it seems to be the most important item for the Evil God right now.]

[Hmm…]

After pondering, Jeon Wook said.

[Then rather than destroying the city from afar, it would be better to directly invade and seize that stone tablet. Let’s go.]

Boom!!

As soon as he finished speaking, Jeon Wook, along with the Seven Colored Bird and the Shabi God, moved to an unknown location. I soon realized that this place was the legendary Underwater City that had risen to the surface. It seemed the sea water hadn’t fully drained yet, as puddles were visible here and there.

Step.

As Jeon Wook strode toward this city, reminiscent of a shrine, he turned to the Shabi God beside him and said.

[Jeogok. Move the Moon a bit to the side. The magic of the twin stars is still desperately trying to align the Seven Stars!]

[That much is fine.]

The Shabi God murmured incomprehensible incantations. Then, Shao Hao Jin Tian, who had descended upon the Seven Colored Bird next to him, spoke while looking ahead.

[Are those the minions of the Evil God?]

Kuuuu…

The descendants of the Evil God appeared, along with massive members of the Sea God Clan emerging from various places. They filled the gigantic city stretching to the horizon, and I estimated their number to be at least one hundred thousand.

[Need any help?]

[Are you kidding, Jeon Wook?]

The eyes of the divine apostle, the Seven Colored Bird, shone in an instant.

[I, Shao Hao Jin Tian, command you all. Disappear!]

Kwa-wa-waang

That was it. The silver light blanketed the area, and the storm of silver light that fell from the sky swiftly annihilated the minions of the Evil God. Some of them must have been significant figures like fairies or celestial beings, yet a massacre of tens of thousands occurred without any resistance. Watching from within Jeon Wook, I felt a sense of awe.

‘Damn… it never gets familiar, no matter how many times I witness this in my past lives… the might of the Three Sovereigns.’

From the perspective of the Three Sovereigns, this was undoubtedly a significant matter, and while they were using the Law of Cause and Effect, it was merely a manifestation of their apostles’ power. Still, the strength displayed by Shao Hao Jin Tian was beyond what a mortal could counter.

Even if he faced Xiang Yu now, it would be uncertain whether he could win. How much training and effort would it take to fight on equal grounds with them?

One thing was certain: my power and my companions’ strength were still woefully inadequate to contend with the resolved Three Sovereigns. However, I wasn’t solely burdened by despair.

‘I have the Four Great Spirit Deities and Divine Skill.’

Though I couldn’t fully master them yet, if I knew how to use them right, I could definitely deploy Divine Kill against those mighty beings. Especially having just seen [The One Who Turns the Stars] being obliterated by the Four Great Spirit Deities Vajra, that thought solidified further.

‘Okay. Let’s just endure this crisis. In this life, I’m going all the way.’

Earlier, I had thought about giving up and even considering suicide, but somehow things were flowing on. I vowed to see this life through, even if I had to endure torture.

[What is that guy?]

[Hmph. He seems dangerous…]

Particularly, Jeogok displayed great curiosity.

[Interesting. A mortal can make us wary?]

A single dot stood on the horizon, where the minions of the Evil God had been swept away. That dot swiftly approached the Three Sovereigns as if utilizing a teleportation technique, revealing its form, and I was stunned upon recognizing it in Jeon Wook’s consciousness.

‘Oh no, it’s that bastard?!’

Hat Warrior!

That’s the guy I had encountered in my previous life!

Surprisingly, the Three Sovereigns did not dismiss him as an insect and remained focused on him.

Sssrcl…

The moment he spotted the Three Sovereigns, he raised his long sword horizontally, as if glaring at me from beneath his hat, and without further ado, he slashed.

Bwoooosh!!

[Ho oh…]

“……!!”

Jeon Wook’s hand, no, my hand was cleanly severed, and my arm was cut vertically, rendering it in tatters. It was a solid hit! This meant he had pierced through Jeon Wook’s distortion of space with his sword strike, making me gasp in horror from within.

‘Wha, how did he do that?!’

Kiiing

Once again, it seemed he was poised to swing his sword vertically.

[How dare you use the same trick on me? What an absurd being.]

Twung!

This time, Jeon Wook smiled and snapped his fingers.

Crack

That was the end for the Hat Warrior. When Jeon Wook truly unleashed his power, the Hat Warrior simply couldn’t resist and was immediately obliterated by Thousand Kills Slash. After effortlessly killing the Hat Warrior with a finger snap, Jeon Wook turned to tend to his head.

[What an interesting technique.]

Drip…

A trickle of blood flowed from my head. Jeon Wook, looking unfazed, healed the wounds on his head and arm, but I couldn’t help but feel astonished from within. Despite Jeon Wook having blocked the attack, he had still taken damage.

‘What kind of swordsmanship was that?’

Now that the Hat Warrior was dead, I couldn’t inquire about it, but it was genuinely a sword technique unlike any I had ever seen. No, it felt less like swordplay and more like a simple swing, yet that strike held an extraordinary power that even I, in my Absolute Realm, could not explain.

It felt like it was slicing through the world itself.

At the same time, I sensed danger. That guy was likely my pursuer, and he had already reached such a level that it could challenge a Three Sovereign?

‘Th, that’s right.’

I hurriedly spoke to Jeon Wook.

[Jeon Wook! Please summon the soul of that Hat Warrior and bind it. Prevent him from reincarnating!]

[Do you know him?]

[Not quite… but he’s a dangerous individual that could do who knows what in the Underworld.]

[That’s a reasonable concern. Then let’s see.]

Jeon Wook reached toward the body of the Dongyoung Martial Artist.

……

A moment later, he retracted his hand and spoke.

[What’s happened?]

Pssss…

The moment his words ended, the Hat Warrior’s gruesome flesh chunks turned to dust and scattered.

What’s going on?

With every word that followed from Jeon Wook, I felt the mystery deepening.

[There was no soul.]