1013——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Wiying

As I followed Liu Ha out of the Transference Gate, I was momentarily stunned.

Wow, look at all these tall buildings!

There were massive structures that easily exceeded 50 floors, their glass windows reflecting the sunlight, and in the center of the city, there was even a tower-like building that looked even more majestic. It seemed to stretch ten li to either side. Such a colossal structure was something I’d only spotted in alien civilizations, and while I was still in shock, Liu Ha chimed in.

“Oh dear, I’ve miscalculated the coordinates. I should’ve updated the app~~ I meant to go straight to the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect, but here I am on the roof of Gansu Province Office….”

“What did you say?”

“That tallest building over there is the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect.”

“…That’s high. How many floors does it have?”

“Let me check.”

Liu Ha tapped her device and said, “Built in 1942, it stands at 182 floors, the tallest in Eurasia, and ranks third worldwide~~”

So that towering building is the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect…

The White Lotus Sect was large in the past, but nothing like this! It seemed civilization had come a long way.

I said to Liu Ha, “At this distance, I could just fly there.”

Liu Ha immediately responded, “Absolutely! Hovering in the void, amazing! I’ll guide you from here.”

“Huh?”

“Once you’re done, just contact me on this smartphone! Press 1, and it’ll connect directly to me. Also, with this, your identity will be verified. Ah, for security reasons, it’s best to head to the first floor to avoid any fuss.”

With a smile, Liu Ha handed me yet another device. Apparently, this was called a smartphone.

“……”

I looked at Liu Ha with suspicion.

“Why don’t you want to go to the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect?”

“Uh, it’s… a privacy thing.”

“Spill it.”

Liu Ha hesitated a bit before speaking, “All Tactical Forces Agents must receive martial arts training at the Main Hall. But honestly, I’m not a fan of martial arts, so I don’t have many good memories there~ And if I run into that person….”

“You seem to have high internal power, but you don’t train in martial arts?”

Liu Ha’s internal power was impressive. It was way beyond the average level for a peak expert, easily surpassing the usual accomplishments of the Elder Council. Yet she was saying she didn’t like martial arts, which seemed odd.

She shook her head vigorously, her bunny hat’s ears flapping. “I just don’t like martial arts~~ Just don’t!”

“…I got it. Well, I’ll contact you later.”

“Yes! Loyalty to the Great Emperor!!”

Paf!

Liu Ha promptly saluted and then disappeared like smoke, this time without using the Transference Gate. It was clear that this was another of her special skills.

‘What an unpredictable character.’

I turned away and used the Hovering in the Void technique to fly towards the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect. As I reached about halfway up the building, I paused when attempting to open a window to enter.

Bee beep….

Suddenly, bright red characters or circuits flashed on the transparent window. As soon as I saw it, I realized there must be some sort of mechanism in place.

‘Is this the security Liu Ha mentioned?’

Touching or breaking this might cause a commotion. Connecting the dots from Liu Ha’s earlier suggestion, I quickly descended back to the ground using the Hovering in the Void technique. No need for unnecessary clashes with the White Lotus Sect, which was supposedly on my side.

As I wandered around the massive building, I had another realization.

‘It’s a formation.’

At first glance, it seemed like nothing was there, but the topography and every single object around were part of a highly advanced formation, cleverly designed to trap intruders. Not only did it confuse my sense of direction, but it also seemed to create space using certain techniques. Since I’d studied formations myself, I was able to read the flow and find the open path.

Finding the opening took me only a short while, so it didn’t seem too difficult. Compared to the absurdly high difficulty level of the formations maintained by Zhuge Sa or Zhuge Yulong, this felt like child’s play. Instead of aiming to catch true intruders, this seemed like a means to sieve out the riffraff.

Once I passed through the opening and reached the Main Gate on the first floor, the entrance opened and someone was waiting at the center of what looked like a massive plaza.

A middle-aged man with half-white hair, as if he’d been through all the trials of life. Dressed in the traditional garb of the White Lotus Sect, he respectfully bowed to me and said, “Welcome, esteemed guest of the White Lotus Sect. May I offer you refreshments?”

“Who are you?”

“I am Dokgo Sung, the Deputy Sect Leader of the current White Lotus Sect and a Dharma Guardian of the Su Shin Sect. It is an honor to meet the first Emperor of the Great Bear Empire.”

Deputy Sect Leader and Dharma Guardian of the Su Shin Sect.

Hearing Dokgo Sung’s introduction, I glanced at him. I noticed several hidden experts around us and said, “Lead the way.”

“This way….”

I had a mountain of questions, but with so many eyes upon us, asking too many could lead to awkwardness without revealing anything of substance.

A short while later, I followed Dokgo Sung onto a flying machine that began to ascend towards the top of the tower.

Kiiing

As we entered through the electronic door and took a seat, Dokgo Sung brought out prepared refreshments. I glanced at the offerings and said to him, “Did you know I was coming?”

“Our Tactical Forces Agents are meant to report your movements in real-time. Once they reported that you intended to visit us, the imperial palace informed us. Additionally, during your traversal through our formation, CCTV and satellites provided your physical description. It seems you are quite knowledgeable about formations.”

I took a sip of tea, mumbling, “…Science has really advanced, hasn’t it?”

“In the presence of true experts, those are mere toys.”

I stared at Dokgo Sung blankly and asked, “Do you know why I came to the White Lotus Sect?”

“Yes. I have heard you wish to meet the current Master of the White Lotus Sect.”

Crunch

I bit into a candy that tasted like pumpkin.

“I just want to see her face and head back. Where is she?”

“I’m sorry, but she is currently in closed-room training, and we cannot intrude without endangering our lives…so you may not be able to see her right away.”

“Endangering your lives?”

Dokgo Sung looked troubled as he replied, “It’s not regular closed-room training… she’s undertaking the rigorous methods left by the ancient Master of the White Lotus Sect. There were incidents in the past where urgent attempts to enter the closed-room resulted in severe injuries to dozens of experts. Even for us, it’s tough to request a suspension of her training.”

“……”

I paused at Dokgo Sung’s words and replied, “That doesn’t make sense.”

“What are you referring to?”

“You’re also a part of the Su Shin Dokgo clan. Why doesn’t she have the Heavenly Spirit Pill? If she had that, she could break through any strict seal on her closed-room training!”

Exactly. This was the question I had been itching to ask Dokgo Sung from the moment we met. The Dharma Guardians radiated a unique presence of vast internal power indicative of Heavenly Spirit Pill holders. Usually, one wouldn’t pick up on this during first encounters, but having interacted with these Dharma Guardians throughout my past life, I could distinguish it right away. Yet Dokgo Sung, while seemingly having profound internal power, didn’t appear to possess the Heavenly Spirit Pill.

Dokgo Sung flinched, clearly surprised, and said, “Indeed… as the legends say, you possess divine insight. To perceive the presence—or lack thereof—of the Heavenly Spirit Pill at a glance is truly impressive.”

“Why is that? After the passing of Dokgo Uncheon, did the Dokgo clan stop passing on the Heavenly Spirit Pill?”

“…Yes.”

He sighed and continued, “It was the last will of Dokgo Uncheon, the sect leader.”

“Last will?!”

“Yes. He decreed that no one from the White Lotus Sect should ever seek the Primordial Spirit or the Heavenly Spirit Pill after his passing. Therefore, the contracts and spells associated with the Heavenly Spirit Pill remain sealed within prohibitive scriptures.”

“…What’s the reason behind that?”

This made no sense. Sure, the contracts of the Primordial Spirit and Heavenly Spirit Pill were tricks, but on the contrary, in a world spiraling into ruin, they seemed just as potential as anything else. Moreover, Dokgo Uncheon’s ability to wield the power of the Primordial Spirit after vanquishing the Sea God indicated that the pre-contractual connection had been successfully established, hadn’t it?

But giving up the chance to achieve immense power?

“The ancient sect leader asserted that the power of the Primordial Spirit and Heavenly Spirit Pill might eventually bind you. He intended to end that cycle in his own era.”

“Bind me?”

“That’s all I know. Only the current sect leader and the highest ranks in the Great Bear Empire possess the clarity on the exact reasons behind this.”

“Hmm…”

“Do you really need to see the sect leader right now? She entered closed-room training 236 days ago, and she’s expected to emerge in 129 days. Perhaps it would be best to wait until then….”

Hearing Dokgo Sung, I pondered for a moment and then stated, “That period totals 365 days. Is she repeating her closed-room training?”

“Yes. She completes it for a full year, then manages the sect’s affairs for ten days before going back into closed-room training.”

“Sounds like she’s been in training for almost an entire year. How long has she been doing this?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You don’t know?”

“I believe she’s been doing so since before I was born… at least over a hundred years. Plus, she doesn’t seem to worry much about how long it’s been.”

“……”

I couldn’t believe she had undergone training for that long.

I felt like I’d just been hit in the head with a hammer. I’d barely spent any thought on her until now, but over a hundred years of closed-room training? Given my prior knowledge of her, it was shocking. I cautiously asked, “If I visit during her closed-room training, would that disturb her?”

“No, it’s just that anyone attempting to enter would be in danger.”

“Fine. I’m going now.”

“Understood. If you request, I can’t refuse.”

Wiying

Climbing aboard the flying machine, it took us higher into the tower. At the top, there was a bright red door that looked firmly sealed. Standing before the door, Dokgo Sung said, “Inside lies a space constructed with advanced techniques. The highest level of barriers is applied, so it’s almost like another realm, where the laws of physics hardly apply.”

“I got it. Open it. You don’t have to follow me.”

“Then… I will open it. If you wish to escape halfway, follow the white walls five times in succession….”

“……?”

What is that about?

Screek!

As I opened the bright red door and stepped inside, I was engulfed by total darkness. I called upon the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, and its light instantly dispelled the darkness to reveal the true interior.

‘A winding maze.’

Even though it felt like a maze, I could easily leap over its walls. However, knowing that this was a formation created by techniques, I couldn’t break through using primitive methods. I took about a hundred steps and noticed the maze wasn’t fading away.

Creaking

The walls of the maze were displaying colors that alternated in five shades. The colors were blue, red, black, white, and yellow, and they seemed to follow a specific pattern. I wandered through the maze, watching the changes, and suddenly realized,

‘…This is the Eight Trigrams Formation.’

More specifically, it was an advanced barrier that integrated the Five Elements. Obviously, a regular Eight Trigrams Formation was hard enough to crack, but if you mixed in the shifts of the Five Elements, my skills might not be enough to break through. Only the Zhuge clan might be capable of doing so.

Now I understood Dokgo Sung’s earlier advice. They couldn’t let ordinary White Lotus Sect members perish trapped within the formation, so they’d set it up so that following the white walls five times would grant them a safe escape.

But I was feeling stubborn. So, with my sword raised, I focused my intent.

‘Let’s break through with force!’

Vwoooom!

An overwhelming amount of sword energy gathered at the tip of my blade. I concentrated for a while, then channeled my intent into my eyes and unleashed the Absolute Realm’s strike.

Zing—

As space split apart, everything in front of me was severed. However, just that one strike wasn’t enough to breach the formation, so I expended my intent and unfurled the Shadowless Sword Technique in succession. Hundreds of swords flew like apparitions, slicing through the maze’s formation.

Boom!!

Bang!

After several explosive sounds, the maze was reduced to ruins, and I noticed a fiery red light shimmering on the horizon. As the broken formation began to mend itself, I quickly dashed towards the horizon, utilizing the Soul Removal Technique.

Paf!

Just as I arrived at the fiery red light, it had grown into an enormous blaze, resembling a little mountain. From the center of the flames, a voice reverberated.

[You’ve returned.]

I furrowed my brow and replied, “…What an awful taste. You’re doing closed-room training, yet you’ve built such a grand barrier?”

[The monsters of the Demon Path or the scientific factions would frequently attempt to invade the sect. With the help of the Zhuge clan, we had to create a concentrated training space.]

“Seems like there’s been a lot happening while I was away….”

[Indeed.]

Fwhooo…

After a moment, the massive flames dwindled with immense energy, compressing themselves into a single point. Standing surrounded by the colossal blaze was a figure that I recognized well.

‘No way. She hasn’t changed a bit since then….’

Sagon Lin, much like her, hadn’t aged a day since that time. Just as I was astonished, she raised one of her twin swords, aiming it at me.

“Baek Woong. Since you’re here, let’s see what you’ve got.”

“What? Wait…!”

Clang!!

Before I could blink, she lunged at me, launching her strike. I hastily blocked it. But the force contained in that slash was so immense that my entire body stiffened for a moment. I quickly summoned all my strength to deflect it, and she twirled around, launching another attack, and as I tried to block it, an eerie feeling crept over me.

‘Don’t block!’

Paf!

Quickly, I unleashed the Iron Plate Bridge technique while gracefully withdrawing. It was like one sword split into two, an illusion that swept past me, and the moment I realized what kind of strike that was, I said, “Dragon Fang! But how are you using the Sword Demon’s Shadowless Sword Technique…?”

That was definitely the Dragon Fang, an advanced technique derived from the basic swordplay of Fire Spirit Techniques! However, unlike regular Dragon Fang, the duality of reality and illusion became indistinguishable, meaning that if I just tried to block it, I’d get cut apart by the illusionary blade. The problem was that such duality was not part of Dragon Fang, but the essence of Sword Demon’s Illusionary Sword Technique.

Clang!

The opponent sheathed her sword and replied, “I forced myself to learn from the Sword Demon. If anyone was likely to survive for another 500 years, it would be me, so the Sword Demon had no choice but to teach me the Shadowless Sword Technique.”

“What…?”

“I had to enhance the Fire Spirit Techniques significantly, or I wouldn’t have been able to survive all that chaos. Fortunately, I managed to last through it.”

A moment later, she took slow steps towards me and said, “By the way, you’re quite late. Oh Emperor, can you really create miracles like others have said? In a situation where beings greater than humans eagerly await the end?”

I clenched my teeth.

“…I have to. I will.”

I refuse to sit and await death passively. Whether I live or die, I’ll achieve something before I go.

She seemed satisfied with my response and smirked.

“That’s the spirit.”

Snap!

As she snapped her fingers, the surroundings instantly transformed into a banquet-like scene. It appeared she had control over this space.

She took a seat in a chair and said, “Sit down. Just as you have many things you want to ask, I too have questions for you.”

“Alright.”

I nodded and sat down.

“Han Baek-ryeong.”

The current 20th-century leader of the White Lotus Sect.

A practitioner of the Fire Spirit Techniques.

And a being who has lived for over 500 years, she is the Dharma Guardian Han Baek-ryeong, one of my old comrades from back then! I had come to meet her since I’ve heard she now holds the top rank among the Tactical Forces Agents and serves as an instructor, refining the martial arts of the agents.