1068——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Cheon Woo-jin retorted to that.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Why should I seal my powers?”

Zhuge Sa shrugged.

“Because I need offerings.”

“If you received over 25% of magic power from the power of the Demon King, you should have at least the power of an [Old Ruler], right? Why should you burden me with it?”

“Cough cough… If it were Baek Woong, he would have just accepted it without question, but you’re such a meticulous one. It’s really bothersome.”

Zhuge Sa continued with a chuckle.

“That’s what it looks like. But just because the debt is 25%, it doesn’t mean you can collect it all. If the other person runs out of magic, then the rest just remains as debt, and you can’t expect to receive it just like that, can you? You could push him around like a slave over time to keep collecting, but with that level of magic, it can’t be a one-time payment. It’s just leftover bad debt.”

“What the hell are you trying to say?”

“The magic I currently possess is only at the level of 15% of what Simon Magus had. I didn’t receive it all. The magic I was set to receive from Sagong Lin got cut off there. With that alone, I can’t entirely suppress Sagong Lin’s magic, which is merged with the Law.”

“…”

Cheon Woo-jin understood Zhuge Sa’s words immediately. He glared at him sharply.

“Don’t kid me. I can’t trust your words.”

“What’s the problem?”

“How can I know if you didn’t receive it all or not? I also have doubts about your intentions to become a Demon King.”

“Hehe… You’re sharp. Well, if I had to explain why I want to become a Demon King, it’s because to handle this level of power properly, I need to elevate my status. Even if I elevate to a Demon King, I’m not sure I can handle this power.”

Zhuge Sa grinned.

“And, you see, I think I need to maintain balance.”

“Balance?”

“I’m sure it will clash with the Law of Cause and Effect. In this state, that is.”

Swish

The moment Zhuge Sa reached out, Cheon Woo-jin, preparing himself, immediately launched an illusion technique. He didn’t trust Zhuge Sa at all, so he could react to the surprise attack instantly.

Bang!!

The pure [powers] of Zhuge Sa and Cheon Woo-jin clashed with a loud sound. Their powers had reached a level where they could warp the laws and turn time and space upside down; it was the battlefield before the distortion that collided first. Neither gained the upper hand, and their powers neutralized each other, but in the next moment, Cheon Woo-jin launched another illusion technique.

Heavenly Demon Subjugation

Boom boom boom!

In the next moment, Zhuge Sa found himself captured in an illusion where his entire body was ripped apart. Much like when the Master of the White Lotus had experienced, he could see Cheon Woo-jin staring at him with a cold gaze as his own lifeless body lay scattered on the ground. Zhuge Sa chuckled to himself.

“How impressive… Since you’re deceiving the world itself, even if you block with your illusion technique a couple of times, you’ll ultimately fall victim to your own trick, huh? Just how could a pure human reach such a level?”

“Damn it. Is this really the time for us to be fighting like this? Stop spouting that absurd nonsense about offering my powers, let’s think of a proper method instead, and I’ll release the illusion.”

“Do you really think it’s absurd?”

“Huh?”

Swoosh

Zhuge Sa’s body slowly began to turn liquid, transforming into an orange mass that seemed to bubble. Moments later, he returned to his human form and continued speaking.

“My current magic level surpasses that of an ordinary Demon King. How would your simple illusion technique be accepted in this world against someone like me? If you get even a bit stronger, you could single-handedly destroy human civilization.”

“…”

“I prophesy. If your power merges with Sagong Lin’s power, which has calmed the Law, you will definitely be bound by cause and effect. From then on, you’ll have no choice but to weep and accept becoming a god. Whether it’s the reborn Ancient God or an adventurer challenging the logic of the Primordial, it doesn’t matter…”

“Hmm.”

“Even if your power is strong, if it becomes like the chaotic power of the divine being Miho that can’t be recklessly used, that’s the end. You wouldn’t be able to maintain the Great Bear Empire at all. So you need to self-restrain before that happens.”

Cheon Woo-jin flinched at Zhuge Sa’s words. Surprisingly, he found himself without a proper response to what Zhuge Sa had said. This was because Zhuge Sa had precisely pinpointed the concerns that Cheon Woo-jin had been subconsciously worrying about.

Cheon Woo-jin also knew that his current abilities were among the strongest among humans. However, he hadn’t thought too much about how it might run into the Law of Cause and Effect, especially since it became a possibility if Sagong Lin awakened and gained significant power.

After a moment, Cheon Woo-jin regained his composure and coldly replied.

“That’s my own business. There’s absolutely no need for my power to be offered as a sacrificial item in the seal you created. Stop talking nonsense.”

“Nonsense, huh?”

“Yeah. Then what about the Master of the White Lotus? I don’t even have guarantees that I could defeat him, yet he should have fallen into the Law long ago.”

“Ha ha… The Essence within the Master of the White Lotus has a limit. It’s bound to go berserk soon. In contrast, your power probes into the roots of the world, with boundless potential, and the possibility of awakening into a god is also high. You should know that it’s easier for you to fall into the Law.”

“Shut up. Don’t speak of your imaginations as if they’re facts. There’s nothing certain in this situation, so don’t just think whatever’s convenient for you!”

Zhuge Sa smiled wryly at Cheon Woo-jin’s resolute attitude.

“Ha ha! Has the persuasion failed? Then I’ll have no choice but to bring you down.”

“…You’re getting too cocky just because you managed to escape once. Do you think there’s an end to the illusions deceiving the world?”

Thud

Zhuge Sa’s perception of reality buckled dramatically. He realized he had no time to utter spells or use abilities; all his senses and reason were collapsing due to the illusion. He couldn’t even discern what came first or last, and even if he was alive or dead, he couldn’t tell.

This is what an Illusory God!

Zhuge Sa, unable to swing his immense power even once, felt himself wither away in the illusion. Once caught, the very nature of illusions means that combat cannot even be established.

Crash!

However, moments later, Cheon Woo-jin felt himself bouncing away instead. This meant that Zhuge Sa had successfully broken through the influence of the illusion. As Cheon Woo-jin rolled on the ground and coughed up blood, he stood up once again, and Zhuge Sa spoke.

“You can heal yourself with the illusion, huh? Well, if you can deceive the world, it’s easy to fool even the extent of your own injuries.”

“……”

“Indeed, you are the disciple of Master Mangnyang. Your pure power is as different as night and day, yet you can still fight me to this extent.”

That’s right. Just a moment ago, Zhuge Sa’s released magic wave had severely injured Cheon Woo-jin, yet his own body was unharmed. This was because Cheon Woo-jin deceived the world with the illusion and changed the wounds to have never existed from the start. Zhuge Sa’s eyes sharpened.

“But it means your illusion technique has its limitations; you can’t erase the attack itself. Isn’t that right?”

Thud

“Cough!!”

As Zhuge Sa snapped his fingers, Cheon Woo-jin couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed, covered in blood. It was only then that he realized the current strength of Zhuge Sa and trembled.

‘He clearly covered the world with illusions… The level of power to move freely defying the captured reality!!’

Cheon Woo-jin’s mistake was not gauging just how powerful a Demon Sorcerer who absorbed the power of an [Old Ruler] could become. He should have just fled, but out of pride, he thought he’d try and contest Zhuge Sa. As he collapsed, Zhuge Sa murmured in a bored tone.

“I need to seal the Law soon. I’ve wasted too much time. I shouldn’t have bothered trying to persuade the brat.”

“Zhuge Sa…!!”

“Think positively, Cheon Woo-jin. You’re not going to die; you’ll just be cursed.”

Boom boom boom

As Zhuge Sa activated the dark circle he had created when he subdued Sagong Lin, it wrapped Cheon Woo-jin’s entire body in chains of darkness. Once Cheon Woo-jin was shackled, Zhuge Sa began to take out part of the Grimoire that was merged with his body.

Swish swish

Boom!!

Suddenly, the Grimoire shrouded in horrific shapes emerged from Zhuge Sa’s hand along with chunks of flesh. With the Grimoire in hand, Zhuge Sa began to chant the incantation of the otherworldly realm, reaching out towards Sagong Lin.

Whooooosh

Even in a faint state, Cheon Woo-jin forced out his energy to speak to Zhuge Sa.

“Stop… what are you trying to do…?”

“I’m trying to tidy up this mess in my own way. Unfortunately, I inherited Simon Magus’s powers, but I didn’t obtain his soul, so I have to proceed with a plain sealing ritual.”

“……”

“Now, let’s begin.”

Ching!!

In that moment, Cheon Woo-jin saw Sagong Lin’s powers merging with the Law pulled strongly into Zhuge Sa. And with the golden magic being drawn in, he witnessed the golden beast he had seen earlier materializing from Sagong Lin’s body. The golden beast attacked Zhuge Sa as soon as it appeared.

Thud!

Zhuge Sa’s head exploded, showering blood while chanting the incantation. If that wasn’t enough for the beast, it began firing bursts of magic energy, causing the remains of Zhuge Sa’s body to explode as well, with his head regenerating in the void and bursting with light.

[Ha ha ha! Heavenly Demon! Congratulations on getting trapped before you could overturn the world.]

Zhuge Sa’s voice changed from a human’s to that of a demon. He had leveled up to a Demon King using the magic he had gained.

Then, a horrific entity with hundreds of eyes spread like a cloud of smoke, beginning to surround the golden beast. The golden beast, opening its mouth wide to devour Zhuge Sa, hesitated as the black smoke of Zhuge Sa entered Sagong Lin’s body.

[You must protect the host; you can’t carelessly consume the demon.]

Boom!!

[Seal!!]

The next moment—dark lightning struck down, and everything disappeared. Specifically, both Zhuge Sa and the golden beast, who had been fighting over Sagong Lin just moments prior, were obliterated simultaneously. Cheon Woo-jin found himself free as the dark circle and chains binding him vanished.

Thud

Was it merely an illusion that the black fog momentarily seemed to fly toward the center of the sky? The now-Demon King Zhuge Sa seemed to have vanished right after sealing was complete.

“Cough… Ugh.”

Cheon Woo-jin staggered towards Sagong Lin. She appeared unconscious, her eyes closed, but upon closer inspection, he could see no visible wounds on her, and the tremendous power of the Heavenly Demon he felt moments ago was absent. With a sigh of relief, he attempted to wake her.

“…Sagong Lin. Are you okay?”

“Mm. Cheon Woo-jin, what happened?”

After a moment, Cheon Woo-jin recounted the events that had just transpired. Upon hearing this, Sagong Lin stared at him blankly and said.

“There’s a powerful magic lingering at the back of your neck.”

“What?”

Cheon Woo-jin hurriedly checked his neck through a nearby puddle of water, revealing a distinct mark imprinted there. Speechless, he gazed at the mark as Sagong Lin quietly stated.

“Zhuge Sa has made your power an offering to seal my Heavenly Demonic powers. You probably won’t be able to use illusions anymore.”

“What… are you kidding?”

Cheon Woo-jin tried to cast an illusion as if disbelieving reality. But at that moment, he felt it.

[The flow] with the [world] had been severed.

The connection with the Great Will interpreting the [world] was cut off.

All the accomplishments gained through years of training had completely vanished. Specifically, it felt as if the pathway connecting him to that Will was blocked because of the imprint. Stricken with despair, Cheon Woo-jin stood there blankly while Sagong Lin said.

“For now, let’s return to where our companions are. It doesn’t seem there’s anything left to do in Aiternum Mundi.”

“How are we supposed to go back? I originally planned to break through the walls of this world with my illusions, but my abilities have been sealed, and yours have been too. Escape seems impossible.”

“No.”

Boom!

“No way…!!”

Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes widened in shock as, upon Sagong Lin reaching out, a colossal dimensional passage formed in the void. It was clear that she had executed the power to pierce through dimensions, leaving Cheon Woo-jin in astonishment.

“Does that mean the seal isn’t in place?! And how are you using the Power of Chaos as if it’s second nature…?”

“The seal is indeed on. I’m aware that the golden beast is trapped inside me and cannot come out.”

Sagong Lin continued, her expression emotionless.

“It seems that thanks to the seal made by Zhuge Sa, I’m able to suppress the Heavenly Demon’s nature and draw out only pure magic. While it feels like it’s less than half my max power, still…”

“…You can create such a convenient seal?!”

“Well, it’s possible because I’ve spent most of the magic Zhuge Sa had while also using your illusion capacity as a price. And I’ve grown accustomed to chaos, allowing me to use the power as if breathing.”

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin was left speechless.

He never thought Zhuge Sa would actually sort out the situation in his own way!

Sagong Lin said.

“A way to regain your powers will have to wait until we return to the Great Bear Empire and discuss it further.”

“…Yeah.”

Whoosh

The two opened a Dimension Door in Aiternum Mundi and returned. When they arrived at the main palace of the Great Bear Empire, they were met with an unexpected sight.

[You’ve returned.]

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin let out a low sound.

“What the hell is this?”

The Master of the White Lotus sat on the throne, arms crossed, staring at them. Underneath the dark throne lay spattered fresh blood as if it were decoration, and a chilling scent of blood filled the hall. In the room where only the Master of the White Lotus existed, Sagong Lin asked him.

“Master of the White Lotus. What is the meaning of this? Why have you massacred so many Portrait Immortals?”

Indeed, in the chamber where the Master of the White Lotus sat, more than a hundred Portrait Immortals had been brutally slaughtered, reduced to chunks of flesh. The traces of basic techniques left on the chunks showed that there had been no pattern, revealing a clear mark of chaos during the slaughter. Responding to Sagong Lin, the Master of the White Lotus replied.

[These things aren’t human. I haven’t fallen into demonhood yet.]

“What do you mean?”

[All of these are nothing more than low-tier meat chunks created by Zhuge Bu.]

At the Master of the White Lotus’s words, Sagong Lin responded.

“Demonhood isn’t simply about the severity of the atrocities committed. Isn’t your heart stained with degeneration?”

[Ho ho… That’s a valid point. But I’ve made an effort according to my own standards.]

“Effort? Really?”

[…….]

The hall fell silent after the Master of the White Lotus’s words.

[If I don’t do this, I feel like I’d want to drink the blood of a thousand every day… ]

“Master!!”

[Let’s discuss this later. For now, I’m still in my right mind. Quickly report on the strategies regarding Aiternum Mundi to me.]

Sagong Lin looked at the Master of the White Lotus with dubious eyes, but he certainly seemed to be in a clear state of mind. She proceeded to relay everything that had happened during their challenge in Aiternum Mundi to him, and upon hearing, the Master of the White Lotus sighed.

[Oh… Truly, such fortune. It seems you’ve managed to obtain the Law miraculously.]

“Master of the White Lotus, I have no clue about Zhuge Sa’s whereabouts.”

[He’s likely headed to seize the full might of the battle with Simon Magus. If he’s become a Demon King, then that’s all there is to it… He’ll probably create his own demon realm to expand his influence. There’s no need to worry; he won’t show up in the world immediately.]

“……”

[Obtaining the Law is indeed a remarkable achievement. Sagong Lin, Cheon Woo-jin… You are truly heroes.]

The Master of the White Lotus seemed genuinely praising them. Knowing well the world of magic, he realized just how miraculous their victory over Aiternum Mundi was. However, Sagong Lin continued to look at the Master of the White Lotus and opened her mouth.

“Master, then could you grant me one wish?”

[Alright… I will grant you anything within my power.]

The Master of the White Lotus fell silent after her subsequent words.

“I will now become the Emperor of the Great Bear Empire. Please grant me the throne.”