1113——————==

Soul of the Evil God

The moment Nüwa heard the words about Pangu’s spirit summoning, she immediately replied as if she understood.

[“Alright… let’s show the Emperor a sharp lesson!”]

Ohhhh

The Five Elements Divine Jade floating around Nüwa suddenly condensed into one and transformed into a radiant gem shining in seven colors. Nüwa infused her power into the gem with great force and then threw it swiftly in front of Fuxi.

Wooooooh!!

At first, the size difference seemed so massive that it appeared meaningless, but the Five Elements Divine Jade rapidly increased in size until it looked comparable to Fuxi’s precious pearl. Fuxi grabbed the jade and shouted.

[“I dedicate the law of the Five Elements! Accept our plea and come down!!”]

Paaat!

The Five Elements Divine Jade transformed into a beam of light and shot into the pitch-black darkness ahead. For a moment, there was a profound silence as if nothing happened, but then, with a crackling sound, the sturdy barrier of time and space began to shatter.

Kikikik-

[“Indeed, the power of Pangu! The entrance to the throne sealed by the Emperor opens!”]

Shennong exclaimed in admiration. Then he spoke to Fuxi.

[“Fuxi, the laws of the Five Elements that existed on Earth have been offered as a sacrifice to the spirit of Pangu and collapsed. The three of us have become common enemies of all those ‘Old Rulers’ on Earth. The all-out war we’ve been dodging against order and chaos is about to begin. Can we really handle this?”]

In response, Fuxi said,

[“It doesn’t matter. If Father Pangu has descended, we can ignore that triviality.”]

[“Is that so?”]

[“Shennong, can’t you feel it?”]

Fuxi smiled.

[“Right now, the balance of the entire universe is tilting towards order!”]

Wham!

As soon as she finished speaking, Nüwa, Fuxi, and Shennong all entered the darkness of Honyun simultaneously. With them disappearing, I realized the real showdown with the Emperor was about to begin.

‘I guess I have to get in there too.’

The distance was literally the size of interstellar space, and generally, it wouldn’t be possible to traverse. While it was visible, the actual distance was far beyond hundreds of thousands of miles.

‘Hmm, what to do?’

I tried summoning a familiar as a test, but it didn’t work. It likely had something to do with this place being filled with ‘Honyun.’ Yet, I couldn’t leap that distance with the Great Destruction either, so I pondered until a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Fuxi! Please give me an order!”

As soon as I spoke, I also shouted in my mind. Usually, this would allow me to connect with Fuxi. But after a long wait, I did not hear his response.

‘What’s going on?’

Is he busy?

I couldn’t figure it out, but I couldn’t just sit here shouting endlessly at Fuxi. Given the urgency, I decided to try a backup plan.

“Shao Hao! Please help me!”

Substituting one chicken for another!

Woooh

As I called out, Shao Hao’s apparition appeared foggily before me. He appeared not as his true form but as a regal vision and spoke to me in an almost annoyed tone.

[“Why did you summon me?”]

“I need to get into the throne, but it’s too far to reach.”

[“Can’t you use teleportation?”]

“……”

The Golden Lamp can only take me to places I’ve been before, and there’s no powerful supernatural ability or technique to teleport a distance of hundreds of thousands of miles! Even the Great Immortal would struggle with teleportation over such distances, and the summoning was blocked!

I couldn’t believe the casualness of his question, but scratching my head, I replied,

“Still, I’m an apostle, so please help me out, Shao Hao.”

[“That sounds troublesome.”]

“Uhm… is there really no way…?”

[“Hmm… let me think.”]

A while later, Shao Hao spoke in a disinterested voice again.

[“It’s just annoying!”]

“……”

Oh right… this is how Shao Hao normally is!

Given that he seemed disinclined to help because of his bothersome nature, I spoke quickly.

“Shao Hao! As an apostle, I need to be on that battlefield to help you, don’t I?!”

[“What help will you be? You’d get squashed with a single poke of a finger.”]

“……”

Despite Shao Hao’s dismissal, I had nothing to retort. It’s true that the gap was that significant. Just as Shao Hao was about to turn his head and leave, he suddenly felt something odd and questioned.

[“Hmm, but the battlefield? So you’re saying Nüwa, Fuxi, and Shennong broke through the Honyun barrier to enter the Divine Temple’s throne?”]

It seems they call the barrier blocking the Three Sovereigns ‘Honyun Wall.’ I nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct. I was about to chase after them.”

[“Impossible! How did you so quickly get through a place we sealed with our full power? Even the Ancient Gods…”]

Shao Hao seemed slightly perplexed and then asked.

[“Did you see what technique they used?”]

“Fuxi and Nüwa summoned Pangu.”

[“Grrrr…!! Really? Today everything will be settled.”]

Shao Hao’s astonishment came through as an apparition too. The fact that Pangu was summoned was clearly a big deal for him.

But Shao Hao’s attitude didn’t change.

[“Still, it won’t work.”]

“Wha?!”

[“You’re of no use, and I can’t let just anyone into the interior of the Divine Temple.”]

No…!! If it keeps up like this, I won’t see the important bits!

‘I really need to see that Emperor’s face!’

I racked my brain and said to Shao Hao.

“Shao Hao, like I said before, my power won’t really help in the gods’ battle. Even if I shout I’m on your side, Fuxi or Nüwa wouldn’t even bat an eye!”

[“That is true. Why are you so weak?”]

“But how about this?”

I spoke to Shao Hao in a coaxing tone.

“I’ll pretend to fight for Fuxi, and once the situation turns decisive, I’ll take your command and play an important role. That would hit Fuxi hard! He trusts me, after all.”

I just had to make it sound enticing!

I never planned to betray Fuxi!

[“Hmm… that’s a pretty good idea.”]

Shao Hao nodded as if he understood, then said,

[“Alright. I’ll let Jeon Wook know. You’re his apostle too, after all.”]

“Eh… you didn’t have to say that.”

Moments later, Shao Hao spoke again.

[“Jeon Wook agreed to your plan. Just know there’s no guarantee I’ll protect you if you get caught up in the fight! So take care of yourself!”]

A thought struck me, and I quickly said,

“Uhm, but, that just occurred to me.”

[“What is it?”]

“Isn’t there a clause in the apostle contract with you saying I can’t harm Fuxi? If so, this plot is meaningless.”

Shao Hao replied, displeased.

[“Do you think I’m a fool? As an apostle, you can’t directly attack either me or Fuxi. However, that only applies to a direct attack! You’re allowed to cause indirect harm to Fuxi if you do it according to our wishes.”]

“Is that so?”

[“Exactly. You won’t suffer any consequences. Don’t worry and prepare to help us.”]

…Is it possible that Shao Hao is hiding something? My instincts, honed from a long trading history, sensed something was off, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

Anyway, since I didn’t plan to betray, it might not matter that much. I hid my expression and replied vigorously.

“Understood!”

[“Then come in.”]

Paaat!

As soon as he finished that sentence, I pierced through the Honyun Wall and traversed the vast distance, arriving at an unknown location. I soon realized this place looked like a giant plain cloaked in a deep mixture of shadows, with numerous thin lines scattered all around.

“Is this the inner sanctum of the Divine Temple?”

Kaboom

At that moment, a colossal sound erupted as the sky opened up. Gradually, the true form of the Four Emperors began to unveil itself. Jeon Wook, Shao Hao, and Jeogok descended in sequence, while Yu Shun, surprisingly, did not appear, perhaps truly having been extinguished.

And at the center, surrounded by the defense of the Three Talents, stood a king adorned in golden robes with a ritual object atop his head. I recognized this as the typical appearance of a Central Plains Emperor, and indeed, the garb he wore resembled dragon robes perfectly.

‘That is Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen!!’

However, something felt off. Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen did not exude the same powerful presence as the Three Sovereigns beside him, and he appeared almost human. Moreover, wasn’t he unmasked?

‘…A mask? Why?’

The mask had the shape of a dragon and was golden in hue.

Except for the mask resembling a dragon, he might have looked similar to the Master of the White Lotus Sect, and while I pondered that, Fuxi, Nüwa, and Shennong also revealed themselves.

Doooom

The Four Emperors and the Three Sovereigns were locked in a standoff!

In that moment, Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen slowly addressed Fuxi.

[“So you summoned Pangu into this world.”]

[“To notice that so swiftly, truly a worthy Emperor.”]

[“Though an enemy, I commend you. Even without the ability to read causality, you manage to choose only the paths I dread the most; this must be the wisdom of the Heavenly Dragon.”]

In response, Fuxi chuckled lightly.

[“It seems my plan didn’t amount to much after all. To calmly evaluate someone else’s scheme, you certainly have the luxury.”]

[“With Pangu summoned, the cosmic balance has tilted heavily toward order. However, this merely returns it to its primordial state; the universe hasn’t changed and is not solely tilted toward chaos.”]

The Emperor continued slowly.

[“I thought if you were wise, you wouldn’t choose that path. Because you understand better than anyone why Pangu has transformed into an [phenomenon] to conceal himself…. I never expected you would want to strike at me, risking annihilation.”]

[“……”]

[“You likely don’t have the ability to resolve Pangu’s singularity, yet you act so recklessly. Hehehe….”]

It seemed the Emperor was laughing.

Fuxi remained silent before responding.

[“Emperor, do you know this? Many ‘Old Rulers’ have already descended into this world, yet the overwhelming majority do not engage in worldly affairs and merely await their end as if dead. Only you all are noisily wriggling about in chaos like frolicking ponies.”]

[“What does that matter?”]

[“You possess some other understanding about ‘end’ and ‘revelation.’ You don’t think it ends merely with the search for the Void Record and the voice of our [Father], do you?! That’s why you’re so insistent about contacting us.”]

Fuxi continued in a subtle voice.

[“There’s just one possibility… the fact that the end could also mean the end of the Divine Beings. Emperor, you’re well aware of this, so you’re already moving to survive that end and pursue your aims.”]

[“……”]

[“Although I don’t know what your purpose is, I can only assume you must have some idea of what will occur after the end, else you wouldn’t pursue it.”]

At that moment, the atmosphere in the hall shifted dramatically. The Three Sovereigns next to the Emperor suddenly appeared anxious, and even Nüwa and Shennong, who were on Fuxi’s side, looked at Fuxi in disbelief. Only the Emperor remained utterly still.

A moment of silence passed.

Then the Emperor spoke.

[“So, what do you intend to do? Even if your words are true, you have no reason to fight me. Because all of you will ultimately have to submit to me, who knows of what lies beyond the end.”]

[“Why would you think so?”]

[“Even gods have a yearning for existence. Naturally, they must wish to reach a world beyond the end.”]

[“……”]

[“Even gods are bound by the laws of the universe.”]

As the Emperor said this, he slowly raised his hand towards Fuxi. He spoke in a soothing voice.

[“There’s no need to fear, children of order. Trust in me.”]

The Emperor’s words echoed in the hall as if they were hypnotic.

[“All of us can overthrow our predetermined fate and ascend. This includes your divine beings of order. Trust in me.”]

At that, Nüwa appeared to waver considerably.

[“Ughhh…”]

[“Is that true?”]

Shennong too showed signs of deep contemplation. Because if the Emperor’s words were true, then submitting as his subordinate could be a considerable advantage.

Yet, from start to finish, Fuxi displayed no change. He simply stared at the Emperor with aloof eyes and spoke.

[“Emperor, even if that is the case, only one person can ascend that path, can’t it? Isn’t that right?”]

[“What basis do you have for that? Everyone can ascend together.”]

[“No. That’s a lie.”]

Fuxi’s eyes began to radiate mysterious energy.

[“If that were the case, there would be no need for you to hide the truth from everyone. If it were a path that all could take, you’d simply request help from everyone. Yet, you have absorbed even the divine beings of order into the Divine Temple and haven’t mentioned this to your closest aides.”]

[“……”]

[“Emperor, you’re someone who wants to tread solely your own path. In the end, you’ll likely use us as stepping stones and sacrifice us. You will then wreak havoc across the universe and evolve into another formidable evil. We must stop that catastrophe.”]

Fuxi roared.

[“That is precisely why today, I, Fuxi, the direct descendant of Pangu and the Heavenly Dragon of this universe, will seek to topple you, Gong Sun Xuanwen!”]

Hooowooooooh

Heavenly Dragon Roar of the Universe!

As Fuxi opened his mouth, a colossal roar erupted forth. The authority Fuxi had of driving the five elemental rulers out of the material world in the past! His power as a Three Sovereign was indeed extraordinary, yet the moment Jeogok faced that attack, he scoffed at Fuxi.

[“Hahaha! Do you think this is the material realm? Such power is futile in the heart of the Divine Temple… whoaah.”]

Hwoom!!

[“Jeogok!!”]

Jeon Wook called out in shock, but Jeogok had already vanished without a trace.

‘What?!’

I was startled and watched as the Emperor glanced at the scene and said emotionlessly.

[“Indeed… you have enough power to shout like that. So, you and Nüwa have half of Pangu’s soul, huh?”]

[“That’s right.”]

[“Jeogok is done for… I never expected a single roar would send him to the outer universe.”]

[“Emperor, are you afraid?”]

[“Not at all.”]

Golden energy from the Emperor’s body began to simmer ominously.

And from behind the Emperor, a beast that resembled a Heavenly Demon emerged.

[“I recognize you as a proper opponent. Fuxi!”]

No sooner did the Emperor’s declaration finish than the unprecedented clash of the Three Sovereigns and Five Element Emperors commenced.