1195——————==

Soul of the Evil God

As soon as the Divine Thief said that, he seemed to leap into the sky, heading in the direction of the Old Ruler. I was left staring at his retreating figure, feeling perplexed.

‘What should I do?’

I had no idea that the Divine Thief would return. I came here wanting to see Yeodong-bin’s Divine Skill before ending this cycle with suicide, but could it really be okay to leave the Divine Thief like this?

Just as I was lost in thought, Cheon Woo-jin suddenly spoke up beside me.

“Great! We’ll get to see two Divine Skills.”

“Ah…!!”

That’s right!

The Divine Thief was also someone who had achieved a Divine Skill!

Startled by the sudden realization that I had forgotten, I heard Cheon Woo-jin continue.

“But it seems there’s an uninvited guest…”

“That guy.”

I just noticed it too.

Looking in the direction Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze was focused on, I saw a warrior clad in a black cloak standing atop the giant glacial cliffs of the Arctic. He wore a blue mask and had five oversized swords strapped to his back, definitely an unusual sight. Normally, who carries five gigantic swords around?

‘He’s strong.’

Until now, I hadn’t detected his presence at all because I had been completely empty of intent, but the moment I became aware of his subtle existence, I realized he must have reacted to the Divine Thief’s presence.

Perfectly controlled intent and Heavenly Pillar.

Undoubtedly, an Absolute Realm!

Could he be one of the masters cultivated by the Great Bear Empire? I was curious about the identity of the warrior in the blue mask, but then I suddenly noticed something strange.

‘His body structure is odd…?’

Something was off about his bodily balance, and although he had quite a large frame, his posture didn’t resemble that of a human at all. Yet, he was definitely humanoid. As I tilted my head in confusion at the bizarre feeling, Cheon Woo-jin spoke up again.

“If you’re just going to watch, it’s better not to step in. Are you willing to let Yeodong-bin lose?”

“……”

I fell silent at his words and shook my head vigorously.

“That’s not possible! If it looks like Yeodong-bin’s going to lose, I’ll help.”

If I were genuinely recognizing the potential of martial arts that resist the end, then I shouldn’t interfere if Yeodong-bin lost and got eaten. But I couldn’t go that far.

‘I can’t bear to see Yeodong-bin get eaten….’

If it were a match of martial artists, I would respect Yeodong-bin’s defeat, but the Old Ruler is simply a target that must be subdued, so it would only be right to step in and assist Yeodong-bin if necessary.

Cheon Woo-jin smirked wryly.

“You’re consistently noble. Then, I’ll make sure you can jump in at a moment’s notice.”

“Thanks.”

Whoosh—

Soon, I felt the barrier created by Cheon Woo-jin enveloping us. It was likely a barrier to block intent while also preventing us from being caught up in the shock of battle. At the same time, whether it was Cheon Woo-jin’s sorcery at work, I could immediately see the battlefield where Yeodong-bin was, almost as if I had activated a clairvoyance technique.

Yeodong-bin, holding the Fire Dragon Incarnate transformed into the Fire Dragon Sword, was staring at the Divine Thief, who had appeared right next to him.

“Divine Thief, is it?”

The Divine Thief chuckled.

“It’s been a long time, Yeodong-bin! Did we see each other briefly when you ascended?”

“……”

Yeodong-bin seemed to smile incredulously for the first time.

“Did you come to catch a god?”

“Don’t get me going on that. There’s nothing I can’t catch.”

The Divine Thief crossed his arms and continued.

“But, you see, I came back here because there’s something else I want to steal.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t tell you right now, there’s someone watching~.”

Swish—

The Divine Thief pulled a dagger from his robe and aimed it at the Old Ruler.

“Once I catch that guy, maybe I’ll tell you.”

“Fine by me.”

Kuguguh…

At that moment, Yeodong-bin and the Divine Thief floated in mid-air, releasing their intents side by side. I thought Yeodong-bin would insist on handling things alone, but this was unexpected. To him, whether he captured the god alone or with help didn’t seem to matter.

The Old Ruler released a strange sound, proclaiming his words.

[You worthless beings! Thank you for bringing me amusement at the end…. And die!]

Whoosh – !!

Boom!

At the same time, countless lights flashed from the sky. There seemed to be way over thousands of these light orbs that soon transformed into beams and began raining down, annihilating everything in sight with scorching brilliance.

Zshaaa—

The light orbs completely obliterated the Arctic’s glacial cliffs as they hit the water. But the sea, too, vaporized at the contact, and the destructive beams that smoothly penetrated the earth soon started to turn the world white.

Gogogogogo…

The quiet light of death. In an instant, the bright light had hollowed out the Arctic Ocean, making it look as if a colossal meteor had struck. All the seawater evaporated without a trace. Hundreds of miles of land were vanishing in real-time.

Whoosh—

“……!!”

The Sea God might have launched a similar attack, but this was on an entirely different level. Just one of those attacks seemed to obliterate the horizon of the Arctic from end to end. It looked like the area of an entire continent had been annihilated. Mortals could never unleash such power through sorcery or magic.

At that moment, when the terrifying light struck and stillness enveloped the Arctic—

The Old Ruler suddenly let out a scream.

[Graaaah.]

Boom!

I could see it clearly, even from a distance. A streak shot through the Old Ruler’s back as a single Divine Item pierced through his body!

Then, in the air, it seemed like a massive rock was suspended, and behind those huge boulders, someone was grinning.

“This heart is now mine!”

Divine Skill

One Hand Take Heart

The Divine Thief had pulled the god’s heart out with a single strike of his Divine Skill!

‘So that’s how the technique works!’

It was a technique for stealing a god’s heart in one shot!

As I widened my eyes in astonishment, the Old Ruler roared in anger and shouted a divine command.

[Time, reverse!]

Whoosh—

As the Small Cycle reversed, I watched as the trajectory of the One Hand Take Heart that the Divine Thief had just pierced restored itself through the reversal of time. Feeling the immense power, I felt my heart sink.

‘Right. Even if you land a blow with a Divine Skill, how on earth can the Small Cycle resist this?’

If a god manifests in the physical realm, it should be feasible to land a blow with an Intent Technique since there is a physical body. However, with numerous divine protections and powers surrounding the god, along with the manipulation of the Small Cycle, any strike becomes meaningless. Such contradictions almost never get resolved through pure human martial arts.

It seemed the Divine Thief was drawn back to the time he had momentarily crossed and returned. But suddenly, it sounded as if the Divine Thief was chuckling.

“Hahaha, if you don’t want the heart, I’ll take the head instead!”

Divine Skill

One Hand Take Head

Smash!

In that moment — piercing the distortion of time and space, the Divine Thief’s Divine Item severed the head of the Old Ruler, which resembled a ray-finned fish. It was as if an invisible giant blade had sliced through with a swift strike!

This time, the Old Ruler seemed utterly thrown into confusion as his head flew into the air, shouting in disbelief.

[W-what kind of power does this bug-like creature use? How is this… recovery!]

“Heh heh heh. Doesn’t stick, does it?”

[Graaaah!!]

Splat—

From the cut surface of the Old Ruler’s body, countless tentacles and a dark, viscous liquid shot up. From within, innumerable small ray-finned fish flew into the air. Being a god perhaps prevented it from being a fatal wound, even with the head cut off.

Pew—

Unique Skill

Shadowless Escape

The Divine Thief executed his ultimate sorcery, an evolved version of his evasive technique, the Shadowless Escape, dodging all the physical assaults that the Old Ruler unleashed, as if he were nimbly dancing away. Remarkably, his evasion was at least as effective as the Three Treasure Technique, and while the Divine Thief moved hundreds of times to evade the Old Ruler’s attacks, I noticed him switch the dagger from his left hand to the right before shaking his left hand once.

‘That’s!’

Technique of All Things

Space Theft

The boundaries in the sky began to split. Just as countless lights had recently taken flight due to the Old Ruler’s magic, they reached that ‘wall’ and suddenly, with a tremendous crash, I heard the Old Ruler’s body explode.

Flash—

Boom!!

[Graaaahhh!]

I immediately realized how this phenomenon occurred.

‘He flipped the face of the cosmos to steal it!!’

And he ensured that the flipped face’s space was connected to the Old Ruler’s real body! I was awestruck by the unexpected manipulation of space theft, watching as the Old Ruler frenziedly dyed the air a crimson color.

[Kaha, Khah, Haahh! Do you think a mere bug like you can face me, the Shepherd of the Scarlet Fence?! In the face of the apocalypse!]

Bam bamboom—

The issue was that the Old Ruler, who boldly claimed himself as the Shepherd of the Scarlet Fence, began radiating even greater magical power, seemingly claiming that all previous attacks were nothing. The disjointed head and body began to rise simultaneously, exuding a vision that seemed to tighten the very sun with its crimson glow.

What a ludicrous amount of resilience.

To have suffered so much and yet still appear as insignificant as a few drops of blood.

‘Indeed, the Old Ruler is on a different level….’

Since it was the apocalypse, more creatures like that would likely emerge in the future. While I felt a sense of despair creeping in, I noticed the Divine Thief, who had suddenly slipped back, looking puzzled as he chewed on his lips.

“Hmm. I really am bad with killing due to being a thief~ I regret being too kind. I guess I’m just a perfect burglar, even down to my personality.”

…….

That man hasn’t changed a bit. Can he really talk like that…

Before long, he shifted his attention to Yeodong-bin, who was now beside him.

“If you’re a Sword Saint, you’ll be able to handle what I’ve prepared~?”

With a swaggering tone, the Divine Thief spoke, to which Yeodong-bin flatly raised his sword forward and replied.

“Divine Thief, no need to taste.”

“Why?”

“The opponent you’re worried about is unlikely to show up in such a trivial battlefield.”

At those words, the Divine Thief looked momentarily surprised.

“…Wait, did you know?”

“If you’re not afraid of gods, it’s likely someone who transcends them. That’s pretty obvious. And if they are willing to surpass even extraterrestrial fears…. It must be the sealed entity in Luoyang.”

“…….”

Yeodong-bin’s gaze sharpened and shone brightly.

“With this single sword, I announce the commencement of the battlefield for the Hundred Seats.”

Paah—

At that moment, Yeodong-bin released the Fire Dragon Sword from his hands. As the sword gradually turned white, it began to emanate overwhelming power, and the Fire Dragon Sword floated in the air, soon piercing through the celestial vault with an imposing stance.

Thud—

As the Fire Dragon Sword pierced the heavens, I saw the massive form of a dragon emerging from the sky. The dragon had the appearance of a Twilight Dragon, and as it manifested, the Shepherd of the Scarlet Fence quivered in shock, its flapping body shivering at the sight.

[Shenglong!!]

In an instant, as the sight of Shenglong was cast over the red night, its gaze settled down upon Yeodong-bin. And before Shenglong, the form of the Fire Dragon Incarnate appeared, causing Shenglong to glance at it and then fix its eyes back on Yeodong-bin as it spoke.

[Mighty incarnates of martial prowess! I accept your offerings.]

“Thank you.”

[Therefore, cease your meaningless struggles! Though your powers may possess the cosmic essence, the tide has already turned. How about submitting to the Divine Temple and creating a new era?]

It seemed Yeodong-bin was performing a ritual sacrifice with the Fire Dragon Sword to Shenglong, who was its true essence. Nonetheless, I never thought he would just relinquish one of the top-tier divine swords in such a decisive battle!

“That’s impossible.”

Yeodong-bin looked directly into Shenglong’s eyes and spoke firmly.

“I’ve severed my ties with my master; henceforth, the only path remaining is that of the Asura! Even if you claim to have existed since the beginning, you cannot measure the will of us martial artists.”

[How absurd. Can a mere human’s sword really slay a god!]

As Shenglong shouted angrily, Yeodong-bin extended his hand into the void.

“I will show you. And then you will believe.”

Swish—

Yeodong-bin’s intent seemed to concentrate, momentarily forming the Formless Sword. However, the Formless Sword only took shape for a short while before vanishing, and Yeodong-bin half-opened his eyes to whisper.

“Soon, this sword will sever the divine entities!!”

Yeodong-bin’s divine spark began to gather upon his forehead. His concentration deepened, surpassing the Absolute Realm, as he seemed to reach into an unknown domain. I was shocked to see the ‘power’ that had enveloped Yeodong-bin’s whole body gradually dissipate into nothingness.

‘That… that is… something familiar.’

Why is this reminding me of the Dark Night Slash that the Asura imparted?

Tight—

Yeodong-bin’s hand positioned as if he was holding a sword.

But there was no sword.

Not even an imaginary sword was being held, allowing Yeodong-bin to reach a state completely void of being. What he achieved was an emptiness that cannot be rationalized with the principles of martial arts. It was almost enough to accuse him of having forgotten his martial arts entirely.

Kiiee—

Perhaps that’s why the Old Ruler immediately distorted time and space to cast a spell that should be unavoidable to martial artists. Even the Peerless Technique wouldn’t be able to block or evade it. Unlike the Divine Thief floating around and disrupting trajectories, it was clear that this was the end. Even if he knew the Peerless Technique, it would be too late to unfold it now!

Yeodong-bin had already been caught in a deadlock. Now, only death remained for him.

However – at that very moment, I saw it.

Circle.

Behind Yeodong-bin, there stood someone with divine form. Behind that ‘someone,’ there was another, and so forth, creating a line that extended on and on. Whether it was an illusion or whatnot, the individual standing at the forefront of that procession felt like the starting and ending point of a vast circle.

Yeodong-bin, holding the sword, had become a completed being.

His sword was the origin of the circle.

…Wasn’t that the Cycle?

Holding a formless sword, Yeodong-bin began a sword dance. Even though there was no sword, Yeodong-bin executed a motion as if there was one, and that gesture was absorbed into the circle. The smoothly sweeping semicircle sliced the front as if it were silent.

Slik—

One clean slash.

That slash, wasteful yet uncontrolled, felt like nature itself.

From an unpredictable chaos, the Sword Saint’s realm was first perceived, followed by the path of the Formless Sword, and in the end, nothing remained. The conclusion was a single fine slash, yet within that fleeting moment, countless paths of the sword had been felt.

Divine Skill

Formless Sword

What was severed was not the Old Ruler’s flesh. At the moment Yeodong-bin’s formless sword descended in a direct stroke, it felt as if the soul was neatly sliced from the blade.

A precise strike, like transparent glass gliding by!

Sgiosh—

[Wha… what is this…?]

Realizing belatedly that he had been sliced by the Formless Sword, the Old Ruler, identified as the Shepherd of the Scarlet Fence, stood momentarily dumbfounded. He trembled as if he had sensed some bizarre change.

[Ohhh… is the Law of Cause and Effect… denying me…. How could this be….]

Moments later, he let out a colossal scream.

[My vessel of chaos… shattering!!]

Boom!

That was the last thing he said. In an instant, his body exploded in the air, dispersing dark chaos everywhere, and that chaos seemed to draw into a point in the sky like a puff of cloud. The red night paused, and for a brief moment, the Arctic skies turned clear.

Thump!

I felt my heart tremble as I gazed at Yeodong-bin with shaken eyes.

‘Is there really such a sword….’

It was terrifying. Truly terrifying.

Perhaps it was because the power of the Wheel King still lingered — I could feel just how fatal Yeodong-bin’s strike was to the divine. If a typical physical attack was merely an annoyance to a god’s armor, then the formless sword’s precise strike ignored all divine power, separating both bone and flesh beneath the armor.

What truly scares me is that this only reflects the perspective of the divine.

From the perspective of martial arts, I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the principle of Yeodong-bin’s sword strike.

After obliterating the Old Ruler with a single strike, Yeodong-bin turned to face Shenglong, who still hovered in the sky.

“O Mighty One! Just as you do not fight alone…”

Tap—

Tap—

I saw two divine figures approaching near Yeodong-bin. One was the Divine Thief, and the other was the azure-masked warrior who had been standing on the other side of the glacier until just moments ago.

“We, the Hundred Seats, are not alone either.”

Only three of us.

Compared to that vast and mighty Shenglong, we could be called insignificant insects, yet Shenglong could not tear his gaze away from the three of us. Moments later, Shenglong writhed his immense form and spoke.

[Do you know that Gong Sun Xuanwen has already foreseen your existence…? Your powers cannot escape the Law of Cause and Effect he has read….]

“It doesn’t matter.”

[…Impressive.]

With that, a burst of dusky twilight began to radiate from Shenglong’s body, as he proclaimed like a declaration of war.

[I acknowledge you as my contenders. May luck be with you!]

Whoosh—!!

A massive blaze of purification swept through, cleansing the malevolence around us, and soon Shenglong’s figure disappeared as if it had been wiped away. The recently manifested Shenglong returned to the Divine Temple.

As the series of battles concluded, I felt an indescribable sense of elation rising within me.

‘So this is the Divine Skill.’

The profound power that Jin So-cheong had effortlessly slaughtered everything with was something I could never hope to compare to!

Even if I could never become Jin So-cheong, I thought perhaps one day, through countless reincarnations, I could attain the Divine Skill. It was for this reason that I had devoted my entire life to the Divine Skill, and at last, I have finally seen its fruition.

Divine Killing can be achieved through Divine Skill!

This was undeniable proof!

This meant I could now have a hundred absolute masters fighting alongside me against the end — how could that not be hope!

“I’m glad to be alive….”

It was just then.

“Baek Woong. Die right now.”

Cheon Woo-jin, who had been beside me, glared sharply and pressed a blade he had summoned from somewhere against my neck. When I blinked in confusion, he shoved the hilt of the blade toward me and shouted.

“Quickly! By any means necessary!”

“Why, why are you doing this?”

What’s with this guy suddenly pressing a knife on me at a time like this?

“If it comes down to it… I didn’t expect it to be this urgent. You were right after all.”

“What?!”

Cheon Woo-jin clenched his jaw and looked at the sky.

“Right now… the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen is descending here!!”