1339——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I realized with this that I had gathered all the Six Luminaries except for the Sun Luminary. Looking at the Golden Crow in my hand, I sank into a bit of nostalgia.

‘Who could’ve thought I’d suddenly end up in another universe and collect them all like this, and in such a short time…’

To be honest, at first, I only planned to fulfill Nailatop’s request and quickly return to my original world. But my intuition told me that if all went well, I could gather the Seven Luminaries. I was even prepared to give up if I encountered any setbacks, but here I was, having collected them all!

With this, I was qualified to challenge the trial of the Seven Luminaries for the second time in my past life. However, since that wasn’t my intention, I thought deeply before speaking.

“King Dae Jo Young, Gong Gong. I’m sorry for deceiving you both. But may I have a moment of your time?”

“…….”

[Go ahead.]

In any case, it seemed they were willing to listen to me for now. I looked them in the eyes and calmly continued.

“I have devoted myself to quietly gathering power under the command of Lord Fuxi for a chance to alter the flow of the Great Cycle. As you know, in these troubled times, the power of mediocre martial arts is meaningless, and the most powerful trump card is divine power! So, I’ve been tirelessly searching for divine artifacts to absorb divine power over the past several thousand years.”

King Dae Jo Young stared at me as if in disbelief.

“While it’s possible to absorb divine power from artifacts… Is it really possible for someone of your level to gain that much strength? Your divine power looks as if you’ve devoured an entire divine being. It’s hard to believe.”

It seemed King Dae Jo Young had a solid knowledge of divine power. His insight also hit close to the mark, which made me flinch. But I didn’t back down and continued speaking.

“There was a fortuitous encounter. As you mentioned, there was an opportunity to completely consume the entity of one of the ancient gods of the East.”

“……!!”

Was it because I spoke rather frankly? King Dae Jo Young seemed confused about the truth of my words. I spoke calmly.

“Also, with that power, I enhanced Zhuanxu’s divine power that I originally held. It might be hard to explain since there’s probably no one else in this world who has enhanced their divine power in such a way.”

“No… I see. Then it is possible.”

At that moment, Gong Gong, who had been listening, looked at me with sharp eyes.

[I find it hard to believe. If that were possible, why didn’t you try to resurrect Fuxi or convert it to his divine power? Naturally, you should have sought the power of your master instead of seeking the power of a foe.]

“Master allowed it. It was his command.”

[What do you mean?]

“Still don’t get it?”

I clenched my fist and declared.

“In this apocalypse, the past grudges between the Three Sovereigns are no longer important! The end of the world is right in front of us, and the emperor has already eliminated all his rivals. What matters is plunging a knife into the emperor, not which knife it is!”

[…….]

“To me, the best chance to stab him is by obtaining Zhuanxu’s knife. Gaining the trust of Zhuanxu, who can be seen as a close aide of the emperor, is the only way to get the opportunity to eliminate him.”

[Even so, surrendering to a past archenemy… is…]

“Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen would end the world at any moment if the conditions are right. We stand on the edge of a cliff, and we are moving to prevent the emperor’s victory—that’s what matters to us! I’m willing to do whatever it takes for that!”

[Ugh, hmm…]

Gong Gong seemed to be taken aback by my unexpected statement. After a long deliberation, he finally spoke.

[I really can’t grasp your intentions… Your words are valid, but it’s hard to gauge what kind of existence you are.]

“What do you care about gauging me for? We’ve already formed a partnership based on necessity; if you find it unacceptable, you can leave right now.”

[…….]

“Do as you wish; if that’s your decision, then go. What I just said was merely a matter of loyalty.”

I may have come off a bit strong, but Gong Gong shook his head.

[No… as I said before, I also want to know what scheme the emperor has plotted. For now, I’ll stick around until the end.]

“Great. I won’t delve into this matter any further.”

[Got it.]

With that, the matter with Gong Gong was settled, and King Dae Jo Young spoke up.

“Alright then. So what’s your next plan? Having gathered the Six Luminaries, you must have something in mind for what to do next.”

“Hmm…”

As King Dae Jo Young said, it’s clear what I need to do.

‘Opening the meeting space of the Three Sovereigns! And then there is a plan to assassinate Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen along with the Three Lords present there.’

Now that I’ve gathered the Six Luminaries as the prerequisite to open the meeting space, I just need to go to an appropriate Heavenly Altar and perform the ritual. But I shook my head.

“I need a bit of time to think. Also, I need to assist the Human Liberation Army a bit more, so please join me in hunting down the aliens.”

Completing Nailatop’s remaining request so that I could prepare to return to my original world at any time if things went south, while also assisting the Human Liberation Army as I reflected on whether I had made any mistakes—this was the reason I felt the need to explain myself to King Dae Jo Young and Gong Gong.

“Hmmm… And now? Helping them wouldn’t change the grand trend even a hair.”

“……?”

I felt a bit dumbfounded by King Dae Jo Young’s counter-question.

“W-What are you saying? Isn’t it a horrific situation where aliens are committing human sacrifices and slaughtering people?! Of course I have to help!”

“If the end comes, all lives are gone. If you are indeed someone who performs great righteousness, then you shouldn’t waste time and energy on such trivial emotions.”

“…….”

“You are trying to gather strength to strike at the emperor with the command of Fuxi. Weakening the blade means going against the execution of the great righteousness!”

King Dae Jo Young’s insistence made someone’s face flash in my mind for a moment.

‘…It’s the same.’

It wasn’t just delusion that King Dae Jo Young reminded me of both the Master of the White Lotus Sect and Zhuge Yulong.

Bigger righteousness over minor human emotions.

The salvation of the world over human life.

The act of sacrificing human values for an even greater sense of justice wasn’t limited to them alone. No, King Dae Jo Young was also a hero who had been struggling to save humanity for thousands of years, so it was only natural for him to be similar.

I was momentarily at a loss for words, staring at King Dae Jo Young before finally responding.

“I shall echo Gong Gong’s words. I won’t force you, so feel free to leave if you find my actions displeasing.”

“What?!”

King Dae Jo Young was taken aback, but I remained steadfast.

‘No matter how urgent the situation may be, I cannot appease thoughts that deem human lives trivial!’

It was a regrettable matter not to understand the origin of King Dae Jo Young’s divine power and inner strength, but still, I had no intention of catering to his sentiments. I already knew from experience that accommodating the whims of someone with different beliefs results in the worst outcomes.

“I don’t think I said something so unacceptable.”

King Dae Jo Young said it as if he didn’t understand, but I replied tersely.

“Neither do I. I don’t think saving humanity is wrong.”

“A person with such grand plans is too soft-hearted.”

“Think as you wish.”

With a sigh, King Dae Jo Young said.

“Understood. I will help you until the end.”

Somehow, the two seemed to have returned to being allies. As soon as things were settled, I utilized Mephisto to scout the locations of the Heavenly Altars of the Five Great Mountains, and after a short while, I spoke up.

“We’ve subdued Huashan and Hengshan, so next, we’ll go to Songshan.”

Pa-at!!

After a while, as we arrived at Songshan, Mephisto’s mechanical voice echoed.

[The alien race stationed in Songshan is the 3rd-tier Ilpenred race.]

“…That’s odd.”

I observed the ‘Ilpenred’ race, which was camped far away in the mountain, using the Fire Eye Golden Spirit. I tilted my head.

“Why do they look so much like humans?”

The Ilpenred race walked on two legs, had two perfectly normal arms, and were not a multi-eyed species. No, judging by appearances, they looked almost identical to white people amongst humans. The only difference was those wings—an extravagant pair of flying wings.

So, humans with wings!

‘How can they resemble us so closely after coming from a distant universe?’

According to Professor Sima Ling, this universe is so vast that it’s safe to say there are no alien species that resemble humans. This was because the environmental conditions and factors of different planets varied immensely, making the probability of evolving into a form similar to humans astronomically low. I never expected to see a race that looked almost identical to humans like this.

Then, Gong Gong spoke beside me.

[It makes sense.]

“Gong Gong, do you know the Ilpenred race?”

[Yes. They are a branch of our Giant Race.]

“……!!”

A branch of the Giant Race?

My surprise prompted Gong Gong to continue.

[Is there anything strange about this? Originally, the human race was crafted by the hands of our Giant Race, imitating our form. The Ilpenred are a branch of the Giant Race, and they indeed possess Giant blood, so it’s only natural they resemble us.]

“Ah, I see.”

Since humans were originally made based on the Giant Race, it made sense that the true descendants of the Giants could look similar!

[Baek Woong, since we are on the subject, can I make one request?]

“What is it?”

[Please don’t massacre them; try negotiating instead.]

Gong Gong looked at me earnestly.

[They are, after all, followers of the ancient gods and do not have extremely malicious inclinations. It would feel a bit off to massacre them simply because we suspect them of chaotic evil.]

“Hmm… Sure!”

If they were a branch of the Giant Race, then there might be room for negotiation, as Gong Gong said.

I nodded and, along with Gong Gong, headed toward the main camp of the Ilpenred.

[Who goes there!]

Guards from the Ilpenred tribe, appearing to have wings, pointed weapons at us, blocking our path as Gong Gong responded.

[I am Gong Gong, a descendant of the great Yan Emperor and an elder of the Giant Race. I wish to meet your commander.]

[Please wait a moment!]

A short while later, the guards surrounded us and led us somewhere, and that place was none other than the Heavenly Altar of Songshan. Unexpectedly, I noticed dozens of monks chanting scripture there.

“Hey?!”

There was no doubt about it. Those dozens of monks were Shaolin monks dressed in proper robes!

Naturally, if aliens had taken over the Heavenly Altar, I assumed all humans would have been slaughtered, so I was completely taken aback to see them alive. As we passed by where the monks were chanting, a powerful winged figure, presumably the commander, appeared before us.

This winged commander had an impressive aura of spirit energy and divine power emanating from him. The calm force clung to his wings, and he didn’t exude an evil vibe at all. Upon seeing Gong Gong, the winged commander was taken aback and immediately knelt before him.

[Oh wow! It is really you….]

[How have you been?]

[Elder! It’s been a while since we last met.]

Gong Gong nodded.

[Thank you for recognizing my authority, chief of the Ilpenred.]

[How can I say such words… You are a noble being far above my rank, compared to the hierarchy of the Giant Race.]

It seemed the chief of the Ilpenred deeply respected Gong Gong. With a pleased expression, Gong Gong smiled faintly and then continued.

[I’m sorry to say this, but I need you to vacate this Heavenly Altar and return to your homeland.]

[…Why is that?]

[I cannot go into detail, but we need this Heavenly Altar desperately. That said, I can’t commit to massacring the members of the Giant Race, so I’d prefer to settle this peacefully.]

[Hmm… I apologize, but we cannot leave. However, if you need this Heavenly Altar, you may use it as you wish.]

Gong Gong raised an eyebrow.

[You cannot leave? I would like to hear your reason.]

[Because we know that the end is near.]

[What does that have to do with anything?]

[All the powerful races in the galaxy know it. After the large descent that will occur on this Earth, the cosmic structure will change… To avoid our race turning into slaves, we must secure a position during that monumental event.]

[…….]

[I also came to this Earth to obtain the strength of a higher race for the fate of my kind. The future of my people is at stake, so I cannot yield.]

From the chief of the Ilpenred, I gleaned an important fact.

‘Ah, so that’s why. The countless alien races want to invade Earth because… they think they can snag some benefits during the ritual of the end!’

At the same time, I couldn’t help but think how ridiculous the aliens were.

‘What the hell… When the end comes, the entire Earth will be absorbed into the [Throne], and they’ll surely die with it, yet they come here? What kind of baseless reasoning is this?’

No matter how I thought, it didn’t make sense. I found myself thinking that the Ilpenred chief was incredibly foolish. Why were they so eager to rush toward their doom?

‘Bugs…’

To torment humanity over a delusional dream that could never materialize!

Nevertheless, since I had promised to settle this kindly, I stepped forward and spoke.

“Chief of the Ilpenred, the truth is that soon the divine beings will be resurrected to wipe out all the pesky beings on this land. I’m asking you to leave for your sake.”

[Who are you?]

“I am Baek Woong, a joint apostle of the Three Sovereigns.”

Woosh!

[Huh… Three seals…!!]

As I showed the inscriptions of Zhuanxu, Shao Hao, and Jeogok that were engraved on my palm, the chief appeared very astonished. I clenched my palm into a fist and continued.

“If you think my words are lies, feel free to fight. I don’t mind a good battle myself.”

[…….]

“However, since you and my companion Gong Gong share blood ties, as Gong Gong mentioned, it’s best to spare you and offer a chance. Well, if you don’t leave, you could assist me here as well.”

[That would be better…!]

The Ilpenred chief knelt before me as he said.

[We Ilpenred will submit to you. We will comply with all your commands, so please assure the safety of our clan!]

“Very well.”

I had made alien beings my subordinates!

‘This can count as defeating aliens, right?’

Nailatop’s request was nearly complete. Feeling pleased, I headed towards the Heavenly Altar. Soon, I reunited with King Dae Jo Young, and I said to both him and Gong Gong.

“I have something to attend to for a bit, so please wait here.”

“Understood.”

Pa-at!

I utilized Mephisto to go to the Northeast Asian Liberation Army’s base. There, I met Zhuge Hyun.

“Mangnyang! How have you been?”

Zhuge Hyun, who was in a meditative pose, stood up and remarked.

“Hmm… It seems a lot has happened.”

“Due to the Divine Sword, my magical power has increased, so I can’t use ebony right now. So please share what happened during this time.”

I took quite a while to recount the events that had transpired. Once I finished telling him everything, Zhuge Hyun looked bewildered.

“Can’t be… What on earth are you thinking? You plan on returning to your original world soon and yet you’re plotting to assassinate Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen already! Can you handle such a responsibility?”

“Based on experience, being overly cautious yields nothing. It’s not like I can frequently travel to other universes, so I am simply aiming to gain as much as I can. And given the current state of Gong Sun Xuanwen, I don’t think he’s truly invincible.”

With the powers of the Six Luminaries and the Four Great Spirit Deities, I was confident I could either slay him or escape at the very least. Because the resurrection of the Evil God was still pending, and Gong Sun Xuanwen hadn’t fully taken control yet.

“Hmm… Well, meeting Gong Sun Xuanwen and either killing or being killed would still yield some outcomes. The chance of not fighting is also quite high.”

“……?”

“That’s just what I think.”

Zhuge Hyun continued after nodding as if he understood.

“In my opinion, the three things you should focus on are as follows.”

“Three things?”

“First, as you likely know, you’re to use the Heavenly Altar of Songshan that you’ve currently subdued to cross over to Kunlun and collect a hundred souls of the immortals. However, this is not a top priority.”

“If that’s the case, what are the other two tasks that are of higher priority?”

After nodding, Zhuge Hyun said.

“Second, you should visit Seo Mun-gbaek and hear the secret from the Sword Demon. This is of much greater importance.”

“……!!”

I muttered in a slightly displeased tone.

“I really don’t want to hear it. The Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong is an incredibly formidable peerless master and swordsman. How can I believe that he has fallen and destroyed half of the Martial Arts World?”

“But you have to listen. Because in my opinion, this universe presents a different possibility for your world.”

“What do you mean?”

“Consider this. If there existed someone like you in this world, would it have ended up like this?”

“……?!”

What?

Surprised by a statement I never expected, I widened my eyes. Zhuge Hyun smiled slyly and continued.

“Actually, while you were away, I contacted Seo Mun-gbaek and dispatched forces to search the cave where the Heavenly Secret was located before. However, the report came back saying that the Heavenly Secret and cave were nowhere to be found.”

“The Heavenly Secret wasn’t there…?”

“Exactly. Since you previously did not find the Heavenly Secret in the World of Bodhidharma, it seems you didn’t think to check again. However, such things must always be confirmed. I had surveilled it from the command room with a drone, so it’s highly unlikely that soldiers would have smuggled the Heavenly Secret away.”

“Hmm….”

“There could be other checkpoints instead of the Heavenly Secret, but as it stands, the probability of anyone living in this world in the same manner as you is very low. Thus, it can be observed that events in this world occurred collectively as a result of your inaction.”

“You speak of this so coolly, despite it being about your own world.”

“Well, what can be done? There’s no method now to prevent the end.”

Zhuge Hyun retorted nonchalantly.

“Thus, since you failed to rescue Seo Mun-hye, the possibility of the Sword Demon going berserk is very high.”

“……!!”

“The important thing isn’t that, but something else.”

Surprised by the unexpected comments, I regained my focus.

“What do you mean, something else?”

“It’s about ‘power.’”

“Power?”

“Exactly. No matter how much the Sword Demon may have gone mad and rampaged, the world is full of countless experts, so he wouldn’t be able to annihilate everything on his own. Even then, we must understand the origin of the power that let the Sword Demon destroy half of the Martial Arts World in the past. That way, you may have the possibility of acquiring the Sword Demon’s strength upon returning to your original world.”

“…….”

“Seo Mun-gbaek, the commander, has also compiled his family’s secrets. Once our conversation is finished, go see him immediately.”

…….

I really didn’t want to hear this, but I had to.

I steeled my resolve and nodded.

“Ah, understood. And what is the final third thing?”

“The third thing is the Four Great Spirit Deities.”

At Zhuge Hyun’s next words, I couldn’t help but be flabbergasted.

“Are you asking me to hand over some of the powers of the Thunder God, Indra, among the Four Great Spirit Deities? You can burn your magical power, and I can become a deity right here!”