1344——————==

Soul of the Evil God

What?

As soon as the words finished, Guang Chengzi reached toward Tai E Jin Ren, who, being a Great Immortal, sensed danger immediately and activated his treasure.

Divine Dragon Mythical Bird!

At the same time, six fire dragons emerged from the Divine Dragon Mythical Bird and seemed to coil around Tai E Jin Ren. This six-dragon defense was so formidable that even Seo Mun-hye, the Prime Deity of the Giant Race, couldn’t break through it, boasting the strongest defense in the Celestial Realm. Once the perfect defensive posture was established, Guang Chengzi, who was about to attack, hesitated, and Tai E Jin Ren spoke from within his treasure’s protective barrier.

“Constellation Guang Chengzi! How could you be swayed by that guy’s words…!! There’s no need for us to sacrifice ourselves.”

[…….]

“Stop it even now. There’s no need for us to fight among ourselves.”

At this, Guang Chengzi glanced my way and spoke.

[I want to confirm again. If I include those three, will you give me the seed of the World Tree?]

“Hmm….”

I pondered for a moment. Looking at the three Great Immortals again made me feel nauseous, so out of frustration, I nodded.

“Fine.”

[Got it.]

After concluding the conversation with me, Guang Chengzi replied to the Great Immortals in a dry tone.

“Several hundred years ago, after the Heavenly Mysterious Woman summoned us, we’ve been observing the Celestial Realm in the form of fairies. And we’ve watched as you three have been caught up only in the fear of the apocalypse, growing arrogant, executing immortals who challenge your authority.”

At these words, the three Great Immortals flinched. Tai E Jin Ren, perhaps not wrong in his deliberation, hesitantly responded.

“That was just to establish order in Kunlun and seek peace for all.”

[No. You have already lost the nobility and dignity of the Great Immortal and have degenerated like earthly tyrants. Didn’t you enjoy the precious immortal wine you snatched away when the Celestial Realm was falling? You’ve meaninglessly given ranks to the immortals to supervise each other and often held banquets to flaunt your authority.]

“…….”

[Isn’t it obvious that you no longer feel the interference of the Supreme Ruler and can’t resist the sensation of having invincible power in your hands?]

At Guang Chengzi’s words, Tai E Jin Ren could say nothing, and beside him, Bo Hyun Jin Ren spoke up.

“The Constellation is a Divine Being that manifests the will of the stars. Do you honestly think such beings have a sense of humanity or ethical standards? Your only mission is to protect the Celestial Realm, yet here you are, meddling.”

[You really don’t know anything, do you?]

“What do you mean?”

[When the Heavenly Mysterious Woman summoned our Constellation, she laid down one condition. We were allowed to destroy the Celestial Realm whenever we wished. Without that level of power, no matter how mighty she is, she couldn’t summon three Constellations directly to this realm.]

“……!!”

[That was a condition not easily set by such a great existence. In return, we, out of respect for her, manifested as fairies that followed her values as closely as possible. Our pursuit of humanity and justice is also her will.]

“Huh….”

As those words sank in, the three of them widened their eyes in shock. Judging by that reaction, they surely hadn’t realized it all this time. Guang Chengzi, resembling a faceless being, fluttered his winged clothing and continued.

[As you say, we have no reason to judge you according to ethical standards. That’s why we sat idle while witnessing your degeneration. But today, we’ve confirmed that you three are unnecessary for the maintenance of the Celestial Realm and instead incite its destruction…. Thus, as the constellation of the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, we have gained the Law of Cause and Effect.]

We have gained the Law of Cause and Effect—

At that moment, Guang Chengzi’s pale white hand stretched out and pierced through the barrier of Tai E Jin Ren’s Divine Dragon Mythical Bird. Tai E Jin Ren confidently shouted.

“The Divine Dragon Mythical Bird is the Celestial Realm’s finest defensive treasure! No matter who you are, even a constellation can’t…”

Pop!!

“Ugh….”

That was Tai E Jin Ren’s last words. Guang Chengzi’s jade-white hands, seemingly ignoring the defense of the treasure, pierced through and instantly ripped out his heart. Tai E Jin Ren remained alive for a moment, twitching his lips, but once Guang Chengzi stretched out his hand again, he was crushed entirely and turned into meat scraps without a sound.

“Ah, no?!”

“Get away, Bo Hyun Jin Ren!!”

As Bo Hyun Jin Ren stood in shock, Yeon Deung Do-in swiftly took out the treasure, the Thirty-Three Heavenly Gemlike Tower.

Wheeing

Thirty-three treasures soared up in the shape of a tower, creating a massive barrier! Moreover, Yeon Deung Do-in seemed not to depend solely on the treasures, as the spirit energy he infused into the barrier was incomparable to the Divine Dragon Mythical Bird of Tai E Jin Ren. He was probably the strongest among the three Great Immortals.

Boom

When Guang Chengzi’s invisible hand swatted down at the Thousand Gemlike Tower, blood suddenly trickled down Yeon Deung Do-in’s mouth.

Crack

At the same time, eight of the treasures dropped from the Thirty-Three Heavenly Gemlike Tower, and a corner of the barrier distinctly collapsed. This meant that Guang Chengzi had landed a blow exceeding the strength of eight treasures.

Guang Chengzi displayed his monstrous power by injuring Bo Hyun Jin Ren, yet wasn’t satisfied and murmured.

[Hmph. Did I hold back too much? An Immortal with the ability to withstand my attack….]

At that, Constellation Yao Guang interjected.

[Yeon Deung Do-in is the strongest among the twelve Great Immortals, excluding Guang Chengzi. He’s not like ordinary immortals.]

[But still a mortal. In comparison to a Constellation, he’s hardly more than a bug.]

[That’s true.]

[What are you two fawning over? Have you developed compassion after being together for so long?]

[Of course not.]

At that moment, the Constellation Yao Guang and Tian Quan slowly raised their hands.

[Since he’s strong, letting him endure a bit wouldn’t be so bad.]

[It wouldn’t be fun if we killed him right away.]

Guang Chengzi nodded, as if he understood.

[Got it!]

Hearing those words, Yeon Deung Do-in’s expression shifted to one of despair.

And shortly after, his invisible hand stretched out and began shattering his Thirty-Three Heavenly Gemlike Tower, while Yeon Deung Do-in desperately resisted. But no matter how he fought back, he couldn’t counter the three Constellations.

Crash!!

“Cough….”

As the last treasure fell, Yeon Deung Do-in collapsed, blood spilling from his mouth as he coughed. Beside him, Bo Hyun Jin Ren quickly swung a flag-shaped treasure and vanished, likely seeking an opportunity to escape. Guang Chengzi, in a dry tone, remarked.

[Who would have thought the Great Immortal would end up so disgraceful.]

Swish

Thud!

Just as Guang Chengzi’s hand disappeared for a moment, it reappeared, holding another heart. Somewhere far away, a single scream echoed softly, undoubtedly belonging to Bo Hyun Jin Ren.

As Yeon Deung Do-in knelt, utterly exhausted and bleeding from his mouth, Constellation Yao Guang approached and coldly stated.

[Since you fought hard, I wanted to let you pass without a scratch.]

Yao Guang rested his hand heavily atop Yeon Deung Do-in’s head. The next moment, in a swift movement that resembled pulling off a scalp, Yeon Deung Do-in let out a horrific scream.

“Gyaaaaaah!!”

Floating

In Yao Guang’s hand dangled the soul of Yeon Deung Do-in. I was utterly shocked by the sight.

‘To pull out the soul of a living being?!’

When the Soul Exchange Technique reaches its peak, it can indeed extract the soul of a living person. However, there are limits to the Soul Exchange Technique; it can’t be carelessly used on powerful spiritual entities or souls. Yet here I was, witnessing the soul being toyed with as if it were a mere plaything!

Squish squish

As Yao Guang squeezed the oversized soul of Yeon Deung Do-in, seemingly displeased, it crumpled in his grasp.

[Ahhh. Aaaahhh.]

In the midst of that, Yeon Deung Do-in’s soul screamed in agony, bearing the torment of hell in succession. Eventually, as the soul shrank to a size that could fit in one hand, Yao Guang muttered, satisfied.

[As a celestial being, it displeased me to act human in its Lotus Body. I finally managed to do what has been repressed for hundreds of years.]

[What a fun game. Should I give it a try too?]

[Go ahead. It’s better to process the soul into a form amenable for handing over.]

[Then….]

Crunch crunch

“…….”

I stood there dumbfounded, unable to utter a word as I watched the three Constellations compress the souls of the three Great Immortals into orbs. They handled their opponents like bugs, clearly accustomed to this cruelty.

‘So this is a Constellation…!!’

They behave like humans but are divine beings incomprehensible to mortals!

A mighty will descended from the depths of the universe!

‘Who would have thought they could toy with the twelve Great Immortals like children?’

Having heard Zhuge Sa claim it was better to battle a Demon King rather than face a Constellation, now it all made sense.

After a while, the three Constellations held out three orbs before me.

[Here. We delivered as you wished. Now, I hope you keep your promise, Apostle.]

“…Umm.”

[The souls of the twelve Great Immortals should satisfy Jeon Wook.]

I looked at the orbs with a distasteful expression. No matter how despicable they were, seeing souls extracted alive and compressed into orbs hit a pitying spot. So I reluctantly accepted the three orbs and replied.

“Understood. I’ll try my best to persuade Jeon Wook with these. No more sacrifices are necessary.”

Surprisingly, Guang Chengzi remarked, astonished.

[You don’t need to fill a hundred? You truly think you can confront Jeon Wook, the raging nightmare of the North, with mere words?]

From the tone of his words, Jeon Wook seemed a significant source of fear even for the Constellations. I nodded and answered.

“After all, what Jeon Wook desires is likely materials to strengthen his power.”

[Ooh…. You’re quite selfless.]

Upon being called selfless, I suddenly felt greedy.

‘Huh? Isn’t this an opportunity?’

So I quickly changed my mind.

“Now that you mention it, I might need to take some treasures from the Celestial Realm to offer Jeon Wook. That would make persuading him for the Celestial Realm’s preservation easier. Such treasures wouldn’t bear the same value as the seed of the World Tree, would it?”

By doing so, I could haul all the treasures left in Kunlun’s treasure house!

[That’s a valid point.]

Swoosh

Soon after, Guang Chengzi, Yao Guang, and Tian Quan transformed from their Constellation forms back to fairies. Guang Chengzi spoke in a delicately feminine voice, like the sound of rolling jade.

“Baek Woong. Please follow us. We’ll guide you to the treasure vault of Kunlun.”

I started walking alongside the three of them. Then feeling puzzled, I asked.

“Why did you suddenly revert to fairy forms?”

“Because the Law of Cause and Effect was consumed.”

“…What do you mean? You can only wield the power of a Constellation when you’ve obtained the Law of Cause and Effect?”

When I inquired, confused, Guang Chengzi shook his head.

“We have obtained the Law of [Protection] from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, enabling us to manifest the powers of a Constellation within Kunlun at any time. However, each time we do, the duration of our stay in this world shortens. Thus, we consumed the Law of Cause and Effect just now to punish the bugs.”

“Hmm….”

“After punishing them, there’s no need for us to maintain our Constellation appearances, so we just returned to our original forms.”

So that’s how it works?

Having never encountered the concept of Constellations consuming the Law of Cause and Effect before, I found it fascinating.

‘Yeah. Encountering a Constellation is a first for me in this life. Maybe I should ask a few more questions?’

Just as I was about to open my mouth to inquire further, a treasure vault came into view, and as Guang Chengzi gestured, Yao Guang and Tian Quan each took hold of a massive door of the treasure vault, opening it together. I exclaimed in shock.

“Huh? How did we—?”

“We just compressed space while walking. So it only takes fifty steps at most to arrive, saving us time.”

“Is this some kind of magical technique?”

“It’s the power of the Constellation.”

“But I didn’t feel any divine power….”

“Not all powers require divine energy for activation. Like the Ruler, our Constellations were also born from chaos, which allows us to handle the flow belonging to chaos as effortlessly as breathing. In particular, it leaves no trace in space.”

“…….”

Wha—what? Did I just hear something terrifying….

While I was left dumbfounded, a dazzling light from the treasures filled my vision, a blinding display of gold and silver.

“The leadership of the Celestial Realm has just been annihilated. Besides, since doom is near anyway, what good is this to us?”

Then, as Guang Chengzi continued, I regained my senses.

“If you can persuade Jeon Wook, take it all.”

“……!!”

The ultimate treasure of the Celestial Realm!

An opportunity to seize it all was unfolding before me!

I dashed forward, attempting to shove everything into my wooden armor, but suddenly hesitated.

‘Oh… wait.’

My wooden armor has its limits. Hadn’t I experienced it bursting out when I shoved in the Arm of Chi You? That memory flashed back, and I realized I needed to be cautious. Sure, I had stored treasures like the Seven Luminaries, but that was still within a sensible number. However, what lay before me was a collection of treasures in the hundreds and thousands, and I couldn’t predict what might happen if I stuffed them all in.

How could I maximize my take without bursting my wooden armor?

‘Hmm… Constellation… divine beings….’

After all, the Constellation was still a divine being ranked below the Old Ruler.

A divine tier being.

If that’s the case, could this not also be feasible?

I pondered for a moment and said to Guang Chengzi.

“I have a request for you three.”

“What is it?”

I pulled my wooden armor from my robe and presented it before the three Constellations.

“Please grant me the blessing of the Constellation so that I can store as many treasures as possible in this wooden armor.”