1020——————==

Soul of the Evil God (사신지혼)

Hearing that the deer came from the Dan clan startled me.

I fired back, “What’s your basis for that? It’s the first time I’ve seen a deer.”

“The first sighting was shortly after your disappearance, when Yeon Jong-hwi was scouting near the Divine City to track the movements of the Twelve Joules. He reported seeing a silvery deer at the edge of the Divine City, but back then, everyone treated it as nothing special.”

Sagong Lin continued, “That deer appeared again ten years later when our Great Bear Empire was subjugating the head of the Twelve Joules and their forces in Goryeo. We attempted to capture it, but it vanished without a trace, and since then, not much has happened. However…”

“What happened?”

“Yes. During the Monster War, that deer made a significant impact.”

She sighed, “It charged right into the fight between our forces and the Eight Parts of the Divine, piercing and killing Garuda.”

“…What?”

“It also appeared several times afterward… even during battles against the Third Empire. It ran amok without distinguishing friend from foe, and each time, our side had to retreat without engaging.”

“What the hell is that?”

A combat creature that loves to crash parties? Confused by Sagong Lin’s words, I had to ask what didn’t make sense to me.

“I get it, it’s powerful. But what does the Dan clan have to do with it?”

“For five hundred years, we have maintained a barrier near the Divine City to monitor their movements. But the deer always appears near the Divine City and then suddenly shows up on the battlefield.”

“Hmm… So you think it’s from the Dan clan just because it always shows up near the Divine City?”

“Partly. Also, the identity of its unknown power is believed to come from innate abilities rather than magic.”

“Innate abilities?”

“Yes. The strategists of the Zhuge clan who observed the deer concluded that its power definitely does not stem from magic or sorcery. Hence, if it possesses such characteristics, it must be from the Dan clan.”

“…Indeed.”

An entity that frequently appears near the Divine City and wields tremendous power that is neither demonic nor magical.

It certainly seems plausible to claim it’s either from the Dan clan or a war machine they sent.

Nodding at Sagong Lin’s words, I said, “But you’ve only called it a deer all this time without capturing it or fighting it?”

“It’s on a whole different level.”

“Uh-huh?”

“As I mentioned, that silvery deer killed Garuda by charging straight at it and took it down in an instant. Capturing or defeating an entity demonstrating that level of capability was… impossible a few hundred years ago.”

“……”

I was left dumbfounded by Sagong Lin’s words, finally saying, “Are we talking demon lord level here?”

“Most definitely. Garuda was renowned for its high attack power among the Eight Parts of the Divine, using Divine Flame. However, that deer completely neutralized Garuda’s Divine Flame. And then, Garuda was killed from a single charge by the deer.”

“……!!”

“While its identity and intentions remain unclear, the Zhuge clan believes that this deer acts as an agent of Ha Eun-cheon, the leader of the Twelve Joules.”

“Twelve Joules…”

I let out a hum.

‘That’s quite a possibility.’

I had heard that Ha Eun-cheon had secluded himself in the Divine City after the Sea God Subjugation War, never appearing again. Since then, those of the Dan clan under Ha Eun-cheon have also gone into hiding.

Yet, it wouldn’t make sense for someone like Ha Eun-cheon to just retreat from worldly affairs, so the chance of him sending out an agent to act in his stead was definitely there. Perhaps it was a certainty.

‘And if he’s placing his will in someone else’s hands, it makes sense for them to be that strong…. He must have been hiding his unknown abilities from the world.’

As I understood the Zhuge clan’s hypothesis and nodded, Sagong Lin spoke again.

“It’s hard to name it due to its mysteries. If we hastily assigned a name and its true nature was revealed, it could cause confusion… We’ve only referred to it as the silvery deer.”

“Okay. So is there any strategy to deal with this silvery deer?”

“Right now, the only solution is to subdue it by force. We don’t have a clear source of its techniques, and there are many nullifying abilities.”

“By force?”

“Yes. The silvery deer could not withstand a raging Asura and fled instead. It seems its powers don’t work against those who surpass a certain limit.”

“Hmm. Have you tried attacking it with the Seven Luminaries?”

“We haven’t had the opportunity.”

“I see….”

I decided to commit Sagong Lin’s information to memory.

‘Something tells me I’m going to see that deer again.’

Is this the instinct of a reborn person?

I sensed that I would have to face it in combat at least once. I contemplated whether I could handle it with my current powers, and I wasn’t sure. A simple relative comparison made it seem like it could be a reasonable match, but the unknown techniques worried me. When facing an unpredictable technique, both attack levels could be so high that things could end with a sudden lethal blow.

After organizing my thoughts, I said to Sagong Lin, “Let’s put the deer aside for now. What should we do next?”

“You can do whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want…?”

I didn’t have any immediate tasks at hand. Aliens wouldn’t be arriving with technology for another year, and dealing with the silvery deer wasn’t something I could tackle right now either. Plus, I still needed to find the Heavenly Secret, but I had no way of locating it. Searching the whole world would be a Herculean task—would I have to scour the depths of the ocean?

After thinking for a bit, I finally said, “…First, I should awaken the Seven Luminaries.”

“I hope so….”

Pa-at

After returning to the surface, I gave my mind and body some rest for a few moments. I bathed in warm water, doing absolutely nothing on my bed, realizing that I was about to have to move non-stop again. I thought a short break was a good idea. After a whole day of lounging around, I finally summoned Xuyou.

“Spirit of Xuyou, reveal yourself!”

Whooosh!

[Did you call for me, Baek Woong?]

“Yes, I did!”

[What do you need?]

“Uh… well….”

[…….]

“…….”

I awkwardly scratched my head, realizing that I had a lot to say, but suddenly lost my train of thought. The spirit of Xuyou crossed its arms and spoke.

[I’ve rested and recovered a bit, so I will help you perform Heavenly Ice, as previously promised.]

“Oh, right! You said you’d let me use that last time!”

[Correct. But listen carefully.]

“What’s up?”

Xuyou nodded and continued.

[First, the power of Heavenly Ice correlates with the user’s capabilities. The stronger you are, the stronger the power of Heavenly Ice will be. Here, ‘capabilities’ encompass not just martial skills, but your overall strength.]

“Hmm. Got it.”

[So you don’t have to be a martial artist for the Heavenly Ice to work. However, if you combine it with martial prowess, I can unleash even more of your potential.]

That meant that even if I could use Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice, I wouldn’t be able to kill hundreds of Great Immortals in one strike.

‘[Old Ruler] could probably do it, but I’m just a mortal, so my power with Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice would be limited.’

I’d suspected this for a long time. If there weren’t these kinds of restrictions, the master of the Seven Luminaries would have conquered the world long ago. I was merely confirming what I already knew through the spirit of Xuyou.

Then the spirit continued.

[Secondly, when casting Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice, you need a command word and divine power.]

“Command word and divine power?”

[You can use anything as a command word that you desire. However, it should contain divine power and be a command in itself. Failure to follow the proper procedure will result in failure to activate Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice.]

“I’m not quite getting it… Should I give it a shot outside?”

Pa-at

I went to a desolate plateau in the outskirts and swung Xuyou, shouting, “Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice!!”

……

Silence fell. As I gazed down at Xuyou, the spirit manifested before me.

[That’s not how it works.]

“What did I do wrong?”

[Your words weren’t commands. They lacked power and didn’t convey divine intent. Every aspect was wrong; hence, it did not activate.]

“…What’s the proper way to infuse divine intent into a command?”

[Don’t you know how to put power into your words?]

“Not really. I’ve studied a bit of sorcery, but commands are a different discipline altogether….”

Even when I used sorcery, I had been executing established formulas developed by ancient sages. The requirement for releasing the command for Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice was something I’d have to create from scratch, so I was completely clueless.

[In that case, it would be best to ask a powerful sorcerer or command master nearby to learn how to craft your own unique commands.]

“But when Huaryong Jin-in got hers, she executed Huaryong’s Heavenly Flame right away. How could she use it immediately?”

[That being is born of divine essence, so they wield divine power and commands like breathing. They don’t understand it like a human sorcerer; everything they think and feel becomes sorcery. Hence, they do not require separate training like a human would.]

“Hmm… but Cheon Gong-pyo executed the essence of Seven Luminaries without a command.”

[What kind of being is that?]

I explained who Cheon Gong-pyo was, and the spirit nodded afterward, saying:

[They are a sorcerer who has reached a transcendent level. They could skip the command.]

“So, if I think of Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice as being like Huaryong’s Heavenly Flame… combining the powers of Huaryong and Xuyou could create Divine Killing, right? Is that true?”

I had picked this information up from Master Mangnyang. I had diligently memorized this piece of information throughout.

The spirit of Xuyou looked at me as if surprised. […Yes, that is true.]

“What kind of divine beings could be killed by Divine Killing?”

There were surprisingly many divine beings in the world. However, since humans are incredibly weak, anyone who transcends even a little is often worshipped as a god, and among these divine statuses, the disparity can be like heaven and earth. Hence, I had to ask Xuyou about the range of Divine Killing.

‘I attacked by crossing Xuyou and Huaryong during the trials of the Seven Luminaries, yet the spirit of Tida didn’t die immediately…’

I had succeeded in detonating a core, but it seemed that I could likely achieve a similar feat using other techniques. When it came to the authority of Divine Killing, Huaryong and Xuyou’s fusion technique had yet to prove its strength.

Xuyou then replied, [The ability of Divine Killing, combined from Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice and Huaryong’s Heavenly Flame, was developed to inflict fatal wounds upon the Three Sovereigns.]

……?

What?

In an instant, I thought I must have misheard and widened my eyes as I fixed my gaze on Xuyou. I was dumbfounded, saying, “Are you serious? Who would make it for that purpose…?”

[I also don’t know. I just became aware of the possibility of Divine Killing when I gained consciousness. Huaryong’s spirit probably felt the same. The reason remains a mystery.]

“You created Xuyou, so how could Jeon Wook—one of the Five Sovereigns—make a sword to kill himself and his fellow sovereigns?”

[No, it’s not Jeon Wook.]

“What?”

[Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice holds powers instilled by Jeon Wook, but the capability for Divine Killing was infused by another.]

“……?!”

What kind of nonsense is this?

I realized I was once again facing a riddle, but I shook my head and said, “…So it means that this Divine Killing ability doesn’t affect deities other than the Three Sovereigns?”

[No, that’s not the case. It seems to be an ability made explicitly to be effective against deities of the Three Sovereigns’ class or higher, so it’s not limited to them; it encompasses all.]

I pondered deeply over Xuyou’s words and said, “Hmm… So I can deal at least a hit with Divine Killing, and among them, the Three Sovereigns take a particularly damaging blow from Xuyou and Huaryong’s combined attacks… Is that the correct understanding?”

[Exactly. You’ve understood it well.]

“……”

[If executed correctly, even the real body of the Three Sovereigns would suffer at least a serious wound.]

Why was that? What purpose could there be in creating an ability that could only harm the Three Sovereigns?

Who, and for what reason, had embedded such a deadly functionality, especially since it came from a third party rather than the creator of the Seven Luminaries himself?

‘Another question that lingers… is…’

Why did Master Mangnyang choose to share this with me?

“Hmm….”

Even if I try to figure it out, there’s just too little information and no way to proceed. Plus, the Three Sovereigns themselves were in a state of obliteration, so there was no direct way to confront them.

Putting aside the unsolved mysteries for now, I said to Xuyou, “Wait a moment. I’ll go learn about that command thing.”

Pa-at

I headed to meet Cheon Woo-jin. He was in his lab, puffing on an electronic cigarette while watching an artificial waterfall. As soon as he saw me, he frowned.

“…Ugh.”

“Cheon Woo-jin, help me!”

Ignoring my plea, he listened to my questions about the command and activation words of Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice. After hearing me out, Cheon Woo-jin said, “I see… You’ll need to be a pretty advanced practitioner or a divine descendent to cast a high-level command suitable for Seven Luminaries. It’s no wonder it would be a challenge.”

“Is there no way to get a command?”

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin took a long drag of his vape and then said, “To become a proper command master, even someone talented needs to spend a minimum of ten years training under a superb mentor, which you obviously cannot have right now… Not to mention your ludicrous sorcery talent might take fifty years just to grasp it…. Command techniques are especially hard to master, so you’re pretty much screwed….”

“……”

“You’d be a challenge for me to teach too. But for you, there might be a different path to acquire command.”

“Uh-huh?”

He put the vape back into his pocket while continuing, “Just skip the command. You can be considered one of the chosen ones, so you don’t need to rely on the traditional training route to use Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice.”

“……!!”

“It ultimately serves as an ascension staircase for mortals, a tool. You already possess a considerable amount of divine power, placing you on the stairs [above]. It would be quicker for you to gain strength through realization rather than practice.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

Cheon Woo-jin twirled around with a sharp turn.

“Just channel divine power into Xuyou and synchronize with the spirit. You’ll lose some potency by not using a command, but since you’re the ‘overwhelm through numbers’ type, you’ll still achieve adequate power.”

“Ah…!! Got it!”

Pa-at

I went back to the plateau and followed Cheon Woo-jin’s advice, bursting with spirit power into Xuyou.

Wooooooooo!!

“Spirit of Xuyou, resonate with me!”

[Understood!]

With a PI-YING sound, the spirit of Xuyou appeared in its spirit body form and merged with mine, a sense of mental unity forming. Moments later, a wave of resonance occurred, and I extended the blade forward.

Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice!

CRACKLE-BOOM!!

A strike that cleaved heaven and earth in half, imbued with terrifying dark energy, shot forward, splitting a towering snow mountain in two. The blade continued to rush forth, flying beyond the horizon.

It was undoubtedly legendary power, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of dissatisfaction upon witnessing it.

‘…There are limitations to its power!’

While the intensity was several times stronger than the strikes I could usually deliver, it still didn’t match the power of the Seven Luminaries. Back when the [Old Ruler] used Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice to take out hundreds of Great Immortals, this wasn’t close to that level.

However, I felt significantly satisfied using Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice this time.

Minimal spirit power consumption!

This meant even considering my near-limitless energy in the Absolute Realm, I had to mind the spirit consumption in fierce battles, which was a considerable downside. Using Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice had solved that problem, enabling me to launch martial arts with minimal energy expenditure while exhibiting immense power. It could only be described as legendary divine weapon!

I would expend some of my divine power, but in a short fierce battle, the consumption was manageable.

‘Alright… with this level…’

I sensed a strange thrill within me.

If this was achievable with just Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice, perhaps if I used Huaryong too, I might stand a chance against the Three Sovereigns!

I couldn’t contain my excitement as I practiced Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice for several more moments, experimenting with its application. Once I felt I had sufficiently practiced, I immediately went to Sagong Lin to ask for Huaryong, who granted me access to the vault where Huaryong was stored.

WHOOSH!

“This is Huaryong.”

Under the guidance of the steward, I retrieved Huaryong. Then, I decided to infuse it with divine power to awaken it.

RUMBLE…!!

‘Ugh, the spirit energy again…!!’

It wasn’t as burdensome as awakening the egg, but it still felt strenuous. Sweating profusely, I felt the spirit energy nearing depletion when a rapid recovery event occurred.

WHOOMP!!

Consequently, the spirit energy was nearly exhausted, and the spirit of Huaryong awakened. The blade burst forth, revealing a beautiful red-haired woman clad in armor resembling the Embodiment of the Red Dragon, confidently standing while sheathed with her long saber.

Since she donned armor almost identical to Xuyou’s, it resembled a gender and color inversion. It was clear that Xuyou and Huaryong were siblings forged together.

[I am the spirit of Huaryong! Have you awakened me?]

“Y-Yeah….”

What’s happening?

I felt a profound dizziness suddenly wash over меня.

‘Oh wow…’

Why am I feeling so dizzy? It’s like I had chugged a ton of alcohol…

This kind of dizziness was unfamiliar; just as I had trouble maintaining my balance, the spirit of Huaryong said.

[If summoned, speak your purpose!]

“…I am Baek Woong! From now on, you shall acknowledge me as your master and allow me to use Huaryong’s Heavenly Flame.”

[I refuse!]

Huh?

Stunned by the unexpected reply, I widened my eyes as Huaryong looked at me and seemed conflicted before saying,

[You are too unappealing! Grant me time to consider.]

“…….”

What is this nonsense?

As I stood there in bewilderment, the spirit of Xuyou chimed in.

[Huaryong! Appearance is not everything for a human.]

[Is that so, Xuyou? I know. But still…]

Huaryong sighed.

[That’s a bit too much, don’t you think?]

[…….]

[Although I appreciate your awakening, give me some time to think.]

Xuyou fell silent.

While I stood there in a daze, Xuyou patted my back.

[Baek Woong… don’t take it to heart! You look manly enough.]

“Enough!”

Stop that!

That’s the most useless encouragement I’ve ever heard in my life!

“…Damn it….”

I knew full well I was far from attractive, so no response came to mind. I might be below average in looks, but really hearing this from a spirit? I felt defeated for a second and then directed a question at Huaryong.

“How can I change the way I look? Do I really need to feel this rejected?”

[Hmm…]

“Regardless of your aesthetic standards….”

[Regardless?]

I hesitated but mustered the courage to say, “I… I’m reasonably popular. Surprisingly, that is!”

[…….]

[…….]

Silence hung in the air for a moment. Xuyou appeared at a loss for words, staring at the sky.

Then Huaryong spoke.

[Apologies, Baek Woong! I didn’t mean to overlook your feelings. I didn’t realize it would affect you so…]

“Huh?”

[You have my recognition and I shall allow you to use Huaryong’s Heavenly Flame!]

FLAME!

Huaryong reverted to its sword form once more. Thus, I had awakened the second of the Seven Luminaries.

However, I wasn’t feeling the exhilaration I expected and cautiously asked Xuyou, “Did I say something wrong?”

[Um… about that… ]

Xuyou wore an expression of thoughtfulness, then said, [How about we go get some tea? You seem a bit worn out after today’s events.]

“Should we?!”

[And I feel like seeing the world a bit.]

“Let’s take a break today!”

I clenched my fists.

Now, all I need is to awaken Wolyo and Toyo!

If I can awaken the last two of the Seven Luminaries, our overall power will become immensely stronger!