1115——————==

Soul of the Evil God

At the point where the resonance meets, it felt like forces were pouring downwards as the waves of resonance stopped. It wasn’t an explosion of power; it seemed like it had gathered to pierce through a new space, and that space was precisely penetrating the Emperor’s dragon mask.

The Emperor spoke nonchalantly.

[What a trivial trick.]

Boom!

An attack was deflected. It looked like the Emperor just furrowed his brow, yet that alone was enough to extinguish the wave of divine killing. I wondered if that was the end of the attack, such was the solidity of his defense.

‘Ugh! Indeed, he is the Emperor… Am I going to die like this…’

Just as I was trying to wrap my head around my 28th death, it happened.

Wiying

Xuyou once again emitted light. Suddenly, the arm holding Xuyou was engulfed in immense darkness, and I realized that it had transformed into something akin to a giant.

Kugugugu!!

The giant’s pitch-black left arm slowly moved, pushing Xuyou forward, and suddenly, the blade of Xuyou shone with a strange gleam. It was described as strange because the energy radiating from Xuyou’s blade exuded a ferocious and deadly aura like never before, and with that intensity, sharpness surged endlessly.

[Ohhh!! Finally…!]

Xuyou shouted with a voice full of expectations.

[Can I kill a god!!]

Chiriring –

It felt as if the starlight of the galaxy was being drawn into Xuyou’s divine sword. And when the starlight was compressed several times, Xuyou shone brightly in azure.

Xuyou Tianbing

Great Liberation

Sword God’s Momentum

Pakang!!

“……!!”

As the divine sword of Xuyou shattered completely, a pure azure blade flickered. However, the power engraved on that blade was tremendous, and if my arm hadn’t transformed into that of a giant, the mere act of holding Xuyou would have frozen my blood with its immense spirit energy.

Now, Xuyou was a divine sword that seemed to condense the blue light of the Azure Dragon. Its power had skyrocketed, surpassing its usual capabilities by dozens of times.

‘So this is the awakened Xuyou’s true strength?’

Hooong

Then, in the next moment, Xuyou swung wildly and beheaded the Emperor. It wasn’t my will; it was the arm of the giant acting as desired by its master. It wasn’t a martial arts technique either, but that single slash was faster and more powerful than I could ever manage.

Squeak

In response to Xuyou’s single slash, the Emperor seemed to attempt a barehanded defense with two fingers. Xuyou’s anger flared, and it screamed from within.

[Slice him up!]

Shuk!

At last, Xuyou’s single slash cleanly sliced through the Emperor’s two fingers, and the Emperor watched in disbelief as his fingers flew through the air. I was stunned, unable to believe what had just happened.

‘W-wait, I just cut the Emperor!’

What kind of attack power did Xuyou have? The Emperor’s strength was far beyond the average of the Three Sovereigns, with defensive capabilities on a cosmic level! And yet, being able to cut off his fingers meant…

Swoosh

Before I could enjoy the moment, time suddenly seemed to twist, and the severed fingers of the Emperor returned to their place. Clearly, he had manipulated time to revert back to the past. The Emperor had rotated the [Small Cycle], leaving me feeling defeated by that single move.

So, attacking a god is pointless if they can just rewind time to before the attack!

The Emperor then gazed at me, turning his dragon mask in my direction as he said.

[Jeon Wook. Are you betraying me?]

Hooowwww

As those words ended, the apparition of Jeon Wook, arms crossed behind the giant’s left arm, appeared. Jeon Wook smirked and replied to the Emperor.

[Is there even a need to call it rebellion? After all, you never trusted any of us, so we also have no reason to be loyal.]

[Giving the soul-killing ability to such a bug won’t kill me.]

[If I control it myself, I can keep you on your toes.]

I realized then that Xuyou’s awakened state was being controlled by Jeon Wook’s power flowing into my left arm. And as the shadow of Shao Hao subtly revealed itself beside Jeon Wook, the Emperor spoke.

[If you vanish, my plans will be disrupted. I will forgive you now if you stop.]

Jeon Wook scoffed.

[Does that even make sense? A treacherous person like you could never forgive someone who has betrayed you once.]

[……]

Jeon Wook’s apparition glanced at Fuxi, who was floating in the back.

[Fuxi has noticed the situation here. Let’s distract him so he can’t focus on fighting.]

[You’ll get hurt as well.]

[Hehe….]

As Jeon Wook chuckled softly, the Emperor seemed to understand.

[Indeed. There’s nothing to lose, is there?]

[And you are not in a position to take it easy.]

…Huh?

What the heck are they saying?

Whoooom!!

Suddenly, a massive crimson light erupted from Huayo. And Huayo let out an enormous roar.

[Finally, my true power has manifested!!]

Huayo Tianyan

Great Liberation

Sword God’s Momentum

Kwaqwaqwa

Unlike the gentle azure of Xuyou, Huayo’s sword form resembled a colossal sword that could split the heavens. My right arm, imbued with Huayo’s sword form, transformed enormously and shone with silver flames.

Whoooom

And behind Huayo’s sword form, the image of Shennong faintly manifested. I realized that it was Shennong empowering Huayo, and as I absentmindedly stared at Shennong’s apparition, he said.

[Baek Woong. Resonance the two swords once more.]

[……]

[Three great deities are joining forces to assist you. The resonance of the twin swords amplifies power hundreds of times, so this strike can’t be safely avoided even by the Emperor.]

[Wait….]

[Go! Baek Woong!]

Pabat!

In the next moment, against my will, I surged forward toward the Emperor, empowered by the gods’ strength in manipulating my left and right arms. Instantly, Xuyou, already enhanced by the sword god’s influence, swung first, and Huayo’s blade crossed to form a cross (X) with it. The moment the crossed sword aura formed, the Emperor quickly muttered.

[Get lost.]

Thwish

“Graaah.”

I felt myself being flung away, limbs ragged, alongside Xuyou and Huayo. I didn’t understand what happened, but with one word from the Emperor, my attack was nullified. In the moment before resonance was achieved, I panicked as I was struck.

‘No way, did the Emperor deliberately aim for that instant gap?’

With the sound of a whoosh, my body was instantly rejuvenated by Jeon Wook’s power, but the Emperor massively inflated the shape of a celestial demon behind him and spoke with irritation.

[You really are like a wasp, aren’t you? It’s better to chase away a wasp than to catch it.]

Fwoosh

The celestial demon’s eyes shone golden. And as that light descended upon me, I joined Xuyou and Huayo in taking them on as my defense against its overwhelming might, but I couldn’t withstand the golden light and felt myself flying away to an unknown place.

Wheeeeee!!

I landed outside the throne of the Divine Temple, in a vast space filled with chaotic energy. Upon arriving, I immediately sensed the diminished influence of the gods over me.

“Phew, did I just get kicked out?”

It seemed the Emperor was uncomfortable with facing off directly against the dual divine killing and opted to banish me from the throne space. Strangely enough, rather than feeling resentment about being expelled, I felt relieved.

‘Damn it. There’s no way I’m letting myself die for others!’

Perhaps because I had just been thrown out, I didn’t catch the words of Shennong, Jeon Wook, and Shao Hao that were resonating in my head until a moment ago. It seemed that with me banished, they no longer needed to keep their attention on the Emperor looming before them.

I sighed in relief and thought.

‘Let’s just wait here!’

Fuxi had insisted on me remaining as a bystander until the very end. And it was just proven right moments ago. When I was forcibly led by Jeon Wook to be the sword that kills the Emperor, I found myself staring down death. Rather than risking my life rushing at the Emperor, it seemed wiser to wait for the climax of their fierce battle.

Given that status quo, the Emperor found himself pitted against all five of the Three Sovereigns alone. No matter how formidable Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen might be, the odds were stacked in our favor.

“By the way, this is still such a magnificent space.”

I explored my surroundings. This chaotic universe was oddly breathable, without much harmful energy around. Its only flaw was its colossal size.

I felt as if this chaotic place resembled something else. After pondering over it, I suddenly realized something.

“…Right!! This was where the Master of the White Lotus Sect met with Asura.”

During the decisive battle with Halchi Olleifra, the Master of the White Lotus Sect had been engulfed by the descent of the Throne of Chaos, resulting in that black veil! The sense of chaotic energy inside that black veil mirrored the current space eerily closely. It matched the atmosphere Asura had sensed.

Was this mere coincidence?

‘What exactly is this chaotic energy anyway?’

According to Asura’s knowledge, chaotic energy was a phenomenon that arose during the universe’s creation. Yet, even Asura was clueless about its deeper meanings, knowing only that it had a unique characteristic of protecting against injuries to chaotic beings.

Why did the Emperor create this chaotic space here?

What led him to construct it in such a place, separating the exterior from the interior of the Divine Temple?

While I was lost in thoughts, suddenly, the apparition of Shao Hao appeared before me. Shao Hao, wearing a ritual attire, seemed furious and was pacing around wildly.

[You! Why are you just loitering here instead of fighting?]

“Uh… Well, we’re talking about fighting the Emperor one-on-five, right? Isn’t it safe to say I can just watch you guys win?”

[Fool! If it were that easy to take down the Emperor, do you think we would have just sat back all this time?]

“What?”

[We’re all in on this. We’re betting everything to take down the Emperor. You better return to the battlefield quickly. If not… ]

A chilling killing intent radiated from Shao Hao. I knew well that if Shao Hao truly unleashed his killing intent, I’d be a goner regardless of the scenario. I couldn’t afford to provoke the creature that might annihilate galaxies.

“Wait! I was about to go! I just needed a short break after getting beaten by the celestial demon!”

[Celestial demon?]

“That golden beast surrounding the Emperor’s body, you know?”

[……? You’re referring to that?]

Shao Hao replied, utterly confused.

[Why don’t you just call it what it is? It was originally… ]

“Huh?”

[Anyway, forget it. If you use the power I granted, you’ll return in no time. Hurry up!]

Whoosh

Then Shao Hao disappeared. I tilted my head in confusion.

‘What do you mean, use your power to get back?’

What the heck does that entail?

As I was bewildered, a thought crossed my mind, and I slowly turned around. Straining my eyes, I realized there was a massive azure energy building up in them.

Wiiiiiiiiing

“……”

N-no way.

I couldn’t believe it, but I concentrated harder, and moments later, an enormous beam of light shot out from my eyes.

Kuwaaaaaaang!!

“Gah!”

As the destructive beam erupted from my eyes, my body accelerated at an incredible speed, hurtling through the chaotic energy towards the throne space once more. I was taken aback to find I was flying via a reverse thrust mechanism.

“Holy crap!! What in the world….”

Shao Hao, you madman!

You really turned me into a beam shooter!

Kukukuku!

In a brief moment, I returned to the throne realm, and the battlefield immediately lay before me. To my shock, the situation had turned dire.

“Fuxi!!”

In an instant, it seemed a colossal clash had occurred; although the realm of the throne was limitless, all space and time within were shredded and crushed. Amidst the chaos and darkness swirled a bloodied and battered Fuxi, facing off against the Emperor, who was radiating golden light from his body.

The situation was clear.

Fuxi had lost against the Emperor.

The Emperor casually brushed off his hands and said.

[Your strength was comparable to mine. But it seems you lack experience wielding power of this magnitude…. In other words, the outcome was determined by a mere gap in experience.]

[……]

Fuxi was on the brink of death. Now barely able to feel divine power, he would soon meet divine [death].

[Well, even among those of divine status, there’s a large difference between those who challenge ascension and those who don’t.]

Kukukuku

The Emperor took a large step towards Fuxi, clearly intent on finishing him off. But just as he did, Shennong moved his colossal blade to strike the Emperor.

Kwang!!

[Urgh.]

The Emperor didn’t even glance at Shennong as he swung a fist, striking his face. Shennong fell back, evidently hurt. It looked as though an intangible force struck Shennong, and once again, it appeared that the Emperor’s celestial demon had inflated behind him.

[Shennong. You’re among the strongest of the average bunch, but that’s it. You cannot surpass the barriers of rank.]

Bang!

Having said that, the Emperor swung his fist again, delivering a blow to Shennong’s solar plexus. Shennong attempted to resist with his power, but the celestial demon’s golden light nullified that attempt altogether.

[Uck.]

The Emperor swiftly incapacitated Shennong, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him to the ground.

Kwang

[Emperor!]

[Die.]

As Shennong fainted, both Shao Hao and Jeon Wook charged at the Emperor. Caught off guard by the dual assault, the Emperor was struck by Shao Hao’s feathers, causing his body to erupt, while Jeon Wook’s hidden weapon appeared to pierce through the back of the Emperor’s head.

Ssss

Yet, the Emperor stood still, unmoved and unyielding. He appeared like a legendary figure of invincibility, and not a drop of blood had been drawn from him. The unexpectedness of this situation shocked both Sovereigns.

[No way.]

[How can this be….]

It was an incomprehensible scenario. Shao Hao and Jeon Wook were forces that even the Three Sovereigns struggled to contend with, yet how could the Emperor withstand such assaults? Even Fuxi, empowered by Pangu’s spirit, kept his distance from their reckless offense!

The Emperor spoke softly.

[You all are part of the grand chaos. That chaos is infinitely capricious; thus, it’s unsurprising you react this way. I too am part of it.]

[What do you mean?]

[According to the grand plan of the great chaos, a great seed was planted. The results of removing control to concentrate on cultivating strength rendered your existence.]

Ssss

As the Emperor gathered his fingers, golden light concentrated at their tips. He pointed his finger directly at Shao Hao.

[But what a betrayal. You’ve outlived your usefulness. Farewell.]

[What….]

Fwoosh!

The moment the golden beam of light touched Shao Hao’s body, a phenomenon attempting to dismantle him activated, yet in that moment, the Taiji enveloped him. The Taiji disintegrated instead, and Shao Hao only retreated, spewing blood.

Failing to destroy Shao Hao, the Emperor slowly turned back around.

[In the face of the key altercation, I could have won by the narrowest margin. You should have died, Fuxi.]

Kugugugu

[But resurrecting, how?]

Indeed.

Fuxi, who had just moments ago been on the verge of death, suddenly glimmered in white, instantly reviving in perfect condition! It appeared his power had grown even stronger, releasing tremendous spirit energy.

Looking down at the Emperor, Fuxi spoke.

[Though you are one, we are two. You underestimated that difference.]

[……]

The Emperor seemed to catch on to something and quietly murmured.

[I see… During the summoning of Pangu’s spirit, does that mean as long as one is alive, the other can resurrect, even if one dies?]

[That’s right.]

[…That’s utterly absurd.]

Fuxi’s eyes sparkled.

[That’s our power. This power was used to create yin and yang.]

Whoooooom!!

Soon, Nüwa appeared at Fuxi’s side. And remarkably, the five-element divine jade appeared in her hands as well. This contradiction of having two pieces of the jade at once was feasible for the two divine beings in their state.

[We are the direct descendants of the creation god Pangu.]

[True guardians of order.]

A moment later, both shouted as they illuminated the five-element divine jade.

[Chaos, return to the order of the primeval heavens!!]

Kuooohhhh

[Khrrrrrrr…!!]

It seemed as if the Emperor’s entire being was ablaze with the combined forces of the two Sovereigns. The enormous Taiji bagua created by Fuxi enveloped the Emperor’s body in an octagonal shape, with Nüwa’s moonlight infinitely splitting and bursting forth within it. Finally, the Emperor let out a true scream as if realizing the genuine danger he was in.

‘Did we win!!’

I inwardly rejoiced. Moments ago, the Emperor was terrorizing us all while advancing, but now revived Fuxi was teaming up with Nüwa to stabilize the situation!

However, just as I was feeling triumphant, a voice from Fuxi echoed in my mind.

[Baek Woong. Something feels off.]

[Huh?]

[…While we’re sealing the Emperor with the power of order, he seems to be.]

Fuxi’s next statement instilled an unwanted sense of anxiety.

[‘Someone’ is calling out….]