1131——————==

Soul of the Evil God (사신지혼)

I decided to keep a safe distance from Emperor Zhu Hu Chong, and it seemed the rest of the exploration team shared the same sentiment. After all, we were dealing with an Apostle blessed by Nüwa, a being who had transcended human limitations. Approaching carelessly would be pure stupidity. Just then, the transformed Emperor Zhu began to flap his silver wings, laughing mockingly.

[Hehehe… Let’s see you try to take this!]

Zzzzt—

Boom!!

“……!!”

In an instant, flames, lightning, and gales erupted around Emperor Zhu, exploding in millions of torrents in every direction. The sheer scope of the chaos bathed the entire cosmos in blinding light, shredding our standing ground to bits.

Bang!

Yet, the exploration team emerged unscathed. Everyone had used the Three Treasure Technique to evade the initial onslaught, and thanks to Mangnyang’s Corpse Dissolution Technique enveloping us all in a protective barrier.

[What?!]

Emperor Zhu expressed his shock. It appeared he was taken aback that his godly attack, meant to annihilate even a hundred thousand troops, had missed its mark.

‘Of course it did.’

None of us here were rookies. We were all powerhouses in the Absolute Realm, seasoned from decades of real combat and flipping the tables on enemies! Each of us could claim the title of master in the martial world, receiving support from Mangnyang and the Great Immortal, our teamwork made it impossible for any attack of that caliber to hit us.

‘Then I’ll go first…’

I charged in with the Great Liberation, intending to break through his barrier when suddenly, the voice of the Sword Demon echoed in my mind.

[Hold your horses! We’ll gauge his capabilities first.]

[Yes, Sword Demon… um, the Demon.]

I tried to drop the “sir” since he requested that, but it just wouldn’t stick. The Sword Demon spoke through the Six Harmonies Assembly.

[Even you could easily fall victim to an ambush against an enemy like that. If you die, all is lost, so don’t rush in. This isn’t just any opponent!]

[Understood.]

[We need a scouting phase. He’ll likely go on the offensive first.]

Swoosh!

One of the martial artists of the exploration team slowly drew back his bowstring. However, his bow cord was nonexistent, only the bowframe could be seen, yet somehow an invisible bowstring formed, radiating intense killing intent.

Having achieved absolute mastery through years of practice during the Eastern-Western Wars, the Bow King, Yeon Jong-hwi’s eyes glowed with determination.

“Who do you think you are? Emperor Baek Woong is the true sovereign of China!”

[What?!]

“Take this!”

Absolute Realm (절대지경)

One Arrow to Kill Ten Thousand (일시만살)

Fwoosh!

In a split second, the intangible arrow created through intent compressed space as it reached right in front of Emperor Zhu’s brow.

Swoosh!

Despite the staggering speed of the intangible arrow, Emperor Zhu, with his transcendent abilities, attempted to catch it barehanded. No human could physically catch such a close arrow, no matter how much they enhanced their skills with Qi. I certainly wouldn’t be able to capture an arrow that close-handed.

‘Is that the advantage of a Divine Being, disregarding speed…’

But when Yeon Jong-hwi smiled momentarily, the instant Emperor Zhu caught the arrow, it detonated.

Kaboom!

The explosion of ten thousand arrows at point-blank range struck Emperor Zhu directly. A thunderous roar echoed, but because he was composed of divine power, he quickly began to morph back into his original form, scattering the numerous Shadowless Arrows which had initially spread out.

This was truly a guided tracking arrow. Knowing how terrifying that trait was in the martial world, I couldn’t help but admire it.

“Whoa!”

Putt!

[Urgh, you little…!]

Eventually, unable to withstand the blow, Emperor Zhu teleported away, and I turned to Yeon Jong-hwi.

“Excellent technique.”

Impressive in speed and lethality, combined with the area destruction capabilities of the Absolute Realm skill. In my first life, I had seen Yeon Jong-hwi gain renown as the Bow King among the Ten Great Masters, likely achieving the level of the current Absolute Realm ‘One Arrow to Kill Ten Thousand.’

Moreover, since this was a basic ranged technique, it was perfect for conducting a reconnaissance mission against a Divine Being. Melee experts couldn’t carelessly deliver attacks this way since the energy consumption would be far greater compared to using a bow.

“I am unworthy,”

Yeon Jong-hwi bowed his head. I chuckled and replied.

“Let’s see him flinch a bit more.”

“Then I shall give it my all…”

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Yeon Jong-hwi continuously unleashed ‘One Arrow to Kill Ten Thousand’ in ranged attacks, harrying Emperor Zhu. An intangible arrow that was difficult even to sense flew rapidly, exploding and persistently pursuing him like pure terror. After dodging a few times with his teleportation, Emperor Zhu roared in fury.

[What kind of childish tricks are these?!]

Whoosh!!

Suddenly, a fierce silver barrier sprang up around Emperor Zhu, swallowing Yeon Jong-hwi’s intent, and it seemed like he suffered an internal injury, staggering back. Immediately, Emperor Zhu spread his wings and emitted arcs of silver light.

Kwahhh—

The beam spread over an area wide enough to cover hundreds of meters, deploying rapidly. However, the masters of the Absolute Realm, including myself, dodged casually using Light Body Techniques and the Three Treasure Technique. As I casually braced for Emperor Zhu’s attack, I thought to myself.

‘…This guy can’t be using his full power.’

Normally, dealing with a Divine Being like Emperor Zhu would be quite tricky. Their wielded powers were nothing short of transcendent, and even a slight shift in the situation could leave even the strongest in the Absolute Realm helpless. Yet, I could clearly see that, relative to the potential combat power I sensed from him, his strategies were somewhat simplistic and easy to read.

There was no doubt about it; this guy had nearly zero combat experience. No, this might be his very first fight! Acquiring immense power but having no idea how to wield it, plus leaving himself wide open with clear intent and direction—it was painfully obvious. Of course, he was still a figure of dread for ordinary Absolute Realm competitors on Earth, but at least our exploration team wouldn’t fall for his antics.

If he had actually utilized his powers to manipulate time and space, tiring us out one by one, that would be far more intimidating. Resorting only to reckless area-of-effect attacks without any tactical planning revealed stunning ignorance.

I shot a glance at the Sword Demon and the other seasoned team members, and it seemed they had caught on as well. I signaled the Sword Demon, who was maintaining command over the rest.

[Keep him under pressure until he shows a weakness. I’ll slip in for a cut when the time comes.]

[Understood.]

The Sword Demon raised his hand in acknowledgment. As he did, the entire exploration team, who had been focused on defense and evasion, began to spread out, forming circles with Mangnyang and myself in the center. As we shifted our formation, Emperor Zhu erupted with taunts and took to the skies.

[Hahaha! I’ll wipe you all out in one go!]

Zing—

Boom!!

In the blink of an eye, thousands of beams filled the cosmic expanse, spreading out in every direction, but rather than being intimidated, I simply shook my head in disbelief. These beams didn’t hit anyone and caused zero injuries.

‘What a pathetic fool… To wield such strength incompetently.’

Was he not worried about counterattacks? Even though there were countless openings where someone might take advantage, it was ridiculous. Seeing my bewilderment, Mangnyang spoke up.

“Strength is something one becomes accustomed to with use. When he’s careless, that’s our chance to finish him off. Otherwise, he could be at least as strong as the Demon King, and it’ll start becoming troublesome.”

“Fair point.”

I regained my focus, brushing off thoughts of despair. Many high-level beings from other realms might have started off just like this Emperor Zhu. But through the sheer passing of time, they learned how to effectively wield their powers. If a battle dragged out, he could figure out how to use his strength against us and deliver devastating blows.

‘Then I should finish him off in one blow with the Seven Luminaries.’

I narrowed my eyes, gathering my focus. The exploration team, scattered in every direction, began launching their techniques against Emperor Zhu.

Boom—!

[Ugh! Come closer!]

Swish!

As Emperor Zhu grew impatient from the pummeling he received from our mind control techniques, he swung his arm, compressing the space around him, and suddenly, the Sword Demon appeared right next to him.

Emperor Zhu swung his wings like blades to attempt to strike down the Demon, but the Sword Demon remained unfazed and countered instead.

Three-Step Absolute Technique (삼보절기)

Linked Techniques (연계)

Spirit Absorbing Sword Spirit (탈혼검령)

Shadowless Cutting Technique (무영절검식)

The moment the Sword Demon’s blade wavered slightly, his form was gone, appearing behind Emperor Zhu. Just as Emperor Zhu turned to look back, his head split cleanly in half.

[Urgk.]

Seemingly dazed by the sudden attack, Emperor Zhu attempted to reconstruct his body using his divine power, but while his body could mend, his head would not reattach. Having been cut with the Great Liberation, he was shocked.

[H-how is this possible?! Why, why can’t my divine power save me…?]

“Even the Seven Luminaries are imbued with divine power.”

I casually glanced down at Emperor Zhu’s severed head, speaking indifferently as I drove the piercing sword into his heart.

Fwoosh!

[Argh!]

Even after losing his head and torso, he still screamed in pain. That was because the Great Liberation was not just an ordinary weapon. I twisted the sword jabbed into his heart and said to Emperor Zhu.

“Emperor Zhu. Does Nüwa have any more information to gift you? Do you know what kind of opponents await us in the next floors?”

[Ughhh… W-why would I know?!]

I responded bluntly.

“Looks like you’re not keeping up with the situation. The Seven Luminaries carry the power of divine killing; you’re going to die soon. Having divine power won’t save you. This weapon was specifically designed to slay gods.”

[…….]

Emperor Zhu’s silver face hardened. I looked down at him coldly and spoke.

“If you want to live, tell me everything you know right now.”

[Wait… Are you saying I’m going to die? But I’m a god?]

“You’re just an Apostle of a god, not actually one. The Seven Luminaries can definitely take you down.”

[Isn’t that the same thing? I received strength, so I’m a god now…?]

“……”

Does this guy really not even grasp the difference between a god and an apostle? His obliviousness made me want to scoff.

“You really don’t know anything, do you? What did you even think when performing the offering ceremony?”

[…I-I was urged by Zhuge Yulong to do it. He told me I could achieve immortality and gain powers akin to a god.]

“Whatever, enough chit-chat. It’s time for you to die.”

As I prepared to plunge the sword down into his heart, he quickly shouted.

[I know something! I swear!]

I halted my blade and asked back.

“What is it? If it’s nonsense, I won’t hold back.”

[The guardians will be able to grant you wishes if they defeat you! That’s why they will fight tooth and nail to eliminate you!]

“A wish? Does Nüwa grant wishes?”

[Exactly. That’s why I also went along with that deal…!]

Bam!

At that moment, light began to emanate from Emperor Zhu’s body, completely different from the glow he had emitted before. His form slowly began to crumble like sand, being blown away by the wind—it was visible to the naked eye. Realizing his own death, Emperor Zhu screamed with a radiant glow.

[Nooo! How could this be?! I thought I wouldn’t die… here.]

Ssss—shhhh…

Soon, Emperor Zhu completely disintegrated, and from the spot of his demise, a Dimensional Door leading to the next floor appeared. The exploration team gathered nearby, observing the remnants of Emperor Zhu’s downfall.

The Sword Demon spoke.

“Emperor Zhu… If he had used his full powers, he might have been our strongest opponent to date, but he was so clumsy that we won easily.”

Mangnyang nodded in agreement.

“Considering this guy was the first guardian on the 90th floor, the next floor won’t be a walk in the park. I believe we’re about to face opponents who know how to wield their powers effectively.”

“…Then I’m not sure we can win. It’s likely to be a very strong enemy.”

The Sword Demon said gloomily as he glanced at the Dimensional Door.

“But we still have to try. We must save the world.”

“……”

Silently, everyone stepped towards the Dimensional Door leading to the next floor. Though no threat loomed right now, I still felt an overbearing pressure hanging in the air.

Paat!

After crossing the 91st floor and reaching the 92nd, the view of a Daoist Hall became visible.

Tweet, tweet…

Birdsong resonated, and a tranquil natural scene unfolded around the Daoist Hall. After walking along a stone path for a bit, we arrived at the front gate, where a small Taoist boy stood, lightly waving to us in greeting.

“Everyone, please come in.”

I took a quick glance at the small Taoist but sensed no powerful aura from him. As we followed him inside the hall, a wide sparring arena emerged before us. The wooden floor exuded an old-style aura.

‘Finally, I feel it again, this vibe.’

This is what the atmosphere of the Central Plains Martial World is really like, huh?

Since coming to the future, I had hardly felt this kind of vibe, so I found myself getting a bit nostalgic. Just then, someone emerged from behind the arena, their footsteps jingling.

“Everyone, please have a seat comfortably.”

“……”

Huh?

What’s happening?

Everyone here, including myself, froze in shock upon seeing him. The Taoist disregarded our expressions and ascended to the seat of honor, crossing his legs to sit down. He addressed us again.

“Hoho, please sit down comfortably.”

“W-why are you here…?”

I stammered in disbelief, and the Taoist sitting in the honor seat quietly murmured the name of the Amitabha and said.

“That’s because I have been tasked with overseeing the trials of the 92nd floor.”

“No way… How…?”

Mangnyang, sitting next to me, calmly asked.

“You wouldn’t gain much from Nüwa’s promise, so how did you become a guardian?”

“Well, I seek nothing for myself. But I wanted to hold a position like this at least once.”

He looked at the group with eyes imbued with profound meditation. The depth of his gaze sent shivers down my spine. Although I didn’t sense the overwhelming divine power I had from meeting Emperor Zhu on 91, he was leagues above that fool.

I could no longer contain myself and shouted.

“Zhang Sanfeng! Are you really planning to fight us?!”

Indeed.

The guardian of the 92nd floor was none other than the real Zhang Sanfeng!

The founder of the Wudang Sect and creator of the Seven Great Techniques, as well as the great Immortal of the Celestial Realm.