1134——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I couldn’t help but be taken aback by the Sword Demon’s words.

‘Did Mangnyang actually execute the Great Immortal?’

It could be a brutal hand, but that wasn’t what surprised me. I already knew that Mangnyang was thorough when it came to maintaining boundaries and had no mercy for evil. What shocked me was the fact that Mangnyang’s new power was surpassing even the Twelve Great Masters.

I took a moment to calm my thoughts and said,

[Can you provide more details? I need to understand what that new power is.]

“……”

[Why are you silent, Sword Demon?]

After a brief pause, the Sword Demon spoke.

[Mangnyang is approaching us.]

[What?]

[I tried not to let it show, but it seems he picked up on it.]

I glanced beyond the horizon. I could definitely sense Mangnyang traveling here using his teleportation technique from over several miles away.

Crack!

Eventually, Mangnyang appeared before us. He briefly glanced at the Sword Demon before turning to me.

“You were probably talking about me.”

“……”

“As you and Baek Woong did in the past, I presume you were having a dialogue while exchanging other thoughts through the Six Harmonies Assembly?”

His words made me feel uncomfortably guilty. I had no choice but to nod.

“That’s correct.”

I could deny it, but I decided that it wasn’t the right moment. After all, Mangnyang had already sensed the situation, and I had no concrete evidence to turn him into an enemy. I thought it was better to acknowledge it than to cultivate unnecessary distrust among comrades.

‘Let’s just ask him directly here.’

If I keep avoiding it, it will only dig a deeper hole. For now, it was possible to treat it as a secret conversation rather than distancing Mangnyang.

So, I spoke directly to Mangnyang.

“Mangnyang, I’ve heard you gained new power. Can you tell me what that power is and what its origin is?”

“I suppose it is my fault for not mentioning it. The new power I obtained comes from the Underworld.”

Surprisingly, Mangnyang replied promptly. I felt a bit relieved upon hearing his answer and asked back.

“From the Underworld?”

Mangnyang nodded slowly in response.

“What you gained during your rebirth journey is not just martial knowledge. Naturally, you learned about the location of powerful treasures in the Underworld, which has been void of any masters. It would have been too wasteful to ignore it for 500 years.”

“…So you explored the Underworld!”

I continued, slightly astonished.

“But there’s no record of your exploration of the Underworld mentioned in Cheon Woo-jin.”

That was the problem. If Mangnyang had explored the Underworld, he should have recorded it in Cheon Woo-jin or shared the information with other comrades before that era. However, I had never heard or seen any of this until now when Mangnyang was finally letting it slip.

Mangnyang smiled wryly at my comment.

“I began my exploration of the Underworld long after the Celestial realm separated from the Mortal realm. Only after solidifying my position as the Great Immortal and perfecting the Corpse Dissolution Technique did I challenge the exploration of the Underworld. At that time, the Celestial and Mortal realms were much further apart, making it inconvenient to inform my fellow comrades, as even the investigation of Fuxi was an arduous journey on its own. So I just delved into it personally.”

As Mangnyang spoke, he briefly fluttered the Baek Woong banner and continued.

“Now that everyone has acquired powers on the level of the overlay technique, it’s much easier, but the early days of the exploration team were chaotic. Most were at the brink of the Absolute Realm, and the trials were so difficult that it was unreasonable for us to practice techniques like the Peerless Technique. With the urgency to finish the exploration by the end, I couldn’t risk increasing the burden on my comrades by discussing the Underworld.”

“Hmm…”

It was a plausible story. To overcome a predetermined end was an utterly demoralizing challenge, so it likely wasn’t something he could say to those barely holding on. The Sword Demon, who had been listening, suddenly spoke up.

“Indeed, you occasionally mentioned considering searching the Underworld, but you never seriously confided this to us. I understand now. Thanks to that, our exploration team remained free from unwarranted pressures.”

The Sword Demon’s eyes shone intensely.

“However, that seems like merely an excuse. How can you joke with us about such a significant matter like exploring the Underworld? There could have been artifacts that would have helped us in our assault on the Celestial Realm, so why didn’t you share that with us?”

“You speak rightly. Was that why you suspected me without my knowledge and left me out from Baek Woong?”

“Do you really think it was so suspicious? Give a rational explanation. That’s your specialty.”

I felt that the Sword Demon wasn’t going to let it slide easily. While to the outside world, it seemed like he and Mangnyang were on good terms, I could clearly see there had been cracks due to the lingering discomfort the Sword Demon had felt.

“Since you mention it, I will show you the results from my Underworld investigations.”

Mangnyang slowly swayed the Baek Woong flag to the left, and as a result, space opened up to reveal a plethora of treasures.

Thud!

“Here, these are the treasures I obtained from the Underworld.”

I carefully examined the treasures and muttered,

“The Cloak of the Wheel King, a strange artifact, the Yellow Springs Cloak… there are a few more besides.”

My memory was good, and I remembered what items I had acquired from the Wheel King’s chambers during the Underworld exploration. Mangnyang replied to my words.

“During that past life, the Hat Warrior was chasing after me, and I couldn’t obtain more than three treasures, but there were five more hidden. After mastering the Corpse Dissolution Technique, I went to the Underworld and spent about seven years completely exploring the Wheel King’s chamber, obtaining all the treasures as a result.”

“That’s great! But why didn’t you inform the exploration team…?”

“Look closely at this Yellow Springs Cloak.”

Whir

As Mangnyang held the Yellow Springs Cloak, a mysterious wave emanated from it. This wave clearly contained an alien and sinister aura, making it feel like it pierced through my skin. The Sword Demon beside me flinched and took a step back, clearly feeling pressured by the wave.

“Hmm.”

He couldn’t hold it any longer and stepped back two paces. Mangnyang looked at me with an odd gaze and said,

“Baek Woong, you seem to be unaffected.”

“It feels a bit prickly, but it’s not that painful…”

“…As you can see, all retrieved relics emit an unknown wave. I suspect it might be because the retrieval was too late.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman said that these relics from the Yellow Springs are emitting waves that [summon] someone. Someone must have buried these relics beforehand and arranged to lure themselves in through the law of cause and effect. This summoning wave is an extremely powerful and ancient force from the otherworld, so if we fail to purify it, we won’t be able to use these relics.”

Mangnyang sighed.

“My quest for the Underworld treasures began over a century after the realms were separated. I found out that after several hundred years had passed, even retrieving them would make them hard to use.”

“Can the Heavenly Mysterious Woman not purify the waves?”

“As I said, it’s a catalyst of cause and effect. Even the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, as an immortal, cannot carelessly handle artifacts associated with cause and effect. So, I’ve been using the Subspace Treasure to continually purify these relics.”

“Hmm…”

I noticed something odd and said,

“But Mangnyang, for saying that, you’re holding that Yellow Springs Cloak just fine.”

“You’ve hit the nail on the head. That is the source of my new power.”

“New power?”

“For a long time, while storing the Underworld treasures, I’ve been researching a method to purify this wave, and I concluded that [absorption] through the Corpse Dissolution Technique would be best.”

At those words, I flinched.

“Absorption?”

“Correct. This wave is a catalyst of cause and effect, so as long as the will to [summon] exists, it cannot simply be eliminated… thus, I decided to incorporate the summoning power itself into my Corpse Dissolution Technique. Would you like to see?”

Woosh!!

Suddenly, a yellow spirit energy swirled around Mangnyang’s hand holding the Yellow Springs Cloak. This energy surpassed anything felt from an immortal and emitted a power close to the transcendent realm for a brief moment. Simultaneously, Mangnyang’s hair billowed as the energy flared up.

“I’ve been continuously absorbing power from the relics to weaken the waves while enhancing my own strength.”

“Hmm! Isn’t it dangerous to use that power?”

“Not at all. As I said, it’s merely a wave absorption.”

Smoothly

After stopping the absorption of the energy, Mangnyang spoke with a calm look.

“Initially, the wave was so strong that just leaving it alone distorted the surrounding space. But it has improved significantly now, and I expect to be able to use these relics before the end.”

“I see…”

“I apologize for not informing you about such a significant matter. However, as I mentioned earlier, there were various reasons…”

I turned back to the Sword Demon.

“I don’t see anything wrong with Mangnyang’s story.”

“……”

The Sword Demon wore an odd expression of contemplation. Finally, he said,

“Mangnyang… no matter how I look at it, the Mirror of Clarity is missing from the eight Underworld treasures you possess. Why is that?”

“I gave the Mirror of Clarity to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.”

“What? Why…?”

“The Mirror of Clarity has the ability to view other dimensions and freely convey intentions across them. Shouldn’t it also be able to see the Mortal realm from the Celestial side?”

“The Mirror must be more than just a simple object. I don’t know much about techniques, but hasn’t the Mirror always had abilities beyond that?”

“I felt it necessary for sustaining the Celestial realm.”

Hearing this, the Sword Demon looked up for a moment and then shook his head.

“Do not do things you will regret, Mangnyang…”

Woosh!

Suddenly, the Sword Demon used Light Body Technique and headed toward the Eight Trigrams Pavilion. While I was watching his back, Mangnyang said,

“Baek Woong. Though these treasures are less purified, I can give them to you if needed.”

I waved my hand dismissively.

“No, that won’t be necessary. I hope you’ll find them useful for the upcoming tower assault.”

“……”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Mangnyang stared at me and then spoke.

“Baek Woong. Do you trust me?”

“I do.”

“You can probably guess why the Sword Demon reacted that way.”

“Naturally, I thought you were hiding something. I might think the same about myself.”

“But then why not accept the treasures from the Yellow Springs when I offered?”

I answered without hesitation.

“I trust you, Mangnyang. That’s all there is to it.”

If Mangnyang is hiding something, there must be a reason. And trusting Mangnyang was more important to me than doubting that reason.

“…Is that so.”

Mangnyang smiled a somewhat lonely smile, then used his technique to place the relics back into his Subspace.

“After dying dozens of times, you’ve not changed at all.”

I returned to the Eight Trigrams Pavilion with Mangnyang, and we had a brief tactical meeting.

“How about we all train the Peerless Technique starting now? If we all know it, our chances of success will be slightly higher…”

I proposed, but the Sword Demon looked troubled.

“It’s not that we haven’t trained the Peerless Technique because we didn’t know how. We’ve been too pressed for time to squeeze in training, and frankly, we’ve been busy polishing our own base martial skills. To get the essence from the technique, someone would need to devote at least a decade, spending every waking moment just training like you did.”

“But we still have about sixteen years left; ten years isn’t too much time…”

“That ten years was because you had the actual Jang Sam-bong himself to teach you, step by step. That was a privilege unheard of for a martial artist. If we try to grasp the Peerless Technique with just our superficial martial experiences, it’ll likely take even longer.”

“……”

“That’s not to say you’ve mastered the Peerless Technique well enough to teach it to others… you certainly can’t teach it like Jang Sam-bong would.”

Well, that makes sense…

As I groaned in frustration, Mangnyang spoke up.

“An alternative method could be to go to Yeodong-bin and ask for permission to summon the Fire Dragon Incarnate’s spirit.”

“Huh?”

“The Fire Dragon Incarnate has the capability to instantly wipe out the Great Immortal. No matter how strong Jang Sam-bong is, he is still an immortal and won’t be able to evade that power.”

“…We agreed not to use such methods.”

“Still, we could consider it if the situation calls for it.”

Just then,

“Enough with the endless fussing.”

Everyone’s gaze suddenly turned to the newcomer. I looked at the figure and exclaimed.

“Bright Dragon!”

“Everyone, follow me.”

Whoosh

As Bright Dragon moved using Light Body Technique, everyone, including myself, followed him outside. Once we reached a quiet field, Bright Dragon spoke to us.

“I’ve heard you’ve been fighting against Jang Sam-bong. I will only show you a single clue that could break him, so pay close attention!”

Having shouted that, Bright Dragon suddenly charged toward me.

Nine Celestial God Swords

As the sword from the Absolute Realm flew at my solar plexus as if it would shatter it, I attempted to strike it down immediately. But as I began to unleash my defense technique, Bright Dragon’s sword tip seemed to oddly shake.

Tai Chi Origin

Nine Celestial Double Blade

Ding!!

The blue wave of intent suddenly split into eighteen pieces and jabbed in every direction. I hastily tried to block the attack, but with each cut of the sword, the Tai Chi forms were building up, and I felt the weight of the Nine Celestial God Sword increasing.

‘Heavy sword?’

But it didn’t feel like a mere heavy sword. I realized that if I just casually blocked like this, it would become a big problem. I was trying to find an opportunity to counter with Infinite Slash, but Bright Dragon continued his relentless attack without leaving me any chance.

Swish

Finally, Bright Dragon’s sword tip lightly brushed my cheek, leaving a red mark. This indicated that my distance had been breached, meaning if he attacked two or three more times, he could easily break through my defense with a single strike.

Sure enough, a single attack from the Tai Chi swept toward my forehead. I had no confidence that I could neutralize it with the Three Treasure Technique against such an overwhelming blow!

“……!!”

Peerless Technique!

In that moment, I concentrated all my focus and unleashed the Peerless Technique. The energies of Yin and Yang flowed through the sword stance, and I could see Bright Dragon’s lethal strike being neutralized in the Peerless Technique. I was about to shout to Bright Dragon,

“What is the meaning of this…?”

But at that moment, Bright Dragon’s sword adjusted to a straight line directed at his center, and his eyes shone as he emitted the combined energy of Body and Sword, launching the Intent Heavenly Pillar high into the air. I felt reality itself was being transformed according to Bright Dragon’s will.

True Tai Chi Wisdom Sword!

Bright Dragon’s entire body radiated with Tai Chi energy. The Tai Chi rising vividly in the sword form began releasing an overwhelming essence of sword intent, and I stared blankly at the transformation of the sword’s flow.

Could it be…?

Boom!!

“Urgh!”

Finally, as the extended Tai Chi Wisdom Sword collided with my activated Peerless Technique, I realized I couldn’t nullify the overwhelming power of the Tai Chi Wisdom Sword using my own technique. It felt as if the two Tai Chi energies were countering each other.

I expected Bright Dragon to rush in and strike my neck, but he seemed fatigued as if he had consumed too much energy, his complexion pale.

Taking a breath, Bright Dragon said,

“Back in our time, the Wudang Sect’s Tai Chi Wisdom Sword was considered the unrivaled blade throughout the land. But that isn’t entirely true; it is just a rumor created by the Jianghu people observing the rising sword path of the Four Symbols Sword. Jang Sam-bong never left behind the true Tai Chi Wisdom Sword for his sect…”

“……”

“However, after coming to the Celestial realm, I received direct instruction on the Tai Chi Wisdom Sword from the investigation leader himself. The true essence of the Tai Chi Wisdom Sword is akin to the Peerless Technique.”

“That seems to be the case….”

The earlier strike from Bright Dragon didn’t simply break through the Peerless Technique but seemed to have nullified it using the same essence of non-essence. Since two non-entities collided, eventually, my defense broke first. Feeling a glimmer of hope, I spoke to Bright Dragon.

“It seems the Tai Chi Wisdom Sword can also utilize the essence of non-essence. So, it’s not the only sword technique capable of breaking the Peerless Technique?”

“No. It’s merely a difference of whether the essence of non-essence is used in offense or defense. It doesn’t solve the fundamental issue.”

“……?”

“Reflect on this match closely. It holds significance beyond just victory or defeat.”

Bright Dragon spoke calmly, surveying the room.

“Baek Woong. And everyone, listen well. To defeat Jang Sam-bong… we cannot fixate solely on victory.”

Bright Dragon continued.

“Creating something from nothing! This will be the sole method of cracking Jang Sam-bong’s defenses.”

Whoosh

Having said that, Bright Dragon turned to leave. I called out to him.

“Wait! If you know that much, you could just join us in assaulting the tower! Why are you so opposed to Mangnyang?”

Bright Dragon glanced at me and replied.

“That man has no intention to compromise with martial sentiments nor accommodate our ideas. I cannot fight shoulder to shoulder with such a person.”

“……”

“However, I merely provided a clue by observing Wei Zhi-hun’s spirit.”

With those words, Bright Dragon departed. I realized that he would never join forces with Mangnyang, and it gave me a headache.

‘Damn it… Bright Dragon can definitely use the Peerless Technique…’

But what could I do if he refused to partner up with Mangnyang? I frowned, and the Sword Demon said,

“We have obtained a significant clue. Let’s take a month for training and then challenge him.”

“You mean you figured out the meaning behind creating something from nothing?”

“Hmm? Didn’t you catch that?”

“……”

“Anyway, let’s train together.”

So we spent the next month refining our martial arts skills with the clue Bright Dragon provided. After about a month, we regrouped to head toward the 92nd floor of the tower.

Whoosh!

Jang Sam-bong still sat awaiting us in the Daoist Hall. The first challenger to walk toward Jang Sam-bong was, of course, the Sword Demon.

“Well then, thank you in advance.”

“Haha… Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong. You are the leader of the exploration team and the strongest in the essence; how quick you are to challenge.”

What?

I stared wide-eyed at Jang Sam-bong, who proclaimed the Sword Demon as the strongest. While I had somewhat guessed at the abilities of the exploration team’s experts, I thought the differences were negligible since everyone had reached the level of overlay technique. Yet, Jang Sam-bong was indicating that the Sword Demon was on an entirely different level from the rest.

‘Really?’

The Sword Demon subtly nodded and remarked.

“I suspect this trial has a predetermined answer. Thus, spending decades studying the essence of Jang Sam-bong himself would be meaningless because you, who have risen to the seat of the god after 500 years, must have grown even stronger.”

“…Haha.”

“Over time, what was once a simple answer tends to get obscured, making it more difficult. So, let’s get right to the point.”

“Splendid… as expected of the master of the Shadowless Gate.”

Swoosh

Jang Sam-bong assumed the basic stance of Tai Chi. The Sword Demon stood calmly against him, pushing his sword forward as he said,

“Then, let me challenge you, the god of the essence…”

Spirit Absorbing Sword Spirit

A faint ghostly energy streamed from the Sword Demon’s sword. The sword spirit he conjured began to take a form akin to a person.

Sword Spirit.

This was the Sword Demon’s absolute realm, the principles were unknown, but it had the power to summon the sword’s spirit to fight alongside him. However, what struck me as peculiar was that as someone who had mastered the Soul Exchange Technique, I should be able to feel or absorb the essence of souls, but I felt absolutely nothing.

Why is it called a soul?

‘An unidentified power.’

Jang Sam-bong raised an eyebrow at witnessing the sword spirit.

“Have you seriously perfected that? I almost regret granting you three seconds against me…”

“You’re being overly dramatic. Now, here I come.”

Whoosh!

The Sword Demon’s sword spirit moved. Before the actual sword moved, the faint ghostly energy moved far faster to launch an assault on Jang Sam-bong at close range. However, despite its speed, it certainly couldn’t be faster than the Thunder Spirit or the Divine Light Blood Rain, so it just felt like a typical strike. That kind of speed would surely be avoided or defended by Jang Sam-bong.

‘Slower than I expected.’

But the situation was contrary to my thoughts. Contrary to my expectation that he wouldn’t use the Peerless Technique, Jang Sam-bong activated it the moment the sword spirit flew toward him.

And there came the moment the essence of Yin and Yang manifested.

Ring –

“……!!”

A high-pitched sound, akin to a bell ringing, resonated greatly, and the Sword Demon’s ghostly energy rapidly penetrated the center of Jang Sam-bong’s Peerless Technique. The energy, unmistakably, was shifting beyond the limits of the Peerless Technique, as if it were passing through.

The ghostly energy of the sword spirit advanced leisurely. Though it was slow enough to be visible, Jang Sam-bong focused all his mental faculties on the sword spirit and suddenly shifted a step to the left, adjusting his stance and harmonizing the flow of the Tai Chi itself to push the sword spirit outward.

Whoosh!

As the Sword Demon recalled his sword spirit, he calmly said,

“One second. That was a close call.”

Jang Sam-bong chuckled.

“Haha. If I hadn’t known about the sword spirit, I might have been caught off guard.”

“You’re too kind.”

Though I was watching the event unfold, I couldn’t believe it.

‘Passing through?!’

Yes.

Just a moment ago, the Sword Demon’s sword spirit nearly penetrated Jang Sam-bong’s Peerless Technique.