1110——————==

Soul of the Evil God

In Liaodong exists the [Grave of the God]!!

I asked Cheon Woo-jin, who was beside me.

“Gu Cheon Hyun-nyeo confirmed that’s Chi You’s heart. But what about the overflowing power that will ruin the world when we break the seal?”

Since Cheon Woo-jin had managed the [Grave of the God] longer than anyone else, his opinion was undoubtedly crucial. Cheon Woo-jin’s face became extremely serious.

“…I think the heart is the issue.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Five Sovereigns sealed Chi You’s body parts separately. Among them, Jeon Wook sealed the heart. But the heart contains the strongest vital energy and is the source of tremendous power. It’s arguably the most powerful part of all.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued.

“So if we awaken the heart first, we cannot avoid the overwhelming power. However, if we unseal other body parts first, there could be a way.”

“A way? How?”

Woo-oo

Cheon Woo-jin drew a figure of a person in the air, using a thread-like light energy. Circles appeared next to the parts of the human form, marking the head, hands, feet, and heart. It was a clear illustration of the body seal.

“If Jeon Wook is in charge of the heart, which is essentially the torso, the other three will cover the remaining parts. One will probably take the hands, another the feet, and the last one the head. That’s how the law of the ritual works. Do you understand this much?”

“Hmm.”

As I nodded, Cheon Woo-jin continued.

“The ideal scenario is to unseal the head. The head can effectively control the heart’s power.”

“Why’s that?”

“The blood and oxygen generated by the heart are supplied to the brain. If we can seal the heart with the body of Chi You obtained by unsealing the head, we should be able to absorb the overwhelming power for sure.”

“Oh ho!”

So Chi You’s body also obeys the laws of the human body!

‘The brain absorbs the heart’s power…. That means getting Chi You’s head is the most important thing!’

Understanding well, I nodded and asked.

“So what about the hands and feet seals?”

“For the hands, they can grasp the heart, so there would be some degree of control, but not as much as the head. As for the feet, they would be the least effective.”

“Hmm… So feet are the most useless part?”

“Don’t think too simplistically…. It’s purely based on the importance of unsealing the heart. Chi You’s seal probably has special powers we can’t even imagine in the feet.”

“Oh, got it. So where’s the head seal located?”

Cheon Woo-jin smiled wryly.

“To figure that out, I’ve managed the seal for many years, read countless texts, and collaborated with the Great Bear Empire, but I still couldn’t find it.”

“……”

“Well, we’ll have to find that out from now on.”

Is that so….

It didn’t seem like the problem was solved in one go, but I said to Zhuge Liang.

“Zhuge Liang. If what you say is correct, unsealing it now wouldn’t do much, so there’s no need to go to Chi You’s heart in Liaodong, right?”

Zhuge Liang shook his head readily.

“It’s not that I didn’t know that. According to Cheon Woo-jin, the area near Chi You’s heart has already been transformed into an otherworldly realm.”

“Oh.”

“We need to survey the exact situation once. Even if we don’t unseal it, the seal itself could become a calamity as we head towards the end times. Moreover, we might find clues to other body parts of Chi You there.”

“I see. Then let’s go right away!”

Paat

I went with my group to the former location of the [Grave of the God]. When we arrived, we saw an enormous dark cloud surrounding a dark barrier filling our view. Seeing it, I murmured.

“It seems surrounded by a dark sphere…. How wide could it be?”

The one who answered my question was Sagong Lin, who came along.

“According to the last report from the Great Bear Empire’s land surveyor last year, it spans 2620.5 hectares.”

“How wide is that?”

“Just think of it as the size of several mountains and the land associated with them. Of course, among the Great Bear Empire’s territory, this isn’t particularly wide…”

Sagong Lin gazed up at the dark veil.

“When it started, the range of the sealed place was about the size of a house, but over hundreds of years, it has continually expanded. It has grown wider every year. If it weren’t for Cheon Woo-jin and Seo Mun-hye, this sealed place might have expanded dozens of times more by now.”

“Hmm…. Was there any loss of life?”

“There have been times it expanded rapidly, but thankfully, since we recognized this sealed place, we designated it as a restricted area, so there were no casualties.”

“Can’t we enter?”

“When Seo Mun-hye sealed it, entering for a short time was possible…. However, the ominous energy lingering makes it hard to explore for too long. Inside, it’s just filled with darkness, and a mysterious force forms a barrier preventing access to the center.”

So it’s like that. As I pondered the situation, Zhuge Liang spoke up.

“I think we need to investigate it once more.”

“Why do you think that?”

“From my memories of when the Sword Demon explored this place, I remember entering the ruins and descending a spiral staircase to where five huge tentacles pierced the heart. Those tentacles must surely belong to Jeon Wook.”

Zhuge Liang continued.

“It would be good to find other seals to stabilize the heart’s seal, but right now, we need to verify Jeon Wook’s power is firmly sealing it. If the five tentacles aren’t secured properly, we’ll have to work on resealing them.”

“Because the heart can suddenly run wild?”

“Exactly. And there’s one more thing we need to check.”

“Something to check?”

“There’s a huge contradiction in the current situation. Exploring these ruins might reveal the identity of that contradiction.”

Listening to Zhuge Liang’s explanation, I felt the necessity of an investigation. So I nodded vigorously and said.

“Alright. Let’s investigate immediately. The strongest power in the human realm is right here, so there’s no need to waste time.”

Swooosh—

Seo Mun-hye stepped forward. She slowly reached out toward the dark veil, and at that moment, it shook violently as if trembling. Then, with a whoosh, it began to shrink at an incredible speed.

Whoosh!!

At once, numerous sheets started to retreat in front of our eyes. The veil didn’t stop there and continued to recede, appearing to shrink down to half its original size after a while.

“……!!”

Did she just touch it and the veil shrank that much? Shocked, I looked at Seo Mun-hye, and she said.

“Since the internal bloodline’s turmoil has completely disappeared, I’m able to exert my original power now. Plus, this seal is identical to the source of my power, so I can easily weaken it.”

“Impressive…!!”

Shwaaa—

Seo Mun-hye caused the seal of Chi You’s heart to shrink several more times. As we advanced for a while, the dark sphere finally shrank from covering the horizon to a size of about twenty sheets. It had originally been tremendously massive, far exceeding several dozen miles in size.

Seo Mun-hye touched the seal once more, but it didn’t shrink any further. Instead, the area she touched glowed red as if heated. Pulling her hand away from the seal, she said.

“I’ve suppressed a lot of power, but from here, the density of the fundamental power within the heart is too high. I can’t go further.”

“Can we enter?”

“I can open the door, but…. weak beings can’t be protected once they enter. They’ll die before taking three breaths. Only those strong enough can enter.”

“Strong beings….”

I looked around at my companions. I thought Sagong Lin and Asura would surely be okay, but surprisingly, Zhuge Liang frowned as if in trouble.

“Hm…. If I go in alone, I’ll be obliterated.”

“What?! Zhuge Liang, you’re a Great Immortal-level sorcerer…”

“With Great Immortal-level ability, would I be able to withstand such a cosmic barrier? Objectively speaking, I belong among the weaker ones in this group. All the defensive techniques I know would be torn apart.”

“…….”

Zhuge Liang’s sorcery abilities are impressive, but is the overall level of our party too high? Distraught, Zhuge Liang continued.

“But I still must go inside. So you, Baek Woong, will need to protect me.”

“Huh? How do I protect you?”

“Since I can use the imperial decree to unleash sorcery, just stack all the defensive techniques you can on me.”

“Will that work?”

“You’ll find out once you try. Just how powerful your abilities have become.”

I racked my mind for the most powerful defensive technique among Ji-seon Mang-nyang’s sorcery and found a suitable one.

“Hunwon Shield!”

Kaaang

In that moment, an intangible shield energy encircled Zhuge Liang’s body. I tilted my head.

“Is this enough?”

“…Did I say to do as much as you can? Keep going.”

“What? Am I allowed to do that?”

“What a fool….”

As Zhuge Liang sighed, I didn’t question further and continued the sorcery.

“Hunwon Shield!”

Kaaang

“……?!”

Gasp!

The sorcery power felt like it drained ten times faster than when I first used Hunwon Shield! Surprised by the sudden massive consumption, Zhuge Liang said.

“It’s the law of sorcery. Whether it’s a defensive or offensive technique, if you overlap them, the power doubles, but the consumption will increase to an extraordinary extent compared to that power. Hence, no matter how superior the sorcerer is, the limit is usually a two or three-fold overlap. Great Heavenly overlay sorcerers can demonstrate techniques that exceed that using treasures…”

Zhuge Liang chuckled.

“But you, in a state where you can continually convert spirit power through the imperial decree, cannot fathom the limits of a mortal.”

“Alright! I’ll keep going!”

I stretched out my hand to transform spirit power into sorcery power. Just like that, the previously consumed sorcery power recovered completely, and I shouted again.

“Hunwon Shield!”

Kaaang

“Hunwon Shield! Hunwon Shield! Hunwon Shield! Hunwon Shield! Hunwon Shield! Hunwon Shield! Hunwon Shield! Hunwon Shield!”

Kugugugugu….

Soon, the protective aura enveloping Zhuge Liang became visible. Once it reached that level, Zhuge Liang hastily waved his hand.

“Th-That’s enough!! Stop it. That’s already sufficient.”

“Eh? I don’t need to do any more?”

Zhuge Liang’s face turned pale.

“…You don’t feel the limit? A top-tier defensive shield at twelve folds means the amount of sorcery power consumed will be equal to or more than what several Great Immortals possess to drain all at once….”

I was puzzled and replied.

“Not at all….”

“…….”

“I was told to keep going until it finished.”

Zhuge Liang, as well as Cheon Woo-jin beside him, wore shocked expressions. Zhuge Liang muttered something with a sense of resignation.

“This is…. the gap between gods and humans. At this rate, it’s no surprise you can be treated like a bug. Truly, the difference in ability is unimaginable.”

“Hey. I’m not a god.”

“What nonsense. The power you possess itself is that of a grand ancient deity, so does that statement even hold meaning?”

Zhuge Liang eventually smiled wryly and said.

“The imperial decree itself is a great treasure, so you only need to cast defensive techniques on yourself two or three times.”

“Got it.”

Woo-oo

Finally, after casting defensive techniques on the other companions, I stepped into the interior of the seal.

Swoosh….

A massive spiral staircase revealed itself. Silently, we descended the spiral staircase, and the dark mist and tentacles piled all around created a seriously oppressive atmosphere.

Creeeak

Some tentacles reacted to our energy and attacked, but my deployed Hunwon Shield bounced them back. Though the Hunwon Shield is Ji-seon’s technique, it’s an extraordinary defensive skill that even the heavenly beings hardly know beyond; with the overlap, it was protecting us effortlessly.

Swat

Asura was moving without regard to the Hunwon Shield, cutting through tentacles even faster. He frowned and remarked.

“This feels like a filthy bathroom. Why is the chaotic energy so thick here?”

“Sounds about right, Asura. Aren’t you the Demon King who embodies chaos?”

Sagong Lin addressed Asura, who scoffed.

“Do you think I’ve lived for hundreds of years sealing away all chaos, carrying my own name? I’m closer to humanity than you, emperor’s pet.”

“…….”

Gasp!!

Surprised by the sudden murderous intent swirling between Asura and Sagong Lin, I turned to see it unfold. I didn’t think Asura would provoke Sagong Lin. Then Sagong Lin responded with a smile.

“You look anxious. Are you that worried about me betraying you?”

Asura replied with a blank expression, spitting venom.

“Honestly, tell me. As a comrade, your role was to protect the Great Bear Empire until Baek Woong’s return. You’ve played your part, so it’s fine if you die now.”

I shouted loudly.

“Asura!! Stop it!”

“…….”

Asura brushed past me and said,

“Baek Woong. If the Heavenly Demon betrays, neither I nor Jeon Woo-jin can stop her. I hope you understand just how precariously you’re balancing right now.”

Pah

As Asura rapidly descended, I hurriedly spoke to Sagong Lin.

“Are you okay? He doesn’t really mean it…”

“I don’t need forced consolation, Baek Woong.”

“No…”

“Honestly, I might be the Heavenly Demon. I could very well be a being bound to the emperor.”

Stepping gently

Sagong Lin also started descending the spiral staircase slowly.

“But…. Please believe that I have free will. Baek Woong.”

Then silence fell. I followed them down the staircase, caught up in complicated thoughts.

“Damn…. Was it a mistake to bring Asura and Sagong Lin together?”

Despite Han Yu being there to overcome the trials, it felt like certain individuals who shouldn’t meet have met. How could I resolve this deep pit and bring my companions together? As I struggled with that, Zhuge Liang, who was walking beside me, spoke.

“Baek Woong. Forcing those who can’t unite together isn’t true harmony. That’s tyranny, and it’s not the quality of an excellent ruler either.”

“Zhuge Liang.”

“What you need to be aware of is simply that you are the king. I hope you don’t forget that fact. If you confuse loyalty with the virtue of a ruler, in the end….”

Zhuge Liang briefly closed his eyes, as if remembering past thoughts.

“…You’ll do something foolish, throwing away the great plan of the world for the sake of loyalty. You mustn’t go down that path.”

What is he thinking?

I tilted my head, but I felt a sense of comfort from Zhuge Liang’s attempt to encourage me, so I smiled.

“I can’t promise anything. I’ll start fresh rather than give up on the process.”

“…….”

Zhuge Liang suddenly had a look as if he was seeing something unfamiliar.

“You….”

He sighed.

“Huh! Sometimes you feel more human than others…. You’re different from Liu Bei.”

Stepping quietly

Finally, we arrived at the bottom of the staircase. Asura and Sagong Lin were already there waiting for us.

“How’s the situation with the tentacles?”

“Not good….”

Asura’s face had slightly paled.

“Three tentacles have disappeared. Only two remain.”

“…….”

As stated, originally, five tentacles were supposed to pierce the heart for sealing, yet somehow three had disappeared, leaving only two piercing it. With more than half of the tentacles gone, the seal was over half undone. I panicked and said.

“W-What? Why have the tentacles vanished? Are you saying someone entered here and pulled out Jeon Wook’s tentacles?”

This is serious! If we leave the seal as is, it means there’s a real possibility that the heart will unseal by itself and destroy the world!

Then Seo Mun-hye approached near the heart, seemingly inspecting both the tentacles and the heart. After a while of scrutinizing, she spoke up.

“From reading the memories, it seems the tentacles were unsummoned according to a [Calling]. It must have happened over a significant period, unnoticed even by Cheon Woo-jin, the guardian of the seal…”

“…….”

At that, the expressions of Cheon Woo-jin and Zhuge Liang drastically changed. It seemed they both had the same hunch. Zhuge Liang clenched his teeth.

“The worst-case scenario has come true…”

“Zhuge Liang! You don’t mean….”

Leaning in, I asked, and Zhuge Liang nodded.

“Only he can summon back his own summoned creatures through [Calling]. I don’t know what the intention is, though.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

As I was stunned, Zhuge Liang continued.

“The Five Sovereigns Jeon Wook did not perish. It’s akin to the fact that the lunar Banwang Hall is still intact…. Not just Jeon Wook, but most of the Five Sovereigns are likely still alive somewhere!”

“……!!”

No way!

That can’t be!

Confused, I shouted at Zhuge Liang.

“It can’t be! I personally witnessed the Evil God’s curse obliterate all the Sovereigns back then! How could they survive such a curse?”

“I can’t know for sure. The Evil God’s curse definitely isn’t light. They should have perished. It seems there’s another secret regarding those beings known as the Five Sovereigns.”

“…….”

No way…. Could Jeon Wook, Shao Hao, and Jeogok really be alive somewhere?

As I stood there dazed, Seo Mun-hye spoke.

“Baek Woong. Even if the tentacles have disappeared, I can strengthen this seal with my power.”

“Seo Mun-hye! I won’t allow you to be sealed again as a consequence!”

I spoke urgently, and she gently smiled.

“Don’t worry. Shennong has blessed me.”

“Blessed?”

Woo-oo!!

As Seo Mun-hye reached out to the heart, it suddenly shrank down from its previously massive size, dropping to just about five feet in diameter and landing on the ground. Seo Mun-hye said.

“Thanks to Shennong’s blessing, I can now control the bloodline’s power as I wish. Regarding Chi You’s seal, I can exert more compulsion than the tentacles.”

“……!!”

“Even if Jeon Wook or anyone else pulls out the tentacles, the heart won’t go into rampant overflow.”

Thank goodness…!!

Thanks to Seo Mun-hye, we got passed a major crisis!

Cheon Woo-jin, watching the situation, spoke.

“Let’s head back quickly. Staying here won’t do us any good, and there’s plenty to be done.”

“Right.”

Just at that moment.

Thump

Suddenly my heart skipped a beat, and I felt an unexpected pull, making me gaze at the heart over there. It felt like I heard something from the heart, like a [Voice].

[…Thank you…. You’ve led me this far….]

What…?

[Soon… I will also… return….]

In an instant, a huge dark figure seemed to overlay the heart, sending a chill down my spine. The sheer magnitude of the magical power made me feel as if my own divine power was completely denied and overwhelmed.

What is this power…?

An incredible might….

“Cough!”

I collapsed on the spot and vomited blood. The overwhelming strength left me feeling blood pouring from all over my body.

“Baek Woong!!”

“What’s wrong?”

My companions gazed at me in concern, and I stared back at them in disbelief.

“……?! Can’t you feel it?!”

“What do you mean?”

C-Crap…. The current me feels like I could be crushed with one hand…

Why is it only me reacting to this power?!

The other companions look completely unfazed!!

Whoosh

Moments later, the pressure disappeared. I wiped the blood off my lips, and in that instant, I could sense something.

Something went wrong.

Already…. Or perhaps from the very beginning, I had been caught in someone’s scheme.