1175——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I didn’t quite get the words of the Lantern Taoist at first. So, I tilted my head in confusion.

“What do you mean by that?”

The Lantern Taoist pointed to the statue of an immortal and replied as if he expected this reaction.

[Jade Emperor. This statue is not of an immortal but a representation of another being.]

“Which being?”

[Pangu.]

“……!!”

Pangu is mentioned here?

I was astonished and said to the Lantern Taoist, “You mean the Creator God Pangu? Do you have any proof of that?”

[If you sit in this cart and look at the back of the statue, you’ll see the ancient insignia engraved on it. It’s basically an official indicator of Pangu in the cosmic hierarchy.]

I glanced at the back, as suggested by the Lantern Taoist. There was a strange stain that looked like three circles overlapping. It was faint, but it indeed looked like an insignia.

“I still don’t quite understand… assuming that ancient insignia symbolizes Pangu, what does that even mean?”

[This insignia holds an unfathomable power that reacts to the tendencies of chaos and order. I had a hunch that it had something to do with ‘distance’, so I conducted a test earlier, and my hypothesis was correct.]

“Distance?”

The Lantern Taoist nodded.

[This compass has the ability to weaken or eliminate chaotic forces. However, this does not apply to all chaos. The farther the chaotic powers are from the current world, the greater damage they will cause.]

“So the farther away they are, the harder they hit? I still don’t quite get it.”

The Lantern Taoist chuckled.

[Ha! How could that be… I’ve explained it so easily… Jade Emperor, you’re quite the jokester.]

“No, I’m serious! I really don’t understand what you’re saying.”

[…]

Seeing my baffled expression, the Lantern Taoist looked puzzled but, noticing my displeasure, hurriedly cleared his throat and spoke.

[Ahem… It seems the new Jade Emperor lacks understanding of martial arts and chaos, so let me explain further. Chaos is the source and origin of everything; thus, this fundamental nature diverges into numerous sub-natures. And depending on the cosmic depth, its characteristics change completely. This compass is a divine artifact utilizing the depths of chaos.]

“Divine artifact, huh? You’re saying this isn’t just treasure….”

[An object made by a god sacrificing part of themselves. It’s of a different caliber than treasure and could be considered a divine body in a broader sense. It’s an extremely rare existence in the universe.]

“……!!”

So beyond the Four Great Artifacts of the White Lotus Sect, there were other divine artifacts!

And this one was the compass that had functioned in the Takrok War!

I was quite amazed by the unfamiliar experience but soon thought it plausible.

‘The universe is vast, and countless divine statuses exist. It makes sense that in addition to treasures, there are specialized weapons for gods. After all, the Emperor likely had to make significant sacrifices to contend with Chi You in the Takrok War, right?’

As I continued contemplating, the Lantern Taoist spoke again.

[According to my knowledge, the three circles of this insignia center around the real world, perceiving the world as a spherical shape. The farther chaos from this center, the more damage it incurs from the compass, for distant chaos possesses a high level of individual attributes of chaos.]

“…Uh… the language just got more complicated… Can you explain it a bit easier…?”

[There’s no easier way to explain it than this….]

“Ugh…. Then forget difficult words and just explain this part.”

I pointed with my finger to the melted traces of the strange immortals.

“Why is it that the Guanlun Twelve Great Immortals and the Four Fierce Beasts are intact but those guys are melting away?”

[Oooh… If I explain that, you’ll understand easily.]

The Lantern Taoist had a realization look on his face and replied.

[Those are the beings that have been altered.]

“Altered beings?”

[They claimed they were just taking on a comfortable form, but in reality, their changed appearances absorbed power from the faraway chaos, twisting their true essence. They were no different from high-level otherworldly races pretending to be immortals. It was like a combination of high-level immortals and high-level otherworldly races.]

“……!!”

[Since they were so far from reality, their summons probably could not even register the summoning commands. It’s no wonder they suffered the worst damage from the compass.]

“Hmm, I see…”

[Had we left them be, they would have eventually summoned chaotic powers into the celestial realm and caused disaster. It’s right to eliminate them.]

I nodded, grasping the gist of it, but suddenly realized something odd and said.

“Wait a minute! The Four Fierce Beasts tied up over there aren’t chaos entities, right? Why are they still intact?”

[As I just explained, the damage is inflicted based on the depths of chaos. The Four Fierce Beasts are chaotic entities, but at the end of the day, they were beings born in the heavenly realm and human realm. They aren’t chaos from the other realms, so they couldn’t suffer any damage from the compass.]

“Huh? So…”

I gasped.

“Are you saying that this weapon can only damage chaotic entities residing in other dimensions?”

[Exactly. I said that from the start, and now you finally understand….]

“Then the Eight Parts of the Divine can’t be harmed? Nor the monsters?”

[Of course not.]

“And then, the reason humans or the Guanlun Twelve Great Immortals can’t be harmed is…”

[This compass can’t inflict damage on entities of ‘order’ in the first place. The Great Immortals of our celestial realm, descending from Fuxi and Nüwa, are of a lineage connected to the Primordial Heaven Master and Taishang Laojun. To regular celestial entities, this compass is completely useless.]

“……”

I felt astonished.

So, this divine artifact could inflict damage based solely on distance from cosmic chaos!

Naturally, beings from the material world, or those born in dimensions close to Earth, would receive no damage even if they were chaotic. To beings of order, it would have no meaning at all.

“This is absurd! A divine artifact under the name of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen has so many restrictions? It seems utterly useless in normal situations!”

In truth, even if I were to acquire the compass in the next life, it would hardly be useful in the real world! After all, enemies summoned from the depths of chaotic dimensions were, indeed, quite rare.

[It seems this compass is specifically crafted for Chi You. And when it’s a specialized weapon, having multiple restrictions can actually amplify its power.]

I found that statement rather strange.

“What? You mean having restrictions makes it stronger?”

[That’s also a law of cause and effect. Moreover, this compass, if all its restrictions are fulfilled… can display absurd destructive power. That’s because a contract with great divine beings is tied to the three circles of the compass, and it seems directly connected to Pangu.]

“Hrm. So it’s a divine artifact that directly borrows Pangu’s power….”

[Another odd point arises.]

“An odd point?”

[The blurriness of the three circles seems tied to a special function attached here, related to sacrifice. However, how it’s used remains a mystery.]

“……?”

Sacrificial function? What could that mean?

I furrowed my brow but couldn’t figure out what the problem was. So, after discussing more with the Lantern Taoist and the Twelve Great Immortals, we eventually concluded the meeting.

Then I went to find the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens.

‘I wonder if she knows something…’

I showed her the compass and said, “Do you have any ideas about the sacrificial function of this compass?”

[That probably relates to the demise of Qi Bai Chen.]

“Huh? Qi Bai Chen? Isn’t he the Emperor’s Apostle?”

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman frowned.

[During the Takrok War, it was Qi Bai Chen who was riding the compass. And just before the Emperor’s spells were activated, Qi Bai Chen suddenly vanished from the compass. At that time, I thought he was just avoiding being swept up in the Emperor’s magic…but.]

“……”

[It’s quite possible that Qi Bai Chen, as the Emperor’s Apostle, sacrificed himself to activate the special function of the compass to contain Chi You until the very end. That’s what I surmise.]

“That’s cruel. Qi Bai Chen was an incredibly powerful being, and he was eaten by the divine artifact just to briefly hold Chi You back?”

I recalled the might of Qi Bai Chen I had seen at the Land and Earth Diagram. He had been nearly undetectable, exuding immense power even from afar. It indicated he was a high-level existence that could converse with the Three Sovereigns without being overshadowed, putting him right below them.

For such a high-level existence to have to sacrifice himself merely to hold back Chi You for a moment?!

Then the Heavenly Mysterious Woman looked at me, seemingly bewildered.

[…Baek Woong. That’s something only someone who hasn’t directly seen Chi You can say. It was a miraculous feat for Qi Bai Chen to have held Chi You back even for a short time.]

“……?”

[Chi You is on another level. The title of ‘The One Who Destroys the Gods’ isn’t an exaggeration….]

At that moment, I noticed the Heavenly Mysterious Woman shudder slightly. Seeing that reaction, I felt surprised.

‘Just recalling it makes the Heavenly Mysterious Woman lose her composure…’

How incredibly strong must Chi You be?

“…Well, anyway, I’ll take the compass. It might turn out useful for me.”

[Congratulations on obtaining a new divine artifact.]

“But the parts of Chi You’s body said to be hidden by Jeogok were found in King Tang’s tomb. Yet, I couldn’t find any evidence from there. They weren’t supposed to be hidden together?”

[You wouldn’t concentrate critical items in one place, would you? You’ll need to look for the remaining parts separately.]

“Damn….”

I had gained something, but the facepalm moment hit me as I couldn’t find Chi You’s body parts. I scratched my head and said,

“I’ll take my leave now.”

Pa-at!

I returned to the ground and informed Zhuge Liang about obtaining the compass. He then said,

“It’s astonishing that the legendary compass was such an item. To unravel ancient secrets so easily; reincarnators are truly remarkable….”

As Zhuge Liang marveled, he sent Baek Woong away.

“First, it was wise not to consult the prophet. You understand why it was a good choice, right?”

“Uh? Why?”

“……”

“……”

“Good grief….”

Zhuge Liang seemed about to say something but took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Don’t you remember? When you traded with the prophet, you promised to give him something in exchange for high-level information.”

“Ah…!!”

“The prophet decided that you should share the ‘reward’ received from Nüwa and Fuxi at an 80-20 split after clearing the trials of the tower. Do you understand what that means?”

Zhuge Liang continued, looking exasperated.

“What you received from Nüwa and Fuxi translates to dominion over the celestial realm and the position of Jade Emperor. By sharing 20% of that, you’re essentially handing over 20% of the celestial realm to the prophet.”

“……”

I pondered for a moment, then responded.

“Uh… that doesn’t seem like such a big deal, right? It’s not like the celestial realm was originally mine, and giving the prophet a 20% cut shouldn’t cause any issues.”

“Good grief. You think having a 20% share of territory is something positive for our side? A sage like the prophet wouldn’t just yearn for a patch of land in the celestial realm. Given the power of that race itself, it could rival the celestial realm.”

“Then what?”

At those words, my eyes widened.

“The most likely scenario is that he’ll demand 20% of the Jade Emperor’s authority. That’s worth far more than some territory.”

“Ugh…!!”

“Since you’ve used it directly, you know just how convenient and powerful the Jade Emperor’s authority is. That’s why it’s so troublesome.”

“Damn it… for real?”

“Of course, there’s also a worst-case scenario. Let’s hope the prophet doesn’t ask for that.”

I felt my expression stiffen.

‘Damn it… I feel like I’ve handed over too much for information fees!’

While the Jade Emperor’s authority wasn’t much useful in direct combat, the auxiliary powers were extremely convenient. If the prophet takes away an essential power as an information fee, it might cause issues down the line.

With determination, I said,

“Alright! I won’t be going to the prophet!”

At that moment, Zhuge Liang’s veins popped, and his face turned slightly red. He then yelled.

“Good grief! Are you even thinking? You think you can manage without information from the prophet until the end? What will you do when you need crucial information to operate properly?”

“Uh… is that so?”

“If you get on the prophet’s bad side, you won’t last a year. Sure, you might be the one in power, but that guy can make your life miserable at any given moment. If the relationship is mutual, giving enough compensation is fundamental.”

“But giving away 20% of the Jade Emperor’s power is….”

“That’s exactly where you need to think critically. You should negotiate while offering other compensations to reduce the harm on this side and create a strategy for smooth future exchanges. It’s about preparing for a situation where you might end up giving away 20% of the authority.”

“That makes sense…!!”

I was astonished by Zhuge Liang’s words. He added,

“This is how I see it. Listen well and follow my advice.”

After hearing Zhuge Liang’s plan, I went straight to the prophet.

Pa-at!

“Prophet!! It’s time for the deal!”

Swish, swish.

The prophet appeared at my call, waving his tentacles.

[Congratulations on becoming the Jade Emperor and the Wheel King….]

“Ha ha, thanks! But don’t you talk to me in honorifics?”

I subtly asked, and the prophet chuckled.

[Ha ha ha ha…. Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve become quite the jokester….]

“……”

…Something tells me that guy won’t ever talk to me with honorifics even if I truly became a god.

As I sat there with a face full of dirt, the prophet said,

[As per our agreement…. Since you passed the trials of the celestial realm and earned your rewards… I shall take 20% of that reward…. Do you agree? Well, you must agree to have come this far….]

“Wait, wait. I never said I was giving it.”

[What did you just say….?]

I smirked and said,

“Prophet, specify exactly what you want for that 20%. At the time, you said you wanted 20% of the rewards but didn’t specify what, so I have the right to choose what I’ll give you, right?”

[Looks like you got some advice from a strategic planner. Fine by me…. We didn’t even write a contract, after all.]

The prophet continued,

[What I want is…. the Book of Life and Death.]

“……!!”

[That shouldn’t be too hard, right? Hand it over immediately….]

Damn it!

The ‘worst-case scenario’ Zhuge Liang spoke of had just popped up!

I gave a bitter smile but, following Zhuge Liang’s previous advice, started to argue.

“Why should I give you that? What I gained from Fuxi and Nüwa is dominion over the celestial realm and the position of the Jade Emperor. The Book of Life and Death has nothing to do with that reward.”

[Not at all…. You reached the 100th floor and thus inherited the authority of the Wheel King from Mangnyang…. Therefore, it stands to reason that the authority of the Wheel King should also be part of the reward, right? In that case, you’re providing 20% of both the Jade Emperor and the Wheel King’s authority….]

“……”

[That’s quite a bit you’re letting me acquire…. But as I’m not greedy, I’ll just take the Book of Life and Death.]

“Don’t joke! You just said 20%, and now you’re asking for the Book of Life and Death?”

[My request is justified. Adding both together, the Book of Life and Death would hold a value of 20%. That’s a perfect calculation.]

This guy is acting like he’s being kind!

‘Ugh… Zhuge Liang was right!’

I instantly realized that if I had come here without preparations, I would have been thoroughly ripped off! But, since I had already received advice from Zhuge Liang, I smiled inwardly and responded.

“Prophet. Then I’ll take it as you’re also receiving the Gold Seal placed on the Wheel King along with the Book of Life and Death.”

He jerked back!

The prophet appeared surprised.

[What do you mean by that…? A Gold Seal…?]

“It’s not a big deal. When Gong Sun Xuanwen sealed the Wheel King, a curse was also embedded like a wedge, which has seeped into the Book of Life and Death. So, even if the Wheel King awakens, he won’t be able to move freely, which felt a bit inconvenient. If you’re taking the Book of Life and Death, then it’s a relief for me.”

[……]

“Naturally, if you’re taking the Book of Life and Death, it makes sense that you’re taking the curse along with it, right?”

[Don’t lie…. I’ve never heard of such a thing.]

“You make your own judgments about that. Are we still trading?”

[……]

The prophet held his tongue. He stayed silent for a long time and then said,

[Whether it’s a lie or not, it seems I’ve been left without a choice…. Even if I have a tiny bit of doubt, I can’t choose.]

Zhuge Liang must have been really smart for him to be able to catch on to my countermeasure.

“I’m not following you at all.”

[Alright…. I’ll demonstrate my respect for your wisdom by admitting that asking for the Book of Life and Death was a tad greedy. But such a trick won’t work again.]

The prophet shuddered a bit, seeming annoyed.

[Hand over the Four Fierce Beasts and 100 prisoners of the celestial realm along with the Book of Life and Death. That way, you won’t face any burden, either.]

“The Four Fierce Beasts?”

[I’m being quite generous here…. There will be no further negotiations.]

Somehow, the prophet’s words felt sharp. It seemed he might be yielding under certain conditions, so I nodded.

“Alright. Let’s do it that way.”

[The contract has been established….]

Swish!!

In the next moment, the Four Fierce Beasts and 100 prisoners of the celestial realm appeared in this spot instantaneously. It was clear they were willing to take them with them, and I handed over a decent amount of paper from the Book of Life and Death to the prophet.

Whirling.

As soon as the prophet received the handful of paper, a suspicious magic formed it into a book similar to the Book of Life and Death. After getting his own Book of Life and Death, the prophet said,

[Once again congratulations on becoming the Wheel King, but let me give you a word of caution….]

“What is it?”

[Before long, a great being will come to visit you.]

Shoosh.

The prophet vanished, leaving that last warning behind.

[You will soon face the threshold you must cross as the King of Death….]