1177——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Before I set off, I spoke to Asura.

“Asura, are you still not willing to tell me the teachings of the Master of the White Lotus Sect?”

“…….”

“I’ve passed the test of the Heavenly Demon Sagong Lin and conquered the Tower of the Celestial Realm.”

In the past, Asura had told me that to learn the teachings of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, I had to pass that trial. Yet, during this past month of training under Asura, he hadn’t mentioned a word about those teachings. However, with the upcoming negotiations with the Western Zodiac members feeling quite crucial, I sensed a need to discuss this matter with Asura before proceeding.

Asura spoke.

“I wanted to let you know when you’ve made some progress in the training of the Dark Night Slash’s myriad sword styles, but it seems my impatience got the better of me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I wanted to tell you after you laid the foundation of the Dark Night Slash. Bringing up the Celestial Realm was just an excuse.”

“Hmm… Is that what you call a martial artist’s greed?”

“Something like that. But at this point, there’s nothing I can do. You can’t expect a significant leap in achievement in just one month…”

Asura sighed deeply and continued.

“I’ll tell you about the time I encountered the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Pay attention.”

*

A gray world.

In the space where the universe-shattering Apostle Halchi Olleifra manifested during the rampage of the Primordial Spirit, Asura broke through the veil of nothingness using the Return to One Ultimate Slash and confronted the Master of the White Lotus Sect.

Dokgo Uncheon, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, had returned to his human form from a chaotic body and engaged in conversation with Asura.

“Master of the White Lotus Sect, why do you ask me such questions? This place feels like a fusion of cosmic creation. It’s not a place to linger, so let’s hurry up and leave.”

After exchanging several words, the Master of the White Lotus Sect replied.

“No. I cannot leave. The rampage of the Primordial Spirit is still ongoing. I have already become a guardian, bound by the contract of the Primordial Spirit, tasked with protecting the Throne….”

“What did you say?”

“Thank you for coming, Asura. I have much more to say…. Cough!”

Crackle!

As he coughed, an overwhelming force of fusion suddenly enveloped his whole body, giving off a sense of despair, as if everything was about to revert to nothing.

“If the world is to be spared, while my power is still weak, you… you must finish me off. I beg of you….”

Thud!!

Dokgo Uncheon’s clothing ripped, and his body began to swell gradually.

Seeing this, Asura silently raised his sword. He realized that this was the fate brought about by the rampage of the Primordial Spirit.

“Very well.”

Return to One Ultimate Slash!

The instant Asura unleashed his one strike, the scar of his slash was engraved in the middle of the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s solar plexus, and a thread-like mark sliced from the top of his head down to his dantian.

Snap!

However, Asura’s expression turned sour.

“……!!”

He had definitely split the body of the Master of the White Lotus Sect in half, yet instead of diminishing, the Master’s aura simply swelled! This meant that the attack hadn’t missed—it had hit, but the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s body was healing almost instantaneously.

But did it have any effect? The expanding form of the Master of the White Lotus Sect began to shrink slowly as he, still in a prayer pose, spoke as if resigned.

“…Indeed… the power of fusion has already consumed me.”

“Wait.”

Whoosh—

Asura began to draw upon every fiber of his being. The Return to One Ultimate Slash was not a thing to be trifled with, and he had already expended a significant amount of energy, yet he was willing to stake his life. Then the Master of the White Lotus Sect waved his hand.

“Stop wasting your breath. You cannot slash me now. I am filled with fusion now.”

“Fusion? What’s happening right now?”

“Asura, thanks to your Return to One Ultimate Slash, the rampage has subsided a bit, giving us some time. Listen closely, this is the fate I realized just moments ago….”

The Master of the White Lotus Sect continued.

“When the Primordial Spirit rampaged, my body was torn and shredded endlessly by boundless chaos… things unimaginable for a human… I thought I would be consumed by boundless chaos, perhaps even annihilating whole galaxies… But once I surpassed that stage, the tumult of chaos diminished, and I realized I had become a vessel for the Throne to descend into this world.”

Asura raised an eyebrow at this.

“The Throne descends into the world?”

“Indeed… Though no records have ever conveyed this, at that moment, I could hear the living will of the Throne itself… My body filled with the power of fusion, and I realized that the Throne of Chaos could descend into reality to the extent of my soul. I should now continue wandering around the Throne for eternity, living as a guardian who repels intruders.”

“What happens when the Throne of Chaos descends?”

At this, the Master of the White Lotus Sect pointed towards the horizon, gradually shrouded in a chilling mist.

“Do you see those beings dancing over there…?”

Asura concentrated his energy. Beyond the mist filled with fusion, shadowy figures began to move as if they were dancing. Asura replied.

“I see them.”

“…Those beings will be able to descend to the earthly realm through the path I create. That’s all.”

“What happens if they descend to the earthly realm?”

“The 29th life of Baek Woong will begin… It makes no difference where Baek Woong is in time and space.”

“…….”

“Perhaps the one who induced the rampage of my Primordial Spirit, the Old Ruler Bi-ryu, intended it this way…. It would make sense that Bi-ryu’s master would be the one who desires it the most.”

So, this means the world will be destroyed.

Asura’s face stiffened, and the Master of the White Lotus Sect continued.

“However, Asura, this destruction can be postponed. From now on, I will continually walk toward the Throne and wear myself down. The moment I diminish, the path created by the Throne will close.”

Asura hesitated before speaking.

“Must it be so? Isn’t that an endless and pointless penance, a torture you impose on yourself?”

It was clear without needing to say it; this was a maddening space, and in the presence of the nightmarish “Father,” the Master of the White Lotus Sect seemed less than nothing. Those dark beings swirling outside were too terrifying to describe! Ultimately, it would end up in eternal suffering, tortured by those horrific beings until he became a speck of dust and was tragically annihilated.

The Master of the White Lotus Sect said.

“That would be the burden that Baek Woong’s companions must bear…. I have no regrets.”

“…….”

“I will also explain the nature of fusion… In this fusion, no chaotic being can withstand it….”

The Master of the White Lotus Sect explained the nature of fusion to Asura for a while. Once Asura seemed to understand fully, he said.

“I think I have adapted slightly and can handle the fusion with the insights of Heart of Heaven’s Abundance… Please weaken the fusion as much as possible and then slash me in your final strike.”

“Then can I kill you?”

“No… As the guardian of fusion, my soul remains here. When this space is released, only my physical body will remain…”

“…….”

In the end, he was telling Asura to expend his full strength only to cut down a shell. Asura quivered for a moment at the absurdity of the situation, but quickly regained his composure.

“Understood. Prepare yourself.”

“Asura, I have one request for you…”

“Speak.”

The Master of the White Lotus Sect said, with a calm smile.

“You will likely be the greatest warrior in the world. As such, guide Baek Woong toward the Divine Skill.”

“…….”

“And for that, I have one more request for you… Be a wedge to guard against Sagong Lin.”

“Guard against Sagong Lin?”

“She is the Heavenly Demon. If she employs the Eternal Dance technique, no being on earth can defeat her. If she betrays Baek Woong, it will be irreversible.”

“Then….”

“Behead me and become an enemy of Baek Woong’s group. And operate behind the scenes so that the Heavenly Demon Sagong Lin cannot act recklessly.”

“…….”

“It’s a difficult task, but can you do it?”

Asura paused before responding.

“There’s nothing I can’t do. I will uphold your teachings.”

“Thank you….”

“Master of the White Lotus Sect, even as a being of fusion, if you are indeed the true Divine Skill, I can probably cut you down.”

With that, a light ignited in Asura’s eyes.

“I promise! I will definitely lead Baek Woong to the realm of the Divine Domain. Then I will bring him and truly behead you!”

Asura’s rough language made the Master of the White Lotus Sect smile instead. It meant he understood that only death and annihilation could be merciful in his situation.

Whoosh!

The entire body of the Master of the White Lotus Sect began to glow a brilliant white, like vapor. The power of fusion seemed to move in accordance with his will, burning all away. However, aware that it was only temporary, Asura poured out extreme concentration to find the moment he could slash down the Master of the White Lotus Sect.

[Slice me…!!]

The Master of the White Lotus Sect’s scream echoed like thunder.

Return to One Ultimate Slash.

And in the next moment—Asura unleashed his strike, severing the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s head with his brilliant sword. Thanks to the weakened fusion, this was now possible. The space rapidly split, and the Master’s soul was seen soaring to an unknown realm.

At that moment, the barrier of fusion was lifted.

Asura turned back, allowing a brief smirk to escape.

Now, the role of being a wedge to guard against Sagong Lin and guiding Baek Woong had begun.

His expression soon settled into a blank slate as he spoke.

“I have killed the Master of the White Lotus Sect.”

*

Asura concluded the tale.

“That wasn’t even all that important. Knowing the Master of the White Lotus Sect is suffering will only weigh down your heart.”

“…….”

“There’s no way to rush to save him now.”

I began to understand why Asura had kept quiet about the Master of the White Lotus Sect.

“…So the Master of the White Lotus Sect is alive.”

He had become a being bound to the Throne’s fusion and was still walking toward it! Enduring unimaginable trials and torment, his soul must be crumbling and wearing away. And thanks to that, the world had been shielded from the impending calamity of the descent of the Throne of Chaos.

Asura calmly continued.

“At the very least, I wanted to tell you this after you mastered the Dark Night Slash. Because in that space of fusion, only the Dark Night Slash and the Divine Skill can thrive.”

“What?”

“I’ll explain the nature of fusion that the Master of the White Lotus Sect taught me.”

Asura pointed at my jade throne with his finger.

“When you enter the space of fusion, all treasures will be obliterated. Furthermore, chaotic beings will instantly suffer massive damage and vanish as well. Even divine artifacts based on the power of chaos will be no exception. All powers will become unusable.”

“……!!”

“And a being soaked in fusion cannot be harmed unless attacked with the same fusion property. The Master predicted that attacking with chaos would instead strengthen the attacker. Therefore, in that space, even the Old Ruler would be unable to wield power against the guardian and would eventually be annihilated.”

“What, what?! Are you saying the Throne of Chaos is such a ridiculous space?”

I couldn’t help but be shocked. If what he said was true, that meant it was a space where all powers of existence were sealed!

But then I realized something strange and asked.

“…Asura, if you can only attack with the same fusion property, then how could your Return to One Ultimate Slash cut down the Master of the White Lotus Sect?”

“You caught on quickly. That’s precisely why the Master wished for you to grasp the Divine Skill.”

Asura raised his sword horizontally and continued.

“For some reason, both the Dark Night Slash and the Return to One Ultimate Slash can bypass the properties of fusion and deal damage. They’re not entirely opposing, but are equal properties. So, if you ever find yourself in the realm of the Throne of Chaos, you must master the Dark Night Slash to its fullest or learn the Divine Skill.”

“But the Divine Skill doesn’t guarantee the same power as the Return to One Ultimate Slash, right?”

“No. It will undoubtedly display powers beyond it. Because both the Return to One Ultimate Slash and the Dark Night Slash mimic the power of the Divine Skill.”

“……!!”

“Jang Sam-bong caught on in a single glance. Truly worthy of being one of the White Sects’ top experts.”

Asura, with a wry smile, asked.

“Are you all good with the answers now?”

“…Asura, even so, with such significant information, couldn’t you have told me earlier? If I had died not knowing this….”

“If I had told you, you would have set everything aside to rescue the Master of the White Lotus Sect, neglecting your other plans. In that case, you wouldn’t have received the fortuitous encounter orchestrated by Mangnyang in the Celestial Realm.”

“Ah….”

“And for someone without talent, if you were overwhelmed with pressure while training the Dark Night Slash, your accomplishments would have felt painfully slow.”

“…….”

“I didn’t say anything and mentioned that the Dark Night Slash was good, which would allow you to train without any significant pressure. Thanks to that, you achieved at least a small success in the Dark Night Slash. Isn’t that so?”

He had a point.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I scratched my head and said.

“That’s true… So what should we do now to save the Master of the White Lotus Sect?”

“Right now, there’s no concrete way. If I had to say a method…”

Asura’s gaze sharpened.

“Until we reach [the end], we need to gather more information on the [Throne]. I’m not entirely sure, but it seems the phenomena occurring at the end highly relate to the Throne.”

“Ultimately, this leads back to gathering Dharma techniques.”

“Exactly. Otherwise, you can simply watch what happens at the end and then die without worrying. If the world falls, the Master of the White Lotus Sect will receive salvation anyway…”

“…….”

Does that mean the Master of the White Lotus Sect would also become one of those saved if the world perished….

I closed my eyes momentarily out of guilt for the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Then I opened them again.

“Alright. In any case, I’ll do what I can do.”

There was no immediate solution for the misfortunes facing the Master of the White Lotus Sect. No point in pacing around anxiously; it wouldn’t change anything. So I had to calmly continue with what I could do and do my best; that would be the most practical shortcut!

Whoosh!

I headed to the meeting room where the Western Zodiac members had gathered, assisted by the celestial sorcerers.

Upon arriving at the meeting room, I found various companions, including Sagong Lin, already seated, with 13 members of the Zodiac facing them.

“Familiar faces indeed.”

There was Vatory, whom I had previously defeated, as well as the alchemist Calios. Berus was also sitting in one corner. Furthermore, the witch Vivian, whom I had seen in the Guardian of the West’s Heart, also seemed to be a member of the Zodiac.

Only a few seats were still vacant among the 13. I noted Merlin was absent but guessed the identities of the two vacant spots.

“Merlin and Dr. Faust aren’t in attendance. Merlin must be performing some grand ritual at Stonehenge in Camlan, and Dr. Faust recently gave me a golden watch before vanishing….”

As I pondered, a Middle-Eastern man clad in a turban among the Zodiac members spoke up.

“I am the leader of the Assassins and member of the Zodiac, Hassan Ibn Al Sabah. I would like to offer you a deal. In exchange for informing you of the location of Chi You’s arm, I seek the Seven Trumpets.”

The Seven Trumpets?

I was about to respond, confused, when Sagong Lin gestured for me to stay quiet and communicated telepathically.

[It’s probably not a good idea for you to attract their attention. Allow us to handle this conversation.]

Understanding Sagong Lin’s intent, I kept silent, and then Cheon Woo-jin, present at the seat, spoke.

“Are you talking about the Seven Luminaries?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

I couldn’t help but flinch.

“What? Are they after the Seven Luminaries?”

This time Sagong Lin stepped forward, asking them.

“What’s your reason for targeting the Seven Luminaries?”

“To save the world.”

“How?”

The one who answered was Berus.

“Do you not know that gathering all the Seven Luminaries reveals the Trial of the Seven Luminaries? We aim to pass that trial and plead with the Three Sovereigns to postpone the destruction of this world. At least we’ll gain a thousand years of time.”

“…….”

“Since the end is not far off, we hope to gain your cooperation. I believe it’s a proposal that offers no detriment to either side.”

At this, Sagong Lin started to think hard, and Cheon Woo-jin and Zhuge Liang were left in stunned expressions.

‘Tch… the Trial of the Seven Luminaries? When did we even talk about that…?’

However, I could immediately perceive the thoughts of my companions, including myself.

‘These guys are… running behind schedule!’

I couldn’t hide my astonishment and wanted to voice my bewilderment, but Zhuge Liang beat me to it.

“The Great Sorcerer Merlin is absent from this gathering. He has been conducting offering ceremonies for decades. Is it possible he has been performing rituals for the Trial of the Seven Luminaries?”

“You seem to have gathered a lot of information. Indeed.”

Berus continued with a serious face.

“We are planning to overcome the Trial of the Seven Luminaries with the powers of the Zodiac members along with the powers of the 13 Giants of Paliyas. If you cooperate, we will gladly accept your assistance.”

Zhuge Liang casually tossed this up to Baek Woong.

“Well… the reason you are attempting the Trial of the Seven Luminaries is likely due to the Guardian of the West.”

“…….”

“It would be safe to surmise you’re aware that the Trial of the Seven Luminaries is not a complete solution? Yet even still, now you’re attempting it; it suggests that the Guardian of the West’s power has weakened, making things difficult for you. Before becoming any weaker, you’re trying for one last desperate struggle, while also trying to tip the scales toward order, am I right…?”

Berus didn’t hide his agitation and retorted.

“Do not make baseless conjectures.”

“Whether it’s a conjecture or not, there’s one thing we can definitively say.”

Zhuge Liang surveyed the Zodiac members with a cold gaze and continued.

“The Seven Luminaries are absolutely non-negotiable. If you truly hope to save the world, then you must surrender all information without conditions!”

“What a stubborn bunch… must you really act so uncooperatively?”

Zhuge Liang sighed heavily.

Then he glanced at me and said.

“My lord, please say a word.”

“Hmm….”

Step…

I stood up and walked towards the opposing side. Then I spoke.

“The Trial of the Seven Luminaries is a trap, and you need not attempt it.”

“Baseless claims. The contract related to this world’s [end] is precisely the Trial of the Seven Luminaries, and I have confirmed this fact through the Guardian!”

“…….”

“…No, that’s not it.”

“Please cooperate to prevent this world’s destruction.”

“…….”

What should I do with this?

I sighed and said.

“I’ve already been through this once. You guys….”