1227——————==

Soul of the Evil God

The Great Cycle?!

I said to Zhuge Sa.

“That’s impossible! The only one who can turn that around is [Father]…”

“That’s true, it’s impossible. It’s a miracle that’s nothing less than a dream for all divine beings. But that’s exactly what Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen wants.”

“Crazy… What a joke.”

I gritted my teeth, feeling my body tremble uncontrollably.

“Gong Sun Xuanwen, you bastard!!”

I can’t forgive him.

He’s the one who caused all this chaos, and now he wants to dump that burden on me?! Am I just supposed to let it all go if I get sealed away? I came so close to having my rebirth end because of Gong Sun Xuanwen, and countless companions sacrificed themselves to take him down! The anger I felt, unable to repay that debt, made me despise Gong Sun Xuanwen’s arrogance.

While I was lost in my thoughts, Zhuge Sa looked at me and suddenly smiled.

“Hehe… This is just too good. Who would’ve thought that a being truly capable of being angry at the so-called Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, the God of Gods, would actually exist… Hehe, this is perfect! This is what it means to be a reborn person.”

“Zhuge Sa. So if we just ignore Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s intentions…”

Zhuge Sa cut me off sharply.

“No. Absolutely not. On the contrary, we must accomplish that seemingly impossible task no matter what.”

“……?!”

At his unexpected words, I widened my eyes, and Zhuge Sa continued.

“Baek Woong, you seem very angry at Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, but let’s think this over coolly. What is your ultimate goal?”

“…To smash this godforsaken world. To put an end to the outer gods messing around with this place.”

“Exactly. Defeating Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen isn’t your ultimate goal, right? If it’s just a process, then you might as well team up with him. Just like you accepted your brother and Master of the White Lotus Sect as companions in your 28th life.”

“……”

“It’s a privilege of the reborn. The ability to turn former enemies into allies.”

Zhuge Sa’s gaze was fixed on me.

“And there’s ample room for compromise with Gong Sun Xuanwen. He also sought to defeat the outer god, [Coming Chaos], just as you do. But without a concrete strategy against the outer gods, you and Gong Sun Xuanwen should form a joint front to find a way to take down the outer god. The solution that Gong Sun Xuanwen proposed, [Chi You’s Revival], will also help you.”

“Hmm…”

“If the motivation is sufficient, the method can be found. Don’t get the important things confused.”

Caught up in his eloquent flow, I had no words to respond. As I stood there blankly, Zhuge Sa continued.

“So, how do we find a way to turn back the [Great Cycle]? We can only collect clues by doing what we can, one step at a time. It starts now.”

“Is there no immediate way?”

“There isn’t. But as we gather clues, a path will surely open up. There’s no doubt about it.”

“…You’re being oddly confident.”

“I can’t help it. It’s Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen who gave me that confidence. Is there a more reliable witness?”

“Ah?”

“Keuk, you really didn’t know, did you?”

What is he talking about? As I stared at him in confusion, Zhuge Sa grinned wickedly.

“Baek Woong, Gong Sun Xuanwen was so ambitious that he tried to manipulate Hang-a to steal your rebirth ability. What do you think it means that at the last moment he turned against Nyarlathotep and did you a favor?”

“Wh- What do you mean?”

“What changed Gong Sun Xuanwen’s actions was the mysterious presence known as the [Demon Emperor]. He saw the calculations of the law of cause and effect, which is why Gong Sun Xuanwen changed his attitude.”

“Well, that’s true…”

“Then, could it really be a coincidence that the meticulous Gong Sun Xuanwen, who had never allowed even a single miscalculation over countless epochs, would propose such impossible challenges as the revival of Chi You and the modification of the [Great Cycle] to you, who was his former enemy? Why would Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen ask you to carry out tasks he himself couldn’t do?”

“……”

“That’s far too illogical to be a move by the absolute being, Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. Therefore, there’s only one possibility.”

Zhuge Sa’s eyes sparkled.

“Thus… When Gong Sun Xuanwen received the calculations of the law of cause and effect from the Demon Emperor, he was presented with evidence that Chi You’s revival was indeed possible. The Demon Emperor must have persuaded Gong Sun Xuanwen of that possibility.”

“What?!”

“After accepting that proposal, Gong Sun Xuanwen, confident that it wouldn’t be possible right away but would be one day, entrusted it to you. It’s a logical conclusion.”

I never even considered such a thing!

Zhuge Sa said.

“Now that you understand, let’s talk about how to take the first step.”

“What should I do now?”

“Hm, there are plenty of things to try, but…”

After a moment of contemplation, Zhuge Sa finally spoke.

“First, let’s gather all the treasures. It’s not quite the right time to carry out a bold strategy yet.”

“That’s unexpected. I thought you’d suggest doing something drastic given your personality…”

“In a normal case, that’s what I would’ve done. But in this life, I think it’s wise for you, Baek Woong, to hold back a bit.”

“Why?”

“This obsidian contains tremendous magical power.”

Zhuge Sa looked at the obsidian he was holding as if entranced.

“If we can’t identify the source of that power, we’ll just waste time charging in recklessly with a half-baked strategy. Dispersing plans with no cleanup strategy is just second-rate.”

“Is that so…”

“Well, considering that you’ve already had a face-off with the Sea God and become an Apostle of So Ho, I think you might be wrong about this… Hehe.”

“……”

With no words left to say, I fell silent and Zhuge Sa adjusted his glasses.

“First, go to the Joint Mountain and obtain the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate. After that, release the Black Dragon Dracula from Arasa and make him your subordinate. We can talk again after that.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll take care of Seo Mun-hye for a while at Jangryeong Valley.”

Bang!!

After quickly acquiring the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate in the ruins of the Joint Mountain, I headed to Arasa. I stared intently at the Black Dragon Dracula sealed in ice before reaching out to the massive ice.

Whoooooom

Powerful divine energy began to flow into me.

‘For some reason, it seems much stronger than before?’

The moment I thought that, the ice started cracking loudly. Two urgent voices echoed in my head.

But the content was different this time.

[Oh, this can’t be!! A calamity… calamity has struck! A monstrous being…!]

Merlin’s voice lamented.

In that voice, there was a clear resignation that there was no way to stop the unsealing.

[……Who is this esteemed person?]

And from inside the half-broken ice, Dracula peeked out and began to have a conversation with me, using a solemn tone. There was a hint of fear and awe in that voice.

‘Huh? Why is his reaction so different this time?’

As I was lost in thought, I suddenly remembered that I had broken Dracula’s seal much faster than before. It seemed that the significantly stronger divine energy had broken the seal almost instantly, causing both Merlin and Dracula to react differently this time.

I shattered the remaining ice around Dracula and said, “I am Baek Woong, Apostle of the Three Sovereigns, So Ho! Are you the Grand Duke Dracula, Apostle of the Three-Headed Dragon Niratsa Dag?”

[……!!]

Dracula paused mid-flap of his wings. The surprise was undeniable in the eyes of the Black Dragon, and he exclaimed,

[How do you know the name of the great one I serve! Who are you?!]

“I told you. I’m Baek Woong.”

[That great one resides far beyond the heavens, and until now, no one has known his identity. Unless I reveal it myself… How could this happen!]

As Dracula struggled to regain his composure, I calmly said, “Dracula, can you see this?”

I extended my hand out towards him. Suddenly, three long tattoos appeared gently on my hand, and when Dracula saw them, he gasped.

[T-This… This is… the blessing of the Three-Headed Dragon!! You mean my master granted his apostle the blessing of the Three Sovereigns?!]

“Exactly. And you know this, right? There’s a law of cause and effect between you and me.”

[……]

“It’s the law of cause and effect with the obligation of loyalty.”

It was true. In my 28th life, when I traveled 500 years into the future, I had found Dracula running a restaurant in Romania, and we became quite close. When I declared that I would fight against the destruction of the world, he had pledged his loyalty to me and granted me the blessing of the Three-Headed Dragon.

After a moment of silence, Dracula slowly opened his mouth.

[Although… that blessing is currently deactivated and therefore carries no power… I acknowledge that I made a pledge of loyalty. I have no understanding of how this could happen, but… I shall not go against the sacred oath.]

Shhhhh

Suddenly, Dracula transformed into the form of a middle-aged Western man. Clad in the attire of a Western ruler, he drew a fine sword from his side and struck a formal pose, then knelt down before me and declared,

“I, Dracula, will once again swear loyalty to you, Baek Woong! Please accept my loyalty!”

“Very well.”

After accepting Dracula’s pledge, I helped him to his feet and asked, “You mentioned just now that my Three-Headed Dragon’s blessing is deactivated. Does that mean the blessing isn’t currently activating?”

Dracula altered his manner of speaking and responded, “Correct. To be precise, it is merely the trace of the blessing, and the essence that could allow it to activate is no longer present, so I can only refer to it as a death mark. However, it is certain that the blessing was bestowed upon me by my divine being, Niratsa Dag.”

“……”

Deactivated, huh.

‘At the end of my last life, I activated the blessing of Niratsa Dag and summoned him, so it’s possible it had already lost its effect by then?’

In usual cases, the effect would restore upon restarting a previous life, but it seemed this blessing possessed a different nature. I pondered for a moment and then asked Dracula, “Is it possible to restore this blessing?”

“Impossible. Only Niratsa Dag can do that.”

“Is there any way to communicate with him through this blessing?”

Dracula spoke cautiously, “…Perhaps, it might be possible… but he is an ancient evil god and like the nightmare of the universe. If you incur his wrath, you won’t be able to handle the consequences.”

“Hm.”

“I am but dust compared to him. He does not even fear the Three Sovereigns.”

“I know. He’s a formidable being.”

As Dracula claimed, though he was an apostle of Niratsa Dag, he was merely a plaything created in the world. The real Niratsa Dag was a cosmic-level evil god, comparable to Baek Woong of the Three Sovereigns or an emperor. Approaching him recklessly with my current level of power would likely lead to an unexpected demise.

‘Since I don’t need the blessing of the Three-Headed Dragon right now, I’ll try it later.’

Putting that aside for now, I told Dracula, “Follow me.”

Bang!!

I took Dracula with me to Jangryeong Valley. Upon arrival, Zhuge Sa said, “Good, you successfully acquired a useful subordinate.”

“What should we do now?” Excited for the next step, I suggested.

“Should we go defeat the Guardian of the Moon Sovereign? I feel like with just me and Dracula, it would be more than enough.”

“No. We’d attract attention from Nüwa and the Celestial Realm. It’s better to obtain the Guardian of the Moon later. Likewise, now isn’t the right time to gather all the Seven Luminaries except Xuyou. Let’s hold back on Huaya and Tydaht too.”

Zhuge Sa continued in a firm tone, “What we need to do now is smash the soft targets and strip them of everything they have. To do that, it’d be wise to gather some more companions.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s go to Dongyoung and meet Abe no Seimei. This time, I’ll accompany you.”

Bang!!

I headed to the base of the Abe no Clan with Dracula and Zhuge Sa. Suddenly, a barrier created by illusions appeared before us, and dozens of Yin-Yang Masters were seen forming seals to attack us. I glanced at Dracula, and he transformed into a black dragon as if waiting for this moment.

Kuwah!!

“Urgh!”

“Grahhh!”

Simply by transforming, the shockwave he produced caused the Yin-Yang Masters to falter and collapse, and most of their techniques were nullified. The remaining advanced sorcerers, still standing, unleashed talismans and spells, but when Dracula let out a roar, they fell like dominoes too.

Dracula, his eyes gleaming, mocked the Yin-Yang Masters,

[How dare you lowly humans attempt to hurt me with your techniques? Hehe….]

Dracula may be weaker compared to me right now, but being a Demon King, he was simply overqualified. A few dozen human Yin-Yang Masters stood no chance against him. I shouted towards the lodging where Abe no Seimei usually stayed.

“Seimei!! I’m Baek Woong, Apostle of the Three Sovereigns, So Ho! Let’s talk.”

Zhuuu!!!

In an instant, Abe no Seimei appeared by teleportation. With his calm gaze, he looked at me and spoke, “A being with tremendous magical power… almost a disaster in its own right. How is it that an apostle of the gods has come to this uncivilized eastern isle?”

Differently from before, Seimei treated me like a truly divine being. I felt a bit bittersweet about that but hid it well, saying to Seimei, “Seimei, I want to talk without the presence of those around us. Will you follow me? I swear not to harm your clan.”

“Very well.”

Whoooom!

I led Seimei out beyond the barrier of Aokigahara Life Sea. We arrived at a temporary base established long ago at the entrance of the Life Sea by the Thunder God Lineage’s Elder Cheongwol. Just then, Zhuge Sa, as if waiting, spoke.

“Seimei. You know that you house the physical form of the divine being Amaterasu Ōkami within you. If that’s the case, you can measure how much of Amaterasu’s divine power still resides within Baek Woong.”

“……?! What are you saying? That’s absurd.”

As Abe no Seimei was taken aback, I swiftly reached out to him. I then declared, “You may not believe it, but this is a matter of utmost importance. I once accepted the physical form of Amaterasu, and you are the only one capable of measuring how much remains.”

“……”

“It’s critical, especially in relation to the Life Sea. I implore you to cooperate.”

Seimei appeared to ponder this greatly before finally nodding, as if out of options.

“Very well…”

After Abe no Seimei grasped my hand and began to chant an incantation, an uneasy feeling washed over me. However, I had Zhuge Sa, a Demon King now allied with us, to safeguard against any mishaps.

After around half a cup of tea’s time elapsed, a blue glowing talisman floated into the air and surrounded me like a sphere. Abe no Seimei, astonished, exclaimed, “W-What is happening… Truly… there exists the divine power of Amaterasu!!”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“What kind of being are you? The soul of that being has died in the past, leaving only the body behind, and you’re the only one who took it in…”

I waved my hand to interrupt him, then said to Seimei, “Amaterasu is known as the one who controls the evil of the Ruler.”

“That much is true…”

I decided to present the real core of Zhuge Sa’s plan to Seimei.

“Can I sacrifice Amaterasu’s divine power as an offering to resurrect her?”

“……!!”

This was the countermeasure Zhuge Sa had proposed for controlling magical power.

Amaterasu was birthed as the ancient god who could suppress the malevolence and power of the [Old Ruler].

If Amaterasu were to be resurrected—then perhaps there would be a means to control the overwhelming magic power flooding through me!

‘And Abe no Seimei, who possesses the physical form of a semi-divine being, would undoubtedly be the nearly unique sorcerer capable of directing that consciousness.’

After quite a bit of deliberation, Seimei finally replied, “…It’s currently impossible.”

“Why?”

What followed from Seimei was completely unexpected.

“It’s because, not long ago, the Three Divine Characters, Susanoo, unexpectedly came back to life in this Dongyoung.”