1231——————==

Soul of the Evil God

After getting some info from Sangwan Hyuk, I cast the Soul Exchange Technique on Zhuge Sa as per his advice.

“W-What are you trying to do to me?”

“Sorry. Looks like I have to put some shackles on you…”

Whoa

I felt the White (魄) from Sangwan Hyuk’s wrist being pulled towards me. Once I snagged his White, I realized I could control his senses and movements whenever I wanted, so I finally let go of his wrist. Sangwan Hyuk’s face stiffened in realization that he had something done to him, and I laid down the law.

“Being a Demon Sorcerer, I guess I don’t need to explain, right? This is a spell that activates the moment you betray me. And dishonesty? I can see through that.”

To be precise, the Soul Exchange Technique isn’t quite like that, but since he doesn’t know what it is, the very mention of it becomes a shackle.

“……”

“So now, spill the beans about what plans you have with the White Lotus Sect.”

Sangwan Hyuk managed a composed expression and replied.

“The White Lotus Sect doesn’t have any concrete plans yet. I’m supposed to gauge the atmosphere in Luoyang and signal for the Master of the Sect and the Dharma Guardian to venture out while the Fire Spirit Techniques Dharma Guardian supports them; that’s the whole deal.”

“Didn’t you receive any orders or commands from the Yacha?”

“…That individual said they were waiting for other parts of the Divine to arrive before giving me a signal.”

“Other parts of the Divine? So there are none currently in Luoyang?”

At this unexpected piece of information, my interest piqued, and Sangwan Hyuk continued.

“Exactly. They’re scattered all over the world each with their tasks, so it’s not easy to gather them quickly, which is why Gin Nara is calling them together.”

“Hmmm…”

“Now please let me go… I swear, I won’t betray you.”

I replied as Zhuge Sa instructed.

“Do you have any idea about the monster’s identity?”

“Umm… that I really don’t know… The parts of the Divine all seem puzzled… They just guessed it’s an ancient existence.”

“Ancient existence…?”

“Even Yacha doesn’t seem to know much about it…”

Is this a significant clue?

I cocked my head, then stood up.

“Then I’ll be back soon, but you better keep your mouth shut about everything discussed here.”

“Understood…”

Boom

I exited with Dracula.

‘Should I go visit Han Baek-ryeong?’

Even if she isn’t much help in this mythical situation, she’s relatively neutral and a potential ally. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to her.

However, while I was walking down the street to meet Han Baek-ryeong, something unexpected happened.

Crrrrruuuu!

A monstrous sound and powerful pressure suddenly descended upon the spot where Dracula and I stood. The ordinary people around turned to us in shock as I activated my Protection Energy Technique to endure it.

“……!!”

“Lord!! Gah… I will transform into my true form and fight back!”

Swoosh

As Dracula couldn’t take the pressure any longer, he dropped his transformation and morphed into the Black Dragon. Just when he was about to spread his wings to take off, I saw a writhing mass of spirit attach itself to Dracula’s entire body.

[KRAAAAAK.]

He thrashed about, unleashing the breath of the Black Dragon, but the spirit mass didn’t seem to be harmed by his attack at all. I was also on the verge of collapsing under the immense pressure, but sensing that Dracula would definitely die if it continued like this, I concentrated my entire being and chanted the Ultimate Technique.

Absolute Thunder Sword Infinite Slash!!

Zctttt – !!

The spirit mass that was toying with Dracula’s body was sliced apart by the lightning blade, allowing Dracula to survive.

Boom!!

[Kra… urgh….]

Finally managing to release the pressure after concentrating all my internal energy, I rushed to Dracula.

“Hey!! Are you okay?!”

However, the Black Dragon that fell to the ground looked gravely injured in that brief moment. Its wings seemed to have melted into the mountains, and there were terrible gaping holes in its body. I could imagine the horrors.

Dracula spoke in a fading voice.

[L-Lord… I’m sorry I couldn’t serve you longer…]

“Damn it!! I’ll seal you into my Wooden Armor.”

Time doesn’t flow in the Wooden Armor, so I can treat him later!

At that moment, Dracula glanced at my forearm, and as if he realized something, he spoke.

[Ah… so you’ve already engraved the Demon on yourself… Truly a Great Being… Hehe…]

He made some sort of resolution and opened his hazy eyes to look at me.

[Then I too will… be bound to you, my lord… That would be… my honor….]

“What?”

[Please… accept my name…!! Ugh… urgh….]

I was taken aback but quickly clocked that Dracula had no time to waste, so I nodded urgently.

“Got it!”

Whoooosh!!

In the next moment, Dracula’s entire body transformed into particles of light and got sucked into my forearm. Moments later, unknown ancient runes appeared etched into my forearm, just below the name of the colossal spider.

‘What the…?’

What just happened?

Before I could make sense of it, I heard Zhuge Sa’s voice echo in my head.

[Baek Woong!! If you subdued Dracula so quickly, that monster’s magnitude is higher than we anticipated. Don’t fight it now and get out of there!]

[…Got it!]

Thwack!!

I activated the Soul Removal Technique and quickly began to escape the area overrun by the monster. Suddenly, the monster extended dozens of enormous tentacles from its ethereal form and started launching them at me like snakes.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

‘Gah….’

It’s incredibly fast! There’s no way to predict its attack trajectory with my sight or Qi Sense! It’s troubling that I can’t even detect those transparent tentacles unless I activate the Fire Eye Golden Spirit. I poured all my effort into the Divine Technique to dodge, and finally realized something.

‘I can’t use the Golden Lamp.’

The monster must have done something that prevented me from escaping using the spatial movement of the Golden Lamp. I was left with no choice but to retreat from Luoyang using the Soul Removal technique.

Thud

Just before crossing from the inner city of Luoyang to the outer city walls, it seemed like the monster was no longer pursuing me. It wasn’t that it couldn’t follow; it was more concerned with the Yacha in front of it, which is why I wasn’t chased.

“Phew.”

I took a breath and intended to keep running. I needed to get far enough away using the Divine Technique and find a suitable place for the Golden Lamp.

But at that moment…

Whoosh!!

“……?!”

What the heck?!

A mist spread before my eyes, and suddenly I found myself in an unknown location. It was truly an unexpected situation shift.

Through the fog on the mountain path, I saw a hazy figure of a human, and that figure spoke to me.

“O being of darkness, tell me what you did in Luoyang.”

An eerily familiar voice.

I immediately recognized who it was and scanned the surroundings. It seemed to be a hillside area nearby. After glancing at the farmer-like attire of the figure, I cautiously spoke.

“Do you mean I’m the being of darkness?”

“Are you claiming otherwise? Wandering around radiating such vile magic.”

The young man dressed like a farmer sneered as he pointed a hoe at me.

“On my master’s orders, I was monitoring Luoyang, and now I must find out what your evil kind is up to.”

That hoe might look insignificant, but I know it’s anything but that.

With whatever that guy is holding, that hoe could potentially turn the world upside down with a spell.

“……”

If I fought that guy… I’d likely outmatch him in overall power. But still, because his illusion techniques are undetectable, if any variables show up during the fight, I could get gravely injured. For someone accustomed to the martial artist fighting style, facing someone with extreme illusion mastery like this guy would be a tough battle.

And he wasn’t a life-or-death opponent anyway. After all, that guy was one of my greatest allies in my previous life. Although we’ve never formally interacted, I would have likely gained him as an ally had it not been for the Obsidian’s Evil Qi plot twist.

But could I even convince him without the Obsidian?

I was worried, but took a breath and decided to speak calmly.

“I don’t want to fight. I’m Baek Woong, the Apostle of the Three Sovereigns, and I’m acting upon the command of Shao Hao Jin Tian.”

“…An Apostle, huh.”

“Look at this.”

I raised my arm to show him the apostle mark. As he examined it closely, I lowered my arm and continued.

“I was just scouting Luoyang as part of my mission. If you’re a sorcerer linked to the celestial realm, there’s no reason for us to be at odds.”

The young farmer scoffed.

“That’s amusing… Who do you think will believe you with such sudden claims? Do you think I’ll release an evil sorcerer who branded you as a servant?”

“What?”

“If you’re so innocent, then come with me to my master. Then the truth of your words will be revealed.”

“……”

An unexpected proposal.

I felt a tingle of intrigue but simultaneously a sense of dread.

‘…Hell, am I going to be dead if I go there?’

Normally, I wouldn’t worry like this, but in my current state, I’m practically a magic ball of chaos. If I stood before that [Old Ruler] or an evil being, I could easily be obliterated. I could very well get sealed just like Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen.

‘The Soul Exchange Technique isn’t connecting… I can’t hear Zhuge Sa’s words…’

As expected, that guy’s illusion is top-notch. To think he’d disrupt the effects of the Soul Exchange Technique temporarily… Is it because this entire space is an illusion?

I momentarily lost my words and then clenched my fist.

“Damn!! I’ve been thinking this for a while, but you really are annoying! I swear, if I regain my memories, I’m going to punch you once!!”

He replied with a tone of disbelief.

“Strange words… Where do you get off saying ‘once upon a time?’ I’ve never seen someone like you before.”

“Sure, I bet you haven’t! Goodness….”

Caught between options, I suddenly had an idea.

“Hey! If that’s the case, seal me within the treasure, Land and Earth Diagram! You have that, right?”

He jumped back in surprise.

“What? How do you know about that…?”

“If you take me there, you’ll feel safe, right? You were planning to put me in there anyway?”

“……”

“Since I won’t resist, just toss me in. That’ll settle it.”

I put my sword inside and extended my hands innocently, and the other person stared at me suspiciously. After a moment, he spoke.

“Regardless of whether you resist, I was going to toss you in anyway. Here you go.”

Whoosh whoosh

In the next moment, I saw a massive scroll summoned right in front of my face, enveloping me. I could’ve dodged it in a split second, but I didn’t. Instead, I just chuckled and muttered.

“Cheon Woo-jin, you bastard….”

Yes.

It was none other than the Illusory God, Cheon Woo-jin, who suddenly trapped me in an illusion to yell at me after I escaped from Luoyang.

Roar!!

The moment I entered the Land and Earth Diagram, I felt the exact same sensation wash over me.

A breathtaking natural landscape unfolded with spectacular rocky cliffs – I found myself seated in front of a hut atop one of those cliffs, sitting cross-legged.

‘Here we go.’

I recalled what Cheon Woo-jin told me in my 28th life.

[Then, won’t you have no chance to even attempt an escape?]

[That doesn’t apply to beings with immense power. They’re bound and feel an eternity within a moment. Even if the dimension is lowered, the essence of that being cannot be diminished; that’s the limitation of the treasure, Land and Earth Diagram. This is also why Zhuge Sa, who had an immense magical power, was able to continuously attempt to escape when he was sealed before.]

[Hmmm. So you can only think.]

I once entered the Land and Earth Diagram and ended up doing all sorts of things while just thinking, barely managing to escape then. Thanks to that past experience, I took the leap to enter the treasure on my own accord. In this current situation, I could win against Cheon Woo-jin, but I had no confidence in subduing him without killing him, so this was my own form of compromise.

‘Last time, when I shouted the command of Saitan, Amaterasu responded and we ended up in the concealed time and space within the Land and Earth Diagram…’

Should I try the same method again this time?

I released my Spirit Power in the Land and Earth Diagram and searched for a moment of freedom of the body, softly speaking.

“Saitan….”

Just then.

Clank! Clank!!

The world of the Land and Earth Diagram began to violently shake. As I stood bewildered, gazing at the shaking sky, I heard an eerie voice emanating from the sky.

[How come you have no memory but managed to connect names with me? Are you also a being from the outer universe?]

“…….”

Kooohhhh

Moments later, a gigantic pitch-black snake slithered out of the sky like shattered glass, its eyes glinting as it glared at me.

[It seems irrelevant… I refuse to extend our name agreement!]

Boom

With that, the illusion of the snake vanished. I found myself puzzled, wondering what was happening, but I soon came to understand the situation.

‘Ah… right. In my previous life, I made a contract with the [Old Serpent] to borrow its power in exchange for searching for the forbidden fruit; but this life, I have nothing of the sort!’

The snake must be perplexed as it suddenly came to cancel the baseless contract. But if it could simply cancel like that, why did it just let things carry on with Dracula?

“Ugh….”

Before I could recover from my surprise, I realized something had appeared before me.

[What a reckless way to try and break the seal I manage, Apostle of Shao Hao Jin Tian.]

A pitch-black cat was sitting cross-legged right in front of me.