1248——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I struggled to understand Zhuge Sa’s words.

‘So, you’re saying that the time to resurrect the World Tree as an offering will be shortened…?’

After a moment, I looked at Zhuge Sa with a surprised expression and said, “So the Evil God is supposed to wake up in 500 years, but you want him to wake up sooner?”

“That’s right.”

“Is, is that even possible? If it is, then why hasn’t it been done until now?”

“……”

Zhuge Sa fell silent for a bit before responding. “You asked a good question, but it’s something we can’t know right now. No, we need to find out the cause from now on. This is a new variable that hasn’t existed in your previous lives.”

“Variable….”

“It’s certain that the impact of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s disappearance has influenced this variable. However, I can’t judge if this is due to the Evil God’s fickle nature or just one of many coincidental events woven through countless causes. There’s just too little information.”

After saying that, Zhuge Sa looked at me intently before continuing. “So, how about we not commit suicide for now?”

“……?!”

“The 29th life is about observing the atmosphere and ending it safely. From my perspective, this is too dangerous. I want to minimize the number of lives, but there’s no time to be picky.”

Wait, what?!

What does that even mean?!

When I stared at Zhuge Sa with wide eyes, he grinned like a devil and said, “Heh… Didn’t you get it? I’m recommending suicide.”

“No, wait! Wasn’t something about to start?! I was planning to go to the top of the World Tree to save Seo Mun-hye! Why are you telling me to give up all of a sudden?”

“It’s not out of the blue. It’s a strategic choice; it’s called a quick restart.”

“…I don’t get it. Why would I give up when I know nothing right now?”

When I protested, Zhuge Sa replied, “So, what do you think will happen if you accept the Evil God’s invitation and meet him?”

“……!!”

I flinched at his words.

Zhuge Sa stepped forward and said, “The Evil God is on a completely different level than Chi You. He’s seriously aiming for ascension and is a [Old Ruler] on par with Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. Naturally, it would be foolish of him to go after a reincarnated person who is the biggest pillar of ascension. If he wanted to, he would’ve done it by now, which shows how deep his mind is, considering he hasn’t harmed you so far.”

“Uh… I don’t really understand…”

As I struggled to grasp Zhuge Sa’s explanation, he chuckled and continued, “Think about it from the perspective of the Outer Gods. Imagine a grand test is underway where one of the [Old Rulers] could transcend the cycle, just like they can.

“Okay.”

“Do you think the reincarnation of a reincarnated person would just be blocked or handed over with the powers of a mere [Old Ruler]? Would you let just anyone become a transcendental being in the cycle? Such a sloppy test couldn’t be called [ascension].”

“……!!”

“Chi You overlooked this point while the Evil God has always known about it. In reality, Chi You used you to cheat his way past the Great Cycle, which got him sealed by Heavenly Secret. Meanwhile, the Emperor and the Evil God have clearly recognized your existence but have approached cautiously without direct engagement. They’ve sensed there might be obstacles like Heavenly Secret. Do you now understand the difference between those who grasp the essence of the test and those who don’t?”

“Oh, I see…”

I was stunned by Zhuge Sa’s logical explanation. Finally, I began to understand just how caught up I was in a massive flow.

But at the same time, I felt a bit lost and said, “Huh? So, can’t I just meet the Evil God? He won’t be able to harm me anyway.”

“That’s the kind of thinking that knows one thing but not two. Don’t you find it suspicious that the moment the Evil God gave you an invitation was right after Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen was sealed at the end of your 28th life, just at the start of the 29th?”

“…….”

“I don’t know what method he used, but the Evil God might have realized your previous life started just when Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen was sealed and indirectly recognized your existence. And he strategically approached you while his biggest rival, the Emperor, was lost.”

“So what you’re saying is…”

“You’ve walked into a tiger’s den. You need to get out immediately.”

As my face hardened, Zhuge Sa continued, “Hehe… The Evil God’s invitation is well-prepared… even someone like me wouldn’t dare think of going to the owner of that invitation. It’s clear that unimaginable treachery awaits, and I certainly can’t read it with my abilities. It’s a different dimension altogether.”

Zhuge Sa’s eyes gleamed.

“Therefore, it’s only right to proceed cautiously. Right now, you need to hide. And the only way a reincarnator can hide is through suicide.”

“Wait, you’re telling me it’s dangerous even when the Evil God isn’t torturing or sealing me?”

“Hehe… you’re thinking too simply. When one being manipulates another, it’s not just through direct threats or physical oppression. The Evil God could just be luring you in while setting up undetectable curses or restraints that make it seem impossible to escape. Do you think you’d be able to break free from that?”

“…….”

“Or he might capture your companions, including me, as imaginary hostages to make you comply. For an Evil God, he could easily toy with you without needing to hold actual hostages; a hint or threat would suffice. I’m not confident in extracting the psychological poison he’d implant in your mind.”

“Is that so….”

“Ha ha ha.”

Zhuge Sa laughed with bloodlust in his eyes.

“Lee Kwang didn’t need to capture you to torture or threaten you, yet he had you under his influence multiple times throughout your reincarnations. Taking advantage of slight psychological openings to bend the opponent’s thinking to their advantage is something crafty characters can easily do. An entity like the Evil God could pull that off on a whole different scale. Just by leaking a bit of fake information mixed with the truth, you’d start imagining false enemies to stab at the scarecrow.”

“…Hmm….”

“If you go before the Evil God with this invitation, you could end up being tossed around several lives and eventually surrendering both your body and spirit to him.”

His words were so right that I couldn’t say a thing. But I still felt something was off and said to Zhuge Sa, “But… if you look at my memory of the obsidian, I haven’t learned anything this life. I’ve just been tossed around. Isn’t it meaningless to start my 30th life with nothing to show for it?”

“Hehe… Why do you think you have nothing? The moment you met me, those worries vanished. You’ve endured quite a lot up to now.”

“Hmm?”

“Now, think about what you should do first. Given the current situation with the Emperor sealed, what’s the most urgent task?”

I started working my brain, and after a while, I said, “…It’s to find a way to turn the [Great Cycle]. The goal of this life was to discover that and resurrect Chi You as the Emperor said.”

“Hehe, that was the goal at first. But now it’s been pushed to the back burner. Something more urgent has come up than that vague, grand target.”

“More urgent?”

“So what has taken priority?”

“Hmmm….”

I pondered, struggling to come up with an answer, and since I couldn’t say anything with my head in my hands, Zhuge Sa chuckled and said, “That’s to find a way to counter the Evil God and escape his influence.”

“Hmm…!!”

“Think about it. Your mission to rescue the prisoners in Great Thunder Valley is just the beginning of a treasure hunt. But if an ally of the Evil God, the [Dream Musician], can casually slip in and hand you an invitation, what does that mean?”

Even I, no matter how foolish, could now grasp Zhuge Sa’s words. With a tense face, I answered, “It means the Evil God can exert influence right after my reincarnation.”

“Exactly. You understand well.”

Zhuge Sa grinned.

“The silver lining is that the Evil God is very cautious. Until he resurrects, he will never seek you out directly, and will use his subordinates to invite you instead. However, once he’s determined to resurrect, that grace period won’t be long, and when that face-off happens, you’ll suffer even more than with the Emperor.”

“…….”

“This life’s achievement is realizing that the Evil God can resurrect using the World Tree and that this period isn’t long.”

I was left speechless and, dazed, I bit my lip.

“Damn it… So, should I skip rescuing the prisoners in Great Thunder Valley after reincarnating?”

“That’s also too simplistic a thought. A being like the Evil God won’t miss any opportunity to approach by some other means. The delay is just temporary.”

“So it’s about finding a way to escape the Evil God’s influence. How do I do that?”

“Hehe. There’s exactly one way. But I wonder if you can actually do it.”

“What is that method?”

Zhuge Sa paused before saying, “It’s the re-establishment of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”

“…….”

Huh?! What did you just say?!

I was so taken aback that I opened my mouth wide, thinking Zhuge Sa was joking, but he seemed dead serious.

“Wait, really?!”

“Hehe, is it that absurd? But it’s the best option right now.”

Zhuge Sa crossed his arms and continued confidently, “This is the so-called alliance of the gods. The only way to stop the Evil God and allow you to act freely is this. Even if the ones left are divided without the Emperor, if they join forces, they can stop the Evil God.”

“…….”

“If this strategy succeeds, you can grow stronger and gather information while the Three Sovereigns and the Evil God are at war without the Emperor.”

“That’s ludicrous!! With the majority of the Three Sovereigns, aside from Nüwa, sealed and with two of the Five Emperors gone, how could they possibly unite?”

“Hehe… It’s quite possible. If you utilize what you’ve accumulated over your reincarnations and properly nurture your reincarnation companions, it’s not impossible at all. If you convey this conversation to the next ‘me’ as a memory, he’ll understand immediately and help you.”

Swoosh

Suddenly, Zhuge Sa pulled a sharp bone from his arm. The bone, like a razor-sharp blade, he swiftly brandished towards me and said, “Now, choose. Will you commit suicide, or shall I kill you?”

“Wait a second. Isn’t there more you can tell me? Like something that would help in the next life….”

“Hahaha… you’re slowly losing it. Now, you’re worried more about missing information than the pain of death.”

“Not that….”

Seeing me floundering, Zhuge Sa seemed to revel in it before abruptly offering me a silver Phoenix Fragment.

“I was actually planning to give you the information I’ve gathered. Take it.”

“What’s this?”

“After you disappeared, I negotiated with Matteo Ricci to receive the other half of the silver Phoenix Fragment. One was taken with you when you vanished into Dark Heaven Village, but since it’s a memory-transmitting metal, I’ve used the Path of Demons’ shortcut to store my memories here.”

“Ooh!!”

“Just so you know, it’s a shortcut, so it’s not as efficient as your obsidian magic. It only contains a rough outline of events.”

“Got it.”

As I gripped the silver Phoenix Fragment tightly, Zhuge Sa spread his hands and said, “Alright… I’m off!”

Whoosh!

Moments later, memories spanning a year and three months began to pour into my head like dark ink. That unpleasant and foreign sensation, along with the headache pounding through my veins, made me scream.

“Ah, ahhh!!”

What the heck is this?! Was memory transfer this uncomfortable and painful?!

As I stood there gaping in agony, Zhuge Sa giggled.

“Listen while you’re receiving. I’ll tell you three things you need to do in your next life.”

With a swift motion, Zhuge Sa aimed the bone at my neck, drawing a drop of blood. His cold voice seeped into my ears.

“First, find a way to gather the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. I bet if you get the Zhuge Clan’s strategists onboard, you’ll find a way.”

“Ugh….”

“Second, unleash the Four Great Spirit Deities as much as possible to render magical power nearly nonexistent. Third, before the Evil God can resurrect using the World Tree, go to Jeogok and stop him from joining the Evil God’s side.”

Swoosh

The bone began to slowly pierce my throat. I thought this would be my 29th death, but at that moment, a memory flickered in my mind.

‘No, not yet!!’

With a burst of clarity, I unleashed my Intent Heavenly Pillar, sending the tip of the bone flying with my finger. I saw the shattered tip soar through the void.

Zhuge Sa, surprised that I thwarted his assassination attempt, asked, “Baek Woong, haven’t I explained sufficiently why you should die right now?”

“Cough, cough… Wait a second… it’s not that I’m scared of the pain….”

As I spat out blood-tinged phlegm, I continued, “There’s one more thing… that’s bothering me.”

“What is it?”

“Cough….”

As I slightly coughed due to my throat being hurt, I healed my wound with Qi and said, “Zhuge Sa… you’re hiding something from me, right? That’s why you were trying to kill me amid the memory transfer.”

“…….”

While Zhuge Sa fell silent, I steadied my breathing.

Then, looking him in the eyes, I said, “Is that guy in the hat here?”

A scene flashed through during the memory transfer; it was an image of my worst fate –

Zhuge Sa’s vision, having used magic to spy on the World Tree, catching sight of the Hat Warrior rushing towards the top floor.