1315——————==

Soul of the Evil God

So you wish for the Asura’s death?!

‘What kind of jerk is that?!’

I was completely taken aback. What popped out was totally different from what I’d hoped for. Obviously, I never wished for a friend’s death, so I reflexively raised my hand.

I’m bidding!

Pop!

As I raised my hand, a golden circular structure hovering in front of me started emitting a huge light. I could even see a glimmer of gold far off in the distance. I-Hwan Woong, who was watching from the side, commented.

“Oh, they’re determining the auction intentions with that golden light.”

I-Hwan Woong didn’t bid.

Soon, five golden lights appeared, including mine. The King of the Life Sea casually seemed to observe the bidding intentions before finally speaking up.

[Good…. Place your bids on the Golden Cauldron in front of you.]

Crackle!

In the next moment, the golden circular structure, called the Golden Cauldron, transformed into a large golden bowl. It felt like an invitation to place the bidding amount on top of it.

Immediately, I shouted.

“Wait! I have a question!”

[What is it?]

“If I wanted to offer an intangible price instead of treasure or material goods, is that possible?”

[Hooho…. That was an expected question.]

The King of the Life Sea responded lazily.

[It is possible. Place your hand on the Golden Cauldron and focus your desire, and I will read your thoughts.]

“……”

I glanced at I-Hwan Woong beside me because I had asked that question at his suggestion. He furrowed his brows in thought before mumbling.

“Is that so? It’s probably better just to rush it and finish it quickly.”

“I-Hwan Woong, do you have a surefire method?”

“Not yet. Not yet….”

I-Hwan Woong continued,

“This attack has a wild card quality, so the best I can do is just try to block it. Well, if Asura is strong enough, we might not even have to block it.”

“What’s a wild card?”

“It means we can’t block it. Seems like that’s not a phrase in this world.”

“Damn….”

I felt irritated by I-Hwan Woong’s words, but I couldn’t help but agree that there wasn’t really a plan. If the Eight Parts of the Divine put up this proposal, and if they made even a small payment, then turning a blind eye would surely lead to Asura’s death.

‘…Wait? Did the Eight Parts of the Divine see Asura?’

In that moment, I suddenly had a lightbulb moment.

‘Could it be….’

I felt a shiver run down my spine at the passing thought.

‘But if I’m wrong, Asura will die….’

I hesitated intensely. If my current hypothesis was wrong, I would absurdly allow my most significant ally, Asura, to die.

‘…Let’s trust my instincts.’

I may be foolish, but I’m not entirely stupid when it comes to decisions like this.

With that, I gathered strength in the hand that was lightly resting on the Golden Cauldron and focused my thoughts.

[I will offer my lifespan equal to that of the first bidder in this auction!]

According to my strategy, it would be better to save my treasures and use my lifespan for now!

My lifespan doesn’t hold much value for me, plus meeting face to face is what matters!

‘If the price of the top bidder is greater, my chances of suddenly losing my lifespan and dying of a heart attack rise, but…’

I figured the top bidder likely wouldn’t have offered anything huge!

[Heh heh…. What a cunning trick. Should I acknowledge this much?]

It seemed that the King of the Life Sea had noticed my intent behind those words already.

[Is that not acceptable?]

[Of course it is. Let’s see….]

Shhhuuuu!

After a short while, five glowing Golden Cauldrons began to glow and floated in the air, each displaying the “price” that their bidders had offered. The King of the Life Sea looked over them and spoke.

[The first bidder is Mangnyang. The price offered is the eternal offering of the technique “Taebu Sinjuk” from the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate.]

The King of the Life Sea continued.

[In exchange for Mangnyang’s price, I will reduce Baek Woong’s lifespan by 6 years. Bidders, commence your duel to fulfill your wishes.]

Oh-woooooo!!

In the next moment, I was teleported to some bizarre space, and shortly after, I noticed someone appearing before me, about ten lengths away. As soon as I saw him, I shouted.

“Mangnyang!!”

Mangnyang had a face beaming with joy that I’d never seen before.

“Ah-ha-ha! I took a gamble, and it worked out perfectly. You caught on to my intentions!! You’re brilliant to go low on the price!”

“…Phew.”

I sighed.

“I’m not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. What were you thinking making me make such a tough choice…? What if I panicked and offered a bigger price?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Were you always this reckless…?”

“But you noticed, didn’t you?”

With a slight air of triumph, Mangnyang floated an amulet above his hand and then tossed it toward me.

Woooosh!

“This wish and bid is merely an excuse for you and me to make contact!”

“That was a close one.”

Crash!!

To stage a [battle], I flicked away the low-grade curse Mangnyang had thrown my way with sword strength. I had to pretend to fight too, so I approached Mangnyang normally and slashed my sword at him. He dodged by using an illusionary technique and nodded when he saw me.

“Good thing I figured out that the Eight Parts of the Divine hadn’t seen Asura at this point before they made their wish…”

That was right.

The King of the Life Sea had surely concealed Mangnyang and his companions from not just my sight but from the Eight Parts of the Divine as well. In that case, in the order they appeared, during the time the Eight Parts of the Divine were making or altering their wishes, they likely had no idea that Asura was with Mangnyang’s side.

“Exactly.”

Crash!

Dozens of talismans floated and elegantly danced around before flying towards me, and I began dodging with dazzling techniques from the Three Treasure Technique. Meanwhile, Mangnyang molded paper into a crane and sent it my way while continuing to speak.

“The Eight Parts of the Divine had no idea that Asura had sided with us at that time. Wishing to kill Asura in this situation is nonsense. If anything, it would make more sense to use wishes to ask the King of the Life Sea to bring Asura here.”

“None of the Eight Parts of the Divine bid, then.”

“Exactly. They only put up one technique from the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate, and I ended up going first, meaning no one from the Eight Parts of the Divine participated in the bidding. To them, it would just be a wish with no explanation.”

Mangnyang said quietly.

“It’s undeniable. The King of the Life Sea must have made it so that neither me, Asura, nor Abe no Seimei were visible to the Eight Parts of the Divine. His intentions are quite clear.”

“Now I see your intentions clearly. You asked for the wish to kill Asura so that I would have to bid!”

I countered quietly.

“You wanted to make sure that through this bidding contest, we could meet and talk!”

Crash!

As I swiftly swung the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique to swat away all the talismans and paper cranes, Mangnyang stared at me with a calm demeanor.

He suddenly smiled slyly and said.

“It seems I won’t have the time to coordinate for a long time. The King of the Life Sea directly pressured me using his mental strength to handle this matter quickly. He acknowledged my clever strategy but warned me not to exploit it too much.”

“Hmm.”

“Now that we’re fighting, it’s clear that you’re really strong, Baek Woong. Even when you’re just casually fighting, you’re deflecting all my known techniques as if they’re meaningless.”

Mangnyang, slightly grumbling, continued speaking.

“Baek Woong, this auction is an opportunity. If we use it well, we can gain a lot from the King of the Life Sea.”

“How do you figure?”

“First, you take this wish and use it to win. Then instead of killing Asura, you wish for something else….”

My heart raced, and I interjected.

“You mean if I return one of you three?”

“Eh? No.”

“Huh?”

“Why should we do that?”

Mangnyang replied with wide eyes as if to say, “What are you talking about?”

“We don’t need to force ourselves to return. No one among us wished for that. There’s no need to set up a strategy like that.”

“What… what do you mean?”

“Hmmm. You’ve misunderstood the interests at stake here. Did that guy, I-Hwan Woong, clarify his position to you?”

Muttering that, Mangnyang grinned.

“Just follow my lead.”

For a moment, Mangnyang shared his strategy with me. After our exchange of ideas concluded, I pretended to press a knife against Mangnyang’s neck, and he raised his hands wide.

“I surrender! I submit!”

[Even faking it is amusing to this extent…. Hahaha, I acknowledge it.]

Was it because the King of the Life Sea had heard our entire conversation?

With that hearty laugh, the King of the Life Sea continued.

[As a result of the auction bidding, the wish to [kill Asura] belongs to Baek Woong. Will you fulfill this wish?]

Shhh!

As he spoke, Mangnyang’s form started to vanish. It seemed he was sent back to where he belonged after being expelled from this dimensional space of battle. I glanced at that scene before saying.

“No. I’ll change my wish.”

I shook my head firmly and continued.

“I want to upgrade my wish to send the entire Eight Parts of the Divine to another dimension!”

That, of course, was Mangnyang’s plan!

‘I’ll handle sending the Eight Parts of the Divine away.’

Owning that single wish would allow me to use it later as a trump card. If the Eight Parts of the Divine all shared the same wish, they wouldn’t bid, and I could dispose of them all when the unnecessary wish came out for auction.

If all the Eight Parts of the Divine are sent away and only my companions remain, it would be incredibly easy.

Then I could use the remaining [wish] to benefit my companions, including Mangnyang.

The King of the Life Sea responded to my words.

[I told you earlier. You can’t target ‘all’ or ‘multiple’ but only one at a time.]

“Didn’t you say we could put restrictions?”

[…….]

“According to Mangnyang, you probably had this planned from the start. If there are restrictions, just tell me.”

[Heh heh heh…. This is why I didn’t want to meet a strategist. Things are moving too quickly.]

What a sly one?!

I snapped in frustration.

“Damn it!! I don’t want to waste time here! Cut the crap and tell me!!”

[Heh heh.]

The King of the Life Sea chuckled and continued.

[The restriction is that you also must accept my [wish].]

“What? What do you mean by that?”

[I want you to do me a favor. That is the restriction.]

“What kind of favor?”

I glared with wide eyes at the King of the Life Sea’s next words.

[Find the true sword art capable of killing a true god…. And bring me its successor. If you accept this wish, I’ll upgrade your wish to send the entire Eight Parts of the Divine to another dimension.]

“……!!”

What the hell is this guy saying…!!

I knew well what he meant. This referred to something Miyamoto Musashi had discovered through the Five Rings, as well as something that the ancient Bi-ryu had sought out during its wars against the Kotoamatsukami.

The Lunar Kill Technique!

I could only panic since I had not coordinated this kind of condition with Mangnyang ahead of time. But it also made sense.

‘…Bi-ryu and the King of the Life Sea are on the same side.’

Bi-ryu was initially an ancient ruler who had entered this Aokigahara Life Sea through a portal from outside. If Bi-ryu could freely enter and exit the Life Sea, it was essentially evidence that they were on the same team. Thus, it would imply that the mission of searching for the Lunar Kill Technique, which Bi-ryu had desired, was also shared by the King of the Life Sea.

I pondered this but figured there was no harm in it.

‘Actually…. I’m also looking for the Lunar Kill Technique.’

Regardless of its existence, the power to kill gods was a capability I had desperately sought throughout my reincarnation. There are many indirect methods of slaying gods, but the Lunar Kill Technique seemed to have a direct and sure way of killing a god. If I could acquire it, it would be a tremendous benefit for me, and it was something I genuinely wanted, yet I had not made any progress due to the lack of clues and nothing to do in that area.

I deliberated.

‘Hmm…. What should I do….’

During that time, an idea popped up, and I found myself speaking unconsciously.

“King of the Life Sea. Did you start this ridiculous auction just to ask me that…?”

[…….]

The King of the Life Sea didn’t respond. He didn’t even laugh as he had before.

‘So it’s true….’

However, my instinct told me that my words may hold some truth.

As I realized this, it dawned on me how critical this answer was.

‘This is essentially the most important moment of this auction. For the King of the Life Sea, if I don’t search for the Lunar Kill Technique, none of the other auctions would matter much.’

For some reason, the King of the Life Sea seems incredibly fixated on the quest for the Lunar Kill Technique. Thus, he seemed to assign this task to me seamlessly while slyly offering us small benefits through the Eight Parts of the Divine.

He is a very crafty individual.

And he prefers to rely on wisdom over brute strength. He doesn’t overestimate his own power but instead makes thorough plans, which is far more terrifying.

I couldn’t help but notice how similar he was to the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen.

“…….”

There’s no reason to refuse this deal. I wanted to accept it right away, but I felt an unease lingering in my heart, causing me to keep hesitating.

‘Why?’

I didn’t even understand my feelings. Can’t I just accept it without a second thought?

In the next moment, I realized why I was feeling this way.

‘Sacrifice…!! This proposal sets up the Eight Parts of the Divine for a total backstab.’

If I accepted this deal, the Eight Parts of the Divine would have no chance of surviving in this auction. If they were sent to another dimension, they wouldn’t be able to return to this world at all. Even if they didn’t, they’d face deadly attacks from the King of the Life Sea once the auction ends. I might even end up teaming up against the Eight Parts of the Divine with my companions.

Feeling the weight of that misfortune, I couldn’t bring myself to accept the proposal, feeling a hint of pity. No matter how evil a villain may be, it’s hard not to think it over when it’s so miserable. My choice this time would lead to irreparable consequences.

I gritted my teeth.

When I think of the decision at the Sacred Altar Tree and the time I was captured by Chi You, my teeth grind.

‘Damn it!! Feeling sorry for the Demon King?! Those bastards are capable of slaughtering tens of thousands at a whim when commanded by Chi You! How many of my companions have suffered because of the Eight Parts of the Divine…!!’

While it may seem pitiful to lose a lord, I feel no sympathy!

Those guys themselves show no compassion towards humans; why should they deserve any pity?

They need to pay the price!

I steeled myself and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll do my utmost to search for the Lunar Kill Technique while I’m still alive. And if I find it, I’ll definitely report back to you. Is that enough?”

[Heh heh…. Good. You’ve followed my intention well.]

Once our deal was established, the King of the Life Sea seemed pleased and suddenly raised a transparent hand into the air before me.

[May the blessing be upon you, my searcher….]

Whoosh!!

In the next moment, a golden glow enveloped my entire body and disappeared in an instant.

“What was that?”

[The blessing of the Life Sea.]

When I looked around my body, the King of the Life Sea spoke.

[As long as this blessing exists, all demons in the Life Sea will not be hostile towards you. Of course, they will retaliate if attacked. And you are allowed to take one of them along with you to be your subordinate if you desire.]

“……!!”

[In this way, you should be able to reach me quickly without wasting time.]

He was speaking lightly, but I couldn’t help but be astonished.

‘Are all the demons going to obey me?!’

Moreover, the possibility of bringing one back with me is enormous!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much better the blessing of the Life Sea seemed compared to what I expected, and I spoke to the King of the Life Sea.

“Isn’t it unfair to grant me a blessing even though the auction isn’t over yet?”

[I don’t care about fairness. Why would I maintain any kind of fairness with a sacrificial lamb like you?]

“What?”

The King of the Life Sea chuckled vaguely before slowly beginning to draw me back from the dimensional space of our fight.

[You also know that if you go to another dimension, you’d die. You set up the Eight Parts of the Divine as prey and presented them here….]

Swish!

I returned to the place where I originally belonged.

As I stood there dazed, I-Hwan Woong grumbled.

“Tch. So it seems like you were coordinating with a strategist? That’s quite cunning.”

“What?”

“I figured it out pretty quickly. That wish didn’t come from the Eight Parts of the Divine. It was your ally’s wish to meet you. Right now, that guy Mangnyang is likely plotting something.”

I flinched.

‘Did he catch on so quickly in that brief moment…?’

He appears to be incredibly sharp. When I looked at him cautiously, I-Hwan Woong stared back with a slightly dissatisfied expression before saying.

“Whatever plan you’re hatching, it doesn’t matter to me. Just keep your promise to send me back to my original world.”

“…I will.”

Once we have leftover wishes, fulfilling I-Hwan Woong’s wish will be easy.

While I was conversing with I-Hwan Woong, the voice of the King of the Life Sea echoed.

[It’s time for the second wish.]

At his next words, my eyebrows twitched.

[“I wish to summon my master, Nailatop, to this place.” Anyone willing to bid on this wish, raise your hand.]

“It’s my turn!”

At that, I-Hwan Woong immediately raised his hand, and the Golden Cauldron flashed. When I looked at him, he grinned and said.

“What’s wrong? Just raise your hand.”

“Raise my hand?”

“Yeah. The Eight Parts of the Divine are definitely going to try to take my wish and snag a free round-trip ticket to another dimension, so you need to help me out.”

“…….”

I glanced at the Eight Parts of the Divine and noticed three of them had already bid. Since my allies weren’t bidding, it was likely Mangnyang’s strategy not to waste resources unless they knew what I-Hwan Woong was currently facing.

I pondered briefly.

‘What’s going on? Since it’s I-Hwan Woong’s wish, it’s only right to help him return to his original world…’

Something felt odd.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was strange and hesitated. Then, I caught on and spoke up.

“Hey. Why are you making a wish to summon your master here instead of just asking to return to your original world?”

“Ah-ha. You think I’m that dumb?”

“What?”

“Just passing through would lead to death. So, it’s more reasonable to summon my master from the outside to devise a solution for this situation.”

“…….”

“Just keep your promise. If my master comes, things will work out somehow.”

That makes sense.

‘What could a scientist do in this situation, but… it’s his choice, he’ll take responsibility.’

After deliberating, I nodded.

“…I’ll help.”

After deciding to bid, I raised my hand high.

Crackle!

[Alright…. Place your bid on the Golden Cauldron in front of you.]

The Golden Cauldron lit up and soon transformed into a pot. I pondered how much costs I should place inside it and decided to make a bold move.

Thud thud!

I stuffed in all the sacred blood from the Mount Ye region that I had collected when Lü Buwei disintegrated, along with dozens of low-grade grimoires I’d gathered from the Shaolin Temple’s secret repository. And on top of that, I added piles of gold and silver bars I had stashed for emergencies. That alone amounted to a significant quantity.

‘Not that it’s vital, but it’s all the important stuff by common reckoning….’

Would this be enough to secure first place?

While I was pondering, shortly after, the King of the Life Sea spoke.

[The first bidder is Baek Woong. However, as before, there’s someone who made a bid of equivalent magical power to the first place, thus the duel shall commence.]

Oh-woooooo!!

Before I knew it, I was back in the battle dimension again. And standing before me was none other than the Celestial Sage Tripitaka, appearing not in human form but in his true entity right from the beginning.

‘The Celestial…. He’s using the exact same technique as mine to follow me.’

With this, it became a given that whenever treasure was pulled out, it was automatically a bid for magical power or lifespan to challenge the first place. In fact, that’s likely the King of the Life Sea’s real intention behind starting this bizarre auction.

His voice oozed with killing intent as he said.

[Whoever you are, from now on, all wishes presented in the auction will belong to our Eight Parts of the Divine.]

“What are you going to do with them?”

[We’ll exchange them all for round-trip tickets to another dimension or gain benefits from the King of the Life Sea. You should blame your fate for facing a mighty Demon King!]

“…Did you say all that?”

[How dare a mere human consider facing me?]

At the Celestial’s words, I kept silent and slowly drew my sword.

I then grinned and provoked him.

“You look weaker than Asura.”