841——————==

True Martial Home

After I finished off Namgung Myeong and Namgung Hwan, I walked outside. With all the key experts gone, it was as if the Namgung Clan had been wiped out.

As I stepped out, blood still on my hands, the hundreds of Namgung Clan warriors surrounding me flinched. The captain of the Special Investigative Team at the front spoke in a trembling voice.

“Umm… the Prince Namgung Hwan… the Clan Leader…”

“They’re both dead.”

“…”

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you gonna fight?”

I mumbled mockingly, but not a single one of them moved. Everyone understood that trying would only lead to annihilation.

“Hmph…”

Why was I even doing this? I didn’t find this mocking fun at all—it was just boring. I took a deep breath and addressed the captain.

“Bring all the wealth and treasures of the Namgung Clan.”

“W-what did you say?”

Boom!

I reached out and sent a palm strike infused with my internal power toward the Namgung Clan’s back mountain. The force of hundreds of palm strikes etched a small mound-sized imprint into the hill, stirring up a sandstorm for a moment. With my current internal power, pulling off stunts like that was a piece of cake.

“…!!”

As everyone froze at my display of supremacy, I snarled.

“Stop with the nonsense and bring it all. If I’m not satisfied, I’ll kill everyone.”

“U-understood.”

“If even one person tries to flee, they’ll die.”

Moments later, they began to scramble, bringing the wealth and treasures of the Namgung Clan. About one half a moment later, considerable amounts of gold and silver treasures were stacked higher than a person in front of me. Even they were surprised by the wealth they had brought. Considering that even one handful of it could sustain a person for a lifetime, it was indeed an impressive fortune.

However, looking at all that gold and silver, I felt nothing but cold indifference.

Swish…

I gathered all the Namgung Clan’s wealth into my wooden armor without a word and went back inside to rescue the women locked up in the prison. After explaining the situation, I said,

“I plan to entrust your treatment to the Shadowless Gate in exchange for this wealth. If you agree, just follow me.”

Everyone nodded in agreement as I tossed the women into my wooden armor and exited via the Beating Pavilion. I headed straight to the Shadowless Gate and met the Sword Demon.

The Sword Demon eyed me suspiciously as I returned.

“Hmm… You rushed out so hastily and now you’re back with a bunch of women?”

“They’re unfortunate souls.”

As I recounted the atrocities of the Namgung Clan, the Sword Demon listened, astonished. I then poured out all the wealth and treasures I had taken from the Namgung Clan.

“This is all the property of the Namgung Clan. Please use it to care for the women.”

“Hmm… To be honest, handling the previous pirate prisoners was already quite a hassle. This is hardly my line of work; I don’t usually do charity. Even with treasures…”

Was my ally really not bound by the obsidian? The Sword Demon showed a rather displeased expression.

‘Should I explain the situation to the Sword Demon?’

But I couldn’t divulge everything. Even if I did, dragging the Sword Demon into a hopeless plight wouldn’t help anyone. There was also the possibility that merely speaking about it might bring harm through evil qi. With every intention of being disliked, I opted to remain silent for now.

I spoke to the Sword Demon.

“Alright. If you care for these women, I will share my world-class martial skill with you. How does that sound?”

“World-class martial skill?”

“Yes, it’s the very force that allowed me to kill Namgung Myeong.”

“That sounds interesting…”

I then proceeded to share the essence and training methods of the Seven Great Techniques with the Sword Demon. He was greatly astonished and asked in a trembling voice.

“Who exactly are you? Not only do you wield miraculous law techniques and artifacts, but it seems your martial arts place you among the peerless masters… Is your goal to dominate the Jianghu?”

“If I wanted to dominate the Jianghu, would I really be doing such dirty work? I probably have some influence already.”

“…”

“I am just doing my job. I prefer not to show my face much in the Jianghu, so I ask for your assistance.”

“Hmm… understood.”

“And might I meet Seo Mun-hye for a moment?”

“Sure.”

After getting the Sword Demon’s permission, I went to find Seo Mun-hye. She was deep in thought in her room.

I spoke to her.

“Seo Mun-hye.”

“Baek Woong.”

“Actually, there’s something I must discuss only with you.”

I proceeded to explain the general circumstances to her. The reason I revealed it to her and not the Sword Demon was that she inherited the blood of the Giant Race due to the ancestral return phenomenon, endowing her with significant supernatural power. I believed that even if there were evil powers transmitted verbally, she could resist them.

Ssss…

‘Indeed… Speaking of secrets alone corrupts humanity.’

When I spoke of the secrets of the mythological age, I could sense the mysterious dark energy swirling nearby, wrapping around Seo Mun-hye each time.

Words hold power; thus, it’s impossible to remain unaffected. Though less directly than the obsidian, just mentioning mysteries would bring adverse effects to the listener.

Not telling the Sword Demon was a wise decision. Fortunately, Seo Mun-hye seemed to weather it without issue. After listening to my story for about half a moment, she pondered deeply and said,

“If what you say is true, then originally, my father and I were allies of Baek Woong.”

“Indeed. However, both the obsidian and my commands have been tainted by the darkness of the myth, making it impossible to employ those methods anymore. Thus, I have been acting in this life with the goal of resurrecting Fuxi.”

“…”

As she closed her eyes and contemplated, she finally spoke.

“Then I will go to Jangryeong Valley.”

“Will you really?”

“Yes. Helping Zhuge Sa ultimately would repay my debt to you, Baek Woong. Moreover, if what you say is true, I might be the only one capable of withstanding the obsidian you possess.”

“No… What do you mean by that…?”

Swoosh…

Seo Mun-hye stretched out her hand, a look of firm resolve in her eyes.

“Give me the obsidian.”

“No. The current obsidian is far too malevolent; even peak experts might lose their senses and choose to commit suicide.”

“But I am a descendant of the Giant Race and a bloodline of the Yan Emperor Shennong.”

“…”

“Even if something goes wrong, I won’t blame you, Baek Woong. So please, give it to me.”

What should I do?

After some thought, I sighed, realizing that the meaning in Seo Mun-hye’s gaze was sincere. I handed her the large obsidian and said,

“If anything goes wrong, I will atone with my life.”

“You don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine.”

Bang!!

As I transmitted my memories, she seemed to shudder for a moment. Then, something astonishing occurred.

Sssss—

Her hair became even more distinct and white. Her skin turned completely pale.

Moreover, an immense energy churned from her body, flowing majestically like a dragon stream, and when I placed my hand on her skin, I could feel the blood vessels compressing through the Eight Extraordinary Vessels.

‘Is this the awakening of divine power?!’

I had felt something similar before. Back then, Miho had attempted to stabilize the chaotic power she absorbed but failed, eventually awakening Seo Mun-hye as the Nine Lotus Bishop. I recalled Miho’s words at that time.

[The chaotic power swirling within her isn’t solely hers.]

[I turned some of that power into demon power, but each particle of power is whispering the voice of the world. It’s as if… she is connected to the wills of countless beings in the darkness of the world.]

[If the maiden had made even the slightest mistake then, she would have been consumed by the dark power and perished.]

At that time, Miho had asserted that Seo Mun-hye’s potential was linked to the chaotic power. Even a slight absorption of Seo Mun-hye’s power had significantly enhanced Miho’s capabilities.

In other words—Seo Mun-hye currently housed a staggering chaos swirling within her.

‘The heir of the Evil God sought to acquire this power and body. And if the High-level Otherworldly Race gains power from Seo Mun-hye, she would become the Nine Lotus Bishop wielding divine power…’

Could it be that the dark energy contained in the obsidian triggered her awakening?!

After all, at that time, the Evil God twisted the yin and yang of heaven and earth, allowing the dark energy to flourish. Comparably, both then and now could be considered similar in their disruption of balance.

‘If that’s the case, then the solution is…!!’

Whoosh…

I gently inserted my hand into her heart, applying the Soul Exchange Technique.

This was not a physical penetration but a kind of spiritual surgery, altering my hand to manifest as a spirit body, allowing me to touch the soul directly.

As soon as I grasped her heart with my spirit hand, I began absorbing her chaos.

Sssss!!

“Gah…!”

An immense force!

Simultaneously, just as Miho had said, thousands of ‘voices’ echoed through her heart, striking my eardrums. Each voice was weak, yet with thousands echoing, it became an overwhelming cacophony, making my ears throb painfully.

“Damn… What are they saying?”

I furrowed my brows but tried to focus on the true nature of those voices. They overlapped and I couldn’t discern them well, but as I concentrated, they started to become clearer. I realized that they weren’t in the Central Plains language but were human words nonetheless.

So, were the owners of these ‘voices’ not otherworldly races but humans?

I tried to listen to each voice to remember them, activating the Thunder Spirit Classic to ensure I recalled them without missing a syllable. Although not a language I knew, I thought someone might be able to translate it if it was human speech.

After some time passed, the darkness flowing into my body began to react intensely with my Spirit Power.

Viiiii—

The dark power mixed with my Spirit Power, not merging smoothly like oil droplets but piling up inside me. It felt unpleasant, like the discomfort of overeating.

Caught off guard by what was happening, I was startled.

Ssss…

Seo Mun-hye’s hair gradually transformed into a pure, transparent white. It was almost silver, blowing gracefully as she slowly opened her eyes.

“I feel so refreshed. I’ve never felt this way before.”

“Are you sure you’re not feeling any mental torment or evil memories flooding back?”

Seo Mun-hye sat in contemplation for a moment but shook her head.

“No…not at all.”

“Even after receiving the memory of the Throne?”

“I just felt an impression of a chilling memory.”

As expected.

It seems that for someone like Seo Mun-hye, being a Demon Sorcerer or a descendant of a divine bloodline—a spell like the obsidian wouldn’t have much effect. Naturally, her mental resistance must be far superior to that of an ordinary human.

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate.

“If you’ve seen the memories, you must understand. You probably have the invincible might in your grasp now, equal to the former Nine Lotus Bishop in her prime…”

“That must be the case.”

“But the darkness in this world is terrifying. Please take care.”

“Understood.”

After I explained to the Sword Demon, I took Seo Mun-hye and returned to Jangryeong Valley using the Beating Pavilion. When I shared the events with Zhuge Sa, he looked at Seo Mun-hye and said,

“Seo Mun-hye, you were lucky to join our team, but I doubt we can form more past life allies. Someone like you, who can gain divine power from the ancestral return phenomenon, is unlikely to exist in this era, east or west. So you must become Baek Woong’s force in this life.”

“I understand.”

“I will prepare the location, so you can start training in all of Baek Woong’s martial arts, including the Seven Great Techniques. With your exceptional talent, you’ll become stronger in no time.”

I asked Zhuge Sa.

“Zhuge Sa, it seems I’ve completed most of what I need to do. What should I focus on now?”

“Completed? There’s still a lot left to do.”

Zhuge Sa replied curtly and added,

“Head straight to the Arasa Empire and team up with the Ice Dragon trapped in ice.”

“What?!”

“Did you forget? Last time, I sided with Merlin over the Ice Dragon; this time, I’m telling you to side with the Ice Dragon.”

“……!!”

The Ice Dragon!

That was the divine being brought in by the Orthodox Church, including Belov, to defeat Ivan IV in Moscow.

The seal that kept the dragon trapped for centuries was something my Spirit Power could easily break. At that time, I could choose whether to maintain the seal with Merlin’s help or accept the dragon’s temptation and break it. I had chosen to get help from Merlin back then and had journeyed to Brittany Cornwall to receive my reward.

But if I were to aid the Ice Dragon, innocent humans would die. Without a doubt, it would be a calamity on par with that of an apostle—significant destruction would follow.

“That’s absurd. It’s something no one can ethically do.”

“Just try it. I’ll give you a secret strategy to negotiate properly with the dragon. It’s simple to control the Ice Dragon without casualties.”

Is there really such a strategy?

After discussing it with Zhuge Sa, I headed to where the Taoist Master Belov was located. I entered the cave containing the ice that held the dragon and placed my hand on it, pouring in my Spirit Power.

Kuga…

The ice began to respond to the Spirit Power, seeming to crack. Just like before, two kinds of voices echoed in my mind simultaneously.

[Stop! Don’t unleash calamity upon the world!]

[Huu… Huu… Are you trying to set me free?]

The former was Merlin, and the latter was the Ice Dragon.

[I will provide anything you desire! I, the royal sorcerer and keeper of the sacred sword, will grant you treasures! Just halt the unsealing!]

[Keep going… If you free me, I will impale your enemies on blood-stained stakes.]

As they took turns trying to persuade me, I ignored Merlin and addressed the Ice Dragon.

[Dragon, I seek to enter into a contract with you in exchange for your freedom. Do you agree?]

[What…? A contract?]

The Ice Dragon growled, seemingly displeased.

[How arrogant…! The seal is already half broken. It wouldn’t be hard for me to break free and dispose of you!]

[Is that so?]

Kuguk!

I redirected my Spirit Power and began reinforcing the seal again. In response, the Ice Dragon hesitated, then moaned in discomfort.

[…Very well… I shall enter into a contract… What terms do you propose?]

[You must obey my commands unconditionally. But it’s limited to three times. After that, you’re free; how does that sound?]

[Hmph… I won’t accept commands to harm myself.]

[Don’t worry. I won’t consider that.]

[Then that will finalize our agreement… ]

[No. You must not injure humans arbitrarily.]

[You are adding burdensome conditions… ]

[Hold on, let’s elaborate on this… ]

Thus, I began negotiating the contract terms with the dragon. Merlin, who was watching from the side as a spirit, yelled at me with disbelief.

[Heavenly genius from the east! That dragon cannot be restrained. Do not call forth a calamity with your overzealous arrogance.]

I once again ignored Merlin and finished discussions with the dragon.

[Will you agree to the contract?]

[Yes. But let’s finalize the details.]

[Understood… ]

Crack!!

A moment later, I injected my Spirit Power strongly, shattering the ice that imprisoned the Ice Dragon.

Kuga!

The moment the dragon awoke, it roared at the world, its black eyes gleaming as it turned to me.

[Puny thing! I am Duke Dracula, a being beyond humans!! Don’t forget there was no clause limiting you in the contract!]

Kwachakak!

The dragon unleashed its breath upon me, causing the cave itself to collapse and five nearby mountains to vanish. It was indeed a display of the might one would expect from an apostle, but I smirked at Duke Dracula.

“Of course, I remember. The opposite holds true as well.”

Hoo…

While dodging the dragon’s breath, I enacted the Soul Exchange Technique to absorb it. The dragon, prepared to take flight, suddenly froze in place, stiffening under my command, and that roar echoed through its fury.

[You! What did you do?!]

“I broke the ice with my Spirit Power, while simultaneously using the Soul Exchange Technique to extract your spirit. It may not work like this in your awakened state, but it’s a simple matter while sealed.”

I stretched out my arms, drawing the shape of Tai Chi.

“Release your soul!”

Soul Exchange Technique

Soul Snatch!!

After a brief period, the spirit of Dracula began to tremble and slowly detach from its body. His essence was being pulled in by the suction strength of my technique. While I felt intense pain as his spirit resisted with far greater strength than a human’s, I could tell that the tug-of-war was decidedly in my favor.

‘Thanks to my Spirit Power, the suction strength has dramatically increased!’

Dracula shouted.

[Kra…! I cannot die like this…! The reason I became a dragon through vile sorcery… was to save my nation and its people…!]

Swoosh!!

After about half a moment’s struggle, I succeeded in the tug-of-war and obtained the dragon’s spirit.

“Huff… Huff… Huff…”

What the hell… This is incredibly exhausting.

Is acquiring a dragon’s spirit through the Soul Exchange Technique always this difficult?

‘Even though I virtually won by sucking everything clean, the power of the spirit itself is immensely strong…’

If I had to do it again, I definitely couldn’t.

I was almost completely drained of physical strength and energy, barely managing to rise to my feet. I looked satisfiedly at the spirit of the dragon floating above my hand.

Now, this dragon’s spirit could be used as material for powerful artifacts or absorbed to enhance my magical energy. It was the ultimate material that sorcerers dreamed of.

‘Great! With this, I can become even stronger!’

And I didn’t lose my humanity or cause collateral damage in the process.

This worked out brilliantly!

As I gazed at the dragon’s spirit with a smile, I suddenly heard Merlin’s voice in my head.

[This is unbelievable…!! The great evil has devoured the minor evil…! You… malevolent one. I will keep watch over your actions…!]

Boom!

Merlin’s presence faded away.

His remark left me feeling somewhat uneasy as I stood there quietly.

“…….”

Am I truly a great evil?