970——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Did Howol really kill Hye-ga?!

Seong-jin and Ayuta couldn’t believe Howol’s words. Seong-jin’s face hardened as he asked.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“…Why did you kill him?”

“……”

Howol didn’t answer. Instead, he stated.

“I will return to the White Lotus Sect. You should also follow me.”

“To the White Lotus Sect? Are you saying you want to become the Sect Leader?”

“If necessary.”

Seong-jin ground his teeth at Howol’s words.

“If you don’t tell me why Hye-ga was killed, I won’t move at all!”

“Do as you wish.”

Howol brushed aside Seong-jin’s words and turned to Ayuta.

“Ayuta. What do you plan to do? Will you follow me?”

“……”

Ayuta seemed to be deep in thought. Then she spoke.

“I understand.”

“…Ayuta!!”

“But only if you promise to tell me why Hye-ga was killed if I follow you.”

Howol nodded at her words.

“I promise.”

As soon as Howol finished speaking, he got up and strode out of the Shaolin Temple.

Ayuta turned to Seong-jin.

“Hyung, let’s go together. Howol hyung isn’t using his Light Body Technique, so that must mean he wants us to follow him.”

“…I don’t know.”

Seong-jin said, clutching his head.

“I don’t understand anything… What should I do?”

“I get that it’s confusing. But right now, Howol-hyung holds all the clues. We need to figure out why he killed Hye-ga.”

“……”

“If we just stay here in the Shaolin Temple without doing anything, nothing will change.”

Ayuta’s words were right. However, no matter how much Seong-jin thought about it, he couldn’t accept Hye-ga’s death, and he feared that Howol might be trying to deceive him. In the end, he told Ayuta without getting up from his seat.

“I will stay at the Shaolin Temple. You should go with your hyung.”

“Okay. Whatever happens, take care, hyung.”

Ayuta left.

‘Oh… What on earth should I do…’

Seong-jin couldn’t contain his inner turmoil and spent every day cooped up in the Shaolin Temple’s solitary confinement, repeating a torturous self-cultivation. The anguish and darkness of everything departing from him tormented his mind. He had been in the Shaolin Temple for more than ten years, often repelling heretical martial artists or bandits that dared to invade.

Then, Howol came to him once again. Seong-jin, who had shaved his head and was chanting in the temple wearing monk’s robes, didn’t even turn around when he said.

“Hyung. You’ve become a one-eyed man.”

Indeed. Howol had gone through the Rebirth of Flesh, and although he didn’t look older, he bore numerous scars from fierce battles, and one of his eyes was gone, leaving him looking like a one-eyed man. With his arms crossed, Howol said to Seong-jin.

“Seong-jin. You must come to the White Lotus Sect. Follow me.”

“Nonsense… I no longer wish to be involved in the world.”

Seong-jin said slowly, tapping the woodblock three times.

“That time was nothing but a dream. I no longer wish to fight against the darkness of this world. I just want to spend peaceful days cultivating; let me be.”

Howol spoke in a tone as dry as dust.

“More than ten years ago, I made suggestions to you. But today, it’s not a suggestion.”

“Then? Are you saying you’ll take me by force?”

“If necessary.”

Seong-jin couldn’t contain his anger and yelled.

“Go ahead and try!”

Seong-jin hadn’t spent ten years idly, and he had honed his own techniques, reaching a higher level. He had delved deeply into scriptures, and his skill had advanced significantly. Colorful clouds erupted from his hands, enveloping the Five Principles, and terrifying illusions began to flow out. Seong-jin thought he could engage even the Great Immortal in combat with his current self.

However – that was only Seong-jin’s thought.

BAM

“…Guh, heh heh…”

It was exactly three seconds. Howol effortlessly deflected all of Seong-jin’s techniques with just a spirit call and suppressed him lightly. Realizing the vast difference in their power, Seong-jin felt his mind go blank.

‘He’s too strong…!!’

The gap in their abilities had widened immensely. Howol’s power seemed to have already surpassed the domain of the Celestial Realm’s Overlay Technique. Howol looked down at Seong-jin, who lay on the ground, with an expressionless gaze. After a moment, he spoke.

“Are you thinking of giving up?”

“What do you mean giving up… The power of the White Lotus Sect? The authority?”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about. We’ve been with the Reborn Ones and realized that those are ultimately meaningless and futile. The only thing we can give up is… one thing in this world.”

“……”

The only thing to give up is the will of the Master, that is, the will of True Martial Home.

Seong-jin knew that all too well. He looked at Howol and said.

“Hyung… Even our Master, who possessed power surpassing that of any god, ultimately could not save humanity and failed at True Martial Home. What can we do? We’re merely mortals, not the Reborn Ones. Even the immortals of the Celestial Realm are beings that are difficult to handle.”

“So you’re giving up?”

“Yes. The Master told me that there is also a path of giving up. I merely wish to follow that teaching.”

In that moment, a sad light flickered in Howol’s eyes.

“Disciple. Come with me. Please.”

“I won’t go…”

Seong-jin tried to shout but halted. Tears were flowing from Howol’s empty eye. The normally stoic Howol hardly ever showed any signs of emotion, let alone tears, so that sight was genuinely unexpected.

Howol bit his lip tightly and said.

“I don’t want to make my Master’s death in vain.”

Seong-jin remained silent for a moment before standing up.

“I will follow you.”

“Thank you.”

“But… you must tell me what happened with Hye-ga and why you killed him.”

“I will.”

Before long, Seong-jin arrived at the main hall of the White Lotus Sect with Howol. He was greatly surprised by the atmosphere of the White Lotus Sect, which was vastly different from before.

‘What is this?!’

Originally, the White Lotus Sect was filled with social outcasts and minority groups. It was a refuge for the oppressed; their territory was vast, but it felt more like a village where common folks crowded together.

Yet now, for some unknown reason, there were loads of martial artists gathered at the White Lotus Sect. At least over a thousand people were training in martial arts, and scattered everywhere were different sects. Impressive structures had been erected in various places.

A small martial world.

Realizing that the territory ruled by the White Lotus Sect had transformed into a martial world, Seong-jin glanced at Howol beside him.

“Howol-hyung. Why are there so many martial artists?”

“I brought them all in with the bait of the White Lotus Sect’s formidable martial arts and secret techniques. Once I was recognized as the strongest in the world, it became even easier.”

“Why? They were all from different sects and were training in different martial arts… do we need this kind of chaos in the White Lotus Sect?!”

From a quick glance, there were hundreds of various weaponry techniques and sects in disarray. Duel fights even broke out in the marketplace, and infamous wanted criminals from the jianghu and heretical demons were seen roaming about. Of course, there were just as many experts from the orthodox sects, along with countless recluses. Seong-jin could hardly believe the chaotic mess he was witnessing, prompting Howol to say.

“Disciple. I went through the Rebirth of Flesh, but I can’t live for more than five hundred years. The wounds I’ve sustained are significant, and even the Celestial Realm is keeping an eye on me. Even if I extend my lifespan through hardship, there are still limits. I cannot live for a thousand years. I will one day die either battling the Celestial Realm or from exhaustion.”

“…Hyung tried to meet the Maitreya again and become one of the Reborn Ones?”

“I did.”

Seong-jin was at a loss for words. To still possess the courage to confront the darkness of the world even after experiencing such a massive ordeal! For Seong-jin, who hadn’t fully recovered from the mental scars he had sustained back then, it was hard to understand Howol.

“However, the Maitreya will only appear after a much longer time. I’ve realized that I won’t see him in this lifetime.”

“Hyung. Learn the techniques. If you master the art of longevity, it might be possible to live for a thousand years. Or, if you accept the essence of the supernatural, you could gain half-demon powers in a much more stable manner…”

“No. In the midst of that thinking, I realized there’s a fundamentally crucial problem.”

“Fundamentally crucial problem?”

“Even if I lived for a thousand years, what help could I provide to the Reborn Ones? We already understand that we can’t even compare to our Master’s power.”

“……”

“This is ultimately meaningless.”

That was true. If the five disciples of Dharma combined their powers, they could dominate the martial world and even establish a new empire in the Central Plains, but in the realm of the demon path, that level of power was insignificant. Except for Howol, who had the Apostle’s Power, all of them could hardly be of help to the Master.

Howol spoke slowly while walking.

“I’ve thought about what will remain after I die. And… I eventually considered that martial prowess would remain.”

“Howol-hyung. There’s a limit to human martial arts. Even if one is an expert in the Absolute Realm, it would be tough to face off against the Overlay Technique. Confronting a Demon King-level being is impossible. That’s not an answer…”

“Disciple. Follow me. I have something to show you.”

Tap

Tap

Howol crossed through the White Lotus Sect and headed for the Hall of the Sect Leader. He could feel the eyes of all the martial artists staring at him with awe and fear. It was true that Howol had become the Supreme Martial Artist.

Upon arriving at the Hall of the Sect Leader, Howol took a seat beside the Sect Leader and said.

“Do you know what happened to the Four Great Spirit Deities after the ceremony?”

“I don’t.”

“I thought the disciple would be curious about their whereabouts and come visit the sect. But it seems the scars etched in your heart are deeper than I expected.”

“……”

“The Master was successful in sealing the spirit gods in the Four Great Spirit Deities. However, for some unknown reason, they couldn’t summon the power we originally aimed for. Perhaps the Master’s defeat at the hands of the God of Chaos was also due to the lack of power in the Four Great Spirit Deities.”

“Lack of power… are you saying the sealed spirit gods didn’t lend their strength?”

Howol shook his head at Seong-jin’s question.

“No. They respond according to the contract and lend their strength to the contracted master. It’s just that they couldn’t use the full strength of the ancient gods, at most only drawing out a fraction of their power.”

“……!!”

“Ninety-nine percent of their power is entirely bound by the Law of Cause and Effect. If the Master had used the Four Great Spirit Deities to their full potential, there would have been a chance against the God of Chaos, but it didn’t happen.”

After a moment of looking gloomy, Howol continued.

“You probably know, but if there are no restrictions from the Law of Cause and Effect, there cannot be a weapon more powerful than the Four Great Spirit Deities in this world. They would be weapons capable of true divine killing. Therefore, the Four Great Spirit Deities were intentionally planned to be more unbound from the Law of Cause and Effect. Though, contrary to the Master’s plans, the Four Great Spirit Deities ended up bound.”

“…I know. But why did that happen?”

Seong-jin understood quite well the inner workings of the Four Great Spirit Deities through many discussions he had about techniques with Dharma, so he found it hard to grasp how they had been so incomprehensibly weakened in the last battle. The spirit gods were transcendent beings that handled the source of the universe, so even the Coming Chaos couldn’t easily deal with them.

“I don’t know the reason. However, Hye-ga made efforts to uncover that reason.”

“What happened to Hye-ga? Tell me!”

“Hye-ga continued trying to communicate with the spirits sealed in the Four Great Spirit Deities for three years. He managed to get a response from the spirits, but…”

Howol bit his lips tightly.

“He became mentally consumed by the spirit, and his soul was sucked into the Four Great Spirit Deities.”

“……!!”

“It’s practically as if I killed him. If he hadn’t recklessly sought the truth…”

“The spirits aren’t the evil Old Ruler. How could they do such a thing…!!”

“They are cosmic beings. We are at a level where we cannot judge them and can’t even discern good from evil. Let alone being sealed by the Master’s sorcery, it’s improbable for them to be amiable.”

“…I see.”

As Seong-jin discovered the truth, feelings of emptiness and regret washed over him. Hye-ga had been sacrificed in his quest for the truth of the Four Great Spirit Deities.

‘If only I had recovered my mental strength faster and followed Hye-ga… I might have been able to provide more help with my knowledge of techniques…’

As Seong-jin lapsed into silence, Howol said.

“Disciple. Now, the only ones who can help me between Heaven and Earth are you and the priests. Help me.”

“I understand. I will do my best to assist you. However… I don’t know what we should do.”

“Let’s head to where Ayuta is. We need to discuss together.”

Howol went with Seong-jin to where Ayuta was. The moment Seong-jin saw Ayuta after ten years, he was shocked.

“……!!”

Ayuta had gone blind. She was there with her eyes closed, unable to see. Seong-jin spoke in a trembling voice.

“Why… why are you blind…?”

“It was the price for peering into the future.”

Ayuta answered calmly.

“But thanks to paying that steep price, I’ve gained a powerful insight into the future. I plan to pass this ability down through my bloodline, hyung.”

“Bloodline…? Are you saying it’s related to Howol-hyung’s plan?”

Ayuta slowly nodded her head.

“Hyung Howol will leave behind clues for the future generations to reach the Divine Martial Arts, and I will support that plan with my foresight. Of course, I also won’t be able to live for a thousand years, so I will continue passing the ability down through my bloodline.”

“What…”

“Until the Maitreya appears someday… my descendants will continue looking into the future.”

“Hyung!!”

Seong-jin shouted, turning to Howol.

“What on earth are you thinking? Divine Martial Arts…!! Do you really intend to challenge the gods with the power of martial arts?!”

“Yes.”

“That’s nonsense! There’s no level of martial arts that can defeat the gods in this world. It would be far more realistic to cultivate the demon path and reach the pinnacle of magical power. How could you risk your disciple’s eyesight with such delusions…”

While he struggled to continue, Howol spoke slowly.

“It’s not a delusion.”

“……”

“I can’t say much, but fighting the demonic with the demonic has never been a viable option. Chaos merges with its own kind, making merely amplifying one’s power ultimately pointless. The only thing that can truly obliterate the existence of chaos is the great ‘Thread’… the other axis that deals with the roots of the Law of Cause and Effect.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You wouldn’t understand now. But I believe one day you will.”

Continuing his message, Howol added.

“I intend to create a ‘path’ for the Maitreya to meet us without falling into the demonic. A path of martial arts that has been preserved through more than a thousand years… and a path that inherits our will.”

“A path…”

“Disciple. Help me create this path.”

Howol’s gaze sharpened.

“I won’t force the masters gathered here at the White Lotus Sect into one clan. I plan to specialize and develop all their martial arts to align with the Four Great Spirit Deities.”

“Aligning martial arts with the Four Great Spirit Deities… is that even possible?”

“It’s not something I can do alone. You must help me. Specifically, I need to draw upon divine qi and transform them into beings that can utilize the Four Great Spirit Deities. Furthermore, I need to create beings that can resolve the contradictions within the Four Great Spirit Deities.”

“……”

Listening to Howol’s words, Seong-jin clenched his fists tightly.

‘This is madness.’

Both Howol and Ayuta were lost in their delusions. The thought that such a thing was even possible felt ludicrous. What meaning could there possibly be in such endeavors? Even the Great Sovereign, who had superseded the Three Sovereigns, had been defeated by chaos and faced obliteration throughout eternity, so it seemed meaningless to engage in mere martial play among mortals. With not a glimmer of hope, he felt himself charging headlong into despair.

Yet.

[You are not a Reborn One. For the mortals, giving up can also be a choice. I do not wish for my disciple to be infinitely unhappy…]

The words left behind by Dharma.

Seong-jin had interpreted those as permission to give up. He thought it was Dharma’s consideration not to wish for his disciple’s unhappiness.

‘But have I ever thought about that from my Master’s perspective?’

For mortals, giving up could indeed be a choice.

That meant – for Reborn Ones, giving up was not permitted.

The Master had repeatedly endured thousands of lifetimes with the single-minded goal of saving humanity – and was never allowed to give up. Only in the face of his own corruption and desperation would he meet his end.

How lonely must the Master have felt.

How difficult it must have been.

Seong-jin, who had failed to help such a Master, felt a gnawing sense of powerlessness. He also thought that the Maitreya, who would one day return to this world, would be similar to his Master.

“I will do it.”

Seong-jin made his decision in his heart.

“Whether it takes a thousand years, or two thousand years, until the Maitreya comes, I will do my utmost to strive!”

“Thank you, disciple.”

“Thank you, hyung.”

The trio of hyungs in this moment united together.

They marked their resolution to strive for a thousand years.

“Hyung. If you’re saying we’ll create four enormous martial veins to pass down, won’t there be worries that they might clash or not cooperate with each other?”

“What you said is correct. That’s why I plan to use Ayuta’s foresight to ensure that the priests’ bloodlines stay distinct.”

“Priests?”

“No matter how powerful someone is, they can’t afford to neglect or dismiss a bloodline that can see the future. They will ensure the White Lotus Sect doesn’t stray off course and fulfill our original intentions.”

“That’s true.”

“Now that we have the disciple on board, I’ll soon find Huang Wu and have him join our cause.”

Muttering like that, Howol said.

“From today on, let’s research together. Martial arts suitable for the Four Great Spirit Deities.”

“Hyung. But… it seems like we can’t handle that massive task just the two of us. We need someone more versed in martial arts and with exceptional talent…”

Howol chuckled softly.

“I’ve already chosen four brilliant geniuses to assist. They are the finest talents I discovered while uniting the martial world, the top-tier prodigies in the land. They will research martial arts with us and help develop the fundamentals.”

“I understand. But what should we call that martial vein?”

“The Four Great Martial Arts.”

Howol clenched his fists tightly.

“It will become the strongest martial vein in martial arts philosophy, inheriting the divine martial arts of thunder, water, fire, and wind!”