Chapter 1018
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1000——————==
Soul of the Evil God
[Old Ruler], you say?!
I was taken aback by Jeon Wook’s words. But soon, it was something I had no choice but to accept.
‘That makes sense, so this is why he could take out the Sea God in one hit…’
I asked Jeon Wook.
[Jeon Wook, does that mean defeating that guy will be tough? That can’t happen…]
[Shut up.]
Grrk
[Argh!]
Suddenly, an immense pressure came crashing down, making me feel like I was being pushed to the edge of the cliff in my consciousness world. It wasn’t an actual cliff, but just the force of Jeon Wook’s will was enough to leave me powerless. I struggled desperately to keep my consciousness from drifting away.
[You’re not going to be any help in this fight, so don’t get in the way.]
Jeon Wook said that and stretched his hand forward.
Kugugu
As Jeon Wook’s will materialized, a dark giant’s arm appeared in the air, wielding an enormous black blade that devoured all light. Upon seeing it, [The One Who Turns the Stars] said:
[That’s power beyond the specs. If we fight using the Power of Chaos, this star will be destroyed.]
[Isn’t that a pointless discussion? After all, you don’t care about this star at all.]
[That might be true. Since you’re being serious, I shall also cast a spell to match that.]
Kiing—
As [The One Who Turns the Stars] mumbled, he raised his hand with the fifth command.
[O serpent that devours death. Receive the command of the hidden ruler. This is my blood and my flesh, for liberation!]
Whirr whirr whirr
The command transformed into a sphere that spun infinitely, starting to emit light. Whatever it was, it seemed to be an incredibly powerful spell, enough that I could feel Jeon Wook was on his guard. Thanks to that, I barely escaped from Jeon Wook’s pressure and gathered my senses just as the collision began.
[I, Jeon Wook, command death as the god of the north!]
A formidable spell!
Sga gaga gaga
At the same time, Jeon Wook’s dark blade tore through the space itself alongside [The One Who Turns the Stars]. It seemed as though the cause was distorted; my eyes couldn’t even see the blade being swung. And just as the blade ripped reality apart, the fifth command that [The One Who Turns the Stars] held suddenly transformed into a dark serpent and shot toward Jeon Wook.
Crack!!
Jeon Wook couldn’t avoid the dark serpent. It bit into the forearm of the body I was using, turning dark and crumbling into powder.
‘Why couldn’t he dodge that?’
In the past, when Jeon Wook had used my body, he had been able to effortlessly penetrate Musashi’s Divine Kill Slash. But he couldn’t evade that spell. I realized that the dark serpent itself was a divine attack, causing a distortion of causality that even Jeon Wook couldn’t evade.
Buzz buzz buzz
Shiii—
The space reverberated, and [The One Who Turns the Stars], previously shredded to pieces, revealed itself unscathed once more. With arms crossed, it said:
[To think I almost died, having fled beyond the eighth dimension. Truly, Three Sovereigns.]
Jeon Wook frowned.
[You… how is that possible? Even without being born of a divine seat, how could you possess the authority to traverse through such timeless dimensions?]
[I am the king of the believers and the apostle of the savior. Thus, I can wield the glorious powers of the Lord… With this ability, I have conquered galaxies.]
Muttering like that, [The One Who Turns the Stars] pointed his finger at Jeon Wook.
[Lord, no matter how you are, you cannot survive my ultimate spell. Let alone when you’re borrowing the body of an apostle.]
Kurru kurru
Kurruk
Dark powder, similar to that of Jeon Wook, slowly emanated from my body as Jeon Wook stared blankly at the wound turning dark and said.
[Is that a spell to shatter the vessel that holds chaos?]
[Developed over twenty-five thousand years. It’s deadly for beings like you and me… Practically allows for divine killing.]
[Hehe… Where are you getting such audacity from?]
With a wicked grin, Jeon Wook fell silent for a moment before suddenly raising one hand to rub the wound.
Kiiiiiing!
Kkurrrruak
The echo of Ghost Valley resounded. The haunting sound, capable of driving a human insane upon hearing it, spread with tremendous force as Jeon Wook rubbed the wound, and it ceased when he stopped. Upon witnessing this, [The One Who Turns the Stars] exclaimed with surprise.
[To absorb the spirit of the ghostly companions and reseal the shattered vessel of chaos… Impressive.]
[That pathetic spell of yours is a power I’ve often seen in the Divine Age. Do you think even the king who navigated that era could not handle something like that?]
[Oh… I apologize for offending the lord. But you truly are a bizarre existence. Even such a capable ruler can apply chaos in that manner… Does that mean your ancestral being is my enemy?]
Muttering with intrigue, [The One Who Turns the Stars] continued.
[My lord. While fighting you is entertaining, my time granted to me is almost up. I must take my leave.]
[Planning to escape?]
[Both of our causality won’t hold for long. You’d best finish up your business.]
[……]
Swoosh…
[The One Who Turns the Stars] began to slowly vanish. He was abandoning the fight without further ado. While it was a disappointingly anticlimactic ending, Jeon Wook didn’t stop him, instead allowing him to continue to cross his arms. It wasn’t that Jeon Wook was lacking in power compared to him, but fighting while binding their abilities would only serve to be a loss.
Then it happened.
Kaboom!!
[Ugh…]
An unexpected attack from the Ruyi Staff! [The One Who Turns the Stars] hurriedly lifted an arm to block but was slightly pushed back. As the staff grew larger and pierced the sky, it swung once more towards [The One Who Turns the Stars], resulting in a blinding flash followed by an explosion.
Kukwakakakwang
‘Celestial Sage!’
The Celestial Sage had ambushed him! Along with the explosion, the Celestial Sage lunged into the arena, unleashing successive iron fists upon [The One Who Turns the Stars].
Bang!
[The One Who Turns the Stars] couldn’t dodge and took the Celestial Sage’s punch head-on. The strain of their grip was visible as they both strained against each other’s power. [The One Who Turns the Stars] said to the Celestial Sage:
[O king of the demons, with your strength, you can’t kill me.]
“Heh! What’s that supposed to mean? You think you can just mess around and run away!”
[Hmm… Like a frog in a well, huh…]
Crack
“Ugh!”
In an instant, [The One Who Turns the Stars] tightened his grip and crushed the Celestial Sage’s fist, causing him to stagger. This meant that [The One Who Turns the Stars] had superior brute strength.
[The One Who Turns the Stars] mocked.
[I’ll make you kneel slowly…]
Seeing that sight left me dumbfounded. It was clear from the trembling of the Celestial Sage’s arm that he was decidedly overpowered.
‘W-What the hell is that monster…?’
The Celestial Sage’s strength was no joke. Aside from Xiang Yu, no one had ever approached that level of power I’d witnessed in my rebirth. Yet, how could the king of the otherworldly beings, not known for physical prowess but spells, overpower the Celestial Sage in strength!
“Damn, shut it!!”
Of course, the Celestial Sage wasn’t done yet. In a flash, a bloody light ignited in his eyes as he bared his fangs and cried out.
“Kihaaa!!”
Bang!
The Celestial Sage’s fist broke free from [The One Who Turns the Stars]’s grasp and swung directly at his head. I had no idea how he did it, but he momentarily surpassed the power of [Old Ruler] and delivered a solid hit!
[……]
Hit directly in the face, [The One Who Turns the Stars] looked momentarily stunned before his eyes filled with rage.
[You punk… Do you want to play with me that badly…?]
“Haha! Did that wake you up?”
[My thoughts have changed… I shall bring true calamity upon this world!]
Flap! Flap!
Piiing
His bat-like wings flapped wide, transforming into a beam of light that disappeared. Jeon Wook watched the scene unfold, then spoke to the Celestial Sage.
[Monkey demon… why do you meddle recklessly?]
The Celestial Sage, glaring at Jeon Wook, retorted.
“Am I just going to let that bastard walk away?! Three Sovereigns! Do you lack the guts to knock out such an intruder?”
Normally, if Jeon Wook’s temper were taken into account, he would have acted violently upon hearing such words. However, unexpectedly, he replied coldly.
[You, speaking so confidently, have the capability to capture him? If we can’t even stop his escape without our true forms, you’ve acted irresponsibly.]
“I will catch him! I’ll stake everything on it!”
[That bravery is commendable. Yet, sometimes the foolishness of mortals proves to be insurmountable.]
Jeon Wook muttered bitterly, showing no ill feelings toward the Celestial Sage. He then looked to the sky and added.
[He’s casting the Creation Spell. This is getting troublesome.]
“What’s the Creation Spell?”
[A spell only a true divine being can use. Even rulers who exist across timeless eras can hardly use it… The Evil God seems quite fond of him.]
“Can you stop it?”
Jeon Wook crossed his arms.
[I could, but I don’t particularly want to.]
“What…”
The Celestial Sage looked on in shock as he heard Jeon Wook say he had the ability to stop it yet wouldn’t.
But as a reincarnated being, I quickly caught onto Jeon Wook’s intentions.
‘Jeon Wook… he will try to protect the world up to a certain threshold of intrusion… but when the world truly approaches its end, he won’t intervene anymore! That way, when the apocalypse arrives, he can shed his [mask] alongside the [revelation]!
For the Three Sovereigns, there exists a duty and covenant granted by the emperor to prevent the calamities striking the world to a certain extent. Jeon Wook thought [The One Who Turns the Stars] was a powerful threat from the otherworld, hence he stepped in this time. Yet, he secretly didn’t care too much about protecting the world, seeing it as an opportunity to shed his mask when it fell into chaos.
Furthermore, since [The One Who Turns the Stars] had become fully enraged and vowed to crush the world, it was evident Jeon Wook found it bothersome. Rather than tiring himself out suppressing a powerful entity from the otherworld, he decided it was wiser to prioritize his own gains from now on. Jeon Wook was not a good being, meaning he wouldn’t show compassion by sacrificing himself to protect mortals.
Fuming with rage, the Celestial Sage shouted.
“Do as you please! I’ll do as I please too!”
Boom
He summoned his cloud and took off towards the sky, where mana was palpable. As Jeon Wook gazed at his retreating figure, he muttered.
[Is this it? From now, I should calmly prepare for the end.]
He said that while stroking the Xuyou in my hand.
[Right. It would be best to charge the Seven Luminaries as well.]
Charging.
That meant he planned to use divine power to slaughter millions of humans and awaken the Seven Luminaries as the [key to the apocalypse]. Having witnessed such an end before, I was quick to sense his intentions again. I urgently shouted at Jeon Wook.
[Jeon Wook! Stop! Even now, if you step in, can’t you defeat the intruder from the otherworld?!]
[There’s no reason for me to. I do not feel the need to waste my efforts anymore.]
[Damn…]
[Just watch.]
[The destruction of the world?]
[Perhaps the birth of a new world.]
I wasn’t having it. It was clear to me that if this continued, I would face a death much like before. Unlike back then, I didn’t even have a method of suicide in this situation. As I pondered what to do, a thought suddenly popped into my head.
‘… What if that method…?’
I didn’t know if it would work. But at this point, I had nothing to lose.
I focused my mind intensely and shouted.
[Summon the Four Great Spirit Deities!!]
Fizz!!
At that moment, the Four Great Spirit Deity Vajra appeared above Jeon Wook’s hand.
‘How about that! The Four Great Spirit Deities are on a higher level, so Jeon Wook, you too…’
However, contrary to my expectations, Jeon Wook calmly toyed with the Vajra. He stared at it as if he found it extraordinary and said.
[Hmm… It feels like a divine tool comparable to the Seven Luminaries… Did you summon this?]
[Yes, that’s right!!]
I quickly switched up my stance and shouted.
[It’s incredibly strong! Seriously strong! Why not fight with that assuming it’s a bluff!]
[… It does seem genuinely interesting. A bundle of unreasonable causality.]
Jeon Wook appeared to find it greatly intriguing. Then he said.
[Alright. Let’s see how it goes… I want to witness the power of this weapon.]
[Thank you!]
Boom!!
Jeon Wook shot into the heavens in an instant. And just then, I heard the fading voice of Mangnyang.
[…I… Baek Woong… can’t endure the Great Destruction any longer… I must sever now…]
Ssshh
At that moment, the life-sharing was cut off. I felt my body collapsing in real-time, and upon seeing the state of decay caused by the Great Destruction, Jeon Wook waved his hand dismissively.
Zzztt
[That’s easily solved by freezing the time of your body.]
[……]
Is he really going to maintain the Great Destruction by stopping time?!
‘What a method even gods could use…’
While I was astounded, Jeon Wook finally reached the boundary of the dark void of the universe. [The One Who Turns the Stars] had turned his back to the dark void of the universe and was chanting a massive spell, floating an infinite sphere around himself, as the Celestial Sage continuously charged at him.
Kawhwang!
Bang!
Though the Celestial Sage’s thousands of clones attacked relentlessly, they couldn’t land a blow on him. Sadly, given that [The One Who Turns the Stars] was an [Old Ruler] level being, the gap in power was significant.
Eventually, [The One Who Turns the Stars] said.
[O Lord of this star. Even now, attempting to stop me is meaningless. Do you think you can halt this Creation Spell, completed at the cost of my causality…? You have no obligation to do so.]
[……]
[Truthfully, I don’t understand why you came here.]
[I feel the same way.]
Jeon Wook bluntly replied while holding the Four Great Spirit Deity Vajra in one hand.
[But since my apostle asked, I suppose I must try once.]
[Uh…]
[Then, take this.]
[The One Who Turns the Stars] seemed incredibly startled upon seeing the Vajra.
[W-Wait! Why are you…!!]
Whoosh
Jeon Wook tossed the Vajra at [The One Who Turns the Stars] as if throwing a hidden weapon. Then, as causality distorted, the Vajra dove towards [The One Who Turns the Stars]’s heart on an unavoidable trajectory, and at that moment, the fabric of spacetime began to warp dramatically.
Zzztt zzztt zzztt
‘Is that dodging using the eighth dimension?!’
A method of evasion transcending spacetime!
A terrifying spell fitting for the status of [Old Ruler]. Jeon Wook’s astounding attack had previously been evaded using this, so I thought this simple throwing attack wouldn’t hit [The One Who Turns the Stars].
However—
The Vajra erupted with thunderous light.
[Kraaaaah!! My lord… I’m sorry…!!]
Booom!!
With that dying plea, [The One Who Turns the Stars] disintegrated into thousands of pieces, bursting apart. It was so instantaneous that even Jeon Wook seemed stunned, frozen in place. Jeon Wook muttered with a frown.
[What the… has the ability to evade through parallel universes been sealed? Furthermore, with permanent divine killing… what the hell was that weapon?]
[……]
[Anyways, come back.]
Jeon Wook attempted to retrieve the Vajra through his command, but the Vajra remained fixed in the universe. Watching silently, I sent a mental call for the Vajra to return, and at last, the Vajra flew back to my hand.
Whoosh
Jeon Wook, staring at the Vajra in his hand, said.
[Apostle Baek Woong… We need to have a long talk.]
And then it happened.
Kugugu—
A massive change, visible even from space, was unfolding on the surface of the Earth. Something enormous was slowly rising from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, so large it could be seen from the universe.
What is that?
[The underwater demon gods’ city has forcibly lifted its seal.]
As I pondered in bewilderment, Jeon Wook crossed his arms and said.
[At this very moment, the Evil God awakes.]
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