1062——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Three days after the plan was set.

Whooosh—

The white-haired Portrait Immortal appeared in the deep white night’s land via teleportation, followed closely by the officials of the Great Bear Empire. The white-haired Portrait Immortal shivered for a moment and then collapsed forward, assisted by Zhuge Bu.

Master of the White Lotus Sect glanced at the scene and remarked.

[“I can’t believe you actually teleported to the South Pole, and with this many people… what a remarkable portrait ability.”]

“But that’s my limit.”

Zhuge Bu inspected the Portrait Immortal’s pupils briefly before continuing.

“The white-haired Portrait Immortal, Jin, who revealed himself in Baek Woong’s past life. This guy was created by stuffing the blood of Mount Ye into a perfect replica of him at the highest concentration. Yet, after just using his ability once, he almost sunk into a comatose state.”

[“A comatose state? If it’s that taxing, returning to our country might be a problem.”]

“We should at least make it to the nearby Transference Gate. But…”

Zhuge Bu sighed.

“Even with his innate portrait abilities being strong, bringing it up to this level falls into the realm of high-level magic… Keeping a human form while enhancing abilities is far too difficult. It’s a recklessly ambitious endeavor compared to the Five Elements Lineage.”

[“We have ample time. The apocalypse is still far off, so take your time.”]

Master of the White Lotus Sect retorted.

[“Which way should we go for the meeting point?”]

“The [Guide] will find us soon. First, let’s find a place to avoid the white night.”

[“That would be wise.”]

The white night was a natural phenomenon but also possessed magical properties that amplified the powers of the underworld and the otherworld. Prolonged exposure to the faint light of the white night reduced resistance to the powers of evil otherworldly beings, so avoiding the light was preferable.

Blazing Flame

Once they entered a cave in the nearby large snow mountain, Zhuge Bu illuminated the surroundings with fire techniques. As the group gathered around the warm fire, Taeyul God Lord spoke.

“This doesn’t feel real. I’ve asserted my power after reaching the Absolute Realm, yet here I am in a place where I could die like an insect…”

Kwon Jeong-moo, the sect leader of the Kunlun Sect.

He was one of the two supreme masters trained by the Great Bear Empire in fifty years. Originally, he reached the realm of portrait ascension at the young age of 26 and became the sect leader of Kunlun, quickly summoned to the capital of the Great Bear Empire. Under the guidance of Bright Dragon and Master of Zen, he stepped into the Absolute Realm in just over ten years. Since then, he served as a leader among the orthodox sects in Jianghu, living in the highest prestige, now commanded to accompany the exploration of Antarctica.

At Taeyul God Lord’s words, Tengu Demon Slayer, Usubaek, added.

“Taeyul God Lord! Unlike you, I’ve been accustomed to the hidden world. What you’ve just said sounds way out of touch with reality…”

“What do you mean?”

“Get a grip. We are the weakest ones here. You are the supreme of the orthodox sect, and I am the supreme of the heretical sect, but such concepts don’t apply here.”

“Hmm…”

Taeyul God Lord Kwon Jeong-moo grunted in response to Usubaek’s warning but had no comeback.

This was because Tengu Demon Slayer Usubaek, like Taeyul God Lord, was also a supreme master artificially nurtured by the Great Bear Empire and the strongest in the heretical sect. This fact was known only to them and the officials of the Great Bear Empire, and unknowingly, this gave them the means to manipulate Jianghu.

Observing this interaction, Master of the White Lotus Sect thought.

‘Taeyul God Lord must not have shown the hidden world to maintain order in the orthodox sect. But Usubaek often needed to confront the darkness and evil beings of the hidden world, hence he frequently traveled with him. That’s why there’s a major difference in awareness. There might even be a gap in their abilities due to this…’

In fact, Master of the White Lotus Sect had taught Usubaek several secret martial arts techniques of the Su Shin Sect. If they were to fight, Usubaek would likely defeat Taeyul God Lord within three hundred seconds.

It was unavoidable. Taeyul God Lord was also a genius with equal talent to Usubaek. Had he fought in the hidden world, he might have gained significant strength. However, being exposed to the hidden world risked reducing mental strength, allowing evil qi to seep in and making it difficult to maintain the demeanor suited for the supreme of the orthodox sect.

At that moment.

[Humans. I have come to take you to the Aiternum Mundi.]

A giant white-furred giant over seven palms tall arrived outside the cave. His entire body was covered with silver fur, swirling with strange spirit energy. It was his otherworldly aura that felt overwhelmingly oppressive to humans.

Stepping towards the giant, Zhuge Bu spoke.

“Oh guide, may I pay the fee now?”

[No problem.]

“Then here…”

Zhuge Bu took out a flawed Philosopher’s Stone and handed it to the giant. The giant accepted it and said with satisfaction.

[You’ve brought something quite valuable… Good. I’ll specially open a ‘path’ for you.]

Whoosh!!

As the giant extended his hand, suddenly, white snow gathered in the air to form a small path that stretched toward the skies.

[Follow me.]

With the giant leading the way, the officials of the Great Bear Empire followed. After about fifty paces down the ‘path,’ the surroundings morphed into an uncontrollably dazzling space filled with otherworldly light. Upon seeing the resplendent light, Taeyul God Lord gasped.

“O… Ooooh…!! Wh, what on earth is this?”

In response, Tengu Demon Slayer quietly warned him.

“Taeyul God Lord! Do not stare directly at this light. It contains the madness of the otherworld; prolonged exposure will corrupt your mind.”

“How could such a place exist?”

“Quit rambling and just close your eyes. This is but child’s play compared to what’s ahead…”

“Ah, understood.”

As Taeyul God Lord grudgingly closed his eyes and began to walk while sensing the space with his intent, his mental corruption seemed to lessen. Meanwhile, Sagong Lin sent a secret transmission to Zhuge Bu.

[Zhuge Bu. Taeyul God Lord is too inexperienced and weak to accompany us here. Why was he brought along?]

[Huh… To call him weak? He’s a supreme master of the orthodox sect known as the strongest in Kunlun history. Our level is simply too high; Taeyul God Lord Kwon Jeong-moo is a powerful master enough as it is. Having even one more hand is crucial at this point; we can’t be picky.]

[… Was our attempt to bring back the Supreme Demon Tan San a failure?]

[Indeed. That fellow has completely vanished. Moreover, capturing one who wields Formless Poison is close to impossible, so let it go.]

[……]

[Just forget about it. This is the best we can do.]

Was it really so?

Sagong Lin couldn’t shake off her uneasy feeling. A strange intuition kept telling her that “if they pressed on like this,” they would surely face annihilation. With that gut feeling, having Taeyul God Lord in this place felt like asking for trouble.

Finally, upon reaching the end of the path, the giant slowly opened a door.

Creeeak

As they entered, an enormous canyon unfolded, akin to a terrifying monster opening its mouth. It was immediately apparent that this place exuded an ominous aura. At the end of the canyon, between the azure gates, dark flames crackled and burnt incessantly—clearly the entrance to the Aiternum Mundi.

The guide, the giant, said.

[This is the borderland of the Aiternum Mundi, Lingua Diaboli. In Lingua Diaboli, guardians of the [Ancient Race] are scattered about, so approaching too closely will surely lead to a fight. However, if you express a formal intent to challenge, they may even guide you inside the Aiternum Mundi.]

“Thank you for the explanation.”

[But will you really challenge them? That’s a foolish endeavor…]

Zhuge Bu chuckled at the giant’s words.

“This is our business now… Ancient Great Sorcerer Zenon.”

[So Zhuge Sa has revealed my identity, huh?]

“I wonder? Anyway, our deal is concluded.”

[… As the stars fall, the end times shall come. Darkness will envelop this world.]

Whoosh

The moment those words ended, the giant Zenon vanished. He was originally a human sorcerer surviving since ancient times using magical techniques. During the competition for obtaining the Dharma technique while scattered globally, he had come all the way to Antarctica. However, after being cursed amidst the struggle, he took the form of a giant and ended up becoming the guide to the Aiternum Mundi.

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

“It’s time to call it quits. This challenge is too unrealistic.”

[Cheon Woo-jin.]

Cheon Woo-jin gazed with a look of disgust at the black flames of the Aiternum Mundi near the horizon. As the supreme illusionist, he sensed the recklessness and magical potency contained within those black flames.

“You must’ve realized the moment you saw that? ‘There’ is not a place for humans to challenge. If Baek Woong were here, he might throw a fit with God and make something happen, but we are not the reincarnated.”

[We must preserve Miho’s summoning for Baek Woong, who will one day return. If we succeed in conquering the Aiternum Mundi, the rewards will be substantial.]

“Damn it… when did the great Master of the White Lotus Sect become so foolish? What’s with the anxiety?”

[……]

Master of the White Lotus Sect spoke up.

[Cheon Woo-jin. Taeyul God Lord. Kill Cheon Woo-jin.]

Pow!!

At the command, the supreme martial artists Taeyul God Lord and Tengu Demon Slayer both lunged toward Cheon Woo-jin simultaneously. Having trained for decades within the Imperial Palace, they understood that the true ruler of the world was Master of the White Lotus Sect, and they were willing to sacrifice their lives for him.

Furthermore, they were uncertain about what kind of power this young sorcerer, whom they had never seen before, possessed. While they didn’t know what crimes the seemingly ordinary youth had committed, they believed sacrificing him for the greater good was unavoidable.

“My apologies, young man! You have to die.”

Taeyul God Lord’s intent spread.

Absolute Realm

Bright Free Cloud Dragon

This was the unparalleled martial art that had made him the absolute master! It was a synthesis of the techniques of Kunlun, honed into the Cloud Dragon Sword Qi, possessing immense single-point offensive power. Even if an opponent could block one attack, they couldn’t withstand the relentless strikes that regenerated like clouds.

Swish

In a heartbeat, the Bright Free Cloud Dragon pierced Cheon Woo-jin’s neck. As blood spewed from his mouth, Taeyul God Lord muttered bitterly.

“Ugh, sorry about that…”

It was a natural consequence that a supreme master ambushed a sorcerer clueless about martial arts. Taeyul God Lord couldn’t defy the command of Master of the White Lotus Sect, the ruler of the world.

“Sorry? With your level, is there even a reason to apologize?”

But at that moment, a blunt voice rang out, and Taeyul God Lord realized he was back at Kunlun. Just moments ago, he had been in the eerie domain of Antarctica—what was happening?

“……?! Th-this is an illusion…”

Cheon Woo-jin’s cold voice echoed in his ears.

“Kiddo, I won’t kill you, but you’ll be suffering for the next fifty years.”

Creak

Moments later, Taeyul God Lord completely forgot that he was in the midst of a fight and got caught up in the wheel of illusions. His every memory was sealed, and he began reliving his life at Kunlun for fifty years in perceived time. Through this fabricated reality, he felt an indescribable weight slowly crush his spirit.

Simultaneously, as Taeyul God Lord began to zone out from attempting to attack, Tengu Demon Slayer grit his teeth.

‘Indeed, Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin! The strongest sorcerer of humanity.’

Unlike Taeyul God Lord, Tengu Demon Slayer understood everything. He was aware of how monstrous the officials of the Great Bear Empire were and, especially, that Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin was someone even the Master of the White Lotus Sect couldn’t afford to underestimate. Despite being a supreme master of the Absolute Realm, he knew that he could easily be devoured by the illusions at any moment, so he was careful unlike Taeyul God Lord.

Absolute Realm

Thousand Demons’ Martial Death!

Swish

Tengu Demon Slayer’s blade emitted dozens of dangerous strikes in an instant, cleaving toward Cheon Woo-jin. However, knowing it was an illusion, Tengu Demon Slayer focused his intent and made preemptive defenses against the illusions. He understood that concentrating his mental energy made it difficult for even an Illusory God to show him mere illusions.

Tengu Demon Slayer shouted.

“No matter how much you try to show me illusions, it won’t work as long as my will withstands! Don’t underestimate Absolute Realm!”

“Oh, really…!! Indeed, when you concentrate on defense, it makes sense.”

Cheon Woo-jin exclaimed, pressing his finger firmly onto Tengu Demon Slayer’s forehead.

“But it doesn’t matter because I had the spell set before you could defend.”

Thud

Tengu Demon Slayer fell backward, frozen in place as soon as Cheon Woo-jin pressed his forehead. He too had already fallen prey to the illusion, surrendering his life and death status to Cheon Woo-jin. For Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin, it was effortless to control when to trigger illusions.

Master of the White Lotus Sect, watching the whole scene with arms crossed, muttered.

[Although martial artists are said to be weak against a sorcerer’s illusions, he’s playing with two supreme masters like children. Could it be that his mastery has grown further?]

“I’m a genius, after all. Did you think I wouldn’t ensnare you in illusions too, Sect Leader?”

[What?]

The Master of the White Lotus Sect flinched in shock, suddenly realizing he was sprawled on the ground, dismembered.

Illusory God

Heavenly Demon’s Adoration

[……!!]

This was an illusion.

Yet, even knowing it was an illusion, the horror lay in the fact that he could not act. Cheon Woo-jin examined the Sect Leader with chilling eyes.

“You’ve relaxed too much, relying on the resistance of the Primordial Spirit. I’ve prepared technology to bypass your resistance.”

[Hmmm.]

Swish!!

But the moment the Sect Leader concentrated his mind, he instantly broke free from the illusion. Wow, Cheon Woo-jin stepped back in surprise as the Sect Leader spoke quietly.

[Now that you’ve both got life and death in balance, what’s the need to throw everything I’ve got against you? Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin, must this be the path we take?]

Cheon Woo-jin thought along those lines. Although his mastery over illusions had grown, allowing him to cast illusions freely even against the Sect Leader, if the Sect Leader unleashed his true potential, the outcome could not be guaranteed. Clashing for their lives, either could take the other out in one blow.

These two were the ones vying for the title of the strongest among humanity at this point in time.

Cheon Woo-jin peered at the Master of the White Lotus Sect.

“You’re not proposing to kill the ‘human’ Seo Mun-hye and demand a sacrifice for the greater good? Such a choice will never save the world. Even if you succeed, you’ll be thrown back to how you were before meeting Baek Woong.”

[Truly, there cannot be salvation for the world without at least one sacrifice…]

“That’s not how it is; to prove otherwise, Reborn Person Baek Woong keeps reincarnating, doesn’t he? Am I wrong?”

[All the sins shall be carried by me. In a world full of despair, isn’t it possible for me to carry a few more sins and make it better?]

“There’s a contradiction in your own words. Why did you initially join Baek Woong’s side?”

[……]

“The one tasked with carrying all those sins is not you. It’s Baek Woong who takes on the burden; hence we don’t need to carry sins of our own.”

[What shall we do about reality… this reality filled with countless twists and suffering.]

“Fine. Then decide according to your own will.”

With that, Cheon Woo-jin turned to Seo Mun-hye.

“Seo Mun-hye! Will you truly commit suicide by your own volition? Are you willing to discard your humanity to become a god and breach the Aiternum Mundi? But if you choose that path, you shall never see Baek Woong again.”

“……”

Seo Mun-hye hesitated, and after a moment’s thought, she slowly nodded.

“… I will die. If that is the path for Baek Woong.”

“……”

“This is my choice.”

Cheon Woo-jin’s face twisted.

I can’t believe it flowed this way in the end! He couldn’t hold back his frustration and yelled.

“You stupid fools! While it may be easier for us if you throw your life away, the guilt that Baek Woong will shoulder if his companion dies is multiplied many times! Choosing the path of the outsider offers no salvation!”

“My mind has been made up.”

“This…!! Do as you please! I’m leaving!”

Cheon Woo-jin abruptly turned away. Just then, he was about to vanish from that spot when—

“Heheh. What a sight to behold…”

“Zhuge Sa!!”

Suddenly, Zhuge Sa appeared in the hall. Observing the chaos, Zhuge Sa chuckled genuinely with delight.

“This is hilarious. I can’t wait to see how Baek Woong reacts when he comes back to find it this chaotic without him…”

[Zhuge Sa. Have you come to partake in the conquest of Aiternum Mundi?]

“No. I’m here to provide advice. I was just gathering information from the hidden world until a moment ago.”

Casually, Zhuge Sa continued.

“When you enter the Aiternum Mundi, the door to the Six Realms opens. And by challenging the guardians of the Six Realms, you can earn seals one by one, after which inserting the six seals in the center will grant you the Dharma technique.”

Master of the White Lotus Sect raised an eyebrow at Zhuge Sa’s words.

[That resembles the final trial of the Seven Luminaries.]

“Exactly. It’s strikingly similar. However, the key difference is that in the final trial of the Seven Luminaries, the ‘King’ can use resonance to summon his underlings, while in the Aiternum Mundi, such a thing doesn’t exist. Additionally, the guardians of the Six Realms become stronger with time, which adds to the headache.”

[… They become stronger? What do you mean by… ]

“It’s a sort of time limit. You could attempt to gain the Dharma techniques via underhanded means, taking advantage of the time delay. Unlike the trials of the Seven Luminaries, this is a genuine seal crafted to isolate from the world, so this type of limitation is natural.”

[That’s absurd. With a time limit, it’s impossible to acquire the Dharma technique.]

“Hehehe. You’re right about that. Even if you had the power to defeat a guardian of the First Realm, following this system would render the conquest impossible. So what I’m saying is…”

Zhuge Sa proceeded.

“It seems the order was misconstrued. For today, let’s retreat from here.”

[……?]

“It’s possible that a different order might make the conquest feasible.”

Both Master of the White Lotus Sect and most of the humans present were left utterly dumbfounded. What was Zhuge Sa trying to say? The first to realize the hidden meaning behind the word ‘order’ was actually Sagong Lin.

“Zhuge Sa. Are you suggesting we seek cooperation with the [Old Ruler], King of Destruction Carphadok, summoned to the Western Lands to breach the Aiternum Mundi?”

“……!!”

Zhuge Bu was taken aback, glancing at Sagong Lin, startled. That was an immensely bizarre idea that even he, the genius, hadn’t thought of! Sagong Lin likely arrived at that conclusion before Zhuge Bu due to her lack of fixed notions. At her words, Zhuge Sa smirked.

“Exactly. Summoning the [Old Ruler] doesn’t necessarily imply that we are bound for the worst-case scenario.”

“But, is that even possible? The [Old Ruler] embodies vice and hubris. He’s not someone we could negotiate with. Especially the King of Destruction Carphadok, who holds comparable power to Jeon Wook. He’d just roast us alive.”

As Zhuge Bu spoke with a trembling voice, Zhuge Sa shrugged.

“That’s correct. While it’s possible for Baek Woong to negotiate, we’re not him. No matter what sacrifice we make, we’ll only be treated like bugs—mocked and tormented, never able to negotiate as equals. But there is one possibility.”

“……?”

As Zhuge Sa made his proposition, the room fell into silence.

With growing horror, Zhuge Bu exclaimed.

“Y-You’re insane… that’s absolutely insane!!”

However, upon hearing Zhuge Sa’s words, Master of the White Lotus Sect nodded.

[For today, we will retreat. Then we’ll proceed with Zhuge Sa’s strategy.]

“Sect Leader! That’s just crazy talk! We may retreat, but never will I accept such a strategy!”

[I’ve already made up my mind.]

Zhuge Bu slumped down in despair. A lamentation of hopelessness escaped his lips.

“Everyone has lost their minds…”

And one week later.

At the stronghold of the Western King of Destruction Carphadok, Master of the White Lotus Sect, Zhuge Sa, and Sagong Lin arrived together.

In the center of the mountain range, transformed into an otherworldly domain for the [Old Ruler].

Amidst the endlessly swirling jade flames, the King of Destruction Carphadok manifested in the form of a massive Black Dragon.

After a while, the King of Destruction Carphadok spoke.

[So you’ve come all this way after wiping out the sorcerers. How bold of you… how would you like to die?]

There were just three of them, yet they had slaughtered hundreds of sorcerers and great sorcerers to reach the stronghold. Sorcerers were nearly indistinguishable from ordinary people without their magic, so it had been an easy feat. However, the existence of the [Old Ruler] loomed far too large for them to attempt such an action rashly.

Subsequently, Zhuge Sa grinned and spoke.

“O great being, I have a request.”

[A request?]

His following words made the King of Destruction Carphadok’s eyes widen.

“I would like to offer you a fragment of the Non-Birth Mother technique that our White Lotus Sect possesses. In exchange, please undertake the conquest of the Aiternum Mundi and assist us in obtaining its Dharma techniques.”