1074——————==

Soul of the Evil God

The first to leap forward in response to Zhuge Sa’s appearance was Dokgo Uncheon.

[Explain why you’re blocking the way. Retrieving the Crystal Stele is our imperative, and compromise is off the table.]

“Hehehe… It must feel like a moment feels like a year, so why waste time chatting? But still, no can do.”

Zhuge Sa sneered, continuing to speak.

“If you fight the Apostle Halchi Olleifra, nearly everyone here will meet their end. Survivors? Maybe just the Master of the White Lotus Sect and Seo Mun-hye? Thus, I recommend you skip the humiliating negotiations.”

“…….”

“Rather than achieving a hollow victory filled with wounds while all are dead, you might as well prostrate yourselves on the ground first. After all, they are indeed powerful.”

Zhuge Bu paused briefly at Zhuge Sa’s words before replying.

“Is that a prophecy? Or just a prediction?”

“Hehe. Seems like you think I can actually prophesy.”

“If you’ve been promoted to Demon King, that much should be easy… So hurry up and answer.”

“You really haven’t changed, have you? How is it that a once-never-respectful nephew for hundreds of years still lacks manners?”

Zhuge Sa grumbled.

“It’s a prophecy.”

“How did you manage that?”

“Becoming a Demon King opens access to hidden dimensions. I sneaked a peek into the dimension where the spirit of prophecy resides, Prophetiae.”

“Isn’t that prophecy as variable as Baek Woong’s?”

“Not quite. Prophetiae is a dimension that feeds off the future’s law of cause and effect, so it’s easier to solidify the future with a dash of evil wishfulness. Let’s just say it’s vastly more reliable than Baek Woong’s.”

Zhuge Sa responded, casting a cold serpent-like gaze at Zhuge Bu.

“You must already suspect, right? No matter how many ancient treasures you flaunt, you’d still lose when fighting a genuine top-tier Apostle. Yet you’re still risking it, which disqualifies you as an advisor. Do you really think only what you desire will come to pass? It seems bias clouds your judgment.”

“…….”

“I’ll handle the negotiations favorably. Just leave it to me.”

All eyes turned to Zhuge Bu.

Would he accept?

After a moment, Zhuge Bu spoke.

“No. I’ll push forward as I see fit.”

“Kekekek… Are you saying you’re going to gamble?”

Zhuge Bu shot a glare at Zhuge Sa.

“You’ve been nothing but a gambler too, haven’t you? Life itself is a gamble; how ridiculous is that? There’s no reason I can’t take one or two chances myself.”

“Oh?”

“And speaking of negotiations, according to the [Old Ruler], at least a few million people need to be sacrificed, or something equivalent. I’d rather fight and achieve the best outcome.”

“Are you sure you’re prepared to take responsibility for everyone’s lives?”

“Of course! Do you think I came here without being ready for that much?”

“Well, if that’s the case…”

Sssss…

Zhuge Sa’s figure began to slowly fade away. Seeing this, Seo Mun-hye turned to Zhuge Sa.

“Why wouldn’t you join the fight? With someone like you on the frontlines, our chances of victory would skyrocket.”

“Hehe! So bothersome, I’m a bit entangled in something annoying… I have some restrictions on using my power. However, if you can take him down without my help, then I won’t intervene; might as well conserve the law of cause and effect.”

With that, Zhuge Sa grinned and snapped his fingers.

“Ugh.”

In that instant, Cheon Woo-jin clutched his neck and staggered. Zhuge Sa spoke to him.

“I’ll lift the suppression effect of the mark only for this battle. You should feel a bit stronger since you’re getting help from Sagong Lin.”

“You bastard… Just lift it already!”

“No, I don’t want to.”

Paaat

Zhuge Sa disappeared. Frustrated, Cheon Woo-jin attempted to utilize his techniques to catch Zhuge Sa, but he only passed through the illusion of Zhuge Sa. Though angered, he couldn’t help but notice Zhuge Sa’s powers had grown extraordinarily compared to before.

Then Zhuge Bu declared.

“Time is wasting. Let’s hurry to retrieve the Crystal Stele in Munich.”

The group promptly entered the Munich Nymphenburg Magic Palace.

Sssssss….

As they stepped into the entrance of the grand baroque palace, the walls poured into an ominous dark hue, showing signs of corruption by tentacles and cytoplasm. The unique eerie energy of the Otherworld radiated, whispering darkness that billowed like fog.

At that moment, Zhuge Bu stepped forward and activated his treasure.

“Illusory Harmony Nets!”

Swoosh!

With a sound like a rush of water, a shimmering silver net burst forth from his palm, and like fishing for meat, it sucked all the threatening energy and tentacles surrounding them into the Illusory Harmony Nets. Not having to fight at all, all the evil spirits sprawled across the several hundred meters of the magic palace were cleaned up in an instant, leading the Master of the White Lotus Sect nearby to exclaim.

[Indeed, the power of the Ancient Treasure known to Peng Zuo. To contain everything before me within that net!]

“Depending on how it’s used, treasures can wipe out a legion in a day. It’s essential for this fight; therefore, it must be used effectively.”

With this, Zhuge Bu bent down, employing a sensing technique. After a moment of closing his eyes, Zhuge Bu spoke.

“Apostle Halchi Olleifra is on the 79th underground floor.”

[What? Didn’t they say the Crystal Stele was on the 66th floor?]

“This palace has transformed into an Otherworld, essentially making its depth infinite. So the actual number of floors exceeds several hundred, and it seems the Apostle doesn’t take protecting the Crystal Stele too seriously. He appears to be staying deeper down.”

[That’s great! If we can retrieve it without fighting him, that’d be ideal.]

“…….”

Could it really be so?

A sense of unease simply nagged at Zhuge Bu’s advisor instincts. He felt there was likely another reason Halchi Olleifra isn’t guarding near the Crystal Stele but instead hiding deeper below. However, currently, he had no way of knowing what that reason was.

“Let’s push forward. The deeper we go, the stronger the demonic beasts will become, so stay alert….”

Kugugugu!

Kugugu

The team rushed down into the palace’s depths at a rapid pace. As Zhuge Bu predicted, the demonic beasts grew progressively stronger, carrying a fearsome might akin to a calamity for mere human fighters. After descending just over ten floors, beasts larger than five meters began flying around. Nevertheless, since the team’s average strength surpassed that of humans, exterminating all foes posed no significant challenge. Moreover, using the Ancient Treasure made encounters much easier.

Thud

Finally reaching the 66th floor, Cheon Woo-jin frowned.

“The Crystal Stele has been corrupted.”

“…….”

It was as clear as day. The once-ultimate artifact containing the zenith of alchemy was now completely tainted by the forces of the Otherworld, covered in cytoplasm and tentacles. Horrifying eyeball masses rolled and squirmed at just the look, while the bloodlight seeping from the Crystal Stele radiated an eerie aura.

Zhuge Bu said.

“Illusory Harmony Nets! Collect the Crystal Stele.”

With a swishing sound, the Illusory Harmony Nets erupted from Zhuge Bu’s hand, enveloping the Crystal Stele, pulling it in. But at that very moment, an immense bloodlight burst from the Crystal Stele, shooting upward into the sky.

Kuwakwang!!

“Cough! The treasure…?”

Realizing the Illusory Harmony Nets had broken, Zhuge Bu found himself in despair, and Dokgo Uncheon quietly remarked.

[Something feels off.]

He gazed at the Crystal Stele, radiating bloodlight upward, saying.

[That doesn’t seem like the Crystal Stele we had.]

“Dokgo Uncheon, what do you mean by that?”

[The sensation is different…. It can’t simply be that it’s tainted by magical power alone.]

“…….”

Zhuge Bu quickly sensed something amid Dokgo Uncheon’s words, spinning his mind faster. He then urgently shouted to those around him.

“Don’t fall apart! And Seo Mun-hye, unleash your divine power!”

Pavvat

At Zhuge Bu’s command, his companions quickly gathered and assumed a defensive posture. And shortly, Seo Mun-hye’s hair transformed fully to a bright white, and she began to exude immense power, enveloping her allies like an intangible barrier.

Curious, Seong Jin asked Zhuge Bu.

“Zhuge Bu, do you have any hunch about why this is happening? Why the Crystal Stele has changed like this?”

“Seong Jin, I previously explained what powers Halchi Olleifra holds.”

“Right. It was definitely about [Substitution]….”

“He can substitute anything from this world. Using that power, he whisked away the dimension where the gods dwell when the ruler of the Imperial Palace attempted to interfere with reality. Furthermore, the concept of substitution applies to anything.”

Zhuge Bu glared at the bloodlight-emitting Crystal Stele from afar, gritting his teeth.

“…The substitution ability could even temporarily drive the [Old Ruler] away. If he used that power, switching the future with the present would be a piece of cake.”

“……!!”

Seong Jin, understanding Zhuge Bu’s implication, widened his eyes.

“Are you implying that the Crystal Stele we see now…?”

“Exactly. No matter how strong the Apostle or Ruler is, it wouldn’t be an easy task to corrupt the peak of alchemy in such a short time. Therefore, it must be the [Future Crystal Stele], wasted for decades or even hundreds of years in corruption, that he has taken and is using at will.”

A tainted future Crystal Stele!

Halchi Olleifra had swapped the [Future] and [Present] Crystal Stele. Hence, the Crystal Stele before them could not help but emit both bloodlight and magical power simultaneously.

“Why, why go to such lengths? Wasn’t it okay to use the original Crystal Stele?”

“Since it’s the most powerful item in the history of alchemy, its resistance against demon paths is exceptionally high. Besides, using it without an alchemist master would be a tall order. So he must have corrupted it to draw upon its spirit power….”

Continuing, Zhuge Bu added.

“And if we touch the Crystal Stele imbued with his power, it would be like ringing a bell on a cat’s neck. Having come into contact with his enchanted item, he will attack us at once.”

“…You suspect he would use [Substitution] to ambush us?”

“His other unique power, the petrification ray, is also immensely potent; a hit would mean instant death. The real concern lies in his substitution powers, where we would be unable to respond at all to such an assault.”

Seong Jin replied, his expression sour with understanding.

“I see… If he partitions the time and space where we’re standing, we’d be individually crushed! Hence, it’s to defend using divine power.”

“Divine power is fundamentally about the clash of strength against strength. It doesn’t work if only one side suffers….”

At that moment.

Kuwakuwakwang – !!

“……!!”

“Ugh!”

Allies shielded by Seo Mun-hye’s divine barrier gasped simultaneously. The massive vibrations rocked the barrier violently. Though Seo Mun-hye managed to block the ambush, her face turned pale.

“Seo Mun-hye, are you alright?!”

“I’m fine. It seems Halchi Olleifra shot that petrification ray.”

“…Hmm.”

Zhuge Bu found himself conflicted. It would be hard to escape with the enemy right in front of them, but as long as there was still a chance to flee, they could make their move. Even though the petrification ray had come, the fact that they couldn’t see the source meant the main body was likely distant, using time-space distortion to attack arbitrarily. So, they had a little time left. They could use that gap to escape.

However, he could not think of any solid plan to recover the bloodlight emitting Crystal Stele floating in the sky. If the Crystal Stele was radiating magical power strong enough to ignore even the Ancient Treasure’s absorption abilities and tear apart anything, even getting close to it meant becoming tainted. Furthermore, Zhuge Bu possessed no recovery treasures aside from the Illusory Harmony Nets.

‘What to do…? Ah! Right!’

Zhuge Bu was indeed a genius. He immediately caught on to a solution and announced.

“Seong Jin! Use the Flower Fire Grass to devour the Crystal Stele!”

“……!! Got it!”

Seong Jin swiftly cast the treasure.

“Treasure Flower Fire Grass! Consume that!”

Kuuwaaaah

In the next moment, an enormous Flower Fire Grass was summoned and charged toward the Crystal Stele, opening its mouth wide. Once the Flower Fire Grass engulfed the Crystal Stele, its body began glowing a menacing red, clearly under immense magical pressure, about to burst. But at that instant, Zhuge Bu called out to Seo Mun-hye.

“Seo Mun-hye! Freeze the time around the Flower Fire Grass and nearby!”

“Understood.”

Swoosh

As Seo Mun-hye’s eyes glimmered with light, the Flower Fire Grass, which looked as if it could explode any moment, halted dead in its tracks. Seong Jin quickly retrieved the Flower Fire Grass and tucked it away into his sleeve, exhaling a sigh of relief.

“Phew! We got it.”

Surrounded by the treasure, they had now halted the time, so they no longer worried about magical energies leaking out. With Zhuge Bu’s quick-wittedness, they successfully collected the rampaging Crystal Stele without delay, and Zhuge Bu wasted no time in saying.

“Do not stray from Seo Mun-hye’s barrier! The moment you move away, you will be at the mercy of the Apostle’s supernatural powers. We must hastily ascend to the surface!”

“You’re saying to run?!”

“Immediately and as fast as you can!”

Pavavat

The companions hurriedly used spatial techniques, divine techniques, and started ascending the palace stairs. After descending all the way to the 66th floor, the staircase toward the surface was exceptionally long, yet with their superhuman abilities, it barely took thirty breaths to cover more than half the distance. As they reached the underground fifth floor of the Munich Nymphenburg Palace, it happened.

Stomp

In the lead, the fastest Dokgo Uncheon came to a sudden stop. In that fleeting moment, he realized perfectly why he had halted.

Fighting spirit.

An exquisitely refined, almost chilling fighting aura halted him. Ignoring it was impossible given how formidable its owner was. Knowing one step further would mean the beginning of a battle, Dokgo Uncheon maintained his ground while unleashing the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance.

Wooooo

And in that brief moment as Dokgo Uncheon prepared for battle, emerging from the opposite door was a face he recognized all too well. The moment he confirmed the figure, the mask squirmed.

[You…]

“Master of the White Lotus Sect.”

The man wielded just a sword. Having undergone rigorous training over long years, his sturdy physique looked gaunt enough to seem like a vagabond. But within his gaze lay the overwhelming evidence of training, bearing down on Dokgo Uncheon like an insurmountable weight.

Dokgo Uncheon felt a momentary suffocation.

Thud

[……!!]

Why?

‘That man typically carries eight swords… But this time, he’s armed with just one sword, yet…’

The terrifying energy emanating from that solitary sword rendered him unable to move or breathe. The unfathomable pressure transcending mere fighting spirit was crushing the very core of Dokgo Uncheon’s will.

The relative’s sword technique appeared colossal.

It was an unfamiliar experience for one who had always been the absolute being dominating the world.

‘This won’t do.’

There was no time for exploratory action.

Kugugu!!

Dokgo Uncheon concentrated, shaking off the illusion, beginning to merge chaos and the primordial void within his body. Watching this, the man who was once the Emperor and the Master of the White Lotus Sect murmured with an indifferent expression.

“Now I can finally see.”

[…What are you thinking?]

From the mask, a light burst forth.

[Asura!!]