1077——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Gugugugu!!

Suddenly, a horrifying veil of darkness enveloped Dokgo Uncheon and the Apostle Halchi Olleifra. The Great Bear Empire’s side, who were in the middle of a joint attack, stepped back in shock as the dark veil expanded, covering an area of about a hundred more before it finally settled down.

“What the heck is that?!”

At Han Baek-ryeong’s shout, Cheon Woo-jin responded with a sharp expression.

“Something’s not right. That’s not magic.”

Hearing Cheon Woo-jin’s words, everyone turned their eyes toward him. He seemed to know something, which prompted a slightly awkward expression as he continued, “There’s no magical wave or spirit energy at all. Although it looks pitch black, I believe it’s not made of magic.”

“But it’s not divine energy either.”

Uwoong

Seo Mun-hye channeled her energy and touched the dark veil, but it only rippled as if the surface of water was disturbed.

“There’s no response even when I infuse divine energy. Instead of resisting, it just absorbs everything.”

“Isn’t there a specific divine energy for that kind of property?”

“Divine energy is purely ‘power’ in nature, so there’s bound to be an initial clash of energy waves regardless of secondary changes. This is the first time I’ve seen something like this.”

“……”

Then Ryu Jin tried to use supernatural abilities, and Cheon Woo-jin attempted an illusion technique, but neither worked on the dark veil. It was as if everything was turning to nothingness.

“What on earth is happening…”

Everyone wore perplexed expressions at the unexpected situation.

To have both the Apostle and Dokgo Uncheon trapped by a veil of darkness out of nowhere! If this was the Apostle’s trick, then Dokgo Uncheon was as good as dead; yet, it felt like there was more to it than that. A gut feeling passed through everyone’s thoughts that this was an unforeseen anomaly.

About half a meal’s time passed. Everyone tried various powers and techniques to rescue Dokgo Uncheon, but the black veil in front of them showed no sign of response whatsoever.

Then, Asura crossed his arms and said, “Instead of wasting time here, why not revisit the goals and tasks of your party? The objective of this retrieval mission was to recover the Crystal Stele, and we’ve achieved that, so isn’t it enough to go home now? Then the operation is a success.”

Cheon Woo-jin retorted sharply at Asura’s words, “If we leave Dokgo Uncheon to die, it would indeed be a success. And if we leave the Apostle alive, he’ll just rally his strength and attack again, so it’s better to smash that bastard now while we can. It’s not every day we gather such a powerful force from the human realm.”

“I know that too. But what can we do about that veil?”

“……”

“I just don’t get it. Why are you so obsessed with your companion’s life? It’s the same as before, but the good and justice you’re pursuing seem unrealistically straightforward.”

“Unrealistic, you say?”

Asura nodded his head.

“I know that’s not your true intention. You’re not hypocrites. You’re perfectly rational individuals who have come to understand the ways of the world. Yet, I don’t get why you forsake efficiency and always tread the grand path.”

“Why? What does it matter if I know that? Stop spewing nonsense.”

Cheon Woo-jin growled.

“Just so you know, we haven’t accepted you as a companion yet. Whether you can truly transform into a Demon King or not is still uncertain, so stop with the useless chatter!”

“…Huh. Is this self-inflicted consequences?”

Asura muttered bitterly. At that moment, Seo Mun-hye turned to Asura and asked, “Asura, did you join the Eight Parts of the Divine believing Chi You would save this world?”

“Indeed.”

“We think the same. We believe Baek Woong will save everything, so we’re determined to trust him until the end…”

Chwaat!

Suddenly, a wall appeared between Seo Mun-hye and Asura, cutting off their conversation. Cheon Woo-jin, who had unleashed a technique, was now emanating genuine killing intent as he said, “Don’t spout nonsense!! How could you trust that guy?!”

“……”

“Damn it! You all are so irritating…”

Han Baek-ryeong, watching from the side, thought Cheon Woo-jin wasn’t just being needlessly irritable. It was true that he found it impossible to trust Asura enough to reveal anything about Baek Woong. However, Seo Mun-hye wanted to trust Asura and was trying to open her heart, which reflected a difference in opinion among the companions.

Just then, Asura spoke up, “If I risk my life to save the Master of the White Lotus Sect, will you trust me then?”

It was an unexpected proposition from Asura, and no one had a specific response because the very notion of Asura trying to save the Master of the White Lotus Sect felt utterly surreal. Instead, Cheon Woo-jin spoke with a very complex expression.

“What in the world… What are you thinking, seriously?”

“You all have an opportunity to gain that bond among yourselves. I wish to repay my debt to Dokgo Seong.”

“I can’t believe it.”

At that, Asura glanced at the veil and said, “I feel like I can break that veil. But it won’t be done with normal means; I’ll have to wager my life. Still, if I’m risking my life, I want to be recognized by you all.”

“Ha! What good is being recognized by us? Are you saying it’ll bring you closer to becoming the Martial God?”

Asura murmured quietly, “…Maybe.”

“What?”

Step

“Then I’m going.”

Asura turned around and began to walk toward the veil. He focused his mind, and soon, a faint spirit energy began to rise from his entire body.

After a moment, Asura wielded his sword.

Goooohhh….

The Sword Technique of Myojin. Asura’s singular strike was describable in just those words. A seemingly simple swipe concealed the power he had accrued over thousands of years. The might and aura of one who had transcended mere mastery could proudly claim to be the best martial artist under heaven.

No way.

But the moment Asura unleashed that strike, he realized he could never find satisfaction with it. The veil of nothingness in front of him seemed to dismiss such a weak attempt, firmly locked down. He knew that trying it like this would yield the same lack of response as before.

Why was that?

Why did this veil reduce everything to nothingness?

And Asura could crystallize his intuition. Even using Nirvana of the Absolute left not a trace; this veil was indeed something beyond chaos.

“My sword can slash the very existence of chaos. That is the thought of the Absolute Realm. But if it doesn’t respond at all, it means this veil is something truly transcendental beyond chaos…”

The most primal and all-encompassing aspect of the universe was chaos!

Could a property exist that transcended chaos?

“Yes… just one… exists.”

Asura, once the Demon King of chaos, would have never had such an idea, but after over a hundred years of restraining that chaos and living as a human, coupled with hearing Cheon Woo-jin and Seo Mun-hye’s analysis, something began to dawn on him.

And as per Asura’s prediction, the one who could break the veil ahead was none other than himself. Perhaps Han Baek-ryeong could do it as well, but she still seemed too inexperienced for such a grand task. In fact, even Asura, having been the supreme ruler of the Tianzhu Martial Arts world for thousands of years, wasn’t confident he could pull off the method he had conceived.

He prioritized emptying himself. In martial arts, ‘emptying’ meant not being self-aware but creating a natural body close to being empty (kuang). Such a thing was something those who had reached Peak Expert could achieve naturally. And as Asura continued to empty his self, he suddenly reached the boundary of understanding and felt as if he were observing his form from above.

This point was the moment of revelation experienced in the Absolute Realm. For those who had attained this state, speed often held little significance, as under normal circumstances, most concepts were far ahead of any physical speed. And as the realm of emptiness deepened, Asura felt something calling from within his fundamental ‘human’ side.

Resonance.

Having lived as the Demon King for more than 90% of his life, he barely remembered his time as human. But as Asura began to grasp the heart of that humanity he thought he had forgotten, the resonance grew stronger as he drew closer to the Primordial Void. It wasn’t a strong resonance; it resembled the gentle heartbeat of a quiet thrum. For all those years, Asura had pondered the meaning behind this resonance.

Asura unfolded his second strike. Unlike before, there was no majesty of mastery; it was a rudimentary slice devoid of any principles—something that the peak expert Asura would never have displayed out of sheer intoxication with being lucid. None of the techniques he grasped, nor Nirvana of the Absolute, were contained within.

Yet Asura felt satisfaction. Because it was evidence that he had entered the realm of an unprecedented drunken state, and internally, the ‘resonance’ was whispering to him stronger than ever.

Dudun

‘String…’

In the next moment, Asura felt an incomprehensibly small string. He had never felt such a string in his life. It existed everywhere in this world, merely appearing tangled once in a while.

Larger entities than strings existed; they looked like orbs of light, darting about relentlessly. And within a world filled with strings, he realized he also entered an extremely minute domain and soon felt the strings resonating within his consciousness.

Vibration!

With the vibrations of the strings came a significant tremor that oscillated Asura’s entire being.

Thud!

Thud!

What started as a tiny tremor, akin to a heartbeat, unleashed a vast force even greater than a tsunami wave, tightening and loosening around his body. In a world where everything lost its substance and swayed about, Asura saw himself transformed into a thin thread, experiencing a sensation of being torn apart.

Then, for a brief moment, he glimpsed a figure with a conical hat lurking just out of view. But whether it was an illusion or not, it vanished shortly after.

“Now!”

And as Asura concentrated the power of the strings into his sword strike, he unleashed all techniques of Nirvana of the Absolute into a single blow!

Return to One, the Ultimate Cutting Strike!

Chwaaaak

“No…!!”

“Cut through!”

With the sensation akin to slicing through water at his fingertips, Asura broke through the veil of nothingness with the last of his three strikes. By extreme focus, he barely stepped into ‘some realm’ beyond the Absolute Realm. It was the result of his training and contemplation over the past hundred years.

Gasps emerged from those watching, but the shock didn’t last long. Asura soon realized the world around him had descended into a serene silence.

Silence.

Nothing could be seen or heard.

“It’s not darkness. A world of gray?”

Although chaos was often depicted in black, surprisingly, the interior of the veil was a light gray world. Something hazier than fog drifted about, but there was no sense of malice or magic whatsoever.

Asura stepped forward. As he did, he noticed a small path extending beyond the mist. He continued walking slowly, and after a moment, he felt something within the fog and murmured, “How peaceful…”

Should it be said to be like a mother’s embrace? Although he experienced chaos as naturally as breathing during his Demon King days, it felt different in some way. Unlike the primal chaos that was the elemental basis of this world, he could sense a nurturing power encompassing everything, and Asura’s mind and body began to fill with profound comfort.

Step…

Arise.

Asura eventually stopped when he discovered something and spoke to the existence standing in front of him, “Master of the White Lotus Sect, Dokgo Uncheon.”

[…….]

“Are you safe?”

There was no response, yet it was undoubtedly the Master of the White Lotus Sect, Dokgo Uncheon. His body, transformed by chaos, had returned to its original form, standing quietly in this fusion of essence. An unusual point was that the mask he had worn was completely shattered, revealing a face that appeared to mix otherworldly traits and humanity.

Sssss

“Your face…!!”

Then, a remarkable thing happened shortly after. The face of Dokgo Uncheon, now harmonized with an otherworldly trait, completely cast aside the attributes of that essence, returning to his human form! Dokgo Uncheon’s human visage was fairly pale, showcasing a well-formed man, and despite his somewhat delicate appearance, his eyes gleamed with strong vitality and determination. That was his face before he made the contract with the Primordial Spirit!

When Dokgo Uncheon seemed to regain consciousness, he looked at Asura and opened his mouth.

“I thought if anyone could break through here, it would be you. You did it.”

“Dokgo Uncheon. What happened? What about the Apostle?”

The Master of the White Lotus Sect wordlessly pointed to a spot some distance away. At that moment, the mist briefly parted, revealing the corpse of the Apostle Halchi Olleifra lying there. Upon seeing the body, Asura remarked, “Did you take him out by yourself…? What happened?”

“I didn’t take him out. The Apostle Halchi Olleifra released my Primordial Spirit in a frenzy, wanting to unleash the Throne of Chaos, hoping for my self-destruction. But he didn’t know the nature of existence within the Throne of Chaos, resulting in his own death. After all, only Dharma would know what kind of place the Throne of Chaos is, so anyone who embodied chaos wouldn’t have a chance.”

“What? You mean this is the space where the Primordial Spirit ran amok?”

“Ha… haha. It’s truly contradictory…. I never imagined you’d be the one to witness my last moments.”

The Master of the White Lotus Sect chuckled wryly, then suddenly turned his head, looking in a direction. He soon said, “Asura. Why did you seal chaos within yourself?”

“Because I was curious.”

Asura answered blankly.

“In the past, Dokgo Seong used a technique while trying to save me that momentarily exceeded my Nirvana of the Absolute. His training time was far shorter than mine, and he was at a lower realm, yet… I wished to reach that state and claim that power amidst the weakness of mortals.”

“Now you realize the essence of that power.”

“…Yeah.”

“How does it feel? What’s it like to be the strongest martial artist under heaven?”

Asura couldn’t manage a smile at the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s question. Far from laughing, it was as if his mind had gone blank. He felt a sense of loss and slowly opened his mouth.

“I wasted so much time getting drunk on the power of the Demon King. With an impending end staring me down, to think I’m only now standing at the starting line towards becoming a Martial God…. I can’t help but feel regret.”

“Is that so?”

“Master of the White Lotus Sect. Why are you asking me this? This place feels like the mingling of primordial chaos in the universe. It’s not a good spot to linger—let’s get out of here quickly.”

After a lengthy silence, the Master of the White Lotus Sect finally spoke.

“No. I can’t leave. The rampage of the Primordial Spirit is ongoing. According to the contract with the Primordial Spirit, I have become a guardian of the Throne…”

“What do you mean?”

At the unexpected answer, Asura’s eyes widened as the Master of the White Lotus Sect slowly pressed his palms together and said, “Thank you for coming, Asura. There are many things I want to tell you… cough, cough!”

Chijijik

As he coughed, a torrent of chaotic energy began to swirl around him. That essence felt like the despair that turns everything back to nothing.

“If I’m to prevent this world from crumbling, while I still lack strength, you… must end me. I beg you…”

_Huhudududu!!_

Dokgo Uncheon’s clothing tore as his body began to swell slowly.

Observing this, Asura silently drew his sword. He recognized that this was the ultimate fate brought by the rampage of the Primordial Spirit.

“Very well.”

“What’s happening?”

About half a meal’s time had passed since Asura had entered. Everyone stared anxiously at the dark veil, feeling powerless to act. Seeing Cheon Woo-jin growing more nervous, Ryu Jin said, “The casualties on our side facing the great beast army of the Nazi Empire are increasing. I’ll go assist.”

“Damn… Hurry! There’s nothing more we can do.”

“Then I will.”

_Pabat!_

Ryu Jin vanished with a spatial shift. The truth was, if everyone present had rushed to fight the beast army together, casualties would have been minimized, but the uncertainty of what might emerge from the mysterious veil forced them to wait. Nevertheless, if the allied forces faced total annihilation, that would pose a significant loss too, so they had no choice but to send Ryu Jin, a Portrait Immortal, for support.

‘Even if Ryu Jin leaves, we have no choice but to press on…’

What could possibly come out from inside? In the worst-case scenario, an even stronger Apostle Halchi Olleifra might emerge.

_Kuwaaaat!_

“……!! It opened!”

“Where’s Dokgo Uncheon…?”

However, moments later, the scene that emerged when the veil parted left everyone stunned.

_Skak!_

The head of the Master of the White Lotus Sect rolled, severed cleanly by Asura’s crazy sword!

Unwaveringly swift and precise, that single strike sliced through flesh like paper.

_Tu-du-duck…._

The Master of the White Lotus Sect’s head rolled on the ground, coming to rest just at Cheon Woo-jin’s feet.

Cheon Woo-jin stared blankly at the head before shifting his gaze to Asura.

And Asura opened his mouth with an expressionless face, “I killed the Master of the White Lotus Sect.”

“…You bastard….”

“Finally, I’ve achieved a great feat for Master Chi You. Hahaha…”

“Asura!!!”

_Kwa-kwang!_

Without a moment’s hesitation, everyone rushed to attack Asura. He swiftly dodged and deflected their combined assault, shouting, “Come back to take your revenge later! Be sure to bring Baek Woong with you!”

_Pabat!_

Asura made his escape.

“That son of a bitch…!!”

Just as Cheon Woo-jin got angry and attempted to chase after him, Han Baek-ryeong hurriedly grabbed his sleeve. Turning to face her, he saw her wearing a serious expression.

“Chasing after him will cost the lives of ten thousand Great Bear Empire soldiers. Focus on the important task first.”

“…Damn it!!”

“I’ll handle the head.”

“……”

Han Baek-ryeong slowly took something from her robe and wrapped it around the severed head. Moments later, she lifted it, reflecting, ‘What an unreasonable burden he left behind, our Master.’

Now, she had to continually practice to increase her strength until the very end.

Perhaps that was why rather than sadness, complicated feelings swirled within her. Eventually, she brushed aside her emotions and said, “Let’s go end the war with the Nazis.”

That day, the Nazi Empire was annihilated, and their ambitions were crushed.

The origins and conclusion of this war recorded in history remain unclear, but even after the decisive battle in Munich that day, remnants of the Nazis remained while the United States joined forces to help eradicate the beasts.

Yet, until the war concluded—and even after—the figure of Asura did not reappear.

“I see.”

About one hundred days later, Sagong Lin awakened from her slumber and sighed as she listened to Cheon Woo-jin’s report.

Then Sagong Lin said to Cheon Woo-jin, “Cheon Woo-jin. The curse of the Demon King has grown even stronger during this time.”

“Yeah. That damn Zhuge Sa released my seal back then, and the mark has only grown stronger because of it…”

“…It seems even with my power, it’s difficult to suppress this mark now. Trying to feed on magic will only result in repetitive sealing, so further tampering risks danger.”

“Does that mean… I can rest now?”

Disregarding Cheon Woo-jin’s eager words, Sagong Lin continued, “Cheon Woo-jin. Your powers are entirely sealed now. However, we can use the power of science to assist your life preservation and immortality.”

“……”

“From now on, learn advanced scientific technology to help advance technology. You’ll be inheriting the work Zhuge Bu started. With your original genius brain, it’s certainly possible.”

At her unexpected words, Cheon Woo-jin widened his eyes in shock, then protested, “Damn it…. I participated in the war and you’re not giving me a break…!!”

“What do you mean? How about studying during your vacation? We’ll ensure a good studying environment for you with the Empire’s resources.”

“…Ugh….”

Feeling utterly defeated, Cheon Woo-jin slumped down and let out a resigned groan as Sagong Lin remarked, “The damage is too great…”

A victory that only bore wounds.

It remained uncertain if the Great Bear Empire could endure to the end.

As Sagong Lin pondered deeply, a secret messenger from the United States arrived at her quarters.

[The Celestial Demon who puts ten thousand demons beneath his feet, I greet the Emperor of the Great Bear Empire.]

Surprised by the sudden appearance of this kneeling entity, Sagong Lin replied, “[Black Sun]. What brings you to me?”

[…….]

The other party was none other than the High Priest of the Aztec Empire, the Apostle of the Old Ruler known as [Black Sun]. After a moment of hesitation, [Black Sun] unexpectedly spoke.

[Lady Tianma, I know the location of the Old Continent… Let’s join forces and raid that place.]