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The Soul of the Evil God

In a moment where the resonance clashed, it felt as if all the power poured downward, halting at a certain point. It wasn’t an explosion of force; rather, it gathered to pierce through a new space, exactly penetrating the Emperor’s dragon mask.

The Emperor spoke nonchalantly.

[Such a trivial trick.]

Boom!

A single attack was deflected. It appeared that the Emperor merely furrowed his brow, yet that alone extinguished the wave of divine killing. Could this truly be the end of the attack? His defense was exceedingly solid.

‘Ugh! Is this really the Emperor…? To die like this…’

As I was despairing and attempting to accept my twenty-eighth death, a glow emanated once more from Xuyou.

The arm holding Xuyou was suddenly enveloped in a massive darkness, and I realized it had transformed into something akin to a giant.

Kugugugu!!

The black left arm of the giant slowly moved, pushing Xuyou forward. The blade of Xuyou shimmered ominously. It was sinister because the power radiating from Xuyou’s blade was fiercer and more ominous than ever before, and its sharpness soared ceaselessly.

[Ooooh!! Finally…. I!]

Xuyou shouted with excitement.

[Can I kill a god!!]

Chiriring –

It was as if the starlight of the galaxy was being entwined into Xuyou’s sword god. When the starlight compressed multiple times, Xuyou shone in a brilliant blue.

Xuyou’s Heavenly Ice

Great Liberation

Sword God’s Momentum

Pakang!!

“……!!”

Xuyou’s sword god completely shattered, revealing a pure blue sword body shimmering. However, the power engraved on that sword was tremendous, and if my arm hadn’t turned into the giant’s arm, just wielding Xuyou would have sent my bloodline freezing due to its overwhelming spirit energy.

Right now, Xuyou was like a divine sword, condensed from the azure light of the stars. It had surpassed Xuyou’s usual power by dozens of times.

‘Is an awakened Xuyou capable of this strength?’

Hu Woong

And in the next moment, Xuyou swung once more, beheading the Emperor. It was not my will; it was action driven by the will of the giant’s arm. It wasn’t martial arts technique per se, but that single slash was faster and more powerful than anything I could muster.

Squeak

In response to Xuyou’s slash, the Emperor seemingly attempted an empty-hand catch, thrusting his two fingers forward. At that moment, Xuyou roared from inside, as if infuriated.

[Cut him down!]

Shukok!

Eventually, Xuyou’s slash severed the Emperor’s two fingers, and he watched as they gracefully soared through the air. I was bewildered, unable to believe I had actually struck him.

‘I, I slashed the Emperor!’

What in the world is the power of Xuyou’s sword god? The Emperor’s current strength must far exceed the average level of the Three Sovereigns, his divine body possessing cosmic-level defense! And yet, to be able to cut off a finger…

Swish

Just as I was overcoming my joy, I suddenly felt time and space twist, and the severed fingers returned to their original state. The Emperor had clearly reversed time with the activation of [Small Cycle], and I felt a sense of deflation at that singular maneuver.

So indeed, even if you hit a god, it’s futile if they can return to the past before the attack lands!

Then the Emperor seemed to gaze at me, turning his dragon mask toward my direction.

[Jeon Wook. Are you betraying me?]

Huuuuuuu

As soon as those words left his mouth, the phantom of Jeon Wook, arms crossed behind the giant’s left arm, appeared. Jeon Wook smirked, replying to the Emperor.

[Is there really a need to call it betrayal? You never trusted any of us, so why should we offer our loyalty?]

[There’s no way a bug like you could kill me even with divine killing abilities.]

[If I personally manipulate things, I could keep you busy.]

Now I understood; Xuyou had awakened into a sword god because Jeon Wook was directly infusing power into my left arm. As Jeon Wook’s presence arose, So Hao casually emerged beside him, prompting the Emperor to speak.

[If you disappear, it will disrupt my plans. I’ll forgive you now, so stop this.]

Jeon Wook chuckled.

[Do you really think so? A cunning character like you wouldn’t easily forgive even those who have betrayed you once.]

[…….]

Jeon Wook’s phantom glanced at Fuxi, who lingered in the air behind us.

[Fuxi has caught on to our situation. I’ll make sure to annoy them enough so they can’t concentrate on the battle.]

[You might get hurt too.]

[Hehehe….]

Jeon Wook laughed quietly, and the Emperor seemed to understand.

[I see. There’s no reason to incur a loss?]

[And it’s not the time for you to be relaxed.]

…Huh?

What is he talking about?

Uuuuuuu!!

Suddenly, a massive light burst forth from Hwa-yo. And Hwa-yo also unleashed a tremendous roar.

[At last, the true power manifests!!]

Hwa-yo’s Heavenly Flame

Great Liberation

Sword God’s Momentum

Kwahwaghwa

In stark contrast to the delicate azure of Xuyou, Hwa-yo’s sword god was a colossal sword capable of rending the heavens asunder. Moreover, my right arm, infused with Hwa-yo’s combat momentum, had transformed immensely, shining brightly with silvery flames.

Uuuuuuu

In the background of Hwa-yo’s sword momentum, the figure of Shennong subtly manifested. I realized that this was Shennong boosting Hwa-yo with his power, and while I vacantly stared at Shennong’s phantom, he spoke.

[Baek Woong. Once more, let the two swords resonate together.]

[…….]

[The three great gods are coming together to aid you. The resonance of the twin swords amplifies power a hundredfold, and this strike will surely bring the Emperor down!]

[Wait a second….]

[Go! Baek Woong!]

Pa-bat!

In the next moment, against my will, the power of the gods moved my left and right arms, charging toward the Emperor! The amplified strength of Xuyou’s sword momentum swung first, with Hwa-yo overlapping in a cross formation. Just as the cross cleaved together, the Emperor made a brief remark.

[Get lost.]

Thwack

“Gaaah.”

I felt my body slam against the ground, utterly battered alongside Xuyou and Hwa-yo. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening; with a single word, the Emperor nullified our attack. I was pierced at the moment just before resonance occurred, leaving me flustered.

‘Could it be that the Emperor intentionally timed this to take advantage of that split-second opening…?’

With the sound of swishing, the power of Jeon Wook restored my body in an instant. Yet the Emperor’s form, now swelled by the presence of the Heavenly Demon behind him, spoke nonchalantly.

[You’re quite the pesky little creature. The best approach is to drive away a wasp rather than attempting to catch it.]

Paah

The Heavenly Demon’s eyes shone with golden light. And as that light bore down upon me, I blocked it with Xuyou and Hwa-yo combined, but I couldn’t withstand the golden light and felt myself being thrown off somewhere.

Whiriryik!!

The place I appeared was outside the Divine Temple’s throne, a space saturated with chaos. And upon entering this locale, I sensed the influence of the gods waning drastically.

“Phew, did I get kicked out?”

It seemed the Emperor was quite uncomfortable confronting the resonance of the twin swords head-on, thus expelling me outside the throne. Instead of feeling resentful about being ousted, I thought it was a fortunate outcome.

‘Damn it. I can’t let them have the upper hand and benefit for their sake.’

Perhaps because I had just been thrown out, I no longer heard the words of Shennong, Jeon Wook, or So Hao that had resonated in my head moments ago. I figured that now, focusing on the immediate matter of the Emperor, they had no time to worry about me.

I sighed with relief, thinking.

‘Let’s just wait here!’

Fuxi had ordered me to remain an observer to the end, and that notion had been demonstrated vividly just now. When I was dragged by Jeon Wook and transformed into a tool to kill the Emperor, I was thrust into a life-threatening crisis. Rather than risking my life rushing in, waiting here until their fierce battle concludes felt like a wiser choice.

After all, given the current state of affairs, the battle inside was effectively one where the Emperor faced the five of the Three Sovereigns alone. No matter how impressive Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen was, the odds were in our favor.

“Well, this place is still a truly strange place.”

I probed around, finding this chaotic universe oddly breathable, unlike typical cosmic space, and it appeared to have minimal harmful elements. The only downside was its immense vastness.

I felt as if this chaotic space resembled somewhere else I had been. After contemplating, I suddenly realized one fact.

“…Of course!! This is the place where Master of the White Lotus Sect met Asura.”

In his clash with Halchi Olleifra, the Master of the White Lotus Sect was swept away by the descent of the [Throne of Chaos]! The chaotic atmosphere I felt within that black veil resembled this space immensely, matching the essence of chaos that Asura had sensed.

Was it a coincidence?

‘And what exactly is Chaos?’

According to Asura’s knowledge, chaos was said to be another phenomenon that emerged at the time of universe creation. However, Asura didn’t know much more and had little understanding of the meaning behind chaos; all he knew was that being within chaos had a unique effect of harming the presence of chaos itself.

What could the Emperor be thinking, creating a space of chaos here?

Especially, why did he choose to create it as the boundary between the interior and exterior of the Divine Temple?

As I mulled over these questions, a phantom of So Hao appeared before me, looking furious as if he were ready to blow off some steam.

[You! Why are you just sitting here instead of fighting?]

“Uh… well, we’re facing the Emperor one-on-five, right? Isn’t it better if I don’t fight and just let them win?”

[Fool! You think you could down the Emperor so easily? Why do you think we’ve been lying low all this time?]

“Yes?”

[We’re completely focused on taking down the Emperor right now. You need to return to battle quickly! Otherwise….]

The glint of killing intent shimmered in the eyes of Shao Hao Jin Tian. I knew enough to recognize that if he unleashed his true killing intent, I would surely die, regardless of the circumstances.

“Wait, hold on! I was just about to leave! I just needed a moment because the Heavenly Demon hit me hard.”

[Heavenly Demon?]

“You know, the golden beast hanging around the Emperor.”

[……? That thing?]

Shao Hao Jin Tian seemed perplexed by my terminology.

[Why would you bother calling it a different name? That’s actually someone else….]

“Huh?”

[Whatever. I can use the power I bestowed upon you so that you can return in no time! Hurry!]

Paah!

Shao Hao Jin Tian disappeared, and I scratched my head, pondering his words.

‘Use power to return?’

What does he want me to do?

Baffled, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration and slowly turned around. Focusing my eyes, I could sense an immense azure energy building within them.

Wiing

“……”

No, it can’t be.

With a tentative hope, I intensified my focus, and moments later, a gigantic beam of light erupted from my eyes.

Kuwakakakakkwa!!

“Ahhh.”

As the destructive light burst from my eyes, my body accelerated at incredible speed, hurtling through the chaotic realm back toward the throne’s space. Essentially, I was flying through reverse propulsion. I was astounded by this phenomenon of my eyes unleashing energy.

“Shit!! What the hell….”

Shao Hao Jin Tian, you insane bastard!

You really made it so I could emit beams from my eyes!

Kukuku-kung

In no time, I returned to the throne world. As soon as I did, I beheld the battlefield’s condition. To my surprise, the scene was taking a turn for the worse, and I momentarily choked on my breath.

“Lady Fuxi!!”

In a brief moment of catastrophic impact, despite the throne world being boundlessly vast, all time and space were ripping apart and shattering. Amidst chaos and darkness, fully injured and drenched in blood was Fuxi, while facing him stood the Emperor, radiating golden light incessantly.

The situation was clear.

Fuxi had lost the duel against the Emperor.

The Emperor nonchalantly brushed off his hands.

[Your power was on par with mine. But it seems you haven’t had much experience wielding this level of power, Fuxi… In other words, the outcome was decided by that gap in experience.]

[…….]

Fuxi was in a state close to death. She was so weak that even the power of the gods barely reached her, and she was about to face divine [Death].

[Though there is a vast difference between those who challenge for ascension and those who do not, even amongst the same deities.]

Kukukuku

The Emperor took a large step toward Fuxi, seemingly intent on ending her. At that moment, Shennong’s true form surged into action, swinging his giant sword at the Emperor.

Kwahwang!!

[Khuhk.]

Without even looking at Shennong, the Emperor swung his fist once and landed a heavy blow to his face, leaving Shennong reeling from the impact and collapsing. An invisible force seemed to hit Shennong, and once again, a figure resembling the Heavenly Demon swelled from the Emperor’s form.

[Shennong. Among all the ordinary guys, you’re the strongest, but that’s as far as it goes. You can’t surpass your grade.]

Bang!

Having said that, with another swing, the Emperor smashed his fist into Shennong’s solar plexus. Shennong attempted to resist with his power, but the golden light radiating from the Emperor’s Heavenly Demon made that attempt useless.

[Khak.]

With one fell swoop, the Emperor incapacitated Shennong and seized his neck, tossing him brutally to the ground.

Kwahwang

[Emperor!]

[Die.]

As Shennong fainted, So Hao Jin Tian and Jeon Wook lunged together to ambush the Emperor. Taken by surprise by the assault of the two, the Emperor was blasted by So Hao’s feathers, while Jeon Wook’s hidden weapon pierced the back of his head.

Sssss

However, the Emperor stood tall, utterly unscathed. He exhibited a legendary resilience, having not even shed a drop of blood. This bewildered the two Sovereigns as they looked on in shock.

[No.]

[How is this possible….]

The situation was beyond comprehension. Both Shao Hao Jin Tian and Jeon Wook were entities with overwhelming destructive power that could not be easily matched, yet how could the Emperor withstand their assaults? Even Fuxi, having received the spirit of Pangu, had to be cautious against the reckless onslaught of the Three Sovereigns!

The Emperor spoke softly.

[You all are parts of great chaos. That chaos is infinitely unpredictable, so it’s no wonder that you’d respond this way. I too, am just like that.]

[What do you mean?]

[According to the grand plan of great chaos, a superior seed has been planted. As a result of emphasizing growth power while eliminating control, you all were formed.]

Sssss

The Emperor brought his two fingers together, gathering golden light at their tips before pointing directly at So Hao.

[But as for betrayal… There’s no longer anything to utilize. Farewell.]

[What….]

Whoosh!

The moment the golden beam touched So Hao’s body, his entire form began to dissolve, but at that instance, Taiji enveloped him. Instead of disintegrating, So Hao merely vomited blood as he staggered back.

Failing to obliterate So Hao, the Emperor slowly turned around.

[In a match of equal odds, I surely won by a whisker… You should be dead, Fuxi.]

Kugugugu

[But resurrection? How can this be?]

Indeed.

Just moments before, Fuxi had been on the brink of death, awaiting her demise, when her entire body flickered with white light, instantly resurrecting to a perfect state! The power radiating from Fuxi seemed even more formidable than before, bursting with immense spirit energy.

Looking down at the Emperor, Fuxi spoke.

[Though you are one, we are two. You have overlooked that difference.]

[…….]

The Emperor finally seemed to catch on and muttered softly.

[I see…. While you wield the power of Pangu, if one of you dies, the other can still survive—that means resurrection is possible?]

[That’s correct.]

[…That’s absurd.]

Fuxi’s eyes gleamed.

[That is our power. This power inspired the creation of Yin and Yang.]

Uuuuuuu!!

Soon, the Goddess Nüwa appeared at Fuxi’s side, and like Fuxi, the Five Elements Divine Jade also emerged in Nüwa’s palm. The paradox of having two Five Elements Divine Jades was possible for the two divine entities.

[We are direct descendants of the Creator God Pangu.]

[True guardians of order.]

Moments later, they simultaneously illuminated the Five Elements Divine Jades and proclaimed together.

[Chaos, return to the order of the primordial era!!]

Kuuuuuuuu

[Kreeeeeeeeaaah…!!]

The Emperor’s entire form seemed to blaze with intensity due to the combined assault of these two Sovereigns. The massive Taiji Ba Gua created by Fuxi enveloped the Emperor in an octagonal formation, while Nüwa’s moonlight endlessly split and erupted within.

This time, the Emperor truly seemed in grave danger, letting out spine-chilling screams.

‘Did we win!!’

I was inwardly exhilarated. Momentarily petrified by the Emperor’s previous advances, Fuxi’s return alongside Nüwa hinted at the resolution of this dire situation!

Yet, as I reveled in my joy, Fuxi’s voice echoed in my mind.

[Baek Woong. Something feels off.]

[Huh?]

[…We’re sealing him with the power of order, but that guy—]

The following words from Fuxi ignited an inexplicable sense of dread.

[‘Someone’ is calling out….]