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“The Soul of the Evil God…”

Woosh, woosh, woosh!!

As soon as Fuxi finished speaking, I felt a strange sensation of the Yin-Yang pattern being etched onto my forehead. For a moment, the resonating waves of the pattern calmed down, and even when I touched my forehead, it felt like nothing was there. But still, I could feel that something had been imprinted on my skin.

Moreover, I realized my clothes had transformed into those of the Jade Emperor, which I had only seen in legends. A somewhat extravagant, sky-blue silk robe!! Upon feeling the fabric, I realized it wasn’t just material but was woven from a special kind of energy!

“This is…!!”

“It’s the Jade Emperor’s Garment. It’s made from the finest materials in the Celestial Realm and is a treasure!”

“Isn’t the Jade Emperor merely the avatar of Yu and Shun? I didn’t think there was something like this…”

“Just because he’s an avatar doesn’t mean he can’t wear treasures. And when the avatars of Yu and Shun are absent, it was only right to have something symbolizing the authority of the Jade Emperor so that others wouldn’t suspect when the proxy Jade Emperor stood in.”

“……”

“It’s quite an item. At least among garment-type treasures, it would easily make it into the top three.”

Woosh!

“…It does seem that way.”

If Fuxi deemed it good, then the Jade Emperor’s Garment must belong to a higher class of treasures. I felt excitement at having acquired good armor, especially without the Yellow Dragon Demon God around. Plus, it felt weightless, making it comfortable to wear.

Unable to believe it, I asked Fuxi, “Am I really the Jade Emperor now?”

“Indeed. You’ve become the ruler of the Celestial Realm.”

At that moment, Mangnyang, who had been coughing up blood beside me, stood up with a pale face and approached me. He clasped my hands and remarked, “Now is not the time to be satisfied. You should also receive the position of the Wheel King…”

Suddenly anxious, I questioned Mangnyang, “Mangnyang, just to clarify, if you give me this power, you won’t, like, die or disappear, right?”

“……”

“Please answer me.”

Mangnyang gazed into my eyes without answering. There was a look of regret and resignation in his eyes. Finally, he slowly said, “You asked me when you first ascended to the Celestial Realm if I had been doing well…”

“I remember.”

“As I said then, I’ve been living as myself, as Mangnyang, not as Zhuge Hyun.”

“……?”

“I was destined to live like this from the start… Perhaps from the very day we first met…”

What could that mean?

What significance did it hold that he was mentioning ‘Mangnyang’ instead of ‘Zhuge Hyun’?

Then, suddenly, as if a blast had sounded, light erupted from Mangnyang’s body, and a golden-black energy flowed into me. I realized the golden-black aura was spreading continuously while Mangnyang’s form began to blur.

“……!!”

This was dangerous! If Mangnyang transferred all this power, he would definitely be in danger!

Yet, despite my utmost effort, I couldn’t let go of his hands, which remained still. Mangnyang’s calm voice cut through, “It’s no use. Even if your energy surges and you could flip over mountains… the power of the Wheel King, the ruler of the Underworld, won’t be swayed that easily.”

“Mangnyang!! You don’t have to go this far to help me! You could just use this power to assist me!”

“I have to… I haven’t handled this power for a long time. And this is my penance towards you. No matter what, the fact I betrayed you as a strategist is undeniable.”

“No, that…”

“Baek Woong…”

Shrouded in dark energies, Mangnyang’s face was hard to see. Only his jaw and mouth were visible, and from his tightly shut lips, I could read his complicated feelings. Moments later, his mouth opened to say, “There’s so much I want to say to you, but… heh… all I can say now is this.”

He let out a brief, hollow laugh before continuing, “Baek Woong. Just as I did… you too will have to live as yourself one day… Even if that happens, you cannot give up. This strength is… a gift for you.”

Fwoosh!

Moments later, Mangnyang’s form and the golden-black energy disappeared simultaneously. The Mangnyang that had been right in front of my eyes was nowhere to be found, and it felt so surreal that I blinked in disbelief.

“…Mangnyang?”

Gone.

Did Mangnyang truly just vanish?

With a thud, I sat down, unable to even process the strength I had newly obtained. I never imagined it would come to this!

‘Mangnyang… like this…’

Up until a second ago, I had thought of him as a betrayer, and I was indeed angry with him. But seeing him transfer his power to me and then disappear wiped that feeling away. Instead, I felt a regret reminiscent of what I saw in Mangnyang’s eyes earlier swell within me.

But was it really necessary for Mangnyang to completely disappear like this?

“No… this is…”

Just then, Fuxi, who had been casually smoking a cigarette while sitting on the railing, looked toward the distant misty mountains and said, “What’s it like seeing Mangnyang die several times as your past lives accumulate? Yet can your spirit still endure?”

Grill!

At that moment, I felt a surge of emotions and shot a glare at Fuxi. I clenched my teeth, strode over, and grabbed him by the collar.

“Shut your mouth.”

“Hmm. Did I sound cold-blooded?”

Fuxi stared at me with emotionless eyes while I gripped him. His gaze was so devoid of feeling that I froze. He looked human and spoke human words, but I could completely feel the divine nature that transcended humanity. No matter how well he understood humans, Fuxi was not one.

“……”

As I loosened my grip slightly, Fuxi continued to stare at me with those unfazed eyes and said, “Anyway, it’s impossible for you to see the closure of your past life this time. Live your life to the fullest like this, and when the 29th life begins, you’ll meet the 29th Mangnyang again. Would that not count as a reunion?”

“Don’t talk crazy. Just because I may meet a companion again doesn’t mean I’m not sad about dying this time!! It isn’t meaningless!!”

As I raised my voice, Fuxi replied, “The fact that it’s not meaningless is the problem. Up until the 28th, humanity remained intact, but what happens when more lives accumulate? If all those tragedies are meaningful, wouldn’t that be something closer to tragedy?”

“W-well…”

“You seem too human, to the point of being inhuman. Among all the humans I’ve seen, you’re the most bizarre… transcendental beings either develop a divine mentality or go insane, one or the other.”

While speaking unclear stuff, Fuxi continued, “First, get a grip. Put your sadness aside and listen carefully. What I’m about to say is far more important than the position of the Jade Emperor.”

“…Understood.”

I agreed, although the grief over losing Mangnyang surged within me. But I couldn’t afford to be absent-minded now. Outside, Guang Chengzi was still pressing Yuwa down with formidable power, so I needed to act quickly to resolve the situation.

Fuxi said, “Now you’ve finished the conquest of the tower and can say you’ve achieved your goal. So, what do you plan to do about the ‘Knot’?”

I jolted in surprise.

“How do you know about the Knot?”

Wasn’t he just stuck in this seal the whole time? Knowing about the recent knotting incident was shocking.

“Yuwa has been observing throughout all spacetime in the dual-star realm. Of course, she heard the conversations of your party, and I also know what Yuwa witnessed. There’s no need for you to explain the Knot to me.”

“Ah.”

“I misphrased my question. Let me rephrase: do you still think you will die tomorrow?”

“…I honestly don’t know.”

I answered truthfully.

“According to the prophecy of Eungui, I should die tomorrow, but in this knot I chose, I picked a mock battle with the Qilin instead of hearing Eungui’s prophecy. So I didn’t hear the prophecy and…”

“Quite right. So then, since you didn’t ‘hear’ the prophecy, could it mean you won’t die tomorrow?”

“I’m somewhat hopeful…”

In truth, I hope that’s the case. Although it’s said to be an unavoidable prophecy of death, maybe it’ll be nullified because I didn’t hear it? I hadn’t listened to that prophecy from the start, maybe the result wouldn’t apply?

Then Fuxi tapped his cigarette against the railing and spoke, “That’s not how prophecies work. The causes arise based on the outcomes, not the other way around. If the cause and effect were complementary in that way, it would be a curse from the start. But Eungui didn’t read it in that manner, just simply reading the inevitability of the outcome.”

“What you say is…”

“Such a flimsy method cannot avoid the cosmic prophecy. Isn’t it no different from a child plugging their ears to avoid hearing curses? Ignoring doesn’t erase the fact that a curse has been spoken.”

“……”

“It’s certain you will die tomorrow. Probably, there isn’t much time left.”

“Couldn’t I manipulate the time of this sealed realm to stretch it?”

“I lack the power for that now, moreover, making the interior spacetime precarious while the Guang Chengzi attacks is suicide. It would only burden Yuwa.”

Ugh…

I uttered a gloomy sigh, and Fuxi continued, “But… Mangnyang calculated all that immediately after discovering your knot. Hence, you can now choose whether to repeat the ‘Knot’ or not.”

“…What do you mean?”

At his unexpected statement, my eyes widened, and I looked at him. Fuxi spoke, “What position has been conferred to you now? The ruler of the Underworld.”

“Right…! Oh!”

Realizing something, Fuxi chuckled.

“The Underworld is the world that governs death. And being the ruler there means you’ve gained true immortality. No matter how death approaches you, you can’t end the ruler of death.”

“……!!”

“Be it coincidence or fate, Mangnyang’s plan has unfolded perfectly from beginning to end, as if he knew this would happen…”

In a strange tone, Fuxi spoke, “In any case, even if you’re about to meet death, you can use the power of the Wheel King to nullify that state of death. Conversely, if you desire, you can also comply with death and repeat the ‘Knot’. Do you now understand?”

“I understand.”

I replied with confidence. “I won’t repeat the Knot! After everything I’ve gone through to get this far… And.”

“There are probably constraints about the Knot itself. It may be that death comes because of the Knot.”

Fuxi looked at me with emotionless eyes and said, “So now you have one thing to do. You must go to the Underworld and revive the cycle of reincarnation as Mangnyang suggested. You will likely discover how to do that once you reach the throne of the Underworld.”

“Do I have to do it right now?”

“You must. Because if you don’t revive reincarnation, you cannot escape death.”

“…What? A moment ago, you said death would be nullified with the Wheel King’s power…”

What does this even mean?

As I gazed at Fuxi in confusion, he said, “The power of the ruler of the Underworld I just mentioned activates on the premise that the Underworld is functioning properly. So, you must evade Guang Chengzi’s siege attack and safely make your way to the Underworld. Only after reviving the cycle can you untangle the Knot.”

“……”

“This is probably the final hurdle. It will be the last threat to your life. Steady yourself.”

Of course!

Nothing in this world is simple!

Is there anything easy at all?

“Is it possible? If Guang Chengzi is such a powerful being, wouldn’t he be beyond even my power? What can I do…?”

You’ve got a bad habit. Do you rely on others the moment you hit a snag?”

No… but Fuxi, you’re probably wiser than I am… We don’t have time…”

Hmm.

Fuxi took a puff from his cigarette and stated, “You will need to activate the Jade Emperor’s garment and summon the Seven Treasures of the Wheel King. Then we will break through together.”

“Got it.”

Woosh!

I drew upon the power of the Jade Emperor’s garment, wrapping it around me, then summoned the Seven Treasures of the Wheel King.

The Seven Treasures.

This was a skill I had learned upon receiving it from Mangnyang, originally the seven spirits that composed the Underworld, but they had now formed into the shape of treasures for the Wheel King’s convenience. However, they weren’t treasures but each was a form of authority, something I didn’t yet fully grasp.

As the seven strange forms circled around me, I felt Mangnyang’s golden-black energy envelop my entire body. Simultaneously, my heart felt a strong jolt.

“Ugh…!!”

It hurt tremendously. As I winced from the severe pain, Fuxi said, “This is not a power you should use frequently. You possess the Jade Emperor’s authority, which mitigates the effects, but what’s piercing your heart right now is pure death energy itself.”

“What?! “

“That’s power originally unattainable by mortals. Only the Wheel King, born from death itself, could wield it naturally. Mangnyang managed to neutralize most of that death energy with his mastery of the Corpse Dissolution Technique, but ultimately, he could not endure it.”

“……”

“Even the power of the Jade Emperor cannot completely neutralize that. It governs the death of the universe. You must find a way to alleviate that power.”

“…Understood.”

It feels like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. After a short while, Fuxi flicked the ash from his cigarette and rose from his seat, announcing, “Then let’s go.”

Woosh, woosh, woosh!!

Thud!

Moments later, the misty landscape ahead completely vanished, leaving behind only a vast, dark sky. I found myself standing in a gigantic expanse covered in scales, and in front of me loomed what appeared to be two massive mountains.

‘What?!’

Where did Fuxi go?

Just as I pondered this, Fuxi’s voice echoed in my mind, [I have returned to my true self, and you are atop my head.]

“Huh!”

You mean to say those two gigantic mountains are Fuxi’s horns?!

As I was taken aback, Fuxi stated, [I will try to push through as much as possible, but I cannot block all of Guang Chengzi’s attacks. You need to use the Seven Treasures to fend off his assaults.]

“I will do my best!”

[Here I go.]

With that, Fuxi’s true form began to ascend. As the Great Dragon took flight, the entire dimension twisted and shattered, and before long, the spectacle of the vast universe and darkness unfolded before me. And in the forefront of the universe, Yuwa’s true form was emerging, engaged in battle with ‘something’.

‘Is that Guang Chengzi?!’

It looked completely different from what I’d seen in the past.

Just looking at him was enough to instill overwhelming dread in a mortal!

So that’s the real Guang Chengzi?!

Roar!

Boom!

From Yuwa’s palms, silver tridents launched at a blinding ‘something’, but the entity seemed to repel them with a barrage of nearly infinite starlight. The light seemed slow, but it was evident that each one was a powerful attack containing divine authority. Yuwa shouted with urgency, “You foul beast!! You can’t touch Fuxi!!”

Whirr!!

As Yuwa’s authority surged, a tremendous defensive barrier formed around me and Fuxi. At that moment, the ‘something’ bathed in bright lights appeared to smile.

[As the one who maintains order in the universe, I command that thy time be filled, great ruler.]

Crash –

Ugh….

[One of my finest techniques. No matter who you are, breaking through that will not be easy, Yuwa.]

“Just petty tricks.”

The moment that command was unleashed, Yuwa suddenly appeared to stiffen. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu from that sight and soon realized what was happening.

‘It’s just like the technique Guang Chengzi used to restrain the Queen Mother of the West!!’

Seeing it restrain the Queen Mother of the West back then had been awe-inspiring, but did it truly work on Yuwa’s true form?! Yuwa seemed to exert herself to break free, and as the light burst through the gap, it radiated aggression toward us.

[In the past, you were a great being. However, as of now, you are nothing more than a big dragon… so disappear into the cosmic dust!]

Roar!

As if a divine creature summoned the winds of the universe, an unfathomably massive barrage of starlight began to pour down. If every single gleaming beam had the power to annihilate heavens and earth, how could I defend against them? Especially with the Blessing of the Sky gone!

As despair gripped me, Fuxi cried, [Now is the time to use the Seven Treasures!]

“Let’s do this!”

Summoning the Seven Treasures, I yelled, “Seven Treasures, defend us!!”

Wooooosh!

As my shout echoed, countless wheels rose, beginning to block the incoming starlight. Following the path created by the wheels, Fuxi took great winged leaps, and as he accelerated beyond the speed of light, I noticed the surrounding scenery swirling like a light whirlwind.

Fwoosh!

Shortly after, I realized I was propelled away from Fuxi’s scales and had started soaring through the sky. In no time, the figures of both Fuxi and Yuwa, as well as Guang Chengzi, vanished without a trace. I floated in a space filled with pure light and waves, lost in thought for a while.

What now?

How am I supposed to reach the Underworld now?!

As I mulled over this, my body suddenly began to plummet rapidly toward the ground.

Thud!

“Cough…”

With a jolt, I crashed onto some rubble, wriggling under the shock. While it was intense, the impact seemed mitigated enough by the Jade Emperor’s garment. If I had hit it properly, no matter the Protection Energy Technique, I would have burst apart, so I considered myself lucky.

Gathering myself, I stood up and looked around in realization.

“I’ve arrived.”

The Underworld.

And I had fallen right into the Hall of Yama. Now, I just needed to cover about three hundred li more, and the room of the Wheel King would appear, where I’d advance the revival of the Underworld.

However, suddenly, I felt hundreds of auras around me. I quickly drew the Seven Luminaries and remained on guard, when moments later, numerous Yama Ghosts and Yama Divine Guardians slowly revealed themselves from the depths of the Hall.

Roar…

Woah….

The Yama Ghosts bore ominous weapons and the Yama Divine Guardians towered over me, easily surpassing three Zhang in height. There wasn’t just a few of them, as they multiplied more and more until it seemed like thousands were closing in.

Swallowing hard, I thought, ‘Damn… should I fight?’

Could I kill every single one with my strength? The Yama Ghosts were spiritual beings difficult for even higher-grade warriors in the human realm to contend with. If thousands of them swarmed in, the likelihood of exhausting my energy would skyrocket. Just as I prepared mentally, something unprecedented occurred.

With a sudden thud, the Yama Ghosts near me simultaneously bowed their heads and knelt. Following suit, the Yama Divine Guardians behind them also dropped to their knees and loudly proclaimed, [Long live the Great King!!]

[Long live the Great King!!]

This chant echoed like a tidal wave, prompting thousands of Yama Ghosts and Yama Divine Guardians to begin bowing toward me with fervor.

[Long live the Great King!!!]

Finally, the sight of thousands of Yama Kingdom soldiers and commanders kneeling, filling the very horizon, imprinted itself onto my mind.

At that moment, I realized.

‘Ah, so that’s it.’

They had been waiting for thousands of years for the Wheel King, the ruler of the Underworld!

 

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