1235——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Empress Wu Zetian replied coldly.

[What kind of demand can you make after being defeated? I seem to remember you saying you’d take responsibility for that defeat, didn’t you?]

At her words, Asura grinned.

[As a price for healing, I, Asura, will guard your palace for a thousand years with all my power. How’s that? A generous mercenary contract, if I do say so myself.]

[…….]

[I don’t want to argue any longer. Accept it or don’t.]

Empress Wu paused for a moment, then nodded.

[Alright…]

[Wait……!! Don’t just do as you please!!]

With a whoosh, Gin Nara transformed into his true form and seemed to protest vigorously. However, I didn’t have the energy to watch their argument to the end, and slowly felt myself fading away against my will.

‘Ugh…. I can’t breathe….’

Has my heart burst? That thought finished me off and I lost consciousness.

The smell of blood.

A horrible stench permeated the air. I should have felt dizzy from the smell of blood, but strangely, I found this stench all too familiar. I began to walk aimlessly along the blood-stained path and soon encountered someone.

[Did you come?]

The figure seemed to turn toward me as if waiting.

[As I suspected. That person was dragging you outside the cycle through a dream. Are you really a Reborn Person who has seen the end….]

An unknown figure spoke.

Wait… is it truly a phantom? I couldn’t see what they looked like due to the cloak covering them. However, the bat-like wings spread behind him made it clear he was no ordinary human.

[It’s been a long time, Reborn Person.]

The phantom stood in the middle of the blood path, blocking my way, and began to approach.

Step… step…

A moment later, the phantom stretched out a grotesque hand to seize my head, but suddenly there was a flash of lightning.

Crackle!!

Startled by the lightning, the phantom hesitated, and I noticed a small girl’s apparition flickering before my eyes. The phantom saw the apparition and quickly turned away.

[I have given you the invitation. I will wait for the day you come of your own accord….]

As the phantom disappeared, I reached out towards the girl’s apparition.

You….

But the apparition couldn’t be touched, and only a voice filled with resentment began to scatter into silver.

[I will not forgive you.]

“……Huh!!”

“Are you awake?”

When I opened my eyes, I saw a strange ceiling.

Have my sight returned?

I squinted and looked toward the source of the voice and, as expected, there was Asura.

“Asura!!”

“Why are you yelling? Just take this.”

Thud!

Asura quickly threw something to me, and I reflexively caught it. Looking at the weapon that had coiled into my hand, I murmured.

“Wu Knife.”

“It’s an empty shell.”

“…What?”

As I questioned, Asura explained dryly.

“The Demon King inside ran off as soon as you came to the mortal world. I didn’t bother fighting him since he was a pain.”

“……!!”

The Demon King Gon fled!

I found this troubling, but I pushed the thought aside for now. In any case, it was fortunate that I had saved my own life. I checked my body with Qi Techniques and it seemed that my ruptured organs had been healed. They weren’t completely healed, but significantly better, so I turned to Asura.

“Thank you. So, am I in the mortal realm?”

“Yep. Empress Wu said her palace, Dark Heaven Village, wasn’t good for healing with its abundant magic, so she sent you to the Thousand Yuan Room. Your companions borrowed the will of that person, Sangwan Hyuk, for your recovery.”

“Sangwan Clan, huh….”

Now that I thought about it, it must be the famed Sangwan Hyuk, the most skilled healer of the Eight Immortals of China. Relieved to be alive and back in the human realm, I realized something and said.

“…Huh? What do you mean, ‘as your companions said’?”

“They said something about a Soul Exchange Technique, allowing us to control each other’s bodies. As soon as you were brought here, there was someone using your mouth to talk to me, and I just did what they said.”

“…….”

“It was quite fascinating to watch you perform emergency surgery on yourself and transplant your own organs. Since it wasn’t your body, I guess you didn’t feel any pain?”

I muttered, exhausted.

“…No, if we exchanged using the Soul Exchange Technique, I should have felt the pain. It’s just that he was too insane to feel anything beyond pain.”

No doubt it was Zhuge Sa.

After going there and going missing, he probably waited for me to appear again before using the Soul Exchange Technique to perform an emergency rescue.

I quickly tried to connect mentally with Zhuge Sa through the Soul Exchange Technique.

[Zhuge Sa! Can you hear me?]

But there was no response. In fact, the usual feeling of the counterpart’s aura was completely absent, which made me uneasy. I quickly realized I needed to hurry to Zhuge Sa.

“Damn it…. Asura! It’s true that my companion has become one, right?”

“We made a promise.”

“It seems like the situation is a bit dire right now, so I need something from you.”

“What kind of request?”

“Um…. Oh, crap!”

As I reached in my pocket for my wooden armor, realizing it was missing, I shouted out to Sangwan Hyuk.

“Sangwan Hyuk!! Where’s my wooden armor!”

Moments later, Sangwan Hyuk rushed over and handed me the armor.

“Here it is.”

“You didn’t touch what’s inside, right?”

“Of course not….”

“Hey, how long has it been since we last met?”

“…It’s been a year and three months….”

“Is that monster still rampaging?”

“He’s still facing off against Yacha. The White Lotus Sect is keeping an eye out since there haven’t been any major changes….”

A year and three months, huh.

If what he said is true, it seems I managed to return just before anything major happened in reality due to my haste.

‘Damn it. I should be able to trust that guy….’

I looked at Sangwan Hyuk with suspicious eyes and took out the obsidian from the wooden armor, pouring my memories into it. The obsidian filled up with memories as magical energy began to flow through it, and Asura’s eyes lit up at the sight of the obsidian.

“That’s quite a bit of magical power.”

“Really? Anyway, this is an obsidian meant for transmitting memories. Do you want to receive all of my memories?”

“Sure.”

“You don’t have any doubts?”

As I asked, Asura grinned.

“The only beings capable of piercing through my magical resistance to curse me are the Old Rulers. If you were trying to pull a fast one, I’d just kill you on the spot.”

“…Ah, I see.”

Trust and confidence seem to come from his overwhelming arrogance regarding his power. Since I’ve never met someone who wouldn’t refuse the obsidian for this reason, I couldn’t help but be impressed as I handed it over to Asura.

Whoosh!!

“……!!”

Asura’s expression turned into one of shock as he processed all the memories. He stared at me in disbelief and said.

“You…. really….”

“The rest, let’s talk about outside.”

“Alright.”

Since discussing memories in a place where Sangwan Hyuk could overhear could be inappropriate, I went outside with Asura. We began to leap toward Jangryeong Valley, where Zhuge Sa was located, using divine techniques.

Bam bam bam

“Ugh.”

I felt a tightening in my stomach and a sharp pain, making me feel like I wanted to die. Given the nosebleed, it was clear my internal injuries had recurred.

“Ugh.”

I ended up coughing up blood, spitting a gob of it onto the side of the road. It seemed like my insides tore apart again.

Although I barely managed to save the organs that were almost fully ruptured, such severe injuries certainly wouldn’t heal in a short time. I was still in critical condition, and using light body techniques like this was risking my life.

But it couldn’t be helped. I had to confirm as soon as possible if something had gone wrong with Zhuge Sa. Seeing the anxious expression on my face, Asura, running beside me, spoke.

“I can’t believe it. A Reborn Person really exists.”

“You probably know it from the memories you received, but in my previous life, I learned from you. That’s why I could handle you relatively easily.”

“I see.”

Asura, nodding in understanding, said,

“Considering the light body technique, it shouldn’t take long to reach Jangryeong Valley, but at this pace, you’ll faint before that. Let me carry you.”

“Huh?”

Whoosh

In the next moment, Asura transformed into his true form, and his wings spread wide behind him as he said.

[Hold on tight.]

“Thanks.”

Whoosh—

I climbed onto Asura’s back and said,

“But don’t Demon Kings get restricted by the law of cause and effect when changing like this?”

[Sometimes they do get caught in restrictions like a last-minute pull-up, but it varies based on the situation. And as long as I don’t heavily interfere with other beings, it doesn’t matter much.]

Tydat

Moments later, Asura and I arrived at Jangryeong Valley. Asura transformed back into human form, and I quickly rushed inside Jangryeong Valley, shouting loudly.

“Zhuge Sa!! Where are you!!”

The Soul Exchange Technique being cut off was not a usual occurrence. While Zhuge Sa might have been playing around with me, he wasn’t the type to joke around. Naturally, this situation indicated something must be wrong with Zhuge Sa, the wielder of the Soul Exchange Technique.

‘He’s not dead. If he were dead, the connection of the Soul Exchange Technique would have vanished. Since it hasn’t, he’s probably being suppressed by someone….’

Just when I was desperately trying to think it through.

“Just as Lady Tian Xuan said. Those controlling the Heretical Sect would show up here, and it seems I’ve met one face to face.”

“…….”

“You scoundrel. Reveal your identity!”

Hissssss

In the next moment, mysterious voices sounded, and figures appeared all around. I instantly recognized the techniques they were using from my previous lessons in martial arts.

‘Not exactly sure, but isn’t this a combination of Stealth Technique and the Eight Directions Formation….’

There were about thirty of them, and it seemed they had set up a formation beforehand and were waiting. All of them appeared to be middle-aged or older, with quite a few old men among them.

Glancing at their faces, I realized these were Taoists I had never seen before. And all of them were dressed in a unified robe belonging to a specific sect.

Knowing which sect their robes belonged to, I responded to the one who had spoken to me.

“Aren’t you from the Kunlun Sect?”

As one of the prestigious orthodox sects based in Mount Kunlun, they were a powerful Taoist faction. I had encountered many figures from the Kunlun Sect throughout my life, so I was well aware of their details. Then, the old man at the front raised his voice with a commanding tone, aiming the ancient Pine Pattern Sword at me.

“You seem to have suffered internal injuries. However, an evil scoundrel from the Heretical Sect can’t be spared!”

“…I came looking for the Lord of Jangryeong Valley. Where is he?”

“Do you really think I would tell you? I’ll just defeat you and send you straight to the Celestial Realm.”

The old Taoist snorted and raised his sword, shouting.

“Spin around with the Heavenly Authority Formation, Yu Hang!!”

Whoosh

The next moment, the old man and the thirty Taoists vanished simultaneously, as if engulfed by an overwhelming mist, making it impossible to see an inch ahead. I quickly figured out this was a type of Illusion Fog that hypnotized the senses to suppress the opponent.

I activated the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, looking towards Asura, who smiled and said.

“Do you really want to deal with these small fries? They wouldn’t even know how to recognize their place and deserve to die.”

Crap. Asura seems to be ready to kill them….

I said to Asura,

“Not that. Act a bit weaker.”

“Hmm?”

“Let whoever commands them show up. If we wipe them all out in one go, they’ll be too scared to appear.”

“Oh, I see. Sure.”

“Let’s get started.”

Bam bam bam

Asura and I activated our divine techniques and approached the Taoists forming the center of the formation, piercing through their bloodlines. In the blink of an eye, over half of them found themselves immobilized with their eyes wide open, while the old man seemed oblivious, still trying to unfold the formation.

Bam

“…….”

I stood before the stunned old Taoist, having subdued his entire body, and said,

“Phew…. Stronger than I imagined…. Is this really the Kunlun Sect that used to be weak? Your energy has been completely drained.”

“Y-You monster….”

“Still, I won’t give up until the very end. Come at me, Kunlun Sect!!”

“…….”

This ought to make for a suitable performance of weakness, right?

I waited with anticipation for them to charge at us, but oddly, nothing happened. When I looked dumbfounded, Asura spoke beside me.

“Now that I think about it, not killing them and just sealing their bloodlines makes it look much stronger….”

“…….”

You could’ve mentioned that sooner….

‘Damn it. Should I just use the Soul Exchange Technique?’

I originally didn’t want to use it on a human, but since Zhuge Sa’s life is at stake, I had no choice. As I was about to use the Soul Exchange Technique on the old man before me.

[That’s as far as you go.]

The gazes of Asura and I turned towards the five figures that appeared alongside the Divine Five-Colored Cloud.

Five people stood there, and I recognized each of their faces.

I stared at the one at the front, widening my eyes.

‘No way?’

And sure enough, an unseen sword energy shot toward me, attempting to constrain me.

[You who have stirred the Blood Catastrophe will be taken to the Celestial Realm.]

The Sword Saint Yeodong-bin led the Five Immortals of China, standing before me.