1264——————==

Soul of the Evil God

Boom, boom

I tasked Lee Kwang, Lan, and Chal with casting their abilities a whopping ten thousand times each, while contemplating what to do next.

“Hmm! Now that I think about it, there are still some people I haven’t brought along yet…”

I had swiftly gathered those in immediate need to Soeul Village, but a few notable acquaintances from my past popped into my mind. Pondering what to do, I decided to let my hair down and take it easy.

“…Ugh, I just want to live comfortably now.”

Ironically, the more I tried to live lazily, the more work piled up. Working any further would just add to my worries. So, I resolved to chill for the time being.

Before the arrival of the Master of the Divine Maiden Sect, I decided to teach the basics to Yeon Jong-hwi, Tang San, and Sagong Lin, who had newly joined the Thunder God Lineage a few days ago. I could’ve sent Lee Kwang or Jin So-cheong, but it seemed like too much of a hassle, so I figured I’d start teaching as a way to stretch a bit.

“Lord Baek Woong, what should the young girl do in this village?”

Miho asked me in a soft voice while we were at it. I scratched my chin and replied to her.

“How about we learn some Thunder God martial arts together?”

“As you know, I’m a Great Demon, so even if I learn human martial arts, it won’t be that useful for me. It’s tough for me to achieve greatness…”

“Hmm…”

Now that I thought about it, Miho had never really practiced martial arts.

‘Well, youkai primarily utilize demon power, so their style is quite different from human martial arts… I might have heard something about that while learning her techniques on how to control demon energy.’

Youkai were, after all, half spirit and half reflection, meaning they could learn martial arts in theory, but the operation of demon energy, as opposed to internal energy, made mastering martial arts exceedingly difficult. Demon energy moves instinctively, while qi must adhere to set rules— a stark difference. Jecheon Dae-seong, as a former Evil Demon King, being at the peak of both powers, was truly a rarity.

Recalling that fact, I pondered what Miho should do and suddenly came up with an idea. I took out the statue of Jeon Wook from the wooden armor and handed it to Miho.

“Miho, starting today, meditate with this statue in hand. I’ll teach you breathing techniques, so focus on absorbing power during times of strong demonic energy.”

“…What about this statue?”

“It’s a statue imbued with some of Jeon Wook’s spirit power.”

“Ah!”

“Just by absorbing the divine power within this, your strength will significantly increase. After a few years of effort, you’ll manage to absorb it.”

Miho’s face lit up with joy.

“I’ll work hard to train!”

“Good…”

I smiled wryly. Truth be told, this was a training method I’d learned from Cheon Woo-jin while seeking guidance to master demonic spirit energy. It was funny how this turned out to be the most suitable method for training a Great Demon and how it eventually fell into Miho’s hands.

Then I approached Gum Cheon-jae, who had been working like Mangnyang’s subordinate.

“Gum Cheon-jae, you should join in on martial arts training whenever you can.”

“Ugh, I really can’t fight…”

“Quit whining.”

I also forced Gum Cheon-jae to get used to the Thunder God martial arts. Anyway, with this life seemingly going smoothly, I couldn’t just let him die from age or illness. If I wanted him to continue working for me, he needed to become healthier through martial arts training.

Once everything was set, the next day, I pulled out plenty of Black and White Lotus and gathered the people around.

“Alright, everyone! Eat up this Black and White Lotus!!”

“Village Chief, are you really okay with this? This Black and White Lotus is a precious spiritual pill—once eaten, it becomes an irreversible treasure…”

Mangnyang seemed worried about losing such a rare item, but I just smiled and replied.

“Don’t worry. We can always get more later!”

“Huh?!”

“Don’t worry; you should have a root too.”

Soon, a rare group tasting of the Black and White Lotus took place. Jin So-cheong, Lee Kwang, and almost every important person I had brought into the village devoured it, consuming more than half of the Black and White Lotus stock in one go. Even Master Hyuncheon and Gum Cheon-jae got their fill of it.

While managing their energy so they could handle the power of the Black and White Lotus, they all gained decades’ worth of internal power in a single gulp.

Crrr

“Aaah.”

“T-that’s an incredible boost in internal power!”

Yun Guang and Lee Ji-pyeong, the instructors of the Thunder God lineage, were moved to tears over their newfound skills. Moreover, Yeon Jong-hwi seemed so overjoyed he even bowed to me.

“Thank you… thank you….”

Even Lee Kwang, who had seemed quite displeased with me until now, looked at me with an unusual expression and said,

“Master, your greatness is astonishing.”

“Haha! Lee Kwang, you’ve been using a lot of energy lately, so this Black and White Lotus will help restore you greatly.”

“Thank you.”

“Hehehe…”

I wore a smug grin.

‘Don’t get too carried away, Lee Kwang…’

All I did was help you build your basic stamina and qi so you could reach a hundred thousand casts…!!

While everyone was celebrating, Mangnyang approached me and said.

“Is there really a way to recharge such precious pills? Precious pills don’t hold their value for no reason. Black and White Lotus is definitely the kind of pill that would cause bloodshed among hundreds of Jianghu folks. And yet you consumed it all at once… It’s hard to bear unless it’s from the White Lotus Sect itself.”

I felt pleased with Mangnyang’s words and replied.

“Heh, have you heard of something called ‘Soil of Life’?”

“…? Are you referring to the ancient tale about how, during the Great Flood, the Flood King made earth to fill the flooded area?”

Just as I expected, he grasped what I was saying right away. I nodded and replied.

“Yes, that legendary soil does indeed exist. It’s found in Mount Huang.”

“……!!”

“The very basin where I brought the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and Black and White Lotus. That soil will be rich in the desired properties, and if we cultivate pills from the spiritual herb here in Soeul Village…”

As I shared the knowledge I had acquired in my previous life, Mangnyang appeared immensely impressed.

“Hoh… If that’s true, we need to get that soil immediately! When the Master of Divine Maiden Sect arrives, I’ll store it well, so make haste.”

“Understood.”

“Gather some strong workers among those currently renovating the village.”

I loaded the people who would help with the soil into the wooden armor and headed toward the basin where the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and Black and White Lotus had grown. I even drained all the water from the pond where the Black and White Lotus was growing, collecting the mud beneath it into bags. When we returned, we stacked up over fifty bags of soil in the village.

Mangnyang inspected each bag of soil closely, tilting his head.

“Hmm… Not all of these bags have strong spiritual energy. The potency must differ with each batch.”

Perhaps due to his training in the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate, Mangnyang seemed to have developed a discerning eye for spiritual energy.

“Is that so…?”

“We need to categorize the quality of spiritual energy and set up a secret location for cultivating pills. You’ll be making that decision.”

“Me?”

Then Mangnyang leaned in closer and whispered,

“If the people who tasted Black and White Lotus find out the location of the herb-farming spot, it’s guaranteed they’ll try to sneak some. We should cultivate it in a location only you know.”

Oh…

That was a detail I hadn’t considered, and it made sense. I thought about where would be best to grow it, but it was clear this area was set to be expanded into a bustling village, making it not ideal for secrecy. The original location of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng’s hidden area was also no good as the villagers were aware of it now, which posed a risk to keeping it hidden.

‘But if it’s too far, managing it would become cumbersome… What to do?’

Ultimately, unable to determine the location, I sought advice from Mangnyang, who suddenly said.

“Why not get permission from your master and cultivate it in his village? That seems like the best option.”

“Huh! Really?”

“If necessary, I can accompany you.”

“Th-thank you.”

Together with Mangnyang, I headed to the village of Master Mangnyang. Upon seeing us, Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Older Brother! You’re with him?!”

“It turned out that way. I plan to assist the village chief of Soeul Village from now on.”

“……”

“Master! I wish to cultivate the Soil of Life in this village to grow spiritual herbs, please give your approval.”

When Mangnyang shouted, Master Mangnyang’s voice soon echoed back.

[Go ahead and do so.]

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin appeared more bewildered than ever.

“What in the world is happening here?”

“Priest, why don’t you come over to Soeul Village too? It’s the perfect place for farming.”

“Damn it…! No way!! Older Brother, be careful around that crook!”

“Haha. It might be nice to collaborate with someone who can fool the world.”

“……”

Eventually, I started creating a large field on the outskirts of the village, sowing the Soil of Life, then constructing a pond to allow Black and White Lotus to grow. After extracting the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, Mangnyang buried it in the most spiritually potent area and said,

“Baek Woong, when spirit creatures gather, they bolster each other’s energy. So from here on out, when you obtain more spirit creatures or spiritual herbs, it would be wise to collect them all here.”

“Understood.”

Ming seems happy and I returned. Days later, the Master of the Divine Maiden Sect arrived, bringing with him a map detailing the location of the Eight Demons of Martial Daos and the interior structure of where their leaders resided.

I clenched the paper tightly and said,

“Looks like it’s time to figure out where to take down the Eight Demons!”

Actually, among them, the Sword Demon from Shadowless Sect is my ally, so he’s not a target. The leader of the Divine Maiden Sect, the Shadow Demon, also provided crucial information, so I wouldn’t want to attack him either. It’d end up being the Six Demons of Martial Dao that I’d need to subdue.

‘Let’s see… who do we have here?’

Tuma of the Shura Sect.

Blood Demon of the Blood Demon Clan.

Earth Demon of the Gate of Heaven and Earth.

Madness Demon of the Madness Union.

Black Horse of the Black Night Gate.

Poison Demon of the Wan Poison Gate.

All of them are Peak Experts representing the Black Dao and were leaders of the Eight Demons of Martial Daos. With my previous life experience, I already knew two noteworthy ones among them—Tuma and the Black Horse.

‘Tuma is a subordinate of the Wind Spirit Sect, and he’s undergone transformation surgery to become a Dragon Person. His physical abilities have skyrocketed, making him far stronger than an ordinary Peak Expert. Black Horse, on the other hand, is exceedingly cautious and adept at escaping, so if I’m not careful, I might easily lose track of him…’

Even though Tuma’s transformation makes him the strongest of the six, I need to keep that in mind, and I have to take care to avoid letting Black Horse escape given his skills. I thought deeply and made up my mind.

“Alright! Let’s catch the Black Horse first.”

Even though Tuma is tough, I’m confident I can take him down now. However, if I spend my time tackling the other demons and Black Horse catches wind and runs, it would just be a hassle. Right now, the enemy may be strong, but it’s just a few flies to swat away, so preventing his escape is my priority.

‘I need some backup.’

I knew that if I went after Black Horse alone, I might be tricked by his crafty escape tactics. So, I decided to bring along Yeon Jong-hwi and Jin So-cheong, who would serve as worthy allies, and we’d head to the Shadowless Sect to request assistance from the Sword Demon.

The Sword Demon readily agreed.

“I’ve always felt disdain for Black Horse. If we’re hunting him, I’d be more than happy to help.”

“Thanks.”

The four of us then set off toward the Black Horse’s stronghold. It was, of course, the place I had visited before—inside Anhui Province. As we penetrated deeper, we gradually began to see Black Horse’s hideout. Since I had been there before, I channeled my internal power into a secret passage responding to my qi.

Rumble

“No! How did you know there was a secret passage here?”

“Just a hunch…”

I wasn’t keen on letting them know I had been there before. As we entered the secret space, Black Horse, who had been hiding, attempted to flee.

“Gotcha!!”

Thrust!

Jin So-cheong bellowed, charging at Black Horse. Black Horse swung his short sword to shake off Jin So-cheong, but he quickly jabbed at Black Horse’s heart with Chal’s technique, making him roll in shock.

Whoosh!

“Ugh!”

“You’re gonna feel my fierce internal power now!”

As Yeon Jong-hwi unleashed a super-speed arrow to intercept Black Horse’s escape route, he found himself unable to move any further. The Sword Demon stepped up with an aura that suppressed Black Horse, who was starting to sweat bullets—realizing he couldn’t break through this encirclement.

Caught between two rocks and a hard place, Black Horse appeared quite flustered.

“W-who are you? Why are you attacking me?”

I stepped forward and declared.

“Black Horse, do you have contact with the Old Sage of Mount Tai?”

“……”

Black Horse clenched his jaw tightly, visibly tense. I looked down at him, maintaining my gaze.

“Whether you do or not is irrelevant. From now on, I’m taking control of the Eight Demons of Martial Daos and you will provide information to me from this point onward.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Need I share my name with a scumbag like you who’s been taking lives for decades?”

“Gnngh. You’ll regret this.”

“Hmph.”

I sneered and nodded to signal the peak experts surrounding Black Horse, and they all surged forth in unison to pin him down. With him unable to withstand even one of Yeon Jong-hwi’s strikes, he couldn’t last more than three seconds against our joint assault before we subdued him thoroughly.

Placing my hand on the kneeling Black Horse’s head, I initiated the Soul Exchange Technique.

Soul Exchange Technique

Soul Steal

Boom

As I utilized the technique, I felt his soul being drawn into mine. This meant I would now be able to manipulate Black Horse’s life and death.

‘It’s a vicious technique usually reserved for humans, but he’s just a mercenary who’s spent decades living through murder. He’s the scum of the world; using this technique on him and the other Eight Demons of Martial Daos shouldn’t be a problem.’

Besides, all the other Eight Demons embody the essence of evil, and many have committed even worse atrocities than Black Horse.

“Now, watch.”

Swish

To intimidate him further, I used the Soul Exchange Technique to raise my arm. Black Horse’s arm mirrored my movement, and as he went wide-eyed in shock, I began moving my limbs freely, forcing him to mimic me against his will.

It was clear he had caught on to something.

“I-it can’t be, this is the Soul Exchange Technique…!! Are you… a heretic?!”

“Huh? You know the Soul Exchange Technique?”

As his face drained of color, Black Horse trembled and shed tears.

“I had heard rumors, but I never thought anyone would actually wield it… could you be… the infamous Lord of Jangryeong Valley Zhuge Sa?!”

“……”

“Please kill me… I heard if one falls into Zhuge Sa’s grasp, it’s better to die…”

“……”

What the hell has Zhuge Sa been up to in the dark corners of the world?

Black Horse quivering at just the mention of Zhuge Sa’s name…

‘If that’s how it is, I might as well borrow that name for my plans.’

Caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, I decided to embrace the name of Zhuge Sa.

“Haha, indeed! I am Zhuge Sa! If you oppose me, you’ll meet your end by the Soul Exchange Technique! From now on, you are to pledge your loyalty to me.”

“Understood.”

“Good. And send the Assassination Squad Leader to Soeul Village as a hostage. Do you understand?”

“Yes? …Understood.”

Now that I had Black Horse’s soul in my grasp, even if he tried to betray me, I could manipulate him to pay the price for it.

Having subdued Black Horse, I prepared to move on to the other Eight Demons of Martial Daos.

“Kreek!”

Boom

“Ugh!”

Boom

As the others fell into chaos, the remaining Eight Demons, including Tuma and Blood Demon, stood no chance against our four-man assault when we stormed into their base. They couldn’t even fight back as I fell one by one to the Soul Exchange Technique, bringing them to their knees.

Though I swiftly subdued five of them, I hesitated about tackling Tuma. While pondering this in the outskirts of Luoyang, the Sword Demon asked.

“Village Chief, what troubles you?”

“Well… Tuma of the Shura Sect uses the abandoned Dragon Cloud Palace as his base. Although it’s on the outskirts, it’s near Luoyang, and strange things are happening there right now. I’m worried about getting caught up in the mess.”

“That seems a bit trivial. What’s the real concern?”

Seeing how the Sword Demon could read me like a book, I fidgeted.

“That bastard Tuma is a subordinate of the Wind Spirit Sect. I’m worried if we touch him, the Wind Spirit Sect and, by extension, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, may take notice of our actions.”

“Hmm… That’s a reasonable concern.”

“Sword Demon, is there a way to minimize the consequences?”

“I’d like to know more about the situation. Would you share your experiences with the White Lotus Sect with me?”

“Well… I did defeat Yong Jun-il recently…”

Upon recounting my encounter with Yong Jun-il, the Sword Demon’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed.

“I have a simple strategy.”

Then, following the Sword Demon’s plan, we made our way to the Dragon Cloud Palace, swiftly surrounding Tuma. One by one, his subordinates fell, and with Tuma’s escape route blocked, he bellowed angrily at me.

“Who are you?! Who dares to attack us?!”

“Tuma, haven’t you heard who recently defeated Yong Jun-il?”

When I prompted him, his eyes widened in shock.

“Y-you can’t be…!”

Seeing Tuma’s surprise as I transformed into the elderly Taoist’s visage left him petrified.

“Are you the Master of the Wudang Sect, Hyuncheon Dae-in?!”

“……”

“Master of the Wudang Sect?! Did defeating Yong Jun-il elevate my name to such a level?”

How highly must they regard Yong Jun-il to elevate my standing so?

I laughed heartily, saying,

“Ha ha! You’ve been vilifying the world of Jianghu with your actions, and the Shura Sect has been utilizing this Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament as a sinister gambling arena. Now I’ll subdue you and ensure you can never wreak havoc again.”

“Don’t be absurd!! Do you really think a Wudang Sect member even knows who stands behind me?”

My annoyance peaked, and I snapped back.

“Hmph. How many are left? At most, just the Wind Spirit Sect, right? Is boasting about sucking on the toes of Longbi mountain still a brag?”

“……”

Tuma stared blankly, and as he grew flustered, he shouted in disbelief.

“Y-you dare provoke me knowing the Wind Spirit Sect is behind me?! Is the Wudang Sect trying to stand against the White Lotus Sect?”

“The Wudang Sect is irrelevant. This is my personal quest for justice!”

“You scoundrel! I’ll show you my true power…!!”

Roar

[Waaaah!!]

Tuma transformed, towering in size as he let out a deafening roar. Gazing at his transformed state and power, I couldn’t help but think it was all rather underwhelming.

‘I remember him seeming so much stronger before—he really wasn’t that impressive… maybe I’ve just seen too many strong beings that my standards have been skewed.’

The colossal monsters I saw from the Celestial Realm Tower, or the Demon Kings and Evil Deities, made Tuma look rather cute in comparison. Lost in that thought, I turned to Jin So-cheong and Yeon Jong-hwi.

“You two assist the Sword Demon and try to take down that behemoth.”

“Are you not intervening directly?”

“It’s an opportunity for real combat experience. That fellow should serve as good practice. I’ll step in if things get dicey.”

“Understood.”

In the next moment, Tuma charged at us with immense speed. The Sword Demon was the first to react, creating a barrier with his Shadowless Sword Technique. However, the sheer force of Tuma’s strike pushed the Sword Demon back significantly. To assist him, Jin So-cheong launched a counterattack, and from a bit of distance, Yeon Jong-hwi fired a qi-infused arrow for suppression.

Boom! Boom!!

[Waaah! Argh!]

On the battlefield, the three of us kept a balanced fight. While Tuma’s raw combat strength was overwhelming, making it difficult for us to land a decisive blow, his excellent reflexes allowed him to evade our coordinated efforts—leaving us at a stalemate.

Watching from the sidelines, I contemplated,

‘It’s truly hard for human martial arts to compete against an otherworldly being’s physical prowess. Even for a Peak Expert, one needs to possess beyond top-tier mind control to rival them…’

At this point, it felt like we had gained enough real combat experience. Just as I prepared to join in, an unexpected turn of events unfolded.

“Haah!”

Yeon Jong-hwi let out a piercing battle cry. Immediately, his spear ceased its numerous transitions and moved with only one single, straightforward trajectory, effortlessly exploiting Tuma’s opening and stabbing deep.

With a “thunk,” the thrust hit Tuma’s scales but only penetrated a bit. In his fury, Tuma swung his claws at Jin So-cheong, aiming to tear him apart, but with a swift maneuver, Jin So-cheong disappeared, leaving only an afterimage.

I was astounded watching.

‘He perfectly read Tuma’s speed and executed the Body Shift Technique?!’

Executing the Body Shift Technique at Yeon Jong-hwi’s current martial level seemed natural, but considering Tuma’s explosive speed, him doing so meant he had fully grasped not only Tuma’s movements but had anticipated his next move perfectly.

Before I could recover from my astonishment, Jin So-cheong appeared behind Tuma’s head, twisting his spear to deliver the heart-stopping strike.

The Unconscious State

That rotation embodied destruction that tremendously exceeded anything Jin So-cheong had executed before. The previous lapses in Jin So-cheong’s spearwork were totally obliterated.

Boom!

Blood splattered everywhere as Tuma’s head flew off, ending the fight. The perfect series of movements crushed him utterly—he was beyond saving, even with his transformation.

“……”

“Gasp, gasp…”

I was still in shock when Jin So-cheong wiped the sweat off his chin, shining brightly.

“Master! I think I just reached an epiphany.”

“……”

“It was a valuable real-world experience. Thank you!”

Only after a long moment did I regain my senses and hurriedly exclaimed.

“…G-great job Jin So-cheong! But as I mentioned before, you are forbidden from training, understand?!”

“Yes!! I’ll only meditate.”

In a panic, I raised my voice.

“No meditation either!!”

“Huh?”

“……”

That was a big mistake.

Giving him even a single opportunity for a combat experience prompted him to awaken something within him—that’s true for prodigies, maybe even ordinary ones. But Jin So-cheong’s case was different—if it turned into a life-or-death fight, he would inevitably come out more formidable.

Who would even believe someone gains enlightenment in martial arts after just one fight?

‘Damn…’

I acknowledged there was another task ahead of me in this life.

I needed to regulate Jin So-cheong’s growth without being unfair, using legitimate means to match my taste.