1298——————==

Soul of the Evil God

There I was, partying it up with Celestial Sage, Asura, and three other pals, drinking and dancing. I sang every song I could think of, while the Sage teased me about my singing, but he was still having a blast. Asura chimed in, saying the drinks weren’t half bad.

Just as we were running low on booze, the Celestial Sage opened his bleary eyes and spoke.

“…Hehe, I heard I was summoned because I’m a dangerous character in the Celestial Realm. If you’re treating me this lavishly, I bet you want something from me, right…?”

“…….”

His words reminded me of the awkward vibe from earlier.

Normally, when summoned, the Sage would happily receive the offerings from the altar, but earlier he’d acted a bit off.

‘So the Celestial Sage knows I’ve been marked as a dangerous character. He figured it out the moment he was summoned.’

Given the Overlay Technique, it wouldn’t be strange if he always held the position of first to face danger on behalf of the Celestial Realm. Instead of panicking, I smiled and raised the bottle.

“Here’s to you.”

“Here’s to me? I can’t refuse that.”

Gulp!

I drained the bottle into my cup, and the Sage quickly downed it, then stared at me. I felt the need to break the silence.

“Actually, one of the great immortals of the Celestial Realm is trapped on Earth. I might need help rescuing him.”

“Hmm? Who is it?”

“Fire Dragon Incarnate.”

“……!!”

At that, the Sage frowned slightly. He pondered for a moment and said.

“What’s your game? Are you trying to drag me into some troublesome mess?”

“No, really. It’s pointless to hide the identity of the one we’re rescuing from you. I’m just being honest.”

“Hmph….”

The Sage glanced slyly at Asura before continuing.

“That guy seems like he could hold his own. Honestly… you want to use me for your little schemes, don’t you?”

His tone was prickly. In all my encounters with the Sage, I’d never seen him react this way, but somehow, I got it. He enjoys genuine meetings but hates stepping into the treacherous waters of deceit. Even if my conclusions were the same as before, they’d naturally come across differently now.

‘It seems like I can’t expect the Sage’s pure goodwill this time around.’

But maybe that would be easier on my mind.

I shrugged and said with a smile.

“There’s nothing I can do about it. I know this chat isn’t exactly private.”

“…….”

“In a way, that makes it necessary for me to say this.”

I tried to keep it as straightforward as possible, and the Sage appeared to be deep in thought. After a moment, he spoke.

“So you know the nature of the summon for the Great Immortal. It’s not like you really had to call me, right? You could’ve summoned any famous face like the Eight Immortals, and your intent would still reach the Celestial Realm, so why me?”

The Sage seemed sharp, catching onto the real meaning of my words immediately. I decided to answer as honestly as I could.

“It’s because I want to get closer to the strongest Overlay Technique.”

“……?”

“The summoning ritual for the Great Immortal can’t be done too often. Naturally, you’d want to summon someone you want to connect with.”

The Sage looked incredulous, then let out a chuckle.

“Ha! So you think you could cozy up just because you heard I’m a big deal?”

“Isn’t that okay? If I had to get close to someone in the Celestial Realm, I thought you’d be a good choice as my senior.”

“Oh….”

“If you don’t like it, that’s too bad.”

The Sage’s gaze shifted slightly, his expression softening. After a moment, he smiled slyly.

“You’re too honest, but if that was your goal, you succeeded, haha!!”

Boom!

The Sage pulled out the Ruyi Staff and stood up. He nodded.

“Let’s go.”

“Can we ride the King’s Steed too?”

“I like your guts! You’re right; I need to guide you,” he replied.

“Then let’s do it.”

Whoosh!

Asura and I hopped on the giant King’s Steed, soaring through the sky. I pointed towards Luoyang, and soon we hovered above the city. The Sage gazed blankly at Luoyang and mumbled.

“Let’s temporarily cut the connection with the Celestial Realm.”

Fwoosh!

Once the King’s Steed was released, the three of us began plummeting from the sky. I was stunned as I suddenly found myself falling.

“Why the sudden drop?!”

“I saw that too many ‘eyes’ were scattered around this city. There might be a powerful Sorcerer or Demon King lurking.”

Whoooosh!

The Sage gave a sly grin as we dove from the sky.

“Then I’ll have to stir things up with the 72 Fleeing Techniques.”

Saying this, he yanked out a handful of his hair and blew it into the air as we fell. The scattered hair filled the sky above Luoyang in a dizzying array, creating thousands of the Sage’s clones.

Swish, swish, swish, swipe!!

“……!!”

It was a grand sight to behold seeing innumerable Sage clones raining down from the skies onto the rooftops of Luoyang.

‘What?! He could create this many?! He did make a few hundred before, but this is even more…’

It seemed like there were at least ten thousand! Each of those clones probably had combat power that vastly surpassed any Peak Expert – I felt chills at the thought.

Heeheehee!

The clones scattered all around Luoyang, causing total chaos. They could jump dozens of roofs effortlessly and even did flips while using the staff to vault over buildings.

“Whoa!”

“What the heck?!”

People in Luoyang were in a tizzy as the city fell into pandemonium. Even among all the chaos, it seemed the clones weren’t out to harm anyone, just creating mayhem. Shocked, I watched the spectacle as the real Sage approached and said.

“Even with ancient sorcery or barriers, my clones can slip past easily. We need to rescue the Fire Dragon Incarnate quickly before they figure us out.”

I couldn’t help but be in awe.

‘Incredible! I was worried about the Yacha’s detection barrier, but he just outsmarted it…’

Clearly, this approach would keep us off the radar of the Eight Parts of the Divine. I was prepared to take a hit from them while rescuing the Fire Dragon Incarnate, but again, I was left in awe of the Sage’s abilities.

“Impressive. How do you pull off this cloning technique?”

“Hey, there’s no time for chit-chat. These clones won’t last long since I need to divide my energy for them.”

“Got it.”

Boom!

Asura, the Sage, and I immediately headed towards Sangwan Hyuk’s underground lair for the seal of the Fire Dragon Sword. I infused my divine power into the seal of the Sword, breaking it and bringing the Fire Dragon Sword back to its original form.

Whoooosh!!

Right out of the gate, the revived Fire Dragon Sword looked a bit weak. Still, I had freed the Fire Dragon Incarnate, so I told the Sage.

“Now we should return the Fire Dragon Incarnate to the Celestial Realm. But first, there’s someone he needs to meet before Queen Mother of the West.”

“Who is that?”

“His disciple, Yeodong-bin.”

“…….”

“If you could let me open the back door you guard, we might have a chance encounter.”

The Sage crossed his arms and grinned.

“Now there’s a clear win-win situation. The justifications align perfectly. But I don’t really have the authority to agree to your request.”

“Even without authority, you’re the Celestial Sage, after all.”

“Why should I? You think I should bend over backward for a guy I just met today when you’re asking me to go against the Queen Mother and the Twelve Great Lords? You really expect me to open the back gate of the Celestial Realm for you?”

As the Sage pressed me, I simply chuckled.

“If you help me out, I’ll make sure a novel featuring you becomes all the rage in this world.”

The Sage twitched in surprise at my unexpected offer.

“A-novel? What are you talking about?”

“The adventure of the Celestial Sage going to Tianzhu will be a hit, and everyone will enjoy it. Picture this: the cool and strong Celestial Sage takes down the evil Tripitaka with his Ruyi Staff, while the pig and water monsters cheer him on.”

I could barely remember it, but I think this was written by Oh Seung-eun. Right?

“Oooh…?”

“I can promise you that this novel will be popular even 500 years from now.”

The Sage looked entirely intrigued, pondering my proposal. After a moment, he flashed a grin.

“Sounds fun! Let’s see this through till the end!”

“Are you really going to do it?”

“Follow me!”

With shining eyes, the Sage summoned the King’s Steed.

“Get ready to see what a high-ranking public servant gone rogue can do!”

Whoooosh!!

A little while later, we left Luoyang riding on the Sage’s King’s Steed, heading to some mystical northern mountain. Upon arriving at the back door of the Celestial Realm, the Sage unlocked it, revealing a beautiful paradise that dazzled our eyes. He perched himself on a nearby rock and said.

“If we’re to reunite the Fire Dragon Sword with Yeodong-bin, it’d be a good idea to take a short break here. I need to recharge my spirit energy to manifest the Sword Spirit.”

“Thank you.”

After a short rest, we made our way to where Yeodong-bin was. Upon arriving, we spotted him meditating, seemingly in harmony with nature on a small hill.

As soon as Yeodong-bin sensed our presence, he slowly opened his eyes.

“I never imagined you’d rescue the Master and come to find me.”

I didn’t say a word and quickly tossed the Fire Dragon Sword to him. He caught it, fell silent for a moment, then bowed with gratitude.

“Thank you so much.”

I gave him a complex look before speaking.

“Yeodong-bin, I had two additional routes to reach the Celestial Realm. One was through the altar, the other was a direct summons between you and me using the device. Despite that, I chose to come through the back door of the Celestial Realm to find you. Do you know why?”

“Not really.”

“My goal was to get on good terms with the Celestial Sage and rescue the Fire Dragon Incarnate, but I admit it’s also because I don’t know what Queen Mother of the West might do to me. Ideally, I just want to see you and then leave.”

“……?”

Yeodong-bin might not get it, but with my current appearance resembling Fuxi’s when he ruled over early humanity, it was a big deal. Other Celestial Realm characters might not know Fuxi’s face, but the Queen Mother, at least, would definitely recognize me.

“And utilizing the device to summon you wouldn’t properly fulfill my purpose.”

As Yeodong-bin calmly listened, he replied.

“You’re saying you sought me out for a specific reason. I feel the same.”

I snickered.

“We both have our reasons to hide something. So who wants to go first?”

“You start.”

“Fine.”

I looked straight at Yeodong-bin and continued.

“I came here specifically to give you some obelisk.”

“An obelisk?”

“Exactly. I want to cast a spell to transfer my memories to you.”

Yeodong-bin looked puzzled.

“I don’t understand. I know you’re a mysterious guy, but what does passing on your memories mean?”

I folded my arms.

“You’ll find out the moment you receive them. The reason I didn’t use the ceremony in the Celestial Realm to transfer my memories is intentional.”

“……”

“I’ve stated my intention. If the memories shared with you don’t get passed on to others, I’d love to send them to you right here. Now it’s your turn to share your purpose with me.”

Yeodong-bin had asked me to come to the Celestial Realm with sincere insights when he had come here with Lee Cheol-goei. He definitely had another goal for making that request. After a brief silence, he finally spoke.

“Do you know that recently, we Eight Immortals have been frequently dispatched near the Goryeo region?”

“It’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Suddenly, a large number of Otherworldly Races known as the Sea God Clan appeared there, causing trouble for humans. To tackle this, we cooperated with a mysterious group called the Clan of the Altars to wipe out the Sea God Clan. Amid all this, a high priest of the Sea God Clan summoned countless hordes of Others, and a monumental battle took place, which ultimately ended in victory.”

“…….”

“However, before that high priest of the Sea God Clan perished, he mentioned your name. He claimed if the Human Clan hands over Baek Woong, their invasion would cease.”

“……?!”

What the?!

That really happened?!

‘The high priest of the Sea God Clan mentioned me?!’

I was taken aback, prompting Asura, who was listening, to murmur.

“So, they were focusing on Baek Woong for that reason? Not just because of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s Sword?”

“Exactly. The Celestial Realm didn’t care much about the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s actions. However, because it was likely the existence of Baek Woong aligned with the one using Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s sword techniques, Lee Cheol-goei was dispatched promptly.”

“Hmm.”

Yeodong-bin stared at me with a blank expression before speaking.

“Now I understand that you and I are connected by a summons device, and realizing you are the one utilizing the sword techniques made me think I should protect you. At the same time, I pondered if you might be the one to dispel the darkness of the Celestial Realm.”

“So that’s why you asked me to come here.”

“Correct.”

Yeodong-bin nodded and continued.

“Tell me, how did you learn the Immortal Sword Technique?”

“Well….”

I started to respond but suddenly remembered the Sage was right next to me. I pondered for a moment and then asked Asura.

“Would it be alright to share this with the Celestial Sage?”

Asura seemed to chuckle at the thought.

“Hehe. Just because the information doesn’t get directly passed to the Celestial Realm doesn’t mean all hell won’t break loose. You think being quiet will actually solve anything?”

“No, I’m not bothered by small details, especially when there’s a powerful enemy to take down right now. Besides, I trust the Celestial Sage.”

“In that case, do as you please.”

Just then, the Sage, who had been listening, looked baffled.

“What do you mean? I get that you want to give Yeodong-bin some memory crystal, but now you’re also giving Baek Woong your memories?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I honestly don’t see the point. What would change if I knew your memories? I’ve seen countless people trying to hide their secrets, but I’ve never met anyone willing to show their past willingly.”

“If you don’t want it, I won’t force you. Just don’t ask for it later.”

“Geez….”

Seeing the Sage’s bewilderment as he scratched the back of his head made me feel a strange sense of pride. If I utilized the information wisely, I could easily catch even a powerhouse like the Sage off guard.

Yeodong-bin then turned to me.

“Let’s have those memories.”

“Do you trust me?”

“If you’re the one who excels in sword techniques, then you’re certainly no evil person.”

“Thank you for your trust. Now….”

Whoosh!!

I used the obsidian to transfer my memories to Yeodong-bin. Given that I nearly wiped out the evil energy while utilizing the Four Great Spirit Deities to defeat Agni, I worried that only a strong entity like Yeodong-bin would handle the process without issues. True to form, after a moment of receiving the memories, Yeodong-bin staggered back, momentarily stunned.

“…….”

“Are you alright?”

“That’s… one heck of a life I never expected….”

Hearing his reaction sparked intrigue in the Sage, who grabbed my shoulder and shook me.

“Hey. Let me have a go too! I’m super curious now.”

“Alright then….”

Whoosh!!

I transferred my memories to the Celestial Sage.

“Ugh…?!”

As the Sage seemed taken aback, rapidly processing my memories, Yeodong-bin shook off his daze first and spoke up.

“Yeon-ja, I have a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Your life has veered pretty far from what you sought in the past. Even if the Eight Parts of the Divine are kicked out of this world, that fact won’t change. Why would you go all the way to deliver memories to me?”

I shook my head at his question.

“There’s that goal, but that’s not all.”

“What else is there?”

I began to honestly pour out words I had bottled up deep inside since my 28th death.

“Yeodong-bin, by now, you probably know that in the future, five hundred years from now… humanity falls to the Three Sovereigns, and those known as the True Immortals in the Divine Realm perished at the hands of the reborn Demon King Gong Sun Xuanwen. With the Divine Skills, they couldn’t possibly stand against the Heavenly Demon Martial Art.”

“…….”

“Fortunately, I don’t know the reason, but the only reason I can breathe easy is because the Emperor was sealed away… but in the end, I experienced a massive setback and was left devastated.”

I bit my lip until it bled as I spoke.

“Even if I were to gain the Divine Skills and reach the peak of martial arts, it has been proven that I couldn’t vanquish the ultimate Old Ruler…”

“…….”

“But… I won’t give up. A few days ago, I realized something about martial beliefs, and I understand there are still many walls to break through. That’s why I sought you out to smash through the wall right in front of us without compromise.”

Yeodong-bin quietly responded to my words.

“Did you mention the Immortal Sword Technique.”

“Yes.”

I glared at Yeodong-bin with fiery determination.

“I will achieve progress in the Immortal Sword Technique at any cost in this life. You, as my senior Yeodong-bin, must help this talentless fool!”

Even if I had to tweak a magical artifact or use the Ark, no matter how many hundreds of years it took in training, I would find a way to ascend in the Immortal Sword Technique! Ultimately, it would be the pathway that would shorten my soul-searching journey!

“…….”

Yeodong-bin fell silent for a while.

How much time passed?

“Yeon-ja.”

Finally, after a long pause, Yeodong-bin spoke for the first time.

“I didn’t even realize you had two Immortal Swords.”