Chapter 577
The Portrait Immortal with white hair looked momentarily confused at my words. That kind of reaction wasn’t just from him; everyone watching seemed equally baffled, staring at us as if to say, “What are you talking about?”
“You should be fine with it.”
But after a brief pause, he smiled and replied, “Alright. Give me a name.”
I nodded and said, “From now on, your name is Yu-shin.”
“Yu-shin?”
“It means someone who protects humans and gives them faith.”
“Heh…”
The Portrait Immortal’s face lit up with joy, and he exclaimed, “Cool! My name is Yu-shin from now on!”
On the side, the Master of the White Lotus Sect looked utterly dumbfounded.
“You’re naming in such a slapdash manner…”
“Isn’t it best for everyone to live by their name?”
“Well, that’s true.”
I turned to Yu-shin and said, “Yu-shin, from now on you must not look down on humans recklessly, but protect them.”
Yu-shin looked puzzled and asked, “Why? The [calling] tells me to treat humans as slaves and use them.”
“No. That’s not your choice.”
“Choice…?”
I crossed my arms and explained to the bewildered Yu-shin, “I don’t care if you massacre humans. If you do that, I’ll stop you every time. But if you’re being forced against your will, that’s unacceptable.”
“Free will? The [calling] is my will!”
“No! Don’t you know that’s completely different? That’s not your true choice.”
“… ”
“Humans are too weak to be taken down by your immense power. Help and protect them whenever possible.”
“But… that would go against the [calling]’s intent.”
As Yu-shin mumbled softly, I shouted at him firmly, “Just resist!”
The only response was silence.
Instead, Yu-shin’s expression suddenly turned bleak, his eyes clouded as if a layer of grimy oil was coating them. In a deeply altered voice, he said, “You’ve messed around too much… I didn’t expect you to ruin my work like this…”
What the heck?
I was taken aback momentarily by the sudden shift, but soon realized that “something else” was possessing him rather than his own personality. After all, I had spent years mastering the Heretical Sect’s Soul Exchange Technique.
“A Vermilion Bird, huh.”
He must have cast a ritual in advance to possess his soul within my Portrait Immortal. And later, he probably aimed to use the Portrait Immortal’s formidable powers for himself.
As if to affirm my thoughts with silence, the Vermilion Bird occupying Yu-shin’s body chuckled darkly and said, “Ha… Ha ha… Naming dictates existence… Truly a brilliant move, but… how far will it go for a being preordained for evil?”
“It definitely worked.”
I narrowed my eyes and glared at the Vermilion Bird. “If it hadn’t worked, you wouldn’t be crawling out here.”
“… Ha ha…”
“Give it up already! Your Imperial Palace Forces are done for. Are you still planning to go on?”
“I will not give up…”
The Vermilion Bird possessing Yu-shin stretched out his hand and declared, “Until I destroy the heavens according to my will… and save humanity my way… absolutely!!”
Woosh!!
At that moment, thousands of talismans suddenly rose and surrounded the area. Each talisman fluttered as if it were alive, and as I realized what kind of attack this was, I was horrified.
“The Broken Marriage Talisman!”
Whip whoosh!
As the spell’s barrier unfolded, the talismans descended at insane speed, attacking our forces. The sorcerers quickly raised a defensive barrier to counter the Broken Marriage Talisman, while the martial artists summoned a strong Qi barrier to block the attacks. Seemingly annoyed, the Master of the White Lotus Sect muttered under his breath while provoking Heart of Heaven’s Abundance.
“So you want to go all out, huh…”
Crash!
The flash unleashed by the Master of the White Lotus Sect struck Yu-shin’s body, sending him flying backward. Though he quickly recovered, he looked to be in pain, and Zhuge Sa whispered to me using a suspicious fishhook.
“Baek Woong. Now’s your chance. He’s severely weakened.”
“Why?”
“If the original personality of the Portrait Immortal were here, he could switch the temporal whirlwind to attack. But Zhuge Yulong, even while possessed, can’t use that power. Right now, he’s just a resurrected version of Zhuge Yulong.”
“What should I do?”
“Guard Cheon Woo-jin and let him approach! He can seal the spirit!”
“Got it!”
Whip whoosh!
I immediately rushed to Cheon Woo-jin’s side, and he seemed to catch on to my intentions as he gathered his Qi at his fingertips.
“The Broken Marriage Talisman is formidable, capable of soul theft with just a graze. Thanks to the immense potential of the Portrait Immortal, it’s even more powerful. Anyone hit will die instantly, so be careful.”
“No worries! I’ll manage to seal him!”
“What do you think I am?”
“Let’s go!”
I charged ahead, breaking through the Broken Marriage Talisman’s barrier. Thousands of talismans came hurtling toward me with terrifying speed. I quickly assessed the attack and, using the Three Treasure Technique, dodged multiple times in mid-air. Once I felt I had sufficiently absorbed the talismans, I changed direction, weakening the barrier as if herding cattle.
Thud!
During that time, Cheon Woo-jin used the Art of Velocity to approach the Vermilion Bird more easily. When the Vermilion Bird noticed Cheon Woo-jin coming, he clasped his hands together and cast a curse, but Cheon Woo-jin merely scoffed and whispered a spell.
“Speedy Emblem!”
The curse disintegrated in an instant, and Cheon Woo-jin arrived right in front of the Vermilion Bird. The Vermilion Bird, using Yu-shin’s body, attempted to fly away by invoking martial arts, but Cheon Woo-jin clasped his fingers once again and urgently called out.
“Speedy Emblem.”
Schwaak!
“Kraaaah!”
At that moment, Yu-shin’s body remained still, but the Vermilion Bird’s ethereal form could be seen being extracted from his head. It was astonishing that something like this could happen without direct contact, but as I looked closer, I realized that the one pulling out the soul was a bizarre figure resembling a Rakshasa.
“Don’t resist! The pain of your soul being forcibly extracted is akin to having your skin flayed alive!”
Cheon Woo-jin condemned sharply, keeping his two fingers together, but the Vermilion Bird continued to struggle. Finally, with no other choice, Cheon Woo-jin exerted even more strength to forcibly extract the Vermilion Bird’s soul, and only then did the screams start to subside. He held the Vermilion Bird’s soul in the palm of his hand and declared, “I, Cheon Woo-jin, shall send the great sinner to the Celestial Realm.”
Swish swish!
Light descended from the sky, shining on the Vermilion Bird’s soul, as a massive transparent hand slowly extended down, seemingly to retrieve it. This would finally conclude the Vermilion Bird extermination in this life.
Just as Cheon Woo-jin was about to guide the Vermilion Bird’s soul to that hand—
Slash!
“No!!”
Without warning, the wrist of the massive hand summoning from the Celestial Realm was severed!
As the wrist was cut off, a heavy aura enveloped the hall. It was fundamentally different from the energy the Vermilion Bird or Yu-shin had been emitting until just now, and the sharp energy that severed the wrist swirled in the air like tendrils.
‘Ugh.’
I gritted my teeth and quickly cast the Soul Exchange Technique, trying to pull the wandering soul of Zhuge Yulong toward me. But for some reason, Zhuge Yulong’s soul seemed to be attempting to fly away, so I could only hold him in place.
I shouted to Zhuge Sa using a suspicious fishhook. “Zhuge Sa! Help me with the Soul Exchange Technique.”
“Understood.”
Maximum casting of the Soul Exchange Technique!
Bang!
It felt like Zhuge Sa and I were pulling a massive cart, struggling to reel in Zhuge Yulong’s soul, but it seemed to be getting closer only to ultimately snap away and soar above us.
“…”
As I stared blankly at the horizon, Zhuge Sa commented, “This isn’t good. I am a master of the Soul Exchange Technique and the current leader of the Heretical Sect, and you’ve mastered the Soul Exchange Technique over six forms; yet, we couldn’t pull in a single soul…”
“Who on earth took it?”
“Something’s off. The air is…”
Now that Zhuge Sa pointed it out, it did feel strange since a while ago. The dense and murky aura exuding from Zhuge Yulong was odd, but what we were sensing was entirely on another level. It felt as if primordial evil was saturating the land, grass, and air, forcing humans into madness.
This uneasy atmosphere was not just my imagination; most people present were exhibiting signs of anxiety. It felt as if opening your mouth would instantly lead to total devastation, creating a gruesome ambiance. Perhaps the one with the strongest resistance was the Master of the White Lotus Sect, as he unleashed a loud shout.
“Hah!”
That shout seemed to have a calming effect, breaking the tension for a moment. The Master of the White Lotus Sect scanned the surroundings before he spoke to me.
“Baek Woong. Something is about to appear. We should probably flee.”
“Aren’t you trying to claim the Portrait Immortal?”
“I’ve already deemed it outside my control. Whether you take him or eliminate him is up to you.”
I gazed at Yu-shin, floating in the air with eyes closed.
“…”
Right now, with the power of my Spirit Power gathered in my sword, I could make the lethal strike to take him down. Earlier, due to my self-preservation instincts, I couldn’t do it, but now in this trance-like state, it was entirely possible. After all, eradicating Yu-shin, who could become a future calamity, was essential given the current situation.
Yet, I had given him a name. I believed he would help humans, undeterred by his destined fate. And even now, that belief had not wavered. Thus, if I were to strike him down now, it could be considered a betrayal.
What should I do?
I pondered deeply and slowly called his name.
“Yu-shin.”
Flash!
As soon as my words reached him, Yu-shin opened his eyes. He looked at me with a sorrowful gaze and said, “I’m sorry… Baek Woong. A strange entity took over my body, and I panicked, responding to the [calling].”
“What? What are you saying?”
“I’m… not me anymore.”
Yu-shin paused for a moment.
“Having this name is a special permission from ‘that one,’ but I can no longer be allowed to hold it. And, and, something terrifying… it’s coming from beyond the Constellation… From the Abyssal Constellation…”
As he mumbled incoherently, Yu-shin suddenly trembled violently from deep-seated fear. He cried, tears and snot flowing, his eyes flickering wildly. With an empty smile, he uttered in a crazed voice, “The prison is breaking… This world will soon be torn apart…!!”
“……?!”
“Run… far away.”
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu-shin’s body transformed into light and vanished.
However, nothing particularly extraordinary happened. The mysterious madness and fear we had felt since a while ago continued to envelop this land, and the colors of the universe slowly began to flicker and descend to the earth.
Breaking the silence, the Master of the White Lotus Sect said, “We will return.”
The members of the White Lotus Sect, without uttering a single word thereafter, followed their master’s lead and exited Mount Heng. But it seemed as though they were fleeing from a colossal dread and despair they wished not to confront. Even though there was nothing inherently dangerous in this spot, facing the darkness swirling around them must have been too agonizing.
The Twelve Joules mirrored their actions, retreating quietly without a word. The grand battle from Mount Ye to Mount Heng concluded with an incredibly hollow and sinister end.
Mangnyang looked down at the flickering colors of the universe and said, “Baek Woong. It seems…”
“Yu-shin.”
“Yes. It seems that the being known as Yu-shin has already fulfilled its original purpose.”
“……”
I fell silent, understanding what Mangnyang was alluding to.
Clenching my teeth, I said, “Is Yu-shin… offered up to God?”
“I believe so.”
“Damn it…”
I couldn’t save him.
Perhaps I could have saved that guy, but ultimately, I didn’t.
While I internally blamed myself, Zhuge Sa calmly remarked, “In this case, who it was offered to is critical.”
“Zhuge Sa.”
“Baek Woong. The board has already been overturned. It just hasn’t manifested yet.”
Zhuge Sa looked at me with unprecedented clarity and coldness. He then said, “We must head to the Imperial Palace immediately. We need to begin all preparations for survival against the impending despair.”
