Yuan Li's attack meets Seo Eun-hyun's head-on.
A colorless brilliance and a crimson light collides.
Ting!
A crisp, resounding note echoes throughout the battlefield.
Its clear.
And weak.
A smirk fills Yuan Li's face.
"Putting on such a show of might, but is this all you've got?"
Weak.
Not even the level of cultivator.
Just a mortal swinging a sword with all his might.
Somehow, he managed to block Yuan Li's strike, but its a close call.
That is it.
Yuan Li wakes up in realization.
'It's not just me who's weakened.'
The small fry opposing him is also significantly drained of strength.
'If I just take care of these bastards, I'll truly be the victor!'
He grins broadly.
"Keep hammering away with that stupid glass sword all you want. I'll shatter it to pieces!"
Blood light streams out as he forms a seal.
Kugugugu!
Blood clouds swirl around him.
Among the blood clouds, blood trees grow, creating a forest of blood.
Not only Seo Eun-hyun but also the Core Formation cultivators trying to help him frown and flee from the bloody forest.
'I won't let them escape.'
One by one, he'll catch them all and grind them to dust.
Yuan Li thinks this as he flies towards the most annoying bug, Seo Eun-hyun.
Trapped in the bloody forest, swinging his sword foolishly, Seo Eun-hyun's figure is clear in Yuan Li's eyes.
"Farewell. You left a deep impression, though."
Kugugugu!
Blood vines sprout from his hands, stabbing towards Seo Eun-hyun.
And Seo Eun-hyun, holding his glass sword, begins to deflect them.
Yuan Li laughs, his mouth splitting wide.
'So weak. He'll fall soon.'
"Didn't you say you'd show me something? I don't want to see you flounder pathetically, just d-"
And then.
Thump!
Seo Eun-hyun's sword strikes the blood vines.
"Huh?"
Something is off.
Normally, humans weaken as they expend energy.
But Yuan Li frowns at the recoil he just felt.
'Stronger than before?'
It wasn't significantly stronger.
But definitely.
Definitely stronger than before.
'Is it just my imagination?'
No, that can't be.
Yuan Li bites his lip hard.
Kwaang!
Seo Eun-hyun's sword again strikes his vines and pushes back his bloody forest.
It wasn't an illusion.
His sword is indeed stronger than before.
'But it's negligible. No need to worry.'
"Just die as you are!"
Kiiing!
Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light!
Above Yuan Li's hands, an apparition of a Blood Sea forms, plunging down towards Seo Eun-hyun.
Seo Eun-hyun doesnt look at the blood descending upon him.
He just closes his eyes and raises his sword.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Secluded Valley!
He dives into the blood pool, twisting his body up through a gap, and slices through it.
Chuararak!
Yuan Li's spell splits in an instant.
Yuan Li's face hardens.
Koong!
Seo Eun-hyun lands back on the ground.
And on the spot he lands, his footprints are deeply imprinted.
Kwaang Kwaang Kwaang!
With every move he makes.
With every posture he adopts.
The depth of his footprints increase.
'The amplification rate of his attacks is increasing?'
Like rolling a snowball.
Each time he slashes through Yuan Li's spell with his sword, his sword grows increasingly fierce.
Yuan Li stops chasing the other cultivators.
'I need to catch this guy first!'
Its dangerous.
His intuition, heightened by reaching Nascent Soul, forewarns of ominous fate.
'I've obtained the Serving Command Seal! I can't lose!'
"Water, Flow!"
Chuaruruk!
Blood water surges, transforming into a river of blood, engulfing Seo Eun-hyun.
And then.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Bouldered Cliff.
Seo Eun-hyun begins to spin.
Its a sword dance.
His sword dance, as if not allowing even a single gap, wildly swirls around, deflecting every drop of blood, every ripple of the river.
An unbelievable display of martial arts!
And Seo Eun-hyun's sword.
With every slash of Yuan Li's spell, continues to grow stronger.
Slowly but steadily.
The Final Move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Foolish Old Man Moves Mountain is a technique as follows:
First, using Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, it prevents any trace of one's energy from leaking out.
Second, while maintaining that state, it uses the twenty-first move, Heavenly Lake, to absorb all residual flow and power generated from clashes with the opponent.
Third, applying Echoing Valley, it integrates the opponent's power into one's own and unleashes it back.
Fourth, concentrating all those intricate forces into a single point with Mountain Tiger, it forcibly suppresses the backlash.
Fifth, it distributes the burden applied to the body as much as possible using Layered Mountains and Mountain and Valley Transformation, dissipating it into the ground.
It sounds complicated, but in a nutshell, it's a technique that strengthens one's own attacks by drawing in the opponent's power with each clash.
And the price for forcibly drawing in the opponent's power is the user's death.
Therefore, a martial artist using Foolish Old Man Moves Mountain keeps getting stronger as they fight, but eventually explodes and dies due to the inability to suppress the power they've gathered.
Kwaang!
Absorbing Yuan Li's attack with my technique and then countering with that power.
Using the principle of Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, I don't waste any energy in my counterattack but return it back to my opponent.
Gradually, my attacks grow stronger.
Before long, instead of being overwhelmed by Yuan Li's spells, I am blocking it head-on.
With Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains, each clash with the opponent at the very least strengthens me by a bit.
And I have had thousands of clashes with Yuan Li.
Pukwak Pukwak!
Unable to bear the enormous power surging through my body, my body starts to burst open in various places.
But the beauty of being a cultivator is...
Sururuk
The regeneration ability is beyond human.
The duration I can maintain Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains differs from when Kim Young-hoon uses it.
Kwaang Kwaang Kwaang!
My footprints deepen further.
And then...
I take a step forward.
Riip!
My cleave tears through Yuan Li's forest, paving a path.
His forest tries to regenerate, but I take another step and swing my sword again.
I am no longer just defensively blocking his techniques in one spot.
I am clearly advancing towards him.
This, what is this...
Yuan Li clenches his teeth and draws his dagger dharma treasure.
Kiiyaaaak!
He brings out his blood-colored spear and the ghost king made of blood mist is summoned
Chuarak!
Cutting his own finger to feed the ghost king, it blazes red and grows fiercer.
It charges at me, spear in hand, through the forest I have torn apart.
I close my eyes.
Blood is flowing from my entire body, making it almost impossible to see.
Lets return to the basics of when I first learned martial arts.
I close my eyes and enter the world of intent.
Red and blue lines.
Since awakening the domain of consciousness as a cultivator, I didn't pay much attention to it, relying only on the domain.
The domain of consciousness is ultimately a more advanced version of the flow of intent.
But facing these red and blue threads again, like when I first entered the pinnacle realm, I realize something I haven't before.
Were these threads always carrying so much?
The lines emanating from the ghost king glow red.
In terms of emotions, it's either anger or killing intent.
But within that killing intent, there are countless meanings.
From the next move to why such a move is made, what they are thinking at the moment, etc.
Through martial arts, I now transparently see the opponent's heart.
The ghost king in front of me is actually Yuan Li's puppet.
Therefore, the emotions felt from the ghost king are Yuan Li's emotions.
Fear and anger, shame, humiliation, a bit of anticipation.
These are the emotions I sense from Yuan Li.
What about my own heart?
Suddenly, while clashing with the ghost king, I become curious about my own emotions, not Yuan Li's.
Ah, I see.
My heart is filled with pain.
And the anticipation of death that will come at the end of this pain.
Thats all.
I want to die.
I desire death.
With each use of the Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains,
It feels like my muscles are tearing apart.
Not metaphorically, but literally, as blood bursts from various parts of my body with each and every movement.
My footprints grow deeper.
Yet, in this immense pain, facing death, I am in absolute tranquility.
Is this, the end of this life?
I will die wielding my sword.
As I have in so many lives before.
As death approaches, the flashbacks of previous lives, which visited me several times before, pass before my eyes.
Starting from the very first life, up to the death that happened ten times.
900 years of life.
In that overwhelming life, there was shining love that lasted a mere ten years.
Is the life of a human being so fleeting?
What am I really swinging my sword for?
Whirl!
Suddenly.
Amidst my suffering and swordplay.
Upon deeply searching my heart, I stumble upon an area of emptiness, devoid of anything.
Emptiness ().
Completely empty.
'Why am I still alive?'
Life is nothing but pain.
Isn't that what I realized through Yin Soul Ghost Incantation?
I just want to quickly end this life and move on to the next.
Just when I am thinking so.
If life is filled with emptiness, are the times we spent together meaningless too?
A warm hand seems to rest upon my sword-wielding hand.
Huh?
Scenes flash before my eyes.
Days spent with her.
Good moments, regretful moments, painful moments...
And the scenes don't stop there but continue.
Moments of triumph after establishing the Palace of Heavenly Demons with Kim Young-hoon.
Moments of reaching new heights in martial arts.
The moment when Kae-hwa gifted me a paper flower while I was teaching my disciples.
The moment when I died to save my disciples.
The moment I met my master.
The moment I bowed ten times to him and passed.
These aren't flashbacks.
My flashbacks arent so radiant.
Whenever Im about to die, only moments of futility flash by.
This is.
Ah, I see.
Colorless Glass Sword, Third Form.
All Heavens real power isn't just about gathering thousands of Colorless Glass Swords to strengthen it.
Emotion ().
The Colorless Glass Sword is a dharma treasure that heightens human emotions.
I had forgotten that Buk Hyang-hwa, while creating the Colorless Glass Sword, researched the circuits of the Mad Lord using human emotions.
She had designed this dharma treasure to harbor human emotions, mimicking the Mad Lord's puppet.
Just as human consciousness, including the seven emotions, is made up of tens, hundreds, and millions of emotions.
Each circuit of the Colorless Glass Sword overlaps, creating millions of emotions, which then form another consciousness within the sword.
Kiiing!
I infuse the Formless Sword.
The Formless Sword is originally a bundle of my consciousness mixed with Gang Qi.
When the artificial consciousness in the Colorless Glass Sword touches mine, it begins to amplify my consciousness.
The power of the Formless Sword grows.
But this is the same power I felt when I first activated All Heavens.
The power I just discovered in the Colorless Glass Sword doesnt end here.
Flash!
The Colorless Glass Sword begins to shine.
The artificial consciousness in the sword stimulates my emotions.
Accepting my intense emotions, it starts to imbue them to the Formless Sword.
Yes.
The Colorless Glass Sword is transforming my emotions into power.
Kwaang!
The ghost king's spear explodes with a single swing.
The ghost king attached to the spear also explodes and disappears.
Yuan Li panics, continually using spells, even harming himself to summon more sinister blood techniques.
He is eroding his own body to stop me, while I am exploding my entire body to advance towards him.
Im probably half out of my mind from the pain.
I keep my eyes closed, feeling only the flow of intent as I move forward.
And I observe my heart.
The void realm of Emptiness.
In this empty realm, the Colorless Glass Sword is infusing emotions from my past.
Happy moments, frustrating moments.
Joyful moments, angry moments, sad moments, enjoyable moments, loving moments, hateful moments...
Was it so?
I thought this life was futile.
After killing Yuan Li, I thought about dying any moment.
But...
The Colorless Glass Sword, the will she left behind, is telling me.
That this life is not just entirely meaningless.
But... what am I supposed to do?
I am going to die.
Even if I know that life is not meaningless,
I will die, exploding my entire body towards a powerful enemy.
I know. I wanted to live with you. But you were killed by him, and I will also die from fighting him.
Even if this life is not meaningless!
Even if all of the heavens are filled with a myriad of colors, what am I supposed to do!
How futile is human will before their predetermined fate!
Kwaang!
As my emotions intensify, the Colorless Glass Sword further amplifies the Formless Sword.
The space between Yuan Li and me clears away.
He forms a seal, preparing a more sinister spell.
Ah, that's...
I can't block it.
Even if I perish together with that spell.
Even with the power I have accumulated through Foolish Old Man Moves Mountain, its impossible to block any further.
Isn't there an inherent disparity set from the moment of birth in this world?
Aren't there defined limits for a human being?
It was in this instant.
...If it was Young-hoon Hyung-nim, he would have never said something like this.
Limits?
From within, where I have placed Kim Young-hoon's Inner Core, I feel something warm rising.
It might have just been my imagination.
Why start thinking of such things when wielding a sword?
From his Inner Core, I feel a warm coziness.
Its like the morning sunshine.
His brilliant golden Surpassing Radiant Saber.
Suddenly, I open my eyes.
Next to me, Kim Young-hoon is wielding the Surpassing Radiant Saber.
Its not real.
Just a hallucination, as Im half out of my mind due to pain.
But the hallucination...
Speaks exactly what Kim Young-hoon would have said.
Even if there are limits, what can you do? You still have to live.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship and Severing Vein Saber Method.
Formless Sword and Surpassing Radiant Saber.
Unknowingly, I follow Kim Young-hoon's martial arts, mirroring his movements.
He too is using Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains.
Kung Kung Kung!
As my footprints deepen, so do his.
Our movements overlap.
Isn't that what living is all about?
Even if there are those better than you, and others even better than them.
What else can you do? In this moment, with the task you received, with what you can do, just do to the best of your abilities.
What is this conversation?
It isnt the hallucination speaking.
Its a real conversation.
Something I remember hearing at the company.
Do you know the reason why martial arts and life are not different?
The hallucination smiles at me and speaks.
Since you are born into this body, don't think about limits...
Beyond the hallucination, I see the image of Kim Young-hoon and myself before crossing into this world.
In this moment, with the task you received, with what you can do
Short memories of Kim Young-hoon,
Overlap with the voice of the hallucination.
Just, go forward without distractions.
Just, do your best.
A gentle, yet calloused hand pushes me from behind.
Kim Young-hoon, who leads ahead, pulls me forward.
Yes, let go of distractions.
Even if there are limits called fate from birth.
What can be done about it?
Right here, right now.
Do what can be done to the best of my abilities.
Now that I know life isn't meaningless, I won't think about the limits imposed by fate anymore.
Just wield the sword.
I look at the Colorless Glass Sword in my hand and the Formless Sword overlapping it.
They are my life.
Then...
I look again at the figure unfolding Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains beside me.
It isn't Kim Young-hoon.
Its my face.
The hallucination approaches and overlaps with me.
Ah, I see.
All this time...
I have been following Kim Young-hoons footsteps.
Everything I see before me.
I have been endlessly chasing the footsteps Kim Young-hoon left in the last moments of his life.
But...
What I thought was Kim Young-hoon dancing beside me was myself all along.
And Kim Young-hoon's voice is now coming from behind.
Look ahead, Seo Eun-hyun!
A frail hand, along with a steadfast one, simultaneously pushes my back.
Believe in the path you have tread!
Only now...
Only now do I realize why I failed to see the 'next' realm in my past life.
It wasn't about the pain Yuan Li caused.
I was just following Kim Young-hoon.
From Beyond the Path to Heavens, our paths have diverged, unbeknownst to me.
It's okay not to be as fast.
My sword doesn't have to be golden.
It doesn't need to split space.
So...
I realize I stand at the very end of the path tread by Kim Young-hoon.
Let's go, to the next.
Stepping beyond this point, I will be diverging from the path he has walked.
Young-hoon Hyung-nim, I will step upon the path you have walked.
But still, let's go forward.
I, moving further from the path tread by Kim Young-hoon, shout from within this realm I step onto.
Beyond the Path ()!
Sorry, Hyung-nim.
I will name this realm myself.
In honor of the path you tread.
And to mark this place where I took my first step
Treading Heaven ()!
On behalf of Kim Young-hoon's will, I roar vigorously.
I wield the Colorless Glass Sword.
Whoom!
The Blood Sea that has enveloped the sky splits in half.
Surung Sururung!
Casting aside all stray thoughts about fate, my heart becomes a void.
In this moment, I realize that void isn't just emptiness.
The Formless Sword.
The embodiment of my heart.
Begins to merge with the void.
Gang Sphere is in fact one.
Martial arts and I are one entity.
Words left by Kim Young-hoon in the past life.
Now I understand.
Splitting the Gang Sphere according to the logic of Heaven, Earth, and Man, realizing they are all me, I merged the Gang Sphere into the Formless Sword.
But.
Isn't there one Gang Sphere left unmerged?
Inner Core.
I thought I was handling nine Gang Spheres.
But in reality, there is a tenth Gang Sphere left.
The moment I realize the meaning of the Emptiness, my Inner Core that is nestled in the center of my Golden Core melts, becoming an intangible energy, and merges with the Formles Sword in my hand.
Kim Young-hoon's technique of an external Inner Core is one of the paths to this realm.
The Formless Sword, fully connected with the Inner Core within my body, begins from the dantian and pervades my entire being
Yes, throughout the entire body.
In every single muscle fiber.
In every blood vessel, the Formless Sword settles.
I become the Formless Sword itself.
The same must have been true for Kim Young-hoon.
He too, with the Surpassing Radiant Saber rooted throughout his body, must have stepped into the new realm.
The moment I melt the tenth Gang Sphere.
The true ability of the Formless Sword comes into my hands.
A small miracle created by the will to walk a different path from Kim Young-hoon.
Before I know it, I appear right in front of Yuan Li.
Now, with the Formless Sword ingrained in every single blood vessel,
My body no longer explodes due to the effects of Foolish Old Man Moves Mountain.
The durability of my physical body has soared to its very limits.
In this state, I swing my sword at Yuan Li.
Transcending Peaks!
A simple horizontal slash.
Yuan Li deploys a defensive spell.
Had it been Kim Young-hoon's Surpassing Radiant Saber in this realm, it would have sliced through the space itself and cut Yuan Li.
But, I am slightly different.
Shwoong!
The Formless Sword, having reached a new realm, permeates through Yuan Li's shield, only cutting his body behind the shield.
Huh?
Yuan Li, with a dazed expression, looks at his body.
Pukwak!
Clearly, his defensive spell should have blocked it, but he looks on with a lack of understanding of why he was cut without any sign of the shield breaking.
Chururuk!
His body begins to regenerate again.
However.
Whoom!
I slice his body again.
Whoom Whoom Whoom!
Its useless to deploy a shield.
Again and again, as many times as needed.
Without any resistance, permeating all his defenses and attacks.
My Formless Sword incessantly slices his body.
Not just freedom in trajectory but also in the material and immaterial.
When he looks at me with an expression of incomprehension,
I deliver the final blow.
Treading Heaven Beyond the Path (), Formless Sword ().
The Formless Sword permeates all defenses and attacks, aiming directly at his Golden Core, at the Nascent Soul within.
-x-X-x-
The source of his cultivated power.
Golden Core.
Even if his physical body can be reborn through his unique devilish arts,
The split Golden Core, the root of cultivation, can only be regenerated by feeding it a massive blood cloud containing life force..
And so, my Formless Sword permeates through Yuan Li's shield,
Passing through his body, it directly cuts his Golden Core.
"Ah..."
At first.
He has a look of incomprehension.
The very next moment.
He realizes what just happened.
And then the moment after.
His face contorts grotesquely like a fierce evil ghost.
Once more, I swing my Formless Sword.
Swoosh!
This time, my Formless Sword even permeates the Golden Core and slices through Yuan Li's Nascent Soul.
And then.
"AH..AHHHHHHHHHHGH!"
He starts screaming a wail unheard of in this world.
Pasik Pasisisik
No matter what kind of dharma treasure or technique raises one's realm by a whole level.
A cultivator with a damaged Nascent Soul and a split Golden Core,
Even if they raise their cultivation from Qi Building Great Perfection, its at most the early stage of Core Formation.
Slash!
When I again cut his meridians, his spiritual power starts to leak.
With the Golden Core broken, even his devilish arts are reaching their limits.
His regenerative power weakens.
His realm falls once more.
Shiiiiiii
No longer at the early stage of Core Formation, but at the level of Qi Building.
"AH, AHH, AHHHHHGH!"
He screams madly.
"Huff..."
I take a breath.
Regulating my breathing.
My body should have long died due to the effects of Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains.
But having reached the realm of Treading Heaven Beyond the Path,
The Formless Sword, which has become one with my body, is forcibly clinging to a life that should have died.
All my meridians are severed, and my Golden Core is trembling as if it will shatter.
The moment I recollect the Formless Sword flowing through my meridians and return it to consciousness,
My body will collapse.
I look at Yuan Li.
Finally, I caught him.
Now, hes like a dog on the ground, clutching the Serving Command Seal and sobbing.
"Why, why... I am favored by the heavens, why...!"
I approach him with an expressionless face.
"It can't be, there must be something wrong with the Serving Command Seal...!"
He starts to crawl away from me in terror.
But he suddenly realizes that there is nowhere to run.
His cultivation has already fallen to Qi Building.
Even that due to the functionality of his black castle dharma treasure.
If he flees from here, his cultivation will fall even more miserably.
Yuan Li looks at me.
"I'll tell you the secret of the castle. Just stop for a moment...!"
I approach him.
"Wait, don't come closer! If you don't want to know the secret of the castle, how about the Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light? I'll even tell you the refinement methods for Blood Chain Restricting Forest and Bloodwood Ghost Corpses!"
Step, step....
"That's right! There are still spirit stones and elixirs left in the underground of the castle! I'll give them all to you!"
Step....
"Anything you want, just tell me. I'll give you everything. Join hands with me, and let's enjoy a world where Heavenly Beings have ascended!"
With every step I take, he takes a step back.
"I'll reveal the hidden story of the Serving Command Seal! Calm down, just tell me what you want. What you want..."
And then, I finally reach him.
I kick his leg out from under him.
Thud!
"...! Kuaaaaaaagh!"
With my kick imbued with the Formless Sword, both of his legs are cleanly severed.
He falls to the ground, screaming.
"Ah, Agh! Are, are you planning on torturing me?"
He forces a smile and looks up at me.
Chuaruk Chuaruruk
That cockroach-like regeneration.
It hasn't completely disappeared yet, and is slowly regenerating his legs.
"Keh, keh huh. Its, it's useless. You see, I won't die just from my body exploding...! Didn't I tell you? I survived even after taking Seo Hweol's three moves! This level of pain is nothing if I just use the sensation-blocking technique recorded in Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light...."
Woooong!
I clench the void.
In my hand, a translucent red banner appears.
Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.
A banner of pain, used for placing restrictions or torturing an opponent.
Seeing the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, Yuan Li sneers.
"I don't know how you learned the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, but you do know, right? I, Ive also mastered the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner. If youre planning to torture me or place restrictions on me with the it, its not a good idea. I am not affected by the Blood Curse Banners. How about we stop this meaningless conversation and talk about something else
Zwooong!
The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner in my hand begins to be imbued with the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.
Tiny curse spells contaminate the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.
After a while, the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner morphs into a flag of utter darkness instead of one dyed in shades of blood.
I created an entirely new technique by merging the curse spells from the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, which govern pain, with aspects of the spell that control agony within the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.
This is possible because of my extreme proficiency in understanding pain through the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.
"Black Ghost Curse Banner."
I name the newly created flag.
Looking down at the flustered Yuan Li, whose legs have just regenerated,
I stab the Black Ghost Curse Banner directly into one of his legs.
"...!!!"
Yuan Li cant even scream properly.
His face instantly turns as pale as a white snow.
His claims about being able to block pain means nothing. The pain inflicted by my curse spells surpasses his understanding.
I summon another Black Ghost Curse Banner.
"The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner doesn't work, but... how about this one?"
"...! ...! ...!"
"You look like you're satisfied."
Thud!
I plant the Black Ghost Curse Banner into his other leg.
Both legs are pinned down by the Black Ghost Curse Banners, immobilizing him.
Yuan Li falls to the ground, foaming at his mouth, writhing in pain.
"Don't worry. I'll just plant a few more and then finish you off."
Wriggle!
Yuan Li, with his eyes rolled back and foam bubbling, looks at me.
Then.
Puff!
He forms a seal with his hands and explodes his own legs, using the force of the explosion to get away.
But he doesnt get far.
Just a few steps?
Its a ridiculous situation, but I dont feel like laughing.
"I told you not to worry too much. I'll just plant a few more Black Ghost Curse Banners and won't torture you severely."
With an expressionless face, I walk towards him, holding a black flag in one hand.
Yuan Li, with both legs severed, tries desperately to crawl away from me.
It seems his Pure Spiritual Force is almost depleted as his regeneration is slower than before.
"Ill just crush your remaining Golden Core, pull out your limbs and throw them to the east, west, north, and south, and tear apart the rest of your body."
Wiggle, wiggle.
He struggles to crawl away from me.
"I'll just scatter the remaining pieces of your Nascent Soul and leave behind your head. Don't worry. I won't torture you more than I said I will."
Wiggle, wiggle.
With both hands, I hold up the Black Ghost Curse Banner and approach him.
Pukwak!
"...!"
I plant the Black Ghost Curse Banner into his thigh.
Next, I embed black flags all over his lower body,
To prevent him from escaping any further.
"His split Golden Core, where could it be...?"
I begin searching for the location of his Golden Core with the intention to plant the Black Ghost Curse Banner.
He begs.
"Sp-spare me, please spare me! I'll tell you everything about the Bloodwood method. You can even enslave me. Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light, Blood Chain Binding Forest, everything related to the castle, the Serving Command Seal. I'll tell you everything. Even if you torture, please spare me...!"
"..."
"Ju-just don't kill me, I'll do anything. H-how about this?"
He fumbles with his black mask half remaining on his face.
His body shape starts to change slightly.
And when he takes his hand away from his face.
Hes transformed into a beautiful woman.
Yuan Li's voice becomes frail.
"This Blood Body can switch between male and female. I can serve you in either form. Please, just let me serve you. Do as you wish. Please, just spare me."
"..."
"Any kind of beauty is possible. Do you prefer mature ones? Or a bit younger? Please, just let me serve you...! I, I want to live."
With an expressionless face, I approach him, grab his hair, and mutter.
"I'm not interested in beauty birthed from shredded human lives."
"Pl-please... How, how about this."
Wriggle.
He starts to change into a familiar face.
"If you can't forget the woman who was with you then... I can serve you in that face too...."
I let go of his hair and stood up.
And before he completely transforms into her face.
I kicked his upper body as is.
Pukwak!
His upper body bursts open.
Squelch, squelch....
He squeezes out his last regenerative power, slowly regenerating his upper body.
Looking down at him regenerating his face, I speak disdainfully.
"Shut your mouth. If you open that disgusting mouth one more time, I'll tear out your jaw."
"Uh, umm..."
Wriggle, wriggle....
Realizing I meant it, he changes his face.
A face without eyes, nose, mouth, or ears.
A complete no-face.
That is Yuan Li's true face.
Neither male, female, nor even human.
Just a filthy devil, the essence of Yuan Li.
"Don't worry. As I said, I won't torture you. I am..."
Expressionlessly looking at his faceless face, I continue.
"I am trying to give you a blessing right now."
Pukwak Pukwak!
I pin down both of his arms with the Black Ghost Curse Banner and slowly speak.
"Being able to conclude life is a great blessing... Right now, I'm about to give you such an overly generous blessing."
"Aw, aww..."
He looks to have something to say, but due to my threat of tearing out his jaw., he just writhes his face without opening his mouth.
"You too must have had a hard time getting here. I'll let you forget everything. Let you lay down everything, and rest..."
Thud!
Its when I fully embed the last Black Ghost Curse Banner into the location of his crumbling dantian.
Crrrack!
Only a mouth appears on his no-face.
Yuan Li screams as if in agony.
"That! How is that a blessing! Stop talking nonsense! I want to live! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
Silently, I begin to tear off his limbs one by one.
Yet, even as his limbs are being torn off, he screams in a voice filled with terror.
"Please, just torture me instead! No, please torture me! Spare me! Even if you torture me and violate me, just spare me, just spare me! Why, why must I die! I"
"Of course, I want to torture you too. But..."
I look up at the sky expressionlessly and continue.
"Right now, at this very moment. Even if its just a second earlier, how many resentful souls yearning for your deathmight there be The countless ones who died in bitterness because of you, they must be eagerly waiting for you in the Netherworld.
So, I can't delay any longer.
I tear off his arms and throw them to the south and north.
"I don't want to die! Huaahhhh! There's nothing after death I tell you! It's just the end! Death is a blessing? Then what about everything I've done until now? Weren't those giving blessings to the many? Speak up, you lunatic! If death is a blessing, what kind of curse is life? What kind of dog-shit is that! Whats the criteria for the blessings and curses you speak of!
I tear off his legs and throw them to the east and west.
"What's the difference between a blessing and a curse! According to you, I've only given blessings! Why am I being punished as if I've been spreading curses everywhere! Don't make me laugh! You just want revenge against me!"
Chuarak Chuarak Chuarak!
I begin to tear his body apart bit by bit.
"Don't talk lunacy about killing me as an act of mercy! Please, please spare me! No, I'm sorry."
As his body gradually vanishes, his fear intensifies.
Yuan Li screams even louder.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's all my fault, please spare me. Don't, please don't do this. Stop, please stop!"
And finally.
Churak!
His body is completely torn apart.
[I'll live! I'll-]
His nearly disintegrated, scattered Nascent Soul emerges, frantically trying to escape.
I reach out my hand.
Slash!
The Formless Sword slices Yuan Li's Nascent Soul directly.
Fizz...
His Nascent Soul scatters completely.
I pick up Yuan Li's head.
Faceless, with only a screaming mouth.
I wrap his grotesque and bizarre head in the red cloak he had been wearing.
Step, step....
Slowly, I walk out, pushing aside the debris.
"CultivatorSeo
Beyond the debris, I see Core Formation cultivators tending to their wounds.
I show them the cloak containing Yuan Li's head.
Relief appears in their eyes.
"Finally... that old monster..."
Cheongmun Jung-jin's face shows a mix of emotions.
Relief, accomplishment, vengeance, regret...
Feelings I cant describe.
None of the Core Formation cultivators are unscathed.
All of them are either maimed or severely injured.
"For now... Cultivator Seo. It seems we can't immediately return to our clans, and we will probably need a few weeks to recover our strength here."
Cheongmun Jung-jin speaks to me.
For those from the traitor factions.
Including Makli Hwang-cheon, the surviving Northern and Eastern cultivators, and Byeok Cheon-gi.
Currently, they are subdued and bound by the ghosts summoned by Seo Ran.
Physically, his condition is the best among them.
But emotionally...
Tears fall.
Seo Ran is amidst the wreckage of the Nether Crossing Ship.
Holding tightly to the helm that Song Jin had clutched until the end, he silently cries with a soulless expression.
I do not offer empty consolations to someone who has lost a loved one.
I just stand beside him.
Silently mourning Song Jin with him for a long time.
Drip... Drip...
How many tears has he shed?
Seo Ran staggers to his feet.
"...Even when he was alive... It sounds funny to say when he was alive, but... When he was still with us, my master always said that we must part one day..."
"..."
"I never thought that day would be today. It's so sudden."
"..."
"...But if my master saw me like this... he would scold me and tell me to get up right away."
Wiping his tears, Seo Ran slowly gets up.
"...It will be hard, but I will continue to practice the methods my master taught me. And someday, when I surpass him, I will ask the Sea Dragon King about everything...!"
He is stronger than me.
His eyes are filled with determination.
But I can see the sorrow behind his resolve.
"My condition is the best, so I'll take you where you need to be. For Senior right now..."
"Daoist Seo."
I place my hand on Seo Ran's shoulder.
"You don't have to overdo it. You can mourn for Song Jin..."
"..."
Silent for a moment, Seo Ran turns his head and covers his eyes with one hand.
"...I'm sorry. As you said, I think I need to stay here for a few more days."
"Alright."
I pat Seo Ran's shoulder.
Then, I look up at the Serving Command Palace still floating in the sky.
Swoosh!
I muster all my remaining strength and leap towards Serving Command Palace.
Its still floating in the sky, powered by some unknown force.
More so, it is slowly
It is slowly restoring itself.
I look at this strange palace for a moment and then search through its ruins.
After a while, I find the body of Byeok Mun-seong.
I collect his remains and bring them down to the ground.
I hand Byeok Mun-seong's remains to Cheongmun Jung-jin.
"Please take good care of him."
"...Alright."
Cheongmun Jung-jin and the remaining Core Formation cultivators are also collecting the remains of the fallen.
I place a shard of glass in Byeok Mun-seong's pocket.
Just then.
"CultivatorSeo?"
One of the six clans of Shengzi.
The head of the Jun Clan approaches me cautiously.
"Cultivator Seo, you killed the old monster, right?"
"That's right."
"From what we've confirmed while exploring, there are enormous amounts of spiritual medicine, spirit stones, dharma treasures, and wealth accumulated in the underground of the old monster's castle... It seems only right that Cultivator Seo, who played the biggest role in hunting the old monster, should have the first choice..."
I reply expressionlessly.
"I don't need it."
"Ah...!"
The faces of the Core Formation cultivators who have gathered around me brighten.
"Ah, then maybe..."
The head of the Jun Clan asks me tentatively.
He points at the torn pieces of Yuan Li's body.
"Are you not interested in the remains of this Nascent Soul cultivator? Consuming those remains as an elixir would have tremendous effects... and just researching the body of a Nascent Soul cultivator could greatly aid in reaching the Nascent Soul stage... Perhaps you're not interested in that either...?"
I nod expressionlessly.
"I only need Yuan Li's head. I don't need anything else."
"Ah, I see. The head is indeed your contribution, Cultivator Seo. You may take it as you wish. Haha, then... may we take the old monster's body?"
They ask, looking at me for confirmation, and I nod.
Upon my approval, they rush towards Yuan Li's body like a pack of wild hyenas.
After throwing Yuan Li's body to them like a bone,
I start walking through the desert towards Cheon-saek City.
Hot.
Its burning.
My remaining spiritual power is almost depleted.
My Golden Core and meridians
If I release the Formless Sword, I will collapse immediately.
Step, step...
I limp through the desert.
Taaat!
Sometimes, when I feel a burst of strength, I fly hundreds of jang (1 jang = 3.03 meters) with the power of the Formless Sword.
When my strength depletes, I fall back to the ground and continue walking through the desert.
I could have asked Seo Ran for help to reach Cheon-saek City quickly, but I can't take away his time of mourning.
Carrying the Colorless Glass Sword at my waist and Yuan Li's head in one hand, I head towards Cheon-saek City.
It is far.
And vast.
"Ugh..."
I stagger under the hot desert sun.
Thud!
To prevent myself from falling, I summon a Black Ghost Curse Banner and plant it in the ground.
Ironically, the power of the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation is surging greatly.
However, due to the nature of Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, its of no help in healing. Even if converted into energy, its unique humid toxic energy remains, rendering it unhelpful for my current condition.
'Furthermore, I have no thoughts on living longer.'
Creating more cursed dolls to transfer injuries isn't an option.
In essence, I am already on the brink of death, merely clinging on forcefully through the realm of Treading Heaven Beyond the Path.
Even the Core Formations Flying Escape Technique is not an option.
The technique relies on the power of the Golden Core, and any further shock to my Golden Core, whether I hold on with the Formless Sword or not, seems likely to shatter it completely.
'Well, it serves as a walking stick.'
Thud!
I summon the Black Ghost Curse Banner and plant it in the ground, laboriously taking each step and pondering.
Looking back, several black flags flutter in the desert, marking the path I have tread..
Originally, both the curses and the Blood Banner are spells that would disappear on their own if left alone.
While the Blood Banner can become permanent if planted in the upper dantian, if left outside, it will naturally disappear.
But my profound pain, this overwhelming agony, has kept the Black Ghost Curse Banners present even after a long time.
'How long will they last?'
Perhaps they wont disappear until after my death.
I look back at the black flags for a moment, then summon another Black Ghost Curse Banner, struggling to step forward.
As a bit of energy returns, I repeat the process of flying with the power of the Formless Sword, then walking with the Black Ghost Curse Banner when my strength wanes.
How long has it been?
A month now?
I feel half-insane.
Somehow, this journey feels harder than my fight with Yuan Li.
The scorching sun.
The parched mouth.
My body screaming in pain.
The faint hope of a comfortable death if I just release the Formless Sword.
And above all, the most painful thing is...
'Loneliness.'
Alone in the desert, slowly making my way to Cheon-saek City, I am engulfed in an almost madness-inducing pain.
Thud!
I plant another Black Ghost Curse Banner in the ground.
Lately, the curse banner has begun to change.
What was once a flag now hangs like a large lump or bulge.
It looks more grotesque than before, and its appearance alone exudes some kind of malice.
Thud!
With this grotesque, increasingly bizarre lump-laden stick, I continue forward, each step filled with pain.
'MissHyang-hwa.'
Yes.
Definitely, this life wasn't meaningless.
But while there is meaning, there is also pain.
In this world full of pain, is living truly only good?
'Painful...'
This scorching desert feels like hell.
I am walking towards death, marking the hellish journey with landmarks of pain.
'When will I... arrive?'
Another month has passed.
Step...
Step...
Thud...
The stick I summon, once the Black Ghost Curse Banner, now bears a lump larger than a head.
This lump is filled with malice, ready to spread a dark curse to anyone who dares touch it.
Now, even if I die, its doubtful whether this dense lump of malice will disappear.
'I don't know anymore...'
In a world already filled with agony, what difference will a few more bizarre lumps of malice make?
Thud!
I plant the lump-laden stick into the ground, supporting my body to keep from falling, and inhale deeply.
Wo-woong!
A bit of energy returns.
I fly again with the Formless Sword.
When I fly for a while,
Far away, I see something familiar.
And then...
Thump!
Eventually, unable to keep up my strength, I collapse right from the air.
'Is there any meaning... in reaching that place?'
I just want to rest peacefully...
Thud!
I summon another stick and plant it in the ground.
Still, let's go a little further.
I definitely, in front of them
I swore to offer this guy's head....
Thump, thump, thump.
How many times have I marked this milestone of pain, limping along?
Before I know it, Cheon-saek City is getting closer.
Blink.
...?
Just now, something seemed to have stood in front of me.
Was it just my imagination?
Wo-woong....
A sandstorm blows.
Through the sandstorm, I see someone's footprints in front of me disappearing.
Footprints...?
Someone had to be standing in front of me.
Just then.
Wo-woong!
A cold wind blows.
There, far away.
I see a dark cloud cover the sky in the direction of Cheon-saek City.
The dark clouds spread around, and soon it rains everywhere.
Swoosh
Rain is falling in the desert.
I stand there dazed, open my mouth, and drink the rainwater.
"Why is it raining...?"
Its not the right season for rain.
Its a sudden, unexpected rain shower.
As I limp along.
Hmm...?
Surely.
On the grounds of Cheon-saek City, which should be in ruins.
Some white can be seen.
"Uh, uhhh?"
I, with a foolish expression, ignore the body-tearing pain, and start to run to make sure.
"Uh, uhh"
I am at a loss for words.
"Uhh"
Thump, thump, thump thump thump!
I ran through the desert.
And finally, having reached Cheon-saek City, I look around with vacant eyes.
Pale figures are waiting for me.
All those who were massacred by Yuan Li, who died in Cheon-saek City.
Buk Joong-ho and Cheongmun Ryeong, smile kindly at me through the rain.
"...."
I silently gaze at them.
And then, slowly.
I lay down Yuan Li's head.
Tremble, tremble, tremble
With trembling hands, squeezing out my last strength, I attach a curse spell with Yin Fire to Yuan Lis head.
The black Yin Fire burns Yuan Li's head fiercely, even amidst the rain.
Finally, I have done it.
Now, can I... rest peacefully?
Then, Cheongmun Ryeong points somewhere.
I hold on to my collapsing body.
Cheongmun Ryeong smiles faintly.
As if mesmerized, I walk towards the place Cheongmun Ryeong pointed.
Towards Buk Hyang-hwa's workshop.
***
With a dazed expression, I walk through the city.
Shhhhhhhh...
The sound of rain somehow feels pleasant to my ears.
And at the end of the path, in the rain, stands the person I dreamed of.
No, perhaps it's more accurate to say she is floating.
"Hyang...hwa..."
With my throat parched and voice dry, I call out to her.
A whirlwind of thoughts storm through my mind.
"How...?"
Suddenly, I feel a gaze and look to the side.
There is no one there.
It seems to have been an illusion.
She smiles gently.
[How? I became a wandering spirit, waiting for Orabeoni.]
"Surely... back then..."
I still remember the moment when her spirit ascended to the heavens.
Suddenly, she glances where I had looked and smiles at me again.
[But isn't there something more important?]
"..."
Right.
One died, and one survived.
But our hearts are still connected.
I immediately understand what she means.
[In Yeon-do City, I wanted to dance with Orabeoni, but it seems we end up dancing here.]
"...Please wait just a moment. I will prepare immediately."
I draw the Colorless Glass Sword from my waist and pour all my strength into it, infusing it with spiritual power.
Wo-woong!
The Colorless Glass Swords were originally made as gravestones for the people living in Cheon-saek City.
Following my will, three thousand glass swords return to their respective graves.
After that, I reach out my hand towards her.
We smile at each other without words.
As we have no fans, we mimic holding one and take our positions.
There is no music, but we dance slowly to the symphony of the rain, matching each other's steps.
Our fingertips brush each other, as neither of us hold a fan.
I take three steps to the left, completing a circle.
She moves just like me, circling around, and our fingertips brush again.
The living and the deceased dance slowly through the raining graveyard, where glass swords are planted.
Wo-woong...
The spectating souls slowly turn into orbs of light and ascend to the heavens one by one.
Cheongmun Ryeong, Buk Joong-ho, and countless friends and neighbors, excluding Kim Young-hoon, appear.
As their souls disappear, the rain gradually stops, and the clouds in the sky begin to recede.
Just like the festival back then, I bring my hand to her face.
Without the veil, my fingertips lightly brush her face.
Our fingertips touch again.
The sky is purple.
The sunset is fading, and the night sky is beginning to rise.
We take three steps to the right, completing another circle.
Our fingertips brush several times, and finally, we return to our original positions.
Drip, drip...
Tears fall.
Surprisingly, its not the black tears I have shed for 200 years.
For the first time in 200 years, I am crying clear tears.
I look at Hwang-hwa in a daze.
"I can't imagine living in a world without you."
In the next life, perhaps for countless lives,
I might just commit suicide without thinking.
"I just... want to die."
I want to kneel before the heavens.
Begging with my hands, pleading,
Please, please kill me.
Now, I truly wish to die.
'If I die in this life, maybe I can meet her in the Netherworld.'
But death beyond this life is not permitted for me.
The moment I try to reach the Netherworld, I will be sent to the next life.
Just because I'm in front of her, I am barely holding back from weeping and begging.
And then.
She lightly presses my cheeks with both hands.
[You can't.]
"Hyang-hwa... A world without you is a curse. Just being alive is a curse."
[Then, were the moments we spent together also a curse?]
She smiles and asks.
I tremble and shake my head.
"It wasnt."
[Then, was everything I left behind also a curse and suffering?]
She points at the Colorless Glass Swords and asks.
I shake my head again.
[Then...]
She closes her eyes and brings her lips towards mine.
She kisses me.
I stand stunned, feeling her cold, surreal lips for a moment.
After she pulls away, she asks,
[Was what I just gave you also a curse?]
"...No, it wasn't."
Hyang-hwa embraces me.
[Whether I became a wandering spirit or someone opened the gates of the Netherworld, I came here for one reason.]
Hearing her next words, I feel as if something that had been buried deep within my heart for 200 years is being cleansed and swept away.
[I love you. Not being able to say it directly was my lingering regret.]
I embrace her, releasing the words that have knotted in my heart.
"I love you, too."
The human heart is indeed peculiar.
As I utter the pent-up words and read her feelings in the rosy hues of intent, I realize the hidden aspect of the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.
Perhaps a realm unknown even to its creator.
No, rather, a realm I discovered by far surpassing the creator.
Wo-woong!
The black curse spells that have been attached all over my body begin to reverse.
Even if a person's life is filled with pain and curses.
If the hearts of people connect and understand each other.
Maybe that can be an endless blessing.
The black curse spells reverse all at once, revealing what was hidden.
"Hmm?"
In the ruins of the black castle, where Yuan Li had died.
Core Formation cultivators still scavenge through the remains for the treasures Yuan Li had hidden.
"The Nascent Soul old monster's abode keeps yielding more treasures."
"We almost died, but it was worth it... But where did Cultivator Seo Ran go?"
One of the cultivators looked for Seo Ran.
"Hmm, not sure. He flew off in a hurry somewhere. Maybe he found something... I wonder what treasure he found to make him fly off so madly with that usually empty expression."
"That is curious... Well, it doesn't matter. We've gathered enough for ourselves anyway."
While they were rummaging through Yuan Li's residence, one of them sensed something unusual.
"Hmm? Wait, what's that?"
The Black Ghost Curse Banner used by Seo Eun-hyun to immobilize Yuan Li's body.
From the Black Ghost Curse Banner, a brilliant white light begins to emanate.
The sticks with black lumps that Seo Eun-hyun planted and left behind in the desert.
The lumps on those sticks began to shine white brightly.
And then.
Boom!
The lumps burst open, flowering like buds.
The blooming flowers are covered in pure white, each with six petals.
Boom, boom, boom!
Following the path Seo Eun-hyun had walked, hundreds of white magnolias began to sprout in the desert.
Boom!
I laugh, watching the white spells bloom from my body.
The white blessings appearing all around seem to have the opposite properties of the curse spells.
[Look at that, you're alive and even created a new method.]
"It's just the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, expressed with the feelings I share with you."
[Ah, but it's completely different.]
We chat and laugh together.
Its my first laugh in 200 years, but strangely, it doesn't feel awkward at all.
[If I may suggest, as a fellow co-creator, may I name this method?]
"Feel free to do so."
She reaches out towards the floating blessings, which seem to be transforming into the shape of white magnolias.
[How about White Orchid Blessing Incantation ()? Is that alright?]
I support her hand with mine beneath it.
"I will remember it."
We watch the blessings float into the sky for a while, and then our eyes meet.
Her soul is becoming increasingly transparent, rising into the air.
[I won't forget either.]
"...Yes."
I cant control my trembling voice.
Suddenly, I open my storage artifact.
I remember reading about it in Seo Ran's library.
"...The immortals of the higher realms, when they form a union, do this."
I take out the remaining bottle of White-Red Wine.
"Will it be alright?"
As she floats higher, she nods.
I rummage through my storage artifact.
There are no cups.
I have no choice but to pour half of the White-Red Wine in front of her grave as a substitute.
Then, I drink the remaining half in front of her.
Wo-woong!
As the White-Red Wine enters my nearly shattered Golden Core, its effects activate, reconnecting me with my dharma treasures.
Wo-woong!
The three thousand Colorless Glass Swords planted around begin vibrating.
And then.
As her soul turns into a small orb of light, losing its form and ascending to the sky,
The orb of light spins around in the air.
Its as if shes dancing the twin immortals dance with someone again.
Perhaps shes unconsciously recalling the memories of those days when she was alive, those happy moments, and their dance movements.
I watch the sky endlessly, then slowly sit down.
My strength is now fading away.
I take her norigae from my waist.
With the last of my strength, I heat her heirloom with Dan Fire, transforming it into a dharma treasure.
I close my eyes and hold the norigae deeply to my heart.
Whether its the lingering effects of the White-Red Wine or the norigae itself, I feel a strong connection forming.
My strength begins to ebb away.
Yuan Li's last desperate cry echoes in my mind.
What is the difference between a blessing and a curse?
Maybe the difference between blessings and curses isn't life and death.
Perhaps, if the hearts of people connect, that is a blessing.
And if the hearts are severed, that is a curse.
This life has been hell.
But at the end of this hell, I connected my heart.
Maybe hell and heaven.
Curses and blessings.
Are determined by the connection between people's hearts.
With this realization, I escape from the last cry of Yuan Li.
"I loved you... Thank you. For sharing your heart with me."
With a faint smile, all energy drains completely from my body.
My meridians and Golden Core, which should have collapsed long ago, begin to lose their strength.
Thus, at the edge of hell, I close my eyes in heaven..
Wo-woong!
As Seo Eun-hyun closed his eyes, the Colorless Glass Swords scattered around started to rise into the air.
The swords, now strongly connected to their owner, begin to return to his body one by one.
The three thousand Colorless Glass Swords, returning to the Golden Core of the smiling passed Seo Eun-hyun, begin to impale his body one by one.
Suddenly.
Seo Eun-hyun's norigae and the three thousand Colorless Glass Swords simultaneously emit a bright light.
The mother of Buk Hyang-hwa.
The wife of Buk Joong-ho, Yeon's tomb.
There are two trees that have grown near the magnolia tree at the tomb.
The two trees, which somehow grew for over 200 years, bloom their flowers on the same day.
A quince tree and a white magnolia.
From each of the two trees, a flower falls.
The flowers of the two trees land on the altar prepared for a wedding ceremony 200 years ago.
And then.
Whooosh!
A gust of wind from inside the tomb carries the quince flower away from the altar, somewhere into the desert.
The white magnolia remains in place, while the quince flower flies off to the unknown.
This is Seo Eun-hyun's eleventh return.
-x-X-x-
Blink.
I slowly open my eyes.
This death was more peaceful than any before.
And at the same time.
The most painful one.
Drip.
Tears fall, but I wipe them away and regain my composure.
At the end of my life, I fully felt her heart.
She wished that I would not die but live.
She hoped that I would no longer be sad.
Going forward, it will be impossible not to feel sadness in life.
But, let's not torment myself to the point of collapse.
Because she would be sad.
With that resolution, I form a hand seal.
The domain of consciousness vibrates, putting to rest my colleagues attempting to awaken.
A familiar headache resounds in my head.
Wo-woong!
I suppress my consciousness right away through the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner within my upper dantian.
No need for hastily splitting my consciousness or eating yellow bamboo root. Its quite convenient.
And then.
Stab!
"!?"
I stagger, clutching my stomach.
'What's this now?'
After the headache, its now the stomach?
In incomprehension, I clutched my stomach, gritting my teeth.
My stomach, or more precisely my dantian, started hurting as if its being torn apart.
'Why again...'
After gritting my teeth, I decided to first look for yellow bamboo roots.
Shortly after, I consumed a bamboo root and quickly underwent complete transformation, rapidly forming my Inner Core.
Only after forming my Inner Core did I feel the pain near my dantian subside.
'What exactly is this?'
Just when Im wondering,
I suddenly feel something near my Inner Core.
'This is...?'
My eyes widen at the familiar energy I feel from my Inner Core.
"This is...!"
I hurriedly expel Gang Qi from my Inner Core, refine it into Pure Spiritual Force in a rough manner, and form a hand seal.
Chalalalak!
And then.
Flash!
Around me.
Three thousand familiar objects reveal themselves.
The dharma treasure, the Colorless Glass Sword.
The dharma treasure made for me by Hyang-hwa had followed me through time.
Then.
Poof!
After the Colorless Glass Swords appeared, a brightly colored norigae also popped out.
I stare blankly at this sight and wipe my eyes with shaking hands.
I just resolved not to shed too many tears.
Yet here I am, crying shamefully again.
With a trembling voice, I murmur.
"Its been passed down..."
The connections between us.
Transcending time, they returned with me.
The time I spent with her,
The moments we shared together,
Those entire memories,
Did not completely disappear.
For the first time, I gained a companion that will travel through this endless time with me.
After spending enough time watching the Colorless Glass Swords and collecting my thoughts, I pondered.
'How did they follow me?'
This is an important issue.
Is it because I refined them into a natal dharma treasure that allowed them to follow me?
Or is there something more to it?
And if there is something more, what can it be?
After pondering for a while, I come up with one theory.
White-Red Wine.
I recall the ability of the immortal liquor called White-Red Wine.
It certainly has the power to strengthen the connection with dharma treasures.
And, thinking about it further.
When I first drank White-Red Wine.
It was a critical situation, so I couldn't recall it well, but certainly....
It felt like my soul itself was connected to the dharma treasure....
It was more than just enhancing the connection.
It was clear....
Through White-Red Wine, my soul and the dharma treasures were connected in an instant. As a result, as my soul traveled back in time, did the dharma treasures follow me as well?
That is the only explanation.
To say that only natal dharma treasures can follow me seems insufficient, considering that Buk Hyang-hwa's norigae was only turned into a dharma treasure at the very last moment with Dan Fire.
Did White-Red Wine assist the dharma treasure in following my regression?
There seems to be no other possibilities.
Then.
First of all, in this life, let's get White-Red Wine again and test it.
And maybe if possible.
Not just dharma treasures....
If it's possible to regress with others' souls as well.
If thats to be the case, it will be an incredible discovery!
Yes, later, I'll go back to Serving Command Palace and get White-Red Wine to test.
Having organized my thoughts, I stand up.
And shall I try to reproduce the enlightenment from my last life.
Woo-woong!
I concentrate my mind and raise the Gang Spheres.
A total of nine Gang Spheres.
No including the Inner Core,
Ten Gang Spheres.
Woo-woong!
The Gang Spheres in the air melt into the consciousness domain, and the Gang Sphere in the dantian melts down and connects with the Formless Sword outside the body.
Then, the Formless Sword connected with the Inner Core within my body begins to pervade various parts of my body.
Once again, that familiar feeling takes over my whole body.
The feeling of the Formless Sword inhabiting each and every muscle fiber and blood vessel.
Its as if.
As if I have become a Qi Building cultivator... isnt it?
Qi Building cultivators have Gang Qi flowing in their meridians, just like in this realm, a martial artist has the enlightenment of Beyond the Path to Heaven flowing in their entire body.
And that means.
Perhaps, from Treading Heaven Beyond the Path, martial artists can also increase their lifespan!
I cant confirm my lifespan yet as I have not performed the Qi Refining Seven Stars Ritual, but I have a feeling that this is the case.
For now, I decide to explore a bit more about what I gained by entering Treading Heaven Beyond the Path..
Just then.
Grrrrr.
A familiar figure appears.
Thats right, I knew you would show up.
I exchange the familiar question and answer with the fox again.
The fox, insistent on devouring me three times over, makes me sigh slightly.
If thats the case, let me test the capability of the Treading-Heaven realm on you.
?
And then.
Kwaang!
I rush towards the fox and kick it.
Keeek!
The fox screams and is flung away.
The first ability of Treading Heaven Beyond the Path.
Since my body has completely synchronized with the Formless Sword, any part of my body used for attack leaves the same trace as if I used the Formless Sword.
After the first attack and realizing the difference between us, the fox looks defeated. But I dont care and rush towards it again.
Kwaang!
Although my body has completely synchronized with the Formless Sword, its still very much possible to wield it as I originally did.
The fox, after being hit for the second time, shows a significant droop in its tail.
The second ability of Treading-Heaven.
The basic offensive and defensive capabilities have improved significantly. Whether its because I am using all ten Gang Spheres or because it is directly connected to my life force,
The limit of power I can draw from the Formless Sword seems to have increased.
Additionally, I had to always hold the Formless Sword to accelerate, but now that I am one with the Formless Sword, acceleration is possible just by existing.
The acceleration itself is far faster than a simple 10x speed.
Kwaang!
As I quickly charge and strike the fox, it seems to realize it can't fully respond to me anymore and looks at me with fearful eyes.
It gauges the distance between us and then, compressing its consciousness around its body, flees even faster.
The third ability of Treading Heaven Beyond the Path.
In the past, when I only held the Formless Sword, I mainly flew through the air using void steps. Because I couldnt use the Flying Escape Technique like Core Formation cultivators, long-distance flying was difficult, and chasing after them using void steps had its limits.
But now, being completely one with the Formless Sword, I can fly through the air swiftly, much like using the Flying Escape Technique.
Swoosh Bang!
I chase after the fleeing fox. Transforming myself into the Formless Sword, I impale it.
The impact is so significant that it quakes the earth, given the fox's size.
The fox tries to resist, but I extend my hand towards its chest.
Woo-woong!
The last ability of Treading Heaven Beyond the Path.
Shwaak!
My hand touches the vicinity of the fox's chest, and its body stiffens.
At first glance, it looks like I am merely touching the foxs chest. In reality, the Formless Sword extended from my hand and passed through the fox's hide and flesh, reaching its Demon Core and making its presence known.
If the first to third abilities correspond to the understanding of all Gang Spheres are one, and martial arts and I are one entity, as told by Young-hoon Hyung-nim,
The last ability is my point of differentiation.
Young-hoon Hyung-nim cut through space.
And I, who had mimicked Kim Young-hoons Surpassing Radiant Saber, also succeeded in cutting through space, albeit momentarily.
Therefore, the power attained when reaching Treading Heaven Beyond the Path with the Surpassing Radiant Saber seems to be cutting space or space escape.
Its likely due to the difference in what he and I are pursuing.
He wants to surpass light, and I want to escape everything.
Hence, if the Surpassing Radiant Saber transcends space, it truly surpasses light, and if the Formless Sword can selectively cut through anything, it truly escapes all limits.
Pl-please forgive me.
The fox, trembling all over, pleads to me.
What should I do
Right now, I can use the Formless Sword infiltrated into the fox's body to extract its Demon Core immediately.
In fact, the few times I wrestled with this fox were just to test the capabilities of the Treading-Heaven realm. From the beginning, I could have extracted the foxs Demon Core in less than a second.
I ponder the fox's fate for a moment and then remove my hand from its chest.
Its alright, I forgive you.
Th-thank you, thank you!
The fox bows its head in gratitude and then dashes away over the mountains.
I still harbor some resentment towards the fox.
Though in my last life,
Having suffered such immense pain, the anguish inflicted by the fox had largely faded from my memory.
And once is enough to teach it a lesson
I smirk.
It feels like only yesterday that the fox had torn off my arm, but now I have grown strong enough to extract its Demon Core in a second without any effort.
Of course, this is because I practiced for 400 years after reaching Beyond the Path to Heaven.
I slowly return to my companions.
Using a consciousness technique, I begin transferring the knowledge of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts and the enlightenments reaching Treading Heaven Beyond the Path to Kim Young-hoon.
Itd be convenient to have a real memory transfer technique.
I had been transmitting knowledge to Kim Young-hoon through consciousness all this time, but in truth, this is more of a formula transmission rather than a memory transmission.
Its more about conveying organized information than transmitting actual memories.
As I finish transferring everything to Kim Young-hoon,
Step, step.
Theres one more ability to Treading Heaven Beyond the Path.
The awaited one is approaching from behind.
Sensitivity has become even sharper. Detecting the approach of the fox demon and the flow of intent was clearer and more detailed than before.
In the past, I might not have noticed his approach.
But now, at this level, it seems permissible to notice.
I stand up and bow respectfully.
This cultivator junior, Seo Eun-hyun, greets Senior Mad Lord Jo Yeon.
[Hoo, watching you fight with the fox was interesting.]
The reason I had a noisy fight with the demon fox, creating a lot of commotion when I could have ended it in 1 second was for one reason.
To attract the Mad Lord.
[You, you're a strange one indeed. You're not a Nascent Soul cultivator, but how can you play with a mid Core Formation fox as if its a toy doll? Moreover, is that some kind of body refining technique? Your consciousness seems to be enveloping your physical body Fascinating, truly fascinating.]
I am humbled to show such a trivial skill before a senior who has lived through countless years.
[Huh, how curious. I don't sense any spiritual power from you]
The Mad Lord fails to perceive my Inner Core this time.
Of course, that is to be expected.
After reaching Treading Heaven Beyond the Path, my Inner Core has completely dissolved into the Formless Sword.
Looking at the Mad Lord, I begin to speak.
Senior, do you know the story of a man and a woman?
[Hmm?]
In the mountainous regions of Shengzi... there's a story passed down about two immortals. Those who were saved by their righteousness created a memorial festival to honor their deeds.
...!
Startled, I shiver under the Mad Lord's gaze.
He looks at me.
His wide, flickering eyes tells me to continue.
Wrongly speaking to the Mad Lord can lead to being captured alive and being turned into his puppet.
But.
The story I am about to tell is my own.
Long ago, in the mountainous regions of Shengzi, I fell in love with someone.
Thus, I recount my story to the Mad Lord, omitting the parts regarding regression.
And so, I embraced the remains of my beloved and swore. I will tear apart the limbs of that man, scatter them in the four directions, shred his body and feed it to dogs, and then offer his head at the memorial of my beloved.
[.]
The Mad Lord continues to look at me with those shimmering eyes.
To an outsider, itd be unclear whether he is listening to the story or glaring at me.
But I can tell from his intent.
It worked.
The Mad Lord speaks.
[What was that man's name?]
Bloodwood Practitioner Yuan Li. He is located in the Heaven-Treading Desert along these coordinates. Living in a black castle, he is a Nascent Soul cultivator hiding his true power.
[Is that so.]
Chew, chewchewchewchew....
Suddenly, the hunchback old man starts biting and chewing his fingers, saliva dripping from his chin.
The Mad Lord, in this state, meets my gaze with sparkling eyes.
[Lead the way.]
11th cycles first day.
What was supposed to be a story to perhaps gain some help from the Mad Lord regarding a distant curse, set forth a journey with the Mad Lord to Yuan Li's castle.
-x-X-x-