Click, click, click...
The mechanical devices around me begin to operate.
I look around for any possibility of escape.
'I should give up on talking more to this madman.'
The answer is clear - I am to be modified regardless.
'Should I suicide?'
But then...
I remember Kim Yeon, who has just been captured by the bee puppet.
'If I die like this, will Team Leader Kim be left alone with this madman and undergo the same modifications...?'
I haven't fully realized the insanity of this lunatic until our face-to-face encounter, but now it is clear.
I can't leave Kim Yeon alone with the Mad Lord.
'Suicide... let's not think about that now.'
So, is escape possible?
'If I use the Formless Sword to cut the circuits of the surrounding puppets and escape...'
But that too seems impossible.
It might have worked against Yuan Li, whos at the Nascent Soul stage, but not against this Mad Lord, a Heavenly Being at Grand Perfection, and his Four-Axis level puppets.
Im in the lion's den.
'Damn it.'
While Im contemplating,
Kuaguagua!
Numerous puppet arms descend from the ceiling towards my position.
In shock, I evade the puppet arms with a defensive maneuver.
[Hmm? You dodged?]
The Mad Lord's eyes shimmers as I evaded.
Shit...'
I feel a sense of hopelessness.
If things continue this way, I might not only have an arm modified, but my entire body might be forcibly changed. Fear grips me.
I look at the Mad Lord and force a smile.
"I'll go willingly."
[Oh, sure. That's a good decision. Lie down. I'll attach something new and pretty to you.]
"."
I grit my teeth and lay down on the operating table.
'I wonder if this madman will use anesthesia.'
I have little hope in this lawless era.
Im accustomed to the pain of having an arm torn off without anesthesia, but Im worried about Kim Yeon.
'If she gets modified, I should make some anesthesia for her.'
As expected.
The Mad Lord approached, and the puppet arms descended from the ceiling.
[Lets see, open your mouth.]
He says, inserting his hand into my mouth to open it and peers inside.
[Hoho, hoho, hoho Good, good. I had a hunch from seeing your body movements, but youre a martial artist, arent you?
"Uhh, uh."
[Yes, yes. I understand. I dont know if you heard the rumors, but I have a reputation for treating martial artists well. Seeing your teeth, youre an incredible one who reached the Five Energies Converging to the Origin. Very good. You are immensely talented, so I will treat you well. Now, it's going to shock a bit, so bear with it for a moment.]
"?"
Pijjiijijiiit!
Suddenly, Im enveloped in a massive electric shock.
I clench my teeth and endure the shock.
'He's using lightning as anesthesia?'
After a while,
I remain conscious amidst being electrocuted.
The shock subsides, and the Mad Lord looks at me.
[Hmm? What, you didn't faint? I even used lightning to anesthetize you. You have impressive mental strength!]
'Is using lightning as anesthesia normal?'
While Im dumbfounded, the Mad Lord grins.
[With such strong mental fortitude, you can probably endure being modified while conscious.]
Click!
Simultaneously, a gag is forced into my mouth, and my limbs are restrained.
'This damned thing! If the anesthesia didn't work, shouldn't he have tried again?'
Then, the puppet arms and devices converge on my left arm.
Hiss...
"."
[Perfect! It turned out truly excellent! Bravo! Not even twitching during the modification, I have obtained a truly great disciple!]
I sigh and stand up from the operating table.
'I'm worried about Team Leader Kim Yeon.'
Its only because its me that I didn't flinch and endured this insane modification.
For a normal person, no, even for a typical Core Formation or Nascent Soul cultivator, the pain felt from the recent modification is not something to easily dismiss.
Click, click...
I lift my left arm.
For a sudden modification by this madman, the new arm truthfully seems quite useful.
Inside the arm, numerous spiritual energy circuits are tightly packed, and the arm moves smoothly according to my will.
When I infuse consciousness into it, the sensations in the arm feel quite real.
Its more than adequate as a prosthetic, and I can sense many embedded functions.
[Now, now. Firstly, the basic energy source is designed to absorb energy from the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortresss energy source when inside. When outside, it will draw on your energy, using it as its energy source. Have a test of its performance.]
Click, click, click!
In one corner of the Mad Lord's workshop, several target-like objects suddenly sprung up.
The puppet arm given by the Mad Lord transmitted instructions on how to operate it through my consciousness when I infused it with my consciousness.
Click!
When I extend my left hand and concentrate my consciousness, energy gathers in my palm.
And then.
Boom!
A bright white beam shoots out, instantly turning three targets into ash.
'Never thought I'd shoot beams from my hand.'
Wo-woong!
When I slightly curl my fingers, spiritual energy gathers at the tips, forming bright white nails made of Pure Spiritual Force.
Whoosh, woosh!
As I swing my hand, the nails extend at will, slicing through the targets.
Keeng, click click!
When I clench my fist, various parts of the arm open, revealing nozzles.
Boom!
Spiritual energy bursts forth from the nozzles, and I fly forward with my fist, smashing another target to pieces.
It seems like it will be useful for enhancing the power of my punches.
Just from this demonstration, it appears that an ordinary first-rate martial artist with just this arm can rival a Qi Refining cultivator at the 10th or 11th star.
Of course
'All of these functions can be performed with the Formless Sword.'
In my case, with such a high cultivation level, these abilities feel somewhat superfluous.
These functions feel more like additional capabilities, and the true power of the puppet arm must be something else.
'Harmony It perfectly harmonizes with my body, which has reached the Five Energies Converging to the Origin. There's no discrepancy, and the flow of vital force (Qi) and blood is natural.'
The natural movement and feeling, as well as the balance of the arm, seems to be its real advantages.
And, the real reason the Mad Lord made this arm is evidently
[What are you doing? Try pulling that out, will you?]
Wo-woong!
The Formless Sword emerges through the left arm.
[Hoho! It comes out even through that arm!]
He seemed curious if the Formless Sword, formed through heart essence, could be emitted through the puppet arm.
'Aside from being attached to my body, it's no different from a dharma treasure.'
The Formless Sword always had the ability to be used in conjunction with a dharma treasure.
Its no different than overlaying the Formless Sword onto a glass sword.
The Mad Lord seems to have some inspiration, licking his lips while muttering to himself as he looks at my arm.
Then, with sparkling eyes, he suddenly shakes his head.
[Hmm, hmm. Alright, that's enough. You can go now.]
Wo-woong!
A bee puppet for transportation appears in the room.
[This fellow will guide you to your new quarters. For now, rest for today. I'll start instructing you tomorrow.]
The Mad Lord doesn't wait for my response. He approaches the Four-Axis wooden man and begins to work like a lunatic.
Wo-woong!
I fly off with the bee puppet to somewhere else.
Whoosh!
I land in a grand estate located deep within the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, having flown through space.
The estate is decorated just like a real one, with lush grass, trees, and small animals and insects.
Servants are moving around, cleaning and maintaining the estate.
But I feel a chill.
'Not a single living thing.'
The grass and trees are intricately made puppets, as are the insects, small animals, and the servants.
Click, click
As I look around, the servant puppets approach and bow to me.
"Are you going to guide me?"
Click, click
A servant puppet nods, and I follow it deeper into the estate.
It shows me my quarters and various places around the estate.
'It feels desolate.'
Though the puppets are kind, this lifeless place is suffocating.
As I look around,
'Hmm?'
I sense a faint trace of life energy in the distance.
'This energy is'
I leap towards the source of the energy.
Its in an estate next to where I was.
In a corner of the estate, Team Leader Kim Yeon is sitting on a rock, dressed in new clothes, looking dazed.
Wearing a pale pink attire, her face is filled with confusion and fear as she watches the servant puppets working.
Swoosh!
I land beside her.
"Ah, Deputy Seo?"
As I land next to her, relief flickers across her face.
"I'm so glad! I don't understand what's happening, this place is too horrifying. And these grass and trees! They're all like robots, right? There's not a single living thing here! What should we do now?"
""
I look at the terrified face of Kim Yeon and sigh.
"Team Leader Kim, please listen to me carefully."
I wanted to console her, but having undergone the modification of one arm, my mood had hardened.
"Now, you must forget about the modern society we lived in. In this world, there are no such things as human rights. That insane Mad Lord who kidnapped us might modify us whenever hes in the mood."
Click...
I show my left arm to Kim Yeon.
Her face, initially failing to understand, turns pale.
"That, what is that? Deputy Seo, you're joking... right?"
"Team Leader Kim."
I grab her shoulder and look into her eyes.
"This is no joke. Please listen to me carefully. You might not understand, but let me explain this world to you."
I slowly explain to her about this world.
Martial artists, demon beasts, cultivators...
Martial arts, spells, the upper and lower realms.
The Mad Lord Jo Yeon, and the story about him and [Her].
What Kim Yeon's awakened vast consciousness means.
"...This is the kind of world we are in. Do you understand?"
"I... still don't quite..."
"Let me show you, it'll be faster."
I form a hand seal.
The puppet arm that has become part of me has no problem channeling Pure Spiritual Force, and since its much stronger than my original arm, theres no issue in using spells.
"Release ()!"
Chalalak!
Simultaneously, the Blood Body Skin Armor that has been boosting my regeneration inside my body is released.
Chururururu!
The blood that has seeped into my body falls to the side, trickling back into Yuan Li's Blood Body.
Churuk, churururuk...
The Blood Body, which has continuously given me increased regeneration, causes my cultivation to drop from late Core Formation to early Qi Refining.
"What in the world is this..."
Kim Yeon's eyes widen in shock as she looks at the Blood Body. I form a seal with the hand of the Blood Body.
Hwarururuk!
Flames burst from the hand of the Blood Body, and all sorts of extraordinary spells appear.
"Now do you believe me? This world is full of such bizarre things."
"I believe it. It's just... I was confused if it was a dream or not. I wish someone would tell me it's just a terrible nightmare."
"..."
Kim Yeon tiredly covers her face with both hands.
Just then.
Wriggle, wriggle...
Chalak!
The veins of the Blood Body writhes, and a small centipede bursts out from inside.
'Ah, I had forgotten about this little one.'
I had placed it inside the Blood Body, boosting its regeneration ability to withstand the spatial pressure.
Of course, given the pressure, it must have burst dozens of times, but thanks to the Blood Body, it kept regenerating.
'I feel a bit sorry for it...'
I blocked its pain through the Blood Body, but still, its body burst several times.
'For now, stay inside.'
I manipulate the Blood Body to take the centipede back into its veins and cover it with flesh, pushing it inside.
In the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, its difficult to recklessly bring it out.
Meanwhile, Kim Yeon looks a bit calmer and asks,
"But Deputy Seo, how do you know all these things? And this womanno is it a man? Anyway, what is this person?
"Team Leader Kim, as I mentioned, similar to you, all our colleagues have awakened strange abilities."
"Yes."
"I'm the same. This body, neither male nor female, is part of the abilities I've awakened to, and so is the knowledge I possess."
"Is that so? Oh right, about my ability..."
"And!"
I interrupted her.
"Do not reveal whatever ability you have acquired, no matter what."
"Why? There's only the two of us here..."
"That's not the issue. It's hard to explain but... can you promise me you won't reveal it?"
Squeeze...
I hold Kim Yeon's hands and look into her eyes.
Her face flushes red.
"Yes, yes! I promise. You'll tell me later, right?"
"In due time, I will."
I look at her intent and smile bitterly.
"So promise me. Keep your secret until death, if necessary."
"Yes, yes..."
Looking at her intent, I ponder.
'It'll be hard to leave her behind in the future.'
Kim Young-hoon might feel a bit regretful about parting ways with me, but hell excitedly venture off on his own journey.
However, I don't know what would happen to her in her current state if we parted ways.
I inform Kim Yeon of a few precautions and teach her a bit more about this world.
Thus, our first day in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress passed.
From the next day, we received various methods from the Mad Lord.
Basic Qi Refining methods and a method called Wonderfully Mysterious Heart Canon.
"The Wonderfully Mysterious Heart Canon is a type of consciousness method. It focuses on training and further developing consciousness. It's also a crucial method for controlling the residents of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress. Until reaching Qi Refining, you should learn the Wonderfully Mysterious Heart Canon, and once your consciousness becomes stable in the Qi Building stage, I will teach you my true consciousness method, the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon."
Given that it's meant for controlling the puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, it seems to be a consciousness method optimized for puppetry.
From that day, I helped Kim Yeon with her consciousness method training and aided her in mastering the basic Qi Refining methods.
Half a year passed.
Atop the valley where the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is located.
Kugugu!
After half a year, I see five strands of spiritual energy clouds revolving around me.
'Incredible speed.'
Despite not having the Demon Core of the fox and just absorbing the spiritual energy from the atmosphere, relying on Understanding before Breakthrough, I reached the completion in Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation in just half a year.
In this state, I seem likely to reach Qi Building within a month.
And Kim Yeon is currently...
Kurung Kurung!
On the other side of the valley, she failed the Seven Stars Ritual, biting her lips anxiously.
Heavenly Rejection.
I didn't know about it during Kim Young-hoon's time but
Sure enough, its a phenomenon appearing to us who have come from the modern world.
"I failed again... What should I do?"
She asks in a trembling voice.
I pat her shoulder.
But she flinches and steps back.
Over the past half year.
The Mad Lord has modified not only my left arm but both arms into puppet arms, and the one I used to pat her shoulder feels like hard wood rather than human flesh.
I, too, have experienced Heavenly Rejection in the Bright Cold Realm.
However, in my case, I overcame the phenomenon by tearing through the clouds with the beam emitted from the puppet arm given by the Mad Lord, without needing to shoot a Gang Sphere.
This means...
"Deputy Seo... what about me? If the Mad Lord, my, my arms too..."
If Kim Yeon can't overcome Heavenly Rejection she too might be modified by the Mad Lord.
"...There's still time. The next ritual isn't far away so lets try again then. And the Mad Lord as expected..."
I look at her consciousness domain.
Unlike half a year ago, when her consciousness was scattered wildly, her consciousness, having learned the Mad Lord's method, is now calmly enveloping the heavens and earth in a spherical shape.
"Team Leader Kim won't be modified recklessly like me."
I look down at the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Half a year.
After imparting the consciousness method and basic Qi Refining methods to us.
The Mad Lord, intending to create a Four-Axis stage puppet again, has been holed up in his workshop in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress for several months, modifying the corpse of the Four-Axis wooden man.
"How can you be sure of that? The Mad Lord said he would come out of the workshop in two months, right? If I still haven't finished the Seven Stars Ritual by then..."
She looks at my arm with a face full of fear.
'Heavenly Rejection Phenomenon...'
I look at the clouds dispersing in the sky, lost in thought.
"Team Leader Kim, how far have you progressed in the Wonderfully Mysterious Heart Canon?"
"11 stars."
With the Wonderfully Mysterious Heart Canon consisting of a total of 12 stars, she is just one step away from mastery.
"Perhaps, you might overcome Heavenly Rejection."
"How so?"
I show her the puppet arms.
"If the power of the puppet is considered 'my' power, then perhaps if Team Leader Kim commands the puppets..."
"No, I don't want to!"
However, Kim Yeon shakes her head, making a pained face.
"Deputy Seo, you already know! To control those puppets, I have to..."
I sigh softly.
Certainly, it would have been easier if we could freely command the puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
But theres a problem with the Fortress's puppets.
"Im telling you my mind becomes strange."
As Buk Hyang-hwa's research on the bee puppet's circuitry had shown.
The puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress contain circuits corresponding to the seven emotions.
And these circuits are interconnected with all the puppets existing throughout the Fortress.
When manipulating a lone bee puppet, there are no issues.
But when trying to manipulate the interconnected circuits of all the Fortress's puppets, it feels as though the circuits are alive, eroding the manipulator's consciousness. The puppeteer will inevitably become mentally unstable.
Designed to match the Mad Lord's lunacy, the puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress are such that anyone other than the Mad Lord who tries to manipulate them will become assimilated with him, causing their mind to fragment.
This is the difficulty Kim Yeon is currently facing.
'Even with overwhelming talent, she's being held back by the Heavenly Rejection Phenomenon
I watch her with concern, deep in thought. Then, I say to her,
"I can't directly help you pierce the heavens."
"Then"
"But I will try to help you in any way I can."
"Ah!"
I look down at my puppet arms.
With her normal mind, she won't be able to withstand the modification surgery.
This is even if shes knocked out with electricity before the surgery,
If the Mad Lord, after finishing the Four-Axis puppet, learns that she is still at the 7th Star of Qi Refining due to Heavenly Rejection, he will likely modify her arms as well.
'I might not be able to completely prevent the Mad Lord from modifying her, but I'll do my best to... delay it.'
I make this resolve while looking at the terrified Kim Yeon.
A month passes.
Kugugu!
I have reached Qi Building.
Familiar Pure Spiritual Force flows within my body.
Kururung!
After splitting the Heavenly Lightning falling towards me and scattering the dark clouds,
I continue to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and practice my methods.
The next cultivation method to practice after the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation.
Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.
Patsususus....
Yin Soul Ghost Incantation is not a method where cultivation rises 'when feeling pain,' but 'when understanding pain.'
Since the key is 'understanding,' I managed to reach the peak of early Qi Building just a day after entering Qi Building.
Kugugugu!
Dark curse scripts circle around my entire body.
And with this, I should be able to help Kim Yeon.
'The day after tomorrow is Kim Yeon's Seven Stars Ritual.'
I intend to assist her Seven Stars Ritual through the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.
"Manipulate the puppets?"
"Yes."
I speak, looking at the puppets.
"You might feel the madness, but try infusing your consciousness into them."
"...Okay."
Kim Yeon, after seeing my firm gaze, nods and extends her consciousness towards the puppets.
Wo-woong!
The residents of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
The numerous Qi Refining and Qi Building puppets there begin to move.
And then,
"Ugh, ugh..."
Kim Yeon holds her head, enduring the madness of the Mad Lord with pain.
I hold her shoulder and try to align my heart essence as closely as possible with hers.
Then,
"Team Leader Kim, I will overlay my consciousness on yours. Please try to match the frequency of your consciousness with the structure of the Wonderfully Mysterious Heart Canon."
"Yes, yes...!"
Wo-woong!
Team Leader Kim Yeon's consciousness and mine align for a moment.
At that instant, the madness of the puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, which she is manipulating through her consciousness, begins to flood in.
Kwaddeuk!
Sticky madness.
This madness is unpleasant not just because it causes mental fragmentation.
Wriggle, wriggle...
The madness pushes aside the original personality of the manipulator, gradually taking over the flesh, and tries to dominate the consciousness of the puppeteer.
But this time, it chose the wrong opponent.
Uddeuk!
I take all the pain Kim Yeon is experiencing and transfer it to myself, using curses to make myself a voodoo doll.
Pisit, pisit!
Blood vessels burst in various parts of my head, and blood trickles from my nose.
'This level of pain is..'
Kkuk!
I clench my fist, overwhelming the madness that is trying to devour my mind.
'Nothing at all!'
Kugeuk!
In this state, I look at Kim Yeon and speak.
Or rather, theres no need to say anything.
Our consciousnesses are connected at this moment.
[Can you now manipulate the puppets?]
[Yes...]
She grimaces a bit, then extends her hands.
Kugugu!
The puppets line up in an orderly fashion, moving in all directions according to her will.
Hundreds of Qi Building stage puppets begin to heed Kim Yeon's commands.
[Still at this level, I see.]
[Yes, I'm not used to it yet.]
[Anyway, this makes it possible for you to try.]
I speak to Kim Yeon through heart language.
[Shall we try the Seven Stars Ritual now?]
Cheolkeok Cheolkeok Cheolkeok...
Atop the valley.
The altar for the Seven Stars Ritual.
Surrounding it, a legion of puppets assume their positions, ready to unleash their respective spells towards the sky.
The Seven Stars Ritual in the Bright Cold Realm is no different from the previous world.
The only difference is that the ritual has to be conducted towards completely different stars than the twenty-eight stars of the previous world.
However, the names invoked during the ritual remain the same.
According to a cultivator the Mad Lord kidnapped months ago, the names of the stars and constellations used in the cultivation world's rituals are fixed across dimensions.
Instead of performing the ritual looking at the actual stars, its done according to the 'energy' of the stars. Therefore, if a star in another realm has similar 'energy', its referred to by the same name as in the previous realm.
Kurung, Kurung...
Dark clouds begin to gather in the sky.
Kim Yeon finishes the ritual and stretches her hands towards the sky.
Then, hundreds of Qi Building stage puppets that are manipulated by her emit light simultaneously.
Kwagwang, Kwagwagwang!
Hundreds of attacks from the Qi Building stage puppets tear the clouds in the sky apart.
And since its she, herself who moves the puppets to tear the sky, it seems the heavens recognize it as her action.
Paaaat!
I can feel Kim Yeon successfully rising to the 7th Star of Qi Refining.
[Ah, ah Eun-hyun Oppa.]
Through her intent, I can feel a deep sense of relief and an indescribable surge of emotion.
[Thank you]
Having overcome the critical stage of Qi Refining, Kim Yeon wipes her eyes and looks back at me.
Seeing her appearance, I smile bitterly, disconnecting our consciousness connection.
"Congratulations, Team Leader Kim."
I know her feelings better than ever.
But I absolutely can't accept those feelings.
"Now you won't have to worry about being modified due to the stagnation in your cultivation."
"Yes, it's all thanks to you, Eun-hyun Oppa. But, aren't we going to stop using 'Team Leader' and 'Deputy' titles? Haha."
Kim Yeon slowly descends from the altar.
"We're not in the company anymore."
"...What should I call you then?"
"No, more than that, why do you still speak formally to me, Eun-hyun Oppa? You used to speak informally at the company."
"..."
'Did I?'
That was 900 years ago.
I hardly remember.
"Speak informally. After performing the Seven Stars Ritual, I realized..."
She speaks with a deep sense of relief.
"We, the remaining people, should be close to each other."
But I know that what she is saying isn't just about being friendly.
That intent, I know it all too well.
"In fact, I..."
Just then.
[Oh, have you been well?]
Suddenly!
The Mad Lord bursts through space, sticking his head out.
Flash!
He looks into the empty air with glittering eyes.
Kim Yeon seems not to understand, but I sense his gaze and feel a chill run down my spine.
The Mad Lord is observing the color of Kim Yeon's intent.
[Oh, ohohoh... Ohoh!]
The Mad Lord, looking at her intent, lets out a suspicious exclamation.
Since its difficult trying to understand the intentions of a madman, Im always tense.
I swallow and ask the Mad Lord.
"...Have you come out already, Master...? I thought you would stay for another month..."
[Ah! The Four-Axis puppet was completed earlier than expected!]
Chaak!
The Mad Lord, having torn through space, flicks his hand.
Kooooo!
The Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress below begins to rise slowly.
[And, the spy puppet I sent out found the location of the Light Spirit Pond, full of materials for injecting into [Her] body. However, it turns out the Bright Cold Realm's race occupying the Light Spirit Pond is quite formidable. They are called the Cold Spirit Race, and they even have Integration stage cultivators of the Cold Spirit Race living there, making them a tricky opponent.]
"...What are you going to do?"
The Mad Lord spreads his arms wide, his eyes bloodshot with madness, and shouts.
[What do you mean what am I going to do? War, of course! Cold Spirit Race or whatever race, I will conquer them all and whatever stands in my way I will conquer them too! If the world opposes me, I will conquer the world! Hehehehe!! World conquest! World conquest! Now, let's go. The method of creating Four-Axis puppets is now stabilized, so from now on, we go to war with the Cold Spirit Race!]
Kugugugugu!
From within the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, the true and undeniable power of the Four-Axis erupts forth in three bursts.
Simultaneously, over the past half year, having undergone Heavenly Tribulation and risen to Four-Axis, the Mad Lord's momentum envelops heaven and earth.
-x-X-x-
What is this insane madman saying now?
I quickly dismiss the thought that came to mind and ask the Mad Lord.
Arent there still less than five Four-Axis stage beings?
This is an obvious fact.
Even if all the lower level puppets are combined, its barely equivalent to the power of five Four-Axis stage cultivators.
Considering just the current Cold Spirit Race, I heard that there are countless Four-Axis stage beings.
I even heard that there are Integration stage cultivators there.
So what does he mean by conquering the Cold Spirit Race?
I am puzzled when he speaks.
[So, we need to increase our allies, right?]
The Mad Lord says with a chilling smile.
[Ive already established the framework for a Four-Axis puppet modification factory. With just the materials, we can easily produce formidable power within a month.]
Shiver, shiver!
He's crazy.
That means.
[First, I'll capture the nearby Four-Axis cultivators one by one, and welcome them as new residents of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress. Then, once we put the collected materials into the factory and operate it]
The Mad Lord laughs with his mouth wide open.
[Our side will grow even more! Isnt that right?]
It sounds absurd, but why does it seem plausible, given that its the Mad Lord?
Either way.
A war that will spread throughout the entire Bright Cold Realm has begun, all because of one madmans delusion.
Kugugu!
I look at the situation in front of me, as if a natural disaster has swept through.
[You wicked bastard! Ive sent a signal, and all the Four-Axis cultivators nearby will be rushing to capture you!]
The Mad Lord acted quickly.
He quickly invaded the territory of a nearby Four-Axis cultivator and their land, clashing with them and driving the Four-Axis cultivator to a corner.
Kugugugu!
The Mad Lord laughs from above the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, commanding an army of puppets numbering in the millions.
[The materials are replicating? That's just too good! Hahaha!]
[Why are you taking such crazy actions! Do you really want to become the enemy of the entire Bright Cold Realm!?]
[Well, that wouldn't be too bad. Now, become nutrients for the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.]
[You! This madman! Arghh!]
Kugugugu!
Numerous Qi Building stage puppets swarm the Four-Axis cultivator of an unknown race, dragging him into the depths of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Woong!
Thats the end.
Inside the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, the sound of a factory operating can be heard.
In a month, the Four-Axis cultivator who had just caused a natural disaster due to battle will likely reappear as a loyal Four-Axis puppet following the Mad Lord's commands.
Moreover, the modification factory is still in its initial stages, and as the Mad Lord modifies more Four-Axis cultivators, more data and information will accumulate...
Perhaps the process of producing Four-Axis puppets will become faster, and eventually, they might be mass-produced without even needing corpses.
Truly a chilling force.
Is there anyone who can stop the Mad Lord?
Perhaps, the entire continent might be swept away by his puppet army.
Why arent there Integration stage cultivators trying to catch such a person?
Even near the Flying Immortal Platform, I heard there are Integration stage cultivators.
So why aren't they pursuing the Mad Lord?
Indeed, the Mad Lord is wanted, but why arent there people eagerly chasing after him?
I am truly puzzled.
Before the Mad Lord grows further, someone of at least the Integration stage must stop him.
Only then, Kim Yeon and I might be liberated from him.
The Mad Lord's tyrannical actions continued.
He kept capturing the pursuing Four-Axis cultivators, converting them into puppets, and with each battle, his power skyrocketed.
Even when the threatened Four-Axis cultivators formed an alliance and attacked the Mad Lord.
Hes insane.
[Hahaha! The materials can replicate!?]
The Mad Lord, who had already ground up numerous Four-Axis cultivators to evolve his Four-Axis puppet modification factory, was incomparable.
It had been 10 years since he first killed a Four-Axis cultivator and made a Four-Axis puppet.
Now, the Mad Lord has slain 46 Four-Axis cultivators and obtained a total of 46 Four-Axis puppets.
And, over these 10 years.
I have regained my Core Formation stage cultivation.
And.
Kim Yeon has, somehow, reached the Nascent Soul stage.
"Eun-hyun Oppa, can I ask you about the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon?"
Sure.
Zzzt, zzzt.
Having used a Four-Axis stage consciousness to condense a Nascent Soul, her power explosively increased upon reaching the Nascent Soul stage.
Having entered the Nascent Soul stage, where the power of consciousness significantly influences methods and techniques, she is already able to use Heavenly Being level spells despite being merely at the Nascent Soul stage.
I can feel my whole body tingling just from her approaching.
But the real problem is, even if Kim Yeon reaches the Four-Axis stage, can she kill the Mad Lord, that old monster?
By the time she reaches the Four-Axis stage, wouldnt the Mad Lord already have created several Integration stage puppets?
Either way, for now, the only way to escape the Mad Lord is to foster Kim Yeons growth as much as possible.
The consciousness method the Mad Lord mastered, the 'Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon,' is not as tricky as Seo Hweols Summoning Wind, Coagulating Core Transformation and is an excellent method without anything to criticize.
Mastering the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon stabilizes the consciousness, increases control over various parts of the consciousness, and makes it more pure.
It also has the effect of increasing the size of the consciousness compared to other cultivators of the same level, making it an excellent method.
The only downside to this perfect method is that its too complicated to learn and master.
"If Eun-hyun Oppa hadnt been here, I wonder how I could have mastered the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon to this extent. My head already hurts.."
However.
I could understand as soon as I received the essence of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.
The Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is an interpretation from a cultivators perspective of the colors of intent seen by a martial artist who has reached the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.
Furthermore, developing from this perspective of intent, I, who have reached Treading Heavens Beyond the Path' by fully delving into and mastering heart essence, could comprehend the true meaning of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.
Therefore, even though shes at the Nascent Soul stage and Im at the Core Formation stage, the understanding of the method is higher in me, and Kim Yeon often finds herself in the strange situation of learning from me.
The ultimate goal of this method must be Beyond the Path to Heavens.
No, to be honest, its one step short of Beyond the Path to Heavens.
If Beyond the Path to Heavens materializes one's heart essence, then mastering the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon only gains the 'vision' of Beyond the Path to Heavens.
But, somehow.
I have a feeling that the Mad Lord has reached Beyond the Path to Heavens.
If I look through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon created by the Mad Lord, his attainments are probably closer to a convergent evolution of Beyond the Path to Heavens.
Just like how I reached Ultimate Pinnacle and my Inner Core underwent a convergent evolution with the Demon Core.
The Mad Lords consciousness method, the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, must have also evolved closely to Beyond the Path to Heavens due to his efforts.
Just one step.
The extreme described by the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is really just one step away from Beyond the Path to Heavens.
Crossing this threshold, one can really reach Beyond the Path to Heavens. Perhaps the Mad Lord, without even realizing, has already entered the realm.
Simply because he had unknowingly reached an unknown realm, he might not have included that essence in the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon due to a lack of knowledge in that area.
He is truly astonishing. How can he, without practicing martial arts and simply by researching consciousness, go beyond Three Flowers, surpass Five Energies, Ultimate Pinnacle, and come close to entering Beyond the Path to Heavens
The Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is also quite important to me.
Until now, I only dealt with the domain of consciousness purely from the perspective of a martial artist, but the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is a method that thoroughly analyzes the domain of consciousness from a completely opposite standpoint.
"By the way, Eun-hyun Oppa. Have you heard what the captured Cold Spirit Race cultivator said?"
"Hmm?"
I glance at a Cold Spirit Race puppet walking among the puppets in the distance.
The Mad Lord has been slowly infiltrating the territory of the Cold Spirit Race for 10 years, creating a lot of Cold Spirit Race puppets.
Many of the Cold Spirit Race captured by the Mad Lord helped us gain some understanding of the Bright Cold Realm.
The general flow of the Bright Cold Realm.
The major races of the Bright Cold Realm.
Recent movements in the Bright Cold Realm...
We learned many such things.
"There are no Entering Nirvana cultivators in the Bright Cold Realm, only one Sacred Vessel cultivator called the White Cloud Sacred Master. Star Shattering cultivators have all gone to some other dimension with no promise of return, and recently, even the cultivators at the Integration stage are showing some strange signs.... Maybe it won't be too difficult for the Mad Lord to conquer the Bright Cold Realm. If that happens..."
Kim Yeon lets out a bitter laugh.
"If that happens, can we see our scattered colleagues again?"
"...Probably."
Shes longing for the people from the same homeland.
Living every day with puppets in this insane Mad Lord's fortress is a tremendous psychological pressure.
Perhaps because of that, the time she spent talking with me has recently increased.
Somehow, she seems to be sitting closer to me lately.
"Eun-hyun Oppa?"
Kim Yeon moves a little closer to me.
"There's something I want to ask..."
"...Sorry. The Mad Lord is calling me now."
I turn away from her as she comes closer to me.
I know her feelings.
But I can't accept them.
Because I am already betrothed.
I cannot share my heart with another carelessly.
[Now, disciple. The conquest of the Cold Spirit Race is about to end. Once we occupy Light Spirit City, the Light Spirit Pond will be in our hands, and [She] will reach the Integration stage! Hehehe! Then, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress will be one step closer to completion...]
"...What have you called me for?"
[Oh, the reason I called you is simple]
The Mad Lord continues.
[The Cold Spirit Race will desperately resist losing the Light Spirit Pond. There might even be a chance that an Integration stage cultivator will get involved. There's a high risk of death for both of you. So, I have a proposal.]
"What is it?"
[I want to fully integrate you into 'my world'.]
"...!?"
[If both of you become superior puppets, there's no need to worry about dying, right? If that happens, I will personally make you and Kim Yeon into a puppet couple. It seems Kim Yeon also has feelings for you. Wouldn't that be good for everyone?]
Kurgh
At those words, I felt like throwing up in agitation but I managed to hold it back.
'Calm down.'
Following this madman, I have somewhat expected something like this.
'Getting angry won't stop the Mad Lord.'
On the contrary, if I refuse, he might go berserk and modify us right away.
Therefore, I have to compromise according to the logic of a lunatic.
Fortunately, I have gotten a sense of his logic after following him for 10 years.
"I have a request."
[Hmm? What is it?]
If he brought up this topic, it means,
Regardless of the uniqueness of my heart essence or anything else, he no longer cares about my Formless Sword since Four-Axis stage and Integration stage puppets are more attractive to him.
Then I must,
"Anyway, to your eyes, Master. I am a lowly person with inferior qualities who would be better off as a full resident of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress."
[Right. That's why I want to help you become even more superior.]
"Correct. But, doesn't Kim Yeon still have more potential to grow?"
Sacrifice myself and make Kim Yeon's potential growth more appealing to him since he still finds her attractive.
"Rather than making her a puppet, it would be more efficient to properly train her as a puppeteer. Above all"
I match my reasoning to the logic of the Mad Lord.
"If you make me a puppet, I would like to be handled by Kim Yeon with her vast consciousness."
[Oh....]
"Being handled by an excellent puppeteer is also the happiness for a puppet, is it not? Instead of making both of us a puppet couple, if you only make me a puppet and leave the control to Yeon..."
I continue, hiding my true feelings from the Mad Lord using my Treading Heavens Beyond the Path heart manipulation.
"Both of us can be happy."
[Thats right, thats right...! Its wonderful! Perfect!]
The Mad Lord claps frantically, tears streaming down his eyes lit with insanity.
[I will make you both happy! I knew it from the moment I saw Yeon like you. You two can achieve the perfect love that I couldn't!]
"."
[Now, lie down right away! I will make you into a perfect puppet! You, you will become the best puppet! I will appoint you as the martial arts instructor for the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress! You will become the guardian deity of the fortress, the general of the castle!]
Externally, I feign joy, but internally, I grit my teeth.
Yeon-ah, Im sorry.'
It seems.
This is my limit.
I've been intervening and taking the modifications myself to prevent her from being modified as much as possible.
But that's all I could do till now.
It seems this short and intense journey of mine ends here.
'But at least since the Mad Lord listened to me, he won't fully turn her into a puppet.'
With her talent, it might take time, but she will eventually surpass the Mad Lord.
And she will avenge me.
Definitely.
Click, click, click.
I get onto the Mad Lord's operating table, waiting for his modification.
It isn't just a full-body modification.
The Mad Lord's statement about accepting me into his world means that he will turn me completely into a puppet, leaving only a bit of my shell intact.
Today, I am going to die.
Click, click!
Chilling mechanical sounds envelop my entire body.
I thought this would be my fourteenth return.
Click.
...?
I slowly opened my eyes.
"Ah, perfect. Rise!"
Creak!
'I' rose from my seat.
'Uh?'
My whole body moves.
"I did my utmost best to create you. Though your body didnt even reach Nascent Soul, I generously used precious materials, so you should have the power comparable to a Four-Axis. I entrust the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress to you, General Seo."
And then,
"Just leave it to me, Lord of the Fortress."
From my mouth,
A strange mechanical sound emerges on its own.
"Now, go to your post. The battle with the Cold Spirit Race is imminent."
"Understood, Lord of the Fortress."
'I' move my body and leave the Mad Lord's workshop.
My whole body pierces through space, moving instantaneously to the outer walls of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Four-Axis spatial movement!
And then,
'I' begin patrolling the outer walls of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
'What?'
I move my consciousness in confusion.
Wasn't being modified by the Mad Lord supposed to mean death?
Wasn't I supposed to regress?
But contrary to such expectations,
'I' maintain my consciousness in the state of being turned into a living puppet.
'What, what is this!'
In a state of panic, I scream within the body of the living puppet 'I' have become.
I have been turned into a puppet by the Mad Lord, left in a state neither dead nor alive.
***
I frantically move my consciousness.
But no matter how much I try, nothing moves properly.
Even when I try using the Formless Sword, it doesnt unfold.
Damn it, what's going on?
Before being captured by the Mad Lord, I thought becoming a living puppet meant living indefinitely without truly living or dying.
It was the reason I committed suicide in a past life before being captured by the Mad Lord, and why I tried to kill Kim Yeon early in this life.
But, there were never any truly alive puppets before
I know this for sure.
During the ten years under the Mad Lord, I wasn't just idly breathing. I had observed his puppets, watched over his shoulder as he created and manipulated them.
They were all just corpses And they never retained consciousness like this!
I calm my confused emotions and first contemplate my soul.
My soul is firmly seated in the puppet's upper dantian.
The Mad Lord's spiritual energy circuits, laid out akin to the veins and nerves of a living being, are gripping my soul.
These circuits are not unique to me but also installed in other puppets... I know because I've seen shattered puppets. But why is my soul still here?
Just when Im pondering this.
Clank!
Suddenly, while patrolling the outer walls, my body stops abruptly and starts flying somewhere.
Its the Mad Lord's call.
Swoosh!
The place Im led to by the Mad Lord's summoning is,
The inner garden of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress where Kim Yeon resides.
The place where she and I often met.
And there, the Mad Lord and Kim Yeon were waiting.
"Here! Its a gift! How is it?"
"...Yes?"
At the Mad Lord's maniacal laughter, Kim Yeon's complexion gradually hardens.
"...Its not him, right? M-master, please this isnt him, right?"
"Hm? Ah! Don't worry! General Seo was properly made with Seo Eun-hyun's essence. Now you can control the guy you like! Ah! I can't disturb the puppeteer and puppet's alone time anymore! Have a good night!"
The Mad Lord cackles madly and disappears somewhere, and Kim Yeon's eyes are filled with utter disbelief.
Ssss
Her intent is in total chaos.
Anger, sadness, despair, pain, panic...
All mixed into a great chaos.
"Ah, ah..."
Step by step...
She approaches me with a soulless expression, caressing me.
"Ah... Aaaaaaah..."
Shudder
Had she mastered the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, she might have surpassed its creator by now.
"Heuaaaaaaaah!"
Kim Yeon screams.
"Why! Why! Why!"
Tears fall from both eyes.
"Why...! Just why is this happening to me! I got dragged into this world during a workshop I was eager for! I got captured by an insane old man and I had to live every day in horror! Still! Still I had hope that one day me and Eun-hyun Oppa could leave this place and get together properly. That was the only hope keeping me together! So why! Just why!
Duduk Dudududududu!
Psstttt!
Due to the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, her consciousness, which had been stably anchored in a spherical shape, started to stretch out to its original form.
Her consciousness, stretching out like threads, began to spread in all directions, covering the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
"Why are you taking everything from me! Just why! Why!!!!!"
Thud!
Kim Yeon collapses in front of me, grabbing my body and sobbing uncontrollably.
"Aaaaaaagh!!!"
The air vibrates.
The entire space seems to tremble.
And then.
'I' moved.
Clank!
"Please cease the disturbance within the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress."
The voice, mechanical yet eerily similar to mine, is cold and emotionless.
"."
At that voice, Kim Yeon stops abruptly.
She looks up at 'me' with shimmering eyes.
"...What?"
"Please cease the disturbance within the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress."
"...Huhu.hahaha."
Kim Yeon starts to laugh.
"Okay, I get it. I'll stay quiet."
Sssss
Her consciousness, which spreads in all directions, is compressed back into a spherical shape.
Her consciousness turns dark red.
To my eyes, which can see intent, the area covered by her consciousness seems to be engulfed in darkness.
Shiiiii
She begins to caress my cheek.
"Just wait a little Eun-hyun Oppa. I will definitely... take the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress from the Mad Lord, shatter [Her] into pieces in front of him, and avenge you."
"Actions harmful to the Lord and Lady of the Fortress are not permitted within the fortress."
"Yes, yes... Just wait a little."
'Damn it'
I try to extend my consciousness outside the puppet, but its trapped inside the puppet's upper dantian, unable to escape.
If only I can extend my consciousness outside, just somehow convey my consciousness!
"Just a little! Just wait a little! I will! I will definitely save you!
Kuaak!
Kim Yeon's hands grab my head.
Her eyes have a madness similar to the Mad Lord's.
And then.
Wriggle, wriggle.
'?'
While she tightly holds 'me,'
Something crawls up from beneath my feet.
'This sensation'
Its the centipede.
Wriggle, wriggle
The creature crawls into the joints of the puppet, making its way towards the body laden with circuits.
For ten years.
During the ten years I had been raising it inside the fortress,
Perhaps due to the environment's spiritual energy being hundreds of times greater than the lower realm, it didn't die easily and grew robustly.
Seemingly recognizing who was feeding it, it began following me at some point.
Apparently, it recognized me even in this state and crawled into my body.
I might as well be dead.
But those who remember me still remain.
'Damn it.'
And yet, theres nothing I can do for them.
Woong!
As my emotions surge within me.
'?'
Something strange entangles my soul.
'What's this?'
Its an extremely unpleasant sensation.
And as soon as that sensation appeared...
Squish...
A squishy feeling emanates from a corner of my soul.
I, who has reached Treading Heaven Beyond the Path, observe my soul and immediately understand what this sensation is.
'This is insane!'
Following my emotional turbulence, the spiritual energy circuits inside the puppet began 'copying' my soul!
A mass of spiritual energy that mimics my emotional flow and agony appeared beside my soul.
It isn't a complete replication of my soul, but only of the emotions that had just arisen.
And then.
Wo-woong!
As much as the replicated spiritual energy mass appeared, my soul began to be 'pushed' out of its place in the upper dantian.
'This is madness.'
Only now do I realize the fate of those turned into puppets by the Mad Lord.
After being transformed into a puppet,
For a while, the soul is held by the spiritual energy circuits inside the puppet, remaining in this world.
But as time passes, the spiritual energy circuits begin to replicate the soul, creating a mass of spiritual energy inside the circuits that mimics the soul.
Little by little, they replicate the original soul until a copy that's almost identical to the original soul is complete.
When the replication is complete, the original soul is released and scattered, heading to the afterlife, and the spiritual energy mass created by the Mad Lord's circuits takes its place.
Ah, now I understand. The source of the madness felt when manipulating the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress's puppets.
The puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress contain 'artificial souls' created by the Mad Lord.
These artificial souls, although crude masses of spiritual energy compared to real souls, are still copies that mimic the original as closely as possible.
They can't replicate all memories, experiences, and emotions of the original, but they can somewhat 'express' a few strong emotions the original felt.
And these puppets with artificial souls are all interconnected within the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
A world swirling with countless emotions, somehow connected.
This is the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress ().
Now I understand why I felt a flow of spiritual energy somewhat similar to emotions from the puppets
The replicated artificial souls emit spiritual energy waves that mimic intent.
That means
I look at Kim Yeon, who is crying hysterically in front of me.
As time passes... will I completely die and regress?
Once the spiritual energy mass that replicates my emotions grows as large as my soul and completely pushes it out, I will reach 'death'.
My regression will inevitably happen, but
Kim Yeon clutches and hangs onto the decorations attached to the puppet's body.
"Oppa, please, say something."
"Please? You used to console me before."
"Eun-hyun Oppa, please?"
"...Why aren't you saying anything? Why? Why?"
"...Please just answer me. Im telling you to respond! Please answer me! Please! Pleeease! Waaaaaaaah!"
I, watching her clinging to me, realize.
...I can't die.
Wo-woong!
I forcefully pull back the small amount of my soul that was pushed outside.
Theres no need for me to be trapped in this puppet for thousands of years.
As I have seen before, there's no souls left in the puppets.
I can just regress comfortably.
But,
What about those left behind
Even though I failed and ended up trapped and miserable inside a puppet.
This is.
My life!
It might not have been pleasant or bright.
But the heart and emotions I shared with Kim Yeon is still a connection
Because of the hearts we connected, this life is a blessing.
A blessing given to me How can I give it up so easily?
Wo-woong!
With my mental strength, I push back the replicated spiritual energy mass.
And at that moment.
Boom!
The hastily constructed replicated mass of spiritual energy, unable to withstand my pressure, bursts, and the spiritual energy that formed it floats around the puppet's upper dantian.
I can use this.
Wo-woong!
I manipulate the energy from the artificial soul.
I can't extend my consciousness outside the puppet, but I can manipulate the spiritual energy from the artificial soul.
Just then.
Wooong Wooong Wooong
When I extend my consciousness into the artificial soul's spiritual energy.
I feel as if the voices of hundreds, millions of people are piercing my mind at once.
The countless puppets in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
The emotions they emit.
However.
I, too, have a heart not inferior to yours...!
Koooom!
Amidst the multitude of murmurs, I respond with the pain I have endured thus far to combat them.
Wo-woong!
The spiritual energy circuits that bound my soul.
A very small part of it, an extremely tiny part, is eroded by my consciousness.
Kuguguguguk!
As my soul seizes control of the spiritual energy circuits, the circuits resist.
As if its a forbidden act, a powerful pressure stabs into my soul.
Just then.
Wriggle, wriggle
The centipede that crawled inside my body made its way to the head, where the spiritual energy circuits are most active.
And then.
Crunch, crunch
Whether it knows what it is doing or its just instinct, I don't know.
But the creature gnaws on one of the circuits that is pressuring me the most.
Ku-uuung!
Squish!
Simultaneously, sensing the foreign object stirring inside, 'my' body moves, increasing the pressure of the spiritual energy to burst and kill the centipede.
The centipede explodes and dies.
Without Yuan Lis Blood Body that can regenerate it, the centipede is now completely dead.
...Thank you.
I deeply thank the centipede, which I hadn't even named yet, and extend my spiritual energy towards the circuit it gnawed on.
Zooooom!
'My' body, sensing the malfunction in the spiritual energy circuit, tries to move towards the repair factory, but Im faster.
Flash!
I connect the circuit gnawed by the centipede using the spiritual energy of the artificial soul Ijust gathered.
The circuit functions without issues.
At least outwardly.
'My' body returns to standby, and I, through the outwardly intact circuit gnawed by the centipede, begin to take control over 'General Seo's' body.
It's slow
The spiritual energy obtained by bursting the artificial soul is weak, and since its connected to hundreds of millions of other artificial souls in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, handling it causes madness to surge.
Of course, the madness can be overcome with mental strength, but considering everything, it seems it will take a long time to fully control 'General Seo's' spiritual energy circuits.
Just wait a little longer, Yeon-ah.
I resolve myself, looking at Kim Yeon, who cried herself to exhaustion and passed out.
I will definitely tell you... that I am still here.
No matter how many centuries it takes.
I will let you know that I am with you.
Since we've connected in this life... I won't take this blessing lightly and will survive... to return my heart to you.
So just wait a little.
Just a little longer.
And so, decades passed.
"Eun-hyun Oppa... do you know?"
Kim Yeon, stroking my cheek, speaks.
"After the Cold Spirit Race, the Gyuru Race, Palheo Race, Gakchi Race, Soleong Race, and Peacock Race were conquered... Oh and recently, I heard news about our colleagues."
She, who has reached the Heavenly Being stage, began telling their story sitting next to me, controlling numerous puppets with her fingertips.
"Shall we start with Section Chief Jeon Myeong-hoon?"
-x-X-x-
"It was a few years ago.... When we were about to conquer the Cold Spirit Race, I wondered why the Integration cultivators didn't stop the Mad Lord, remember?"
Her words continue.
"I heard that near the Human Territory , a massive upheaval of fate shook the entire Bright Cold Realm. Rumor has it that a portal to the Immortal Realm opened, diverting the attention of all Integration cultivators to the Human Territory ."
Kim Yeon playfully taps my shoulder.
"And only recently, the rumors about the Immortal Realm were sorted out. Can you guess what happened?"
She takes a deep breath.
"The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, where Section Chief Jeon Myeong-hoon had gone, was annihilated by a True Immortals attack. The upheaval of fate, the opening of the portal to the Immortal Realm, it was all a precursor to the True Immortal seeking the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. Haha... Section Chief Jeon was the only one to survive the horrifying True Immortals bombardment. He became half-crazed, wandering here and there. Strangely, wherever he goes, lightning strikes, earning him the title 'Lightning Harbinger.'"
Theres a bittersweet expression on her face.
"Lightning Harbinger Jeon Myeong-hoon wanders around searching for something, annihilating anyone who blocks his path, be it an individual or race. This has caused him to accrue much enmity, being pursued here and there, then seeking revenge in turn and annihilating entire races... He's been repeating this for years, earning quite the infamous reputation... But, of course, not as much as us."
Thump!
With a flick of her finger, puppets move, bringing the corpses of a race in front of us.
Kugugugu!
Above, [She] is emanating an Integration stage aura, looking down in all directions.
After conquering the Cold Spirit Race and strengthened with materials from the Light Spirit Pond,
[She] and the puppets in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress have all significantly increased in power.
"Anyway, since all the Integration cultivators flocked to the Human Territory , our forces in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress have grown stronger, and hes already created several Integration stage puppets... Escaping the Mad Lord's grasp seems even more distant now."
A blood-stained battlefield.
The puppets are busy clearing the battlefield, and Kim Yeon sits on a throne made of puppets, placing 'me' beside her as she talks.
"Anyway, I'd like to meet Section Chief Jeon sometime. Will he understand my feelings? The feeling of losing someone precious? Ahaha..."
She laughs weakly and buries her head on my chest.
"Min-hee Unnie is currently traveling the Bright Cold Realm with the Black Ghost Valley, honing her skills. I heard she controls millions of ghosts with one hand... Now, in the entire Bright Cold Realm, there's no one who doesn't know of her. If we're famous for our infamy, she's famous for her tremendous reputation. There were even attacks on her by spies from the True Devil, Blood Yin, and Nether Ghost Realms. Hahaha..."
Through Kim Yeon's words, the whereabouts of our companions emerge one after another.
"Chief Oh is making a name for himself in the Azure Heaven Creation Sect. As the direct disciple of the sect founder, Azure Tiger Saint, he's known for his heroism. Maybe, he'll join an alliance to confront the Mad Lord in the future. Haha... It wouldn't be bad to be saved by the hands of our colleagues, right?"
She kept looking at me as she spoke, yet 'General Seo' didnt look back but kept watching the battlefield as commanded by the Mad Lord.
"Hye-seo, Hye-seo Unnie... I haven't heard much about her. Rumors say she married Seo Hweol, the Sea Dragon King, and became the Dragon Queen... Seo Hweol is active as a military advisor in the True Dragon Alliance, but there's no news about Hye-seo Unnie. It's strange, right? Even the dragons in the True Dragon Alliance don't know much about her... It's as if the information is deliberately blocked. Haha... Mad Lord said Seo Hweol must have intervened, that he's the most cunning in the world or whatever... I wonder if a madman is qualified to talk ill of others."
Squeeze...
She grips General Seo's body, which she had been tapping and stroking.
"Director Kim... Well, of course, there's no news. If there was a way to contact him in the lower realm... I'm not even sure if he's alive. Oh, now that I think about it, wasn't he sent somewhere by Mad Lord with Eun-hyun Oppa? Eun-hyun Oppa, what do you think happened to Director Kim?
"..."
"Oppa?"
"..."
"...I'm asking you."
Creak....
Kim Yeon's intent becomes unstable.
Im asking you, so answer meWhy arent you answering me! Why! Answer! Answer! Seo Eun-hyun! Im telling you to answer me!
Kugugugugu!
As she rages, the sky trembles and the earth shakes.
Though she is merely at the Heavenly Being stage, her power, amplified by her vast consciousness, reaches the Four-Axis level.
Natural disasters occur, and the world in all directions is in turmoil.
"Just why! Why did you leave me behind! Why! Please answer me! Eun-hyun Oppa, I've told you about our colleagues, haven't I? Isn't there anything else you're curious about? I'll tell you. Please, just answer me... Comfort me like you did back then..."
Kim Yeon, in a frenzy, sobs uncontrollably, clutching General Seo's shoulders.
"Waaaaaaah!"
And I, feeling her intense pain beside me, grit my teeth internally.
Its been 80 years since I became General Seo.
Eighty years since I started trying to take over General Seo's spiritual circuits.
Wo-woong!
I have managed to gain control over some circuits inside the upper dantian.
Now, when I move up to the upper dantian, I can instantly crush and utilize the clumps of spiritual energy replicating my soul as my resources.
Yet, I still can't express anything externally.
I haven't yet gained control over the circuits in the facial or neck areas, and as I gain control over more circuits, more consciousnesses linked to them emerge.
Through these consciousnesses, more and more of the 'murmurs' of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress reach me.
The Mad Lord has been rampaging across the Bright Cold realm for 80 years, conquering races and creating puppets.
One billion.
Around one billion new puppets have joined the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, and their 'murmurs' grow louder.
Each time I take control of a circuit, another gateway for murmurs opens, and the murmurs only grow louder over time.
The immense pressure almost drives me mad, but I persevere, clenching my teeth.
"Please answer me! Respond..."
'I can't accept your heart.'
But,
'Even so, you keep giving your heart to me...'
This heart.
'Someday, I will surely return it.'
If I don't repay the one who weeps for me,
This life will be worthless.
Even if I have no intention of accepting their heart,
I hope that the one who weeps for me will someday find salvation.
For that, I must survive...!
I acknowledge Kim Yeon sobbing beside me and exert more effort to take over the circuits.
And then,
500 years passed.
Kim Yeon reached the Four-Axis stage.
The Mad Lord's Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress grew even more, and now there are over fifteen Integration stage puppets.
The Mad Lord became famous across the entire Bright Cold Realm, and his direct disciple, Kim Yeon, became well-known too.
But her eyes lost more and more light, and she increasingly spent time clutching General Seo, sobbing madly or lost in madness, repeating 'I love you.'
"Eun-hyun Oppa, there's news about our colleagues again. Do you want to hear it?"
"..."
"Thank you for listening. As always, you're all I have. Hehe..."
At some point,
Kim Yeon started muttering to herself while looking at me.
I spoke nothing, but she seemed to be imagining and making up conversations on her own.
500 years.
During this time, having lost me and living alone with the residents in the Mad Lord's Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress,
She has gone mad, accepting the madness of the Fortress.
"Lightning Harbinger Jeon Myeong-hoon became famous as a mass murderer. Anyone who provokes him ends up annihilated along with their entire race. Well, Jeon Myeong-hoon was already famous like that before..."
Crunch, crunch...
Kim Yeon continues, biting her fingers.
"Oh, Min-hee Unnie! Ah, poor Min-hee Unnie. She mastered the Ghost Path Method and reached the level of controlling billions of ghosts. But, she took in too many ghosts and went insane. She devoured her own sect, the Black Ghost Valley, annihilating it, and swallowed the entire territory of Black Ghost Valley. Only a single Nether Crossing Ship managed to escape from there. Now, cultivators who have reached the Integration stage are gathering to subdue Min-hee Unnie. Kiek kiek Even though they dare not challenge the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, they go after poor, ambiguous Min-hee Unnie. After consuming and commanding numerous ghosts, and becoming a powerful ghost monster, Unnie is currently establishing her base in the middle of the Swiftwind Domain, undergoing metamorphosis into something more powerful. Huhu
Chew, chew...
Biting her fingers, Kim Yeon continues.
"After Azure Tiger Saint died, Chief Oh seemed to have become mentally unstable. Indulging in alcohol, women, drugs, and all kinds of pleasures. Who would have thought that such a dependable man at the company would fall apart like that? He looked happiest under Azure Tiger Saint, and to think he would break down so much after the death of just one person... Well, it's true that anyone can fall apart when a precious person dies."
Crunch, crack.
From her fingers, blood flows.
Theres no news of Director Kim as always, well, he mustve died. Kekeand Hye-seo Unnie
Crunch Craaackk!
"Still, there's still no news! No news!"
Crunch!
"Im saying its good news!"
Craaak!
"It's good, right? Isn't it? Hye-seo Unnie, answer me. With Director Kim probably dead, me insane, Section Chief insane, Min-hee Unnie insane, and Eun-hyun Oppa like this! Hye-seo Unnie, at least you! You're living happily! Right? Everyone has become madmen. Only Hye-seo Unnie!"
Cruuunch!
"The situation is not so miserable, right? She must be living happily, loved, by the side of the Sea Dragon King, right? Tell me that's true. With all of us ending up like this, there should be at least one person who is happy, right? Isn't that so, Eun-hyun Oppa?"
Crunchh..
Before I know it, her hand has become completely mangled.
But.
Ssshhhh....
Spiritual energy wriggles, regenerating her flesh that reached the Four-Axis stage.
"Oppa... pleasePlease just answer me. Please... Until when, until when..."
Her consciousness chaotically spreads in all directions.
She has not achieved completion in the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.
If she had, there's no way our eyes wouldn't have met, even now, within the puppet of the Mad Lord.
Only in front of the Mad Lord, I hide my heart essence with the enlightenment of Treading Heavens Beyond the Path.
In front of Kim Yeon, I always reveal my heart essence, so if she did reach completion, she would have recognized it.
I know the reason.
'The puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, who she controls in a sane state of mind, are gradually driving her mad with their murmuring.
Apart from the madness of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon itself is an excellent consciousness method.
But, becoming insane with madness before achieving completion, she couldn't take that last step.
'Its very likely the Mad Lord went insane after achieving completion.
Watching her with clouded, maddened eyes, I sort out my feelings.
Over the past 500 years.
Controlling General Seo's circuits, I learned some things.
First, the puppets created by the Mad Lord all have artificial souls.
Even the puppets made from corpses that died before their souls could be replicated, or from inanimate objects like wood, stone, or metal.
They all contain mass-produced lumps of spiritual energy, mimicking other puppets' artificial souls.
Such artificial souls, lumps of spiritual energy, allow the puppets to emit spiritual energy waves similar to intent.
The Mad Lord's spiritual energy circuits connect with other puppets' circuits.
Through this connection, the puppets exchange intent-mimicking spiritual energy flows.
These flows bind the puppets together, enabling the Mad Lord, whose consciousness isn't as vast as Kim Yeon's, to control the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Linked together, the puppets 'live their daily lives' within the fortress, strengthening the intent-mimicking connection.
Artificial souls emitting joy, child puppets playing together these weak, but slightly amplified energy waves, when performed by billions of puppets, increase tremendously.
This amplified, strange flow of spiritual energy ties the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress together, gradually converging towards its center.
Towards the center, emotional vibrations increasingly compress and amplify, resembling real intent.
This intent in the center of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, combined from billions of artificial souls, is nearly indistinguishable from real emotions.
In the center of this emotional whirlwind, [She] exists.
Inside Mad Lord's puppet, tracking and observing his actions, I can guess his goal.
'Maybe the Mad Lord is creating real intent, to create [Her] soul.'
[She] has no soul.
No, based on what I learned over 500 years under the Mad Lord.
[She] isn't even a living puppet.
Just an ordinary puppet, created with various precious materials, strongly reflecting the appearance of his lover.
Just a puppet, nothing more.
The Mad Lord has two ultimate puppets.
Both from the lower realm, now advanced to the peak of the Integration Stage from the Four-Axis stage.
[Her].
And the [Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress].
Through the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, he controls his numerous puppets, weaving replicated emotions from artificial souls into real intent.
Through the fortress, he processes intent, gradually completing [Her] soul.
'Yet, will a lover created by his own hands still be his original lover...'
I scoff inwardly at the Mad Lord's insane goal.
Im not really interested in his purpose.
Creating a human soul is a great taboo, but honestly, Im more focused on breaking free from his control.
The reason for taking control of the spiritual energy circuits is also to ensure that it no longer obeys the Mad Lord's command.
And after 500 years, I finally managed to somewhat control the upper body of General Seo's spiritual energy circuit.
Even now, I can move my arm and pat Kim Yeon.
But.
'The Mad Lord will notice.'
The spiritual energy circuit is interconnected with the other puppets.
Through the interconnected circuits, the spiritual energy waves intertwine, and within the Mad Lord's hands, [She] is being completed through the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Therefore, no matter how isolated I am, no matter if I take full control of General Seo's spiritual energy circuit,
If I act independently against the Mad Lord's command, he will notice right away.
'And if the Mad Lord realizes this fact, he will try to completely extract my soul from this puppet.'
That must not happen.
Then, what should I do?
Over the past 500 years, I had found a way.
'Through the interconnected circuits, I will gradually take control of other puppets of the Mad Lord.'
Its possible through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.
'As long as I properly execute only the commands given by the Mad Lord, there's no reason to be caught.'
There's no need to control the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Just the puppets around General Seo.
I only need to control the area where those puppets reside.
'Although the puppets strictly follow the Mad Lord's command, a few minor errors are inevitable, and such errors are corrected internally by the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, without information reaching the Mad Lord.'
After controlling one area,
By accumulating small errors and pushing them all onto General Seo,
For a brief moment, I can theoretically escape the Mad Lord's sight and control General Seo's body.
'Surely, it's possible.'
Already, besides General Seo, I have controlled the spiritual energy circuits of eight thousand puppets.
Regrettably, I had to indirectly control the puppets through General Seo's spiritual energy waves, not my own consciousness, so taking control was slower than expected.
And if I project my consciousness outward, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress will notice, so I can't even talk to Kim Yeon.
"Hu, huhu."
I look at her for a moment, lost in thought.
And then.
'With around eight thousand, I can't move General Seo's body.'
I decided.
'But... one arm...'
Click, click, click....
Eight thousand puppets, all at once, made a very slight, insignificant error.
'I've found the method to some extent....'
And such small errors are corrected internally by the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Click, click, click....
Through the interconnectedness of the puppets, I concentrate all those errors into one of General Seo's arms.
Click, click, click!
General Seo's arm seems to twist, but my consciousness takes control of the arm.
And then
'It took a long time.'
But forgive me.
Starting today, I will continuously express my existence to you.
Pat, pat.
"...?"
General Seo's arm, after 500 years, patted Kim Yeon's shoulder following my will.
'By using the errors, I can even control the mouth a little....'
It's risky, but if its just for a fleeting moment.
When Kim Yeon's gaze turns towards me.
I slightly lift the corner of General Seo's mouth.
And though the error is quickly corrected and my actions return to normal.
Kim Yeon's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oppa...?"
Her eyes, soaked in madness, clears up momentarily.
She might not truly believe it.
She might just need something to comfort herself.
But as if clinging to a lifeline of hope.
She who saw my small gesture, trembling, raises both hands, and grabs General Seo's arm.
"Are you... there?"
As a disciple of the Mad Lord for 500 years.
She knows all about how the puppets are made and what happens to beings turned into puppets.
"Behindthe artificial soulare you there?"
But.
Knowing that fact, still holding onto hope, she looks at me and asks.
Though I have used up all the errors I could mobilize for the moment and couldn't respond, tears well up in her eyes.
Different from the murky tears she had been shedding until now.
"Aaah, you're there, aren't you? Eun-hyun Oppa, finally, you responded, didnt you?
Drip, drip....
Having received a response for the first time in 500 years, she bites her lips and embraces General Seo's body.
"Thank you, for responding... for staying..."
It mightve been a very small signal.
But she clings to it, endlessly thanking me.
In the Mad Lord's Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
One of the madmen in the fortress of the insane.
Began to find her way back.
Psssttt....
Her consciousness clears.
And as the madness that hindered her achievement disappears,
Kim Yeon's Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon fully blossoms.
'Aaah...'
Finally.
My eyes meet with hers.