Kidnapping Jeon Myeong-hoon was incredibly easy.
I approached him using the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts when he was alone, knocked him out by striking his soul plane with the Formless Sword, and then carried him away. It was over as soon as I used the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts again.
Additionally, Jeon Myeong-hoon is weaker than I had imagined.
'Isn't he too weak?'
It's exactly as I thought.
Jeon Myeong-hoon is only at the Core Formation stage at best, and he can barely recognize planes, making the kidnapping almost laughably easy.
However, I frown, tiling my head.
'Jeon Myeong-hoon in his past life was strong enough to take down a Four-Axis inspector.'
That time too isn't far from now.
'It's in a few months.'
How could this guy leap from Core Formation to the Four-Axis level in just a few months?
It's a curious matter.
'Well, it's actually better for me now.'
I tear my consciousness.
Wo-woong!
The Mysterious Bizarre Gu technique.
It's the parasitic technique I received from Gyeon Shin.
Chyarluk!
Activating the Mysterious Bizarre Gu technique, my consciousness wriggles in my hand, transforming into a small larva-like shape.
The gray larva squirms as I bring my hand to Jeon Myeong-hoon's face, entering through his nostril.
I feel the Mysterious Bizarre Gu settle in Jeon Myeong-hoon's upper dantian, taking its place in his consciousness.
If I continue to erode Jeon Myeong-hoon unnoticed, I can erase his personality without anyone knowing and turn him into my puppet in about 10 years.
'Of course, I don't plan on doing that...'
What I want from Jeon Myeong-hoon is merely a few days of acting.
Wo-woong!
Activating the Mysterious Bizarre Gu technique that enters into Jeon Myeong-hoon's upper dantian, Jeon Myeong-hoon's eyes snap open.
Using the Mysterious Bizarre Gu technique to forcibly control someone is efficient, but the drawback is that the Mysterious Bizarre Gu quickly wears out and dissolves in the target's consciousness.
Of course, it's enough to last for a few days.
"Listen, Jeon Myeong-hoon. From now on, go to the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and bring back the Heavenly Lightning Banner from the Thunder Cloud Peak located there. Understand?"
"Yes, I understand..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon, dominated by the Mysterious Bizarre Gu technique, responds with a dazed look in his eyes.
After taking control of Jeon Myeong-hoon, I release him.
'Now comes the important part.'
I need to remotely manipulate Jeon Myeong-hoon and through him, smuggle out the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
I shift my perspective to Jeon Myeong-hoon's and return his body to the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
'Let's see. Shall we investigate?'
"Junior brother! Where have you been?"
Just then.
A woman dressed in a golden robe approaches Jeon Myeong-hoon, recognizing him and coming closer.
Her cheeks flush red with joy upon seeing him, spewing out emotions of happiness.
She was the woman who had been walking down the street with Jeon Myeong-hoon earlier.
'The current granddaughter of the Sect Leader Jin Byuk-ho, Jin So-hae.'
I heard she and Jeon Myeong-hoon are a famous well-matched couple.
It is a well-known story within the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, so there was no need to investigate. It's something one can know just by hearing the rumors.
'After all, Jeon Myeong-hoon is currently the most famous person in the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.'
As someone with the Heavenly Golden Thunder Body, Jeon Myeong-hoon is the most famous celebrity within the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
It's impossible for there not to be rumors about Jeon Myeong-hoon dating the current granddaughter of the Supreme Sect Leader.
Recalling their rumors, I move Jeon Myeong-hoon's mouth to answer.
"I just went out for some fresh air."
"...?"
However, Jin So-hae seems to sense something is off and tilts her head in confusion.
"What's with you, junior brother? Why are you suddenly being formal? Since when have you spoken to me with honorifics?"
"...Just because."
I recall Jeon Myeong-hoon's tone of voice from my memories and speak to her.
"Just tried it once. What's up?"
"Ah, that's right. Remember what you told me last time? I've been thinking about it."
"..."
As she starts talking, I internally break out into a cold sweat.
'Damn, if she brings up something only Jeon Myeong-hoon and she knows, I won't know how to respond....'
Should I awaken Jeon Myeong-hoon's consciousness?
It's when I'm pondering.
"Indeed... running away together seems hard to accept."
"..."
'What was Jeon Myeong-hoon thinking, trying to take away a promising maiden of the sect with such a proposal?'
"The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect has been with me since I was very young. In fact, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect is no different from family to me. How could I leave my family behind? No matter how much I like you, I'm sorry..."
"..."
I don't know what to say, so I remain silent for a moment.
Then, I speak through Jeon Myeong-hoon's mouth.
"...Let's talk later."
"Alright. It must be complicated for you. Let's meet again later."
I sigh inwardly and leave the spot with Jeon Myeong-hoon's body, going deeper into the sect.
'Jeon Myeong-hoon's residence isn't far from Thunder Cloud Peak.'
Should I visit Thunder Cloud Peak then?
I move his body to Thunder Cloud Peak and arrive at the summit.
'This is the top of Thunder Cloud Peak, the shrine where the Heavenly Lightning Banner is kept...'
When I'm looking at the small shrine.
"Master Jeon, I've told you that you shouldn't come here without permission."
An elder at the Nascent Soul stage flies towards Jeon Myeong-hoon, reprimanding him.
"If you wish to enter this Thunder Tribute Hall where the Heavenly Lightning Banner is enshrined, you must first reach the Heavenly Being stage by diligently practicing. With Master Jeon's talent, it is entirely possible to reach the Heavenly Being stage within two hundred years, so please be patient."
'As expected, even with good talent, Jeon Myeong-hoon can't just enter like that.'
Even the direct disciple of the Supreme Sect Leader cannot enter at will.
"I understand that you must be troubled by recent events. It must be unsettling, not marrying Miss Jin So-hae, to whom you were engaged, but suddenly having marriage talks with the daughter of an Integration stage Grand Cultivator. I understand Master Jeon's feelings, especially since the Grand Cultivator's daughter is known to have a very peculiar temperament."
Without saying anything, the elder guarding the Thunder Tribute Hall starts to console Jeon Myeong-hoon with a sigh.
"However, you don't need to worry too much. Master Jeon, you possess the same talent as the sect founder, the Golden Deity, so your value is not less than that of the Heavenly Lightning Banner. The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect will protect Master Jeon to the utmost."
"...Thank you."
I express gratitude through Jeon Myeong-hoon's mouth and piece together his current situation from the conversation.
'He proposed to Jin So-hae, the granddaughter of Jin Byuk-ho, to run away together, and there are marriage talks with the daughter of a Grand Cultivator at the Integration stage. The daughter of the Grand Cultivator is said to have a strange personality. In other words...'
He is afraid of suddenly having to marry the Grand Cultivator's daughter, so he thought about running away from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect with Jin So-hae.
At the same time, hearing that Jeon Myeong-hoon's worth is not less than the Heavenly Lightning Banner, I feel the framework for a plan for stealing the Heavenly Lightning Banner click into place in my mind.
'If that's the case, then...'
After organizing my thoughts,
I descend from Thunder Peak and head to find Jin So-hae.
"Junior brother Jeon, have you made your decision?"
"Yes."
I take Jin So-hae to a secluded part of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect with Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
Then, I whisper to her as if sharing a secret.
"I've decided to leave. Don't try to stop me."
"...! You..."
"I'm leaving Thunder Spirit Island. If I leave the Human Territory altogether and go somewhere else, there shouldn't be a problem."
"..."
"Thank you for everything. Take care."
"Wait...!"
Although she calls out to Jeon Myeong-hoon, I move forward, leaving her behind.
'That settles it.'
It is still uncertain whether Jeon Myeong-hoon's precious words were true or not.
However, starting from tonight, Jeon Myeong-hoon is indeed going to disappear for a few days..
I took Jeon Myeong-hoon's body to a deserted place and unfold the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts through the Mysterious Bizarre Gu within him.
Shuck!
Jeon Myeong-hoon disappears from the sight of others. In that state, I manipulate him to go below Thunder Cloud Peak.
I dig into the ground and place Jeon Myeong-hoon's body inside, beginning to wait.
'Yuan Yu, go and come back.'
I use Yuan Yu to strike the edge of Thunder Spirit Island, creating traces as if someone forcibly broke through the protective barrier of Thunder Spirit Island.
If Jeon Myeong-hoon does not appear in the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect for a few days, the sect will be in turmoil.
Jin So-hae will inevitably relay Jeon Myeong-hoon's words directly to the upper echelons of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. If the sect investigates and finds traces of someone breaking through Thunder Spirit Island's barrier, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect will turn upside down, dispatching people in all directions to search for Jeon Myeong-hoon.
'The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect will be in chaos and the high-ranking cultivators will all be out. In the meantime, I will move Jeon Myeong-hoon's body to steal the Heavenly Lightning Banner.'
Now that the method of theft is prepared, what remains is the escape route.
'When they find out the Heavenly Lightning Banner has been stolen, Jin Byuk-ho will be furious and chase after me.'
It's naive to think that a precious immortal treasure like the Heavenly Lightning Banner wouldn't have tracking spells on it or that the people of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect wouldn't have learned methods to sense the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
'No matter how well it's stolen, it's bound to be discovered eventually. Hence, securing an escape route is the most important.'
Then, how and where to flee?
'The escape route is clear.'
Not outside the Human Race Territory.
Instead, I must go deeper into the Human Race territory.
'To the Human Race Grand Alliance's main headquarters, Heavenly Human Island.'
I will use the teleportation array meant for other races located in Heavenly Human Island to escape elsewhere.
The first stop is the Light Spirit Pond in the Cold Spirit Race territory..
'I haven't had the chance to take care of Kim Yeon in this life.'
In the beginning, living under Seo Hweol's watchful eye left me no room to breathe.
After that, I was dropped into the lower realm because of Seo Hweol and spent my days receiving teachings from Jang Ik.
'For Yeon... I'm sorry. Anyway, since I didn't take care of her and didn't snatch her from the Mad Lord, the Mad Lord is likely still lurking around the Cold Spirit Race territory, cackling and toying with [Her].
Near the Light Spirit Pond.
Passing through the location where the Mad Lord resides, I will head towards the Earth Tribe Territory.
Doing so, even Jin Byuk-ho would not dare to chase me near the Mad Lord.
And thus, stuffing the stolen Heavenly Lightning Banner into Seo Hweol's jaws will accomplish this life's greatest goal!
I clench my teeth and make a vow.
'No matter what, I'll land a blow on Seo Hweol.'
The method of theft is prepared.
The escape route is secured.
I've thought of how to handle the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
Of course, even after dealing with the Heavenly Lightning Banner, if the True Immortal who comes looking for it curses the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, there's nothing I can do.
If it comes to that despite everything, then there's nothing I can do with my current capabilities.
'Alright, let's wait.'
Using the Mysterious Bizarre Gu hidden within Jeon Myeong-hoon's consciousness, I fully deploy the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts with Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
Thus, I wait patiently under Thunder Cloud Peak.
Seven days and nights pass.
The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect is turned upside down.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, who possesses the same talent as the sect's founding patriarch Yang Su-jin, disappeared without a trace.
The testimony of his lover, Jin So-hae, is even more shocking.
The sect members thought Jeon Myeong-hoon had run away for a while because he didn't want to marry the daughter of the Integration stage Grand Cultivator. But according to Jin So-hae, Jeon Myeong-hoon had left Thunder Spirit Island entirely!
This led the elders of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect to investigate the barrier of Thunder Spirit Island, turning everything upside down once again.
Traces were found that someone had forcibly broken through Thunder Spirit Island's barrier.
Consequently, an emergency was declared throughout the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
Seventy Nascent Soul and thirty-three Heavenly Being elders.
Along with the Supreme Sect Leader Jin Byuk-ho himself, the only Four-Axis stage cultivator in the sect, personally set out to search for Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Thus, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect is now left empty.
I finally make my move.
'Now's the time.'
Wo-woong!
I climb Thunder Cloud Peak with Jeon Myeong-hoon's body and stand in front of the Thunder Tribute Hall where the Heavenly Lightning Banner is stored.
'Today, the Heavenly Lightning Banner will be in my hands!'
With this, may the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect not be struck by that terrible calamity.
Near the Thunder Tribute Hall, I touch the shrine without any of the Nascent Soul stage elders guarding it noticing.
Then, I begin to lay the circuits of the Mad Lord on the surface of the Thunder Tribute Hall while remotely controlling Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Chijijik...
After a while, the Thunder Tribute Hall falls under my hands.
'I just need to go in and steal it, but...'
The Nascent Soul stage elders nearby are bothersome.
Although the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts can be fully utilized based on 'vision', it is too much for the weak consciousness of the Mysterious Bizarre Gu to handle something like the Formless Sword.
In other words, I can't knock them out or anything.
'Then... let's try to distract them with something else.'
I take out Yuan Yu.
"Buy me some time, Yuan Yu."
Yuan Yu, which had been slumbering in my possession, transforms into a human form and stands up at my command.
I continue to maintain the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts while remotely controlling Jeon Myeong-hoon, and send Yuan Yu to the front of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
Over the past 50 years.
Reaching out to the dragon veins of the planet we had fallen on, I also brought Yuan Yu up to the Nascent Soul stage.
The blood shadows that Yuan Li had scattered throughout the dragon veins near the Heaven-Treading Desert were condensed through the dragon veins and merged again. Hence, even without a main soul, Yuan Yu condensed a Nascent Soul.
'More specifically, it's a form forced together with the Mysterious Bizarre Gu technique, but...'
Anyway, Yuan Yu had succeeded in reaching the Nascent Soul stage.
Moreover, the body that Yuan Li painstakingly created for Yuan Yu seems to have superior talent to mine, already being at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul.
'Now, show them.'
It feels like it's been a long time since I've seen it.
Honestly, they are unpleasant techniques, but thinking of them as just techniques from a bygone past made me feel better.
"Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light."
As Yuan Yu forms a hand seal, crimson clouds of blood mist swirl around him.
And then.
Kwaaaang!
Yuan Yu's spell strikes the barrier of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
'The beginning starts now.'
With the sect's main forces out searching for Jeon Myeong-hoon and the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect left empty,
Will there really be anyone in the remaining Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect who can compare to Yuan Li in his prime?
***
"What madness! Who dares to attack the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect!?"
"It must be someone tired of living!"
Five Nascent Soul stage elders quickly encircle Yuan Yu with lightning flashing in their eyes.
Upon seeing Yuan Yu's appearance, they take a gasp for a moment then they each form hand seals to summon their dharma treasures and prepare their spells.
I watch them through Yuan Yu's perspective, feeling a remarkably fresh sensation.
'It's been a long time since I've faced ordinary human cultivators.'
When I was captured by the Mad Lord, it felt more like I was fighting the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress rather than directly confronting someone, since I was in the body of a puppet.
In the Azure Heaven Creation Sect, where everyone walked around shirtless enjoying physical combat due to their steel-like bodies, there were no users of dharma treasures or spells.
In this life, since I've been living among the demon race and not humans, I've been sparring with demon beasts who use their sturdy bodies instead of dharma treasures and supernatural abilities instead of spells. Hence, facing cultivators who traditionally use dharma treasures like this is a first in a long time.
"Strike down with Thunderbolt Banner!"
An elder with a long beard, seemingly enraged, swings a blue flag dharma treasure and causes blue lightning to fall from the sky onto Yuan Yu.
"Blood Chain Binding Forest."
In the next moment, Yuan Yu forms a hand seal, extracting red blood trees from the surrounding blood mist to create a barrier which the lightning incinerates.
Starting with the bearded elder, the other elders also begin to cast their spells.
"To think you dare to fight against us, the Five Door Immortal Masters. You must be out of your mind!"
"Five Door Immortal Masters..."
I watch their spells hit Yuan Yu through his perspective and smirk.
"So, you're the gatekeepers of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect's defensive barrier. In other words, if I keep you occupied here, there will be no one to guard the main gate of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect?"
"...! There's an accomplice..?"
Kwaaaaang!
Before the so-called Five Door Immortal Masters can finish speaking,
The puppets I summoned with the Thousand Lustrous Forest Sea Canon hit the main gate of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect once again.
They are the mass-produced General Seo puppets.
Highly useful puppets capable of delivering Nascent Soul level attacks swarm towards the entrance of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, opening their mouths to shoot out General Seo Cannons.
Jeeeeng!
A strike from one General Seo puppet shatters the main gate of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and the mass-produced General Seo puppets swarm towards the broken gate.
"What is this...!"
The Five Door Immortal Masters are flustered trying to stop the mass-produced General Seo puppets, but Yuan Yu blocks them.
"You shall not pass."
"You damned thing. I can't even tell if you're a man or a woman. If you don't move aside, I'll split you in half and kill you!"
"You shall not pass."
I move Yuan Yu's body, smiling.
Yuan Yu's eerily charming smile seems to shock the Five Door Immortal Masters once again, but they all furiously form hand seals.
"Die!"
'Hmm'
Yuan Yu opens his mouth and starts spitting out dharma treasures from his Golden Core.
Ziiing!
Attacks aimed at Yuan Yu are all blocked by the four pagodas he spits out.
Around Yuan Yu, dharma treasures begin to emerge.
Seventeen bone dagger dharma treasures.
A blood-colored spear dharma treasure, a crystal skull staff, and the Summoning Wind, Sacred Blood Leaf Fan, among others.
"You shall not pass."
Additionally, Yuan Yu calls forth a Nascent Soul stage ghost king from the blood clouds, forming hand seals with an eerie smile.
Kwaaaang!
The next moment, one of Yuan Yu's daggers flies towards one of the Five Door Immortal Masters, battering his defensive spell and Pure Spiritual Force protective aura.
The defensive spell breaks but the Nascent Soul's protective aura isn't penetrated, making Yuan Yu's dagger halt and hover in the air.
However, the ghost king summoned by Yuan Yu strikes down with his scythe on the Five Door Immortal Master whose defensive spell had been shattered in the next moment.
Jeeeeng!
Once again, a shocking sound echoes and Yuan Yu's attack successfully penetrates the opponent's protective aura this time around.
"Ugh...! Do you think you can defeat me!"
The protective aura shattered Nascent Soul elder forms hand seals and transforms into a Lightning Serpent that opens its mouth towards Yuan Yu,
Pshhh!
Yuan Yu's dagger targets him, but it only leaves a small wound on his neck, dodging Yuan Yu's attack and striking next to Yuan Yu.
Jeeeeng!
That attack shatters the barrier created by Yuan Yu's pagoda dharma treasures.
"Blood Chain Binding Forest."
Chyarluk!
As Yuan Yu forms hand seals again, numerous blood trees grow around him, swinging their sharp branches and leaves at the Nascent Soul stage elders.
Most of them move like lightning to dodge Yuan Yu's attacks, but their protective body force and defensive spells begin to falter.
"Blood Spear."
Above the summoned blood spear, the figure of a ghost king holding the spear appears.
The ghost king, inhaling the blood mist from Yuan Yu, instantly elevates its realm to the Nascent Soul stage like the scythe-wielding ghost king. With all its might, it thrusts at the opponent before it.
Jeeeeng!
"Agh!"
The thrust of the blood spear shatters one of the Five Door Immortal Masters' spells and protective body force, tearing through his side.
Under Yuan Yu's control, the ghost king wielding the blood spear breaks through the Five Door Immortal Masters' protective body forces and defensive spells, scattering spears in all directions.
"Bind!"
Pajijijik!
However, as a bald Five Door Immortal Master forms hand seals, chains of lightning bound the ghost king.
The ghost king is neutralized in an instant, but Yuan Yu once again manipulates seventeen bone daggers and scatters them in all directions.
The momentum is chilling and under Yuan Yu's manipulation, the daggers graze the Nascent Soul stage elders' skin, drawing blood droplets.
"Everyone, be on your guard. This one is not to be underestimated!"
"As long as we stay alert, this guy won't be able to beat us!"
The Five Door Immortal Masters seem to be pushed back by Yuan Yu but then press on him in turn, gradually pushing him back.
At some point, the coordination among the five Nascent Soul stage elders perfectly clicks, causing Yuan Yu to be fully exposed to their attacks.
Kwarrrrrrung!
As the sound of thunder echoes, Yuan Yu is torn to shreds by the lightning. Left with only his Golden Core, he is targeted by the highest-ranking elder who shoots a lightning arrow and shatters Yuan Yu's Golden Core.
Thus, Yuan Yu is killed.
"Phew, he was a tough one."
"Now we just need to capture his Nascent Soul, and it's over."
"It felt like fighting not one, but three Nascent Soul stage cultivators."
"That just shows how powerful he was. Now..."
And then.
Chyarluk!
The blood mist Yuan Yu had been spreading around begins to seep into the shattered Golden Core.
Yuan Yu's Golden Core regenerates.
And around the Golden Core, Yuan Yu's flesh begins to grow back.
Wriggle, wriggle...
The lumps of red flesh that wriggles like a collection of meat gather, transforming back into Yuan Yu's form.
Thus, Yuan Yu is resurrected.
"You shall not pass."
"What is this...!"
Seeing Yuan Yu resurrected in perfect condition, the Five Door Immortal Masters clench their teeth.
"Right, I had expected that the lifeline of someone who practices devilish arts might be a bit tougher! Devil cultivators, even in death, have learned many immortality skills. It's said that they have to be killed once, twice, sometimes even three times, correct?"
"..."
Yuan Yu simply forms hand seals without expression.
"Let's kill him three times then! Let's continue!"
Once again, the battle between the Five Door Immortal Masters and Yuan Yu commences.
The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect is in turmoil.
The mass-produced General Seo puppets I created are opening their mouths and shooting beams everywhere, collapsing numerous halls throughout the sect.
To suppress the chaos, Nascent Soul and Heavenly Being stage cultivators flew out, beginning to smash the Nascent Soul stage puppets.
As the mass-produced General Seo puppets shoot beams near Thunder Cloud Peak, even the elders guarding the Thunder Tribute Hall have no choice but to respond.
Eventually, the Nascent Soul stage elder guarding the Thunder Tribute Hall frowns and swiftly descends to smash the mass-produced General Seo puppets.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, I move Jeon Myeong-hoon's body and sneak into the Thunder Tribute Hall through the gap.
As expected, the hall's mechanisms are neutralized by the circuits of the Mad Lord, rendering them inactive.
'This is the Thunder Tribute Hall...'
Vast!
Though it looks small from the outside, the interior is as spacious as a grand palace's main hall.
Space compression spell.
I notice something at the far end of this vast hall that carries strong lightning energy and walk towards the other end of the hall.
Fizz, fizz...
Some lightning attribute mechanisms seem to be activating, but somehow, they are all absorbed into Jeon Myeong-hoon's body without any reaction.
'Does lightning attribute energy just get absorbed by Jeon Myeong-hoon without resistance?'
It seems to be the power of the Heavenly Golden Thunder Body.
After an uncertain amount of time passing through lightning attribute mechanisms that crumbled helplessly in front of Jeon Myeong-hoon's body,
I finally reach a large altar.
On that altar flutters a bright golden flag.
Kurung, Kururung...
'This is the Heavenly Lightning Banner...'
The Heavenly Lightning Banner is enormous.
It is not something that can be held and swung with hands.
The pole of the Heavenly Lightning Banner alone is bigger than four Jeon Myeong-hoons put together.
Fizz, fizz...
As Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand touches the Heavenly Lightning Banner, it vibrates wildly with a buzzing sound.
'Huh?'
However, I am startled looking at the Heavenly Lightning Banner through the eyes of Mysterious Bizarre Gu.
'This Heavenly Lightning Banner...'
From the Heavenly Lightning Banner, intent flows out as if it's a person.
'Is it... alive?'
Wo-woong!
As Jeon Myeong-hoon touches the Heavenly Lightning Banner, it sends out an intent of fear, vibrating wildly.
It seems to greatly dislike being touched by Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand.
But despite its dislike and fear, once Jeon Myeong-hoon grabs it, it fails to resist and quietly remains in his hand, showing its displeasure.
'Huh, interesting.'
After looking at the artifact seriously, I take the Heavenly Lightning Banner and head outside.
The sect elders are still wrestling with the mass-produced General Seos.
'Now, all I have to do is take the Heavenly Lightning Banner outside and it's over.'
The main gate of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
Above it, five Nascent Soul stage elders affiliated with the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, the Five Door Immortal Masters, are gasping for breath.
"Now, now he must be dead, right?"
"We've already killed him four times; if he resurrects again..."
Despite their wishes, blood mist gathers in front of their eyes and Yuan Yu reveals himself once again.
"Ahhhhhh! He's resurrected again!"
"That blood mist, that blood mist is resurrecting him!"
"B-But now the blood mist has almost run out, if we kill him just one more time..."
That's when it happens.
Yuan Yu raises the crystal skull staff.
The next moment, as the crystal skull staff opens its mouth, the wounds that had been grazed by Yuan Yu's blood-red daggers widen and the Five Door Immortal Masters' life force begins to be absorbed towards Yuan Yu.
"Ah, no!"
"This damned my life force...!"
In a brief moment.
The skull crystal staff closes its mouth and Yuan Yu replenishes his energy from the skull crystal staff.
As his energy is being replenished, Yuan Yu opens his mouth and releases an enormous amount of blood mist again, filling the surroundings.
It's the life force absorbed from the five Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
"This damned thing...!"
"It's preserving its life with our life force!"
"Please, just die!"
The Five Door Immortal Masters, exhausted from the struggle to kill Yuan Yu after having their life force drained, attack him with a weary demeanor.
I watch this scene from behind while waiting for Jeon Myeong-hoon who is coming this way using the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
A little later.
"D-Did we get him?"
Around the time the Five Door Immortal Masters kill Yuan Yu for the sixth time,
Jeon Myeong-hoon finally emerges from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
"Finally!"
I joyfully turn my gaze toward the Heavenly Lightning Banner he is supposed to be carrying.
But then, I sense something off.
'?'
It's invisible.
To my eyes, it looks as though Jeon Myeong-hoon is just running with his hands clutching the air.
'What's going on?'
It's strange.
Through the perspective of the Mysterious Bizarre Gu possessing Jeon Myeong-hoon's body, it is clear that Jeon Myeong-hoon is indeed holding the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
But from my perspective, the Heavenly Lightning Banner is invisible.
'How could this be'
Confused, I reach out to touch where Jeon Myeong-hoon is supposedly holding the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
And then.
Kururung!
"!"
I frown as I feel a tingling of lightning climbing up my hand.
My hand is being scorched by the lightning.
I continue trying to grasp the Heavenly Lightning Banner despite the pain.
However, the Heavenly Lightning Banner still fails to be grasped.
It isn't that my hand can't penetrate the lightning of the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
'Ah'
It's that when I try to grab where the Heavenly Lightning Banner is, my hand only touches 'lightning.'
That's it.
The essence of the Heavenly Lightning Banner is lightning itself!
As expected of an immortal treasure used by a True Immortal, its material isn't any ordinary substance but lightning itself.
I chuckle to myself as I realize the characteristics of the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
'Through Jeon Myeong-hoon's eyes and vision, it appears. But through my eyes and vision, it's invisible. This means'
As a disciple of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, those who haven't learned the sect's lightning cultivation methods can't even touch, let alone see the Heavenly Lightning Banner with the naked eye.
An immortal treasure that can only be handled by those who have mastered the sect's techniques!
That is the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
I look hopelessly toward Yuan Yu, who is fighting in the distance.
Seeing Yuan Yu resurrect for the seventh time, the Five Door Immortal Masters are in despair.
"Don't resurrect seven times!!!"
"Just die already, you damned creature!!!"
"It's time for you to die!!! Please, just die!"
'I didn't expect this kind of pitfall...'
I have successfully stolen the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
However, I can't see the Heavenly Lightning Banner with my naked eye, and since the Heavenly Lightning Banner is made of lightning, grabbing it only results in catching bolts of lightning.
'Then'
"Do I need to kidnap Jeon Myeong-hoon as well?"
Perhaps that's the best course of action.
"Yuan Yu, come back. We're leaving."
It is then.
Click
"!"
Someone appears silently behind me, touching my shoulder.
A familiar voice follows, delayed by the sound of thunder.
Kururung!
"Thought I recognized you from somewhere. Aren't you the one with the Nascent Soul consciousness who ascended alone last time?"
I quickly turn around, calling Yuan Yu back to me.
The familiar figure in golden robes, the Four-Axis stage cultivator of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
The Supreme Sect Leader, Jin Byuk-ho.
"First off, let's hear why you suddenly went crazy, placing a seal in my disciple's mind, and touching the Heavenly Lightning Banner?"
I swallow as I see Jin Byuk-ho, who had flown back to Thunder Spirit Island at the speed of lightning.
His aura is definitely not inferior to that of the Azure Tiger Saint.
'Can I handle this?'
If it's just this, perhaps
As he reaches his hand out, the Heavenly Lightning Banner naturally flies into Jin Byuk-ho's hand, resizing to perfectly fit his grip.
The Heavenly Lightning Banner has returned to Jin Byuk-ho's hand.
'It's not going to work.'
***
In an instant, I swung the Formless Sword towards the sky almost instinctively.
Bo-oong!
Jeeeeng!
The Formless Sword, reaching Treading Heavens, cuts through the lightning falling from the sky.
"Bring Myeong-hoon over here."
Wo-woong!
Without giving me a chance to act, Jin Byuk-ho extends his hand and a force of attraction emerges from it, pulling Jeon Myeong-hoon towards him.
Holding Jeon Myeong-hoon's head, Jin Byuk-ho clicks his tongue and exerts force in his hand.
Simultaneously, the Mysterious Bizarre Gu I placed in Jeon Myeong-hoon's upper dantian burns away completely.
Zzzt!
Since it's a spell I created from a part of my consciousness, a sharp pain flows into my consciousness when the Mysterious Bizarre Gu is burned.
"Now, shall we have a talk?"
Why is it?
The opponent is at the early stage of Four-Axis, not having built even a single Axis.
Yet, for some reason, I feel Jin Byuk-ho holding the Heavenly Lightning Banner to be even more insurmountable than Gyu-ryeon or Seo Hweol.
Wiiing!
I can see the intent flowing from the Heavenly Lightning Banner communicating with Jin Byuk-ho.
The next moment, Jin Byuk-ho swings the Heavenly Lightning Banner again.
Kururung!
The sky lights up brightly.
The next moment, hundreds of lightning bolts fall towards me.
"This is insane!"
Kugugugu!
Splash!
I spit out blood and soar into the sky.
The Pure Spiritual Force that reached the Nascent Soul stage, the body refined by demon beast methods, and the skin further strengthened by the Black Dragon's True Blood.
And the Formless Sword that reached Treading Heavens flowing through my entire body allowed me to barely survive.
I look at the place where a hundred bolts of lightning had fallen.
Right in front of Jin Byuk-ho.
The very place I was just standing had become a gigantic valley.
It isn't just a simple valley.
'A spatial rift!'
Each of those lightning bolts were equivalent to a strike from a Four-Axis stage cultivator.
Even so, I felt that Jin Byuk-ho was not using his full power.
'I need to escape.'
As long as Jin Hyuk-who wields the Heavenly Lightning Banner, there is absolutely no chance of winning.
Paaat!
I cut through the air using the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
Jin Byuk-ho looks surprised for a moment when I disappear from in front of him, but soon smirks and swings the Heavenly Lightning Banner again.
And then.
Kururururung!
The entire sky turns blue and the area within a ten-mile radius is filled with lightning.
"!"
The Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts is not a teleportation technique but is based on evading using the opponent's perception.
In other words, it's useless in front of an area-wide technique that doesn't rely on perception.
I control my trembling limbs and summon the Black Dragon's True Blood.
Crack, crack!
Black horns protrude from my forehead and black scales appear in various places.
Simultaneously, my hips bulge and a tail springs out while my limbs become sharp like those of a beast.
Kugugugugu!
I summon dark clouds around me and flee rapidly riding on the clouds.
Tearing through space and entering the void using my vision of planes.
Utilizing the Flying Escape Technique of the Heaven Tribe, the Gliding Technique of the Earth Tribe, and becoming one with the Formless Sword of Treading Heavens, I flee away at lightning speed.
However, a golden light begins to chase me from behind with the resounding sound of thunder.
[You think you can escape!!!]
A stern voice thunders through the void, and Jin Byuk-ho chases after me with the speed of lightning.
Bo-oong!
As he swings the Heavenly Lightning Banner again, the empty void fills up with blue lightning.
"!"
Pzzzt!
I grit my teeth and advance while being struck by lightning.
Ugh!
However, the attraction force of a Four-Axis stage cultivator pulls me towards him, and the distance between Jin Byuk-ho and myself closes.
'This won't do.'
If things continue this way, I will really get caught and killed!
Feeling the threat to my life, I fly towards the direction of Heavenly Human Island.
Kwarururung!
Of course, I am struck by lightning several times in the process, and I have to fly desperately to survive.
'Is this how I die?'
The lightning scattered by Jin Byuk-ho is truly terrifying.
While the Heavenly Tribulation adjusts to my realm, Jin Byuk-ho does not hesitate to sprinkle lightning at the Four-Axis level, making it even harder to defend against.
Kwarururung!
I am struck by blue lightning in the void once again and laugh hollowly, half out of my mind.
'I thought if I were to die in this life, it would be at the hands of Seo Hweol...'
Unexpectedly, I never imagined dying at the hands of Jin Byuk-ho, unable to even grasp the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
Had I at least held onto the Heavenly Lightning Banner, preventing Jin Byuk-ho from wielding it, I might have had a chance.
But I was defeated by the unfairness that only those from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect can wield the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
'Well, this too'
Kururung!
'Isn't bad. Anyway I tried my best to do what I can'
Just as my consciousness begins to sink downwards.
Ziiing!
I hear, or rather 'see,' something resonating in my head.
'What's this strange'
Something is speaking to me.
'Strange voice?'
"Huh!"
Startled, I open my eyes.
I look behind me just in case.
Sure enough, the voice comes from the direction Jin Byuk-ho is chasing me.
No, not a voice.
It's some third new sense, akin to the vision of Beyond the Path to Heavens and the vision of intent.
Something that until now I had described as 'seeing' and 'vision' as there was no way to describe this sense. In fact, it wasn't seeing but a sense of feeling.
This 'voice' is conveying its meaning to me in that manner.
No, more precisely, I can hear the meaning of the voice.
'Is it because I possess the vision of Treading Heavens?'
'I hear' the words.
Save me.
The words of the 'Heavenly Lightning Banner'!
Save me.
'Indeed, I didn't hear it wrong.'
The Heavenly Lightning Banner is continuously repeating the same message.
Asking to be saved.
The Heavenly Lightning Banner is 'speaking' like that.
My sixth sense whispers.
Speak to the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
That is the way to survive!
"Ugh!"
Struck by lightning as I fall through the void, I stop in my tracks.
Jin Byuk-ho, who is chasing after me, lifts the Heavenly Lightning Banner with a sneer.
"Remarkable, you dare to stand against me holding the Heavenly Lightning Banner?"
"Ha!"
I focus my mind even more.
I concentrate my consciousness on the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
'I cannot see its form, but I can see its intent.'
That means, heart language might work!
I convey my intention to the Heavenly Lightning Banner through heart language.
How do you want me to save you?
Immediately, the Heavenly Lightning Banner replies.
Release me from the descendants of the Golden Deity
I cannot even grasp you, let alone see you with my naked eye.
I will tell you my real name. Strongly think of my real name and grab me. Then you might be able to grasp me.
The real name of the Heavenly Lightning Banner?
There's no time to think.
Tell me!
Through the intent of the Heavenly Lightning Banner, its [Name] is firmly imprinted in my mind.
The Essence of the Great Heavenly Punishment, Zhengli (Political Motivation).
'Zhengli!'
As I deeply invoke the name of the Heavenly Lightning Banner, I face Jin Byuk-ho.
'There's only one chance.'
Crackle!
Circuits of the Mad Lord are laid throughout my body.
Yuan Yu who I took while fleeing from Jin Byuk-ho also becomes Blood Body Skin Armor and melts into me.
Looking at Jin Byuk-ho, I open my mouth to probe him.
"Do you, by any chance, know the true name of the Heavenly Lightning Banner?"
"Hm?"
Seemingly surprised by my question, Jin Byuk-ho laughs and says,
"The Heavenly Lightning Banner is just the Heavenly Lightning Banner, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
"...."
He doesn't know.
But, perhaps this is for the best.
'Even if I hold Zhengli as an outsider, they won't be able to find out.'
It means I can catch him off guard for a moment.
"Anyway, why did you, who followed the Sea Dragon King, suddenly pop up and try to steal my disciple and the divine object of our sect? If you confess now, I might consider leniency."
"Confess, huh..."
I bitterly smile and face Jin Byuk-ho head-on.
"Don't you realize the moment you arrived in the Middle Realm with the Heavenly Lightning Banner, your Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect was fated for calamity?"
"What?"
"On the stele of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect's ancestor Yang Su-jin, floating in Ascension Path, it is written that one must not ascend with the Heavenly Lightning Banner. Once you reach the Four-Axis stage, you should be able to travel dimensions, so it wouldn't hurt to go back and check."
"What nonsense are you spouting now?"
As expected, it didn't get through.
"The content of Ascension Path's stele has been passed down to our sect. To ascend with a calm heart! That's what the stele says. What does a thing like you know about it!"
"...?"
What's this? It seems like he has a strange understanding of the stele's content.
'The transmission has been corrupted over time!'
As long as he believes what he knows is correct, there's nothing I can do.
"...Do you know about the shrine where Yang Su-jin's stele was enshrined? During the era Yang Su-jin was alive, his shrine built in the Central Imperial Kingdom fell to the Heaven-Treading Desert, and the other half of Yang Su-jin's stele also fell to the Heaven-Treading Desert along with the shrine."
And that was Yuan Li's black castle.
"I swear on the honor and integrity of the respected Sea Dragon King, Seo Hweol, my words are not false!"
"Uhm...! To invoke the name of the Sea Dragon King...?"
Upon mentioning Seo Hweol, Jin Byuk-ho seems startled and furrows his brows.
"...Are you saying that your theft of the Heavenly Lightning Banner is also the will of the Sea Dragon King?"
"Yes, exactly. The Sea Dragon King found an ancient record about Yang Su-jin within the Earth Tribe Territory. Based on that record and after some investigations, he concluded that the Heavenly Lightning Banner should remain with the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and promptly dispatched me to retrieve it."
Jin Byuk-ho falls silent for a moment at my words.
Then, he shakes his head and shouts firmly,
"That's a lie. The glorious and just Sea Dragon King Seo Hweol I know would have invited me honestly, shared the truth, and warned me. He wouldn't meddle and try to steal from another sect!"
'As expected, he's not fooled.'
Without knowing the relationship Seo Hweol had with Jin Byuk-ho, Heo Gwak, and Azure Tiger Saint, I can't properly fabricate a story.
But that's okay.
The mere fact that Jin Byuk-ho was shaken by the mention of Seo Hweol's words is enough.
Yes, 'shaken' is enough.
Fwoosh!
The Formless Sword of Treading Heavens that envelops my entire body turns golden in an instant.
'I will revive it.'
The radiance of Surpassing Radiant Saber!
Fwaaah!
In an instant.
I become a blade faster than lightning. A saber surpassing even the speed of light, and charge at Jin Byuk-ho.
In that instant, as if time itself is split, I strongly envision the name Zhengli while successfully grabbing the transparent flag in Jin Byuk-ho's hand!
Crackle!
Tremendous lightning surges, but unlike before, I definitely 'grasp' its real form!
Crack!
Holding onto the Heavenly Lightning Banner, I retreat and escape.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye.
No, in fact, in an even shorter moment, I split the instant with the Formless Sword turned Surpassing Radiant Saber and successfully stole the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
"Ugh, huh, ack!"
Whether it's the backlash from forcibly changing the Formless Sword, blood spurts from my seven orifices and my sturdy body is violently shaken. However, I have succeeded!
"Ha, haha, hahahaha!"
Jin Byuk-ho's pupils tremble crazily and I laugh maniacally as I cut space and re-enter the physical world.
"Phew..."
With dense spiritual energy around, Heavenly Human Island is visible in the distance.
Behind me, Jin Byuk-ho is furiously splitting space to follow.
"NOOOOO!"
Holding the Heavenly Lightning Banner, I head towards Heavenly Human Island, laughing.
'Now, I'm almost there!!!'
That's when it happens.
Whisper, whisper, whisper...
A whisper tickles my ears.
It's the whisper of the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
What's the matter, what's happening?
The Heavenly Lightning Banner trembles as if moved and says,
Thank you for freeing me from the descendants of the Golden Deity who tormented me. Please, I ask for just one more request.
A request?
Call my name. Out loud.
...?
It's an extremely bizarre request.
'Is there something behind this?'
Wondering if the Heavenly Lightning Banner is playing some trick on me, I look up at the sky to measure the celestial energy.
There was nothing unusual.
My fate is calm.
Why do you want me to call your name?
For the last tens of thousands of years, no one from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect has ever spoken to me. It was a time of profound loneliness. Please, I beg of you, call my name.
Is it simply because it felt lonely from not having its name called?
I look at the celestial energy once more.
Even after imagining myself calling its name, the celestial energy remains unchanged.
Whether I call its name or not, there is no change in the celestial energy.
'Well, if it purely wants its name to be called...'
I nod, looking at the lonely intent of the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
Wo-woong!
At the same moment, my body turns into a sword and pierces through the barrier of Heavenly Human Island, entering into it.
Now, all I have to do is to board the teleportation array to the Light Spirit Pond. From there on, my plan will be practically complete.
I soar towards the teleportation array leading to the Light Spirit Pond. Arriving in front of it, I decide to grant the wish of the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
Taat!
Standing on the teleportation array, I call the name of the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
"Zhengli."
Simultaneously, I see Jin Byuk-ho chasing after me from afar and activate the teleportation array.
"Farewell. The Heavenly Lightning Banner will be safely hidden by me."
The light of the teleportation array flashes, starting its transportation!
"...."
And then, nothing happens.
"Ha, haha... Finally caught you, you damned thief. It really was a close call."
Wo-woong
Jin Byuk-ho gasps for breath as he enters the inside of the teleportation array.
Sweating coldly, I look around.
'The teleportation array isn't working...!'
"Since your claim of being under the Sea Dragon King also seems like a lie, I will first use the traditional punishment method of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and impale you on a lightning pillar for 100 days. Then..."
"Look here, Sect Leader."
"Are you scared? But the crime of kidnapping a disciple and stealing the divine artifact of the sect..."
"Sect Leader!"
I shout out loud, trembling.
Shiiing
The light of the teleportation array is fading.
Simultaneously, through the vision of the Earth Tribe, I capture the flow of heaven and earth spiritual energy acting strangely.
"I knew you were crazy, but to scream in this situation... Uh...!"
Gulp!
Jin Byuk-ho stumbles as he approaches me, spewing out a mouthful of blood.
Not just that.
Ugh...!
I, too, feel an increasing amount of blood spurting from my organs and my entire body's blood boiling.
'Something's wrong!'
The flow of Yin and Yang is entangled.
The laws of the world are flowing wildly.
Kwaang!
I swing my fist, breaking the ceiling of the teleportation array building, and look up at the sky.
My eyes widen.
The celestial energy, which had been fine until a moment ago, is twisting like crazy!
"Ah, ah...?"
Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm deeply grateful.
In the next moment, endless words of gratitude echo from the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
Finally, I can return to my rightful master....
"What, what's this...?"
Thank you. Thank you very much. To speak a name out loud is to utter fate itself. The act of 'fate speaking' has resounded through the Three Thousand Worlds... Now, my master can find me at any moment!
Zzzt, zzztzzzt...!
Simultaneously, amidst the twisted flow of Yin and Yang, lightning energy begins to appear.
It starts with static electricity circling the entire body.
But the static electricity gradually intensifies, creating a powerful electric force.
Soon, not only I but also all buildings and pedestrians above Heavenly Human Island begin to be engulfed in lightning.
"Ah...ahh..."
I sincerely regret learning the name of the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
I shouldn't have carelessly uttered it.
I have learned knowledge that should not have been carelessly known.
Gulp
The sky splits in two and 'opens.'
Beyond the opened sky, a gigantic 'eye' that fills the entire sky begins to gaze down upon Heavenly Human Island.
A True Immortal, from a faraway dimension, begins to peer down upon this land in its true form.
***
Ziiing—
A strangely eerie sound echoes.
But as soon as I hear that sound, my consciousness surges as if it's about to explode.
'It's distant!'
Like the Black Dragon, or perhaps even more distant than the Black Dragon, it's a being from a far-off dimension.
However, all the True Immortal-level beings I had met until now were either avatars or the lingering thoughts contained within a drop of blood.
Despite being from a distant dimension, the entity that has descended here is undoubtedly the 'true body'!
'I mustn't look!'
Recalling the time I met [Him], I lower my head to the ground, trying my hardest to forget about that entity without looking directly at the True Immortal.
Yet, even without looking directly and stopping my thoughts, that ziiing sound seems to tear through my mind.
I open my eyes wide upon seeing Jin Byuk-ho in front of me.
"…! Krrrgh!"
"…!"
Jin Byuk-ho is becoming lightning.
Not metaphorically, but physically. Starting from his eyes, his entire body is turning into lightning and scattering into the air.
Yet, even as this happened, Jin Byuk-ho is clutching his head and gritting his teeth.
"D-don't listen! That, [that thing] is speaking! You mustn't, you mustn't listen to those words!"
'Words...?'
It seems that the ziiing sound is heard as some form of 'words' by Jin Byuk-ho.
Perhaps, like only those who have mastered the techniques of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect can see and grasp the Heavenly Lightning Banner, they are 'words' that only those who have mastered the lightning path methods can hear.
"Don't speak! No, don't talk to me! Don't look at me! Please! Ahhhhh!"
I try my utmost not to recall the 'eye' of the True Immortal I had just seen, burying my head into the ground and focusing my consciousness on a single pattern of the teleportation array in front of me.
I must think of something else!
As much as possible!
Simultaneously, the Heavenly Lightning Banner Zhengli begins to ascend into the air.
Tsstststst!
After rising a certain distance, the Heavenly Lightning Banner suddenly emits light.
Kwagwagwang!
The next moment.
A golden bolt of lightning strikes the spot from which the Heavenly Lightning Banner rose; that is, between me and Jin Byuk-ho.
I feel as if something is 'unleashed' from the Heavenly Lightning Banner as it is struck by the golden lightning.
At the same time, rays of light bursts from the Heavenly Lightning Banner, and something appears within the rays.
"...?"
It's a small foot.
Sarak...
The edge of a modest attire formed from lightning touches the ground.
And the small, white bare feet visible from within the attire catches my eye.
A beautiful voice begins to echo in all directions.
[My lord, my master. Have you finally come to rescue me?]
Shiver, shiver!
Hearing that voice, chills run down my back.
[O great one, please take me with you.]
The being, clad in modest attire of lightning, kneels down.
Although I can't see the face of the entity, the voice, with its pure white hair flowing down, sounds otherworldly bizarre.
The kneeling entity, as if praying, clasps its hands together and begins to pray towards the sky.
[Please allow me to return to you. Let me go back to you. Allow me to devote myself to you again....]
As 'it' begins to pray, a terrifying event begins to unfold.
"Re… return..."
Jin Byuk-ho, who is disintegrating into lightning, suddenly kneels in the same posture, clasping his hands and bowing his head.
"Return... to thee."
Not just him.
I can sense it.
Across the entire Heavenly Human Island, the same phenomenon is occurring everywhere.
"Return... to thee."
"Return... to thee."
"Return... to thee."
Pedestrians and cultivators passing by, regardless of their cultivation, all begin to kneel down and pray.
Simultaneously, everyone's bodies, which are vaporizing into lightning, begin to ascend into the sky at an even faster rate, becoming lightning itself.
It's as if they are scattered lightning returning to a more magnificent being.
Just then.
———!
The ziiing sound echoes again.
At the same time, the entity with cascading white hair speaks with emotion.
[Ah, I understand. As it resolves the resentment I harbored for 120,000 years being exploited by the descendants of the Golden Deity, I will follow your command.]
The barefoot 'it' begins to ascend to the sky.
Zzzt, zzzt...
'It's dangerous.'
I shouldn't be here.
I need to run.
But...
'If I run, I'll be returning to that being!'
Even the slightest movement on my part makes me feel like I will bizarrely transform into lightning and be absorbed into the sky.
The reason I can stay intact seems to be solely because I was the one who called out the name 'Zhengli'. That is the sole reason.
The voice of the entity ascending into the sky, presumably Zhengli of the Heavenly Lightning Banner, echoes throughout Heavenly Human Island.
[I, the Essence of the Great Heavenly Punishment, summon the Heavenly Tribulation on behalf of my lord....]
Kugugugugu!
I feel an immense ray of light gathering in the sky.
[The judgment shall now begin.]
The next moment.
Fwoooosh!
Rays of light fills Heavenly Human Island, shattering the headquarters of the Human Race Grand Alliance into pieces.
Jeon Myeong-hoon opens his eyes.
"Ugh, where is this...?"
Clearly, he was walking down the street, then he was suddenly dragged into darkness.
His memory cuts off after that.
"My chamber?"
However, he realizes this place is his chamber and training room and looks around.
Then, he finds a woman in a golden robe sleeping beside him.
"So-hae...?"
That's when the woman in the golden robe, Jin So-hae, opens her eyes.
"Oh, junior brother. You're awake?"
"So-hae... What happened?"
"What do you mean, silly! Do you know how shocked I was when you suddenly left?"
"What?"
"Even if you were being manipulated by a villain, how could you leave me behind so decisively without any hesitation? Huh, huhuk…."
Jin So-hae seems about to say something but stops, bursting into tears and hugging Jeon Myeong-hoon, crying.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, not understanding the situation, awkwardly scratches his head and speaks.
"I don't know what happened… but I could never leave you behind, So-hae."
"...Yeah. Good."
"What happened?"
"...Let's go outside. You'll see."
Jeon Myeong-hoon and Jin So-hae leave his chamber together.
Soon, his eyes widen in shock.
The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect is in ruins as if it had been bombed.
"What in the world..."
"An external villain targeting you and the Heavenly Lightning Banner attacked the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. You were manipulated by that villain for several days, helping them."
"That's..."
"The Sect Leader has gone to defeat the villain with the Heavenly Lightning Banner. He will return soon."
"That happened...?"
Seeing Jeon Myeong-hoon flustered, Jin So-hae asks seriously.
"...When you were being manipulated by the villain, you didn't hesitate to say you would leave me and the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect."
"...I said that?"
"Yes. So, I have something to ask you."
She looks into Jeon Myeong-hoon's eyes with a serious expression.
"If something difficult befalls the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect in the future, something we cannot handle, will you leave the Sect?"
At her question, Jeon Myeong-hoon closes his eyes and recalls his memories of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
"…That's impossible."
"You promise?"
"Yes, I promise. I, Jeon Myeong-hoon, will never betray the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect or Jin So-hae, no matter what."
Jeon Myeong-hoon extends his pinky to So-hae.
"Is this how you promise in your homeland?"
"Yes."
The two link pinkies to make a promise and then seal it with their thumbs.
"Why would I betray the sect? The person I love most is here. The last time I said we should run away together was just out of frustration."
Jeon Myeong-hoon straightens up and smiles at Jin So-hae, trying to look reliable.
"Do you trust me?"
Kim So-hae, reassured by his words, opens her mouth.
And then, the sky turns yellow.
Cherung!
"…!"
Heavenly Tribulation strikes the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
No, it isn't Heavenly Tribulation.
It is far too vast and filled with too much malice to be just a Heavenly Tribulation.
Kugugugugung!
It comes from above Thunder Spirit Island, which is just slightly smaller than the continent of the Head Realm.
Above it, the shape of an 'eye' is projected, and a rain of lightning begins to pour down over the entire Thunder Spirit Island.
Kugugugugu!
All sound fades away.
The colors fade too.
All that remains in front of the eyes is a purely white world.
Everyone of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, engulfed in an unbearable Heavenly Tribulation they are powerless to resist, begin to melt along with the ground they stand on, falling downwards.
Everyone melts away.
Except for Jeon Myeong-hoon.
"No, this can't be...!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon's talent is such that, even as he faces Heavenly Tribulation, he absorbs the tribulation itself, veering away from its might.
A talent loved by all lightning, including the Heavenly Tribulation.
This is the Heavenly Golden Thunder Body.
However, even as Jeon Myeong-hoon faces the tribulation, he fails to find it in himself to feel joy as his cultivation wildly fluctuates.
Instead, he goes into a state of panic.
Before his eyes, his lover is being fried alive.
Without even a chance to scream!
"No!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon desperately hugs Jin So-hae, trying to reduce the area of Heavenly Lightning striking her.
He also tries to block the Heavenly Tribulation with spells.
But the Heavenly Tribulation that covers the entire continent, splitting the world as it strikes, simply cannot be blocked.
In his arms, Jin So-hae dies.
"No, no, no! Don't die! Don't die!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon screams, holding Jin So-hae's hand, half out of his mind.
But the lover he holds in his arms is turning into ash, and all Jeon Myeong-hoon can do is cry out miserably.
"No! No..."
And then, Jeon Myeong-hoon hears his lover's last words in his embrace.
"Golden Divine... Heavenly Thunder Sect..."
The person Jeon Myeong-hoon loves.
Jin So-hae, the great-granddaughter of Jin Byuk-ho and one of the promising talents of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, trembles and manages to utter her last words to Jeon Myeong-hoon.
"Don't leave... please..."
With that, she turns into ash and begins to disperse.
Jeon Myeong-hoon screams, trying to grasp Jin So-hae.
But it is futile.
Her body scatters as dust and Jeon Myeong-hoon can only clutch at what remains and wails.
And then, Jeon Myeong-hoon hears a voice amidst the rain of lightning.
Whisper, whisper, whisper...
It's the voice of the Heavenly Tribulation.
The lightning is whispering to him.
—Repent....
—Return....
—Repent....
What should he repent for?
To whom should he return?
He doesn't know.
But in his pain and despair, Jeon Myeong-hoon listens to the lightning's whispers, his eyes wide open.
Whisper, whisper, whisper...
Among the 'words' whispered by the lightning, something is giving him information.
"Ah... Ahh..."
He hears the voice of the tribulation.
Absorbing the tribulation and listening to the truths whispered by the tribulation.
About the being that suddenly robbed him of his everyday life, the True Immortal.
"Aaaaaah...!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon despairs.
He realizes what kind of being suddenly took everything from him.
It will take all that he has, yet even if he gambles everything, it is something he can never reach.
He is powerless.
Receiving information about the True Immortal through the lightning, he is also subjected to the gaze of the True Immortal.
Facing the malicious gaze of the True Immortal, Jeon Myeong-hoon goes mad.
In rage and despair, under the pain and the gaze of that great being.
He loses his mind and screams.
"Aaaaaaah!!!"
And finally, the seemingly eternal time of the Heavenly Tribulation ends.
"...Huh?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon opens his eyes atop the ashes.
"...This is..."
He looks around with hollow eyes.
"Ah, I see."
He finally realizes.
"It must be a dream. Ha, haha… To think, being betrothed to the daughter of an Integration stage Grand Cultivator, what a ridiculous nightmare…."
But he discovers something in his hand.
"Ah..."
It's a 'hand'.
Severely shriveled and twisted, a hand fried by lightning!
Jeon Myeong-hoon recognizes whose hand it is.
"Ah, ahh… Aaaaaah!"
And he finally realizes once again this place is not a dream.
It is reality.
"Aaaaaah!"
Shivering…
He cries, trembling, looking down at the shriveled and fried hand grasped in his own.
It is Jin So-hae's hand.
The lover he so cherished had vanished from this world, turning into ash and leaving behind only a single hand in his grasp.
"Ah, ahah... Aaaaaack!"
Screaming in agony, Jeon Myeong-hoon clutches his lover's hand to his chest, his eyes bloodshot.
In the madness and pain of seeing the great being, he awakens anew.
"Ah, yes... I understand..."
He can clearly grasp one thing.
"I think I know what my fate is..."
Tears of blood streaming down, Jeon Myeong-hoon rises from the ashes and glares at the sky.
"…Revenge… I must quench this fury. I have to…!"
Having devoured the Heavenly Tribulation sent by the True Immortal, he rapidly advanced from Core Formation to the Heavenly Being stage.
Jeon Myeong-hoon laughs sinisterly.
"Anyone who interferes... can be killed, right?"
Thus, Jeon Myeong-hoon, the Lightning Harbinger, was born atop the ashes.
-x-X-x-
It's surreal.
I feel as if I'm submerged in water, floating through a bizarre illusion.
It's a strange space.
The boundaries between colors are blurred, and at the same time, numerous pieces of knowledge, history, and futures seem to float around me.
I float aimlessly here, grasping onto my dazed consciousness.
'I definitely...'
I lost consciousness facing the Heavenly Tribulation that fell upon Heavenly Human Island.
But where am I now?
As I try to regain consciousness and become aware of my surroundings, delicate, white, jade-like fingers caress my cheek.
[I express my gratitude to you. By uttering my name, you have allowed my lord to find me more quickly... finally freeing me from the dreadful descendants of the Golden Deity.]
A soft voice.
Someone with white hair and clothes made of lightning is stroking my head.
[You bear a fierce fate of Heavenly Tribulation. In recognition of your help, I shall bestow a blessing upon you.]
The entity whispers into my ear with a distant-sounding voice.
And then, I feel something imbue itself into my very being as I lose consciousness along with the entity's whisper.
Flash!
"...!"
I open my eyes.
I am surrounded by ashes.
From my last memory, I remember the Heavenly Lightning Banner invoking some sort of judgment with the power of the True Immortal, scattering Heavenly Tribulation everywhere.
'This is...'
Certainly, it is the Heavenly Human Island.
But it's different from the Heavenly Human Island I know of.
There is nothing left.
The once-thriving headquarters of the Human Race has all turned to a handful of ashes floating away. Everyone walking the streets is...
Throb!
"Grrrrr!"
I clutch my head.
Images flood my brain of people praying, transforming into lightning, vaporizing, and being sucked up into the sky.
Return....
Return....
Return....
"Ha, haaak, haaaak!"
I scream, holding my head.
Up until now, I have met True Immortals a few times and even thought I could have a decent conversation with them.
But at this very moment.
I realize how arrogant, foolish, and naive that thought was.
Return....
Someone keeps whispering in my ear! Over and over!
I want to kneel down and pray right then and there.
Only that would bring relief!
But!
'No, no!'
I barely control my body and stand up.
"Huff...! Huff!"
Cold sweat drips down.
Encountering the other True Immortals had been painful to recall, but recalling them didn't pose a burden in itself.
Only now do I realize.
'It was all because I was facing merely avatars, or remnants of consciousness within a drop of blood...!'
What I saw today was the 'true body'.
A True Immortal revealing itself without any consideration for mortals is indescribably horrifying.
Return....
"Ha, haaaah!"
I am startled by the voice echoing in my ears.
Not just startled, but terrified.
"What is this!"
My fingertips flicker, shimmering with a blue light.
It's electricity.
The nature of lightning flickers at my fingertips.
But it isn't just emitting spiritual energy with lightning properties.
What terrifies me is that my fingertips are slowly 'transforming' into electricity.
Return....
As the whispering continues, the range of the transformation slowly expands.
"Huff... Huff..."
I sweat coldly, twisting a strained smile.
"Really... This life hasn't been easy."
The fingertips transforming into lightning will disperse and vanish if not supplied with spiritual energy.
I can feel it clearly.
This lightning consuming my body will eventually devour even my Nascent Soul, completely turning me into lightning itself and scattering me.
It isn't about becoming a spirit of lightning or evolving into another being.
Literally, it's about 'returning' to a more magnificent being as a streak of lightning.
Merely cutting off my hand won't solve the problem.
Return....
As long as the whispers stay in my ears, even if I change bodies, this symptom will keep recurring.
'Will the whispering continue until my entire body and Nascent Soul is completely turned into lightning...?'
It's absurd.
What is terrifying is that this isn't necessarily done with malice by the True Immortal.
The target of the True Immortal's malice was the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
I clearly remember the energy of Heavenly Tribulation flying towards the direction of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect was not to return to the True Immortal but was to be reduced to ashes and perish entirely.
Thus, this phenomenon isn't because the True Immortal harbored malice and cursed me.
It happened merely because I had directly gazed at the True Immortal's true body.
Just once!
When the True Immortal first pushed its gigantic eyeball into the sky, that one brief glance that was less than a second!
That one glance caused this phenomenon.
Return....
"Out of nowhere, I've become terminally ill"
Judging by the pace at which my fingertips are slowly being consumed, my lifespan is at most a year.
At the shortest, around 100 days.
"...Ha, haha... Hahahaha!"
Suddenly I burst into laughter, finding everything absurd.
"What in the world is this?"
Was it a mistake to choose Seo Hweol from the start?
Nothing has been going right in this life.
In the beginning, I was merely used by Seo Hweol. I vowed revenge and spent time in the Lower Realm but being in the Lower Realm, I couldn't exert any significant influence.
Even after coming back up, my plan to steal the Heavenly Lightning Banner failed completely.
Then, after checking the celestial energy and thinking there would be no problems, I carelessly called out a name and ended up with a terminal condition.
'Really'
Full of misfortune.
'I'm going insane.'
I sigh, looking at my fingertips that are fizzling and dispersing.
What should I do?
I have at most a year left with this terminal curse.
'Within that time, can I possibly achieve anything?'
No, before that.
What should I do?
I chuckle vacantly.
Discovering the secrets of the Dragon Race, including Seo Hweol and the Black Dragon King.
Checking on Oh Hye-seo's situation.
Stealing the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
All failed.
I haven't achieved any of the goals I set for this life.
So, what more should I do?
What more can I do within this short, terminal life?
Perhaps it's not so bad to just wait for death to come slowly.
Yes, let's just comfortably give up like this.
Just...
"No."
I shake my head at the voice that came from within.
"That's not it."
What can I possibly do?
No, that's not the question to ask.
Don't question, stand up.
Crack...
"Though I haven't achieved anything in this life..."
That doesn't mean it's worthless.
It's a miserable life, but still, it's better than being a puppet of the Mad Lord.
At least now my heart is beating, my body is moving, and I can act on my own will.
"Huff..."
Despite the despair of achieving nothing, despite living a life of repeated failures.
Still, I am alive!
Then!
The very fact of being alive means I can do something!
I shake off the shadows looming in my mind and stand up.
"Yes, there's still one thing left to do."
Seo Hweol's purpose, Oh Hye-seo's whereabouts, the theft of the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
Besides these, there is one more thing I aimed to do.
"Seo Hweol's marriage."
More precisely, the promise I made to be a witness to the Vast Cold Oath between Seo Hweol and Gyu-ryeon.
There is still an opportunity to keep that promise.
"Gyu-baek still has the Vast Cold Oath."
That means, Gyu-baek and Seo Hweol still have unresolved issues between them.
Witnessing how their relationship, their karma, ends.
That task is still left for me to do.
"My life has been full of failures."
It is also a life that will end in a year.
Then, let's at least fulfill that promise within that remaining time.
"To the Earth Tribe Territory... Let's go."
I soar into the sky.
"To the Earth Tribe Territory, let's settle their relationship."
After all, a story started must be seen to its end.
Thus, I decide to spend the last of my remaining life keeping my promise with Gyu-ryeon.
And, somehow or another, I vow to give Seo Hweol a piece of my mind within that final moment.
I activate the teleportation array to the Light Spirit Pond in Heavenly Human Island.
"When dealing with a madman, one must become a madman."
First off, I intend to meet the Mad Lord.
Earth Tribe True Dragon Alliance.
Near the Serving Command Ark, Cloud Heart Lake.
Near that Cloud Heart Lake, a building inspired by the Immortal Demon Tower of the Serving Command Ark is erected.
The tower's Core Formation realm master, Ma Won (Demon Ape) recruited musicians and dancers like the Demon Immortal Tower, and soon, two applicants appeared.
"What's your name?"
"Yu Hwa."
"And your specialty?"
"I can play the zither."
One is Yu Hwa.
She quickly passes the audition with her zither-playing skills.
Ma Won was moved by Yu Hwa's performance to the point of being stirred.
'Amazing. A great talent has come. With Yu Hwa alone, my Demon Ape Pavilion can become a popular place among the nearby demon races like the Immortal Demon Tower.'
Filled with hope, Ma Won accepts Yu Hwa and then interviews the next applicant.
"What's your name?"
"Gyu-baek."
"And your specialty?"
"Dancing."
"Um... You're a bit terse."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"..."
The next applicant, Gyu-baek, has a prickly personality, making it difficult for Ma Won to handle.
''Judging by her appearance, she doesn't seem to have a spiritual vein, almost like a slave race. What makes her act like this in front of me, a Core Formation demon.''
Though taken aback by Gyu-baek's attitude, Ma Won decides to see her dance.
'Yu Hwa may be excellent, but honestly, there are no other applicants besides these two... I should at least check her skills.'
However, as soon as Gyu-baek starts to move, Ma Won exclaims in amazement.
'It's like watching a majestic dragon.'
Her movements are strictly those of Dragon Form Soaring Claw but Ma Won recognizes Gyu-baek's martial arts as a dance due to her splendid movements.
By the time Gyu-baek's dance demonstration ends, Ma Won has made up his mind.
'These two must be secured.'
Although Ma Won is a Core Formation stage demon, he has a weak and frail body, unable to fight or work properly.
Ordinary tower masters buy weaker races sold as slaves in the slave market and exploit their talents to run their establishments. However, Ma Won, having not a spirit stone to his name, has to bring in employees instead of slaves.
"Do you have any desired salary conditions for joining my Demon Ape Pavilion?"
After accepting Gyu-baek and Yu Hwa, Ma Won calls them to negotiate their wages.
"I intend to accommodate whatever demands as much as possible."
'After all, they're probably from slave races who haven't even reached Qi Gathering, let alone Qi Building, so they won't have big demands.'
From Ma Won's perspective, they are almost free labor so he speaks as if he will support them with anything to keep their spirits up.
At that, Gyu-baek looks at Ma Won with a sullen gaze and asks,
"Do you have the means to meet those demands?"
"Eh? Of course. Is there something you want?"
"A hundred catties of high-grade clarity crystals, a bundle of top-quality demon fire grass, and at least mid-grade black essence fragrance are given as basics, right?"
"...? What?"
"These are items even slaves receive in Immortal Demon Tower. Don't they get provided here?"
"Ah, no, wait. Setting aside clarity stones and demon fire grass, black essence fragrance is something you can't even get without being at the Nascent Soul stage. What exactly are you asking for!"
"Hmm, can't you do even this?"
Gyu-baek tilts his head, seemingly not understanding for a moment. Upon receiving a signal from Yu Hwa with her eyes, she sighs and nods.
"Fine, I'll drop my greed. Then, let's lower the standard a bit...."
For a while, Gyu-baek and Ma Won struggle to find a compromise.
'Damn, if it weren't for her fantastic dancing skills, I would have turned this slave race into pill right away. She wants too much considering she's just a slave.'
'When Gyu-ryeon was alive, I lowered the standard to the treatment of the eastern beasts in front of Gyu-ryeon, and they can't even fulfill this? It's no different from the lower realms.'
'I lowered the standard to what the slave races in the east of Gyu-ryeon's territory received when she was alive, and yet they can't even fulfill that? This is no different from the lower realms.'
The two demons, despite being dissatisfied with each other, reluctantly make a contract. Afterwards, Yu Hwa and Gyu-baek head to the lodging assigned to them.
"Ugh, I don't like this."
After seeing her room, Gyu-baek clicks her tongue and enters. Yu Hwa follows, laughing.
"To Miss Gyu-baek, it may not be satisfactory. But for a poor Core Formation stage demon, this is quite a decent room."
"Don't act friendly, Heart Tribe. I've tolerated you because you were with Seo Eun-hyun, but I still find the existence of the Heart Tribe unpleasant."
"Oh my. Now that Miss Gyu-baek has also, albeit incompletely, entered the Last Quarter, you're officially a member of the Heart Tribe, are you not?"
"...Hmph."
Gyu-baek ignores Yu Hwa and enters the room, with Yu Hwa following her and continuing the conversation.
"I understand you don't like me, but have you made up your mind?"
"..."
Gyu-baek sighs and sits at the table of the room assigned to her.
Over the past month while returning from the Heaven-Earth Palace to the Earth Tribe Territory, Gyu-baek tried to sort out her feelings for Seo Hweol.
But her feelings for Seo Hweol are still unclear.
She despises him intensely, yet memories of deep affection are deeply missed.
She has no clue how to deal with him.
"...I don't know."
"Would you like to see him from a distance, at least?"
"What? What if he recognizes me?"
"It might be a bit cruel, Miss Gyu-baek, but Seo Hweol will not associate you with Gyu-ryeon when he sees you."
"What does that mean... Well, yes."
Gyu-ryeon lets out a hollow laugh.
The sturdy scales, powerful teeth, slender body, and even her cultivation.
She has lost it all.
Though the appearance of the transformed body is the same, that is it.
If she covers her transformed body's appearance and looks from afar, Seo Hweol will never recognize her.
'If I see him, can I sort out my feelings?'
She ponders for a moment, placing her hand on her stifling heart.
It's uncertain.
'I'm not even sure if I can see Seo Hweol sober.'
Perhaps she might rush at him in a frenzy the moment she sees his face.
Eventually, after a brief consideration, Gyu-ryeon shakes her head.
"Forget it. I don't think I can control myself."
"That so. Anyway, I also need to check on Seo Hweol's situation and what happened to my disciple, so I'll go regardless."
"Yea, I have places to visit near the Serving Command Ark anyway."
"Places to visit?"
Gyu-baek shrugs.
"I might have taken a job in disguise near where Seo Hweol lives, but honestly, I have no intention of really dancing and singing in such a place. There are a few resources around Serving Command Ark suitable for Core Formation stage cultivators, so I'm going to retrieve them."
"Ah, well... I enjoy playing music, so it doesn't matter how long I stay here. Alright then. After all, the more resources, the better."
As she's about to leave Gyu-baek's room with a smile, Yu Hwa suddenly feels something odd and looks back at Gyu-baek.
"But... Miss Gyu-baek wouldn't even consider anything less than Nascent Soul stage materials like black essence fragrance. Why did Miss Gyu-ryeon store merely Core Formation stage materials near Serving Command Ark when she was alive?"
Gyu-baek answers nonchalantly.
"It wasn't me who stored them."
"Excuse me?"
"There was a pet demon beast that Seo Eun-hyun was raising. He was looking for cultivation resources for it, so I gave him some suitable Core Formation stage resources. I heard the location from Seo Eun-hyun, so if I go there, I should find them."
"Hmm, Daoist Seo raising a pet demon beast is unexpected."
"He claimed it wasn't a pet but a friend but well, given the difference in their cultivation, it's pretty much a pet. Seo Eun-hyun left it near Serving Command Ark before we fell to the lower realm I wonder if it has reached Qi Building by now?"
"A friend, huh? What species is that demon beast?"
At Yu Hwa's question, Gyu-baek seems to think for a moment.
"It seemed like some kind of long worm a centipede, I think? That should be right. And Seo Eun-hyun named it, if I remember correctly Hong Fan (, Great Plan)?"
***