Her golden flying sword and my colorless glass sword are pointed at each other.
My head overheats.
We are anticipating each other's moves, engaging in a battle of minds through dozens of exchanges.
And the result of these exchanges is, without exception, my victory every time.
Despite her reaching the extreme speed of the Ultimate Pinnacle, I no longer hold back in our exchanges.
Pushing her to the limit, even resorting to Treading Heavens, the anticipated outcome of our confrontation in the realm of intent is always her defeat, no matter how many times we fight.
Swoosh
But she steps forward without any regard.
Bo-oong!
Hong Su-ryeong slashes diagonally from the bottom left to the upper right with her flying sword.
In an instant, the lightning that bursts from the flying sword sweeps over my upper body as if cutting through it.
Fweeeing!
The air is torn apart.
The next moment, I use Severing Mountain Swordsmanship's first, second, and third moves simultaneously, performing an upper cut, a lower cut, and a rising slash to rip apart her lightning blade.
Then, without giving her a chance to react, I advance further.
Not relying on the Flying Escape Technique or the physical abilities of demon beast methods.
With only the acceleration of pure consciousness, my body moves forward, creating shockwaves as the air is pushed away.
Surpassing sound, I rush towards Hong Su-ryeong in an instant, attempting a gentle thrust towards her chest.
However, in a split-second exchange of looks, Hong Su-ryeong counters my acceleration with the Flying Escape Technique, the Lightning Path Method, and nine Gang Spheres, deflecting my thrust.
She steps back, throws her flying sword at me, and then changes her hands into lightning, forming a seal with her lightning-transformed hands.
Crack!
Subsequently, 16 flying swords sequentially fly towards me.
Now, the battle expanded to not just martial arts but the realm of flying sword techniques.
What she desires to contest is not martial prowess but the artistry of the sword.
To her, as a swordsman, it doesn't matter whether she fights with martial arts or flying sword techniques, as long as she can cross swords before she dies.
Wo-woong!
I accelerate my consciousness even further and face the 16 flying swords attacking me from all directions with my Colorless Glass Sword.
The 16 flying swords circle around me, forming a sword formation and pressing me with 64 transformations.
Previously, Hong Su-ryeong's sword formation would have been merely a 'technique' combined with the harmony of the Lightning Path Method, a 'cultivation technique.'
But at this moment, after receiving enlightenment about the sword from me and learning to handle the sword from the perspective of martial arts.
What she uses is no longer just a simple technique.
Whiz, whiz, whiz, whiz!
Hong Su-ryeong's sword formation, as if alive, begins to press me aggressively.
It feels as if 16 Hong Su-ryeongs are wielding swords and attacking me from all sides.
For the first time in a long while, I truly feel like I am engaging in a martial arts duel, exchanging thousands of moves in an instant.
Wo-woong!
Trapped in the sword formation, I thrust my Colorless Glass Sword towards a weak point in the formation to break through.
Boom!
It seems as if part of the formation collapses, but the 16 flying swords do not stop encircling me and continue to follow.
After piercing through one of the peaks, I straighten my posture and swiftly slash at the incoming sword energies.
!
In an instant, even sound is cut off.
All the nearby high peaks are sliced off, and Hong Su-ryeong's sword formation momentarily scatters.
But as soon as her sword formation scatters, what appears is Hong Su-ryeong, accelerating from outside the formation and rushing towards me.
Clack!
Catching one of the flying swords from the dispersed formation, Hong Su-ryeong begins to perform a sword dance.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Using the Flying Escape Technique, the Lightning Path Method, and the acceleration of Ultimate Pinnacle simultaneously, she is barely able to keep up with my movements bolstered by pure martial acceleration, exchanging moves with me.
However, her flying swords begin to stabilize the formation again in the meantime.
We foresee millions of futures, blocking each other's possible moves.
After experiencing that process in our minds and transferring it to reality, we engage in a battle of tactics.
I prepare to attack, pushing her overwhelmingly.
I aim to suppress Hong Su-ryeong before the sword formation can be activated again.
But the next moment, eight of her flying swords unexpectedly spread out in a formation from angles I hadn't anticipated.
I'm surprised for a moment but quickly shake my sword vigorously at Hong Su-ryeong, throwing her off and breaking through the eight flying sword formation.
However, upon regaining my senses, the remaining eight flying swords gathered where the other eight had flown, forming a perfect angle for a complete sword formation.
Paaaat!
The 16 flying swords unfold a formation again and enclose me.
For the first time in our battle of tactics, I am pushed back.
I move my body.
And at the same time, reading her intent, blocking her moves and continuing with mine.
Gradually, we begin to have an inner dialogue..
You have grown incomparably since before.
I swing my sword, disturbing the sword formation, and look for its weak point.
But for you, your sword's tip is trembling.
Hong Su-ryeong comes out of the sword formation and forms a hand seal.
Qi condenses in her hands, creating a Lightning Blade.
Merely with the difference in pure skill, I cannot reach you. That we can exchange blows like this...is probably because you're harboring too much hesitation at the tip of your sword.
Without hesitation, she dives into the sword formation, attacking me like a storm with her sword.
That's what makes it a duel. If I start using my sword properly, the duel will no longer be possible.
Boom!
We collide.
We face each other with our swords, our eyes meeting.
Hong Su-ryeong speaks out loud.
"...It doesn't matter. I know you're holding back your strength. Show me your true sword."
"You want to see my true sword?"
I smirk cynically.
"It's meaningless. Doing so won't accomplish anything. Isn't spending the last moments of your life in the greatest due...-"
"Seo Eun-hyun!"
She shouts as if she is truly angry.
"Draw your true sword."
"..."
"It's not that I want to spend my last moments in the greatest duel. Don't you still understand? I know you have a vision beyond intent, beyond everything else. And yet, do you not know?"
"...All of that..."
I, with a gloomy expression, relax my grip on the sword and let it hang loosely.
"What's the point?"
Yang Su-jin's Non-Human Theory.
The result of failing to save the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect despite dedicating this life to it.
The bitter conclusion that fate cannot be resisted.
I say with a hollow look.
"After all...we're all going to die anyway. If I were to use the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique, it might be possible to prevent this. But if I use the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect will disappear."
I scream as if in agony.
"No matter what I do, what I try to protect is doomed to destruction! What meaning is there in doing anything more here...!"
"...Seo Eun-hyun."
Hong Su-ryeong points her flying sword at me.
"I,"
Enduring the massive 'gaze' from the sky, her body battered and bloodied from countless self-inflicted wounds.
Even in her blood-soaked robe, Hong Su-ryeong meets my gaze with bright eyes.
"I came to cross swords with you."
"..."
"Not with the heavens, but with you."
"..."
"Do you understand what that means?"
I clench my teeth.
I see her intent.
I see her resolve and will.
I understand what Hong Su-ryeong wants.
"You want me, with my own hands, to end you in a duel."
"..."
"I want to die by your sword, not by the heavens. That's why I've come to duel with you now."
"...You're cruel."
My jaw trembles.
I clench my teeth so hard my gums hurt.
Otherwise, I feel like I would cry.
"So what? Both you and I are already mad, and one day we'll turn to dust. At this moment, while we're still alive. If everything is already destined to destruction, why can't we do what we want?"
"..."
"If we cannot overcome fate, can't we at least make choices within fate's confines?"
"..."
I look up at her.
'What is this.'
Contrary to the sullen mood just moments ago, I felt her words 'reach' my heart.
"...What did you just say?"
"If death and destruction are already fated, why can't I seek my own path within that fate?"
"...Huh?"
In that moment, touched by her words spoken in the face of true impending death.
My pupils shake.
Kururung!
Somewhere, thunder rumbles.
The heavens roar.
The Owner of Heavenly Punishment seems ready to exert power.
But more than that, I focus more on Hong Su-ryeong in front of me.
"Our lives are fleeting. The essence of lightning is also fleeting. If our lives bloom and wither in an instant, isn't even this short moment before imminent destruction part of my life? As a cultivator who has studied the Lightning Path Method for hundreds of years, as a sword cultivator, I!"
Wo-woong, wo-woong, wo-woong!
16 flying swords begin to rotate around her.
Whizz, whizz, whizz, whizz!
The rotation speed increases, and Heaven and Earth spiritual energy gradually begins to be drawn towards her.
"Even if it's just the form of death, I want to entrust it to you, not the heavens!"
Flash!
Golden lightning, integrated with sword energy and containing thousands of variations, shoots towards me.
A clear strike of the Grand Perfection Heavenly Being level.
And I, moved by her heart, unwittingly swing my sword.
Swoosh!
The Colorless Glass Sword is swung, and in that instant, Hong Su-ryeong's upper body is diagonally sliced before she can even react.
Splat!
"Yes, that's it!"
Hong Su-ryeong quickly regenerates her upper body and moves her flying sword.
Watching her, for the first time, I feel my hollow heart begin to lighten.
"...I understand."
I decided to face her not as the young genius Seo Eun-hyun, not yet a hundred years old, but as my original self, over two thousand five hundred years old.
"I will grant your wish, Hong Su-ryeong."
Shoosh
I become the sword.
The feet that tread the ground, the legs that support the body, the waist that maneuvers the limbs, the arms that swing the sword.
The head that makes all the decisions.
The lungs that breathe, the spiritual meridians that circulate energy, the blood vessels that carry blood, the nerves that transmit signals.
The Colorless Glass Sword is connected to my fingertips, and even the slightest bit of energy emanating from me.
Even my intent becomes entirely one with the sword within me.
For the first time in our duel, I unsheathe the Formless Sword.
Sssssr
Simultaneously, I draw out all 2,999 Colorless Glass Swords stored within my Golden Core.
The Colorless Glass Swords fill the air, boasting a faint transparency that seems visible yet invisible.
"From now on, I will kill you."
In this state of being the sword itself, I properly meet Hong Su-ryeong's eyes.
"Burn your life away."
"That was the plan."
Flash!
An immense energy explosively bursts forth from Hong Su-ryeong's body.
The Hong Soo-ryeong of the Grand Perfection Heavenly Being stage ignites her entire cultivation in an instant.
Burning bright in the moment before annihilation, fleeting like lightning, she burns her entire lifespan in this very moment!
Kugugugu!
Along with a tingling sensation, I realize her energy has surged to the level of the Four-Axis stage.
We look at each other.
Once again, words are not needed.
Time seems to stop.
For the first time facing Hong Su-ryeong, I earnestly unfold my martial arts.
Since every strike from her, who is burning her life, is fatal even if grazed. I have to avoid them by pushing the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts to its limit and wielding the 3,000 glass swords with all my might.
Following the myriad transformations of the Formless Sword, the Colorless Glass Swords swap positions with each other, leveraging the advantages of the Formless Sword.
She, who burns her life, becomes lightning itself.
To the her who moves at the speed of lightning, using all forms of acceleration like the Flying Escape Technique and Ultimate Pinnacle, I counter with the extreme acceleration of consciousness through the Formless Sword.
Perhaps because time has stopped, not even sound can be heard.
In this muted world, I flatten a peak with my sword dance, and several nearby peaks are sliced into pieces following the sword dance of the Formless Sword.
After dodging my sword, Hong Su-ryeong maneuvers her flying swords around herself.
She becomes the sword formation itself.
Becoming the axis of the formation, she wields the sword while operating the formation.
Flash!
The sword moves, pouring out light.
'I can't block this.'
What should I do then?
I too begin to form hand seals.
The foundational techniques I learned from Cheongmun Ryeong, pushed to the extreme, starts to mix with the Colorless Glass Swords.
Cheongmun Ryeong's foundational techniques.
Kim Young-hoon's martial arts.
Because of them, I could aim for the peak in each field.
And the days I spent with Hong Su-ryeong.
Through those days, I had come to fully integrate both fields.
Just as a sword formation revolves around Hong Su-ryeong.
The 3,000 Colorless Glass Swords around me begin rotating in uniform order.
Yet, influenced by the Formless Sword, they begin to spin freely and unpredictably.
A complete unity of martial arts and cultivation techniques.
Fweeeing!
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
The Twenty-eighth Move.
Feeling this new sense of unity, I blossom a new chapter of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
3,000 Colorless Glass Swords, and the Formless Sword carried within them,
Form a circle around me.
The circle () is the core principle of the Heavenly Being stage.
Perhaps it is also the principle of the heavens.
Using a faint understanding of the Heavenly Being stage, my knowledge of martial arts, and what I learned from Hong Su-ryeong about sword formations, I unfold my own sword formation .
The name of the sword formation is Vajra ().
The new technique of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship and the name of the transformation within the Vajra is Twelve Thousand Peaks.
Shrriiiik!
3,000 Colorless Glass Swords rotate, each producing three sword shadows.
The Colorless Glass Swords, including the sword body and sword shadows, each divide into four.
Each sword and shadow symbolize the four seasons.
The seasons rotate, forming a circle.
Four changes added to 3,000 Colorless Glass Swords create 12,000 instances of attack.
My Twelve Thousand Peaks collide with Hong Su-ryeong's sword formation.
Each burst of sword energy from my Colorless Glass Swords split mountains, create valleys, and carve out hills.
Each streak of lightning from Hong Su-ryeong's flying swords melt mountains into glass, and burn forests to ash.
In the frozen time, we unfold the extremes we had attained from each other, enveloped in a halo of light.
Hwarurururu
I look at Hong Su-ryeong, lying on the burning mountainside.
She is smiling.
Aside from being blood-soaked, there are no noticeable external injuries.
"It...was good..."
But Hong Soo-ryeong, who had burned her entire lifespan, is dying.
Her nearly 900-year-old hair has turned white, and her once supple skin is shriveling.
"Seo...Eun-hyun..."
Hong Su-ryeong looks at me and says.
"Was my...sword...worth watching...?"
Even as her life drains away and she loses her light.
Hong Su-ryeong asks me while looking at me.
I kneel on one knee.
And holding her hand, I reply.
"It was the best."
"Ha, haha..."
She laughs, closing her eyes, not wanting to look at the sky.
"To be able to die by your hands, not by the heavens..."
Even as her vitality fully drains away.
Even as she looks momentarily old and somewhat unsightly.
"It was, wonderful ..."
(TL Note: Can be taken as double meaning as saying she loved MC in Korean)
"...Yes."
To my eyes, her appearance now is as beautiful as Hyang-hwa's or Yeon's.
Was it because of a woman's intuition?
Or was it respect for a swordsman superior to oneself?
In the end, she spoke to me formally and thus fell asleep.
"I too..."
Will forever.
"Love you..."
It's already much too late, but I kiss her fallen lips.
I had thought not to grow attached.
But affection isn't something that moves according to plan.
Unbeknownst to us both, it accumulated little by little, and before we knew it, it had become as immense as Mount Tai.
Isn't that what human affection is?
I ask the people of the world, what is affection that it dictates life and death ( from the Wild Goose Mound Verses by Yuan Haowen).
Affection, in the end, is time.
It is the time that has piled up layer by layer, growing and rising until it cannot be ignored.
I had such affection for Hong Su-ryeong, for the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, for Yu Hwa, for Gyu-baek, for Gyu-ryeon, for Azure Tiger Saint, for Oh Hyun-seok, for the Azure Heaven Creation Sect, for Kim Yeon, for Buk Hyang-hwa...
To all those who had accumulated time with me thus far, I had given affection and received it.
And to Hong Su-ryeong who had given me her affection and passed, I lay her body in its place.
The surroundings are ablaze with the aftermath of our battle.
In the sky, the God () of Heavenly Punishment is descending.
Staring directly at God, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect is going mad.
In this mad world, I take a step forward.
Sararak...
White orchids begin to bloom.
The pure white orchids cover Hong Su-ryeong.
And the white flowers spreading in all directions quench the inferno, illuminating various places on the ground.
If we cannot overcome fate, can't we at least make choices within fate's confines?
Hong Su-ryeong's words echo in my mind.
Chewing over those words, I begin to utilize the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens.
'Yang Su-jin, you called the entire world non-human.'
They say enlightenment comes to those who hear the stone striking the wood and seek it out.
To me, a Dao Companion burned her life and collided her will against mine.
Thanks to her, I was finally able to realize.
Yang Su-jin's Non-Human Theory fundamentally contains a contradiction.
'If every being in the myriad of creation is a slave to fate and the Heart Tribe too only arises due to the Enders, then sure. If even changing fate requires the Ender to have the fate to change their fate, then everything in the world is a slave and non-human. But...'
Step, step, step...
I head towards Thunder Cloud Peak.
Far away, beyond Thunder Cloud Peak, Jeon Myeong-hoon is visible.
Leaving the countless elders and grand elders below him behind, he is flying up to the sky, doing something to the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
Originally, Heavenly Tribulation should have struck down immediately, frying everyone. But Jeon Myeong-hoon, who has grown to the Heavenly Being stage, is doing something.
'If fate is absolute, what are [the weak who cannot fulfill their fate]?'
If fate is perfect and omnipotent.
The fate assigned to every being is an inevitability that 'must occur.'
However, some who are weak do not live out their fate and die before it is fulfilled.
Even I, before seriously beginning cultivation, died on the same day each cycle because my lifespan was predetermined. However, there were many times I died without fulfilling that lifespan.
This is not unique to me.
From what I had learned about fate from the Mad Lord, and from the countless others I had observed,
There were innumerable beings who failed to fulfill their fate.
Of course, these individuals were too weak to even bear their destined fate.
But it was precisely because they were weak that they could make a choice.
Though they couldn't overcome fate,
Like Hong Su-ryeong, who chose to meet death by me before fate caught up to her, achieving what she most desired before dying.
It was possible to choose what they desired within fate.
Fate might be insurmountable.
We might forever be slaves to fate.
But even so, to make choices within it, to 'desire,' is the undeniable 'freedom' of being.
"Not non-human!"
If we go by Yang Su-jin's logic.
Then, wouldn't the Ender be the most dreadful non-human of all?
Are we not constantly being torn apart according to the fate we possess?
That's why even Yang Su-jin, who wanted to deny fate, still sought to change it into something happier.
Everything is predetermined by fate without any freedom, so some say the slaves of fate are non-human.
However, even if there are things determined by fate and it's impossible to change them, to desire something beyond fate, to choose it and dream of it is the freedom granted to beings.
The very existence of [the weak who cannot fulfill their fate] proves it.
Therefore, there are no non-humans in this world!
Hong Su-ryeong ultimately did not reach Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.
However judging from the spirit I saw in her, perhaps if she had gathered a bit more enlightenment and not had not come to meet me, things might have been different.
But out of her own will, she chose to meet with me and duel rather than polishing her realm.
She chose to move from where she was within, rather than advancing forward.
Step
"So, I too will make a choice."
I look up at the sky.
Behind me, the entire area where Hong Su-ryeong and I battled is enveloped by the White Orchid Blessing Incantation.
"Extinguishing Divine ()."
Looking up at the sky, I stretch out my hands.
'I will save my family!'
"Tribulating Heavens ()."
Beyond the area filled with the White Orchid Blessing Incantation, the surroundings begin to spread with the dark Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.
The Yin Soul Ghost Incantation forms a sea of curses, beginning to cover the entire territory of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
In an instant, the area I covered with the White Orchid Blessing Incantation looks like a dot compared to the vast area now covered.
It appears as if Lesser Yang is contained within Taiyin.
Chalalalak!
The black curse spells cover various places of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, turning the standings flags black as if they're Black Ghost Curse Banners.
I seize control of the area with my curses.
[Huaaaaah!]
From afar, Jeon Myeong-hoon is finally unable to hold on and falls from the Heavenly Lightning Banner.
At the same time, the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, who had not fully descended, begins to manifest its existence in this world completely.
Kugugugu!
Now, this place is my altar, a sanctuary of curses.
From now on.
"The ritual begins."
Translator Notes: Very late, but I decided to just change Beyond the Path to Heavens to Entering Heavens Beyond the Path. I was but a foolish mortal who dared to alter and interpret the divine knowledge of the Tremendous Heavens with my ignorant knowledge.
***
I must stop it.
This is the first thing Jeon Myeong-hoon feels when he witnesses [it].
The Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation Method, the voice of lightning, from the bottom of his soul to the tip of his flesh.
Every part which constitutes the existence known as Jeon Myeong-hoon is ringing alarm bells like mad.
'IwilldieIwilldieIwilldieIwilldieIwilldieIwilldieIwilldieifIcan'tstopitIwilldie.'
"Huaaaaaah!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon, quicker than anyone else, dashes towards Jin Byuk-ho to snatch the Heavenly Lightning Banner from his hand, and half out of his senses, infuses it with 'power.'
Qi (), Soul (), Fate ().
Instincts from three planes of existence lead Jeon Myeong-hoon, forcibly engraving into his mind the method to wield the power of the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation, the ultimate authority of the Heavenly Golden Thunder Body.
Almost instinctively, he strengthens the [seal] on the Heavenly Lightning Banner and, using the power of heavenly lightning, stimulates the plane to tear through the dimensional barrier.
The voice of lightning whispers to him.
[That being] cannot fully come here.
It merely revealed its gaze using the Heavenly Lightning Banner as coordinates.
Therefore, if you expel the Heavenly Lightning Banner outside the dimension, [that being] won't be able to come here. That's what it is telling him.
With his eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth, Jeon Myeong-hoon grips the Heavenly Lightning Banner and tears open a dimensional rift, attempting to push it inside.
However, the Heavenly Lightning Banner refuses to go in.
A clear and resonant female voice reaches Jeon Myeong-hoon's ears.
[Ahahahaha...Myeong-hoon-ah, Myeong-hoon-ah. My grateful Myeong-hoon-ah.]
Rustle...
A white-haired woman with slender, jade-like fingers suddenly appears in front of Jeon Myeong-hoon, caressing his cheek.
[I must destroy the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. The master needs to see you. The great God of the Heavenly Punishment needs to grasp the thread of fate left by the Golden Deity and erase his traces. So, my dear Myeong-hoon, stop this.]
"Grghhhhh!"
Seeing the white-haired woman whose face isn't clearly visible, Jeon Myeong-hoon feels something bursting in his mind.
It's a memory.
The memory of hearing this woman's [name] when he entered the Thunder Tribute Hall!
'Why, why haven't I paid attention to this memory all this time?'
Jeon Myeong-hoon himself can't understand.
Certainly, that day.
Hadn't Seo Eun-hyun given him an ominous warning about the Heavenly Lightning Banner?
Even if it isn't true, Jeon Myeong-hoon had almost forgotten everything about that moment except for her [name] up until now.
But at this moment.
Jeon Myeong-hoon can tell by looking at Zhengli.
"Myeong-hoon-ah, what are you doing!"
"Why are you suddenly snatching the Heavenly Lightning Banner!"
"Do you intend to betray the sect like Seo Eun-hyun!"
Seeing the elders of the sect, whose eyes are unusually crazed, suddenly screaming at Jeon Myeong-hoon holding the Heavenly Lightning Banner, he can tell.
The Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation Method, the voice of lightning, is telling him.
All this time.
Everyone from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, including Jeon Myeong-hoon, had been enchanted by this monster.
Jeon Myeong-hoon remembers.
Up until now, the voice of lightning had been of [two kinds].
The somewhat sticky and bewitching voice that taught the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation Method before Seo Eun-hyun's betrayal.
And after Seo Eun-hyun fled with the Heavenly Lightning Banner, a voice much weaker and smaller than the seductive one, but gentle and pure.
Only today does he realize that the owner of the first voice is the entity before him.
"Jeon Myeong-hoon! Do you not hear the words of the Supreme Sect Master!?"
As if he can't see [that being] within [the heavens].
As if he can't see Zhengli, who has clearly revealed herself.
Jin Byuk-ho, with his eyes turned upside down, attacks Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Kwarururung!
Jin Byuk-ho's lightning bolt falls on Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Although the lightning is absorbed immediately, Jeon Myeong-hoon feels his concentration on pushing the Heavenly Lightning Banner into the dimensional rift waver.
"You! Get your hands off the Heavenly Lightning Banner now!"
"Do you wish to be like Seo Eun-hyun, you traitorous wretch!"
"You!!!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon clenches his teeth.
His family is scolding him.
Not of their own volition, but because of this monster before them!
Only the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation Method and the pure voice of lightning are protecting him from Zhengli's clutches.
But.
[Myeong-hoon-ah.]
As Zhengli once again calls Jeon Myeong-hoon's name, he himself feels the strength leaving his arms.
Being called by name by Zhengli, he desires to entrust everything to her.
Desires to devote himself.
Desires to return to her.
"Ah, no..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon clenches his teeth as he looks at [that being] revealed in the sky.
He looked down at Jin So-hae, who is looking up at him.
"They're, my family...!"
[Myeong-hoon-ah.]
As she calls Jeon Myeong-hoon's name once again, he is engulfed in a terrifying sensation.
Deep within his memories.
Suddenly, his childhood comes to mind.
He recalls his kindergarten days.
At that time, Zhengli, who was his kindergarten teacher, whispered while caressing Jeon Myeong-hoon's entire body.
Myeong-hoon-ah, you must listen well to me.
'Ah, no. There was no teacher like you!'
During his elementary school years.
He recalls all his homeroom teachers from first to sixth grade.
All of Jeon Myeong-hoon's homeroom teachers were long white-haired women.
'No, don't talk nonsense!'
In middle school, Jeon Myeong-hoon recalls a girl with white hair who was his classmate.
And his homeroom teacher during middle school was also a white-haired woman for all three years.
'Ah, no...'
During high school.
Jeon Myeong-hoon remembers the hairstyle that was popular among his classmates.
At that time, all the girls came to school with long white hair.
Thinking about it, it seemed like all the female teachers at his school were also white-haired and looked exactly the same.
'Hu, hua...'
During university.
Jeon Myeong-hoon was a loner.
Because everyone at the university except Jeon Myeong-hoon was a white-haired woman.
[Myeong-hoon-ah.]
With delicate fingers, the white-haired woman strokes Jeon Myeong-hoon's cheek and whispers in his ear.
Jeon Myeong-hoon's eyes begin to narrow.
The faces of everyone he knows are turning into white-haired women.
He thinks of his colleagues at SJD Company.
The director and the chief, both white-haired women, liked hiking.
Two white-haired women, who were Jeon Myeong-hoon's entry mates, were both not on good terms with him.
The new recruit was also a white-haired woman.
'Ah, no!'
Jeon Myeong-hoon continues to sift through his memories.
Gradually, he recalls the figures from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
"Stop! Don't enter my head!"
[Myeong-hoon-ah...]
The woman he loves the most.
The face of So-hae...
And finally.
Jeon Myeong-hoon cries tears and screams, giving up on pushing Zhengli into the dimensional rift.
[Huaaahhhhh!]
Screaming out loud, even embedding spiritual energy in his cry, he hurriedly runs to Jin So-hae and looks at her face.
Fortunately, it's Jin So-hae as she should be, not white-haired.
"Jeon Myeong-hoon...? What's wrong?"
"So, So-hae...So-hae..."
And then.
Ziiing!
Suddenly.
Jeon Myeong-hoon feels a change in the 'voice of lightning' that had been advising him.
It's no longer sinister and seductive like Zhengli's voice, but a weak yet clear and pure voice of lightning.
This voice of lightning had always led Jeon Myeong-hoon down the right path.
Although he always felt a sense of rejection towards Zhengli's voice, he had always believed this voice of lightning to be truly the sound of genuine lightning, a voice he relied on deep in his heart.
But the next moment.
Jeon Myeong-hoon doubts his ears.
Return to thee...
The weak but clear and pure voice of lightning suddenly begins repeating a strange sound as if it had lost its mind.
Return...
Return...
Return...
Suddenly, the lightning which was nothing more than a 'phenomenon' seems to have gone mad.
But that is not the end.
"Aaaaaaah!!!"
"Kyaaaaah!"
"Aaaaah!"
"Huaaaaah!"
As [that being] fully descends guided by the Heavenly Lightning Banner, the Elders and Grand Elders of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, who hadn't been aware of [that being] even upon seeing it due to the hypnotism of the Heavenly Lightning Banner, all scream out in unison.
"------!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon also screams out loud, indescribably.
'WhatisthatWhatisthatWhatisthatWhatisthatWhatisthatWhatisthatWhatisthatWhatisthatWhatisthat...'
As that grand being sets its gaze, the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy begins to surge dramatically.
Crack, crackling!
Simultaneously, the elders who absorb the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy start to explode one by one.
Even if their physical bodies explode, their Nascent Souls still remain.
However, none of their Nascent Souls could escape from their spots.
The souls of the exploded Nascent Soul Elders and Heavenly Being Grand Elders are humbly kneeling with their hands clasped in front and heads bowed.
In that somewhat bizarre scene, Jeon Myeong-hoon failed to even realize that the entire Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect had been covered in a dark curse.
Ziiing!
[O, my Lord...]
Far away, Zhengli ascends to the sky.
Through the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique, I barely manage to look up at the sky and clench my teeth.
It's merely one eye, but despite invoking Yang Su-jin's will of Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens, it feels like my mind is about to collapse right now.
Perhaps anyone else who had learned the same Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens would have lost their mind and started chanting to return a long time ago.
'It's just beginning.'
Barely holding onto my crumbling mind, I try to control my shaking body and attempt to begin the ritual.
'Move, body! Please move!'
It's when I am forcibly trying to move my body in a state of panic.
Ziiing!
I hear a tingling sound.
At the same time, I feel a certain [will] being conveyed to me.
This is, this is...!!!
WerenowyouthatwithinitthehasbodybeenoffoundVastIColdwillEssenceeraseofthethetracesGreatofHeavenlythePunishmentGoldenreturnDeitynowfromtothethisThreegreatThousandimmortalWorlds.
(Odd and even words compose two different sentences; explanation in TL notes)
"Huaaaaah!!!"
I feel blood streaming from my seven orifices.
I can hear!
I can hear!
The [will] of the grand being can be heard!
"Re, re, return...re..."
With tears and blood streaming down, I try to clasp my hands together, sobbing uncontrollably.
It's too clear.
In my past life, Jin Byuk-ho heard the jade voice of that being, but hadn't I been unable to hear it?
Why is that?
Of course.
Back then, Jin Byuk-ho was walking the grand path of the Lightning Dao, and I was a wretched person who didn't even know the character for lightning in the Lightning Path Method.
That's right!
Now that I have also learned the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique, a Lightning Path Method, I can listen to that being's jade voice and return to...
'Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens!!!'
Ziiing!
As soon as my thoughts reach 'Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens,' I feel my sanity returning and stop my hands that were involuntarily trying to take a prayer position.
"Ha, haha..."
Cold sweat flows over me.
That person, no, [that being] isn't trying to control me nor harbors any malice.
It merely conveyed a huge [will] to Zhengli, and I, who had learned the Lightning Path Method, happened to overhear that [will].
I don't even understand what the [will] means.
Yet, merely overhearing a [will] with no malice almost destroyed all my resolutions and determination, nearly turning me into a wreck.
'So this, is the gap between me and a Governing Immortal...'
I manage to stand up with my trembling body and continue to look up at the sky.
Plop!
Both of my eyeballs burst.
It doesn't matter.
Quickly regenerating my eyeballs, I prevent them from bursting with the energy of Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens.
I begin the ritual in the darkness.
Wo-woong!
As I activate Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens, the celestial energy begins to change.
Kurung, Kururung...
At the same time, very familiar entities begin to poke their heads out.
Dark clouds.
The ones that always interfered with my cultivation.
During the Qi Refining stage, how much did I despair because of those dark clouds?
Kugugugu!
It's not a typical celestial phenomenon.
The dark clouds summoned by Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens have the exact same feeling as [those] dark clouds caused by Heavenly Rejection during my Qi Refining stage.
They are clouds formed by fate.
Specifically, they are clouds formed by disastrous calamity.
As the gaze of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment is momentarily obscured by the dark clouds, cutting off communication with her master, I feel Zhengli looking towards me as she looks up at the sky.
Calamity gathers and gathers, becoming a power strong enough to twist the fate of the heavens.
This is a ritual that is never auspicious.
Therefore, to safely complete this ritual, a sacrificial offering is needed.
"I offer."
The offering of the ritual is limited to those who possess the power of the 'Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder.'
And being expelled from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect means more than just being chased away from the sect.
Being 'separated' from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect means becoming 'another Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect' oneself.
This is the basis on which I asked Hon Wei to recognize me as another Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
Offering the power of those who possess another form of Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder as the sacrificial offering.
That is the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.
But that means 'oneself' is also included in the range of offerings.
I reverse part of the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique's incantation.
Tsupaah!
Just as the essence of curses and blessings merely depends on the presence or absence of the heart.
Perhaps the difference between devilish arts and cultivation (orthodox) methods is also a matter of how the heart flows.
Contrary to what Yang Su-jin intended, the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique begins to unfold in a completely different form.
Tststststst!
I fuse the power of the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique within my Nascent Soul with the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation using the Sea of Righteousness and Mountain of Grace.
Simultaneously, I reverse the activated Yin Soul Ghost Incantation and the White Orchid Blessing Incantation.
Paaaah!
At the same time, the curses that covered the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect in the form of a massive Taiyin are all reversed into blessings,
And the blessings that held the center of Taiyin in the form of Lesser Yang become the center of Taiyang in the form of Lesser Yin.
Yin and Yang reverse, and at the same time, the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique combined with them also reverses!
Patsutststst!
Accompanied by white orchids blooming everywhere, I reach out my hands towards the sky.
Originally a ritual that sacrifices everything to complete oneself.
But, at this moment, Yang Su-jin's legacy is completely shattered.
A madman who sacrifices himself to protect everything has taken up his will.
Kugugugugu!
The calamity-laden dark clouds in the sky begin to pour down towards me.
"I offer myself as the Sacrificial Offering, o fate. Please!"
Kwaeng, Kwarururung!
From various places within the dark clouds, fierce azure lightning flashes and begins to fall all over the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
"Please divert the fate of destruction!"
Kwarurururung!
Azure lightning strikes from all directions.
The blue lightning, which always sought to kill and obstruct my cultivation, now, at this moment, strikes everyone in the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect without killing them, altering the celestial energy bestowed upon them.
Kugugugugugu!
I feel all the calamity-ridden dark clouds enter me, shedding a bitter cold sweat.
My celestial energy is changing.
Not a mere great misfortune.
I have never seen such an ominous calamity before.
And as the dark clouds enter me, allowing the sky to be visible again,
I am able to meet the gaze of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment.
'Ah...'
I realize.
The Owner of Heavenly Punishment is enraged.
At the same time, Zhengli, who has been looking at me for a while, reaches out her hand towards me.
[Seo Eun-hyun.]
"...!"
[Seo Eun-hyun.]
I watch Zhengli tensely.
[Seo Eun-hyun.]
Zhengli calls my name three times in a row.
Translator Notes: Author did a thing where you read the even and odd words separately to form two phrases. Of course, it looks really bad in English so here's what they mean:
"Were you within the body of Vast Cold, Essence of the Great Heavenly Punishment? Return now to this great immortal."
"Now that it has been found, I will erase the traces of the Golden Deity from the Three Thousand Worlds."
***
I feel as if I have fallen into an ice cave.
Why on earth did she call my name three times in front of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment?
I swallow hard.
"..."
[...]
"..."
[...]
And then, nothing happens.
"...?"
It's when I look at her with curiosity.
She turns her head away from me and once again takes a praying posture towards the sky, facing the Owner of Heavenly Punishment.
And then.
Kwarururung!
Lightning falls from the sky, striking towards Zhengli.
Clank!
Along with that, I feel as though the invisible chains that were binding Zhengli have been broken.
She rises to her feet and exclaims.
[On behalf of my master, I, the Essence of the Great Heavenly Punishment, shall judge the descendants of the Golden Deity...]
Crack...
I grit my teeth.
[Be annihilated.]
Flash!
The sky brightens, and a golden lightning descends.
"...!"
But, it's different than before.
If the golden lightning that struck Thunder Spirit Island before was terrifyingly large and could be seen from far away,
The golden lightning falling now is noticeably smaller in size and feels weaker in energy.
The power of each strand of lightning feels no more powerful than the full-force strike of an Integration stage cultivator!
"Kugh...!"
The light of that power shines brilliantly above Thunder Cloud Peak, boasting of its presence.
Kurung, Kurrurung!
The sky vibrates and gradually begins to boil.
I realized what I have achieved with the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.
By sacrificing myself, I had changed the immediate annihilation of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect by the Great Heavenly Punishment into a much slower destruction, starting with those closest to the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, in order.
"Kugh...!"
Wo-woong!
Dark clouds begin to gather in the sky once again, starting to catch the falling golden lightning.
The golden lighting tries to descend but is caught by the dark clouds and is unable to descend further.
While many strands of golden lighting are caught by the dark clouds, it eventually becomes impossible to hold back its entirety.
And one of them eventually falls towards Thunder Cloud Peak.
"...!"
I grit my teeth.
Kwarururung!
Light envelops all four directions.
Jeon Myeong-hoon fails to understand the situation.
Within the golden light, everyone except him is turning to ash.
"Myeong-hoon..."
Even Jin So-hae, whom he is holding, is the same.
No matter how much he protects her, no matter how much he holds her, Jin So-hae is burning.
Kugugugugu!
Even with the power of the Heavenly Being stage, trying to absorb the Heavenly Tribulation into himself is impossible.
This overwhelming power seems to infinitely pour from the sky, and the speed at which it pierces through Jeon Myeong-hoon's defenses and strikes Jin So-hae is faster than he could absorb it.
"Ah, ah, aaaaah! No! So-hae! So-hae!!!"
"Myeong...hoon..."
"Uh, aaaaah! Don't go! Please! No! So-hae, just hang in there, just a bit longer! It's almost over! Just a bit more. Please, just a bit longer...!"
But that is only Jeon Myeong-hoon's wish.
Jin So-hae slowly turns to ash.
Fading into a pile of ashes, Jin So-hae tells Jeon Myeong-hoon.
"I love you...Please, protect...our family..."
With those words, Jin So-hae disappears from in front of Jeon Myeong-hoon.
She has become a pile of ash.
However, Jeon Myeong-hoon does not die.
The power of the Heavenly Tribulation flows endlessly towards Jeon Myeong-hoon, causing him to grow stronger even though he wishes not to.
As his family dies, Jeon Myeong-hoon alone survives and becomes stronger.
"Ah, aaaaaah..."
In a situation where he feels like he is losing his mind, Jeon Myeong-hoon screams.
"AAAAAH! AAAAAAAAH! UUUUAAAAAAAH!"
As if he had forgotten how to speak, he is in a frenzy.
"UUUAAAAAAAH!!!"
And then, a massive [will] flows into the crazed Jeon Myeong-hoon's mind.
PitifulthisandimmortalyoungwillEnderjoyfullyblamewatchtheovermiracleyouryougrowthhaveyoureceivedshallthismeetimmortalthisshallimmortalbewhenliberatedtheastimethuscomes.
(Decoded in TL notes)
"AAAAAAAH!"
The massive [will], incomprehensible, violently forces its way into Jeon Myeong-hoon's mind.
He screams.
The truly terrifying part is that this [will] is causing the celestial energy to change in real-time, moving,
And resetting fate.
Following the words of this [will] he could not understand, he will be moved to fulfill the fate laid out by the [will].
Being caught in an incomprehensible fate terrifies Jeon Myeong-hoon more than anything.
Soon.
The hellish Heavenly Tribulation ceases.
Wo-woong, Wo-woong...
Jeon Myeong-hoon looks around with a vacant gaze.
The sky still shows strands of golden lightning and the dark clouds binding them.
And, even higher up.
There, the barefoot Zhengli is being drawn towards [that being], letting out an ecstatic exclamation.
Pazijijik!
Zhengli turns into a bolt of lightning and is sucked into the giant [eye].
Blink.
Subsequently, the giant [eye] covering the sky closes.
"..."
The terrifying pressure disappears, but Jeon Myeong-hoon looks around.
It's ash.
Everything has turned to ash.
Jin Byuk-ho, Jin Rin, Jin Jin-chan, Jin Hwi...
And.
Thud...
Jeon Myeong-hoon is startled as something in his hand falls onto the ashes.
It's a [hand].
Jin So-hae's hand, fried to a crisp by the lightning.
"Ah, aaaaah, aaaaaah...!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon starts to scream.
"Huuuaaaaaaah!"
Only the hand of Jin So-hae. which was perfectly, seamlessly covered by Jeon Myeong-hoon's own, remained not turned to ashes but just fried by the electricity.
"Uaaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaaaah!"
Drip, drip...
Tears of blood begin to flow from his eyes.
Jeon Myeong-hoon wails.
"Aah...aaaaaah..."
Weeping tears of blood, Jeon Myeong-hoon hears a whispering around him.
The 'voice of lightning,' which had been calling out in distress until just a moment ago, had returned to normal.
He listens closely.
The voice of lightning is imparting knowledge to him.
Perhaps because he had directly faced [that being] just before, he can easily accept the knowledge conveyed by the voice of lightning.
"...The great..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon holds his head and laughs.
[He] is watching over me!
[That being]!!!
The image of that [eye] does not leave his mind!!!
Jeon Myeong-hoon rolls his eyes, shouting the knowledge the 'voice of lightning' is telling him.
No, it's closer to being engulfed in madness, screaming in agony.
"The great God of Heavenly Punishment resides in the distant Heavenly Domain. They sit upon a throne at the center of the universe, secluded by light. They are waiting for me. They call me. They beckon me. They...to me...They...!"
Kwaang!
After a moment of frenzy, Jeon Myeong-hoon suddenly begins to pound the ground with his fists.
Kwang, Kwang, Kwang!
With the force of a Heavenly Being stage cultivator infusing spiritual energy into his strikes, the ground rumbles, and Thunder Cloud Peak begins to crumble.
Kugugugugu!
Jeon Myeong-hoon, along with Thunder Cloud Peak, crashes to the ground.
"...They, They, They, They, They took...my...my family...everything!"
He rages at the sky, howling in agony.
"That bastard, took my everything...my all...! Ah, uuuuaaaaaaah!"
And then it happens.
The eyes of Jeon Myeong-hoon, which had been filled with madness, are now filled with rage. All madness disappears from his gaze.
Simultaneously, Jeon Myeong-hoon realizes that [the eye] remaining in his mind has vanished.
"Ah...I see."
Grinding his teeth, Jeon Myeong-hoon stands up, his eyes rolled back.
"This is...my fate..."
Drip, drip...
With tears mixed with blood, Jeon Myeong-hoon, speaks while crying with a trembling voice.
"This rage...I must quench it..."
Realizing his fate and having removed the influence of 'the gaze,' Jeon Myeong-hoon grits his teeth and says,
"Everything...everything in my way...even if I have to kill..."
Clench...
"I will have my revenge...!!!"
Picking up the fried left hand of Jin So-hae, Jeon Myeong-hoon cries out for revenge.
Then, a familiar voice comes from behind him.
"Revenge is not what you should be seeking now."
"...!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon turns around.
It's Seo Eun-hyun.
With a bitter expression, I approach Jeon Myeong-hoon, who is crying bloody tears with a crazed expression.
"You..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon, looking at me for a moment, begins to emit red lightning.
"You...!!!"
I calmly look at him and say,
"Calm down. I have something to tell you."
"If you, if you, if you just spoke properly..."
"Fury has made you incoherent."
Nothing can be done in his current state.
In an instant, I approach him and grasp his head tightly.
'Because I limited the Heavenly Tribulation with the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique, the amplification rate of the Heavenly Tribulation's power was not high.'
At best, he is slightly stronger than in his past life.
"Now, come to your senses, Jeon Myeong-hoon."
I breathe a dense curse into his head.
The curse I imbue him with is the pain replicated from the sensation of 60,000 times that even Seo Hweol couldn't bear, forcing him to disintegrate his consciousness.
Such immense pain tears through his mind.
"!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon flays senselessly, unable to even grasp his thoughts.
But I do not stop.
Until his intent turns from red to pure 'pain', symbolizing his agony.
Until he is so overwhelmed by pain that he forgets even his rage, I pour the curse into his mind.
After a while.
Finally, Jeon Myeong-hoon's mind goes blank from the pain, and he reaches a point where he even forgets his rage.
"Reversal."
Tstsstsst!
I reverse all the curses I had imbued into him with the White Orchid Blessing Incantation, nurturing Jeon Myeong-hoon's spirit.
Soon.
"...Are you coming to your senses?"
I ask, looking at Jeon Myeong-hoon as clarity returns to his eyes.
"...Uh..."
And as his consciousness returns, so does his memories.
Slowly, rage begins to fill his eyes again.
Before he could be consumed by rage again, I bring up an important fact.
"Listen well, Jeon Myeong-hoon. Due to the recent Heavenly Tribulation, more than 60,000 disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect perished. Not just at Thunder Cloud Peak but also in other places where I couldn't stop the lightning tribulation from falling. But you see..."
My words make Jeon Myeong-hoon's face stiffen.
"Several Core Formation disciples and Qi Building disciples...and the absolute majority of Qi Refining disciples, the vast majority survived!!!"
"...What?"
Strangely, the Heavenly Tribulation struck more heavily upon those with higher cultivations.
Thus, despite using the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique, the main force of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, so to speak, had mostly died.
However, those not considered the main force,
Those whom even the Heavenly Tribulation seemed to show little interest in.
The Qi Refining disciples, or those who were not inside Thunder Spirit Island at that point, have not yet died.
Of course, they have not died "yet".
I read the celestial energy.
'20 years...All disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect are fated to die within the next 20 years due to the Heavenly Tribulation.'
But it isn't like my past life.
In my past life, even though it was said to be 20 years, they all perished within a few months due to the Heavenly Tribulation.
But this time is different.
Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens had succeeded in delaying the celestial energy!
'There's at least a year or two's worth of' time.'
Kururung...
I see the golden lightning and the dark clouds binding them gradually become transparent and then disappear.
It's a phenomenon visible as the situation shifts from the plane of Qi to the plane of Fate.
The golden lightning I had captured will continue to cry out to kill the remaining disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect in the plane of Fate.
But, I had taken all the calamities of Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens upon myself.
"Listen, Jeon Myeong-hoon. I understand how you feel about losing your loved ones. No, actually, I might not be able to understand since I can't presumptuously speak about your heart. But, Jeon Myeong-hoon."
I look at him and say,
"I too lost my Dao Companion, Hong Su-ryeong. Yet, there are things that still must be done."
"..."
"From now on, we will take the disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and flee from the Heavenly Tribulation."
"...What do you mean?"
"It is just as I have said. We will go to a place where the Heavenly Tribulation cannot follow."
"A place where the Heavenly Tribulation cannot follow?"
I recall Zhengli's words.
A treacherous world where even a distinguished being who threatened the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, a world where even their friend, had died.
"There exists a place where even the Owner of Heavenly Punishment cannot follow."
The Head Realm.
"From now on, we'll gather the surviving members of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and descend to the Head Realm!"
A dreamlike world where the boundaries of everything are hazy and countless lights traverse.
In a certain area of that world,
A white-haired woman with bare, white feet kneels before a massive wall.
The wall is an endless barrier made entirely of thunder and lightning.
It is so vast it might as well have been considered a sea of standing thunder and lightning.
The white-haired woman, Zhengli, speaks to the wall.
[I was able to know its name because it revealed its name to me.]
.
Something metaphysical is conveyed to her.
Zhengli accepts this will and continues,
[However, as the Lord has seen, it did not respond to my voice, even though I am backed by the authority of the Lord. Despite calling it three times, there was no response. Being by its side, I observed and realized one thing.]
Zhengli lets her white hair cascade onto the hazy ground.
[Its name is shrouded in death. It is already a dead being. A deceased walking in the realm of the living. Calling the name of a living to a dead being is bound to fail. Its name is likely already owned by the Heavenly Venerable of the Netherworld.]
!
The wall of lightning flickers momentarily.
[Yes, perhaps the God of the Netherworld intends to act through it. Maybe it is even a candidate for his immortal treasure.]
...
[The Ender? What is that?]
.
[I have overstepped my bounds. Nonetheless, it was indeed a chilling being. It was extremely unpleasant and terrifying, so much so that I would have destroyed it immediately after regaining my power. However, after considering the Heavenly Venerable of the Netherworld, if by any chance it is their pawn, then I thought it best not to interfere rashly.]
.
[Thank you. That is why I pleaded not to attack it rashly. And...now that I have returned, the Lord can be at ease. Even if the God of the Netherworld seeks to take control of the world again, with my return, the Lord will be able to extend their power outside the prison again.]
.
[Ah, Lord. I am grateful...]
Having finished speaking, Zhengli, with an ecstatic expression, stretches her arms towards the wall of thunder and lightning and approaches it.
Swoosh!
Shortly after, the wall moves, engulfing her as if it is alive.
For a moment, the wall of lightning writhes.
Translator Notes: Decoded message is:
"Pitiful and young Ender, blame the miracle you have received. This immortal shall be liberated as thus."
"This immortal will joyfully watch over your growth. You shall meet this immortal when the time comes."
***
"...Is that true, Seo Eun-hyun?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon asks me.
I nod.
I roughly explain to Jeon Myeong-hoon the whole story of what had happened up to now.
Jeon Myeong-hoon seems to be quite fine even after directly facing the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, which is why I could tell him the truth.
Fortunately, he doesn't melt away or die, and he doesn't go mad even after talking about the Owner of Heavenly Punishment.
'Earlier, this guy... muttered something about knowing his fate.'
It seems to be related to that.
"...That's the reason I've been trying to steal the Heavenly Lightning Banner up till now."
"...Is that so."
"...Yes. It's difficult to say how I knew about these pieces of information beforehand. But just like you were born with the Heavenly Golden Thunder Body, I also possess something similar."
"..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon has a dazed look in his eyes for a long while.
And then, he bursts out laughing in resignation.
"Ha, haha... I see. I understand, Seo Eun-hyun."
He screams as if howling, holding his face in his hands.
"We were, fools, weren't we? If I had listened to you... Ha, haha... Damn it. Hahaha! Aaaaaah!"
"..."
I stand up with a complicated expression.
"...It can't be helped. The important thing now is not that. If you've grasped the situation, get up."
"Alright."
Jeon Myeong-hoon, drowning in despair and gloom, stands up without falling into madness.
He rises above the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and shouts.
[All survivors, come to this place!]
Kugugugu!
Seeing the lightning energy released by Jeon Myeong-hoon, numerous lower lighting disciples begin to gather after a while.
[Hear me, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect has been annihilated by a being beyond True Immortals!]
Murmurs
[And you must have all read the celestial energy, but your lifespans have been reduced to around 20 years, haven't they?]
"That is so!"
All disciples answer in unison.
[That fact is wrong! Not 20 years, but all of you will face Heavenly Tribulation within at most 3 years!]
Murmurs
"Then, Grand Elder, what should we do? We have never faced the Heavenly Tribulation before! And we understand that each one of them is beyond our capability to handle!"
[That's right. Therefore, in the current situation where the Supreme Sect Master and all elders of the sect have disappeared, I, Grand Elder Jin Myeong-hoon, command!]
Kuoong!
As he stomps his foot, lightning gathers behind Jeon Myeong-hoon.
A tremendously large palace made of lightning appears behind him.
It is one of the techniques of the Extinguishing Lightning Inner Heavenly Temple, and the ability of the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation Method that Jeon Myeong-hoon had learned.
[Most of you have experienced hardships when ascending from the Head Realm to the Bright Cold Realm, right?]
"That's correct!"
[Just like that time, you will enter this palace, deploy formations, and I will protect you as we descend back to the Head Realm!]
With those words, the crowd stirs once again.
"Grand Elder, then does that mean we have to leave the rich resources of the Bright Cold Realm and return back to the Head Realm?"
[Yes. Can't you see? Your lifespans are running short!]
"But, even if we return to the Head Realm, there's no guarantee that we'll definitely live, is there?"
[If you stay here, you will 'definitely' die. But if you return to the Head Realm, you at least have a slim chance to live! What will you do!]
Faced with Jeon Myeong-hoon's fierce question, the lower lightning disciples, with faces stricken with fear, nod at each other and then say,
"We, we will go to the Head Realm!"
[Good, you've made the right choice. Everyone, enter! Form the formation like you did during the ascension! For those who did not experience the ascent or who joined the sect relatively recently, learn from the other disciples!]
Under his clear and concise command, all disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect enter the palace made of lightning summoned by him.
Jeon Myeong-hoon gathers the remaining remnants of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
And he reaches out towards the lighting palace.
Kugugugu!
The palace of lightning compresses and fits perfectly into the size of Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand.
As he flutters his sleeve, the palace enters within.
While he was organizing the disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, I went to the Sealing Spirit Hall where I had been sealed.
Next to my sealing stone was the sealing stone of Hong Fan.
For now, I took the sealed orb in which Hong Fan resides.
It will take time to release his seal, but there's no time for that now.
"Jeon Myeong-hoon, by the way, there are disciples currently assigned to missions outside of Thunder Spirit Island. What about them?"
"I know. I will bring all of them too. However..."
He speaks with a grim expression.
"Some sent on missions to the Nether Ghost Realm by the Supreme Sect Master cannot be brought back now."
"I understand."
"But."
He says.
"We can resonate with the few sent to the True Devil Realm with their Lightning Path Method. They mightbe able to come with us!"
"...!"
"Let's go!"
"Understood."
I move along with Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Paaat!
We use the Flying Escape Technique and head outside Thunder Spirit Island to bring back the disciples on missions in foreign lands.
Occasionally, there were disciples who recognized me and tried to flee in horror.
Since there wasn't enough time to explain individually, I simply caught them and inserted the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner to restrain them and brought them back.
Thus, all disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect dispatched to various places of the Human Race Grand Alliance's Cloud Island Archipelago were successfully retrieved.
Fortunately, the further a place was from where the Owner of Heavenly Punishment appeared, the more time was left until the Heavenly Tribulation would fall, so we could be much more relieved about the disciples who were outside.
"So, Jeon Myeong-hoon, how many disciples are left now?"
"Thirteen disciples dispatched to the True Devil Realm. And including one more, fourteen remain."
"What do you mean by one more?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon says as if it's obvious.
"Disciple Yeon Jin of Blue Lightning. Isn't he in the True Devil Realm?"
"That guy is"
"A traitor to the sect?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon shakes his head.
"His ancestor was indeed a traitor, but the descendant himself is undeniably a disciple of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect! Thus, we will save Yeon Jin as well and bring him with us!"
"Alright."
I nod, acknowledging Jeon Myeong-hoon's determination.
Paaat!
He and I fly towards the True Devil Realm.
And just when we are flying towards the True Devil Realm.
Kurung, Kururung!
Flash!
Dark clouds seem to swirl in the sky, and suddenly, a massive golden bolt of lightning falls towards me.
"...!"
Kwarurung!!
I hastily use Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains to block the golden lightning, but immense pain engulfs my entire body, and I truly feel the brink of death.
"What was that just now?"
"...".
"Seo Eun-hyun?"
I silently glare at the sky.
'It has begun.'
As a result of slightly twisting fate with the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.
The price paid is countless ominous calamities.
Kugugugu!
The pressure bearing down on my entire body intensifies.
The calamities of the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique come in the following manner:
The distortions in fate altered by the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique all come back in the form of calamities.
And to endure these calamities, a sacrificial offering is needed.
But now, the sacrificial offering is myself.
Therefore, I also have to receive the twists in fate altered by the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.
Then, how do the calamities for twisting Heavenly Tribulation come?
Naturally, the calamities for twisting the Heavenly Tribulation come as Heavenly Tribulations.
In other words.
It's as if I've concentrated all the Heavenly Tribulations that would pour over the entire Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect onto myself.
"Seo Eun-hyun, I asked what happened."
At Jeon Myeong-hoon's growl, I explain the situation to him.
Hearing that, Jeon Myeong-hoon asks,
"Is it possible to connect that Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique to me?"
"What?"
"I mean, can I also register as the sacrificial offering?"
"Hmm"
"I don't care about Heavenly Tribulations. It's over if I transform all of them into spiritual power."
"It's possible. However, it'll take some time."
"Then that's settled. Let's first think about going to the Head Realm."
"Right."
We continue to fly towards the True Devil Realm.
Jeon Myeong-hoon and I are ready to quickly knock down the Four-Axis stage guardians blocking the entrance to the True Devil Realm and enter.
"Then let's go quickly."
"Wait. Hold on, Jeon Myeong-hoon."
"Hmm?"
I resonate with the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon on the spot and connect with Kim Yeon.
Over the past few years,
When I was being pursued by the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, I connected with Kim Yeon and adjusted the direction of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress through her.
Through her, I launched an attack on the Earth Tribe's True Dragon Alliance, and thanks to that, Gyu-ryeon is also still alive.
I ask Kim Yeon for one more thing.
[Can you do this for me?]
[Yes, Eun-hyun Oppa. Of course. I've been waiting for Eun-hyun Oppa to talk to me for the past 8 years, really I'm really happy.]
[I'm sorry, Yeon-ah. Maybe I might not be able to contact you for a few more years.]
[Is that so.]
She looks sad.
[It can't be helped. But you'll definitely come back, right?]
[Yes.]
[Then it's okay. I'll spend my time practicing the Paired Wing Dance. Anyway, I've just reached Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, thanks to the method Eun-hyun Oppa taught me. Since there are quite a lot of similarities between the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon and the method of reaching Five Energies Converging to the Origin from Three Flowers Gather at the Summit I should be able to reach it without much problem if I invest time.]
I accelerate my consciousness and briefly chat with her.
I want to talk much longer.
Because there is so much we hadn't talked about for 8 years.
But, as sorry as I am for her, we don't have much time left.
[Then, Yeon-ah. Let's meet again later.]
[Yes, Oppa!]
Tsutsutsut!
I wake up from the dream and look at Jeon Myeong-hoon.
"It's done. Now let's go."
"Alright."
As we speak and look up at the sky, Heavenly Tribulation is about to pour down on me again.
'If I cannot withstand the Heavenly Tribulation and die, the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique will be undone, and those who avoided their fate will immediately face the Heavenly Tribulation.'
I decide to endure as long as possible and face the Heavenly Tribulation that strikes this time.
Kururung!
"Is it over?"
"Yes."
"Let's go."
We charge straight for the dimensional gate of the True Devil Realm.
Fortunately, we were soon able to quickly find the 13 disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
Most of them were on missions near the first and second occupied territories of the Human Race, which made them easy to find.
Now, the only one left is Yeon Jin.
'How do we find Yeon Jin...'
I should have perhaps left a Mysterious Bizarre Gu on him.
It's then that Jeon Myeong-hoon looks in a certain direction and says,
"Yeon Jin is in that direction."
"Hmm? What?"
"Just go straight in that direction."
"Huh Is that your ability?"
"Well, the lightning... No, never mind. You wouldn't understand even if I explained."
Jeon Myeong-hoon tries to explain further but then shakes his head and stops.
Before we leave the Human Race's occupied territory to find Yeon Jin,
We build a small shrine for the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect within the Human Race's occupied territory and pay our respects to our numerous ancestors.
I also bow to my teacher, Jin Hwi, and Jeon Myeong-hoon does the same.
Paaaat!
After paying our respects, we immediately leave the occupied territory.
The dense devilish energy of the True Devil Realm welcomes us, and Jeon Myeong-hoon flies recklessly towards the place where Yeon Jin is said to be, with me following behind him.
It seems that the voice of lightning continues to guide him.
I look up at the sky once again.
'The Heavenly Tribulations are becoming more severe.'
Until just a while ago, it felt like a strike from a late Four-Axis cultivator, but now the power of the Heavenly Tribulation is gradually approaching the Grand Perfection of the Four-Axis stage.
'We need to descend to the Head Realm quickly. Otherwise I might die, and the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique will be undone.'
Once we find Yeon Jin, there will be no time left to delay.
'Straight away, we'll descend to the lower realm through the Void Spirit Pond!'
Today is the day to use the prepared Void Spirit Pond, Longevity Formation, and Yuan Yu.
-x-X-x-