Focusing my emotions, I imbue my sword with heart essence.
Within Dao Mountain Sword Forest,
There, only one sword is shining.
That sword is full of nicks and chipped edges.
Reflected on the blade is a novice swordsman clad in white.
Beyond the transparent blade, a crude Three Great Ultimates is visible.
This technique is still incomplete, and it was not used because it has the drawback of exploding midway when unleashed.
However, right now, I decide it is time to use this unnamed martial move.
This treasure hunt that involves hostages between us is already meaningless.
The thirty-first move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship begins with the very first technique, Transcending Peaks.
Similar to the thirtieth move, Deep Mountain, Emerging Dao, there are three steps (式) at the start to transition between planes.
Starting with the horizontal slash Transcending Peaks, I move the sword from a lower plane to a higher plane.
Then, with a downward slash, I unfold Deep Mountain, Emerging Dao as the second step.
Immediately following with a thrust, I launch a Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion single strike at the Plane of Soul to complete the third step.
Thus, unifying all planes my sword reaches through these three steps marks the beginning of the thirty-first move.
The Immortal Cultivation of the Heaven Tribe is a method of rising to the Plane of Fate.
The Immortal Cultivation of the Earth Tribe is a method of rising in the Plane of Qi.
The realm of the Heart Tribe roams freely at the Plane of Soul.
I encapsulate the path of Immortal Cultivation I have traversed thus far in my Sword Path.
Through the first, second, and third steps, all moves of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship are connected and interconnected.
The first step rises from a lower plane to a higher plane through the Heaven Tribe method, mimicking the stages of Qi Gathering, Qi Refining, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Heavenly Being, and Four-Axis.
The second step strikes from a higher plane to a lower plane through the Earth Tribe method, causing explosions and imitating the realm of the Earth Tribe.
The third step was just martial arts up until now.
Following the first, second, and third steps of horizontal slashing, vertical slashing, and thrusting, I consecutively unfold the twenty-second move Severing Mountain three times in a row, pressing forward with 66 martial techniques.
And then, I activate the combination technique of the 66 moves again.
After unleashing the combination technique, within the first, second, and third steps, I fuse all my cultivation techniques, demon abilities, and puppet circuits.
This is the still incomplete thirty-first move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Chuaaaaaa—
Sword and swords connect infinitely, exhaling a hazy mist.
I engrave my history into my Sword Path, revealing the effect of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
Each droplet of mist is a Gang Sphere that has reached the zenith.
Qi is being consumed enormously, causing my avatar to flicker as if it's about to vanish.
However, the mist begins to rotate in the form of the Three Great Ultimates.
Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is drawn in.
Jin Ma-yeol's eyes waver.
The Three Great Ultimates rotate.
The hazy mist swirls ferociously.
Kugugugugugu!
Just from the aftereffects, Yuk Rin's treasure mountain is split apart, and Yuk Rin's husk turns to dust and vanishes.
The finale of the thirty-first move is to unite the Three Great Ultimates into one and manifest a strike that would cleave Heaven and Earth, causing the phenomenon of Split Sky.
The Three Great Ultimates unite.
The hazy mist is dyed pure white.
The next moment.
Kwagwagwagwang!
As if alive, my technique twists and explodes.
Unable to control the explosive force, I am hurled backward along with it.
But at the last moment, I concentrate the explosive force on Jin Ma-yeol's right hand.
And,
Kwaching—
Finally, the Reforming Calendar Sword held in his hand is flung away.
Tssssss—
My avatar becomes faint as if it's about to vanish.
Did Yuk Rin's shed skin serve a role as the axis of the illusion formation?
As the husk turns to dust, the illusion formation trembles and collapses.
The scenery of the otherworld that overlapped with this space until moments ago disappears, and the thin Qi returns to its original state.
However, the clash just now is clearly a loss to me.
Had I focused the explosion more onto Jin Ma-yeol's body, I could have entirely grinded away his upper body, but seeing his gaze at the last moments, I deliberately took some of the explosive force onto myself.
Chiiiiiiiiiii—
Drawing in Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, he regenerates the wounds all over his body.
In contrast, my body is fading, unable to withstand the aftermath of the explosive force.
Though I would slowly recover as the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is returning, at this rate, I will lose to Jin Ma-yeol.
Yet, instead of seizing this excellent opportunity to attack, Jin Ma-yeol bites his lip and stares at me.
"...What was that just now?"
"I haven't decided on a name yet."
"I'm not asking about the name...! How, how did you combine cultivation realm and Fighting Dance...!?"
His eyes are trembling violently as if shaking like an aspen tree.
"How did you do it? Tell me!"
Kugugugugu!
As he roars, I can feel the entire Deep Sea Island shaking beyond Yuk Rin's treasure vault.
I look at Jin Ma-yeol and smile.
"You can do it too."
"What kind of nonsense..."
"What is that in your hand?"
"What?"
"What have you been wielding all this time?"
At my shout, Jin Ma-yeol is dumbfounded and then shivers.
I ask as I raise my energy-drained body.
"What is the name of what you are unfolding?"
"...Second Stage Fighting Steps of Fighting Dance..."
"I asked what is the name of what you are unfolding!!!!!"
Clearly, Jin Ma-yeol has the advantage in energy.
He also has the advantage in stamina.
If he and I were to clash now, he would easily eliminate my avatar and seize all the treasures here.
However, Jin Ma-yeol avoids my gaze and lowers his eyes instead as if wanting to hide in a mouse hole at my shout.
"...I don't know."
"Raise your sword."
He briefly glances at the Reforming Calendar Sword that had been flung from his hand, clenches his lips, and transforms his hand into the grotesque sword.
"I will ask again. What is it you hold in your hand?"
"..."
He lowers his head.
The intent of shame reveals itself within his heart.
The Fighting Ghost Race becomes aroused through combat.
Thus, they elevate their realm and grow faster than anyone else through combat, becoming the most excellent warriors compared to any other race.
They clash with other races, emulating their physiques, and indulge endlessly in ecstasy and frenzy, fighting until they die.
That is the Fighting Ghost (鬪鬼).
Jin Ma-yeol, born as a Fighting Ghost Race, has lived that way until now.
Through the traditional ritual of the Fighting Ghost Race known as Fighting Dance, he entered the First Stage of Fighting Steps. A few hundred years ago, he fought with someone from the Conqueror King's forces called the 'Surpassing Radiant Divine Demon' who appeared in the Ancient Force Realm, gaining inspiration to enter the Second Stage of Fighting Steps.
Reaching the Second Stage of Fighting Steps, something only those with extraordinary talent among the royal family of the Fighting Ghost Race might achieve, Jin Ma-yeol's confidence soared to its peak.
Now, he is superior to any other of the Fighting Ghost Race!
If he only lives long enough, he is confident he can surpass the Third Stage of Fighting Steps and reach the Fourth Stage of Fighting Steps, which is said to have been reached by the creator of the Fighting Dance.
He felt like the world was in his grasp.
He already seemed to see the ultimate limits of Fighting Dance flickering before his eyes.
His life has never stopped once.
Although minor obstacles have blocked his path, he believed he could overcome them as he always had.
But.
"...I don't know."
Jin Ma-yeol lowers his eyes before a human swordsman he has always looked down upon.
His entire body is trembling.
The beautiful sword dance he has just witnessed still flickers before his eyes.
It's often said that when one's realm is too low, they cannot recognize the moves of those at a higher realm.
However, Jin Ma-yeol's realm is at the Second Stage of Fighting Steps.
Regardless of anything, he possesses a sufficient level of insight, and since he isn't at too low a realm, Jin Ma-yeol can comprehend some of the enlightenment imbued in that sword dance.
It's immature.
There seem to be many areas that need improvement, and it's evident that the man before him can't control his Sword Path.
The fact that the sword techniques exploded due to lack of control over the Sword Path is laughable, something even a passing carp would find amusing.
Yet, Jin Ma-yeol can't laugh.
Because the moment he saw that sword, he realized that the Fighting Dance he has learned is even more worthless.
The swordsmanship that began with three movements was elegant.
It was the murmuring of countless crowds,
A miserable attempt to integrate Heaven, Earth, and Heart.
At the same time, it was the immaturity of a novice swordsman and a trash-like waste.
However, the murmuring within the sword constantly discussed the direction the sword should advance.
The misery continually pushed the sword to develop.
The immaturity, through comprehension, refined the trash-like Sword Path.
A sword containing infinite possibilities.
That was the sword displayed by the man before his eyes.
And when that man, who showcased that beautiful potential, asked a question Jin Ma-yeol had never contemplated before,
Jin Ma-yeol felt an indescribable shame.
It's humiliating.
Just why is it, exactly?
The Fighting Ghost Race only learns the Fighting Dance, but they don't bother assigning names to it.
To them, the Fighting Dance is merely one of the many ways to enjoy copulation.
Everyone thinks so, and thus Jin Ma-yeol never considered naming the Fighting Dance as well.
Because it's common sense.
But now, what stands before his eyes is a sword reaching a realm that can never be touched by mere common sense.
To speak of common sense in front of that sword is an act that would make Jin Ma-yeol himself trash.
'Am I trash...?'
The Grand Cultivator of the Fighting Ghost Race, Jin Ma-yeol, who has always been overflowing with confidence, falls into despair for the first time in his life and trembles all over.
In front of that sword, he seems so small.
He wants to cry.
Holding a sword has always been joyous, but not this time.
He wants to hide somewhere, anywhere.
But he can't hide.
"I will ask again. What is it you hold in your hand?"
That person is asking!
He must answer that question.
Because he knows that if he doesn't, he will remain trash forever.
An instant as long as eternity passes.
Jin Ma-yeol hesitates, choosing and re-choosing his words.
And finally, feeling as though he will vomit inside his shameful emotions, he speaks the 'name' of what is in his hand.
"...Lust (欲情)."
Yes.
What he has been wielding, or rather,
What 99.9% of the Fighting Ghost Race wield is that.
"No...instinct (本能). Yes, this is instinct."
To Jin Ma-yeol's answer, the man before him nods.
"Yes, that's correct."
"..."
Although he expected it, hearing a direct confirmation makes Jin Ma-yeol feel a wave of nausea.
It feels as if the Fighting Dance he has practiced, the entire history of the Fighting Ghost Race, is being utterly denied.
He has always believed their Fighting Dance to be superior.
But it is not.
Their Fighting Dance is merely an extension of the Fighting Ghost Race's instincts.
He looks at his sword with a dazed expression and asks.
"...If so, is Fighting Dance wrong?"
And that person replies.
"It might be."
"Then...!"
"Or it might not be."
At his words, Jin Ma-yeol's pupils constrict.
"If you know what you've been wielding all this time, then think about how you will wield it from now on."
"...!"
Is it because he is in a higher realm and can clearly read Jin Ma-yeol's heart essence?
Or is it simply because his sword is so lacking that it's obvious how he should be advised.
Jin Ma-yeol grits his teeth at his advice.
And he raises his grotesque sword.
"...I will swing it once."
The man nods.
The next moment, the two martial artists clash.
Jin Ma-yeol, with the energy of the Integration stage, and the Heart Tribe, at the level of the Fourth Stage of Fighting Steps, collide.
But there is no explosion.
There is no shockwave.
Only Jin Ma-yeol's grotesque sword is cleanly cut.
No, it isn't just his sword that is cut.
His upper body and domain are entirely sliced away.
Until just a moment ago, when he fought with the Reforming Calendar Sword, they seemed to match quite evenly.
Their levels seemed similar.
At least, that's what Jin Ma-yeol thought.
Thud!
Jin Ma-yeol collapses, defeated in a single strike, slumping down on the mountain of ancient stone
It's a bitter defeat.
However, a peaceful smile, one he has never worn even when 'mating,' is now on his face.
"...Thank you."
He has lost.
The Salt Crystal Palace he originally aimed for, the treasures of Yuk Rin's treasure vault, and the once-in-a-lifetime divine sword, the Reforming Calendar Sword, will all fall into Seo Eun-hyun's hands.
But it doesn't matter.
The next realm is in sight.
The Third Stage of Fighting Steps, which no one in the Fighting Ghost Race has reached for tens of thousands of years, seems fleetingly within his grasp.
He is satisfied with that.
'The next...realm...is before my eyes...'
His vision blurs.
His consciousness scatters.
His body grows cold.
It's a little different from the conclusion Jin Ma-yeol had envisioned, but he smiles.
Having exhausted all his resurrections and failed to fully obtain Purple Soul Filling the Heavens, the Unaging and Undying he aimed for is out of reach, but it doesn't matter.
The Soul (魂) of Fighting Dance.
Because he discovered the joy of what Seo Eun-hyun calls Martial Arts.
Thus, the Grand Cultivator of the Fighting Ghost Race and captain of the Fighting Demon Pirate Gang,
Jin Ma-yeol died.
He was an unpleasant guy from the first meeting.
Originally, when I unleashed the thirty-first move, I intended to completely crush him with explosive force.
But at the last moment, his eyes changed from those of a beast to those of a martial artist.
As a fellow martial artist, I decided to take on his strength and give him a chance.
And although Jin Ma-yeol charged like a beast, he died as a martial artist.
After looking at Jin Ma-yeol's corpse for a moment, I swing the All-Heavens Sword.
Kugugugugu!
The mountain of ancient stone and treasures above him collapses.
Buried under golden treasures, the martial artist Jin Ma-yeol completely disappeared from the world.
-x-X-x-
Step, step...
I slowly walk toward the palace and touch one of its pillars.
Unlike what I have seen before, one of the pillars of the palace is missing.
'It seems Yuk Rin used it when cultivating the Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade.'
The fact that such precious Salt Crystal is required to this extent for the progress of Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade is honestly ridiculous cost-performance wise.
While its power seems exceptional, seeing the issues it caused in Yuk Rin's mind makes me less inclined to desire it, even if its power is outstanding.
Whether the mental illness was triggered by the Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade or due to external intervention, it doesn't matter.
In any case, it means the Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade offers no assistance in comprehending one's heart, unlike the Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique or its variations.
I enter the interior of the palace.
The structure is exactly the same as when I entered from Penglai Kingdom before.
However, the palace in Penglai Country was filled with specialties of its country, decorations, and artifacts obtained from there, while the current palace is desolate with only a few documents seemingly written by Yuk Rin lying around.
I head to the library where I saw the Ritual Worship Scripture of Love of Virtue, but it's empty.
It's as if everything I saw in Penglai Nation was an illusion.
After looking at the palace for a while, I am able to figure something out.
'This palace...it's connected to Penglai Island's Salt Mountain and attraction force.'
It's a fact I can recognize, having communed with Salt Mountain with my main body for over eighty years.
The attraction force is so weak that it's hard to discern this fact.
'And if it's connected to the Salt Mountain...'
I sit cross-legged, close my eyes at the center of the palace where the throne of Penglai Kingdom's queen used to be, and recite the formula of the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique.
Wo-woong!
The Salt Crystal Palace glows white.
And at some moment.
Wooooo-woong!
The Salt Crystal Palace appears to shine dazzlingly white and incandescently, and I feel my mind being pulled somewhere.
And in the next moment.
Chatter, chatter, chatter.
I slowly open my eyes.
"...This place..."
The surroundings are noisy.
I am sure I was definitely alone inside the palace.
Before I know it, numerous high and low-ranking officials before the throne in the royal court are looking at me with bewildered expressions, and their piercing gazes are stabbing.
"You crazy King of Demon Spirits! What are you doing! Get down at once!"
"This, this, this insolent one!!!"
They are all clamoring at me in unison.
My senses are dizzy at first so I can't understand what they are saying, but I soon grasp the meaning of their words.
Squirm, squirm...
Something is squirming beneath me.
I quickly stand up and look at the throne.
On the throne sits the Queen of Penglai Kingdom, glaring at me with a slightly flushed face.
"...For two people to suddenly appear and sit on me, I almost suffocated to death. Why have you appeared again unexpectedly!? What do you want now?"
"Um, please wait a moment."
I feel a headache coming on.
The headache soon intensifies, and abruptly the illusion in front of my eyes blurs, and I find myself back in the empty palace.
"...I see."
Just a moment ago, I was startled and temporarily stopped reciting the mantra of the revered Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique.
'Reciting the mantra of the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique crosses me into that world, and when I stop, I return. Is that it?'
It seems to be a peculiar situation caused by the separation between the Salt Crystal Palace and the Salt Mountain of Penglai Island.
I smile at the amusing situation and step outside the palace.
Just then.
Zing!
"...!"
I suddenly feel an intense headache coming on.
"Kugh...what is this?"
It isn't a pain just affecting my Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion avatar, but even my main body on Penglai Island is in agony.
I shift my main consciousness to my main body to find out what is happening.
And then, I immediately understand the situation.
"...Three days?"
Coming to my senses above the Salt Mountain, I am so dumbfounded I open my mouth blankly.
In the short span I entered Penglai Kingdom and opened my eyes, three days have quickly passed.
And this phenomenon is not unfamiliar.
'...When I met [That].'
I can't remember the name, but the encounter with [a certain being] I met at the lowest floor of the Serving Command Ark.
At that time, I endured for over ten years inside, only to find that it was an incredibly short period in reality upon regaining my senses.
A phenomenon of space-time distortion.
This is...
'Related to a True Immortal!'
I can tell at a glance.
'It must be an intervention by the Owner of Salt Mountain or something related to them.'
I feel fear.
But this isn't a situation where I can flee just because I am afraid.
I grit my teeth and transfer my main consciousness back to my Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion avatar and explore Yuk Rin's treasure vault.
'...Jin Ma-yeol's corpse is gone.'
I frown as I exit the vault.
Outside the treasure vault, only Baek Rin and Yuk Yo remain.
The entire Fighting Demon Pirate Gang has disappeared.
"...What happened?"
"Well...the Fighting Demon Pirate Gang took the body of Jin Ma-yeol and immediately fled. They must have thought Cult Leader would annihilate them upon your return."
"So they ran away."
I feel another headache coming on.
'Damn it, I need their Salt Bones Ship to transport Baek Rin...'
Since they ran away, there's nothing I can do.
Of course, since the Salt Bones Ship is modified under Buk Hyang-hwa's instructions, I can track it once it surfaces.
However, I notice something strange and ask them.
"...What about Yuk Rin? What happened to him?"
The fight between Kim Young-hoon and Yuk Rin seemed evenly matched, but in a long-term battle, it would be Kim Young-hoon's defeat.
It's only natural, because Kim Young-hoon is just an avatar.
There's no way the Yuk Rin who defeated Kim Young-hoon's avatar would simply stay put.
Shouldn't he have entered this Deep Sea Island right away using the teleportation array?
However, to my question, Beak Rin and Yuk Yo exchange glances before speaking in a bewildered tone.
"Well...Cult Leader. We know you can channel the power of your main body through your avatar. Would you consider drawing the main body's senses for a moment?"
Following Beak Rin's suggestion, I use the All-Heavens Sword to draw the power and consciousness of my main body.
And when I sweep the Deep Sea Island with my consciousness...
"...!!!!!"
I freeze as if struck by lightning.
The Deep Sea Island, which should have been fixed in place, is 'moving.'
No, although it is gradually slowing down, it is indeed still moving.
"H-How did this happen!?"
"We're not sure either. The distance between the middle zone of Governing Dragon Island and this Deep Sea Island has increased, making it impossible to use the teleportation array, so we're trapped here."
"Just what...?"
While taken aback, I spread my consciousness even further to find out how the Deep Sea Island is moving.
And during that process, I realize something.
Woo-woong—
Penglai Island.
Above the Salt Mountain.
I shift my main consciousness back to my main body and, along with the avatar on Deep Sea Island, begin chanting the mantra of the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique.
Wo-woong!
The Salt Mountain I am sitting on starts to emit light.
Simultaneously, in the Deep Sea Island where my avatar is located, the Salt Crystal Palace also begins to glow.
This time, since I am not inside the Salt Crystal Palace, my consciousness is not pulled into that world.
However, I can clearly feel it.
'They are pulling each other.'
And that force is unexpectedly immense.
I chuckle wryly and say,
"...Seems we won't need the help of the Fighting Demon Pirate Gang."
The attraction force between Penglai Island's Salt Mountain and Yuk Rin's Deep Sea Island's palace is pulling towards each other with tremendous power. Baek Rin and Yuk Yo.
And the entire Deep Sea Island where my avatar is situated is being drawn toward this side.
I send a voice transmission throughout the Twilight Domain and Penglai Island.
[Rejoice, everyone. The operation to rescue the Guardian Ghost King, Baek Rin, has finally concluded.]
Now, all that remains is to wait for Gyo Yeom and escape from Penglai Island.
Upon hearing my explanation, Baek Rin and Yuk Yo's eyes widen in astonishment as they aske.
"A-Are we really returning to the order, Cult Leader!?"
"Are you saying you really returned to Penglai Kingdom?"
I nod in response to both of their questions.
The two seem momentarily satisfied with my answer, but then they look at each other again.
I sigh, sensing the subtle emotions between them.
It appears that for these two, the question of 'where' they will return to has become more important than simply going back.
"...Thus, for the moment, the issues facing our order have been resolved."
In the Wuji Religious Hall's conference room, I brief everyone with my main body about everything that has happened.
"That's a relief. Although I fought that Yuk Rin guy for a day and night and inflicted a fatal injury, it still drained my avatar's energy. I was a bit worried..."
"Thankfully, it seems to have worked out well."
Kim Young-hoon sighs in relief, and Oh Hyun-seok agrees with him.
Jeon Myeong-hoon nods stoically, and both Kim Yeon and Buk Hyang-hwa smile faintly at the same time.
Seo Ran shows a disappointed expression after hearing about the relationship between Yuk Yo and Baek Rin but gets a glare from Shi Ho.
"It's really fortunate that things worked out. However, there's still one issue we need to discuss."
I look at Kim Young-hoon, Seo Ran, Shi Ho, and Buk Hyang-hwa as I speak.
"Conqueror King. You said there haven't been any results from researching Penglai Island yet, right?"
"Yes. We have examined the axes of Penglai Island's formations, but...we couldn't find any clues to rescue Sir Cheongmun Ryeong."
Buk Hyang-hwa reports the fact with regretful eyes.
For the past 80 years, Buk Hyang-hwa, along with Seo Ran, Shi Ho, and others have been exploring and researching Penglai Island to save Cheongmun Ryeong.
However, they couldn't find any clues here.
In that case, to obtain a proper clue, we must reunite the Salt Crystal Palace and the Salt Mountain of Penglai Island.
Or, we must enter the illusion formation to gather information from the people of that world.
Particularly, the Queen of the Penglai Kingdom seems to know something, so asking her would be most appropriate.
However, there is a problem with this.
First, regarding the first method.
"That Deep Sea Island...was it called Cherry Blossom Dragon Island? Even though Cherry Blossom Dragon Island is quickly coming here, the interdimensional distance in the Deep Sea is too vast."
I can't figure out where exactly that unidentifiable hand has thrown us.
Considering the attraction force between the Salt Mountain and the palace, the speed at which they are getting closer, and the current gap between Cherry Blossom Dragon Island and Penglai Island in the Deep Sea, it will take a long time for Cherry Blossom Dragon Island to reach here.
Approximately...
"About 7 years?"
This is entirely because the depths of the Ancient Force Realm's Deep Sea are much more unstable than the Chaos Realm domain in each Middle Realm.
I've heard that in the Chaos Realm domains, space frequently gets distorted, and distances lengthen or decrease randomly.
The entrance to Lofty Dragon True Person's storage scroll I went to last time is a place close to the Stable Realm and is very stable, so it can't be compared to a true Chaos Realm domain.
However, the depths of the Ancient Force's Deep Sea are even more severely distorted.
It isn't for nothing that even Integration stage cultivators have a fifty percent chance of getting lost if they fall into the Deep Sea.
Still, Penglai Island and Cherry Blossom Dragon Island are linked by attraction force, allowing them to approach each other rapidly, hence the estimation of seven years.
But seven years means that the time is now drawing near.
Buk Hyang-hwa asks worriedly.
"If it's seven years, isn't the grand event just around the corner?"
"That's right. So, even if the palace merges with the Salt Mountain again, there won't be enough time to investigate properly. Therefore..."
Kim Yeon's face turns pale.
"It's too dangerous, Eun-hyun oppa!"
At her words, the others also look at me with worried expressions.
"That's right, Seo Eun-hyun. Aren't you saying you'll enter Penglai Kingdom alone to investigate? It's dangerous. Moreover, didn't you say the time ratio is different in that world?"
"Yeah, Eun-hyun. If you're asleep when you exit to the Bright Cold Realm, wouldn't that just be over?"
After listening to everyone, I look at Kim Yeon.
"It's okay. She will wake me up."
I slowly explain my plan.
I don't intend to spend time investigating without knowing how much time is passing inside.
Using the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, I will partially connect mine and Kim Yeon's minds.
Afterwards, I will enter Penglai Kingdom, gather information there, and when the time approaches, Kim Yeon will send me a signal through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.
I will then exit from Penglai Kingdom.
That should work.
Kim Yeon bites her lip with a worried look in her eyes.
I don't want to take such a risk on purpose either.
There's a chance that some suspicious mechanism might activate while I'm inside and swallow my memories.
Of course, according to the conditions for regaining awareness mentioned by Yuk Yo, it doesn't seem likely.
In any case, there is some risk involved.
But I shake my head with a determined expression.
"...I'm sorry, everyone. But..."
I must find a way to release Cheongmun Ryeong from the salt pillar.
We can't delay any longer.
Cheongmun Ryeong is still asleep as a salt pillar in that world.
I can't leave him like that indefinitely.
The Ancient Force is a world that reacts particularly well to the Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique and the power of salt.
'I must discover the reason while I remain in this world.'
If not in the Ancient Force Realm, there might not be another chance.
Realizing my firm will, they sigh.
Kim Yeon, knowing she can't stop my will, bites her lip and lowers her head.
"...Alright. If you insist...go and come back safely."
"...Thank you."
I express my gratitude to her and everyone in the Wuji Religious Order.
Wo-woong—
With Kim Yeon's Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon attached to my heart essence, I stand in front of the Salt Crystal Palace.
I am curious about Yuk Rin's documents inside, but for now, this is more urgent.
"By the way, are you also coming along?"
I ask Yuk Yo, who stands beside me.
"Of course. It's my homeland, after all."
"..."
As expected, Yuk Yo decides to accompany me inside.
Her reason is to return to Penglai Kingdom.
However, I look at her and then at Baek Rin.
"What will you do, Baek Rin?"
"I...don't know."
Baek Rin seems to hope that Yuk Yo will drag him inside.
Yet, Yuk Yo does not plead with Baek Rin to come along.
She seems to understand as well.
Baek Rin already has too many precious people in this world.
"...Can't you stay in this world with us, Princess?"
But Yuk Yo shakes her head at Baek Rin's words.
"I'm sorry, Sir Baek Rin. To me, that world...is truly my home."
"..."
Baek Rin hesitates to follow her, and Yuk Yo approaches him and gently touches his hand.
They stay like that for a moment, then the two part.
'...Is this how it ends?'
I feel an inexplicable regret as I walk toward the palace.
Yuk Yo walks toward the palace with me.
While reciting the mantra of the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique, I place my hand on Yuk Yo's shoulder.
Booong—
And, as we step into the entrance of the palace.
Paaatt!
I feel my consciousness shifting again and arrive in another world.
The scene before my eyes change, and I am able to see a new landscape.
A corridor lined with numerous soldiers.
In front of me stands the Queen of Penglai Kingdom, and Yuk Yo, whose shoulder I have been holding, has somehow transformed from a carp demon of the Nascent Soul stage into a human princess wearing beautiful ancient ceremonial robes.
The Queen of Penglai Kingdom wipes her tears upon seeing Yuk Yo.
"Welcome back, my daughter."
"Mother!"
Yuk Yo hurriedly runs to the Queen, and I watch the reunion of mother and daughter for a moment.
After a while, the Queen of Penglai Kingdom looks at me and says,
"There was a bit of a commotion earlier, but considering the circumstances, I will overlook it. After all, you have brought my daughter back to me, and not welcoming guests properly would be disgraceful. I will hold a banquet, so please enjoy"
However, I shake my head and reply.
"I did not bring the Princess to be entertained at a banquet. I have something I wish to know."
I look at the Queen of Penglai Kingdom.
"Please tell me everything you know."
-x-X-x-
She looks at me for a moment before speaking.
"...Alright. If my benefactor wishes for information, I shall provide it."
I walk with her down the palace corridor.
After walking for a while, the Queen, Yuk Yo, and I arrive at the library.
The first thing she does upon arriving at the library is to dismiss all the subjects and guards before entering a corner of the library.
"Your Majesty, this place is...?"
"It is time for you to know as well. The various affairs of Penglai Kingdom..."
It's when the Queen places her palm on a corner of a wall.
Flash!
The wall seems to glow, and then it turns into a bright white door that opens.
Creak—
The Queen walks inside the door, and Yuk Yo and I follow her inside.
"...!"
And I can't help but be startled by the scene beyond the door.
[Darkness]!
The entire world is covered in pitch-black [Darkness]!
Yet, strangely, I feel that I can discern what lays ahead in this darkness.
It isn't due to using consciousness or awakening a special sense.
Despite being in [Darkness], I can see ahead.
It's a peculiar space that can only be explained that way.
And I have been in such a space once before.
'This is the same space as when I faced [that being]!'
At the bottom of the Serving Command Ark, it's the exact same feeling as when I met [Them] presumed to be a True Immortal.
Step, step...
I follow the Queen, and though Yuk Yo is flustered, fumbling as she moves forward, she manages to walk well.
How long do we walk through the darkness?
Twinkle!
"...!"
Unlike my previous encounter with [Them], I see a bright white [Light] twinkling ahead.
Yuk Yo, possibly delighted to see the light, quicken her pace as she moves toward it. Meanwhile, I recall the warnings given by many beings to 'be wary of the light,' and decide to slow down instead.
"Come this way. What are you doing?"
"...Understood."
As I hesitate, the Queen looks at me curiously and speaks.
We arrive at the place with the light, and I can finally see what the source of the light is.
"...Salt?"
It is, amusingly enough, salt.
Salt is placed on a small brazier, and a soft, white light emanates from it, illuminating the surroundings.
The surroundings are the library.
A library shrouded in darkness.
The Queen takes out three chairs from one side of the library and hands them to Yuk Yo and me before taking out another for herself to sit on.
"Sit down, as this could become a dull story. Please understand that I cannot offer you tea."
"...That's alright."
"By the way, is it not uncomfortable?"
"Except for the darkness and...the light, it is quite pleasant."
I watch the light emanating from the salt with a sense of caution.
"Isn't it true that important discussions should take place not in the light but in the darkness?"
The Queen of Penglai Kingdom gives a meaningful smile at my words.
"It seems you fear the light."
"It's not so much fear as it is caution."
"So you know who you fear. You fear the God of Light, don't you?"
"...!"
I flinch in surprise and stand up, clutching my head while looking back and forth between Yuk Yo and the Queen of Penglai Kingdom.
But neither the Queen nor even Yuk Yo show any reaction, only blinking their eyes.
Even more so...
'I'm also okay?'
No matter how much I have recently developed a slight tolerance to higher beings, nothing unusual occurring despite higher beings being mentioned is strange.
It's when I am bewildered,
"When one looks up at the summit of a great mountain, their neck cranes because the mountain is so tall. However, if the mountain is partly shrouded in clouds, their gaze stops at the clouds, with no strain on the neck."
With her words, I realize that this space is safe.
"Is it alright to mention them?"
"At least for my daughter and I. As for you, I cannot say. If you're worried, don't mention them recklessly."
"...I understand for now. Then this light..."
I ask while looking at the white light seeping from the salt.
The Queen smiles faintly and says,
"Axle Imperial Venerable...no, do you dreamers call them the God of Salt Mountain?"
"...!"
I'm startled by those words but quickly calm down.
Come to think of it, it makes sense.
Since Penglai Island is obviously the domain of the Owner of Salt Mountain, it isn't surprising that they are considered a God or Buddha Venerable of Penglai Island.
'Hold on, then what existence is the Wheel Imperial Venerable?'
While I am puzzled, he pats my shoulder to stop me.
He is telling me it's best not to mention that name in the darkness.
"Ah, yes. I understand."
Having experienced firsthand through Zhengli how serious the consequences can be for mentioning a name carelessly, I remain silent.
The Queen points to the glowing salt and says,
"According to the legends, the Axle Imperial Venerable stole the light from the domain of Light. When they shaped this world, they used the light they had taken to illuminate the world, and what remained, they bestowed upon us."
"...Then is all the light in Penglai Island safe?"
Then why did we come into such a dark place?
This question suddenly occurs to me, and I ask.
But she shakes her head and says,
"Light can go anywhere. Do you know how much external light comes in whenever Penglai Kingdom is connected to the outside world? The light from outside has already mixed to some extent. The pure light of the Axle Imperial Venerable remains only here."
I heard that on the day Penglai Island opened, Hae Lin forbid the light of the Ancient Force Realm itself, but apparently, even that wasn't enough.
"Well...I understand. Then may I ask what I'm curious about?"
"Ask away. I'll tell you what I know, or recommend a book from the library."
She gestures with a gentle voice to the dark library around us.
I contemplate what to ask then question her.
"Did Yuk Rin ever enter this library?"
She shakes her head at my words.
"In this library, only 'those who know the Axle Imperial Venerable' can enter. Others can't even perceive the entrance door. The Imperial Venerable set it up that way. There are a few more restrictions, but they are trivial...in any case, he did not know the Axle Imperial Venerable, so he could not set foot here."
"...I see."
The entry condition is unexpectedly formidable.
'One must know the Governing Immortal to enter.'
Among mortals, only someone like me or Seo Hweol would dare to enter.
I shake my head and continue with the next question.
It's a seemingly trivial but important question.
"...Why are the people of this country human?"
The Queen of Penglai Kingdom gives me a look as if she doesn't understand what gibberish I'm saying.
"Ah...it seems you don't quite understand. Where should I start explaining..."
If you asked Earthlings, 'Why is the dominant species on Earth humans?', you would likely receive the same kind of look.
However, I, having lived in this world for thousands of years, know it well.
In this world, the Human Race is not a particularly noble existence.
They are just one of the many, many intelligent species and are among those who occupy the six pillars of the Heaven Tribe in the Bright Cold Realm due to their vicious nature, even without any backing from an Esteemed One.
They are remarkable if they are remarkable, but they are not such a special race.
A moderately dominant species that found its place in the world.
That is the Human Race.
But Penglai Kingdom is strange.
Why is it that, despite numerous races entering Penglai Island to play roles in the world, do they walk around in human form in Penglai Kingdom?
Yuk Yo is a hybrid carp of the Demon Race but in Penglai Kingdom, she is a half-human, half-dragon. Jin Ma-yeol is of the Fighting Ghost Race, but upon entering, he's a perfectly normal human.
Of course, there are plenty of various demon spirits, but it's a bit unnatural for the ruler of this world to be 'deliberately' human.
After listening to my explanation, the Queen seems to think for a moment before speaking.
"I don't really know about that. To us, this is the natural world...but I do know where there might be information about why 'specifically' humans are the dominant species."
The queen points to one side of the library.
It's a library field with bamboo scrolls.
"Read the information over there. You might find what you're looking for. Perhaps."
I get up from my seat and take out the bamboo scrolls.
'This is...?'
It's a kind of mythological text.
Among them, a book titled Penglai Chronicles has a shallow account of how the world of Penglai Kingdom was created.
—In the beginning, there existed a world full of illusionary dreams.
—The Axle Imperial Venerable felt sorry for this and, with the help of the Wheel Imperial Venerable, Hyeon Go (玄古/Black Ancient), and three Heavenly Kings, created a new heaven.
—The Wheel Imperial Venerable rolled the wheel to guide virtuous souls under the new heaven, and the Three Heavenly Kings performed all sorts of miracles to cultivate a land where we could live.
—The Primordial Giant Hyeon Go, at the request of the Axle Imperial Venerable, made a promise to prevent the snakes from entering this land.
'Hyeon Go?'
Seeing a familiar name, I look at the description of this being.
—The shadow of Hyeon Go when they made the promise became the flesh of our souls, giving birth to us. We have two eyes and two ears...
It's a description of humans.
Although the size of the entity known as Hyeon Go being described is a bit, well, very large.
The First Giant who covered the entire sky with one hand.
That is Hyeon Go (Black Ancient).
The contents of the bamboo scroll end there.
Looking around, there is another scroll that explains about Hyeon Go.
—They are the greatest Divine Beast.
— They are called the God who governs all oaths and contracts.
— As the [Owner of Names], they are said to preside over naming of all in Heaven and Earth.
'Black Ancient Paper, Black Ancient Plaque!'
Only then do I understand why the most revered contract in the Ancient Force Realm is called Black Ancient Paper.
The divine spirit governing all oaths and contracts is none other than Hyeon Go.
However, I suddenly feel my heart begin to pound.
'Wait, have I just learned the true name of a great being?'
Tingle, tingle...
It's fine here and now, but if I remember this name when I go outside...
'I'll be watched, I'll be watched, I'll be watched!'
Thump, thump, thump...
As I calm my heart trembling like an aspen tree, I continue reading the bamboo scrolls and find something reassuring.
It's about an existence recorded in another scroll besides this one.
— Xiezhi.
— They are another Divine Beast.
— They are the beast entrusted with symbolizing all peace and well-being...
'In these bamboo scrolls, they refer to Immortal Beasts as 'Divine Beasts'.'
The names used to express Immortal Beasts are not their true names, so knowing them isn't a problem.
Thus, the name 'Hyeon Go' is not the true name of the being but refers to the species of this being.
And I realize one more thing here.
'The meaning behind humans becoming the dominant species of Penglai Kingdom due to the entity known as Hyeon Go is...'
Just as names like Black Dragon or Lofty Dragon are given when a Dragon Race becomes an Immortal Beast.
If a human becomes an Immortal Beast, the name Go (古/Ancient) is attached to them.
Charak—
After resolving my necessary questions, I roll up the bamboo scrolls and put them back.
While I was reading the scrolls, it seemed that the two others became bored. Yuk Yo tried to move one of the chairs, and the Queen began lecturing her on her behavior.
I interrupt their conversation and ask a question.
"This has been a great help. May I ask the next question?"
"Go ahead."
"It is regarding the Axle Imperial Venerable. I assume you know well about this topic."
"I do, indeed."
"You might feel it's blasphemous...but please answer. Is the Imperial Venerable truly dead?"
-x-X-x-
"...Why do you think that?"
"I once heard someone mention that They have died."
It's something I had heard from Seo Hweol.
However, upon reflecting, there's no need to trust anything Seo Hweol has said.
'No, even without Seo Hweol, there are pieces of evidence suggesting that being is dead.'
The biggest evidence is the 'will' I felt from the voice when I first performed the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique.
'That will was definitely a legacy.'
It felt like a being that seemed to have turned into a corpse, miraculously rising and barely grasping my arm, whispering its will to me.
It's a meaning that can only be thought of as a legacy.
"And I have my own evidence as well."
"Hmm..."
Upon hearing my words, she seems to be choosing her words carefully before speaking.
"They do not die. Just as light does not die, They are the personification of the concept of repentant enlightenment. One can say that the personified concept has scattered and spread throughout the world, but...the word 'died' is not quite the correct term."
"Is that so...?"
Indeed, at the level of a True Immortal, it seems possible to exist in such a manner.
"...Then let's assume that's the case for now. Do you know how to restore someone who was turned into a salt pillar by the Imperial Venerable?"
She gives a wry smile at my question.
"It's a story from mythology. There is a myth that has been passed down about those who glimpsed the true form of the Imperial Venerable and turned into salt pillars."
"Was the way to save them also passed down?"
She looks at me and asks in response to my question.
"Let me ask you one thing. How did you come here?"
"I crossed over by using the formula left by the Imperial Venerable."
"When you used that formula, did your body not turn into salt?"
"When I wasn't used to it, it did. But now that I am accustomed to it, I only generate a little salt around me, and my body doesn't change."
"Hoh...so you don't change anymore. But that's not what's important. Why do you think the palace of Penglai Kingdom is on top of the Salt Mountain?"
"I don't know."
At the Queen's ensuing words, I am taken aback.
"The Salt Mountain supporting the palace is not just common rock salt. They are those who once glimpsed the wisdom of the Imperial Venerable."
"...!!!"
I am surprised, standing up involuntarily.
That means...
'Even the Salt Mountain where my main body resides is also...'
It's a chilling revelation.
This Salt Mountain is also a result similar to Cheongmun Ryeong.
As I am shocked, she continues speaking with an entirely calm expression.
"Do not fear. Those who witnessed the wisdom of the Imperial Venerable may have had their bodies turned into salt mountains, but their souls went to the world of dreams and became Their disciples."
"Pardon?"
"And the opposite is true as well. Those who sought Their wisdom in the world of dreams had their bodies turned into salt pillars and crossed over to our world to inherit the Their wisdom. I am one of those descendants."
At her following words, I let out a low sigh.
"It's not about becoming a salt pillar. It's merely waking up from a dream and moving to another world. In our case, it's about falling into a dream. So if you want to awaken someone who has become a salt pillar, you should also go to the world where they went and bring them back."
"...Does that mean Cheongmun Ryeong is in Penglai Kingdom?"
"That, I do not know. I do not know how many worlds the Imperial Venerable has created. It could be our world, or it could be an entirely different world."
Her words remind me of something.
My memory of traveling through the dream world while I was turning into a salt pillar.
According to her, that dream world is the 'real world.'
Throb, throb...
I look at her and Yuk Yo and ask,
"Is there evidence that this world and the world accessed through the salt pillars are real?"
By my standards, this world is indeed an unstable world.
It feels like a model garden created by the Owner of Salt Mountain with the help of other divine beings.
Yet, the inhabitants of this world treat our world as the world of dreams.
And...the world I visited from the Head Realm definitely had a strong sense of being a 'dream.'
The sensation when I woke up from the 'dream' by Hong Fan was so very vivid.
That world is indeed a dream.
However, according to the Queen, that world is not a dream.
Everything is confusing and unpleasant.
I take a deep breath.
"...May I step out for a moment?"
"Do as you please. But when you return, you will have to enter from the beginning again."
I stop inwardly reciting the formula of the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique.
My vision blurs, and I find myself standing in front of the pure white Salt Crystal Palace.
"...I'm back."
I look back at the Salt Crystal Palace.
A world where my actual existence (實存) is in question.
It was an extremely unpleasant experience.
I exit the space where the palace is located.
Kugugugugu!
Cherry Blossom Dragon Island, where the palace of Salt Crystals stands, is speeding across the Deap Sea.
"Baek Rin."
At my call, Baek Rin appeared.
"Yes, Cult Leader."
"How many years have passed?"
"Five years."
"..."
I am speechless, closing my mouth.
Indeed, that world is strange.
'They say that in fresh leisure, one doesn't notice the axe hand rotting. It's exactly the same.'
We had exchanged just a few words, yet such an absurd amount of time has passed.
A world where each claims the other to be a dream.
Which side is correct?
I let out a low sigh and organize my thoughts above Cherry Blossom Dragon Island.
In the midst of this, Baek Rin asks me a question.
"...Is Princess Yuk Yo doing well?"
"...In Penglai Kingdom, I wouldn't know if even a shichen (two-hour period) has passed."
"I see..."
I ask Baek Rin a question.
"Why didn't you follow when you wanted to?"
He flinches at my words and then gives a bitter smile.
"...Is the Cult Leader asking even when you know how many friends I have here?"
"Is that so? But it seems like you're afraid of something else."
He flinches at my words and speaks.
"...Cult Leader has seen the truth. I am...afraid of confirming the truth."
"The truth...?"
"Yes. If I enter that world and realize it's the real reality, then what should I consider our original home? But if I say that world is a dream, I won't be able to endure it there."
'...'
Listening to Baek Rin's worries, I speak,
"...What if both are real?"
What if the two worlds are just places you can travel between through a peculiar teleportation array?
What would he do then?
However, Baek Rin shakes his head as if he can't understand my words.
"Cult Leader. This world and that world can never coexist. One of them must be a dream."
"Why is that...?"
"A simple example. If both worlds are reality...hasn't Strategist Yeon Wei already shattered her hopes in both worlds?"
'...'
Hearing of Yeon Wei, my heart feels heavy.
"It's the same for all of us, Cult Leader. Every one of us had to endure heart-wrenching pain in that world. It felt like the very purpose of the world was to inflict suffering on us. Of course, reality is no different, but the world within Penglai Island is even more relentless in that regard. As a result, the vast majority of our fellow followers had to endure painful experiences there."
"..."
"Even Princess Yuk Yo herself. Being born in that world, she came to this world and lost all her siblings, growing up being abused by Yuk Rin. If we were to tell her that all the misfortune she's faced in this world is real, it would be too much for her to bear.'
Listening to Baek Rin's words, I let out a small sigh.
"...I see."
I think I understand why it feels unpleasant and why I feel my identity is being shaken.
Whether this world is a dream or that world is a dream isn't the important part.
What does it matter if it's a dream or not?
'If I think about it that way, am I not already dreaming my 19th dream?'
The pain and the scars experienced in each world are too great?
I understand that feeling all too well.
My life has been nothing but pain.
Over the course of 19 lives, I've truly experienced too much.
Crying out to the heavens because I couldn't become a peak master.
Crying out to the heavens because I couldn't break through the 7th Star of Qi Refining.
Losing my mind and experiencing hallucinations.
Seeing someone I trust and consider my brother falling into despair.
I even witnessed that friend take their own life.
I saw the lover I thought I could give everything to, whom I met for the first time in this world, die, torn in two before my eyes.
I even have memories of my loved ones being massacred and living in madness.
There was a time I once committed suicide to avoid being turned into a puppet by an old monster.
There was a time I experienced an unjust death.
And there was a time I had to watch someone who liked me for a thousand years go insane while my soul was preserved in a puppet.
I've seen my master explode to death.
I've watched my friends and benefactors be brutally murdered.
I've even removed my own testicles by my own will.
I've witnessed the connections I gave my heart to be annihilated by Heavenly Punishment.
And I've memories of having to end a loved one who went against that fate by my own hands.
I experienced being taken over and eroded by a sinister snake, confirmed that what I wanted most is to die and be buried in the ground, and had the amusing experience of dying while being pitied by my alter ego.
So many things have tormented me.
After all of that...how can I not say that life is a curse?
However...despite that, all of it is my reality.
None of it can be considered a dream.
"Baek Rin."
"Yes."
"You said one of the two worlds must be a dream?"
"...For me, yes."
Seeing the enraged Yeon Wei and Jeon Myeong-hoon in Penglai Kingdom and watching the others, I thought something was strange.
Why not just consider both as reality?
But it seems others can't endure having two realities.
In that case, it's simple.
"Consider them both dreams."
"Pardon...?"
"Don't try to find the reality in this world. After all, whether this place is real or not cannot be proven by any means."
"But..."
"There is only one thing that remains in this world anyway."
A being who once taught me said:
The heart never disappears.
Even if it is regarded as false.
Even if it is mocked as a mere function of the lungs, or of the metal attribute.
The heart does not disappear.
Baek Rin appears puzzled as if he doesn't understand the meaning of my words.
Well, after all, this kind of contemplation can only be truly understood by someone like me who has endured at least 19 realities.
I chuckle as I leave Baek Rin behind and return to the palace with a clear mind.
"Let me know if you change your mind. I'll take you to Yuk Yo's world anytime."
Baek Rin did not respond.
After entering the palace, I returned to my original position through the library passage that the Queen had shown me.
"Have you sorted out your complicated feelings a bit?"
"Something like that. Now, I'll ask the final question."
"What is it?"
I ask the Queen.
"You said that becoming a salt pillars means crossing over to another world, right?"
"Correct."
"Then, I'm curious about the exact criteria for crossing over to another world, regaining awareness there, and coming back. For example, in this world, you can leave by seizing the crown. Does something similar exist in the other worlds as well?"
She chuckles at my question.
"You're a bit mistaken. The way that dreamers escape this world isn't like that. Of course, regaining awareness is as Yuk Yo explained. I was the one who told her before. However, the proper way to exit this world was never about seizing royal power or such. I heard something changed long ago, which turned this world into what it is now.
"...?"
"I'll tell you how dreamers can properly leave our world. Once you find out, it will be easy to leave."
I listen intently to her explanation.
After hearing it all, I nod.
"Thank you for the explanation."
"Is there anything else you're curious about?"
"The most urgent matters have been addressed. I do have more questions, but..."
For instance, regarding Ancient Force.
"It seems time is running out."
A consciousness is poking me.
Kim Yeon is calling for me from outside.
It must mean that time is running out.
I stand up from my seat.
"Thank you for your answers. I will take my leave now."
As I stand up, Yuk Yo stands up as well.
"...Cult Leader. I have something to say."
"What is it, Princess Yuk Yo?"
"Please take me with you as well."
"What...?"
She speaks with a determined look in response to my question.
"I wish to deliver my final words to Sir Baek Rin."
"That would be great. But are you sure?"
Yuk Yo nods, and I exchange a glance with the Queen.
The Queen nods as if she has discussed it with Yuk Yo.
"Very well. Then let us go."
Grabbing Yuk Yo's shoulder, I leave Penglai Kingdom.
Wo-woong!
When I open my eyes, I see Penglai Island right in front of Cherry Blossom Dragon Island.
The two Deep Sea Islands are facing each other, enveloped in barriers like air bubbles.
"Sir Baek Rin!"
As Yuk Yo enters this world, she calls for Baek Rin, and I see Baek Rin hastily flying over.
Stepping aside to let them talk, I manipulate attraction force.
Kugugugugu!
The air bubbles of Cherry Blossom Dragon Island and Penglai Island merge.
Cherry Blossom Dragon Island moves inside Penglai Island.
Kuung!
Simultaneously, the Salt Mountain and Salt Crystal Palace begin to resonate.
I lift the Salt Crystal Palace and slowly bring it over the Salt Mountain.
Pasasat—
Releasing the Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion avatar, I take hold of the palace with my main body and gently place the palace back in its original position.
Salt Crystal Palace and the Salt Mountain become one.
Simultaneously, I can feel a force within Penglai Island growing increasingly stronger.
Although we aren't immediately falling into an illusion, it feels like the power within Penglai Island is pushing against the laws outside.
'So it was this.'
I compare the power inside Penglai Island to the mantra of my reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique and try to mimic that power.
I have been trapped within Penglai Island, constantly attempting to grasp and mimic the power of the Salt Mountain.
And it is only after returning Penglai Island to its original state that I can finally bring this power into my hands.
Wo-woong—
Around me, the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is surging like grains of salt.
I direct the surging Heaven and Earth spiritual energy towards some form of attraction force surrounding Penglai Island.
The attraction force dissipates into nothingness.
'Finally...'
I have obtained the power to escape my misfortune.
'Now, I just have to wait.'
The day to leave the Ancient Force Realm is not far off.
-x-X-x-
The storage scroll of Lofty Dragon True Person.
Under the Xiezhi Worship Layer lies the Care Layer.
How long have I been waiting in a lotus position on the altar above?
Kugugugung!
I feel the entire storage scroll reverberate.
I open my eyes wide and smile.
"They've come!"
Now, it is time to leave.
-x-X-x-
Inside the storage scroll of Lofty Dragon True Person, several forces enter.
The Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect is the first to reach the interior of the storage scroll.
Right after them, the two Four-Axis stage cultivators from the Tall Tree Race and the Paired Wings Race enter.
Finally, I see Gyo Yeom and his party enter the storage scroll.
They slowly advance upward, making their way through the interior of the storage scroll.
I look down at them from the physically uppermost Care Layer and chuckle.
'This is quite a unique feeling.'
Just watching them progress in their expedition is entertaining enough that I'm not bored.
I can also observe how each race approaches the expedition.
The Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect is the same as before.
But behind them, I can see Gyo Yeom leading the Demon Race below the Heavenly Being stage, bustling and rushing about.
"Gyo Yeom is proceeding in that manner, and the Tall Tree and Paired Wings Races are..."
They are advancing rapidly through the storage scroll in an interesting way.
First, the Four-Axis stage cultivator from the Tall Tree Race uses wood attribute spells to grow trees in the field, and the two cultivators climb up.
Then, the cultivator from the Paired Wings Race spreads their wings, grabs the Tall Tree Race's Four-Axis stage cultivator, and glides downwards, swiftly traversing the storage scroll.
'They bypassed the flight prohibition within the storage scroll in such a manner.'
I observe them briefly before turning my gaze back to the Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect.
'Once again, Hyeon Gwi is leading the Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect.'
However, this time it seems they couldn't find a suitable Four-Axis cultivator, as only people from the Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect are present.
The expedition through the storage scroll progresses swiftly, and it doesn't take long for Nok Ju and Baek Wi-ik, the cultivators from the Tall Tree Race and Paired Wings Race, to fly here.
The two Heavenly Tribe cultivators laugh joyfully, debating whether to pick the Heavenly Lotus Fruits from the Melia tree, while I sense the Black Scale Fish Commanding Sect defeating the Calamity Flame and advancing below.
And finally,
"Just three drops. Please let me have only three drops of the Heavenly Lotus Fruit's juice!"
Gyo Yeom and the Demon Race, along with the two Heavenly Tribe cultivators, meet.
The history within the storage scroll does not deviate much from my previous life, except for the absence of Seo Li.
Gyo Yeom, as expected, kneels before the Heaven Tribe, and when the two Heaven Tribe cultivators ridicule and insult his wife, he becomes enraged and starts a battle with them.
Kugugugung!
Baek Wi-ik unfolds his Four-Axis Canopy, and together with Nok Ju, they pressure Gyo Yeom.
Unlike before, Gyo Yeom seems unable to properly exert his strength against the two Heaven Tribe cultivators.
The reason is obvious.
'It's because I've collected and stored all the artifacts Gyo Yeom would have brought.'
Currently, the Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect and Gyo Yeom have likely moved up without gaining much advantage from the lower layers.
This is because I, having entered the storage scroll before them, have gathered and hidden all the treasures within.
Perhaps because of this, the Black Scale Fish Commanding Sect and Gyo Yeom have reached the Care Layer much faster than before, and Gyo Yeom is being overwhelmed by the Heaven Tribe cultivators due to not obtaining any proper benefits.
'At this rate, Gyo Yeom will probably lose.'
The Black Scale Fish Commanding Sect, having reached the Care Layer, show no interest in the forces of the Four-Axis stage cultivators engaging in battle. Instead, they gradually move toward the Melia tree and begin examining the Taenghwa nearby it.
'The Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect came to acquire something called the Recognizing Sin Taenghwa or whatever to escape from Hyeon Eum...'
I have no particular business with them.
My objective is those Four-Axis stage cultivators anyway.
But if there is something that piques my interest...
'I'm a bit curious what that Hyeon Gwi bastard is up to.'
I pass by the disciples of the Black Scale Fish Commanding Sect, who are diligently sifting through the Taenghwa near the Melia tree at the lakeside, and approach Hyeon Gwi, who is examining a Taenghwa in a secluded spot.
Since my physical body is currently on the outskirts of the Nether Ghost Realm, it's impossible for anyone to perceive me unless they are a ghost cultivator who has cultivated the Ghost Path Method and transformed their Nascent Soul into a Ghost King.
"Hmm, I just can't figure out what this guy is up to..."
I approach Hyeon Gwi to see what he is doing.
He is focused on searching for something without paying any attention to his surroundings.
Then, at a certain moment.
"Found it! Western Heaven Taenghwa!"
Clench!
Hyeon Gwi's face lights up with joy as he pulls out something that looks like pitch-black paper from the Taenghwa and clutches it tightly.
Flinch!
I'm a little surprised by this sight.
'If it's the Western Heaven Taenghwa...'
Isn't it the one Yuk Yo mentioned?
I glance at the Western Heaven Taenghwa in Hyeon Gwi's hand.
As expected, it's interestingly made of pitch-black paper, making it impossible to discern what is drawn on it.
Yet somehow, Hyeon Gwi seems to 'see' something as he sinisterly caresses the center of the Western Heaven Taenghwa.
'What is this bastard up to?'
What kind of secret does Hyeon Gwi hold?
Just as I try to observe him more closely.
"Hmm?"
Hyeon Gwi suddenly raises his head.
"...!"
"...!"
Hyeon Gwi and I are simultaneously startled.
'He's looking in my direction? And he is surprised?'
I am momentarily startled but quickly understand the direction of his gaze and feel relieved.
Hyeon Gwi isn't looking at 'me' but 'above' me.
'Is there something over there?'
I turn my head in the direction of Hyeon Gwi's gaze.
In the distance, there is a hanging scroll depicting a map of the Bright Cold Realm.
It's a huge scroll hanging on all sides of the Care Layer.
I glance at the map of the Bright Cold Realm but can't find anything special.
'Just what is Hyeon Gwi looking at!?'
Determined to uncover Hyeon Gwi's secret today, I glare at him.
The subject of my scrutiny for a while, Hyeon Gwi, chuckles and floats the ink-black paper called the Western Heaven Taenghwa into the air.
Woo-ooong!
The Four Symbols Nascent Soul unique to the Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect rises into the air, creating a spatial rift.
He tosses the Western Heaven Taenghwa into the spatial rift and then dissolves the Four Symbols Nascent Soul.
"To see you in the Saha World, how strange."
"...?"
He suddenly starts muttering incomprehensible words while looking at the void.
'This bastard, is he crazy?'
I heighten my vigilance when Hyeon Gwi starts acting unpredictably.
'Or is it some kind of secret art? Drawing upon the power of some higher existence?'
The Four Symbols Nascent Soul secret art of the Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect is specialized in borrowing power, so he might be trying to borrow the power of a True Person.
However, right after spouting strange words, Hyeon Gwi proceeds to do something utterly incomprehensible.
"...!"
Pukwak!
Hyeon Gwi's Nascent Soul explodes!
Immediately after, Hyeon Gwi dies.
He committed suicide.
"What in the...?"
Unable to hide my bewilderment, I approach Hyeon Gwi.
He is dead.
His face shows no sign of lingering attachment or regret.
'Just what is this...'
Hyeon Gwi is a cultivator at the Heavenly Being stage, a promising talent with a bright future ahead.
Yet, this promising talent chose to abandon his life without a moment of hesitation?
I can't comprehend it, so I examine Hyeon Gwi's corpse multiple times.
"...What are you, Hyeon Gwi?"
It was the same in my previous life.
When he died at Seo Li's hands, he reacted as if it was a nuisance.
If Hyeon Gwi had been someone's split soul or had a means of resurrection, it might have been understandable.
But I saw it clearly.
Hyeon Gwi's soul did not travel anywhere through the Plane of Soul.
It simply headed beyond the outskirts of the Netherworld to the afterlife, like the souls of ordinary people.
In other words, Hyeon Gwi died without a doubt.
Completely.
After examining Hyeon Gwi's body, I realize I can possess his body since he died so cleanly.
Yet somehow, I feel uneasy.
'I should feel uneasy.'
Even a fool can tell.
This guy is definitely related to a True Immortal.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen death so nonchalantly.
'And the way he was intently staring at the hanging scroll of the Bright Cold Realm just now...is he somehow connected to the Bright Cold Realm itself?'
That is the only conclusion I can reach.
I look at Hyeon Gwi with a slightly uneasy expression, then turn around and walk towards Gyo Yeom.
Kugugugugu!
Gyo Yeom halts and gasps for breath in front of an enormous forest.
[Ugh, these parasite-like Heaven Tribe bastards!]
Tears of blood stream down from his eyes.
[Just what is so precious about three drops of fruit juice that you can't spare them? Are you Heaven Tribe bastards a bunch of miserly beggars who tremble at the thought of giving away even three drops of nectar?]
A sea of blood surges around him, trying to resist the forest.
However, along with the forest, a massive beam of light descends from the sky and strikes Gyo Yeom.
Flash!
Chiiiiii—
The sea of blood Gyo Yeom summoned evaporates in the light along with his blood tears.
He is being gradually cornered.
[What's so important about three drops of Heavenly Lotus Fruit juice that you can't give even a speck of it!!??]
Kuang!
Blasted away by the combined power of the forest and beam of light, Gyo Yeom vomits dryly with dried blood tears.
He doesn't even have the strength to move a single fin.
'Is this the end?'
It's then,
"...?"
Gyo Yeom notices something strange about his shadow.
'What, what is this?'
His shadow should have been that of a shark.
However, his shadow has suddenly transformed into that of a monster with 19 heads.
A small voice whispers in Gyo Yeom's ear.
—Lend me your body.
"...! Who, who are you?"
—If you lend me your body, I will grant you what you desire. Do you not wish to cure your wife's illness?
"...Th-That..."
Gyo Yeom looks at the ominous shadow, unable to speak.
But he tightly closes his eyes.
"I-I will lend you my body! Please, grant me your power!"
After all, he has nothing left.
There is no place to retreat.
If that's the case, he has to at least grasp the suspicious demon spirit's hand!
As soon as Gyo Yeom grants permission, the shadow clings to his body and begins to gradually permeate it.
Baek Wi-ik, who is radiating light from his wings, widens his eyes in rage.
"This bastard! What kind of sorcery are you casting? This sinister aura..."
However, Baek Wi-ik can't finish his sentence.
Kugugugugugu!
[Guaaaaahhhh!]
An immense pressure engulfs the interior of Baek Wi-ik's Four-Axis Canopy.
Simultaneously, Gyo Yeom screams.
Bizarre patterns are being etched all over his body.
Currently, there is a madman the Heaven and Earth Tribes fear the most after the Heart Tribe.
It's the Mad Lord's circuits.
[Kyaaaahhh! Kuaaahhhh!]
The process of engraving is evidently painful, as Gyo Yeom rolls his eyes back and foams at the mouth with blood.
Tension spreads across the faces of Baek Wi-ik and Nok Ju.
"...Did you see it, Cultivator Baek?"
"...I did. Something black entered that Shark Race's body."
"Is there a demon spirit within the storage scroll?"
"Possibly. Be on your guard. For the Earth Tribe, known for their sturdy bodies, to be writhing in such pain. This is no ordinary demon spirit."
It's when Baek Wi-ik and Nok Ju are concluding their preparations.
Kuguguguk!
The circuit on Gyo Yeom's body begins to glow, and simultaneously, the Three Great Ultimates appear behind his head.
"Wh-What kind of sorcery is this!?"
"Cultivator Baek! For now, focus the attraction force within the canopy!"
"I, I understand..."
However, at that moment.
Kugugugu!
The Three Great Ultimates have appeared behind Gyo Yeom, and four Axes emerge around him.
Upon seeing this, Baek Wi-ik and Nok Ju's eyes widen as if it will pop out.
"H-How!? That Shark Race was atmost at the early Four-Axis stage!"
"Could it be that the realm of that demon spirit is..."
The Axes glow, and the characters engraved on them shine auspiciously.
Longevity, Wealth, Health.
And...
Love of Virtue!
"Just what is...? It's not even a Five Elements Axis..."
And in the next moment.
Paaaat!
The Axes floating around Gyo Yeom form a Four-Axis Canopy and begin to 'devour' the domain within Baek Wi-ik's canopy.
Baek Wi-ik's face turns pale.
"Th-This madness! Devouring a domain is a divine power only possible for Integration stage Grand Cultivators, so how can a Grand Perfection Four-Axis stage do such a thing!?"
But whether his face pales or not, the True Orthodox Axis Foundation centered around Gyo Yeom expands.
The Five Blessings Axis Canopy instantly devours Baek Wi-ik's domain and takes control of the surroundings.
The scenery, which had been a temple atop a great mountain range, changes.
Saaaaaa—
It's a scenery similar to the Dead Earth Domain they visited before entering the storage scroll.
An endlessly sprawling desert!
An unpleasant gray mist that darkens the sky.
And, at the center of it, stands Gyo Yeom.
However, they all can tell.
That is not the mere Shark Race they had been facing moments ago!
Woo-wooooooooong—
Sinister ghostly energy envelops Gyo Yeom.
Then, Gyo Yeom's gigantic form is engulfed by the ghostly energy and transforms.
Baek Wi-ik and Nok Ju's faces turn pale.
Through Gyo Yeom's body, a dangerous entity is descending.
They possess a body that shimmers with starlight, has 19 heads, and surrounding it, Heaven and Earth spiritual energy boils wildly in the form of white granules.
Kuguguguk!
Moreover, in the hands of that fearsome ghost, purple steam is boiling furiously, barking like a hunting dog.
"Uuuh, uuuuaaaaaah!!!"
Nok Ju, upon facing the Ghost King, immediately flees.
Kuguguk!
He tries to use his own axis to escape from the Ghost King's Four-Axis Canopy,
But it's futile.
Kwaang!
Even when Nok Ju strikes with his axis, the Four-Axis Canopy does not waver in the slightest.
Nok Ju screams.
"Wh-What is this!? It's no different from an Integrated Dao Domain! This, this demon spirit bastard! What kind of sorcery have you cast?"
Then, the Ghost King with 19 heads raises its hand and strikes down.
Kwaang!
A single strike.
Merely a single strike.
Nok Ju is knocked back by the Ghost King's descending hand, spewing spiritual liquid and faints.
Baek Wi-ik swallows hard and falls to his knees.
"How, how could an Integration stage senior treat juniors like us so harshly?"
To him, that being is essentially a Grand Cultivator at the Integration stage.
What kind of Four-Axis cultivator's Four-Axis Canopy can possess the same strength as a dimensional barrier?
"Please, I humbly ask that you convey your wishes."
The Ghost King with 19 heads looks satisfied with Baek Wi-ik's attitude and opens its mouth.
[You shall receive my command and summon my main body to the Bright Cold Realm.]
"...!"
At those words, Baek Wi-ik gulps nervously.
He can understand.
The entity before his eyes is a being from another dimension that has sent a split soul at the Four-Axis to Integration level to the Bright Cold Realm.
This otherworldly being is coercing them to betray in order to invade the Bright Cold Realm.
'If it becomes known that I sided with their side...I'll receive an execution order from my race.'
Baek Wi-ik closes his eyes tightly.
'I must commit suicide!'
He fears the execution order from his race more than the immediate terror before him.
But just then.
[Sorry, but you can't do that.]
Cleench!
Kururururu—
The purple steam that has been seething in the massive Ghost King's hands surges out like a rabid dog and flows into the heads of Baek Wi-ik and Nok Ju.
[Keok, keheok! Keeeook!]
Baek Wi-ik chokes for breath with tears streaming down his face.
[A life is precious and should not be wasted carelessly. If you help me, you shall be handsomely rewarded.]
His body won't move as he wills it.
'I-If I move, my soul will be dismantled.'
He can sense it.
This unidentified old monster's purple spell can disassemble and scatter his soul and spirit in an instant.
If that happens, resurrection be damned, it will be the end.
What can he do if his soul and spirit is disintegrated!?
Baek Wi-ik lets out a mournful groan and a deep sigh.
"...I humbly pray for the venerable senior's mercy..."
Seeing Baek Wi-ik and Nok Ju completely subdued, the 19-headed Ghost King possessing Gyo Yeom's body laughs heartily.
[At last...the advent of our order upon the Bright Cold Realm is near! Wait for me, Human Race Grand Alliance! I have returned!!!]