We gathered in one place with joyful hearts.
"Everyone, listen! We are now heading to the true headquarters of the Wuji Religious Order. This is the true final destination of our long wanderings in the Middle Realms. We will enter the Bright Cold Realm!"
At my words, the hundreds of millions of ghostly creatures of the Wuji Religious Order let out a ghostly wail, and the demon beast cultivators influenced by the Conqueror King Buk Hyang-hwa's forces and the teachings of the Wuji Religious Order in the Ancient Force Realm cheer in their own voices.
I have already told the followers that the Bright Cold Realm is our origin and that the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect in the Head Realm is no different from a sister sect.
'Honestly, Yeon Wei may not want to admit it but...'
The Wuji Religious Order, which she calls a 'pseudo-religious cult,' has already grown as massive as a hundred Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sects from Jin Byuk-ho's era.
Wo-woong—
As I listen to the cheers of the followers, I grasp the boiling power and attraction force surging from my entire body.
Longevity, Wealth, Health, Love of Virtue.
I have built the Four Blessings Axes.
I have reached the same level as Seo Hweol, who had first demonstrated the Five Blessings Axes.
Of course, if we go by this cycle, Seo Hweol is probably still stumbling around blind, unable to even build the Five Blessings Axes, so I am ahead of him.
'And...the Five Blessings Axes make it overwhelmingly easier to reach the Integration stage compared to the Five Elements Axes.'
The Four-Axis Canopy created by the Five Blessings Axes is essentially no different from the dimensional membrane of an early Integration stage's Integrated Dao Domain.
Those who build their axes with the Five Blessings naturally have an overwhelming advantage in entering the Integration stage.
'Even Yeon Wei said that she could have entered the Integration stage whenever she wanted 40,000 years ago, but chose not to out of consideration for Hon Won's reputation.'
In fact, while I feel a strange disharmony between the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle and the Five Blessings Axes Foundation, I still feel as if I can reach the Integration stage at any time.
The strange thing is Seo Hweol.
'Despite having built all the axes of Longevity, Wealth, Health, and Love of Virtue, Seo Hweol never rose to the Integration stage.'
It's strange when I think about the cycle when he was with Gyu Ryeon.
If he didn't want to marry her, he could have just entered the Integration stage ahead of her and refused.
'But he never reached the Integration stage to the end.'
It's strange no matter how much I think about it.
Why did Seo Hweol remain at the Four-Axis stage, keeping the Five Blessings Axes, without entering the Integration stage?
'Someday, I'll surely find out.'
In any case, I intend to rise to the Integration stage as soon as we reach the Bright Cold Realm.
Facing the Heavenly Tribulation of the Integration stage in the narrow Deep Sea Islands difficult since the energy of Vanquishing Evil and Upholding Righteousness from the Heavenly Lightning could harm the ghostly creatures.
'I'm also becoming quite skilled in Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion, so I can perform dozens of strikes without relying on my physical body.'
At this level, I am at the Integration stage even as a Heart Tribe.
In other words, if I can raise my Heaven and Earth Tribes' cultivation to the Integration stage this time...
'I can properly manifest the Three Great Ultimates of the Integration stage.'
Buk Hyang-hwa is also improving her skills.
In recent times, together with Kim Yeon, she has remodeled the entire Twilight Domain into the 'Twilight Fortress.'
Now, the Twilight Domain has transformed into something akin to a mobile fortress rather than just a piece of land.
'If I modify the Integration stage puppet that Kim Yeon remembers into Buk Hyang-hwa's style of Integration stage puppet and transform it into a General Seo, I can match Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Puppet.'
And if that happens,
Kuaaak—
I clench my fist.
Currently, my power surpasses the Grand Perfection Integration stage to some extent.
'If the Mad Lord's [Her] at her prime comes, I should be able to take an arm.'
If the cultivation of the Heaven and Earth Tribes each reach the Grand Perfection Integration stage, I can defeat [Her] in her prime.
'...To think that I must raise all Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Puppet to the Grand Perfection Integration stage to defeat [Her] in her prime...'
As I suddenly think of that fact, I let out a small sigh but accept it as it is.
A millennium after ascending, the Mad Lord grinded down and embedded 200 Integration stage Grand Cultivators and Demon Kings each as subsidiary parts for [Her].
It's not for nothing that Jang Ik said her aura alone was of the Star Shattering stage.
'Anyway, for us, we have Buk Hyang-hwa.'
Currently, Buk Hyang-hwa is only waiting for the opportunity to evolve into a Two-Pattern Law Talent.
She will also eventually become a One-Pattern Law Talent like the Mad Lord, so there are no problems.
Kugugugugu!
Aligning with the wavelengths of the Salt Mountain on Penglai Island and the Salt Crystal Palace, I recite the mantra of the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique.
Paaaatt!
The Salt Mountain and the Salt Crystal Palace shrink, becoming small enough to fit in my hand.
This is a miniaturization spell commonly used by cultivators.
For those at the Heavenly Being stage, the best they can do is miniaturize a single sect, but for those at the Grand Perfection Four-Axis stage, miniaturizing a mountain range of such magnitude is no problem.
I infuse the energy of the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique into the Salt Mountain and Salt Crystal Palace held in my hand.
Paaaatt!
The Salt Mountain vibrates.
More intensely than ever before!
"Hmm."
As if avoiding the wavelengths of the Salt Mountain, He descends and stands behind me.
Is it because I'm thinking it's finally time to return?
My shoulders feel as light as if they can fly away.
Over the years, I have harmonized the Salt Mountain to my wavelengths.
'Now, this Salt Mountain is essentially no different from my dharma treasure.'
I haven't yet made the Salt Crystal Palace completely mine, but the Salt Mountain alone is mine.
[Now then. Followers of the Twilight Fortress, are you all prepared?]
I return to my Four-Axis main body and ask the entire order.
Countless ghostly creatures and demon beast cultivators reply in unison with resounding voices.
[Yes!!!]
I look back at my comrades.
Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon, Buk Hyang-hwa, Seo Ran, Shi Ho, the old man carrying a flower basket, Wei Shi-hon, Eum Wa, Baek Rin...
"Everyone, thank you for your hard work thus far."
It would be perfect if Yeon Wei is here, but it will be best to contact her after returning to the Bright Cold Realm.
I smile as I look around at the eight comrades who have been with me since the early days.
Each and every one of them are reliable individuals.
"Then, now, let's go. To the Bright Cold Realm."
It all started with the intention of saving just four disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
However, before I know it, many connections have followed.
Kuguguguguk!
Emitting a strong wavelength into the air, I lift the salt mountain dharma treasure.
The power of the salt mountain dharma treasure, emitting pure white wavelengths, nullifies the massive attraction force of misfortune surrounding Penglai Island.
[We are departing!]
Kim Yeon and Buk Hyang-hwa activate the Twilight Fortress.
Jeon Myeong-hoon and Oh Hyun-seok tightly bind the Twilight Fortress with attraction force, and Kim Young-hoon stands at the forefront, ready to cut down the vestiges of the Interdimensional Void or deep-sea monsters that might appear during dimensional travel just like during ascension.
And I, as the cult leader, stand even further ahead of Kim Young-hoon, and connect with Gyo Yeom, Baek Wi-ik, Nok Ju, and others in Lofty Dragon True Person's storage scroll, pulling together with attraction force.
We pull from the Bright Cold Realm and hold in the Ancient Force Realm as we escape.
Kugugugugugu!
Kim Young-hoon slices through the dimensions of the Deep Sea and cuts down the deep-sea monsters.
Through the gap, the Twilight Fortress flies rapidly.
At this rate, we will smoothly arrive at Lofty Dragon True Person's storage scroll.
I speak with Kim Young-hoon, who is at the forefront.
"Hyung-nim, about the name Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion."
"Yes?"
"I have decided on my own name as well."
"Oh, what is it?"
I turn around to look back.
Hong Fan pushes aside the flower basket-carrying old man and brings tea to Kim Young-hoon and I at the forefront.
"Please have some tea."
"Thank you."
Hong Fan, along with my comrades.
Subordinates, and followers of the order.
There is so much I have gained.
Wei Shi-hon and Eum Wa are still in their honeymoon phase, and Buk Hyang-hwa and Kim Yeon have become closer, unlike their first meeting. Baek Rin also seems to find peace while conversing with Yuk Yo.
Jeon Myeong-hoon...although he couldn't completely save the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, he has changed significantly from his past self as the Lightning Harbinger. Oh Hyun-seok is also healthy as Azure Tiger Saint is still alive.
Yeon Wei...frankly, her problem can't be solved until the root of Hon Won's mental illness is eradicated, but she also cleared her name in her own way and is being treated as an ancestor of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
Seo Ran, even though he sent off Song Jin, is getting along well with Shi Ho and recently met with Yeon Jin, inquiring about the Taiji Quaking Lightning Body...it seems he is trying to accept Shi Ho in some way. He does appear to be a bit greedy for Yuk Yo as well, but with Shi Ho's personality, it's likely Seo Ran will have to be content with only Shi Ho. Regardless, Yuk Yo will eventually return to Penglai Kingdom anyway.
And others as well, whether it's their cultivation progress, gaining subordinates, or harboring expectations for the new base in the Bright Cold Realm,
Everyone is harboring a small happiness.
Wi Yun, Yuk Rin's half-human, half-fish puppet that Baek Rin captured recently regained her mind and reunited with her parents.
Not only her but the countless followers of Twilight Fortress.
The harmonious Demon Race and ghostly creatures.
Those who believe in me.
All of them are the ultimate blessing (至福) bestowed upon me.
Yes, they are my hope.
I catch Hong Fan, who is about to fall under Twilight Domain after handing over the tea and returning.
"Ah, thank you, Master."
"Be careful. You've caught something on your leg."
"Hmm? It seems to be an item from the dimensional fragments in the Deep Sea."
It's a bracelet in the shape of a coiled black snake eating its tail.
"It looks like a dharma treasure...I'll present it to you, Master."
"The Ancient Force Realm certainly is a dimension where treasures roll around."
Kim Young-hoon laughs heartily.
"Hmm. I vowed not to rely on external objects, but honestly, collecting devil swords and demon sabers is so fun that it's become a habit. There's just so much to find in the Deep Sea dimension of the Ancient Force Realm."
"I recently picked up a sword. Do you need it? It's a dharma treasure made of Salt Crystal..."
"No need, you use it. Taking what you found is a little..."
I smile and look ahead.
"...Anyway, the name of Hyung-nin's realm, Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion (座脫立亡), is written as Standing Oblivion (立亡), right?"
"That's right."
I reach out toward the void with a peaceful expression.
"The name of my realm is...this."
Paaaatt!
I grab the All-Heavens Sword and swiftly perform a sword dance.
The sword moves, inscribing words into the air.
Seated Detachment, Entering Hope (座脫入望).
Not Standing Oblivion (立亡), but Entering Hope (入望).
Not stand in detachment, but a name that reveals my hope (바람/望) to enter hope.
That is Seated Detachment, Entering Hope (座脫入望).
It's a name with the same pronunciation as Kim Young-hoon's realm, but with a different meaning.
[TL/N: 바람 means wind but it also means hope/something that gives hope. Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion and Seated Detachment, Entering Hope are both 좌탈입망, which is why Seo Eun-hyun says the pronunciations are the same.]
The blessings of countless people rest upon these shoulders.
Therefore, I must walk towards hope from now on.
To not be ashamed in front of them.
This is my hope (바람) and, at the same time, my aspiration.
And it is when I breathe hope (바람) into the name Seated Detachment, Entering Hope.
Tingle, tingle—
I feel as if I hear a voice from the Salt Mountain in my hand.
'This is...'
No.
The voice isn't coming from the Salt Mountain.
'It's a sound coming from within me.'
The knowledge remaining in a corner of my mind, obtained after becoming a salt pillar in the Head Realm.
That knowledge is dissolving.
Slowly, I raise my hand and lift the Salt Mountain towards the sky.
Words unintentionally escape my lips.
"Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment..."
This is part of the Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique and the reversed Reverse Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique's mantra formula.
"Like tiny grains of salt gathering to form the sea..."
Wo-woong—
Each time I recite the mantra aloud, light shines more intensely from the Salt Mountain.
"Build mountains through repentant enlightenment...building a mountain of salt is perhaps the fastest way to reach the heavens..."
Wo-woong—
Up to this point, it's a mantra I recited regularly.
Kugugugugu—
"Hmm, Eun-hyun. it seems like the attraction force of misfortune is clinging? I don't know for sure, but..."
Beside me, Kim Young-hoon speaks with concern.
As he said, the attraction force of misfortune is gradually wrapping around us again, surrounding the Twilight Fortress.
It seems to get stronger the further we distance ourselves from the Ancient Force Realm.
However, I pay no heed and lift Salt Mountain, speaking another mantra that has just dissolved in my mind.
[Each to one another…]
This is a mantra, but at the same time, it's a song.
[Holding hands...]
This song speaks about connections.
[With everyone at the sea...]
The 'sea' mentioned here is in line with the 'sea' from the first mantra.
A sea formed by tiny grains of salt.
A world of repentant enlightenment and affliction.
[Drink salt...]
Salt is repentant enlightenment.
All connections, cultivating immortality together in repentant enlightenment.
That is what this song is trying to convey.
A world of cultivation, not of plundering from one another, but of looking after one another, is sung.
[And with the wind (바람)...]
I close my eyes.
This song.
In other words, it is no coincidence that the second mantra of the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique suddenly appeared.
It must be because I hold my hope (바람/望) in my heart.
A person's heart, a person's hope (바람/望), has power in itself.
This mantra proves that by itself.
Just by holding hope (바람/望) in my embrace, without even drawing spiritual energy, my words become mental speech, resonating and spreading.
[Soar.]
I slowly open my eyes, recalling the last three verses of the mantra.
[For that is how...one reaches the peak of the mountain.]
Paaaaaaaaaatt!
A brilliant bright light bursts forth from the Salt Mountain, coloring the whole world.
Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, like tiny grains, envelop the Twilight Fortress and nullifies the attraction force of misfortune.
It seems as if the pure white light above my hand is opening the gate to the heavens.
I smile as I open my mouth to recite the remaining two verses.
I have come this far without abandoning anyone.
Together with my people, I will walk towards hope.
Yeon Wei said that there is only despair in this world, but those words are wrong.
If you wish and wish for hope, hope will surely come and find us!
Beyond the pure white light.
A pitch-black sky appears.
A colossal and tyrannical Great Mountain (太山), so vast it seems to crush the Heavens and Earth and the entire universe, enters before my eyes.
The Great Mountain is hardened with the blood of countless people, and innumerable bones and corpses are embedded everywhere.
It's a mountain built upon despair and fear, greed and suffering.
The peak of that Great Mountain seems to reach the end of the universe.
And then, I make eye contact with [something] at the summit of the Great Mountain.
Snap!
A sound is heard.
The Wuji Religious Order behind me has evaporated.
Translator Notes: The lines of the mantra formula are the chapter names. In the raws, it's the chapter names in order but unfortunately, it doesn't translate the same way.
-x-X-x-
I don't.
Quite.
Understand.
Something.
"Ah..."
When I turn around, the entire Twilight Fortress has vanished.
To be precise, the entire front part of the Twilight Domain Fortress.
Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon, Buk Hyang-hwa, Seo Ran, Hong Fan, Shi Ho, Yeon Jin. And the 13 Guardian Ghost Kings along with Yuk Yo who has been by Baek Rin's side.
Excluding those 23, everything has evaporated.
And then, right after,
Kugugugugugu!
Should it be called a cosmic force?
A colossal power sweeps between us.
It seems to be the aftermath of the Wuji Religious Order's annihilation just moments ago.
Even in the midst of such bewilderment, I somehow manage to pull my comrades in with an attraction force.
"E-Everyone, grab each other's hands!"
We all hold hands to avoid being scattered by the massive storm.
On my left is Jeon Myeong-hoon, and on my right is Hong Fan.
The next moment.
Pukwak!
Jeon Myeong-hoon explodes.
"...Uh?"
I had no time to react.
Like a child crushing an insect.
Jeon Myeong-hoon couldn't resist at all and was crushed to death along with his domain.
Kwajik!
Next is Yeon Jin.
Yeon Jin is turned into minced meat.
Kwaduduk!
Then it's Yuk Yo and Baek Rin.
The two lovers are crushed and mixed together, their remains intertwined.
Waduk, Kwadudeuk!
Ududuuk!
Badudududuk!
For a while, my comrades burst and die like bugs.
Shortly after.
The ones left are Kim Young-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, Buk Hyang-hwa, Hong Fan, and Seo Ran.
"...."
Kim Yeon.
Yeon.
Only her head.
Remains.
This fact.
Someone.
Please tell me.
That this is not reality.
The storm subsides.
With trembling hands, I reach out to the chunks of flesh before me.
I caress Yeon's face.
And then.
I once again look up at the [Great Mountain] that has appeared ahead.
"...What is this?"
My voice, it doesn't come out properly.
It isn't out of fear of an existence beyond comprehension.
I'm just, so, very, very...
Overwhelmed with emotion.
That my voice doesn't come out.
Right now, [That] before my eyes doesn't exude any kind of dignity.
I can tell.
It's a kind of projection sent by Integration stage Grand Cultivators.
That too, a special kind of projection designed specifically to avoid revealing their rank.
It's like a shadow.
Hence, it's natural that nothing can be felt.
But because it's a shadow, I can gaze at the [Existence] at the peak of the Great Mountain.
They're so distant that I can't see them.
But I can definitely tell.
That [Existence] is the one that just crushed and killed my comrades.
"Ah, ah...aaaaaah...!"
I can feel it.
That existence. It's looking directly down at me.
: : You Called For Me. : :
Too distant for my consciousness to perceive, too far for my eyes to reach.
But I know.
Right now, that thing is 'smiling'!
After taking everything, everything from me!
"AAAAAAAAAAH!!! UGHK! UUUGHK! EEOGK!!"
It hurts!
It hurts!
My chest feels suffocated.
I pound my chest, and something bursts out.
It's a flower.
It's a Black Blood Tears Flower.
Normally, requiring the preparation of materials through the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation and needing to be refined through a special spell formula is the Black Blood Tears Flowers, but now, it just pours out as soon as I open my mouth.
Flowers of monstrosities pour out of my mouth in torrents.
From my eyes, nose, ears—no, it feels like flowers are gushing out from every orifice in my body.
"UUUGH! KEO, EOGHK! EEEOK"
: : Did You Use <
"UHUOOK! UEOOK! EEOK!"
: : I Shall Teach You Properly. : :
"AAAAAAAAHK! UAAAAAAGH! AAAAAH!K"
My eyes roll back. I savagely tear open a hole in my stomach and pull out the Colorless Glass Sword
The idea of taking it out from my mouth doesn't even occur to me.
Completely deranged, I charge towards the black mountain in front of me.
Wadudududuk—
"...."
My vocal cords shatter.
As if silencing me.
At the same time, the Colorless Glass Sword I hold.
Shatters into pieces.
Shatters into pieces and scatters into the void.
As if mocking me.
Wooo-woong—
The barrier of Yin-Yang and Five Elements rises, trapping me.
At the same time, space begins to warp.
"Ah, aaaah...Ye, Yeon, Yeonnn..."
Crunch Splatter!
I see Buk Hyang-hwa, who is still alive, get caught in the spatial storm and have her entire body crushed.
"HAAAAAAH!!!"
Kim Young-hoon tries to resist but is torn limb from limb and dies as his head is plucked off.
"This bitch! This bitch, you dog shit, you dog..."
Oh Hyun-seok tries to do something but is compressed into a meatball and dies.
Seo Ran, peculiarly, has his Nascent Soul extracted and absorbed into the black Great Mountain.
And, Hong Fan is caught in the spatial tempest and has his entire body torn apart.
Even as his body is being ripped to shreds, he speaks with his trembling pupils, as if saying everything is fine.
"It has been an honor to serve you up close. As long as Master remembers me, I will always be watching over..."
Kwajik—
Those are Hong Fan's last words.
He looked like an old man, but in reality, he was even younger than Buk Hyang-hwa.
The little centipede that had stuck close to my foot on Ascension Path.
Who sacrificed himself and died for me when I was modified by the Mad Lord.
Who, even though I didn't take care of him when we went to Seo Hweol, showed his talent and grew up to be a splendid genius centipede.
Who eventually reached the Transformation Stage and took on human form, becoming Hong Fan.
Who had always silently served by my side until now, my subordinate...
No.
My friend.
Has died.
"——————!"
I wail with my shattered vocal cords.
My voice, resounding across Heaven and Earth, spreads throughout the world.
: : Phenomena (滅) Extinguishing (法) Mantra (眞言) : :
I see it.
In front of Great Mountain.
Something begins to gather.
I think of it as just the spiritual energy of Yin-Yang and Five Elements at first.
Because it exactly matches the flow of the reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique that I have memorized.
However, I gradually realize something.
Something is gradually gathering more and more.
No, beyond that.
The attraction force of the world is growing stronger.
Jang Ik's words flash through my mind.
When the attraction force of the Heavenly Domain reaches its peak,
The End will come.
Kugugugugugu!
The attraction force of the entire world outside the barrier of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, is gradually becoming stronger.
Centered around the materialized sphere formed by the energy of Yin-Yang and Five Elements gathered in front of Great Mountain, the entire attraction force of the Heavenly Domain begins to converge.
The universe starts to contract.
Are those...stars? Decaying Corpse Realms?
Ah. They are galaxies.
Amidst this surreal scene, I watch in a daze, forgetting even to wail, as countless stars, Decaying Corpse Realms, and galaxies converge into a single point.
The Heavenly Domain begins to narrow.
Gradually, the world becomes hotter, filling with light and heat.
I gape as I see countless Decaying Corpse Realms being pulled toward Great Mountain.
Thighs, Yang Su-jin's ring finger, someone's backhand, flesh, bones, livers, eyeballs, other organs, skin, tails, and so on.
Countless Decaying Corpse Realms are being sucked in, and galaxies are colliding with galaxies.
And then,
"...!"
My eyes widen, wondering if what I am seeing is real.
Nether Ghost (冥鬼), Purple Gold (紫金), Ancient Force (古力), True Devil (眞魔), Bright Cold (光寒).
The Five Middle Realms...are being sucked into that sphere.
As someone who has built the symbolic axis of each realm. I can distinguish the Middle Realms.
And something dark red in the distance seems to be trying to escape, but is inevitably pulled in as well.
But that isn't all.
[——————!]
[——————————————————!]
[——!——!——!——!——!——!]
[——————!!!!!!!!!!!]
True Persons.
The True Persons who have suffered fatal wounds from me are of course, as well as those disguised as planets and quietly sleeping, all awaken and try to flee in the opposite direction of the attraction force. Yet not a single True Person succeeds in escaping and are instead all sucked in.
The situation is so surreal it feels like a dream.
Soon, the world itself, now filled with light and heat, compresses in front of Great Mountain.
In other words, all the galaxies, Middle Realms, Decaying Corpse Realms, and True Persons have been sucked in and contracted to the same size as the sphere.
No, the contraction doesn't end there.
The Heavenly Domain continues to contract even in that state until it finally becomes a single point of white light.
The being atop Great Mountain seems to contemplate something upon seeing this point before tossing it somewhere.
I see the point formed by the contraction of the entire Heavenly Domain being pulled somewhere.
As there is no longer light or anything else, I can't verify where it goes.
All I can do,
Is despair.
: : This Is The True Form Of The Thing You Used. : :
The reversed Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique.
No.
The Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra (滅法眞言).
The true purpose of this mantra is not simply to gather the energies of Yin-Yang and Five Elements and display an inverted cone.
It's an Immortal Art meant to gather everything, including Yin-Yang and Five Elements and all of Heaven and Earth, to bring about the End (終末).
That is the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
: : Now Die. : :
Pukwak!
And then, just like my comrades, I instantly explode into a mass of minced meat.
Both the Nascent Soul and the Heavenly Circle and Earthly Bearings.
Everything is shattered without a chance to resist.
As I die, I realize.
The being atop Great Mountain kept me alive until the very end solely to mock me in the most miserable way possible.
Until the very end of all ends, that thing mocked me.
Feeling the mockery of the existence atop Great Mountain, I lose consciousness.
That is my twentieth return.
Inside the Yin-Yang and Five Elements barrier, where Seo Eun-hyun has been reduced to chunks of meat,
Lies the miniaturized Salt Mountain and Salt Crystal Palace.
As the being atop Great Mountain gestures, they rise toward the towering peak of Great Mountain.
At the summit, built on layers of suffering, fear, and oppression.
The being seated there extends their hand towards the miniaturized Salt Mountain, and the mountain floats into their grasp.
For a while, the being caresses the Salt Mountain with care as if it's something precious.
However, as if recalling something, they gaze at the Salt Mountain with eyes filled with contempt.
While doing so, the being looks somewhere else.
It's the spot where the point of the contracted Heavenly Domain was tossed.
Flash!
From that spot, a burst of light erupts, and eight colossal shadows begin to walk forth.
The being atop Great Mountain watches them with a sneer before dissolving into the void, disappearing.
In its place, only the barrier of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, containing Seo Eun-hyun's minced meat and the shards of the Colorless Glass Sword, remain.
The eight shadows simultaneously let out a thunderous roar.
: : Ra Cheon!!!!! : :
In response to their reactions, light explodes fiercely, and the Heavenly Domain that was contracted into a single point begins to expand once more.
The Astral Realm (星界).
That is, the Universe (宇宙) begins to unfold once more.
After the Yin-Yang and Five Elements barrier enters the universe,
When the universe starts to fully form again, it unravels.
Throughout the universe, newly born Quasi-Immortals at the Entering Nirvana stage squirm and swim in all directions, instinctively beginning to create stars.
The shards of the Colorless Glass Sword scatter throughout the entire universe, and a fragment of Seo Eun-hyun falls on one of the stars created by the Quasi-Immortals.
Then, the old man carrying a flower basket covers Seo Eun-hyun's fragment with soil and pats it down.
Tap, tap—
"It was enjoyable."
The flower basket-carrying old man.
Known by some as the Owner of Western Heaven Flower Field, or what others refer to as the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable, after completing this task, smiles faintly as if satisfied and turns around to leave.
Not long after, he vanishes from that Heavenly Domain.
And shortly after the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable disappears,
Sssssss—
From the place where Seo Eun-hyun's fragment is buried, a flower begins to bloom.
The flower seems to shine brightly, emitting a pure white light.
And within that light, a familiar presence begins to be resurrected.
Tstststststststsss—
It's Seo Eun-hyun.
Seo Eun-hyun, revived without a single wound, looks around in a daze for a moment.
"...Ah...aah..."
And then.
"Aah...aaaah...AAHHHHHHHH!!!"
Kugugugugu!
"HUAAAAAAH!!!"
Around him, a field of cursed flowers blooms.
-x-X-x-
The Heavenly Domain is formed, and naturally born Quasi-Immortals emerge, creating stars. Not long after, beings below Quasi-Immortals are born.
These are the administrators of the worlds, the Sacred Masters.
The naturally born Sacred Vessel stage Sacred Masters manage the laws of the stars created by the Quasi-Immortals and instinctively begin to birth life into the universe.
Under their influence, stars find their orbits, and in an instant, galaxies and star systems are born within the Heavenly Domain, transforming into environments conducive to the growth of living beings.
And then, on a star that has been moved near a fixed star by one of the Sacred Masters,
[Editor: 'Fixed star' refers to one like our Sun.]
There is a presence.
Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle—
Mumblemumblemumble...
He is a man dressed in white, with black flowers blooming around him.
It's Seo Eun-hyun.
Seo Eun-hyun mutters something continuously with a vacant gaze.
His eyes are empty, and the Black Blood Tears Flowers around him incessantly wriggle repulsively, emitting ghostly wails.
However, Seo Eun-hyun, standing at the center of this monstrous flower field, simply mutters incomprehensibly with an indifferent expression.
As time passes, the field of cursed flowers expands.
The flower field continues to grow.
One li, ten li, a hundred li, a thousand li!
However, that seems to be the limit.
The field of cursed flowers stops expanding after reaching a diameter of a thousand li centered around Seo Eun-hyun.
Instead, at a certain moment,
Rather than flowers in a flower field, 'animals' begin to appear.
Wriggle, wriggle...
Things like veins and intestines, having sprouted from Seo Eun-hyun's body, struggle to detach from him before eventually dying.
This phenomenon continues for decades, eventually evolving.
Then, at some point.
"Heo, heok, hek...!"
A dark Black Blood Tears Flower seems to bloom from Seo Eun-hyun's body, and from within the Black Blood Tears Flower, a being with tentacles and a face identical to Seo Eun-hyun's emerges.
After staring at Seo Eun-hyun for a moment, the being attempts to flee as far as possible from him with a face filled with terror.
However, the further it gets from Seo Eun-hyun, the more it seems to lose strength, eventually shriveling up and dying.
Dozens of Black Blood Tears Flowers bloom from Seo Eun-hyun's body each day, and from within them, monsters identical to Seo Eun-hyun appear and attempt to flee from him, only to repeatedly wither and die.
The true identity of these monsters are none other than Seo Eun-hyun's Heart Demons.
Even though the Heart Demons wither and die, they all desperately try to escape from Seo Eun-hyun's body for a reason.
Mumblemumblemumblemumblemumble...
Seo Eun-hyun's lips continue to mutter something.
But, though he is muttering, the exact meaning of those words are impossible to discern.
They are merely sounds emitted without any purpose.
And the eyes of Seo Eun-hyun, who is uttering these meaningless words, are so darkly tainted to a point no one could possibly imagine.
Shaaaaaaaa—
Though Seo Eun-hyun himself seems unaware, as time passes, his hair gradually turns white.
Just like it would in his old age.
Mumblemumblemumble...
However, whether he knows it or not.
Seo Eun-hyun continues to mutter repeatedly.
Constantly vomiting curses from his body.
A new Heavenly Domain was born, and a thousand years passed.
During this thousand years, countless life forms began to settle on various stars under the guidance of the Sacred Masters.
Naturally-born Star Shattering stage beings also began to emerge one by one, breathing new power into the Heavenly Domain.
And during this millennium, there is a planet that has half-melted.
Near the core of that planet.
There, something that has been drooping and muttering with a ruined gaze suddenly clenches its fist.
The being that clenched its fist strikes its own head with that fist.
Kwaaang!
The entire planet trembles.
It's a truly terrifying blow, but the being remains unscathed even after taking that blow.
However, there appears to be some effect.
The being stopped its muttering, splits open its own stomach, and reaches inside to pull something out.
It's a scroll.
When the scroll is unfurled, certain objects and puppets sealed within are revealed.
One of the puppets inside the scroll is crying and wailing.
The being that half-melted the planet pulls out the puppet with a vacant expression.
[Congratulations on thy birthday! Most revered Cult Leader!]
The puppet wears a face full of reverence and bows to him in the shape of a 90-degree angle.
And finally, he understands.
Roughly a thousand years after the birth of the new Heavenly Domain following the 'End.'
That day is exactly his five-thousandth birthday.
Of course, this is his five-thousandth birthday not in terms of physical age, but in terms of the age of his soul.
The being celebrating his five-thousandth birthday.
Seo Eun-hyun, upon hearing the puppet's congratulatory words, finally regains his sanity.
"..."
However, just regaining his sanity didn't bring about any drastic changes.
He simply continues staring into the void.
What good will it do if something changes?
In any case, there is nothing left in this world.
All those he loved are dead.
There is no place to return to.
In that case, just what is a person supposed to do?
For roughly a thousand years, he has raged, suffered, and cursed.
But after half-melting the planet, rather than pain, a sense of emptiness engulfs him.
In the past, when he lost his beloved to Yuan Li and swore revenge, it was because Yuan Li was still at a level within his reach to some extent.
But this time, what can he possibly do about the being that annihilated his comrades, the ones he loved?
Seo Eun-hyun knows.
Even if hundreds of millions of years pass, he can never defeat that Devil God (魔神).
That being is so distant and unfathomable that he can't even fathom how to reach it, but how is he possibly supposed to suppress his desire for revenge?
He spends another 23 years sitting in stupid with a hollow laugh.
And then, in the 24th year.
"..."
Suddenly, his eyes shrivel up as he touches his abdomen.
"Ie, ie, ie...!"
It has been so long since he has spoken that it's as if he has forgotten how.
However, he soon recalls the 'words.'
"It's gone...!"
Panic spreads across his face.
"Colorless, Colorless Glass Sword, the Colorless Glass Sword is gone...!"
And he remembers.
The moment he tried to swing the sword toward the being atop Great Mountain, the sword shattered.
And only then does he finally cry out again.
"HUAAAAAH! Ah, AHHHHH! AHHHHHHH!"
While his whole body trembles, he still manages to find a very faintly embedded shard of the Colorless Glass Sword inside his Golden Core.
Finding the shard of the Colorless Glass Sword, he clenches his teeth as his hands shake uncontrollably.
"...Find, I must find..."
Finally, after spending what amounts to nearly a thousand years, a 'sense of purpose' begins to take root, and with it, 'rationality' begins to return to him.
"..."
Without a word, he extends his consciousness, scouring the planet he is on.
However, he fails to find any more shards of the Colorless Glass Sword.
After scouring the planet for a while, Seo Eun-hyun moves to a neighboring planet to search for the shards of the Colorless Glass Sword.
There are none on the neighboring planet either.
However, he acts somewhat differently on the neighboring planet.
Kuguk, Kuguguk—
He uses earth attribute spells to reshape the ground, attempting to recreate the faces of his comrades from memory.
Whether it's a sculpture or a mural, it doesn't matter.
But after a while,
Seo Eun-hyun's hands stop.
His eyes waver precariously.
The fact that the Colorless Glass Sword is gone means that the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, which relies on it, is also gone.
And the absence of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections means that there is a leak in his small pool of memories.
His hands tremble as he struggles to remember the faces of his comrades accurately.
And after roughly 36 years of agonizing effort,
Seo Eun-hyun manages to recall the distinct features of his comrades and sketches their faces.
But he is far from satisfied.
Their faces are not clear.
He sighs gloomily.
In any case, if he wants to recover his proper memories, he needs the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
And for that, he needs the Colorless Glass Sword.
Using the planet where he has drawn his comrades' faces as a coordinate, he continues his search for the shards of the Colorless Glass Sword.
Although the Colorless Glass Sword was shattered into tiny pieces and scattered throughout the Astral Realm, Seo Eun-hyun is undeterred.
This is because even though it's called a glass sword, after being tempered by Seo Eun-hyun's Dan Fire for over four thousand years, it has transformed into a mineral that is questionable to call glass.
What that means is that the shards of Seo Eun-hyun's Colorless Glass Sword are older than this newly born Heavenly Domain itself.
The method he uses to track the shards of the Colorless Glass Sword is simple.
He would find a planet and activate the formula of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections throughout the entire planet through the dragon veins.
If there is a place where the power of the dragon veins gathers, that would be where the shard is located.
The planet where the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is activated will be one where the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections has never been used before, and if the dragon veins activated through the aura of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections are further concentrated on a specific location, then it is likely the shard of the Colorless Glass Sword, which is more 'familiar' with the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connection compared to the planet itself, would be there.
Using this method, Seo Eun-hyun is able to recover a shard of the Colorless Glass Sword about the size of a thumb over the course of four thousand years.
And there is one very first thing Seo Eun-hyun does after finding that much of the Colorless Glass Sword.
Wo-woong—
He returns to the planet where he has first drawn the faces of his comrades and activates the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections using the thumb-sized restored piece of the Colorless Glass Sword.
Although the range that can be restored isn't a lot, it still contains the faces Seo Eun-hyun desires.
Seo Eun-hyun restores those faces and sculpts them into statues.
This time, they are very small statues.
Small enough to fit in his hand.
After burying those statues on the planet, he creates tombstones on the ground.
He has only made the graves for those within the restored Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
That is all Seo Eun-hyun can do for now.
However, he has already found a new purpose.
To fully restore the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, remember all their faces, and create tombstones for everyone he remembers from the previous Heavenly Domain.
That is his new goal in this new Heavenly Domain, where no one remains.
He bows deeply towards the graves he has already made and lights incense.
In his own way, he is giving them a funeral.
Thus, from that day, Seo Eun-hyun's journey began.
A further 6000 years pass.
Seo Eun-hyun has now reached exactly 15,000 years of age.
Clink—
Seo Eun-hyun finally restored a handle of the Colorless Glass Sword.
The progress is painfully slow.
However, he smiles.
The number of tombstones he has created on planets has increased.
He places the Colorless Glass Sword into his storage scroll.
He still doesn't fully understand how he was resurrected, but one thing is clear.
The entity that revived him also restored his storage scroll and his other belongings.
Thanks to that, he is able to use the conveniences of a cultivation civilization, such as the storage scroll.
Looking at the handle of the Colorless Glass Sword inside the storage scroll, he thinks to himself.
Refining them in his Dan Fire can only be done after all the shards of the Colorless Glass Sword are restored, tempered together.
If not, the shards that are in contact with the Dan Fire for longer will become stronger, while others will be weaker, resulting in an unevenly restored Colorless Glass Sword.
Woong—
As he grasps the handle of the Colorless Glass Sword and operates the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, he feels a slight pull.
It's a very faint pull, and the duration is short, but Seo Eun-hyun doesn't mind.
It's a good sign.
The more the Colorless Glass Sword is restored, the greater of an attraction force it emits through the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections towards the other shards of the Colorless Glass Sword.
In other words, the more he restores the Colorless Glass Sword, the faster the restoration process will become.
And so, another 15,000 years pass.
Seo Eun-hyun finally restored one of the 3,000 Colorless Glass Swords.
-x-X-x-
A single sword.
However, Seo Eun-hyun is not disappointed.
Tstststststst—
Although it's just a single sword, the fact that it has taken shape is what matters.
A faint mist begins to rise over the Colorless Glass Sword.
Seo Eun-hyun restores the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections related to his overall memories.
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections that forms the main thread of Seo Eun-hyun's life.
Wooong—
He feels the attraction force that the humming Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections points towards.
The attraction force has become much clearer than before.
Now, it will be much easier to find more shards of the Colorless Glass Sword.
After sensing the attraction force for a moment, Seo Eun-hyun descends onto a planet where he was making a tombstone.
He inhales the spiritual energy and half-closes his eyes.
Behind his head, the Heavenly Circle rises, and the Four Axes emerge in his four directions.
Kurururung—
As if realizing what he is about to do, dark clouds begin gathering in the sky.
Indeed.
30,000 years.
Now, even Seo Eun-hyun's lifespan is nearing its end.
He gained 10,000 years each from the Axis of Wealth and the Axis of Love of Virtue.
And another 10,000 when he reached the Four-Axis stage.
The Longevity Axis and the Health Axis had both been sacrificed when he reached the Four-Axis stage, so they are as good as non-existent.
Therefore, if he wants to continue living and keep searching for the Colorless Glass Sword, he now has to rise to the Integration stage.
He soars into the sky, ensuring the tombstone he created remains intact.
Unlike the typical Heavenly Tribulation that could be faced comfortably while sitting, the breakthrough tribulation for the Integration stage has to be faced while floating in the sky.
In the case of Jeon Myeong-hoon, the power of his Heavenly Golden Thunder Body allowed him to transform and withstand the tribulation, but Seo Eun-hyun, possessing more ordinary talent, has no such ability.
'First, let's gather all the necessary materials.'
Seo Eun-hyun directs his will towards the dragon vein below.
Attraction force emanates from his hand.
Kugugugugu!
The dragon vein, which had been boiling within the star, is pulled out by Seo Eun-hyun's will and begins to be refined within his grasp.
Seo Eun-hyun uses the internal energy method known as 'Dragon Vein Qi Method', which he mastered during his time in the martial world.
In an instant, Seo Eun-hyun's body transforms, becoming indistinguishable from a dragon blood pool where dragon veins converge, and the powerful energy of the dragon vein surges like a torrent following the circulation of the Dragon Vein Qi Method.
Connected to the dragon vein through the Dragon Vein Qi Method, Seo Eun-hyun refines yet another Nascent Soul through the Earth Tribe method.
The energy of the Dragon Vein Qi Method is of the earth attribute, and the newly refined Nascent Soul glows with a golden hue, imbued with earth energy.
Wooong—
A Nascent Soul of the earth attribute appears before Seo Eun-hyun's eyes.
Using the power drawn from the dragon vein, he begins to erase the 'personality' of the Nascent Soul, leaving only its 'attribute.'
And then,
Wuduk, wudududuk—
He starts compressing the Nascent Soul.
After a while, the Nascent Soul completely transforms into an Axis of Five Elements representing the Earth element.
Seo Eun-hyun places the Axis of Five Elements refined through the Dragon Vein Qi Method onto his palm and then alters its attributes in correspondence with the Eight Trigrams.
The Fire of the Five Elements corresponds to the fire (☲/離/火) of the Eight Trigrams.
The Water of the Five Elements corresponds to the water (☵/坎/水) of the Eight Trigrams.
The Wood of the Five Elements corresponds to the wind (☴/巽/風) and thunder (☳/震/雷) of the Eight Trigrams.
The Metal of the Five Elements corresponds to the sky (☰/乾/天) and lake (☱/兌/澤) of the Eight Trigrams.
The Earth of the Five Elements corresponds to the ground (☷/坤/地) and mountain (☶/艮/山) of the Eight Trigrams.
Gradually, the nature of the Axis of Five Elements changes, transforming the earth (土) attribute axis into Gen (艮)—that is, the Axis of Mountain (山).
'Considering that my heart essence and most of my main methods are related to Mountain (山), it's better to prepare a Mountain Axis.'
Of course, in that case, it would have been better to build the Mountain Axis directly using the Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique rather than the Dragon Vein Qi Method.
However, Seo Eun-hyun painfully understands more than anyone else that the Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique is connected to True Immortals, so he created the axis using the Dragon Vein Qi Method derived from Kim Young-hoon instead of a method originating from a True Immortal.
And so, Seo Eun-hyun's breakthrough to the Integration stage begins.
Wiiiiing—
Seo Eun-hyun's Nascent Soul exits through his Baihui point and sits cross-legged in the air.
At the same time, the halo of the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle forms behind the Nascent Soul's head.
The Five Blessings Axes of Longevity, Wealth, Health, and Love of Virtue form the Earthly Bearings around the Nascent Soul's dantian.
Typically, the process of rising to the Integration stage would involve first shortening the distance between the Heavenly Circle and the Earthly Bearings through the process of Heaven and Earth Unity, then merging them entirely, and finally evolving them into a small world.
But Seo Eun-hyun half-closes his eyes.
Six shadows emerge from beneath him.
After infusing the Love of Virtue Axis, his Six Extremes Yin Thunder Body completely vanished.
No, to be exact, Seo Eun-hyun's Six Extremes Yin Thunder Body became the Six Extremes (六極) itself.
Six additional axes emerge around him.
From his vantage point above the planet in the Astral Realm, Seo Eun-hyun is able to resolve one of the doubts that has previously arisen in his mind.
It's about the Five Elements Heterodox Axes Foundation, the Five Elements Orthodox Axes Foundation, the regular Five Blessings Axes Foundation,
And the Five Axes Six Extremes Axes Foundation formed by receiving the Five Blessings and returning lifespan to sense the Six Extremes.
The Four-Axis stage,
Or rather, the Earth Axis stage, has a lot of methods.
Then among all these methods, which one is the correct approach?
He has pondered about this.
The Five Elements Axes places the attribute learned by one's Nascent Soul as the center and strengthens the central axis with the remaining four axes of Five Elements.
The Five Blessings Axes do not strengthen attributes but instead strengthens the Four-Axis Canopy itself.
Which one is truly the proper Earth Axis stage method?
Only now, on the day he performs the breakthrough ritual to the Integration stage, does he finally find the answer.
'...They were all one from the beginning.'
The originally united method of Axes Foundation Practice.
It has been split by someone.
Originally, the Five Blessings Axes is composed of Health, Wealth, Longevity, Love of Virtue, and the individual's Heavenly Circle-turned Axis corresponding to Acceptance at Fate's End that forms the Four-Axis Canopy and evolves it to reach the Integration stage.
With the Five Blessings Axes method, it becomes significantly easier to unite the Heavenly Circle of Acceptance at Fate's End with the Earthly Bearings of Health, Wealth, Longevity, and Love of Virtue, significantly reducing the difficulty of rising to the Integration stage.
But what will happen if the Six Extremes Axes are added?
Heavenly Circle of Acceptance at Fate's End, along with Longevity, Wealth, Health, Love of Virtue,
And the Six Extremes.
First of all, the numbers don't add up.
Though the Heavenly Circle is perfect on its own and doesn't require a numerical counterpart, where do the Six Extremes fit within the Earthly Bearings?
Of course, one can still attach them appropriately and skillfully, and as long as one has the sufficient senses to maintain a balance, there won't be any issues with rising to the Integration stage.
In fact, upon reaching the Integration stage, the Five Blessings and Six Extremes become more perfectly integrated, providing advantages in terms of attraction force and other aspects.
However, the Five Blessings Six Extremes Axes are inherently rather ambiguous axes.
'I was mistaken from the beginning.'
He finally realizes how to unify the previously fragmented Four-Axis method.
'The mistake was in thinking the Five Elements Axes and the Five Blessings Axes are separate.'
Wo-woong!
Seo Eun-hyun's Vast Cold Heavenly Circle, located in the upper dantian of his Nascent Soul, separates from it.
The four Five Blessings Axes in the lower dantian of the Nascent Soul also detach.
Combining the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle with the remaining Four Blessings creates five axes.
Adding the Six Extremes Axes results in six axes.
A total of eleven—a rather ambiguous number.
However, Seo Eun-hyun lifts the Mountain Axis that he prepared beforehand.
The Mountain Axis slips in among the eleven axes!
Twelve axes are now formed.
At last, the Earth Axis stage is completed.
Requiring the Five Elements Axis, the Five Blessings Axes, and the Six Extremes Axes; that is the proper Earth Axis stage.
'From the beginning, the crucial point in forming the Heavenly Circle and Earthly Bearings is the [Sky] and [Ground]. The Four Directions aren't necessarily required.'
Seo Eun-hyun completes the Earthly Bearings with the Earthly Branches (地支).
Wo-woong!
Centered around Seo Eun-hyun's Nascent Soul, the twelve axes connect through attraction force and each take their respective positions.
Then, the Yin-Yang dual energies within Seo Eun-hyun's Nascent Soul begin to rotate, turning the wheel of day and night.
With each cycle of day and night, the Nascent Soul's shadow and light sweeps across the twelve axes in sequence.
Gradually, the rotation of day and night accelerates, and the speed at which light and shadow passes over the twelve axes also increases.
And at a certain moment,
Paaaatt!
The twelve axes shine brightly, drawing a circle.
Seo Eun-hyun converges his attraction force towards the center of the circle, preparing to break through.
Inside the circle created by the twelve axes, the scenery of Seo Eun-hyun's Four-Axis Canopy begins to be reflected.
And according to the landscape within the Four-Axis Canopy, the circle gradually begins to take on a three-dimensional form.
It's a method of advancement quite different from that of ordinary cultivators at the Four-Axis stage, but he proceeds without hesitation.
Woo-woong!
The Four-Axis Canopy that had been becoming three-dimensional suddenly forms a complete sphere, and Seo Eun-hyun's Nascent Soul expands to match the size of the sphere, placing it within his dantian.
The shape is strikingly similar to the planet beneath Seo Eun-hyun.
"These are the Earthly Bearings (地方)."
However, Seo Eun-hyun integrated his Heavenly Circle Axis with the Earthly Bearings.
So, how is he supposed to achieve Heavenly Circle?
The answer is simple.
Woo-wooong—
Centered around the Earthly Bearings within his Nascent Soul, Seo Eun-hyun's Nascent Soul gradually begins to melt.
His Nascent Soul becomes the atmosphere surrounding the Earthly Bearings' world, simultaneously becoming the cycle of Yin and Yang of day and night, the star constellations, and even...the cycle of the Four Seasons.
Seo Eun-hyun gradually makes his Nascent Soul resemble the planet beneath his feet.
His attraction force forms the Earthly Bearings' attraction force, giving rise to the concepts of North and South. With the workings of day and night, East and West are born, finally manifesting the concept of the Four Directions within the sphere.
The Heavenly Circle of the sky and the Earthly Bearings of the ground interact, forming a small world of Heaven and Earth Unity!
Simultaneously.
Kugugugugu!
Dark clouds begin to gather in the sky.
Seo Eun-hyun starts his rise to the Integration stage.
Kwarurururung!
From the sky, three types of Heavenly Lightning descend upon him at once.
The ordinary blue-colored Heavenly Lightning that falls from the sky,
The golden Heavenly Lightning that typically strikes during breakthrough,
And the mysterious black-colored (玄色) Heavenly Lightning, symbolizing the Heavens.
[TL/N: Mysterious Black as in the same Black in Black Ancient]
Each of these three types of Heavenly Lightning strike Seo Eun-hyun with exactly 200 bolts each.
Kwadudududu!
At the same time, the dragon vein of the earth beneath Seo Eun-hyun's feet begins to writhe violently.
Simultaneously, with a thick mist seemingly gathering near the ground, lightning surges from the ground to the sky.
Again, the blue lightning that has been striking Seo Eun-hyun and the Enders,
The golden lightning, typical of a standard breakthrough Heavenly Tribulation,
And the yellow-colored (黃色) lightning, symbolizing the Earth, shoots up from the ground to the sky with 200 bolts each, striking down on Seo Eun-hyun.
But that is not the end.
Dark clouds begin to form from the east of the planet, and in addition to the blue and golden Heavenly Tribulation, the azure-colored (靑色) Heavenly Tribulation, symbolizing the East, sends 200 bolts each toward Seo Eun-hyun.
From the west of the planet, dark clouds gather again and sends 200 bolts each of blue, golden, and white-colored (白色) Heavenly Tribulation, symbolizing the West, toward Seo Eun-hyun.
From the south, 200 bolts each of red-colored (赤色) Heavenly Tribulation, symbolizing the South, along with the golden and blue Heavenly Tribulation, are sent.
From the north, 200 bolts each of black-colored (黑色) Heavenly Tribulation, symbolizing the North, along with the golden and blue Heavenly Tribulation, are sent.
A total of 3,600 bolts of Heavenly Lightning.
The breakthrough Heavenly Lightning of the Integration stage is also known as Six Lightnings (六雷), a powerful Heavenly Tribulation that fills the positions of the Heavens, Earth, and Four Directions.
Seo Eun-hyun can no longer simply crush the clouds with a single blow as he had done before.
[Kuaaaaah!]
But that is still not the end.
The advancement to the Integration stage only truly begins now.
He must draw upon the energy of Heavens from the Six Lightings, and the energy of Earth from the nearby dragon vein, to carve a dragon vein into the interior of the small world he has created.
All while being struck by the Six Lightnings!
This dragon vein will create the life force within the small world, functioning as the Eight Extraordinary Meridians of the 'world' itself, making it an extremely crucial task.
Kuguguguguk!
Seo Eun-hyun brings the dragon vein into his small world.
Into the middle area of the 'ground' domain.
In other words, if compared to Earth, he is laying the path of the dragon vein along the 'equator.' Then, he establishes the Earth Axis that connects the South and North Poles.
After laying the dragon vein at the equator and the path connecting the North and South Poles, the next step is to carve a path through the sky using the Six Lightnings.
What is engraved into the sky are the constellations and star movements of the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Stars that he has already inscribed on his Golden Core, and the paths of the sun and moon for day and night.
And after having completed all of this and enduring the Six Lightings for an indefinite amount of time,
Kuarururung!
At last, the torrential rain of Heavenly Tribulation ceases, and what remains is Seo Eun-hyun's body, slowly emitting smoke as it floats above the planet.
He slowly half-opens his eyes.
Seo Eun-hyun can sense the 'World (世界)' that has taken root within his body.
This world gifts Seo Eun-hyun with a level of attraction force far beyond that of his previous Four-Axis stage, and it bestows upon him a newfound sense of omnipotence, different from before.
Although it's a small world, within it, he is akin to Nature (自然) itself.
A domain obtained through the Dao (道) of Heaven and Earth Unity.
Focusing his mind, Seo Eun-hyun clasps his hands together and stimulates his small world, causing it to expand outside his physical body.
"Integrated Dao Domain!"
Paaatt!
In an instant, a dimensional veil bursts forth from Seo Eun-hyun's body, continuously expanding his body.
Standing at the North Pole of this barren, ashen-gray desert that is his domain, Seo Eun-hyun clasps his hands together and closes his eyes.
This place is solely my domain.
That means no one can intrude without my permission.
I wield my authority within the domain and, just in case, block out all the 'light' within it.
In an instant, the domain is shrouded in darkness.
Thud—
I sit down alone in the desert, and within the darkened world, I speak.
"...Everyone, I have reached the Integration stage."
As I stare into the darkness, I fantasize about the others.
"Young-hoon Hyung-nim, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kang Min-hee, Hyun-seok Hyung-nim, Yeon-ah...Buk Hyang-hwa. Seo Ran, Shi Ho, Hong Fan, Yeon Wei..."
I call out each name that comes to mind, one by one.
My voice echoes in the darkness.
"...Will you...congratulate me...?"
No answer comes.
In this darkness that no one can peer into, I bring my hand to my face.
Something falls onto the rough sand.
Yeon Wei was right.
I was wrong.
This world is nothing but despair.
-x-X-x-
I did not give a name to my Integrated Dao Domain.
What meaning is there in naming the Integrated Dao Domain in a universe where no one else exists?
Moreover, since my Colorless Glass Sword is incomplete, the Integrated Dao Domain is also in an incomplete state, making it even more meaningless.
After dwelling in the darkness for a while, I retract the Integrated Dao Domain and step outside.
Shaaaaaa—
A planet lined with countless tombstones.
I am marking down on everyone I remember.
Because, after all, the vast majority of those who existed in this Heavenly Domain must have died.
I still can't forget the sight of the five massive Middle Realms shrinking rapidly and disappearing into light and heat.
Moreover, even though the True Persons fled madly, none of them escaped the End brought about by the existence atop Great Mountain and all perished.
'I thought the Middle Realms and True Persons would be safe even in the End but...'
It seems it only applies to natural Ends.
After the End caused by the being atop Great Mountain, even the Middle Realms vanished, and the pre-existing True Persons all seem to have been utterly annihilated.
Wooooong—
As I move from one planet to another in search of Colorless Glass Sword shards, I see something resembling a caterpillar that looks like seven or eight planets stuck together swimming through the universe, prompting me to use the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts momentarily.
It seems to devour the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy and nebulae in the void, then soon after, it regurgitates a large planet from its stomach.
"..."
It doesn't particularly seem interested in me. Even as I approach it without using the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, it pays me no attention.
However, I feel a chill as I sense the realm of that existence and realize what kind of being it is.
'Quasi-Immortal...'
It's a True Person at the Entering Nirvana stage.
I have seen them a few times before.
After the birth of this Heavenly Domain, I occasionally witnessed Quasi-Immortals wandering around, devouring nebulae and creating stars.
Maybe it's because they are True Persons, but there's something inherently terrifying about them who are younger than me in age, even when they seem to act purely on instinct without any intelligence or reason.
'The True Persons are creating stars.'
It isn't just them.
Occasionally, I also encountered Sacred Masters or Esteemed Ones while wandering.
These aren't beings who attained their realm through cultivation, but rather monsters who were born as Esteemed Ones, Sacred Masters, and Quasi-Immortals from the start.
I noticed that they weren't simply born randomly, but were given some kind of fate related to the stability of the Heavenly Domain.
Entering Nirvana stage Quasi-Immortal level beings create stars.
Sacred Vessel stage Sacred Master level beings find stars to organize laws, adjust the distance from fixed stars, and modify the orbits to make them more suitable for the birth of life.
Star Shattering stage Esteemed One level beings roam the cosmos, scattering bizarre celestial phenomena randomly throughout with Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, 'producing' the dust clouds that Quasi-Immortals eat to create stars.
Watching them, I can see that the Esteemed Ones, Sacred Masters, and Quasi-Immortals are all part of the fate that maintains the vast ecosystem called the universe.
Particularly, in the case of Sacred Masters, it's so evident that they were born with the explicit fate to bring life to the universe that it makes me slightly uneasy.
The only fortunate thing is that as long as I don't approach them first and interfere with their work, they remain indifferent to me.
I continue to avoid direct encounters with the Esteemed Ones, Sacred Masters, and Quasi-Immortals, occasionally observing them while continuing my search for the Colorless Glass Sword shards.
20,000 years pass.
If counting the years accumulated from my regressions, today marks my 50,000th birthday.
Cling, Clang...
I repair the Colorless Glass Sword by joining three shards I found on a previous planet.
The more of the Colorless Glass Sword shards I find, the faster the pace becomes.
Over the past 20,000 years, I have been able to restore ten Colorless Glass Swords.
Chuaaaaaa—
After attaching the shards, I activate the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections has also been restored with remarkable precision, comparable to before.
From some point on, the graves of the Wuji Religious Order followers that I remember have covered more than half of the surface of the planet where I reside.
I look at them with sad eyes.
My 50,000th birthday.
If even one of them had been still alive, they might have congratulated me.
No, even if that isn't the case, I could have felt warmth and at least share a conversation.
Not much time has passed in the history of this new Heavenly Domain, and I am still the only one with reason in this world.
The Quasi-Immortals, Sacred Masters, and Esteemed Ones are still simply following their instincts, making the universe more prosperous.
It's cold.
The chill in my heart is so overwhelming, I feel like I might die.
"Ah...ahhh..."
I hold my chest and let out a groan.
"Aaaaaah..."
A faint, lifeless groan escapes my lips.
My chest hurts.
Even for me, for who the pain of having my testicles removed became within the range of what I can accept, and can endure any form of torture without blinking an eye, the pain is so unbearable that I can't help but groan.
I have fallen ill.
And the name of that illness is loneliness.
Another ten thousand years have passed.
I have restored one hundred Colorless Glass Swords.
The speed of restoring the Colorless Glass Sword increases by the day, and the attraction force of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is gradually growing stronger.
Surprisingly, the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections harbors a powerful attraction force that even I hadn't been aware of.
As I restored the Colorless Glass Sword and the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, I acquired a deeper understanding of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections that I hadn't known before.
'The 31st move. If I restore the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, it will become much easier to control.'
I ponder as such with a calm expression.
Woo-ooong—
Afterward, I focus my consciousness on the Colorless Glass Sword, continuing to follow the countless links of attraction force attached to it, and restoring the sword.
Then, one day
Kugugugu!
On a sulfur sea on a planet where sulfur boils relentlessly,
On an island within the center of that sea, I find a Colorless Glass Sword shard beneath a rock and discover something strange.
"...This is...?"
Startled, I reach out towards it with trembling hands.
Clang—
Chills!
I suddenly feel chills run down my entire body.
The reason? Because what I found is a red sword.
On the blade of the sword, the characters Calendar Calculations (曆數) are engraved in an auspicious manner.
As I look at this extremely auspicious-looking treasure sword, I shudder.
"How...how could this...?"
It's a trace of civilization.
And a very advanced civilization at that!
This is not an ordinary sword, but a truly terrifying Divine Sword.
'If that's the case...does that mean that somewhere in this world, there exists a civilization...or a being with 'reason' capable of creating such a sword?!'
But just then,
Woo-wooong!
I suddenly feel a powerful resonance coming from an object inside my storage scroll.
Although I'm not entirely sure how I was revived, my clothing and storage scroll were restored along with me, and except for my natal dharma treasure, the Colorless Glass Sword, most of my dharma treasures are intact.
I take out a pristine, pure white divine sword made of Salt Crystal, known as Reforming Calendar.
Reforming Calendar (改曆) and Calendar Calculations (曆數).
I know the moment I see them.
These two were created as a pair.
"...Huh..."
I am slightly dumbfounded.
If these were made as a pair, then the sword called Calendar Calculations is a replica of an immortal treasure.
And yet, despite being a failed attempt at that, it has survived the End and remains in this place.
"...Just what...?"
I find it hard to believe that Reforming Calendar and Calendar Calculations are failed replicas, not even worthy of being called immortal treasures.
'I would believe it even if someone told me they are real immortal treasures.'
No matter how precious Salt Crystal might be, just what kind of dharma treasure can withstand the End?
Feeling absurd, I place Reforming Calendar and Calendar Calculations back into my storage scroll for now.
Five thousand years have passed.
I have now gathered a thousand Colorless Glass Swords.
Wo-woong!
Now, more than eighty percent of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections has been restored, and I can tell,
'From now on, within 500 years, I can find all the Colorless Glass Sword shards.'
It's no longer just a matter of certainty in the attraction force; I can gradually feel the shards of the Colorless Glass Sword being drawn back to me by attraction force.
It likely won't take much longer.
I gaze bitterly into the void.
This is the longest cycle I've ever survived.
But at the same time, it's been one of the most painful and agonizing lives I've ever lived.
What does it matter if I live for a hundred thousand or a million years?
In the end, people are beings that swim within the ties of connection.
In a place devoid of connections, one cannot grow.
In the coming tens of thousands of years, in this world where only those monstrous Quasi-Immortals, Sacred Masters, and Esteemed Ones exist, I would remain unchanged, just as before.
Kugugung!
Finally, after tens of thousands of years, I have gathered all three thousand Colorless Glass Swords that had been scattered across the entire Heavenly Domain.
Clang—
One of the last shards of the Colorless Glass Sword is fitted into place.
However, 'gathering all the swords' does not mean 'fully restoring the Colorless Glass Sword.'
I let out a sigh.
The very last piece of the Colorless Glass Sword, the tip of the blade.
I still haven't found the tiny fragment that forms the final point.
I rise from the cave where I found the last shard.
Wo-woong!
Through the attraction force of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, I focus my consciousness to search for the very last, final fragment of the Colorless Glass Sword.
And, just then,
"Hmm?"
Something is strange.
I can definitely feel that the last piece of the Colorless Glass Sword is in this world.
It exists somewhere in this Heavenly Domain.
But even with the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, I can't find it.
It's just the one, very last piece, and yet!
Greatly alarmed, I once again raise the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections to sense through its attraction force.
'Is it because it's too far away?'
But it's strange.
Even though the Heavenly Domain is expanding in real time, growing larger, the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections has always managed to track the shards of the Colorless Glass Sword.
This is an incredibly bizarre occurrence.
Greatly taken aback, I stomp my foot in frustration.
Kwagwagwagwagwang!
With my stomp, the continent of this planet splits apart, causing earthquakes and tsunamis.
The cave I am in collapses completely and disappears.
Just before the cave crumbled, in that fleeting moment, I avoided all the falling rocks and escaped, letting out a scream filled with rage.
"Where is it!!??"
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, must be restored at all costs.
Even if I have already restored over 99 percent, it isn't enough unless it's perfect.
My Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is, yes,
It's Seo Eun-hyun.
It is the essence of myself.
To lose even a speck of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections would be like forgetting a speck of my own connections.
"No...I have to find it...I must find it...!"
I don't want to forget even the smallest connection!
I can't let even a speck of memory slip through my fingers!
"I will definitely get it back in my hands. No matter what it takes!"
I shout with bloodshot eyes.
And then,
Kugugugugu!
In the debris of the collapsed cave, I discover something.
"...That is...?"
It's clearly an artificially made large disc.
It also looks like a shield.
Again.
Again, something like this appears before my eyes.
I stand in front of the disc with an uncomfortable expression.
There is no name on the disc.
It's merely a disk, nothing more.
But it's clearly something created by a civilization.
And since I am the only being with reason in this universe right now, there is only one possibility.
Either someone scattered it in front of me,
Or, like Reforming Calendar and Calendar Calculations, it's an object that has transcended the End.
And then,
Wo-woong!
As I look at Reforming Calendar and Calendar Calculations howling wildly within my storage scroll, I realize it's the latter.