I peeked into the Mad Lord's memories.
And I came to know of his life.
"..."
Paaatt...
As I regain my senses, the true bodies of the Seven Esteemed Ones Of An Era are in the process of being summoned around the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Quietly, I raise my sword and aim it toward them.
Next to me, Seo Hweol appears with a faint smile.
Oh Hye-seo's aura has once again disappeared outside the Bright Cold Realm.
Now, the only thing left beside the Mad Lord is Kim Yeon's consciousness.
Seo Hweol smiles faintly and speaks.
"Quite turbulent, isn't it? The Old Man's life...because of that state, I couldn't use Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens on him."
I glare at Seo Hweol in silence and grip the Colorless Glass Sword.
At last, I understand the secret of Mad Lord's heart essence.
The reason why I felt countless cries and screams filled with agony when I previously entered his heart essence.
It was because Jo Yeon devoured the entire Jo Clan, embedding them wholly into his consciousness, much like my own Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
No matter how much he resented them, it was still an expression of the Mad Lord's own guilt for killing his blood relatives.
That is the true cause of the madness he harbors.
"You're the one who fed 'her' to Jo Yeon, aren't you?"
Seo Hweol shrugs his shoulders.
"Hoho. All I did was guide the Jo Clan to separate 'her' from Jo Yeon through Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens. The ones who actually did the deed were the Jo Clan, who treated everyone outside cultivators as livestock."
At his explanation, I let out a hollow laugh.
"They probably never truly understood why they were annihilated until the very end. From their perspective, they merely plucked a radish from the field they were cultivating."
"..."
The cultivation world is truly repulsive.
Leaving Seo Hweol behind, I charge toward the Seven Esteemed Ones Of An Era.
In this world, the strong devouring the weak is not only considered common sense but is rather regarded as the 'natural order.'
The belief that 'cultivation is essentially plunder' is the law of this world and the absolute truth."
As I face Esteemed One Swae Ryeong, who is spewing coral, I grit my teeth.
'O Owner of Salt Mountain.'
The being who pushed forward the truth that cultivation is repentant enlightenment.
I ask that being silently.
'Is it not you who is wrong?'
Pukwak!
With one slash, I fend off Esteemed One Swae Ryeong, the cut Esteemed One Gwi Ryuk and Esteemed One Yuk Nyeong who rush from behind.
'This world is insane.'
The notion that the strong eat the weak has gone beyond being considered merely natural and reached a level of madness.
'In this insane world, is it not you who proclaimed that cultivation is repentant enlightenment...the one who is truly insane?'
I swing my sword, gritting my teeth.
As I witnessed the Mad Lord's life, I felt it deep in my bones.
There is no hope, not in this world or anywhere else.
Watching the Mad Lord's life, where he devoured his lover with his own hands, I came to realize one thing.
This world is ultimately governed by fate.
And if that fate is the heavens,
Does that not mean that the heavens are a being that can become so cruel to a single person?
If that's the case, then isn't this world under those heavens nothing but hell?
The Salt Mountain, who shouted repentant enlightenment, was annihilated while the Owner of Great Mountain, who piled up mountains of slaughter, pain, despair, and grief, remains—isn't that proof?
Doesn't the death of the virtuous and noble Yu Hao Te, while Blood Yin remains, also prove it as well?
Clench...
I grip the Colorless Glass Sword even tighter.
When hearts connect with one another, shouldn't that be an infinite blessing?
There was a time when I thought that.
But look.
In this world, the connection of hearts can instead bring even more pain!
Is it because my own pain has surfaced while watching the Mad Lord's past?
Or is it because Blood Yin is amplifying my negative emotions?
I swing my sword with a gloomy heart as I face the Esteemed Ones.
I can sense the Mad Lord beginning to regain consciousness.
But suddenly, a thought crosses my mind.
Even if Yeon's Play is activated, the Bright Cold Realm is already no different from hell due to the tyranny of the Heaven and Earth Tribes.
If that's the case...
Wouldn't it be not so bad to let Blood Yin consume...
[Daoist Seo!]
Flinch!
I come back to my senses due to Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
The stickiness of his Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens clings to my mind, preventing me from falling completely into darkness.
[Reflect on yourself.]
"..."
As he says, I reflect on myself.
Blood devilish energy surges from my entire body.
My eyes are not just bloodshot; they've turned fully red.
'...Hah.'
I understand why my mind had briefly gone astray.
The Owner of the Blood Yin Realm.
The True Immortal Blood Yin directly took action against me, who is facing off the Esteemed Ones.
I feel my mind gradually sinking into the darkness.
'Is this the power of Blood Yin...'
However, I don't feel the same fierce urge to escape Blood Yin's authority like before.
Perhaps it's because I no longer feel the urge to deny the negative power that Blood Yin whispers.
I simply search, powerlessly, for that divine voice that had once whispered in my ear.
'O Salt Mountain. In this world. What meaning does repentant enlightenment have...?'
"What meaning do you think!?"
...Huh?
"Reflecting on oneself means cultivating oneself. If the strong eating the weak is the truth and plundering is absolute, then eventually those who consider it absolute will also be devoured and plundered by someone stronger."
Why...are you here...?
"But those who cultivate themselves and grow will, even if they perish, only perish due to their own selves. What they hold would not be taken from others. What they have nurtured will remain with them, even if the world itself perishes."
A familiar old man with a goat-like beard is angrily scolding in front of me.
"So get a grip! You dim-witted thing!"
Flash!
Upon seeing Cheongmun Ryeong, I snap back to my senses.
But as soon as I do, Cheongmun Ryeong vanishes from sight.
What remains is only...
The pure white light emanating from Buk Hyang-hwa's norigae.
"..."
I gaze at the norigae for a moment and then smile.
Was it Cheongmun Ryeong who answered me through the norigae?
Or was it...
The Owner of Salt Mountain who answered my question in the form of Cheongmun Ryeong?
'Ah...'
I know the answer immediately.
It wasn't given by someone else.
It was something within me.
The Cheongmun Ryeong within my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections must have surely responded as such, showing me the vision as I have already come to that judgment myself.
The norigae was merely a trigger.
One who grows by plundering from others will, in the end, also be plundered.
But one who grows through repentant enlightenment will, even when the end comes, leave behind what they've built.
Now I finally understand why the Owner of Salt Mountain, who was said to have been annihilated, left behind so much authority.
It's because they did not grow by plundering others, but grew by cultivating themself, which is why so much still remains.
What is gained through repentant enlightenment will never perish!
Tssaaahhhhh!
A pure white light begins to radiate from my body.
Somehow, from far off in the distance.
From beyond even the universe, I feel the glare of someone vicious watching me.
But somehow, I feel that this 'someone,' though glaring at me, will not harm me.
Though they may hate me, I feel they acknowledge me as well.
Emboldened by that feeling, I drive out the Heart Demon awakening inside me.
"Hear this, Mad Lord."
I speak to the Mad Lord, who is just beginning to regain consciousness.
Kuung!
The forms of the Esteemed Ones in front of me begin to change.
:: Purple Soul Filling the Heavens. Six Harmonies Fully Blooming (六合滿開). ::
Esteemed One Hill Gi becomes iron.
Becoming a mountain of steel, they take their place in the western side of Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
Esteemed One Gwi Ryuk becomes a river.
Becoming a river of darkness, they take their place in the northern side of Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
Esteemed One Yuk Nyeong becomes a tree.
Sprouting from a body made of red soil, they become a blood tree in the eastern side.
Esteemed One Wi On becomes fire.
Burning their body away, they illuminate the southern side of Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
Esteemed One Gyeok Hal becomes the sky.
Becoming hideous stars that gaze down from above, they cover the sky.
Finally, Esteemed One Swae Ryeong becomes the land.
Kugugugugugu!
Their body made of red coral collapses, and coral begins to sprout across the entire continent of the Bright Cold Realm.
The mountain of irons hardens the corals, the river of darkness flows between the corals, the massive blood tree decays and nourishes the corals, and the flames provide warmth to the corals.
From the stars that have become the eyes of the sky, I feel a gaze.
It is no longer the gaze of Gyeok Hal.
:: Obey me. ::
Among the Blood Yin Realm Seven Esteemed Ones Of An Era,
Except for Gyu Cheon, who was born in the Bright Cold Realm and crossed over to the Blood Yin Realm, all the Esteemed Ones who became so in the Blood Yin Realm have lost themselves and become vessels that are no different than vessels for the authority of Blood Yin.
No, their situation is even more wretched than becoming vessels.
For they have lost themselves forever.
:: O Authority of Tridacna (硨磲; coral and shell). ::
The red tridacna, manifested from Esteemed One Swae Ryeong, spreads over the Bright Cold Realm, dyeing the entire world red.
I can feel it.
Soon, this world will become the Blood Yin Realm.
I speak again to the Mad Lord.
"Can you hear me, Mad Lord?"
The Mad Lord's consciousness returns.
Recalling the enlightenment I gained upon witnessing the Mad Lord's life, and seeing the vision of Cheong Mun Ryeong and overcoming the Heart Demon, I speak.
"You are a sinner. You plundered the lives and hearts of countless people to create the evil structure known as the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress. For your goal, you pushed hundreds of millions, trillions of living beings into the sufferings of hell. Therefore, you are undeniably a villain and a plunderer."
There is no response from the Mad Lord.
For some reason, his consciousness feels powerless.
I raise my sword as I gaze at the world changing before my eyes.
All around, monsters, including Heart Heavenly Demons, begin to appear.
"But..."
These Heart Heavenly Demons are different from the ones before.
Empowered by the might of Blood Yin, they possess even more terrifying authority as they eye the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Kugwagwagwang!
The onslaught of Blood Yin strikes the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
It seems as though there is a will to completely crush the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, which has the potential to summon the power of Vast Cold.
"Your Her, on the other hand, built everything up solely by herself. So..."
Even as I feel the terrifying army of Heart Heavenly Demons and the gaze of Blood Yin, I loudly convey my enlightenment to the Mad Lord.
"Within you, the power she has passed on—her heart—remains whole!"
I had thought the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress had regained its consciousness in front of me while fighting [Her] and took [Her] away.
I thought some 'consciousness' I hadn't known before had emerged in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
But no.
I merely didn't hear it before.
"Your Her has never once left your side! Not even once!!!"
The heart I gained enlightenment on from seeing the vision of the Cheongmun Ryeong.
The heart of a master remains in the heart of their disciple, even after the master's death.
The heart of one who repentantly enlightens upon themself while living. The heart that learns from one another...
Never disappears and stays within themself.
If that is the case, then the Mad Lord's Her as well.
Her heart must have remained within the Mad Lord, spanning over two thousand years!
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, conveys the heart I gained enlightenment on to the Mad Lord's consciousness.
The Mad Lord's gaze trembles violently as he receives my heart.
Then, tears flow from his eyes.
Finally understanding the feelings of Kim Young-hoon of that time, who once told me to 'swing,' I shout.
"Unfold it! It's already within you!!!"
The Mad Lord wipes his tears.
He can feel it.
Through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, his disciple is connecting Seo Eun-hyun to him.
Through Seo Eun-hyun's consciousness, his heart is fully conveyed to the Mad Lord.
Receiving a fragment of Seo Eun-hyun's enlightenment, the Mad Lord rises and forms a hand seal.
"...It would have been nice if someone had told me a bit earlier..."
A smile filled with indescribable emotions appears on the lips of the Mad Lord, Jo Yeon.
"...Did you call this Entering Heavens Beyond the Path?"
The realm Wol Ha-eun yearned for two thousand years ago.
Having received Seo Eun-hyun's enlightenment, the Mad Lord can finally set foot into that realm.
The Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, which he had believed to have reached great completion, now enters a new realm.
Paaaatt!
The Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress shines, and through Kim Yeon and Jo Yeon, Yeon's Play begins to unfold.
The fortress's body glows, and golden branches extend into the air.
The Mad Lord's fortress becomes a golden, ancient tree, illuminating the world of Blood Yin.
Then, the Mad Lord begins to dance.
He looks at Kim Yeon's consciousness body, which conveyed Seo Eun-hyun's heart to him.
In the eyes of the Mad Lord, who has reached great completion in the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, Kim Yeon's true heart is transparently reflected.
'Disciple, you too don't know your own heart yet.'
In that case, even though it is embarrassing to even call myself your master.
Still, as the one who carries that title.
I will impart my final teaching through this dance.
'I will teach my disciple and depart. This last teaching to my disciple...will be sufficient repayment for your grace. So...don't just rush ahead, but look back at my disciple who follows you as well. Seo Eun-hyun.'
The heart of Yeon (然/As thus, natural or to be expected).
The heart of Yeon (緣/Fate).
And the heart of Yeon (戀/Yearning).
"Entering Heavens Beyond the Path."
All combined, it becomes the heart of love.
"Heart of Love (戀心)."
The wonderfully mysterious past summoned by the monster husband unravels in the present.
And the threads of the Mad Lord's consciousness begin to be dyed a light pink, scattering across the Four Directions and Heaven and Earth.
From the tips of the golden branches of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress,
The light pink threads flow down, blossoming the Mad Lord's heart beneath the blood-red sky.
Author's Note: Illustration has been added! Thank you artist Failose!
Translator Note: I can't seem to upload here but the artwork is in the discord.
-x-X-x-
The light pink threads dance beneath the red sky.
Clack, clack, clack, clack...
The puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress begin to move.
The artificial souls of the puppets perfectly recreate the moment from two thousand years ago, and the attraction force starts to distort spacetime.
Creaaaaak!
Jo Yeon returns to that moment.
Wo-woong!
The Mad Lord and [Her].
Together with Wol Ha-eun, they return to the evening of that day.
The Mad Lord Jo Yeon and Wol Ha-eun begin to dance, one holding a fan, the other a short spear.
Watching them, I suddenly realize something that sends chills down my spine and open my mouth.
'...I see.'
Jo Yeon will likely realize it soon as well.
Tsssaaaaaah!
While Jo Yeon is dancing, threads of his consciousness flow down from the branches of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Each light pink thread of consciousness connects to each of our consciousnesses.
The moment those threads make contact, I feel all the negative thoughts within my mind completely dissolve.
Tsssssaaaaah.
The conditions of the comrades who had lost consciousness due to the amplification of the Heart Heavenly Demon and negative forces begin to improve as soon as the Mad Lord's consciousness threads reach them.
The Heart Heavenly Demons inside them dissolve instantly.
The Mad Lord's Entering Heavens, Heart of Love, spreads far and wide.
From the golden quince tree, thousands of light pink threads spread out, covering Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
Kugugugugu!
Heavenly Lotus Mountain begins to tremble, and from somewhere, a strange sound spreads, echoing through the Heaven and Earth and the four directions.
A sound like something is screaming!
And then, as I operate the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, I come to understand Jo Yeon's enlightenment.
'I see...this is the realm of great completion in the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.'
The Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is essentially a method of turning the consciousness domain of cultivators, that are in the form of spheres, into threads, which are like those of mortals.
By alternating the consciousness domain between the form of threads and sphere, it is possible to freely transform the domain's shape, manipulate puppets, and create 'artificial consciousness' through the 'circuits' of magic artifacts, which is the core of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.
Moreover, since it shares the same thread-like consciousness form as mortals, it can change the color of emotion and infiltrate the other's consciousness, making it seem like the emotion is theirs while being able to exchange heart language.
Through the fully mastered Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, I realize what its true potential is.
The power to connect people.
That is the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.
Through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, the light pink threads begin to connect us.
Between me and the Mad Lord.
Between the Mad Lord and Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon, Shi Ho, and Azure Tiger Saint, and others—their hearts begin to link together.
And as I connect with the Mad Lord's heart, I begin to understand the power of his Entering Heavens, Heart of Love.
"The power to manifest the phenomena within intent...!"
A person's intent, on its own, is merely the color of emotion, but when it descends to the Plane of Qi, it can manifest as a fascinating phenomena or power.
Once, when Kim Young-hoon explained his enlightenment regarding Five Energies Converging to the Origin, he demonstrated how the intent of anger fused with energy could cause Gang Qi to surge, and how the intent of love merged with energy could make Gang Qi to amplify.
Of course, Kim Young-hoon didn't study the phenomena related to intent in depth, so he didn't gain a technique or Entering Heavens related to it.
However, through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, the Mad Lord who observed the emotions of people for two thousand years gained an Entering Heavens tied to it.
His Entering Heavens, Heart of Love, has the ability to summon the potential of the phenomena contained within intent!
I...no.
Everyone here who knows the Mad Lord sees the light pink sea rising in his heart.
It is a heart of love solely for Ha-eun.
That heart of love begins to manifest as a phenomenon through the Mad Lord's Heart of Love.
Kugugugugugu!
Infinite!
The most vast and powerful intent begins to unleash an unstoppable force.
Urung, Ururung!
Within Yeon's Play where Jo Yeon is dancing, thunder and lightning roar from within.
Yeon's Play is unfolding in a perfect form that has never been seen before.
Outside, Kim Yeon controls the flow, while inside, Jo Yeon draws out the power.
I can see the pressure of that space undulating, driving out the negative authority of Blood Yin.
Woong, wo-woong!
Suddenly, I feel a will resounding from beyond the sky.
: : Not a chance. : :
Kururung!
Keheok!
I cough up blood.
Just hearing that voice strikes my soul and body with an impact as powerful as a Heavenly Tribulation,
: : It is already over. Unless Vast Cold returns alive, the Bright Cold Realm is mine. : :
The Heart Heavenly Demons sing.
Darkness flows like a river, and throughout the world, negative forces gather, giving birth to monsters.
Then...
Jo Yeon's Heart of Love touches Kim Yeon's consciousness body.
Paaaaatt!
At the same time, Kim Yeon's consciousness body, which had been pure white until now, begins to be dyed.
No, to be exact, it is being drawn out by Jo Yeon.
It seems as though the colors inside are being pulled to the surface.
Dududududududu!
'Ah...'
Watching this scene, I smile.
For some reason, an overwhelming sense of relief settles within me.
I recognize this sight.
From Kim Yeon's consciousness body, which has produced an entirely light pink consciousness body, it seems as if light pink flames are blazing.
What I saw at the end of the 15th cycle.
Kim Yeon's incarnation that appeared through Gyu Baek's Vast Cold Oath, has now revealed itself through becoming one with the Heart of Love.
Surururururu—
Yeon's Play is fully activated through that infinite power, and the light from the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress that had temporarily driven back the wicked power of Blood Yin begins to fade.
Jo Yeon's life force is being drained.
To summon the past...
An incredibly overwhelming power is needed, more than the 'infinite power' manifested through his Heart of Love.
Not only his Heart of Love, but he is squeezing every last bit of his life force to summon the scene of his past.
I briefly look at the scene of the Mad Lord's past floating above the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and ask Seo Hweol.
"Is that all, Seo Hweol? Didn't you say that when the Mad Lord activates Yeon's Play, things would get better?"
I ask Seo Hweol, and Seo Hweol responds through Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
It seems he doesn't want to speak to me directly under the sky of Blood Yin.
[This is my first time seeing the Mad Lord's Immortal Art, so I am not sure, but...I do know one thing. Through that, he has already directly summoned the power of Vast Vold. However, the scene the Mad Lord has summoned is now acting as a barrier, trapping that power. In short...when the Mad Lord breathes his last and that scene fades, the power of Vast Vold will naturally rise.]
Seo Hweol warns me.
[And, if I've noticed this much, Blood Yin surely noticed as well. The erosion of the Bright Cold Realm by Blood Yin is about eight-tenths complete. They will begin attacking the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress soon, so prepare yourself.]
"...Understood."
Kugugugugugu!
I can feel the entire world rejecting us.
Ominous forces are pushing us away.
From the west, a storm surges. From the north, a tidal wave crashes. From the east, Heavenly Tribulation pours down. From the south, lava erupts; all surging toward us.
Kuuuuuuung!
Heaven and Earth are reversing!
A technique like the one Baek Woon once displayed reverses Heaven and Earth, trying to send the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress crashing down to the sky.
'Eighty percent of the realm has been taken, and they are already displaying authority at the level of a Sacred Master.'
I glance back.
The Mad Lord's life force is scattering, and his past is becoming faint.
The threads of the Heart of Love that Jo Yeon created are gradually fading.
As the power of love emitted by Jo Yeon's Heart of Love fades, the negative and wicked forces once again flood into the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Cheok!
I begin forming hand seals.
Until now, aside from when I fought Yuan Li, I rarely used curses with hand seals or invocations.
The curses are already deeply embedded in my soul, and I became a curse sorcerer at the level where just thinking about it can curse my opponent.
Even when I intend to use curses, battles usually end before I can fully unleash the power of my curses, so there has rarely been a need to use the curses' 'full' strength.
But today,
I must draw out every potential of my curses, born from all my pain and anguish.
Cheok, cheok, cheok, cheok!
A vicious curse blooms, and a veil of writhing eyes forms around the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
The eyeballs occasionally form faces, trying to escape the veil, but they fail.
[Extinguishing Realm Ghost Curse. Reverse!]
The curse monsters, which have already become akin to the Heart Heavenly Demons of Blood Yin, all begin to reverse simultaneously.
The Mad Lord's heart connected to all of us.
The hearts of people connected to each other, and we became one.
Therefore, even though this may be the life of one who has suffered, at this moment, it is a blessing!
Paaaatt!
A brilliant, pure white light bursts forth from ten million flower buds, driving away the wicked forces.
It's not over yet.
I begin to use Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains.
Woong!
I infuse each move of Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains with blessings, with the power of Vanquishing Evil and Upholding Righteousness, and resist this negative and wicked world of Blood Yin.
Kuung!
I feel my sword strike collide against the very principles of Blood Yin.
The technique that grows infinitely stronger by absorbing the opponent's power.
The flowers of blessings grow endlessly stronger alongside Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains, and the light becomes brighter and brighter.
As I perform the sword dance, I glance back slightly.
The Mad Lord's life force is fading, and Kim Yeon is walking up to the highest floor of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress where the Mad Lord is meeting his end with her main body.
'I can't witness his final moments. So...the Mad Lord's last moments, I leave them to you. Kim Yeon...'
Wiiiing—
Yeon's Play ends.
The Mad Lord Jo Yeon looks at Ha-eun in front of him.
Ha-eun is smiling with a blush.
It is not the stiff body of a puppet.
The one who had been with him two thousand years ago— it is definitely 'Her' body.
The Mad Lord Jo Yeon smiles as he looks at the blurring scenery around him.
"Even if it's just once, I wanted to return to this moment."
Sssss—
The scene of the memories he longed for gradually fades, and Jo Yeon returns to reality.
He feels the cold wind.
He feels the sky shining.
This is not the Seoak village where he first became lovers with her; it's just the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
The warm Hae-un is gone, leaving only the stiff [Her] behind.
The Mad Lord looks at [Her] for a moment, then turns his gaze to Kim Yeon, who has reached the highest floor of the fortress.
"Have you come?"
"...Yes."
"Between us, there's quite a lot to talk about."
Jo Yeon looks at Kim Yeon with a gaze that says 'I'm sorry' and smiles.
"I've done many unforgivable things to you. Even after that, I pretended to be your master and entrusted you with my long-cherished wish. I...truly owe you a great debt."
Kim Yeon tries to say something but bites her lip instead.
Then, she remains silent.
It seems she intends to listen to him until the end.
"I won't ask for your forgiveness. You can resent me as much as you want, and for kidnapping you and modifying you at will...I have no excuses, even if I had ten mouths. But...even as a lacking master, I am still your master."
He points to a certain place within the fading scenery of Yeon's Play.
"As your master, this may be...the first and last proper gift and teaching I give you."
In the direction Jo Yeon points, a single flower is blooming in the air.
It is a quince flower.
It is both a Qi Flower created by Wol Ha-eun's Paired Wings Spear inside Yeon's Play, and at the same time, it is the goal Jo Yeon clung to for two thousand years, even as he was tormented by madness.
It is Jo Yeon's hope.
"Take it."
Kim Yeon walks towards the quince flower at the center of the fading Yeon's Play.
As she passes Jo Yeon, she speaks.
"I hated you."
"Is that so?"
"I still hold some resentment towards you. You kidnapped me at will, engraved the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon into my mind at will, and even etched stuff like circuits into my body at will. But..."
Kim Yeon closes her eyes.
She, too, along with Seo Eun-hyun, Seo Hweol, and Oh Hye-seo, saw Jo Yeon's past.
At the end of Jo Yeon's past was, in the end, the answer Kim Yeon had been searching for.
The first and last Yeon's Play that Jo Yeon showed her.
And his Heart of Love was undoubtedly the very answer she had been seeking.
Therefore...
"Even if I resent you, I will respect you. Even if I dislike you, I will revere you, and I will remember you."
After finishing her words, Kim Yeon walks past Jo Yeon and steps into the center of Yeon's Play.
Jo Yeon collapses on the spot.
Where he sits, Yeon's Play has completely dissipated and has fully returned to the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
The puppet musicians who had been playing instruments stopped all at once.
As their master's life fades, the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress comes to a halt.
Clank...
Using the last of his strength, Jo Yeon manipulates the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon to make [Her] sit across from him.
With trembling hands, Jo Yeon takes out a storage scroll from his chest.
Seo Eun-hyun had previously told him that Ha Eun's heart also resides within Jo Yeon's heart.
'Through the act of giving one's heart to another, I have come to be who I am now...what a remarkable enlightenment...'
To become who he is now, countless people have given their hearts to Jo Yeon.
And among them, undoubtedly...Ha Eun's heart must also be there.
Therefore, it was said that Ha-eun resides within Jo Yeon.
'In truth, we were already together.'
It seems so simple, yet it's something no one had ever told the Mad Lord for two thousand years.
'To think my heart was put at ease so easily...what have I been doing for the past two thousand years?'
As he closes his eyes, Jo Yeon takes something out from the storage scroll.
"If there is indeed a place called Hell, I will surely fall to its deepest, most scorching, and most agonizing depths."
Jo Yeon himself knows.
He is a devilish villain who spent thousands of years capturing and forcibly modifying countless living beings into puppets.
An insane madman.
His sins are unforgivable.
Therefore...
Hell is a certainty, and he already accepted that.
What Jo Yeon takes out is White-Red Wine and two cups.
"...I said...before..."
With great difficulty, he moves his body, from which life force is gradually draining, and barely manages to speak.
He is dying now.
He will likely be dragged to the deepest pit of Hell, but he has accepted that.
Dying is fine.
The only regret is...
"Next time...together...let's hold a proper ceremony..."
Chururuk...
Jo Yeon places one cup in front of him.
And one in front of [Her].
He pours the White-Red Wine.
After setting down the bottle, Jo Yeon lifts the White-Red Wine placed in front of [Her] and drinks it.
"This is how the Upper Realm cultivators...conduct their...wedding ceremony..."
What he regrets...
Is that he couldn't hold a real ceremony with Ha-eun.
That is the only thing.
After drinking the White-Red Wine placed before [Her], Jo Yeon realizes that he has not even the life force left to lift a finger.
In his gradually blurring vision, he gazes at [Her] face.
[She] cannot move either, her power source having been completely burned from unfolding Yeon's Play.
'It was a life full of sins. I expect to fall to the deepest pit of Hell. However, I swear before the Divine Spirits of Heaven and Earth...'
With the last of his strength, he takes one final look at [Her].
'That in meeting you, in loving you, I have not a single regret...'
Creak—
And then.
Creak, creak—
[Her] hand starts to move.
Though there should be no power source, [She], who is nothing more than a puppet, is moving.
Torn apart by the attacks of the Heart Heavenly Demons, the puppet, which is practically in shambles, begins to move forcibly.
Jo Yeon's mouth opens.
Tears flow from his eyes.
Creak, creak, creak, creak!
The pulleys and gears inside [Her] are turning.
And somehow, though it's unclear from where the power is even coming from, the puppet finally grasps for the White-Red Wine that Jo Yeon had poured.
Creak—
'Ah...all this time...you were truly...'
Jo Yeon cries.
'You were truly there.'
[She], who has always been controlled by someone's will, moves without any input from either Kim Yeon or Jo Yeon.
In that way, [She] lifts the cup to her lips and pours the drink into her mouth.
With that as the finale, the two puppets that performed the greatest play under the sun and moon finally come to a stop.
The pattern that emerged on one side of the Mad Lord's face glows light pink and falls away from his face, scattering into flower petals.
Kim Yeon bites her lip.
Her chest aches.
Jo Yeon's final emotions were vividly transmitted to her, who was connected to him.
Tststststststs!
She accepts the quince flower into her chest.
And at last, she finds the answer regarding the heart she has been searching for.
Love is joy.
Love is hate.
Love is sorrow, pleasure, and desire.
Love is not everything.
Rather, everything is love.
The gladness Jo Yeon felt at the end.
His longing. His relief. His sense of liberation. His possessiveness. His obsession.
All of it was love.
"What is Immortal Cultivation? Someone once asked me that."
As Kim Yeon feels Jo Yeon's heart, she realizes that she has suddenly arrived at a place she has never seen before.
It's a Peach Blossom Spring.
A beautiful place where light pink peach blossoms are in full bloom across Heaven and Earth.
There, hidden by a large peach blossom tree, someone speaks.
"Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment. They told me it is reflecting and cultivating oneself. I agree with that to some extent, but my answer was a little different."
Looking at the being, Kim Yeon feels an indescribable sense of overwhelming emotions and beauty, along with awe and reverence.
"Immortal Cultivation is progress. It's about being better today than you were yesterday. We are all always moving forward in some direction. Sometimes toward admiration, sometimes toward gratitude, sometimes toward affection, sometimes toward obsession, and sometimes toward sympathy..."
Kim Yeon flinches.
The order of emotions recited by that being corresponds exactly to the sequence of feelings Kim Yeon felt toward Seo Eun-hyun.
"It is neither the form nor the essence that changes. You struggle a little more than yesterday, contemplate a little more than yesterday, and continuously progress, gradually seeking a more and more complete form. Ultimately...isn't that what Immortal Cultivation is? So...don't blame yourself."
She sheds a tear, as if her heart has been seen through.
Even though her hidden feelings have been exposed, rather than feeling embarrassed, she feels a sense of liberation.
"You have simply been moving forward all this time. If you have come here with a clear heart, not bound by delusion, doesn't that mean you have undoubtedly grown more than before? Just as the Heaven, Earth, and Heart is one, but its expression varies...your heart has, in fact, never changed. It's just that...the way it was expressed is different."
At those words, Kim Yeon finally breaks down in tears.
She thought she didn't want to lose people.
That's why she sought to understand love.
That is why she has always looked at Seo Eun-hyun.
But she wondered.
Could this feeling, in fact, not be love?
Could she have not gained anything at all?
Is she, in fact, someone no different from Oh Hye-seo?
That is how she had thought.
But it wasn't true.
Though the manner of expression may have changed slightly, it has always existed unchangingly.
The being behind the peach blossom tree smiles and speaks.
"Never forget today. I am the Seat Holder of End (終命座主), Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King (硨磲廣寒天王)."
[TL/N: End here is the same End in Enders, as in the characters End Fate (終命). It was confirmed by the author to be related to Acceptance at Fate's End.]
Suddenly, Kim Yeon feels an incredibly warm sensation like sunlight, as if that figure absolutely supports her.
"My soul may be ■■■■■, but my flesh will always support you."
Kim Yeon feels as though a giant hand is gently pushing her away.
Yet, she doesn't feel rejected. Instead, only a cozy feeling seems to envelop her.
"Be cautious of what True Immortals give you. They cannot gift you anything but misfortune..."
With those parting words, Kim Yeon realizes she has returned to the top floor of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
'Quince flower...'
She smiles as she gazes at the light pink petals fluttering around her.
Come to think of it, that flower truly has many ties to her.
Wasn't it on that day, in front of the tree with falling quince flowers, that she truly started liking Seo Eun-hyun?
Suruk—
Kim Yeon takes her stance.
It resembles the Paired Wings Spear of Wol Ha-eun, the fan dance of Jo Yeon, and also the Paired Wings Dance taught by Seo Eun-hyun.
Kim Yeon's feet begin to move.
She begins to dance, performing a series of connected movements.
The internal energy method taught by Seo Eun-hyun, the Intertwined Branches Heart Method, begins to whirl fiercely within her body.
As her movements flow seamlessly from one to the next, she draws a circle.
At the end of that circle, the energy subtly amplifies.
In theory, this martial art was designed to draw forth infinite power.
Of course, Seo Eun-hyun had judged that for that theory to be realized, Kim Yeon would need to perform the Paired Wings Dance several billions of times over. However, Kim Yeon found another method in her own way.
Paaaaaaaaatt!
From Kim Yeon's body, thousands, tens of thousands, and even hundreds of millions of threads begin to burst forth.
These threads connect to the hundreds of millions, trillions of puppets remaining in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Then, the puppets rise all at once, driven by Kim Yeon's will.
Paaatt!
The puppets begin to move.
The puppets mirror Kim Yeon's every action.
It is as if they are all dancing together.
Inside the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, trillions of puppets begin to perform the Dance of Paired Wings in unison.
All repeating the same movements, they connect.
The circle is drawn.
The circle within the trillions of puppets resonates with Kim Yeon, linking to the circle inside her body.
This resonance grows larger and larger, until at last, the light pink energy of the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress converges towards Kim Yeon.
Finally, Kim Yeon stops the Paired Wings Dance and controls the immense rotation within her body with the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle, stretching her hand towards the sky.
'I like you.'
Like.
And she will not name it anything else.
She will no longer pity Seo Eun-hyun, no longer feel gratitude, and no longer love him.
Because love, by nature, has no name.
Isn't there a saying, 'Enlightenment cannot be established in words (不立文字)'?
Just as enlightenment cannot be conveyed through language, love too cannot be described in words.
Therefore, she will no longer say that she loves Seo Eun-hyun.
She will simply, in the clearest and simplest expression, 'like' him.
Kim Yeon, realizing that love cannot be named and why her affection had been colorless, unleashes the power of Vast Cold raging within her into the sky.
"Entering Heavens Beyond the Path."
Paaaaatt!
Yeon's Play is reactivated.
In place of the quince flowers that couldn't bloom during winter, and instead of Jo Yeon's light pink heart tied to the old tree,
The quince flowers of the quince tree, now reawakened by spring, begin to bloom profusely over the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
"Full Blossom (滿開花)!"
Accepting Jo Yeon's heart and unfolding through the power of Vast Cold, Kim Yeon finally acknowledges her own heart and smiles silently.
Author's Note:
The flower language of quince flowers is ordinariness and passion.
At the same time, it also means precocity/early maturity (早熟).
The reason why Jo Yeon's surname is Jo (早/Early) was set up that way for today.
In the context of the story, it represents the 'maturity of Jo Yeon (早緣/Early Fate or Love)' and can also be seen as a wordplay on 'the maturity of immature love.'
Outside of the story, it could simply mean, 'from now on, the supporting characters will mature,' or it could just be me attaching the quince flower's meaning of precocity to the story.
[TL/N: Joyeon/조연 means supporting role/character.]
Both Seo Eun-hyun and Kim Yeon are symbolized by the quince flower.
Seo Eun-hyun represents 'ordinariness and passion,' while Kim Yeon symbolizes 'precociousness.'
Although they share the same flower, they carry different symbolic meanings, making this episode for both of them, as well as for Jo Yeon.
-x-X-x-
Pasasasasa!
With the death of the Mad Lord, the patterns that emerged on his face grow pale pink and scatter like flower petals.
And in the darkness where no light reaches,
Someone is watching the scene, their body trembling.
[Finally...]
As they began to tremble, a bright smile spread across their face.
[Finally...! The Liberation Law Talent (解放法才) has been born! The [Key] is now in my hands!]
That being, filled with ecstasy, gazes beyond the distant sky.
Staring into the dark and empty sky beyond, they clench their hand.
[Now...it's soon.]
Kugugugugu!
The fully bloomed pink quince flowers rise above the wonderfully mysterious tree.
I can feel it.
Ting, tingle...
Even I, who has reached the Second Step Before the Throne, Void Shattering, can feel my breath stop at this 'infinite' power!
'This is...'
Dudududududu!
The ground begins to tremble, and beneath the crimson coral-covered land of the Bright Cold Realm, light pink flower dust starts to seep out.
The scent of peach blossoms is carried by the wind from somewhere, tickling my nose.
'The power of Vast Cold...'
Flash!
The entire world fills with pale pink light, driving away the crimson sky.
: : Vast Cold!!!!! : :
The desperate voice, whether it's longing, despair, or anger, echoes beneath the sky.
It's when Kim Yeon starts to unleash her power.
Wiiiiiiing!
Seven orbs of light rise around the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
'Those are...'
The Mad Lord's masterpiece.
The items [She] needed in order to rise to the Star Shattering stage.
[Artificial Stars].
Originally, even if all the power sources of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress were poured in, the half-complete artificial stars could only operate for five seconds. But now, beneath the quince flowers, it feels like the artificial stars' power is fully recharging.
No...
Even the seven artificial stars cannot fully handle that power and are becoming 'overcharged'!
Kugugugugu!
At the same time, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress at the center of the artificial stars...
No,
Kim Yeon begins to display the true power of a cultivator at the Star Shattering stage.
Pabababang!
Absorbing the power of Blood Yin, Gyu Cheon, who had displayed immense strength at the late Star Shattering stage, is flung far away.
The Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, having absorbed the power of the seven stars, begins firing its main cannons.
Pabang!
"...!"
With that one blast, the tidal wave in the north evaporates on the spot.
The main cannons continue to fire.
The fiery heat in the south, the lightning tribulation in the east, the storms in the west—all vanish simultaneously, and the world, overturned by the pink brilliance, is restored to its original state.
Kiiiiiii!
The materialized Heart Heavenly Demons charge forwards all at once.
Since they don't attack in one massive clump like natural disasters, the main cannons cannot take them all out together.
However, Kim Yeon extends her palm.
Kugugugugu!
It's overwhelming.
No...perhaps it should be called tyrannical. A colossal force begins to gather in her hand.
Her stance itself isn't particularly sharp or precise by my standards.
However, as the power coalesces in front of Kim Yeon, a quince flower starts to bloom.
Flash!
The dragon wave of the Dragon Race.
No, perhaps it's more akin to the main cannon of the Nether Crossing Ship or the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
A similar beam erupts with her palm strike, instantly shattering and killing the Heart Heavenly Demons in a single blow.
But that strike isn't the end.
She continues dancing, sweeping away the Heart Heavenly Demons without pause.
Kim Yeon's feet move.
With each step, her dance flows seamlessly, her twin palms endlessly blooming quince flowers and unleashing beams in all directions.
Chiiiiii—
I inhale deeply, feeling the smoke rising from my entire body.
The recoil of Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains technique is settling inside me.
In the past, just using Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains would have guaranteed my death, but ever since I reached the Integration stage, where my body has become a world itself, it only produces some smoke.
'Though if I really pushed it endlessly, I suppose I'd die eventually...'
I calm my breathing and look toward Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
Ever since Kim Yeon manifested the Fully Bloomed Flower, an enormous murderous energy has been surging from deep within Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
"Is that the wedge Blood Yin planted in this world?"
"That's right. Blood Yin drove a wedge into the depths of Heavenly Lotus Mountain and has been eroding the Bright Cold Realm."
Twitch, twitch...
Seo Hweol appears beside me, smiling faintly as he explains.
The moment the power of Vast Cold manifested, the red sky began to turn back to blue, and the Blood Yin Realm was reverting to the Bright Cold Realm.
"The original plan was to combine Daoist Seo's strength with the power of Vast Cold the Mad Lord had nurtured and strike the wedge within Heavenly Lotus Mountain, but..."
Seo Hweol lets out a small laugh.
"I never expected that miss to...amplify the power of Vast Cold... Thanks to that, it seems Blood Yin has taken an unimaginable shock. If Daoist Seo purifies the wedge in this state...Blood Yin will undoubtedly suffer a fatal blow."
Perhaps because Blood Yin's sky has retreated, Seo Hweol kindly explains in his actual voice the current situation and what I need to do.
"Go now, Daoist Seo. Pierce a hole through Heavenly Lotus Mountain, drain the power of the wedge, and then have the miss strike it with a single strike infused with the power of Vast Cold. That will completely collapse Blood Yin."
"Alright."
Cheok!
Seo Hweol places a hand on my shoulder and smiles.
"I will place Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens. I know what you're thinking, but this time, it's really not like that. Without me, Daoist Seo won't be able to face Blood Yin's will head-on."
"..."
"...Because of our contract, I can't pull any tricks. Besides, if you're suspicious, you can easily dispel it with the power of the Heart Tribe, no?"
"I didn't say anything..."
Though I feel uneasy, I reluctantly nod.
Seo Hweol smiles faintly, placing his hand on my shoulder, and something sticky and dark starts to seep into my soul.
I feel his sticky personality layering itself over my soul.
As if a wrapper labeled 'Seo Hweol' has been placed over my soul.
I take my stance and rush from the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress toward the center of Heavenly Lotus Mountain, where a terrifying killing intent surges.
Kwaaang!
My charge creates a hole straight through Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
I head toward the core of Heavenly Lotus Mountain, brandishing my sword intent to cut through the path ahead, and finally, I manage to enter a large cavern.
Kururung!
'This place...'
I narrow my eyes.
What probably once was an ordinary cavern is now filled with sticky blood and something resembling brain matter, and the walls of the cavern have transformed into flesh, as though they belong to some creature.
At the center of the cavern,
There, thousands of red auras writhe like tentacles, coiling around something in the shape of a sphere.
From the center of the red sphere, a pitch-black dot emerges, glaring at me.
"Hm...!"
Ziiiiing!
An overwhelming [Gaze].
As soon as I face that [Gaze], I receive a mental shock so intense that my mind begins to melt, and my body trembles.
"Kuuuuugh! Guugh..."
'Is this...the vision of a Star Shattering stage?'
With the vision of Void Shattering, I read the malicious intent that blankets the entire Plane of Soul.
An overwhelming malice and filth.
A conglomeration of filth, obsession, and stickiness!
The moment I lock eyes with [It], I feel thousands of devilish arts and understandings of the Devilish Path etching themselves into my mind, gnawing away at my consciousness.
And then, I realize that even this is only barely possible because Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens is protecting my mind.
'From the Star Shattering stage and beyond, the higher one's realm, the harder it is to gaze directly upon a [Higher Being].'
It seems that as one's vision of the world broadens, sharpens, and becomes grander, so too does one's ability to comprehend, as well as the pain that comes with it.
It's like how a person with sharp senses feels pain more acutely!
Zziiiiiiiiing!
I feel a will transmitting itself from the orb of tentacles that looks like an eyeball before me.
: : Pray to me. Worship me. You shall uphold my will...immediately turn around and kill the bug spewing the power of the Vast Cold. If you do so, you may become an Esteemed One under my command... : :
Ziiiiiiing!
An overwhelming will presses down, trying to twist my own.
I can sense it.
If I lose focus even for a moment, my consciousness will be swallowed by that will, turning me into a puppet in an instant.
I realize that if it weren't for Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens acting as the minimum protective barrier, the existence known as 'me' would have been devoured by Blood Yin before I could even steel my will.
I stand before Blood Yin and speak.
"...This little one has always held deep respect for the [Chief Judge of the Netherworld, Nether Devil True Lord Yu Hao Te]."
Splash!
A fountain of blood spurts from my entire body, but I pay it no mind and continue speaking.
I can feel that Blood Yin's eye no longer tries to control me and instead listens to my words.
"He was noble. He possessed a character that commanded the utmost respect from all. I find it truly regrettable that he met with misfortune while going to help his friend, in loyalty befitting his authority."
No intent can be read from the eye before me.
However, I can tell from the way this space no longer rejects me and quietly listens to my words that it is quite 'pleased.'
"As a mere mortal who admires that noble figure, I beseech thee. Does not the will of the Great One remain immortal within thee? Is not the Bright Cold Realm once the body of your friend? I beg thee, O Great One, in respect for the honor of your friend, to withdraw. If you act in remembrance of that honor, all the Gods of the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds will once again see the loyalty of the Chief Judge of the Netherworld."
The entire space trembles at my words.
The eye, composed of tentacles, gazes at me with what seems like a satisfied look, transmitting its will.
: : One who knows propriety. I see that you have the eyes to recognize the truly great. But there is something you misunderstand. The reason I seek to enter the body of Vast Cold is that only I, their friend, can rightfully claim it. : :
Its words continue.
: : After Vast Cold's soul departed, they have been continuously desecrated for hundreds of thousands of years. Their name was altered to include the word 'Light,' and Baek Woon, a devotee of the Light, has erased, controlled, and suppressed every trace of Vast Cold within their body. My goal is solely to raise Vast Cold's body again and challenge Baek Woon and the loathsome Light that has desecrated the Vast Cold's honor for hundreds of thousands of years. : :
I speak with a bitter smile.
"I humbly dare to proclaim. If you are truly the noble Chief Judge...would it not be proper for you to cleanse your friend's honor by growing your own strength, rather than raising their corpse to do so? As the one who judges the rights and wrongs of the deceased, should you not properly assess whether raising your friend's corpse is truly right...?"
At my words, the gaze in the sphere changes.
: : Are you trying to test my qualifications? I am Yu Hao Te!!! No matter what anyone says, I am the greatest True Lord and the greatest Chief Judge, favored by the Oldest One! I do not need validation from a bug like you, for I am Yu Hao Te!!! : :
It seems my words have pricked their pride, as their eye flares with light.
: : Explode and die, you wretched bug...! : :
Kugugugugu!
An overwhelming pressure crushes down on me.
Barely resisting, I laugh.
"...I understand. Then I will no longer address you as Chief Judge, but as Blood Yin."
: : How dare you!!! : :
At that moment.
Kwarurung!
Jeon Myeong-hoon appears beside me.
It seems he has regained his senses now that the Blood Yin Realm's influence has disappeared, and the Heart Heavenly Demons have left from his mind.
Drip, drip...
He is crying.
"Is there...anything I can do?"
It seems he heard everything through Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, fully grasping the situation.
"That bastard...showed me [that time]...over and over again...!"
It appears Blood Yin's Heart Heavenly Demon had been replaying the day of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect's destruction in Jeon Myeong-hoon's mind.
I grin and speak.
"When I strike, immediately trigger Heavenly Tribulation."
"What...?"
"Kim Yeon!"
I call out loudly to Kim Yeon, and an overwhelming power surges toward me from behind.
Kim Yeon activates Yeon's Play.
As the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections resonates with Yeon's Play, figures from 'my past' are summoned to this place.
Grinning, I point to the center of the sphere of red auras.
"Isn't the one inside Sacred Master Baek Woon?"
I can feel it.
Baek Woon is inside, along with the remnants of Yang Su-jin embedded in her.
After capturing Sacred Master Baek Woon and placing her under their control, Blood Yin probably began to erode the Bright Cold Realm through her.
In other words, if I strike Sacred Master Baek Woon, I can summon Yang Su-jin's power inside her and drain Blood Yin's strength.
After weakening Blood Yin, Kim Yeon can deliver the final blow, ending everything.
Before Blood Yin can react, I take my stance and shout.
"I shall save you, Sacred Master!"
I will summon Heavenly Tribulation and stimulate Yang Su-jin's lightning spear.
I recall the countless Heart Tribe members I've met and seen within the Heart Tribe territory.
The ten thousand 3rd stage Heart Tribe members.
And...Jang Ik's 22 disciples.
River Bend.
"Sudden Wind, Sudden Rain (不時風雨)!"
Flash!
The sword strike of Gyeong Chang, who died while seeking the next realm, erupts from my blade.
The same method I used against Seo Hweol in the 15th cycle bursts forth from my hand.
But this time, it's different.
Now, within my heart, resides the ten thousand Heart Tribe members and 22 disciples!
You want to reclaim Vast Cold's body to restore your realm and position?
This is a world where even recovering your realm brings down Heavenly Tribulation!
Go ahead, keep lusting after Vast Cold!
I will bring down a Heavenly Tribulation you cannot possibly bear!
With all of Cedar Wood Grove on my back, I begin my sword dance.
-x-X-x-
Gyeong Chang's Sudden Wind, Sudden Rain.
Yu Yeon's Calm Winds, Resting Waves.
Ryeo Hwa's Endless Cold Window.
...
I move my hands swiftly.
I can see it.
In the far distance, weapons are scattered everywhere.
Their owners are not here.
However...
As I approach and grip the weapons, I feel as if I can understand what kind of lives their owners lived.
Yu Hwa's Illusory Play under the Rosy Afterglow.
Baek Yeom's Mountain Repelling Whip.
Kim Young-hoon's Surpassing Radiant Saber!
Flash, flash!
As the radiance swirls, the weapons in my hand continuously strike at the massive being before me.
Cut, crush, pierce, strike, break, push, deflect...
All of this is Martial Arts (武).
It is the method for approaching [death].
What I face is neither an individual nor a group, but a principle (理致) itself.
Opening the Middle Realm and wielding authority from the domain of an Immortal Seat.
It is Blood Yin.
The Manifestations of more than ten thousand Heart Tribe members explode from my hand.
Piiiiit!
I raise the All-Heavens Sword from the Plane of Soul, cutting towards [Above].
To a world filled with light.
Towards the main body of Blood Yin that resides in that world!
Chwararararara.
Blood Yin doesn't stay still.
Kuduk, kududuk.
Coral sprouts from my body.
:: I declare my judgment... ::
Kururung!
While I'm unleashing Heavenly Tribulation, I hear Blood Yin's mantra echo in my mind.
:: I see the karmic sins of uncountable living beings who were swept away into annihilation by an immense existence, all because of you. ::
Crack...
They immediately attack my weakness.
:: This is your sin, and thus your responsibility to bear! ::
I tightly shut my eyes.
The responsibility I've always carried on my chest.
If I die because of this, then that too will be my sin!
As I brace myself for the coral to grow and drain me dry,
"...?"
Zzzt—
The coral sprouting from my body shrinks and then burns away completely.
'What...?'
I recall the authority of Hyeon Eum, who had fused with the left foot of Esteemed One Swae Ryeong during a previous battle.
Back then, perhaps I didn't have enough severe sins for the coral to fully grow as it withered and died instead.
But now, it isn't just withering. It's burning away completely.
That's when it happens.
:: You... ::
Blood Yin begins trembling.
:: How could a living being have already received judgment? Who judged you in advance? Why do I feel the power of my Karmic Fire within you? ::
Their eye quivers.
:: Was it you I sensed as the target of Karmic Fire before? Then why is the Karmic Fire extinguished now? The only conditions for the Karmic Fire to extinguish out are either a Judge absolves the sin and extinguishes it, or one's own conscience stabs deeper than the pain of the fire itself! ::
Dudududududu.
Heaven and Earth begin to tremble.
:: It is impossible for the conscience and guilt of a mortal to exceed the agony of Karmic Fire. Then...which Judge have you met beforehand? Does this mean...you appeared before me carrying the will of a Judge of the Underworld? Does the will of the Underworld not wish for my reinstatement!? ::
Their eye starts to shake.
:: I am Yu Hao Te. I am none other than the Chief Judge Nether Devil True Lord! The Accumulating Virtue Dharma King and Right Hand of the [Oldest One]! I was the pinnacle of the Underworld!!! But why!? My Lord! Why do you reveal such will to me!!?? ::
Blood Yin begins to scream.
Dududududu!
Earthquakes and tsunamis start to occur throughout the Bright Cold Realm, and blood and brain matter begin to gush out from beneath the ground.
Blood Yin is wailing.
'...I see. They believe that my presence here, standing against them, is the will of the Reapers of the Underworld.'
It's certainly understandable to think so.
Had I not heard the 'conditions for the Karmic Fire to be extinguished' from Blood Yin's own mouth, I too would have mistaken my fate as being manipulated by the Reapers.
'Now I understand.'
The reason the fire went out after meeting Great Mountain wasn't because Great Mountain extinguished it for me.
It was because, right after my followers were massacred, the pain and guilt in my heart...
Grew vast enough to surpass the pain of the Karmic Fire.
From the moment a cultivator attains the consciousness domain, they sense more and think more than mortals.
Because of that, they are superior to mortals, but at the same time, they feel emotions far more delicately than mortals do.
When it comes to pleasure, this may be an advantage...
But when it comes to pain, the pain is far greater than what mortals feel, to the point where a mortal's pain seems trivial.
I laugh as I watch Blood Yin scream before me.
Kwarurururung!
A green podao appears in my hand.
In the past, if I didn't have the podao that Jang Ik personally embedded, it would've been impossible to manifest this destructive power.
But now it's different.
As long as Yeon's Play is activated, I can unleash Jang Ik's single strike at any time.
"Collapsing Immortals!"
Kururururu!
Jang Ik's Fighting Spirit, created solely to destroy the strong who oppress the weak!
That Will explodes from my hand.
"Annihilating Heavens!"
Kwarururururung!
With a sound akin to Heavenly Tribulation, the highest peak in the Bright Cold Realm, Heavenly Lotus Mountain, is split in half!
Chiiiiiiiiii!
The red aura sphere splits in half, and from within, I see Baek Woon, tainted by blood devilish energy.
Baek Woon's hands tremble as she clasps them together in a prayer pose.
[Please come...]
She's trying to summon [something]!
Blood Yin's remaining will in the area rapidly begins to take over Baek Woon's body again.
As if trying to stop her from completing the summoning!
I murmur softly toward Baek Woon.
"This will hurt...but please bear with it for a moment."
I have now unleashed everything.
What's left is...
"Jeon Myeong-hoon!"
Kwarurururung!
To drain Blood Yin's power and drive him out completely!
Red lightning flickers as Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand forms a lightning spear.
"Haaaaaaa!"
Kwajijijijijk!
With a thunderous roar, Jeon Myeong-hoon's lightning spear pierces Baek Woon's stomach.
At the same time, the seven lightning spears of Yang Su-jin hidden within her body begin to react.
"Descend, Heavenly Punishment!"
Simultaneously, Heavenly Tribulation begins to erupt from Yang Su-jin's lightning spears.
These Heavenly Tribulations are filled with countless colors.
Not merely the seven-colored Heavenly Tribulation of Yang Su-jin, but all of the more than ten thousand Heavenly Tribulations I had scattered begin surging forth!
Baek Woon tries to pray but ends up screaming, though there's nothing that can be done right now.
I can feel Blood Yin, who is connected to her, suffering as well.
Heavenly Tribulation bursts forth even in the Plane of Fate and strikes Blood Yin, delivering a proper blow!
At the same time, I can see the power of Blood Yin, which had been entwined with Baek Woon's body, gradually fading.
Blood Yin, who had been corroding Baek Woon's body, begins to be repelled.
As more than ten thousand varieties of Heavenly Tribulation continuously descend, Blood Yin appears to be in excruciating pain, but they push back with even more strength, trying to endure.
Once again, Baek Woon's body is enveloped by red aura-like tentacles.
A dark red mist appears around her, wrapping her completely.
Blood Yin is now directly using their authority, unleashing their power.
However, the thunderstorm descending from the heavens shows no sign of stopping.
I take a step back, watching the pillars of light falling from the sky.
When I turn around, my comrades are there.
There are Kim Young-hoon and Oh Hyun-seok, who have regained their senses, along with Seo Ran, Shi Ho and others.
I notice Seo Hweol subtly trying to approach Seo Ran, so I strike him with the Sub-Heart Sword, causing his clone to explode, and laugh.
"Now...let's finish this."
Nine pairs of wings unfold from Oh Hyun-seok's back.
The massive form of a Golden-Winged Peng appears behind Kim Young-hoon.
[TL/N: Upgraded version of regular peng, referring to Dapeng Jinchi Mingwang (金翅大鵬雕).]
Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes a giant of lightning again, Seo Ran uses the Ghost Path Method, and Shi Ho prepares an attack.
And Kim Yeon, all the way in the far back, after bursting apart all the Heart Heavenly Demons,
Readies her final move toward us.
Paaatt!
The Colorless Glass Sword appears in my hand.
I grasp the sword and aim for Blood Yin connected to Baek Woon inside the Heavenly Tribulation Pillar before me.
In the next moment, the full assault begins.
Golden light, purple light, red light, a faint pink light, and the hazy light of Accumulating Dust Forms a Mountain surge all at once, shattering the Heavenly Tribulation Pillar before my eyes.
Then, the following light pink quince flower forces the being inside the Heavenly Tribulation Pillar to be expelled from the Bright Cold Realm.
Kwarurururung!
:: You...!!! ::
Blood Yin rages in anger, but in the end, there is nothing they can do now!
As our offensive combines, the final wedge of Blood Yin is driven out from the Bright Cold Realm.
Pababababang!
Baek Woon's limbs are torn apart, and the will of Blood Yin that had clung to her body is completely driven out.
"Huu..."
I smile as I turn around, standing atop the rubble of the collapsed Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
"...We did it."
We succeeded in driving out Blood Yin.
Kim Young-hoon flops down, lying down, and Jeon Myeong-hoon plops to the ground with a thud.
Oh Hyun-seok pants as he laughs, and Kim Yeon quietly smiles.
At that moment, I see flower petals swirling in the air around Kim Yeon, appearing and then sinking into her face.
Tststststst!
For an instant, a pattern, similar yet different from the one that had appeared on Jo Yeon's face, flashes on hers before disappearing.
It was the pattern of a light pink bird flying freely in the sky.
I don't know what it means, but...
We can figure it out slowly later.
I, too, sit down on a nearby pile of rocks, trying to regulate my breathing.
"It's all over. Now..."
Just as I think so.
Kuuung!
A massive roar echoes from behind.
'No...this is.'
It's not a roar.
It's a 'vibration.'
The entire dimension trembles, and the souls of all of us standing in it resonate with the tremor.
Along with the vibration, an overwhelming sense of dread invades my mind.
Jjeookk...
Then, the void starts to 'open.'
Chills!
I feel goosebumps all over my body.
A dreadful foreboding.
A terrifying presence!
This is...
Blood Yin's main body!
"H-Heok..."
I understand what's happening right now.
Blood Yin, who had been gradually trying to invade the Bright Cold Realm, is now outright tearing the dimension apart and forcing their main body inside!
I break out in a cold sweat, trying to resist the presence.
Kugung!
"Kuheok!"
But as I cough up blood, I realize.
'I can't stop this.'
: : I...: :
It feels like my body is going to burst apart.
: : Will take at least... : :
This is...
A True Immortal.
A truly great being who has risen to the Plane of Fate.
: : You bastards alone... : :
The Great Masters of Fate!
: : You who have shattered...my grand plan into pieces...at least you...! : :
Due to the power of Vast Cold, Blood Yin cannot enter the Bright Cold Realm.
However, they can tear the realm apart and drag us out.
: : I will definitely take you and make you suffer for eternity! : :
Kugugugugu!
A massive attraction force starts pulling us in.
I connect with Kim Yeon's Yeon's Play and unleash Jang Ik's Four Treasures Annihilating Blade relentlessly. My comrades also begin their resistance.
Kim Yeon borrows the power of the Bright Cold Realm and fires the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
But we cannot stop Blood Yin's main body from pulling us from outside the dimension.
'N-No. At this rate, we'll be taken by Blood Yin...'
We start getting gradually dragged into the crimson world.
Oh Hyun-seok, in an attempt to stop his comrades from being dragged in, tries to put Hong Fan, Shi Ho, Seo Ran, and Azure Tiger Saint into his domain, but since he himself is being dragged in, it only worsens the situation.
Just when I think everything is over.
Pukwak!
From under the debris of Heavenly Lotus Mountain, a white hand emerges.
Beneath that hand, Baek Woon, with her left arm severed, raises her one remaining hand and shouts.
A chilling drop in temperature sweeps through, giving off a majestic yet ominous feeling of a great presence overseeing this place.
I've felt this presence before.
—Chief Judge has arrived!
[Please come...! Radiant Eight Immortals! (光明八仙)]
Chills!
A sense of danger sounds alarms in my mind.
Even when I directly witnessed the projection of the Great Mountain, I had never felt this level of fear and terror.
This is...
Dangerous!
The sky of the Bright Cold Realm brightens, and Blood Yin's attraction force suddenly weakens.
Blood Yin looks at me, screaming as if gripped by terror.
: : I see...you fulfilled the conditions! You called for Them! You! You...!!! : :
But I also feel my mind going blank, trembling in terror.
I can sense it.
When the sky of the Bright Cold Realm fully brightens, the [Great Beings] will descend, and we might face an end worse than being taxidermized by the Oldest One!
Just as my mind turns completely white.
Paaaaatt!
"...!?"
The Salt Crystal norigae shines pure white.
That pure white light begins to protect us, resisting the golden light blazing in the Bright Cold Realm.
As I watch the scene, a conversation I once had comes to mind.
The secret room where I spoke with the Queen of Penglai Kingdom.
Inside that room, the salt that radiated light....
The light brought by the Owner of Salt Mountain!
The pure white light responds to the light of the 'Owner of Light' and begins to exert a powerful attraction force.
'This, this is...'
The attraction force activates.
At the same time, Yeon's Play and the norigae resonate, and 'something' starts to happen.
The plan I had conceived from the start to summon the domain of Salt Mountain into this place is being realized!
'It's activating now...!? Suddenly? Is it because it touched the light!?'
It's when I feel bewildered.
Something begins to be 'summoned' to this place.
It's a massive mountain.
A pure white Salt Mountain has appeared here.
'Ah...'
I realize what this Salt Mountain is.
'Is that...the entrance to the dream...?'
We all start getting pulled into the Salt Mountain.
I quickly realize why this is happening.
Even though we managed to pull 'that world' into this one using Yeon's Play, due to the lack of power, 'we' are being dragged in instead.
: : You dare insult this Judge and try to escape into a dream!? : :
From far away, I hear Blood Yin's furious roar.
At the same time, I feel a chill run down my entire body.
: : With the authority of a True Immortal, I prophesize this... : :
Chills!
: : Within 100 years, you shall all surely face me again. : :
Kuuung!
The sky seems to rumble with a loud noise, and an enormous pressure briefly settles on our shoulders before disappearing.
Having reached the realm of Void Shattering, I can tell.
Blood Yin has imposed upon us the fate that 'within 100 years, we will inevitably meet Them again'!
At some point, we will, 'one way or another,' meet Blood Yin again due to the attraction force of fate...
Having saved the Bright Cold Realm, we are sucked into the dream of Salt Mountain amidst Blood Yin, Baeok Woon, and the descent of Light.
Kugugugugu!
In the distance, shadows rise, and the 'closed-eyed' Seo Hweols of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens extend their hands toward us from the shadows.
The bastard's intention is clear.
Now that 'this situation' has settled, it's time to immediately betray me!
However, contrary to expectations, Seo Hweol's shadow passes by me and desperately reaches out toward Oh Hyun-seok, who brought Seo Ran into his domain.
Shukwak!
But in the next moment, Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens is once again severed by my Sub-Heart Sword.
[Hoho...I was just about to reunite with my beloved family, so why are you acting this way...]
"Sorry, but Seo Ran isn't your family...he's my friend."
[Friend...friend...? Ha, haha, ahahahahahaha!]
As I am sucked into the dream of Penglai, I fling Seo Hweol away, and Seo Hweol laughs madly as if he's heard something ridiculous.
After sending my Sub-Heart Sword toward Seo Hweol one more time, I quickly fly with my comrades toward the world beyond.
Everything has ended.
And we, avoiding the Light and Blood Yin...
Will go to meet those we long for.
Kugugugugu!
The eight beings of light casting over the Bright Cold Realm look down at Baek Woon, who is praying below.
Baek Woon kneels respectfully before the eight lights, and the first light among them extends a hand towards her.
At the gesture of that being, Baek Woon's cultivation as Sacred Master is instantly restored.
The eight lights, after briefly communicating their will to Baek Woon, extend their fingers toward Blood Yin, who is restlessly lurking outside the Bright Cold Realm.
Blood Yin, gripped by fear, flees into the shadows somewhere, and the eight lights, after exchanging their wills, depart once again without paying Blood Yin any care.
[...Huu...]
With the body of an old tree and her Sacred Master body pierced by seven lightning spears, Baek Woon gazes at the large Salt Mountain that has appeared before her eyes.
The Salt Mountain is slowly collapsing in the blowing wind.
Though it briefly reacted to the light of the Radiant Eight Immortals and became a passageway to another world, it is now nothing more than an ordinary mass of salt.
With a wave of her hand, she scatters the entire Salt Mountain.
At the center of Salt Mountain, a white norigae is emitting a pure white light.
[Salt Crystal...a remnant of Ancient Force?]
She sighs and looks beyond the Bright Cold Realm, somewhere outside of the dimension.
[An ominous ore originating from the Head Realm...this isn't even the sealed Ancient Force Realm. I shouldn't leave it here.]
Snap!
With a snap of her fingers, the Salt Crystal norigae is expelled from the Bright Cold Realm and flies off into the Astral Realm.
Without giving the norigae any more attention, she restores Heavenly Lotus Mountain and begins repairing the various parts of the Bright Cold Realm damaged by the recent events.
The Bright Cold Realm becomes peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
Blink—
A cool breeze.
I open my eyes.
'This place is...'
"Deputy Seo."
'My head...feels like it's about to split. I remember fighting Blood Yin and entering the dream of Penglai through the Salt Crystal norigae at the end, but...'
"Deputy Seo."
'It's too bright. Maybe it's because of those 'lights,' but I can't see well. The air is clean, and the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is...what's this? I can't feel the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy? Just where is this...?'
"Deputy Seo, you bastard!"
Slap!
Suddenly, I'm dumbfounded by the hand that slaps my cheek, and I rub my eyes.
Gradually, my vision and senses adjust.
Maybe it's because I always had near-omniscient senses in the consciousness domain, and I possessed near-omnipotent power thanks to the authority of cultivator, but my body isn't used to this, and I couldn't react properly to the slap just now.
I gather my thoughts and look around.
The forest is dense.
The air is clear, and a familiar face in loosely worn office attire is standing before me.
"...Jeon Myeong-hoon? What happened?"
"What? This crazy bastard...Are you asking because you don't know this happened due to you dozing off at the wheel? And what? Jeon Myeong-hoon? Am I your friend???"
"...???"
I rub my eyes and look around.
I see Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon...and Seo Ran.
Kang Min-hee and Oh Hye-seo are not here.
And...Seo Ran, absurdly enough, is wearing clothes similar to what Kang Min-hee wore back on Earth and is fixing his hair.
"What the...? Wait, what's going on...?"
"What do you mean, what's going on?! Everything's gone to hell because of you! Deputy Seo Ran hit her head because of you and now has amnesia, and you bastard—"
"Wait, wait! Shut up for a second!"
Pabat!
I strike the pressure points of Jeon Myeong-hoon and the rest of the people here, knocking them out, and quickly climb a nearby tree.
It's 'that' tree, the one I always climbed each time I regressed.
From the top of the tree, I gaze out at the vast sea of trees stretching endlessly before me.
Yes.
This is Ascension Path.
The current situation is my first regression point.