'I' have become a very small being.
No, saying 'become' feels a bit strange.
I have been small from the moment I was born.
But something feels odd.
It's as if I used to be a big being.
A being capable of destroying the entire world, of moving between stars, possessing authority even greater than those of gods...
I don't know why, but I feel like I was that kind of being.
Perhaps it's just a delusion.
After all, I am merely a tiny microorganism.
I live by photosynthesizing, absorbing surrounding materials for nutrients, and in this way, I live my whole life.
Then, I die.
...
I have become a microorganism.
But this time, a slightly larger microorganism than before.
Now, I am able to prey on other microorganisms.
Unlike last time, I live by devouring microorganisms.
While doing so, I am eaten by a microorganism larger than myself and die.
...
When I come to my senses, I am once again a microorganism.
But this time, I am not just a slightly larger microorganism.
I exist as multiple microorganisms 'simultaneously.'
In other words, the microorganism at the eastern edge is me, and the microorganism at the western edge is also me.
I have become multiple microorganisms and gather them together.
As the collective consciousness of the microorganisms, I make them cooperate to find food.
This time, I am neither eaten as before, nor do I live as briefly as before.
But eventually, I also reach the end of my lifespan and die.
...
I come to my senses once again.
In this world, there are many beings like my previous self, entities that have become the collective consciousness of microorganisms.
And I, too, have become a part of one of those collective consciousnesses.
These beings with collective consciousness survive by consuming countless microorganisms.
Sometimes, there are even cases where one collective consciousness consumes another.
In the past, I think I once called these collectives of microorganisms 'bugs.'
...But what is a bug?
And what is a 'past'?
I can't quite remember.
While I am lost in other thoughts, I am eaten and killed by another 'bug.'
...
When I come to my senses again, I perceive that I have grown larger.
I have become a large bug.
I realize that I am able to prey on other bugs.
The moment I understand this, I keep moving to avoid being eaten by other bugs.
Endlessly, I devour other bugs, flee, and struggle to survive.
But then, I am crushed to death by a massive rock that falls from the sky.
...
When I come to my senses again, I am alive.
In front of me is a stone, and underneath it lies a small bug, crushed to death.
By the standards of the 'past' era, it's a stone smaller than a pinky finger, but to bugs, it's a large rock.
'What exactly is this past era standard? And what kind of organ is a pinky finger?'
I briefly drift into these other thoughts, but then I quickly stop myself.
In the Great Nature, losing myself in such thoughts could lead to death or being eaten at any moment.
I need to quickly prepare to survive.
As I move my body, I perceive that my 'domain' has expanded again.
I have become 'bugs.'
Just as I was once a collective consciousness of microorganisms, I have now become a collective consciousness of 'bugs.'
I lead the bugs that have become a part of me and set out to survive.
Though I end up dying again, death no longer fills me with dread.
In the days of being a microorganism, I didn't know this, but now I do.
I am gradually growing.
With each experience of death, I am gradually evolving.
So death is not something to fear; rather, it is just another opportunity.
Thus, there is no need to fear anything.
...
'I' continue to grow larger and larger.
At first, a microorganism.
Next, a bug.
Then, a big bug that eats other bugs.
After that, a small beast that preys on big bugs.
Then, a large beast.
An even larger beast.
A monster that devours beasts.
...
Eventually, I become the collective consciousness of monsters.
...
Huarururururuk!
The entire world is ablaze.
The place where 'I' live is right here.
The ground is mostly clear and transparent.
Of course, there are also many areas dyed in various colors.
But I have to be careful, as sharp and jagged things stick out across the ground.
If I'm not cautious, the body could be torn apart in an instant.
But what I need to be even more cautious of is the 'mountain fire.'
The high places on the ground are called 'mountains,' and at the summit of these mountains, flames sometimes erupt that are the same color as the ground, turning the surroundings into a sea of fire. ȑ
When that fire touches my body, a pain as if my mind is being torn to shreds, no. Pain that is much more excruciating than that is felt.
Of course, it doesn't actually harm the physical body, so survival isn't a problem.
But if I remain in that fire, the pain grows so intense that I would rather die than live, so I must be cautious.
If I'm not careful, merely touching that fire could be so painful that I might commit suicide.
If that fire is a threat to the 'mind,' then there is something else that is a threat to 'life'.
Kwarururururru.
A black stream flows before me.
It is a 'river.'
If any being comes into contact with that black stream, they slowly die, regardless of the reason.
Fortunately, there is no pain, but even so, it's terribly frightening.
The one small relief is that, over time, the black energy dissipates from the water, and it becomes just 'water.'
The 'water' created in this way is extremely precious.
Because that 'water' symbolizes life itself.
Fortunately, in the distance, I can see a lake where 'water' has pooled.
'I' lead the bodies towards the lake, guiding them to drink from it.
It is then.
Kugugugugu!
The sky turns bright red.
Curious about what's going on, I look up, only to see a ball of fire descending from the sky.
And it's not just one.
Instinctively, I sense that I must not get hit by those fireballs and try to avoid them, but they crash into the distant mountain slope before I can even react.
Kugwagwagwa!
Along with that, the world trembles.
A massive shockwave sweeps us all away, and every race, without exception, is completely wiped out.
...
Gradually, life begins to sprout on the ground.
And as expected, 'I' return as well.
However, 'I' sense something has changed.
The bodies gradually stop listening to me.
These bodies now possess something unlike before.
"Uu! Uu! Uu!"
"Uwoah! Uwoah!"
They are beings with scales on their bodies, hair on their heads, and smooth faces.
My bodies use their tails to bring 'fire' and manipulate it.
At the same time, they combine 'river' and 'fire' to create unusual phenomena.
They begin to combine the black river and the colorless fire to refine the earth, creating something called 'tools'.
Around this time, I realize why the bodies don't listen to me.
It is because they have developed something called 'ego.'
Now, I can only guide their 'ego.' I can no longer control them directly.
However, after discovering their ego, I feel my boundaries expand, growing wider and broader.
My mind melts into their ego, becoming them themselves.
I am both a mother and a father to someone, and a child and parent to another.
I am their prey and their predator, their daily sustenance and their tool, all at once.
As 'they' gradually grow stronger in ego and reason, they use tools and begin to use 'writing.'
For some reason, the writing is Hangul.
...
What is Hangul again?
I think I remembered it once, but it doesn't seem very important.
In any case, I evolve together with them, struggle alongside them, and at times, harmonize with them.
As their ego develops and their intelligence arises, I gradually melt even deeply within them.
To the point where I can no longer even remember my original self.
...
My original self?
Just what exactly is that supposed to be?
It's of no concern.
It doesn't seem important.
What's important is that they are me, and I am them.
They are constantly filled with fear.
It's due to the primal terror of death.
But I am not afraid.
Because I know that death is merely a part of the process by which I am reborn.
I whisper wisdom to them.
Among them, the perceptive ones receive my wisdom and, at the same time, try to seek out me who gave them the wisdom.
Of course, they can never find me.
Because I am them.
But when they fail to find me, they create a symbol to represent 'me' and begin to worship it.
Before I know it, 'I' have become their God (神).
Those who worship me as their god offer me their prayers and analyze my wisdom.
For the sake of those who seek me, I whisper even more wisdom.
Countless years pass.
Having obtained my wisdom, they begin to start something.
And then, some time later.
The most perceptive among them breathes out fire from their mouth.
The others grow even more fearful and reverent of that being, growing a deeper worship for 'me.'
The one who first breathed fire passes down the method to their kin.
The kin record the method in writing and organize it, refine it, and practice it.
Before long, they are able to wield increasingly greater amounts of fire.
Among those who wield fire, the clever ones improve and evolve the technique, discovering ever more superior methods.
Then, at a certain moment, they are struck by lightning falling from the sky.
Kwarurururung!
Those struck by lightning have an image of their younger forms etched within them, their appearance transforming into something never seen before.
Their faces remain the same, but their bodies, once nothing but scales and tails, now grow arms and legs, and the scales and tails vanish.
They are both amazed and frightened by this change, and soon they give a name to this form.
They call it 'Transformation (化形)'.
Soon, those who achieve Transformation become leaders among them, ruling over the entire world.
At this point, I confirm the true nature of this world.
This world is round.
And as it spins, it brings about day and night.
Before I know it, my mind now pervades this entire world, and I feel my mind connecting with 'something.'
It is yet another 'me.'
Another being, just like myself.
It turns out there are six other beings like myself, with minds encompassing an entire world.
I instinctively know that they and I are the same kind of existence.
At the same time, I sense that when my mind expands and grows enough to fully connect with them, something monumental will occur.
I want to know what that event might be.
More years pass again.
'Them.'
Those 'other selves of mine' who call themselves the Candle Dragon Race (燭龍族) have now reached the highest pinnacle, even surpassing Transformation.
They call this level the 'Earth Axis stage'.
As the number of Candle Dragons cultivating the 'Earth Axis stage' increases, my mental domain also grows larger and larger, until I am now nearly indistinguishable from the star itself.
Then, at a certain moment.
One of the Candle Dragons who reached the Earth Axis stage decides they can no longer cultivate on this star and rises into the sky.
They soar into the sky, pierce through the domain of void, and advance to the world of attraction force calling for them.
Yes, they have ascended.
And it's when the first ascender emerges from 'me.'
'...Ahhh...'
I am finally able to understand who I am.
Tststststststs!
My mind that has been divided among seven stars finally reconnects.
Simultaneously, the [Wheel] above me takes on a complete form.
From the central axis of the wheel, eight spokes extend outward, connecting to the wheel's rim.
The Wheel is at last complete.
Simultaneously, I finally recover the memories of 'me' that I have forgotten.
Kugugugugugu!
The stars display strange phenomena.
As I reclaim my ego, the surfaces of the stars tremble as if writhing.
Forgotten memories from ages past resurface.
After creating the Heavenly Rain Great Star, I slowly cultivated my incarnation up to the Grand Perfection Integration stage before detonating it to create the Heavenly Clearing Great Star.
It was easier than the first Esteemed One advancement ritual.
After all, I was not detonating my entire being but rather only a clone.
During the advancement of the Heavenly Clearing Great Star, I created a circle following the formula of the Flawless Mantra.
Simultaneously, this circle spun the nebula, and with the rotational force, drew in the surrounding dust clouds.
Through the attraction force of my main body, the Heavenly Clearing Great Star reached the same mass as the Heavenly Rain Great Star before it became complete.
Normally, it would have taken a considerable amount of time to gather the nebula, but the Flawless Mantra minimized that duration.
While reciting the Flawless Mantra, I continued to create the next stars.
Heavenly Cloudiness Great Star.
Heavenly Want of Connection Great Star.
Heavenly Crossing Great Star.
I completed the five stars symbolizing Rain, Clearing, Cloudiness, Want of Connection, and Crossing.
At that moment, I briefly regained consciousness and told my comrades that I would walk the 'path' ahead.
Afterwards, I returned to the state of trance and created the Heavenly Inner Diagram Great Star and the Heavenly Outer Diagram Great Star.
The five stars orbited around the fixed star, finally aligning in a straight line.
The five stars, having received the fixed star's authority and in a state connected through star veins, formed the sixth star.
Once the sixth star was created, the six stars orbited around the fixed star and revolved.
This rotation drew in the surrounding nebula, and by using that nebula to complete the final star, I finally entered the Grand Perfection Star Shattering Stage with the seven stars symbolizing Rain, Clearing, Cloudiness, Want of Connection, Crossing, Inner Diagram, and Outer Diagram.
Moreover, a Grand Perfection with all seven stars possessing the rings of Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation.
After entering the Grand Perfection Star Shattering stage...
My consciousness shattered into fragments.
'So that's how it was...'
I recall when the 'first' me remembered the 'past.'
The version of me as a microorganism remembered the me of the Star Shattering stage.
My memories continue to trace back further into the past.
This time, it's memories from the Integration stage.
During the Integration stage, I remember adventuring with my comrades and rising to Void Shattering.
I even recall those 190,000 years spent drifting through the universe back then.
My memories go even further back.
To the Four-Axis, no. To the Earth Axis stage.
To when the Great Mountain Supreme Deity crushed the Wuji Religious Order to death.
To when I conducted Axis Foundation Practice in the Ancient Force Realm and the Nether Ghost Realm...
Heavenly Being stage.
The time when I split into Seo Li...
When the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect was destroyed by Heavenly Punishment.
Nascent Soul stage, Core Formation stage, Qi Building stage, Qi Refining stage...
My memories even reach back to those distant and nostalgic times.
Five Energies Converging to the Origin, Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, Pinnacle, first-rate, second-rate, third-rate...
And to that past when I was completely ignorant, first falling onto Ascension Path.
I realize that this phenomenon of tracing back my memories is not a simple recollection of the past.
Just like when I advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, this is a part of the advancement ritual where I trace my entire life back.
'Ah...I see.'
Following the orbit of the seven stars, my consciousness has transformed into an orbit around the fixed star in the shape of an outer rim of a disc (盤/vessel)
My soul is reincarnating around the fixed star, drawing a circle.
And with each rotation my consciousness completes within that circle, a memory from a certain realm or a certain stage of my life returns to me.
As I revisit the stages of my life, I remember my life.
The memories are as vivid and intricate as those in the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
'Now...should I reach the time before I came to Ascension Path...'
As I look at my memories from the present all the way to the earliest moments in Ascension Path, I set my heart on tracing back to my days on Earth.
Just then.
'...Huh.'
I suddenly realize that there is a part of my life that [was not recorded in the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections].
That was...
The 14th cycle.
The time when I joined the Azure Heaven Creation Sect and met Esteemed One Swae Ryeong in the True Devil Realm.
When I created the 25th move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Sea of Righteousness and Mountain of Grace, and glimpsed Kim Yeon's consciousness, peering into [something] within her memory.
That memory was definitely [the moment right before reaching Ascension Path].
'Ah...'
Finally, my consciousness arrives at that point in the past as well.
Just before reaching Ascension Path.
'That is...'
Right after we were engulfed by a landslide.
I vaguely remember that time.
Within the darkness of the buried soil.
We, who were on the brink of death in that place...
Suddenly, as if we had been reborn, reached a new space.
Emerging from the darkness into a place of light, we all squinted our eyes and gazed directly at [It].
There, we saw...
The [Black Snake Biting Its Tail].
The being that brought us to this place is the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail]!!!
: : ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ!
With the piercing pain and pressure inflicted on my mind, I scream a wail that resonates throughout the entire universe.
'Don't think. Don't think...!'
A pressure far more terrifying and horrifying than anytime I recalled or encountered a Governing Immortal seems to crush my mind.
Until now, the only being that had subjected me to such overwhelming pressure was the [Oldest One], who pursued me during regression.
Kiiiiiiiiiing—
I quickly shift my mind elsewhere.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, who handed me the steering wheel just before the landslide.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, who made me work overtime the night before our workshop.
And Jeon Myeong-hoon, who two days prior had called me out to the smoking area, blowing clouds of cigarette smoke in my face to relieve his own stress!
Clinging to my anger towards Jeon Myeong-hoon like a lifeline, I swiftly pull myself away from thoughts of that terrifying being.
'Thank you, Jeon Myeong-hoon...! For giving me such a powerful emotion...!'
I silently offer an incredulous thank you to Jeon Myeong-hoon, and I continue to review my entire life.
At last, the moment I was born from my mother and father.
I arrive at the scene I saw during the Nascent Soul stage and quickly pull myself out of the recollection.
And finally,
'Ah...'
I momentarily step out of the orbit of the star system and rise up to the place where the Wheel is turning.
My orbit, which spans both the Wheel and the star system, merges.
I feel my mind becoming one with the Immortal Art.
At that same time, the spinning of the orbit begins to accelerate.
I detach all the Candle Dragons who were born on the surface of the planets and relocate them to a nearby star.
I know that I could simply absorb those who were born from me, but I decide to grant them a new life and fate.
Those who had bought land and buildings on my surface wail, but that is none of my concern.
Then, at the moment when the spinning of the seven stars reaches its peak.
Boo-woong!
I gradually narrow the rotating orbit of the seven stars.
The moment the stars reach the center of the Wheel—
Flash!
The spinning stars explode all at once.
I feel my mind growing hazy.
Just like advancing to the Star Shattering stage, advancing to the Sacred Vessel stage boasts staggering difficulty.
Even if a Grand Perfection Star Shattering Esteemed One prepares meticulously and chooses the auspicious timing, the success rate for advancement might not even reach 10 percent.
However, compared to advancing to the Star Shattering stage, it is noticeably easier.
For Star Shattering advancement, one must destroy 'everything' of oneself.
In contrast, for Sacred Vessel advancement, one compresses the Sacred Vessel (Disc) and detonates it, but one's Immortal Art remains intact afterward.
'The advancement to the Sacred Vessel stage...involves dividing oneself into countless fragments, merging oneself back together within an Immortal Art, and through that process, creating a rotating orbit through consciousness.'
Then, compressing that orbit and detonating it is the essence of the Sacred Vessel advancement ritual.
Kugugugugu!
As cosmic space vibrates, an immense nebula forms.
During the Star Shattering stage advancement ritual, this nebula is compressed to create a star.
However, it's different for the Sacred Vessel stage advancement ritual.
Wo-woong!
Centered around the Immortal Art I have created, the nebula begins to gradually spin.
Soon, dust clouds gather at the center of the nebula, and the temperature at its core starts to rise.
Paaatt!
A Tribulation (劫) begins to sweep over.
'...! Something is off.'
Normally, the Heavenly Tribulation for the Sacred Vessel advancement ritual arrives from the Four Realms.
Underworld, Interdimensional Void, Source River, and Eastern Heaven Flower Field.
Heavenly Tribulation converges from these realms of four and forces the Sacred Vessel-becoming Esteemed One to 'perceive' all Four Realms. That is the purpose of the Sacred Vessel advancement tribulation.
Just as the purpose of the Star Shattering Star Tribulation is to connect the star and the Esteemed One, the Sacred Vessel advancement tribulation aims to link 'existence' and 'the state after death.'
Kwarurung!
From the Source River, star veins writhe, and a Heavenly Tribulation that erases spacetime itself pierces me.
From the Underworld, a Heavenly Tribulation composed of the same 'death energy' accumulated within my soul strikes me.
From the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, a Heavenly Tribulation that instantly transforms my body to the fates of the Eastern Heaven Flower Field and scatters me to death penetrates me.
Then, finally.
From the Interdimensional Void, something terrifying and utterly unknowable stabs me.
The one certainty is that if I lose my focus while enduring these Heavenly Tribulations, I will be immediately pulled into the corresponding realm and die.
'Something...is off.'
As I withstand the Heavenly Tribulations, I am struck by an odd feeling.
'It's too strong!'
Dududududu!
The number of Sacred Vessel stage Heavenly Tribulations that come from each world is four.
That means I am supposed to endure a total of sixteen Heavenly Tribulations.
However, even after finishing all sixteen rounds of Heavenly Tribulations, I break out into a cold sweat, feeling the unending onslaught of Heavenly Tribulations with power far beyond what I heard from Baek Woon,
'The Heavenly Tribulation has become weird!'
Normally, one can tell how much Heavenly Tribulation remains by looking at the sky.
How many Heavenly Tribulations passed and how many are left can all be seen from the celestial energy.
But...
'The Heavenly Tribulation...has gone crazy!'
No matter how much I try to read the celestial energy, I can only see a future where 'Heavenly Tribulation keeps striking continuously,' with nothing else discernible.
The Heavenly Tribulation that has always fallen in precise amounts up until now seems to have suddenly lost its mind.
The standard of the Heavenly Tribulation has disappeared!!
'Just why...?'
I grit my teeth inwardly as I continue enduring the blows of the Heavenly Tribulation.
The more the Heavenly Tribulation crashes down, the stronger the force pulling me towards each realm becomes.
The Underworld.
The force pulling me from that deep, dark place grows even stronger.
'Ah, no...! If I keep getting hit by the Heavenly Tribulations like this, I'll really die!'
The issue isn't the power of the Heavenly Tribulation, but its nature.
Its nature to drag me towards death is unendingly striking me!
How many weeks have I endured, holding on against the Four Realms Tribulation like this?
Pajijijijik!
Finally, the Heavenly Tribulation subsides.
'Huuuuu...'
Kugugugugu!
As the nebula spins. my consciousness settles at its center.
An astrolabe (星盤/성반) of spinning nebula, a holy Sacred Vessel/Disc (聖盤/성반) of rotating reincarnation!
If the Star Shattering stage is the realm where one becomes a constellation,
Then the Sacred Vessel stage is the realm where one becomes a 'rotation.'
At the center of this rotation is my soul, centered on Immortal Arts, while my true body has become a 'spinning nebula.'
As I continue my Sacred Vessel cultivation, the center of this spinning nebula will gradually grow hotter and stronger, transforming into a fixed star that emits its own light.
In the early stage, it is a spinning nebula.
In the mid stage, a fixed star.
In the late stage, a red giant.
In Grand Perfection, becoming a white dwarf is the typical cultivation path of the Sacred Vessel stage.
[Huuuu...]
I open my eyes.
From the Sacred Vessel stage onwards, one's very heart essence becomes a world.
The Colorless Sword Mountain Treading Sea Great Star Enclosure has now become a world within my mind, and from now on, as long as I spend time within this world, I can extract anything from it into reality, creating sustaining existences in the world.
At the same time, I recall the time I have spent on this evolution.
In terms of real time, it was a brief period, not even fully spanning 2,000 years.
Yet, during that time, my mind had shattered into at least ten thousand pieces, slowly merging back together.
Each of those fragments lived as microorganisms, that's difficult to say if they even have souls, on the surface layers of my Origin Stars and underwent countless lives.
Therefore, although it was an incredibly short period of time in reality, my 'subjective experience' as I underwent the cycle of reincarnation and created the Candle Dragon Race amounts to around twenty million years.
Wo-woong!
As I focus my consciousness, the ring of the nebula, the Sacred Vessel compresses.
I create an incarnation and place the Sacred Vessel within it, then half-open my eyes.
[It was long...]
It was a long, and even longer time.
The miracle achieved by learning both the Flawless Mantra and the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra simultaneously.
Instead of the usual cultivation method of splitting one's mind and unifying it under an Immortal Art,
The masters of the two Immortal Arts allowed me to rise to the Sacred Vessel stage by splitting my mind and living countless lives as microorganisms to evolve a species.
[It was you two.]
In the depths of darkness, faintly pulling at me from there, the [Oldest One].
And a mountain built up with pure white salt.
The two visions pass fleetingly before my eyes.
[I don't know what it is you want from me. However, I will walk my own path.]
I quietly express my resolve to the void.
No response comes.
But that alone is enough.
Two hundred thousand years.
In subjective time, after 20,190,000 years, I have finally reached the Sacred Vessel stage.
[Now then...]
It's time to prepare for the End.
Inside the Lightning Sacred Sea.
In the bedchamber of Golden Shaking Bird and Jeon Myeong-hoon.
There, Golden Shaking Bird clutches her head, trembling uncontrollably in a corner of the bedchamber as if she has lost her mind.
[Nonononononononononopleasepleasepleasepleaseplease... Someone,pleasetellmeit'sadreampleasepleaseplease...]
Pajik, Pajijijik!
Red lightning crackles over Jeon Myeong-hoon's body, which is covered in countless small footprints with his upper garment removed.
Golden Shaking Bird trembles, trying to pull open the bedroom door as if desperate to escape, but the red lightning repels her hand.
[Th-Th-Th...]
She looks back at Jeon Myeong-hoon with a face twisted in terror, trembling like mad.
[They are resurrecting...inside his body...! Ah, no. I need to get out. I need to get out. I need to get out...!!!]
But she cannot leave.
Unable to leave and unable to approach Jeon Myeong-hoon, Golden Shaking Bird can only tremble in horror.
Bright Cold Realm, Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
At its center, Baek Woon smiles faintly while looking off into the distance.
[...He's done it. That monstrous child. But this...]
As she glances down at the black paper in her hand, her faintly smiling face turns grave.
[...This is serious.]
Ancient Force Realm, Sea King Hall.
Nether Ghost Realm, Black Ghost Palace.
Purple Gold Realm, Ban Ta Castle.
True Devil Realm, Blood Sacrifice Altar.
The Sacred Masters there.
And Blood Yin's clones all stare at the black paper in their hands with solemn expressions.
Moments later,
Hae Lin of the Sea King Hall in the Ancient Force Realm wears a grave expression.
Pasasak!
The black paper held in his hand.
The Black Ancient Paper crumbles to dust.
He lets out a low groan and clutches his face.
[Ahh...! Has the tyrannical Devil God devoured Them as well...!? Next, it will be the turn of the [Hungry One]. Is Mount Sumeru's fall inevitable...? What are the Heavenly Venerables doing? Where has the so-called Heavenly Craftsman vanished to, and just what is the Snake doing now? Are the Radiance Eight Immortals only good for putting on airs and unable to do anything in the face of that Devil God!? Ahhh, the world will be overturned.]
Hae Lin sighs deeply, tears of anguish streaming from his eyes.
After devouring the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain and the Owner of Names,
Next came the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain and the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
The Great Mountain Supreme Deity, who has devoured a total of two Supreme Deities and four Heavenly Domains, now sends Their will towards the Good Sight Heavenly Domain.
: : C O M E F O R T H V O I D : :
Raising both hands, They speak.
: : I F Y O U D O N O T R E V E A L Y O U R H E A D I S H A L L D E V O U R Y O U W H O L E : :
But no response comes from within.
With a faintly simmering anger, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity slowly brings Their hands together.
The Good Sight Heavenly Domain begins to crumple.
: : D I S G U S T I N G S L A V E C O N T I N U E T O F A I L A N D R E P E A T E D L Y F A C E D E A T H : :
Dududududu!
Thus, after crushing and swallowing the Good Sight Heavenly Domain, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, now having devoured five Heavenly Domains, heads toward the Twin Holding Heavenly Domain while muttering quietly.
: : W H I L E Y O U L I E D O W N T H I S S E A T S H A L L F E A S T O N H U N G E R L A Y D O W N A C A R P E T W I T H T H E S N A K E ' S B L O O D A N D R E A C H T H E A U D I E N C E C H A M B E R D O N O T R E G R E T : :
-x-X-x-
Ziiiing!
I extend my consciousness domain and lower my gaze.
My consciousness domain has expanded to an immense size.
'This entire star system...feels as though it fits in the palm of my hand.'
Everything within a radius of 0.6 light-years enters my mind.
Within this range, I am omniscient.
'Though I only did the advancement ritual using the Heaven Tribe Method and haven't yet achieved Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation, at this level, I probably wouldn't easily lose to anyone.'
Wo-woong!
Behind me, instead of the Three Great Ultimates, a Wheel emerges.
It is a wheel with eight spokes.
I can sense it.
The cultivation of the Sacred Vessel stage will require me to fully materialize these eight spokes.
The cultivation of the eight types of fates that Baek Woon spoke of.
That is the cultivation of the Sacred Vessel stage, and it seems this goal is represented by these spokes.
'I should ask other Sacred Vessels for more details.'
With that thought, I look downward.
I can see the people of Mengyun Star all looking shocked.
After all, with the disappearance of seven stars, it's only natural for them to be alarmed.
However, among all the confusion, the most startled must surely be...
'The Candle Dragon Race.'
The Candle Dragon Race have all been relocated to Mengyun Star.
Although there are minor differences among the Candle Dragon Race who had lived on the seven stars, they all ultimately originate from me, so the differences aren't significant. �
The race that had evolved while living in the hell that was my world, that is the Candle Dragon Race.
Although they initially express some dissatisfaction about the slightly lower levels of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, they quickly settle into Mengyun Star's heaven-like environment, each finding a spot to lie down in contentment.
'But this is strange.'
I feel a hint of puzzlement as I observe the Candle Dragon Race.
'Is it normal for a completely unheard-of race to emerge during the Sacred Vessel advancement ritual?'
I decide to ask someone more knowledgeable about this phenomenon later. For now, I store a sample of the Candle Dragon Race's bloodline genes in my world and move on to find someone else.
It is Kang Min-hee.
Finding her is easy.
She is still floating upside down alongside Seo Ran, absorbing her scattered fragments.
'It seems she's almost completed her advancement as well.'
But perhaps due to her connection to the Underworld through the Flawless Mantra...
The more Kang Min-hee finds her essence, the more she seems to lose her former self.
Once bright and cheerful, the more she absorbs the fragments, the more she seems to lose her human appearance. She is changing to resemble the Ghost Guiding Holy Mother and is visibly losing her rationality.
Seo Ran, who once protected Kang Min-hee, is now being dragged around by her.
I frown slightly as I glance at Seo Ran.
[...Now that I think about it...]
Two thousand years ago.
I had briefly opened my eyes.
At that time, when I swept through Kang Min-hee's surroundings with my consciousness domain, I had seen her accompanied by Blood Yin, Seo Hweol, and Seo Ran.
Back then, I was too out of my mind to give it much thought, but in retrospect, it was absurd.
'I can overlook Blood Yin, but...Seo Hweol, that bastard...'
I have no idea when he managed to blend in with Kang Min-hee.
Snap!
I snap my fingers and Seo Ran appears before me in an instant.
Kang Min-hee looks startled below, but this isn't the time to pay attention to that.
[Ah! S-Senior?]
[Stay still for a moment.]
I place a hand on Seo Ran's shoulder with my eyes gleaming.
Wo-woong!
The Wheel rises behind me.
I incorporate Seo Ran's consciousness domain into the rotation of my consciousness.
[Senior! Ugh! My consciousness feels like it's about to scatter!]
[Don't worry. I'm just pulling out something vile.]
After some time.
From within Seo Ran's consciousness, dark and dirty things begin pouring out like a swarm of bugs.
[Come out at once, snake-scorpion bastard!]
Finally, all the black things within Seo Ran's consciousness burst forth.
Wududuk!
I clench my hand and attraction force condenses, causing all the black things that came from Seo Ran to explode except one.
Everything my gaze touches burns away, leaving no trace behind.
Squirm, squirm...
After some time.
The final black fragment writhes, taking on a human shape.
I hastily transfer Seo Ran into my world and glare at the bastard.
[What do you think you're doing, Seo Hweol?]
[Nothing much. Just struggling, that's all.]
[...You...]
I glare at Seo Hweol.
His entire body, for who knows what reason, has taken on a faint reddish hue compared to when he absorbed Hyeon Eum.
Unlike Hyeon Eum, who had been covered entirely in a black robe, Seo Hweol is now cloaked in a dark red robe.
[I devoured Blood Yin's clone. It was fortunate. If Blood Yin hadn't been busy subjugating Ja Eum, I wouldn't have gotten the chance. Now, I've crawled right up to Blood Yin's doorstep. I should thank Daoist Seo.]
[...There's no way you've only done such things to Blood Yin. Since you've meddled in Kang Min-hee's advancement ritual, didn't you do something to her as well!?]
[My apologies, but I'm not bold enough to attempt such things to the Ghost Guiding Holy Mother. Who knows what might happen if I were to again peek [beyond] within her? Hoho...]
I glare at him as I speak.
[What are you planning to do with Seo Ran?]
[...Ten thousand years have passed. That much time is more than enough to extend my dominion across the corners of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain. In truth, the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain has been practically vacant thanks to Golden Divine's Lightning Sacred Sea sealing it off. It's no different from an empty house.]
[Don't dodge the question!]
[In any case, what I want to say is...I've nearly gained complete control of the Lightning Sacred Sea. I've reached the point where I could create opportunities at will for your comrade, Jeon Myeong-hoon, to leave. And...with that level of control over the Lightning Sacred Sea, I can accomplish other things as well. For example, I could prevent True Immortals from other Heavenly Domains from interfering here at greater degree or...]
[You...!]
Huarurururuk!
Black flames spill from my entire body as I approach him.
[Do you want to taste real fire? Is that why you're changing the topic with me in front of you?]
[In short, the one who has been preventing Daoist Seo from being abducted during his advancement all this time was none other than me. If you wish, I could slightly release the Lightning Sacred Sea's sealing authority.]
It is then.
Chwaaaak!
A terrifying light bursts from my left shoulder, beginning to pull me.
'Th-This, what in the world...?'
A distant place.
Beyond the Heavenly Domain!
From there, I see eight colossal giants of light.
Among them, the illusion of the fifth seat beckoning me flickers before my eyes.
'I-I'm being dragged in!'
: : So you have finally risen. Come here. You are to become the Immortal Treasure of this Immortal... : :
From the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, [that being] is calling for me!
I'm horrified, knowing that if I lose my focus, I'll be dragged away entirely.
It's at that moment.
Snap!
When Seo Hweol snaps his fingers, I freeze in place on the spot.
[...Ha. So you were blocking this?]
[One could say so. There's no need for concern. As long as I'm in control of the Lightning Sacred Sea, Daoist Seo won't have to worry about being dragged off immediately. Of course...]
He points upward with his finger.
[It would be wise to avoid entering the Bright Cold Realm. If you were to go there, even with my block in place, you'd be pulled straight into the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.]
[What?]
[Think about the name of the Bright Cold Realm.]
[...]
It was once the world of 'Vast Cold (廣寒),' but now it is the world of 'Bright Cold (光寒; lit. light + cold).'
It is the world of light.
'Baek Woon is already a universally acknowledged Saint of Light. It wouldn't be surprising if I were dragged away through Baek Woon.'
[...Fine. I'll delay questioning you until a little later.]
In any case, avoiding the End is the priority for now.
I'll rescue Jeon Myeong-hoon, enter Yang Su-jin's treasure vault, and retrieve the symbols of the Middle Realm.
After returning the symbols, I'll head to the Purple Gold Realm, where they desperately seek a successor. If I go there, they would certainly accept me.
[For now, we will depart for the Lightning Sacred Sea with my comrades! Tell me where they are.]
[Hoho. If Daoist Seo is searching for his comrades...they are all currently with the refuge space.]
[Refuge space?]
[That's right. It is a refuge space centered around Sacred Master Baek Woon. Fortunately, Daoist Seo's comrades who hail from his homeland have all reached the Star Shattering stage or its equivalent, allowing them to enter the space alongside Sacred Master Baek Woon to escape the End.]
[...You're saying I can't call for them right now?]
[It's entirely possible. However, the refuge space operates on the principle that each individual within anchors themselves to the formation as its axis, creating their own domain within the space. If they were to leave now, it would likely be difficult for them to reenter once the End begins.]
[...]
I deliberate for a long time.
The fact that all my comrades from my homeland have reached the Star Shattering stage likely means that Kim Yeon has also reached a similar level, or a realm comparable to it.
There's no need to worry about my comrades.
[...Then, does that mean only you and I will go?]
[One could say so.]
Seo Hweol shrugs his shoulders as if it doesn't matter.
[Please do not worry about me. My wife is safely within that space as well. In case of an emergency, she will survive and scatter me in the new world.]
[...You plague-like bastard.]
[Hoho, thank you for the compliment. And there's no need to worry about the Ghost Mother down below either.]
[I already know that.]
Even if the End occurs, Kang Min-hee will be protected by the Underworld faction.
I can feel that as she advances to the Sacred Vessel stage, she is transforming to become the [vessel] of some existence.
She is likely becoming the vessel for one of the exalted Reapers of the Underworld.
'In that sense, there's no need to worry about Kang Min-hee's life for now.'
The Reapers of the Underworld will protect her.
[Because of that, Daoist Seo doesn't need to worry about anything. Daoist Seo just needs to come with me, rescue Jeon Myeong-hoon from the Lightning Sacred Sea, and enter the 108th floor of the Lightning Sacred Sea.]
[...Understood.]
I try to look for Hong Fan but realize he isn't here, so I nod in acknowledgment.
Hong Fan is likely also preparing his own domain within Sacred Master Baek Woon's refuge space.
I head toward the Path of Stars and close my eyes, envisioning the jade plaque that serves as the key to the Path of Stars.
The Esteemed Ones of ten thousand years ago were helpless without the key to the Path of Stars, but I don't face such limitations.
Paaatt!
The jade plaque from that time manifests above my hand.
My heart essence has now become a complete world, and I am able to bring anything from within that world into reality.
Heart essence is ultimately my heart.
It can be transformed in accordance with my thoughts and the will I express.
Therefore, if I imagine the jade plaque, I can manifest it whenever I want.
[Open, Path of Stars.]
Wo-woong!
I step on the Path of Stars in the direction of the Peaceful Cloud Realm, heading towards the Lightning Sacred Sea.
I will rescue Jeon Myeong-hoon and survive from within the End.
And I will completely free Kang Min-hee from the Underworld's attraction force.
I will, without fail...!
How long have I been traveling the Path of Stars with Seo Hweol?
At some point along the way, I pause atop a planet.
[Wait. I have some matters on this planet.]
[Then please, attend to it. I'll be waiting here.]
With those words, he disperses into the darkness and hides.
I turn my gaze to the ground below and speak.
[It's been a while, Senior Jinlu. Have you been well all this time?]
The one I have come to meet is Jinlu Gok, the Human Race Entering Nirvana Quasi-Immortal.
[I have come because I have something I wish to ask you.]
But no answer comes.
I click my tongue and reveal the Wheel behind my back.
[Please lend me your ear for a moment. And please stop pretending to sleep.]
Dududududu...!
As I begin to draw out my power, I can feel the entire star trembling.
Perhaps the voice of a Sacred Vessel can't be ignored, as I can feel Jinlu Gok making his presence known in irritation.
[...Damn it. Why are you bothering this Immortal so much?]
[Junior Seo Eun-hyun has come with a question. As a senior of the same Human Race, I ask for your guidance.]
[The End is not far off, and yet you're truly making this bothersome! If you're looking for a way to avoid the End, I have nothing to say other than to head to the Middle Realm and join the formation led by Baek Woon. Well...not that it would matter if that [Arrogant God] crawls over to the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain to bring about the true End. There's no answer to that.]
Jinlu Gok speaks in an annoyed tone, facing me in just his planet state without even forming an incarnation.
However, I shake my head.
[That's not it. Senior, do you perhaps...know anything in detail about the advancement ritual for the Sacred Vessel stage?]
I have come to Jinlu Gok regarding my curiosity about both my situation and the situation of the Candle Dragon Race.
If it's Jinlu Gok who held a position similar to being a disciple of Lofty Dragon, I thought he might know.
After a moment of contemplation, Jinlu Gok opens his mouth.
[Creating a species while advancing to the Sacred Vessel stage is rare, but not unheard of. Back when this Immortal served as the high priest of Lofty Dragon, I once saw such a method described in an ancient tome they gave me.]
[Ah...! Is that so?]
His explanation continues.
But the more I listen to his words, the more I can't help but let out low sighs.
[...In this way, those who occasionally advance to the Sacred Vessel stage by creating a species end up creating a race that they themselves belong to.]
[...Is it truly impossible to create a race that has no relation to oneself?]
[From what I know, that's impossible. In the case of the Human Race...depending on the cultivation method, there can be variations 'racially'. For instance, a Yellow Human Race cultivator advancing to the Sacred Vessel stage might create a White Human Race or Black Human Race. However, I've never read in any ancient tome about something like a 'Candle Dragon' emerging from the body of a Human Race cultivator.]
[...]
'Why on earth did they emerge in the first place?'
At the time of my advancement to the Sacred Vessel stage, my reasoning had been clouded, so I hadn't noticed anything strange at the time. But now that I think about it, it's incredibly bizarre.
[To begin with, are you even human?]
[Pardon?]
[For an ordinary human, even if they advanced in such a manner, a human should have emerged as an intelligent entity. But that's not the case for you. Something entirely different emerged. This means that some 'strange' information is embedded in the blueprint of your life. Generally, creating a race this way is influenced by your life's original blueprint. Do you, by any chance, originally possess some kind of Immortal Beast True Blood or anything like that?]
After hesitating for a moment, I raise my hand in front of him.
Chiiiiiii—
A faint, hazy mist flickers over my hand.
[This is the only Immortal Beast True Blood I possess. Moreover, this is not even a true bloodline but 'Immortal Beast talent' or 'seed' that one obtains by living more than ten times the lifespan of their race.]
[Hmm...]
Paatt!
When I manifest the seed of the Immortal Beast True Blood I've awakened and let it float above my hand, he, who up until now has only shown me an attitude of being bothered, immediately forms an incarnation and begins inspecting the seed.
[...It's true that the seed of an Immortal Beast is something inevitably acquired by those at the Four-Axis stage and above, but yours is a little unusual.]
[In what way is it unusual?]
[...It's too much!]
[Pardon?]
[How old are you, exactly?]
[...Roughly...hmm...about 10,800 years old.]
Jinlu Gok looks at me with a dumbfounded expression before clicking his tongue.
[A 10,800-year-old Sacred Vessel...what a monstrous brat. Are you the reincarnation of Yang Su-jin? In any case, here's what's strange about your bloodline. Clearly, you are only 10,800 years old, but the depth of history accumulated in this energy is...hundreds of thousands—no, millions, tens of millions of years! Does that even make sense?]
I clear my throat and inform him that I cultivated using a certain Immortal Art that created a perceived sense of time equivalent to twenty million years.
Upon hearing this, Jinlu Gok strokes his chin thoughtfully, then shakes his head.
[If you used an Immortal Art that prolongs perceived time...then I suppose this amount of time is understandable. But even so, it's still strange. Are you really human? If you used an Immortal Art that extends perceived time, then what emerged should still be human. So why in the world would something like that Candle Dragon Race emerge...?]
With an expression that says he can't understand it at all, he prods at the energy of the Immortal Beast True Blood.
As he continues to observe the energy, his eyes suddenly light up as though he's discovered something.
[This...I see. There's something abnormal.]
[What do you mean by abnormal?]
[A transformation has occurred.]
[A transformation? What kind of transformation?]
His eyes gleam as he carefully examines the energy of the Immortal Beast True Blood.
[Nearly...900 times...no. About a thousand transformations have been made to your true blood. I don't know what happened, but your true blood bears traces of cycles of time, life, and death being imposed upon it. About a thousand times...As a result, it seems your true blood has transformed from being human to something as far removed as the Candle Dragon Race.]
[...]
[Does anything come to mind?]
I let out a low groan.
Immortal Beast True Blood is a type of 'information' in the form of blood.
It is something that infuses the history of the subject into Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, granting power.
My Immortal Beast True Blood has undergone at least 998 mutations due to regression, and as a result, it seems I have transformed from the Human Race into the Candle Dragon Race bloodline.
[...I do have some guesses, but...I will study it more thoroughly later. That is, if I survive the End.]
[Do as you please. Then, there's nothing else you need to ask, right?]
[No. Thank—]
[Then get lost! There are too many beings entangled with you, so I have no desire to face you!]
Paatt!
Before I realize it, I find myself transported to the next planet under Jinlu Gok's yell.
It seems Jinlu Gok forcibly activated the Path of Stars to send me away.
I smirk and quickly proceed along the Path of Stars, heading toward the Lightning Sacred Sea.
'Later, if the opportunity arises, I'll need to study the bloodline factors of the Candle Dragon Race stored in my world.'
It's clear that the Candle Dragon Race is undoubtedly connected to my regressions.
Kwarururung!
As I arrive at the Lightning Sacred Sea, I slightly furrow my brows.
'What in the world...?'
The Lightning Sacred Sea, until recently, had just been a ring finger-shaped dimension enveloped in a dimensional barrier.
But now, true to its name, the entire ring finger-shaped dimension is ablaze with lightning fire.
Kwa-jijijijijik!
Multi-coloured and multi-shaped lightning rages like crazy, burning across every corner of the Lightning Sacred Sea.
[...Seo Hweol. Do you know why the Lightning Sacred Sea is in this state?]
Sururuk—
Emerging from the darkness, Seo Hweol, cloaked in a dark-red robe, shakes his head with a puzzled expression.
[That, I'm not sure about either. My guess is that Golden Shaking Bird is doing something through the one called Jeon Myeong-hoon.]
[Is it some kind of ritual through the Heavenly Golden Thunder Body?]
[Given the situation, it seems best for Daoist Seo to enter alone. Please leave Seo Ran to me. I'll take good care of him while Daoist Seo is gone.]
[Don't spout nonsense. Either way, if I fail this time, Seo Ran will die because the End will come. If I don't fail, Seo Ran staying with me is...better than leaving him with you.]
[Hoho...how dependable.]
'As expected, it's better for Seo Ran to be with me.'
If I were to interpret Seo Hweol language, it would mean that keeping Seo Ran with me is more of a loss to him.
'After rescuing Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kang Min-hee, I'll have to find out why he's so obsessed with Seo Ran.'
[Now then, we shall enter the Lightning Sacred Sea. Use all your power to create an opening.]
[Understood. Then, I wish for a safe return...]
Leaving Seo Hweol behind, I enter the Lightning Sacred Sea.
Inside, I witness an uncanny sight.
'That's...!'
A sudden chill runs through my entire body, and I instinctively try to leave the Lightning Sacred Sea.
Kwarururng!
But for some reason, red lightning erupts and seals off the exit to the outside.
'Seo Hweol...did you scheme something again...?!'
Biting my lips tightly, I glare at the upper levels of the Lightning Sacred Sea.
'It doesn't matter. No matter what schemes you've laid, I have every confidence I can break through! As long as I reach the 100th floor, I can leave again. Let's clear the way to the 100th floor quickly!'
On the first floor of the Tower of Trials.
I turn my gaze to the hundreds of millions of Qi Gathering stage Thunder Beasts.
The Thunder Beasts are all kneeling, hands clasped together and assumed in a posture as if they are praying to someone.
The sight inexplicably reminds me of a past nightmare, but I shake my head.
'Seo Hweol must be controlling the Thunder Beasts through Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.'
There's no way the Thunder Beasts of Yang Su-jin, the enemy of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, would suddenly be praying to the Owner of Heavenly Punishment.
It must be because they have been infected by Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens as per Seo Hweol's plan.
'Whatever schemes you're plotting, they won't work, Seo Hweol!'
Remaining as wary of Seo Hweol as possible, I move upward to rescue Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Watching Seo Eun-hyun enter the Lightning Sacred Sea, Seo Hweol chuckles softly.
[...As you interpret my words in reverse, for today, I've spoken plainly. Truly...for you to help me this much, I find you utterly dependable, Daoist Seo...]
Gazing at the Lightning Sacred Sea for a moment, Seo Hweol briefly erases the smile from his lips.
With a now expressionless face, he extends his hand towards it.
As if there's something he longs for in front of him...
[...It's been long.]
With a face stripped of all emotion, he utters a faint exclamation and opens his mouth.
[Long, and even longer...The moment Seo Ran crosses the 107th floor...I will, at last...awaken from this dream.]
Woo-woong!
Seo Hweol turns his back to the Lightning Sacred Sea and gazes at the entire universe.
Though his vision is gone, he senses the entire cosmos by borrowing the senses of Oh Hye-seo. With both hands outstretched, he speaks.
[Now...]
The entire universe begins to change.
The stars in the sky tremble, and the attraction force grows stronger.
As the attraction force reaches its peak, the universe begins to contract.
The world is soon filled with light and heat as everything starts compressing into a single point.
[The End begins.]
Seo Hweol smiles faintly once more.
Wearing a mask-like smile he begins to disperse.
Simultaneously, all the stars and nebulae of the universe begin resonating with him.
The End has begun.
And as Seo Eun-hyun begins climbing the Lightning Sacred Sea to rescue Jeon Myeong-hoon and search for the symbols of the Middle Realms,
Within Jeon Myeong-hoon's body, the Heavenly Tribulations he has consumed thus far are raging, as if preparing to meet their true master.
As chaos begins to break out across all the Middle Realms,
Hong Fan, who had been staying in Baek Woon's refuge space along with Seo Eun-hyun's comrades, abandons the place and heads towards somewhere beyond the Middle Realm.
In the Bright Cold Realm, all the inhabitants collectively fall into madness.
In the Purple Gold Realm, a rebellion erupts outside Ban Ta Castle.
In the Ancient Force Realm, the Demon Race each begin preparing for their final moments.
In the Nether Ghost Realm, the Black Ghost Valley sets sail their hidden 5,000 Nether Crossing Ships, readying to retrieve the souls of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
And...
At the outskirts of the True Devil Realm, Star Seeking Esteemed One Yu On, who had received a request from Seo Eun-hun, wears a mask-like smile and raises something in both hands.
It is Su In and Hong Yeon—the heads of the children Seo Eun-hyun had asked her to protect.
The Sea Dragon King and the Sacred Master of the True Devil Realm, Ja Eum, now stripped of ego by Blood Yin, smiles.
The Black Dragon King and an entity of one of the concepts of a constellation within the Astral Realm, Hyeon Eum's incarnation, smiles.
The Heavenly Fiends of the Blood Yin Realm all wear identical smiles with their hands clasped behind their backs as they look up at the sky of the Blood Yin Realm.
Across the entirety of the Astral Realm, all living beings simultaneously clasp their hands behind their backs and begin smiling in the same direction.
The direction they are looking toward is none other than where the Blood Yin Realm lies.
With the advent of the End, Seo Hweol's great plan, the culmination of his life's dedication, begins.
-x-X-x-
Boom!
I look at the Thunder Beasts that handed over the key to the next floor and showed absolutely no reaction to me as they were slaughtered.
'...Ominous.'
It hasn't just been one or two times when things have been ominous when I'm with Seo Hweol, but this time, the level of ominousness is on another level.
If Seo Hweol's schemes feel like a suffocating grip tightening around my throat, this ominousness is akin to being thrown to the bottom of the deep sea with nothing but my bare body, watching the oxygen in the tank diminish in real-time, while some colossal entity slithers towards me through the dark abyss.
'More than anything...no matter how extraordinary Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens might be, this is already the 80th floor of the Tower of Trials...and yet, there's no response from Golden Shaking Bird?'
It's just when I'm thinking this.
"...!"
Chills!
As soon as I step into the 81st floor, I feel chills spreading across my entire body.
Pajik, Pajijijik.
The lightning of Heaven and Earth trembles, and an ominous feeling flashes through my brain.
At the same time, I suddenly feel an uncontrollable desire to create banners (幡) and admire them. A primal urge towards banners surges maddingly within me.
'Suddenly, banners seem so lovely... This is...'
Crunch...
Lightning, banners, and a primal urge for banners.
There is only one entity associated with those terms.
Heavenly Lightning Banner, Zhengli!
The moment I think of her, I feel an insane urge to shout 'Zhengli', and I clamp my hand over my mouth.
'Did Zhengli who descended upon the Lightning Sacred Sea last time do something!? Damn it...I absolutely must not call that name!'
Suddenly, an image flashes through my mind of the Thunder Beasts who were just moments ago quietly in a posture of prayer, offering devotions toward something.
'It wasn't because they were controlled by Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens... Could it be...?'
Recalling the nightmare of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, I decide to rise even faster to the higher floors.
Regardless of this or that, what I must do remains the same.
Instantly rising to the 98th floor while shattering through the Thunder Beasts, I, stepping on to the 99th floor,
Arrive at the place where the Thunder Bee Queen should be and look around.
In the far distance, I see a planet-sized tree with a hive hanging from its branches.
I quickly head inside the hive, and as soon as I enter, I see Thunder Bees in the same prayer posture as the other Thunder Beasts.
I head towards the center of the hive.
The place where the Entering Nirvana Stage Thunder Bee Queen resides.
And immediately, I confirm her condition.
Pajijk, pajijijijik...
Her pupils are devoid of light and she endlessly mumbles prayers towards some direction.
With each and every line of her blasphemous ritual prayer, the surrounding space ripples.
'This is...!'
I realize the nature of the prayer that this Entering Nirvana stage Thunder Beast is endlessly reciting while half-bewitched.
It is a ritual prayer of Returning (歸依).
Murmurmurmurmurmurmurmurmurmur...
We return to thee...
We return to thee...
We return to thee...
A prayer-like sound, akin to the cacophony of countless roaring voices, is flowing from her mouth!
Crunch!
I immediately paralyze the part of my soul responsible for hearing.
If I keep listening, I too will be eroded, transformed into a Lightning Sacred Body and forced to suffer a curse that follows me through regression like before. 𝐑
"...Seo Hweol..."
I grind my teeth and realize where that bastard has led me.
'I don't know when, but at some point, Lightning Sacred Sea started being eroded by the Owner of Heavenly Punishment...'
And Seo Hweol must have known about this and still sent me here!
'As expected, I can't trust that snake-scorpion bastard!'
Grinding my teeth, I briefly contemplate.
Then, I come to a conclusion.
'For now, I'll still continue rescuing Jeon Myeong-hoon.'
Regardless, the End is coming soon.
I have to try something before that happens.
Moreover, the fact that Golden Shaking Bird kidnapped Jeon Myeong-hoon and showed no concern for the End might mean it's possible to avoid it in the Lightning Sacred Sea!
Therefore, preparing to flee from here recklessly would only be a poor move.
'Retreating now would be the worst decision. I need to push through and find Jeon Myeong-hoon! Even...in the worst-case scenario, I can always call upon the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord!'
Resolving myself firmly, I reach out towards the Thunder Bee Queen.
Piercing into the area where her heart should be, I pull out the key to the 100th floor from within her body.
Pasasasasa!
In an instant, the door to the 100th floor opens, and a familiar scene comes into view.
It is the Great Desolate Path.
A massive celestial sphere like Yeong Seung floats in the sky, moving about.
'This is the 100th floor... And...'
Woo-woooong!
I close my eyes and expand my consciousness.
At the same time, a halo appears behind my head.
It is a Wheel-shaped halo.
'Through rotation, I'll locate the entrance to the hidden space.'
Up until the Star Shattering stage, one is still a star or constellation. In other words, a tangible object. But from the Sacred Vessel stage, one begins to transcend tangible objects.
Now, my main body is the rotating [Flow].
I have become a part of the universe's flow itself.
Kiiiiiing!
[Are you there!?]
Unleashing mental speech, I throw a fist towards a point in the void.
Kwaaang!
The space crumples, shaking the entirety of the 100th floor.
Crack!
In an instant, I create an entrance leading to the 101st floor and step through.
Paaatt!
'This place...I see.'
I realize I'm now outside the Tower of Trials.
Below me lies the enormous Tower of Trials, and further below stretches an endless blue Great Sea. Above, the sky unfolds like an infinite blue Dome Sky.
This is the 101st floor of the Lightning Sacred Sea.
'Though it's called the 101st floor of the Tower of Trials...in reality, it's just a space that gradually grows 'further away' from the tower's center. It's not really a 'next floor' in the traditional sense.'
I scan my surroundings, staying on high alert in case Golden Shaking Bird ambushes me.
Fortunately, Golden Shaking Bird doesn't make any moves against me.
She might already be busy, preparing against the erosion of Heavenly Punishment.
'If that's the case, onward to the next floor!'
Kwaaang!
I break through the door to the 102nd floor again.
When I reach the 102nd floor, the Tower of Trials appears even smaller.
From its previous towering size, it seems to have shrunk to the size of a two-story building.
And the endless Great Sea that had stretched to infinity now seems to reveal its distant edges.
'Not here either?'
Crack!
103rd Floor.
The Tower of Trials has now shrunk to the size of an adult man's body, and the Great Sea where the tower once stood has become a small pond.
The surroundings are shrouded in strange mist, and nothing beyond the mist can be sensed.
Step, step...
'Beyond the mist lies the 104th floor.'
Recognizing this, I walk towards the mist, trying to move through it.
Yet, no matter how far I walk, I realize that I am not distancing myself from the Tower of Trials at all.
'I see. It may seem like a trivial space, but...in reality, is it compressing a distance spanning hundreds of millions of light-years?'
However, I have no intention of struggling over such trivial matters.
Wiiiiiiiing!
I activate the Wheel floating behind my head.
The name of this wheel (輪) is still unknown to me.
However, what's certain is that this wheel is a type of a powerful Immortal Art.
And the ability of this wheel is precisely [Rewrite (改變)].
The power to temporarily 'reset' phenomena as I perceive them.
Of course, this is only a fragment of the true authority wielded by the wheel, but for now, it is more than sufficient.
[I declare: rewrite the space before my eyes.]
Kiiiiriririk!
The Wheel begins to spin.
Simultaneously, the mist before me dissipates, and I instantly arrive at the 104th floor.
'As I thought, this is the 104th floor.'
Emerging from the mist, I find myself in a familiar garden.
Looking back, I see the small stone pagoda in the shape of the Tower of Trials, situated in a small pond.
This is the management space of the Lightning Sacred Sea, where Golden Shaking Bird had first brought me.
Remaining cautious of Golden Shaking Bird, I examine my surroundings.
'Not here either...'
She is not here.
I rise to the pavilion where Golden Shaking Bird once guided me.
'I don't sense her presence anywhere in this entire garden. That must mean she's on the next floor...!'
Closing my eyes briefly at the center of the pavilion, I am able to perceive the entirety of the Lightning Sacred Sea.
'I see. Are these the methods to proceed to the next floors?'
Within the pavilion, I discern the methods to proceed to the 105th floor, 106th floor, 107th floor, and finally the 108th floor which Seo Hweol mentioned.
After grasping these methods, I exit the pavilion and draw forth attraction force.
Kuguguguk!
With attraction force, I tear open a crack in the void and leap into it.
The method to proceed to the 105th floor is to 'ascend' from the 104th floor.
Just like ascending to the Middle Realms, I grab hold of a massive attraction force from within the crack in the Lightning Sacred Sea and cling to it.
Unlike true ascension, the ascension within the Lightning Sacred Sea is brief.
Paaaatt!
'This place is...'
Looking below, I see a vast continent stretching beneath me.
Fields of red poppies are blooming profusely throughout the land.
And in the center of that continent lies the garden where I had just been moments ago.
Turning around, I see a sacred Immortal Palace floating in the air with faint lightning flowing around it.
The lightning consists primarily of two colors: red and gold.
What's peculiar is that the red lightning blooms into the shape of poppies in the void before vanishing.
'This palace isn't the end.'
I see stairs at the back of the palace, leading to an even farther and higher sky, and confirm what lies at the end of those stairs.
At the very end of the stairs is another Immortal Palace where only red lightning courses.
I recall the knowledge I acquired about each floor in the 104th-floor pavilion, the management space of the Lightning Sacred Sea.
'That place is the 106th floor. And it was said that Yang Su-jin's treasure vault can be reached by passing through the Poppy Fragrance Labyrinth (罌香迷宮) within the 106th floor.'
I step into the 105th floor, the Immortal Palace of red-gold lightning.
This palace of red-gold lightning feels strangely familiar.
'I see. The layout is identical to the structures of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.'
To be precise, the arrangement of the halls, rooms, and furniture in this Immortal Palace matches perfectly with those of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
Observing the subtle flow of attraction force and fate throughout everything within the Immortal Palace, I deduce that it is likely some kind of altar designed to attempt replacing one's fate.
At the same time, I notice a stone tablet inscribed with extremely familiar writing.
'English!?'
For some reason, the entire text is written in uppercase letters. As I roughly interpret the phrases, I come to understand their meaning.
'This is...'
It is a method to wield one of the authorities possessed by the Lightning Sacred Sea and the Tower of Trials.
And the authority described here is none other than the way to 'completely grind Golden Shaking Bird to dust.'
'If this method is used...Golden Shaking Bird will be shredded into hundreds of millions of tiny Thunder Beasts and utterly annihilated. No matter what, she was practically your subordinate... Yang Su-jin...why would you leave behind such instructions for future generations to push her this far?'
Feeling bitter, I commit the formula written in English to memory.
At that moment, as I read the very last sentence of the formula, a message left by Yang Su-jin, I involuntarily flinch.
The message is short and concise.
But for some reason, it stirs a strange feeling within me.
—May they find peace.
"...Wait."
Although I need to rise to the 106th floor to confirm Golden Shaking Bird's condition, I find myself unable to take my eyes off the message.
Because within that brief message lies the hidden underside of Yang Su-jin's cruelty.
'By 'they'...could it mean.'
I feel like I somewhat understand why Yang Su-jin had embedded Golden Shaking Bird, who had followed him so faithfully, into the Lightning Sacred Sea, grinding her down for uncountable years and tearing her into hundreds of billions of pieces.
After staring at the stone tablet for a moment, I leave the Immortal Palace of red-gold lightning and head to the Immortal Palace of red lightning.
I rise to the 106th floor.
Pajik, pajijijijik...
As I approach the 106th floor, the ominous feeling weighing heavily on my shoulders grows even stronger.
Pajijijijijijijijijik...
In front of the Red Lightning Immortal Palace.
I hesitate for a long time, debating whether or not to open the palace door.
'Beyond this door...I feel an inexplicable and overwhelming sense of foreboding.'
It's possible that Zhengli has descended here directly.
Golden Shaking Bird may have been captured by her, which would explain why she has been unresponsive to me until now.
After regulating my breathing for a while in front of the Red Lightning Palace, I push the door open.
'Even if Zhengli herself is really here...I must...save Jeon Myeong-hoon!'
Kwa-jijijijik!
The door opens.
Then the very next moment.
I see a terrifying monster bursting out from within.
: : KYAAAAAAA!!! : :
It is a monster with thousands, no, hundreds of millions of bird heads.
The monster with bird heads and erupting lightning scrambles out of the Red Lightning Palace in a panicked frenzy, fleeing somewhere as if consumed by terror.
'Th-That just now!?'
I shudder as I realize the identity of the monster that just burst out.
The aura emanating from that creature unmistakably belongs to Golden Shaking Bird.
'What's this? Golden Shaking Bird turned into a monster and ran off as if she had seen something she shouldn't have?'
Tension builds within me as I cautiously step further inside.
Then, I see it.
Within that place...
Jeon Myeong-hoon is present.
"...Hmm?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon, sitting calmly in a lotus position with his upper garment removed, meets my gaze.
His hair has grown even longer than before.
In fact, his hair half-covers the inside of the Red Lightning Palace, which looks like a bed chamber.
"Jeon Myeong-hoon, are you alright? Are you unharmed?"
At my words, he smiles faintly.
That serene smile, uncharacteristic of Jeon Myeong-hoon, makes me feel an unsettling foreboding.
Usually, this kind of expression only appears when infected by Seo Hweol...'
"...Have you perhaps been possessed by someone? Who are you?"
At my question, he smirks and rises from his seat.
Pajijijik!
The surrounding lightning surges around him, and his long hair shortens.
"Is this okay now? If it's the image from the memory, isn't this the most appropriate? I am Jeon Myeong-hoon."
"...Then, what is it that you treasure most?"
"What I treasure most...That would be the Heavenly Lightning Banner of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect that Golden Divine stole and set up as the divine artifact, wouldn't it?"
"...Even nonsense has its limits."
Bududuk...
Grinding my teeth, I glare at the figure before me.
"What Jeon Myeong-hoon treasures the most is Jin So-hae's hand, not something like the Heavenly Lightning Banner! Who are you? Are you an Entering Nirvana True Person? No, that's not it. Are you a comrade Thunder Beast of Golden Shaking Bird? Get out of Jeon Myeong-hoon's body immediately!"
Even as the sense foreboding from the entity in front of me feels like it's paralyzing my mind, I resist with all my might and shout at him.
"A comrade Thunder Beast of Golden Shaking Bird, huh...I've heard it here and there, but you truly have a talent for entertainment."
"What...?"
Pajijik!
In the next moment, Jeon Myeong-hoon appears right in front of me, gripping my mouth roughly and lifting my body off the ground.
I struggle about to escape his grasp, but I quickly realize it's impossible to break free.
Golden lightning crackles from Jeon Myeong-hoon's eyes as he smiles faintly.
"How unpleasant. A mere bug dares to use this Immortal."
'Just what is he.?'
I'm taken aback, but one thing becomes clear.
The being before me is, at the very least, at the rank of True Immortal!
Kuguguguguk...
'This...isn't Jeon Myeong-hoon's grip strength!'
It's when I'm shocked and desperately trying to come up with a way to escape this predicament.
Thud!
The entity possessing Jeon Myeong-hoon's body suddenly lets go of my face.
I collapse to the ground in front of him, coughing violently as I kneel.
'His rank...i-it's too vast. To the point I can't possibly resist...!'
Yet the most terrifying thing is that the rank this entity just displayed wasn't even a fraction of his full power.
The entity possessing Jeon Myeong-hoon briefly looks down at his own hand, then smiles faintly.
"...I've been had. That one...in the end, orchestrated it so that this Immortal would arrive at that place. Their prophecy surpassed this Immortal. Haha...with their strength alone, it would have been impossible. They must have borrowed the strength of the [Oldest One]."
Muttering these cryptic words, he clicks his tongue and speaks.
"As the resurrection is still incomplete, This Immortal's fate shall be left in your hands for now. Do as you please. I will find my own way out."
"...Who is...the distinguished one? And what do you mean by...what you just said?"
"There's nothing to be curious about. That grotesque thing lodged in your chest will soon tell you everything anyway. Just do as you please."
After finishing those words, he sits in a lotus position before me, closes his eyes, and completely hides its aura.
I watch him for a moment before speaking.
"...I must save my comrade, Jeon Myeong-hoon. I don't know who the distinguished one is, but...you are probably a True Immortal similar to the Heavenly Lightning Banner or Golden Shaking Bird. It seems you intend to take over my comrade's body, but I cannot allow that. Therefore, no matter what it takes, I will reclaim my comrade's body!"
Thud!
I place both hands on his shoulders.
Surprisingly, he does not resist.
No, it seems he doesn't even have the energy to resist.
'Did he say being in the middle of resurrection? He must be unable to use his strength temporarily while resurrecting inside Jeon Myeong-hoon's body! Being unable to resist...was the 'do as you please' genuine...? I can't tell. But regardless of whether it is or isn't...what I must do is already decided!'
After observing him for a moment, I hoist Jeon Myeong-hoon's body over my shoulder and head towards the Red Lightning Immortal Palace.
I make my way to the center of the red bed chamber.
The closer I get to the center, the stronger the scent of poppies becomes.
'They said that passing through the Poppy Fragrance Labyrinth would lead to the treasure vault of Yang Su-jin.'
Because entering was not allowed for Golden Shaking Bird, she never reached there before.
But the moment I arrive at the entrance to the Poppy Fragrance Labyrinth, I immediately realize that I have the 'qualification' to enter.
'So it opens incredibly easily for one who has mastered the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique...!'
Pasasasasa.
Before me, a labyrinth-like space fleetingly reveals itself.
But the moment the space comes into contact with the power of my Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique, it instantly distorts, transforming into a straight passageway stretching forward.
I sprint quickly through the passageway.
The scent of poppies wafts from all around, and beyond the scenery, I see some kind of illusion.
A figure resembling Yang Su-jin and a white-haired woman are walking through a field of poppies.
The two of them, standing at the center of the poppy field, exchange what looks like rings.
'...I see.'
I grasp the purpose of the Lightning Sacred Sea.
Aside from the Tower of Trials, the spaces here consist entirely of a bed chamber, a garden, and a flower field.
This place...was a space created by Yang Su-jin to be with the person he treasures the most.
How long do I soar through the Poppy Fragrance Labyrinth where the illusions of Yang Su-jin and the white-haired woman reside?
I finally arrive at a new space.
Paaaatt!
'That's it!'
In a bizarre space that feels like a mix of an illusory dream and being underwater, I reach out towards the familiar auras floating through that space.
Paaaatt!
The Five Symbols of the Middle Realms quickly enter the world within my soul.
'Now, I just need to get out...'
But when I turn around, the path through the Plum Fragrance Labyrinth that I came through has disappeared completely.
"What...!"
It's when I'm taken aback.
The being possessing Jeon Myeong-hoon offers advice.
"You cannot return to the previous floors from the 107th floor of the Lightning Sacred Sea. That Yang Su-jin created the Poppy Fragrance Labyrinth and this 107th floor to steel his resolve. In other words, it's a structure where you can only move towards the so-called 108th floor from the 107th floor."
"...!"
I already sensed the path leading to the 108th floor.
'Damn it...I hesitated because I don't know what scheme Seo Hweol is up to, but...'
It seems I'm not in a position to choose anymore.
Grinding my teeth, I have no choice but to throw myself towards the 108th floor of the Lightning Sacred Sea.
Paaaatt!
A blinding white light engulfs my vision.
"...Huh?"
I look around with a dumbfounded expression.
It's familiar.
This place...is far too familiar.
I swing my hand.
Kwaaaang!
The ceiling of the familiar underground basement is torn away, revealing the surrounding scenery.
"...Ha, haha, hahahahaha!"
At last, I realize where the 108th floor of the Lightning Sacred Sea is.
And I think I understand why Seo Hweol once told me to investigate Yang Su-jin's shrine if I wanted to conquer the Lightning Sacred Sea.
"...So that's how it is. It was here."
The 108th floor of the Lightning Sacred Sea.
That place is none other than the Heaven-Treading Desert of the Head Realm.
Beneath Yuan Li's Black Castle.
Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
Astral Realm.
At one location within the Astral Realm, in the constellation of Hyeon Eum.
There, Seo Hweol opens his eyes wide.
"...It's done."
He rises from his seat, spreading his arms with a smile.
"Finally, Seo Ran has returned to the Head Realm."
Cheok!
With a faint smile, he forms a hand seal.
Cheok, cheok, cheok, cheok!
All the Seo Hweols scattered throughout the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain simultaneously begin to form hand seals.
At the same time, the same phrase bursts forth from the mouths of all the Seo Hweols in unison.
[Activate. Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.]