When I come to my senses, what I see is not the familiar scene from before.
Not the river of scenes, nor the ten thrones beneath the black sky, but simply an infinite and boundless darkness.
The deepest and most colossal existence.
The endless darkness itself that is presumed to be the [Oldest One].
'Ah...so I've been taxidermized after all.'
In the end, it seems that regressing right in front of this existence is meaningless.
It appears that my authority of regression will come to an end on this very day.
Until now, it has been a good life.
It's when I think so.
Wo-woong!
From the boundless darkness, a light bursts forth.
The light is pure and white, like salt.
I have seen that light before.
It's the same light I had seen on Penglai Island.
'The light of...Salt Mountain?'
When I regain my composure, the light has formed a [Wheel] before my eyes.
A wheel far more radiant, beautiful, immense, and sacred than my own—a wheel of pure white brilliance.
And as soon as I come to my senses, the Wheel begins to reverse.
Kiiiiiing!
'...!'
At the same time, I sense a deep sigh laced with lamentation erupt from the depths of the darkness.
Simultaneously, I sense something [twisted] being reversed and returning to its normal state within the wheel's reversal.
It feels as though my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections has eased a little.
And just when the wheel halts its reversal, and my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections feels significantly lighter,
I suddenly realize that I am moving farther away from the [Oldest One].
'This is...!'
Kiiiiiing!
Once again, the familiar 'river of scenes' rushes past me, and far in the distance, the black sky emerges with the illuminating ten thrones.
The [Oldest One]...
Has let me go.
From a great distance, I seem to hear a voice.
We will meet again.
That definitely seems to be the meaning behind the voice.
As I fail to understand the will of the [Oldest One] who is letting me go, all I can do is nod.
Hwiiiiii!
The process of reversing through history is quite long.
After all, retracing 200,000 years in a single leap naturally requires some time.
Taking advantage of this gap, I look up at the [sky] that has now become a little familiar.
The [ten thrones] within it.
'No...seven?'
Among them, only [seven thrones] are shining.
It is then.
Sururuk...
The light flickers for a moment, then [three] more thrones brighten once again...
The number of thrones have become [ten]!
'Due to the regression...the thrones are returning...'
It is at that moment.
Is it because my realm has risen?
Or is it because something unusual has occurred with the thrones returning?
I begin to see something new.
From those [ten] thrones, I can perceive 'something.'
'Those are...symbols?'
They are symbols.
Among the symbols I had seen before in Yeong Seung's ring, some of them are now visible, emitting light from the thrones.
However, I cannot perceive them clearly, and I can only recognize the symbol of the [Mountain Exuding Darkness].
That mountain symbol, naturally, belongs to the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
Since it is a symbol tied to the connection between me and my senior brother, I recognize it instantly...
As I confirm the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's symbol, I sense the familiar moment of regression approaching.
'This time's moment of regression...where will it be...?'
In the past, regression was always fixed upon reaching the Head Realm.
If so, will it be fixed this time as well...?
As I contemplate this question, I welcome the new 999th cycle of regression.
Light envelops me.
Wo-woong!
I come to my senses.
And I immediately grasp the current situation.
"...So it's [here]..."
Is this fortune, or is this misfortune?
: : Die. : :
I find myself in an all-too-familiar regression point.
I am standing right before Blood Yin.
I see the authority of the Blood Yin surging toward me.
However...
Unlike before, Blood Yin no longer appears as despair itself.
'I've been through far too many terrifying things for that to be the case.'
Huuu...
Exhaling death energy from my entire body, I rapidly accelerate my mind.
Though the body I inhabit is at the Integration stage, I have definitely restored all of my original authority at the time of my death.
And ever since reaching Void Shattering, my authority has begun to accumulate with each regression.
Thus...I am now in the Sacred Vessel stage.
: : Silence and be respectful (靜肅). : :
With my mind accelerating after rising to Sacred Vessel, I utter a single phrase, and Blood Yin flinches.
: : I have come, sent by the Imperial Venerable. Former Chief Judge, respectfully uphold propriety! : :
Kiiiiiing!
Behind my head, a [Wheel] emerges.
At the same time, liquefied death energy undulates around me.
With a solemn gaze, I glare directly at Blood Yin.
Even though True Immortals are, without a doubt, True Immortals, and staring directly at one means enduring overwhelming pain...I have already witnessed true death.
Therefore, I can bear the fear and pain of gazing at a True Immortal for a moment.
Under my stern rebuke, Blood Yin flinches and shudders before halting on the spot.
Then, immediately after.
Paaaaatt!
Blood Yin reveals a form They have not shown even once throughout the entirety of the previous 900 cycles.
'...!'
Blood Yin's form shrinks.
The massive lump of blood mist that was Blood Yin shrinks to a size comparable to mine as They transform.
Sururuk...
Transforming into a human form, Blood Yin, now concealing Their presence, locks eyes with me.
I can't help but be surprised the moment I see Their appearance.
They somewhat resemble Seo Hweol, but at the same time, there is a lingering impression of Yu Hao Te.
With eyes that look slightly fierce but a countenance that could appear exceptionally kind if he smiles, an overall soft impression.
"Does the distinguished one have proof that he is the envoy of the Imperial Venerable?"
He sharply questions me.
However, I respond without faltering.
"I was sent by the Imperial Venerable. Verify it for yourself. Do you not possess the eyes that judge all Vice?"
"..."
This is no jest, but the simple truth.
I have returned to this time point because the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld granted me permission to regress and [sent me back].
Wo-woong!
For a moment, red energy flashes in Blood Yin's eyes.
Then, letting out a low groan, he kneels on one knee before me.
Kwaching!
Simultaneously, the surrounding space begins to be rewritten.
With Blood Yin's will, a small dimension forms within the Interdimensional Void, and both he and I—along with my comrades—are relocated to a space resembling a reception chamber adorned with gemstones radiating dark-red light.
"To the one sent by the Imperial Venerable, this...Blood Yin...pays his respects... I apologize for being unable to welcome thee under the name of Yu Hao Te."
Though he usually refers to himself as Yu Hao Te, it seems he still has some conscience that compels him to properly introduce himself as Blood Yin as he recognizes me as a fellow Reaper.
I survey my surroundings.
'So he created a small dimension on the spot. I could think of it as a simple reception chamber but...it's a type of barrier meant to prevent me from escaping in case of emergency.'
I cannot let my guard down.
"I convey the words of the Imperial Venerable. You, the former Chief Judge, are to immediately abolish the clone called Hyeon Eum."
"May I ask the reason...?"
"It is the doing of the Imperial Venerable! Do you not trust this?"
For a moment, Blood Yin raises his head and looks at me.
My legs feel like trembling under that crimson gaze.
This isn't fear but a sort of instinct.
An instinct born of the overwhelming disparity in rank between a Sacred Vessel and a True Immortal.
"...Understood."
Snap!
Blood Yin snaps his fingers on the spot.
Simultaneously, an illusion appears before my eyes.
This isn't an ordinary illusion. It's practically a dimensional passage connected almost directly to the Astral Realm.
Out of the 2,401 stars, 2,400 simultaneously lose their light and crumble into fragments.
The constellation known as Hyeon Eum no longer exists.
All that remains is a single planet.
"What is the reason for leaving one behind?"
"It is because I trust in the Imperial Venerable."
"If you truly have faith, then sever it without hesitation!"
Then, Blood Yin glares at me.
"...As expected...this wretched bug has deceived this Immortal..."
Upon hearing those words, I gather my comrades and immediately detonate my Integration stage body without hesitation.
Kwaaaang!
Right here, on the spot, I initiate the advancement ritual for the Star Shattering stage!
Kwa-jijijik!
Under the self-destruction of a Grand Perfection Integration stage, the small dimension tears apart.
Kururung!
Nebulae spread outward, and I feel Blood Yin once again in his true form glaring at me.
: : Do not expect to die peacefully... How dare you impersonate an envoy of the Imperial Venerable and destroy this Immortal's clone? Spy of Light!!! : :
Kugugugugu!
An immense pressure crashes down on me.
It seems I've made some sort of mistake in front of Blood Yin.
'Is leaving a single star intact something the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld would have normally allowed? Or...was there some gap shown in our brief conversation?'
I quickly condense my Origin Star.
'In the previous life, I reached the Sacred Vessel stage of the Heaven Tribe, and also underwent the advancement ritual for the Earth Tribe Sacred Vessel stage.'
What remains now is to complete the Earth Tribe advancement ritual perfectly with this Origin Star and face both the Star Shattering and Sacred Vessel Heavenly Tribulations simultaneously!
If I succeed, I will truly reach the Three Great Ultimates of the Sacred Vessel stage.
[A spy of Light, you say? What a strange claim.]
: : You summoned the Radiance Eight Immortals yet dare to speak lies! Immediately... : :
Blood Yin uses some kind of transcendent authority.
However, I silently turn the Wheel.
[I declare: Your authority shall be rewritten.]
I've endured that single strike Blood Yin used to subdue me many times before.
I've come to understand it to this extent.
Pasasasa!
Blood Yin's attack truly transforms into a wave, merely sweeping over me.
I can sense Blood Yin's astonishment.
However, I still feel a powerful distrust lingering in the depths of his consciousness.
Because of some mistake during our conversation, it seems he won't believe me no matter what trick I pull.
'If that's the case...I'll have to proceed as originally planned.'
This is actually better.
In the first place, bluffing in front of Blood Yin was nothing more than a gamble, thinking, 'Would he believe me if I do this?'
'On the contrary, just having him kneel before me and smash Hyeon Eum to that extent is already a gain.'
Seizing the moment when Blood Yin is taken aback, I quickly move from the Interdimensional Void to the Astral Realm.
From behind, I hear the sound of Blood Yin's enraged roar.
But I begin to manipulate the attraction force of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
Wiiiiiiing!
The laws surrounding me rotate like a wheel.
At the same time, the dimensions thicken, sealing tightly so that Blood Yin cannot enter.
Kugugugugu!
: : ————
From beyond, I can feel Blood Yin trembling in fury, attempting to break through to the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
And finally—
Kwachiiing!
A section of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain collapses, and an enormous, colossal red arm bursts through.
Simultaneously, the universe is rewritten.
Under Blood Yin's will, the universe changes in various places.
However...
I see it.
How Blood Yin manipulates this world and how the universe obeys his commands.
'I can escape. I'm sure of it!'
Wherever Blood Yin sends his will to form a barrier, I send mine to dismantle it.
When he sends his authority, I reverse it. When he sends a curse, I reflect it. When he uses attraction force, I respond with repulsive force.
Blood Yin's single arm and I are competing on nearly equal footing.
However...
It's not enough.
'If this drags out, I'll definitely lose.'
Even now, Blood Yin is so enraged that he's not in his right mind, which is the only reason I'm managing to exchange moves with him.
It's not enough with just this.
'More, an even stronger decisive move...!'
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Thirty-third Move.
Sumeru!
The Sumeru Sword Dance draws a circle around me, beginning to borrow the power of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
'Once again, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord might obsess over me.'
Therefore, this time, I block even the possibility of such an outcome at its root!
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Thirty-fourth Move.
Kunlun!
The move of Sumeru and the move of Kunlun unite.
I transform Sumeru's final decisive stroke into a thrust, spreading the thick death energy of me and the entire world.
Then...
Stepping beyond the Underworld, I unleash a single thrust that reaches true death!
Kiiiiiiing!
For an instant, my body transcends the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
And...Blood Yin's true body.
I can perceive beyond it all.
Paaatt!
A thrust faster and more precise than anything else!
Puhwak!
Immediately after—
The world freezes.
It feels as though the vibrations of the entire world have subsided.
At the same time...
I hear the scream of Blood Yin, who now has a small hole in one of his hands.
: : ———
I immediately turn around and leap across dozens of light-years using the ground-shrinking technique.
The one and only means to desecrate Blood Yin's fate which I couldn't use in my previous life due to the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's interference!
In this life, I will use it!
-x-X-x-
Kugugugugu!
The universe trembles.
Blood Yin, who had fired his arm at me, refrains from directly reaching out to grab me—perhaps wary of Kunlun, or perhaps cautious of the Wheel.
Instead, massive hands formed of blood mist emerge, stretching out to seize me in its place.
However, that much is enough.
'As long as Blood Yin doesn't act directly...this is enough.'
Crack!
For some reason, a throbbing sensation is felt in my left shoulder.
I briefly sweep over my shoulder with my consciousness and quickly understand the cause.
The scar left by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord has somehow followed me even into this life.
However, because I just used Kunlun, enveloping my body with death energy, the power of the Underworld that surrounds me seems to prevent it from affecting me.
'This rather works out well.'
At this moment, the power of the Radiance Eight Immortals would only be a burden.
Therefore, I suppress it instead!
Tstststss...
I completely seal the scar with death energy and accelerate even faster through the universe.
Then,
Kugugugugugu!
Fifty Entering Nirvana True Persons block my path.
Smirk.
[True Persons Seniors, what business do you have here?]
From behind, Blood Yin's spell bears down on me. From ahead, True Persons with whom I have unresolved enmity surround me.
Each of them blocks my path with their clone, growling menacingly.
Each clone is at the Sacred Vessel level.
[The time has come to repay old grudges.]
[You, who seem to have been lucky enough to reach the Sacred Vessel stage, do you think you can escape our grasp?]
I look at them and sneer.
[Does it not feel strange that someone who was just at the Four-Axis stage until recently has now reached the Sacred Vessel stage?]
[We understand what you're trying to imply. But True Immortal Blood Yin has vouched for it. You are, in the end, not a True Immortal—]
Wiiiiiing!
Without saying another word, I summon the Wheel behind my head.
'As expected, it doesn't work. But this time...I might just be able to carve out a gap and escape!'
The possibility is high!
Just as I'm thinking this and prepare to activate the Wheel,
[——
[————
The True Persons begin convulsing one after another as they fix their gazes on the Wheel behind me.
[...?]
I stare at them, unable to comprehend their reaction.
'What's this? Did they see something they shouldn't, like during the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra?'
All the better for me.
Because the result is so unexpected I quickly glance back at Blood Yin's spell, which has nearly caught up to me, then leap onto the clone of one of the True Persons and activate Crystal Glass to Treading Sea. 𝘳
Crystal Glass to Treading Sea.
Ghost-Face Killing Heavens Furnace
Dudududududu!
The flames of the Crystal Glass to Treading Sea engulf me.
Simultaneously, the flames twist and distort as they transform into ghost fire, exuding pitch-black ghostly energy.
From my entire body, streams of ghost fire surge forth, dyeing the surroundings.
And then...
Over the immortal attire covering my body, [faces] begin to emerge.
Each face takes the form of a skull, with expressions ranging from agonized suffering to serene calm.
However, they share one common trait: every single skull weeps tears of blood.
The skull faces emerging over the immortal attire total 999.
Chiiiiii!
At that moment, ghost fire spreads to my face, changing its form as well.
My original face becomes completely covered by a mask with the texture of charcoal. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears—
The seven orifices vanish entirely.
What remains is nothing but a faceless charcoal mask, emitting ghost fire in fiery streams through its cracks.
On top of that mask, several eye-shaped patterns, representing curses, etch themselves, creating a grotesque and eerie impression.
The ends of my arms and legs sharpen into jagged edges, reaching a point where they could easily be called devil claws.
Kwaduduk!
In this state, I stand atop the clone of the Entering Nirvana True Person, raising the Wheel high behind my head and intimidating the True Person.
[Move immediately. If you do not obey, I shall transmit the Wheel directly to your main body using this clone as the medium.]
[You...!]
The True Person trembles with rage, but perhaps understanding that my capabilities are sufficient to back up my words, they move their swallow-like body and quickly streak across the universe.
The Crystal Glass to Treading Sea form optimized for Curse and Ghost Path Methods—the Ghost-Face Killing Heavens Furnace—can indeed do such a thing, so it isn't a lie.
[Can't you go faster!?]
Kwa-jijijijik!
The eye-shaped patterns on my mask begin flowing from my hands into the True Person's clone.
In response, the clone screams madly and accelerates even further, moving through the universe at faster speed.
Hwiiiii!
In the far distance, I can see Blood Yin's spell growing further away.
At this point, one might think, 'I've shaken it off,' but I don't let my guard down.
'Fate is near absolute.'
If I were on equal footing with those beings, I might be able to shatter the absoluteness of fate head-on, but as long as I remain below them, that's almost impossible.
In other words, as long as the prophecy exists that says, 'I will meet Blood Yin and face death by his hand,' even if I escape Blood Yin's grasp now, it is my fate to encounter them again someday.
'Therefore...I shall desecrate fate.'
Using the information Oh Hye-seo had given me in my previous life, I begin to calculate the coordinates.
'There...!'
The clone of the True Person.
Grabbing hold of their head, I pour even more ghostly energy and curses into the body, driving it into a berserk state.
The True Person's clone lets out a pained scream and flies rapidly towards a distant star cluster.
Then it happens.
Kuuung!
Tingle, tingle...
A massive sound reverberates from behind me, and a spine-chilling sense of foreboding spreads through my entire body.
'Th-That's...!'
Though Blood Yin's spells are hundreds of light-years away, I can see it clearly.
It must be a type of Immortal Art that transcends distance.
What appears is a hanging scroll formed of dark-red mist.
The scroll unrolls downward, and writing begins to form upon it.
What it records...are the charges of my sins.
: : I declare: your Vice shall be judged... : :
Chills!
'Blood Yin, this narrow-minded bastard...'
Are you really using an Immortal Art wielded by the authority of the Chief Judge in his prime against a mere Sacred Vessel?
: : Hear me, Seo Eun-hyun, spy of Light! You, possessing the attraction force of Light, dare to steal my Lord's Immortal Art. Thus, you shall be charged with the sin of coveting the authority of the Underworld! : :
Kugugugugu!
The entire universe began to tremble.
However, I'm on the verge of madness.
'He's been calling me a spy of Light, a devotee, claiming that I summoned the Radiance Eight Immortals...'
Just what kind of nonsense is he spouting?!
Still, instead of trying to make sense of the situation, I focus on responding first.
'I must stop the judgment. Can that too be rewritten...?'
Clang!
Suddenly, a shackle used for prisoners is fastened around my neck.
Soon, visions of Karmic Fire surging wildly around me appear.
'I can't move...!'
: : Due to the severity of the sins, sinner Seo Eun-hyun shall be executed by dismemberment and exiled to the True Devil Realm for reincarnation! : :
'No, no...!'
Not even the Wheel can rewrite this.
This is truly unavoidable!
I'm about to become a three-layered Seo Eun-hyun pancake!
Kaang!
[...?]
Blood Yin's Immortal speech resounds throughout the universe.
: : What...!? Why does the judgment not activate? Are you saying this Immortal's insight is wrong? Are you saying this Immortal's judgment is flawed? This is a thief who, as a 'believer of Light,' stole the Immortal Art of the Underworld! So why is this Immortal's judgment out of alignment!!! : :
'I don't know what's happening, but...'
Crash!
I shatter the shackle as it is and continue to coerce the clone of the True Person.
: : This is impossible!!! : :
Kugugugugugu!
Behind me, several fixed stars explode under the wrath of Blood Yin.
The light from the far reaches of the universe flickers violently, and crimson shadows sway madly.
This is truly a True Immortal!
'I still...can't compete against Blood Yin's authority...'
The gap in authority is simply too vast.
All I can do is move forward, focusing on getting as far away from Blood Yin's influence as possible.
Just then.
Kwarururung!
A sound like the collapse of space echoes, as a giant Peng bird, with one wing large enough to shroud the sun, appears before me.
The Peng bird's form is half-transparent, as if it exists both within and outside reality. Its two eyes burn bright red, like smelting furnaces.
[Insolent thing. Do you dare mock this Immortal?]
[...!]
I turn to look at the Sacred Vessel-level clone of the Quasi-Immortal that I am holding.
The clone that I have been holding onto suddenly smirks, then with an oddly gloomy face, transforms into a black-haired woman dressed in a neat black skirt and black jeogori.
[TL: Jeogori is the upper garment of a hanbok. Search 저고리 for images.]
Pasasasak!
The black-haired woman melts into something resembling black slime and covers my arm.
'A curse? No, this is...just a simple Five Elements spell.'
It seems to be a water-element spell.
The black slime writhes as it spreads over my body, while the black Peng bird before me...
The main body of the True Person who I have just been coercing and using as a mount, roars furiously as if consumed by rage.
[You dare mock me!? I will tear your body to shreds, plant madness within you, and torment you as my Immortal Treasure for hundreds of millions of years!]
Kugugugu!
As the Peng bird flaps its wings, an interstellar wind begins to surge.
Kugugugugu!
The attraction force of the universe warps, and something begins to be summoned in front of the Peng bird.
Realizing its identity, I am utterly shocked.
'Antimatter!?'
A mass of antimatter the size of a moon is being summoned at the center of the interstellar wind created by the Peng bird.
As the antimatter comes into contact with the matter of the universe, it instantly transforms into Qi, exploding together with light.
Wuduk, wudududuk!
Observing the lump of antimatter the size of a moon release an explosive force capable of casually surpassing an entire star system, I quickly take the Starting Form.
Kunlun, Simplified Form.
Ground-Shrinking, Combined Style.
Dusk Scattering (黃昏)!
This is a technique where I compress a slight concentration of death energy at the tip of my sword, then thrust quickly while adding attraction force to tear a hole into the void!
Paaang!
A hole opens in the void.
This is no ordinary hole.
Unfolded alongside the spell of ground-shrinking, the hole serves as a special method for travel, capable of traversing thousands of light-years in a single step.
Paaaat!
In a single leap, I cross thousands of light-years and glance back.
Kugugugugu!
I can feel it.
Far off in the distance, the Quasi-Immortal is once again pursuing me.
In mere moments, they will reach this place!
'It's fine. Now...I'm almost there.'
Without releasing the form of Ghost-Face Killing Heavens Furnace, I prepare for the final ground-shrinking technique.
Kugugu!
Far away, dozens of light-years beyond, I begin to sense the presence of the Peng Bird.
Unlike me who used a special technique to leap across thousands of light-years, it's covering the distance by simply flying with ease!
But I only smirk as I swiftly take my Starting Form again and thrust once more towards the void.
Dusk Scattering!
Paaaatt!
The void tears open, and finally, I reach the destination I've been aiming for.
Puhwak!
Within a massive nebula.
There, I sense a familiar presence.
Woooooo—
Quadrillions of ghosts are wailing.
At the center of this sea of ghosts, a colossal being is rising.
The Ghost Guiding Holy Mother.
At this moment, it is Kang Min-hee, at the Star Shattering stage.
[I've arrived.]
I can feel the Peng Bird once again chasing from afar.
On top of that, the attraction force of Blood Yin's fate tightens even more fiercely around me.
But...
It's over.
Boo-wooooong!
Reciting the Flawless Mantra, I charge directly at Kang Min-hee.
She stares at me with irrational eyes.
My form, specialized for the Ghost Path Method, seems to make her perceive me as one of the Ghost Kings under her rule, as she doesn't bother restraining me.
I burrow into the chest of her massive being.
Puhwak!
Within the deep darkness.
I walk straight into the darkness.
At the same time, due to the authority of the Flawless Mantra, my mind seems to split apart and my perception of time begins to stretch.
Adding the realm of Void Shattering to my efforts, I accelerate my consciousness with the Flawless Mantra, continuing to walk deeper and deeper into her inner depths.
'There is enough time.'
Therefore...
Here and now, I will desecrate fate, advance to the Sacred Vessel stage of the Earth Tribe to attain the Three Great Ultimates,
And...I will save Kang Min-hee.
Paaat!
I reach out my hand into a place of darkness deep within her and seize what I came for.
Clench!
The true Heavenly Lotus Fruit.
The very object I had placed within her bosom when I sent Kang Min-hee to the Astral Realm.
And...
The food of True Immortals that's imbued with the authority of Blood Yin!
—The method to desecrate fate is simple.
The teaching of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity surfaces in my mind.
—If there's a fate where the universe will be destroyed, the way to twist that fate is to raise a slave called 'the universe' and then kill that 'universe.' If you do that, fate will be fulfilled—no matter how forced it may be—and you'll be able to escape the absoluteness of fate by insisting to the world that you didn't resist fate.
Woo-woong!
—That is the way to mock and desecrate fate.
[At last, 'we meet again,' Blood Yin.]
Woo-woong!
The split soul of Blood Yin quivers.
It seems as though it wants to rip me apart right now, but it cannot exert its power within Kang Min-hee.
Perhaps this is because the forces of the Underworld are planning something involving Kang Min-hee.
With this...
The reunion with Blood Yin is 'fulfilled'. All that remains is to 'face death.'
And...
I continue to walk towards the deep depth of Kang Min-hee.
The hole inside her that connects to death.
Together with Blood Yin, I will go to seal that hole.
It's a memory from long ago.
—Min-hee-ssi, think about it carefully. Who even comes up with the idea of selling soap imprinted with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? And this isn't even our original project. Let's just stick to what we were already doing, okay?
—I'm saying let's do both. We have enough leeway right now, don't we? Don't you know the president likes this kind of thing, Eun-hyun-ssi? Stop arguing and just get this done.
[TL: -ssi basically means Mr. or Ms.]
—No, why would the president like something like this? He only mentioned watching a movie where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights appeared last time. Let's just stick to the manual and prepare for delivery as originally planned.
—...Why are you interfering with every single thing? You know I'm getting promoted to team leader next month, right? Let's not make this exhausting for each other and just get things done quickly. You're well past the early days of employment, aren't you?
—...
—And you still don't get how much the president loves declarations like this? Well, it's not like your tactlessness is a new-thing, Eun-hyun-ssi... Huu, it'd be good for you to study the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by tomorrow. Anyway, I have a meeting now, so I'll take my leave.
The project Kang Min-hee herself had pushed forward.
'Human Rights Declaration Soap.'
It didn't seem like such a bad idea.
But...unexpected difficulties arose.
—Hey!!! Kang Min-hee!!! Where's Kang Min-hee!? Deputy Kang Min-hee! Did you include the declaration!?
Oh Hyun-seok had stormed into the office, shouting furiously.
—Our client Yang Zhengxin just canceled the entire contract and left! Did you not know that Yang Zhengxin's family got ruined once in the past because of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights!?
After that, the memories are hazy.
The president, who was known for collecting declarations and famous quotes, had summoned Kang Min-hee with a stern expression and reprimanded her.
For a while, the company atmosphere became incredibly bad.
Thankfully, she wasn't fired, but since such a major contract had fallen through, rumors spread that her salary would be docked and it would negatively affect her performance reviews for some time.
Because of that, Kang Min-hee was not in her right mind for several days.
She was constantly summoned, swore at, and reprimanded for days on end...
She became so gloomy that she went drinking.
In the middle of her drinking, Seo Eun-hyun had intervened.
While drinking together with Seo Eun-hyun, at some point, her consciousness slipped away.
Kang Min-hee, reminiscing about that time in her memory, laughs.
When she opened her eyes, she was on the bed in Seo Eun-hyun's house.
Within a black canopy.
A woman is surrounded by dozens of Ghost Kings at the Integration level.
She is sitting on a black throne, dozing off.
For some reason, it seems as though she is dreaming a happy dream.
Just then...
The Ghost Kings who are guarding her suddenly begin to tremble violently in terror in unison.
Puhwak!
Someone has entered the black canopy.
A grotesque being with only eye-shaped patterns on its face and 999 ghost faces (鬼面) adorning its entire body.
The Integration stage Ghost Kings tremble in fear and collapse to their knees on the spot.
Slowly, the monster with 999 ghost faces approaches the woman on the throne.
Kang Min-hee.
Clang!
On either side of her, two Ghost Kings at the Star Shattering stage, trembling in fear, raise their scythes in a cross to block the ghost-mask monster with 999 ghost faces.
However, the monster of ghost faces pays them no mind and passes right through the scythes of the Ghost Kings, grabbing Kang Min-hee by the arm.
[Kang Min-hee.]
Woo-woong!
Behind that being's head, a Wheel floats up.
[I will save you now.]
The being stares straight into the [black hole] that lies beyond Kang Min-hee's heart essence.
And then, the entities beyond that hole begin to react to its gaze.
Kiiiiing!
The Ghost-mask monster.
Seo Eun-hyun's wheel begins to spin violently.
[I declare: Be rewritten...]
The connection between Seo Eun-hyun and Kang Min-hee seem to flash past them.
[Break apart, the voices that call to her!]
Kwagwang!
At that very moment, terrifying ghostly energy begins to gush out from the hole inside her heart essence.
First Seat of the Underworld Ten Kings.
Current Netherworld Chief Judge.
Yama True Lord (閻魔眞君), Yama (閻羅), following the command of the [Oldest One], begins to reveal their presence.
-x-X-x-
Kururung!
The sky seems to roar.
From the hole within Kang Min-hee's heart essence, a terrifying rumble echoes forth.
At that moment, I catch a glimpse of [something] beyond.
Flicker, ficker, flicker...
It is fire.
A crimson flame blazing fiercely!
And at the center of that flame burns a towering crimson flame giant!
The Flame God (炎神) clad in the tribunal robes glares directly at me.
: : Do you dare stand in the way of the workings of the Imperial Venerable? : :
Dududududu!
For some reason, despite recognizing the existence of that being, my soul does not become corrupted.
No substantial wisdom flows into me.
The little wisdom I do receive is limited to the title and name of that being.
Beyond that, no further knowledge invades to corrupt or erode me.
It feels as if that being is intentionally showing me mercy.
: : To close the door of that child is to obstruct not only this Lord, but the workings of the Imperial Venerable. I will consider it an act of defiance. Step back. : :
Chijijijik!
My eyes begin to feel increasingly dry.
Even with this act of consideration, I feel that if I continue to gaze directly at Them, my eyes will be scorched.
Before me is the Tribunal Chief of Flames.
The foremost among the Underworld Ten Kings.
The current Chief Judge, Yama True Lord Yama, speaks, and in that instant, a future flashes before my eyes.
It is a vision of myself being dragged into the depths of the deep Underworld and endlessly tortured under Yama's authority.
This is no mere illusion.
The celestial energy shifts, fixing my future into that outcome.
If I reject Yama True Lord's words here and continue trying to close the gate to save Kang Min-hee, that future will inevitably become my fate.
However...
The searing pain of my body burning away is not particularly frightening.
What I fear more is the pain of failing to save Kang Min-hee now and later living with the self-reproach that will follow.
It is the torment I would inflict upon myself.
'Can I do it?'
No.
Doubt is unnecessary.
I must do it.
'I will!'
Kiiiiing!
Behind my head, a wheel rises like a halo.
Yama True Lord, as if enraged, erupts into a furious blaze that engulfs Their entire body.
Closing my eyes momentarily, I recall the scene I witnessed just moments ago.
The white wheel I had seen from the [Oldest One].
I bring to mind that wheel.
How that wheel reversed.
How that wheel operated.
What sort of attraction force operated within it, and what authority surged through it...
Wiiiiing!
The wheel begins to reverse.
Yama True Lord invokes Their authority.
Before I know it, the surroundings have shifted entirely.
It seems that Yama True Lord momentarily distorted reality with Their authority, creating a new dimension.
From the distant sky, something massive resembling a jade seal (imperial seal) begins to fall.
Kwaaang!
I am instantly crushed to death beneath the jade seal.
Kiiiiiing!
However, even though I die, the wheel continues to reverse.
Paaatt!
With that, I raise myself up and glance to the side.
There is a blazing stamp of fire, and beneath it lies what appears to be the remnants of 'me.'
But 'I' am not dead.
: : Audacious thing. You dare face this Judge while performing the advancement ritual for Earth? : :
Kwadudududuk!
The next moment, a flaming hand thrusts into my mouth.
The fiery hand grips my tongue from within and pulls it out entirely.
Starting with my tongue, the nebula within my body, my inner core, my outer core, my attraction force, and even the explosions—all of it is ripped out, leaving me dead on the spot.
[TL: Core as in planetary core.]
The wheel reverses.
I find myself standing once more, staring at the figure of my own corpse lying beside me, lifeless, with everything within me ripped out.
Immediately after, I am sliced to death by a saw.
The wheel reverses.
I am frozen within ice, my soul itself freezing solid, and I die.
The wheel reverses.
I am...
The wheel...
...
...
How many times have I died, and died, and died, and died over again?
Kwa-jijijik!
I find myself in a Blade Mountain Hell (刀山地獄), my entire body impaled, fully aware of my impending death.
[TL: Blade Mountain Hell is the seventh layer of the 18 levels of hell in Chinese myth.]
Yet, I remain indifferent to the pain, steadying myself in place.
Slowly, I kneel.
Though my entire body is pierced through, it is bearable.
Slowly, in that state.
I bow towards the Yama True Lord.
"I thank the great Yama True Lord for their mercy."
I know.
They are killing me with consideration.
If They truly used the full authority of Their original body, crushing me completely along with the wheel and taxidermizing me would be a trivial feat. Yet, They spare the wheel, granting me permission to resurrect and repeat the meaningless deaths.
I glance behind me.
Already, hundreds of my corpses lie in view.
I suspected it from the start.
According to the words of Blood Yin, I must have stolen something that is called the Immortal Art of the Wheel.
However, the Yama True Lord, rather than unleashing fury against me, shows consideration, merely allowing me to know Their name without inflicting unbearable torment.
Therefore, the countless deaths They inflict on me here and now are...
Nothing more than a kind of trial.
Woo-woong—
I am forcibly lifted to my feet by an overwhelming force.
Yama True Lord, Their towering body blazing with flames, briefly looks down at me.
: : Do not kneel. One who bears the Wheel does not kneel recklessly. : :
The Wheel.
The Immortal Art that combines the Flawless Mantra and the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
The recent trial, it seems, was entirely Their way of teaching me how to properly wield this Wheel.
Following the simple 'resets,' I grasped the abilities of this Wheel a little more clearly.
The ability of the Wheel is to rearrange causality (因果/cause and effect).
To be precise, it is more accurate to say it organizes causality.
At present, I do not die easily.
My main body itself has become a kind of Immortal Art, and I have transcended life halfway, becoming a being too immense to be considered merely a living creature.
Such a being as I cannot simply die from trivialities like having a stamp pressed onto my body, being frozen, having my tongue and entrails torn out, or being burned alive.
What Yama True Lord did is 'overlay' death upon me through the form of death.
By reversing the Wheel, I returned myself to the state before the 'overlaid' death, restoring it as it was.
It is the act of restoring to my original state before any history or prophecy overlaid on me by True Immortal and above entities through organizing casualty!
In other words, this is a means suitable for resisting the power of True Immortals, similar to the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.
: : ...Impressive. : :
Yama True Lord lets out a small exclamation of admiration as They watch me firmly maintain the Wheel.
: : Do you truly intend to save that child, who has received the support of the Underworld? Do you truly seek to save the child who will become the vessel for the Imperial Venerable's descent? : :
"Yes."
: : Even if your path becomes a thorny road fraught with hardship? : :
"...Compared to the thorny road before me,"
I speak as I stare resolutely at Yama True Lord.
"The Sword Mountain within me is far more agonizing!"
Paaaatt!
At that moment.
The world became clear in an instant.
The inner depths of the dimension created by the Yama True Lord, filled with only darkness and flames, is rewritten.
It transforms into a Glass Sword Mountain.
The flawless and clear Glass Sword Mountain is piercing me.
At the same time, the Yama True Lord's body is pierced all over by my glass swords within this Sword Mountain.
It is clear.
Flawlessly clear.
And...it hurts!
"I have witnessed the ultimate extreme of pain. The extreme of pain surpasses even the Karmic Fire of the former Chief Judge. That pain is none other than...oneself."
The Wuji Religious Order evaporated, and my Karmic Fire was extinguished.
Though I learned of this only later, the condition for extinguishing the Karmic Fire is for one's own pain and remorse to surpass the pain of the Karmic Fire itself. When that happens, the fire naturally goes out.
From that, I came to understand one fact.
No matter how painful and terrifying external pain may be,
It cannot compare to what lies within oneself.
Enduring one hundred lashings is not as effective as repenting to oneself even once.
Therefore...
"I do not want to do anything that I will regret."
I do not wish to suffer.
Having reached the pinnacle of pain, I dislike pain even more.
And because I have realized that the greatest pain is my own regret...
I seek to live a life free of regret.
"If I were to die tonight, I would commit nothing in the morning that I would regret! Please, return her to me!"
Yama True Lord gazes at me for a moment, then looks around at the colorless Sword Mountain.
: : Good. : :
Even though They are pierced through by the Sword Mountain, They show no sign of pain and, instead, seem to be in a good mood.
: : I permit it. : :
"...!"
At those words, I feel a tingling sensation coursing through my entire body.
The Chief Judge has granted permission to save Kang Min-hee.
: : However, as for what is binding that child...judge it for yourself. : :
Having finished speaking, Chief Judge Yama True Lord raises one hand.
: : O Karmic Mirror (業鏡), close your eyes. Return the distinguished one to his place. : :
Simultaneously, the small dimension transformed by my will begins to tremble and distort.
Soon after, I find myself facing the Yama True Lord sitting in a lotus position, along with a massive, mirror-like object behind Them reflecting the both of us.
Wo-woong!
In an instant, I return to my main body with them.
'This place is...'
Just before.
It is the very moment when I was holding Kang Min-hee's arm and peering into the hole within her heart essence.
'I see. Was that small dimension something created by Yama True Lord's Immortal Treasure...?'
It seems to be something that reflects a person's essence, history, or similar concepts.
Tingle, tingle...
I feel a tingling sensation as something flows into my mind.
It is wisdom bestowed by the Yama True Lord.
The method to fill the hole in Kang Min-hee's heart essence.
Wo-woong!
As I enter the depths of her heart essence, I raise both hands and begin chanting the Flawless Mantra.
Wo-woong!
Between my hands, a black circle formed by attraction force rises.
Wiiiiiing!
I feel the circle rotating.
Along with it, the black hole in front of me begins to resonate.
Sssssss—
Using the wisdom granted by the Yama True Lord, I reduce the size of the Flawless Mantra.
Although it is wisdom received from Them, it feels like something I might have eventually discovered through further study of the Flawless Mantra.
As the circle of the Flawless Mantra shrinks, the black hole simultaneously begins to decrease in size.
Tstststststs!
Then, at a certain moment—
Paaatt!
The circle condenses to a single point and vanishes, and the black hole likewise becomes a tiny dot before scattering away entirely.
'It's done...'
At last, I am able to save Kang Min-hee.
Paaaatt!
I roam through Kang Min-hee's heart essence, searching for her main consciousness.
How much time has passed?
Eventually, I find her main consciousness lying dormant at the center of a mass of dark clouds.
Paaatt!
Twin Flowers Reaching the Heavens.
White Orchid Flower!
The energy of blessings dispels the surrounding darkness.
I approach her main consciousness, grab her by the shoulders, and shake her.
"Wake up, Kang Min-hee."
At this, Kang Min-hee half-opens her eyes.
A somewhat dazed gaze.
She is dreaming.
I use the Sea of Righteousness and Mountain of Grace to enter her dream.
'This place is...'
This is my house.
The home I miss dearly.
The splendid house where I could always enjoy a comfortable life, equipped with magical artifacts like the one called a computer, as well as light fixtures, an air conditioner, and a boiler.
And this is currently a scene where I am sitting on the bed, saying something to Kang Min-hee, whose face is slightly flushed.
'This...is that day.'
It was the day Kang Min-hee drank too much and passed out and I had no choice but to bring her to my house and let her rest in my room for a while.
Kang Min-hee and I are talking about something.
She says, 'Can't you even take what's given to you?' while letting out a deep sigh, and I seem to be laughing, saying, 'Just buy me a meal.'
After some time, we begin to bicker about something. Then, leaning close to her ear, I whisper something.
Hearing my words, Kang Min-hee briefly shows a blank expression. She stays still for a long moment before quietly leaning her head on my shoulder.
This was the day we began our brief romance again.
"Stop watching."
Pasasasasak!
The dream begins to blur, and Kang Min-hee appears beside me.
"What are you doing here? Get out."
Holding a smoking pipe in one hand and dressed in a black robe, she looks at me with cold eyes.
"I was just reminiscing about old dreams in my sleep, but here you are, spying on me like a pervert...As always, you're the worst. Get lost. It was just a memory, and I have no intention of getting together with you again."
"I know."
"If you know..."
Without saying anything else, I take Kang Min-hee's hand.
"Let's go. For now, let's leave, and then we'll talk."
"L-Let go."
As I hold her hand, Kang Min-hee seems flustered and tries to pull her hand away.
But I don't let go. Holding her hand, I move forward.
Deeper into her heart essence.
There, countless ominous and foreboding energies are lurking.
"Let go! Let me go! Hurry! Do you want to die?"
Kang Min-hee starts to get angry.
However, I somehow sense a tremble in her voice.
I reply.
"I won't die."
"Don't talk nonsense! What would you know...what would you know...!?"
Hwiiiiuuuuu—
I can see dark clouds around us.
Within Kang Min-hee's heart essence.
No, this place isn't exactly her heart essence. It's filled with resentful spirits nested within her soul.
"Stop pretending to be strong, Seo Eun-hyun! Let go of me already!"
Before I know it, her voice has become tearful.
She is worried about me.
I begin reading her past with the vision of the Earth Tribe.
Since I already roughly heard about what happened to her in Black Ghost Valley, it isn't difficult to read.
I come to understand what has happened in that time.
Though I can't properly read anything about the [Hole of the Underworld], I can read about the 'ghosts.'
'I see. So this...is what the Chief Judge meant...'
—However, as for what is binding that child...judge it for yourself.
Kang Min-hee acts strong on the outside, but in truth, she is fragile inside.
Despite that, she carries an enormous sense of responsibility.
'The ghosts...'
Kang Min-hee, having entered Black Ghost Valley, learned the Serene Soul True Secrets to console the souls of ghosts.
The reason was simple.
She pitied the ghostly souls, who, even in death, were being enslaved within Black Ghost Valley.
She began to embrace the ghosts, one by one.
She started to hold them, comfort them, and console them.
And gradually, ghosts began to gather around her.
It wasn't due to some innate constitution like the Ghostly Yin Transformation Immortal Root.
It was her attitude—her genuine efforts to understand the emotions of the ghosts, to console them, and to embrace them.
That attitude was what drew the ghosts to her.
During the Seven Stars Ritual, a group of ghosts who obeyed her command burst forth and punched a hole through the thick black clouds.
Even during her advancement to the Qi Building stage, she didn't require Qi Building Pills.
The ghosts willingly offered their ghostly energy to help her advance.
Unlike Jeon Myeong-hoon, who required devouring Heavenly Tribulations to grow, her growth wasn't restricted before reaching the Nascent Soul stage.
Without any hindrance, from the day she learned the Serene Soul True Secrets, she steadily grew with the help of the ghosts, advancing all the way to the Four-Axis stage.
However, there was a side effect.
Kang Min-hee began to sense her mind being gradually eroded by the ghosts.
The pain of the ghosts.
Their lingering resentment.
The terror of not wanting to die.
The fear of death...
These horrifying emotions gradually consumed Kang Min-hee's mind.
To endure this, Kang Min-hee tried recalling the happy days of her life.
...Strangely, the first memory that came to her was the scene of watching the sunset through clouded skies with her ex-boyfriend at an observation deck.
Although she wasn't pleased with that memory, to retain her sanity, she continued her cultivation while recalling it.
Then, one day.
She felt that [something] beyond herself was 'calling' to her.
That [something] said...
It would help her.
That embracing the ghosts' resentment alone must be agonizing, and if she sought its aid, it would share the burden with her...
Kang Min-hee refused.
However...at some point, the [call] grew stronger.
The [call] began teaching her a formula.
At first, she ignored the formula, but as time passed, the [call] intensified.
Then, one day,
Kang Min-hee met Seo Eun-hyun again.
The day she reunited with Seo Eun-hyun, who had become a Grand Cultivator.
On that day, she was thrown somewhere by the power of Oh Hye-seo, and before she knew it...
She found herself on the brink of falling into the maw of a terrifying existence.
To overcome this crisis, there was only one solution.
Kang Min-hee had to fully accept the power of the ghosts.
Until then, she hadn't fully embraced their resentment and pain.
She had only cradled them, drawing a small amount of ghostly energy for use.
If she properly integrated with the ghosts, she could immediately wield tremendous authority.
To resolve the situation, Kang Min-hee accepted the ghosts.
And within the ghosts' lingering resentment and pain, she finally responded to the [call].
Beyond that [call].
[Something] seized Kang Min-hee's mind, and from that moment onward, her memories became unclear.
The [call] seized her soul, the flow of a being called Seo Hweol invaded her, and the existence beyond the [call] descended through her body. After that, she lost consciousness.
From then on, it was a time of endless torment.
She was losing herself amidst the whispers and lingering resentment of the ghosts.
And at some point.
Kang Min-hee opened her eyes again.
The moment she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Seo Eun-hyun.
The man with whom she had once created moments of happiness.
It seemed as though he was fighting against her.
Scenes flickered and distorted.
Kang Min-hee couldn't understand why she was fighting Seo Eun-hyun.
She didn't want to fight.
She didn't want to hurt him.
Rather than tearing him apart with her hands, she only wanted to hold his hand.
She didn't want to fight with him anymore!
At this rate...it felt as if she might end up killing Seo Eun-hyun with her own hands.
So, even in the midst of her muddled memories, Kang Min-hee begged.
She begged the existence of the [call].
Please.
I will give you anything. Just stop me from killing Seo Eun-hyun with these hands.
A response comes from the [call].
——
It was a language incomprehensible to mortal beings.
Yet Kang Min-hee could understand it, and she 'accepted' the voice of the [call].
She didn't know the details, but she understood.
Beyond the [call].
She had to entrust herself to the endless darkness, falling to a place where she could never see Seo Eun-hyun again, in order not to kill him with her own hands.
To avoid destroying what was most precious to her with her own hands, she had to give up what was most precious.
Kang Min-hee, faced with this miserable truth,
At the cruel fate of this world,
And at the pain of the countless lingering spirits who had died in this world, felt an overwhelming sorrow.
'Life is...'
She had said something.
She cannot remember what it was.
She only vaguely recalls expressing the emotion of 'sorrow.'
After speaking those words, Kang Min-hee's path was decided under the guidance of the [call], and though following that 'path' would mean she could never see Seo Eun-hyun again, she understood it would ensure that she would never kill him.
That was Kang Min-hee's past.
'...It was the ghosts.'
The various things related to me and the [call].
In other words, the [Hole of the Underworld] contributed to her madness.
But now that the hole is sealed with the Flawless Mantra, the reason she still cannot regain her senses is because of the ghosts.
It is because she absorbed the ghosts' powerful lingering resentment and pain into herself, becoming corrupted as a result.
"Let go...let go..."
Kang Min-hee's voice trembles.
She is telling me to leave her and go.
She seems afraid that I too might be eroded by the ghosts.
For the grudges of the ghosts are by no means shallow.
And...it is because Kang Min-hee is currently clutching the lingering resentment of the ghosts with her own hands that she has been unable to escape from the madness of the Ghost Guiding Holy Mother.
'She must have thought she had to embrace them.'
She's always like that.
Even though she appears cold and curt on the outside, the truth is that she's always been considerate of me at heart.
'It was the same during the Declaration of Human Rights soap incident.'
If she hadn't taken the lead back then, perhaps instead of the Declaration of Human Rights soap, we might have ended up creating a Communist Manifesto soap or some other absurd soap.
...After all, there was precedent for actually pushing forward the Communist Manifesto soap under the president's orders.
'Anyways.'
The important thing is not that.
She is soft-hearted.
She wants to embrace those who are pitiful.
Even though she seems cold, her true nature is kind.
That's probably why she cannot ignore the resentment of these ghosts.
'If that's the case, then what I need to do is...'
Squeeze!
I grip Kang Min-hee's hand even tighter and begin moving forward.
Kang Min-hee tries to shake off my hand, but I refuse to let go and continue moving ahead.
Terrifying vengeful spirits appear before us.
They are the aggregation of the resentments that Kang Min-hee is embracing, as well as what has been binding her.
[It's unfair! So unfair!]
[We are indignant. So indignant.]
[My baby, my baby, my baby...]
[I want to live. I don't want to die. Where is this place? Mommy. Mommy...]
[Please Save me. Please save me. I don't want to become a pill.]
[The Heaven-Collapsing Esteemed One will punish you! Just like what was done to us, the Small Green Race, you will be boiled into soup and consumed!]
[It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. It hurts so much...!]
[Idon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodieIdon'twantodieIdon'twantodieIdon'twantodie...!!!]
Towards that accumulation of pain and suffering, I open my mouth.
"I cannot understand you all."
How terrified must they have been?
How horrifying, how agonizing must it have been?
I do not dare judge by my own standards.
No matter how much suffering I've endured in my life, if all my memories were erased right now, my strength taken away, and I was killed wretchedly, I, too, would probably harbor that kind of pain.
I cannot recklessly claim to 'understand' them.
But...
"I know a little about pain."
Step.
I take another step forward, approaching the collective mass of resentment.
"Therefore...I can empathize with you."
Come.
Paaaatt!
The ghosts enter into my embrace.
I use the vision of the Earth Tribe to read their pasts and the vision of the Heart Tribe to perceive the intent and heart essence they experienced in their pasts, embodying their pain and fear within myself.
Sssssss!
What is it that ghosts desire most?
Because I myself am a great ghost, merely living because I cannot die...I know.
To have their stories heard.
It is to have their circumstances 'acknowledged' by someone.
I quietly listen to their suffering and empathize with them.
Even without using any formulas or spells...
The ghosts I empathize with turn pure white and fly off into the void.
"Come again. Keep coming. Come more...!"
I call for the ghosts binding Kang Min-hee.
At least tens of trillions.
At most, tens of quadrillions of ghosts.
Yet, I am not afraid.
I take another step forward.
One step, then another.
In this way, I empathize with the suffering of the ghosts, embodying and acknowledging it within myself, all the while moving forward slowly.
Kang Min-hee, being led by Seo Eun-hyun's hand, gazes at him.
'How can you do that?'
Just from accepting the resentment of a single ghost, it felt like she'd lose her mind from the pain.
How can a human being possibly understand death?
Can one truly comprehend the loss of their entire life being taken away by death?
For that reason, it's impossible for Kang Min-hee to understand the ghosts who have experienced 'death'.
'How can you acknowledge them...and empathize with them?'
She cannot understand Seo Eun-hyun.
Suddenly, something appears before her eyes.
It is a series of scenes.
'This is...'
It was the day she and Seo Eun-hyun first met.
The days when they dated, spent time together, and eventually parted ways.
The awkward days that followed.
This is...
Seo Eun-hyun's memories.
The ones involving her among Seo Eun-hyun's memories are naturally surfacing.
Seo Eun-hyun is splitting apart.
To accept even more of the vengeful spirits before him and to empathize with them, he is breaking apart.
At least ten thousand fragments.
Fragmented into ten thousand pieces, he is holding Kang Min-hee's hand and moving forward.
From the cracks in Seo Eun-hyun's fractured self, his memories are seeping into her.
Within his memories, Kang Min-hee realizes for the first time that she is considered 'strong.'
And so, she gives a bitter smile.
'...Do you know, Seo Eun-hyun?'
She looks at Seo Eun-hyun's back.
It's a back as big as a great mountain.
'The one who's truly strong...is you.'
Seo Eun-hyun, on her behalf, is empathizing with and comforting the vengeful spirits she harbored.
But suddenly, a thought comes to her.
'If you're the one stepping forward to embrace everyone's sorrow...who will embrace yours?'
Then, from the state of merely being pulled along by Seo Eun-hyun's hand, she takes steps on her own.
Step—
One step.
Forgotten memories return.
Two steps.
They are memories from back then.
The moment she lost Seo Eun-hyun, and in her resolve to save him, when she felt sorrow.
Three steps.
She remembers that within her own memories, she had sensed her essence.
Within that essence, she saw [something].
It was something that resembled the Buddha statues she used to occasionally see near a temple when she was a child.
Draped in a blue kasaya, seated on a blue lotus, and forming the hand seal known as the Abhayamudra (施無畏印), a Buddhist taenghwa appeared before her.
Four steps.
Kang Min-hee reached out toward the taenghwa and cried.
She doesn't know why she was crying.
But one thing she is certain of is...
She understood the meaning of 'sorrow.'
Five steps.
Wo-woong!
Light enters Kang Min-hee's eyes.
'When I think about it...you've led me in so much.'
Her first love, her first relationship, her first heartbreak...
All of it, Seo Eun-hyun led her through.
Even now, he is leading her.
'I can't lead you.'
She is not strong enough to move forward without hesitation.
Seo Eun-hyun may think Kang Min-hee is fragile yet has strong responsibility, but Kang Min-hee believes Seo Eun-hyun is much stronger than herself.
Six steps.
Kang Min-hee stands almost side by side with Seo Eun-hyun.
She looks directly at the ghosts before her.
'But...I can protect you.'
The next moment.
Kang Min-hee finally steps forward, moving just slightly ahead of Seo Eun-hyun.
Seven steps.
'I will protect you. Even if comforting you is left to that girl...just as you have led me, I will, with all my strength...protect you and everyone else.'
She cannot comfort Seo Eun-hyun.
She has known this ever since that day she touched the taenghwa of the bodhisattva in the blue kasaya.
She has already become someone who consoles others.
Someone who provides solace for sorrow.
Sorrow is about 'what is left behind.'
It is the longing for what has been left behind, the yearning and regret that arise in one's heart.
Because what is left behind is usually something that can never be reached again.
The ghosts left behind life.
And even though Kang Min-hee broke up with Seo Eun-hyun, she always left a place for him in her heart.
But...
Seo Eun-hyun will never return to that place.
To console sorrow means to understand what has been left behind and to let it go.
'I see...'
Kang Min-hee finally understands what the [call] did to her.
The [call] turned Kang Min-hee into a Nether Crossing Ship.
The Nether Crossing Ship stores ghosts, and during the End, escapes the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain to allow the ghosts to peacefully cross over to the Underworld.
The role to 'send off' ghosts so that they can find solace in the Underworld.
That is the hidden role of Black Ghost Valley and the true purpose of the Nether Crossing Ship.
Kang Min-hee looks at Seo Eun-hyun.
'If I want to become more free...I'll have to let you go too, won't I?'
She now understands her own sorrow.
The sorrow of leaving a place for Seo Eun-hyun where Seo Eun-hyun has left.
That is 'her' sorrow.
To console that sorrow, she will have to let Seo Eun-hyun go completely from her heart.
'But...I don't think I can let you go just yet.'
Therefore, Kang Min-hee decides to accept her sorrow for a little longer.
However, this sorrow is different from the sorrow she has experienced so far.
She completely accepts her sorrow.
Letting it go from her heart entirely is a foregone conclusion.
And letting go means building a wall between people.
Kang Min-hee wants to protect Seo Eun-hyun through that wall.
Puhwak!
At that moment.
Her hair completely transforms into blue.
From Kang Min-hee at the center, a blue light spreads outward, purifying the darkness.
The lingering resentment of the ghosts is washed away all at once.
Pasasak!
At the same time, the charcoal mask on Seo Eun-hyun shatters into pieces, fully revealing his face.
Seo Eun-hyun smiles faintly at Kang Min-hee.
"See? I told you I wouldn't die."
Pasasasasa!
Simultaneously, Seo Eun-hyun's form, which had been shattered into ten thousand pieces, restores itself completely.
Kugugugugu!
Along with that, the Three Great Ultimates begins to rise behind Seo Eun-hyun.
He empathised and read the histories of the ghosts within Kang Min-hee, acknowledging them.
Through the advancement ritual of reading countless histories, Seo Eun-hyun fulfilled the final condition for the advancement ritual of the Earth Tribe Sacred Vessel stage.
Seo Eun-hyun releases Kang Min-hee, who has escaped from the darkness, and steps forward.
He walks towards the Entering Nirvana True Person flying in from the distance.
Kang Min-hee slightly reaches out her hand towards that Seo Eun-hyun and recalls the past.
After the day Seo Eun-hyun brought Kang Min-hee home and suggested they try dating again for a while,
The two dated again for about three days. Then, on the final day, they broke up.
On the outdoor terrace smoking area of the company.
There, Kang Min-hee smoked a cigarette while gazing at the sunset.
Seo Eun-hyun silently came to her side and stood there for a moment.
After a brief silence,
Kang Min-hee once again suggested breaking up with Seo Eun-hyun.
—That's enough. Let's break up again. I've been consoled enough...
—Will you be okay?
—Yeah. More than me...
It was because...
There was someone who could comfort Seo Eun-hyun better than herself.
— ...Never mind. Even if I explain, you won't understand.
Of course, Seo Eun-hyun, who treats tact as if it's something to gulp down when hungry, didn't notice, but...Kang Min-hee already realized.
Kim Yeon would someday end up with Seo Eun-hyun.
And...she would comfort and heal Seo Eun-hyun far better than she could.
—Let me have one too, Kang Min-hee.
—You said you quit?
—I really feel like having one.
—...It's the last one.
—...? Didn't you just buy a pack?
— Shut up. I'm giving you one only because it's today.
—Give me a light too...
She lit a flame.
However, for some reason, the lighter didn't ignite.
It hadn't been long since she bought it, but it seemed to be broken.
Kang Min-hee removed the cigarette from her mouth and handed it to Seo Eun-hyun.
Seo Eun-hyun brought the tip of the cigarette to the flame in Kang Min-hee's cigarette.
Chiiiii—
Passing the flame she had been holding in her mouth, Kang Min-hee delivers her final words of goodbye.
— Farewell, ex-boyfriend.
Seo Eun-hyun, likewise, receives the flame for the last time and responds.
—Stay well, ex-girlfriend.
"Farewell..."
Kang Min-hee watches Seo Eun-hyun, who is no longer within her reach, and gently clenches her fist.
"Seo Eun-hyun."
Seo Eun-hyun has left Kang Min-hee.
She knows he will not return.
She lets him go.
And now, she decides to watch over him from behind.
From behind, or perhaps from ahead.
She will not approach him again, but will simply watch over him.
She will become Seo Eun-hyun's wall.
She will become a wall and silently protect him.
Because that...
Is her way of letting Seo Eun-hyun go.
That day.
Kang Min-hee fully accepts the meaning of what she had realized before—that 'life is sorrow.'