Glass Cedarwood Mountain of Cedarwood Painting.
After being established in a place commonly referred to as the Peaceful Cloud Realm, named after the continent,
Seo Ran created a cave in a spot within the Glass Cedarwood Mountain and began secluded cultivation there.
Monster.
That is the term used by Seo Hweol, whom he always believed in and followed as if he was his real father.
Seo Ran is confused about everything.
That Seo Hweol is actually countless fragments created by a certain Immortal Art.
The fact that the main body of those fragments is himself, and that the fragments planned to kill Seo Ran's physical body to reset him.
To himself, he is simply...
A regular half-human, half-dragon.
"Older brother, please at least drink some water and absorb spiritual energy. What will you do if you hurt your origin?"
Shi Ho approaches Seo Ran.
Seo Ran looks at Shi Ho with vacant eyes.
After Seo Eun-hyun decided to settle in the Peaceful Cloud Realm, Seo Eun-hyun and his comrades all emerged from Seo Eun-hyun's heart essence and began living in Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
Kim Young-hoon continuously discussed the skill known as martial arts with Seo Eun-hyun,
And Jeon Myeong-hoon got accustomed to handling lightning according to Seo Eun-hyun's method, preparing to advance to the Star Shattering stage.
Kang Min-hee, after a yearned-for reunion with the comrades, currently aims to reach the Grand Perfection Star Shattering stage.
In a few hundred years, Kang Min-hee's advancement ritual to the Sacred Vessel stage will likely begin.
Oh Hyun-seok temporarily returned to the Bright Cold Realm, and is said to be further learning the Bone Armored Treasured Origin Art from one of the Integration stage Grand Cultivators there, Gol Maek.
Particularly among them, Kim Yeon is said to be gathering ordinary stars outside Cedarwood Painting to create something tremendous.
Moreover, Seo Eun-hyun's loyal subordinate, Hong Fan, has gotten a sense of Entering Heavens Beyond the Path and is growing while spreading Seo Eun-hyun's renown throughout Cedarwood Painting.
Currently, the only one sitting doing nothing but staring at a wall is Seo Ran.
Even Shi Ho is helping Hong Fan with his work while managing Glass Cedarwood Mountain, and bit by bit strengthening her cultivation while caring for Seo Ran.
However, Seo Ran, after briefly looking at Shi Ho with a puzzled gaze, turns back to face the wall.
"Stay outside. I'll handle it myself."
"...Older brother..."
But Shi Ho, without listening to Seo Ran's words, stands there for a long time watching him before leaving.
Seo Ran lets out a sigh.
After realizing from Seo Hweol that he is the main body of Seo Hweol,
Seo Ran managed to completely uncover the face and name of a certain 'woman' and his emotions towards her that has been harassing him since Penglai Island.
The woman's name is Oh Hye-seo.
For some reason, she currently bothers Seo Ran in his heart even more than when he thinks of Shi Ho.
Seo Ran glances at the place where Shi Ho left.
In the spot where he left is a large scoop of saltwater left for Seo Ran to consume.
It is a mass of spiritual energy water created by the salt Seo Eun-hyun specially created through using his spiritual power, and a water-attribute spell.
Starting from the Heavenly Being stage, one doesn't need to eat food and can live off just the Five Elements. Therefore, consuming sufficiently spiritual energy-enriched Five Elements is more helpful than proper food for maintaining one's origin.
Seo Ran uses the splitting void seizing object (隔空攝物) technique to bring the bowl of saltwater closer.
In it, Seo Ran's face is clearly reflected.
However, Seo Ran contorts his face, grabs the bowl, and shouts.
"Just what!!?? Just what am 'I' supposed to be!? Just what is my life supposed to be!?"
As Seo Ran yells, the water in the bowl distorts, and his reflection in the water also distorts wildly.
"...Mother..."
Thinking back, it was always like this.
On the day Seo Ran received his mother's keepsake, read her diary, and longed for 'family,'
Song Jin became his family.
On the day Seo Ran felt boredom with cultivation and needed 'stimulation,'
Figures like Cheongmun Ryeong and Buk Hyang-hwa appeared, stimulating him as comrades and seniors.
On the day Cheongmun Ryeong, who he considered his senior, went mad, and he decided to go on a life-and-death expedition to save him,
Buk Hyang-hwa, Kim Young-hoon, and all the cultivators of the continent stood up to rescue Cheongmun Ryeong with Seo Ran.
The day Seo Ran looked at the salt pillar that was Cheongmun Ryeong and thought, 'It'd be great if we all ascend to the Upper Realm together and find a way to save him,'
Buk Hyang-hwa used the Buk Hyang Fleet to create a way for Seo Ran, Song Jin, Kim Young-hoon, and the others to ascend to the Upper Realm.
On the day Seo Ran wandered the streets and encountered a Demon Race woman who, for some reason, was estranged from the world just like him,
On the day he saw Yuk Yo and thought, 'I want to make her mine,'
Yuk Yo, with a flimsy excuse about seeking the essence of the Sea Dragon Race or whatever, deceived even herself and embraced Seo Ran.
After that, on the day when Yuk Yo said she'd return to her homeland within the dream, gradually fell in love with Baek Rin, and Seo Ran started wishing for their misfortune,
They faced misfortune through Yuk Rin.
After leaving Penglai Island and the Ancient Force Realm, wishing ill upon Yuk Yo and Baek Rin due to being unable to control his conflicting emotions, yet resenting Yuk Rin for troubling them,
Yuk Rin went mad.
It was the same even after that.
Seo Ran wanted to be of help to Seo Eun-hyun.
Thus, after Seo Eun-hyun drove the Human Race into the Heart Tribe territory, Seo Ran wished for them to assimilate well into the Heart Tribe.
The Human Race created something called the Martial Alliance, which Kim Young-hoon had previously made and boasted about to Seo Ran in the Head Realm, thus becoming part of the Heart Tribe.
Even after that, and after that.
Seo Ran kept wishing and wishing.
Thankful for the senior who gave him the chance to meet Song Jin and pulled him out of Seo Hweol's conspiracy,
He wished for the world to become peaceful someday, as Seo Eun-hyun hoped.
He never questioned the world flowing as he hoped for.
He merely thought it was by chance.
Even when he came to somehow hear about Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens from Seo Eun-hyun, he only thought it was 'scary' but never really thought beyond that.
It was indeed strange.
Seo Hweol might be linked to Seo Ran's entire life story, yet what did Seo Ran believe in to not even think about devising a countermeasure or opposing method for Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens?
But...
He finally understands now.
'I...was the main body of Grandfather Seo Hweol?'
That he was the true master of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
And if he is the master of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, all the 'coincidences' are explained.
Seo Ran plunges his head into the water brought by Shi Ho, inhaling the water through his nose.
At the same time, he thinks.
'...Who am I, really?'
He is confused.
He had lived his life thinking of himself as Seo Ran.
Especially after finding out that his 'mother,' Yu Oh, loved him, he lived with pride in his name 'Seo Ran' and his half-human, half-dragon form.
However!
'I'm a monster that killed the real Seo Ran and was born? My mother is not Yu Oh, but...a heartless monster called Seo Hweol?'
He cannot accept it at all.
Because accepting would probably break him.
But...
If he doesn't accept it?
That would just be avoidance.
Seo Ran knows this too.
That it is impossible to deceive himself.
'Just what should I do...?'
Seo Ran clutches his head and falls into contemplation about his identity.
Kuguguguk!
By his will, even the entrance of the cave, where Shi Ho would come and go, temporarily gets blocked.
Ten years have passed since Seo Eun-hyun became a Sacred Master.
Outside Seo Ran's cave, many things have happened.
After becoming the Sacred Master, Seo Eun-hyun reigned as the God of Cedarwood Painting and publicly hung upside down and punished the 'old monster with the Ham surname' that ruled the Peaceful Cloud Continent to establish himself as the master of the world.
And,
Kurururung!
The residence of Sacred Master Seo Eun-hyun.
In a corner of Glass Cedarwood Mountain, where only Seo Eun-hyun, who is practically the God of Cedarwood Painting, and his close aides live.
From the entrance of a blocked cave, someone emerges.
It is Seo Ran.
The moment Seo Ran exits the cave, he turns his gaze towards the summit of Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
After staring at the summit for a while, Seo Ran nods at some will coming from it.
"Yes. Understood."
Paaatt!
In that instant, Seo Ran quickly shifts through space to the summit of Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
He arrives at the throne of Sacred Master Seo Eun-hyun of Cedarwood Painting.
"It's been a while, Seo Ran."
"Yes. Thank you for your concern, Senior."
"I heard you did secluded cultivation due to confusion. Has the confusion...somewhat subsided?"
Seo Eun-hyun asks cautiously towards Seo Ran.
In response, Seo Ran confidently replies.
"It hasn't improved at all. I still don't know what is what."
"...And yet, that confident attitude must mean you've found some breakthrough to tackle that confusion."
"That's correct. For now, I am thinking of gathering people or demon beasts to form a group. While managing that group, I plan to further understand Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, which I seem to handle unconsciously."
Seo Eun-hyun smiles at Seo Ran's words and responds.
"A good choice. If you completely understand Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens and fully control Seo Hweol...the root of most of your troubles will vanish immediately."
"Yes. Please help me establish this group, Sacred Master. By taking care of them...I will look into understanding and being able to utilize Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens."
This is the path Seo Ran chose.
To control Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens with his own power!
If he has subconsciously been using Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, then perhaps with training, he might be able to use it consciously.
Seo Eun-hyun smiles faintly and speaks.
"Once a year, I will call the great master in consciousness methods, Yeon, for you. Hong Fan will assist you as well. I will also interrogate Seo Hweol and extract methods from him."
"Yes, thank you."
"By the way...what kind of group do you plan to create? A Black Ghost Valley Cedarwood Painting branch?"
"That..."
Seo Ran thinks for a moment and then shakes his head.
"That would be more suitable for Esteemed One Kang. Though I am a disciple of the great Black Ghost Valley, I cannot ignore Esteemed One Kang's hierarchy on this matter, so I will leave the establishment of the Black Ghost Valley Cedarwood Painting branch to that person. I will instead...reveal myself more as a Sea Dragon Race than as a human, to lead the Demon Race herd and become their leader."
"A Demon Race herd. That fits perfectly."
"Pardon?"
Seo Eun-hyun smiles and, using the splitting void seizing object technique, floats something over.
Woo-woong!
Seo Ran looks at the two 'eggs' slowly flying into his arms.
"This is..."
In Seo Ran's consciousness domain, the beings within the eggs are captured.
They are strange creatures with bodies like snakes and faces of humans.
"Take care of these children from now on."
"These children are..."
"A race born for the first time in this world. The ancestors of the Candle Dragon Race."
Seo Ran's eyes widen as he hears about the race emerging for the first time in this world from Seo Eun-hyun.
After some conversation,
Seo Ran eventually cradles the two eggs of the Candle Dragon Race and descends from Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
He decided to become the parent of the Candle Dragons.
-x-X-x-
Seven years have passed since Seo Ran decided to be the parent of the Candle Dragon Race children.
"Gerurururu!"
"Choirurururu!"
"Kugh, you brats. Will you not let go!?"
The two monsters with the bodies of snakes and the faces of humans, charge at the half-human, half-dragon form Seo Ran and sink their teeth into him.
Seo Ran's body is bitten in multiple places, and he hurriedly grabs their torsos.
Chiiiiiii!
"Kuuugh."
However, from the sharp pain emanating form between the scales of the two monsters, Seo Ran clenches his eyes closed and endures the agony.
"Kuuuuugh!"
Yet despite the excruciating pain, Seo Ran finally manages to pry the two monsters off his body and activates a demon ability.
Demon Ability.
Small Pot Seven Chi Pearl (小壺七尺珠).
An innate demon ability passed down through the bloodline of the Sea Dragon Race.
The weakened version of the Grand Ocean Thousand Li Pearl unfolds.
A water orb, seven chi (~2.3m/7.7ft) in size, captures and subdues the two snake-like monsters.
But the monsters thrash violently inside the water orb, and Seo Ran forms hand seals to prevent the water orb from collapsing.
How much effort did he put in?
Pusususu—
Something black leaks out of their bodies, and soon the 'Candle Dragons' open their eyes again.
Only then does Seo Ran sigh and deactivate the demon ability.
Splash!
The water orb dissipates, and the two Candle Dragons, who had been inside it until moments ago, crawl tearfully toward Seo Ran.
"Uwaaaah! Mister, did we hurt you a lot again?"
"We're so sorry, Big Sister...we should've controlled ourselves better..."
Seo Ran strokes the heads of the two Candle Dragon Race children, who are clinging to his body and shedding tears.
"It's all right, kids. Even if you bite me with those teeth of yours a little, how painful could it possibly be? At most, the injuries you cause at just Qi Refining 3rd star aren't that frightening... And as I said before, please unify how you address me."
"But...you're covered in blood like this...Hyung."
"Look at your hands, Unnie. They're completely burned."
Seo Ran looks at the Candle Dragon Race children, who are addressing him however they please, and rapidly regenerates his body.
Chiiiiiii—
"Look here. It's already healed. Once you reach the Qi Building stage, you can recover from most bodily injuries. And as I've told you...please unify how you address me."
"But...but still, we're sorry...Auntie..."
"But Grandpa Seo Ran...it still hurt, didn't it?"
"..."
Seo Ran silently pats the two children on the head.
The Candle Dragon Race has a particular characteristic where they would, at intervals, lose control of their overwhelming ominous nature (凶性) and explode in a fit, losing their reason.
Like the cycle of day and night, they would rage with madness for half a day, only to regain their complete clarity of mind and stay calmly by Seo Ran's side for the other half.
Whenever they rampage, intense heat that is 'pain' itself would rise between their scales, making it difficult for Seo Ran to subdue them directly each time they lose control.
However, after spending several years together, Seo Ran has gradually become accustomed to the behavioral patterns of the Candle Dragon Race, allowing him to subdue their outbursts with minimal damage.
Seo Ran hugs the wailing Candle Dragon children, soothing and lulling them to sleep.
Tingle, tingle...
Seo Ran raises his throbbing hand.
Carefully, so as not to wake the peacefully sleeping children, he dips his tingling hand into a nearby stream.
Chiiiiiii—
At that moment, something pitch-black leaks out from his hand.
It is the curse that the Candle Dragon Race is inherently born with.
Drip-drop, drop...
Whenever exposed to the heat radiating from the Candle Dragons, curses and pain naturally seep into one's body. Once the curse's energy is exhausted, shards of glass would form within the victim's body.
Crunch, crackle...
As Seo Ran expels the glass shards from within his body, he clicks his tongue.
'What an exceptionally powerful race. They aren't even from a Middle Realm, yet they're born at the Qi Refining stage. Even without cultivating demon beast methods, they've already reached Qi Refining 3rd star... With just their racial traits alone, they're more than capable of dominating an entire world...'
He briefly looks up towards the top of Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
The being that resides at the summit of Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
Carrying an enormous curse, a being whose very recognition by mere mortals would ignite glass flames, causing glass shards to erupt from their bodies—Sacred Master of Cedarwood Painting, Seo Eun-hyun.
Through the Candle Dragon Race, Seo Ran came to understand the essence of Seo Eun-hyun.
'Although you claimed to be 'human' all this time...you've actually been concealing your identity as a Candle Dragon Race, Senior...'
It's obvious at a glance, no matter how one looks at it, that Seo Eun-hyun is the true progenitor of the Candle Dragon Race.
Salak, salalak...
Seo Ran scratches the scales of the Candle Dragons.
The scales of the Candle Dragon Race, emitting a crystalline light akin to glass, produce a clear sound each time Seo Ran scratches them.
Even in their current, juvenile state, the scales of the Candle Dragon Race already possess hardness equivalent to corundum.
If struck with a poorly crafted iron sword, the blade would shatter rather than the scales.
In other words, there are barely any cases for the Candle Dragon Race to sustain injuries from other races.
Yet, it is precisely for this reason that Seo Ran feels even more pity for the two children.
'Just like some snakes have no immunity to their own venom...these children also have no resistance to the pain they unconsciously emit.'
They are beings who can inflict pain on others yet struggle to receive pain themselves.
'But this world is not a place where one can live without experiencing pain.'
It is merely 'hard to receive pain.'
If they are struck by a sufficiently strong shock, they, too, feel pain.
'And because they lack resistance to pain, they probably suffer far more than others when they do experience it.'
He gently strokes the heads of the Candle Dragon children, lost in thought.
'Will these children...be able to live well in this world?'
As he watches the sleeping children, it happens.
Hwoooong—
Someone descends from the sky, clothed in a light pink robe.
It is Kim Yeon.
With a faint smile, she sits beside Seo Ran and begins operating her consciousness.
Her expansive consciousness wave envelops the area.
Seo Ran senses the flow of her consciousness and understands her meaning.
"Yes. For now...there isn't a particular reaction. The thing called Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens...for some reason, has no effect on these children... I know because they don't listen to anything I say, though I don't know why. In fact, the more I try to handle it consciously, the more distant it seems to become."
"Mmm..."
Kim Yeon nods her head as she listens to Seo Ran's words.
After a moment, Kim Yeon stimulates Seo Ran's consciousness domain, making it become clear.
Then, using a simplified consciousness method formula derived from the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon's formula, she helps train Seo Ran's consciousness alongside him.
"...Thank you, Miss Kim Yeon."
Kim Yeon's actions are intended to prevent the possibility of Seo Ran being contaminated by Seo Hweol's influence or falling victim to Seo Hweol's schemes.
'It must also be under Senior Seo Eun-hyun's orders.'
Seo Ran feels that Seo Eun-hyun might be conducting some kind of experiment on him through Kim Yeon.
Of course, he doesn't mind.
It's all to block Seo Hweol's schemes, after all.
After spending some time training Seo Ran's consciousness with him, Kim Yeon smiles faintly and then soars back into the sky.
Before long, the sunlight has faded, and the night sky has risen.
Previously, the day and night cycles of Cedarwood Painting were somewhat erratic, but the situation improved significantly as Seo Eun-hyun grasped a sense of the Sacred Master cultivation.
In the sky above Cedarwood Painting, fourteen new artificial stars are shining.
Over the past period, Kim Yeon has followed up on the seven artificial stars created by the Mad Lord, crafting seven more by grinding down other planets.
The artificial stars are interconnected and amplifying energy, and that amplified energy is supplying energy to Cedarwood Painting.
'So much is changing...'
As Seo Ran watches the world transform.
And as he watches his children changing, he smiles bitterly.
Everything is evolving rapidly around Seo Eun-hyun as the center.
And within this time of evolution, transformation, and growth...
Seo Ran feels only he alone remains in place.
Another eight years pass.
"Grandmother Seo Ran~"
"Big Bro Seo Ran!"
The two Candle Dragons, still refusing to heed Seo Ran's words as always, charge towards him on two legs.
"Atcha! You little brats!"
Seo Ran hugs the two children.
Fifteen years since their birth.
Perhaps it's because they were directly created by Seo Eun-hyun.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that they received the support of the entire Cedarwood Painting. Thanks to that, they reached the Nascent Soul stage at the age of fifteen and successfully underwent Transformation.
Seo Ran laughs as he hugs the two children.
"Congratulations on succeeding in your Transformation! You little geniuses!"
"Hehe, what genius? The Sacred Master basically turned every cultivation ground around us into those that are the best even in the Middle Realms, pulling in spiritual energy. Not advancing would be strange."
"On top of that, the Sacred Master twisted the celestial energy every time we cultivated to push us forward! Not advancing would make us idiots!"
"..."
Seo Ran gazes at the Candle Dragons with a bitter expression.
They are lying right now.
After entrusting the Candle Dragon children to Seo Ran...
Seo Eun-hyun has provided no support for them whatsoever.
All he has done is give them a place to live and purify the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy so they would not fall ill. Beyond that, truly, nothing else was given.
'Manipulated celestial energy? Senior did that?'
Seo Eun-hyun's other comrades, including Kim Yeon...
And especially Kang Min-hee, who is the closest to reaching the Sacred Vessel stage, have all directly confirmed it.
Seo Eun-hyun is not yet capable of such miracles.
Then why are these two Candle Dragons, who reached the Nascent Soul stage at the age of fifteen, praising Seo Eun-hyun and acting modestly in front of Seo Ran?
'You've used forbidden techniques (禁術), didn't you...you kids...?'
Forbidden techniques that rapidly raise cultivation at the cost of shortening one's designated lifespan.
These are techniques the ghosts in Seo Ran's Nether Crossing Ship had once revealed.
As Seo Ran found it nearly impossible to control all the ghosts in the Nether Crossing Ship, he hasn't been able to entirely prevent the Candle Dragon children from learning dangerous secret arts from them.
However, even though he realizes that what they used is a forbidden technique, Seo Ran does not scold them. Instead, he simply embraces the children.
"...You kids really don't listen, do you?"
Seo Ran knows all too well why the children used forbidden techniques to rapidly reach the Nascent Soul stage. Because of this, he only silently holds them tighter in his arms.
Twenty years pass.
Seo Ran sits quietly in front of a cave, staring into its depths.
"..."
Thirty-five years.
To cultivators, it is a very brief span of time. But to Seo Ran, it has been a long and precious period.
And during that time, while staying by their side...
The two children, who he now regards as his own, are inside that cave.
From within, painful groans echo.
Not long after, the groans finally cease.
As soon as the groaning stops, Seo Ran rushes into the cave.
At the very end of the cave, Seo Ran finds dozens of eggs. In front of those eggs stand the now fully grown two children, hand in hand, facing him.
Though they were raised like siblings, they are not biologically related, as each was individually created by Seo Eun-hyun.
These children have grown and joined together to bring forth their descendants.
"...You've worked hard."
Seo Ran approaches them without a word and holds their hands.
"...Father."
"...Mother."
Seo Ran's two children still address him differently like always. Though exhausted, they hold his hand with playful voices.
"...Yes."
And, at least for today, Seo Ran doesn't say, 'Please unify how you address me,' but instead simply accepts their words.
"I'm here."
The Candle Dragon Race lays eggs only once in their lifetime.
After laying their eggs, they exhaust their vital energy and die.
Seo Ran recalls being told this when Seo Eun-hyun first entrusted the children to him.
The most defining trait of the Candle Dragon Race is inheritance.
Because their parents exhaust all their vital energy and infuse them into the eggs,
Their offspring are born with slightly longer lifespans, grow tougher scales, and possess stronger divine powers than the previous generation.
Perhaps this trait arose because Seo Eun-hyun's Flower Soul Filling the Heavens was imbued in their creation.
However, the concept that later generations grow stronger and live longer through inheritance...
Means that the first generation is fated to be short-lived and weak.
Seo Ran grips his children's hands and sheds tears.
The reason his children chose to rapidly reach the Nascent Soul stage, even at the cost of shortening their lifespans...
Is because the lifespan allotted to them is only around 60 years. Even after reaching the Qi Building stage, Core Formation stage, or the Nascent Soul stage, the increase in lifespan they gain is so insignificant that it could be considered pitiful, akin to that of a slave race.
Rather than crawling around for 60 to 70 years, biting and clawing Seo Ran, they chose to live thirty or forty years with the clear reasoning afforded by the Nascent Soul stage, living in human form.
"Our children...will definitely...love you as well..."
"Though it was...a short life, it was definitely good. Please don't be sad."
Now, the children are soon going to die.
Though Seo Ran could use the Nether Crossing Ship to bind their souls, he decides to send them to the Netherworld instead.
Holding their hands tightly, he weeps for a long while before giving his children his final words.
"...Thank you for becoming my children...kids."
With those words, Seo Ran's first children close their eyes.
One year later.
Among the eggs that his children left behind, the first egg hatches.
The Candle Dragon that emerges from the first egg is a baby girl.
Seo Ran picks up the child for the first time and bestows a name upon her.
"Your name is...Seo Hye."
He gives her his family name as part of her name.
Is it because she perhaps likes the name, or perhaps because of some other reason?
'Seo Hye' looks into Seo Ran's eyes and smiles faintly.
-x-X-x-
The second-generation Candle Dragon Race, upon hatching from their eggs, recognized Seo Ran as their parent the moment they first saw him and began following him.
Of course, perhaps it's because Seo Ran learned the Taiji Quaking Lightning Body.
Even now, he is referred to as both a man and woman.
At some point, Seo Ran gave up trying to unify how they address him.
'It must just be their nature...'
With a soft sigh, he continues to care for the Candle Dragon Race.
Among them, the oldest.
The eldest daughter, Seo Hye, crawls over to Seo Ran and asks.
"Seo Ran, why is Glass Cedarwood Mountain we live on made of glass?"
"What is that thing floating in the sky?"
"Why does fire emit from between our scales?"
"Why does Seo Ran look different from us?"
"Seo Ran, I'm curious about the number of your teeth. Please open your mouth."
Seo Hye has the most curiosity among them.
At the same time, she is the smartest among the Candle Dragon Race. When Seo Ran asked them to unify how they address him, she keenly began calling him just 'Seo Ran.'
Seo Ran strokes Seo Hye with an affectionate gaze and answers each of her questions one by one.
Even when the time comes for the Candle Dragon Race to explode their ominous nature Seo Hye is the most composed, releasing her ominous nature in the most stable manner.
"Kuruk... Kurururuk... Kuruk..."
'As expected, Seo Hye is the most composed.'
Seo Ran smiles as he watches Seo Hye chew on branches, spit fire to burn them, and grind her teeth.
Seo Hye is a child that doesn't particularly harm anyone, simply releasing her ominous nature in her own unique way.
Watching her, Seo Ran gave a soft smile.
And so, time passes again.
Fifty-five years have passed since Seo Ran began caring for the second-generation Candle Dragon Race.
It has also been exactly 100 years since Seo Eun-hyun became a Sacred Master.
All the Candle Dragon Race found compatible partners, mated, and laid hundreds of eggs before dying.
Seo Ran looks at the deceased second-generation Candle Dragon Race with a slightly somber expression.
However, his expression isn't as gloomy as it was when the first-generation Candle Dragon Race, who were like his first children, had died.
"It's okay, Seo Ran. You have me."
The eldest of the second generation.
Seo Hye pats Seo Ran on the shoulder.
Even among the Candle Dragon Race, Seo Hye was the first.
Without using any forbidden techniques, she independently devised and mastered a demon beast method well-suited for the Candle Dragon Race, reaching the Core Formation stage.
In just fifty-five years!
At the same time, she developed a way to partially transform her body without reaching the Nascent Soul stage, succeeding in transforming her upper body into that of a human woman while maintaining her lower body as the snake form typical of the Candle Dragon Race.
She uses her arms to console Seo Ran, and Seo Ran wipes away his tears.
"...Thank you, Seo Hye."
Is it perhaps because of her genius?
Seo Hye neither mated with others of the Candle Dragon Race nor laid eggs.
Instead, she sought other values, desiring longevity.
She created her own demon beast method and incorporated principles of health-preservation techniques into it to significantly extend her lifespan.
Now, at the Core Formation stage.
Her current lifespan is 120 years.
"It's nothing, Seo Ran. Don't worry about it."
Seo Hye gently hugs Seo Ran, comforting him.
Then, Shi Ho enters and meets Seo Hye's gaze.
Shi Ho, who had been continuously looking after Seo Ran while developing his own demon beast method, flinches slightly upon meeting Seo Hye's gaze.
'...For some reason, she's like a snake.'
The Candle Dragon Race are warm-blooded creatures.
Given that they release intense heat from their bodies, they generate far more warmth than ordinary warm-blooded creatures.
However, whenever Shi Ho meets Seo Hye's gaze, he feels the sharp, icy tension he feels from cold-blooded creatures.
Although she appears to comfort Seo Ran on the surface, Shi Ho feels that Seo Hye's inner thoughts remain something inscrutable. Still, he joins her in comforting Seo Ran.
Time continues to flow.
Before long, 500 years have passed.
During this time, the Candle Dragon Race has gone through countless generations and their numbers have grown significantly.
Now, the Candle Dragon Race left the Glass Cedarwood Mountain where they first lived and began settling in the Peaceful Cloud Continent as well.
Seo Ran, acting as the godfather of the Candle Dragon Race, taught them demon beast methods and the way of life unique to their race.
Meanwhile, 'Seo Hye', regarded as a great elder of the Candle Dragon Race, continued to preserve her longevity and passed down a secret art that enables even Candle Dragons at the Qi Building stage to transform their upper bodies into human forms.
Now, if this secret art is passed down for just a few more generations, it will become imprinted in their bloodline, much like the inherent demon abilities of the Sea Dragon Race, enabling later generations to transform purely based on their bloodline.
"Seo Ran~ I brought some wine. Let's drink together~"
In a community where the Candle Dragon Race has gathered.
Seo Hye approaches Seo Ran, who now holds the title of Valley Lord of Half-Dragon Valley, raising a bottle of wine.
By now, Seo Hye has reached the early Heavenly Being stage.
"It's alright. I..."
Just when Seo Hye pushes the wine bottle in front of Seo Ran.
Tak!
Shi Ho, who suddenly appears beside Seo Ran, snatches the wine from Seo Hye, opens the lid, and gulps it all down in one go.
"Hmph, this isn't even good wine. Were you really trying to make Older Brother drink this low-quality stuff?"
"...Why would I need permission from someone like Mister? And low-quality wine, you say? I saw you smacking your lips after drinking it. Keke...why don't you be honest with yourself?"
After finishing her words, Seo Hye shoots a sharp glare at Shi Ho before turning and leaving the Valley Lord Hall of Half-Dragon Valley.
With a bitter smile, Seo Ran pats Shi Ho on the shoulder.
"Why are you being so cold to Seo Hye?"
"You don't know, Older Brother. Lately, she's been blatantly ignoring me! And the wine she just tried to make Older Brother drink. Do you know what it was?"
"...I know. It was Human Wine (人酒)."
Human Wine refers to alcohol brewed using humans.
It's a popular product among the Demon Race or other species that despise humans, and there isn't a world inhabited by intelligent beings where it isn't distributed.
No, in fact, even in worlds populated solely by humans, Human Wine is circulated by devilish cultivators.
Seo Ran sighs softly.
Having grown up witnessing human ranches and the like operated under Seo Hweol's influence, he doesn't harbor much revulsion towards demon beasts that consume humans.
After all, even humans devour one another in this era!
Even Seo Eun-hyun doesn't personally punish such things.
However, Seo Ran understands one thing.
'Those who devour their own kind or commit excessively cruel deeds...cannot ascend.'
For example, human cultivators who create and consume human pills, or demon beast cultivators who slaughter human villages for purposes beyond mere survival. If they attempt ascension, Seo Eun-hyun would summon countless Vestiges of the Interdimensional Void and throw them to those Vestiges as food.
'And...even if they don't attempt ascension, for some reason, their surrounding environment gradually becomes full of misfortune, leading them to fall to Heart Demons or slowly descend into ruin.'
Although there is no direct evidence, Seo Ran believes that Seo Eun-hyun is secretly punishing those who commit excessive evil.
Shi Ho glares in the direction Seo Hye left and says,
"I don't like that girl, but either way, she's someone that Older Brother treasures. Make her stop these habits of brewing and consuming Human Wine as soon as possible! The Sacred Master will be furious."
"...You drank Human Wine too."
"That's because if I didn't drink it all right in front of her, knowing her personality...ugh, forget it."
Shi Ho shakes his head back and forth, glaring again towards where Seo Hye exited.
"...Anyway, if that child keeps going like this, she's going to destroy herself. Older Brother should try to stop her."
"I'll talk to her separately later."
Seo Ran says with a faint sigh.
However, to Shi Ho, Seo Ran's attitude shows no sign of reprimanding Seo Hye.
'Just why does he not feel the need to stop someone who's like a child to him from brewing and drinking Human Wine?'
He gazes at Seo Ran with a hint of worry.
Time continues to flow.
Before long, a thousand years have passed since Seo Eun-hyun became the Sacred Master.
Kurururung!
Seo Ran watches a woman who has just endured Heavenly Tribulation before him.
With her clothes burned away while enduring the Heavenly Tribulation, she walks slowly towards Seo Ran with her pure white exposed body and strokes his cheeks.
"Seo Ran, congratulate me. I've reached the Four-Axis stage! This means I'm now at last free of my chronic lifespan problem!"
"...Yes, congratulations, Seo Hye."
"Hung...what a boring reaction."
Sararak!
The woman, 'Seo Hye' of the Candle Dragon Race, snaps her fingers.
At her gesture, thick blood energy gathers in the void and forms into her clothing.
She dons the garment made of crimson aura and wears a mask resembling black mist over her face.
At some point, she began wearing a mask everywhere she went.
Seo Ran only looks at that Seo Hye with a puzzled expression.
Seo Hye looks back at that Seo Ran and asks,
"By the way, Seo Ran. Since I've reached the Four-Axis stage in the 'Lower Realm', don't I get a gift?"
"I've already requested the Sacred Master so you can build the Five Blessings Axes."
"Hung...not something boring like that."
Seo Hye suddenly pushes Seo Ran over.
Sarak...
Wearing her black mist-like mask that conceals her face, she begins running her hands over Seo Ran's body.
Through the Taiji Quaking Lightning Body, Seo Ran has the ability to switch between male and female forms at will. Currently, he is in his male form.
"Seo Ran, do you not have any thoughts of mating with me?"
Seo Ran looks at her and speaks.
"You're a child I raised like my own, Seo Hye. While some demon beasts cultivators do engage in such acts between parent and offspring...our Sea Dragon Race does not. Neither does your Candle Dragon Race."
"Hehe, you say such amusing things. It's not like you're my real parent anyway, right?"
"I'm more than a real parent to you. So don't do this. Besides...your Candle Dragon Race..."
"Yeah, yeah~ I know that laying eggs results in death. Of course, I've found a solution to that. And since we're not blood-related, it doesn't matter, does it? Hoho...mate with me, Seo Ran. Rather than a dog bastard who mates with their actual blood-related children, I'd be a better dual cultivation partner, no?"
"Seo Hye!"
At her words, Seo Ran pushes her away forcefully and yells angrily.
"Do not insult Shi Ho!"
"Kekek...did I say something wrong? Foxes are part of the dog family, after all. I'm more interested in humans so I don't know the details, but isn't it possible that foxes have similar habits to dogs?"
"That's enough. Just because you've reached the Four-Axis stage, just because you're that much of a genius, it doesn't mean you have the right to say such things. Shi Ho is like a parent who raised you all alongside me. Show respect, Seo Hye!"
"Ugh, how old-fashioned. I heard you were originally a man, but it's obvious you've been brainwashed by that fox. How is it, Seo Ran? How does it feel to learn a gender-switching method and lie beneath a crossdressing fox demon, moaning? Is that really your preference?"
Seo Ran's face flushes bright red at her words.
However, his expression quickly cools.
"Leave, Seo Hye. No matter how much you provoke me like that, I will not mate with you."
"Tch, how boring. Fine~ Do as you like. Spend eternity moaning beneath that crossdressing male fox, Seo Ran."
She spits out her words in annoyance and flies off somewhere.
Moments later, Shi Ho descends beside Seo Ran.
Baring his teeth, Shi Ho glares in the direction Seo Hye has flown off to.
"...Seo Ran. Let me kill her. I'll kill her and come back."
His eyes are blazed with killing intent.
"How dare that thing insult you. I can tolerate insults towards myself, but...it insulted you too, Seo Ran! I can't tolerate this. That thing's wickedness has gone too far. You saw that blood energy, right? It formed from grinding down and drinking yet another human. If the Sacred Master will not punish that thing, I will do it myself. Seo Ran, I will..."
Clench!
But Seo Ran grabs Shi Ho's wrist and shakes his head.
"...Let it go, Shi Ho."
"...What?"
"The Sacred Master will handle it. And...that child is still, in the end...my child."
Seeing the look in Seo Ran's eyes, Shi Ho sighs deeply and calms down.
"...If Older Brother says so..."
Seo Ran pats Shi Ho on the back to comfort him.
'Seo Hye...'
At the same time, he looks towards the direction Seo Hye flew off to.
'Oh Hye-Seo...'
Oh Hye-Seo.
Seo Ran recalls the words Seo Eun-hyun had said to him on the day Seo Hye was born.
—Seo Ran. That child is Oh Hye-Seo. Her split soul eroded Cedarwood Painting.
—Pardon? What does that...
—In short...that child is the split soul of Oh Hye-Seo who expelled the soul of the child who was supposed to become the real 'Seo Hye' and took her place.
Seo Eun-hyun explained further.
—Seo Hweol and I are currently engaged in a grand match. I asked Seo Hweol about the whereabouts of Oh Hye-seo, but...he prepared for even 'this possibility' as well. He said that in the event I grabbed him by the throat, he set it up so Oh Hye-seo would escape to a place even he doesn't know.
—Thus, I, too, don't know where Oh Hye-Seo's main body is. Seo Hweol used her authority and the flaw in Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens to ensure that even he himself would never be able to locate her.
Seo Ran was shocked.
The child he vowed to cherish for life turned out to be a monster that had stolen the body of one of his children and taken its place!
—Whether Oh Hye-seo, following Seo Hweol's intentions, succeeds in taking you, his main body, from me, is the essence of this grand match between Seo Hweol and I.
—However, that match has already been half-ruined from the start. Someone like Oh Hye-seo can no longer challenge me. The moment her split soul entered this world, I distorted it, severing her connection to her main body and erasing her memories.
—In other words, the one you now call 'Seo Hye' is a Candle Dragon who 'possesses the identity of Oh Hye-Seo but is no longer Oh Hye-Seo'. What will you do? I will leave the choice to you. Will you raise 'Seo Hye,' or will you extract and destroy the split soul?
Seo Ran pondered those words for a long time.
—...I will raise her.
The monster that stole the body of children akin to his grandchildren.
He resents her.
But at the same time...
Seo Ran sees his own circumstances mirrored in Seo Hye's.
As the main body of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, Seo Ran had grown by consuming the love of Yu Oh, becoming Seo Ran instead of Seo Hweol.
Then perhaps, if Seo Hye, the fragment of Oh Hye-Seo, is raised with love...couldn't she, too, grow to become not the fragment of Oh Hye-seo but Seo Hye?
That's what Seo Ran thinks.
Because...
To deny Seo Hye's existence feels, in a way, like denying his own.
Seo Eun-hyun spoke to him.
—I will help you. If she commits any evil deeds, I will move the entire world to change her. This is...perhaps my final chance for Oh Hye-Seo as well.
Seo Eun-hyun seemed to regard this as his final opportunity for Oh Hye-Seo, supporting Seo Ran's decision.
However, he also asked for secrecy, saying that others might misunderstand if they learned her true identity.
And so, things continued until today.
Seo Ran embraces Shi Ho, lost in thought.
Now is the time to make a decision.
Before she grows even stronger, he must determine how to handle her.
'...Is she, right now...Oh Hye-Seo, or Seo Hye?'
At the same time, Seo Ran questions himself.
'Am I Seo Ran, or Seo Hweol?'
-x-X-x-
Bright Cold Realm, Cedar Wood Grove.
Among the Human Race residing there, the leaders of their faction, the Grand Cultivator Association, have gathered.
The head of the Grand Cultivator Association, Jun Jae, clears his throat.
"As this is not a regular meeting of the Grand Cultivator Association, I apologize for urgently convening everyone. However, I believe you all understand why I have called this urgent meeting."
At his words, all the members of the Grand Cultivator Association nod their heads.
Except for one person.
The one who does not nod.
Hon Won raises his head with a grim expression and speaks.
"...It's so obvious. Isn't it because of that 'new Sacred Master' that's doing so well?"
At Hon Won's words, the other members of the Grand Cultivator Association clear their throats and avert their gazes from him.
Only Jun Jae and Gol Maek meet Hon Won's gaze and awkwardly open their mouths to speak.
"Cultivator Hon, as you might know...our Bright Cold Realm Human Race Sacred Master, Seo Eun-hyun...he has given us a command."
When the news spread that there was someone from the Grand Cultivator Association of the Bright Cold Realm who surpassed the level of Esteemed One and reached the realm of Sacred Master...
The Grand Cultivator Association held a great celebration.
No, in truth, they had already celebrated greatly after moving to Cedar Wood Grove, when Baek Woon officially acknowledged Seo Eun-hyun as an Esteemed One.
Although Seo Eun-hyun became an Esteemed One through the Heart Tribe and not the Heaven-Earth Tribes, the inherent nature of Humans is simple. If someone is on their side, they are a dignified 'warrior,' and if not, they are a 'vile Heart Tribe spy.'
The minor mistake of previously dismissing Seo Eun-hyun as a multi-headed monster was completely forgotten, and they wholeheartedly rejoiced at the birth of an Esteemed One.
So, how did they react when they heard from Baek Woon that Seo Eun-hyun has become a Sacred Vessel Sacred Master?
An enormous festival erupted across the entire Human Race region.
On that joyous day, the Human Race did not shun the Heart Tribe but celebrated together with them.
At the level of an Esteemed One, Seo Eun-hyun might have been considered a 'venerable senior,' but now, as a Sacred Master of the Sacred Vessel stage, Seo Eun-hyun is at the level of being worshiped as a 'Sage God' among the Humans Race.
Throughout the Human Race residential region in Cedar Wood Grove, statues and monuments venerating Seo Eun-hyun are being erected everywhere.
And...
Seo Eun-hyun, who is being venerated as a 'Sage God' among the Human Race, issued a command to them a few days ago.
—Bring Hon Won, the Palace Lord of Penglai Palace and member of the Grand Cultivator Association, to Cedarwood Painting alive at all costs.
Ordinarily, a Sacred Master from another Middle Realm or stellar system cannot arbitrarily impose their will on a different realm with a Sacred Master present.
However, the fact that Seo Eun-hyun's will has reverberated across the Bright Cold Realm that Baek Woon governs means...
It already carries Baek Woon's consent.
This in turn means that Baek Woon also agrees with Seo Eun-hyun's command to 'bring Hon Won to Cedarwood Painting alive.'
Hon Won glares at the other cultivators of the Grand Cultivator Association with gloomy eyes and speaks.
"Why can't you speak plainly? 'Please put on the shackles we've prepared in advance, step quietly into the prison, and kindly become a sacrificial offering for the new Sacred Master.' Just speak comfortably, without wasting any more time!"
At those words, Jun Jae's face flushes slightly.
"Ahem, why are you saying it like that, Cultivator Hon? What we're trying to say is...well, that our Human Race Sacred Vessel Sacred Master wishes to share a brief conversation with you, Cultivator Hon. So, we're simply suggesting that you accompany us to Cedarwood Painting which is a Lower Realm. Although it is a small realm, you could receive the Sacred Master's teachings, and someone like the Sacred Master could generate Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy with ease so cultivation won't be an issue... In fact, couldn't it also benefit you, Cultivator? So...for the journey to the Sacred Master, we've prepared a specially crafted palanquin for you to ride in, and—"
"There's no need to talk around in circles, is there, Cultivator Hon?"
Interrupting Jun Jae's roundabout words meant to avoid offending Hon Won, Gol Maek speaks coldly.
"In truth, Cultivator Hon is correct. Put on the shackles, step into the prison, and head to Cedarwood Painting. Become the sacrificial offering."
"..."
"It's shameful to admit, but the truth is that our Grand Cultivator Association once briefly opposed Sacred Master Eun-hyun. Because of that, we are all trembling in fear. We have no idea when the Sacred Master's wrath might descend upon us. Who could have possibly known that, like the legendary Yang Su-jin, they would rise to the Sacred Vessel stage after a few hundred years?"
As soon as Gol Maek begins to speak, Wi Su and Wi Ryeong-seon clear their throats and chime in.
"...At the time, we acted out of ignorance, but now we constantly live in fear of retaliation. To be honest, once someone reaches the level of Esteemed One, unless they belong to the Earth Tribe, they feel no particular attachment to their own race. They simply help their own race because they are familiar faces. For beings who have transcended the limits of lifeforms, our life and death mean nothing."
"It wouldn't even be strange if they crushed the entire Human Race like bugs at any moment. On top of that, all of us here have gone against the Sacred Master's will at some point. And...especially you, Cultivator Hon. I've heard that you created an ill-connection with Sacred Master Eun-hyun even before they reached the Nascent Soul stage."
Jun Jae looks around at the others, then sighs and speaks.
"...Since everyone is pressing the matter, I'll speak plainly. Cultivator Hon. Among all of us, you are the one who has the strongest enmity with that person. Therefore, for the peace of the Human Race, you must make the sacrifice and go to the Sacred Master. If, by chance, they are really helping you, it will be great. But if they choose to kill you to resolve their grudge with the Human Race, then as a member of the Grand Cultivator Association, it is even more appropriate for you to bear that burden."
"..."
"Make the sacrifice for us, Cultivator Hon"
Hon Won remains silent for a while, then begins to slowly speak.
"...I wonder if you all would have spoken like this to me 40,000 years ago. Back in my prime, none of you would have even dared to sit in the same room as me..."
Hon Won glares at the Grand Cultivator Association with murderous eyes.
Excluding Jun Jae and Gol Maek, the other members all lower their gazes to avoid meeting his eyes.
Looking at Jun Jae and Gol Maek, Hon Won speaks with a sneer.
"Gol Maek, I hear you became the teacher of one of Sacred Master Eun-hyun's acquaintances? Thanks to that, life must be quite good for you. Even if the Human Race perishes, you seem confident that you alone will survive. Knowing you're safe, you dare talk about sacrifice in front of me?"
Hon Won's momentum rises.
Gol Maek, clad in bone armor, channels energy from the bones of demon beasts to resist Hon Won's presence.
Hon Won's gaze shifts to Jun Jae.
"Jun Jae. You're no different. Because of your bloodline from the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain, you likely hold a trump card to present to the Sacred Master to ensure you won't die. And yet, you dare to speak to me about sacrifice? Hah...pathetic worms."
Gradually, Hon Won's aura grows stronger.
Jun Jae glares at him with a hardened expression.
"...If you choose to respond like this, we'll have no choice but to resort to force. Please understand."
As Jun Jae begins to rise from his seat, Gol Maek, along with Wi Su, Wi Ryeong-seon, and the other Grand Cultivators, also begin to rise.
And then, just as a clash is about to erupt within the Grand Cultivator Association—
"...Enough."
Hon Won suddenly lets out a deep sigh and releases his aura, lowering his head in his seat.
"In the end, even Sacred Master Baek Woon must have agreed to send me to Cedarwood Painting. Do as you please. Even if I were to shake you all off and flee, Sacred Master Baek Woon would simply send Esteemed Ones after me, or perhaps act personally. That person always seeks harmony with rulers. There's nothing I can do!"
Jun Jae approaches Hon Won, relaxing his momentum, and laughs heartily.
"Good choice! We will all...ensure that Penglai Palace is well preserved. As for the position of Palace Lord, we'll make sure it is passed on to the descendant you mentioned..."
"Leave the position of Palace Lord vacant. There's a person it's reserved for. It's not my descendant, so don't bother looking."
"...Understood. Then..."
Thus, Hon Won calmly accepts the shackles handed to him by Jun Jae and the Grand Cultivators. Bound in what the Grand Cultivator Association insists on calling a 'palanquin,' which is nothing more than a prison, Hon Won is transported to Cedarwood Painting.
When Hon Won arrives at Cederwood Painting, the first thing he sees is a familiar face.
"...Why are you here?"
"I've been chosen as the one to oversee you. From now on, you'll have to follow my orders."
"You dare...?"
Hon Won stretches out his hand toward the figure before him, his face filled with rage.
But nothing emerges from his hand.
The woman before him, as if mocking him, speaks.
"The Sacred Master has forbidden your cultivation. From the moment you first breathed the air of Cedarwood Painting, from the moment you first saw its light, you've become unable to escape from the Sacred Master's grasp. So don't bother resisting for no reason and come with me. Hon Won. Here, you are no different from a mere mortal."
Hon Won clenches his teeth to the point that blood seeps from his gums.
The woman reflected in his eyes.
Yeon Wei, with a mocking expression, gestures casually and effortlessly drags Hon Won outside.
"...Let me meet Sacred Master Eun-hyun. Jin Wei."
"That person is too busy to meet with the likes of you. From now on, live obediently as a farmer here. Spend your days reminiscing about your disgraceful time as a Grand Cultivator! And!"
Without turning back to look at him, she adds.
"In Cedarwood Painting, your death has also been forbidden. Even though your cultivation has been sealed, your lifespan remains the same. So...for hundreds of thousands of years, live clinging to the dirt, doing menial tasks."
Having finished her words, she flicks her fingers, sending Hon Won flying to some location within the Peaceful Cloud Continent.
"Wait, Wei...! Wei...!"
Hon Won tries to say something, but Yeon Wei does not listen.
Moments later.
She looks back at the spot where Hon Won had been.
Only the 'palanquin' that had carried him remains.
"...'Wei,' huh ...It's been a long time since I've heard that. Foolish man..."
With a melancholy voice, she brushes her face with her hand.
"To remember that nickname and nothing else..."
Having sent Hon Won away, Yeon Wei turns and flies into the sky.
Before long, 1,200 years have passed since Seo Eun-hyun became the Sacred Master.
Above the skies of Cedarwood Painting,
Among the 28 artificial stars, countless comrades have gathered at the one representing the Ladle (斗) star.
"...It seems the Human Race will prosper."
Yeon Wei observes Seo Eun-hyun's comrades from a distance and mutters softly.
Kang Min-hee, who has reached the Grand Perfection Star Shattering stage, is said to be challenging the Sacred Vessel advancement ritual today.
"Indeed. If it's Esteemed One Kang, there's a high chance of success in advancing to the Sacred Vessel stage. Moreover...Great Master Young-hoon is not far from reaching the Sacred Vessel level as a Heart Tribe."
"Yes. On top of that, Jeon Myeong-hoon will soon challenge the Star Shattering stage. He will likely succeed as well... If Sacred Master Eun-hyun assists, that will make four Human Race practitioners at the Sacred Vessel stage. It's a true blessing for the Human Race."
"There's also Great Master Kim Yeon... Following a unique cultivation path, she has already become an existence comparable to the Star Shattering stage. Soon, she might also reach the Sacred Vessel level."
"In the past thousand years of peace within the Middle Realms, numerous Sacred Vessel-level cultivators have emerged... It seems that the Human Race is now on the verge of seizing dominance over the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain."
Yeon Wei speaks with an oddly dark expression.
"...Yes. Everyone will go on to live in this shining world."
"Senior Yeon Wei, you speak as though you won't get to see this shining world yourself. Is it because of your lifespan? If it's Sacred Master Eun-hyun, surely he could extend your lifespan sufficiently?"
"...Well, I'm not sure about that."
Yeon Wei looks up at the sky, her face clouded with complex emotions.
'Seo Eun-hyun is not a human, but a True Immortal. Or perhaps a monster carrying the will of a True Immortal.'
She knows even thinking such thoughts are dangerous.
Sacred Masters of the Sacred Vessel stage sometimes read the thoughts of the living beings in their world.
However...
She lets go of that worry somewhat.
The fact that she has thought this thousands, tens of thousands, even hundred of millions of times without incident means her dissatisfaction is being ignored.
At any rate, this is what she believes.
'And, most likely, that person is connected to the higher existence who drove Hon Won mad.'
Having lived 40,000 years as an old monster of the Human Race is the one known as Yeon Wei.
She can infer at least that much.
There's the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra that Seo Eun-hyun occasionally uses.
There's also the Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique, that's 'unknown when he acquired it', and the fact that he wields that technique with even more mastery than Hon Won.
This is something she heard from Hon Won himself.
Hon Won and his Penglai Palace are essentially a kind of priestly lineage that serves an ancient entity known as the 'Mountain God'.
The 'Mountain God' bestowed the Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique upon Penglai Palace and occasionally delivered revelations to guide them.
According to Hon Won, while the Mountain God is not a well-known divine spirit like the chief god of the Giant Race, they are still a rather powerful deity among the divine spirits.
And this means that other divine spirits cannot interfere with the priestly lineage that serves the 'Mountain God'.
'Which means, the entity hidden behind the guise of Seo Eun-hyun is either the Mountain God or a divine spirit closely related to them.'
And if that's the case, there is no way this being couldn't heal the mental illness rooted in Hon Won's mind.
Yet, they captured Hon Won and left him neglected, allowing only Yeon Wei to monitor him occasionally.
This means...
The being using the name Seo Eun-hyun is merely enjoying the suffering of Hon Won and Yeon Wei as entertainment.
In reality, Seo Eun-hyun would be startled when he reads her imagination from time to time, but as far as Yeon Wei is concerned, her assumptions fit all too well.
And if that assumption is true,
Yeon Wei sees no point in requesting a lifespan extension from Seo Eun-hyun.
'...What would I even accomplish by living longer? In the end, I'll just be continually toyed with by a True Immortal... Even this thought is probably being read. I should just...watch Hon Won's final moments as much as I can, then, after Yeon Jin reaches the Four-Axis stage, pass on the Five Blessings Axes through a forbidden technique and close my eyes...'
This is the future Yeon Wei currently wishes for the most.
"...For the past thousand years, Cedarwood Painting has also been at peace with no incidents. The Candle Dragon Race under your rule is thriving, there are no disputes among the humans, and devilish cultivators who possess disposition like me are nowhere to be seen... All races are at peace. There's no reason for me to continue living any longer. So you shouldn't worry either. Whatever troubles or concerns you have...they won't seem like a big deal in hindsight."
Yeon Wei offers advice imbued with her life experience to Seo Ran, who seems to have his own worries.
And...
Listening to her words, Seo Ran has a somewhat ambiguous expression.
"...A time of peace, huh..."
"Sacred Master, you are truly indifferent..."
Shi Ho grits his teeth as he glares at the being before him.
Blood-red energy sweeps across the battlefield.
The corpse mountain and sea river made from humans are being absorbed into a single entity.
That entity has the upper body of a human, the lower body of a snake, and their face is obscured by a black mask created by a devilish spell.
"No matter how much you claim this is for helping Seo Ran...how can you allow such hell to unfold...?"
Though Shi Ho consumed humans once or twice in his past, he has never engaged in unnecessary massacres in all his years.
But the being before him is different.
As an ancestor of the Candle Dragon Race, they leaped into the human world under the pretense of protecting their race, committing endless massacres to the point where there seems to be no solution, and incited war and chaos—an inherent great devil!
That is the being before him.
"Seo Hye! Stop this at once! Don't you know that if Seo Ran sees what you're doing, it will only make him sad?"
"Ahahahaha, Mister Shi Ho. Sorry, but to be honest, while I've thought about seducing Seo Ran, I never really cared about winning his heart. I've only thought about mating with him once and being done with it. Whether Seo Ran is saddened or not, if this draws his attention toward me, wouldn't that be even better?"
"...You lunatic."
Shi Ho reveals his true form.
Shi Ho's body, now grown large enough to cover a mountain range, glares down at Seo Hye and growls.
[Do you intend to challenge me? Arrogant thing! You, merely at the Grand Perfection Heavenly Being level, act as though you're worth something!]
Seo Hye, wearing a black mask, looks up at Shi Ho and cackles.
"How laughable. Don't bother flaunting your size. After all, in the Decaying Corpse Realm where we live, whether you're at the Four-Axis stage or Integration stage, you cannot overcome the realm's pressure and unleash power beyond the Heavenly Being stage. Of course, you might be more adept at celestial energy guidance and attraction force than I am, but that's it! You can't beat me."
[Arrogant wench. Let's see if you can still spout such words after I rip your arms off and devour them.]
"Hoho...You just said Seo Ran would be saddened by what I've done, didn't you? Allow me to return the sentiment. You can't kill me. Because Seo Ran would be sad. But I can kill you. After all, what I desire doesn't necessarily have to be Seo Ran."
[You...!]
Shi Ho growls, drawing forth a pure white aura.
His power reverberates across the entire Peaceful Cloud Continent, making the land hum.
Seo Hye looks up at that Shi Ho and smiles.
"How foolish. If you truly wanted to defeat me, you should have joined forces with Seo Ran. Not when Seo Ran and the other strong ones have risen to the twenty-eight constellations!"
She gazes beyond Shi Ho, towards the higher sky.
Not long ago, Seo Ran had temporarily departed to the distant sky.
He mentioned needing to greet Kang Min-hee, a venerable senior of his sect.
[Are you not afraid of the Sacred Master? You dare harm this many living beings and reveal such rebellion towards me, who is not only the Sacred Master's comrade but who also practically raised you?]
At those words, Seo Hye sneers as she absorbs the blood on the battlefield.
Gradually, a crimson whirlwind rises around her body.
[I certainly do fear a Sacred Vessel stage Sacred Master. After all, they are practically a god within their realm... However, that only applies to the mid Sacred Vessel stage and higher! A mere early Sacred Vessel stage is overwhelmed by the flood of information they must process while overseeing their realm and is little more than a non-sentient deity!]
Shi Ho glares at her and growls.
[You... How do you know such things?]
Seo Hye smiles faintly and responds.
[Memories of my past life... No, the memories of my 'original self'...are returning.]
Chwararararak!
The blood light around Seo Hye clumps together, and the forms of countless Immortal Beasts begin to emerge.
[Arise, Myriad Spirits Earth Immortal Apparition.]
Simultaneously, the forms of numerous Immortal Beasts begin descending onto the land in their crimson appearances.
[Now that I've recovered my original memories, a bug like you can no longer stand against me. You mutt.]
[Arrogant thing!]
In the next moment, two mighty beings of the Demon Race emanating murderous intent—Seo Hye and Shi Ho—clash in a two-sided mountain range of the Peaceful Cloud Continent.
Earthquakes and tidal waves sweep across the entire continent as blood light and white radiance clash.
Tadatt!
The two-sided mountain range of the Peaceful Cloud Continent.
Yeon Wei descends upon the area.
"As Esteemed One Kang has begun her Sacred Vessel advancement ritual, I will now tell you. My life will soon come to an end. Though I could request an extension from the Sacred Master, know that I have decided to live out my remaining years as dictated by fate. And...since I will soon depart, I ask that you take over my duties."
Seo Ran and Shi Ho nod, agreeing to her request.
"My mission from the Sacred Master...is to monitor Hon Won, a former Integration stage Grand Cultivator. As the Sacred Master deemed this task significant, you must treat it as such."
"Understood. But...where is he?"
Yeon Wei gestures to them, descending into the two-sided mountain range and walking towards a certain village.
Arriving at a large manor in the village, she forms a hand seal and performs a simple concealment spell.
Paaatt!
The three figures vanish from the perception of mortals.
Yeon Wei enters the large manor and points to a man seated on the floor, smoking a pipe with a stiff expression.
"That is Hon Won. The Sacred Master sealed his cultivation and consciousness domain, turning him into a mortal. Even suicide has been forbidden, leaving him unable to die. He has since lived for centuries among mortals, engaging in trivial games of accumulating mortal wealth."
"How unfortunate. He was once a Grand Cultivator..."
"Unfortunate!? When Jeon Myeong-hoon tried to rip Hon Won apart and kill him, the Sacred Master and I persuaded him to leave him in this state instead. That man played a significant role in the destruction of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect of the Bright Cold Realm. Do you even know how many times Jeon Myeong-hoon, after learning the full truth and consumed by guilt, tried to storm Penglai Palace?"
Yeon Wei sighs and points at Hon Won.
"Stopping him with all my strength if he ever attempts suicide or if someone else tries to kill him is the task I have carried. That is the mission I was assigned. Once I die...it will be your task."
"Yes, understood. But...it seems that man is looking at us?"
Seo Ran glances at Hon Won, who appears to be staring in their direction.
Yeon Wei shakes her head.
"You're mistaken. Look at his focus. He's watching the servants behind us as they work. As he's become a mortal, he cannot see through our concealment spell."
"I see..."
Seo Ran glances at Hon Won, who stares lifelessly into the distance, and smiles bitterly for some reason.
"...Elder Yeon Wei."
"Mm? What is it?"
"I've heard that you were once close with Grand Cultivator Hon in the past. If...if Grand Cultivator Hon Won were to come to his senses and repent, would you be able to accept him?"
"Are you asking if a person can be fixed?"
Yeon Wei smiles bitterly and shakes her head.
"People cannot be fixed. Even if Hon Won were to regain his senses...forty thousand years. It has been forty thousand years of accumulated resentment. Even if a person can be fixed, you cannot fix what they have done. I...I will not take him back."
At those words, Seo Ran lets out a bitter smile.
"A person...cannot be fixed, huh...?"
The two-sided mountain range.
No, the place that was once 'called' the two-sided mountain range.
Now it has become a flat plain, and there, soaked in blood and licking the blood that stained her body, stands Seo Hye.
She tastes the blood and smiles.
"You crossdressing mutt. You've got a knack for running away, don't you? Next time I catch you, I won't let you off so easily..."
It's at that moment.
Seo Hye flinches and looks up at the sky.
From above descends Seo Ran, wearing a bitter smile.
Seo Hye sneers and raises a handful of fur that she ripped during her fight with Shi Ho.
"Hello there~ Seo Ran. Long time no see. I just finished ripping apart a ton of that cross-dressing fox Shi Ho's guts. If the curse lodged deep inside him isn't dispelled soon, his Nascent Soul will rot away and turn into a puddle of blood. You'd better hurry and save him."
"..."
But Seo Ran, looking calm and strangely sorrowful, only looks down at Seo Hye.
"...It seems I'll have to seal you."
"Ha! It's true that I'm at my weakest right now."
She smiles faintly.
Around Seo Hye, streams of blood flow towards her and are absorbed into her body.
"But...Seo Ran. Do you think that's a wise decision? No matter how weakened I am from fighting Shi Ho...someone like you has never been a match for me. Unless you bring monstrous freaks like Kang Min-hee or Seo Eun-hyun, or the Other Heavenly Rejected, you won't stand a chance."
Crunch, crackle...
Finally, Seo Hye's mask shatters into pieces.
She smiles faintly and reveals her face once more.
Her face has subtly changed from the one belonging to the Candle Dragon Race she previously bore.
That's right.
It is...
Oh Hye-seo's face.
An innocent, pure, and clear face.
Her radiant smile is so beautiful that it could shake the hearts of anyone who sees it, regardless of who they are.
"Since it wouldn't be fun to capture you here...I'll give you a chance, Seo Ran. Go on, run away. Run away and save Shi Ho. I'll recover my strength and come hunt you down... Hurry, go on."
But Seo Ran silently mutters something in the direction Shi Ho had fled, sending a voice transmission, before assuming a battle stance.
The next moment, Seo Ran clashes with Seo Hye, who has regained Oh Hye-seo's memories.
The battle is decided quickly.
Seo Ran is unable to endure the overwhelming power of the countless Immortal Beasts controlled by Oh Hye-seo and is defeated.
Then, drenched in sticky blood, Seo Hye approaches the restrained Seo Ran and licks the blood trickling down his face.
"The blood of a half-human, half-dragon is quite good, Seo Ran. Now then... It's all over, Seo Hweol. I have succeeded in touching your soul. Hurry and return now, to your original form."
With a mocking grin, she grips Seo Ran's head.
"Of course... Now that I have your main body, you'll have to receive some brainwashing from the light of the Glass Peacock."
"...So, you reincarnated here for Seo Hweol's plan, targeting me, Seo Hye?"
"Hoho, you could say that. Now, sleep peacefully. It's fortunate I didn't have to resort to drastic measures. Well then..."
"Seo Hye."
"...I am Oh Hye-seo, Seo Ran."
"I loved you."
"Ahaha, are you trying to make me laugh until the end?"
"As a parent...I loved you, Seo Hye... And even now, I still love you. Elder Yeon Wei said that people cannot be fixed, but...you were my family. That alone...I cannot deny."
"...?"
"In the past, even now... And perhaps, if I cannot let go, even in the future... As your parent...I will love you. Thank you for being my family until now, Seo Hye."
Seo Ran smiles faintly, meeting Seo Hye's eyes.
Oh Hye-seo looks at that Seo Ran with an expression of incomprehension.
Paaaatt!
Something black bursts out from Oh Hye-seo's body and enters Seo Ran's body, while a seven-colored light emanating from her makes his eyes glaze over.
But in the next moment—
Thud—
Seo Ran dies.
"...?"
The resurrection of Seo Hweol that she anticipated doesn't happen.
"...What? Why did he die? Seo Hweol. Seo Hweol...?"
She calls out to Seo Hweol in confusion, but the dead Seo Ran gives no response.
As if Seo Ran already leapt into the Netherworld through the Ghost Path Method he learned, she cannot find a trace of Seo Ran's soul even when she searches for it.
As Oh Hye-seo's expression becomes increasingly filled with incomprehension, she shakes Seo Ran's corpse.
"Seo Hweol. Seo Hweol...! Say something. Seo Hweol...! I...This is your main body, you know. Don't tell me you...offered me up as a sacrifice to Seo Eun-hyun's jaws? Answer me, Seo Hweol...!"
Yeon Wei, stepping out of Hon Won's house, sees Seo Ran suddenly shedding tears.
Then, all of a sudden, Shi Ho is startled and turns furious, glaring at Seo Ran who collapsed on the spot.
"Seo Ran!!! How could you do something like this without even telling me!!??"
"...I'm sorry, Shi Ho. I'm sorry..."
Yeon Wei, unable to understand, asks the suddenly crying Seo Ran.
"...Why are you crying all of a sudden?"
Seo Ran, with a sorrowful expression, answers through his tears.
"...Elder said that people cannot be fixed. It seems you were right. Even until the end, I couldn't change her."
"...?"
"I guess...I just wanted to believe. To believe that there was such a possibility...I mean. Elder's words are correct. Even if someone is fixed, the karma of their actions remains. Unless all of that karma can be undone...she will probably always remain as she is."
"...What are you even saying? Just what..."
"...I apologize for rambling. I will...explain it properly."
With a sorrowful expression, Seo Ran thus proceeds to tell Yeon Wei everything.
The constellations created during the Star Shattering stage completely assimilate with the cultivator's heart essence when they reach the Sacred Vessel stage.
And to assimilate with the heart essence means, in a way, to make the world one has built until now into one's 'dream.'
Amidst the torrent of overwhelming information, I slowly open my eyes.
In my eyes, two worlds are reflected.
One is the real Cedarwood Painting that I rule over, enjoying an era of peace.
And...
The other is the one created within my Colorless Sword Enclosure, a 'dream world'.
The dream world is filled with a crimson light.
In that world, Oh Hye-seo's main body who killed Seo Ran, the one chance to leave the dream world...now roams the desolate land where all living beings have perished, pathetically searching for Seo Hweol.
From the moment Oh Hye-seo reincarnated into Seo Hye's body, resolved to kill her first intelligent being, and just before she accomplished that murder—
The worlds diverged.
My 'dream' and the real Cedarwood Painting.
Everything in the world filled with Seo Hye's unleashed malevolence is, in truth, a fabrication of my imagination.
Every character in that world, except for Shi Ho and Seo Ran, were fundamentally no different from the Heart Demons within my heart essence.
Oh Hye-seo may have thought she cleverly infiltrated under the 'guise of a fragment' following Seo Hweol's will, scheming her malicious plans, but...
She has never once escaped my grasp from the beginning.
The fact that she came as her main body rather than a fragment was something I discerned from the start, and as soon as she exhibited unusual behavior, I isolated her immediately within my dream.
I erased all the living beings within my dream world, condemning her to wander forever through the desolate, blood-soaked wasteland.
Her original cultivation realm is the Integration stage.
The chance given to her is now over.
Oh Hye-seo will wander that wasteland for tens of thousands of years, until she ages and dies of old age.
[...Is that all?]
I ask, turning to Seo Hweol, who is watching Oh Hye-seo's actions alongside me with a hardened expression.