Captured by the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld and nearly taxidermized for all eternity.
Captured by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, leading to the total annihilation of the Wuji Religious Order.
Entangled with Blood Yin, and endlessly repeating death.
In the end, witnessing Seo Hweol reduced to an earthworm and the Supreme Deities and Heavenly Venerables laying dead.
As I witnessed these events, I reflected.
This world is a place where one can never let down their guard.
'Regression is not absolute.'
Though it is undeniably a powerful ability, one could experience endless death, as with Blood Yin or Yeong Seung.
One could be caught while regressing, as in the case of the Underworld.
And against absolute beings, it is not usable as a direct offensive ability.
Fortunately, in the cases of Blood Yin, the Underworld, and Yeong Seung, I was able to rise again.
However, among those True Immortals above, the one who strikes me with the most fear and suffocating dread is...
Without a doubt, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
'No one knows better than I, who observed closely...just how persistently They exploited the fates of Hon Won and Yeon Wei.'
They are meticulous, overwhelmingly powerful, and domineering.
Moreover, They are a being who consumed countless lives to build a mountain—a Corpse Mountain!
Thinking about that mountain, it can't be more certain that They are truly an abominable Devil God to the point it makes one's teeth clench.
In the world of Penglai Island, They did show me a slightly kind side.
However...
That was it.
'I am now at the Sacred Vessel stage.'
My true strength is at the Entering Nirvana level, and by interrogating the Entering Nirvana True Person Yeo Hwi, whom I captured alive, I was able to learn the truth about the Entering Nirvana advancement and True Immortal advancement.
True Immortality is right before me.
'They said to settle things above.'
I know Their nature very well.
Great Mountain is never fair or just.
Only in matters related to Their master do They occasionally act with a semblance of fairness.
In essence, They are a colossal evil (巨惡).
'Given Their words about meeting above, it wouldn't be strange if They immediately attacked me with full force the moment I succeeded in the True Immortal advancement.'
Of course, there could be additional conditions implied in 'meeting above', but based on my interpretation of Their character, I cannot afford to dismiss such a possibility.
Thus...
I can not afford to relax and idly pass the time playing as a Sacred Master.
'I must prepare. At the very least...I must be able to put up some resistance in front of Great Mountain after becoming a True Immortal.'
Never again!
Never again will I experience a horrific event like the Wuji Religious Order catastrophe!
Thus...
What I must do now is refine and temper myself with everything I have!
In order to do so, I explained my plan to my comrades.
My comrades each added their own ideas to help me.
Whenever Yeo Hwi occasionally muttered that it was impossible, I would hang her upside down and continue listening to the opinions of my comrades.
Together with Kim Yeon, we devised a plan for an artificial Middle Realm.
The plan involved gathering the entirety of the Decaying Corpse Realms of the Heavenly Domain, refining them, and merging them with Cedarwood Painting, thereby forging an artificial Middle Realm.
To be honest, I was personally skeptical about whether something like an artificial Middle Realm was even possible...
But if it's Kim Yeon, who inherited the Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent and evolved it into something entirely new, it seemed feasible.
Of course, even so, it is impossible for it to compare to a true Middle Realm. However, in times of emergency, it could draw in the living beings of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain for protection, and it also seemed to be a significant help in safeguarding Cedarwood Painting until I complete my plan.
Kim Young-hoon also discussed martial arts with me and greatly helped in exploring the Mandala of Cedarwood Painting.
Hong Fan also supplemented various parts of my plan, offering numerous pieces of advice to ensure its success.
I came to realize that it is possible to 'extract and use' the authority of Oh Hye-seo, who eternally wanders within my heart essence, by exercising my authority as a Sacred Vessel. With this, borrowing the strength of all my comrades, I proceeded with the plan to save my comrades and all the living beings of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
Kugugugugu!
Amidst the Karmic Fire, the Cedarwood Painting that burns as it shields itself with the Clear Scale Armor.
When that Cedarwood Painting fully connected to the storage scroll of Lofty Dragon True Person, the eyes of the True Persons and Sacred Masters widened.
Given their own lifetimes of experience and accumulated insight, they immediately recognized what Seo Eun-hyun is planning.
[He's...creating a Middle Realm!?]
[Insanity...! Even the Heavenly Craftsmen only attempted such a feat after reaching True Immortality...!]
[Stop him at all costs! That madman's Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra is growing even stronger!]
It's exactly as the last True Person said.
As much as Seo Eun-hyun's Cedarwood Painting continues to expand, and the absoluteness of its dimension grows stronger,
The power and authority of Seo Eun-hyun, who is embedded in Cedarwood Painting, intensifies, and the attraction force of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra grows slightly stronger.
Although the speed at which the End approaches is only marginally faster, it nonetheless increases.
Everyone trembles in shock and horror at Seo Eun-hyun's insane actions.
[That insane madman...! Fine, if it's war you want, then so be it...!]
[But what can we do? Don't you know about the Karmic Fire? We absolutely cannot make direct contact with him. Touching the Karmic Fire means pain worse than death! Even if we endure it and attack, what about the Clear Scale Armor?]
[All physical attacks will be blocked by the Clear Scale Armor.]
[Ja Eum! Contact your main body. Tell it to reclaim the Karmic Fire!]
The True Persons jump around wildly as they search for a means to penetrate Seo Eun-hyun's defenses.
Ja Eum lets out a bitter smile and shakes his head.
[If it's Blood Yin, he would have realized by now. But...for some reason, Blood Yin shows no reaction even after seeing the Karmic Fire. Do not count on his help.]
[Hae Lin! It's the tears of your ancestor. As a direct descendant, you should be able to control the Clear Scale Armor. Hurry and open it now!]
[I apologize, but I lack the authority to control that Clear Scale Armor. For some reason, even with my abilities as a direct descendant, it does not elicit a response. There is only one explanation for this. Someone higher than my ancestor, the Deputy Judge, has granted Seo Eun-hyun the [authority] to handle the Clear Scale Armor...]
At Hae Lin's words, the True Persons rampage.
[Blood Yin! It must be that bastard! He is the root cause of all this!]
[Claiming to be the former Chief Judge, he must have granted that bastard the authority to use the Clear Scale Armor and the Karmic Fire! Without a doubt, he's colluding with the tyrannical Devil God (魔神)!!!! I realised it ever since he occasionally borrowed the power of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea!!!]
The True Persons seethe with rage as they glare at Seo Eun-hyun.
[Then, it cannot be helped.]
[As direct contact is impossible, we must break through with authority!]
The True Persons begin to exert their powers.
[Hear us, stars of the nations!]
Jinlu Gok steps to the forefront and shouts with a hardened and solemn face.
[We declare: The star veins of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain shall obey only our command. The authority of the wicked shall never encroach upon the domain of the True Persons.]
Woo-woong!
The formation formed by the star veins controlled by Seo Hweol begin to transform.
But in the next moment, Seo Eun-hyun's illusion smiles and raises a finger.
Wiiiiiing!
Behind Seo Eun-hyun's head, the [Wheel] rises.
[——————!]
[———!!!]
[!!!!!!!!!!]
The True Persons go berserk with madness, sealing their own vision to avoid directly gazing at the [Wheel].
[I rewrite: O formation of stars, become the threads that pull in the outer realms.]
Kiiiiing!
Simultaneously, Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens and Seo Eun-hyun's [Wheel] begin to move.
The formation of star veins, which the True Persons and Jinlu Gok had seized control of, instantly transforms into a formation obedient to Seo Eun-hyun's command.
The [Wheel], the attraction force of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens exert their power, pulling an immense mass from beyond the universe.
Kugwagwagwa!
In the shape of an [Eye], a Decaying Corpse Realm enveloped in a dimensional barrier leaps through space at an immense speed and merges with Cedarwood Painting like Lofty Dragon True Person's storage scroll.
Once again, Kim Yeon's artificial star enters the [Eye] Decaying Corpse Realm, fully fusing Cedarwood Painting and the outer Decaying Corpse Realm.
[O formations of stars, become the threads that pull in the growing realms.]
Once again, from the far reaches of the universe, beyond the Interdimensional Void, yet another body part of a True Immortal begins flying towards this location.
Baek Woon solemnly stretches out her hand.
Kwaaaaang!
Immediately after, the incoming Decaying Corpse Realm explodes, instantly annihilating all living beings within it.
Kugugugugu!
The universe quakes violently.
Excluding Yo Oh, Baek and the other Sacred Masters of the Middle Realms.
The four of them, exuding an aura akin to that of True Immortals, glare at Seo Eun-hyun.
Baek Woon opens her mouth.
[Such rampage will not be tolerated any longer. Summon the Decaying Corpse Realms a hundred, a thousand times if you will. I will destroy them all before they even arrive!]
[...It must have been a realm where billions of living beings resided, yet you destroyed it without hesitation.]
[If it's to prevent the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain from entering your stomach, I would do worse.]
[Have I not already said it? This will bring no harm to you all. Moreover, my intent is not to devour the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain. Nor is it to offer it to the current owner of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, as you suspect! Do you want me to swear upon the Black Ancient Paper before the [Owner of Names]?]
[That won't be necessary. The fact that you're involved with True Immortals is already indisputable. For someone of your caliber, I'm sure you've prepared a sufficient escape route already. Yang Su-jin was the same! Do you intend to continue!?]
Seo Eun-hyun locks eyes with Baek Woon.
The being standing here now is not the one who used to exchange opinions with Seo Eun-hyun in passing or jokingly pursued him to push the Sacred Master position onto him.
No, this is a being resolved to obliterate the existence known as Seo Eun-hyun with all their strength and to prevent every single one of his actions.
A being who crushes the small without hesitation for the sake of the great.
That, is the Sacred Master Baek Woon who stands here now.
Seo Eun-hyun meets the eyes of Yu Oh, who appears to be withholding her actions.
[Sacred Master Yu Oh. Are you planning to step aside?]
[...I will remain neutral.]
Yu Oh calmly takes a step back from where she stands.
[As I cannot take any other actions without the commands of the Reapers, I hope everyone understands my stance.]
The True Persons and Sacred Masters nod, and Seo Eun-hyun nods as well.
In any case, one Sacred Master stepping aside is already a great help.
Seo Eun-hyun then turns to another.
He looks at Hae Lin, who shows a slightly ambiguous heart essence, and asks.
[Sacred Master Hae Lin seems to be hesitant. What will the Sacred Master do?]
However, Hae Lin, after appearing to deliberate over his question, hardens his expression and speaks.
[...I am...the Sacred Master of the Ancient Force Realm. I have resolved...to protect the living beings of the Ancient Force Realm!]
Hae Lin steps forward and shouts at Seo Eun-hyun.
[Stop the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, Seo Eun-hyun! Even if it's you...you cannot stop us all...!]
A tone that carries a hint of pleading.
But Seo Eun-hyun only gives him a look that says he understands his will.
He does not back down.
[Is that all?]
Yet all the remaining True Persons and Sacred Masters.
They only stare coldly, with no one stepping back further.
Only Baek Woon speaks coldly again, merely informing Seo Eun-hyun of reality.
[Summon the Decaying Corpse Realms as many times as you wish. Call forth the stellar systems as well. I will crush them all, no matter how many times they come.]
At that, Seo Eun-hyun smiles.
[...Then, as you wish...!]
Immediately after.
Next to Seo Eun-hyun's projection, another massive projection appears.
It is a woman clad in a navy-blue robe, her hair dyed azure blue.
[By my authority as the Holy Mother who guides the dead, the deceased shall come to my embrace.]
Kang Min-hee, who has reached the Sacred Vessel stage, raises one hand and extends it towards the remains of the Decaying Corpse Realm that Baek Woon had just destroyed.
[The recently slumbering dead shall return to the embrace of I, the incarnation of Nether Crossing.]
Kiiiiing!
At Kang Min-hee's proclamation, the souls of the living beings from the Decaying Corpse Realm that Baek Woon destroyed are sucked into her like beams of light.
That's not all.
Woo-wooong—
In this world, everything possesses a soul.
This applies even to pebbles, simple winds, dust, and flames. When such souls lose their place, they head toward the Source River after death.
And the same is true for a 'world'.
The soul of the Decaying Corpse Realm being pulled into the Source River can be seen.
Yet, at Kang Min-hee's call, the soul of the Decaying Corpse Realm stops abruptly and is instead sucked into her.
It seems her authority over the 'dead' slightly surpasses the laws of the Source River.
Whether this is because the owner of the Source River is absent or because her authority is intertwined with the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, often referred to as the true God of Death, remains unclear.
Wo-woong!
Kang Min-hee places the souls of the destroyed Decaying Corpse Realm and its living beings into Cedarwood Painting.
Seo Eun-hyun immediately places those souls into his heart essence and replicates them within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
'A portion of Oh Hye-seo's authority, which summons the power of beings from the past.'
Combined with the 'Sacred Master's authority to extract what exists in the heart essence into reality and make it permanent,' he manifests the 'bodies that the souls once possessed in the past' inside his heart essence and extracts them into reality through the Sacred Master's authority.
Thus, through the combination of Kang Min-hee, Seo Eun-hyun, and Oh Hye-seo, all the deceased living beings are brought back to life with their physical bodies restored.
Tststststststs!
That is not all.
Oh Hyun-seok begins to exert his strength.
[Haaaaaaaaaa!!!]
Although he is still the lowest in cultivation realm among Seo Eun-hyun's group, being only at the Grand Perfection Integration Stage, he was able to find his authority when he exited Penglai Island.
The dense power of Primordial Chaos saturates his entire body.
Within the purple mist, Oh Hyun-seok grasps the soul of the Decaying Corpse Realm that Seo Eun-hyun absorbed.
Wo-woong—
Everything intertwines.
In the midst of chaos, reality and illusion seem to blur and shift faintly, and the remains of the Decaying Corpse Realm, which should have been outside, are drawn by the soul of the Decaying Corpse Realm and suddenly appear inside Cedarwood Painting.
Paaatt!
As Kim Yeon's consciousness domain moves, the artificial stars combine the shattered remains and the soul of the Decaying Corpse Realm, reconstructing the Decaying Corpse Realm inside Cedarwood Painting.
This is the power of the Liberation Law Talent.
The Decaying Corpse Realm, reassembled within Cedarwood Painting, soon melts into it, expanding the size of Cedarwood Painting once more.
After completing this sequence of events, Seo Eun-hyun's attraction force has grown even stronger.
Seo Eun-hyun meets Baek Woon's gaze and speaks.
[How many times did you say you would destroy it? Go ahead. No matter how many times you destroy, it's useless. To us...]
Seo Eun-hyun looks back at his comrades and smiles.
[We have the Wuji Divine Demon. Lightning Harbinger. Ghost Guiding Holy Mother. The hope of the great Azure Heaven Creation Sect. Including the Owner of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, countless heroes stand here. Give up.]
Baek Woon stares at Seo Eun-hyun with an expressionless face, before exchanging transmissions with the True Persons and Sacred Masters.
After murmuring amongst themselves in cosmic voices, they soon reach a decision and fix their gazes on Seo Eun-hyun.
[Very well. Then, we shall engage you in the proper manner of a Middle Realm invasion strategy...]
Chichichichichi—
A strange sound resounds, and Baek Woon, along with the True Persons and Sacred Masters, simultaneously begin to unleash their domains.
[Even if it takes hundreds, no, thousands of years, we will stop you, Seo Eun-hyun.]
The domains of the True Persons become imbued with the power of Immortal Arts.
Simultaneously, some kind of mark seems to be engraved within the domains of all the Sacred Masters and True Persons.
Beyond that mark, a certain 'scene' begins to materialize.
Baek Woon's eyes seem to burn fiercely.
The colossal forms of the True Persons collectively begin to heat up.
[I, as the sovereign of a world, designate calamity upon the entirety of Cedarwood Painting...]
The True Persons and Sacred Masters combine their powers, constructing something within their domains.
It is a star.
Seo Eun-hyun understands what they are doing.
It is something he experienced once before in the Nether Ghost Realm.
The True Persons are combining their powers to interfere with the Plane of Fate.
[I prophesize this: The defense enveloping Cedarwood Painting will inevitably reveal a flaw in 400 years, and through that flaw, Cedarwood Painting shall collapse.]
Before Seo Eun-hyun's eyes, something is reflected.
The barrier of Clear Scale Armor and Karmic Fire, and the dimensional veil of Cedarwood Painting, created through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, and the absoluteness of the Decaying Corpse Realm itself.
It is a scene showing a small crack forming 400 years from now in that barrier, though the circumstances are unknown.
Tstststst!
Beyond the world formed by the combined domains of the True Persons and Sacred Masters.
There, a new star appears!
The star begins to cross into 'reality' under Baek Woon's will.
Jiiiiiing—
The star crosses into the Plane of Fate in reality and connects with the star veins of the entire universe.
At the same time, Seo Eun-hyun feels it.
That a prophecy of fate, like the time with Blood Yin, has been inscribed upon his Cedarwood Painting.
A prophecy and the designation of calamity.
And through fate and history, a true battle of the Immortal Family, one that may span thousands, even tens of thousands of years, begins.
-x-X-x-
If the battles of Star Shattering stage cultivators are considered cosmic in scale,
Then the battles of Sacred Vessel stage beings are no longer mere 'battles' but closer to 'wars.'
As each individual has become akin to an entire world, their battles can no longer unfold in ordinary ways.
Kigigiging—
One True Person detonates cosmic radiation, bombarding Cedarwood Painting for 60 years.
Another True Person transforms the very nature of nearby Heaven and Earth spiritual energy into poison.
It seems to be a secret art that changes the properties, concentrations, and combinations of the poison every second. Yet even after 60 years, it does not stop.
Beyond this, there are other attacks as well, such as covering the sky of Cedarwood Painting with an unavoidable eternal morning sunlight.
Or erasing all starlight shining down on Cedarwood Painting so that the Heaven Tribe of Cedarwood Painting cannot surpass Qi Refining 7th star.
Some even unleash curses that penetrate the Clear Scale Armor and Karmic Fire, relentlessly striking this place for decades.
Of course, none of this has posed a significant problem so far.
The morning sunlight, which even the Sacred Master's authority could not block, was resolved when Kim Yeon created a canopy that covers the entire world.
The poison was dealt with by Hong Fan, while the curses were devoured by me.
The radiation was absorbed by Oh Hyun-seok.
Beyond this, the True Persons, just as they had done in the Nether Ghost Realm, extended their devilish arts into Cedarwood Painting, attempting to create devotees that they can manipulate within.
They even managed to seize a certain level of authority over the heavens, delivering Heavenly Tribulation on the cultivators instead of Cedarwood Painting. Whenever a Qi Refining cultivator broke through to the Qi Building stage, they would launch Star Tribulations.
Although these were not genuine Heavenly Tribulations and I was thus able to block them myself without much trouble, the protective barriers of Clear Scale Armor and Karmic Fire were gradually being shaken more violently.
'There's no major issue.'
That's the truth.
Up until now, no significant problem has arisen.
Every ten years, I continued pulling in Decaying Corpse Realms and integrating them into Cedarwood Painting, steadily expanding its size.
But...fate is the problem.
Wo-woong!
The star of fate, which appeared in the nearby space of Cedarwood Painting, continues to ominously shine as it shows me a distant future.
The scene of 340 years from now.
As time passed, the vision of [Cedarwood Painting developing a flaw] continues to drag Cedarwood Painting closer to that future.
The future is drawing us into itself.
At the level of the Sacred Vessel stage, one's vision undergoes many transformations.
The eyes of the Earth Tribe, which in the Star Shattering stage could only see into the past, now allow us to 'connect' with beings through the past.
It becomes possible to communicate with beings of the past and draw upon their powers.
It allows one to gain abilities not inferior to Oh Hye-seo's authority merely through one's vision.
Simultaneously, the vision of the Heaven Tribe extends beyond mere foresight.
The path of the future!
It becomes possible to read countless possibilities of the future, like countless grains of sand scattered on the ground.
And among those countless possibilities, it becomes possible to gradually approach the 'desired' future.
The ability to move towards the future one desires.
That is the vision of a Heaven Tribe Sacred Vessel.
It is because of this vision that cultivators at the Sacred Vessel stage have an astonishingly high average success rate of 40 percent when advancing to the Entering Nirvana stage.
Unless one lacks willpower, has been kidnapped and enslaved by an entity like Yeo Hwi, or is 'bound to the world' like the Sacred Masters of the Middle Realms, most Sacred Vessel Sacred Masters find it easy to advance to the True Person stage.
Wo-woong, wo-woong, wo-woong—
However...
I sense the twisting of history and future as seen through the visions of the Heaven and Earth Tribes.
Space and time bends under the influence of attraction force, and the future scenes that I am 'able to approach' are becoming fixed into one.
The scene of [Cedarwood Painting developing a flaw]!
This scene, prophesied by the combined efforts of the True Persons, is the only future I am now able to approach.
But this isn't even the end.
Wo-woong!
The True Persons are already overlapping their domains again, weaving some new symbol within the combined domain.
They are preparing another prophecy.
Perhaps in about 40 years, around 100 years after they uttered their last prophecy, they will issue their next one.
If this continues, layer upon layer of prophecies filled with my defeat will pile up, and in the end, I will be torn apart into pieces by the True Persons.
The Sacred Masters of the Middle Realms might be able to mount some level of defense against all the True Persons in the Heavenly Domain, but I am merely a Sacred Master of a Decaying Corpse Realm.
My own power is enough to suppress a single True Person in a one-on-one fight. Moreover, by recently capturing Yeo Hwi and putting her on a leash, I have gained the ability to utilize her power as well, giving us the equivalent of two Entering Nirvana-level forces.
Adding in Kang Min-hee, Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, and our other comrades, our combined power equals that of three Entering Nirvana True Persons.
However...
That's all there is.
Just within the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain alone, there are over 100 Entering Nirvana True Persons.
There is no way we can defeat them all.
Moreover, the four Sacred Masters of the Middle Realms essentially possess the power equivalent to four True Immortals.
The only reason I have been able to hold out this long is thanks to the Clear Scale Armor and the authority of the Karmic Fire that judges sins.
The Karmic Fire is so overwhelming that even Entering Nirvana True Persons struggle to withstand it.
But if those prophecies are fulfilled, even I will soon fall.
There is only one way to nullify their prophecies.
'Just like that time when I advanced to Void Shattering, I must do it.'
Just like that time when I shattered the star created by the combined authority of fifty Entering Nirvana True Persons with Accumulating Dust Forms a Mountain!
I must destroy the star they have created.
'But that's impossible.'
The reason I can hold out against these countless enemies is because I'm on the defensive.
If I were to launch an offensive and try to advance toward the star they are protecting to destroy it, I would be utterly defeated.
'...Then, what should I do...?'
Of course, I could use the method the Great Mountain Supreme Deity taught me to desecrate fate.
If I create a model similar to Cedarwood Painting, declare it as Cedarwood Painting through my authority as Sacred Master, and then create a flaw in it, I could resolve the issue easily.
But Entering Nirvanas are no fools.
'This method...must not be revealed yet.'
It is a method that must remain hidden until the very end of ends, to be unveiled only during the End.
'Thus, I will conceal it.'
If I reveal it too soon, they could devise a way to counter it.
'Then, there is only one way to overcome the current situation.'
[Yeon-ah, is everything going well with the preparations?]
[Mm-mmm!]
A response comes through her voice transmission.
I nod and lift my head towards the fate that is soon to arrive.
'I will not avoid it. Watch, oh heavens above.'
This time, I will show you how I overcome fate.
And so, 340 years pass swiftly.
Over the course of 400 years, the True Persons uttered three more prophecies in total.
Each one is a prophecy that foretold 100 or 200 years in the future, so the prophecy that must be confronted right now is only one.
The prophecy that states [a flaw will appear] on this very day in Cedarwood Painting!
At last, as their prophecy comes true.
Kiiiing!
I feel the fate of Cedarwood Painting being entirely drawn into the [scene] the True Persons have decreed.
Simultaneously, one of the many cracks in Cedarwood Painting, formed over the past 400 years as countless Middle Realms were integrated, erupts.
Kwaaang!
The sensation of my insides shaking causes my concentration to waver.
Simultaneously, a storm 'coincidentally' sweeps through Cedarwood Painting.
The storm 'coincidentally' gathers Heaven and Earth spiritual energy and channels it into the weak point of the barrier.
The explosion from the crack and the excessive infusion of spiritual energy into the barrier's weak point 'coincidentally' resonate in perfect harmony, shaking the weak point entirely.
And in that moment!
Kwaaang!
'Coincidentally,' one of the True Persons' attacks strikes the trembling weak point.
Chwaak!
Finally, a [flaw] forms in the barrier of Clear Scale Armor and Karmic Fire.
Fate has been realized.
The eyes of the True Persons turn upside down.
Baek Woon, smirking while drawing forth the full power of the Bright Cold Realm, shouts.
: : I T I S D O N E ! : :
The Sacred Masters simultaneously unleash attacks toward the flaw in the Karmic Fire.
At the same time...
I snap my fingers.
[Begin, Yeon-ah.]
[Mm]
Then...
The puppets crafted by Kim Yeon over 400 years all begin moving in unison.
Click-click-click-click...
Song Jin had once told me during the fight against Yuan Li,
The only thing that can oppose fate is history.
The Mad Lord, when I sought guidance on fate, told me,
The only way to overcome fate is to leap toward 'another future' through greater strength.
[Leap forward!!]
Thus, from the advice of Song Jin and the Mad Lord begins my leap of fate.
Twenty-eight artificial stars form a [heavens] and emit a powerful attraction force.
At the same time, the puppets located throughout Cedarwood Painting begin to move, mimicking the appearances of its inhabitants.
The artificial souls of the puppets flock toward the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress hovering at the center of the artificial stars.
And simultaneously...
The Mad Lord's final act.
The ultimate mechanism of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
[Yeon's Play] activates.
The artificial souls emit attraction force.
Through the attraction force, they twist fate, and through fate, they further distort history and spacetime!
Gigigigigik!
The entirety of Cedarwood Painting becomes overlaid with the [spacetime of the past] through Yeon's Play!
The puppets manifest the history of Cedarwood Painting spanning 400 years.
What stands here at this moment is not the [Cedarwood Painting, flawed after 400 years under the prophecy of the True Persons].
It is the [Cedarwood Painting over the span of 400 years that has yet to have a flaw appear]!
The True Persons that are attempting to exploit the flaws of Cedarwood Painting strike against its overlaid spacetime version and are either immediately repelled, or they are engulfed in Karmic Fire and scream in madness, eventually losing consciousness and entering a dormant state.
Meanwhile, while the Immortal Art Yeon's Play is active, I repair the flaw of the 'true' Cedarwood Painting hidden beneath the overlaid spacetime.
When the overlaid spacetime finally fades away and the real Cedarwood Painting is revealed,
The True Persons can only rage in madness.
Because their prophecy has been rendered entirely useless.
I smile faintly and speak.
[Prophesize as many times as you like. I will counter it every time.]
With only my own strength, I would undoubtedly fail.
But I have my comrades, the wisdom and experience accumulated over 400,000 years, and secret arts.
What I have accumulated is not so fragile as to crumble in just 10,000 years.
[Now then. As I have defended, it is my turn.]
I signal to Kim Yeon with a grin.
In the next moment, Kim Yeon activates [Yeon's Play] once again.
At the same time, I draw upon the authority of Oh Hye-seo and, through the authority of a Sacred master, summon the [power of the past].
The scene Kim Yeon showed just a moment ago was [the past Cedarwood Painting], and if the Mad Lord's original plan for Yeon's Play was to show [his own happiest moment from the past], the moment I intend to [summon] is something entirely different.
[Until now, let me show you just how many beings I have been entangled with.]
The next moment.
[Yeon's Play], Oh Hye-seo's authority, my Earth Tribe Sacred Vessel vision, and the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections all combine, manifesting a [scene from my memory], if only for a fleeting instant.
Kwa-kijijijijik!
The day of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect's annihilation.
It is the very scene of the sky 'opening' as the [eye] of the [Owner of Heavenly Punishment] gazes down upon the Bright Cold realm.
The moment the Owner of Heavenly Punishment's gaze lands, the Entering Nirvana True Persons simultaneously scream in agony.
'Try taking it.'
It is the gaze of a Governing Immortal!
[...Even I, who was only in the Nascent Soul stage at the time, withstood it. Wouldn't it be shameful if you all couldn't?]
I have no concerns about Zhengli or the Owner of Heavenly Punishment becoming connected to me.
Even in the Lightning Sacred Sea, Zhengli ignored me and spoke only to Golden Shaking Bird.
There is no reason for them to seek me out in this life either.
Moreover, I already used the Heaven Tribe vision to confirm this operation in advance...there are no issues whatsoever!
[KUAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!]
Led by Baek Woon, the screams of the True Persons echo resoundingly.
Lightning surges from their bodies, and all of them, without exception, are cursed with the same lightning transformation as mine!
In the next moment, the entirety of Heaven and Earth is consumed by the explosive clapping of lightning and thunder (雷聲霹靂).
-x-X-x-
Some might wish to argue against it, but...
I am not actually a fool.
Of course, there are times when I exhibit symptoms akin to dementia, especially when searching for specific memories amidst the overwhelming volume stored within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
However, I have never forgotten the memories of the important moments in my life.
Naturally, I still remember every detail of the time when I opened my mouth recklessly, leading to the entire Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and the sky island being grinded to dust.
At the same time, I also remember that the Owner of Heavenly Punishment wasn't even detectable by my mere Nascent Soul stage celestial energy foresight.
No, to be honest, it is only natural for even beings on the level of Sacred Masters to fail in predicting the movements of Governing Immortals.
Thus, the reason I summoned the projection of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment isn't because of divination but something else entirely.
It is the knowledge I gained in my previous life, as I was becoming the [Annihilation Flower].
When I became the Annihilation Flower of the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable,
I perceived that Seo Hweol turned into a worm.
Afterwards, as the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable [awakened] me, I regained all the memories I had [forgotten] throughout my cycles.
...Of course, the memories of the 16th cycle still remain completely absent.
In any case, what matters is that I regained all of the memories I had lost while facing immensely powerful beings.
And...among those memories is the true identity of the [entity that had inhabited Jeon Myeong-hoon's body] during the 998th cycle.
Logically speaking, there is only one being capable of possessing Jeon Myeong-hoon's body and evoking such horror in Golden Shaking Bird.
The Owner of Heavenly Punishment!
Without a doubt, it must have been Them who inhabited Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
Back then, the overwhelming presence of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment had completely paralyzed my thoughts, rendering it impossible to deduce Their true identity properly.
No...perhaps the more accurate expression is that my very origin refused to acknowledge it.
I distinctly remember the attitude the Owner of Heavenly Punishment displayed towards me while inside Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
It was unmistakably goodwill.
At that time, the Owner of Heavenly Punishment had shown goodwill towards me.
I don't know why, but despite my rather rude and presumptuous behavior towards Them, They neither tortured nor threatened me in any way. Considering this, I can only infer that Their goodwill towards me runs quite deep.
Of course, that alone is not enough to ascertain the true nature of Their goodwill. So, I performed a divination.
A mere Sacred Master's divination naturally cannot reveal the matters of Governing Immortals.
But if it's a Sacred Master, it's possible to establish a [connection].
Hence, I connected to the Owner of Heavenly Punishment.
Shrouded in the power of the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens, created by the Golden Divine, I prepared myself to endure all misfortunes should anything go awry.
After all, when facing True Persons, one must gamble at least that much.
Then...
Connecting to a single strand of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment's will through divination, I received a [revelation].
Although Sacred Masters rarely fall asleep easily, that night, I passed out almost instantly. In my dream, Zhengli appeared and stomped on my head with her foot, saying, 'They will permit it [once].'
When I awoke, the soft sensation of her foot was still vivid, so I immediately began preparing to borrow Their power.
The result is this.
[HGHUAAAAHH!!!]
The spears embedded in Baek Woon's main body seem to resonate.
The seven-colored thunder spears resonate, as if engulfing Baek Woon's entire body.
But that is not the end.
Oooooohhh!
Return...Return...I...return to thee...
AcceptthewillofthegreatHeavenlyPunishment...
The True Persons!
Beings each and every one worthy of being called sovereigns of the universe!
Each and every one crazily emits light and begins to transform into lightning!
Pajik, pakijijik...
I feel the tips of my fingers gradually turning into lightning as well.
However, the process is noticeably slower compared to the True Persons, and judging by the impacted area, it seems that the lightning transformation itself will soon cease altogether.
It must be because of the goodwill of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment.
I stare at the beings before me.
The True Persons, after convulsing in the cosmic space, begin quickly entering a dormant state one by one.
It seems they are trying to endure the lightning transformation by focusing solely on recovering their strength while in this dormant state.
However, apart from Baek Woon, the other Sacred Masters Ja Eum, Ban Ta, and Hae Lin appear to be less affected than the True Persons, as I see them expel the lightning from their bodies.
Borrowing the power of the Middle Realms plays a part, but it seems the Sacred Masters themselves are far less vulnerable to the power of True Immortals compared to the True Persons.
Pajik, pajijijik!
Lightning writhes within my brain.
I have long since passed the stage of thinking through electrical signals, yet for some reason, I feel excitement bubbling within me.
I feel an inexplicable urge to torment the beings before me.
I just want to scatter malice upon these beings who seem to be on the brink of death!
[Come forth, Jeon Myeong-hoon. Elixirs are scattered across the heavens.]
Normally, once the True Persons have been reduced to this state, there would be no need to torment them further...But for some reason, I want to crush them even more thoroughly.
And then...
At my words, the Star Shattering Esteemed One who's been on standby,
Jeon Myeong-hoon steps forwards.
Jeon Myeong-hoon has already reached the mid Star Shattering stage before I knew it.
He begins to exert his power.
Kwarururung!
A Three-Headed Six-Armed Lightning God emerges in the cosmic space and opens its three mouths wide.
With it, the True Persons who entered a dormant state to resist the lightning transformation begin to be pulled into Jeon Myeong-hoon's mouths all at once.
In matters of lightning and tribulation, Jeon Myeong-hoon displays dominance comparable to that of Kang Min-hee.
[—————!]
[——!]
[!!!!]
The True Persons are struck with fear and engage in numerous exchanges of communication among themselves before they start fleeing, seemingly in an attempt to escape the surroundings.
Woo-woong!
They madly leap across spacetime, as if trying to escape from the grasp of Jeon Myeong-hoon.
But Jeon Myeong-hoon stretches out his six arms.
Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation.
Indra's Net!
Kwajijijik!
Red lightning forms a vast net, covering all of Heaven and Earth.
The fleeing True Persons, afflicted with the curse of lightning transformation, are ensnared in Indra's Net and bound in place.
They roar in fury, unleashing their attacks on Jeon Myeong-hoon, but all are blocked by the Clear Scale Armor, Karmic Fire, and the absoluteness of the Cedarwood Painting.
Kwajijijik!
The True Persons, twisting their bodies in unison, employ the divine powers they have mastered over hundreds of thousands of years, as well as their respective Immortal Arts and Immortal Treasures, and finally break free from Jeon Myeong-hoon's grasp.
But by this point, Jeon Myeong-hoon has already consumed plenty of the lightning transformed flesh of the True Persons, cursed with lightning transformation.
Kurururung!
[It feels like I could fly.]
Exuding an aura far more menacing than before he absorbed the True Persons, he smiles with a satisfied expression.
[That aside, it seems like something has taken root in your head.]
As he speaks, his hand stretches towards my head.
Pajijijik...
Something like a lightning bolt escapes from my head and is seized in Jeon Myeong-hoon's grasp.
Only then do I feel my mind clear.
'Just now, my mind was strange.'
[Thanks, Jeon Myeong-hoon.]
I shake my head vigorously.
I thought I gained the goodwill of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment...but as expected, the goodwill of a True Immortal is, in itself, a misfortune.
It's fortunate that Jeon Myeong-hoon noticed quickly this time, but if he had been even slightly slower, I might have gone completely mad and suddenly unleashed Heavenly Tribulation upon my comrades, killing them.
'...As expected, borrowing the power of Governing Immortals frequently is dangerous.'
Even though the goodwill of Governing Immortals brings misfortune to us, I had thought that the power we acquire directly from them would be fine.
While my Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra was obtained as a fragment from the Salt Sea Supreme Deity, it's something I 'acquired' rather than something They 'bestowed' upon me.
Similarly, the current Yeon's Play is something I 'acquired' from the Mad Lord, and used to summon the memories of when I had seen Them, so I thought it was fine.
But in reality, it seems that something more is at work.
'Perhaps, from the moment the Owner of Heavenly Punishment's gaze landed on this place, it would have been natural for everything here, including myself, to have been completely annihilated. It might be because of Their goodwill that my curse ended with just this...'
I shake my head and look down at Cedarwood Painting.
Once no larger than a single Human Race Sky Island, Cedarwood Painting has grown considerably larger over the past 400 years.
Though it cannot compare to a Middle Realm, it now appears comparable to the Human Race territory.
'The completion of the Artificial Middle Realm is now about 4,600 years away.'
The Artificial Middle Realm plan is expected to take around 5,000 years.
Once the Artificial Middle Realm is completed, there should no longer be a need to dangerously project the existence of Governing Immortals or True Immortals through history in this manner.
'Until then...may we endure without becoming corrupted by the Governing Immortals...'
I look at the remaining prophecies left by the True Persons.
Although all the True Persons have all fled and entered dormancy, their prophecies remain.
With only the remaining Sacred Masters, it is impossible to create prophecies about me.
No, it may technically be possible, but it would require drawing heavily on the power of the Middle Realms, placing a significant burden on them.
Therefore, it would be impossible to indiscriminately unleash attacks imbued with the same kind of absoluteness as before.
At last, Baek Woon, having drawn on the power of the Bright Cold Realm to temporarily push the curse of lightning transformation into the 'future,' glares at me as if to kill.
[So, you truly intend to settle this with us to the death.]
[When was it ever otherwise?]
At my question, Baek Woon grits her teeth and raises one hand, clenching the void.
Tingle, tingle...
I heighten my tension.
Though the True Persons have disappeared, I feel that the real fight is about to begin now.
[Let the stars of the nations hear!]
Baek Woon's eyes burn.
She draws upon the power of the Bright Cold Realm, weaving the light of all the stars across Heaven and Earth to construct a formation of star veins.
It is a summoning formation.
Kugugugugu!
Something massive begins to be summoned within the cosmic space.
Jjeooooook!
The Interdimensional Void parts its mouth, revealing the colossal something hidden within.
It is a [world]!
Baek Woon is summoning a part of the Chaos Realm region of the Bright Cold Realm into this place.
But that is not the end.
Ja Eum, Ban Ta, and Hae Lin also begin summoning portions of the True Devil Realm, Purple Gold Realm, and Ancient Force Realm with their respective authorities.
The Sacred Masters of the Middle Realms are summoning parts of their own worlds onto the battlefield.
This undoubtedly signifies their decision to fully unleash genuine True Immortal rank authority.
Dududududu!
A portion of the Bright Cold Realm Chaos Region.
A portion of the Purple Gold Realm Chaos Region.
A portion of the True Devil Realm Ominous Place.
A portion of the Ancient Force Realm Deep Sea descends into the place, blocking the surrounding starlight and directly colliding with the protective barrier of Karmic Fire and Clear Scale Armor.
The Karmic Fire burns but does not spread. Instead, it flickers briefly before its reaction dissipates.
What need does a [world] itself have for karma or punishment?
Because it's not an entity, the Karmic Fire that punishes beings is useless against a world.
'This is a bit troublesome...'
The four worlds encircle Cedarwood Painting, completely enveloping it.
In this state, it is impossible to proceed with the Artificial Middle Realm plan.
Because the Decaying Corpse Realms that I summon will only be devoured by the pieces of the Middle Realms.
It's as if the Sacred Masters are to benefit at our expense.
Kugugugugu!
The four portions of the Middle Realms pierce through the Karmic Fire and Clear Scale Armor before latching onto Cedarwood Painting and beginning to erode it.
Although the will of the Sacred Masters cannot enter the area protected by the Karmic Fire and Clear Scale Armor, the portions of the Middle Realms following their will 'pass through' the Karmic Fire like a ship catching a fair wind.
The Karma Fire and the Clear Scale Armor remain in place, yet the portions of the Middle Realm press forward.
At this rate, Cedarwood Painting will be entirely consumed by the four Middle Realms over the course of thousands of years.
But I do not worry.
[The reason you didn't pull this out when the True Persons were present must be because you feared the Middle Realms might be eroded by them. But...did you never consider that the Middle Realms might be eroded by me?]
They ignore my words and continue to erode Cedarwood Painting with the Middle Realms.
[No matter how much of a Sacred Master of True Person-level you are, no matter if you are worthy of being called a Half-Immortal, a Sacred Vessel is still just a Sacred Vessel. You do not possess the unique authority needed to erode the Middle Realms!]
At Ban Ta's cold remark, I nod.
[Indeed...that is true.]
I cannot counter-erode them.
The Decaying Corpse Realm is of a lower tier than the Middle Realms.
Just as water cannot flow back up a waterfall, a world of lower rank cannot erode one of higher rank.
Perhaps if the difference was more 'somewhat' balanced, like that between the Bright Cold Realm and the True Devil Realm, it might be a different story.
But...
[What does it matter?]
That is only the case when one lacks a specialized technique for erosion.
[Come forth, Seo Hweol.]
I send a voice transmission to Seo Hweol without letting Ja Eum detect it.
The ultimate weapon of erosion, bound by the leash named Seo Ran, reveals itself at my command.
[Devour the Middle Realms.]
Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens begins to exert its power for our side.
-x-X-x-
The evil Sacred Master Seo Eun-hyun of Cedarwood Painting, who seeks to bring about the destruction of the universe.
To stop him, the living beings of the Bright Cold Realm have gathered once again in a certain Chaos Realm region to construct a building.
No, to be precise, it's less of a 'building' and more of a kind of 'structure.'
A structure made of massive rocks.
The rocks are piled together to form a circle.
At the same time, some Tall Tree Race cultivators are growing high-quality trees in the area, cutting them down and adding wooden reinforcements, creating something resembling a fence.
The megaliths forming the structure in a standing stone formation are so enormous that each of them measures as much as 3 li in size. Dense arrays of spell inscriptions are carved onto the surface of the rocks.
"Hey! Go grab that thing over there!"
"This way, this way!"
To build this structure, Nascent Soul stage cultivators from various races have been drafted to work together.
It has been roughly 600 years since construction began.
Approximately a thousand years since the war against the Sacred Master of Cedarwood Painting began.
Regardless of whether they were Heaven, Earth, or Heart Tribes, all kinds of races were mobilized for the construction site, using their respective racial abilities to transport the massive stones that would be used for the structure.
"Honestly, I don't see why we're the ones doing this work."
A Nascent Soul cultivator of the Leaf Race, who is using a demon art to bind spiritual energy ropes to the rocks and transporting them from the sky, flicks their tongue out and grumbles.
A Nascent Soul cultivator of the Celestial Dog Race, assisting nearby, sticks their own tongue out and pants, tilting their head at the comment.
"What do you mean 'why'? It's because the Sacred Master gave us the command!"
"That's exactly what I mean. I don't understand why the Sacred Master is making us do something like this. To be honest, if the Sacred Master or the Esteemed Ones used their power, this kind of structure would be completed in an instant. Just why do we have to be the ones doing this hard labor?"
"Hmm... Now that you mention it, that does seem strange..."
"And to be honest, that Sacred Master of Cedarwood Painting or whatever is called, is supposedly trying to destroy the world we live in, but...in my view, we're far from actual destruction. Do you think people like us will even live more than another thousand years? But here we are, doing all this work to stop something that might happen several thousand years from now. Does this really make sense?"
"Hey, you Leaf Race idiot. We have to prevent the destruction of the world, even if it's for the sake of our descendants."
"Well, if that's the case, they could've just called us. Why'd they have to bring along those kids too?"
The Nascent Soul Leaf Race cultivator glances down at the Qi Building and Qi Refining cultivators below, who are working hard to contribute even in a small way to the construction.
"I can somewhat understand them summoning Core Formation juniors. But what help could these younglings in the Qi Refining and Qi Building stage possibly offer, dragging them all here for hard labor? The ones who are supposed to be the future of their races!"
The Leaf Race cultivator grumbles, annoyed by the contradictory nature of Sacred Master Baek Woon's mobilization efforts.
Then, the Celestial Dog Race cultivator, who had been listening to the Leaf Race cultivator's complaints, suddenly smiles faintly.
"Hoho, now that you mention it, something just came to mind. There's a record in the scripts of the Demon Race about something like this. About the wars between Sacred Masters."
"Wars between the Sacred Masters?"
"That's right. The Sacred Masters, who embody the very flow of this vast universe, no longer recklessly clash and fight each other with force like previous realms. Instead, it is said they fight by prophesying fate or manipulating the flow of the world. And...we are merely a part of that 'flow'."
The Celestial Dog cultivator chuckles with a 'hoho' and points down below.
"The cultivators of the Bright Cold Realm flocking to this region of the Chaos Realm. Working together here with a single purpose, building this structure, working then resting, laughing and chatting, and living this way. In doing so, causing their culture itself to flourish here. That very act...is the Sacred Masters' 'attack'."
"Hmm...It's such an abstract concept that I can't quite grasp it."
"Don't worry, as you'll understand soon enough. Hoho..."
"...By the way, why do you keep laughing like that? Hoho? Hm. Somehow, it does seem a bit addictive. Hoho..."
The two cultivators laugh with a hoho and begin speaking to others around them.
Thus, the 'rumor' of Sacred Master Baek Woon's 'cultural attack,' which started from their idle chatter, 'spreads throughout' the construction site in an instant.
Kugugugugu!
At the center of Cedarwood Painting.
Above the Glass Cedarwood Mountain, Seo Eun-hyun half-opens his eyes.
Haaaaaaaa—
As he inhales, the spiritual energy of Cedarwood Painting dries up.
Huuuuuuu—
As he exhales, the spiritual energy of Cedarwood Painting fills up again.
At the same time, on the reverse side of Cedarwood Painting.
Deep beneath the Peaceful Cloud Continent, on the opposite side of the world, a cluster of light begins to bloom.
It is the condensation of a nebula.
A nebula bearing the name [Seo Eun-hyun] compresses itself, filling its core with light and heat.
From the eight directions of the condensing nebula, certain symbols emerge.
Food (食), Wealth (貨), Sacrifice (祀), Minister of Works (司空), Minister of Education (司徒), Minister of Justice (司寇), Diplomacy (賓), Army (師).
The eight characters, engraved as glowing light, burn fiercely.
At the same time, the cluster of light splits in two directions, breaking into 16 fragments.
The eight concepts that existed in the life of [Seo Eun-hyun].
The concepts that defined [Seo Eun-hyun] as a [human] start to break apart, allowing the existence of Seo Eun-hyun to expand from being a [subject] to a [whole].
Among the 16 divided symbols, those that fall below become Qi (氣).
The eight symbols below turn into pure masses of Qi, shining brightly.
Each one holds energy condensed to the same level as the Heavenly Lotus Fruit Seo Eun-hyun once consumed—so dense that, if an ordinary person were to consume one, they would immediately advance to the Four-Axis stage!
Seo Eun-hyun manipulates the eight masses of Qi he has created, perceiving that he can control the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy as well as the living creatures within Cedarwood Painting in eight distinct forms.
Among the genetic information of life forms, in his hand lies Food (食), Wealth (貨), Sacrifice (祀), Minister of Works (司空), Minister of Education (司徒), Minister of Justice (司寇), Diplomacy (賓), Army (師).
He perceives he holds the authority to alter the history and information of these eight aspects.
The symbols that rise above become Fate (命).
The eight masses, ambiguous in form yet exuding attraction force, lie within Seo Eun-hyun's grasp.
Among the fates of the living beings within Cedarwood Painting, Food (食), Wealth (貨), Sacrifice (祀), Minister of Works (司空), Minister of Education (司徒), Minister of Justice (司寇), Diplomacy (賓), Army (師).
He perceives he can influence the fate related to these 8 aspects.
Now, he can control how much sustenance a living being is born to consume and what nutrients they are designed to absorb.
At the same time, he can decide 'what' a life form will eat in the future, 'in what manner', 'with whom', 'for what reason', and 'under what circumstances'.
He has comprehended the authority of Food (食).
He can determine what kind of greed living beings will be born with, what shiny objects they will covet, and what things they will trade and exchange to feel joy.
At the same time, he can decide how living beings will trade goods, the methods by which they will engage in commerce, and how their economies will develop.
He has understood the authority of Wealth (貨).
He can also decide the degree of talent that living beings possess.
He can now control how large a vessel a being will have to accept Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, and what kind of spiritual root they will be born with.
Additionally, he can influence the success or failure of a Heaven Tribe's ritual.
He has realized the authority of Sacrifice (祀).
He can control the land and earth where living beings grow, determine what kind of spiritual energy will infuse their territory, and what strength and crops will emerge there.
Furthermore, he can decide how the land will change in the future and whether the crops that grow in that territory and the cultivators who dwell there will remain or leave.
He has grasped the authority of Minister of Works (司空) in his hands.
Next, he understands the authority to influence the comprehension of living beings. He can now influence the intelligence of all living beings as they are born.
At the same time, he can interfere with the entire process by which living beings hear, see, and comprehend the world around them.
Those who earn his goodwill will see their talents grow, while those who earn his malice will see their talents diminish endlessly.
He has gained the authority of Minister of Education (司徒).
Furthermore, he has gained the ability to draw upon the absoluteness of the world itself.
For the safety of the living beings in Cedarwood Painting, he can move them to places of his choosing, foresee the tribulations and calamities that await them, and manipulate the world's absoluteness to increase the thickness of the dimensional barrier for their protection.
As a Sacred Vessel Sacred Master, his authority for defensive battles have improved significantly.
The authority of Minister of Justice (司寇) bows its head before him.
He has also gained command over language, communication, and culture.
Through the culture, language, and communication of living beings, he can transform the world. Conversely, by transforming the world, he can alter the power of culture, language, and communication of living beings.
In addition, he can control how the culture, language, and communication methods of living beings will change in the future.
This is the authority of Diplomacy (賓).
Finally, Seo Eun-hyun can now determine how the living beings of Cedarwood Painting will undergo conflict.
He can control how they would fight and shape the intensity and flow of their battle. Moreover, he can even transform species through 'conflict', molding them within his grasp.
He can roughly define how the species will fight and change in the future.
This is the authority of Army (師).
Kiiiiiiing!
The sixteen symbols of Qi and Fate are sucked into the center of the nebula, into the light's core.
Tststststststs!
Flash!
The world trembles at that moment, and from the center of the nebula, a fixed star (恒星) is born.
The owner of that star, the being that resides within Cedarwood Painting.
Seo Eun-hyun clenches his fist in the center of the star and looks upward.
Within the secret space of Cedarwood Painting, hidden on the reverse side of the Peaceful Cloud Continent.
There, he gazes upon the massive mandala engraved on the reverse side of Cedarwood Painting.
'It's accelerating.'
The reason Seo Eun-hyun declared war against all the True Persons and Sacred Masters was not merely because he is a madman.
The mandala of Cedarwood Painting.
It was also because he discovered the power possessed by the will of Cedarwood Painting.
'The more intense my battles with the Sacred Masters become...the faster my cultivation progresses.'
Now, having reached the mid Sacred Vessel stage, he looks down at the fixed star beneath his feet and communes with the will of Cedarwood Painting.
The will of Cedarwood Painting desires something very simple from Seo Eun-hyun.
Conflict (鬪爭)!
The more he struggles.
The more he clashes with others!
The 'faster' his cultivation progresses.
The more Seo Eun-hyun observes the authority of Cedarwood Painting, the more he thinks it resembles Kim Young-hoon.
Of course, unlike Kim Young-hoon, the 'speed' granted by Cedarwood Painting isn't limited solely to Martial Arts.
'Young-hoon Hyung-nim also grew faster the more he faced powerful opponents and gained quality experiences...'
Cedarwood Painting seems to endow its Sacred Master with a talent similar to Kim Young-hoon.
'At this rate, I can definitely reach the Grand Perfection of Sacred Vessel stage within 7,000 years and challenge the Entering Nirvana stage advancement.'
Seo Eun-hyun momentarily savors the omnipotence coursing through his hands.
Now, he can mold every aspect of Cedarwood Painting's living beings like clay.
It is even possible for him to play with a single life as though moving a pawn on a chessboard.
No, it is not just the life of a single person. The fate of all groups and organizations in this world will now change entirely according to Seo Eun-hyun's will.
This is precisely the power of Sacred Masters, whose authorities within their respective domains rival that of True Immortals!
'The erosion of the Middle Realms will be completely dealt with by Seo Hweol, who will instead absorb the Middle Realms into Cedarwood Painting...so there's no issue.'
If the attacks of the Sacred Masters are absorbed this time with Seo Hweol's help, Seo Eun-hyun's Cedarwood Painting will grow even larger than before, significantly accelerating the progress of his Artificial Middle Realm Plan.
However, Seo Eun-hyun's focus shifts away from such matters to something else entirely.
Wo-woong!
Above Seo Eun-hyun's hand, the heat of the fixed star shimmers as it blossoms into the form of a flower.
It is Flower Soul Filling the Heavens.
Sururuk—
Seo Eun-hyun's Flower Soul Filling the Heavens slips into the darkness, flowing backward through history.
[Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections. Flower Soul Filling the Heavens. Star Envoy's Authority (星使之權).]
[TL: Star Envoy and Sacred Master are written and pronounced the same way in Korean.]
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, which records Seo Eun-hyun's history.
The Flower Soul Filling the Heavens that became completed through Ryeo Hwa's inheritance.
The authority of a Sacred Master to read history within Cedarwood Painting.
[...And the authority of Oh Hye-seo...and my Sub-Heart Sword!]
Seo Eun-hyun draws out Oh Hye-seo's authority from within his heart essence and forges the Sub-Heart Sword in the void, opening his eyes wide.
[With this, I can track it.]
Through Seo Eun-hyun's near-omniscient senses inside Cedarwood Painting, the locations of Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens are pinpointed one by one.
Even Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens remains unaware of this reverse world of Cedarwood Painting.
Shiiiiiiii—
All the authorities Seo Eun-hyun spoke of flow into his Sub-Heart Sword.
Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, Flower Soul Filling the Heavens, the Star Envoy's Authority.
And the Sub-Heart Sword, imbued with Oh Hye-seo's authority, follows Seo Eun-hyun's will and slips deep into the soul of Seo Ran, who coincidentally had just been 'thinking' of Seo Eun-hyun.
Paaaaaatt!
Seo Eun-hyun discovers a curse and an Immortal Art deep within Seo Ran's soul.
One is the curse cast by the Yama True Lord, the Chief Judge of the Netherworld, upon Seo Hweol.
The other is the Immortal Art left by Gwak Am in the world of Penglai Island, designed to 'fix one's will.'
Seo Eun-hyun's will reaches the depths of Seo Ran's soul, effortlessly bypassing the Immortal Art left by Gwak Am and arriving at the curse laid by the Yama True Lord.
Pitch-black darkness welcomes him.
[Now I can reach you, Seo Hweol.]
Seo Eun-hyun begins retracing Seo Ran's history.
The authority of Oh Hye-seo, the Star Envoy's Authority, the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, and Flower Soul Filling the Heavens seep into the deepest depths of Seo Ran's soul.
[You will show me your true story.]
Step—
Seo Eun-hyun takes a single step towards the curse of the Yama True Lord, located deep in Seo Ran's heart essence.
Beyond this curse lies the very depths of Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
It is the place where he must have hidden everything.
'To bypass the 'canopy' created by the Yama True Lord's curse and reach Seo Hweol's depths...it will take approximately 6,000 years.'
In 6,000 years, all of Seo Hweol's stories will be revealed to Seo Eun-hyun.
And so, 4,000 years pass.
-x-X-x-
"Hohohoho..."
In a Chaos Realm region of a Middle Realm, which now envelops Cedarwood Painting.
The Seo Hweols, who have infiltrated the Chaos Realm region and assimilated into the relocated living beings so subtly that even the Sacred Masters of each realm would find it hard to notice, simultaneously burst into laughter.
"Hoho..."
One of the Seo Hweols among them, in order to offer parts of the Middle Realms to Seo Eun-hyun, raises his hand and activates Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
-x-X-x-
The world is being eroded by Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
It is such a secretive erosion that even the Sacred Masters, who are the owners of the world, are unaware of the erosion occurring within their own realms.
The full-scale erosion by Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, carried out over four thousand years!
With that erosion, everything begins to laugh.
Even the living beings with ordinary mortal fates.
Even the cultivators walking the path of Immortal Cultivation.
Even the supervisors managing the scene, and the monsters living in the Chaos Realm regions.
All of them let out 'hoho' while staring at one place.
It is the place where the stone structure they have built over 4,000 years is located.
Towards that place, everyone laughs with a hoho.
Paaaatt!
At the center of the circular structure.
Something is being projected there.
Wo-woong—
It is the image of Cedarwood Painting.
The image of Cedarwood Painting has been reduced to a small size and is being reflected beneath the sky of the Bright Cold Realm.
As this image is gradually absorbed as a part of the Bright Cold Realm, it fades due to the cultures and consciousness, lives and histories, as well as the fates of the living beings.
However, the moment Seo Hweol starts to laugh.
Wo-woong!
The fading image of Cedarwood Painting becomes distinct and starts to grow in size.
It is not just in the Bright Cold Realm.
The same is happening in the Ancient Force Realm, Purple Gold Realm, and True Devil Realm, where Cedarwood Painting is currently being eroded.
In those places as well, living beings have gathered in a Chaos Realm region, the Deep Sea, and other such places to construct structures, projecting the image of Cedarwood Painting at the center to integrate it into the Bright Cold Realm.
But at this very moment!
Dududududu!
The image of Cedarwood Painting seems to grow larger according to Seo Hweol's will before Cedarwood Painting itself truly rises into the sky above the Chaos Realm regions.
Wiiiiing—
Bright Cold Realm, True Devil Realm, Ancient Force Realm, and Purple Gold Realm.
The outskirts of these four worlds.
The Chaos Realm regions are being covered by the authority of Cedarwood Painting, and under Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, they begin to separate from each of their Middle Realms.
Originally, during the Bright Cold Realm's invasion of the True Devil Realm, the Vast Cold Jade eroded the True Devil Realm's devilish energy into the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy of the Bright Cold Realm, transforming the True Devil Realm into part of the Bright Cold Realm.
Similarly, the energy of Cedarwood Painting is now eroding the lands of the Bright Cold Realm and the other Middle Realms.
Chiiiii—
It is a glass-colored flame.
The glass-colored flame surges like a wave, engulfing the living beings captured for forced labor, and soon they are inhaling the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy of Cedarwood Painting along with its Glass True Fire.
By the time the Sacred Masters of the Middle Realms realize what is happening, it is already too late.
Kugugugugu!
Cedarwood Painting vibrates and begins to tear apart the Chaos Realm regions of each Middle Realm, as if a predator is ripping into chunks of flesh.
Chwararararak!
From Cedarwood Painting, thousands of Candle Dragons emerge.
Shrouded in Glass True Fire, they embed spiritual jade known as Cedarwood Advancing Jade (杉木進玉) into various places.
Just like with the Vast Cold Jade, the Cedarwood Advancing Jades begin to completely alter and erode the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy and spirit veins of the Bright Cold Realm from their very roots.
And then, in an instant,
Kududududu!
Earthquakes sweep across the Chaos Realm regions of each Middle Realm.
Baek Woon, enraged, forges a spear from clouds and hurls it at Cedarwood Painting.
Hae Lin crushes the armrest of the dragon throne, stirring the Deep Sea.
Ban Ta, glowing furiously, unleashes a beam of light from his mouth.
Ja Eum, expression serious, seems to be deep in thought about something.
However, none of them can stop Cedarwood Painting's erosion of the Middle Realms.
Without even rats or birds knowing, an Immortal Art that erodes everything by the time one notices.
That is precisely Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
Chichichichichi—
Parts of the Middle Realms are torn away by Cedarwood Painting, and amidst the Sacred Masters' wrath, Cedarwood Painting Sacred Master Seo Eun-hyun smiles.
[At last, it is complete.]
Kugugugugu!
Portions of the Middle Realms.
And 2,800 [worlds] of Decaying Corpse Realms.
After nearly 5,000 years, a portion of Seo Eun-hyun's plan has finally come to fruition.
The Artificial Middle Realm Plan.
Devised based on the Liberation Law Talent of Kim Yeon, a human-made Middle Realm!
Though it remains far inferior in absoluteness compared to a true Middle Realm, and much more fragile and crude, its weight class has now reached a point where it can no longer be dismissed.
Woo-woooong!
At the center of Cedarwood Painting, now using the vastly increased weight class of Cedarwood Painting, Seo Eun-hyun leaps to the next stage of the plan.
Flash!
Seo Eun-hyun's fixed star, having reached the end of its lifespan, begins to dim with light gradually fading. However, its volume starts to expand.
From the center of the fixed star, Seo Eun-hyun half-opens his eyes.
[Correctness.]
At his single utterance, the 'light' of the entire Cedarwood Painting transforms.
The light, which had previously shone down uniformly, now intensifies with even greater brilliance.
Seo Eun-hyun recalls the years that have passed.
The four thousand years after reaching the mid Sacred Vessel stage, when he obtained the authority of the Eight Paths and used it to desperately resist the erosion of the four Middle Realms.
Now, those years are behind him.
And with those years, through refining his abilities, he has also fully grasped the formula of the mid Sacred Vessel stage, the formula of Correctness and Straightforwardness (正直).
If the formulae of the early Sacred Vessel Stage—Year (歲), Month (月), Day (日), Hour (辰), Calendar (歷)—are about evenly distributing the world's light,
Then the mid-stage formula of Correctness and Straightforwardness is about letting the light shine down upon the world correctly and straightforwardly.
'The authority of a Sacred Vessel Sacred Master is derived entirely from light.'
The authority of the Eight Paths they wield.
In other words, the ability to freely manipulate the eight concepts of the world they inhabit originates entirely from the 'power of light.'
Thus, to grow as a Sacred Master means to grow one's ability to wield light.
'I'm almost there.'
Light is an indispensable existence for life.
To living beings, light is everything.
It is both a blessing and grace, a guide that helps countless living beings continue surviving in this world.
That is why Sacred Masters gain the authority to control the lives of living beings in exchange for providing them with light.
Seo Eun-hyun perceives that because he has been 'correctly and straightforwardly' supplying light, he can now 'correctly and straightforwardly' seize control over the fate of Cedarwood Painting.
'Now it's time for the late Sacred Vessel stage, Strong Rule (剛克).'
The formula for Strong Rule is to supply 'light strongly.'
By strongly supplying the living beings of Cedarwood Painting with light, grace, and blessings, he can in return obtain an even stronger authority to forcefully control their lives.
This is the cultivation of the late Sacred Vessel stage.
To control someone's fate and history, one must first bestow grace upon them.
'Because it becomes possible to strongly control one's world even more forcefully from the late Sacred Vessel stage, the precision of one's control over the world increases considerably.'
While even more actively bestowing Cedarwood Painting with light, blessings, and good fortune, Seo Eun-hyun opens his eyes.
Cedarwood Painting, which has been turned into a vast Middle Realm by Seo Hweol, feels like it's firmly within the palm of his hand.
'Only one step to the Grand Perfection Sacred Vessel stage... But I can do it even now.'
Seo Eun-hyun's eyes gleam.
Generally, it is standard to reach a realm's 'Grand Perfection' before progressing to the next realm.
However, a standard is just a standard.
'It is possible to advance to the next realm directly from the late stage.'
At the late Qi Building stage, it is possible to challenge the Golden Core stage directly because one has already created 21 stars, completing three-quarters of the Heavenly Sphere Diagram necessary to lay the foundation for the Golden Core.
At the late Core Formation stage, it is possible to directly challenge the Nascent Soul stage because one has already completely taken control of their body's spiritual energy and thoroughly made their entire selves into an altar.
At the late Nascent Soul stage, it is also possible to challenge the Heavenly Being stage because the Five Elements have already been added to the Yin-Yang Spirit.
For the Heavenly Being stage, even without the formulas of Acceptance at Fate's End or the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle, it is possible to progress to the next realm because the cycle of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter has already been completed.
Similarly, for the late Four-Axis stage, the completion of the Four-Axis Canopy allows for advancement to the Integration stage without issue.
In truth, for every realm, even without achieving Grand Perfection, it is possible to progress to the next realm during the late stage—though the success rate will be significantly lower!
'If combined with the power of Cedarwood Painting...it's possible to immediately challenge the Entering Nirvana stage. Furthermore...'
Seo Eun-hyun smiles faintly.
He has broken through an insane level of difficulty to reach the Sacred Vessel stage through Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation.
Thus, even if he reaches the Entering Nirvana stage as a Heaven Tribe or Earth Tribe, the 'remaining path' would still be in the Sacred Vessel stage.
This means that, even after reaching the Entering Nirvana stage, he would still be able to cultivate as a Sacred Master, making him a one-of-a-kind existence within the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain!
'If I reach the Entering Nirvana bined with the authority of Cedarwood Painting, I'll be able to touch the Plane of Fate.'
Just as the other True Persons had done by combining their powers, Seo Eun-hyun would also be able to perform 'prophecies.'
'If I can just achieve that...my plan will undoubtedly succeed.'
'It's not impossible. But...'
Seo Eun-hyun looks at Seo Hweol, who had just helped him complete the artificial Middle Realm using Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
Seo Hweol seems unaware of Seo Eun-hyun's gaze.
No, perhaps he notices but is pretending not to.
'I just can't figure out what that guy is thinking.'
Although Seo Eun-hyun is capable of reading the thoughts of the living beings within this plane, Seo Hweol's true thoughts remain beyond him.
This is because Seo Hweol's thoughts reside only within his most hidden place.
It does not leave the deepest recesses of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
Aside from that, the only thoughts Seo Eun-hyun can read in Seo Hweol's mind are those filled with trivialities like flame-grilled sea cucumbers or grilled eel rice bowls prepared by Oh Hye-seo.
[...This glutton who thinks of nothing but food. Could it really be that nothing else occupies his head?]
Seo Eun-hyun jokingly grumbles about Seo Hweol.
Of course, Seo Hweol wouldn't hear him, but Seo Eun-hyun does so just in case.
'The bastard can't be trusted.'
The advancement to the Entering Nirvana stage inevitably creates a moment of vulnerability.
Will Seo Hweol truly do nothing during Seo Eun-hyun's advancement, or will he attempt something?
Not being able to know that uncertainty is the biggest issue.
After pondering for a moment, Seo Eun-hyun finally makes a decision.
'...Fine. For now, let's challenge the Entering Nirvana advancement ritual.'
However...
He decides to keep this a secret from Seo Hweol and his other comrades.
He must complete the advancement to the Entering Nirvana stage in complete secrecy, without anyone knowing.
'The path to advance... The Earth Tribe path seems best.'
Advancing through the Heaven Tribe path is cumbersome, requiring numerous procedures.
In contrast, the Earth Tribe advancement ritual, which focuses on explosions—and only explosions, is much simpler.
'With my current state...the time required for advancing to the Entering Nirvana stage should be roughly 1,800 to 2,000 years.'
Seo Eun-hyun calculates the timeline and narrows his eyes.
'It will likely coincide with the time I reach the deepest depths of Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.'
Whether Seo Eun-hyun can successfully advance to the Entering Nirvana stage in secret without anyone knowing, reach the deepest recesses of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, seize Seo Hweol's everything, and bring his plans to fruition—
Or whether Seo Hweol will discover him midway and execute the move he is undoubtedly preparing right now.
That will decide the outcome of this duel.
'I know what you're preparing right now, Seo Hweol.'
Seo Eun-hyun's eyes glint.
At some point, Seo Hweol began pretending to cooperate with Seo Eun-hyun while secretly searching for the whereabouts of Oh Hye-seo's split soul, 'Seo Hye,' which escaped from Seo Eun-hyun's grasp.
Seo Hye's location is already on the verge of being captured by Seo Hweol's information network.
It seems he intends to use Seo Hye to connect to Seo Ran in some way, but Seo Eun-hyun smiles faintly.
'It's already too late, Seo Hweol. Seo Hye is already...nearly completing Seo Ran's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.'
Whatever Seo Hweol is scheming, he will not be able to obtain what he desires.
Believing this, Seo Eun-hyun splits himself into two.
The flow of the entity known as Seo Eun-hyun divides into three.
Heaven Tribe, Earth Tribe, and the Martial Artist Seo Eun-hyun.
Among them, the Martial Artist Seo Eun-hyun uses Hidden Heavens Beyond the Path on the Earth Tribe Seo Eun-hyun.
The existence of the Earth Tribe Seo Eun-hyun reaches the domain of purity, almost vanishing entirely from the world.
Thus, hidden from everyone's sight, the Earth Tribe Seo Eun-hyun begins his advancement to the Entering Nirvana stage.