Thud, thud, thud, thud!
I step along the flow of the universe, gradually approaching Blood Yin.
Dududududu!
Gradually, the [power] of Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Wheel overflows, and my body expands into that of a white Giant God.
Now, it feels like I could cradle a fixed star in one arm.
At the same time, Blood Yin also begins to expand his form.
Kurung, kurururung!
The dark-red mist emanating from his entire body spreads and devours the cosmic space.
Simultaneously, I can see something immensely colossal.
It is...
A [Head]!
A [Head] formed from dark-red mist reveals itself in the universe, with its eyes burning fiercely.
That head, much like the Head Realm...
No, it seems even more eroded by time than the Head Realm. There's not a single piece of flesh or muscle left—only the form of a skull remains.
Within that head, I can sense the movements of thousands, hundreds of millions, trillions, quadrillions of living beings.
True Immortal Blood Yin.
The Blood Yin Realm itself begins to exert its true power.
'Enormous...'
Even for me—now capable of wrapping a star with one arm—Blood Yin's main body is enormous.
With his mouth, large enough to swallow my entire body in one bite, he speaks.
: : In the name of Blood Yin, I prophesize... : :
Kugugugugu!
At the same time, a star is born inside [Blood Yin's mouth].
[...!]
: : You shall enter this Immortal's mouth and be crushed to death. : :
[...Hah.]
Though an enemy, I can't help but feel awe at such a prophecy of fate.
To overcome the prophecy, I must destroy the prophetic star.
But to destroy the prophecy, I must crawl into Blood Yin's mouth.
And Blood Yin's prophecy declares that [I will enter his mouth and be chewed to death].
'This is a True Immortal who was once said to have coveted the seat of a Supreme Deity...!'
It is a masterful use of prophecy, akin to a seasoned veteran who has seen countless battles.
Along with it, countless whispers begin to echo from within Blood Yin's body.
—Prophecy...prophecy...
—Prophecy...prophesize...
—Today, the unbreakable ill-fate between you and this Immortal will be resolved.
—You shall wait for an opportunity by this Immortal's side.
—You shall become a fearless warrior who knows no retreat... If you flee from this Immortal today, you will become nothing but a cowardly, pathetic weakling who knows only defeat, living the rest of your life trapped in a cave until you finally take your own life. ȓâNǒᛒËŚ
Tingle, Tinge...!
'This is...'
A prophecy.
However, a prophecy that is not limited to this moment of battle but encompasses even a distant future fills Blood Yin's mouth.
At the same time, I can feel [two] futures being revealed before me.
Will I fight Blood Yin today and become a fearless warrior, or will I retreat and live the rest of my life as a bug who knows nothing but failure, drowning in defeat until I take my own life?
Two choices are forced upon me.
With this, escape from this confrontation with Blood Yin is no longer an option.
: : Prophecy, after all, is the act of fixing the future by my will. It is undoubtedly an act of defying the heavens. Therefore...prophecy demands a price to be paid. : :
His will swiftly whispers wisdom into me.
: : However, prophecies that offer choices like this require almost no price. The choice given to the opponent becomes the very price they must bear... : :
Ziiiiing!
It is forced.
Fate selects a choice 'by my hand,' and the [future where I face Blood Yin fearlessly] becomes locked in place, entirely erasing the option to retreat.
: : Then let us begin in earnest. : :
I stretch my hand towards Blood Yin.
Kugugu!
Impermanence Sword.
Heavenly Shatter Impermanence!
White power surges and flares from my entire body, and my form swells dramatically for an instant.
I become destruction itself.
Revealing the fierce power of destruction, I swing my fist down in a state larger than even Blood Yin's main body.
: : The stars of the Five Elements shall obey this Immortal's command. : :
Flash!
At the same moment, five stars are created above Blood Yin's head, imbued with the light of the Five Elements.
Greenish-blue, reddish-yellow, yellow, silvery-white, blackish-blue.
The five beams of light seem to envelop Blood Yin's head, and then each star projects five scenes, scattering in five directions.
However, strangely enough, the stars of the Five Elements created this time by Blood Yin do not contain scenes related to 'my' or his victory or defeat.
What is contained in those stars is...
'Submission (屈從)?'
The properties of the Five Elements are commanded to submit to Blood Yin's will.
Simultaneously, the star veins emanating from each star connect.
It seems as though the energy of the Five Elements is dyeing the surroundings in an instant, the Five Elements in the vicinity are gripped firmly in Blood Yin's grasp.
Kwaaaang!
The single strike of my Impermanence Sword is deflected by the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy canopy formed from the Five Elements by Blood Yin's Immortal Art.
'It can't be cut...?'
: : Do you believe you can sever the principles of the universe with merely the heart? Such arrogance... The stars of the Five Affairs (五事) shall follow this Immortal's principle. : :
The Five Elements in the surroundings under Blood Yin's control move, creating a 'single' star once again.
Within that one star, five scenes are contained.
Simultaneously, the 'Five Affairs Star' resonates with the 'Five Elements Stars', and Yin-Yang begins to ripple across the stars of Five Elements.
: : The Five Affairs are seeing, hearing, and thinking—ultimately, perceiving the Taiji. Recognizing the cycle of Twilight (Light and Shadow) is the path to attaining the Five Affairs. : :
Though somewhat esoteric, the meaning feels strangely clear to me.
'Perceiving Taiji is the Five Affairs. And...through the Five Affairs, perceive the Taiji of the Five Elements...to establish the ten pillars...'
: : The Ten Heavenly Stems have been completed... : :
Taiji ripples around the Five Elements Stars, and then the Five Affairs Star explodes.
At the same time, the Five Affairs Star transforms into a fixed star, forming a stellar system at the center of the Five Elements Stars. The stars of Five Elements illuminated by the fixed star, now possess 'day and night,' beginning the cycle of yin and yang.
Seeing this, I realize,
'This is dangerous...!'
But at the same time, it is awe-inspiring.
The grand principles of the universe are being drawn by Blood Yin's hand.
At this moment, it almost seems insignificant whether Blood Yin is a Devil Immortal or not.
I just want to stupidly stare at that stellar system.
: : The Eight Paths shall bow and prostrate before this Immortal's principle. : :
Eight principles are engraved around the stellar system.
At the same time, I suddenly realize something.
The Eight Paths I possess.
In other words, the authority of the Sacred Vessel is being 'extracted' into that stellar system.
'...!'
Only then do I regain my senses and swing the Impermanence Sword at Blood Yin once more.
Impermanence Sword.
Entering Heaven.
Heavenly Shatter Impermanence.
The powers of Entering Heaven and Heavenly Shatter Impermanence simultaneously hammer down upon Blood Yin.
This time, the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy canopy of the Five Elements that he has unfolded cannot withstand my strike and collapses.
At the same time, the aftermath of my strike slices the stars of the Five Elements and the entire stellar system into thousands of pieces, scattering them into the void.
But...
'What's this? Why...? Even though I've cut down the star of prophecy...'
Even now, the Five Elements are supporting Blood Yin.
: : The prophecy has already been fulfilled, and this current state is its result. What use is there in trying to collapse the star of a prophecy that has already been fulfilled? : :
'...!'
The Five Elements of Heaven and Earth obey Blood Yin's command, and at the same time, my Sacred Vessel authority is being stripped away by the Five Elements.
Along with that, Blood Yin's authority begins to forcibly impose the power of the Eight Paths over the entire Astral Realm, as if declaring the entire Astral Realm is his Sacred Master domain.
Blood Yin begins to utter the next prophecy.
: : The Five Epochs shall submit to this Immortal's principle. : :
Year, Month, Date, Hour, Calendar.
That's right...
The light of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain begins to tremble under Blood Yin's command.
That is not the end.
: : Starting from Royal Perfection, Correct Rule (正克), Strong Rule (剛克), and Mild Rule (柔克) hear me. You shall become dancers who dance under this Immortal's hand, bringing delight to the eyes and ears. : :
He mocks.
Blood Yin mocks the light across the entire region, wielding it according to his will.
Jiiiiiik!
Together with that, I feel my head spinning.
'Th-This is...'
Blood Yin raised the light to the Plane of Fate and is infusing that light into me.
[Guuuaaaaah!]
I scream.
[Something] is being etched into my mind by Blood Yin.
: : Examination of Doubts and Various Omens shall dance by the command of this Immortal and proclaim to the stars of the nations. Perceive the unfolding of this Immortal's authority throughout the entire world and rightfully uphold it.
: : Recognize that this Immortal's authority spreads across all realms and serve accordingly. : :
Kugugugung!
The Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain begins to tremble.
Simultaneously, I can feel the attraction force emanating from Blood Yin grabbing hold of all the stars in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
Shiver!
I stare at Blood Yin with a stunned expression.
'I-Isn't this...no different from declaring the entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain...as his Middle Realm as a Sacred Master...?'
Chwaaaaa—
The entire region becomes tainted with dark-red blood devilish energy.
Everywhere my gaze and senses reach is filled with thick blood devilish energy, and I can feel it all falling under Blood Yin's control.
I feel an overwhelming sense of powerlessness at the insurmountable gap between myself and Blood Yin, and I nearly feel like collapsing on the spot.
: : The Six Extremes shall listen, and the Five Blessings shall also heed. Now that the constellations are complete, this Immortal prophesizes once more. : :
Blood Yin's decree carves itself into reality and begins forming a star once more.
Following the authority of the Examination of Doubts and Various Omens, Blood Yin's blood devilish energy spreads across the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain in the forms of Rain, Clearing, Cloudiness, Want of Connection, Crossing, Inner Diagram, Outer Diagram and Rain, Sunlight, Heat, Cold, Wind, Time.
Following this, the shadows of the Five Blessings and Six Extremes begin to stir across the entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, as if handing over the sovereignty of the domain itself to Blood Yin.
'This...is Blood Yin showing his true power...'
I cannot win.
He has become the world itself.
How can a being born within the world possibly defeat the world?
I...
Cannot do it.
...
[...As expected, now this is familiar...]
I smirk while my mind remains stuck in the pit of despair.
At some point, the misfortune of the Six Extremes marked by Blood Yin has clung to my shadow.
Unbeknownst to me, this misfortune has been gnawing away at my mind.
The Six Extremes are the shadows of the Five Blessings.
And Blood Yin is the leftover of Yu Hao Te, one of the Five Blessings Immortals who once governed the Five Blessings.
Therefore, no one in Mount Sumeru can naturally wield the Five Blessings and Six Extremes better than Blood Yin.
[I will not give up.]
Udududuk!
Gradually, swiftly, I begin to rotate the [Wheel].
[I cannot fully understand your Immortal Arts and your fate.]
Therefore, I cannot rewrite Blood Yin's fate or twist his prophecy with the [Wheel],
The reason I could twist the End of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain was because I understood the uniqueness of the End and succeeded in controlling it to some extent through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra. But as for the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain that Blood Yin now controls, I cannot even fathom seizing control.
But does that mean everything is over?
[Even so, there's still something that can be changed.]
The Wheel is an Immortal Art that rewrites what I understand.
But the current Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain has become something I cannot comprehend because of Blood Yin.
In that case, there is only one thing I can change right now.
[Myself.]
Viiiiing!
I, rewrite.
O heart of mine, that leans towards despair.
Chase after hope.
Wiiiiing!
Power begins to overflow throughout my entire body.
I know myself well.
I know the connections I have made.
I know the world I have lived in to some extent.
And the combination of all of those things and what now stands here is the 'current me'.
Because I know this, because I understand this...
Even if I cannot change everything in this world, I can at least change myself.
Kiiiiing!
The power sourced from Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Wheel begins to amplify explosively.
A perfect amplification, without any waste, bursts forth from my body.
'Let's trust in what I have accumulated.'
Even if this entire world presses down on me, let's resist and move forward.
Because that is the will I have upheld until now.
I become a sword.
Not just a blade created to kill and cut people and animals.
A weapon forged to confront.
I become the will forged to oppose the heavens, fate, and the world pressing down on me.
This...
Is a blade worthy of being called the true Impermanence Sword.
[Ooooooh!]
My body grows larger, to the point where I could hold a fixed star in one hand.
Now larger than Blood Yin, I swing my hand.
Following the principle of Martial Arts, my hand blade strikes and collapses a corner of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
If Blood Yin has conquered the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, I will oppose him with the momentum to shatter the entire world.
If Blood Yin has prophesied the fate of death upon me, I will crush Blood Yin along with that prophecy.
I am the strongest.
Because...
I have something I have accumulated up until now.
Kwaching!
At last, my strike creates a crack in the void.
'As I thought...'
It isn't that the entirety of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain is under his control.
He merely seized control of a portion of the Astral Realm, trapped me there, and is confronting me from within.
Kwaaaang!
However, the domain created by Blood Yin collapses entirely under the force of my strikes, reopening a passage to the outer universe.
[Help me...!]
With a dazzling wheel at my back, I call upon my comrades to decisively end Blood Yin.
With that, the connections gather in one place.
Paaaatt!
The Radiant Divine Demon Kim Young-hoon transforms into a Golden-Winged Peng and soars into this place.
Kwarurung!
The Six Extremes Ghost King Jeon Myeong-hoon, who has just succeeded in advancing to the Sacred Vessel stage, descends wrapped in red lightning across his three heads and six arms.
Kiyaaaaaah!
Appearing leading countless ghosts is Kang Min-hee, who has reached the Grand Perfection Sacred Vessel stage. As soon as she arrives, she begins attempting to seize Blood Yin's domain.
Oh Hyun-seok supports the comrades from the rear, supplying them with power through the force of Primordial Chaos.
A little behind Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon is pulling out the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and artificial stars from Cedarwood Painting.
Dududududu!
As the powers of Oh Hyun-seok and Kim Yeon combine, an overwhelming amplification effect is starting to be seen.
The immense waves of power surging from Kim Yeon are palpable even to me.
[From now on...]
Huarurururuk!
Positioning my Enders comrades beside and behind me, I look down upon Blood Yin.
[I will hunt you, Blood Yin...!]
With that as the declaration, we simultaneously unleash our assault on Blood Yin.
Golden blade light cleaves Blood Yin's entire domain.
Jeon Myeong-hoon's red lightning spreads out like a net, trapping Blood Yin's blood devilish energy.
Kang Min-hee's Ghost Kings clash with the Heavenly Fiends pouring from Blood Yin's domain, protecting the minds of our comrades.
The overwhelming authority formed by the combined powers of Oh Hyun-seok and Kim Yeon is continuously supplying us with strength.
And I, standing at the forefront, draw the Impermanence Sword.
[All this time...]
Countless Immortal Arts and prophecies pour from Blood Yin's mouth.
As I slash through the stars and prophecies, I begin my descent towards Blood Yin.
Grasping complete Void (虛空) in my hand, I reach out towards Blood Yin.
[I have suffered. I have endured far too much oppression and pain...I lost my friends, lost my comrades, and had to watch those I cherished be devoured before my eyes.]
I gradually transform into a meteor.
A long trail of light forms behind me like the tail of a shooting star, and within that trail, the Torch of Myriad Forms and Connections shines brightly, displaying countless scenes from the past.
To others, it's merely a hazy light. But to me, it holds unparalleled meaning.
Countless past connections are now pushing me forward.
[But...not anymore...!]
The constant cycle of suffering has repeated countless times.
But now...I have become the strongest.
No longer will I only be oppressed as before...!
[Therefore...]
I gaze at Blood Yin.
The prophecy declares that I will enter Blood Yin's mouth and be chewed to death.
But I will not be devoured.
With the strength I have accumulated, with the connections I have forged, I will pierce through the prophecy!
[You, too, face me head-on.]
My eyes meet Blood Yin's eyes.
My will urges Blood Yin to open his eyes and reclaim the honorable, virtuous, and noble past he once had.
To face his past misdeeds and vice head-on, to reflect...and to return to his former seat of authority.
Chwararararak!
Heavenly Fiends of the Blood Yin Realm pour forth, obstructing my view.
Kang Min-hee's Ghost Kings charge ahead, clearing away the Heavenly Fiends.
As Blood Yin's prophecy is uttered, a constellation is born deep within his domain.
My path is blocked.
But Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kim Young-hoon break through with lightning and slice through with golden radiance.
At the same time, Oh Hyun-seok's Primordial Chaos connects all of us, allowing us to give and receive energy.
Kim Young-hoon, through Oh Hyun-seok's authority, merges his consciousness with mine and glimpses the enlightenment of Severing Heaven. Jeon Myeong-hoon stabilizes his Sacred Vessel cultivation by borrowing a portion of my immense [power].
Kang Min-hee catches a glimpse of my enlightenment at the Entering Nirvana stage and begins to reach towards it.
And then...Kim Yeon's power reaches me.
Kwarururung!
Kim Yeon's power accelerates the falling meteor that is my descent.
It reinforces my hegemonic force (覇力), drawing forth even more limitless power.
'Can I do this?'
Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, and Kang Min-hee open the path.
Oh Hyun-seok binds us all together, and Kim Yeon delivers her power.
On top of that, the power of Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Wheel floods my body.
'There's no way I can't.'
I will pierce through!
My fate!
'He can't...'
Kim Yeon clenches her lips and sweats in her palms.
Through the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and her Full Blossom, she amplifies Oh Hyun-seok's power and channels it and the other amplified power to Seo Eun-hyun.
Yet, for some reason, she feels an ominous foreboding.
The Liberation Law Talent is warning her.
Just this level of power isn't enough to overturn Blood Yin's design.
It warns her that Seo Eun-hyun will be swallowed whole by Blood Yin.
'No... No...!'
Kim Yeon bites her lips fiercely.
'Why am I...so powerless...!?'
It's just when Kim Yeon is despairing over her weakness.
Through Oh Hyun-seok's authority of Primordial Chaos, Seo Eun-hyun's enlightenment faintly reaches her.
It is...
An enlightenment of faith.
—Believe in yourself.
—Believe in what you have accumulated.
At first glance, it seems like nothing more than a cliché lesson about perseverance.
But...
Kim Yeon feels as though Seo Eun-hyun himself is speaking those words directly to her.
No...
It's not just a 'feeling.'
Beyond the enlightenment, Seo Eun-hyun's warm will is emitted towards her.
For some reason, she sees an illusion of Seo Eun-hyun, running ahead and turning slightly to look back at her with a gentle smile, flashing before her eyes.
Seo Eun-hyun is intentionally transmitting the enlightenment Kim Yeon needs right now.
'...That's right. I will believe in myself.'
Wiiiiiing!
Around Kim Yeon, quince blossoms bloom profusely.
At the same time, the spiritual energy of the Bright Cold Realm rises thickly around her.
Amidst the fully bloomed quince flowers, the scent of peach blossoms gradually mixes in.
'Let's borrow the power of the Bright Cold Realm as well. More, more...! Just a little more...!'
She recalls the path she has walked.
Until now, she has not advanced her cultivation realm from the Heavenly Being stage.
The reason she has not done so is only one.
That is...
The being beyond the peach blossom tree.
The lingering will of Vast Cold told her not to walk that path.
The lingering will of Bright Cold told her this.
Do not walk the path of Immortal Cultivation and instead walk only the path that transforms the world purely through the heart.
For that reason, after obtaining the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle, she intentionally refrained from advancing her cultivation realm.
Instead...
She focused entirely on moving the world with the power of her heart.
Paaaatt!
Kim Yeon's consciousness domain burns brightly.
Now having grown to an unimaginable extent...Kim Yeon's consciousness domain, capable of covering the entire Bright Cold Realm, explodes with a light powerful enough to illuminate an entire galaxy.
For a brief moment, Kim Yeon holds power so immense to the point that she mistakes herself for having become a True Immortal.
'Suc...cess...!'
Within her consciousness domain, filled with the scent of quince flowers, her Full Blossom blooms completely.
The Full Blossom is converting Kim Yeon's consciousness into power.
However, Kim Yeon cannot move from her spot.
'I have to...pass this on...'
She must deliver her power to Seo Eun-hyun.
Otherwise, everything she has done will be utterly meaningless.
However...the sheer magnitude of her power is so overwhelming that she realizes she is pinned down by it, unable to move.
'I have to move...! Even if it's not with my power, even if I have to borrow another's...!'
Wiiiiing!
Through her consciousness, Kim Yeon draws a formation within the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
The Realm Annihilation Ground-Shrinking Formation is drawn by her, and she instantly gains a way to reach Seo Eun-hyun.
'I can use the power drawn from the Bright Cold realm to activate the Ground-Shrinking Formation.'
With the torrents of power from the Bright Cold Realm, she plans to be launched towards Seo Eun-hyun along with the formation.
But there is a problem.
'If I activate it with the Bright Cold Realm's power, the formation will break...!'
That cannot happen.
If the formation collapses while she is in transit, Kim Yeon will become a lost soul in the universe.
'But I can't waste any more time...!'
Seo Eun-hyun will eventually be devoured by Blood Yin while charging forward.
'I need another way...another way... Eun-hyun Oppa...he believes in me...! I need a way, quickly...'
Then, she suddenly feels someone pushing her back.
Chiiiiiii—
It is Hong Fan, with steam rising from his entire body.
As if he ascended again from the Head Realm, he smiles at her with his body in tatters.
"Sometimes, please trust in others. Please go on. I will control the power surging from the Bright Cold Realm."
"...Mm!"
At his words, Kim Yeon nods with tears welling in her eyes and steps onto the Ground-Shrinking Formation.
In the next moment, Kim Yeon flies towards Seo Eun-hyun, carrying the power she has created through Full Blossom.
Kwachijijijik!
Only Hong Fan remains in place, using his own body to receive and control the power originating from the Bright Cold Realm to activate the Realm Annihilation Ground-Shrinking Formation.
Leaping through countless spacetime, Kim Yeon finally reaches Seo Eun-hyun.
Seo Eun-hyun is titanic.
He is a white colossal Giant God.
To such a being, the small Kim Yeon seems unlikely to be of any help.
But...
With her small hands, Kim Yeon pushes against the gigantic Seo Eun-hyun's back.
At the same time, the immense power of Full Blossom generated within her body—
And the power of the entire Bright Cold Realm, transmitted through Hong Fan and Kim Yeon as mediums, adds onto Seo Eun-hyun.
[Huuuaaahhhh!!!]
Hong Fan's entire body bursts apart.
Yet, even despite this, Hong Fan endures, firmly holding on as he controls the power.
And at the moment when Hong Fan's control reaches its peak—
Flash!
The torrent of power surging from the Bright Cold Realm is channeled through Hong Fan into the Realm Annihilation Ground-Shrinking Formation. Kim Yeon's body, receiving that power, explodes radiant light outwards.
The overwhelming magnitude of Vast Cold's rank is so immense that the bird pattern imprinted on Kim Yeon's face briefly detaches from the [power].
Spanning tens of thousands of years.
Kim Yeon shouts towards Seo Eun-hyun, who is charging ahead at the front.
"Stop! Always charging ahead every day, and look back sometimes, Seo Eun-hyun! Because...I'm waiting here."
Kim Yeon's cry pierces through the bird pattern that momentarily detached from her and reaches Seo Eun-hyun.
Once again, she yells out the confession that went unnoticed by Seo Eun-hyun tens of thousands of years ago on Earth, pushing Seo Eun-hyun with her small hand.
"I like you...! Seo Eun-hyun!"
With those words, an immense brilliance of light pink bursts forth from her body.
The scent of peach blossoms fades, leaving only the fragrance of quince blossoms filling the Heaven and Earth.
Seo Eun-hyun turns back to look at that Kim Yeon and smiles.
Kim Yeon meets Seo Eun-hyun's eyes.
Though no words come in reply, Kim Yeon understands.
Seo Eun-hyun has finally accepted her.
Flash!
With the help of his comrades and Kim Yeon's power, Seo Eun-hyun charges into Blood Yin's mouth.
Becoming a spear of light, he smashes the star within Blood Yin's mouth and pierces through Blood Yin's vital point, emerging at the back of the head.
Blood Yin's prophecy shatters. Seo Eun-hyun smiles victoriously, and his companions look at him with faces full of trust.
Kim Yeon, too, smiles brightly as she speaks the words she had held in her heart for tens of thousands of years.
"Life...is...love..."
The tattoo of the Liberation Law Talent, briefly pushed out of Kim Yeon's body by the power of Vast Cold, returns to her, sealing her word spirit once more.
Hong Fan collapses unconscious within the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, rolling off somewhere, but his face is filled with satisfaction.
Perhaps he feels proud to have properly supported his master.
And,
At the edge of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain,
From where the Lightning Sacred Sea lies, a brilliantly resplendent light of sunset bursts forth.
Through the gap held back by Yang Su-jin's ring finger, an immense beam of light explodes as [someone] descends.
They, are the Sun.
One of the rulers of the Great Radiance Hall.
Radiance Eight Immortals.
Third Seat.
Great Sun Heavenly Lord.
They have descended personally to destroy the monster that annihilated the projections of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords, allies of the Radiance Hall and the subordinates of the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
'...Are you satisfied?'
Blood Yin regains his senses and gazes at the faint purple afterimage flickering before his eyes.
And then, Blood Yin smiles.
'If it's to this extent...it's enough.'
The purple figure smiles along with Blood Yin.
'Let us return now. Even if not as a Lord, even if only as a mere defendant.'
At Blood Yin's words, the purple figure, perhaps just to make sure, asks him a question.
'Are there no lingering regrets? Truly?'
'...None.'
Blood Yin closes his eyes.
: : I have aided the workings of the Imperial Venerable...with my own hands. With that...I have no regrets... : :
Within the dark-red aura, Blood Yin smiles brightly.
In an instant, the dark-red light begins to blaze.
It is no longer a dark-red light.
It is dusk (黃昏).
The light of dusk, like the evening twilight, bursts forth centered around Blood Yin and begins to push against the radiance of the Sun (太陽) rising from afar.
: : Listen. As I have just shown, the mantra of the Five Elements is to conclude with the Five Blessings. And what then returns as Five Elements and repeats...is their power. Etch into your mind...the method to resist it...! : :
While passing his final teaching to Seo Eun-hyun, the victor, Blood Yin closes his eyes.
At that moment, an immense explosion of light bursts forth from Blood Yin.
The explosion tears a hole through the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain itself, and through that hole, everyone except Seo Eun-hyun is flung far away into a distant Heavenly Domain.
Seo Eun-hyun, struck directly by Blood Yin's explosive light, is immediately forced into the True Immortal advancement ritual.
Pushing Seo Eun-hyun towards death, Blood Yin peacefully closes his eyes.
'O Imperial Venerable...please...find what thee have been seeking...'
To save Seo Eun-hyun, believed to be the workings of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, from the grasp of the Radiance Eight Immortals—
Blood Yin thus self-destructs.
Under a Melia tree, a certain figure watches him with a smile and closes their eyes.
The former Chief Judge of the Netherworld, Nether Devil True Lord Yu Hao Te (攸好德),
On that day, falls into complete slumber.
-x-X-x-
Heaven and Earth distort.
For a moment, it feels difficult to understand what is what.
But in an instant, I am able to understand what the situation is.
'Blood Yin...self-destructed...?'
I remember that in the final moment, Blood Yin exploded with a dusk-like light, releasing [power] surpassing imagination.
And in those final moments, I remember my comrades being flung somewhere beyond the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain by Blood Yin's self-destruction.
Simultaneously, I realize what situation I am in right now.
'I... Ah...I see.'
Everything has completely shattered.
My entire physical body, my authority, Heaven, Earth, Heart, Wheel, even the power added by Kim Yeon—everything.
I have been reduced to cosmic dust, only a single strand of consciousness remaining, and drifting aimlessly through the expanse of space.
Even in this state, I can feel [death] approaching closer with every passing moment.
Suddenly, futility washes over me.
In this 999th cycle, I have struggled so desperately with all my power to survive.
Yet, in the end, I couldn't avoid Blood Yin's self-destruction and now face such a futile death.
'Still...'
I fought with all my might.
Truly, it was a life where I gave everything, leaving nothing behind.
It's unbearably regretful...but still, I can accept this death.
It's then.
Woo-woong!
'...?'
Suddenly, I notice my consciousness being sucked in [somewhere].
'Th-This is...'
Startled, I look towards the place pulling me in.
There...a Sun (太陽), tinged a reddish yellow with a subtle crimson hue, glows with the light of dawn.
The Sun is beautiful.
Its light alone feels as though it illuminates and warms the entire universe.
However, the moment I see that Sun, I feel chills spreading deep inside my very soul.
Kugugugugugu!
The center of the Sun!
At its core, something is glowing.
It is a being adorned in ancient robes, wearing a mianguan on their head, with a reddish-yellow mask covering their face.
The moment I perceive this being, I realize through the [wisdom] radiating from them who they are.
Radiance Eight Immortals.
Third Seat.
Great Sun Heavenly Lord!
Wh-What is this...!?'
One of the rulers of the Radiance Hall is pulling in my soul.
The being's hands are raised to their chest, almost touching each other, and gathering light between them.
Within that light, a familiar energy is felt.
It's my [physical body]!
That being is reconstructing the body that Blood Yin reduced to cosmic dust, using it as a foundation to summon my soul back.
'Are they trying to revive me (蘇生)!?'
However, the closer I am pulled towards that being through attraction force, the more I realize that's not the case.
'Th-This is...!'
The moment I realize what that being is doing, I cannot help but be horrified.
'This, this madness... Is such a thing even possible!? No matter how high ranking of a True Immortal they are...how can they...how can they...!?'
Dududududu!
The heart begins to rapidly convert into attraction force.
From the Sacred Vessel stage, one can somewhat control the heart's change into attraction force that begins in the Star Shattering stage, and through the Immortal Arts of Eight Paths, make the attraction force-changed heart operate like a true heart. 𐍂Ἀɴꝋ𝔟Ęṡ
From the Entering Nirvana stage, it even becomes possible to return the attraction force-changed heart back to its original state.
However, even though I have reached the Entering Nirvana stage, I cannot avoid the phenomena of my heart being changed into attraction force by the Great Heavenly Lord.
Why does the heart become attraction force starting from the Star Shattering stage?
Why does one formally step into the stages of Immortal Arts from that point?
It's perhaps...
Because the Star Shattering stage marks the beginning of the preparatory phase for the True Immortal advancement ritual.
The True Immortal advancement ritual proceeds as follows:
Just like when I previously stood before Jinlu Gok and released all the death energy of the Death Path Three Great Ultimates, the heart gradually changes into an attraction force, and that attraction force gradually reaches its peak.
At its peak, the heart's attraction force begins to contract, eventually compressing into a single point and annihilating everything about the cultivator.
Once compressed, the True Person's physical body and authority are released from their compression, entering the Interdimensional Void, where they gradually decompose and turn into a Vestige (尸).
Then, the soul of the True Person, having undergone complete annihilation, moves towards the [Domain of Death], uniting 'life and death' within the soul itself before unfolding the Immortal Art cultivated from the Star Shattering stage to the Entering Nirvana stage.
At the core of the Immortal Art, a being that has fully embraced and contained life and death is born.
In the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds, such a being is called a True Immortal (眞仙).
In short:
From the Star Shattering stage, the heart begins changing into attraction force.
In the Sacred Vessel stage, one learns to control this attraction force through Immortal Arts.
In the Entering Nirvana stage, the attraction force reaches its peak.
Finally, the True Immortal advancement involves compressing this peak attraction force, annihilating oneself before shedding (脫殼) from one's life, and uniting life and death to become an entirely new existence.
This is the enlightenment I once realized in front of the Jinlu Gok, and at the same time, the True Immortal advancement ritual I cross-verified with Yeo Hwi.
And now...
The Great Sun Heavenly Lord is forcibly pulling my soul, [scooping up] the power of the [Domain of Death], forcefully merging it with me, and attempting to forcibly advance me.
'Ah, no...!'
I recall the warnings of countless high beings, including Yang Su-jin.
Be wary of the light!
'I can't get caught by the Great Sun Heavenly Lord...!'
I can feel it.
That being is not pulling me in to advance me because they favor me.
I can feel earnest malice.
And I realize that malice is connected to the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords I annihilated.
'The Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords... Did they have some contract with the Radiance Hall? Because I destroyed their projections, is this being trying to do something to me?'
I cannot be certain.
But one thing is clear. I must never allow myself to advance at the hands of the Great Sun Heavenly Lord.
'If I advance through the Great Sun Heavenly Lord, I won't need to die.'
I can feel that being drawing up the power of death and performing the advancement ritual in my stead.
However, I recall Blood Yin's words.
That every prophecy comes with a price.
And I recall the [wisdom] etched into me by him.
—Every prophecy comes with a price.
—And the forces of Light, known to sit at the pinnacle of prophecies, are always infamous for forcing their prices onto others.
If I advance to True Immortality through that being, I foresee a future where I am bound by a leash to the Radiance Hall for eternity, paying the price for advancement.
I would be even less than an Immortal Treasure, treated like livestock.
'I must escape...!'
Woo-woong!
With desperate determination, I struggle to break free from the Great Sun Heavenly Lord's grasp.
But because they are reconstructing my physical body and forming attraction force, I realize escape is not so simple.
In my current state with only my soul remaining, the only thing I can do is...
Woooooooo—
The four dimensions overlapping the Astral Realm.
It is to cross into one of them.
'Th-This damn...'
I stare at the four dimensions in stunned disbelief.
In the Source River, the will of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords is rampaging madly.
Given that they are often referred to as the direct disciples of the Heavenly Venerable of Time, I realize that crossing into the Source River would only result in being captured by them.
I gaze at the Eastern Heaven Flower Field and the Underworld.
Kugugugugugu!
A [Deep and Old Darkness], incomparable to the [likes] of the Great Sun Heavenly Lord or the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords fills that place.
Even the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, which is not even part of the Underworld's domain, seems to have been eroded by the darkness of the [Oldest One], leaving it pitch black.
"Ah, no..."
I can feel it.
Being caught by the Great Sun Heavenly Lord and advancing with the power of the forces of Light.
Or entering the embrace of the [Oldest One] and accepting life and death with my own strength to advance.
I must choose between the two.
'If I choose the domain of life, I would be captured by the Great Sun Heavenly Lord and become a slave of the Radiance Hall. It would be an endless hell of having my shoulder toyed with by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord everyday. But if I choose the domain of death, I'll be caught by the [Oldest One] and be taxidermized for all eternity...'
It is quite literally a choice between life and death!
'If I die now...will I regress...?'
I ponder, but I sense that things won't go that smoothly.
The [Oldest One] can chase through regression.
Moreover, that being has now abandoned Their previously disinterested attitude, even eroding the domain of the Eastern Heaven Flower Field and pushing Their will to the outskirts of the Underworld in an effort to capture me.
'If I regress, I'll be caught!'
For what feels like an eternity within an instant, countless thoughts race through my mind.
But soon, I realize something.
'...Come to think of it, it's always been like this.'
Yes.
I've always been forced to make cruel choices, agonizing over the path laid out before me.
But upon reflection, there have always been other paths.
It was simply that I hadn't been able to risk everything and challenge that other path.
'...Can I do it?'
I turn my gaze away from the Netherworld and the Great Sun Heavenly Lord, looking instead at another dimension.
The Interdimensional Void.
The domain of death closest to the realm of purity.
In a way, this challenge might lead me to eternal annihilation.
Death.
True and complete death.
'Can I throw away my life...?'"
I look back on my past lives.
From the 0th cycle before regression, to the 1st cycle of the first regression.
And all the way to my current life, the 999th cycle.
In every one of those lives, I had truly given it my all.
'If I enter the Radiance Hall, I would live like a slave for life, but I would survive with hope for someday. If I enter the Underworld...I don't know. There's even less information about that place. But one thing is clear. Even there, I would spend a suffocatingly long time. I can endure it, but...'
I don't see much hope of seeing my comrades after passing that long time.
'...As expected.'
No matter which choice I make, I would eventually grow distant from my connections.
However...
If I enter the true domain of death, I will be able to hold onto an even stronger hope.
'Even if I were to die here...'
I will leave my mark in the Interdimensional Void.
A trace of the life I have lived, so that one day those who know me may see it.
And...
The greatest truth in this world.
I will become the stepping stone that allows my comrades to reach the domain of purity, which rivals fate itself.
If we cannot meet in life, then let me reach my connections through death.
I let go of my heart.
From the beginning, I have never been attached to life.
What I have longed for has always been a place where I can rest in peace.
Kiririririk!
Centered around my soul, an intangible haze begins to arise.
This is Aurora (極光; Polar Light).
I can sense the Great Sun Heavenly Lord flinching.
Even to such a powerful being, my choice seems unbelievable.
From the domain of the [Oldest One], a deep and meaningful vibration seems to resonate.
Though I don't know Their thoughts, I can tell my decision has slightly deviated from what They originally expected.
'Let's go, Impermanence Sword.'
Woo-woong!
I transform into the form of Aurora, and with the Immortal Art that cloaks my soul.
Enveloping my entire life, I surge towards the Interdimensional Void.
Passing through the Astral Realm and reaching the Interdimensional Void, only then do I finally realize something I hadn't before.
'My Severing Heaven...is incomplete.'
Just as the True Immortal advancement is done by the overlap of life and death, Severing Heaven must also experience both life and death to become complete.
'...Let's go.'
To the pure domain of death.
I steel my heart to enter a completely new domain of purity, escaping the gaze of both the Light and the Netherworld.
The deepest place where neither life nor death can be found.
The technique designed to enter the domain of purity.
Kunlun!
And so, I arrive in the domain of death for the Immortal Ascension (昇仙) ritual.
I do not know if this will sever regression and allow me to enter eternal rest.
If I fail, my regression will probably end, and I will enter eternal rest. Later, my comrades will arrive in this domain of purity and I will become their stepping stone to escape from the heavens.
If I succeed, I will advance to True Immortality and live again.
Either way, it does not matter.
Kirik, kiriririririk...!
I feel something unpleasant pulling me in.
This is undoubtedly the sensation of regression.
As I feel my mind breaking apart within the domain of purity, I begin to completely perish myself, resisting the authority of regression pulling me.
Will regression win, or will Kunlun prevail?
If regression wins, I will face the first day of my 1,000th cycle.
If I win, I will find complete eternal rest.
Either outcome satisfies me, and so I slip into the domain purity and close my eyes.
That is my 1,000th return and, simultaneously, my Immortal Ascension ritual.
* * *
* * *
*
* * *
'...This place is...?'
I open my eyes.
And what appears before my eyes is a candle emitting a pure white light.
Somehow, that light seems similar to the one I saw on Penglai Island.
Saaaa—
The surroundings are an empty, dark space, with nothing but that candle.
Suddenly, I realize that the clothes I'm wearing are the employee uniforms during the early days of Ascension Path.
My body is that of Seo Eun-hyun from Earth, a body untouched by any training, and I can't feel a trace of spiritual power or energy within me.
It doesn't merely feel like I've been invited to an 'illusory dream world' similar to Penglai Island.
This feels...much more fundamental than that.
This is...yes...
It feels as if my soul has been trapped entirely by my own history, by the possibilities of my past.
As spoon as I realize this, I feel goosebumps spreading across my entire body.
'Th-This is...'
I can't breathe.
Because I've definitely experienced something familiar before.
Flicker...flicker...
The white candle in front of me flickers and seems to create an illusion before my eyes.
It looks like an illusion of a girl living in the mountains, struggling to survive and working at a noble's house. Or perhaps an illusion of a nun who spent her life pursuing the truth. It even feels like an illusion of a ruler with two heads.
However, more terrifying than those illusions is the being [beyond the illusion].
"Heok...heok..."
Under a suffocating pressure that feels like my heart is being squeezed, I unknowingly fall to the ground in prostration.
Unlike when I prostrated under Yeong Seung's pressure before, this comes from deep within my heart.
No, it's a fear rising from the depths of my very essence.
Sarak, sarak...
The being beyond the illusion is [drawing] something.
What I faintly see beyond the candle is...a taenghwa (幀畫).
Sarararak—
When that being finishes drawing the taenghwa, the flickering illusion before my eyes fixes in place.
It is [someone] with Kim Yeon's face.
The being opens their mouth.
"Has your journey thus far...been satisfying?"
I tremble as cold sweat pours down.
It seems that the move of Kunlun has ended in failure.
"No, perhaps it succeeded, which is why you've arrived here."
The illusion of the candle, wearing Kim Yeon's face, smiles faintly and speaks.
'It's reading me...'
Rather than attempting a clumsy scheme, I lower my head in respect towards the presence before me.
"This small one of the Human Path, Seo Eun-hyun, greets the [Oldest One]."
The women who twisted history itself every time they were encountered.
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, who chased through regressions by perusing history.
The [Palace Lord of the Black Ghost Valley], whom Yu Oh spoke of.
They were all one and the same being.
The Deepest and Greatest Darkness.
The Oldest One.
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
The God of Death.
They are...
The Owner of the Netherworld.
-x-X-x-
Ttok—
A sound of a water droplet falling echoes from somewhere.
In a dark, pitch-black space, I stand rendered powerless, beside the candle of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld wearing the guise of Kim Yeon.
Everything about the situation feels suffocating.
Sarak, sarak...
Behind the guise of Kim Yeon, the being that seems to be the main body of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld is doing something.
Ttok—
'A water dropper (硯滴)?'
[TL: Basically a small vessel to hold ink-stone water.]
It seems like water is being poured into a water dropper.
A posture suggesting preparation for redrawing something.
Ttok—
Once again, the sound of water falling into the water dropper echoes.
Then, the figure of Kim Yeon opens their mouth.
"To refer to yourself merely as one of the Human Path...your confidence is too low. Now that you have properly set foot into the Immortal Family, you can afford to hold yourself in a higher regard."
"..."
"Immortal Seo Eun-hyun. Has your journey thus far been satisfactory?"
I swallow hard.
It feels like I can't carelessly let any words slip from my mouth.
What if I foolishly answer, 'It was satisfactory,' only to be eternally taxidermized?
"An amusing thought."
"..."
'Is it impossible to even hide my thoughts...?'
"What are you trying to hide before me? The one who has existed even before Eleven Governings, Heavenly Venerables, two powers of Mount Sumeru, and such systems existed is I. Simply by observing the flow of history, I can read most things. Speak whatever comes to mind. It is fine."
I close my eyes tightly.
"So, has your journey thus far been satisfactory?"
"...Ever since I learned from the Mountain Divine Spirit that recklessly opening one's mouth can lead to grave consequences, I have refrained from speaking careless words. I beg for your understanding, O Imperial Venerable."
Recalling the tales I heard on Penglai Island, rumors and legends from here and there, the titles spoken by Blood Yin, I address Them with the most fitting title.
One of the two thrones of the Buddhist Family Twin Venerables.
Wheel Imperial Venerable (車輪帝尊)!
The Owner of the [Wheel] is surely the being before me.
The [White Wheel] I glimpsed behind the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld in my past life still lingers vividly in my memory.
At my words, They nod and smile.
"You've learned well from the Mountain Divine Spirit. But haven't I told you before? Silence is golden, yet silence out of place...can sometimes summon a blade."
"...I do not fear blades, for I, myself, wield a blade. How can one swing a blade without the resolve to be struck by one."
I clear my throat and gaze at the being beyond Kim Yeon's visage.
Deep and vast darkness.
Yet, the main body of this being undoubtedly lies beyond there.
"And, the Imperial Venerable has instructed me to speak. Even when They have said that They are already reading everything about me. However, I am currently speaking not with the Imperial Venerable's true face, but to the shadow cast by a candle. How can I possibly offer the Imperial Venerable proper words under such circumstances?"
"Hoho..."
Wearing Kim Yeon's face, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld smiles.
"Do you not realize I am protecting you? Those who have not yet reached the rank of Lord (君) suffer tremendous shock from merely gazing directly at me. I am offering consideration for your sake. Yet, you reject even this kindness and instead reach to drink the punitive wine."
Sararak—
At that moment, the figure of Kim Yeon begins to blur, and the presence of the [Darkness] behind becomes slightly clearer.
In that moment, I feel as though my breath stops and my head is about to shatter.
'Heok... Heheok...!'
Kim Yeon's form wavers, and I can now directly see the [Shadow] of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
The outline of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld comes into view.
But just from that, my eyeballs start to decay and melt, and I feel my entire being filling with death.
'Th-This is...'
The difference in rank between the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld and I.
As I feel this incomprehensible gap, I realize that even if I were to bring forth my entire main body and activate Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Wheel completely, the difference in rank between me and the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld would not narrow much further than it feels right now from my mortal state.
However, I grit my teeth.
'Truly remarkable.'
But I have something I have accumulated.
Even if what is stolen is eventually taken back...
What I have accumulated will remain even if I die!
Pasasasasak!
The pure white light of the candle begins to resonate with my will.
"Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment..."
Like tiny grains of salt gathering to form a sea.
"Build mountains...through repentant enlightenment!"
Strengthening my will, I firmly uphold my spirit.
Paaaatt...!
"My life is the mountain built from everything I have accumulated. It will not crumble easily...!"
Pakang!
At that moment, I resist the pressure of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld and realize [something].
Paaaatt!
As soon as I realize it, I feel my cultivation and authority, once bound by the possibilities of the past, returning to me.
Kududuk...
When I exert strength, a [Wheel] emerges behind my head, and I can feel the authority of Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Wheel.
But I realize something far more important than any of that.
'So that's it. Even though I used Kunlun and reached the domain of purity...the reason I arrived in the Underworld...!'
I am not truly in the Underworld right now.
Through the authority of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, only half of my consciousness has been dragged into the Underworld.
The other half remains overlapping in the domain of purity.
The moment I realize this, I see a glimmer of hope—a chance to escape before the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
Just then,
"Hoho...Ohohohoho..."
The Underworld begins to laugh.
Kurururung!
Kurururung!
The entire darkness trembles.
Even though I have regained the authority of Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Wheel, I feel as though my breath is cut off again and my heart is being tightly squeezed.
'Th-This is...'
I thought wrong.
Escape seems utterly impossible.
What was shown to me was merely the tip of the iceberg.
A mere speck of dust from a great mountain.
The Wheel behind my head feels as though it is about to be crushed under the laughter of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
It is then.
Ttok—
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld stops laughing.
And the illusion of Kim Yeon before me becomes clear again.
"Hear me, Judges. From this moment on, I shall have a private audience with this distinguished guest. All Judges are to leave, manage your respective domains, and continue judging the deceased."
At the words spilling from Kim Yeon's mouth, ten shadows flicker from beyond the darkness before disappearing somewhere.
'J-Judges...? Like the Yama True Lord...? I had no idea...'
Darkness completely concealed their presence, making it impossible to detect them.
'Escape? What nonsense...'
I click my tongue at my own misjudgment.
If I had attempted to escape, the Judges would have likely intervened and dragged me back.
While I am sunk in my own self-deprecation, Kim Yeon smiles faintly and offers me a bow.
"Indeed, you are worthy of inheriting Salt Sea's will, O Distinguished One. As I have reaffirmed that the distinguished one is not someone to be treated carelessly, I offer thee this bow. However, while I may bow to thee as one individual to another, I ask for thee understanding that I cannot do so while I am the leader of my group."
"...Please, lower the speech. How can the Imperial Venerable address a mere Immortal with such respect?"
I break into a cold sweat, feeling burdened by the respectful tone of the being wearing Kim Yeon's face.
If this were from the perspective of Tae Yeol-jeon or the girl from Seoak Village, it might be different, but being addressed so formally by the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld feels so burdensome I might choke.
It feels as though a king of a nation is showing respect to an ant.
"Even if one is no different from an ant, if they possess an enlightenment worthy of respect, they must be respected. What use is the status of a king in the face of enlightenment? And besides, you all are not ants, but rather existences no different from imugis..."
"...By 'you all,' is the Imperial Venerable referring to the Enders?"
"Rather than Enders, I prefer the title Seven Brilliances Kings. As the title suggests, you all are kings. If the domains of Immortals are considered territories, then you all are already rulers who have inherited a kingdom."
The eyes of [Darkness] wearing Kim Yeon's face meet mine.
I feel burdened under that gaze.
"...How much do you know about us? How long...have you been watching me?"
"I know enough. As for the distinguished one...I became aware of thee when you faced your second death."
"..."
'When the first cycle ended and transitioned into the second...they've been watching since then?'
Goosebumps rise on my skin.
I realize I have been within this being's grasp from the beginning.
I feel a fleeting sense of kinship and comfort towards a being who knows my past, but the sheer difference in rank between us drowns out such thoughts almost instantly.
"...Do you...know of my ability?"
"The distinguished one meddles with history so frequently, how could I not know? After me, Time has also noticed, and the other Heavenly Venerables should be sensing déjà vu. The Supreme Deities, after about a thousand more deaths, will start feeling déjà vu as well. Except for one, that is."
"Who might that one be?"
"I cannot say. Even if we are in the deepest depths of the Underworld...if I speak of them, they will notice."
"..."
Cannot say.
But even with that, I can deduce some possibilities.
'Is it...the Light Yang Su-jin spoke of? Even here, in the deepest depths of the Underworld, They will notice when mentioned?'
It is truly a fearsome authority.
I'm glad I managed to avoid being caught by the Great Yang Heavenly Lord.
"Well, I'm not entirely sure about that. They are indeed insidious, but..."
"...?"
I flinch at the subtle reaction of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
'It's not Light? The being They're referring to, who noticed my ability...? Is there [another] existence besides Light?'
Yet, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld only spoke evasively, avoiding speaking directly.
'...Let's not press further.'
For now, it's not something I am meant to know.
Quickly grasping the situation, I shift the topic.
"Previously, I encountered the lingering thought of the Golden Divine, who told me this. I heard that you capture and taxidermize us before we reach a certain level, but once we do, you instead support us. Then, does that mean I..."
Gulp—
Swallowing, I face the darkness.
"...have reached a level worthy of your support?"
But at my words, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld smiles faintly.
"Indeed, the distinguished one possesses remarkable enlightenment. As I said, thy rank is already akin to a ruler of a kingdom. However...in the end, the distinguished one is still no different from a newborn."
Chills!
Her two eyes seem to flicker dangerously.
The darkness within them glistens.
"The distinguished one as he is now, holds no value to me other than being captured and taxidermized. Who would offer support to a worthless stone?"
"...But wasn't it...the Imperial Venerable who helped me obtain the Wheel?"
"Hoho..."
She lets out a chilling laugh.
"Even after I gave it to the distinguished one, he only managed to use it to such a limited extent. Why should I offer the distinguished one any more assistance?"
"..."
The more I speak, the deeper I feel myself sinking into a swamp.
With an unreadable smile, she reaches out her hand.
"By the way, only the distinguished one has been asking questions thus far."
"I apologize. However..."
"The distinguished one still hasn't answered my question. No matter how subtly the distinguished one tries to avoid it, it cannot be done. So, answer me—has the distinguished one's journey thus far been satisfactory?"
Tingle, tingle...
I can feel it.
I still cannot grasp the true extent of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld's rank, but Heaven, Earth, Heart, Wheel—
Having reclaimed the power of my main body, I can now understand the [intention] behind that question.
Yes.
From the very beginning...
She has only been thinking of capturing and taxidermizing me,
If I answer, 'It was satisfying', I feel certain that my life will be eternally severed, and I will be imprisoned here in the deepest depths of the Underworld.
But even so, I cannot lie.
Not because I fear the punishment that comes after the lie, but because I cannot deceive myself.
My life...
Because I have truly lived to the best of my ability, it cannot be anything but satisfying.
"...I will ask a few more questions."
I look around at the surroundings and open my mouth.
"What time period am I in? What is the current point in time?"
"The distinguished one has recently experienced his 1000th death. And when the distinguished one was returning, I pulled the distinguished one from the domain of purity, and we are now having this private conversation."
"Then, the current point in time is after Blood Yin and my..."
"After the battle. After that child annihilated himself, scattering the distinguished one and the other Heavenly Kings to your respective Heavenly Domains, it is the point in time after the distinguished one sent his will into the Interdimensional Void to advance to True Immortality."
"...Excuse me?"
For a moment, I cannot comprehend.
"What do you mean by that?"
That would mean...
"Does the distinguished one not understand? It means that it has been [fixed]."
"..."
A splitting sensation pierces my head at those words.
I feel sick, like I'm about to vomit.
Whoosh!
At that moment, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, wearing Kim Yeon's face, sharply glares somewhere.
After staring intently for a while, she relaxes her expression and looks back at me.
"The distinguished one still has much to study. You don't even know what the 'condition' is yet..."
"..."
My head feels dizzy.
'So the return point has been fixed again...'
And on top of that, the 'condition'...
Somehow, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld seems to know the conditions for the fixation of the regression point.
"Could the Imperial Venerable...perhaps tell me about the conditions for fixing the regression point?"
"If you answer my question first, I will answer yours as well."
"...Then I will ask a different question. Why is the Imperial Venerable trying to capture and imprison us?"
"Hm... How precarious."
"...?"
What does she mean by precarious?
She seems to hesitate for a moment at my words before opening her mouth as if she made a big decision.
"Since failure is inevitable anyway, I am merely trying to stop the process from advancing. That is the best answer I can give you at this point in time. If the distinguished one wishes to know more, then, at the very least, reach Great Net (大羅) and ask me then."
"..."
It doesn't seem like much, but her words carry an ominous weight.
Failure is inevitable anyway.
Then, like Vast Cold, Yang Su-jin, and the other Enders before us...
Does it mean such a miserable future awaits us as well?
'If that's the case...wouldn't it be better for me to simply be taxidermized by the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld?'
Perhaps, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld doesn't intend to just taxidermize me.
She might appoint me as a Reaper or a Judge of the Underworld and train me.
'As for my comrades...I thought I wouldn't be able to see them again... But if they are killed and brought to the Underworld, wouldn't we be able to be together again?'
It's a thought that seems more fitting for a devil of the Devilish Path, but after facing the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld and realizing that death itself isn't so frightening, my perspective has shifted slightly.
As if noticing my change, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld smiles warmly with Kim Yeon's face and asks again.
"Now...can you answer my question?"
If, even in death, I can retain myself, how is that any different from merely moving to another Heavenly Domain?
Even if this realm of death is entirely different from the realm of life,
If one lived life satisfactorily, wouldn't they also be able to spend death satisfactorily?
After contemplating for a while, I open my mouth.
"...I..."
☯
"..."
"As expected...I will answer the question later."
However, after deliberation, it doesn't seem right to be taxidermized in the Underworld right this instant.
I still have the unresolved debt with the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, and things I must still accomplish in the realm of life.
It is not an issue that needs to be immediately decided hastily.
Even if I am to be taxidermized, it wouldn't be too late after I've done everything I can in life.
Thus, I firm my resolve and answer accordingly.
However, I notice something different in her expression.
The kind expression Kim Yeon wore just moments ago has stiffened, and she is now looking at me with a blank, expressionless face.
'...Was delaying my answer...that much of an offensive act?'
At that moment, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld speaks with a rigid voice.
"It's something I feel every time, but it's deeply unpleasant."
"I deeply apologize. May I ask one final question?"
"..."
She remains silent with her stiffened face.
"You said you know all of my past...so I'll ask just one thing. Beyond the Audience Chamber you reached last time...what lies there?"
"..."
For a while, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld remains silent.
And in the silence following,
She speaks.
"I..."
☯
At her following words, I feel a sense of confusion.
"Regrettably, I have never challenged the Audience Chamber. Despite having countless opportunities. Isn't that truly...such an unpleasant and resentful thing?"
"...?"
I feel puzzled by her words.
'What?'
In the past life, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld joined forces with the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable, and the Owner of Liberation to challenge the Audience Chamber.
And the Owner of Void told me, 'The Underworld always returns.'
'Moreover, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld perceives my regression and knows all the history that follows from it.'
So what on earth does she mean by that?
But without giving me even the chance to ask for detail, she stares at me with a cold and chilling expression and speaks.
"I will ask you for the last time. Was your journey...satisfying?"
"..."
This is ominous.
This feels different from before.
For some reason, I realize that one of my previous questions must have touched her reverse scale.
'This is dangerous.'
"...I apologize. I cannot answer that right now."
"...I see."
Having finished speaking, she closes her mouth.
Between her and me, a dreadful silence flows.
I feel as though if I remain here in this silence any longer, I will be swallowed whole by it.
I must not remain here any longer.
Baduduk...
Facing the dreadful rank of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld head-on, I begin to [rise] from my seat.
"Thank you for the invitation, O [Oldest One]. I shall take my leave now. If the opportunity arises, I will return to answer the Imperial Venerable's question. Please wait just a little longer until then..."
There is no response.
Instead, the shadow of the candle bearing Kim Yeon's face...begins to decay.
Kim Yeon's face distorts.
Soon, behind the rotting and crumbling face, a pure white skull emerges, and even that melts into a handful of darkness.
Feeling alarm bells ringing throughout my body, I quickly retreat from where I stood.
Immediately after, the candle begins to blaze.
The flame changes shape and instantly surges towards me.
It resembles a gold-colored peng.
Heart and Heaven Taenghwa Painting.
First Brilliance.
Golden Body Heavenly King
Flash!
Kwang!
Blocking the familiar golden strike, I smirk.
Yes, the calm and enigmatic conversation from earlier is now over.
I'm not entirely sure what I did, but I have touched the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld's reverse scale, and that being is now completely mobilizing her hidden authority to personally taxidermize me.
Heart and Heaven Taenghwa Painting.
Second Brilliance, Third Brilliance.
Red Bead Extinguishing Heavenly King.
Lapis Lazuli Protecting Heavenly King
The golden-colored peng seems to shift into red and blue light before transforming into twin palms that crash down towards me.
The authority of destruction and protection overlaps me from both sides.
One side cuts off my retreat, while the other aims to destroy my body.
I deflect the twin palms with the Impermanence Sword and focus my mind.
'In my current situation...the regression point has been fixed, and while I was heading towards the domain of purity, I was temporarily pulled into the Underworld by the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.'
Therefore, if I proceed to the domain of purity and fully accept both life and death within 'true death,' I will either advance to True Immortality or face eternal annihilation.
'I'm going...!'
I assume the stance of Kunlun.
Heart and Heaven Taenghwa Painting has already shifted its form, morphing into purple Primordial Chaos.
I can feel it. Once caught in that chaos, there is no escape.
'I must not use Sumeru.'
Using the power of the Underworld to escape the realm of the Underworld is madness.
Therefore, I must escape this situation with Kunlun alone.
But...
'Can I really escape?'
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld said that it was precisely because I used Kunlun that I ended up here.
That means, Kunlun alone isn't enough to fully reach the domain of purity and instead leaves me stranded ambiguously in the Underworld.
'I must...transcend Kunlun.'
Kunlun is not enough.
I need a supreme technique. Something that can let me reach the domain of purity even more completely.
'Impermanence Sword? Severing Heaven Sword Form? No...'
My senses are pushed to their extreme limits.
The Five Senses that perceive all four dimensions starting with the planes!
'I must reach...the domain of purity beyond this...!'
For that, I need what I have accumulated.
What I have accumulated.
What has been with me from the very beginning.
Something that, like the simple thrust of Kunlun, has always been with me!
Tadadat!
Perceiving the sense related to the domain of purity, I begin to charge forward.
'It's a gamble...!'
A gamble possible only because one half is anchored in the Underworld and the other half in the domain of purity!
I rush quickly toward the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
It starts with Mountain Lord Transcending Peaks Flight.
Like a great tiger, I sprint through the deep darkness, raising the Impermanence Sword high.
Then, I [leap over] the being behind the mountain-like deep darkness!
There beyond, I see a [White Wheel].
But that isn't my goal.
Deeper than the [Oldest One], the deepest depths of the Underworld.
This place is...
Yes.
It's where the strand of Yang Su-jin's split soul and I once conversed.
I feel the gaze of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld turning towards me.
At the same time.
Heart and Heaven Taenghwa Painting.
Seventh Brilliance...
I feel the terrifying Entering Heavens of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld following me.
But I have already arrived!
'The single move (一手) that has been with me my entire life!'
At the same time, the seed that can bloom into new potential!
Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
Transcendent Technique.
Surpassing even Hidden Heavens Beyond the Path, a fragment of True Martial Arts.
: : Heavenly Escape (天遁)! : :
At last, the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, honed throughout my entire life, surpasses even the possibilities of Hidden Heavens Beyond the Path and fully blossoms into its fullest potential.
Avoiding Light, avoiding the Underworld.
Escaping from the gazes of life, death, and everything, completing hiding into the domain of purity, the ultimate of Impermanence.
The supreme technique of the ages, capable of hiding even from the heavens, Heavenly Escape, has been completed.
Chwararararak!
My single strike cuts through the deepest depths of the Underworld and reaches a domain even deeper than the Underworld itself.
A space of true nothingness.
It's the domain of purity.
I leap into the domain of purity, throwing my entire body forward, and gaze upward at the Underworld.
The eyes of the Underworld are visible.
'Haha...so you let me go.'
I did not escape.
The Underworld merely tested me.
However, it seems I have indeed touched upon Her reverse scale, as I can feel a faint trace of anger from the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
I close my eyes to the death that now truly approaches me.
Now, I will die.
I will either truly die and face eternal annihilation...
Or, I will return through regression and advance as a True Immortal.
The first attempt resulted in me being caught and having a brief meeting with the Underworld, but this time, no one will catch me.
And so, I die.
To escape from the realms of life and death, from everything.
To obscure myself from even the heavens, I hurl myself into true death.
Whether I will succeed or fail in death, only the heavens know.
The one-thousandth cycle has truly been short.
However, I believe that this brief moment in my current life holds deeper meaning than any of the previous cycles.
I will die.
But if I don't...
I will return.
And upon returning, I will become a True Immortal, save my comrades, care for my connections once more, and bring everything to a conclusion.
As I fade away in the domain of purity, I capture with my eyes the final illusion and [wisdom] shown by the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
That [wisdom] is as follows:
Kim Young-hoon — Good Sight Heavenly Domain (善見天域).
Jeon Myeong-hoon — Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain (擔木天域).
Kang Min-hee — Twin Holding Heavenly Domain (雙持天域).
Oh Hyun-seok — Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain (象鼻天域).
Kim Yeon — Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain (地邊天域).
Oh Hye-seo — Earth Axis Heavenly Domain (地軸天域)...
My comrades.
In other words, locations of the [Enders] scattered by Blood Yin.
With that as my final sight, I close my eyes completely.
That is my one-thousand-and-first return.
Good Sight Heavenly Domain.
Inside the Interdimensional Void where the Owner of Void resides.
Somewhere within that Interdimensional Void, a girl with her hair tied in a ponytail and dressed in black martial robes half-opens her eyes.
Looking somewhere, she speaks.
"Are you finally beginning to bloom, Udumbara (優曇婆羅)?"
In her eyes, which had remained expressionless and devoid of meaning, something flickers.
It is a faint sense of anticipation.
"Good. Keep blooming. Then fully blossom."
However, despite the anticipation, her eyes remain empty.
"You may have plunged into death...but you cannot escape. The bridle of the End (終命) is far beyond what you..."
Just as she is about to [deliver] her words to someone, she suddenly feels a disgusting and terrifying [gaze].
She meets the gaze coming from [somewhere] before flinching in surprise and looking away.
It's almost as if she is afraid of the [owner of that gaze].
"..."
After maintaining silence for a while, she speaks again.
"Let Udumbara fully blossom. And when it fully blossoms..."
With a self-deprecating look, she closes her eyes once more.
"...Let it come and cut my neck."
Thus, the Northern Heavenly Venerable, True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu (玄武; Black Martial), closes her eyes.
Around her, a black Three Great Ultimates seems to ripple before her form dissolves into the Interdimensional Void and vanishes completely.
After the fragment of Yu Hao Te, the Nether Devil True Lord and former Chief Judge, self-destructed against the return of Vast Cold in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain...
The Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds.
The countless rulers of Mount Sumeru trembled violently.
Everyone knows.
What Yu Hao Te's resurrected body, Blood Yin, has ultimately done was to advance the second coming of Vast Cold to True Immortality.
The probability of advancement to True Immortality upon revival after death is unknowable.
However, countless rulers are now on edge.
If it succeeds, then the nightmare from five hundred thousand years ago will descend upon Mount Sumeru once again.
Countless Heavenly Lords (天君) and True Lords (眞君).
The Great Net Immortals (大羅仙) murmur and communicate amongst one another.
And so, at the edge of the chaotic Mount Sumeru...
Within the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, outside the range of Blood Yin's self-destruction and unnoticed by Blood Yin's awareness, a small figure rises to their feet.
It is Hong Fan, who had tumbled down below the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and briefly lost consciousness.
Regaining his senses, Hong Fan begins to move again to track the traces of his master, Seo Eun-hyun.