"...Is everyone gathered?"
Deep beneath the surface of a planet untouched by light.
Three figures stand together in the darkness.
A woman clad in black jeogori and skirt.
A boy dressed in black martial attire.
A man draped in a black robe.
They are, respectively, the Immortal Treasures of the Crystal Glass Being, Seo Eun-hyun.
Twin Constructing Chains, Yeo Hwi.
Unruly Chain, Ham Jin.
Obsidian Chain, Yu Hwi.
Chijik...
As Yu Hwi snaps his fingers, one of the minerals he had created bursts into flames, illuminating the surroundings.
The mineral, which emanates a faint ghostly energy, causes ghostly shadows to ripple whenever its flickering light wavers.
The shadows growl as if alive, opening their mouths as if to devour those who have summoned them.
But the moment their gazes meet those of the three beings, the ghosts recoil in terror, trembling as they suppress their presence.
"Hm, cute little things. Did you call that mineral ghost fire stone?"
"Yes, senior. It's an ore formed by compressing ghostly creatures. When pressure is applied, it ignites, and the ghostly creatures that escape from the ghost fire stone can be commanded to sing or serve. Of course...it can also be used to set up a barrier so that no one can eavesdrop like this."
Woooooo—
At Yu Hwi's glance, the quivering ghosts spread out, shrouding the surrounding space in darkness and forming a barrier beyond the shadows.
The inner and outer spaces are completely cut off.
"Not bad. Send me some later. Better yet, if you bring them to my quarters yourself, I'd be very pleased."
Yeo Hwi sends Yu Hwi a subtle look, but Yu Hwi awkwardly averts his gaze and turns to Ham Jin.
"Ham Jin. That aside...calling us here like this must mean...you've confirmed it."
At Yu Hwi's words, the boy in black martial attire, Ham Jin, nods grimly.
"...Yes. The confirmation...is complete. Teacher..."
The words that follow darken not only Yu Hwi's expression but also Yeo Hwi's.
"...has completely succumbed to madness."
It has already been four million years since they first began serving Seo Eun-hyun in this spacetime of emptiness.
During that time, Seo Eun-hyun has created four fixed stars, forming four stellar systems where he has given birth to living beings, transmitted the system of Immortal Cultivation, and made it so cultivators were born.
Though Seo Eun-hyun is incapable of communicating with them properly, his three Immortal Treasures who are directly connected to him have carried out his orders, overseeing and guiding the cultivators.
As a result, the four stellar systems have now produced their first Integration stage cultivators.
However.
"Teacher's madness first became evident three million years ago, when he created the first fixed star."
At some point, Seo Eun-hyun's mind began to become unstable.
Despite Yu Hwi, Ham Jin, and Yeo Hwi offering mantras on his behalf, he paid them no heed, utterly engrossed in the act of creating fixed stars and continuously revealing his madness.
"His condition has only worsened since. Yet, we still held onto hope. He was mad to some extent, but we had hope that one day he would regain his mind and once again become our pillar of support... That was what we believed. But I finished confirming it today."
With a darkened expression, Ham Jin speaks the truth he uncovered before gathering here.
"Teacher...no longer wishes to leave this place. The radiant figure he once was is gone. The one who worried for his comrades outside has disappeared, leaving behind only a being obsessed with the creation of fixed stars... He has become nothing more than a mechanical construct."
He grits his teeth.
"There are no signs of his madness improving. And on top of that...you both know it as well."
"...Yes. He has scattered...Filling the Heavens Governing View across his entire stellar system."
Yu Hwi's face darkens as he exhales a heavy sigh.
Ham Jin nods and speaks.
"It is practically an absolute restriction in which no one can advance to the Star Shattering stage and above. The thought of quickly raising someone to True Immortality and having them take over in order to escape has long been completely abandoned. And we, too...due to the overwhelming will of Filling the Heavens Governing View, have effectively had our advancement to True Immortality completely blocked..."
"How did he fall so far? Once, he was our steadfast pillar, a fearsome presence yet the master we could trust."
Ham Jin and Yu Hwi let out heavy sighs of concern, while Yeo Hwi scoffs and crosses her arms.
"Hmph, I knew from the very start that he wasn't in his right mind. That guy was a monster from the beginning. He was never normal. It's not that the guy who had once gone crazy regained his sanity while still in that state; rather, he went crazy once again in a different way, making him appear somewhat sane as a result."
"What nonsense!"
"Even so, show some respect when speaking of Master, Senior Yeo Hwi."
"Do not misunderstand. I followed the Crystal Glass Being because I was firmly convinced he was the second coming of Vast Cold. I do not hold loyalty to him unlike you two. In fact, I am older than the Crystal Glass Being, and if we count only cultivation years, I am a senior to him by far. If I had foreseen with my own insight that the madness the Crystal Glass Being carries would escalate to this extent, I wouldn't have followed him."
Ham Jin glares at Yeo Hwi, gritting his teeth before letting out a deep sigh.
"...Right now, I'd like nothing more than to hang you upside down and beat you senseless...but as this is not the time, I will hold back. Regardless of whether Senior Yeo Hwi truly believes in and follows Teacher, we must bring him back to his senses. You will cooperate with us in this, won't you?"
"Of course. That goes without saying. I have no intention of rotting away in this bizarre spacetime for eternity. I finally managed to step outside the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain! And yet, to think I can't even go around different Heavenly Domains, kidnapping beautiful men and women to enjoy. Instead, I'm stuck here, confined in this cramped place? Absolutely not!"
Yeo Hwi lets out a sigh, looking as if she might die from frustration. Ham Jin massages his temples as if a headache is forming before speaking again.
"I have no interest in Senior's lustful pursuits. In any case, now that we've confirmed Teacher has fully succumbed to madness, do you have any useful advice as a senior?"
"Impudent brat. I was going to tell you even if you didn't ask. Even though I look like this, I was personally chosen by the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords and granted entry to the Source River. I know most information worth knowing."
She nods confidently and conjures an illusion in the void.
It is a three-dimensional model of the stellar systems they currently reside in.
There are a total of four existing stellar systems, with a fifth one steadily being prepared to be created.
"For convenience, I'll refer to the stellar systems the Crystal Glass Being has created as the [Crystal Glass Realm]. This model perfectly replicates the vast majority of the attraction force, qi, soul, and fate within the Crystal Glass Realm, so pay close attention."
Woo-wooooong!
As Yeo Hwi gestures, the three-dimensional model begins to change.
In an instant, it shifts into something strange, shrouded in a cloud of dust.
"If what you saw before was the Crystal Glass Realm on the Plane of Qi, this is the Crystal Glass Realm on the Plane of Soul. The brightest light in the center of this dust cloud is the Crystal Glass Being. Right now, the Crystal Glass Realm is entirely under the Crystal Glass Being's will, and that will has become attraction force, preventing any of us from leaving the Crystal Glass Realm."
"...It's Teacher's madness."
Ham Jin lets out a murmur.
The current Seo Eun-hyun is consumed by madness, scattering Filling the Heavens Governing View across the entire Crystal Glass Realm.
No one can reach the Integration stage or higher.
And no one can escape beyond the Crystal Realm—beyond the distant spacetime of emptiness.
By adding his attraction force into Filling the Heavens Governing View, Seo Eun-hyun has created a powerful barrier that effectively seals the entire Crystal Glass Realm.
"He mutters about how no one understands him...yet at the same time, he doesn't want anyone to leave him. This contradiction in Teacher's heart and his madness have amplified to its peak, becoming this barrier."
"That's right. And that's not all. Look."
Yeo Hwi points somewhere with her finger.
On the three-dimensional model representing the Plane of Soul, four other clumps of light ripple besides Seo Eun-hyun.
"Those four lights. They are the four fixed stars the Crystall Glass Being created so far. Do you see them?"
Ham Jin furrows his brows.
He can see them clearly.
Each of the four stars exhibits a distinct flow, all of which connects to the light that is Seo Eun-hyun at the center, influencing him in some way.
"The fixed stars...are influencing Teacher...?"
"That's right. Now then...shall we move on to the next stage?"
Woo-wooong!
Yeo Hwi moves her hand, and the Plane of Fate of the Crystal Glass Realm appears in the three-dimensional model.
In the space overflowing with light, several symbols exist.
[Candle flame that is the merging of Glass True Fire and Aurora].
Surrounding it are the symbols of the countless planets and star veins.
Lastly, there are the symbols of [snakes] tightly coiling around the star veins.
[Blue snake biting its tail].
[Blue-white snake biting its tail].
[Red-vermillion snake biting its tail].
[Soft-vermillion snake biting its tail].
A total of four [snakes] are radiating light.
"Life is ultimately symbolized by Radiance Hall. As the rulers of the world, they oversee the first stage of True Immortality, Vestige Liberation Immortal. The symbol of Radiance Hall is the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail]. And the rulers of Radiance Hall, the Radiance Eight Immortals, each oversee one of the fixed stars that correspond to the realm formula of Vestige Liberation Immortal, the Radiance Ten Heavens. All except for the fifth and sixth fixed stars. In any case...they are the most powerful force among all factions in the True Immortal Realm, exerting immense influence over all True Immortals passing through Vestige Liberation Immortal."
"That means..."
"Yes. Right now, the Crystal Glass Being is being eroded by the authority of Radiance Hall. The Radiance Supreme Deity must be exerting Their strength..."
"...!"
"There's a high probability it's an attempt to suppress the Crystal Glass Being, who was once called the return of Vast Cold, by directly eroding him and amplifying his madness."
At the mention of a Governing Immortal's presence, Ham Jin and Yu Hwi cough up mouthfuls of blood-red spiritual energy, clenching their teeth.
"Then...are you saying that in order to save Teacher, we must fight the Owner of Radiance Hall, the God of Light?"
"That's about right."
At Yeo Hwi's words, Ham Jin and Yu Hwi exhale heavy sighs, their expressions darkening.
Yeo Hwi watches them and smirks.
"But don't worry too much. The Radiance Supreme Deity is hardly an idle being. Do you really think They'd remain stuck to the Crystal Glass Being? Besides, this place is within the authority domain of a Heavenly Venerable! The Radiance Supreme Deity's power surely won't reach easily here. So there's still a chance."
"...What must we do?"
"There's only one way. If the Crystal Glass Being's madness stems from the formula of the Radiance Ten Heavens...then there's really only one option."
At Yeo Hwi's next words, Ham Jin and Yu Hwi's eyes widen.
"We have to smash all of the Crystal Glass Being's fixed stars into cosmic dust. Once freed from the light of the Radiance Ten Heavens, unless the Radiance Supreme Deity is literally parasitizing his body, his mind will definitely return!"
"..."
Hearing Yeo Hwi's words, the two let out a groan.
"Do you...really think that makes sense, Senior Yeo Hwi?"
"Master is the one who was called the return of Vast Cold. And yet, how are we supposed to destroy the fixed stars that Master cherishes like his own children?
"Fools. Are you going to tuck your tails and give up without even trying?"
Something about Yeo Hwi's confident tone makes Ham Jin and Yu Hwi's eyes gleam.
"Do you have a plan?"
"Rather than a plan, we just have to be willing to do whatever it takes. Compared to True Immortals, we may lack strength and time, but if we are willing to spend centuries, we can still create a prophecy. Through this, we will mass-produce Star Shattering stage cultivators. Then, we will use them as suicide bombs to go against the Crystal Glass Being. Right now, in his current state of madness, the Crystal Glass Being will only unleash his wrath upon the suicide bombs and their bloodline. If we manipulate fate carefully from behind the scenes, he will never know we betrayed him."
Ham Jin and Yu Hwi shake their heads in shock at Yeo Hwi's scheme.
"That's...unacceptable. It's too much of the cruel devilish path!"
"No matter the situation, such a ruthless plan is intolerable!"
"Ha! Well, look at that, we have some ridiculously kind young masters here. Do you plan to stay here for a thousand years? Ten thousand? A hundred million? Right now, you two are blocked from advancing to Entering Nirvana by Filling the Heavens Governing View. Are you saying you will spend eternity locked away in this spacetime alongside Seo Eun-hyun, who has gone mad? If you two can't do it, then I will do it myself."
She rises from her seat, shouting at Ham Jin and Yu Hwi.
At that moment, Ham Jin stands and tightly grabs Yeo Hwi's wrist.
"...I told you it is not happening. Even if it takes millions of years, I cannot allow that plan."
For a moment, Ham Jin and Yeo Hwi lock eyes.
The tension is so thick it feels like a fight could break out at any moment.
Just then, Yu Hwi notices something strange flickering inside the ghost fire stone he created.
"Hm?"
Within the ghost fire stone, condensed from ghostly creatures who were killed with grievances—
A faint illusion of a mountain piled with corpses and a sea filled with blood flickers.
It is the scenery of Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.
And the moment Yu Hwi perceives it—
Woo-wooong!
Beneath the place they stand, centered around the ghost fire stone, a strange energy of Taiji seems to swirl before a dark-red shadow emerges with the stench of blood.
"...!"
"What!? Despite the barrier..."
"Who are you!?"
The three Immortal Treasures shout towards the dark-red shadow, and the figure smirks.
[Immortal Treasures harboring treacherous hearts. Does your master know of this?]
"...! You, who are..."
Just as Ham Jin is about to shout in anger—
Yeo Hwi hurriedly steps in front of Ham Jin and bows to the dark-red shadow.
"...So it is the esteemed figure I encountered back then. Four million years ago, in the Source River, the being who received the patronage of the Mountain God... It seems you have risen to True Immortality. My sincere congratulations on your ascension."
Yeo Hwi's eyes shine brighter than ever.
She remembers this dark-red figure.
Oh Hye-seo!
Four million years ago, when she entered the Source River to rescue Seo Eun-hyun, she had seen this entity.
Even back then, she was a peculiar existence who, despite only being at the Entering Nirvana stage, received the protection of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
Now, four million years later, to be able to intrude into the spacetime of the Owner of Void, there is no doubt they have reached a high realm.
Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Yeo Hwi speaks.
"Perhaps...would you be able to get me out of here? If, if you take me out, I will immediately betray the Crystal Glass Being and pledge my loyalty! If you wish, I will even offer my body. Ehehehe..."
Ham Jin shoots her a look of pure contempt, while Yu Hwi's face twists in displeasure.
But Oh Hye-seo merely chuckles.
[Well...I'd say it's better if you don't leave. Right now, you are in an incredibly safe space. If you knew what kind of great war is raging across the entire Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds, I don't think you would want to step outside?]
"...!"
At those words, Yeo Hwi flinches in surprise and asks.
"Wh-What on earth is happening outside...?"
[I have no reason to tell you. But I'll at least let you know this—Radiance Hall and the entirety of Mount Sumeru have been waging a colossal war for hundreds of thousands of years. The Heavenly Venerable of the Void and the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable have suffered devastating damage from the Radiance Eight Immortals and have gone into seclusion. That's why I was able to interfere in the space of a Heavenly Venerable for a brief moment...
[Kukuk...Radiance Hall is truly amazing. Only the Source River, that is no different from mere scrap, is siding with Radiance Hall, yet with just them, they are overwhelming all of Mount Sumeru.]
Upon learning that the Source River is on the side of Radiance Hall, Yeo Hwi trembles as if wanting to rush out immediately. Yu Hwi, who has learned the Ghost Path Method, frowns in suspicion.
"From what I know, the God of Death isn't so lacking compared to the God of Light. Are you saying that even the Underworld is being pushed back that badly?"
[The Underworld is...kukukuk. Currently, all the Reapers have left for the Outer Sea in search of something. Did they say Penglai Island? I heard they are searching for something like that, but I'm not sure. Only the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld remains, maintaining the Underworld while watching the situation.]
"Then...does that mean the Underworld has not joined the war? Excluding the faction of Time, have all the forces of Mount Sumeru betrayed Radiance Hall?"
[Like I said, I have no reason to give you any information. I merely explained the situation a little... Anyway, in this chaotic turmoil, do you truly intend to leave this safe shelter?]
At Oh Hye-seo's words, Yeo Hwi and Yu Hwi let out a faint sigh, seemingly deep in thought.
However, Ham Jin asks Oh Hye-seo without hesitation.
"Can you get us and our master out of here?"
[As I said...since the Heavenly Venerable of the Void suffered devastating damage, if I offer part of my Corpse Mountain Blood Sea as a sacrifice, I can manage someone like you. But...what realm has Seo Eun-hyun currently reached?]
At Oh Hye-seo's question, Ham Jin contemplates deeply for a while before answering.
"...Vestige Liberation Immortal. Master has currently progressed through four-tenths of the realm formula for Vestige Liberation Immortal that is the Radiance Ten Heavens."
[Radiance Ten Heavens? Vestige Liberation Immortal? Four-tenths? Ha, hahahahahaha!]
Oh Hye-seo's shadow clutches its stomach and bursts into laughter as if it finds this unbearably amusing.
[This is so funny I might go insane! Has being trapped in this space degenerated his talent? Where has that terrifying monster gone, leaving behind only this worthless failure? Good...this is very good! Fine. I'll get your master out too. But there is a condition...]
Oh Hye-seo's shadow smirks as she makes an offer to the Immortals Treasures.
[Create a descent formation to descend my will into this space. Using resentment and suffering as a medium would be ideal. This mineral would be best. If you do so, I will descend a portion of my will into this place and gradually help you escape through prophecy. I will help Seo Eun-hyun escape too. However, there is a condition.]
"What condition?"
[Seo Eun-hyun is currently...cultivating the Radiance Ten Heavens, correct? From the moment one starts cultivating the Radiance Ten Heavens, the fixed stars created by the True Immortal become one body with them. Because of this, pulling insignificant beings like you out is easy, but Seo Eun-hyun's own original mass, combined with the mass of those fixed stars, makes extracting him exponentially more difficult.]
At her words, Yu Hwi and Yeo Hwi flinch.
[Destroy the fixed stars Seo Eun-hyun created. I will help you. Whether it takes tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of years—it doesn't matter. Just erase...the fixed stars. If you do so, I will take you out.]
"That's..."
"...Hey, Ham Jin. This offer..."
Yu Hwi and Yeo Hwi look at Ham Jin. Perhaps they feel that despite everything, betraying Seo Eun-hyun according to Oh Hye-seo's suggestion feels a bit too much.
But what comes out of Ham Jin's mouth is something unexpected.
"I understand. We will do as you say."
"...!"
"Ham Jin...?"
"Then, please provide the descent formation technique and the necessary information to descend the distinguished one's will. We will proceed with the plan based on those."
[Ahaha...good. If the plan succeeds, I will finally see the face I have longed to see. Seo Eun-hyun...]
Revealing an intense killing intent towards Seo Eun-hyun, Oh Hye-seo transmits the information to Ham Jin and disappears.
Chijijik...
Yu Hwi's ghost fire stone that Oh Hye-seo used to transmit her will crumbles into dust.
However, Yeo Hwi and Yu Hwi turn to Ham Jin and ask.
"...This is quite a surprise. I never thought you would betray the Crystal Glass Being?"
"Why did you make that decision, Ham Jin? Aren't you someone who can at least be called Master's disciple? The heart that Oh Hye-seo person has is definitely not a good heart. And this presence... She is at least a Great Net Immortal. Why did you accept the offer not knowing what someone at the level of a Great Net Immortal might do to our Vestige Liberation Immortal Master!"
At Yu Hwi's sharp rebuke, Ham Jin smiles.
"...Did you not notice, Yu Hwi?"
"What?"
"That being...is afraid of Teacher."
"What?"
"Even if their realm has surpassed Teacher's, Teacher is strong. Teacher's true body is in the weight class of a Great Net Immortal. His authority may differ slightly, but in an actual fight against a Great Net Immortal, Teacher would still have a considerable chance of winning. Furthermore...I felt a deep-seated hatred towards Teacher, and just as deeply rooted, a sense of fear. At some point, they must have suffered greatly at his hands."
As Ham Jin continues, Yeo Hwi and Yu Hwi's expressions gradually shift to one of understanding.
"They talk about the mass of the Radiance Ten Heavens, but in truth, they wants to collapse the fixed stars that Teacher created to inflict the maximum shock against him through that reaction. Even though Teacher is in the weight class of a Great Net Immortal, if he were to suddenly lose the innate True Immortals he created all at once, the backlash would significantly weaken him.
"Which means they have no confidence in facing Teacher in his normal state, but if he were weakened, they think facing Teacher is worth attempting; isn't that right?"
"Em...!"
Ham Jin continues his explanation.
"They must be sincere in taking out the weakened Teacher and us. The deeply rooted loathing...that hatred... It was truly the look of someone who has a grudge that must be resolved with Teacher. Perhaps she lost someone precious to Teacher."
"That's right. At the time, I was at the Entering Nirvana stage, so I had a rough understanding of the situation. As far as I know, she lost her husband to the Crystal Glass Being."
"That makes it even more certain. That existence will definitely get us out, if only for the sake of revenge. Even if it means weakening Teacher. But that Oh Hye-seo person...is making a massive miscalculation."
Ham Jin smiles.
"It's actually the opposite. Teacher is actually at his weakest right now. Because he is steeped in madness and his will has become fragile, this is the moment he is at his weakest. So, on the contrary...if we eliminate the fixed stars of the Radiance Ten Heavens, the very source of his madness..."
"...He will overcome the madness and become even stronger? Is that what you think?"
"That's right."
But Yu Hwi asks again as if confused.
"But no matter what, those fixed stars are no different from the prophecies one utters. Those fixed stars have become one body with Master. Even if his will were to grow a little stronger, can Master really defeat that existence in his weakened state?"
"He can, Yu Hwi."
"On what basis?"
"...My Immortal Art...originates from Teacher. That is why I know. Teacher is...someone who can become the strongest purely through his will alone. But conversely, when his will falters and he succumbs to madness, he becomes significantly weaker. That is who Teacher is."
At Ham Jin's words, Yeo Hwi crosses her arms and speaks.
"This is quite... Then, everything is working out well. Like curing poison with poison, huh?"
"You could say so. We will use the power of Oh Hye-seo, who is targeting Teacher, to erase the fixed stars that are the origin of his madness. And when we are taken out by Oh Hye-seo during the moment when Teacher is weakened...Teacher will undoubtedly emerge victorious."
Ham Jin's eyes are filled with absolute confidence.
Seeing such a Ham Jin, Yu Hwi nods.
"Alright. If you are going to speak that much...I will trust you. Then I will go and bring back more ghost fire stones. Decide where we will place the descent formation that will descend Oh Hye-seo's will."
"Alright, thanks."
Yu Hwi turns into a shadow and vanishes from the spot, while Ham Jin turns into mist, bows to Yeo Hwi, and disappears as well.
Watching their departure from deep underground, she smiles subtly.
She gently rubs her wrist, where Ham Jin had tightly grasped her moments ago, as her cheeks blush.
"That little cutie has grown so much... Very well, Ham Jin. I will keep watching you...and strive to move together with you."
Muttering to herself, she, too, vanishes from the spot like the others.
Four million years since the Crystal Glass Being Seo Eun-hyun became trapped in the spacetime of emptiness.
Seo Eun-hyun's three Immortal Treasures devised a plan of poison counteracting poison, by using Oh Hye-seo, who hates Seo Eun-hyun, to remove Seo Eun-hyun's madness.
And following their plan, Oh Hye-seo's will and a portion of her authority gradually begins descending upon the Crystal Glass Realm.
On a planet in the remote corner of the Crystal Glass Realm.
There, the energy of Corpse Mountain Blood Sea begins to overflow.
"...Gwak Am?"
I suddenly think of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity in the darkness and stare blankly into the void.
There is no one.
It must have been an illusion.
"...Did I lose consciousness again?"
Lately, my consciousness has been flickering in and out more often.
But it doesn't matter.
It's only when I lose consciousness do I feel as if I am embraced by light, enveloped in warm happiness.
"Where was I?"
With blurred eyes, I look at the four fixed stars I have created.
"...Right. I made the fixed stars of Great Forest, Flower Plant, Great Sun, Torch Candle..."
Through the wisdom the Immortal Dao whispers to me, I murmur the name of the next fixed star I must create.
"Next...is the light of Castle Wall, huh."
The fifth light.
The fixed star of Castle Wall.
Woo-wooooong!
Resisting the attraction force of the Sumeru World, I endure the pain coursing through my entire body.
At the same time, the light that will become the foundation for Castle Wall begins to form in my hand.
'It's warm.'
Just like all the lights I've created so far, this warm light will welcome me.
Gazing at the golden light being born in my hands, I let myself be drawn into the light just as before.
But at that very moment—
"...Huh?"
Inside the golden light, I see something.
'That is...'
It is a snake.
Each time I have created a fixed star, I have always seen the form of a [snake biting its tail].
Seeing the form of a snake appear this time again is only natural, but I feel strange.
Because this snake is not biting its tail.
As I look at this peculiar snake, which is slightly different from all the others I have seen before, I feel an inexplicable deep sense of longing.
This snake is—
A [yellow snake].
-x-X-x-
Inside a warm light.
I see a [yellow snake] illuminated within, feeling as if I am being drawn toward it.
And then, at some moment—
"...Huh?"
I suddenly snap to my senses.
Inside a dark, enclosed chamber.
I am hanging upside down.
'...Where...is this? Why am I like this?'
Kiiiiik!
Just as I am lost in thought, the door to the chamber creaks open, and a familiar face appears.
"Ah...! Master!"
It is Cheongmun Ryeong.
He glances down at me briefly before raising a six-sided club (육모 방망).
"Uh, Master?"
Before I can even ask a question, Cheongmun Ryeong begins beating me mercilessly with the six-sided club.
"Kuaaaaaaaagh! Master! Why in the world are you doing this!?"
Utterly unable to comprehend the situation, I cry out for an explanation.
"You scoundrel! Do you not know your own sins!?"
But Cheongmun Ryeong rebukes me coldly and continues to beat me relentlessly. I can do nothing but scream under my master's blows.
"Kuaaaaaaaagh! Master! Please spare me!"
"Keheuk...kugh..."
Strangely, the blows themselves are not particularly forceful.
Yet, my master's beating is excruciatingly painful.
I have always had a high tolerance for pain, but his blows bypass all my resistance as if landing directly on something fundamental within me.
After being beaten for a long time, I hang there, gasping for breath.
"Haa...haa, kuh..."
Chwaaak!
My master splashes water onto my upside-down body and asks,
"Do you not repent your sins even a little?"
"M-Master..."
I look at the six-sided club still in his hand and cry out urgently.
"Th-This disciple. I believe I have lost my memory. I truly do not know why I am being beaten. Please, tell me the reason."
"Hmm?"
Hearing my question, Master tilts his head, bending down to meet my eyes.
'...Huh?'
At that moment, I notice something strange.
The reflection of myself in Master's eyes looks...off.
'Why? Why do I feel strange?'
"...I see. You are not Gwak Am."
"Huh, pardon?"
At the mention of the name Gwak Am (गाॐ), a pain pierces my head.
For some reason, the bandaged face reflected in Cheongmun Ryeong's eyes feels strange and unfamiliar.
'...Who is Cheongmun Ryeong? My master's name is not Cheongmun Ryeong...'
My body trembles at the sudden surge of confusion.
"...No ordinary being could possess my disciple... That means someone with the same connection... I see. A disciple from the future? It is impossible for a future existence to come to the past, so...I see. Is it a lingering thought left in the past? I understand now. I was defeated, this is a dream. I am merely a lingering thought."
Muttering incomprehensible words, Master nods before waving his hand.
Tung, kwadadang!
The rope binding me is cut, and I am freed from my suspended state.
"M-Master?"
"Let's see... Regardless, to connect to my lingering thought, there must be a medium. What could it have been? Did you say you lost your memory? Do you remember the last thing you saw before that happened?"
"P-Pardon? Ah...I think I saw [yellow snake]."
"Hm, if it was a snake...it must be one of two things. Either you were in the middle of the Vestige Liberation Immortal cultivation, or you charged into the snake den and gazed directly into the Origin Essence of Light. If you intruded into the snake den, it could be an urgent situation, so...I will wake you."
"Pardon...?"
As I look up at Master, not understanding his words, he raises the six-sided club high, then brings it down onto the crown of my head with full force.
Kwaaang!
"Kuaaaaaaaagh!"
An overwhelming pain floods my entire body.
I clutch my head and roll on the floor.
Master clicks his tongue as he watches me.
"I intended to awaken you by amplifying your sense of crisis...but seeing as you don't feel any urgency, you must be in a safe place, simply cultivating as a Vestige Liberation Immortal. Your mind already looked somewhat unstable, so...you must have witnessed a great number of [snakes] during your cultivation."
"I-I don't understand what you mean. I can't remember...anything."
Master clicks his tongue and speaks.
"That's expected. If you saw the [snake] multiple times, this is inevitable. Whatever. If the outside is safe, there is no need to wake you immediately. Stay for a few days and reflect upon yourself."
Having finished speaking, Master leaves the room. Instinctively, I move to follow him.
"Master, let me go with you."
As I step out of the chamber, what I see is a small wooden storage shed.
Beside it stands an old thatched house, and Master sits on its wooden porch and begins grinding ink on an inkstone.
Watching him, I instinctively fetch water from a well and fill his water dropper.
It feels like a habit ingrained into my body.
Alongside the ink, Master prepares other pigments and begins painting something on paper.
It is a taenghwa.
As I silently watch him, Master patiently explains.
"This is a hobby a friend of mine taught me. A Buddhist taenghwa is not merely a depiction of divine beings. It captures the meanings they embody."
Suruk, sururuk...
Moving his brush slowly, he continues.
"All things in this world are shaped by meaning. Therefore, if one understands the meaning of the world, anything can be painted as a taenghwa. In a way, everything in the universe, every affair of this world...is a Buddha."
His words seem to carry an inexplicable wisdom.
"...There. It is finished."
Though it feels like he barely moved his brush, a completed taenghwa now rests beneath his hand.
At the center is a Wheel of starlight engraved with the Three Great Ultimates.
The Wheel burns above a small candle flame, while the shadows beneath the candle take the form of a black snake biting its tail, glaring at the Wheel of starlight.
"What do you see in my drawing?"
"..."
Master strokes his goatee and glances at me as he asks.
But I simply stare at the taenghwa for a long while, unable to open my mouth.
An inexplicable wisdom seems to be embedded in the drawing.
"I will ask again. What do you see in what I have drawn?"
"...Circle (圓)...I see three circles."
On the outermost, the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail].
In the middle, the [Wheel of Starlight].
At the very center, the [White Three Great Ultimates].
The three circles seem to be the core of this taenghwa.
"Your eyes are keen. You pierced through the diagram at a glance. It is a diagram that cannot be understood without effort to the point of bleeding from one's hands. You must be someone who has put in significant effort..."
"...Pardon?"
I cannot follow Master's words at all.
'Why is he speaking as if he's seeing me for the first time?'
"But is that all you see?"
"...When I focus on the center of the Three Great Ultimates, I seem to see something more. It seems to be using an optical illusion. As the curves of the drawing shift...it seems to show some kind of dharma statue. That dharma statue, which Buddha is it?"
"Well... That, I will not tell you. For now, take this."
"Yes."
I receive the taenghwa Master hands me.
"From today onward, always carry this taenghwa close to your chest. Whenever you have time, look at it. If you do so, you will one day understand the true identity of that dharma statue."
"Yes, I will follow your command."
"Then for now, let us do what we always do to recover your memories."
"Yes! Please teach me! This disciple will definitely recover my memories!"
"Sweep the yard."
"...Pardon?"
"I said, sweep the yard."
Following Master's command, I fetch a broom and begin sweeping the yard.
Inside the thatched house, there are one or two trees whose names I cannot recall, and their fallen leaves are scattered everywhere.
I sweep up all the leaves, making the yard spotless.
Once I finish sweeping, Master orders me to clean the rooms.
After cleaning the rooms, I carefully take out Master's valuables and wipe each one carefully, just as instructed.
Master carries an unusual number of mirrors, and I always make sure to wipe them thoroughly, keeping them clear.
Once cleaning is done, the evening marks the beginning of meditation time.
Master and I sit beneath a tree with a mirror in front of us, meeting our own gazes within the reflection as we meditate.
When I stare into the mirror for long enough, countless stray thoughts and anxieties arise.
Each time, Master instructs me to wipe them away just as I clean the mirrors and sweep the yard.
From evening until the next morning, we sit beneath the tree, endlessly reflecting on ourselves.
And so, several days pass.
Saak, saak...
That day, as always, I finish sweeping the yard before beginning to clean the rooms.
While cleaning the rooms, I suddenly discover something inside Master's wardrobe.
"...Hm?"
Two golden masks.
"What is this?"
For some reason, they are masks that feel familiar, as if I have seen them before.
Suruk, suruk...
Using the cloth I was wiping the mirrors with, I polish the surface of the masks.
A subtle golden radiance seems to emanate from them.
I do not know if they are made of real gold, but they appear extremely valuable.
Looking closely, I notice a barely visible engraving of a [yellow snake biting its tail] on the front of the masks.
The engraving is so faint that it would be impossible to notice without careful observation.
On the back of each mask, at the forehead area, the characters 'Mu (戊)' and 'Gi (己)' are etched.
For some reason, as I continue staring at the masks, I feel as though I am being sucked into them.
I feel an inexplicable impulse to put the mask on my face right away.
However, when I suddenly see my face reflected on the surface of the mask, I flinch and shudder.
'The meditation I have been doing in front of the mirror for the past few days...'
That meditation has helped.
I clear away the stray thoughts of wanting to wear the mask, just as if I were wiping a mirror or sweeping the yard, freeing myself from the desire the mask instills.
Just as I escape the mask's temptation,
Master appears behind me.
"Why have you taken that out?"
"Ah, Master, you've arrived. I apologise. Somehow, looking at the mask brought back some thoughts...I was wondering if it might be connected to my memories, so I was looking at it for a moment."
"Hm, as if that could be the case. It has nothing to do with you."
Master strokes his goatee and clicks his tongue.
Staring at the mask, I ask in puzzlement.
"What is this mask?"
"One is a retirement keepsake I took from my old workplace. The other is something I stripped from Gwak Am. I warned Gwak Am never to put it on again, but who knows if Gwak Am is obeying that now."
"Umm..."
"If you understand, put it back where it belongs. I may have crushed the snake's form and put it in my palm, but a snake is still a snake. If you're careless, it will bewitch you."
Following my master's command, I return the masks to their place and wipe down the other mirrors.
After finishing the room cleaning and stepping outside, I see Master drawing another taenghwa.
"What are you drawing, Master?"
"Seeing that mask just now brought back old memories. So, I decided to paint a scene from the past."
In Master's taenghwa, two figures resembling kings are depicted—each clad in golden dragon robes, wearing golden mianguans, and donning golden masks.
One figure's robe bears the character Mu (戊), while the other's bears the character Gi (己).
"This is..."
"This is from when I was in the snake den. The one beside me is Gwak Am. Back then, there was nothing I feared in the world...but once I left the snake den, I realized how terrifying the world truly is."
"Em, the place called the snake den...it sounds like Master's old workplace. It seems like a good place, so why did Master leave?"
"Because I was too curious. The secret of the heart my friend who taught me about the taenghwa whispered to me, the truth of this world, the miracles that occur when a person meets another...I was unbearably curious. That is why I left the snake den with the mask, took it off with my own hands, and started everything anew."
Master's past begins to unfold from his lips.
"A being who reaches the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao and attains a Seat—if they abandon that Seat, their cultivation resets. Even if one has reached the realm of Immortal Lord, they would fall to become a Vestige Liberation Immortal. Of course, that applies to ordinary Seats. The stronger the power of one's Seat, the greater the loss in realm. The Seat I stood upon in the snake den was far too powerful, so the moment I abandoned the Seat of the snake, I fell all the way to the third star of the Qi Refining stage."
Whenever I hear terms like Seat, Immortal Lord, or Vestige Liberation Immortal, it feels like my memories are vaguely stirring.
"But even though I had fallen to the third star of Qi Refining, I did not give up. I built everything again from the beginning. My former comrades in the snake den all expected me to die like a bug, but...I endured countless trials and rose again, eventually re-entering the Immortal Family, and stepping once more onto the Immortal Dao. Thus...I attained another Seat. Attaining a Seat not belonging to the snake, I at last surpassed the me of the past when I was in the snake den."
As if an amusing thought has come to mind, Master starts chuckling.
"The reactions of my former comrades back then were priceless. It's because while the mask I took as a retirement keepsake isn't the main body of the Seat, it is a crucial key needed to enter the Seat of the snake den. The entire snake den was thrown into chaos. They thought I had died like a bug and that they could retrieve the key, but out of nowhere, I ended up being enthroned as a Supreme Deity, making them believe they had lost the key for good. So, they decided to go to war with me."
Master strokes the taenghwa.
"If it wasn't for my friend, I would have died without a doubt. My friend helped me. They helped me find refuge in a place untouched by light, and thanks to that, I was not killed. In that place, I shared many enlightenments with my friend, and gradually interpreted the Seat while growing my skills. The snake den was in an uproar. Because the key was never retrieved and my skills only kept getting stronger...they started sending assassins."
Master's hand, which had been stroking the taenghwa, now touches the figure beside the one marked with Mu (戊).
"Of course, not a single assassin ever reached me. The snake den where the venom reached its peak eventually sent the strongest being within their ranks at the time as an assassin. And that was..."
Master, who had been stroking the taenghwa of the figure inscribed with Gi (己), suddenly pats my shoulder.
For some reason, even though my shoulder is being touched, I feel my heart being at ease.
"The newly appointed Field Garden Heavenly Lord. Gwak Am."
"...!"
No memories surface, but I instinctively feel that this story is of immense importance.
"The snake den always operates in pairs. Great Forest and Flower Plant. Great Sun and Torch Candle. Castle Wall and Field Garden. Sword Spear and Pearl Jade. Great Sea and Rain Dew. Of course, in emergencies, such rules are often ignored, but... Regardless, each pair forms a unit, and the sins of one are also borne by the other. So, to capture me—the one who defected from the snake den—my former partner was sent."
"..."
"Back then, that one was known as the strongest in the snake den. The only one who could fight a Governing Immortal in a one-on-one battle and win. But after I fought that one fairly and grasped victory...I, in the end, took them as my disciple. I also took their mask and kept it. Kukuk...I can still remember the snake den foaming at the mouth over it."
Master, stroking his goatee and laughing, places his finger on the completed taenghwa.
At that moment, I flinch in surprise.
Chiiiiik...
The taenghwa begins to burn.
Smoke rises from Master's fingertip, and soon, flames engulf the taenghwa.
"Wh-Why are you burning it?"
"I drew it out of nostalgia, but drawing the past when I wore the mask is unpleasant. Is there a problem?"
"Master put a lot of effort into drawing it. It feels like a shame."
"A shame...huh. Is it really a shame?"
"...Pardon?"
Master gazes at me with sharp eyes and asks,
"Is it not that you are ensnared by the venom of the snake and wish to gaze upon its symbol longer?"
"...What are you...?"
"The snake den is Radiance Hall. They are the owners of light."
Wo-woong!
For some reason, my head starts hurting.
The moment I hear those words, something submerged deep within me begins to rise.
Something in my memories begins to resurface.
"Only after leaving the snake den did I realize. They follow fate. They sincerely believe they are following the proper fate and guiding the world righteously. But...they are wrong. We believed we acted of our own free will, but in truth, from the very beginning, we were being controlled. Are you not the same!?"
"Master! Disciple is not being controlled!"
"Then why are you still here, you dull-witted brat! Do you still not understand the meaning of the taenghwa I gave you?"
Master suddenly flares up at me and rises from his seat.
At some point, a six-sided club is already in his grasp.
That six-sided club is so painful that even I, who have grown accustomed to pain, can barely endure it. Frightened, I plead.
"Master! Please forgive me. Your disciple is too dull-witted to grasp your words. Disciple merely wiped the mirror and swept the yard as Master commanded!"
"Wiped and swept, you say... Do you even know what kind of tree the leaves you've been sweeping came from?"
I look at the trees Master points to and shake my head.
"Disciple's discernment is shallow, so I do not know. Please enlighten me."
"That is called the Bodhi (菩提) tree. I will ask again. Do you know what it is you have been sweeping and wiping?"
"...Bodhi (菩提)..."
Hearing that word, I feel something aching in my head.
What is it that have I been sweeping and wiping all this time?
Is it not obviously mirrors and the Bodhi tree?
Yet, for some reason, I have a feeling that this is not the answer Master wants.
I rack my brain desperately.
To avoid the six-sided club.
To avoid pain!
As I strain my thoughts, a certain scene comes to mind.
—All things in this world are shaped by meaning. Therefore, if one understands the meaning of the world, anything can be painted as a taenghwa. In a way, everything in the universe, every affair of this world...is a Buddha.
These are words Master once spoke to me.
And in that instant, as if thunder strikes my mind, I look up at him.
If all things are meaning, then what I have been wiping and sweeping are not mirrors and the Bodhi tree.
In the end, I have merely been cleansing and cleaning my meaning.
My vision blurs.
The surroundings begin to distort like a fading dream.
'Meaning... In this world, there is nothing but meaning. Then...what is that meaning? What meaning exists in this world? In this world...'
Suddenly, something flashes through my mind like lightning.
Cheongmun Ryeong.
The name Cheongmun Ryeong.
And I recall what I have learned under that name.
The long years of study, from the 1st to the 14th star of Qi Refining.
The enlightenment of all dharma formulas, from the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends to One Origin One Convergence.
Yes.
All formulas within Qi Refining ultimately return to One Origin.
All meanings ultimately return to a single meaning.
'If all meanings are, in truth, one...I see. Neither the mirrors nor the Bodhi tree truly existed.'
Tears stream down my face as I bow before the being in front of me.
"...Thank you, Master."
"...Have you understood?"
A warm smile appears on their face.
The figure before me is not Master in the form of Cheongmun Ryeong.
It is the symbol of the [yellow snake].
That snake is not biting its tail to form a circle; instead, it draws a circle by spiraling outward.
Yes, this snake is forming a helix (螺旋).
"All spells are, in truth, one. Qi, Soul, Fate are all one. All meanings are also one...everything is one. The essence of Immortal Arts is connecting with that 'one'."
Before I realize it, my body has returned to that of 'Seo Eun-hyun,' clad in a white robe.
"Radiance Ten Heavens or whatever...do not be bound by formulas. Only reaching the 'one'...is the true way to reach the ultimate."
"...Yes. I will...do so without fail."
With deep enlightenment, I shed tears and bow to my master.
They are Cheongmun Ryeong, the Salt Sea Supreme Deity, the Yellow Snake, and also the Fifth Seat of the Radiance Ten Heavens, Castle Wall Heavenly Lord.
At last, I open my eyes.
Before me, six suns have appeared.
Six million years have passed.
-x-X-x-
Chijijijijik!
I begin to perceive my surroundings through my hazy mind.
I regain my senses.
'Already six...'
Six suns have formed.
It seems about six million years have passed.
'For six million years...I was completely enthralled by the poison of light, becoming nothing more than a machine instinctively spewing out stars...?'
What a truly terrifying being.
That existence called light...
'I need to regain my senses right now...'
I quickly focus my consciousness to clear my mind.
Yet, for some reason, not only my body but even my will refuses to move as I command.
'Wh-What is this...?'
I cannot move.
Even though I have reached the realm of a True Immortal, my Immortal Body stiffens as if poisoned by a powerful venom, rendering me unable to move at will.
'My body...is focused solely on producing light!?'
Panicked, I try to reclaim control over my own body, but it is futile.
Woo-woooong!
My body remains dazed, mechanically creating new fixed stars just like the poison of light orders it to.
Chijijijijik!
A silver-white light begins to emerge in my hands.
And within that light, I seem to glimpse a [silver-white snake biting its tail].
As soon as I see that [snake] symbol, my mind becomes blank again, and I feel as if my consciousness is being consumed by the light.
'No...! With just my will alone...I can't break free. If this continues...'
I grit my teeth.
But just then, as I gaze at the silver-white snake, someone comes to mind.
The face of the one I had briefly unmasked.
Yes, Gyeong-i's face flashes through my head.
Woo-woong!
The moment I recall her face, the poison of light inexplicably seems to weaken.
'Gyeong-i... I see. When I think of Gyeong-i's face, the light weakens. As expected, the lights of the Radiance Ten Heavens are the Radiance Ten Heavenly Lords. In other words, connected to the Radiance Eight Immortals of the present.'
However, while it becomes easier to maintain my consciousness, my body remains addicted to the light, endlessly generating more of it.
'This won't do. I need another method...'
Just then.
'Th-This energy...!'
I flinch in surprise at the presence of a familiar energy emanating from somewhere.
Saaaaaaaa—
It is evil.
The authority of the sinister Devilish Path.
The treacherous stench of blood and the scent of corpses.
The fragrance of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's Corpse Mountain Blood Sea seizes my mind.
'This is Gwak Am...! No, no... If it were Gwak Am, They would never forgive the pathetic me who is being controlled by light. They would have called me pathetic as soon as They saw me and killed me on the spot. The use of this Corpse Mountain Blood Sea is...'
Realizing who has intruded upon this space with the energy of Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, my eyes snap open.
'Oh Hye-seo! Oh Hye-seo is extending her power into this spacetime. I see... Six million years have passed, so the others must have grown significantly stronger as well.'
I rack my head.
'Why on earth would Oh Hye-seo extend Corpse Mountain Blood Sea here? To devour me? How persistent... If her realm has risen this much, she should have realized that the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's words were lies. But regardless, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.'
Corpse Mountain Blood Sea fundamentally rejects light.
Perhaps it is because Gwak Am's will, which rejects Radiance Hall, is deeply embedded within it.
Thus, if I were to use that Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, I might be able to escape the light's poisoning through the principle of fighting poison with poison.
'What I need right now is information.'
Directly facing my consciousness and Immortal Body that refuse to move as I will, I begin repentant enlightenment.
'Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment...'
Wo-woong!
As I recite the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, the sensation in my body begins to return, albeit slowly.
Tstststststs!
Though I do not immediately regain my physical body, my 'senses' begin to return.
'I can see...'
The planes of Qi, Soul, and Fate become vividly readable.
I read through history, grasping the current situation.
And then, I realize what is happening.
'Damn it. Filling the Heavens Governing View is sealing all advancements. At this rate, I won't be able to do anything! This can't be... This can't do. I need someone who pierced through my Filling the Heavens Governing View. Someone...huh!'
As I read through history, I suddenly uncover an unexpected truth.
'Yeo Hwi, Ham Jin, Yu Hwi...'
They are making plans to destroy the results of my Radiance Ten Heavens.
'I see. You all...even if it means joining hands with Oh Hye-seo, are working hard to regain my mind...!'
I feel like crying.
It's been six million years.
Six million years!
Even Ban Ta, who had been stuck in the Purple Gold Realm for five hundred thousand years, whined about how hard it was.
Yet these three have been trapped in this suffocating world for more than twelve times that duration, struggling to save me.
At their loyalty, that can't even be compared to the whiner Ban Ta, I inwardly bite my lips.
'I swear...'
I make a vow here and now.
'I swear...at the very least, I will not let you be unhappy...!'
This is my oath.
To those who have sworn loyalty to me.
To at least my subordinates—no matter how many lifetimes pass and no matter what I must do, I will strive to grant them what they desire.
...Of course, I still need to stop Yeo Hwi from kidnapping people and making them die from excessive pleasure.
'I will not...forget you.'
Gigigigik—
Engraving their heart into my chest, I begin using the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra with all my strength to resist the poison of light.
I will definitely escape from this poison.
And I will step beyond this spacetime of emptiness!
Ham Jin lets out a sigh.
Kugugugugu!
Before he realizes it, seven million years have passed.
His master shows no signs of regaining his mind.
With Oh Hye-seo's help, they have tried time and time again to secretly detonate the fixed stars.
But it is impossible.
Though all three of them are at the Sacred Vessel stage and thus capable of using some level of Immortal Arts, their mere Immortal Arts alone cannot break through the Immortal Art of the Crystal Glass Being Seo Eun-hyun.
Filling the Heavens Governing View.
A powerful and cruel Immortal Art that fixes all outcomes to [failure].
Built upon Seo Eun-hyun's countless failures, that Immortal Art is unbreakable no matter what they try.
The one aiding them, Oh Hye-seo, also regards Filling the Heavens Governing View with the greatest caution and fear, exhausting every effort to find its weakness, but it proves impossible.
Ham Jin feels as if he is wandering through a hazy fog.
Even by creating a prophetic star and offering it as a sacrifice to summon Oh Hye-seo's sincere single strike, the result was the same.
Seo Eun-hyun, poisoned by the venom of light, so effortlessly shattered Oh Hye-seo's single strike with the power of Filling the Heavens Governing View.
Not once has any of their attacks even properly reached Seo Eun-hyun's fixed star.
Ham Jin feels himself growing anxious.
The seven fixed stars that have at some point risen to the sky.
The seventh sun emits a silver-white light, dyeing the Crystal Glass Realm.
Moreover, the situation in the Crystal Glass Realm is gradually worsening.
There are seven fixed stars.
Though Seo Eun-hyun has created stellar systems, he holds these stellar systems in place with attraction force with him at the center, preventing them from straying far away from him. Because of this, the Crystal Glass Realm is growing increasingly cramped as new planets and fixed stars continue to be born.
Of course, the very act of living is not an issue, as Yeo Hwi, Ham Jin, and Yu Hwi, all at the Sacred Vessel stage, carefully manage everything.
However, even they cannot completely block the 'light.'
Gradually...
The world is heating up.
While the attraction force of the fixed stars does not cause any harm, the light, heat, and solar winds continuously emitted from the fixed stars are warming the Crystal Glass Realm.
Yu Hwi is creating countless gemstones that absorb heat to lower the temperature, but...that alone is the limit.
'If Teacher creates another sun...from that point on, it will truly become difficult to bear. It will get noticeably hotter. Senior Yeo Hwi and I will try our best to guide the seas and ice ages, but...in the end, most planets will start turning into deserts."
Yu Hwi is creating heat-absorbing minerals, and Yeo Hwi is bringing forth ice ages to counter Seo Eun-hyun's light and heat as much as possible to protect the living beings.
But that is all they can do.
'At this rate...do I have to watch all the living beings Teacher has brought into existence go extinct under Teacher's light?'
Ham Jin lands on a planet within the Crystal Glass Realm and lets out a deep sigh.
With his eyes lifeless, he slumps onto a rock and gazes at the ground.
Even if it's Ham Jin, who has the confidence to not yield against any external pressure—
Against the madness of Seo Eun-hyun, whom he regards as his teacher, under that unending light of insanity...he feels as though he might give up.
Just as Ham Jin sags down, about to sink into bleak thoughts—
"Mister, what are you doing here?"
"Hm?"
Ham Jin looks down at a young child tugging at his collar.
Sucking on his fingers, the child gazes up at Ham Jin under the scorching sunlight.
He strokes the child's head and replies.
"...It's just...someone who is like my father is very sick."
"Heok! Really? Here...this is a herb I picked. Please take it with you."
The child extends a handful of grass growing nearby with tiny hands.
Ham Jin chuckles and shakes his head.
"Thank you, but that person isn't sick in body. He is sick in heart...this won't be able to heal him."
He sighs and pats the child's back before smiling.
"I appreciate the thought, but it's okay. Go home now."
"Yes...! Okay. Then I'll go home and bring some different medicine."
"No—"
Before Ham Jin can stop him,
The little child scurries off, running towards the village where his home is.
Curing his teacher afflicted with madness.
It's a child's naïve fantasy.
But Ham Jin smiles as he watches that innocence.
The next day arrives.
The child brings yet another herb.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think this one will work either."
"Eh! Then I'll bring a different one tomorrow."
"It's alright. My teacher is..."
Not listening to Ham Jin's words, the child continues bringing herbs.
The next day.
The day after that.
And the day after that...
The child does not give up.
And so, time passes.
The child has become a boy.
"Mister Ham Jin. I came again today."
"...You've come again."
"The villagers say I'm crazy. That I come up to an empty rock every day to talk and play."
"Hahaha..."
"Mister, are you a ghost?"
"Who knows? I'm a being that only those with a pure heart can see."
"Aha, so you were an immortal!"
Ham Jin bursts into hearty laughter.
"An immortal, huh... No, I'm not an immortal, just a disciple of one."
"I knew it...! There had to be a reason you never aged even after all these years. Anyway, Mister, I've realized it!"
"...What is it?"
"That teacher Mister talks about. Regular herbs won't heal him, right?"
"You've realized it, at last... Haha. That's right. My teacher can't be healed with herbs. Only by eliminating the root cause will he recover."
Ham Jin lifts his head and looks up at the sunlight.
"What's the root cause?"
"...Sunlight. It's the sunlight."
Hearing Ham Jin's words, the boy asks with a puzzled expression.
"Light? Can light make someone sick?"
"...It seems so. Because of light, one can even become poisoned."
"...I see."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Mister."
The boy speaks.
"I don't have parents. I grew up in a temple since I was little. I wasn't a child monk or anything...just an errand boy."
"Is that so."
"My parents...died on a hot day. The head monk said...it was heatstroke."
"...I'm sorry."
"...? Why is Mister apologizing? Anyway. Ever since that day, I've had a thought. That it would be good if there weren't any more people hurt like my parents. That's why when I grow up...I thought about becoming a physician."
"I see."
"But just now, I changed my mind."
"Hm?"
Ham Jin, suddenly sensing a powerful will from the boy, looks at him.
"I'm going to become a hunter."
"A hunter? What do you plan to hunt?"
"...The sun."
"The sun?"
"Yes. My parents...and Mister Ham Jin's teacher, were both hurt by the sun. So I...I'm going to hunt the sun."
"Why insist on doing that?"
He looks at the boy with a bitter expression.
"That is impossible, difficult, and doomed to fail. And though the sun may seem hot and makes life difficult, it is an existence essential for life. More than anything...I can understand your parents, but what does my teacher have to do with you that you are trying to save him?"
"...I know. I saw it. The villagers call me a madman who sees things that aren't real...but I definitely saw it, Mister Ham Jin."
The boy looks into Ham Jin's eyes.
"I saw Mister bring rain to our village. Mister is an immortal, aren't you? One who protects our village... Thanks to Mister, we still have our village and our temple. My parents may have regretfully passed away, but...they always said so. That we live each day by the grace of the divine spirit. That one day, we must repay that grace."
"...I..."
Ham Jin lets out a quiet sigh.
He couldn't even save the boy's parents.
Such words rise to his throat, but he swallows them back.
"I will repay that grace. I will hunt the sun that brings pain to Mister's teacher."
"..."
'So that's how it is.'
Ham Jin understands what kind of child the boy is.
He was born with a consciousness domain more powerful than anyone else's.
Because of that, he saw what others could not and perceived Ham Jin, whom others could not sense.
He is even brimming with talent for Immortal Cultivation.
But as the price for being born with such abilities, he was born with lacking intelligence.
From that day on, the boy began bringing a small wooden bow and began practicing shooting wooden arrows at the sky.
'...With a mere human body, to hunt the sun that even we failed to do... It is an impossible task. No matter how much this child advances in cultivation, he will never surpass the Grand Perfection Integration stage. Unless he pierces through Filling the Heavens Governing View, anything beyond that is impossible. With a Grand Perfection Integration stage body...what kind of sun does he think he can hunt...?'
And yet, Ham Jin wonders why.
As if mesmerized, he watches over the child's growth.
Every day, the boy shoots his bow at the sky.
Ten years pass.
Twenty years pass.
The boy becomes a young man, then a middle-aged man, then an old man.
And even as the time of his death approaches, he still shoots his bow at the sky.
"...Mister...Ham Jin..."
The boy, who has already become an old man, looks at Ham Jin and speaks.
"I...improved a lot, didn't I?"
"...Yeah. You improved a lot."
The child has become an old man.
And he spent his entire life shooting his bow.
The archery skills of the old man, who had become one with his bow, continued to improve and improve. Now, he reached the realm where with a single shot of his bow, his arrows can reach the clouds.
"...I think, the arrow, I shoot today, will be my last. I can feel...my life fading."
The old man looks at Ham Jin and smiles.
"...You will...watch, won't you?"
"...I have always been watching."
Ham Jin never took the boy as his disciple.
Instead, he adjusted his fate so that he may live a long, healthy life, meet an ordinary woman, fall in love, and return to a normal life.
But in the end, the boy always came back to Ham Jin and shot his bow.
Ham Jin wished for him to avoid the cruel and arduous path of cultivation, to live a peaceful and happy life, but the boy never chose that path.
Even as he rejected the life Ham Jin laid out for him, he never let go of his bow.
A madman who still refuses to let go of the childish vow he made in his childhood.
That, is the old man Ham Jin sees.
"...Before you go on your final journey. Tell me your name."
"Haha, Mister...Ham Jin. You mean, you didn't...even know my name?"
"I know, of course...I just want to hear it from you. After all, despite all this time, you never once introduced yourself to me. I only knew because I heard the villagers calling you by it."
"Ah...I see. My introduction...is a little late. Mister Ham Jin..."
The child who became an old man.
The child who became a madman.
He smiles brightly as he pulls back his bowstring, aiming towards the sun.
"My name is...In Yeon."
"..."
"My parents passed away before they could give me a proper name beyond my childhood name, so the head monk at the temple gave me this dharma name. It's a name taken from the names of two people called Su In and Hong Yeon."
"...I see. In Yeon."
Ham Jin looks at In Yeon and smiles.
"Show me...your final shot."
"I have received your command, sir divine spirit."
In Yeon pulls back his bowstring with all his strength.
The bowstring stretches taut.
Then, In Yeon releases it.
In Yeon's arrow soars into the sky.
Ham Jin looks up.
'Your final shot...I will remember it in my heart, and no matter what...I will not give up on curing my teacher.'
Ham Jin thinks of it as the last desperate struggle of an ordinary human who, despite having the talent for Immortal Cultivation, was born with something wrong in his mind in exchange.
He etches that final struggle into his heart, determined never to give up and to search for a way to save his teacher.
To Ham Jin, In Yeon's last moments are only to that extent.
However.
"...Uh?"
In Yeon's arrow reaches the clouds.
"H-Huh?"
Ham Jin rises from his seat.
The arrow pierces through the clouds.
"What...!?"
Piercing through the clouds, the arrow does not fall.
As if, for some reason, it is unaffected by attraction force.
"Wait...!!!"
Ham Jin's eyes open wide.
The arrow continues to soar.
The arrow breaks through the atmosphere of the planet.
And after piercing through the stratosphere, the arrow finally comes to a halt as it quietly crumbles.
"...In Yeon...ah..."
Ham Jin stares blankly at In Yeon.
The final arrow of his life.
That single arrow transcended every limit of a human who has neither learned martial arts nor cultivation methods, escaping the world they live in.
Ham Jin understands what miracle this is.
It is Immortal Art.
A mere human, in the final moments of his life, awakened Immortal Art.
Had Seo Eun-hyun seen it, he would have called it Entering Heavens. But by Ham Jin's standards, there is no other way to describe it but Immortal Art.
He stands frozen in place for a long time.
In Yeon remains stiff, dead along with his final Immortal Art.
He died standing.
A childish heart.
That pure and innocent heart, determined to save Ham Jin's teacher who suffers from the light, had reached the heavens.
In Yeon's children come to retrieve his body.
Thanks to Ham Jin, In Yeon lived a relatively peaceful life.
Before long, his descendants had multiplied.
Yet, even when In Yeon's children retrieve his body, he remains rigid.
It is simply too unbelievable.
Ham Jin only regains his senses when In Yeon's son steps forward to the same spot where his father once stood and begins shooting arrows.
In Yeon's son follows his father and begins to shoot his bow.
Ham Jin watches blankly.
Is it to carry on his father's will?
Is it In Yeon's dying wish?
He does not know for sure.
Perhaps it is something In Yeon asked of them to please Ham Jin, the divine spirit.
But even after In Yeon's death, the bow he once used continues to shoot into the sky.
Ham Jin simply stares at the sight, dazed.
When In Yeon's son dies, his grandson takes his place.
Then his great-grandson, and then his great-great-grandson.
At some point, Ham Jin begins to observe them seriously.
And at some point, he realizes that a certain [power] has begun to take root in their bloodline.
That [power] is being passed down to one another, being gradually inherited by the next generation.
And with each inheritance of that [power], In Yeon's family begins to display an ever-greater natural talent for archery.
Ham Jin eventually discerns its identity.
"...So it's you. Oh Hye-seo..."
Someone chuckles from within Ham Jin's shadow.
—Is this the bloodline you placed your hopes in? I decided to gamble on your hope as well.
"...What have you done to them?"
—Nothing much. I simply laid Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens upon them.
"Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens...!"
—Do not worry... Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens is...different from before. It no longer aims to erode others. From the moment Seo Hweol passed it on to me, it transformed entirely... This power...has become the power of inheritance.
Oh Hye-seo, residing within Ham Jin's shadow, speaks as she watches the unending inheritance of In Yeon's will.
—Let us endlessly pass down their talent, their will. Then, surely, something useful will come of it in time, don't you think?
"...No."
Ham Jin denies Oh Hye-seo's words.
"It will not be something as simple as...useful."
A statement founded on nothing but hope, with no evidence to prove it.
Yet, for some reason, Ham Jin feels certain.
In Yeon's family.
His will, that has begun its endless succession, will one day cover the sky itself.
He is sure of it.
"That child's...goodwill...will definitely..."
Ham Jin smiles as he watches In Yeon's clan, who have grown in strength and have now purchased the entire mountain as their training ground.
"Surely...hunt the sunlight."
Before long, the four seasons pass, and spring arrives once more.
The peach trees planted by In Yeon's family begin to bloom atop the mountain.
The entire mountain is filled with the scent of peach blossoms.
===
Author's Note:
The title of this chapter, Sunlight Hunting, is an homage to
Vamos Aquecer o Sol is a story about a boy growing into a young man.
It is a tale of a child becoming an adult.
Through this episode, I want to portray Seo Eun-hyun's growth as an Immortal, his coming to age as an Immortal. That is why I chose Sunlight Hunting as the title for this episode.
As always, thank you.
Translator Notes:
The Korean title for Vamos Aquecer o Sol is 햇빛사냥, which translates literally to Sunlight Hunting.