Where does the limit lie when a single family continuously passes down and improves a specific talent?
Ham Jin is able to find the answer though In Yeon's family.
Chijijijik!
The 102nd head of the In Clan.
In Wang's grasp ignites a bow and arrow in a pale blue glow.
Kugung!
At the same time, the ground beneath In Wang's feet sinks drastically.
In Wang opens his eyes wide and releases the bowstring.
Peoong!
With the sound of an exploding shell, the arrow soars into the sky.
Peobeobeobeong!
The arrow pierces through the sky, tearing the clouds into a perfect circle, then continues to advance, surpassing the atmosphere and stratosphere for a long while.
But that is the end.
In Wang sighs and, following the ancestral rites passed down in the family, bows towards a specific spot in the training ground.
One side of the training ground.
There stands the guardian stone that has been passed down through the In Clan for thousands of years.
Seated in a lotus position atop that guardian stone is Ham Jin, though those of lower cultivation cannot perceive him.
'Astounding...'
Ham Jin clicks his tongue, marveling at the might of the In Clan.
'Just now, it was only for a moment, but pure spiritual force wrapped around his body.'
Through Oh Hye-seo's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, the talent for archery has been continuously passed down.
Unlike Seo Hweol's, Oh Hye-seo's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens focuses not on replication and erosion but on inheritance, and thus, the version passed down within the In Clan has long since departed from her hands.
Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens directly manipulates others, whereas Oh Hye-seo's, depending on the time inherited and spent with the inheritor, changes according to the inheritor. It is structured in a way that in the end, it would somewhat escape Oh Hye-seo's influence.
Observing this inherited talent of the In Clan, Ham Jin cannot help but be awestruck.
'It was only for a moment, but In Wang was like a Qi Building cultivator.'
Pure spiritual force.
A power mortals call Gang Qi cloaked his entire body as he concentrated it onto the arrow and released it into the sky.
As the endlessly inherited archery of the In Clan continued to develop, it gradually became martial arts.
As time passed, it evolved into an unparalleled martial art.
And when that unparalleled martial art reached its ultimate peak, at some point, it surpassed its own limitations and entered a completely new realm.
Demon beast methods.
It has reached the same realm as demon beast methods that forcefully absorb the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy to reconstruct the body and transcend the limits of living beings.
At first, it was merely an Earth Tribe method at the level of Qi Refining.
But the archery of the In Clan continued to be passed down without end.
And as it was inherited over and over,
At some point, the archery of the In Clan reached a level equivalent to Qi Building.
'...Astonishing.'
Yet what truly astonishes Ham Jin lies elsewhere.
The man who just shot that arrow, the clan head of the In Clan, In Wang, is only twenty years old.
The previous 101st head, in his reckless pursuit of rapid advancement, failed to contain an explosion within his meridians and had his head blown apart.
It happened so quickly that even Ham Jin couldn't intervene in time. With no alternative, the position of head was given to the most talented member of the clan—In Wang.
In Wang, inheriting this demonic beast method passed down in the In Clan, mastered it without difficulty, reaching a level somewhere between the peak of Qi Refining and Qi Building.
That was just about a year ago.
'A terrifying talent.'
Of course, Ham Jin can only say such things because he has never seen Kim Young-hoon. Regardless, the talent of the In Clan continues to be endlessly inherited, growing ever stronger.
'If this continues to be passed down without end, then surely...'
Ham Jin clenches his lips.
At present, his teacher is ensnared by light.
And that light is deeply intertwined with fate.
Thus, in the end, Ham Jin must stand against the fate that is Seo Eun-hyun.
'I, who is not even a True Immortal, cannot stand against fate.'
True Immortals are beings who manipulate fate.
At best, he is only a Sacred Vessel, and such divine powers are beyond him.
Therefore, he needs something that can oppose fate.
'If it's In Yeon's history...then it can stand against Teacher...!'
With that thought, Ham Jin continues to observe In Yeon's family.
Kugugugugugu!
Ham Jin looks up at the sky.
On every planet in the Crystal Glass Realm, the sun rises during the day.
Surrounding that sun, stars that shine brightly can be seen.
This is the case even during the day.
The stars visible around the sun are fixed stars that exist in different locations across the Crystal Glass Realm.
And from the planet where the In Clan resides, Ham Jin looks up at one massive sun and the [seven] fixed stars floating around it.
The eight millionth year.
"...It has already reached this point, huh."
At some point, the eighth sun has risen.
Ham Jin narrows his eyes.
It is hot.
Yeo Hwi has been traveling periodically between planets, scattering enough water energy and yin energy to bring about an ice age, yet it is not enough.
Yu Hwi has mobilized countless disciples at the Integration stage, deploying dharma treasures and formations crafted from countless minerals and gemstones to absorb the heat, but it is futile.
The heat and light radiating from the eight suns have far surpassed what they can control.
Even Ham Jin, borrowing Oh Hye-seo's power, has tried everything, but the task is not easy.
Rather, with each additional sun, they resonate with one another, strengthening their attraction force and intensifying the heat, leaving Ham Jin's expression growing graver.
'...Can this really succeed?'
Ham Jin gazes at the In Clan, where an Integration stage Grand Cultivator has emerged at some point.
As a Sacred Vessel Sacred Master, Ham Jin has bestowed every possible blessing and fortune upon them.
Over an absurdly long span of time, Ham Jin has even reached the Sacred Vessel stage through Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation. He has exhausted all the authority he can wield in the Plane of Qi and the Plane of Fate to bless their talents, their bloodlines, and their futures.
Yet, in a million years,
The In Clan has only now produced an Integration stage.
Kugugugugugu!
The In Clan's Integration stage Grand Cultivator.
In Jeon grips his bow with a solemn expression, then fires towards the sky, towards the sunlight.
Kugugugugugu!
His Integrated Dao Domain seems to condense entirely into the arrow.
In an instant, the domain itself is carried upon the arrow as it soars forward.
Flash!
The arrow, carrying the Integrated Dao Domain, pierces through the stratosphere and bores straight through the moon orbiting their planet.
Of course, the moon does not shatter.
The arrow only creates a hole precisely the size of its width.
It pierces through a minuscule, narrow hole, and beyond the moon, the arrow continues traveling for a long while before finally coming to a stop.
Yet, In Jeon wears a slightly regretful expression.
"...Reaching another planet is still too difficult, I see."
It has already been a million years.
The talent and method inherited by the In Clan have grown stronger.
Under the category of [Bow and Arrow], no one in the Crystal Glass Realm can surpass them.
But Ham Jin is growing impatient.
'At this rate, I'll be too late.'
They are now at the Integration stage, but it is already far behind.
'At this speed, they will never be able to pierce through Teacher's Filling the Heavens Governing View and pierce through the sunlight... To pierce through Teacher's Filling the Heavens Governing View, they must grow even faster, rise even higher. If it continues like this...and nine suns end up rising...'
Ham Jin tightly shuts his eyes.
The formulas of the Radiance Ten Heavens grow more resonant and powerful as they near completion.
If Seo Eun-hyun completes the ten suns, that day will be nothing short of a catastrophe.
Seo Eun-hyun's consciousness will be completely consumed by that vortex of light.
That is the one thing he cannot allow.
'Before Teacher raises ten suns...the sun must go down!'
Bududuk...
Ham Jin grinds his teeth in frustration.
Just then,
The will of Oh Hye-seo whispers from his shadow.
—You seem impatient.
"...I am."
—It seems...you'll need my help?
"Your help?"
—The power of the Devilish. Let us imbue In Yeon's bloodline...with the authority of Corpse Mountain Blood Sea. If we do so, we will surely succeed even faster.
"...That..."
Ham Jin hesitates for a long moment.
But then, he squeezes his eyes shut.
"...I refuse."
—...What?
"Even if I must turn back, walking the orthodox path is the correct choice. If I appeared impatient, I apologize. But this is the lesson I carved into my body while being hung upside down and beaten by Teacher, and it is also Teacher's will. Just to save Teacher...I cannot betray that will."
—Kukuk...Do you think I haven't read your history? You, a lust devil who gathered men and women fifty years younger than yourself, indulging in pleasure without distinction of gender or status in all kinds of positions—yet here you are, pretending to have honor. The orthodox path? You are the finest seed of Devilish (魔) there is. Stop resisting and accept it. Isn't the most important thing right now saving your teacher?
"..."
At the truth exposed by Oh Hye-seo, Ham Jin's face flushes bright red.
"...I am...undoubtedly disgraceful."
—Of course you are. You even dragged in demon beasts to indulge yourself. Do you think Yeo Hwi chases you around for no reason?
"...But..."
Even though Oh Hye-seo lays his shame bare, the light in Ham Jin's eyes does not die.
"My teacher...Teacher's honor...is something I can never violate. To stand beneath him and accept the ruthless Devilish Path would be...a definite stain upon Teacher's honor. I am a disgraceful man. But precisely because of that, I understand how precious honor is."
Paaat!
He swings his hand towards the shadow where Oh Hye-seo's will resides.
The shadow trembles, and Oh Hye-seo clicks her tongue in displeasure.
"Let me make this clear. I will walk the orthodox path."
—...Do as you please. Let's see...how long you can keep that attitude...
With those words, Oh Hye-seo's will fades away.
Yet, Ham Jin bites his lip.
'How long...can I endure without borrowing Oh Hye-seo's power?'
Though he had spoken with conviction, he cannot deny the impatience rising in his chest.
Ham Jin has never revealed himself directly, but he has provided immense support to the In Clan all this time.
Bestowing blessings upon them was only the beginning. Whenever their cultivation stagnated, he granted them fortuitous opportunities, and he appeared in their dreams to impart teachings.
Though he never formally established a master-disciple bond, the In Clan is, in itself, his disciple.
But they are too slow.
To remain aligned with Seo Eun-hyun's will, Ham Jin has always taught them adhering to the orthodox path.
Because of that, the In Clan, when reaching the Four-Axis stage, has only pursued either the Orthodox Five Elements Axes or the Five Blessings Axes, causing their progress to always be a little slow.
'How long...can I keep them walking this orthodox path?'
Feeling his impatience grow, he continues to support the In Clan.
Five hundred thousand years have passed.
The eight million, five hundred thousandth year.
At last, Ham Jin reveals himself before the In Clan.
In the Crystal Glass Realm, the three Immortal Treasures have essentially taken on the role of Sacred Masters.
Because of this, Ham Jin, Yeo Hwi, and Yu Hwi are worshipped as gods in the Crystal Glass Realm, and as soon as Ham Jin appears, the entire In Clan rushes out to bow before him with utmost reverence.
Yet, there is no joy on Ham Jin's face.
"O Unruly One, Ham Jin, of the Three Divine Spirits, this In Wi-jeon, the clan head of the In Clan, greets—"
"Enough with the empty formalities. I have something to tell you."
Ham Jin speaks in an impatient tone.
"First, Clan Lord. You are the most talented and naturally gifted of your generation, correct?"
"Yes, that is certainly—"
"Then why are you still at the Grand Perfection Integration stage!?"
Ham Jin finally explodes.
"Just why!? The talent and method of your clan has been continuously passed for one million, five hundred thousand years, yet why are you still a mere Integration stage!? Your family! I have supported your clan from behind for one million five hundred thousand years! And yet, why are you progressing in such a shallow way!?"
"Th-That is..."
"Enough. I do not need to hear anything else. I have been too lenient until now."
He grits his teeth hard.
"The founder of your In Clan, In Yeon, was a special connection of mine. Because of that, I placed my trust on that child and watched over your clan. But...this will no longer do. The reason you failed to grow properly must be because you lack the motivation..."
His eyes, bloodshot with frustration, burn red.
Even now, Ham Jin does not intend to abandon the orthodox path.
He will not be swayed by Oh Hye-seo's wicked whispers!
Yet, this very resolve only intensifies his impatience, and at last, his frustration erupts.
"Your path is undoubtedly the correct one. You have followed the course I arranged for you, walking a correct and upright road. But...you are too slow. You are as slow as slugs! At this rate, I will never be able to save my teacher. Therefore, I will set a goal for you."
Ham Jin grinds his teeth and shouts,
"I...will personally lead you!"
His eyes hold a strange madness.
The madness of 'saving Teacher' is also the pain that Ham Jin has accumulated over millions of years.
Yeo Hwi vents her frustration and irritation by abducting people and violating them just short of the point of death.
Yu Hwi takes in Integration stage disciples, refining ghosts, spirits, and energy to create new jewels and dharma treasures, indulging in extravagance to ease his irritation.
But Ham Jin, ever since he was severely scolded by Seo Eun-hyun, has never revealed greed or desire.
Yet, now that his suppressed desires and pain have burst forth, they manifest in the most extreme way.
"I preside over the life and death of the Crystal Glass Realm. Thus, I can also preside over your life and death as well."
Badudududuk...
He will not abandon the orthodox path.
For that would tarnish his teacher's honor.
But in other words,
As long as he does not cross the line called the orthodox path that he himself has drawn, he can do 'anything'.
That is the logic, the madness that takes over Ham Jin's mind.
"From today onward, those who fail to meet the standards I set will die."
Under the logic of saving his teacher, Ham Jin begins to unleash all the madness he has been suppressing.
"Do not worry. Even death is not the end. If you meet the standards I have set after dying, I will revive you. However...those who think death is the end and neglect to train hard will never be left in peace. I will personally administer torture at the Sacred Vessel stage."
Pain.
The only way to elevate oneself without plundering and stealing from others is through endless pain.
Ham Jin chooses to become the pain of the In Clan.
"The first clan head. If there are those who fail to properly inherit the meaning of In Yeon and cannot wield the bow, they must pay the price for the talent, bloodline, and aptitude they have inherited. From now on, under my rule, you will refine your talents and aptitudes even further to grow!"
The tyrannical aspect of Ham Jin, which he had suppressed for millions of years, resurfaces in the face of an unresolvable situation that has persisted for just as long.
And so, time begins to flow once more.
One hundred thousand years since Ham Jin personally began his rule.
Chwaaak!
Ham Jin mercilessly lashes an Integration stage Grand Cultivator with a whip formed of Glass True Fire.
The current clad head, In Ryeok-shin, grits his teeth.
"Why! Have you! Still not even prepared to reach the Star Shattering stage! You retarded fools! You worthless bastards!"
Ham Jin grinds his teeth in fury, his eyes gleaming with madness.
In Ryeok-shin bows his head beneath Ham Jin, blood dripping from his body.
"Please forgive me...O Three Divine Spirits."
"I believe in you! So why does your family fail to live up to my trust!? Why!? You worthless bastards! Repay the blessings you have received! I have bestowed upon you teachings, opportunities, and spiritual elixirs without reservation, and yet, what have you been doing all this time!?"
Worthless bastards.
Lately, Ham Jin has been calling the In Clan by that name.
Perhaps, having been trapped in one place without hope, his madness is beginning to consume him entirely.
Yet, Ham Jin feels that his actions are correct.
No one has yet broken through Filling the Heavens Governing View to reach the Star Shattering stage.
However, as time passes, the In Clan members are undoubtedly deepening their understanding of Immortal Arts, and the power of their Immortal Arts within the Integration stage is steadily growing.
All of it is thanks to the pain Ham Jin personally inflicted.
'I am upholding Teacher's orthodox path.'
Ham Jin believes this.
'I am not plundering anything from anyone. I am making them grow using only their own pain as nourishment. This is...yes. This is the rod of love. With the rod of love, I am making the In Clan grow. I am...right!'
Chwak, chwak!
Relentlessly swinging the whip made of Glass True Fire, Ham Jin kicks In Ryeok-shin, whose Integrated Dao Domain has been torn to shreds.
Peok!
"Kuugh..."
"Go. I do this only for your sake. I whip you while swallowing blood tears, desperately hoping for your growth. I ask that you understand me."
"...Thank...you..."
"Good. Now go and bring your son. I must see his progress."
In Ryeok-shin bows to Ham Jin and steps out of the 'Hall of Repentant Enlightenment', patting the shoulder of his son who is waiting outside.
After his son, a Grand Perfection Four-Axis stage, enters the hall, an ear-splitting scream erupts from within.
"Why! Are you! Still in the Four-Axis stage!? I even took the Five Blessings Axes from Teacher and gave them to you! I gave you fortuitous encounters! I found you the best Dao Companion for dual cultivation! I gave you endless spiritual elixirs! Everything! I gave you everything! Yet why have you still not reached the Integration stage!? At five thousand years old, you should have reached it already! You worthless bastard!"
Chwaaak, chwaaak!
Listening to the agonized screams of his son and Ham Jin's furious roars, In Ryeok-shin clenches his teeth.
He does not say it aloud, but only one thought burns fiercely in his mind.
'Insane bastard... That madman...I have to kill him.'
In Ryeok-shin steps outside, grips his bow, and practices focusing his intent on the tip as he shoots, clenching his teeth so hard that his gums bleed.
'No matter what...I will escape that madman... No matter what...!'
This is the one million, six hundred thousandth year since Ham Jin began supporting the In Clan.
The hundred thousandth year since he started personally guiding them.
Two hundred thousand years have passed.
Chwaaak, chwaaak, chwaaaak!
Ham Jin's eyes roll back halfway as his body trembles violently.
Before him, In Gwon, the current clan head of the In Clan, lies collapsed.
Behind him, over nine thousand members of the In Clan at the Heavenly Being stage and above stand gathered.
"Only...eight thousand strikes. I did not even maximize the power of Glass True Fire, just the level of a light touch. And yet, the so-called clan head faints after just eight thousand strikes? You worthless dog bastards...I should wipe out your entire clan, but I am merciful, so I will hold back."
His body shakes with rage as he shouts.
"Instead, from today onward, Glass True Fire will be incorporated into your training. Teacher's Glass True Fire is a tool that guarantees enlightenment if you endure the pain. This will be a great opportunity for you all. You will surely...!"
As he trembles, raving about his insane training plan—
Chuk!
"...?"
Ham Jin suddenly turns his gaze towards In Gwon's son, In Hyuk.
"...What is this?"
In Hyuk, his expression calm, has his bow aimed at Ham Jin.
"Have you gone mad? You dare...!"
"We are not mad. The one who is mad is you, Elder Ham Jin of the Three Divine Spirits. The other Divine Spirits, Lord Yeo Hwi and Lord Yu Hwi remain silent, yet why is it only Elder Ham Jin who oppresses and torments us?"
"Oppress...? Torment...? Do not spew nonsense. I am making you grow! So that you can soar! I am wielding the rod of love with a heart that swallows sand for your sake! And now, to me, who guides you with a parent's heart...you point your bow?"
"...Our great-great-grandfather, Grandfather In Ryeok-shin, left us these words."
In Hyuk speaks with a calm face.
"Kill the heavens. That is the only way we will survive."
"Yes! That is right! You must kill the heavens. The heavens! Those suns floating in the sky..."
"The heavens that oppress us are not the suns. It is you, Elder Three Divine Spirits Ham Jin."
"...What?"
"And so, we will no longer follow your meaning. Please leave our family alone."
"These...these crazy bastards... Just who are you aiming your bow at right now!? I am your parent, your teacher! You are a mere Integration stage, and I am a Sacred Vessel! I am..."
In Hyuk no longer listens to Ham Jin's words and releases the bowstring.
Piiit!
Ham Jin scoffs.
"You bugs who haven't even properly entered Immortal Arts. Do you think your arrows can reach—kueogh!"
Suddenly, Ham Jin coughs up spiritual energy as red as blood, his eyes widening in shock.
"Wh-What is this...!?"
"What Grandfather In Ryeok-shin passed down...were not just words."
Bloodshot veins rise in In Hyuk's eyes.
"Starting from his generation...we began to realize it. The certain [power] that has been passed down in our family...The starting point of that [Inherited Immortal Art]..."
"Th-This is..."
"In our great-grandfather's time, he understood the essence of that Immortal Art, and in our grandfather's time, he began drawing that Immortal Art into our own strength. And my father—who just collapsed under your blows—succeeded in fully embedding that power into the tip of an arrow. What I hold in my hands...is the culmination of the karma of those who were tormented and oppressed by you."
Kiiiiiiing!
The bow is completely dyed black.
Ham Jin's eyes widen as he recognizes the Immortal Art imbued within the bow.
'T-Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens...? No...Through generations of inheritance...its nature has completely changed. That is...!'
"Immortal Art, Sun Shooting (射日). This is...the culmination of the In Clan's long-cherished wish!"
Piiit!
Once again, the bowstring is released, and Ham Jin clenches his teeth, unleashing Glass True Fire.
Hwarurururuk!
"Don't make me laugh! I am your teacher, your parent, and your god! Without me, you cannot grow! Like slugs...like slugs, you will only grow slowly! You need me! Look! It is because I was here that you too have awakened Immortal Arts..."
Ham Jin transforms like a sun radiating Glass True Fire.
No arrow seems capable of piercing him.
However, that single arrow imbued with the Immortal Art Sun Shooting strikes straight through Ham Jin's body.
His internal world quakes.
The Immortal Art of someone not even at the Star Shattering stage, merely at the Grand Perfection Integration stage.
Yet that single Immortal Art pierces the Sacred Vessel stage Ham Jin, soars to the sky, pierces the moon, and then penetrates a certain mist that enshrouds the entire Crystal Glass Realm.
The hole it leaves behind is not large.
At most, only the width of an arrow, a minuscule hole.
The Immortal Art Sun Shooting, which couldn't even reach Seo Eun-hyun's Radiance Ten Heavens, crumbles on the spot.
But...it undoubtedly pierced it.
For the first time, Seo Eun-hyun's Filling the Heavens Governing View had been breached.
Ham Jin witnesses this and thinks.
'I...was...right...'
However, In Hyuk shouts with cold but anger-filled eyes.
"This is not your teaching."
"...What?"
"This is love, passed down from our great-great-grandfather."
"...What did you say...?"
"The heart that my child would not suffer under you. The heart that my child would not inherit this pain...! Not your pain but the love of Great-Great-Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Grandfather, and Father! That is the essence of this Immortal Art!"
With those words, the Immortal Art Sun Shooting pierces through Ham Jin's chest.
Piiiiiit!
Piiiiiit!
It is not just one arrow.
Two.
Three.
Four!
A total of nine arrows fly forth from the Immortal Art of Sun Shooting before finally coming to a stop. Ham Jin, in unbearable agony, is cast out from the planet of the In Clan.
"...Ha...haha..."
Tears stream from Ham Jin's eyes.
Even now, he could destroy them all along with the planet, but shame holds him back.
Because.
At this moment, Ham Jin understands everything.
"...So it was you."
Behind In Hyuk, who spoke of love, an all too familiar presence reflected in Ham Jin's eyes.
"...You had already...settled within them...watching all this time..."
Ham Jin finally realizes and cries out.
"Teacher...!"
Only today does Ham Jin recognize the will of Seo Eun-hyun, embedded within the In Clan.
His teacher had come to his senses.
He realizes the true identity of the child called In Yeon.
'So he...was originally a fragment of Teacher's realm...'
The existence known as In Yeon had originated from Seo Eun-hyun's Vast Cold Heavenly Circle.
'He was simply unable to move his main body freely because of the light, but his will was already awake. He awakened...and has been walking together with this Ham Jin this entire time.'
Rooted within the bloodline of the In Clan, he has remained alongside Ham Jin, striving to break free from the restraint of light.
One million, eight hundred thousand years since In Yeon was born.
Ham Jin, at last, confirms his teacher's will under the In Clan and regains his senses.
Kugugugugu!
Nine million years.
Ham Jin gazes upon the nine suns rising over the Crystal Glass Realm.
"...Teacher. Now, there are nine."
His teacher's main body has already completed nine suns and is beginning to create the tenth.
The completion of the Radiance Ten Heavens formula is now within reach.
"Teacher. Will you...be able to escape?"
Ham Jin asks towards Seo Eun-hyun's will, embedded within the In Clan.
The response comes in the form of a powerful arrow, soaring toward the sky.
Tuhwak!
The current clan head of the In Clan,
In Hu releases an arrow skyward.
That arrow pierces through the stratosphere, leaps beyond the moon, surpasses Seo Eun-hyun's Filling the Heavens Governing View, and flies straight towards the center of the Crystal Glass Realm.
Towards one of the nine suns there, toward the Castle Wall fixed star.
At last,
Puhwak!
That single arrow infused with the Immortal Art, Sun Shooting, reaches the sun and burns away.
Watching this, Ham Jin sheds tears.
'...It reached it.'
For nine million years,
Not a single being had ever reached Seo Eun-hyun's authority.
But now, the heart accumulated by In Yeon's history has finally touched upon it.
'One million years remain.'
Enough time for ten generations of Integration level clan heads to come and go.
It is far too short a time, yet Ham Jin lets go of his worries.
'It will reach. Because...'
The In Clan is the place where his teacher's will resides.
'The power of love passed down through them...Teacher once told me that it is the strongest power of all.'
Believing in that strongest power, Ham Jin continues waiting for the Radiance Ten Heavens.
Waiting for the conclusion to arrive.
The time for Sunlight Hunting is near.
-x-X-x-
'It's hot.'
A boy thinks.
Nine lights floating in the sky.
The elders of his family, who have reached the Four-Axis stage and can travel between planets, have spoken.
They said that in this Crystal Glass Realm, there exist nine suns, and because of those nine suns, the world is gradually growing hotter.
Hwiiiiiii—
A sandstorm blows.
The boy squints.
An endless desert stretches out before him.
Most of the land in Crystal Glass Realm is like this.
Though Integration stage Grand Cultivators have managed to create habitable living areas by merging their Integrated Dao Domains with formations, that is the extent of what they could do.
No one can lower the temperature of the entire world.
Back when there were only eight suns, the three Sacred Vessel stage beings known as the Three Divine Spirits—Yeo Hwi, Ham Jin, and Yu Hwi—each used their powers to cool the world as much as possible...
But now, even they are helpless against the heat of the nine suns.
The elders of his family have said that soon, a tenth sun will be born.
The Three Divine Spirits have also warned of this, so it must be true.
Hwiiiii—
Standing in the midst of the desert wind, the boy narrows his eyes.
"In Ye! Where are you, In Ye!?"
The elders of his family, the In Clan, call out to him from within the formation protecting the residential zone.
"This little rascal! Didn't we tell you not to leave the settlement?"
"More than that, this barrier should only be breakable by someone at least in the Heavenly Being stage. How in the world did you get through it?"
"In Ye, you brat! Didn't we say the air outside the settlement is thin, and the temperature is too high making it even dangerous for Qi Building stage cultivators! Why do you keep running off on your own!"
At the scolding from the elders, In Ye simply scratches his head.
'I just don't want to practice archery anymore.'
That is his true thought, but he knows that if he says it out loud, he'll only face harder scolding, so he makes up another excuse.
"...I just...wanted to see the desert with Mister."
He glances at the man in white standing beside him.
He can clearly feel his presence.
His breath, his scent, the white clothes he wears—all are vividly visible.
Yet the elders only respond with anger.
"This brat...are you seeing things again!?"
"If he were a ghost, we'd sense something. It seems like he's having hallucinations within his own mind."
"Damn it...the most talented child has a broken mind. What are we supposed to do with that!? Just come along! You haven't even finished today's training, and you're already trying to run away!"
The elders sigh in frustration, and as In Ye is dragged toward the training grounds by the hand, he mouths a question to the man in white.
"Mister, why can't anyone else see you?"
The man in white smiles faintly.
"Because I am both everywhere in this world and nowhere. It is simply that...your talent has surpassed a singularity, allowing you to perceive my existence which lingers in the Plane of Qi."
"Hmm..."
In Ye tilts his head at the cryptic words.
But somehow, he feels like he understands.
"I see. Mister...is a god. A god far greater than even the Three Divine Spirits."
Feeling the Qi that pervades this entire world, he asks,
"Then, are you the very Heaven and Earth spiritual energy that fills this world?"
"In a way, yes."
"I'm jealous. Mister can go anywhere you want. Meanwhile, if I take even a few steps outside the settlement, the elders always come chasing after me..."
"Can go anywhere...huh. Hahaha."
The man in white smiles as he speaks.
"I am not such a free god."
"What do you mean?"
"You will understand when the time comes."
In Ye finds it strange but lets it go.
After all, the man in white always speaks in vague riddles.
Time passes.
In Ye has already grown into a young man.
Having reached the Four-Axis stage at the age of twenty, In Ye fires an arrow into the sky.
Puhwak!
The arrow soaring into the sky suddenly vanishes into the void.
The Immortal Art he infused into the arrow surpassed the plane and reached the Plane of Fate.
But reaching it is all he can do—he cannot change anything.
"What do you think, God?"
Even now as a young man, In Ye turns to the man in white who still lingers by his side.
"I did what you told me. But the Plane of Fate...is too strong. It won't budge at all."
As time passed and In Ye gained more knowledge from his family, he learned to speak with greater clarity.
Eventually, he revealed the existence of the 'god' that only he can see.
The family was thrown into chaos.
A being taken form from the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy of this world?
And is attached to In Ye?
In Ye was immediately named the next head of the clan.
Everyone treats him with the utmost reverence, constantly reminding him of how fearsome and extraordinary the entity following him truly is, urging him to always show the highest respect.
But In Ye does not find the 'god' to be so awe-inspiring.
Or rather, he does feel a deep sense of awe.
Yet, it is the kind of awe one feels when witnessing the vast beauty of nature, not the reaction one has to an unfathomable mystery or monster.
To him, the god is simply the 'mister' he has known since childhood.
He may carry the title of God, but he is just a very familiar presence.
If anything...because he is always there, In Ye finds his constant gaze a little burdensome at times.
"A strong heart was not put into it."
"Didn't you say that the ultimate form of archery is No-Thought (無念)?"
"...Of course, No-Thought devoid of any heart is powerful. But to reach that state, you must first have a direction. And that direction is your heart."
"I see..."
"...In Ye."
The god asks him a question.
"You are not interested in the bow, are you?"
In Ye nods.
"Yes. I don't really have interest in it. I was born with great talent, but...I don't know if this is something I actually like. Well, the elders keep telling me I need to train my archery, but honestly, they don't explain why. 'Because you must'...is all they say."
He shrugs.
"The elders say I need to master archery to shoot down the sun. But...why should I? I...don't mind the desert landscape."
"...I see. You still do not know your fate."
"My fate?"
"Yes. The task you must fulfill."
"Are you also going to tell me the same-old bothersome words about how I need to shoot down the sun, God?"
"Wrong... Bringing down the sun is not your fate. It is not your purpose, nor is it something you truly want."
In Ye nods.
"God understands me well. Then...why must I practice archery? What is my fate, and what is my life?"
To In Ye's question seeking an answer about his fate and life, the man in white averts his gaze and once again speaks in ambiguous words.
"Huhu... You don't want to practice archery? Then what do you want to do?"
"Just...um..."
Paaatt!
In Ye soars into the air, looking around at the planet his clan has settled on, and speaks.
"I just want to zone out and stare at the desert."
"The desert, huh... That is good too. Then keep looking at the desert. You don't have to practice archery."
"...You are sure that's what you said, right, God?"
Without hesitation, In Ye lets go of his bow.
With the words, 'God permitted it', he immediately runs away from the family.
As a child, he had to be dragged back by the hands of the adults...
But he is no longer a child.
His family sends pursuers after him, but In Ye shakes them all off and finally arrives at a secluded spot in a desert.
"From here on, I'm just going to space out here. My lifespan will keep increasing as long as I breathe and get struck by lightning every now and then, so there's nothing to worry about."
"...Do as you wish."
"...Is that all you have to say?"
"It is your choice. What do I have to say?"
"...Forget it."
And so, from that day forward, he does nothing but gaze at the desert of his home planet.
Simply spacing out.
Yet, perhaps because of his overwhelming talent...
Even as he spaces out, In Ye slowly develops a demon beast method.
Through this technique, which absorbs the essence of the desert, he absentmindedly advances in cultivation even while only staring blankly.
Ten years, twenty years, thirty years pass. A hundred years go by.
The elders of his family find him once more.
They try to take him back by force, but it is now no longer possible.
In Ye has already reached the Four-Axis stage, and they would never be able to capture him with force.
The elders of the family fall into deep distress.
They cannot understand why the one once hailed as the hope of their clan refuses to practice archery.
Some become furious at him, some plead with him, and others even prostrate themselves and beg.
But In Ye remains unmoved, only watching the desert.
A thousand years pass.
The family gives up on In Ye and selects a new candidate for the next clan head, leading to a power struggle.
His younger cousin, In Hang, is chosen to become the next clan leader.
In Ye does not care.
And so, ten thousand years pass.
Kugugugugu!
Lightning tribulation rages across the sky.
At some point, In Ye has reached the Integration stage.
Without doing anything, simply breathing and gazing at the desert, he naturally built the Five Elements Axes and reached the Integration stage within ten thousand years.
"...It's hot."
With a blank expression, In Ye looks up at the sky.
At some point, besides the nine suns, a tenth, smaller light has begun to shimmer.
"The tenth sun will be complete in a few tens of thousands of years."
"According to legend, a sun is born once every million years... Why is the tenth sun forming already? From what I know, it hasn't even been five hundred thousand years since the ninth sun was created."
"They are resonating."
The man in white looks up at the sky and speaks.
"The nine suns that were created first and the final sun that is still forming are resonating, accelerating its completion."
"...What happens when the tenth sun appears?"
"What do you think will happen? The world...will just get hotter."
"...Hotter than this?"
In Ye clicks his tongue.
"Well, that's...sure going to be hot. I'm glad I reached the Integration stage early."
"Is that so?"
Had the elders of his family heard this, they would have been furious, but the man does not get angry.
He simply nods calmly.
"...Do you...not have something to say?"
"It is your choice. What do I have to say?"
"...Yes."
And so, In Ye continues to sit beside the man, simply breathing with his eyes open.
Forty thousand years pass.
In Ye turns fifty thousand years old.
"...Ah."
In Ye squints as he sees the sky growing hotter.
At some point, just by breathing, he has reached the Grand Perfection Integration stage.
Yet, he looks ahead with a slightly dissatisfied expression.
"The desert...is melting."
"I see. Until now, the minerals that Yu Hwi buried underground had absorbed the heat, at least preserving the desert's form, but..."
Hwarururuk!
The tenth sun is now nearly complete.
As its heat merges with that of the nine other suns, the planets of the Crystal Glass Realm begin to go beyond desertification. Now even the deserts themselves are melting.
"It seems even that is no longer enough to endure."
Watching this, In Ye clenches his teeth with empty eyes.
Wo-woong!
His Integrated Dao Domain unfolds.
It spreads over the melting desert, stopping it from dissolving any further.
"...Are you not going to say anything, God?"
"What do I have to say? Have I ever said burdensome words? It is your choice. What do I have to say?"
"...That's true."
With an inexplicable dissatisfied expression, he glares at the desert, now at least holding its form within his Integrated Dao Domain.
One year passes.
"...Damn it."
In Ye grinds his teeth.
"God, just why are you doing this!?
"...What have I done to you?
"Why do you keep lingering around me!?"
"I am not lingering around you. I exist throughout this entire world. Among them, I simply dwell a little more deeply within the bloodline of your family, and you alone perceive me."
"Then why don't you say anything to me!? Why won't you reprimand me at all!? The family records state that the Unruly One, Ham Jin, ruled our family so harshly it was practically oppression. Yet you, who seems far greater than him, say nothing at all and merely watch over me! Why!?"
"Do you have some kind of complaint?"
At the man in white's indifferent attitude, In Ye flares up in anger.
"I do! Of course I do! The scenery I wanted to see was an endlessly sprawling desert. But right now, what I'm looking at is the edge of my Integrated Dao Domain! And beyond that edge, there's nothing but melted, shapeless lumps. I'm saying I can't even see what I want to see!"
In Ye grits his teeth and shouts at the man in white who has remained by his side his entire life with that calm demeanor.
"You...if you, the only one who has ever resonated with me from the depth of my being, commanded me, I would not have let go of the bow. If you, the only one who has watched me closest and understood me best, had pushed me, I would have become the head of my family and worked to rid the world of such a sight. If you had scolded me, I...I wouldn't be here so disgracefully as a Grand Perfection Integration stage!"
"...It seems you are misunderstanding something."
"...What?"
"I am not something like your fate. I have never commanded you, nor did I ever force anything upon you. I did grant you talent with the bow, but that was all. I have always respected your freedom."
The man in white.
Seo Eun-hyun gazes at In Ye with calm, transparent eyes and continues speaking.
"The steps that led you here were your own, and the choices were yours alone. Do not seek answers from me—look within yourself. Repentantly enlighten upon yourself and find the answer. How can the answer thrown down by the heavens be your own? So...do not ask me, the God of this Crystal Glass Realm."
"..."
He does not scold him. He does not grow angry. He remains as calm as ever.
Yet, In Ye feels an indescribable sense of shame.
Perhaps it is because the being before him reflects him so transparently, like a mirror.
"...What am I supposed to do?"
"Try whatever."
"...Damn it."
From that day, In Ye stops sitting idly, staring blankly at the desert.
Instead, he wanders.
He roams across his entire planet, then moves on to other planets.
He travels throughout the entirety of the Crystal Glass Realm, where nine suns burn, observing countless beings and their ways of life.
A thousand years pass, and at last, In Ye finds his answer.
"...I still don't understand. Just where...where is the answer? I... I..."
He clutches his head in despair and falls to his knees in the middle of some desert, vomiting the words out.
"I have no idea why I was even born... The bow doesn't interest me. Neither does dual cultivation, nor cultivation methods, nor the pleasures of the world, nor its finest delicacies. I don't even know...what I must inevitably do. That's why I've just kept watching the desert. Because the desert, like me, is meaningless. But when the desert started to melt, I finally understood. I had been giving meaning to the desert all along. The desert...held the meaning I gave it. But...what about me?"
He cries out in anguish.
"What is my meaning? Was I born simply to possess unparalleled talent with the bow? I have no interest in archery. My parents are far more interested in it than I am. I grew up with the elders of my family seeing me as a 'child with talent for the bow,' and the position of head of the In Clan, which reveres the bow above all else, was predetermined for me. But...that is not the meaning I should have. Not anything in this Crystal Glass Realm as well!"
It is a resentment ordinary people cannot understand.
"This is not my fate!"
The anguish of a genius unable to find his own purpose.
The cry of a young man who cannot find meaning in anything.
"Just what meaning does my life even have? I...I don't know!"
"..."
"Please tell me, O God. Please...tell me...the meaning of my life."
"..."
Seo Eun-hyun says nothing.
He just transparently reflects In Ye's figure with his clear eyes.
Just as Kim Young-hoon had once watched him with the same clear eyes, waiting for him to reach Entering Heavens.
"...The meaning of my life... My life... What is it supposed to be?"
"Life..."
To In Ye, who desperately seeks the meaning of life, he offers only a few words.
"I don't know either."
"...I see. How profound. Truly..."
In Ye grinds his teeth and rises to his feet.
"You have never given me answers. As if to say my path is mine to find...I understand. I will seek it myself. I will find what interests me...on my own!"
Paaaatt!
He suddenly finds himself disliking Seo Eun-hyun's gaze that transparently reflects him.
With a desire to escape that gaze, In Ye takes to the skies.
Leaving his home planet behind, In Ye swiftly traverses the Crystal Glass Realm.
'Come to think of it, that's right. That god is the God of the Crystal Glass Realm. If I go outside, I won't have to see that sickening gaze anymore.'
He has begun to dislike everything.
He just...wants to go somewhere else where no one exists.
And so, a new thought forms In Ye's mind.
'Let's leave the Crystal Glass Realm. I'll leave this place, and...go to a wider, different world.'
With that resolve, In Ye begins to fly towards the edge of the Crystal Glass Realm.
Decades pass, and upon reaching the outermost boundary of the Crystal Glass Realm, In Ye sees a veil of hazy mist.
This is the end of the Crystal Glass Realm.
"Hmph. A mere veil like this..."
Paaatt!
He confidently attempts to pierce through the mist, but for some reason, when he emerges again, he finds himself still in the Crystal Glass Realm.
"Hm...!"
Gritting his teeth, he dives back into the mist, only to return to the Crystal Glass Realm once more.
"This is... This mist... If I can't break through it, does that mean I can't leave the Crystal Glass Realm? No..."
Staring at the mist, he discerns the true cause of the problem.
Turning around, In Ye sees the ten massive attraction forces that dominate the Crystal Glass Realm.
Nine suns, and the nearly completed tenth sun.
"Attraction force...is it? The attraction force of those suns is distorting the space of the Crystal Glass Realm."
In Ye's eyes gleam.
"...Damn it."
Before he knows it, he groans as he sees the lingering image of Seo Eun-hyun standing beside him.
"This world... Are you saying I cannot leave it?"
"You can leave."
"Then let me pass through this mist! You are God, aren't you?"
"...I cannot allow it right now."
Seo Eun-hyun lets out a bitter smile.
He cannot allow it.
Not because he fears them leaving.
But because he fears what will happen when they leave—when they face the despairing spacetime of emptiness.
He fears the moment they gaze into this infinite, empty spacetime and fall into infinite despair.
"You say you cannot allow it? Do you truly mean that!?"
"..."
And yet, why is it?
When In Ye hears Seo Eun-hyun speak words of 'denial' for the first time in his life, he feels like laughing.
Seo Eun-hyun looks at him again with a bitter smile but does not respond any further.
But In Ye smiles brightly without even realizing it.
"Don't...make me laugh. I will get out of here. No matter what...I will leave this Crystal Glass Realm!"
"..."
"I don't need your permission. It's fine! O God. Just as you always have, please continue stupidly watching! I...will break through you and see the world beyond this world! From this moment on, that is my goal!"
Finishing his words, In Ye does not look back and returns to his planet.
Returning to his homeland after decades, he seeks his bow once again.
'I will leave.'
In Ye's eyes redden with bloodshot veins.
'I will leave!'
The hands that once held the bow tighten.
Though they are hands that have not held a bow for tens of thousands of years, it does not matter.
Because the talent embedded in his bloodline, in his fate, has already reached the pinnacle of the In Clan!
'No matter what...I will leave and see the wider world beyond!'
From that day forward, he resolves to devote himself to 'effort' once more.
However...
"...Where's my bow?"
"There is no bow for you."
The current head of the In Clan.
In Hang speaks coldly to In Ye.
"I discarded it long ago. Do you really think someone with such brilliant talent, who turned his back on the clan and stupidly stared at the desert all these years, deserves a bow?"
"Wait a moment..."
"You will not find a bow anywhere on this planet, nor anywhere in the Crystal Glass Realm. That is my decree as the clan head. Even if you try to craft a bow yourself, I will destroy it."
"In Hang...I..."
"You have a face that looks as if you want to put in effort after finally finding a reason. Ha! Don't make me laugh!! There is a time for effort! While you wasted away, staring at the desert like a fool, I poured in blood and sweat to inherit the position of clan head. I am the clan head now!"
"...Then, even if I must make one with my own hands..."
Wo-woong!
Just as In Ye melts nearby objects with his Dan Fire to create a bow and arrow...
Piyung!
A streak of light flashes past, and the bow and arrow he was forming shatter into pieces.
"While you only sat idle, I truly...put in effort. And now you come here to pretend to start trying? I said don't make me laugh! Now, you don't even have the right to put in effort. Even effort has a time granted by the heavens!! From now on, you won't even be able to try. Because I will stop you! Do you understand?"
"..."
What blocks In Ye's path is, in the end, none other than his own past—the years in which he never put in any effort.
In Ye clenches his teeth.
Then, he takes his stance, aiming at the void.
Without any energy or Dan Fire, he merely positions himself and mimics shooting an arrow.
Seeing this, In Hang scoffs and turns away.
"...Good. Without any bow or arrows, keep making those pathetic motions. That...is the punishment of the In Clan to you, who has kicked away his own talent and time."
The world is growing hotter.
The ten suns are nearly complete, and the Radiance Ten Heavens are resonating, intensifying the heat.
Now, even the Integration stage Grand Cultivators are beginning to feel the scorching heat.
The Crystal Glass Realm is no longer a place where living beings can survive.
The entire planet has become a blazing hell.
The living beings take refuge in the inner worlds created by the Three Divine Spirits—Yeo Hwi, Ham Jin, and Yu Hwi—to preserve their lives.
Now, only cultivators at the Four-Axis stage and beyond can move and act in this blazing hell.
Huarurururuk!
And within his homeland that has become a blazing hell...
At the very place where Ham Jin once met In Yeon, a lone Grand Cultivator is gesturing towards the sky.
It is In Ye.
'It's hot.'
He closes his eyes.
How many times has he repeated the motion of drawing the bowstring?
At some point, he succeeded in vividly recreating the memory of the time when a bowstring was truly in his hands.
Reviving that memory, he's been shooting arrows.
There is no bow, no arrow, and whenever he tries to create them, In Hang immediately intercepts and shatters them like a ghost. But it does not matter.
'Back then...I had a bow and arrow, but I had no heart.'
Now, it is the opposite.
'Now, I have the heart, but no bow to shoot...'
Even gathering energy into shape is not allowed.
If he so much as condenses energy into the form of a bow or arrow, In Hang's interception will come immediately.
Yet, strangely, he finds that it does not matter.
'The pinnacle of archery is No-Heart (無心).'
A truth once imparted to him by the god of the Crystal Glass Realm.
'Practice with No-Thought (無念). If I do so...even without a bow or arrow...I will definitely be able to draw closer to the pinnacle of archery.'
He senses the gazes that bind him.
Once, only the gaze of the God of the Crystal Glass Realm, Seo Eun-hyun, followed him.
But ever since In Hang's warning...
Now, he is once again under the eyes of not just In Hang but the entire clan.
In Ye recalls how he once despised being watched.
Within this burning hell, as he puts in the effort he had never given in the past, he is able to reflect on himself.
'I see...I hated being watched.'
Gazes are expectations.
Every gaze carries an intention.
Even staring blankly at the sky contains an unconscious intention of 'wanting to feel at ease.'
And In Ye hated carrying expectations.
Especially expectations with the bow.
Because he never liked the bow.
To be burdened with expectations tied to something he did not even enjoy was suffocating.
It felt like being trapped behind invisible bars, shackled in chains.
'Right. That's why...I revealed that I could see the god to the entire clan. Then, I used his advice as justification to run away.'
Paaatt!
Unconsciously, In Ye releases the bowstring.
A hole pierces the target he was aiming for.
At some point, the gaze of In Hang who has been watching him grows even more intense.
Pishit!
A streak of light grazes In Ye's cheek.
Blood trickles down.
It is In Hang's warning.
To stop trying.
To continue wandering the desert as before.
That is the message behind the warning.
But In Ye ignores it and continues pulling back the imaginary bowstring.
Piiiit!
'You've grown strong, In Hang...'
Once, In Hang was not even a match for In Ye.
He was the overwhelming next family head, while she was just an average late-stage disciple.
Only when he began staring blankly at the desert, rebelling, and kicking away the position of next family head did the opportunity finally fall to her.
But now, it is different.
Through bone-grinding effort, In Hang has become capable of shooting arrows so fast that even In Ye cannot perceive them.
'Is this...the gap between one who has merely breathed and one who has carved away their bones?'
Feeling the distance between himself and In Hang, he caresses the imaginary bowstring even more fervently.
And with each motion, more and more persistent gazes start latching onto him.
Among them are the Three Divine Spirits of the Crystal Glass Realm, Yeo Hwi, Ham Jin, Yu Hwi...
And even the gaze of an unknown, chilling presence reeking of blood and rotting corpses.
In the midst of those gazes, he realizes.
'I hated being watched. I hated their expectations. I hated being oppressed... Yes. I...'
Paaang!
Flames tear apart in a perfect circle.
Puhwak!
An arrow from In Hang pierces through space and buries itself in In Ye's body.
The arrow of light, fired by In Hang, buries itself in his body before scattering.
Yet, he once again pulls back the imaginary bowstring and smiles.
'I wanted to be free.'
Paaang!
The heart of In Ye, once more fired forward, pierces through the flames before vanishing.
But it has not disappeared completely.
It has merely transcended planes, reaching fate.
Peong!
A hole is pierced in Filling the Heavens Governing View.
It is not a large hole, and even that is soon filled in by the surrounding mist.
Pukwak!
Another arrow from In Hang embeds in his body.
But In Ye pays it no mind.
He cares for nothing else, focusing everything on the tip of his arrow.
'I...never wanted to hold a bow.'
Paaang!
'I never wanted to be born into the In Clan.'
Paaang!
'I never wanted to be born into the heating Crystal Glass Realm.'
Paaang!!
'I...wanted to break free from my bridle and see a wider world.'
It was not because the desert seemed meaningless that he liked it.
It was because it seemed vast enough to hold any meaning he wished to give it.
At last, he finds his dream.
'I want to go to a wider world!'
In search of freedom!
Paaaaaang!!!
His arrow pierces through Filling the Heavens Governing View.
And this time, the path left in its wake does not close.
At some point, he has fallen into a trance.
And In Ye gradually begins to see it.
The countless gazes and the thoughts their owners hold.
'Hope can be seen.'
The thoughts of the Unruly One.
'Could it be...that boy...!'
The thoughts of the Twin Constructing One.
'Please, please...!'
The thoughts of the Obsidian One.
'This is chilling. Seo Eun-hyun...'
The thoughts of the one reeking of rotting corpses and blood.
'...What is that talent? Why did he waste it all this time? Why did he make me admire him, only to run away? Why did he make me love him, only to leave? Why did he make me like him, only to become garbage... If he was going to return, then what have I been doing all this time?'
The thoughts of In Hang.
'That is the greatest talent in the history of the In Clan...!'
'The pinnacle divine technique that stands face to face with the God of the Crystal Glass Realm!'
'I envy him.'
'It's beautiful.'
'I am jealous.'
'Why, when he possesses such power...'
'Just what meaning does it hold?'
'How is something like that possible!?'
The gazes of the In Clan members, along with the countless Integration stage Grand Cultivators of the present Crystal Glass Realm.
Those countless gazes become chains that bind In Ye.
Yet, though he may be trapped by those chains, the arrow he shoots soars freely into the sky.
There lies In Ye's heart.
His heart alone remains free.
His heart escapes all those gazes and pierces through the sky.
But there is one gaze he cannot escape.
A man in white.
The gaze of the Crystal Glass Being, Seo Eun-hyun.
Under the eyes of this God of the Crystal Glass Realm, he cannot escape.
'I will escape.'
His gaze is too vast.
Not only the present spacetime, but also the future, and even the entire history of the In Clan unfolds beneath his sight.
'I will escape!'
In Ye observes himself.
He repentantly enlightens himself and reads the will of the Crystal Glass Being entangled in his clan's history.
He hates the bow.
Because in the end, it is a weapon made to kill someone.
What he longs for is freedom, not to kill.
Yet, he was born with an overwhelming talent for killing. A talent for the bow.
That's why he sought to escape from his talent first.
'I will escape!!!'
But it's ironic.
To escape the bridle, he must first reach the pinnacle of the bridle.
The only thing he knows how to do is shoot arrows, and so, to escape that talent, to escape that fate, he must shoot.
He continues to shoot his arrows.
Even as he is struck by In Hang's arrows.
Even under the gaze of the Crystal Glass Being.
Even under the countless expectations and stares that he hates.
As he begins to dream, he begins making endless effort.
How much time passes beneath the fate of light that sets the world ablaze?
'...What is that?'
Suddenly, In Ye notices something strange.
Everything in the world disappears, leaving only himself and the target.
At first, he cannot see the target clearly.
But the more arrows he fires at it, the more distinct it becomes.
At some point, he realizes the identity of that target.
The target is himself.
"...I found it. My fate..."
He smiles brightly.
Then, without hesitation, he releases the bowstring with all his strength, aiming at the target.
The heart that shoots out from his grasp pierces through himself far too easily.
Pukwak!
At that moment, an overwhelming pain surges through his entire body, and with it, an indescribable sense of euphoria engulfs him.
'My fate... I shot...my fate!'
The moment he realizes this.
The state of oneness with the world he had been immersed in during the unstained time ends.
"Kehuk...! Heok, heheok..."
Hwarururururuk!
'...It's hot.'
In Ye regains consciousness.
Someone is shaking him wildly.
"Ye...! Ye...!!! You damned bastard!!!"
"...Hang...ah..."
"Shut up!!! Just what did you do to your body!? What did you do!? Why isn't it healing!? Why!!!??"
What he sees as his mind clears is In Hang shedding tears.
"...I shot...my fate. Hu...hu...Even with decent...Immortal Arts...it won't...work."
"Fuck! You goddamn idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed!? Fuck...fuck...I became the head of the clan...so that you could do whatever you wanted. I knew a long time ago that you hated archery! That's why I became the head—so that a bastard like you who hates archery could roam around freely...so that I could take on the troublesome position in your place... But who the hell shoots themself with the bow that they so hate? Just what kind of idiot does that!?"
She trembles, shaking In Ye's body.
"...It's hot."
In Ye smiles.
Hot.
He has always felt overheated because of the surrounding light.
But he didn't know this until now.
The light has always been around him.
And it has always been within him.
"Outside, inside...it's hot."
"Of course it is, you fool. What kind of madman shoots arrows for tens of thousands of years as if possessed... Damn it! It's all over anyway... The tenth sun...is almost complete."
The Crystal Glass Realm is now filled with light and heat.
Ham Jin, Yeo Hwi, and Yu Hwi can all sense it.
The moment ten suns rise, and the Crystal Glass Realm becomes filled with light and heat—
They will die.
Not simply from being burned alive, but from an enormous explosion that will erupt from the light and heat.
The Radiance Eight Immortals govern [Rebirth].
Thus, the moment a Vestige Liberation Immortal completes the ten suns of the Radiance Ten Heavens, they explode within the light and heat, undergoing rebirth.
Within this explosion, Mount Sumeru absorbs the radiance, and the Vestige Liberation Immortals who endure the absorption advance, while those who fail are devoured by the Radiance Supreme Deity.
That is the Upper Immortal advancement ritual.
Now, the tenth sun is on the verge of being born.
It has been approximately 9.6 million years since Seo Eun-hyun began creating the Crystal Glass Realm.
At first, the creation of a fixed star took a million years, but due to the resonance of the fixed stars, the process gradually shortened.
Now, the tenth fixed star shines brightly, hurtling towards the end of the Crystal Glass Realm.
Woo-wooong!
Due to attraction force, the Crystal Glass Realm begins to take shape in order.
The planets align in a straight line.
The aligned planets take formation in an optimal array to receive the power of the fixed stars, preparing for the imminent Upper Immortal advancement of the Crystal Glass Being.
Creating ten stellar systems, and grinding all beings within them to advance.
That is the Upper Immortal advancement.
Knowing this, Yeo Hwi breaks into a cold sweat as she gazes at the answer they have sought for nearly ten million years.
She stares at the pinnacle of the In Clan, In Ye.
In a world growing ever brighter,
In Ye smiles in In Hang's embrace.
"...Hang...I think...I'm going to die now."
"You..."
"But now that death is near, I understand. I see the way to escape the gaze of the Crystal Glass Being."
He raises his hand towards the void.
Then, he mimics the motion of pulling back a bowstring.
"I think...I can shoot...Shoot and...go to somewhere...free...somewhere...wider..."
His expression is one of regret.
He looks as if he could stop breathing at any moment.
Watching him, Ham Jin feels as if his blood is drying up.
'Teacher... The descendant of In Yeon you arranged is about to die. How in the world do you intend to overcome this crisis? Teacher!'
It's at that moment.
"...Shoot."
In Hang bites her lip and places her bow into In Ye's hands.
"Everything is on the verge of ending anyway. So...even if it's you, who abandoned the In Clan, at least for today...I'll let you hold it. What you wanted so desperately that you even shot yourself to obtain...try to obtain it with this."
"...I don't like it. This thing called the bow...as always."
"Shut up and nock the arrow. Forcing you who hates the bow to shoot...That is my final punishment as the clan head to you who abandoned the clan."
Ye staggers as he rises.
Since he wounded his very fate, he looks as though he might die at any moment. But even so, he trembles as he aims his bow towards the sky.
Yet, he lets out a dry laugh.
"...I can't pull it back. I have no strength..."
Watching him, In Hang wears a strange expression.
A face that seems both on the verge of tears and smiling.
"...After shooting like that for tens of thousands of years, of course you can't."
Then, Hang places her hand over Ye's.
From behind, Hang embraces Ye, pulling the bowstring together with him.
"Now, you can shoot, right?"
"...Who knows."
In Ye shifts his gaze to the side.
Beside him stands a man in white.
Seo Eun-hyun's will stands, watching him.
"...Something more might be needed."
Just then, as In Ye speaks in riddles, someone steps forward.
The Three Divine Spirits of the Crystal Glass Realm.
It's Yeo Hwi, Ham Jin, and Yu Hwi.
"Let us help as well. Allow us to shoot with you."
Ham Jin looks towards the same place In Ye does.
Seo Eun-hyun's will and Ham Jin's will commune with each other.
"Senior!"
"Alright. I, the Immortal Treasure of the Crystal Glass Being Seo Eun-hyun, Twin Constructing Chain Yeo Hwi, act as the agent of the Lord. You, who have made a contract with the Lord. You, who have made a promise with the Lord. Come forth to this place!"
At Yeo Hwi's declaration, the void distorts.
Normally, this is a spacetime of emptiness that no one should have been able to interfere with.
However, Yeo Hwi, acting as the agent of Seo Eun-hyun, calls upon his promise, and Ham Jin borrows Oh Hye-seo's power to connect the contractors into this spacetime.
Kurururururu!
The void splits open, and two powerful wills descend upon the space.
Yu Hwi protects the mortal beings from perishing under the wills.
: : Well, who do we have here? : :
: : Ahaha. Truly, living long enough lets you see everything. To think that evil god (惡神) would one day look up to us? : :
Ha Woon and Jeok Ru.
It is the two sworn sisters who once lived as nothing more than Yeo Hwi's slaves.
Yeo Hwi glares at the will of the two beings, grinding her teeth in humiliation.
"...Please...I beg of you. You, who once exchanged promises with my master... Please lend us your strength in this place..."
: : Ahahaha!!! : :
: : Truly, living long enough lets you see everything. Good! If our Yeo Hwi is begging like this, we have to lend a hand! : :
Kugugugugu!
As the wills of the two Upper Immortals descend, their Immortal Arts emerge.
Immortal Art, Cutting River.
Immortal Art, Ominous Dragon.
The two Immortal Arts take form, and Yeo Hwi, who once wielded the Immortal Arts through Immortal Treasures, skillfully combines them to create a certain shape.
The flowing Immortal Art of Cutting River imbues in In Hang's bow and arrow.
The bow and arrow in Ye's hands darken, rippling like a river.
Through the Immortal Art of Ominous Dragon, Yeo Hwi, Ham Jin, Yu Hwi—
As well as the members of the In Clan, and all living beings present in this Crystal Glass Realm, have their lives intertwined into a form of a writhing piece of flesh.
For a moment, countless consciousnesses intertwine.
Yu Hwi stabilizes the merged consciousnesses instantly using ghostly energy through the Ghost Path Method.
"J-Just a moment... O Divine spirits, this is heavy!"
Hang begins sweating as the weight of the bow increases under the infused Immortal Arts.
Then, Ham Jin speaks calmly.
"Do not worry. Why do you think we are all connected?"
Cheok!
Woo-woong!
In Hang suddenly feels as if countless beings are overlapping behind her, just as she is overlapping with In Ye.
The ones drawing the bow are no longer just Ye and Hang.
The entire In Clan, their collective consciousness, their very lives—
It feels as if all the living beings of the Crystal Glass Realm are placing their hands upon the bowstring.
Gigigigigik!
The combined strength of all living beings in the Crystal Glass Realm lifts the bow, drawing back the string.
Ham Jin trembles as he watches.
'...So it was this, Teacher...'
Woo-woooong!
The very scene that Seo Eun-hyun's barely regained consciousness envisioned.
The moment he dreamed of through Immortal Arts without a single star.
The family of In Yeon.
The moment when they would all draw their bowstring toward the heavens—
This was the future that Seo Eun-hyun had long drawn.
Ham Jin wipes away his tears at the awe-inspiring sight.
Kugugugugugu!
Other than Ye, all the living beings of the Crystal Glass Realm are holding the bow.
However, in Ham Jin's eyes, it appears as if the arrow that Seo Eun-hyun once nocked and drew in the past is only now being released.
Finally, Seo Eun-hyun's will overlays itself upon the bowstring of the In Clan.
The power of the Impermanence Sword settles within them, and Seo Eun-hyun smiles from within the history of the bloodline he has brought into the world.
Ham Jin, witnessing the sight, shouts.
"Shoot, Ye! In Yeon is within you now!"
And Ye, standing on the brink of death, smiles.
The countless [gazes] that had been watching him—
Those very gazes are now looking in the exact same direction as he is.
—Of course, No-Thought devoid of any heart is powerful. But to reach that state, you must first have a direction. And that direction is your heart.
Seo Eun-hyun's advice flashes through his mind for an instant.
At this very moment, countless hearts are forming a directionality stronger than anything else.
And at the end of those directionalities, Ye succeeds in attaining perfect No-Thought.
Kuguguguguguk!
The sky continues to brighten.
Then, at a certain moment—
The last fixed star of the Radiance Ten Heavens.
The light of Rain Dew is born.
Ye gazes directly at that newly born light and, within his No-Thought, releases the hand that holds the bowstring.
"...Fly high and reach."
Immortal Art.
"Sunlight Hunting (Sun Shooting)."
———!
The history of In Yeon (因緣), released from Ye's hands—
Crosses the endless passage of time and pierces through the sunlight.
That heart imbued with everyone's intent rips apart the newborn fixed star in a perfect circle, shattering the symbol of the snake.
Sunlight Hunting has begun.
===
Author's Note:
This episode was overly long.
I imagine some of you may have found it tedious. It seems my tendency for overly dramatic, convoluted storytelling is a chronic affliction of mine.
While writing this part, I thought a lot about the disciple episode.
I think many readers must have felt frustrated because of the excessive rambling, melodrama, and incomprehensible statements.
But...even if I had to stretch the episode a little, this was a scene I absolutely wanted to write—a necessary buildup.
In web novel serialization, dragging things out and becoming tedious is practically a sin. And since I committed that sin in this episode (at the very least, that's how I see it), I have no excuses.
All I can do is push forward with as much content and continuous updates as I can to finish the episode as an apology.
Today's continuous updates are my personal atonement for this tedious episode, so I hope you will accept them.
As always, I deeply thank everyone for your love for this work.