The preparations to destroy Liberation Peach Garden Village do not take long.
What takes longer is constructing the ritual to temporarily Divine Descent the authority of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity onto Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
Since the greatest possible power must dwell within Jeon Myeong-hoon, some among the True Immortals of the Flying Immortal Alliance who are knowledgeable about Heavenly Tribulations, as well as a few who have encountered Yang Su-jin, inscribe the ritual across various parts of Jeon Myeong-hoon's body using the blood of beasts.
As I watch, I ask Maek Jin.
"By the way, Maek Jin, aren't you affiliated with Radiance Hall?"
"That's right."
"Then, aren't you helping with releasing the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, whom the Radiance Hall sealed, since we made a contract? Is that really okay?"
"Hmm...I suppose I'll earn some resentment from the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity once I leave. After all, I helped the Radiance Eight Immortals imprison Them back then."
"...Are you saying you helped annihilate the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity's Jade Pivot Forty-Eight Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals and other forces?"
Then isn't this a much bigger issue than I thought?
'They wouldn't attack us the moment we free Them, saying They are sealing us in return, right?'
But unexpectedly, Maek Jin just scoffs.
"Ridiculous. All I did back then was oversee the blockade of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain. My role was to monitor and prevent any of the prominent Great Immortals or True Immortals who worshipped the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity from escaping. Even then, none of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity's subordinates even attempted to flee. In the first place..."
His expression turns somewhat bitter.
"...The true power of Radiance Hall is essentially the Radiance Eight Immortals. They alone account for six tenths of Radiance Hall's total strength. Back then, the other Great Immortals and the Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma merely sealed off escape routes like I did. None of us directly participated in the war. The entire war was waged by the eight members of the Radiance Eight Immortals, who borrowed the Radiance Supreme Deity's profound wisdom to wipe out the Jade Pivot Forty-Eight Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals and the forces of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, before ultimately imprisoning Them."
"..."
I feel overwhelmed by the sheer power of the Radiance Hall that is more than I had imagined.
'Even Bong Myeong, who doesn't feel stronger than the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, is able to completely overpower and toy with us like this... But those eight alone managed to subjugate the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and Their entire faction?'
The further I learn about the Radiance Eight Immortals, the more I feel a creeping sense of dread.
From the beginning, the Sword-Guided Star Rain unleashed by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord that I witnessed at the end of my past life was a secret art terrifying enough to make my skin crawl.
'And that was from a distance... If they had used it up close, it might not have just torn apart a single Heavenly Domain...'
As I remember the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, a chill spreads through my shoulders.
'Yang Ji-hwang...'
I always thought I understood people's hearts fairly well.
Such things are easy to see with the vision of the Heart Tribe after all.
But...
After accepting Kim Yeon's heart, I began to see things I hadn't before.
'She...loved me.'
Memories of our time together resurface.
That brief period we spent in the Head Realm.
I recall how she was dyed by emotions.
'...This makes me feel a little guilty.'
I had removed her bandages, gazed at her face, taught her about emotions...
And then, I irresponsibly died.
'I'm sorry, Yang Ji-hwang...'
I recall Yang Ji-hwang's unmasked face from my past life and offer a silent, heartfelt apology.
Suddenly, a question comes to mind, and I ask Maek Jin.
"By the way, do all members of your Radiance Hall wrap their Transformation bodies in bandages?"
"Hmm? No. That only applies to the Radiance Eight Immortals, who must not reveal their bare faces, physical characteristics, or true names."
"Then why did you do it?"
"For a True Immortal, the face is a means of communication. Covering the face means concealing one's true intentions. Unless it's a True Immortal whose faces have been lost due to suffering too much pain, most interpret it that way. And...I wanted to possess that one called Kim Yeon."
"..."
"A fate similar to the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord...but with an entirely different nature... At the same time, unlike the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord, a heart directed towards only one being. I wanted that. But...I felt so shameful for desiring such a thing that I covered my face for a while."
Feeling puzzled, I ask,
"I can't forgive you for targeting Yeon-i, but I do want to correct one thing."
"...?"
"Desire isn't necessarily shameful. Desire is the source of all possibilities."
"Master must be tired. Allow me to massage your shoulders."
Hong Fan, concerned that my shoulders might be sore, approaches to massage them.
"Ah, thank you, Hong Fan. You're really good at this. Uuuuh! This is what it means to be alive. You could say life is essentially a massage."
"Haw haw haw haw haw! If Master is pleased, then I am truly delighted as well."
"Good, good. Anyway, Maek Jin, there's no need to be ashamed of your desires. While losing yourself to desire is a problem...as long as you don't let it consume you, it's fine."
"...How strange. Radiance Hall considers desire to be the greatest of sins. We are taught that desire is Evil. I believe that as well. Everything in the world has its own rightful place and fate. Desire is a heaven-defying attempt to overstep one's place and fate. It's best if it doesn't exist at all."
"Heaven-defying, huh...? Then in the end, doesn't that mean you should accept your fate of being trapped in Bong Myeong's Immortal Art?"
"..."
Maek Jin lets out a subtle smile.
"In Radiance Hall...all desire is considered the most disgraceful of things. That is why I wrapped my face in bandages for a time to avoid revealing such disgraceful desire. However, there is one single desire that even Radiance Hall permits."
"A desire permitted by Radiance Hall...?"
"It is the desire for freedom."
He finally answers the question I had asked earlier.
"You asked why, despite being part of Radiance Hall, I am helping in a plan to release the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity whom Radiance Hall sealed away, didn't you? This is the answer. Because it helps me become free."
"Freedom...?"
"There is a common misconception many have. But in truth, the ultimate value pursued by Radiance Hall is freedom."
Maek Jin sweeps her hand through her silver hair, shaking the strings of her silver mianguan.
Her silver dragon robe gleams with a silver-white light.
"Because freedom is our foremost value, we have always acted with everything on the line for its sake. Though this seems to come across as a misunderstanding to those outside Radiance Hall."
"...Someone I know once told me that Radiance Hall places importance on the Way of Light, in which selection is determined by fate with a distinction of good and evil. If everything is filtered through selection, then what freedom exists in that?"
"...It's the opposite."
"The opposite?"
"The ones who are selected are indeed not free. For that is the purpose of being selected."
"What do you mean?"
"Sacrificing a chosen few, and having those few eradicate the great evils that torment and oppress mortal beings in order for the vast majority to be free. That is the truth behind the selection you speak of."
I sit in silence with her for a while.
"...If we follow the Way of Light, in the end, the overwhelming majority will become happy and free. As long as everyone properly follows us."
"..."
"...Seo Eun-hyun."
"What is it?"
"When we leave this place...come to Radiance Hall. I will take you as my disciple. If you desire, I can also grant you a position as a candidate for the Thirty-Three Heavenly Resplendent Treasure Immortals or the Envoy of the Final Age of Dharma."
"You were in a position more impressive than I thought, Maek Jin."
"..."
"Why are you offering me this?"
"...You are a free person. But...your freedom has no direction. Freedom needs a bridle to some extent. I simply don't want you to stray down the wrong path."
I recall what Maek Jin said.
"Are you talking about the [snake biting its tail] and the [spiraling snake]?"
"..."
"Are you saying I'm dangerous because I don't bite my own tail? Haha... Are you worried I might go in the wrong direction?"
"..."
"I appreciate your concern, Maek Jin. But that won't happen."
"Why? How can you possibly think that unrestricted freedom isn't dangerous? Isn't freedom without any bridle or constraints chaos itself?"
I suddenly realize that my conversation with Maek Jin has taken a rather philosophical and profound turn.
'How did it end up like this?'
I think it started when Hong Fan began massaging my shoulders.
"Well...to you, it might seem like chaos, but I do have my own kind of bridle."
"You have a bridle? What is it?"
"If even one person worries about me like you did before, or wants to see me, and thinks about me...then doesn't that become a bridle? A signpost guiding me toward a safe path?"
"..."
"Thanks for worrying about me, Maek Jin. But...judging from the way you speak, you seem like the kind of person who sacrifices yourself for others. That's fine and all...but Maek Jin, if you're always thinking about everyone else...then who is thinking about you?"
"...!"
Her silver hair trembles.
"...That's..."
"Well...don't worry about it. Since you thought of me, I'll think of you from now on too."
I smile faintly and continue speaking.
"Even if we become enemies after leaving this place...just as you worried about me, I will worry about you too."
For that too, is retribution.
I swallow my last words and glance towards Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Then, suddenly curious, I turn back to her.
"By the way, Maek Jin. Have you always had silver hair?"
"...? What kind of nonsense is that?"
Maek Jin rips off the bandages from his body and glares at me with a fierce expression.
Hong Fan's massage comes to an end, and Maek Jin is shaking his black hair.
"...Hmm..."
Now that I think about it, Maek Jin has a male Transformation form. I have no idea why I kept perceiving him as a woman.
'Was I possessed or something?'
For some reason, my shoulder aches as if stabbed by a sword.
Kwachijijijik!
In the distance, an immense surge of lightning erupts from Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
"Are you ready?"
Maek Jin rises from his seat.
The True Immortals of the Flying Immortal Alliance all nod in unison.
"Seo Eun-hyun. Stand beside Kim Yeon and prepare your Immortal Art. We will begin the plan."
Kurururung!
Maek Jin's body becomes a storm.
The other True Immortals of the Flying Immortal Alliance also begin transforming their bodies into spirits.
With the spirit bodies obtained from Liberation Peach Garden Village, their bodies start to change.
[Now...let us break this world apart...and prepare to leave!!!]
Kugugugugugu!
Maek Jin's body swells dramatically.
Dozens of True Immortals also expand their own unique forms.
Smoke, lava, lightning, light, darkness, swamp, vines, curses, plagues, screams, pain, corrosion...
Countless True Immortals inflate the spirit bodies they obtained from this world and head east.
"It's beginning."
I walk towards Kim Yeon.
Holding her hand firmly, I look towards the east.
The Eastern Sea Nation.
The sky above it darkens, and with a thunderous explosion, the entire space where the Sea Nation exists is torn apart.
The Sea Nation is annihilated.
Kugugugugugu!
From the east, countless spirit bodies emerge and move westward.
The Western Square Nation is eradicated.
Kurururung!
The spirit bodies turn southward.
The Southern Center Nation is wiped out.
Finally, the spirit bodies head north.
At last, the Circle Nation is destroyed.
The entire world is torn apart at the spatial level and is obliterated.
Kigigigik!
I unleash Glass True Fire, encircling the space where Kim Yeon and I stand.
Just then.
Chwararararak!
A colossal will descends upon the world, and in an instant, time seems to rewind as the world begins to restore itself.
As beings who have become spirit bodies, there are no problems even if we kill the individual inhabitants of this world.
They do not resurrect or anything of the sort.
However, when the world itself is destroyed, it seems the annihilated inhabitants are revived all at once.
Kurururung!
The space we stand in begins restoring itself to its original state.
But I block the process using Glass True Fire.
"Guaaaaaaaaah!!"
Kugugugugugu!
An overwhelming will violently crushes my own.
It is the will of the Liberation Supreme Deity.
Among the Supreme Deities, They are the most recently enthroned and should be the weakest.
Moreover, as a being who grew as a magic artifact craftsman, Their combative willpower should not be that formidable.
But the rank between a Supreme Deity and myself is immeasurable.
Even a mere fragment of the Liberation Supreme Deity's will makes my entire body feel as though it is about to explode.
I now understand just how gentle Hyeon Mu was when dealing with Kim Young-hoon and I.
'If Hyeon Mu...had fully revealed her authority as a Governing Immortal, we would have been dismantled on the spot that day.'
We would have had no chance to resist.
Kugugugugugu!
I muster every bit of my strength into resisting, directly facing against the restoration will of the Liberation Supreme Deity.
Jjeojeok, jjeoeeoeok!
My body begins to crack apart.
'Crazy...!'
This is the backlash of blocking the will of a Supreme Deity.
Just resisting the will is enough to put my life in danger.
'If I keep...resisting...I might be annihilated...!'
Even with my power sealed, I am an Immortal Beast.
I am an Earth Upper Immortal.
I have stepped onto the pathway of overseeing life and explosion, yet I instinctively feel that no trace of life will have any effect on this will.
"Jeon Myeong-hoon...hurry...!"
And.
The time finally arrives.
Kwarurururung!
All of Heaven and Earth begin to be engulfed by lightning.
Kururururung!
From behind me, Jeon Myeong-hoon unleashes an overwhelming golden lightning.
'This...isn't his lightning!'
His lightning is always a bright, vivid red.
But this time, it is different.
This light is a brilliant gold.
I gaze at the being residing within Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
Having taken control of Jeon Myeong-hoon's body, he gives a deep, meaningful smile.
"Y-You...!"
: : Worry not. : :
But Do Gon only smiles, unfazed by my concern.
: : For the promise shall be kept... : :
Kwachijijijik!
The lightning forms a net.
And that net separates this alternate space and me from the will of Liberation Peach Garden Village.
: : You, too, shall honor your promise with this Immortal... : :
With those final words, Do Gon's presence vanishes from Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
Jeon Myeong-hoon soon opens his eyes, gritting his teeth in a humiliated expression.
"Damn it...I can...feel it inside! That bastard's trace is here! Damn it all!!!"
His face flushes red as he shouts.
"That bastard left a terminal inside me. As long as this remains...in the end, am I also just being played by that bastard!?"
"Jeon Myeong-hoon..."
At that very moment.
Kigigigigik!
It feels as if the world itself stops to a halt.
Immediately after, in this space filled with golden lightning, a golden radiance far more brilliant than anything else bursts forth.
Behind Kim Young-hoon, a golden Peng is spreading its wings.
For a brief moment, the space is no longer affected by the restorative force of Bong Myeong, and Kim Yeon has canceled Bong Myeong's Immortal Art within this place she has seized control of.
I feel my Immortal Arts, prophecy, and the authority of revision awakening once more.
Behind Kim Young-hoon, the symbol of Brahma Nature emerges.
However, it flickers out the moment it appears.
"...? Hyung-nim. What are you..."
But in the next instant.
Clang!
As soon as Kim Young-hoon sheathes his blade—
A deep slash is carved across Jeon Myeong-hoon's chest.
"Kkeuuuuuuuugh!"
At the same time, something golden that had wrapped around Jeon Myeong-hoon's body can be seen being severed.
Kim Young-hoon, drenched in cold sweat, smiles.
"Don't worry, Jeon Myeong-hoon. I've severed the terminal of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity."
Despite bleeding, Jeon Myeong-hoon grins, and I, too, exhale a sigh of relief at the sight.
The first half of the plan has succeeded.
Now, all that remains...
Is for Kim Yeon to completely seize and modify this space within a ten-zhang radius centered on herself.
And to propel the civilization of this world forward.
Shiririririk!
Within the space controlled by Kim Yeon, Maek Jin and the True Immortals of the Flying Immortal Alliance return.
Kugugugugugu!
Unleashing proper cosmic power, they distort space with their own Immortal Arts.
To Kim Yeon, it registers as no larger than a washbasin, but for the living beings of this world, an entire space the size of a solar system forms in an instant.
: : Ahahahaha! This is it! This is what I'm talking about! This omnipotence! I wanted to reclaim this feeling of omnipotence... : :
Maek Jin and the divine spirits of the Flying Immortal Alliance soar through the modified, solar-system-sized space with their Immortal Arts, savoring their little freedom.
'Now...it all depends on Kim Yeon.'
I let out a faint sigh as I gaze at the washbasin-sized distorted space that appeared before Kim Yeon.
The originally estimated time of several hundred million years has now been reduced to mere hundreds of thousands of years.
'Please, let our plan succeed!'
I fervently hope for our plan to proceed safely until the very end.
Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
The Palace of Bong Myeong that stands at the very center.
At the heart of that palace lies a throne of light composed of seven-colored light, and upon that throne sits the main body of Bong Myeong in the form of a bird of light.
Crowned with a mianguan and clad in a dragon robe woven from light, Their arms take the form of massive wings of light.
From the very center of the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain, They exude a presence of solemnity, as though surveying not only the depths of the Heavenly Domain but everything beyond it in a single glance.
As They are sitting upon the throne...
Step. Step. Step.
Someone approaches the throne where Bong Myeong is seated.
Compared to the vastness of Their wing, the approaching [figure] appears minuscule, barely the size of a single feather.
This figure, wearing a silver-white mianguan and a silver-white mask, dressed in a silver-white dragon robe, is a Heavenly Lord.
Radiance Eight Immortals.
Fifth Seat.
It is the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
: : I regret that I could not properly receive an honored guest. : :
Bong Myeong speaks with a tone of apology, yet the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord merely looks up at Them as if showing no interest.
: : During the Governing Immortal Assembly, the distinguished one deceived all the Governing Immortals and Radiance Hall with mere tricks. You pretended to execute the Enders while secretly spiriting the real ones away. Is that not so? : :
: : I have no idea what you mean. Why are you suddenly trying to frame me, Sword Spear? : :
: : Frame? Then how does the distinguished one explain that this Immortal just witnessed it through the eyes of a Great Net Immortal from Radiance Hall who was trapped within your Immortal Art, Liberation? : :
: : Invading my personal space? No matter our alliance, this is quite unpleasant. State your business. : :
: : Very well. I will not speak in circles. Hand over the Crystal Glass Being Seo Eun-hyun and the other Enders. : :
: : Hm... : :
Bong Myeong tilts Their head slightly before asking in return.
: : Is this the profound wisdom of the Radiance Supreme Deity, or a threat from the Fifth Seat of the Radiance Eight Immortals, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord? : :
: : The meaning of this Immortal is always connected to the profound wisdom of the Radiance Supreme Deity. : :
: : Then why is it that the Radiance Eight Immortals, who have received the profound wisdom of Heuk Sa, have not all come together? : :
: : Because it was deemed unworthy of such a response. : :
At those words, Bong Myeong's body quivers slightly as if amused.
With each movement of Their body, the entire Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain trembles.
: : You must be mad. For you all, is eliminating the Enders not a more urgent matter than dealing with even Gwak Am? And yet 'it was deemed unworthy'? It seems your intellect is not functioning properly, so even your excuses are inadequate. : :
Stretchhhh!
Bong Myeong's neck extends to an incredible length, reaching in front of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord in an instant.
: : Speak honestly. Have you come for the Enders, or have you come for Seo Eun-hyun? O Sword Spear of this generation, who is corrupting from emotions and becoming broken... : :
: : ...Words seem to be pointless. : :
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord meets Bong Myeong's eyes, their anger evident.
: : You asked why all of the Radiance Eight Immortals did not come, Liberation? : :
Kugugugugugu!
In the distant space above the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain,
A silver-white sword appears.
And that silver-white sword is not alone.
Two, four, eight...
The growing number of silver-white swords soon begins to densely fill an entire side of the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain's universe.
Wiiiiiiiiiiing!
Behind the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's head, the symbol of [Silver-White Snake Biting Its Tail] emerges.
: : Because against an opponent of your level, I alone am more than enough. : :
Kururururung!
The entire Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain surges violently.
Bong Myeong rises from Their seat.
Their true form, composed of seven-colored light, ripples ominously and boils upward.
: : I greeted you with the courtesy befitting an envoy of the Radiance Supreme Deity. But you are increasingly crossing the line, Sword Spear. : :
Wuuuuuuuuu—
The entire Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain hums, connecting with Bong Myeong.
Countless star veins connect to Bong Myeong, drawing a strange pattern across the entire Heavenly Domain.
It resembles something like a [circuit].
: : Even if it is you, this Immortal is a Supreme Deity. Do not overstep and violate this Immortal's limits. You are nothing more than a mere component of Light... : :
Flinch!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's body jerks at Bong Myeong's words.
Then, words laced with fury burst forth from their lips.
: : I...am not a component. : :
: : ...You have fallen, Sword Spear. Entangled with the Ender, you have gone utterly mad... If I were to deliver this sight of yours to the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord, would this dispute not be over? : :
: : ...This is the final warning. Spit out the Enders you have concealed in secret in order to use when desecrating Radiance Hall. : :
Bong Myeong ignores the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, only intensifying the absorption of the universe's star veins.
The [circuit] of star veins covering the entire Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain burns brightly.
: : Will you drink the punishment wine? O newly hatched Supreme Deity who has yet to pass one hundred thousand years since your enthronement... You are neither Great Mountain nor Heavenly Punishment. : :
Responding to those words, the snake symbol behind the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord ignites with even greater intensity.
: : You will not be able to endure this Immortal's power... : :
A bird that scorches Heaven and Earth spreads its wings, and a rain of swords that divides the cosmos begins to fall.
The battle of Imperial Kings begins.
-x-X-x-
Woooooooo—
The universe moves.
The Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain is restoring its torn wounds as if it were alive.
The [circuit] formed by star veins is aiding in this restoration.
However, Bong Myeong, standing at the center of it all, looks somewhat uncomfortable.
Kugugugugugu!
The distant star cluster.
There, trillions and quadrillions of silver-white sword lights are rotating.
At their center, a resplendent brilliant silver-white light is devouring the surroundings.
Gradually, the power of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord rises violently, as if about to crush the entirety of the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
'Dangerous.'
Bong Myeong looks up at the sky, letting out a silent sigh.
'Despite causing a commotion and recklessly fighting like this, the beings outside the Heavenly Domain are showing no concern. The fact that even the Radiance Eight Immortals have no interest in Sword Spear taking action on their own means...'
Their gaze shifts beyond the Heavenly Domain.
Something with an extremely faint presence can be felt.
Bong Myeong immediately understands.
'The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord...has completely sealed off all light emanating from the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain...huh.'
Currently, the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain is in a sealed state by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
They realize that the presence beyond the Heavenly Domain is a familiar one.
It is the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's winged garment.
'Sword Spear's winged garment is wrapping around Earth Boundary, sealing it so that not even a single ray of light escapes.'
Since the light from this place cannot leak out, no one can know what is happening.
'So...is this what it means to be a God of War?'
However, They soon erase the discomfort from Their expression.
'If we are sealed in, that has its own advantages... More importantly, if they are using their winged garment for something like this, then they won't be able to call for help when they are driven into a corner.'
: : Sword (劍) Heaven (天). : :
The distant star cluster.
There, having distanced themself from Bong Myeong, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord begins using an Immortal Art.
: : O God of War... Indeed...I may not be able to defeat you through sheer martial force... : :
: : Annihilation (滅) Advancement (進). : :
The silver-white swords orbiting the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord all scatter at once.
In one corner of the universe, a sword explosion erupts with the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord at its center.
: : However...this is not merely a battle, but a match... I may be pushed back in combat...but I will not lose to a God of War who has lost their mind. : :
The circuit of countless star veins channels power into Bong Myeong, igniting the universe in a brilliant blaze.
"Are you going to cultivate according to the core principles of the Radiance Ten Heavens?"
"Yeah."
Jeon Myeong-hoon states that he will reach Upper Immortal and intends to cultivate the formula of the Radiance Ten Heavens.
"Hmm..."
I feel a bit concerned, but for now, I decide to support him.
'In any case, my method is far too slow, so it wouldn't suit him.'
My cultivation method involves detonating the light of connections accumulated for ten million years.
But how could I recommend such a method to Jeon Myeong-hoon?
'That being said, I need to reach Heaven Upper Immortal as well...'
I contemplate how to approach the cultivation of the Radiance Ten Heavens.
'I think I heard there are also heterodox methods for the Radiance Ten Heavens...'
That heterodox method involves capturing ten Vestige Liberation Immortals, stripping them of their personalities and reducing them to fools, then extracting their spirits, leaving only their Immortal Bodies to serve as one's own suns.
'It's far too steeped in the nature of the Devilish Path. I can't use it.'
Still, spending another ten million years just to reach Heaven Upper Immortal takes too long.
'For the Heaven Upper Immortal cultivation, do I just have to follow the Radiance Ten Heavens method?'
As I ponder this, I decide to ask one of the Immortals of the Flying Immortal Alliance.
They are someone who had once received teachings from Yin Ghost Black Turtle.
"How does one continue Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation even after becoming an Immortal?"
Kurururung!
The True Immortal, who looks as if a drop of ink became anthropomorphized, hears my question and makes a dumbfounded face before asking back.
"Why in the world are you trying to do such a thing?"
"What do you mean, why? I just want to properly walk the path of a Heaven Immortal as well."
"Hmm, listen. As you know, the lifespan of True Immortals is 'as long as they wish.' Yet, do you not know why there are so few True Immortals who practice Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation, despite their practically eternal lifespan?"
"I was actually curious about that."
"Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation itself is not particularly difficult. You simply need to slowly nurture a clone until it reaches Vestige Liberation Immortal. After that, you can begin Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation. The problem starts from there."
They smirk and raise both hands, conjuring black liquid atop their palms.
"These two liquids were originally one. But now they are divided. So then, which one of the two is the main body?"
I immediately grasp what they are implying.
"Are you saying that once a clone is raised to the realm of a Vestige Liberation Immortal, it becomes independent?"
"No. That is not the problem. In fact, a clone does not become independent at the realm of a Vestige Liberation Immortal. The issue begins the moment one starts Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation."
"The moment one starts...?"
"As the paths diverge, the two split bodies of Heaven Upper Immortal and Earth Upper Immortal begin to develop drastically different dispositions. The Earth Immortal leans towards explosion and dynamic movement, while the Heaven Immortal leans towards attraction force and static movement. Over time, as their dispositions continue to diverge, there comes a moment when the Heaven Immortal and Earth Immortal separate into entirely different beings. Of course, it is still manageable up to this point. "
"Are you saying there's a worst-case scenario?"
They smile faintly.
"At first, the two act as one... But then, at some point, their personalities change drastically. By the time they reach Great Net Immortal or an Immortal Lord, they start experiencing mental fragmentation, leading them to attempt to seize control of each other. That is why...the vast majority of those who practice Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation develop mental fragmentation."
"...!"
I never knew there was such a problem.
"Mental fragmentation, you say? Does that mean your personality splits into two?"
"The best example would be this: the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and Mountain-Destroying Demon Ape! The Great Mountain Supreme Deity reached the realm of a Supreme Deity with the power of a Heaven Upper Immortal, but for some reason, They also coveted the history pathway and created a clone, which later became Mountain-Destroying Demon Ape."
Though I am old, I lack knowledge of the affairs of True Immortals, so I listen with great interest.
"Mountain-Destroying Demon Ape became a fully separated personality around the point they reached Earth Upper Immortal. They developed a character entirely different from the main body that is the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. They were amicable with most of the Immortal Beasts and had a much better temperament as well."
"...! That's..."
"Of course...any story where the Great Mountain Supreme Deity is the protagonist always ends in the same way."
They finish the tale with a bitter expression.
"In the end, the fragmented personality that was Mountain-Destroying Demon Ape had their realm devoured by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, becoming nothing more than a part of Their Corpse Mountain Blood Sea."
"..."
It is a conclusion very characteristic of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
"In any case, it's not just the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. Most practitioners of Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation face a similar conclusion. The main body and the clone. The two fight to the end until one of them completely devours and exterminates the other. Even after consuming and erasing their counterpart, if they don't reach the level of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, they eventually experience mental fragmentation again... To be honest, if you plan to start Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation, I would strongly advise against it."
"Hmmm..."
Their words make me seriously contemplate.
'Raising Heaven, Earth, and Martial Arts together definitely seems like the best choice though...'
At this rate, I won't even get to start on the Heaven Immortal system.
'There are too many drawbacks.'
The Radiance Ten Heavens leaves me uneasy, and the risk of personality fragmentation honestly does not sit well with me either.
However, in the midst of these thoughts, a strange thought crosses my mind.
'Personality fragmentation? Two personalities forming...?'
As I consider this drawback, I scratch my head.
'Was the personality splitting...something dangerous?'
Huuuuu...
A hazy mist spreads around me.
Then, a cacophony of voices fills my ears.
It is the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
The function of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is to create spiritual power clones that store my memories and act exactly as I remember.
And...
Because it recreates the figures of those in my memories so precisely, at this point, it is practically no different from another personality.
Swaaaaaaa!
My Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections surges around the Colorless Glass Sword.
From the center of the hazy mist, someone appears.
"Are you conflicted, Me?"
"That's right."
"What is there to be conflicted about? Haven't I always been a madman who splits my own personality to act out the figures in my memories?"
In the end, that is the true identity of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
Splitting my personality to continuously recreate the figures from my memories.
In other words...
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is essentially nothing more than a lump of my madness.
For someone already steeped in madness to fear their personality fracturing a little more—how utterly ridiculous.
"What is there to fear? Begin."
"What I fear is something else."
Facing myself, I speak.
"Radiance Ten Heavens. What I am most scared of in the end...is losing my mind to the Radiance Ten Heavens."
"Then what will you do? Are you going to gather another ten million years' worth of light of connections again?"
"...Light. In the end, isn't light what I need?"
"That's right."
"Then...if I gather enough light, won't I be able to become a Heaven Upper Immortal even without the Radiance Ten Heavens?"
"That's right."
"In that case..."
I grin.
"I will...cultivate through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra."
"Do you think it's possible?"
"Instead of fixed stars...I will try to create my own, new system of light through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra."
The thought that it would be impossible never even crosses my mind.
The 'light of connections' I interpreted and pushed forward for ten million years had engraved itself into the world, elevating me to the realm of an Earth Upper Immortal.
'Light...is created through interpretation.'
The light that was created because I considered light to be connections and pushed forward with that interpretation was the light of that time.
'Then...! It must be possible to create a system of light that belongs solely to me!'
Because my very existence is proof of that!
The me standing in front of me smiles as well.
"As expected...you are insane."
"That's who I am, isn't it?"
And so, from that day on, I begin cultivating the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
I am not practicing compressing the entire world like before.
There is only one thing I focus on.
Hwiiiiiiiiiii!
It is compressing the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections into a single point with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and then restoring it to its original state.
The reason for compressing the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is simple.
'The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is another me.'
Thus, by repeatedly compressing the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, it has the effect of essentially [repeatedly compressing myself with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra].
This method greatly aids in deepening my understanding of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
'It's best to personally experience what it feels like to be compressed into a single point with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.'
How can I dare to recklessly talk of compressing other things without having gone through it myself?
If I want to fill the world with light and heat and compress it into a single point, shouldn't I first fill myself with light and heat and compress myself into a single point!?
And so, as I continue to compress and release another version of myself through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
Hwiiiiiiiiiiiii!
I sense my consciousness within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections undergo a strange phenomenon as it compresses into a single point.
'My consciousness is compressed into a single point, and when it is released...that power...'
That power is something that could be called 'light'.
'Let's keep compressing and releasing the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.'
If I do so, I feel like I will gain a knack for handling this 'light.'
And so, as I continue repeating the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra to create my own light, a hundred years pass.
Through the knack of forming a single point with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and then exploding it to create light, I come to understand.
This isn't merely light born from an explosion.
This is a light that I literally have ownership over.
Even though it is just a single, faint ray of light, I feel that I can manipulate it however I please in my grasp.
'This light...is mine.'
Not even the Radiance Supreme Deity, the one called the owner of all light in the world.
Not even the Radiance Eight Immortals...
I have the certainty that they cannot lay a hand on this light for some inexplicable reason.
This is...yes. It feels like...
The light from the 'salt emitting light' that I saw when I entered the Queen of Penglai Kingdom's secret chamber.
'Yes... Just like the light of salt that belonged to my master, the Salt Sea Supreme Deity, this light is mine alone.'
That faint and mist-like light is truly fascinating.
Using the authority of a True Immortal, I hold the light in one space and continually condense it.
Thus, I keep compressing and detonating the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra to create light.
I claim the light that was created in this way as my own, accumulating it day by day.
Eight hundred more years pass.
It has now been one thousand years since I entered Liberation Peach Garden Village.
Yeon has yet to fully take control of the fragmented space of Liberation Peach Garden Village.
Of course, she has nearly completed the process, but even after gaining control, leading civilization towards advancement and guiding its 'evolution' is an entirely different matter, so it is a task with no clear end in sight.
As a result of gathering strands of light one by one, the light I have collected has gradually grown, now forming a small cluster of light the size of a fingernail, floating in the void.
Lately, I have been experimenting with this unique light I have created.
I test whether it possesses any special properties, or whether it carries some new properties like twilight true energy.
But the results have been disappointing.
The light is simply light.
Since it was created using the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections as raw material, it is merely a light that belongs solely to me.
Beyond that, it holds no further meaning.
Kiiiiiiiiing!
'But if I were to create the equivalent of light from ten fixed stars and cultivate the Radiance Ten Heavens with this light...it won't be easy.'
What worries me the most is the speed at which I can create light using the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
It is far too slow.
'At this rate, wouldn't it be better to split my consciousness again for ten million years and establish something like In Yeon's family?'
It's when I am lost in concern.
Poong!
'Hmm?'
I suddenly see the light I created entering the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and very naturally being absorbed by it.
'There have been times when the light was absorbed into the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections before, but...'
Back then, I didn't think much of it.
But at this moment, another thought comes to me.
'...It's dangerous, but...if it succeeds...!'
Kiiiiiiiiing!
After infusing the light I created into the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, I activate the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
The light-embedded Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections compresses into a single point, then explodes!
At that moment!
Piiiiiiiiit!
"...! Hahaha!"
I laugh brightly.
Before, only a single strand of light was ever born.
But after absorbing the light into the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, compressing it with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, and triggering an explosion, the resulting number of light rays exceeds what I had originally infused.
The light I had increased by one-tenth.
'This is exciting!'
Though the process is slow, watching a light that belongs solely to me be created makes cultivation incredibly fun.
At this point, I have been here for one thousand years.
I set a goal. Within ten thousand years, I will create enough light to rival a fixed star.
Year 10,000.
The year marks ten thousand years since Seo Eun-hyun entered the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
Kugugugugugu!
The Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
No, in the ruins that were once the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord stands, gripping one of the Liberation Supreme Deity Bong Myeong's wings in their hand, gazing off into the distance.
Around them, the divine blood belonging to the Liberation Supreme Deity is splattered everywhere.
In contrast, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord bears only minor damage, just a slight tear at the hem of their robe.
Bong Myeong is gone.
Yet, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord trembles.
: : Bong Myeong!!! : :
Dududududu!
The entire Heavenly Domain quakes at their roar.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who existed in a five-dimensional space, begins to descend in dimensionality.
No, it is not just the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
The entire Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain starts turning into a single drawing.
Sensing their own dimension lowering, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord transforms into a mortal form.
Taking on the appearance of a human woman wearing a silver mask, wrapped in bandages from head to toe, she mutters while gripping a silver sword.
"Why do those from the Underworld love scribbling so much...? Such petty tricks."
She steps forward in the world that is turning into a flat plane.
"...Well, I suppose this works out. Entering Bong Myeong's Immortal Art and pulling him out will be easier in this state."
Maintaining a barely three-dimensional figure within the flat world, she begins slicing through the world with her sword.
"Wait for me, Seo Eun-hyun. After killing the Liberation Supreme Deity...I will come for you."
With Seo Eun-hyun's Vestige and the weakening of the Naming Supreme Deity's authority inside Bong Myeong's Immortal Art, she has already pierced through the Immortal Title of Crystal Glass Being and pinpointed his location.
Now, all that remains...is to go and meet Seo Eun-hyun.
She knows too.
That at some point, she started becoming strange.
In one side of her chest, coldness, warmth, discomfort, and strange emotions are mixing and swirling together.
'He must have placed some strange Ender authority on me.'
She must find Seo Eun-hyun and have him remove whatever authority he placed upon her.
For that reason alone, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord carves her way through the flattening world.
Unaware that by facing Seo Eun-hyun directly, she will only become further entangled in that very 'authority'...
And be unable to escape.
-x-X-x-
Kwadududuk!
With a strange sound, the fragment world becomes completely engulfed by Kim Yeon's will.
At the same time, countless mechanical devices attached to the fragment world fully melt into the world itself.
Wo-woong!
Kim Yeon's gaze can be felt from all directions.
It is the same feeling as when entering another True Immortal's body.
'No, it's even more than that.'
Her control over the space is far more overwhelming than that of ordinary True Immortals.
'At this level...isn't it closer to the world control of an Immortal Lord!?'
No...
It seems to surpass even a Great Net Immortal.
At this level, within this world alone, Kim Yeon could very well be called a god.
As soon as the True Immortals realize Kim Yeon has taken control of the world, they cheer with jubilant cries and create a small stellar system within the temporarily formed space.
Then, they adjust the temperature and environment of one of the orbiting planets to form a foundation where life can sprout.
Before long, life is born, and spirits settle into their bodies.
'That is...'
The souls of other beings from Liberation Peach Garden Village.
"Although this fragment world has been temporarily separated from Liberation Peach Garden Village by the power of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity...it is still ultimately a world within Liberation Peach Garden Village. And because the inside of Liberation Peach Garden Village is not properly connected to the Western Heaven Flower Field...if we want to create life and implant spirits into them, we have no choice but to draw in the spirits of Liberation Peach Garden Village."
Maek Jin, pulling spirits from outside the fragment world in Liberation Peach Garden Village to reincarnate them here, continues explaining.
"Anyway, Kim Yeon has taken control of this place and altered the rules of the world. Now, the seeds of civilization's evolution have been sown. We just need to birth life and watch them grow. You should also help bring life into existence."
"...Alright. I will."
From that day forward, the members of the Flying Immortal Alliance and I settle on various planets within the fragment world's stellar system, laying the groundwork for life to emerge.
"I shall create the sea."
"I will make oil spring forth from underground."
"I will establish the atmospheric environment."
"I'll be the one to bring down lightning."
We each settle into different domains of the planet and begin harmonizing the world.
"What will you do?"
"I...hmm..."
After thinking for a moment, I respond.
"I will make the sea salty."
I decide to create salt and add a salty taste to the ocean.
Since continuously using the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra accumulates salt in the surroundings, it is also perfect for my cultivation.
From that day on, I take my place in the middle of this planet's sea and start scattering salt through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
Kiiiiing!
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections compresses into a single point and then expands again.
With each repetition of this process, salt forms in the surroundings and spreads into the sea, making it saltier, while streaks of light gradually begin to be created.
Unlike me, the other True Immortals do not stop after creating the environment.
They breathe wisdom into the living beings, guide them, and at times, even torment them.
Thus, the living beings gradually develop intelligence to the level we recognize and begin forming communities.
"Hey, Crystal Glass Being. Are you not going to guide the Human Race?"
In this current world, Jeon Myeong-hoon has created humanity.
He guides them, is worshipped as their god, and teaches them cultivation methods.
"Shouldn't you be guiding your race to lay the foundation for civilization's progress as soon as possible?"
"...Don't worry."
I respond to the True Immortal who comes to scold me.
"I am doing something as well. Just wait a little. My results tend to appear more slowly..."
"Hmm...well, alright. But don't just sit around making salt all day."
The True Immortal nods and returns to guide their race and advance their civilization.
However, I do not particularly pay attention to the True Immortal's words.
'From the moment light was infused into the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections...I felt Kim Yeon's will and knew what I had to do.'
My cultivation with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra through the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is also a foundation that will help the progress of civilization in the future.
I continue creating strands of light as I cultivate with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
As a result, I begin to see things within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections that I had never seen before.
'The light...'
Light dwells within the characters inside the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
Swaaaaaa—
I gaze upon the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
Amidst the endlessly unfolding mist, countless figures from my memories stand.
Near their hearts, the small clusters of light that I have birthed are embedded inside.
'Ah...'
As I witness this, I feel as if 'souls are dwelling' within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
The figures within the canvas seem to grow more vibrant and lively as the light takes root within them.
Pasasa—
As I reach out my hand towards the Cheongmun Ryeong within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, he crumbles into mist.
However...
I widen my eyes at the sight.
'He crumbled...'
Previously, whenever I touched the figures in the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, my hand would simply 'pass' through.
Just like my Formless Sword.
Since they exist in the past, it is only natural that I, existing in the present, could not touch them.
The collapsed illusion of Cheongmun Ryeong regathers itself.
I tremble as I watch.
'Perhaps...'
What if I fill all of their bodies, this Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections that I have created, with this light that belongs solely to me?
Before, I passed through them, but now, they crumble.
A definite 'effect' has arisen.
'Perhaps if I completely fill the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections with light...'
Would I be able to perfectly recreate the single moment that exists in the past?
'Perhaps I will be able to relive that moment...perfectly...'
That thought takes root in me.
At that realization, I cultivate the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra with even greater resolve.
Gradually, the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections fills with more and more light, and time continues to flow quickly like a rushing river.
Ten thousand years.
Countless cultivation sects are born into the world, and under the decree of the True Immortals, they endlessly compete and strive for evolution.
Twenty thousand years.
The competition among the cultivation sects intensifies.
The cultivation sects established by each race fiercely compete under the orders of the True Immortals.
Thirty thousand years.
The True Immortals seem to be growing anxious.
Even amidst the madness of this frenzied competition...
There are no signs of a new civilization emerging.
Forty thousand years...
More and more True Immortals begin to seek me out.
Because I, who has been evaluated as possessing exceptional talent, enough to wield Immortal Arts within Liberation Peach Garden Village alongside Kim Yeon...
Still have not done anything for civilization.
However, I simply repeat the same words of 'You will understand later' to the True Immortals who come to me and send them away.
And then, a hundred thousand years have passed,
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, which accumulates an additional ten percent of light with every explosion, has already become filled with brilliant light before I realized it.
'It was faster than I expected.'
Creating a mass of light equivalent to ten fixed stars was, honestly, quite easy.
But I do not stop there.
Even after forming ten stars' worth of light, I continue to create more.
As a result...
I finally manage to imbue every figure within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections with a single fixed star's worth of light within their chest.
Sururuk...
I reach out and touch the being before me.
It is the appearance of In Ye from my past life.
I place my hand on Ye's shoulder and gaze at the countless figures standing behind him.
Now, inside the chests of the figures within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections that have reached an immeasurable number,
I have instilled light on the level of a fixed star in all of them.
As a result...
All the beings within my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections have gained 'substance'.
Of course, to others besides me, they still appear as mere mist mixed with rays of light.
But the 'light' within their chests remains visible to others, making my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections resemble a hazy nebula.
And...
On the day marking the hundred-thousandth year since coming to Liberation Peach Garden Village...
Jeon Myeong-hoon flies to my side.
"Seo Eun-hyun. I have reached Great Net Immortal."
"Congratulations."
"...I heard that you are cultivating the Radiance Ten Heavens to become a Heaven Upper Immortal. But why in the world have you still not become one?"
"..."
"Hurry up and raise your realm. You have to quickly raise your realm so we can raise our chances of leaving this place. And from what I can tell, you already possess enough light to complete the cultivation of the Radiance Ten Heavens..."
"..."
I let out a bitter smile.
For one hundred thousand years, I have clung to the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, cultivating the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
And as a result, I have come to understand.
"...I'm sorry, Jeon Myeong-hoon..."
I simply cannot...
Offer up the light that has settled within my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections to Mount Sumeru, to the Radiance Supreme Deity.
Because this light...
Is breathing life into the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
"I trust you, Seo Eun-hyun. But...isn't this taking too long?"
He speaks as he glares at me.
"A hundred thousand years! Why have you been clinging to that alone for so long? At least give me an explanation, Seo Eun-hyun!"
"...I'm sorry. But...trust me."
I look up at Jeon Myeong-hoon and say,
"I am not simply wasting time. Just give me a few ten thousands of years...and I will be able to show the results."
"A few ten thousands of years...?"
"Yes, just a few ten thousands of years more...!"
"..."
At my words, he lets out what seems to be a sigh, then turns around and flies away.
"...Do as you please. Hong Fan has recently challenged the Sacred Vessel advancement. He seems to be cultivating as the Sacred Master of this stellar system... Hong Fan, as well as your subordinates Ham Jin and Yu Hwi, have all already reached the Sacred Vessel stage. They are all growing quickly...so I hope you will too."
With a voice tinged with slight dissatisfaction, he offers his advice before vanishing into lightning.
I understand why he is acting this way.
'He's getting anxious.'
For me, a hundred thousand years is no more than a few months in concept.
But for Jeon Myeong-hoon, a hundred thousand years likely feels like several decades.
'During all that time...there have been no signs of a new civilization emerging, and you must have thought I am pathetically rummaging through the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections... Isn't that right, Jeon Myeong-hoon?'
But he's wrong.
As I watch my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections become enveloped in light, I smile fainty.
"That's not entirely true. Watch...I will definitely show how I excellently support Kim Yeon's plan...!"
The time is drawing near.
The power of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections has almost reached its singularity.
So...I will show you.
Having reached Severing Heaven, exchanged a bout with Hyeon Mu, and grasped a portion of Triple Divinity...
My vision has expanded to unlike before, reaching a breadth and depth that surpasses imagination.
'To the point I even partially broke through the speech restriction placed upon Kim Yeon...and can discern some of her intentions...!'
Maek Jin once said this.
Those who wield light, like the Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma and their candidates, possess very sensitive senses, capable of communicating even with beings like Kim Yeon who cannot communicate.
Paaaaatt!
The more I create my own [light], the more I feel it.
The will of Kim Yeon, which blankets this entire world, can be felt faintly through the light.
With the senses gained from Triple Divinity intertwined with the [light] I have created, I gradually became able to read a portion of her will.
'I see it.'
I catch a glimpse of what she wants to create.
'I can see...what Kim Yeon wants to create as the proof of civilization...!'
At present, through the efforts of numerous True Immortals, various races have been born into this world, forming civilizations and living their lives.
With the prophecies and revisions of each True Immortal, they are aiding these numerous races to reach new heights of civilizations.
Countless True Immortals tirelessly race about, dedicating themselves to fostering these races.
Only I have sat still for a hundred thousand years, merely making salt.
I have practically accomplished nothing.
Jeon Myeong-hoon knows this as well, which is why he came to reprimand me with bitter words.
'But I was not doing nothing.'
I was merely...
Waiting for the right time.
'No one can survive without light and salt.'
For living beings, light and salt are the essence of life itself.
And I...have simply been waiting and waiting for the day when every living being in this world consumes the salt I have created, engraving the power of my salt into their very bloodlines.
'The time has come.'
Wiiiiiiiiing!
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, infused with light and given substance, is now power and an Immortal Art with substance in itself.
"...I command my history."
Gazing at the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections unfolding around me, I issue my decree.
Following my will, the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections begins to spread across the entire world.
Hwiwoooooooo!
'Originally, this was something I started merely for the sake of my Heaven Upper Immortal cultivation, but...'
I realize that I will have to reach Heaven Upper Immortal in a way different from what I had originally planned.
'Simply offering up light is something I cannot allow.'
This is light that breathes life into my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
I cannot simply hand over even a single ray of it to Mount Sumeru.
Therefore...
I decide to embrace this light and carry it forward.
"O Filling the Heavens Governing View, cover my history."
Woo-woooong!
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections that spreads from me embeds itself into the entire world before merging with it.
True Immortals from all over contact me.
—Have you finally decided to act, Crystal Glass Being?
—Your butt sure is heavy.
—In any case, welcome. Let us evolve civilization together.
Filling the Heavens Governing View is an Immortal Art based on the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
Therefore, now that the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections has been strengthened to its peak,
Filling the Heavens Governing View has also reached its pinnacle.
At this very moment, as Filling the Heavens Governing View settles into this world...
True Immortals from all around scream at me in frenzy.
: : Crystal Glass Being!!!! : :
: : You lunatic bastard!!! What are you doing!!?? : :
: : S E O E U N - H Y U N!!! : :
Yet even as I listen to their cries, I calmly half-open my eyes.
"...From today onwards, no one will be able to Cultivate Immortality (修仙)."
I feel Hong Fan, who has become the sun as the Sacred Master of this stellar system, looking down upon me.
"In this world, cultivators will also cease to exist."
From now on, all attempts at Immortal Cultivation in this world will fail.
Because I will make it so.
Because...
"You are all mistaken."
: : Whaaaaat!!?? : :
"Civilization does not evolve through someone's interference."
I glance up at the sky and smile faintly at the True Immortals who are appalled.
"A world without cultivators. A world without the intervention of Immortals... That is the kind of world where civilization can truly progress."
In this moment, as I oppose Bong Myeong and resolve to break free from Them—
I ironically come to understand Them.
The reason why Liberation Peach Garden Village forbade transcendent power beyond the Four-Axis stage.
The reason why we, who were once True Immortals, were reduced to the level of spirits.
It was all because only in a world without transcendent power can true evolution take place.
'This is what you wanted too, right, Kim Yeon...?'
But perhaps because Bong Myeong had never experienced a world completely devoid of transcendent power,
Their approach was somewhat lacking.
"From this moment on,"
I look calmly at the wrathful True Immortals and speak.
"I will recreate Earth in this world."
Not a single speck of light that I have created will be given to Mount Sumeru.
Instead, I will nurture this light.
This light will become bright, and even brighter...
Until it becomes a light so brilliant that even without offering it to Mount Sumeru or the Radiance Supreme Deity, it will illuminate them on its own.
If I can grow this light to such an extent, then naturally, I will have given grace to Mount Sumeru.
And naturally, I will become a Heaven Upper Immortal.
"Believe in me. I am undoubtedly right."
Because from now on, I will make it so.
From that day onward, I completely block the Immortal Cultivation system, earning myself a reputation as a madman who obstructs evolution in the eyes of the True Immortals...
And thus begins the all-out offensive from countless True Immortals against me.
-x-X-x-