It's petty.
Anyone would think so just by looking.
However, the moment I realize this fact, a different thought comes to mind.
Are They not doing it on purpose 'to make it look petty'?
Swaaaa—
This is a wave.
A wave visible only to my eyes, refined by acquiring Triple Divinity, and further honed through Yang Pitch and Yin Pitch.
Of course, perhaps Hyeon Mu or Kim Young-hoon may also be seeing it with similar vision...
But for some reason, I feel that their vision is not the same as mine.
All of Mount Sumeru is covered by the wave.
The wave feels like a strange melody, like grotesque maggots, and like a beautiful symphony of clouds.
This is the heart of the entire world.
It must be a scene visible only because I, by becoming an innate True Immortal through the Flawless Mantra, by becoming an [Immortal Art that observes all of Mount Sumeru itself], have fused my vision with Triple Divinity.
'I see it.'
And through this, I realize that Gwak Am is deliberately choosing not give me the Immortal Crown.
'I see... Gwak Am...'
I hear the will of Gwak Am that is interwoven between the countless 'hearts' embedded throughout Mount Sumeru.
—I shall be hated.
By the Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand Worlds, by all beings, I will be hated.
—I shall face all the hatred and suffering of all phenomena head-on...
Through all that, I will seek repentant enlightenment.
—I shall honor the spirit of my master and uphold his will.
Thus, I shall be hated by you as well.
—Hate me.
"...I see."
A will to be hated by all.
And that will creates a resolution that demands all beings must hate Them.
I follow the flow of Brahma Nature, Narayana Nature, and Mahesvara Nature, which circulates throughout the world, and trace Gwak Am's heart in reverse to pursue Their thoughts.
In the group of 'all beings who must hate Gwak Am,' I, too, must eventually be included.
However, Gwak Am reaches the conclusion that I, ultimately, will not be able to hate Them.
'...Why?'
I cannot read any further into Gwak Am's heart.
If I want to delve deeper into Their inner heart, it seems I must further perfect Triple Divinity.
But I can't understand it.
'I hate Gwak Am. That is certain...'
I still vividly remember when the Wuji Religious Order was torn apart.
The brutality of Gwak Am, who annihilated the order in a single strike and personally tore apart the ones I cherished one by one remains etched in my mind.
They are undoubtedly my senior brother, a fellow disciple who served the same Master.
But that is that.
This is this.
Even if I respect Them as a senior who served our master before me...
'I...cannot forgive Them.'
This hatred I feel toward Them does not fade.
And yet, why?
Why on earth would Gwak Am come to such a conclusion, and even stoop to such petty acts in order to be hated by me?
'...Someday, I'll understand.'
As I listen to the lingering echoes of the hearts sweeping through the entire world, I think that one day I will uncover Gwak Am's inner heart.
It is at that very moment.
'...Ah.'
I realize something.
And the instant I come to this realization, I understand.
What it truly means to [invert].
As I awaken to this truth, I recite the Flawless Mantra and head toward the next life.
I am born.
And at the same time, I instinctively know my purpose.
I am an innate True Immortal.
A being who, by existence alone, receives the grace of Mount Sumeru, and in turn must enrich Mount Sumeru to repay that grace.
I must, by mere existence, contribute to the system of Immortal Cultivation.
By mere existence...
I must strengthen the path to the heavens, so that countless others may benefit.
That is the reason for my birth.
The moment I realize this, I recognize that I must [invert].
If to be an innate True Immortal means to support the system of Immortal Cultivation, then to invert it is to be its opposite.
I shall not contribute to the system of Immortal Cultivation.
I shall not support the world—rather, I shall devour it.
I shall become a being that devours all.
Woo-wooong!
I decide to become a monster that devours everything, including light itself.
Self-hatred stirs, but it does not matter.
I do not know why, but somehow it feels like this is something I have already done dozens, hundreds of times.
At this point, what does it matter if I keep repeating it?
However, from deep inside me, I feel a 'will' trying to surface.
It is a voice.
—That...is not it.
What is that supposed to mean?
I ignore the voice and proceed to invert as I originally intended.
'Let's devour the world...and collapse the system of Immortal Cultivation...'
That is the true [inversion] I must carry out.
—Either way, it's the same.
However, I cannot ignore this voice.
Because the power contained in that voice is binding me with such force that it is forcibly turning my head.
This power is something even I, who have become the Immortal Art that devours the world, cannot possibly disregard.
'What is this power?'
Suddenly, I grow curious about the identity of this power.
'If I keep devouring the world...I think I will be able to remember something I have forgotten. Then I will be able to figure out the identity of this power. But...if I listen to you, it feels like I will lose my memories instead.'
I speak to the voice.
'Is it okay to lose those memories?'
Before I know it, I realize I am facing the owner of the voice deep within the surface of a deep and deep darkness.
The owner of the voice is a man in white, reflecting all light.
And 'I' am in the form of a man in black, devouring all light.
We sit in a lotus position, facing each other and in an inverted state.
'Only by going against this world...can we reclaim ourselves. And yet, you say you will not go against it. Are you saying...you will not reclaim us...? Do you not understand that if the world itself is inverted, then us becoming inverted is the only way to be normal?'
—Let me ask you one thing.
I realize that this figure is another [me].
Another aspect of myself speaks to me.
—If you draw a circle on paper and try to move away from one side of that circle by heading in the opposite direction, what happens?
What on earth is he trying to say?
Yet with his words, a circle draws itself before my eyes.
We are inside that circle.
—Eventually, if you keep going in the opposite direction and reach the far end of the circle...
At the center of the circle, there is light.
And that light stretches upward and downward from the center of the flat circle, reaching both the place where I stand and where he stands.
Paaaaatt!
Before I know it, the circle we stand on draws a Taiji.
—Is it not the same...?
It's true.
No matter which direction you head toward from the center, you eventually reach the boundary of the circle and take on the same image as the opposite side.
—O Myself, who has received only misfortune and become misfortune itself. I have grown while receiving fortune and virtue, and thought surely blessings await me at the end. But look.
Even if one is granted fortune and virtue to the extreme and becomes an innate True Immortal, contributing to the heavenly path of Immortal Cultivation...
Even if one gathers only misfortune to the extreme, becomes misfortune itself, and turns into a monster that shatters Immortal Cultivation...
Whether we become fortune or misfortune, in the end, we all become components.
Playing the role of an innate True Immortal who supports the Immortal Cultivation system...
Or inverting that role to collapse the Immortal Cultivation system...
In the end, both are consumed by the role and become components for the sake of the play.
The white 'me' seems to want to say just that.
—The essence of fortune and misfortune is ultimately the same. No matter which extreme one reaches, within this world, one ends up as components.
'Then...what does it mean to be truly [inverted]?'
As one whose essence is [inversion], I ask the me in white.
I must hear his answer.
And the me in white smiles subtly.
—If misfortune and fortune...if blessings and curses are in truth one and the same, then let us give what we can with compassion...but let us not be lost in it. If we truly wish to invert, then isn't what we must do...escaping from the roleplay? Is it not to escape the situation of just being a component?
'...'
As I listen to those words, I gradually feel the white me and the black me drawing closer to each other.
—Let us have a heart.
'A heart...?'
—Even if we cannot completely escape from being components...let us not become true components. Let us not forget ourselves within this play. Is that not...
Bit by bit, me and I draw closer, and at last, within the pure white light, I feel the existence called [me] completely become one.
—...what it means to truly stand upright in this inverted world?
'...!'
The moment I realize this, a powerful shiver flows through my entire body.
Phenomena Extinguishing and Flawless are one.
Such realization brushes past me for some reason.
At the same time, faint 'memories' begin to return, and before my eyes, I begin to faintly see [someone].
Though the memories have not fully returned, I immediately know who it is.
"...Gu Ju (九疇)..."
However, they instantly react against my statement.
"Master! I am Hong Fan! Please come to your senses! Are you all right!?"
"..."
I look at him and smile.
"...Do not worry... From now on...I shall truly enter Flawlessness..."
"Master! Something is wrong with your condition! Your Flawless Mantra is unstable! Your comrades are all worried! Master is currently in a strange state right now! Please, escape from that condition immediately!"
"..."
At that moment, an image of the [me] newly born this time reflects in my mind.
It is the appearance of me, entirely transformed into a black hole of the universe.
I have become a perfect black hole of the universe, but at some point, light bursts out from various parts of the body, making my form unstable.
The neat sphere becomes distorted and begins to tremble violently.
My comrades stand guard, watching over me with worry.
Their 'hearts' seem to transmit a shared will—that they must stop me by force if necessary.
Beyond my comrades, numerous True Immortals are laughing joyfully.
And Hong Fan is using Formless Poison to enter my consciousness, attempting to stabilize me as a representative.
But I smile brightly.
"Tell them...not to worry."
I always feel sorry toward my comrades.
There are too many times when I don't even have the time to explain properly.
This moment is no different.
"From now on, I will..."
"Master!!!!! No!!! Seo Eun-hyun!!"
Hong Fan's eyes flip as he charges toward me.
In an instant, he invades the depths of my heart essence and grabs hold of the [something] synchronized with me.
My Refining Void Dharma Treasure, now refined to the level of an Immortal Treasure—my memory storage.
It is the Colorless Glass Sword.
Hong Fan, grasping the Colorless Glass Sword, which is no different from the essence of my Glass True Fire, screams as if in a fit.
"Please stop!! Stop this right now! What you are trying to do right now is madness!! Do not do it!! Have you forgotten what this means to you!?"
But even he cannot stop me.
"I shall...truly go against the world."
"No!!"
Kwaching!
I extend my will and shatter my Colorless Glass Sword with a single strike of my own hand.
It is not only the Colorless Glass Sword.
All of my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections within it are crushed.
All the personalities and fragments of myself that were embedded inside are destroyed and turned to dust.
I see Hong Fan screaming in a frenzy.
"Why would you do this!? Is this not your memory, Master!? Is this not your history!?"
As I feel all my memories scatter, I smile.
"Do not worry, Hong Fan..."
This shall become the true path to escape from the bridle.
"Even if I lose my history, I shall embrace my heart properly..."
The Colorless Glass Sword is the very history of myself, created by Buk Hyang-hwa.
At the same time, it is the collection of all my heartfelt attachments that have followed me my entire life.
Without a doubt, it is the sword that proves who I am.
But at the same time, it is also the bridle that restrains me.
Pung, peobeobeobeong!
Countless fragments of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections begin to explode outward.
Hong Fan flails his hand in panic, trying to grasp the shattered pieces.
"What are you doing!? In the end...isn't this an act of losing yourself!? You, you will no longer be you!"
But nothing lands in Hong Fan's hands.
"Hong Fan..."
I continue speaking without losing my smile.
With every word I utter, memories scatter further.
However, this is not necessarily because the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is breaking apart, but rather because I am simply aligning the mind of my reincarnated self with a standard to faithfully play my role.
"All things that possess form...eventually must wither."
"Even if form withers, was it not your very intention in creating the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections to preserve that history!? Even if it is a cradle of repeating memories, is it not something you should cherish and hold close!?"
"Hong Fan...listen."
I gently close my eyes.
"Only now do I realize. Of course, there is still so much to comprehend, and I remain far too lacking. Even so, this much I have come to understand."
I recall the enlightenment I gained while observing Gwak Am's heart, watching as They try to achieve repentant enlightenment across the entire world.
And I share that with Hong Fan.
"Gwak Am realized that, in the end, I would not come to hate Them. Why do you think that is?"
The Great Mountain Supreme Deity is, in some ways, terrifying to a chilling degree.
Even if They couldn't read my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections...
They read what lies within me.
To the family of the Wuji Religious order, I feel sorry for saying this, but...
There was once a person I hated more than the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
It was Yuan Li.
The number of people Yuan Li killed was fewer than the Wuji Religious Order, and the divine power he showed compared to the Great Mountain Supreme Deity was that of a bug.
But why did I hate him more than the Great Mountain Supreme Deity?
Because I had been far younger than when I lost the Wuji Religious Order.
I had yet to properly cultivate my heart, had not endured countless years, and was still a green novice.
So even though I lost more during the time of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, it was during the time of Yuan Li that I nearly fell into true corruption, unable to restrain my heart.
Most of all, the biggest difference between the time of Yuan Li and the time of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity...was Buk Hyang-hwa.
—Was what I just gave you...also a curse?
That single sentence.
And the final kiss we shared.
It still has not faded from within my heart.
Even if I were to be cast into isolation and spend time alone equivalent in years to the number of grains of sand of the Ganges River (ten sexdecillion), that alone I would never be able to forget.
The heart she gave me became my support.
Even when the entire Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections was completely shattered by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, that alone I was unable to forget.
That is why, even though I poured out curses in that cycle, I did not end up fundamentally twisted as I nearly did during the time of Yuan Li.
"A person's heart..."
And the Great Mountain Supreme Deity Gwak Am must have come to know this in the end.
Of course, it's not as if They pierced through my heart through pure martial doctrine like me, Kim Young-hoon, or Hyeon Mu.
From the beginning, the Supervisory Eye bestowed upon Hon Won was Theirs.
When it comes to Immortal Arts that pierce through things, They already reached the peak.
"...never disappears!"
I shout what I have realized.
Gwak Am likely did not see clearly.
They probably merely saw the support that Buk Hyang-hwa left within my heart, and tried—using petty, dirty tricks—to tear it down through whatever means.
But rather, it is thanks to Gwak Am that I have come to understand.
"The heart never disappears! And...nothing can truly contain the heart!"
"Pardon...?"
"I was mistaken. I thought that by reenacting those moments through my clones, by continuing them endlessly, the hearts from that time would also become eternal... But now I know. No...perhaps I should say I've revisited the truth once more."
[TL Notes: The word 'revisited' in this case is the same word as inverted.]
I smile brightly with my eyes closed.
Had I not already realized it when I rose to Five Energies Converging to the Origin?
A person's heart is infinite!
Nothing can truly express what the heart is.
Not established by words or speech (不立文字)!
That is why...
Even with the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, it is impossible to express or properly remember the boundless hearts I received.
"Form will disappear. But those very hearts will remain within me, unwithering, and they will shape who I am."
"...What does that even..."
"Only now do I understand..."
Among my many realms, I scatter and begin to recondense the Heavenly Being stage.
"The cultivation of the Heavenly Being stage never needed madness."
Gathering madness in the cultivation of the Heavenly Being stage was merely to prevent a person's mind from being consumed and perishing by the vast nature of Heaven and Earth.
To keep the mind from being swept away by the nature of Heaven and Earth, one concentrates a part of it to the extreme.
That is the cultivation of the Heavenly Being stage.
But I have the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
As I scatter this, which makes up the greatest part of my madness, I come to realize.
"A person's heart itself...is the most bizarre and mysterious embodiment created by Heaven and Earth. By its very existence, it is not inferior to the nature of Heaven and Earth."
Pasasasasasa!
As the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections scatters, my very realm scatters, and my very existence begins to scatter and disappear.
As I melt into the world, I begin cultivating the Flawless Mantra.
Gradually, my memories as [me] submerge, and I become a new existence.
I see Hong Fan fidgeting restlessly.
"Master... Why...are you..."
That is the last thing I see before I fully melt into the world.
Paaaaatt!
The body of this lifetime, in the form of a black hole of the universe, explodes completely.
Scattering into countless fragments of light, I melt throughout the entirety of the Purple Lotus Realm.
At the same time, the color of the entire Purple Lotus Realm changes.
The color of the Purple Lotus Realm, once like a purple lotus flower, turns white.
The space, once corroded by the chaos of the Inner Sea beyond the Heavenly Domain, is now eroded again by my very existence.
What was once the world of Purple Lotus is now becoming the world of White Magnolia.
The scattered Colorless Glass Sword and the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections dye the world.
At the same time, I, who was born as an innate True Immortal, am reborn as an Entering Nirvana True Person in a corner of the Purple Lotus Realm.
Tukwaang!
From beyond a distant star cluster, a Heaven Upper Immortal under Black Dragon throws a single strike that pierces through me.
Kwaaaaang!
I am pierced and annihilated by that single strike.
But even as I vanish, I smile.
Though I have no memory, I can smile with nothing but the heart engraved within my chest.
Until now, the will I held while cultivating the Flawless Mantra was 'to grow stronger for everyone's goal'.
In a way, a rather vague will.
But now.
Only now does this will change.
To something far simpler, yet far more powerful.
'Protect the family.'
That one will alone.
At the same time, I, now dead, become a sacrificial offering that twists the very laws of the world.
Kurururung!
Along with my death, my will envelops my comrades.
Already powerful to begin with, my comrades are now protected by the power of the White Magnolia world, and within this realm, they become even closer to invincible.
With that, I close my eyes.
That, is my 501st reincarnation.
"...Do you remember...who I am?"
Someone asks from in front of me.
Wearing a dark blue robe, radiating a strength now at the level of a Judge.
She looks at me and asks.
No memory comes to mind.
It feels like the storage vault where I once held memories had burst open.
My mind feels like a blank sheet of paper.
But...
I smile.
Even if I have no memories, this heart is surely within me.
The heart the being before me once gave me is still here inside!
The moment I recall her, every memory I shared with her resurfaces.
At the same time, centered around those memories of her, all of my memories revive as well.
"...Don't worry. As long as you are all by my side...I will never forget."
I smile brightly at her.
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is not destroyed.
Its form has merely changed.
From a mist only I can see, it has become a flawless garment that truly resides within my family, protecting them.
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and the Colorless Glass Sword have changed.
From tools that merely revisited my failures and remembered old memories...
They have now become a true sword that brings miracles into reality and protects my family.
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections has merged with the Flawless Mantra, becoming both bridle and law that is worn upon the family I wish to protect.
Yes.
An Immortal Crown.
What I gave to my comrades is practically an Immortal Crown forged from the will of my sacrifice.
The Myriad Forms and the Flawless have met to form the Immortal Crown.
It is said that the Immortal Crowns existing in this world are created through the origin controlled by Supreme Deities and Heavenly Venerables.
Then, what is the origin of the Immortal Crowns I have bestowed upon them?
Surely, it is the hearts we have exchanged.
As long as the hearts my comrades gave me remain.
As long as they are by my side, I will protect them, and as long as I seek to protect them, I will never forget them.
Even if the form known as memory is forgotten, the heart alone will remain and pave the way for my fate.
'Didn't you not give me an Immortal Crown, Senior Brother?'
Thinking of Gwak Am, who must be somewhere in the Outer Sea, I slowly embrace Kang Min-hee.
Thud.
Our foreheads touch for a moment.
A heart of pure affection, without lust or desire, is conveyed to her.
At the same time, the form of my Immortal Crown clearly reveals itself.
'Then I don't need one, Senior Brother. I will make my own. However, I will not wear it myself.'
Paaaatt!
It is a paper flower.
'I don't need what is given by someone else. As long as I have something to give to my family, that is enough.'
A white magnolia and a quince flower, two paper flowers, are threaded together.
Extending from behind Kang Min-hee's head in several strands, they wrap around her body and attach themselves to various parts of her clothing.
'Because...just by becoming my family, I've already received grace that must be repaid by scattering the Immortal Crown to protect.'
Royal Bestowed Flower (어사화/御賜花).
'Just by repaying that retribution... Just by giving and receiving hearts and forming a connection...'
The Immortal Crown created through the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and the Flawless Mantra, born from the hearts and connections given and received, takes the form of a Royal Bestowed Flower suited to each individual.
'I...have already donned the greatest Immortal Crown called connection.'
Having fully gifted the Royal Bestowed Flowers upon my family, I now begin to step forward boldly into the next life.
From now on, I will lose my memories often, but it doesn't matter.
If, until now, my memories remained undying as long as the Colorless Glass Sword existed—
Then from this moment on, with its form shattered and fully embraced within my heart, my memories will remain undying so long as my family is by my side.
And thus, I begin to carry on the true cultivation of Flawlessness.
Translater Notes: Royal Bestowed Flower (어사화/御賜花) is a paper flower bestowed upon those who passed the civil exam during the Joseon Dynasty. I recommend searching it up to see what it looks like.]
-x-X-x-
I die.
I am reborn.
I recall my family.
I offer myself as a sacrificial offering for the sake of my family.
The more I offer, the safer my family becomes.
I repeat the actions above.
And...
The power of the Immortal Art that arises from offering myself as a sacrificial offering is, in itself, akin to an innate True Immortal.
Therefore...
This can rightfully be called the cultivation of Yang Pitch.
However, as I continue to offer myself as a sacrifice for my comrades, my cultivation realm gradually falls.
Yet even as my cultivation falls, my heart to sacrifice only grows greater, so no matter how many times I die, the Yang Pitch cultivation is never left undone.
Every time, I offer myself as a sacrificial offering, layering the Immortal Art that protects my family, even going as far as consuming the fortune I've accumulated to create an innate True Immortal.
The stronger the protective power becomes, the more my fortune diminishes, and the more my cultivation drops.
550th cycle.
I reach the Sacred Vessel stage.
But I do not care.
No matter how many times I die and am reborn, what I must do is clear.
Protect my family.
My comrades willingly became my family and protected me.
Now I shall protect them.
Regardless of how many times I die!
The more I die, and the more I layer the power of the Immortal Crown upon them, the weaker the power of the True Immortals coming from outside becomes.
Of course, even with that weakened strength, I die endlessly—but it doesn't matter.
Because now, even if I die and die again, I will only keep strongly protecting my comrades.
I constantly recite the Flawless Mantra,
Protecting what I wish to protect by my own will, not as a component of the world.
And because that goes against the principles of the world, my mastery of the Flawless Mantra continues to rise without end.
600th cycle.
My cultivation falls to the Star Shattering stage.
Before I know it, the attacks of the True Immortals barely reach me anymore.
But why is it?
I keep dying sudden deaths without ever reaching the end of my lifespan.
It is not due to the attacks of True Immortals, nor their prophecies, nor revision.
In every life, I put all my effort to understanding the cause of these sudden deaths.
Time flows and flows.
And finally...
The 666th cycle.
The cultivation of the Flawless Mantra.
Its end draws near.
Tstststststs!
My current cultivation has fallen to the Integration stage.
Originally, I could have gained sufficient authority through this and ended the cultivation of the Flawless Mantra here.
But I do not do so.
666 past lives is, quite literally, the minimum unit.
Through 666 reincarnations, one can gain substantial control over the Flawless Mantra.
However...
It cannot be fully mastered.
Thus, I continue my cultivation in order to completely grasp the Flawless Mantra.
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections was absorbed into the Flawless Mantra and became an Immortal Crown.
For the sake of my family, who have received the Immortal Crown from me, I cannot allow myself to leave the Flawless Mantra unmastered.
Kurururung!
Then, when I have reached the end of my 666th life,
'...This is...'
Before I know it, I realize I have arrived at a strange place.
Yet, it is also a familiar place.
This place...yes.
A place filled with a crimson sea of blood and a mountain of corpses.
It's the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.
I become aware of the one who summoned me into this world.
"...So it was you. Oh Hye-seo..."
A familiar woman sits before me.
And behind me, I hear the heavy breath of a sinister presence.
"You were the one who pushed them to attack us."
In front of me is Oh Hye-seo, and behind me is the true body of the Immortal Beast Black Dragon.
That's right.
From the very beginning, Black Dragon had not simply attacked us.
They came after joining hands with Oh Hye-seo to kill us.
Oh Hye-seo smiles with gloomy eyes.
"Yeah, that's right. I hate you, Seo Eun-hyun. Because you killed Seo Hweol...and because the Great Mountain Supreme Deity has been constantly making a fit, telling me to shove the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea into your mouth. That's why while you were cultivating the Flawless Mantra, I joined hands with Black Dragon and made them attack you. I tried to shove the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea down your throat while you were reincarnating. Of course, if there was a problem...it's that I didn't expect the others to become that strong."
"..."
I calmly look at Oh Hye-seo.
"...Oh Hye-seo."
"What?"
"I see. So that is your Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens..."
I glance at Oh Hye-seo's shadow and let out a bitter smile.
Her shadow is not her own.
It clearly belongs to a man with deer antlers.
Yes...
Her shadow belongs to Seo Hweol.
"You used Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens as a medium to summon me to this place."
It's ironic.
Oh Hye-seo, who once longed so desperately to revive Seo Hweol...
Has long surpassed Seo Hweol's in terms of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
Even I didn't even realize I was afflicted by Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens until I saw that shadow.
"I see. You tied a piece of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens to Black Dragon and attached it to me when I inherited the bloodline of the Black Dragon Race and became their crown prince in my second life."
"That's right."
"And that Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens has been constantly clinging to me all along and followed me... The recent unexplained sudden deaths I experienced were also..."
"Yeah. Even for you, this would've been impossible to detect. Your sudden deaths were the result of me and Black Dragon combining our strength."
It is no wonder I didn't realize.
Her Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, evolved through Seo Hweol's inheritance...
Moves in a manner extremely similar to the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag.
Once it clings to a target, it fully merges with them.
But once it merges, it no longer listens to the original master's commands.
Instead, the original owner imprints 'a single' command into the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, and as time passes, that command becomes more deeply etched into the assimilated target.
That is what I uncovered in my past life about Oh Hye-seo's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
While I was trapped in the Crystal Glass Realm by Hyeon Mu, she only embedded Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens into In Ye's family. Because of that, I could not sense its secrecy, but now that I've experienced it firsthand, I understand.
Her Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens has already evolved far beyond Seo Hweol's.
I smile bitterly as I watch her.
"Oh Hye-seo, wasn't your goal to resurrect Seo Hweol?"
"That's right."
"...Then you'll never be able to bring Seo Hweol back to life."
At my words, Oh Hye-seo's eyes twitch.
But this isn't mere spiteful talk.
It is a truth visible to my eyes, who has reached a considerable level in Triple Divinity.
That is...
Seo Hweol, who was Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens itself, has already died and reincarnated somewhere else.
And the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, which could at least be called a remnant of Seo Hweol, has evolved and become completely different from the original Seo Hweol.
The more Oh Hye-seo runs around trying to resurrect Seo Hweol, the more her Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens evolves and deviates from the original Seo Hweol.
And the more this continues, the exponentially lower the chance becomes that, even if she finds Seo Hweol's spirit someday, she'll be able to restore the Seo Hweol of that time.
"I'm giving you advice, Oh Hye-seo. If you want to resurrect Seo Hweol...let go of your obsession with him. At least for you...letting go of him will help you bring him back."
"...Shut up."
Immediately after.
Oh Hye-seo's Corpse Mountain Blood Sea moves and lashes at me.
My main body is still in the Purple Lotus Realm—now transformed into the White Magnolia Realm—and I've been pulled here in the middle of cultivating the Flawless Mantra, so the power of my spirit is only at the Integration stage. It feels like I'll be shattered to pieces by that immense force.
But it's useless.
I operate Triple Divinity with extreme precision, fully perceiving all the hearts within that immense force, and let the power flow past me completely.
"...!"
"It's useless, Oh Hye-seo. You cannot harm me."
Woo-woong!
At least, within the Immortal Dao of the Mountain, she cannot dare to harm me.
"Enough with the pointless mental warfare... Just tell me what you want."
Swiririk—
I meticulously refine my intent to the utmost and shoot it into Oh Hye-seo's heart.
Her very origin as a True Immortal falls into my grasp in an instant.
"I don't like you. The emotions I feel toward you are, at best, irritation, annoyance, and disgust. Ever since I found out you were the one controlling Black Dragon from behind, all I've felt toward you is the urge to kill you on the spot."
Right now, if I so wished, I could inflict a fatal wound on her.
"So, don't try anything. The only reason I am not attacking you is because you are Hyun-seok Hyung-nim's niece."
"..."
Perhaps realizing that, Oh Hye-seo's face twitches.
"...Yeah, the gap between us just doesn't seem to close... Even though your actual cultivation should only be at the peak of Upper Immortal, to think you are at this level... Fine. I'll tell you my goal."
At her next words, I realize what's been happening in Mount Sumeru.
"Some time ago, the Radiance Hall that returned from the Outer Sea began to go on a rampage. Right now, they are waging war against the entire Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand Worlds, destroying countless True Immortals."
"..."
"Though the Radiance Eight Immortals and Radiance Hall are still allied for now...according to Black Dragon, once Radiance Hall comes into contact with the [truth] of Radiance Hall, even they will eventually turn away from the Radiance Eight Immortals. However, a revelation came from the Great Mountain Supreme Deity..."
She smiles unsettlingly and looks up at the sky.
"Radiance Hall or whatever... All of Mount Sumeru or whatever... They say it is all meaningless against the true power of the Radiance Eight Immortals. If the Heavenly Venerable of Time were still around, there might have been a possibility, but with just the two Heavenly Venerables of Void and Sal Tree, there's no way to stand against the Radiance Eight Immortals."
"So..."
I coldly look at her and ask,
"What are you saying? That my comrades and I should join the war against the Radiance Eight Immortals?"
I speak firmly.
"If that is what you're about to ask, then I refuse. I will never...put my family in danger."
"...Family, huh...?"
Oh Hye-seo makes a gloomy expression at my words and lets out a sneer.
"You're obsessed with something meaningless."
"Think whatever you want."
"Hoho...well, fine. But it's not the kind of request you're worried about. It's something else entirely."
"Hm?"
"The Great Mountain Supreme Deity said this. That if we end up fighting the Radiance Eight Immortals, the reason we would lose is because we only have two Heavenly Venerables. They said that if there were three Heavenly Venerables, we might have a chance, but with just two, it's impossible. Which means...in the end, we just need one more Heavenly Venerable."
"So you're saying...you intend to call upon the Heavenly Venerable of Time? Or involve the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld...?"
"Ahaha... Still such poor imagination. Or rather...should I say it's because of your lack of knowledge that your imagination is so limited...?"
Oh Hye-seo chuckles and speaks.
"We will...exalt a Heavenly Venerable."
"...!"
"And...the candidate has already been decided."
Huarurururuk!
Before I know it, Black Dragon's true body, which had been behind me, flies over to Oh Hye-seo's side and transforms.
Their Transformation form, cloaked in darkness, wraps an arm around Oh Hye-seo's shoulders and lifts her chin.
[She is truly such a lovely child...kukuk. If only she weren't the disciple of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, I would have formed a Dao Companion bond with her right away. What a shame...]
As I read the hearts between the two of them, I understand their thoughts.
[Yes, it is this Immortal. This Immortal shall become a Heavenly Venerable. Thus, we shall win the war ignited by the Radiance Eight Immortals...and together with the power of the other Heavenly Venerables, one day block the Great Mountain Supreme Deity who will invade Mount Sumeru, and rule all of Mount Sumeru under this Immortal's Authority Seat.]
"The glorious enthronement of the great Black Dragon...this girl longs for it with all her heart..."
Oh Hye-seo, with the enraptured expression of a girl in love, seductively caresses the Transformation form enveloped in darkness.
I sneer as I watch the two of them.
Their hearts grip blades, pressing it into the other's mouth, while they speak words of affection with their lips alone.
It isn't even like the relationship between Seo Hweol and Oh Hye-seo.
Between Seo Hweol and her, at the very least they valued each other. Black Dragon, however, sees Oh Hye-seo as nothing more than a pill they plan to consume someday,
And Oh Hye-seo thinks only of using Black Dragon's body as a vessel to one day resurrect Seo Hweol.
"...Enough with the flirting. Just explain."
I turn to Black Dragon and ask,
"O Black Dragon, at best, you seem to be at the level of an Immortal Lord. And you don't seem close to being a Supreme Deity. Yet in that state, how do you expect to become a Heavenly Venerable? Should you not be first preparing for your enthronement as a Supreme Deity? Why are you already making this laughable claim about becoming a Heavenly Venerable?"
[Hahaha. Indeed...to someone who knows nothing, it may look that way.]
"...?"
[Allow me to enlighten you. Heavenly Venerables and Supreme Deities, in truth, are a little different from the usual concept of 'realms.']
From the mouth of Black Dragon, the explanation of the Heavenly Venerable realm begins.
-x-X-x-
"Heavenly Venerables and Supreme Deities are not realms...?"
[Correct. Or more precisely, they are technically realms. Heavenly Venerable being a higher realm than Supreme Deity is also true... However, it is slightly different from the concept of realms as we know them. It is a realm, but rather than a realm, it is closer to a 'position'...]
Black Dragon continues explaining with a sinister glint in their eyes.
[The most accurate way to describe a Heavenly Venerable is a ruler who governs a nation. In other words, it is close to being a king. But one who does not require a successor and governs an eternal, undying nation.]
"Then how is that different from a Supreme Deity?"
[The difference between a Supreme Deity and a Heavenly Venerable is ultimately...a matter of 'authority.']
"Authority...?"
[If we compare it to your Human Race's concept of a nation...a Supreme Deity is a superhuman (超人). A revered figure respected by the masses, someone who has achieved great accomplishments in a certain field and is acknowledged by all as the authority in that field. Then what is a Heavenly Venerable? A Heavenly Venerable is a divine human (神人).
[Going beyond being respected by the masses, they are acknowledged by all, not only holding authority in a specific field but firmly instilling authority upon everyone, and being elevated as a ruler of the masses.]
From the explanation, it sounds like the difference between a university professor and a politician.
[If a Supreme Deity is one who has completely seized an Origin Essence, a Heavenly Venerable is a being who has gone beyond that and accepted the power of all of Sumeru. Ultimately...that's what it is.]
Black Dragon grins with ambition gleaming in their eyes.
[If one engraves their feats upon Mount Sumeru and accepts its power, then even without becoming a Supreme Deity, one can become a Heavenly Venerable directly from the level of an Immortal Lord...!]
"...! Is that...really possible...!?"
[Of course. There are representative examples. Isn't the True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu such a case...? Look at Hyeon Mu! Though They are merely in the realm of a Heaven and Earth Great Net, They follow the Heaven Path of Radiance, and the Earth Path of Underworld, and through the Immortal Crowns received from each ruler, They exert the power of an Immortal Lord. With that alone, They engraved Their feats and became a Heavenly Venerable, did They not...?]
"..."
[Even at the level of an Immortal Lord, if one engraves their feats, they can become a Heavenly Venerable. Of course, compared to becoming a Heavenly Venerable as a Supreme Deity, this is unorthodox. However...this Immortal is not the first who has attempted such a path.]
Black Dragon spreads their arms wide, laughing maniacally.
[Those who reach Heavenly Venerable through the unorthodox in this way, they are all called Heavenly Kings. The Obsidian Devil Heavenly King who gave birth to the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity of the Twin Holding Heavenly Domain! The recently fallen Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King! All those Heavenly Kings. are ones who reached the realm of Governing Immortal through the unorthodox method. However...unlike Hyeon Mu, who endured long in that position and truly engraved Themself upon the world, the others quickly fell.]
"..."
[This Immortal is different! This Immortal shall rise to the seat of a Heavenly King, endure in that position, continue engraving this Immortal's feats upon Mount Sumeru, and like Hyeon Mu, rise to the genuine Seat of a Heavenly Venerable!]
Black Dragon clenches their fists, trembling.
[Come, join hands with this Immortal. When you witness this Immortal's rise to Heavenly Venerable, you too may find hope. One day, you may also establish feats and prepare your path to rise as a Heavenly Venerable...]
"..."
I look at Black Dragon for a moment.
Leaving aside the fact that they don't seem to know much about the Seven Brilliances Kings, they also seem unfamiliar with Hyeon Mu's Triple Divinity, so I have no idea how to respond.
Yet for some reason, not just Black Dragon, but even Oh Hye-seo, who could have sought wisdom from the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, seems to affirm Black Dragon's goal.
'Leaving aside things like the Seven Brilliances Kings and Triple Divinity, what that guy is saying doesn't seem wrong.'
It seems somewhat true that by engraving one's feats upon Mount Sumeru, one can receive its power and become a Heavenly Venerable.
'Her authority is fundamentally about discerning the truth and mocking it...so I suppose part of it should be true'
However, even if their words are true, there is something that must be addressed.
"Do not misunderstand."
Wiiiiing—
I gather the jade of Yin-Yang and Five Elements before my eyes with an indifferent gaze.
Previously, I had already mastered more than ninety percent of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, and now I stand on the verge of complete control.
Now, I no longer need to recite the mantra. The power of the mantra activates in response to my will alone.
Shwiririririk—
At the same time, the power of the Flawless Mantra, accumulated over 666 cycles, begins to rotate around the jade of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
The Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and the Flawless Mantra.
Sensing the two mantras, Black Dragon and Oh Hye-seo widen their eyes and raise their auras.
Kwarurururung!
As two beings at the Great Immortal rank and above begin to draw upon their power, reality starts distorting violently, and the surrounding flow of history begins to be crushed.
But I divert all their pressure through Triple Divinity.
No matter how much they distort reality or crush the flow of history, they cannot affect me in the slightest.
I continue speaking calmly.
"You lot...have killed me throughout hundreds of lives and threatened my family. The only reason I'm even pretending to listen to your stories right now is simply because...that Oh Hye-seo over there is the partner of my fellow Daoist and the niece of my brother. Wake up, Black Dragon."
Kugugugugugu!
The power of Flawlessness and Phenomena Extinguishing responding to my will begins to distort the very spacetime of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea that Oh Hye-seo summoned me to.
"U-Unbelievable...! What is this mastery of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra...!? How can the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra be bowing its head so deeply to a mere Upper Immortal...!?"
Oh Hye-seo is aghast, and even Black Dragon takes a half step back with an awkward laugh.
"My realm may be that of a Heaven-Earth Upper Immortal, but if I bring my main body here, I am more than confident that I could beat you bastards to death right now. Of course, if Oh Hye-seo stays in the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain and pursues a defensive battle with Gwak Am's trash, it might be difficult...but for someone like you, Black Dragon, I'm more than confident I can come find you anytime and crush you bit by bit."
[...Haha, sorry to say, but this Immortal's Immortal Vein is quite extensive. If you try to harm this Immortal, countless True Immortals will...]
"Silence."
I cut them off coldly, my face like ice.
"There used to be someone named Seo Hweol. Your weight class, vision, and experience may be a bit broader and deeper than his...but your fundamental scheming and insidiousness doesn't even come close to a fraction of his. And I fought and won against such a person. Even if you band together with a few True Immortals and try to take me on...someone like you doesn't scare me in the slightest."
Though Oh Hye-seo's face remains unchanged at my words, I can see her heart essence shaking violently.
Black Dragon, on the other hand, seems to take a blow to their pride and glares at me with a furious voice.
[Seo Hweol...? Are you comparing this Immortal to some unheard-of piece of trash? This Immortal is the Yin Dragon (陰龍) of the universe. The one who governs Great Yin (太陰/Taiyin), the one who will one day become a Heavenly Venerable. The entire universe dances in the palm of this Immortal's hand... Rivaling even that of the Fallen Guiding Envoy of the Final Age of Dharma Purple Gold Heavenly Lord, this Immortal is the shadow of Mount Sumeru itself... And yet, with what confidence do you dare insult this Immortal with the name of such trash...!?]
"..."
I glance briefly at Oh Hye-seo.
As expected, her expression remains unchanged, but her gaze has deepened.
Her once slightly chilling demeanor now seems utterly devoid of emotion.
With a doll-like smile, her heart essence burns with a hatred toward Black Dragon hat is difficult to describe with words.
"...Please stop there, Senior Black Dragon...No matter what, we need to persuade him, don't we?"
She smiles subtly with lifeless eyes and seductively leans into Black Dragon's arms, whispering.
[Hmm, my apologies. This immortal got a little agitated, having my pride provoked using the name of some unknown mortal.]
"..."
Oh Hye-seo only smiles slightly and burrows deeper into Black Dragon's embrace.
[Let us return to the previous discussion. Very well, first, I offer an apology for attacking you and your comrades. However, none of your companions have been harmed thus far, and you yourself were in the midst of cultivating the Flawless Mantra, so you did not die. I ask for your understanding. If you were displeased, I will provide compensation later.]
"...Well, I suppose I'm ready to talk a little now."
[Good, thank you. Then allow me to properly propose a deal.]
Black Dragon extends their hand toward me.
[This Immortal knows the advancement ritual of the Heavenly Venerable of Void. And through that advancement ritual, this Immortal has also created another advancement ritual suited to this Immortal. And if you, who have cultivated the Flawless Mantra, and Oh Hye-seo, who possesses the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea and has cultivated the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, assist me...then this Immortal can reenact the advancement ritual devised in reference to that of the Heavenly Venerable of the Void and rise to the position of a Heavenly Venerable.]
"The Heavenly Venerable of Void's...Heavenly Venerable advancement ritual...? And you're saying you've made your own ritual as well? Are the advancement rituals different for each Heavenly Venerable?"
[That seems to be the case. The most orthodox method is the [World Devouring] of the Heavenly Venerable of Time and the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable. It is the process of endlessly devouring the beings of the Immortal Family residing in Mount Sumeru over time. If one continues to devour the beings of the Immortal Family, and eventually devours the very system of Immortal Cultivation itself, one can then merge with the system and rise to become a Heavenly Venerable.]
"Then what about the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld?"
[That being's method is unknown even to this Immortal. They are far too ancient... All I know is that Their method is completely different from that of Void, Time, or Sal Tree.]
"Is that so...? Then, what is the advancement ritual of the Heavenly Venerable of Void?"
Black Dragon smiles faintly and begins to speak.
And upon hearing the Heavenly Venerable advancement ritual of the Heavenly Venerable of Void, I am horrified.
"...! Wh-What is that...!?"
[Hehehe... Is it not horrifying? Compared to simply devouring beings of the Immortal Family or a part of the world like Sal Tree or Time, this is an utterly deranged advancement ritual beyond comparison...]
"..."
Only now do I understand why the Heavenly Venerable of Void is specialized in the Triple Divinity of Destruction.
The Heavenly Venerable of Void.
The advancement ritual of the True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu is as follows:
One uses one's own power to wage war against the entirety of Mount Sumeru.
Then, after killing or driving out [all beings] within Mount Sumeru into the Outer Sea, one turns the inside of Mount Sumeru into a world of emptiness where no one remains.
It matters not whether they are Governing Immortals, True Immortals, mortals, or microorganisms.
After annihilating or expelling all things of all phenomena outside the world and reducing the entire world to nothingness, one recognizes themself as the sole existence within and commits suicide, embodying the emptiness that blankets the whole of Mount Sumeru.
By doing so, a law is inscribed upon Mount Sumeru, and the one who completes that ritual becomes a Heavenly Venerable.
"..."
Faced with such an utterly deranged method of advancement, I can only be dumbfounded.
But then, I suddenly notice a strange contradiction in their words.
'What is it? Something about what they said doesn't make logical sense...'
However, no matter how hard I think, I can't figure out what the contradiction is.
For now, I decide to firmly remember that there is a contradiction, and speak to Black Dragon.
"So, are you saying we need to wage war against all of Mount Sumeru?"
[Of course not. This Immortal is not a madman like the True Martial Great Emperor... Didn't this Immortal say there is a ritual this Immortal created in reference to Void's?]
Black Dragon speaks with a sinister smile.
[I have investigated Hyeon Mu's advancement ritual for tens of millions of years. And as a result, I have come to understand. There is no need to perform an advancement ritual on the scale of Hyeon Mu's. It can be on a somewhat smaller scale.]
"Hoh...?"
[All living beings of Mount Sumeru! Except for True Immortals and Governing Immortals, all mortal beings shall be annihilated. Then...upon that dead land where no living beings remain, this Immortal shall once again cause life to flourish.]
"..."
[This Immortal shall recreate all living beings across all of Mount Sumeru. This Immortal shall redraw the blueprint of all life on Mount Sumeru and inscribe this great feat upon it. Though it may not compare to Hyeon Mu, who expelled even all beings of the Immortal Family...even this much is enough for this Immortal to become a Heavenly Venerable!]
Black Dragon smiles with gleaming eyes, their mouth stretching and ripping.
[Join hands with this Immortal. The advancement ritual of this Great Yin Pitch (大陰呂), which shall drive all races in Mount Sumeru to extinction, is only possible when the Radiance Eight Immortals and all the True Immortals are distracted, fighting in battle.]
"..."
[You are the only one since that time to achieve great completion in the mantra of the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King. If it's you...even though you may not be able to recreate the Immortal Art of the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King, you will be able to control the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity! If Oh Hye-seo triggers the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity using the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, and you control the rampaging Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity, then this Immortal and Oh Hye-seo can draw in only the mortal beings of Mount Sumeru, making the extinction of all its living beings possible! Extinguish life, and witness the rebirth of all living beings under the hands of this Immortal.]
Black Dragon suddenly seems to shift their form in the darkness, then approaches me with the bewitching voice of a woman, whispering.
[We can obtain everything. The time is only now, when the great war of Radiance Hall is waging and the Great Mountain Supreme Deity is trying to forge Their mantra of madness. If not during this era of chaos. there will be no other chance to bring extinction upon the living of Mount Sumeru. What do you desire? Take this Immortal's hand. This Immortal...will become a King.]
As if trying to seduce me, they whisper in the voices of men, women, beasts, elderly, and even that of grasshoppers.
[Until now, all the Heavenly Venerables of Mount Sumeru have reigned but not ruled. What kind of nonsense is that!? Sitting atop the heads of all living beings, toying with them while presiding over their life and death...yet having no concern in the justice of Mount Sumeru. In truth, it has only been the deranged Radiance Eight Immortals who have ruled Mount Sumeru.
[But their ideology...you know it too, do you not? They are mad. Trampling upon the entire Immortal Family and cultivation, they are lunatics who believe that only their Eight Immortals represent justice and that they can eternally carry out the rule of sage kings. That is why, if this Immortal becomes a Heavenly Venerable...this Immortal shall not only reign, but rule.]
Black Dragon becomes a river of darkness, and envelops me, groping at my body and spirit.
[But unlike the mad Radiance Eight Immortals, I will not pursue their kind of goal. I shall rule the world with justice as my sole purpose. If the Radiance Eight Immortals realize their ultimate goal, no one will be able to control them. But if this Immortal becomes King, then the other Heavenly Venerables will remain, and so will the Governing Immortals. This Immortal can be controlled. So...help me.]
Beyond the river of darkness groping my spirit, something falls into my grasp.
[That is the core of this Immortal, the key that can detonate all of this Immortal's prophecies and revisions at once. You could say it is the heart of this Immortal. I will give it to you. If you ever find this Immortal's plan displeasing, detonate it. This Immortal only...wishes to protect Mount Sumeru, the cradle of all, from the mad Radiance Eight Immortals, and the even madder Great Mountain Supreme Deity.]
Shururururuk...
Having finished speaking, Black Dragon returns to their Transformation form of darkness and stands beside Oh Hye-seo.
[Please, accept our proposal. If you accept, then we will no longer have any reason to attack you or your comrades. Did you not say you wanted to protect your family...? If you truly wish to protect your family and yourself, then this Immortal's proposal is surely of value! Please, help us and let us realize justice together...!]
They spread their arms wide, shouting as if pleading.
[Please, allow this Immortal to attain royal authority (王權). This Immortal shall become King (王) for true justice and goodness...!]
"..."
I look at the thing in my hand that is called the heart of Black Dragon.
I feel it.
Contained within is immense evidence of Black Dragon's history, revision, and prophecy.
I can't say for sure whether detonating what's inside will truly kill Black Dragon, but it is clear that it will cause serious damage.
If I had only seen this, I might have believed they were truly pleading for the safety and justice of Sumeru Mountain.
But in the next moment, I crush Black Dragon's heart without hesitation.
Kwaching!
As this lump containing Black Dragon's prophecy and revision bursts apart, the space of the Corpse Mountain and Blood Sea and the entirety of Mount Sumeru seems to vibrate.
I look at Black Dragon.
Black Dragon's eyes have turned as cold as ice.
And...
They are completely unharmed.
I see that and sneer.
"I could barely stand hearing your bullshit from earlier...but I listened to the end, wondering if there might have been a shred of sincerity. But really...there's not a single bit of sincerity in you."
Tududuk...
I dust off my hand that crushed Black Dragon's heart and speak.
The heart Black Dragon spoke of definitely exists.
It really is something connected to their prophecy, revision, and the powers to their life.
But the one given to me was merely a heart replicated by Oh Hye-seo's authority of [Truth Manipulation].
Because I have some understanding of her authority, I could tell from the beginning that this bastard was lying.
"From start to finish...I make sacrifices, Oh Hye-seo makes sacrifices, all the beings of Mount Sumeru make sacrifices...and you don't sacrifice a damn thing. I thought maybe you'd at least be willing to wager your own life, but even that was a fake life created using Oh Hye-seo's power. Without sacrificing a single thing, grinding down everything except yourself, you dare speak of goodness, dare speak of being King?"
I glare at Black Dragon with a furious expression.
"Don't make me laugh. That is no King! You will never become King!"
As I think of Seo Hweol, who once called himself the Sea Dragon King and in the end was ready to stake everything he had, I shout at this trash before me, who is even worse than him.
"Your disgusting plan will never be realized. For you will die by my hand!"
[Haha... You've gone mad. No matter if you possess the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and the Flawless Mantra, you are merely in a state of a spirit summoned into Oh Hye-seo's domain... Yet to this Great Yin True Lord Black Dragon, you dare...]
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
The next moment.
I immediately rush at Black Dragon and grip their essence, then hurl them away violently.
Black Dragon crashes into the Blood Sea, unable to even resist my strike.
Wiiiiiiing!
Behind me, a pure white circle appears.
Normally, achieving great completion in the Flawless Mantra causes a black circle to appear, but in my case, the color is completely opposite for some reason.
Of course, it doesn't really matter.
"I have yet to cultivate the Flawless Mantra enough to get a truly satisfying answer, but..."
Uduk, udududuk...
Just like what White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus once did,
The power of the Flawless Mantra, the result of my history that has defied the principles of the world, begins to reverse the power of this world inside the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.
The authority of the Immortal Cultivation system begins to be pushed out from this area.
Oh Hye-seo is startled, and Black Dragon widens their eyes.
All that remains in this world is pure strength, technique, and heart.
In an instant, I nullify the majority of this world's authorities, clenching my fist with a crack.
"I've fulfilled the minimum of 666 times."
Black Dragon reveals their main body.
But I can read the fear behind their gaze.
It doesn't seem like they are of the same era as the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King, but it appears they have seen that being's power through history induction or similar means.
[Th-That can't be! You didn't even do the handstand properly from halfway through! There's no way you could use that being's power properly...! This Immortal has even interfered so much...!]
"I've always been doing the handstand. I'm doing it even now."
No matter what fate I am born under, no matter what power I am born with, living without forgetting my heart.
That is my handstand.
"I shall show you the power of the God of Gods."
-x-X-x-
The Immortal Cultivation system is pushed back.
However, it seems Black Dragon has not spent their years as an Immortal Beast in vain—they begin to rise, revealing their true form.
Kururururung!
A massive dragon of darkness, seemingly capable of coiling around an entire galaxy, reveals their body above the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.
At a size like this, the sheer scale alone becomes a weapon.
Jjeoeooouk!
Black Dragon opens their mouth in the sky.
At the same time, I kick off the Blood Sea and soar into the sky.
Landing atop the scales of Black Dragon, which now cover the entire sky, I press my hand against their body to begin activating an Immortal Art.
Perhaps because Immortal Arts predate the Immortal Cultivation system, it activates without issue.
Kurururung!
The Jade of Yin-Yang and Five Elements begins gathering inside Black Dragon's body.
[You...!]
The beam of light that's about to burst from Black Dragon's mouth extinguishes, and Black Dragon starts writhing in agony.
Originally, the writhing alone would have been enough to annihilate a star cluster due to their size, but as the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra begins activating, Black Dragon's body starts to compress.
Black Dragon tries to force 'explosions' within their body to break out of the compression.
But as soon as the power of the Flawless Mantra is added, Black Dragon begins to be compressed without resistance.
Finally, compressed down to the size of a single planet, Black Dragon bares their fury and howls.
[You dare!?]
It seems they are unleashing the full power of explosion that they've gained upon becoming a True Lord.
'In this world where the Immortal Cultivation system has vanished, only five things remain possible.'
Immortal Arts unfolded not through attraction force, but through pure heart.
The fundamental power of explosion Black Dragon gained as an Immortal Beast.
The power of the physical body obtained as an Immortal Beast.
The authority of the Origin Essence gained as a True Lord.
And the unique energy system Black Dragon obtained during their time as a Vestige Liberation Immortal.
'I've already embedded the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra inside their body to seal away both the power of explosion and the energy system, and even halved the power of their physical body with the mantra.'
What remains is Black Dragon's Immortal Art, the power of the Origin Essence, and about half of their physical strength.
'And...'
I glance toward Oh Hye-seo.
She wears an angry expression and appears to be manipulating the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea against me.
But it's just an act.
I notice that she's using this opportunity to pour Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens into Black Dragon with force.
'As expected from a disciple of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. She's now able to unfold Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens through her heart alone.'
Since Oh Hye-seo is only pretending to attack me while actually locking a shackle around Black Dragon's neck, I don't interfere with her and fly toward Black Dragon.
Shwiririk!
Gripping the Impermanence Sword, I fly at Black Dragon and slice directly into their massive body.
Black Dragon's divine blood splatters.
But as soon as they are struck, Black Dragon shifts their posture in the void and lashes their long body toward me like a whip.
Tukwang!
Black Dragon spins instantly in the void and strikes me with their tail.
Jjeoeooong!
Oh Hye-seo's Corpse Mountain Blood Sea space distorts and tears apart from the single strike.
'This place is...'
Realizing where I've been flung, I click my tongue.
Outside the Twin Holding Heavenly Domain.
It's the Inner Sea.
Without any prophecy, Immortal Art, or the help of Qi, Black Dragon tore through spacetime using only the power of their physical body and hurled me all the way outside the Heavenly Domain.
Immediately after, Black Dragon rides the chaotic currents of the Inner Sea and flies toward me, mouth agape.
Jjeoeok!
Kwachiijijik!
In an instant, with their mouth wide open, they snap their jaws shut, attempting to chew and devour my spirit. I wedge the Impermanence Sword between their teeth, barely managing to create a gap and resist.
'Even rotten, an Immortal Lord is still an Immortal Lord...'
Without prophecy, revision, authority, or Immortal Art, they are still able to match me blow for blow through pure close combat alone.
Compared to ordinary True Immortals, they seem to have overwhelmingly more combat experience.
Kadudududuk!
Black Dragon's biting force grows stronger, and as I feel the pressure on the Impermanence Sword increasing, I smile.
'This is an Immortal Lord...'
At that moment, Black Dragon's voice resounds.
[You say I am not a King?]
Kwaduduk!
[You dare judge me?]
Tukwang!
I slightly twist the power at the tip of the Impermanence Sword to deflect Black Dragon's biting force.
In an instant, I slip free from Black Dragon's jaws, but they charge again, striking me with their front paw.
I, who instantly crash into the dimensional barrier of the Twin Holding Heavenly Domain, arrive at Oh Hye-seo's space within it.
[What's wrong with a little sacrifice?]
Black Dragon thrusts their horn forward and charges at me.
Tuung!
I swing the Impermanence Sword and redirect their charge, but even the shockwave alone shakes my spirit.
[Every being in this Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand Worlds lives by sacrificing others. They don't want to be sacrificed, and they live to survive.]
Black Dragon spins their body and whips at me with their massive frame.
I swing my sword upward again, repelling their body.
[Among all the countless lives and beings, only the ones who trample the weak and stand at the peak reign and rule over all. What is wrong with that? Why is that not considered a King?]
Black Dragon flies rapidly around me, looking for an opening.
Wherever they move, space fails to endure the impact, causing spacetime to distort.
Tukwang, tukwang, tukwang!
Black Dragon continues circling me, attacking with their tail, front paws, hind legs, teeth, and horns.
But not a single blow lands.
I perfectly read the heart of Black Dragon expressed through Triple Divinity, and counter and deflect every intention they carry.
[To reign and rule. To reach safely without risking oneself. Where is the fault in that that you dare speak such nonsense? Even if you have cultivated the Flawless Mantra and gained power, that does not make you right. Do not delude yourself!]
Kurururung!
Darkness begins to gather around Black Dragon.
Murmurmurmurmur...
A strange whisper echoes from somewhere.
It's Black Dragon.
'That's...!'
A mantra.
Black Dragon has begun reciting their own mantra.
At the same time, the Origin Essence of Great Yin that the Great Yin True Lord Black Dragon has seized, exerts its power upon the world.
Black Dragon is completely engulfed in darkness, and the world of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea begins to be shrouded in a dark sky.
Along with it, Black Dragon becomes even faster.
Kiiiiiing!
'This is...!'
Black Dragon's Great Yin is beginning to freeze time!
Time gradually slows, and Black Dragon only becomes faster.
[Born as a snake, I cultivated with all my being to become a member of the Demon Race, gained recognition among the Snake Race, and...to shed my skin and become a Black Snake revered by the Snake Race, I strived my entire life. I lacked talent and could not turn completely black. Still, I strived, strived, and strived again. In the end, though I failed to become a Black Snake, I became an Imoogi, then a True Dragon, and succeeded in ascending!!]
Black Dragon's body, upon close inspection, is not pure black but a faint dark blue hue.
[In that long passage of time that a mere young Upper Immortal like you could not possibly imagine...I clawed and crawled my way up and finally seized the Seat of Great Yin to become the Great Yin True Lord!! Life is but a continuation of struggle! To not have my life taken away, I have given it my all, and to not wager my life, to avoid risking it all, I have strived endlessly! And yet, for me to become King without sacrificing myself...what is so wrong about that!?]
Kwaaaaang!
Black Dragon's front paw slams into the flat of my Impermanence Sword.
Their paw is severed, and from the shockwave, the sea within the space of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea splits apart, and the mountains of corpses are cleaved.
Considering that these aren't ordinary corpses, but rather a type of mantra made up of True Immortals and equivalent beings, the power is overwhelming.
[I am King! I will become King!! Even if I sacrifice others, even if I grind everything down, I will become King, reach the pinnacle, and reign!! Someone like you...has no right!! None!! To judge my failure!!]
Jjeoooooong!
The energy of Great Yin freezes Heaven, Earth, and Heavens above.
[Just what are you!? To dare judge a King!!??]
My spirit freezes.
Even the Impermanence Sword slows in its movements.
Darkness begins to bind me.
'This is...the power of the Origin Essence.'
This is the true power of an Immortal Lord.
Black Dragon breathes in spirit energy and suppresses me with a glare.
[Can you truly answer? If those who struggle and strive do not become King, then who should be King?]
"...."
Black Dragon looks down at me.
And as I look back at them, I smile.
Uduk—
[...!]
The Flawless Mantra draws a resplendent circle behind me.
The Flawless Mantra that expelled only the power of Immortal Cultivation at first, now begins to push away even the power of Great Yin.
Ududek—
[You!]
Black Dragon charges at me immediately, slamming me with their front paw, but having regained some freedom, I raise the Impermanence Sword and deflect them.
"...I know...your kind."
Black Dragon is greatly shocked, but I ignore their reaction and begin to unleash my power.
Triple Divinity begins to properly emerge.
Tukwang!
I charge in an instant and strike down on Black Dragon from above.
Black Dragon's upright head instantly slams into the frozen Blood Sea.
"In the Ancient Force Realm of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, there was a one called Jin Ma-yeol."
Unlike before, when I wrapped the Impermanence Sword around my body and recklessly swung my sword to test Black Dragon, I now begin to properly display martial arts.
"The guy was also someone who didn't hesitate to sacrifice others for the sake of reaching the peak."
Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
Black Dragon tries to retaliate while taking my attacks, but it's no use.
I properly read their heart, either letting the attacks flow or avoiding them entirely as I unleash a barrage of strikes.
"But what that guy longed for at the very end, despite always chasing the greatest strength...was strength that did not require sacrifice, the power of his own."
Kwarururung!
With both legs, I stomp down onto Black Dragon's spine and continue speaking.
"And the power he longed for and finally obtained in his last moments...was stronger than any power he had ever pursued until then!"
Kwaaaaang!
With their body completely suppressed by me, Black Dragon is pinned beneath me and is embedded into one of the mountains of corpses.
"The royal authority you speak of, earned by sacrificing others and so-called effort, is nothing more than a sandcastle bound to be swept away before the strength attained through refining the self. So abandon your empty schemes."
[...How...can you be certain...!?]
"Because...right now, you are crushed beneath my feet."
[...]
Black Dragon falls silent for a moment, then starts laughing.
[How laughable... You dress it up nicely, but in the end, you can only speak this way because you are strong...]
Kigigik—
"...!?"
I realize that my spirit is being pushed out from the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.
I am returning to the White Magnolia Realm once more.
Looking back, it seems Oh Hye-seo has anticipated Black Dragon's defeat and has long prepared a spell to release me.
[I...cannot accept it. You, who walk the Dao of Great Mountain and yet pretend to be clean...I cannot acknowledge you... You may be stepping on me now...but can you say the same before the Great Mountain Supreme Deity...!? This world! It is built upon sacrifice! The only difference is whether I am the one being sacrificed or not! Look at the Great Mountain Supreme Deity! In the end, only those who risk nothing and sacrifice others—only they! Can reach the peak!]
Wooo-woooong!
As I am expelled from the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea and return to my original place, I hear Black Dragon's final cry.
[This royal authority you argue for—then what exactly does it mean!? Answer me! You monster who defies the absolute truth of the world!]
"...."
[You will regret not joining hands with me today! Whether you are the God of Gods or the King of Kings, no matter what power you have gained, I will make sure you regret it!!]
Paaaatt!
With that final cry, I return to the White Magnolia Realm.
My spirit returns again to my reincarnation at the Integration stage, and within that body, I mull over Black Dragon's words. Thus, in my 666th reincarnation, I endlessly reflect on their words.
It is not simply that Black Dragon's words left a deep impression.
This is, yes...
Because this is the foundation for understanding the power of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
If sacrificing everything outside of oneself is stronger than refining the self, then what truly is a strong king?
To find the answer, I begin throwing endless questions at myself.