It is not just Hyeon Mu's incarnation.
The black snakes, which are the embodiment of her enlightenment itself, also swarm endlessly to devour me.
I dodge the attacks of the snakes and deflect Hyeon Mu's strikes.
The weapon held in her hand changes without rest, just like my Impermanence Sword.
At times it is a tiger claw, at times a gauntlet, at times a segmented whip, at times a sword, at times a spear.
She wields ten million types of weapons, pressing down on me.
I hold only a single sword in my hand and face Hyeon Mu's martial flow.
I rotate the tip of my sword to conceal my trajectory and thrust at Hyeon Mu.
Hyeon Mu swings her segmented whip and strikes my wrist, making me drop the sword.
But I grab the blade of the sword that floats in the void and swing the hilt to strike Hyeon Mu's head.
Hyeon Mu only slightly tilts her head to let the impact slide past.
Grabbing the blade, I swing the hilt toward her legs to trip her, but she somersaults and grabs at my neck with her hand in a claw form.
Shwiring!
Around Hyeon Mu, black swords embodying her will emerge.
A fleeting instant.
The swords become sword projectiles moving at a speed difficult for me to perceive, and they pierce through my entire body.
Divine blood flows from me.
Covered in blood, I clash with Hyeon Mu without end.
'How much time has passed?'
This is a battle of one against a thousand.
At some point, time seems to vanish between me and Hyeon Mu.
Before I know it, it feels as though time itself has disappeared between me and Hyeon Mu.
We exchange thousands, hundreds of millions of attacks in a single second, clashing again and again, as I move forward step by step.
How far have I come, cloaking my sword in the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections as I press forward?
How many shichen have passed? How many days?
As I fight Hyeon Mu, I finally realize that I've almost reached the center of the Three Great Ultimates.
However, as time passes, the more torn and bloodied my body becomes, while not even a speck touches Hyeon Mu's incarnation.
Though I dyed her true form with my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and disrupted her Three Great Ultimates, that is all.
Until now, I've yet to gain even a single advantage in an exchange against her incarnation.
Right now, I am in the process of dying, and my body is only barely moving, forced forward by Immortal Arts.
At some point, I spot Kim Young-hoon in the distance.
I see White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus as well.
They too have succeeded in pushing against Hyeon Mu, sweeping through the countless snakes to reach the center of the Three Great Ultimates, but like me, they have also failed to leave a single wound on Hyeon Mu's incarnation.
At least Kim Young-hoon still looks relatively unscathed like Hyeon Mu, but exhaustion clearly shows on his face, while Hyeon Mu still appears relaxed.
Kugugugugugugu!
Far away, Hyeon Mu's true body begins to move.
The snakes, tainted by Kim Young-hoon, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, and me, have become blotchy and weakened.
Yet even in that state, the snakes spiral, enveloping the entire Abyss and beginning to grind the Heavenly Domains to dust.
Bearing Tree, Twin Holding, and the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domains are completely ground away and annihilated.
More than half of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain is visibly shredded away as well.
"It's over."
I bite down on my lip, knowing my comrades are exhausted too.
"You spoke big about cutting me. How laughable. I will commend you for slightly paralyzing my true body, but that is all."
Shwiriririk—
At last, the three incarnations of Hyeon Mu who had been fighting us withdraw to the center of the vortex.
The three incarnations overlap.
Shiver!
At the center of the vortex.
There, Hyeon Mu shrouds herself in the power of the vortex, wiping all expression from her face.
"I have watched closely for months as you clung to your interpretation of Martial Arts. And as expected, I understand now..."
Hyeon Mu lifts her weapon with an expressionless face.
"The interpretation of Martial Arts you speak of...is nothing but garbage."
It happens in an instant.
Shwirik—
Hyeon Mu vanishes from sight.
"...!?"
A moment later, I realize my internal world is completely shaken, and I'm being hurled far away.
'Again...!'
Just like before, there are times like this when Hyeon Mu's movements become unfollowable, as if time itself has been erased.
I immediately regain my stance in the void, kick off the dimension, and shoot toward Hyeon Mu.
Heavenly Pegasus, Kim Young-hoon, and I form the Three Powers Formation (三才陣) and begin to assault Hyeon Mu from three directions.
However—
Tukwang!
[Keurgh!]
"Kugh!"
Even though White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, Kim Young-hoon, and I press Hyeon Mu with a joint formation, even though we are neutralizing her destruction with the intent of creation, we realize we are far from suppressing Hyeon Mu, and are instead being gradually pushed into a defensive position.
[Kugh, her true body is paralyzed, and yet just her incarnation alone is this powerful...!]
"Haa..."
Shikak!
In another instant, Hyeon Mu vanishes again.
Immediately after, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus has their head slammed down onto a snake's scale by a single punch from Hyeon Mu.
'Just what is that movement, as if time itself is being erased...!?'
It's that.
That movement is the very reason why we, after all this time, have failed to inflict even a speck of injury on Hyeon Mu's incarnations.
Especially for me and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, both of us are Immortal Beasts who use explosive force, and we are halfway connected to the Akashic Records.
Even so, we can't follow Hyeon Mu's movements at all.
The only one who's even somewhat managing to keep up is Kim Young-hoon.
'Kim Young-hoon...'
I look toward him.
He calmly synchronizes with our attacks, occasionally striking at Hyeon Mu.
But I can still feel it. Kim Young-hoon is hiding a move.
No, not just one move.
'Three moves... He's holding at least three moves. But he's not revealing them...!'
He's probably waiting. If Hyeon Mu shows even the slightest gap, he will unleash those hidden moves and go all in.
However, Hyeon Mu shows no openings.
'I can't use something like Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains against Hyeon Mu.'
Against opponents where power is necessary, Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains is the ultimate technique, but for someone like Hyeon Mu—who feels like the perfect superior version of myself—it is only a hindrance.
'But if I try to force an opening with a big technique, I'll be caught in that 'acceleration' that seems to erase time and die.'
I sweat cold spiritual energy as I move my body.
Before I know it, I feel the world beginning to flatten.
My movements are gradually transcending dimensions.
'My energy has long been depleted!'
I'm only reaching this domain through willpower that controls Immortal Arts and Triple Divinity.
'I see now...'
Kiriririk!
I realize my Triple Divinity is growing at an extreme rate.
'I am...still growing even now...!'
And White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus and Kim Young-hoon—
I can feel my realm, which was lower than both of theirs in skill, rising.
Unlike the two who have completely mastered their divine nature, I span across all domains, but have yet to fully control even a single aspect of Triple Divinity.
But gradually, I feel Triple Divinity becoming internalized within me.
'Is it because...in a state where I've expended all my energy to the utmost limit, I am fighting alongside peerless martial masters, and am facing the strongest martial artist?'
Even at this very moment, my skills are improving by leaps and bounds.
Right now—
This is the domain of pure experience, requiring neither talent, nor enlightenment, nor effort.
As I move my body through extremely refined consciousness, I finally sense that my movements have transcended something.
'Ah...'
Kiiiiiiing!
Spirit Speed (靈速).
My movement has now reached the realm of Spirit Speed, where the moment I think, I am already there.
Is there truly anything in all of existence faster than thought?
'I have...reached the extreme that can be attained by speed.'
The moment I realize this, I perceive that Triple Divinity is almost in my grasp.
And at last, I realize that I finally, if barely, stand on the same level of vision as Kim Young-hoon and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.
'Yeah...now it will work.'
I see it.
The movements of Hyeon Mu, which I have never been able to follow until now, become visible.
Hyeon Mu steps step by step, dancing.
It is, quite literally, a dance without meaning, a dance of emptiness that has reached the pinnacle of killing.
Created solely for the purpose of slaughter, the ultimate killing karma.
All the techniques Hyeon Mu had previously shown—Fierce Battle of Ten Thousand Demons, Blood Trace of Subduing Devils, Annihilation Advancement—are contained within that dance.
'But...I've started to see it!'
Now that my movement has finally reached Spirit Speed!
I am able to follow Hyeon Mu's steps.
'First step, second steps, third steps (步)...'
Each step contains the enlightenments of Fierce Battle of Ten Thousand Demons, Blood Trace of Subduing Devils, and Annihilation Advancement.
'I can follow...'
Just when I think so.
Shukwak!
I realize my throat has been sliced open.
'...?'
Each and every strike from Hyeon Mu is dangerous.
To the point where even with the Immortal Body of a True Immortal, I feel myself dying as the power of fate and history is being severed.
Even though I delay death with Immortal Arts, the pain I feel each time is absolutely not something I can ignore.
And...
Once again, I open my eyes wide as I see Hyeon Mu's weapon swing from a domain I cannot even perceive.
'What...? I...reached Spirit Speed.'
I far surpass the speed of light, and every movement occurs the instant I think of it.
I believed all that remained was to unleash endless offensives and defend against Hyeon Mu's strikes.
But then...
'Why...can't I dodge Hyeon Mu's attacks?'
Even after reaching Spirit Speed, it's the same.
Hyeon Mu's 'acceleration' still exists in a domain I cannot comprehend.
Hyeon Mu steps again.
First step, second step, third step...
Immediately after.
Piiit!
Once again, as if erasing time, Hyeon Mu viciously tears apart the genitals of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus lets out a lion's roar and tries to kick Hyeon Mu away, but Hyeon Mu skillfully and smoothly evades the kick and withdraws.
And again.
First step, second step, third step!
Paaatt!
Hyeon Mu clashes weapons with Kim Young-hoon and a weapon called Hojo.
'What...is this? Even with Spirit Speed, I can't keep up!'
Even Kim Young-hoon can only barely respond to Hyeon Mu's speed!
It's when I begin to fall into despair.
—Seo Eun-hyun.
Kim Young-hoon's will reaches me.
—Have you reached Spirit Speed?
I nod.
Gradually, Hyeon Mu's expression grows dull, and the range of her attacks begins to expand.
Hyeon Mu, who has been toying with only us, now begins to unleash attacks toward the Underworld Ten Kings, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, and the Enders who are confronting Hyeon Mu's true body from the outside.
Swinging her true body, that is paralyzed by our divinity, like a weapon, she is actually increasing her destructive power even more.
As if the claim that she expelled all the living beings across the entirety of Mount Sumeru before was no lie,
The chaos caused by Hyeon Mu seems to be bringing all of Mount Sumeru to a collapse.
—Create just a single opening. If you do, from that moment onward, we will be able to properly confront Hyeon Mu.
That's right.
Kim Young-hoon has also been waiting for me.
Waiting until I awaken Spirit Speed and reach this domain...
I grit my teeth and nod.
'Just a single opening...!'
The world is being destroyed.
And even though we're going all out, we still can't see the bottom of Hyeon Mu's power.
Hyeon Mu is still playing with us!
'Can I make it...?'
But I erase the hesitation that rises in the fleeting instant.
'I will make it!'
I begin to grasp how Hyeon Mu 'accelerates'.
'After taking the third step, on the fourth, she transforms to a transcendent speed.'
Perhaps it's because the speed itself transcends spacetime, reaching infinity, so even if time stops, she can still move at infinite speed.
I realize this thanks to none other than the Mahayuga.
The insight of Mahayuga and that fourth step definitely share the same enlightenment.
First step.
'Achieving (成).'
Or Krita.
Second step.
'Halting (住).'
Or Treta.
Third step.
'Breaking (壞).'
Or Dvapara.
And the final, fourth step.
'Emptiness (空)!'
Or Kali!
It is realized, sustained, then collapses, and in the end, only nothingness (虛無) remains.
Paaat!
The face of the Heavenly Venerable of Void suddenly appears before my eyes.
"Looks like your discernment has improved a bit."
As I look at that face, I begin to unleash my ultimate move with all the strength I have.
'I'll create an opening!'
My consciousness reached the extreme limit, and perhaps thanks to that, I am able to read the wisdom behind Hyeon Mu's footwork.
Dance of Emptiness.
Fourth Form.
Eternal Step (永劫步).
A supreme movement technique, an ultimate footwork that transcends both eternal time and space to reach without obstruction.
That is precisely the ultimate technique of Hyeon Mu, who accelerates before our very eyes as if erasing time.
"But that's all. At this rate..."
At that moment,
I truly prepare myself for death.
At the same time, I draw forth the authority of the Impermanence Sword to its extreme limit.
My own technique where authority and Martial Arts unite.
Impermanence Sword.
Retribution Enforcement (應報 執行)!
Kiriririk!
The Impermanence Sword enforces retribution for all the attacks Hyeon Mu has dealt me until now.
Of course, the difference in rank between us is too vast, so I cannot return the damage as-is.
Even if I completely reflect the attacks, Hyeon Mu would either block or dodge them all.
No matter what I do, I cannot surpass that Eternal Step and deliver an absolute retribution.
However, one thing is certain.
Tiiing!
"...!"
A corner of Hyeon Mu's lips lifts slightly.
A look as if she finds this quite amusing.
Tiiing! Tiiing! Tiiing! Tiiing!
The Impermanence Sword, emitting a clear sound like glass, accelerates 'for a single moment' in my hand that has reached Spirit Speed, and closes in on Hyeon Mu.
At the same time, through all the 'retribution' thus far, I begin to 'block' the offensive delivered through Hyeon Mu's Eternal Step.
The retribution for everything Hyeon Mu inflicted upon me until now, has, at best, blocked a single attack due to the gap in rank between us.
But that's enough.
Impermanence Sword.
Myriad Forms and Connections, Ghost-Face Killing Heaven!
The Two Immortal Arts embedded within the Impermanence Sword activate.
Hyeon Mu's existence engraved within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
And Hyeon Mu's heart!
Through the retribution given and received between the heart and heart, they 'connect'.
Hyeon Mu's expression changes.
An expression that shows she has already seen through my technique.
But within that expression is a hint of delight.
"A good attempt. Give it a try."
We connect.
Each time we exchange a strike, each time we exchange our hearts, I gradually connect with her.
Her single strikes, that once tore apart Heavenly Domains and ripped through the cosmos, begin to focus into a single point.
No strength leaks out—everything clings to Hyeon Mu's weapon.
An even stronger assault continues.
Each and every strike now surpasses Sword-Guided Star Rain!
But I endure the pain that feels as if my entire body is being torn apart, and at last, I complete my ultimate technique.
Kiiiiing!
For an instant, I become fully 'connected' with Hyeon Mu.
Though our bodies are separated, Hyeon Mu's mind and mine are linked, and her life is connected with mine.
Through Myriad Forms and Connections, I connect our hearts, and through the curse of Ghost-Face Killing Heaven, I bind our causality.
I look at Kim Young-hoon.
He is preparing something.
'I will give Kim Young-hoon...that fleeting instant, that opening!'
In that moment when everything is completely connected with Hyeon Mu—
Shukwak!
I cut my own neck with all my might.
The ultimate move of Heavenly Escape begins to launch me into the domain of purity.
At the same time, the sword form born from the fusion of my authority and Martial Arts begins to shine.
Severing Heaven Sword Form
"You weren't total trash, it seems."
Hyeon Mu speaks with a smile, and I smile too.
Fourth Form.
Kiiiiiiing!
"Even you can't ignore this one."
Shedding Heaven (脫天)!
Becoming linked with the opponent through the exchange of blows, then when completely bound by causality, plunging into the domain of purity through one's own death—the ultimate technique of mutual destruction!
A binding technique so terrible, it can momentarily escape even from the grasp of the heavens—that is the fourth form of the Severing Heaven Sword Form.
Thus, I enter the domain of purity while connected with Hyeon Mu.
Since it forcibly drags the opponent into the domain of purity, it becomes a certain-death technique for any who cannot access that domain. Even for martial artists who can access the domain, it inevitably creates an opening.
"A fine technique."
Even Hyeon Mu cannot help but reveal a momentary gap.
"Such a pity, though."
That's what she thinks.
"If only you had contemplated a bit more on what 'emptiness (空)' truly is, you would have known how meaningless this is."
'...Huh?'
Hyeon Mu severs the connection between us.
Then she begins to return from the domain of purity to the real world.
'H-How...?'
And I immediately understand.
'Eternal...Step...'
The restriction of four steps per Eternal Step no longer exists within the domain of purity.
'How could...?'
Hyeon Mu begins accelerating infinitely, returning back to reality.
"It was a good attempt, but none of you can defeat me."
Hyeon Mu says this and flings me aside, leaving the domain of purity behind.
But is it because I was connected with Hyeon Mu for even a brief moment?
Along with a vast emptiness that forms in my heart, I begin to momentarily share Hyeon Mu's vision.
What Hyeon Mu sees upon exiting the domain of purity are all the others launching a full-on assault against her.
The Underworld Ten Kings, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, and the Enders are all rushing in to buy Kim Young-hoon a fleeting moment.
—Fools.
Hyeon Mu's acceleration does not end, and in that state, she begins to move her true body.
That massive and terrifying true body of Hyeon Mu accelerates at infinite speed, knocking everyone away.
She uses the paralyzed parts as weapons, flinging away the Underworld Ten Kings, crushing the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, and tearing apart White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.
Jeon Myeong-hoon's Indra Net is completely ripped to shreds.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, drawing upon the power of Zhengli, is flung away, his body split in half along with Zhengli's in a single clash with Hyeon Mu.
Oh Hyun-seok and the Naming Supreme Deity are launched all the way to the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain with a single massive blow, crashing into the Heavenly Domain.
The laws added by Kang Min-hee are torn apart in a single rampage by Hyeon Mu's true body, and against the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord's body that is throwing a straight punch under Kim Yeon's control, Hyeon Mu's true body moves to restrain it.
All this happens in a single instant within Eternal Step's infinite acceleration.
Jjeoooooong!
Perhaps the punch unleashed by the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord's body is too strong for even Hyeon Mu to take head-on, so she takes another step and twists the punch, letting the attack pass by.
At the same time, Hyeon Mu rotates her true body and sends both Kim Yeon and the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord's body flying.
Tukwang!
Just like that, the body of the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord is flung outside Mount Sumeru.
'Damn it...'
Shururururuk...
All of this takes place in a single moment.
As I return to reality, I look at Hyeon Mu with despair in my eyes.
'Can we...not win?'
From the beginning, Hyeon Mu has been toying with us completely.
There was never any chance of victory for us.
"Vast Cold's body was a bit dangerous, but nothing more. Ahaha, look at that. Even the body of that Vast Cold Heavenly Lord, during the activation of Eternal Step..."
Second step.
Hyeon Mu approaches Kim Young-hoon and draws a weapon.
"...is of absolutely no threat to this Venerable..."
: : Just by dispelling the duration of Eternal Step, that child has fulfilled her role. : :
Third step.
Right before Eternal Step is about to activate.
: : Filling the Heavens Sword Rain! : :
'...Huh?'
A silver-white radiant sword falls before my eyes.
Hyeon Mu's eyes widen for the first time.
"What!?"
Since our battle began, this is the first time her face shows bewilderment.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands...
No, hundreds of millions of Sword-Guided Star Rains fall at Spirit Speed, crushing both Hyeon Mu and her true body.
My new form of Severing Heaven Sword Form briefly drew Hyeon Mu's attention.
In that brief window, everyone combined their strength to burn through the duration of Eternal Step, and Kim Yeon's strike completely ended it.
And in the fleeting instant hence gained—
Within that time, the Fifth Seat of the Radiance Eight Immortals, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, has intervened.
Countless sword rain lines fall, and Hyeon Mu once again activates Eternal Step.
Kwagwagwagwang!
But that Eternal Step is not used to destroy the hidden move Kim Young-hoon is preparing.
It is forced to instead shatter the sudden intrusion of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's Filling the Heavens Sword Rain.
"With the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord present, why are you here...!? Sword Spear!"
Hyeon Mu shouts, taken aback, but the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord merely looks at me calmly from within the distant fragments of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
Receiving their gaze, I understand why the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord has appeared here.
'...Thank you.'
But Hyeon Mu, who shatters FIlling the Heavens Sword Rain in an instant, only lets out a smirk.
"I was just a little surprised by the completely unexpected ambush. Still, you lot are..."
First step, second step, third step...!
Hyeon Mu begins accelerating once more.
"Nowhere near my standards..."
Beeee—
A strange sound rings in my ears.
Not just me—everyone must be hearing it.
And White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus sheds tears.
"...Beautiful..."
They too seem to be out of strength, as they speak their admiration outloud.
Yes.
For the first time, someone has 'countered' Hyeon Mu's assault.
With shining golden eyes, it is Kim Young-hoon.
Shwiriririk!
'His hand...!'
I look at Kim Young-hoon's hand.
His hand has turned golden, completely fused with his saber that is now dyed in that same golden hue.
It's as if the saber itself has become a part of his body.
Through the wisdom resonating across the space, we come to understand the identity of the ultimate technique Kim Young-hoon unleashes.
Surpassing Radiant Genesis Form.
Fifth Form.
Dusk Rugged Heaven (黃昏陀天)
In the Buddhist Family, aside from the Future King, Twin Venerables, and Seven Brilliances Kings, there exist countless other Bodhisattvas and Divine Generals.
It is just that those ten are the most well-known.
Many other Divine Generals also exist.
And now, I recall a certain Divine General I once read about in the scriptures of the Buddhist Family Methods.
Witacheon (韋陀天/Kārttikeya/Skanda).
The Divine General said to be the fastest in the world!
Kim Young-hoon now displays a grandeur as if Witacheon themself has descended upon this place.
Hyeon Mu sees this and lets out a crooked grin.
"Not bad. That technique...is it a fusion of the four previous forms of the Surpassing Radiant Genesis Form?"
"...Yeah. I used this to push through the Outer Sea."
Indeed.
This Dusk Rugged Heaven is a technique that integrates all forms of the Surpassing Radiant Genesis Form, as well as all the martial arts Kim Young-hoon has developed up to now.
"Hmm..."
Hyeon Mu brushes off her body and speaks.
"The destructive power isn't bad. It looks like a technique that maximizes the divinity of destruction... But for someone like you, who's specialised in Brahma Nature, what are you doing making such a technique? Ridiculous."
Hyeon Mu chuckles as if absurd while looking down on Kim Young-hoon, and begins to fuse her true body and incarnation together.
Somehow, I get the sense that if True Immortals have designated combat technique forms, then this must be Hyeon Mu's.
"You did manage to properly counter my attack...but you are still slow. Can you even keep up with Eternal Step...?"
"Starting now."
In an instant.
Kim Young-hoon vanishes before our eyes.
"...!"
The Underworld Ten Kings, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, all the other Ender comrades, and me—we all lose sight of Kim Young-hoon in that instant.
Only Hyeon Mu's gaze follows him, and by tracing her gaze, we barely figure out where Kim Young-hoon is.
He has already reached the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, and is standing atop its dimensional veil.
Shiver!
Chills rise all over my body.
Kim Young-hoon's will resounds throughout the Three Heavens World.
: : Give it your all. True Martial Great Emperor. : :
Kim Young-hoon's entire body begins to ignite.
At the same time, the golden light bursting from his body seems to shine across the entirety of the Three Heavens World.
Through the wisdom contained within that light, we once again begin to understand the technique he now unveils.
'...Ahh...'
The Dusk Rugged Heaven he was hiding was merely a move held in reserve.
The true technique Kim Young-hoon wished to reveal to face Hyeon Mu...
...is that.
Hyeon Mu begins to grow tense for the first time.
Chwarururuk!
Hyeon Mu's true body compresses rapidly, transforming into a form resembling her incarnation.
Countless black snakes gather and form a humanoid shape, perfectly optimized for Martial Arts.
Her appearance now resembles a bizarre figure wrapped entirely in black bandages.
Kim Young-hoon kicks off from the dimensional veil of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain and begins to descend.
Surpassing Radiant Genesis Form.
The debris of countless Heavenly Domains between him and Hyeon Mu—including the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain—are split in half all at once.
The Sixth Form.
Jjeoooeoong!
Golden light explodes as Hyeon Mu and Kim Young-hoon collide.
Golden Speed Heavenly King (金迅天王).
The ultimate technique that reaches the pinnacle of the Surpassing Radiant Genesis Form and Hyeon Mu's true body now clash within the briefest possible instant.
-x-X-x-
Kim Young-hoon is transforming.
Tstssts!
Though his form remains unchanged, golden wind begins to blow around him, dyeing him in gold.
Starting from his pupils, through to his hair.
Even the martial attire he wears.
Everything transforms into the brilliance of golden light.
He no longer seems human, but rather the very embodiment of a golden radiance.
In contrast, Hyeon Mu appears to have completely lost her form.
Hyeon Mu is a Shura (修羅).
Hyeon Mu's face disappears, covered in darkness, and her entire body transforms into a 'flow' writhing like snakes. The snakes squirm and create multiple limb-like arms and legs.
The many arms increase or decrease in number depending on what is needed whenever they clash with Kim Young-hoon.
Meanwhile, Kim Young-hoon's form remains unchanged.
However, with every clash between Hyeon Mu and Kim Young-hoon, Kim Young-hoon continues to grow faster.
: : Excellent! : :
Hyeon Mu shouts as if exhilarated, exchanging several bouts with Kim Young-hoon.
'It's hard to keep up...!'
Kim Young-hoon's speed has reached such a transcendent realm.
Spirit Speed is beyond the speed of light.
And even that Spirit Speed is transcended by hundreds of millions of times over.
That is what Kim Young-hoon is now, and all we can perceive is a flicker of something dark and something golden passing before our eyes.
Then it happens.
Tukwang—
Gold and black collide within the Inner Sea, and both are flung in opposite directions.
Kim Young-hoon is thrown toward our side and speaks.
: : Seo Eun-hyun. : :
Just one word.
Yet from that one word, I immediately understand his meaning and will.
Perhaps it's the inherent ability of a Heavenly King.
Shiriring!
I draw the Impermanence Sword and rush toward Kim Young-hoon as if dancing, and the other martial artists who understand his meaning also charge at him.
My Impermanence Sword reaches Kim Young-hoon with everyone else, and then the sword extends toward all, reaching each one of us.
Ting—
A clear sound rings out, and through the fourth form of the Severing Heaven Sword Form, Shedding Heaven, I become connected to everyone.
Even to Kim Young-hoon.
It is the moment I become 'connected' to Kim Young-hoon.
: : Follow me. : :
Tadat!
Kim Young-hoon begins to run.
And in that instant, I witness an astounding sight.
'The entire Mount Sumeru...'
The entire Mount Sumeru flattens.
In the world that becomes two-dimensional, the only beings maintaining proper form are the Governing Immortals in the far distance, Kim Young-hoon, Hyeon Mu, and we who are connected to Kim Young-hoon.
But that's not the end.
The plane begins to narrow.
The world that keeps narrowing and narrowing eventually transforms into a single 'line'.
We, connected to Kim Young-hoon, are now each standing atop that thin line.
'The world...looks like a spiderweb.'
The world has completely lost its form and transformed into one-dimensional lines unfolding before our eyes.
Countless lines entangle and interweave like a spiderweb, presenting all of existence before us.
'Is this...the world that those of Heavenly Venerable rank see?'
I look around, then gaze at Kim Young-hoon.
Kim Young-hoon's Surpassing Radiant Genesis Form, the sixth form.
The form of the Golden Speed Heavenly King seems to be a type of awakening.
'He's completely melted the authority and fate of a Heavenly King...into Martial Arts.'
Just like my Impermanence Sword.
Every breath he takes, every movement he makes is already embodying the authority he gained as an Ender.
I gaze upon that sight as if enchanted.
'That...might be the ultimate peak of Martial Arts I must reach...'
At that moment, we perceive someone standing upon the world that has turned into a one-dimensional line.
Beyond the distant spiderweb, Hyeon Mu is taking step after step.
First step, second step, third step...
Then, Kim Young-hoon briefly opens his mouth.
: : Assist. : :
That is all.
Paaat!
Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu collide.
'Insane...'
We gape involuntarily, overwhelmed.
Through my Shedding Heaven, I am connected to Kim Young-hoon and partially able to follow his perception speed.
Even so, the clash between Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu still appears blurred.
'But...we can do this.'
We are undoubtedly connected to Kim Young-hoon.
Because we can follow a portion of his perception, their battle no longer feels overwhelmingly distant as before.
Tadat!
We begin to move, stepping along the threads stretched across our respective worlds.
Looking at the lines spread like a spiderweb, I understand.
'Each one of these...is a principle of the world.'
If only I could stay in this perception domain long enough, I feel I could observe each of these threads of principle and gain countless enlightenments.
'Of course, that's not something I can do right now.'
Thus, the exploration of principle must wait for another time.
'For now...I must assist Kim Young-hoon!'
Tadat!
The first to arrive is White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.
Heavenly Horse Divine Art.
Heavenly Horse Calamity Flower Kick (天馬劫花搉).
The legs of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus blur, and an overwhelming series of powerful kicks explode onto Hyeon Mu.
Next, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord changes form.
They transform into a faceless humanoid figure with a thousand hands, and begin to ceaselessly strike at Hyeon Mu with every hand.
The Underworld Ten Kings also brandish their respective weapons, forming a four-directional formation as they pursue Hyeon Mu.
Tadat!
Finally, I enter the battlefield of Hyeon Mu and Kim Young-hoon.
With transcendent focus, I become one with the Impermanence Sword and move it as an extension of myself.
'Move...'
The Impermanence Sword leaps wildly.
'And...follow!'
Just like Kim Young-hoon's Golden Speed Heavenly King form, I begin to unite authority and Martial Arts to the fullest extent possible.
'My enlightenments are not limited to Martial Arts...but include the many things my countless masters have given me.'
A plum scent seems to spread from my mouth.
Recalling Cheongmun Ryeong, I activate an extremely refined Immortal Art through Immortal Arts.
'The Mahayuga gifted to me by the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King...'
I unfold that Mahayuga using Cheongmun Ryeong's method.
My will distorts the principles of the world.
Simultaneously, the wheel that is me begins to spin fiercely.
Borrowing the rotational force of the wheels known as Hyeon Mu and Kim Young-hoon who are currently colliding violently, I begin to accelerate endlessly.
: : Haaaaaaaah! : :
Time fragments, and as it fragments, my consciousness gradually accesses the realm of time at its utmost extremes.
Sha (沙).
Jin (塵).
Ae (埃).
Myo (渺).
Mak (漠).
Beyond such units, my consciousness transcends the indistinct, semi-instant, instant, snap of a finger, fleeting instant, even six virtues, reaching the time of void.
Kiririk—
'This is...'
Only upon reaching this level do I begin to gradually perceive the movements of Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu.
Kadududuk!
Mahayuga has recoil after each use.
Ever since obtaining Mahayuga, I have never faced a battle significant enough for the recoil to matter—but this time is different.
'When Mahayuga stops...the backlash will strike, and I will suffer pain worse than death.'
The wheels that had been spinning until now will reverse, and I'll be reduced to something no different from a worm.
'The wheels are starting to reverse...!'
That can't happen.
Thinking as if I have a plum in my mouth, I forcibly maintain Mahayuga through Immortal Arts.
'More, more, more...!'
The wheels begin to spin even more tightly under the force of my will.
At the same time, my consciousness continues to fracture further within the realm of void, and begins to approach the extreme.
Past void, beyond the domain of untainted (淸淨)...
I finally enter the unit known also as Araya (阿羅耶).
It is not something I have reached purely through my own skill, but an unorthodox method achieved by combining Mahayuga, the teachings of Cheongmun Ryeong, and my connection with Kim Young-hoon.
Even so, in this moment, I realize I've finally and barely entered the domain shared by Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu.
'I see it!'
Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu are clashing between the threads of the spiderweb.
The depth of their Martial Arts is so dazzling, I can't even dare to follow.
Every single movement of theirs overturns the threads that are the principles themselves, dyeing them with their own will.
And I charge between the two of them, swinging the Impermanence Sword at Hyeon Mu.
Ting—
But Hyeon Mu swats me away with a wave of her arm, as if I am too insignificant to even consider, and I am flung aside.
'No.'
But I step onto the web and charge back toward Hyeon Mu, clashing again.
Though Hyeon Mu is merely flicking me away, each time her attack touches me, a shock as if my very existence is being carved out washes over me.
Still, I don't give up.
'Again and again...!'
Ting—Ting—
I keep interfering with Hyeon Mu, and she keeps repelling me. Over and over.
The endless shock is no less painful than the six-sided club of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity.
Master's club hurt so much because it struck at the principle itself.
And every strike of Hyeon Mu's touches upon the principle too, which is why the pain is that much overwhelming me and my body trembles from the shock.
But I do not give up.
And I don't take my eyes off the clash between Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu.
'Kim Young-hoon is...faster.'
Yes.
In overall speed, Kim Young-hoon is faster.
But during the instant that the fourth step of the Eternal Step unleashes its 'acceleration', Hyeon Mu completely overwhelms Kim Young-hoon.
'What in the world is the principle behind that?'
I cannot even begin to grasp how it works.
Even with how fast Kim Young-hoon has become, that fourth step seems completely impossible to resist.
No matter how fast he becomes, he cannot match that one moment of acceleration, and thus the clash between Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu remains balanced.
Or so I think.
Hyeon Mu's will resounds.
: : Dance of Emptiness. Fifth Form. : :
In a Shura-like stance, Hyeon Mu raises a black Three Great Ultimates behind his back and drives Kim Young-hoon back.
: : Yin Ghost : :
In an instant, Kim Young-hoon's chest is torn open.
'She used Eternal Step six times in a row in an instant...without even going through the four steps!'
Of course, perhaps as the cost of that, Hyeon Mu does not seem able to use Eternal Step for a while.
Yet even so, Hyeon Mu does not look the least bit cornered.
'She's still overall above Kim Young-hoon.'
I read the moves between Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu.
'Kim Young-hoon...still has one move hidden. But Hyeon Mu...she still has 'two more' hidden.'
I grit my teeth.
'Those two moves...I have to draw them out. If not...! It's certain defeat!'
With a desperate will, I unendingly crash into Hyeon Mu.
I collide, and collide, and how long do I pester Hyeon Mu without end?
Suruk—
At last, Hyeon Mu's eyes, which until now have only been focused on Kim Young-hoon, meet mine.
: : How pitiful for Salt Sea. To have nothing but retards for disciples. : :
'...!'
Within the time of Araya, Hyeon Mu mocks me.
: : Know your place. Right now, you pose not even a dust worth threat to me. You are not even at the level of a mosquito buzzing around, so what kind of interference do you think you can offer? If you want to defeat me...at least borrow a proper power. : :
But for some reason, her mockery doesn't feel insulting.
Because Hyeon Mu's eyes are more serious than ever before.
They are not the hollow eyes she usually has.
As she fights Kim Young-hoon, Hyeon Mu is regaining the light in her eyes, and in that gaze, I see a will to 'guide me'.
'It's not that my weight class is lower...but I've used every bit of my weight class just to keep up with this speed.'
: : If not for you Enders, Salt Sea probably could have become the [Heavenly Venerable of Purity]. Unlike me who only gathers, they truly approached purity. : :
'...!?'
: : Since you are the ones who stole Salt Sea's potential, at the very least, do not disgrace them while bearing the title of their disciple. : :
Hearing Hyeon Mu's sharp reprimand, I grit my teeth.
'Since I'm using all of my weight class just to match this speed, my current attacks can't even match a toothpick to Hyeon Mu.'
I need to 'borrow' strength capable of threatening Hyeon Mu.
'White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, the Underworld Ten Kings won't work.'
They are currently forming a formation with all their might to enclose Hyeon Mu and support Kim Young-hoon, so they don't even have a moment to lend me power.
Then, what's left is...
'Hyeon Rang!'
I loudly cry out Hyeon Rang's [name] mentally.
'You're a Supreme Deity too, so you should be able to connect to this domain, right!? You...help me. So I can Divine Descent the power of the Enders!'
The reply is short.
Kugugugugu!
My Impermanence Sword is dyed red.
'It worked!'
Hyeon Rang is mediating Jeon Myeong-hoon's power, transmitting it to me through himself.
'I'm borrowing it, Jeon Myeong-hoon!'
My whole body is dyed red in an instant.
It is a red principle.
As I feel that red principle with all my heart, I swing the Impermanence Sword down toward Hyeon Mu.
Tukwang—
And for the first time, Hyeon Mu reacts to my attack, yielding a move to Kim Young-hoon while deflecting mine.
The attack imbued with Jeon Myeong-hoon's fate vanishes in an instant.
Kiririk—
Next, a purple light envelops the Impermanence Sword.
It is Oh Hyun-seok.
Kurururung—
I perform a sword dance imbued with the power of primordial chaos.
Hyeon Mu again yields a move to Kim Young-hoon and shatters my sword dance.
Another color dwells in the Impermanence Sword.
It is light pink.
: : This...! : :
A monstrous [power] fused from the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord and Kim Yeon is summoned into my body.
Hyeon Mu hurriedly defends against Kim Young-hoon's attack and unleashes a full-power attack toward me.
Jjjeooong!
The energy imbued with Kim Yeon's power disperses at once, but because Hyeon Mu is hurriedly attacking me, Kim Young-hoon starts to gain an advantage in their battle.
Woooong!
Another hue is infused into my sword.
Surprisingly, it is a silver-white light.
Even the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord seems to have willingly passed their strength to Hyeon Rang.
Booong!
Countless flying swords emerge around me and shoot toward Hyeon Mu.
The flying swords infused with the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's power are destroyed in a single move by Hyeon Mu.
However,
Hyeon Mu finally allows a few injuries from Kim Young-hoon!
Kim Young-hoon begins to press the offensive.
Hyeon Mu becomes more and more urgent.
At the same time, the emptiness in Hyeon Mu's eyes gradually fades away.
'It's working...!'
This is the final moment.
Hwiiiiiiii—
A blue light dwells within the Impermanence Sword.
It is Kang Min-hee.
At the same time, Hyeon Rang's will shoots into me.
—From now, along with the Lapis Lazuli Heavenly King designate, I will send toward you the right to activate the [bridle].
'Bridle?'
—...You've been doubting this Emperor.
From Hyeon Rang, I sense a certain resolve.
—You are right. This Emperor is a being worth doubting. Because...it was this Emperor who named all the Immortal Titles of the Governing Immortals, attaching a meaning that symbolizes [Heaven] to their names, and placing a slave collar around their necks.
'...!!!'
I flinch at Hyeon Rang's sudden confession.
—Heaven (天), and Heaven (乾), Dark (玄), and Black (黑). Those that symbolize Fate (命)... All of them are connected to the Head Realm, and names entwined as chains around the Governing Immortals' necks. A restriction that prevents them from surpassing the Head Realm...a suppression device to hold them down. Yes, as long as this Emperor's name remains, all Governing Immortals are nothing but slaves to the Heavens...that is, to Mount Sumeru.
Kugugugugu!
The power of Kang Min-hee and Hyeon Rang grows stronger within the Impermanence Sword in my hand.
—However...I too am just a slave named Hyeon Rang (玄朗)... One who succumbed to the threats of Radiance Hall, merely maintaining and repairing the slave collar created by the first Hyeon Rang. I too am nothing more than a pitiful slave...
Far off, Hyeon Mu's gaze wavers.
Driven back by Kim Young-hoon, Hyeon Mu grits her teeth and glares at the light of Hyeon Rang and Kang Min-hee.
—I...want to be free. I want to leave. Out of this world of pain...I want to go forth and live without anyone's oppression...! That is why, I am betting everything on you all!
Jjeooooooong!
An immense power dwells in the Impermanence Sword.
Suddenly, I feel the forms of Kang Min-hee and Hyeon Rang rising behind me.
—Swing!
—Swing it!
The power of Kang Min-hee's 'bridle' and Hyeon Rang's 'name' bursts from my hand and flies toward Hyeon Mu.
A light of dismay settles in Hyeon Mu's eyes.
Hyeon Rang's illusion explodes, and Kang Min-hee collapses, bleeding from the seven orifices.
Is it due to the difference in rank with Hyeon Mu?
Or is it because they recklessly touched the slave collars that were never truly theirs...
In an instant, the illusions of Kang Min-hee and Hyeon Rang vanish.
However, at the same time, a black-blue 'shackle' is seen clamping around Hyeon Mu's neck.
That shackle is a name given by Hyeon Rang, like my Crystal Glass Being.
Hyeon Rang's Immortal Title strengthens Kang Min-hee's bridle, beginning to constrict Hyeon Mu's neck.
Shwik!
Kim Young-hoon's body expands massively in golden light, and he swings his saber to deliver the final strike toward Hyeon Mu.
Hyeon Mu's eyes are filled entirely with a sense of injustice.
It's just when the battle seems about to end.
: : Dance of Emptiness. Sixth Form... : :
'Ah...'
With a sense of despair, I instinctively dash toward Hyeon Mu and Kim Young-hoon.
: : True Martial Black Heaven (眞武玄天). : :
Is it an awakening like Kim Young-hoon's?
Hyeon Mu's entire body becomes cloaked in the darkness of emptiness.
: : Darkness World (暗黑世界)! : :
True Martial Black Heaven, Darkness World!
With that technique, the spinning Black Three Great Ultimates behind Hyeon Mu is absorbed into her body.
In an instant, Hyeon Mu's body transforms.
Darkness overflows from Hyeon Mu's body.
That darkness resembles a black dragon robe, and a black mianguan settles atop Hyeon Mu's head. Her tied-up black hair comes undone, cascading down like a black waterfall.
Though once faintly resembling a girl beneath the covering of snakes, Hyeon Mu is now completely engulfed in darkness, her outline vanishing until she looks neither male nor female.
With the bearing of an Imperial King, Hyeon Mu begins to move.
Shwikang!
Hyeon Mu, now an Imperial King, swings her arm.
'...!'
Kim Young-hoon's saber breaks in a single stroke.
At the same time, as if Hyeon Mu has completely escaped from the restrictions of Eternal Step, she begins to drive Kim Young-hoon back.
'Wh-What in the world...?'
Everything is covered in darkness. All that remains are her eyes.
I gaze into Hyeon Mu's eyes.
Just moments ago, they were filled with unjust grief, but now they're brimming with a mix of tension and joy.
Tension, perhaps, from the backlash of such a powerful technique, and joy...maybe because she never expected to be pushed this far.
Yes...
Hyeon Mu is now intoxicated with exhilaration.
Along with it, Kim Young-hoon, who had driven Hyeon Mu into a corner, is now being driven into one himself.
'Damn it!'
I grip the Impermanence Sword until it nearly distorts.
'Now...I've got no more power left to draw...'
I've squeezed out all the strength from the Enders.
No one has any power left to send to me.
So then what am I supposed to do now!?
It's just when I think this.
The color of the Impermanence Sword begins to change.
'...!?'
It becomes a dark-red hue.
'Th-This is...'
Realizing the identity of the light, I gasp.
'Oh Hye-seo...!?'
Oh Hye-seo's authority suddenly surges from my hand.
'What is this!? How...? Oh Hye-seo is already dead and turned into a pill. Who's sending me her power? Who!?'
But now is not the time to think.
'...I'm sorry, Oh Hye-seo!'
I channel her power into the sword and launch myself toward Hyeon Mu.
Reaching her in an instant, I raise the Impermanence Sword and bring it down.
'Please, let it hit...!'
But Hyeon Mu, now cloaked in darkness through her awakening technique, doesn't even bother to block. She doesn't even look at me, as if she finds it beneath her.
But that is a mistake.
'Severing Mountain Swordsmanship...'
Thirty-sixth move.
Hyeon Mu's eyes widen as she hastily raises her arm.
'Take this...!'
The ultimate of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, a form that seeks only power.
If it were the usual Hyeon Mu, I'd have been countered before I could even strike. But now, with her focus entirely on Kim Young-hoon...
'It will land!'
Shukwang!
My single strike, fused with Oh Hye-seo's power, slices straight through Hyeon Mu's left arm.
As I watch her arm being severed, I suddenly realize who it was that transferred Oh Hye-seo's power to me.
'...Gwak Am...'
Ironically, the one who helped me land the final secret of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship on Hyeon Mu is the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
My senior brother, Gwak Am.
'I see... From the moment I consumed Ho Woon...I've already been entangled in your scheme...'
I grasp all the cause and effect in an instant.
From the moment I consumed Ho Woon, who had been channeling the power of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, They created within me a transmission route to send the power of Oh Hye-seo, who took her own life.
I understand why as well.
Oh Hye-seo's 'suicide' fails to satisfy the condition needed to complete the Splitting Heaven Mantra.
Only a judgment of 'murder' helps bring the mantra to completion.
The power of Oh Hye-seo contained within my Impermanence Sword collides with Hyeon Mu and dissipates, and because of that, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity is able to push the interpretation that Oh Hye-seo has been 'murdered by Hyeon Mu'.
It is solely for that purpose that They schemed and aided me at this very moment.
Grit—
The thought that I've been caught up in the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's scheme makes me feel so disgusted I could go mad...
But there's nothing I can do now.
All I can do is hope Kim Young-hoon takes advantage of this brief opening!
Cheoeok!
Using the gap that the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and I have created, Kin Young-hoon adjusts his stance.
Hyeon Mu also sees him and takes her stance in the distance.
Even without words, it's clear.
These two martial artists are about to collide with their ultimate enlightenments.
Hyeon Mu hastily reattaches her severed arm and begins to draw a circle.
: : Dance of Emptiness. Final Form. : :
Kikikikikik!
Thousands of snakes erupt from Hyeon Mu's body, forming a circle, and then return into her body.
: : Heuk Sa (黑蛇; Black Snake). : :
In response, Kim Young-hoon kicks off.
Taaak!
Immediately after—
Alongside golden light, I am transported somewhere.
Piiiiiit!
'...Where is this...?'
I look around.
It is a strange world.
It feels like absolute emptiness, and yet like all of the heavens' natural colors filled with everything.
But one thing is clear...
This is not the Mount Sumeru I was in.
This place is...yeah...
A place transcending Mount Sumeru...
"Even light cannot see here. For this is the origin of creation. The transcendental point of spacetime, the outskirts of the Akashic Records."
"...Pardon?"
Suddenly, I realize that Kim Young-hoon is holding my shoulder, flying us somewhere.
"So, here...at least for a brief moment...I can speak openly with you. Before clashing with Hyeon Mu...I brought you here to tell you something."
"That's..."
"Relax. Truly, in this place...not even Light, nor Underworld, nor [Anyone] can eavesdrop on us. So...there's nothing to worry about. Regressor Seo Eun-hyun!"
"...!!!"
I stare at Kim Young-hoon, my eyes nearly popping out at his words.
After a few moments of silence,
I calm my pounding chest and speak.
"...What is it...that you brought me here to say?"
"The essence of my power isn't something like Void Perception. Even Void Perception is merely a trace that appeared from the authority descending from the Plane of Fate... My real ability is [Truth Attainment]."
"Pardon...?"
"Reaching the future I desire. Attaining the truth I imagine. Well...think of it as a variation of the fate prophecy of True Immortals. The difference being that the rank of mine is far higher though..."
"..."
I gape at that absurd truth.
"I've dreamed of the ultimate point of a martial artist, and that is what has brought me here. The form of the Golden Speed Heavenly King too is a fusion of the authority of Truth Attainment and Martial Arts... Haha, even so, I still can't keep up with Hyeon Mu's Eternal Step."
"...Putting aside the authority, what even is Eternal Step? How can it be faster than Hyung-nim who possesses such a monstrous authority?"
"It's called Void Speed (虛速). There's no time to explain now, so ask the Heavenly Venerables later. Anyway...the important part is that my authority [Truth Attainment] grows stronger the more impossible the truth I desire is, and the higher the limit I imagine."
He speaks with a solemn expression.
"The speed of Void Speed is infinite...and to surpass that infinity, I must reach infinity myself. And to do that...I must dream of a truth higher than any truth I have ever dreamed of."
His face grows heavy, and I realize what he is about to do.
"H-Hyung-nim...!"
"From now on, I will dream of a truth where I challenge the Audience Chamber with all of you. By the authority of Truth Attainment, I will race toward that vague possibility that may or may not exist in the future. The realm beyond the Audience Chamber can't be envisioned even with Truth Attainment, so that's the limit... But regardless, from this moment on, I will race toward the [future]."
"That's..."
"So. From now on, I'm going to kill Hyeon Mu...and even if you regress again, I will no longer appear."
"...!!!!"
My body trembles at Kim Young-hoon's words.
Whether or not that's even possible is beside the point. I have to stop him.
I absolutely must stop him...!
But I can't.
"Don't worry. I know. At least for this attack...I surpass Hyeon Mu. Hyeon Mu will die. With this single strike, I will erase Hyeon Mu from history... Even in your next regression, Hyeon Mu will be gone. So..."
From the wisdom flowing out of him, I understand.
Through Truth Attainment, he aims toward a future in which we all challenge the Audience Chamber together.
It is not an absolute future.
Not if such a [truth] doesn't exist.
If we, for any reason, fail to challenge the Audience Chamber...
Then the truth he dreams of will vanish, and Kim Young-hoon will fly endlessly beyond spacetime and perish.
It is, in the truest sense, a mutual destruction.
"So that I can meet you all in the future, gather everyone and challenge the Audience Chamber. Create that [truth]. If it's you...you can do it, right? Regressor Seo Eun-hyun!"
"...Kugh... Kuhugh..."
Tears fall from my eyes.
Kim Young-hoon's will is now complete.
That resolve is something I cannot dare to stop.
"Shouldn't you...go home...Hyung-nim...?"
"...That's why. I will believe that I can go with all of you."
"..."
"Look."
Kim Young-hoon releases my shoulder.
He begins to move away from me.
We are falling back into Mount Sumeru.
As I fall into Mount Sumeru, I somehow see something like a [baby], and I look toward the figure of Kim Young-hoon flying far away.
His body begins to burn as he heads toward the future.
At the same time, he is becoming the infinite that will tear Hyeon Mu apart.
Kim Young-hoon's will echoes brilliantly across the Three Heavens Great Thousand World.
: : True Martial Arts (眞武). : :
The entire Interdimensional Void is dyed in gold.
I see tears well up in the eyes of the distant Hyeon Mu.
The darkness covering Hyeon Mu's face clears away, revealing a face full of vitality and hope befitting a girl of that age.
Surpassing Radiant Genesis (凌光開闢).
From Hyeon Mu's final ultimate technique bursts forth a blinding light, and the profound technique of creation that surpasses light begins to crush that light.
Final Ultimate Technique (最終奧義).
: : Golden Great Thousand World (金色大千世界)!!! : :
A majestic will of gold dyes the entire Three Heavens Great Thousand World, ripping apart the mass of black snakes rising in the distance.
Along with that, Kim Young-hoon disappears.
Toward a place far away.
Beyond the distant future.
Beyond the truth we shall someday reach...
Just like that.
With Kim Young-hoon's sacrifice as the price, the Heavenly Venerable Battle appears to come to an end.
-x-X-x-