Radiance explodes.
Countless snakes split apart and tear open.
Twisted black snakes.
Black snakes with nine heads.
Black snakes rampaging in madness.
Black snakes biting their own tails.
Black snakes howling eternally.
Black snakes shedding tears in pain.
Black snakes vomiting death.
The countless snakes inside the Heavenly Venerable of Void scatter and perish in the golden light.
I quietly reach my hand out toward that golden brilliance.
I can tell.
The final form of the Dance of Emptiness that Hyeon Mu unfolded could not be completed perfectly because of the arm I severed.
In the culmination of all our efforts, Kim Young-hoon's Golden Great Thousand World has completely surpassed Hyeon Mu.
Hwiwooooo—
Currently, the Inner Sea of Mount Sumeru is entirely covered by Hyeon Mu's Interdimensional Void.
But above that Interdimensional Void, which originally should contain nothing—
Wind begins to blow.
A golden wind, carrying the golden morning light.
The once-dark Interdimensional Void glows with golden light.
"Keheok...!"
[Hewwwww...]
The Underworld Ten Kings, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, and the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord all begin to collapse down, gasping for breath.
All of them seem completely drained of strength.
I, too, in a state of total depletion, recall the dusk Kim Young-hoon revealed at the end.
None of us needs to be told—we all understand.
Kim Young-hoon's final technique.
Through the True Martial Art Golden Great Thousand World, Kim Young-hoon reached the pinnacle of Martial Arts.
That distant realm, often called the seventh stage of Manifestation.
Through Kim Young-hoon's final ultimate technique, I understand how one can reach the pinnacle of Martial Arts.
'The way to become a Martial God...is to completely cover the domain of purity with one's will through one's own Martial Arts...'
That's right.
The Heavenly Venerable of Void covered the domain of purity through the Interdimensional Void and the Plane of Soul.
And Kim Young-hoon as well...
Above the Interdimensional Void painted by Hyeon Mu, he overlaid his own will.
As proof, golden wind gently suffused with light blows through the entire Interdimensional Void.
Of course, the Interdimensional Void itself has not vanished, perhaps because Hyeon Mu etched it completely into Mount Sumeru, and the Plane of Soul is also returning.
Moreover, Kim Young-hoon's principle still seems far from matching the principle of the Plane of Soul that Hyeon Mu engraved.
If the domain of purity is considered the floor, and the Heavenly Venerable of Void's interdimensional void and Plane of Soul are like a thick carpet,
Then Kim Young-hoon's principle feels like a silk sheet thinner than paper, gently laid over the floor.
It's just that, for one moment, he surpassed and slayed Hyeon Mu.
'That's...how one reaches the ultimate of Martial Arts... Haha, but...I can't even begin to imagine how something like that is possible.'
It doesn't seem like simply mastering Triple Divinity in its entirety could come close.
No matter how I think about it, that's a realm with no clear answer, so I collapse into the wind with the other martial artists who sit weakly, gasping for spiritual energy.
"...It's still so vague."
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus mutters, and the Underworld Ten Kings nod bitterly.
Then the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord looks at me and speaks in a somber voice.
[...It was necessary, but in the end, is that how it gets judged?]
"Hmm?"
It happens then.
Tuuung!
One of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags flies out from my body.
With a refreshing sense of coolness, I feel some of my energy return.
Gigigigik!
But at the same time, the backlash of Mahayuga arrives, and the wheels begin to reverse, engulfing my entire body in overwhelming pain.
Kigigigigigik.
Along with it, my energy drops at a maddening rate.
If even one of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags hadn't been released and returned some of my strength, I probably would've died from energy depletion despite being a True Immortal.
"Kkkuuuugh... Guk... Uuuuuugh..."
I barely stave off death with Immortal Arts, gritting my teeth, and as the Underworld Ten Kings see me, they chuckle and throw jokes my way.
[Just die already.]
[The new Judge of Vice seems to miss you. If you come to the Underworld, maybe you two can work together.]
[Even the Imperial Venerable would welcome a Great Immortal of your caliber. And this is no joke.]
"..."
But I know the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld still wants to taxidermize me, so I avoid their gazes and turn my eyes to the newly drawn Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag.
This newly drawn Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag—
It holds the condition of [defeat one of the Heavenly Venerables and their specialty].
That's right.
I've just been judged to have fought and won against Hyeon Mu and her specialty.
And as I begin to wonder, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord looks at me and speaks.
[Return of Vast Cold. The condition on that Sealing Immortal Flag was one I imbued myself...and since this Immortal imbued it with the maximum restriction one can infuse into a single Immortal Treasure, there was a blind spot regarding the restrictions I could not add.
[In the end...a coordinated attack was permitted. You used your power to link all of us together, cornered Hyeon Mu with Kim Young-hoon, and then severed her arm in the final moment. Since your power contributed to the victory...the Sealing Immortal Flag was released.]
"...It's a bit sloppy. Are the restrictions on the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag normally this loose?"
[Who knows... If it had been a different Heavenly Venerable, perhaps it wouldn't have worked. But...Hyeon Mu's specialty was Martial Arts, and Hyeon Mu herself had always recognized joint strikes as a part of Martial Arts, so the only explanation is that our combined strike was judged to have defeated her.]
With the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord's continued words, I realize that we have truly won.
'I see...'
[The most crucial factor for the release of that Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag is, ultimately, whether the opposing Heavenly Venerable accepts defeat. Even if you realistically defeat a Heavenly Venerable, if they do not acknowledge their loss, that Sealing Immortal Flag would never be released. For that is how unreasonable the restrictions are needed for Vast Cold...]
That's right.
In the end, the Heavenly Venerable of Void—
The Northern Heavenly Venerable, True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu, accepted her complete defeat as she faced Kim Young-hoon's final technique.
Woo-wooong!
The Martial Melody Heavenly Lord squeezes their power and creates a star.
[If I could...I'd kill you right here and now...but I suppose that's not allowed.]
At the surge of killing intent from the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus exhales sharply through their nose and steps in front of me, and even the Underworld Ten Kings stagger to their feet.
"I've exhausted my strength, but it's not hard to borrow power from the old man. To strike down a comrade you just fought alongside, before the battle's fire has even cooled—such a thing, I won't allow."
[It is the same for us. That one is someone the Imperial Venerable has set Their eyes on...]
[Touch him, and we will borrow the Imperial Venerable's power and summon our legions to face you.]
[Be content with victory as a martial artist. Unless you want to start a war with us...]
And from far away, my comrades begin flying in.
Each one is exhausted from transmitting energy to me, groaning and staggering. Hyeon Rang, in particular, seems to have sacrificed so much that his presence is barely perceptible. But if we all join forces, even the full descent of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords would not be frightening.
Seeing this, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord lets out a sigh and shifts into a humanoid form, lying down atop the land of the star they created.
[...Very well. Just for today, I will not interfere with that one. Anyway...the Radiance Eight Immortals will take care of it.]
Kugugugung!
At that moment, from the distant sky, I see a silver-white light being struck by seven other lights.
"...!"
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord who aided me is now being attacked in unison by the other Eight Immortals.
"Kr...uuuughh...!"
I groan as I lift my body.
Kim Yeon, the rest of my comrades, the Underworld Ten Kings, and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus all look at me.
"Sorry, but I'll be heading out for a bit."
I glance at Kim Yeon as if seeking her permission, and she, sensing my emotion, gives a faint smile and nods.
'My condition is the worst...but if I hold out with Immortal Arts, I'll manage somehow.'
Three Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags have now been drawn.
Only four remain.
Moreover, my Immortal Treasures are still intact, and as the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag has been drawn, new wisdom is pouring into my mind.
And above all, the greatest harvest is...
Woo-woong!
'Triple Divinity!'
I feel the white clumps of light revolving behind my back.
Before I know it, I am just one step away from completely mastering Triple Divinity.
It's an enormous gain from the battle with Hyeon Mu.
'Now, if I can contemplate Triple Divinity in a place of peace and continue to train in martial arts, revisiting the duel between Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu. I can definitely fully seize Triple Divinity.'
Even the biggest hurdle for us Enders, as Kim Young-hoon once described—Hyeon Mu—has been killed.
My comrades may be worn out, but all are still alive, and Kim Young-hoon as well...
'Someday, we will meet again in the future.'
Therefore, what matters the most right now is rescuing the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord and surviving from the grasp of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity who will soon annihilate the world.
That is all.
'I can save Sword Spear too. I've nearly mastered Triple Divinity...'
I resolve to use this opportunity to fully draw one more of the remaining Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags.
With that determination, as I prepare to soar toward Sword Spear, toward Gyeong-i...
Kwaduk!
"...?"
All of us, myself included, hear an ominous sound.
Kwaduduk, uduk...!
Hearing it, we instinctively sense a great misfortune.
Even without reading celestial energy, it doesn't matter.
Because the very source of that sound...so naturally casts despair into our hearts.
From the origin of the sound, cracks begin to form in the void.
And what appears beyond those cracks...
Are clusters of writhing snakes.
Kwadudduk!
Finally, the writhing mass of snakes breaks through the rift completely and falls upon the star that the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord had made into their resting place.
Cheolpeok!
All of us freeze, our faces stiffening, and those of us who can still move dash toward the mass of snakes without a word.
Foolish.
In hindsight...
Even if Kim Young-hoon's principle had covered the interdimensional void, the Interdimensional Void itself did not vanish.
We had foolishly let our hopeful imaginations take over.
Thinking clearly...
If she were truly dead, Kim Young-hoon's principle wouldn't just cover the Interdimensional Void—it would have completely replaced it.
And so, as we squeeze out all of our remaining strength to rush that mass of snakes—
That is, the True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu (玄武), who still has not died...
Cheolpeok, cheolpeok, cheolpeok...
The mass of snakes moves and, in an instant, takes three steps.
Immediately after,
Tukwang!
At a speed to which we cannot react, we are all sent flying.
"Keheok...!"
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, and the Underworld Ten Kings each have parts of their bodies torn off, bleeding divine blood, and even the Enders are flung away with their whole bodies twisted and broken.
I, too, have my limbs crushed, but I force myself to rise using Immortal Arts, recalling the teachings of Cheongmun Ryeong.
"Y-You're still not dead!? You monstrous freak... It really was true that you're stronger than the old man..."
The voice of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus trembles.
Then it happens.
Flash!
The void splits open, and a grotesque [arm]-like thing suddenly appears.
It is a flower field.
That flower field, where countless flowers bloom, bursts forth in the form of a massive [arm] from the void, grabbing the body of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus and pulls it back through the void it emerged from.
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus begins to kick wildly.
"Old, old man! Hey, wait! Don't you see that!? We can kill the True Martial Great Emperor! Don't you see how weakened she is!? Old man! Just lend me your strength! No, just toss me a few Flesh Restoring Flowers, Blood Restoring Flowers, and Bone Restoring Flowers! Old man! Old maaaaan!!"
: : Foolish. The opportunity has already passed. : :
But in the next moment, the will of the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable echoes through the space, rebuking White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus and dragging them into the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, vanishing from sight. Then, the void opens in another direction.
From there, a chilling [darkness] begins to pull in the Underworld Ten Kings and Kang Min-hee.
[O-O Imperial Venerable...]
[Ugh... Can we truly not launch an attack right now...?]
[If we are not enough, then at least send Yan Luo...! We can kill her!]
However, a solemn, chilling will spreads throughout the space.
It is to the point that even the mass of snakes that appears to be Hyeon Mu freezes in place for a moment.
: : Forbidden. : :
At that single word, the Underworld Ten Kings all fall silent and obediently return to the Underworld.
Additionally, a rift opens on the side of the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, and the other Northern Dipper Six Heavenly Lords hurriedly pull them away, taking them to the Source River.
Finally, as Kang Min-hee is being dragged back to the Underworld by the power of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, she reaches her hand out toward us.
Oh Hyun-seok returns toward the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain, but Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kim Yeon, and I—who are not connected to any other Supreme Deity—begin to be pulled toward the Underworld by Kang Min-hee's attraction force.
Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kim Yeon are sucked into the Underworld in an instant, and just as I am about to be pulled in as well—
Shwikak!
A powerful slash grazes past me.
With it, Kang Min-hee's attraction force is severed, and since the entrance to the Underworld is immediately shut from their side, I end up stranded atop the star of Martial Melody.
"You...alone...I cannot...let go...of..."
Squirm, squirm...
For some reason, along with the voice of the dying Hyeon Mu, the snakes begin to gather together.
I look at the dozens of snakes intertwining together and wonder which among them is the real body.
'If I cut the real body...can I win?'
But no real body reveals itself.
None of them feel like the real body...and I get the sense that Hyeon Mu has no such thing.
Squirm...
However, the snakes gather together faster than I expected and begin to form Hyeon Mu's shape.
Before long, the familiar figure of Hyeon Mu appears before my eyes once again.
But unlike before, it is not a complete human figure. From her nose leftward, she has the form of a human. To the right, her body is writhing with snakes.
"Haagh...heok...heheok..."
Hyeon Mu gasps for breath and collapses just as she is half-way done transforming.
'Can I win...?'
I swallow hard and raise the Impermanence Sword.
But just then,
Shiver!
Hyeon Mu's eyes meet mine.
At the terrifying killing intent radiating from her gaze, I freeze in place.
The killing intent from Hyeon Mu...
Surpasses that day.
The day the Wuji Religious Order vanished. It surpasses the killing intent when the Great Mountain Supreme Deity looked down on me.
Drip...drip...
Tears begin falling from Hyeon Mu's eyes.
Her eyes are no longer filled with emptiness.
What fills them now is...pain and hatred, and an overwhelming grief and resentment.
A massive fury swirls in her eyes, mixed with those other emotions.
"One margin...just one margin...of difference. If it had been just one margin closer, Kim Young-hoon...could have killed me...!"
Bududuk...
Hyeon Mu grinds her teeth, and her hand claws into the ground.
Squirm, squirm...
The opposite side of the body, which had not been completely transformed, begins to resume, and I open my eyes wide at the sight.
A massive golden wound remains on Hyeon Mu's body.
The moment I see it, I understand.
Truly, by instinct alone, I comprehend what kind of conclusion she has faced.
'A slash that moves toward the future, transforming into his Martial Arts itself and cutting down Hyeon Mu...'
In return, Kim Young-hoon erased Hyeon Mu from history and disappeared somewhere into the future—so that even in future regressions, he no longer exists.
However, Hyeon Mu did not die.
Rather, I clearly sense that the wound will definitely carry over into the [next cycle].
That horrifying wound and injury inflicted by Kim Young-hoon will continue into the next cycle and deal irreparable damage to Hyeon Mu.
But...
Shiver, shiver...!
'Damn it...'
I grit my teeth.
In the end, we failed to kill Hyeon Mu.
And as the price for that...I have ended up in a state no different from having fallen into Hyeon Mu's grasp.
Drip, drip...
Hyeon Mu is shedding black tears.
Just like me before, it is a phenomenon caused by overwhelming resentment and despair so deep that emotions themselves have transformed into a curse.
"Through the eternal span of time, as many as the grains of the Ganges sands...there have only ever been six Golden Body Heavenly Kings. And among those Golden Body Heavenly Kings, the only one who reached my realm was...Kim Young-hoon of this generation. Only him!!"
Hyeon Mu's Transformation form is completely restored.
And now, her restored Transformation form takes on a face of a wrathful evil spirit.
"Even Silver Basket, even Obsidian, even Vast Cold...though they all gave me pain that defied imagination, none of them could kill me... Even Underworld, even Salt Sea, even that insolent Hae Nyeong...though they brought me self-loathing, shame, and despair, none could kill me... At the end of that span of time that rivaled eternity...finally...the only possibility that could kill me was Kim Young-hoon..."
Hyeon Mu staggers and rises to her feet.
Boo-oong!
Hyeon Mu swings her arm.
A slash too difficult for me to perceive, one I cannot evade in my current state, is launched.
Kwang!
The star of the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord splits in half, and my arm is severed.
"And yet...you...! You...! You ruined it...!!"
'What...?'
I stagger in disbelief, and endure Hyeon Mu's murderous intent to stand.
"What...are you talking about...!?"
"Do not pretend not to know!! You trampled on Kim Young-hoon's noble sacrifice! On my only salvation and hope! You insulted both him and me—us!!"
Hyeon Mu glares at me, approaching with a face filled with pain and hatred.
Is it because of the wound Kim Young-hoon left behind?
Her overall power has dropped to about the Four-Axis stage, and her full capabilities seem to have fallen to the Star Shattering stage.
Probably, even if she mobilizes everything she has now, she can only exhibit strength at the Entering Nirvana stage at most.
But the problem is me.
"Heheok...heok..."
I am completely drained, and even my willpower is nearing its limit.
My current capability is barely at the Qi Building stage.
"Because of you!! Kim Young-hoon's sacrifice was thrown into the mud!! Because of you!! I couldn't obtain salvation! If only you hadn't saved me at the last moment!!"
Yet even in front of this overwhelming difference, I grit my teeth and shout.
"What in the world are you talking about!?"
How on earth!? Why!? In what way did I 'save' Hyeon Mu from Kim Young-hoon's final ultimate attack?
Just how did I do such a thing?
"With what method!? By what means could I have possibly saved you from the ultimate of Martial Arts!?"
"...Do you still intend to deny it...?"
Hyeon Mu begins to approach me with a face full of venomous resentment.
"Thanks to Kim Young-hoon, my power has now fallen miserably low. To recover, it will probably take until the next generation of Enders...no, the generation after the next. Even if there is an Ender who possesses the ability to divide spacetime, I will probably never be able to exert power beyond the Star Shattering stage in any spacetime, in any history or future."
Hyeon Mu steps within three zhang of me and clenches her fist.
"Keok!"
A powerful force of will grips my throat.
I am lifted by Hyeon Mu's will, groaning in pain as if my neck is about to snap.
"But...even that is enough. As long as I cannot die, I am undying...I will seal you. And I will torture you. Look forward to it. My cruelty is not inferior to the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. I merely had no reason to reveal it until now, but since you trampled on my desperate wish...I will show you true hell."
"Kgh...ugh..."
"Suicide will not work either. Do not worry. I will bring you into my Gandhara and grant you temporary undeath as well. Yes...now, how long shall it be? One thousand Jing (京; 10^16)? Gai (垓; 10^29)? I will taxidermize you with that as the limit, erasing your memory again and again while subjecting you to every form of torture. You will develop no resistance to pain. The reason the taxidermizing of Underworld fails is because They try to trap you literally for eternity. But someone like me, who sets a very distant but still finite limit, will not fail in taxidermizing those like you. Now, what kind of torture do you want? Through what pain, through what suffering, will you appease this hatred of mine!?"
"..."
I look into Hyeon Mu's face, which has transformed into a wrathful evil spirit.
'Ah...'
And then, though it's rather sudden, I finally realize where I've seen her face before.
"...Seoak...Village..."
That's right.
Hyeon Mu, amusingly enough, looks similar to the girl from Seoak Village.
If that girl had grown up and experienced the hardships of the world, her gaze sharpening and the corners of her eyes weighed down with fatigue, she would probably have a face much like Hyeon Mu's.
However, it's slightly different from the cases of Song Jin and Hyeon Rang.
In Song Jin and Hyeon Rang's case—
It feels strongly like they are [the same person]...
But with Hyeon Mu and the girl from Seoak Village—
It feels more like the relationship between Hong Fan and Hyeon Rang.
"What are you spouting now? Kukuk. Are you on the verge of losing your mind? Haha, do not worry. From now on, you will never be able to faint, never be able to lose your sense of self. You will not be able to rest. You will not be able to die!! Every day, every second, every moment, you will only scream, begging to be killed...if only to share even a sliver of my pain..."
Kwang!
I squeeze out every bit of strength I have.
The power of explosion of an Immortal Beast activates, and in that instant, I escape from Hyeon Mu's restraint.
'I have to...escape this place...'
I muster all of my strength to open the gate to the Underworld.
My power of explosion as an Immortal Beast sprouts the power of life.
All around, grass, trees, and greenery grow, blocking Hyeon Mu's vision.
Hyeon Mu snorts and cuts down the trees as she approaches me.
"The chance to escape through the gate of the Underworld was only when your comrades left just now. The Underworld gate will not open anymore...for the Great Mountain Supreme Deity will unfold Splitting Heaven, and Underworld would have shut the gate tight to protect Their subordinates. It is the same with the Source River and the Flower Field. Now, come here."
'Is this...'
I tightly shut my eyes.
'...how it ends...?'
I will probably go mad.
The level of pain spoken of by the Heavenly Venerable of Void is something I cannot possibly endure.
All I can hope for is that someday the period of torture spoken of by Void will come to an end.
That when that period ends, I will finally be allowed to die.
"Just what...did I...even...do...?"
I grit my teeth as I ask the Heavenly Venerable of Void approaching me.
The Heavenly Venerable of Void, wearing the face of a wrathful evil spirit, growls as she comes near.
"You still do not understand!? That the distortion born from within your own body is what saved me!? The distortion emerging from within you dared to deny my death!!"
"How!!??"
I scream in rage.
"How in the world did someone like me deny Kim Young-hoon's strike, deny your death!!?? How!!??"
"..."
Kwang!
The Heavenly Venerable of Void kicks me.
I feel death nearing completely.
'I don't even have the will to use Immortal Arts...'
But I do not die.
Hyeon Mu has forbid my death.
'Is this...how it ends...?'
It's when I grit my teeth.
"...Master."
Someone, with a warm hand, strokes my head.
A hand that feels rough and coarse.
A hand lined with wrinkles.
And that voice...
It is Hong Fan.
"...Are you leaving?"
"...Do not worry. For I...cannot die anymore."
"...You seem to want to leave."
"...Yes."
I sense Hong Fan grit his teeth.
"...Forgive me...as your servant...for being unable to stop it..."
I immediately understand what Hong Fan means.
'...What? He's not worried about me...being tortured by the Heavenly Venerable of Void?'
In Hong Fan's words, there is only—
Concern for the Splitting Heaven Mantra that the Great Mountain Supreme Deity will soon unleash.
"Hong Fan...?"
"Do not worry about the Heavenly Venerable. I will try speaking to her on your behalf..."
"What...?"
"My past life's memories seem to be returning. So perhaps...if I speak to her well, it might all be resolved peacefully..."
Hong Fan rises to his feet.
"Strangely...the more I see the Northern Heavenly Venerable, the more my memories seem to return..."
Thunk—
Finishing his words, Hong Fan sets down a potato in front of me and stands up.
It looks like a potato he had been eating.
The potato absorbs the explosion and life force I just released, and in an instant, it takes root and blooms with potato flowers.
And then—
Hyeon Mu looks at Hong Fan.
"...Who are you? Where did you suddenly appear from?"
I listen to those words, feeling puzzled.
'Why...?'
It is because Hyeon Mu speaks as if she has just perceived Hong Fan.
And just as Hong Fan is about to open his mouth toward Hyeon Mu—
"...Wait..."
Hyeon Mu's eyes lose focus.
Her expression, once that of a wrathful evil spirit, eases, and the venomous resentment and pain that filled her eyes begin to wash away.
"You, you, you...w-wait...no, no..."
Hyeon Mu starts to stumble backward.
And I see Hong Fan's eyes widen.
As if Hyeon Mu's reaction has awakened his memories even more strongly.
And at last—
From both Hong Fan and Hyeon Mu, the words burst out simultaneously.
"M-My...my memory...has returned."
"...I see. I remember now."
Thud—
Hyeon Mu collapses to the ground.
And every trace of expression vanishes from Hong Fan's face.
Step—
Hong Fan walks toward Hyeon Mu.
Crunch—
Hong Fan dismissively steps over the potato he had just placed in front of me to eat, crushing the potato flowers beneath his feet as he walks toward her.
Hyeon Mu, already collapsed, begins to crawl backward.
"Ah, ah, aaah... I see now... I remember everything."
Hyeon Mu's voice trembles.
I can see her eyes.
Usually, they hold emptiness.
Before being struck by Kim Young-hoon, they held hope and joy.
Before she came to me, they were full of pain and hatred.
Now, Hyeon Mu's eyes are drenched in fear, panic, and despair so deep it has no end.
"I see...You are my disgrace... Heh, hehe... Hehehehe...As long as you exist, I cannot die..."
Hyeon Mu begins to cry.
Unlike before, when her tears were black with venom, they are now clear tears, like a young girl sobbing.
But to me, those transparent tears look more painful than any other moment.
"I've just been...biting my own tail... Now I remember it all... I have never meant anything... What I hoped for was impossible...! I truly can never die!"
Even while pouring tears and her legs giving out beneath her, Hyeon Mu struggles to distance herself from Hong Fan.
But in the end, Hong Fan arrives completely in front of her.
Hong Fan asks with no expression.
"...Have you recovered your memories?"
"...Yeah...I remember everything... Now I understand...I didn't envy Bong Hwa. I didn't hate her. I just...respected and loved her... I respected and loved Bong Hwa. That is why...I've been chasing her all this time..."
"...You regaining your memories every time you meet me is a problem. How defective."
Then, Hyeon Mu bows toward Hong Fan.
"Please...can't we just stop now? How long...how long must we repeat this...?"
"That depends on Hwe-ah. There is nothing we can do. Just pray for the completion of Seven Brilliance (七華)."
"Don't be ridiculous!! Even if all the Enders reach it...that's still only [half]!!! Even this generation's Enders are hopeless. Just how long are we supposed to keep doing this!!"
Hyeon Mu grabs onto the hem of Hong Fan's pants, clinging and begging.
"Stop...please, just stop... Let's tell Bong Hwa everything and beg for forgiveness... How long must we keep doing this? Just how long!!?? In this endless hell without end, how long must I keep doing this!!?? I!!?? Am bowing down like this and begging!? Please, let's stop!"
"...Again and again and again...I've gone over that anguish. You know that. But in the end, the conclusion is always the same."
Hong Fan looks down at Hyeon Mu.
As I look at Hong Fan's back, I feel an unknown fear rise within me.
For some reason, my eyes start to ache.
It feels like they're about to burst.
"The story must be completed."
Hong Fan tramples over Hyeon Mu's supplication without a second thought.
Hyeon Mu cries as she smiles.
"...You are a devil..."
"This is coming from you?"
"Hehe...huk..."
Sobbing bitterly, Hyeon Mu lifts her weapon.
Woooong—
That black something begins to change form.
It looks like a binding rope for criminals.
"...Two Enders of this generation are already dead, and another is about to die... It will soon be over. I see no hope at all..."
Hyeon Mu starts wrapping the rope around her own neck.
"...I'm sorry, Seo Eun-hyun."
Suddenly apologizing to me, Hyeon Mu begins to tighten the rope around her throat.
Hong Fan simply looks down at her and utters a short sentence.
"When this chapter ends, I will erase it again. Like before, forget it all and rest...as you pursue your suicide in peace."
Kuguguguk...
Hyeon Mu tightens the rope even harder around her neck.
Then I force out my voice as I look at Hong Fan.
"Hong...Fan..."
Looking at those shoulders that somehow seem terrifying, I grit my teeth.
"What...in the world...are you saying...? Who are you...who is Hyeon Mu...and Bong Hwa...?"
Then Hong Fan opens his mouth.
"That is not something a thing like you needs to know."
In the next moment,
With just a word from Hong Fan, I feel death come upon me.
"Forget."
☯
☯
☯
"..."
When I open my eyes again, I see Hyeon Mu breaking her own neck.
What in the world is going on?
Hyeon Mu's expression looks like the very incarnation of despair, as if she has given up everything in this world.
Of course, Hyeon Mu will not die.
Now that she has survived this time, even if only the strength of a Star Shattering Esteemed One remains, she will continue to resurrect and remain undying.
'From now on...how am I supposed to face Hyeon Mu...?'
The death that Hyeon Mu had forbidden comes to me.
At the end of Hyeon Mu's words, I close my eyes.
"I await the day you all reach the Audience Chamber..."
Along with the sensation of something being pulled out from my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections—
I meet death once again.
That is my 1005th regression.
Kririririk—
Time rewinds.
Within the reversing flow of time, I look up at the black sky.
Floating in that black sky are [Eleven] seats.
I read the name of the newly appeared seat.
—Golden Speed Heavenly King Kim Young-hoon.
And then I read the true name of an existence I couldn't read before.
—Western Heavenly Venerable, Netherworld Queen Mother Bong Hwa (烽火).
That is the true name of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
-x-X-x-
Kkiriririk—
Time rewinds.
At the same moment, I gaze at the [Eleven] seats, my eyes gleaming.
'The seat of the Radiance Supreme Deity still isn't visible... Excluding the one of Radiance...has another one appeared...?'
The seat of the Golden Speed Heavenly King Kim Young-hoon.
As I look at that seat, I recognize that Kim Young-hoon has also risen as a dignified Governing Immortal.
However, Kim Young-hoon's seat is faint, like that of the Heavenly Venerable of Time, and wavers as though it might extinguish at any moment.
It must be because he has rushed off into an uncertain future.
Though I haven't completely regressed yet, perhaps because I spent seventy million years, the process of regression is quite long.
That's why I decide right away on the goal for my next life.
No...
It isn't just a goal for the next life.
'For Kim Young-hoon's sake, challenging the Audience Chamber has now become inevitable.'
I grit my teeth.
The fate of an Ender comes to mind.
Because I remember the saying that we, in the end, all face the Audience Chamber.
That we all head toward the Head Realm.
This too must be a part of fate.
'But even if it's fate, it can't be helped.'
All I can do right now is to live diligently.
'To save Kim Young-hoon, we will head to that future.'
A faraway future.
To that future where we reach the Audience Chamber!
With that, having set a purpose that pierces through the entirety of my life to come, I raise my eyes not only to Kim Young-hoon but also to a newly seen name.
Western Heavenly Venerable, Netherworld Queen Mother.
Bong Hwa (烽火)!
[Editor: 烽火literally means 'fire beacon'.]
'...'
That is, without a doubt, the true name of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
And...
'In the conversation between Hyeon Mu and Hong Fan...is that the one they must 'beg forgiveness from'...?'
I feel my mind grow complicated.
Yes.
I definitely feel it.
After that conversation between Hyeon Mu and Hong Fan, Hong Fan regained his memories, and in an instant, Hong Fan's rank surged to a level comparable to the Emptiness Supreme Deity and the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
Even as a Great Net Immortal, just looking at him makes my eyes ache and feel like they might burst.
'And also, Hong Fan called the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld 'Hwe-ah'...while Hyeon Mu called them 'Bong Hwa'. Are they the same being? Is Bong Hwa an Immortal Title, or their original name like Gwak Am?'
Countless thoughts swirl through my head.
But what still shocks me the most is...
Hong Fan.
'Hong Fan...'
At the final moment, I definitely remember.
—Forget.
Along with the sensation of my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections being [ripped out], history itself became buried away.
The sensation of that history being carved away deep within the Akashic Records...
'What is your identity?'
However, I do not forget the memory.
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections has been made into an Immortal Crown, and by thoroughly engraving everyone's hearts into myself, the system has shifted so that the history up until now is recorded within me.
By placing the 'heart' of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections inside me and maintaining the method of recalling memories through it,
I temporarily restored the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections above the heart in order to confront Hyeon Mu. Such was the situation at that time.
Hong Fan ultimately failed to perceive my heart, so he could not completely revise my memories.
'Hong Fan...'
I grit my teeth as I recall what he has done.
'Just what are you really...?'
He feels like Seo Hweol.
No, thinking of the rank I just felt from Hong Fan, he feels even more sinister and ominous than Seo Hweol.
Only the Mad Lord, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, the Head Realm, and the Great Mountain Supreme Deity have ever struck me as more dangerous than Seo Hweol.
But all of them gave a sense of threat as disasters.
Hong Fan, however...
Feels like an endlessly sinister and dangerous existence, even beyond Seo Hweol.
I grit my teeth.
I consider whether I must strike down and kill Hong Fan as soon as I regress, who likely hasn't recovered his memories yet.
But the thought is brief.
'...No...'
—Guju... Your name is Guju...
A scene from the 16th cycle that still remains in my memory.
I recall that moment and steel my heart.
'At that time, the one I called Guju was definitely...'
I recall the sensation of that hand.
The face in the memory is obscured by light and unclear, but the feeling remains unmistakable.
'It's Hong Fan!'
I remember the sensation from just moments ago when Hong Fan stroked my face.
Hong Fan really is Guju!
'So...I will choose to believe.'
Because even if Hong Fan truly is one of my enemies,
The affection I felt for him back then was real.
'Therefore...I will believe in you. Hong Fan...!'
Thus, as I resolve my feelings for Hong Fan in my head, I return to the distant past.
Shwishishisik—
When I open my eyes, it's the familiar True Immortal Realm.
Once again, I've returned to the moment right after advancing to True Immortality, losing consciousness for a brief moment during the advancement.
'To say I lost consciousness for a moment...now even a thousand years feels short.'
The entire life of Yang Su-jin now feels like nothing more than a day or two of sleep.
Kugugung!
As soon as I collect my senses, I descend to the Lower Realm, and I see Hong Fan in the distance, who has built an altar.
Wo-woong!
As I gesture with my hand, Hong Fan emerges from beneath the altar and flies straight to me.
"M-Master! You've succeeded in your advancement after a thousand years! Haw haw, congratulations! That aside..."
"Hong Fan!"
I cut him off and ask,
"Were you always in the Entering Nirvana stage?"
☯
"Pardon? Master, what do you mean..."
"Ah, I see. Never mind. You were probably more or less at the Entering Nirvana stage. That's not important. Anyway, I've realized something during my True Immortal advancement."
"Ooo! What is..."
"That life is...the desire to eat boiled potatoes!! Hong Fan!! I've stocked my body full with potatoes, so go inside and boil them!"
"..."
Hong Fan coughs at the sudden request and nods his head.
"Yes, well..."
"Life is...yes, boiled potatoes. Excellent. Hurry and go in."
I enthusiastically pat Hong Fan's shoulders, then immediately swallow him into my body.
And I can feel it.
'As expected...'
Just now, history was revised.
'When I realize Hong Fan's contradiction, the history of the entire world twists.'
Normally, when an Earth Upper Immortal revises history, only the target and related events are revised.
But just now, when I pointed out that Hong Fan wasn't originally in the Entering Nirvana stage, the history of [Mount Sumeru] itself twisted.
History itself was altered just to defend Hong Fan.
'And the source of that distortion in history is...'
I look toward the distant Head Realm.
Tingle...
My eyes still ache, but it's not unbearable like before.
Even the poison of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain is more endurable now than before.
'The Head Realm... The one known as the Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeong Woon.'
With Hong Fan still inside me, I gaze briefly toward the Head Realm.
'Hong Fan is clearly an anomalous existence. His realm stays stable as if following my regressions, but judging by his reactions, it seems his memories don't follow. When I notice the strangeness about Hong Fan, the Head Realm intervenes and revises the world to defend him... Perhaps, Hong Fan might be...'
As I contemplate Hong Fan's true identity, I speak to him, who is inside my body.
"Hong Fan. You were perhaps a very powerful True Immortal in your past life."
Hong Fan doesn't reply, maybe because he's busy boiling potatoes, and I nod my head as I sense the entirety of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
In the past, I had to fetch each one personally, but now, that's no longer necessary.
'I feel like I can grasp the entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain with one hand...'
This is the perception of a Great Net Immortal.
I feel as though, if I merely will it, I can bring everything in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain right before me in an instant.
Just then,
Paaaatt!
An all too familiar being appears before my eyes.
Kugugugugu!
A giant god of silver-white light.
It is the Fifth Seat of the Radiance Eight Immortals, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
: : Seo Eun-hyun... : :
Kugugugu!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord reaches their hand out toward me.
It's a natural result.
'Because I no longer have the Immortal Title of Crystal Glass Being...'
But this time, things are different.
Kwaaaang!
I strike away the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's hand with all my might.
: : ...! : :
At the same time, I begin descending my main body into the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
My main body, clad in the white round collar robe of glass sword mountains, appears in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
At the same time, the Pure-White Three Great Ultimates begins to spin fiercely behind my head, and the Wheel begins to shine with starlight.
'I've just finished a head-on battle with a Heavenly Venerable.'
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord before me is no longer an insurmountable wall.
: : My apologies, Sword Spear... But I will not be captured by you...! : :
Sensing the Triple Divinity that is nearly fully within my grasp, I grip the Impermanence Sword and aim it at the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
: : Unfortunately, the only thing I can share with you right now is the sword. : :
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord did suddenly help me in the past life, but that was likely due to the emotional changes developed over seventy million years.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord of this moment is a messenger of Radiance Hall, intent only on capturing me!
It is a time I must fight.
: : Come, Sword Spear Heavenly Lord. Today, I will suppress you and proclaim before Radiance Hall that this Immortal is no easy opponent. : :
: : ... : :
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord looks at my sword and remains silent for a while.
Well, having seen someone advance to True Immortality and immediately afterward advance to Great Net Immortal, they are probably thinking I am no ordinary being.
Before I know it, my true body has grown to a size comparable to that of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's true body.
Now I'm only slightly smaller.
'This is different from before. If it's only around the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's strength...'
: : Haaaah... : :
It is then.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord brings their hands together, exhaling a breath made of light from their lips.
: : Sword-Guided Star Rain. : :
Flash!
A silver-white light sword is summoned in an instant and flies toward me. I raise my sword upward in response.
'I can block it!'
Tukwang!
The Impermanence Sword strikes the single move of Sword-Guided Star Rain, and shatters it as is.
Jjeoooong!
A shockwave rings out above us, and a corner of the universe tears apart.
In the next moment, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord charges at me with a light sword in hand.
I spin once, adding rotational force, and aim the Impermanence Sword at the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
But the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord headbutts the Impermanence Sword away, then slashes up with the sword.
Had this been the early stage of my past life, I would've been split in half by that single strike. But now, I dodge cleanly and grab the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's sword with one hand.
'Compared to Hyeon Mu...far too slow!'
I can handle this!
Burning with the hope of victory as I face the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, I draw forth my fighting spirit.
It's when I think as such.
: : ...You have grown. Now, subduing you completely will be difficult at this level. : :
: : Haha, my apologies, O Sword Spear Heavenly Lord... : :
Cheok!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord clasps hands again.
'They seem about to use a decisive technique...'
The next moment.
Behind the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, I see a [silver-white snake biting its tail].
'...Huh?'
As I come to my senses, what I see is something exploding in the distance amidst a silvery white radiance.
'Th-This is...'
I feel dizzy.
A significant portion of my Immortal Body has been torn away.
I realize what is going on.
'Crazy...'
Pabat!
But before I can even piece the situation together, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord appears before my eyes.
I instinctively take a defensive stance, and when I come to my senses again, I realize I am being hurled all the way back toward a distant star cluster.
'Damn it...my internal world is in a wreck.'
Bleeding divine blood, I steady my posture mid-flight.
'What is that...!?'
I gape at the speed of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, which I can't even begin to follow.
'I'd probably have to push Mahayuga to its limits just to keep up...'
It's not as faint as with Hyeon Mu, but it's still suffocatingly fast.
I'm left speechless by that face.
'Just what even is that...? Isn't that practically at the level of a Governing Immortal...?'
Immediately after that thought ends,
Tukwang!
Once again, before I can even react, I'm struck by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord flying down from above and bounce all the way to the Source River.
'Insane...I tore through the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain and reached the Source River for a brief moment...'
As that thought flashes through my mind, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord appears before my eyes once more.
'Urgh!'
Tukwang!
When I come to senses again, I find myself in the Eastern Heaven Flower Field.
One of the divine spirits of the Eastern Heaven Flower Field—an old lady-like divine spirit—stares at me with wide eyes.
The old lady divine spirit quickly comes to her senses and opens her mouth.
"This...this wretched brat...the flower field..."
But before I can even apologize—
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord already appears behind me and reaches out a hand again.
Fortunately, this time I manage to block it.
Jjeoooong!
Of course, even blocking it, I'm sent flying back into the Interdimensional Void.
'Damn it... It was a mistake. I should've just run away...'
But for some reason, I feel that I wouldn't have been able to escape from that Sword Spear Heavenly Lord with the [snake] attached to them.
I've missed my chance.
'But that doesn't mean I'll lose...!'
I steel my heart, recalling the suffocating battle I fought against Hyeon Mu during the Heavenly Venerable Battle.
Tuk, tuduk, tuk-tuk-tuk!
Mahayuga activates.
Immediately after, just as the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord charges in—
Tuuung!
For the first time, I deflect the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's sword.
At the same time, I begin properly wielding my sword with enlightenment being melted into every motion.
'If I use Mahayuga, I can keep up!'
The silver-white light sword and the Impermanence Sword clash endlessly.
In terms of weight class, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord far surpasses me. But I use Mahayuga to match part of that difference, and my enlightenment of Martial Arts, having reached the level of Triple Divinity, overwhelms the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord—allowing us to fight on equal footing for quite some time.
Kaaaang!
Our swords collide, and the shockwave forces us to retreat, both of us taking a moment to catch our breath.
'If it continues like this, I can catch the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's flow and deliver a fatal counter.'
With hopeful breath, I take my stance.
'Now, even against a Sword Spear Heavenly Lord going all out, I can see a glimmer of hope!'
: : Impressive. Then I suppose I can now use a finishing move? : :
: : ...? : :
Then, hundreds, thousands of light swords begin to rise around the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
In an instant, the number multiplies to hundreds of millions, trillions, all orbiting around Sword Spear.
From the flow of those light swords, I immediately understand.
'...Ah...'
There's no breaking through that.
Only then do I realize my place and return to humility.
The only reason we were able to do so much as poke at Hyeon Mu in our battle with her was because Kim Young-hoon used the Golden Speed Heavenly King and 'connected' with us.
: : Sword Heaven (劍天). : :
It seems Sword Spear, too, has once received teachings from Hyeon Mu.
That finishing move carries the enlightenment of Hyeon Mu's Dance of Emptiness, Third Form.
: : Annihilation Advancement (滅盡)! : :
Paaaatt!
'Even now...against a being at the level of a Governing Immortal...am I still so far off...!'
I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the 1006th return that is soon to come.
It feels like this will be my one thousand and sixth death.
: : ...? : :
Suddenly, I find myself staring in confusion at an Integration stage Ghost King that has appeared before me.
This Ghost King, suddenly interposing between me and Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's finishing move, slashes open its own belly and pulls out its innards, from which it begins to draw out a flag.
Tears stream down the face of the Integration stage Ghost King as it begins to scream with all its might.
[The Chief Judge is arriving!!]
Kugugugugu!
It is then,
The void shatters, and from the distant darkness, a massive [arm] engulfed in blazing crimson flame bursts forth, blocking the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's Sword Heaven Annihilation Advancement.
Tukwaaang!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's technique is consumed in that crimson flame and vanishes, and from beyond the darkness, a giant god of darkness clad in a judge robe of bright red fire begins to step forward.
And with that, numerous Ghost Kings start appearing around me.
Those Ghost Kings simultaneously draw flags from somewhere and begin waving them while howling.
[The Deputy Judge is arriving!!]
The void breaks again.
The Darkness True Lord, Great King Wudao Zhuanlun, begins to make their procession from the depths of darkness.
[The Killing Life Judge is arriving!!]
The Blade Mountain True Lord, Great King Qin Guang, begins their descent from beyond the Blade Mountain Hell.
[The Cold Ice Judge...]
One after another, the familiar Underworld Ten Kings begin descending to this place.
Kugugugugugugu!
Before I know it, the Ten Great Nether Kings of the Netherworld stand in front of me, blocking the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
Then, the Chief Judge of the Netherworld, the Yama True Lord Yan Luo, turns to me and speaks.
: : Begin your Heaven Dao Great Net advancement. : :
: : ...!? : :
: : The Imperial Venerable wishes to meet you. : :
The moment I hear those words, I understand the situation.
'I see...'
Thus, immediately after regression, I begin my Heaven Dao Great Net advancement.
-x-X-x-
I focus my mind.
'I have already performed both Yang Pitch and Yin Pitch over 500 times each anyway.'
The restriction of needing to practice Yang Pitch and Yin Pitch separately according to the Heaven Dao or Earth Dao is now meaningless.
'If I wish, I can advance to Heaven Dao Great Net at any time!'
The only reason I did not immediately advance to Heaven Dao Great Net in my past life is because, unlike Earth Dao Great Net which begins with explosion, the Heaven Dao Great Net begins from attraction force, which takes a bit of time.
'According to my measurements in my past life, the period required for me to advance to Heaven Dao Great Net is about ten years...'
That is why I could not advance right away at that time.
Of course, now that I have fought Hyeon Mu and nearly succeeded in seizing Triple Divinity, I can easily shorten that time.
'One year! I can become a Heaven Dao Great Net within one year!'
"...Please give me just one year."
Cheok, cheok, cheok, cheok!
At my words, the Judges form their respective hand seals, and for a moment, the entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain seems to be engulfed in darkness.
Just then,
Kugugugung!
'Th-This is...!'
A middle-aged man in blue feathered robes appears beside me.
The sturdy middle-aged man uniquely wears sleeves resembling the wings of a bird, and for some reason, just looking at them makes my vision feel distorted.
: : Seat Holder of Addiction, the Dreaming True Lord (夢中眞君) Blue Bird (靑鳥), acts according to the will of the Imperial Venerable... : :
Kugugugugu!
For an instant, Taiji flows around the middle-aged man, and their form flickers between a pure blue-haired beauty and a handsome middle-aged man, before they transform into a massive azure Peng Bird.
For a moment, in front of the Underworld Ten Kings,
The entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, as if the whole world itself is stained with darkness, begins to twist.
: : Imprison. Eternal Labyrinth (永恒迷宮). : :
Space, dimension, and time tangle together, and in an instant, the 'darkness' of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain starts compressing around the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who stands before the Underworld Ten Kings.
As if flustered, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord grinds their teeth as a silver-white gleam burns from beneath their mask, while the compressed darkness soon becomes a sphere of darkness that imprisons them.
The Underworld Ten Kings speak.
: : This is the spatial labyrinth of the Immortal Beast Azure Peng. Additionally, we have distributed the spaces of our Ten Hells of the Underworld into the imprisonment. Even the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord will take at least 200 days. : :
: : After that, we can still hold the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord in this place for about 150 more days. : :
: : Afterward, we will not be able to stop the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord from summoning the Radiance Eight Immortals, but even if all the Radiance Eight Immortals gather, we can resist for about 15 days. : :
: : We will secure one year. Advance to Heaven Dao Great Net. : :
Shwiririk—
The words of the Underworld Ten Kings come to an end, and the Immortal Beast Azure Peng, who had briefly revealed their true form, transforms back into their human form.
This time, taking the form of the pure blue-haired beauty, Azure Peng glances around uneasily, gives a brief bow, then opens a rift of darkness behind them.
"Since I exerted my power, Glass Peacock has probably caught my scent. I'm heading back in. Well, then."
Shushuk!
Watching Azure Peng, trembling with an uneasy expression and fleeing into the dark rift, I let out a faint bitter smile.
It is an extremely short and concise appearance.
'Good. Anyway, I've definitely gained one year!'
In that case, it is time for my Great Net advancement.
Wiiiiiiing!
My winged garment spreads out around me.
A powerful attraction force begins to emerge from my body.
'Unlike the Earth Dao Great Net, the Heaven Dao Great Net begins by drawing in the ascenders of the Middle Realms into my body.'
Kiiiiiing!
My enlightenment of twilight true energy spreads throughout the entire Mount Sumeru regions and begins to resonate.
Sun and Moon, Heavenly King, Twin Holding, Bearing Tree, Elephant Nose, Earth Boundary, Good Sight.
Except for the Horse Ear Heavenly Domain, which is practically a prison meant only for the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, and the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain where no proper living beings exist aside from Oh Hye-seo, every other Heavenly Domain!
'This is kind of funny.'
That's right.
In my past life, perhaps because I died closest to the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain due to energy exhaustion while fighting Hyeon Mu,
It seems I am considered to have died once even in the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain.
Anyway, thanks to that, I am now able to resonate with every Heavenly Domain.
'All living beings across the Heavenly Domains who resonate with twilight true energy, hear me!'
Twilight true energy is a true energy specialized in refining the heart and practicing repentant enlightenment.
Thus, I begin to resonate with those who refine their hearts and keep themselves pure, focusing especially on those who are attuned to twilight true energy.
And among them, I seek out those who are right now attempting ascension and begin to resonate even more powerfully with their spirits.
'Come to me!'
Among the countless living beings in this vast Mount Sumeru.
Those currently attempting ascension number in the trillions.
Even among them, those resonating with my twilight true energy amount to several million!
The method of ascending to Heaven Dao Great Net is the reverse of Earth Dao Great Net.
It rather begins by accepting the ascenders into my body.
Kugugugugu!
Countless ascenders enter into my body all at once.
They are taken aback the moment they ascend.
Naturally, the internal region of my body as a Heaven Dao Great Net is still far too immature to be called a Middle Realm.
But that does not matter.
My body is filled with twilight true energy, and as they begin to absorb this twilight true energy, they begin to evolve into races with similar attributes.
At the same time, I realize that I now hold their very fate in my hands.
Tracing back their fates, I begin to influence the various worlds from which they have ascended from.
Woo-woong!
Across the entirety of Mount Sumeru.
I create flows of attraction force that connect to me to the worlds where I have once experienced death.
Through these flows of attraction force, I create a Great Net that weaves all of Mount Sumeru.
When I advanced to Earth Dao Great Net before, I could feel all the Qi across Mount Sumeru in fine detail.
This time, I feel my consciousness expanding, and I sense as if all the fate in Mount Sumeru is held in my hand.
The flows of attraction force throughout Mount Sumeru.
The beings who emit that attraction force.
It feels as if countless great existences and the principles governing the world are approaching right before my eyes.
Perhaps because my mental domain has expanded, I observe all of Mount Sumeru as if time itself flows in an instant.
It is not an illusion.
Quite literally, dozens of days pass with every single breath I take.
I feel it.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who was being suppressed by the Underworld Ten Kings, breaks out of Azure Peng's Eternal Labyrinth after 197 days.
The Underworld Ten Kings surround and suppress the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord once again.
And time continues to flow rapidly.
I now realize I have become a being who has long surpassed human units of time, the flow of time for mortal beings.
The final stage of the Great Net advancement stands right before me.
If the Earth Dao Great Net begins by scattering the Immortal Dao of the Mountain and then facing tribulation, the Heaven Dao Great Net creates the Great Net first, then scatters the Immortal Dao and faces tribulation.
Kugugugugu!
My fortune and virtue begin to be sucked out across all of Mount Sumeru.
In an instant, my fortune and virtue spreads throughout the entirety of Mount Sumeru, creating mountains one by one wherever my Great Net extends.
Where there is no fortune and virtue, it instead draws out the very will that could replace it, and I realize that I am becoming part of some vast [flow].
'I see...'
Kugugugung!
An overwhelming chest pain seems to crush my chest.
But at some point, the chest pain begins to subside.
Before, lacking fortune and virtue, I rewrote the world purely through willpower.
But now, at this moment when I advance to Heaven Dao Great Net.
Fortune and virtue begin to be 'born' from within me.
The moment I recognize this,
Kwaaaaang!
My very existence engraves itself into Mount Sumeru, and I feel my attraction force connect with it.
At the same time, my Immortal Body as a Heaven Dao Great Net, connected to the attraction force of the entire Mount Sumeru, begins to advance into a Middle Realm.
Kururururu—
Heaven Dao Great Net.
Earth Dao Great Net.
The Middle Realms of both sides unite within my body, completely transforming into a land where living beings may inhabit.
'Aaaah...'
I feel the Qi of the entire Mount Sumeru.
I feel the Fate of the entire Mount Sumeru.
At the same time, destiny (運命; fate) begins to be [produced] from within my body.
Originally, this is a phenomenon that would usually occur at the very end of Earth Dao Great Net, or perhaps the midpoint of Heaven Dao Great Net. But perhaps because I have risen to Great Net through both Heaven Dao and Earth Dao, I now gain the authority to 'create' fate even though I am still at the early stage of Great Net Immortal.
Yes.
Just as Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is produced from the Star Shattering stage, the Plane of Fate, which exists at a higher level, begins to be [produced] starting from Great Net Immortal.
From now on, I am truly able to create and bestow fate.
Though, for now, it remains limited only to the fate related to mountains...
Even that alone is enough.
My explosion influences all of Mount Sumeru.
My attraction force draws in all of Mount Sumeru.
My existence firmly seizes one aspect of the True Immortal Realm and transforms it into my domain.
At the same time, I succeed in becoming one of the pillars of the Immortal Cultivation system that welcomes living beings into my body, thus gaining recognition from Mount Sumeru itself.
'I feel it.'
Right now.
I have at last advanced to Heaven-Earth Great Net.
Kiiiiiing!
Once again, Heaven, Earth, and the Mountain Dao align in perfect balance, forming the Three Great Ultimates. Through this, the 'Pure White Three Great Ultimates' once again begin supplying me with power as if erupting.
Feeling that power, I open my eyes wide, preparing to face the final obstacle of the Heaven Dao Great Net advancement.
Countless fates entangle with me, intertwining.
At the same time, my identity as [me] seems to blur.
It must be because I am now truly connected with Mount Sumeru and have begun to receive its power.
'I must maintain my mind here!'
Reciting the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, I half-open my eyes.
Gradually, my mind clears, and I begin to preserve myself.
But at that moment,
A sinister dirge seems to echo, and I sense something ominous creeping into my mind.
'This is...!'
Far in the distance of Mount Sumeru.
From the faraway Earth Axis Heavenly Domain, Oh Hye-seo is borrowing the power of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
Through that, she is whispering Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens into me.
The difference between Oh Hye-seo and me at this point is despairingly vast, yet of all things, the Great Net advancement ritual is overseen by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. As Their disciple, Oh Hye-seo has Divine Descended Their power and activated Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, causing a tremendously strong impact upon my consciousness.
'If I resolve myself to half-kill Oh Hye-seo, I could easily shake it off in one go, but...'
I realize the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's scheme and grit my teeth.
'Do you really want to use your own disciple as a sacrifice like that?'
If I resist strongly, Oh Hye-seo, who serves as the medium between the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and me, would be crushed in the process.
I intend to control it as much as I can, but even if I do, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity would certainly push Oh Hye-seo toward death to make her into a sacrifice.
'I won't allow that!'
I desperately try to control my power to prevent the completion of the Splitting Heaven Mantra.
Each time, the pain of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea and Oh Hye-seo's suffering transmits to me through the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, stabbing deep into my chest.
'Damn...!'
As I endure the hatred of Oh Hye-seo and the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea and try to regulate my strength—
Paaatt!
A gentle energy begins to unfurl from deep within my chest.
'This is...?'
It is the formula of the Heavenly Being stage.
'Huh...?'
In the Heavenly Being stage, one must temper madness so that the mind does not scatter from the nature of Heaven and Earth.
Even when challenging the Heaven Dao Great Net, one must maintain consciousness so that the mind does not scatter and dissolve from the countless fates of Mount Sumeru.
In a way, the final step of advancing to Heaven Dao Great Net is quite similar to the Heavenly Being stage.
Perhaps that is why.
From the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord's Vast Cold Heavenly Circle deep within my chest, the soft scent of peach blossoms begins to spread, melting away the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, which tries to take root in a corner of my heart.
—Immortal Cultivation is progress.
Before my eyes, I see the vision of someone standing in a garden full of blooming peach blossoms.
They hold a pouch filled with silver coins, stroking it somewhat bitterly as they continue to speak.
—Repentant enlightenment is certainly admirable, but the world may be lacking with just that alone. Therefore...seek repentant enlightenment, but also move forward.
That person stands at the heart of the garden with peach petals dancing around, vanishing without showing their face clearly.
At that moment, the clear energy erupting from my chest sweeps away Oh Hye-seo's hatred, the darkness of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, and the pain of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea in an instant.
With that, I am able to block the influx of chaotic fates pressing against me at the final stage of the Heaven Dao Great Net advancement.
'That just now was...'
The lingering will of Vast Cold!
They have once again lent me their aid.
But I can tell that the appearance of their lingering will this time is no coincidence.
'To dispel hatred...perhaps the power of love is the most effective.'
Yes.
For some reason, I feel...
Vast Cold wanted to tell me this.
Because the power that surged from my chest and drove away Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens was unmistakably the power of love.
Paaaatt!
The moment I realize this, I awaken fully, knowing that I have finally completely reached Heaven Dao Great Net.
Kugugugu!
An overwhelming vitality surges through my entire body, and now my winged garment, expanded to the breadth of several fixed stars, sways around my arms and legs.
My true form fully reveals itself in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
It resembles my appearance during my Heaven-Earth Upper Immortal era, but now it is far more magnificent and dignified.
[Huuuuu...]
As I exhale a breath, transcendental twilight true energy pours out, and for an instant, the density of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy across the entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain rises to the level of a Middle Realm.
A being who can raise the spiritual energy density of a supercluster-level space with just a single breath.
That is what I am now.
I am a Great Immortal who has reached Heaven-Earth Great Net.
As I open my eyes, a whole year has already passed in the blink of an eye.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord broke free from the seal and, not stopping there, requested reinforcements and called upon the Radiance Eight Immortals, engaging in a fierce battle.
Only the Great Forest Heavenly Lord has yet to arrive, so Radiance Hall's current strength stands at the level of Seven Heavenly Lords. Even so, they are visibly overwhelming the Underworld Ten Kings.
I can even see the presence of the Great Forest Heavenly Lord crossing over from the distant spacetime, and once they gather, it feels certain that the Underworld Ten Kings will no longer be able to endure.
But Yan Luo's gaze blazes as they confirm that I have fully advanced to Heaven-Earth Great Net.
I nod back at Yan Luo as well, meeting their gaze.
This is because I too can guess the intention of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
[O exalted Imperial Venerable.]
I can feel it.
Power surges through my entire body.
With strength like this, even if I still struggle against the Radiance Eight Immortals or Governing Immortal-level beings, I now clearly feel that against ordinary Immortal Lords, I am capable of simply capturing and beating them to death.
[This foolish lowly Immortal asks of Thee!!]
I shout toward the Underworld.
The deepest depths of the Underworld.
From beyond that deep darkness, a colossal entity begins to respond.
[Has this mere Great Net Seo Eun-hyun, not yet grown worthy enough to be supported by the Imperial Venerable!!??]
I can objectively grasp my own realm and power.
Now, even if I face Yang Su-jin at his peak, I am confident that I can win against him.
And Yang Su-jin had once clearly told me.
Before we reach a certain standard, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld tries to capture and taxidermize us...
But if we reach that standard, They support us wholeheartedly.
'When I was only an Earth Dao Great Net, it might have been uncertain, but since Yan Luo told me to advance to Heaven Dao Great Net, it must mean that reaching it means I am qualified to receive the Underworld's support!'
If that is the case, I may be able to turn the current situation around.
Confidently, I look toward the Head Realm.
Not long ago, just gazing directly at the Head Realm would make my eyes ache—but now, they no longer hurt at all.
Though I can feel some kind of unidentified resistant force from the Head Realm...
Just staring into it is no longer a problem.
After confirming through the Head Realm, I immediately turn my gaze to the deepest depths of the Underworld.
Now, at last, I have become able to directly face the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
Indeed, unlike before, the subconscious terror warning me not to look upon the deepest depths of the Underworld is gone.
At the same time, even when I stare into the depths of the Underworld, my eyeballs do not feel like they will burst, nor is it painful.
I am now completely...
: : Shall we test your qualification? : :
Then,
From the very depths of the Underworld, an overwhelming rank erupts.
[...!!!]
A storm sweeps through the Middle Realm within my body.
The Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain—no...
Just from revealing Their rank, the entirety of Mount Sumeru begins to quake.
'Th-That is...!'
It is the Underworld.
Not meaning the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld—but literally the afterlife itself.
Countless cycles of reincarnation, judgments, punishments.
The history of the deceased of the afterlife unfolds before my eyes.
It is darkness, it is a long and longer history, it is a colossal god connected to something I cannot dare to endure.
Though my eyes do not burst, I begin to tremble, consumed by indescribable terror, despair, and pain.
Far off in the distance, I see the Great Forest Heavenly Lord hastily joining the Radiance Eight Immortals.
But something like that no longer matters to me now.
A god stands before my eyes.
Would one ever dare pay attention to a mere beast when standing before a god...?
'Is that...the true form of the Oldest One...? Their Gandhara...?'
With a stunned expression, I unconsciously begin to lower my body as if to kneel before the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
They once called Themself a lowly maiden before me, but now that I think about it, such a claim feels no different from mockery.
'Is there no one in Mount Sumeru...who can resist that being...?'
It is just as I am about to kneel with a stunned face.
—Immortal cultivation is progress.
—Immortal cultivation is repentant enlightenment...
Before my eyes, a fleeting vision of a pure white mountain of salt and a garden in full bloom with peach blossoms flashes by.
Remembering their teachings, I grit my teeth and force strength into my legs.
Gik, gigigigik!
Forcing my legs to move and straightening my back, I simply lower my head toward the Underworld.
[It is the highest honor to behold the rank of the Imperial Venerable!]
Tuk—
That is the end.
The rank that had shaken Mount Sumeru disappears in an instant, and to my ear, a single phrase that is both so terrifying yet at the same time deeply relieving, reaches me.
: : You have reached the standard. : :
Then,
The Ten Kings, who have been fighting against the Radiance Eight Immortals, begin to withdraw toward one area of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
Jjeoooeooeok!
The Underworld Ten Kings, reaching into their own internal world, begin to pull something out in unison.
They are ten flags.
Great King Du Shi and Great King Ping Deng face each other, plant their flags before themselves, and cry out.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
The True Lords of the Twin Venerables humbly kneel on the spot and bow, taking out black cloud-like masses from their faces and spreading them as a carpet.
Each grain of that black cloud mass is a Ghost King at the Integration stage.
Kung, kuuuuung!
Great King Bian Cheng and Great King Tai Shan plant their flags before themselves and, beside Du Shi and Ping Deng, begin to prostrate and bow.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
Thousands of firefly-like lights spew out from within their bodies, beginning to illuminate the surroundings.
Each one is a Ghost King at the Star Shattering or Sacred Vessel stage.
Great King Song Di and Great King Wu Guan plant their flags before themselves, bow beside the other Great Kings, and cry out.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
Around them, spirits (靈駕) at the Entering Nirvana or Vestige Liberation Immortal level appear, becoming black winds that cause the flags to flutter.
Great King Qin Guang and Great King Chu Jiang plant their flags before themselves and bow down.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
Through them as mediums, the Reapers of the Underworld are summoned around them, dyeing the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
Kung!
Kuuuung!
And at last.
Chief Judge Yan Luo and Deputy Judge Wudao Zhuanlun each plant their flags before themselves and pull scrolls from their bosoms, unfurling them simultaneously.
Chwarak!
: : Golden Mother of the Jade Pond (瑤池金母)! : :
: : Lady Queen Mother (王母娘娘)! : :
: : Imperial Throne of the Underworld (冥府帝座)! : :
: : Wheel Imperial Venerable (車輪帝尊)! : :
The Radiance Eight Immortals summon the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] in unison and tense themselves.
Then, Great King Yan Luo and Great King Wudao Zhuanlun begin to call forth the great being one final time into this Heavenly Domain.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
The Owner of the Underworld.
The Deepest Darkness.
The Oldest One.
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld begins to descend upon this place.
Translator Notes: Golden Mother of the Jade Pond and Lady Queen Mother are the titles of the Queen Mother of the West.