'...It is a meeting that gives me much to think about.'
Through this encounter, I obtain information that is truly one-of-a-kind in this world.
'The testimony of a being who reached the Audience Chamber...It is unimaginably precious information.'
At this level, honestly, it is information valuable enough to propose a deal even if I face the Great Mountain Supreme Deity again a hundred million years from now.
'Of course, considering the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's cunning and meticulous nature, there's a possibility he will shut his mouth after the deal or forcibly ignore the agreement...'
Still, it's information worth enough to buy some time.
'Thank you, Yang Su-jin...'
I offer deep gratitude to the lingering thought of Yang Su-jin, and continue to read through the time that has passed.
As time passes, at the end of the 9th cycle—
I meet a truly welcome face.
"Haha, Yuan Li, you rascal. Seeing you after so long, you're really endearing. Have you been well? Did you finish your closed-door training enjoyably?"
[Kughk...Kururuk...]
I reveal my presence, controlling it at roughly the Star Shattering stage level, and Yuan Li collapses on the spot, trembling all over.
[H-How does the G-Great One...know this lowly concubine...?]
"Lowly concubine? So your gender identity was female?"
I ask out of curiosity.
[That is...]
"Aha, I see. Since I appear male, you're wracking your mind to appeal to me. So your gender identity doesn't particularly lean either way? Well...there's no need to worry. Why would I kill you?"
[A-Ahaha, thank you very m—]
"Enough. Shut up. There's no need to answer."
I grab Yuan Li by the hair and speak.
"Seeing your history makes it all the clearer. You're still someone who deserves to die."
I already thought he was a disgusting bastard before, but reading Yuan Li's history at my current realm makes it clear again.
This trash is far filthier than I expected.
I click my tongue as I count the number of innocent mortals he tortured and refined into Ghost Kings, the living beings he murdered and tortured just to craft a single dharma treasure.
Frankly, even touching him right now feels like touching filth. It's disgusting, but I have no choice.
I need to vent my anger right now.
'If I cross into the 10th cycle in this state...I'm not confident I'll be able to keep my sanity when this bastard kills Buk Hyang-hwa.'
Even if it's time that has already passed, I absolutely cannot forgive this bastard.
Therefore, I need to tear him apart to my heart's content right now before witnessing the moment he kills Buk Hyang-hwa to ensure I don't lose my sanity in the next cycle.
"Let's start light... Shall we relive some old memories?"
Recalling the time back on Earth when I played shuttlecock kicking with my friends, I fold Yuan Li in half and start using his body as a shuttlecock.
Poeong! Pooooeong!
"Kuaaaagh! Kuaaagh! Senior! Please spare me! I-I'll serve you!"
"If you say one more word, I'll rip out your tongue and use it for jump rope."
[Uup, uuuup...]
At my words, Yuan Li sobs but keeps his mouth closed, and after thoroughly enjoying my shuttlecock game, I draw out Glass True Fire and form it into a whip.
"Since I've had fun with shuttlecock, shall we try top-spinning next?"
[Uuuuuup...!]
Sensing something ominous from my Glass True Fire, Yuan Li trembles in fear. I press him down and compress him into the shape of a spinning top, craft a suitable board nearby, place him there, and begin lashing him mercilessly.
Chwaaak! Chwaaaak!
"Kkeuuuuuuuugh!"
"Don't scream. If you scream, I'll jump rope with your torso."
[Uup, up...]
"Oho, look at this guy. Seeing you not scream, I guess you can still endure. Then shall I raise the power?"
[Kuaaaaagh! You bastard! Just what in the world did I do wrong that you're doing this to me!?]
As I toy with Yuan Li and feel a refreshing clarity, he screams with tears of blood.
I find it absurd and ask in return.
"This idiot. If you had died after ascending from the Head Realm and ended up in the Underworld, the punishment you'd have received would've been far more painful than this. I'm being merciful to the point of a gentle caress right now, so why the outrage? More importantly...when you tortured mortals and lower-stage cultivators, you tortured them just like this, didn't you?"
[H-How do you kn...? C-Could it be...? You can read someone's history so... S-Sacred Vessel...?]
"By the way, I believe I told you I'd jump rope if you opened your mouth again..."
I grab the spinning Yuan Li, twist him like a pretzel into a rope, and start jump roping.
Yuan Li screams madly, but it doesn't matter.
Tsuuaaaaa—
The very bottom of Yuan Li's Black Castle.
There, tens of thousands of vengeful souls who had been tortured by Yuan Li and were unable to attain release due to their resentment, begin to find peace upon hearing Yuan Li's screams.
"Can you see it, Yuan Li? Right now, those who suffered at your hands are attaining peace through your screams."
[Kuaaaaaaagh! Kuaaagh! Senior, please forgive me! I-I'll live righteously! I'll abandon my cultivation and just live at the Core Formation stage—no! I'll live at the Qi Refining stage!]
"You still say you want to live? Listen well. You'll only be released from my hands...when every last soul at the bottom of the Black Castle hears your screams and feels satisfied."
[Th-That's...]
"Let's see... There are even souls for whom screams are not the condition for release. If I calculate the time it'll take for all of them to let go of their grudge through your screams...about twenty thousand years should be enough."
[...H-Huuk...]
Finally, Yuan Li seems to truly fall into despair and bursts into tears.
[Hu...huaaaaagh! Huaaaaaaagh! K-Kuhuhahahaha!]
And then he completely snaps.
With no hope in sight, his mind collapses.
[Huaaaaagh! Hwaaahwaaah! Kuheok! Kuhihihihit!]
"Hm...broken, huh."
Clicking my tongue as I watch him, I stab a consciousness thread into Yuan Li's head and begin reassembling his shattered soul into the state it was just moments ago.
[Heoheoheok! Guh, gueook! Kuaaaagh! Ha, haaaaghk... Th-This is...]
"Who gave you permission to go insane?"
I look down at Yuan Li with cold eyes and speak.
"When you captured those weaker than you and experimented on them, tortured them, devoured them, and used them as materials for dharma treasures—was it fun? Did you think a day like this wouldn't come? Listen well."
At my icy words, Yuan Li can no longer even scream, only gagging helplessly.
"This is retribution... Of course, I can't bring retribution to every devilish cultivator in Mount Sumeru. But...at the very least you...for you alone...I will definitely return retribution...until the words 'spare me' no longer leave your mouth... So...just accept it already. You can't even go insane anymore."
With those words, my venting toward Yuan Li begins once again.
This time, I communicate directly with the souls asleep within the Black Star Fortress and take their opinions into account.
Most of them request to torture Yuan Li in the same way they were once tormented. I honor their requests—boiling him, grinding him, cooking him in every way, and repeatedly shattering his mind with illusion techniques.
Unfortunately, the Wheel overloads, so I cannot actually maintain this for a full 20 thousand years. However, by accelerating the souls' minds, I grant them and myself a perceived twenty thousand years and endlessly torture Yuan Li until all the souls attain complete release in a short period.
Kwaaaang!
I kick Yuan Li one last time, and in front of his eyes, I grind to dust every dharma treasure, pill, and artifact he has ever amassed.
"H-Huaaak... Huaaagh..."
Yuan Li collapses on the spot, groaning with his physical voice, and endlessly prays in his heart to 'be killed'.
Shiiiii—
I watch as the last soul attains peace, and only then do I fling Yuan Li into the Heaven-Treading Desert and flick my finger.
Pukwak!
Yuan Li explodes on the spot and died, and I watch as the Head Realm revises the world.
'I wonder what happens to the living beings of this world when they die...'
Even without asking, I know the answer.
The Head Realm is where Omniscience resides.
They are simply absorbed into the Omniscience and at an appropriate time, repeated once more.
No punishment awaits the wicked. No compensation awaits the suffering.
A world where everything is fixed for all eternity.
'Truly...is it impossible to intervene at this time point...'
I genuinely feel regret that I cannot intervene with the Head Realm because the flow of fate has already been determined.
'At the very least, I want to bless them...so their next lives escape the Head Realm...and they can live a better life...'
Is it truly impossible to do anything in this timeline that I returned to through the Radiance Mantra?
Finding it unfortunate, I once again accept the history that is revised.
History repeats itself.
In the ninth cycle, I am ultimately captured by Yuan Li and killed, turned into a Blood Tree.
As I feel the consciousness of the me of this cycle fade, I continue to ponder.
'Is it truly impossible...for past cycles...for stories that have ended...to be reversed?'
The regret toward those I couldn't save in previous cycles, those I couldn't help reach peace.
The rage toward villains like Yuan Li.
And the suffocating frustration I feel when facing a fixed fate. Amid all those emotions, I prepare to move on into the 10th cycle.
'Is a story that has already progressed truly unchangeable...?'
And then, I see a green deer.
Blink—
The 10th cycle of fate approaches.
I slowly rise from my seat.
'Just now...I think I saw something...'
Was it just my imagination?
I can't quite remember.
Perhaps it was just a hallucination.
The Head Realm is full of bizarre things after all.
But why is it?
I feel as if I've very faintly grasped a sense of direction for the answer to my question.
'A story that has already progressed cannot be changed... A story that has already progressed...'
Yet I don't grasp it clearly. It's more like I've just received a topic of contemplation.
And to not lose that topic, I endlessly continue to ponder in the depths of my heart essence.
The events of the tenth cycle pass by rapidly.
In past cycles, if there were moments of frustration, I would sometimes intervene and feel momentary satisfaction. But in this cycle alone, I absolutely do not interfere carelessly.
Because intervening in this cycle feels like an insult to the me of the past who lives through it now, and an insult to Buk Hyang-hwa.
And...
The promised time arrives.
"Well then, fare...well...Cultivator Seo."
—I wish to be with you again, Seo Orabeoni.
Buk Hyang-hwa, her lower body gone, completely closes her eyes.
The past me, with eyes flipped, exudes the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation and flies toward Yuan Li, while I remain in place.
Seo Eun-hyun of the past chases after Yuan Li, but the me of the present remain only as a spirit form and sit beside Hyang-hwa's corpse.
It's because though I tortured Yuan Li to my heart's content in the last cycle, if I were to see him again at this point...
I feel I wouldn't be able to hold back and would destroy the Head Realm.
I see Buk Hyang-hwa's soul fade and rise to the sky, absorbed into Omniscience.
"..."
Words are unnecessary.
I gently brush her hand.
That much, the Head Realm does not stop me.
'...You can't put a value on connection, but if I were to assign value...you would be the most precious connection to me. Hyang-hwa...'
Hwiiiiiiii—
I sit next to Buk Hyang-hwa's corpse and mourn her for a long time.
Not long after, the Seo Eun-hyun of this point in time returns, buries her, and vows vengeance on Yuan Li.
'If I had simply continued on like that...'
Reflecting on my past self, I come to realize something.
If I had continued on in that state, I might have ended up like Oh Hyun-seok after killing Yuan Li.
'I would have probably pursued power like Yuan Li...blindly followed the Dao of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, and, unable to withstand the pain, drowned in drugs, alcohol, and debauchery.'
I would have become a completely ruined person, seeking the Devilish power, and eventually ascended to the Blood Yin Realm.
'And after spiraling down like that...maybe I would have devoured all my other comrades as well.'
Whatever the outcome, I would have become someone completely opposite of who I am now.
"Truly...I thank you again and again, Hyang-hwa. And..."
I offer my gratitude to Buk Hyang-hwa of the 10th cycle, and also to the 'other being' who twisted the course of my fate.
"O Imperial Venerable."
I look up at the girl who appears before me, dressed like an ordinary countryside woman in shabby clothing.
Starting from this cycle, I have chosen not to accompany Seo Eun-hyun of this point in time. I remain in spirit form by Buk Hyang-hwa's side and offer a respectful bow to the one who appears before me.
"So this is the point. The moment you intervened..."
Seo Eun-hyun of this time vanishes, and standing before Buk Hyang-hwa's grave is the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld looks at me for a moment, then silently reaches into the void and makes a gesture as if grabbing and pulling something.
It is then.
The spirits of Cheon-saek City and Buk Hyang-hwa, which had been pulled into the Akashic Records, Omniscience, seem to flow in reverse then vanish into 'somewhere'.
I watch the scene with gleaming eyes.
"That is..."
"Though the living beings of the Head Realm are normally sucked into Omniscience after death, I arranged for at least a few to be able to go to the afterlife. For I have made it so a part of the river of the Netherworld flows into the Head Realm through the Head Realm's Black Ghost Valley."
Kugugugugugu!
At the same time, I feel an immense presence covering the entire Head Realm and marvel.
The Underworld has descended into the Head Realm, using that being as a medium.
In an instant, yin energy fills the sky, and dark clouds cover the heavens.
Within those clouds, the sun and moon of the Head Realm momentarily lose their light.
'That must be...the ship of the Nether Crossing River I've only heard of. The original version of the Nether Crossing Ship...'
The concept is so overwhelming that I let out a gasp without realizing.
The moment I perceive it, I am left speechless and dumbfounded.
I am once again reminded how unbelievable Bong Myeong is, to have created that not as a Supreme Deity, but while he was still an Immortal Lord.
"This must be your first time meeting, isn't it? Say hello. This is the original version of the Nether Crossing Ship that you know of—Song Jin (淞津)."
Sensing that the being before me is practically beyond even Yeong Seung, I greet them.
Though this being carries the concept of a 'ship,' they are not a literal vessel.
They are closer to a formless law, affecting even Indra's Net.
They are the attraction force of the Underworld that pulls in beings from the Nether Ghost Realm, and all death energy that exists in the world.
The very 'death aura' that accumulates in my soul each time I die and regress.
The very 'attraction force guiding souls to the Underworld'—that is the original version of the Nether Crossing Ship.
'The black death energy that let me use the 'Death Path Three Great Ultimates'...is that one called Song Jin...'
And I, staring blankly at Song Jin, suddenly flinch in shock.
"...The name...is Song Jin?"
"Are you surprised because it's the same name as the candidate Hyeon Rang? No need to be. To sever the repetition of Hyeon Rang, I, of this point in time, had the Hyeon Rang born in the Head Realm enter Black Ghost Valley and gave them the Dao Title Song Jin."
"...Then the sibling Song Jin had who was named 'Song Gil'..."
"They are the main personality of the warship 'Song Jin' that was monitoring the candidate Hyeon Rang. Since staying in the Head Realm too long can drive you mad, I had them ascend to Black Ghost Valley before they lost their mind."
"..."
I gape at the shocking truth behind the original version of the Nether Crossing Ship, Song Jin, who now blankets the sky and temporarily cuts off all observation from the Head Realm, and I awkwardly offer a greeting.
On Song Jin's side, they also seem a bit bewildered as they greet me in return, seeing me, a Heaven-Earth Great Net Immortal, suddenly appear in the Head Realm during this point in time.
"The name 'Song Jin (淞津)' itself implies the meaning of [Harbor of the Nether Crossing River]. It's surprising you didn't find it strange the moment you first heard it. Then again...I suppose you of this time point was too young."
"..."
Thinking back, it makes sense.
The name Song Jin means [harbor of the river], and considering that Song Jin is part of Black Ghost Valley, a sect under the Netherworld, it's highly likely that the 'river' in his name refers to the Nether Crossing River of the Netherworld.
"...Thank you for revealing such an astonishing truth. And...once again, I offer my deepest gratitude for taking in Hyang-hwa."
"Do not thank me. I took her in solely for my own use. I do not deserve gratitude."
I rise from my seat at the Underworld's words.
Glancing up at the sky, I see that Omniscience is attempting to revise again, but it seems the Underworld is holding it off for a moment.
"The fact that you've come to me at this point in time...means you have something to say, doesn't it?"
"Yes. Even I did not expect you to make use of that mantra. Of course, I also didn't anticipate you'd end up trapped inside such a fixed fate either."
"..."
"In any case, though it is a shortcut through the mantra, since you have 'returned to Mount Sumeru after learning the disgrace of the Heavenly Venerables'..."
Ttak!
With a snap of her fingers, the Underworld and I are transported into the deepest depths of the Underworld using Song Jin as a medium.
"Now you can truly be accepted as a member of the Underworld, and the time has come to tell you what can be told."
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld returns to their true form, sits down, and begins to speak.
"You asked before. What it means that I've returned from the Audience Chamber multiple times..."
I nod.
And then, I flinch in surprise.
Because a change appears in the Underworld's expression.
It is humiliation.
"...Not once have I ever given up hope."
"...Pardon?"
"Whenever the Enders appear...every time. Every single time. I challenged the Audience Chamber together with them."
"...!"
I am startled by those words.
"...I challenged it during the time of Silver Basket. During the time of Golden Body. And also during the time of Agate, of Lapis Lazuli. Afterwards, countless Enders emerged...and even when the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King activated the Immortal Art that devoured Mount Sumeru and made the challenge, I was there. When the Salt Sea Supreme Deity gave it their all and made the challenge, I was also there together.
"During the time of the Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King...there truly seemed to be hope, so not only I, but Yu Hao Te, Hae Nyeong, and others joined too. Even though I tried to stop them... With countless others, I challenged it again and again and again.
"Even during the time of Yang Su-jin, who was among the weaker Enders, I still joined the challenge together. And...every time, I was [sent back]..."
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld's face begins to fill with pain and sorrow.
"Did the Heavenly Venerables...ever say this to you? That they are livestock...and I am free, the closest existence to being a person...?"
"..."
At the Underworld's continued lament, I can only be stunned.
"...They are wrong. Even if I challenge the Audience Chamber every time, the Future King revises history through the Head Realm and turns it into something that [never happened]...and sends me back. Then he extracts that history from the Audience Chamber and erases the memories. That is why I remember nothing from my time in the Audience Chamber..."
The Underworld, carrying the Wheel on her back, shows an agony in her eyes that I have never seen before.
"But...there is one thing I remember. The 'emotion' of the Future King...It was...[fondness]..."
I gape at the shocking truth pouring from the Underworld's lips.
"Have you heard the saying that the Supreme Deities are livestock, and the Heavenly Venerables are mere guard dogs...? That perhaps I am free...? No...If they are livestock, then I...am nothing more than the Fate Supreme Deity's pet."
-x-X-x-
Kuung!
My chest tightens at the Underworld's soliloquy, and I feel as if I'm becoming distant.
'...The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld...is a...pet...?'
How is one supposed to win against something like this?
Even if we've vaguely known we must fight the Future King, shouldn't there at least be a glimmer of hope for us to challenge him?
If the Great Mountain Supreme Deity feels like a towering, sheer cliff, the Future King feels like a horizon stretching endlessly into the distance.
'Is it even...possible to reach that...?'
I feel the overwhelming difference in rank indirectly and swallow a dry breath.
And then, I realize the true meaning behind Yang Su-jin's words that the Underworld must be consoled.
'I see. The only reason the Underworld has endured until now is...because the will to resist the Future King is still alive. If the will of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld breaks, and the Underworld ultimately aligns with or pledges loyalty to the Future King...'
If we fail in this generation, and leave it to the Enders of the next...
Even if we leave behind some kind of arrangement for the next Enders, defeating the Future King will become impossible.
Radiance Hall, which governs life and fate.
The Underworld, which governs death and history.
If both powers come to obey the Future King...
I feel like I'm suffocating.
'The moment the Underworld breaks, all hope is lost'
Just imagining it is this suffocating...
What would it be like if it actually happens?
"...O Imperial Venerable..."
Just as I'm about to let out a silent sigh.
"...There's no need to comfort me. I've already absorbed all my despair and grief into the arrangements of the successive Lapis Lazuli Protecting Heavenly Kings, so that I won't give up on my own."
"...! I see..."
I've always wondered why Kang Min-hee seemed to receive none of the arrangements from previous Enders. Now I understand.
'So the Underworld used all the arrangements meant for Kang Min-hee as vessels to contain her sorrow and heartbreak.'
Originally, I might've criticized the Underworld for stealing what was meant for Kang Min-hee. But after learning the truth, I can't dare bring myself to do so.
'Is receiving the arrangements meant for Kang Min-hee...better than sharing the sorrow and grief of the Underworld? Is it the right choice?'
If the Underworld collapses under her own heartbreak and gives up, that itself would be an even greater catastrophe.
'They say Hyeon Mu lived through time equivalent to the sands of the Ganges. The Underworld must be even older. And unlike Hyeon Mu or the other Heavenly Venerables...the Underworld has carried within her body countless lives over countless nayutas, embracing their joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and grief... If anything, staying sane is what's strange.'
But, as I dwell on these thoughts, I suddenly arrive at a certain conclusion.
"...Wait, O Imperial Venerable. There is something I want to ask."
"Speak."
"...You..."
I glare at the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld for the first time and growl.
"...All those massacres Kang Min-hee committed as the Ghost Guiding Holy Mother...all those times she killed herself... Were they not simply madness from absorbing resentful spirits...but because she accepted a portion of your sorrow and went mad...?"
"..."
At my words, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld seems to look down at me, then gently closes her eyes and speaks.
"That's right."
"..."
I feel heat rush to my face as I spit out the words.
"...Then what reason do I have to follow you, Imperial Venerable? What reason do I have to trust you?"
"A reason, huh...?"
At my words, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld slowly opens her mouth.
"There are many reasons I could give. But those aren't the reasons you want to hear, are they?"
"...I want to hear what the Imperial Venerable truly desires."
To be honest, I don't know the true intentions of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
What does she really want?
What is her relationship with the Future King, and why do Hong Fan and Hyeon Mu owe her an apology?
None of that can be understood without first hearing the Underworld's true purpose.
The reason I haven't been able to fully trust the Underworld is also because she has never truly opened up her inner thoughts to me.
"I must hear it now. What is it that you desire, Imperial Venerable!? Please, answer me!"
"..."
At my words, the Underworld looks down at me for a moment, then slowly responds with a face as if dreaming.
"...I...wanted happiness."
The Underworld begins to speak again.
"A long, long, long time ago. Back when I was a mortal...all I wanted was to meet someone, fall in love, happily care for my parents...bear a child, raise that child, grow old and die slowly, and spend a hundred years together with my partner in happiness. That was...the purpose I had when I first felt what is called 'reason'."
"..."
"But such a thing was never to be. Life was always full of hardship, and countless misfortunes and disasters rained down upon me. They struck my surroundings. They collapsed my neighbors, my country, and my star. And...as I alone survived in the midst of it all, I began to think. Why can't we be happy? To seek the ultimate answer to happiness, I set out on a long journey. That was the reason I first stepped onto the path of Immortal Cultivation."
From the Underworld's lips, her story of the past flows out.
"Through the traces of countless lives, I came to one realization. That even if fate tries to harm me...there is some kind of will protecting me. Some existence that guards me, ensuring that even if all else perishes, I alone remain safe. I thought about why that will protects me, and pursued it...and finally realized. That existence...wishes to protect me even beyond fate. So...I, who first chased after happiness, began to chase after that existence."
"..."
"And while chasing that being, uncovering their true nature and tracking them down...I rose to True Immortality, and attained the realm of Governing Immortal. And at last...I established a feat that approaches the Absolute, and grasped a clue to that existence."
"A feat that approaches the Absolute...?"
"That's right. At that time...there was no such system called the Cycle of Reincarnation. The proper reincarnation system only came into being after Salt Sea and I combined our strength to create the [Wheel]. However...in any case, the beginning of the 'reincarnation system,' including the [Wheel], was something I created for the first time in that era."
As the Underworld continues speaking, I grow confused.
"I was the first to remember a previous life."
"If there was no reincarnation system, how could you remember a past life?"
"First...to explain that, we need to briefly talk about what a world without reincarnation...in other words, what the ideal world that the Heavenly Venerable of Void Hyeon Mu advocates for, is."
"Pardon...?"
"Back then, when the reincarnation system didn't exist, living beings that died would go to the domain of purity. And...during the times when Enders do not appear, the number of spirits that melted into the domain of purity would be born again in equal amounts into the world. Do you understand what that means?"
"...!"
I instantly grasp the meaning behind those words.
'During the times when 'Enders do not appear'...spirits are born?'
The meaning is obvious.
The very thing that brings spirits into existence in this world is the third Absolute.
In other words, the origin of us Enders.
'I had suspected it through Triple Divinity...but it's still a shock.'
I inhale sharply at the startling truth, and listen to the Underworld's words.
"Your deduction is correct. Your Absolute is the origin that births spirits into this world. This is just a hypothesis, but when all of you die, your Absolute would go beyond the Audience Chamber, merge into 'one Absolute'...and from that single, merged Absolute, spirits would be created. And if the Future King or Heuk Sa...or anyone else uses the Splitting Heaven Mantra to recreate you all, from that moment on, spirits would no longer be born."
"...Hmm..."
"In other words, spirits are originally born from the third Absolute, live their lives in the world, and upon death, return to the third Absolute. If the third Absolute is absent, they melt into the domain of purity. Without the reincarnation system, all beings become [one] within the third Absolute.
"That is the ideal world the Heavenly Venerable of Void argued for. For if death means becoming one with the third Absolute, then that itself can be called the ultimate of Martial Arts... All beings could reach Martial Pinnacle just by dying."
A world where all beings can easily reach Martial Pinnacle.
The ideal world that the Heavenly Venerable of Void pursued, and the reason she declared that the Underworld must be overthrown lies in this very background.
However, hearing the Underworld's words only confuses me more.
"That was the era without the reincarnation system that the Imperial Venerable lived in, and the law of that time?"
"Correct."
"...Then it's even stranger. If you draw a cup of water, then pour it back into the sea, and later draw water from the sea again, that water could never be the same, could it?"
Because once the water mixes with the sea, it becomes an entirely different water.
It's the same principle as not being able to scoop up spilled water with exactly the same composition.
"That's true. But what if you think of it this way? You pour a cup of water into the sea, then track every single particle that was in that water, and retrieve only those particles from where they ended up in the sea?"
"..."
"If so, then even spilled water can be gathered again...and even water that became one with the sea can be restored to its original state and verified. That's the kind of brute-force method I used to confirm my past life."
The Underworld continues.
"At first, it took time that was like eternity. But as time passed, I grew more accustomed to recalling past lives. And as I confirmed a total of 108 'past lives'...I discovered something."
The Underworld's next words feel strangely steeped in a dream.
"The will of that someone who protected me...did not begin with this life, but had continued since past lives. [Someone]...had been endlessly watching over the existence called me since birth...and had been guarding and protecting me in every life. And at last...after confirming around three thousand past lives, I was able to uncover that being's identity from one of those lives."
"Who...is it?"
The Underworld looks down at me and speaks.
I can't help but be startled at her next words.
"That child who follows you."
"...What?"
"The first of the Radiance Ten Heavenly Lords... In other words, a seat among the First Radiance Supreme Deity."
Tingle, tingle!
The Radiance Mantra vibrates.
At the same time, as if triggered by the Underworld's words, a memory from a distant past flashes through my mind.
A scene where a dozen or so beings, seemingly Immortal Lords, are holding council within light.
At the head of that gathering sits Hong Fan, and beside him...
Standing beside Hong Fan, holding his hand and blushing, is the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
—You should voice your opinion too, Yang Hwe (楊回). I'll say it again. Without you, there wouldn't even be a Radiance Hall.
Hong Fan, gently calling the Underworld by the name 'Yang Hwe,' wears an expression warmer and more emotionally vivid than any I've ever seen on him before.
"I don't know his true name...but in every life, that being who always bore the name Hong Fan (洪範) was the very will that watched over me across all those lifetimes."
"..."
"And I recalled the life where I formed a bond with him. Through that, I came to understand. As ironic as it is, it seems I was once one of the original members of the First Radiance Supreme Deity."
With a blank face, I gaze at the 'original member of the First Radiance Supreme Deity' standing before me.
"But...even if I was one of the Radiance Supreme Deity. Even if I once safeguarded fate. I still remember. Hong Fan...sincerely cherished and loved me. That memory alone has never faded. And, in a distant past, in one of my past lives, Hong Fan once said something to me."
The Underworld looks down at me with their black eyes and speaks.
"That only me overcoming and surpassing fate is the [end of the story], and only then will he and I find the ultimate answer.'"
-x-X-x-
"Overcoming fate. The moment I recalled those words, I finally understood. What ultimate happiness is, and what I must truly do."
The Underworld looks down at her palm.
"I must become the Life Supreme Deity. I must not allow the Fate Supreme Deity to monopolize the Absolute and rule over Mount Sumeru alone. After all, true happiness can never be established in a world where a single being wields fate alone."
"..."
"I will become the Life Supreme Deity. Then...I will drag down the current Owner of Fate and sift through to find a good being who will never fall into corruption, seating them as the Fate Supreme Deity. That is my purpose, and also one of the reasons why the Underworld has judged good and evil all this time."
"...!"
I finally understand and accept why the judgments of the Underworld are carried out.
'Indeed...'
It has all been part of the Underworld's grand cause.
However, I ask the Underworld again.
"If becoming the Life Supreme Deity and an entity who counterbalances fate, and enthroning a good being as the Fate Supreme Deity is your goal, then please swear it."
"I swear it upon my Wheel that governs reincarnation. If there is falsehood in my words, may I immediately lose all authority over the Cycle of Reincarnation and the Wheel."
"...Understood. In that case, if it's not too discourteous, I would like to ask one more thing."
"Do so."
"The Life Supreme Deity and so on... What is the method of walking the Immortal Dao of an Absolute, and what exactly is the advancement ritual to become a Supreme Deity of an Absolute?"
At those words, the Underworld answers gladly.
"The Absolute Immortal Dao is something exceedingly simple. Life (生). The life we live itself is the Absolute Immortal Dao."
"...Our life...is the Absolute Immortal Dao... Is that what you are saying?"
"Yes. In some ways, it's a very much obvious statement. Why do you think the Upper Immortal advancement ritual exists in the first place? From Upper Immortal, one is granted the opportunity to choose the pathway of fate or history, and from that realm, one begins to actively wield the power of fate or history. But this has always been the case... According to the life one is born into, Heaven, Earth, and Heart are divided, and each of them uses their own abilities, do they not?"
"..."
"The Absolutes... Fate, History, and...your Seven Brilliance. These three can be considered the great background that composes this world. These Three Great Absolutes are the great laws that no being born into this world can do without. That means...all beings of this world naturally contain the Three Great Absolutes, and the Absolute is embedded within everyone. The Upper Immortal advancement ritual is the process of specializing the Absolute within oneself."
I listen closely to the words of the Underworld and gain many insights.
"Among the Absolutes embedded within oneself, focusing power into either the Absolute of Fate or the Absolute of History and becoming specialized in that. Making only that specialized Absolute supreme within oneself. That is the Upper Immortal advancement ritual. And...it is the same for the advancement ritual to become an Owner of an Absolute." 𝘙𝘈ꞐȪβĘȿ
"...That means..."
"To become an Owner of an Absolute, two things are needed. First is 'qualification'. Second is 'achievement'.
"First, the qualification...supremacy. Among all the living beings in this world, the one who understands the Absolute most supremely gains the qualification to advance to seize it.
"And...what is required to seize that Absolute is 'achievement'. Keep achieving feats so great they surpass the value of the Absolute itself, and elevate your own worth to be above that of the Absolute. That is the core of the basic method to becoming an Owner of an Absolute."
Then, the Underworld begins to speak about the Life Supreme Deity advancement ritual.
"To be honest, I don't know the qualifications for advancing in the other Absolutes. But I do know well the qualification for the Life Supreme Deity advancement. Life is history. Therefore...if one possesses the oldest history in this world, and knows the most history, that becomes the qualification to ascend as the Life Supreme Deity."
"The oldest history..."
As I ponder that truth, I suddenly realize there's a strange contradiction.
"But...even though the Imperial Venerable bears the title of [The Oldest One], in reality, you are not actually...the oldest being, are you?"
At my words, the Underworld nods.
"Correct. The title [The Oldest One]...in truth, suits the Future King best. Including all groups, ideologies, and individuals, that being is older than everything that exists in Mount Sumeru as a singular entity..."
"Then how in the world...could it be?"
As I ask, I immediately come to the realization myself.
"The reason the Imperial Venerable created the Wheel...could it be...for that?"
"It is so. This Wheel...is something Salt Sea made together with me in order to help me become enthroned as the Life Supreme Deity. In other words, it is Reincarnation. And...as you know, every Immortal Beast possesses such a power."
History Induction (歷史誘導)
It is the authority to trace unknown history through objects or information that act as mediums.
"In the end, history is information. Through every soul that exists in this world, I use their souls as mediums to endlessly...trace the past before I was born, and collect that information."
Kiriririk—
An illusion rises before my eyes.
'No, this is not merely an illusion...'
It is the Underworld.
The pasts of all the spirits that exist in the Underworld reflect beyond the Wheel of Reincarnation.
"And...based on that information, I trace back the Origin Essence of your Seven Brilliance, and reach out my hand to the cycle of spirits that existed before the reincarnation system was established."
The Underworld's Wheel rotates before something enormous.
"Even without reincarnation...it remains a fact that the waters once mixed into the vast sea that is the Absolute are drawn up again and born as beings. And although that may not be the current reincarnation system, from another perspective, there is a margin of possibility to consider it 'reincarnation'."
My mouth opens instinctively.
'This is...the true goal of the Underworld... Her grand plan...!'
"Through history revision, I revise that ambiguous 'margin of possibility' itself into a 'reincarnation system that existed before me.' In doing so...I complete the truth that [reincarnation existed before me]...and continue to infinitely remember my previous lives, internalizing the personalities and experiences of those previous lives into myself. I...accept even the previous lives from before the Future King was born, and accumulate a longer history than his. That is the method to enthronement as the Life Supreme Deity that I have devised, and completed with Salt Sea's help."
At last, I fully understand what the authority of [Causality Arrangement] possessed by the [Wheel] exists for.
'The authority to arrange history and causality prior to one's birth according to one's own needs...'
It is quite literally the power to rewrite the past and reinterpret the principles to align with oneself, to reach the origin of life.
That is the true power of the Wheel that both the Underworld and I possess.
"In this way, if I remember even the past lives from the era of the Future King, and continue to recall past lives without end...one day, I will be able to recall all previous lives up to the moment this world was created. That is the Life Supreme Deity advancement ritual that I have established. Through this, I can fulfill both 'qualification' and 'achievement.'
"This is an 'achievement' that is not just about creating my own past lives, but truly bringing into existence a reincarnation system in the past, thereby creating previous lives for all living beings. And if that is done...then I will truly...become a body worthy of the title [Oldest One]."
By remembering past lives—
If the concept of past lives or reincarnation did not exist, then creating such concepts and excavating the history before one's own birth—
Thus adding to one's age, history, and time to earn the title of the [Oldest One] and become the Owner of Life.
That is the full secret the Underworld holds, her purpose, and the true reason the Wheel was created.
'I see. Back when I met her with Hong Fan when she was Tae Yeol-jeon...the Dao that had to be completed spoken through Tae Yeol-jeon's mouth was this.'
Having realized many of the secrets the Underworld holds, I follow with one more question.
"...There is one more thing I'd like to ask. In that case...did my master join forces with the Imperial Venerable and create the Wheel solely for the Imperial Venerable's sake?"
"Of course not. He had his own reasons as well. But...hm, no. Ask the Great Mountain Supreme Deity directly about that. Either way, hearing it from your fellow disciple is the best way."
From the Underworld's words, I realize that hearing the reason my master created the Wheel is itself part of some transmission ritual of 'power'.
'Maybe that's also why the Great Mountain Supreme Deity can draw power from the Salt Sea.'
"...Thank you."
As I listen to the Underworld's explanation, much of the unease I felt toward her is cleared away.
"And I apologize for continuing to trouble you, but there is one last point I must address. Please answer this question as well."
"What is the question?"
"I...in one of my previous lives, heard a certain conversation shared between Hong Fan and Hyeon Mu."
I recount to the Underworld the conversation that Hong Fan and Hyeon Mu had during the time I fought a battle with Hyeon Mu.
At those words, the Underworld's eyes shine.
"...I see. A hidden history."
"A hidden history...you say?"
"As you know, in this world, there are too many histories that have been concealed or sealed by Earth Immortals and Immortal Beasts. In other words, what is called ancient force. And...among those ancient forces, there are some that have been sealed away by Supreme Deities or...by the Future King personally revising history through the Head Realm. If it's an event discussed in such a way between Hong Fan and the Northern Heavenly Venerable...it is likely a history that the Future King personally intervened to erase."
"If...if such a thing exists, then that means there is a truth that the Imperial Venerable does not know. Will the Imperial Venerable not be continuously outmaneuvered by the Future King because of that truth?"
"It's fine. I have no need to particularly expend my strength on that."
"Pardon...?"
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld gazes into the distance.
It is as if she is recalling certain individuals.
And with the Underworld's next words, I immediately feel I know exactly who those individuals are.
"The Immortal Beast Kings...they exist for that very purpose."
"...!"
"All the ancient forces in this world...are forgotten stories. Failed dreams. And...in essence, they are massive 'lumps of pent-up grief' no different from knots of resentment in the chest. The Immortal Beast King refers to the being who can read the forgotten stories, the hidden and sealed dreams and ancient forces, and relieve the pent-up grief of history. One could say they are a kind of shaman. So when one refers to Shaman Family Methods, they are often methods related to past Immortal Beast Kings."
"Did it not refer to...the one who best borrows the power of the Head Realm?"
"Why do you think they must 'best borrow' the power of the Head Realm in the first place? Because it's through acknowledging and understanding the pent-up grief of sealed history and forgotten dreams that the Immortal Beast King guides and helps pass on the souls. That very will is what the Akashic Records hold in high regard, which is why it lends its power."
As I organize the truths about the Immortal Beast King, I pose another question to the Underworld.
"...During the era of Vast Cold...why did the Underworld not make the challenge after Yu Hao Te and Hae Nyeong advanced as Supreme Deity and Immortal Beast King respectively?"
"In Yu Hao Te's case, I tried to dissuade him, but he insisted on advancing in the middle of battle and followed me. As for Hae Nyeong...rather, afraid he would get in the way of my Life Supreme Deity advancement, he suppressed his own Immortal Beast King advancement in order to avoid drawing upon the power of the Akashic Records as much as possible."
"...I see. I apologize for asking something unnecessary."
"It's fine. What's done is done...and..."
Kugugugugu!
Before I know it, I feel the revision of the Head Realm, which the Underworld had been holding back, approaching right before me once more.
It is about time for me to once again look back upon my past history.
"You understand now why I cannot help you all?"
"...Yes."
Aside from her Gandhara, the Underworld also clearly has the power she has been accumulating, and the power of the Wheel.
Yet even so, she has never once used either of those powers in an active manner.
The reason, no doubt, must be because the power she is accumulating and the power of the Wheel itself are being poured entirely into excavating history for her Life Supreme Deity advancement.
"...I am deeply grateful that you took time to share these precious truths with me."
I kneel before the Underworld and bow.
I have succeeded in hearing all the cards the Underworld had kept hidden of her own will.
Though there are still parts of history forcibly erased by the Future King, those are beyond my reach. So, I finally let go of my doubts toward the Underworld and decide to place full trust in her.
"...It's fine. And...as for making Hee-ah into the Ghost Mother...I, too, feel sorry."
Perhaps sensing my heart, the Underworld gives a faint, bitter smile and apologizes.
"But...as that is a misfortune I deliberately gave to that child, one day, it will all return to her as a blessing."
"...Yes. I understand. Then..."
I offer my respects to the Underworld, then turn around within the Taiji that revises the world.
"The next time we meet properly, let it be after I survive the Great Mountain Supreme Deity."
"Do as you please. I hope...you are victorious in your fight against Great Mountain."
Having heard all the countless truths from the Underworld that I could learn, I return once again to the scenes of the Head Realm with gleaming eyes.
'Many of my doubts are cleared.'
Now that I understand the true will of the Wheel, only one task remains.
'Now...let us truly advance forth to find the clue to Martial Pinnacle.'
Thus, I begin again the long journey to seek the clue to Martial Pinnacle.
And then...
At last, the end of the 10th cycle.
Having reached the scene where I defeat Yuan Li, I suddenly see something strange.
'...What is that?'
Before my past self who is returning to Cheon-saek City, [someone] appears.
-x-X-x-
The very moment the [someone] is perceived.
Huarurururuk!
"...!"
I feel my eyes burning at the overwhelming terror, reverence, and terrifying presence, just like when I first perceived the Future King.
: : Kuaaaaaaaagh!! : :
Back then, at least I was mentally prepared when I faced the Future King. But this time, I perceive this [existence] when I am completely unprepared, and I end up suffering in a completely defenceless state.
'Wh-What is this...?'
Normally, when I make a disturbance, the entire Head Realm should have perished. But perhaps due to that existence exerting some kind of power, I am swept into a void space existing within the Head Realm and cause no impact upon it.
"Kuheok! Heok! Heheok...!"
When I come to my senses, I see my past self dancing the final dance with Buk Hyang-hwa in Cheon-saek City.
Then, I come to realize that the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld used Buk Hyang-hwa to distort the beginning, development, twist, and conclusion contained within my fate.
That's not all.
I finally come to grasp several truths that were hidden on that day.
"...I...see..."
Cheongmun Ryeong, who had died in Cheon-saek City, seems to look upon my past self, then at where the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld stands.
At the end, Cheongmun Ryeong meets eyes with the present 'me,' who watches this scene from within the void space.
"...!"
Goosebumps rise all over my body.
Saving Buk Hyang-hwa and the residents of Cheon-saek City through 'Song Jin' was partially to twist the progression of my fate, but the true purpose was to save Cheongmun Ryeong's soul.
What's more, perhaps that essence has partially awakened, as Cheongmun Ryeong now meets eyes with the 'me of the present'.
'Was the revision of the Head Realm...deceived?'
It seems to be an application of techniques similar to the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts or Heavenly Escape.
However, it isn't unfolded through martial doctrine, but an ultimate technique unleashed through the extremity of spell arts!
Cheongmun Ryeong smiles.
As the Salt Sea Supreme Deity, it's as if he already knows all the memories.
While slowly flying into the embrace of the Underworld, he turns into light and fades away.
For some reason, the Underworld flinches and sharply glares at a certain direction, and Cheongmun Ryeong's soul disappears in the void.
—Remember. Everything...
"...!"
At the final moment, I realize that he has used some kind of Immortal Art.
'What is it?'
I cannot tell exactly what Immortal Art it is.
However, I can tell that it is not something cast solely for the current me.
'The level is too high...I can't comprehend it.'
Yet without even the time to ponder such things, I soon see the 10th cycle's Buk Hyang-hwa blessing me as she passes on.
Her soul twirls, drawing a spiral, and rises into the sky.
That figure appears as if dancing with someone else as she passes on, leaving behind the past me on the ground.
She seems to be attaining Buddhahood while recalling the joyful times in Seoak Village.
Watching her figure, for some reason, my eyes begin to ache.
'Damn it...'
Though it's all in the past, my eyes grow hot again.
I shed twilight true energy from my eyes as I take in the end of the 10th cycle.
And as I reflect on the enlightenment I received back then, I come to understand just how ignorant I am.
'I thought I understood the heart.'
Because forming connections between people is Martial Pinnacle, I believed that by understanding that, I could grasp the clue to Martial Pinnacle.
I've thought this again and again, but...
I am truly arrogant.
'There's no way...it could be understood so easily.'
Only by reflecting over and over again, countless times, can one begin to grasp even the slightest thread of it.
That is what the heart is.
That is what a blessing is.
As I recall the final moment with Buk Hyang-hwa, I recognize the truth that I 'did not know'.
Wo-woong!
The Impermanence Sword begins to resonate.
'This is...'
At the same time, the previously colorless Impermanence Sword is imbued with color for the first time.
Paaaatt!
It is the white from when I awakened the White Orchid Blessing Incantation.
'...Ah.'
I feel like I'm beginning to understand something.
The clue to Martial Pinnacle becomes even more tangible in my grasp.
'I...can never reach Martial Pinnacle.'
But at the same time, I gain a firm realization of the ultimate of Martial Arts, and I come to understand that it is possible to embody the power of that ultimate.
'The completion of the Severing Heaven Sword Form...stands before my eyes.'
The utmost limit of my Martial Arts.
The martial flow of the Severing Heaven Sword Form converges into one, and what could be called its final ultimate technique begins to flicker before me.
'Am I...a being who cannot know Martial Pinnacle...?'
I, as a human, cannot dare set foot upon the peak of Martial Arts.
That place is a sacred domain—one I, as a mere individual, cannot reach.
Therefore...
In order to reach Martial Pinnacle, it must not be 'me'.
'I must reach it not as 'I', but as 'we'.'
Not with the heart of an individual, but with the heart containing all of our hearts together—only then can the domain called Marial Pinnacle barely be attained.
Following the formula of the Impermanence Sword, I begin to traverse through the cycles in order to embrace all connections and truly become impermanence.
Paaaatt!
'All of you, who I have encountered in my life...'
I begin to compose a sword dance for every connection I've ever made.
While connected to Indra's Net and without affecting reality, I begin with the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship and unfold all my martial techniques atop Indra's Net.
I reassemble, connect, create, preserve, and destroy.
Within the endless flow, I ceaselessly move my sword to reach the single principle that converges all flows into one.
This is both my attempt to reach Martial Pinnacle and complete the Severing Heaven Sword Form, and at the same time, it is my retribution to my connections.
My retribution to all those who gave me blessings and miracles.
11th cycle.
The memory of being chased by the Mad Lord and [Her].
12th cycle.
The memory of tidying up affairs in the Head Realm alongside Song Jin and Seo Ran.
13th cycle.
The memory of living as General Seo with Kim Yeon and the Mad Lord, and accepting her heart.
14th cycle.
The memory of becoming enlightened to the teachings of the star that Azure Tiger Saint bestowed in the Azure Heaven Creation Sect.
15th cycle...
Through countless cycles, I begin to melt the hearts of my connections into a sword dance.
The hearts of Kim Young-hoon and the members of the Murim Alliance in the 1st cycle.
The hearts of Kim Young-hoon and the members of the Palace of Heavenly Demons in the 2nd cycle.
The hearts of Kim Young-hoon and those who sparred with me in the 3rd cycle.
The hearts of Kim Young-hoon, the royal guards of the Makli Imperial family, and the Makli Clan in the 4th cycle.
The hearts of my disciples in the 5th cycle.
The heart of Cheongmun Ryeong in the 6th cycle.
The hearts of everyone I recalled within the Heart Demon in the 7th cycle.
The heart of Seo Ran from the 8th cycle.
The hearts of Seo Ran, Song Jin, and Yuan Li in the 9th cycle. And Kim Young-hoon's joy.
The heart of Buk Hyang-hwa in the 10th cycle.
The heart of the Mad Lord in the 11th cycle.
The brief hearts in the 12th cycle...
Each time all their hearts melt into me, the Impermanence Sword gradually harmonizes with me, and before I realize it, I become the Impermanence Sword itself.
'Thank you.'
Tsuaaaatt!
The Seo Eun-hyun of the past continues to progress through the cycles, and I become a flow of impermanence circling around the Seo Eun-hyun, beginning to continuously perfect the sword dance.
'I want to convey boundless love and gratitude to every being who has become my connection.'
With that single intent, as I recall the past...
I thus become the [Spiraling Light] that encircles my past, with myself as the white Impermanence Sword.
There is no longer any need for me to dwell within the body called Seo Eun-hyun.
I shed all forms and become a truly free 'heart of gratitude' itself, and from within the teachings of Buk Hyang-hwa, I begin to bless all beings.
The hearts of Gyu Ryeon and Gyu Baek in the 15th cycle.
The ^%#*******#&&()~! in the 16th cycle.
The hearts of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and Hong Su-ryeong in the 17th cycle. And Jeon Myeong-hoon's rage.
The hearts of Seo Li and Kang Min-hee in the 18th cycle.
The hearts of the entire Wuji Religious Order in the 19th cycle.
The sorrow of Kang Min-hee in the 20th cycle.
The hearts from Penglai Island, the heart of Gwak Am in the 21st cycle. And Oh Hyun-seok's pleasure.
The joyful hearts shared with Blood Yin from the 22nd cycle to the 998th cycle...
All those countless hearts and lives, all become contained within this sword.
The hearts of the Heavenly Venerables in the 998th cycle.
The heart of Seo Hweol in the 999th cycle. And the love of Kim Yeon.
Finally, every moment of my ascensions becomes part of my sword dance.
And from the very first day of the 1000th cycle to this very moment—
As all those moments pass, the moment the Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade and the [Spiraling White Snake] envelops the entirety of Mount Sumeru arrives.
'Aaaah...'
As I endlessly draw the sword dance, at last, the spiral of the Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade overlaps with the spiral I've been drawing, and I come to an enlightenment.
It's about the method of reaching the speed of undying using nothing but the power of Martial Arts.
Kiiiing, kiiiiiiing!
The moment I realize it, I understand that although it is impossible to accelerate with each step like Hyeon Mu, it is possible for my sword, for a single instant, to reach the infinite speed of Hyeon Mu's Void Speed.
'This is...'
The sword transcends spacetime.
Of course, it is no more than the sword tip.
Only the faint sword tip surpasses the limits of spacetime and reaches infinity.
The blade surface, let alone the sword edge, has not reached it yet.
And needless to say, neither have I.
But in that moment when even just the sword tip steps into the domain of infinity—
I finally feel that all the years I have endured have not been in vain.
'Here I go.'
Kugugugugu!
After the long passage of time, at last, a familiar scene appears in the distance.
Chaos boils over, and beyond it, the authority of golden violence shines through.
: : Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven. : :
Kugugugung!
I see it.
It is a spear that pierces through all things, and at the same time, an axe that splits everything apart.
Simultaneously...
It is truly a lump of enlightenment born from Gwak Am's own repentant enlightenment about the 'heart'.
: : Annihilation Advancement Mu! : :
In the 1005th cycle, I am struck by it and die.
The me of the 1006th cycle, the 1007th, the 1008th, and the 1009th—each and every one of us is annihilated.
And then...
I, the me of this cycle, after passing a time nearing a hundred million years, finally reach reality again, and at last, take form once more.
Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven Annihilation Advancement Mu.
The absolutely unblockable portion of the Splitting Heaven Mantra.
But I raise a single sword—one that embodies my entire life—toward that mantra.
'I'm still...far from enough.'
I swallow a bitter smile.
It is clearly a sword drawn after reflecting on a hundred million years of life.
But no matter what I do, I still cannot reach that enlightenment.
'Well...it doesn't matter.'
It would be shameless to say that merely two hundred million years of life could clash evenly against the authority of a seasoned Supreme Deity who has lived over seven hundred billion years.
'All I can do right now...is prove that my sword is not wrong!'
Take this.
This is a sword dance containing a hundred million years of time.
: : Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven. : :
Severing Heaven Sword Form.
Derived Ultimate Technique.
: : Annihilation Advancement Mu! : :
"Sword God Dance (劍神舞)."
It is a single horizontal slash.
Yet within its trajectory is the heart of all my past lives.
Kugugugugu!
My hand holding the sword melts away under the force of Annihilation Advancement Mu, and my entire body crumples apart.
I expect it, but still...
My single life is clearly inferior compared to the souls numbering nayuta within the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
However...
I smile.
'It does not...break.'
Only my Impermanence Sword, which unfolds the Sword God Dance, does not shatter under Annihilation Advancement Mu for the first time.
Even as I die, the trajectory of my sword continues to resist Annihilation Advancement Mu to the end, enduring the wave of violence and pushing through the sea of chaos, finally reaching beyond and delivering a wound to the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
Shwikang!
I feel it.
A toothpick-sized scar remains on the chest of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
An unbelievably small result.
But certainly, after a thousand lives—
After surpassing two hundred million years—
I have finally wounded the Great Mountain Supreme Deity for the first time.
'From now on...it begins.'
As I begin to return once again through the Radiance Mantra, I smile.
The moment I grasped a sense of Martial Pinnacle and earned the time to reflect through the Radiance Mantra—
I have already obtained the path and the time I need to move forward.
Time truly stands on my side, and what remains now...
Is only to overwhelm Annihilation Advancement Mu through the dance of the Sword God.
'Wait for me, Great Mountain Supreme Deity.'
I return the words Gwak Am once gave me and close my eyes.
"...From beyond time...let us determine the true Mountain God."
This is my one-thousand-and-eleventh return.
And the first clash between the light of annihilation and the dance of the sword god.
-x-X-x-
1011th cycle.
As I reverse through the river of scenes, I realize something.
'...Come to think of it, the time will increase.'
That's right.
If in the first regression I experienced a hundred million years of life,
Then from the second regression, it becomes two hundred million years.
If the lives from the 1st to 1009th cycle total a hundred million years,
Then the 1010th cycle alone is also a hundred million years.
If I revisit every life from the 1st to 1010th cycle in the 1011th cycle, I must spend two hundred million years.
'The time...is getting longer.'
It's like adding all the numbers from 1 to 10.
'If this keeps going and I die to Gwak Am a thousand times...'
By the time of the 2010th cycle...
'Fifty trillion and fifty billion years...is it...?'
Seeing this mind-numbing number, I begin to question whether earning this amount of time through the Radiance Mantra was really the right choice.
'...Yeah. It's fine.'
But I suppress my doubts and steel my will.
'Haha, no matter what, surely it's not going to take another thousand cycles like during the Blood Yin incident.'
No matter how deep the heart may be like a great sea, or how lofty the Martial Pinnacle may be...
With this much time, can I truly fail to attain Martial Pinnacle?
'So...even if I take a generous estimate, the actual time should only be about a third of that...'
Thinking that, I finally regress to the first point.
Wo-woong!
Indra's Net activates.
'...'
An enormous sense of ominousness strikes my mind.
The moment I perceive it, overwhelming messages from the Heavenly Venerables flood me through Indra's Net.
It is the Heavenly Venerable of Time, Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable, and Hyeon Mu.
—You insane bastard!!! What in the world did you just do!!??
Sal Tree screams.
—...It is good that you bought time...but are you really thinking you can defeat the Great Mountain Supreme Deity by accumulating time?
Time shows a flicker of doubt.
And...
—Including the time that passed unconsciously, it took Kim Young-hoon twenty billion years to complete Golden Great Thousand World. Kukuk... How long do you think it'll take you?
The voice of the Heavenly Venerable of Void, Hyeon Mu, transmits through Indra's Net.
—Kim Young-hoon seized the Absolute of Creation, obtained Manifestation specialized in Creation, and bloomed the Triple Divinity specialized in Creation that is Udumbara, yet even by wringing out all his talent, it still took him twenty billion years.
"..."
—Don't ignore your intuition.
The source of ominousness resounding from within my chest.
I immediately recognize it.
'...Damn it...'
Hyeon Mu is forcibly turning my head to make me see it.
Telling me to not look away, and to look clearly.
For beings who have reached our level, things like [surely not] do not exist.
—There must be a number you thought of at the start. The time that came to you instinctively, intuitively.
One thousand cycles.
Fifty trillion, fifty billion years.
'...Aaah...'
—That is the [minimum time] it will take for you to reach the same eye level as Kim Young-hoon and I. It is not a [maximum].
'Aaaaaaaagh...!'
Before my eyes, the image of a girl with an unpleasant smile brushes past me.
—Let me welcome you again.
Back then, the realm I named Severing Heaven.
What is called Dragon Flower by the Underworld, Third Step Before the Throne by Jang Ik, and Udumbara by Hyeon Mu.
The greeting Hyeon Mu gave me when I reached that realm passes by my eyes again.
—Welcome to hell.
"..."
—In a time equivalent to the Ganges Sands...there have been countless Golden Bodies and martial artists, including you, who have reached Udumbara, but those who have reached this realm are only Kim Young-hoon and I.
Tstststststs—
Hyeon Mu's phantom fades before my eyes, mocking me.
—To earn the right to reach the ultimate, you must at minimum endure Eternal Hell. Can you truly endure it? From beyond time...I shall watch your collapse...
With those words, Hyeon Mu disappears, and before my eyes, the beginning of the 1st cycle unfolds.
I linger around the past Seo Eun-hyun and reflect on Hyeon Mu's mantra, letting the tantrums of Time and Sal Tree pass me by.
Chik, chijijijik...
Even that is hard to hear, as both of their voices begin to break apart due to the interference of the Head Realm.
—Lis...ten...carefully...Sal Tree...one of us...will go mad comple...or awaken...but...the chance of awakeni...is far too lo...
—He...hehehehe...hehehahahehehahehahe...
Chijijijik...
Time's voice is barely discernible through Indra's Net, perhaps because the dimension he resides in is too distant. Meanwhile, for some reason, the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable radiates a greatly joyous heart essence, so for now, he seems fine.
'No, he's not fine...'
I'm just convincing myself that he is.
I bury my sympathy for the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable deep in my heart, resolving that I must reach Martial Pinnacle for at least his sake too.
'Even if I worry, there's nothing I can do right now anyway.'
If I can't even grasp a fragment of Martial Pinnacle, I absolutely won't be able to stop Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven Annihilation Advancement Mu.
And if I can't stop that, then returning to Mount Sumeru is nothing but a hopeless dream.
'I must reach Martial Pinnacle...block the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's strike, and return to Mount Sumeru. And then...'
'Realistically', the only way to care for the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable is that.
'For now, the only thing I can do...is delve into the ultimate of Martial Arts!'
I cannot comfort the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable right now with some shallow sympathy.
I can think of him, but rather than thinking of him a hundred times, it is better to swing my sword once more for his sake.
Kiriririk—
Thus, just like in the previous life, I become a spiraling sword and melt into Seo Eun-hyun's life.
Suddenly, a thought occurs to me.
Fifty trillion, fifty billion years.
If I am to endure that immense span, even I would go mad.
Even if I'm repeating my own life, there's a limit.
If anyone were to preserve all their memories across endless eternal regressions, how could they avoid losing their ego?
'The ego... In the end, the ego is the problem.'
I quickly find a method to protect myself.
The faster I find it, the less pointless pain I must endure.
'All suffering in this world ultimately comes from the ego.'
The authority bestowed by the fate Obsidian, [Ego-Preservation].
An authority befitting the fate of desire, and also the authority of the deepest Heart Demon.
At the same time, it is the authority that pushes its user into the most extreme pain.
'I don't have Ego-Preservation right now...but if I think about it, isn't it like that?'
If the ego is preserved endlessly, would that existence truly be happy?
'They would not be happy.'
As one who has endlessly endured pain, I know that down to the bone.
'The root of all suffering, in the end, is the belief that there exists such a thing as a 'I'...'
If the concept of 'I' is erased, then all pain in this world disappears.
More precisely, 'pain' becomes just one among many 'stimuli' that exist in the world.
This is a truth I realized as someone who has reached the pinnacle of pain.
'The greatest pain, in truth, is the self.'
Why is it that among human emotions, 'pleasure' corresponds to all three aspects of Triple Divinity?
It must be because pleasure is an emotion born from the mingling of people.
People with people, emotions with emotions, and connections with connections mixing and becoming one—that is the emotion of pleasure.
Pleasure is the easiest emotion to escape from pain.
Which means, in other words, that the mingling of people is the method to escape pain.
'Pain breaks a person if endured too long, but pleasure, if one can control it, never breaks oneself.'
Remembering this, I begin shedding my ego in order to escape the hellish pain brought on by eternal time.
'Let me shed the shell that is Seo Eun-hyun...'
What is the way for an Immortal Lord to become a Supreme Deity?
To understand that, one must first understand what the 'Origin Essence' is.
'Origin Essence' is the origin and source of a law that governs an Immortal Dao.
Therefore, an Origin Essence by itself holds the value and mass of an entire Heavenly Domain, of an entire universe.
Thus, in the phrase 'Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand World,' the 'Great Thousand' does not merely refer to the nine formal Heavenly Domains in Mount Sumeru and the Decaying Corpse Realms and Astral Realms spread beneath it.
It also refers to the thousands of Origin Essences that compose the Three Heavens Great Thousand World.
A Great Net Immortal who reaches and fuses with the Origin Essence that has such fearsome mass becomes an Immortal Lord.
And, from the moment one becomes an Immortal Lord, every time one draws power from the Origin Essence, their ego is continuously eroded by it.
Just like me now, their ego breaks apart and is gradually devoured by the Origin Essence.
It is said that the devoured mind, ego, and spirit all flow into the Akashic Records, so it is only fitting that the Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeong Woon oversees the realm of Immortal Lord.
'I don't understand why the Radiance Supreme Deity also oversees it, though.'
In any case, in exchange of having settled into the Origin Essence, they must endlessly fear having their ego disintegrated.
To prevent the disintegration of the ego, they can entrust themselves beneath a Supreme Deity or a Heavenly Venerable to slow or nullify the erosion, but it doesn't resolve the fundamental issue.
And...
The one who resolves the fundamental erosion of the ego is the one who truly advances to become a Supreme Deity.
'A being who, even if their ego is completely stolen by an Origin Essence that is no different from a universe, seizes control of the universe with their will and devours the Origin Essence in turn.'
A being whose personal power surpasses the strength borrowed from the Origin Essence.
A being whose very existence has become more massive than the Origin Essence itself, 'placing it beneath' them.
Such beings are called Supreme Deities, and that is the method of advancing to Supreme Deity.
'Of course, the path to becoming a Supreme Deity would differ for each.'
If, in my case, I acknowledge that 'ego is pain' and seek to dismantle it—
Then perhaps in Gwak Am's, under the perception that 'pain is the world itself anyway,' he swelled his ego far larger than the Dao of Repentant Enlightenment and seized control that way.
Most likely in Gwak Am's case, by having inflated his ego in such a way, he could probably crush an entire universe with nothing but Immortal Arts driven by his own will, without even needing the Origin Essence of Repentant Enlightenment.
'In fact, he's already done it once.'
But I haven't yet enlarged my ego to that level.
'It's laughable. For Gwak Am of Mount Sumeru to have an ego greater than an Ender who held the authority of [Ego-Preservation] bestowed by an Absolute.'
That is why, my ego brings nothing but pain as long as I keep holding onto it.
'Letting go of it now will help me endure eternity.'
—Kukuk...
And just as I attempt to dismantle my ego with that thought in mind—
—Is it the same conclusion that the Seo Hweol fellow reached?
Through Indra's Net, Hyeon Mu mocks me.
"...Not at all. That guy dismantled himself because he couldn't withstand the pain and wanted to 'escape' from it. I am the opposite."
My reason for dismantling my ego in the face of eternal time is the opposite of Seo Hweol's.
"I acknowledge pain. Therefore...now that it is no longer necessary, I dismantle my ego in order to savor emotions other than pain."
—If you have no ego, then how will you reach Martial Pinnacle?
Hyeon Mu strikes at the weakness in my plan.
—If you have no ego, what difference is there between you and a 'lump of power' called Seo Eun-hyun? Are you trying to become a mechanical apparatus? With the identity of a machine...you dare think you can reach Martial Pinnacle?
She's right.
Without an ego, is such a being still a sentient entity, or merely a machine?
Am I not trying to become nothing more than a cold sword?
Hyeon Mu strikes directly at that weakness.
But I answer without wavering.
"...I may lose my ego, but I will not lose my heart."
—...Hooh...
My sword holds no color.
But even if it lacks color, it does not lack a heart.
"I have people I love."
Kim Yeon and Buk Hyang-hwa.
Then Hong Su-ryeong, Kang Min-hee, and Gyeong-i flash through my mind.
Next come my comrades.
And then, all of my connections pass through my mind.
Tstststststststs—
I begin to scatter bit by bit.
"Even if the personality known as 'me' disappears...the hearts they gave me are still here, and that truth cannot be erased. Even if someone mocks the truth, it can never be erased. And...the heart that wishes to return the hearts I received from them...that too, can never be erased."
However, the existence called 'me' is not disappearing.
Rather, I am expanding.
"Therefore...even if the ego disappears...only the pain will disappear. The existence called Seo Eun-hyun will never vanish!"
Paaaaaaat!
I have already grasped the clue to Martial Pinnacle and Undying.
I will not fall for Hyeon Mu's sly persuasion.
'Ego, let's go.'
[TL/N: Could be Tremendous making a pun. 'Now then' is very similar to 'ego'.]
In the face of eternal time,
I begin to melt all of my 'ego,' dissolve all of my spirit, and begin to dwell within all my connections across the entirety of Mount Sumeru.
—...Congratulations. That's the correct answer.
I faintly hear Hyeon Mu's clapping from somewhere, and within that sound, I begin to become one with this entire world.
'From here on...it begins.'
As the true will toward Martial Pinnacle that started from the Sword God Dance spreads from me, Mount Sumeru begins to tremble.
The Northern Heavenly Venerable True Martial Great Emperor, the Heavenly Venerable of Void, Hyeon Mu, clicks her tongue.
"Excellent. The Enders of this generation...are truly the best. Perhaps...[half] might be completed. Truly..."
Hyeon Mu faintly smiles as she sees pure white paper flowers blooming in the Interdimensional Void that is softly tinged in gold.
"You all...make me want to show my respects."
Seo Eun-hyun, standing before eternity, chooses to melt himself and scatter among all the beings connected to him in order to not collapse.
Someone—
For instance, the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable, whose mind is half gone, might curse this as a reckless act of madness, but Hyeon Mu alone understands.
It is the perfect answer.
To scatter oneself and assimilate into the world.
That is the same method that the Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King used to create a new Immortal Cultivation system.
And also the same method by which Hyeon Mu's 'Plane of Soul' was formed.
And it is also the way [someone] once scattered the 'Immortal Art Immortal Cultivation' into the world.
Scattering one's existence into the world to create a 'new cultivation system'.
This is the method directly linked to the method of advancing to Supreme Deity, and the true way to reach Martial Pinnacle.
'...I will be watching, Seo Eun-hyun.'
Will Seo Eun-hyun truly not fall into corruption, will his initial will not fade, and will he maintain the system he just created...?
For fifty trillion, fifty billion years?
As Hyeon Mu ponders the possibility, she lies down within the Interdimensional Void that is newly changing again.
'I give you my support. Come up. Rise and...kill fate.'
Thus, as Hyeon Mu prays for Seo Eun-hyun's Sword God Dance to truly reach completion, she falls into a dream of endless regression that will continue for a long and longer time.
Translator Notes: Yes, you are right. Tremendous tremendously screwed the math regarding the regressions.