Kiriririk—
Time flows.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord Yang Ji-hwang looks through Seo Eun-hyun's memories and gradually learns emotions.
In the 10th cycle, she cries together with Seo Eun-hyun over Buk Hyang-hwa's death.
In the 11th cycle, she recoils together with Seo Eun-hyun at the Mad Lord's tyranny.
In the 12th cycle, she is dumbfounded together with Seo Eun-hyun, who is falsely accused and killed of being a vile Heart Tribe spy.
And at the end of the 13th cycle, as she watches Seo Eun-hyun accept Kim Yeon's feelings, she breaks down sobbing.
"Aaagh... Aaaagh..."
Pain.
It is a feeling she has never experienced before.
Neither physical pain nor the suffering that torments the mind has ever succeeded in shaking the iron-like divinity of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
A god of iron and war who severed the heart.
But at the same time, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord was also one who sealed her heart with a mask and suppressed it.
Thus, the pain that arises from the heart is something she cannot easily withstand.
If all the external pressure and violence that has tempered her until now has forged her into a harder sword, a sharper weapon,
Then the emotions boiling up from within are dulling her edge and softening her body.
"Why...do you live in such pain...?"
14th cycle.
There, as she watches Seo Eun-hyun betray humanity for the righteousness he believes in and throw himself to death for his master, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord breaks into tears once again.
"Why...is life so painful?"
Each time she follows Seo Eun-hyun's memories and emotions, tracing the path of his life,
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord feels as if she is running endlessly down a path made of blades.
A path of swords made of glass.
It is, quite literally, the very life that Seo Eun-hyun has lived.
'This is...too much. Too painful. I just want to stop now... I want to get out...of Seo Eun-hyun's memories...'
Unable to endure the final moments of the 14th cycle, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord collapses on the spot.
If it were a life simply filled with pain and cruelty, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord would have perhaps rather welcomed it.
If it had been a life of continuous days like those in the Azure Heaven Creation Sect, she might have found it exhilarating.
But...
Seo Eun-hyun's life constantly inflicts upon the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord a new kind of pain, and she simply cannot dare endure it.
'Even if I were captured by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and dissolved into the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea to be tortured, I was born to withstand that... That is the fate I was born with. And yet, you...'
Following Seo Eun-hyun as he steps into the first day of the 15th cycle, she lets out a groan.
'How can you cause me this much pain...?'
At first, she thought she could just breeze through Seo Eun-hyun's life.
But while she once rushed through his life quickly, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord now finds herself unable to do so.
She follows his life at a normal pace.
Because if she continues at a fast pace, she fears she will no longer be able to withstand the pain rising within her heart.
"I...want to...stop..."
It is at that moment.
Paaatt!
Suddenly, Sword Spear Heavenly Lord feels as though something is 'blooming' inside her chest.
'What is this?'
She feels something very small within her chest.
'Th-This is...'
And the moment she perceives it, she feels as though she is momentarily freed from the 'pain' that torments her.
'What in the world is this...!?'
Kiriririk!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord hurriedly draws down that feeling from within her chest and urges it to bloom further.
That 'feeling' continues to blossom the more she watches Seo Eun-hyun's life, and finally, at the end of the 15th cycle—
Paaaaatt!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord finally understands what has taken form within her chest.
The thing that had been continuously blooming finally takes on a complete shape.
'A paper flower?'
It is a paper flower made of pure white light.
That paper flower blooms clearly within the heart essence of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord Yang Ji-hwang.
Observing her own heart essence, she, as if entranced, reaches out to touch the paper flower blooming there.
It is at that moment.
She realizes the identity of the paper flower and flinches in shock.
'Madness...! Th-This is...!'
It is not just an abnormal phenomenon, nor is it simply a change within the heart essence.
This is, in itself, a 'new system of power'.
"Apart from Immortal Cultivation and Hyeon Mu's Plane of Soul...a new system of power has been born...?"
It is an absurd notion.
She knows well just how difficult it is to create a new system of power.
In the case of the Immortal Art Immortal Cultivation, according to the inheritance passed down in Radiance Hall, the first Radiance Supreme Deities tore their own spirits apart and scattered them across the Three Heavens Great Thousand Worlds to create it.
Scattering one's own existence across the world—such is the method for creating a new system of power. And now, it seems 'someone' has created this system of power.
'If it's a system of power that even I, trapped inside Seo Eun-hyun's memories, can cultivate...then it must be one of two things. Either the being who scattered this is more powerful than any Supreme Deity, or it's a Great Net Immortal-level existence who scattered their spirit with the resolve to grind down their entire existence and their everything.'
Either way, it is not welcome news to her, who once belonged to Radiance Hall.
The new system of power would surely pose significant threat to the Immortal Art Immortal Cultivation overseen by Radiance Hall.
'As one of the ones who served as the Radiance Supreme Deity, I must immediately expel this power from my body.'
According to the rules of Radiance Hall, a Radiance Supreme Deity must advance to Immortal Lord solely through the Immortal Cultivation system of the Heaven Tribe pathway.
In other words, using the power of the Plane of Soul or the power of the history pathway is strictly forbidden.
However, the Yang Ji-hwang of now finds herself thinking differently.
'But this is an unseen power. The powers of the Plane of Soul and the history pathway have already been heavily researched within Radiance Hall and can be sufficiently countered, but this is a power that has appeared for the first time. Therefore...in order for Radiance Hall to better respond to it, someone must study it.'
Thus, she decides to cultivate this new system of power.
'Let's cultivate it to a sufficient degree, develop some research results, and offer them in service to Radiance Hall. Since I can abandon cultivation at any time, it should be fine to learn just a bit.'
Just a bit.
Surely, that much should be acceptable. With that belief, she begins cultivating the power that originates from the paper flower.
And it is when she contemplated the paper flower and tries to view Seo Eun-hyun's 16th cycle.
'...?'
Paaatt!
The surroundings go dark, and nothing can be seen.
Feeling as though she has entered a pitch-black Darkness World, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord looks around in confusion.
But it is the same.
'What is this? Seo Eun-hyun's 16th cycle...I'm definitely still within his memories, but why can I not see anything? This is...'
Soon after, she realizes something.
'I see. I've heard of this before. A secret art sometimes used by beings at the level of the Underworld, drawing upon the power of the history pathway...'
One of the secret arts that 'tears out' history.
It is a secret art that forcibly rips away a person's history, preventing them from ever remembering it again.
Because it involves literally extracting a strand of one's history, it goes far beyond mere memory loss, and is characterized by being completely unreadable even through history induction.
'Those afflicted by it are said to lose their very history, losing their foundation of existence and becoming wandering souls adrift in the void dimension... But in Seo Eun-hyun's case, perhaps because he has so much life and history, it doesn't affect him the same way. And...for history to be torn out like this, unless it's done by someone on the level of the Underworld or an Immortal Beast King, it should be impossible. Even then, the amount of history they can tear is very limited. Yet this vast emptiness... Judging by its depth, the history Seo Eun-hyun experienced in the 16th cycle must have been overwhelmingly immense...'
She shudders behind her mask as she beholds the vast emptiness that exists within Seo Eun-hyun's history.
'To tear away this much history at once...just what kind of being would one have to be...? Could it really be...that the so-called Future King the Underworld speaks of had a hand in this!?'
Kiririririk!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord quickly passes through the hollow emptiness of the 16th cycle, where there is nothing to see, and moves on to the next cycle.
It is then,
Chijik, chijijijik...
She suddenly sees something reflecting through the void.
It is a bizarre sight.
"Huh...?"
A being wearing a black mianguan and black dragon robe.
And a being wearing a white mianguan and white dragon robe.
The two beings are exchanging something within a surreal space.
Suddenly, the being in the white mianguan meets eyes with the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
Grin—
The being in the white mianguan smiles at the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
Seeing this, she is instantly engulfed in an indescribable terror.
"Kuh, keoheok...!"
It is a feeling akin to a bug facing a giant.
One of the Owners of Light, of the Radiance Supreme Deity,
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, one of the eight leaders of the great Radiance Hall, experiences for the first time a reverence and fear she has never felt before toward an unfathomable existence!
: : Just wait a little. : :
And as the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord watches that [white being] speak to her, she completely loses her mind.
Because despite being a Heavenly Lord, she has no confidence she can withstand the presence exuded by that being.
However, that one sentence from the being echoes endlessly in the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's mind.
Just wait a little.
'Wait...for what...?'
Harboring that question, she sinks into unconsciousness.
And she is able to realize one thing.
'...The words of the Underworld...were true. That existence does exist. The one called the Future King...and...'
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord trembles as she recalls the [two beings wearing black and white mianguan].
'Seo Eun-hyun's 16th cycle... Was it one of the two who...[ripped it out]...?'
Beings who might as well be referred to as absolutes.
Beings before whom no Governing Immortal would dare make a false claim.
True Emperors.
As the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord feels all the common sense and history she had ever known collapsing, she thus moves into the 17th cycle.
Seo Eun-hyun's 17th cycle.
Blink—
Yang Ji-hwang regains awareness and looks around.
'The 17th cycle...? The beings I saw... Just what...'
Recalling the two gods of such terrifying rank, Yang Ji-hwang hugs her shoulders with both arms and trembles helplessly.
She realizes that beings capable of crushing Immortal Lords like bugs, and needing to become a Supreme Deity to even be qualified as livestock, are none other than those True Emperors from just moments ago.
'I understand now...'
Only now does she truly grasp why so many Governing Immortals and Enders have lashed out in desperation.
'It was Radiance Hall that was wrong...'
Watching as the Seo Eun-hyun of the 17th cycle enters the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and becomes Jin Eun-hyun, and becomes Dao Companions with Hong Su-ryeong, she finally understands the original sin of Radiance Hall.
'We were truly...turning our eyes away from the truth...'
She averts her eyes from the scene of Hong Su-ryeong clinging to Seo Eun-hyun and grinds her teeth.
"How wretched it is..."
Seeing Hong Su-ryeong caress Seo Eun-hyun, she sheds tears.
"What we have been protecting all this time...is most likely just a lie and pretense determined by the True Emperors...!"
Watching Hong Su-ryeong propose human experimentation and dual cultivation to Seo Eun-hyun, she wails uncontrollably.
"Where, then, did our identity ever reside!!??"
Feeling all the values she believed in shattering to pieces, she collapses in place and weeps.
"...Who...was I, really...?"
And just when she is utterly broken.
Paaaatt!
Once again, paper flowers bloom within her.
'...Three?'
Before she knows it, three paper flowers have bloomed within her chest.
And at the very moment those paper flowers take up three positions and form the Three Powers Formation—
Tsuat!
"...!"
Yang Ji-hwang suddenly perceives that she has entered a pure white space.
And within that space, she feels as if someone is embracing her.
That someone speaks.
—You don't need to try so hard...to become something.
"...What?"
—Don't suffer...
"...What are you talking about. I am the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord of the Radiance Eight Immortals who protects justice. I am the Owner of Light, the Radiance Supreme Deity! Don't try to delude me with such sly..."
However, just as she tries to refute that voice, Yang Ji-hwang—
No, the one called Yang Ji-hwang, once hailed as the greatest prodigy of the Yang Clan of the Heaven Wing Race, recalls the embrace of the mother who once held her in a distant past.
Before becoming a Heavenly Lord, back when she was still mortal.
She had parents back then.
She remembers the childhood name her parents gave her.
—Hwi-ah. Hwi-ah. Our pretty Hwi-ah.
Hwi (輝/Shining).
It is the character used for her childhood name in those long distant days.
Even that name, imbued with light, had been determined in accordance with the fate Radiance Hall ordained for her. But regardless, it was the one name she had truly liked.
"Don't...try to delude me..."
Within the pure white space, she clenches her teeth as she feels some force drawing forth her old memories.
Thump, thump—
Why is it?
She feels her heart pounding.
This, too, is a sensation she hasn't felt since reaching the Star Shattering stage.
—Raise a bird within your chest, and take flight together.
A traditional song of the Heaven Wing Race, sung by her parents long ago, brushes past her ears.
—Soar through the sky, and with the bird, gaze down upon the wide world below.
"Do...not..."
—Fly across every place, and together, give the bird its name.
"Delude..."
—The bird's name is...
"..."
At last, she stops where she stands and covers her eyes.
And then, from her lips comes the final line of the song she once sang with her parents in a soft whisper.
"The bird's name is...Biyiniao (Paired Wings Bird)."
Biyiniao.
A bird with only one wing.
Therefore, having the fate that must always be with its counterpart.
One of the birds in the legends of the Heaven Wing Race, and the song she always recalled when paired with the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord as part of the Radiance Eight Immortals.
She always believed that her fated counterpart was the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord.
She thought it symbolized the fate assigned to her by the previous Radiance Eight Immortals.
—But...you understand now, don't you? What Biyiniao means is not fate.
"...Then what is it?"
And then, she feels the [voice] within the white space smile faintly.
—Whoever your heart desires. That is your Biyiniao. Something like fate...never mattered from the start, did it?
Hearing those words, she clenches her teeth.
"...Who are you?"
The words spoken by the [voice] are not mere words.
For within her memories, they are the same words her parents had said to her after singing that song.
That anyone her heart leans toward is her Biyiniao, so she should live without worrying about fate.
Her parents had surely said those very words.
"Just who are you...to read my memories without permission and judge me however you please!?"
Then, from within the white space, the someone responds.
—Do you want to know?
Kiiiiiiiing!
The white space wavers, and the 'owner of the voice' enters the 17th cycle's Seo Eun-hyun and speaks to her.
"If you want to know...then follow."
Boo-oong!
Soon after, Seo Eun-hyun and Hong Su-ryeong begin their duel within the final moment of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord sees this, clenches her teeth, and possesses Hong Su-ryeong's body.
'If it's a sword cultivator from the Head Realm...then there's a high chance it's a remnant of that person. I apologize. I will borrow your body for a moment...!'
She conveys a heart of apology toward Hong Su-ryeong and, possessing her body, draws her sword against the one who now possesses the Seo Eun-hyun of this timeline.
"Who are you? Answer me!"
For some reason, she doesn't feel the strangeness that an entity is interfering with Seo Eun-hyun's past, which shouldn't be able to be interfered with, and shouts at the being possessing Seo Eun-hyun.
The one possessing Seo Eun-hyun smiles.
"If you win, I'll tell you."
"..."
Seeing this, she stirs her rage and manipulates Hong Su-ryeong's body to raise flying swords.
"Don't regret this."
Thus begins the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's fight to drive out the impudent being possessing Seo Eun-hyun's body.
-x-X-x-
The someone possessing Seo Eun-hyun's body and Sword Spear Heavenly Lord who has taken over Hong Su-ryeong's body clash in their first strike.
"You want to reproduce with Seo Eun-hyun, don't you?"
And with just that one line from the being residing in Seo Eun-hyun, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord is immediately blown away.
Kugwaaang!
Wearing Hong Su-ryeong's body, she crashes into one of the main peaks of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and vomits blood.
"Keheok!"
Booong!
Then, charging forward toward her, comes the someone wearing Seo Eun-hyun's appearance.
Shukang!
As a peak is sliced cleanly in half horizontally, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord is driven back.
"Kuhugh!"
Gritting her teeth, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord begins gradually drawing forth her divine authority through Hong Su-ryeong's body.
"Sword Heaven Annihilation Advancement."
Kiriririk!
Countless swords of radiance swirl around her, then burst outward as if detonating, pulverizing everything in the vicinity.
With a single move from her, Thunder Spirit Island evaporates, and Do Gon, who had been peering in with their winged garment, reveals their rage as crimson lightning lashes out in torrents around Zhengli.
: : R A D I A N C E E I G H T I M M O R T A L S !! : :
Kurururung!
Zhengli directly draws upon the true authority of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity Do Gon, unleashing a storm of thunder and lightning across the entire Bright Cold Realm.
But the one possessing Seo Eun-hyun's body and the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord focus only on clashing with each other, dodging all the lightning.
"What are you!? Why do you delude me with such sly words?"
Kaaang!
The being using Seo Eun-hyun's body deflects Zhengli's lightning and laughs.
That being gradually approaches the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, performing a sword dance.
"I'll say it again. If you defeat me, I'll tell you."
"You!"
Kaaaang!
Zhengli hurls a spear of lightning across the entire Bright Cold Realm.
Only when the Bright Cold Realm collapses and the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain teeters on the verge of ruin under the Supreme Deity's authority does the battle between the two finally come to a halt.
Shukak!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord severs Seo Eun-hyun's neck.
"Huhu... Hut..."
The being possessing Seo Eun-hyun's body smiles faintly.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord clenches her teeth.
Why is it?
The being before her is not the real Seo Eun-hyun.
Just someone wearing the body of the past Seo Eun-hyun.
And yet...
Why?
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord feels her chest ache unbearably.
"...I...won. Now answer me."
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord says so and points her sword at the being possessing Seo Eun-hyun.
And that being smiles.
"Wrong. You lost to me..."
"What...?"
"Think carefully. The way to defeat me is really quite simple..."
"..."
"Well then, I'll be going..."
Tststststs—
With those words, the being departs from Seo Eun-hyun's body and vanishes somewhere, and only then does the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord notice something strange as she sees the entire world engulfed in a strange Taiji.
Paaaaatt!
The world is swallowed by the Taiji, and everything returns to its original state.
And within that past, now proceeding normally again, she falls into confusion.
'This...wasn't just a memory...? How did I just interfere with the 'past'...?'
A memory is merely an illusion.
No matter who she is, she shouldn't be able to intervene in an illusion.
For this is supposed to be only the trace of time that has passed.
And yet, the impossible has come true.
'What in the world is this...?'
Woo-woong—
Then, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord suddenly feels the three paper flowers weeping as they draw the Triad Powers Formation within her chest, and she flinches in surprise.
'This is...'
The paper flowers have temporarily granted her the authority to transcend spacetime.
Seeing this, she feels she understands roughly what kind of power this new cultivation system seeks and what kind of strength it bestows.
'Freedom...? Is it freedom...!? A power that lets people cultivate the principle of freedom and thereby attain freedom...?'
Though it might elude mortals, as someone who has risen to the position of a Heavenly Lord, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord immediately recognizes the mechanism of this power with her experience.
Freedom starting from spacetime.
It grants her freedom from spacetime, allowing her to briefly interfere in the past.
Of course, since it is a past that has already occurred, she cannot revise it unless she is an Immortal Beast, but she can still act within the past, if only for a moment.
'Judging by the cultivation system, it's a format that grows stronger the more paper flowers are gathered. And yet with just three flowers, it already shows a feat like this...? What in the world...?'
If so, what would happen if this power is cultivated to its extreme and the paper flowers are gathered to their limit?
Suddenly, she finds herself curious.
'Freedom...'
Freedom is the highest value pursued by Radiance Hall.
She suddenly wonders, what is the ultimate of freedom?
Because this is a power connected even to her fate, she simply cannot reject it.
Eventually, after gazing at the paper flowers for a long while, she ends up fully accepting them into herself without even realizing it.
'I have no choice. I'll accept it.'
Until now, she thought of it merely as something to research.
But now that she understands what value the power seeks, she realizes it is a power she absolutely cannot refuse.
'Our fate, born to seek freedom from the very beginning...can never reject this...'
Wooooooong!
Thus, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord fully accepts the cultivation of the paper flowers as part of herself and continues the cultivation of the paper flowers.
For someday, she may encounter the 'someone' who dwelled in Seo Eun-hyun's body again, and to grasp victory over that being, the more power she has, the better.
Seo Eun-hyun of the 17th cycle dies, and the 18th cycle begins.
And once again, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord meets 'that being' in the 18th cycle.
"Shall we go another round?"
"..."
That being possesses Seo Eun-hyun once more, and this time, she possesses Seo Li.
The two, possessing the bodies of Seo Li and Seo Eun-hyun, collide again.
In the next moment, the two finally reach another conclusion.
Pukwak!
Again, it is the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's victory.
Seo Eun-hyun's head falls.
However, for some reason, she feels that this suspicious being's strength has grown slightly stronger than when they fought in the last cycle.
At the same time, the pain she feels in her chest deepens.
"...I've won. Tell me your identity."
"...Hahaha... Wrong again. This time, it's my victory again."
The being possessing Seo Eun-hyun's body doesn't admit defeat to the end and exits from Seo Eun-hyun.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord cannot acknowledge them.
'Just what in the world are you...!?'
Rage clouds her mind.
Until now, whenever one of the Radiance Eight Immortals became overly emotional, the Great Sea Heavenly Lord, as advisor, or the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord, as executor, would suppress the emotion.
But now that the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord is not by her side, she can no longer suppress herself.
"What are you...!? I said, what are you...!?"
Kurururung!
At her fury, the entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain trembles.
"Why must I kill Seo Eun-hyun with my own hands again and again!?"
Kugugugugu!
The world shakes, and as the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord soon feels the world being normalized again by the Taiji, she grits her teeth.
"I will...I will absolutely defeat you. Without fail...!"
Time flows once more.
19th cycle.
Once again, the someone dwelling within Seo Eun-hyun's body appears before the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's eyes.
Once more, Sword Spear and that being clash.
Kaaang!
Pukwak!
"..."
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord kills that being again, but this time, the result is slightly different.
'My arm...'
Just before they died, the force with which that being deflected her sword was quite fierce.
'That one.'
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord understands.
Right now, this being is growing by following the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
'What are you...!? You...!'
Paaaat!
While the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord is deep in thought, time continues to pass.
20th cycle.
21st cycle.
22nd cycle...
And before long, the moment arrives when Seo Eun-hyun meets Blood Yin.
Kwaaaaang!
Watching Seo Eun-hyun die endlessly to Blood Yin, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord feels as if she might lose her mind.
But what bothers her heart even more is that the being within Seo Eun-hyun's body is gradually growing stronger.
Every time she kills them, the pain in her chest deepens, and as that being grows ever stronger, she grows increasingly anxious.
At this rate of growth, that being will surpass her in strength before long.
But why is it?
The expression on that being's face, even as they die by her hand again and again, grows warmer with each passing day.
"You!! I said who are you!!??"
"If you beat me, I'll tell you."
Kwaaaaaaang!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord tears Blood Yin apart and kills the being again.
Yet each time she kills them, her heart continues to ache more.
And at last, the 998th cycle.
It is when Seo Eun-hyun reaches the Star Shattering stage.
Woo-wooong!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord comes face-to-face with herself from Seo Eun-hyun's past.
"...Damn it."
A crude curse slips from her mouth.
Watching herself voraciously rush toward Seo Eun-hyun, biting his shoulder and tormenting him, she feels so ashamed she could die on the spot.
In the end, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord appears before the version of herself that exists in Seo Eun-hyun's past.
Wo-wooong!
Before she knows it, thousands of paper flowers have bloomed within her, and interfering with the past is no longer such a difficult task.
[What...!? Who are you!?]
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord of the past flinches in surprise upon seeing her of the present.
[Hoh, how curious. You resemble me to such a curious degree. Just how did you impersonate this Lord...?]
"Shut up."
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord raises her sword.
"I can't live from the shame, so I'll have to kill you at least once. My past self."
[Hmm... A madman, is it? Well, fine. Come at me.]
And so, in the timeline of the past, the two Sword Spear Heavenly Lords collide.
And as Yang Ji-hwang faces off against the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord of the past, she begins to feel something.
'What is this...?'
Why is it?
It's easy.
Maybe because it's herself, but her past self's sword doesn't frighten her at all.
'Was I...really such a pathetic being...?'
None of the sword paths of the past Sword Spear Heavenly Lord land a single strike on Yang Ji-hwang, while every sword path Yang Ji-hwang unleashes lands true.
But she soon understands.
'It's not that I was weak. It's that the me of right now...has become stronger now.'
No, more precisely, the new cultivation system she has obtained is revealing a new path to her.
'It's truly...not scary at all!'
Kukwagwagwang!
Yang Ji-hwang charges straight at the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord of the past and explodes the Immortal Body of her past self.
Peong!
The Immortal Body of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord is slashed into thousands of pieces in an instant and burst apart.
Instinctively, she understands.
'I see. I'm now...'
Without a doubt, she is now a Heavenly Lord at the level of a Supreme Deity.
Just like the last Field Garden Heavenly Lord, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, had been able to face the Governing Immortal one-on-one during their Field Garden Heavenly Lord days and win—
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, too, has attained strength equal to that former Field Garden Heavenly Lord.
Just as that thought occurs.
"Wrong."
Shwikak!
Before she realizes it, something sharp grazes across her neck.
She turns to look behind her and sees, once again, the something possessing the 998th cycle's Seo Eun-hyun grinning at her.
"You haven't gotten stronger at all. Hwi."
"...I am Yang Ji-hwang. Call me properly."
"How foolish."
"Want me to show you who the real fool is?"
Paaatt!
Once again, she and that being collide.
And then—
Tukwaaang!
"...!"
With just one kick from the being residing within Seo Eun-hyun's body, Yang Ji-hwang is sent flying all the way to a distant star where she is embedded.
'Too strong...! H-How...? I've already become a Heavenly Lord on the level of a Supreme Deity! I'm practically at the Supreme Deity level, so what in the world is that being whose identity is even unknown!?'
She reaches out her hand again toward the being flying at her.
Flinch!
But in that moment, as she sees Seo Eun-hyun's face, her body reflexively flinches.
"Eek!"
That fleeting flinch.
That alone decides the match once more.
Jjeoeok!
The being with Seo Eun-hyun's face grabs her by the hair, swings her around, smashes their knee into her face, swings her by the hair again, and slams her body into the star.
Jjeojeojeong!
The star splits in two.
Bleeding from her entire body, she tightens her grip on her sword.
"Don't make me laugh!"
Across Heaven and Earth, countless swords of radiance are summoned.
Filling the Heavens Sword Rain.
Her ultimate decisive technique unfolds.
"I am the god of sword and iron, of war and victory! Enough! I said enough!"
The Sword-Guided Star Rains summoned as if to flood the universe all surge toward Seo Eun-hyun's body.
But not a single one hits Seo Eun-hyun.
It's strange.
Just moments ago, when she fought the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord of the past, she struck with perfect accuracy, and dodged with complete precision.
Yet now, Seo Eun-hyun avoids every single Sword-Guided Star Rain and reaches right in front of her.
In the end, she swings her sword and slices Seo Eun-hyun in two.
The being possessing Seo Eun-hyun's body smiles as they leave him.
"At last...it's a draw."
Seeing that, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord bursts into tears.
"...Yeah. I know. I haven't become stronger at all..."
She hasn't become stronger.
She has become weaker.
She, once the god of iron, has now become unbelievably weak and timid toward Seo Eun-hyun.
As if she became nothing more than a husk, she has become so weak that even attacking has become impossible.
To the iron sword that once had no weakness...
A weakness has now formed.
"So what in the world do you want me to do!?"
The Taiji once again spreads across the world.
And the one possessing Seo Eun-hyun's body laughs.
"It's not about what you're supposed to do."
As the world once again undergoes revision along with the Taiji, they laugh and speak.
"It's about facing it properly."
"...Damn it."
The world returns to normal once more, and Yang Ji-hwang reflects.
She followed Seo Eun-hyun and pondered. She observed Seo Eun-hyun and suffered. She watched Seo Eun-hyun and was distressed.
And after seeing the countless stories of the 998th cycle, as she steps into the 999th—
At last, she realizes.
"...Damn it."
She cannot control it.
She realizes she absolutely can't control her own heart.
And before her, the someone possessing Seo Eun-hyun appears and points a sword at her.
"Are you going to fight me again?"
"..."
Surung—
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord Yang Ji-hwang silently draws her sword and points it at them.
Then, immediately after, she lets the sword fall from her hands and collapses where she stands.
"...I can't fight."
"Hooh?"
"...As long as you're inside him...I can't cut you anymore. I...I..."
She finally rips off the mask from her face with her own hands and cries out.
"I like...Seo Eun-hyun...!!!"
She observed his story and pondered.
She followed his story and suffered.
She walked alongside his story and was distressed.
After cutting down countless Seo Eun-hyuns, after living countless lives together, at last, the emotions she can no longer control burst forth.
Not something she merely 'realizes' in her head, but something that 'erupts' from within her chest.
Heart.
She finally realizes that she can never control her own heart, and kneels before the being possessing Seo Eun-hyun.
"I want to keep watching Seo Eun-hyun's story. I want to keep chasing after Seo Eun-hyun. I want to see Seo Eun-hyun more. I wish the time in this past doesn't end. Now, whether it's the truth of the world, or freedom, or the value of Radiance Hall, it doesn't matter anymore. I just...like Seo Eun-hyun! A heart. Since I've now gained a heart, I want to just abandon my position as one of the Radiance Eight Immortals. I don't...want to harm him anymore!"
"...You want to keep watching him? No matter how long?"
"No matter how long!!"
"..."
Grin—
At last, the being that dwelled inside Seo Eun-hyun smiles brightly.
The surroundings turn pure white.
Tsuaaaaaaaa—
It's because the countless paper flowers blooming inside Yang Ji-hwang's heart now flood the area.
The shining paper flowers dye the surroundings into a space of white, and in that space, only she and the being that dwelled within Seo Eun-hyun remain.
At last, she sees the true face of that being.
"...You've won. I'll tell you who I am."
The being...is the Yang Ji-hwang of her childhood.
"I am your deepest desire, the one you've kept hidden. Only now...do you finally see me."
"...You're..."
Tuk—
The child version of herself presses her forehead against her current self.
At that moment, she finally understands.
Why it was that she kept appearing only within Seo Eun-hyun's body.
"I am your other side. At the same time...the new 'power' you've been nurturing all this time. And the form you most desired..."
"..."
"You liked Seo Eun-hyun, didn't you? You wanted to reproduce with him, didn't you? You wanted to chase after him, watch his story, be with him?"
"...Yeah..."
"That is why I possessed Seo Eun-hyun all this time and faced you. How was it?"
"...It was painful."
"Good. Remember that well. That is your weakness."
"Weakness...?"
"Your weakened self. That is me."
"Then...have I become weaker...?"
"No. You haven't become weaker."
"What...?"
At words she cannot understand, Yang Ji-hwang opens her eyes wide.
Then, the girl laughs.
"Telling you to face your weakness doesn't mean to erase it. It means to accept it. From now on...the 'me' who can't cut someone she likes will live on as your weakness and be with you. But...in contrast, everything other than that weakness..."
Tsuaaaaat!
The white space around her begins to tremble.
It is the thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions of paper flowers she has nurtured that are trembling.
"...will become even stronger from now on."
Kururururung!
Thousands of paper flowers rush toward her and begin to be absorbed.
She understands what this phenomenon is.
'This is...'
It feels the same as when she advanced to True Immortality.
She instinctively knows.
The power of the cultivation system she cultivated has crossed a critical threshold and reached a realm equivalent to True Immortality of the current Immortal Cultivation system.
"Give me a name. Hwi-ah. Not the name 'Gyeong-i', or Sword Spear Heavenly Lord that was bestowed by fate, not the name 'Yang Ji-hwang', and...also not the name 'Hwi' passed down from the lips of our parents, but a new name..."
Tsuaaaaat!
The girl before her begins to be absorbed into her body.
She is startled.
She understands.
'Give a name...?'
To the Radiance Eight Immortals, naming is sacrilege.
For a name carries fate, and fate is sacred...
"Forget all of that and just give me a name that you like!"
The one who has become her weakness now tells her to break all those vows and laws and attach a new name to 'herself'.
'Just as True Immortals transcend life and death, the realm equivalent to True Immortality in this new cultivation system...is a realm attained by redefining oneself...'
To determine one's own name.
That means to determine one's own fate.
She is afraid.
Somehow, she feels that if she crosses this line, she will never be able to return to who she was before.
But she looks down at the mask of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, which she removed with her own hands.
'...I see. I already...can't go back.'
From the moment she came to know her own heart, she could never return to the way things were.
Then only one thing remains.
"My name is..."
Crossing over all the 'lines' that had once bound her, she starts to run.
She doesn't think of a suitable name or meaning.
But one thing arises immediately from her heart—that boundless gratitude toward the one who created this 'paper flower cultivation system'.
The paper flower had allowed her to truly look back on her heart.
So, she decides to be thankful.
With that gratitude, she finally decides her own name.
"Ji Hwa (紙花; Paper Flower)."
The moment she speaks that name, one sounding similar to 'Ji-hwang' but holding a completely different meaning, she finally understands what true freedom is.
'Ah...I see.'
And she also realizes who created this cultivation system.
Ji Hwa, who has reached the True Immortal realm of the paper flower system, crosses all spacetime in an instant, and like how a being who has reached True Immortality faces tribulation in the form of a Supreme Deity's gaze...
She arrives before the one who created this cultivation system.
"...It was you."
The being sits in a lotus position.
The surroundings are filled entirely with transparent glass sword mountains, and he sits atop them with a warm smile.
"Seo Eun-hyun."
Around him lie precisely 'two thousand and nine' identical corpses of himself, and every one of them wears a peaceful smile.
As if they are dreaming a happy dream.
And Ji Hwa, who has crossed all spacetime to reach Seo Eun-hyun, at last understands how this cultivation system came to be and what she must do.
The 'wisdom' flowing from Seo Eun-hyun, the founder of this system, naturally guides her.
Huggg—
After a thousand lifetimes, she finally reaches Seo Eun-hyun and does the one thing she has most wanted to do.
Hugging him.
It is at that moment.
"...Thank you. Gyeong-ah."
He, seated in a lotus position, hugs Ji Hwa.
Within that warmth, Ji Hwa feels tears welling up for some reason and speaks.
Tstststststststs!
With the power of the paper flower system that has reached its peak, her mind transcends spacetime, and begins to merge with the minds of the countless Sword Spear Heavenly Lords who have existed across all previous cycles.
From Seo Eun-hyun's 0th cycle to the 1000th cycle, all the versions of herself merge with her.
And then, from the 1001st to the 1005th cycle...all those versions of herself also merge with her.
And through the attitudes of all the Sword Spear Heavenly Lords from the 1001st to the 1005th cycles, she understands why she has come to feel this way toward Seo Eun-hyun.
—I beg...to the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld...
The vow from the cycle where she showed Seo Eun-hyun her bare face.
And the [Wheel] that the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld set in motion.
It was all a scheme of the Underworld.
But now, she no longer cares whose scheme it was.
"At last, we meet, Seo Eun-hyun."
Having regained the memories of all the cycles, she embraces Seo Eun-hyun and begins to withdraw from his memory in tears.
No, it is not Seo Eun-hyun's memory.
This is the 'inside of an unknown mantra'.
For some reason, her Celestial Lord Incense Burning connected her to the inside of this 'snake-like mantra'.
From somewhere, hissing sounds glare at her menacingly, as if trying to expel her from this world.
Feeling herself gradually being expelled from Seo Eun-hyun's world, she smiles.
Only today does she finally come to understand the nature of this suspicious feeling in her heart.
And...
For some reason, she connected with the existence of Seo Eun-hyun, who has created a new cultivation system and melted his mind into it.
She finally feels her heart filling to the brim within her chest.
Only today does she truly feel complete as herself!
Within that feeling, Ji Hwa looks at Seo Eun-hyun and speaks.
"And...let's meet again, Seo Eun-hyun."
Tap—
Just as the face of 'Yang Hwi of her childhood' had brought her forehead to hers not long ago,
She brings her forehead to Seo Eun-hyun's, conveying her heart.
Where there is a meeting, there is also a parting.
And where there is a parting, there is also a meeting again.
Having already delivered her heart, she no longer needs to show intense obsession toward Seo Eun-hyun.
All that remains now is to wait.
Thus, being expelled from within the mantra in the shape of a [Black Snake Biting Its Tail], and abandoning all the names of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord Yang Ji-hwang, she is reborn as Ji Hwa and returns to Mount Sumeru, smiling.
Someday...
They will surely meet again.
Now that the heart of freedom has been passed down, no matter what fate oppresses her, she will overcome all fate, and they will definitely meet again.
Such belief sprouts within her, gathering within her to form a single star.
Tsuaaaaaaat!
I open my eyes.
'How much time has passed?'
I'm not quite sure.
What's clear is that a time as long as eternity has gone by.
And at the end of that eternal time, Gyeong-i—
No, the one who has redefined herself as 'Ji Hwa'—allowed me to awaken to my existence once more.
'Which life was this again?'
I remember.
This is...
The 2010th cycle.
Just as Hyeon Mu said, only after surpassing that endless time have I barely arrived.
Kugugugugugu—
Before my eyes, a massive authority of violence surges forth.
: : Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven. : :
With a familiar shout, a familiar flash engulfs me.
But now, I no longer feel as though I'll be overwhelmed by it.
I very naturally swing the Impermanence Sword, dyed pure white.
Within it, someone's heart is contained.
It is the heart of the one who just gave her heart to me.
—Swing.
Ji Hwa's heart fills the Sword of Impermanence.
And as I swing that sword, I face something called hope for the first time at the end of this eternal time.
—I will be with you.
: : Annihilation Advancement Mu! : :
"Sword God Dance."
The Dance of the Sword God, imbued with a person's heart, tears through the light of annihilation that has lost the heart of a person, cleaving the sea of chaos in half and unleashing a massive horizontal slash toward the Great Mountain God beyond.
That, is the first day of my 2010th cycle.
-x-X-x-
Kurururung—
Heaven and Earth hum, and chaos recedes.
Beyond it, something like a planet comes into view.
That planet is strange. Instead of orbiting around a star, what appears to be a fixed star and a moon revolve around the planet.
It seems to be because some colossal being at the planet's core, possessing an immense mass, is making the fixed star revolve around itself.
I quietly mutter the name of that world.
"Penglai..."
Also known as the world of Penglai Island.
The place where my master's spirit hall is located.
"It's been a while."
And...
My Senior Brother and nemesis.
The world where the Great Mountain Supreme Deity Gwak Am dwells is precisely that place.
I look up at the 'black background' behind Penglai.
That black background appears like a massive cross-section of the universe, yet in truth, it is a 'mountain peak' so vast it appears to flatten the universe beneath it.
'There are so many of them...'
Looking closer, the mountain peak is composed of a dark-red Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, but because of its enormity and the distance, it appears black.
And it is not just one black mountain peak.
Dozens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of black mountain peaks are visible, forming what looks like someone's 'belt'.
Above and below that belt is a massive royal insignia, and around that insignia exists a giant dragon robe.
Wearing that dragon robe is a colossal giant god, its entire body covered in Corpse Mountain Blood Seas.
"Is this...the first time we're meeting in our main bodies?"
That's right.
Until now, he and I have only met through clones, projections, split souls, incarnations, and the like.
Not once have we met directly with our main bodies.
Therefore, I can rightfully say that this is my first direct encounter with that impossibly massive mountain divine spirit that exists over there.
The giant god made of a mountain range of darkness slightly lowers its head toward me.
Its staggering size seems enough to envelop an entire Heavenly Domain.
'It's a size that reminds me of Hyeon Mu's Gandhara... No, no. Compared to that, Hyeon Mu's seems small.'
I am overwhelmed by its sheer magnitude and click my tongue.
The only time I've ever seen a mass of this magnitude was when I stood before the presence of the Underworld.
'It's smaller than the Underworld, but outside of the Underworld, there's nothing in the current Mount Sumeru bigger than that guy...'
While thinking miscellaneous thoughts while gazing at the mountain spirit before me—
Tststst—
Suddenly, I glance at the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's chest.
Grin—
There, countless traces numbering in the thousands are etched in, and faintly visible among them is the scar from when I shattered the Annihilation Advancement Mu with my last Sword God Dance.
'The scar is faint since the main body's mass is so far beyond standard, but still...'
There is undoubtedly a wound.
And besides that wound, there are thousands of other marks.
'Those are traces I left behind during the previous cycles.'
My Sword God Dance transcends spacetime.
That's why, even with regression, the scars remain.
"How's the taste of my blade, Senior Brother? By the way, I showed the taste of a blade to a mountain divine spirit, so shouldn't there at least be a gold sword or silver sword in return?"
It's when I look up at the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and say this.
: : After all that time spent toying with time, is this all that you've achieved? : :
"...!"
I flinch in surprise, then quickly realize the meaning.
"...Yeah, I suppose you noticed. Since when?"
: : You spout idiocy. Didn't the Underworld tell you that those of Heavenly Venerable rank already perceived your mantra? : :
"...What?"
But at the next words from Great Mountain, I can't help but make a face like I've just taken a punch.
: : The moment my future self intervened, all those of Heavenly Venerable rank, including myself, already noticed. The Underworld must've told you. Then again, a dull thing like you wouldn't remember that. : :
"...!"
I can't help but recoil in shock at those words.
"A-Among the Heavenly Venerable rank that the Underworld said had noticed...you—"
: : If it were only the Heavenly Venerables who noticed, they would have said clearly, 'Heavenly Venerables and Heavenly Kings'. But since I'm included, they must've said 'Heavenly Venerable rank'. Am I really dealing with such a dull fool that I need to explain this myself? : :
"Wh-What do you..."
I reel from the confusing words of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, but I suddenly recall something that catches my attention.
"Wait. There's something I'm curious about. What do you mean, [future you]? You said the [future you] interfered? How do you know that? How exactly did he interfere!?"
That 'deer'...
Don't tell me...is he saying that was the Great Mountain Supreme Deity?
: : Kukuk... There's no reason to tell someone like you. But one thing is certain. : :
The Great Mountain Supreme Deity looks down at me mockingly.
: : In the future, you lose to me. I absorb everything of yours, even that so-called mighty mantra that interferes with spacetime. I master it more perfectly than you, and use it to send a messenger from the future into the past. That is...the true identity of the 'deer' you've been seeing all this time, and the proof that my victory is already assured. : :
He extends a hand toward me.
: : O pitiful Ender. Stop clinging to the delusion that you're my master's disciple. Abandon the illusion that you can stand against me...and kneel before me and obediently beg. Then, though I may absorb all your power, I shall allow your personality to reincarnate in Penglai Island and grant you eternal life. The future is already decided. : :
The Great Mountain Supreme Deity's arrogant gaze bears down on me.
: : I am the victor. In this world, fate is real, and that fate is an existence that resolves even the paradoxes and contradictions of time. As long as the future where the 'future me' completely suppresses the future you exists, you will never be able to win against me. Accept fate, and submit to me. For I shall defeat the Future King and release even the fate binding all you Enders...so entrust all your worries and anguish to me. : :
"..."
I lower my head before the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's voice.
And after a while, I respond slowly.
"...First, I want to ask why, even after realizing my secret all that time ago, you've continued this tedious repetition until now. You couldn't have not realized that your repeated use of Annihilation Advancement Mu has been the greatest stepping stone for my cultivation."
After all, if he really detected my regression that quickly, he could've simply killed me before I ever reached Great Net Immortal.
Even if he had left Mount Sumeru, he had more than enough power to do that.
So then, why hasn't he crushed me until now?
: : In front of Master's spirit hall...I swore I'd fight you after you climbed up properly. That is all. : :
That, at least, seems to be sincere.
It's because of that oath he made in front of Master's spirit hall that he has been allowing me to grow until now.
"...Thank you. During all those long repetitions...just like the other Heavenly Venerables, you must have maintained your awareness throughout..."
: : For those at my eye level, time is no more than distance. : :
I understand what he means.
Time and space are one.
That's why the Great Mountain Supreme Deity endured this endless span with me, experiencing it simply as a slight shift in distance.
'Time no longer holds meaning for me either.'
Cultivating through pouring in time now means little.
To me, time is now merely another word for distance.
: : I don't need your thanks. Thank only Master's honor. It was for his honor's sake that I refrained from killing you, and gave you the cultivation necessary to earn even the minimum qualifications to face me. : :
"Right. I am thankful for him too. No, I've always been grateful."
: : Good. But...there's no need for that anymore. You now possess the minimum qualifications to stand before me. There's no longer any reason for me to hold back. : :
Kugugugugugu—
The Great Mountain Supreme Deity begins to rise from his seat.
The flow of chaos where he had been sitting trembles, and a terrifying wave of energy pushes back the surrounding chaos.
A Heavenly Domain forms in an instant, spreading outward.
: : Now then. If you won't kneel, come at me. I will show no more hesitation, no more mercy. I will seize you, dissolve you into my Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, steal your mantra, and reach the end of all stories. : :
A being that creates a universe in an instant through sheer will alone.
That is the being standing before me, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
And as I face him, I smile.
"Sorry, but let's stop here for today. A true battle between us comes next time."
: : How foolish. You cannot escape. : :
Kuuuuuuung!
An immense attraction force begins to gather around the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
An attraction force powerful enough to be reminiscent of the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity arises centered around him, and begins to pull me in along with the newly-created Heavenly Domain.
The newly formed Heavenly Domain compresses again, and as I enter it, I begin to be pulled toward him.
Hwoooong—
I hurl the Flower Soul Filling the Heavens, where Kim Yeon and Oh Hye-seo are in, even farther away from the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, then smile.
"I'm not running away."
I begin to disassemble my body.
My body begins to scatter, turning into paper flowers of light.
"For I...am now everywhere."
The peak of Heavenly Escape.
The method of traveling through the domain of purity to move anywhere, just like Hyeon Mu.
It is the method of momentarily assimilating oneself with the domain of purity, then activating one's principle at the desired location to emerge from the assimilated domain.
And now, that method is possible for me as well.
For I too...
Just like Hyeon Mu, have scattered myself across the world.
I have scattered myself, become a system, overlaid the domain of purity, and stepped one foot into Martial Pinnacle.
The domain of chaos doesn't mean that the planes of Qi, Soul, and Fate don't exist. It means they are all intermixed and entangled.
Therefore, even in this Outer Sea, the domain of purity exists.
After all, when Hyeon Mu incarnated before us, it was also through that domain.
Chwararararak!
I scatter in the same way as Hyeon Mu and smile.
"Try to catch me all you want. For as I am now...unless you devour the entire world, you won't be able to."
: : ...Kukuk... : :
I begin to escape from the attraction force of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, scattering before his eyes.
The Great Mountain Supreme Deity throws his head back and bursts into wild laughter.
: : Kuhahahahaha!! Hyeon Mu may have moved anywhere through the principle of emptiness, but do you think you can do the same? You cannot imitate Hyeon Mu. You will lose yourself in the domain of purity and eventually reverse time to once again appear before me... : :
"Yeah. This method is undoubtedly dangerous."
A dangerous movement technique that risks completely losing oneself, blending with the world and vanishing entirely.
However...
"As long as there are those who call for me, I will never die."
: : Merely calling you requires immense thought. Do you think the mere thought of a single Sword Spear Heavenly Lord will suffice? : :
"...Who knows? We will see. After all, there are many who want to call for me."
I look at the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
I see the countless beings embedded within him, suffering.
And I smile.
"For unlike you, I have many friends, not slaves."
With those final words, I scatter once again into the world.
By receiving Ji Hwa's heart, I regained my reason as I was transforming into a 'law' itself, and placed one foot at the ultimate of Martial Arts.
If I scatter that reason again, it'll require even more earnest wishes to recover myself, but it doesn't matter.
'There are many...who will call for me.'
The Great Mountain Supreme Deity truly is remarkable.
He noticed in an instant that I have created a new cultivation system, and immediately recognized Ji Hwa as its greatest practitioner.
But even he doesn't know one thing.
'Those who share a connection with me, who hold me dear...'
Each has bloomed their own flower within.
And those flowers are all voices calling out to me.
'From everyone...I can feel at least one paper flower each.'
I have now become a law in and of myself.
Therefore, every heart that thinks of me becomes a cultivation under my command.
Thus,
I will not die.
Never!
Remembering this, I begin to listen to the countless voices calling out to me.
Among them, the loudest voice starts to reach me.
It is Jeon Myeong-hoon's.
"Seo Eun-hyun...when is he coming back?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon grits his teeth.
It's already been 90,000 years since Seo Eun-hyun went out to the Outer Sea.
In that time, Jeon Myeong-hoon has advanced all the way to the peak of Great Net Immortal, and his authority as an Ender has been honed to the utmost.
Yet, even in such a powerful state, he remains endlessly anxious.
"Hurry up...Seo Eun-hyun."
Lately, for some reason, the state of the Governing Immortals have become strange.
The Naming Supreme Deity and the Liberation Supreme Deity suddenly retreated into seclusion, and the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity, 'in a single instant', transformed into an Immortal Treasure by Seo Eun-hyun's subordinates.
Even the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, where the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable resides, expelled all the Immortal Seats inside and sealed itself off.
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, the direct apostle and Immortal Treasure of the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable, keeps knocking on the door from outside the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, but it seems to be of little effect.
'Damn it...'
But the movement that troubles Jeon Myeong-hoon the most is none other than the prison where the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity is sealed.
It is the movement of the Horse Ear Heavenly Domain.
'Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity...!'
Jeon Myeong-hoon senses it clearly.
He too has climbed the Immortal Dao of the Supreme Deity he seeks, just like Seo Eun-hyun, so he understands what state the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity is in.
Just as the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity suddenly transformed into an Immortal Treasure.
Just as the Liberation and Naming Supreme Deities suddenly retreated into seclusion.
Likewise, the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, at some point, acquired [something].
And from what Jeon Myeong-hoon feels, that [something] obtained by the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity is extremely dangerous.
It is something that must never be left alone.
'Seo Eun-hyun! When are you coming back!? Don't tell me this life too is just another life thrown away...'
It is as he thinks this, while cultivating in the Twin Holding Heavenly Domain.
Paaatt!
"...!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon flinches in surprise at the presence that suddenly appears behind him, and erupts with lightning.
"Y-You're...!"
That being is a silver-white giant god made of light.
It is the Fifth Seat of the Radiance Eight Immortals, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
'One of the Heavenly Lords of Radiance Hall, said to be on the level of Governing Immortals...! Even with the Underworld's protection, I have to escape...'
But the moment he makes that decision, his entire body is pierced with swords of light and is smashed into a star.
Kugwaaang!
"Kuaaaaaaaagh!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon screams in agony, and the nearby galaxy is entirely engulfed in lightning.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord looks at Jeon Myeong-hoon and speaks softly.
[Don't be dramatic, comrade of Seo Eun-hyun.]
"Kurgh...! Radiance Hall...! But we should be under the Underworld's protection..."
[Shhh.]
"...!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon shuts his mouth at the presence of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who now suddenly stands right before him with a finger to her lips.
'Ahh, it's overwhelming...'
Then, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord opens her mouth.
[Aren't you curious why the Underworld doesn't stop me, even after I attacked you?]
"Wh-What! Don't tell me they abandoned—"
[It's because I'm now on your side.]
"...Huh?"
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord looks down at Jeon Myeong-hoon and continues.
[I too have decided to become a friend of Seo Eun-hyun. So, with the meaning of having become Seo Eun-hyun's friend, I've come to tell you something.]
"Tell me something...?"
Perhaps she thinks Jeon Myeong-hoon is prepared to hear it.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, Ji Hwa, at last reveals a shocking truth to him.
[The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity Do Gon has regained their old memories and reacquired the lightbulb. Soon...they will be released.]
-x-X-x-
"L-Lightbulb...?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon ponders over the word for a long while before he finally recalls its meaning and flinches in shock.
"How could the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity have a lightbulb...?"
"Hmm...you don't know? I thought you were close to becoming a Heavenly King... Then again, you haven't even obtained an Origin Essence, so becoming a Heavenly King while still a Great Net Immortal would be difficult."
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord nods and continues speaking.
"Anyway, now that they have obtained the lightbulb, they will soon be released from the seal."
"Wait, I don't understand. What does a lightbulb have to do with the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon, puzzled, asks Ji Hwa.
She nods and slowly explains.
"The lightbulb isn't just some simple object like you're thinking."
Wo-woong!
A pure white light bursts forth above her hand.
"Inventing things or creating new magic artifacts, dharma tools, or Immortal Treasures are all completely possible once someone becomes a True Immortal. True Immortals have almost infinite time, which gives them plenty of opportunity and time to come up with new things. However...those new inventions almost never reach the Saha World to be used by its people. Even the lightbulb or the steam engine aren't entirely new concepts, but they have practically never been used by the humans of the Saha World."
"Then..."
"Do Gon obtaining the lightbulb means that a significant group of mortals in the Saha World has begun evolving a 'new civilization' centered around the lightbulb, partially breaking free from the suppression of fate that had long hindered the development of the Saha World. And that means..."
Kugugung!
Jeon Myeong-hoon suddenly feels a tremor echoing throughout the Three Heavens Great Thousand World.
It is a disturbance in fate.
The fate of Mount Sumeru is shaking.
'Insane...'
And Jeon Myeong-hoon, who can hear the voice of lightning, hears it even more distinctly.
All the electromagnetic forces in the Heavenly Domain are in upheaval.
"The seal of the Radiance Eight Immortals, placed upon the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity with the attraction force of fate and the power of light...has become meaningless."
Kwa-chijijijijik!
"Kuheok! Kuuugh!"
"Most likely, the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity intended to resurrect by borrowing your body, stealing the authority and fate of an Ender. That's how it was during Yang Su-jin's time too. But now...there's no need for that anymore."
"Kuaaaaaaaagh!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon clenches his teeth as he feels the rampaging lightning begin to surge within him.
Having always been beloved by lightning, calling upon it like a servant, Jeon Myeong-hoon groans in extreme helplessness and fatigue.
The lightning that once fawned over him now struggles to escape his command.
As if their true master is calling.
"Most likely...they will break free of the seal, capture you, and directly refine you into an Immortal Treasure. After all, an Immortal Treasure forged from an Ender is terrifyingly powerful."
"Kuuuuuuugh...!"
"If things were as they were before, I wouldn't have cared whether they turned you into an Immortal Treasure or not... But now it is different. I have become Seo Eun-hyun's friend, and you too are his friend. A friend of a friend is also my friend."
She extends her hand toward Jeon Myeong-hoon and speaks.
"You seem to be the one who enjoys Seo Eun-hyun's deepest friendship. Is that correct?"
"Kuuuughh... That's...right."
"And you are waiting for him to come. Is that also true?"
"...Ye...ah..."
"In that case, I will tell you the method to call him."
"What...!?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon opens his eyes wide at Ji Hwa's words.
"You...know how to summon Seo Eun-hyun? Seo Eun-hyun is currently in the Outer Sea..."
"He is not in the Outer Sea."
"...What?"
"He is currently...temporarily asleep, having merged with the world to escape from the grasp of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. In other words, he exists everywhere and nowhere in this world."
"What in the world does that even mean?"
When Jeon Myeong-hoon asks with a dumb look, she laughs as if amused.
"If you are Seo Eun-hyun's comrade, you'd have understood. Are you putting on a stupid act just to entertain me? Now I see why Seo Eun-hyun holds his friends in such high regard. Huhu."
"..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon's face twitches at Ji Hwa's words, but the sharp sword energy radiating from her body makes him unable to open his mouth.
"Anyway, Seo Eun-hyun has become a component that exists everywhere in this world...something like a law. In other words...he is currently with us as well. So, as long as we perform a summoning ritual, we can divine descent his law and make Seo Eun-hyun's existence return to Mount Sumeru. And...the one most necessary for that is you."
"What...? M-Me...?"
"Yes. The thoughts of you Enders...are thousands, hundreds of millions of times stronger than that of other living beings and True Immortals. You are beings that bring about miracles. Whatever you desire is made to inevitably find its way into your hands. That is why, among all in Mount Sumeru, you, who are most strongly thinking of Seo Eun-hyun's return, are needed."
At those words, Jeon Myeong-hoon blinks and then nods.
"Well, fine. I don't quite get it, but in any case, you're saying I'm the only one who can call Seo Eun-hyun. Then we should do it fast, before the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity descends..."
"That's impossible. The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity will fully break from the seal and descend within three days. Slowly summon him while fighting the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity."
"What...!? Is that even possible?"
"Once the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity appears, we Radiance Eight Immortals will have to reseal them anyway. We will be fighting them again. Join us in the battle and summon Seo Eun-hyun in the midst of it."
"Even so, will I have time for something like a Seo Eun-hyun summoning ritual in the middle of battle with a Supreme Deity?"
"It is not a simple summoning ritual. Your body will become the altar, and the components of Seo Eun-hyun that have become a law and dispersed throughout the world, will be 'invoked' into your body. The more of Seo Eun-hyun's components that gather within your body, the more his true body will be summoned to Mount Sumeru. If he regains consciousness, he will be able to resurrect in Mount Sumeru."
At those words, Jeon Myeong-hoon nods.
"Good. Then teach me the summoning ritual."
"Very well. Strictly speaking, it's not a ritual but more like a cultivation method... No, calling it a heart method (心法) would be better."
She hands over an information entity to Jeon Myeong-hoon.
"This is the Sword Extreme Heart Method (劍極心法). It's a heart method created to summon Seo Eun-hyun, so learn it well. Once you do, you'll be able to communicate with me as well, so we'll discuss the rest of the plan after you've mastered it. Well then..."
Paststs!
With that, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord turns into light and disappears.
Jeon Myeong-hoon skims through the Sword Extreme Heart Method he received, then flicks his finger.
Ttak!
"Golden Shaking Bird, come out. Sorry, but...do you know anything about this heart method?"
Kururung!
At that moment, the Great Desolate Path appears beside Jeon Myeong-hoon, transforms into the form of a hummingbird, and perches on his shoulder, reading the information entity given by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord together with him.
After a while, Golden Shaking Bird speaks with a stunned expression.
"...Uh, uhhh...Master. This is...that. That."
"What...?"
"I-Isn't this...the cultivation system Master kept searching for in your past life?"
"You're saying this is the cultivation system I searched for in my past life...?"
"Yes! That's right! This is...the method to become a Heart Tribe True Immortal!"
Golden Shaking Bird jumps up and down on Jeon Myeong-hoon's shoulder, staring at the Sword Extreme Heart Method in shock.
"In...that past life, didn't I judge that there was no such thing as a Heart Tribe True Immortal?"
"Yes! But this is definitely a method that allows one to become a Heart Tribe True Immortal! If Master learns this, Master will obtain the countermeasure Master always wanted to oppose the Owner of Heavenly Punishment!"
"Hmm...well, thanks. But...there's a problem."
"Yes! Give me any command, Master!"
"This...I definitely won't be able to learn it within three days."
"...Pardon...?"
Golden Shaking Bird becomes puzzled at Jeon Myeon-hoon's words, then starts laughing loudly.
"Ahaha, truly, Master's jokes are really amusing. Ahahahaha! Aren't you a genius, Master? Though your personality has changed from crossing over multiple lives and there may be slight difficulties, you awakened your own fate and succeeded in reaching True Immortality. A genius like you can surely master a mere cultivation method like this at any time!"
"..."
At those words, Jeon Myeong-hoon begins to sweat coldly without even parting his lips.
'Damn it... How am I supposed to say I only grew stronger because Seo Eun-hyun spoon-fed everything to me...?'
As he continues to sweat cold spiritual energy for quite some time, he decides to follow the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's words and try learning the heart method.
'For now, I need to at least try to communicate with that guy.'
He sweats coldly as he recalls the Sword Extreme Heart Method.
The minimum entry requirement for the Sword Extreme Heart Method is the first stage of Manifestation.
In other words, one must have reached Entering Heavens or have grasped a sense of Triple Divinity.
If not that, then one must be a person extremely proficient in a single weapon, practically no different from a member of the Heart Tribe.
And Jeon Myeong-hoon is someone who meets none of those conditions.
'I'm going to go insane. Anyway, I think I'll be able to quickly learn the initial section that accumulates spiritual power, so I'll learn this right away and resolve the misunderstandings with the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.'
With that decision, Jeon Myeong-hoon informs the other comrades of the current situation and begins to learn the Sword Extreme Heart Method.
Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, Radiance Hall.
There, the Great Forest Heavenly Lord and Rain Dew Heavenly Lord suddenly rise from their seats.
: : Sword Spear! : :
: : Just where had you been imprisoned!? : :
Paaatt!
After a long stretch of time, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord has reappeared before them.
Then, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord Ji Hwa slowly opens her mouth.
: : The Ender Seo Eun-hyun...I was caught by his bizarre and ridiculous authority and ended up traveling through the otherside of spacetime. The extreme suddenness of the authority attack left me with no choice but to waste more time than expected. I apologize for that. : :
: : Yet another Ender with authority related to spacetime... How troublesome these ones are. : :
: : That aside, Sword Spear. Did you feel it as well? : :
: : Are you speaking of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity? : :
At the sudden question from the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord, Ji Hwa asks back with puzzlement.
The Rain Dew Heavenly Lord nods and explains.
: : Who knows what happened, but the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity obtained something and is attempting to escape from our seal. The Radiance Eight Immortals will soon be convened. And...though I do not know what exactly happened, the current Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity seems to have acquired some kind of special authority or fate, so if we rely only on the power of the Radiance Supreme Deity, we may suffer heavy damage. Therefore, we shall call upon the divine spirits of Radiance Hall. In particular, I intend to call upon the Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma. As you are the vanguard of the Radiance Eight Immortals, I ask of you to quickly visit them and return. : :
: : Understood. : :
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord Ji Hwa nods and momentarily disappears from inside Radiance Hall. Watching this, the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord turns to the Great Forest Heavenly Lord and speaks.
: : You must have sensed something strange just now, didn't you, Great Forest? : :
: : Indeed, Rain Dew. : :
The eyes of the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord gleam with black-blue from behind their mask.
: : There has been a disturbance in the Immortal Cultivation system we manage. It is the same kind of disturbance that only appeared when a new Immortal Cultivation system was born, like during the time of Vast Cold. When I asked Sword Spear whether they sensed it, they definitely should have brought up that disruption along with the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity. : :
: : Indeed...it seemed Sword Spear had no awareness of it whatsoever. : :
: : Failing to perceive the disturbance in the Immortal Cultivation system means one of two things. Either they are not in their right state of mind after being struck by the Ender's authority...or they violated our rules and learned the new Immortal Cultivation system, thus having grown too accustomed to notice the disturbance. Either way...it is a major violation that warrants disposal or replacement. : :
The Rain Dew Heavenly Lord mutters as they stare with a chilling gaze at the spot where the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord vanished.
: : For now, since the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity has awakened, we will allow them to maintain their duty temporarily. But immediately after resealing the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, we will open a hearing on the current Sword Spear Heavenly Lord...and if it turns out it is not a misunderstanding and they truly violated the regulation...we will carry out the 'execution'. : :
: : Understood, Rain Dew. I shall inform the other Eight Immortals as well. : :
Thus, the two Heavenly Lords who oversee the beginning and end of the Radiance Eight Immortals decide the verdict of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
Kururururung—
Horse Ear Heavenly Domain.
Above that place, a white-haired girl in flower shoes appears.
: : It has been long... : :
Kurung, Kurururung!
The only remaining comrade and vassal of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, and at the same time, their Immortal Treasure.
It is Zhengli.
: : A long and longer time of humiliation... : :
Kwa-jijijijik!
Around her, an overwhelming storm of lightning begins to rage.
The thunder and lightning engulfs the entire upper region of the Horse Ear Heavenly Domain.
: : Now is the time to reclaim the former authority and might...! : :
Kururung!
Zhengli smiles as she begins to pull the presence within the Heavenly Domain from outside the domain through attraction force.
: : Come now, O Mount Sumeru, tremble in fear. The Nine Heavens Origin Responding Thunderous Sound Universal Transformation Great Emperor (九天應元雷聲普化天帝). The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity Do Gon!!! : :
Kurururung!
And immediately after,
Jjjeooong!
An enormous arm of lightning, vast enough to blanket the entire Heavenly Domain, bursts forth from the Horse Ear Heavenly Domain.
: : The Namer of Indra's Net is descending! : :
The Owner of Heavenly Punishment.
The God of all lightning.
At the emergence of the being who was once called by the alias Indra, all the Indra's Nets of Mount Sumeru quake in response.
Though not of Heavenly Venerable rank, the only entity among the Supreme Deities who can properly connect to Indra's Net begins to rise.
Translator Notes: Do Gon's title is based on the Chinese Deity 九天应元雷声普化天尊.