Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Lord and Eastern Brilliance Spiritual Lord each take their stance and draw out their Immortal Treasure.
: : Udumbara. Bloom. : :
At the same time, they reveal their divine natures of destruction and creation, splitting Heaven and Earth with their Immortal Treasures.
Kaaaang!
The sword of the Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Lord and the spear of the Eastern Brilliance Spiritual Lord seem to collide, and from their clash, a colossal river of thunder and lightning bursts forth, pouring toward the Radiance Hall faction.
: : Ten Thousand Laws and Eastern Brilliance... Were they not the disciples of the True Martial Great Emperor? : :
Then, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord steps forward, forming a sword seal and thrusting her sword of radiance ahead.
[TL/N: Sword seal as in middle and index fingers stuck together and pointing.]
: : Filling the Heavens Sword Rain. Converge! : :
From behind Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, countless swords of light are summoned, rushing in one direction and shooting into the river of thunder and lightning unleashed by the two Spiritual Lords.
Kwagwagwagwang!
The rain of swords bursts through the river of thunder and lightning, piercing through and surging toward the Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Lord and the Eastern Brilliance Spiritual Lord.
The gathered stream of swords becomes like a waterfall, pushing away the lightning river and reaching the two Spiritual Lords.
Then, the Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Lord and the Eastern Brilliance Spiritual Lord simultaneously spin in different directions, combining their strikes to parry the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's technique.
Kugwagwagwang!
The shockwave causes the entire Heavenly Domain created by the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity to shudder.
: : The Sword Spear of this generation is strong. : :
: : Different from the previous era. Clearly of Supreme Deity level... : :
Among the Jade Pivot Forty-Eight Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals,
The Jade Sea White True Person and Setting Sun Sattva True Person of the Human Race,
The Eastern Black Founding Spiritual Lord, who has yet to reach Immortal Lord among the True Immortals,
Divine Firmament Teaching True Immortal Zhongli,
And others who have attained Manifestation of the Heart Tribe or Triple Divinity, begin to step forward.
The Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Lord, the Eastern Brilliance Spiritual Lord, and the Eastern Black Founding Spiritual Lord, all holders of divine nature, move to the front and form a battle formation. Ṙα₦ŎꞖËȿ
Those who have only reached the sixth stage of Manifestation, the realm that Seo Eun-hyun calls Severing Heaven, form a formation behind them and restrain the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord gazes down at them, swiftly completes her judgment, and commands the Radiance Eight Immortals.
: : Pearl Jade, assist me. Great Forest, those ones at present are essentially undying due to the prophecy of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity. Find an interpretation that breaks the prophecy of 'do not die before the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity'. As for the remaining Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma and all other divine spirits of Radiance Hall...set your aim on killing the main body of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, and pour all your power into finding a way to slay that Lightning God. : :
Kururururung!
Of course, the Jade Pivot Forty-Eight Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals do not simply watch. They begin moving all at once.
Excluding the holders of Manifestation restraining the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, all Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals position themselves throughout the Heavenly Domain created by the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, altering its rules.
As the rules of the Heavenly Domain begin to change, the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity adapts to it and begins to spark with lightning.
Kururururung!
The form of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity changes.
Their form, once that of a colossal Lightning God, seems to gradually expand, and soon becomes a wall vast enough to engulf the entire universe.
That wall appears to merge with the new Heavenly Domain and, in an instant, fills half of the new domain.
: : I shall become the pen that protects my subjects. : :
It is a fortress.
The fortress wall that fills half the universe looks like a sea of thunder and lightning, or perhaps the skin of a massive living creature.
Then, the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals begin connecting to that wall and lightning one by one, using the wall as terrain to push back against Radiance Hall.
The Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals are constantly pushed back by the True Immortals of Radiance Hall, but whenever pushed too far, they hide within the wall of thunder and lightning and emerge from another place.
The wall of lightning accepts the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals, but the True Immortals of Radiance Hall are attacked by lightning in return.
And that is not the end. From all over the wall, cannon-like objects emerge and begin intercepting the divine spirits of Radiance Hall.
Kwang, kwang, kwang, kwaaaang!
At the center of Do Gon, who transformed their body into a fortress to protect their subordinates, Zhengli whirls in the form of a banner, directing the battlefield with the motion of its folds and begins healing the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals.
The counterattack of the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals toward Radiance Hall begins in earnest.
Then, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, supported by the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord, raises the [Silver-White Snake Biting Its Tail] behind her head and flies toward the holders of Manifestation.
Kugugugugu!
Countless waves of light swords seem to be summoned behind the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, and soon the waves of light swords become a waterfall that wraps around her, charging forward with her toward the Lightning Immortals.
The sight resembles a snake made of swords targeting its prey.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord and Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord take the vanguard, guarding the rest of the Radiance Six Immortals, while the Great Forest Heavenly Lord declares a command.
: : Great Sun Heavenly Lord, seize dominion over the newly created Heavenly Domain. : :
The arbiter between Heavenly Domains, the Great Sun Heavenly Lord raises one hand and makes a gesture as if grabbing the void.
Immediately after, as they pull their hand back, an enormous attraction force distorts Heaven and Earth and begins to summon something from the distant dimension.
It is the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
The Heavenly Domain newly created by the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, previously governed by Radiance Hall, are drawn to each other by the Great Sun Heavenly Lord's gesture and soon collide.
Kwarurururung!
As the two Heavenly Domains crash into each other, the shockwave causes all the True Immortals present, except the Radiance Eight Immortals and the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, to spit divine blood and groan.
: : Stop it!! Do not let the Great Sun Heavenly Lord take control of the Lord's Heavenly Domain! : :
The Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals shout urgently, but the Great Sun Heavenly Lord merely looks down on them coldly and speaks.
: : I am the arbiter of Heavenly Domains, the Great Sun (太陽). : :
Kugugugugugugu!
A giant sun seems to rise behind them, and as the sun grows endlessly, it erases the boundary between dimensions through attraction force.
It looks as though the sun is melting the barriers between dimensions.
Then, the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain and the newly created Heavenly Domain completely merge.
: : All Heavenly Domains of Mount Sumeru shall move along the trajectory defined by Radiance... : :
Kwaaaang!
From the fusion of the two Heavenly Domains, another shockwave spreads, and the [emblem] within the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain begins to exert its power.
The emblems originally engraved into the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, including the corpses of the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals, awaken.
The emblem of the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] begins to take root even within the new Heavenly Domain, seizing dominion over it.
: : Great Sea, Rain Dew. : :
: : Understood. : :
At the same time, the Great Sea Heavenly Lord and the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord, the two Heavenly Lords closest in nature to the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail], step forward.
Behind them, navy blue and black [Snake]s rise, accelerating the takeover of the new Heavenly Domain.
Soon after, the name of the new Heavenly Domain is fixed as the 'Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain'.
The dominion of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, previously seized by the Radiance Eight Immortals, is beginning to absorb the new Heavenly Domain.
: : Block the Eight Immortals! : :
: : Stop the takeover! : :
The Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals attempt to adjust the rules while hiding in various places within the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, but they are gradually pushed back by the power of the Great Sea Heavenly Lord and the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord.
Then, the Flower Plant Heavenly Lord steps forward.
: : As the healer of Radiance Hall and administrator of living beings, I command: Emerge, Thunder Beasts of the Golden Divine! : :
Kururururung!
At the same time, three monstrous beasts made of thunder and lightning appear before the Flower Plant Heavenly Lord.
Each wears a collar of thorny vines, and the Flower Plant Heavenly Lord grips the end of those vines and begins to swing them.
: : Thunder Beasts, seek out all the Lightning Immortals that carry your same scent. : :
Two Thunder Beasts, Thunder Whales, cry sorrowfully as they swim through the Heavenly Domain, soaring away in search of Lightning Immortals.
The Thunder Beast, Golden Elephant flares its long trunk and bellows.
: : Divine spirits shall follow the Thunder Beasts and begin the capture of the Lightning Immortals at their end. : :
The divine spirits numbering six thousand move all at once, following the three Thunder Beasts and diving into the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain to begin the pursuit of the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals who are sustaining the fortress of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
The Great Forest Heavenly Lord watches them, then turns to face the remaining dozen or so Lightning Immortals at the level of Immortal Lord.
And behind those Lightning Immortals, they gaze at the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity who is drawing out power.
: : All remaining Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma and Radiance Eight Immortals, confront the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and their direct Immortal Lords. Torch Candle, are preparations complete? : :
: : I T I S D O N E ! : :
The newly risen Torch Candle Heavenly Lord steps forward with gleaming eyes.
At the same time, the two shadows summoned between the Radiance Eight Immortals grow even clearer.
The two shadows each wear a golden mask, engraved respectively with the characters Mu (戊) and Gi (己).
: : The last Castle Wall Heavenly Lord. The last Field Garden Heavenly Lord... Their histories have been projected. : :
Borrowing the power of the Head Realm, the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord has summoned the traces of those who were once part of the Radiance Ten Heavens in ancient times and shouts.
: : From this moment on, during the times of Mu and Gi of each day, the powers of the Radiance Ten Heavens will be able to be summoned for sixty seconds! Issue your orders! This must be resolved in the short term! : :
Pasasak—
Then, perhaps due to using the power of the Head Realm, the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord's body begins to split apart and be absorbed toward somewhere.
They are gradually being devoured by Myeong Woon.
Seeing this, the Great Forest Heavenly Lord shouts loudly toward a somewhere.
: : Yeong Seung and the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords shall respond to our call. : :
Kugugugugu!
At that moment, two gates of light seem to open behind the Great Forest Heavenly Lord, revealing the landscape of the Source River beyond.
And then, one of the gates instantly collapses, while from the other, seven Heavenly Lords begin to descend.
: : Yeong Seung... Have you truly decided to betray Radiance Hall? How foolish. Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords, hear me. From now on, adjust the time of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain and distort it accordingly so that only the times of Mu and Gi exist within that domain. : :
: : Wait, O Great Forest Heavenly Lord. If this is done, the flow of time will become twisted and the Source River will fall into chaos. : :
: : It might be acceptable if we only distort time on this battlefield...but if we twist the time of the entire Heavenly Domain... : :
Then, as the Great Forest Heavenly Lord signals, the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord nods and issues a command to one of the summoned projections.
Simultaneously, the projection of the Field Garden Heavenly Lord moves and stretches out a hand toward the Giant Gate Heavenly Lord and the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord among the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords.
Kwadudeudeuk!
An invisible, massive attraction force grabs them. As the projection of the Field Garden Heavenly Lord gestures as if seizing and pulling the void, the Giant Gate Heavenly Lord and the Preserving Wealth Heavenly Lord are instantly dragged toward Castle Wall and Field Garden.
—Let me help you know who you truly are.
—Die.
At the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord's command, the projections of the past compress the Giant Gate and Preserving Wealth Heavenly Lords into small pills in an instant and are swallowed whole.
At the too quick and abrupt killing of two Heavenly Lords, the rest of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords stiffen.
The Great Forest Heavenly Lord looks upon them and speaks.
: : We are in the midst of a Supreme Deity War. What nonsense is this about a battlefield? For beings at the level of Supreme Deities, the entire Mount Sumeru is the battlefield, and it is we who are barely confining it within this Heavenly Domain. I will not hear foolish objections. If you do not follow our words, Giant Gate and Preserving Wealth you just saw consumed by the projections will be thrown to the Emptiness Supreme Deity as food, so act properly! : :
At the Great Forest Heavenly Lord's words, the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords tremble and lower their heads.
: : Understood. Please forgive... : :
Kiiiiiiing!
At that moment, the time of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain warps wildly.
The Torch Candle Heavenly Lord and the Radiance Eight Immortals, together with the projections of the last Castle Wall and Field Garden Heavenly Lords, begin to summon the form of the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] once again.
Kugugugugugu!
Great Forest and Flower Plant command and coordinate the field from the rear.
Great Sun and Torch Candle respectively adjust the Heavenly Domain and maintain the projections of the past.
Sword Spear and Pearl Jade guard the rear Heavenly Lords as vanguards.
Great Sea and Rain Dew steadily seize dominion over the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
Together, they summon an overwhelming power of light to this place.
Then, all the divine spirits of Radiance Hall, including the Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma, launch a full-scale assault.
The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals also begin a full-force counterattack against such a Radiance Hall.
At the vanguard of the Radiance Eight Immortals, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord leads with her sword of light and shouts.
: : I shall pierce a single point in the Wall of Heavenly Punishment. Everyone, brace for impact! : :
Kugugugugugu!
The form of the [Black Snake] that had briefly appeared when Seo Eun-hyun was pursued in the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain now shrouds them, and the power of the Radiance Ten Heavens concentrates at the tip of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's blade.
: : Let's go! : :
Flash!
They quickly surpass light speed and charge toward the wall made from the flesh of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
A flash of light flickers, and once again, the entire Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain shakes.
Kwarururung!
And at last, a hole is pierced through the body of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
: : Now!!! : :
The cry of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord echoes, and countless True Immortals begin to rush toward the hole in the Supreme Deity's flesh.
Among them is, as expected, one True Immortal cloaked in red lightning.
It is Jeon Myeong-hoon, together with Oh Hyun-seok and Kang Min-hee.
'Thanks, Sword Spear!'
He secretly slips through the path pierced open by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
Oh Hyun-seok covers them with his body, hiding their presence.
"Hyun-seok Hyung-nim, please come with me. Kang Min-hee, you..."
"I know. I'll move through the body of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and install rules that collapse the balance of Taiji within their body. Send the signal when it's time. I'll activate those rules along with Karmic Fire."
"Alright. See you soon."
Exchanging brief words, they quickly enter the interior of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity's fortress wall and scatter.
Oh Hyun-seok advances while concealing Jeon Myeong-hoon and his presence using a spell he learned from the Naming Supreme Deity, while Kang Min-hee openly reveals her main body and draws the gaze of the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals, diverting attention and moving away.
Inside the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity's wall is a massive 'net'.
Jeon Myeong-hoon realizes that this entire net is the advancement ritual of the Immortal Cultivation system seized by the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
The advancement ritual under the control of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
Heavenly Tribulation.
As he steps along each strand of the net, he is able to read the lives of countless beings.
'Heavenly Tribulation is...'
With every step he takes, enlightenment regarding Heavenly Tribulation and the interpretation of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity who saw through its essence flood into Jeon Myeong-hoon's mind.
'Heavenly Tribulation is the fleeting instant shown by the world to Heaven-Defying Ones...is it?'
The essence of the Heart Demon and the Heavenly Tribulation are remarkably similar.
Existences that appear before those who long for eternity, becoming an absolute [wall] that informs them nothing is eternal.
Existences established by the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity to grant the enlightenment that all things in this world are but fleeting instants.
That is the Heavenly Tribulation.
Therefore, the Heavenly Tribulation is both a wall and a mirror.
'I see. Heavenly Tribulation...reflects the anger of all cultivators...'
He finally understands why he has never been able to absorb the Heavenly Tribulation of the Heart Tribe, yet has easily consumed the Heavenly Tribulations sent from the heavens.
The Heavenly Tribulation of the Heart Tribe reflects the life of the single individual from the Heart Tribe.
But the Heavenly Tribulation governed by Do Gon—
It reflects the heart that yearns for eternity within all living beings of the world.
It reflects the anger toward their own mortality that all cultivators possess.
The life of a single Heart Tribe individual becomes poison if Jeon Myeong-hoon devours it.
Unless one is a being like Seo Eun-hyun, consuming an individual Heart Tribe's life would pollute Jeon Myeong-hoon's mind with that individual's life and heart.
But Do Gon's Heavenly Tribulation reflects the lives of all.
And the 'anger' contained within that 'all'...
...is nearly identical to the fate of anger that Jeon Myeong-hoon possesses. Thus, he has been able to so easily devour Do Gon's Heavenly Tribulations all this time.
With each step he takes, he comes to understand just how much debt he has accumulated to Do Gon while using the Immortal Cultivation system, and what kind of authority a Supreme Deity holds as a creditor.
'All the Heavenly Tribulations I've faced until now...have been processed to a softer level by Do Gon...'
In a world without Do Gon, Heavenly Tribulations would not just reflect a cultivator's 'fleeting instant' or 'anger,' but would reflect the very 'anguish' of all beings in existence, and descend as Heavenly Tribulation.
That is why the difficulty of cultivation before and after Do Gon differs immensely.
Without Do Gon, Jeon Myeong-hoon would probably never have been able to devour Heavenly Tribulation at all.
The 'anguish' of all beings in this world would be no different from the Heart Tribe's Heavenly Tribulation, unbearable for the fate of anger he holds.
'Heavenly Tribulation is...the instant. And that instant is ultimately anguish...and anger.'
Anger is a cycle.
All beings in this world rage against one another, suffer, and live like lightning...then fade away.
But in such a way...
All beings cycle.
That is...
The very principle established by the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
As Jeon Myeong-hoon grasps the principles of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, he reaches the depths of the net.
"...This is the first time we are meeting directly."
Jeon Myeong-hoon sees a massive ferocious beast-like being there.
It has no clear shape.
It is merely burning lightning.
Yet, Jeon Myeong-hoon clearly feels it.
That existence is the very being he has longed for.
The one he has pursued his entire life as his goal.
It is the soul of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity Do Gon.
Cheok—
Jeon Myeong-hoon takes his stance.
Though he senses infinite power from the being before him, he does not retreat. He merely utters a single line.
"Owner of Heavenly Punishment."
Do Gon's soul takes shape before Jeon Myeong-hoon, who has come face to face with it while hidden within the presence of Oh Hyun-seok.
Sensing Jeon Myeong-hoon's rising momentum breaking through Oh Hyun-seok's concealment, Zhengli flies toward them from afar, screaming like mad.
"Leave her to me and settle your grudge, Jeon Myeong-hoon!"
Oh Hyun-seok gradually reveals his true form, his body swelling as he prepares to face Zhengli, while Jeon Myeong-hoon silently nods and approaches the spirit of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity that is starting to take form.
What soon appears is the figure of a man whose entire body is shaped like trees of lightning and thunder.
In a way, they look somewhat like Baek Woon.
Do Gon, taking a form similar to the Tall Tree Race, slowly grips a halberd of lightning and merely gazes at Jeon Myeong-hoon.
"I've come...to settle the grudge between us."
Taking advantage of the gap created by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord piercing through the body of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, Jeon Myeong-hoon now has the chance to fight not the Supreme Deity's body, but their soul.
Jeon Myeong-hoon steels his lifelong resolve and faces Do Gon.
And the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity Do Gon silently grips their halberd, standing off against Jeon Myeong-hoon, who holds his spear.
A moment of stillness passes,
And at last, Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes lightning and charges toward Do Gon.
-x-X-x-
Jeon Myeong-hoon launches the first strike.
Kwaaaaang!
Thrust!
Jeon Myeong-hoon grips his spear and swiftly assumes the stance of Zha, piercing toward Do Gon's soul.
A thunderous blast resounds as he is flung backward.
And that is the end of it.
"...Ah."
Jeon Myeong-hoon regains awareness.
"...This place is..."
The Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
It is the land of the Nether Ghost Realm.
Jeon Myeong-hoon assesses the situation.
With a single strike from Do Gon, he was instantly expelled from within Do Gon's body, pierced through the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, tore through the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, and fell all the way into the Nether Ghost Realm of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
"Kuleuk!"
A waterfall of lightning erupts from Jeon Myeong-hoon's mouth.
"Is this...a Supreme Deity?"
There was not even a moment to respond.
It wasn't their main body—merely a spirit.
And yet, with just a single strike, he ended up like this.
A terrifying force and endless authority.
A being that transcends common sense, detached from all limits and boundaries of a True Immortal.
Supreme Deity.
It is only then that Jeon Myeong-hoon feels as if a massive wall stands before his eyes.
'Can I win?'
He sees no answer.
Every Immortal Art, every Heavenly Tribulation, every dharma treasure he had prepared for Do Gon—
He was blasted away without the slightest chance to activate any of them.
Barely managing to survive Do Gon's strike is Jeon Myeong-hoon's greatest achievement.
'...'
Yet, Jeon Myeong-hoon rises again and regains his stance.
'I will win...'
He decides to discard all other thoughts.
'No, it's not about winning.'
There is no time to cast spells or Immortal Arts against Do Gon.
Among all that he can do right now, the most feasible is to seize a single instant and land one thrust.
To thrust.
Even if only once, to thrust his spear at them.
In that way...
He will return the pain and anger he received, if only for a single moment.
He erases every other possibility from his mind.
Jeon Myeong-hoon maintains that resolve and steadies his stance with gleaming eyes.
Kwajijijik!
Thunder rumbles around him.
In that instant,
Jeon Myeong-hoon utters a single phrase.
"Returning Lightning Strike."
Kwarung!
The spell of Returning Lightning Strike activates, and Jeon Myeong-hoon reaches the place he was just a moment ago.
Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation.
Returning Lightning Strike.
Now having entered the domain of Immortal Arts, Returning Lightning Strike ignores all obstacles and returns Jeon Myeong-hoon to his previous position.
And immediately after—
Without even a moment to perceive, Jeon Myeong-hoon is flung back out to the Outer Sea.
But like a roly-poly toy, Jeon Myeong-hoon bounces back up and activates Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation.
"Returning Lightning Strike."
Kwarung!
He returns again.
And is blasted away again by Do Gon.
And he returns again with Returning Lightning Strike.
And again, he is blasted away by Do Gon.
Again and again and again, he endlessly returns in front of Do Gon, repeating thrusts like a roly-poly toy.
The damage gradually accumulates in Jeon Myeong-hoon, and he begins to approach death, but it doesn't matter.
"Returning Lightning Strike."
Kwarururung!
Jeon Myeong-hoon knows.
He is a coward, full of greed, often angry, and hot-tempered by nature.
There is not a single thing he has achieved with his own hands.
Even now, it is the same.
Among all the Immortal Arts and dharma treasures Jeon Myeong-hoon uses, not a single one is something he obtained by his own effort.
But precisely because he has achieved nothing by his own hands—
Jeon Myeong-hoon grits his teeth and keeps charging at Do Gon.
"Returning Lightning Strike!"
Again and again.
"Returning Lightning Strike!"
Kwarururung!
"Go back again!"
Kwarururung!
"Again!!"
Kwarurung!!
There is nothing he has accomplished.
There is nothing he has protected.
So now, for just this one moment—
For just this fleeting instant—
He will protect with his own hands.
Carrying that vow in his chest, Jeon Myeong-hoon is ceaselessly flung away by Do Gon, suffering fatal injuries over and over, and continues to accumulate the causality he will return to Do Gon.
"Again!!!"
Kwarururung!
Then, at some point—
Jeon Myeong-hoon suddenly feels that his hand is connected with the lightning spear.
Simultaneously, he feels something 'blooming' inside his chest.
It is a flower made of paper.
Jeon Myeong-hoon suddenly feels like he has seen that paper flower somewhere before.
"Again!"
Kwarururung!
Returning once more to Do Gon's front, Jeon Myeong-hoon listens closely to the feeling blooming from that paper flower.
Wo-woong!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord Ji Hwa suddenly becomes aware of something resonating in her chest.
'This is...'
Her star, made of paper flowers, is resonating with something.
She realizes what is happening.
'Have the Enders...internalized the Sword Extreme Heart Method and reached the mid stage?'
Through the Sword Extreme Heart Method, she senses Kang Min-hee and Oh Hyun-seok.
Kang Min-hee, through the Celestial Lord Incense Burning spell, is calling upon Seo Eun-hyun by strengthening the connection.
Oh Hyun-seok is borrowing the power of 'Names' held by the Naming Supreme Deity to call Seo Eun-hyun through his name.
'Such powerful thought. So these are the Enders...'
But suddenly, she feels a wave of worry wash over her.
'But this still isn't enough. To summon Seo Eun-hyun...a stronger thought is needed. What is Jeon Myeong-hoon doing? Until just recently, he was definitely calling Seo Eun-hyun the most strongly...'
She cannot understand it.
The thoughts felt through the Sword Extreme Heart Method from Kang Min-hee and Oh Hyun-seok are strong, but Jeon Myeong-hoon's thought has suddenly vanished.
'Just why...?'
She can no longer feel Jeon Myeong-hoon's thought.
It feels as if...
Jeon Myeong-hoon has died.
'No way...did you die from Do Gon's single strike? Jeon Myeong-hoon...!'
The light in the eyes of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord tremble slightly as she assumes the worst situation.
Because such a possibility certainly exists, she swings her sword more quickly, so subtly that no one can easily notice.
It is a result born from a faint sense of urgency.
And the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord glances at her subtly from the rear ranks of the Radiance Eight Immortals.
'Where...is this place?'
Jeon Myeong-hoon suddenly realizes he has entered some strange space.
'Ah...I see.'
A pure white space where nothing exists.
Jeon Myeong-hoon suddenly realizes that he is dead.
The accumulated damage from being struck and repelled by Do Gon has eventually led to his death.
'I'm dead. How empty.'
But that thought lasts for but a moment.
Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes aware that, for some reason, he keeps repeating the motion of holding a spear and thrusting at something.
'I'm dead, but...what am I doing right now?'
How long has he been in that dazed state, repeating that action?
At last, Jeon Myeong-hoon comes to a realization.
'I'm...right now...'
He hasn't arrived somewhere after dying.
His physical body still remains in the current world, and only his mind has accessed this strange space.
'...thrusting...'
It is at that moment when he realizes this.
Something appears in front of Jeon Myeong-hoon's eyes.
It is a corpse.
Jeon Myeong-hoon's own corpse, already killed by Do Gon, still continues to move and endlessly repeats the act of thrusting even after death.
Do Gon repels Jeon Myeong-hoon's corpse, and the corpse uses Returning Lightning Strike again and again, returning to Do Gon and repeating the thrust.
A bizarre phenomenon where the dead repeats the action performed just before death.
It is the same kind of situation as when Seo Eun-hyun, having been beheaded, decapitated Makli Hyun.
But Jeon Myeong-hoon, who would know nothing of this, simply stares blankly at the scene, unable to understand what is happening.
Then, Jeon Myeong-hoon suddenly hears someone speaking quietly.
—You've at least practiced thrusting well.
'Me...practice...?'
He reflects on his past.
He was dull, short-tempered, talentless, lazy, and greedy.
There's no way someone like him would have practiced anything diligently.
He always wanted to get by easily, doing the bare minimum while expecting the best results—that was Jeon Myeong-hoon's way of life.
'Was I...that kind of person...?'
And perhaps the voice reads his thoughts.
The voice responds.
—You were that kind of person.
'Of course...as if I ever really practiced...'
—But you also weren't that kind of person.
The voice continues slowly.
—There's no such thing as a person who's perfect in every aspect. Everyone just puts effort into what they're good at...and that's what gets called talent. Just as a person has many sides, you too have that kind of side, and this kind of side.
Jeon Myeong-hoon opens his eyes wide.
—So, have confidence. You have plenty of flaws, but at least right now, at this very moment, the side of you being shown is your best.
He feels as if someone is holding the spear together with him.
The spear feels unbelievably light, and countless flaws he never noticed until now while thrusting flood into his mind.
With a sense of exaltation he has never felt before, he widens his eyes.
—Trust in the sides of yourself you've accumulated. For it is already...overflowing with you.
And finally, Jeon Myeong-hoon understands who the owner of the voice is.
Blink—
Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes aware of where he is once again.
"Again."
Kwarururung!
He is, once again, standing before Do Gon.
And he understands what state he is in.
The scent of plum overflows from his mouth, and he is already dead yet not dead.
And, he is holding a spear.
The eyes of Jeon Myeong-hoon and Do Gon meet.
: : You've become...somewhat worth watching. : :
A smile of unknown meaning appears on Do Gon's lips.
Jeon Myeong-hoon gazes at that smile and raises his lighting spear.
Thrust.
Paaang!
For an instant, Jeon Myeong-hoon's body passes beyond lightning, beyond light, beyond spacetime, and reaches Indra's Net.
Within his chest, paper flowers shake loudly and forcibly pull him into a new domain.
At some point, Jeon Myeong-hoon finds himself in the domain of Indra's Net.
Within the realm of Araya Consciousness, he is able to strike his spear head-on toward Do Gon's unfolding blow.
Paaang!
How many times has he charged at Do Gon?
At last, Jeon Myeong-hoon succeeds in matching a thrust against Do Gon's weapon.
Of course, his thrust is pitiful.
Rather, it is Jeon Myeong-hoon's own body, despite being the one doing the thrusting, that is unable to withstand the shock of Do Gon's thrust and is flung away again all the way past the edge of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
However, for the first time, he perceives Do Gon's attack.
"...Again."
Kwarururung!
That alone is enough.
It still feels like he has achieved nothing by his own effort.
Even the perception of Do Gon's attack is not due to his own skill.
But it doesn't matter.
Even if he has accomplished nothing with his own hands, the moment he now grasps—the 'present' he clenches—is shining for the first time.
Jeon Myeong-hoon charges at Do Gon once more.
Kaaaang!
This time, the sound of his clash with Do Gon's spear is even louder.
'Again!'
He simply charges again, unable to produce even a physical voice.
Yet his footsteps now are lighter than in any of the previous strikes when he had screamed and rushed at Do Gon.
He feels it.
'Again!!!'
Kwaaaaang!
At last, Seo Eun-hyun begins to fight alongside him.
Aside from Jeon Myeong-hoon, who is half-conscious and whose mind has drifted into the domain of emptiness, all other beings hold their breath.
For a brief moment, a dreadful silence descends upon the battlefield of Radiance Hall and the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals.
Everyone present feels it.
"...Gan...dhara...?"
The Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Lord and the Eastern Brilliance Spiritual Lord, who received martial teachings from the True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu, tremble and look around.
All those who have once witnessed Hyeon Mu's Gandhara now feel a chillingly similar sensation and frantically scan the surroundings.
Right now, in this very place,
Something akin to Hyeon Mu's Gandhara is descending.
It is while everyone—except for the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord and the Enders—is flustered by the sudden appearance of a third power.
Kurururururung!
A flash of white seems to flicker, and a massive spiraling light begins to engulf the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
The Radiance Eight Immortals immediately realize what that light signifies and can't help but be shocked with fright.
: : What...!? This is...Seo Eun-hyun! : :
The Great Forest Heavenly Lord reveals their fury and glares at the spiraling light now appearing in this place.
: : Has he returned!? Sword Spear, the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity is no longer what matters right now! His return means... : :
The Great Forest Heavenly Lord tries to order the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord to change targets.
However, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord flatly rejects the request.
: : No. We continue to engage the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity as-is. : :
: : Sword Spear! : :
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord hides the joy on her face as she gazes at the spiraling light now summoned and covering the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
'He...has begun to return.'
For some reason, even though the amount of thought she sensed is far less than what she had calculated, Seo Eun-hyun has started to descend into this place.
However, that is only a 'part' of Seo Eun-hyun.
: : Can you not feel it? Seo Eun-hyun hasn't been fully summoned. That is merely a portion of Seo Eun-hyun's true body. : :
She quickly uses the Immortal Cultivation system of the paper flowers to identify which part of Seo Eun-hyun's true body has been summoned.
That is, the [Left Arm of Seo Eun-hyun], who has melted himself into the world and become part of its laws.
: : Seo Eun-hyun's mind has not been summoned yet. The feared Immortal Beast King advancement will not occur. Judging by the speed of the summoning, it will take several months before the true body is fully summoned. For now, we first subdue the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, then we suppress the half-summoned Seo Eun-hyun. That is the best strategy! : :
As the wartime commander, Sword Spear Heavenly Lord gives the command.
: : At present, Seo Eun-hyun cannot affect any of us. For now, we focus not on Seo Eun-hyun but on Do Gon! This is a command from the representative of martial force, hence the Radiance Eight Immortals are to obey! : :
At those words, the Great Forest Heavenly Lord and the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord briefly glance at each other.
But for now, they nod.
: : ...Understood. We obey the command. : :
Thus, everyone ignores the [Left Arm of Seo Eun-hyun] summoned to the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, and resumes the war once more.
—Immortal cultivation is repentant enlightenment...
With no one noticing the extremely faint mantra arising from the [Left Arm of Seo Eun-hyun].
-x-X-x-
'I...what was I doing?'
Jeon Myeong-hoon holds his spear and perceives his surroundings.
It is a space filled entirely with white.
'Ah...that's right.'
Paaaatt!
He regains his senses and perceives the inside of Do Gon's body.
Kurururung!
He becomes a streak of lightning flying toward Do Gon's soul.
And then, he feels the hand of someone thrusting the spear alongside him and clenches his teeth.
'I was...taking revenge.'
Kwarurung!
The space ripples with thunderclaps, and Jeon Myeong-hoon is bounced away again by Do Gon's strike.
'How many times have I been flung away now?'
He keeps getting knocked back.
Not once did his spear land a proper hit on Do Gon.
However, Jeon Myeong-hoon can feel it.
At first, when he was hit by one of Do Gon's casual swings, he was blown beyond Mount Sumeru, but with each repetition, the distance he is flung decreases.
Moreover, with each repetition, he realizes he is getting faster.
No, to be precise, it is not that his speed is increasing.
'Seo Eun-hyun...is becoming more and more distinct.'
He gradually senses Seo Eun-hyun being invoked into him, and realizes that he is constantly accelerating.
It feels as if Seo Eun-hyun is lending him his realm.
Perhaps because of that, he knows instinctively what the optimal stance in martial arts is, and he tempers every ideal movement and every perfect intent at the tip of his spear, allowing him to confront Do Gon.
And the more he perceives Seo Eun-hyun, the slower time becomes. He begins to escape the metaphysical layer and perceive the domain of law known as 'Indra's Net' with increasing clarity.
Seo Eun-hyun is being summoned, and the more he is summoned, the stronger Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes.
'But...'
Jeon Myeong-hoon grits his teeth.
Even though he is growing stronger, Do Gon remains utterly unreachable.
'To surpass them...I need to become even stronger...'
This is a true Supreme Deity.
A being capable of crushing a Great Net Immortal with nothing but their spirit.
And Jeon Myeong-hoon understands his current state well.
Patstststs—
Once again, he enters the white domain, feels his mind grow hazy, and then escapes it.
'...Right now, I'm standing at the boundary of life and death.'
Only Seo Eun-hyun's Immortal Art barely holds him back from falling completely into death.
'And right now, on this boundary between life and death, I'm resonating with Seo Eun-hyun through the heart born from my own impending death...through the mind that has reached the domain of emptiness.'
This is the reason why even though he has barely used 'thought' through the Sword Extreme Heart Method, Seo Eun-hyun has already quickly begun to dwell within Jeon Myeong-hoon.
'If I go further...beyond the boundary of death, toward that domain of purity...then surely, I can resonate with Seo Eun-hyun even more deeply.'
And if Seo Eun-hyun is fully summoned, he would be far more capable of confronting the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity than Jeon Myeong-hoon ever could be.
'Maybe...it's better to just offer myself as a sacrifice and summon Seo Eun-hyun here.'
His spear technique is still immature.
The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity gives him no chance to use any Immortal Art or authority besides a simple thrust.
To use any Immortal Art or authority, he first needs to land a thrust on the Supreme Deity to create an opening.
And he knows.
'It's impossible. Even stabbing a thousand times won't be enough.'
A thousand times.
Repeating a hundred ten times,
Or repeating ten a hundred times.
Even if he pushes through that staggering number, he still cannot affect the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
—Then what about ten thousand times?
And to the despairing Jeon Myeong-hoon, someone whispers.
'...Seo Eun-hyun, is it?'
Jeon Myeong-hoon guesses who it is and smiles faintly.
'Thanks for believing in me. But...'
He knows himself well.
'No matter how many times I think about it...it's better for you to be in this place than me... That's the only way to truly carry out this revenge...'
—It's better for me to be in that place than you?
'Yeah...'
—You're not saying that without even trying, are you?
'As if I haven't tried.'
Jeon Myeong-hoon smiles bitterly at that remark.
'You know...how many times I've repeated these thrusts by now.'
—Then you tell me. How many times have you thrust toward the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity so far?
'How many, you say...well...'
Then suddenly, Jeon Myeong-hoon recalls how many times he has turned back and thrust his spear toward the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
He could not give up.
So he repeated it countless times.
Truly, an 'uncountable' number of times.
'Once.'
He recalls the first thrust.
'Ten times.'
He recalls the tenth thrust.
'A hundred times.'
The hundredth thrust.
'A thousand...'
The thousandth thrust.
'Ten...thousand.'
The ten-thousandth thrust.
The more he recalls those thrusts, the more a change begins to take place in Jeon Myeong-hoon as he thrusts his spear at Do Gon.
A strange glint flickers in Do Gon's eyes, and Zhengli, who is in the midst of swinging Oh Hyun-seok by the leg, flinches and looks toward the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and Jeon Myeong-hoon.
[Yang Su-jin...?]
Kwarung—
'One hundred thousand...'
Kwarururung!
Gradually, his hand melts into and merges with the spear of lightning.
Before he realizes it, Jeon Myeong-hoon is becoming the spear itself.
And...the presence he now exudes begins to eerily resemble the Golden Divine, from Zhengli's memories of the distant past.
Without realizing, she rubs the two rings on her left ring finger with her thumb.
'A million...'
Kurururung!
The symbol of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity Do Gon is the [Lightning Spear].
And long ago, the symbol the Golden Divine Yang Su-jin had as an Immortal was likewise a [Red Spear of Lightning].
'Ten million...!'
Among all the countless weapons, there is only one reason why the spear is used as the symbol of Heavenly Punishment-affliated Immortals.
When the Innate Immortal Art of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation, progresses to its [next stage], its essence is revealed and transforms into the form of a 'spear.'
'Twenty million...thirty...forty...fifty...sixty...seventy...!'
Kurururung!
As he counts the times he has thrust his spear at Do Gon, Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes faster, and gradually grows more fused with the spear, and with the lightning.
'Eighty...ninety...ninety-nine...ninety-nine million nine hundred thousand...'
And at last, when Jeon Myeong-hoon fully remembers every single thrust he has made—
'Ninety-nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (九千九百九十九萬九千九百九十九).'
Pachijijijik!
Jeon Myeong-hoon's arm completely merges with the spear of lightning, and he becomes the [Lightning Spear] itself.
'No way...!'
Zhengli's eyes widen.
After reducing Oh Hyun-seok to mush, she trembles while touching the two rings on her ring finger.
'Even Yang Su-jin...had to steal my Origin Essence, rise to Heavenly Lord, and forcibly suppress the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation in order to make it his... But how is he, with merely the realm of Heaven Dao Great Net...!?'
Normally, Supreme Deities each inherently possess a completed mantra, but the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation, the Innate Immortal Art of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, is different.
If a True Immortal at the level of a Heavenly Lord succeeds in making Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation their own, it transforms into the shape of a 'spear' and turns into a unique mantra belonging solely to the one who has seized it.
Immortals who master the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation to its extreme each gain their own unique mantra.
After subduing Oh Hyun-seok, Zhengli clutches her chest with trembling hands.
The mantra in the shape of a spear that Yang Su-jin had driven into her chest after betraying both her and the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
Remembering that moment, she screams.
[Do...you think I'll just let you bare those filthy fangs at my Lord and me again!!??]
Kwajijijijik!
—Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation
The mantra Yang Su-jin completed surfaces in her mind.
—God-Sealing Flower-Tipped Spear (封神花籤槍)
Kwarururung!
In Zhengli's hand, a spear of red lightning appears.
It is the ultimate of the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation she has achieved, and her own personal mantra.
Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation.
[Heaven-Destroying Flower-Tipped Spear (滅天花籤槍).]
Funnily enough, Zhengli's weapon also takes the form of a red flower spear made of poppy petals, identical in shape to that of Yang Su-jin.
She raises her flower spear and blocks the path to the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
[I will never, never again allow a spear to be driven into our chests!]
Kwajijijik!
Zhengli's Flower-Tipped Spear clashes with Jeon Myeong-hoon's new ultimate will.
'One hundred million.'
At last, upon reaching the one-hundred-millionth thrust, Jeon Myeong-hoon sees Zhengli's Flower-Tipped Spear and naturally realizes that he has fully seized the Immortal Art of Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation.
Tsuuaaaaah!
The Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation, now completely one with Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand, is reborn as a mantra belonging solely to him.
As he flies toward the Flower-Tipped Spear, Jeon Myeong-hoon's will collides directly with Zhengli's.
Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation.
"Lightning-Tipped Spear."
Kwarurururung!
Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes lightning.
Transformed into a massive thunderous lightning spear, he collides directly with Zhengli's spear, matching her as an equal.
The tip of the Flower-Tipped Spear and the tip of the Lightning-Tipped Spear collide as the two glare at one another.
And between them—equal in force—Do Gon's single strike comes flying in again.
Kwarururung!
A colossal thunderstorm sweeps through the surroundings, and Jeon Myeong-hoon is sent flying, struck with a far stronger impact than before.
'Ah...it's no good after all, Seo Eun-hyun.'
Oh Hyun-seok has already lost, and from the energy he senses, it seems Kang Min-hee will soon be captured by the combined efforts of the Lightning Gods.
Soon, with the combined assault of Zhengli and the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, he will be completely subdued.
'Even a hundred million times wasn't enough.'
—Then how about a billion?
'I've never even tried a billion thrusts. There's no way that's possible.'
—Then how about ten billion?
'Look here, I said even a billion doesn't work...'
—Then a hundred billion?
'Hey, Seo Eun-hyun.'
Jeon Myeong-hoon feels like he's about to burst into tears.
'Don't...put so much expectation...on me.'
Jeon Myeong-hoon is someone who would trust Seo Eun-hyun 'again and again'.
But Seo Eun-hyun believing in Jeon Myeong-hoon feels burdensome.
So burdensome, it makes him feel like throwing up.
'I'm not that great of a person.'
He's slow, with a hot-tempered and underdeveloped personality.
On top of that, his tastes are childish, and the only thing he knows how to do is act spoiled.
He does have a will to never give up on reaching the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, but that's all.
He knows himself well.
'I...can't meet your expectations...'
—...
'So please, just...descend here using me as the sacrifice...please...!'
Then, suddenly, he feels as if the spear is becoming lighter.
'My hand...'
Aside from the hand that fused with the spear to form the Lightning-Tipped Spear, other hands are also holding the spear with him.
A total of 'two hands' are lifting his spear alongside him.
Jeon Myeong-hoon can tell.
[Both of Seo Eun-hyun's arms] have been summoned.
Within his mental domain, which has reached Indra's Net, he can clearly sense that Seo Eun-hyun's arms have been summoned around the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
'Yeah...you...you come and...get our revenge...'
"I won't."
'...Huh?'
Jeon Myeong-hoon suddenly senses that he has re-entered the white space.
And in that white space, he sees Seo Eun-hyun gripping his Lightning-Tipped Spear together with him with one hand, thrusting it forward.
"Jeon Myeong-hoon. This may be my revenge...but it is also your revenge. That's why...no matter how many lifetimes I repeat, at least for this one vengeance, I will not do this part for you. It has to be done by your own hand."
"...Seo Eun-hyun...but I...can't reach Do Gon."
"That's right."
Seo Eun-hyun nods while holding the Lightning-Tipped Spear with one hand, lending him strength.
"You can't reach them."
"Yeah...you know that too, don't you... So why are you placing such expectations on me...!?"
"...Including you, I've never placed expectations so heavy on my comrades, on my friends, that it became a burden."
"I'm saying it's a burden right now!"
"Your shoulders must be heavy, then."
—A trillion times?
"They're heavy! So heavy I feel like I'll be crushed to death!"
—Ten trillion times?
"So stop it! Stop placing your expectations on me!"
"...Remember that weight."
"...What?"
Suddenly, Jeon Myeong-hoon realizes something.
The [voice] that keeps asking him the number of thrusts is not Seo Eun-hyun's.
And Seo Eun-hyun is currently holding the spear with [one hand].
In that case...
What are the [two hands] that are now lifting the spear with him?
Finally, Jeon Myeong-hoon looks directly at the other hand opposite Seo Eun-hyun's.
At first, he can't recognize the hand completely.
Because the hand he remembers for tens of thousands of years had been fried, shriveled, and grotesquely twisted.
But at last, he understands.
'I...had forgotten...this hand...?'
The identity of that hand is Jin So-hae's.
Paaaaaatt!
At the moment of realization, Jeon Myeong-hoon exits the white space.
As he leaves the white space, Seo Eun-hyun's figure disappears, leaving only a faint pale energy lingering within Jeon Myeong-hoon.
But even so, [Jin So-hae's hand] alone remains clearly grasping Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear, despite having come out of the white space.
—One hundred trillion times?
"So-hae...?"
—A quadrillion times?
And behind Jin So-hae's hand, through Indra's Net, a certain trajectory becomes visible.
The hand which had been placed in the Bright Cold Realm pierced through countless dimensions and Do Gon's body to reach Jeon Myeong-hoon, and is now grabbing his spear.
Jeon Myeong-hoon's authority of Causality Induction.
As it reaches its peak, it is creating a miracle.
As Jeon Myeong-hoon held Jin So-hae's hand to his chest and cherished it dearly, and as he reminisced about their memories in the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, the result of enduring through thousands and tens of thousands of years is that the 'causality' accumulated in her hand has become a causality belonging solely to Jeon Myeong-hoon, one that no one else can interfere with, and it is now 'returning' to Jeon Myeong-hoon himself.
Of course, Jeon Myeong-hoon cannot understand something so complex.
He cannot grasp the intricate theory or structure of principle behind the authority of an Ender.
But there is one thing he can read.
That So-hae...is with him.
Kwarururung!
Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear strike flies toward Do Gon and Zhengli.
Jjeooong!
And for the first time, Do Gon blocks Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear with a serious expression.
[My Lord!]
Kwachijik!
Zhengli transforms.
She fuses with her Flower-Tipped Spear, revealing her true form as a bizarre god made of hundreds of millions of poppy fields.
The massive flower monster stands in the way to Do Gon's spirit.
But then, all movement on the battlefield, including Zhengli, halts simultaneously.
Kugugugugugu!
At some point, the white light of the [Double Helix] covering the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain has begun to take proper form.
: : Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment... : :
They are massive [arms].
[Seo Eun-hyun's Two Arms] now fully reveal their form.
: : Sword Spear! This is not what you said! : :
: : What!? : :
At that moment, at the center of the [White Two Hands] manifested large enough to cover the entirety of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
At the heart of the battlefield between the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and the Radiance Hall, the jade of Yin-Yang and Five Elements begins to gather.
: : Like tiny grains of salt gathering to form the sea... : :
Centered on that jade, everyone in the entire Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain feels the activation of an immense law through their whole body.
The Heavenly Domain begins to contract.
Among the True Immortals of Radiance Hall, all who have ever witnessed the atrocities of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity convulse, and those among the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals who have not reached the realm of Immortal Lord all simultaneously freeze in place, forced to shake off their fear for a moment.
: : It's the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra!!! : :
: : The Great Mountain Supreme Deity is reciting the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra!!! : :
: : The worst Devil God is using the mantra!! : :
Kugugugugu!
As the entire Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain begins to shrink, every True Immortal within it is captured by the attraction force.
If the projection of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity could compress and annihilate a single Heavenly Domain in one strike, then what happens when the main body of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity recites the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra?
All the divine spirits waging war within the Heavenly Domain know the process and its consequences, so most of them can only conclude that the Great Mountain Supreme Deity himself has joined the battle.
: : Everyone, flee!!! The main body of the Mountain Deity is beginning to act! : :
Not only the prophecies scattered throughout the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, but also the many Heaven Immortals outside of it.
The stars of prophecy hidden away in their own secret sanctuaries all begin to be pulled toward the center of the Heavenly Domain.
All beings beneath Immortal Lord are unable to resist the attraction emitted by the mantra, screaming as they get pulled in along with all the resurrection prophecies and history revision records they had placed outside the Heavenly Domain.
Especially the True Immortals of Radiance Hall, who had only known to enjoy eternal life in the domain of life, convulse even more violently.
Those who believed becoming a True Immortal freed them from death, reincarnation, and judgment, and thus indulged in evil and sin, now weep blood tears as they sob.
: : I cannot die like this! : :
: : I haven't even met Glass Peacock yet...! : :
: : My nation! My star! My achievements! No! My stars of prophecy! : :
: : I cannot become a Corpse Mountain Blood Sea like this! I have yet to witness the fulfillment of this Immortal's prophecies! : :
: : O Radiance Supreme Deity! O Radiance Supreme Deity! O my light!!! : :
As the attraction force of the Heavenly Domain reaches its peak, the End draws near.
The Radiance Eight Immortals, shocked by the overwhelming power of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra identical to that used by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's main body in their memories, witness all the lower-ranked divine spirits of Radiance Hall High Immortal and below being dragged toward the End of the Heavenly Domain.
And Do Gon is no exception.
Do Gon's main body, along with the true bodies of the Jade Pivot Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals, are also being dragged toward the center of that End.
The battlefield is forcibly brought to a lull.
The factions of the Radiance Eight Immortals and Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity are now unable to fight, focused entirely on resisting the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
Kukuk, kuguguguk!
And yet, even as their Immortal Body is faintly pulled into the domain of the End, Do Gon focuses on sending their subordinates further away from the center.
The Jade Pivot Forty-Eight Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals are newly resurrected and unaware of Seo Eun-hyun's existence.
Among them, those who have achieved their own Manifestations all arrive at the same conclusion.
: : Why does the Great Mountain Supreme Deity feel the same as Hyeon Mu's Gandhara... Could it be that the Great Mountain Supreme Deity...has reached the ultimate of Martial Arts...!? My Lord, just how long of a time have we been dead!? : :
The Radiance Eight Immortals unite their strength to resist the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and cry out to the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
: : Sword Spear!!! At this rate, we will not be able to stop either the Heavenly Punishment or Seo Eun-hyun! Reconsider your judgment! : :
And the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord speaks with hardened eyes.
: : There is no need to reconsider. Rather, now is precisely the moment when even the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity has stepped forward to protect their subordinates. They turned them undying before their own eyes and are burning their own life force as the cost. That is the current Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity. Meaning, it is not their subordinates but they themself who is not undying. : :
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord turns her eyes away from Seo Eun-hyun's arms and raises her sword.
: : As the vanguard of the Radiance Eight Immortals, I command! Now is the once-in-a-lifetime chance to eternally annihilate the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity! It is now that we must charge forward! All Radiance Eight Immortals and all Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma, form ranks! : :
At the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's words, the Radiance Eight Immortals exchange glances.
Then, the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord looks at the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord and mutters quietly.
: : I shall...believe in you. Sword Spear. : :
'I sincerely hope...let it be a misjudgment, not betrayal.'
The Rain Dew Heavenly Lord swallows that thought silently and follows the behind Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
Kwarururung!
Amidst the lightning, Jeon Myeong-hoon begins to understand Jin So-hae's words.
The counts of ten billion, one hundred billion are not referring to how many times he has reached the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity in the current battlefield.
—Ten quadrillion times?
They refer to the [total number of times] he has swung his spear while thinking of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity since losing Jin So-hae.
Jeon Myeong-hoon's awareness begins to encompass his entire life.
At the same time, Zhengli sees something from behind Jeon Myeong-hoon.
It is Jeon Myeong-hoon right after he lost the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect to the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
—I swear! I'll avenge you! I swear!
That Jeon Myeong-hoon grits his teeth and thrusts his spear.
The current Jeon Myeong-hoon thrusts his spear with the same look in his eyes as that past self.
Just as Jeon Myeong-hoon looked back on his thrusts and gained the ultimate of the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation, the mantra of the Lightning-Tipped Spear—
He now looks back upon his entire life and it seems as though he is evolving again the Lightning-Tipped Spear that had already turned into a mantra.
Another vision arises behind Jeon Myeong-hoon.
It is Jeon Myeong-hoon after ascending to the Bright Cold Realm, following Seo Eun-hyun.
He followed Seo Eun-hyun and practised his spear with surprising diligence.
—I will not forget you. I can never forget.
Holding Jin So-hae's hand to his chest, he continued to endlessly train with the spear, refining the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation and tempering himself.
Behind Jeon Myeong-hoon, another vision appears.
Again and again, former versions of Jeon Myeong-hoon from the distant past appear, practicing the spear.
Each Jeon Myeong-hoon is always holding a spear.
Jeon Myeong-hoon feels the fierce determination flowing from all those countless past versions of himself.
—Listen well, Jeon Myeong-hoon.
He hears So-hae's voice whisper by his ear and takes his stance toward Do Gon and Zhengli.
Strangely...
Do Gon and Zhengli do not move.
'No...this is...'
His thoughts have accelerated to a point where even they have been surpassed.
He feels the overwhelming number of burning determinations behind him rising past ten quadrillion, reaching twenty, thirty quadrillion.
—It's not just a mere hundred million times. The times you've swung your spear for us...what forged that heart is...
Forty quadrillion.
Fifty quadrillion.
Sixty quadrillion.
—That is why...
Suddenly, Jeon Myeong-hoon feels his spear becoming indescribably light.
Starting with Jin So-hae's hand, countless [hands] are holding his spear along with him.
Seo Eun-hyun's hand.
Jin So-hae's hand.
Jin Byeok-ho's hand.
Jin Jin-chan, Jin Hae-min, Hongsu Ryeong, Hong Fan...
All the connections he had in the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect are lifting Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear together with him.
'You all...'
Jeon Myeong-hoon now realizes why Seo Eun-hyun's summoning had accelerated even though he had not thought of him so frequently.
"You all...were watching with me..."
Kururung!
Above the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain where Seo Eun-hyun's two arms recite the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
There, a massive [Wheel of Starlight] begins to be summoned.
And around it, tens of thousands of golden souls begin to appear.
The Wheel of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld grants a portion of the authority of reincarnation to the Wheel of Starlight, lending a fragment of the essence of those who have entered the path of reincarnation.
From the deep shadows of history, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld Bong Hwa smiles warmly.
"Unfold your wings. Red Pearl Heavenly King."
Though her voice is low and soft, it resounds throughout the entirety of Indra's Net.
"Your friends are hoping for it."
Pasasasasa!
At the same moment, from the tens of thousands of golden spirits, countless paper flowers emerge, and between the [Wheel of Starlight] and the [White Arms], a colossal [Body of White Round Collar Robe] begins to be summoned.
Within the massive wave of determination, Jeon Myeong-hoon recalls those who support him from behind.
"Let's go, Jeon Myeong-hoon."
He nods softly alongside Seo Eun-hyun, who now faintly stands by his side, holding his spear with both hands.
Before long, the countless illusions of Jeon Myeong-hoon standing behind him have reached seventy quadrillion.
"I always told you to believe in me. Over and over, always saying 'this time, too'."
"..."
"But let me say it a bit differently now, Jeon Myeong-hoon. It's good to believe in me. However..."
Seo Eun-hyun gazes at Jeon Myeong-hoon, then at the countless hands of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect family holding the spear together with him, and smiles faintly.
"'This time'...believe in yourself too."
Eighty quadrillion!
"For that...is the heart you've accumulated all this time."
The countless illusions of Jeon Myeong-hoon reaching eighty quadrillion.
Each of those illusions adopts the exact same thrusting stance.
And that thrust is aimed at two targets.
"Advance. Everyone is already behind you."
At those words, Jeon Myeong-hoon feels his Lightning-Tipped Spear made of Red Lightning shatter.
And within the shattering Lightning-Tipped Spear lies a golden spear shining brighter than ever.
A Golden Lightning-Tipped Spear.
A transcendental spear that surpasses even the limits of the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation and the influence of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
And...
The ultimate of his heart that Jeon Myeong-hoon has reached.
Entering Heavens Beyond the Path
From the depths of Jeon Myeong-hoon's heart, the will of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect family merges with his own and resounds aloud.
—Romance of the Golden Divine (金神演義)
With each step he takes forward, Jeon Myeong-hoon feels old memories resonate with every step.
His spear, imbued with the story of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, becomes a weapon stronger than any lightning spear, piercing through causality and spacetime.
—Eighty Quadrillion Lightning-Tipped Spear (八京雷尖槍)
To repay the grudge of his sect, Jeon Myeong-hoon's strike, forged from eighty quadrillion wills, is unleashed with the combined strength of Seo Eun-hyun and the entire Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
The ultimate of Martial Arts that Seo Eun-hyun has reached merges with the Eighty Quadrillion Lightning-Tipped Spear, piercing straight through Zhengli, who has transformed into the Flower-Tipped Spear, and then strikes the true soul of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity behind her.
The authority of causality induction explodes outward, and the power of retribution possessed by Seo Eun-hyun's Impermanence Sword supports the strike.
All the lives of Jeon Myeong-hoon's lost family become an unavoidable Heavenly Punishment that crashes down upon the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.
At the same time, countless paper flowers boiling up from within Jeon Myeong-hoon's chest spread across Heaven, Earth, and the entire world—
Calling forth 'me,' who has nearly reached the domain of the Martial God within the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
The first day of returning to Mount Sumeru.
Together with Jeon Myeong-hoon and the entire Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect family, I pierce through everything that is the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity Do Gon...
And at last, succeed in resolving the ancient grudge from ages past.
The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity War thus begins to close its curtains.