Cheon Woon lets out a sigh at my question.
[...I don't know either. I just vaguely guess that it might be so...]
"...And what does 'Southern Sal Tree' mean? Also, about sharing the same essence as Sal Tree..."
At my continued questions, the face of the Heavenly Venerable of Time stiffens.
He speaks again with a gloomy expression.
[We are...not mere beings who exist as complete individuals, but a kind of [prophecy]...]
"...!"
Realizing what he means, I let out a stifled groan.
"The Heavenly Venerables... You yourselves...are a kind of 'prophecy medium'...something like a 'star of prophecy'?"
[That's right...We were created as 'Sal Trees' that will take root somewhere in this world and spread our branches, to become tools that pray for the descent of the Absolute One, and prophetic mediums that realize the fate of that advent.]
"..."
I click my tongue at that outrageous truth.
'They're using Heavenly Venerables as mere stars of prophecy...?'
[Since long ago, Gwan Myeong has been second only to Hyeon Mu in reflecting upon his own essence. Because of that, he realized that his essence is the Sal Tree, and gave himself the title of Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable... It's hard to rank the Three Heavenly Venerables, but if one must, then in the order of self-awareness of their essence, it would be the Northern Heavenly Venerable, then the Eastern Heavenly Venerable. Only at the end would I stand. But perhaps because I am the farthest from my essence...]
Cheon Woon gazes downward bitterly.
[Only I have seriously questioned our very lives and deeply pondered our dignity. As a result...I alone have been able to best preserve my ego and, while staying a step apart from my essence, prepare for liberation.]
He gazes far off into the direction of Mount Sumeru.
[...The Underworld is always outside the discussion, and both Void and Sal Tree went insane upon realizing their essence due to a definite flaw in their own Gandhara. But only I...placed my ego into my projection, entrusted my Gandhara to Yeong Seung and the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords...and reached the edge of this world. The 'boundary of Cakravāda (鐵圍)'. And through reaching the boundary of Cakravāda...I understood.]
The Heavenly Venerable of Time turns his gaze toward me.
[This world...is a kind of egg. No, perhaps it is more accurate to say it's a womb or a gestational realm... It is such a place. And everything that happens in this world ultimately exists [to give birth to something].]
"...!"
[The being we Heavenly Venerables, including myself, will welcome as prophetic mediums... The one called the Absolute One or the Perfectly Enlightened One... Everything in this world functions for the sake of receiving that being. In other words...when that being is someday born, we will be like the egg white and yolk inside the shell, nutrients for that birth, and we will vanish.]
Cheon Woon's eyes have deeply hardened.
[The boundary of the world... It was only after observing the Outer Sea and Mount Sumeru from the reverse of Cakravāda that I realized it. Why do you think Mount Sumeru, which originally had the shape of a [cone], is now overturned into the shape of an [inverted cone]?]
At Cheon Woon's continued words, not just me, but also Kim Yeon and Oh Hye-seo—who have been struggling to follow the conversation—seem visibly shaken.
[All life...must flip over once in order to be born... Only by looking inward from the boundary of the outer world did I finally understand.
[The flow of all attraction force in this world is becoming a flow that 'seeks to birth' some existence. No matter what sacrifices that process may entail.]
"...So what you're saying is, you don't know?"
[Correct.]
Are the 'great feats' imposed upon Time and Sal Tree that of the Future King, or is it of the [Absolute One] that is to be born someday?
Are the Future King and the Absolute One the same being?
If there is a hierarchy between them, who stands higher?
Do the Future King and the Absolute One oppose each other, or are they allies?
'Is it simply that no judgment is possible because we know nothing?'
Despite having all reached the peak of the world, all we still possess are fragmented, scattered pieces of information.
'The ones who probably know the most are...the First Radiance Supreme Deity Heuk Sa. Hong Fan...and maybe Hyeon Mu, who is presumed to have been part of the First Radiance Supreme Deity.'
But none of them seem to have any thoughts of sharing that information with me.
'In the end...is the truth something that can only be learned by challenging the Audience Chamber?'
As I organize my thoughts in various ways, I look toward the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
He wears a face twisted in pain.
[Even after going this far...there's nothing I know... I know absolutely nothing... But one thing is certain.]
Bududuk...
Then, I flinch at Cheon Woon's next muttered words.
[Without knowing anything...I don't want to become a tool for the birth of some existence I know nothing about... I don't...want to become a sacrifice as a mere Southern Twin Sal Tree for the Absolute One's descent. I...want to live. I'm saying I want to live! Without the flow of any fate, without anyone's constraints, I want to roam endlessly vast worlds, enjoy the worlds with joy...and after an endless voyage, die as a wanderer. I hate living a life trapped in this cramped egg, just to become the mere nutrients for someone's birth!]
Bududuk...
Cheon Woon grits his teeth.
[I...want to live. That's all it ever was. And so...because I want to live, I will help you all. Especially you.]
Tap!
He grabs my shoulder and speaks.
[Even if Sal Tree has been pushed into chaos, a Heavenly Venerable...can never be taken lightly. No, in fact, now that he will start making remote prophecies from afar in order to determine the victor, it's even more dangerous than close combat... From now on, he will start sending 'whispers' to the other Supreme Deities, coaxing them and attempting to bring you harm.]
"...You are saying you will help us?"
[Yes. Come to where I am. If it's with your newly sublimated Purple Soul Filling the Heavens, the Ultimate of Martial Arts, and your power as the Immortal Beast King...you will surely be able to reach the boundary of Cakravāda, where I reside.]
"What will change if I go there?"
[The battlefield will change. Just to capture you...are you truly fine with Sal Tree turning all the living beings of Mount Sumeru into a single flower?]
"..."
[Aside from the change of the battlefield, there is much I can give you in this place. And if Sal Tree chases you even this far, then I too can draw him in and try something of my own...so please...]
Tststststs—
The projection of the Heavenly Venerable of Time pleads with me as it gradually melts away into the chaos.
[Reach me.]
With that final plea from the Heavenly Venerable of Time, I finally return to Mount Sumeru.
"Yo, Seo Eun-hyun."
Upon returning to Mount Sumeru, what I see is Jeon Myeong-hoon, now holding the Heavenly Lightning Banner, having turned the Jade Pivot Forty-Eight Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals into prayer beads.
Kurururung!
The path he has walked crackles with red lightning, and from him emanates a sacred aura strangely reminiscent of the Heavenly Venerables' Gandhara.
"The Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable's move was a bit sudden, but what's up with just dying like that? I thought I'd die from the panic."
Jeon Myeong-hoon chuckles as he speaks.
I look at him and grin widely.
Now...
I truly have a friend among my comrades who is aware of the regression.
"...By the way, what did you do...with the Jade Pivot Forty-Eight Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals and Zhengli?"
"Through my authority, I revived the Jade Pivot Forty-Eight Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals in this timeline using the prophecy I made to them in the previous timeline as a medium. Zhengli was originally directly tied to the Origin Essence of Heavenly Punishment, so after I pushed out Do Gon and became the Owner of Heavenly Punishment in this timeline, she naturally became mine. No one seems to fully grasp the situation yet...but they'll figure it out slowly. And when they do, well, things will play out just like in the previous life."
"...Isn't it heavy?"
I ask with a bitter smile at Jeon Myeong-hoon's words, as he once again bears the anger of the Lightning Immortals in one body and strives to revive Heavenly Punishment, just like in the last life.
However, Jeon Myeong-hoon only slowly shakes his head.
"Even if it's heavy, it's my karma, so I'm the one who should carry it."
"...You've grown well."
"Don't talk like you've seen through everything, you punk. Makes me feel weird for no reason. Anyway...the Underworld is calling for both you and me."
"Yeah, I was about to head there anyway."
After exchanging a few casual words with Jeon Myeong-hoon, I cross into the deepest depths of the Underworld in a single stride.
Paaat!
Before I knew it, my ground-shrinking technique had reached the level where I can arrive at the Underworld's deepest depths in a single step.
I briefly leave Kim Yeon and Oh Hye-seo in the care of White Eunuch, then head with Jeon Myeong-hoon to pay an audience to the Underworld.
Kuuung!
The familiar gate to the deepest depths of the Underworld opens and welcomes us.
"We greet the Imperial Venerable."
"We greet the Imperial Venerable."
Even though I have become of Heavenly Venerable rank, I stick out my tongue, feeling the ever-ferocious power of the Underworld that makes my flesh tremble.
Kuuuung!
The gate behind us closes, and the Underworld looks down at us and speaks.
"First, Red Pearl Cycling Heavenly King. Congratulations on rising to Heavenly Venerable rank. From now on, I shall no longer address you as 'the rug of Seo Eun-hyun's group' but as the complete 'Red Pearl Cycling Heavenly King Jeon Myeong-hoon'. I swear to give you my full support and protection."
Jeon Myeong-hoon too, has now fully reached the standards of the Underworld.
"It is an honor as vast as the sea."
"Good. Enough with the formalities. And Seo Eun-hyun."
"Yes, Imperial Venerable."
"Truly...much has happened, but regardless, for returning from the Outer Sea...reaching the ultimate of Martial Arts, and being enthroned to the position of Immortal Beast King, I congratulate you."
"Thank you."
Only upon hearing the Underworld's words do I truly feel the reality of having become the Immortal Beast King.
"Now, just with Martial Pinnacle and the status of Immortal Beast King alone, you already rival the top ranks of Supreme Deities, and stand equal to the lower tier of Heavenly Venerable ranks. If you divine descent the authority of Jeon Myeong-hoon or other Heavenly Kings, you will roughly match even Hyeon Mu... It is proper to see you as practically of Heavenly Venerable rank."
As the Underworld says this, she stares at me intently for a moment.
"To be of Heavenly Venerable rank at merely the realm of Great Net... If you gain an Origin Essence and become a Heavenly King—no. Just becoming an Immortal Lord makes me have great expectations as to what level you could reach."
"Haha, since I've come this far, I'll aim for at least Supreme Deity."
"Hmm..."
But at my words, the Underworld slightly shakes her head.
"That is impossible, for you are an Ender."
"Pardon...?"
"You, who are essentially an innate Heavenly Venerable...cannot become a Supreme Deity. Even if you obtain an Origin Essence, it is entirely impossible for you to become one with it."
She points toward us.
"The fragment of the third Absolute you possess is, in itself, such a vast piece, and since you are practically that fragment itself, you are treated as one who has already merged with something that is a higher form to the Origin Essence. In other words...you are already, in essence, like a Supreme Deity of another Immortal Dao. It is no different from trying to consume another Origin Essence to become a Supreme Deity who holds two Seats. It is an absurd notion."
I let out a silent sigh at those words, and Jeon Myeong-hoon, seemingly not understanding, asks a question.
"But if you eat two Origin Essences, wouldn't you just be holding two Supreme Deity Seats? Why can't you hold both? It's not like eating two Devil Fruits where you explode and die or something."
"I do not know what fruit you are talking about, but I will tell you this. It is not an issue of rejection. It is a matter of the fluidity of the Seat."
The Underworld points at her face.
"If you have only one mouth but get two meals you absolutely must eat, do you perhaps grow another mouth? Or do you eat them in order?"
"I usually just stuff them in all at once."
"Right. No matter how many favorite foods you have and how greedily you shove them in, there is only one entryway.
"Holding multiple Supreme Deity Seats is similar. You, as a being, are still only one, and if you try to dominate more than one Origin Essence, there is a high probability that the Origin Essences, like the food you greedily stuff into your mouth, will mix together and birth a new Origin Essence."
"Then wouldn't that make you twice as strong anyway?"
"When you eat two meals at once, does your mouth perhaps double in size?"
"Umm..."
"If you consume and merge two Origin Essences, you may become slightly stronger for a short while due to the residual force, but once the Origin Essence stabilizes, it ends up the same. You Enders already possess the powerful Origin Essence known as the fragment of the Absolute from birth, so even if you gain an Origin Essence, you do not become Supreme Deities.
"The authority of the Origin Essence merges with the authority of your Absolute fragment, and you do become a Heavenly King of Heavenly Venerable rank, but that is all. You can never become a Supreme Deity. Nor do you particularly need to."
With the Underworld's following explanation, Jeon Myeong-hoon seems fully convinced.
"If ordinary True Immortals follow their Immortal Dao, seize the Origin Essence, become Supreme Deities, and afterward divine descent the Absolute to become Heavenly Venerables, you Enders follow the power of the Absolute, awaken your fate, seize the power of the Absolute, become Immortal Lords, and finally divine descent the power of the Origin Essence to become Heavenly Kings.
"It is the direct opposite of ordinary True Immortals, but in a way, it is a more efficient method that reaches Heavenly Venerable faster without waste.
"Therefore, you are in truth already no different from Supreme Deities, and there is no need for you to become one, nor can you."
"Mm, I understand."
"..."
But I look at the Underworld and let out a forced laugh.
"So in the end, even if I obtain my Senior Brother's Origin Essence, I still need to awaken to my fate and master the authority to the extreme in order to become a Heavenly King..."
"That is not really an issue for you anyway, is it? You are already of Heavenly Venerable rank. If you just obtain an Origin Essence from this state, you will practically rival the peak battle strength of Obsidian or Silver Basket at their prime. Just becoming an Immortal Lord would make you worthy of being called the God of Gods."
"Above all...you've got plenty of time anyway."
Jeon Myeong-hoon taps me on the shoulder as speaks.
"If realizing your fate is hard, just pour time into it. Sooner or later, you'll realize it."
"...Strictly speaking, I already know what my fate is. It's just...I haven't embodied it yet."
To begin with, though the Absolute fragment is with me, it's a crazy situation where the authority has gone with Hong Fan. So honestly, I can't even grasp what kind of ability my authority is.
'I really do need to retrieve it someday...'
Clicking my tongue, I organize my thoughts and nod.
"Alright. I now understand well why I cannot become a Supreme Deity. That aside...it seems you had a different reason for calling us?"
"Yes, we went off-topic for a moment. The reason I called you is simple."
Flinch!
At the Underworld's following words, not only Jeon Myeong-hoon, but even I am taken aback.
"Hunt down the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable. If he has already awakened as the Twin Sal Tree of the East, there is no way he will ever be on our side. In that case...now, when he is at his weakest and his essence and openings are exposed. Subdue the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable and steal the 'great feat' imposed upon him."
Kugugugugugu!
Behind the Underworld, a massive abyss opens.
And from that abyss, something terrifying begins to descend.
It is a colossal 'ship'.
'A ship...is floating above Indra's Net...!'
That ship is made entirely of darkness and is itself an attraction force of shadows that swallows all lights.
It is the attraction force of the Netherworld that pulls in the deceased.
The ship, ferryman, and river that call forth all of the dead.
"Of course, if you are defeated, the world may be revised and everything erased as if it never happened. Still, seizing his great feat right now will be of immense help. It is with a high chance to be of the Future King's history...so let us bring that history into our own hands, and pre-emptively suppress a portion of the Future King's power."
Kiiiiiiik—
The gate to the deepest depths of the Underworld opens, and beyond it are familiar faces.
"Hyun-seok Hyung-nim...! Kang Min-hee!"
Kang Min-hee, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon, Oh Hye-seo, and the others.
All of my comrades have gathered.
"I watched the conversation you had with the Heavenly Venerable of Time. I shall lend you Song Jin, the original Nether Crossing Ship. Ride Song Jin, and reach the Heavenly Venerable of Time Cheon Woon. Then together with Cheon Woon, defeat Sal Tree."
-x-X-x-
Kugugugu!
In the deepest depths of the Underworld, we board Song Jin.
[I am called the Nether Treading Ship (冥渡艦), Song Jin. I will escort you to the boundary of Cakravāda.]
"The control method is based on the steering method of the Nether Crossing Ship you've steered before. Just increase the consciousness connection nodes by six hundred billion and manually regulate the output of twenty billion core engines."
Fortunately, it isn't that complicated.
It only requires a bit more attention beyond what I've learned from human Song Jin's control method of the Nether Crossing Ship.
I connect my consciousness with the Nether Treading Ship Song Jin and leave the deepest depths of the Underworld.
Kuuuung!
The gate to the deepest depths of the Underworld closes, and the entire Underworld writhes, with the Ten Hells and Paradise convulsing around us.
Kugugugugu!
'This is...'
I shudder slightly as I see the Ten Great Hells line up and transform into something like an artillery battery.
'They're planning to launch us into the Outer Sea.'
The Ten Great Hells become the battery, Paradise becomes the gun barrel, and we become the warhead.
Kugugugugugu!
From the depths of darkness, a colossal [hand] appears.
That hand is composed of countless deceased, endless ghosts, and the death energy of the dead.
Kuuuung!
The Nether Treading Ship Song Jin, quite large in its own right, is lifted up like a small toy boat in that palm.
The palm is jagged and rough like a ferocious beast's hand, and each finger emanates a terrifying savageness.
'The hand...of the Gandhara main body of the Underworld...!'
It is not just the projection of the Underworld that has been shown until now, but the actual proper hand of the Underworld's main body.
Kuuuung!
The hand of the Underworld's main body places the Nether Treading Ship into Paradise.
Immediately after—
Kwaaaaaaang!
The Immortal Beast's authority of 'explosion' activates, and we shoot out through the barrel of Paradise at high speed.
As I pass rapidly through Paradise...
I catch a glimpse of the countless living beings that exist within.
Paradise is a realm overflowing with happiness and joy for those who performed good deeds.
Everyone in Paradise is a spirit body, and for them, clear qi that brings joy to the spirits is being dispensed on a cosmic scale. Therefore, the spirits in Paradise are quite literally experiencing paradise (極樂; lit. 'extreme comfort').
Moreover, there are separate sections for those who wish not for mere happiness or comfort, but an actual afterlife, where they head to their next lives or prepare for future reincarnations.
They too are spirit bodies, but rather than just clear qi, they live the lives they wished for during life, in the places they longed to be.
The projections of history recreate the desires they had within their lives.
Finally, a few spirits do not seek for either Paradise or an afterlife. Instead, they attune their ears to the jade voice of the Underworld, aspiring to ascend as higher beings.
They require neither clear qi nor the reenacted lives through the projections of history, but instead withstand explosions caused by the Underworld, enduring the explosion of Taiji in order to become a Reaper of the Underworld. That is the cultivation of Reapers.
Hwioooooooo—
As I gaze at the scenery of Paradise for a moment, I recognize a few familiar faces within.
'So you're happy there...'
I smile faintly as I look at them.
Immediately after, we are launched by the Underworld into the Outer Sea.
Kugugugugu!
While still connected to Song Jin, I activate Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens.
The Purple Soul Filling the Heavens that transmits the heart from the past to the future.
That Purple Soul Filling the Heavens merged with the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and Ryeo Hwa's heart, becoming the Flower Soul Filling the Heavens that transmits the heart by transcending all spacetime.
Then, there is the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens that leaves a yoke in a person's heart and reaches for its goal no matter what.
As the three combined, they became the Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens that sets a chosen coordinate as a yoke, and transcends all space and time to reach it without fail.
I fix the coordinate given by the Heavenly Venerable of Time, Cheon Woon, into Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens, and together with the power of the Nether Treading Ship Song Jin, we transcend the chaos of the Outer Sea and begin soaring.
When I add the power of my Martial Pinnacle as well, the Nether Treading Ship accelerates even faster.
[The estimated time of arrival is one thousand years, Your Highness Immortal Beast King.]
Song Jin informs me of the expected time to reach the 'boundary of Cakravāda'—the place where Cheon Woon's incarnation resides.
I nod, and mounting the horns of Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens on my head, I swiftly race through the chaos.
"One thousand years... It's but a moment."
It truly is a short time.
Kugugugugu!
A ship of the Netherworld sails through chaos.
One of the masterpieces of Bong Myeong, practically on par with Yeong Seung.
I pilot Song Jin, one of the direct Immortal Treasures of the Underworld, and create a Gang Sphere clone to look down below the chaos.
"...Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've felt this relaxed."
Jeon Myeong-hoon and my comrades approach me.
"It's only a thousand years, but we will be able to get some solid rest for at least that long."
Jeon Myeong-hoon speaks as he sits down, and I nag him as I look at him.
"Since we have time, why not cultivate more?"
"You damned cultivation maniac. It's only a thousand years, what are you going on about? Let's just take a little break. Besides, at this point, I'm basically at the level of the legendary Obsidian and Silver Basket."
"You'd have to add the full strength of Zhengli and the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals to reach that level. Your own strength alone doesn't come close. Of course, from what I see, your potential as a Heavenly King is enough to reach the level of the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King, so if you just keep cultivating..."
As I'm about to nag Jeon Myeong-hoon further, he suddenly pushes Kang Min-hee and Kim Yeon forward in front of me with a laugh.
"You guys talk some sense into this damned cultivation maniac. A bit of tension is fine, but people need to relax too. Especially you!"
Finishing his words, Jeon Myeong-hoon transforms into a streak of lightning and heads down to the lower deck of the Nether Treading Ship.
"...By the way, Orabeoni."
Kim Yeon glances briefly at Kang Min-hee, then whispers quietly to me.
"...What we were doing earlier..."
"...Ahem. Got it."
Kang Min-hee watches us for a moment, then sighs and takes a deep inhale from her smoking pipe.
"Jeon Myeong-hoon's got a point. You two should rest. I've got something to talk about with Oh Hye-seo, so I'm going."
"Hmm, then I can't lose either. Let's go cultivate togeth—"
"You insane bastard, just rest with Kim Yeon!!! I'll summon your Immortal Treasure with the Flawless Mantra, so please, just take a damn break!"
Moved by Kang Min-hee's words about cultivating, I almost join her, but she bursts out angrily as if she's so fed up she could die, then turns into a gust of yin wind and descends beneath the Nether Treading Ship.
Then, the last one remaining on deck, Oh Hyun-seok, stares out at the sea of chaos with an odd expression.
"...Strange. For some reason...now that we've entered this sea, I feel something familiar."
"Familiar?"
"Yes. It's Master's presence..."
"You mean the Naming Supreme Deity...?"
"No. Not Hyeon Rang...Cheongmun Sunwoo. The presence of Azure Tiger Saint."
"Hmm...?"
However, I sense nothing from within the chaos, so I can only feel puzzled.
'He feels Azure Tiger Saint's presence? But why?'
I use the Immortal Beast King's authority to sense ancient force, but still feel nothing.
'What in the world does this mean?'
Woo-woong!
Oh Hyun-seok taps on his armor and speaks.
"The divine artifact of the Azure Heaven Creation Sect, the Blue Sky Armor...is said to have been melted and forged by the ancestors of Azure Tiger Saint's master from a stone that descended from the sky in ancient times. They say that the 'will' of someone imbued in that stone, when it meets a righteous and upright heart that protects justice and watches over the weak, amplifies one's might through the power of that heart."
Woo-woong!
Oh Hyun-seok continues as he strokes his armor.
"Looking back on it now...it seems to have been a material infused with someone's Immortal Art. Most likely, a True Immortal or higher being from the ancient times launched a fragment imbued with an Immortal Art toward the Head Realm. And judging by how the Immortal Art can still be felt now, its original owner must have been an immensely powerful being. And..."
He looks out toward the sea of chaos.
"This armor has been resonating with 'something' ever since we entered the Outer Sea...and has been telling me something. Somewhere out in this Outer Sea...my master himself. Or a being who possesses a very similar aura to him, is out there..."
Woo-woong!
Oh Hyun-seok senses the vibration of the Blue Sky Armor, and his eyes gleam.
"...I'll go in and contemplate the Blue Sky Armor and the Azure Spirit Starlight Quintessence Great Method. I might be able to find a clue about Master."
"I will also he—"
"It's fine! This is my matter. So please, just rest here! If you don't take a proper rest, I'll take it as a declaration of hostility against me!"
Even though it concerns Azure Tiger Saint, he claims he doesn't particularly need my help, flares up in anger, and heads inside the Nether Treading Ship.
'Everyone's telling me to rest...'
I scratch my head, a bit dumbfounded.
'Well, thinking about it now, I really have been running like mad all this time.'
It's about time I take a breath.
Taking a deep rest for about a thousand years doesn't sound too bad.
"Then, Yeon-ah."
I take Kim Yeon's hand and head to the cabin.
"Let's finish what we started last time."
What we began atop Flower Soul Filling the Heavens last time had gone unfinished, not knowing how much time it'd take.
But now, with my realm greatly advanced, and the Underworld having even lent us the Nether Treading Ship, compressing the time to a thousand years with clear duration,
We can bring it to a proper conclusion.
After resting for several days inside the cabin with Kim Yeon, I decide to follow everyone's advice and truly take a proper break.
Together with Kim Yeon, I recreate Earth inside the Nether Treading Ship, reconstructing architectural buildings from memory, and even creating cities and such.
Jeon Myeong-hoon begins subduing the Jade Pivot Forty-Eight Lightning Heavenly Great Immortals and Zhengli as they start resisting after grasping the situation.
Kang Min-hee spends her time cultivating to become a Heavenly King, and Oh Hyun-seok focuses on tracking the energy of Azure Tiger Saint.
Oh Hye-seo...
Though she hasn't regained her memories, she has fully regained the heart that had eased after meeting Seo Hweol in the previous timeline, along with the heart of her vow of loyalty to me, and has grown significantly gentler.
She travels around with the other comrades, resolving misunderstandings between them, and especially aids Jeon Myeong-hoon frequently when he subdues the Jade Lightning Immortals or when they ambush him.
For a time, we continue our voyage peacefully toward the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
Then, sometime later—
Woo-woong!
"Seo Eun-hyun, the summoning is complete."
Using the Flawless Mantra, Kang Min-hee has summoned my Immortal Treasures.
Clank, clank, clank, clank, clank!
"Twin Constructing Chains, Yeo Hwi, greets the Lord."
"Unruly Chain, Ham Jin, greets Teacher"
"Obsidian Chain, Yu Hwi, greets the Lord."
: : --- : :
Yeo Hwi, Ham Jin, and Yu Hwi kneel before me, and the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity, taking the form of the Immortal Beast Supreme Tiger, circles around me and flicks my face with its tail.
And finally, Hong Fan, who has refined himself into an Immortal Treasure, and has all of a sudden reached the realm of Vestige Liberation Immortal, kneels before me.
"Primal Chaos Chain (鴻濛鎖), Hong Fan. Accompanied by Twin Constructing Chain, Unruly Chain, Obsidian Chain, and Swallowing Heaven Chain, present ourselves before Master."
"...Yes, Hong Fan. It's been a long time."
I commend Hong Fan, who has refined the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity into the same chain form as the others and even refined himself into a chain.
"You've gone through a lot."
"Fortunately, the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity responded passionately to Master's energy and willingly synchronized with the Immortal Treasure transformation, so it wasn't difficult."
Though Hong Fan has become a Vestige Liberation Immortal, his appearance hasn't changed from when he was in the Entering Nirvana stage.
"By the way, you haven't gotten any younger."
"Emm, I'm not sure why, but after reaching Vestige Liberation Immortal, I've felt no need to alter my appearance further. Continuously getting younger might just confuse Master, so I've decided to keep this appearance fixed."
It seems Hong Fan has chosen to maintain the same look he had during the Entering Nirvana stage, and intends to maintain that form going forward.
For some reason, I get the feeling that it's because this appearance suits Hong Fan's essence the best.
'That guy is an Imperial King.'
The imperial dignity exuding from his appearance radiates an aura of power and ambition on its own.
'The leader of the First Radiance Supreme Deity, Hong Fan. Along with Hyeon Mu...perhaps the one who knows the most hidden secrets of this world.'
And perhaps...
One of the four beings mentioned by Sal Tree to give birth to and bless the Absolute One.
Eastern Twin Sal Tree.
Southern Twin Sal Tree.
Northern Gang.
Western Zero King.
A being who may be one of those four.
'He may even be someone who, along with the Three Heavenly Venerables, holds the greatest and most powerful secret of this world...'
But I set aside those complex truths for now.
Hong Fan is suspicious.
However...
The one who embraced that suspicious Hong Fan as a subordinate is none other than me.
"...Yes, it suits you well. In any case...welcome back, Hong Fan."
I approach Hong Fan, pat his shoulder, and smile.
"Lend us your aid. My friend."
"Please, speak comfortably...haw haw."
Though he says that, Hong Fan doesn't seem to dislike being called a friend. With a faint smile, he rises from his spot.
And so, with everyone gathered except Kim Young-hoon, we head toward the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
400th year of the voyage,
The journey proceeds smoothly.
My comrades continue to grow steadily, each grasping a clearer direction for what they seek, and as they urged, I take four hundred years to deeply rest my body and heart.
And then—
Kim Yeon becomes pregnant.
-x-X-x-
The first time I sense something strange is when we are intermingling within the Plane of Fate.
Kurururung, kurung!
I take the form of a spiraling whirlwind, and Kim Yeon takes the form of a tide of fully bloomed quince blossoms.
White light and pale pink petals intermingle with one another.
Perhaps from a third-person perspective, it would look much like nebulae blending together.
Hwiooooooo!
Above a vast, cosmic expanse.
We mix together, creating massive nebular lightning above the recreated Earth.
Ururung, kwang kwang!
Each time our essences collide, the inner chamber of the Nether Treading Ship Song Jin vibrate with a humming sound, and countless stars and celestial phenomena appear and vanish repeatedly.
Kwarururung!
We shed all physical forms, intermingling purely as essence, becoming one.
In our blending, like a solar wind, protons and electrons are expelled at tremendous speed into the surrounding space, dyeing the world.
The inner chamber of the Nether Treading Ship Song Jin is designed for True Immortals, so even its sheer size alone is equivalent to dozens of stellar systems.
Thanks to that, we are able to release our powers freely and collide without restraint.
Kwarururung!
Waves of pale pink petals and white light swirl together, spiraling and becoming a vortex.
Oooooooo—
Strange sound arises from the collision of our Immortal Bodies, and several degenerate stars decorating the chamber shatter and scatter.
Kwarururung!
And then, at a certain moment.
As immense nebular lightning radiates from our intermingling and fills the chamber.
'This is...?'
From within the pale pink energy flowing from Kim Yeon's body, I discover a stream that feels foreign.
It resembles Kim Yeon, but is unmistakably different.
Kuoooooooo—
While joined with Kim Yeon and forming a vortex together,
While swirling in union with Kim Yeon, I spot that faintly oscillating something within her flow.
'That's...!'
It is fate (命).
Amidst the union of Kim Yeon and me, from the merging of vast being with being...
A new fate is being born.
'Wait, Yeon.'
: : Oooooooo— : :
I try to tell Kim Yeon to stop for a moment, but perhaps due to the excitement of our merging, only a monstrous cry that seems to shake the cosmos erupts from my mouth.
: : Ooooooo— : :
Kim Yeon, perhaps being mixed with me, seems unable to control herself and doesn't respond properly.
—Kim Yeon. Wait a moment!
In the end, I speak firmly to Kim Yeon through heart language, and only then do we pause our actions briefly.
Kugugugugu!
The two intermingled nebulae slowly unravel.
After a while, I take form as the White Round Collar Mountain God, and Kim Yeon regains her composure, transforming back into the immense divine spirit clad in a palace gown made of cascading pale pink energy.
: : What's going...ah! : :
Just as she is about to question me, she suddenly senses the alien strand of pale pink flow forming within her body, and flinches in shock.
: : Th-This is... : :
: : A new Fate (命)... That is to say... : :
For True Immortals, children can only exist in a transcendental form.
: : It seems...to be...our child... : :
: : U-Uh... : :
Kim Yeon suddenly looks a bit flustered.
Whatever the case, everyone except me has only been a True Immortal for not even a hundred million years yet...
By the standards of True Immortals, they are no different from young infants.
Therefore, to us, a 'child' could only be imagined as something conceived within the body of a mortal being.
Yet now, our first child appears in the form of fate. It's a form that is naturally and understandably bewildering.
: : F-For now... Hello, Child...? : :
Perhaps flustered, Kim Yeon greets the fate that could be called a baby.
I, too, still a little taken aback, offer a greeting to the newly born fate.
: : We are...your parents...but. Hmm...how are we supposed to treat you? : :
As I am in the midst of pondering—
Kugugugung!
Suddenly, the space within the chamber we are in distorts, and a pure white 'hand' appears, gripping the space and beginning to cross over into this place.
: : You are...! : :
The Immortal Beast White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus suddenly appears within the chamber.
I stare at them, dumbfounded by this absurd turn of events, and Kim Yeon also looks blankly at White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.
Kuheok! Kurluk...
As soon as they arrive, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus coughs up Immortal Beast True Blood and staggers slightly as they step into the chamber space.
: : Forcing myself across boundless space...was a bit much...Damn it, I feel like I'm going to die. : :
: : White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus... Why did you suddenly—no. How did you appear here? : :
: : Our Granny Samsin sensed the authority of Conception and used the point of its birth as coordinates... Then all the Flower Overseers of the Eastern Heaven Flower Field lent their strength to bring me here. The power I just felt was definitely... : :
At their following words, Kim Yeon and I can't help but flinch in surprise.
: : Sal Tree Old Man... It was his authority, the power of Life Designation (生命占指)! : :
: : ...! Could it be...the fate that Yeon and I carry...is the power of the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable !? : :
: : Hm... : :
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus frowns as they watch the power of the fate that was born between us, which has now left Kim Yeon's body and is starting to affect the space within the chamber.
: : What is this? Is it your kid or something? : :
: : It is... : :
: : That's confusing...Usually, when True Immortals have a child like this, the Old Man doesn't designate them directly. The Old Man's and our usual role is to designate children for mortal beings... : :
: : Wait a moment, then...what happened to mortal beings after the Eastern Heaven Flower Field became frozen? : :
: : Don't worry too much. The Flower Overseers are temporarily assisting the Underworld side, continuing to help new lives be born under the new Reincarnation Judge's leadership. But...compared to the days when we could borrow Sal Tree Old Man's authority, the total fertility rate has dropped significantly, and it's become a serious low-birthrate issue across the universe. : :
: : That's...a heavy burden. : :
I click my tongue in sympathy, and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus tilts their head as they look at the newly born fate.
: : Still, is this kid really the Old Man's power...? I can't tell. Something feels different... No, more than that...it feels somehow familiar... : :
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus tilts their head with a puzzled expression, staring at the flow of the newly born fate for a long time before shaking their head.
: : I'm not sure. But it's not impossible. After all, the Old Man's has gotten strange lately...and somehow, his power seems oddly stronger too. Originally, designating the child of a True Immortal would be interfering with the fate of a True Immortal, so it was a bit much even for the Old Man. However...if it's the Old Man whose strength has grown...who knows. : :
: : ... : :
I gaze at our child with complicated eyes.
Kim Yeon also speaks with a worried look.
: : Then what should we do? : :
: : Do as you please. In the end, the ones who gifted life to this being are you two, so whether you keep it or not is also up to you. : :
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus speaks bluntly, as if there's truly nothing wrong.
: : The Old Man once said this to me. That the ones who gifted him 'life' when he originally had none were all of us in the Flower Field, myself included. So...if the day comes when he awakens the darkness buried deep within his essence and loses his mind...he asked us to end him with our own hands. : :
They speak as they look at us with resolute eyes.
: : So...let me stay here too. The Old Man just used his power of designation here, and that means he will likely continue to use the power of designation in this vicinity to bring about life. Which means...if I stay here, I'll be able to meet the Old Man. I must meet him...and see for myself whether he has reached the point where he needs to be put to sleep...just as he asked me long ago. : :
: : ... : :
I look at White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus for a moment, then look to my child.
And after a while, I ask them a question.
: : By the way...do you, by any chance, know how to raise a True Immortal's child...as a person? : :
I decide, for now, to stay with White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.
And even if this child is something Sal Tree designated with a purpose...
I resolve to accept this child as my own and raise them.
: : That much isn't difficult. All the divine spirits of the Eastern Heaven Flower Field are used to seeing children, after all. : :
So from that day on, we begin raising our child together with White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.
Within a vast darkness.
There, Ham Jin cultivates the Radiance Ten Heavens and creates a fixed star.
Planets begin to form around it, and a stellar system is created.
A cradle in which countless living beings can live is naturally being formed.
Originally, in the Outer Sea where the hands of the Underworld cannot reach, there are no souls for reincarnation, so aside from plants or microorganisms, or beings with extremely faint spirits, no living beings are born...
But perhaps it's because Sal Tree is intervening?
As soon as this cradle of life is created, living beings begin to be born rapidly.
: : As expected, the Old Man is definitely using his power. : :
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus looks around at the new stars with interest, and watches the beings being born upon them.
Then all of our comrades who heard that Kim Yeon and I had given birth to a child gather around...
And look upon the [cradle] we have created.
Tststststs—
As living beings prosper on the planets, the fate we have given birth to settles upon them.
Jeon Myeong-hoon and Oh Hyun-seok hit me on the shoulder and offer their congratulations, while Kang Min-hee stares at the child for a long while before whispering something to Kim Yeon.
Kim Yeon smiles shyly and thanks Kang Min-hee, and Oh Hye-seo gazes at the child with no particular emotion.
: : First of all...there is a method to breathe an ego into a child born between True Immortals. In the case of a fixed star, since it is essentially an innate Sacred Vessel, you take time and slowly create planets and moons that belong to the fixed star, giving it the realm of the Sacred Vessel stage. Then, by refining a unique domain to give it the realm of the Integration stage, and securing axes to give it the realm of the Four-Axis stage, it gradually gains an ego from there and forms the realms of Heavenly Being, Nascent Soul, and Core Formation on its own. Once it even creates the realms of Qi Refining and Qi Gathering, only then is its personality truly complete. However...the fate you two have given birth to is a little different. : :
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus continues their explanation, and Kim Yeon and I listen intently.
: : What exactly is different? : :
: : Before explaining that, I should first clarify the difference between the fate used for prophecy by True Immortals, and the fate born through their union. The fate used in prophecy is essentially your fortune being refined to create a future.
: : However, fate born from union, the union between True Immortals, is treated as fortune itself, birthing a future without any waste. But unlike normal prophecy, the future that is born isn't one you imagine, but a mixture of parts of your lived lives. And...since it's a future not born of your imagination but of your essence, that future possesses 'power' in and of itself. : :
Woo-wooong!
Upon the hand of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, the form of a peacock appears.
: : For example...to draw a comparison with Glass Peacock, one of their famous children is the [fate to copulate with over ten billion living beings]. The reason such a fate came to be is because Glass Peacock's entire life is soaked in mating, and since part of Glass Peacock's life got mixed in, that kind of fate was born. : :
It seems Glass Peacock's experiences are so numerous that even ten billion can only be considered 'a part' of their life.
: : Also...even if such a fate is imbued, how many beings could there be that could actually do such a thing? That is why, the fate born as the child of True Immortals inherently holds 'power'. If we continue the comparison with Glass Peacock...
: : If Glass Peacock were to personally select a living being and declare the prophecy that 'this being will copulate with over ten billion beings,' that being may try to realize that prophecy, but die mid-reproduction due to an utter lack of strength.
: : But the living being imbued with the fate that is the child of Glass Peacock inherently receives 'power' from that [fate to copulate with over ten billion living beings], so they would never die from exhaustion during reproduction and could actually realize that fate. : :
I understand the concept White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus explains.
: : The fate born as the child of True Immortals...is essentially a mantra. : :
: : You've understood well. But it's actually the other way around. A mantra is something more artificially made. A fate that is the concentration of 'power' rather than the 'future'. : :
That's right.
True Immortals unite to give birth to 'laws'.
If that law is not particularly specialized on either side and is at an ordinary level, a fixed star is born.
If that law creates a 'future,' then a fate is born.
If that law creates 'power,' then a mantra is born.
Such are the children born of those at the True Immortal level.
Jeon Myeong-hoon looks a little confused and tilts his head, while Kang Min-hee gazes at our child with meaningful eyes.
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus continues their explanation.
: : Since it seems you've understood, let's continue... Anyway, in the case where this kind of fate is your child, it's much simpler to create an ego for that fate than it is for a fixed star. If you gather all the power of that fate into one place and allow a single being to wholly receive it...then that being's personality becomes your child's personality. Usually, True Immortals like you who want to bestow an ego on their child push that fate into a newly conceived baby, and live as the parent of that living being. : :
They speak while looking at the cradle where living beings are now being born under the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable's designation.
: : There are many new children that have just been born among those living beings, so choose one among those babies and imbue your fate into them. In doing so, your child will also have an ego, and will become a proper innate Sacred Vessel. : :
At those words, Kim Yeon and I nod.
I send her a message through heart language.
—As expected...sending our incarnations to the Lower Realm, conceiving a child there, and letting our child's fate dwell in that body would be best, right?
—Yes. I think that would be best.
After a brief discussion, we nod together.
: : Thank you for the explanation. Then, we just need to follow your instructions? : :
: : Yes. But before that, make sure to properly check your child's fate. The newly birthed personality will be heavily influenced by that fate, and so will their future life. : :
At White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus's words, Kim Yeon and I slowly focus our consciousness and begin to properly read our child's fate.
: : Our child's fate is... : :
After focusing her consciousness for a while to read the fate, Kim Yeon turns to me with a trembling voice.
: : [A fate that overcomes fate]... That's what it says...? : :
: : ...? : :
What in the world does that mean?
Not just me—everyone present widens their eyes, unable to grasp the meaning of our child's fate.
-x-X-x-
: : ...Such a fate...is a first. Just how am I supposed to interpret this...? : :
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus stares wide-eyed at the child.
I, too, can only blink in confusion, unable to understand what to make of this.
'Since the fate is to overcome fate, then in order to overcome this fate, one must in turn comply with it... But the fate that has to be complied with is 'overcoming fate'...'
The tail is biting its tail.
'The fate is to overcome fate? Then doesn't that mean it cannot be overcome?'
I vaguely grasp that this is influenced by some essence shared between me and Kim Yeon.
I'm the one who's always struggled to break free of fate, so it must have been influenced from that in some way.
'Just how am I supposed to understand this...'
I blink toward the child, flustered.
At that moment, Jeon Myeong-hoon scratches his head and speaks.
: : But...why worry about that kind of thing? Is it even useful? : :
I sigh, and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus smacks Jeon Myeong-hoon's shoulder.
Kwaang!
: :To say something so tactless in front of parents—read the room? Every parent's heart is like that! : :
: : Kuaaaaagh! : :
Since White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus's fist has probably reached Severing Heaven in its own right, even Jeon Myeong-hoon seems to feel pain when receiving it.
: : Kugh, you insane muscle-horse bastard. And seriously, why are you even trying to figure that out? : :
: : Isn't it obvious? It's only natural to understand its personality and raise it accordingly... : :
: : You sure talk a lot. Just raise the kid. Probably just a decently rebellious kid. If you're raising a kid already knowing what their personality and future will be like, is that even raising a kid? That's just watching a movie where you already somewhat know the ending. : :
: : ... : :
: : Don't try to raise the kid the easy way. Accept them and watch over them while accepting the unknown. Isn't that the more proper way to raise a child? : :
At Jeon Myeong-hoon's words, I become speechless. White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus also blinks at him with wide eyes.
: : Think carefully. That's not 'fate', that's your 'child'. They will probably be rebellious, but they are not a being you should think about how to respond to... They are a being you have to raise, no matter what happens. : :
A brief silence flows between us.
Then, I nod.
: : ...You're right. : :
There's not a single false word in it.
: : Let's go down...and find out by raising them ourselves. : :
I speak to Kim Yeon, and Kim Yeon nods.
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus speaks, as if taken aback.
: : Hey, are you serious? No matter how you put it...even I've never seen a fate like that before... : :
: : They said it's fine. Let it go already. It's not like a child is some kind of monster... : :
Jeon Myeong-hoon slaps White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus on the shoulder, returning the hit he took earlier, and speaks.
: : Go. Make the child properly, live together, and come back. : :
: : ...Got it. Thanks, Jeon Myeong-hoon. : :
I offer Jeon Myeong-hoon a brief word of thanks, then begin manipulating attraction force.
At the same time, in a corner of the planetary system we created—
There, Kim Yeon and I form our incarnations and dwell within them.
And then—
We continue the work between incarnations, to create a personality for our child.
In the planet 'Unbinding Star' of the 'Unruly Realm', where my Immortal Treasure Unruly Chain Ham Jin governs the fixed star—
We settle in a small village at the edge of a continent on Unbinding Star, build a home there, and, though it's a little late, hold our ceremony.
"Are you alright, Yeon-ah?"
"Uk...I don't know."
The officiant is Hong Fan, and we pledge our vows before him.
Kang Min-hee puffs her pipe, and Oh Hye-seo expressionlessly runs around here and there, helping my Immortal Treasures serve food.
Oh Hyun-seok wipes away tears, and Jeon Myeong-hoon unconsciously reaches into his chest to look for a wooden box, but stops and looks up at the sky.
All my Immortal Treasures give us their heartfelt congratulations.
The wedding is held in the style of our homeland, Earth.
We hold it in the ceremony of our native land.
Truthfully, it's something we should have done long ago, but...
'So many things happened.'
So much happened that...I hadn't dared to even think about holding a ceremony.
And since everything gets undone whenever I regress, I'd subconsciously avoided holding one altogether.
If our promise were to flow into the other side of time, I didn't think I could bear it.
I hold the ceremony with Kim Yeon, and somewhere at the edge of Unbinding Star's land, I properly join together with her.
After a long and even longer time...
We have finally become husband and wife.
"The bride and groom will now bow to each other."
I bow with her and smile.
'I've found the possibility...'
Starting with bringing half of Oh Hye-seo's soul into this cycle...
To the Supreme Deities who have seized Origin Essence.
To Ji Hwa, who, even without seizing Origin Essence, began to recognize regression through the 'Wheel' of the Underworld.
And finally, through cases like Kim Young-hoon and Jeon Myeong-hoon, I remember that those who become Heavenly Kings are no longer affected by regression...so if she too becomes a Heavenly King someday, I have the hope that she will be able to regain this memory again.
'Hope exists.'
So now, there's no need to be afraid anymore.
At the end of the ceremony, I ignore all formal customs and tightly embrace Kim Yeon, feeling her warmth.
'From now on...I won't let go of this warmth.'
When I think about it, how many times have I failed to fully embrace warmth simply because I was afraid of losing it?
Starting from Buk Hyang-hwa,
To the Kim Yeon of the 14th cycle...
It was all the same.
I remember even when I obtained Crystal Glass to Treading Sea.
'I was always blaming myself and drowning in guilt...living only with pain, and never even getting the chance to feel happiness.'
But when the starting point of my Innate Immortal Art, Crystal Glass to Treading Sea, was completed, it was when I freed myself from self-blame.
'There are things you can't grow from if you're always miserable and hurting yourself.'
To accept happiness as well...
That too is necessary for growth.
I hold Kim Yeon in my arms, and with everyone's blessings, we bring the ceremony to its conclusion.
The wedding ends, and on our first night.
Though we've already done plenty before the wedding so there's no awkwardness, an explicable shyness wells up.
"When you think about it, it's kinda funny."
I block all the prying gazes trying to peek inside with the Impermanence Sword and close the door.
The baby is already conceived, but to properly form the baby, we have to do the act of creating the child one more time.
"We've already seen everything there is to see between us, but because the child was conceived from two True Immortals, we now had to descend to the Lower Realm and do it again to create a new personality for the child...and..."
"That we're only holding the wedding now?"
"...That too, and..."
I hesitate for a moment at this embarrassment of not knowing how to put it in words, finally speak.
"...Through a ceremony like this...being able to call you...'dear'..."
"..."
Kim Yeon's face seems to blush a little, then a smile blooms.
"...Honey..."
I realize that my face has reddened to a point that even I am shocked.
Even after living through all this time, I didn't think just one word would bring such a dramatic physical reaction.
"I think it's great?"
"...R-Really? I feel a little awkward..."
"Don't keep fidgeting. Come here. Honey."
At Kim Yeon's continuing words, I feel my face heat up even more.
"We have a baby to make."
Whoosh—
And so, the lights of our first night go out, and I enter union with Kim Yeon through our mortal bodies.
Several months pass.
Kim Yeon's belly has swelled.
"Uuuugh..."
"You okay, Kim Yeon?"
"Yes...I'm fine. The suicide ritual during the True Immortal advancement hurt more anyway."
Though she suffers from the child in her belly, Kim Yeon endures well.
"The condition looks good. The baby's energetic."
Kang Min-hee, lying down with her ear pressed to Kim Yeon's belly, speaks, and Kim Yeon pokes at Min-hee's head.
"Unnie, can you not lie directly on my stomach? You will scare the baby."
"I'm in spirit form right now so I don't have any weight. Why would the baby be scared? I'm listening to the baby's heartbeat, so don't talk to me."
Inside Kim Yeon's womb, the body that will become our child's physical form grows healthily.
Wo-woong!
"Ah, the soul is almost settled."
Kang Min-hee listens to the baby's heartbeat and checks the baby's condition.
Just as she says, at present, the baby is imbued with the fate that can be primarily called the main body of our child. As the power of that fate meets the authority of love that Kim Yeon possesses, the soul is forming stably and slowly settling in.
"Seo Eun-hyun, why don't you come and listen too? It's really nice to hear, you know?"
Kang Min-hee gestures toward me, and I give a bitter smile as I watch the two of them.
"Sorry...but I have to defend against the interference of the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable."
"You're scaring yourself all on your own."
"Don't say it like that, Unnie. It's probably not fear...but embarrassment."
"..."
The two whisper to each other about me.
But I don't particularly argue and simply look at Kim Yeon's belly.
From within, I hear a sound.
It's the sound of my child.
Thump, thump...
It's the first time I've ever heard a human heartbeat this loudly.
'This is driving me crazy...'
Honestly, Kang Min-hee is right.
I'm scared.
Seeing the child terrifies me so much.
'What if I see this child...become so happy...and then end up regressing again? What if...when regression happens, I try to carry the soul along like I did with Oh Hye-seo, and the child gets pulled apart like her and suffers?'
I'm terrified.
Now, it's no longer just my own pain that is my pain.
The child's pain is also mine.
Because of that...
I fear the world full of suffering the child will face once born, and I fear that I won't be able to overcome that world and die.
And ...
What terrifies me most is dying and having all of it erased like it never happened.
'Even if I take the child's soul with me so that it doesn't all become as if nothing happened after death...I don't even know if that's a good thing for the child...'
Overwhelmed by a confusion and panic I've never felt before in my life, I stay a little apart and don't approach the child, listening to the heartbeat while I wait for the child's proper birth.
And after some time, finally, ten months pass.
"Push, Kim Yeon! You can do this!"
The White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus acts as midwife, delivering the child, while Kang Min-hee assists.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, and I stand outside, lost in thought as we watch the night sky.
"Nervous?"
"...Yeah."
Jeon Myeong-hoon smiles as he looks at the sky.
"Don't be too nervous. Even if something goes wrong, who are we? We can handle anything. Moreover, the midwife is Kang Min-hee and that muscle horse. I don't know much about the muscle horse, but there's no way Kang Min-hee would make a mistake, so relax a little."
"Kang Min-hee actually messes up more often than you think."
"Shut it. You're just a deputy, don't talk back to your superior."
Jeon Myeong-hoon continues spouting nonsense next to me, trying to calm me down, and Oh Hyun-seok occasionally chimes in while listening to our conversation.
"...Nervousness is necessary too. I...understand how you feel. If my daughter had been born instead of miscarried...I'd probably feel just like you."
"..."
"Still...wish for safety, but don't shake too much. That child's parents are...you both, who've come this far through countless tribulations. There's no way anything will go wrong."
"...Thank you."
To his advice, spoken from experience, I nod and express my gratitude.
Just then,
I sense a change in the flow of the air.
All of us here are perceiving the world purely through the senses of mortals, with our consciousness domains turned off, so I am the first to notice.
'There's one more breath now.'
Snap—
The sound of an umbilical cord being cut reaches my ears.
And immediately after—
Slaaap—
Flinch!
A sharp smacking sound rings out, and soon after—
"Uwaaaaaaeng!"
A loud, resounding baby's cry rings out.
The moment that sound comes, I become restless, biting my nails in front of the door.
At that moment, Kang Min-hee flings the door open and says,
"Come in, Seo Eun-hyun."
I slowly step into the room.
Inside, the room has been made dark as if to keep the light out, and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, transformed into the form of a human woman, serves as the midwife, receiving the baby and handing them to Kim Yeon.
To the baby Kim Yeon holds, the main body of the child—the fate—completely flows in, and with it, the child is fully born.
The child, experiencing the vivid 'pain' of life for the first time, cries uncontrollably, and begins to gradually form a personality.
And...
Kim Yeon, soothing the child's pain, nurses them for the first time.
The moment I see that, I freeze in place.
Regarding why, I can't dare to express it in words.
For a long while, I just silently watch Kim Yeon and my child.
After a little while, as the baby's crying begins to calm, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus receives the child from Kim Yeon and gently places them into my arms.
With a trembling voice, I receive the baby.
Our eyes meet.
In that instant, all the fear and worries I've held up until now—
All the stray thoughts—
They all melt away at once.
It feels like only the baby and I exist in this entire world.
A being that existed merely as fate now takes on a physical body, is born into this world, and breathes.
And with warmth, their heart beats strongly, announcing their existence.
At that very moment, I realize—
I have become a father.
"She's a beautiful daughter. Raise her well."
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus speaks softly, and only then do I realize the baby's gender.
From the moment the baby was conceived, we could have used Immortal Arts to determine everything about her...
But we left it all to fate—or perhaps to the heavens.
We even shut off our consciousness domains...
So this is the first time we're learning anything about the child.
Holding the child for the first time, I walk to Kim Yeon.
Perhaps because this is not a properly refined body, but an incarnation roughly made several years ago, Kim Yeon looks very exhausted.
Even so, as she gazes at our child with her exhausted body, Kim Yeon smiles warmly.
I lean my body against Kim Yeon's and hold the child together with her.
"Yeon-ah...look."
"Yes...honey."
"She's..."
Caught in an emotion I cannot describe—
I look at this tiny, wrinkled life, just born, and say,
"She's...our child."
The heart I couldn't feel in my transcendent body—
I finally come to understand as I wear a mortal one.
"Yes...she's our...child."
With a warm smile, Kim Yeon slowly takes the baby back into her arms and feels her warmth.
"Hey...I'm your...mom."
The baby buries her face in Kim Yeon's chest, and, perhaps comforted, drifts off to sleep. As I watch all this, I forget all words.
It feels as if only the three of us exist in the world.
Along with the presence of Jeon Myeong-hoon flinching in shock outside as he sees the Transformation form of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus,
The presence of Kang Min-hee and Oh Hyun-seok, rejoicing as if it were their own child,
The presence of Oh Hye-seo, wordlessly gazing up at the sky...
And a warm wave born from within Kim Yeon.
Yes...along with the presence of what we call soul,
I, shedding tears of meaning I cannot grasp, whisper.
"We've...become mom and dad."
Now, at an age too old to even count,
Roughly thirty thousand years after we fell to Ascension Path,
In a cabin aboard the Nether Treading Ship Song Jin in the Outer Sea beyond Mount Sumeru,
At the edge of a continent in a small stellar system within called 'Unruly Realm'—
I have become a father.
'Life is...'
I, about to define life before this deeply moving blessing of birth, as I hold my daughter, who today has gained her personality and physical form for the first time—
Decide to abandon such thoughts.
'...I don't know.'
Today,
I have gained the greatest Dao—enough to be content even if I die in the evening.
"What should we...name her?"
"...Ran (蘭)."
To Kim Yeon's question, I answer without hesitation, and she accepts it right away.
Because the other name for Buk Hyang-hwa (White Magnolia) was Baek Ran (White Orchid).
And at the same time...
It is also the name of a dear old friend we both miss.
Among the flowers that held the most meaning in my life, I choose one of their names as the name of our child.
Seo Ran (瑞蘭).
Our child's name is Seo Ran.