The Seven Immortals, excluding the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, gather at the round table in the Eight Immortals Assembly Hall.
::...Do you still suspect the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord? ::
A single remark from the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord rings in the ears of the other Eight Immortals.
:: Answer, Rain Dew. No matter that you are the executor of Radiance Hall and enforcement is your authority...just this once it must be questioned. As a result of suspecting Sword Spear, suspecting their statement to be a trap, only the blameless Law Protecting Immortals were massacred. ::
:: Calm yourself, Pearl Jade. You are agitated. Other than we Eight Immortals who choose to become parts of justice, even Law Protector Immortals are nothing but tools. Do not waste emotion on broken tools. ::
::...I admit it. But even if I am agitated, there is no error in my words. Even if they are tools, even if they are beings who someday, after the hunt ends, will be made rid of, right now they are useful available resources to us. It is indisputable that much resource has been consumed on what is unnecessary. ::
:: Agreed. Later, we shall convene the Eight Immortals Assembly...and I, taking responsibility for this matter, accept disposal. : :
The Rain Dew Heavenly Lord, with a somewhat cowed look, agrees with the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord's words.
However, their attitude toward the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord does not change.
:: However...this much is certain, Pearl Jade. Sword Spear's method is a stratagem of deception. It is a deception tactic to ease our suspicions and blend into the inside. : :
:: Explain that deception tactic logically. How is it a deception tactic, from the perspective of a cool- headed strategist, to request support of 30 Great Net Immortals or Sword Spear's main body. Was it not impeccable? I too am a strategist of Radiance Hall. Sword Spear gave an answer to win the war, and from this Immortal's point of view that request was reasonable. Even at this very moment we should not be doing this, but accept the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's request and send one of the Eight Immortals, or at least 30 Great Net Immortals. : :
: : ...::
At the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord's words, the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord looks at them.
::...Sending an Eight Immortal is impossible. All of our main consciousnesses must watch the seal of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord. ::
:: Then...at least send the Great Net Immortals. This is the judgment of me, the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord, one of Radiance Hall's military advisors. :
However, the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord's words are blocked by the will of the Great Forest Heavenly Lord.
:: Apologies, Pearl Jade. For a short while, by the authority of the representative of the Radiance Eight Immortals, I shall temporarily freeze the military operational authority of Gyeong and Shin corresponding to Sword Spear and Pearl Jade of the Eight Immortals. Focus on the task you currently hold. ::
::...What? ::
:: Do not worry. If truly it does not work, it suffices to discard the entire Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain together with the Owner of Liberation. For the greater cause, discarding a single Heavenly Domain is acceptable. Right now it is more important to keep the Enders in check. ::
At those absurd words of Great Forest, Pearl Jade's body trembles.
: : ...Flower Plant, Great Sun, Torch Candle, Great Sea. I ask for your opinions; are you truly of the same judgment as Great Forest? ::
:: At present, you appear to be overcome by feelings toward the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord whom you have known since your mortal being days. ::
:: Pearl Jade. Remember the privilege handed down to us from the First Radiance Supreme Deity. : :
At the words of the Great Sun Heavenly Lord and the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord, the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord trembles even more.
:: Our privilege...yes, I remember. The majority judgment of the Radiance Eight Immortals is always unconditionally right. When the majority of the Radiance Eight Immortals resolve, fate unconditionally makes that resolution come true. : :
That is the reason why, though the Radiance Eight Immortals are weaker than the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, they have formed the faction called Radiance Hall up to now.
It is the great privilege the First Radiance Supreme Deity obtained by making a contract with this entire Mount Sumeru for the sake of later generations.
The entire fate of Mount Sumeru moves to realize the purposes of the Radiance Eight Immortals.
Thus they became those who rule life.
And...
Therefore, those whom their majority suspects unconditionally become as their suspicion dictates, and anyone whom their majority judges as evil unconditionally becomes evil.
By fate.
:: However, such a thought comes to me. Perhaps the order is reversed... It is not that the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord is a traitor and so you all suspect them...but that because all of you suspect Sword Spear, Sword Spear becomes a traitor... Such a thought... : :
:: Groundless speculation, Pearl Jade. Your thought is a dangerous ideology that the will of an existence can change the world. ::
:: Do not cross the line, Pearl Jade. If you continue to harbor such doubts...we have no choice but to execute you as well. Continue your mission. In any case, if Sword Spear is truly not a traitor, fate shall reveal Sword Spear's innocence. But if Sword Spear is indeed a traitor...that fate reveals itself as fact. ::
... Understood. I shall continue the mission. Since military operational authority is temporarily frozen...sending support to the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain is for you all to handle. ::
Having finished speaking, Pearl Jade disappears on the spot.
Watching this, Great Forest speaks to Rain Dew.
:: How is Pearl Jade, Rain Dew. ::
:: Not yet. But they have reached a dangerous level. If they cross the line, we may have to discard Pearl Jade as well... ::
::...Rain Dew. You know it too. : :
The representative of the Radiance Hall.
Agent of Mount Sumeru's fate, ruler of life.
The Great Forest Heavenly Lord, a component of the philosopher-king governance system, sends a sharp gaze toward the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord.
:: When Sword Spear's original sin is revealed, Pearl Jade's treatment is decided, and the generational change is completed...you too, Rain Dew, must be disposed of. ::
::...I know. ::
Ududuk...
The Rain Dew Heavenly Lord bows their head, recalling the memories of past timelines transmitted through the Seat of Radiance.
I too...have begun to break. As one gazes into the abyss, one too becomes the abyss... After the generational change, I ask for my disposal. Great Forest. : :
:: Understood, Rain Dew. ::
:: For the purity of the Eight Immortals... : :
:: Glory to the Radiance Supreme Deity. : :
The Eight Immortals Assembly ends.
And, although they froze all operational authority of the Radiance Hall strategists, the Eight Immortals Assembly nevertheless resolves, with reference to their opinions, to deploy new forces into the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
:: We cannot let the forces of the main sector of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain leak out. The Sword Mountain Devil Lord will only wait for such an opening. : :
:: We shall deploy the strength of our allies. ::
:: Contact the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords. Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords, main bodies. Deploy the Seven Immortal Lords to suppress the Sword Mountain Devil Lord's hair clone. ::
They are not experts in war.
Therefore, the Eight Immortals gather their opinions to project not forces for efficient combat, but excessive forces intended to overwhelmingly subdue the Sword Mountain Devil Lord's hair.
::...The Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords, you say...? ::
Receiving the operation plan handed down from the main session of the Eight Immortals Assembly, Sword Spear feels dumbfounded.
:: Pearl Jade, a war expert, must have protested... Are you telling me a plan that empties the strength of allies and the home base with such excessiveness truly comes from the Eight Immortals Assembly? ::
She feels stupefied not as 'Ji Hwa', who has the heart of a person, but as the Fifth Seat of the Radiance Eight Immortals, the 'Sword Spear Heavenly Lord'.
:: Even though there is the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord, who has battle experience with the Enders of previous generations, even though there are those who have experienced Yang Su-jin, this was the result...? Did they completely forget the time of Yang Su-jin? ::
Sword Spear recalls the operation where Radiance Hall excessively projected the main strength of their ally, the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, to catch Yang Su-jin.
At that time, it was the fault of Sword Spear and Pearl Jade.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord and the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord were chicks who had not even inherited the Eight Immortals position for a million years, and since Vast Cold, they had not faced a true Ender.
At the time when, at the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's request, the forces of the Eastern Heaven Flower Field set out to capture Yang Su-jin and the Enders of Yang Su-jin's faction, Yang Su-jin, with that bizarre Ender authority, slipped into the Eastern Heaven Flower Field whose home base was briefly emptied, burned a considerable number of its flowers, and stole the flowers he needed.
After that, not only did the Immortals of the Eastern Heaven Flower Field come to hate Yang Su-jin, but the alliance between the Eastern Heaven Flower Field and the Radiance Hall also became rather loose.
As the final person responsible for that operation, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord even came close to
being disposed of.
Ji Hwa, whose emotional suppression was released with the help of Seo Eun-hyun, gnashes curses inwardly as she recalls Yang Su-jin.
'That mad Yang bastard. Running away and wreaking havoc was his greatest talent and achievement...but
there was no one who could stop him.'
And now, the situation is the same as then.
Kurururung-
In the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain, the main bodies of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords, receiving the order of the Radiance Eight Immortals, begin to descend.
Though protests are lodged from Bong Myeong's side, asking whether they intend to turn the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain into a wreck, no one answers.
'Since the Source River's home base is empty...it's obvious. Seo Eun-hyun's friends will all sneak into the
Source River and then execute a surprise drop from the Source River onto Radiance Hall. Kim Yeon will start ripping apart the Source River and remodeling it into an artificial Gandhara. If I inform the Eight Immortals Assembly of this intel, they could respond, but then it would be immediately exposed that I
colluded.'
Ji Hwa lets out a sigh, and within countless thoughts realizes something.
'...I see. The reason Radiance Hall is this irrational. The reason they foolishly do not remember the mistake
from the time of Yang Su-jin and only obsess over holding Seo Eun-hyun and me in place. It is that already...Seo Eun-hyun's poison is eroding the Radiance Eight Immortals.'
She looks toward the inside of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
She looks at Seo Eun-hyun, who pretends to be asleep but is ceaselessly turning the Wheel, weaving fate
and history.
'...From the standpoint of the Radiance Eight Immortals, you are the worst Ender, even beyond the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord. You dragged me in, corrupted and defiled me...and in the end even succeeded in
staining all the other Eight Immortals with the five impurities... After the Salt Sea Supreme Deity, you are he only one to achieve such a thing.'
Even the former Castle Wall Heavenly Lord, the Salt Sea Supreme Deity, managed to corrupt only one
Field Garden Heavenly Lord.
But what Seo Eun-hyun is now doing goes beyond planting the poison of 'emotion' in all the Radiance Eight Immortals, it is planting poison even in every Eight Immortal to come.
'You revive the dead seed left by the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord, plant it as poison, and defile us...
Excellent, Seo Eun-hyun.'
Ji Hwa wears a human smile and, beyond the silver mask, looks at Seo Eun-hyun's hair clone and at her
own successor standing against it in front.
'With your poison...lead us to an even more righteous place.'
Already defiled to the utmost by Seo Eun-hyun, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord Ji Hwa, whose great sense of justice of the Radiance Eight Immortals has been twisted...
Now sincerely hopes the ideals of light and salt will unite, and begins to support her disciple Wol Ryeong.
::...I understand the decision of the Eight Immortals Assembly. However, since the next Sword Spear and the next Pearl Jade are in danger, I will transmit the power of the main body to the next Sword Spear candidate using a split soul as a relay. I hope at least this much is permitted. ::
Fortunately, that much is granted.
Inside the internal Middle Realm of her main body in the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain,
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord reconnects Wol Ryeong to the 'Sword Spear Realm' in which she had
made Wol Ryeong perform Sacred Master cultivation, and begins to turn her gaze toward the end of this
fight.
[Receive it, disciple.]
Hoo-woong-
Wol Ryeong receives something that flies in from behind her.
It is a silver-white stele with someone's [name] written on it.
On that stele is written the name [Sword Spear].
Wol Ryeong immediately understands what it is.
It is the symbol of the Sword Spear Realm in which she performed her Sacred Master cultivation.
[Master...]
[With that, you can draw up the power of the Sword Spear Realm. With that power, face that thing.]
Behind, beyond the bodies of dead Upper Immortals, somethings begin to descend.
Seven entities, vast enough to overturn the principles of the entire Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain,
descend.
Pal Jin looks at them and feels confused.
[Master, is there any need for us to be here!? If it is those existences, they can trample the Sword
Mountain Devil Lord's hair clone!]
[Enough, Pal Jin.]
But Wol Ryeong stops the confused Pal Jin and steps forward.
Wo-woong-
The owner of the Sword Spear Realm.
A Heaven Immortal whom she has not yet even seen the face of begins to support Wol Ryeong with
power through the symbol.
[With my will...I shall cut the enemy.]
[Wol Ryeong...?]
[If it is me, I can do it. I can pierce those terrifying techniques of that existence before my eyes, reach its
heart, and inflict a fatal wound.]
[What kind of madness is that, Wol Ryeong!?]
Then Pal Jin bursts out in anger.
[You saw Upper Immortals dying one after another! No matter if you, as a Sacred Master, borrow the
power of a Heaven Immortal, you can't beat that! There is a gap in power! And with even seven
overwhelming existences descending, why are you at the front!?]
[... You know it too. It is our fate. To fight evil existences...to fight the unright.]
[Our fate is to keep the unqualified from abusing the weak!]
[Right. Therefore...all the more we must face that existence.]
[What...?]
[By fighting far more mighty opponents, and by fighting and fighting those to whom the name devil is
attached...we will come to learn even more what that qualification is.]
Wol Ryeong shakes off Pal Jin's attempt to stop her, receives the power of Sword Spear, and begins to
step forward.
The power of a Sacred Vessel Sacred Master has no average.
The variance is too great depending on the existence that lends that power.
Woo-woooong-
Wol Ryeong feels something like a silver-white snake, biting its own tail, rise up behind her head.
The existence lending her power is divine descending immense power.
[I'm going. I will win and come back.]
Wol Ryeong endures the Heavenly Immortal's power pushing into her body to the utmost limit she can bear, and moves away from Pal Jin.
Pal Jin, as if unable to understand, bites his lip while looking at Wol Ryeong.
[...Master...what are you doing!? Please stop Wol Ryeong! This is madness!]
However, Eun Geom only gives a faint laugh.
[It does not matter. It is that child's choice.]
[Pardon...?]
[You will not understand yet, but watch carefully. For that is precisely the way to approach true strength. That child must one day become the representative of martial might. That method is what can draw out true martial strength.]
Pal Jin does not understand Eun Geom's words, and only looks at Wol Ryeong as she goes ahead.
Outside Mount Sumeru.
Toward the Gandhara of the Source River.
There, six clusters of light are gathering energy outside the Source River.
[The Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords have gone out to the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.]
[We waited on standby because of the message from Sword Spear saying there is a faint possibility, but I really didn't expect it to turn out like this.]
[Looks like Seo Eun-hyun and Yeon's poison works well.]
Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kang Min-hee, Oh Hyeon-seok, Kim Yeon, Oh Hye-seo.
And the first seat of Seo Eun-hyun's Five Desires Chain, Hong Fan, are there.
Each and every one is a Devil God of a Heavenly Seat who can make the world tremble in fear.
And at their head, Jeon Myeong-hoon takes from his chest a red device shaped like a celestial globe.
[Golden Shaking Bird. Communicate with Yeong Seung.]
Wooooong-
Golden Shaking Bird, dwelling in Jeon Myeong-hoon's Immortal Treasure, the Great Desolate Path, trembles and communicates with the Source River, and then one side of the Source River begins to open.
[Please come, O Heavenly Kings.]
And inside, Yeong Seung, who, after receiving the coordinates of the Southern Heavenly Venerable, the True Ultimate Eternal Life Great Emperor Cheon Woon, and began communication with the Heavenly Venerable of Time, greets them politely.
[I received the Lord's words and have been waiting. The Northern Dipper fellows are currently out on a commission from the Light...so please accomplish what you desire in the Source Rivier.]
For some reason, Yeong Seung's voice sounds bitter.
Hong Fan looks at him and asks, as if feeling sorry.
[You have reached the Heavenly Venerable of Time.]
[... Yes. The Lord...has told me the truth...]
Yeong Seung, as if he has heard the Heavenly Venerable's truth, answers in a pained voice.
[Our proud Gandhara...the great Source Rivier...to think it is in truth nothing but the shackles of the Owner
of the Absolute that bind the Lord... To think our homeland, the Source River...is in truth nothing but some being's leftover...]
Yeong Seung looks to be in pain.
Seeing this, Hong Fan offers comfort with a bitter expression.
[Even so...the Heavenly Venerable of Time holds hope. The hope that one day they can escape this bridle... Do not be too disheartened.]
[I know...and yet...that throwing away our homeland is the foundation of hope is just too...sorrowful.]
[...]
The Enders enter the Gandhara.
And the moment Kim Yeon enters the Source River, the Source River begins to change.
Kim Yeon's artificial Gandhara, which exists separately outside Mount Sumeru, starts to erode the Source River.
[If this helps the Lord's liberation...I can only accept it...]
Yeong Seung only looks, with a sorrowful expression, at his homeland as it is eroded upon, changed, and remade.
And toward such Yeong Seung, Kang Min-hee asks a question.
[Have you informed the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords of that truth?]
[I have. Those Northern Dipper fellows also know the truth.]
And at that answer, Kang Min-hee wears a puzzled expression.
[...Why, even knowing, do they not cut ties with Radiance Hall and go at their request to confront the hair clone?]
[...Because those fellows...cannot sever their attachment...to this Source River.]
[...?]
[They...blasphemously deny the truth. Instead of believing the Lord's truth and believing the Source River is the leftover of a transcendent...they decided to believe the Lord developed mania after suffering at the hands of Vast Cold.]
At those words, Oh Hye-seo sneers.
[So the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords think the Heavenly Venerable of Time has gone senile?]
[... Watch your words. You are not yet a Heavenly King, so if you show disrespect, I might kill you.]
Yeong Seung glares at Oh Hye-seo, but Oh Hye-seo only keeps snickering and mocking the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords.
[Aside from the harshness of my phrasing, isn't this ultimately the truth of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords' thinking? Do not deny the truth. They just love the Source River too much, they don't want to abandon their homeland, so they chose to think that the Heavenly Venerable of Time they respect grew old and became demented.]
[...]
[Foolish ones. You cannot run from the truth...]
Oh Hye-seo, for some reason, wears a self-mocking smile and looks up toward the upper side of the Source River.
[The Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords, wanting to deny the truth by any means...wanting to prove that the Source River is not the leftover of a transcendent, must have taken the orders of Radiance Hall.]
[...]
[Because what Seo Eun-hyun's hair clone is using now is that of the being Seo Eun-hyun calls the Owner of the Absolute...is it not?]
At Oh Hye-seo's insight, which reads history and pierces the mark, Yeong Seung only gives silent
affirmation.
[How foolish, the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords are as well. The very fact that, while wanting to prove there is no Owner of the Absolute, they all go down to face the hair...is because that is closer to the truth... The very act of trying to prove with their own hands that there is no Absolute One proves the
Absolute One...]
Oh Hyun-seok looks at such an Oh Hye-seo with a bit of pity, then asks Yeong Seung.
[She speaks roughly...but she is not wrong. Is that not so?]
[...Indeed. Perhaps on the day the Lord was defeated by the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord and Vast Cold's power eroded down into the depths of the Source River and defiled it...they too became broken.]
Yeong Seung lets out a sigh.
[The very act of obsessing over the Source River and showing affection may be the curse they received
from Vast Cold.]
His gaze reaches Kim Yeon.
[You intend to reach Heavenly King through the artificial Gandhara, do you not.]
[...Yes.]
[Please remember. This is my advice of one who once fought a decisive battle with Vast Cold. The power of the Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly Kings...is like a poison that, through generation after generation, drives everyone mad. Every Tridacna throughout history desired the heavens and utopia, and that utopia was a radiance that blinded everyone's eyes. If the distinguished one wishes to reach Heavenly
King...please remember this.]
[I understand.]
Hong Fan, after looking around at the Enders, then turns to the opposite side of the Source River.
He looks toward the place where the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain is.
[... Now we too have finished preparations to raid Radiance Hall. I have just sent a signal to the Lord as
well. Now...the Lord will soon move]
[Right, let us prepare as well.]
Kwachijijik...
Jeon Myeong-hoon grips his lightning spear at Hong Fan's words.
[For the Second Bright Sword Great War.]
As the God of Heavenly Punishment starts to draw upon lightning, the other Heavenly Kings and Enders
who have taken a Seat among the Heavens also begin to draw forth their respective powers.
[The moment Seo Eun-hyun's arrangement enters the 'twist', Seo Eun-hyun will open his eyes.]
Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
Wol Ryeong, who has received the power of Sword Spear, rushes toward the dragonoid in front of his
eyes.
Behind her, seven gigantic beings begin to assist her.
Is that the next Sword Spear? ::
:: She is receiving Sword Spear's support. : :
:: Martial Melody, Breaking Army. You two are the only ones who want to clash directly, correct? ::
:: That is right. ::
:: We will, from the rear, besiege it with prophecy. Martial Melody, Breaking Army. You...go gain insight
into the techniques said to be the power of the Owner of Fate. Leave the full-scale subjugation only to Sword Spear. We have only come to prove...there is no need for us to sacrifice. : :
:: Understood. We too will push the next Sword Spear to the front to minimize our sacrifice. ::
The mass of countless arms that is the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, and the humanoid Breaking Army Heavenly Lord step forward.
The other five Northern Dipper Heavenly Lords, using the power of time, observe and trace back through history, preparing to verify whether the truth Yeong Seung conveyed to them is in fact true.
They have no intention of obediently suppressing the hair clone with overwhelming force under the
orders of Radiance Hal.
The Breaking Army Heavenly Lord, who can be called the general of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly
Lords, sends their will to Wol Ryeong.
[Mortal being. I read your fighting will. You intend to reach that thing's heart, do you not?]
Wol Ryeong answers immediately.
The interests of the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord and Wol Ryeong align.
[We shall assist you. Become the sword of us Immortals and thrust into that thing's heart.]
[Understood.]
Linked with the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord, Wol Ryeong converts herself into a sword.
Around Wol Ryeong gather Jin Wol-ryeong, Ham Rak, and several Star Shattering stage madmen who
have learned the Heart Dao Blooming system.
At the same time, sensing proper dangerous existences, the Sword Mountain Devil Lord's hair clone takes
a stance to face the Heavenly Lords.
True Martial Arts.
First Form, Second Form.
Linked Technique.
Zero King (零王).
Linking the martial techniques of the Future King, the hair clone dons a black storm-like devilish sword, controls attraction force, and leaps to a position higher than the Seven Heavenly Lords.
Immediately after, it drops straight down toward the advancing Martial Melody Heavenly Lord and the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord, attempting to smash down with its body while wrapped in a black storm.
The martial arts of emptiness wrapped in killing karma fall, tearing apart Heaven and Earth, and the many arms of the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, a martial warrior of the sixth stage of Manifestation who reached Heavenly Lord, stretch out long strikes to try to oppose the True Martial Art's martial discipline with the difference in weight class.
The Breaking Army Heavenly Lord drags back the Entering Nirvana Quasi-Immortals of the Entering
Nirvana stage who fled, robs them of their minds, instantly forms an army, arranges formations, and supports the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord.
A black something, at the pinnacle of ominousness, and the powers of the Martial Melody and Breaking Army Heavenly Lords collide.
Countless long strikes bat away, one by one, the changes that arise within the black storm.
The formation the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord squeezes out braces the rear of the Martial Melody
Heavenly Lord and shifts the impacts dealt to the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord onto the Entering
Nirvanas.
Peobeobeobeobeobeong!
Yet even after going that far, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord still has to watch as their hands are torn
off by a single strike from an existence at most at the Entering Nirvana level.
Looking upon the ultimate will of that nonsensical attack, the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords in
the rear, who are weaving prophecies and analyzing the attack, start to shed tears one by one.
:: It is false. ::
Neither the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord nor the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord show tears on the
battlefield, but they reveal sorrow.
:: It has to be false. There must not exist some transcendent's martial disciple we do not know... : :
:: The calendrics we have observed, the history of the ages...tell us there is no being who seized the Absolute. Therefore...it must be false. : :
Even as they watch a devilish sword wielded by a hair clone at best at the Entering Nirvana level
completely dominate attraction force and strike fate...
The Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords desperately deny the background of that martial discipline
and cry out.
[Go, next Sword Spear. Next God of Light!! Prove it! Tell us your Radiance Hall is right!!!]
Thus, through the gap where the True Martial Art's decisive move is offset by the blow leveraging the
weight class of the Martial Melody and Breaking Army Heavenly Lords, Wol Ryeong, sheathing her body
in a silver-white sword, starts to fly toward the devil spirit's heart.
And the devil spirit starts to take a stance to activate a new decisive move.
True Martial Arts.
First Form Applied Technique, Second Form Basic.
Linked Technique.
Devil King (魔王).
-x-X-x-
-x-X-x-
Author's Q&A (10)
Worldbuilding
Q: If you do things like feeding Hongsu Ryeong iron powder and get all the perks from the former Radiance Immortals, what abilities can you get?
A: If you feed the previous generation Eight Immortals in the Head Realm their associated element, the true nature of them temporarily awakens, and as one can be granted [wisdom] by directly looking at True Immortals, looking at that awakened True Nature can grant you [wisdom]. There is a high chance you get a body talent named after the Eight Immortal. For example, if it was the previous Sword Spear, you can get something like Lung Yang Geng Metal Sword Spear Body. A body talent you gain from Heavenly Lord or above is at least of equal rank to Heavenly Golden Thunder Body, and Sword Spear Body has the ability to fuse that element to all over your body including hair, bones, urethra, and eyes and reinforce the spiritual roots using that.
BlueMangoAde's Note: Based on Tremendous' previous random community comment that feeding Pal Jik-tae iron powder can grant you divine power and body talent related to Pearl Jade. The implication being that Pal Jik-tae was a former Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord, now stuck in Head Realm…
Q: I am curious about the direction of the spinning things in the work, such as the Wheel, Three Great Ultimates, Radiance Mantra, etc. (clockwise or counterclockwise)
A: Radiance Mantra spins counterclockwise. Everything else spins clockwise.
Q: How does Heavenly Golden Thunder Body's ability to absorb Heavenly Tribulation and Heart Tribe doubling Heavenly Tribulation apply to Heavenly Tribulation of the Great Boundary where the Heavenly Tribulation is extracted from you?
A: Heavenly Golden Thunder Body basically only applies up to Sacred Vessel Heavenly Tribulation. Unless you have a fate surpassing that, you cannot rely on Heavenly Golden Thunder Body forever.
Q: Has Heart Demon Tribulation managed by Blood Yin changed as Kang Min-hee has seized the seat? Or does the Heart Demon Tribulation remain similar?
A: The Heart Demon Tribulation remains similar to before.
Q: If you see Kang Min-hee she splits her seat many times, but does splitting a seat not affect the True Immortal's strength?
A: It does not.
Q: What is the origin of the dragon race?
A: I could totally make a plausible reason for their existence… but it's the same reason as the transformation form being human in form… there has to be dragons in Eastern Fantasy…
Q: There are often mentions that a long period of time felt very short, why is this the case?
A: It just felt short… If you focus on something, time passes very fast.
Q: Is the case of Immortal Arts gaining personality only common in Head Realm and unlikely in normal circumstances?
A: It is a very common occurrence. The vast majority of naturally born Entering Nirvana and Sacred Vessel at the creation of a Heavenly Domain are crude primordial Immortal Arts.
Q: Do souls of split bodies like Seo Li or Gyu Baek come from splitting off from the main body's or are they granted by the Eastern Heaven Flower Field?
A: They are granted by the main body.
Q: Can you be more specific about Silver Basket Devil Technique?
A: It is an incomplete devilish technique that Silver Basket was making at their place of origin.
Q: What's the percentage of True Immortals that play pretending to be mortals?
A: 100%. All True Immortals intervene in the mortal world with clones. Not even just one, but more than thousands…
Q: Are there Immortal Beasts that originate from plants too?
A: There are. Even Do Gon could be considered an Earth Tribe Immortal Beast in a way, since the distinction between Heaven and Earth Immortals are somewhat gone when you become a Supreme Deity.
Q: If a cultivator born inside a Great Net Immortal grows up and becomes a True Immortal, what does the Great Net Immortal think of the True Immortal? It's like a microbe inside your body becoming a person.
A: They treat them as their child. To be precise, they are not just treating them that way. Whatever the cultivator thinks, they are really their child.
Q: What exactly are Imperial Venerables?
A: Heavenly Venerables not affected by the power of the Future King.
Q: What's the average time it took the Governing Immortals to reach True Immortal?
A: Uh….. There is no… average.
Q: I am curious about the order of strengths of the seats shown so far.
A: Seats of Fate, History, and ■■. > Every other seat. There is no superiority between seats.
Q: Do Heart Tribe disappear when Ender are not available because the reunited Third Absolute goes back to the Domain of Purity seized by Hyeon Mu's Plane of Soul?
A: Yes.
Q: How many cultivation methods do cultivators usually learn per cultivation stage?
A: Usually, one per stage. Learning multiple slows down cultivation… so a single cultivation method is the most common.
Q: True Immortals cannot pass on amazing technology and civilization developed by themselves, so how exactly is the transmission blocked?
A: Even if it is passed on, the transmission is fatefully ended on the first generation.
Q: Cases like Wol Ryeong appear to reach Grand Perfection Integration in 40 years, so is reaching such achievement not hard for a mortal with True Immortal assistance? Does it cost a lot, or is it unprecedentedly hard?
A: The growth of the next generation of Eight Immortals is a task the Radiance Eight Immortals pour their full power of fortune and fate into. In terms of pure affinity toward the cultivation system within Wol Ryeong's fate, it is close to an Ender's fate.
Cultivation Realm
Q: From Severing Heaven and above is there no way to progress other than to do cultivation in parallel?
A: Even if it is not cultivation, you must at least comprehend part of a completely different system.
Q: How many years does it usually take to get from Star Shattering to Entering Nirvana?
A: Like the strength of Sacred Vessel stage cultivators, there is too much variance for an average. At any rate, the shortest ever is Yang Su-jin's 400 years. Longest ever is Salt Sea's 7 billion years after he quit the Ten Heavenly Lords, fell down in cultivation, and rose again.
Q: From Vestige Liberation Immortal to Supreme Deity, which are the realms with the largest power difference?
A: Given the difference of a single realm? Immortal Lord and Supreme Deity.
Q: When one reaches Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation Entering Nirvana stage, Taiji appears and amplifies strength, so how much is this amplification?
A: Around 110%.
Q: Are there Heart Tribe True Immortals, rather than Severing Heaven which just corresponds to True Immortal level? Or is Yang Su-jin correct in saying there are no Heart Tribe True Immortals?
A: During Yang Su-jin's generation, it was correct that there were no Heart Tribe True Immortals. Severing Heaven that is not Heart Dao Blooming is not Heart Tribe True Immortality.
Q: It appears that Seo Eun-hyun's Paper Flower system has unified and replaced the original chaotic Manifestation system, in this case has Manifestation and Paper Flower system merged, or are they still separate?
A: They are separate, but somewhat compatible.
Q: What is the standard for Early, Mid, Late, and Grand Perfection of Integration stage?
A: Early if you learn Rain and Sun of Various Omens.
Mid if you learn Heat and Cold.
Late if you learn Wind and Time.
Grand Perfection if you learn them all and master Immortal Art Various Omens itself.
Q: Has Seo Eun-hyun spread forgotten cultivation systems like the Earth Axis?
A: Vast Cold Heavenly Circle is that… but he did not bother spreading Earth Axis. It is something that you can find with effort even if you are not Seo Eun-hyun…
Q: You have said that Vestige Liberation Immortals keep all their powers in other worlds (outside Sumeru) except prophecy and history revision, so how much power do realms higher keep in a world with different laws?
A: Up to Great Net, same as Vestige Liberation Immortals. From Immortal Lord, little amount of prophecy and revision can also be used depending on one's path of Fate, History or ■■, increasing with cultivation.
Q: What's the difference between Supreme Deity, Heavenly Venerable, and Heavenly King?
A: Supreme Deity - True Immortal that has seized Origin Essence
Heavenly Venerable - Supreme Deity that has divine descent Absolute
Heavenly King - True Immortal that has seized a piece of the Absolute and divine descent Origin Essence
Current Enders
Q: Had Young-hoon reached Martial Pinnacle before fighting with Hyeon Mu?
A: He has reached it before the fight.
Q: Can Kim Young-hoon waiting at the Audience Chamber defeat Hyeon Mu in a 1vs1?
A: Yes, if it is before Hyeon Mu recovers her memory.
Q: What's Kang Min-hee's symbol as a Governing Immortal?
A: Dark blue forget-me-not(the flower)
Q: Compared to the infamy of Blood Yin in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain while he was alive, how infamous is Seo Eun-hyun in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain currently?
A: Around 70 times more infamous.
Past Enders
Q: It has been said a while back that Underworld thought Future King could not be defeated with strength after Vast Cold lost, but why did Underworld rate Vast Cold so highly when they were only equivalent to her third phase? Wasn't Salt Sea when he challenged the Audience Chamber together or Underworld herself at full power stronger than Vast Cold?
A: Vast Cold, even outside of their overwhelming power, was kind of the person to plant hope in the hearts of people watching them.
Q: How many Enders reached True Immortality during Obsidian's generation?
A: 3.
Q: It was described that the Future King tore apart and killed Silver Basket's main body, but it is not clear where this happened. Was this inside Silver Basket's domain, or outside it? If outside, could the Future King kill Silver Basket who is bunkering in their domain?
A: Outside the domain. From outside, Silver Basket was torn to death with their domain.
Q: Were there Ender generations that have said "Life is X" in a different order from the seven emotions(in the order of Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Pleasure, Love, Hatred, Desire)?
A: Such generations were all wiped out.
Q: I recall that Penglai Island was built with three Heavenly Kings, but did Salt Sea turn those Heavenly Kings into Ender pills later?
A: Those Heavenly Kings were in a different generation!
Q: Were there any True Immortals born from Sumeru or from Enders between Vast Cold and Yang Su-jin? If so, has any of them appeared in RToC?
A: Even an Ender becoming a True Immortal requires breaking through massive odds, so no.
Seo Hweol
Q: How did Seo Hweol overcome the infinite heavenly tribulations in the 15th cycle?
A: He did not.
Q: How much of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain did Seo Hweol control during the 999th cycle?
A: It was only for a single moment, but 100%.
BlueMangoAde: I am not sure if Tremendous was confused between 999th cycle and 998th cycle. Or maybe the questioner was the confused one?
Q: Has Seo Hweol been normally judged and reincarnated like other souls? I'm not sure if he even has a normal soul.
A: He has been normally judged and reincarnated. However he has committed a lot of sin, so he has to repeat lives as an animal. He has to repeat that for about thirty vigintillion(3*10^64) years.
Q: Seo Hweol has said that he would work towards sending Oh Hye-seo back to her home after his plans went well, was he serious? Or was it a lie?
A: He did not know that her home was outside Mount Sumeru. He thought it was at a remote corner of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain at most, and was quite serious.
Other Characters
Q: The seven emotions of the Enders apply to a specific emotion. What do you think is the difference between the heart and emotions?
A: I think the heart is the bigger category. Aren't emotions just partial surface interpretations of the heart?
Q: Has Baek Woon succeeded in being hired by the Underworld?
A: Not a lot of time has passed in the world so… she is preparing for it.
Q: What do Do Gon and Yang Su-jin think of each other?
A: It's a love-hate relationship.
Q: If Hon Jin trained seriously, how high could he reach?
A: I think he could reach Grand Perfection Star Shattering or half-step Sacred Vessel.
Q: What's the order of infamy between Salt Mountain, Great Mountain, and Sword Mountain?
A: Currently: Great Mountain >>>>> Sword Mountain >>>>>>>> Salt Mountain.
Salt Mountain has been forgotten for too long, so not a lot of beings know of them unless they are at least envoys of Radiance Hall.
Q: How strong was Yu Hao Te at their prime? Compared to current characters please.
A: Yu Hao Te was less purely strong and more capable of having a favorable type advantage against the whole of Mount Sumeru… They could defeat current Oh Hye-seo and Kim Yeon. Regardless of the size of power or authority, the compatibility using karma was too strong…
Q: Previously, an Entering Nirvana told Seo Eun-hyun that there were white and black humans in Mount Sumeru, has any of them appeared in the work?
A: As close-minded as I am, I wrote the novel without racial quota in mind… Let's say Golden Shaking Bird is white and some Enders during Yang Su-jin's generation were black.
Q: What would be the result if the Mad Lord waged total war against the other 4 Heavenly Being stages at the Head Realm?
A: Mad Lord would win. However, if that happened, Mad Lord would fail to accomplish his goal and die from lifespan in the Head Realm as well.
Q: Among the Supreme Deities that existed, where does the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity rank in power?
A: Around the middle.
Q: How would the Radiance Eight Immortals react if they saw the final form of Hyeon Mu's Dance of Emptiness?
A: They have never seen it, and they cannot see it.
Q: What if Mad Lord's goal was revenge against a Governing Immortal level being like Jeon Myeong-hoon's goal was, and he deliberately gathered strength for that goal?
A: Liberation Law Talent Jo Yeon. Assuming he survived on the way there, mutual suicide with the Governing Immortal that is the target of revenge.
Q: Does the Western Heavenly Venerable have any hobbies aside from drawing Taenghwa paintings?
A: Their hobby is spinning thread with a spinning wheel or watching the Wheel as they listen to petitions of spirits.
Q: When you say the Future King killed the Chief God of their Universe as a mortal, do you mean that they killed a Governing Immortal before becoming a True Immortal?
A: You can interpret it as them killing a Governing Immortal level being before becoming a True Immortal, yes.
Q: How…?
A: They worked their ass off.
-x-X-x-
-x-X-x-
Chapter 770: Chapter 766: Radiance (1)
Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
A Heavenly Domain is originally a world whose inside may be quiet, but the outside is a world of unbroken stillness.
All things that occur inside a Heavenly Domain are, in the end, matters within it.
No matter how loud the affairs of the Saha World are, from the viewpoint of the True Immortal Realm it is only quiet.
From the gaze of the True Immortal Realm, the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain is likewise a quiet Heavenly Domain.
Like the other Heavenly Domains, from the viewpoint of the True Immortal Realm it floats in the Inner Sea of Mount Sumeru in a hyperspherical form, repeatedly undergoing birth and annihilation.
However, the dimensional veil of that quiet Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain, at some moment, bursts open.
Kugugugugu!
Something ominous and black, like claws, like teeth, springs out from the inside of the dimensional veil.
And driven out to the outside of the Heavenly Domain by the pressure of those teeth are a pair of Heavenly Lords.
They are the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord and the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord.
:: How, at the level of the Entering Nirvana stage... : :
: : ...did it pierce a Heavenly Domain...? ::
The two Heavenly Lords, as if in gloom, stare at the monster that scatters those black teeth.
Inside the Heavenly Domain.
There, a monster grips an amorphous devilish sword made of Glass True Fire, takes its stance once more, and glares at them.
::...This cannot be. : :
However, not only the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord but also the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord do not lose their will to fight.
They do not feel shame.
They feel only despair.
:: All great incidents of Mount Sumeru are observed by us. : :
:: Even if not by us, the Heavenly Lords of the Source River who were loyal to the Lord in former generations have written them as history, as records. ::
:: An event birthing such an ominous martial discipline...there is no record of it anywhere in this world! ::
The many arms of the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord pour out together with unceasing long strikes.
True Martial Arts.
First Form, Zero ().
However, once more the amorphous devilish sword turns black, becomes claws and teeth, and tears apart the arms of the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord.
But the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord does not give up.
Even as blood flows from their Immortal Body, even as their whole body is shredded to pieces by the black something.
They ceaselessly use the martial discipline they have mastered to face the blackness.
Only, for the sake of their light that is charging at the chest of that devil spirit.
Heaven and Earth collapse.
Beyond the Heavenly Domain, a strange abyssal world is revealed.
Wol Ryeong, who has reached the Sacred Vessel stage, knows that that is the Inner Sea outside the Heavenly Domain.
'A power that tears a Heavenly Domain apart as it is...'
Wol Ryeong keeps approaching the dragonoid who unfolds such a baleful martial disciple even while its own flesh collapses.
Amid the march of those black things, no enlightenment into any martial discipline can be obtained.
As with a mountain peak that is so high one cannot know its end, neither Wol Ryeong nor any of the Star Shattering Esteemed Ones whom Wol Ryeong protects and accompanies can gain enlightenment from the martial discipline of that existence.
Rather, because its level is too high, from that feast of the black thing they obtain only an impression of violence and slaughter, not enlightenment of Martial Arts.
'The Martial Melody Heavenly Lord and the other Northern Dippers are supporting us.'
She does not think to obtain enlightenment.
Wooo-woooong!
Only by boring into the chest of that existence with a radiance barrier in the shape of a sword of light along with the Star Shattering stage Esteemed Ones does she hope for victory.
'I can do it. Without fail...!'
Tssaaaaa-
When the black something occasionally targets her, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord defends.
All that Wol Ryeong needs to mind are the aftereffects of those black things being swung.
"It's coming!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Sensing that aftershock through transcendental senses, Wol Ryeong shouts, and Jin Wol-ryeong steps out.
Fighting Step.
Fifth Realm!
"Unlike the other guys, I only managed to reach half a step...but even so, only now do I stand at the same eye level as Teacher Jang Ik!"
The Third Great Esteemed One of the Heart Tribe, Jin Wol-ryeong, begins to burn all seven of her horns.
"We are a race that imitates the power of other races, that divine descends the power of other Immortal Beasts. At the end lies the Noble Blood True Sea Radiance Body, but I have no thoughts to reach that realm."
Soon, Jin Wol-ryeong's whole body begins to burn.
The clothes that her Combat Technique Form wears all burn away and vanish.
But even though she stands completely nude, Jin Wol-ryeong acts as if she feels no shame.
She exposes her towering three chi body packed with muscle, and she further intensifies the flames that burn her entire body.
Soon, those flames change into a pure white light.
It does not seem to be because of the rising temperature, but as if the essential nature itself has changed.
And suddenly, Wol Ryeong can see something inside Jin Wol-ryeong's white flames.
'A spiral...?'
"Thus, by tracing back up against the extremity of the Fighting Ghost Race's inherent imitation of other races' physical traits, I at last arrived. To the being who exists at the apex of the divinities that are the Immortal Beasts."
Jin Wol-ryeong's flesh itself turns into pure white flames, and then the air currents rising inside her explosively begin to fill the surroundings.
"To the power of the Immortal Beast King!"
Huarururururuk!
Jin Wol-ryeong's seven horns seem to merge into one, and she entwines together the spiraling power bursting out
from inside her body.
Before long, a gigantic vortex begins to rise centered on her horn.
The vortex of white flame spreads outwards, tracing countless spiral trajectories.
Kwarururung!
Soon, from inside that white flame, lumps of Salt Crystal come forth.
And the spiral trajectories bursting from her body collide with the aftermath of the black things passing by, succeeding in canceling one of the aftershocks that is about to fall on Wol Ryeong's party.
[Guaaaaaaaah!!]
Huarururururuk!
Burning herself, burning all seven horns of her royal bloodline...
Jin Wol-ryeong at last begins to burn even her one remaining horn.
When her last remaining horn completely disappears, an enormous white flame surges forth and begins to create
an even larger spiral storm.
[Go!!!]
Kwaaaang!
Wol Ryeong senses Jin Wol-ryeong leaving the sword's light barrier that protects their party and pushing the
barrier forward.
[I will cancel the aftershock!! Go, and save the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain!!]
Wol Ryeong, seeing that sight, seeing Jin Wol-ryeong turning into pure white fire and sacrificing herself for them,
seeing her spiral, is swept by a complex feeling she cannot name.
Jin Wol-ryeong pushes them toward the chest of the hair clone and smiles.
'Teacher Jang Ik. Did you feel this way too?'
She knows what Jang Ik's Manifestation sought.
The Manifestation of Jang Ik, who tried to face the End.
Jang Ik's Manifestation was broken by Seo Eun-hyun, who at that time pretended to collapse the Sun and Moon
Heavenly Domain.
Other members of the Heart Tribe were captivated either by Jang Ik's spirit or by Seo Eun-hyun's strength, but Jin Wol-ryeong was different.
'The feeling of laying everything down, sacrificing to protect all within the Heavenly Domain... Did you feel like this
then too?'
Recalling that strike, when Jang Ik burned himself to challenge Seo Eun-hyun, Jin Wol-ryeong smiles.
Jang Ik died fighting against the End of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, against Seo Eun-hyun.
Jin Wol-ryeong...seeing Jang Ik's sacrifice, thought it indescribably beautiful.
'I too...want to burn while blocking the End of a Heavenly Domain. I too...'
Jin Wol-ryeong has still not reached the realm that corresponds to the Second Step Before the Throne.
Even though hundreds of thousands of years have passed since then.
Perhaps that is why she tries to burn herself all the more.
'I too...want to become like you.'
Huarururururuk!
While the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord receives the very essence of the black things even as their hands rip
apart, Jin Wol-ryeong blazes endlessly behind Wol Ryeong, canceling the aftershocks.
In the Fighting Ghost Race the horns symbolize special authorities, but if those horns are lost, the authority to copy the traits of other races is deleted. But instead...
The pure strength of the flesh then grows stronger by the cube of the number of horns and of the innate divine power one is born with.
And Jin Wol-ryeong is royalty born with seven horns.
The moment she burned her seven horns, she could tell her power has grown immeasurably strong.
'I am reaching it. I too...into that realm...'
Feeling as if she has become a moth, she divine descends with her whole body the power of the Immortal Beast
King.
The horns of the Fighting Ghost Race that draw in the power of Immortal Beasts disappear, but the portion of the authority of the Immortal Beast King that she drew through the horns-
Reading the [will] contained within it, she draws forth that will through the Fighting Ghost Race's Fighting Dance.
The will of the Immortal Beast King descends into Jin Wol-ryeong's flesh, and following the will, the power also
comes along.
Jin Wol-ryeong's body, with all horns burned away, becomes the cornerstone that lets her firmly endure that fearsome power and will.
'I feel it. Is this the will of a transcendent...?'
Jin Wol-ryeong offers thanks to the transcendent existence called the Immortal Beast King, whom she would never
face in her entire life.
'Thank you. For letting me, this once, burn...like Teacher Jang Ik!'
Jin Wol-ryeong, within the pure white expanse, suddenly senses something.
'That is...'
It is a sword.
The hand gripping that sword belongs to a bizarre god on which masses of white paper flowers bloom.
Jin Wol-ryeong instinctively understands that the hand is that of the Immortal Beast King.
'Are you...lending it to me...?'
She can tell that the Immortal Beast King is lending her power.
'This is...'
- Great Heart Tribe.
Feeling herself passing beyond the white flames into a world wholly white, Jin Wol-ryeong blankly reaches out her
hand to that sword of all of heaven's natural colors.
-Honor to that Fighting Spirit.
'Fighting Spirit...'
Recalling the Fighting Spirit of Jang Ik, the Heart Tribe warrior she once respected the most, Jin Wol-ryeong grips
the sword.
And the moment she grips the sword.
Jin Wol-ryeong, amidst ecstasy and the Heart Tribe's madness toward Martial Arts, smiles to the point of tearing.
Jin Wol-ryeong becomes a spark.
A spark that blooms for only an instant and then fades into the void.
But she does not care.
For just one instant,
Even if it is borrowed from someone,
The sword in Jin Wol-ryeong's hand is...
'As a warrior who has mastered Fighting Dance...'
The end of Martial Arts, and the end of being a Heart Tribe.
'This is an honor never to come again.'
Toward that something, toward the Zero () that the devilish sword of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord unfolds, Jin
Wol-ryeong swings the sword.
Not the aftershocks of the black something.
She cuts the main body!
Jin Wol-ryeong feels as if her entire life pours into this sword, and for a moment.
The white sword that contains the entirety of Jin Wol-ryeong's life rips apart the black claws and fangs and
completely paves the path for Wol Ryeong to advance.
Sword God Dance!
Tsuaaaat!
The Fighting Ghost Race who lives by copying the power of other races and divine descending the power of
Immortal Beasts.
Jin Wol-ryeong, who reached the apex of that Fighting Ghost Race and succeeded in divine descending the power
of the Immortal Beast King who stands at the apex of the Immortal Beasts.
Jin Wol-ryeong unfolds with her own hands the move of Martial Pinnacle that the Immortal Beast King lends her,
and within the flames, she awakens as a true Heart Tribe, and thus closes her eyes.
Vast Cold Realm's Fighting Ghost Race practitioner,
The Final Heaven Esteemed One Jin Wol-ryeong...
Truly becoming an Esteemed One of the Heart Tribe, she thus becomes white flames and dies.
'...It's...beautiful.'
Wol Ryeong finds it hard to take her eyes off the death of the one who has the same name as herself.
It is not only Wol Ryeong.
All the Star Shattering Esteemed Ones present, especially the Heart Tribe Esteemed Ones, stare at that final
moment as if to bore holes with their eyes.
That, too, is a supreme art so high that it is hard to discern it, like the black something.
But because that exalted art is unfolded by the hand of the imperfect being called Jin Wol-ryeong, the art instead
becomes lowered so that everyone can recognize it.
It is an ultimate technique that has reached the Ultimate of Martial Arts.
Ham Rak is so moved that he even sheds tears.
"You at last reached it, Wol-ryeong Noonim."
Uncharacteristically for one of the Horned Ox Race, Ham Rak finishes in a sentimental voice while holding back
tears, then wipes them and fixes his gaze back on the target point.
"Cultivator Wol. So that Wol-ryeong Noonim's sacrifice is not in vain...I beg of you!"
Wol Ryeong, feeling the strange sensation that the one with the same name felt, nods at Ham Rak's words.
Kwaaaaaaang!
At last, thanks to Wol Ryeong who borrows the power of the Sword Spear Realm, Wol Ryeong's party succeeds in
reaching the devil spirit's chest.
It is the place where Ham Rak first made a gap in the scales with the time stop of Non-Toppling, Non-Standing.
Huarurururuk!
When the heat of the Glass True Fire bursts out from that gap and tries to engulf them.
Ham Rak shouts a battle cry.
[Non-Toppling, Non-Standing!]
Jjeooooooong!
At the same time, in an instant, the gap before their eyes becomes a 'fissure.'
'What is that!? Even I, at the Grand Perfection Sacred Vessel stage, cannot grasp it.'
Unable to grasp the function of time stop, Wol Ryeong only widens her eyes as she sees the gap instantly become
a fissure.
Wol Ryeong only senses that something tremendous happened in that moment as she sees Ham Rak go exhausted
in an instant.
[I made the fissure. I ask you, Daoist Jun!]
Of the Heart Tribe's Three Great Esteemed Ones, the last Esteemed One who has never revealed their form.
The Human Race Esteemed One, Matching Heaven Esteemed One, Jun Eom, inhales.
[Though I am a Heart Tribe Esteemed One...l, like Jin Wol-ryeong Noonim, am only a half-step... No, in truth, I can
barely enter that stage for only a single instant.]
Kugugugugu!
Wings spread behind Jun Eom's back.
Those wings soon fade, becoming a blue radiance, and seep into Jun Eom's fist with the power of a dragon.
[A single straight punch on which I stake everything. That is the greatest attack I can deliver, and the greatest Heart Tribe ultimate technique. So as soon as my attack unfolds, Cultivator Wol, please land a strike at once.]
A disciple of the Azure Heaven Creation Sect, and descendant of Jun Jae, the former Human Race Integration stage Grand Cultivator Association Leader.
Jun Eom, with a solemn expression, recalls the figure of a man he once saw in a dream.
That man was said to be the direct disciple of Azure Tiger Saint, founder of the Azure Heaven Creation Sect.
The man's name was not left, but the moment Jun Eom saw him in the dream, he knew.
That the man's straight punch is the goal he, as a disciple of the great Azure Heaven Creation Sect, must aim for all
his life.
[Azure Wing!]
Dudududu!
Space trembles.
Wol Ryeong sees a vision as if the Esteemed One called Jun Eom before her eyes has entered a world of paper
flowers.
On one side of that world of paper flowers, there is a silver domain.
Jun Eom heads toward that silver domain and throws a straight punch with his whole being.
[Heavenly Shatter!!]
For an instant, Jun Eom's fist seems to be covered in silver, and Wol Ryeong feels an indescribable thrill as she
sees that sight.
------!
There is no sound.
Jun Eom's single punch widens the fissure Ham Rak made and pierces the scale armor of the hair clone, reaching
the flesh within.
Chuaaaaaa!
And then Jun Eom, as if he exhausted all the energy of his entire body after that single punch, faints on the spot,
and Wol Ryeong stuffs the drained Ham Rak and Jun Eom into her internal world and quickly enters the body of the
hair clone.
And the moment she reaches inside, Wol Ryeong can see something.
That something is also something Wol Ryeong knows well.
A gigantic sword mountain of glass stands before Wol Ryeong's eyes.
"I have come...to avenge my grudge against you."
Wol Ryeong summons the radiance halberd.
Woo-wooong-
She recalls the Heart Tribe Esteemed Ones who, at her side until now, showed her something while sacrificing
themselves.
The will.
The heart.
And the principles of martial discipline contained within it that the Esteemed Ones showed, by Wol Ryeong's fate,
are manifested from her hand.
"Let's...end this ill-fated connection!!!"
Wol Ryeong sees a vision of the countless people who accompanied her here brush past before her eyes.
Jun Eom's heart.
Ham Rak's heart.
Jin Wol-ryeong's heart.
The nameless Heavenly Lords and her master.
And...
Seo Gyeong's heart.
Thus, thinking of Seo Gyeong's heart...
Recalling her own heart for Seo Gyeong, she thrusts the halberd with all her strength toward the hair clone.
Heaven, Earth and Heavens Above become wrapped in light.
In the next moment, Wol Ryeong succeeds in splitting the glass sword mountain that is no different from the hair
clone's heart, and the something within it.
Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
Palace of Radiance.
Among the restraints that hold the Sword Mountain Devil Lord in its depth are the symbol forms that signify the
Sword Mountain Devil Lord's [Name].
Among those symbol forms, in the symbol form of [Sword Mountain], a change occurs.
It is a faint scratch.
And that scratch is shaped as if it is a halberd.
To anyone who sees it, it would look as if a tiny little person stabbed a toothpick-like halberd into that symbol.
And the moment the crack runs through that symbol.
Blink-
At last, the Devil Lord of Sword Mountain who was sunk in a dream opens their eyes.
[...It was a long sleep.]
They begin to raise their head.
[Under the Seat of Radiance...I could at last seize the Radiance Mantra.]
Feeling that the mantra of light they had digested in the dream until now completely enter their grasp, they smile.
[It's about time...to head out.]
-x-X-x-
Thud-
The Sword Mountain Devil Lord slowly begins to raise their head.
Hundreds of millions of layers of seals wrap around their whole body, and massive stakes of light are driven into them in many places.
Beyond that, their flesh is bound by dozens of chains of light, prophecies, and a certain dimensional veil that appears to be the Heavenly Domain itself.
[Huuuu...]
And within those countless seals, the Sword Mountain Devil Lord exhales and writhes.
At that very moment, the one who discovers the Sword Mountain Devil Lord's strangeness is the Envoy of the Final Age of Dharma in charge of their sealing, the Ghost Net Heavenly Lord.
:: Hm? Hear me, the Sword Mountain Devil Lord has risen. Inform Radiance Hall. The Sword Mountain Devil Lord has opened their eyes. ::
At the Ghost Net Heavenly Lord's transmission, replies from the Eight Immortals arrive in an instant, and numerous Vestige Liberation Immortals, Upper Immortals, and Great Net Immortals pour into the sealing ground.
:: We will set up a formation on the boundary of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain and come at once. Wait only ten seconds. ::
Ten seconds.
For True Immortals, ten seconds is not a long time, but it is not that short either.
The Ghost Net Heavenly Lord, well aware of the seals Radiance has laid upon the Sword Mountain Devil Lord, sits at ease as they look down upon them.
:: If it's only that, nothing much should occur. ::
But immediately after those words end.
The Sword Mountain Devil Lord begins to exert force.
Kugugugugu-
:: O Ghost Net Heavenly Lord, the Devil Lord is exerting strength. Shall we reinforce the seal or intercept? ::
:: No need. The barriers upon the Sword Mountain Devil Lord alone are... : :
[Guaaaaaaa!]
Then, the Sword Mountain Devil Lord's roar begins to resound throughout the entirety of the Palace of Radiance.
The power sealed beneath the name of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord begins to bloom in earnest.
Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
Flawless Mantra.
Wheel.
Impermanence Sword.
Authority of the Immortal Beast King.
Ultimate of Martial Arts.
And...
Radiance Mantra.
A total of seven Governing Immortal-rank authorities, breaking through the hairline scratch pierced in the name of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord, begin to overturn the interior of Radiance Hall.
Ururururung-
The power they exhale spreads in a spiral and begins wildly distorting innumerable seals, and all the seals and prophecies laid upon the Sword Mountain Devil Lord in by Radiance Hall begin to stand off against them in equal opposition.
Only then does the Ghost Net Heavenly Lord realize something is wrong and hastily gives orders.
:: Reinforce the seals! Pour more prophecies upon them and intercept that one through Immortal Arts! ::
The Ghost Net Heavenly Lord draws power from the Origin Essence of the Gwi Celestial Mansion that they seized, which governs the Gwi Celestial Mansion (/Vermillion Bird Constellation) of the Grand Perfection formula at the Qi Building stage, and shapes a harpoon blazing with ghost fire.
Woo-wooong-
The Ghost Net Heavenly Lord's prophecy dwells in the harpoon.
It is their Innate Immortal Art, Ghost Net Slaughter ().
:: Thee who is struck by Ghost Net Slaughter shall grow weary. ::
Not death, not falling asleep, but simply growing weary.
But precisely because the range of this prophecy is so narrow, this prophecy can even take effect upon a Supreme Deity.
Tukwang!
The Ghost Net Heavenly Lord hurls the prophecy-laden harpoon straight at the Sword Mountain Devil Lord.
Now, with the power struggle between the Sword Mountain Devil Lord and the seals that confine them in Radiance Hall having reached a stalemate-
If a curse that makes the opponent grow weary is driven into the Sword Mountain Devil Lord, the situation would be reversed at once.
Or so they think.
[Coordinates, the interior of Radiance Hall.]
Clank, clank, clank, clank, clank!
Tukwaaaang!
Ripping the space-time of Radiance Hall's interior, five chains suddenly appear in place, snatch the Ghost Net Heavenly Lord's Ghost Net Slaughter, and fling it straight back at the Ghost Net Heavenly Lord.
The Ghost Net Heavenly Lord tries to block their own Immortal Art, but because of the Supreme Deity-rank attraction force contained in that art, they are skewered by his own harpoon and are flung out beyond the interior of Radiance Hall.
Kwagwagwang!
The space and dimension within Radiance Hall distort, the power of the five chains resonates, and they begin to reach the clear rank of a Supreme Deity.
[Immortal Treasure Five Desires Chain. We come by the Lord's command.]
Kwaaaang!
At the same time, the Five Desires Chain, which has reached the Supreme Deity-rank, combines with the Sword Mountain Devil Lord's attraction force.
The powers corresponding to the eight Supreme Deities at last rip apart the seals and prophecies entwining the entire body of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord and undo their sealing.
Kukwagwang, kwaang!
Numerous True Immortals tied into the seals are flung here and there, screaming and shrieking.
The Thirty-Three Heavenly Resplendent Treasure Immortals holding one axis of the sealing all fail to endure, and from the shock they are repelled and bounce away, scattering in all four directions, and the Qiantian True Lord and the Kunyu Heavenly Lord vomit congested blood and momentarily faint.
The time it takes for all of that to occur does not even reach nine seconds.
Paaat!
Interior of Radiance Hall.
There, the Radiance Eight Immortals who have come to guard the boundary of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain
gather.
:: Great Forest, Rain Dew-what is this!? ::
And the Eight Immortals, upon arrival, grasp the situation at once, and among them the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord shouts in a near-scream.
:: Did I not say that the matter of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord is urgent, so at least send Sword Spear!? : :
Indeed.
When the news about the Sword Mountain Devil Lord came, the Eight Immortals foresaw that Seo Eun-hyun's comrades will launch surprise attacks inside and out from outside the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, and decided to go after firmly fortifying the defenses of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
Since no one thought the Sword Mountain Devil Lord would break free within ten seconds, it seemed to be no
problem.
Only, the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord, seeing that the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord was virtually sidelined and staying in their quarters, proposed to have at least Sword Spear go to the interior of Radiance Hall, but that proposal was smoothed over by the Great Forest Heavenly Lord.
:: And on top of that, what are those things, those that are made from the Immortal Treasure transformation of the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity, what are they!? If those can infiltrate the interior of Radiance Hall so easily, then for what did we come after guarding the Heavenly Domain!? ::
The Great Forest Heavenly Lord and the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord, as if they have nothing to say, keep silent for a
moment.
But Sword Spear looks at the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord and soothes them.
:: Calm yourself, Pearl Jade. This is not the time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves. Above all, the Heavenly Domain defense we have carried out is not meaningless. From the start, is it not well known that the interior of the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity is connected to the center of every Heavenly Domain?
:: In the first place, the sealing formation of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord is set to confine even if their Immortal Treasure appears, but who could have known that they, alone, would equal the entire power of the sealing formation? They are merely out-of-standard... This is no time to blame our comrades. ::
: : ...Understood, Sword Spear. ::
At the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's logical words, Pearl Jade slightly calms their anger, and the Great Forest Heavenly Lord and the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord also lower their heads.
:: I apologize. But now we are all gathered, so let us begin with subduing the Sword Mountain Devil Lord. ::
:: Let us decide the punishment for the mistaken judgment after the subjugation of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord. In the name of I, Great Forest, the operational command authority of Sword Spear and Pearl Jade is hereby restored, so begin the subjugation of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord. ::
Having finished speaking, they all look at the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, looking down at the massive body rising below, joins their palms.
:: We shall go with full force from the start. All divine spirits affiliated with Radiance Hall, assemble. This is a full- scale war. The current Sword Mountain Devil Lord's combat power shall be estimated as Bing-class (), and all Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma, all Great Net Immortals, all Upper Immortals, all Vestige Liberation Immortals, all at once, shall execute prophecies according to Pearl Jade's command. ::
All across the Heavenly Domain, countless stars of prophecy are born, supporting the Eight Immortals and beginning to bind the Sword Mountain Devil Lord.
At the same time, the Radiance Eight Immortals form a circular formation and, with palms joined, begin to draw
power from the Seat of Radiance.
:: Glory to the Radiance Supreme Deity. : :
The place where they are is inside Radiance Hall.
Right beneath the Seat of Radiance.
There is no place in this world where the power of the Radiance Supreme Deity reaches as well as there.
Above the Radiance Eight Immortals who have drawn a circular formation centered on the Seat of Radiance, a gigantic symbol of Heuk Sa (4) appears.
The ominous Light of the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] begins to pour down toward the Sword Mountain Devil Lord.
And the Sword Mountain Devil Lord Seo Eun-hyun begins to exert his power in earnest.
The first to appear is the [White Three Great Ultimates].
A pure-white Three Great Ultimates appears under Seo Eun-hyun's feet and amplifies his power.
Next to appear is the [Wheel of Starlight].
Receiving the power of the Three Great Ultimates, the form of the Wheel shining with starlight encircles outside the
Three Great Ultimates and appears again beneath Seo Eun-hyun's feet.
And the last to appear is...
...the same symbol of the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] as that of the Radiance Eight Immortals.
:: WHAT!!?? ::
The Radiance Eight Immortals, including the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, cry out as if screaming when they see
that symbol.
Seo Eun-hyun, encircled by the overlapping symbols of Three Circles, sees that sight and, with his faceless pure
white head, begins to stretch his hand toward the sky.
Chwarurururuk-
The five chains wrap around the right arm that Seo Eun-hyun lifts, and their ends each coil around one of Seo Eun-
hyun's fingers.
Seo Eun-hyun, raising the right arm wrapped in black chains, finally begins to draw up the power of the Radiance
Mantra that is revealed beneath his feet.
: : ॐ अमोघ वैरोचन महामुद्रा मणिपद्म ज्वल प्रवर्ताय हूँ ::
[Editor: A Vajrayana Buddhist mantra associated with purification and the wisdom of Vairochana Buddha. Can be translated as: "Om! To the unfailing Vairochana of the great seal, blazing jewel-lotus, set forth! Hum!"]
An ancient tongue whose essence cannot be fathomed resounds all around.
Radiance Mantra.
Authority.
Space-Time Suppression (E).
Waduduk-
The world stops.
The state of everything in the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain freezes as is, and it becomes a place where only
Seo Eun-hyun can move and think.
It is different from time stop.
Time stop merely stops time, but Space-Time Suppression means the entirety of the suppressed time and space
falls into the hand of the suppressor.
Within the suppressed time, at the center of the Three Circles, Seo Eun-hyun begins to recite the incantation of Phenomena Extinguishing.
:: Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment... : :
Kugugugugu...
Jjeok, jjeojeojeojeok...
Originally, the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra should gather the jade of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements at the
center.
But with Space-Time Suppression underway, with Seo Eun-hyun having become the master of that space-time, when he chants the mantra, something changes.
The entire spacetime of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain splits apart, reverts into the jade of Yin-Yang and Five
Elements itself, and starts to be trapped within Seo Eun-hyun's two hands.
Not at the usual level of compressing the jade of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, but literally treating the entire Heavenly Domain as the jade of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements and imprisoning it in one's hands.
And so, just as the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain is about to fall into the clutches of the wicked Sword Mountain
Devil Lord-
Mantra.
God-Killing Spear
Outside the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
At the far edge of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
From the place where the Head Realm lies, eight eye-blinding lights fly in and pierce through the Heavenly King
Heavenly Domain, which is frozen and undergoing disassembly.
It is the God-Killing Spears!
The ultimate technique of the Radiance Eight Immortals that defeats even a Supreme Deity.
Jjeoong!
The eight God-Killing Spears fly straight into the body of the wicked Sword Mountain Devil Lord that seeks to
devour the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
Before that bizarrely overwhelming spear, which does not submit even to Space-Time Suppression, the Sword Mountain Devil Lord has no choice but to cancel the Radiance Mantra and take out something else.
Wiiiiiiing-
The symbol of the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] thins, and the [Wheel of Starlight] shines.
The true purpose of the Wheel that the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld possesses is the Origin of History.
Historical excavation to reach the moment of Genesis when the world was created.
Even the ordering of causality and the rewriting of history are merely authorities that arise from that historical
excavation.
And that authority of historical excavation is, for Seo Eun-hyun who has become the Immortal Beast King, the
greatest authority.
The authorities of the Wheel and the Immortal Beast King, from Seo Eun-hyun's hand, manifests a golden
destruction.
The dreadful ultimate technique that once beat Seo Eun-hyun to the point of being sick.
Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven ().
Annihilation Advancement Mu ().
Eight Consecutive Strikes (/).
The dreadful light of destruction of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity that he experienced hundreds of millions of
times meets the lights of God-Killing and cancels out.
Flash!
The world hums, and the entire Heavenly King Heavenly Domain twists madly under the collision of those forces.
As a result, the barrier formations that the Radiance Eight Immortals set up on the boundaries between Heavenly Domains to prepare for the intrusion of the other Enders all end up smashed to pieces by that distortion.
Kugugugugugu-
Unable to endure the collision of those forces, the Palace of Radiance crumbles, turning into powder and scattering
into the void, leaving only the floor.
Within that storm of golden powder, the eyes of the Radiance Eight Immortals and Seo Eun-hyun meet.
Wooo-woooong-
Within the diagram of the Three Circles, the faceless Mountain Divine Spirit laughs.
:: It was a long sleep. Now then... : :
Guk, guguguguk-
His right arm wrapped with the Five Desires Chain rakes through space.
...shall I put an end to Radiance Hall? ::
Chwaaaaak-
The next moment.
The hand that rakes through space passes straight through dimensions and flings open the gate of the Source
River, the dimension adjacent to the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
Inside the Source River.
The Red Pearl Cycling Heavenly King Jeon Myeong-hoon.
The Lapis Lazuli Flower Heavenly King Kang Min-hee.
The Silver Nameless Heavenly King Oh Hyun-seok.
Ender Kim Yeon.
Ender Oh Hye-seo.
Five Governing Immortal-rank beings reveal themselves.
:: In the name of the Great Forest Heavenly Lord...I fully elevate the danger level of the Sword Mountain Devil
Lord's party to Eul-grade (Z). They are now...dangerous persons on a level equal to the Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King, so aid us with full force. : :
Thus, the Second Bright Sword Great War begins.