Chương 489: Esteemed One's Path (3)

Immortal Cultivation is, ultimately, a bridle.

Attraction force is a chain, and fate is a bar.

However, if one wishes to escape this inverted world from which there is no escape, one must first reach the pinnacle of the bridle.

The first step towards that pinnacle is to draw a circle.

Draw a perfect circle, flawless in every aspect.

It is from there that it all begins.

This is what is called 'Flawlessness.'

―From the formula of the Flawless Mantra.

It has been twenty years since I arrived at Mengyun Star.

Kang Min-hee has finally become an adult.

"Wo-woong!"

Upside down, she calls for her ghosts and flies through the air, expressing joy.

Is it perhaps due to the instinctive drive of the Sacred Vessel stage advancement ritual?

Since the moment she could communicate with me through her 'woong,' she has been eager to explore the world.

'She's probably trying to retrieve her scattered fragments spread across Mengyun Star.'

But I did not permit it.

Among her scattered fragments, there are already numerous monsters who have reached the Heavenly Being stage, and there is the real possibility that Kang Min-hee, the core of the advancement ritual, could be killed by one of her own fragments.

If that were to happen, she would really die during the Sacred Vessel advancement ritual.

Over the past twenty years I've spent here, I cross-verified the details of the Sacred Vessel advancement ritual by sending an incarnation to Sacred Master Baek Woon, and it seems Seo Hweol's explanation is correct.

'I heard that each of the fragments desire to become the main body and wield authority for themselves... They don't want to be absorbed by Kang Min-hee—rather, they want to kill her.'

Following the advice I received over twenty years from Sacred Master Baek Woon through my incarnation, I kept Kang Min-hee confined to this mountain valley until she reached adulthood.

Could it be due to the innate influence of her Ghostly Yin Transformation Immortal Root?

Or perhaps it's a trait common to all who have reached the Star Shattering stage through the Ghost Path Method.

Since she was young, she possessed the talent for subjugating ghosts with just her gaze and thoughts.

However, there were occasional incidents where her mind nearly succumbed to being invaded by the ghosts.

Her power to subdue ghosts was not yet complete.

I promised her that once her power fully matured upon reaching adulthood, she would be allowed to travel across the Mengyun Continent, which is why she is so delighted right now.

'Her physical body has matured, and she's grown accustomed to her authority. There's no need to worry about her being consumed by her own abilities.'

"Very well. I grant you permission. From now on, you are free to travel the Mengyun Continent and see the world. However..."

I signal to Seo Ran, who steps forward to join us.

"From now on, you will learn cultivation methods from Teacher Seo Ran, who has learned the Ghost Path Method. Teacher Seo Ran will be your master and follow you, teaching you in the Ghost Path Method. He will also protect you in times of danger."

"Woong..."

Kang Min-hee ponders for a moment, then nods.

In fact, she seems to like Seo Ran, flying up above him and grabbing his horn, shaking it with delight.

Perhaps it's due to the strong sense of camaraderie they share, both being from Black Ghost Valley.

"Well, everything's fine, but... why is she flying upside-down?"

"... She used to walk upside-down on her hands. When I asked her to do something about the dirt getting on her hands, she settled for flying upside-down instead."

"Hmm..."

Seo Ran looks up at Kang Min-hee with a slightly taken aback expression, while I pack her belongings and hand them over to one of the ghosts under her command.

"Well then, off you go, Min-hee. I'll be waiting."

"Woong!"

Kang Min-hee, still upside down, gives me an enthusiastic farewell before descending along the valley.

Seo Ran hurriedly follows after her, while I sit on the porch and watch as she grows more distant.

'In the past, she always looked exhausted... or a bit sad. But for the past few years, she's always been bright... so it's nice to see.'

"... Hong Fan. Are you here?"

Sururuk— Hong Fan slithers out from behind a beam like a snake and transforms into a human before standing behind me.

Now at the Grand Perfection Integration stage, Hong Fan looks as youthful as someone in his mid-to-late fifties.

He no longer looks like an old man, but rather like a slightly aged middle-aged man.

"Yes, please ask."

"How is the interpretation of the Flawless Mantra coming along?"

For the past twenty years, I've entrusted Hong Fan with the interpretation of the Flawless Mantra.

I believe it might be the key to breaking Kang Min-hee's curse.

'Perhaps Kang Min-hee's loss of rationality... is because she obtained an Immortal Art like the Flawless Mantra from the Underworld.'

It seemed that researching the Flawless Mantra is necessary to sever her curse, so I began interpreting it alongside Hong Fan for that purpose.

But in the midst of interpreting the Flawless Mantra, Hong Fan started showing unusual reactions.

―Some... memory. It feels like I'm beginning to remember something.

―Memory? What kind of memory?

―Strangely... it feels like something from a past life. As for what this memory really is... it's unclear.

―Could it be that your past life was somehow related to the Flawless Mantra...?

―I'm not certain, but... I feel like I used to know a great deal about the Flawless Mantra.

Whenever Hong Fan would look at the Flawless Mantra, he would clutch his head, saying that something from his past life seemed to resurface, so I left the interpretation entirely to him, hoping to help him awaken those memories.

After all, I can't fully comprehend an Immortal Art like the Flawless Mantra anyway with my level.

'It's probably better to leave it to Hong Fan, who claims to have known it in his past life.'

"Hmm... I feel like I'm on the verge of recalling something, but to be honest, it may take some time at this pace. Perhaps at this rate, it could even take thousands of years."

"Take your time. Your memories may be even more important, so focus on recovering those as well."

"Hoho, in truth, the only memories that are resurfacing are specifically related to the Flawless Mantra. No other memories come to mind."

"Hmm, is that so...? Very well. Then, just do as much as you can."

After encouraging Hong Fan, I inform him of my own plans.

"Now, I must also begin my cultivation. As you roam throughout this star system, keep an eye out for anything suspicious approaching."

Up until now, I have personally protected the entire star system with my main body.

Just in case Entering Nirvana True Persons or others appeared, I needed to be prepared.

Additionally, there are countless large rock fragments in the Astral Realm, so I've been using my main body to clear those that approach this star system to prevent Mengyun Star from being obliterated overnight.

Now, Hong Fan will take over that role.

"As you command."

Hong Fan immediately rises to the sky and heads toward the outskirts of the star system.

After watching him for a moment, I sit in a lotus position.

"Huuu..."

I inhale, drawing in Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.

The energy within my incarnation rapidly amplifies, reaching the 6th star of Qi Refining.

'In the past, I used to struggle to reach beyond Qi Refining 7th star...'

Woong— Now, there's no need to align with the auspicious time to perform the Seven Stars Ritual.

This is because, by tracing the star veins connected to the main body, I can directly locate the stars corresponding to the Seven Stars Ritual and draw upon their power.

My main body acts as the altar, and the star veins as the ritual.

Thus, there's no need for the tedious steps of setting up an altar and performing the rites anymore.

Flash!

After I cross the 7th Star of Qi Refining, I continue to supply my Incarnation with Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.

In an instant, my incarnation advances to the Qi Building stage, reaching the first constellation, second constellation, third constellation, and fourth constellation of Qi Building.

At this point, merely drawing in Heaven and Earth spiritual energy from the surroundings no longer elevates my realm easily.

'It's about time... to receive directly from the main body.'

Kugugugugu!

Light flashes in the sky, and then, as if intending to envelop the entire vicinity, a beam of light pierces down into the valley.

"Huuu..."

Core Formation—Early, Mid, Late, Grand Perfection.

Nascent Soul—Early, Mid, Late, Grand Perfection.

Heavenly Being—Early, Mid, Late, Grand Perfection!

Kwajijijik...

Absorbing all the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy transmitted by the main body, my incarnation instantly leaps into the Heavenly Being stage.

A typical Heavenly Being cultivator would ascend at this point.

In the Astral Realm, it is difficult to procure enough Heaven and Earth spiritual energy to advance beyond this realm.

For a typical Heavenly Being cultivator in the Astral Realm to advance to the next stage, they would generally need to gather Heaven and Earth spiritual energy until their lifespan reaches its limit and then challenge the Four-Axis stage.

'Of course, I have no such need.'

Kwarururung!

Once again, a massive amount of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is sent down in a single heap from the main body.

I absorb the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy with the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle and advance to the Four-Axis stage.

Kugugugugu!

Heavenly Tribulation rumbles in the sky, but as soon as the main body sends forth its will, the clouds themselves disperse.

Now, unless it's a Heavenly Tribulation of Integration stage or higher, I have no need to endure it.

'I have now reached the Four-Axis stage... no, the Earth Axis stage.'

I rise to the stratosphere of the Mengyun Star, overlook the Menyun Continent, and begin my Earth Axis cultivation.

Jjeong!

This is the benefit of forming the axis through the Five Blessings Axes, or, like me, constructing all the Earth Axes.

Within my main body.

Among the various energies that constitute the Colorless Sword Mountain Treading Sea Great Star, the energies of the Five Blessings and Six Extremes Axes and the Five Elements Axis resonate with my will, flowing into the area created within my incarnation's Nascent Soul.

Simultaneously, the axes of Five Blessings, Six Extremes, and Five Elements of my main body and incarnation resonate, further strengthening the connection between my main body and my incarnation.

'It's still not enough to call them true axes.'

It's still merely the seeds of the axes, with energy too weak to be considered genuine axes.

Over the next few years, if I imbue energy and consciousness into these axis seeds, I'll be able to make them into true axes.

This is the difference in how one establishes the axes during the Four-Axis stage.

Depending on the axes established during the Four-Axis stage, the type of axes one can form for the incarnation during the Star Shattering stage varies.

Those who form their axes with the Heterodox Axis Foundation will end up creating incarnations based on the Heterodox Axis Foundation even in the Star Shattering stage.

On the other hand, those like me who established their axes through the Twelve Earthly Branches Axes will continue to form the Twelve Earthly Branches Axes even at the Star Shattering stage.

'I didn't realize how crucial the first step would be.'

After nurturing the axis seeds for about a hundred years, I should be able to advance to the Integration stage as a complete Earth Axis cultivator.

'Good... Now... let's wait patiently.'

Looking down from the sky of the Mengyun star, I gaze at Kang Min-hee and Seo Ran as they travel across the Mengyun Continent as I slowly nurture the axis seeds.

In this manner, about a hundred years pass.

A message arrives from my comrades in the Bright Cold Realm.

Hon Won has been killed by Yeon Wei.

"... What on earth happened?"

Beside Cedar Wood Grove.

I manifest a heart essence avatar and approach her, who is imprisoned within the Human Race district's detention center.

She is not in the body of Yeon Jin, but instead inside a puppet seemingly crafted in her own appearance by Kim Yeon, her eyes gloomy as she meets mine.

Hon Won is dead.

This means that an Integration stage Grand Cultivator of the Human Race has died, and simultaneously, someone who seemed both to be and not to be Yeon Wei's pillar of dependence has perished.

And, it was Yeon Wei herself who carried out the act.

She rolls her eyes, looking at the guards behind me.

"... I would... like to speak alone."

The guards glare at her, but I dismiss them with a gesture, then separate the surrounding space from the Bright Cold Realm and ask,

"What on earth happened? No... more importantly, how did you, who lost all your cultivation through who knows what, manage to kill Hon Won...?"

"I used Hon Won's bloodline to trigger a curse that traces back through his ancestors. That curse met my own curse already within his body, amplifying and driving Hon Won's condition to its worst. Then, I took advantage of that moment to lure him into a trap and activated the trap to kill him. When I told him that the Cheon Ra or Jeon Ra woman he believed dead was still alive, he willingly followed me."

"... Why did you kill him?"

"I haven't finished explaining 'how' I killed him yet."

I gaze at Yeon Wei, whose heart essence has fallen into confusion and panic, and ask with a bitter expression.

"... Alright. Continue."

"Despite everything, how could someone like me, stripped of all my cultivation, really be able to kill Hon Won? So I revealed the truth to him. A truth he absolutely could not deny."

"A truth?"

"... Bloodline. No matter how much he feigned madness for tens of thousands of years, refusing to see the truth, bloodline cannot be hidden."

A cruel smile spreads on Yeon Wei's lips.

"Yeon Jin is, in fact, a descendant of the child of Hon Won and me."

"...!"

"There is a technique called Long Pregnancy Overflowing the Heavens (長妊滔天). It's a secret art of the Tall Tree Race that I acquired while plundering resources from them before my engagement with Hon Won. It extends the usual gestation period of ten months to a hundred years, in exchange for transforming the child quality into the physique known as the Long Heaven Body (長天之體). This physique absorbs Heaven and Earth spiritual energy a hundred times faster than that of other races.

The only reason the Tall Tree Race, whose only claim to fame is being descendants of Sacred Master Baek Woon, holds influence in the Bright Cold Realm is because of this secret art."

The smile hanging on her lips deepens.

However, to me, it doesn't look like she's smiling. Rather, it looks like she's screaming.

"I wanted our child to reign over the Bright Cold Realm. But Hon Won went mad, and in the process of fighting him, I ended up using all the spiritual energy required to activate Long Pregnancy Overflowing the Heavens that I had infused into the embryo. In the end, the child born after I reduced Hon Won's cultivation was just an ordinary child. I gave them the surname Yeon and the continuation of the bloodline in secret from Hon Won... is the present Yeon Jin."

"..."

"For a thousand years before and after that period, I was the only one Hon Won was with. Perhaps because of this, when his memories became distorted, he believed he was only ever with the one named Cheon Ra. He forgot about his relationship with me. So... I revealed Yeon Jin's bloodline to him, making him remember who he truly had been with back then, in a way he could not deny."

The panic in her eyes grows even more intense.

"Isn't it astonishing? That Hon Won. The Hon Won who couldn't recover no matter how he was treated... only then did he come to his senses. Only then did he realize that something was wrong."

Drip, drip drip...

Something falls from her eyes.

Despite being a puppet body, her consciousness, laden with the intent of sorrow, resonates with the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy around her, causing blue spiritual energy to flow from the puppet's eyes.

"And then... he asked me to kill him. He said his entire life had been... a marionette puppet show. He begged to be set free... and flew into the dharma treasure I held... impaling himself and taking his own life."

"..."

"I only meant to deal a final blow to Hon Won before I died myself. But somehow, it ended with him committing suicide. I reported to the Grand Cultivator Association that I killed him. To them, Hon Won was tormented by me until the end and then killed. The Penglai Place Lord pitifully taking his own life... I didn't want to say that."

"..."

She looks up at me with gloomy eyes.

"... But I can tell Lord Divine Spirit, right? Isn't that right? O Divine Spirit, who tramples on all our hopes and toys with us."

She glares at me, growling with a voice that seems to boil from her very guts.

"It seems Lord Divine Spirit isn't aware of the wonders that the Golden Divine performed. In truth, at Shattered Heaven Peak, there is an Immortal Art that can pinpoint the location of disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and confirm their 'state of fate.' It was kept secret even from the Divine Spirit and hidden until the very end... but it seems Lord Divine Spirit didn't know that."

I let out a low groan in response to her words.

"Where is Myeong-hoon right now? And why did you cast him somewhere to leave him with a 'fate status of being tortured until his personality collapses,' while you're cultivating in the Astral Realm as if in seclusion? It's almost as if..."

Budududuk...

Yeon Wei's fingers scrape across the prison floor.

"After taking spiritual medicine... you're digesting it... Isn't that right...?"

Yeon Wei grits her teeth and glares up at me.

"Just how much... do you need to toy with us to be satisfied... just how much...!? Please tell me. Where has our founder's reincarnation, the hope of the Great Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, Jeon Myeong-hoon, gone!!??"

Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.

Inside the Palace of Radiance.

At its center, beneath the [Seat of Light], eight colossal giants of light appear.

:: Did you feel it?:::: Indeed.:: All of them simultaneously look somewhere with grave expressions.

:: The Great Mountain Supreme Deity Ra Cheon (羅天) has...:::: In the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain's time. At the time of Gi (己)... vanished.:: With the sudden disappearance of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, they exchange words while communicating with someplace in an alarmed manner.

:: What should we do?:::: We must immediately lift the seal on the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain and observe the inner regions to determine the truth and falsity.:::: Is there a chance this was staged by Them?:::: What nonsense. Look at the Immortal Registry (仙籍).:::: In the Immortal Registry created by the Owner of Names... the light of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity Ra Cheon has disappeared.:::: Ra Cheon has died. As it stands, the death of the being known as Ra Cheon is beyond question.

:::: Regardless, we must observe the truth. Do you even know how much prophecy is consumed to seal the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain and create a new sealing Heavenly Domain?::: The longer we delay, the more prophecy will be wasted. Uncovering the truth comes first.::: Agreed. Even if They somehow succeeded in casting off the name bestowed upon them by Hyeon Go, They would need time to adjust to the loss of the name's power.

:::: At this moment, even if we open the gate to the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain, we can sufficiently prevent Their escape. However, we must take all necessary precautions, mobilizing the full power of the Radiance Hall as preparation. That way, whatever trick They might have employed, we can reseal Them.:: The colossal beings of light.

The Radiance Eight Immortals.

After exchanging their views, they finally reach a conclusion.

:: All True Immortals of the Radiance Hall, assemble. We will temporarily lift the seal on the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain.:: They vanish from the Palace of Light in an instant and reach the vicinity of a dimensional entrance beyond the Interdimensional Void.

At the entrance, enormous characters that spell 'Earth Axis (地軸)' glow with light, and anchored around those luminous characters, chains vast enough to cover the universe envelop the entire dimension.

Behind the Radiance Eight Immortals, hundreds of divine spirits begin to appear one by one.

As the Radiance Eight Immortals extend their hands forward in unison, the characters over the entrance to the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain disperse, and the entrance cracks open, ever so slightly.

Though the gap is small, the radiant light emanating from the Radiance Eight Immortals seeps into the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain, illuminating it completely.

Then, as the Radiance Eight Immortals illuminate the entire domain, they shout urgently in unison.

:: Reseal it!:::: Great Mountain Supreme Deity has...:: In the next moment.

Fifth Seat of the Radiance Eight Immortals, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's manifested incarnation explodes within the domain.

Simultaneously, a colossal arm emerges from within the entrance to the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain.

The arm is so enormous that even the incarnations of the Radiance Eight Immortals—each one larger than a fixed star—look like mere bugs in comparison.

The arm is a mountain.

A gigantic mountain range that takes the form of an arm.

And that mountain range...

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred million, trillion, 10 quadrillion, 100 quintillion, septillion, 10 octillion, 100 nonillion, undecillion, 10 duodecillion, 100 tredecillion, quindecillion.

It is a mountain range made of corpses as many as the sands of Ganges River (恒河沙), all weeping blood and lying in death.

The Mountain God.

The Eminent Divine Spirit known as the Great Mountain Supreme Deity begins to exert Their power against the forces of Light.

[Aaaaaaaah!] [Kuaahhh!] [Kuuuuuaaaahhhhhhh!] The corpses embedded in the body of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity all begin to scream in unison.

At the sound of their screams, both the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain and the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain shake violently.

The Radiance Eight Immortals glare down at the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and growl.

:: So that's it. They deceived us. No, They deceived everyone.:::: They have been preparing this since 40, 000 years ago.:::: While everyone was distracted by that being's enthronement, They desecrated (凌蔑) fate with a substitute.:: Dudududududu!

Released from the seal, the Great God draws upon Their power and looks up at the Radiance Eight Immortals.

:: O P E N T H E W A Y T O T H E A U D I E N C E C H A M B E R.:: Starting with the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who has just regenerated their incarnation, the Radiance Eight Immortals do not respond to Their words.

Simply clasping their hands together, they bow their heads slightly towards a point higher than themselves.

:: Glory to the Radiance Supreme Deity.:: Then, above them, the splendidly resplendent [Seat of Light] reveals itself.

In the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, Hon Won realized the truth of Yeon Wei's sincerity and chose to rush at her, embracing death.

In the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, the Radiance Eight Immortals mistakenly believed that the Great Mountain Supreme Deity Ra Cheon had died and opened the gate to the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain.

In the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity deceived everyone, emerging from Their confinement.

Thus, the entire Heavenly Domain began to tremble.

TL Note: As many as the Ganges River sands can also mean ten sexdecillion. Bridle has the meaning of restricting the freedom of people/livestock but also protecting them.