Chương 680: Tragic History (4)

"Overcoming fate. The moment I recalled those words, I finally understood. What ultimate happiness is, and what I must truly do."

The Underworld looks down at her palm.

"I must become the Life Supreme Deity. I must not allow the Fate Supreme Deity to monopolize the Absolute and rule over Mount Sumeru alone. After all, true happiness can never be established in a world where a single being wields fate alone."

"..."

"I will become the Life Supreme Deity. Then... I will drag down the current Owner of Fate and sift through to find a good being who will never fall into corruption, seating them as the Fate Supreme Deity. That is my purpose, and also one of the reasons why the Underworld has judged good and evil all this time."

"...!"

I finally understand and accept why the judgments of the Underworld are carried out.

'Indeed...'

It has all been part of the Underworld's grand cause.

However, I ask the Underworld again.

"If becoming the Life Supreme Deity and an entity who counterbalances fate, and enthroning a good being as the Fate Supreme Deity is your goal, then please swear it."

"I swear it upon my Wheel that governs reincarnation. If there is falsehood in my words, may I immediately lose all authority over the Cycle of Reincarnation and the Wheel."

"... Understood. In that case, if it's not too discourteous, I would like to ask one more thing."

"Do so."

"The Life Supreme Deity and so on... What is the method of walking the Immortal Dao of an Absolute, and what exactly is the advancement ritual to become a Supreme Deity of an Absolute?"

At those words, the Underworld answers gladly.

"The Absolute Immortal Dao is something exceedingly simple. Life (生). The life we live itself is the Absolute Immortal Dao."

"... Our life... is the Absolute Immortal Dao... Is that what you are saying?"

"Yes. In some ways, it's a very much obvious statement. Why do you think the Upper Immortal advancement ritual exists in the first place? From Upper Immortal, one is granted the opportunity to choose the pathway of fate or history, and from that realm, one begins to actively wield the power of fate or history. But this has always been the case... According to the life one is born into, Heaven, Earth, and Heart are divided, and each of them uses their own abilities, do they not?"

"..."

"The Absolutes... Fate, History, and... your Seven Brilliance. These three can be considered the great background that composes this world. These Three Great Absolutes are the great laws that no being born into this world can do without. That means... all beings of this world naturally contain the Three Great Absolutes, and the Absolute is embedded within everyone. The Upper Immortal advancement ritual is the process of specializing the Absolute within oneself."

I listen closely to the words of the Underworld and gain many insights.

"Among the Absolutes embedded within oneself, focusing power into either the Absolute of Fate or the Absolute of History and becoming specialized in that. Making only that specialized Absolute supreme within oneself. That is the Upper Immortal advancement ritual. And... it is the same for the advancement ritual to become an Owner of an Absolute."

"... That means..."

"To become an Owner of an Absolute, two things are needed. First is 'qualification'. Second is 'achievement'.

"First, the qualification... supremacy. Among all the living beings in this world, the one who understands the Absolute most supremely gains the qualification to advance to seize it.

"And... what is required to seize that Absolute is 'achievement'. Keep achieving feats so great they surpass the value of the Absolute itself, and elevate your own worth to be above that of the Absolute. That is the core of the basic method to becoming an Owner of an Absolute."

Then, the Underworld begins to speak about the Life Supreme Deity advancement ritual.

"To be honest, I don't know the qualifications for advancing in the other Absolutes. But I do know well the qualification for the Life Supreme Deity advancement. Life is history. Therefore... if one possesses the oldest history in this world, and knows the most history, that becomes the qualification to ascend as the Life Supreme Deity."

"The oldest history..."

As I ponder that truth, I suddenly realize there's a strange contradiction.

"But... even though the Imperial Venerable bears the title of [The Oldest One], in reality, you are not actually... the oldest being, are you?"

At my words, the Underworld nods.

"Correct. The title [The Oldest One]... in truth, suits the Future King best. Including all groups, ideologies, and individuals, that being is older than everything that exists in Mount Sumeru as a singular entity..."

"Then how in the world... could it be?"

As I ask, I immediately come to the realization myself.

"The reason the Imperial Venerable created the Wheel... could it be... for that?"

"It is so. This Wheel... is something Salt Sea made together with me in order to help me become enthroned as the Life Supreme Deity. In other words, it is Reincarnation. And... as you know, every Immortal Beast possesses such a power."

History Induction (歷史誘導) It is the authority to trace unknown history through objects or information that act as mediums.

"In the end, history is information. Through every soul that exists in this world, I use their souls as mediums to endlessly... trace the past before I was born, and collect that information."

Kiriririk— An illusion rises before my eyes.

'No, this is not merely an illusion...'

It is the Underworld.

The pasts of all the spirits that exist in the Underworld reflect beyond the Wheel of Reincarnation.

"And... based on that information, I trace back the Origin Essence of your Seven Brilliance, and reach out my hand to the cycle of spirits that existed before the reincarnation system was established."

The Underworld's Wheel rotates before something enormous.

"Even without reincarnation... it remains a fact that the waters once mixed into the vast sea that is the Absolute are drawn up again and born as beings. And although that may not be the current reincarnation system, from another perspective, there is a margin of possibility to consider it 'reincarnation'."

My mouth opens instinctively.

'This is... the true goal of the Underworld... Her grand plan...!'

"Through history revision, I revise that ambiguous 'margin of possibility' itself into a 'reincarnation system that existed before me.' In doing so... I complete the truth that [reincarnation existed before me]... and continue to infinitely remember my previous lives, internalizing the personalities and experiences of those previous lives into myself. I... accept even the previous lives from before the Future King was born, and accumulate a longer history than his.

That is the method to enthronement as the Life Supreme Deity that I have devised, and completed with Salt Sea's help."

At last, I fully understand what the authority of [Causality Arrangement] possessed by the [Wheel] exists for.

'The authority to arrange history and causality prior to one's birth according to one's own needs...'

It is quite literally the power to rewrite the past and reinterpret the principles to align with oneself, to reach the origin of life.

That is the true power of the Wheel that both the Underworld and I possess.

"In this way, if I remember even the past lives from the era of the Future King, and continue to recall past lives without end... one day, I will be able to recall all previous lives up to the moment this world was created. That is the Life Supreme Deity advancement ritual that I have established. Through this, I can fulfill both 'qualification' and 'achievement.'

"This is an 'achievement' that is not just about creating my own past lives, but truly bringing into existence a reincarnation system in the past, thereby creating previous lives for all living beings. And if that is done... then I will truly... become a body worthy of the title [Oldest One]."

By remembering past lives— If the concept of past lives or reincarnation did not exist, then creating such concepts and excavating the history before one's own birth— Thus adding to one's age, history, and time to earn the title of the [Oldest One] and become the Owner of Life.

That is the full secret the Underworld holds, her purpose, and the true reason the Wheel was created.

'I see. Back when I met her with Hong Fan when she was Tae Yeol-jeon... the Dao that had to be completed spoken through Tae Yeol-jeon's mouth was this.'

Having realized many of the secrets the Underworld holds, I follow with one more question.

"... There is one more thing I'd like to ask. In that case... did my master join forces with the Imperial Venerable and create the Wheel solely for the Imperial Venerable's sake?"

"Of course not. He had his own reasons as well. But... hm, no. Ask the Great Mountain Supreme Deity directly about that. Either way, hearing it from your fellow disciple is the best way."

From the Underworld's words, I realize that hearing the reason my master created the Wheel is itself part of some transmission ritual of 'power'.

'Maybe that's also why the Great Mountain Supreme Deity can draw power from the Salt Sea.'

"... Thank you."

As I listen to the Underworld's explanation, much of the unease I felt toward her is cleared away.

"And I apologize for continuing to trouble you, but there is one last point I must address. Please answer this question as well."

"What is the question?"

"I... in one of my previous lives, heard a certain conversation shared between Hong Fan and Hyeon Mu."

I recount to the Underworld the conversation that Hong Fan and Hyeon Mu had during the time I fought a battle with Hyeon Mu.

At those words, the Underworld's eyes shine.

"... I see. A hidden history."

"A hidden history... you say?"

"As you know, in this world, there are too many histories that have been concealed or sealed by Earth Immortals and Immortal Beasts. In other words, what is called ancient force. And... among those ancient forces, there are some that have been sealed away by Supreme Deities or... by the Future King personally revising history through the Head Realm. If it's an event discussed in such a way between Hong Fan and the Northern Heavenly Venerable...

it is likely a history that the Future King personally intervened to erase."

"If... if such a thing exists, then that means there is a truth that the Imperial Venerable does not know. Will the Imperial Venerable not be continuously outmaneuvered by the Future King because of that truth?"

"It's fine. I have no need to particularly expend my strength on that."

"Pardon...?"

The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld gazes into the distance.

It is as if she is recalling certain individuals.

And with the Underworld's next words, I immediately feel I know exactly who those individuals are.

"The Immortal Beast Kings... they exist for that very purpose."

"...!"

"All the ancient forces in this world... are forgotten stories. Failed dreams. And... in essence, they are massive 'lumps of pent-up grief' no different from knots of resentment in the chest. The Immortal Beast King refers to the being who can read the forgotten stories, the hidden and sealed dreams and ancient forces, and relieve the pent-up grief of history. One could say they are a kind of shaman. So when one refers to Shaman Family Methods, they are often methods related to past Immortal Beast Kings."

"Did it not refer to... the one who best borrows the power of the Head Realm?"

"Why do you think they must 'best borrow' the power of the Head Realm in the first place? Because it's through acknowledging and understanding the pent-up grief of sealed history and forgotten dreams that the Immortal Beast King guides and helps pass on the souls. That very will is what the Akashic Records hold in high regard, which is why it lends its power."

As I organize the truths about the Immortal Beast King, I pose another question to the Underworld.

"... During the era of Vast Cold... why did the Underworld not make the challenge after Yu Hao Te and Hae Nyeong advanced as Supreme Deity and Immortal Beast King respectively?"

"In Yu Hao Te's case, I tried to dissuade him, but he insisted on advancing in the middle of battle and followed me. As for Hae Nyeong... rather, afraid he would get in the way of my Life Supreme Deity advancement, he suppressed his own Immortal Beast King advancement in order to avoid drawing upon the power of the Akashic Records as much as possible."

"... I see. I apologize for asking something unnecessary."

"It's fine. What's done is done... and..."

Kugugugugu!

Before I know it, I feel the revision of the Head Realm, which the Underworld had been holding back, approaching right before me once more.

It is about time for me to once again look back upon my past history.

"You understand now why I cannot help you all?"

"... Yes."

Aside from her Gandhara, the Underworld also clearly has the power she has been accumulating, and the power of the Wheel.

Yet even so, she has never once used either of those powers in an active manner.

The reason, no doubt, must be because the power she is accumulating and the power of the Wheel itself are being poured entirely into excavating history for her Life Supreme Deity advancement.

"... I am deeply grateful that you took time to share these precious truths with me."

I kneel before the Underworld and bow.

I have succeeded in hearing all the cards the Underworld had kept hidden of her own will.

Though there are still parts of history forcibly erased by the Future King, those are beyond my reach. So, I finally let go of my doubts toward the Underworld and decide to place full trust in her.

"... It's fine. And... as for making Hee-ah into the Ghost Mother... I, too, feel sorry."

Perhaps sensing my heart, the Underworld gives a faint, bitter smile and apologizes.

"But... as that is a misfortune I deliberately gave to that child, one day, it will all return to her as a blessing."

"... Yes. I understand. Then..."

I offer my respects to the Underworld, then turn around within the Taiji that revises the world.

"The next time we meet properly, let it be after I survive the Great Mountain Supreme Deity."

"Do as you please. I hope... you are victorious in your fight against Great Mountain."

Having heard all the countless truths from the Underworld that I could learn, I return once again to the scenes of the Head Realm with gleaming eyes.

'Many of my doubts are cleared.'

Now that I understand the true will of the Wheel, only one task remains.

'Now... let us truly advance forth to find the clue to Martial Pinnacle.'

Thus, I begin again the long journey to seek the clue to Martial Pinnacle.

And then...

At last, the end of the 10th cycle.

Having reached the scene where I defeat Yuan Li, I suddenly see something strange.

'... What is that?'

Before my past self who is returning to Cheon-saek City, [someone] appears.