The God of Time.
Thump—
The Heavenly Venerable of Time!
As soon as I hear those words, a chill runs through my entire body, and I feel my soul tremble.
Then, I immediately bow before the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
"Excellent. You know your manners-"
Right after that.
I immediately swing the All-Heavens Sword at the Heavenly Venerable of Time's face.
Shukwak!
Kugwagwagwagwang!Along with the God of Time's body, the entire pavilion is cut in half.
"...What is the meaning of this?"
The Heavenly Venerable of Time asks with a faint smile.
I also smile weakly as I lift the All-Heavens Sword.
"I thought the great God was descending upon me a trial. Was I mistaken?"
The reason I immediately cut down the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
No, the reason I cut down the body of that incarnation is simple.
Tstststststss—
My body is gradually becoming younger.
At the same time, the body of the Heavenly Venerable of Time's incarnation is slowly aging.
What does this mean?
The Heavenly Venerable of Time, through some method, is reversing the time of my physical body.
Well, if that's all, it wouldn't have mattered.
The real problem is that the Heavenly Venerable of Time is also reversing my 'memory.'
If not for the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, I might have entirely forgotten the tens of thousands of years of suffering I endured in the new Heavenly Domain.
"A trial, you say? I only intended to give you relief."
"How can forgetting one's memories be considered a relief?"
"You seemed to be struggling due to the pain of past years, so I tried my hand. Did it not please you?"
It's only then that I realize the answer to why the Heavenly Venerable summoned me after making me wander for a hundred thousand years.
My memories are precious to me.
Indeed, the hundred thousand years have been so long, so horrifying, and so lonely.
But that is also part of my life.
Those years were filled with pain, but it's because of those years of suffering that the pain and despair of that day have weathered away enough to shape who I am today.
The time that has passed was hard, but I don't regret it.
I bow my head to the Heavenly Venerable.
"Thank you for enlightening me."
"Heh heh. It's fortunate that you finally understand."
I'm about to apologize for cutting down the Heavenly Venerable's body.
But just then,
Tstststststs—
I realize that my time is once again reversing.
My physical body is becoming younger, and my memories are fading.
The cultivation of my physical body is declining as well.
If not for the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, I won't have even realized that I am losing my memories.
I look at the Heavenly Venerable and ask.
"...Is this lowly one being punished for damaging the Heavenly Venerable's body?"
"No."
"...Then why are you doing this?"
"..."
The God of Time does not answer.
Instead, He points at me, and the speed at which my body grows younger and my memories disappear accelerates.
My cultivation is gradually decreasing.
Memories are slipping away.
I can feel the memories of the past 190,000 years draining out of my upper dantian in an instant.
I furrow my eyebrows.
"O Heavenly Venerable, please quell your anger."
However, despite my plea, He doesn't so much as twitch an eyebrow and continues to reverse my time even faster. Finally, I feel even the memories of my comrades being attacked by the Owner of Great Mountain begin to fade.
And so, I close my eyes and once again swing the All-Heavens Sword.
Boo-woong!
Koo-woong!
The pavilion shakes as the incarnation of the Heavenly Venerable of Time is once again cut down.
"...Why are you doing this? Please, I humbly ask to stop testing me."
But nothing changes.
The Heavenly Venerable of Time instantly regenerates His body and continues reversing my time.
In the end, I glare at the Heavenly Venerable and growl.
"No matter if you are the Heavenly Venerable of Time, I cannot allow you to reduce my life to nothingness...! Stop immediately!"
It's scattering.
It's vanishing.
Even though my body is becoming younger, my memories, grudges, sadness, happiness, despair, and hopes,
All those joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, love, hate, and desire, all those scenes filled with emotion, everything is disappearing from my mind!
If not for the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections outside, I wouldn't even be aware of it!
I grit my teeth and shout.
"Stop immediately!!!"
Shukang—
Once again, I cut down the incarnation of the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
I fear the opponent before me.
I don't know if He could capture me and set one second to last an eternity, torturing me for infinite time.
Having seen the God of Great Mountain collapse the universe, I can't even imagine the limits of these beings.
But even so.
For the human named Seo Eun-hyun, the time I've spent until now is far too precious.
No matter if the opponent is a god, I can never forgive anyone who would reverse my life and erase it as if it never existed!
With my eyes rolled back, I wildly swing the All-Heavens Sword.
Kugugugugu!
The pavilion crumbles.
The world cracks.
But as time passes, my cultivation continues to decrease.
The only thing that doesn't fade is the level of martial arts maintained by the enlightenment held within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections!
"Stop this at once!"
The years spent in the Ancient Force Realm.
The memories with the Wuji Religious Order.
The countless recollections that formed after falling into the Nether Ghost Realm.
The time I joined the Grand Cultivator Association and became a Grand Cultivator.
The moments when I faced Hon Won and Seo Hweol, using the power of Salt Mountain!
They are all gradually collapsing.
And the leakage of memories continues to the very beginning of this cycle.
'C-Could it be...?'
If this keeps up, will I lose the memories from the previous regression as well?
Just as I think so,
Then,
Pasasat!
"...!"
According to the sequence of time I am experiencing, the memories from right before regressing to the start of the 19th cycle, and those of the 18th cycle, should have disappeared.
But they don't.
Instead, the memories begin to be erased in roughly the spatial sequence from when Jeon Myeong-hoon and I ascended.
The memory of ascending with Jeon Myeong-hoon in the 17th cycle disappears.
The memory of blocking the Owner of Heavenly Punishment's Heavenly Tribulation disappears.
But...
Woo-wooong—
The memory of meeting and talking with Yang Su-jin's remnant at Shattered Heaven Peak does not fade away.
As if that memory is untouchable, even by the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
My memories and cultivation continue to diminish, until I eventually return to the time of the 1st cycle, when I was just a second-rate martial artist.
And eventually, to the starting point of the 1st cycle.
The events at Ascension Path.
The confusion I felt upon opening my eyes there.
And finally...
Tsutsutsutsutsutsu—
'Huh...what's this?'
There's a memory that's completely white.
I can't quite tell what it is.
Then, the body of the Heavenly Venerable of Time suddenly explodes.
Pukwak!
"...!?"
No, it isn't just His body.
The entire pavilion He has summoned shatters abruptly, and we are returned to the Throne of the Galaxy where we had originally been.
Gugugugugugu—
But that isn't the real issue.
Pure white light!
Light is boiling in all directions, and the entire region that seems to belong to the Heavenly Venerable of Time is violently shaking.
With my body that is now no different from a mortal's, I try to resist through the All-Heavens Sword, but I can't do anything.
The white memory also doesn't completely vanish from my mind.
Instead, time continues to reverse.
The day we were heading to a workshop in an SUV.
The time Jeon Myeong-hoon handed his work over to me.
The events at the company.
University, military service, the beginning of university, high school, middle school, elementary school, kindergarten...
And even infancy.
"..."
I have even forgotten how to connect myself to the Colorless Glass Sword.
Ah...
But what is the Colorless Glass Sword?
'Baba...Aba...'
The world is bright.
It's nice.
A bit cold.
I think I wet myself.
I'm hungry.
Mom, Dad.
I want milk.
...
It's warm.
I will soon enter the world.
Mom's love flows into me through the cord in my belly.
I have to leave Mom's belly soon...
...
Thump-
Thump-
Thump-
Thump-
Thump-
...
...
...
...
Paaaaaatt!
Jiiiiiing!
[I am!]
I am, connected to the Colorless Glass Sword.
I don't remember anything.
The memories of my physical body regressed to the level of a fetus, even before the formation of sperm and egg, and completely returned to nothingness (無).
However, I still have the Colorless Glass Sword.
For a moment, I lost hold of the Colorless Glass Sword.
But at this very moment,
My physical body has completely disappeared, and the only thing that remains is my natal dharma treasure linked to my soul, the Colorless Glass Sword.
My memories contained within the Colorless Glass Sword, within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
Yes, this is what proves my existence.
The brilliant history embedded in my sword, that is what proves me!
In this moment, I am the Colorless Glass Sword.
[Seo Eun-hyun!!!]
I become the sword.
A sword that can cut and sever everything, but cannot sever itself. That dull sword.
Inside the Colorless Glass Sword, I gather the will of my entire life and unleash an all-encompassing strike of Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion.
Within the Colorless Glass Sword, I channel my lifelong will and squeeze out everything from Seated Detachment, Entering Hope, unleashing an all-encompassing single strike.
Perhaps the incarnation of the Heavenly Venerable of Time has vanished, as He is nowhere to be seen. This world, densely packed with galaxies and overflowing with light, makes it impossible to discern where anything is.
But I don't care, and I cut.
The Colorless Glass Sword, the All-Heavens Sword, and my will—all connect as one.
—Cut!
Paaaatt!
My life.
My history.
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, which contains all of that, emits mist, forming the Three Great Ultimates.
Within the Three Great Ultimates, I become a single sword, ready to sever the entire world with one single strike.
A move that is still incomplete, only slightly more refined.
This single strike, with only the makeshift name Accumulation (積), divides the entire world.
My accumulated, accumulated, and accumulated history.
Hence, the single strike named Accumulation.
I absolutely cannot allow it to disappear!
However, it seems that it isn't enough, as nothing happens.
There appears to be a slight crack in the space, but that's all.
The Heavenly Venerable of Time doesn't seem particularly affected by that miniscule crack.
Nevertheless, without care, I unhesitatingly perform the sword move from beginning to end.
I know I can't inflict any significant damage anyway.
So, I can only do everything I can!
And at the last moment of my sword move,
At that final instant, I feel something catch on the tip of my sword.
In the next moment,
Snap!
"..."
Unpleasantly, I am back to where I started.
So are the surroundings.
The Heavenly Venerable of Time and I are both back in the pavilion where we originally were.
"...Why did you do this?"
"Misfortune (厄) is, essentially, pain."
He laughs, drinking tea that has appeared from somewhere.
"To return that to you, there was no other way but to do so with pain."
"...!"
I look at the tip of my sword.
The last fragment of the Colorless Glass Sword has returned to the tip of my blade.
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is restored once more.
For the first time in 190,000 years, I let out a sigh of relief and collapse into my seat.
"...Thank you."
Honestly, I don't trust the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
He claims to have returned the Colorless Glass Sword to me along with misfortune, but there is undoubtedly another purpose behind it.
Without hesitation, I question Him.
"However, aside from expressing my gratitude, was it truly to return my possession?"
"Indeed. Of course, there was another purpose."
"What was it?"
He grins.
"If I tell you, will you even be able to listen?"
"..."
"Well...considering you're a madman crazy enough to swing your sword even within my authority, I suppose you wouldn't go insane."
The Heavenly Venerable of Time nods and immediately begins to speak.
"I tried to gaze directly at the Owner of Light. Since their main body is surely beyond ————, if I can just find those coordinates, I might be able to become like Them."
"...?"
What did rewinding my time have to do with the Owner of Light suddenly being mentioned?
However, despite it seeming like insignificant information, I soon realize that my soul, domain, and physical body are vaporizing into light.
Snap!
The Heavenly Venerable of Time snaps His fingers, and my body returns to normal, leaving me in utter confusion.
'What's this? I didn't even confront the Governing Immortal directly, just heard a few lines of information, but why?'
Why did my body suddenly start to dissipate?
The Heavenly Venerable of Time smiles bitterly and sips His tea.
"In the end, I couldn't find Them. As expected, they're thorough from beginning to end."
"..."
I want to ask more but choose not to.
Just hearing a few lines of information nearly dissolved my body.
If I learn more details, I might be cursed even beyond regression, just like when I looked directly at the Owner of Heavenly Punishment.
Instead, I change the question.
"What exactly is it that you want from me?"
It's the question I most want to know.
"Hmm..."
The Heavenly Venerable of Time takes another sip of tea.
And then, in the next moment.
"...!"
His body suddenly begins to decay rapidly.
His body, not just wrinkled, but completely oozing with pus and rotting away, turns into a decayed corpse. His clothes suddenly deteriorate into rags, and His tea turns into foul rotten water. The pavilion that was the once idyllic peach garden paradise we were in becomes a ruin.
It's as if time accelerated, aging everything to ruin.
Drip, drop...
His eyes completely rotted away, leaving only the hollow void in the eye sockets of the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
Slurp—
The corpse, now a decayed husk, sips the rotten water and speaks.
"...What I want is meaningless. What you desire is far more important."
"...Pardon?"
Thud, thud...
His flesh begins to fall off in pieces.
"We don't have very much to offer you. A few lines of information, at best? But with that, we can never directly interfere with the story. We would remain a supporting character for life."
"..."
"Even if we wanted to give you something, everything we offer ends up distorted and twisted. But...but, you see."
The decaying figure smiles.
"If we were to make an enormous sacrifice ourselves, it's possible to give you a very small and insignificant gift. I intend to give you a gift."
"...What kind of gift...are you speaking of?"
Thud, thud thud...
Finally, half of the flesh on His face has fallen off.
He now has the head of a half-exposed skull.
[...You.]
The corpse smiles.
Perhaps because His vocal cords have decayed, His words turn into mental speech.
And then, as the Heavenly Venerable of Time continues, I feel a chill run down my spine.
[Wouldn't you like to return to that time?]
"...!"
[To the moment just before all your cherished people were slaughtered by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.]
Shudder, shudder.
I tremble.
Is it fear of the Heavenly Venerable of Time's authority, which can turn back time?
Is it confusion over whether He knows about my regression or not?
Is it because I can't understand what tricks He might be up to?
No,
This is...anticipation.
At the same time, a powerful yearning.
I am fully aware that the Heavenly Venerable of Time before me is undoubtedly suspicious.
He might be planning on doing something with my regression.
However, despite that...
Shuddershuddershuddershuddershudder—
I feel my entire body tremble with an intense yearning.
For 100,000 years!
No, for even longer than that!
I spent my entire life yearning for them!
Inside that loneliness!
If I were to use my own regression, it will ultimately be before I enter the Bright Cold Realm.
If that happens, all the connections I had built up will be completely nullified!
But if it's as He says...
I, I will be returning to the time when those connections still exist!
I feel like I'm going insane.
I feel like I'm going insane.
This is a temptation that I absolutely cannot refuse.
It's a forbidden fruit that, even knowing it's poisoned, I cannot help but bring to my lips.
In the end, I finally voice my desire.
"...I want...to go."
Drip—
A single tear falls down my cheek.
The Heavenly Venerable of Time, whose body has now fully begun to weather away, smiles.
[...I can send you.]
Drip, drip...
From the tip of the chin, droplets gather and fall one by one.
My body trembles uncontrollably.
My chest is swelling with emotion, and I can't endure it.
[But for the great sacrifice I'll make for interfering with you, I should receive something in return.]
"...What...what is it? What do you want!?"
[Let's...make a contract with me.]
Swish—
He raises a finger.
The flesh of His finger completely erodes away as I watch, leaving behind bare bones.
Even the bones are gradually weathering before my eyes.
No, it isn't just the bones. The entire world itself is weathering.
It's strange.
With His authority, He should be able to converse with me in a perfectly intact state, so why is this happening?
It's as if He can't stop the weathering that is currently occurring.
As if time is spiraling out of control.
[Do you know what your fate is?]
Every time He speaks, the rate of weathering increases.
Time is running wildly.
Even His skeletal remains are now crumbling.
The pavilion has turned to ashes, and the paradise around us has become a handful of sand.
Even space itself seems to be collapsing.
And, within that crumbling world, I shake my head.
"...I do not."
There were Yang Su-jin's words, but even despite that, I don't know what my fate is, so I have no fate to reveal to Him.
But His next words calm my wildly beating heart, if only a little.
[Then, make a contract with me. When the day comes that you realize your fate, whisper it only to me. I will never reveal it to anyone else, only me...and in return, I will sacrifice much of my authority to send you back to that time.]
Swish—
The incarnation of the Heavenly Venerable of Time completely weathers away and vanishes, and from the pile of dust, a single black piece of paper floats toward me.
That paper, which for some reason radiates an auspicious light, is the Black Ancient Paper (現古紙).
Translator Notes: What about no chapter tomorrow? lol.