Kuaaang!
With a deafening explosion, my comrades and I simultaneously cross the Interdimensional Void and arrive in this otherworldly space.
It's a familiar place.
The Care Layer of Lofty Dragon True Person's storage scroll.
The familiar burning smell.
The familiar landscape.
The familiar beings...
And the pain of loss that I can never get used to.
I turn back to check on those who remain.
Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon, Buk Hyang-hwa, Hong Fan, Seo Ran, Shi Ho, Yeon Jin, Wei Shi-hon, Eum Wa...Out of the countless followers of the Wuji Religious Order, which numbered up to four hundred million, only eleven people have successfully entered the storage scroll of Lofty Dragon True Person.
Including Baek Rin and Yuk Yo, as well as the other Guardian Ghost Kings and other mid-level leaders—none of them made it here with us.
No one else reached this place with us.
For a while, I gaze silently at the entrance of the Interdimensional Void from which we escaped from.
My other comrades do the same.
Especially Jeon Myeong-hoon, who is trembling with both hands and biting his lips. If it weren't for us, he might have gone berserk right here and now.
Woo-woong—
The gap in the dimensional barrier that we pierced through begins to close again, thanks to the restorative power of the storage scroll.
Only then do I take a deep breath and turn my head.
There, standing with tense expressions, are Gyo Yeom and the other two members of the Heaven Tribe.
"Did you send everyone out of the storage scroll?"
At my question, Gyo Yeom nods frantically.
Before they could perform the summoning ritual, the miscellaneous forces who had entered this place with them were all sent outside of the storage scroll.
They probably thought Gyo Yeom and the Four-Axis stage cultivators were trying to hog the treasures, but unfortunately, what they got was not treasure, but us—who have lost comrades and are extremely on edge.
"You...why aren't you answering and just nodding your head...do we look laughable to you...?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon glares at Gyo Yeom and growls.
His bloodshot eyes seem full of anger from not being able to save any of the disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, who were part of the Wuji Religious Order.
Gyo Yeom, a Four-Axis stage cultivator of the Blood Shark Race with also quite the temper, has no choice but to bow down in fear before the Integration stage Grand Cultivator emitting streams of red lightning from his body and glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
"N-No, Elder. I dared to act disrespectfully. Please forgive me! I-I have a wife waiting for me at home..."
At the mention of a wife, Jeon Myeong-hoon grinds his teeth and shifts his gaze to the other members of the Heaven Tribe.
"And just what are you two, standing there with your heads held so high?"
"Ah, o-o-our apologies, Grand Cultivator, Elder. Please forgive us."
Nok Ju and Baek Wi-ik break out in cold sweat.
I reach out into the air, retrieving the Purple Soul Filling the Heavens that is tied to them.
Woo-wooong!
By my attraction force, the Heavenly Lotus Fruit hanging from the Melia tree falls into my hand.
After taking the Heavenly Lotus Fruit, I walk to the side of the Melia tree and look at a corpse.
It's the corpse of Hyeon Gwi.
The body of Hyeon Gwi, which has just begun to decay, looks quite gruesome.
But that is all.
There's no suspicious energy or any strange signs.
I extend my consciousness toward Hyeon Gwi's body and search it thoroughly, but find nothing unusual.
Hyeon Gwi practiced the orthodox methods of the Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect. He primarily cultivated methods that borrowed the power of Black Dragon King Hyeon Eum, optimizing his body for the Four Symbols Nascent Soul, which borrowed Hyeon Eum's power.
Even when I concentrate the precision of my consciousness to examine his body down to the cellular and genetic levels, I find nothing out of the ordinary.
After observing Hyeon Gwi's corpse for a while, I eventually bury it with a spell.
No matter how I think about it, he was connected to a True Immortal.
It's better not to touch the corpse further and attract unwanted attention.
Holding the Heavenly Lotus Fruit, I return to the altar where my comrades are while deep in thought.
'From now on, I must be careful not to get entangled with True Immortals.'
I recklessly used the Great Mountain Splitting Emperor Technique.
As a result, those who had believed in me were annihilated due to being entangled with the Owner of Great Mountain.
This world is filled with malice.
Though Yeon Wei's words are sometimes wrong, they are fundamentally correct.
In this world, even a drop of water in the stream or a grain of sand on the roadside can be connected to a great being.
From now on, even breathing must be done with caution.
I must be extremely meticulous and careful to the point of feeling like my head's about to burst.
"Gyo Yeom."
I approached Gyo Yeom.
Gyo Yeom, showing his humility, bows his head before me.
"Take it. This is your reward for helping us."
"Th-Thank you!"
He trembles as he squeezes a handful of juice from the Heavenly Lotus Fruit and offers the rest back to me.
"I-I offer to the great one."
"I gave it to you, so why are you returning it?"
"I-I have heard that the Heavenly Lotus Fruit is a spiritual fruit that aids in rising to the Star Shattering stage. I hope the Elder takes it and elevates your realm."
"Hmm..."
After contemplating for a moment, I decide to accept the Heavenly Lotus Fruit.
Even if I don't need it, it might be useful for my comrades.
After receiving the Heavenly Lotus Fruit, I turn my gaze to the other two who have pulled us here along with Gyo Yeom.
Nok Ju and Baek Wi-ik are bowing before me, their faces pale with fear.
Uguguk—
As I reach out my hand, the space distorts.
At the same time, the space that I warped returns to normal, revealing a hidden warehouse within the Care Layer.
"...!"
"T-That's...!"
I speak with an expressionless face.
"Pick what you need from inside. It should be more useful than most things in the storage scroll."
These are the treasures I pulled over and accumulated within the storage scroll over several decades through my avatar.
They should be quite useful.
The two exchange awkward glances before entering the storage I have revealed to choose their items.
Nok Ju chooses a lump of Lightning Marsh Gem Soil (雷澤瑨土), beneficial for trees.
Baek Wi-ik selects one of the spiritual fruits known as Heavenly Blessing Summit (天慧峰)
"Good. Now, you two go over there for a moment..."
I nod toward Baek Wi-ik and Nok Ju, and they hurriedly nod back and withdraw to the rear.
Gyo Yeom, however, looks at me with a pale face, seemingly not understanding why I left him behind.
"E-Elder, do you have some business with me...?"
"...You are from the Earth Tribe, correct? Specifically, the Blood Shark Race among the Sea Demon Race..."
"Y-Yes! That's correct, but..."
"In that case...how do the Sea Demon Race conduct funerals?"
"Pardon...?"
I ask Gyo Yeom about the funeral customs of the Demon Race.
Over 80% of the Wuji Religious Order's followers were ghostly creatures.
Wei Shi-hon and Eum Wa know well how to honor ghostly creatures, but about 20% of the followers were demon beasts recruited in the Ancient Force Realm.
Among them, those of the Sea Demon Race were particularly numerous, and I need to know how to conduct their funerals.
I could have asked Seo Ran, who is of the Sea Dragon Race, but since Seo Ran stated that the entire Dragon Race, including the Sea Dragon Race, only holds funerals in the manner of the Dragon Race, it seems pointless to ask him.
Of course, Seo Ran does know some funeral customs of the Demon Race, but they are all from the Lower Realm, so they might not be appropriate. That's why I left Gyo Yeom behind.
After thinking for a moment, Gyo Yeom responds.
"May I ask how the deceased passed away...?"
"...They were killed by an existence that could not be resisted."
At my words, Gyo Yeom's eyes gleam as he answers.
"For our Demon Race, particularly the Sea Demon Race in the Middle Realms, most of our funeral customs are similar. When someone dies of natural causes, or while advancing their realm, or falling victim to Qi Deviation and Heart Demons, or to Heavenly Tribulation, we perform a sky burial to allow them to become one with nature. However, if they die due to a natural disaster or disease, they are cremated...and if they are murdered, the relatives of the deceased and those who had a close relationship bury them and vow revenge."
Natural death calls for a sky burial.
Accidental death leads to cremation.
In the case of murder, they are buried, and revenge is vowed.
Such is the funeral custom of the Demon Race.
After discussing it with my comrades, we exterminate the fire corpses on the first level of the storage scroll, the Water Flow Layer, and build a large burial mound.
This is to honor the countless 400 million followers of the order.
It is also to etch into our hearts the desire for revenge against the God of Great Mountain, who slaughtered these followers.
We specifically chose to build the tomb inside the storage scroll to keep it as close as possible to the place where they died.
Just like we did after the incident with the God of Heavenly Punishment, Jeon Myeong-hoon, myself,
Kim Young-hoon,
And the rest of my comrades.
We swear our vows in the midst of roaring flames.
"I will avenge you."
I speak.
"I will take revenge."
Kim Young-hoon says.
"I will avenge you all."
Oh Hyun-seok says.
Following, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kim Yeon, Buk Hyang-hwa, Seo Ran, Shi Ho, Hong Fan, Yeon Jin, Wei Si-hon, Eum Wa, and everyone else all speak of revenge.
Woo-woong!
Kugugugugugu!
When we all simultaneously unleash our auras, powerful Five Elements spiritual energy swirls around us.
Perhaps it's because we all stared directly at the God of Great Mountain.
No matter how much the Mountain God lowered Their rank and descended, a great being is still a great being.
After seeing Them, we all gained powerful Five Elements divine powers.
In my case, I became able to see the Yin-Yang and Five Elements energy even more clearly, and in Oh Hyun-seok's case, just witnessing the Owner of Great Mountain caused the creation of the Five Elements Axes within his body, allowing him to reach the Grand Perfection Four-Axis stage.
Kim Young-hoon suddenly formed a Golden Core infused with the Five Elements within his body, reaching the Core Formation stage.
Buk Hyang-hwa gained a divine power that enabled her to create hands made of Five Elements spiritual energy, and Kim Yeon unexpectedly formed a Demon Core within herself, reaching the Earth Tribe's Core Formation stage.
Seo Ran, as if his bloodline was stimulated, advanced from the Grand Perfection Heavenly Being stage to just half a step into the Four-Axis stage. Shi Ho, also as if his bloodline had been stimulated, is now able to imbue his illusory dream divine powers with attributes similar to the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.
The Yin-Yang Five Elements of Yeon Jin's Nascent Soul perfectly aligned, allowing him to leap over the Grand Perfection Nascent Soul stage in an instant to the early Heavenly Being stage. Jeon Myeong-hoon is now able to infuse the lightning within his Integrated Dao Domain with the Five Elements, enabling him to rain down Five Elements Lighting Tribulation.
Wei Shi-hon and Eum Wa each gained the ability to create ghost fire with the attributes of the Five Elements.
Every one of us had to endure a terrifying experience with the appearance of the Mountain God, but in exchange, each one of us have become much stronger.
It's as if merely encountering the Mountain God was treated as a Heavenly Tribulation, as even those who had their cultivation realm rise did not face any tribulations.
After we all spoke of revenge and ignited the flames,
I look at them and say.
"...I'm sorry to everyone, but you know there's still something left to do, right?"
At my words, they all nod weakly.
"We need to rescue Kang Min-hee."
Jeon Myeong-hoon speaks with a gloomy expression.
"Yeah. And judging by my estimation, she..."
My face hardens.
"She may have reached the Star Shattering stage by now."
She would have already metamorphosized into the Ghost Guiding Holy Mother and gone berserk.
At this point in time, there's no way to stop her from rampaging.
Just like how the power of fate kept restoring things to their original state whenever I tried to save my comrades.
Kang Min-hee at this point of time will have gone berserk and is to devour the Bright Cold Realm.
"...It's a bit awkward to say this, but if I can just have 300 more years, I'm confident I can reach the Grand Perfection Integration stage and attempt to advance to the Star Shattering stage."
I have the experience of having reached the Grand Perfection Integration stage before.
Even though I regressed and fell to the early Integration stage, I'm confident I can rise to Grand Perfection again with that experience.
"Our goal is one."
I look at my comrades and speak.
"Let's become stronger."
Clenching my fist, I say,
"Let's become even stronger, so that no one can oppress us."
Drip, drip drip...
Something flows from my eyes.
It's a curse.
Just like after the tenth cycle's Yuan Li, black curses are falling from my eyes.
Chiiiiii—
The surrounding ground decays and crumbles in an instant.
It's been a long time since anything like normal tears flowed from my eyes.
Kuang—
Feeling an inexplicable tightness I hit my chest.
A monstrous thing formed of curses crawls out of my body, looks at me, and then hastily flees.
Monsters grow out of my body and flee, while the serene scene of my Integrated Dao Domain is reflected around me.
My Integrated Dao Domain is a desert.
In the desert, three thousand Colorless Glass Swords are embedded. During the day, the ground burns fiercely, while at night, monsters grow in the darkness, trembling with fear and wailing as they try to escape my domain.
Standing in the center of the monsters fleeing from me, I feel curses flowing from my seven orifices and speak.
[Let's become stronger, and stronger, and take revenge. We must...!]
The curses flow through my body, covering me completely.
Amidst the curses, I reveal my true form with twenty heads and roar.
[We must avenge them and honor the dead...!]
Kururururu—
Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes the Giant of Red Lightning.
Perhaps due to his elevated cultivation, Jeon Myeong-hoon's head split in half, becoming the Lightning God with Two Heads and Six Arms.
Oh Hyun-seok reveals his giant body of purple primordial chaos, and Kim Young-hoon, unable to contain his sorrow, shouts toward the heavens.
The shadow of a golden Peng swirls around Kim Young-hoon.
Wei Shi-hon and Eum Wa, Hong Fan and Seo Ran. and Shi Ho all reveal their gigantic true forms, and while they shed tears of blood, they let out ghostly wails, while Buk Hyang-hwa and Kim Yeon silently shed tears with pale faces.
Yeon Jin, through his Taiji Quaking Lightning Body, sheds tears as his face splits in half, and Gyo Yeom, Nok Ju, Baek Wi-ik, and the others huddle together in fear, trembling with the monsters that collapsed under my roar.
The goal for this life is simple.
Save Kang Min-hee.
And to save her, I will raise my cultivation.
I will elevate my realm and become stronger.
With that simple yet difficult goal engraved in my heart, I swallow my tears, embrace my comrades within my Integrated Dao Domain, and set out from the storage scroll.