Kwarururung!
I see the smoke rising from my entire domain after being struck by the Heavenly Tribulation.
The Grand Perfection Integration Stage Heavenly Tribulation.
It's a tribulation that had been temporarily postponed with Jeon Myeong-hoon's power after Buk Hyang-hwa's death.
From the moment I artificially delayed the tribulation, I had expected it to grow somewhat stronger but...
'So, this is the Grand Perfection Integration Stage Heavenly Tribulation.'
I sigh at the electric current still tingling inside my body.
Huiiiiii—
Chaos Realm region.
An endless rocky mountain range next to Cedar Wood Grove.Due to the aftermath of my Heavenly Tribulation, the mountains there are not only shattered but spatial rifts have also appeared throughout the area.
It wasn't even directly hit by the tribulation, but just the residual effects from the tribulation that struck and ricocheted off my body caused this much destruction.
If my domain had been the typical domain of an Integration Stage cultivator, it would have been torn apart and crushed like the mountain range in the Chaos Realm region, leaving me in a state on the verge of death.
Six Divine Powers of the Integration Stage.
Ordinary cultivators of the Heaven and Earth Tribes simply fill their domains with energy, studying phenomena through that energy and acquiring their insights through Breakthrough Before Understanding.
I, too, thought there was no other way, until I realized that the domain at the Integration Stage is connected to the heart essence.
If one doesn't achieve the six divine powers of the Integration stage through Understanding before Breakthrough, they haven't gained the proper insights.
The absolute majority of Grand Perfection Integration cultivators, including Jun Jae, haven't truly realized the six divine powers.
They are merely mimicking the process after filling their domains with energy.
'No wonder the success rate of rising to the Star Shattering Stage is so low. Even reaching Grand Perfection in the Integration Stage is rare...'
I recall the terrifying Heavenly Tribulation that just passed and laugh bitterly.
Without using the power of Void Shattering and only relying on my Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation, it was almost beyond my strength to face this insane level of Heavenly Tribulation.
Most likely, ordinary cultivators at the Integration Stage would not rely on the six powers to face the Heavenly Tribulation of the Integration stage like I did. Instead, they would depend on dharma treasures or artifacts to elevate their realms.
'Relying on external objects makes one lack the strength when advancing to the Star Shattering stage, leading to failure in breakthrough.'
Shaking off my idle thoughts, I wait for the final stage of the Great Perfection Integration Heavenly Tribulation to pass.
Urung, ururung!
The dark clouds that have been pouring down the Heavenly Tribulation still haven't disappeared.
The Great Perfection Integration stage is a special realm.
It completes the Integration cultivation and is the last step before advancing to the Star Shattering Stage.
As such, the tribulation at this stage prepares one final obstacle near the end.
Urururung!
The dark clouds roar, gradually beginning to descend.
No...
Upon closer inspection, they aren't clouds but shadows.
Shadows are falling from within the clouds.
And the shadows cast upon the ground by the dark clouds also start swarming toward me.
From the Heavens and Earth and all Four Directions.
Shadows from the directions of the Six Harmonies rush toward me.
Suruk, Sururuk, Sururururuk...
I close my eyes.
From now on, it's time for the Heart Demon Tribulation (心魔劫).
Great Perfection Integration stage.
Once the six divine powers are completed, a new kind of tribulation is added for cultivators.
It's called the Heart Demon Tribulation, a type of tribulation where Heaven and Earth blow darkness towards the cultivator in the Plane of Soul.
From the Grand Perfection Integration stage onward, one must overcome this darkness to settle into the next realm.
Many cultivators refer to this 'darkness bestowed by the world' as the Heart Heavenly Demon, likening it to the Heavenly Fiends of the Blood Yin Realm.
Within the pitch-black darkness.
Inside Seo Eun-hyun's heart essence, the Heart Heavenly Demons begin to reveal themselves one by one.
The darkness of the Plane of Soul.
Negative and sinister torrents of emotions reborn into the world as Heart Heavenly Demons are now entering Seo Eun-hyun's heart essence.
[Hahahaha! What's this?! This darkness!]
[So, this fool thinks he's endured a little pain and now casts a shadow over his heart essence, huh!?]
[The true suffering of Immortal Cultivation is only just beginning, you dim-witted fool!]
The Heart Heavenly Demons cackle and, from deep within the darkness, they drag out something with their claw-like things.
[Kiiiieeek! Kirurururuk! Kueeeeegeeeek!]
What the Heart Heavenly demons pull out is a monster.
The monster's entire body burns fiercely, and its entire figure is covered with countless eyeballs, streaming tears in agony.
The Heart Heavenly Demons laugh as they look at the monster.
[Huhahaha! Is this your true nature?]
[How disgusting!]
[So pitiful and tough-looking, but what's the use of having tough skin if your flesh is this tender!]
The Heart Heavenly Demons cackle as they mercilessly tear into the monster's flesh, torturing it.
But then, something strange happens.
The monster being tortured by the Heart Heavenly Demons suddenly forms a peaceful expression and closes its eyes, falling asleep.
[...What?]
[Did it eat something strange...?]
It's at that moment.
One of the Heart Heavenly Demons, while mindlessly clawing in the darkness, sees another monster being dragged by its claws.
[Huh...? What's this now?]
It stares in confusion at the two monsters, looking back and forth between them.
They're identical.
[This bastard...has a split personality?]
[No wonder. From the moment I saw it, it looked like the heart essence of a madman. Judging by the sense of loss from losing comrades, it seems this one's mind broke from being unable to protect anything...]
Just then.
Kugugugugugu!
The heart essence begins to shake violently.
And suddenly, an endless swarm of monsters pours out toward the Heart Heavenly Demons.
[H-Heok...!]
[W-What is that!?]
Panicking, they try to stand their ground against the approaching monsters.
But the number of monsters is far too many. The Heart Heavenly Demons are like a drop in the ocean compared to them.
[E-Everyone, gather together!]
[Combine our strengths and defend our domain! If we gather, we live, if we scatter, we die!]
Gritting their teeth, they try to resist the oncoming wave of monsters.
But then, one of the Heart Heavenly Demons glimpses into the deep darkness.
It locks eyes with [something].
[Huh...?]
Pukwak.
In an instant.
The Heart Heavenly Demon who saw [something] explodes, and in its place, a tree made of swords sprouts.
The tree burns with flames, but from within, endless groans of agony can be heard.
The tree is definitely burning, but it emits no light—only streams of darkness, hideous beyond words, flow from the sword tree!
The Heart Heavenly Demons begin to panic.
Then, several more Heart Heavenly Demons glance into the deep [darkness].
[Huaaaaagk!]
[Kuaagk! R-Run...]
With those words, the other Heart Heavenly Demons also begin to change.
The remaining Heart Heavenly Demon, terrified, look toward the depths of the darkness.
And as if realizing something, they shout out in horror.
[S-So that's it! It's a Senior! The Quasi-Immortal level Heart Demon that appears when Entering Nirvana Quasi-Immortals breakthrough has already been parasitizing this cultivator's mind!]
[T-Then! We came to the wrong place!? Senior! Senior! Please hear us out for a moment!]
The Heart Heavenly Demons bow down toward the darkness, crying out.
[The Great Yin Soul (大陰魂) has decreed that no Integration Stage Grand Cultivators in the Bright Cold Realm should advance any further! We came here in droves because of that command! Truly, we didn't mean to offend your dignity...]
The next moment, the loud clamoring Heart Heavenly Demon explodes, being absorbed into the darkness.
From deep within the darkness, a massive presence quietly mutters.
[Silence.]
Crunch!
With that, all the Heart Heavenly Demons are dragged into the darkness at once.
[Huaaaaaah!]
[Heart Demon Senior is enraged!!]
[Everyone, run!!!]
The Heart Heavenly Demons scream in unison and flee.
However, they are quickly sucked into the darkness, and terrible screams echo from within.
[Kuaaaaaaaaah!!!]
[Let me out!!! Please, let me out!!!]
[What is this!!?? Just what is this!!??]
The Heart Heavenly Demons who reach the edge of the darkness hear those screams and are gripped with even greater terror, trying to escape.
But as the heart essence squirms, they are all sucked inward.
[Kuaaaaaah! Elder! Elder, please, Kuaaaagh!]
Finally, the last remaining Heart Heavenly Demon is sucked into the depths of the darkness.
And deep within the darkness.
Seo Eun-hyun's eyes glisten as he absorbs the last remaining Heart Heavenly Demon into his Glass Mountain.
"...Great Yin Soul?"
Blink—
I open my eyes.
The Heart Demons themselves weren't much.
They are merely clusters of negative energy, so once absorbed within me and dissolved in pain, they reverted to their original form as pure negative force.
But there's something more that concerns me.
Great Yin Soul.
It's information I discovered while dissolving the Heart Heavenly Demons.
Although 'Great Yin Soul' doesn't seem to be the official name, I can understand the meaning behind it.
An immense Yin (陰).
The [being] they referred to possesses the attribute of 'Immense Yin,' and that's why the [being] was referred to as the Great Yin Soul.
Thump, thump...
I look up at the sky.
I've fully stabilized at the Grand Perfection Integration stage.
The sky is clear, and no celestial energy is visibly present.
But I can sense it.
I've been feeling it ever since I heard the words of the Heart Demons in the Plane of Soul.
Instinctively, I know that something in the Bright Cold Realm has begun to shift out of place.
'Whatever the Heart Heavenly Demons call the Great Yin Soul has begun to exert its power in the Bright Cold Realm.'
Kugugugugu!
The Bright Cold Realm.
One of the colonies of the Tall Tree Race.
That place is currently being reduced to ashes beneath a strange fortress floating in the sky.
Wiiiiing!
Bee-like puppets are flying through the sky, capturing the cultivators of the Tall Tree Race and dragging them inside the strange fortress.
Inside the fortress.
Hundreds of Tall Tree Race cultivators are confined in barrels, trembling with fear, each with a strange tightening band-like ring attached to their heads.
[TL/N: Tightening band as in the golden circlet that Sun Wukong has.]
And the one observing this scene, the Mad Lord, strokes his chin while rolling his eyes.
"Ohohohoho...howinterestinginterestinginteresting... Don't you agree? You there?"
The Mad Lord asks one of the Tall Tree Race cultivators with an intrigued expression.
"Wh-What exactly do you mean...?"
"Your heads, of course! When I analyze the waves from your heads, what appears is a Sacred Vessel Sacred Master! That's all that's in there!"
"...O-Of course. The Sacred Master is our idol..."
"No, no, no...that's not the point. I already know she's your idol. But what's interesting is that one in every ten of you 'unconditionally' harbor secret, malicious desires toward the image of that Sacred Master!"
At those words, steam-like vapor rises from the face of the Tall Tree Race cultivator.
Their face distorts grotesquely like a malevolent spirit, and the Mad Lord bursts into insane laughter.
"Isn't it astonishing! That you all harbor such hidden desires!?"
"...That's slander..."
"It's not slander. It's a precise reading from a thorough investigation. But whether you harbor lustful desires or some other dark cravings for your Sacred Master, I couldn't care less. What's truly astonishing is...'one in ten'! No matter which of your colonies I raid! No matter which group of ten I capture! Without fail! Without fail, one in ten of you harbors such dark and vile desires! Do you know what that means?"
The Tall Tree Race cultivator tries to speak, but the Mad Lord shoves both hands into the cultivator's mouth, sticking his eyes into the cultivator's throat as he shouts.
It's as if he is greeting the inside of the Tall Tree Race cultivator's throat.
"Clearly, something's gone terribly wrong! Eehahaha! Isn't that right, [Black Lord]!?"
At the Mad Lord's words, from deep inside the throat of the Tall Tree Race cultivator,
It seems as though black yin energy begins to rise.
However, in the next moment, as the Mad Lord opens his mouth, countless mechanical devices and puppet arms shoot out from within and seize the black something inside the Tall Tree Race cultivator.
A little later, the Mad Lord pulls out the black something and rolls his eyes wildly.
"Eehahahahehehe!!! Goodgoodgoodgoodgood! I'm always grateful, [Black Lord]! Thanks to you, the new celestial energy calculation device is smoothly nearing completion!"
The Mad Lord shoves the black mass into something.
The devices inside the bizarre fortress begin to analyze and break down the black mass, transforming it into something else.
The converted black substance moves inside a transparent crystal tube within the bizarre fortress and activates something.
Flash!
The crystal tube lights up, drawing a constellation in the air.
The Mad Lord rubs his hands together frantically as he gazes at it.
"It'ssososointerestinginterestinginteresting... Even though I, in the Grand Perfection Four-Axis stage, can't see anything when I look at the celestial energy...the celestial energy calculated when I input this predicts a great misfortune in the Bright Cold Realm... That's your doing, right? Hmm? [Black Lord]! Answer me!!!"
The Mad Lord forcibly pries open another Tall Tree Race cultivator's mouth and peers into the throat, shouting relentlessly into it.
"It'sfineperfectwonderfulIlikeitsoproceed!"
Drooling, he turns to look at [Her], who is undergoing modifications in the back.
"It was a stroke of heavenly fortune to see a Star Shattering monster up close! With that data and experience, I am now able to transform [Dear] into a [genuine Star Shattering]!"
Kugugugugugu!
Behind [Her], something round and spherical is being constructed.
"An [Artificial Star]! Once it's completed and placed inside [Dear], you will truly enter the Star Shattering stage...but the power source is a problem. Even the power source of the Nether Crossing Ship isn't nearly enough to operate the artificial star...barely enough to run it for five seconds...? But it's fine. When the great misfortune sweeps the world, Heaven and Earth will shift!!!"
With eyes brimming with madness, the Mad Lord bursts into hysterical laughter.
"If I grind down the entire Bright Cold Realm! That will be enough to elevate [Dear] to the Star Shattering stage!!!"
The Mad Lord extracts black-red glowing masses from inside the Tall Tree Race cultivators, rushing to complete the modifications on [Her].
Kung!
Outside the bizarre fortress.
In a wilderness.
There, a Ghost King with 21 heads appears in the sky.
Kugugugugu!
Below the Ghost King, dark clouds gather in the sky.
Around the Ghost King, above the dark clouds.
Several figures stand there.
Kim Yeon, Oh Hyun-seok, Hong Fan, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kim Young-hoon, Shi Ho, Seo Ran, and others.
They are the forces assembled to confront the Mad Lord.
The Ghost King, Seo Eun-hyun, stares at his own hand.
'Strange...'
He reads the celestial energy in the sky again.
'Throughout Heaven and Earth...the power of Devil (魔) is growing stronger.'
Perhaps because of that, the Ghost King's ghostly energy and yin energy are intensifying more than usual.
Kurung, kururung...
He looks towards the distant direction where the bizarre fortress is heading.
There, too, dark clouds are rising.
'...That just now...'
He feels as if a flash of black-red passed by, and with a tense expression, the Ghost King Seo Eun-hyun rotates one of his 21 heads 180 degrees to address his comrades.
[From this moment, we will begin Operation Exorcize the Mad Lord.]
[TL/N: In Korean, it doesn't say 'exorcize' but Attaining Buddhahood (성불). It could mean awakening the Mad Lord, enlightening the Mad Lord, or transcending the Mad Lord, which can be taken as a euphemism for sending the Mad Lord to another world/death.]