The light pink threads dance beneath the red sky.
Clack, clack, clack, clack...
The puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress begin to move.
The artificial souls of the puppets perfectly recreate the moment from two thousand years ago, and the attraction force starts to distort spacetime.
Creaaaaak!
Jo Yeon returns to that moment.
Wo-woong!
The Mad Lord and [Her].
Together with Wol Ha-eun, they return to the evening of that day.
The Mad Lord Jo Yeon and Wol Ha-eun begin to dance, one holding a fan, the other a short spear.Watching them, I suddenly realize something that sends chills down my spine and open my mouth.
'...I see.'
Jo Yeon will likely realize it soon as well.
Tsssaaaaaah!
While Jo Yeon is dancing, threads of his consciousness flow down from the branches of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Each light pink thread of consciousness connects to each of our consciousnesses.
The moment those threads make contact, I feel all the negative thoughts within my mind completely dissolve.
Tsssssaaaaah.
The conditions of the comrades who had lost consciousness due to the amplification of the Heart Heavenly Demon and negative forces begin to improve as soon as the Mad Lord's consciousness threads reach them.
The Heart Heavenly Demons inside them dissolve instantly.
The Mad Lord's Entering Heavens, Heart of Love, spreads far and wide.
From the golden quince tree, thousands of light pink threads spread out, covering Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
Kugugugugu!
Heavenly Lotus Mountain begins to tremble, and from somewhere, a strange sound spreads, echoing through the Heaven and Earth and the four directions.
A sound like something is screaming!
And then, as I operate the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, I come to understand Jo Yeon's enlightenment.
'I see...this is the realm of great completion in the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.'
The Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon is essentially a method of turning the consciousness domain of cultivators, that are in the form of spheres, into threads, which are like those of mortals.
By alternating the consciousness domain between the form of threads and sphere, it is possible to freely transform the domain's shape, manipulate puppets, and create 'artificial consciousness' through the 'circuits' of magic artifacts, which is the core of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.
Moreover, since it shares the same thread-like consciousness form as mortals, it can change the color of emotion and infiltrate the other's consciousness, making it seem like the emotion is theirs while being able to exchange heart language.
Through the fully mastered Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, I realize what its true potential is.
The power to connect people.
That is the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.
Through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, the light pink threads begin to connect us.
Between me and the Mad Lord.
Between the Mad Lord and Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon, Shi Ho, and Azure Tiger Saint, and others—their hearts begin to link together.
And as I connect with the Mad Lord's heart, I begin to understand the power of his Entering Heavens, Heart of Love.
"The power to manifest the phenomena within intent...!"
A person's intent, on its own, is merely the color of emotion, but when it descends to the Plane of Qi, it can manifest as a fascinating phenomena or power.
Once, when Kim Young-hoon explained his enlightenment regarding Five Energies Converging to the Origin, he demonstrated how the intent of anger fused with energy could cause Gang Qi to surge, and how the intent of love merged with energy could make Gang Qi to amplify.
Of course, Kim Young-hoon didn't study the phenomena related to intent in depth, so he didn't gain a technique or Entering Heavens related to it.
However, through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, the Mad Lord who observed the emotions of people for two thousand years gained an Entering Heavens tied to it.
His Entering Heavens, Heart of Love, has the ability to summon the potential of the phenomena contained within intent!
I...no.
Everyone here who knows the Mad Lord sees the light pink sea rising in his heart.
It is a heart of love solely for Ha-eun.
That heart of love begins to manifest as a phenomenon through the Mad Lord's Heart of Love.
Kugugugugugu!
Infinite!
The most vast and powerful intent begins to unleash an unstoppable force.
Urung, Ururung!
Within Yeon's Play where Jo Yeon is dancing, thunder and lightning roar from within.
Yeon's Play is unfolding in a perfect form that has never been seen before.
Outside, Kim Yeon controls the flow, while inside, Jo Yeon draws out the power.
I can see the pressure of that space undulating, driving out the negative authority of Blood Yin.
Woong, wo-woong!
Suddenly, I feel a will resounding from beyond the sky.
: : Not a chance. : :
Kururung!
Keheok!
I cough up blood.
Just hearing that voice strikes my soul and body with an impact as powerful as a Heavenly Tribulation,
: : It is already over. Unless Vast Cold returns alive, the Bright Cold Realm is mine. : :
The Heart Heavenly Demons sing.
Darkness flows like a river, and throughout the world, negative forces gather, giving birth to monsters.
Then...
Jo Yeon's Heart of Love touches Kim Yeon's consciousness body.
Paaaaatt!
At the same time, Kim Yeon's consciousness body, which had been pure white until now, begins to be dyed.
No, to be exact, it is being drawn out by Jo Yeon.
It seems as though the colors inside are being pulled to the surface.
Dududududududu!
'Ah...'
Watching this scene, I smile.
For some reason, an overwhelming sense of relief settles within me.
I recognize this sight.
From Kim Yeon's consciousness body, which has produced an entirely light pink consciousness body, it seems as if light pink flames are blazing.
What I saw at the end of the 15th cycle.
Kim Yeon's incarnation that appeared through Gyu Baek's Vast Cold Oath, has now revealed itself through becoming one with the Heart of Love.
Surururururu—
Yeon's Play is fully activated through that infinite power, and the light from the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress that had temporarily driven back the wicked power of Blood Yin begins to fade.
Jo Yeon's life force is being drained.
To summon the past...
An incredibly overwhelming power is needed, more than the 'infinite power' manifested through his Heart of Love.
Not only his Heart of Love, but he is squeezing every last bit of his life force to summon the scene of his past.
I briefly look at the scene of the Mad Lord's past floating above the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and ask Seo Hweol.
"Is that all, Seo Hweol? Didn't you say that when the Mad Lord activates Yeon's Play, things would get better?"
I ask Seo Hweol, and Seo Hweol responds through Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
It seems he doesn't want to speak to me directly under the sky of Blood Yin.
[This is my first time seeing the Mad Lord's Immortal Art, so I am not sure, but...I do know one thing. Through that, he has already directly summoned the power of Vast Vold. However, the scene the Mad Lord has summoned is now acting as a barrier, trapping that power. In short...when the Mad Lord breathes his last and that scene fades, the power of Vast Vold will naturally rise.]
Seo Hweol warns me.
[And, if I've noticed this much, Blood Yin surely noticed as well. The erosion of the Bright Cold Realm by Blood Yin is about eight-tenths complete. They will begin attacking the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress soon, so prepare yourself.]
"...Understood."
Kugugugugugu!
I can feel the entire world rejecting us.
Ominous forces are pushing us away.
From the west, a storm surges. From the north, a tidal wave crashes. From the east, Heavenly Tribulation pours down. From the south, lava erupts; all surging toward us.
Kuuuuuuung!
Heaven and Earth are reversing!
A technique like the one Baek Woon once displayed reverses Heaven and Earth, trying to send the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress crashing down to the sky.
'Eighty percent of the realm has been taken, and they are already displaying authority at the level of a Sacred Master.'
I glance back.
The Mad Lord's life force is scattering, and his past is becoming faint.
The threads of the Heart of Love that Jo Yeon created are gradually fading.
As the power of love emitted by Jo Yeon's Heart of Love fades, the negative and wicked forces once again flood into the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Cheok!
I begin forming hand seals.
Until now, aside from when I fought Yuan Li, I rarely used curses with hand seals or invocations.
The curses are already deeply embedded in my soul, and I became a curse sorcerer at the level where just thinking about it can curse my opponent.
Even when I intend to use curses, battles usually end before I can fully unleash the power of my curses, so there has rarely been a need to use the curses' 'full' strength.
But today,
I must draw out every potential of my curses, born from all my pain and anguish.
Cheok, cheok, cheok, cheok!
A vicious curse blooms, and a veil of writhing eyes forms around the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
The eyeballs occasionally form faces, trying to escape the veil, but they fail.
[Extinguishing Realm Ghost Curse. Reverse!]
The curse monsters, which have already become akin to the Heart Heavenly Demons of Blood Yin, all begin to reverse simultaneously.
The Mad Lord's heart connected to all of us.
The hearts of people connected to each other, and we became one.
Therefore, even though this may be the life of one who has suffered, at this moment, it is a blessing!
Paaaatt!
A brilliant, pure white light bursts forth from ten million flower buds, driving away the wicked forces.
It's not over yet.
I begin to use Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains.
Woong!
I infuse each move of Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains with blessings, with the power of Vanquishing Evil and Upholding Righteousness, and resist this negative and wicked world of Blood Yin.
Kuung!
I feel my sword strike collide against the very principles of Blood Yin.
The technique that grows infinitely stronger by absorbing the opponent's power.
The flowers of blessings grow endlessly stronger alongside Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains, and the light becomes brighter and brighter.
As I perform the sword dance, I glance back slightly.
The Mad Lord's life force is fading, and Kim Yeon is walking up to the highest floor of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress where the Mad Lord is meeting his end with her main body.
'I can't witness his final moments. So...the Mad Lord's last moments, I leave them to you. Kim Yeon...'
Wiiiing—
Yeon's Play ends.
The Mad Lord Jo Yeon looks at Ha-eun in front of him.
Ha-eun is smiling with a blush.
It is not the stiff body of a puppet.
The one who had been with him two thousand years ago— it is definitely 'Her' body.
The Mad Lord Jo Yeon smiles as he looks at the blurring scenery around him.
"Even if it's just once, I wanted to return to this moment."
Sssss—
The scene of the memories he longed for gradually fades, and Jo Yeon returns to reality.
He feels the cold wind.
He feels the sky shining.
This is not the Seoak village where he first became lovers with her; it's just the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
The warm Hae-un is gone, leaving only the stiff [Her] behind.
The Mad Lord looks at [Her] for a moment, then turns his gaze to Kim Yeon, who has reached the highest floor of the fortress.
"Have you come?"
"...Yes."
"Between us, there's quite a lot to talk about."
Jo Yeon looks at Kim Yeon with a gaze that says 'I'm sorry' and smiles.
"I've done many unforgivable things to you. Even after that, I pretended to be your master and entrusted you with my long-cherished wish. I...truly owe you a great debt."
Kim Yeon tries to say something but bites her lip instead.
Then, she remains silent.
It seems she intends to listen to him until the end.
"I won't ask for your forgiveness. You can resent me as much as you want, and for kidnapping you and modifying you at will...I have no excuses, even if I had ten mouths. But...even as a lacking master, I am still your master."
He points to a certain place within the fading scenery of Yeon's Play.
"As your master, this may be...the first and last proper gift and teaching I give you."
In the direction Jo Yeon points, a single flower is blooming in the air.
It is a quince flower.
It is both a Qi Flower created by Wol Ha-eun's Paired Wings Spear inside Yeon's Play, and at the same time, it is the goal Jo Yeon clung to for two thousand years, even as he was tormented by madness.
It is Jo Yeon's hope.
"Take it."
Kim Yeon walks towards the quince flower at the center of the fading Yeon's Play.
As she passes Jo Yeon, she speaks.
"I hated you."
"Is that so?"
"I still hold some resentment towards you. You kidnapped me at will, engraved the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon into my mind at will, and even etched stuff like circuits into my body at will. But..."
Kim Yeon closes her eyes.
She, too, along with Seo Eun-hyun, Seo Hweol, and Oh Hye-seo, saw Jo Yeon's past.
At the end of Jo Yeon's past was, in the end, the answer Kim Yeon had been searching for.
The first and last Yeon's Play that Jo Yeon showed her.
And his Heart of Love was undoubtedly the very answer she had been seeking.
Therefore...
"Even if I resent you, I will respect you. Even if I dislike you, I will revere you, and I will remember you."
After finishing her words, Kim Yeon walks past Jo Yeon and steps into the center of Yeon's Play.
Jo Yeon collapses on the spot.
Where he sits, Yeon's Play has completely dissipated and has fully returned to the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
The puppet musicians who had been playing instruments stopped all at once.
As their master's life fades, the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress comes to a halt.
Clank...
Using the last of his strength, Jo Yeon manipulates the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon to make [Her] sit across from him.
With trembling hands, Jo Yeon takes out a storage scroll from his chest.
Seo Eun-hyun had previously told him that Ha Eun's heart also resides within Jo Yeon's heart.
'Through the act of giving one's heart to another, I have come to be who I am now...what a remarkable enlightenment...'
To become who he is now, countless people have given their hearts to Jo Yeon.
And among them, undoubtedly...Ha Eun's heart must also be there.
Therefore, it was said that Ha-eun resides within Jo Yeon.
'In truth, we were already together.'
It seems so simple, yet it's something no one had ever told the Mad Lord for two thousand years.
'To think my heart was put at ease so easily...what have I been doing for the past two thousand years?'
As he closes his eyes, Jo Yeon takes something out from the storage scroll.
"If there is indeed a place called Hell, I will surely fall to its deepest, most scorching, and most agonizing depths."
Jo Yeon himself knows.
He is a devilish villain who spent thousands of years capturing and forcibly modifying countless living beings into puppets.
An insane madman.
His sins are unforgivable.
Therefore...
Hell is a certainty, and he already accepted that.
What Jo Yeon takes out is White-Red Wine and two cups.
"...I said...before..."
With great difficulty, he moves his body, from which life force is gradually draining, and barely manages to speak.
He is dying now.
He will likely be dragged to the deepest pit of Hell, but he has accepted that.
Dying is fine.
The only regret is...
"Next time...together...let's hold a proper ceremony..."
Chururuk...
Jo Yeon places one cup in front of him.
And one in front of [Her].
He pours the White-Red Wine.
After setting down the bottle, Jo Yeon lifts the White-Red Wine placed in front of [Her] and drinks it.
"This is how the Upper Realm cultivators...conduct their...wedding ceremony..."
What he regrets...
Is that he couldn't hold a real ceremony with Ha-eun.
That is the only thing.
After drinking the White-Red Wine placed before [Her], Jo Yeon realizes that he has not even the life force left to lift a finger.
In his gradually blurring vision, he gazes at [Her] face.
[She] cannot move either, her power source having been completely burned from unfolding Yeon's Play.
'It was a life full of sins. I expect to fall to the deepest pit of Hell. However, I swear before the Divine Spirits of Heaven and Earth...'
With the last of his strength, he takes one final look at [Her].
'That in meeting you, in loving you, I have not a single regret...'
Creak—
And then.
Creak, creak—
[Her] hand starts to move.
Though there should be no power source, [She], who is nothing more than a puppet, is moving.
Torn apart by the attacks of the Heart Heavenly Demons, the puppet, which is practically in shambles, begins to move forcibly.
Jo Yeon's mouth opens.
Tears flow from his eyes.
Creak, creak, creak, creak!
The pulleys and gears inside [Her] are turning.
And somehow, though it's unclear from where the power is even coming from, the puppet finally grasps for the White-Red Wine that Jo Yeon had poured.
Creak—
'Ah...all this time...you were truly...'
Jo Yeon cries.
'You were truly there.'
[She], who has always been controlled by someone's will, moves without any input from either Kim Yeon or Jo Yeon.
In that way, [She] lifts the cup to her lips and pours the drink into her mouth.
With that as the finale, the two puppets that performed the greatest play under the sun and moon finally come to a stop.
The pattern that emerged on one side of the Mad Lord's face glows light pink and falls away from his face, scattering into flower petals.
Kim Yeon bites her lip.
Her chest aches.
Jo Yeon's final emotions were vividly transmitted to her, who was connected to him.
Tststststststs!
She accepts the quince flower into her chest.
And at last, she finds the answer regarding the heart she has been searching for.
Love is joy.
Love is hate.
Love is sorrow, pleasure, and desire.
Love is not everything.
Rather, everything is love.
The gladness Jo Yeon felt at the end.
His longing. His relief. His sense of liberation. His possessiveness. His obsession.
All of it was love.
"What is Immortal Cultivation? Someone once asked me that."
As Kim Yeon feels Jo Yeon's heart, she realizes that she has suddenly arrived at a place she has never seen before.
It's a Peach Blossom Spring.
A beautiful place where light pink peach blossoms are in full bloom across Heaven and Earth.
There, hidden by a large peach blossom tree, someone speaks.
"Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment. They told me it is reflecting and cultivating oneself. I agree with that to some extent, but my answer was a little different."
Looking at the being, Kim Yeon feels an indescribable sense of overwhelming emotions and beauty, along with awe and reverence.
"Immortal Cultivation is progress. It's about being better today than you were yesterday. We are all always moving forward in some direction. Sometimes toward admiration, sometimes toward gratitude, sometimes toward affection, sometimes toward obsession, and sometimes toward sympathy..."
Kim Yeon flinches.
The order of emotions recited by that being corresponds exactly to the sequence of feelings Kim Yeon felt toward Seo Eun-hyun.
"It is neither the form nor the essence that changes. You struggle a little more than yesterday, contemplate a little more than yesterday, and continuously progress, gradually seeking a more and more complete form. Ultimately...isn't that what Immortal Cultivation is? So...don't blame yourself."
She sheds a tear, as if her heart has been seen through.
Even though her hidden feelings have been exposed, rather than feeling embarrassed, she feels a sense of liberation.
"You have simply been moving forward all this time. If you have come here with a clear heart, not bound by delusion, doesn't that mean you have undoubtedly grown more than before? Just as the Heaven, Earth, and Heart is one, but its expression varies...your heart has, in fact, never changed. It's just that...the way it was expressed is different."
At those words, Kim Yeon finally breaks down in tears.
She thought she didn't want to lose people.
That's why she sought to understand love.
That is why she has always looked at Seo Eun-hyun.
But she wondered.
Could this feeling, in fact, not be love?
Could she have not gained anything at all?
Is she, in fact, someone no different from Oh Hye-seo?
That is how she had thought.
But it wasn't true.
Though the manner of expression may have changed slightly, it has always existed unchangingly.
The being behind the peach blossom tree smiles and speaks.
"Never forget today. I am the Seat Holder of End (終命座主), Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King (硨磲廣寒天王)."
[TL/N: End here is the same End in Enders, as in the characters End Fate (終命). It was confirmed by the author to be related to Acceptance at Fate’s End.]
Suddenly, Kim Yeon feels an incredibly warm sensation like sunlight, as if that figure absolutely supports her.
"My soul may be ■■■■■, but my flesh will always support you."
Kim Yeon feels as though a giant hand is gently pushing her away.
Yet, she doesn't feel rejected. Instead, only a cozy feeling seems to envelop her.
"Be cautious of what True Immortals give you. They cannot gift you anything but misfortune..."
With those parting words, Kim Yeon realizes she has returned to the top floor of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
'Quince flower...'
She smiles as she gazes at the light pink petals fluttering around her.
Come to think of it, that flower truly has many ties to her.
Wasn't it on that day, in front of the tree with falling quince flowers, that she truly started liking Seo Eun-hyun?
Suruk—
Kim Yeon takes her stance.
It resembles the Paired Wings Spear of Wol Ha-eun, the fan dance of Jo Yeon, and also the Paired Wings Dance taught by Seo Eun-hyun.
Kim Yeon's feet begin to move.
She begins to dance, performing a series of connected movements.
The internal energy method taught by Seo Eun-hyun, the Intertwined Branches Heart Method, begins to whirl fiercely within her body.
As her movements flow seamlessly from one to the next, she draws a circle.
At the end of that circle, the energy subtly amplifies.
In theory, this martial art was designed to draw forth infinite power.
Of course, Seo Eun-hyun had judged that for that theory to be realized, Kim Yeon would need to perform the Paired Wings Dance several billions of times over. However, Kim Yeon found another method in her own way.
Paaaaaaaaatt!
From Kim Yeon's body, thousands, tens of thousands, and even hundreds of millions of threads begin to burst forth.
These threads connect to the hundreds of millions, trillions of puppets remaining in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
Then, the puppets rise all at once, driven by Kim Yeon's will.
Paaatt!
The puppets begin to move.
The puppets mirror Kim Yeon's every action.
It is as if they are all dancing together.
Inside the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, trillions of puppets begin to perform the Dance of Paired Wings in unison.
All repeating the same movements, they connect.
The circle is drawn.
The circle within the trillions of puppets resonates with Kim Yeon, linking to the circle inside her body.
This resonance grows larger and larger, until at last, the light pink energy of the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress converges towards Kim Yeon.
Finally, Kim Yeon stops the Paired Wings Dance and controls the immense rotation within her body with the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle, stretching her hand towards the sky.
'I like you.'
Like.
And she will not name it anything else.
She will no longer pity Seo Eun-hyun, no longer feel gratitude, and no longer love him.
Because love, by nature, has no name.
Isn't there a saying, 'Enlightenment cannot be established in words (不立文字)'?
Just as enlightenment cannot be conveyed through language, love too cannot be described in words.
Therefore, she will no longer say that she loves Seo Eun-hyun.
She will simply, in the clearest and simplest expression, 'like' him.
Kim Yeon, realizing that love cannot be named and why her affection had been colorless, unleashes the power of Vast Cold raging within her into the sky.
"Entering Heavens Beyond the Path."
Paaaaatt!
Yeon's Play is reactivated.
In place of the quince flowers that couldn't bloom during winter, and instead of Jo Yeon's light pink heart tied to the old tree,
The quince flowers of the quince tree, now reawakened by spring, begin to bloom profusely over the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.
"Full Blossom (滿開花)!"
Accepting Jo Yeon's heart and unfolding through the power of Vast Cold, Kim Yeon finally acknowledges her own heart and smiles silently.
Author's Note:
The flower language of quince flowers is ordinariness and passion.
At the same time, it also means precocity/early maturity (早熟).
The reason why Jo Yeon's surname is Jo (早/Early) was set up that way for today.
In the context of the story, it represents the 'maturity of Jo Yeon (早緣/Early Fate or Love)' and can also be seen as a wordplay on 'the maturity of immature love.'
Outside of the story, it could simply mean, 'from now on, the supporting characters will mature,' or it could just be me attaching the quince flower's meaning of precocity to the story.
[TL/N: Joyeon/조연 means supporting role/character.]
Both Seo Eun-hyun and Kim Yeon are symbolized by the quince flower.
Seo Eun-hyun represents 'ordinariness and passion,' while Kim Yeon symbolizes 'precociousness.'
Although they share the same flower, they carry different symbolic meanings, making this episode for both of them, as well as for Jo Yeon.
Finally, the Jo Yeon episode is coming to an end.
After this episode, I will be transitioning from seven updates a week to six.
Thank you all so much for loving Regressor's Tale of Cultivation thus far, and I, as well, always love my readers.
I love you all, dear readers.