Chapter 491: Eve of the End (終末前夜) (2)
Hearing from Sacred Master Baek Woon that the Great Mountain Supreme Deity had escaped the clutches of Light, we all prepared for annihilation.
Ten days have passed since then.
White Jade Pavilion, at the summit of Heavenly Lotus Mountain in the Bright Cold Realm.
The Esteemed Ones of the Bright Cold Realm are gathered before it, waiting.
Paaaatt!
A light descends from the sky, illuminating the White Jade Pavilion.
It is the beings who govern the light delivering a revelation to Baek Woon.
How long have we waited in front of it?Paatt!
The light fades, and Baek Woon's voice transmission comes out from within.
[Enter.]
Paatt!
In an instant, we are back inside the White Jade Pavilion.
"Sacred Master, what on earth is going on? Is the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain facing the End?"
As I recall the nightmare of that time when the Supreme Deity of the Great Mountain wreaked havoc, I feel cold sweat trickling down my back.
Baek Woon shakes her head.
[No. I have just received a revelation. Currently, the tyrannical divine spirit is...in the distant Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain and waging war against its owner there. Not only that, but it seems They intend to wage war against the owners of other Heavenly Domains as well.]
"...!"
'Just what on earth are you doing, Great Mountain...!?'
I click my tongue in disbelief at Their outrageous behavior and continue with my question.
"Then, what will happen to us?"
[The divine spirits have given me a revelation... They say that for the tyrannical divine spirit to reach the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain again, They would only do so after finishing the wars with the owners of other Heavenly Domain first. And since the owners of Heavenly Domains are by no means insignificant...it is predicted that this will take tens of thousands of years.]
"...Tens of thousands of years..."
In that case, all that awaits us is the natural End for now.
It seems there won't be the sudden End brought about by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
Just then,
As those words leave Baek Woon's mouth, it feels as though the entire world has begun to rumble.
Simultaneously, shadows that I hadn't even realized were present in this place shoot up into the void and vanish.
"This is..."
Noticing the tremor that shook the world and the shadows that disappeared, I click my tongue in realization.
'Sacred Masters. True Persons. Or beings of a comparable level... Were they hiding here to hear the revelation Baek Woon received from the light? And that tremor just now...'
[...The Middle Realms are colliding.]
Baek Woon clicks her tongue regretfully, gazing off somewhere beyond the Bright Cold Realm.
[The Blood Yin Realm is on the move, colliding with the True Devil Realm with full force. It seems They are trying to force their way into the True Devil Realm. Ja Eum is desperately holding a defensive front against Blood Yin...]
As soon as we hear this, we all offer our condolences towards Ja Eum.
"To say such things right in front of Blood Yin..."
"As far as I know, the Sacred Master of the True Devil Realm was originally a lackey of the Blood Yin Realm..."
"Now I see, they weren't at the level of a lackey but a split body. But for a split body to be so independent that they would dare say such things to the main body...."
"What a pitiful person. Well, I suppose they thought the world was going to be destroyed, so they said whatever they wanted...who would have guessed it wouldn't end?"
The Esteemed Ones each click their tongues, offering their condolences to the pitiful Ja Eum, and I too click my tongue inwardly.
'He lacked caution. Or was it just bad luck? Anyone familiar with the Great Mountain's temperament wouldn't be surprised if the world ended right away...but who could have known it wouldn't? Though it's possible for an existence at the peak of True Immortality to distort the celestial energy, so one can't foresee the future...tsk.'
A split body harbors a different heart from its main body.
Not just any different heart, but a rebellious heart.
The issue isn't simply that he unleashed wild fury in front of Blood Yin.
'For Blood Yin, Ja Eum must have been both an agent of their will and a split body. They likely never imagined Ja Eum would harbor such treachery. But now that They discovered it, They have probably opened the True Devil Realm and are trying to retrieve Ja Eum.'
Honestly, until now, I've still harbored a lingering fear of Blood Yin.
Though They suffered a fatal wound from the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, They are still a True Immortal.
I've been afraid that They might descend at any moment and attempt to capture me again.
On top of that, after learning about the 'prophecy' used by True Immortals during the Star Shattering stage...
I realized that, in fact, I still haven't escaped Blood Yin's prophecy.
'The prophecy of Blood Yin that says we will meet again has not yet been broken.'
No, to be more precise, Blood Yin's prophecy isn't merely 'we will meet again within a hundred years.'
After reading and analyzing the celestial energy at the Star Shattering stage, I discovered,
The fate They assigned to me was, 'we will meet again within a hundred years, and I will experience death at Blood Yin's hands.'
The part of the prophecy stating 'we will meet again within a hundred years' has already been fulfilled.
However, the part stating 'I will experience death at Blood Yin's hands' has not yet been realized, and as long as I remain bound by this prophecy, there's still a chance that Blood Yin would pursue me.
'I originally intended to seek help through Kang Min-hee, but Kang Min-hee is currently undergoing the Sacred Vessel advancement ritual, so I won't be able to rely on that kind of assistance.'
Therefore, for a while, I planned to hole up in the Astral Realm and lay low for several thousand years.
However...
'It seems I can let go of my worries regarding Blood Yin for a while.'
Perhaps until They retrieve the Sacred Master Ja Eum from the True Devil Realm, Their focus will remain solely on him.
I breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to release Mengyun Star from the alternate space into the Middle Realm.
For the inhabitants of Mengyun Star to have suddenly ascended to the Bright Cold Realm, there is probably no greater benefit.
But then, Baek Woon's voice echoes in my ears.
[Seo Eun-hyun. I will return you and the star you brought back to its original place in the Astral Realm.]
"Pardon? Why is that?"
[There are three reasons. The first is that 'too much fate has flowed in.']
She continues her explanation.
[As the Sacred Master of the Middle Realm, I must regulate the attraction force and the environment here. If too many beings flood in all at once, there will be too much attraction force to manage across the entire Middle Realm. Normally, it wouldn't be an issue, but with all the preparations I must undertake for the End that will come in ten thousand years, I can’t afford to handle such a burden.]
"Hmm..."
Kugugugugu!
The dimension of the Bright Cold Realm opens wide, and a passage leading to the Astral Realm appears before my eyes.
Baek Woon is telling me to take Mengyun Star and descend again to the Lower Realms.
[Second. While it concerns the Middle Realm, the fact that you took a star from the Astral Realm is also an issue. Though there is no immediate problem, by removing a star connected to star veins, you've caused all the stars in the Astral Realm to be shaken. Of course, from a macroscopic perspective, that level of shaking probably won't have any impact on the universe. Honestly, I don't see that kind of trembling as a major problem either. However...]
As I listen to her continuing words, I realize how serious it is to recklessly move stars, even though the situation was urgent.
[The faint vibrations connected to the star veins would be an unimaginable disaster by the standards of ordinary living beings. What seems like a minor tremor to us would feel like a catastrophe sweeping through the entire universe to beings without a spirit vein. Minor earthquakes and tidal waves will occur on countless stars, and innumerable living beings will die. Not that it matters to me...but you seem to be particularly meddlesome among the Esteemed Ones, so I'm telling you in advance to prevent you from getting entangled in Heart Demons.]
"...! Then...if I return the star to its original orbit, can the disaster be averted?"
[That's right. If you return that star to the Astral Realm, it will naturally reconnect with the star veins and reabsorb the minor tremors. Of course, the surface of that star will be completely overturned...but you should be able to protect the lifeforms from at least that much.]
"I am grateful for the advice. That said...if adjusting stars affects the entire network of star veins across the universe, then wouldn't it be problematic if Esteemed Ones destroyed stars, or ascended to the Bright Cold Realm?"
[Esteemed Ones are fine. When Esteemed Ones ascend to the Middle Realms, they can do so while remaining connected to the star veins. And as for the stars you destroy, they don't disappear entirely upon being smashed. A faint remnant of the star veins lingers, so it will gradually disappear without disrupting the workings of the universe.]
"Thank you for your guidance. However, if Sacred Master's goal was to persuade me, one piece of advice would have been enough. The fact that Sacred Master mentioned 'three points'...must mean that all three are important. What is the third?"
Wo-woong!
As I feel the Bright Cold Realm gradually pushing me back to the Astral Realm, I ask.
Paaaatt!
A projection of Baek Woon appears before my eyes.
She looks back and forth between me, who is being pushed out, and the Mengyun Star, which is gradually emerging from the alternate space.
The compressed Mengyun Star is slowly expanding, and she gently caresses it, as if softly stroking the star.
[...The last is for the sake of a junior undergoing the Sacred Vessel advancement ritual. Advancement rituals for the Sacred Vessel stage are typically avoided in the vicinity of other Sacred Vessels. The reason is that if the ritual takes place within the influence of another Sacred Vessel cultivator's attraction force, they inevitably affect each other. This child's mind will be influenced by mine, and my mind will be affected by this child's as well.]
Baek Woon withdraws her hand from caressing the Mengyun Star and continues speaking.
[...This Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds. For those exalted ones who are True Immortals and above, this entire world that is called 'Mount Sumeru' is largely divided into two major forces. The faction symbolizing life, called 'Light,' and the faction symbolizing death, called the 'Underworld.' While there are other forces outside the two, they are all relatively minor forces. As you know, I am a Saint of Light from one of the two principal factions.]
"Not a Saintess?"
[Call it whichever you like. Honestly, among the Tall Tree Race, there are far more without a strict division of male and female, and starting from Esteemed Ones, such distinctions are practically meaningless. Regardless, I am a being faithful to the force of Light. And...the child undergoing the advancement ritual right now seems to be directly supported by the Underworld.]
"...That's true."
[That's why I'm helping.]
"...Aren't the two factions in a competitive relationship? Is it really alright to help?"
Baek Woon nods.
[I don't know how those above view it, but...this is what I think. Life and Death cannot be dismissed as a simple rivalry. They are essential to each other. Even if those above clash and, perhaps someday, their conflict reaches us and we are forced to fight... Until that time comes, I believe we can continue to give and receive. Because we are necessary to each other.]
With those words, she sends Kang Min-hee and me back to the Astral Realm where we originally were.
'A relationship of mutual necessity...'
Even if they are opposing forces, they are necessary to each other.
I realize that her words contain a profound insight.
"No, Master. Couldn't you have brought me along...?"
Hong Fan, who had been left behind at the outskirts of the star system and missed following me as I ascended, appears with a slight grumble. I apologize to him and return the Mengyun Star to its original orbit.
"...Well, I get it for now. By the way, Master."
"Hmm, what is it?"
"I have completed the interpretation of the entire formula for the Flawless Mantra, as well as the flow of its attraction force. Master should be able to grasp it now."
"Ah...! Thank you!"
I receive the formula and training method for the Flawless Mantra from Hong Fan.
However, upon looking at the training method, I find myself utterly dumbfounded, unable to even consider beginning such training.
'The ideal way to cultivate...requires reincarnating 'at least' 666 times and standing upside down while chanting the mantra for 666 lifetimes until death. Is that truly the method?'
The first time I heard about the Flawless Mantra was from Yu Oh, during an explanation about the entity called 'Obsidian.'
It was said that Obsidian had cultivated in this manner through 777 reincarnations.
'So what Kang Min-hee is practicing must be a simplified version.'
In any case, it's clear that cultivating this mantra requires living upside-down nearly the entire day.
I ponder as I cultivate my incarnation, which has achieved the Grand Perfection Earth Axis stage, having nurtured the axis seeds over the past hundred years atop my main body.
'Should I give it a try? Since the full practice is nearly impossible for me right now, I'll attempt the simplified training...'
Woong!
I invert the incarnation above my main body and have it begin chanting the Flawless Mantra.
For the first year, there is no effect whatsoever.
But as time passes, the Flawless Mantra gradually begins to shake external attraction force.
'What is this...?'
The more I train in the Flawless Mantra, the more it feels like a 'perfect fit' for me.
'Among everything I've learned so far...it's even easier to learn than devilish arts like Summoning Wind, Dragon Transformation or Great Desert to Dead Sea!'
It feels as if this mantra was prepared just for me.
I continue reciting the Flawless Mantra, immersing myself in a trance and sinking deeper into it.
I endlessly repeat the Flawless Mantra, feeling as though I am sinking into a cozy darkness, like the inside of my mother's womb.
One day, something strange happens.
As I chant the Flawless Mantra, I find myself staring into an endless, boundless darkness.
Peering into that darkness, a thought crosses my mind.
'Is this...the source of the Flawless Mantra's power...?'
Then, the darkness responds.
Yes.
'It's cozy...'
Cross over.
If you do, you will feel an even greater warmth and comfort.
'Is this...the true cultivation method for the Flawless Mantra? To cross over fully into this darkness...?'
Exactly so.
This is a cultivation method meant solely for you Enders.
Drawing a circle is a method meant only for the ordinary. You, however, need only entrust your heart to this darkness.
'Circle... I don't have to draw...that...circle...? That...terrible...circle...?'
I feel my mind sinking deeper into the darkness.
Yes.
Drawing the circle is too exhausting.
Just think of that terrifying, sacred, and ominous circle.
How exhausting it is.
Let's just entrust everything...to that comforting darkness.
I sink further into the darkness, completely letting go of my consciousness.
...
...
....
'Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment.'
For some reason, I find myself muttering that formula.
'Like tiny grains of salt gathering...'
The Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra sprouts within me.
Simultaneously, I snap my eyes open.
[...Ah...]
How many years have I been cultivating the mantra in this trance-like state?
'I see.'
Using the senses of the Earth Axis, I read my history and calculate how many years have passed.
Already, it has been eight thousand years since Jeon Myeong-hoon was captured.
During that time, I have been cultivating the Flawless Mantra in a state of trance.
Around me float the Heavenly Rain Great Star, Heavenly Clearing Great Star, Heavenly Cloudiness Great Star, Heavenly Want of Connection Great Star, and Heavenly Crossing Great Star that I all unconsciously formed while cultivating the Flawless Mantra.
I have reached the late Star Shattering stage.
'I see...'
But rather than that, I am overcome with a volcanic surge of emotion at having grasped the true meaning of the Flawless Mantra.
[Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.]
Paaaatt!
The surrounding Heaven and Earth spiritual energy converges into Yin-Yang Five Elements, forming a single point before me.
The single point turns into a pure white light that illuminates the cosmic space.
[Flawless Mantra.]
At the same time, attractive force trembles, drawing a circle of darkness around that single point.
A circle of darkness, a point of light.
Together, they form a Wheel.
'This is...'
Axle (車軸) and Wheel (車輪).
Together, they combine to create a [Completed Wheel].
'The starting point...to saving Kang Min-hee...!'
Eight thousand years.
After eight thousand years in this state of trance, I have finally obtained a starting point to rescue Kang Min-hee.