Glass Cedarwood Mountain of Cedarwood Painting.
After being established in a place commonly referred to as the Peaceful Cloud Realm, named after the continent,
Seo Ran created a cave in a spot within the Glass Cedarwood Mountain and began secluded cultivation there.
Monster.
That is the term used by Seo Hweol, whom he always believed in and followed as if he was his real father.
Seo Ran is confused about everything.
That Seo Hweol is actually countless fragments created by a certain Immortal Art.
The fact that the main body of those fragments is himself, and that the fragments planned to kill Seo Ran's physical body to reset him.
To himself, he is simply...A regular half-human, half-dragon.
"Older brother, please at least drink some water and absorb spiritual energy. What will you do if you hurt your origin?"
Shi Ho approaches Seo Ran.
Seo Ran looks at Shi Ho with vacant eyes.
After Seo Eun-hyun decided to settle in the Peaceful Cloud Realm, Seo Eun-hyun and his comrades all emerged from Seo Eun-hyun's heart essence and began living in Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
Kim Young-hoon continuously discussed the skill known as martial arts with Seo Eun-hyun,
And Jeon Myeong-hoon got accustomed to handling lightning according to Seo Eun-hyun's method, preparing to advance to the Star Shattering stage.
Kang Min-hee, after a yearned-for reunion with the comrades, currently aims to reach the Grand Perfection Star Shattering stage.
In a few hundred years, Kang Min-hee's advancement ritual to the Sacred Vessel stage will likely begin.
Oh Hyun-seok temporarily returned to the Bright Cold Realm, and is said to be further learning the Bone Armored Treasured Origin Art from one of the Integration stage Grand Cultivators there, Gol Maek.
Particularly among them, Kim Yeon is said to be gathering ordinary stars outside Cedarwood Painting to create something tremendous.
Moreover, Seo Eun-hyun's loyal subordinate, Hong Fan, has gotten a sense of Entering Heavens Beyond the Path and is growing while spreading Seo Eun-hyun's renown throughout Cedarwood Painting.
Currently, the only one sitting doing nothing but staring at a wall is Seo Ran.
Even Shi Ho is helping Hong Fan with his work while managing Glass Cedarwood Mountain, and bit by bit strengthening her cultivation while caring for Seo Ran.
However, Seo Ran, after briefly looking at Shi Ho with a puzzled gaze, turns back to face the wall.
"Stay outside. I'll handle it myself."
"...Older brother..."
But Shi Ho, without listening to Seo Ran's words, stands there for a long time watching him before leaving.
Seo Ran lets out a sigh.
After realizing from Seo Hweol that he is the main body of Seo Hweol,
Seo Ran managed to completely uncover the face and name of a certain 'woman' and his emotions towards her that has been harassing him since Penglai Island.
The woman's name is Oh Hye-seo.
For some reason, she currently bothers Seo Ran in his heart even more than when he thinks of Shi Ho.
Seo Ran glances at the place where Shi Ho left.
In the spot where he left is a large scoop of saltwater left for Seo Ran to consume.
It is a mass of spiritual energy water created by the salt Seo Eun-hyun specially created through using his spiritual power, and a water-attribute spell.
Starting from the Heavenly Being stage, one doesn't need to eat food and can live off just the Five Elements. Therefore, consuming sufficiently spiritual energy-enriched Five Elements is more helpful than proper food for maintaining one's origin.
Seo Ran uses the splitting void seizing object (隔空攝物) technique to bring the bowl of saltwater closer.
In it, Seo Ran's face is clearly reflected.
However, Seo Ran contorts his face, grabs the bowl, and shouts.
"Just what!!?? Just what am 'I' supposed to be!? Just what is my life supposed to be!?"
As Seo Ran yells, the water in the bowl distorts, and his reflection in the water also distorts wildly.
"...Mother..."
Thinking back, it was always like this.
On the day Seo Ran received his mother's keepsake, read her diary, and longed for 'family,'
Song Jin became his family.
On the day Seo Ran felt boredom with cultivation and needed 'stimulation,'
Figures like Cheongmun Ryeong and Buk Hyang-hwa appeared, stimulating him as comrades and seniors.
On the day Cheongmun Ryeong, who he considered his senior, went mad, and he decided to go on a life-and-death expedition to save him,
Buk Hyang-hwa, Kim Young-hoon, and all the cultivators of the continent stood up to rescue Cheongmun Ryeong with Seo Ran.
The day Seo Ran looked at the salt pillar that was Cheongmun Ryeong and thought, 'It'd be great if we all ascend to the Upper Realm together and find a way to save him,'
Buk Hyang-hwa used the Buk Hyang Fleet to create a way for Seo Ran, Song Jin, Kim Young-hoon, and the others to ascend to the Upper Realm.
On the day Seo Ran wandered the streets and encountered a Demon Race woman who, for some reason, was estranged from the world just like him,
On the day he saw Yuk Yo and thought, 'I want to make her mine,'
Yuk Yo, with a flimsy excuse about seeking the essence of the Sea Dragon Race or whatever, deceived even herself and embraced Seo Ran.
After that, on the day when Yuk Yo said she'd return to her homeland within the dream, gradually fell in love with Baek Rin, and Seo Ran started wishing for their misfortune,
They faced misfortune through Yuk Rin.
After leaving Penglai Island and the Ancient Force Realm, wishing ill upon Yuk Yo and Baek Rin due to being unable to control his conflicting emotions, yet resenting Yuk Rin for troubling them,
Yuk Rin went mad.
It was the same even after that.
Seo Ran wanted to be of help to Seo Eun-hyun.
Thus, after Seo Eun-hyun drove the Human Race into the Heart Tribe territory, Seo Ran wished for them to assimilate well into the Heart Tribe.
The Human Race created something called the Martial Alliance, which Kim Young-hoon had previously made and boasted about to Seo Ran in the Head Realm, thus becoming part of the Heart Tribe.
Even after that, and after that.
Seo Ran kept wishing and wishing.
Thankful for the senior who gave him the chance to meet Song Jin and pulled him out of Seo Hweol's conspiracy,
He wished for the world to become peaceful someday, as Seo Eun-hyun hoped.
He never questioned the world flowing as he hoped for.
He merely thought it was by chance.
Even when he came to somehow hear about Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens from Seo Eun-hyun, he only thought it was 'scary' but never really thought beyond that.
It was indeed strange.
Seo Hweol might be linked to Seo Ran's entire life story, yet what did Seo Ran believe in to not even think about devising a countermeasure or opposing method for Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens?
But...
He finally understands now.
'I...was the main body of Grandfather Seo Hweol?'
That he was the true master of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
And if he is the master of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, all the 'coincidences' are explained.
Seo Ran plunges his head into the water brought by Shi Ho, inhaling the water through his nose.
At the same time, he thinks.
'...Who am I, really?'
He is confused.
He had lived his life thinking of himself as Seo Ran.
Especially after finding out that his 'mother,' Yu Oh, loved him, he lived with pride in his name 'Seo Ran' and his half-human, half-dragon form.
However!
'I'm a monster that killed the real Seo Ran and was born? My mother is not Yu Oh, but...a heartless monster called Seo Hweol?'
He cannot accept it at all.
Because accepting would probably break him.
But...
If he doesn't accept it?
That would just be avoidance.
Seo Ran knows this too.
That it is impossible to deceive himself.
'Just what should I do...?'
Seo Ran clutches his head and falls into contemplation about his identity.
Kuguguguk!
By his will, even the entrance of the cave, where Shi Ho would come and go, temporarily gets blocked.
Ten years have passed since Seo Eun-hyun became a Sacred Master.
Outside Seo Ran's cave, many things have happened.
After becoming the Sacred Master, Seo Eun-hyun reigned as the God of Cedarwood Painting and publicly hung upside down and punished the 'old monster with the Ham surname' that ruled the Peaceful Cloud Continent to establish himself as the master of the world.
And,
Kurururung!
The residence of Sacred Master Seo Eun-hyun.
In a corner of Glass Cedarwood Mountain, where only Seo Eun-hyun, who is practically the God of Cedarwood Painting, and his close aides live.
From the entrance of a blocked cave, someone emerges.
It is Seo Ran.
The moment Seo Ran exits the cave, he turns his gaze towards the summit of Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
After staring at the summit for a while, Seo Ran nods at some will coming from it.
"Yes. Understood."
Paaatt!
In that instant, Seo Ran quickly shifts through space to the summit of Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
He arrives at the throne of Sacred Master Seo Eun-hyun of Cedarwood Painting.
"It's been a while, Seo Ran."
"Yes. Thank you for your concern, Senior."
"I heard you did secluded cultivation due to confusion. Has the confusion...somewhat subsided?"
Seo Eun-hyun asks cautiously towards Seo Ran.
In response, Seo Ran confidently replies.
"It hasn't improved at all. I still don't know what is what."
"...And yet, that confident attitude must mean you've found some breakthrough to tackle that confusion."
"That's correct. For now, I am thinking of gathering people or demon beasts to form a group. While managing that group, I plan to further understand Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, which I seem to handle unconsciously."
Seo Eun-hyun smiles at Seo Ran's words and responds.
"A good choice. If you completely understand Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens and fully control Seo Hweol...the root of most of your troubles will vanish immediately."
"Yes. Please help me establish this group, Sacred Master. By taking care of them...I will look into understanding and being able to utilize Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.”
This is the path Seo Ran chose.
To control Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens with his own power!
If he has subconsciously been using Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, then perhaps with training, he might be able to use it consciously.
Seo Eun-hyun smiles faintly and speaks.
"Once a year, I will call the great master in consciousness methods, Yeon, for you. Hong Fan will assist you as well. I will also interrogate Seo Hweol and extract methods from him."
"Yes, thank you."
"By the way...what kind of group do you plan to create? A Black Ghost Valley Cedarwood Painting branch?"
"That..."
Seo Ran thinks for a moment and then shakes his head.
"That would be more suitable for Esteemed One Kang. Though I am a disciple of the great Black Ghost Valley, I cannot ignore Esteemed One Kang's hierarchy on this matter, so I will leave the establishment of the Black Ghost Valley Cedarwood Painting branch to that person. I will instead...reveal myself more as a Sea Dragon Race than as a human, to lead the Demon Race herd and become their leader."
"A Demon Race herd. That fits perfectly."
"Pardon?"
Seo Eun-hyun smiles and, using the splitting void seizing object technique, floats something over.
Woo-woong!
Seo Ran looks at the two 'eggs' slowly flying into his arms.
"This is..."
In Seo Ran's consciousness domain, the beings within the eggs are captured.
They are strange creatures with bodies like snakes and faces of humans.
"Take care of these children from now on."
"These children are..."
"A race born for the first time in this world. The ancestors of the Candle Dragon Race."
Seo Ran's eyes widen as he hears about the race emerging for the first time in this world from Seo Eun-hyun.
After some conversation,
Seo Ran eventually cradles the two eggs of the Candle Dragon Race and descends from Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
He decided to become the parent of the Candle Dragons.