Chapter 513: God of Cedarwood Painting
Summit of Glass Cedarwood Mountain.
Before the jade throne of glass, surrounded by polar lights and mist.
Two figures stand facing each other.
A man dressed in white, seated as if gazing down upon the world.
And a man in blue robes, expressionless, looking up at the one sitting on the throne.
[219,523 times. No, it's 24 now. This is the number of methods you've used to try and retrieve Seo Ran from me. Not a single one has succeeded, and even the last resort you sent in, Oh Hye-seo's main body, is now as good as in my grasp. What will you do now? What is left for you?]
The man in white.
Seo Eun-hyun speaks, looking down at the expressionless figure before him—Seo Hweol.Seo Hweol speaks with a dry expression.
"...I understand that you care for Seo Ran. I also now know that the threats you used against me before were lies. You...cannot kill Seo Ran; isn't that right?"
[That's right.]
Seo Eun-hyun acknowledges it plainly.
[So, what will you do now?]
He chuckles.
[I am already a Sacred Master. In this domain, I am no different from a True Immortal. Do you think I will lose Seo Ran to the likes of you?]
"...If I exhaust all of 'me,' even you, a Sacred Master, would not be able to guarantee victory, no?"
[Seeing the great Seo Hweol speaking with such a long tongue, it seems you really have no cards left to play. Keke...go ahead. Consume thousands, hundreds of millions, trillions, tens of quadrillions of Seo Hweols to try and brainwash me along with this entire world. But I'll use the moment you exhaust yourself to contact Blood Yin and expose every last danger you pose.]
At Seo Eun-hyun's words, Seo Hweol lowers his gaze.
"..."
[At your current state, you might be able to impose some restrictions on Blood Yin with the groundwork you've laid. But if you exhaust everything on someone like me, only to face Blood Yin afterward? Haha, you'd be blown apart and killed by Blood Yin. No matter how much of a laughingstock he is, he is still a True Immortal.]
This is a testimony from Seo Eun-hyun, who has personally faced Blood Yin.
While it may be a slight underestimation, it is by no means an exaggerated assessment.
[Swear your loyalty to me, standing before the Black Ancient Paper, and vow it upon your main body. Then, confess your past to me. If you do, I will help you to the extent I can and help you achieve your goal. I will even assist you in washing away your sin.]
Seo Eun-hyun extends his hand toward Seo Hweol.
[Follow me, Seo Hweol. I truly detest you. You disgust me so much that I want to kill you. But...I am still willing to give you a chance. If you follow me, you will eventually be forgiven, and one day, you will be able to perfectly achieve your goal.]
From his perspective, this is an extraordinary concession.
Even though Seo Eun-hyun has only suffered greatly at Seo Hweol's hands, he can't ignore the wretched sight he had witnessed in his past life, the sight of Seo Hweol being rewritten into a blue earthworm.
Moreover, one of the processes for achieving Seo Hweol's goal is brainwashing the Head Realm, which is tied to the origin of Seo Eun-hyun and the other Enders. Through that goal, they might be able to reveal the secrets related to them.
Seo Hweol smiles.
"...I will cooperate."
[You're planning something again. Fine, struggle all you want.]
The next moment, Seo Hweol fires a beam of dense, blood energy directly towards Seo Eun-hyun's chest.
Kwang!
With that as the beginning, the portion of Seo Hweol standing before him explodes.
Red beams shoot out from Seo Hweol's entire body, dyeing the surroundings.
Snap!
However, the moment Seo Eun-hyun snaps his fingers, the beams vanish without a trace.
Seo Eun-hyun's eyes twitch.
[Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens again? Well, it's adequate as a smokescreen. And these...are these the Blood Yin Realm's devilish spells?]
Chiiii—
Seo Eun-hyun clears away the Blood Yin Realm's devilish energy attempting to corrode his surroundings, then grabs at the void.
Clench!
In the next moment, fragments of Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, hidden in the darkness, are all pulled together by attraction force, gathering before Seo Eun-hyun.
The fragments reassemble into the form of Seo Hweol.
[Give up. You can no longer surpass me.]
Seo Hweol smiles faintly.
[Do you know why there's no average when it comes to the strength of those at the Sacred Vessel stage?]
[It's because we have no true substance.]
Seo Eun-hyun responds casually.
[We, whose personalities have become Immortal Arts itself, are now beings that should be called the 'flow' of the universe.
[Though, as far as 'flows' go, we're incredibly fragile. Of course, compared to ordinary living beings, we far exceed even natural disasters, but from a cosmic perspective, we're merely specks of dust ready to be swept away at any moment.
[Since we lack substance, we must inhabit ourselves to something to cultivate our incorporeal selves. Whether it's the Middle Realms, the Decaying Corpse Realms, the stellar systems, or even the will of a True Immortal, becoming Immortal Treasures acting on their behalf, it doesn't matter. Only by inhabiting something can we gain substance.]
As Seo Eun-hyun's explanation continues, the laws of Cedarwood Painting begin to bind Seo Hweol.
[And because we have no substance, we can connect to anything. We can connect to other Sacred Vessel Sacred Masters, and even Entering Nirvana True Persons. We can connect to Esteemed Ones or Grand Cultivators we know, and even brats at the Four-Axis stage or below that we're aware of... Even to 'places' and 'True Immortals' that we know of. If we connect to a stronger existence, we might be captured and turned into an Immortal Treasure, but...if that's not the case, we can simply borrow their power. That's why, depending on where we inhabit, the knowledge we possess, and the relationships we've built, our combat power varies so greatly that there's no consistent average.]
Seo Hweol nods at these words.
[You are outstanding. Because we can so easily connect with those we know, we can borrow power anytime, anywhere. This is something that True Persons, who possess substance, cannot achieve. Now then, let me pose a question. If 'we' can connect to others, can we also 'connect others to each other'? What do you think?]
At this, Seo Eun-hyun flinches in surprise and turns his gaze somewhere else.
[Ha! So this is the kind of scheme you have prepared. As expected of Seo Hweol!]
Seo Eun-hyun lets out a small exclamation of admiration as he looks somewhere.
That place is within Seo Eun-hyun's Colorless Sword Enclosure.
A world unfolded with an endless land stained with blood.
There, seeing Oh Hye-seo wandering around and doing something, Seo Eun-hyun grins.
She is communicating with somewhere through her abilities.
'Now that I think about it, that's how it was.'
Seo Eun-hyun's eyes gleam.
Oh Hye-seo, at first glance, appeared to have arrived at Cedarwood Painting as a 'fragment.'
However, upon closer inspection, she was revealed to be her 'main body.'
In that case, how did she manage to deceive Seo Eun-hyun at the start?
The method isn't particularly difficult.
This is because outside Cedarwood Painting, she connected herself to an existence with a presence far greater than her own.
Because there is an existence whose presence is so overwhelmingly vast compared to hers, she was mistaken for a mere fragment!
'Is she connecting to that being with the enormous presence!? Does she perhaps intend to summon an existence of the True Immortal rank!?'
And in the next moment,
The entirety of Cedarwood Painting trembles violently.
Seo Eun-hyun coughs up Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.
[Keheok!]
Kuuuuuuung!
A hazy vapor-like something instantly blankets the sky of Cedarwood Painting.
This vapor does not stop at Cedarwood Painting. It also engulfs Seo Eun-hyun's Colorless Sword Enclosure in one go.
Gritting her teeth, Oh Hye-seo shouts while staring at the vapor.
"I, human Oh Hye-seo, humbly call upon the Progenitor God, Pangu (盤古). O High Spirit Grand Dao Nine Heavens Overseeing Fate Preserving Life Celestial Great Emperor, please hear me! As I fulfilled the oath I previously swore, as the Master of Oaths and Contracts, please return my flesh to me!"
The next moment.
Oh Hye-seo's soul is forcibly extracted from the body of the Candle Dragon Race she inhabits in Cedarwood Painting.
Her soul begins rapidly flying towards some far-off place in the distant reaches of the universe.
Witnessing this scene, Seo Eun-hyun realizes what Seo Hweol and Oh Hye-seo have done.
[Did you borrow the power of the Owner of Names from the very beginning? I see. From the start, Oh Hye-seo's soul was removed from her original body and that empty shell was filled with the power of the Owner of Names! While the power of the Owner of Names occupied her body, Oh Hye-seo acted as Seo Hye, and borrowed the power of oaths to set up the plan to escape through 'retrieving' her body through a ritual worship whenever needed! Hahaha!]
Seo Eun-hyun laughs as if finding it amusing.
Indeed, even Seo Eun-hyun can not stop Oh Hye-seo from being drawn away by the power of the [Owner of Names].
However, Seo Eun-hyun grins while forming a wheel (輪) behind his head.
Kiriririk—
The wheel begins to spin.
[Impressive. Truly worthy of your reputation, Seo Hweol.]
Then, Seo Eun-hyun extends his hand.
Dududududududu!
The Colorless Sword Enclosure, which had been containing Oh Hye-seo until just moments ago, begins to transform. Borrowing the power of Cedarwood Painting, a portion of the Colorless Sword Enclosure flickers into reality.
[If only your opponent was not me, Oh Hye-seo would have very well escaped.]
Oh Hye-seo rapidly flies through the cosmic space, heading towards her main body.
Seo Hweol said this.
—[No matter how much of an extraordinary Sacred Master Seo Eun-hyun may be, he cannot completely block the power of the [Owner of Names]. Even if you are captured at the final moment, you will still be able to escape. What will you do?]
She has never trusted Seo Hweol, not even once.
She only acted for Seo Hweol when she herself determined that it is logical and reasonable, and when she calculated that there would be no harm to her.
This time was no exception. The escape plan Seo Hweol proposed, the circumstances he faced, the reward he promised, and the benefits she stood to gain from taking part—all were too enticing to refuse.
Yes.
Based on Seo Hweol's judgment and Oh Hye-seo's own verification, she should have been safe.
But...
—Oh Hye-seo! I will relay this for the last time. Fragment your soul according to my instructions and scatter it immediately! That is the only hope we have!
'Don't talk nonsense! You said it would be safe! And if I fragment my soul to the extent you're saying, who would be the main body? My very being will disappear!'
—There's no time! Hurry!
'You said I would be safe! You said...!'
However, as she leaps across hundreds of light-years, Oh Hye-seo notices 'something' chasing her soul from behind.
[Wh-What is thaaaaaat!!!]
It's an [arm]!
A sword made of glass!
A massive [arm] composed of glass, with countless swords protruding from it, leaps across hundreds of light-years to pursue her.
[S-Stay away! I said, stay away!!!]
Oh Hye-seo's soul turns pale as she summons countless forms of Immortal Beasts around her.
As much as her main body, her consciousness domain, and the level of her soul itself have all risen to a higher realm than before...
The forms of Immortal Beasts she summons also appear far more powerful and imposing than ever.
Moreover, since this cosmic space is outside Seo Eun-hyun's world, it's a situation where he should not be able to exert absolute power here.
: : O H H Y E - S E O : :
[Huaaaaahhhh!!!]
Oh Hye-seo screams in terror and sends the forms of Immortal Beasts towards the [arm] pursuing her.
But it is futile.
The forms of Immortal Beasts are all shredded apart, and the [arm] rips through the light and projection of the Glass Peacock before intensely pursuing her.
'Monster bastard, monster bastard...! Why are you chasing me!? This fucking reptilian bastard wearing a human mask since Earth...!'
When Oh Hye-seo followed Seo Hweol's instructions and possessed the body of [Seo Eun-hyun's descendant],
She was confronted with an utterly terrifying revelation.
The [descendant of Seo Eun-hyun], who had been her companion back on Earth, turned out to be a bizarre and grotesque monster called the [Candle Dragon Race].
Although Seo Eun-hyun had shown a somewhat absentminded appearance back on Earth, she had at least believed him to be of the Homo Sapiens species.
But for [Seo Eun-hyun's descendent] to be a monster who's only human in face while everything below is a snake?
From a logical standpoint, there is only one conclusion.
Seo Eun-hyun must have been a reptilian wearing a human mask and acting the entire time since Earth!
'We were all being deceived by that monster bastard! That guy was a monster from the very beginning!'
Possessing the ability to trace the origins of Immortal Beast bloodlines, Oh Hye-seo so very easily tracked the origin of the Candle Dragon Race.
And her ability identified Seo Eun-hyun as a being who is fundamentally [no different from the Candle Dragon Race].
[Stay away, you monster!!!]
The form of the Immortal Beast Supreme Tiger roars and lunges toward the [arm].
But the [arm] tears apart the form of the Supreme Tiger in an instant and resumes its pursuit of her.
Now, the distance between the [arm] and her is only ten li!
Gradually, the [arm] draws closer.
Nine li!
'A-At this rate, it's going to follow me all the way to where my main body is! No! Seo Hweol! That useless bastard! He said he wouldn't be able to chase me this far, but he was completely wrong!'
The form of the Immortal Beast Black Dragon charges at the [arm].
A massive dragon wave, imbued with the power of Taiyin, pushes Seo Eun-hyun back.
However, 999 ghostly heads seem to sprout from Seo Eun-hyun's arm, devouring all the yin energy before resuming its pursuit of Oh Hye-seo.
Eight li!
Oh Hye-seo feels her legs trembling from the horror.
Having the curiosity to uncover everything about the other person, starting from the teeth, is who Oh Hye-seo is.
So of course, she is already aware of the shape of Seo Eun-hyun and his comrades' skulls.
'Crazy bastard... Is he using his own 999 skulls as a spell? He's a madman who cut off his own head 999 times to make this happen. Completely insane.'
Seven li!
Once again, Seo Eun-hyun's [arm] draws closer.
The searing Glass True Fire flickers, emitting a powerful attraction force that pulls Oh Hye-seo towards it.
'Nonononononono!!! That Glass True Fire really hurts!!! Even the inferior flame of the Candle Dragon Race almost killed me when it touched my soul. If this is the real Glass True Fire, there's no way I can resist it!'
The heat of the Glass True Fire already stings her soul, and her mind starts to falter.
'Endure the heat of the Glass True Fire with the power of the Candle Dragon Race? No way! The master of the Candle Dragon Race is that reptilian bastard. I'd be caught right away. In that case...'
The forms of the Immortal Beasts Azure Peng and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus wrap around Oh Hye-seo.
Her speed towards her main body begins to accelerate even further.
Seo Eun-hyun's [arm] also appears to be gradually falling behind.
But in the next moment—
Wiiiiiing!
The Three Great Ultimates rise atop the arm, narrowing the distance with Oh Hye-seo once more!
Five li!
Her mind feels like it's about to collapse from terror and the heat of the Glass True Fire.
'Seo Hweol! Seo Hweol! Seo Hweol! Do something!!!'
—I am also caught.
'Useless bastard!!!'
Cursing Seo Hweol, she frantically hurls the forms of other Immortal Beasts and self-destructs them.
Even though her origin is being damaged, the [arm] seems utterly unaffected, steadily closing the distance.
Three li!
[Seo Eun-hyun, let's talk for a moment. Actually, I knew all along that you and Kang Min-hee were dating, okay? You! You liked me, didn't you? Isn't that right?]
Two li!
She tries to tempt Seo Eun-hyun with all sorts of sweet words and flattery, but as expected, they don't work in the slightest.
The distance continues to close, leaving only one li remaining.
Oh Hye-seo grits her teeth, her heart sinking as though weeping tears of blood.
'I have to use that! I followed Seo Hweol's words and took risks all for that, but I'm about to waste it all here!?'
Feeling wronged, she bites her lips tightly in her spirit form.
Now, Seo Eun-hyun's massive [arm] is only ten zhang away from her.
She spreads her arms wide in her spirit form and shouts.
[I humbly request to the High Spirit Grand Dao Nine Heavens Overseeing Fate Preserving Life Celestial Great Emperor. I beseech, reveal thee power!!!]
In the next moment, hazy vapor rises wildly around her.
Then, a vaporous [arm], far larger than Seo Eun-hyun's [arm], manifests and clenches its fist.
Seo Eun-hyun's [arm] seems to flinch.
Oh Hye-seo smirks and shouts.
[Even if it's you, against this being's power...]
But at that very moment.
Pebeong!
Seo Eun-hyun's [arm] so very easily pierces through the arm of the [Owner of Names].
Plowing through the vapor without resistance, Seo Eun-hyun's [arm] relentlessly advances towards Oh Hye-seo.
Seeing this scene, Oh Hye-seo feels her mind freeze completely.
It feels as though the afterimage of Seo Eun-hyun fleetingly passes before her eyes.
Seo Eun-hyun was looking down at her with an arrogant gaze.
'...There's no escape...'
The gap between them has already grown too vast.
Not even Seo Hweol is of any help, and no matter how much power she wields or borrows from others, Seo Eun-hyun has already surpassed all of it.
'I...can't escape...?'
She grinds her teeth.
There is no escape.
In that case, there is only one thing she can do.
The arm of the [Owner of Names], which is pitifully being torn apart.
As if its affinity clashes with the power of the Candle Dragons,
It is being shredded by the hazy mist emanating from Seo Eun-hyun's arm, but its sheer mass buys Oh Hye-seo a sliver of time.
Oh Hye-seo watches the scene and grits her teeth.
Chwaaaa!
In the next moment, she tears apart her spirit form.
She must do as Seo Hweol instructed.
Split Soul!
At the very least, she must let her split soul escape!
Oh Hye-seo extracts every bit of power from the Owner of the Name's vapor and the other Immortal Beasts, stuffing it all into her fragment, and launches the fragment towards her original body.
Paaatt!
Perhaps because its mass has been reduced, Oh Hye-seo's fragment moves much faster and lighter, soon disappearing from her sight.
Puhwak!
Immediately after, Seo Eun-hyun's [arm] finally tears through the vapor and envelops Oh Hye-seo.
With a face really clouded with emotions, Oh Hye-seo opens her mouth.
[...You won, you monster.]
Clench!
Seo Eun-hyun's arm seizes the soul of Oh Hye-seo's main body.
Every scheme devised by Seo Hweol and Oh Hye-seo has crumbled.
Only a portion of her soul that she split and sent away, the soul of 'Seo Hye,' manages to return to her main body, leaving a faint glimmer of hope against the God of Cedarwood Painting.