Chapter 520: Seo Hweol's Origin (本) (1)
The evil Sacred Master Seo Eun-hyun of Cedarwood Painting, who seeks to bring about the destruction of the universe.
To stop him, the living beings of the Bright Cold Realm have gathered once again in a certain Chaos Realm region to construct a building.
No, to be precise, it's less of a 'building' and more of a kind of 'structure.'
A structure made of massive rocks.
The rocks are piled together to form a circle.
At the same time, some Tall Tree Race cultivators are growing high-quality trees in the area, cutting them down and adding wooden reinforcements, creating something resembling a fence.
The megaliths forming the structure in a standing stone formation are so enormous that each of them measures as much as 3 li in size. Dense arrays of spell inscriptions are carved onto the surface of the rocks.
"Hey! Go grab that thing over there!""This way, this way!"
To build this structure, Nascent Soul stage cultivators from various races have been drafted to work together.
It has been roughly 600 years since construction began.
Approximately a thousand years since the war against the Sacred Master of Cedarwood Painting began.
Regardless of whether they were Heaven, Earth, or Heart Tribes, all kinds of races were mobilized for the construction site, using their respective racial abilities to transport the massive stones that would be used for the structure.
"Honestly, I don't see why we're the ones doing this work."
A Nascent Soul cultivator of the Leaf Race, who is using a demon art to bind spiritual energy ropes to the rocks and transporting them from the sky, flicks their tongue out and grumbles.
A Nascent Soul cultivator of the Celestial Dog Race, assisting nearby, sticks their own tongue out and pants, tilting their head at the comment.
"What do you mean 'why'? It's because the Sacred Master gave us the command!"
"That's exactly what I mean. I don't understand why the Sacred Master is making us do something like this. To be honest, if the Sacred Master or the Esteemed Ones used their power, this kind of structure would be completed in an instant. Just why do we have to be the ones doing this hard labor?"
"Hmm... Now that you mention it, that does seem strange..."
"And to be honest, that Sacred Master of Cedarwood Painting or whatever is called, is supposedly trying to destroy the world we live in, but...in my view, we're far from actual destruction. Do you think people like us will even live more than another thousand years? But here we are, doing all this work to stop something that might happen several thousand years from now. Does this really make sense?"
"Hey, you Leaf Race idiot. We have to prevent the destruction of the world, even if it's for the sake of our descendants."
"Well, if that's the case, they could've just called us. Why'd they have to bring along those kids too?"
The Nascent Soul Leaf Race cultivator glances down at the Qi Building and Qi Refining cultivators below, who are working hard to contribute even in a small way to the construction.
"I can somewhat understand them summoning Core Formation juniors. But what help could these younglings in the Qi Refining and Qi Building stage possibly offer, dragging them all here for hard labor? The ones who are supposed to be the future of their races!"
The Leaf Race cultivator grumbles, annoyed by the contradictory nature of Sacred Master Baek Woon's mobilization efforts.
Then, the Celestial Dog Race cultivator, who had been listening to the Leaf Race cultivator's complaints, suddenly smiles faintly.
"Hoho, now that you mention it, something just came to mind. There's a record in the scripts of the Demon Race about something like this. About the wars between Sacred Masters."
"Wars between the Sacred Masters?"
"That's right. The Sacred Masters, who embody the very flow of this vast universe, no longer recklessly clash and fight each other with force like previous realms. Instead, it is said they fight by prophesying fate or manipulating the flow of the world. And...we are merely a part of that 'flow'."
The Celestial Dog cultivator chuckles with a 'hoho' and points down below.
"The cultivators of the Bright Cold Realm flocking to this region of the Chaos Realm. Working together here with a single purpose, building this structure, working then resting, laughing and chatting, and living this way. In doing so, causing their culture itself to flourish here. That very act...is the Sacred Masters' 'attack'."
"Hmm...It's such an abstract concept that I can't quite grasp it."
"Don't worry, as you'll understand soon enough. Hoho..."
"...By the way, why do you keep laughing like that? Hoho? Hm. Somehow, it does seem a bit addictive. Hoho..."
The two cultivators laugh with a hoho and begin speaking to others around them.
Thus, the 'rumor' of Sacred Master Baek Woon's 'cultural attack,' which started from their idle chatter, 'spreads throughout' the construction site in an instant.
Kugugugugu!
At the center of Cedarwood Painting.
Above the Glass Cedarwood Mountain, Seo Eun-hyun half-opens his eyes.
Haaaaaaaa—
As he inhales, the spiritual energy of Cedarwood Painting dries up.
Huuuuuuu—
As he exhales, the spiritual energy of Cedarwood Painting fills up again.
At the same time, on the reverse side of Cedarwood Painting.
Deep beneath the Peaceful Cloud Continent, on the opposite side of the world, a cluster of light begins to bloom.
It is the condensation of a nebula.
A nebula bearing the name [Seo Eun-hyun] compresses itself, filling its core with light and heat.
From the eight directions of the condensing nebula, certain symbols emerge.
Food (食), Wealth (貨), Sacrifice (祀), Minister of Works (司空), Minister of Education (司徒), Minister of Justice (司寇), Diplomacy (賓), Army (師).
The eight characters, engraved as glowing light, burn fiercely.
At the same time, the cluster of light splits in two directions, breaking into 16 fragments.
The eight concepts that existed in the life of [Seo Eun-hyun].
The concepts that defined [Seo Eun-hyun] as a [human] start to break apart, allowing the existence of Seo Eun-hyun to expand from being a [subject] to a [whole].
Among the 16 divided symbols, those that fall below become Qi (氣).
The eight symbols below turn into pure masses of Qi, shining brightly.
Each one holds energy condensed to the same level as the Heavenly Lotus Fruit Seo Eun-hyun once consumed—so dense that, if an ordinary person were to consume one, they would immediately advance to the Four-Axis stage!
Seo Eun-hyun manipulates the eight masses of Qi he has created, perceiving that he can control the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy as well as the living creatures within Cedarwood Painting in eight distinct forms.
Among the genetic information of life forms, in his hand lies Food (食), Wealth (貨), Sacrifice (祀), Minister of Works (司空), Minister of Education (司徒), Minister of Justice (司寇), Diplomacy (賓), Army (師).
He perceives he holds the authority to alter the history and information of these eight aspects.
The symbols that rise above become Fate (命).
The eight masses, ambiguous in form yet exuding attraction force, lie within Seo Eun-hyun's grasp.
Among the fates of the living beings within Cedarwood Painting, Food (食), Wealth (貨), Sacrifice (祀), Minister of Works (司空), Minister of Education (司徒), Minister of Justice (司寇), Diplomacy (賓), Army (師).
He perceives he can influence the fate related to these 8 aspects.
Now, he can control how much sustenance a living being is born to consume and what nutrients they are designed to absorb.
At the same time, he can decide 'what' a life form will eat in the future, 'in what manner', 'with whom', 'for what reason', and 'under what circumstances'.
He has comprehended the authority of Food (食).
He can determine what kind of greed living beings will be born with, what shiny objects they will covet, and what things they will trade and exchange to feel joy.
At the same time, he can decide how living beings will trade goods, the methods by which they will engage in commerce, and how their economies will develop.
He has understood the authority of Wealth (貨).
He can also decide the degree of talent that living beings possess.
He can now control how large a vessel a being will have to accept Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, and what kind of spiritual root they will be born with.
Additionally, he can influence the success or failure of a Heaven Tribe's ritual.
He has realized the authority of Sacrifice (祀).
He can control the land and earth where living beings grow, determine what kind of spiritual energy will infuse their territory, and what strength and crops will emerge there.
Furthermore, he can decide how the land will change in the future and whether the crops that grow in that territory and the cultivators who dwell there will remain or leave.
He has grasped the authority of Minister of Works (司空) in his hands.
Next, he understands the authority to influence the comprehension of living beings. He can now influence the intelligence of all living beings as they are born.
At the same time, he can interfere with the entire process by which living beings hear, see, and comprehend the world around them.
Those who earn his goodwill will see their talents grow, while those who earn his malice will see their talents diminish endlessly.
He has gained the authority of Minister of Education (司徒).
Furthermore, he has gained the ability to draw upon the absoluteness of the world itself.
For the safety of the living beings in Cedarwood Painting, he can move them to places of his choosing, foresee the tribulations and calamities that await them, and manipulate the world's absoluteness to increase the thickness of the dimensional barrier for their protection.
As a Sacred Vessel Sacred Master, his authority for defensive battles have improved significantly.
The authority of Minister of Justice (司寇) bows its head before him.
He has also gained command over language, communication, and culture.
Through the culture, language, and communication of living beings, he can transform the world. Conversely, by transforming the world, he can alter the power of culture, language, and communication of living beings.
In addition, he can control how the culture, language, and communication methods of living beings will change in the future.
This is the authority of Diplomacy (賓).
Finally, Seo Eun-hyun can now determine how the living beings of Cedarwood Painting will undergo conflict.
He can control how they would fight and shape the intensity and flow of their battle. Moreover, he can even transform species through 'conflict', molding them within his grasp.
He can roughly define how the species will fight and change in the future.
This is the authority of Army (師).
Kiiiiiiing!
The sixteen symbols of Qi and Fate are sucked into the center of the nebula, into the light's core.
Tststststststs!
Flash!
The world trembles at that moment, and from the center of the nebula, a fixed star (恒星) is born.
The owner of that star, the being that resides within Cedarwood Painting.
Seo Eun-hyun clenches his fist in the center of the star and looks upward.
Within the secret space of Cedarwood Painting, hidden on the reverse side of the Peaceful Cloud Continent.
There, he gazes upon the massive mandala engraved on the reverse side of Cedarwood Painting.
'It's accelerating.'
The reason Seo Eun-hyun declared war against all the True Persons and Sacred Masters was not merely because he is a madman.
The mandala of Cedarwood Painting.
It was also because he discovered the power possessed by the will of Cedarwood Painting.
'The more intense my battles with the Sacred Masters become...the faster my cultivation progresses.'
Now, having reached the mid Sacred Vessel stage, he looks down at the fixed star beneath his feet and communes with the will of Cedarwood Painting.
The will of Cedarwood Painting desires something very simple from Seo Eun-hyun.
Conflict (鬪爭)!
The more he struggles.
The more he clashes with others!
The 'faster' his cultivation progresses.
The more Seo Eun-hyun observes the authority of Cedarwood Painting, the more he thinks it resembles Kim Young-hoon.
Of course, unlike Kim Young-hoon, the 'speed' granted by Cedarwood Painting isn't limited solely to Martial Arts.
'Young-hoon Hyung-nim also grew faster the more he faced powerful opponents and gained quality experiences...'
Cedarwood Painting seems to endow its Sacred Master with a talent similar to Kim Young-hoon.
'At this rate, I can definitely reach the Grand Perfection of Sacred Vessel stage within 7,000 years and challenge the Entering Nirvana stage advancement.'
Seo Eun-hyun momentarily savors the omnipotence coursing through his hands.
Now, he can mold every aspect of Cedarwood Painting's living beings like clay.
It is even possible for him to play with a single life as though moving a pawn on a chessboard.
No, it is not just the life of a single person. The fate of all groups and organizations in this world will now change entirely according to Seo Eun-hyun's will.
This is precisely the power of Sacred Masters, whose authorities within their respective domains rival that of True Immortals!
'The erosion of the Middle Realms will be completely dealt with by Seo Hweol, who will instead absorb the Middle Realms into Cedarwood Painting...so there's no issue.'
If the attacks of the Sacred Masters are absorbed this time with Seo Hweol's help, Seo Eun-hyun's Cedarwood Painting will grow even larger than before, significantly accelerating the progress of his Artificial Middle Realm Plan.
However, Seo Eun-hyun's focus shifts away from such matters to something else entirely.
Wo-woong!
Above Seo Eun-hyun's hand, the heat of the fixed star shimmers as it blossoms into the form of a flower.
It is Flower Soul Filling the Heavens.
Sururuk—
Seo Eun-hyun's Flower Soul Filling the Heavens slips into the darkness, flowing backward through history.
[Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections. Flower Soul Filling the Heavens. Star Envoy's Authority (星使之權).]
[TL: Star Envoy and Sacred Master are written and pronounced the same way in Korean.]
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, which records Seo Eun-hyun's history.
The Flower Soul Filling the Heavens that became completed through Ryeo Hwa's inheritance.
The authority of a Sacred Master to read history within Cedarwood Painting.
[...And the authority of Oh Hye-seo...and my Sub-Heart Sword!]
Seo Eun-hyun draws out Oh Hye-seo's authority from within his heart essence and forges the Sub-Heart Sword in the void, opening his eyes wide.
[With this, I can track it.]
Through Seo Eun-hyun's near-omniscient senses inside Cedarwood Painting, the locations of Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens are pinpointed one by one.
Even Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens remains unaware of this reverse world of Cedarwood Painting.
Shiiiiiiii—
All the authorities Seo Eun-hyun spoke of flow into his Sub-Heart Sword.
Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, Flower Soul Filling the Heavens, the Star Envoy's Authority.
And the Sub-Heart Sword, imbued with Oh Hye-seo's authority, follows Seo Eun-hyun's will and slips deep into the soul of Seo Ran, who coincidentally had just been 'thinking' of Seo Eun-hyun.
Paaaaaatt!
Seo Eun-hyun discovers a curse and an Immortal Art deep within Seo Ran's soul.
One is the curse cast by the Yama True Lord, the Chief Judge of the Netherworld, upon Seo Hweol.
The other is the Immortal Art left by Gwak Am in the world of Penglai Island, designed to 'fix one's will.'
Seo Eun-hyun's will reaches the depths of Seo Ran's soul, effortlessly bypassing the Immortal Art left by Gwak Am and arriving at the curse laid by the Yama True Lord.
Pitch-black darkness welcomes him.
[Now I can reach you, Seo Hweol.]
Seo Eun-hyun begins retracing Seo Ran's history.
The authority of Oh Hye-seo, the Star Envoy's Authority, the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, and Flower Soul Filling the Heavens seep into the deepest depths of Seo Ran's soul.
[You will show me your true story.]
Step—
Seo Eun-hyun takes a single step towards the curse of the Yama True Lord, located deep in Seo Ran's heart essence.
Beyond this curse lies the very depths of Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
It is the place where he must have hidden everything.
'To bypass the 'canopy' created by the Yama True Lord's curse and reach Seo Hweol's depths...it will take approximately 6,000 years.'
In 6,000 years, all of Seo Hweol's stories will be revealed to Seo Eun-hyun.
And so, 4,000 years pass.
"Hohohoho..."
In a Chaos Realm region of a Middle Realm, which now envelops Cedarwood Painting.
The Seo Hweols, who have infiltrated the Chaos Realm region and assimilated into the relocated living beings so subtly that even the Sacred Masters of each realm would find it hard to notice, simultaneously burst into laughter.
"Hoho..."
One of the Seo Hweols among them, in order to offer parts of the Middle Realms to Seo Eun-hyun, raises his hand and activates Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.