Chapter 548: Sealing Immortal (3)
A cold drop of spiritual energy trickles down Yeo Hwi's forehead.
[ForbutmanagingitCedarwoodseemsPaintingevenIthathadgraceintendedistounnecessarymakewhatyouanmyinsolentvassalthing!]
'Even though he's sealed, an Immortal Rank is still an Immortal Rank, huh. I lowered my cultivation from True Person to Sacred Master to overcome the natural disadvantage against True Immortals, but...kugh.'
While feeling the overwhelming difference in their fundamental rank distort the will emanating from her opponent, Yeo Hwi silently begins drawing on the authority of Cedarwood Painting.
'Still...there's no need to cower unnecessarily! I, as the disciple of the Northern Dippers, know the true power of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag better than anyone!'
An entity of the Source River.
No, rather than calling her an entity, it would be more accurate to say she is treated as a slave, a mere pawn. Yet, having once learned under the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords, she knows.
There is something all entities of the Immortal Family who learn time methods feel.Whenever the Lords of the Time lineage employ their powers, one can feel the Source River being influenced by their authority.
And Yeo Hwi, 500,000 years ago...
She felt the colossal entity, who could be called the God of Time, a being that could even be considered the origin of the Source River, being utterly defeated by the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord.
After that incident, which weakened the energy of the Source River, every Immortal associated with the Time lineage, including Yeo Hwi, noticed something.
The seven immense wills that had arisen from the depths of the Source River.
The absolute will to protect, determined to preserve the peace of the world by standing against any overwhelmingly powerful being that might be born.
The vow that their Master would never again suffer pain, humiliation, or disgrace!
What was created by the combined powers of the seven streams of the Source River was the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag.
Even if it was Vast Cold in their youth, it would be impossible to properly use their strength if struck by the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag during the Entering Nirvana stage.
Thus, Yeo Hwi had been waiting for Seo Eun-hyun to return.
Just in case Seo Eun-hyun turned out to be stronger than she anticipated, or if he had an unexpected trump card, she properly maintained Cedarwood Painting.
After all, Radiance Hall once tried to sweep away Cedarwood Painting that can be considered Seo Eun-hyun's achievement back to its original form.
Had Yeo Hwi not petitioned, claiming, 'I have suffered severe torment at the hands of the vile Seo Eun-hyun, and my cultivation has regressed to the Sacred Vessel stage. I need a place for my Sacred Vessel cultivation,' Cedarwood Painting would surely have been dismantled.
And by now, even Radiance Hall would have forgotten about something as trivial as Cedarwood Painting.
'If he turns out to be stronger than I anticipated when he returns, I'll simply show him Cedarwood Painting and join his side as originally planned, living comfortably and proudly under his protection. If I go under him, I won't have to worry about others' judgments and can indulge in ponds of wine and forests of meat.
'However...if he is as weakened as I expect after facing the Sealing Immortal Flag...'
Yeo Hwi feels a dull ache in her shoulder.
That humiliating defeat at the hands of Seo Eun-hyun, who at the time had only been at the Sacred Vessel stage!
'I'll capture him...pin him beneath me, and have my way with him to the point his rationality dissipates. It'll feel like I'm sitting atop the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord...! Just thinking about it makes my spine tingle, doesn't it? That being who is compared to the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord being beneath me...! Hehe...I'll sell him off to the Radiance Hall after breaking his mind, and with that achievement, my advancement to True Immortality will practically be guaranteed.'
With a future that fills her with thrilling pleasure just imagining it, Yeo Hwi reveals her combat technique form, pressuring Seo Eun-hyun who is emitting the aura at most at the Qi Refining 7th star.
'What use is a high rank when he's been reduced to the power of leftover scraps after being struck by the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag!? Now...it's time for retribution...'
Just when she has this thought.
: : I prophesize : :
'...What?'
A prophecy becomes imbued in one of the artificial stars of Cedarwood Painting, which had been secretly taken out by someone claiming to be a subordinate of Seo Eun-hyun.
The prophecy depicts a scene where Yeo Hwi is captured and drawn inside Seo Eun-hyun's body where she is refined and reborn as his Immortal Treasure, hanging upside down for endless eons.
[What is this!?]
Kurururururu!
The entire Cedarwood Painting trembles violently under Yeo Hwi's will.
She widens her eyes as if she has been struck on the head.
'Wh-What is the meaning of this!?'
She cannot comprehend.
How is it possible for someone struck by the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag to use prophecies?
And not just anyone, but someone who has only just advanced to True Immortality and only recently gained their consciousness afterward?
'This makes no sense! Anyone struck by the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag shouldn't be able to use attraction force or explosion! Just how on earth did this happen!? The Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag seals the authority of the Three Planes, leaving even True Immortals to wither and die! Just how is something like this even possible!?'
Yeo Hwi reels, overwhelmed by a sense that the common sense she knows is being overturned.
'Just how...is it possible to use prophecies? Are you telling me he is transcending the Three Planes and drawing forth the power of prophecies from somewhere else!?'
But she is even more horrified by what happens next.
'Wh-What!?'
The artificial star containing Seo Eun-hyun's prophecy transcends the Plane of Fate and rises to a higher plane.
'...'
At that moment, she begins to grasp the situation.
'Damn it... The artificial star...entered his body at a higher plane...!?'
Yeo Hwi glares at Seo Eun-hyun with cold spiritual energy trickling down her body.
'He's cunning. Just where did someone who only recently advanced to True Immortality learn how to wield prophecies like this? This kind of precision is impossible unless he received personal one-on-one guidance from someone like a Great Net Immortal!'
Kurururung!
Her attraction force begins to be subordinated and drawn towards Seo Eun-hyun.
'N-No! This can't happen!'
Gritting her teeth, Yeo Hwi stretches out her arm towards Seo Eun-hyun.
Wudududuk!
The spacetime around Seo Eun-hyun appears to warp and collapse.
But that's all.
Paaatt!
Seo Eun-hyun so very effortlessly 'permeates' her attraction force, curses, and binding spells as he approaches her.
[Y-You! You! How dare you!? What kind of sorcery are you using!?]
Seo Eun-hyun draws closer.
The entire Middle Realm is swept into a storm under Yeo Hwi's authority.
Countless bolts of lightning rain down on Seo Eun-hyun.
Ten billion antimatter bombs simultaneously detonate in front of Seo Eun-hyun, dyeing the area with light.
[S-Stay back! Don't come closer!! Y-You bastard! You bastard! W-Wait! Daoist Seo, Senior! Elder! Please listen to what I have to say for just a moment!]
It's useless.
No matter what attack she throws, Seo Eun-hyun, despite only emanating the aura at the 7th star of Qi Refining, 'passes through' everything and continues approaching her with an unbothered demeanor.
Yeo Hwi realizes what is happening.
'This...this insane...! He's freely crossing planes!? Sure, Sacred Vessels can somewhat freely move across the Three Planes of Qi, Soul, and Fate, but...how is a True Immortal able to move up and down from the True Immortal Plane at will!?'
This is the pinnacle of absurdity!
Confronted by the power to freely traverse planes, Yeo Hwi feels like her mind is about to collapse.
Finally, when Seo Eun-hyun arrives in front of her and grabs her shoulder—
She realizes.
'...I see. The Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords...made a mistake.'
Recognizing the despairing truth, she lets out a hollow laugh.
'For sealing Vast Cold, who wielded the authority of the Heaven Tribe and a strange power of unknown origins...the Northern Dipper Sealing Flag was probably sufficient. However...the authority possessed by this being is completely different from the authority of Vast Cold. It's an entirely separate type of authority, so how could a seal created to target Vast Cold work properly against him...?'
Huarurururuk!
Seo Eun-hyun's form begins to change.
His aura still remains no higher than Qi Refining 7th star.
However, his appearance alone transforms into something bizarre.
[Something in the form of a candle flame, where glass and auroras writhe as if alive], flickers in front of her.
The mysterious light, seemingly a combination of Glass True Fire and auroras, conveys its will to Yeo Hwi.
: : C O M E : :
She lowers her gaze.
'...There is no...way.'
She cannot escape.
The fate prophesied by Seo Eun-hyun has already arrived right before her eyes.
She cannot escape.
"...I beg thee to remember that this junior protected Cedarwood Painting from Radiance Hall for three thousand years..."
After finishing her words, Yeo Hwi steps into the enormous light that has approached her.
Hwarurururuk!
The intense Glass True Fire greets her, and the massive world at the level of a Middle Realm swallows Yeo Hwi whole.
Inside that world, she picks a suitable spot, hangs herself upside down, releases her combat technique form, and faces the Glass True Fire rushing in to refine her.
Hwarururuk...
I revert to my human form and observe Yeo Hwi, who now resides within my main body.
Yeo Hwi is currently undergoing refinement within the True Immortal Plane, housed in my true body.
I temporarily raised her to the True Immortal Plane.
'In the past, Zhengli also did something similar to me.'
At the time when I called Zhengli's name, she summoned me into a strange space and bestowed her blessing upon me.
After receiving that blessing, I was cursed with lightning transformation and had to spend the entire 16th cycle roaming with Hong Fan, focusing on breaking the curse.
'Now that I think about it, the strange space where Zhengli summoned me and gave her blessing must have been the True Immortal Plane.'
Of course, just rising to the True Immortal Plane doesn't mean one automatically advances to True Immortality.
For those at the Entering Nirvana stage, entering the True Immortal Plane would result in instant death, prompting them to undergo the advancement ritual. But for those at the Sacred Vessel stage, I can preserve them within my body, preventing them from directly facing the True Immortal Plane.
After all, the internal structure of a True Immortal's body isn't a form that transcends Qi, Soul, or Fate, but rather a form suited to the Three Planes.
Tingle, tingle...
I take a deep breath, overwhelmed by the immense chest pain that follows after making a prophecy.
'Pain... Is it always this painful when using the authority of the Immortal Family...?'
It is the same pain I felt when enduring under the authority of Hyeon Rang.
The inside of my chest aches terribly, and when I begin to act sincerely, the pain spreads through my entire body to the point of making my head feel numb.
'Other True Immortals...Blood Yin didn't show any signs of pain when making prophecies.'
This is not a matter of realm but of essence.
'I can tell because I'm well-versed in pain. This pain... This is something Blood Yin definitely didn't experience. I am...'
Yes.
The authority of the Immortal Family that I use feels different from that of other True Immortals.
Hwaruk, huarurururuk...!
I ignite the Glass True Fire even more intensely to further refine Yeo Hwi, then extract the artificial stars within my main body and store them in my body within the Plane of Qi.
Woong!
Simultaneously, I finally gain the ability to use the ground-shrinking technique for now through the attraction force of the artificial stars.
"Let us head to the next destination, Hong Fan."
"Yes, understood. The next destination is...?"
"Lightning Sacred Sea."
Wo-woong!
Through the ground-shrinking technique, I leap across the universe and fly towards the Lightning Sacred Sea.
"I will...liberate Golden Shaking Bird, seize control of the Lightning Sacred Sea, and activate the Great Desolate Path to assess the current situation of my comrades."
I take out the small celestial sphere given to me by Yeong Seung from inside my body and fiddle with it.
'If we cram in, he said one more person can come along.'
Indeed, it seemed appropriate to take Hong Fan with me.
"Hong Fan. Are there many True Immortals of Radiance Hall in the Lightning Sacred Sea?"
"There are none. I heard that even those who initially entered the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain forced their way in by creating gaps."
With that, we head towards the entrance of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain,
The place where the Lightning Sacred Sea is located.
Upon arriving at the Lightning Sacred Sea, I frown.
Kugugugugu!
The Lightning Sacred Sea, in the form of Yang Su-jin's ring finger.
One corner of the Lightning Sacred Sea is crushed and mangled to such an extent that it is difficult to even discern its original shape.
Normally, when something is damaged to this extent, a gap or a breach would be visible. However, it seems that Golden Shaking Bird has taken measures from the inside, as no gaps are visible within.
From one corner of the crushed area, a faint light radiates.
It seems to be the light of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
'If I pass through that light, will I reach the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain?'
However, the light is trapped behind the endlessly surging lightning bars of the Lightning Sacred Sea, making proper passage appear difficult.
'What incredible lightning. This is almost like...'
The moment when I faced the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity flashes through my mind.
It is the same lightning that appeared when Zhengli destroyed the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.
'As expected, Yang Su-jin must have swallowed lightning like Jeon Myeong-hoon and left it in his body for use.'
After gazing at the Lightning Sacred Sea for a moment, I begin operating the formula of the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.
Before I know it, I find myself in the management layer of the Lightning Sacred Sea, the place where Golden Shaking Bird's garden is located.
A familiar voice greets me.
"Oh my, who might this be? An Immortal who operates the Immortal Art of Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens..."
Step, step...
From amidst the crimson poppy fields, Golden Shaking Bird appears with a polite expression.
"You must be the owner of the Lightning Sacred Sea whom my master once spoke of before. It is truly a pleasure to meet you. This girl is the attendant concubine of my master, the Golden Divine, and..."
"I already know, Golden Shaking Bird. I've heard about you from the will of the Golden Divine."
At my words, Golden Shaking Bird blinks, then covers her mouth with a face full of emotion.
"F-From Master's...will? About me...? Truly? Wh-What did Master say about me...?"
"Step aside for now. I must fulfill the final request left to me by your master."
Wo-woong!
I walk past Golden Shaking Bird and enter the pavilion from which the entire Lightning Sacred Sea can be managed. Then, I stretch out my hand to take control of the Lightning Sacred Sea and carry out the task Yang Su-jin entrusted to his successor.
Outside the pavilion, Golden Shaking Bird waits in a submissive posture, looking up at me with a face filled with excitement.
"Did Master...speak of me often?
"Could you tell me what Master said about me?
"Where can I go to meet Master's will?
"What is Master's final wish?
"What is Master's hometown, the Head Realm, like? I heard it's a truly magnificent place..."
I glance briefly at Golden Shaking Bird.
It's different.
Compared to when I visited just at the Star Shattering stage, everything is different starting from her attitude towards me to her posture.
'However, this isn't courtesy born from the cultivation realm.'
The reason she is like this is solely because I mentioned having 'heard about Golden Shaking Bird from Yang Su-jin'.
Her incessant chatter makes her seem like...
A girl utterly smitten with love.
Seeing her like this, I cannot help but feel a pang of pity for her.
'...Poor thing.'
However, I know her true identity.
Thunder Beast, Golden Shaking Bird.
She is a massive patchwork abomination created by sacrificing the entirety of the Thunder Bird Golden Shaking Sect under Yang Su-jin's command, fusing their bodies and souls.
Even now, the countless cultivators of the Thunder Bird Golden Shaking Sect likely exist within her, unable to live or die, yearning solely for Yang Su-jin.
'Your request...I will fulfill it.'
The purpose of the Lightning Sacred Sea's Tower of Trials is ultimately to gradually disassemble Golden Shaking Bird and liberate the countless souls and bodies of Thunder Bird Golden Shaking Sect's cultivators that are intertwined within her.
Moreover, Yang Su-jin stated that if one knows the method, it is possible for his successor, after taking control of the Lightning Sacred Sea, to disassemble her instantly and release her from her status as a Thunder Beast.
Save Golden Shaking Bird.
That was Yang Su-jin's will.
'Farewell, Golden Shaking Bird.'
Closing my eyes, I lift a sphere of lightning before me to carry out the final act of disassembling her.
The lightning sphere has a beautiful form composed of six colors, and once I add one final hue and bring it into contact with Golden Shaking Bird's body, it will all be over.
Pajijijijik...
Following the formula Yang Su-jin gave me, I focus my consciousness to create black lightning.
However, creating black lightning proves far from easy, and what forms instead is, uncomprehendingly, transparent lightning.
'Damn it. Is it the Immortal Title of Crystal Glass Being, or my world interfering with the lightning?'
It's just when I'm engrossed repeatedly trying to make the black lightning.
Golden Shaking Bird, who had been chattering incessantly, faintly smiles and speaks.
"Shall I assist you, Sir?"
"Oh ho, can you help?"
"Yes, it's a simple matter. Seven-colored lightning was something my master frequently created. Here, please watch carefully."
Chijijijijik...
In Golden Shaking Bird's hand, pitch-black lightning blossoms.
"Here it is. Please use it as you please."
Pajijijijijik!
Golden Shaking Bird compresses the black lightning into a sphere and slowly sends it my way.
"...Thank you."
Receiving the black lightning sphere, I smile bitterly.
Now, all I need to do is combine this sphere with the others and let it touch Golden Shaking Bird.
At least, that should have been the case.
Kwajijijijik!
"...Huh?"
The six-colored lightning sphere in my hand suddenly enters Golden Shaking Bird's hand.
It all happens in the blink of an eye.
Immediately after, I hear the sound of a [prophecy] in my ears.
: : I prophesize. Those who have mastered the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique will exchange their lightning spheres with one another. : :
"...!"
I widen my eyes in disbelief at the incomprehensible situation.
'She...[fulfilled the prophecy first] and then spoke the prophecy afterward!? No, this is...'
Golden Shaking Bird looks at me with a gloomy smile.
"It is a simple application of prophecy. If what is to come in the future is prophecy, then one can reverse Taiji, force the inevitability onto the present, and then declare the prophecy of the future afterwards."
Pajijijijijik...
Dark blue lightning begins to surge around Golden Shaking Bird.
"...I will ask one question. Please answer truthfully."
"...What is it?"
"The matter Master told you about me...was, after all, to kill me, wasn't it?
"..."
"...All I wanted was Dear... Just Dear's attention alone would have been enough..."
Golden Shaking Bird smiles gloomily as she glares at me.
"Well. If that's the case, it can't be helped, can it? I will follow you. I will chase you to the Head Realm where you have gone, chase you to your homeland, and kill every person precious to you. Until the only person you have left to look at is me!"
Along with her agonizing determination, the battle between Golden Shaking Bird and I begins.