"...What...did you just say...?"
Yu Oh...is saying she is the Seat of Virtue that Blood Yin searched so desperately for!?
As I am flustered, she hands me a cup of plum tea and speaks.
"Please do not misunderstand. I have only become the incarnation of the Seat of Good. I am not the Seat of Good itself."
"Then...what exactly do you mean by being the incarnation of the Seat of Good?"
"First...I need to explain at least a part of what happened back then. However, I must ask for your understanding that I cannot tell you [everything]. The Imperial Venerable would not permit it..."
"I will...listen to what you can share."
Yu Oh begins her explanation.
"At that time, Yu Hao Te assisted the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord in a battle against a [certain entity] and became entangled to the brink of annihilation. However...perhaps due to his mind growing hazy as he neared destruction, he acted in a way that went against his own impartiality. Instead of supporting the being he was meant to assist in the battle...he chose to protect his own blood relative."He chose to save Yu Soo Ryeon, my main body and master. At the final moment, Yu Hao Te split the Seat of Good and Evil, using his very Seat as a medium to revise history. As a result, Yu Soo Ryeon did not completely perish at the final moment. Instead, she merged with the Seat of Good and managed to preserve her life."
"...!"
Her words mean that the Reincarnation Judge of the Netherworld and the Seat Holder of Longevity, Yu Soo Ryeon, is not dead!
"Of course, her physical body died and became the Nether Ghost Realm, but...her spirit is undoubtedly still alive, intertwined with the Seat of Good. And...after the war of the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord ended in defeat, her main body ended up being bound deep within the Head Realm along with the Seat of Good."
"..."
"That is why, I, who is essentially a split soul of the Reincarnation Judge, came to exist in a state akin to being an incarnation of the Seat of Good. Afterwards...when Blood Yin came to his senses, he desperately tried to save his sister Yu Soo Ryeon's true soul, who also became half of his authority."
"Such a...wait—then why did Blood Yin suddenly abandon the Seat of Good and instead attempt to switch to the Seat of Abundant Offspring?"
"Because she was consumed by the Head Realm. Not long ago, I observed Senior entering and exiting the Head Realm. Senior Baek Woon seemed unable to perceive it, but perhaps due to my affiliation with the Underworld side...I could observe it. In any case...since you entered and returned from the Head Realm...you must have seen it, yes?"
At her words, I let out a faint sound of agreement.
I had seen it.
The beings of the Head Realm...[endlessly repeating]...
"Those consumed by the Head Realm...end up living eternally for infinite time as puppets. They eventually end up losing their ego and completely perish, becoming a part of ancient force. Blood Yin's concern gradually grew deeper, and one day, he contacted me. He told me to send a fragment to the Head Realm. He wanted to see if my fragment and the Immortal Art he had imbued within it would resonate simultaneously with the Seat of Good. However..."
"You lost contact with the fragment."
"Yes. After reincarnating my fragment into the Black Ghost Valley of the Head Realm...it sought to establish contact with Blood Yin's Immortal Art by searching for clues about the Immortal Art from the librarian of the Black Ghost Valley. From that point on, the connection with my fragment was severed."
I know what happens next.
Yu Oh's fragment gained self-awareness, fell in love with one of Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, and gave birth to Seo Ran.
"After losing connection with my fragment, Blood Yin seemed to fully accept his sister's death. From that point on, Blood Yin 'completely' abandoned his pursuit of the Seat of Good that he already partially gave up on and fully committed himself to the plan of the Seat of Abundant Offspring."
"..."
"Does this explanation suffice?"
"...It's shocking."
I click my tongue in astonishment.
At the same time, a question arises.
"There is something I've been curious about for some time, but...what exactly is a Seat? Now that I have become a True Immortal, I have a general sense of it to some extent, but...I am unsure what it is exactly. Since Sacred Master Yu Oh is someone deeply knowledgeable about the Immortal Family, I believe you can answer this."
"A Seat is...well, haven't you already grasped it to some extent? After all, if you've become a Vestige Liberation Immortal, you must have seen the [path]."
"...That is correct."
"The thing at the very end of that path. That is the Seat. For now...I take it you are not familiar with the titles that correspond to the positions of True Immortals?"
"If you would teach me, I would be most grateful."
Yu Oh begins to explain to me about the positions of True Immortals.
"First, those who initially reach the realm of True Immortality are called Vestige Liberation Immortals. These are individuals who have shedded their physical bodies in the Entering Nirvana stage and fully embraced life and death itself."
"I am aware up to that point."
"The second realm of Immortals is called Upper Immortal (上仙). More specifically, it is divided into Heaven Upper Immortal (天上仙) and Earth Upper Immortal (地上仙). In this realm, the form of a True Immortal starts to solidify properly. Additionally...this is the realm where one determines which path to follow."
"It must be the pathways of fate and history."
"One could say so. Here, the distinction between Heaven Immortals and Earth Immortals, that is, Heaven Immortals and Immortal Beasts become clear. Since you have already become a Vestige Liberation Immortal, you must have realized by now. That for you...the distinction between the Heaven Tribe and Earth Tribe has already disappeared."
I nod in agreement.
Indeed.
Since the moment I rose to the True Immortal Plane after gaining control of the Three Planes, and shed my physical body...
I ceased to be either Heaven Tribe or Earth Tribe.
"Being born as an Earth Tribe does not mean one must become an Immortal Beast, nor does being born as a Heaven Tribe mean one must become a Heaven Immortal. Birth is merely a stepping stone to controlling either the Plane of Qi or the Plane of Fate in order to rise to a higher plane. Of course, choosing the path aligned with the plane you've mastered is much more advantageous, but...the important thing is that the realm of Vestige Liberation Immortal has an overview of all possibilities. Therefore...if you come to choose a path, please do so carefully. The path of fate is undoubtedly convenient and terrifyingly powerful, but...a fate once spoken aloud cannot be taken back."
Yu Oh warns me with a serious expression.
However, her words seem to subtly advise me to choose the path of an Immortal Beast over that of a Heaven Immortal.
"I will take heed."
"After the realm of Upper Immortal, where one chooses between Heaven Upper Immortal and Earth Upper Immortal, comes the next realm that is called Great Net (大羅). It is also called Great Net Immortal. One becomes a net that binds the True Immortal Realm, engraving one's own laws into the world, and...just as one mastered the planes of Qi and Fate in the Entering Nirvana stage, one begins to take control of a portion of the True Immortal Plane. From this realm onward, a True Immortal can open a Middle Realm within their own body."
"I see. True Immortals below the realm of Great Net split into the Interdimensional Void upon death and become Decaying Corpse Realms...but starting from Great Net Immortals, they turn into Middle Realms."
"That is correct. Regardless of how they die, True Immortals function as worlds where living beings can thrive. And...as I mentioned, Great Net Immortals who have partially mastered the True Immortal Plane reach the end of the [path] they have followed. This is where the fates of the vast majority of Great Net Immortals are decided."
An illusion appears before my eyes.
It is an [inverted cone].
At first, I see small, bug-like clumps clinging to the inner surface of the inverted cone.
But soon, the shapes of those clumps grow clearer and more distinct.
They resemble [birds].
The birds then take flight from the surface of the inverted cone and begin to [rise] from within it.
Hwiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!
Yu Oh is projecting an illusion before my eyes.
The illusion formed of ghostly energy almost seems like a diagram explaining the realms of True Immortals.
Inside the inverted cone, wind is blowing.
The [birds] ride the current of their chosen wind, flying freely within the Inverted Cone.
"These [birds] are..."
"Great Net Immortals. They have fully mounted their [path] and have become able to freely manipulate the Sumeru World. The [wind] they ride is their [path]... Just as a bird hatches from its egg, takes form, and flies through the sky with its wings, Great Net Immortals are birds that can now take flight. They can freely engrave the path they have followed, their law, and make their Middle Realm a world that all mortal beings in the Sumeru World can ascend to. Ordinary birds diverge from this point."
Before I realize it, the illusion of the birds expands further.
"Will they fly low, living by catching bugs...or will they ride even higher updrafts and rise to the sky?"
Looking closely, I notice that they are actually people with bird wings.
Some do not soar towards a higher sky, instead circling in lower altitudes.
However, some birds ride their chosen wind upwards, flying even higher to ride the rising updrafts.
Among these birds, a few pierce through the clouds and reach the sky, only for their wings to burn and perish.
But one bird, whose wings do not burn, succeeds in fully catching the ascending updraft and soars perpetually, never falling and forever flying in the sky.
Someday, even this bird may burn away from the heat.
However, until then, this bird will soar high in the sky, seizing control of the wind it rides, flying freely wherever it wishes.
"These are beings who have completely taken control of their [path], the wind they ride, and have become significantly free from attraction force. These are the beings closest to the [sky]. These are...the ones who have transcended Great Net Immortals and can be said to be the pinnacle of True Immortality, an Immortal Lord. An Immortal Lord of the Fate pathway is called Heavenly Lord. An Immortal Lord of the Earth pathway is called a True Lord."
Only then do I finally gain a clearer understanding of Seats.
"One's chosen path. Seizing control of the wind one rides is the one who seizes control of their Seat. Is this the way to become a Seat Holder?"
"That is correct. There are countless laws and principles, Dao, in this world, and there is a place that can be called their origin. That is what we call Seats. It is also referred to as the Origin Essence (根源性) or the Origin Source (根源所). The Seat is a symbol of law, but at the same time, it is a sacred sanctuary (聖所). Only those who enter this sanctuary can be called Seat Holders, or Immortal Lords."
As I solidify my understanding of the realms of True Immortality, I ask a question about what I have seen.
"I have a question. At the end of the [path] I chose, I saw the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. Is reaching the place where the Great Mountain Supreme Deity resides how one becomes a Seat Holder?"
"That is not the case. The sanctuary of origin is not a place anyone can enter. One sanctuary per one. Except for special cases, every Seat has only one Seat Holder in the end. Furthermore...only those who completely seize the Seat, turning the Origin Source of the law into their own Audience Chamber and Throne...are those who transcend all limits and boundaries of True Immortality to become Supreme Deities."
The bird that had ridden the rising updraft and soared higher and higher into the sky,
Has at some point become the [wind] itself that loudly blows through the sky.
The bird that was riding the wind has become the wind, becoming a storm that occupies a place in the [sky], and sweeps through everything beneath the heavens.
Now, no matter how high the bird flies, it no longer burns to death.
No matter how far it flies, it no longer grows weary.
For the bird has already become the law itself.
Pasasasa—
At that moment, Yu Oh scatters the illusion.
Only today do I finally grasp the hierarchy of the realms of True Immortality.
Vestige Liberation Immortal.
Heaven Upper Immortal, Earth Upper Immortal.
Great Net Immortal.
Immortal Lord.
Above that is the Governing Immortal, which completes the realms of True Immortals.
And...watching Yu Oh, I let out a low murmur.
"...Then, those who follow a [path] upon which a Supreme Deity was born..."
"That is correct. Beings under the path of a Supreme Deity may easily reach the realm of Great Net Immortal, but they can never become Seat Holders, in other words, Immortal Lords. In short..."
"...To become an Immortal Lord by following this path...I will have to fight and defeat the Great Mountain Supreme Deity while still in the state of a Great Net Immortal?"
"Yes."
"..."
Suddenly faced with an overwhelming goal, I feel my mind go blank.
'Defeat that Great Mountain Supreme Deity as a Great Net Immortal? Does that even make sense?'
Feeling my mind grow faint, I let out a groan.
'Should I change my [path]...?'
As if sensing my concern Yu Oh smiles brightly and speaks.
"Coincidentally, there happens to be a vacancy for the Seat of Vice that was recently retrieved by the Underworld. Why not aim for the Immortal Lord position of Vice and take a step on the [path] of Vice here? The Underworld would welcome Senior most warmly."
"...I will decline. More importantly...just how can the Seat of Good and Evil...be split into the two Seats of Virtue and Vice? Can something called the Origin Essence be split in such a way? Something that is the root of absolute law?"
"You misunderstand. In this world, there are only about three things that can be called [absolute]: Fate, History, and Death. Nothing else can ever be absolute. That includes the Origin Essence. It is not without reason that I used wind and updraft to represent the [path] and [Origin Essence] of True Immortals."
Hwiiiiiiiii—
The wind swirls in Yu Oh's hand.
"Though it is called Origin Essence, it is closer to the concept of a place rather than a property or a symbol. Yet, at the same time, it possesses no distinct form or shape. That is the [wind]. Regardless of the shape of the wind when one faces it, or how one rides it, that is the freedom of all beings. The wind can merge, split, change direction, or alter its form. The shape and direction of the wind, the way one meets the wind are all determined solely by the one who rides it."
Hwiiiiiiii—
The wind refines itself in Yu Oh's hand.
The wind compresses, becoming a blade at times, a cool breeze at others, or even a scorching gust.
Yet all of these are simply the same wind.
"What matters is interpretation. Depending on how beings interpret that wind, its form changes, and so does how it is received. If it is interpreted as something indivisible, it would remain indivisible. But if good and evil is interpreted as being able to split, then it splits. If it is interpreted as good, it becomes good, but if it is interpreted as evil, it turns evil. The most representative example is the Seat of Good and Evil. And..."
I can't help but flinch at her next words.
"The interpretation of the Seat of Salt Mountain, which was once praised as a noble and sacred power. Yet, even though the same Seat of Salt Mountain was obtained, the Seat of the Devil God, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, that is described as a vile, horrifying, and fearful power, is entirely different."
"...So even the same repentant enlightenment can call forth entirely different authority depending on the interpretation?"
"That is right. Strictly speaking, it does not call forth a [different] authority... Rather, the direction of the authority changes entirely."
I smile bitterly and offer a bow to Yu Oh.
"That...must be a starting point by which a Great Net Immortal could confront a Supreme Deity who has seized a Seat."
I must perform more repentant enlightenments than the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, derive more interpretations, and assert my interpretations more powerfully.
If it is not a pure battle of authority but one of proving the correctness of interpretations, then that would be the key to defeating the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
"You grasp it quickly. However...defeating an opponent in this manner will be a despairing level of difficulty. This is because while Senior interprets the Seat, your opponent will never be simply playing around. Furthermore, the one with the greatest authority to interpret a Seat ultimately lies with its owner. That is why I...suggest you take a different path. If that different path happens to be aligned with us of the Underworld faction, all the better."
"...Thank you for your consideration. However...now that I have obtained a starting point on how to confront the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, that alone is enough. From here on, I will handle it myself. Because..."
—Come up.
I briefly close my eyes, recalling Gwak Am's single statement.
They are undeniably hateful and loathsome.
But at the same time...
"I must determine outcome with Them no matter what."
They are my senior brother.
For that reason, I cannot leave Them in that state.
Therefore, even if it is despairing, I will walk the Mountain path.
Hearing my words, Yu Oh lets out a soft sigh and nods.
"How regrettable. The Seat of Vice truly suited Senior."
Hearing that, I feel a sense of déjà vu that has lingered since earlier and decide to ask.
"From the moment I first met Sacred Master Yu Oh, I've had a feeling of déjà vu. And...that feeling only grew stronger since the moment Sacred Master suggested I aim for the Seat of Vice. For some reason, I have this thought. That this déjà vu I am feeling...you are feeling it too.
"The reason I asked Sacred Master about Seats and the many other questions were all because of this sense of déjà vu. A True Immortal's intuition should be close to the truth, no? Please tell me. Do you know the cause of this déjà vu?"
Yu Oh,
For some reason, feels all too familiar.
It feels as though we certainly met before.
It is not simply the feeling of her as the incarnation of the [Oldest One].
'It definitely feels like I've met her before. It's not related to Seo Ran or Seo Hweol either.'
"I've never encountered a 'fragment of Yu Oh' in the Head Realm. And yet, why is it that I feel such déjà vu when I see you?"
"...Déjà vu... Hoho, I have a suspicion."
"What is it?"
"Senior, surely...has met the [Seat of Virtue] in the Head Realm at some point. Isn't that so?"
"...!"
Yu Oh seems both happy and somewhat sorrowful as she continues speaking with a complicated expression.
"Contrary to what Blood Yin predicted...my main body is still...still alive. That is why Senior felt déjà vu when you saw me, and that is why I felt déjà vu when I saw Senior as well. Hoho...if Blood Yin had known this, he wouldn't have given up... Ah..."
"..."
"Senior, please think back carefully to the people you met when you were in the Head Realm. The main body fused with the Seat of Virtue. Yu Soo Ryeon...surely must have been among them."
I finish my tea, frozen in place.
"Someday, if a being from the Head Realm emerges that you are [certain must be Yu Soo Ryeon]...please, let me know. For the sake of Yu Hao Te, who has completely departed, for the sake of me...and for the sake of the Imperial Venerable, that person will surely hold great significance."
"...Understood. If I ever come across a being I am confident is that entity...I will let Sacred Master know."
Having finished speaking, Yu Oh rises from her seat, mentioning that there is administrative work she needs to handle.
It feels like an attitude of saying that she has said everything she intends to convey to me.
Perhaps the information Yu Oh conveyed was information indirectly delivered to me by the [Oldest One].
With that, all matters in the Nether Ghost Realm are now resolved.
Thus, carrying Yu Oh's request on my back and the shocking truths in my chest, I leave the Nether Ghost Realm.
Author's Note: I had originally planned to conclude the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain memory recollection today...but the amount of information felt too dense, so I've split it up a bit. The Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain episode should end tomorrow.
As for the Seat of Virtue, I'm still debating how to handle it.
Whether to introduce it directly in the story or leave it as a MacGuffin...
Either direction seems like it would be fun.
For now, the Seat of Virtue itself is definitively tied to one of the characters from the Head Realm arc. I hope you'll have fun trying to guess who it is.
As always, thank you!