Chapter 563: Earth Immortal (4)
I knead the earth and send it floating upward as I ask.
Kugugugugu!
The three lumps of soil I mold rise into the sky, absorbing the surrounding dust as they transform into stars.
Those stars will now contain scenes of Hong Fan, Ham Jin, and Yu Hwi being resurrected.
"By the way, Jeon Myeong-hoon, what's your Immortal Title?"
"Heaven-Destroying One (滅天子). Among the Immortal Titles given by the Naming Supreme Deity, I chose that one."
"Pretty good. Mine is Crystal Glass Being."
It is at that moment when we exchange our [names].Woo-woong!
I sense some kind of connection forming between us.
"Hmm, this is...?"
As Jeon Myeong-hoon and I look at each other in confusion, Golden Shaking Bird clings to Jeon Myeong-hoon's arm and laughs gleefully as she explains.
"Hehe, Master. The True Immortal Realm is originally a pitch black and endlessly vast place. Because of this, it is extremely difficult for True Immortals to encounter one another unless they descend to the Lower Realm. In the past, communication between True Immortals required being at least a Great Net Immortal or exchanging messages through Immortal Treasures in the Lower Realm. But ever since the Naming Supreme Deity's enthronement there has been a rumor that simply exchanging names allows True Immortals to communicate with one another from anywhere in the True Immortal Realm."
"Oh, thanks for the explanation."
"You're welcome, Master. Thank you for your praise. I love you, Master."
"...By the way, Seo Eun-hyun. You still haven't explained this one to me, have you?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon asks while glancing at Golden Shaking Bird clinging to his arm with the happiest expression in the world.
"...That one is..."
"I told you already! I am Master's wife from a past life!"
Looking at Golden Shaking Bird, who interrupts me with nonsense whenever I try to explain, I click my tongue.
"Hmm..."
—She's a fully matured Thunder Beast created by Yang Su-jin by melting down his subordinate sect, the Lightning Bird Golden Shaking Sect. She's at a level below True Immortal. I don't know the details, but she seems to have deeply loved Yang Su-jin. I met her in the Lightning Sacred Sea...
I use heart language in the Plane of Soul to transmit this information to Jeon Myeong-hoon so that Golden Shaking Bird cannot hear.
Jeon Myeong-hoon nods.
"...Well, I got it. By the way, in this life, I already have a Dao Companion. I can't accept you."
"That is fine, Master. You can just take me as a concubine. As long as I can stay by your side, that is my happiness."
Golden Shaking Bird nestles into Yang Su-jin's embrace and rubs her face against him as she speaks. Jeon Myeong-hoon clears his throat, seemingly uncomfortable.
"...Well, let's set aside the topic of concubines for now. In any case, you clinging to me in human form like this is uncomfortable."
"I see! I apologize! Golden Shaking Bird made a mistake! I will change forms right away!"
Patt!
Golden Shaking Bird immediately abandons her human form and shrinks using Du Hwa's body.
She takes the form of a small hummingbird.
The golden hummingbird perches on Jeon Myeong-hoon's shoulder and rubs her head against his cheek.
Perhaps finding the hummingbird form less uncomfortable, Jeon Myeong-hoon's expression softens.
“Well, good. From now on, stay like this whenever you follow me."
"Yes, Master! If you ever wish for feet, just command me to take my human form again!"
"...? W-What...? Nevermind. Got it. By the way, Seo Eun-hyun, Golden Shaking Bird. I've only recently become a True Immortal, so I'm lacking in knowledge. I need you to teach me."
At those words, Golden Shaking Bird flutters her wings excitedly and begins to explain.
"I will explain! First of all, Master, let me start with the realms of True Immortals."
The gloomy and sadistic side she showed when she was with me is nowhere to be seen. Instead, she explains knowledge regarding the True Immortal Realm to Jeon Myeong-hoon and me with a cheerful and happy expression.
There is knowledge I heard from Yu Oh, along with completely new information.
"...These are the realms of True Immortals. Above them are Governing Immortals, who have seized their Seats."
"Hold on. Then, what exactly are the Path (道/Dao) and Seats that you're referring to?"
"Hmm, to put it simply, you can think of them as laws. From the moment one becomes a True Immortal, one rises by mastering the laws and acquiring the principles of the world. At the end of the process, synchronising with the origin of the law makes one an Immortal Lord, and completely dominating it makes one a Governing Immortal."
Golden Shaking Bird explains about the Seats and the Origin Essence in a manner that closely aligns with what I heard from Yu Oh.
"There are countless laws in this world, but they all vary depending on interpretation. How one interprets a law becomes the key focus of a True Immortal's cultivation. However, there are about three absolute laws that cannot be interpreted and must be accepted as they are."
"Three absolute laws?"
At those words, Jeon Myeong-hoon flinches in surprise and speaks to Golden Shaking Bird.
"I think I know what they are. They are probably time, space, and the law of samsara, right? Seizing the Seat of these Three Supreme Laws to become a Dao Sovereign must be what Governing Immortals are. I already know a bit about the Three Supreme Laws."
Golden Shaking Bird glances at me as if unsure of what he's talking about, and I shrug in response.
"...Eh, nope."
"Wh-What?"
"What are time, space, and samsara? Space and time are fundamentally one and belong to the domain of the Heavenly Venerable of Time. As for samsara...is that from the Underworld? I'm not exactly sure what Master means, but...in any case, the three absolute laws are fate, history, and something else. Perhaps in Master's homeland, such laws are..."
"Ah, ahh, enough! I just misunderstood for a moment, so don't dig into it so seriously!"
For some reason, Jeon Myeong-hoon's face flushes red, and he snaps irritably at us.
Golden Shaking Bird, discouraged by his outburst, lowers her head and continues her explanation.
"M-My apologies, Master. Anyway...the three absolute laws are fate, history, and something else."
At her words, I grow curious and ask.
"There's something I find curious. When I asked the Reapers and those affiliated with the Underworld, they said the absolutes were 'fate, history, and death.' Why do you seem unsure about the third one?"
"Hmm, is that what the Underworld says? Honestly, I'm not sure. They say the [Three Powers] operate Mount Sumeru, but...other than fate and history, no one properly knows the identity of the third one. The Underworld says it is 'death', while Radiance Hall claims it is the 'first light'. Meanwhile, the factions of the Source River insist that the 'third law does not exist'."
"Huh...?"
The words coming out of Golden Shaking Bird's mouth are quite peculiar.
'The Underworld says death, Radiance Hall says the first light, and the Source River denies its existence entirely?'
"Even among True Immortals, opinions are divided. Rumor has it that Radiance Hall only promotes the theory of the 'first light' to promote their faction, but...even within their ranks, opinions differ on whether the third law truly exists or what it is. Some in Radiance Hall advocate the 'first light' theory, while others agree it is 'death'."
"Hmm..."
I hum softly in response.
Both the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord and Yu Oh had explained it as 'death,' so I had always assumed that was the case.
'Is there something else?'
Golden Shaking Bird flutters her wings and continues her explanation.
"To be honest, it's not treated as particularly important. It's just that the Underworld, Radiance Hall, and the Northern Heavenly Venerable all agree, saying, 'Well, there seem to be three laws,' so it's accepted as the norm. But in reality...while there are many Heaven Immortals aligned with fate and Immortal Beasts aligned with history, no True Immortal aligned with the 'third law' can be found no matter where one searches, so...wouldn't searching for it be a futile endeavor?"
"Hmm... Well, that is...true."
I click my tongue and nod.
However, Jeon Myeong-hoon doesn't seem to accept Golden Shaking Bird's words.
"Wait, what are you talking about, Seo Eun-hyun? Even in the Lower Realm, weren't there the Heaven Tribe, Earth Tribe, and Heart Tribe? Then, wouldn't the third law be something like...Martial Arts?"
"Hm, regarding that, Master in his previous life managed to partially uncover it."
Wo-woong!
Above Golden Shaking Bird's head, the shape of a Taiji appears.
"The essence of the Heart Tribe's Manifestation ultimately lies in their use of Qi. The way those of the Heart Tribe accumulate Qi is said to be a degraded version of the Heaven Tribe methods, while their movement techniques are said to be a degraded version of the Earth Tribe methods. And as for those of the Heart Tribe who reach the sixth stage of Manifestation..."
"They can only rise by mastering the methods of the Heaven and Earth Tribes."
That's right.
The idea of pure Martial Arts is, in the end, nonexistent.
Pure intent alone accomplishes nothing.
When I attained Entering Heavens and wielded Core Formation-level power with the Formless Sword, it was because I melted the Gang Sphere into the Formless Sword.
Other Heart Tribe members may reach Entering Heavens directly from Five Energies Converging to the Origin, but that's only because they pour their own life force into their Entering Heavens, enabling them to produce Core Formation-level power.
'The power of artificial souls used by Jang Ik or the 'drawing forth of power' in the realm of Tribulating Heavens taught by Tae Yeol-jeon...
In truth, all of it is simply drawing upon Qi that exists somewhere in another dimension.
The process of converting willpower in the Plane of Soul into Qi through my Formless Sword or Impermanence Sword is essentially the same principle.
'It wasn't until I reached the realm of Severing Heaven that I realized this. Before, I even believed in the existence of pure soul power, but...'
That, too, was just extracting Qi or attraction force that exists somewhere in the world through a special method.
With pure intent alone, nothing can be done.
Intent merely sets the 'direction', enabling one to draw Qi and attraction force through that direction.
"Pure Martial Arts, honestly...doesn't exist. Martial Arts is simply the result of combining the powers of Heaven and Earth, and the heart is just a directional guide. That's why...the claim that there exists nothing else beyond fate and history or that no one can tell what the third is—I can understand it to some extent."
Of course, understanding does not mean accepting it.
'The third law exists.'
Because...
Without a doubt, the domain of purity I felt was power from a domain separate from both fate and history.
However, explaining the concept of 'purity' to those who haven't trained in Martial Arts is impossible, so I merely said it that way to Jeon Myeong-hoon.
"...Is that so. Well, I get it for now. In that case..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon asks another question to Golden Shaking Bird.
"One more question. I've reached the realm of Vestige Liberation Immortal. Then, how does one advance from Vestige Liberation Immortal to Upper Immortal?"
At those words, Golden Shaking Bird flutters above us and replies.
"It's simple, Master. The realm formula for Vestige Liberation Immortal is the Radiance Ten Heavens (光明十天)!"
As she continues explaining, a bitter smile forms on both my and Jeon Myeong-hoon's faces.
"Without using Immortal Treasures or any devotees, only by relying on one's own prophecy or Immortal Art, one must create [ten fixed stars] in the Lower Realm. Then, when individuals from the Lower Realm use the light of those stars in their rituals, and all the light of the ten stars is entirely consumed in the rituals of Lower Realm inhabitants, they are engraved upon Mount Sumeru as [necessary] existences. When this happens, one will gain a starting point by Mount Sumeru to move towards the realm of Heaven Upper Immortal of the fate system or the realm of Earth Upper Immortal of the history system."
"I see. Then, do you know anything about the Heavenly Tribulation for the Upper Immortal advancement?"
In response to Jeon Myeong-hoon's question, Golden Shaking Bird perches on his shoulder and speaks with a slightly concerned tone.
Since I too know nothing about the Upper Immortal advancement Heavenly Tribulation, I listen carefully.
"Master remembers the Heavenly Tribulation for the Quasi-Immortal advancement, right? Being wrung dry by the world itself is the Quasi-Immortal advancement. Heavenly Tribulation... Only the True Immortal advancement replaces that with attracting a Supreme Deity's gaze. All of the Immortal Family's advancement tribulations follow the same pattern. It is about being wrung dry by the world. Therefore...the Heavenly Tribulation for the Upper Immortal advancement is as follows."
As Golden Shaking Bird continues to speak, I feel a chill run down my entire body.
"The world wringing dry the [light] of the stars one created—that is the Upper Immortal advancement Heavenly Tribulation. If one can endure, one advances to Upper Immortal as compensation for providing [light] to the world. But if one fails...their main body and their star of prophecy will be completely transformed into light and...eaten by the Radiance Supreme Deity. That is the Heavenly Tribulation for advancing to Upper Immortal."
Hearing this, both Jeon Myeong-hoon and I stare at the campfire in silence.
The campfire flickers, the night grows deeper, and among the three prophetic stars hovering in the sky, one shines first.
It is the star that contains the scene of Hong Fan's resurrection.