Chapter 575: Radiance Ten Heavens (光明十天) (4)
Whiooooooo!
We ride Yeo Hwi, soaring through the distant Heavenly Domain.
"Where is the exit of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, Yeo Hwi?"
Yeo Hwi is one of the disciples of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords, who are in turn disciples of the Heavenly Venerable of Time.
Because of this, she possesses extensive knowledge regarding the structure of the Star Veins stemming from the flow of time that is the Source River.
In an instant, Yeo Hwi locates the entrance and exit of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain through the Star Vein Eye and flies toward it.
True Persons are undoubtedly strong.
Through the Star Veins, they can fold and traverse tens, hundreds of millions of light-years.However, that only applies to the Heavenly Domain where they have advanced to the Star Shattering stage.
If it is an unfamiliar Heavenly Domain where not a single star vein is connected to them, then they are no longer able to recklessly leap across hundreds of millions of light-years as before.
Because of this, Yeo Hwi borrows the authority of Golden Shaking Bird, Jeon Myeong-hoon, and me to leap across hundreds of millions of light-years.
"By the way, the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain seems larger than the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain. Just from how it feels..."
In the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, flying for a few hundred million light-years is enough to reach the desired location.
However, in the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, even after flying for billions of light-years, it still feels difficult to reach one's destination.
At my words, Golden Shaking Bird shrugs and explains.
"That's because, Elder, the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain is the smallest and narrowest of all the Heavenly Domains."
"Hmm? Is that so?"
"Yes. They say that Heavenly Domains continuously expand at the speed of light, but...that's actually incorrect. Only the Heavenly Domains under the direct jurisdiction of Radiance Hall expand at the speed of light."
"Oh? Then are there universes that expand faster than light?"
At my question, Jeon Myeong-hoon scoffs.
"The universe originally expanded faster than light. Didn't you know that?"
"...I was a humanities major. But why do you know? You were a humanities major too."
"I diligently built up my general knowledge even during work hours."
"...Why on earth were you building up general knowledge during work hours...?"
I clutch my head as it throbs from the conversation, and decide to continue listening to Golden Shaking Bird.
"The Heavenly Domains under the direct jurisdiction of Radiance Hall do not expand at a speed exceeding the speed of light. The Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, being one of those, has a relatively slow expansion rate. However, even putting that aside, the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain is said to be significantly smaller than the other Heavenly Domains under Radiance Hall's jurisdiction."
"And what's the reason for that?"
"Hmm, my master in the past said...once you reach Upper Immortal, you will naturally understand. I do not know either. Regardless, all other Heavenly Domains are far larger than the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain."
"Now that I think about it, isn't the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain also under the direct jurisdiction of Radiance Hall? Then shouldn't it be similar to the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain?"
"I suppose that's precisely why my previous master said that one will come to understand upon becoming an Upper Immortal."
It seems there is some deeper reason as to why Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain is so small.
For now, I simply nod and continue lending my power to Yeo Hwi, leaping across thousands of light-years as we make our way out of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
Like that, two years pass.
Whiooooooo!
After two years of flying with Yeo Hwi, continuously leaping across thousands of light-years—
We finally arrive at the exit of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.
Woo-woong!
The origin of all Star Veins.
The birthplace of the universe.
Of course, in the Plane of Qi, there is no such thing as the universe's birthplace, but as one rises to the planes of Soul and Fate, that birthplace becomes somewhat visible.
And the location corresponding to the universe's birthplace in the Plane of Fate is precisely where we have arrived.
Kuuuuuuuu!
"...!"
And then, I flinch upon seeing something stationed there.
"What...is that?"
"Ah, well...as you probably know..."
Golden Shaking Bird gives an awkward laugh and explains.
"This place is under the direct jurisdiction of Radiance Hall. The Heavenly Domains directly governed by Radiance Hall always have something like that. Our Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain didn't have one because my master in his previous life smashed it apart and shoved in the Lightning Sacred Sea instead... Haha."
"..."
Indeed.
At the starting point of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain, at the entrance to this world, a massive formation diagram in the shape of a [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] floats in the void.
"It's a teleportation formation. Even after leaving a Heavenly Domain, one must pass through a dimension called a 'sea,' which is assigned to each Heavenly Domain. It's usually referred to as the Inner Sea... Crossing this dimension is extremely arduous and time-consuming. Since the three of us are all Vestige Liberation Immortals, if we pool our strength, we should be able to reach the next Heavenly Domain in about 70,000 years."
"...70,000 years...?"
I click my tongue at the absurd number and speak.
"Don't talk nonsense. That's way too long. Yang Su-jin's Great Desolate Path just seemed to zip through anywhere in an instant..."
"Well...that's because the Great Desolate Path is an Immortal Treasure the Liberation Supreme Deity was forced to create back when They were an Immortal Lord. It is a rare artifact. In any case, for those impatient like you, Elder, the rulers of each Heavenly Domain install these formations at their domain's entrance and exit. All Heavenly Domains except for the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain and the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain have them."
Golden Shaking Bird points to the formation diagram in the shape of the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail].
"It's a teleportation formation that allows one to reach another Heavenly Domain in just two or three days..."
"We won't be able to use it."
Judging by Gyeong-i's reaction in the previous life, there's likely a bounty on all Enders.
The moment Jeon Myeong-hoon and I step into that place, the True Immortals under Radiance Hall's command will go berserk and chase us down.
"Yeah, probably...Master in his previous life also never used Radiance Hall's teleportation formations."
"Right. Then what should we do..."
As I contemplate, Hong Fan, who resides within me, sends a voice transmission.
"Master, if it is necessary, how about this method?"
"What method?"
"My Origin Star, Darkness World, can somewhat evade the gaze of Light."
"What...!? Is that really true...!?"
"Yes, since it's a world created using some of my past life's knowledge, I am certain. It somewhat falls into the realm of Immortal Arts. Therefore, Masters can temporarily conceal themselves in my Integrated Dao Domain, and I will go out and use the teleportation formation. From a concealment viewpoint, they would never imagine that exalted True Immortals would hide inside the Origin Star of a Star Shattering stage bug."
We nod at Hong Fan's words.
"Well...it's not a bad idea, but..."
"Are you sure we won't be caught?"
"It is possible."
As if to assure me, Hong Fan extracts his Origin Star from within me.
Hong Fan's Darkness World has already transformed into something akin to a [black hole] in the universe, absorbing all surrounding light.
Certainly, perhaps because he has mixed in an Immortal Art he created using his past life's knowledge, ordinary light does not seem able to easily penetrate its depths.
After a brief discussion, we nod to each other and decide to hide inside Hong Fan's body.
"By the way, since this teleportation formation belongs to Radiance Hall, do they not charge a toll?"
"It is said True Immortals and True Persons pay the toll by bestowing fortune in favor of Radiance Hall. Meanwhile, those at the Sacred Vessel stage and below pay with their lifespan. Those at the Sacred Vessel stage must give up a million years, while those at the Star Shattering stage and below will lose at least a hundred thousand years."
I click my tongue.
"Then those at the Integration stage would have to die just to travel to another Heavenly Domain."
"That is true...but why would an average Integration stage cultivator even try to cross into another Heavenly Domain? They are too busy struggling within their own Middle Realm as it is."
"Well then... Sorry, Hong Fan. We'll have to sacrifice a bit of your lifespan. But don't worry, we will bestow you with more in the future."
Since we have long since gained the ability to grant lifespan to mortal beings as we please, it is a promise we can easily keep.
Kugugugugu!
Thus, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Golden Shaking Bird, and the rest of us all enter Hon Fan's Origin Star.
Kugugugugu!
'It's dark.'
The interior of Hong Fan's star is utterly dark.
"Umm...! This is bad."
Jeon Myeong-hoon mutters to himself with a serious expression in the darkness for some reason.
"What's wrong?"
"[Black Hole]...Hong Fan's Origin Star is one of the celestial bodies known as [Black Hole], right?"
"That's right."
"I can't remember...what we called [Black Hole] on Earth...!"
It seems that after living through a vast span of cosmic time, Jeon Myeong-hoon's memory has started to show signs of wear.
I click my tongue and tell him,
"Wasn't it called a degenerate star?"
"Umm...! Was it? Yeah, I think that was it."
It seems I will have to find a way to address Jeon Myeong-hoon's memory loss issue at some point.
'No, wait, Jeon Myeong-hoon isn't the problem here...'
After this much time, Kim Yeon and Kim Young-hoon, who have not advanced far in their Immortal Cultivation, could be in much greater danger.
I decide to come up with a consciousness method for their sake while quietly waiting inside Hong Fan's body.
How much time has passed?
Woowoong!
Wo-woong!
"...Hong Fan..."
I sense that a hundred thousand years of Hong Fan's lifespan has just vanished.
Hong Fan has paid his lifespan as the toll.
Wo-woong!
Having passed through Radiance Hall's teleportation formation, we continue to conceal our presence within Hong Fan's body for another day or two.
Especially since I'm using Hidden Heavens Beyond the Path to completely erase the presence of Jeon Myeong-hoon, Golden Shaking Bird, and myself, even if light is projected into Hong Fan's body, it will not easily find us.
Wo-woong!
And then, some time later.
Hong Fan's will reaches us, and we emerge from deep within his Origin Star.
Woo-woooong!
We emerge from Hong Fan's body and look around.
"This place is...!"
Wo-woong!
The very nature of the Qi that composes the world feels different.
I read the celestial energy, absorbing the information of this universe.
"Good Sight Heavenly Domain...?"
That's right.
This is the Good Sight Heavenly Domain.
The place where Kim Young-hoon was last seen.
"Well then, shall we go find Kim Young-hoon?"
Woo-woong!
With fire burning in my eyes, my eyes flash with the gaze of Heaven and Earth.
History and the future unfold clearly within my vision.
At the True Immortal Realm, the consciousness domain is no longer an essential sensory tool.
Rather, the sight of Heaven and Earth is far superior for perception.
At the True Immortal Realm, consciousness is now nothing more than one of the many forces used to wield Immortal Arts.
Wo-woooong!
As I read through history and the future, searching for Kim Young-hoon, I suddenly sense something strange.
'What...? Just why...is it that even after tracing back three thousand years...there's no [history] of anyone entering the Good Sight Heavenly Domain from outside?'
It's as if the records have been erased.
Just as I begin to feel perplexed—
Blink.
"...Huh?"
Golden Shaking Bird, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Yeo Hwi, and I all freeze in place.
No one senses anything.
No one perceives anything.
Within a unit of time in the void that surpasses even a fleeting moment—
A girl with a ponytail, clad in black martial attire, appears among us like a ghost.
Surung—
And in her left hand, she holds something.
It is darkness.
No.
It is simply [something that is not light].
I cannot properly describe it.
The only certainty is that I cannot properly perceive it.
It is neither a sword nor a spear, neither a bow nor an arrow, neither a whip nor anything else.
Yet, as I look at it, I feel as if an illusion of being impaled by that very thing and dying unfolds before my eyes.
And within that instant that feels like an eternity, the ponytailed girl looks at me with hollow eyes and gives a terrifying smile.
"You came looking for that Kim Young-hoon guy?"
Her next words make me feel like I'm about to go crazy.
"He already died by my hand. Sorry to have made you come all this way for nothing."
Chuk!
"As an apology..."
She takes a stance.
That single movement alone makes me feel as if my entire being is crumbling.
"I shall dance with you as well."