Chapter 587: 1003rd Cycle's First Day
Kigigigigigik!
The world begins to turn once more.
Within the reversing flow of time, I regain my senses.
I move against the river of time, letting out a hollow smile.
'Again...have I died?'
Ten million years.
Ten million years of time.
Ten million years of connections.All of it...has vanished once again.
The Immortal Treasures that had accompanied me through those eons, the living beings of the Crystal Glass Realm who had walked alongside me, the family of In Yeon.
They all turn to nothingness.
'I want to stop...dying.'
Regression is truly...truly...
The worst authority.
Thinking so, I raise my gaze towards the [sky], resigning myself to the next life that will inevitably come for me once more.
So far, I have identified a total of five symbols.
[White Wheel],
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
[Mountain Exuding Darkness],
The Great Mountain Supreme Deity, Gwak Am.
[Transparent Seed],
The Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable, Flower Monarch Gwan Myeong.
[Six Interconnected Stars],
The Heavenly Venerable of Time, True Ultimate Eternal Life Great Emperor Cheon Woon.
[Blackened Three Great Ultimates],
The Heavenly Venerable of the Void, True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu.
I have confirmed the names and symbols of Gwak Am and the four Heavenly Venerables.
'This time...the Supreme Deities...'
I shift my gaze toward the other Seats.
More symbols catch my eye.
[Bird Trapped in a Cage],
The Liberation Supreme Deity, Bong Myeong.
An all too familiar existence.
Only then do I understand why one of the Seats gave me a [familiar feeling].
It was because I had personally encountered this existence in the past.
More symbols come into view.
[Lightning Spear],
The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, Do Gon.
[Black Sun],
The Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity, Hyeon Ryul.
[Taiji in the Shape of a Fetus],
The Naming Supreme Deity, Hyeon Rang.
The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity is already familiar to me, and from both the feeling and title, the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity seems to be the [being filled with endless hunger] I had sensed before.
And the last one, the Naming Supreme Deity, Hyeon Rang.
[A being that feels like a blurry, hazy dream].
As I stare at Hyeon Rang, a strange feeling washes over me.
'What is this...?'
Woo-wooong!
'My blood...'
My Immortal Beast True Blood has now advanced to Earth Upper Immortal.
The blood of Candle Shadow!
'It's resonating...!'
The bloodlines of Pangu and Candle Shadow resonate.
As if their roots were one and the same.
Just when I realize this—
Jiiiiiing!
A symbol seems to flicker before my eyes.
Sun and Moon (日月)!
But it is not a symbol that appears from gazing at one of the Seats of the heavens.
It is merely an illusion, brought forth by the resonance of Pangu's blood and my own.
At the same time, I witness a strange vision.
It feels like a dream.
Yet, it is far too vivid to be just a dream.
At the center of the world, there is Sun and Moon (日月).
And everything in the world converges upon that Sun and Moon.
However, there are two existences that break free from within it.
One is the [Taiji in the Shape of a Fetus].
In other words, the Naming Supreme Deity, Hyeon Rang.
The other is something of seven colors.
The Naming Supreme Deity Hyeon Rang bursts out from within the space of Sun and Moon and reaches the distant sky.
The seven-colored something emerges from the space and shatters into seven fragments, scattering across the world.
And between the two, there is a commonality.
'Huh...?'
A thread.
No, should I call it a chain?
Or perhaps some kind of conduit or passage?
There is a strange connection.
Hyeon Rang is linked to the space of Sun and Moon by [one massive and powerful connecting link].
The seven fragments, on the other hand, are connected to the space of Sun and Moon by [countless thin and small connecting links].
I recognize that one of those seven fragments is [me].
And I am somewhat different from the others.
'So...many.'
Compared to the other fragments, I am connected to the space of Sun and Moon by [over a thousand connecting links].
Each individual link is thin, but when taken together, they seem even thicker and stronger than the Naming Supreme Deity's link.
'That is...'
I read the wisdom contained within the vision and come to understand what it means.
'Ender...'
As I gaze at the countless growing connecting links, I feel as if I have glimpsed one of the world's secrets.
That is the end.
Paaaaaaatt!
Finally, I leap across ten million years and finally return.
The familiar moment of advancing to True Immortality.
Kugugugugu!
Embracing life and death within the domain of purity and regaining my senses, I quickly descend to the Lower Realm.
Wooooooong!
The moment I descend, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord appears, glances around as if surveying the surroundings, and then disappears.
It must be due to the Immortal Title of Crystal Glass Being.
Tstststst!
I take in the familiar surroundings, then read the celestial energy to discern the current point in time.
'I see.'
The current time is 2,500 years since I began my True Immortal advancement!
'Five hundred years, huh.'
Perhaps because my cultivation has risen, allowing me to regain my senses faster, I have managed to gain an additional five hundred years.
'For now...'
I reach a familiar altar on a nearby planet.
Kurururung!
As I release my presence, a black shadow crawls forth as if it had been waiting.
"Hong Fan, have you been well?"
"Ohhh, Master. Congratulations on your advancement to True Immortality."
"Yes. You've worked hard guarding this place in the meantime."
I briefly inform Hong Fan that I will finish my business in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain before immediately moving on to another Heavenly Domain.
"Yes, understood. I shall serve as needed."
"Good. First, take my clones and make a round through the Middle Realms. After that, send down your own clone or do whatever is necessary to bring the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect from the Head Realm."
"As you command!"
Pabat!
With those words, Hong Fan vanishes from sight.
Unlike in my past life, he does not insist on annihilating the silver snake or the other living beings.
Near the altar Hong Fan created, the same living beings as before are nowhere to be seen.
'Perhaps it's because the time point is a little different.'
Thinking that, I decide to move on.
Then, it happens.
"...Hmm?"
Watching Hong Fan leap across distant spacetime, I am suddenly seized by a strange sense of discord.
"Hm...?"
Something is off.
Looking at Hong Fan, an eerie sense of dissonance and foreboding seems to rise.
'Why is this? What is the problem...?'
Something is different.
I don't know if it's simply because I woke up at a different point in time after regressing.
'Hmm...For now, I should ask Hong Fan when he returns.'
Nodding to myself, I reach out my hand to head to where I need to go.
Clang!
'For now...my cultivation is still restricted because of the six Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags.'
In fact, now that one of them has been removed, the connection between the remaining flags have become stronger.
Because of that, the level of cultivation I can currently use in the Lower Realm...
Has actually dropped even further, reduced to the 6th star of Qi Refining.
'But I've gained far more in return.'
Clang, clang!
As I exert my will, something rises above my hand.
Something that had once been embedded in my Immortal Body.
It is one of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags, which had been extracted during my previous advancement.
"Now, you are mine."
Kududuk...
I grip the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag and shake it.
A flag that binds its target by assimilating with them.
Perhaps due to that principle, this Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag has now transformed into my own Immortal Treasure, imbued with my split soul.
Through my split soul within the flag, I come to understand how to wield it.
"Sealing Immortal Flag for binding and sealing. Harnessing God Banner for attacking and movement, is it?"
Wiiiiiing!
As I exert my will, the surface of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag seems to flip over, altering its form.
Now transformed into the form of the Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner, the flag rests quietly in my hand, awaiting my command.
"I command the Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner in the name of its master. Compress the path of a thousand li (千里) into a single chi!"
Clang, clang!
Kuguguguk!
Chains of starlight burst forth from the Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner.
The very chains that had originally bound my body now seem to be shackling the spacetime of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, distorting the space itself.
As spacetime warps, the distance to Cedarwood Painting is compressed.
Of course, even if it has been reduced to one ten-millionth of its original length, the distance to Cedarwood Painting still spans hundreds of light-years, so the journey remains long.
At my current level at the sixth star of Qi Refining, it would take me months to get there without Hong Fan's assistance.
But...
Woo-woooong!
Savoring the power I gained upon advancing to Upper Immortal, I take a step forward.
"Shall we...test this out."
Woo-woooong!
Both my feet begin to heat up.
A portion of my main body's power undergoes Divine Descent.
Kuguguguk!
It feels as if Taiji is condensing into both feet.
Then, in an instant—
Jjeooong!
An immense explosion erupts as I propel myself through space.
Countless stars, nebulae, fixed stars, planets, and strange cosmic expanses rush past me.
In the Minor Boundary, the Heaven Tribe and Earth Tribe each have their own methods of movement.
The Heaven Tribe uses the Flying Escape Technique, hiding their bodies within light as they soar.
The Earth Tribe uses the Gliding Technique, flying by stepping on platforms formed from Taiji.
However, once both sides reach the Middle Boundary and attain the Four-Axis stage, their methods of movement unify into one—
The ground-shrinking technique!
By folding space through attraction force, the ground-shrinking technique allows for movement faster than light itself.
No matter how much one practises the Earth Tribe's Gliding Technique, it's impossible to match the speed of the ground-shrinking technique. And since even the Earth Tribe gains attraction force upon reaching the Four-Axis stage, they too focus on mastering the ground-shrinking technique rather than continuing to train in the Gliding Technique.
This remains unchanged all the way up to the Entering Nirvana stage.
However...
True Immortal.
More precisely, starting from the realm of Upper Immortal, movement techniques begin to diverge once again.
Earth Upper Immortals.
In other words, Immortal Beasts who oversee explosions are, by themselves, explosions.
Every breath we exhale, every motion we make, every habitual movement—
Even the mere fluttering of our hair—
Everything about us is an explosion.
Thus, even when taking a single step, we are capable of generating an explosion that transcends imagination to move.
Jjeooong!
I explode.
Spacetime itself detonates, and the overwhelming force of the explosion hurls me forward.
There is no need to fold space with attraction force.
With each explosion, spacetime distorts naturally, achieving an effect similar to the ground-shrinking technique.
Kuuuuuuung!
Within the exploding space, I adjust spacetime with the Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner to ensure I do not lose my way.
After approximately 45 minutes,
Kwaaaaaang!
With the final explosion, I finally reach my destination—Cedarwood Painting.
Shiiiiii—
Heat from the explosions radiates off my entire body, and while cooling the heat, I swing the Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner.
"Open the door to Cedarwood Painting."
Kugugugugu!
Space distorts, and the dimension of Cedarwood Painting pops open.
Through the hole, I compress space once more and, in a single movement, land right in front of Yeo Hwi.
Yeo Hwi blinks at my sudden appearance before her, then shifts her gaze to the Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner in my hand.
"Huh? Uhh, uhhhhhh..."
"It's been a while, Yeo Hwi. You haven't forgotten our previous promise, have you? Become my subordinate. With your abilities, you should be worthy of being an Immortal Treasure."
"..."
Her eyes tremble violently.
More than anything else, her gaze is locked onto the Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner in my grasp, which follows my command.
"H-How in the world...?"
"Ah, well... Let's just say I managed to release one of them upon my advancement."
"..."
Perhaps it's because she is well aware of the power of the Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner as a member of the Source River, as she appears more taken aback than I've ever seen her.
After a while,
She kneels before me with a stiff expression.
"My master. In other words, according to the calculations of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords...if one were to be caught in that seal, even the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord would take about ten million years to break free. And yet...hah. You have undone one of them in merely two thousand five hundred years. This Yeo Hwi...offers Elder my utmost loyalty."
"Hoh..."
It seems breaking the seal of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag is an issue of utmost importance to Yeo Hwi.
"Very well. From now on, you shall be refined into my Immortal Treasure. Take heed."
"I obey."
Woo-woooong!
Yeo Hwi immediately withdraws from her position as the Sacred Master of Cedarwood Painting and enters my body of her own accord.
"Next is the Candle Dragon Race, then."
Wo-woong!
Using the power of the Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner, I stride toward the stellar system where the Candle Dragon Race resides.
Along the way, I suddenly feel something strange.
'This is...?'
In my past life.
At the time of my final moments, my body contained Twin Constructing Chains, Unruly Chain, and Obsidian Chain—Immortal Treasures that had been my subordinates.
Of course, they could not follow me through my regression.
However...
The flesh of those who had been somewhat assimilated with my true body had come with me.
That means...
—Master, what in the world is this...?
The body of Yeo Hwi from my past life is now facing the body of Yeo Hwi from this life.
Yeo Hwi seems taken aback.
From within me, she gazes upon another body identical to her own, one that has already been refined by me.
And at that moment—
Kiiiiiiing!
The body of Twin Constructing Chains Yeo Hwi and the body of Yeo Hwi from this life seem to be drawn towards each other. Then, in an instant, the body of Twin Constructing Chains Yeo Hwi is rapidly absorbed into this life's Yeo Hwi.
—Hii, hiyaaaaaaagh! M-Master! Something weird is being absorbed into... Hm?
Then, I unexpectedly come to realize another truth.
'Hoh?'
Clang, clang...!
Black chains surge from my body.
These dark chains swirl around me, spinning three times in the void before taking the form of Yeo Hwi.
"Wh-What in the world is this, Master?"
My eyes gleam at this unexpected gain.
Instead of the tedious process of refining Yeo Hwi, simply merging her with her past-life body has immediately transformed her into my Immortal Treasure.
And now that she has become an Immortal Treasure in this way...
She seems even more special and powerful than before.
"Power...I can feel power overflowing! Huhaha! And this authority! What is this!? I think I can connect to the Source River even more smoothly! Ahahahaha!"
A past memory surfaces.
'Back then, Buk Hyang-hwa's norigae and the one I had refined into my dharma treasure merged and were absorbed into her.'
I stroke the norigae hanging from my waist.
It seems that when I bring materials from the past world into this world, they fuse with their counterparts here, becoming stronger and gaining unique abilities.
'Hmm, wait a moment... In that case, could Ham Jin and Yu Hwi also immediately rise to the Sacred Vessel stage?'
Intrigued by the possibility, I decide that I must bring those two along in the future.
"Master, please answer me. What is this power? And that body identical to mine that I saw just now, what was that...?"
"Hmm..."
I think for a moment, considering an appropriate way to answer Yeo Hwi's question, then speak.
"I had prepared a reserve body in advance so that you could immediately undergo Immortal Treasure transformation. It is a body created from highly special materials, so you will find it quite to your liking."
"Ahahaha! Thank you, Master. It is truly to my liking. I will serve with utmost loyalty! Please climb aboard. I will take you to your destination."
With a face full of excitement, Yeo Hwi transforms into a peng, then swiftly carries me towards the headquarters of the Candle Dragon Race.
Before long, I arrive at the fixed star where the Candle Dragon Race resides.
"Kyaoooooooh!"
"Krooooooooh!"
"Kruararara!"
The Candle Dragon Race is in a frenzy.
It is only natural. My Immortal Beast True Blood now flows within them, bestowing them with immense authority.
Just as the Black Dragon Race wields the Black Dragon True Blood to command yin energy, the Peng Race manipulates spatial labyrinths with the Azure Peng True Blood, and the Peacock Race refines hypnosis techniques with the Glass Peacock True Blood,
I can sense that these Candle Dragons, through the Candle Shadow True Blood, are now capable of borrowing the authority of my Impermanence Sword.
Of course, they require my permission. But since I have no intention of denying them, I grant all of them a portion of the Impermanence Sword's power.
In addition to their existing control over Glass True Fire, they now have the Filling the Heavens Governing View imbedded within the Impermanence Sword.
Or perhaps the attribute to ignore planes to a certain extent.
'Hmm. At this level, couldn't they contend with the actual Dragon Race?'
As I ponder this, I imprint my 'will' upon the entire Candle Dragon Race.
In exchange for borrowing my authority through my Immortal Beast True Blood, I now hold the right to insert my will and commands into the entire race.
[I, the Immortal Beast Candle Shadow (燭陰), command in my name. My descendants born of my blood, do not plunder others. Cherish your connections, and let only your own existence be your lamp in life. Ceaselessly undergo repentant enlightenment, and seek the answer to life. This is...the price of borrowing the power of this Immortal.]
History revision takes place.
No, calling it a revision feels somewhat inaccurate.
I have merely altered the fundamental nature of the bloodline that connects us.
Now, they can no longer defy the command I have given them.
More precisely, should they betray my decree by cruelly plundering, oppressing, or tormenting others...
From that moment onward, they will no longer be able to borrow the power of my Immortal Beast True Blood.
Rather, my Immortal Beast True Blood will become an overwhelming Heart Demon that clings to their minds, ensuring they can never advance in cultivation again.
—O, our Progenitor God...
—O, the very origin of the Candle Dragons...
—Ohh, great and mighty one, please watch over us...!
With tears streaming down their faces, the Candle Dragons prostrate before me in unison, offering their prayers. I listen to the countless voices of their devotion and smile.
'May their future be blessed.'
Having thus blessed the Candle Dragons, I set off toward the Lightning Sacred Sea.
Kugugugugu!
The Lightning Sacred Sea.
A part of Yang Su-jin's divine body, sealing the entrance to the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain where Radiance Hall is located—his storage scroll.
Observing it, I take a seat on a nearby planet and close my eyes.
Before long, Hong Fan arrives, crossing vast spacetime.
I sense that Hong Fan has returned from the Middle Realms after settling my connections there, bringing my clones back with him.
I absorb my clones, then absorb Ham Jin and Yu Hwi into my body.
"Did you bring them safely?"
"Yes, Master. I have brought all the disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect."
"Well done, Hong Fan..."
I praise Hong Fan, then prepare to enter the Lightning Sacred Sea.
"..."
However, to the uneasy sense of dissonance I've been feeling since before, I suddenly turn back to Hong Fan.
It's strange.
Something is definitely off.
But I can't pinpoint exactly what it is.
Swallowing dryly, I question Hong Fan.
"...Hong Fan."
"Yes, Master."
"There's something I'm curious about."
"Please ask."
After staring at Hon Fan for a while, I realize what has been bothering me.
Hong Fan has been leaping through spacetime with immense attraction force, traveling back and forth between the Middle Realms and the Lightning Sacred Sea.
That is what feels wrong.
"You... Didn't you...lower your cultivation to the Integration stage?"
"Haha, Master."
Hong Fan bursts into hearty laughter, as if amused by my curiosity about everything.
It is a warm, comforting laugh.
☯
"What is Master saying? With my talent, two thousand years is more than enough to recover to the Star Shattering stage."
"...Ah..."
Only then does the sense of dissonance fade, and I nod.
'Right, Hong Fan's talent has always been absurd enough to feel unnatural.'
Thinking back, wasn't it the same in the early days of my past life as well?
'He was always at the Star Shattering stage, so what exactly did I find strange?'
Even I, myself, don't know.
Feeling a little embarrassed, I shrug and step forward with Hong Fan, entering the Lightning Sacred Sea.