Chapter 604: Bird Trapped In A Cage (5)
Woooooooo—
The universe moves.
The Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain is restoring its torn wounds as if it were alive.
The [circuit] formed by star veins is aiding in this restoration.
However, Bong Myeong, standing at the center of it all, looks somewhat uncomfortable.
Kugugugugugu!
The distant star cluster.
There, trillions and quadrillions of silver-white sword lights are rotating.At their center, a resplendent brilliant silver-white light is devouring the surroundings.
Gradually, the power of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord rises violently, as if about to crush the entirety of the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
'Dangerous.'
Bong Myeong looks up at the sky, letting out a silent sigh.
'Despite causing a commotion and recklessly fighting like this, the beings outside the Heavenly Domain are showing no concern. The fact that even the Radiance Eight Immortals have no interest in Sword Spear taking action on their own means...'
Their gaze shifts beyond the Heavenly Domain.
Something with an extremely faint presence can be felt.
Bong Myeong immediately understands.
'The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord...has completely sealed off all light emanating from the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain...huh.'
Currently, the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain is in a sealed state by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
They realize that the presence beyond the Heavenly Domain is a familiar one.
It is the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's winged garment.
'Sword Spear's winged garment is wrapping around Earth Boundary, sealing it so that not even a single ray of light escapes.'
Since the light from this place cannot leak out, no one can know what is happening.
'So...is this what it means to be a God of War?'
However, They soon erase the discomfort from Their expression.
'If we are sealed in, that has its own advantages... More importantly, if they are using their winged garment for something like this, then they won't be able to call for help when they are driven into a corner.'
: : Sword (劍) Heaven (天). : :
The distant star cluster.
There, having distanced themself from Bong Myeong, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord begins using an Immortal Art.
: : O God of War... Indeed...I may not be able to defeat you through sheer martial force... : :
: : Annihilation (滅) Advancement (進). : :
The silver-white swords orbiting the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord all scatter at once.
In one corner of the universe, a sword explosion erupts with the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord at its center.
: : However...this is not merely a battle, but a match... I may be pushed back in combat...but I will not lose to a God of War who has lost their mind. : :
The circuit of countless star veins channels power into Bong Myeong, igniting the universe in a brilliant blaze.
"Are you going to cultivate according to the core principles of the Radiance Ten Heavens?"
"Yeah."
Jeon Myeong-hoon states that he will reach Upper Immortal and intends to cultivate the formula of the Radiance Ten Heavens.
"Hmm..."
I feel a bit concerned, but for now, I decide to support him.
'In any case, my method is far too slow, so it wouldn't suit him.'
My cultivation method involves detonating the light of connections accumulated for ten million years.
But how could I recommend such a method to Jeon Myeong-hoon?
'That being said, I need to reach Heaven Upper Immortal as well...'
I contemplate how to approach the cultivation of the Radiance Ten Heavens.
'I think I heard there are also heterodox methods for the Radiance Ten Heavens...'
That heterodox method involves capturing ten Vestige Liberation Immortals, stripping them of their personalities and reducing them to fools, then extracting their spirits, leaving only their Immortal Bodies to serve as one's own suns.
'It's far too steeped in the nature of the Devilish Path. I can't use it.'
Still, spending another ten million years just to reach Heaven Upper Immortal takes too long.
'For the Heaven Upper Immortal cultivation, do I just have to follow the Radiance Ten Heavens method?'
As I ponder this, I decide to ask one of the Immortals of the Flying Immortal Alliance.
They are someone who had once received teachings from Yin Ghost Black Turtle.
"How does one continue Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation even after becoming an Immortal?"
Kurururung!
The True Immortal, who looks as if a drop of ink became anthropomorphized, hears my question and makes a dumbfounded face before asking back.
"Why in the world are you trying to do such a thing?"
"What do you mean, why? I just want to properly walk the path of a Heaven Immortal as well."
"Hmm, listen. As you know, the lifespan of True Immortals is 'as long as they wish.' Yet, do you not know why there are so few True Immortals who practice Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation, despite their practically eternal lifespan?"
"I was actually curious about that."
"Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation itself is not particularly difficult. You simply need to slowly nurture a clone until it reaches Vestige Liberation Immortal. After that, you can begin Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation. The problem starts from there."
They smirk and raise both hands, conjuring black liquid atop their palms.
"These two liquids were originally one. But now they are divided. So then, which one of the two is the main body?"
I immediately grasp what they are implying.
"Are you saying that once a clone is raised to the realm of a Vestige Liberation Immortal, it becomes independent?"
"No. That is not the problem. In fact, a clone does not become independent at the realm of a Vestige Liberation Immortal. The issue begins the moment one starts Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation."
"The moment one starts...?"
"As the paths diverge, the two split bodies of Heaven Upper Immortal and Earth Upper Immortal begin to develop drastically different dispositions. The Earth Immortal leans towards explosion and dynamic movement, while the Heaven Immortal leans towards attraction force and static movement. Over time, as their dispositions continue to diverge, there comes a moment when the Heaven Immortal and Earth Immortal separate into entirely different beings. Of course, it is still manageable up to this point. "
"Are you saying there's a worst-case scenario?"
They smile faintly.
"At first, the two act as one... But then, at some point, their personalities change drastically. By the time they reach Great Net Immortal or an Immortal Lord, they start experiencing mental fragmentation, leading them to attempt to seize control of each other. That is why...the vast majority of those who practice Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation develop mental fragmentation."
"...!"
I never knew there was such a problem.
"Mental fragmentation, you say? Does that mean your personality splits into two?"
"The best example would be this: the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and Mountain-Destroying Demon Ape! The Great Mountain Supreme Deity reached the realm of a Supreme Deity with the power of a Heaven Upper Immortal, but for some reason, They also coveted the history pathway and created a clone, which later became Mountain-Destroying Demon Ape."
Though I am old, I lack knowledge of the affairs of True Immortals, so I listen with great interest.
"Mountain-Destroying Demon Ape became a fully separated personality around the point they reached Earth Upper Immortal. They developed a character entirely different from the main body that is the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. They were amicable with most of the Immortal Beasts and had a much better temperament as well."
"...! That's..."
"Of course...any story where the Great Mountain Supreme Deity is the protagonist always ends in the same way."
They finish the tale with a bitter expression.
"In the end, the fragmented personality that was Mountain-Destroying Demon Ape had their realm devoured by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, becoming nothing more than a part of Their Corpse Mountain Blood Sea."
"..."
It is a conclusion very characteristic of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
"In any case, it's not just the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. Most practitioners of Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation face a similar conclusion. The main body and the clone. The two fight to the end until one of them completely devours and exterminates the other. Even after consuming and erasing their counterpart, if they don't reach the level of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, they eventually experience mental fragmentation again... To be honest, if you plan to start Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation, I would strongly advise against it."
"Hmmm..."
Their words make me seriously contemplate.
'Raising Heaven, Earth, and Martial Arts together definitely seems like the best choice though...'
At this rate, I won't even get to start on the Heaven Immortal system.
'There are too many drawbacks.'
The Radiance Ten Heavens leaves me uneasy, and the risk of personality fragmentation honestly does not sit well with me either.
However, in the midst of these thoughts, a strange thought crosses my mind.
'Personality fragmentation? Two personalities forming...?'
As I consider this drawback, I scratch my head.
'Was the personality splitting...something dangerous?'
Huuuuu...
A hazy mist spreads around me.
Then, a cacophony of voices fills my ears.
It is the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
The function of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is to create spiritual power clones that store my memories and act exactly as I remember.
And...
Because it recreates the figures of those in my memories so precisely, at this point, it is practically no different from another personality.
Swaaaaaaa!
My Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections surges around the Colorless Glass Sword.
From the center of the hazy mist, someone appears.
"Are you conflicted, Me?"
"That's right."
"What is there to be conflicted about? Haven't I always been a madman who splits my own personality to act out the figures in my memories?"
In the end, that is the true identity of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
Splitting my personality to continuously recreate the figures from my memories.
In other words...
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is essentially nothing more than a lump of my madness.
For someone already steeped in madness to fear their personality fracturing a little more—how utterly ridiculous.
"What is there to fear? Begin."
"What I fear is something else."
Facing myself, I speak.
"Radiance Ten Heavens. What I am most scared of in the end...is losing my mind to the Radiance Ten Heavens."
"Then what will you do? Are you going to gather another ten million years' worth of light of connections again?"
"...Light. In the end, isn't light what I need?"
"That's right."
"Then...if I gather enough light, won't I be able to become a Heaven Upper Immortal even without the Radiance Ten Heavens?"
"That's right."
"In that case..."
I grin.
"I will...cultivate through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra."
"Do you think it's possible?"
"Instead of fixed stars...I will try to create my own, new system of light through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra."
The thought that it would be impossible never even crosses my mind.
The 'light of connections' I interpreted and pushed forward for ten million years had engraved itself into the world, elevating me to the realm of an Earth Upper Immortal.
'Light...is created through interpretation.'
The light that was created because I considered light to be connections and pushed forward with that interpretation was the light of that time.
'Then...! It must be possible to create a system of light that belongs solely to me!'
Because my very existence is proof of that!
The me standing in front of me smiles as well.
"As expected...you are insane."
"That's who I am, isn't it?"
And so, from that day on, I begin cultivating the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
I am not practicing compressing the entire world like before.
There is only one thing I focus on.
Hwiiiiiiiiiii!
It is compressing the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections into a single point with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and then restoring it to its original state.
The reason for compressing the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is simple.
'The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is another me.'
Thus, by repeatedly compressing the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, it has the effect of essentially [repeatedly compressing myself with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra].
This method greatly aids in deepening my understanding of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
'It's best to personally experience what it feels like to be compressed into a single point with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.'
How can I dare to recklessly talk of compressing other things without having gone through it myself?
If I want to fill the world with light and heat and compress it into a single point, shouldn't I first fill myself with light and heat and compress myself into a single point!?
And so, as I continue to compress and release another version of myself through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
Hwiiiiiiiiiiiii!
I sense my consciousness within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections undergo a strange phenomenon as it compresses into a single point.
'My consciousness is compressed into a single point, and when it is released...that power...'
That power is something that could be called 'light'.
'Let's keep compressing and releasing the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.'
If I do so, I feel like I will gain a knack for handling this 'light.'
And so, as I continue repeating the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra to create my own light, a hundred years pass.
Through the knack of forming a single point with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and then exploding it to create light, I come to understand.
This isn't merely light born from an explosion.
This is a light that I literally have ownership over.
Even though it is just a single, faint ray of light, I feel that I can manipulate it however I please in my grasp.
'This light...is mine.'
Not even the Radiance Supreme Deity, the one called the owner of all light in the world.
Not even the Radiance Eight Immortals...
I have the certainty that they cannot lay a hand on this light for some inexplicable reason.
This is...yes. It feels like...
The light from the 'salt emitting light' that I saw when I entered the Queen of Penglai Kingdom's secret chamber.
'Yes... Just like the light of salt that belonged to my master, the Salt Sea Supreme Deity, this light is mine alone.'
That faint and mist-like light is truly fascinating.
Using the authority of a True Immortal, I hold the light in one space and continually condense it.
Thus, I keep compressing and detonating the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra to create light.
I claim the light that was created in this way as my own, accumulating it day by day.
Eight hundred more years pass.
It has now been one thousand years since I entered Liberation Peach Garden Village.
Yeon has yet to fully take control of the fragmented space of Liberation Peach Garden Village.
Of course, she has nearly completed the process, but even after gaining control, leading civilization towards advancement and guiding its 'evolution' is an entirely different matter, so it is a task with no clear end in sight.
As a result of gathering strands of light one by one, the light I have collected has gradually grown, now forming a small cluster of light the size of a fingernail, floating in the void.
Lately, I have been experimenting with this unique light I have created.
I test whether it possesses any special properties, or whether it carries some new properties like twilight true energy.
But the results have been disappointing.
The light is simply light.
Since it was created using the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections as raw material, it is merely a light that belongs solely to me.
Beyond that, it holds no further meaning.
Kiiiiiiiiing!
'But if I were to create the equivalent of light from ten fixed stars and cultivate the Radiance Ten Heavens with this light...it won't be easy.'
What worries me the most is the speed at which I can create light using the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
It is far too slow.
'At this rate, wouldn't it be better to split my consciousness again for ten million years and establish something like In Yeon's family?'
It's when I am lost in concern.
Poong!
'Hmm?'
I suddenly see the light I created entering the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and very naturally being absorbed by it.
'There have been times when the light was absorbed into the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections before, but...'
Back then, I didn't think much of it.
But at this moment, another thought comes to me.
'...It's dangerous, but...if it succeeds...!'
Kiiiiiiiiing!
After infusing the light I created into the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, I activate the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
The light-embedded Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections compresses into a single point, then explodes!
At that moment!
Piiiiiiiiit!
"...! Hahaha!"
I laugh brightly.
Before, only a single strand of light was ever born.
But after absorbing the light into the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, compressing it with the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, and triggering an explosion, the resulting number of light rays exceeds what I had originally infused.
The light I had increased by one-tenth.
'This is exciting!'
Though the process is slow, watching a light that belongs solely to me be created makes cultivation incredibly fun.
At this point, I have been here for one thousand years.
I set a goal. Within ten thousand years, I will create enough light to rival a fixed star.
Year 10,000.
The year marks ten thousand years since Seo Eun-hyun entered the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
Kugugugugugu!
The Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
No, in the ruins that were once the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord stands, gripping one of the Liberation Supreme Deity Bong Myeong's wings in their hand, gazing off into the distance.
Around them, the divine blood belonging to the Liberation Supreme Deity is splattered everywhere.
In contrast, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord bears only minor damage, just a slight tear at the hem of their robe.
Bong Myeong is gone.
Yet, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord trembles.
: : Bong Myeong!!! : :
Dududududu!
The entire Heavenly Domain quakes at their roar.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who existed in a five-dimensional space, begins to descend in dimensionality.
No, it is not just the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
The entire Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain starts turning into a single drawing.
Sensing their own dimension lowering, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord transforms into a mortal form.
Taking on the appearance of a human woman wearing a silver mask, wrapped in bandages from head to toe, she mutters while gripping a silver sword.
"Why do those from the Underworld love scribbling so much...? Such petty tricks."
She steps forward in the world that is turning into a flat plane.
"...Well, I suppose this works out. Entering Bong Myeong's Immortal Art and pulling him out will be easier in this state."
Maintaining a barely three-dimensional figure within the flat world, she begins slicing through the world with her sword.
"Wait for me, Seo Eun-hyun. After killing the Liberation Supreme Deity...I will come for you."
With Seo Eun-hyun's Vestige and the weakening of the Naming Supreme Deity's authority inside Bong Myeong's Immortal Art, she has already pierced through the Immortal Title of Crystal Glass Being and pinpointed his location.
Now, all that remains...is to go and meet Seo Eun-hyun.
She knows too.
That at some point, she started becoming strange.
In one side of her chest, coldness, warmth, discomfort, and strange emotions are mixing and swirling together.
'He must have placed some strange Ender authority on me.'
She must find Seo Eun-hyun and have him remove whatever authority he placed upon her.
For that reason alone, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord carves her way through the flattening world.
Unaware that by facing Seo Eun-hyun directly, she will only become further entangled in that very 'authority'...
And be unable to escape.