Chapter 609: 1004th Cycle's First Day
I grasp onto my consciousness as it begins to blur.
'Ah...'
Everything feels like a dream.
All the colors of the world disappear, and I begin to separate from reality.
Now, my return to the past is about to begin.
Wo-woong!
From afar, the Underworld seems to be pulling me in, but since my spirit prioritizes the reversal of time, I gradually drift further away from the world.
My soul is transcending spacetime.However, I sense that something is different about this regression.
'This is...'
Guguguk!
'I see.'
As I rose to Heaven Upper Immortal, I also rose to the position of Heaven Earth Upper Immortal.
Something appears before my eyes.
Heaven Immortal, the light symbolizing the pathway of fate.
Earth Immortal, the light symbolizing the pathway of history.
Great Mountain, the light symbolizing the Immortal Dao of Repentant Enlightenment.
'When I reached Earth Upper Immortal before...'
The light of the pathway of history and the light of my Immortal Dao merged, forming a Taiji.
But now, the lights representing Heaven Immortal, Earth Immortal, and the Immortal Dao under the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's Seat intertwine, forming a pattern familiar to me.
'Three Great Ultimates...?'
The three forces intertwine, appearing before my eyes in a familiar shape.
Yet, for some reason, a strange sensation creeps over me.
'It's not enough... Something is missing...!'
Wiiiiiing!
The Three Great Ultimates, which serve as a [bowl] that I created during the Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation of the Entering Nirvana stage, overlap with the Immortal Dao's Three Great Ultimates.
The planes of Fate, Qi, and Soul, which I had seized, absorbs the Heaven Earth Upper Immortal and the Immortal Dao's Seat, merging entirely.
As the two Three Great Ultimates completely merge, they finally form a proper Immortal Dao Three Great Ultimates.
'I feel like something has been filled...but it's still not enough...!'
At the very moment I realize this, I perceive something else.
It is Triple Divinity.
Brahma Nature, Narayana Nature, Mahesvara Nature.
Instinctively, I feel that these too must overlap with the Three Great Ultimates before me.
'If I merge them...it feels like something huge will happen...'
However, I suddenly realize that I don't know how to merge Triple Divinity with the newly formed 'Immortal Dao Three Great Ultimates'.
'Back when the Three Great Ultimates was just a 'bowl', I could roughly pour in it.'
After all, I had only seized the planes of Qi, Soul, and Fate, not truly wielded them as authority.
Since I wasn't truly imprinting my own prophecy and revision upon the planes I seized, it hadn't been a problem to substitute Triple Divinity in their place.
But now, the Three Great Ultimates of the planes I have seized contain Heaven, Earth, and the Immortal Dao's seat.
I can no longer simply add something else. The bowl is full.
If I truly wish to merge Triple Divinity, then each of Triple Divinity must perfectly correspond to the positions of Heaven, Earth, and Heart.
'But no, they don't match.'
Creation, Preservation, Destruction.
How do these align with Qi, Soul, and Fate!
How do they correspond at all!!??
It's when I fall into confusion.
Hwiiiiiiiiiii!
I suddenly see something flying towards me from the depths of the Underworld, which had been pulling me in.
'That is...!'
They are familiar taenghwa.
The taenghwa depicting the five Enders—Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kang Min-hee, Oh Hyun-seok, and Kim Yeon—fly towards me and are absorbed into my body.
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld has once again placed the taenghwa within the regressing me.
And just when their taenghwa settle inside me.
'Ah...'
Somehow, I feel like I understand.
Kiriririk!
The Triple Divinity begins to rotate in the void.
Triple Divinity is, ultimately, the extreme manifestation of the essence of my intent.
'Let's...rotate it.'
Creation, Preservation, Destruction.
The cycle of recreation repeats as I rapidly rotate the Triple Divinity.
The spinning Triple Divinity soon transforms into a single, pure white light.
'This is it...'
The moment the taenghwa settled within me,
I don't know why, but I could understand that [this] is how it must be.
Whether it is the guidance of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld or the wisdom contained within the taenghwa themselves, I cannot tell.
All I know is that an indescribable enlightenment surged through my mind, compelling me to rotate the Triple Divinity and unify it into one.
And so, I fuse the unified Triple Divinity into the 'Immortal Dao Three Great Ultimates'.
Paaaatt!
In the achromatic world just before my regression—
The Three Great Ultimates before my eyes is dyed pure-white.
It is a color that reflects all light.
The moment I recognize this, I realize that the time I just spent merging the Three Great Ultimates into one has surpassed any ordinary short span of time.
I have transcended even the fractions of time of sal (絲/silk), hol (忽/sudden), mi (微/tiny), and seom (纖/thin).
[Editor: These are traditional Chinese numbers. 絲 corresponds to 10^-4, 忽 to 10^-5, 微 to 10^-6, and 纖 to 10^-7. In this case they can reasonably be interpreted as metric prefixes for seconds.]
Perhaps, it even seems as if time has been divided down to the realms of infinitely small units, such as blink of an eye (瞬息), snap of a finger (彈指), fleeting instant (刹那/kṣaṇa), six virtues (六德), and void (虛空).
[TL/N: These are all Buddhist terms used to describe very small moments in time. Six virtues (六德), for example, when used as a number, means 10^-19. Blink of an eye (瞬息) as a number is 10^-16.]
In that infinitesimal instant, I complete the pure-white Three Great Ultimates and recognize something.
'Ahhhhhh...'
The white Three Great Ultimates is reflecting light.
It is not just physical light.
All the rules and laws of this world.
Beyond that, it even resists the authority of my regression.
The moment I realize this, my mind snaps into focus.
'It's resisting...the regression...!'
Gigigigigik!
Time is trying to rewind.
But I now understand that I can resist this reversal.
As soon as I realize this, I pour all of my willpower into the pure-white Three Great Ultimates.
'I must...I must...!'
Resist the regression!
'I will sever it!!'
Searing my soul with the thought of having obtained the starting point of severing regression, I focus on the Three Great Ultimates.
'Regression...!'
Like this...
I don't want to return like this.
Dying is unfair, but if I plead with the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, I might be able to live.
Like this...
I refuse to let my entire life be denied like this!
In this world drained of color, I pour all my strength into resisting the immense force trying to drag me into the past, declaring my will to remain in this timeline.
'Don't make me laugh...!'
O regression!
This time, you will not take me so easily!
Kwadududududuk!
In my dying state, I resist the regression.
However, because I'm resisting the regression, I fail to resist being dragged towards the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
Before I know it, my soul connects to the Underworld.
Kururururung!
'Time...is still flowing.'
Beyond the Underworld, the battlefield of the Imperial Kings comes into view.
The Liberation Supreme Deity and the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity joined hands and are waging war against Radiance Hall.
In an instant, the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord and the Great Forest Heavenly Lord are sent flying.
The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity is truly formidable.
In an instant, half of Mount Sumeru becomes engulfed in lightning, and the lightning intertwines, forming a distinct shape.
It is a banner.
The banner of the Heavenly Lightning Banner covers all of Mount Sumeru.
That terrifying thing is the true power of Zhengli.
Spears of lightning begin piercing through the Heavenly Domains, leaving gaping holes in their wake.
The inner seas between the Heavenly Domains overturn and boil.
Belatedly, the Great Forest Heavenly Lord and the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord rejoin the Radiance Eight Immortals.
But...in the end, Yang Ji-hwang does not join them.
Ultimately, the Great Forest Heavenly Lord and the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord hurriedly engage the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, seemingly discussing something among themselves. Then, the seven of them create something.
The symbol of [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] appears very faintly, almost imperceptibly, behind them.
That is the end.
Paaaaaaat!
The entire Three Heavens Great Thousand Worlds is engulfed in light.
The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and the Liberation Supreme Deity as well.
'Ah...'
It is over.
I don't know why, but I instinctively feel that it is.
Inside that light, lightning and the [circuit] of star veins still flicker...
But for some reason, I feel as though those two will lose.
That's how overwhelming the light that emerged after the Radiance Supreme Deity's symbol is.
Kigigigigik!
As I witness the battle between the Radiance Supreme Deity and the two Supreme Deities, I gradually realize that this monochrome world is being covered in color.
My spirit, which has momentarily transcended spacetime due to regression, continues resisting until the end and begins to settle into this timeline!
'Aaaaaah...!'
Just as I am overcome with emotion.
Pastststststs—
'...?'
I suddenly notice that I am only one of the many spirits being dragged into the Underworld.
Countless souls are flowing deep into the Underworld.
Among them, I see familiar faces.
Most notably are the True Immortals of the Flying Immortal Alliance affiliated with Radiance Hall, who were massacred by Yang Ji-hwang, and Maek Jin.
Maek Jin appears utterly exhausted, wearing a bitter and vacant expression.
[Maek Jin.]
I call out to him as he stares blankly.
[Do not grieve too much. After all...you lived doing everything you could.]
[...]
Maek Jin gazes at me with unfocused eyes.
[You speak as if you've died many times before.]
[Haha...]
[...Well, Earth Upper Immortals often remember their past lives, so maybe that's why. Huhu...I lived doing everything I could, huh. But...I was betrayed by what I had believed in my whole life.]
[...]
It is exactly as he says.
From my perspective, it is somewhat welcome news that the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord gained a heart. But from his perspective, the divine being he worshiped his entire life bestowed their heart upon a mere mortal.
[Senior Purple Gold was right... Radiance Hall was just...a gathering of madmen all along...]
With an exhausted expression, Maek Jin mutters as he sinks into the darkness.
Watching him, an indescribable emotion wells up within me.
[...Seo Eun-hyun.]
Maek Jin looks at me with a drained face and speaks.
[You seem to be acquainted with the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld. Am I right?]
[...Something like that.]
[From what I see, you are likely one of the candidates for a Reaper of the Underworld. You were an Earth Upper Immortal when we first met as well...I also saw you offer light directly to the God of Death at the very end... If you can directly offer to the God of Death, then perhaps you might even be a candidate for a Judge...]
[...]
[I have a request. Guarantee my afterlife. At the very least, grant me the potential to aim for the Star Shattering stage in my next life...]
[...That is...]
[As meager as it may be as payment, I will tell you the ultimate goal of the Radiance Eight Immortals and the true will of the Radiance Supreme Deity that I heard from the Fallen Guiding Envoy of the Final Age of Dharma, Senior Purple Gold Heavenly Lord... Consider it an advance payment. I had intended to keep it secret until the end, but seeing that even the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord who should uphold fairness has been corrupted, I no longer feel any loyalty to Radiance Hall...]
[...!]
My eyes widen at his words.
And before I can even deny that I am a candidate for a Judge.
Maek Jin reveals to me the ultimate goal of the Radiance Eight Immortals and the true will of the Radiance Supreme Deity.
Upon hearing the true secret of Radiance Hall from Maek Jin, my jaw drops in sheer shock and my eyes nearly bulge from their sockets.
[Th-That...That's absolute madness...]
[Kukukuk... What do you think? Are they not just a gathering of lunatics? Those of Radiance Hall...]
[...Why in the world...did you ever swear loyalty to Radiance Hall? No, if this is true, then why did the other True Immortals...?]
[This is a truth that even most of the True Immortals and Great Net Immortals of Radiance Hall do not know. They only possess the distorted information fed to them by the Radiance Eight Immortals. The only one who uncovered the truth was the Fallen Guiding Envoy of the Final Age of Dharma, Senior Purple Gold Heavenly Lord, who had infiltrated Radiance Hall as an agent of the Underworld from the very beginning... Aside from me, only a select few among the Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma know this truth.]
After whispering this terrifying secret to me, Maek Jin, looking strangely relieved, begins sinking deeper into the darkness.
[The reason I remained loyal to Radiance Hall despite knowing that insane truth...was because, in the end, I believed that the ultimate goal of the Radiance Eight Immortals was impossible, an objective that will never be achieved, and nothing more than a hollow utopia.
[It is merely the delusion of dreamers... That is why, despite knowing their true will, I dedicated my entire life to following the justice of Radiance Hall, as they contributed to correcting justice in the world.]
At last, Maek Jin completely vanishes into the darkness, closing his eyes.
[I have pursued justice all my life. I have strived for a world where the strong cannot recklessly abuse the weak with unchecked tyranny...But...it was all meaningless.]
Pasasasasa—
Thus, the Envoy of the Final Age of Dharma candidate of Radiance Hall, the Great Net Immortal Maek Jin, enters eternal rest that day.
[Life is but a fleeting spring dream...]
As I watch Maek Jin slip into slumber, I am engulfed in shock, confusion, and an emotion I cannot quite define.
And at that moment—
Pasasak!
"...!"
I finally realize that the Three Great Ultimates, which have been providing the force that allowed me to resist regression, have at last reached their limit.
Kiriririririk!
'Dammit...'
The recently completed pure-white Three Great Ultimates contains enough power to annihilate the Thirty-Three Heavenly Resplendent Treasure Immortals in a single strike.
Even so, it only manages to resist regression for no more than the brief moment needed to listen to Maek Jin's lamentations.
Kiriririk!
Once again, the world is covered in achromatic tones.
'Again...I am returning in the end... To sever regression, is an overwhelming power beyond comparison necessary...?'
I let out a small sigh as I watch the completely wrung dry Three Great Ultimates be reabsorbed into me.
I have glimpsed hope for breaking free from regression.
However, this much is far from enough.
Only a power bordering on the infinite would allow me to sever regression.
With that thought, I surrender my spirit to the force of regression.
Wo-woooong!
The power of the Underworld seems to try and grasp me, but even though I have ventured quite deep into its depths, the force of regression clings to me, leaving beyond spacetime.
Just then,
From the deepest depths of the Underworld,
The emblem of [White Wheel] emerges, and something is launched towards me.
Jjeooooong!
It is a silver-white light.
'Th-This is...!'
It is the light I had offered!
The light seeps ever so naturally into my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections before returning to me once again.
The will of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld resounds in my ears.
: : It has been long since I received something greater, so this, you may keep. : :
With those final words, my regression begins.
Chwararararak!
As I rise against the flow of the Source River, I try to interpret the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld's words.
'Something greater? What in the world does that mean? Well...it can't be helped.'
Regardless, this is a fortunate turn of events.
Cradling the precious lights I cultivated through my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, I gaze up at the [Black Sky].
'Last time, I saw the symbols of nine Governing Immortals.'
Now, it is time to identify all the Governing Immortals embedded in that sky.
[White Wheel], Western Heavenly Venerable, Netherworld Queen Mother.
[Six Interconnected Stars], Southern Heavenly Venerable, True Ultimate Eternal Life Great Emperor, Cheon Woon.
[Transparent Seed], Eastern Heavenly Venerable, Flower Monarch, Gwan Myeong.
[Blackened Three Great Ultimates], Northern Heavenly Venerable, True Martial Great Emperor, Hyeon Mu.
[Lightning Spear], Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, Do Gon.
[Bird Trapped In A Cage], Liberation Supreme Deity, Bong Myeong.
[Black Sun], Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity, Hyeon Ryul.
[Taiji In The Shape Of A Fetus], Naming Supreme Deity, Hyeon Rang.
[Mountain Exuding Darkness], Great Mountain Supreme Deity, Gwak Am.
I have identified the symbols of all nine Governing Immortals.
What remains is...
Only the symbol and name of [the existence with only a ring, without a seat].
I fix my gaze upon [the empty seat with only a ring], situated beyond the domain of the Heavenly Venerables and among the Supreme Deities.
Jiiiiiing!
Immediately after, a searing pain, as if my eyeballs are about to burst, overtakes my head.
Unlike the other Governing Immortals, the sense that something about this presence is utterly beyond grips me.
Just looking at it fills me with horror and agony.
Yet, beyond the pain, I finally discern the symbol and name of the last Supreme Deity in the [Black Sky].
[Sun and Moon Pair Of Eyes]
Emptiness Supreme Deity (虛空上帝) Myeong Woon (命運)
That's right.
The empty seat, with only a ring, belongs to the Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeong Woon.
I, who had always assumed the remaining seat belonged to the Radiance Supreme Deity, lift my head to the sky with a dazed expression.
'What...?'
Indeed.
The symbol of [Black Snake Biting Its Tail], as well as the name of the Radiance Supreme Deity, Heuk Sa.
None of it is anywhere to be seen.
'The Radiance Supreme Deity...isn't here?'
Still shaken from Maek Jin's revelation, I find myself struck by yet another shocking truth, and for now, I lift my head and gaze back at the sky.
No information on the Radiance Supreme Deity can be obtained.
Then, only one thing remains.
'H-Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld. At least the true name of the Western Heavenly Venerable Netherworld Queen Mother...'
I look at the sky once more, seeking to know the [name] of the Western Heavenly Venerable Netherworld Queen Mother.
But before I can uncover the true name of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, a pain, as if my eyeballs are about to burst, floods my senses and forces me to groan.
And before I can fully read the wisdom of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld,
Paaaaaaaaatt!
At last, the first day of the 1004th cycle welcomes me.
The familiar domain of purity.
Within this domain, at some point, I snap back to my senses.
"Heeeok! Heok..."
It is the familiar scenery of the True Immortal Realm.
Paaaatt!
As soon as I welcome my 1004th life, I simultaneously immediately descend to the Lower Realm.
"Oh, Master...congratula—"
From the familiar altar, the Sacred Vessel stage Hong Fan flies towards me.
"Oh, yeah, yeah, Hong Fan. Good to see you. Wait inside for now."
Overwhelmed with chaotic information, I place Hong Fan into my internal world and begin racking my head.
"Emptiness Supreme Deity..."
I lift my head and look toward the [upper] reaches of the True Immortal Realm.
What appears [up] there are the reflections of the Governing Immortals that exist in the other Heavenly Domains of the True Immortal Realm.
That is why, although the Governing Immortals exist in their respective Heavenly Domains, they appear as if they reside up [there].
Then, I shift my gaze back [downward].
The vertex of Mount Sumeru.
The familiar world that exists there.
The Head Realm.
"Myeong Woon..."
At last, I understand.
I had roughly suspected it before, but...
Only today, after comprehending the power contained in the name of the Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeong Woon, do I finally feel 'certain.'
The Head Realm of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain is, in itself, an existence of the Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeong Woon.
And...
"The Radiance Supreme Deity..."
Feeling shaken by the bizarre truth I have uncovered, I look back up at the sky of the True Immortal Realm.
"Doesn't exist in this world...?"
Is it perhaps because I had read the true names of the Supreme Deities in the Black Sky during my regression?
Even the Seats floating in the sky of the True Immortal Realm are now somewhat interpretable to me.
Among them, the Radiance Supreme Deity still does not exist.
The Radiance Supreme Deity Heuk Sa.
The [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] does not exist anywhere in this Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand Worlds.
Paaaaaatt!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord appears once again before my eyes filled with confusion.
It seems they are searching for me.
But unlike before, I do not panic. Instead, I hold my breath and stay still.
'The Immortal Title of Crystal Glass Being protects me. Sorry, but let's meet another time, Yang Ji...'
And then,
Clench!
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord stares straight at me and clenches my body with a hand of light.
"...??"
: : Caught you. Seo Eun-hyun. : :
"...Huh?"
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord stares at me more clearly than ever before, tightening their grip.
On the first day of regression,
I have been caught by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.