Chapter 617: Cultivation (3)
"First, I will hear how you came to walk the Immortal Dao of the Mountain. Go ahead, speak."
Ho Woon asks me why I have chosen the Immortal Dao of the Mountain.
I answer while eating the boiled potato that Hong Fan brought.
"I am...in a senior-junior brother relationship with the Great Mountain Supreme Deity Gwak Am."
"What...!?"
As expected, Ho Woon's eyes widen in shock.
"To be precise...Gwak Am is the formal disciple, and I was acknowledged as a disciple through my master's lingering thought."
I give them a rough explanation of our relationship."...And so, Gwak Am later told me to settle things between us, and I too, to prove that I am also my master's disciple by defeating Gwak Am, and to soothe the souls of my compatriots killed by Gwak Am, have chosen the Immortal Dao of the Mountain."
After hearing the entire story, Ho Woon's mouth drops open as they mutter.
"...A madman... You're a madman. Well, if you said you would defeat an Immortal Lord as a Great Net Immortal, I could understand. It's rare but not without precedent. But a Supreme Deity! You're saying you will defeat a Supreme Deity who has reached the pinnacle of the same Immortal Dao while still as a Great Net Immortal? And not just any Supreme Deity, but that Great Mountain Supreme Deity who has lived for over seven hundred billion years, accumulating endless power and authority!?"
"Seven hundred billion years old... That guy's way older than I thought."
Ho Woon trembles as if frightened.
"...You are truly insane. They are not even someone like Bong Myeong who just reached Supreme Deity. The one who can be compared to the being known as the God of Gods twenty billion years ago is the current Great Mountain Supreme Deity... Madman. You're going to fight the Great Mountain Supreme Deity as a Great Net Immortal and seize the Seat...? Kukuk... Kuukukukuahahaha!"
As if they find it too absurd, Ho Woon bursts into laughter.
"Damn it. I've gotten tangled with a lunatic worse than I thought... Your madness is comparable to Glass Peacock."
"...I don't think it's quite that bad..."
"Kukuk... You don't even realize how mad you are."
"..."
"Well, fine. I understand. It's a goal that makes me shudder just thinking about it. Good then... Since you possess the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and have even risen to Heaven Earth Upper Immortal, I suppose it's fine if I just teach you the techniques and tips I know? First, show me your Immortal Crown."
Ho Woon, wearing an oddly amused expression, tells me to display something called an Immortal Crown.
However, I ask with a troubled expression.
"What exactly is this Immortal Crown?"
"...?"
It's a term I had heard in my past life from Maek Jin and the other True Immortals of the Flying Immortal Alliance.
However, I've never managed to figure out what exactly an Immortal Crown is.
At my words, Ho Woon clears their throat and says,
"The Immortal Crown, I'm talking about the Immortal Crown! Did they call it something different in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain? It's also called Immortal Clothes, Immortal Robe, Immortal Staff, and so on... No, if you properly cultivated the Immortal Dao, there is no way you wouldn't know what an Immortal Crown is. Why do you not understand what I'm saying!?"
"Ummm..."
But I scratch my head with a really troubled look, and Ho Woon speaks as if frustrated.
"I'm not going to run away, so release your winged garment. I feel like I'll kill myself from frustration otherwise. I'll show you my Immortal Crown, so you follow and take yours out too."
"Well, alright..."
Surururuk...
I release the winged garment that has been restraining Ho Woon's power.
Ho Woon rises from their seat.
Shurururuk!
Behind Ho Woon, a winged garment similar to mine appears.
Kurururung!
At the same time, Ho Woon begins to reveal their essence and descend their true body.
Kugugung!
Above the landmass I created, Ho Woon's main body emerges.
A humanoid divine spirit whose face is obscured by light.
This divine spirit wears a robe of light, resembling the Radiance Eight Immortals but appearing slightly lower in rank.
: : Behold. This is the Immortal Crown. : :
Simultaneously, a familiar energy spreads outward from around Ho Woon.
It is the power of the Mountain.
Along with it, a headpiece in the form of a fujin (幅巾) is placed upon their head.
That fujin exudes a strange feeling, and I sense it itself is a single mountain.
Countless mountain peaks come together to form the fujin.
As I gaze upon that fujin made of mountains, radiating an inexplicable divine aura, I suddenly notice that countless mountain ranges have sprouted behind Ho Woon's back.
'The mountains in the fujin...have Manifested in the surroundings!?'
Moreover, their size defies the laws of physics or any sensible notion within the Lower Realm. They are mountain ranges literally the size of fixed stars.
Kugugugung!
Ho Woon grabs one of the nearby mountains with their hand, plucks it out, and hurls it at me.
Kwarurururung!
The massive fixed star-sized mountain range flies towards me, and I draw the Impermanence Sword as I face it.
Woo-wooong!
Severing Heaven Sword Form.
Second Form.
Treading Heaven, Counterstrike.
I use a move containing the principle of Echoing Valley from the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, overlaying the power of the Impermanence Sword, and naturally redirect the mountain back towards Ho Woon.
Kwaaaang!
Ho Woon gets struck by the mountain they threw themself and collapses with a scream.
: : Kkuuuugh! : :
Kururururung!
The temporary landmass I created shakes violently, and I once again bind Ho Woon tightly through my winged garment.
Bound by the winged garment imbued with Filling the Heavens Governing View, Ho Woon returns to their Transformation form.
The sprawling mountain ranges surrounding us vanish, and the fujin floating above Ho Woon's head disappears as well.
"Was that just now the Immortal Crown?"
"That's one way to put it."
"You were planning to kill me with it and run away, weren't you?"
"...That's one way to put it."
"You're very honest."
I decide to hang Ho Woon upside down.
"If you keep doing that, we'll both get tired. If you do it next time, I'll bring out a six-sided club."
"Hah! Ridiculous. A club, of all things..."
"Well, think whatever you like. So...was that just now the Immortal Crown?"
"Yes. The terms Immortal Crown and Immortal Staff are the most widely used."
Ho Woon, suspended upside down by my winged garment, begins explaining.
"When one's understanding of the Immortal Dao they walk reaches a certain level, certain Immortals can draw out an even more fundamental power of the Immortal Dao."
"You're saying 'certain Immortals,' so there are Immortals who can't draw it forth at all. Is there some standard?"
"That's right. Do you know why so many True Immortals, even after realizing that at the end of the path they walk lies a Supreme Deity or Heavenly Venerable, knowing that no matter how hard they try, they won't rise beyond Great Net Immortal, still stubbornly refuse to change paths and continue walking an Immortal Dao that has a Governing Immortal?"
"Hm...I've never really thought about that."
Come to think of it, it is indeed curious.
Why are there True Immortals who deliberately choose to cultivate an Immortal Dao that already has an owner?
Unless one, like Jeon Myeong-hoon and myself, is insane enough to attempt to challenge a Supreme Deity as a Great Net Immortal and seize their Seat...
Wouldn't it be more reasonable to walk an Immortal Dao whose Seat is vacant or whose Seat Holder is only an Immortal Lord?
"The reason is precisely this Immortal Crown."
"...About that power called Immortal Crown, could it be...?"
"That's right."
Ho Woon nods and tells me.
"The Immortal Crown is a power drawn from a Supreme Deity. It is not a power that can be drawn simply from a vacant Seat or Origin Essence. It emerges only under the Seat of Supreme Deities or Heavenly Venerables who have fully made the Seat their own and succeeded in increasing the Seat's power. The stronger the Supreme Deity's power, the stronger this Immortal Crown becomes."
"Hoh..."
"If it's a Supreme Deity at the level of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, then the Immortal Crown of those walking the Immortal Dao under that Seat...as long as they can properly draw forth its power, would be enough to contend with an Immortal Lord even as a Great Net Immortal.
Woo-woooong!
Ho Woon opens their eyes wide and begins to focus their consciousness.
Above their head, a faint shape of a fujin begins to appear.
"And, for particularly powerful Supreme Deities...or Heavenly Venerables...yes... For Governing Immortals of the so-called 'Heavenly Venerable rank', they even 'bestow' such Immortal Crowns to those who worship them."
"Huh...?"
Woo-wooooong!
Other than the fujin over Ho Woon's head, their consciousness focuses to form another faint image.
It is a belt in the form of a thin strip (細條帶; a type of sash worn with robes).
From it radiates a feeling reminiscent of sunlight, exuding the same sensation of light felt when facing the Radiance Eight Immortals.
"So, the True Immortals affiliated with Radiance Hall, through this Immortal Crown of Radiance Hall, can draw upon the power of Radiance to some extent even without walking the Immortal Dao of that Seat. Of course, the Reapers of the Underworld or subordinates of other Heavenly Venerables similarly receive and use power in this manner."
"In short, there are Immortals who walk an Immortal Dao under a Governing Immortal simply to receive power from the Governing Immortal."
"That's one way to put it. Additionally, it also serves as a measure within the same Immortal Dao of how much one has cultivated. After all, the amount of power one can draw from the Immortal Crown differs depending on how far they've cultivated along that Immortal Dao."
"..."
I recall the power of the Immortal Crown of the Mountain I just felt.
Then I think of the power of Light used by the True Immortals affiliated with Radiance Hall, and the power of the Underworld used by the Reapers.
As I think of such things, I ask,
"...Then in the end...isn't that power merely borrowed from the Supreme Deity?"
"In a way, you could say that."
"If so, wouldn't it eventually have to be returned when facing the Supreme Deity one day?"
"Hmm?"
Ho Woon scratches their head, then speaks.
"...Well, sane folks don't entertain the idea of challenging the Supreme Deity of their Immortal Dao, so who knows. But it shouldn't necessarily be the case. Why do you think I walked the Immortal Dao of that madman Great Mountain Supreme Deity and cultivated hard to obtain the Immortal Crown?"
They point at the fujin on their head with their tail.
"This is certainly power borrowed from the Supreme Deity, but because it is the same power as the Supreme Deity's, it also protects us from the Supreme Deity. For example...even if you use the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, I am confident I won't be caught up in it. The Immortal Crown neutralizes the Supreme Deity's power. From the start, though the Immortal Crown originates from the Supreme Deity, it is not simply 'loaned'. It is more like opening up a new system of power, and we cultivate that system with our own strength."
"Is that so...?"
If that's the case, it's rather welcome news for me.
'Only by having the Immortal Crown would it be easier to confront the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.'
"Then please teach me how to obtain the Immortal Crown. I must acquire one."
"..."
Upon hearing my words, Ho Woon looks at me as if I've said something completely nonsensical.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...I mean, I showed you, didn't I? Even though I had impure intentions mixed in and ended up hanging like this...once you've seen it, shouldn't you be able to bring it out too? What do you mean, obtain an Immortal Crown?"
"..."
"You...don't tell me..."
Ho Woon stares at me with confused and flustered eyes and says,
"Even after reaching Heaven Earth Upper Immortal, you still haven't obtained an Immortal Crown?"
I avoid Ho Woon's gaze and clear my throat.
"...It appears so."
"...This is crazy."
Ho Woon sighs deeply.
"Lower me for a moment. If you haven't obtained an Immortal Crown, it's probably one of two reasons...I need to check."
"What are the two reasons?"
I lower Ho Woon and ask, and they explain.
"You've chosen the Immortal Dao of the Mountain, but haven't actually cultivated it at all. Or...the power of the Mountain Immortal Dao isn't being provided to you. Release the winged garment. I really won't pull any nonsense this time."
I release Ho Woon, and they circle around me, inspecting me here and there.
Then, with a face as if they cannot understand, they speak.
"Just by looking like this, I can't figure out what the problem is. I'll need to look more closely."
"Is there something I need to do?"
"Take off your clothes."
"How much do I need to take off?"
"All of it. I'm going to examine your body thoroughly."
Ho Woon flicks their nine tails and orders me with a confident expression.