Chapter 638: Northern Heavenly Venerable
The moment Hyeon Mu descends upon Mount Sumeru.
Kim Young-hoon and the other Enders all open their eyes wide.
A fleeting instant.
No, it should be said to be the fleeting instant within a fleeting instant.
Within that minuscule fraction of time, Seo Eun-hyun is disassembled in a flash.
It begins with the neck.
Seo Eun-hyun is torn apart limb by limb, starting from the neck, and dies.
That is the end.Even that is only faintly perceived by Kim Young-hoon alone.
Paat!
By the time everyone becomes aware of Hyeon Mu, she is already standing atop Seo Eun-hyun's fractured body.
The one who reacts the most is Kang Min-hee.
: : Seo Eun-hyun!!! : :
Karmic Fire blazes from her eyes and engulfs the area in an instant.
Tadak, tadadadak!
Oh Hyun-seok steps forward and protects the others using the power of Primordial Chaos, and Hyeon Mu takes Kang Min-hee's Karmic Fire directly to her body.
However...
Even as she burns fiercely in the Karmic Fire, Hyeon Mu shows no reaction.
"What is this now? Trying to warm an elderly with some tea, perhaps?"
Her hollow eyes scan the surroundings.
Kang Min-hee sheds blue tears and glares at Hyeon Mu.
: : How dare you... To Seo Eun-hyun...! : :
Kugugugu!
With that, her entire body swells and begins to grow larger and larger.
Her form gradually transforms into a massive being cloaked in darkness.
Starting with Kang Min-hee, the other Enders also begin revealing their true forms.
Jeon Myeong-hoon transforms into a lightning god with three heads and eight arms.
Oh Hyun-seok becomes a warrior of chaos made entirely of vapor.
Kim Yeon becomes a giant god formed of pale pink light.
However, even seeing all this, Hyeon Mu shows not the slightest concern.
Instead, she only brushes her neck and clicks her tongue.
"Mere slaves...wearing such cumbersome shackles on their necks dare to confront this Venerable? Listen well."
She looks at Kim Young-hoon, then at the Naming Supreme Deity beginning to descend within Oh Hyun-seok, and gives a meaningful smile.
"Among those present, the only ones who can stand against this Venerable...are at least those not wearing shackles. If you intend to confront a Heavenly Venerable...you should have at least tossed aside such nuisances beforehand!"
Chwararak!
Something slips down from the end of Hyeon Mu's sleeve.
It is a snake.
Black snakes begin flowing out of Hyeon Mu's entire body.
Hiss hiss—
The snakes hiss as they begin to fill the surrounding area.
Kurururung!
Though they seem to be move as if alive, each snake radiates its own distinct power and begins to spread like storm clouds, seizing a part of the Abyss and brewing a storm.
From within that storm, hollow eyes flash.
Those eyes fixate on Kim Young-hoon.
A fleeting instant.
Kim Young-hoon barely deflects the strike that Hyeon Mu aims at him.
Hyeon Mu, targeting Kim Young-hoon's heart with her claw technique, exchanges heart language with him for a fleeting instant.
—Now then...before we begin in earnest, shall we enjoy a bit of amusement?
Hyeon Mu regains her stance with a relaxed expression as she faces Kim Young-hoon, and Kim Young-hoon hurriedly begins to move his body.
Thus, the great battle between the Enders and the Heavenly Venerable begins in an instant.
'Where...is this...?'
I blankly try to hold on to my senses.
It's strange.
I feel drowsy.
But I also feel that if I lose consciousness like this, I might never open my eyes again.
'Why...am I like this again...?'
After thinking for a while, I realize what happened to me.
'Ah...right. I was killed by Hyeon Mu.'
And that too with just a single strike.
I couldn't even perceive it.
Because her strike wasn't merely an attack, the moment Hyeon Mu unleashed her move, I was hurled straight into the domain of purity and began to be annihilated.
In front of Hyeon Mu, prophecy and revision hold no meaning.
An authority that completely ignores such miscellaneous methods of revival, throwing one's very existence directly into the domain of purity to be erased.
That is Hyeon Mu's power.
'So this...is how I die... That's not...so bad...'
It's regretful that I didn't live with even more effort...
But still, isn't this enough?
Isn't this...
A life lived fully enough...?
'I just...want to end it now...'
But just as I think that.
'Ah...'
Woo-wooong!
My consciousness begins to rise again.
'Aaaah...!'
I grit my teeth.
'Uaaaaaaah!!!'
Kigigigik!
The authority of regression forcibly drags me out of the domain of purity and starts regressing me.
However, is it because I remain conscious within the domain of purity?
I realize that this is being treated as a type of Heavenly Escape, and my body is beginning to re-emerge into reality.
'Please...! Please...!'
I cry out toward the authority of regression that pulls me from death.
'Just leave me alone already!'
That's enough.
I just want it to end!!
Puhwak!
With that, I gradually return to reality and resurrect.
If left like this, I will end up fully escaping from the domain of purity again and fight against Hyeon Mu.
'Damn it...'
Ironically, Hyeon Mu's power, which melts the opponent by casting them into the domain of purity, seems to not work this time.
It must be because the power of my regression lies in a domain deeper than Hyeon Mu's single strike.
'So I can't die, huh.'
Of course, dying isn't really my goal. Rather, my purpose is to live the best life I can, and be buried in the land I've lived in. So maybe this is fortunate in a way.
However...
The vague fear of not knowing where this story will end plants a deep despair in me.
That's when it happens.
'...?'
I suddenly feel something strange.
A bizarre sense of dissonance.
Within the domain of purity, I feel as though I can see some strange link connected to regression.
'Why...does it feel like the authority of regression is rooted in [a place deeper within the domain of purity]...?'
Hyeon Mu is clearly a being capable of casting others into the domain of purity or freely wielding its power.
However...
For some reason, I feel as though this authority called regression stems from a place even deeper than the domain of purity that Hyeon Mu can access.
At the same time, I recall something from before.
'Undeniably...Hyeon Mu once shook the authority of my regression itself!?'
Yes.
And that means...
'If I keep fighting Hyeon Mu, I might find a clue to sever the regression!?'
Puhwahahak!
I return to reality and look toward Hyeon Mu, who now stirs a black storm and faces all my comrades at once.
The other Enders are unleashing barrages of attacks through their respective authorities at Hyeon Mu.
But it seems none of them have yet revealed their true authority. It feels more like a prelude to gauge one another's strength.
Still, even during this prelude, my comrades are completely overwhelmed fending off the black storm unleashed by Hyeon Mu, and the only one she charges at with seriousness is Kim Young-hoon.
Even so, Kim Young-hoon sticks solely to defense, and for some reason, I get the feeling that he's barely holding it together.
It is then.
'...Huh?'
Before I know it, I become aware of Hyeon Mu's weapon trying to cleave through my neck.
Hyeon Mu, who just moments ago had Kim Young-hoon pinned, suddenly appears before my eyes again as if she's deleted time again.
There's no time to think further.
Before Hyeon Mu's sword slices through my neck, I use all my strength to cut my own neck first with the Impermanence Sword.
Pukwak!
In the next moment,
I sever my neck by my own will and use Heavenly Escape.
Perhaps because it's not Hyeon Mu who cast me into the domain of purity, but me doing it on my own will—
I manage to reappear beside Kim Young-hoon using Heavenly Escape and regain my senses.
But then, immediately after.
Blink—
'...!'
I suddenly sense Hyeon Mu stabbing into my heart again.
The tip of her sword is scraping against my heart.
The terrifying speed sends shivers all over my body.
'I can't even perceive it...! Isn't this basically deleting time!?'
I can't keep going like this.
Pukwak!
Once again, I kill myself and flee using Heavenly Escape.
But right after—
I feel Hyeon Mu's sword entering through my mouth, aiming to sever my spinal cord.
'Crazy...'
Puhwak!
I use Heavenly Escape again.
And when I open my eyes, Hyeon Mu is already upon me once more, killing me.
It's relentless.
So relentless, it feels like Hyeon Mu is obsessively focused on killing me.
In the end, I have to repeatedly use Heavenly Escape and experience death again and again due to Hyeon Mu.
And then, during one of those times.
'This is...'
Every time I enter and exit the domain of purity, I start to sense something.
'Something...is clinging.'
A True Immortal has no physical form, but if I were to imagine having one...
It feels like something is caught on my neck every time I go into and return from the domain of purity.
And that sensation is...
'A shackle...?'
It resembles the iron collars put on slaves or prisoners.
'What is this...? Something Hyeon Mu put on me...? No. It's different from Hyeon Mu's. But...without this shackle-like thing, I think I could respond to Hyeon Mu's movements much better.'
The more I die to Hyeon Mu, the more ways to counter her come to mind.
And for that, I feel a growing urge to cut off this cumbersome, shackle-like thing.
And then, in the very next moment—
Shwak!
Hyeon Mu's sword aims for my neck, and I parry it with the Impermanence Sword.
Tuuung!
I have deflected Hyeon Mu's strike for the first time.
"Hooh...?"
'I can perceive the shackle.'
I control this shackle as best as possible to not be hindered by it, and block Hyeon Mu's movements.
Then...!
'Cut!'
For a moment, the will of the Impermanence Sword becomes one with my own.
My Impermanence Sword seems to rise greatly, then severs the 'shackle' caught around my neck in an instant.
Kwagwagwagwang!
The moment the shackle is severed, the entire Abyss rumbles as if shaken, and the laws of the Abyss tremble wildly.
It's as if the Abyss is transforming into chaos, just like the Outer Sea.
Hyeon Mu watches this, and for some reason, gives a mischievous and charming smile.
"...!"
Her smile is so alluring that for a moment, I nearly lose my senses.
But it's not the kind of ordinary affection or gentleness. It feels more like an allure dragging me into a mire.
However...
'Not a chance.'
I do not let myself be bewitched by that smile. Instead, I thrust the Impermanence Sword toward this shackle that tightens around my neck as if alive.
Kwagwagwang!
Once more, an explosive sound bursts forth from around my neck.
At the same time, I succeed in completely severing the shackle that is trying to reattach to my neck.
Pshwiiiiiiii—
"Looks like you've shaken off the nuisance. You are now just barely qualified to face me."
I look at what has fallen from my neck.
It resembles the collar of a slave, yet as time passes, it unravels into the form of 'wisdom' and begins to blend into the chaos.
And seeing that, I widen my eyes.
That wisdom.
The identity of the shackle that had been binding me all this time, is none other than my Immortal Title.
The Immortal Title, Crystal Glass Being.
That is the very shackle that had bound me until now.
Shwiring—
In that moment, Hyeon Mu's weapon grazes right in front of my eyes, and I narrowly evade Hyeon Mu's strike.
But unlike the near misses until now, this time I clearly 'perceive' and dodge it, even if only by a sliver.
Pshht—
Of course, even though I dodge, I fail to deflect all the sharp energy, and the tip of my nose gets cut.
"Now that's more like it. How does it feel? Refreshing, isn't it?"
"..."
I glare at Hyeon Mu.
That's right.
Until now, Hyeon Mu hasn't even taken us seriously. She's merely been playing with us to give me enlightenment.
"You haven't been fighting us properly."
"Why on earth would I need to go all out against those wearing something like a shackle? That'd just kill the fun..."
Hyeon Mu lets her weapon hang loosely.
Paatt!
Before I realize it, Kim Young-hoon appears beside me.
He doesn't say a word, but I immediately understand his meaning.
Cheok, cheok!
He and I face Hyeon Mu, each taking a stance to launch an offensive.
The reason Kim Young-hoon has been focused solely on defense until now was to prepare for our coordinated attack.
However, Hyeon Mu doesn't take a battle stance against us. She just smiles leisurely.
"Well, you're now worth looking at, but...not yet."
"What?"
"Not yet... The guests haven't all arrived at the banquet. If we are all going to dance together in the emptiness, the more guests, the better..."
Kugugugu!
It is then.
I sense presences descending from other Heavenly Domains, from other dimensions.
'This is...!'
"In this cramped Mount Sumeru, you are not the only ones who have reached Udumbara. For them, being able to dance with this Venerable is a tremendous honor...so there is no reason they would not come. So until all the guests have arrived, this is merely a bit of fun."
Twitch—
I feel Hyeon Mu's body slowly beginning to distort.
Shiver!
At the same time, a chill runs down my spine.
I sense cold sweat forming on Kim Young-hoon's body.
'Even Kim Young-hoon, who has reached the Heavenly Venerable rank...is this tense!?'
Kugugugugugu!
Then, from far off, colossal beings begin to descend.
I realize all of them are faces I know.
Underworld Ten Kings.
Third Seat.
Blade Mountain True Lord (刀山眞君) Qin Guang (秦廣).
Underworld Ten Kings.
Sixth Seat.
Sword Tree True Lord (劍樹眞君) Wu Guan (五官).
Underworld Ten Kings.
Eighth Seat.
Corpse Saw True Lord (鋸骸眞君) Tai Shan (泰山).
Underworld Ten Kings.
Tenth Seat.
Wind Path True Lord (風途眞君) Du Shi (都市).
Blade Mountain, Sword Tree, Corpse Saw, Wind Path.
Four Great Kings of the Underworld Ten Kings have descended.
Yet they don't seem to be here to help Kang Min-hee. They do not glance in her direction, much less offer assistance.
And strangely, though they would normally be accompanied by Ghost Kings, Yakshas, Rakshasa, and Asuras, they appear entirely alone.
At that moment,
The Blade Mountain True Lord Qin Guang holds something in their hand.
It is a blade.
Upon the surface of that blade rise countless blade mountains, making it look more like a spiked club than a saber.
The Sword Tree True Lord Wu Guan begins to unsheathe their sword from their entire body.
They transform into something akin to a ghost made entirely of swords, much like myself.
The Corpse Saw True Lord Tai Shan throws off their judge's robe.
Revealed beneath are countless circular saws made of darkness.
The saws spin endlessly like a wheel, and their number is so vast they are as uncountable as stars.
The Wind Path True Lord Du Shi begins to summon blade winds around them.
Eventually, they become an interstellar wind—no, the Heavenly Wind between Heavenly Domains itself, becoming a massive whirlwind that sets its gaze on Hyeon Mu.
'I see...'
I break into a cold sweat.
Before, they hadn't properly revealed themselves, and because I saw them only in the Underworld, I hadn't noticed.
But now I understand.
They have all reached Severing Heaven.
In Underworld terms, they are beings who have reached the realm of Dragon Flower.
And it doesn't even seem like that's the end.
"Why hasn't Yan Luo come this time?"
At those words, Great King Qin Guang strokes their blade of blade mountains and responds.
[The Chief Judge must assist the Imperial Venerable and thus cannot act lightly.]
"Unfortunate. You are all like mirror copies of each other, but at least it would have been amusing."
"...!"
'If that's true, then...'
That means the number of those who have reached the realm of Dragon Flower from the Underworld, including the Yama True Lord Yan Luo, totals five.
I look toward the Underworld side.
Each and every one of the True Lords from the Underworld intensely radiates the power of Narayana Nature.
Strangely, they all seem to have gained the Divinity of Preservation, or acquired Triple Divinity specialized for it.
Just then,
Kururururung!
Suddenly, spacetime twists, and countless clusters of stars gather in the void.
Immediately after, something breaks through spacetime from within that place.
It is a being composed of countless arms.
Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords.
Sixth Seat.
Martial Melody Heavenly Lord!
The Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, who had once fought me, pierces through spacetime and appears.
At the same time, I realize that back then, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord was holding back a great deal against me.
Though only one trace of Mahesvara Nature is sensed from them, they are unmistakably a Severing Heaven powerhouse.
Then, from a distant place, a deep fragrance drifts in.
'This scent...'
Jjeoooeok!
Spacetime splits again, and someone else appears.
It is a familiar face.
Snorting through flared nostrils, they emerge—a Heavenly Pegasus, clad in a black-red martial robe over a pure white body!
With white wings on their back, they fall from a flower field brimming with the vitality of countless lives and laughs.
The Immortal Beast White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.
The Flower Overseer of the Eastern Heaven Flower Field has descended here in their true form.
From them flows the same creation-specialized energy as from Kim Young-hoon.
[It has been a while, Hyeon Mu. Are you hosting a banquet once again? How long has it been...]
Hyeon Mu, who looks around at them, smiles with hollow eyes.
"Though it's unfortunate Yan Luo didn't come, it can't be helped. Enders. Heavenly Kings. And those who have reached the ultimate of the Martial Path..."
Ripple—
Shiver!
Hyeon Mu's body begins to distort more violently.
At the same time, the black storm Hyeon Mu summoned to face the Enders begins to merge with her.
At that moment, I realize the Abyss is being 'stained.'
The Inner Sea that flowed between the Heavenly Domains begins to solidify as a singular space.
The expressions of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, the four Kings of the Underworld, Kim Young-hoon, and myself—all stiffen.
This is because the Interdimensional Void, which had until now been superimposed within the Heavenly Domains, now pushes outward and begins spreading across this Inner Sea.
Darkness and emptiness surge outward from Hyeon Mu, transforming the entire Abyss into a world of nothingness.
And at the very center, the constantly distorting form of Hyeon Mu finally begins to take on a proper shape.
It is a constantly spinning [Black Three Great Ultimates].
More precisely...
Just like I saw before, it is a spinning Three Great Ultimates made up of countless black snakes.
From that rotating Three Great Ultimates, I feel a funeral dirge echoing outward.
'I-I can't see...the future...?'
Suddenly taken aback by the inability to read the celestial energy, I gasp for breath.
No future is permitted to show itself to us.
It isn't simply that the celestial energy has been severed.
'Emptiness...!'
All scenes of the future are being devoured by the Heavenly Venerable of Void.
Everything is emptiness, and we realize that in our future, only nothingness awaits.
I swallow hard as I watch the mass of snakes writhing ominously at the center of the emptiness.
And then, Hyeon Mu's voice resounds.
[Everything borrowed...must always be returned with interest... All of you present here, do you not have something to repay to me...?]
"...Something to repay...?"
At those words, Oh Hyun-seok speaks as if it's absurd.
"What laughable words you speak. Hyeon Mu! I have heard from my master. You feed off our authority from the middle of Mount Sumeru to maintain your own authority as a Heavenly Venerable, do you not? And now you speak of a repayment...? How laughable! Is it not you who should repay us for the authority you have taken!?"
[Ahahaha... Disciple of the Prison Warden. You come here running your mouth after listening to Hyeon Rang's presumptuous nonsense? Before this Heavenly Venerable of Void...? Had you chosen to descend into the Underworld and accepted taxidermization, you would have learned a more proper truth...but all you've gained is delusion.]
"You dare...!?"
Just as Oh Hyun-seok is about to release vapor from his entire body—
[Now then, since all who should gather have gathered...shall we begin...?]
Hyeon Mu's Three Great Ultimates begins to spin even faster.
At the same time, I suddenly feel as if I can't breathe.
The oxygen I had been breathing so naturally until now suddenly feels extinguished.
Kim Young-hoon's eyes turn bloodshot.
I realize what has just happened.
One of the power sources that had been supplying us with strength.
The Plane of Soul, has 'closed.'
Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, the Bright Cold Realm.
All the members of the Heart Tribe there begin to go berserk.
Now, even the Bright Cold Martial Alliance struggles to suppress the Heart Tribe's rampage.
The reason is simple.
The Plane of Soul, has completely 'closed'.
Nether Ghost Realm.
A great chaos erupts there.
Because the Plane of Soul has 'closed,' countless beings using the Ghost Path Method suffer a temporary collapse in their cultivation level.
Fortunately, because the outskirts of the Underworld exist, the ghosts are not annihilated all at once, but the ghostly creatures of the Nether Ghost Realm cannot withstand the shock of the Plane of Soul vanishing, and in an instant, they are dragged into the Underworld.
Across the entire expanse of Mount Sumeru, a strange phenomenon occurs.
One of the Three Planes, the Plane of Soul, has 'closed'.
It is as if the Plane of Soul itself has escaped beyond the Heavenly Domain.
Countless mortal beings are thrown into confusion by this phenomenon, and those of the Immortal Family who know the truth can only tremble, driven mad by fear.
Hyeon Mu's voice echoes once more.
[Before we begin the dance, it seems the current Enders of this generation are all under a misunderstanding, so let me advise you...]
Kugugugugugu!
From the center of the endlessly revolving Black Three Great Ultimates, an eerie phrase emitting ominous momentum echoes out.
[All mortal beings of this world have mortgaged everything to Governing Immortals. The light you bask in, the land you tread, the spiritual energy you breathe, the names by which you define one another! The source of all those things, and those who provide them in forms suited for living beings, are the Supreme Deities and Heavenly Venerables. And among them, those who have stepped upon the path of Immortal Cultivation are all the more bound.]
The rotation of the Three Great Ultimates accelerates, appearing now like a circle made of black snakes.
[We are the ones who assist in the very realms of Immortal Cultivation, making your rise easier. Especially for those who follow the direct Immortal Dao of the Supreme Deities, this is even more true. For they receive additional powers through the direct assistance of the Supreme Deities through the Immortal Crown...]
'Immortal Crown...? Its system of power is clearly...'
The moment I think that.
Hyeon Mu laughs.
[It is not something like a system of power!]
'She read me!?'
I understand.
At this very moment, Hyeon Mu is a being who, like the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, can read the thoughts of mere beings like us.
[The Immortal Crown...is proof of soul summoning...and simultaneously the power of divine descent... The more we use the Immortal Crown, the more our fate, soul, and history become dominated by the owner of the Immortal Dao, and eventually, we are either replaced by the incarnation of the original owner or transformed into their Immortal Treasure. To wear an Immortal Crown is, ultimately, to Divine Descent the will of the Supreme Deity or Heavenly Venerable into oneself!]
"...!?"
The moment I hear those words, a shudder like lightning runs through my entire body.
'That, that means...'
[Since one is Divine Descending the original owner of the Immortal Dao into oneself, naturally, one may gain resistance to their power... But those who wear the Immortal Crown lose the will to resist its original owner. One's fate becomes increasingly dominated, and eventually they become a slave. The Immortal Crown, in the end, is merely a different form of shackle.]
Hyeon Mu begins to chuckle.
Just the act of Hyeon Mu laughing makes me feel like I'm going to cough up blood.
'What is this...?'
[Even if you remove the Immortal Crown, should you confront its original owner...all the power you have 'borrowed' from that owner must eventually be repaid, with interest. And thus, those who have received Immortal Crowns can never defeat the true owner of the Immortal Dao.]
At that moment, Hyeon Mu chuckles toward the other Heavenly Lords and True Lords as if finding it laughable.
[And...there are some cunning Supreme Deities who, even without one's desire, forcibly grant Immortal Crowns through strange methods to lend out their power, limit that power, and toy with fate. Isn't that right, Hyeon Rang?]
At Hyeon Mu's words, we all turn to look at Hyeon Rang, who is Divine Descending into Oh Hyun-seok's body.
He gives no reply.
[All the Immortal Titles you have received...are merely shackles Hyeon Rang has placed upon us...! They are simply a different form of the Immortal Crown. Any being who receives a name from Hyeon Rang becomes incapable of defying him. You don't actually believe his presence here today is mere coincidence, do you?]
At those words, I glare at Hyeon Rang.
That's right.
The Immortal Titles Hyeon Rang granted us are, like those I had granted to my comrades, a special kind of Immortal Crown that he forced upon all True Immortals through some peculiar spell.
[Is that true?]
Jeon Myeong-hoon glares at Hyeon Rang.
Then, Hyeon Rang replies in a low voice.
[Yes. But it seems there is a misunderstanding. The Immortal Crown I granted you does indeed lend power, but the one to whom you must repay that power is not this Immortal...]
Hyeon Rang continues in a voice that sounds oddly strained.
[The one you must repay the power of the Immortal Title to...is not this Immortal...but Emptiness (虛空; void)...! It is to that existence the repayment must be made. And...the act of naming you...is not something this Immortal desires...]
From the eyes of Hyeon Rang, who has divine descent into Oh Hyun-seok's body, the light of Sun and Moon bursts forth.
[Even this Immortal...has placed a shackle around his own neck. I too now wish to break free from this repetition! That is why, this time, Hyeon Mu, I shall bring you down with the Enders of this generation and challenge the Audience Chamber. I will destroy the Emptiness that imposes fate upon this Immortal, and seize true freedom!]
Oh Hyun-seok's body grows massive, and Hyeon Rang's power begins to reveal itself to the entire world.
[Do not let our unity be sabotaged! And come to your senses! This Immortal shall protect you all!]
Kururururung!
Grown large enough to cover an entire Heavenly Domain, Hyeon Rang gathers the power of Primordial Chaos, borrowed from Oh Hyun-seok's energy, into his hands and brings it down upon Hyeon Mu.
Kwarururung!
But the rotating Three Great Ultimates quickly become a vortex.
The vortex begins to expand endlessly, and Hyeon Rang's giant form is soon pushed back by the swirling force.
Then, Hyeon Mu speaks again.
[Unlike those other gloomy Heavenly Venerables, or Radiance, or Hyeon Rang...I am merciful. Originally, the Heavenly Venerables are beings who, by their mere existence, lend principle to all of Mount Sumeru and crown it with Immortal Crowns.]
Hyeon Mu's next words are shocking.
[That is why, originally, it is impossible for any living being to kill us. Because the very principles we have imposed are embedded in your fate and soul... Half-transformed into the Immortal Treasures of us Heavenly Venerables, you reject the very act of killing us...
[But this Venerable shall show mercy. I shall give you time to 'repay' the power you have borrowed from me up until now. If your existence remains after that, then you shall be granted the qualification to challenge this Venerable...]
Shiver, shiver!
Blood drips down from Kim Young-hoon's mouth.
He has clenched his teeth so hard that his gums have ruptured.
At the same time, I feel a terrifying suction force coming from Hyeon Mu.
Not only me, but Kim Young-hoon, the True Lords of the Underworld gathered here, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord—all seem unable to resist this suction.
[The underside of emptiness is soul.]
Shiver, shiver, shiver!
'Insane...'
My face contorts completely at the despairing truth I never realized before.
Kim Young-hoon's hands also tremble as he exhales.
[The Plane of Soul does not truly exist. All that truly exists in this world are the Planes of Qi and Fate.]
Back when I received the title of Sword Devil from Sacred Master Baek Woon and returned to Cedar Wood Grove—
I had entered the Plane of Soul and seen where the other dimensions intersected.
But among them, the Interdimensional Void could not be seen anywhere.
Only now do I understand the despairing reason behind it.
[The principle you have mistaken until now as the Plane of Soul is the underside of the Interdimensional Void. And...all beings who have cultivated through the Plane of Soul until now have, in truth, been borrowing my Immortal Crown all along...]
Someone once said something like this.
Maybe it's because this moment is so filled with despair, I can't remember who it was exactly...but I definitely heard these words before.
That the Heart Tribe are like beings who never originally existed, that barged into the world.
It turns out that was the truth.
The cultivation of the Heart Tribe was never something that truly existed.
Because the system of cultivation that the entity known as the Northern Heavenly Venerable forcefully wedged into this world is the Manifestation of the Heart Tribe.
Why is it that, through Void Perception, which connects to the Interdimensional Void, the talent of the Heart Tribe increases?
Because the Plane of Soul and the Interdimensional Void are two faces of the same thing!
Kim Young-hoon's talent is one intimately tied to the very Plane of Soul.
And now, Kim Young-hoon and I, who have continued our cultivation by borrowing immense power from the Plane of Soul, must pay a horrifying price to Hyeon Mu.
As I feel my energy being sucked out by the overwhelming suction force radiating from Hyeon Mu, her words ring in my ears.
[Repay it. And then dance with me. Please endure... Endure and endure, and while dancing with me...come kill me...]
Thus, realizing Hyeon Mu's truth, I grit my teeth, repaying every moment I've passed through the Plane of Soul to Hyeon Mu.