Chapter 644: God of the Underworld (1)
I focus my mind.
'I have already performed both Yang Pitch and Yin Pitch over 500 times each anyway.'
The restriction of needing to practice Yang Pitch and Yin Pitch separately according to the Heaven Dao or Earth Dao is now meaningless.
'If I wish, I can advance to Heaven Dao Great Net at any time!'
The only reason I did not immediately advance to Heaven Dao Great Net in my past life is because, unlike Earth Dao Great Net which begins with explosion, the Heaven Dao Great Net begins from attraction force, which takes a bit of time.
'According to my measurements in my past life, the period required for me to advance to Heaven Dao Great Net is about ten years...'
That is why I could not advance right away at that time.
Of course, now that I have fought Hyeon Mu and nearly succeeded in seizing Triple Divinity, I can easily shorten that time.'One year! I can become a Heaven Dao Great Net within one year!'
"...Please give me just one year."
Cheok, cheok, cheok, cheok!
At my words, the Judges form their respective hand seals, and for a moment, the entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain seems to be engulfed in darkness.
Just then,
Kugugugung!
'Th-This is...!'
A middle-aged man in blue feathered robes appears beside me.
The sturdy middle-aged man uniquely wears sleeves resembling the wings of a bird, and for some reason, just looking at them makes my vision feel distorted.
: : Seat Holder of Addiction, the Dreaming True Lord (夢中眞君) Blue Bird (靑鳥), acts according to the will of the Imperial Venerable... : :
Kugugugugu!
For an instant, Taiji flows around the middle-aged man, and their form flickers between a pure blue-haired beauty and a handsome middle-aged man, before they transform into a massive azure Peng Bird.
For a moment, in front of the Underworld Ten Kings,
The entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, as if the whole world itself is stained with darkness, begins to twist.
: : Imprison. Eternal Labyrinth (永恒迷宮). : :
Space, dimension, and time tangle together, and in an instant, the 'darkness' of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain starts compressing around the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who stands before the Underworld Ten Kings.
As if flustered, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord grinds their teeth as a silver-white gleam burns from beneath their mask, while the compressed darkness soon becomes a sphere of darkness that imprisons them.
The Underworld Ten Kings speak.
: : This is the spatial labyrinth of the Immortal Beast Azure Peng. Additionally, we have distributed the spaces of our Ten Hells of the Underworld into the imprisonment. Even the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord will take at least 200 days. : :
: : After that, we can still hold the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord in this place for about 150 more days. : :
: : Afterward, we will not be able to stop the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord from summoning the Radiance Eight Immortals, but even if all the Radiance Eight Immortals gather, we can resist for about 15 days. : :
: : We will secure one year. Advance to Heaven Dao Great Net. : :
Shwiririk—
The words of the Underworld Ten Kings come to an end, and the Immortal Beast Azure Peng, who had briefly revealed their true form, transforms back into their human form.
This time, taking the form of the pure blue-haired beauty, Azure Peng glances around uneasily, gives a brief bow, then opens a rift of darkness behind them.
"Since I exerted my power, Glass Peacock has probably caught my scent. I'm heading back in. Well, then."
Shushuk!
Watching Azure Peng, trembling with an uneasy expression and fleeing into the dark rift, I let out a faint bitter smile.
It is an extremely short and concise appearance.
'Good. Anyway, I've definitely gained one year!'
In that case, it is time for my Great Net advancement.
Wiiiiiiing!
My winged garment spreads out around me.
A powerful attraction force begins to emerge from my body.
'Unlike the Earth Dao Great Net, the Heaven Dao Great Net begins by drawing in the ascenders of the Middle Realms into my body.'
Kiiiiiing!
My enlightenment of twilight true energy spreads throughout the entire Mount Sumeru regions and begins to resonate.
Sun and Moon, Heavenly King, Twin Holding, Bearing Tree, Elephant Nose, Earth Boundary, Good Sight.
Except for the Horse Ear Heavenly Domain, which is practically a prison meant only for the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, and the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain where no proper living beings exist aside from Oh Hye-seo, every other Heavenly Domain!
'This is kind of funny.'
That's right.
In my past life, perhaps because I died closest to the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain due to energy exhaustion while fighting Hyeon Mu,
It seems I am considered to have died once even in the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain.
Anyway, thanks to that, I am now able to resonate with every Heavenly Domain.
'All living beings across the Heavenly Domains who resonate with twilight true energy, hear me!'
Twilight true energy is a true energy specialized in refining the heart and practicing repentant enlightenment.
Thus, I begin to resonate with those who refine their hearts and keep themselves pure, focusing especially on those who are attuned to twilight true energy.
And among them, I seek out those who are right now attempting ascension and begin to resonate even more powerfully with their spirits.
'Come to me!'
Among the countless living beings in this vast Mount Sumeru.
Those currently attempting ascension number in the trillions.
Even among them, those resonating with my twilight true energy amount to several million!
The method of ascending to Heaven Dao Great Net is the reverse of Earth Dao Great Net.
It rather begins by accepting the ascenders into my body.
Kugugugugu!
Countless ascenders enter into my body all at once.
They are taken aback the moment they ascend.
Naturally, the internal region of my body as a Heaven Dao Great Net is still far too immature to be called a Middle Realm.
But that does not matter.
My body is filled with twilight true energy, and as they begin to absorb this twilight true energy, they begin to evolve into races with similar attributes.
At the same time, I realize that I now hold their very fate in my hands.
Tracing back their fates, I begin to influence the various worlds from which they have ascended from.
Woo-woong!
Across the entirety of Mount Sumeru.
I create flows of attraction force that connect to me to the worlds where I have once experienced death.
Through these flows of attraction force, I create a Great Net that weaves all of Mount Sumeru.
When I advanced to Earth Dao Great Net before, I could feel all the Qi across Mount Sumeru in fine detail.
This time, I feel my consciousness expanding, and I sense as if all the fate in Mount Sumeru is held in my hand.
The flows of attraction force throughout Mount Sumeru.
The beings who emit that attraction force.
It feels as if countless great existences and the principles governing the world are approaching right before my eyes.
Perhaps because my mental domain has expanded, I observe all of Mount Sumeru as if time itself flows in an instant.
It is not an illusion.
Quite literally, dozens of days pass with every single breath I take.
I feel it.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who was being suppressed by the Underworld Ten Kings, breaks out of Azure Peng's Eternal Labyrinth after 197 days.
The Underworld Ten Kings surround and suppress the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord once again.
And time continues to flow rapidly.
I now realize I have become a being who has long surpassed human units of time, the flow of time for mortal beings.
The final stage of the Great Net advancement stands right before me.
If the Earth Dao Great Net begins by scattering the Immortal Dao of the Mountain and then facing tribulation, the Heaven Dao Great Net creates the Great Net first, then scatters the Immortal Dao and faces tribulation.
Kugugugugu!
My fortune and virtue begin to be sucked out across all of Mount Sumeru.
In an instant, my fortune and virtue spreads throughout the entirety of Mount Sumeru, creating mountains one by one wherever my Great Net extends.
Where there is no fortune and virtue, it instead draws out the very will that could replace it, and I realize that I am becoming part of some vast [flow].
'I see...'
Kugugugung!
An overwhelming chest pain seems to crush my chest.
But at some point, the chest pain begins to subside.
Before, lacking fortune and virtue, I rewrote the world purely through willpower.
But now, at this moment when I advance to Heaven Dao Great Net.
Fortune and virtue begin to be 'born' from within me.
The moment I recognize this,
Kwaaaaang!
My very existence engraves itself into Mount Sumeru, and I feel my attraction force connect with it.
At the same time, my Immortal Body as a Heaven Dao Great Net, connected to the attraction force of the entire Mount Sumeru, begins to advance into a Middle Realm.
Kururururu—
Heaven Dao Great Net.
Earth Dao Great Net.
The Middle Realms of both sides unite within my body, completely transforming into a land where living beings may inhabit.
'Aaaah...'
I feel the Qi of the entire Mount Sumeru.
I feel the Fate of the entire Mount Sumeru.
At the same time, destiny (運命; fate) begins to be [produced] from within my body.
Originally, this is a phenomenon that would usually occur at the very end of Earth Dao Great Net, or perhaps the midpoint of Heaven Dao Great Net. But perhaps because I have risen to Great Net through both Heaven Dao and Earth Dao, I now gain the authority to 'create' fate even though I am still at the early stage of Great Net Immortal.
Yes.
Just as Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is produced from the Star Shattering stage, the Plane of Fate, which exists at a higher level, begins to be [produced] starting from Great Net Immortal.
From now on, I am truly able to create and bestow fate.
Though, for now, it remains limited only to the fate related to mountains...
Even that alone is enough.
My explosion influences all of Mount Sumeru.
My attraction force draws in all of Mount Sumeru.
My existence firmly seizes one aspect of the True Immortal Realm and transforms it into my domain.
At the same time, I succeed in becoming one of the pillars of the Immortal Cultivation system that welcomes living beings into my body, thus gaining recognition from Mount Sumeru itself.
'I feel it.'
Right now.
I have at last advanced to Heaven-Earth Great Net.
Kiiiiiing!
Once again, Heaven, Earth, and the Mountain Dao align in perfect balance, forming the Three Great Ultimates. Through this, the 'Pure White Three Great Ultimates' once again begin supplying me with power as if erupting.
Feeling that power, I open my eyes wide, preparing to face the final obstacle of the Heaven Dao Great Net advancement.
Countless fates entangle with me, intertwining.
At the same time, my identity as [me] seems to blur.
It must be because I am now truly connected with Mount Sumeru and have begun to receive its power.
'I must maintain my mind here!'
Reciting the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, I half-open my eyes.
Gradually, my mind clears, and I begin to preserve myself.
But at that moment,
A sinister dirge seems to echo, and I sense something ominous creeping into my mind.
'This is...!'
Far in the distance of Mount Sumeru.
From the faraway Earth Axis Heavenly Domain, Oh Hye-seo is borrowing the power of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
Through that, she is whispering Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens into me.
The difference between Oh Hye-seo and me at this point is despairingly vast, yet of all things, the Great Net advancement ritual is overseen by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity. As Their disciple, Oh Hye-seo has Divine Descended Their power and activated Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, causing a tremendously strong impact upon my consciousness.
'If I resolve myself to half-kill Oh Hye-seo, I could easily shake it off in one go, but...'
I realize the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's scheme and grit my teeth.
'Do you really want to use your own disciple as a sacrifice like that?'
If I resist strongly, Oh Hye-seo, who serves as the medium between the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and me, would be crushed in the process.
I intend to control it as much as I can, but even if I do, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity would certainly push Oh Hye-seo toward death to make her into a sacrifice.
'I won't allow that!'
I desperately try to control my power to prevent the completion of the Splitting Heaven Mantra.
Each time, the pain of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea and Oh Hye-seo's suffering transmits to me through the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, stabbing deep into my chest.
'Damn...!'
As I endure the hatred of Oh Hye-seo and the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea and try to regulate my strength—
Paaatt!
A gentle energy begins to unfurl from deep within my chest.
'This is...?'
It is the formula of the Heavenly Being stage.
'Huh...?'
In the Heavenly Being stage, one must temper madness so that the mind does not scatter from the nature of Heaven and Earth.
Even when challenging the Heaven Dao Great Net, one must maintain consciousness so that the mind does not scatter and dissolve from the countless fates of Mount Sumeru.
In a way, the final step of advancing to Heaven Dao Great Net is quite similar to the Heavenly Being stage.
Perhaps that is why.
From the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord's Vast Cold Heavenly Circle deep within my chest, the soft scent of peach blossoms begins to spread, melting away the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, which tries to take root in a corner of my heart.
—Immortal Cultivation is progress.
Before my eyes, I see the vision of someone standing in a garden full of blooming peach blossoms.
They hold a pouch filled with silver coins, stroking it somewhat bitterly as they continue to speak.
—Repentant enlightenment is certainly admirable, but the world may be lacking with just that alone. Therefore...seek repentant enlightenment, but also move forward.
That person stands at the heart of the garden with peach petals dancing around, vanishing without showing their face clearly.
At that moment, the clear energy erupting from my chest sweeps away Oh Hye-seo's hatred, the darkness of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, and the pain of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea in an instant.
With that, I am able to block the influx of chaotic fates pressing against me at the final stage of the Heaven Dao Great Net advancement.
'That just now was...'
The lingering will of Vast Cold!
They have once again lent me their aid.
But I can tell that the appearance of their lingering will this time is no coincidence.
'To dispel hatred...perhaps the power of love is the most effective.'
Yes.
For some reason, I feel...
Vast Cold wanted to tell me this.
Because the power that surged from my chest and drove away Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens was unmistakably the power of love.
Paaaatt!
The moment I realize this, I awaken fully, knowing that I have finally completely reached Heaven Dao Great Net.
Kugugugu!
An overwhelming vitality surges through my entire body, and now my winged garment, expanded to the breadth of several fixed stars, sways around my arms and legs.
My true form fully reveals itself in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
It resembles my appearance during my Heaven-Earth Upper Immortal era, but now it is far more magnificent and dignified.
[Huuuuu...]
As I exhale a breath, transcendental twilight true energy pours out, and for an instant, the density of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy across the entire Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain rises to the level of a Middle Realm.
A being who can raise the spiritual energy density of a supercluster-level space with just a single breath.
That is what I am now.
I am a Great Immortal who has reached Heaven-Earth Great Net.
As I open my eyes, a whole year has already passed in the blink of an eye.
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord broke free from the seal and, not stopping there, requested reinforcements and called upon the Radiance Eight Immortals, engaging in a fierce battle.
Only the Great Forest Heavenly Lord has yet to arrive, so Radiance Hall's current strength stands at the level of Seven Heavenly Lords. Even so, they are visibly overwhelming the Underworld Ten Kings.
I can even see the presence of the Great Forest Heavenly Lord crossing over from the distant spacetime, and once they gather, it feels certain that the Underworld Ten Kings will no longer be able to endure.
But Yan Luo's gaze blazes as they confirm that I have fully advanced to Heaven-Earth Great Net.
I nod back at Yan Luo as well, meeting their gaze.
This is because I too can guess the intention of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
[O exalted Imperial Venerable.]
I can feel it.
Power surges through my entire body.
With strength like this, even if I still struggle against the Radiance Eight Immortals or Governing Immortal-level beings, I now clearly feel that against ordinary Immortal Lords, I am capable of simply capturing and beating them to death.
[This foolish lowly Immortal asks of Thee!!]
I shout toward the Underworld.
The deepest depths of the Underworld.
From beyond that deep darkness, a colossal entity begins to respond.
[Has this mere Great Net Seo Eun-hyun, not yet grown worthy enough to be supported by the Imperial Venerable!!??]
I can objectively grasp my own realm and power.
Now, even if I face Yang Su-jin at his peak, I am confident that I can win against him.
And Yang Su-jin had once clearly told me.
Before we reach a certain standard, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld tries to capture and taxidermize us...
But if we reach that standard, They support us wholeheartedly.
'When I was only an Earth Dao Great Net, it might have been uncertain, but since Yan Luo told me to advance to Heaven Dao Great Net, it must mean that reaching it means I am qualified to receive the Underworld's support!'
If that is the case, I may be able to turn the current situation around.
Confidently, I look toward the Head Realm.
Not long ago, just gazing directly at the Head Realm would make my eyes ache—but now, they no longer hurt at all.
Though I can feel some kind of unidentified resistant force from the Head Realm...
Just staring into it is no longer a problem.
After confirming through the Head Realm, I immediately turn my gaze to the deepest depths of the Underworld.
Now, at last, I have become able to directly face the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
Indeed, unlike before, the subconscious terror warning me not to look upon the deepest depths of the Underworld is gone.
At the same time, even when I stare into the depths of the Underworld, my eyeballs do not feel like they will burst, nor is it painful.
I am now completely...
: : Shall we test your qualification? : :
Then,
From the very depths of the Underworld, an overwhelming rank erupts.
[...!!!]
A storm sweeps through the Middle Realm within my body.
The Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain—no...
Just from revealing Their rank, the entirety of Mount Sumeru begins to quake.
'Th-That is...!'
It is the Underworld.
Not meaning the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld—but literally the afterlife itself.
Countless cycles of reincarnation, judgments, punishments.
The history of the deceased of the afterlife unfolds before my eyes.
It is darkness, it is a long and longer history, it is a colossal god connected to something I cannot dare to endure.
Though my eyes do not burst, I begin to tremble, consumed by indescribable terror, despair, and pain.
Far off in the distance, I see the Great Forest Heavenly Lord hastily joining the Radiance Eight Immortals.
But something like that no longer matters to me now.
A god stands before my eyes.
Would one ever dare pay attention to a mere beast when standing before a god...?
'Is that...the true form of the Oldest One...? Their Gandhara...?'
With a stunned expression, I unconsciously begin to lower my body as if to kneel before the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
They once called Themself a lowly maiden before me, but now that I think about it, such a claim feels no different from mockery.
'Is there no one in Mount Sumeru...who can resist that being...?'
It is just as I am about to kneel with a stunned face.
—Immortal cultivation is progress.
—Immortal cultivation is repentant enlightenment...
Before my eyes, a fleeting vision of a pure white mountain of salt and a garden in full bloom with peach blossoms flashes by.
Remembering their teachings, I grit my teeth and force strength into my legs.
Gik, gigigigik!
Forcing my legs to move and straightening my back, I simply lower my head toward the Underworld.
[It is the highest honor to behold the rank of the Imperial Venerable!]
Tuk—
That is the end.
The rank that had shaken Mount Sumeru disappears in an instant, and to my ear, a single phrase that is both so terrifying yet at the same time deeply relieving, reaches me.
: : You have reached the standard. : :
Then,
The Ten Kings, who have been fighting against the Radiance Eight Immortals, begin to withdraw toward one area of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
Jjeoooeooeok!
The Underworld Ten Kings, reaching into their own internal world, begin to pull something out in unison.
They are ten flags.
Great King Du Shi and Great King Ping Deng face each other, plant their flags before themselves, and cry out.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
The True Lords of the Twin Venerables humbly kneel on the spot and bow, taking out black cloud-like masses from their faces and spreading them as a carpet.
Each grain of that black cloud mass is a Ghost King at the Integration stage.
Kung, kuuuuung!
Great King Bian Cheng and Great King Tai Shan plant their flags before themselves and, beside Du Shi and Ping Deng, begin to prostrate and bow.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
Thousands of firefly-like lights spew out from within their bodies, beginning to illuminate the surroundings.
Each one is a Ghost King at the Star Shattering or Sacred Vessel stage.
Great King Song Di and Great King Wu Guan plant their flags before themselves, bow beside the other Great Kings, and cry out.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
Around them, spirits (靈駕) at the Entering Nirvana or Vestige Liberation Immortal level appear, becoming black winds that cause the flags to flutter.
Great King Qin Guang and Great King Chu Jiang plant their flags before themselves and bow down.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
Through them as mediums, the Reapers of the Underworld are summoned around them, dyeing the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
Kung!
Kuuuung!
And at last.
Chief Judge Yan Luo and Deputy Judge Wudao Zhuanlun each plant their flags before themselves and pull scrolls from their bosoms, unfurling them simultaneously.
Chwarak!
: : Golden Mother of the Jade Pond (瑤池金母)! : :
: : Lady Queen Mother (王母娘娘)! : :
: : Imperial Throne of the Underworld (冥府帝座)! : :
: : Wheel Imperial Venerable (車輪帝尊)! : :
The Radiance Eight Immortals summon the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail] in unison and tense themselves.
Then, Great King Yan Luo and Great King Wudao Zhuanlun begin to call forth the great being one final time into this Heavenly Domain.
: : The Imperial Venerable is arriving!! : :
The Owner of the Underworld.
The Deepest Darkness.
The Oldest One.
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld begins to descend upon this place.
Translator Notes: Golden Mother of the Jade Pond and Lady Queen Mother are the titles of the Queen Mother of the West.