Chapter 651: Owner of Wisdom (5)
Kwaaaang!
I am torn apart once again.
'Not like this.'
Pain pulls me out from the depths of delusion.
Questions about what I truly am, whether I am really an Ender or not—all of it washes away from the agony.
'In the end, pain itself is the most primal problem... Things like identity can wait until I solve this first!'
The strike from the Underworld delivers the most fundamental type of pain I've ever experienced.
'Still, now I can hear the sound, and the way I die is becoming clearer and clearer.'
The moments of me being torn apart and killed are becoming more vivid.
'Just one step further... If I reach Araya Consciousness, I'll be able to perceive that attack!'
That is when it will truly begin.
I refocus the consciousness that has reached untainted.
The world narrows, and Mount Sumeru begins to appear as a collection of lines and circles.
The lines form a net as the principles of Mount Sumeru, and the circles become the knots of the net, serving as the intersections that make up the entire structure.
Countless nets tangle and intertwine, forming a single inverted cone.
Kiiiiing—
I connect to the Akashic Records once again.
Immediately afterward, I discover the method to swiftly reach Araya Consciousness.
'I see... Araya Consciousness is the eighth level of the soul.'
A true mark of existence, positioned even higher than Manas Consciousness.
It is the consciousness referred to as the Eighth Consciousnesses.
'To reach the eighth consciousness...it can't end with simply clearing my mind.'
Clearing the mind is merely the preparation phase to reach the eighth consciousness.
'After turning myself into a mirror and making it clear, everything reflected in that mirror...I must make all of it enter the same state as myself.'
Woo-woooong!
Upon the net, I become a single sphere.
More precisely, I take the form of a hypersphere that transcends all dimensions.
I become one of the circles that form Mount Sumeru.
'I am a circle, and at the same time, a knot in the net that weaves together the principles of Mount Sumeru.'
Above the knots where the lines of the net intersect, individual circles emerge and connect. I realize that all of these are the souls of different beings.
'I see...'
Our souls are all connected by the net that is the world.
Sensing the Indra's Net that links us together, I begin to reflect the souls connected to me.
'All those with whom I've exchanged hearts...'
The Net of Indra is no ordinary net.
Its countless lines unfold in a hyperdimensional form, and the threads of the net, which embody the principles of the world, are directly connected to all the connections I have formed until now.
I begin to reflect those connections through the mirror of my heart.
'I see...'
Though I seem to be repeating the same enlightenment over and over again, each time it strikes anew.
'I am not made of myself alone... I keep realizing this anew every time...!'
The eighth consciousness.
That is, the reason why in order to reach Araya Consciousness, I must also clear the hearts of my connections is because of this.
My existence is never something formed by me alone.
Being formed from countless others passing by, intersecting, and overlapping with me—that is the [I] that is formed.
I am not merely an object, but a kind of...
'A kind of collection. Yes... A [collage] made of connections—that is the true nature of what I am!'
Is it because I connected to the Akashic Records?
For the first time in a long while, the language of Earth comes to mind.
And it is the moment I realize it.
An ominous truth begins to crawl up from deep within my chest.
'This is...'
It is something ominous about my essence.
'...I'll face this a little later.'
It feels like a terrifying truth, like the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King Hong Fan, may emerge.
But rather than confronting that truth now, unprepared, I decide to reach Araya Consciousness first and face the truth afterward.
For now, the immediate task is to fill the hearts of all the connections tied to me with impermanence, bringing them to the same level of untainted as myself.
Wiiiiiing—
Even as my physical body continues to die over and over.
In this unending pain, I begin to display a surreal level of concentration.
But this concentration isn't something I consciously generate—rather, my essence is elevating my focus from deep within, as a way to ignore the 'ominousness' that I am sensing.
It seems I am not yet capable of withstanding this 'ominousness.'
'The way I reached the domain of untainted was through impermanence. Not like Hyeon Mu, who severed all things, or Kim Young-hoon, who acknowledged all possibilities...but the way of impermanence, which fills all things to create emptiness.'
Therefore, to reach Araya Consciousness, I must bring all beings whom I have connections with to the domain of untainted.
And it must be in the same way I did.
I must fill the hearts of [everyone] who has exchanged hearts with me with the Impermanence Sword, temporarily raising them to the same level as myself.
That is the method to reach Araya Consciousness.
Woo-wooong!
The net I reside upon begins to ripple.
The hearts of impermanence originating from me begin to enter all the beings connected to me.
'Ahh...'
In that moment, I confirm my Immortal Art settling into all of my connections, and at the same time, I experience my consciousness expanding infinitely.
And just as my consciousness is about to truly reach infinity—
Piiiiiiit—
In that instant, I realize I have arrived somewhere.
'This place is...'
I recognize it instantly.
The origin of creation I once reached with Kim Young-hoon. The outskirts of the Akashic Records.
It is the space that transcends all realities.
And...
Together with him, I gazed upon an immense [baby] before us.
'A baby? No, that's not it...'
It is not merely a baby.
It seems to be the [body] of someone.
And I realize that this someone's body is not complete.
That someone's body is endlessly being created.
And its bones, blood vessels, and organs are, astonishingly...
Familiar to me.
'Ah...I finally understand.'
The blood vessels of that being are being created in real time, and within them, I see something familiar.
That being's blood vessels are a river of scenes where the Taiji endlessly continues.
That's right.
The river of scenes I trace back each time I regress is just a single vein within that [something].
'...So that's what it is.'
Only now do I understand the principle behind my regression.
'So you were all...still alive...!'
And...
I understand why I have reached this space and perceived that metaphysical being.
It is because I am currently accessing the Araya Consciousness through the Akashic Records, connecting with [all my connections].
That's right.
All connections.
In other words, I am connected not only to the connections formed in this cycle, but to all those [I] formed across all the cycles.
'So you all...still exist...'
If I currently possessed a physical body, I would probably be shedding tears.
In this very moment, I completely grasp the principle of my infinite regression.
In the first place, I could not comprehend it until now because I failed to understand the shape of time.
When I die and flow backward through the blood vessel to repeat time, a new blood vessel forms and begins to create the body of that existence.
The time that my existence lives through and all its possibilities are simply a part of the process of creating that existence.
And as I watch this, I come to understand the principle behind how those of Heavenly Venerable rank perceive regression.
If mortal beings are merely a single current in the flow of flesh flowing through the veins of that existence,
Then the Heavenly Venerables—
No, broadly speaking, all beings who possess a Seat—are as if they've received that being's soul.
However, those who have not completely seized their Seat become Immortal Lords, and even if they have received part of that being's soul, they are split into multiple existences by the differentiation of spacetime.
But the Supreme Deities and Heavenly Venerables, who have completely seized their Seat, are entirely unaffected by the splitting of spacetime.
They merely forget previous timelines for a moment, as the soul and their accumulated possibilities shift into the newly born blood vessels, the timelines created through my regression.
Among them, the Heavenly Venerables,
That is, beings who borrow the power of the Three Grand Laws, possess a faint link to the Baihui point of that [something], enabling them to resist regression even more powerfully.
As I grasp the principle of infinite regression, I am overwhelmed with an indescribable surge of emotion, and I compose this swelling heart with the Impermanence Sword and begin to send it to all my connections existing in every timeline.
To some, it may be a fleeting inspiration.
To others, perhaps a definitive signal that I still live.
But what is certain is that this rising swelling heart within me has been undeniably delivered to every one of my connections.
And I succeed in pulling the consciousness of all those connected to me, even if just for a moment, to the same domain of untainted as me—elevating the intersection of connections that is me entirely into the domain of purity.
Woo-wooooong!
I once again descend from the origin of creation and half-open my eyes.
In this moment, I have fully reached Araya Consciousness.
Woo-wooong—
Ripple—
The net sways.
[I] confidently sit in a lotus position above that net.
The net hums with countless vibrations, and by sensing those vibrations, I realize I can see directly into the innermost thoughts of the being standing before me.
With a completely clear heart, I gaze at the being before my eyes.
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, Bonghwa, is smiling at me.
"Congratulations. You have reached the same eye level as me..."
"...So this is Araya Consciousness."
"That's right. All of us Heavenly Venerables are always seeing scenes like this."
Speaking eye-to-eye with the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, I continue gazing at the endlessly rippling net.
On the countless knots of the net hang the souls of the innumerable living beings, existing merely in the forms of simple circles or hyperspheres.
Above this endless net, the only ones truly maintaining [one's] forms are Bong Hwa and me—just the two of us.
"The other Heavenly Venerables...I don't see them."
"You can probably feel it yourself, but maintaining this consciousness is not easy. Aside from me, the rest only enter this domain by focusing when necessary."
"I suppose..."
Indeed, that's how it is.
Maintaining Araya Consciousness and properly preserving form above Indra's Net is, frankly, overwhelmingly difficult.
Soon, I will likely lose focus.
"By the way, how many times have you killed me so far?"
I ask, while perceiving myself below Indra's Net—
The me endlessly dying and reviving in the real world.
"Around four billion times? Seems like you reached Araya Consciousness just exactly within the expected timeframe."
"Is that so? That's a relief..."
When I reached the domain of untainted, the strikes of the Underworld were painful, but now that I have risen to Araya Consciousness, the pain rather fades away.
To be exact, it's become meaningless.
"Then, watch closely."
I look at the consciousness of the Underworld, then gaze again at the Gandhara of the Underworld beneath Indra Net.
The Gandhara moves.
The front paw of a fierce beast, in the form of a half-human, half-beast, strikes down on the small me.
Then, my physical body is immediately torn from Indra's Net, and every principle composing me is dismantled.
However, as soon as the Underworld exerts her will, my principles are instantly restored.
"Can you block it?"
The Underworld asks, and I nod.
"...Yes. At least...for this one moment, I can block it."
At those words, a ripple of mild surprise echoes from the Underworld.
"This is unexpected... What did you see?"
"...I saw the meaning of my entire life."
From here on, this swelling emotion will scatter again along with the flow of time.
But, in this one moment where I have realized my regression has not been meaningless...
I can properly block the single strike of the Underworld.
From above Indra's Net, I begin to recite a mantra.
"Immortal cultivation is repentant enlightenment."
The Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra begins to exert power within the will of Impermanence.
'Now I understand.'
Until now, the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra I have been reciting only skimmed the surface of its enlightenment.
This is the true meaning (眞意) of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
"Like tiny grains of salt gathering to form the sea..."
It is not a mantra that merely destroys the universe centered on the attraction force gathered in one's palm, nor is it one that observes Mount Sumeru.
This Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra...
...is literally an Immortal Art that amplifies the heart to the utmost.
It spreads this surging heart I possess to every being in the universe, and for an instant, imprints supreme enlightenment into their subconscious.
That is the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
The heart is death.
That is why, when the number of Heart Tribe increases, the world rushes even faster toward the End.
The Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra is an Immortal Art that brings about the End.
That is why its true meaning is an Immortal Art that teaches true heart to all living beings in the world.
If one attains the Dao in the morning, they are content to die in the evening.
Because, since realizing the Dao means knowing the heart is eternal...
Dying is not truly death.
In other words, the true meaning of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra is an Immortal Art that engraves, with my power, the truth that 'the heart is eternal' into the hearts of all beings in the universe—and thus calls forth the End.
Flash!
I open my eyes wide atop Indra's Net.
In an instant, the threads of Indra's Net begin to warp wildly around me.
Countless knots in the net.
In other words, countless spirits receive the imprint of my enlightenment, and in that moment, all enlightenment in this entire area becomes filled with mine.
Imprinting the enlightenment that the heart is eternal deep into the unconsciousness of all beings in the universe,
And becoming allies with all the beings in the universe,
This is the true meaning of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
Jjjjeeeong!
I stretch out the power of Yin-Yang, and Five Elements—
No, the power of impermanence gathered from everyone's hearts—toward the strike of the Underworld.
It happens in an instant.
Kwachiiiiing!
The entire world vibrates, and Indra's Net, where the Underworld and I are seated, begins to tremble wildly. Soon, several parts of the net begin to tear.
Though the torn parts are instantly restored...
I know that this strike is one every being on Mount Sumeru must have noticed.
Shiiiiii—
Araya Consciousness gradually unravels, and I sense my consciousness returning below Indra's Net.
To the reality where we live.
Steam rises from my entire body.
I feel a numbness in my arm.
But this time, I did not die.
"...It wasn't your own skill."
The Underworld speaks with a smile.
"You simply realized something overwhelming, and passed that overwhelming emotion on to all your connections... That is why the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra activated transcendently, beyond its usual limits."
"...Yes."
That's right.
Because I realized the principle of my regression, and confirmed that the previous timelines were not erased, I received the Underworld's strike through the overflowing emotion I felt by using the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.
It isn't my own skill, and if I can't feel such an overwhelming 'heart' again, I won't be able to block another strike of this level.
I could enter Araya Consciousness again and keep watching that scene, but even if I do, I likely won't be able to feel the same overwhelming emotion I felt the first time.
"Just a single strike blocked by mere coincidence. Do you think that alone is enough to face the Great Mountain Supreme Deity?"
"It is."
"By what method? Are you going to ask the Seat Holder of Addiction to feed you loads of drugs that even work on True Immortals?"
"There is no need for that. Because..."
I calmly speak of the enlightenment I gained this time.
"As you live life, there are truly so many moments...when you feel the world is full of things with overwhelming emotions."
"..."
"Therefore, I can block the single strike...of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity."
I speak confidently before the Underworld, fully recognizing that I have now completely broken free from the bridle of death repeated billions of times.
The Underworld smiles with the warmest expression I have ever seen.
"All of you always bring about miracles."
And I respond with a smile.
"There is no need to say 'all of you'. You have known all along, haven't you?"
"Hmm?"
At last, I fully confirm the ominous truth that had been rising within me.
Seo Eun-hyun, the Earthling, simply grew old and died in what I call the zeroth cycle.
Then who exactly am I?
I am the observer who has taken over his body.
The one known by the name Heuk Sa (黑蛇).
The infinite regression that arbitrarily defies laws possessing absoluteness has never been an authority of an Ender in the first place.
The moment I recognize this truth, I suppress my 'essence' that tries madly to erase the personality of 'Seo Eun-hyun,' and offer a bow to the Underworld.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself, O Great One. I am not an Ender. I am the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail]. One of the servants who cannot betray the Future King. And at the same time..."
I look directly into the Underworld's warm smile and speak.
"I am the human Seo Eun-hyun."