Thump, thump...
A strange pulsing sound echoes from within the gray world of nothingness.
There, someone is screaming.
"----! -----!!"
But the scream doesn't resound at all within the space, which lacks any medium to carry sound. It merely reverberates inside the mind of Oh Hyun-seok, the one doing the screaming.
"Keheok... Uuuaaagh..."
For a while, Oh Hyun-seok breathes heavily before the silver sphere at the center of the space of nothingness in front of him before finally escaping from the groaning.
"The end of Enders...is it to be granted an audience with the Future King, have their spirit formed, and then be taxidermized...? Ha, hahaha... I see. From the beginning...we were nothing more than objects..."
Bududuk...
Oh Hyun-seok grits his teeth and reads the [wisdom] passed on to him by Silver Basket.
Silver Basket shows him the countless ends of Enders that they witnessed after having their main body slain in Mount Sumeru and awaiting resurrection in the distant future.
Though the vision is unclear, he sees countless Enders seized in the Audience Chamber by the [being wearing the black mianguan], their spirits extracted and taxidermized somewhere, while their bodies are discarded into the Head Realm.
Obsidian died that way, Vast Cold died that way, and Golden Divine was extinguished in the same manner. All these scenes embed themselves in Oh Hyun-seok's mind.
"Keheok... Kkuuuugh..."
Oh Hyun-seok clutches his throbbing head, gasping for breath.
'No more...'
He grits his teeth.
Any more is impossible.
If he receives any more wisdom about the Future King, it feels as though the gaze of the Future King will land upon him at any moment.
"No more...I will receive no more wisdom regarding the Future King..."
[Wise. Knowing one's own limits is surely a mark of wisdom...]
Oh Hyun-seok decides to stop receiving wisdom related to the Future King, and asks a different question.
"...Do you know anything about the origin of my master, Hyeon Rang?"
[That is something even I cannot know. For the truths regarding Hyeon Rang, the Underworld, and...the Radiance Supreme Deity—only in regard to those truths has the Future King hidden them so that even I cannot read them.]
"Such..."
[However, there is one existence who has perused those truths.]
"Pardon...?"
[The being known as the Salt Sea Supreme Deity... Eight trillion four hundred billion years before this current moment, a new candidate for a 'True Emperor' appeared—one who betrayed the Radiance Ten Heavens and succeeded in being enthroned as the Immortal Beast King by perusing the hidden history within the chaos.]
"...!"
Ziiiiiiing!
With those words, Oh Hyun-seok once again feels a pain in his head as if it's going to burst, and his eyeballs begin to ache.
The wisdom observed by Silver Basket pours into him.
'That is...'
A pure white Salt Mountain.
That being consists entirely of a snow-white Salt Mountain.
Their true form beyond that is not visible.
Could it be that even Silver Basket was unable to completely observe the true body of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity?
Oh Hyun-seok only gazes at the symbol of the Owner of Salt Mountain, feeling his eyeballs ache.
That pure white Salt Mountain is walking across the Outer Sea, doing something.
And Oh Hyun-seok, realizing what it means, feels a shock so intense it feels as if his eyes are about to pop out.
'They...are going against the past!?'
At some point, the Salt Sea Supreme Deity transcended light in the Outer Sea and headed toward the past.
And...
Continuing on in the Outer Sea, he endlessly explored a distant past by observing the Mount Sumerus of the past and...
Eventually entered a region of the past that even Silver Basket could not observe.
'Crazy...'
Oh Hyun-seok is appalled.
While it's possible for even ordinary Immortal Beasts to go against time to peruse ancient history, to explore such immeasurable stretches of the past is no different from throwing away one's life.
If the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld explores the distant past by excavating the past through reincarnation,
Then the Salt Sea Supreme Deity wagered his life and charged head-in, recklessly surpassing light-speed and transcending spacetime to read the truth.
Oh Hyun-seok, as a Heaven-Earth Dual Cultivation practitioner, once transcended time to peruse the past of a few years back in order to train in history revision, so he understands just how absurd this is.
'Even Earth Immortals, when moving at superluminal speed to read truths of history for history revision, can barely manage a few years, or at most a few hundred years. Even that consumes an immense amount of life force, often leading even to those tenacious Immortal Beasts to death...but to traverse and obsessively read such immeasurable pasts that number beyond the Ganges Sands...!?'
He is dumbfounded.
"How in the world is something like that even possible!?"
[...Even I do not know how such a thing was possible. However, if I were to speculate, perhaps he mastered some special Immortal Art that suspends death.]
"Still...the pressure and pain felt when transcending time wouldn't have been normal..."
[Well...perhaps his enlightenment surpassed the very principle of pain itself. Indeed, even I can only guess at the enlightenment of that being known as Salt Sea. For he is a being who sprouted a [Sprout].]
'Sprout?'
Oh Hyun-seok wonders what exactly this repeatedly mentioned 'sprout' is, but decides not to be greedy.
'I've already learned firsthand that the wisdom related to beings like the Future King is dangerous. Judging by how even the Creator God of another world avoids mentioning it, it must be wisdom on par with the Future King...I need to avoid being greedy and just obtain the necessary informa—hm?'
Just then, Oh Hyun-seok notices something trailing behind the trajectory of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity heading toward the past.
Shururuk—
It is a writhing black something.
It looks somewhat like a wisp of smoke, and also like a bug.
That black thing, in its entirety, resembles a snake.
Tstststststss—
With that, the wisdom Silver Basket had observed of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity's past comes to an end.
"...So, to learn the truth about my master, I must obtain the legacy of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity. Understood. By the way, what was that snake-like thing I saw at the end of the wisdom?"
Oh Hyun-seok asks, instinctively sensing that the snake-like thing is an extremely important clue.
[It concerns the Future King. Did you not say you would receive no further wisdom on that matter?]
"...Uuummm..."
Oh Hyun-seok groans.
'Certainly, any more would be dangerous.'
Even though he has only glimpsed the presence of the Future King through two pieces of wisdom, he feels that if he receives any more than this, he will die immediately—so he cannot ask for more.
"Then I will ask a few questions about the snake. Please only answer questions unrelated to the Future King, and for those that are related, please respond with 'It concerns the Future King'."
[Understood.]
"What is the purpose of existence of that snake-like thing?"
[It concerns the Future King.]
"Is the snake related to the Enders?"
[It concerns the Future King.]
"Is the snake a subordinate or perhaps the Immortal Treasure of the Future King?"
[It concerns the Future King.]
"Is the snake a sentient being?"
[It concerns the Future King.]
"What are the major authorities the snake possesses?"
[Transcendence of spacetime. And Radiance. It suppresses the transcendence of spacetime by beings other than itself.]
"What are those functions intended for?"
[Through Light, the greatest purpose of its existence is to prevent beings other than itself from traveling into the past. The current power of the Origin Essence of Light, aside from the power of the Radiance Supreme Deity, mostly exists for this function. In other words...]
At the following words of Silver Basket, Oh Hyun-seok shudders.
[Light exists across all of spacetime and makes it impossible for any being other than itself to enter the past. For example...only a being possessing the mantra of that snake may travel to the past. And if a soul or something similar is attached to the mantra and enters the past, or if a Governing Immortal dares to interfere with time using power other than the mantra, Light will instantly tear them apart or crush them in punishment. That is the power of Light.]
Kugugugugugu!
Scenes infused with the wisdom imparted by Silver Basket appear before Oh Hyun-seok's eyes.
The power of Radiance in the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, on the surface, lends about ten percent of its strength to Radiance Hall, and when they summon the symbol of Heuk Sa, it lends up to fifty percent of its power.
The remaining fifty percent of its power functions as a law spanning the entirety of spacetime, preventing other beings from interfering with spacetime.
Oh Hyun-seok sees the scene and breaks into a cold sweat.
It feels just like the omniscient gaze from a work called '1984' that he knows of.
"Light...is everywhere, and knows everything."
[That is so.]
"Then...are we not being watched right now as well?"
[That is not the case. You are currently connected and granted an audience to me through the Purple Soul Filling the Heavens that extends from me. Moreover, this space is a newly created world I've formed faintly using the authority of Creation.
[This world is, at present, undetected even by the Future King, and unless it is a being who has seized the Origin Essence of Life, it will continue to never be discovered. This is my sanctuary. The rules that apply here are fundamentally different from those of the outside, so be at ease.]
Feeling slight relief from those words, Oh Hyun-seok continues his questions.
"Why does the snake prevent other beings from traveling to the past?"
[It concerns the Future King.]
"Does the snake have anything it holds dear?"
[It concerns the Future King.]
"How can one kill the snake?"
[It concerns the Future King.]
"Does the snake have emotions?"
[Hmm...]
Then, Silver Basket suddenly reacts strangely to one of Oh Hyun-seok's questions.
'What is this?'
[I do not know. Should that be called an emotion? One thing is certain. It holds a very special feeling toward the Underworld and you all.]
"What would that feeling be, if expressed in language we can understand?"
[Love-hate...? No, that does not quite fit. It cannot be expressed. The term 'love-hate' is not suitable either. It cannot be expressed in your language.]
"Then if you could transmit it through wisdom—"
[It concerns the Future King.]
"...?"
[The moment I transmit the essence without specifying it through language, he will notice. If it were ordinary feelings such as love or anger, which countless beings possess, it would be indistinct. But the snake's emotion is a unique feeling possessed only by that being in all of existence... If I were to manifest it and show it to someone, this place would be identified at once. I may be able to hide—but you will not.]
"...Understood. It seems there is nothing more I can learn about the being called the snake."
Oh Hyun-seok sighs as he watches the sphere's size decrease slightly with each question.
The number of questions is not infinite, so he cannot afford to expend his entire encounter with Silver Basket just to deduce the identity of the snake.
"One last thing. Have we ever met the being known as the snake?"
[It concerns the Future King, and there is information you can handle. Will you see both?]
"Pardon...? Then just the information I can withstand, please..."
Woo-wooong!
In response to Oh Hyun-seok's words, Silver Basket shows him a few scenes, and Oh Hyun-seok's face hardens.
Among those following Seo Eun-hyun, there is a being clad in black.
Oh Hyun-seok knows that face very well.
"...I see. Thank you..."
It turns out they have been accompanied by the 'snake' far earlier than he had realized.
Holding that being in his heart, Oh Hyun-seok speaks to Silver Basket.
"I will ask a different question now. In my current situation, having lost my name to my master, what must I do to defeat him?"
[As you are now, you have had your name stolen by him. Abandon the delusion that you can defeat the Owner of Names as 'Oh Hyun-seok'.]
"..."
[I can tell you the path to defeating the Owner of Names, but walking that path will be treacherous beyond measure. Will you truly be capable of doing so?]
At Silver Basket's words, Oh Hyun-seok is taken aback.
For even Silver Basket, who until now has spoken with the detachment of a transcendent being, to say such a thing, it shows just how insurmountable the challenge of defeating Hyeon Rang is.
But a moment later, Oh Hyun-seok nods.
"I will accomplish it."
[How pitiful. You move forward without even understanding what suffering you must endure.]
"..."
A path so treacherous that even the Creator God feels pity.
But Oh Hyun-seok clenches his fists.
"If by doing so...I can see my family again...then I will go forward. Please, tell me the answer now."
[...Very well. In that case, I must tell you regarding the Origin Essence.]
"Origin Essence...?"
Oh Hyun-seok is puzzled by Silver Basket's words, and he can't help but flinch in shock at the following words.
[What is called Origin Essence or Seats in this world—every single one of them is a spirit (魂魄) of a living being.]
"Pardon...?"
[A spirit that has not been named. A spirit that has no relationship, whose every connection has been severed. Such spirits return to the world as laws and drift along, until they are unearthed and reborn under the name of Seat.]
"Wh-What do you mean by that? Then the Immortal Dao and Seat we cultivate are..."
[You are cultivating by taking in spirits that, having no connections, received no heart from any being, and exist only as a law of the world. Did you not learn this when I gave you the wisdom concerning the Enders?
[You Enders are but fragments of the Absolute. And yet, why do you act and think like other beings who possess spirits, receiving and giving connections...? It is because the very fragment of the Absolute you possess is, in fact, a fragment of [a certain being]'s spirit.]
"...!!"
[Why do you think the Naming Supreme Deity lives repeatedly and always becomes the Naming Supreme Deity again and again? It is obvious. The Naming Supreme Deity was once a spirit that was miscarried from long ago, a pure law that had never been named nor had any relationships. That spirit transformed into the Seat of Naming. Because that being is the Seat of Naming itself, he becomes the Naming Supreme Deity in every single lifetime, without exception.]
[TL/N: Miscarriage here could also mean abortion.]
Oh Hyun-seok's eyes tremble at the newly learned truth.
"...To summarize, the spirit of a being that has never been named, or the spirit of a being who has lost their name...becomes a Seat and turns into a law of the world?"
[That is so.]
"Then all the children who were miscarried..."
Oh Hyun-seok smiles bitterly.
"Do they all end up as Seats?"
[That is not so. Most beings reincarnate, so their past-life connections must be included. Only if all connections and relationships from their previous lives are severed, or if the spirit is entirely newly born, can that happen.]
"If it's a newly born spirit..."
[The being known as Hyeon Rang was likely a 'new spirit,' conceived and formed through the immense love of their parents, but before they could be born, they were miscarried and thus became a Seat.]
"..."
Oh Hyun-seok feels an inexplicable bitterness at those words.
After becoming a True Immortal, he learned from others and came to understand.
The intent of love and joy can, through oneself, become a power of creation capable of creating a spirit.
And if it's a love capable of creating a spirit, it must be an immense, immeasurable love.
To be conceived within such parental love, and yet still be miscarried...
What kind of emotions must those parents have felt?
Just imagining such emotions makes Oh Hyun-seok feel as though his chest is tearing apart.
"I now understand that a 'nameless spirit' is Origin Essence. Then, please tell me what I must do through it."
[Do you not understand? You too can now become an Origin Essence itself.]
"Pardon...?"
[You too have had your name stolen and all relationships erased. You yourself can now become an Origin Essence.]
"But I do not have a spirit, do I?"
[A fragment of a spirit... Do you not have a fragment of the Absolute? Once you leave this space, you will forget yourself and become the fragment of the Absolute itself.]
Cold sweat runs down Oh Hyun-seok's body at those words.
'Damn it...'
[But there is one way to not lose yourself.]
"What is it?"
[The moment you become the fragment of the Absolute, do not miss that moment and follow your Immortal Dao.]
"My Immortal Dao...do you mean the Immortal Dao of Seven Stars...?"
[That is correct. In fact, being in the state of an Absolute Fragment will make it even easier to reach the peak of that Immortal Dao. After all, the roots would have become similar. Trace back the Immortal Dao you have cultivated, and reach the peak, the place where the Seat of the Immortal Dao lies.]
"..."
[Then unite with that Seat. If you merge with the Seat while your Absolute Essence is fully revealed, you can become a Heavenly King. Of course, since your name has been taken, your personality will collapse and you will soon die, being only a temporary Heavenly King... However, becoming a Heavenly King will greatly prolong the time before your personality collapses, and slow the rate at which your existence disappears. Therefore, before your existence fully scatters, if you fight the Naming Supreme Deity Hyeon Rang in the state of having become a Heavenly King and take back your name, your ego will also be preserved.]
Oh Hyun-seok listens to Silver Basket's words with his face pale, clenching his teeth.
[If you do so, you will become a complete Heavenly King and be able to preserve yourself.]
"..."
That is Silver Basket's explanation.
He still needs to hear the exact details, but the general outline is now clear.
In a trembling voice, Oh Hyun-seok asks again.
"So...to summarize, you are saying that I have to enter the belly of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity while having no name, merge with the Seat that the Great Mountain Supreme Deity is absorbing, rip through the Great Mountain Supreme Deity's belly, return to Mount Sumeru, kill my master, and take back my name?"
[That is about right. Though it is not the belly of Great Mountain, but the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.]
"..."
Only now does Oh Hyun-seok understand why Silver Basket warned that the path would be so treacherous, and he covers his face with his hand.