"First of all, you must not use your original name. Right now, countless beings in the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain forbid your very name across the entirety of Mount Sumeru, and their eyes are red trying to track down any place where that name is spoken."
Ji Hwa warns me and continues speaking.
"In that sense...while you are staying here for now, use a new name. The best choice would be to use the name Gyeong (庚) like me. That will probably make it easier to stay close to me."
"Alright, then while I'm here, call me 'Seo Gyeong'."
I decide to live under the identity of 'Seo Gyeong' for the time being and ask Ji Hwa a question.
"That aside...there's something I want to ask."
"What is it?"
"Do you know about the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords?"
"I do. In the first place, that Seven Stars Harnessing God Banner is an Immortal Art that took considerable influence from our God-Killing Spear."
At her words, I nod.
"As you know...right now, I have the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags embedded in me, and I have removed a total of five of them."
After reaching the realm of Immortal Beast King and Martial Pinnacle, I tried to pull out the remaining Sealing Immortal Flags through force, but as expected of seals created to target the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord, they were made so they can never be removed by 'strength' alone.
In particular, the fewer Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags remain and the higher the realm of the one they are embedded in, the stronger their absoluteness becomes.
Because of that, even now I cannot forcefully remove the last two Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags.
'The fact that I managed to pull out the first Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag by strength alone is an immense feat.'
"The conditions for the Sealing Immortal Flags that cannot be removed are as follows. One is to 'defeat three Supreme Deities while at the realm of Great Net Immortal or lower.' The second is to 'take the attacks of the Radiance Eight Immortals in sequence'."
Perhaps because the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords created this Immortal Art to target the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord, the release conditions are absurdly strict.
As it stands, I have defeated the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable and the Heavenly Venerable of Void, and I have also participated in defeating the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and the Naming Supreme Deity, summing to four Governing Immortals.
Even though I have personally brought down four Governing Immortals, the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag judged that I have not purely defeated three [Supreme Deities], so the seal did not release.
'Well, this doesn't really matter.'
Someday, as long as I defeat Bong Myeong, the condition of 'three Supreme Deities' will be fulfilled, so this is nothing to worry about regarding that anymore.
The problem lies with the attacks of the Radiance Eight Immortals.
"If you know a bit about this Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag, then why is it that even though I've taken the attacks of the Radiance Eight Immortals with my whole body several times, the seal still hasn't been released... Do you have any idea?"
To my question, Ji Hwa nods as if it is simple.
"I know what the problem is. I already got permission from the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords to view all the release conditions of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag. The release condition you're concerned about is...to take them [in sequence]."
Just as expected.
It is exactly the kind of troublesome condition it sounds like.
"Starting from the Great Forest Heavenly Lord, all the way to the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord. You have to take the attacks of the [Eight Radiance Supreme Deities] in the order of the Ten Heavenly Stems. That's the release condition."
However, I find myself puzzled hearing that condition.
"...I'm certain that last time, during the activation of the Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade, I took them in order..."
"No, back then the quartermaster of the Radiance Eight Immortals, the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord, did not take part in the attack."
Thinking back to that time, I realize she is right.
'I see. Indeed, after Filling the Heavens Sword Rain, the Great Sea Heavenly Lord's Immortal Art came next. There was no Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord's attack.'
But then, I notice something else strange.
"Wait, even setting that aside...just during the last God-Killing Spear battle...I took all of your attacks in order."
Starting from the God-Killing Spear thrown by the Great Forest Heavenly Lord, all the way to the God-Killing Spear thrown by the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord, I had taken them 'in sequence'.
So why is it?
At my question, Ji Hwa gives a bitter smile and speaks.
"You fought back."
"...What?"
"The final release condition of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag... Since our Radiance Eight Immortals directly oversee its release, we heard it straight from the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords. The truth of the final Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag's release condition is...
"Not only taking the attacks of the Eight Owners of Light 'in sequence'...but also [without resisting]."
"...So even if it's an attack like the God-Killing Spear..."
"Yes. In the end, calmly taking the attacks in sequence with your whole body, without resistance...that's the release condition for the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag."
"..."
I am dumbfounded, but I realize that this level of requirement is necessary to restrain an existence on the level of the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord.
"So that means...because I fought back against the God-Killing Spear in order to not die, the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag wasn't released."
"That's about right."
After a long silence, I ask Ji Hwa.
"Can't you stir things up a bit so that someday, when I stand before the Radiance Eight Immortals, they all bombard me at once?"
"Do you think that would work? We've all heard that you're sealed by the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag."
"..."
In the end, even if they have me right in front of them, they might not attack in sequence at all, or even if they do attack in sequence, some of them might purposely not attack in the middle, making it all for nothing.
'Troublesome.'
I contemplate the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag's release condition of [taking the attacks of the Eight Radiance Supreme Deities in the order of the Ten Heavenly Stems without resisting] and sigh inwardly.
"Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord is the problem. Even if I manage to incite them to somehow attack you, the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord is the quartermaster. Aside from supplementing our strength and providing the power of prophecy or blessings, they don't come to the front lines during wartime."
"..."
"That's why though cases like last time's God-Killing Spear are rare...if you had been hit by the God-Killing Spear, even you would have been sealed without a doubt... If the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag was released only for you to be sealed by us instead, that would have been even more troublesome, so there was no helping it."
I realize I am getting a headache and let out a sigh.
"...Alright. Whether I have to ask Yeong Seung or the Heavenly Venerable of Time, I'll ask them to remove it. If that doesn't work, I could always ask the Liberation Supreme Deity or the Underworld."
"Hmm... But at your level, the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag doesn't really matter anymore, does it? The power you've accumulated is far too different from the specific Vast Cold's strength that the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords intended to seal, so there shouldn't be a problem."
"That is true."
Powers like that of the Immortal Beast King and Martial Pinnacle.
Since the powers I've accumulated are of a nature far too different from the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord's, the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag hardly affects them.
However, while it cannot affect the powers themselves, it has a considerable impact on the synergy between my powers.
'The powers don't blend well.'
Even now, my main body is trying to heal the Wheel while my clone is here, but when I try to heal it, the various fragmented powers do not mix easily, making the healing process difficult.
'To heal the Wheel, I have to completely unify my powers, and to do that, I must remove all the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags.'
The Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag blocks the fusion between my powers.
From the Three Great Ultimates of the Heaven Dao, Earth Dao, and Immortal Dao, to the Immortal Beast King, the Ultimate of Martial Arts, and the powers of various mantras.
All of those should intertwine and naturally rotate and spin the Wheel to heal it, but the powers that do not blend instead only interfere with the Wheel's rotation.
If what is needed to turn the Wheel is pure liquid, then my current powers are not pure liquid, but a stew with various chunks floating in it.
'The unblended powers keep turning the Wheel, so it seems the overload is much greater.'
If someone other than me had obtained the Wheel, I think that at least the overload would not happen this often.
As I am inwardly pondering these problems, I suddenly notice Ji Hwa holding my hand and briskly walking somewhere.
"...By the way, where are we going?"
"From now on, speak formally. I am going to place you in a Daoist temple that serves Radiance Hall. It is a place jointly operated by my clone and my followers, so live there together, and I will give you appropriate orders to follow. Follow those orders and learn the basic methods that the mortal beings under Radiance Hall practice, and walk the path of Immortal Cultivation.
"Preferably...reach the Core Formation stage around the age of twenty. Then the True Immortals of Radiance Hall will naturally take interest in you and begin supporting you, and when you ascend later, you will be marked as a candidate as my Sword Spear successor."
I nod and, led by Ji Hwa's hand, am entrusted to a Daoist temple called 'Radiance Daoist Hall'.
The Daoist of the Radiance Daoist Hall, the Black Spirit True Person, is a devotee of the Radiance Hall's teachings, taking in children and homeless orphans as disciples in the temple in service to those teachings.
From that day, I begin cultivating together with Ji Hwa under the Black Spirit True Person.
"...That Black Spirit True Person, are they your subordinate?"
I ask Ji Hwa, who is pinching my cheeks in the backyard of Radiance Daoist Hall, and she nods.
"In a previous life, they were a Quasi-Immortal messenger bird I raised. They were at the Entering Nirvana stage at the brink of advancing to True Immortal, so last time, when the Great Mountain Supreme Deity said he was going to the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, I had them charge in with the will of the Radiance Eight Immortals."
"...So you killed them?"
"I simply gave them a push to advance to True Immortality. Do not misunderstand."
"..."
Judging from the use of the words 'previous life', it seems Black Spirit True Person faced 'True Immortal advancement' from the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and failed.
"I heard Radiance Hall has an Immortal Art that helps with True Immortal advancement..."
"It exists, but...those who complete their advancement that way usually do not understand how precious the True Immortal position they've gained is. They often do vulgar things, like abusing mortal beings, or spreading the fate of war and suffering across an innocent Astral Realm. That's why the True Immortals whom Radiance Hall truly watches are usually allowed to advance only by their own will and skill."
"I see... But why are you touching my cheeks?"
"I am assessing the qualities of your clone. I am thinking about what method you will need to infiltrate Radiance Hall without suspicion."
"I see...thank you."
I, without much suspicion, let Ji Hwa examine my cheeks, and she helps me with my cultivation in the Radiance Daoist Hall, clothing me, feeding me, bathing me, and being together with me.
Thus, we join hands in order to infiltrate Radiance Hall, spending time in the Radiance Daoist Hall.
Five years pass in the Radiance Daoist Hall.
Kurururung!
"My goodness! A, a genius...! Without a doubt, this must be an Immortal talent bestowed by the Owner of Light!"
The fifth year.
With the support of Black Spirit True Person, who in this life could only reach the Qi Building stage, and Ji Hwa, I quickly reach the Qi Building stage.
From the start, the Qi Building stage is a realm I had madly striven to reach during my younger days, shouting to the heavens, so in truth I could have reached it in seven days and seven nights...
But under Ji Hwa's advice that it would be too fast, I deliberately spent five years to reach it.
"Wh-What do you think, Daoist Sword-White? At this level, wouldn't it be enough for our Seo Gyeong to be given a letter of recommendation to the Radiant Spirit Sect?"
The Radiance Spirit Sect is said to be one of the great sects, even when counting together this stellar system and the ten surrounding stellar systems combined.
There, even a Qi Building cultivator is considered a low-ranking disciple, and since one of the Vestige Liberation Immortals of Radiance Hall is from the Radiant Spirit Sect, joining it would mean I have a definite faction in Radiance Hall even after later becoming a True Immortal.
Currently, Ji Hwa, who in the Radiance Daoist Hall is using the Daoist title 'Sword-White,' shakes her head as if displeased.
"Hmph, a recommendation letter to the Radiance Spirit Sect for a mere thirteen-year-old brat? That is too much, Daoist Black Spirit."
Since the Black Spirit True Person does not remember their past life, Ji Hwa is recognized by them as a Daoist from a mortal background, and in particular is playing the role of a Daoist in the Radiance Daoist Hall who 'dislikes' me.
She says that if, in the future, Radiance Hall examines history and finds out about our connection, it would be suspicious if they saw that we had gotten along.
"Even now, my head aches from recent rumors about some Thunder Resonance Valley, some Lightning Sword High Person, and the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle, and you want to let such a troublemaker enter the Radiance Spirit Sect? Impossible!"
Saying so, Ji Hwa strikes my backside hard with the flywhisk she holds, and with this young body, the sting from the flywhisk is intense, so my body instinctively lets out a groan.
"Hmph! A brat who cannot endure such basic hardship—what Immortal Cultivation, what Immortal Dao does he think he will walk!?"
For some reason, seeing me like this, Ji Hwa starts panting and lifts the flywhisk high as if to hit me again, and the Black Spirit True Person, seeing this, is startled and hastily stops her.
"Enough! We will discuss the details later. Seo Gyeong-ah, for now, go inside, stabilize your Qi Building stage, and bathe. I will calm Sword-White down in the meantime."
And so, watching Ji Hwa's amusing act, I bathe and enter the Daoist Hall's hot spring to stabilize my realm.
For a while, Ji Hwa and the Black Spirit True Person exchange heated words outside the Radiance Daoist Hall, and soon, the 'Sword-White True Person' enters the hot spring while panting, saying she will assess my qualities again.