Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
Heroic Star Realm (英星界), where the Radiance Spirit Sect lies.
Law Protecting Immortal Wol Woon, assigned the duty of guarding the Heroic Spirit Realm for one hundred thousand years, half-opens their eyes at a strange sensation.
Wol Woon, a Heavenly Immortal of the Earth Tribe like Ho Woon, raises their vast body made of pure white moonlight from within a nebula and gazes upon the Heroic Spirit Realm.
'Just now, what was that?'
What kind of position is the Law Protecting Immortal of Radiance Hall?
As the name Law Protecting implies, is it a position that guards Radiance Hall and the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain from outside invasion?
It is not.
In the first place, since the Radiance Eight Immortals and the Envoys of the Final Age of Dharma reside in the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, what kind of existence would ever come to invade it?
Even if there is an invasion, unless every Radiance Eight Immortal and the Envoy of the Final Age of Dharma are away, Immortals from Upper Immortal and below have almost no reason to move personally for the protection of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
Thus, what Law Protecting Immortals protect is not the safety of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain itself, but its fate.
'Just now, one of the flows of fate of the Heroic Spirit Realm...seems to have strangely twisted.'
The duty of Law Protecting Immortals is to observe whether there is a disturbance or not in the countless living beings that exist in the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain and the countless fates bestowed to them, and see whether someone has applied artificial interference or not, and if such a flow is seen, to return it to its original state or trace it back.
'Hm...'
Their mission is to prevent Heaven Immortals or Earth Immortals of other Heavenly Domains from interfering in the fate or history of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.
Therefore, Wol Woon uses both their Earth Tribe authority and their Heaven Immortal authority to read history and observe fate.
And they find the answer.
'Was it just my imagination?'
They look into the place where the flow of fate had slightly shifted just now.
The fate still remains unchanged.
The fate of the mortal being in the Radiance Spirit Sect, where they had sensed an anomaly, still is [the fate of falling into the devilish path and perishing].
'Nothing has changed. Nothing. Perhaps this is not a problem of fate, but of myself.'
Of course, it may not be a Heart Demon. Perhaps, if they look more deeply, they may sense a subtle change.
But Wol Woon does not bother to take such a dangerous action.
'The current Sword Spear Heavenly Lord has sent down a split soul to test the next Sword Spear candidate, so whatever happens, it will be handled by them. If I step out on my own, it might even be an insult to them.'
Therefore, Wol Woon turns the circuit of their thought.
They decide it is not a problem with fate, but a problem of themself.
'Perhaps because one of my direct descendants is said to be a candidate for the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, without knowing, I allowed a slight Heart Demon to form from my nervousness and excitement...'
Wol Woon looks upon their own Heart Demon and smiles faintly.
They do not reject the Heart Demon.
For one who has reached True Immortality, such a thing is laughable.
'The Radiance Supreme Deity has chosen my bloodline...'
Of course, whether their descendant can truly walk the fate of being the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord candidate depends solely on that child's will and ability.
But what is certain is, if that child truly succeeds in becoming the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord candidate...
Wol Woon will be the ancestor of the next Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
'The replacement cycle of the Radiance Eight Immortals, unless one falls wrongly due to Evil Gods like the Mountain Divine Spirits or the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord, is about ten trillion years in times of peace.'
For weak-willed True Immortals, they may live a mere billion years before death, but Wol Woon holds ambition.
'If my descendant becomes the next Sword Spear...then at least for twenty trillion years, my name will resound even in the True Immortal Realm.'
If that happens, then perhaps, truly perhaps...
'Perhaps I too, really perhaps...can aim for the Seat, surpass Heavenly Dao Envoys, and become a Supreme Deity!
'If I become a Heavenly Envoy and roam the universe for twenty trillion years...'
It may not be such an impossible thing.
For twenty trillion years, if they bear the name of Radiance Hall on their back, they might become a Supreme Deity as terrifying as the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.
Wol Woon, indulging in delusion of a future full of hope where the world's powers are divided into three between Radiance Hall, the Underworld, and the 'Moonlight Supreme Deity Wol Woon,' once more closes their eyes and falls asleep.
Wol Ah, after receiving the summons of the Mountain Divine Spirit, devotes herself even more earnestly to cultivation.
It is because she thinks that her own insufficiency allowed an Evil God to pierce through the gaps of her heart.
'Yeah, let's let go of things like inferiority. Such things all arise from my own lack.'
She is a genius.
A talent bestowed by the heavens cannot possibly show a gap in her heart over something as petty as inferiority and be seduced by an Evil God.
The talent given to her by the heavens tells her the answer she seeks right away.
'To escape from inferiority and fill the gaps of the heart, it is important to face the root of that inferiority.'
She faces her own heart.
'Master. And Seo Gyeong.'
The fact that Baek Geom, who will one day be surpassed by her, does not treat her kindly like Baek Yeong.
And...
More than that, the fact that Baek Geom shows an absurd degree of favoritism toward Seo Gyeong, who is even inferior to herself.
'How laughable. To feel such deep inferiority over something so trivial.'
Wol Ah soothes her own feelings and begins to console herself that it is not such a big matter.
'When I think about it, the Radiance Spirit Sect is only a place to pass through anyway.'
Her master, and Seo Gyeong as well, are only things to pass through.
'Do not be swayed by emotions.'
Steeling her heart, Wol Ah decides to go see her master and Seo Gyeong.
If she confronts them directly, then the root of this inferiority too will be resolved.
Thinking so, she quickly heads toward the cave residence of her master Baek Geom.
"..."
And Wol Ah is able to see a new scene once again.
Patststststs!
The lights of Heaven and Earth converge upon a single human.
And the converging radiance begins to reverse the time of that human's body.
Return to Youth (反老還童)!
The body of Seo Gyeong, who has entered adolescence and is already becoming quite grown, returns to the appearance of the thirteen-year-old boy he had when Wol Ah first met him.
No, judging by how much younger he becomes, it seems not thirteen but closer to ten years old.
"Hahaha, splendid. The accomplishment of the Youth Samsara Sword Method (少年輪廻劍訣) has reached great completion."
The praise of Esteemed One Baek Geom pours onto Seo Gyeong.
Kugugung!
And from Seo Gyeong, who has returned to youth, an even stronger aura and sword energy spill out.
'Grand Perfection Nascent Soul stage! Soon he may even aim for the Heavenly Being stage...'
As expected, such talent is nothing special.
Wol Ah herself has already reached the Heavenly Being stage.
"Splendid, Seo Gyeong."
At Wol Ah's congratulations, the gazes of Baek Geom and Seo Gyeong turn toward her.
'As I thought, such a fellow is not worth my concern, nor worth feeling inferior towards.'
Her master's love?
Let him have plenty.
She does not care about her master's love anyway.
Within five hundred years at the earliest, she may surpass her master's realm.
By then, she will have no need to care about Baek Geom's favoritism.
So, to cast away her inferiority and childishness, she steps toward Seo Gyeong and pats his shoulder.
At that sight, the eyes of Esteemed One Baek Geom twitch, but she pays it no mind.
"As expected of my fellow disciple. Reaching the Heavenly Being stage will come quickly, but there's no need to be too hasty. I will teach you step by step. I have no congratulatory gift right now, but when you reach the Heavenly Being stage..."
Just then, it happens.
Tak!
Baek Geom forcefully strikes away Wol Ah's hand.
"Whose shoulder do you think you are touching? Gyeong-i dislikes others touching his shoulder."
"No, just now..."
Seo Gyeong seems about to refute something, but Baek Geom, as if to show Wol Ah, brushes off Seo Gyeong's shoulder where her hand has touched, as if dust is clinging to it, and kneads his shoulder.
"Gyeong-i's shoulder can only be touched by me. And tell me, why did you come all the way here to give needless congratulations? Do you have some business here?"
At Baek Geom's cold attitude, Wol Ah again feels her chest ache, but she forces herself to maintain her expression as she speaks.
"I apologize for visiting without informing you beforehand, Master. It is only that now that I have reached the Heavenly Being stage, I wish to gain enlightenment to cross beyond the limit of the Minor Boundary and enter the Middle."
"Empty words. You have no need for enlightenment. Something like enlightenment is something fate grants on its own, so why would you need such a thing! You came to me with a purpose... Ah, yes. Seeing those eyes, you are troubled by a Heart Demon!"
"Pardon?"
At Baek Geom's words, which diagnose her condition in an instant far quicker than she expected, Wol Ah is taken back.
"A Heart Demon usually leaks out because one cannot control their emotions. To fail to control even such emotions and let a Heart Demon grow... What a defective thing."
Kugung!
For some reason, at those words, Wol Ah feels a shock as though her chest collapses.
'Again.'
It is always like this.
Her nominal master, Baek Geom, goes beyond indifference toward her, sometimes even spitting harsh words, and each time that happens, she feels as if her very essence is being denied.
"A being who cannot even control emotions as they wish can never be a candidate... Tsk. Get lost. Right now, I only wish to see Seo Gyeong's face! What are you doing!? Begone at once, you defective thing."
Wol Ah, swept up by an overwhelming torrent of emotion she cannot even begin to fathom, leaves as though running away before Baek Geom, who reveals affection toward Seo Gyeong.
Even she herself does not know what this emotion entangling her truly is.
"Isn't that too harsh?"
After Wol Ah departs, Seo Gyeong speaks to Baek Geom.
Baek Geom strokes Seo Gyeong's ever youthful shoulders as though handling a precious gem, and smiles.
"In my time as well, I endured it all. The previous Sword Spear Heavenly Lord stripped me bare at that age, threw me into the mud to roll, and then made me lick their feet. Compared to that, I am being exceedingly gentle. If I had not met you, I would have had no need to be kind. I would have treated that child the same way through the 'refining' method I learned from the previous Sword Spear Heavenly Lord."
"..."
"To become one of the Radiance Eight Immortals, there is a need to regard emotions lightly. One must learn it as something to cast aside from the body at any time. After meeting you, I realized such a thing is impossible...but in any case, in the orthodox process of raising an Eight Immortal, it is absolutely necessary to go through a process of insulting emotion."
Baek Geom.
Strictly speaking, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord possessing the body of Baek Geom, the junior sister of the Radiance Spirit Sect's Sect Master Baek Yeong, grips Seo Gyeong's shoulders and continues with a fierce massage as she speaks.
"Of course, it is not something I wish to do, but if I do not go through such a process, I may be deposed immediately by the executor Rain Dew Heavenly Lord."
"Is that so...?"
"In any case, if you intend to leave behind an arrangement, isn't it best that the states of the Radiance Eight Immortals are as similar as possible?"
"...That is true."
Seo Gyeong's eyes shine.
"...Since the arrangement I intend to leave behind will bring great change even to the bridle of the pitiful Eight Immortals."
Wol Ah trembles.
It is always like this.
It feels as if her very foundation is being denied.
The status and cultivation of Baek Geom itself are not that important to her, yet Baek Geom's very existence presses upon her with immense pressure.
'Just why is this happening at all?'
She seeks an answer.
The answer is that her fate as the 'next Sword Spear Heavenly Lord candidate' derives from the current Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, making her very foundation none other than the current Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
In a sense, the current Sword Spear Heavenly Lord is even closer to being her parent than Wol Woon, who provides a bit of bloodline.
And...
The fate directly bestowed upon her by Radiance Hall.
Her genius arising from that fate derives an answer close to the truth.
'...Master is a being similar to me in some way. Either similar in temperament, or similar in the nature of the spirit, or if not...similar in something metaphysical like fate.'
A metaphysical sense of kinship.
Perhaps, she concludes, she herself is feeling a sense of kinship with Baek Geom.
And within that kinship, she grinds her teeth.
'...It makes me angry.'
Her eyes burn with rage and hatred.
Why does an existence like her, an existence similar to her, favor not her, who could be called their kin, but some other lowly brat?
If she and Baek Geom are similar existences, should she not cherish her even more?
Budududuk...
She clenches the flame blazing in her chest and grits her teeth.
It feels so unjust that she could cry.
Why does Baek Geom, her own kin, not look upon her?
Why must she be robbed of the attention of her own kin, attention she ought to rightfully receive, by some other irrelevant thing?
Why...!?
'...Yes.'
And then, with her eyes reddened, she reaches one conclusion.
'If I take it away.'
That conclusion is a thoroughly distorted and twisted one.
The fate of the Radiance Eight Immortals, which demands discarding emotion, the power of history repetition of the Radiance Spirit Sect, which provokes inferiority, and the acts of the current Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who deliberately gives her humiliation.
All of these overlap, planting warped and crooked emotions within her heart.
'If I take away with my own hands what Master treasures, then will she perhaps look at me?'
What her master, Baek Geom, treasures.
With bloodshot eyes, Wol Ah recalls the one who, by cultivating a method imbued with the power of returning to youth, has taken on the form of a boy.
"Seo Gyeong..."
At first, she tried to resolve her sense of inferiority toward Seo Gyeong.
But now, she knows.
'Inferiority...cannot be resolved.'
No matter what, Seo Gyeong receives more favoritism from the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
If so...
'If I claim that Seo Gyeong for myself...then Master will look back at me.'
She will make her regret it.
She will make her master realize too late that Seo Gyeong, whom she cherishes, has been taken from her, and cause her to pound the ground in despair and sink into ruin.
Fixing on that twist goal, Wol Ah buries an emotion—whether it is inferiority toward Seo Gyeong, warped affection toward Baek Geom, or an obsession and possessiveness born without her even realizing, deep within her own chest.
: : Do you...desire power? : :
Within that possessiveness, the phantom of the Sword Mountain forms faintly again, but Wol Ah instantly casts the phantom aside and snaps sharply.
"Begone, Evil God."
At that one utterance, the remnant of the Mountain Divine Spirit shatters apart.
"I have no need of help from an Evil God that seduces the hearts of people and plunges them into corruption. With my own hands, with my own hands I will steal what my master cherishes."
Is it the fate of the Radiance Eight Immortals repeated through generations that drags Wol Ah into this state, or is it the remnant of the Mountain Divine Spirit called an Evil God?
No one can know which is the true Evil God, but Wol Ah resolves that one day she will escape from the Evil God.
'With my own strength, with my own fate...I will break free from the power of the Evil God, and I will seize what I desire. Even if...I must steal it from another...!'
Within the fate of Radiance, as she destroys her own heart...
Wol Ah thus begins to cultivate madly.
And four years pass.
"Is everyone gathered?"
Baek Geom, along with the Star Shattering Esteemed One of the Radiance Spirit Sect, brings their direct disciples and speaks.
These are all disciples who have reached at least the Grand Perfection Four-Axis stage to the Integration stage.
And among them, those who are still only at the early Four-Axis stage stand out.
They are the early Four-Axis stage Seo Gyeong, who has cultivated the Youth Samsara Sword Method and taken the form of a boy.
The early Four-Axis stage Pal Jin, who has cultivated the Eight Trigrams Sword Formula.
And likewise at the early Four-Axis stage, yet having already prepared all the foundations to build the axes whenever she sets her mind to it, Baek Geom's disciple.
Now ascending to adulthood and receiving the courtesy name 'Ryeong (令),' the one who previously bore the name 'Wol Ah,' now 'Wol Ryeong (月令)'.
Esteemed One Baek Geom, having summoned them, looks at them and opens her mouth.
"From today onward...we go to another Heavenly Domain to sweep away the mad fanatics of the recently much-talked Evil God, the 'God of Sword Mountain'."