The disciples of the Radiance Spirit Sect receive the hospitality of the Gi Clan and all unpack at the clan's main stronghold, Bizarre Mountain.
They expect to experience the culture and new customs of this Heavenly Domain, but their masters, the Esteemed Ones, immediately summon them.
"From today, you will each ascend to different Middle Realms of the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain, and there you will eliminate the groups of Evil God worshipers that have taken root. According to your strength and the size of each cult, you have been assigned to your respective places. Any questions?"
Esteemed One Baek Geom explains, and some cultivators at the Integration stage raise questions.
"Yes, is there perhaps even a brief piece of information we can know about those worshipers?"
"For now, I will hand out jade slips, so read them along with the slips."
Paaaatt!
From Baek Geom's sleeve, several jade slips appear and fly into the hands of the disciples, and each accepts and begins reading.
Wol Ryeong, sticking close with Seo Gyeong, reads the jade slip and lets out a silent exclamation.
"They are all frightening beings."
"Yeah...but must you really sit this close, Ryeong?"
"What's the problem?"
"Master...seems to be staring at us."
"Hmph, let her stare if she wants."
By now Wol Ryeong is no longer afraid of Esteemed One Baek Geom.
Of course, if they actually fight, she will die, but as she has continued along her Immortal Cultivation, she has come to know her own value clearly, and understands that Baek Geom can never truly kill her.
"..."
At Wol Ryeong's attitude, Baek Geom glares even harder with her eyes bloodshot, and for some reason, the head of the Gi Clan also narrows their pupils tightly as they look toward them.
Seo Gyeong, feeling the stares flying in from every direction, thinks he must separate from Wol Ryeong, but she pays it no mind and continues reading the information written in the jade slip.
Baek Geom, even while glaring at Wol Ryeong, continues her explanation.
"The places you must subjugate are three. The Lightning Sword Palace (電劍宮) of the Sealing Spirit Realm. The Wuji Society (無極會) of the Bestowed Bliss Realm. And finally, the Thunder Resonance Valley (雷呂谷) of the Vast Cold Realm. The Lightning Sword Palace and the Wuji Society are groups claiming to have received revelations from evil gods, and all are skilled in Lightning Path Methods, Sword Path Methods, Ghost Path Methods, and Curse Methods."
Among the three sects, Wol Ryeong's eyes go to the one called Thunder Resonance Valley.
For some reason, she feels she will be assigned to subjugate that Thunder Resonance Valley.
It feels as though her fate is connected there.
Baek Geom continues the explanation about Thunder Resonance Valley.
"Lastly, Thunder Resonance Valley. The Lightning Sword High Person there is also famous as the grand master of the Palace Lord of the Lightning Sword Palace. They are renowned as a cultivator who surpassed the Integration stage, and may perhaps have even reached the Quasi-Star Shattering stage. In particular, this Lightning Sword High Person is said to have received direct teachings from the evil gods, so you must be extremely cautious. Now then, I will now assign disciples to each sect. To the Lighting Sword Palace—Eun Ryeok, Eun Rak, Pal Jin."
Baek Geom slowly assigns disciples, and at the end, calls out those who will be sent to the Thunder Resonance Valley.
"To the Thunder Resonance Valley—Wol Ryeong, Seo Gyeong, Mu Geom, Bi Hwa. These four disciples will go for the subjugation. An Esteemed One will accompany each subjugation area, so do not worry too much. For Lighting Sword Palace, Baek Jin. For Wuji Society, Baek Eun. For Thunder Resonance Valley, I will personally go..."
As she says this, Baek Geom fixes a fierce glare on Wol Ryeong, and Wol Ryeong only smiles without caring about that gaze.
Thus, under Baek Geom's assignment, Wol Ryeong holds Seo Gyeong's hand and smiles lightly.
"Huhu, Seo Gyeong. This time too, we're together."
"..."
Seo Gyeong glances toward where Baek Geom stands, and where the clan head of the Gi Clan is, then tightly shuts his eyes.
Deep into the night.
Blink—
Wol Ryeong opens her eyes.
'What is this?'
She half-opens her eyes and rises from her seat, sensing a strange feeling from Bizarre Mountain, the main base of the Gi Clan.
Normally, once one reaches the Four-Axis stage, sleep is unnecessary. But because they traveled through light-speed navigation to another Heavenly Domain, until they adapt to the power of that Heavenly Domain, they must sleep like ordinary people and eat the crops of that Heavenly Domain.
This adaptation period is a process every traveler between Heavenly Domains must go through, unless one is a Star Shattering Esteemed One. Those who do not go through this period inevitably find their strength weakened.
Thus, during this adaptation period, the Gi Clan supports them, and they are supplied with usable magic artifacts, dharma treasures, and talismans from the Gi Clan, a clan famous for producing dharma treasures in this star system. After about a year of adaptation, they are expected to ascend and carry out their mission.
'What is this...?'
Yet Wol Ryeong feels such an ominous premonition beneath the Gi Clan's main base that it makes her shudder.
'This is...'
Although from the aftermath of Heavenly Domain travel she should not even be able to read celestial energy, she instinctively senses a powerful ominous foreboding. She summons a radiance halberd and points it toward the Gi Clan guards standing outside her room.
Thud!
A thrust through the halberd!
It is not a full strike, only a probing thrust, so the power amounts to no more than an attack from a Core Formation cultivator.
Yet within that thrust, she senses something.
"...Who are you?"
Wol Ryeong glares and asks the Gi Clan guard whose chest is pierced by the halberd, though not a drop of blood flows. The guard then smiles faintly and opens their mouth.
[Second-class alert warning issued. Second-class dangerous individual, direct disciple Wol Ryeong, initiates hostile action.]
Shiver!
Kwachijijik!
At that inhuman display, Wol Ryeong tears the guard apart without a moment to ask further.
And then, she understands the nature of the inhuman sensation she felt from the guard.
'This thing...'
They are, astonishingly, a finely crafted mechanical construct.
Realizing this, Wol Ryeong can't but widen her eyes.
Even if her cultivation is unstable due to coming to another Heavenly Domain and she requires an adaptation period, her consciousness domain is not sealed.
When she sweeps with her consciousness domain, she clearly perceives them as 'human'.
In other words, this puppet is created with advanced techniques that can completely deceive her consciousness domain's detection.
At that moment, she finally realizes the source of the ominous premonition she has continuously been feeling.
Dudududududu—
"...!"
All the Gi Clan members of Bizarre Mountain surge toward the Bizarre Forging Pavilion where the disciples of the Radiance Spirit Sect reside.
[It's an ambush!!]
Jjeooong!
Wol Ryeong's lion's roar shakes the entire Bizarre Forging Pavilion, and countless Radiance Spirit Sect disciples open their eyes and rise to respond.
Kwang, kwaaang!
Holes burst open throughout the Bizarre Forging Pavilion, and explosions erupt.
Wol Ryeong quickly grabs Seo Gyeong from the adjacent room and scans the surroundings.
'Damn it, I knew the face of the Gi Clan's head was suspicious from the start.'
She realizes what is happening now.
Kuguguguung!
Gi Clan's main stronghold, Bizarre Mountain, is sinking downward while a massive lid-like thing rises from the ground, sealing off the entire area.
And the endless wave of Gi Clan members rushing toward them.
She realizes that all of those clan members are actually mechanical puppets made to look exactly like humans.
Tukwang, tukwang, tukwagwagwang!
Countless cultivators pour down barrages of spells, but perhaps because of the side effects of crossing a Heavenly Domain, every one of their spells is pitifully weak.
The power of a Grand Cultivator at the Integration stage has fallen to no more than the level of the Nascent Soul stage.
'Damn it, to be attacked before we even have time to adapt. They targeted us at our weakest moment.'
Kuuuuung!
The puppets of the Gi Clan all combine together and begin transforming into a massive puppet.
Flash!
Kurururung!
Then, enormous swords fly from the sky, shaking the ground where the seal is forming, and the voices of the Star Shattering stage Esteemed Ones thunder across Heaven and Earth.
[We have fallen into a trap. Survive on your own. If you wait in your positions for three shichen, this riot will be supp—]
But at that moment.
Flash!
Something that burns through the sky flies straight at Esteemed One Baek Jin who is transmitting their voice, and from Baek Jin, struck by it, an immense explosion bursts forth.
Kwaaruuuung!
The shockwave from beyond the planet shakes the entire planet.
[Kuaaaaaaaagh!]
Perhaps because the attack is unexpected, Baek Jin screams as they reveal their true body, while Baek Eun quickly assesses the situation and flies toward the Radiance Spirit Ship.
[E-Esteemed One Baek Geom, please assist us. We must fire the main cannon of the Radiance Spirit Ship...]
But immediately after.
Tukwang!
Something fires again, striking the Radiance Spirit Ship directly.
Jjeoooooong!
Under the force of that something, the Radiance Spirit Ship shatters completely, and Esteemed One Baek Eun is blown away as well.
Baek Geom does not even spare them a glance, only looking downward.
Kuguguguung!
The Gi Clan's main base.
From the place where the warhead that instantly disabled the Star Shattering stage Esteemed Ones came from, stands Gi Yeon, clan head of the Gi Clan, now fully revealing their mechanical puppet body.
"Th-The Esteemed Ones are hit!!?"
Wol Ryeong joins up with Mu Geom and Bi Hwa who is assigned to her team, and looks toward the sky.
Esteemed Ones Baek Jin and Baek Eun.
And even the Radiance Spirit Ship they rode on are all being shattered by the vile scheme of the Gi Clan's head.
"W-We're all going to die..."
At the words of Bi Hwa, a girl at the early Integration stage, Mu Geom and Seo Gyeong both wear stunned expressions.
Wol Ryeong looks at them with a sharp expression.
"Stop spouting nonsense, Senior Brother, Junior Sister. We can survive."
"H-How can we possibly survive!? We can't use attraction force because of the adaptation period, and even the Flying Escape Technique only works at the level of the Nascent Soul stage!"
"At that speed we can't escape from within this sealing formation... Spatial movement using planes is blocked as well...!"
"...There is a way."
Wol Ryeong's eyes shine as she encourages the others who have fallen into despair.
"We can ascend. If it is the attraction force of ascension that leaps beyond dimensions, we can escape from here!"
"Stop spouting nonsense! Everyone's realm has dropped because of the adaptation period! Your cultivation at the Four-Axis stage has dropped to the Core Formation stage, and the Integration stage cultivation of Mu Geom and I have fallen to the Nascent Soul stage!"
"...As long as there are three at the Nascent Soul stage...we can, for a brief instant, raise one person's cultivation to the Heavenly Being stage and attempt ascension."
"What!? What are you even... No, even if that's possible, we still need one more at the Nascent Soul stage, but you and Seo Gyeong are..."
"I can just raise my realm right now."
Wol Ryeong quickly off Bi Hwa's words and begins taking out familiar things from her Golden Core.
'I wanted to stack the axes not with the Five Elements Axes, but with the Five Blessings Axes.'
The orthodox Five Elements Axes she has gathered float into the air and are sucked into Wol Ryeong's body in an instant.
Her realm, which had only been at the early Four-Axis stage, begins to rise madly.
The Five Elements Axes instantly settle within her body, pulling her cultivation up to the Grand Perfection Four-Axis stage.
The heavens rumble as if to send forth a Heavenly Tribulation, but she ignores it and takes another step forward.
Kwarurururung!
A sound like thunder roars from within her body, and she pushes her realm straight into the Integration stage.
Woo-woong!
Though weakened enough by the adaptation period that even a Nascent Soul stage could break it apart, a faint dimensional veil appears around her body.
Seeing this, Mu Geom and Bi Hwa are so shocked their eyes nearly pop out.
"Wh-What in the world? Insane... No matter what, to completely ignore all the Axis rituals and stack the axes all in one go..."
"The axes should not even be stabilized yet, how in the world could she possibly reach the Integration stage...? How is that even..."
"I can. Because I'm a genius."
Wol Ryeong brushes past their astonishment, feeling her own strength now risen to the Nascent Soul stage, and extends her hands toward them.
"Senior Brother Mu Geom, Senior Sister Bi Hwa. Lend me your Nascent Souls for a moment. If it's me, through your Nascent Souls, I can briefly reach the Quasi-Star Shattering stage... In other worlds, in this Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain where our realms are lowered due to adaptation, I can—for an instant—release the power of the Heavenly Being stage. You don't need to give me all of it, half a Nascent Soul each is enough."
"..."
"..."
Overwhelmed by such talent, the two are at a loss for words, but soon they clench their eyes shut and take Wol Ryeong's hand.
Wooo-wooong!
Half of their Nascent Souls flow into Wol Ryeong's body, and with half-opened eyes, she forms the Three Powers Formation within her domain using the three Nascent Souls.
It's at that moment.
Flash!
She temporarily shortens the adaptation period required for dimensional acclimation, and instantly restores her realm to the Heavenly Being stage.
Woooong!
Holding the hands of Mu Geon and Bi Hwa, and biting Seo Gyeong directly by the nape and lifting him up, Wol Ryeong leaps straight toward the sky.
Woo-woooong!
Transforming the Celestial Energy Guidance of the Heavenly Being stage into attraction force and hooking it into the attraction force of a Middle Realm like hooking into a ring—that is the starting point of ascension.
Clang!
Through her genius sense, Wol Ryeong instantly locates the attraction force of the Vast Cold Realm, hooks into it, and ascends into the Middle Realm.
With her departure, the sealing formation that blankets the entire Bizarre Mountain shuts completely, trapping all the remaining disciples of the Radiance Spirit Sect.
The clan head of the Gi Clan, Gi Yeon, whose arm has completely transformed into a cannon barrel, manipulates their arm to eject a massive shell casing and loads another strike.
Immediately after,
Jjeoooooong!
From the sky, Baek Geom's strike falls at a speed beyond reaction, aiming at them, but the mechanical tendrils bursting out around clan head Gi Yeon block Baek Geom's blow.
Kwaaarururung!
The surroundings are scorched to ruin, and the planet trembles.
And in the midst of the collision, Baek Geom glares at Gi Yeon.
"What are you doing right now? We agreed to wait about seven days and nights for Seo Eun-hyun to slowly erode the disciples of the Radiance Spirit Sect, and only then begin the operation.
"...That is true. However...my authority sensed something suspicious. For the sake of Orabeoni and for your own sake as well, I judged it better to cause chaos now."
"What...?"
Gi Yeon.
More precisely, Kim Yeon, who descended a split soul into the puppet body of the Gi Clan head, whispers a single quiet phrase amidst the turmoil to the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
"My authority caught another of the Eight Immortals watching you. I do not know exactly who it is, or where they are lurking...but you and Orabeoni must now stay apart."
"Rain Dew...is it? I understand, but..."
Shockwaves ripple as the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord frowns.
"Why in the world did you send Wol Ryeong and Seo Gyeong together?"
"What is the problem? Since it's the Vast Cold Realm, it is practically no different from being within my grasp, so there is no issue."
"Damn it... Even if the Vast Cold Realm is in your grasp, once they enter it, it becomes impossible for you to intervene in it again. Wol Ryeong's attraction force of fate is far stronger than the other candidates. The Radiance Eight Immortals directly invoked the full might of Heuk Sa's power to bestow the fate of the next Eight Immortals candidate to her...! Even with your power, you cannot completely ignore it."
"That is true, but...isn't it enough to simply watch whether the two remain unharmed?"
"What I mean is...that depraved Wol Ryeong has gone with my Seo Eun-hyun! Do you think I can be at ease with what that thing might do to Seo Eun-hyun!?"
"..."
At Sword Spear's words, Kim Yeon looks at her with eyes as if finding it absurd.
"Leaving aside why Orabeoni is yours, you are also depra—"
"Gal!"
Kim Yeon tried to press Sword Spear about something, but in the midst of the lion's roar she let out, her question is simply buried.
In the end, after exchanging only a few more short pieces of information, the two clash with the full might of the bodies they inhabit.
Blink—
A dark stone cave.
That is where Wol Ryeong opens her eyes.
"Hah!"
She quickly opens her eyes, rises, and takes up guard.
For in front of her, a human-shaped shadow is sitting in a lotus position.
Strangely, since that shadow does not emit the slightest sign of human presence, Wol Ryeong cannot help but feel an even greater chill.
"Who...are you?"
Wol Ryeong looks at the girl in black martial attire who appears to be of the Human Race and asks. The girl with her hair tied in a ponytail smirks, then ignores her completely and looks instead at Seo Gyeong.
"So this is your arrangement. I can guess what you are trying to do. You insane being... If it succeeds, it will indeed be like striking the king with a blow. Even if Myeon Woon is used, even if they personally attend, it will be extremely difficult to wipe away this arrangement. A sticky, stubborn stain, hard to wash off, hard to peel away..."
"...?"
"If it succeeds, then for the first time since Silver Basket and Obsidian, I will see something amusing again. I support it."
"Who are you...?"
Wol Ryeong looks at the mysterious girl with puzzlement. The girl smiles with a sneer, rises from her seat, plucks a single weed from outside the cave, and points it at Wol Ryeong.
"I shall teach you a move. Engrave it upon your soul, and let me leave my trace within the mountain spirit's arrangement."
"What insane..."
At the nonsense of a mortal girl from whom not the slightest energy can be felt, Wol Ryeong summons a sword of radiance to drive her out.
For some reason, from the very moment she first saw her.
From the very moment she saw those hollow eyes, Wol Ryeong felt an unbearable revulsion she must raise her sword against.
The girl turns her back.
"The difference between you and this Venerable is such that to face you directly would be far too shameless...so I shall turn my back. Now..."
Shiver!
In the next instant, Wol Ryeong feels a powerful threat to her life. In that brief fleeting moment, through her sword of radiance, she unfolds the greatest defensive technique she knows.
The radiance sword draws a curtain.
"Annihilation Advancement."
That is the end.
"...Huh?"
In the very next moment, Wol Ryeong's four limbs are severed, and she is miserably flung backward, crashing straight into the rear wall.
As if that is not enough, she feels her organs spill out from her belly and chest, and she vomits blood in dumbfounded shock.
When she regains awareness, the girl in black martial attire is gone.
Seo Gyeong, Mu Geom, and Bi Hwa are still unconscious, and only she is left vomiting blood, her limbs and body severed in many places.
It feels like a dream.
Chiiiiii—
Only the sight of her body swiftly regenerating reminds her that what just happened is not a dream.
"J-Just now..."
Wol Ryeong tries once more to summon her sword of radiance, but suddenly her hand trembles and she realizes she cannot summon it.
"That existence just now...just what...?"
Humiliatingly, her talent swiftly reveals the reason.
The humiliation is carved into her soul.
The terror is engraved into her.
Because the sense of defeat that with a sword she can never surpass that existence is carved into her, Wol Ryeong realizes she cannot use the radiance sword.
"Ah, ahhh..."
As she falters in panic and staggers outside the cave to chase after the girl—
"Ah...?"
Hweeeeee—
She sees the world outside the cave, and her eyes shrink tightly.
"Th-This place is...?"
Everywhere, beings that look like mere mortals are walking about.
"Haha, take my greeting! Surpassing Radiant Heavenly Killing Method!"
"Heavenly Killing Method Counter!"
Kugwagwagwang!
One human mortal and one Small Green Race mortal clash with sword and saber, causing an uproar, and no one around them finds it strange.
"Cultivators...? What is this, there is no restriction on flying techniques... Why is no one flying...?"
As Wol Ryeong looks around in confusion—
A tall being, eight chi in height and is half-human, half-spider, appears.
"Greetings. Are you perhaps a cultivator who has ascended from the Lower Realm?"
"Y-Yes...I am, but...?"
"I am a warrior of the Heart Tribe from the Half-Human, Half-Spider Race. At the same time, the current vice-alliance leader of the Vast Cold Martial Alliance."
'Martial Alliance...?'
"Welcome to the Heart Tribe territory. In this large and wide Vast Cold Realm, for a Human Race cultivator such as yourself to go out of your way to ascend into the Heart Tribe territory must mean your martial arts and heart are truly exceptional."
Kuung!
It's just when Wol Ryeong fails to understand.
The Half-Human, Half-Spider Race's Yu Jin sets down a massive zither beside her with a resounding thud and laughs.
"Let us first begin with a 'greeting'."