Kang, kang, kaaaang!
Copying the power of the Candle Dragon Race's True Blood, Jin Wol-ryeong draws forth a sword of glass from her hand and faces Wol Ryeong.
Wol Ryeong uses every kind of trick and technique, striking Jin Wol-ryeong with the radiance halberd.
"Haha, yes. You do have the right to flaunt such impudent pride."
"Do you think that is all?"
Gradually Wol Ryeong's momentum grows fiercer, and Jin Wol-ryeong's face too fills with an expression of enjoyment.
Thus, when the duel between one Human and one Fighting Ghost Race reaches its peak—
Urrururung!
"...!"
"...!?"
Heaven and Earth rumble, and both of them shudder.
Paaang—
The desert of scrap iron vanishes, and Wol Ryeong and Jin Wol-ryeong return to the Heart Tribe territory where they originally stand.
The spell that manifested a part of Jin Wol-ryeong's main body's surface is canceled.
The reason for the spell's cancellation is simple.
"Wh-What is this...?"
Discomposure appears in Jin Wol-ryeong's eyes.
"The planes...are trembling...?"
The Plane of Qi.
The Plane of Soul.
The Plane of Fate.
The Three Planes vibrate madly.
All spells, divine powers, cultivation, and the power of Heart Dao Blooming are sealed in an instant.
Before this terrifying and sudden celestial phenomenon, Jin Wol-ryeong can only be taken aback.
The trembling of the planes.
It does not occur only in the Heart Tribe territory.
The Human Race territory of the Vast Cold Realm.
In place of Jun Jae, who stepped down from the seat of the Grand Cultivator Association Leader some time ago, the Quasi-Star Shattering stage cultivator, Gol Maek, who rose to the position of leader, jolts in shock at the sudden cancelation of her divine power, and she reads the celestial energy while staring at the trembling of the planes.
"What in the world is this...? What is this trembling...?"
The celestial energy has been temporarily cut off.
Human Race territory, Penglai Palace.
Deep within Penglai Palace, a Grand Cultivator at the Grand Perfection Integration stage, waiting for the end of his lifespan with a face full of wrinkles and weak breaths, suddenly shudders.
By his side, the maidservants and young attendants caring for him flinch in shock and speak.
"Palace Lord, it seems there is an anomaly in the planes."
"This trembling... Could it be that an Esteemed One or a Sacred Master from another Middle Realm has invaded the Vast Cold Realm...?"
And to their worried voices, Penglai Palace Lord 'Hon Jin' chuckles and speaks.
"...Well...to me...it sounds almost like laughter."
"Pardon...?"
At Hon Jin's cryptic words, the maidservants and attendants wear puzzled expressions, yet diligently transmit his words to the next Palace Lord candidates who support them.
Vast Cold Realm, Earth Tribe, True Dragon Alliance territory.
The Current Alliance Lord and Quasi-Star Shattering stage Dragon King, Gyu Ryeon, trembles all over.
"...What in the world...?"
As a direct descendant of the Immortal Beast Lofty Dragon, she can tell.
Her blood is resonating.
The blood of her distant ancestor is responding to the power of an Immortal Rank far surpassing even her progenitor.
"Great Immortal... A Great Immortal above the Progenitor is...using some kind of power...?"
The strange ripples of the Three Planes are not confined only to the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.
Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.
In the Nether Ghost Realm.
The leaders of the four great powers of the Nether Ghost Realm all tremble in fear.
[It is a great ghost aaaaaaaah!!!]
[A great ghost is using their power aaaaaaaah!!!]
From the Integration stage to the Esteemed Ones of the Star Shattering stage, all Esteemed Ones of the Nether Ghost Realm convulse and foam at the mouth.
Though they cannot see the essence of this trembling, their very essence as ghosts delivers to them a terror they cannot understand.
Ancient Force Realm.
The Ancient Force Realm Sacred Master Hae Lin, with a face shocked and pale, realizes the essence of the power and shudders.
"This is...the power of an Immortal Beast King... Grandfather Hae Nyeong, you may rest in peace. For the one who inherits your will already influences the Three Thousand World..."
Outside the Ancient Force Realm.
Employing every means at the fastest possible speed, the former Salt Sea Esteemed One Yuk Jeung, who has become an Entering Nirvana Quasi-Immortal, discovers the origin of that power and trembles.
"Amazing. I already noticed it when the Candle Dragon Race transformed not long ago...but is this the power of a true genius... Wait for me. I too will soon become a true Sea Dragon."
Purple Gold Realm.
Ban Ta Castle.
Sacred Master Ban Ta, seeing an Esteemed One in the midst of attempting the Sacred Vessel advancement fail due to the trembling of the Three Planes, screams.
"Huaaaaaaaaah!!! Huaaaaagh!!! Kuaaaagh!!!"
Though the one who failed is the Esteemed One before him, it is Ban Ta who raves even more madly.
"You worthless parasite! You did it on purpose, didn't you!? Using the trembling of the Three Planes as an excuse, you deliberately stopped your Sacred Master advancement, didn't you!!!"
Ban Ta, with his eyes rolled back, rushes at the Esteemed One who abandoned their Sacred Vessel advancement using the trembling of the Three Planes as an excuse.
The Entering Nirvana Quasi-Immortals of the Source River faction in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain shudder.
They still remember.
That moment—when that terrifying being crushed the seven Upper Immortal-level projections of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords, while only at the Entering Nirvana stage, then attempted True Immortal advancement—is still carved into their bodies.
They tremble all over in terror and kill their breath.
To the Entering Nirvana cultivators of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain now, that terrifying being is known as 'the existence whose name must not be spoken.'
They even fear that the waves radiating from that existence might find them and crush them.
Heavenly King Heavenly Domain, Palace of Radiance.
At its center, the main bodies of the Eight Immortals sit in silence.
Dududududu!
A vibration imperceptible to mortal beings.
Yet every Heavenly Lord present here feels it clearly.
It is 'laughter'.
The laughter of a single being is madly shaking all of Mount Sumeru.
: : ...In truth, is this one not more dangerous than the Great Mountain Supreme Deity? : :
: : How can one of at most Great Net Immortal so vividly manifest the power of top-ranked Supreme Deities or Heavenly Venerable rank beings? : :
: : And while shaking Mount Sumeru with laughter alone, the main body's location still cannot be detected... In some aspects, they surpass ordinary Heavenly Venerable ranks. : :
: : If such an existence does not perish together with the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, but instead inherits the Seat of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity and even advances to Heavenly King... : :
At that dreadful thought, seven of the Radiance Eight Immortals present shudder.
: : If that one truly becomes a Governing Immortal...then it would be no different from the return of the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord. : :
: : Yet unlike the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord, who showed us goodwill enough to frighten us, if it is this one has suffered much at our hands... : :
: : Perhaps, on the very day they ascend to Heavenly King, Radiance Hall shall meet its end. : :
The Rain Dew Heavenly Lord's eyes gleam as they speak.
: : We must prepare countermeasures... That one has grown strong enough to handle not only the Radiance Eight Immortals, but even the power of the Radiance Ten Heavens. If that being becomes a Governing Immortal...then they will truly be an Eul (乙) grade...a top-tier Eul (乙) grade threat. Therefore, we must make preparations in advance. : :
: : Preparations? : :
: : That is right. We must amass power. : :
Even the power of the God-Killing Spear could not end the Enders who joined forces.
Thus, the Rain Dew Heavenly Lord begins discussion of a plan to 'amass' the power of Heuk Sa, the strength that the Radiance Eight Immortals have summoned only in times of necessity, in order to magnify its strength to the greatest extent.
Kugugugugugu!
Twin Holding Heavenly Domain, Heavenly Escape Realm.
My main body there bursts into laughter.
How long do I laugh?
I stop only before my laughter causes a disaster across the entirety of Mount Sumeru.
"...You're telling me to come, right?"
The reason why I notice now, together with the 'Noble Blood True Sea Radiance,' the scheme of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity is simple.
Through Jin Wol-ryeong, through the bloodline of the Fighting Ghost Race, the Great Mountain Supreme Deity has sent me a message.
That he is preparing a move right now, and that I should enter.
"...Isn't it far too obvious?"
Am I afraid?
I am afraid.
Certainly, to seize chaos is something unheard of, and the very fact that such a thing can be realized is absurd to me.
But precisely because of that, I can easily read the hidden meaning contained in this message from Gwak Am.
"...Are you afraid?"
Of course, no answer comes.
But I can tell.
Gwak Am is currently wary of the arrangements I am leaving behind.
Naturally so, for if this arrangement comes to fruition, I will hold an overwhelming type advantage against all beings who bear the name of 'Light'.
Especially now, as Gwak Am once again dons the mask of light under the pretense of executing the Splitting Heaven Mantra.
If this arrangement is completed, then he too will be at a disadvantage against me in terms of compatibility.
In other words, the arrangement I am setting up right now is not merely out of fear of my later annihilation, but a cornerstone to defeating Gwak Am.
"Of course you wouldn't want to leave even a single variable behind."
Even if he completes the Splitting Heaven Mantra, even if he seizes chaos, the moment I complete this arrangement, the arrangement itself will become a spear piercing into Gwak Am's vitals.
If this spear is completed, then even should Gwam Am defeat me, the probability that he loses when challenging the Audience Chamber afterward will rise exponentially. So it seems he wishes to clash with me before I complete the arrangement.
"You must want me to come rushing as though fire is lit under my backside, right, Senior Brother?"
Again, there is no answer.
"Sorry, but that will not happen. I will complete this arrangement, defeat you...and prepare a move so that, no matter what Enders of later generations may come, they can receive salvation from light. My arrangement itself is the deadliest poison to be released within Radiance Hall."
And perhaps, even become the fangs that may reach the Owner of Fate who is currently ruling from the shadows behind Radiance Hall.
That is my arrangement.
Woo-wooong—
Feeling the formula of the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle swirling inside me, I clench my hand.
"...I will not go to you. Do you think that by seizing chaos you can prevent my arrangement from being fulfilled? That will not happen."
War at its core is about doing what your opponent least desires.
Since Gwak Am is provoking me and wishes for me to come rushing, I will simply remain here and calmly complete my arrangement.
Only...
"From now on, I must press forward with my arrangement a bit more."
Wo-woong—
I grasp the void with my hand as my eyes gleam.
"...Yeon-ah, it seems you must begin now."
A move to hinder Gwak Am, to divert the eyes of the Radiance Eight Immortals, and in the end seize victory in the Great Mountain War.
At my single sentence, Kim Yeon's will turns into the wind and begins to cover the world.
Her consciousness domain, already vast from the beginning, spreads out across all of Mount Sumeru, and begins to directly interfere with all affairs of Mount Sumeru, bringing about a certain phenomena.
It is a plan she herself originally said she would attempt after reaching Heavenly King.
"Artificial Gandhara...from this moment, please create it."
"Yes, Orabeoni."
Kim Yeon sits upon the shoulder of my main body, leaning her body against my neck, and nods.
The time is arriving when we must truly extend our influence over Mount Sumeru.
Kugugugung!
The vibration of some transcendent being that spreads their influence across the Three Planes subsides.
Jin Wol-ryeong, drenched in cold sweat from that chilling presence just now, breathes heavily.
If that vibration had resounded just a little longer, all cultivators in the Heavenly Domain at the Nascent Soul stage above and below the Sacred Vessel stage would have gone mad, rampaging in frenzy.
"..."
But Jin Wol-ryeong soon notices that more than that, something else catches her attention.
"...You..."
Wol Ryeong's foot.
Her foot pushed Jin Wol-ryeong's foot aside, forcing her body slightly but unmistakably beyond the 'boundary of the circle.'
"...The bet, I have won, haven't I?"
"Heh..."
Jin Wol-ryeong realizes what has happened.
'Illusion arts! While fighting me, she used illusions to shift my position little by little, and when that vibration of the Three Planes arrived, without panicking, she focused solely on our bet and kicked my foot, sending me beyond the boundary of the circle.'
From the faint moonlight radiating from Wol Ryeong, she understands the situation.
"Is it a spell obtained from a True Immortal? I got tricked. If I knew you hid such a hidden move, I should have set a harsher condition."
"...If you lost the bet, then stop with the unnecessary talk and keep your promise."
"Ha, impudent one. Be grateful that I am a kind Esteemed One."
Jin Wol-ryeong, laughing heartily at Wol Ryeong's bold stance, sends Seo Gyeong over to her.
"I will keep my promise. That child's secret...is as follows."
Jin Wol-ryeong hints at what she suspects about Seo Gyeong's true identity.
And the words that follow, Wol Ryeong's eyes can't help but widen.
"That Seo Gyeong, he is probably a direct descendant of the Mountain Divine Spirit. Because... I have personally seen the incarnation of the Mountain Divine Spirit, and I even copied the Immortal Beast True Blood of that Evil God into the bloodline of the Fighting Ghost Race, I am certain."