Chapter 408: Bow Down In Prostration (5)

Chapter 408: Bow Down In Prostration (5)

Woo-woong!

Reforming Calendar.

Calendar Calculations.

And an unidentified disc.

The three items resonate together.

I try to guess the identity of the disc.

'I see. A failed imitation made by a True Person.'

I heard there are three in total, and it seems this is the third.

Just as I think so.

Paaaatt!

Clink, clink, clink!

The pure white divine sword, Reforming Calendar.

The red divine sword, Calendar Calculations.

The unidentified disc.

The three items appear to gather in one place before emitting a clear light as they merge into one!

And what appeared is...

"South-pointing disc (指南盤)?"

A south-pointing disc.

Also known as a compass.

Calendar Calculations seems to be pointing north.

Reforming Calendar seems to be pointing south.

Kuung!

I look at the enormous south-pointing disc, far larger than myself, and stick out my tongue in astonishment.

"...What is this?"

A dharma treasure that appeared out of nowhere.

A trace of civilization I haven't seen in ages.

It's a sign of intelligence, but instead of feeling joy, I feel a sense of unease and a chill crawling down my spine.

I first obtained Reforming Calendar from Yuk Rin's treasure vault.

However, in hindsight, the performance of Reforming Calendar is insane. It's a 'weapon that by itself' provides the combat strength at the Integration stage'.

It isn't quite on the level of the Mad Lord's Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, but it is still an extremely formidable dharma treasure by itself. No matter how much Yuk Rin, a demon beast of the Demon Race, didn't use dharma treasures, it's unthinkable that such a treasure would be casually placed in the treasure mountain.

Moreover, something felt off when I fought with Jin Ma-yeol.

Salt Crystal is an excellent mineral, but it's not known for being particularly hard.

Being used for cultivation like how Yuk Rin cut off a salt pillar from the Salt Crystal Palace and ate it to enhance his cultivation, or being used for its physical properties as the keel of a ship like the Salt Bones Ship. That is the Salt Crystal.

However, even when I struck Reforming Calendar, which is processed from Salt Crystal, with the All-Heavens Sword before I was weakened, it didn't suffer a single scratch.

In the end, unlike other weapons that shattered, it merely bounced off the hands of Jin Ma-yeol.

And then there's the divine sword Calendar Calculations, which I obtained next.

Calendar Calculations was placed right below where the shard of the Colorless Glass Sword was found.

Almost as if someone had hidden it there, knowing I would come looking for the Colorless Glass Sword.

And the same is true for the disc.

As soon as the cave where I retrieved the Colorless Glass Sword shard collapsed, the disc appeared as if it had been waiting, and the three dharma treasures instantly merged into a compass.

It feels as if some entity was guiding me toward this compass.

The problem is that if I start feeling like this, it's almost never just a feeling. Nine times out of ten, it means a [Great Being] is guiding my fate.

'Some existence is trying to do something with me right now.'

Through this compass, no less.

What is that being's purpose?

It could simply be good will, but I know better.

This world is nothing but a mass of calamity.

At least for us, goodwill will never come our way.

I can't trust anyone.

Embracing Yeon Wei's philosophy more than ever, I unfold the Integrated Dao Domain.

Woo-wooong!

With all the spiritual energy and dragon vein within the Integrated Dao Domain,

And utilizing attraction force, I grip the All-Heavens Sword along with the Three Great Ultimates and, with the martial technique of Deep Mountain, Emerging Dao, I strike down the compass.

Kugwagwagwagwang!

The compass, struck within the Integrated Dao Domain, pierces through the domain and embeds itself directly into the planet's core.

That's right.

Instead of shattering on the spot, it was deflected and lodged itself there.

Retracting the domain, I glare at the compass.

Not a single scratch.

With my current strength, I can go hold my own against someone at the Quasi-Star Shattering stage.

It's clearly an artifact formed by the combination of the Integration-level dharma treasure Reforming Calendar, Calendar Calculations, along with the unidentified disc.

It'd be accurate if one thinks of it as a Grand Perfection Integration-level dharma treasure.

However, the single strike I just delivered isn't a joke. If hit directly, I could've sent even Hyeon Eum straight to the afterlife.

Yet, the compass took the hit and didn't even get scratched.

I let out a low growl, glaring fiercely at the compass.

I can tell.

This isn't just some Integration-level dharma treasure.

It was said to be a failed product of an Entering Nirvana Quasi-Immortal, but honestly, I don't really know.

Though the compass isn't particularly large, I can't help but feel the same unknown pressure from it as I did from the Serving Command Ark.

The legendary discarded immortal treasure that pierced through the head of Lofty Dragon, the Serving Command Ark.

Its majesty was truly overwhelming when I first saw it.

And this compass seems to exude a similar level of pressure.

After staring at the compass for a long time, I decide to ignore it and head to a planet in the opposite direction.

'Enough, I'm abandoning it.'

I don't know which True Immortal or higher being is trying to toy with me again, but there's no reason to play along.

After passing by a planet while thinking such thoughts,

Kugugugugu!

"...!"

I lock eyes with a True Person in the shape of a frog with its entire body covered in eyeballs, clinging to the back of the planet.

Blink—

The Quasi-Immortal in the form of a frog looks at me and opens its mouth.

Chuaaaaak!

"This crazy!"

I turn pale and dodge the Quasi-Immortal's tongue.

No, should it even be called a tongue?

It looks like a sea anemone with soft starlight swirling around it.

If Azure Tiger Saint's Azure Spirit Starlight Quintessence Great Method took the form of a tongue, it'd probably look like that.

Kugugugugu!

The starlight sea anemone-like tongue chases after me.

'Damn!'

I don't understand why something that had no aggressiveness towards me is suddenly showing such behavior.

Fleeing in a haste, I head to a planet nearby.

Only when I return do I realize it's the place I discarded the compass.

Kugugugu!

The Quasi-Immortal's sea anemone twitches from the sky.

While searching for a place to hide, I end up diving into the spot where I smashed the compass, creating a path down to the core.

Kuuung!

In an instant, I fall to the core and end up stepping on the compass.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the frog-like Quasi-Immortal seems to have just flicked its tongue for fun, as it retracts its sea anemone-like tongue and disappears again.

Gritting my teeth, I try to leave once more.

But this time, a Star Shattering Esteemed One in the shape of a continent-sized carp chases after me, forcing me to hide beside the compass again.

After experiencing these two incidents, I realize something.

"...Is this fate?"

In reality, they are closely connected, emitting attraction force towards each other in the Plane of Fate. Only through the spirit veins that shot up into the Plane of Fate can I faintly catch a glimpse of this.

All the stars in this universe are connected by countless pillars of light.

This is truly a scene that brings to mind the concept of Indra's Net.

I give to this pillar of light,

That is, the 'dragon vein of the stars,' a name.

The star's dragon vein, Star Vein (星脈).

Paaatt!

Together with the South Polar Compass, following the star veins, I fly towards the direction the compass indicates.

As expected, I can't find the Colorless Glass Sword fragment this time either.

However, since the day I clearly gained the eyes to see the star vein, I realized that the South Polar Compass isn't leading me aimlessly.

With each journey with the South Polar Compass, my ability to see the star vein, the Star Vein Eye, is further enhanced.

I can now see the star vein from farther and farther away, and with more detail.

160,000 years.

I, too, having lived for 160,000 years, have become a living fossil.

The lifespan I received in the Integration stage is nearly exhausted, and as a result, wrinkles are gradually appearing on my skin and face.

In just 30,000 more years, I will likely die.

Kuuuuuuk...

Kuguguguk...

My cultivation has now reached the late Integration stage.

My attainment in Seated Detachment, Entering Hope has reached a level where I can freely unleash individual strikes with ease.

'How long will this journey continue?'

Will I be able to find the Colorless Glass Sword before I die?

Unable to hide the slight desolate feeling in my heart, I continue to travel through the Astral Realm with the South Polar Compass.

Star Vein Eye, in a way, is a sense far more difficult to attain than Nether Perception.

Anyone who cultivates the Ghost Path Method or is deceased can obtain Nether Perception. But to obtain Star Vein Eye, one needs to fulfill the extraordinary condition of having visited millions of stars and drawn out the dragon vein in each and every star.

Moreover, unlike Nether Perception, Star Vein Eye does not grow easily.

Even after wandering for tens of thousands of years with the South Polar Compass that seems to help the growth of the Star Vein Eye, all I can see after a long time is the vast network of constellations spread across the entire universe.

But one day,

One day, after finishing a journey with the South Polar Compass, my Star Vein Eye breaks through a certain 'critical point,' and upon surpassing that point, I become able to see something incredible.

It's history.

Through the dragon veins, I can now see how the constellations have moved up to that point. I can now see their records.

One might ask, what's so remarkable about such records?

It's not like I can peruse all records like Oh Hye-seo―and records of constellations at that?

But indeed, it is something extraordinary.

The records of constellations are guiding me through a path.

A [path] that leads to the original great explosion, the very starting point of the Heavenly Domain.

Woo-woooong—

Looking at that [path], I finally realize where the last fragment of the Colorless Glass Sword is.

It's beyond that [path].

And I can guess what lies at the end of that [path].

Perhaps, there's an exit that leads out of this Heavenly Domain.

Yes, the final fragment of the Colorless Glass Sword has existed outside of this Heavenly Domain from the very beginning.

Pararararak!

Upon realizing this, the South Polar Compass finally begins to guide me accurately along the [path].

I am now 192,202 years old.

I have 400 years left before my lifespan runs out.

The time it took to reach the exit of the Heavenly Domain is precisely 400 years.

The timing is so exact it almost feels contrived.

I touch the wrinkles on my face and my beard.

At this point, my cultivation has reached Grand Perfection Integration stage in Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation and the equivalent level in the Heart Tribe.

In other words, I am on par with, if not superior to, [Her] in her prime.

My death is not far off, and my cultivation has been raised to its fullest extent.

But even so, I feel fear as I look at the [door] before me.

Kugugugugu!

A [door] that leads out of the Heavenly Domain.

I realize there are two diverging paths beyond that door.

One is just the normal path leading out of the Heavenly Domain.

The other is a suspicious path leading [somewhere].

And the last fragment of the Colorless Glass Sword is on the path leading to [somewhere].

I'm not afraid of the unknown.

What I truly fear is,

'The existence that lies beyond...'

I can tell.

Beyond there is the being who gave me the South Polar Compass and manipulated my fate for hundreds of thousands of years, forcing upon me the Star Vein Eye.

I can feel that being trying to meet me.

Even now.

Even now, the image of the Owner of Great Mountain slaughtering all my comrades and reverting the universe to its primordial state has not left my mind.

However, despite that, I ride the South Polar Compass towards that place.

There is nothing left to lose.

The only thing to lose is my memory.

Even though it's a mere speck, that fragment of the Colorless Glass Sword,

That Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.

Contains my history, our history.

I ride the South Polar Compass and take a step outside this Heavenly Domain.

Paaaatt!

The Heaven and Earth and Four Directions are dyed pure white.

Kugugugu!

The galaxy!

At the center of countless galaxies.

There is a certain throne, and the South Polar Compass brings me right in front of that throne.

And suddenly,

Flash!

The South Polar Compass, which has carried me all this time, shines white and transforms into an old man.

I look at him calmly.

"...Is it you? The one who wished to see me?"

I can feel it.

The being before my eyes is at least a True Immortal.

"No, I am but an incarnation of the main body. I took this form out of consideration, since you would go mad by gazing directly upon the main body."

"...If you have something to say, you could have summoned me directly. Why wait so many long years to call me?"

"Haha. Long years, you say?"

The old man strokes his beard and asks,

"Do you know who I am?"

I cautiously ask the old man,

"Who are you?"

"I have many titles. Some call me the God of Calendar, others call me the Owner of Time."

Snap!

When He snaps his fingers, the surroundings transform into a paradise-like pavilion.

As He sits in the pavilion, He speaks,

"You may call me the Heavenly Venerable of Time."

I kneel involuntarily before His solemn presence.

"Bow down in prostration before me. I have been watching over you for a very long time."

Translator Notes: No chapter tomorrow would be pretty brutal, right? lol