Gyeong Chang's Sudden Wind, Sudden Rain.
Yu Yeon's Calm Winds, Resting Waves.
Ryeo Hwa's Endless Cold Window.
...
I move my hands swiftly.
I can see it.
In the far distance, weapons are scattered everywhere.
Their owners are not here.
However...
As I approach and grip the weapons, I feel as if I can understand what kind of lives their owners lived.
Yu Hwa's Illusory Play under the Rosy Afterglow.
Baek Yeom's Mountain Repelling Whip.
Kim Young-hoon's Surpassing Radiant Saber!
Flash, flash!
As the radiance swirls, the weapons in my hand continuously strike at the massive being before me.
Cut, crush, pierce, strike, break, push, deflect...
All of this is Martial Arts (武).
It is the method for approaching [death].
What I face is neither an individual nor a group, but a principle (理致) itself.
Opening the Middle Realm and wielding authority from the domain of an Immortal Seat.
It is Blood Yin.
The Manifestations of more than ten thousand Heart Tribe members explode from my hand.
Piiiiit!
I raise the All-Heavens Sword from the Plane of Soul, cutting towards [Above].
To a world filled with light.
Towards the main body of Blood Yin that resides in that world!
Chwararararara.
Blood Yin doesn't stay still.
Kuduk, kududuk.
Coral sprouts from my body.
:: I declare my judgment... ::
Kururung!
While I'm unleashing Heavenly Tribulation, I hear Blood Yin's mantra echo in my mind.
:: I see the karmic sins of uncountable living beings who were swept away into annihilation by an immense existence, all because of you. ::
Crack...
They immediately attack my weakness.
:: This is your sin, and thus your responsibility to bear! ::
I tightly shut my eyes.
The responsibility I've always carried on my chest.
If I die because of this, then that too will be my sin!
As I brace myself for the coral to grow and drain me dry,
"...?"
Zzzt—
The coral sprouting from my body shrinks and then burns away completely.
'What...?'
I recall the authority of Hyeon Eum, who had fused with the left foot of Esteemed One Swae Ryeong during a previous battle.
Back then, perhaps I didn't have enough severe sins for the coral to fully grow as it withered and died instead.
But now, it isn't just withering. It's burning away completely.
That's when it happens.
:: You... ::
Blood Yin begins trembling.
:: How could a living being have already received judgment? Who judged you in advance? Why do I feel the power of my Karmic Fire within you? ::
Their eye quivers.
:: Was it you I sensed as the target of Karmic Fire before? Then why is the Karmic Fire extinguished now? The only conditions for the Karmic Fire to extinguish out are either a Judge absolves the sin and extinguishes it, or one's own conscience stabs deeper than the pain of the fire itself! ::
Dudududududu.
Heaven and Earth begin to tremble.
:: It is impossible for the conscience and guilt of a mortal to exceed the agony of Karmic Fire. Then...which Judge have you met beforehand? Does this mean...you appeared before me carrying the will of a Judge of the Underworld? Does the will of the Underworld not wish for my reinstatement!? ::
Their eye starts to shake.
:: I am Yu Hao Te. I am none other than the Chief Judge Nether Devil True Lord! The Accumulating Virtue Dharma King and Right Hand of the [Oldest One]! I was the pinnacle of the Underworld!!! But why!? My Lord! Why do you reveal such will to me!!?? ::
Blood Yin begins to scream.
Dududududu!
Earthquakes and tsunamis start to occur throughout the Bright Cold Realm, and blood and brain matter begin to gush out from beneath the ground.
Blood Yin is wailing.
'...I see. They believe that my presence here, standing against them, is the will of the Reapers of the Underworld.'
It's certainly understandable to think so.
Had I not heard the 'conditions for the Karmic Fire to be extinguished' from Blood Yin's own mouth, I too would have mistaken my fate as being manipulated by the Reapers.
'Now I understand.'
The reason the fire went out after meeting Great Mountain wasn't because Great Mountain extinguished it for me.
It was because, right after my followers were massacred, the pain and guilt in my heart...
Grew vast enough to surpass the pain of the Karmic Fire.
From the moment a cultivator attains the consciousness domain, they sense more and think more than mortals.
Because of that, they are superior to mortals, but at the same time, they feel emotions far more delicately than mortals do.
When it comes to pleasure, this may be an advantage...
But when it comes to pain, the pain is far greater than what mortals feel, to the point where a mortal's pain seems trivial.
I laugh as I watch Blood Yin scream before me.
Kwarurururung!
A green podao appears in my hand.
In the past, if I didn't have the podao that Jang Ik personally embedded, it would've been impossible to manifest this destructive power.
But now it's different.
As long as Yeon's Play is activated, I can unleash Jang Ik's single strike at any time.
"Collapsing Immortals!"
Kururururu!
Jang Ik's Fighting Spirit, created solely to destroy the strong who oppress the weak!
That Will explodes from my hand.
"Annihilating Heavens!"
Kwarururururung!
With a sound akin to Heavenly Tribulation, the highest peak in the Bright Cold Realm, Heavenly Lotus Mountain, is split in half!
Chiiiiiiiiii!
The red aura sphere splits in half, and from within, I see Baek Woon, tainted by blood devilish energy.
Baek Woon's hands tremble as she clasps them together in a prayer pose.
[Please come...]
She's trying to summon [something]!
Blood Yin's remaining will in the area rapidly begins to take over Baek Woon's body again.
As if trying to stop her from completing the summoning!
I murmur softly toward Baek Woon.
"This will hurt...but please bear with it for a moment."
I have now unleashed everything.
What's left is...
"Jeon Myeong-hoon!"
Kwarurururung!
To drain Blood Yin's power and drive him out completely!
Red lightning flickers as Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand forms a lightning spear.
"Haaaaaaa!"
Kwajijijijijk!
With a thunderous roar, Jeon Myeong-hoon's lightning spear pierces Baek Woon's stomach.
At the same time, the seven lightning spears of Yang Su-jin hidden within her body begin to react.
"Descend, Heavenly Punishment!"
Simultaneously, Heavenly Tribulation begins to erupt from Yang Su-jin's lightning spears.
: : I see...you fulfilled the conditions! You called for Them! You! You...!!! : :
But I also feel my mind going blank, trembling in terror.
I can sense it.
When the sky of the Bright Cold Realm fully brightens, the [Great Beings] will descend, and we might face an end worse than being taxidermized by the Oldest One!
Just as my mind turns completely white.
Paaaaatt!
"...!?"
The Salt Crystal norigae shines pure white.
That pure white light begins to protect us, resisting the golden light blazing in the Bright Cold Realm.
As I watch the scene, a conversation I once had comes to mind.
The secret room where I spoke with the Queen of Penglai Kingdom.
Inside that room, the salt that radiated light....
The light brought by the Owner of Salt Mountain!
The pure white light responds to the light of the 'Owner of Light' and begins to exert a powerful attraction force.
'This, this is...'
The attraction force activates.
At the same time, Yeon's Play and the norigae resonate, and 'something' starts to happen.
The plan I had conceived from the start to summon the domain of Salt Mountain into this place is being realized!
'It's activating now...!? Suddenly? Is it because it touched the light!?'
It's when I feel bewildered.
Something begins to be 'summoned' to this place.
It's a massive mountain.
A pure white Salt Mountain has appeared here.
'Ah...'
I realize what this Salt Mountain is.
'Is that...the entrance to the dream...?'
We all start getting pulled into the Salt Mountain.
I quickly realize why this is happening.
Even though we managed to pull 'that world' into this one using Yeon's Play, due to the lack of power, 'we' are being dragged in instead.
: : You dare insult this Judge and try to escape into a dream!? : :
From far away, I hear Blood Yin's furious roar.
At the same time, I feel a chill run down my entire body.
: : With the authority of a True Immortal, I prophesize this... : :
Chills!
: : Within 100 years, you shall all surely face me again. : :
Kuuung!
The sky seems to rumble with a loud noise, and an enormous pressure briefly settles on our shoulders before disappearing.
Having reached the realm of Void Shattering, I can tell.
Blood Yin has imposed upon us the fate that 'within 100 years, we will inevitably meet Them again'!
At some point, we will, 'one way or another,' meet Blood Yin again due to the attraction force of fate...
Having saved the Bright Cold Realm, we are sucked into the dream of Salt Mountain amidst Blood Yin, Baeok Woon, and the descent of Light.
Kugugugugu!
In the distance, shadows rise, and the 'closed-eyed' Seo Hweols of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens extend their hands toward us from the shadows.
The bastard's intention is clear.
Now that 'this situation' has settled, it's time to immediately betray me!
However, contrary to expectations, Seo Hweol's shadow passes by me and desperately reaches out toward Oh Hyun-seok, who brought Seo Ran into his domain.
Shukwak!
But in the next moment, Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens is once again severed by my Sub-Heart Sword.
[Hoho...I was just about to reunite with my beloved family, so why are you acting this way...]
"Sorry, but Seo Ran isn't your family...he's my friend."
[Friend...friend...? Ha, haha, ahahahahahaha!]
As I am sucked into the dream of Penglai, I fling Seo Hweol away, and Seo Hweol laughs madly as if he's heard something ridiculous.
After sending my Sub-Heart Sword toward Seo Hweol one more time, I quickly fly with my comrades toward the world beyond.
Everything has ended.
And we, avoiding the Light and Blood Yin...
Will go to meet those we long for.
Kugugugugu!
The eight beings of light casting over the Bright Cold Realm look down at Baek Woon, who is praying below.
Baek Woon kneels respectfully before the eight lights, and the first light among them extends a hand towards her.
At the gesture of that being, Baek Woon's cultivation as Sacred Master is instantly restored.
The eight lights, after briefly communicating their will to Baek Woon, extend their fingers toward Blood Yin, who is restlessly lurking outside the Bright Cold Realm.
Blood Yin, gripped by fear, flees into the shadows somewhere, and the eight lights, after exchanging their wills, depart once again without paying Blood Yin any care.
[...Huu...]
With the body of an old tree and her Sacred Master body pierced by seven lightning spears, Baek Woon gazes at the large Salt Mountain that has appeared before her eyes.
The Salt Mountain is slowly collapsing in the blowing wind.
Though it briefly reacted to the light of the Radiant Eight Immortals and became a passageway to another world, it is now nothing more than an ordinary mass of salt.
With a wave of her hand, she scatters the entire Salt Mountain.
At the center of Salt Mountain, a white norigae is emitting a pure white light.
[Salt Crystal...a remnant of Ancient Force?]
She sighs and looks beyond the Bright Cold Realm, somewhere outside of the dimension.
[An ominous ore originating from the Head Realm...this isn't even the sealed Ancient Force Realm. I shouldn't leave it here.]
Snap!
With a snap of her fingers, the Salt Crystal norigae is expelled from the Bright Cold Realm and flies off into the Astral Realm.
Without giving the norigae any more attention, she restores Heavenly Lotus Mountain and begins repairing the various parts of the Bright Cold Realm damaged by the recent events.
The Bright Cold Realm becomes peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
Blink—
A cool breeze.
I open my eyes.
'This place is...'
"Deputy Seo."
'My head...feels like it's about to split. I remember fighting Blood Yin and entering the dream of Penglai through the Salt Crystal norigae at the end, but...'
"Deputy Seo."
'It's too bright. Maybe it's because of those 'lights,' but I can't see well. The air is clean, and the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is...what's this? I can't feel the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy? Just where is this...?'
"Deputy Seo, you bastard!"
Slap!
Suddenly, I'm dumbfounded by the hand that slaps my cheek, and I rub my eyes.
Gradually, my vision and senses adjust.
Maybe it's because I always had near-omniscient senses in the consciousness domain, and I possessed near-omnipotent power thanks to the authority of cultivator, but my body isn't used to this, and I couldn't react properly to the slap just now.
I gather my thoughts and look around.
The forest is dense.
The air is clear, and a familiar face in loosely worn office attire is standing before me.
"...Jeon Myeong-hoon? What happened?"
"What? This crazy bastard...Are you asking because you don't know this happened due to you dozing off at the wheel? And what? Jeon Myeong-hoon? Am I your friend???"
"...???"
I rub my eyes and look around.
I see Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon...and Seo Ran.
Kang Min-hee and Oh Hye-seo are not here.
And...Seo Ran, absurdly enough, is wearing clothes similar to what Kang Min-hee wore back on Earth and is fixing his hair.
"What the...? Wait, what's going on...?"
"What do you mean, what's going on?! Everything's gone to hell because of you! Deputy Seo Ran hit her head because of you and now has amnesia, and you bastard—"
"Wait, wait! Shut up for a second!"
Pabat!
I strike the pressure points of Jeon Myeong-hoon and the rest of the people here, knocking them out, and quickly climb a nearby tree.
It's 'that' tree, the one I always climbed each time I regressed.
From the top of the tree, I gaze out at the vast sea of trees stretching endlessly before me.
Yes.
This is Ascension Path.
The current situation is my first regression point.