Chapter 470: 701st Cycle's First Day. And...
Life after the 701st death.
I collect myself quickly and assess the situation.
'I failed to advance.'
But it's fine.
I gained more important information.
'I need to get Hong Fan's help, Hong Fan's assistance.'
I swiftly organize the memories that just resurfaced.
After the 15th cycle, during the 16th cycle, I truly witnessed the genius of Hong Fan, one of which was his 'martial arts.'
I taught Hong Fan martial arts.
Moreover, he mastered any martial art almost instantly.
After he entered the Transformation Stage, when he could shift into a human form and unfold martial arts, his genius became even more apparent.
Hong Fan had an aptitude for all weapons, and whichever weapon he wielded, he used it with the most optimal movements.
It was to the point that I couldn't help but be reminded of Kim Young-hoon during the 16th cycle.
'Now that I think about it, that wasn't something you'd simply call 'talent'.'
Rather, it was less of talent and more like someone at a higher level who had temporarily lost their memory and was gradually regaining their senses.
It was something I could easily recognize because I had done the same thing multiple times myself.
It's probably...
Something related to Hong Fan's past life.
In any case.
Not long after I taught him martial arts, Hong Fan's martial prowess advanced rapidly.
I recall the moment he crossed the Ultimate Pinnacle and reached Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.
I remember it clearly.
Hong Fan, with threads tied to the tips of his ten fingers, attached unique weapons to the ends of each thread.
Sword, spear, shield, bow, whip-staff, ring, iron whip, halberd, dagger...
Surrounding those ten weapons were dozens of other weapons.
From bizarre weapons like the tiger hook, nine-section whip, iron fan, and judge pen, to war weapons like the moon blade (Korean polearm), podao, and long spear, an innumerable number of weapons lay beside Hong Fan.
Then, after that scene, he revealed his Gang Sphere.
Nine Gang Spheres began to spin behind Hong Fan.
His Gang Spheres, filled with different deadly poisons, were no different from poison pellets—just brushing against them would kill most living beings.
The pitch-black spheres devoured the surrounding light.
At the same time, the poison rose to an even higher dimension from the Plane of Qi, transforming into something metaphysical.
—This is my Martial Art.
—Impressive. To integrate the martial flow of ten thousand weapons through poison.
I remember that conversation.
—It's a splendid Martial Art.
—No, my Martial Art is not splendid at all. It is not that kind of Martial Arts.
—What? Why? How can such an incredible Martial Art not be considered good?
Hong Fan said to me.
—First of all, my Martial Art was not created to compete with others.
—Then what is that Martial Art for?
—This Martial Art was created so that I would not have to compete with others.
Tstststst...
Hong Fan's black Gang Spheres merged into his Entering Heavens Beyond the Path, and before I knew it, the pitch-black aura started to engulf the surroundings.
The black mist he exuded seemed to devour the surrounding weapons and erode the nearby space.
As I watched even the light being endlessly sucked into the darkness, I asked him a question.
What is the true meaning of his Martial Art?
He answered.
—To survive.
—To survive?
—Yes. It exists for survival. This Martial Art is the crystallization of doing whatever it takes to survive. Killing my enemies, killing anything that threatens me, killing, killing, and killing again... If I can't kill, I run. If I can't run, even if I have to steal from others, doing whatever I can to survive—that is this Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.
In the darkness, Hong Fan took his stance.
—What does Master think is the most necessary thing for survival?
—What is it?
—Learning.
—Learning?
—Yes. I will show you.
I saw Hong Fan's dance that day. It was a dance filled with endless possibilities.
What was the reason poison was born in this world?
It was to survive.
Poison that inflicts pain to make sure the enemy can never hunt me, poison that paralyzes the prey to make them easier to kill and consume, poison that kills the charging opponent instantly...
Poison exists to protect oneself and to survive.
Poison is pain.
And pain, in the end, is the teacher of life.
I exchanged blows with Hong Fan.
Then, Hong Fan's Entering Heavens Beyond the Path quickly 'learned' my Formless Sword, connected it into his own Martial Art, and used that connection to gain a momentary advantage over me.
—So, that's it. The essence of your Martial Art is...the unification of Martial Flow.
The me of that time who was at Treading Heavens could instantly grasp the true meaning of Hong Fan's Martial Art.
The true meaning of Hong Fan's Martial Art is precisely unification!
It's about connecting his own Martial Art with the opponent's and unifying their Martial Flow.
And in that unified state, he could read the opponent's flow, distort it, control it according to his will, and ultimately reverse it!
That is the ability of Hong Fan's Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.
So why do I need Hong Fan's Entering Heavens Beyond the Path at this very moment?
'Heavenly Tribulation.'
I look beyond the Interdimensional Void and gaze at the bright Star Tribulations.
The reason Blood Yin didn't block my first Heavenly Tribulation wasn't just to watch my performance, but also because the first tribulation struck so quickly that there wasn't time to block it properly.
Therefore, when I face the Star Shattering Heavenly Tribulation, I am bound to take the 'first tribulation' head-on, no matter what.
To connect Martial Arts and unify them means, in other words, to connect hearts and unify them for a brief moment.
And...
'The hearts of the Heart Tribe are the same as Heavenly Tribulations.'
It seems Hong Fan had already grasped the meaning behind my words at some point and shared it with Jeon Myeong-hoon.
"I will show you, Master. This is..."
Wiiiiiing!
The inside of his Integrated Dao Domain begins to rotate.
At the same time, Hong Fan's will unfolds throughout the world.
'It's the same.'
Hong Fan's Entering Heavens Beyond the Path from the past life heads towards the Star Tribulation about to fall on me, and...
Waduk.
Hong Fan explodes and dies.
It's Blood Yin.
: : Would I let you interrupt the play (劇)? : :
"Ah..."
The Star Tribulation plunges toward me.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, despite Hong Fan's death, doesn't run away. Perhaps he resolved to carry out the plan they discussed together. He ignites his true origin.
Kwa-jijijik!
But it's useless.
Jeon Myeong-hoon's true body is far too insufficient to handle the overwhelmingly cosmic Heavenly Tribulations of the stars. At best, he only manages to combine a mere several million or so Heavenly Tribulations into one.
Even if he is loved by Heavenly Punishment, that's the limit.
I endure the several million Heavenly Tribulations that have merged into one with all my strength.
As I endure, I look at Jeon Myeong-hoon, who has completely exhausted his energy, turned pale, and died.
"Jeon Myeong-hoon...Hong Fan..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon is smiling.
I don't know why he's smiling.
Maybe he's in the middle of reuniting with Jin So-hae, who has already died.
I can't see where their souls have gone, and all that remains is the smile the two left behind.
: : As a senior, I shall help my junior. : :
Blood Yin mocks me again, blocking the Heavenly Tribulations and strengthening me.
With the Heavenly Tribulation being blocked by Them, and in this moment of brief respite,
I compress the body of the star.
Then, I overlay my incarnation on top of the body of the star.
Tstststst...
The body of the human Seo Eun-hyun returns.
Looking up at Blood Yin with the body of the human Seo Eun-hyun, I open my mouth.
"Are you enjoying this?"
Surung—
I draw the Colorless Glass Sword.
I begin to burn my true origin.
Burning all of my lifespan and true origin, I pour everything into the sword.
Doing something this insane in the middle of a Heavenly Tribulation inevitably results in death, but it doesn't matter.
I'm going to die anyway.
There isn't even enough time to grieve for Hong Fan and Jeon Myeong-hoon's deaths.
Therefore, in this short window, I must do what I can.
"I will escape from your grasp."
I directly explode the body that has taken the form of a star.
Becoming the explosion itself, I charge towards Blood Yin.
[Even if I die a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times over!]
Blood Yin's single strike flashes in my mind.
My hope of escaping through Hong Fan was trampled mercilessly.
What am I supposed to do?
After dying nearly 700 times, I know that bowing down, begging, and groveling pitifully doesn't work.
The answer has always been to face it head-on.
Swallowing my sorrow and rage, I fly towards Blood Yin, unleashing a single sword strike containing all of my pain.
The single strike of True Immortal Blood Yin that crushed and killed Hong Fan.
A True Immortal's single strike!
If I can block that strike just once, hope will appear.
'The goal is set.'
No matter how many times I die and come back, I must be able to block Blood Yin's single strike.
If I can block a True Immortal's strike, I will be able to see the hope of escaping through Hong Fan and Jeon Myeong-hoon!
Therefore...
I will keep dying.
I will die over and over, and constantly fail.
And by piling up the mountain of failure, I will definitely break free from this horrific cycle of regression!
[Definitely!]
Blood Yin dismissively flicks away everything I throw at Them.
I am sent flying back, struck by the amplified torrent of Heavenly Tribulation caused by Blood Yin.
In the agony of the Heavenly Tribulations, I suppress my fury and resolve to escape from this cycle no matter what must be done.
I vow this.
That is my 702nd return.
...
...
...
....
......
The first moment of the 985th cycle.
At last, I managed to grasp a clue.
'The form has taken shape.'
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, the thirty-third move.
The form of the technique, which I named Sumeru, flickers before my eyes.
This will be the key to blocking the single strike of a True Immortal.