Sururuk...
The Sumeru Sword Dance comes to an end.
Simultaneously, the will embedded in the sword dance by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord fades away.
: : Someday, you will be mine. : :
"..."
I swallow as I listen to the words of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
I've garnered the attention of True Immortals once or twice before.
The [Oldest One] had even pursued me during regression, and the Owner of Great Mountain had descended to kill me.
Furthermore, although I don't remember it well, there was a time I met a being known as an Immortal Beast, and in the darkness of the Serving Command Ark, I also encountered [someone].
In addition, I also met with the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, the Heavenly Venerable of Time, Zhengli, and Yeong Seung.
'Hmm. It's not just once or twice.'
Anyway.
I have received their interest and anger before.
However, I had never encountered a being who 'coveted' me like the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
'To think a True Immortal...and one speculated to be from a faction of light, desires me...'
It is nothing short of a terrifyingly misfortune that sends chills down one's spine.
I look back.
Kugugugugu!
It seems as if a massive crack has formed in the universe.
It looks as if a huge stone had fallen on a glass window, punching a hole through it.
'This is crazy...'
Despite the universe's restorative power refilling the space, I shiver remembering the incredible power unleashed by the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
"...Wait, by the way..."
I recall something as I look at the hole pierced in the universe.
There is silence beyond the hole.
No reaction has come after the scream of the Blood Yin.
My eyes tremble as I look at the hole.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds...
"...Ha."
I laugh.
Then, quietly smiling, I feel the utmost joy within the life and death that had nearly repeated a thousand cycles and spread my arms wide.
"I am...free."
At last, I have escaped.
"I am, free!!"
There is no sound in space.
The vast starry sky and the darkness stretch endlessly.
I start to laugh in that starry heaven.
"Ha, haha..."
As I laugh, Heaven and Earth spiritual energy bursts forth around me, beginning to surge.
[Ahahahaha! Hahahahaha!]
A roar of laughter bursts forth from my mental speech.
I have!
Finally!!
[Escaped!!!]
I feel the aura of Blood Yin subside completely, and I cry while laughing.
Kurung, kururung!
[Finally!!!]
Jjeooong!
My incarnation explodes, and my main body inside is revealed.
The compressed main body appears in the cosmic space.
The main bodies of Esteemed Ones, known as the Origin Star (本源星).
Origin Star.
Colorless Sword Mountain Treading Sea Great Star.
My Integrated Dao Domain has become a star in space, emitting starlight.
A star made entirely of crystal glass from the surface to the core.
The star filled with the Sword Mountain with inverted swords scattered everywhere has become both my world and myself.
Kugugugu!
At the same time, I feel an immense surge of spiritual energy rushing into the Origin Star through the star vein.
At first, it seems that Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is simply filling the various places within the Origin Star.
However, soon after the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy fills up, the star starts to move as spirit veins begin to enter inside my star.
The spirit veins fill various places in the Colorless Sword Mountain like blood vessels.
Simultaneously, Heaven and Earth spiritual energy begins to circulate within the star.
Heaven and Earth spiritual energy circulates throughout the planet, beginning to create celestial phenomena.
Inside the star, it even rains, and brilliant glows gather to form something akin to spirits.
At the same time, explosions of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy occur within, materials combine, and life-like entities begin to emerge.
They are just microbes for now, merely akin to bacteria, but...perhaps in a few hundred million years, fully sentient beings might be born.
Just then, I notice that the circulation of Heaven and Earth spiritual energies inside my star is reaching a critical point.
[Ah...]
Kugugugugu!
Simultaneously, Heaven and Earth spiritual energy starts to be 'produced' in accordance with the principles of nature.
A star that used to only suck in spiritual energy through other stars' star veins can now transmit Heaven and Earth spiritual energy towards other stars.
It is only now that I feel truly connected with the star vein.
"Ah...I see."
From Qi Refining to the Integration stage, one only consumes Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.
Most cultivators spend their lives sucking in the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy around them, confining it within their bodies, and use it for spells, endlessly 'consuming' resources.
Even reaching the Four-Axis and Integration stage, only the amount of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy one can consume and confine increases, merely extending the retention period.
The truth of 'consumption' does not disappear.
However, it changes after reaching the Star Shattering stage.
From this point on, true nature forms inside one's body, and according to the circulation within that nature, Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is 'produced.'
'The Entering Nirvana stage creates stars, the Sacred Vessel stage organizes constellations, and the Star Shattering stage produces the materials that can create stars.'
I recall the dawn of the universe and comprehend the Star Shattering stage.
The Star Shattering stage involves circulating Heaven and Earth spiritual energy within one's own star, being in the position of a producer who can create materials, or in other words, 'produce' Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.
The rank of a producer in the universe's hierarchy.
That is precisely the Star Shattering stage.
Wo-woong!
I produce Heaven and Earth spiritual energy and further precisely imprint my star's attraction force into the universe.
Wo-woong!
Communing with the vast spacetime that is the universe, I imprint the principles of my 'first star' through attraction force.
The formulas of the Star Shattering stage are, as obvious as it is, the formulas of the Examination of Doubts.
Rain, Clearing, Cloudiness, Want of Connection, Crossing.
And Inner Diagram, Outer Diagram.
Shwaaaaa...
On the newly created first star, rain begins to fall.
The rain turns into crystal as soon as it touches the ground, becoming the foundation of my star.
Azure Tiger Saint nods as if expecting this, and the other comrades flinch in surprise.
I explain the current situation and the place we're in to them.
"So...the star we suddenly fell onto...is your body?"
"That's right."
"Wow...that's quite something."
Kim Young-hoon sticks out his tongue, and Oh Hyun-seok and Seo Ran both have very astonished looks in their eyes.
I organize and clarify the current situation, and as I do, one thought crosses my mind.
"By the way...this situation. It feels strangely similar to the first day."
"Hm? You're right, it does."
I look at the sky outside the cave.
Since the atmosphere hasn't yet fully formed, the night sky of the universe is fully visible.
The us, sharing conversation inside a cave.
The mysterious world we've suddenly fallen into.
It's just like...
The scene of our first day falling into this world.
'Ah, that's right.'
A lot has happened, but when I think about it...
Today is the first day of the 998th cycle.
It hasn't even been a full day since the regression.
Snap!
To recreate the feeling of the first day we fell onto Ascension Path, I snap my fingers and start a fire.
A flame emitting seven colors arises inside the glass cave.
"Going forward, we will save Kang Min-hee."
"Hmm?"
I continue to speak.
"I am not sure if you know this but...the universe we live in, the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, will be destroyed in ten thousand years. For us cultivators, ten thousand years is not a very long time. Therefore, I plan to find Kang Min-hee and together with her...either escape to another Heavenly Domain or find a way to survive even within the End."
Explaining the plans from now, I look up at the starry sky.
I have escaped from Blood Yin for now.
I managed to escape the fate They imposed on me somehow thanks to the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
'Of course, I don't know what will happen if I regress again.'
Perhaps in the next life, I might not receive the help of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.
'No, it's better not to receive help if possible.'
Honestly, receiving help from that being this time was like escaping the fox only to meet the tiger.
In the next life, it would be better not to receive any help at all.
Of course, not receiving help would make it ever so hard to escape from the grasp of Blood Yin.
Therefore...
'The number one goal of this life is, not to die.'
I set a few goals for this life.
The first goal is simply 'survival'.
The second goal is...searching for and rescuing Kang Min-hee.
The third goal, since the End is imminent, is to head to the Lightning Sacred Sea and retrieve the treasures Yang Su-jin stole from the Middle Realms.
It's around when I set about three goals.
Sway—
"...Huh?"
I fall right there on the spot.
"Uh, Eun-hyun!"
"Mmm!"
"Se, senior?"
Kim Young-hoon, Kim Yeon, and Seo Ran rush to one after another.
Wondering if something has gone wrong with my incarnation, I try to shift my consciousness back to the star side, but I soon realize that there is a serious problem.
Splish, splash...
Something like black water begins flowing from my incarnation.
'This, this is...'
Realizing the nature of this fluid, I am extremely shocked.
'D-Death!?'
It is 'death energy (死氣)' that has not only concentrated but has completely liquefied.
'Ah...'
I have thought about this before.
If I die hundreds of times like this, might I not suddenly be dragged to the Underworld and be taxidermized for eternity?
But up until now, since there had been no response from the Underworld through the senses of Nether Perception, I thought 'it's still okay'.
I realize it was a misconception.
'I-I'm being dragged.'
I sense that my mind is being forcibly pulled towards an endless ashen world.
'Ah, no! How can this be!? I just escaped from the jaws of Blood Yin!!! Why!!??'
I want to scream, but the power of death covers my mind and begins to submerge it.
I can't even move my body, let alone twitch a finger.
'No, no, no!!! Please! Please!!!'
As my consciousness fades, I see in that vast darkness, deep and immense beings gesturing towards me.
'No...no...'
The next moment.
Hong Fan, who regained consciousness, yells something at Seo Ran, and Sea Ran pulling out the Nether Crossing Ship is the last...
I completely lose consciousness.
"...Where is this?"
It is ashen.
Yet, at the same time, it is not ashen.
"...?"
I suddenly become curious and look around.
'Is this...a palace?'
The surroundings are that of a palace.
Pillars that look like they are made of the same material as the Nether Crossing Ship support the black palace, and I am sitting atop something that looks like an ashen carpet.
"...Huh?"
Then, I am puzzled to see 'Seo Ran' behind me.
For some reason, Seo Ran is also sitting behind me, trembling like a quivering aspen tree and looking at something in total disbelief.
That's when it happens.
"That child used the Nether Crossing Ship to summon your consciousness here before it completely left the domain of light."
I suddenly turn my gaze towards a being sitting on a throne deep within the palace.
The being is a woman.
"Welcome, Esteemed One Seo. I thought we would meet, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. It's regrettable yet also fortunate."
I feel endless energy emanating from the being in front of me and start sweating coldly.
"Who...is the noble one, and where is this place?"
She smiles faintly at my question.
"This is the inner subspace of the Nether Ghost Realm's Sacred Master Hall. And I am the one who has taken the position of Sacred Master of the Nether Ghost Realm, Sacred Master Yu Oh."
Snap!
She snaps her fingers, and a small table, teacups, and a teapot appear in front of me and Seo Ran.
"Let's have some tea and share a conversation for a while, O Heavenly King designate."