Chương 268: Tribulating Heavens (8)

The stages of the Heavenly Being stage are as follows: Early Heavenly Being Stage: Will to Become an Immortal Established (志仙而立).

Mid Heavenly Being Stage: Unswayed Amidst the Heavenly Mandate (不惑天命).

Late Heavenly Being Stage: Heavenly Compliance, Heart's Governance (天順從心).

Grand Perfection Heavenly Being Stage: Heavenly Circle (天圓).

If the Nascent Soul takes the form of a baby when first born into the world, from the Heavenly Being stage, the Nascent Soul begins to merge with the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.

That is, it experiences the vicissitudes of the world directly through the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.

Thus, from the Heavenly Being stage onward, fundamental changes occur in the form of the Nascent Soul.

The purest form, that of the baby, changes, and it 'grows' according to the life and death cycle of a living being.

The early Heavenly Being stage is called Will to Become an Immortal Established, but in fact, it is more accurate to divide it into the transitional 'Will to Become an Immortal' and the proper initial stage 'Established'.

In the 'Will to Become an Immortal' (志仙), it is the phase where one is born as a cultivator and sets their heart on cultivating immortality.

The form of the Nascent Soul grows from an infant to a youth.

From the 'Established' phase (而立) onward, the Nascent Soul becomes solid and large enough to act outside the body without issues, growing from a child to a young adult.

This symbolizes the beginning of the cycle of life and death, with the season of life being spring.

The mid Heavenly Being stage also divides into the 'Unswayed' and 'Amidst the Heavenly Mandate' phases.

In the Unswayed (不惑), the form of the Nascent Soul fully aligns with the cultivator's true body. It is the time when the cultivator's own vitality reaches its peak.

In 'Amidst the Heavenly Mandate (知天命)', although the cultivator's vitality decreases slightly from the previous phase, their ability to perceive celestial energy maximizes, and they gain short-term prophetic abilities. Also, the form of the Nascent Soul grows from a young adult to a mature adult.

This symbolizes the transitional period in the cycle of life and death, with life corresponding to the season of summer (夏).

The late Heavenly Being stage.

In Heavenly Compliance (天順), one becomes attuned to the voice of the heavens. This expression is merely figurative, but in reality, it means that the sense of reading celestial energy enhances further. The form of the Nascent Soul becomes elderly, This represents the season of autumn (秋) in life, where the fruits of one's life are harvested.

Heart's Governance (從心) represents the 'heart' accumulated throughout the Heavenly Being stage.

That is, madness reaches its extremity, and it becomes capable of slightly influencing the celestial energy. With will alone, it can distort natural phenomena, becoming a disaster in itself, and the form of the Nascent Soul is 'on the verge of death', representing the end of the season, winter.

Thus, throughout the early, mid, and late Heavenly Being stages, the four seasons (春夏秋冬) are completed, and the seasons endlessly cycle.

From the Qi Refining stage, laying the foundation of cultivating immortality, To the Qi Building stage, creating stars, To the Core Formation stage, painting the sky, To the Nascent Soul stage, creating morning and night to form 'a day.'

In the Heavenly Being stage, the four seasons are created, symbolizing an endlessly flowing 'cycle.'

Finally, once the foundation of the cycle is complete, Reaching the Heavenly Circle at the Grand Perfection of the Heavenly Being stage.

That is, reaching the state of [encapsulating the heavens within the body].

In other words, completing the 'Heavens' as a cultivator is precisely the Heavenly Being stage.

Hence, it is called Heaven and Man Unity (天人合一), also known as the Heavenly Being stage (天人期).

Following the Heavenly Circle achieved through Heaven and Man Unity, In the Four-Axis stage, four axes are built to create the Four Divine Directions (四神四方), creating the directional bearings (方位) of 'Earth'.

The Circle of Heaven.

The Directional Bearings of Earth.

The Heavenly Circle and Earthly Bearings (天圓地方).

Through the Heavenly Being and Four-Axis stages, creating the Heavenly Circle and Earthly Bearings, one turns oneself into a 'miniature world.'

Completing the Heavenly Circle and Earthly Bearings through the process of Heaven and Earth Unity (天地合一) is the Integration stage.

Heaven and Earth spiritual energy connects the interior and exterior of the body.

At the same time, I realize that I can freely manipulate the surrounding Heaven and Earth spiritual energy through my will.

'Let's go.'

Many cultivators find themselves trapped in the Heavenly Being stage.

It is not a stage that can be resolved by merely consuming a lot of elixirs and mindlessly gathering Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.

No, to be precise, cultivators reach the mid Heavenly Being stage relatively easily.

This is because it is in the mid Heavenly Being stage that they replicate the prime of their lives through the Nascent Soul.

But they do not know.

The feeling of reflecting on one's life at the end.

The feeling of seeing one's life flash before one's eyes at the moment of death.

Due to the excessively long lifespan in the Heavenly Being stage, most do not understand the autumn and winter of life unless they are nearly at the end of their longevity as old masters of the Heavenly Being stage.

Yeon Wei might simply look at the magnitude of my madness and declare it's the Grand Perfection of the Heavenly Being stage, but that is incorrect.

'I know…'

The memories from my childhood.

When I reached the peak of my life.

When I reflected on my life in its later half.

And when I faced the winter of my life just before death.

Because I was dying from a cold on a cold winter day, miserably like a civilized man from Earth, that's precisely why I know.

Interestingly, the beginning and end of a person's life are very similar.

When it's time to die, the body shrinks like that of a baby, and the mind becomes just simple.

The only difference is that a baby comes from the womb of a human mother, while an elderly returns to the embrace of Mother Earth.

But ultimately, if you think about it, it's the same.

All living beings come from the womb of life and return to nature, the source of life.

Like so, this world eternally cycles.

Wo-woong!

A circle is formed within me.

At the same time, my Nascent Soul endlessly changes form from an infant, to a boyish state, to a youthful man, to a mature adult, to an elderly, to a state of death, and finally returns to its original form, the Nascent Soul in the form of a baby.

It cycles.

This is the Heavenly Circle.

Wo-woong!

With my memories of a mortal reaching the core enlightenment of the Heavenly Being stage, I feel a strange irony as I draw upon the power of the circle.

From behind my head, the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth circulates, creating a halo in the shape of a circle.

Simultaneously, the Heavenly Tribulations above in the sky transform, and within them, Heavenly Tribulations at the level of the Heavenly Being stage begin to emerge anew.

From the Nascent Soul stage to the Heavenly Being stage, there are five Heavenly Tribulations.

From the early to mid Heavenly Being stage, there are 10 tribulations.

From mid to late stage, there are 15 tribulations.

From late stage to grand perfection, there are a total of 20 tribulations.

And I became a Grand Perfection Heavenly Being stage cultivator all at once.

So, how many Heavenly Tribulations will fall upon me?

"... Tremendous."

Kururung!

Fifty streams.

With blue and golden Heavenly Tribulations divided...

"... A hundred? Haha..."

I chuckle, drawing more and more energy.

Having reached the Heavenly Being stage through the Heaven Tribe's methods just before.

Now it's time for the Earth Tribe's methods.

The Azure Spirit Starlight Quintessence Great Method begins to roar wildly.

The core principles of the Earth Tribe's methods are similar to those of the Heaven Tribe.

However, from the Heavenly Being stage, the Earth Tribe's methods begin exploding each cell of the cultivator.

Kugugugu!

My entire body explodes.

Thus, by exploding each cell and resonating the life force of the cells with the Nascent Soul, the vicissitudes of life are imprinted on the Nascent Soul from the cells.

When the form of life and the process of birth, aging, illness, and death are all imprinted on the Nascent Soul, similar to the Heaven Tribe, one reaches the stage of Heavenly Circle and becomes a Grand Perfection Heavenly Being stage cultivator.

For the Earth Tribe, it's easier.

Memories from my mortal days, from when I was 'old,' are clear in my mind.

In this soul, the memories of having wrinkly hands filled with age are all too vivid.

Chalalalak!

I grow within the Heavenly Tribulations, becoming a mature adult, then elderly, and transforming into a form just before death.

And then I return to my original form once again.

Thus, once more, I replenish my Nascent Soul with the Earth Tribe's methods.

Zuwoooong— Within the circular halo behind my head, demonic power resides.

Heaven (天), Earth (地), Heart (心).

The Three Powers have reached the Heavenly Being stage.

Kurururung!

As I watch the 100 streaks of Heavenly Tribulations descend upon me, I stretch out my hand.

Cheoeoeong!

All 100 strands of Heavenly Tribulation burst at once.

I no longer even fear such Heavenly Tribulations.

I feel an inexplicable, endless surge of confidence and power.

Peong, peobeobeobeong!

I thrust the Colorless Glass Sword towards the sky.

With each thrust, exactly one strand of Heavenly Tribulation bursts apart.

Peong, peong, peong!

Continuously, over and over.

Thrusting and thrusting and thrusting.

Peobeobeobeong!

Thus, I burst all one hundred strands of Heavenly Tribulation.

'Now…'

I am fully a Heavenly Being.

Just when I think so.

'Wait…'

Kiiiiing― A strange sensation overwhelms my mind.

At the same time, I feel the energies of Heaven, Earth, and Heart, which were somewhat intertwined until now, 'completely' merge into one.

'What is this!?'

The symbol of Grand Perfection Heavenly Being behind my head.

Inside the halo, the spiritual power, demonic power, and the energy of the Formless Sword flows in.

Simultaneously, the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Heart within the circle harmonize perfectly, forming the Three Great Ultimates (Samtaeguk / 三太極)!

Cheolkkeung!

"…Ah…'

I can feel it.

At this moment.

At the Heavenly Being stage, the Three Powers have achieved perfect harmony.

At the same time, having attained the Three Great Ultimates, irrespective of the process called cultivation, Regardless of what kind of power I have attained, I feel as if I have become myself 'completely.'

And at the same time.

Kurururung!

I feel an energy erupting throughout my body like an active volcano.

"I see."

I stop attacking towards the sky.

Kwajijijijik!

The characters for Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder emerging from Kim Young-hoon's body strengthened the disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and enhanced the Consoling Lightning Ritual. The current power of the Heavenly Tribulations had been reduced from the Grand Perfection Integration stage to the early Integration stage.

However, even at the early Integration level, it surpasses what Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kim Young-hoon can handle, and as I stopped countering, the Heavenly Tribulations gradually began to fall.

"Seo, Seo Eun-hyun! What are you doing…?"

"…!"

Jeon Myeong-hoon yells at me, and Kim Young-hoon seems startled by something as he looks at me.

I grasp the Starting Form.

'Until now, I've just been foolishly creating new moves for the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.'

But today, I have grasped a new perfected form of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

The Severing Mountain Swordsmanship to be created from now on will be completed with a total of 36 moves..

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship (斷岳劍法).

The Twenty-Ninth Move (第二十九招).

"Boundless Dao to the Other Shore (大千道彼岸)."

If the initial move of One Annihilation to the Near Shore is a self-destructive technique that detonates the Nascent Soul within my sword, the Boundless Dao to the Other Shore is a technique that fills my sword with the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth using the abilities of the Heavenly Being stage, exploding over a thousand times per second, and encapsulating all my power within the move using the Sea of Righteousness and Mountain of Grace.

Because the explosions of my Nascent Soul and the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth are continuous, it's a life-risking technique that demands I constantly swing my sword to release the explosions of spiritual energy outward, lest my Nascent Soul shatters from the explosive energy.

A sword dance that absolutely cannot stop until it exhausts all the Qi in my body besides life force!

'From now on, seven more forms.'

Now that I've created the Boundless Dao to the Other Shore, filling in seven more moves will complete the sword techniques of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

I look forward to that moment, channeling all the energy bursting forth like an active volcano from the Three Great Ultimates into my sword.

The reason I created such a dangerous technique that requires me to constantly wring out all the Qi in my body is one.

"Rest easy, both of you."

The power erupting from the Three Great Ultimates is like that of an active volcano, making it feel as if my entire body might explode.

Boo-oong!

Through the 22nd move of Severing Mountain, I continuously perform my sword dance.

Seureureureung!

Upon swinging the sword once, an energy surges forward as if it could split the heavens, akin to the sword of the Heaven-Splitting Emperor.

Kwagwagwagwang!

The sword energy seems to cleave the sky itself, colliding with the Heavenly Tribulations.

The majority of the descending Heavenly Tribulations are blocked by this strike and cease to fall any further.

I continuously perform the sword dance.

Kwang, kwang, jeoooong!

With flashes of light, the Heavenly Tribulations gradually begin to dissipate.

However, I do not stop.

[Aaaaah!] At this moment.

I am like an active volcano.

Power seems to endlessly erupt, as if infinite.

Carrying the Three Great Ultimates on my back, I continue to ceaselessly unfold the Severing Mountain technique.

Kwarururung!

Gigantic sword energies fly, creating dozens of spatial rifts in the sky.

With each swing of my sword, the sky literally splits, utterly shattering the Heavenly Tribulations into pieces.

Transcending Peaks, Entering Mountain, Ascending Vein, Flowing Ridge…

Layered Mountains, Mountain Tiger...

Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains, Sea of Righteousness and Mountain of Grace, One Annihilation to the Near Shore, Guiding to the Summit, Vajra, Twelve Thousand Peaks, Boundless Dao to the Other Shore...

A myriad of sword moves continue, All combined into one strike.

Severing Mountain!

Flash!

The tip of the sword blazes through the air, pouring out all forms at once.

Simultaneously, the sword strike becomes a ray of light, turning into a sword wind even greater than the Heavenly Tribulations, and begins to devour them.

Kugugugu!

The sight of the Heavenly Tribulations being shattered feels almost surreal.

"Phew…"

I still feel an overflow of energy.

It seems as if the Heavenly Tribulations have surely vanished.

But I can tell.

The malice left by the Owner of Heavenly Punishment will not end with just this.

'There's still some left.'

In the sky, I can see the celestial energy twisting.

As long as this celestial fate, this heavenly mandate remains, Heavenly Tribulations will continue to target us.

Kurung, kurururung!

As if to prove my thoughts correct.

From the sky where I had swept away the Heavenly Tribulations, celestial energy fluctuates again, producing more Heavenly Tribulations.

"Jeon Myeong-hoon, Young-hoon Hyung-nim. I will deliver the final strike."

I speak to them with fiery eyes.

"With that, I'll try to handle the celestial energy, so please just block those Heavenly Tribulations a bit."

"…"

"Haha, well. Let's give it a try."

Jeon Myeong-hoon, overwhelmed by the volcanic power emanating from me, falters in his words, while Kim Young-hoon chuckles and nods.

Tadat!

Both of them leap towards the heavens and each deliver a strike towards the falling Heavenly Tribulations.

Kurururung!

Simultaneously, the Heavenly Tribulations are split.

'…Hmm?'

But I furrow my brow suddenly.

The Heavenly Tribulations are behaving strangely.

As if… they are alive, moving and avoiding Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kim Young-hoon.

'That's…!'

I chuckle wryly.

It's them.

Although they haven't pursued us to the Head Realm, I can feel it.

The Owner of Heavenly Punishment...

No.

Zhengli!

That is definitely Zhengli's malice.

The intricate movements of lightning energy are very similar to how Zhengli manipulated the electrical currents in the brain. There is no doubt.

Indeed.

Zhengli's malice is melting into the Heavenly Tribulations, aiming not at 'us' who are strong but rather falling away towards the 'relatively weaker' disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect.

Jeon Myeong-hoon is taken aback, but by then, the Heavenly Tribulations are already falling.

Just as I'm about to give up the final strike and sweep the surroundings once more.

Wo-woong!

A massive Taiji symbol emerges in the sky, blocking Zhengli's scattering malice from falling in all directions.

Kugugugu!

Along with that, in the direction from which Yeon Wei's soul had been ejected, she emerges.

"Huaaaah!"

She, embodying Yeon Jin, bleeds from the seven orifices as she blocks the dispersed Heavenly Tribulations in all directions.

But in the next moment, the Heavenly Tribulations move as if alive again, this time focusing on Yeon Wei.

The Taiji symbol she summoned crumbles, and she is exposed to the Heavenly Tribulations.

Pajijik!

Flash!

Red lightning and golden radiance flash beside me, and Kim Young-hoon and Jeon Myeong-hoon arrive next to me.

Jeon Myeong-hoon speaks,

"Seo Eun-hyun, please! Say you're ready!"

"... Jeon Myeong-hoon."

I look at him.

Then, I turn to Kim Young-hoon.

"Young-hoon Hyung-nim."

Grinning, I speak.

"First, let's save that person over there, then go for the final blow."

Having heard the plan through heart language, Kim Young-hoon nods.

"Alright."

"Okay, then let's go!"

The next moment, Kim Young-hoon, having understood my intent, becomes a beam of light and grabs both Jeon Myeong-hoon and me through the napes of our necks.

Whoosh!

Kim Young-hoon turns into light.

As if time had been sliced away, Jeon Myeong-hoon and I find ourselves inside the Heavenly Tribulation, having been seized by Kim Young-hoon.

"Go!"

Within, Kim Young-hoon infuses the energy of the Surpassing Radiant Saber into our bodies and throws us upwards, towards where Yeon Jin is.

But the Heavenly Tribulation is striking down from above, and we need to ascend.

No matter how much we are enveloped by the Surpassing Radiant Saber, we eventually start to halt.

[Jeon Myeong-hoon.] I speak through heart language, looking at him.

[Go.] I interlock my fingers above me, and recognizing my intent, Jeon Myeong-hoon's eyes light up.

[... Thank you.] Crack!

Jeon Myeong-hoon steps on my clasped hands, and after I envelop his body with the Formless Sword, I fling my clasped hands upward.

The recoil sends me plummeting downward, falling even below Kim Young-hoon.

Jeon Myeong-hoon ascends with the sword enveloping his body and reaches Yeon Wei.

[This time... I won't let anyone die...!] His eyes are fiercely bloodshot.

[Never! Not anyone!] Jeon Myeong-hoon, holding Yeon Wei tightly, shouts with a frenzied look, [I won't let anyone touch my family!] Crackle!

With that, the red lightning surging from Jeon Myeong-hoon's entire body turns into six hands, devouring the Heavenly Tribulation falling towards him and Yeon Wei.

Kururung!

The Heavenly Tribulation is completely absorbed by Jeon Myeong-hoon.

It's a strange sight—all the tendrils of the massive Heavenly Tribulation being consumed solely by Jeon Myeong-hoon.

However, the Heavenly Tribulation that I had once eradicated is now showing itself again, slightly weakened.

The energy of the Heavenly Tribulation begins to rise again.

And below, I summon the energy I had been preparing all this time.

The power of destruction I had been endlessly accumulating through Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains emits a dark aura of death.

This deathly aura resonates with the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.

"Huuu..."

Hong Fan had described my curse as a poison.

And Zhengli said that if the spirit is raised to the plane of Fate, the curse wouldn't affect it.

That means a curse raised to the level of fate will work, and the calamity of the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique is a kind of fate-level curse.

And, it's a poison affecting fate.

What is poison?

Poison is 'excess.'

In this world, there's no such thing as 'poison' per se.

Only 'excess' and 'deficiency' exist.

And all things excessive become poison.

This includes common poisons, bacteria, medicines, sugar, salt, and even oxygen.

Excess becomes poison.

This is true for Qi as well.

And to cultivators, who gather spiritual energy from Heaven and Earth beyond normal living beings, from the perspective of the heavens, they are a powerful poison requiring purification through Heavenly Tribulation.

But has this ever been considered?

To the heavens, we are poison. But, To us, the heavens could also be poison.

If concentrated power is poison, prompting purification through Heavenly Tribulation, Why can't we purify this overwhelmingly powerful force called fate?

"Heavens above," Kugugugu—

"I," I activate the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.

But this time, it is different from the original Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.

If the original Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens used a sacrificial offering to move celestial energy and invoke heavenly calamity, This Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique uses 'the heavens' as the sacrificial offering, making 'me' the calamity striking the heavens.

"Will become your Tribulation (劫)!"

Of course, this can only be symbolic.

Whether I use the heavens as a sacrifice and declare myself as the calamity, I ultimately have no power over the heavens.

I am but an insect before the heavens.

But that is enough.

As a result of the ritual, at this very moment, The plane of Fate has opened.

Just this one moment!

[Take this!] Just this one instant!

Tribulating Heavens Beyond the Path (越道劫天)!

The Formless Sword transcends the plane, reaching the plane of Fate in this fleeting instant!

I soar into the sky, past Kim Young-hoon, past Jeon Myeong-hoon embracing Yeon Jin, and as the Tribulation to the Heavens (劫天), I tear through space while ravaging away the Heavenly Tribulation.

I feel as if all the volcanic energy filling my body is exhausted in this one strike.

"———!"

Indescribable pain fills my entire body.

'Please, please!'

A strike akin to a gamble!

Indeed, can a mortal body that has sacrificed everything truly reach the plane of Fate?

But then, Crack, crackle!

Suddenly, I am surrounded by a seven-colored lightning.

I see a vision of a shadow, crying tears of blood, pushing its hand out towards me from beyond Shattered Heaven Peak.

In the next moment, I feel as if something pushes my back, and I 'enter' somewhere.

Kugugugu— Despite my entire body bursting apart, I ascend.

With all the destructive force gathered through Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains and pouring out all my curses, I hone my will sharply to become poison and cast tribulation upon the heavens!

Finally, I reach an indescribably vast and massive world and see it—facing the source of the Heavenly Tribulation...

I swing!

Flash!

"…!"

Whooosh— As I come to my senses, I realize I am falling from the sky.

Without a single ounce of strength left in my entire body.

Falling in such a state, I look at the heavens and smirk.

"Fate..."

Do you see it, oh heavens?

This lowly being.

"Has been cut through by me…"

Whooosh— I have defeated you.

Now that I have wrung out all the strength in my body, If I fall like this, I will surely die.

But I'm not worried about dying a miserable death from falling.

"Seo Eun-hyun!"

"Seo Eun-hyun!"

Kim Young-hoon and Jeon Myeong-hoon, both simultaneously fly to catch me as I fall, bringing me down to Shattered Heaven Peak.

"... It's over."

Blood-soaked, I look at the sky and smirked.

The sky is split in all directions, filled with spatial rifts due to my sword strike.

But between the rifts, the celestial energy has returned to normal.

As I look at the sky, Yeon Wei, nestled against Jeon Myeong-hoon's side, squirms.

"Uh, ugh... Where is this? Jeon... no, Senior Brother Jin Myeong-hoon?"

However, it seems Yeon Wei fell back asleep, and it's Yeon Jin who woke up.

Yeon Jin looks up at Jeon Myeong-hoon and says,

"Uh, senior brother. I'm sorry, but could you put me down?"

"…"

Suddenly looking down at Yeon Jin, Jeon Myeong-hoon begins to cry.

He sets Yeon Jin down and suddenly embraces him.

"Kuaaaaaaaaa!"

A scream mixed with grief, wrath, and relief.

These mixed emotions burst forth from the depths of Jeon Myeong-hoon.

"Huaaaaaa! Aaaaaaa! Aaaaaaaaa!!!"

"Hu, Hua! Sen, senior brother?"

Yeon Jin seems flustered but manages to comfort Jeon Myeong-hoon, who continues to shed hot tears, shouting at me.

"Seo Eun-hyun!!!"

"... What... is it."

"... I'm sorry."

Drip, drip, drip, drip….

Once again feeling as if the sect had been destroyed.

Jeon Myeong-hoon endlessly cries out.

"I'm sorry, Seo Eun-hyun. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!! And…"

These apologies are not just directed at me.

They are apologies meant for his family that he couldn't protect, who had died.

At the same time, they are apologies for not having trusted me.

For a while, he just buries his face in Yeon Jin's chest, sobbing like that.

'Still... there are many unresolved emotions remaining?'

I watch Jeon Myeong-hoon's intent for a while and then sigh deeply.

Despite the Heavenly Punishment being over, human emotions remain.

"... Jeon Myeong-hoon."

His intent is bleak.

Crimson, red, dark blue…

A terrible vortex of negative intents all mixed together—a horrifying abyss. Probably, anyone else seeing this abyss wouldn't dare to comfort him.

They wouldn't even know how to begin.

But, I calmly open my mouth.

"It's not your fault."

Whether that is true or not.

I remember the time when I lost everything to Yuan Li, seeing Jeon Myeong-hoon on the verge of entering the same abyss I had.

Perhaps I might be the only one here who can understand his rage.

"It's not… your fault."

I spit out a mouthful of blood and chuckle wryly.

"It's just… the world that's messed up… that's all. So..."

I continue, looking at Jeon Myeong-hoon's intent.

"Forgive. Jeon Myeong-hoon… forgive yourself."

When a person is consumed by anger, by madness and pain, I know best how miserable it makes them, which is why I dare to offer this comfort.

And then, Jeon Myeong-hoon's intent begins to calm down.

Slowly, he lifts his head, gradually.

And quietly, he responds.

"... You, you can't understand my feelings."

"I know."

People cannot understand each other.

No matter how close they are or even if they experience the same events.

Because they are others, they cannot become oneself.

But still…

He lifts his head while tears stream down his face.

"... Thank you."

Crrrack….

He embraces Yeon Jin even tighter, his face distorted with tears, and says,

"Thank you, really thank you. Really… thank you!"

Yeon Jin coughs as if it's hard to breathe, but Jeon Myeong-hoon holds on without caring, and Kim Young-hoon laughs heartily watching him.

What does that thank you mean?

Thanking me, or thanking me, Yeon Jin, and everyone in the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect for living.

Or thanking his own situation...

'There could be various meanings… but what does it matter?'

"... Yeah."

After responding to him, Covered in blood, I smile and close my eyes.

We thus, Overcame the fate imposed by the Owner of Heavenly Punishment.

'That's... enough.'

"Seo, Seo Eun-hyun? Don't die!"

"Wait, Deputy Seo?"

That, is my eighteenth return…

"Seo Eun-hyun!!! Don't die!!!"

"No!!! Wait!"

... or so I thought.

Splurt!

I vomit blood and retort.

"... I'm, not… dead yet…."

Cough, cough…

Somehow, I have a feeling this life is going to be a long one.

With that premonition, I smile and lose consciousness, the last thing I see being the two of them running towards me in shock to check on me.

Kurung, Kururung...

[This is a place where an Ender who has not realized their fate reaches through a miraculous probability...] I open my eyes.

A space filled with seven-colored lightning.

There, I open my mouth while looking at a familiar afterimage.

"... Yang Su-jin."