Chương 492: Eve of the End (終末前夜) (3)

I see a path.

The path is vast and wide, and it seems that by following this path, I will surely achieve everything I desire.

But the path is hidden.

Therefore, this is not a path that can be taken carelessly by just anyone.

I reach out towards a certain wall that blocks this path.

From my hand, a point of pure white light and a circle of darkness seem to appear, before gently opening the wall that blocks the path.

The wall becomes a door through which I can enter, and I gaze at the door.

'So this is Minor Completion (小成).'

I look back.

Having reached minor completion, a brief reprieve should be granted.

But after this brief reprieve, I must enter that door, where time that has been compressed as long as eternity awaits.

'Will I be able to enter?'

I am afraid.

But if I walk this path to the conclusion, before the End, I can grasp at least the faintest starting point to achieve everything and save Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kang Min-hee, and the now-silent Kim Yeon.

I briefly look beyond the path, steeling my heart.

'Let's go.'

After a fleeting moment of reprieve, I shall return and seize everything within my grasp.

Because...

My desires are so vast.

To obtain them, I must pay the price.

And so, in this fleeting reprieve before walking the path, I raise my consciousness to see the faces I long for.

"... Er."

Wiiiiiiing!

"... Er... Ma..."

I briefly look around in a daze, then snap to my senses at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Master!!!"

[... Ah... Hong... Fan... is that you?] My mind is a bit muddled.

I can hardly believe that I've been cultivating for eight thousand years, and I wonder how much the world has changed in that time.

Simultaneously... I remember what I have done over the past eight thousand years.

[Hmm... I feel... a bit hazy...] I gather my scattering mind.

Reciting the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra inwardly, my scattered mind gradually seems to come together, bringing back my reason.

'For eight thousand years... Yes. I was definitely reciting the Flawless Mantra... taking one step after another into the darkness.'

It felt as though [something] beyond the darkness had spoken to me, saying that if I quickly crossed over the darkness, I could achieve great completion in the Flawless Mantra in an instant...

'But then... why couldn't I reach great completion after eight thousand years?'

As I ponder, I let out a small exclamation.

'Ah, I see.'

At the same time I was reciting the Flawless Mantra, I repentantly enlightened myself through the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.

While engaging in self-repentant enlightenment, I endlessly traced a circle within my heart, following the standard cultivation method of the Flawless Mantra.

At times, I seemed to hear a voice from a distant place, urging me onward... but I ignored it and continued to cultivate the Flawless Mantra in the standard way, advancing slowly yet steadily towards the darkness.

As I cultivated in the Flawless Mantra, fleeting thoughts crossed my mind that it might be better to quickly cross into the darkness to obtain the ultimate authority.

But each time that happened, the formula of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra helped me.

Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment.

Like tiny grains of salt gathering to form the sea.

Build mountains through repentant enlightenment.

Endlessly repeating that aphorism, I searched for myself over and over again within the circle.

Of course, such a process is not strictly necessary for cultivating in the Flawless Mantra.

In a way, it was an unnecessary and meaningless action.

Perhaps it was because I repeated that meaningless action countless times that it took me eight thousand years to get this far.

'But... it's fine.'

There is no need to forcibly approach that boundless darkness.

With just my own power alone, I have already...

Wiiiiing.

[Hong Fan...] Wiiiiiiiiiing!

[Look...] The Flawless Mantra.

Having reached minor completion.

[The Wheel is turning.] The Wheel formed by the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and the Flawless Mantra rotates above me.

No, to be precise, it rotates above 'us'.

By now, after eight thousand years of reciting the Flawless Mantra, I've instinctively reached the very end of the mid Shattering stage.

I've come to the realm of forming five stars.

In other words, the wheel is rotating above the star system where 'we' reside, and it is gradually growing larger.

'I can feel it...'

My mind circulates through all five worlds, reincarnating (輪回).

'I see. Back when I created the Sumeru Sword Dance, I only understood the phenomenon of my mind reaching the Immortal Domain by drawing a circle, but I couldn't comprehend the reason itself.'

But now, I feel I understand.

My mind spanning across the five worlds.

And drawing a circle in that state.

That is, in itself, one of the methods of rising to the Immortal Domain.

'The Interdimensional Void, Source River, Eastern Heaven Flower Field, and the Underworld. These four dimensions are all related to death. And the Astral Realm is a dimension related to life.'

I understand where the Nascent Soul stage cultivation and the Four-Axis stage 'Heterodox Axis Foundation' originates from.

'Everything in this world possesses a soul. Even each and every one of my cells. And while my soul, which has a ego, goes to the Underworld, my cells or keratin that have no such ego, or things like clothes or swords, return to the Source River after death. The existence known as 'me' gets broken down after entering the domain of death, and in the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, everything is rearranged and reincarnated.'

We, in fact, already possess the attraction force towards all worlds.

It's just that after death, my very existence gets disassembled, rearranged, and divided.

However...

What if I could fully span across all five worlds as myself?

'A single world alone cannot completely hold the 'complete me.' And the attraction force of the next world gradually grows stronger.'

From the Underworld to the Source River, from the Source River to the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, from the Eastern Heaven Flower Field to the Interdimensional Void, and from the Interdimensional Void back to the Underworld...

Of course, it doesn't necessarily have to follow this order, but in any case, existence itself circulates around the Astral Realm as the center, revolving through the four worlds and drawing a circle.

This is a simplified form of experiencing reincarnation.

And while undergoing this simplified experience of reincarnation within the world, my mind rises above the reincarnation.

This is precisely the principle behind elevating my consciousness to the Immortal Domain through the Sumeru Sword Dance.

"Master! Please, come to your senses! You must not turn the Wheel! That path invites unimaginable suffering. Please, Master, hear my words and wake up!"

Hong Fan's voice faintly reaches me.

[... Hong Fan.] I smile warmly towards Hong Fan.

A smile spreads across the face of my incarnation created for the late Star Shattering stage cultivation.

'Ah... I see. So that's how it is.'

The five stars, all uniformly formed of crystal, now naturally align to form a single constellation. The Colorless Sword Mountain Treading Sea Great Star, which once was a Great Star (大星), has now transformed into a Great Star Enclosure (大星垣).

The constellation of the Colorless Sword Mountain Treading Sea Great Star.

Colorless Sword Mountain Treading Sea Great Star Enclosure.

Just as the domains of the Golden Core in the Core Formation stage are called Supreme Palace Enclosure, Purple Forbidden Enclosure, and Heavenly Market Enclosure, I have become the master of the Colorless Sword Mountain Treading Sea Great Star Enclosure.

In short, the owner of the Colorless Sword Enclosure.

To cultivate repeatedly to become a constellation in the sky!

This, is the essence of cultivation in the Star Shattering stage.

At the same time, I gradually approach the Plane of Fate.

I realize that the domain known as 'the heavens' no longer feels distant.

'Soon... I might just reach the Plane of Fate.'

No, even now, with the All-Heavens Sword, it feels like I can interfere with the Plane of Fate far easier than before.

The problem is that I can't bring myself to hold a sword in my hand after witnessing Hyeon Gwi's dance.

"It is now! Everyone. Now that Master has somewhat regained his senses, we must awaken him fully. If not, once that Immortal Art activates..."

While I am lost in various thoughts, Hong Fan is noisily shouting something while looking at the Wheel I have raised.

Around me, the Esteemed Ones of the Bright Cold Realm...

And my comrades, who have all reached the level of Esteemed Ones before I knew it, come into view.

Kim Young-hoon has fully risen to Void Shattering, and Oh Hyun-seok, somehow or another, seems to have succeeded in containing the power of a star within himself.

And Kim Yeon... Who knows what she did, but her lifespan is at the Four-Axis level while her cultivation is at the Heavenly Being stage.

It seems she intentionally scattered her cultivation after reaching the Four-Axis stage, bringing herself back down to the Heavenly Being stage.

I don't know why she made that decision.

In any case, there are twenty-eight artificial stars floating around her in a compressed state, supplying her with power. Regardless of her cultivation realm, her actual combat strength appears to be nearly equivalent to that of two people in the Grand Perfection Star Shattering stage.

'Could it be... were they worried because I had fallen into a state of trance?'

The End is still far off.

And judging by the aura I sense, Kang Min-hee's advancement ritual to the Sacred Vessel stage has not yet concluded.

When I lower my consciousness to the Mengyun Star, I see Kang Min-hee still wandering around various parts of the star with Blood Yin, Seo Hweol, Seo Ran, and others, absorbing her fragments and raising her cultivation.

It seems she experiences bursts of madness each time she absorbs a fragment, but Seo Hweol, by grazing on Blood Yin, has prevented her from going berserk, so no problems have occurred.

One thing that's concerning is that Seo Hweol appears to be preparing something to break the Immortal Art that was cast on Seo Ran by Gwak Am and Yu Oh, but... it still seems a long way off from being broken, so it doesn't appear to be a major issue for now.

In any case, it feels good to see these beloved faces after eight thousand years.

Now, it's time to walk the path again.

[I shall now... return to... cultivation...]

"No, you must not! Master, please, you must come to your senses. I have remembered something about the Flawless Mantra. I don't know by what cause and effect Master has come to learn of its paired counterpart, but if Master continues to learn it, you might no longer be able to save your comrades. You might become unable to overcome the End! You might lose yourself entirely!"

[... Hong Fan.] I speak to him.

[While reciting this mantra, I received a whisper from some being beyond. That being said that if I follow them, I would immediately achieve great completion in the mantra. But... I did not follow that being's whisper.]

"Master did very well. Whoever that being may be..."

[Instead.] My incarnation sits on one of the stars of the Colorless Sword Enclosure, meeting Hong Fan's trembling gaze.

Has Hong Fan also reached the Star Shattering stage by now?

He now appears to be in his early fifties.

Perhaps when he reaches the Entering Nirvana stage, he will look like a man in his early to mid-forties.

[I proceeded through the proper method. No matter what the darkness whispered, I ignored it all... and by learning this mantra through the proper method, I have glimpsed hope.] Hong Fan, as if unable to understand, grasps my hand and asks,

"Just what is Master saying? Hope? At this rate, Master will be consumed by that Immortal Art and perish before even being able to reach the refuge space for the End. You will die!"

[... If I cultivate deeper into this mantra, I can save Kang Min-hee. That much is certain.]

"Then what about Sir Myeong-hoon? In two thousand years, didn't Master plan to go and rescue Sir Jeon Myeong-hoon with that Seo Hweol person!?"

[Yes, we planned to use Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens to break Jeon Myeong-hoon free. But... the bastard alone isn't enough. That person is a True Immortal. And for someone like me who isn't a True Immortal to contend with a True Immortal... I need something beyond what I currently possess. Moreover, I'm still bound by Blood Yin's prophecy as well...] Golden Shaking Bird and Blood Yin.

The unknown being who gifted Kim Yeon with a new form of Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent.

If I can't deal with them somehow, I won't be able to save my comrades.

Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kang Min-hee, Kim Yeon, and even myself.

If I am to save everyone, I must find hope here.

[With the power we possess, we can't do anything. So, we must take a gamble. Because you conveyed the mantra to me... I was able to see hope. Thank you, Hong Fan.]

"It is all my fault... I was wrong. Passing that mantra to Master recklessly without even fully recalling all my memories of it... Master. This servant, Hong Fan, beseeches you. Please do not entrust yourself to the Immortal Art. Why must Master risk your life on such an uncertain gamble!?"

[... Because...] I smile faintly.

[Life, after all... exists for my own sake. So if it's to protect something precious to me, I can stake my life on it.] More than anything.

Though I called it a gamble to Hong Fan... I know otherwise.

As long as I don't lose myself within this Immortal Art, I can accomplish everything before the End.

[... Therefore, do not worry. I will definitely return before the End. Thank you, Hong Fan. And thank you, everyone...] I bid farewell once more to Hong Fan and to everyone I hadn't seen in eight thousand years, then close the eyes of my incarnation.

Now, within the depths of that darkness.

It's time to follow the path prepared by the darkness.

'No... that's not it.'

It's not the path prepared by the darkness.

The pure white mountain of salt.

And darkness.

The two combined to form the Wheel.

Therefore, this is... a path prepared by two beings.

Though my comrades and Hong Fan seem to be trying to use even the power of the Bright Cold Realm to influence my mind, waking after eight thousand years was only a brief reprieve achieved after reaching minor completion...

...

...

Now, he is both wheel and axle.

He has stepped onto the path we have created.

A precious opportunity crafted by the two Imperial Venerables, even at the cost of deceiving themselves.

It is an arrangement set up solely so that the successor can reject the temptations of the two Imperial Venerables and walk the correct path.

This is not a prophecy.

It is neither the authority of fate nor the authority of history.

It is nothing more than an impossible miracle.

Therefore, you, Black Snake (黑蛇).

For this inheritance alone, no matter what you do, you will not be able to bestow any blessings.

This time, the successor will walk alone...

Thus, within someone's earnest desire, Seo Eun-hyun once again steps onto a certain path in a state of trance.

And from this moment, Seo Eun-hyun's time begins to flow differently.

Ten thousandfold.

Within the time of life that is perceived to be ten thousand times longer, Seo Eun-hyun creates the Heavenly Outer Diagram Great Star and the Heavenly Inner Diagram Great Star, reaching the Grand Perfection Star Shattering stage.

However, such things are not what matters.

Using Kang Min-hee's Sacred Vessel advancement ritual as a medium, [someone] deep within the darkness connected to her scatters Seo Eun-hyun's mind.

Had he succumbed to the temptation of darkness, he would have ended up in the same plight as Kang Min-hee, but Seo Eun-hyun does not yield to the temptation and steadily draws a circle.

To fulfill a promise, [someone] beyond the darkness begins to reincarnate Seo Eun-hyun's mind among the seven stars.

Thus, Seo Eun-hyun's mind starts to orbit around a fixed star, drawing a Sacred Disc (聖盤).

And finally...

The Eve of the End approaches.