Chương 555: World Of Sun And Moon (6)

"... With this, all the purposes for coming to the Head Realm are resolved."

"What are you saying, Seo Eun-hyun!? In this sacred place where the ancestral tablets are enshrined..."

"Cheongmun Clan... might be better off staying in the Head Realm. However... I don't think you should. That is because you are descendants of the Golden Divine Yang Su-jin."

"Wh-What? How dare you...?"

"Jin Hae-min."

I extend my hand towards the enraged Jin Hae-min.

The headache I've been feeling for some time.

The déjà vu.

And this inexplicable, chilling sensation.

"It's been a while."

Beings [I had undoubtedly seen before.] Indeed.

These are definitely...

The same as the ones I had encountered before.

Their names and appearances are identical, and even their spirits are the same.

'The only one who isn't the same is just one.'

Excluding that being, I pull all the disciples of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect into the range of my attraction force and exert my strength.

Kududuk!

The space seems to distort, and all the buildings of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect are simultaneously uprooted.

At the same time, countless members of the sect are lifted into the air.

Even those who were dispatched far away to various places in the Head Realm are no exception.

Any being affiliated with the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect is lifted into the air without exception and drawn towards me.

Paaaatt!

Countless disciples and buildings of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect are plucked from the land of the Head Realm, passing through the inside of my sleeve and entering my body.

Kugugugu!

Inside this puppet body of mine, countless disciples and buildings of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect are compressed and absorbed.

Seven resist.

Five of them are the Heavenly Being stage Grand Elders of the current Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and the Supreme Sect Master Jin Hae-min standing before me.

"Y-You bastard...! H-how is this possible...? Could it be that you've become an Integration stage Grand Cultivator!?"

"Huhuhu... It reminds me of the nonsense I once spoke to my senior brother."

Kuuuk!

I clench my fist, amplifying my attraction force and pulling the six Heavenly Being stage cultivators who had resisted into my body as well.

'Don't worry, Golden Divine. Your descendants... I will ascend them well.'

I take one glance at Shattered Heaven Peak.

The last entity resisting my attraction force.

'... The being I [first saw] when I came to the Head Realm.'

She, who is clearly foreign to this bizarre world.

'... What should I do about you?'

The person who became precious to me after spending decades with me when I had lost my memories.

But at the same time, the most dangerous being to me.

Badudududuk!

From beneath Shattered Heaven Peak, a resplendently brilliant silver-white light burst forth, distorting the space.

Along with the distorted space, she takes one step towards me.

Kuung!

With just one step of her Ox Step Technique (牛步法), the surrounding space twists violently, cutting off my path of retreat.

A divine authority that is unbelievable for someone merely at the 4th star of the Qi Refining stage!

However, I remain composed and look at her as I speak.

"... Gyeong-ah."

"..."

'Gyeong-i' does not respond to my words, instead brightening the light emanating from her body even more.

Paaatt!

Within the light, I can read her true identity.

Light is wisdom.

Within that wisdom, a being of silver-white is revealed.

War and weapons, arms and swords (劍).

The god (神) of wisdom in battle.

The being who bestows the light of sword and spear (劍戟).

Radiance Eight Immortals.

The Fifth Seat.

Sword Spear Heavenly Lord!

"... I see. You are..."

I read the wisdom emanating from the silver-white light and let out a faint murmur.

"Qi Refining 4th star. So, you were a being who oversees the Ten Heavenly Stems Diagram (十天干圖)."

"... And also presides over the realm of the Vestige Liberation Immortal."

I look at her with a face that understands yet doesn't, and ask,

"... Gyeong-ah."

"Do not call this Immortal by that name."

Wo-woong!

The silver-white light gently illuminates the surroundings from her eyes.

"The personality of [Gyeong-i] who accompanied you has just died."

Kuung!

At those words, I feel as though my heart has fallen with a thud.

"This Immortal is the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord. As I said, the symbol of Gyeong (庚) among the Heavenly Stems belongs to this Immortal, so I will allow the title of [Gyeong (庚)]. However... there is no need for this Immortal to answer to the title [Gyeong-i]."

Woo-woong!

Above her, energy of the Qi Refining 4th star gathers.

But it is not just ordinary Qi Refining 4th star energy.

Kurururung!

'A magnetic storm!?'

Kwajijijik!

An overwhelming electromagnetic storm sweeps across the area.

Simultaneously, countless buried metals beneath the great mountain range are pulled out, their particles vibrating and melting.

The melted metals take on the form of swords and, following the will of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, aim directly at me.

"Fifth Seat of the Radiance Eight Immortals, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, shall arrest you, Ender, here and now."

"... Gyeong-ah."

I call her with a bitter smile.

She coldly looks at me and says,

"Do not call this Immortal that."

"... To me, you were someone precious. I wanted to follow you. And so... I once said that if you ever had to fight, I wouldn't run away."

"Do not call this Immortal that."

"You say that you have died, but you're wrong... Do you remember what you said before? That the heavens are a truth more absolute than death. I don't think so. Even the heavens... will someday die."

—Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra!

"Even in the void of nothingness, the heart does not disappear. Thus, death itself is the heart. So, Gyeong-ah. Even if you consider yourself dead..."

"Do not call this Immortal that."

"You are not dead. Didn't you say the earth dies too? That is wrong. Even when a star's lifespan ends, its form changes and becomes one with the universe; it does not completely vanish into external extinction. You, too, have become one with the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, merely changing form."

"Do not... call this Immortal that."

"You are alive. At the very least, within my heart!"

Piiing!

A beam of light grazes past me.

It is a near miss.

I glance at the flying sword that barely missed my head and then look up at the [swords] pouring down from the sky.

[Filling the Heavens Governing Sword (滿天御劍)!] The sky is filled with countless swords.

Then, the swords pour down like rain.

'If I want to avoid that, I'll have to look at the [sky].'

A ploy to make me look directly at the [sky] of the Head Realm at all costs.

But I won't fall for it so easily.

Kiriririk...

'Deactivate visual functions.'

The light disappears from my eyes.

I have shut off the sight of this puppet clone.

'The consciousness domain is no good either.'

My consciousness domain is already large enough to envelop the entire Head Realm without issue.

I can't help but perceive the [sky] of the Head Realm.

Thus, the consciousness domain cannot be used, and the same goes for my vision of intent.

'The senses of the Earth Tribe are even worse... In that case, the only option left is...'

Kiriririririk!

'Expand the sensory circuits inside the puppet body.'

I quickly expand the circuits within the puppet.

'It's been a while.'

Smell, hearing, touch, taste...

Countless senses clamor as they read the information of the scene.

'Late first-rate. Fighting with the senses I trained before I became a peak master...'

Right now, I must fight Gyeong-i with only the [human senses] I used during my first-rate martial artist days.

Tadatt!

One step.

With that single step, I deflect a descending flying sword.

Two steps.

In just two steps, I traverse an immense distance.

Before I know it, I am quite close to Gyeong-i.

Gyeong-i grips her sword and points it at me.

Three steps.

Three steps bring me right in front of Gyeong-i's mask, leaning my face towards her.

Chwarak!

The Colorless Glass Sword that has become one with my very will by now blazes in my hand.

Up, down, left, right, front, back.

Flying swords come at me from six directions.

Severing Heaven Sword Form.

Entering Heaven!

The puppet's physical body overloads.

Heaven and Earth spiritual energy surges through the circuits, seeming to overheat them, and amplifies my strength.

Taking one step forward, I swing my sword from the lower left to the upper right, cutting forward.

The flying sword in front of me and the one to my right are both deflected, and I take another step forward.

Gyeong-i's face draws closer.

Paatt!

Flying swords that had been shooting from above and below narrowly graze past me from behind.

Now only two remain—one to the left, one behind me.

And Gyeong-i, who takes a stance to 'thrust' at me.

Chwaak!

Three steps.

Lowering my stance and extending one leg forward, I shake Gyeong-i's stance and, like a coiled spring, launch my body while driving my sword towards her.

Kaaang!

She swiftly shifts from a thrusting stance to an upward slash, parrying my sword.

But I use the impact to propel myself backward. As I spin around, I smash the sword coming from my rear, then spin once more to deflect the sword on my left.

We each take a single breath, replenishing our spiritual energy, and charge at each other again.

Countless profound truths of the sword unfold between us.

As the speed of our swords increases, time slows, and my senses expand.

No short-term foresight, nor historical reading is possible.

Unable to utilize even the privilege of the Heart Tribe to see intent, I focus solely on my senses as I trade moves with her.

Three thrusts erupt from Gyeong-i's hands.

The air ripples, sending shockwaves that shake the surroundings. Reading the grains of the air through touch, I find the perfect opening and pierce towards it, drawing closer to her.

'I can read it.'

This battle with her is not merely physical combat.

From the sky, flying swords rain down endlessly.

Every time the swords that boast destructive power akin to intercontinental ballistic missiles fall, an entire mountain range is reduced to ruins.

'The principle behind Gyeong-i's flying sword technique is simple.'

She levitates flying swords high in the sky.

Then, she reinforces the swords with sword energy and uses the thousand-jin weight technique to accelerate their fall.

After manipulating the tips of the swords and aligning the coordinates carefully, she lets the suspended swords descend.

As a result, the swords accelerate under gravity, turning into unstoppable weapons that strike with the force of divine judgment.

Kwaaaang!

Near Shattered Heaven Peak, an entire mountain summit melts and explodes.

I weave through the trajectories of the projectiles, performing a sword dance.

"Simple."

Dozens of flying swords swarm fiercely around me.

But the wastefulness is extreme.

Entire landscapes are torn apart, yet I alone cannot be caught.

She speaks.

"I cannot use anything too complicated right now. Trying to attempt it is meaningless."

This is her response after I point out the simple principle behind her flying sword technique.

'She noticed.'

For some time now, I have been preparing to use the Immortal Art Impermanence Sword.

But I cannot use it.

"In the Head Realm, no one can use Immortal Arts."

"But Seo Hweol managed to do so?"

"Let me rephrase. No one can achieve what they desire in the Head Realm through Immortal Arts. All Immortal Arts used in the Head Realm end in failure.

"... They all end in failure..."

Gyeong-i's sword scrapes my ribs three times, and my sword severs a tendon in her wrist once.

Chwaak!

With shallow wounds inflicted on each other, we step back.

Kwaaaang!

One of Gyeong-i's flying swords narrowly burrows into the ground right next to me.

It's a battle of instants.

Even though Gyeong-i uses power equivalent to the 4th star of the Qi Refining stage, I have to use all of my Four-Axis stage spiritual power just to defend against her attacks, relying solely on the Colorless Glass Sword for offense. Aside from Shattered Heaven Peak, the foundation where the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect once stood has turned into a sea of lava.

"... I see. Thanks for letting me know, Gyeong-ah."

"..."

Gyeong-i exhales heavily.

The hand holding her sword trembles faintly.

"Do not... call this Immortal... that!!!"

She screams as if wailing.

Behind her mask, her silver-white eyes are bloodshot.

"This Immortal is the being who occupies the seat of Gyeong, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord! Do not call me [Gyeong-i] as if we are friends. How many times must I tell you? The [Gyeong-i] you knew is dead! Dead! Do not insult me! This Immortal... planned to capture you, refine you, and annihilate your soul to turn only your Immortal Body into an Immortal Treasure. Because you Enders... are beings who stand directly opposed to the ideology of Radiance Hall. Radiance Hall is your enemy! So why!

Why do you treat this Immortal so familiarly?"

"Why, you ask, Gyeong-ah? Well..."

I stroke the Colorless Glass Sword and smile.

"The trembling I feel from your sword... clearly shows you enjoy being called that, no?"

"..."

"Someone once told me this. That the emotions of people... are nothing more than the trembling of air entering the lungs. Back then, I didn't agree. But someone else argued against that statement on my behalf. The lungs are metal (金). And metal (金) is Qian (乾/Heaven). Thus, the [trembling] of the lungs is ultimately the will of the heavens."

I feel it.

The swordplay of Sword Spear cannot properly aim at me.

"The will of the heavens... I don't particularly like the heavens. Rather, I despise it. But even so, I am grateful to the heavens. Because after all, the connections that make up who I am now... those connections were ultimately granted by the heavens!"

I approach Gyeong-i.

She takes her stance, and I raise the Colorless Glass Sword.

A single glass sword.

Tens of millions of flying swords.

The army of flying swords swarms toward me, and I cut through them with the glass sword as I approach Gyeong-i.

"As such, you, Gyeong-ah, a connection granted by the heavens... are precious to me. You once said that the heavens are the absolute truth, didn't you? Then the reason your swordplay is [trembling] must also lie with the heavens!"

The distance between us closes.

Finally, I break through the waves of countless swords and reach right in front of her.

She raises her sword.

I grip my sword with both hands and lower my waist.

She swings downward, and I swing upward.

The iron sword and the glass sword collide.

Neither sword breaks, bends, nor shatters.

However, the one sent flying is her sword.

Surung— I point my sword at her neck.

"Accept it, Gyeong-ah. Your emotions are no longer... just tools, are they? Do you... truly want to kill me? Not because it's your mission, but because your heart genuinely wants to kill me?"

Hwiiiiii...

The wind brushes between us.

For a while, neither of us speak.

Then, the voice that speaks first comes from Gyeong-i's side.

"... The way you package your plea to be spared is impressive."

Chills!

'Damn it...'

I make a bitter smile and swing the glass sword with all my strength towards her neck.

Kaang!

But I feel the sword bounce back with absurd recoil.

Kiiiiing!

She's at best only at the 4th star of Qi Refining.

Yet, around her, the spiritual power of the 4th star of Qi Refining gathers densely, forming an absurd structure of spiritual energy that deflects my sword.

"Exchanging swords with you has brought back quite a bit of my memory. Even though the strength I possess is limited, what I can use are the spells and Immortal Arts corresponding to this cultivation realm. Just the two. However, while Immortal Arts cannot be used in this place... with the proper use of the spells of this realm, they can unleash extreme power."

Wiiiing!

As she raises her hand, faint spiritual energy begins to spin around it.

But I see an enormous force being born within that rotation and step back.

"For those like us, who understand the principles of nature, even weak spells can be used to wield authority corresponding to the world's principles."

A tiny sun rises in her palm.

'Splitting... the nucleus? N-No... this is something even more fundamental than that...'

"Your sweet words were almost convincing. I even felt a fleeting illusion that my chest was trembling. But... it was from the very beginning, was it not? From the very beginning, you used sword cries to vibrate the tip of my sword, which then gradually encroached even my physical reactions and induced a response of [trembling] in me. This immortal nearly fell for it. This Immortal almost believed that my chest was truly [shaking] for you."

'... She figured it all out.'

Through Severing Mountain Swordsmanship's Mountain Echoes Valley Responds, I made the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's swordplay tremble. Through that resonance, I made her lungs tremble and even vibrated her brain, trying to temporarily amplify her emotions.

"What a shallow trick. The will of the heavens? Hah... is that what you call the will of the heavens?"

"... People, by their very nature, merely strive to approach the will of the heavens with their own strength. Even if it burns them to death in the process."

"How arrogant... Those who have followed the lineage of Salt have always been like this... Then, burn to death."

Wiiiiiiiing!

In her hand, the nuclear fission bomb created from basic spells begins to detonate.

"Stop! If you use that, all living beings in the Head Realm will die!"

This isn't just a simple problem of destructive power.

The overwhelming [power of light] emanating from within it!

That's right. The power of radiation is writhing, ready to destroy the world.

But she merely mutters in a dry tone with indifferent eyes.

"This is a world that becomes perfectly fine again once you exit and re-enter, no matter how many times it is destroyed. There is no need for someone like you to worry, so just obediently... close your eyes."

Paaaatt!

An even more blinding light bursts forth from above her hand.

'Immortal Arts, I need to use Immortal Arts! Please, activate!'

I try to draw forth the power of my heart to activate Immortal Arts, but it does not respond.

I grit my teeth.

'Just why!? Why does this activate, but not for other Immortal Arts!? Even if I fail, please! Just activate!'

All my focus gathers in the hand holding the Colorless Glass Sword.

At the same time, I reopen the [eyes] of the puppet clone whose visual functions I had disabled!

At that moment.

Sarak—

'... Huh?'

A woman dressed in white gently places her hand over mine, together gripping the Colorless Glass Sword.

—Originally, the functions of the remaining 650 Colorless Glass Swords were intended... to hold the ability to record our time together. It's regrettable that we couldn't complete it together. But... if it's you...

Her words trail off.

However, I understand as I look into [her] eyes.

'So, it's already complete. The function of the Colorless Glass Sword is...'

With all my might, I thrust the Colorless Glass Sword towards Gyeong-i.

Pukwak!

Is it arrogance, belonging to one who resides in a realm far higher than mine?

Or is it an expression of will, declaring that she will destroy me here no matter what happens to her body?

Even as my sword pierces her stomach, she looks at me with dry, emotionless eyes.

However... the power of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections flows into the Colorless Glass Sword.

Gyeong-i's eyes widen.

Wiiiing!

It's been far too long since I last used it properly, but...

There is actually another function of the Colorless Glass Sword.

It is precisely to [amplify emotions]!

And, according to the words of Buk Hyang-hwa's vision that just surfaced, the function of the remaining 650 swords originally intended to be added were meant for [recording the years spent with me].

In other words, the original function of the Colorless Glass Sword is to [recall memories].

However, even with 3000 swords instead of 3650, this ability is already complete through the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.

From the Colorless Glass Sword imbued with the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, memories of my 49 years with Gyeong are embedded.

The emotions contained within those memories are amplified to their peak.

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.

Gyeong-i's pupils shrink sharply.

"It's the truth that I did manipulate your trembling through Mountain Echoes Valley Responds. But... what I did was amplify your [emotions], not create emotions that didn't exist!"

Her pupils begin to shake uncontrollably.

"Thank you, Gyeong-ah."

With those words, her spell destabilizes and is eventually canceled.

Chwak!

I slash deeply across her upper body and retrieve the Colorless Glass Sword.

Then, I quickly fly toward the Ascension Gate.

[YOOUUUU!] Behind me, her scream laced with rage echoes, and an endlessly accelerating flying sword begins to pursue me.

If I get struck by that flying sword in this situation where I can't use other Immortal Arts, I absolutely will not get out unscathed.

However, I smile faintly as I rapidly cross Shengzi, Yanguo, Byeokra, and the Heaven-Treading Desert, finally arriving at Ascension Path.

The flying sword follows right behind my back but fails to shoot me down.

Before long, I see the Ascension Gate ahead.

Although it is closed, at that level, I can just tear it open.

Hwik!

With a sweep of my arm, the Ascension Gate is torn away by my attraction force, opening wide.

Tadatt!

I stop in front of the Ascension Gate.

Normally, the flying sword chasing me should have skewered me right then and dragged me back to Gyeong-i.

However, the flying sword halts in place, floating in midair without shedding even a single drop of my blood.

"... Thank you, Gyeong-ah."

When did it begin?

I don't know the exact moment.

But at some point, she became precious to me, and I became somewhat precious to her.

And so...

In the end, her heart, which she only regarded as a tool, began to hold me as something precious.

"Even if you are said to be dead... I won't forget you. You... will live forever within me. Stay well, Gyeong-ah."

After finishing my words, I leap through the Ascension Gate before Gyeong-i, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, can regain her composure.

'... All Immortal Arts used within the Head Realm fail... you say? That too, was a lie, wasn't it, Gyeong-ah?'

Paaaatt!

As I leave the Head Realm, my memories begin to return.

The Immortal Arts I used as I entered the Head Realm were [two].

[Wheel] and the Impermanence Sword's [Filling the Heavens Governing View].

Originally, it is true that I had placed my split soul within, but immediately after entering the Head Realm, I used the [Wheel] to rewrite it, switching the positions of my true soul and split soul.

I had hoped that by [rewriting] within the Head Realm, the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag embedded in my main soul could be transferred to my split soul through the peculiarities of the Head Realm.

But in the end, the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag still remains within me.

However, perhaps because my strategy seems to have shown some effect, I've managed to half-break free from the restrictions of the 7th star of Qi Refining.

'I haven't completely broken free from the restrictions of the 7th star of Qi Refining yet... but even this much should be a great help.'

In any case, if one of the Immortal Arts I used upon entering the Head Realm was the [Wheel], the other was Filling the Heavens Governing View.

It is a technique that turns the target into a [failure] through the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.

Using that Filling the Heavens Governing View, I continually caused myself to [fail] in recalling my memories and authority, effectively sealing myself.

That seal remained intact for a total of 49 years, allowing me to maintain my sanity even in the Head Realm.

'Perhaps the reason Gyeong-i was unable to recall the memories of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, or continued to [fail] in advancing to the 1st star of Qi Refining, was due to being unconsciously affected by Filling the Heavens Governing View while staying with me.'

Even within the Head Realm, my Immortal Art continuously activated without fail.

In short, Gyeong-i's words had been a lie.

'Stay well, Gyeong-i. I am leaving.'

And so, Leaving behind another connection that formed with me, Gyeong-I, Leaving the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord behind, I ascend from the Head Realm.

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord clutches her chest, letting out a scream.

"Ah, aaaaa... Aaaaaaahhh!!!"

Light is wisdom.

Because of this, as she reads the [light] of the Head Realm, she can read the history of the Head Realm to some extent with the power of a Heaven Immortal.

And in her vision, a scene from the [past] is reflected.

The moment when Seo Eun-hyun saw the [bare face] of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord!

"You... saw... my face, Seo Eun-hyun..."

For some reason, she is crying.

"So that is why. That is why... I... to you..."

Kudududuk...

She clenches the earth with her hand wrapped in bandages.

Her handprint is left on the ground.

"... You, truly torment me so much. After seeing my face, after spending so much time with me... you flee...? So nonchalantly... you fly far away...?"

She looks up at the sky and sheds tears.

"I... from now on, must kill you without fail...!"

Kuguguguk...

She inhales deeply.

Just moments ago, she had told Seo Eun-hyun one lie.

While all Immortal Arts are said to fail in the Head Realm, there is an exception.

Immortal Arts [permitted by light] are excluded from that rule.

Therefore, for the Radiance Eight Immortals, each time one descends, the number of Immortal Arts that can be used in the Head Realm increases.

What she has used in the Head Realm so far is a secret art created by Radiance Hall.

It is called [Immortal Art (仙術) Spiritual Roots (靈根)].

Through this Immortal Art, which grants and retrieves spiritual roots from all beings of all phenomena, she has been striving to quickly elevate her realm even a day faster to carry out the tasks assigned to her.

The missions entrusted to her by Radiance Hall are two.

First, The capture of the vile [Seo Eun-hyun], hailed as the return of the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord.

Second, The investigation of the ascension status of the current generation's Enders.

Both are possible in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, but they are most directly achievable in the Head Realm.

This is because the Golden Divine decreed the fates of Enders to gather at Shattered Heaven Peak of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect within the Head Realm, and in Ascension Path, there is something sealed that reveals the ascension status of the Enders.

But in any case, to accomplish these two missions, advancing her cultivation quickly within the Head Realm was essential.

Thus, the original plan of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord was to recover all her memories in one day, raise her cultivation to the Heavenly Being stage in another day, and then complete her missions.

However, for some reason, an error arose in the plan.

"... Gather, Heaven and Earth spiritual energy."

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord opens her mouth.

But... no Heaven and Earth spiritual energy gathers around her, who possesses the Five Elements Spiritual Roots.

She stares at the sky with vacant eyes.

"... An error occurred in the Immortal Art of Radiance Hall? Ha, haha... That cannot be."

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord mutters in a pained voice as she claws at her chest, tormented by the emotions created by [Seo Eun-hyun].

"Myeong Woon (命運)... must be toying with me..."

The sunlight of the Head Realm reflects in her eyes.

"Does this mean... I must purely cultivate in the orthodox method to leave? Haha... It will take a thousand years. Fine, wait a thousand years, Seo Eun-hyun. I will leave... and I will surely..."

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord grits her teeth.

Clutching her chest, she sheds tears.

"Kill... you..."

She drops to her knees and bows her head.

Is it perhaps because she used emotions as tools?

Or is it because she has not experienced emotions much before?

The emotions infected by the power of the Colorless Glass Sword completely engulf and devour her.

"... Life is... despair..."

Despairing that she has come to like someone yet must ultimately kill them with her own hands, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord cries her heart out on the spot.

Paaaatt!

Before I know it, The familiar Interdimensional Void comes into view.

And...

I see my main body within the Interdimensional Void!

Paaaatt!

Merging with the split soul I had left in the Interdimensional Void, I open my eyes.

Then, Hong Fan, who has been waiting for me for 49 years, appears.

"Have you been well, Hong..."

Jak!

"...!"

Hong Fan slaps me across the face.

Hong Fan glares at me with a furious expression I have never seen from him before.

It's Hong Fan, who has never once shown such anger before.

"... Do you... have any idea... how worried I was...? The Head Realm... Did you enter the Head Realm with the body of a True Immortal!!?? Have you gone mad!!?? Do you not know that the Head Realm is dangerous for True Immortals!!?? Do you not know that you all must not enter the Head Realm!!??"

He lashes out at me in fury.

"Did you even think about how anxious, how uneasy those who were waiting for you might have been!!?? Is charging in without consulting your subordinate, me, an appropriate attitude for a master!? Please answer me!"

"... I am sorry. Still... thanks to Filling the Heavens Governing View, I was fine..."

"What if Filling the Heavens Governing View was not there!!?? What if Filling the Heavens Governing View!!?? What if Filling the Heavens Governing View failed to activate, what would you have done then!!??"

Hong Fan rages at me out of concern for my safety, and I accept his anger with a bitter smile.

"I'm sorry. I had no choice."

After breathing heavily for a while, Hong Fan lets out a sigh.

"... As long as you have returned safely, it is fine. Did you get everything you wanted?"

"Yes. I even gained an unexpected enlightenment. Thanks to it, I could reflect on what life is once again."

"..."

Hong Fan quietly looks at me, and I look at him with a smile.

"Life is... metal (金)."

"... Pardon?"

"Metal, I mean. Metal (金) is both the Heaven of the Eight Trigrams and the trembling within the lungs. Life is undoubtedly... something we build, but... there are undoubtedly aspects of it that are given."

I speak as I leap across the vast expanse of space with Hong Fan.

"I have gained everything I sought. Now... let's confirm just a few more things and move on."

I have confirmed the memories with old connections, partially lifted the restrictions of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag, and reaffirmed the ominousness of the Head Realm.

And... I have also concluded my relationship with my new connection, Gyeong-i.

What remains is...

"The True Immortal of Light may soon emerge from the Head Realm, so let's hurry and leave. I'll tell you the rest on the way."

After confirming a few remaining connections in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, quickly escaping to the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain before the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord emerges.

I leap across the distant expanse of space while watching Hong Fan sigh with a drained expression.