Chương 673: Holy Mother (3)

Chwarararak!

Above Oh Hye-seo's head, Kim Yeon's countless consciousness threads are sucked in.

Tstststss— At the same time, I feel another flow of time take place as we make our way through the chaos.

'This time, it's slowed down.'

The time flow toward Mount Sumeru speeds up by hundreds of millions of times.

Fortunately, if I reach Araya Consciousness, there's no major issue in communicating with Oh Hyun-seok, but the problem lies on this side.

'The distortion of time within the sea of chaos is far too erratic. At this rate, there's no way to predict when we'll reach Mount Sumeru again...'

For now, I relay the current situation to Oh Hyun-seok and ask for his opinion.

"... For these reasons, I'm planning to release Oh Hye-seo's mental restriction. What are your thoughts, Hyung-nim..."

"..."

Oh Hyun-seok lets out a sigh and speaks.

"... If it's necessary for Hye-seo, then do so. But, I have one request."

"What is it...?"

Cheok!

Oh Hyun-seok thrusts his fist toward me.

Wo-woong!

A violet aura ripples from his fist.

It is the Purple Soul Filling the Heavens I once passed on to him.

"This is my Purple Soul Filling the Heavens. Through the Celestial Lord Incense Burning spell, I wish to transfer it to you. Is that possible?"

"..."

I hesitate for a moment at those words.

To receive something through the Celestial Lord Incense Burning spell requires me to endure a significant loss on my end.

'I'll probably have to burn away ten thousand years' worth of fortune and virtue.'

But after a brief moment of thought, I extend my fist toward Oh Hyun-seok and meet his.

Tsuaaaaat!

With that, Oh Hyun-seok's heart seeps into mine.

It is his heart toward Oh Hye-seo.

—Please, Oh Hye-seo... talk to me.

His desire to break through the wall surrounding Oh Hye-seo's heart begins to surge within my own.

At the same time, I feel like I understand a bit about Oh Hyun-seok's fate, 'pleasure'.

I also begin to understand why Oh Hyun-seok has grasped the authority of 'Primordial Chaos'.

'Breaking down... boundaries.'

Just as purple is formed by the merging of blue and red.

Perhaps the fate of 'pleasure' that Oh Hyun-seok possesses signifies the act of 'mixing' something.

That might also be why the intent of pleasure appears sometimes as violet, and other times as silver.

Silver, made from the mixing of black and white.

Purple, born from the blending of red and blue.

Either way, it's a color that 'mixes' two extremes and brings them into harmony.

The power to break down boundaries between polar opposites and make them unify.

That must be the color and power of pleasure.

It is at that moment.

'... Huh?'

As I hold Oh Hyun-seok's heart within my chest, a strange sensation stirs.

'H-Huh? W-Wait...'

Shiver!

Shiver!

Shiver!

Goosebumps begin to rise all over my body.

It is not from fear or terror.

This is...

'A lead... is forming.'

Goosebumps rise from an overwhelming ecstasy and hope.

The moment I receive Oh Hyun-seok's Purple Soul Filling the Heavens— It feels as though Jang Ik's decisive move is unfolding in front of me.

The ultimate technique of Jang Ik, that created countless artificial souls and drew power from them.

The final form of Hyeon Mu's Dance of Emptiness, which wielded the full power of the Plane of Soul.

And the final ultimate technique of Kim Young-hoon's Surpassing Radiant Genesis Form, that brought the authority of an Absolute to its peak.

Somehow, the three all pursued the ultimate of Martial Arts in a similar way.

Soul (魂).

Kim Young-hoon's likely possession of the 'fate of joy' appears to correspond to the Triple Divinity of 'Creation,' just like Kim Yeon's.

Kim Young-hoon's power is likely one that creates souls.

The Interdimensional Void of Hyeon Mu is, to begin with, the Plane of Soul, and Hyeon Mu herself has long accumulated substantial power related to the soul by devouring portions of power from countless Enders.

Jang Ik, too, created artificial souls similar to the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.

Which means, the ultimate of Martial Arts is a power rooted in the strength of a person's soul.

'Glass Peacock clearly said that souls are born from powerful positive forces.'

Then are positive forces the best way to reach the Martial Pinnacle?

'No... that's not quite right. It's not about being positive.'

My mind clears.

'Borrowing the heart... Perhaps... that is what truly matters...'

What is a person's heart?

I suddenly realize that I still don't fully understand it.

'Yeon-ah... If I'm with you, maybe I wilI be able to understand it a little...'

Within the sea of chaos, all is frozen except for me, who activates Araya Consciousness.

Because we've entered a region of the Outer Sea where time slows, only Mount Sumeru's time flows rapidly.

Only someone like me can move within this frozen world.

I wrap my arms around Kim Yeon from behind and feel her warmth.

"Just what exactly... is the heart?"

It's warm.

'Is this... the heart?'

If so, then the ultimate of Martial Arts might be something warmer than I thought.

For some reason, that thought comes to me.

Within Seo Eun-hyun's memory.

The 10th cycle.

Yang Ji-hwang sees Buk Hyang-hwa designing the 'Colorless Glass Sword' for Seo Eun-hyun.

And as she watches, she flinches.

She can't help it.

'A soul... was created?'

The very design of that Colorless Glass Sword contains a soul within it.

Buk Hyang-hwa believes the 'emotion amplification' function of the Colorless Glass Sword is something she intentionally added, but to Yang Ji-hwang, who understands the principle of the world, that emotion amplification function is not something she designed at all.

Through ten years of sharing hearts between Seo Eun-hyun and Buk Hyang-hwa, their emotions that have amplified to the peak have imbued the design with a soul (魂).

That's right.

In a way, the Colorless Glass Sword could be called the child of Seo Eun-hyun and Buk Hyang-hwa.

A pure spirit without reincarnation.

It's just that it is still so faint that it can't yet be called a true spirit—perhaps only a weak spiritual body.

Soon, Yang Ji-hwang watches Buk Hyang-hwa's death, Yuan Li's appearance, and Seo Eun-hyun's centuries of cultivation in preparation to face Yuan Li—and for the first time, she feels her chest tremble.

'Why? Why is this happening?'

Why?

It is a resonance she has never felt since donning the 'mask'.

No—even before wearing the mask, to her who had only ever felt dry and indifferent except in war and combat, this is an overwhelming impact.

'Get a hold of yourself, Sword Spear Heavenly Lord. Even if I admit that we were wrong, it doesn't mean our method was wrong. Emotions are still poison, and they are still useless. I am the god of iron, war, and victory. I am one of the True Immortals who govern the Martial Dao. In the path of martial cultivation, something like a person's heart... is unnecessary.'

"... Listen closely, Seo Eun-hyun."

Yang Ji-hwang, trying to revive her persona as the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, raises her voice toward Seo Eun-hyun's memory.

"Even if your memories manage to brainwash me, they cannot fully stain me. I am... a being born for war, blood, iron, sword, victory, and freedom. I care for nothing else. True freedom is born only under emotionless, impartial rulers. You cannot... force emotions, a heart, onto me! I will reject it!"

Saying this, she continues delving into Seo Eun-hyun's memories.

"I will never be completely broken by your memories. Never..."

However, for some reason, her final words sound weak.

How much time has passed?

At some point, we reach an area where the flow of time between Mount Sumeru and the Outer Sea balances.

Tsstsstst!

Together with Kim Yeon, I inject the power of love she holds into Oh Hye-seo, further developing Oh Hye-seo's soul.

Glass Peacock, from behind us, sometimes offers advice like a seasoned senior.

And at other times, they spout lewd and indecent jokes.

Regardless, Kim Yeon and I continue to hold hands and approach Oh Hye-seo's heart.

I am also passing on the Purple Soul Filling the Heavens that Oh Hyun-seok transmitted to me, back into Oh Hye-seo.

The hearts of Kim Yeon, myself, and Oh Hyun-seok flow into the depths of Oh Hye-seo.

How many days do we spend flowing our hearts into Oh Hye-seo?

Suddenly, I discover a strange phenomenon in Oh Hye-seo's heart and in the Outer Sea.

The sea of chaos overlaps.

'What is this?'

It is not a mere illusion brought on by fatigue.

For some reason, I feel like I've experienced this strange phenomenon before.

'Just what is this...?'

Kugugugu!

But before I can investigate further— I suddenly find myself able to peer all the way into the depths of Oh Hye-seo's heart in one go.

Oh Hye-seo's soul is veiled by Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, and within it, her consciousness is visible.

And within that, something is happening.

The more her spirit takes form, the more she appears to suffer pain.

'Why is it? Why is she suffering more as she gains a soul?'

A soul is a collection of positive energy.

Yet, for some reason, even though we are infusing her with the power of love, Oh Hye-seo only continues to suffer.

Normally, I would try to find the cause of that pain, but for some reason, I know instinctively that I must not intervene now.

I only observe.

For some reason, curiously, the instinct of a martial artist stops me.

This time, I must absolutely not intervene.

'Why not?'

—Because... soon, the way to reach the ultimate of Martial Arts will unfold before your eyes.

"...!"

I flinch in surprise and look at the Impermanence Sword within my heart.

'What was that? Just now?'

It felt like the Impermanence Sword whispered to me.

I throw a couple questions toward the Impermanence Sword again and read through history a few times.

But not only does the Impermanence Sword give no answer, even when I read through history, I can't find the history in which the Impermanence Sword spoke to me.

It feels like I've been possessed by a ghost.

But since there's no way I've been possessed, this must be a kind of martial artist's intuition.

'Oh Hye-seo's heart... is related to the Martial Pinnacle? Why? How? What is?'

Yet no matter how much I ponder, I cannot find the answer, so I choose to follow my intuition and observe.

How many years have passed?

Within the erratic time flow of the Outer Sea, a thousand years, ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years pass.

And then, one day.

Paaaaaaatt!

The 280, 000th year of Kim Yeon and I holding hands, growing affection for each other, and injecting it into Oh Hye-seo.

Our hearts pass through Oh Hye-seo's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, and at last, Oh Hye-seo's spirit is fully born.

Had it not been for the authority of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens and Truth Manipulation, it might have been possible in just a few years. But because those powers and Immortal Arts interfered, it ended up taking hundreds of thousands of years.

And then, just when her spirit is completely born.

[Stop it already!!] An overwhelming scream bursts forth from Oh Hye-seo's spirit and begins to distort the surroundings.

'This place is...'

Her authority, Truth Manipulation, activates, transforming the environment of the Outer Sea into the form of the Sea Dragon Palace.

[Leave me alone! Please! Please!!] It seems to be a type of illusion technique. I can feel that if I concentrate my mind, I can exit this illusion immediately.

But I do not exit the illusion, and instead continue to observe.

Just then, Kwaaaang!

The space beside me collapses, and someone appears next to me.

It is Oh Hyun-seok.

'No, this is...'

Oh Hyun-seok's heart.

The Purple Soul Filling the Heavens that he passed on to me, and I to Oh Hye-seo, has appeared taking on the form of Oh Hyun-seok.

Since this is a world of illusion, perhaps it is easier to take form.

[Oh Hye-seo.] Purple Soul Filling the Heavens.

No... Oh Hyun-seok's will, speaks.

[I have something to say to you.] [Don't come!] Kkiriririk!

From the center of the Sea Dragon Palace where Oh Hye-seo resides, an immense repulsion force arises and pushes us back.

However, Oh Hyun-seok moves forward as if unaffected.

Thud!

Under Oh Hyun-seok's momentum— Under his advance, the Sea Dragon Palace collapses.

Ignoring the complex structure of the Sea Dragon Palace, smashing through it as he approaches Oh Hye-seo, Oh Hyun-seok rather resembles a rhinoceros.

[Don't come! I said don't come! As if that damn reptilian bastard wasn't enough—now even you, who tormented me without knowing you were a puppet of some Immortal Life Soap company! I hate it! I hate all of it! Seo Hweol! I'm going to live here with Seo Hweol forever! All of you, get lost! All of you!!] Kugugugu!

The repulsion force from Oh Hye-seo only grows stronger, and we are forced to stop in place.

Even the rhinoceros-like Oh Hyun-seok halts momentarily.

But then, wings begin to emerge from Oh Hyun-seok's back.

It is Azure Wing Heavenly Shatter.

One wing, two wings, three wings...

Surpassing the ten wings of Azure Tiger Saint, thirteen wings seem to unfold, and those wings appear to wrap entirely around one of Oh Hyun-seok's arms.

Chiiiiik!

The form of a purple dragon engraves itself onto Oh Hyun-seok's body.

Azure Wing Heavenly Shatter is activated to its limit.

[Hye-seo.] At that moment, smiling more warmly than any expression I've ever seen from him, Oh Hyun-seok speaks.

[I'm sorry.] Kwaaaang!

At the same time, Oh Hyun-seok thrusts his fist forward, and the Sea Dragon Palace created within Oh Hye-seo's illusion collapses.

The Sea Dragon Palace crumbles, and where it once stood, only a massive crater remains.

And at the center of that crater, familiar faces appear.

It is Oh Hye-seo.

And...

Seo Hweol.

"Hoho... fellow Daoists. Let's not be like this. Come share a cup of tea."

Oh Hyun-seok and I both watch the scene and smile bitterly.

Within Oh Hye-seo's illusion, he is alive, but in our eyes, we see the truth.

Oh Hye-seo is embracing the bones of a massive dragon.

Even Oh Hye-seo herself knows Seo Hweol cannot be brought back.

But because she cannot accept that truth, she continues to hold on to those bones and flee from the truth.

I look at Oh Hye-seo.

The spirit of Oh Hye-seo, that I and Kim Yeon completed together, begins to collapse the moment it is fully formed.

[Oh Hye-seo.] Oh Hyun-seok takes a step toward Oh Hye-seo and speaks.

[Wake up now. Seo Hweol is dead. Seo Eun-hyun isn't a reptilian, and our company never made something like Immortal Life Soap. And... that day, big brother definitely took you to a psychiatric hospital. I saw with my own eyes when they prescribed you medication.] Jjeoooong!

At Oh Hyun-seok's words, Oh Hye-seo's eyes begin to tremble.

[When I drew upon my Ender authority and checked, only then did I truly confirm it. It was probably because of your authority, wasn't it? Hye-seo-ah. Do you still not understand? No matter how much you manipulate the truth, the truth remains the truth. You can never escape it, and you can never run away.] [Don't make me laauuuugh!! Then... just what do I have left? What!? In my life... what is even left...!?] [... When you face it instead of running away, that too becomes something that lets us move forward.] Oh Hyun-seok raises his fist and approaches Oh Hye-seo.

But the closer he gets to her, the more his hand gradually opens.

And then, when he reaches right in front of her— Oh Hyun-seok spreads both his arms as if to embrace her.

[Come here, Hye-seo-ah. Even in reality, there are people who love you...] [I said don't make me laugh! Seo Hweol! H-Help me! Please don't let these lunatics destroy us! Seo Hweol! Seo Hweol! Deny the lies of those lunatics, please!]

'Damn...'

I click my tongue as I look at the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens in the form of Seo Hweol.

If it's the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens Seo Hweol left behind, then surely, it will lure her in with sweet words.

"Hoho..."

Then, the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens left behind by Seo Hweol opens its mouth.

The Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens erases the smile from its face and speaks.

"... Get a hold of yourself, Oh Hye-seo."

[... Huh?]

'...?'

At those words, not only Oh Hye-seo, but I also widen my eyes.

"Have you forgotten what I gave you? Back then, I gave you my life."

[... Ah...]

"Don't live meaninglessly with the life I gave you, Oh Hye-seo."

'That's...!'

"Turn around! Oh Hye-seo! Aren't there people waiting for you? Don't look this way! Don't turn your eyes away from the truth!"

With those words, Seo Hweol's Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens shouts powerfully toward Oh Hye-seo.

Then, the form of the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens changes.

The form that had maintained the appearance of Seo Hweol inside Oh Hye-seo's illusion returns to the shape of massive dragon bones.

It reveals the corpse of the Sea Dragon, forcing her to face the truth.

And upon seeing that form, Oh Hye-seo begins to weep, shedding tears of blood.

[N-No, no...! No! Seo Hweol! No! No! No! Noooooooo!! Seo Hweol!] Oh Hye-seo grabs and shakes Seo Hweol's bones, then collapses as she screams.

[Seo Hweol! Please get up! Seo Hweol! Seo Hweol! Seo Hweol! Don't leave me alone! Please tell me this isn't real! Seo Hweol! Please!] Her continuing desperate cries.

The true will of Seo Hweol that was hidden inside the Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.

And the heart of Oh Hyun-seok.

Seeing it all...

I finally fully realize how to reach the Marital Pinnacle.

[Tell me!! That you love me!!] It has truly been a long time.

Oh Hye-seo's Truth Manipulation authority is ironically an authority that 'cannot forget that the truth exists'.

Through that power, all the distorted and manipulated realities she has twisted until now begin to shatter.

From the large, like how she distorted our past, to the small, like my obsession with shoulders.

'Ahh...'

Across the long and longer time— I smile as I watch the will of Seo Hweol within the dissolving Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens beside Oh Hye-seo.

My fellow Daoist.

The existence known as Seo Hweol has, at last, truly attained Buddhahood.

I have finally overcome Seo Hweol.

Now, even if someone touches my shoulder, I don't think I'll have a seizure.