Chương 698: Immortal Beast King

Kugugugugu!

As I push forward through the flow of time, the lingering thought of my master grows ever clearer.

—The Immortal Beast King advancement ritual is... to reach the Origin Essence of Life through the double helix, and thus uncover even deeper histories.

Was he summoned here from the beginning for the Immortal Beast King advancement ritual?

The remnant of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity clings to me and continues speaking, and I listen quietly as I follow behind Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens into a distant, ancient past.

—The method to advance as the Immortal Beast King is simple. Just delve deeper into the Origin Essence of Life than the previous Immortal Beast Kings did.

Tssaaaa— The Origin Essence of Life, Omniscience.

The world also known as the Akashic Records.

Through this world as a medium, I dig into the deep past and read the traces of the previous Immortal Beast Kings.

"... What exactly is the Immortal Beast King?"

I ask my master's remnant.

"It doesn't seem to be the Heavenly Venerable of Life, yet it's the being who receives the power of Omniscience the best... And a title that calls itself King (王) of the Earth Immortals while leaving aside the Underworld... I still cannot fully grasp what exactly the Immortal Beast King is."

—Haha, of course you wouldn't.

The remnant of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity Ryeong laughs.

—Originally, it would be best to let one become enthroned as the Immortal Beast King and realize it for themselves... but you seem to have already realized it on your own, so I'll tell you directly.

Then, from Ryeong's mouth, the truth about the Immortal Beast King begins to spill forth.

—You know about the Immortal Cultivation system of the Primordial Origin, correct?

"... Not exactly."

I meant to ask Kim Yeon, but amidst everything that happened, there was never a chance.

—Hmm, if you're at the level to undergo the Immortal Beast King advancement, the Underworld must've sided with you...

"They did."

—Did the Underworld not tell you?

"There wasn't exactly an explanation about the Primordial Origin Immortal Cultivation system..."

—Still the same bad habit of talking around in circles and not saying the important parts, that foul-tempered old hag.

"... Pardon?"

—Let me explain the Primordial Origin Immortal Cultivation system to you.

Though I feel I just heard something strange, I listen even more intently to the intriguing truths coming from Ryeong's mouth.

—The Primordial Origin Immortal Cultivation system is simple. Through the Qi Refining formula you know of, you strengthen the body a bit, make sure you won't die from being hit by a rock, learn a few miscellaneous techniques... and from there, you begin grasping Immortal Arts. That was the cultivation system of Origin that existed before the Immortal Art Immortal Cultivation existed.

"...!"

My mouth opens in shock at that overwhelming cultivation method.

"How can such a thing be possible...? With just a person's will, with just the frail will of a human, to overturn the principles of the world, grasp Immortal Arts, and reach True Immortal, reach Supreme Deity... Are you saying that is the Primordial Origin Immortal Cultivation system?"

I gain an understanding about Kim Yeon's cultivation method.

After cultivating up to the Heavenly Being stage to obtain the bare minimum of lifespan, from there she uses only her will to learn Immortal Arts and reach True Immortality.

Only then do I realize that I, too, have followed the Primordial Origin cultivation system.

'It was only possible because, with your help, I reached the state where I could wield Immortal Arts through will alone.'

But that was only possible because it was me.

After going through endless adversity and hardship, with pain that shatters limits, and being thrown again and again into the swamp of life that burns the heart to ash...

It was possible only because I became stronger from it and continued in the Immortal Cultivation system.

'To think... that ordinary people with no power at all could use Immortal Arts through will alone...? Is that even...'

—It's not only when you overturn the world that it becomes Immortal Art.

"Pardon?"

—With a body refined endlessly, the will to slay the enemy even after death is Immortal Arts. To seize one last chance to strike the enemy down for one's disciples even in death is Immortal Arts. To twist the fate of death in order to bow in honor of one's master is also Immortal Arts.

"..."

—To remain in the nine heavens for a lover driven mad by revenge and deliver one final word is also Immortal Arts. To ceaselessly pursue someone you love and move their heart is also Immortal Arts. To explode oneself and become a star to save one's disciples—that too is Immortal Arts.

Ryeong looks at me and smiles.

—A person's life, in and of itself, is many times—no, immeasurably more noble than Immortal Arts or Origin Essence. The very act of 'being born yesterday, breathing today, and looking toward tomorrow'... that alone is the overwhelmingly superior form of all Immortal Arts in this world...

"..."

—To dream of what one desires, to live while moving toward it—that is life. Therefore, fate and history and all such things are merely components that compose life, and Immortal Arts are just a power that twists fate and history. Thus, life itself is the strongest Immortal Art in the world.

—But among all the people of this world, those who truly understand that are just me, that old hag, the Future King, and a few snake brats... That is why most Immortal Arts merely seem as if they toy with a person's life.

He continues.

—When observed properly, our life is stronger than anything else. It is the power to 'dream and vow'. If one continues to dream, yearn, and wish... then one day it will certainly manifest as reality, and that reality itself is Immortal Arts. Therefore, Immortal Arts can essentially be called 'dreams'.

"Dreams..."

A dream.

Or something one wishes for.

I turn those words over in my mind, reflecting on life once more from a new perspective.

—The power of fate and history is, in truth, a rather common power. The prophecies and revisions made by True Immortals merely operate on a larger scale and with greater accuracy... In fact, everyone in this world can perform prophecy and revision.

—For instance, if one makes a resolution to 'start training the sword tomorrow'—and then picks up a sword the next day, that is prophecy.

—If one remembers something that happened yesterday, but chooses to remember it in the way they wish, then that is revision.

—And... the cultivation method of the Primordial Origin is, based on these facts, a practice of learning about the 'dreams' more deeply and in more detail.

He is a being who has already died, a being who can no longer influence reality in any way.

Yet I cannot help but nod along to the profound truths in each word he speaks.

—To observe one's inner self, to understand one's dreams more and more, and finally to amplify the power of that dream to its peak—that is how the practitioners of the Primordial Origin cultivated.

"... I understand the feeling well."

For example, it seems to be a system where one attentively observes the will expressed in daily life, and then develops them to such an extreme degree that they could even distort the fundamental principles of reality—that was the ancient cultivation system.

—Good. Then you must already understand what I'm trying to say.

"... If everything begins from the manifestation of will—in other words, 'dreams'—and that is the Primordial Origin cultivation system, then when applying that system to the present... each and everyone of the forgotten dreams called ancient force... could be seen as lumps of Immortal Arts. Regardless of whether they are large or small."

—That's right. Though they are called forgotten histories, in truth, they are forgotten 'lives' themselves... And for that reason, they are Immortal Arts themselves. Therefore, the Immortal Beast King is...

Ryeong speaks with a solemn gaze.

—Standing at the apex of all Immortal Arts that exist in this world, the being who represents Immortal Arts. They can be called the being who 'can borrow power from the greatest number of Immortal Arts'. To use a comparison, a kind of 'Immortal Arts Immortal Lord' or 'Immortal Arts Supreme Deity.' There is no separate Origin Essence for Immortal Arts... but if I were to make a comparison, the realm called the 'Ultimate of Martial Arts' that Hyeon Mu attained is closest to the position of Immortal Beast King.

"So I can think of the Immortal Beast King as someone who seized a vast number of ancient forces instead of Triple Divinity..."

—It's not seizing.

He points to my chest.

And in that gesture, I realize he isn't pointing at my chest—but within it.

At the Impermanence Sword nestled in the depths of my heart.

—It is borrowing. You become the being who can borrow the power of Immortal Arts better than anyone else. And in exchange for borrowing the power of Immortal Arts... you must 'acknowledge' those Immortal Arts—the forgotten dreams known as ancient force—and release them through that recognition.

"..."

I begin to fully understand the role of the Immortal Beast King.

—The Immortal Beast King is both a realm and position. No, strictly speaking, it was originally a realm the same as the Ultimate of Martial Arts... but the [Black Snake] imposed the restriction that there can be 'only one' Immortal Beast King, so it effectively became a position.

As I listen to Ryeong's words, I quietly observe the reactions within my body.

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Hong Fan seems unable to perceive Ryeong's presence.

'Seems like only I can see and hear him. In a way, it's a huge relief.'

Kugugugugu!

I pass through the countless spacetimes of the Akashic Records alongside Ryeong's remnant.

And then...

I uncover innumerable ancient forces and truths of the world that the past Immortal Beast Kings have excavated.

'I see... The reason the legacies of the past Enders aren't so abundant is because, whenever a generation of Enders falls into decline, the Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeong Woon, the Head Realm, moves and devours everything that the generation's Enders left behind.'

It seems that in this Mount Sumeru, an unimaginable number of Enders have once come and gone.

Starting from demi-gods like Obsidian, to existences like Silver Basket—who, from the very beginning, secretly invaded Mount Sumeru by seizing an Ender's absoluteness from the outside world and died—a being that was virtually a god. There were also beings from civilizations I can't even comprehend.

Some left behind their own Heavenly Domains, others their authorities, and some even left the foundations for the advancement of new civilizations.

But even the Heavenly Domains and universes left behind by the Enders, their authorities, and the possibilities of worlds with new civilizations— Were all were devoured by the Head Realm.

As I read through the records that remain in the Origin Essence of Life, I can read the traces of the Radiance Mantra among them.

'So originally, Heuk Sa would reverse time when the Enders die, retrieve their spirits, and simultaneously nullify the very worldline in which the Enders made progress or left massive traces on...'

And so, the 'parallel dimension' that is created.

In other words, the [blood vein of the infant] is entirely torn away, devoured by the Head Realm, and buried as ancient force.

And that buried ancient force sleeps for eternity as a single mass, until someone appears to release its grudge.

Hwooooo— As I travel through the past, I come to feel just how terrifying a being the Salt Sea Supreme Deity Ryeong was.

'The Supreme Deity who came closest to the third Origin Essence... is it? Is that why, even in a state like this where only ancient force remains, he can still leave behind this many messages for me...?'

Wooo-wooong!

And finally, I discover what appears to be the 'end' of this long journey through the past.

—That place over there is the grave of forgotten dreams reached by my successor Immortal Beast King, Hyeon Rang. Hyeon Rang was too afraid to dig deeper into the truths beyond that point and fled from the position of Immortal Beast King... but you will be able to go farther.

"..."

—Go forth. Dig deeper than where Hyeon Rang once reached... and ascend as the new Immortal Beast King.

Tak!

Ryeong's fragment pushes me forward, then scatters into Omniscience as a pure white ancient force fragment.

After briefly glancing back at that scene, I reach my hand toward the massive 'wall of mist'.

Upon closer look, it is a mass of fog-like Salt Crystal clumps.

I reach out toward those Salt Crystals.

Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens thrusts its antlers forward, and in the next moment— —————!

An indescribable bizarre sound echoes all around, and begins to excavate new dreams.

They are forgotten truths, torn-out histories, and dreams that have died.

And then...

Those bitter, salty tears, clumped together because no one ever acknowledged them, begin to speak to me all at once the moment I reach them.

—Acknowledge me...

—Recognize me...

—Listen to my dream...

Countless beings come to me, seeking resolution.

I absorb Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens into my body.

The hearts of countless people, including Oh Hye-seo's, contained within it react and resonate with the surrounding ancient forces.

Woo-wooooong— My countless past lives, numbering over two thousand.

Even those past lives— Are now a kind of ancient force to me.

The me of the present, possesses more ancient force than anyone else.

And the moment that resonance begins...

Countless ancient forces begin to resonate with me as well.

—You too... are a being filled with resentment.

—Or perhaps, a being who endlessly embraces a resentment like ours.

—You are a being who can acknowledge us.

Those histories resonate with the sorrow of 'regression' in my chest that cannot be spoken aloud to another, and amplify the resonance.

'Normally, this would be the part where one borrows their hearts, grants them release, realizes that their identities were Immortal Arts all along, and ascend as the Immortal Beast King.'

I realize why Ryeong's remnant told me all of this ahead of time.

'This is... a feeling I already know.'

Tak— Right then and there, I begin to dance a sword dance.

A sword dance that integrates all martial flows I've ever learned.

From within it, my life flows out.

At the same time, the Ultimate of Martial Arts I attained pours forth.

A Martial Art that holds all connections within my sword.

As the Sword God Dance unfolds from my hands...

It weaves a melody within the resonance of countless ancient forces.

'Just as I once held Jeon Myeong-hoon's heart...'

I forge the will of my Martial Pinnacle, and just as I once borrowed Jeon Myeong-hoon's, I begin to imbue my sword with the grudges bound within the countless ancient forces and let them unfold.

'Unfold it.'

Chwaaaa— The life of a being flashes before my eyes.

My sword dances endlessly, becoming a sword dance for that one being alone.

It becomes a requiem offered to the forgotten existence, a ritual to release its sorrow.

When one ancient force ends, the next one comes. And when that ends, another follows...

Endless 'lives' gather upon my sword, each unfolding in a different form.

Pasasasasa— As my sword swings, the surrounding ancient forces and the world of mist splits apart, becoming dyed in resplendent colors.

Each time a new color is born, a new movement of the sword dance is created and connects.

Each movement is so complete that they all could be called supreme martial techniques in their own rights.

'How ironic.'

It feels like only yesterday I admired Kim Young-hoon for effortlessly creating new techniques before my eyes...

And yet now, I've risen to stand at the same height as him, doing the exact same.

My Martial Arts is perfectly unified with Immortal Arts, so everything I perform is both a sword dance and martial technique—and also Immortal Art.

I am manifesting forgotten lives in the form of Immortal Arts and martial techniques.

Pasasasasa— The form of the Impermanence Sword changes, reading the countless ancient forces and creating new martial techniques and Immortal Arts tailored to them.

I melt all those sword dances into a single sword, and the clumps of ancient force in the surroundings gradually begin to gather toward me.

Before long, those clumps of ancient force begin to spiral into me like a waterspout, and I smile as I create sword dances suited to each of them without the slightest difficulty.

The way the Salt Sea Supreme Deity uncovered ancient forces in a completely different way from me long ago enters my eyes.

He expressed the ancient forces through the combination of countless basic spells and gave them acknowledgement.

And Hyeon Rang, who came after him, gave each ancient force its own 'name', defining them.

It's when I come to realize all of this.

'Ah...!'

Kugugugugu!

Within the raging waterspout, I suddenly recognize that all the ancient forces have fully accepted me into their hearts.

Deeeeng— For some reason, the sound of a brahma bell rings forth, and from within the tornado, a massive resonance spreads out.

That vibration spreads outward from us to countless other ancient forces, and I feel it expanding even beyond the Head Realm.

Whisperwhisperwhisperwhisper...

Countless ancient forces come to know who 'I' am, and that I am the one who will grant them release. This knowledge spreads to every ancient force.

And in that moment, I feel that I have been 'acknowledged' by the ancient forces present across the entirety of the Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand World.

Deeeeng— Kugugugugu!

As I feel myself reaching the pinnacle of Immortal Arts and ancient force...

I come to know that I now possess the authority to command and the authority to define all ancient force in this world.

Deeeng— The third bell tolls.

With that sound, I take the form of the Immortal Beast Candle Shadow and become the incarnation of the Gracious Soul Filling the Heavens, the [White Deer With Antlers] itself, and I feel as though I now hold the entire world in the palm of my hand.

Paaaaaaat!

I return beyond the Head Realm, back to the timeline where we once had been, and I come to realize.

'Now... I can access and view any ancient force at any time, anywhere, and I now have the qualification to swim in the depths of the Origin Essence of Life within the Head Realm to excavate forgotten truths.'

Moreover, if I resolve the information of the ancient forces I access through using techniques like my Sword God Dance, I can draw out the power contained within the ancient force.

:: Thank you, everyone...!:: The Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand World.

My voice resounds brilliantly throughout.

Everyone, including Jeon Myeong-hoon, turns to look at me.

:: It's thanks to all of you that I have reached this place.:: Kugugugugu!

Now fully expelled from the Head Realm, I feel it even more clearly.

The 'trace of the double helix' I left behind upon my enthronement now feels as though it is my body itself.

I now seem to envelop the entirety of Mount Sumeru, with my head resting atop the Head Realm, gazing down from the summit of Mount Sumeru.

In the legends of the countless Candle Dragons bearing my Candle Dragon True Blood, It shall now be recorded that the Candle Dragon 'coils Mount Sumeru, resting its head at the summit, and gazes down upon the mountain from above'.

As the Immortal Beast Candle Shadow, I recognize myself as one encircling all of Mount Sumeru and cry out.

:: I, the new Immortal Beast King, Seo Eun-hyun... shall not forget those who showed me grace!:: Kururururung!

I am the Immortal Beast Candle Shadow, Seo Eun-hyun.

The new Immortal Beast King, and the Immortal Beast who symbolises repaying grace (報恩).

Pukwak!

Just then, at the very moment I declare my enthronement as Immortal Beast King, a [hand made of flowers] erupts from the Head Realm and pierces through my neck.

::...?:: Before I can even react, though the concept of death should hold no meaning for me anymore, the concept of [annihilation] is forcibly driven into me—and without even a moment to flee through Heavenly Escape, I am destroyed.

Wooooong!

Amidst this absurd annihilation...

I look toward the owner of the hand that suddenly struck out.

'Was it because he was hiding among the ancient forces of the Head Realm... that I couldn't perceive him...!?'

Tststststst!

With my fall, the Radiance Mantra activates, and my eyes meet with his.

That being is, for some reason, the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable who burst forth from the Head Realm with the entirety of their Gandhara.

Kwarururung!

I see Jeon Myeong-hoon rushing across the Heavenly Domain toward the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable, and I see the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable fighting him, emitting emotionless intent.

And at the very end of this life, so short yet filled with so many events, the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable looks at me and speaks a single line with an expressionless face.

:: For awakening my essence... I offer deep gratitude. As compensation, I shall now grant the distinguished one the opportunity to proceed toward the proper fate as well.:: Jjeoooook— The flower-formed face of the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable contorts into a grotesque smile as he looks at me.

'... Damn it.'

Seeing his appearance, I can tell.

The current Sal Tree is now capable of properly wielding the overflowing 'power' of a Gandhara Heavenly Venerable at the same level as Hyeon Mu.

The power remains the same as when the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable was normal...

But his danger level has now risen to that of Hyeon Mu.

From this point on, I must face the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable who poses a threat on par with Hyeon Mu, and has become our enemy.

As I come to that realization, I close my eyes.

That is my two-thousand-and-eleventh return.