Chương 766: Radiance (1)

Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain.

A Heavenly Domain is originally a world whose inside may be quiet, but the outside is a world of unbroken stillness.

All things that occur inside a Heavenly Domain are, in the end, matters within it.

No matter how loud the affairs of the Saha World are, from the viewpoint of the True Immortal Realm it is only quiet.

From the gaze of the True Immortal Realm, the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain is likewise a quiet Heavenly Domain.

Like the other Heavenly Domains, from the viewpoint of the True Immortal Realm it floats in the Inner Sea of Mount Sumeru in a hyperspherical form, repeatedly undergoing birth and annihilation.

However, the dimensional veil of that quiet Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain, at some moment, bursts open.

Kugugugugu!

Something ominous and black, like claws, like teeth, springs out from the inside of the dimensional veil.

And driven out to the outside of the Heavenly Domain by the pressure of those teeth are a pair of Heavenly Lords.

They are the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord and the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord.

:: How, at the level of the Entering Nirvana stage...::::... did it pierce a Heavenly Domain...?:: The two Heavenly Lords, as if in gloom, stare at the monster that scatters those black teeth.

Inside the Heavenly Domain.

There, a monster grips an amorphous devilish sword made of Glass True Fire, takes its stance once more, and glares at them.

::... This cannot be.:: However, not only the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord but also the Breaking Army Heavenly Lord do not lose their will to fight.

They do not feel shame.

They feel only despair.

:: All great incidents of Mount Sumeru are observed by us.:::: Even if not by us, the Heavenly Lords of the Source River who were loyal to the Lord in former generations have written them as history, as records.:::: An event birthing such an ominous martial discipline... there is no record of it anywhere in this world!:: The many arms of the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord pour out together with unceasing long strikes.

True Martial Arts.

First Form, Zero (零).

However, once more the amorphous devilish sword turns black, becomes claws and teeth, and tears apart the arms of the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord.

But the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord does not give up.

Even as blood flows from their Immortal Body, even as their whole body is shredded to pieces by the black something.

They ceaselessly use the martial discipline they have mastered to face the blackness.

Only, for the sake of their light that is charging at the chest of that devil spirit.

Heaven and Earth collapse.

Beyond the Heavenly Domain, a strange abyssal world is revealed.

Wol Ryeong, who has reached the Sacred Vessel stage, knows that that is the Inner Sea outside the Heavenly Domain.

'A power that tears a Heavenly Domain apart as it is...'

Wol Ryeong keeps approaching the dragonoid who unfolds such a baleful martial disciple even while its own flesh collapses.

Amid the march of those black things, no enlightenment into any martial discipline can be obtained.

As with a mountain peak that is so high one cannot know its end, neither Wol Ryeong nor any of the Star Shattering Esteemed Ones whom Wol Ryeong protects and accompanies can gain enlightenment from the martial discipline of that existence.

Rather, because its level is too high, from that feast of the black thing they obtain only an impression of violence and slaughter, not enlightenment of Martial Arts.

'The Martial Melody Heavenly Lord and the other Northern Dippers are supporting us.'

She does not think to obtain enlightenment.

Wooo-woooong!

Only by boring into the chest of that existence with a radiance barrier in the shape of a sword of light along with the Star Shattering stage Esteemed Ones does she hope for victory.

'I can do it. Without fail...!'

Tssaaaaa— When the black something occasionally targets her, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord defends.

All that Wol Ryeong needs to mind are the aftereffects of those black things being swung.

"It's coming!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Sensing that aftershock through transcendental senses, Wol Ryeong shouts, and Jin Wol-ryeong steps out.

Fighting Step.

Fifth Realm!

"Unlike the other guys, I only managed to reach half a step... but even so, only now do I stand at the same eye level as Teacher Jang Ik!"

The Third Great Esteemed One of the Heart Tribe, Jin Wol-ryeong, begins to burn all seven of her horns.

"We are a race that imitates the power of other races, that divine descends the power of other Immortal Beasts. At the end lies the Noble Blood True Sea Radiance Body, but I have no thoughts to reach that realm."

Soon, Jin Wol-ryeong's whole body begins to burn.

The clothes that her Combat Technique Form wears all burn away and vanish.

But even though she stands completely nude, Jin Wol-ryeong acts as if she feels no shame.

She exposes her towering three chi body packed with muscle, and she further intensifies the flames that burn her entire body.

Soon, those flames change into a pure white light.

It does not seem to be because of the rising temperature, but as if the essential nature itself has changed.

And suddenly, Wol Ryeong can see something inside Jin Wol-ryeong's white flames.

'A spiral...?'

"Thus, by tracing back up against the extremity of the Fighting Ghost Race's inherent imitation of other races' physical traits, I at last arrived. To the being who exists at the apex of the divinities that are the Immortal Beasts."

Jin Wol-ryeong's flesh itself turns into pure white flames, and then the air currents rising inside her explosively begin to fill the surroundings.

"To the power of the Immortal Beast King!"

Huarururururuk!

Jin Wol-ryeong's seven horns seem to merge into one, and she entwines together the spiraling power bursting out from inside her body.

Before long, a gigantic vortex begins to rise centered on her horn.

The vortex of white flame spreads outwards, tracing countless spiral trajectories.

Kwarururung!

Soon, from inside that white flame, lumps of Salt Crystal come forth.

And the spiral trajectories bursting from her body collide with the aftermath of the black things passing by, succeeding in canceling one of the aftershocks that is about to fall on Wol Ryeong's party.

[Guaaaaaaaah!!] Huarururururuk!

Burning herself, burning all seven horns of her royal bloodline...

Jin Wol-ryeong at last begins to burn even her one remaining horn.

When her last remaining horn completely disappears, an enormous white flame surges forth and begins to create an even larger spiral storm.

[Go!!!] Kwaaaang!

Wol Ryeong senses Jin Wol-ryeong leaving the sword's light barrier that protects their party and pushing the barrier forward.

[I will cancel the aftershock!! Go, and save the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domain!!] Wol Ryeong, seeing that sight, seeing Jin Wol-ryeong turning into pure white fire and sacrificing herself for them, seeing her spiral, is swept by a complex feeling she cannot name.

Jin Wol-ryeong pushes them toward the chest of the hair clone and smiles.

'Teacher Jang Ik. Did you feel this way too?'

She knows what Jang Ik's Manifestation sought.

The Manifestation of Jang Ik, who tried to face the End.

Jang Ik's Manifestation was broken by Seo Eun-hyun, who at that time pretended to collapse the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.

Other members of the Heart Tribe were captivated either by Jang Ik's spirit or by Seo Eun-hyun's strength, but Jin Wol-ryeong was different.

'The feeling of laying everything down, sacrificing to protect all within the Heavenly Domain... Did you feel like this then too?'

Recalling that strike, when Jang Ik burned himself to challenge Seo Eun-hyun, Jin Wol-ryeong smiles.

Jang Ik died fighting against the End of the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, against Seo Eun-hyun.

Jin Wol-ryeong... seeing Jang Ik's sacrifice, thought it indescribably beautiful.

'I too... want to burn while blocking the End of a Heavenly Domain. I too...'

Jin Wol-ryeong has still not reached the realm that corresponds to the Second Step Before the Throne.

Even though hundreds of thousands of years have passed since then.

Perhaps that is why she tries to burn herself all the more.

'I too... want to become like you.'

Huarururururuk!

While the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord receives the very essence of the black things even as their hands rip apart, Jin Wol-ryeong blazes endlessly behind Wol Ryeong, canceling the aftershocks.

In the Fighting Ghost Race the horns symbolize special authorities, but if those horns are lost, the authority to copy the traits of other races is deleted. But instead...

The pure strength of the flesh then grows stronger by the cube of the number of horns and of the innate divine power one is born with.

And Jin Wol-ryeong is royalty born with seven horns.

The moment she burned her seven horns, she could tell her power has grown immeasurably strong.

'I am reaching it. I too... into that realm...'

Feeling as if she has become a moth, she divine descends with her whole body the power of the Immortal Beast King.

The horns of the Fighting Ghost Race that draw in the power of Immortal Beasts disappear, but the portion of the authority of the Immortal Beast King that she drew through the horns— Reading the [will] contained within it, she draws forth that will through the Fighting Ghost Race's Fighting Dance.

The will of the Immortal Beast King descends into Jin Wol-ryeong's flesh, and following the will, the power also comes along.

Jin Wol-ryeong's body, with all horns burned away, becomes the cornerstone that lets her firmly endure that fearsome power and will.

'I feel it. Is this the will of a transcendent...?'

Jin Wol-ryeong offers thanks to the transcendent existence called the Immortal Beast King, whom she would never face in her entire life.

'Thank you. For letting me, this once, burn... like Teacher Jang Ik!'

Jin Wol-ryeong, within the pure white expanse, suddenly senses something.

'That is...'

It is a sword.

The hand gripping that sword belongs to a bizarre god on which masses of white paper flowers bloom.

Jin Wol-ryeong instinctively understands that the hand is that of the Immortal Beast King.

'Are you... lending it to me...?'

She can tell that the Immortal Beast King is lending her power.

'This is...'

—O Great Heart Tribe.

Feeling herself passing beyond the white flames into a world wholly white, Jin Wol-ryeong blankly reaches out her hand to that sword of all of heaven's natural colors.

—Honor to that Fighting Spirit.

'Fighting Spirit...'

Recalling the Fighting Spirit of Jang Ik, the Heart Tribe warrior she once respected the most, Jin Wol-ryeong grips the sword.

And the moment she grips the sword.

Jin Wol-ryeong, amidst ecstasy and the Heart Tribe's madness toward Martial Arts, smiles to the point of tearing.

Jin Wol-ryeong becomes a spark.

A spark that blooms for only an instant and then fades into the void.

But she does not care.

For just one instant, Even if it is borrowed from someone, The sword in Jin Wol-ryeong's hand is...

'As a warrior who has mastered Fighting Dance...'

The end of Martial Arts, and the end of being a Heart Tribe.

'This is an honor never to come again.'

Toward that something, toward the Zero (零) that the devilish sword of the Sword Mountain Devil Lord unfolds, Jin Wol-ryeong swings the sword.

Not the aftershocks of the black something.

She cuts the main body!

Jin Wol-ryeong feels as if her entire life pours into this sword, and for a moment.

The white sword that contains the entirety of Jin Wol-ryeong's life rips apart the black claws and fangs and completely paves the path for Wol Ryeong to advance.

Sword God Dance!

Tsuaaaat!

The Fighting Ghost Race who lives by copying the power of other races and divine descending the power of Immortal Beasts.

Jin Wol-ryeong, who reached the apex of that Fighting Ghost Race and succeeded in divine descending the power of the Immortal Beast King who stands at the apex of the Immortal Beasts.

Jin Wol-ryeong unfolds with her own hands the move of Martial Pinnacle that the Immortal Beast King lends her, and within the flames, she awakens as a true Heart Tribe, and thus closes her eyes.

Vast Cold Realm's Fighting Ghost Race practitioner, The Final Heaven Esteemed One Jin Wol-ryeong...

Truly becoming an Esteemed One of the Heart Tribe, she thus becomes white flames and dies.

'... It's... beautiful.'

Wol Ryeong finds it hard to take her eyes off the death of the one who has the same name as herself.

It is not only Wol Ryeong.

All the Star Shattering Esteemed Ones present, especially the Heart Tribe Esteemed Ones, stare at that final moment as if to bore holes with their eyes.

That, too, is a supreme art so high that it is hard to discern it, like the black something.

But because that exalted art is unfolded by the hand of the imperfect being called Jin Wol-ryeong, the art instead becomes lowered so that everyone can recognize it.

It is an ultimate technique that has reached the Ultimate of Martial Arts.

Ham Rak is so moved that he even sheds tears.

"You at last reached it, Wol-ryeong Noonim."

Uncharacteristically for one of the Horned Ox Race, Ham Rak finishes in a sentimental voice while holding back tears, then wipes them and fixes his gaze back on the target point.

"Cultivator Wol. So that Wol-ryeong Noonim's sacrifice is not in vain... I beg of you!"

Wol Ryeong, feeling the strange sensation that the one with the same name felt, nods at Ham Rak's words.

Kwaaaaaaang!

At last, thanks to Wol Ryeong who borrows the power of the Sword Spear Realm, Wol Ryeong's party succeeds in reaching the devil spirit's chest.

It is the place where Ham Rak first made a gap in the scales with the time stop of Non-Toppling, Non-Standing.

Huarurururuk!

When the heat of the Glass True Fire bursts out from that gap and tries to engulf them.

Ham Rak shouts a battle cry.

[Non-Toppling, Non-Standing!] Jjeooooooong!

At the same time, in an instant, the gap before their eyes becomes a 'fissure.'

'What is that!? Even I, at the Grand Perfection Sacred Vessel stage, cannot grasp it.'

Unable to grasp the function of time stop, Wol Ryeong only widens her eyes as she sees the gap instantly become a fissure.

Wol Ryeong only senses that something tremendous happened in that moment as she sees Ham Rak go exhausted in an instant.

[I made the fissure. I ask you, Daoist Jun!] Of the Heart Tribe's Three Great Esteemed Ones, the last Esteemed One who has never revealed their form.

The Human Race Esteemed One, Matching Heaven Esteemed One, Jun Eom, inhales.

[Though I am a Heart Tribe Esteemed One... I, like Jin Wol-ryeong Noonim, am only a half-step... No, in truth, I can barely enter that stage for only a single instant.] Kugugugugu!

Wings spread behind Jun Eom's back.

Those wings soon fade, becoming a blue radiance, and seep into Jun Eom's fist with the power of a dragon.

[A single straight punch on which I stake everything. That is the greatest attack I can deliver, and the greatest Heart Tribe ultimate technique. So as soon as my attack unfolds, Cultivator Wol, please land a strike at once.] A disciple of the Azure Heaven Creation Sect, and descendant of Jun Jae, the former Human Race Integration stage Grand Cultivator Association Leader.

Jun Eom, with a solemn expression, recalls the figure of a man he once saw in a dream.

That man was said to be the direct disciple of Azure Tiger Saint, founder of the Azure Heaven Creation Sect.

The man's name was not left, but the moment Jun Eom saw him in the dream, he knew.

That the man's straight punch is the goal he, as a disciple of the great Azure Heaven Creation Sect, must aim for all his life.

[Azure Wing!] Dudududu!

Space trembles.

Wol Ryeong sees a vision as if the Esteemed One called Jun Eom before her eyes has entered a world of paper flowers.

On one side of that world of paper flowers, there is a silver domain.

Jun Eom heads toward that silver domain and throws a straight punch with his whole being.

[Heavenly Shatter!!] For an instant, Jun Eom's fist seems to be covered in silver, and Wol Ryeong feels an indescribable thrill as she sees that sight.

------!

There is no sound.

Jun Eom's single punch widens the fissure Ham Rak made and pierces the scale armor of the hair clone, reaching the flesh within.

Chuaaaaaa!

And then Jun Eom, as if he exhausted all the energy of his entire body after that single punch, faints on the spot, and Wol Ryeong stuffs the drained Ham Rak and Jun Eom into her internal world and quickly enters the body of the hair clone.

And the moment she reaches inside, Wol Ryeong can see something.

That something is also something Wol Ryeong knows well.

A gigantic sword mountain of glass stands before Wol Ryeong's eyes.

"I have come... to avenge my grudge against you."

Wol Ryeong summons the radiance halberd.

Woo-wooong— She recalls the Heart Tribe Esteemed Ones who, at her side until now, showed her something while sacrificing themselves.

The will.

The heart.

And the principles of martial discipline contained within it that the Esteemed Ones showed, by Wol Ryeong's fate, are manifested from her hand.

"Let's... end this ill-fated connection!!!"

Wol Ryeong sees a vision of the countless people who accompanied her here brush past before her eyes.

Jun Eom's heart.

Ham Rak's heart.

Jin Wol-ryeong's heart.

The nameless Heavenly Lords and her master.

And...

Seo Gyeong's heart.

Thus, thinking of Seo Gyeong's heart...

Recalling her own heart for Seo Gyeong, she thrusts the halberd with all her strength toward the hair clone.

Heaven, Earth and Heavens Above become wrapped in light.

In the next moment, Wol Ryeong succeeds in splitting the glass sword mountain that is no different from the hair clone's heart, and the something within it.

Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.

Palace of Radiance.

Among the restraints that hold the Sword Mountain Devil Lord in its depth are the symbol forms that signify the Sword Mountain Devil Lord's [Name].

Among those symbol forms, in the symbol form of [Sword Mountain], a change occurs.

It is a faint scratch.

And that scratch is shaped as if it is a halberd.

To anyone who sees it, it would look as if a tiny little person stabbed a toothpick-like halberd into that symbol.

And the moment the crack runs through that symbol.

Blink— At last, the Devil Lord of Sword Mountain who was sunk in a dream opens their eyes.

[... It was a long sleep.] They begin to raise their head.

[Under the Seat of Radiance... I could at last seize the Radiance Mantra.] Feeling that the mantra of light they had digested in the dream until now completely enter their grasp, they smile.

[It's about time... to head out.]