The First Day of the 15th Loop
The consciousness returned.
The backlash from forcibly exploding my original soul.
It was as if my head would split apart from the dizziness and the urge to vomit.
But only for a moment.
I steadied my mind.
And then a familiar voice reached me.
“Choose. We will now follow the guidance of the senior cultivators of the Gwanghan Realm… or, what…!”
I pressed my throbbing head and looked at Seo Hyoel standing before me.
He was watching me with a surprisingly interesting expression. Not just him—Geum Byeok-ho, Heok Gwak, and even Changhoza stared at me in shock.
Goe-gun’s eyes were filled with greed.
The headache made me realize my consciousness had grown too large.
After reaching Ogijowon, my consciousness had already been a bit larger than that of the same-rank disciples, and with the Strange Star-Mind Scroll, it had grown even more.
In that state, I had reached the realm of original soul in my past life.
My consciousness, which had just entered the original soul stage in my previous life, now possessed a size that placed it at the peak of the mid-stage original soul cultivators if measured purely by size.
Because my consciousness had grown too large, even though my body had already undergone Hwan-gol-tal-tae in the Water Realm, my head began to throb unbearably.
Even if the harmony broke, the Ogijowon body somehow endured the headache, but not to the point of immediate explosion.
Still.
“Ah, no! It’s the consciousness of an original soul cultivator!”
“With this level of consciousness size, the soul would overflow and affect the qi rank even at the soul level…”
“It would be extremely advantageous for obtaining the original soul…”
“With this fellow’s level, he would be perfect for immediate full power use.”
Clearly, an Inhuman with a Core Formation-rank consciousness had suddenly expanded his consciousness size after a few words with Seo Hyoel.
It was astonishing, but the level beyond original soul would, as they said, influence the qi rank with the overflowing soul.
So.
“Hey, won’t you join our Geumshin Cheonrae Sect? We’ll give you the Outer Hall Elder position right away, and once your realm is raised, we’ll even give you the Inner Hall Elder position!”
“No, you seem to have a soul quite familiar with death, so if you enter the Black Ghost Valley, you’ll achieve immense success! The limitless techniques of this valley’s history are waiting for you! Looking at your consciousness and deathly aura, entering the Black Ghost Valley…”
“With original soul rank consciousness, you’re clearly a talent that can fully master our Changcheon Gaebyeokmun training! If you join right now, I’ll give you the position of First Cloud Disciple and direct disciple!”
Geum Byeok-ho, Heok Gwak, and Changhoza shouted at me with bright faces without hesitation.
In the early days of my previous life, I had been surprised by the Core Formation consciousness, but I hadn’t been that enthusiastic, so this heat was truly astonishing.
And it wasn’t just that.
“I see… it seems my greed has grown even more now. With your talent, I can recommend you for a position in the Jinryong League, and if you wish, I can even grant you a recommendation for participation in the True Dragon Blood Merger, not just ordinary blood!”
Seo Hyoel also looked at my consciousness with an astonished expression and spoke.
Goe-gun, meanwhile, was shaking his fingers rapidly while rolling his eyes, as if some madness was about to seize him.
From experience, this was the state just before madness seized him.
If he went that way, his fingers would bite his own flesh and glow.
‘It’s not the time for this.’
I swallowed hard inside.
Only after seeing Goe-gun’s reaction did I snap back to my senses.
If I kept standing there in a daze, I’d be taken by Goe-gun and lose the chance to choose.
‘Of course, in my current state…’
I felt the Colorless Glass Sword sleeping in my lower abdomen.
The ones inherited from my past life after eating Baek Hong-ju.
The Ten Thousand Phenomena Affinity Diagram linked to them.
In the diagram, I sensed the accumulated training and experiences from my past life.
If I simply endured, I felt it would be possible to recover the entire original soul realm within ten or twenty years using it as a lighthouse.
I wanted to keep it shorter, but the trials and rites required while cultivating the technique were the problem.
Still, with the possibility of recovering my training in such a short time, I could escape Goe-gun’s kidnapping quickly, but honestly, doing so would make it meaningless.
‘I’ll deal with the past-life nostalgia later and choose now.’
I rolled my head.
The higher the cultivator’s realm and the larger the consciousness, the more intelligence, thinking speed, and memory increased proportionally.
Of course, the proportion varied slightly by person, but the fact that the width of thinking changed with consciousness size was true.
I spun my consciousness that had reached the original soul realm and thought of the best choice I could make.
And finally.
I made my decision.
Geum Byeok-ho, Heok Gwak, Changhoza… and Goe-gun and Seo Hyoel were all looking at me.
“I…”
I walked straight toward one person without hesitation.
“Oh… so you’ve chosen me.”
He gave me a warm smile and patted my shoulder.
Goe-gun’s expression darkened.
I felt like vomiting, but I forced a smile and bowed to him.
“This humble Seo has come to learn under the arrangement of the famous Seo Hyoel-nim.”
“Hahaha, good choice. I’ll take good care of you without reservation. Even though you are Inhuman, not Yuchok, I will ensure you don’t stick out or get isolated among the Yuchok.”
“…Thank you in advance.”
I tried to become accustomed to the revulsion in Seo Hyoel’s inner state while observing the surroundings.
Sadness filled the gazes of the others, and Goe-gun clicked his tongue and turned his head as if he had lost interest.
I turned my gaze to the subordinate under Goe-gun.
In my past life, I had originally planned to choose Changhoza, so I had walked in front of Goe-gun and hugged Kim Yeon while thinking of his pure characteristics.
But now it was hard to approach her.
Goe-gun’s eyes were wide open, and unlike pure Changhoza, if I pretended to be close to Goe-gun in front of Seo Hyoel, I didn’t know how I would get stabbed in the back later, so I had to be careful.
And while I was sorting my thoughts, the Four Pillars Green Turtle Wood Man and Goe-gun began arguing again, and Goe-gun started glowing.
Seeing Goe-gun’s eyes roll, Seo Hyoel hurriedly told the Four Pillars Yuchok Gyu-ryeon who had come to take him, and told her to leave this place.
And while Goe-gun was in a frenzy and Seo Hyoel prepared to leave, I secretly split my soul out using the Wansuigungmurok, creating my spirit twin.
Then, together with the Wansuigungmurok, I secretly threw it at Kim Yeon.
My spirit twin became the Strange Parasite and secretly burrowed into her consciousness.
In the early days of this life, I couldn’t soothe her, but through the Strange Parasite, I would continue to contact and comfort her in the future.
I thanked Gyeon Shin for delivering the Strange Parasite in my heart and followed Seo Hyoel.
Gyu-ryeon seemed displeased that I had climbed onto her head, but with Seo Hyoel’s persuasion, she allowed me to do so on her neck.
After some time, she flew into the sky and left Geongon City.
I looked down below from Gyu-ryeon’s head, watching Goe-gun’s frenzy and the opening of the Wondrous Castle.
And I looked at Changhoza, who was caught between them.
Using the small opening to my advantage, I looked at Changhoza and bowed to him in my heart.
Even if he was my master from the past life, even if he had already reversed time and become someone else.
My heart toward him had not changed, so he was the firm support and master in my heart.
‘I will never forget your spirit.’
From now on, I would enter under Seo Hyoel’s wings.
I couldn’t imagine how dark and sinister his inner depths were.
But precisely because of that, I resolved that I would never forget Changhoza’s spirit, turned my head away from the noisy Geongon City caused by Goe-gun, and continued.
‘My goals for this life are set.’
Originally, I had considered the Geumshin Cheonrae Sect or the Black Ghost Valley, which I thought might suit me.
But after thinking on the Ascension Platform, I set and decided my goals for this life.
‘First, I need to figure out what happened to the dispatched Oh Hye-seo who was taken by Seo Hyoel.’
I sat on Gyu-ryeon’s head with the other Yuchok, watching Seo Hyoel with a friendly smile as he chatted.
I had to know what he was doing to Oh Hye-seo inside his sinister depths.
‘Second, starting from Hyeol-eum, the Black Dragon King… I need to figure out what these dragon race guys are.’
The Black Dragon King Hyeol-eum, who is obviously related to the Void Refinement King of the Hyeoleumgye.
And the sinister dragon race Seo Hyoel who supported Won Rip’s attempt to invade the Hyeoleumgye from the Water Realm.
I didn’t know what these dragon guys wanted or what their true nature was, and since they were entangled with the Hyeoleumgye, I might not be able to follow the Gwanghan Realm situation if I didn’t find out.
So this time, I would dig from the inside and find out their purpose and nature.
‘And finally, third…’
Confirming Oh Hye-seo’s situation and the dragon race’s purpose and nature.
And something more important than that.
Perhaps the most difficult thing.
‘From now on, I will train under Seo Hyoel and reach the core of the Yuchok.’
Decided after thinking of the tragedy of mad Jeon Myeong-hoon and the Geumshin Cheonrae Sect.
‘Infiltrate the Geumshin Cheonrae Sect and steal the Heavenly Thunder Banner before the Jinseon who will destroy it.’
And if I brought the stolen Heavenly Thunder Banner into the Yuchok region and threw it into Seo Hyoel’s or Hyeol-eum’s mouth, I could realize a perfect poison against poison.
This third goal was the biggest reason I chose Seo Hyoel.
‘This life, I will confirm Oh Hye-seo’s current situation and the dragon race’s purpose, steal the Heavenly Thunder Banner, and deal a huge blow to their base.’
Those were the biggest goals of this life.
I scattered my Answer Heaven’s Muhyeong Sword inside my body so Gyu-ryeon wouldn’t notice.
Then I immediately formed the Ganghwan in the center of my lower abdomen and formed my Golden Core.
Uwoong!
As my Golden Core was formed and stabilized the center of my body, the throbbing headache was gradually calmed.
And perhaps feeling the Golden Core’s aura, Gyu-ryeon who was carrying us toward the Yuchok region spoke.
[What? Are you a Yuchok? I feel Yuchok energy… or are you a mixed-blood human-yuchok?]
I cleared my throat and answered her in Yuchok language.
“I am not mixed-blood, I am Inhuman, but I learned a very unusual technique while in the lower realm, so I can form Yudan even with a human body. Now that I’ve come to the Gwanghan Realm, the achievements that have been blocked until now are opening, and a Yudan is being formed right now. Hahaha…”
“Oh, even Yuchok language? Well, theoretically, your Cheon clan can learn the Zujok technique….”
When I perfectly used the Yuchok language and revealed the Golden Core’s aura, Gyu-ryeon’s attitude softened a bit; she wasn’t uncomfortably tense.
And seeing my appearance, Seo Hyoel descended from Gyu-ryeon’s head and approached me sitting on his neck.
Wiii!
Pretending to look down from Gyu-ryeon’s neck heading to the Zujok region, I bowed to Seo Hyoel.
“To the Heryongwang, thank you again for accepting me.”
“Do not call me Wang. In the Gwanghan Realm, the term Wang is only used by the Integration-rank Yuwang. Anyway, and if you don’t take in talents like you, it means you are an eyeless fool. Moreover, you can form Yudan too. You are a much more Yuchok-friendly talent than I expected.”
“Thank you.”
“With the Yuchok language too, I can’t help but like you… This technique is a technique I made myself, and it is a technique for a great genius like you.”
Seo Hyoel smiled and took out a technique scroll bound in Yusu leather from his bosom and handed it to me.
“Ah…”
The name of the technique scroll was Ho-pung Jin-hyeol-byun.
“… .”
When I stared at the technique scroll in silence, Seo Hyoel gave a bitter smile as if sorry.
“Actually, I wanted to give you a more proper Yugong technique, but before we reach the Jinryong League, the base of the Yuchok, this is the best for you, an Inhuman. Please understand.”
But while reading his inner state, I saw that although he said sorry with his mouth, doubt was gradually rising toward me.
‘Damn it.’
If I received Ho-pung Jin-hyeol-byun, I would become his puppet and livestock, and if I didn’t, Seo Hyoel would suspect me.
I had never planned to gain his full trust anyway, but I hadn’t expected to be suspected so quickly, less than half a day after choosing him, so in the extreme choice, I opened my mouth while looking at the Ho-pung Jin-hyeol-byun.
**Author’s Note:**
**15th Loop Main Quest List:** 1. Confirm Oh Hye-seo’s current situation. 2. Dragon race spy. 3. Steal the Heavenly Thunder Banner. 4. (New!) Survive Seo Hyoel’s schemes.
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