Shattered Heart (1)
“First, at least wear this shirt of mine.”
I draped my own outer robe over her slender shoulders to cover her naked form. Even in her current state of severely depleted spiritual energy, she was still far from comfortable in her present condition.
Gyuryeon stood there, staring blankly at Seo Hyul’s corpse with an empty expression, muttering repeatedly that she would kill him with her own hands. I turned my gaze outward, searching for a suitable shelter to avoid the relentless downpour.
‘And I need to find Yu Hwa as well.’
I remembered clearly that she had fallen together with us. Yet strangely, she was nowhere to be seen in this area.
Beyond Gyuryeon’s own body, the surrounding terrain had revealed itself as mountainous. I chose a suitable spot and began digging a hole to create a cave, then headed toward the peak.
And at that moment, I spotted Yu Hwa far in the distance.
“Ah…!”
It seemed she had been ejected from the descent and was now pinned on the ground from the waist up, with her lower body dangling helplessly in the air.
The white spider silk that should have cushioned the impact had gushed out in thick streams from her rear.
I quickly pulled her upright, lifted her onto my back, and carried her toward a nearby cliff where I carved out an inner cave.
Kwa-kwa-kwak!
With the power of the Black Dragon True Blood Technique, I punched straight through the rock without expending much strength. A spacious cave large enough for three people was quickly created.
I entered the cave and gathered dry branches.
Chijik, chiji-jik!
Using the Flame Moon Entry Path Law Technique, I continuously infused fire-attribute spiritual energy into the branches. Steam rose, followed by the complete drying of the wood, and finally the branches burst into flame.
‘Fortunately, my spiritual energy is still at the Foundation Establishment level.’
Seo Hyul had somehow used some technique to suppress my power when he grabbed my throat earlier, but my body, which had been tempered by the Blue Spirit Star Light Five-Color Great Law, and even my own inner energy remained intact. The remaining spiritual energy was sufficient to reach Foundation Establishment.
‘I should be able to recover my realm within the next few days.’
“Senior Gyuryeon, come sit over here.”
After lighting the fire and calling her over, Gyuryeon looked at me with a dazed expression.
And then she let out a bitter laugh.
“…I am not Gyuryeon. Do not call me Senior Gyuryeon.”
“Eh…?”
Her next words made me let out a stunned sound.
“The real Gyuryeon is dead. Anyone at the Nascent Soul stage who dies will revive with a body capable of cultivation. But… look at this.”
She lifted her slender arm.
“It is an arm that does not accumulate spiritual energy. It is not human flesh, but merely a body capable of surviving as a flaming body. It cannot revert to a dragon race form. And even if it were human flesh, it would not be able to practice the Heavenly Clan Art….”
She stared into the flames with hollow eyes as she spoke.
“The real Gyuryeon gave up on reviving. She intended to die, and she did. I am not Gyuryeon. I am nothing more than the residue left behind by her.”
Hee-juk, hee-juk…
Her lips curled upward into a forced, gloomy smile as she continued.
“When one reaches the Nascent Soul stage, their life force is so strong that even if they did not want to revive, a being like me would be born from their death. The resentment, rage, despair, and betrayal left behind by the real Gyuryeon as she died created me. I am definitely not Gyuryeon. I am merely the residue….”
Watching her hollow laugh, I asked with a heavy heart.
“Then, how should I address you?”
“…Call me Gyuryeon’s soul. Gyubaek.”
“Yes, Gyubaek-nim.”
After saying that, Gyubaek stared blankly at the flames.
Her mind was so twisted that it was difficult to read at present.
I left her behind and approached Yu Hwa.
I used law techniques to clean the small wounds on her upper body and applied one to activate her life force.
Direct treatment would have been ideal, but since her body was that of a spider demon rather than human, her meridians and blood vessels were completely different. I simply could not treat her with conventional methods.
I could only hope that her innate life force would respond and applied the life-activation law technique.
***
The rain stopped, and several days passed.
I nursed Yu Hwa, gathered the sparse spiritual energy, and resumed my cultivation.
The Golden Armor Technique, which I had practiced many times before, allowed me to recover quickly even with the limited spiritual energy.
By absorbing the spiritual veins of the surrounding terrain through formations and absorbing them, I recovered up to the Core Formation realm.
Once I returned to the Core Formation realm, Yu Hwa also regained consciousness.
“…Where is this place?”
“It feels like a lower realm.”
“A lower realm… which one?”
Why did she ask that?
Before I could respond, Yu Hwa asked again.
“I asked because it could be either the Star Realm or the Rotten Remains Realm.”
“Ah… I do not know which it is.”
“Even though I am from the Gwanghan Realm, I do not know much about lower realms. But I heard that if you go upward from the Rotten Remains Realm, the sky is blocked, and if you go upward from the Star Realm, you can go infinitely higher. Could you check for me?”
“Of course.”
I left Yu Hwa, still lying down, and emerged from the cave.
‘Let’s see how high I can go.’
The arm that had been broken was fully recovered after reaching Core Formation.
I leaped toward the sky.
‘Invisible Sword!’
Whoosh!
With the Invisible Sword merged into my entire body, I soared into the sky at a speed faster than most Nascent Soul stage cultivators, thanks to the addition of the Cloud Escape Technique.
The air gradually became thinner.
But to me, who had recovered the Core Formation realm, the presence or absence of air made no difference.
I broke through the clouds and continued upward into the distant sky, eyes wide open.
“Ah….”
The air vanished completely, and sound disappeared.
And the blue sky I had been gazing at was now pitch black, as if painted with ink.
“Huu…”
Although less cold than the lowest level of Bongmyeong-ju, a significant chill still gripped my body.
And at the same time.
Whoosh!
I had entered the Universe.
“This place… is the Star Realm…!!!”
Finally realizing that this was not the flat ground I had known, but a world that felt familiar, I shouted with joy.
Below me, the “round earth” came into view.
As I moved further away from the ground using the Invisible Sword, the round earth eventually became a planet, and stars began to appear in the distance.
“Indeed, the Star Realm really is a proper universe…!”
It was familiar.
Well, not exactly familiar, but I looked around the universe with anticipation.
‘If the Star Realm is truly a universe….’
The terrain of the planet I had just ascended from did not resemble Earth at all.
Moreover, there were two satellites orbiting the planet.
But regardless, I had fallen into a world that aligned with my knowledge from my time on Earth.
In other words…
‘There might be a place called Earth somewhere in this universe…!’
That was truly great news.
The universe was infinitely vast,
but there was a possibility that one day I could return to the place where I lived.
I floated around the universe for a while, holding countless stars in my heart.
After that, I descended back to the planet.
Whoosh—
As I entered the atmosphere with the Invisible Sword wrapped around my entire body, powerful frictional heat arose, creating a heavy burden.
Of course, the burden was not too great, and I endured it, falling back to the vicinity of my previous location like a meteor.
Kuuung!
The hill next to Gyuryeon’s body was completely crushed by my landing.
I returned to the cave and tried to inform Yu Hwa that this was the Star Realm.
At that moment.
“You were a spider demon too.”
Gyubaek, who had been standing blankly, had already appeared in front of the cave and was staring at me indifferently.
I slowly nodded.
“…I apologize for the deception. However….”
“It is fine. You deceived Gyuryeon, not me.”
“…I apologize.”
I bowed to her once more and entered the cave.
From behind my back, the sound of Gyubaek muttering to herself could be heard.
“Both of them, it seems they only deceived Gyuryeon.”
…
No words were spoken, but Gyubaek seemed even more displeased upon realizing that I was a spider demon.
‘…The number of things I deceived her with is truly too many.’
I sighed inwardly and approached Yu Hwa.
She was treating her own body by activating her life force.
“This is the Star Realm. The sky stretches infinitely, and the ground is round.”
I explained the universe in a way she could understand and informed her that we were in the Star Realm.
And the moment she heard those words, Yu Hwa’s eyes sparkled.
“The Star Realm…! Then, if that is the case…!”
Whoosh!
So excited was she that her previously closed eyes snapped open.
“Is there something in the Star Realm?”
“Yes, of course. Although I have been trapped in the lower realm since descending to the Star Realm… it is actually fortunate.”
“Hmm, what is fortunate about it….”
However, the words that followed made me startled.
“In the Star Realm, it is possible to communicate with the Spider Demon Alliance to some extent.”
“Um…!”
‘So that was why she was excited.’
In other words, even though we were stranded in the lower realm, there was a possibility of finding a way out.
“If I can communicate with the Spider Demon Alliance, is there nothing you can do to help?”
“Ah, I cannot help.”
“Still, it is surprising. Contact from the lower realm to the upper realm is immediate.”
“Oh, it is not exactly connecting the lower realm to the upper realm. Even for Heavenly Clan or Earth Clan members, I do not have such capabilities.”
“…? Then how do you connect?”
My question made her smile slyly.
“Contacting the Alliance means directly contacting the highest leader of the Alliance and having them relay the message to the Gwanghan Realm.”
“…!”
I asked, startled.
“Wait… the highest leader…”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Her words shocked me, and Gyubaek, who had been sitting gloomily at the cave entrance, was also startled.
“The Trap Heavenly Venerable is currently in the Star Realm. And I am a spy who received his single strike, so as long as you give me a little time, I can contact him.”
“…!!!”
This was shocking news.
‘So that was why when Kim Young-hoon mentioned Earth last time, he said he would contact the Venerable.’
The Trap Heavenly Venerable had originally been in the lower realm.
At that moment, Gyubaek, at the cave entrance, sneered while looking at us.
“That is truly surprising. I did not expect a master musician who could communicate with the Venerable. With the tricky Spider Demon Law Technique, how is it possible to communicate with the Venerable who is far away?”
“….”
“Even with two Spider Demon spies right next to us, Gyuryeon did not notice. That is truly pitiful.”
She clicked her tongue as if we were displeasing to her and turned her head away.
For a while, a heavy silence fell between Yu Hwa and Gyubaek, and I broke it by changing the subject.
“By the way, why is the Venerable of the Spider Demon Alliance in the Star Realm?”
However, Yu Hwa tilted her head as if she did not know the answer.
“I do not know. I heard he was looking for something….”
And at that moment, Gyubaek joined our conversation again.
“All Void Refinement stage Venerables from realms other than the Blood Blood Realm are currently traveling to the Star Realm. It is said that they are all looking for something at the edge of the Star Realm. I do not know much about the special Rotten Remains Realm inside the Star Realm.”
“Ah, thank you, Gyubaek-nim.”
I thanked her, then asked curiously.
“However, why are the Void Refinement Venerables of the Blood Blood Realm staying in their own realm? You said the Venerables from other realms all went to look for something.”
“The Heavenly Demons of the Blood Blood Realm did not follow; they could not follow. Those people are sealed in the Blood Blood Realm.”
“Sealed?”
“Yes. They cannot leave for any world other than the Demon Realm and the Gwanghan Realm. The lower realm, the Star Realm, is the same.”
Her words, which came from personal experience, sounded as if she was enjoying speaking while pretending to be gloomy.
I read her intent and smiled faintly.
Although her mind was still unreasonably gloomy compared to her normal self from the old days, I could see that she was slowly improving through conversation.
“From my limited understanding, I do not know why the Heavenly Demons of the Blood Blood Realm became like this. But perhaps you, Gyubaek-nim, could teach me?”
“I do not know either. However, it is said that due to the attraction of fate, Void Refinement Heavenly Demons are bound to the Blood Blood Realm and cannot leave. The Demon Realm was originally the same dimension, so they could travel there… but I do not know why they could come to the Gwanghan Realm.”
“I thank you for your teachings.”
“It is fine. Do not speak to me, you Spider Demon brats.”
She finished speaking and turned her back again, staring blankly at the sky from the cave entrance.
However, as I watched her mind, I continued talking to her, seeing that she was slowly improving.
Gyubaek answered my questions while pretending to be annoyed, and through conversation with her, I confirmed that her state was gradually improving.
And when the fog over her mind finally lifted.
I asked her cautiously.
“Gyubaek-nim, I have one question.”
“What is it? Again.”
“…You said it would be difficult to learn either the Water Demon Law or the Heavenly Clan Art, did you not?”
“….”
Her expression darkened once more.
I asked her carefully.
“Then, do you have no intention of learning the Spider Demon Law Technique?”
“…!”
Her words made Gyubaek jolt in shock and glare at me. Yu Hwa, who had been carving wood and attaching spider silk to make new strings, also turned toward me.
“You… you want me to learn the Spider Demon Law Technique…?”
“What reason would there be not to?”
“That is….”
After a moment of thought, she let out a small sigh.
“…Would it be shameless for me, who has oppressed and despised the Spider Demons all my life, to learn the Spider Demon Law Technique?”
That was a surprisingly interesting reason.
‘It is not that I dislike Spider Demons, but I dislike myself for having oppressed them and now wanting to learn their power….’
As expected, her nature was kind.
I smiled slightly while looking at Gyubaek.
“Why are you worried about that, Gyubaek-nim?”
“What?”
“Are you not referring to the real Gyuryeon?”
“…! You….”
She seemed confused by her identity and grabbed her head, glaring at me.
“And beyond that, is there not something you want to do now, Gyubaek-nim?”
I read the deepest part of her mind and asked.
After a long silence, Gyubaek nodded.
“…I want to kill Seo Hyul.”
“Yes, there is something you want to achieve… but how can you achieve it with this body that cannot practice any law technique?”
“….”
“May I teach you the Spider Demon Law Technique? After learning it, you will need to take revenge on Seo Hyul, will you not?”
Of course, I did not expect her to actually agree.
The reason I made such a proposal was because I wanted to give her something to immerse herself in, since her mind was so deeply twisted.
‘It seems she is slowly improving through conversation….’
However, without solving the root problem, she would remain in a dark state where she might commit suicide at any moment.
By doing this, I hoped that training her would help her dark mind by allowing her to focus on cultivation.
She listened to my words and remained silent for a long time before clenching her teeth.
“…I do not know. Until now, the only memories I have are of fearing, hating, and being terrified of the Spider Demons. And in those memories, from the real Gyuryeon’s recollections, she always thought that upon seeing the Spider Demons, she had to kill them without fail….”
“….”
“Whether I can learn the Spider Demon Law Technique…”
“…One time….”
“I will think about it.”
She bit her lip and said.
“…All right.”
I decided to give her a little time to think.
Thus, near the cave, Yu Hwa recovered her life force, I recovered my realm, and Gyubaek recovered her mind, and we spent several more days there.
And about two weeks after falling to the lower realm, the day Yu Hwa’s injuries were completely healed.
I received news that was unbelievable from her.
“The Trap Heavenly Venerable is sending a clone this way.”
“…!?”
Her words startled both me and Gyubaek, who was nearby.
“When… will the Venerable arrive?”
I asked, surprised, and she showed an awkward expression.
“…Right now….”