A Sudden Convulsion
“Hmm?”
The first one to sense something odd was Hong-beom.
Hong-beom took one look at my complexion and rushed over in alarm.
“Master, are you unwell?”
“…I’m fine. Speaking of which, it seems to be the body of a corpse…”
Not long from now the corpse’s form would collapse, and we would step into Gwanghan Realm.
Kwa-shhh!
The sky itself was crumbling.
Almost instantly the dimensional veil of Gwanghan Realm surged into view before us.
‘Three strands of attraction…’
And just as before, three distinct pulls now coiled tightly around my hand like living things.
One led straight toward the Ascension Platform.
Another pointed to the Black Ghost Valley.
And the third…
‘Ah. So that’s it.’
Only now did I realize the true nature of the last strand.
“Ancient Power…?”
The High Governor of the Goryeok Realm, the vice-director of the Underworld Court, Geum-ryong, Han-ryeong!
I felt the exact same resonance as the last will Han-ryeong had left behind and the feeling of tears that had lingered inside the Clear Scale Armor. Certainty flooded me.
It was unmistakably the pull of the Goryeok Realm.
I hesitated for a moment.
‘Should I head to Goryeok Realm?’
Just then…
Bwoo-woong!
Puuuuk!
The size of the attraction coming from Goryeok Realm suddenly exploded.
‘This crazy…’
It writhed like something determined to devour me whole!
“Seo Eun-hyun, what’s going on?”
“Master!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon and Hong-beom shouted in shock as they looked at me.
“It seems another middle-realm is trying to pull me in.”
Gwanghan Realm might be close to the Water Realm thanks to the Ascension Gate, but in truth one only needed the right qualifications to cross realms using a Dharma treasure.
So right now, in the middle of a cross-realm journey, I should have been able to reach Goryeok Realm in no time at all.
‘What to do… should I try another middle-realm?’
That might actually be a reasonable choice too.
Most importantly, Kim Young-hoon, Buk Hyang-hwa, and Seo Ran were all waiting in Goryeok Realm.
Going to meet them would be no bad thing.
But I frowned.
‘No. Absolutely not.’
I couldn’t just be yanked away like this without finishing what I needed to do in Gwanghan Realm.
Besides, I still had to find a way to rescue Kang Min-hee right now.
‘First, we head to Gwanghan Realm.’
I made my decision and gathered my strength.
Wiiiing—
My current cultivation stage in martial arts was only Cheonin, while the spiritual cultivation method had reached only three of the four pillars.
I possessed the power of a tiger, but it was only partial and not yet fully stabilized.
Seo Hyul had obtained the tiger power in the lower realms before the battle, yet my actual strength remained at the peak of Cheonin Integration.
But as I had confirmed during my regressions, even a soul alone could command a tiger pull at the three-pillar stage.
‘My stage is only Cheonin, but my soul is three pillars…’
Kugugu-kuk!
I pulled the attraction and broke free from the Goryeok Realm’s pull.
Then, while moving toward Jeon Myeong-hoon and Hong-beom, I reached out toward the dimensional veil of Gwanghan Realm.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
A blinding flash erupted, and we stepped into Gwanghan Realm.
* * *
How many hours had passed since Seo Eun-hyun entered Gwanghan Realm?
Kugugu-gugugu-gugu—
Outside the dimensional veil, an enormous crimson-black fog surged forward like a living thing.
Kworurung—
The crimson fog tried to approach Gwanghan Realm, only to be burned by a vast tribulation, then shrank back in confusion before retreating once more.
* * *
Chwaaaak!
Familiar spirit qi flooded the surroundings.
From far away a man who looked like a three-pillar inspector soared toward us.
I told Jeon Myeong-hoon,
“Jeon Myeong-hoon, do you know about the Geumshin Cheonroe Sect’s rites?”
“Yeah. What’s wrong?”
The man had gone completely mad studying every trace of the fallen Geumshin Cheonroe Sect after its collapse.
Among them were rites meant to delay tribulations.
“Hold off on the tribulation for a moment. I need to do something.”
“Huh?”
I ignored the answer and sat down immediately, focusing my consciousness.
Kureung, kurureung!
Dark clouds began to gather in the sky.
Just as Changhoja, Heogak, Geum-byeok-ho, and Seo Hyul had done when they crossed into Gwanghan Realm, I too reached the three-pillar stage.
Using the spiritual qi generated by my soul, I drew vast amounts of heaven and earth spirit qi into my dantian.
At the same time, using the stored energy in the Colorless Glass Sword, I finally ascended to the full three-pillar stage.
Kugugu—
“Damn it! Talk first, damn it!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon cursed while quickly driving flags of the Cheonrae Jin-kyung into the ground and unfolding the formation.
Kwaduk, kwadduk, puk!
As the formation’s qi interacted with his own, he offered three of his fingers—his own Heavenly Thunder Body—as tribute and temporarily postponed the tribulation.
The tribulation changed. What should have descended on the day of my promotion was now delayed by three days.
For an instant my body seemed to melt into the Dragon Vein of Gyeongon Middle Realm.
‘So that’s why Heon-won is recovering in the Gyeongon Middle Realm.’
Harmony!
The yin and yang qi of heaven and earth swirled around each other in perfect balance.
The Triple Taiji Thunder God technique could twist yin and yang inside an opponent’s body, but this Dragon Vein seemed capable of gradually restoring twisted yin and yang.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
An enormous boom erupted from my body as light burst forth.
I instantly reached the full three-pillar stage.
‘Just a little short.’
To complete the Triple Taiji I needed to draw on the power of the Ghost King that Seop suddenly given me, but I still had to raise the Heavenly Person cultivation method to the three-pillar stage first.
It was difficult without a rite at the moment.
Just then I was trying to gauge my own strength.
Kugugu-kuk!
Heon-won tore open a spatial rift and stepped out.
“You…”
“Ah. Greetings, Bongrae Palace Master. It has been a long time.”
I met Heon-won’s gaze and spoke.
Heon-won raised a surveillance eye and glared at me.
“Your manners leave something to be desired.”
“Well, I apologize. The fact is I have no good feelings toward you, so I hope you can understand.”
“….”
He glared at me.
His face, stern beneath the black kerchief and topknot, still looked handsome, but strands of hair protruded from beneath the kerchief and trickled down, and the skin beneath his eyes looked sunken. He looked exhausted.
Like Yeon Wi had said, he must have been quite handsome in his youth, but now he was simply an old man worn out by his own regrets.
“One more thing. Since Jeon Myeong-hoon of the Geumshin Cheonroe Sect has canceled the bounty on us, there is no need to hunt us down.”
“Ah, yes. We will no longer hunt Seo Eun-hyun. That said, Seo Eun-hyun, what kind of attitude is that toward the Taesu-nim?”
Jeon Myeong-hoon spoke with his usual etiquette while glancing at my posture.
Heon-won stared at us for a moment, then nodded and turned away.
I immediately opened my mouth and pulled out the Colorless Glass Sword. Heon-won, as if he had been waiting, turned back and flicked his hand toward me.
Flash!
A palm-shaped qi wave infused with the five elements shot toward me.
I infused the All-Heaven Sword with the Colorless Glass Sword and simply bounced Heon-won’s strike back into the sky.
Tu-woong!
Kwa-aaang!
The sky rippled as the defensive formation encircling Geongon City trembled into view.
Jeon Myeong-hoon looked bewildered by the sudden situation, and I stared at Heon-won with a wicked smile.
“Why the sudden rampage?”
Heon-won stared at me for a moment.
He flicked his eyes away from mine, then snapped his fingers.
Ttak!
Bwoo-woong!
Space twisted as suddenly we were outside the walls of Geongon City, thanks to Heon-won’s flight technique.
“Honestly, I don’t like any of you. Despite all the goodwill I showed the Geumshin Cheonroe Sect, the ones who still managed to destroy it…”
“What!?”
Jeon Myeong-hoon’s face twisted in fury as if his eyes were about to roll back.
But Heon-won ignored him and glared at me.
“Even so, your strength is still valuable to humanity. I can’t simply harm you. I’ve already lost everything I invested in the Geumshin Cheonroe Sect. Since you’ve caused that loss, you will have to take my strike as compensation. Once you take it, I won’t worry about the invested spirit stones or support anymore and will forgive you.”
“….”
“What kind of nonsense is that!? Do you not even know what investment means!?”
Jeon Myeong-hoon roared while spitting lightning qi everywhere, and I burst out laughing at Heon-won’s words.
“Ha… hahaha… hahahaha!”
The laughter made Jeon Myeong-hoon and Heon-won stare at me.
“Ah… I’m dying from laughter.”
What?
If I take the strike I’ll be forgiven? Sent away?
‘This guy really… when he looked weak he tried to catch me and kill me on the spot, but the moment he looked a little off he changed his tune?’
Having known Heon-won for a long time, the changed attitude of this version of him actually annoyed me.
Chuk, chuk…
I took out the elixir from my pouch and set it aside.
Then I grabbed the elixir’s shoulder and pushed it toward Jeon Myeong-hoon.
“Fine. Come on then, Heon-won Taesu.”
Tremble—
Heon-won’s eyes narrowed as he began to concentrate qi in both hands.
“Then if that’s what you want…”
The yin and yang of heaven and earth seemed to gather toward Heon-won.
‘Let’s see…’
Kugugu-gugugu-kuk!
The Changryeong Seonggwang Ochae Daebop activated as I transformed into a giant of stars.
My body grew larger, and monstrous strength flooded every limb.
Heon-won floated up to my eye level, trying to make the fight easy for him, and began preparing the Taesan Yeolje Art.
And from my shoulder, which had become a star giant, I pulled up the power of the Ghost King that Seop had given me.
It wasn’t quite full Heavenly Person three-pillar power, but by engraving Seop’s circuit onto my body and amplifying the Heavenly Person strength, I could temporarily wield the power of a three-pillar Heavenly Person.
Kugugu-gugugu-gugu!
Faces began to sprout from my shoulder.
Kiiya-aa-aa—
Kku-aa-aa-aa—
Hwa-aa-aa—
Ghostly qi roared as eighteen faces appeared behind the shoulder of the star giant that was me.
“T-this crazy! What the hell is that!?”
“A monster from the Void Space has broken in!!”
“The Geongon City Lord is trying to kill the monster!”
“Lord-nim! Don’t hold back!”
A star giant with nineteen heads and a halo behind it appeared, and the three-pillar and Cheonin inspectors of Geongon City screamed in terror.
Wiiiing—
Although the Heavenly Person power had been forcibly amplified using Goe-gun’s circuit, thanks to that it was enough to summon the Triple Taiji for a short time.
Kugugu-kuk!
The shape was still unstable, but a massive Triple Taiji symbol bloomed like a halo behind the nineteen heads.
Looking up at that grotesque sight, even Jeon Myeong-hoon looked a little shaken.
Chwa-ra-ra-ra-rak!
Heaven and earth spirit qi wrapped around me.
At the same time Heon-won, who had drawn black and white line qi into both hands, shone with light from his eyes.
[Come. Don’t regret it…!]
[Just die.]
Kugugu-gugugu—
[Taesan!]
An enormous power welled from Heon-won’s two hands.
But I smiled wickedly at Heon-won.
Pa-sa-sa-sak—
Salt began to sprout from my two hands.
I redirected all the force of the Triple Taiji, which was erupting like a volcanic eruption, into the qi of my two hands.
‘I’ve wanted to try this at least once.’
I laughed inwardly as I concentrated the power of the Eumhon Gwijumun and Baekran Chukseongmun into both hands.
And just like Heon-won, I shouted as well.
[Taesan!]
Confusion and bewilderment appeared in Heon-won’s eyes.
His gaze was filled with the expression of someone who thought, ‘What kind of sorcery is this!’
I smiled wickedly and reached both hands toward him.
Yin and yang five elements jade stones began to grow around him as well.
Heon-won gritted his teeth and reached out to me.
[Yeolje!]
[Yeolje!]
Flash!
The world turned snow-white.
* * *
Paaaaaah!
Space remained only in light.
Two existences were competing in power there.
A star giant with nineteen heads and a halo behind them.
And a middle-aged man wrapped in yin and yang qi, wearing a kerchief and topknot.
At some point their powers reached their peak, and as the boundaries of objects themselves began to fade in the light…
They could both see [something] from each other.
The star giant with nineteen heads saw a ‘name’ coming from Heon-won’s direction.
It was the name Tianluo.
Kwa-ddeu-ddeuk!
Countless rocks, trees, and dirt erupted from the body of the nineteen-headed star giant as the giant began to transform into Mount Taesan.
The stern middle-aged man, with topknot and kerchief, saw [a certain shape] in the opposite direction.
It was the shape of [Reveon-bol].
Peo-seo-seok!
Salt pillars began to grow across the middle-aged man’s entire body.
[Hwaaa-aa-aa-aa!!!]
[Hwaaa-aa-aa-aa!!!]
The two existences who had seen something terrifying from each other screamed at the same time.