What Is a Human to Live For? (Part 1)
I crossed the Gwanghan Realm in a blur of wind and spirit, linking my consciousness with Kim Yeon.
Since we shared the Gimyoseongsimjeon, we could connect at any time.
*[What's the current situation?]*
Through her consciousness, I heard the explanation that the Seopmyeong Ship was gathering power to make a dimensional leap into the Ghost Clan territory.
Even with the Seopmyeong Ship's near-infinite power, its drive needed some accumulation to successfully cross into the Namgye region.
Namgye was no ordinary place. In the Gwanghan Realm, it was a far cry from the Inner Regions. Beyond barren lands, space storms raged endlessly, and terrifying heavenly phenomena erupted at random. The Ghost Clan territory lay deep even within that cursed zone, which was why our main base hadn't been completely wiped out yet.
Earlier, when Jeong-ryeo mentioned that the Heavenly Demons wanted something from the Ghost Clan, it wasn't just a casual remark that made the two Demon Kings furious.
Even facing a Ghost Clan expert was dangerous, but reaching that far already demanded an immense amount of time.
*[Since things have come to this, we should borrow the Seopmyeong Ship's power to push Goe-gun and Kang Min-hee back into the Star Realm together.]*
As for Goe-gun, he would definitely know the best way to draw even more power from the Seopmyeong Ship.
“Goe-gun, where exactly is he right now?”
I asked Seo Hyoel.
He would know Goe-gun's location more precisely through Takhon Mancheon than I did.
*[Well, it looks like he's gathering materials east of the Ghost Clan territory.]*
*East of the Ghost Clan territory...*
The Ghost Clan territory was divided into east and west. To the west lay the main base of the True Dragon League, where the corpse of the Demon Dragon Sage rested. To the east stretched an undeveloped endless sea filled with all manner of aquatic demons living freely.
*I've never been to the Endless Sea area before... Even if I asked Seo Hyoel for directions, the man is practically blind right now. He can only pinpoint Goe-gun's location, not give a proper guide...*
I glanced behind me.
There, Heon-won stood with eyes wide open, following us.
“Hey, Heon-won. The eastern border of the Ghost Clan territory. Have you ever been to the Endless Sea?”
“I have.”
“Then guide us there. We’re heading that way soon.”
“Why go there?”
“There’s someone I need to persuade there.”
“Hmm...”
He frowned deeply and spoke.
“If you’re going to make me your guide, it might be better not to go.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“That’s... *cough!*”
Heon-won’s words cut off as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
“Damn it... The curse began acting up the moment I left the Central Continent.”
“That’s...”
“Taiji Zhenlei Shen. The forbidden technique of Yin Taking Yang and Concealing Yin. It forces Yin Qi out of its path and slams Yang Qi into a forced explosion. It’s a curse King Geum Wi of the Geumsin Cheonroemun sect cast on me four hundred thousand years ago using the Heavenly Chronology’s divine treasure. In return, I suffered that curse for four hundred thousand years. King Geum Wi was blocked from advancing to Integration, and the divine treasure was flung into distant outer space.”
“...”
Watching Heon-won speak, I suddenly asked him.
“Heon-won... Do you have any thoughts about Yeon Wi? That is, King Geum Wi?”
He frowned and replied.
“What kind of thoughts should I have? From the very beginning, it was only a political marriage. There was no emotion between us. The only person I ever gave my heart to was... her.”
His eyes grew distant, as if memories were resurfacing.
“You don’t remember receiving anything from King Geum Wi?”
He let out a scoff at my question.
“Hah! To her? She treated me like a tool without a shred of heavenly virtue, babbling nonsense about grabbing illusions. I do remember her gouging out my eyes.”
His gaze burned with savage intensity as he ground his teeth.
“She only ever took things from me. My heavenly virtue, my realm, my eyes! What else could she possibly have given me? Nothing but pain!”
“...”
I stared at him for a moment.
His emotions weren’t lying.
He truly only held negative memories of Yeon Wi.
Still, I found it strange.
*No matter what, the Yeon Wi before the appearance of the Heavenly One was devoted to Heon-won.*
Even the reason she wreaked havoc in the Goryeok Realm was, when I asked later, more than half for his sake.
Yet he still harbored only ill feelings toward her.
What did that mean?
*Her memories must be completely distorted somehow.*
That was true.
Right now, the Heavenly One had twisted and warped his memories.
The sight of Jeong-ryeo being brainwashed by the Geumsin Cheonroemun for years into obsessing over the banner, or my own brainwashing by Yeong-seung... those memories alone could explain how Heon-won had fallen under the sway of a being beyond True Immortal.
*In the early stages of the 19th loop, when I saw the name [Heavenly One] inside Heon-won’s consciousness, the power and aura I sensed was clearly similar to that of the Master of Mount Tai... enough to send chills down my spine. There were differences, of course, but Heon-won might have been a puppet of the Master of Mount Tai for his entire life.*
Could Heon-won’s mind be healed?
Could he truly break free from that brutal, arrogant grip?
I resolved to pray that someday, for the sake of Yeon Wi, Heon-won would also be cured. I cut off the conversation and shot forward at full speed.
* * *
Whoosh!
Boom boom boom!
I arrived at the Endless Sea, Goe-gun’s territory, in half a day.
“Now that all our comrades have joined, let’s head to Goe-gun.”
I told Heon-won to guide us, and he led us flying toward the Endless Sea.
Seo Hyoel looked at me curiously.
“...By the way, Brother Seo. You said you would join the comrades, right?”
He scanned our surroundings.
“Within my consciousness, I don’t sense the comrades joining.”
“We did. Since you don’t need details, give us a more thorough explanation of how to revive Goe-gun’s mind.”
While moving, I deepened my connection with Kim Yeon.
Kim Yeon had linked her own Gimyoseongsimjeon with the others, so even if our bodies were apart, our souls moved together as one.
In case of emergency, I could also summon their powers through the All-Heaven Sword to gather their strength here.
“Hahaha... If you say so, Brother Seo, I shall explain in greater detail. First, through Goe-gun’s Gimyoseongsimjeon, we will enter his mind. Then, using my wife’s ability, we will recall his past memories. Finally, we will use my Takhon Mancheon to paint over a specific scene from his memories, at which point Goe-gun will regain his mind for a short time. Of course, only a very short time.”
“What will I do?”
“While we enter Goe-gun’s mind, you will briefly hold him down, Brother Seo.”
“Hmm... I understand.”
I nodded and accepted his plan.
A while later.
In the distance, the familiar fortress appeared.
“Hahaha... Then, according to the plan, Brother Heon will capture the puppets of Gimyoseong Castle, Brother Seo will take [her] and Goe-gun, and my husband and I will enter Goe-gun’s mind as we—...”
Before Seo Hyoel’s words could even finish, a massive beam of light shot toward us from Gimyoseong Castle.
“...!”
I widened my eyes and reached out to deflect it.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
“...”
I furrowed my brow and stared at my hand.
It tingled.
This power was clearly the same one I had felt before.
It had some resemblance to the dragons’ breath I had faced, like Yuk Rin’s.
Dragon Breath!
My face hardened as I gazed at Gimyoseong Castle.
Boom boom boom boom!
Countless puppets rose from the fortress.
Among them, I tensed upon seeing two particularly strong presences.
*[Hwa, hihi! Hwa hihi hihi hihi!!! Who are you?! Isn’t that our Sagarwang? Why has the great Sagarwang descended before me? And beside him... isn’t that the kidnapper who stole our cute little disciple?!]*
Goe-gun rose behind the two puppets.
Seo Hyoel looked slightly bewildered as he spotted another puppet beside [her] emitting a similar aura.
“...What the... Hwa... haha...”
*[I got it, you Seo bastards! I’ll turn both of you into Dual-Sword Generals. I’m trying to create a puppet with two necks. If I put a Seo on the left and a Seo on the right, it’ll be quite amusing!]*
He laughed madly and re-entered Gimyoseong Castle. The two puppets with overwhelming power began to move.
One was the familiar [her],
The other was the Black Dragon King Hyeol-eum.
He was the monster who had once displayed abilities close to those of a Heavenly Sage by fusing with the limbs of the Sage’s body. The probability that he had some connection with the Blood Dragon Realm was high.
As a human-shaped Hyeol-eum, he quickly compressed his body and transformed into a dragon puppet the moment the command came from Gimyoseong Castle.
Goe-gun’s excited voice echoed.
*[Yes, yes! That’s settled! This time, when I catch a Seo, I’ll fuse him with the ‘Black Prince’ and turn him into a ‘Great Dual-Sword General’ with the ability to change into a dragon!]*
Clang!
Hyeol-eum’s puppet’s mouth opened, and terrifying Yin Qi surged inside.
Flash!
Once again, his dragon breath erupted toward us. I gritted my teeth and deflected it once more.
Crackle, crackle...
*My power... has grown stronger.*
“Hey, Seo Hyoel. Was that guy really weak enough to be caught by Goe-gun?”
I recalled the Hyeol-eum I had faced when fusing with the Lord of the Blood Dragon Realm and asked him.
He shook his head.
“Looks like he shed his skin and ran away. After all, as long as I have the information, Hyeol-eum can revive in a superior body of another dragon clan.”
“...”
Something felt off about his words.
*Revive with even better qualities...?*
The forbidden technique of gradually strengthening and surpassing oneself through master and disciple...
Purple Soul Filling the Heavens.
*He really was practicing Purple Soul Filling the Heavens...*
I wondered if Goe-gun hadn’t fled from a fight with me but from a battle with Seo Hyoel.
*Speaking of Seo Hyoel...*
I glanced at him and thought.
He was smiling, yet his expression was strangely unsettled.
I sensed his caution from the tremor he was trying to hide.
*Is he wary of Goe-gun? No. That’s not it.*
And then it hit me.
*That’s it. The Hyeol-eum puppet still has the Purple Soul Filling the Heavens seal sealed inside him!*
Whether Goe-gun or Hyeol-eum had left it, Seo Hyoel was clearly wary of Purple Soul Filling the Heavens.
Only now did I understand why Goe-gun had casually captured Hyeol-eum this life and remodeled him.
*It was because I gave him the information. Information about Seo Hyoel’s Takhon Mancheon!*
Goe-gun probably met Hyeol-eum while searching for a way to counter Seo Hyoel’s Takhon Mancheon. He felt the Purple Soul Filling the Heavens inside him and thought it was the method to defeat Takhon Mancheon.
As a result, he remodeled Hyeol-eum into his own puppet and, with total confidence, brought him out before Seo Hyoel and even planned to fuse them together.
*No, making us into Dual-Sword Generals might just be a personal preference...*
Anyway.
I examined the Hyeol-eum puppet with sparkling eyes.
*To Seo Hyoel, Purple Soul Filling the Heavens might unexpectedly prove useful!*
The day the alliance breaks.
That day will be the day I feed him Purple Soul Filling the Heavens.
After neutralizing the All-Heaven Sword’s intent, I struck the puppet’s head with a heavy blow.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Powered by Triple Taiji, Hyeol-eum’s puppet was smashed straight downward.
*Thank goodness the controller’s level is low.*
I looked at Hyeol-eum and [her].
The liquid flowing through their bodies.
It was the [Black Water] from Hyeol-eum’s domain, and the [Seopmyeong Ship’s Power Core] was in her heart.
Black water and the power core resonated with each other, gradually growing stronger. If I had delayed longer or Goe-gun’s realm had been higher, I might have struggled even more.
Flash!
In a single moment, I leaped over [her] and invaded Gimyoseong Castle, grabbing Goe-gun’s head.
Goe-gun’s face twisted in rage, but I fiercely connected my Gimyoseongsimjeon with Kim Yeon’s consciousness. Kim Yeon and I merged our powers and pierced into Goe-gun’s mind.
*[It’s your turn, Seo Hyoel.]*
I adjusted the connection so Seo Hyoel could not invade Kim Yeon’s consciousness, then linked our Gimyoseongsimjeon.
*[Hahaha... Then, Goe-gun’s past. Let me erase the most terrifying memory that caused his madness for a moment.]*
Tsu tsu tsu—
She entered Goe-gun’s consciousness through mine.
From beyond Seo Hyoel, I felt Oh Hye-seo’s aura through Takhon Mancheon.
Slap, slap—
The sound of pages turning backward.
And at last, Seo Hyoel, Kim Yeon, and I entered Goe-gun’s memories.