The Salt Crystal's Sovereign Light
I moved my hands swiftly.
It was visible.
Far in the distance, weapons filled with power were stacked high.
The owners of those weapons were nowhere to be seen.
Yet...
As I drew near and seized the weapons, I could sense what kind of lives their owners had led.
Yu Hwa's Resonating Veil of Crimson Lanterns
Baek Yeom's Ridge of Red Sands
Kim Young-hoon's Shining Sword!
Flicker, flicker!
Light swirled violently, and the weapons in my grasp were hurled repeatedly at the enormous being ahead.
Crushing, shattering, piercing, pounding, smashing, pushing, repelling...
All of this was martial arts.
This was the method of approaching death.
What I faced was not some individual or group, but the very principle itself.
In the domain of the Immortal Seat, opening the middle realm and commanding authority, the very core of Hyeol-eum.
It was Hyeol-eum.
The manifestations of over ten thousand Heart Tribe members erupted from my hands.
Piiit!
I raised the All-Heaven Sword toward the apex from the soul's position.
A world filled with light.
Targeting the true body of Hyeol-eum residing in that world!
Chwa rrrrrrak!
Hyeol-eum did not remain still.
Crunch, grind.
Coral grew from my body.
: : I shall begin my judgment... : :
Kurrrung!
In my thousand-year-old mind, Hyeol-eum's sacred chant rang out.
: : Thanks to you, countless living beings were caught in the fall of a great being and annihilated. The sin is clear. : :
Crack...
He immediately struck at my weakness.
: : That is your overindulgence, so bear your own responsibility! : :
I squeezed my eyes shut.
The responsibility I had always carried in my chest.
If I died because of it, it would be my sin too!
While thinking that, I anticipated the coral growing and devouring me.
"...?"
Ziiit-
The coral that had sprouted from my body shrank suddenly, burned rapidly, and vanished.
'What's going on...?'
I recalled the power of the Soundless One that had combined with my left foot during the previous raid.
At that time, I had not possessed such immense sin that the coral had withered and died.
But this time, it had burned away completely.
That was when it happened.
: : You... : :
Hyeol-eum began to tremble.
: : How could a living being receive judgment before it is due? Who judged you first? How can the power of my karma be felt from you! : :
His eyes widened.
: : Was the target of karma you felt last time?! But how is the karma now extinguished? The only conditions for karma to extinguish are when the Chief Judge pardons the sins or when one's own conscience is hurt more severely than the karma's pain! : :
Drdrdrdr!
The heavens and earth began to rumble.
: : The conscience and regret of a mortal cannot surpass the pain of karma. Then who... did you meet with in advance among the Chief Judges? Do you, in other words, stand before me bearing the will of the Underworld? Does the Underworld's will not desire your redemption?! : :
His pupils shook.
: : I am Yu Ho-deok. I am none other than the Venerable Chief Judge, Mingma Jinjun Yu Ho-deok! My right arm as the Duke of Accumulating Virtue and the arm of the [Oldest One]! I was the pinnacle of the Underworld!!! Yet why! My master! How dare you show such will before me!!! : :
Hyeol-eum began to wail.
Drdrdrdr!
Earthquakes and tsunamis shook the entire Gwanghan Realm, and blood and brain matter sprayed from the ground.
Hyeol-eum was screaming.
'...I see. He believed that this very situation where I appeared and blocked him here was the will of the Underworld messengers.'
That was perfectly reasonable.
If I had not heard the conditions for karma extinction from Hyeol-eum's mouth, I would have mistaken my own fate as being manipulated by the messengers.
'Now I understand.'
The thing that had been extinguished right after meeting Taesan was not something Taesan had extinguished.
After my disciples were massacred, the pain and regret in my heart had...
Become vast enough to surpass the pain of karma.
Once a saint possesses a conscious realm, they feel and think more than the culprit.
That is why they are superior to the culprit, but at the same time they feel an even greater number of emotions more delicately than the culprits.
That may be superiority in pleasure...
But in pain, the pain of the culprits becomes nothing compared to their own suffering.
I watched Hyeol-eum screaming before me and smiled.
Kwarrurrrung!
A dark green pagoda appeared in my hand.
In the past, without Jang Ik's own-pierced pagoda, I could not have realized this destructive power.
But now it was different.
With the Yeon-ui Yeon present, Jang Ik's one strike could be used at any time.
"Flame Ship!"
Kurrurrr!
The fighting spirit of Jang Ik, crafted solely to crush those who suppress the weak!
That will erupted from my hand.
"Extinction Heavens!"
Kwarrurrrung!
The sound like a thousand years echoed, and the Heavenly Lotus Mountain, the highest in the Gwanghan Realm, split cleanly in half!
Chiiiiit!
I saw a red aura sphere split in two, and inside it, Baek-woon with her rough form and Hyeol-magic tainted.
Baek-woon trembled, clasped her hands in prayer.
[Oh Hye-seo...]
She seemed to be calling for something!
And the will of Hyeol-eum remaining in the hall rapidly began to seize control of Baek-woon's body once more.
As if trying to block her summoning!
I whispered lowly toward Baek-woon.
"It will hurt... but please endure a little longer."
Now everything was spent.
All that remained was...
"Jeon Myeong-hoon!"
Kurrurrrung!
Just to completely drive out the power of Hyeol-eum!
Lightning flickered, and a lightning spear formed in Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand.
[Ha aaaaaah!]
Kwajijijik!
The enormous lightning wall thundered, and Jeon Myeong-hoon's lightning spear pierced Baek-woon's abdomen.
At the same time, Yang Su-jin's seven lightning spears hidden in her body began to react.
[Fall, O Heavenly Punishment!!!]
At the same time, a thousand-year light burst forth from Yang Su-jin's lightning spears.
That light had countless colors.
Not merely the seven colors of Yang Su-jin, but all the thousands of lights I had scattered erupted!
Baek-woon, unable to finish her prayer, screamed.
At this moment, it could not be helped.
I could feel that the Hyeol-eum connected to her was suffering together with her.
The light spewed lightnings even above the soul's position, properly shocking Hyeol-eum as well!
At the same time, the power of Hyeol-eum gradually connected to Baek-woon's body began to wane.
The Hyeol-eum that had infiltrated Baek-woon's body began to retreat.
With countless lights striking down without pause, Hyeol-eum, while seeming to suffer greatly, poured more power into resisting.
Once more, Baek-woon's body was covered in crimson aura like tentacles.
A black-red mist appeared around her, enveloping her.
Hyeol-eum himself was sending down authority and exerting force.
But the lightning from the sky showed no sign of ending.
I stepped back one pace, watching the pillar of light falling from the heavens.
When I looked back, my companions were there.
Kim Young-hoon, who had regained his senses, Oh Hyun-seok, Seo Ran, and Siho were visible.
I had fed the Sub-Heart Sword to Seo Huel when he stealthily approached Seo Ran, shattering his fragment, then smiled.
"Well... now let's end this."
Nine pairs of wings unfolded from behind Oh Hyun-seok.
A giant golden phoenix shape appeared behind Kim Young-hoon.
Jeon Myeong-hoon had become a giant of thunder again, Seo Ran used the Void Return method, and Siho prepared to attack.
And at the very back, Kim Yeon, after bursting all the Heaven's Heavenly Demons, prepared her final ultimate move toward us.
Paat!
The Colorless Glass Sword was in my hand.
I gripped the sword and aimed at the Hyeol-eum connected to Baek-woon inside the light pillar ahead.
The next moment, the all-out attack began.
Golden light, purple light, red light, pink light, and the accumulative mountain of faint yellow light crashed together, shattering the light pillar ahead.
And the following pink light of peony flowers directly expelled the entity inside the light pillar from the Gwanghan Realm.
Kurrurrrung!
: : You monster!!! : :
Hyeol-eum was furious, but there was nothing he could do now!
Our combined offensive shattered his final strike, sending him flying out of the Gwanghan Realm.
Puff buff bung!
Baek-woon's limbs were torn to shreds, and the will of Hyeol-eum attached to her body was completely driven out.
"Huu..."
I smiled on the ruins of the Heavenly Lotus Mountain that had collapsed, looking back.
"...We did it."
We had succeeded in driving out Hyeol-eum.
Kim Young-hoon lay sprawled on the ground.
Jeon Myeong-hoon collapsed with a thud.
Oh Hyun-seok panted and laughed.
Kim Yeon simply smiled quietly.
At that moment, I saw flower petals swirling in the air approach Kim Yeon and seep into her face.
Zutzut-
Instantly, a pattern similar yet different from the one on Jo Yeon's face appeared on hers and vanished immediately.
It was a pattern of a pink bird freely flying through the sky.
I didn't know what it meant...
I would figure it out slowly later.
I myself sat on a nearby rock pile and adjusted my breathing.
"It's all over now. Then..."
When I thought that.
Kwoong!
A massive noise erupted from behind.
'Not this...'
It was not noise.
It was vibration.
The entire dimension trembled, and the entire souls of us standing on the dimension quivered.
Along with the vibration, an immense sense of crisis assaulted my mind.
Jjeo-eok...
And the void began to 'open'.
Chill.
I felt goosebumps all over my body.
A vicious sense of crisis.
A horrifying presence!
This was...
The true body of Hyeol-eum!
"Ha, haa..."
I understood what was happening.
The Hyeol-eum that had been slowly infiltrating the Gwanghan Realm was about to tear open the dimension of the Gwanghan Realm itself and push his true body inside!
I broke out in cold sweat, trying to resist the presence.
Kkung!
"Kuk!"
But I knew.
'This... I cannot block it.'
: : My... : :
It felt like my body would explode.
: : You alone... : :
This was...
Jinseon.
A great being who had truly risen above the soul's position.
: : I will take you captive... : :
The masters of great fate!
: : I will shatter... your fate... only you will suffer eternal torment! : :
Thanks to the power of Gwang-han activating in the Gwanghan Realm, Hyeol-eum could not enter it.
But he could tear open the Gwanghan Realm and take us captive.
: : I will definitely capture you and make you suffer eternal torment! : :
Kkugugugu!
An enormous suction force began pulling us in.
I connected with Kim Yeon's Yeon-ui Yeon and unleashed Jang Ik's Four Treasures Heaven-Destroying Saber technique to the fullest, and my companions began resisting one by one.
Kim Yeon, using the power of the Gwanghan Realm, fired the Wondrous Castle.
But I could not stop the Hyeol-eum pulling us to the true body from outside the dimension.
'Ah, no. If this continues, Hyeol-eum...'
We began to be gradually pulled into the red world inside.
Oh Hyun-seok tried to stop his companions from being pulled by trapping Hong Beom, Siho, Seo Ran, and Changhoza in his own domain, but since he himself was pulled, it only made it worse.
It was the moment when I thought everything was over.
Puk!
A pure white hand emerged from under the ruins of the Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
And beneath that hand, Baek-woon, whose left arm had been severed, stood with one hand missing, bowing half-palm and shouting.
The temperature dropped, and a majestic yet ominous feeling of a great being surveying the place spread.
I had felt this feeling before.
- Venerable Chief Judge!
[Oh Hye-seo...! The Eight Immortals of Light!]
Chill.
The crisis bell rang.
A fear and horror I had never felt even when facing Taesan's projection engulfed me.
This was...
Dangerous!
The sky of the Gwanghan Realm brightened, and Hyeol-eum's suction force suddenly dissipated.
Hyeol-eum looked at me and screamed in terror.
: : I see. You have satisfied the conditions! You summoned him! You! You...!!! : :
But I trembled with the fear that my head was turning white.
I felt it.
When the sky of the Gwanghan Realm became completely bright, the [great beings] would descend, and we would meet a fate no worse than being sealed by the [Oldest One]!
It was when my head had turned white.
Pa a a aat!
"...!?"
The Salt Crystal's target shone pure white.
The pure white light resisted the golden light of the Gwanghan Realm that had begun to burn and began to protect us.
I saw the scene and recalled a conversation I had shared before.
The secret room where I talked with the Queen of the Immemorial Kingdom.
Inside that secret room, the salt that spewed light...
The light brought by the master of the Salt Mountain!
The pure white light began to activate a powerful suction force by resonating with the light of the 'Master of Light'.
'This...'
The suction force activated.
At the same time, the Yeon-ui Yeon and the target resonated, and something was happening.
From the beginning, my planned 'summon the domain of the Salt Mountain here' was being executed!
'Activating now...!? Suddenly? Because I touched the light!'
When I was dumbfounded.
Something began to 'summon' at this place.
It was a great mountain.
A pure white Salt Mountain appeared here.
'Ah...'
I knew what this Salt Mountain was.
'The entrance to the dream world...'
We were all pulled into the inside of the Salt Mountain together.
Why this phenomenon occurred, I understood immediately.
Trying to pull the 'other world' into this world with the Yeon-ui Yeon, but lacking power, we were pulled instead.
: : How dare you, mocking the Chief Judge, flee into the dream world! : :
Far away, Hyeol-eum's roar echoed.
At the same time, I felt goosebumps all over my body.
: : By the authority of the True Immortal, I prophesy... : :
Chill!
: : You will definitely meet me again within one hundred years. : :
Kwoong!
A loud sound as if the entire sky roared, and an immense pressure settled briefly on our shoulders before vanishing.
And I, who had reached void shattering, knew.
Hyeol-eum had bestowed upon us the fate of 'meeting him again at some point within one hundred years'!
Someday, we would meet Hyeol-eum again under the influence of fate's suction, somehow...
We had saved the Gwanghan Realm, but we were sucked into the dream world of the Salt Mountain between the descent of Hyeol-eum, Baek-woon, and light.
Kkugugugugu!
Far away, shadows arose, and the Seo Huel of Takhon Mancheon who had 'closed his eyes' stretched out his hand from within the shadows.
His will was clear.
Now that 'this incident' was truly over, he intended to betray me immediately!
But unexpectedly, Seo Huel's shadow passed us by and earnestly reached toward Oh Hyun-seok, who had pulled Seo Ran into his domain.
Shuk!
However, the next moment, Seo Huel's Takhon Mancheon was cut off again by my Sub-Heart Sword.
[Huhu... I was about to reunite with my dear family... why...]
"Sorry, but Seo Ran is not your family... he is my friend."
[Friend... friend...? Ha, haha, aha ha ha ha ha!]
While being pulled into the dream of Immemorial Kingdom, I flung away Seo Huel, and Seo Huel burst into insane laughter as if he had heard something he could not hear.
I threw the Sub-Heart Sword at Seo Huel once more, then quickly flew with my companions toward the world beyond.
All incidents were over.
And we would meet the dear ones, avoiding the light and Hyeol-eum...
---
Kkugugugugugu!
The eight beings of light hanging over the Gwanghan Realm looked down at Baek-woon praying below.
Baek-woon knelt respectfully toward the eight beings, and the first light among the eight extended its hand toward Baek-woon.
Baek-woon fully recovered the Saintess's practice from that being's gesture.
The eight beings who had briefly exchanged will with Baek-woon left the Gwanghan Realm.
There, they reached out toward the restless Hyeol-eum.
Hyeol-eum fled into the darkness in terror, and after exchanging will with each other, the eight beings ignored Hyeol-eum and returned.
[...Huu...]
Baek-woon, in her aged body now restored as the Saintess's body with seven lightning spears embedded, gazed at the large Salt Mountain that had appeared before her.
The Salt Mountain was slowly crumbling in the blowing wind.
It had briefly become a passage to another world through the reaction of the Eight Immortals of Light's light, but now it was merely a lump of ordinary salt.
She waved her hand to scatter the entire Salt Mountain.
At the center of the Salt Mountain, a white target spouted pure white light.
[Salt Crystal... remnant of Goryeok.]
She sighed and looked beyond the Gwanghan Realm toward somewhere outside the dimension.
[A sinister ore originating from the Water Realm... not the sealed Goryeok Realm either, it shouldn't be placed here.]
Dak!
When she snapped her fingers, the Salt Crystal target was discharged out of the Gwanghan Realm and flew toward the Star Realm.
She no longer paid attention to the target and began repairing the Heavenly Lotus Mountain and restoring the wounded areas of the Gwanghan Realm from the recent incident.
The Gwanghan Realm had become peaceful as if nothing had happened.
---
Blink-
A cool breeze.
I opened my eyes.
'Where is this...'
"Senior Seo."
'My head... hurts like it's going to split. I remember entering the dream of the Immemorial Kingdom through the Salt Crystal after the battle with Hyeol-eum...'
"Senior Seo."
'It's dazzling. I can't see well because of those "lights." The air is clear, and the heavenly and earthly energy... what? I don't feel heavenly and earthly energy? Where exactly is this...'
"Damn it, Senior Seo!"
Zaaak!
I suddenly hit my cheek and was stunned, rubbing my eyes.
My vision and senses gradually returned to normal.
It was because I had always felt a sense close to paper with my conscious realm, and with the saint's authority, I possessed power close to omniscience, so my body was unfamiliar and had not properly reacted to the slap just now.
I regained my senses and looked around.
A dense forest.
The air was clear, and ahead I saw a familiar face wearing a monk's robe roughly.
"...Jeon Myeong-hoon? What the hell happened here?"
"What? This crazy bastard... doesn't know that you fell asleep while driving and got into this state? And what? Jeon Myeong-hoon? Am I your friend???"
"???"
I rubbed my eyes and looked around.
Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon... and Seo Ran were visible.
Kang Min-hee and Oh Hye-seo were not there.
And... strangely, Seo Ran was wearing clothes similar to his Earth days, grooming his hair.
"What? Wait, what kind of situation is this..."
"What situation? Because of you, everything has gone to hell right now! Senior Seo has hit his head because of you and lost his memory, and this bastard..."
"Wait, wait! Shut up!"
Pa bat!
I stabbed the blood of all the humans here, including Jeon Myeong-hoon, to knock them unconscious, then quickly climbed a nearby tree.
The 'one' tree I had always climbed whenever I regressed.
From the top of the tree, I gazed at the endless sea unfolding below.
It was.
This place was Deungsunhyang.
And the current situation was my first regression point.
===
Author's note: The episode has ended!
From tomorrow, because of the six-day work week, Wednesday will be a rest day.
All of you, love you readers.
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