The Eve of the End (5)
Whoosh!
I extended my consciousness and looked downward.
My consciousness domain had grown enormously.
'The entire star system... feels like it's in the palm of my hand.'
Everything within a 0.6 light-year radius entered my consciousness.
I was omniscient within it.
'Even with the Heavenly Race method, the ascension ritual isn't complete, but even this is more than enough to crush anyone.'
Uwooong!
Behind my back, a wheel rose—not the Triple Taiji, but a chariot wheel.
It had eight spokes.
I could feel it.
The Star Plate practice required me to fully materialize these eight spokes.
Baek-woon's training on the eight fates, which she had once held in her mouth.
That was the practice of the Star Plate, and the target value had appeared in the form of these spokes.
'I should ask another Star Plate practitioner about the details.'
Thinking this, I looked downward.
The people of Mong-woon Star were all surprised.
Of course they would be, with all seven stars gone.
Though there was bewilderment, the most bewildering part was...
'The Chulryong race, no doubt.'
The Chulryong race had all been relocated to Mong-woon Star.
The Chulryong race that had lived on the seven stars had, despite slight differences in status, all originated from me, so the gap was small.
They were the Chulryong race, who had lived and evolved in my hellish world.
The Chulryong race complained about the slightly inferior Heavenly energy, but soon they were satisfied with the heavenly-like environment of Mong-woon Star and settled in comfortably.
'Something's off.'
I looked at the Chulryong race and felt a slight unease.
'During the Star Plate ascension ritual, do unheard-of races appear like this?'
Thinking I would ask someone knowledgeable about such phenomena later, I stored a trace of the Chulryong race's bloodline in my world first and then searched for others.
It was Kang Min-hee.
She was easy to find.
She was still flying upside down with Seo Ran, absorbing fragments, as before.
'It seems she's almost finished her ascension.'
But through the Flawless True Word connecting her to the Underworld...
Kang Min-hee seemed to be losing her original self as she delved deeper into her essence.
Once bright and cheerful, she gradually lost her human appearance with each fragment absorption, transforming into something like the Ghost Dao Holy Mother and losing her reason.
Seo Ran, who had once protected her, was now being dragged around by her.
I glanced at Seo Ran and frowned.
[...Thinking back, that was the case.]
Over two thousand years ago...
I had briefly awakened.
At that time, while checking on Kang Min-hee's situation with my consciousness domain, I had noticed Blood-woon, Seo Hyoel, and Seo Ran moving around her.
I had dismissed it then as my sanity not being right, but thinking about it now made no sense.
'I can dismiss Blood-woon... but Seo Hyoel... what a brat.'
How had he infiltrated Kang Min-hee?
Crack!
I snapped my fingers, and in an instant, Seo Ran stood before me.
Kang Min-hee seemed startled below, but that didn't matter now.
[Eh? Senior Seo...?]
[Stay still for a moment.]
I grabbed Seo Ran's shoulder and beamed.
Uwooong!
Behind my back, the chariot wheel rose again.
I included Seo Ran's consciousness domain within my own consciousness cycle.
[Senior! Aah! My consciousness is about to scatter!]
[Don't worry. I'm about to extract the filthy thing.]
Some time later...
From within Seo Ran's consciousness, numerous dark things poured out like maggots.
[Come out, you snake and scorpion!]
And finally, all the dark things burst from Seo Ran's consciousness.
Crunch!
I clenched my fist, and with concentrated force, I crushed one of the emerging things, and everything exploded.
The object I had targeted burned away completely without leaving any trace.
Twitch, twitch...
Some time later...
The last dark fragment twitched and took human form.
I hurriedly transported Seo Ran to my world and glared at him.
[What are you doing, Seo Hyoel?]
[It's nothing. Just struggling.]
[...You...]
I glared at the guy.
For some reason, his entire body glowed slightly redder than when he had absorbed the Precursor Sound.
Unlike the black robe that had covered his body, it was now covered in a black-red light robe.
[I ate Blood-woon's clone. Lucky for you. If Blood-woon hadn't been subjugating his own voice, I wouldn't have had a chance. Now I'm right before Blood-woon's neck. I should thank Seo Doo.]
[...You wouldn't have done that only to Blood-woon. You intruded into Kang Min-hee's ascension ritual, so what did you do to her?!]
[Sorry, but my guts aren't big enough to do anything to the Ghost Dao Holy Mother. Besides, if I peek at her inner [beyond] this time, who knows what will happen. Hoo...]
I glared at him and said,
[What are you trying to do to Seo Ran?]
[...Thousands of years have passed. For that much time, it was enough to reach out and control the corners of the Ilwol Cheonyeok. Actually, the Ilwol Cheonyeok was blocked by Yang Su-jin's Noeseonghae, so it was like an empty house.]
Don't beat around the bush!
[Anyway, what I want to say is... I have almost mastered the Noeseonghae right now. I can create a gap at any time for Seo Doo's companion, Jeon Myeong-hoon. And... with the Noeseonghae I control to this degree, other things are possible. For example, I can block the True Immortal interference from other heavens with higher intensity...]
[You...]
Whoosh!
Black flames poured from my entire body as I approached him.
[Want to taste true heat? Are you stalling with me?]
[In short, the one who stopped Seo Doo from being kidnapped during his ascension was none other than me. If you wish, I can slightly loosen the blocking power of the Noeseonghae.]
At that moment...
Crack!
A terrifying light burst from my left shoulder and began pulling me.
'This, this is...
In a distant place...
Beyond that heaven!
There, eight giant beings of light appeared.
And among them, the fifth seat was waving at me in a phantom.
'D, dragged away!'
The voice rang out: : : Have you finally ascended? Come here. You will be the front runner of the main line... : :
From the Cheonwang Cheonyeok, [that existence] was calling me!
I knew that if I lost my mind, I would be dragged away like this, so I panicked.
At that moment...
Crack!
Seo Hyoel snapped his fingers, and I froze in place.
[...Hah. You were blocking me.]
[That's right. Don't worry. As long as I control the Noeseonghae, you won't be dragged away. Of course...]
He pointed upward with his finger.
[It's better not to enter the Gwanghan Realm. If you go there, even if I block it, you'll be pulled directly to the Cheonwang Cheonyeok.]
[What?]
[Think about the name of the Gwanghan Realm.]
[...]
It was once the world of Gwanhan, but now it was the world of Gwanhan, the world of light.
'Since Baek-woon is a light saint recognized by all, pulling her through Baek-woon right now isn't strange.'
[...Good. I'll question you about you later.]
Anyway, it was more important to avoid the end right now.
I would rescue Jeon Myeong-hoon and enter Yang Su-jin's treasure vault to retrieve the symbols of the Central Realm.
After returning the symbols, I would head to the Purple Gold Realm, where those who desperately seek successors would definitely accept me.
[Let's depart for the Noeseonghae with my companions first! Tell me where my companions are!]
[Hoo, if you're looking for Seo Doo's companions... right now, all of Seo Doo's companions are in the evacuation space.]
[Evacuation space?]
[Yes. It's an evacuation space centered around Saint Baek-woon. Fortunately, among Seo Doo's companions, those from his hometown have all reached the Star Shattering realm or a corresponding level and hidden in the space where they can evacuate with Saint Baek-woon during the end.]
[...Can't you call them out now?]
[It's possible anytime. But the evacuation space uses the principle of making oneself the center of the formation inside the space and creating an area within the evacuation space... If I come out now, I probably won't be able to enter the evacuation space again when the end begins.]
[...]
I pondered for a long time.
It was probably the same for Kim Yeon, who had reached a similar realm or a corresponding one along with my companions.
I didn't need to worry about my companions.
[...Then, only you and I have to go?]
[That's right.]
Seo Hyoel shrugged as if to say, 'what can I do?'
[Don't worry about me. My wife is also in that space. In an emergency, she won't die and will spread me to a new world.]
[...A plague-like creature.]
[Hoo, thank you for the praise. And don't worry about the ghost race below.]
[I know that too.]
Even if the end came, Kang Min-hee would be protected from the Underworld side.
I felt that as she ascended to the Star Plate, she was changing to become some existence's [vessel].
She was probably becoming the vessel of the high-ranking Underworld messengers.
'To that extent, I don't need to worry about Kang Min-hee's life.'
The Underworld messengers would protect her.
[To that extent, Seo Doo, don't worry and come with me to the Noeseonghae. After rescuing Jeon Myeong-hoon there, come to the 108th floor of the Noeseonghae.]
[...]
I nodded after realizing Hong Beom wasn't there.
Probably Hong Beom had set up an area in Baek-woon's evacuation space as well.
I headed toward the path of stars, closed my eyes, and imagined the jade token that was the key to the path of stars.
The nobles back then had been desperate without the key to the path of stars, but I didn't need to worry.
Paaat!
The jade token from that era materialized on my palm.
My inner mind had become a complete world, and those within it could be pulled into reality.
And the inner mind was ultimately my heart.
I could transform as I thought and expressed my will.
If I imagined the jade token, I could manifest it.
[Open, path of stars.]
Uwooong!
I headed toward the Plain World and boarded the path of stars to set off for the Noeseonghae.
I would rescue Jeon Myeong-hoon and survive in the end.
And I would completely free Kang Min-hee from the Underworld's influence.
I must...!
***
After how much time with Seo Hyoel on the path of stars...
I stopped on a planet halfway along the path for a moment.
[Wait a moment. There's something I need to do on this planet.]
[Then go ahead and do it. I'll wait here.]
He said that and scattered into the darkness to hide.
I turned my head and looked at the ground and said,
[It's been a while, Senior Jinru. How have you been?]
The one I had come to see was the human race's Gaeyeol stage senior, Jinru-gok.
[I came to ask one thing.]
But no answer came.
I clicked my tongue and revealed the chariot wheel behind my back.
[Please listen to me for a moment. Stop pretending to sleep.]
Drrrrr!
As I gathered strength, I felt the entire star shake.
And no matter what, I couldn't ignore my voice that had reached the Star Plate, so Jinru-gok emitted a signal with a grumpy tone.
[...This bastard. Why are you bothering the main line so much?]
[The junior Seo Eun-hyun came to ask. As a fellow human senior, please give me advice.]
[The end is almost here, and you're being bothersome! If you're looking for information to avoid the end, the only thing I can say is to participate in the formation centered around Baek-woon in the Central Realm. Well... of course, even if I said that, the [arrogant god] came to the Ilwol Cheonyeok and really caused the end, so there's nothing to answer.]
Jinru-gok answered while maintaining his planetary form without creating a clone, speaking in a grumpy tone.
But I shook my head.
[It's not that. Senior, do you happen to know a lot about the Star Plate ascension ritual?]
I had come all the way to Jinru-gok because I was curious about my situation and the Chulryong race's situation.
After all, as someone in a position similar to Jinru's disciple, he should know.
And Jinru-gok thought for a moment and opened his mouth.
[There are rare cases where someone reaches the Star Plate by creating a seed, but it's not impossible. During the main line's era when it was Jeonryong's main priest, I saw such a method in an ancient book he gave me.]
[Ah...! Is that so?]
His explanation continued.
But as I listened, I couldn't help but sigh.
[...In this way, those who ascend to the Star Plate by occasionally creating a seed are creating their own race that they belong to.]
[...Is it impossible to create a race completely unrelated to oneself?]
[I know it's impossible. If we think of humans... there may be differences in 'races' according to the method. A sage of the Yellow race can ascend to the Star Plate and create White or Black races. However, in the body of a human sage, something like a 'Chulryong' has never been seen in any ancient book.]
[...]
'Why did such a guy appear?'
During the Star Plate ascension, my reasoning was sparse, so I hadn't felt anything strange, but thinking about it now, it was extremely bizarre.
[Originally, are you even human?]
[Eh?]
[A normal human should become a human being as a sapient being even if he ascends like that, but you came out as something else. That means there was some 'abnormal' information in your life's design. Normally, when creating races like that, your own 'life's design' that you originally had affects it. Do you have something like a pre-sacred blood or something originally?]
I thought for a moment and raised my hand in front of him.
Chiii—
A hazy mist flickered on my palm.
[The only thing I have is this pre-sacred blood. Even this is just the 'sacred talent' and 'seed' obtained after living over ten times the basic race's lifespan. It's not the real sacred blood.]
Hoo...
Paaat!
As I raised the awakened pre-sacred blood's seed on my palm, he immediately created a clone to observe the seed of the pre-sacred blood, which had only shown me annoyance before.
[...The seed of the pre-sacred blood is inevitably gained at the level of the Four Pillars, but yours is a bit strange.]
[What is strange about it?]
[...]
[There are too many things!]
[Eh?]
[How old are you now?]
[...]
[Approximately... um... around 10,800 years old.]
Jinru-gok looked at me with a dumbfounded expression and clicked his tongue.
[A 10,800-year-old Star Plate... what a monster. Is it Yang Su-jin's reincarnation? Anyway. What's strange about your sacred blood is this. Even though your age is only 10,800, the size of the history accumulated in this energy is... tens of thousands of years... no, hundreds of thousands or millions of years! Does this make sense?]
I coughed and told him that I had done two million years of practice with the influence of a technique that let me perceive time.
Jinru-gok stroked his chin as if pondering my words and shook his head.
[If you used a technique with long perceived time... then the time is understandable. But still strange. Really, are you human? If you used a technique with long perceived time, it should be a human race, but why did such a Chulryong race appear...]
He looked utterly unable to understand and poked the pre-sacred blood's energy with his finger.
And as he observed the energy, he suddenly brightened his eyes as if he had found something.
[This... I see. There's something strange.]
[What is strange about it?]
[Transformation was applied.]
[Transformation?]
He watched the pre-sacred blood's energy and brightened his eyes.
Almost... 900 times... no, approximately 1,000 times... the transformation had been applied to your sacred blood. I don't know what happened, but because of that, your sacred blood changed from human to Chulryong. About a thousand times... thanks to that, your sacred blood had changed from human to Chulryong.]
[...]
[Do you have any guesses?]
I sighed.
The pre-sacred blood was a kind of 'information body' in the form of blood.
It granted power by containing the history of the target in the Heavenly energy.
My pre-sacred blood had changed in information over 998 times due to regression, and as a result, it had changed to Chulryong from human race.
[...I have some guesses, but for now, I'll research it more accurately later. If I survive the end.]
[That would be nice. Then there's nothing more to ask, right?]
[Yes. Really, thank you...]
[Then get out of here. There are too many beings connected to you, and I don't want to face them more!]
Paaat!
I had already moved to the next planet with Jinru-gok's shout.
It seemed Jinru-gok had forcibly activated the path of stars to send me away.
I smiled faintly and headed quickly toward the Noeseonghae through the path of stars.
'I need to research the trace of the Chulryong race's bloodline I stored in my world someday.'
The Chulryong race was clearly related to regression.
***
Kwaarrung!
I reached the Noeseonghae and frowned slightly.
'What is this...'
The Noeseonghae had been a low-dimensional space covered with a dimension curtain.
But now, like its name, the entire low-dimensional space was blazing with lightning.
Kwa-chiji-jik!
Colorful brain lightning was blazing everywhere in the Noeseonghae as if they were mad.
[...Seo Hyoel. Do you know why the Noeseonghae is like this now?]
Sreuk—
From the darkness, Seo Hyoel wearing a black-red robe appeared and shook his head with a puzzled expression.
[I don't know that either. I think Geum-jin-jo is doing something through Jeon Myeong-hoon.]
Is he conducting some ritual with the Celestial Gold Thunder Body...
[With this state, it's probably better for Seo Doo to enter alone. Leave Seo Ran to me. I'll take good care of him while you go.]
Stop talking nonsense. Anyway, if we fail this time, the end will come, so Seo Ran will die anyway. Taking Seo Ran with the resolve not to fail is better than leaving him to you.]
[Hoo... Reliable.]
'As expected, it's better that I took him.'
Interpreting Seo Hyoel's words, it meant that it was better for him if I had taken Seo Ran.
'After rescuing Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kang Min-hee, I need to figure out why Seo Hyoel is so obsessed with Seo Ran.'
[Then let's enter the Noeseonghae now. Make a gap with all your power.]
[Understood. Then go carefully...]
Leaving Seo Hyoel behind, I entered the Noeseonghae.
And inside, I saw a strange sight.
'That is...!'
I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine and tried to exit the Noeseonghae again.
Kwaarrung!
But somehow, the lightning barrier had been raised, blocking the way out of the Noeseonghae.
'Seo Hyoel... what trick are you pulling again...!'
I bit my lip and looked up at the upper floor of the Noeseonghae.
'It doesn't matter. No matter what trick you pull, I have the ability to crush it anytime! If I reach the 100th floor, I can go out again, so hurry up and conquer to the 100th floor!'
At the first floor of the Trial Tower...
I looked at the hundreds of millions of brain fish at the level of the Elixir Cultivation stage.
The brain fish were all kneeling, hands clasped in prayer, as if praying to someone.
The sight reminded me of my previous nightmares, but I shook my head.
'Seo Hyoel must be controlling the brain fish with Takhon Mancheon.'
Yang Su-jin's brain fish, who opposed the owner of the Heavenly Tribulation, would never suddenly pray to the owner of the Heavenly Tribulation.
It must have been due to the Takhon Mancheon infection as per Seo Hyoel's plan.
'No matter what plan you make, it's useless, Seo Hyoel!'
I guarded Seo Hyoel as much as possible and headed upward to rescue Jeon Myeong-hoon.
***
Seo Hyoel, who had sent Seo Eun-hyun into the Noeseonghae, smiled faintly.
[...By interpreting my words in reverse, I have told you the truth today. Really... I never thought you would help me this much. It's so reliable, Seo Doo....]
Seo Hyoel, who had been watching the Noeseonghae for a moment, withdrew the smile from his lips.
He had been looking at the Noeseonghae with a dispassionate face for some time, then reached out his hand toward the Noeseonghae.
As if there was something he had longed for in front of him...
[...]
[It was long.]
With his face stripped of all emotions, he let out a small exclamation and opened his mouth.
[Long... and long... Seo Ran... the moment I passed the 107th floor... I could finally... wake up from the dream.]
Uwooong!
Seo Hyoel turned his back on the Noeseonghae and looked at the entire universe.
He had lost his sight but was using Oh Hye-seo's senses to sense the universe, so he spread both hands.
[Now....]
The entire universe was changing.
The stars in the sky trembled, and the gravitational force strengthened.
When the gravitational force reached its peak, the universe began to contract.
The world would soon be filled with light and heat, and the entire world would contract and compress into a single point.
[The end has begun.]
Seo Hyoel smiled faintly again.
As if wearing a mask, he smiled and began to scatter.
At the same time, the stars and nebulae of the entire universe began to resonate with him.
The end had begun, and
Seo Eun-hyun began to climb the Noeseonghae to rescue Jeon Myeong-hoon and find the symbols of the Central Realm, and
Inside Jeon Myeong-hoon's body, the Heavenly Tribulations he had eaten until now were raging and welcoming their true owner.
In each Central Realm, great chaos began, and
Hong Beom, who had been in Baek-woon's evacuation space with Seo Eun-hyun's companions, abandoned his place and left the Central Realm toward somewhere.
The existences of the Gwanghan Realm all fell into madness, and
In the Purple Gold Realm, a rebellion broke out outside Ban-ta's body, and
The yokai of the Goryeok Realm all prepared for their final moments.
In the Myeonggwi Realm, the Seopmyeong Ship of Black Ghost Valley, which had been hidden until now, raised five thousand ships at once to prepare to collect the souls of the Ilwol Cheonyeok.
And...
On the outskirts of the Jinma-gye, Yo-woon, the explorer who had been asked by Seo Eun-hyun, raised a smile as if wearing a mask, holding something in both hands.
It was the heads of the children Seo Eun-hyun had asked for: the Hae-ryong king and the holy mother of the Jinma-gye, and now Ja-eum, who had lost his self by Blood-woon, smiled.
The Hyeon-eum, who was the Hyeon-eum, the incarnate of Hyun-eum, who had been a star in the Seong-gye, smiled.
All the celestial demons of the Blood-woon Realm looked up at the sky of the Blood-woon Realm with the same smile on their backs.
All living beings in the entire Seong-gye began to smile with their backs turned in the same direction.
The direction they were looking was toward the Blood-woon Realm.
With the end, Seo Hyoel's great plan, which he had pursued with his entire life, had begun.