Seo Ran’s Family (2)
Seo Ran trembled.
I watched his spirit and gently pulled him back from the edge.
“Do not stare into Seo Hyul’s eyes, Seo Ran.”
That hollow gaze—nothing held within, yet it dragged the victim straight into its emptiness.
No illusion arts or special talismans. Just raw spiritual exhaustion. Anyone who met it started to lose their minds.
‘Could that… be a kind of Enlightened Art as well?’
If controlling the heart was an Enlightened Art, then this hunger for the feeling of a heart that no longer existed might also qualify.
I myself hadn’t reached the level to test it properly, but the resemblance was unsettling.
I drew a thin veil between Seo Ran and Seo Hyul, then asked.
“That’s strange. If that’s true… why didn’t you simply send your subordinates to kill him?”
Seo Hyul answered with the same blank face.
“I tried. More than six billion times.”
…
The number was staggering.
“But every attempt failed.”
“Why?”
“Because of you. The real reason is that Seo Ran is the true core of Muddy Soul Filling the Heavens. He unconsciously wields it on his own.”
His words stirred something in my mind.
“No matter how many subordinates I send to assassinate him, every time some other faction ‘happens’ to invade and start a war, my men die. When I send more troops to be thorough, they either fail because they’re too busy fighting or because they mistake another sea-dragon race for Seo Ran. They get distracted by a passing seahorse attendant. They touch the puppet trap left over from fighting Goe-gun and just die. Or they realize the illusion of life’s impermanence, throw down their blades, and choose to live as wild men instead of killing him.”
At first I hadn’t cared about Yuk Yo at all, yet Yuk Rin suddenly became obsessed with her exactly the way Seo Ran wanted. He tormented her and Baek Rin mercilessly.
It was as if the entire world revolved around Seo Ran.
“Seo Ran can use Muddy Soul Filling the Heavens weakly, but not enough to command someone to kill him. He cannot engineer ‘accidents’ either. The only way is if some ‘someone’ passes by and is mistaken for him instead. That is exactly what Muddy Soul Filling the Heavens is.”
“…So you really have no choice but to kill him yourself.”
“….”
Seo Hyul looked up at me without a trace of emotion.
*Smirk—*
That same grotesque laugh again.
“You know why I call it the true body, the center, the pillar of Muddy Soul Filling the Heavens?”
His next words gave me a strange feeling.
“Because it is the most important thing to me. I have no emotions, no heart. But I still have ‘memory.’ I remember how precious the emotions of my childhood were. Those feelings become the center. All of Seo Hyul’s arrays spread across the Ilwol Cheonyeok join forces to act. If I lose the center, we all scatter into separate beings who once carried the root of Seo Hyul. Then it is over. Every single ‘Seo Hyul’ will find their own memories, their own selves, and forget the oaths and memories we have guarded for so long. Therefore… Muddy Soul Filling the Heavens carries the absolute rule that the arrays born from it can never directly attack the most precious thing.”
In short, the only way to eliminate Seo Ran was to drive his personality to collapse.
Only Seo Ran could kill Seo Ran.
“…For now, let’s postpone the rest of the discussion elsewhere.”
The time of Woldo Bicheon had ended.
The Saintesses would be here any moment.
“Provide me a hiding place from the Saintesses, Seo Hyul.”
Honestly, I doubted such a place existed inside Ilwol Cheonyeok.
The Venerables of the Central Realm were, after all, True Immortals.
Normal people would have no idea where to hide from five True Immortals.
But Seo Hyul seemed to know exactly.
“Go to the Purple Gold Realm. It should be enough.”
“…Understood.”
*Flash!*
I released Seo Hyul and took only Seo Ran, ascending the Star Road to the Purple Gold Realm in an instant.
*Woo-woong!*
I extinguished the transmission array of the Purple Gold Realm and turned back to Seo Hyul.
“So you really can’t just hide here… what now, Seo Hyul?”
*Woo—*
His form reappeared from the darkness.
“Do you think the Saintesses are chasing after you alone instead of that Saintess sister because you’re a brand-new Star Plate cultivator who just achieved the realm? The Venerables of the Central Realm need you to remain a non-Saintess before they can hand you their successor. You must also have no assigned star system or Central Realm territory. The longer-experienced Star Plate cultivators wander the Star Realm, fuse with their own stars, and instantly become the Saintess of their star system. But you’re different. You’ve never been a Saintess before, so the moment they catch you they can make you one of them.”
I noticed something odd in Seo Hyul’s words.
“If you want to be the Saintess of a star system, you need special experience, huh? But… can you force me to be the Saintess of the Central Realm right now?”
“Yes. Precisely, only a Venerable who manages the body of a True Immortal can do that.”
Seo Hyul deliberately avoided saying “Central Realm” and used “body of a True Immortal” instead.
I understood what he meant.
“You… are you telling me to become the Saintess of the Purple Gold Realm?”
I asked, startled.
“No. Was I wrong about the Purple Gold Realm being possible? The Venerables of the Central Realm aren’t the only ones who can!”
Before, I would never have shown ignorance in front of Seo Hyul.
It was like revealing my trump card.
But now it didn’t matter.
He held my core. What could he possibly do?
Seo Hyul nodded.
“The Purple Gold Realm was originally one of the candidate sites for a Saintess training ground after they raised Oh Hye-seo. The will of the Purple Gold Realm has been waiting for someone like her for a very long time. It wanted her to become a Star Plate or for someone like her to become one, and then it would come at any time. It said it would nurture her…”
“…Swear to Seo Ran.”
“…Swear to Seo Ran’s ‘childhood.’ This is the truth. Also, the Purple Gold Realm is safe with me as its true body.”
I nodded, then received more information from Seo Hyul.
‘For now… I’m qualified to refuse the Saintesses’ offer.’
The Venerables of the Central Realm could never resign before their successor was appointed.
But according to Seo Hyul, those in the Purple Gold Realm could resign whenever they wanted if they set a suitable time, even without an appointed successor.
I decided I would hold the position only until the end of the world.
‘It’s better for the Saintesses to prepare for the apocalypse inside the Central Realm. A rookie like me can’t do that.’
I would only bring death to countless souls.
Therefore, I would take the Central Realm Saintess position ten thousand years later—right after the new Great Origin began.
Of course… honestly, I still wasn’t sure I would accept it even after the Great Origin started.
‘Ban-ta feels sorry for me, but…’
I had seen it clearly.
The [symbol] written on the Purple Gold Realm—Bright Palace.
‘The Venerable of the Purple Gold was, whether he liked it or not, a force of light.’
It felt as unsettling as receiving the Venerable title from Baek-woon.
‘Maybe becoming the Saintess of the Purple Gold Realm would also give light a natural excuse.’
I wondered when Geomgeukcheongun would suddenly appear and take my shoulder again.
Better to stay cautious.
‘So… after I become the Saintess of the Purple Gold Realm, I will become the Saintess of the Central Realm!’
The Saintesses desperately searching for a successor did make me feel a little sorry, but I could not become their successor out of pity!
*Woo-woong!*
At the same moment, my heavenly qi completely left the range of Woldo Bicheon.
And I knew the Saintesses had finally found me with their pinpoint techniques.
“Good. Become the Saintess of the Purple Gold Realm right now!”
*Woo-woo-woong!*
I began merging my consciousness with the Purple Gold Realm.
From that distant Star Realm, five Saintesses flew through space at breakneck speed.
They had already realized what I was doing.
I revealed my core.
*Woo-woong—*
I, who had become the very flow of the universe, laid bare my own core that was the orbit itself and surrounded the sky above the Purple Gold Continent.
‘I am merging the flow of the Purple Gold Realm with my own.’
I saw the Star Plate cultivation seal the two Saintesses had given me.
The Star Plate cultivation seal went as follows.
Awakening the force of destiny through the operation of the Five Epochs and the Three Virtues.
Se, Wol, Il, Sin, Yeok.
And Jeong, Gang, Yu.
These eight seals, with the annotations and explanations of the two Saintesses, were the full Star Plate seal.
In the early stage, the Star Cloud’s revolution.
Most Star Plate Saintesses acquired the five laws—Se, Wol, Il, Sin, Yeok—from the world in this period, mastered them with their own hands, and established them.
Once that was complete, the stars concentrated at the center of the revolving ‘ring’ and light was born.
The Saintess’s core gradually awakened and rose to the middle stage.
The middle stage was the Red Giant Star.
The Saintess trained the force of Jeong and understood its straightness.
The late stage was the Red Giant Star.
The Saintess trained the force of Gang and understood its overcoming strength.
The Great Completion stage was the Dwarf Star.
The Saintess trained the force of Yu and understood its overcoming gentleness.
Throughout it all, the Saintess consumed the lives, wealth, sacrifices, land, education, security, hospitality, and military of the souls she governed.
Through these eight things necessary for any soul’s life, she gradually elevated them in her own life to official positions or, in the case of sufficiency, lowered them to the level of pure qi.
Thus completing the Eight Paths, and adding the Imperial Extreme, she became a Gaeyeol True Immortal.
In short, the most important thing at the Star Plate stage was the training of the Eight Paths through the Five Epochs and Three Virtues.
*Woo-woong!*
I began merging Paryeo-dohae-seong with the Purple Gold Realm.
Paryeo-dohae-seong divided into eight directions, showing me the future Eight Paths.
First establish the laws of the Purple Gold Realm through the Five Epochs and Three Virtues, then train the Eight Paths.
That was what I had to do.
*Woo!*
—Master, would you like my help?
Hong-beom sent me his spirit.
He was still not close enough to touch the tip of my tongue this life, but he had reached the level to send spirits.
I returned the affirmative and focused my consciousness.
*Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu!*
The Venerables of the Central Realm were getting closer.
They had already entered within six thousand light-years.
‘They would find my exact position in about half a gap and arrive instantly. Let’s hurry the fusion.’
*Kwa-rururung!*
Instead, planet-sized siege weapons came flying from that far distance and battered the Purple Gold Realm.
*Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu!*
The world flickered and shook violently.
As I began to merge with the world, my insides felt like they were being stirred in a pot.
I could feel Ban-ta desperately blocking me.
If he came here, he would no longer politely “invite” me—he would throw me straight into Ban-ta Castle.
*Kwa-rurururung! Kkwa-rung! Kwa-rururung!*
Ban-ta launched the siege weapons wildly again.
They hammered into the Purple Gold Realm again and again.
But they missed the exact location and sometimes struck other nearby planets.
I could sense Ban-ta’s ‘will’ in the siege weapons he had fired.
Through that will, Ban-ta was desperately sending me a message.
—Haha, stop it, Seo Doo. Listen to my words for once. First, let me explain the dignity of our Purple Gold Realm…
—The Purple Gold Realm has a civilization that has flourished perfectly under my rule for fifty thousand years. Are you interested in reproduction? Then both the females and males of the Purple Gold Realm would be excellent choices.
—The Sea Cucumber Fire-grilled Sea Cucumber you humans make is the finest delicacy in the Central Realm, but the Sea Cucumber Fire-grilled Sea Cucumber of the Purple Gold Realm is absolutely no match. It’s insanely delicious!
‘What kind of taste could it be…?’
Ban-ta’s voice was truly desperate and gradually turning frantic.
—Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, stop it, Seo Doo. I don’t know which star system is doing the fusion ritual right now, but listen to me! Just for a moment!
—Wait! I’ll give you the Saintess position, Ban-ta Castle, and my imperial seal! Just wait!
—Wait! Stop! I said stop! Stop!!!
—There is no Law Treasure in the Purple Gold Realm that isn’t known. It’s not empty talk—other Saintesses have already recognized it. Our Purple Gold Realm’s Law Treasure technology is the best in the Central Realm! I can strengthen your Law Treasure as well!
—The people of the Purple Gold Realm are full of Qi-Writing Law Masters! I heard some of your colleagues are Qi-Writing Law Masters too—I’ll give you a suitable technique!
—What do you want?! How much?! How much?!
—The Purple Gold Realm also has an Enlightened Art Library! I’ll teach you any Enlightened Art you want!
—Wait, just for a moment! Let me have even a moment of conversation!
—Seo Eun-hyun! Seo Eun-hyun!!! Just wait a little longer!
—Huaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!
*Kwa-ah-ah-ah-ang!*
He was pouring out even his True Origin True Energy and throwing Law Techniques from the siege weapons.
The purple light of the siege weapons grew even thicker and more powerful.
Every time one struck me while I merged with the Purple Gold Realm, the shock of the Purple Gold Realm became pain and flowed into me.
‘It hurts…’
Under this condition, continuing the fusion would be difficult.
Moreover, if I answered the siege weapons’ consciousness, Ban-ta would immediately locate me. I could never answer.
But… I kept my heart steady and closed my eyes.
Guarding Seo Ran, watching Seo Hyul, and enduring the worst kind of soul-merging ritual while the world melted around me.
‘I can do it.’
This much pain was nothing to me.
*Flash!*
I chanted the seal of the Dharma-Destroying True Word in my mind and calmed my mind, concentrating.
Ban-ta’s roar, which had been screaming like a malicious spirit and disrupting my focus, gradually faded into silence inside the continuous concentration.
‘It’s coming.’
*Woo-woo-woong!*
The ‘orbit’ I had unfolded split into eight regions and seeped into the sky of the Purple Gold Realm, absorbing its ‘light.’
‘In the end, the Star Plate is the position that manages the light of the world.’
Without light, no soul could live.
From Baek-woon and Haeseong, to Yu-o who managed the Myeonggwi Realm and the Jinma-gaye, to Baek-woon’s cousin in the Jichukcheon-yeok—everything.
In reality, the Venerables of the Central Realm controlled the light of the Central Realm.
Only now did I truly understand how the Gwanghan Realm had managed to make day and night almost identical across all its lands.
‘Baek-woon has been managing the sunlight, moonlight, and starlight of the Gwanghan Realm to keep day and night in balance.’
The same was true of the Goryeok Realm.
There were no sun or moon—only the ‘ring’ managed day and night.
The Jinma-gaye, the Myeonggwi Realm, the Purple Gold Realm—all the same.
*Flash!*
The ‘light’ of the Purple Gold Realm had completely soaked into my body.
And at that instant!
*Kwa-rururung!*
The heavenly qi of the Purple Gold Realm gathered in one place.
Right in front of the Purple Gold Realm, at the center of the sea called Purple Gold Sea!
A space for me began to form at the exact center of the Purple Gold Realm.
Just as Gwanghan Realm Cheon-ryeon-san, Jinma-gaye Hyeolje Dan, Myeonggwi Realm Black Palace, Goryeok Realm Haewangjeon, and Purple Gold Realm Ban-ta Castle would become palaces that accepted the world.
*Chwa-ra-ra-rak!*
For the Saintess Palace meant for Saintesses, the Saintess’s spirit and preferences were reflected.
And in the one that appeared reflecting my spirit was a familiar mountain.
A mountain made of glass!
It was quite similar to the one in my spirit.
Perhaps because it was influenced by the Purple Gold Realm’s qi?
Instead of a plain glass sword planted in the ground, the mountain was filled with glass-like ‘trees’ shaped like blades.
I looked at the shape of the trees and realized what kind of tree they were.
‘It’s a pine tree.’
I remembered that Jang Ik had said the Sim Clan’s area in the Purple Gold Realm was the Sam-mok-chong for a reason.
Indeed, this Purple Gold Realm seemed related to pine trees.
I pondered a name for a moment.
‘Eun-hyeon Daesan? Eun-hyeon-seong? Eun-hyeon-gung? Sam-tu Seo Gwi-jin-gung? No…’
After considering the most dignified names, I finally gave a name to my Saintess Palace.
“Glass Pine Mountain. That is your name.”
*Ku-gu-gung!*
The moment I named the Glass Pine Mountain, I felt I had completely connected with the Purple Gold Realm.
At the same time, I felt I had become one with this Purple Gold Realm body and soul. I could borrow its power, and through my authority I could finely adjust the fate inside the Purple Gold Realm.
*Woo-woo-woong!*
At the same moment, a voice whispered into my brain.
“…Was it not the Purple Gold Realm?”
I sat on the summit of the Glass Pine Mountain and spoke the ‘true name’ of this world.
“Pine Tree Map. That… was the name of this place.”
*Koo-woong!*
The instant I spat out that true name, a stele made of salt crystals fell before me.
On the stele, the world’s name—Pine Tree Map—was engraved in deep relief.
*Woo-woong!*
I breathed life into the stele’s consciousness.
At the same moment, the five Central Realm Saintesses finally surrounded this world.
*Flash!*
I raised a massive projection toward the outside of the world.
A projection made with the power of the Pine Tree Map.
The expressions of the Saintesses who saw my projection changed moment by moment.
[It is nice to meet you, seniors. This humble Seo Eun-hyun thinks this world is to his liking… I will be acting as the Saintess of this Purple Gold Realm for a while. It is a pleasure to meet you again.]
I bowed to them and introduced myself.
[Saintess of the Pine Tree Map—Seo Eun-hyun.]
And Ban-ta’s horrific scream echoed through the entire world.
Thus, in the midst of Ban-ta’s screams, I ascended as the Saintess of the Pine Tree Map with pride.