Chapter 285: Annihilation (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 285: Annihilation (1)
Seo-jun felt a presence within himself, nestled deep inside the Primordial Unity.
It was the status of a god—the soul of the maddened Black Lotus Union Leader.
—Aaaaaaaah…!!!
The screaming entity endured for a time within the Primordial Unity, but only because Seo-jun was still inexperienced.
However, the consciousness of the Black Lotus Union Leader that made up that entity saw something within the Primordial Unity. In that endless abyss, he witnessed countless truths that transcended all boundaries of this world.
He saw the indescribable horror that existed at the very end—and the beginning of all things that originated from nothingness…
—Ah…!
It was not something a mere fledgling god could handle.
When he had first taken that existence into his mind, the Black Lotus Union Leader’s consciousness had hidden itself deep away to protect itself.
He had locked himself in the absolute depths of his mental imagery. As a result, his body and soul—left with nothing but primal instinct—had run wild.
But now, it was right before his eyes. He could no longer hide, nor could he run.
Even so, the Black Lotus Union Leader’s consciousness desperately sought to escape it.
With his own hands, he severed all his outward-reaching senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, and finally, his sixth sense, including his Qi sensing.
By doing so, he hoped to flee from that indescribable existence.
But he could not. He couldn't erase that presence.
Its traces were already etched into his very being.
—Aaaaaah…!
The Black Lotus Union Leader’s consciousness shrieked in unspeakable terror.
And so, he shattered his mental imagery again. He severed his memories, scattered his ego, and broke the very framework of his existence.
Eventually, he even forgot the fact that the entity existed, but the lingering fear in his consciousness continued to gnaw at him, impossible to erase.
The Black Lotus Union Leader’s consciousness finally realized the truth: this consciousness, which constantly tried to continue thinking, was the problem.
To escape that ineffable terror, he killed himself.
He stopped all thought, forgot himself, and completely erased the existence known as ‘I.’
At the end of it all, the Black Lotus Union Leader’s consciousness was finally able to escape the fear.
By meeting complete destruction, he regained his rest.
What remained was pure status.
Watching his still-immature Primordial Unity slowly absorb that bead-like status, Seo-jun opened his eyes.
He realized it instinctively.
Once he made this entirely his own, he would be able to regain a tiny fraction of his lost standing.
Regain? Regain what?
Burying the question for now, Seo-jun looked at the Alliance Leader before him.
“It seems to have gone well.”
He didn’t know the exact details, but he could tell that once he fully absorbed this bead-like object within his mental imagery, he would achieve tremendous growth.
[That shouldn’t be possible…]
The Alliance Leader, who had been observing Seo-jun intently, soon realized his words were true.
It was absurd.
A mere mortal had swallowed a god.
Even an ant trampling a dragon to death wouldn't be more shocking than this.
The Alliance Leader let out a hollow laugh and sheathed his blade.
[I’ve lived a long time, but I see something new every day.]
“Aren’t you going to attack? You came here for this too, didn’t you?”
[Excessive greed only invites disaster. It must have found its rightful owner according to the natural order.]
“Are you a Taoist priest now?”
[Hardly.]
The Alliance Leader sighed and shrugged.
It was a shame, but he had witnessed something so extraordinary that he was satisfied with just this.
More than anything, he didn’t want to recklessly provoke this unknown entity.
[It seems we’ve ended up annihilating the Black Lotus Union.]
Seo-jun’s eyebrows twitched.
“Now that you mention it, yeah.”
[A calm reaction. This is an achievement on par with the Martial God.]
“What are you talking about? I heard that guy unified the Central Plains.”
[Do we not call the combination of the Righteous and Evil Factions the Central Plains?]
“What about the Demonic Cult?”
[They are an exception. The Demonic Cult’s lineage has never been broken since the birth of Mara.]
“What? Everyone talks about the Martial God this and that, but was he just all hype?”
The Alliance Leader burst into a hollow laugh at Seo-jun’s words.
[You’re likely the only one in the world who would dare say such a thing.]
Seo-jun just flipped him the bird. For some reason, his stomach felt bloated.
He patted his chest, uncrossed his legs, stood up, and looked around.
It’s in decent shape, at least.
This was thanks to the fight between the Union Leader and the Alliance Leader taking place on the hierarchy of souls.
Whether that was just how a fight between those in the Profound Realm worked, or if the Alliance Leader had simply been considerate of the Central Plains, he didn't know. Regardless, it seemed there was no need to redraw the map of the Central Plains.
“Ugh…”
Seo-jun moved his heavy body and first checked on the Emperor Without Disease.
Pae Jin-gwang, Ju Won-jang, Peng Geuk-jin, and Hwangbo Ryung were all fine.
Pae Jin-gwang and Ju Won-jang were a bit groggy, but their lives weren't in danger, so there shouldn't be any major issues.
As for the Black Lotus Union side…
Most of them were also fine.
The Black Dragon Sect Leader was coughing up blood, but he was alive. The rest were just staring blankly at Seo-jun and the Alliance Leader.
Only one person hadn't made it.
Sin-pung Ha Hu-ryang alone had lost his life.
“So you’ve gone like this in the end…”
The head of the Profound Bow Emperor, Ho Hwi-jong, who was standing blankly before the corpse, dropped weakly.
He stood there for a long time before finally snapping his bow.
Crack—!
The bow, broken in half, dangled uselessly from its string.
Seo-jun watched the scene quietly.
Ho Hwi-jong’s eyes were dull. Veins bulged on the back of his hand as he gripped one side of the broken bow tightly, as if in total resignation.
“In the end, I couldn't even get your revenge.”
A martial artist whose heart is broken is as good as dead.
In that sense, to Seo-jun’s eyes, Ho Hwi-jong looked like a walking corpse.
On an impulse, Seo-jun landed beside Ho Hwi-jong.
The archer didn’t even react to his presence. He just stared blankly at Ha Hu-ryang.
Instead of looking at Ho Hwi-jong, Seo-jun quietly examined Ha Hu-ryang’s body. He had been quite an impressive martial artist.
In the final moment, the strike that had pierced Seo-jun’s chest had certainly touched upon the Profound Realm.
It wasn't that he had merely knocked on the wall of the Profound Realm.
Rather, his desperate heart had briefly stepped into that domain, however faintly.
That was truly the martial art of the heart.
If he had followed that sensation and devoted himself to training for a long time, he might have actually reached the Profound Realm.
Assuming he had survived, that is.
But regardless, that final strike had helped Seo-jun’s Heart Sword.
Even if he couldn't reach the martial art of the heart immediately, he was certain he could obtain it before long if he put in the time.
Kiiiing—!
Inside Seo-jun’s pupils, the still-present swastika pattern rotated.
His eyes saw the soul of Ha Hu-ryang, which was just about to leave the body.
“Well… a favor is a favor, I guess.”
There was no grand reason. His heart was simply moved. And that was reason enough to put in a little effort.
Flash—!
Seo-jun’s outstretched hand redrew Ha Hu-ryang’s physical form.
Creating parts of a physical body was no longer a great effort for him.
In an instant, the gaping hole in Ha Hu-ryang’s chest and the wounds etched across his body vanished.
Seo-jun grabbed the soul that was about to depart for the Underworld and shoved it right back into Ha Hu-ryang’s body.
“Gasp…!”
A sharp intake of breath.
Soon, with steady breathing, Ha Hu-ryang’s chest began to rise and fall.
[What?]
The Alliance Leader’s eyes widened as he watched.
He already knew that the kid could create something out of Qi. Even if he couldn't understand it, hadn't he seen it with his own eyes?
Furthermore, capturing and moving a soul wasn't that surprising either.
The Alliance Leader could do that much himself.
But this was different.
Reconnecting a human body and soul whose link had already been severed?
It went against the natural order and was a direct defiance of the laws of heaven.
…I can’t understand it. Just what is his true identity?
While the Alliance Leader looked at Seo-jun with narrowed eyes, the Profound Bow Emperor Ho Hwi-jong also witnessed his friend’s returning breath.
His wide eyes turned to Seo-jun.
Seo-jun met his gaze and shrugged.
“You’re not going to come back for revenge with him later, are you?”
Ho Hwi-jong didn’t answer. No, he couldn't.
The broken bow slipped from his hand and rolled across the ground.
“Ah…”
Ho Hwi-jong looked at Seo-jun with eyes filled with complex emotions that were hard to describe.
His gaze trembled with deep confusion.
But one thing was certain. This unfathomable being had shown mercy to his friend and granted him a second life.
Soon, a firm resolve appeared in Ho Hwi-jong’s eyes. Light returned to his dull pupils, and his lips pressed firmly together.
Then, his knees hit the ground, and he bowed until his forehead touched his respectfully folded hands.
“…I will never forget this grace.”
It was a deeply polite bow. More than anything, it was a bow straight from the heart.
Seo-jun’s eyes darted around as he looked down at him.
After all, he was the one who had killed Sin-pung in the first place.
He had brought him back to life, sure, but receiving such a deep bow from the man's best friend felt a bit strange.
However, when Ho Hwi-jong lifted his head and met his gaze, Seo-jun eventually gave a short laugh and turned away.
“I’m planning to have my wedding this spring. If you want to come, feel free.”
“…Yes. I will attend with Ryang.”
“That friend of yours will need some time to recover, won't he?”
“Ryang will want to be there as well.”
“Is that so?”
The phrase 'telepathic connection' suited these two better than anyone.
If the Profound Bow Emperor was so certain, Sin-pung’s thoughts would likely be exactly the same.
“Then I’ll see you then.”
Seo-jun laughed softly and floated back into the air. He felt several gazes looking up at him from the ground. They were the Transcendent Realm experts of the Black Lotus Union.
From the Black Dragon Sect Leader and the Evil-Eyed Wolf to the Thousand-Mile Guest and the Blade Sovereign.
Meeting their gazes, he asked, “What do you all plan to do?”
“…Are you going to let us go?”
At the Evil-Eyed Wolf’s words, Seo-jun slowly scanned the group. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't sense clear hostility from any of them.
It was surprising, considering they had been fighting tooth and nail until just a moment ago.
“If you want.”
With the Black Lotus Union Leader gone, Seo-jun was certain: the Black Lotus Union was no longer a major threat.
If they had any conscience, they wouldn't suddenly invade the Namgung Clan.
Seo-jun’s intuition, which had moved one step closer to true divinity, had reached the point where it could see through their intentions to some extent.
No, even if they changed their minds and invaded, it wouldn't matter much now.
Now, Seo-jun could even…
Huh?
As he visualized a battle between himself and Namgung Jin-cheon in his head, Seo-jun’s eyebrows twitched.
I still can’t win?
For some reason, he couldn't picture himself defeating the man.
Just how strong is he?
He found himself re-evaluating Je Cheon-hyeok, the former head of the Heaven-Breaking Je Clan.
To think that only four Transcendent Realm experts had defeated his father-in-law?
Even if there were hostages and traps, it made no sense.
It was possible that such a result had occurred because his father-in-law had desired death, but even that would have been impossible without Je Cheon-hyeok.
If Namgung Jin-cheon hadn't existed, Je Cheon-hyeok might have made a name for himself as the undisputed strongest under heaven in the Central Plains.
No, he definitely would have.
If he hadn't died at his father-in-law’s hands, he might have reached the Profound Realm later on and succeeded the Black Lotus Union Leader.
As Seo-jun was lost in thought, the Alliance Leader approached and asked, [Are you heading straight to the Black Lotus Union?]
It was an unexpected question. Seo-jun looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
“The Black Lotus Union? Why bother?”
[Why bother?]
The Alliance Leader looked at Seo-jun with a strange expression, then let out a hollow laugh as if realizing something.
[Now that I think about it, you might not know.]
“Is there something at the Black Lotus Union?”
[Why do you think gods who have reached the supreme Profound Realm bother to belong to secular organizations like the Murim Alliance or the Black Lotus Union?]
“Because it’s convenient to have underlings?”
[They wouldn't take on such troublesome tasks for a reason like that.]
The Alliance Leader’s eyes looked far into the distance. Seo-jun also looked toward where his gaze was directed, but he could see nothing but empty air.
[There lies the enlightenment left behind by the gods of the past. Since opportunities to encounter others in the Profound Realm are rare, that enlightenment is more precious than anything.]
“Hmm…”
Enlightenment left by previous Profound Realm experts.
Seo-jun first checked his physical condition. No matter how he looked at it, it was hard to say he was in good shape.
His body itself was fine, but his soul—which had been battered by the Black Lotus Union Leader and overworked by himself—was beyond tattered. It was on the verge of going on strike.
Usually, a soul going on strike was professionally referred to as 'death,' but… he wasn't dead, so it would have to do.
Should I try heading there for now?
He didn't know exactly what that enlightenment was, but it might help him digest the Black Lotus Union Leader’s status.
If he digested all of it, just how strong could he become? His stomach tingled with anticipation.
Because of that, it felt like a waste to just quietly go home like this.
“Then let’s go.”