Газрын аймаг (9)

Zing, zing, zing…

My whole body tingles.

However, this isn't the same pressure as when I had encountered [Him] before.

The being before me is a remnant will contained in a single drop of blood, and [He] was a split soul, but something feels different.

I wonder why but somehow feel that the distance between the two is different.

Somehow, this Black Dragon seems far more distant than [Him].

'Ah, is that it.'

This Black Dragon might exist in a dimension even farther away from this Bright Cold Realm than [Him].

'The lack of pressure compared to [Him] is because the main body exists in a much farther dimension.'

Of course, it's not that there's no pressure compared to [Him]. Even though this Black Dragon is nothing more than a remnant will in a drop of blood, it still exerts a pressure beyond what any Integration stage Grand Cultivator could.It's when I'm looking at the Black Dragon.

Sssssshhh!

"...!!!"

Suddenly, my whole body, submerged in darkness, disintegrates in front of the Black Dragon.

'What is this…!?'

Even though it's not the real world but a mental world where I met with the Black Dragon's remnant will, I feel as though my body in the real world is disintegrating.

"Grrrrrgh!!"

I hold back a scream, but the Black Dragon, paying no heed, meticulously disassembles and observes the deepest parts of my body.

Bones and flesh disintegrate.

Blood and organs disintegrate.

Eventually, every single cell disintegrates.

The countless double helices sleeping within each cell, the Yin and Yang of spiritual energy rotating within my body, are laid bare before the Black Dragon.

Despite being in the mental world, my body is manifested as if it's real, and despite having reached Treading Heavens Beyond the Path and mastered the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, I am powerless before the Black Dragon's gaze.

As the Black Dragon flips through my body, information about Yin, Yang, and double helices that it sees unfolds before my eyes as well.

'This is....'

The scene I saw when I obtained the Nascent Soul.

The scene where Yin and Yang in my body rotated, revisiting my past.

That's right.

I am seeing the scene of obtaining the Nascent Soul once more because of the Black Dragon!

'This is... my history...!!?'

Being born, growing up, entering this world...

Ascending and following Seo Hweol to reach the present, my life of about 30 years pass before my eyes.

'Huh?'

However, I notice something strange.

The usual flashbacks or scenes of life seen at the time of reaching the Nascent Soul stage included the flow of time including regression.

But the flow shown by the Black Dragon does not include regression, and my memory is cut off directly after returning from the original world to this world.

As the memories flash by, finally, the memory of entering the Serving Command Ark and facing [Him] emerges in my mind.

That's when it happens.

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, the flashback ends, and my body returns to its original state.

"...!?"

It's then that I am finally able to move within the space.

"…! Huff, huff…."

I thought I was going to die.

What on earth is going on?

'My body, disintegrated down to the genetic level?'

And those genes were traced by the yin and yang of spiritual energy, drawing double helices and showing the past.

It felt as if I had taken a glance at the history of my life.

Just then.

The Black Dragon's voice hits my ears.

[To think a mortal has accumulated two thousand years, I wondered what was going on, but you had a private meeting with ――――. Since that being does not permit looking into the past, I will stop here.]

"...? Ah...."

Apparently, after seeing the memory of meeting [Him], the Black Dragon seems to have realized something.

"Have you… read all of my memories?"

I ask the Black Dragon in the darkness before me with a trembling voice.

The Black Dragon seems to be silent for a moment, then scatters into the darkness.

The voice of the Black Dragon, dispersing in all directions, echoes throughout heaven and earth.

[I attempted to read them all, but ―― has blocked me, so I dared not read everything. What kind of mortal are you that ―― holds you in such high regard?]

'Hmm?'

I try to listen to what ―― is, but the word itself is incomprehensible.

'...A True Immortal must have done something.'

"...I apologize, but I myself do not quite understand why [He] takes an interest in me."

[Is that so… I see. However, the reason I am concerned about you is not for that. Are you currently trying to refine the true blood of Immortal Beasts?]

"...? Yes, that's correct."

[The legitimate way to refine the true blood of those who inherit the bloodline of Immortal Beasts involves first being driven into extreme environments to verify that one possesses the vitality worthy of receiving the Immortal Beast's true blood. You must have undergone this process, haven't you?]

"Yes."

I definitely underwent the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion.

[Then tell me, what was the highest level of cultivation among those who participated in that Immortal Beast Blood Fusion?]

"The Nascent Soul stage was definitely the highest."

To my recollection, participation was not possible for those above the Heavenly Being stage.

[Why do you think participation was restricted for those Heavenly Being stage and above, even though a Heavenly Being's vitality would be several times stronger than that of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator?]

"That is…"

The voice of the Black Dragon echoes from the darkness.

[A thousand years. The condition to refine and transform the true blood of an Immortal Beast is 'having lived for no more than a thousand years'. Naturally, those Nascent Soul stage cultivators who have lived for more than a thousand years cannot receive the true blood of Immortal Beasts, and the majority of Heavenly Being stage cultivators have lived even longer, thus disqualifying them.]

"...!"

[Yet, you, a mere mortal, have accumulated two thousand years. Attempting to receive the true blood while having accumulated a span of time equivalent to that of a Heavenly Being, that is an impossibility. The remnants of my will left within the Immortal Beast true blood were intended to advise those Heavenly Being cultivators who recklessly attempt to refine Immortal Beast true blood without fear....]

"So, you mean I'm not qualified?"

I ask the Black Dragon incredulously.

Because I've lived for over two thousand years, that disqualifies me from refining the true blood of Immortal Beasts?

As I'm dumbfounded, the entire darkness seems to chuckle.

[It's not that you're unqualified. Rather, you're too qualified. Cultivators above the Heavenly Being stage cannot contain the power of Immortal Beasts. If you try to add something to an already full vessel, it will only overflow.]

"...?"

[Spiritual energy is explosion. Explosion is life. All life follows the structure of Yin and Yang in the form of double helices.]

The Black Dragon continues speaking from the darkness.

[Double helices are the summary of all information and the history of the existence called life. Child, do you know why the races that grow life by exploding spiritual energy are called the Earth Tribe?]

Ugh!

Suddenly, I feel nauseous.

It was the same as when I met [Him].

'This is…'

The Black Dragon, who I thought existed in a distant dimension, is gradually 'approaching' here.

The whole world spins around me.

The Black Dragon is showing 'interest' in me.

Even though he might be in a far-off dimension, just his interest being directed at me conveyed the immense presence of that enormous being beyond the remnant will contained in the drop of blood.

Even though his main body is far away, his interest crosses dimensions, and just that interest alone is crushing my existence.

[If the heavens are fate, then earth is history. History is information, and information is life. Therefore, all those who strive towards the extreme of life are all part of the Earth Tribe.]

Their voice is gentle.

But their essence has already scattered and disappeared into darkness, and I feel as if every gene making up my body is being devoured by darkness, unable to even scream as I melt away.

I am dying, melting away with every syllable of that gentle voice.

[We, Immortal Beasts, are deities frolicking in the domains of life and history, the true representatives of the earth. Therefore, to bear our power, one must not have accumulated too much time. Because, having accumulated a lot of time means that the vessel is already sufficiently full, and attempting to infuse something new into it would likely break the vessel.]

Kugugugu!

"Ahh… Ahhh! Ahh…Ahh…."

[History is an absolute 'one'. Therefore, the power of Immortal Beasts that one being can receive is also one. Hence, child, you originally should not be able to receive my power. You have already far surpassed your own limits by accumulating years....]

Gradually, even screams sink into the darkness.

[However, precisely because you have surpassed your own limits and accumulated such time, perhaps, who knows? Let's observe once more. Can you accept my power?]

Whoooosh….

My whole body is torn apart by the darkness.

I realize I'm turning to dust, and I lose consciousness in the darkness.

"Gah…! Gahah! Gah!"

Gasp!

I suddenly open my eyes, trembling at the strange sound coming from my throat.

'Where is this?'

Right.

I had asked Gyu-ryeon to help me refine the Immortal Beast True Blood, within her domain....

"…Heok!"

I hurriedly try to get up and look around.

However, I have to slump back down due to the terrible foreign sensation in my throat.

No, not just in my throat, but terrible foreign sensations are felt all over my body.

"...!"

It's a blood-red spear!

Spears made of blood are embedded in my neck, limbs, and right above my heart and dantian.

"What, is… this…?"

Cough!

Blood spurts out with each attempt to speak.

Then, from afar, a familiar figure approaches.

It's Gyu-ryeon.

"Have you come to your senses?"

"Senior… Gyu?"

"Normally, when refining the Immortal Beast True Blood, one faces the fragments of the power of the Immortal Beast contained in the blood, causing wildness to erupt. You went so berserk that I had to restrain you within the formation."

"Ah… Thank you. Could you possibly remove them now…?"

She silently approaches me, pulling out the spears embedded in my neck, heart, and above my dantian.

Ching!

As soon as the spears are removed, a majestic energy surges and I can feel the places where the spears had been embedded healing.

'The regeneration… is on a different level…?'

I am amazed by the change in my body's condition.

This level of regeneration is something one will only expect to see in the Core Formation stage.

"Could… Could you also remove the spears in my arms and legs?"

"It's not over yet."

"Excuse me…?"

"You've just begun to experience the remnants left by the Black Dragon's power and awakened."

"What… Huh!!!"

I clench my teeth against the pain that hit me with those words.

Cold!

It's as cold as when I was thrown to the bottom of the Serving Command Ark!

This is….

"The Black Dragon governs the power of Taiyin. This is the process of melting His power into your body. Accept the Taiyin's authority, passed down from ancient times."

Fwoosh!

Gyu-ryeon's words echo.

With each word, golden life force begins flowing from the blood spears embedded in my arms and legs.

Despite feeling like I am about to freeze solid,

The blood spears drive away my cold, guiding my consciousness.

'This is, Taiyin…'

I clench my teeth, calming the rampaging yin energy throughout my body.

"Hooooooo!"

I must calm down!

Gyu-ryeon, revealing golden horns, suppresses the rampaging yin energy throughout my body, and I press down the suppressed yin energy with my will, preventing it from rampaging.

"Use the demon beast methods you've learned in that state. Guide the flow of yin and yang to embrace the Taiyin!"

'Guide the flow of yin and yang to embrace the Taiyin…'

I operate the Azure Spirit Starlight Quintessence Great Method, guiding the yin energy.

The yin and yang spiritual energies explode, and between those explosions, double helices are formed.

I guide the yin energy between those double helices.

The yin power seeps between the double helices, remodeling my very flesh.

Crack, crackle!

The power of the Black Dragon permeates my entire body!

Buduk, bududuk!

Black deer horns sprout on my forehead, and my teeth become sharp and jagged.

Sharp talons like those of an eagle emerges from my fingertips, and sporadically, black scales begin to appear on my skin.

"Geuaaaaahhhhhhh!"

As I yell, a dragon's roar, not a human's scream, bursts from my vocal cords.

The powerful ferocity given by the power of the Black Dragon seems to dominate my mind.

'My, my mind is….'

The roar of the Black Dragon bursts madly in my ears.

At this rate, my mind seems like it will be devoured by the Black Dragon's wildness.

No, that's not it.

'This is….'

I am facing the wildness hidden within myself.

The power of the Black Dragon seeped into me, dredging up the years of myself that spanned two thousand years.

The negative energies that had accumulated layer by layer within me over two thousand years, the desires that had been strongly suppressed, writhes madly.

'Is that how it is. The longer one lives, the more they are unable to overcome the wildness accumulated within themselves and crumble.'

I clench my teeth as I face the wildness within myself that has been exposed by the power of the Black Dragon.

If left as is, I have no idea what I might do in my insanity.

"Raaaaaaaah!"

I let out a roar.

Now, my roar is indistinguishable from that of a dragon.

The entire chamber of Gyu-ryeon's trembles, but she calmly raises golden energy.

"It's going to hurt a bit. But since you've passed through the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion, you should be able to withstand it, so don't worry."

The next moment, she lifts her foot.

Golden energy gathers in her foot.

And then, her foot brutally stomps on my skull.

"Crack!"

Without a moment to feel anything.

My skull, seized by wildness and desire, is utterly smashed by Gyu-ryeon's foot.

Boom!

The last thing I feel is my skull exploding like a watermelon being smashed before I lose consciousness.

[My power is no different from poison to you. What you will gain from that power is nothing but disaster.]

The voice of the Black Dragon faintly comes through from the darkness.

[Still, do you truly wish to accept my power? Go ahead then. I see you're the type to regret only when facing death.]

Gradually, consciousness blurs again.

In the fading consciousness, I sense that this opportunity might be the last conversation I can have with the Black Dragon in this lifetime.

'I can't, let this go.'

If I miss this opportunity, it will be no different from missing a tremendous opportunity!

Silence prevails in the darkness.

But within the silence, I sense an allowance for my question.

'Is the Black Dragon King, Hyeon Eum, born of your lineage, related to the Blood Yin Realm?'

I decide to ask the Black Dragon directly about the Black Dragon King, Hyeon Eum, and the Dragon Race.

[So that's it. Recently, that entity has been struggling after borrowing my bloodline.]

Somehow, the Black Dragon seems to find my question very amusing.

[How could someone who was a renowned judge in the Netherworld come to such a state, wriggling like a worm after falling into disgrace? There was no one who wouldn't tremble before the judge governing good and evil, but to think True Immortal ◈#■(攸好德/You Hao Te/Love of Virtue) is left as mere dregs, parasitizing on my bloodline like a worm... Ahahaha….]

Zing!

Boom!

The next moment.

As soon as I hear the name of the True Immortal, my head explodes.

There is so much more I want to ask and know from the Black Dragon.

But at that moment, everything is erased from my mind.

Those who recklessly hear the true name of a True Immortal.

Their minds cannot remain intact.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

A name contains part of one's fate.

By overhearing the name of the True Immortal, I had glimpsed into the fate of the True Immortal.

[He] erased [His] name from me, leaving no influence, but the name of the True Immortal carelessly uttered by the Black Dragon throws my mind into turmoil and chaos.

Erase it!

Erase the conversation we just had.

Erase the name I just heard.

If I don't erase it from my mind, ▒▒▒You Hao Te might peer into me.

I feel my consciousness sinking into the darkness and lose consciousness.

"...Huk.”

I gasp for air and regain my consciousness.

'Just now, it felt like my head exploded….'

Right, Gyu-ryeon stomped on my head and burst it apart.

But….

'My head regenerated?'

I am still in the Qi Building stage.

Yet my head has already regenerated.

'To regenerate a head, one has to be at least in the Core Formation stage….'

Wriggle….

"...Huh?"

I move my body, startled.

Strange.

This level of energy for a Qi Building stage?

Just then.

"What…!"

The next moment, I am shocked by something inside my dantian.

'A Golden Core? No, that's not it.'

My Inner Core has evolved and grown as large as a Golden Core.

Crack, crackle….

As I move my hand, I feel the blood spears embedded in my limbs crumbling.

"What…!"

"Have you awakened?"

Gyu-ryeon, who is sitting beside me, speaks.

"It seems the true blood of the Immortal Beast has settled well."

"Heok…!"

Crack!

As I hurriedly stand up in shock, the blood spears embedded in my body crumble like pieces of cookies.

"Congratulations. Now, although not completely, you can somewhat be considered a member of our Dragon Race."

Gyu-ryeon looks at me with a sense of pride, crossing her arms.

"Ah, no, Senior Gyu… but my Inner Core, no, my Demon Core…."

"You are now in the Core Formation stage."

"Excuse me…!?"

"Occasionally, there are individuals like you. Those whose cultivation skyrockets because the power of the Immortal Beast true blood enters exceptionally well. Your Demon Core has completed its transformation into a Golden Core, so you are now in the Core Formation stage."

I am dumbfounded by the unexpected advancement in my cultivation level.

My entire body is filled with power.

At this rate, I feel like I can replicate the power of a Core Formation stage cultivator with my bare body, without using any techniques or spells.

But that isn't the end.

The power of Taiyin undulating inside seems like it can directly become a spell and scatter in all directions if I controlled it well.

'No, not a spell.'

The power of Taiyin I wield through obtaining the true blood of the Black Dragon isn't a spell.

It should rightly be called a supernatural ability.

Crunch….

As I clench my fist, a vigorous power along with yin energy gathers around me, rumbling.

'Combining the supernatural ability of the Demon Race and the spells of the Human Race, and using techniques that maximize the power of this body….'

Even with just the capabilities of the Core Formation stage, I'm not afraid of Nascent Soul cultivators at all.

As I am examining the power of my body, Gyu-ryeon points outside her cave chamber.

"Go outside to test your strength. A guest looking for you has arrived."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm quite strained holding off the guest right now, so go and properly greet them."

"Ah…."

I feel like I know who the 'guest' she mentions is.

I slowly walk outside.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

Dark clouds cover the sky.

And familiar lightning rumbles between the clouds.

However, the lightning does not fall.

A formation depicting a golden dragon covers the entire sky above Gyu-ryeon's cave chamber, trapping the lightning within the formation, only allowing it to rumble.

'She was blocking the Heavenly Lightning from falling while I ascended to the Core Formation stage.'

Rumble, rumble!

Of course, the power raging from the heavens has become much stronger due to being blocked by someone else.

As if daring to challenge the Heavenly Tribulation with another's power is not tolerated, the power of the lightning rumbling in the sky has become greater.

But.

'Somehow, I feel like I can overcome it.'

I smile inwardly and first bow to Gyu-ryeon inside her cave.

"Thank you for your care."

"That's enough, I will now release the Heavenly Tribulation… Try out the newly acquired power of the Immortal Beast."

"Understood."

As she speaks, the formation in the sky dissipates and the lightning falls towards me.

Boom, rumble!

I refine the surging powers within me.

The Heaven Tribe methods like the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, White Orchid Blessing Incantation, Thousand Lustrous Forest Sea, and Silica Earth Great Wall Practice.

The Earth Tribe methods like the fully demonized Azure Spirit Starlight Quintessence Great Method by the Vast Cold Formula, the power of the Black Dragon, and other techniques.

And the power of the Heart Tribe, accumulated through martial arts.

There is no need to reveal the Formless Sword.

The apex of martial arts, the Formless Sword, is already integrated into all the techniques I commonly use.

Even without explicitly revealing the Formless Sword, all the trajectories unfolding from my body are under my control.

Just wielding these overflowing powers along the optimal trajectory is all that is needed.

Whoooosh!

Containing the powers of Heaven, Earth, and Heart.

'Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.'

I unleashed it towards the Heavenly Lightning.

'Flowing Ridge!'

Spiritual power and demonic power mix, amplifying the already extreme power of my flesh and launching it in the optimal trajectory towards the sky.

The force shooting towards the heavens naturally contains the energy of Taiyin, and the thrust that targets the sky transforms into the shape of a giant Black Dragon, shattering the Heavenly Lightning!

Boom and crack!

The Heavenly Lightning is shattered to pieces, and the dark clouds above it are torn apart, revealing the blue sky.

Phew….

I manage to withstand this tremendous Heavenly Lightning without directly using the Formless Sword.

Whoosh….

There is a change in my vision as well.

The Earth Tribe's vision, which until now had been limited to merely observing the flow of spiritual energy, now presents a much clearer and broader scene than before.

'This is, yin and yang…'

The sky and the earth themselves are drawing a grand Taiji.

That Taiji is space.

Just as reaching Beyond the Path to Heavens allowed me to see the essence of the heart, and learning the Heaven Tribe methods strengthened my ability to see fate. As a member of the Demon Race, reaching this realm makes the yin and yang flowing through heavens and earth appear even more macroscopically clear and definite.

I can see with the newly evolved Demon Race vision and realize.

'I have now firmly become a part of the Earth Tribe.'

Finally, following Heaven and Heart, I have successfully stepped into Earth.

I feel this truly for the first time.