"What on earth are you talking about?"
I ask, astounded.
'Is this really the thought process of an ordinary person? No, it's not. He is a being who had reached the pinnacle of True Immortals….'
Just reaching the Heavenly Being stage would drive one's corner of the mind to madness.
If it's Yang Su-jin, who had reached the ultimate pinnacle of True Immortals, perhaps his logic and common sense have already become so far removed from that of ordinary humans that the gap can not be bridged.
I quickly gather my thoughts and ask again.
"...Only the Enders are free, are you suggesting that other beings cannot be free?"
"Yes. Everything in this world moves according to the guidance of fate."
Yang Su-jin laughs in the darkness.
"Do you know why the civilization of this world remains stuck in the Middle Ages? Despite having a history of hundreds of thousands of years, why do they always maintain the same way of life, the same civilization?"
Somehow, Yang Su-jin's laughter seems like a sneer.
"Entirely! Entirely because they are slaves to fate. Bound by the curvature of fate and human effort, all beings in this world fail to evolve through eternity, foolishly repeating the same civilization. All beings living in this world seem to think, speak, and feel, but in reality, they do not. Every single one of their actions, words, and emotions are determined by fate. No one has free will!"
"...Then."
I ask, feeling a strong repulsion to Yang Su-jin's extreme ideology.
"What about the Heart Tribe?"
"Heart Tribe?"
"Yes, they are the ones who have refined their minds and heart essences to resist fate. According to your words, beings such as the Heart Tribe shouldn't even exist."
"Heart Tribe, Heart Tribe…. Haha, Ahahahaha!"
Just as I mention 'Heart Tribe', Yang Su-jin suddenly bursts into laughter.
"Hehe, Hahahahaha! Hahahahahaha!"
Kugugugu!
The darkness resounds with his laughter.
A laugh filled with madness.
Somehow, this laughter feels very unpleasant and eerie to me.
At the same time, I have a premonition that Yang Su-jin is about to reveal a very unpleasant truth.
"The Heart Tribe are free beings resisting fate? Wrong…"
In the darkness, Yang Su-jin stops laughing and continues.
For some reason, Yang Su-jin's voice is very gloomy and grating.
"Rather, the Heart Tribe is the most direct evidence that they are merely slaves and playthings of fate."
For some reason, there is a hint of anger in Yang Su-jin's voice.
Though I can't see his emotions or intent in the darkness, I can immediately tell that he had experienced something related to the Heart Tribe long ago from his voice.
"Do you think the Heart Tribe occurred naturally?"
"The Heaven Tribe and Earth Tribe oppress the weaker races, so they naturally came into being, didn't they?"
"Then why didn't the Heart Tribe arise in the Head Realm?"
"Well, the cultivators of the Head Realm didn't directly enslave a race or…"
"That's not true. Even the demon beasts and humans of the Head Realm frequently capture each other to create ranches and breed them."
"…"
I remember the case of the Sea Dragon Race and close my mouth.
He is right.
In the Head Realm, perhaps there should have been beings from other origins who entered Beyond the Path and resisted, but there weren't.
Why is that?
Yang Su-jin moves his arm in the darkness.
His faint outline can be seen raising a finger.
"Then why didn't the Heart Tribe arise in the Head Realm? Why are there Heavenly Fiends (Heaven Devils) and True Devils (Demon Devils) in the True Devil Realm corresponding to the Heaven and Earth Tribes, but no Devil Race corresponding to the Heart Tribe? Why does the Heart Tribe exist only in the Bright Cold Realm? Why, despite possessing the insane ability to add Heavenly Tribulation when reaching a stage corresponding to the Heavenly Being stage, are they so weak? Why do the Heaven and Earth Tribes despise the Heart Tribe to the point of madness? Why is there not a single dharma treasure or magic artifact made from preserving Heart Tribe members? Why is there no information about the True Immortals that appear when the Heart Tribe reaches its zenith, and why does nobody know?"
"…."
Literally, there are too many questions.
Yang Su-jin's explanation continues.
"It's simple. The Heart Tribe, originally, does not exist."
"…!"
"Before the Enders appear, they suddenly emerge in large numbers, and once all the Enders are annihilated, they too will perish and decline, disappearing into history."
"…!!!"
Yang Su-jin folds his extended finger as he speaks.
I can't help but be astonished by the information Yang Su-jin shares.
'What on earth…!'
"Do you understand? The Heart Tribe is nothing more than another form of slaves to fate, fatefully emerging as the Enders set foot into this world. The Heart Tribe indeed proves that the beings of this world do not possess free will."
I remain silent for a while.
The truth is too shocking to accept.
'What in the world…'
Then what about Jang Ik, Yu Hwa, and the countless members of the Heart Tribe?
I ask with a trembling voice.
"Then, why do we have free will? Aren't we the ones with a predetermined fate, the ones who follow it?"
"We come from a world where fate does not exist."
Yang Su-jin says as if it is obvious.
"We are beings from a world where neither fate, gods, nor miracles exist. Any fate imposed on us is ultimately something forced by others… We will one day… surely… become beings who are truly free."
"…"
I can't sympathize with Yang Su-jin's extreme ideology.
However, somehow, Yang Su-jin's voice carries a sense that he too wishes to be free from fate.
'If we are beings who can become free, doesn't that mean Yang Su-jin hasn't achieved freedom yet?'
Yet, I do not voice this thought out loud.
"Well, have you asked everything you're curious about? It's almost time for the Master of the Netherworld to shatter the barriers here, so I should pass on what I need to pass on to you…."
"There's still a mountain of questions I have…"
"Well, you'll come to know what you're curious about in time. What I'm about to pass on now is more important."
"…What do you intend to pass on?"
"Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens."
In the darkness, he extends his hand toward me.
"Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens is… the 'will to defy fate' itself. It is ultimately a ritual to defy fate. Although I could not change my fate as an Ender..."
His tone seems somewhat bitter.
"There's a way to overcome the fates imposed by other True Immortals through the ritual. Of course, it's not perfectly effective…"
Crack!
Yang Su-jin's hand grips my head.
Simultaneously, I feel a tremendous torrent of knowledge swirling in my mind.
"…!!!"
The rites for conducting the ritual of the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens flows into my mind.
"Even if you have questions at this moment, even if I can't give you answers at this moment… through the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique, I have bestowed upon you the power to seek answers. Someday, you will come to know everything you are curious about. The Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique will guide you to that end…."
Through the power of attribute-less lightning, the ritual slightly twists fate, improving the odds of winning, even if by a little, in overwhelmingly unfair battles against powerful beings.
That is the ritual of the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.
The formulas for the 9,500 methods of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect are all converted into 'ritual rites' by Yang Su-jin and flow into my mind.
Countless rites and phrases anchored in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are engraved in my spirit.
I clench my teeth and hold my sanity intact as I receive the ritual rites.
"Our time is nearly up."
Kugugugugu!
In the space of darkness.
A somewhat eerie aura swirls about.
Cold.
No, it is beyond just being cold.
This is…
'Socoldsocoldsocoldsocoldsocolddyingdyingdyingdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeathdeath….'
A deep and vast being is watching me from across the darkness, but Yang Su-jin pats my shoulder.
"Since you've kindly provided this space, why not let me and my junior have a comfortable conversation instead of being so hasty?"
Yang Su-jin speaks toward the darkness on the other side, his tone laced with a hint of mockery.
"Kuhuhu… Do you so desire to possess an Ender? Even you cannot obtain an Ender by following the flow of fate. Fate oppresses us, but at the same time, it protects us. You should know this better than anyone."
Wo-woong-wo-woong―
A strange wailing comes from the darkness.
Mixed in this wailing are bizarre knowledge and truths, giving the intuition that one can gain endless knowledge and wisdom if one listens closely.
'I want to listen more….'
If I focus on the wisdom within that sound, perhaps I can obtain something comparable to the Ghostly Yin Transformation Immortal Root….
"Use the Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique.
Crackle!
"…!"
As Yang Su-jin's hand touches my back, suddenly, the attribute-less spiritual power within me moves.
At the same time, I feel the desire to concentrate on that wailing sound completely disappear.
"Even if this space is provided by the Master of the Netherworld, this place is where my main body, in its prime, directly negotiated and formed a pact with the Netherworld's Heavenly Venerable…. Even for the Netherworld's Heavenly Venerable, entering here takes time."
Kugugugugu!
However, contrary to Yang Su-jin's bold statement, the wailing sound from afar seems to grow louder.
"Now, in about 30 seconds, that being will arrive. Let's start sending you back."
In the darkness, I see Yang Su-jin's form gradually dissipating.
"The body… is dispersing…!"
"Yes, I was merely sealing my thoughts in this space under the courtesy of the Master of the Netherworld… Now that the seal is undone, I am simply dispersing."
Yang Su-jin continues speaking as he disperses like soap bubbles.
"My role is complete. Enders cannot leave leftovers, but I have managed to leave behind fragments after death by borrowing the power of the Netherworld. What a grand feat this is…. Later generation… do not succumb to fate. Proclaim to the heavens that we Enders are the true [humans]…!"
Watching Yang Su-jin disperse, I feel a complex mix of emotions.
His ideology is too extreme, uncomfortable for listeners.
Yet, seeing him from my hometown succumb and vanish before an unidentified entity makes my heart heavy.
"Well… I am now leaving. Later generation, the messages left behind by Enders for later generations are not only from me, so continue to search. The most universally accessible message for an Ender is…"
Swoosh!
He extends his hand, and I feel myself pushed backwards.
Falling toward a warm, light-filled place, I focus on Yang Su-jin's words.
"Seek lovers whose names involve cause and connection. Blessing their union, you may encounter the remnant of the strongest Ender…"
"…!!"
"Love of Virtue's leftovers have taken a keen interest in them… after gaining strength, meet with Blood Yin…"
Tsssssss!
Enveloped in bright light, I exit the space of darkness.
The last thing I see is Yang Su-jin's thoughts dispersing in the darkness, and a vast, deep entity quietly observing me.
Ziiing―
Yang Su-jin's words echo in my mind.
―We all eventually have to go to the Netherworld. If you find yourself there, never look back and enter the straight, narrow path as quickly as possible. That will be the only way you can move on….
With that, I open my eyes.
"Heok…!"
Far off, Thunder Cloud Peak buzzes with a festive atmosphere.
It must be because Jeon Myeong-hoon has reached the 7th Star of Qi Refining.
I can feel that my cultivation has reached the mid stage of Nascent Soul
The cool night air and the familiar moon of the Bright Cold Realm hangs high above my head.
"Huff, hah…."
Cold sweat flows spontaneously.
'I've returned…'
"…I'm alive."
The last entity I saw, vast and profound.
Having seen that entity made me profoundly grateful for being 'alive.'
…First, I should go back to my cave residence…?"
Thump!
I try to rise but fall forward, collapsing.
"Uh…?"
I momentarily panic, but I soon realize.
'My body is drained of strength. And… it's drenched.'
My body is soaked in cold sweat.
My skin is pale, my heart racing unnaturally.
'Is it because I went to the Netherworld? No… it's because I saw that vast, profound entity….'
Realizing this, I understand what Yang Su-jin has done for me.
'He kept protecting me…'
Just having directly faced the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, a curse followed me beyond regression. It's anticipated that the Heavenly Venerable of the Netherworld, presumably of a higher rank, has directly observed me.
Yet, the worst that happened is just my inability to move, surely because Yang Su-jin had protected me from that being's gaze for a while.
'Still, I can't just lie here…'
I struggle with all my strength, wriggling my whole body. After a lot of effort, I am barely able to move.
I move my weary body to my cave residence and collapse onto the bed I made there, passing out.
After reaching Qi Building, I hardly needed sleep. But the exhaustion from my time in the Netherworld, even under Yang Su-jin's protection, brought me overwhelming tiredness.
The next day.
Blink…
"…Ah."
What I see upon waking is Jin Byuk-ho.
With a stern face, Jin Byuk-ho speaks to me.
"Show me your wrist."
"..."
Translator Notes: I like how the words Heaven and Tribulation are switched between the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation Method and Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique. It adds a bit more of a symbolic meaning of reversing one’s fate by reversing the tribulation given by the heavens.
