Chapter 668 - Witness of Eternity (3)

Tingle—

"Ugh..."

I hold Kim Yeon's hand in the Outer Sea, amplifying our consciousness domain together as we activate Celestial Lord Incense Burning.

But then, a piercing pain like a needle drives into my mind.

'What is this?'

Pasasasak—

'Wisdom? Formulae? Something...is being engraved.'

And it's a script I've never seen before.

Before long, I realize that this script is one mostly seen in the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain.

'I see. So this is the script mainly used by those from Radiance Hall...'

Deciphering the characters isn't difficult.

With my age and experience, my mind naturally compares and processes the characters, cross-referencing them billions of times until their meaning becomes clear enough.

After a while, I begin to decipher those special characters.

'This is...wisdom? I see. It's wisdom regarding the spell of Celestial Lord Incense Burning.'

I don't know why, but right now, as I use Celestial Lord Incense Burning, strange characters carve themselves into my consciousness, along with deeper wisdom about the spell.

'Judging by how wisdom regarding Celestial Lord Incense Burning is surfacing first...it seems that simply activating it naturally causes these to be inscribed.'

Wo-woooong—

For now, I accept the energy of the Heavenly Black Banner and Earthly Yellow Banner fluttering around me as I activate Celestial Lord Incense Burning, reading the wisdom.

"Hm... Heavenly Void Furnace?"

Heavenly Void Furnace (天空爐).

Also known as Heavenly Lord Furnace (天公爐), it is wisdom regarding the powerful Immortal Treasure.

'The spell of Celestial Lord Incense Burning...originally came from the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord, the [administrator of the Heavenly Void Furnace], lighting incense within the furnace...huh.'

Alongside this, knowledge about the Heavenly Void Furnace flows into my mind.

'The Heavenly Void Furnace is...in the Head Realm?'

Zzzzzing—

At the same time, I come to realize something.

'I see... In a past cycle, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord mentioned that if one uses a certain Immortal Treasure within the Head Realm, they could know our exact location... Was that the Heavenly Void Furnace?'

I organize the knowledge I've gained about the Heavenly Void Furnace.

The Heavenly Void Furnace is basically an Immortal Treasure shaped like a tripod brazier, hidden somewhere in the Head Realm. It seems the Radiance Eight Immortals use the Heavenly Void Furnace as a medium to wield Immortal Arts that control the Head Realm.

'So when the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord suddenly risked their life and performed a revision using the Head Realm's power...was that what it was about?'

When the Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade was activated, I was shocked to see the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord controlling the Head Realm like how the Head Realm stepped forward to protect Hong Fan.

'Fortunately, after refining the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections into my Immortal Crown, I was able to resist that kind of revision... I almost got caught off guard back then.'

Perhaps the Radiance Eight Immortals' claim to being the Radiance Supreme Deity stems from confidence in their control over the Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeong Woon. In other words, from their ability to control the Akashic Records to a certain extent.

I continue to read through the knowledge.

'The Torch Candle Heavenly Lord...periodically lights incense within the Heavenly Void Furnace to perform a ritual and synchronize with the furnace in order to control the Head Realm...ugh!'

Tingle!

Another surge of pain suddenly crashes into my head.

This pain is entirely different from before.

'Th-This is...the 16th cycle?'

At the same time, I sense that this is a truth deeply related to the 16th cycle.

'16th cycle... Heavenly Void Furnace... Torch Candle Heavenly Lord...kughk... Just what is going on. Did I...go back to the Head Realm in the 16th cycle?'

I delve deeper into the knowledge, trying to understand more about the so-called Heavenly Void Furnace.

Unfortunately, no further information appears regarding it.

The last piece of information is: 'The spell of Celestial Lord Incense Burning is a mimicry of the Immortal Art used by the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord, who controls the Heavenly Void Furnace by lighting incense within it'.

'Still, I suppose I've managed to learn quite a bit.'

After all, even if it is a mimicked Immortal Art, it still allows for the deduction of the original.

I continue to delve into the knowledge regarding Celestial Lord Incense Burning.

'The spell of Celestial Lord Incense Burning processes the user's split soul into the form of a 'story' and scatters it into the body of a desired being or into a chosen world, fixing coordinates in that place. The 'story' that comes from the processed soul is reduced to a level comprehensible to mortals, containing events or anecdotes that had a major impact on the formation of the user's identity...huh.'

As I read this, I briefly wonder if this could reveal the truth about regression, but instinctively I know.

'Ah, no. Definitely not.'

A faint tremor of principle stirs from the Radiance Mantra within me.

It seems the sinisterness of the Radiance Mantra can never be broken by something like the spell of Celestial Lord Incense Burning.

'Hmm, but if events that influenced my identity flow out in the form of stories...'

I fall deep into thought, considering that fact.

'...wouldn't that basically be like revealing my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections...?'

Events or anecdotes that formed my identity?

Of course—every moment.

Every incident.

Every hour of everything contributes to shaping my identity.

That is my belief, and the ultimate form of that belief is my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and my Immortal Crown.

In that case, I begin to worry whether my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections would be revealed to my comrades through Celestial Lord Incense Burning.

'Hmm... Fortunately or unfortunately...it doesn't seem to go that far.'

Whether fortunate or unfortunate, it appears that my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections itself doesn't seem to be directly exposed.

'There's no way for my comrades to directly know the stories inside my soul. The information only resides within the version of the story diffused in a way mortals can comprehend...and stories diffused among mortals can be distorted or altered to fit their life or context, making it virtually impossible to identify the original.'

Still, it's not that there's no way to deduce the original.

'If the Radiance Eight Immortals reach the location where the information body formed by my stories is born through Celestial Lord Incense Burning and gathers all the information, then use the authority of the Radiance Supreme Deity, they might get a vague glimpse of the original...is it?'

I realize I need to keep an eye on the Radiance Eight Immortals, but I'm not too worried.

'To begin with, the place where my information body is born from the twilight true energy generated from the stories in Mount Sumeru was already set deep within the abyss of the Inner Sea.'

The abyss of the Inner Sea is an area impossible to locate something within without coordinates, even for the Radiance Eight Immortals.

Furthermore, when the information body is born through Celestial Lord Incense Burning, I've arranged it so that only my comrades will receive a signal. There's absolutely no way it would get exposed.

'Unless one of the Radiance Eight Immortals placed something like Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens on me to monitor me in real time, there's absolutely no issue. And even if such a surveillance Immortal Art had been used, the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable or the Heavenly Venerable of Time I just met would have definitely given me a hint.'

So, it's safe to assume that the Radiance Eight Immortals won't gain access to my information body.

'... But still, why does the information body feel so hazy like this? Is it supposed to take more time before it properly connects...?'

I focus my consciousness as I watch the Heavenly Earth Banner and Earthly Yellow Banner flutter.

Inner Sea of Mount Sumeru.

Behind the information body of Seo Eun-hyun located there.

From that place, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord holds Seo Eun-hyun's information body on her lap and concentrates her consciousness.

The Radiance Eight Immortals possess several authorities as the Radiance Supreme Deity.

Among them is the authority to trace back the origin and manipulate or utilize any Immortal Art created by Radiance Hall.

'Reverse-tracing Immortal Art Celestial Lord Incense Burning.'

Kiiiiiiing—

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord begins to trace back the endless 'stories' pouring into Seo Eun-hyun's information body, gradually approaching the 'original' of the stories.

Then, a flash of shock enters Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's eyes.

'Wh-What is this...?'

The stories scattered by Seo Eun-hyun are endlessly vast in type and classification.

Seo Eun-hyun's comrades seem not to understand what this means, but the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, possessing the knowledge and authority regarding Celestial Lord Incense Burning, is different.

Normally, only Supreme Deities or Heavenly Venerables produce such stories through Celestial Lord Incense Burning.

Yet as far as the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord knows, Seo Eun-hyun is no more than a young being barely ten thousand years old, practically a child.

But this child is bearing stories on a scale comparable to those of Supreme Deities and Heavenly Venerables.

That alone shocks Sword Spear Heavenly Lord at first.

But what shocks her now is something else.

'What kind of story...has each individual moment of life as the foundation of one's identity? Can a sane being even possess such a thing...? No, that's not it. Starting from True Immortals—no, once one reaches the Star Shattering stage, they all end up as madmen, so Seo Eun-hyun must be one of those types as well.'

That's right.

Normally, when Supreme Deities use Celestial Lord Incense Burning and spread many stories, it's because they've lived overwhelmingly long lives and accomplished numerous feats, so the stories naturally revolve around those feats.

But Seo Eun-hyun, for some reason, regards every single step taken, every breath inhaled as part of his life, even if it isn't a feat, and that ideology is directly reflected in Celestial Lord Incense Burning.

"Was he so pathologically obsessed with his own life that he recorded every part of it...?"

This is an utterly deranged mental world that can only be thought of in such a way.

Seeing this, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord momentarily hesitates.

'If it's like this...then finding information about me inside his memories...'

It's going to take a very long time.

Even though he's just a young True Immortal not even past ten thousand years, Seo Eun-hyun is a madman who accepts every piece of information about his life as part of his identity.

'This is practically...a miniature Akashic Records...'

Although the information is limited to himself, he is practically omniscient with regards to himself. In effect, it's no different from a miniature Akashic Records.

'If I think of it as combing through a ten-thousand-year-long miniature Akashic Records...even for me, it will take fifty to sixty years. No, if it's a mental world with this level of obsession, it might take a hundred years to explore it slowly without losing my sense of self.'

For the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, such a time span is not a major issue. The problem is that Seo Eun-hyun's comrades are expected to arrive soon.

The only reason she arrived the fastest is simply because she is part of the Radiance Supreme Deity, the administrator of all wisdom as light.

'They are not that slow either, so they will arrive shortly. What should I do? If beings like the Madam Ghost Mother, who directly receive protection from the Underworld, arrive...'

In the end, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord decides to take special action.

: : Pearl Jade. Do you hear me? : :

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord contacts the Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord, with whom she is paired with.

: : I am going to remain in the Inner Sea for a hundred years to investigate the past of Seo Eun-hyun among the Enders. : :

: : Understood. If there's no contact for over a hundred years, I will inform Great Forest and Rain Dew. : :

The communication is brief.

At the same time, the body of the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord, who holds Seo Eun-hyun's information body in an embrace, begins to gradually melt.

Paaaaat!

Transformed entirely into silver-white light, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord flows directly into Seo Eun-hyun's information body.

'There's no need to bother clashing with Seo Eun-hyun's comrades. I just have to seep into the information body and peek into Seo Eun-hyun's memories...'

Tststststststss—

In this way, tracing back the spell of Celestial Lord Incense Burning, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord finally reaches the original memory of Seo Eun-hyun's first life.

Clang—

'... Huh?'

And in the next moment, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord beholds the image of the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail].

Hiss—

Hiss hiss hiss—

Somewhere, she thinks she hears the hissing of snakes, and in the next moment, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord loses consciousness.

Hiss—

Hiss hiss—

[External intervention detected.]

[Authority check.]

[Authority: Seventh body of the Radiance Ten Heavens, Sword Spear Gyeong.]

[Limited authority granted.]

[Viewing approved.]

Hiss hiss hiss hiss—

Kiririririk—

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord opens her eyes.

Just now, it felt like she had fallen into a space filled with snakes.

'Kugh, what was that? Is it related to the Ender authority? I feel like I saw a very familiar symbol just now... Whatever, it doesn't matter. I've connected to Seo Eun-hyun's memory.'

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord looks around.

Darkness surrounds her in all directions.

It seems to be a memory from Seo Eun-hyun's time as a fetus.

'First, since dangerous things might be hiding inside an Ender's memory, let's set up an escape route.'

Wiiiing—

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord tries to create an exit so she can escape from Seo Eun-hyun's memory at any time.

That's when it happens.

Hiss hiss—

[Authority invalid.]

'...?'

A strange snake sound echoes, and the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord's authority is repelled.

'Wh-What is this? Wh-What's going on...?'

Quickly reading the surrounding wisdom, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord grasps the situation.

'I see. Seo Eun-hyun's memories... I don't know exactly what happened, but it seems escape in the middle is impossible. It's a structure that only allows exit once the entire memory is viewed. I didn't expect this. Is this part of the Ender authority...?'

She shows a slightly troubled expression, but the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord does not mind too much.

'In any case, he is a child barely over ten thousand years old. Moreover, the speed of reading memories isn't that slow. It's only ten thousand years worth...100 years is more than enough to leave...!'

After all, it's only a matter of reviewing the time Seo Eun-hyun has lived through. It shouldn't take that long.

Thinking this, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord begins to survey Seo Eun-hyun's entire life.

Paaaatt!

'So this is Seo Eun-hyun's birth...huh?'

And she discovers another world, entirely different from Mount Sumeru.