Chapter 672 - Holy Mother (2)

"A baby... Why, why something like that...?"

Kim Yeon and I both turn bright red and attempt to ask Glass Peacock again.

However, Glass Peacock unexpectedly turns serious and says,

"You two, are you going to treat that one or not?"

"We'd like to..."

"Don't mess around with someone's mind! Are you going to or not? Speak clearly!"

As Glass Peacock grows stern and yells with a furious tone, I, too, have no choice but to answer seriously.

We must do it.

Yes, this is a matter of necessity.

Because Oh Hyun-seok wants it.

And also because Kim Young-hoon's True Attainment envisions a future where all of us reach the Audience Chamber.

If we want to grant Oh Hyun-seok's wish, and if we want to meet Kim Young-hoon again, we must save Oh Hye-seo.

"... If it felt like we were playing around, I'm sorry. I apologize. However, bringing up a baby was too sudden. Please explain."

"Hmph... Fine. Then I'll explain it properly."

Glass Peacock rises from their seat and sweeps their hand through the void.

Though it is a simple motion, perhaps because it is done by Glass Peacock, it looks as if they are caressing the void itself.

Then it happens.

"...!"

Tssaaaah!

The chaos of the Outer Sea separates and order is born.

The planes of Qi, Fate, and Soul emerge, and above Glass Peacock's hand, a minimum space where living beings can dwell is created.

Inside that tiny, droplet-sized space, it looks like a miniature universe.

"As you know, all beings possess Qi. The same goes for Fate. Their origin is unknowable, and they can only be said to be this world itself. Therefore, although all laws in the world have Origin Essences, only the two absolute laws—Qi and Fate—are without."

"..."

"But...do you know this? The true secret of the Plane of Soul."

"... I do. The domain of the Northern Heavenly Venerable True Martial Great Emperor. The Interdimensional Void is actually the reverse side of the Plane of Soul."

"Yes, that's right. Then let me ask you one thing."

At Glass Peacock's next question, I let out a low hum.

"Then in this world, are 'souls' something created by the Heavenly Venerable of Void?"

"..."

Souls.

Spirits.

That which we call by those names...

They certainly exist in this world.

"... I don't know."

But I mutter quietly in thought at the topic Glass Peacock has thrown.

Where do our souls come from?

What is the origin of our spirits?

"What's certain is, it is not the Plane of Soul. That place is merely where souls linger..."

"Right. The spirit is truly bizarre. Something like Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is produced once one reaches the Star Shattering stage. Fate is produced upon becoming a Great Net Immortal. But spirit? It just suddenly appears all at once one day, then disappears after passing through reincarnation. And though you can crush the spirit or absorb spiritual energy from it, no matter what you do, you can't completely annihilate the soul itself. Of course, the reason souls can't be destroyed is mostly because of the power of the Underworld… Regardless, the spirit cannot be 'artificially' produced by anyone."

Indeed, with Qi or Fate, once you reach a certain realm, you can create them at will.

But with Soul, no matter what methods are used, it cannot be created artificially.

Therefore, when True Immortals perform Yang Pitch cultivation and create races, even if they may manipulate the bodies or fate of the race with their own hands, they still acquire the spirit through the Underworld and the Eastern Heaven Flower Field.

"The spirit is thus extremely unstable. Its cycle of creation is unclear, and we don't even know under what conditions it arises. But among the older True Immortals, a few know one method by which the spirit is created."

"What...is it?"

"Emotion."

"Emotion...?"

"That's right. What is called the heart of an existence. Among those, when positive emotions like 'joy (喜)', 'love (愛)', or 'pleasure (樂)' reach their peak...that is when the spirit is created. Occasionally, there are beings born into this world by chance who were never granted life by the Eastern Heaven Flower Field. Such beings are usually children whose parents were not originally granted a child, but their love and joy became so intense that it surpassed fate, causing spirit to be born from them."

"...!"

"Of course...creating a spirit through mere love is not easy. After all, the positive emotion must surpass the power of fate, even if just for a moment, for a spirit to be created. But if the creation succeeds, that spirit exists in a pure state that has never undergone reincarnation and is incredibly clean. In other words...it becomes a spirit full of positive emotions."

Glass Peacock smiles faintly and continues.

"In fact, when I laid an egg in Azure Peng, I saw a spirit being born in Azure Peng's womb with my own eyes. That spirit...was truly a clean spirit. Others don't have such a strong surge in emotional power when they feel joy, but that child...they possessed such a positive heart that when they felt joy, the intent of that joy was strong enough to cover a thousand li in diameter. In other words..."

They point toward Oh Hye-seo's sealing sphere.

"A 'pure spirit' that has not undergone reincarnation greatly amplifies emotion by its very nature. Especially positive emotions. To break through that Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens and the unknown Immortal Art within the Great Mountain Holy Mother, the best method is for you two to copulate and create a spirit, then use the 'emotion-amplifying power' of that pure spirit to melt away Oh Hye-seo's fear and negative emotions."

"... But even if we do create a spirit...how do we know whether that spirit would want to be created?"

"... What?"

"Oh Hye-seo definitely needs to be healed. But that doesn't mean it's okay to create a child just to use them as a tool to heal her! I can not accept creating or producing my child to use as a tool! That child would never have wanted to be created just to serve as a tool either!"

But at my words, Glass Peacock scoffs and replies.

"You're talking nonsense. Don't delude yourself. That's not something for you to decide!"

"... What?"

"To be born is, in itself, an event of immeasurable value. No matter how hellish or painful life is, the very act of living has value! Born as a tool, you say? You think I'm not the same? Being bought right after being born because one of those Heaven Tribe freaks with deviant lusts wanted to use a peacock as a masturbation tool is me! So does that mean the meaning of my life is nothing more than a tool for self-pleasure?"

"... That's..."

"Life can be born as a tool, as a sex object, even as someone's meal... But still, good things exist. If you grit your teeth and keep going, there will come a day when you find your value. Don't you dare judge the value of someone's birth with that petty little head of yours!"

They are right.

No matter how difficult it is, life certainly has value.

Being born has value.

However, one thing is clear.

"You are right. But that still doesn't mean it's okay to have a child to use as a tool."

"The problem lies in your perception of them as a tool. Isn't your child capable of saving the Great Mountain Holy Mother? They are a means of healing her!"

"... Well, I don't love Oh Hye-seo, so that doesn't really resonate with me.

"You..."

At that moment.

Kim Yeon tugs on my back.

"Hm? What is it, Yeon-ah?"

"..."

She silently stares at me, then points to the sealing sphere holding Oh Hye-seo.

—Please, open it for a moment.

"You need to examine something?"

Reading her meaning through Indra's Net, I temporarily release the seal on Oh Hye-seo's body.

Due to Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens sealing her consciousness, Oh Hye-seo remains lying still with her eyes closed even after her body exits the sphere.

Sararak—

Kim Yeon's consciousness thread enters Oh Hye-seo's mind.

Then a short moment later—

Flash!

Kim Yeon's consciousness seems to connect directly into Oh Hye-seo's spirit, and a gleam of light pink blazes in eyes.

Huarurururuk!

"...! Y-Yeon-ah? Kim Yeon! What's happening!"

Kigigigigigik—

"...!"

At the same time, an imprint of a bird flying through the sky appears over her face.

That imprint seems to blaze in soft pink light, then after slowly detaching from Kim Yeon's body, flutters its wings as if it's alive.

Then.

"... I finally...understand. Thank you, Glass Peacock."

"...!"

I realize what has happened to Kim Yeon.

'What? Did she gain some enlightenment from what Glass Peacock said?'

Kim Yeon has just obtained enlightenment from Glass Peacock and taken one step closer to awakening as a Heavenly King.

'Th-This feeling...'

It's incredibly similar to the power I once felt from Kim Young-hoon.

She is now closely approaching the Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King.

"You said Oh Hye-seo is carrying life, didn't you, Eun-hyun Orabeoni?"

"... I did."

The near infinite power radiating from her pushes away the restrictions of her Liberation Law Talent and grants her partial freedom of speech.

Normally, she would have to fully draw out her power to its utmost limits to break those constraints, but it seems the current Kim Yeon can now free herself from them just by thinking.

"Now I finally understand. Only after entering Oh Hye-seo's heart again and confirming it did I realize. The life inside Oh Hye-seo...it has the feeling of a 'created soul,' just like what Glass Peacock spoke of."

"...!"

At those words, I feel as if I've been struck in the head.

"And...what I just confirmed is the identity of the being who breathed that soul into Oh Hye-seo."

Huarurururuk—

Her eyes blaze in a light pink hue, and she tells me the truth.

"The Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens that Seo Hweol passed on to Oh Hye-seo. It is undoubtedly formed from endless hatred and yoke, but...somewhere deep within it, there is undoubtedly a very small amount of love. And that power...it breathed a spirit into Oh Hye-seo and is currently creating. It's certainly a faint and unstable spirit, but just as Glass Peacock said, it's a 'pure spirit'."

"...!"

Hearing this shocking truth, I realize something.

"Maybe...that spirit is the child of Oh Hye-seo and Seo Hweol..."

"... No. That's not it."

"Pardon...?"

'Seo Hweol's heart toward Oh Hye-seo...created a soul. And that means...'

Oh Hye-seo is in a state where she now possesses a soul.

That soul likely isn't a child between her and Seo Hweol, but rather Oh Hye-seo's own soul.

Built upon Seo Hweol's heart, she has partially escaped the bridle of an Ender.

And through this, I arrive at yet another realization.

'Triple Divinity... Creation, Preservation, Destruction... A person's heart is truly Triple Divinity itself...'

As I hear Glass Peacock's insight and Kim Yeon's revelation, I finally gain a deeper understanding of Triple Divinity.

The Brahma Nature of Creation: joy, love, pleasure.

The Narayana Nature of Preservation: anger, sorrow, pleasure.

The Mahesvara Nature of Destruction: hatred, desire, pleasure.

As I firmly grasp the relationship between the basic intents of the Seven Emotions and Triple Divinity, I come to yet another realization.

'If the Absolute within us is split into joy, anger, sorrow, love, hatred, desire, and pleasure...into the forms of the Seven Emotions...and those Seven Emotions correspond to Triple Divinity...'

"... Kim Yeon. Listen carefully. And Glass Peacock, you too, know this."

"What...?"

"We are not going to have a child together."

"You..."

"Instead. If a 'pure spirit' is the starting point to saving Oh Hye-seo...then Kim Yeon will create one."

"...?"

Glass Peacock looks at us like we're speaking madness, but I shrug and continue.

"She can do it. Because Kim Yeon...is a girl with a lot of love."

The Heavenly King who governs love.

The Ender connected to the Triple Divinity of Creation.

The successor of the Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King, and my love.

If it's her, then surely...

"You said there's a newly forming soul inside Oh Hye-seo, right? But it's unstable due to the small amount of love. Then Kim Yeon can infuse power into that spirit and let it be born as a complete soul."

We may be able to awaken a new existence—not just within Oh Hye-seo, but within all of us.

Having a child with Kim Yeon comes after we escape the Outer Sea.

So, the soul we will create to save Oh Hye-seo should simply be her own soul.

There's no need to create a baby's spirit just to use it as a tool to save her.

Glass Peacock looks at us in disbelief, as if asking whether such a thing is even possible, and I calmly embrace Kim Yeon from behind with my eyes gleaming.

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord watches Seo Eun-hyun's sixth cycle, where Seo Eun-hyun and Cheongmun Ryeong search in a library for a way to overcome the 'Heavenly Rejection Phenomenon'.

'Hm? What was that just now?'

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord looks at Seo Eun-hyun reading a book in the library, and feels as though some other existence is going to awaken from within his body.

But that sensation is so faint it's closer to déjà vu, making it hard to judge clearly.

'Is it because I'm inside Seo Eun-hyun's memories that my judgment is warping, or is something really...'

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord glares at Cheongmun Ryeong.

'The last Castle Wall Heavenly Lord. The trace of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity Ryeong... I can't tell what it's doing to Seo Eun-hyun...'

She looks at the trace of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity.

What remained after the Salt Sea Supreme Deity entered the Head Realm and disappeared is this being, Cheongmun Ryeong.

In a way, one could even say this is the reincarnation of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity, who met a pitiful end.

But where once she might have felt satisfaction toward the downfall of the Salt Sea Supreme Deity who betrayed Radiance Hall, now, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord only lets out a silent sigh as she looks at Cheongmun Ryeong.

'Seo Eun-hyun's... There was a world of Enders outside Mount Sumeru! The Supreme Deities were right. Radiance Hall was wrong. The banner of Radiance Hall is harming itself. And...'

By watching Cheongmun Ryeong, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord can see the contradiction of Radiance Hall.

'Why is it...that Radiance Hall is able to interfere in the Head Realm, but never once tried to 'investigate' what lies beyond it? If Radiance Hall truly wanted to shut the Supreme Deities up, couldn't they have just investigated and refreshingly given evidence that definitely proved nothing exists outside Mount Sumeru? Why didn't they even try...?'

It's strange.

The more she thinks, it's not just one or two things that are strange.

'In the first place...is pursuing freedom for all living beings while sacrificing the few for the sake of the many truly justice?'

The fact that they've never once doubted their own justice—that itself feels unnatural.

'Isn't it far too strange? This is as if...[someone]...has set our fate so we can't even form such doubts or try to challenge them...'

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord shivers.

The more she looks at Cheongmun Ryeong, the more she thinks...

The truth points toward one thing.

'The Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeon Woon. The Head Realm. Beyond the place that the Supreme Deities and Heavenly Venerables call the Audience Chamber... There...[someone] exists.'

And that [someone], without even Radiance Hall's knowledge, has determined Radiance Hall's fate, commands the Radiance Supreme Deity as their subordinate, and orchestrates all things and all phenomena.

As soon as she forms this hypothesis, an unspeakable terror floods the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.

The Cheongmun Ryeong before her eyes feels like her own future.

'... Now I understand. O Salt Sea Supreme Deity, the last Castle Wall Heavenly Lord...'

The last Castle Wall Heavenly Lord.

The betrayer of Radiance Hall, the Salt Sea Supreme Deity Ryeong, must have discovered the truth through whatever means.

That the freedom that Radiance Hall cries out for is nothing more than a noble cause tossed out by [someone] who tightens the leash around Radiance Hall, and in the end, Radiance Hall itself is nothing more than the [someone]'s slave.

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord fears delving any deeper into Seo Eun-hyun's memories.

But...

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord persists and continues on.

And when she sees the Cheongmun Ryeong of the sixth cycle burying Seo Eun-hyun beneath a quince tree—

When she sees something leave Seo Eun-hyun's body and head west—

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord makes a resolution.

Even if the Cheongmun Ryeong before her is her own future, she must suppress this fear and move forward.

If it truly is the case that a transcendent [someone] toys with the values of Radiance Hall from behind the scenes and orchestrates the fate of the world...

If it truly is the case that unlike the Radiance Eight Immortals, who castrate their own emotions and balance each other through mutual power, the unchallengeable power of the Absolute that is Fate rests solely in the hands of a single [someone]...

Then, for the sake of true freedom for all living beings in the Three Heavens Great Thousand World, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord knows that she must make the same choice as the Castle Wall Heavenly Lord.

The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord.

No—

Yang Ji-hwang continues to read through Seo Eun-hyun's memories, seeking ever more clues to the truth of the world.