Betrayal

As Eun-hyun completes his regression, he fights off extreme dizziness. At the same time, his consciousness expands to Nascent Soul size. When asked to chooses which faction he shall follow, Eun-hyun bows to the Head Realm’s Sea Dragon King, Seo Hweol. He avoids contact with Kim Yeon to prevent Hweol from using her, but plants a Mysterious Bizarre Gu within her. The True Dragon Alliance members flee when the Mad Lord throws his fit.

During the flight, Eun-hyun sets his goals for this life: find out what happened to Oh Hye-seo, infiltrate the Dragon Race to investigate Hyeon Eum, and steal the Heavenly Lighting Banner. Meanwhile, he forms an Inner Core. Hweol, now suspicious at the appearance of what he perceives as a Demon Core, gives Eun-hyun Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation, and tells him he expects his consciousness to form the shape of a dragon’s in four days. Eun-hyun instead uses Summoning Wind, Dragon Transformation, the milder variant, through Yuan Yu to fool the Earth Tribe members.

A few days later, they arrive at the territory of the True Dragon Alliance. While looking at it, Eun-hyun realises it is a corpse. Gyu Ryeon, the Yellow Race Dragon on whose back they were seated, tells Eun-hyun the Alliance is established on the back of their Entering Nirvana ancestor, killed while defending the Bright Cold Realm from the forces of Blood Yin. They enter the Serving Command Ark, headquarters of the True Dragon Alliance, and a broken Immortal Treasure. Eun-hyun is shocked by the scale of space-compression within the Serving Command Ark, which holds mountain ranges and a sky. The demon beasts register themselves, while Eun-hyun receives an identity plate made of a scale from Seo Hweol. During this time, Eun-hyun has not seen Hye-seo once. He wonders why Hweol has no identity plate for her. The Sea Dragon Race heads to the Cloud Heart Lake and begins to set up their palace. While the rest of the tribe does battle, Eun-hyun asks Hweol about the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion, which Hweol promised to recommend him for. Hweol tells him it is a competition held within the Earth Tribe for drops of true blood. Eun-hyun can participate with Hweol’s recommendation. Hweol goes to the Serving Command Ark for administrative work and leaves Eun-hyun outside. Eun-hyun uses this opportunity to explore the marketplace. He learns methods of Demon beasts are ‘carved’ on their bodies and sold. Demon beast methods are often created by ‘instinct’, and each demon beast has their own method they use. He also purchases the Vast Cold Formula, a basic demon art. He then goes back to the Ark to wait for Hweol. When Hweol exits, he pats Eun-hyun’s shoulder and his suspicion suddenly skyrockets for no apparent reason.

During their return journey, Hweol tells Eun-hyun about the Naming Project, aimed at giving all Earth Tribe members a name to allow the True Dragon Alliance to guess at fate. Hweol is thinking of sending Eun-hyun for management.

At Cloud Heart Lake, while Eun-hyun wonders about his course of action, he realises the identity plate Seo Hweol made for him allows Hweol to monitor his location. He extends his consciousness and realises his room has circuits placed to monitor him. He carefully controls the circuits, changing the viewed image to one of him sleeping. He begins reabsorbing his cultivation from the Colourless Glass Swords and Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections. He merges the artifact spirits, which will allow him to regain his Nascent Soul Cultivation within ten years.

The next day, Hweol tells Eun-hyun the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion is in six months. Eun-hyun decides to participate, as the next is after a hundred years. During the conversation, he decides to ask Hweol about Oh Hye-seo, but realises he is being brainwashed by what he previously thought as a mind clearing spell. He asks about Hye-seo anyway, to which Hweol says she requires seclusion in order to digest his true blood. Eun-hyun knows from Yuan Li there is no need to stabilise and knows Hweol is spouting nonsense. Hweol tells him to talk to Elder Jeon Rul when preparing for rituals. Once he returns to his room, Eun-hyun begins spreading the Mad Lord’s circuits within the Palace.

Six months later, Eun-hyun has reached peak Qi Building. He still hasn’t found Oh Hye-seo. As he prepares to leave for the Blood Fusion, the Sea Dragons mutter at him. During the journey, Hweol tells Eun-hyun to pay the mutterings no mind. Eun-hyun, however, is aware the mutterings must have started from Hweol himself. They head to the lowest floor of the Ark, the Emptiness Floor. The Emptiness Floor appears to be a cold, dark, and vast desert, where even breathing scatters spiritual energy. Gyu Ryeon, administrator of the floor, tells them about the competition. While she speaks, Eun-hyun realizes a Four-Axis stage has awoken the ‘power of life’. Eun-hyun is not too worried as he has worn Yuan Yu. Gyu Ryeon dispels the ‘desert’ spell, plunging all participants into nothingness. Within the nothingness, and free from Hweol’s gaze, Eun-hyun starts cultivating the Azure Spirit Starlight Quintessence Great Method, expecting the contest will last no longer than four months. As the number of competitors drop, the coldness intensifies. However, when the number drops to a hundred, Eun-hyun remains in the darkness.

Another year passes. Eun-hyun decides to cultivate the Vast Cold Formula alongside the Great Method. Ten years on, Eun-hyun undergoes another transformation from the merging of two methods, and his consciousness morphs into a human shape. As he closes his eyes, expecting to die, [Someone] summons him.

Eun-hyun finds a campfire in front of him in a place with no “light”. [Someone] tells him they converted ten years into ten seconds of conversation. As Eun-hyun attempts to look at the being, his body attempts to ‘liberate’ itself from its framework. The [Someone] introduces themselves as Bong Myeong, Owner of Liberation, and creator of the Serving Command Ark. He says he will ask three questions and leave. Eun-hyun barely manages to pull himself together. He first asks Eun-hyun about his fate, to which he gives no reply. He asks if Eun-hyun knows where the being who brought him is located, which Eun-hyun does not understand. He then asks Eun-hyun if he has ever come across Supreme Deities or Heavenly Sovereigns. Eun-hyun begins screaming as he seems to recall something from the village he had saved with Hyang-hwa. Somehow, Bong Myeong manages to gather that he has met Deities or Sovereigns twice. He then allows Eun-hyun to ask in the remaining time. Eun-hyun asks why instead of ten seconds, did he not extend it to ten days, to which Bong Myeong replies he is but a fragment, so the distortion must be small. Eun-hyun then asks him what Enders are, to which Myeong says only Enders know. He asks if Yang Su-jin was also an Ender, which Bong Myeong confirms, saying he was also weak at the beginning of his story. When Eun-hyun asks what a ‘story' is, Myeong replies with “fate”‘. When Eun-hyun tries to ask if Myeong is the entity pursuing them, Myeong removes his mouth, telling him to school even his thoughts, as his method of communication is not as safe as that of an Ender’s. He also tells Eun-hyun to be careful of [Light], as it is a minion of [that thing]. When Eun-hyun asks him why Myeong is helping him, he says “Enders create miracles”. He also tells Eun-hyun True Immortals can only bestow “misfortune” on Enders, and it is not impossible to learn of an Enders abilities. He then sends Eun-hyun back.

Back in his time, Eun-hyun realises he has forgotten about [that entity] he just met. While ten years of the Great Method flow in his veins, only four months worth of the Canvas’s power has been depleted. As he receives the blood of the Immortal Black Dragon, he decides to steal the Heavenly Lightning Banner and throw it into Seo Hweol’s and Hyeon Eum’s throat.

During the return trip, Hweol promises to give Eun-hyun Summoning Wind, Sacred Blood Transformation and help him assimilate the true blood. His plans are disrupted when they arrive at the Sea Dragon Palace and learn the entire treasury has been emptied by thieves. This event had been engineered by Seo Eun-hyun. Seo Hweol uses this incident as a pretext to sort out the affairs of the Sea Dragon Tribe to his liking. Meanwhile, Eun-hyun writes a letter to Gyu Ryeon, asking for her assistance in the assimilation of the true blood, with the promise of meeting with Seo Hweol. Gyu Ryeon, smitten with Hweol, arrives in two days. Hweol attempts to have them assimilate the true blood within the Sea Dragon Palace, but Gyu Ryeon says she has to put down a rebellion within her territory. Hweol sends a few Nascent Soul level cultivators to assist her. In Gyu Ryeon’s territory, Eun-hyun offers to assist the Nascent Soul cultivators, taking away their pretext of observing him. As they are leaving, she informs them a Heart Tribe member has appeared. Eun-hyun attempts to warn the other warriors about the fearsome Heart Tribe but is ignored. The Sea Dragons expect this to be a quick fight. As Eun-hyun wanders the farm, he senses an individual at Treading Heavens. He excitedly rushes towards what appears as a crimson river, but is stopped by a second Heart Tribe member, a cute goat. Their fight is interrupted by the river, who has put the Sea Dragons in a fatal sleep. The river says they will answer one question as a mark of gratitude if Eun-hyun lets them go. Eun-hyun asks them about the Heart Tribe Method, to which they say the Heart Tribe Method doesn’t exist!

As an answer to Eun-hyun’s questions, the river tells him Heart Tribe refers to anyone who has integrated their internal and external heart essence. Their own manifestation is that of “deep sleep”. As they talk, they watch the goat, Baek Nyeong, fight the overseer of the plantation. However, before the fight ends, the Sea Dragons’ sleeping bodies explode to release a consciousness projection of Seo Hweol emerges. The projection was intended to retrieve Eun-hyun, but it kidnaps Baek Nyeong instead. The crimson river also flees soon after. Eun-hyun goes to the overseer, a boar called Hong Guk, and tells him to contact Gyu Ryeon about their failure.

Eun-hyun begins the assimilation of the true blood with Gyu Ryeon’s assistance. As the refinement begins, Eun-hyun is confronted by the remnant will of the Immortal Black Dragon, who demands to know why Eun-hyun has two thousand years of history despite having an age less than half a century. The Dragon examines Eun-hyun’s history, down to the genetic level. The Dragon tells Eun-hyun he cannot view his history as ―――― has blocked it. He tells Eun-hyun it is impossible for those with more than a thousand years of history to participate in the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion, as a vessel with “History” is already full. Out of curiosity, He pours his power into Eun-hyun anyway.

Eun-hyun awakens within a formation erected by Gyu Ryeon. As he guides the Taiyin, he sprouts black deer horn, claws, jagged teeth and scales. As Eun-hyun roars like a dragon, Gyu Ryeon stomps on his skull. Back with the Dragon, Eun-hyun asks about Hyeon Eum, His descendant. As an answer, He casually mentions the leftover of True Immortal Yu Hao Te. Hearing the name of a True Immortal, Eun-hyun’s consciousness fades as he desperately erases the name.

As Eun-hyun awakens. He discovers he has broken through to Core Formation while unconscious. As he prepares to leave for the Sea Dragon Palace, Gyu Ryeon hands him a letter to be delivered to Ho Yeol of the Azure Peng Race. Eun-hyun uses this opportunity to make connections with others within the Earth Tribe, returning to the Palace after two months. When he returns to the Palace, Eun-hyun is shocked to discover Baek Nyeong is the overseer of Seo Hweol’s slave tribes. He goes to meet Seo Hweol, who re-introduces him to Nyeong. Eun-hyun is certain Seo Hweol is aware he is also of the Heart Tribe, but says nothing.

Both Eun-hyun and Hweol go for the discussion on the Earth Tribe Naming Project. The meeting devolves into chaos before Hweol takes charge, effectively becoming the moderator. Hweol guides the meeting towards support of the scheme. Back at the Palace, Eun-hyun asks Hweol why he has pushed so hard for the naming project. Hweol tells Eun-hyun how the ‘name’ of the Bright Cold Realm used to be ‘Vast Cold’. After the dragon ancestor of the Vast Cold Realm died, the realm was renamed to include [light]. This gave the realm unparalleled luck and catapulted it to one of the strongest Middle Realms. Eun-hyun thanks him and leaves as Hweol is holding a meeting. Eavesdropping on the meeting, he learns Hweol is looking for lovers with In and Yeon in their names. Eun-hyun feels he is looking for Hong Yeon and Su In of the True Devil Realm.

Meanwhile, Eun-hyun decides to name the baby centipede he picked up on Ascension Path. He goes to the Serving Command Ark. The centipede is named Hong Fan. Oddly enough, Eun-hyun finds this name familiar. He visits the Centipede Tribe in hopes of awakening Hong Fan, and is given the Sacrificial Name Spirit Stele Great Method. Hong Fan awakens and enters Qi Refining.

Seven years after his regression, Eun-hyun reaches the Nascent Soul stage. Seo Hweol and Gyu Ryeon congratulate him, with Hweol showing Ryeon ‘affection’. Hweol tells Eun-hyun he intends to tour the Middle Realms to build high quality Orthodox Four Axes. He bestows his blood to Eun-hyun to enable conversation between him and Ryeon. Eun-hyun quickly realises Hweol has left an imprint in the blood, and forces them to mix. He manages to destroy the imprint, nearly dying in the process. Seo Hweol’s suspicions sky-rocket.

Before Hweol departs, they go to the Immortal Demon Tower to watch a performance. After the performance, Eun-hyun goes to meet the half-spider zither player, Yu Hwa. She is also the ‘crimson river’ he met on Ryeon’s farm. They engage in a duel, during which Eun-hyun sees how she grasped her Manifestation. After the fight, Yu Hwa tells him she calls her manifestation Last Quarter. She also invites him to join the heart tribe. Eun-hyun decides to attempt to read Hweol’s past as the second performance begins. As Eun-hyun sneaks to the box where Ryeon and Hweol are sitting, he is surprised to see them arguing. Gyu Ryeon casts a pinkish spell and forcibly kisses Hweol. A metaphysical ‘something’ occurs, tipping Ryeon that there is a spy. Eun-hyun quickly returns to his original position.

After the end of the show, as they are leaving, Gyu Ryeon confronts Eun-hyun about his spying. She tells him she used the Vast Cold Beautiful Agreement, also known as the Vast Cold Oath, to bind Seo Hweol to herself. She is jealous as she has seen Hweol with Oh Hye-seo. Ryeon intends to advance to the Integration stage and forcibly control Hweol. Eun-hyun also supports this.

Seo Hweol leaves for his Axes Foundation. Eun-hyun is assigned the title of Great Leader of Many. Three days later, he meets with Yu Hwa, who wishes to rescue Baek Nyeong. Baek Nyeong scorns Yu Hwa, professing loyalty to Hweol. He shocks both her and Eun-hyun when he describes Hweol’s heart essence as an “idyllic peach garden”, instead of the rotting miasma. In a fit of rage, Yu Hwa engages Nyeong in a duel. As the Elders of the Sea Dragon Race approach, she tells Eun-hyun to flee as she intends to release her third Manifestation. Eun-hyun insists on staying. She shows her Last Quarter, Final Moon. Eun-hyun realises this is infinitely similar to true Heavenly Tribulation. Under her move, he loses consciousness. When he awakens, Yu Hwa tells she must escape. She also tells him a strike from a Heart Tribe Member at Third Manifestation overlays an extra Heavenly Tribulation for the next advancement only. Eun-hyun teaches her the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, allowing her to escape unnoticed. He then feigns unconsciousness.

During the interrogation of the survivors, the Sea Dragon Elders wildly distort Yu Hwa’s appearance. Eun-hun also offers to work under Gyu Ryeon, as the Sea Dragon Palace has been destroyed. As her attendant, he also serves as a liaison between Seo Hweol and Ryeon. He plans to besmirch Hweol’s name before having him forced to marry Ryeon in order to preserve his honour.

Eun-hyun prepares a cave for the leftover and Yu Hwa. The leftover cannot cultivate. She tells Eun-hyun to call her Gyu Baek. Several days later, they discover they are in the Astral Realm, giving Eun-hyun hope of returning home, to Earth. Gyu Baek is upset to discover Eun-hyun is of the Heart Tribe. Yu Hwa says she can call for the Heaven-Collapsing Esteemed One, Jang Ik. Eun-hyun recommends learning the Heart Tribe method to Gyu Ryeon, with the desire of “revenge on Seo Hweol”.

Jang Ik arrives a few days later. He listens to the past events. He decides to help Yu Hwa and Eun-hyun, but not Gyu Baek, as she has yet to solidify her identity. He offers them three types of help. First, use a strike to create a spatial rift connected to the Bright Cold Realm. Second, stay to train them, allowing them to ascend on their own. Third, contact the Highest Council of the Heart Tribe and send a rescue signal. Eun-hyun chooses the second, as he may be able to persuade Baek to join them.

Before their training, Jang Ik tells Eun-hyun he believes everyone has the potential to learn Manifestation. He tells him he will understand after a spar. Jang Ik thrashes both of them. After the spar, Eun-hyun realises anyone who has experienced weakness, fighting against the much stronger can learn Manifestation. Gyu Baek realises she was just a weakling caught in love. She swears to properly confirm Seo Hweol’s feelings. Eun-hyun begins teaching her Martial Arts for this, starting with the Dragon Form Soaring Claw.

Seventy years later, Gyu Baek is on the verge of stepping into the first stage of Manifestation. Jang Ik is disappointed, as it depends much too much on the Vast Cold Oath. Right before their ascension, Eun-hyun asks Jang Ik why the Esteemed Ones are in the Astral Realm. Jang Ik says Yang Su-jin had stolen something of great importance from all of the Middle Realms, and all the Esteemed Ones are attempting to retrieve it. They ascend back to the Bright Cold Realm under the watch of Jang Ik.

Upon ascension, they immediately run. Yu Hwa and Gyu Baek leave for the True Dragon alliance, to track Baek Nyeon and Seo Hweol, while Eun-hyun heads to Thunder Spirit Island, base of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. He intends to steal the Heavenly Lighting Banner. He uses the Mysterious Bizarre Gu to control Jeon Myeong-hoon into bringing him the Banner. While possesing him, Eun-hyun learns Myeong-hoon was forced to break off his engagement to Jin So-hae, as the daughter of an Integration Stage cultivator wished to marry him. Eun-hyun puppets Myeong-hoon into telling Jin So-hae he is running away, without her if necessary, and then hides him. A week later, he distracts the Elders with Yuan Yu, and uses Myeong-hoon to bring him the Banner. He is surprised to see the Banner exhibits intent. When Myeong-hoon arrives with the Banner, Eun-hyun is surprised to see he cannot see it, as the Banner is lightning itself. While Eun-hyun attempts to leave with both Yuan Yu and Myeong-hoon, Jin Byuk-ho appears, and summons the Heavenly Lighting Banner to himself.

Byuk-ho and Eun-hyun begin to fight. During the battle, Eun-hyun hears the Banner asking to be saved, telling him he can grasp her if he thinks of her name- Zhengli. Eun-hyun tells Byuk-ho ascending with the Banner brings calamity, distracting him by using Hweol’s name. He snatches the Banner and runs. The Banner requests him to call out her name. When Eun-hyun does so, the Banner’s original owner descends as an ‘eye’. All those who practice the lighting path say “Return to thee,” and dissolve into lightinng, The Banner, Zhengli, Essence of the Great Heavenly Punishment, returns to her owner. The entire Golden Divine Heavenly Thuunder Sect is destroyed, with Jeon Myeong-hoon as the only survivor.

Eun-hyun’s body has started to convert itself to blue lightning, and he has only a hundred days to live. He decides to see how Gyu Baek’s marriage to Seo Hweol ends as his final act. Meanwhile, Yu Hwa and Gyu Ryeon find employment as a musician and a dancer respectively. Gyu Baek tells Yu Hwa she has no idea how she feels about Hweol. Gyu Baek tells Yu Hwa she will procure some Core Formation level resources from Hong Fan, Eun-hyun’s pet centipede. When she arrives at the centipede’s home, she is surprised to see he has already reached Core Formation, with the help of the Immortal Demon Bamboo. When Gyu Baek asks why he hasn’t escaped, Hong Fan tells her his fate is to assist Eun-hyun.

Two months later, Eun-hyun arrives with a puppet of the Mad Lord. Kim Yeon, who is also with him now, has regressed to the state of a mute child. He tells Hong Fan about his experiences. At the same time, he is receiving knowledge from his lightning body. While scouting the Serving Command Ark for making a suitable trap for Hweol, Eun-hyun stumbles across the location Oh Hye-seo’s hiding place. Disguising himself as a Black Dragon, Eun-hyun infiltrates the Ark, and proceeds to enter Hye-seo’s manor. He realises there are only jiangshi in the manor, other than her. After talking to him, Hye-seo suddenly recognises him despite the disguise. She says it comes from her ability, and Seo Hweol is the best opponent for her. She tells Eun-hyun he is hard to read as he appears to be covered by mist. As he leaves, Hye-seo uses an ability of the Lustrous Glaze Peacock to make the jiangshi forget about Eun-hyun’s visit.

The Mad Lord begins his attack. Eun-hyun has been feeling a strange disharmony since meeting Hye-seo. Hweol evacuates to the Serving Command Ark. The group he is with feel the presence of a Heavenly Fiend of Blood Yin, and rush to attack. Hweol tells them to go ahead. He has been bound by Eun-hyun. Eun-hyun is suspicious as to why Hweol sent away the other demon beats. He uses the 60,000 times poison provided by Hong Fan to curse Hweol through his true blood. Despite the pain, Hweol’s expression does not change. Eun-hyun sends their coordinates to the Mad Lord. The Mad Lord forces himself into the Serving Command Ark. All of a sudden, Hweol seems “not in pain”, and reveals the soul of Baek Nyeong, pushing the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress away. In reply, Eun-hyun pulls out Gyu Baek from a Peach Garden Painting, and calls to Yu Hwa.

As Yu Hwa puts Hweol to sleep, Gyu Baek reveals her Entering Heavens; Auspicious Exchange of Emotional Expression. Suddenly, Yuan Yu strikes through Gyu Baek’s chest; it has been taken over by Oh Hye-seo, who was always on the side of Seo Hweol, and who had actually struck Eun-hyun with the Lustrous Glaze Peacock's light when he was on his way to meet Hye-seo, messing up his memories of the event. Oh Hye-seo reveals the reason why Hweol patted Eun-hyun’s shoulder so often was to see the memories of the Blood Body, which he had helped develop.

Eun-hyun attempts to chant “Return to thee” to take Hweol with him, but is stopped, as Hweol uses one of the Axes (Love of Virtue) to seal his speech. Seo Hweol tells Eun-hyun he is a confusing creature. He guesses Eun-hyun is a fallen True Immortal from Yang Su-jin’s time.

When Hweol calls all this “a joke”, Gyu Baek gets up and challenges him. Hweol puts her down again. Eun-hyun barely manages to move, lipsing none of it was a joke. This causes a gleam in Hweol’s heart essence. A projection of Kim Yeon, called by the love within Gyu Baek’s heart, appears, activating the Vast Cold Oath. From observing the threads cast by the Oath, Hye-seo’s eyes bleed and she is forced to abandon Yuan Yu. Hweol asks Kim Yeon how she can wield Vast Cold’s power. Mad Lord regains his senses and hurries to their location. Gyu Baek tells Hweol to kiss her sincerely once to unravel the Oath. Seo Hweol releases his Four-Axis Canopy, taking Gyu Baek inside and revealing his sincerety. As Eun-hyun is at the brink of death from dispersal, he realises he still lives as the Black Dragon Blood refuses to let go of him, its prey. Jo Yeon arrives and assist Yu Hwa and Eun-hyun in destroying the Canopy. Within the Canopy, he finds an unsmiling Seo Hweol and a shocked Gyu Baek. Hweol tries to get Gyu Baek to break the Oath. Eun-hyun tells her he will take on her role. Gyu Baek stops providing her heart with Qi and dies. Eun-hyun begins using his body of Lightning (Heavenly Tribulation) to mimic the strike of the Third Manifestation and begins his assault. Kim Yeon activates Yeon’s Play, sending the power over to Eun-hyun. Eun-hyun merges the Play with his Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, drawing out the power of various Heart Tribe members he has met over the years. The power of the Black Dragon is jettisoned from his body, making room for his own Immortal Beast seed. He delivers a final strike to Hweol. Hweol runs away, with the Tribulation still impacting him. Yu Hwa conveys Jang Ik’s words about the heart being undeniable. Eun-hyun disperses into fragments of lightning and dies.