Chapter 143 – Kirin Ascension Gate

Rumble rumble rumble!

The sky, where thunder resounded, was immeasurably high.

Lee Hanseong realized that Duren’s Divine Possession was not simply because he was a Seven Star.

“The Life-Severing Asura’s Circuits are resonating with the Asura Three Thousand Gates…?”

It was because Duren, who had Bloomed an Awakening Skill that reproduced the characteristics of an Asura, was recognized as the rightful challenger of the Asura Three Thousand Gates and stepped forward.

Perhaps as a consequence, Divine Possession by Pheidippides, an 8-Star, or Sword Demon, an 11-Star, was prohibited, and most Treasure Vessels, Legendary Equipment, and Divine Artifacts, except for Duren’s Single-Heaven Sword, were unusable.

Although it wasn’t like during Historical Alteration, where even other Spirits’ Skills were sealed because the body was his own, it was largely similar to when he was Spirit Possessed by Duren.

Thump thump!

Through the pulsating Starlight of Duren, his excitement could be felt.

A reaction similar to when the Spirits’ Star Ranks were low and they discovered a Byproduct possessing a suitable Skill.

Since 7-Star, it was more about mastering existing Skills and realizing Polarity Reversal rather than gaining new ones, so he thought it would be impossible to achieve Spirit Promotion by bringing in external Starlight as before.

It seemed that even High-Rank Spirits of 7-Star and above had a way to achieve Promotion.

—Indeed… if what is added through the Starlight Record is not a Skill but Divinity itself, then it would be possible.

Möbius affirmed his thought.

There were already precedents.

When the records of Apostles from a Parallel World were superimposed onto his companions through the medium of the Fragment of ■■.

Although the essence of the Constellation existing in the Parallel World could not cross over, the Divinity at the level of a True God was perfectly added.

External Divinity could also be absorbed like Skills and used as a foundation for Promotion.

And the Divinity Duren was reacting to was likely the Divinity of the three Divine Beasts said to exist at each gate of the Asura Three Thousand Gates: the Kirin, the Phoenix, and the Hongye.

“If we roughly assume one Promotion for each added Divinity of a Divine Beast, we could raise him to 10-Star… no, 11-Star.”

Since Duren was in a special state where he could jump straight to 10-Star even if he only reached 8-Star, such a calculation was possible.

But then Möbius interjected and raised an issue.

—However, there are two problems.

One was about the owner of the Feat.

Just as most Feats achieved when Lee Hanseong was Spirit Possessed during Historical Alteration accumulated on the owner of that body.

No matter how much he performed Divine Possession, the Divinity gained by passing through the Asura Three Thousand Gates would go to Lee Hanseong himself, not Duren.

Because Duren’s history had already ended once.

In other words, the problem was that he, being a being who died in the past, had no qualification to accumulate new records in the present.

“If he lacks the qualification, can’t we just create one for him?”

Fortunately, regarding this, it could be solved by integrating existing Skills to create a new Skill.

With Skill Tree View, finding the combination formula was quick.

Click.

[<Two Hearts (Unique)> + <Two Fates (Unique)> = <Dual Radiance (Legendary)>]

By granting a new life and fate to Duren, who was in Divine Possession, based on the second heart existing in the Imaginary Space, the Feat and Divinity to be gained from the Asura Three Thousand Gates were directed towards him.

—You solved the first problem with your Skills, but the second problem likely cannot be solved even by creating a new Skill.

As Möbius said, the second problem was the real issue.

A side effect, so to speak, that naturally arises after Promotion.

“I know that too.”

Once Duren is Promoted to 11-Star, an empty Star Rank will appear among the Spirits.

If the Vessel becomes unstable, the burden of Constellation Descent would also increase, making it difficult to maintain constantly.

“Still, we have to accept that much.”

But.

He couldn’t pass up such an opportunity for rapid growth.

And he judged that the completed Divinity of an 11-Star could offset some of the instability.

Step.

Lee Hanseong first decided to proceed with Duren’s Promotion while passing through the Asura Three Thousand Gates and stepped forward.

* * *

In the middle of a desolate wilderness on all sides.

Lee Hanseong, who had been advancing following Duren’s Resonance, finally discovered a special element.

A structure with only a gate standing alone, like a temple’s mountain gate.

Above the gate, a plaque inscribed with ‘Kirin Ascension Gate’ and decorations carved with Kirin were visible.

“Does it mean to pass through this gate?”

—That must be it.

Probably the moment he passes through the gate, the trial of the first gate will begin.

Step.

Immediately after moving his steps towards the Ascension Gate without hesitation.

Swoosh.

Suddenly, the Kirin carving decorating the gate came to life and emerged from the gate.

[O aspirant who seeks to become an Asura. I shall test thy qualification.]

The Kirin, who said so while looking at Lee Hanseong, bit the gate it emerged from and, stepping on the void, soared into the sky.

[Follow me and pass through this gate.]

Tap tap tap tap!

—It’s running away, chase it quickly.

“Even without you saying so…”

As Lee Hanseong hurriedly tried to follow the Ascension Gate, the environment of the Eastern Heaven where he was changed abruptly.

Kwoong—!

“……?!”

As if the Heavenly Demon’s Sovereign Stride of the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord had been deployed, gravity itself increased tens of thousands of times.

Each time the Kirin stepped on the void and ascended, the Treading Heaven Kirin Hoof deployed by the Asura overlapped, adding the weight of the sky.

[The sky I tread is a space dominated by my order; thou shalt not ascend to the heavens easily.]

Kugugugugugung!

“Keuheok!”

He almost fell flat on the ground due to the sudden change, but he barely avoided looking pathetic by reflexively deploying the Heart Sword to sever the influence of gravity.

Although the Formless Sword could not be used because the Formless Sword Demon Armor was unusable, the Heart Sword belonged to the domain of Swordsmanship, so it could be used even in this state.

But it wasn’t just gravity that changed.

—Watch above!

Kwarurururung!

The thunder that had been echoing faintly from the sky had now drawn near.

[Break through the Heavenly Tribulation I bring down and ascend. If thou cannot, only death awaits thee.]

Flash—!

Immediately after, a bluish-white flash of lightning illuminating the surroundings.

Pajijijik—

The lightning struck precisely towards Lee Hanseong, but with the Heart Sword deployed without the aid of the Formless Sword, it was difficult to simultaneously counter both gravity and lightning.

“I can withstand the lightning enough…”

So, trusting in the defensive power of the Formless Sword Demon Armor itself and Utangka’s Thunderfire Unyielding, he did not counter.

Even if it was the lightning of the Lightning Fire that Utangka commanded, it shouldn’t be able to pierce Thunderfire Unyielding.

[<Thunderfire Unyielding (Unique)> attempts to resist the Heavenly Tribulation. …Failure.]

“Keuheoek!”

—Fool, did that look like just ordinary lightning to you?

First, the lightning falling here was not mere lightning.

As the Kirin and the System Message said, it was a Heavenly Tribulation.

Lightning containing power beyond Legendary, at a mythical level.

[<Unyielding Indomitability (Unique)> attempts to resist the Heavenly Tribulation. …Failure.]

To give an example, it was a level of power similar to Dice’s Hundred Swords Thunderfall.

Such lightning pierced through the Formless Sword Demon Armor and Thunderfire Unyielding, even breaking the Unyielding Indomitability of the flesh.

[<Primordial Chaos Treasure Body (Legendary)> partially resists the Heavenly Tribulation.]

If it weren’t for the Primordial Chaos Treasure Body, he would have been incapacitated the moment the Heavenly Tribulation penetrated his body.

“Spirit Assimilation!”

Belatedly, he deployed 《Spirit Assimilation》 with Utangka’s Lightning Fire and barely managed to channel the Heavenly Tribulation that had penetrated his body outward.

Zzirit zzirit!

Even after channeling out the Heavenly Tribulation, his insides felt numb.

Möbius warned Lee Hanseong, who was in such a state.

—Don’t forget that to maintain Dual Radiance, you must not lose even a single life.

Lee Hanseong nodded.

Of course, he could bring the Light of Resurrection with Spatiotemporal Theft and deploy Dual Radiance again.

The problem was that the Dual Radiance deployed again like that would be judged as a different fate from Duren’s fate when he first entered this gate.

Such discontinuity of existence inevitably creates errors in the absorption of Divinity.

To achieve Duren’s Promotion as well, the best course is to pass through without dying.

“Dis… appear!”

With <Decree Proclamation>, he infused his words with power to drive out the remnants of the Heavenly Tribulation left in his body and prepared to face the next lightning.

He refrained from activating the Transcendence Series, which he favored.

Because with his Insightful Eye, he discerned that if the Grade increased, the power of the Heavenly Tribulation would grow exponentially.

‘With the Transcendence Series also sealed following the equipment…’

Here, it’s best to counter using only Skills.

And for him, who had integrated all Rare Skills during the last Historical Alteration, making all Skills Unique Grade or higher, the means at his disposal were not lacking.

Zzirit zzirit.

Feeling the Primordial Chaos Treasure Body slightly adapting to the stimulus of the Heavenly Tribulation, Lee Hanseong raised his head to look up at the sky.

By now, the Kirin had ascended to such a high altitude that it looked like a dot.

—If you don’t hurry, you’ll lose it.

“I know that too.”

Pat!

He intended to use Shrinking Earth to close the distance in an instant, but.

[Leaping across space is punished.]

Flash— Kwarururung!

The second Heavenly Tribulation struck.

Due to the thunder that shook space itself, he was moved to a point far from his original target.

Lee Hanseong, who had teleported with his upper body slammed into the ground, groaned inwardly.

‘Kuuuuk!’

Even in Spirit Assimilation state, he felt pain as if his entire body was burning.

But it still wasn’t enough to kill him.

Pain that doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger.

[<Spirit Fusion Divine Body (Unique)> + <Thunderfire Unyielding (Unique)> = <Thunderfire Treasure Body (Legendary)>]

He integrated two of Utangka’s Unique Skills to form a Treasure Vessel-level body to withstand the Heavenly Tribulation.

—A Treasure Body specialized in lightning and fire? But even that won’t allow you to keep enduring the Heavenly Tribulation.

‘Indeed, the second Heavenly Tribulation was more intense than the first.’

Pachuchuchuchu!

The lightning that struck first didn’t have properties like shaking space.

If the power of the Heavenly Tribulation increased over time, he had to hurry.

He had to catch up to the Ascension Gate while he could still endure.

Pop.

He pulled his body, which was embedded in the ground in one go, and this time, he deployed sword flight riding the Single-Heaven Sword.

He had activated Life-Severing Asura to resist the order created by the Kirin.

The same method as when ascending to the Sky Island.

Shooooooong!

[Huh! Thou already possessed the power of an Asura? Then there is no need to hold back.]

Kwarung!

Lightning striking down as if to forbid flight!

Fortunately, perhaps because the Thunderfire Treasure Body was added to the Primordial Chaos Treasure Body, it was bearable.

[How long dost thou think thou can endure?]

Kwarung! Kwarurung! Kwarururung!

But even that had its limits after two or three times.

As the altitude increased, the Heavenly Tribulation grew fiercer.

To break through this, the Single-Heaven Sword needed to become sharper and more keen.

So he did so.

‘Divine Artifact Awakening.’

Saaaaaak—

He deployed Non’s Divine Artifact Awakening on the Single-Heaven Sword, sublimating it to Mythical Grade.

“Cleave the heavens. Single-Heaven Divine Sword.”

That meant the basic power of Single Flash, amplified to a mythical level through the repeated correction of the Zhucheon Star Track, had risen to a mythical level.

In this moment, Duren’s Slash surpassed the Heavenly Tribulation and cleaved the sky that was dropping lightning.

Seok!

[Thou cleaved the lightning? Then try cleaving this as well.]

But the Heavenly Tribulation was not just lightning.

Hweeeeeeeeng!

Sasasasasasak!

Wind Tribulation following Thunder Tribulation.

Heavenly Tribulation in the form of wind began to blow from all directions.

The void between the Kirin Ascension Gate and Lee Hanseong became a limb-severing space filled with invisible blade-like spatial Rifts.

‘Danger!’

No matter how much it was the Single-Heaven Divine Sword that cleaved the Heavenly Tribulation, it couldn’t mend Rifts that were already cut.

He saw a future where his entire body would be sliced apart by the spatial Rifts.

Responding to the Insightful Eye ringing alarm bells in his head, he urgently found a new combination formula from the Skill Tree.

[<Prayer of the Phoenix (Unique)> + <Phase Shift (Unique)> = <Form Exchange (Legendary)>]

A legendary movement technique created by combining the Prayer of the Phoenix, which imitates the movements of a Great Thief, and Phase Shift, the ultimate art of a Grand Thief.

Similar to Shrinking Earth but a different method of movement.

Swoosh.

As the name ‘exchanging form and shifting position’ suggests.

Like a ghost, he adjusted his phase, ignoring the spatial Rifts, and advanced straight towards the sky.

Of course, this alone might have been insufficient, but when linked with Life-Severing Asura, he could perfectly ignore the spatial Rifts.

[A movement that ignores even spatial Rifts?]

Thanks to that, the distance to the Kirin was narrowing.

[This challenger might truly become an Asura.]

Kwarururururung!

But as he got closer, the shockwaves from the Treading Heaven Kirin Hoof were threateningly approaching.

Even though he had already dealt with the Thunder Tribulation, the sound of the Kirin’s hooves echoed like thunder, shaking space.

Hweeeeeeeeng!

The Wind Tribulation turned the entire space into a mass of Rifts, forcing him to use Form Exchange constantly.

Moreover, the reverberations caused by the shockwaves from the Kirin’s hooves colliding with each other couldn’t be ignored even with Form Exchange.

Shocks that vibrated his internal organs came one after another, but he endured them head-on without avoiding them.

[Yes. Come. And thus take one step closer to becoming an Asura!]

“Kuaaaaaa!”

Because each time he was struck by the shockwaves like iron being forged by an Artisan, the Primordial Chaos Treasure Body adapted to the impacts, evolving physical Skills in real-time.

Woong.

[<Unyielding Indomitability (Unique)> + <Gang Qi Art (Unique)> = <Indestructible Diamond (Legendary)>]

Unyielding Indomitability combined with Duren’s Gang Qi Art to achieve the legendary outer art, Indestructible Diamond.

Woong.

[<Vampirification (Unique)> + <Life Enhancement (Unique)> = <Sacred Blood (Legendary)>]

Vampirification evolved into the Sacred Blood of Nosferatu, imbued with Divinity, by adding Life Enhancement to True Blood.

Woowoong!

[<Sacred Blood (Legendary)> + <Adult (Legendary)> = <Imitation Divine Blood (Mythical)>]

And as if they were one from the beginning, the Sacred Blood combined with the Adult Skill that creates a Vessel for Divine Possession, sublimating into Imitation Divine Blood that mimics the Divine Blood of a True Ancestor.

[To have already formed a Vessel of a God…!]

—It’s lacking compared to a True Ancestor’s Divine Blood because it doesn’t contain Authority, but since it can hold Authority if other Divine Spirits are possessed, it’s called Imitation Divine Blood… Now it’s finally somewhat decent.

Amidst the murmurs of admiration from the Kirin and Möbius.

The Formless Sword, which had been blocked due to the Formless Sword Demon Armor being sealed, was imbued into Lee Hanseong’s Imitation Divine Blood and temporarily superimposed onto Duren.

Sreung.

The transparent Formless Sword shimmering above the Single-Heaven Divine Sword, in the next moment, cleaved through the Kirin along with the order centered on it and the Domain of the Heavenly Tribulation.

Chwaak!

[…Thou art qualified.]

The Ascension Gate stopped ascending.

But Lee Hanseong did not immediately proceed to the next gate.

Whoooosh—

Because the Divinity of the fallen Kirin was being absorbed into Duren’s Divinity.

Paaat!

“Just as expected, one Promotion stage per Divine Beast’s Divinity.”

After confirming Duren’s Grade, which had been Promoted from 7-Star to 8-Star, Lee Hanseong finally proceeded beyond the gate.

Beyond the gate, the second gate of the Asura Three Thousand Gates, the Phoenix Five Tones Realm, awaited him.