Chapter 146 – Divine Realm

Fwoosh!

Duren’s Grade, having absorbed the Phoenix’s Divinity, leaped from 8-Star to 10-Star in one go, skipping 9-Star entirely.

Normally, <Reversal> should have been imprinted on Duren’s soul, causing an Existence Reversal to occur.

‘As expected, he’s fine.’

Duren showed no significant change.

The Reversal that should have flipped him 180 degrees occurred twice, resulting in a 360-degree flip that restored his original state.

Single Flash reversed into Zhucheon Star Track, then reversed again into Heavenly Net Star Convergence.

Binding Rope reversed into Supreme One Golden Core, then reversed again into Shell-Breaking Golden Core.

Absolute Fate reversed into Life-Severing Asura, then reversed again into Supreme Under Heaven.

This phenomenon was possible because Duren had grown in a unique way: having achieved the status of having his 1st to 3rd awakening skills reversed into 4th to 6th awakening skills, and then further achieving the Polarity Reversal of those 4th to 6th awakening skills.

Thanks to this, he could skip the greatest hurdle of reaching 10-Star—the Existence Reversal—and proceed directly into the process of Synthesis of Opposites.

“To ascend to 11th Star, aside from <Reversal> and <Synthesis of Opposites>, five Myth Skills are needed….”

Lee Hanseong organized the skills Duren possessed.

First, the Legendary Skills <Single Flash> and <Zhucheon Star Track> could simply be combined.

They corresponded to positive and negative, making them perfectly suited for integration through Synthesis of Opposites.

Click.

[<Single Flash (Legendary)> + <Zhucheon Star Track (Legendary)> = <Single Heaven Star Track (Myth)>]

The problem was the other awakening skills.

<Binding Rope> and <Absolute Fate> were Legendary Skills, but their opposites, <Supreme One Golden Core> and <Life-Severing Asura>, were Myth Skills, creating an imbalance.

―Why not try reversing the Synthesis of Opposites?

“Huh? Wait. If I reverse Synthesis of Opposites, instead of skill integration, skill decomposition should be possible, right?”

The answer lay in the method Möbius suggested.

By performing Synthesis of Opposites in reverse, he split Supreme One Golden Core and Life-Severing Asura in half, decomposing each into two Legendary Skills.

One pair corresponded to the positive: Supreme One Golden Core (Legendary) and Life-Severing Asura (Legendary).

The other pair corresponded to the negative: Shell-Breaking Golden Core (Legendary) and Supreme Under Heaven (Legendary).

“Wow. This actually works.”

After matching the grades, he combined the rest through Synthesis of Opposites, just like Single Flash and Zhucheon Star Track.

Click, click.

[<Binding Rope (Legendary)> + <Supreme One Golden Core (Legendary)> = <Binding Rope Golden Core (Myth)>]

[<Absolute Fate (Legendary)> + <Life-Severing Asura (Legendary)> = <Absolute Fate Asura (Myth)>]

Thus, three Myth Skills were completed without much difficulty.

Leaving aside the remaining <Shell-Breaking Golden Core (Legendary)> and <Supreme Under Heaven (Legendary)> for now.

He examined Duren’s other skills.

“Still, since they’ve already evolved up to Unique grade, there’s less to do.”

Duren currently had seven Unique Skills.

Flowing Sword Art, Gang Qi Art, Cross Gang Qi, Samadhi State, Sword Qi Acupoint Strike, Solar Constitution, and Sword Levitation Technique.

“Hmm. This should work.”

Since Unique Skills and below allowed viewing combination formulas through Skill Tree View, the deliberation was brief.

Click.

[<Cross Gang Qi (Unique)> + <Sword Qi Acupoint Strike (Unique)> = <Brand: Stigma (Legendary)>]

Cross Gang Qi, which leaves cross-shaped scars, and Sword Qi Acupoint Strike were recreated as one of the miracles of the Brilliance Constellation.

Click.

[<Samadhi State (Unique)> + <Sword Levitation Technique (Unique)> = <Heart Language Sword (Legendary)>]

Sword Levitation Technique, enhanced by Samadhi State, evolved into the highest realm of sword levitation, moving swords with the mind alone.

Click.

[<Solar Constitution (Unique)> + <Gang Qi Art (Unique)> = <Solar Gang Qi (Legendary)>]

Gang Qi Art, embodying the traits of Solar Constitution, sublimated into Solar Gang Qi.

Then, a new combination suitable for Synthesis of Opposites became visible.

“Since the Golden Core possesses solar attributes, it should harmonize with Solar Gang Qi….”

[<Shell-Breaking Golden Core (Legendary)> + <Solar Gang Qi (Legendary)> = <Solar Divine Art>]

The fourth Myth Skill, completed in the form of a divine art similar to the Sun Divine Artifact, one of Fenrir’s Polarity Reversals.

“Heart Language Sword shares common ground with Supreme Under Heaven.”

Both Heart Language Sword and the natural sword techniques unleashed through Supreme Under Heaven are merely among the ultimate forms of swordsmanship.

[<Heart Language Sword (Legendary)> + <Supreme Under Heaven (Legendary)> = <Supreme Under Heaven (Myth)>]

Supreme Under Heaven, having absorbed Heart Language Sword, was restored to a complete Myth Skill, claiming the fifth and final Myth.

And when these, along with Reversal and Synthesis of Opposites—totaling seven Myth Skills—harmonize into one centered on the Single Heaven Divine Sword, that would become an Authority.

However.

“I still don’t know what kind of Authority it will become.”

Although all the materials were gathered, the Authority to be completed didn’t come to mind easily.

Single Heaven Star Track, Binding Rope Golden Core, Absolute Fate Asura, Solar Divine Artifact, Supreme Under Heaven.

Even though they belonged to the Golden Constellation, two of the Myths were sun-related, making it even more puzzling.

A concept that could unify the five Myths into one was needed.

And he had a premonition that it was at least not Asura.

“Well, no need to rush.”

He would likely gain inspiration after absorbing the Divinity of Hongye, which awaited at the next gate.

Having completed Synthesis of Opposites as much as possible, Lee Hanseong gazed at the passage leading to the next gate.

Oooooom!

A ring of five-colored clouds circulating according to the principle of mutual generation among the Five Elements.

That was the exit of the Phoenix Five Tones Barrier, leading to the next gate.

“Then, shall we go?”

Just as Lee Hanseong was about to head toward the final gate of the Asura Three Thousand Gates, he suddenly halted his steps.

Unbeknownst to him, his expression was tinged with bewilderment.

“…Sehee is struggling?”

The reason was clear: Yu Sehee’s battle against Phoenix, where she should have had an Attribute Advantage, had turned disadvantageous.

* * *

Southern Arthalia. Volcanic Region.

Specifically, Phoenix’s Eastern Heaven, separate from the Mount Hua Sect’s Eastern Heaven where the Dark Star Sect resided.

There, a battle was unfolding between Yu Sehee, who had invoked Divine Possession with Seras, and Phoenix.

“Huff… huff….”

Yu Sehee, who had been radiating light, was panting heavily.

=Kiiirururururu! Looks like you’re starting to tire too.

In contrast to Yu Sehee, Phoenix was in perfect condition, just like before the fight began.

Certainly, at the very start of the battle, as Yu Sehee had anticipated, her advantage continued.

The one miscalculation was that even after amplifying the light of annihilation to its highest level with the Annihilation Myriad Radiance, she couldn’t overcome Phoenix’s Regeneration Authority.

“…The output is insufficient.”

=Indeed, if your light had been just a bit stronger, I wouldn’t have been able to revive. But what can you do? This is reality.

As expected, the attribute itself was in her favor; her light held the advantage.

The proof was that the wounds Phoenix sustained from the light of annihilation did not regenerate.

The problem was that Yu Sehee’s Grade couldn’t fully unleash Seras’s combat power.

From the start of the battle, Yu Sehee had already erased Phoenix several times with the light of annihilation.

But while she could prevent the regeneration of wounds, she couldn’t stop Phoenix from reviving from the flames.

Because when reviving from death, Phoenix’s Regeneration Authority far surpassed the output of Seras’s Annihilation Lamp.

=Your light is far too threatening to let you live.

Blaze!

Whooosh!

Amidst the crimson flames conjured by Phoenix’s Heavenly Sound burning through the light barrier protecting Yu Sehee, whose output had diminished.

“If only there were at least one more Brilliance Constellation Spirit, I could increase the output.”

Yu Sehee muttered regretfully.

The Annihilation Myriad Radiance, which concentrates the power of multiple miracles into one miracle, naturally grows stronger the more miracles it contains.

Even adding all of Beatus Bright’s miracles to Seras’s Annihilation Lamp didn’t yield the desired output.

“Alone, this seems to be my limit… No choice. Help me, Hanseong.”

―Alright.

Fwoooosh!

With Second Stage Transcendence applied, Yu Sehee achieved Spirit Overlay.

Of course, even raising her Grade like this was insufficient to fully unleash Seras’s power; it merely restored her diminished light output to the level at the start of the battle.

But Lee Hanseong’s help didn’t end with Second Stage Transcendence.

Oooom!

Just like when Lee Hanseong had mediated the contract between Beatus and her before.

‘Ah.’

A new Spirit took root within her.

A celestial being briefly summoned when the previous Pope ascended during the Demon King Subjugation.

The 8-Star Spirit, Nephilim.

Thanks to her permanent maintainable Grade reaching 6-Star and her Empty Stars increasing to 17, she had ample room to accept a new Spirit.

Perhaps because she had already accepted Seras, her parallel world self who had become part of the Brilliance Constellation, the compatibility between Nephilim and Yu Sehee was very high.

As the pinnacle of all Brilliance Constellation Spirits, she was in a state where she could accept any Spirit belonging to the Brilliance Constellation.

Oom.

The Primordial Chaos Gang Qi that had transferred via Spatiotemporal Theft heightened the Synchronization Rate between Nephilim and Yu Sehee in an Instant.

《Sanctuary: Sanctuary》.

Upon seeing one of the miracles Nephilim possessed, Yu Sehee was certain of victory.

Ziiiiing—

=What…!

The miracle of Sanctuary added to the Annihilation Myriad Radiance simultaneously with overlaying Nephilim.

The flames of Phoenix that had been burning her light were extinguished.

Phoenix, who thought she had won, was bewildered seeing Yu Sehee suddenly recovered—no, even stronger.

“Sorry, but there was never any chance of me losing from the start.”

Yu Sehee announced victory with a completely unapologetic expression.

Perhaps because Sanctuary was the kind of miracle that could contain other miracles.

The efficiency of the Annihilation Myriad Radiance had increased severalfold.

“Let’s end this now.”

With the confidence that she could now raise the output of the light of annihilation to a level capable of suppressing the Regeneration Authority, Yu Sehee unleashed the annihilation light amplified by the Annihilation Myriad Radiance toward Phoenix.

=Block it!

Phoenix tried to block the light through Heavenly Sound, but it was futile.

Swoooosh!

Engulfed in pure white light, Phoenix met a true death from which even revival was impossible.

Finally, it was the moment Seras was also recognized as a complete True God Rank in our world.

* * *

“Huh….”

Lee Hanseong, who had been confirming Yu Sehee’s victory, couldn’t take his eyes off her even though the battle was over.

The change occurring around her felt familiar.

The world of Radiance he had vaguely sensed when Seras recovered to Apostle Rank was now palpable around her.

‘This is….’

And he had felt this sensation once before, during the Dragon Extermination Campaign within the Historical Alteration.

The Supreme Magic 【Idea Spell】.

The sensation he felt when that magic, which projects the Brilliance Constellation’s realm of truth, was unleashed.

Lee Hanseong muttered, unable to hide his surprise.

“Sanctuary was the Radiance Divine Domain all along…!”

The essence of the world as interpreted by the Brilliance Constellation was Truth, Idea.

It shared the same interpretation as Platonic philosophy.

According to it, what truly exists is Truth, and the world we live in is merely a projection of the Idea.

The interpretation that an abstract existence transcending matter, time, and space is the essence of the world.

This had connections to the Wheel Constellation’s interpretation of ‘record’ and the Golden Constellation’s interpretation of ‘mind.’

No, considering that the Twelve Constellations originated from Mirinae, perhaps their interpretations diverged from a single source from the very beginning.

Thinking this, Lee Hanseong deployed Hanna’s Sanctuary.

Oom.

The Radiance Divine Domain added to the place where the Dharma Wheel Divine Realm and Golden Divine Realm were already deployed.

At that moment, Mirinae, who had been conserving her power, reacted.

[Three or more Divine Domains have been made to coexist.]

[A task for the ■■ Constellation has been issued!]

[Collect four Divine Domains to complete the Primordial Divine Realm.]

[Upon task completion, the third name of the ■■ Constellation will be unlocked.]

[Currently secured Divine Domains: 3/4.]

A new Constellation task, following Singularity Collection, was given.

“Divine Domain Collection….”

The fact that four Divine Domains combine into one suggests that the twelve Divine Domains of the Twelve Constellations can be divided into three Divine Domains.

Mirinae’s Primordial Divine Realm and the other two are likely Möbius’s Chaos Divine Realm and a Divine Realm related to the third name.

―Your guess is correct. Collecting the Divine Domains of Heavenly Slaughter, Moon Shadow, Darkness, and North Pole will complete the Divine Realm corresponding to my Primordial Unity.

“Thank you for the advice.”

Lee Hanseong expressed his gratitude to Möbius.

Thanks to his words, he could reduce the number of possible Divine Domains for the fourth and final slot in the Primordial Divine Realm.

Excluding Dharma Wheel, Golden, and Radiance, which have already appeared.

Excluding the remaining four belonging to Primordial Unity leaves five.

Sun, Wind, Epicenter, Yeto, Steel.

“Most likely, the remaining one is the Sun Divine Domain, right?”

―Hoho, who knows.

Since three of the four forming the Chaos Divine Realm are Constellations gathered on the Arthalia Continent.

For the Primordial Divine Realm, it seems fitting if the three Constellations from the Arcadia Continent are included.

Möbius didn’t give the answer, merely playing coy, but Lee Hanseong’s intuition told him that was correct.

However, since there was no immediate way to create the Sun Divine Domain.

He decided to proceed to the next gate first.

“As the task doesn’t seem to have a strict time limit, I’ll pass through the Asura Three Thousand Gates first.”

Thud.

Passing through the ring of five-colored clouds, the scenery shifted.

A sky of myriad colors, dappled with a seven-colored rainbow, greeted Lee Hanseong.

Whooosh!

“……!”

Immediately after, the rainbow filling the surroundings surged into his inner being.

The trial of the Hongye Seven Star Cluster had begun.