The Transformation of Cheon So-Seon (2)
Cheon So-Seon was deep in her usual meditation, focusing on her breathing and energy flow.
She could feel herself changing. The most significant transformation was happening inside her. Astonishingly, her blood was changing. Not in color, but in essence.
How could she describe this change? It felt as if her blood was coming alive. The more she sensed this vitality in her blood, the stronger she felt.
Today, as she meditated, something felt different. When she came to her senses, she found herself in a strange place.
It was a battlefield. Blood pooled around her ankles, and corpses were piled high like mountains all around.
Cheon So-Seon bent down and touched the blood with her hand. It was real.
“This isn’t a dream or an illusion.”
Instinctively, she spread her hands to absorb the blood.
Sssssss.
But then she screamed. The moment the blood entered her body, it felt as if she was being torn apart.
She expelled the blood from her body and examined the corpses.
She had assumed they were human, but there were also creatures and monsters she had never seen before.
“Damn it! What is this place?”
Her voice echoed unnaturally.
A trickling sound came from somewhere. She turned to see the blood flowing in a certain direction.
She began to walk, following the blood. It felt as if it was guiding her.
How long had she been walking?
A wall of corpses blocked her path, forming a mountain.
At the top, someone stood. They were too far away to identify.
She began to climb the pile of bodies. The grotesque and hideous creatures made her stomach churn. Yet, she had a feeling that using her martial arts to fly up was not the right choice.
She climbed and climbed, continuing upward.
Finally, she reached the top.
There stood an old man with white hair, his hands clasped behind his back.
He turned to her with a gentle smile.
“Nice to meet you. It’s our first time, isn’t it?”
She could tell at a glance that this was not someone to be treated lightly.
“Who are you, sir?”
“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
“Why were you waiting for me?”
Instead of answering, the old man turned and looked around.
“What do you think of the view here?”
Only then did she take a moment to look around. Corpses stretched endlessly.
“It’s horrifying.”
“Do you really think so?”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you try to absorb the blood as soon as you arrived?”
“That was… just a habit.”
“That habit is part of who you are. Ah, don’t be tense. I’m not saying this to scold you. Everyone is different, and you are particularly special.”
“Special? Why?”
“Because you are destined to become the Blood God.”
She was taken aback.
“I’m to become the Blood God?”
“Yes, that’s your destiny.”
Cheon So-Seon was truly shocked and confused. She knew that Yang Sa-Hwi had tried and failed to summon the Blood God.
How could she not be surprised to learn that she was to become the Blood God?
“Isn’t the Blood God a separate entity?”
“Who do you think the Blood God is? That statue?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a human-made illusion. Neither the creator of the statue nor those who ordered it have ever seen the Blood God.”
Cheon So-Seon was speechless, lost in confusion.
“When was this decided?”
“From the moment you were born with the Yin-Yang Body.”
“Then… if this is all fate, does that mean my grandfather and Byuk Ri-Dan existed for me?”
“Not at all. Everyone lives according to their own destiny. Just as you have yours, they have theirs. So, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Do you want to become the Blood God?”
At that moment, she heard a tumultuous cry from within her heart. It was the anger that had been building up, urging her to become stronger so she could unleash it.
She nodded and said, “Yes, I do.”
The old man smiled and said, “We’ll meet again soon.”
As soon as he finished speaking, she awoke from what seemed like a dream or an illusion, back to reality.
“Did you really see the Blood God?”
Yang Sa-Hwi’s face was filled with awe, yet he couldn’t shake his skepticism. He had spent his life trying to summon the Blood God, but it had never appeared to him. Even when he attempted to achieve the great feat of summoning the Blood God through Byuk Ri-Dan, he had failed.
Now, hearing that it had appeared to Cheon So-Seon, he couldn’t help but doubt.
“What did it say?”
“It told me to continue my training and summon it soon.”
Cheon So-Seon didn’t reveal everything she had experienced. She saw no need to tell Yang Sa-Hwi that she was to become the Blood God. Her heart was set.
“When I become the Blood God, you’ll die by my hand.”
Yang Sa-Hwi had never hesitated to do dirty work for her, but she felt no gratitude. She believed he was merely using her for his own ends.
Yang Sa-Hwi didn’t notice her true feelings. The mere mention of the Blood God had him too excited to discern the truth in her words.
“Ah! The day is finally coming.”
Yang Sa-Hwi’s heart was stirred. Though it was disappointing that the Blood God hadn’t appeared to him, Cheon So-Seon was still his creation, wasn’t she? The moment his lifelong dream of summoning the Blood God was about to be realized.
“What did it look like?”
“It wasn’t much different from the statue. It appeared as a divine general in red robes.”
“Oh! Blood God!”
She watched him for a moment before asking, “Why are you so eager to summon the Blood God?”
“Because it’s my duty.”
“Just because you’re a descendant of the Blood Emperor?”
“Is there anything more important than that?”
Cheon So-Seon couldn’t understand. What was so important about bloodlines?
Suddenly, she recalled the old man’s words. Everyone lives according to their own destiny.
“I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”
“Yes, let’s.”
The two stood up.
She added, “Hurry. We need more blood.”
I had shared a passionate moment with Song Hwa-Rin.
Our relationship could only be described as an obsession.
Perhaps it was a compensation for the fear that we might not have much time together in the future. Whenever we had the chance, we loved fiercely.
Being with her brought me immense joy and satisfaction. I even wondered if she enjoyed it as much as I did.
“Something happened today, didn’t it?”
Lying beside me after our lovemaking, she asked.
“Why do you think that?”
“You’re different from usual.”
Come to think of it, I had been more intense and daring. After the Heavenly Demon left my body, I felt more at ease. Even though I believed the Heavenly Demon wouldn’t watch, it was hard not to be conscious of it.
“I made a friend.”
“Who?”
“Ma Cheol-Gun.”
I told her about the Heavenly Demon entering Ma Cheol-Gun’s body and our newfound friendship. Since I would be interacting with Ma Cheol-Gun for a long time, I thought she and Gwang Du-Man should know the truth.
“The Heavenly Demon sounds a bit scary.”
“He’s a good person.”
“The fact that you say the Heavenly Demon is a good person… makes it scarier.”
“Hahaha.”
“But I’m envious.”
“Of what?”
“I don’t have anyone I can call a friend.”
“You have me. We’ve been friends since we were young.”
“Oh, right. I keep forgetting that we were friends.”
I understood her. The changes in me from childhood to now had been so drastic.
“We’re friends, lovers, and…”
We would be lifelong partners.
She playfully covered her chest with her clothes and sat up.
“My friend and lover, our leader, please close your eyes for a moment.”
I closed my eyes.
I could hear her getting dressed. She wouldn’t know how sensuous the sound of a woman dressing could be when one’s eyes were closed. How it could stir the imagination.
After she finished dressing, she said, “I’m going to the island for a bit. My father wants to see me.”
“He must be lonely.”
“I’ll go and cheer him up.”
“I’m going to leave the clan for a while too.”
“Where are you going?”
As I put on my outer robe, I said.
She was going to the island, and I was going to…
“The castle.”
I returned to the Demon God Castle.
Originally, I had planned to come here after mastering the Demon God Art to meet the old man. Since I had already met him, there was no need to come, but I felt drawn to this place.
I entered through the familiar formation. Having been here once before, I walked confidently, finding the path of life.
Following the path, I reached a junction and used the Blood Thunder Technique. A new path appeared, and I followed it.
I encountered several junctions, and each time, I used the Blood Thunder Technique to create a new path.
Navigating this complex formation, which was difficult to memorize, I finally emerged onto a vast plain.
And there, in the distance, stood the towering castle.
The grand and majestic Demon God Castle still exuded an aura that was difficult for ordinary people to approach.
I walked slowly across the plain. The sky was high, and the air was crystal clear.
I continued until I reached the base of the castle.
I placed my palm on a small stone tablet next to the castle gate and used the Blood Thunder Technique.
The gate opened.
“Welcome.”
A middle-aged man greeted me from behind the gate. It was the first time I had encountered another person here.
“I am Gu Mo, the steward of the Demon God Castle. You may call me Steward Gu.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Steward Gu.”
There was an air of mystery about him. He was no ordinary person.
“Congratulations on your ascension to the rank of Demon God.”
“How did you know?”
“I am aware of all matters related to the Demon God.”
“I’m not a Demon God yet.”
“I know. You have a trial ahead of you.”
“I might not take the trial.”
“I’m aware of that as well. Please, come inside.”
I followed the chief officer inside.
The interior had changed significantly. It used to be empty, but now it was bustling with people. Some were cleaning, others were trimming the branches of trees. It finally felt like a real castle where people lived.
“I was curious before. How do you manage to prepare meals so quickly and move so silently?”
“They are trained for that.”
I assumed they must have learned some related martial arts or techniques.
“Make yourself at home.”
“Thank you.”
Being in the Demon God’s castle brought an unexpected sense of peace.
I slept soundly that night.
The next day, I wandered around leisurely, as if on a stroll. I was already familiar with the layout from previous trials. As I walked, the chief officer approached me with a greeting.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Thanks to you, I did.”
“If you need anything, just let us know.”
“There is one thing I need.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know anything about the Celestial Egg?”
I had learned about it through Cheon So-seon. It was a legendary artifact used to create the Dark Celestial Weapon.
Previously, one of the masters had disappeared with Cheon So-seon from the underground chamber of the League’s main hall. If I could find the Celestial Egg, I might find Cheon So-seon too.
I asked on a whim, but the response was unexpected.
“I do know.”
“Could you tell me what you know?”
“Please, follow me.”
The chief officer led me to a place filled with books. I had been there before, though I hadn’t read any of the books.
He pulled a thick book from the shelf.
The Record of the Three Gods.
The title suggested it was a record of three gods.
“Have you heard of the Three Gods?”
“The Three Gods? No, I haven’t.”
“The Demon God, the Blood God, and the Dark God are the Three Gods. It is said that they were originally one entity known as the Evil God, which later split into three.”
The chief officer flipped through the pages until he found an illustration.
It depicted the three gods in battle.
“These are the Demon God, the Blood God, and the Dark God.”
In the illustration, the Blood God and the Dark God were attacking the Demon God together.
As I was about to ask about the battle, my eyes were drawn to a part of the illustration.
“Is that…?”
Behind the battling gods was a long, coffin-like object, resembling the broken one I had seen in the underground chamber of the League’s main hall.
“Yes, that is the Celestial Egg.”