Far above the clouds.
Beyond the sky.
Past the stars and the barriers of the heavens…
There existed a realm where mortals could not even breathe without divine permission — a land of palaces suspended on golden clouds, rivers made of starlight, and beasts that could swallow cities whole.
The Immortal World.
The realm of those who had transcended the limits of flesh, of death, and of worldly law.
In this realm, time flowed like a soft breeze. Most immortals lived in quiet cultivation, politics, or cosmic solitude. But that peace was shattered — exactly one month ago.
That day…
> A ripple was felt.
A disturbance not from among them… but from below.
An aura of destruction so wild, so wrathful, and so unnatural that it cracked even Heaven's Veil for a moment — the spiritual barrier that separated their divine plane from the lower realms.
---
In the Hall of Azure Thrones, immortal lords gathered.
Some were cultivators turned demigods.
Others were born of stars and forgotten bloodlines.
They looked down at a scrying pool glowing with celestial mist.
> "It came from the mortal world…"
"Southern Sector… Earth Heaven Path… mortal plane of the 67th layer…"
"A single cultivator?"
"That can't be. No one below Heaven Ascension Realm could break our veil…"
But the energy signature didn't lie.
They saw flashes of black lightning.
Flames that burned divine patterns.
An afterimage of one man, eyes filled with fire, walking from the ashes of slaughter with blood-soaked robes.
One immortal stood up. His voice trembled — not with fear… but awe.
> "If that man ascends… he will not kneel."
Another whispered:
> "...He may not be able to ascend at all. His spiritual roots were nearly burned out."
A third, darker figure — shrouded in mist — said:
> "Then we must go down. Before he heals. Before he learns to reach us."
---
Meanwhile — Mortal Realm
A month passed quietly.
The Sect had returned to a fragile peace.
The graves of Li Shan, Xiao Lan, and Han Geon stood proudly on Unbound Peak — marked not with gold or jade, but simple stone, carved by Kang Woo himself.
He didn't let anyone else touch them.
He planted spirit blossoms nearby.
He swept their area every day before dawn.
And then, he returned to teaching.
---
Disciples once again gathered in the cracked courtyard. Many were new — some still afraid to meet Kang Woo's eyes.
But his voice… hadn't changed.
> "Lesson One: You are not immortal."
"Lesson Two: That doesn't mean you should fear death."
"Lesson Three: If you ever fight… fight to make sure your enemies can't return."
They listened.
Because even with the weight of loss in his voice — or perhaps because of it — every word felt like iron.
And Kang Woo?
He smiled less.
But he taught more.
---
Above him, far away — beyond the sky — a door of light slowly began to crack open.
And three immortal envoys… stepped through.
> To find the monster who defied death…
And ask:
"Are you man… or something we should fear?"