The purpose of this journey is to seek the truth of the world.
We have a hypothesis:
This entire space is where souls come after death.
The path from the first to the ninth floor is like a series of trials, filtering souls. Only those who meet the standards can reach the final realm, where they are given a choice: to live again or to rest eternally here.
It's clear that this is someone's creation—or perhaps the work of a group.
The distinct floors, the selective trials, all designed to choose the most worthy souls. Or maybe the creator simply wanted to temper the souls that arrive here.
We don't know who built this vast system of classification and filtration, but one thing is certain: it cannot be the work of indifferent nature.
Indeed, nature has no right or wrong, no favoritism. It operates on cause and effect alone. So why would it need to create a space where only souls exist?
If a realm of souls truly exists, it must intertwine with the real world out there. There would be no punishments or nurturing of human souls. And besides, this place contains only human souls—none from other beings.
Thus, there's only one possibility: this place was deliberately created. There can be no other explanation.
Though we don't know who made it, it seems imperfect.
The proof lies in this: I, who could not pass the trials or meet the standards, managed to bypass the rules and advance.
The two beside me are the same. Aspen Lily couldn't pass the eighth floor. Sylvia Rose couldn't pass the first, second, or third, yet she breezed through the later floors.
No, that's not the point. The point is the rules.
This space still operates within the laws of the world… Earth… that dream.
It's a part of the world we live in.
Perhaps this is the dark side of that world, where everything originates.
But thinking back, from the beginning until now, through all nine floors…
This vast, endless realm of souls cannot be the source of all things. It's likely just one facet of the world—or rather, it *used to be* part of the world.
Now, it has been separated and transformed into this.
Everything here serves a single purpose: to filter souls, to sever them from the mortal realm, and to make the world a better place. Whoever created this must despise evil, refusing to let wicked souls exist in peace.
This place is likely the cause of some events in the mortal world—but not all. There must be other realms as well.
…
Behind me, the soul of a young woman named Rose speaks, her voice faint and anxious.
"Boss, what are you talking about? I don't understand. Are you alright?"
Lily, standing nearby, sees me being disturbed and quickly interjects to stop Rose.
"Rose, don't bother Big Brother. He's thinking about something very important."
…
I rein in my thoughts and turn to look at the two behind me. Throughout this journey, without them, I wouldn't have made it this far. They are no longer strangers to me.
"What do you think? Was this place created?"
Rose tilts her head, her expression puzzled.
"Of course it was created. Is that even worth discussing?"
…???…
According to legend, in ancient times, when heaven and earth first opened, they were undivided, a chaotic mass.
From that chaos, the first being was born, nurtured by heaven and earth. Over endless time, it gained sentience, absorbed the chaos, and grew powerful. It then bore three children: the Golden Crow, the Golden Turtle, and the Golden Dragon. To make the world suitable for its offspring, it merged itself into heaven and earth. Its spirit became the sky, its blood the oceans, its body the land, and its essence gave rise to countless species. Its soul became this place.
Later, the Golden Crow ruled the skies, the Golden Dragon dominated the land and seas, and the Golden Turtle governed the soul realm. The three birthed countless species of their own.
In that era, myriad races flourished. Humanity was weak, like weeds, unable to cultivate, trampled by the dominant races. After a long time, three human kings emerged. Somehow, they acquired the bloodlines of the ruling races—Golden Dragon, Golden Crow, and Golden Turtle. Under their leadership, humanity absorbed the bloodlines of nearly all other races. Gradually, they claimed the land, the skies, and the oceans. The era of myriad races ended, and the age of humanity began.
The bloodline cultivation system of today stems from this. To ensure humanity's eternal prosperity, the three kings created the heavenly realm and the soul realm. The heavenly realm suppressed the myriad races, while the soul realm—this place—nurtured and filtered souls. Thus, humanity has never faltered since that time.
Rose's words feel strange yet familiar, as if I've heard them before…
Yes, I read them long ago in the scripture pavilion of the Lei family.
But why didn't I remember? Was it that memory of Earth, overshadowing my own?
Suddenly, my head throbs violently. Memories and knowledge from the Lei family surge forth, breaking free, as if reclaiming their rightful place in my mind.
In that moment, countless thoughts flash through me.
Why am I here?
If heaven and earth are as they are, why seek an explanation?
Who searches for answers to an obvious truth?
But what about everything I've just experienced? Why do those memories align so perfectly?
… Then, everything falls silent. My pupils contract. A chilling thought strikes me.
"This place is false. Everything is false. Even I am not real."
It's like a tidal wave, sweeping away all I believed. My convictions crumble.
My mind opens, and a new world appears before me.
Everything here—the rules, that world, the laws I know—shares common threads.
The path that brought me here.
The two worlds intersect at those common points. Neither is right nor wrong.
Those points of intersection are the true world.
Everything else is an illusion, like branches sprouting from a single trunk.
The laws—yin and yang, convergence and separation, unity and opposition—form a perfect cycle. A cycle that supports itself, harmoniously driving this world.
Is that the truth?
No, something's missing. Something doesn't add up…
A memory flickers. I recall a discussion I read in some messages long ago.
"Vibration is the common language of all things"
If I could align my frequency with all things—or make all things vibrate at my frequency—wouldn't I become one with everything, and everything with me?
I act on the thought. I observe and feel the spacetime here. I let it permeate every corner of my being.
I merge with it.
I adjust myself to match its rhythm perfectly, without the slightest deviation.
… My Power map glows…
This space is governed by a single rule: only truth exists, no deception. One must face everything courageously to pass through.
A conflict arises.
My memories become a barrier between me and this space.
I must let them go.
But if I do, won't I cease to be myself?
No—memories don't define who I am. My choices do.
I release my memories, letting myself flow with the vibrations of this place.
… The Power map glows brighter, as if resisting a great danger…
Gradually, I am no longer myself. I am this space. My mind fills with all its information, as if I am the space itself. The sensation is sublime, and I sink into it. No pain, no longing, no regret—only truth and essence.
Just as I'm about to become one with this place, the Power map blazes brilliantly.
A sense of danger surges.
The state of unity is forcibly broken.
I collapse to my knees, my soul gravely weakened…
In that moment, I nearly lost my consciousness. This space is too vast, and I am too small, too weak.
If not for the Power map protecting me, I might have been assimilated into this space.
It seems that path was a mistake.
A new thought dawns: Why must I become one with all things? I only need to control or alter their vibrations to suit my will.
The key is to preserve myself.
But where will I find the strength to do both?
I look at the Power map. It's a relic of my past life—my first life's legacy within my consciousness. Each time I use it, I risk becoming more like its original owner. In a way, it's like this space.
But my past lives are still me. No matter how I change, I remain myself.
This space is a fragment of the original world, yet its essence is the same.
If I could find a way to merge my two past lives, wouldn't it be like this space reuniting with its source? And wouldn't I become whole again?
After many cycles of the sun rising and setting, I devise a suitable plan.
I let my mind release the deeply ingrained legacies in sequence. I unlock the legacy of my first life and become that self.
I merge the Power map with my body, unlock the legacy of my second life, and become that self.
I let my soul from this life enter a state of harmony with heaven and earth. That is my bloodline's power—weak, but mine.
If I'm right, everything will be forged anew. I will become perfect. The weak will be crushed by the strong, leaving only what is essential.
… The moment I merge…
Memories and knowledge from three lives flood into me—into my reason, my soul, my strength. They clash, vying for dominance.
In that instant, pain in every form erupts. It feels like a storm tearing everything apart.
Memories collide, shatter, and are replaced. Emotions blend into an indistinguishable mess.
All I know is the excruciating pain, the overwhelming nausea, and the desperate need to stop and end this torment.
But it's too late. Nothing can be undone.
… My consciousness fades…
The process lasts three solar cycles.
On the fourth day, as the sun rises, a new soul is born. It is ethereal, unbound, unstoppable. Ancient will, emotions, and sorrows ripple outward like invisible waves. The space around it distorts and vibrates.
Everything continues until this soul and the space achieve perfect harmony.
…
I open my eyes to a vast, shimmering river before me. I don't know how much time has passed.
I see myself as a young woodcutter. I see myself hating because of love. I see myself striving with all my might, only to face bitter failure. I see emptiness, loneliness, and the passage of time. I see myself finding peace amid life's chaos. That moment was serene, and it led me to comprehend the law of time. Time is meaningless.
Then, I corrected everything, ensuring those who deserved it found better endings.
Dust-covered memories now revive in my mind. Every emotion, every action, is vivid and real, as if I lived them myself.
I feel joy, love, sorrow, despair, and hope anew.
But those emotions don't linger. They erode, leaving only the strongest—the unyielding. Reason, ambition, unforgettable lessons, and my understanding of time remain.
In that moment, I awaken. I realize how weak I was, how fortunate I've been, and how cruel that world was.
The rules of that world, the hidden strength in everyone I met, every detail becomes crystal clear.
…
In a flash, the scene changes.
I am a refugee, fleeing from place to place. For survival, I do what I hate most: become a soldier, aiding those who kill daily. Later, I strive and seize a chance to escape. But driven by ambition, I enter the treacherous world of politics. I rise higher in the court, earning the trust of the Empress.
At the peak of power, I reunite with an old friend. She and I share joyful days. Then, as in my weakest moments, everything is stripped away.
A catastrophe changes the world. In pain and despair, I frantically strengthen myself, leading others to victory. I become a king, an emperor. Yet, in the end, I am trapped in inescapable loneliness. As the strongest in the world, I cannot find the fulfillment I once felt beside her.
The memories fade, leaving only the toughest remnants.
The strongest emotions—those that carried me through hardships to victory—remain. I refused to let what was dearest to me be taken.
My mind flashes with hard-earned lessons, unhealed wounds, and the laws I gleaned from that world. I feel that if given another chance, I could do better, avoid mistakes, and never lose again.
The rules of that world differ, as do its cultivation methods and the flow of time, compared to my first life.
The space shifts again.
I see everything I've experienced before—my past. A boy from a mountain village, with a cultured family, a kind adoptive sister who loved me dearly…
But this time, it's different. With the perspective and knowledge of two lives, everything is clear.
I see what I must do, where I fell short, and what I must do upon my return.
…
The pain is gone. His eyes are clear, detached, his presence otherworldly, unburdened by barriers. He whispers:
"With the memories of three lives, three different worlds, and the points where they intersect—the rules that exist in all three worlds—that is the true world, the world behind the worlds. Strangely, Earth shares the most rules with that true world. That's why I could see the contradictions in this one.
That dream, those fragments of a life there…
Perhaps Earth holds more secrets than I imagined.
But this life isn't over. I must live and fulfill my purpose before diving into a greater mystery."
…
Looking at the vast, endless river, I know what it is.
I walk slowly toward the boundless field of flowers.
This isn't a place for those seeking eternal peace. It's for those who reject reality, who wish to live again. Each blooming flower here is a soul that failed before the river.
To cross this place, one needs immense desire. Otherwise, they can only become a flower, forever blooming here.
Or, they can turn back, relinquish everything, dissolve, and be reborn into a new life.
The river is the heart of this space. Descending into it grants another life.
Each time the sun or moon sets, one truly dies. When they fall into the river, they are reborn.
Above the river's sky, those radiant bands are the river of the spirit realm.
Perhaps I should visit it once.
…
"Big Brother , save me!"
I pause my aimless steps at the sound of a voice calling me.
The two female souls are still following me?
I look at them and say:
"I plan to be reborn at the moment of my death. Do you wish to be reborn?"
Rose nods without hesitation.
"I'll follow you. You two are my only friends. Wherever you go, I go."
Lily chimes in:
"Me too. I'll go wherever you go. Let's promise to meet again in the mortal world. I'll play music for you every day."
I nod and say:
"Alright. In the future, we'll surely reunite."
I extend my hand.
"Hold my hand, sisters."
…
The three of us walk slowly through the vibrant flowers, blooming with all their might, beckoning us to stay.
I explain to them about the field of flowers and the river we're approaching.
Standing on the riverbank, I gaze at the radiant bands in the sky.
I let my spirit take the lead, aligning my mental state with the river.
This state feels free, enlightened. My body emits a silver glow, and with each movement, specks of light trail behind.
The two beside me are gradually transformed into spiritual forms by my influence.
An invisible force reaches out.
We ascend, soaring toward the radiant bands in the sky…