CHAPTER 490: THE END POINT (9)

Jang Dal is a figure who achieved a rise in status through demonic arts, ultimately reaching the rank of a Demon God.

At the same time, he is a cowardly coward who, fearing the martial arts of the orthodox faction, closed off all martial arts leading to the transcendental state.

Seol-Hwi was clearly aware of that.

Therefore, he was not afraid at all in front of the gate created by Jang Dal.

He had ascended to a Demon God after experiencing the tedious process of trying to impose restrictions using the system.

Thus, he was confident in overcoming whatever restrictions he might impose.

“That’s what brainwashed memories are like. It only makes sense if I’m a being who uses heinous demonic arts.”

However, the reaction from Earth Demon due to the Justice Faction martial arts was purely coincidental.

In Earth Demon’s memory, Seol-Hwi was only a user of demonic arts.

Neither he nor Jang Dal could have predicted Seol-Hwi displaying orthodox martial arts.

“Then the memories in my head are really…”

Earth Demon’s voice wavered.

“I told you. They were fabricated. You are a person who shouldn’t exist in the first place.”

“A person who shouldn’t exist?”

Seol-Hwi’s response was cold and firm.

At such an attitude, Earth Demon showed an overtly flustered expression.

Seeing him react now to words he had previously ignored, it seemed the situation had become too complicated to dismiss any longer.

Seol-Hwi continued, meeting Earth Demon’s eyes directly.

“Yes. And there is someone who brainwashed you with false memories. Someone who manipulates the world as they please and traps people in the system. And when you disappear, he is the one who will appear before my eyes.”

“…Who is he?”

“Jang Dal. The one who possesses absolute power in this world.”

Earth Demon remained silent for a moment.

His expression still appeared calm, but deep within his eyes, complex thoughts seemed to be swirling.

“My emotions are becoming unstable.”

Seol-Hwi sensed a subtle stirring of energy around Earth Demon.

Thus, he instinctively knew that what Earth Demon needed now was not just simple truth, but something to quell his inner turmoil.

“I, I am…”

“Earth Demon. I have seen you in the past.”

Earth Demon’s gaze fixed on Seol-Hwi. His face showed a mix of complex emotions, but most prominently, intense curiosity.

“Back then, you were twenty years old. You were delaying the manifestation of your constitution with potent spiritual pills. Would you like to hear more?” ᚱ𝐚ꞐőВΕꞩ

At Seol-Hwi’s words, Earth Demon nodded.

“The you I met then chose to conform rather than resist. Upon entering the cult as a disciple, you must have realized that the power struggle among the disciples was maintained by your Heavenly Killing Star.”

Seol-Hwi unraveled memories from the past one by one.

Earth Demon still didn’t drop his doubtful gaze but clearly listened intently at times.

Especially when it came to stories about his subordinates, he seemed to focus even more.

“Your goal wasn’t to win the successor battle. You simply wished for everything to end without major uproar and to leave quietly.”

As Seol-Hwi explained Earth Demon’s past thoughts and aspirations, a peculiar light appeared in his eyes.

With a look that seemed to understand yet not fully grasp.

“Whether you believe it or not, that was your choice. I’m merely sharing what I know as someone who had the deepest connection with you.”

“Deep connection…”

Earth Demon mumbled as if chewing over those words. After a moment of thought, he looked at Seol-Hwi and asked.

“Why did I consider you close?”

“Well, maybe because I catered to your whims better than others?”

“…Heh.”

A small smile spread across his lips. He seemed to catch on to Seol-Hwi’s joke.

Meanwhile, Seol-Hwi briefly glanced around.

A completely enclosed space, and the gateway before them. It felt somewhat unnatural to be saying this to this virtual Earth Demon created by the system.

Nevertheless, Seol-Hwi continued to speak.

“You never told me the reason directly. Now that I think about it, I recall something someone in a similar situation to you said.”

“…?”

“They said it seemed romantic. Watching me carve out an impossible life, they said such things.”

Earth Demon’s eyebrows slightly raised. He listened intently to Seol-Hwi.

“Perhaps, like that person said, to someone like you who lived in conformity, I might have seemed a bit special.”

Earth Demon fell into a deep silence at those words.

Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, as the playful smile disappeared from his face.

After being lost in thought for a while, he suddenly burst into loud laughter.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Earth Demon’s laughter echoed through the space.

Whether that laughter was in agreement or disagreement was unclear, but it seemed to reveal his confused inner self.

Earth Demon spoke.

“Yeah. I might not have chosen power, after all. The reason I came to the Demon Sect in the first place was…”

“You said you were abandoned by Wudang Sect.”

Suddenly, Earth Demon’s eyes widened.

He appeared surprised to realize that the other person knew about such a part of his past.

‘As expected. Jang Dal didn’t change the detailed memories.’

All Jang Dal did was implant new memories into Earth Demon.

Earth Demon still retained his past memories.

Thinking about it, that made sense too.

To have the characteristics of the Fourth Disciple and the Heavenly Killing Star, the previous memories had to remain untouched.

“No wonder, the more we talked, the stranger it felt…….”

The look in Earth Demon’s eyes had changed from before.

The memories of considering him a villain, the perception of Seol-Hwi as a being trying to destroy the world, were being shaken.

Perhaps that’s why he asked first this time.

“What was I doing there?”

As he began to think, he started to recall his own memories.

As if trying to compare his own memories with the Seol-Hwi in front of him, he was asking about the ‘past Earth Demon.’

“You resisted silently. Waiting for the right moment might be a more fitting expression. I think you met me around that time.”

“…….”

“That’s when the changes began. At times you had bold goals, sometimes you held your breath. Occasionally, you even drew your sword against your fellow disciples.”

Earth Demon’s eyes widened.

“Occasionally?”

“Yes. I met you several times, and each time the situation was different. Ah, I almost forgot to mention this.”

As Earth Demon’s expression turned confused, Seol-Hwi continued.

“For your information, I am a person who has returned countless times. And the turning points of my returns were centered around you. That’s why I was able to meet you each time.”

“What……?!”

A surprised exclamation burst from Earth Demon’s mouth.

His eyes widened in disbelief, and his body momentarily froze.

Seol-Hwi’s words seemed to completely shake his perception of reality.

“…….”

“…….”

Silence enveloped the two. Only Earth Demon’s heavy breathing filled the quiet space.

Then a smile slowly spread across his face.

“At least I can admit that you’re as complex of a being as I am.”

Earth Demon slowly lifted his head to look at Seol-Hwi.

In his eyes now lay a new determination.

Earth Demon closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again to speak.

“So, what do you plan to do next? It seems like you’re fighting against the being who made us this way… Do you think you have a chance?”

Earth Demon’s voice carried weight. His gaze was now imbued with seriousness, unlike before.

He seemed to have started accepting some part of Seol-Hwi’s words.

Seol-Hwi blinked as if pondering for a moment, then answered.

“We’ll only know by trying.”

“What happens if you kill him?”

“I’ll become a true god.”

“What happens when you become a god?”

“I’ll be able to wield absolute power. If I’m lucky, I might gain a few abilities.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes, that’s all there is.”

Seol-Hwi’s tone was nonchalant, but a deeper intention was hidden within him.

From the choices first proposed by the Siming Star, he chose to fight him.

It was only later that he realized how desperately he needed his abilities.

The true reason Seol-Hwi came here.

It wasn’t simply for victory, but for the acquisition of power.

“A god, truly a complex world.”

Earth Demon muttered.

A moment of silence passed, and he spoke again.

“Is there a way to win this? You can’t even stop my current power, can you?”

“Well…”

When Seol-Hwi hesitated, Earth Demon asked again.

“Then why did you come here? If you didn’t come because you had a chance of winning?”

“I originally had enough power to defeat you. But coming here imposed restrictions.”

“What kind of restrictions?”

“I can’t regress like before, and I can’t use my previous power.”

“…I see.”

As Earth Demon nodded, Seol-Hwi’s gaze deepened.

“If there’s any hope, it’s that the realizations from the past are still in my mind. That’s why I could grow rapidly despite many restrictions.”

“So, can’t you grow any more now?”

“It takes quite a bit of time. No matter how important realizations are, if the mind and body can’t keep up, it’s all in vain. Maybe if there were countless absolute spiritual pills..”

“So there’s no way.”

“Well…”

Seol-Hwi trailed off.

Hearing this, Earth Demon pondered for a moment before speaking.

“It might not be the way you want, but I can give you something with the effect of an absolute spiritual pill.”

“What?”

Seol-Hwi asked again, thinking he might have misheard.

In response, Earth Demon spoke calmly.

“I can transfer my internal qi to you. Of course, accepting it is another matter.”

“Then… could it be that method…”

“Yes. The final power of the Heavenly Killing Star. You absorb the life force.”

Seol-Hwi felt a chill run through his body. Before his eyes, the fourth power, the realm of the Demon God, flickered.

Beyond the Taiji, the chaos power he would pass on.

“As I said before, the part where you might be swept away by my power is something you have to solve. You know my power can’t be controlled, right?”

There was a warning in Earth Demon’s voice.

Seol-Hwi nodded his head.

If he could control that power, he would have become a Demon God, not a celestial killer in the first place.

“It’s your choice. Whether to accept my proposal.”

Earth Demon’s voice quietly resonated.

Seol-Hwi answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“How could I refuse? That’s the only way for now.”

“Consider that I might suddenly change.”

As Earth Demon’s eyebrows slightly rose, a bitter smile spread across Seol-Hwi’s lips.

“Anyway, the chance of me dying because I can’t handle your power is about the same.”

“Indeed.”

Earth Demon laughed along.

Their eyes met.

Although the conversation wasn’t long, there was an oddly comfortable atmosphere between them.

“How do you plan to transfer the internal qi?”

Seol-Hwi asked.

“Through the vital points, I plan to transfer all my internal qi to you.”

“……Understood.”

With a short answer, this time Earth Demon asked back.

“A tremendous force will likely descend upon you. I don’t think you can control it.”

“Don’t worry. It’s a bit different, but I’ve done it once in the past.”

“……Really?”

“Yes.”

Earth Demon found it hard to believe, but Seol-Hwi’s words were true.

The memory of challenging himself by consuming absolute spiritual pills to escape the system came to mind.

Swoosh.

As Seol-Hwi sat in a lotus position, Earth Demon sat behind him.

When a strange tension filled the air, Seol-Hwi closed his eyes.

After a while, Earth Demon’s voice quietly resonated.

“If you survive here, in the next life…….”

Earth Demon paused for a moment.

However, Seol-Hwi already knew what he was going to say.

“Sure, let’s have a drink.”

Earth Demon hesitated for a moment, then lifted the corners of his mouth.

And soon, he spoke in a determined voice.

“Let’s begin.”