CHAPTER 494: THE FINAL BATTLE (4)

Generally, the Qi Absorption Technique is a method of accepting the opponent’s internal qi and making it one’s own.

A more advanced technique, the Demonic Qi Absorption Technique, goes beyond this, converting the opponent’s internal qi into demonic qi.

However, these techniques also had their limits.

Without direct contact, absorbing the opponent’s power was not possible.

Moreover, what they faced now was the Fourth Ability beyond nature, the qi of chaos.

Such power was in a realm where absorption was not only impossible but unthinkable.

‘It’s worth a try. With this method.’

Seol-Hwi was well aware of the limitations of the Qi Absorption Technique.

Therefore, he did not attempt to simply absorb the power.

He had another method.

‘Harmony means the balance of different elements. Absorption is ultimately a process of creating a new balance.’

What Seol-Hwi thought of was the power of order and harmony.

This defensive power inherently had the characteristic of accepting and neutralizing external influences.

If he could transform the opponent’s qi with the neutralizing power that turns something into nothing, absorption would be possible.

‘If I can contain demonic power in the dantian, a new microcosm will be born in the upper dantian.’

An upper dantian with a dual microcosm.

This would be a natural process, just like when Seol-Hwi ascended to the Demon God through the present realm and demonic transformation.

And if the dual microcosm could unite, it would lead to a higher dimension.

Beyond a mere Demon God, to an unknown realm existing beyond the present realm.

‘First, let’s feel the qi first.’

Seol-Hwi’s surroundings were already filled with the chaotic power emanating from all directions.

Thanks to focusing on defense with order and harmony, the qi’s of the figures created by Jang Dal couldn’t even approach.

The qis that occasionally infiltrated his body scattered immediately.

Seol-Hwi began to harmonize some of the qi that had invaded his body and started to absorb it.

‘…It’s working!’

The neutralized qi was initially pure like the qi of nature, but it transformed into various properties during the absorption process.

However, Seol-Hwi was not bothered at all.

He could freely distinguish between positive qi and dark qi using a few mental techniques.

‘What is this?’

But then, an unexpected change occurred.

Black cracks appeared along Seol-Hwi’s arm, starting to tear his flesh apart.

A groan of pain escaped him.

Desperately, he tried to convert the chaotic force into demonic qi, but the result was the exact opposite of his intention.

“Control is… impossible.”

The chaotic qi broke free from his grasp and began to run wild.

No matter how much he tried to convert it, this qi resisted more fiercely, refusing to be absorbed into his qi center.

“No… If this continues…”

Seol-Hwi gritted his teeth, feeling as if he might crumble.

His vision blurred, and the world began to twist.

Everything around him appeared distorted, and a sharp ringing screamed in his ears.

He tried desperately to hold onto consciousness, but the chaotic power surged more fiercely, as if mocking his efforts.

“No, I can’t…”

Even as he was losing consciousness, Seol-Hwi struggled desperately to endure.

He tried to recall countless past trials and moments of overcoming them to find a clue.

Then, he remembered the time when he had trained the longest to harmonize the realms of enlightenment and transcendence, and the voice that helped him overcome that training came to mind. 𝑅АɴöᛒЕS̩

“Why are you trying to achieve balance?”

Bhikkhuni’s first question.

Like a twist of fate, the question she asked during their first meeting perfectly resonated with this moment.

“You should first attempt harmony rather than balance it.”

At the time, those words merely passed by, but now they have come as a brilliant realization.

“The lower dantian and the middle dantian. You control these two energies through the upper dantian and harmonize them. Ultimately, it’s the human body that accepts it, so you create harmony within to reach the realm of the divine.”

‘The answer was the upper dantian!’

Seol-Hwi finally realized why Bhikkhuni’s words resurfaced at this moment.

She who devoted her life to the path of Buddha and attained nirvana.

She had found enlightenment not through martial arts but through scriptures, thus possessing a special answer beyond the realm of martial studies.

‘It was a power beyond the realm of internal energy from the start!’

The Fourth Ability.

No matter how harmonized, it was not something that the dantian could accept by nature.

This power that transcends nature had to be absorbed through the upper dantian, not the lower one.

“Uuuuuu—”

At that critical moment when his skin tore and his whole body threatened to burst, Seol-Hwi gritted his teeth.

He began to draw in power through the doubly constructed microcosm.

The unfamiliar energy was neutralized and seeped into the upper dantian, and his body convulsed violently to accept the new power.

Chaaaaaa—

In an instant, the mysteries of the universe unfolded before Seol-Hwi’s eyes.

The image of a grand providence, where chaos and order embraced each other and circulated, appeared before him.

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A smile of assured victory played on Jang Dal’s lips.

He believed it was only a matter of time before Seol-Hwi collapsed.

No matter how much one could nullify all power, it was ultimately just defense.

With the power of harmony and order, one could only remain on the defensive forever.

True victory requires the power of destruction and retribution. I thought the more I focused on defense, the deeper I would sink into the mire.

But then, an unexpected change occurred.

Seol-Hwi’s aura suddenly became unstable.

It was as if he was trying to embrace the power of elemental chaos, destroying himself in the process.

“You fool. Did you really think you could absorb such power?”

It’s the power of chaos that far surpasses the realm of nature.

The very idea of absorbing such a fourth power was absurd.

“Are you so eager to die?”

But right at that moment, Jang Dal’s eyes widened as he was certain of Seol-Hwi’s death.

The unstable, shaking aura began to find stability.

“What the…?”

A look of bewilderment passed over his face.

What he was convinced was impossible was happening right before his eyes.

The black and red auras enveloping Seol-Hwi’s body were circulating in perfect harmony.

“Could it be… that guy…?”

Jang Dal’s eyes sharpened.

The process of transformation into a new form was all too familiar.

A leap in state. He wouldn’t miss the step towards a higher dimension.

“No!”

With an instant decision, Jang Dal mustered all his strength.

Black mist and white light swirled and rose around him.

It was a power beyond simple elemental chaos, a different dimension.

“The source of the universe, the power of chaos!”

Crack.

The two auras fiercely clashed, pushing each other away, then instantly fused into one.

Simultaneously, the space began to warp.

He was creating the fourth power.

The highest power in the chaos lineage.

“The cycle of creation and destruction!”

From the left hand, an intangible qi surged, and from the right hand, a tangible qi burst forth.

At the point where the two qi’s met, reality tore apart, and a door to a new dimension opened.

“Do not be bound by the laws of time and space!”

The flow of time twisted.

Slowly, then sometimes swiftly, an illusion unfolded where the past and future mingled in one space.

“This is the true Fourth Ability. The ultimate chaos of yin and yang.”

A rainbow-colored current explosively erupted from the tip of Jang Dal’s fingers, rushing toward Seol-Hwi.

The dimensional force seemed intent on erasing Seol-Hwi’s very existence, engulfing his body.

Flaaash—

An intensely bright light filled the surroundings.

“Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha…….”

Jang Dal’s laughter echoed. However, the end of his laughter gradually wavered. An ominous premonition that something was wrong crept in.

Even the ultimate chaos of yin and yang, capable of erasing everything, had not completely destroyed Seol-Hwi, as he instinctively sensed.

[Unprecedented new realm detected.]

[System has activated autonomously.]

[Initiating player-specific process. This may take several seconds.]

[Player has been identified.]

Unexpectedly, a system window appeared before Jang Dal’s eyes.

The system he controlled began to react on its own.

[Target: Seol-Hwi Player]

[Initiating realm measurement process.]

The system detected Seol-Hwi’s existence.

The fact that the system found an existence that should have been completely erased by his martial prowess was incomprehensible.

[Realm measurement complete.]

[New realm detected.]

[Searching for appropriate terminology.......]

Jang Dal’s eyes widened.

Selecting a realm meant a state that could not be explained by any existing realm.

[...Demon and Gods Realm.]

“What kind of nonsense is this…….”

Demons and Gods Realm.

At first glance, it seemed like a plausible realm.

However, even the Natural Realm, which contrasts with the demon in Central Murim’s Martial Arts, was dismissed as nonsense, and this was beyond that.

It was a realm that even Jang Dal, with all the authority and abilities of the system, could not comprehend.

[Starting realm analysis.]

[Generating Demons and Gods Realm status report.......]

The system, as if reading his confusion, began a detailed analysis.

[Status analysis complete]

- Demons and Gods Realm is a state that transcends the opposing forces of gods and demons.

- He created an error even while within the system. It is hypothesized that he may exist beyond the boundary. He may share two dimensions.

- The system cannot control him and cannot exert any influence.

“That’s ridiculous!”

Jang Dal’s denial was natural.

How could he believe in a realm he had never heard of, even after reaching the realm of a god?

But the system continued to pour out information undeterred.

[Additional analysis complete]

- He has harmonized the characteristics of Profound Demon and Immortal Realm.

- He has achieved harmony between the opposing forces of demon and celestial.

- He is a being of a new dimension.

- He has perfectly achieved harmony and balance between chaos and order.

Jang Dal stared at the system window with empty eyes, as if in disbelief.

[Warning!]

[Administrator attention required]

[Potential loss of system control detected.]

At that moment, a light shimmered, and a presence appeared.

Still, the light was wrapping around his body, and perhaps because of that, Seol-Hwi’s face was shining brilliantly.

“There are still those who struggle.”

Boom!

Those who continued to unleash powerful energy in all directions without stopping their attack.

The men created by Jang Dal still did not cease their assault.

Seol-Hwi waved his hand once towards them.

Swoosh—

That was enough. Every being except Jang Dal vanished without a trace.

“Now I can see you properly, Jang Dal.”

“What on earth… what on earth has happened?”

Jang Dal instinctively realized he was facing a completely different entity.

Perhaps because of that, his voice was slightly trembling.

“Just a slight mental change, you could say.”

“A slight change?”

Jang Dal’s voice sharpened.

“What kind of change are you talking about?”

“Hmm… there are quite a few if I think about it.”

“I’m asking what kind of change!”

At Jang Dal’s anxious outburst, Seol-Hwi smiled.

“Are you that curious?”

“I am.”

“Alright. I’ll tell you just one thing. For example…”

Seol-Hwi closed and opened his eyes. A pure white light filled the space. His existence seemed to have transcended the human realm.

“As you said, your life is infinite within the system. However…”

Seol-Hwi slowly raised his head and pointed upwards with his finger.

“From the outside, it looks completely different.”