One of the things that Seol-Hwi felt was different from before was “hearing”.
He could now feel the vibrations of sound waves in the air.
From small waves to bigger waves, he started to feel them all in detail. The flitting of an insect, or the flap of a bird’s wings.
A multitude of different sounds were delivered to him.
And the sensations felt through his skin were also different from before.
Seol-Hwi was aware of how solid the ground was, the fabric of the clothes on his body, and every breath that he inhaled and exhaled from his lungs.
Even the breathing of the simulated Gu Yeom could be felt by him.
Is that why?
<Get ready.> <5… 4… 3...>
Despite seeing the Mount Hua Elder who had put him in a corner before, Seol-Hwi did not feel any strong emotions.
<Begin!>
The fight started just as it did previously.
As soon as the word ‘Begin’ appeared, the opponent ran straight towards him.
Still, Seol-Hwi didn’t move. Unlike before, when he would get flustered, he stood there and watched the movements of his enemy.
Was he always this slow?
Seol-Hwi understood right away.
Gu Yeom’s movements were as fast as they were before. But Seol-Hwi himself wasn’t the same person - he could now easily keep up with them.
Klaang!
As soon as their swords clashed, a burst of powerful lightning flashed on Gu Yeom’s side.
He had deliberately collided with Seol-Hwi in order to prepare this. But instead of Seol-Hwi,
“Kuak!”
It was Gu Yeom who had been pushed back.
And Seol-Hwi, who had yet to even use any of his internal energy, stood firm.
“How dare you!”
Gu Yeom roared in anger. On the outside, Seol-Hwi didn’t react. Inwardly, he was shocked at his opponent’s rage.
Could it be…?
The opponent wasn’t just weak, but much weaker than Seol-Hwi.
It was safe to say that Gu Yeom used internal energy realizing that.
Even though Seol-Hwi thought he was strong enough to suppress Gu Yeom, he didn’t think the gap would be this huge.
Shouldn’t there not be much difference between the old man and my martial arts? So why…?
Gu Yeom was at the beginning of his Godly State.
If it’s the beginning, it means that Seol-Hwi was still lacking.
In the Orthodox Sects, the Godly State is similar to the Heavenly Demon State, which means Gu Yeom is somewhere above Super Master level but still lower than Heavenly Demon level.
At the end of the day, it’s all because of health and internal energy.
For now, that was the only reason Seol-Hwi could think of. If their levels were almost the same, then it was his health and internal energy which was displaying this tremendous power.
The current battle was telling him that.
“Hahhh!”
Seol-Hwi didn’t know what kind of martial arts was being used, but it wasn’t difficult or unpredictable enough to not counterattack.
Seol-Hwi, after clashing multiple more times against Gu Yeom, grew impatient.
“Hey, just use the Plum Blossom Sword Technique already.”
“…”
“I want to fight against that, not whatever you’re doing right now.”
They were words which came out in a moment of frustration. But they only served to provoke Gu Yeom even more.
“You-!”
The man was so angry that the veins on his forehead were ready to burst.
Gu Yeom’s energy circulated around him. In the face of such an adversary, Seol-Hwi didn’t back down at all.
When viewed from a distance, it was a sword dance that would be wonderful to see.
Seol-Hwi raised his hand, and touched his cheek.
Blood…
A scratch, from Gu Yeom’s sword and the Plum Blossom Sword Technique. It had just barely passed by his face.
Seol-Hwi was a little surprised.
He didn’t think that the Plum Blossom Sword Technique in his mind, would actually be used by Gu Yeom. This was because he knew that the Plum Blossom Sword Technique could only be fully realized through the training of Mount Hua, along with their own cultivation.
Seol-Hwi retreated when the attack failed.
It was a glamorous and splendid technique. Since Gu Yeom was concerned about the movement and accuracy, he did not manage to take the life of his opponent.
“Damn it!”
Gu Yeom realized his mistake.
He unleashed the technique, anticipating that it would force Seol-Hwi to move, but the adversary only stood there motionlessly.
At a time when Gu Yeom was desperate to cut him down, Seol-Hwi simply took one step forward and avoided it.
“Are you upset?”
Seol-Hwi asked Gu Yeom. He gestured towards the old man.
“Then try again.”
At those words, Gu Yeom smiled.
Swish!
When given the chance to make up for his mistake, his eyes shone with killing intent, and he rushed towards Seol-Hwi.
But this time, Seol-Hwi did not stay still. The blood on his hand dripped into his eyes.
Seol-Hwi had a chance to observe the famous Plum Blossom Sword Technique. Now, it was his turn.
<Supreme Low Temperature Ice>
He saw Gu Yeom’s sword pass close to his head.
Very slowly, watching as the sword came to cut him, Seol-Hwi moved.
He ducked, and dodged his opponent’s blade. At the same time, he went after Gu Yeom’s neck with the Windwalker Demon Sword.
The effects of Supreme Low Temperature Ice ended, and the simulated Gu Yeom disappeared.
<You have won!>
Seol-Hwi glanced briefly at the notification announcing his victory, and then sheathed his weapon.
Seol-Hwi didn’t stop training.
He no longer continued his hellish runs or climbs up the mountain, but he did continue to meditate.
Seol-Hwi knew. Although he had achieved ten times more strength, he only had half of a realization.
And there are two reasons why.
The first was combat power. After some time, Seol-Hwi discovered he now had 19.99 million.
But he had to hit 30 million to be at Supreme Demon level. Just like the Supreme Pavilion Lord.
During their fight, the number estimated by the Simulation was 30 million. Sama Gwi’s power would be much higher in reality, so Seol-Hwi would have to train harder to get his own combat power to at least 30 million.
The second was cultivation.
Even though the meridians of his body were penetrated in order to allow energy to flow around, Seol-Hwi couldn’t do that to the meridian in his head.
The meridian in one’s head was only accessible when the Ren and Du meridian channels were opened.
Usually, that was something the Sect would supervise. Seol-Hwi currently only had a half-opened path.
As a result, he was unable to cross the wall fully.
If only I had a master…
Despite having strong martial arts, Seol-Hwi couldn’t grow without the guidance of a master. There were too many paths ahead, and he wasn’t sure where to go.
So, in the end, there was no choice but to aim for physical training, internal training, and even mental training, all on his own.
Isn’t it impossible to fight the Supreme Pavilion Lord?
Even after a few days passed and the Simulation could be used, Seol-Hwi didn’t try. As he managed to climb higher, he understood what Supreme Demon level was.
Not to mention, the difference between Seol-Hwi and the Supreme Pavilion Lord’s health and internal energy.
I need to find a way on my own…
So every day he waited for another realization.
To find a clue, Seol-Hwi immersed himself in meditation.
“I did ittttt!”
“Captain! I did it!”
It had been 4 months and 10 days since they came here.
Two people ran towards Seol-Hwi, who was cultivating, as if competing with each other to get there first.
The two men were Yong Jin and Imugi.
“You’re here?”
Seol-Hwi asked them warmly.
“Hmph! I’m first.”
“What are you talking about, idiot! I was faster!”
They were both gasping for air.
Seeing them like that, Seol-Hwi was astonished. Yong Jin and Imugi both appeared far stronger than before.
Seol-Hwi, as he became more powerful, could recognize the achievements of others.
The wall… does this mean it can be broken so easily?
Seol-Hwi felt a bit depressed.
He struggled countless days on end, at the verge of death, to overcome his wall.
However, they grew on their own, without any help from a system like Seol-Hwi.
But, at the same time, it wasn’t like he couldn’t understand it.
Seol-Hwi was the one who recognized these people and decided to become their captain. In addition, because of their bodies which were suitable for the demonic nature of the Sect, they were able to cross the wall.
It was for this reason that Seo Ryeong once said working and training hard made no sense.
Just look at Imugi, after all.
He could be on par with any captain. Although he gets kicked around for his mistakes, he was still a disciple of Elder Baekhon.
“Here!”
“Here it is!”
Seol-Hwi held out his hand to receive their Divine Weapons.
The Crescent Blade, and Willow Leaf Blade.
The Crescent Blade was closer to a woman’s sword, rather than a man’s. It was thin and agile, making it much lighter than other existing swords.
The Willow Leaf Blade was named such because its blade resembled the willow leaf - it had a slightly curved shape.
Both were similarly easy to use. Seol-Hwi was curious as to what kind of abilities they held.
*Crescent Blade Skill Table* [Moving Under the Moon]: ↓↑, AC *Willow Leaf Blade Skill Table* [Vertical Horizontal Sword]: ← →, AB
“Mine is better.”
“Captain! That divine weapon of his has nothing good, right?”
While Seol-Hwi was examining their weapons, Yong Jin and Imugi were fighting. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. Looking at Yong Jin, he asked,
“But…What did you do with the axe you had before?”
“Huh? Axe? What axe?”
“Your former weapon. Didn’t you say something when I helped you before?”
“Huh? Me? I don’t remember…”
Yong Jin tilted his head, and Seol-Hwi’s eyes widened.
“Hold on…”
It was there before, but now it didn’t exist.
It was lost when we went back in time!
When Seol-Hwi’s subordinates died, it seemed like the weapons they had on them disappeared.
Then, even these…
Seol-Hwi stared at the two swords in his hands. When his subordinates die, these will also vanish.
Weapons which couldn’t be obtained in normal circumstances or situations.
I see.
Seol-Hwi felt troubled now.
Divine Weapons - they gave their wielders more strength than possible on their own. It wasn’t easy to obtain them.
And since they would be lost in the location where their wielders died, it was tough to get them back. And what if Seol-Hwi died before his subordinates? He can’t even put them into his toolbox.
Right, this is why we can’t go back anymore.
Seol-Hwi now understood what it meant - the Main Story.
After their training schedule passed, time would begin to flow in earnest, and it would not be easy to come back to this point here.
And his subordinates’ abilities would also drop for a while.
“This… this could be the last save.”
Seol-Hwi felt his heart skip a beat.
The curse, and chances, he had.
It seemed to be a poorly created situation, but in reality, it was elaborately designed.
As if someone intended it.