Seo-jun was currently concealing his cultivation level.
It wasn’t because he suddenly felt like playing coy with his power.
The Demon Transformation Realm was a highly distinctive state where one’s very being turned into demonic energy, and it was nearly indistinguishable from Extreme Demonic Mastery—making it far too eye-catching.
Now that he knew the Priestess was looking for him, he saw no reason to attract unnecessary attention.
Because of that, Hwan Chi-seong had mistaken Seo-jun’s level for Supreme Mastery. After all, even in Tian Shan, it didn’t make sense for someone at Extreme Demonic Mastery to be a complete unknown.
Flash—!
Hwan Chi-seong’s body staggered as he deflected Seo-jun’s Reversal Sun and Moon Arts with a lightning-quick draw.
“Urgh…!”
The power was no joke. Forced to disperse the force with a quick spin, Hwan Chi-seong kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.
Thwack!
No sooner had he risen than several more blasts of Reversal Sun and Moon Arts flew toward him. He gritted his teeth and gripped the hilt of his saber tightly.
“Hmph…!”
Boom—! Unfolding his body midair, he kicked off an invisible foothold. The energy grazed his robes as his eyes glinted.
‘An opening.’
The moment he spotted it, he drew his saber.
Flash—!
The blade’s tip barely brushed Seo-jun’s sleeve.
Hwan Chi-seong focused entirely on closing the distance, dodging Seo-jun’s attacks, and countering. Since Seo-jun was keeping his distance, Hwan Chi-seong had no choice but to keep pursuing him.
After a few exchanges, Seo-jun clicked his tongue.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
“Of course not.”
Grinning, Hwan Chi-seong bent low. His swift motion sent his long robes flaring in the air. Thwack! He kicked off the ground, darting forward like a beam of light.
The speed was absurd. Seo-jun raised an eyebrow and drew his sword.
‘Finally.’
Hwan Chi-seong tensed as he detonated his internal energy in an instant. Boom—! It was like thunderclaps exploding inside Seo-jun’s ears as Hwan Chi-seong drew his saber.
Lightning Slash Blade.
A technique he had created himself—a path opened by his own martial arts.
The saber accelerated as it left the sheath, gaining explosive momentum and scattering light as it shot toward Seo-jun.
Flash—!
Faster than before, the saber aimed straight for Seo-jun. Calmly, Seo-jun raised his sword with one hand.
Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.
Crackle—! Black lightning danced along the blade. It was the Violet Thunder Demonic Arts he had mastered with ease.
Lightning infused with demonic energy struck down as if pulling the heavens to the earth.
Mountain-Crushing Strike.
Rumble—!!!
Hwan Chi-seong, overwhelmed by the crushing pressure, quickly dodged.
Boom—!
The impact left a crater so deep the bottom was out of sight. Hwan Chi-seong let out a hollow laugh and stared at Seo-jun with sharp eyes.
“You live up to that arrogant gaze of yours.”
Seo-jun didn’t reply. He simply flicked his sword, looking as if this were just practice.
Hwan Chi-seong burst out laughing and gripped his saber’s hilt again.
Rumble—!
Thunder roared within him, sparked by inspiration from Seo-jun’s earlier strike.
He savored the tingling sensation coursing through his body as he took another step forward.
A wall blocking his path—the sword in front of him showed him the way beyond it.
“Now I see.”
In a flash of insight, lightning surged along his meridians.
“For my entire life, I’ve wondered—can humans truly understand one another?”
Seo-jun furrowed his brow.
“What kind of nonsense is this in the middle of a fight?”
“I don’t expect you to understand. To claim to understand another is an illusion—arrogance. Humans can only infer others’ feelings based on their own experiences. No matter how many times we try, we’ll never reach the truth.”
Seo-jun gave him a curious look but didn’t attack. Hwan Chi-seong silently thanked him for his patience as he organized his thoughts.
“In the end, the only thing we can truly understand is ourselves. By knowing myself, I approach the truth.”
Crack—!
The dam broke.
Surging insight swept through his soul, and his fragmented Essence, Energy, and Spirit melded together, steeped in demonic energy.
“I am my true self.”
Flash—!
A sinister light flickered in Hwan Chi-seong’s eyes. Behind him, five dim rings of energy formed.
Five Qi Converging to the Origin.
Hwan Chi-seong had entered Extreme Demonic Mastery.
His sharp gaze locked onto Seo-jun.
“My vision is clear. The air feels fresh. Becoming one with demonic energy isn’t so bad after all.”
Ssss… His breath escaped in heated wisps.
Overcome by the desire to cut down the opponent before him, Hwan Chi-seong gripped his saber tightly.
Seo-jun’s eyes widened as he took in the sight.
“…You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Prepare to pay for your arrogance.”
“No, seriously, is this it? I didn’t even need to come all the way to the Demonic Cult for this.”
Hwan Chi-seong narrowed his eyes.
“What are you—”
Flash—!
Behind Seo-jun, five dark rings formed, clear and distinct.
Seo-jun had entered Extreme Demonic Mastery.
***
Seo-jun had swung his sword with deliberate intent—almost like passing on enlightenment—hoping Hwan Chi-seong would ascend to Extreme Demonic Mastery.
And then this guy started spouting nonsense.
“I am my true self.”
What was he even talking about?
Seo-jun didn’t know, but he could tell one thing—that statement was probably correct.
Didn’t Hwan Chi-seong just claim humans could never truly understand one another? Well, Seo-jun definitely didn’t understand a word coming out of his mouth.
And just like that, Hwan Chi-seong reached Extreme Demonic Mastery.
His Essence, Energy, and Spirit were bound together by demonic energy, forming an unbreakable unity.
Seo-jun had expected there to be something more to Extreme Demonic Mastery.
He figured it couldn’t be this simple—especially since it was supposed to rival the Demon Transformation Realm.
But he was wrong.
“…You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Prepare to pay the price for your arrogance.”
“No, seriously, is this it? I didn’t even need to come all the way to the Demonic Cult for this.”
The Sword God had once told Seo-jun that what he needed was time.
That fruits required time to ripen and gods needed time to mature—some philosophical nonsense like that.
It was all a load of crap.
Seo-jun could’ve done this on the spot back then.
‘How did that old man even achieve ascension?’
Letting out a hollow laugh, Seo-jun steeped his Essence, Energy, and Spirit in demonic energy.
And he, too, reached Extreme Demonic Mastery.
No grand spectacle. No sudden upheaval.
It was shockingly easy—so easy, in fact, that it was hard to believe this realm could be compared to Demon Transformation or Qi Spirit Realm.
No, Demon Transformation did feel half a step ahead of Extreme Demonic Mastery.
“How… how is this possible?”
Hwan Chi-seong stood frozen, mouth agape.
Seo-jun ignored him, continuing his train of thought.
Demon Transformation and Extreme Demonic Mastery.
The two concepts weren’t in conflict. Demon Transformation was simply an unusual realm.
It didn’t disrupt the balance of Essence, Energy, and Spirit. Instead, it allowed one to ascend by becoming pure demonic energy while keeping their foundation intact.
In other words, it was possible to achieve both realms simultaneously.
Now, having reached Extreme Demonic Mastery while maintaining Demon Transformation, Seo-jun gazed at the world shining before him and let out another dry laugh.
“This is ridiculous… If I’d just started with demonic arts, I’d have gotten here ages ago.”
What a long detour this had been. Suppressing the wild urges boiling inside him, Seo-jun turned back to Hwan Chi-seong.
Still stunned, Hwan Chi-seong suddenly shouted.
“Shut up…!”
Clenching his teeth, he drew his saber. Flash! A sharp, clean slash aimed straight for Seo-jun’s neck.
Seo-jun didn’t move. He looked like he hadn’t even reacted.
Clang!
But the saber bounced off harmlessly.
As soon as it neared Seo-jun, his demonic aura scattered the blade’s energy, and the saber couldn’t even scratch his defensive qi.
Hwan Chi-seong’s eyes shook violently.
This couldn’t be happening. It was too unfair.
“Ahhhhh…!”
The demonic energy that had tainted Hwan Chi-seong surged out of control, becoming a Heart Demon.
A lifetime of training and enlightenment—his hard-fought breakthrough—all of it had been denied in an instant.
‘No. Don’t waver. It’s an illusion.’
He tried to convince himself.
Surely, Seo-jun must have already been at Extreme Demonic Mastery.
Surely, this was just an old monster humiliating a junior for fun—a twisted psychopath who didn’t know how to act his age.
But deep down, Hwan Chi-seong knew the truth.
Seo-jun had reached Extreme Demonic Mastery right here, right now.
His carefully composed mind crumbled.
Having barely adapted to Extreme Demonic Mastery, Hwan Chi-seong couldn’t handle the flood of demonic energy pouring into his soul.
Demonic energy was fickle—just like Mara, the source of all demons.
Extreme Demonic Mastery was a process of resembling Mara.
But without full mastery, practitioners always carried the risk of being consumed by their Heart Demon.
“Grrraaahh…!”
Why? How?
Wasn’t he supposed to be a genius?
What could he possibly do against such overwhelming, absurd talent?
His mind collapsed, and demonic energy filled the void.
The energy seeped deep into him, completely corrupting Hwan Chi-seong.
“Aaaaahhhh—!”
With arms blackened by demonic energy, he gripped his saber.
Black energy flowed from his eyes as he locked onto his target—the incarnation of absurdity standing before him.
Flash!
Faster than light—further, deeper—the saber streaked toward Seo-jun.
Hwan Chi-seong saw it.
The man smiled.
Ting!
The saber bounced off again, completely meaningless.
Hwan Chi-seong’s vision went blank.
Rage turned to lightning, burning away his reason.
Faster. Beyond light.
How far could he push himself?
One more step—toward the end of causality itself.
“Graaaahh…!”
Hwan Chi-seong’s body turned to light, his flesh dissolving and transforming into pure demonic energy.
Another limit shattered.
Seo-jun smirked, fully aware of his rising excitement.
It was the demonic energy—it stirred within him, but it didn’t feel harmful.
He focused on his blade, channeling his will.
Heavenly Demon Divine Sword—Third Form: The Path of Immortals.
Whoosh—!
The sword pierced through the heavens, skewering Hwan Chi-seong’s saber mid-strike.
“Aaaah…!”
Driven mad, Hwan Chi-seong ripped off his own left arm, wielding it like a blade.
Black blood sprayed as the severed limb became his new weapon.
The scent of blood filled the air, and Seo-jun felt elation rise within him.
His mind went white, and a sharp thrill shot down his spine, mingling with a sense of liberation.
Crack—!
Horns pierced through his temples.
Hwan Chi-seong ignored it, swinging his severed arm—now a blade—toward Seo-jun. Blackened blood carved sharp arcs, aiming to engulf him.
Heavenly Demon’s Imperial Step.
Boom—!
Seo-jun stomped down, and Hwan Chi-seong’s body crashed into the ground. Spreading his arms wide, Seo-jun grinned brightly.
Buzz—
The Five Qi Converging to the Origin spun behind Seo-jun’s back. At the center of the rings, demonic energy condensed into five orbs. With a flick of his hand, Reversal Sun and Moon Arts burst forth.
Whoosh—!
Five pillars of energy pierced the earth. The rings of Five Qi Converging to the Origin gathered energy and unleashed it automatically, without Seo-jun needing to direct them.
“Gaaahh…!”
Hwan Chi-seong’s distorted, unstable body launched into the air. The energy beams grazed him, slicing chunks from his form.
The severed arm in his right hand melted further, turning darker, sharper—no longer a limb but a blade.
Flash—!
It was faster than ever before—so fast it chased after light itself.
But it still didn’t reach.
Petals bloomed in midair.
Hwan Chi-seong’s blade stopped, blocked by a single petal.
Tears as black as ink streamed down his face.
‘Ah…!’
His chest tightened. He saw Seo-jun standing above him—horns crowning his head, floating serenely in the air, looking down with cold indifference.
The more he tried to grasp Seo-jun’s existence, the more his own self unraveled.
An endless abyss.
A step into the void where his identity blurred.
“This… is absurd.”
It was his final breath.
The scattered petals merged into three flowers.
Mouths opened within them and devoured Hwan Chi-seong whole.
Crunch—!
A few droplets of black blood were all that remained.
Hwan Chi-seong’s horse, So-cheong, whinnied and charged forward, eyes bloodshot.
The demonic energy gathered at its head formed horns, aiming for Seo-jun’s chest.
Swish—
Seo-jun swung his sword and severed the horse’s neck.
So-cheong collapsed, tears dripping from its eyes as it died.
Seo-jun sat cross-legged in midair, the three flowers and five rings orbiting him as he floated higher.
The demonic energy around him whimpered, begging for more blood.
And Seo-jun realized something.
Mature Extreme Demonic Masters were probably calm.
Anyone who wasn’t—anyone who failed to achieve that balance—had likely succumbed to their Heart Demons and died.
Extreme Demonic Mastery was inherently unstable.
Of course, that didn’t apply to him.
“Quiet.”
With a single word, the urges clouding his mind vanished.
Demon Transformation and Extreme Demonic Mastery.
He had achieved both, inside and out, completely embodying the demonic path.
What should he call this state?
While pondering the question, Seo-jun sensed something.
Looking around carefully, he burst into laughter.
“Well… I’m screwed.”
The Priestess?
She had to be the woman approaching from the distance.
Two Extreme Demonic Masters flanked her.
And surrounding them were thousands of demonic cultivators.
When the hell had they all arrived?
“Pleased to meet you.”
The woman’s voice resonated through the air.
Her flame-like eyes locked onto Seo-jun.
“We finally meet… Seed of the Demonic Lord.”