Chapter 180: God Of Eternity (4)

"What a pity."

I tried to provoke him in my own way, but he didn't take the bait.

Could it be because something remained in him after becoming a god?

"Perhaps his senses are sharp, or his mind is extraordinary."

If he hadn't been able to hold back and attacked me, something quite interesting might have happened.

But he held back. I didn't know what he felt, but he must have sensed danger.

"It seems there aren't any complete fools."

No, to be precise, it would be correct to say that the Divine King cleared them away.

When I first came here, certain individuals who looked at me with disdain were nowhere to be seen.

The appearance of the Heaven-Surrendering Martial Emperor.

With that, I bluffed the gods of the Pantheon and Veda, but they were trying to treat me properly.

"Maybe it's because they saw the appearance of the Heaven-Surrendering Martial Emperor."

Or perhaps because I showed the power to half-kill the Demon King single-handedly.

They were cooperating with me quite obediently.

The reason I came here?

Nothing much. It was to arm the children one by one.

And one more thing.

Though I swore by my divine name, I wondered if they might have a way to circumvent it.

"At this level…"

Wisdom did not bother to attack me.

The pride of the gods is so lofty that even a slight scratch would cause them to have a fit.

At least I passed the minimum acceptable mark.

At least, they wouldn't scheme against me openly.

"Though it might be different behind my back."

I had to maintain some degree of vigilance for that as well.

Together with Yoo Eunchae, I helped arm the children and stepped outside.

"You're quite famous here as well."

A sudden voice broke the silence.

A figure had approached unnoticed.

Long, shaggy hair. Eyes glowing with a blue light.

She resembled the appearance of the Heaven-Surrendering Martial Emperor.

Though her aura was entirely different.

"…Has she changed?"

Temperament.

It seemed to have changed slightly, as if she had set aside the appearance of the Heaven-Surrendering Martial Emperor.

Did something happen?

"How do I look?"

"I think I need to fight you once to know."

As I raised my fist, Neo Seunghwa flinched.

"You still have the habit of swinging your fists out of nowhere."

"You still have the habit of sneaking near me while suppressing your presence."

"The gap between us has widened significantly. You've completely changed since last time… Have you reached transcendence?"

"Yes."

"Last time… when I saw you in the martial world, you still seemed human, but now, in less than a year, you've transcended."

She was looking at me with glowing blue eyes.

If others saw me as a monster, then she…

'Is it because the cult makes living humans into gods?'

The child regarded my existence almost religiously.

"…"

Next to me, Seon Woohyeon wore a complicated expression as he looked at Neo Seunghwa.

In response, Neo Seunghwa glanced around at the surrounding students.

"I felt it last time, but everyone here seems to be talented students."

"They're decent."

"And for some reason, there seems to be a student with whom I have a connection."

Neo Seunghwa's gaze stopped on Seon Woohyeon.

Seon Woohyeon was making a very complicated expression.

'Come to think of it.'

That kid said he learned the Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique from Neo Seunghwa.

A regressor.

An existence that defied time.

The Demon King mentioned it directly.

'If there's such a thing as a regressor, it must be that guy…'

No, it was too early to conclude.

Although time was reversed, the meaning of reversal wasn't limited to just reversing time.

Neo Seunghwa briefly looked at Seon Woohyeon, then turned her head.

"Can you explain this to me?"

"If I can't?"

"If you can't, then there's nothing I can do."

Neo Seunghwa didn't seem to have any lingering attachment.

Was it her dream to emulate the Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique?

'Did I show the wall?'

Seon Woohyeon was talented, even by my standards.

However, if asked whether he could learn the Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique, I would say it's impossible.

Neo Seunghwa probably realized that as soon as she saw Seon Woohyeon.

Seon Woohyeon learned the Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique he created for some reason, but it falls short of the original martial art.

"Truly… a foolish thing to do."

"It's possible. People usually don't know their own limits. He should consider himself lucky to have become a transcendent while struggling to imitate the Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique I created."

"…Isn't it customary to say something like 'well done' or 'you've worked hard' at times like this?"

"I'm just saying it's fortunate he came to his senses now. Better than a crow trying to follow a stork and tearing its legs apart, I suppose."

I stopped there and added,

"If you were capable of imitating me, you'd have succeeded long ago."

"…"

"Don't blame yourself too much. That Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique is quite plausible for being your delusion. After all, it laid the foundation for someone with talent, who was initially just a prodigy, to become reasonably strong."

"A prodigy? Doesn't seem that way to me…"

"I heard you reversed time. In the timeline you were obsessed with, I didn't exist… So, you can say you did well in your own way."

"…?"

Neo Seunghwa's eyes widened a bit.

On the other hand, Seon Woohyeon wore a look soaked in bewilderment.

"…Uh, since when did you know?"

"If I had to say, not long after I met you?"

It was something I learned during a conversation with Yoo Eunchae.

Back then, Yoo Eunchae was trying her hardest to kill him and Shin Yura, using all sorts of schemes.

"No way…"

Seon Woohyeon made a face that looked incredibly aggrieved.

But what could you do when it was the truth?

"If you have more to say, say it."

"…You seem to be in quite a hurry."

"Interesting things came to mind. I've found out what I needed to know…"

"I hope you achieve great success."

"Where are you going?"

"Excuse me?"

"You too, since you're so weak, come and train."

"…"

For a moment.

It seemed like my students looked at Neo Seunghwa with pity.

Probably just my imagination, though.

Busy days continued.

Teaching the kids, overseeing the martial arts and magic of Cheon Murin and Elwen.

And checking the things I possessed.

Such days went on.

Recently, I was fixated on one thing.

Divine Name of Eternity.

The power to wield it.

Using the energy of people's faith to make it one's own power.

Holy Power.

The power to wield it.

However, my interest quickly waned.

People's faith.

The power created by processing it was undoubtedly strong, but…

'The degree of freedom is very low.'

To be more precise, it was a power that moved according to my divine name.

The God of Eternity.

I could wield the power related to that.

There was an enormous amount of holy power, so in my case, I extended the time for training purposes.

Perhaps it was because I was a transcendent who had acquired a divine name related to time.

This could also be used in battle, but…

'…it's not as efficient as I thought.'

I tried creating something for attack, but it was at a level similar to the Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique.

However, at this point, having a power similar to the Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique was not very profitable.

Because…

'I'm close to a breakthrough.'

It was time to evolve my martial arts.

Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra.

And Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique.

Two arts that defined my transcendent state.

The Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra was an external martial art.

The Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique was an internal martial art and also a technique that destroyed the enemy blocking my path.

However, recently, I had started feeling that this was no longer sufficient.

Originally, I was content with this.

Even in a world dominated by magic, even in a world ruled by martial arts.

'But this time, it's different.'

Because there was a clear enemy.

One who manipulated the Demon Kings like puppets, giving them pieces of themselves to destroy the world.

A being that had always been the mastermind behind the scenes, bringing about the world's end.

And that being bore undeniable malice.

It wasn't directed at me.

But it recognized the entities I summoned with Eternity.

And what about now?

A being that could be called his puppet, the Demon King.

I dealt with five of those Demon Kings alone.

So, the existence known as the Demon God had enough reason to kill me.

Therefore.

'I must grow stronger.'

Now was the time to gain strength.

Ordinary power wouldn't suffice.

The opponent was the Demon God.

The one who created the Demon Kings that invaded dimensions.

Han Seojin, who possessed three divine names, handled it effortlessly, as if cooking, but the power I felt from him at that moment was by no means light.

Han Seojin, with three divine names, was the strongest I had ever felt.

Only with that level could I feel assured.

'If it were my 2nd or 3rd life, it would seem daunting.'

But now, the story was a bit different.

The power of faith brought from my 1st life, Holy Power.

And the unique trait, Eternity, that gave me the power of time.

Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique and Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra.

And the three rings combined with the Morning Star.

'In this state, it's rather frightening to think how high I might ascend.'

I had all the conditions to become stronger.

I slowly opened my eyes.

'Shall I train?'

It didn't become clear.

The ultimate state that I have trained and honed.

It was proof that I still couldn't fully handle my power.

If it were others, they would have clicked their tongues in disapproval, but my story was different.

There was so much to delve into.

'I have been somewhat negligent with my martial arts lately.'

Starting today, I planned to focus briefly on martial arts.

Once that was decided, a smile naturally formed.

It was my nature.

Apologies to Elwen and Cheon Murin.

But I find this time more enjoyable than being with them.

Doing what I did best.

Tearing it apart and reconstructing it.

If there was something I didn't like, I changed it.

This was why, once I focused on martial arts or magic, I secluded myself for months.

'Normally, it would be resolved within a month.'

I was a genius.

Some said I was just a lucky person, but my talent was specialized in dismantling and reconstructing things.

I still thought there was nothing I could do.

I was getting better at handling Holy Power too.

'In that case.'

I should try everything that came my way.

I thought of the Wind God's power and the Heaven-Surrendering Godly Technique.

First, I should try combining these two.

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