---

Chapter 469 – Good to See You.

When I opened my eyes, the first sensation I felt was—

The feeling of being held by someone.

Swish—swish.

I could sense a cautious touch.

It was the sensation of my back being gently stroked.

I slowly lifted my head to assess the situation.

“… Huh?”

Had I tossed around too much? The soothing hand on my back abruptly stopped, and I locked eyes with the person holding me.

It was the Demon Sword Queen.

She widened her eyes as she looked at me.

“… You’re… awake?”

“…”

The Demon Sword Queen looked utterly worn out.

I found myself at a loss for words upon seeing her.

“Why…?”

What on earth is going on here? I stared around, puzzled, when—

“…!”

I gasped in shock. The situation was far from ordinary.

Everywhere around us lay unidentifiable black shapes piled high.

They were slowly diminishing in appearance, but their look was incredibly unsettling.

Moreover…

‘Was there a fire?’

There were signs of flames scattered about.

I immediately recognized it.

That was the fire I had unleashed.

Flame Burst.

Not fully extinguished yet, the flames still heated the ground, vibrant and dazzling.

And it was blue—blue flames?

Wasn’t my fire supposed to be mixed with scarlet?

Ordinarily, my flames bore a tint of scarlet or should have manifested as Black Flame mixed with Demon Energy.

Yet, seeing this brilliant blue flame suggested the influence of Blood Qi.

Why was such a flame still present in this land?

Feeling an odd sensation, I tightened my fingertips.

Flare—!

Flames burst forth.

Glaring at it, I frowned.

Blue flames.

“What is this?”

I had certainly not summoned any Blood Qi.

I had laid to rest the Demon Energy as well, so under normal circumstances, it should have been my scarlet-hued fire manifesting.

‘… This…’

The flames springing forth from my fingertips were unmistakably the fire that appeared when I used Blood Qi.

Immediately, I began to inspect within.

The first thing I checked was my Dantian.

To understand what happened to the space that once brimmed with energy, which had now broken.

Thump—!

“…!”

As I concentrated on my Dantian, I felt an unexpected rebound in a certain location.

My heart.

To be precise, it was the area where the Lower Dantian resides.

‘What’s going on?’

Why is that responding all of a sudden?

Feeling a bit flustered, I began to channel my energy to survey my body.

Fortunately, the energy responded as I intended.

This meant that my vessel had returned?

But…

‘… It’s all concentrated around the heart.’

The point of origin for all energy was the Lower Dantian.

I should fill the Lower Dantian first, then fill the Upper Dantian afterward.

‘If the starting point is the Lower Dantian…’

It meant the source of my energy had completely disappeared.

So where has all that energy gone?

Without delay, I probed deeper into my Lower Dantian.

‘Hah.’

Found it.

All the energy that should’ve been in the Lower Dantian had completely shifted and was binding itself at the Lower Dantian.

How can this happen?

Just as I was trying to make sense of this bizarre situation—

A cold sensation brushed against my cheek.

“Are you okay…?”

It was the gentle touch of the Demon Sword Queen.

Startled, I shot up to a sitting position.

“Eh?”

As I rose, I felt strangely wobbly.

Something was off.

‘Height.’

I felt slightly taller than I had remembered.

With the change in perspective, my body was momentarily unresponsive.

“…”

The Demon Sword Queen also slowly sat up as she watched me.

Gazing at her, I finally comprehended what the issue was.

‘My height.’

As I looked at the Demon Sword Queen, she somehow appeared shorter.

Though I had always been slightly taller than her, it wasn’t to this extent.

Previously, we had only a finger’s width of difference, but now it seemed I was a good half-palm taller.

‘I’ve grown taller.’

Not only that, I could feel my limbs had elongated.

But that wasn’t all.

As I glanced at my right arm, my eyes widened.

‘… What the heck is this?’

The scarlet bandages that were originally bound around my arm were now a vibrant blue.

And underneath the bandages, my arm’s appearance was bizarre beyond belief.

It was clear to see it was covered with scales.

Originally, I just had barely noticeable scales on my right arm…

‘But now, the scales are less on the right.’

In contrast, my left arm could be classified as belonging to an entirely different creature compared to my right.

What in the world happened to my arm?

‘Oh wait…’

A memory surfaced.

When the essence of Blood Qi charged as a dragon and bit down, it was my left arm that was injured.

Could it possibly be the aftereffect of that incident?

The appearance was exceptionally off-putting.

Though the bandages covered it, the fact that it reached up to my shoulder was undoubtedly abnormal.

‘… Is everything else fine?’

I began to inspect my body, and thankfully, other parts seemed to be intact.

There might be issues elsewhere, but from what I could see, everything looked fine aside from my left arm.

I repeatedly clenched and opened my fist.

Squeeze.

“…”

I felt the strength gripping my hand was far more powerful.

It seemed that not just my energy but my physical body itself had strengthened.

‘It felt like I underwent Transformation of the Body.’

Aside from the energy that congealed in the Lower Dantian and the physical transformation, it bore a striking resemblance to the commonly mentioned Transformation of the Body.

Moreover…

‘… the previously unstable realm seems to have stabilized.’

What had previously remained unstable now appeared firmly established.

Overall, aside from the external appearance, was there really no major issue?

‘So what really changed?’

If my vessel breaks, I would no longer be human, or so they say.

Yet, I didn’t feel any drastic changes like suddenly morphing into a monster.

I thought something as drastic as that would happen…

‘… but somehow it wasn’t as severe as I had anticipated.’

To say that would be dismissive, especially considering how things looked for my left arm, but it seemed I had fared much better than I thought.

As I inspected my body, I suddenly glanced at the Demon Sword Queen.

She was watching me with those curious eyes.

Initially, she directed her gaze at my left arm, but now she was looking directly into my eyes.

Seeing her gaze made me—

“…”

I instinctively averted my eyes.

Then I slightly brushed my face.

The thought of the Demon Sword Queen staring at me made my breath catch.

‘Damn it.’

Now that the situation had developed this far, it was even harder to pretend not to notice.

Especially when recalling her actions towards me.

Now, I could no longer ignore it.

I fixed my gaze back on the Demon Sword Queen.

She still wore that enigmatic look in her eyes as she studied me.

And I found that gaze particularly uncomfortable.

Struggling to endure it, I asked her.

“You.”

It came out as casual speech.

It felt a lot more comfortable than addressing her formally as the Deputy Lord.

“… You know who I am, right?”

I couldn’t hold back the words that had been softly prickling my heart.

Ever since I had noticed that she had been treating me differently, I had suspected she knew my true identity.

It wasn’t merely a ‘suspicion,’ so I hadn’t felt the need to bring it up.

“…?”

Upon hearing my question, the Demon Sword Queen tilted her head, looking at me.

Did she fail to grasp the intent of my inquiry?

Or rather…

‘Could it be she genuinely doesn’t know?’

That wasn’t entirely impossible.

After all, when I first arrived, I looked completely different.

And I had sealed my martial arts, so she had no means of recognition.

The problem was—

‘She just saw the flames, right?’

Surely, she must have seen the flames I had conjured with my own hands.

Could she really not recognize me after that?

Is my face still altered now?

As those uneasy thoughts began to sprout within me—

“… What do you mean by… that?”

The Demon Sword Queen looked at me, asking a question in return.

It seemed she truly didn’t understand what I was saying.

‘Is that rather fortunate?’

If she didn’t recognize me, then it was quite fortunate after all.

In that case, all I had to figure out was why she had been treating me specially.

For now, I should let it slide.

Just as I thought to continue my sentence—

“No… please ignore what I just said…”

“Gu Yangcheong.”

Whoosh.

The moment she uttered my name, my mouth snapped shut.

I stared at the Demon Sword Queen with wide, shocked eyes.

Just moments ago, she had clearly called my name?

“… That.”

“Your name.”

“…”

She said it with a blank expression.

I stared at her absentmindedly, filled with astonishment.

“… No matter what happens…”

She spoke to me in her usual tone.

“I… will not… fail to recognize you.”

“…”

Her voice was filled with certainty.

Leaving aside how she could say it with such confidence.

The words flowed out effortlessly, stirring up my anxious heart.

“… How?”

I couldn’t comprehend.

It had always been the case; I couldn’t understand her.

Furthermore, I disliked acknowledging it.

“You are….”

Realizing the you I had failed to notice in the past, it irked me to no end.

Now, I knew how unbearable it would be to see the version of you that I hadn’t caught on to.

I attempted to ask something but silenced myself.

I found myself repeating that cycle several times.

Her tired gaze and the sight of her body, wounded and bleeding, were apparent.

Desperately ignoring it, I asked a different question.

“Then, why aren’t you surprised?”

“…?”

“Isn’t it strange… that I exist again?”

In this world, I already exist.

The very sight of me ignited irritation within me, yet it was undeniably me.

Finding it odd that the Demon Sword Queen, who grasped my current identity, held no curiosity about it was astounding.

Regarding my question, the Demon Sword Queen merely gazed at me with her signature blue eyes.

“… It’s fascinating.”

Her brief response appeared oddly calm.

“Just fascinating?”

“Yes.”

“…”

So, she wasn’t curious; she was merely fascinated.

How should I even react to that?

“… That’s so typical of you.”

In a rather absurd manner, it was the best response I could expect from her.

It brought a slight smile to my face.

Swish.

Her fingertips once again brushed against my cheek.

This time I didn’t pull away in shock.

Honestly, I could have stopped it but chose not to.

“… In the place you were… I am… here?”

“You are.”

It seemed she assumed I didn’t consider myself a being of this world.

I didn’t refute that.

“What about you?”

“Similar. As slowwitted as I am now, looking at you with these naive eyes.”

The Demon Sword Queen’s brows slightly furrowed at my words.

Seeing this made my heart feel heavy.

“Yeah, those were always your eyes.”

Now, the Demon Sword Queen was the same as the Nangong Bi-ah I knew.

She didn’t seem particularly different.

But why did I think she was different?

No, it wasn’t that I thought she was different.

I must have desperately hoped she was different.

As I kept my eyes locked on her, the Demon Sword Queen spoke without relaxing her furrowed brow.

“You are looking at the me from that place… with these eyes?”

“… What eyes? What do you mean by such eyes?”

Not understanding her point, I spoke again and felt the Demon Sword Queen’s… Nangong Bi-ah’s hand gently pull away from my cheek.

“I envy you.”

With a slight upturn of her lips, she spoke, and a flood of emotions overwhelmed me.

I wished I didn’t feel a thing.

What could I even say?

Numerous words flitted through my mind, but ultimately, I couldn’t voice a single one.

I was left with nothing to say.

As silence enveloped us, I gazed quietly at Nangong Bi-ah.

“… For now….”

I reached out to her as I recalled that she was in a poor state.

Given the situation, remaining here wasn’t ideal.

It was essential to escape this place first.

Furthermore, I needed to ascertain the changes in my body immediately.

I had to figure out how I had changed and whether I had truly lost my humanity.

Just as I thought about getting Nangong Bi-ah to a safe location—

Woo-woo—

“What?”

Suddenly, I sensed something in the air.

Turning my head due to the clear discomfort I felt.

Thud.

A crack suddenly formed behind Nangong Bi-ah.

Creeeak—!

Without warning, the air ripped apart, leaving behind an afterimage.

As soon as I saw it, I quickly pulled Nangong Bi-ah back behind me.

My expression twisted at this sudden occurrence.

That was unmistakably the Demonic Gate.

Out of nowhere, a Demonic Gate had appeared.

As I pondered why the Demonic Gate had emerged so suddenly—

Grind.

“…!”

My toes were dragged, and I felt a force gripping my body.

Something was pulling me.

It was definitely a force with an ulterior motive.

I exerted strength in my legs to resist it.

I couldn’t just allow myself to be pulled without understanding what was happening.

Yet…

‘What the hell?’

The force trying to drag me away was absurdly strong.

Who the heck is doing this?

‘I didn’t want to resort to using my energy until I understood the situation.’

I bit my teeth.

Because I had no idea why the Lower Dantian had disappeared or how the energy starting from my Middle Dantian would react.

I didn’t want to utilize my energy if possible, but—

If I allowed myself to be dragged over by that unknown Demonic Gate, it would leave me no choice but to unleash my power.

Fwoosh—!

When I gathered strength, the energy consolidated in my Middle Dantian responded and began to vibrate.

As the energy surged through my body, I felt a heavy force settle around me.

I was somewhat taken aback by the amount of strength I sensed.

‘Far beyond my expectations.’

The sheer quantity of force I felt was extraordinary.

While I couldn’t quantify it exactly, it felt as though I had gained about thirty percent more strength than I initially possessed.

‘With this level of power…’

It should be unlikely that I’ll go harassed out there. That was what I thought.

I’d reached a level where I could confidently strut around as a Transformation Realm martial artist.

‘But that’s not the priority right now.’

First and foremost, it was crucial to escape.

As I focused on escaping the Demonic Gate while pulling Nangong Bi-ah along—

Crack.

Out of the air, something fell and rolled toward me.

What now…?

“…!!”

I had to let out a breath in disbelief upon seeing what had suddenly appeared. Nangong Bi-ah reacted similarly.

She even clutched my shoulder in shock.

There was no way around it.

The thing that had suddenly appeared was the severed neck of a person.

The trace was unmistakably that of a head being torn off. The despairing expression of someone who had likely not reacted in time was starkly apparent.

And…

‘Why is that person…’

I recognized the face.

The owner of the head was none other than Heavenly Lord (天尊).

The elder who had killed me once.

Also, the ancestor of the Nangong Bi-ah and one of the Three Eminent Beings.

For a moment, I was stunned looking at the head rolling on the ground.

“I had a hard time finding you.”

My body froze as a familiar voice resonated.

It was a voice I remembered all too well. A voice I could never forget.

How could I erase the sound of a voice deeply engraved in my heart?

A white hand appeared from somewhere, reaching toward the Demonic Gate.

It was the hand of a woman, not Nangong Bi-ah’s.

An extraordinarily delicate and slender arm.

Even as she moved casually, my gaze was irresistibly drawn to her.

Her elegant fingers stretched out and grasped the Demonic Gate as if it were a real door.

Crack-clang—!

Effortlessly, she slammed the door shut.

In the process, there was a massive rush of pressure created by astounding friction and energy, but the woman appeared unaffected.

Swoosh—

What an absurdly tense situation had wrapped up so easily.

Her existence was something else entirely.

An unknown calamity like the Demonic Gate was extinguished with ease.

Her mere presence made one question the very essence of reason.

Creak—.

The Demonic Gate hadn’t completely closed, as it continued to tremble slightly, left ajar.

The woman held the gap firmly with her hand, steadying it without a trace of instability.

Rather than straining, she seemed intrigued as she gazed curiously at the opening she secured.

Her hair, a perfect shade of jet-black, fluttered elegantly whenever the wind graced it.

Despite the tension of the situation, I found myself at a loss for words.

In that moment, her gaze caught mine.

The moment our eyes met, it felt like my breath was snatched away.

No special emotion crossed my mind.

Only fear.

The feeling I got from looking at her was solely that—fear.

The woman gazed silently and smiled.

Gently curving purple eyes.

An expression and atmosphere that held no discernible intent.

I found myself biting my trembling lips to suppress my voice.

Why…

Is the author here?

As the woman gazed into my eyes, she tilted her head slightly.

The dazzling purple irises, unparalleled amongst demons, drew attention.

The Master of Demons, the Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Sect.

Her existence was such that one would inevitably consider her a monster.

There were countless powerful titles to refer to her by, yet ultimately, only one name could encapsulate her essence.

“Good to see you.”

The demon descended from the heavens.

Heavenly Demon.

“Great Lord.”

Despair smiled back at me.

 

---