Childhood Friend of the Zenith

I wanted to confirm a few things with the Celestial Stream Sect Master.

First, whether it’s possible to use demonic energy while possessing an aura similar to that of the Demonic Flame (Pama).

If my flames could burn away foreign energies, what would happen to the demonic energy within me?

The experiment to test this wasn’t particularly problematic.

I’m not sure if this should be considered fortunate, but the so-called power of the Demonic Flame did not erase my demonic energy.

It also didn’t interfere with my ability to trigger demonification, as usual.

The demonic energy remained stable, coexisting independently.

Using that, I induced demonification in the Celestial Stream Sect Master.

During the process, the Nine Flames Firewheel Art exhibited no reaction whatsoever—a wholly different energy, yet seemingly not perceived as hostile.

Strange and alien, but that was the best explanation I could muster.

"Fascinating.

"It purifies what needs purification and leaves the rest untouched?

I still hadn’t fully grasped the altered properties of the flames, so I couldn’t say for sure.

In any case, I could still use demonic energy.

With that done, I had turned the Celestial Stream Sect Master into a demon.

Now it was time to question him.

First question:"What is the Ilcheon Cult?

"What exactly is this Ilcheon Cult, and why is the Celestial Stream Sect entangled with it?

To this, the Sect Master replied:"…The Ilcheon Cult… is the true justice.

""True justice?

""Yes… that’s right.

The Ilcheon Cult is… in this rotting world… the true justice.

We… simply follow its will.

"True justice.

What nonsense.

Where is there such a thing as true justice in this world?

This is a world ruled by fools masquerading as righteous and honorable.

"Explain more specifically.

Why is the Ilcheon Cult considered true justice?

""Because… its roots are different.

The current Alliance… is false.

""That’s not a detailed explanation.

Speak clearly.

"I frowned as I continued the conversation.

Something was off about this guy.

"His speech is inconsistent.

"It wasn’t just the informal tone that irked me.

When someone undergoes demonification, the demonic energy compels absolute obedience to me, forcing them to exhibit proper decorum.

"It didn’t fully work on him.

"Even though he was clearly demonified, he wasn’t displaying complete submission.

It was as if something was resisting.

"The Ilcheon Cult… The Ilcheon Cult follows His will… and carries out His intentions….

"Even now, he was referring to someone as “Him” in front of me.

This was proof that something was wrong.

With a calm gaze, I asked him again.

"Who is this ‘Him’?

""He is… God.

The savior of this world….

""Are you saying that this so-called God created the Ilcheon Cult?

""…Uh….

"He writhed as if in pain, cutting off his own sentence.

"Answer me.

"I repeated my question.

"Ugh… He… does not intervene in such matters… Having left His will… we merely follow it.

""What do you mean by His will?

""It is the noble will… to restore this tainted world to its original state.

""Ah….

"What a load of crap.

Am I asking the wrong questions?

With responses like this, I couldn’t glean anything useful.

I decided to approach it differently.

"This ‘Him’ you keep referring to—is He still alive?

""…One cannot judge Him by the standards of life.

""You bastard, answer me directly.

In the last ten years, have you met Him in person?

Yes or no.

""Yes.

"Hearing his answer, I nodded.

This was it.

The best method seemed to be extracting specific answers from him with binary questions.

It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.

It was tedious to think through each question, but there was no other choice.

"Then, is this current situation also something orchestrated by Him?

"The mysterious corpse in the pond.

The core-like object floating within it.

From its condition, it was clear this wasn’t something an ordinary human could create.

The space itself was problematic.

"It’s not just perception distortion; there’s soundproofing, and even something resembling a formation is in place.

"There were more than just one or two installations surrounding the area.

I could tell at a glance.

"This isn’t just any formation.

"Even as someone ignorant of formations, I could tell this one was unusual.

The strangeness alone was enough to prove it.

To my question, the Celestial Stream Sect Master answered:"…This is His blessing….

"I roughly interpreted his nonsense as a confirmation.

So, this unknown entity created all of this, huh?

"Then, what are that corpse and the core meant for?

"It was a question difficult to frame as a yes-or-no.

I decided to gather information instead.

I was worried he’d give me another nonsensical answer, but then:"They are left by Him to create a vessel.

""To create a vessel?

What kind of vessel, and how?

""That….

"Listening to his explanation made me frown.

They submerge select individuals of exceptional talent from the Celestial Stream Sect into that pond.

For at least two sijins (approximately four hours) per day, over the course of five years, their bodies supposedly begin to change.

"Can mere submersion achieve such effects?

"It sounded absurd, like some medicinal bath—no, more like a snake soup.

Still.

"Could that be why the members of the Celestial Stream Sect had higher vitality and cultivation levels than expected?

"The Sect Master’s black hair.

His cultivation level, which contradicted the information I had—it all made sense now.

All thanks to that pond.

"A pond capable of artificially enhancing cultivation levels.

"Other than the white corpse and the yellowish water, nothing seemed extraordinary about it.

Yet, if it had such effects….

"In my past life, it was said that this was a fortuitous encounter discovered in the Secret Pavilion.

"Doubts arose.

In my previous life, the Celestial Stream Sect Master claimed to have seen a tree with white leaves.

That could very well have been the sapling underground.

"But what if.

"What if, by some small chance:"What if the future changed because the Secret Pavilion disappeared?

"What if my actions in finding the Secret Pavilion earlier than in my past life had altered something?

"It’s plausible.

"I’d experienced enough instances of this to warrant suspicion.

It was a known fact that the Celestial Stream Sect Master grew stronger thanks to a fortuitous encounter from the Secret Pavilion.

If that future had been twisted, yet the Sect Master still reached his current state….

"It’s one of two things.

"Either the Secret Pavilion wasn’t necessary, and this was always how it happened in my past life.

"Or the disappearance of the Secret Pavilion caused complications that led to this situation.

"These two scenarios shared a common denominator.

"Either way, someone intervened.

"This wasn’t something the Celestial Stream Sect Master could have orchestrated alone.

Someone was behind him.

And that someone was likely the very "Him" the Sect Master revered so fervently.

As I mulled over these thoughts, the Sect Master added:"Once the process of refining the vessel is complete… we will finally be able to bear the Dragon Pearl.

""The Dragon Pearl?

Are you referring to those cores?

""How dare you compare them to mere cores… Gahhh--!!

"The Celestial Stream Sect Master clutched his head and staggered.

He seemed to be in poor condition.

I needed to ask everything I could, quickly.

"Answer me.

""Dragon Pearls… is the only path… for lowly humans to become great… beings.

""And by great beings, do you mean…?

"I frowned, recalling their appearances.

"Are you talking about dragons?

""…!

"The Sect Master’s eyes widened at my words.

That seemed to confirm it.

The pond transformed their bodies, and when the time came, they consumed the Dragon Pearls to fully awaken.

"So that’s why… he reminded me of the Shadow King.

"A half-dragon.

The same cursed dragon-human hybridization as the Shadow King, though with some differences.

To be precise:"Rather than the Shadow King…"A White-Rank demonic beast.

The resemblance to that felt much stronger.

And further:"The reason they hadn’t consumed the cores until now must be…"It had only been a short time since the five years were completed.

"Five years ago would’ve been right after I raided the Secret Pavilion.

"Maybe a year at most had passed since then.

The timing seemed suspicious.

"You… you too…"The Sect Master almost addressed me as “you bastard” but corrected himself mid-sentence.

It seemed the demonic energy within him was clashing with something else.

"Fine.

Everything aside…""What were you planning to do with this?

"What was the Celestial Stream Sect trying to accomplish under the guise of the Ilcheon Cult?

That was what I needed to uncover.

"…We… We…""We.

""We will… establish… a new justice… according to His will….

"I interpreted it quickly.

"Let me rephrase the question.

"I locked eyes with him and asked again.

"Establishing a new justice.

Does that mean destroying the Martial Alliance and taking its place?

""…Ugh…"The Sect Master began to tremble violently.

"Speak.

""…Yes…"Barely, he managed to respond.

I clenched my teeth.

"So, in the end, their goal was reform.

"Their peculiar disdain for the Alliance.

Their covert schemes, as if entranced by something.

If their intentions were rebellion, then rebellion it was.

If it was reform, then reform it was.

But the problem is:"This didn’t happen in my past life.

"If they truly were building a force to start a war, something should’ve happened in my previous life.

"But nothing happened.

"The only war in my past life was the Blood Demon War.

Which means:"They either collapsed before they could start… or it happened after I died.

"That seemed to be the most reasonable conclusion.

"Not easy.

"Even though I confirmed their motives and objectives, the lack of a clear outcome in my past life left things ambiguous.

"Especially that figure they call Him.

He’s the problem.

"Who or what could He be?

Not only did He create this environment, but He also artificially enabled them to ascend to dragonhood.

There was no way He could be human.

If that’s the case:"Is He the Blood Demon?

"The thought crossed my mind.

The Blood Demon.

The one I’ve been most vigilant about.

Could this place be where He was up to something?

As that thought lingered, I muttered to myself.

"Still, what a stupid name.

Ilcheon Cult?

Really?

"Why of all things “Ilcheon”?

The absurdity made me scoff.

"Mind… your words… It is a name… inspired by His greatness….

""What?

"I laughed bitterly at the Sect Master’s words.

"‘Inspired by His greatness’?

Are you telling me Ilcheon is supposed to be a name?

""…Yes…"I frowned at his response.

A chill crept over me.

Sensing it, I immediately asked:"That person’s name… Don’t tell me it’s Yeon Ilcheon?

""…"No answer.

That silence irritated me more.

"Speak.

Are you saying Yeon Ilcheon is alive?

Answer clearly.

"I grabbed his collar and pressed him again, channeling demonic energy.

I needed an answer no matter what.

At that moment:"…He is…"The Sect Master finally answered me.

"He… Yeon Ilcheon… is alive.

"With those words, the Sect Master lost consciousness.

The atmosphere instantly turned frigid.

******************"Yeon Ilcheon is alive.

"Those words carried multiple implications for me.

The central figure among the heroes who ended the Blood Calamity.

The greatest martial artist of all time, both past and present—Golden Stream Fist King, Yeon Ilcheon.

His name remains etched in history as a pivotal force in establishing the current Martial Alliance.

And also:"A man who experienced the same thing I did.

"Like me, he was a regressor who turned back time.

Moreover:"The one who judged me as a calamity.

"The calamity that would engulf the world—that was how Yeon Ilcheon had evaluated me.

But now:"He's alive?

"He’s alive?

How is that possible?

The Ilcheon Cult, a name I already disliked, was actually named after Yeon Ilcheon.

"No wonder it felt strange.

"Talk of roots, true justice—it all sounded absurd.

But it made sense if they were parroting Yeon Ilcheon’s ideals.

My head spun.

Yeon Ilcheon had orchestrated all of this?

I couldn’t comprehend it.

Centuries had passed.

How could Yeon Ilcheon still be alive?

"Was this what Namgung Myung meant?

"In the North Sea, while borrowing Woo Hyuk’s body, he had said something to me:"Don’t trust Yeon Ilcheon.

"I hadn’t understood why a comrade who had once fought alongside him would say that.

"Was it because of something like this?

"He might know something.

"If that’s the case, then I really need to go.

"The bigger the problem, the clearer my destination became.

Almost every incident pointed in the same direction.

"Xinjiang…"The location of the Heavenly Demon Cult in my previous life.

It seemed I had to go there.

My instincts told me so.

No, even without instincts, it was clear.

Whenever strange events occurred, the answer was always the same.

"Hurry to Xinjiang.

""Ha…"I sighed and moved my body.

Fine.

I knew I had to go, and I was going anyway.

But first, I needed to deal with the tasks before me.

Step.

Emerging from the underground, I returned to the Martial Alliance and headed straight for the Azure Dragon Division’s quarters.

When I arrived, countless eyes turned to me.

I gauged the weight of their gazes and shouted.

"Listen.

"Huuuuung---!!!

My voice, laced with inner energy, amplified and reverberated throughout the area.

Had he woken up yet?

It would be ideal if he had, but it didn’t matter if he hadn’t.

"This sect master confirms that the Celestial Stream Sect, which the Martial Alliance has been monitoring, has been colluding with the Demonic Cult to enact their schemes.

"--!!

Everyone widened their eyes at my words.

It was a piece of information too sudden to process in a single moment.

But I wasn’t finished.

"Additionally,"I began to release my energy gradually as I continued.

"The Celestial Stream Sect Master, who was conspiring with the Demonic Cult in rebellion, and one of the pillars of this Alliance—"Creak.

Condensed energy rippled outward from my body.

"I have secured evidence implicating the Azure Dragon Division’s leader, Ilcheon Sword.

"Srrrng--!!

Behind me, members of the Sacred Dragon Division drew their weapons, their energy rising in preparation for battle.

"In the name of the Sacred Dragon Division, I will execute the traitor on the spot.

"I spoke calmly and began to walk forward.

Before addressing the bigger issue, it was time to clean up the mess.