Chapter 441
Swish-
Eyes devoid of emotion filled every speck of the sky, their gaze fixed on the souls flowing within the Sacred Flames. They slowly closed one by one, and every time, one of the burning souls was forcibly dragged into the Netherworld by the binding force born from the law of the Eternal Nocturne.
“Aah...”
“No... I don’t want to go like this...”
“Just let me stay here...”
Every single soul thrashed about, trying to return to the liberation provided by the Sacred Flames. But they couldn’t. Because undead beings had clawed their way out from the darkness of the Netherworld to seize their forms.
“You dare defy the will of the Eternal Nocturne?”
“If you don’t want to toil for a hundred years, get over here now!”
“Your allotted lifespans haven’t ended yet!”
With the souls gathered from all across China dragged into the darkness like they were being kidnapped, the Offering Ritual began to tremble. Losing its foundation—the souls—weakened the strength of the Sacred Flames and allowed the erected pillars of the Netherworld to burrow into the newly created gaps.
The Netherworld’s erosion accelerated.
Rumble-
The darkness of the Netherworld, which had engulfed the industrial complex, rapidly consumed the rest of China. Then, from within the darkness, even more pillars emerged to further reinforce the corruption.
He... manifested Wurgen’s power to the level of a Final Revelation?
Li Kenxie stared blankly up at the pitch-black sky as the Offering Ritual rapidly collapsed around him.
When one ascended a Tower of Heroes, they were granted the right to release their synesthetic mindscape—the source of their power—through a technique powerful enough to reshape the world: the Final Revelation.
They were what could be said to be the embodiment of both the power and origin of their respective Perfect Ones—which was exactly why Li Kenxie couldn’t believe Se-Hoon had used it.
I thought only we Perfect Ones could use our own Final Revelations.... Just how did he...?!
Li Kenxie’s first thought was that the Golden Ring’s power had just boosted Se-Hoon’s usage of Wurgen’s power, but the more he thought about it, the less sense it made. And that meant it had to be something significant within Se-Hoon that had changed.
Li Kenxie narrowed his eyes.
Drip- Drip- Drip-
Seeing the dark red blood dripping down Se-Hoon’s chin, Li Kenxie’s eyes widened.
“So it wasn’t without a price after all...” he quietly murmured to himself.
If the Final Revelation was incomplete, that meant he still had a chance. Recovering his calm, Li Kenxie looked around at the surroundings that were long tainted by the darkness. Then, flipping the flaming hammer in his hand, he raised it high into the sky.
FWOOOOSH!
The Sacred Flames enveloping his body blazed fiercely and swelled. There was no sign of stopping, continuing all the way until Li Kenxie had transformed into a five-meter-tall fire giant.
To step beyond the self, to be reborn as a purer version of himself, he fed even the final fragment of himself that remained.
“...”
Holding the hammer with unwavering resolve, Li Kenxie’s gaze briefly fell on Li Fei, still wrapped in the Earth Weaving Loom.
“Endless Suffering.”
But even that final, faint thought about her was burned to ash. He slammed the hammer down without hesitation.
BOOM!
A dark crimson wave rippled outward. The Sacred Flames, helplessly pushed back by the darkness, were invigorated once again. With a violent surge, the world was submerged in translucent flames.
Flames soared into the black sky, consuming and igniting all underneath. They brought with them immense pressure, forcing Se-Hoon to grit his teeth.
He’s going for a power struggle instead because his skills are incompatible with mine...!
No matter how much power Li Kenxie poured into his power of Anatta, he could never overpower Se-Hoon due to the fundamental opposition of their powers. That was why, instead of interfering with the souls directly, Li Kenxie had chosen the route of attacking the Heaven-Shrouded Eyes of the Netherworld that Se-Hoon was shouldering, trying to destroy them from the root.
Ugh... thankfully... it’s not like he isn’t bleeding from it, either.
While Se-Hoon simply just needed to hold out, Li Kenxie had to channel power to maintain both the Offering Ritual and the resistance to the Heaven-Shrouded Eyes of the Netherworld continuously.
At full strength, perhaps the unending ebb of Sacred Flames would have given him the advantage, but not now—not when he was using his own essence to forge the vessel. He wouldn’t last long.
Rumble-
And both of them knew that.
THUD.
Having released his hammer, Li Kenxie began walking forward slowly toward the immobile Se-Hoon.
Pouring his remaining power into the hammer to keep Se-Hoon in check and stabilize the Offering Ritual, he forced his worn body forward to burn away the final impurity. Despite trembling every step of the way due to his unstable condition, he inched ever closer to Se-Hoon.
He shouldn’t have any room to defend while maintaining the Final Revelation...
If he could land even a small blow now and disrupt the technique, victory would be his. With that thought, Li Kenxie didn’t stop.
But who is this person, really?
On his way, he couldn’t help but think that while he had encountered many people, none were as unpredictable as the boy before him. Even though he was the one who had conquered the Tower of Heroes, Se-Hoon seemed to know far more about it—knowledge that seemed to come with endless torment.
Just what kind of deluded desire caused him such pain? The immeasurable depths of Se-Hoon’s agony left Li Kenxie wondering in silence.
“If you can’t free yourself... then I’ll be the one to set you free.”
Finally reaching Se-Hoon, Li Kenxie grasped his body with a hand made of Sacred Flames—
Thump!
A violent pulse surged through his entire body.
“What is this...!”
Countless thoughts and emotions flooded his mind. Waves of unrelenting inner turmoil battered him, forcing Li Kenxie to recoil in shock.
Just Se-Hoon stood alone before him, yet Li Kenxie felt as if he was forced to endure the weight of thousands of thoughts at once, throwing his synesthetic mindscape into disarray.
Fwoosh!
Realizing that continuing any further would likely collapse his own synesthetic mindscape, Li Kenxie quickly drew upon Sacred Flames to stabilize himself.
And as he did, Se-Hoon slowly opened his mouth.
“Exhausting... isn’t it?”
“...”
“Living day by day... is already hard enough... and every time I have a moment to breathe... I fill it with pointless worries.... I really... do live the most exhausting way possible.”
Feeling like his brain was melting from maintaining the Eyes of the Netherworld, Se-Hoon’s voice was sluggish.
“...”
Li Kenxie silently watched, burning away the turmoil. It didn’t seem like mere stalling; the exhaustion on Se-Hoon’s face felt far too genuine.
“Even now... I wonder if I really need to go this far.... Occasionally, I just want to let everything go...”
“...”
“Why me...? Of all people...? Is this truly the correct course of action?”
Drip-
Bloody tears streamed from both his eyes. Yet, despite the skill-cracking pain, Se-Hoon fought through it. Every word was spoken slowly; he didn’t want to bite his tongue.
“Still... even though I’m grumbling like this... I’ll probably keep going. Just like you once did...”
“...Me?”
Li Kenxie made a doubtful expression. He couldn’t recall when he had ever done something so foolish.
“Well... isn’t that something... you’d know best right now...?”
At those words, Li Kenxie realized. Before conquering the Tower of Heroes, he had also abandoned everything. But, back then, one thing had remained: his sense of duty as a hero—the final lingering impurity.
“I see... Maybe you’re right...” Li Kenxie muttered bitterly.
He had suffered from countless thoughts, abandoned everything, and challenged the Tower of Heroes for one reason: no one else would have to endure such torment. That singular drive had shattered and refined him, raising him to where he was.
“But... it’s pointless now.”
Even if that was his past ideal, he had no intention of undoing the choice he made today.
Seeing him standing there unwavering, Se-Hoon slowly closed his eyes.
“...Yes. I think so too.”
Wooong-
Beneath his feet, a new magic array appeared.
Centered on Se-Hoon, the array spread in an instant to cover the entire industrial complex. However, there was no way Se-Hoon, barely able to maintain Wurgen’s Final Revelation, could activate another spell.
There’s definitely another sorcerer hiding nearby.
Scanning the area immediately upon seeing the ominous magic, Li Kenxie resolved to find and suppress them before it could fully activate. Making a quick decision, Li Kenxie scattered the Sacred Flames in all directions.
Fwoosh!
The flames swept through everything around Se-Hoon—but not a single thing was burned. Watching the flames pass harmlessly by, Se-Hoon glanced down at his feet.
“You can start...”
And then he sent the final signal to the one waiting on the other side, to the one waiting in the Netherworld.
“Lea.”
“Okay!”
Clatter!
The Sphere in Lea’s hands began tracing five different orbits, forming a celestial alignment. Above it, seven radiant stars then revealed themselves: the six who had subdued the Seven Saints, along with the late-arriving Warhound. Each of them resonated with Se-Hoon through the Sphere.
“Analog Stellar System, activate!”
WOONG!
In an instant, the pressure bearing down on Se-Hoon lightened, dispersed into seven points—the seven recognized as his extensions. With the burden now gone, the erosion of the Netherworld exploded.
Seeing that, Lea moved on to the next phase and plunged her hands into the golden orb formed at the center of the celestial alignment.
Phase Manifestation: Unslumbering Domain
Seven black towers shot down across all of China.
RUMBLE!
An overwhelming darkness surged like a tsunami, far surpassing anything ever seen before. Empowered, Se-Hoon took that opening to pull the remaining souls into the Netherworld.
“I guess I have to go...”
“If my family’s waiting for me...”
“I wanted to stay just a bit longer...”
Unlike before, the souls willingly moved. Without resistance, their numbers grew exponentially, crashing the strength of the Sacred Flames and the Offering Ritual in turn.
...So much for a recreation.
At that level... calling it a feat surpassing Wurgen wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Lost for words, Li Kenxie stood there silently until his gaze drifted to the Earth Weaving Loom behind him.
Fwoosh-
Just then, the pale brown flame surrounding Li Fei flickered, growing weaker as the pressure decreased. It looked as though it would vanish entirely at any moment.
“...No.”
Before he realized it, Li Kenxie was moving his failing body toward his granddaughter.
“Don’t disappear...”
He knew it was meaningless. He knew it was already over. But in pursuit of the realm beyond the state of Anatta, he moved to the very end.
“I’m still...!”
His wretched hand of flames reached out to burn Li Fei—
Step-
He was blocked by a man who stepped in from beyond the boundary: Li Wen.
“...”
“...”
A heavy silence fell between them as Li Kenxie’s hand stopped just short of Li Wen. The arm trembled faintly, as if about to move at any moment. Had he stopped short simply from exhaustion? Or... maybe, just maybe, Li Kenxie was holding himself back.
In the seemingly frozen time, the two stood in a tense standoff when...
“I’m exhausted.”
Li Kenxie’s body collapsed backward.
Thud-
The Sacred Flames scattered and extinguished, revealing Li Kenxie’s human form beneath. He lay on the ground, unscratched, without a single wound.
Outwardly, he looked perfectly fine. But the moment he laid eyes on him, Li Wen instinctively knew. The Sacred Craftsman—his father—was dying.
Clench-
Li Wen’s fist tightened without him even realizing it. He had mentally prepared. He had accepted it. So why...? Why was he feeling the way he was?
Confusion darkened his expression.
Meanwhile, on the floor, Li Kenxie clicked his tongue.
“Lee Se-Hoon...”
Hearing Li Kenxie’s call, Se-Hoon released the Eyes of the Netherworld and approached.
“Would you help me and take Li Fei down from there.... If not, I might try to go for her one last time...”
“...Understood.”
Se-Hoon approached the Earth Weaving Loom and gently reached into the faint, lingering brown flames.
“I’m sorry...”
The brown flames vanished completely with that faint whisper into Se-Hoon’s ear. Pausing briefly, Se-Hoon then carefully pulled Li Fei out.
Swish-
Taking a quick glance at the loom that had returned to its original form, Se-Hoon walked over to Li Wen.
“Fei...!”
Li Wen couldn’t find the words. So instead, he just gently embraced the daughter he hadn’t seen in years.
“She’s just sleeping. There’s no need to worry.”
“Thank you...! Truly, thank you...”
Bowing his head over and over, Li Wen trembled with emotion.
At that sight, Se-Hoon could only offer a bitter smile and turn around.
“...”
He gazed at Li Kenxie. Like ashes burnt to the end, Li Kenxie was gazing up at the sky with a hollow look, showing no response. He was but an empty shell now, leaving Se-Hoon feeling a strange emotion stirring within him.
Maybe... he also died like this before the regression.
Watching Li Kenxie vanish, leaving nothing behind, Se-Hoon opened his mouth to say something—
“Excuse me.”
Li Wen, clutching Li Fei in his arms, passed by Se-Hoon and approached.
“What.”
Looking at Li Kenxie’s weary, disinterested expression, Li Wen calmly asked, “Why didn’t you do it?”
“What?”
“You could’ve done something if you’d just burned me. So why...? What scared you enough to hesitate?”
No answer. Li Kenxie simply closed his mouth as Li Wen’s sharp gaze bore down on him.
“You thought I’d cry and be touched at the last moment, didn’t you?”
“...”
“You’re a mass murderer who nearly wiped out humanity. A piece of trash who manipulated even your granddaughter...!”
He had taken his daughter, handed power to scum like the Seven Saints, and brought ruin upon humanity. Clenching his teeth, Li Wen glared at the beast—the creature that bore his father’s visage—and yelled, “Just come clean already. Why did you stop in the end?!”
“...”
“If you aren’t going to answer me, I’ll just kill you right here!” His eyes filled with fury, Li Wen was ready to strike at any moment.
Why... huh.
Li Kenxie looked up at the sky.
Why had he done it? In truth, he didn’t fully understand even now. But at the very least, the answer came to him easily now, even if he didn’t understand it.
Because... I was a parent.
Before he conquered the Tower of Heroes, he had unexpectedly seen his child again. In his eyes, his boy was a fragile, weak existence—one that seemed like it could die at any moment if not protected. For so long, he had forgotten. And even when he did occasionally remember, there was no emotional trace.
That wasn’t the case anymore.
Savoring the forgotten feeling, Li Kenxie slowly opened his mouth.
“You should also try raising one.”
“What?”
Taking one last look at the talentless son before him, he closed his eyes.
“Then you’ll understand too...”
Fwoosh-
With those final words, Li Kenxie’s body went up in flames and scattered into the wind, softly brushing past his son and granddaughter.
Then the flames went out, leaving no trace behind.
“Grandpa?”
And as if that was her cue, a soft voice followed in their wake—Li Fei had just woken up.