Heavenly Demon Cultivation Simulation-Chapter 549: Search Projects

Was I lucky?

Roughly a year had passed. Even though I arrived here sooner than expected, I was still able to see her like this.

Come to think of it, rumors wouldn’t have spread immediately, so she had probably come here much earlier.

Clang!

She unleashed a powerful force and pushed me back.

The shock of blade against blade traveled up my wrist.

Her internal qi was far firmer than I expected. As distance opened between us, Cheon Miryeo asked.

“What nonsense is this?”

A touch of anger. There was irritation mixed in. Her eyes were sharp with suspicion and caution.

I understood.

From her perspective, I was nothing more or less than an unexpected intruder who had suddenly appeared.

With no explanation given, it was only natural she found me strange.

“Whether it’s nonsense or not, I’ll show you now.”

I quickly infused my blade with internal energy.

Shuuuuuu.

A white chill rose around the sword. Moisture in the air froze and fine crystals floated in the air.

The white qi flowing along the blade deepened, and the surrounding temperature dropped sharply.

“You… right now…”

Her pupils trembled violently when she saw it.

Ice Cold Demonic Arts. The enhanced qi penetrating the air. With the icy qi taking the form of sword qi as well, she realized I wasn’t simply a martial arts warrior of ordinary skill.

“…”

An ominous premonition seemed to cross Cheon Miryeo’s face.

And with good reason: practitioners capable of producing such powerful ice qi as I had were counted on one hand even in her sect.

She was trying to judge whether I was one of those few or some other freak.

Or perhaps she was assessing whether the martial art she had learned was truly as formidable as she believed.

“Right. It’s the Ice Cold Demonic Arts you’ve learned.”

Flash.

This time I sprayed Ice Cold Demonic Arts toward her first.

Once along the path she would take, not directly at her.

Then once more in her direction.

Cheon Miryeo immediately counterattacked. The same icy qi poured from her sword.

Kwak kwak kwak kwak!

Ice crystals collided and overlapped in midair.

A normal clash would have produced an explosion, but the crystals of ice qi shattered with sharp cracking sounds when they struck each other.

Ice shards flew in every direction, embedding in the surrounding walls and ground with a rasping noise.

After several exchanges like that, I attempted another change.

Zzzeh zzeh jeo jeo jeok!

Ice crystal dust.

I not only moved the icy attack but also manipulated the currents of the ice qi in the air.

As if an invisible hand were controlling the air itself, the surrounding chill swirled and shot toward her.

This was Ice Cold Demonic Arts combined with Ice Cold Demonic Arts, Full Body Ice Demonic Arts, a step beyond the Ice Cold Demonic Arts.

‘Ah!‘

Seeing her flinch, I instantly realized my mistake.

I had assumed she was at Profound Demon level and drew out considerable strength.

I slowed the manifestation somewhat, but it was still too much for her to completely stop.

‘Damn, I generated too much…‘

My heart sank. Getting hit by that attack as it was would mean a serious injury.

“Evade!”

I shouted, but she didn’t move.

Cheon Miryeo chose not to evade; she drew up her internal energy and met me head-on.

A fierce determination burned in her eyes. She bit her lip and focused her entire internal energy at the tip of her sword.

“This stubborn fool…!”

Jjeojeojeong!

Contrary to my worried hopes, she shattered the ice in an instant.

She unleashed ice blades said to be used only upon reaching the tenth rank of Ice Cold Demonic Arts.

Dozens of sharp ice blades erupted from her sword, parting the air as they advanced.

This indicated that, in terms of internal skill and technique, she had already reached Profound Demon.

Kwak waaak!

The dozens of ice blades pierced through the ice qi currents and even destroyed the ice qi itself.

The explosive roar of ice clashing with ice reverberated through the cave.

It didn’t stop there.

The remaining two or three blades that somehow survived flashed toward my face in the blink of an eye.

They came within a hair’s breadth of touching my skin. The chill brushed my face with a stinging sensation.

Fwooosh—

But the ice blades slowed gradually and stopped slowly when they reached right in front of me.

Ice Field Compression Technique.

The pinnacle of Full Body Ice Demonic Arts that controls time and space. It displayed time-binding, an imitation of reaching Supreme Demon, that can be properly manifested only upon ascending Profound Demon.

Fine cracks appeared on the surface of the ice blades stopped before my eyes. The condensed chill within slowly dispersed, rising like steam.

Swoosh.

I tilted my head lightly to the side. The ice blades brushed past my ear. The chill that touched my cheek felt like it was cutting the skin.

Then I released the time binding again.

Kwaaaaang! Dudududu.

Ice fragments slammed into the rear rock wall with a powerful explosion.

Rock dust scattered in all directions, and broken ice shards cascaded down. Grooves were clearly etched into the stone.

A direct hit would have shattered bones.

“Ah.”

Around that time Cheon Miryeo staggered and sank to the floor.

She had poured all her internal energy into it, and when the target vanished in an instant, her balance seemed to collapse.

Heavy breaths escaped her mouth. The hand gripping the sword had gone white.

“How…”

She wore a flustered expression. Her eyes darted left and right as she searched for me.

Even accounting for my abilities, she clearly thought she could break my attack and finish it then and there.

Not only had her ultimate technique been thwarted, but the target had suddenly disappeared without a trace—no wonder she was dumbfounded.

“What trick did you use!”

Her voice mixed anger with fear. Her gaze grew sharp, but agitation lurked within it.

I understood. A primal rejection of the unknown. The unwillingness to accept that the martial art one had honed all their life could be neutralized.

“It’s not a trick.”

I slowly approached her and extended my hand.

“It’s what you can obtain when you reach the state you’ve longed to touch.”

“Y-you’re not saying… that just now was…”

Cheon Miryeo’s lips trembled.

“Time binding…”

“Yes.”

“…!”

Clang.

She dropped her sword to the floor. The tremor that started in her fingers spread through her wrist, arm, shoulder, and entire body.

Cold sweat beaded on her pale face.

“I see… With that, it’s possible.”

She muttered, her voice shaking.

“No, it’s just that.”

Ice Cold Demonic Arts.

If I hadn’t used it, she would never have believed me. No, she might’ve dismissed my words with at least a sliver of doubt.

But I used Ice Cold Demonic Arts.

I even wielded Full Body Ice Demonic Arts and displayed the movement of completely vanishing.

The Ice Field Compression Technique wasn’t derived from Ice Cold Demonic Arts, but it was a martial art that used those foundations.

Time binding in particular was like that.

The legendary transcendent martial art she yearned for.

The realm that supposedly only a handful in her sect had reached, one that governs time and space.

There was no other way to explain it.

“Do you understand now?”

I stepped closer to her and spoke.

“Why I am someone you need…”

She, seated on the floor, slowly lifted her head. Through her disheveled hair, her face showed a mix of confusion, caution, and faint hope.

“Who… are you?”

Her voice trembled.

A swirl of questions filled her eyes—what purpose brought me here, why did I show her this, what did I want.

‘Should I believe him? Or…‘

The conflict between caution and longing was plain to see.

I looked her straight in the eyes and answered softly.

“I came from the very distant future.”

Even if I explained everything right now, she wouldn’t understand. She wasn’t ready to accept it.

So I had to let her know first that I bore no hostility, that I was not someone who would harm her.

“To save you.”

I still held out my hand as I spoke.

“I’ve come to help you, Cheon Miryeo.”

I stayed here for several days and had many conversations with Cheon Miryeo.

Knowing her temperament made talking easy.

What she liked, what she disliked.

Her philosophy of life.

Her usual thoughts.

We fit together well, as if we’d spent a long time together already.

Yet the more we connected, the more I felt our meeting shouldn’t last.

If we became attached here, it wouldn’t be good for her either.

Because I cared for her, I knew well that entangling her with me would be bad for her future.

“She must live her own life.”

A pang struck my chest, but it was the right choice.

That said, I didn’t leave abruptly.

I stayed until she had properly learned the training method.

She needed the awakening to break out of her dormant state.

“Really, if you don’t stay in one place…”

Cheon Miryeo muttered as she reviewed the training method I had taught her.

A flash of realization lit her eyes.

She had outstanding talent.

The Profound Demon barrier was so profound that many couldn’t break through the proper path; most couldn’t even reach this realm.

Once I showed her the proper way, everything began to fall into place smoothly.

“In the far future…”

After training, she sat leaning against the cold rock at the cave entrance and asked.

The faint light reflected from the ceiling gently lit her profile.

“What was our relationship like?”

“…”

“Were we lovers?”

My hand paused for a moment. My heart skipped a beat.

“Just joking.”

She smiled broadly, but her eyes were serious. She was waiting for an answer.

Indeed, this was her nature—cheerful, with a tone that felt endearing.

“At least we weren’t on bad terms, right?”

She hugged her knees and continued. Her voice echoed faintly in the cave.

“If we were, you wouldn’t have come all the way here to see me.”

I didn’t answer. Silence can be an answer too; she would know that.

For a moment, only the sound of wind from outside filled the cave.

“You won’t disappear… right?”

Cheon Miryeo’s voice lowered. In the darkness, her expression was hard to make out.

“…Yes.”

“Then where will you be?”

“Somewhere in the central plains.”

I said it with feigned nonchalance.

“If you happen to reach Profound Demon…”

I hesitated for a moment, should I say this or not?

“If even then you still want to see me, then at least once… we’ll meet.”

“Once…”

She grinned. Mischief danced at the corners of her eyes.

“Once will do. We won’t part so easily then.”

She left behind an odd remark, whether a joke or sincere, it was impossible to tell.

“Very well. Do as you will.”

It was an answer that left nothing more to ask.

About two months after living with her.

The day of destiny came after the training finished.

“Then, take care, Master.”

Cheon Miryeo, having stepped outside, bowed politely with her palms together.

The morning sun illuminated her back.

“Truly… thank you.”

I nodded at her polite manner. Words rose to my throat, then sank back down.

“Live well and be happy. And never… entangle yourself with me again.”

But I said nothing. I simply turned my back.

She would reach Profound Demon. Then she would find her own life.

And perhaps someday, by chance, we’d meet again.

“Chance. That’s what life is.”

A life without predetermined answers.

Even if most of life is determined by one’s abilities.

The relationships you meet.

Friends and people around you can change based on your efforts.

That kind of life.

That’s how I wanted to live.

Whoosh.

The sound of wind came from behind. It was the sound of her using light footwork skill to depart.

And so, that day.

I let her go from my heart.