Chapter 151
Thanks to Jazan's consideration, Lee Seong-jun was able to save a significant amount of money. However, the funds in his account weren't left entirely untouched.
This was because the places that needed barrier installations weren't limited to just his house in Seoul and Yongsan The Hill.
There was still the house in Paju where he planned to live and the building to be used as the guild headquarters.
Even after minimizing the scope, there were still two more locations remaining.
In fact, Jazan had offered to do the construction for these two places for free as well.
However, having already been indebted to Jazan twice, Lee Seong-jun didn't want to add any more to his moral debt. He firmly expressed his intention and paid the full price.
Of course, it couldn't be said that he paid the complete market price.
Jazan had disclosed his account number on the condition that he would prioritize the requested construction and enhance and upgrade the barrier's performance.
In the end, Lee Seong-jun succeeded in paying a construction fee of 300 billion won.
Although the balance in his account had decreased significantly at once, he felt no regret or pity.
Rather, he felt a great sense of satisfaction as the plans he had envisioned in his mind were slowly coming to fruition one by one.
However, Lee Seong-jun, hailed as a Demon God, was not one to settle for the immediate reality before him.
In the basement of his home, Yongsan The Hill.
Originally designed as an underground bunker for safety, it was now more frequently used as a training room. Lee Seong-jun, standing alone in this space, called up a green hologram window.
[Status]
Name: Lee Seong-jun
Level: 168
Strength: 69, (+42) Agility: 68 (+43), Vitality: 69 (+42)
Blood Energy: 89 (+51)
Bonus Points: 63
Confirming the reassuring number of 63 bonus points, a smile spread across Lee Seong-jun's face.
'Finally, I can raise the Blood Demon Asura Divine Technique to the 9th level.'
He had been thinking about this since China, but due to external matters that needed to be handled upon returning to Korea, as well as the lack of secure space due to the barrier construction, he had no choice but to postpone it.
In other words, there was no reason to delay any longer.
Having completed all calculations in his head beforehand, Lee Seong-jun distributed the bonus points without hesitation.
'...I'll distribute 21 bonus points each to Strength, Agility, and Vitality.'
As repeatedly mentioned, to progress to the realm of ascension, one must achieve balance between mind, energy, and body.
Even with an enormous amount of inner energy, if one's techniques and physical body couldn't support it, it would be no different from putting a pearl necklace on a pig.
Similarly, even with exceptional techniques or a sturdy physique, without the supporting elements, they wouldn't show much effectiveness.
It was only natural for Lee Seong-jun to exclude inner energy and blood energy from the bonus point distribution.
Ding-!
[Status 'Strength, Agility, Vitality' have increased by (+21).]
As the hologram window appeared, the energies floating around the area began to swirl.
At the center of it all was none other than Lee Seong-jun.
Whoosh-!
Along with the sound of fierce wind, the swirling energies began to rapidly absorb into Lee Seong-jun's body, standing calmly in the eye of the storm.
He could instinctively feel the massive amount of power filling his entire body and the simultaneous increase in the limits of his physical vessel.
A wry smile appeared on Lee Seong-jun's face as he felt the immense power that had transformed his body in such a short moment.
'...Growth through the system never ceases to amaze.'
It wasn't just simple numbers; the power given by the system was clearly real.
It was already astonishing that it forcibly bestowed power, but what's more, there seemed to be no limit to growth.
Naturally, questions began to arise in his mind about the system's remarkable abilities that evoked a sense of wonder.
'Who could be the creator who made this system? And what do they want?'
It was a contemplation he had occasionally indulged in, but he had never found an answer.
'If it were something easily uncovered, I would have figured it out long ago.'
The system had existed even before he, Lee Seong-jun, was born, but present-day humanity still didn't know its fundamental nature.
However, there was one thing he could be certain of.
'A god or some absolute being close to it must be involved.'
Unless he had the full power and authority from when he was hailed as a Demon God, there was no way he could figure it out immediately with his current abilities.
Thus, Lee Seong-jun set aside the curiosity that had arisen in his mind.
Instead, he focused on what he could do now, what he needed to do.
'Prepare and get ready.'
He would fully absorb the given power as his own, so that even if a god suddenly changed their mind, they couldn't take back what they had given.
It wasn't time to harbor doubts or make meaningless conjectures.
'Now... is the time to move forward.'
With that thought, Lee Seong-jun unhesitatingly assumed a cross-legged position and began to circulate his blood energy.
Naturally, he could feel the blood energy spreading throughout his body, from the tips of his fingers to his toes.
Power surged through his body as if it were about to leap into a new world.
However, there was no immediate change.
From the start, the 9th level of the Blood Demon Asura Divine Technique was a realm that couldn't be reached merely by training and strengthening the current physical body.
Knowing this well, Lee Seong-jun maintained his composure and recited the incantations of the Blood Demon Asura Divine Technique in his mind.
'All things are creations made of blood...'
With his eyes tightly closed, Lee Seong-jun continuously repeated in his mind the incantations from the 1st level, which could be considered the beginning, to the 8th level he had currently achieved.
Once, twice, ten times...
After repeating it so many times that he lost count, his consciousness wandered deep into his inner self.
Finally, as even his consciousness faded away and he entered a state of complete selflessness, the ninth incantation naturally arose in his mind and began to be recited.
'A small star, one world, the vast galaxy, at the primordial beginning of all life, the power of blood must exist...'
The blood energy filling his entire body began to resonate with the incantations being recited in his mind.
Woong.
Lee Seong-jun's body, sitting cross-legged, gently floated up into the air.
Simultaneously, red blood energy flowed out from his entire body, and a vast amount of energy spread throughout the basement, creating a scene as if the world was being dyed in blood.
Wheeeeee-!
At the center of the reddened world, as Lee Seong-jun slowly exhaled, a energy redder than blood shot up from his body like a streak of light, taking the form of an evil spirit.
Of course, it wasn't an ordinary evil spirit.
Or more precisely, it couldn't be called an evil spirit at all.
The form created by the red light that shot up into the air was an Asura, a symbol of the most violent, cruel, and combative being in the world.
Kugung-!
Its mere presence made the world tremble.
There was no thought of resistance.
All that could be done was to bow down, worship, and revere.
Finally, as all beings in the world bowed their heads and showed submission to the Asura's power that had invaded the world,
Kung-!
The power of all things, captivated by the Asura's presence, began to seep into Lee Seong-jun's body.
As the massive amount of power that continued to pour in filled his body, cracking sounds echoed from within, reconstructing his muscles, blood vessels, and even the bones and organs inside.
During this process.
Various changes, big and small, occurred in Lee Seong-jun's body.
His visible skin became like white jade, as it was in his childhood, his internal muscles and bones became even more solid, and his actively functioning organs ceaselessly generated vitality.
Just as Lee Seong-jun's body seemed to be reversing time, a massive amount of life force surged up.
Flash-!
The life force enveloping his entire body turned into a streak of light and was sucked into his body, disappearing without a trace.
At the same time, Lee Seong-jun's tightly closed eyelids lifted.
'Finally... I've reached the pinnacle of the Manifestation Realm, the 9th level of the Blood Demon Asura Divine Technique.'
As he was recognizing his own changes, a cheerful alarm sound rang in his ears.
Ding-!
[Blood Demon Asura Divine Technique has reached the 9th level!]
[All stats (Strength, Agility, Vitality, Blood Energy) increase by 20!]
[The absorption rate of ambient energy increases explosively, and Blood Energy stat will increase periodically!]
Checking the green hologram window that appeared before his eyes, Lee Seong-jun's expression was filled with considerable satisfaction.
"Excellent."
His stats had increased by a whopping 80 points.
This alone could be considered a significant achievement, but the growth achieved by reaching the 9th level of the Blood Demon Asura Divine Technique wasn't just a simple increase in stats.
[The Force system detects a new change in the physical body.]
[Congratulations! User 'Lee Seong-jun's body has achieved Reversal of Aging!]
Reversal of Aging!
It was commonly believed to be a return to one's childhood or youth, but this was only half correct.
A martial artist who reached a certain level and achieved Reversal of Aging would return to their body's peak condition, typically their early twenties.
For some, this might mean reversing several decades, making it not much different from returning to childhood. However, for Lee Seong-jun, who was in his mid-twenties, it wasn't such a long reversal of time.
Of course, this didn't mean that the effects of Reversal of Aging were insignificant.
Obtaining the body of one's prime meant that bones, muscles, skin, and other organs returned to their best condition.
Even for an ordinary person, this would bring about considerable changes, let alone for Lee Seong-jun, a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle of the Manifestation Realm.
The changes to his body were bound to be even more dramatic.
Ding-!
[As a result of achieving Reversal of Aging, user 'Lee Seong-jun's body develops new characteristics.]
[Acquired Immunity to Cold and Heat.]
[Acquired Immunity to All Poisons.]
[Acquired Indestructible Bones.]
The biggest change was in his body's resistance.
The "explosively" increased resistance achieved Immunity to Cold and Heat, granting tremendous resistance to fire and cold energies.
This meant that even if he were engulfed by lava erupting from a volcano or the freezing cold of Antarctica, he would suffer no harm.
Moreover, reaching Immunity to All Poisons meant that even the most potent poisons would no longer pose a threat.
'I no longer need to rely on Star Purification.'
Although Star Purification had an excellent effect of removing physical status ailments, it consumed a significant amount of blood energy. Considering this, it was much better to avoid taking damage altogether.
Both Immunity to Cold and Heat and Immunity to All Poisons were characteristics with considerably useful effects.
However, there was another characteristic that truly captivated Lee Seong-jun's heart.