Chapter 559

“How is the Sword Saint’s inheritor learning the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts?”

At those words, the wind that had been blowing stopped.

My body froze with it.

What was Gye Mun saying right now?

Think.

One second.

The silence could not grow long.

Neither could my shock.

I had to say something, no matter what. What should I say? Think.

Two seconds.

It could not pass three seconds. I had to speak within this if possible.

How did he know? Those words held certainty.

He was not sounding me out. Then where had he obtained the information?

I used the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts in Xinjiang once.

Only once, last night. What if he had seen it then?

Ah.

I remembered. I drew information from the Heavenly Demon’s words.

When I asked whether someone was watching, the Heavenly Demon had said,

Do not mind it.

That did not mean no one was watching, so it was fine.

It meant someone was watching, but—

that the person was acceptable. Had Gye Mun been watching? Me? Why?

And if the Heavenly Demon had judged it acceptable even if he was watching—

What does that mean?

I tried to read the Heavenly Demon’s thoughts. If that sly bastard, a man on the same level as Yoo Cheongil, had deliberately taken such a method—

He wants me...

to use this.

Then how was I supposed to use it?

My thoughts could go no further.

Three seconds.

I had to make a judgment.

“You have no answer. Then...”

Gye Mun began moving his sword. Killing intent faintly crossed his eyes. I made my judgment. That old man would try to kill me.

Before I even fully felt it, my body moved.

“An amusing thing to say...”

“...Hm?”

At the words I spat out, Gye Mun’s brow narrowed. I lowered my voice slightly. Then I changed my stance. I loosened the strength in the sword I was holding.

“What did you just say?”

Gye Mun asked.

“Depending on your answer, I will change the way I kill you. Bloodling, who do you believe is standing before you?”

Cold.

The killing intent Gye Mun emitted was cold and sharp. It kept tapping at my neck, bearing down as though it would cut me at any moment.

The shape of his energy was terribly fierce. The ultimate art emitted by an absolute master was this different in rank.

Feeling that, cold sweat should have broken out over me, but I hid even that.

“A Demonic Cultist. A Demonic Cultist stands before me.”

“...You little...”

“First Elder of the Holy Cult, Black-Iron Demon Sword Gye Mun. Do you think I do not know you stand here? I am not blind.”

I clasped my hands behind my back to hide my trembling fingertips. It was a trick to avoid his gaze.

“Vile orthodox whelp. Do you believe the false name of Yoo Cheongil’s inheritor and a man of the Alliance will protect your life?”

“Ha ha. What a ridiculous thing to say. Do I believe the name of that mere Alliance will protect me? How does it look to you? Does it seem that way?”

My insides were twisting into a mess. I fought desperately so my breathing would not break.

“This will not do.”

I put strength into my heart and into my dantian.

Would it work? According to the Heavenly Demon, I had to change my perception. I did not know whether it would work or not. If it failed, I would die.

Now was the time to make it happen.

That damned Heavenly Demon bastard.

That shameless evil ghost who must have been aiming for this situation flashed through my mind. As expected, there was no normal person among those entangled with Yoo Cheongil.

No, I was the idiot for briefly thinking a creature called the Heavenly Demon might be normal in the first place.

“I have given you every chance. Now die.”

Gye Mun moved.

Craaaack.

Before that, the energy in my dantian moved first.

Merge it with the soul.

I mixed demonic qi with spiritual energy. I recalled that instant and the ratio of yin and yang. Twining them together as if through friction, slowly blending them.

My demonic qi was the foundation the Heavenly Demon had seated inside me. I mixed spiritual energy into that foundation.

The ratio needed to release the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts. I matched it. The sword would fly in. It was obvious I would not be able to properly grasp it even with the Moon Immortal Sword path. I did not try uselessly to see it.

Focus.

Right now, I had to focus on one thing.

Wuuung. Demonic qi and spiritual energy mixed.

Focus.

I did not even have room to feel discomfort. I thought of only one thing.

As I did, I felt the energies gradually blend.

Ah.

Something flashed through my mind. This sensation. I had been wondering where I had felt it before.

Body-and-sword unity...?

Body-and-sword unity. The moments when I had focused on the sword, thinking only of becoming one with the sword.

The anomaly created as a result. The process of linking demonic qi with spiritual energy resembled that.

Looking at only one thing.

Advancing while caring for nothing else, looking only at one thing.

It was the path toward a state of complete absorption, and the most fundamental perspective for looking at martial arts.

...The demonic way.

This was the demonic way.

What the Heavenly Demon had said coiled faintly around my body.

[Ha ha.]

I heard laughter.

[I did not prepare this so you would gain enlightenment from something like this.]

[But it is not bad.]

His voice was satisfied. Did that mean this was the right answer? It probably did.

[Take it.]

[From now on, it is yours.]

Hwaaaaaak—!!!

Demonic qi and spiritual energy mingled. Starting from my dantian, they spread through my meridians like heat.

It felt as though flames were wrapping around my body. If Moonbolt was warm, this was a violent heat.

Hwarururuk—!!!!

As if flames were overflowing, demonic qi coated my entire body.

Tadak—! Tak!

I heard the sound of embers bursting. My vision, which seemed to have gone distant for a moment, returned. I saw something in front of me.

Gye Mun.

Elder Gye Mun. He was right before my nose. His expression was close to shock, and he had thrust out his sword.

Then where was that sword?

...My neck.

My neck. The sword, with hard aura wrapped around it to cut me down, was touching my neck. The blade was just before digging in.

If I had been even a little late, it would have sliced through.

“...This... truly... truly the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts...”

He stammered. I looked at Gye Mun, who was staring at me and trembling.

Get a hold of yourself.

I seized my wavering mind. Some sort of enlightenment surged up. The Heavenly Demon Divine Arts. As I obtained it, it felt as though some shell embedded inside me had broken somewhere, but I had no time to feel or enjoy it.

Because I was still on the threshold of death.

“Elder Gye Mun.”

“...!”

I called him.

“Do you still intend to stand so close?”

“What...?”

“Show respect.”

I swept my hair back. At the same time, I recalled it again.

What the Heavenly Demon did.

The things he had done while borrowing my body. The shape of the energy he had released to do them.

Just as my hair had turned white when I cast Moonbolt—

Pour demonic qi into it.

I made it black. My long hair slowly scorched black. At the same time—

Bring in the form of the Heaven-Slaying Star.

The texture of the soul. The Heaven-Slaying Star was karma embedded in the soul. As though imitating that karma, I shaped it in my mind.

I used the sensation the Heavenly Demon had possessed. Before long, the feeling came.

My eyes burned hot.

Though I could not see it, they had probably become red light.

“Ha... Hah...”

At my changed appearance, Gye Mun staggered.

“How... that form... How...”

“What is so surprising?”

I imitated him as closely as possible. The things the Heavenly Demon had done. At the same time, I took one step forward.

This time, I imitated Yoo Cheongil’s steps.

Tap.

The gait of an absolute master.

“Is this not the sight you waited so long for?”

“...What are you saying?”

“Am I wrong? You must have grown tired of the Holy Cult’s collapsing symbolism and qualifications. Yet now the existence you longed for has appeared. Why do you emit such hostility?”

“...The existence I longed for? What do you know? And are you saying that existence is you?”

“How does it look?”

“......”

At my words, Gye Mun momentarily fell silent.

Correct answer.

Seeing that reaction, I felt relief inside. The collapsing symbolism and qualifications.

The reason Gye Mun did not trust the Little Heavenly Demon and did not support him, and the reason he had taken no disciples.

The reason he found no faction satisfactory was—

Because he is pro-Heavenly Demon.

The former Heavenly Demon’s closest aide and the guardian of the Holy Cult who had followed him.

Because he believed in and followed the Heavenly Demon more than anyone else, he would not support anyone.

The reason was what had been said over and over.

Because they lack the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.

The symbol of the Holy Cult lost when the Heavenly Demon died. Only one who possessed it could sit at the top of the Holy Cult.

However, in the current Holy Cult, no one possessed that symbol.

At most, there was the Young Cult Leader. A being said to be of the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline, who possessed the Heaven-Slaying Star.

Through his talent and existence, he had been acknowledged and risen to the position of Young Cult Leader of the Cult, but—

Even that must dissatisfy him.

In the end, Gye Mun simply valued the existence of the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts above all else.

More than anyone, he must have desired the Holy Cult’s revival and the continuation of its existence, yet been unable to make that happen.

And.

The Heavenly Demon knew that.

So he had deliberately shown the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts then in order to use this current situation?

Damn old man.

He should at least reach mutual agreement first so I can do something about it. But he just went and did this out of nowhere?

I nearly died.

If I had thought even a little wrong, I really would have died.

That had been close. I held back a dry swallow and looked at him.

“Elder Gye Mun.”

“......”

“What do I look like to you?”

Black hair, red eye-light, and possession of the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.

In his eyes right now, what did I look like?

A symbol.

I was an existence who had appeared wrapped in all of the Heavenly Demon’s symbols.

In other words, the very existence Gye Mun had been waiting for with his neck stretched thin.

That was why that old man’s eyes were trembling like that.

However—

“...Bullshit.”

I knew Gye Mun was not that easy.

“Orthodox bloodling. What conduct are you expecting from me? Do you expect this old man to lower his head to you because you have prepared that outward appearance?”

Was he asking whether my words looked like they meant, The Heavenly Demon has appeared, so bow your head?

Hearing that, I gave a small laugh.

“Why? Is it impossible? I am...”

Ttdeudeuk.

Damn it.

In the middle of speaking, veins bulged in my neck. This was dangerous. Whether it was the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts or whatever else, it consumed too much demonic qi and inner qi.

I was using spiritual energy too, but it felt as though my blood was slowly drying up.

Even so, I could not let him notice.

“the one who will become the Sky of this Cult.”

“You bastard...!!”

KWAGAGAK—!!!

“How can something of the orthodox faction dare speak of the Sky!”

Fighting spirit rebelled from Gye Mun’s body. At the sight, I flinched.

It is working.

Ridiculously enough, seeing that told me my plan was working.

There is fighting spirit, but no killing intent.

The energy that had been raging as if he would kill me was nowhere to be seen. That bastard was a fake right now.

“Is it strange for one who will become the Sky to speak of the Sky?”

So.

Please help already.

I asked the Heavenly Demon to give me the final blow.

You know better than anyone that it will be troublesome if you do not help.

I grew angry at the damned old man who was only watching.

Only then did I hear his voice.

[Keul keul keul. A pity. I wanted to enjoy this a little longer.]

Enjoy, my ass. I am struggling to death here.

That damned evil ghost. As expected, he had known and kept his mouth shut.

While I held back my irritation, the Heavenly Demon spoke.

[Repeat after me.]

“I am holding myself back from tearing your mouth open. Be silent. You had better answer properly when asked.”

Kkeugeugeuk. Veins rose at Gye Mun’s temple. Then—

“How do you possess the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts?”

At that moment, I recited the Heavenly Demon’s words exactly.

[If that...]

“If that is what you are curious about—”

[now...]

“right now.”

At my words—

“Take me to the grave of my father that you know of.”

“...What?”

Gye Mun’s expression finally collapsed.