CHAPTER 400: THE DIVINE DEMON DESCENDS (3)

Yo Yeon-bi trembled in his legs.

Because he had lived so recklessly and addicted to gambling, he was treated as a disliked son even at home.

His father, Yo Dae-soon, would thunderously scold Yo Yeon-bi every time they met.

If he was going to be a wayward child, he might as well have been properly rebellious, but Yo Yeon-bi wasn’t even that defiant.

His father was Yo Dae-soon, the Lord of the True Demon Palace.

If Yo Dae-soon, who was at the realm of Unrestrained Demon, slapped him with all his might, Yo Yeon-bi’s skull would shatter in two.

Therefore, Yo Yeon-bi had never once raised his voice against his father.

Whenever he stood before him, he was always nervous and intimidated.

But today, it was even worse.

His teeth chattered and tears even welled up.

Because he realized what he had done.

Because he had come to know what kind of people he had been fooling around with.

‘Da, Dam Yi-baek, that bastard!’

Dam Yi-baek and his group, who had concealed their identities as wandering swordsmen and made contact.

When he heard they had infiltrated here from Central Plains to save his younger sibling, he briefly thought they were cool, but now he regretted it.

‘They set fire and stole the cult’s sacred relics…’

But they didn’t just quietly take a few people.

High Spirit Palace burned down and collapsed completely.

He didn’t know exactly what, but it seemed they had stolen the cult’s sacred relics.

They broke through the Divine Demon Bridge, and though the method was unknown, they destroyed the strong and historically significant bridge.

Above all.

Even though his fearsome father personally intervened, he couldn’t stop them.

His father, who was at the Unrestrained Demon realm, fell into the river.

He couldn’t believe it when he heard it, but seeing his drenched father made it real.

Yo Yeon-bi immediately knelt down.

His knees hurt as if breaking with a loud crack, but he didn’t show it and shouted.

“P-please kill me!”

Yo Dae-soon looked blankly at his son.

He was simply puzzled because he didn’t know what Yo Yeon-bi had done.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“I, I…”

It was something Yo Dae-soon would find out anyway.

It might be better to confess quickly to save himself.

Feeling the fear of death, Yo Yeon-bi explained what he had experienced.

Dam Yi-baek and his group.

How they used a secret passage hidden under One Grab Thousand Gold Manor to come and go to the Demon Cult’s main base.

Even Gal Dong-tak, who used the Great Blood Demonic Art.

Yo Dae-soon grabbed Yo Yeon-bi by the collar and lifted him.

“What did you say!”

“Huh, hyaaak!”

His father’s face, pushed right in front of him, was terrifying.

Yo Yeon-bi almost wet himself.

“Please spare me!”

“Speak properly!”

“I told you everything.”

“Who did you say the one using the Great Blood Demonic Art learned from?”

Yo Yeon-bi knew his father deeply respected the Heavenly Demon.

So he hesitated but couldn’t help speaking under his burning gaze.

“The Heavenly Demon taught him… that’s what he said. That ignorant and rude guy…”

Yo Dae-soon released Yo Yeon-bi.

Yo Yeon-bi fell down, rubbing his sore neck and breathing heavily.

Yo Dae-soon muttered absentmindedly.

“Yes… I clearly saw it.”

Yo Yeon-bi blankly looked up at his father.

Soon, he was startled.

Something unbelievable was happening.

A tear rolled down the cheek of his terrifying father.

“You truly have been resurrected…”

Yo Yeon-bi stood dumbfounded with his mouth agape.

Until now, Yo Dae-soon had barely suppressed his turbulent emotions.

His mind was in utter confusion.

Because what he saw and experienced clashed with his rational thinking.

What he encountered on the Divine Demon Bridge was definitely the Heavenly Demon.

Now he could accept it.

Who else under heaven could use the Heavenly Demon’s Reigning Step but the Heavenly Demon himself?

The question was why he wore the attire of an orthodox young man and why he came quietly without revealing himself.

‘If he had revealed his resurrection, all demons would have bowed, so why…’

The Heavenly Demon was the deity of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

If he had resurrected and appeared proudly, the demons would surely have obeyed.

But instead, he infiltrated the Demon Cult, rescued the kidnapped, and escaped with soul fragments…

Yo Dae-soon was a man fully qualified as the Lord of the True Demon Palace.

In other words, he could think strategically and tactically.

‘There are two possibilities.’

One was that the Heavenly Demon’s resurrection was incomplete.

It seemed plausible. The resurrection ritual was performed without all soul fragments being gathered.

The Heavenly Demon had not perished but had not fully resurrected.

‘Also, perhaps the current state of the divine cult…’

The rightful master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is the Heavenly Demon himself.

Yet he did not reveal his identity from the start, perhaps thinking the current followers would not obey.

Not all Demon Cult members are as faithful as Yo Dae-soon.

Even the current leader Sun Moon Divine Demon and the Twin-Headed Demon Brain, the chief military commander and High Spirit Palace lord, are people who know nothing beyond themselves.

When the incompletely resurrected the Heavenly Demon appeared before them.

Would they truly return what they have to their master?

Yo Dae-soon would gladly do so, but they might not.

“Yeon-bi.”

Yo Dae-soon placed his hand on his kneeling son’s shoulder.

“Well done.”

“You have done a very great thing.”

How could helping cult intruders met while gambling be a great thing?

But Yo Dae-soon spoke seriously.

“Do not tell anyone about this. No one.”

“I, I will.”

It was obviously not something to be spread around.

Yo Dae-soon gave a very warm look.

It was the first time Yo Yeon-bi received such a gaze from his father.

“Soon, I and the demons of Sky Shattering Island will advance to the Central Plains. A full-scale war will begin.”

“Your martial arts are poor and your ability insufficient, so you won’t be deployed. Stay and train. I will send word.”

Yo Yeon-bi nodded absentmindedly.

“Go inside. the Heavenly Demon coming to you must be fate’s guidance. Quit gambling now. If I hear you enter a gambling house again, I won’t forgive you.”

“I, I will.”

For some reason, he wasn’t scolded as harshly as he feared.

Taking the chance, Yo Yeon-bi quickly left the main hall.

Only then did he pause and stiffen.

‘The Heavenly Demon came to me?’

All Yo Yeon-bi had done was be toyed with by Dam Yi-baek.

But no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t figure anything out.

Several more days passed.

There was no news of capturing those who fled Sky Shattering Island, nor of finding Dam Yi-baek and his companions who fell into the river.

Demon Brain and Yo Dae-soon truly prepared for full-scale war.

The martial artists of the main base still in Sky Shattering Island boarded boats and headed to Central Plains.

And somewhere in Sky Shattering Island.

Drip, drip.

A damp underground space where the sound of water droplets never ceased.

Yi-gang was there.

「Praying and crying to the heavens is meaningless.」

The Heavenly Demon’s voice echoed.

Yi-gang did not look at the Heavenly Demon.

Since another soul fragment was embedded in the Heavenly Demon Plaque, the Heavenly Demon could also briefly come out in spirit form like Zhang Sanfeng.

Now the Heavenly Demon was sitting on a table in this underground space.

「The being humans pray to is nine parts nonsense. Only one part of it actually exists.」

「However, even if prayers are sent, that’s all. Those above never listen to human prayers.」

When he said ‘above,’ the Heavenly Demon actually raised his finger to point upward.

He was referring to the Heavenly Realm.

The Divine Realm where the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother of the West reside.

「Even now, I hear the voices of those praying to me.」

Is he on the same level as the great immortals of the Heavenly Realm?

「You should pray to me instead. As before, I will save your life.」

「Your arrogance is excessive. Even if I had possessed the Priest, I still could have broken free.」

Zhang Sanfeng was also out briefly.

With two spirits added in this not very large space, it became noisy.

But Yi-gang did not blame them.

Right now, the only one to focus on here was Ha-jun.

Fortunately, Ha-jun could not hear the voices of those spirits.

Ha-jun was sitting cross-legged.

His bare upper body was covered with black stains spreading everywhere.

It looked very similar to when Yi-gang was corrupted by demonic energy.

“Breathe deeply. You know that mishandling demonic energy can drive you mad.”

Yi-gang advised so.

Ha-jun controlled the flow of energy according to Yi-gang’s instructions.

Until a few days ago, Ha-jun couldn’t even perform energy circulation.

Thanks to Yi-gang’s help, or more precisely the Heavenly Demon’s advice, he survived.

「Your younger sibling originally had the talent to walk the demonic path. Unlike you, he can move even while his body is corrupted by demonic energy.」

That was true.

Ha-jun moved unlike Yi-gang and even emitted sword aura despite dying.

「Though he lost his internal power, he need not regret it. His lower dantian is filled with pure demonic energy instead. He just needs to learn new ways to use it.」

Ha-jun lost his internal power.

The level of cultivation he had solidly cultivated with the peerless Immortal Divine Art was gone.

But as the Heavenly Demon said, there was still a hole in Ha-jun’s back.

However, through that hole, no spine or muscles were visible anymore.

Instead, it was covered with something black and smooth like obsidian.

「The source and origin of countless demonic arts, the demonic skill among demonic arts…」

Ha-jun’s breathing was gathered.

And when he opened his eyes, bright red gleams flashed.

The overwhelming aggressive aura was so intense that he could not be considered an orthodox martial artist.

「He has mastered Sky Shattering Divine Art.」

What Ha-jun learned was the Heavenly Demon’s secret cultivation method.

Yi-gang wanted to save Ha-jun, and the Heavenly Demon willingly taught him his secret cultivation method.

Zhang Sanfeng guaranteed that the Heavenly Demon was not playing tricks, albeit in a very reluctant tone.

「Even so, demonic art is demonic art. You and your brother must remain cautious. If he succumbs to his heart demon, he will become a demon.」

「That only applies to vulgar demonic skills. Since he has learned my cultivation and stored my demonic energy in the dantian, that won’t happen.」

Ignoring the two spirits’ argument, Yi-gang asked.

“How do you feel? Are you okay?”

“…Yeah, I actually feel lighter than before.”

“Your body is still not normal. Don’t be impatient.”

Yi-gang instructed Ha-jun to rest.

Ha-jun closed his eyes briefly and quickly fell asleep.

It was clear his body was still burdened.

「In a few days, he will reach the Transcendent, Extreme Demon realm, and at this rate, achieving the Unrestrained Demon realm won’t be impossible.“

According to the Heavenly Demon, Ha-jun had tremendous talent in demonic arts.

In fact, Ha-jun’s recovery speed was terrifying.

It had only been about five days since Yi-gang took Ha-jun and hid in this underground space.

This was a pond inside Sky Shattering Island.

A space hidden beneath its surface.

Several such safe houses were hidden in Sky Shattering Island where the White Lotus cult members hid.

「It’s over now.」

When Yi-gang stood up.

The Heavenly Demon, who had been sitting on the table, was now standing.

There was no warning for what happened next.

The Heavenly Demon moved without any notice.

His translucent body blurred and shifted instantly.

Then with his right hand, he pierced through Zhang Sasfeng’s back.

「W-what!」

Zhang Sanfeng was terrified.

Souls cannot touch humans, and humans cannot touch souls.

But it seemed souls could touch other souls.

The Heavenly Demon continued attacking the startled Zhang Sanfeng.

Unlike the mental world, the Heavenly Demon and Zhang Sanfeng in reality could not fully use their martial arts.

But their strength had not disappeared.

A dazzling exchange of attacks and defenses continued.

Zhang Sanfeng was at a disadvantage after the surprise attack.

The Heavenly Demon quickly gained the upper hand.

“Zhao Guang, Youu!”

The Heavenly Demon’s foot sliced through Zhang Sanfeng’s head.

No sound followed, but the translucent spirit of Zhang Sanfeng shattered.

It was absorbed back into the Heavenly Demon Talisman.

That was the end.

The Heavenly Demon laughed, brushing his hands.

“…What are you doing?”

Yi-gang glared at the Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon also lost his right hand in the brief fight.

But that right hand would slowly regenerate, and Zhang Sanfeng’s scattered soul would reunite and revive.

So the Heavenly Demon’s sudden action seemed meaningless at first glance.

「I have something to discuss with you alone.」

If it was a secret conversation not to be heard by Zhang Sanfeng…

「You seem to trust Zhang Junbao, but that is foolish.“

Was he trying to sow discord?

Before Yi-gang could object, the Heavenly Demon said something completely unexpected.

「He is also just an immortal, unable to escape the shadow of the Heavenly Realm. And the Heavenly Realm is…」

Yi-gang also did not know much about the Heavenly Realm.

Because Zhang Sanfeng said he could not speak about the Heavenly Realm’s matters.

「The Evil Cult, those scoundrels who aid the evil gods to run rampant.」

‘The Evil Cult’

From the Heavenly Demon’s mouth, when he said that word, instead of the usual emptiness, there was clear hatred felt.