Chapter 727: I Am Your Master and Your Friend
Chapter 727: I Am Your Master and Your Friend
When the darkness opened its eyes, it felt as if a new world was unfolding.
Those two eyes looked down at Geom Mu-geuk. The pupils were as deep and dark as an abyss, mirroring the very aura he possessed.
Geom Mu-geuk had seen these eyes before. They had appeared to him countless times in dreams and illusions—the only thing he had ever managed to see clearly. Yes, it was these very eyes.
The moment he realized what kind of entity stood before him, a tremor ran through his body from head to toe.
‘It’s the Heavenly Demon Soul!’
It was the moment his Heavenly Demon Soul descended upon the world for the first time. And it had done so to save his life.
The Heavenly Demon Soul slowly straightened its back. The eyes that had been inches away drew back.
Thump!
The massive boulder that had been resting on the Heavenly Demon Soul’s back crashed to the ground.
Geom Mu-geuk understood then. In that moment of ultimate crisis, the Heavenly Demon Soul had manifested and shielded him from the rock with its own body.
‘The Heavenly Demon Soul saved me.’
But there was something even more surprising.
‘It manifested even though I didn’t call for it!’
As the boulder fell toward him, Geom Mu-geuk had thought of those he would leave behind—those who would grieve his death.
Had it read his heart and moved to save its master? Or had it acted to preserve its own destiny, refusing to vanish before it could even step into the world?
The Heavenly Demon Soul revealed its magnificent form beneath the moonlight. Its presence was nothing short of overwhelming. It was an absolute being that ruled over every devil and evil ghost in existence—the pinnacle of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art and the ultimate principle of all demonic arts.
The face of the Heavenly Demon Soul revealed under the moonlight was truly terrifying. If it looked like this just after manifesting, what would happen once it grew and mastered martial arts?
‘We’ll have to commission a new statue for the Cult, Father.’
Near the Heavenly Demon Hall stood a giant statue of an evil ghost modeled after the Heavenly Demon Soul. Seeing the real thing now, the statue couldn't compare to this level of terror. In particular, the cold, overbearing pressure emanating from those eyes was something no stone carving could ever capture.
But was it because it was his own Heavenly Demon Soul? Geom Mu-geuk found himself thinking that this terrifying face was actually handsome.
It was frightening yet well-featured, and above all, looking into those haughty eyes made him realize that this was no mere killing machine that only followed orders. It was far more magnificent than the image he had imagined hundreds of times.
‘You... I like you.’
He wondered what his first words to it should be.
But then, just as the Heavenly Demon Soul’s gaze seemed to turn toward him, it began to vanish silently.
‘No!’
Because it had manifested while Geom Mu-geuk’s internal energy was completely depleted, it couldn't stay for long and had to return.
His father had told him that summoning the Heavenly Demon Soul required only will, not internal energy. However, internal energy was necessary to sustain its existence in the world and to allow it to exert its martial arts.
His disappointment was brief, quickly replaced by a surge of pure elation.
“...I have finally reached Great Achievement.”
A revolving lantern of memories didn't only appear at the moment of death. Countless events he had endured to reach this point flashed through his mind.
His life’s purpose was to stop Hwa Mu-gi and save everyone. This was the moment he had achieved the most vital requirement for that goal.
Geom Mu-geuk laughed out loud. He laughed like a madman, his voice echoing through the mountains.
He was truly happy. He had achieved mastery in many martial arts, but had he ever been this joyful? Even if he obtained every martial arts manual in the world or the rarest ancient elixir, could he be happier than this? No.
He felt like dancing. And why not? He could just do the dance he once performed with Bi Sa-in. He would dance alone under the moon.
Just as Geom Mu-geuk, who had been leaning against the cliff, tried to stand up—
“Ugh!”
He grimaced and slumped back down. His body was in tatters. The impact of being thrown out when the Space-Time Displacement Technique was dispelled and hitting the cliff had left him feeling as if he’d been beaten all over. It was because he had hit the rock with his bare body, devoid of internal energy.
He hadn't felt any pain while looking at the Heavenly Demon Soul just moments ago, but now that the tension had snapped, the agony came rushing in.
Geom Mu-geuk checked his condition. Fortunately, despite the severe bruising, no bones were broken, and he had suffered no internal injuries.
Even as he grimaced from the pain, he chuckled like a lunatic. He didn't care if it hurt. What did pain matter? He had achieved the Great Achievement of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, the goal of his dreams.
Now he understood why the Space-Time Displacement Technique had been dispelled during his final training session.
As the Nine Calamities Demonic Art reached Great Achievement, the Heavenly Demon World Destruction had torn through the Space-Time Displacement Technique. It meant that the perfected Heavenly Demon World Destruction was capable of breaking that technique.
Normally, the failure of the Space-Time Displacement Technique would be a bad result, but this was something to celebrate. It proved just how formidable the Nine Calamities Demonic Art truly was.
“I did it!”
Geom Mu-geuk’s shout echoed through the mountains.
He leaned against the cliff for a moment, looking up at the night sky. How could achieving such a great feat be possible through his efforts alone?
“Thank you.”
After offering his gratitude to the heavens, Geom Mu-geuk focused on recovering his internal energy. He closed his eyes and began his breathing exercises. He circulated his true qi through one complete circulation, then two, then three.
Only when his dantian was filled with internal energy was he able to manage the pain in his body.
Once his energy was restored, his gaze turned toward the cave. A large boulder was blocking the entrance. He didn't mind the pain, and he wasn't ashamed of dancing, but there was one thing—one thing that absolutely must not have happened.
‘Please, let the Go board be safe!’
If the interior of the cave had collapsed, the Go board and the stones wouldn't be safe. He didn't even want to think about it.
Geom Mu-geuk went to the cave entrance and pushed the boulder aside. The massive rock moved as easily as a rolling ball. Fortunately, the cave had not collapsed.
He hurried inside. Since the Go board and stones were covered with tiger skin, they hadn't been scratched by the falling debris. Only then did Geom Mu-geuk breathe a sigh of relief.
He stroked the Go board with his hand. It was precious not just because it was a gift for his father. He could feel it—the process of making this board and these stones had undoubtedly helped him reach Great Achievement.
If that were the case, the person he truly needed to thank was his father. If not for him, he would never have even thought of making a Go board.
‘Surely you didn't ask to play Go expecting this kind of result, did you?’
It was an absurd speculation, but because it was his father, he couldn't help but wonder.
Regardless, though he wanted to pack his bags and head down immediately, there was something he had to do in the morning. Geom Mu-geuk spent his final night on Daecheon Mountain inside the cave.
He was so happy that sleep eluded him. He was afraid that if he woke up, he would find that all of this had been a dream.
*
The next morning, Geom Mu-geuk stepped out of the cave.
Fortunately, it wasn't a dream. The area in front of the cave was littered with fallen boulders and debris. Geom Mu-geuk stretched contentedly.
He could feel that his realm of martial arts had ascended to another level. Whether he performed the Flying Heaven Sword Technique or the Thunder Asura Fist, he knew he could execute them far better than before. This was the first time he had felt so clearly that he had become stronger.
Geom Mu-geuk washed himself thoroughly under the waterfall and changed into the new martial robes he had kept deep inside his leather pouch. These were the clothes he had brought specifically to wear once he achieved Great Achievement. He put the Go stone containers in his pouch and, after wrapping the Go board in tiger skin, secured it firmly on top of the pouch.
Having finished his preparations to descend the mountain, Geom Mu-geuk drew his sword.
Nine Calamities Demonic Art, First Form: Annihilation Form.
With a man-sized rock in the center, four evil ghosts—East, West, South, and North—manifested.
If the Heavenly Demon Soul was what he had wanted to see most upon reaching Great Achievement, these guys were second on the list. How had they changed?
The swords of the four demons flashed!
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
Their attacks were much faster and more powerful than before. The power at the Nine-Star stage and the power at Great Achievement were worlds apart. It couldn't even be compared to the difference between Eight Stars and Nine Stars. No one would be able to withstand being hacked to pieces by these demons in the center.
It wasn't just the power that had changed.
The four demons, having pulverized the rock, looked at him. Their appearances had changed as well. They showed their faces as if to say, this is our true form. They looked more terrifying, more handsome, more intelligent, and more mysterious. Unique patterns had emerged on their faces and bodies.
He had seen his father’s evil ghosts before. They certainly looked and felt different from his own, leading him to believe that their appearance and aura were linked to the person wielding the martial art.
“Good to see you, East Demon, West Demon, South Demon, and North Demon.”
Geom Mu-geuk called them by their names. Of course, the demons didn't answer just because he had reached Great Achievement. However, he felt it. The way they looked at him was different from before. There was definitely some kind of emotion in their eyes.
The four demons of the cardinal directions simply watched him with deepened gazes, but Geom Mu-geuk interpreted those looks as he pleased.
— Was that the best you could do for our names?
— My father gave them to you, so there’s nothing I can do.
Of course, they wouldn't actually ask such a thing; it was a dialogue created by his own mind.
There was another change after reaching Great Achievement. He could now keep the four demons of the Annihilation Form manifested continuously. However, the internal energy required to maintain them increased twofold, threefold, and fourfold as time passed. It would soon become unbearable.
From this, he could guess that the Heavenly Demon Soul would also consume a massive amount of internal energy the longer it remained manifested. It made sense; such a terrifying being couldn't stay descended forever.
Regretfully, Geom Mu-geuk bid farewell to the four demons.
“See you next time.”
The four demons vanished, and this time he unleashed the Great Annihilation Form.
Ssssss.
An evil ghost with a terrifying face appeared. As he had seen earlier, it was more frightening than before, and the demonic energy emanating from it was far more potent. Furthermore, the number of ghosts, which used to split into twenty-six, now split into forty-four.
Rumble, crash, bang!
As the Great Annihilation Form was unleashed, they swept forward, obliterating everything in their path. The clearing, which had been a mess of fallen boulders and debris, was wiped clean. The Great Annihilation Form left nothing behind as it passed through. Naturally, it was more powerful, and he could control them with much greater precision.
The area became a clean, empty space, just as it had been when Geom Mu-geuk first settled there.
After tidying the place, he shouldered his pouch and walked the path he had strolled every day. He had come up to Daecheon Mountain two seasons ago and was now greeting his third. During that time, he had taken a walk every single day after finishing his training.
He felt that these walks had been just as instrumental in reaching Great Achievement as his grueling daily training and the process of making the Go stones. Good ideas always seemed to come to him while he was in motion.
And one more thing.
During his walks, Geom Mu-geuk had tried to loosen the tight grip he held on his life. He had made an effort to find leisure during these walks, a contrast to the rest of his life where he lived by saving every minute and second.
In truth, that had been harder for Geom Mu-geuk. Blood-sweating effort was possible through sheer will, but finding leisure in life required wisdom.
After finishing his final walk, Geom Mu-geuk climbed to the summit of Daecheon Mountain. The wind blew, fluttering his robes.
Just then, the roar of a tiger echoed from afar. He wondered if it might be the same tiger he had spared when he came here with his father and brother.
Geom Mu-geuk fully savored the mysterious energy of Daecheon Mountain. His father had been right. This mountain had helped him reach Great Achievement.
After standing there for a moment, taking in the scenery from the summit, he turned around. And he summoned the Heavenly Demon Soul once more.
Yesterday, they had met while he was injured and devoid of internal energy, so he wanted to greet it properly. He had worried that he might not be able to call it forth so soon after reaching Great Achievement, thinking that yesterday’s manifestation was a result of a life-or-death situation.
But his fears were groundless. With a rushing sound, the Heavenly Demon Soul was suddenly standing before him.
The Heavenly Demon Soul looked different in the bright sunlight than it had under the moon. It looked mysterious—a being of pure pitch-black existing in a world of light.
Slide.
Geom Mu-geuk’s figure floated into the air until he was level with the Heavenly Demon Soul’s face. He met its eyes. Because he was the one who had created it, he could look at it from this close; it radiated demonic energy and a glint in its eyes so intense that no other master would dare look it in the face.
Geom Mu-geuk introduced himself to the Heavenly Demon Soul.
“I am Geom Mu-geuk, the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
The Heavenly Demon Soul showed no reaction.
“I am your master and your friend.”
It seemed as though it possessed a mind of its own, yet it also seemed like a being that simply followed orders without thought. But Geom Mu-geuk believed. He believed that the Heavenly Demon Soul was a sentient being.
Whether it was when it appeared in his dreams and illusions, or when it saved him yesterday, there had definitely been emotion in those eyes.
“Thank you for saving me yesterday.”
The fact that it hadn't shown any emotion yet might be because it hadn't truly accepted him as its master. From now on, he would have to show this Heavenly Demon Soul what kind of person he was.
He wanted to become a true master and share an emotional bond with this soul. He wanted to have a conversation with it. He wanted to lie on the beach within the Space-Time Displacement Technique and talk with the Heavenly Demon Soul. Of course, that would require a much larger island and an incredibly big, sturdy chair.
Geom Mu-geuk turned away from the Heavenly Demon Soul. Together, they looked down from the summit toward the base of Daecheon Mountain.
He stood there in silence until his internal energy was completely exhausted. Just before the Heavenly Demon Soul vanished, Geom Mu-geuk left it with these words.
Words from his life before the regression, and from his life after.
“I’ve wanted to see you for a very long time.”