Chapter 728: From Now On, You Must Not Lose to Anyone
Chapter 728: From Now On, You Must Not Lose to Anyone
Geom Mu-geuk stepped into the Heavenly Demon Hall.
After descending from Daecheon Mountain, he had come straight to the hall without even pausing to unpack his belongings.
Since his regression, this was the longest he had ever been away from the main headquarters, but Geom Mu-geuk felt no anxiety. The Cult was no longer the fractured entity it once was. His father and the Demon Lords had all changed.
Without that fundamental trust, he could never have endured his indefinite training deep within Daecheon Mountain, completely severed from the world.
As expected, nothing had changed.
The thunderous greetings from the warriors guarding the Divine Cult’s main gate were as deafening as ever. The sight of warriors moving through the Outer Court was familiar, and the sharp, heightened security of the Inner Court remained a constant.
The massive doors slowly groaned open, and Geom Mu-geuk stepped inside.
Beyond the long stretch of red carpet, he saw the Grand Tutor’s Chair in the distance.
His father sat there, looking exactly as he always did.
Using his New Eye Technique, Geom Mu-geuk observed his father’s expression in minute detail.
The emotions flickering across his father’s face were joy and warmth. Was it because his son had been away for so long? Or was there another reason? Whatever it was, he was truly happy that his son had returned.
Since it was an expression he could never see from up close, Geom Mu-geuk stood still for a moment, savoring the sight.
“Father!”
After calling out loudly from the entrance, Geom Mu-geuk began his walk down the Path of Blood.
The unique, heavy scent of the Heavenly Demon Hall, the plush texture of the carpet beneath his feet, the statues of evil ghosts standing sentinel throughout the room—he had missed it all.
I’m back.
Walking down the Path of Blood, Geom Mu-geuk felt an overwhelming sense of relief. It felt like returning home after a long, grueling journey.
No, it felt like a triumphant return in glory. Since this was his first time entering the Heavenly Demon Hall after reaching Great Achievement in the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, the moment felt incredibly precious.
He reached the base of the stairs and stood before his father. Instead of a standard greeting, Geom Mu-geuk offered his gratitude.
“Thank you, Father.”
For always guarding this place, unchanging, just like this.
In response to his father’s questioning gaze, Geom Mu-geuk spoke with a smirk.
“For not invading the Murim Alliance while I was gone.”
A small, knowing smile played on his father’s lips.
Only after seeing that smile did Geom Mu-geuk offer his formal greeting.
“I have successfully descended the mountain, Father.”
Because he had spent so much time in silence on the mountain, Geom Mu-geuk couldn't help but be a bit playful.
“Isn't the Cult running a bit too well without me? Everyone had this look on their face when I walked in. Like, ‘Oh, right. Our Young Cult Leader was away, wasn't he?’”
Geom Wu-jin, who had been quietly looking down at his son, stood up.
He slowly descended the stairs and stood before Geom Mu-geuk. He recognized his son’s achievement immediately.
“You’ve reached Great Achievement.”
“Ah! As expected, you noticed at a single glance. I was trying to hide my aura as much as possible to surprise you.”
Unexpectedly, Geom Wu-jin shook his head.
“I didn't say it because I recognized it.”
“You didn't know?”
Surprising words flowed from Geom Wu-jin’s mouth.
“Who could possibly see through the Nine Calamities Demonic Art once it has reached Great Achievement?”
Geom Mu-geuk blinked in surprise.
“Didn't you reach the Twelve-Star Great Achievement, Father?”
“Even so, is it not the same Great Achievement?”
Those words made it clear just how special the Great Achievement of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art truly was. The moment one reached it, they entered an entirely different realm—one that defied conventional observation.
Only now did it truly sink in. He had genuinely reached the pinnacle of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
“Then how did you know?”
After a brief pause, Geom Wu-jin answered.
“Because you wouldn't have come down before reaching it.”
Geom Mu-geuk stared at his father in silence.
There is an indescribable joy when someone truly recognizes your worth and your resolve.
“I almost didn't make it down at all,” Mu-geuk joked. “I nearly ended up doing my older brother a huge favor by staying up there forever.”
Yes, his father had read him correctly. He had intended never to descend if he couldn't reach Great Achievement.
“What took me seven years, you accomplished in just over a year.”
Seven years was the time it had taken Geom Wu-jin to progress from the ninth star to Great Achievement. No matter how brilliant his son was, he had expected it to take at least five years. Once again, his son had shattered his expectations.
“You have achieved the feat of reaching Great Achievement in the Nine Calamities Demonic Art faster than any Cult Leader in history.”
And he had done it while still holding the position of Young Cult Leader, not even having ascended to the throne yet.
At that moment, Geom Mu-geuk thought to himself: Actually, if you count my past life, it might have taken me the longest out of all the Cult Leaders.
Geom Mu-geuk smiled brightly and said, “It’s all thanks to you, Father.”
“Thanks to me?”
As his father looked at him, silently asking for an explanation, Geom Mu-geuk unfastened the leather pouch he was carrying.
“No matter how much I think about it, I believe this played a huge role in reaching Great Achievement.”
Geom Mu-geuk set down a Go board wrapped in tiger skin that had been fastened to the pouch. He also produced a container of Go stones.
“I made this Go board to give to you. The stones are here as well.”
When Geom Wu-jin reached out his hand, the heavy Go board floated into the air with a sharp whoosh.
Geom Wu-jin looked closely at the lines drawn on the board. They were carved with absolute precision, without a hair's breadth of error.
“Did you carve these in a single stroke?”
“Yes.”
Geom Wu-jin nodded, looking satisfied. It was as if he could tell exactly what realm and what state of mind his son was in just by looking at the perfection of those lines.
This time, the stone container opened on its own, and the Go stones inside rose into the air all at once.
Clatter!
Every single stone moved independently. Geom Wu-jin was demonstrating his divine power by manipulating each one individually through Telekinesis.
“Ah, this gift is a failure. You don't even need a Go board, Father!”
He meant that his father could simply use Telekinesis to play in mid-air, using the void itself as his board.
As if to dismiss the idea, Geom Wu-jin spoke.
“Go is all about the feel of the stones in your hand.”
He then examined the stones floating in the air. They were all identical in size and thickness. They looked so perfect they could have been crafted by a legendary master.
“Did you make these yourself?”
“I carved every single one with the Black Demonic Sword. From now on, please call me the Filial Son of Daecheon Mountain, the Stone-Carver!”
One corner of Geom Wu-jin’s mouth quirked up. The result was indeed something to be proud of.
“You made them well.”
The stones were crafted with such sincerity that it would be impossible to find a flaw even if one were looking for it.
Clatter.
The stones floating in the air returned to their container in perfect unison.
“But why do you say it was thanks to me?”
“Coincidentally, I reached Great Achievement in the Nine Calamities Demonic Art on the very day I finished the last stone. I think the practice of finely controlling my Sword Qi and Gang Qi helped. I had never done that kind of training before.”
Geom Wu-jin nodded silently.
Geom Mu-geuk looked directly at his father. “If you hadn't mentioned playing a game of Go when I returned, I wouldn't have made the board and stones. Then, perhaps, I would still be training on Daecheon Mountain. Did you perhaps break that Kaya tree knowing this would happen?”
“How is that thanks to me? It was thanks to your decision and effort to carve those stones.”
From his father’s expression and words, it was impossible to tell if he had planned it or not.
“Now that you have reached Great Achievement in the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, there is one thing you must uphold.”
Great power came with great responsibility. To that, the pride of his father and all the previous Heavenly Demons was added.
“From now on, you must not lose to anyone.”
Geom Mu-geuk made a solemn promise.
“I will never lose.”
Geom Wu-jin turned around. The Go board, with the stones resting on top, floated in the air behind him.
“Follow me.”
Geom Mu-geuk walked behind his father.
He naturally assumed they were going to his father’s quarters to play, but his father led him to the Cult Leader’s private training ground instead.
Geom Wu-jin set the Go board down in the center of the training ground.
“Are we playing here?”
When Geom Wu-jin nodded, Geom Mu-geuk looked around. Seeing the various weapons lining the training ground, he said, “You’re trying to intimidate me with the atmosphere, aren't you? I’m not the same easygoing son I used to be. I’m now a son who has a strategist who’s great at Go.”
Of course, that wasn't the reason he had been brought here. His father surely had something else in mind.
The two sat facing each other across the Go board.
Geom Mu-geuk, holding the black stones, made the first move.
Tack.
A crisp sound echoed out. The feeling of placing the stone was perfect, and the sound was even better.
“You’re right, Go is all about the feel!”
Next, his father made a move.
Tack.
A clear, resonant sound. The moment he heard that pleasant sound, Mu-geuk felt as if all his past hardships carving the stones were being rewarded.
Move after move was exchanged along with the rhythmic sounds. He felt wonderful playing with his father after such a long time, but today, Geom Mu-geuk’s mind was elsewhere.
As the opening phase of the game drew to a close, Geom Mu-geuk asked tentatively.
“There is something I want to ask about the Heavenly Demon Soul.”
Geom Wu-jin nodded while looking down at the board.
“Have you ever had a conversation with the Heavenly Demon Soul?”
Geom Wu-jin shook his head. Then again, even if it were possible, his father wasn't the type of person to strike up a casual conversation with a mental manifestation.
Suddenly, Geom Wu-jin asked, “Do you want to chatter with the Heavenly Demon Soul as well?”
Geom Mu-geuk smiled and admitted it.
“Aren't you curious? It’s a being created from my own mind, so I wonder what it’s thinking.”
Geom Wu-jin’s hand, which was about to place a stone, paused in mid-air.
“You are curious about that?”
“Are you not, Father?”
“Not at all.”
A few more moves passed in silence.
As he placed a stone, Geom Wu-jin shared a piece of lore.
“There are records of a Heavenly Demon who conversed with the Heavenly Demon Soul. It was a very long time ago.”
I knew it! The Heavenly Demon Soul was definitely a being with its own will.
When a flash of joy crossed his son’s face, Geom Wu-jin warned him.
“The Heavenly Demon Soul is a dangerous existence. If it were to go berserk, it would be unstoppable. Do you still want to chatter with it?”
After a brief pause, Geom Mu-geuk answered.
“Yes. If it’s that kind of being, I should become even closer to it.”
Geom Wu-jin nodded silently.
“Yes, I expected you to say that.”
Geom Mu-geuk stared at his father. “Would you like to see my Heavenly Demon Soul?”
He thought that might be why his father had brought him to the training ground.
“It likely won't manifest before me.”
Geom Mu-geuk looked at his father with a surprised face.
“May I check?”
Geom Wu-jin nodded.
Geom Mu-geuk tried to summon the Heavenly Demon Soul. Surprisingly, just as his father had predicted, the Heavenly Demon Soul did not manifest.
“How did you know?”
“It was just a feeling.”
The look in Geom Wu-jin’s eyes deepened as he spoke of the entity.
“The Heavenly Demon Soul is a being that refuses to lose to anyone.”
“Ah! So you’re saying it won't appear because it can't defeat you, Father.”
Geom Wu-jin shook his head.
“The Heavenly Demon Soul does not fear humans.”
“Then it must be because it fears your Heavenly Demon Soul.”
He assumed that must be it.
“That, I do not know.”
If it were any other Heavenly Demon Soul, he would have said yes. But because it was his son, who had achieved Great Achievement in such a short time...
“Because it is your Heavenly Demon Soul.”
He meant that the reason couldn't be so easily determined.
After saying that, Geom Wu-jin made a decisive move.
Tack.
“I win.”
“Wait! When did my group get captured?”
“It wasn't captured by me, but by your Heavenly Demon Soul.”
He meant that Mu-geuk had lost because he had focused all his attention on the Heavenly Demon Soul instead of the game.
“I’m sorry.”
His father replied with an expression that said it was fine.
“It is alright. I was the same.”
The reason Geom Wu-jin had brought him to the training ground, where only the Cult Leader was allowed to enter, was not to play Go, nor was it to see Geom Mu-geuk’s Heavenly Demon Soul.
It was for this.
“From now on, I will transmit the Seventh Form of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art to you.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes widened.
The Seventh Form of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art: Demon Soul Creation.
From the seventh to the ninth forms, these were techniques used by the Heavenly Demon Soul itself. Only by mastering those three forms could one be said to have perfectly mastered the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
“Can I learn the Seventh Form even if the Heavenly Demon Soul doesn't manifest?”
“You are the one who learns the Seventh Form.”
Geom Wu-jin shared a new fact regarding the soul’s techniques.
“The Heavenly Demon Soul is connected to you. The power of the techniques the Heavenly Demon Soul exerts is determined by how well you understand the oral formulas.”
“So as I get stronger, the Heavenly Demon Soul gets stronger as well.”
Geom Wu-jin nodded.
“Now, listen carefully to what I say.”
Geom Wu-jin began to recite the oral formula.
“As the Demon Soul descends and swallows the chaos, a new world shall arrive. The True Qi begins at the Seokmun point. The True Qi that rotates through the Belt Vessel must be as fast as lightning, and...”
Geom Mu-geuk first memorized the oral formula his father recited, repeating it several times. It was the most difficult of all the martial arts formulas he had learned so far.
Geom Mu-geuk could understand why. The system of martial arts used by the Heavenly Demon Soul was fundamentally different from that used by humans, making the formula much harder to grasp.
Whenever there was a part he didn't understand, he asked his father immediately.
His father explained everything with great care. In fact, even at this moment, Geom Mu-geuk was receiving a fated encounter.
Normally, these formulas would have been transmitted by a father at the Ten-Star stage, but now, a father who had reached the Twelve-Star Great Achievement was teaching him.
Since the realm of enlightenment was different, the teaching was different as well. The level was so high that some parts were difficult to accept, but Mu-geuk was no ordinary student.
If Geom Mu-geuk didn't understand even a little bit, he immediately questioned his father. He spoke his thoughts, his father re-interpreted them, and Geom Mu-geuk asked another question from there.
Though he had received his father’s teachings several times before, as the martial arts of both men reached higher levels, the realizations they gained were becoming incomparably precious.
As the saying goes, a good teacher is made by a good student; ultimately, today’s lesson became the highest level of instruction in the history of the final three forms.
After several hours, the transmission of the Seventh Form came to an end.
Geom Mu-geuk, who had been organizing the form with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes, I think I understand to some extent.”
Geom Mu-geuk bowed to his father in gratitude. It was a teaching so profound that it truly deserved a deep bow.
“The Heavenly Demon Soul will be pleased.”
Geom Mu-geuk was curious. What would be the difference in the Heavenly Demon Soul before and after learning the Seventh Form? How would the entity react to him learning it? Would it be grateful? Or would it remain as stoic as ever?
“Once you have completely mastered the Seventh Form, I will transmit the Eighth Form.”
Geom Wu-jin, who was walking out of the training ground first, paused for a moment. And then, he said the words he hadn't said earlier.
“Congratulations on reaching Great Achievement.”
It was a congratulation from his father, who hadn't forgotten.