Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Translator: Penny
Episode 1
Under the clear, full moon, the mountain monastery lay in tranquil slumber.
An old Daoist priest stood on the moonlit terrace of an unlit hall, gazing up at the sky.
"Heh heh, what a truly serene night."
His Daoist cap, emblazoned with the Taiji symbol, his simple, worn white robes, his refined features and gentle eyes, and his long, white beard that reached his chest—all gave him the air of a celestial being.
This was Yoo Gilcheon, the Virtuous Heavenly Master, Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect, and widely regarded as the most accomplished Daoist in the Central Plains.
For once, he allowed himself to be captivated by the soft moonlight.
Isn't this wonderful?
The demonic forces remained confined to their lairs, and no signs of turmoil disturbed the peace. Truly, this was a world at peace.
If only there weren't one lingering concern...
"The Heavenly Demon."
A fleeting shadow of worry crossed his otherwise serene face.
Even the heavens are cruel. If they were going to grant us peace, why did they unleash such a being upon us?
Of course, the Heavenly Demon didn't lead the Demonic Cult to conquer the world and plunge it into chaos.
He only emerged into the Martial World once.
His journey began at the western mountain peaks and stretched to the eastern sea, a prolonged pilgrimage across the land as he sought out the strongest martial artists.
Along that path, those hailed as the absolute best in their respective domains—sword, saber, spear, fist, palm...—all fell before him.
Tch, not a single worthy opponent.
Muttering in boredom, he simply returned to his secluded abode.
Revenge?
Attempts were made.
A disciple of the Heterodox Alliance, witnessing the death of their self-proclaimed leader, the Heterodox Alliance Leader, charged forward seeking vengeance. He learned firsthand what awaited those who dared challenge the Heavenly Demon.
Smiling, the Heavenly Demon declared he wouldn't refuse the Heterodox Alliance's revenge, and with a single gesture, he slaughtered three thousand martial artists.
It was said that the battlefield from that day still stained crimson even twenty years later.
The Orthodox Martial Alliance remained silent, claiming they had no justification for revenge since it had been a fair duel.
In truth, they had reaped the benefits of the situation. With their formidable enemy, the Heterodox Alliance, nearly annihilated, they had gained an unexpected advantage.
Moreover, when he declared the conflict "boring" and promised to withdraw, why bother fighting?
Thus, he became the "Heavenly Demon," a title acknowledged by both the Demonic Cult and the entire Martial World.
After that, he never returned to the Martial World.
Yet the peace remained fragile, like thin ice.
The consensus was that if he ever changed his mind and decided to conquer the Central Plains, no force could stop him.
He must be dead by now, right?
Probably, right?
Though younger than myself, there was no guarantee of longevity... Cultivating Demonic Arts often led to Qi Deviation, after all.
"Immeasurable Life Buddha... If only that were true," Yoo Gilcheon murmured his Daoist Title, praying for it to be so.
Whoosh...
A cool breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling his sideburns and carrying his worries into every corner. Yoo Gilcheon looked up at the moon again...
"Huh?"
A dark, dot-like shadow overlapped the round moon.
It was an odd sight.
Was it a night bird disturbed from its sleep?
"Hmm?"
But the shadow grew larger, as if devouring the moon. Its speed increased, and its trajectory pointed directly toward...
"Ugh!"
Startled, Yoo Gilcheon's eyes widened as he stumbled backward.
Wasn't that dark shadow falling right toward me?
As the figure's face became clearer...
"Ba-Baek Ganghwi?"
Yoo Gilcheon's eyes widened to the size of lanterns as he instantly recognized the shadow's identity.
But something was off.
It had been twenty years since Baek Ganghwi had roamed the world and instigated the Heterodox Alliance's Bloody Incident.
Even back then, he had been fifty years old. By now, he should have been a white-haired old man. So why was his face so taut and wrinkle-free? No, he looked even younger than he had back then... Wait, what?
"Long time no see, Malko."
"..."
"Is that broken bone healed yet?"
The man greeting him with a wide smile was none other than the Heavenly Demon himself.
A potential calamity for the Central Plains.
Damn it! Did he actually achieve Rejuvenation?
The heavens were not merely indifferent, but downright cruel. If they were going to bestow blessings, why not distribute them fairly? Why grant this monster a legendary realm of power?
I should immediately shout to warn everyone about the impending disaster... but I mustn't.
He glanced at the Heterodox Alliance.
This man never shied away from a fight. He was already the strongest in the world back then, and now he's a monster who's achieved Rejuvenation. He personally witnessed him flying all the way from Wudang without ever touching the ground. What's the point of fighting? If Wudang had acted rashly in the name of personal justice, they would have been reduced to a handful of dust...
"Ascension?"
"Yes."
"No, what kind of..."
Yoo Gilcheon, having reluctantly ushered the unwelcome guest into his chamber in the dead of night, couldn't bring himself to utter the words "bullshit."
His visitor was none other than Baek Ganghwi, the Heavenly Demon.
A being whose martial prowess reached the heavens, inspiring terror throughout the world.
A transcendent figure who could effortlessly crush even the combined might of all the world's martial masters with a single, swift gesture.
A powerhouse capable of single-handedly obliterating everything in his path, even without ordering his Demonic Cultists into battle.
Fuck me, I thought we'd had twenty years of peace.
The world claimed that Yoo Gilcheon, the Virtuous Heavenly Master, had attained the highest Dao... but at this moment, decades of cultivation felt utterly meaningless as curses surged to the tip of his tongue.
Why me?
"Kunlun is near the Demonic Cult, and further south lies Kongtong. Qingcheng is in Sichuan... No, I'll pass through Shaanxi on my way to Hubei, so I should ask Zhongnan or Mount Hua."
Why did he have to come all the way to Wudang, deep in the mountains at the heart of the Central Plains, to cause this chaos?
Even though I don't care about age, this brat keeps using informal speech.
But you only try your luck if you have a chance.
Standing tall against a monster who might single-handedly unify the world is reckless.
Isn't the best strategy to avoid madmen altogether?
"But why suddenly seek Ascension...?"
"I'm bored. Nothing else to do."
"Ah..."
That's such a typical reason for him. Seeking Ascension just because he's bored?
"There's a limit to teaching kids. I thought it would be good to train some who could kill me, but they just don't have the talent, the talent."
A hollow laugh escaped him.
He taught them hoping they would become his killer? Even if he taught them, could they ever kill him? They couldn't even scratch him.
"But I can't just conquer the Central Plains either. What's the point of bullying weaklings? It's just a nuisance."
Thank goodness he considers us weak and a nuisance. Yes, thanks to you (?), the Central Plains remains peaceful.
"So I thought I might as well try for Ascension this time. No matter how I look at it, that's all that's left for me."
"Well, you've even achieved Rejuvenation."
"Speaking of which, I heard you've reached the highest Dao?"
Yoo Gilcheon, who had been nodding, suddenly froze in shock.
"M-me?"
"Yes."
In that moment, Yoo Gilcheon denied all the times he had proudly boasted of his enlightenment.
"Ah, it's just a rumor, Cult Leader. You know better than anyone that worldly rumors can't be trusted."
"Hmm, is that so?"
"Indeed."
"Well, it doesn't matter. It's still true that some Wudang disciples have achieved Ascension, right?"
"Ah, that's..."
Though utterly disrespectful, Yoo Gilcheon couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
I must choose my words carefully.
The ultimate goal of Taoism, he had been taught, was to transcend even good and evil, reaching the state of the Child's Heart. Martial arts followed the same principle: when any discipline surpasses its limits, all paths converge. But what exactly was this Child's Heart? It meant becoming like a child. The Heavenly Demon was a child. A being who demanded to have whatever he desired. And he was a man strong enough to not only achieve his desires but to surpass them.
Right or wrong? What's the point of arguing? I hate to admit it, but in the Martial World, might makes right. A fool who's lost his mind, let alone his appearance, can destroy Wudang with a casual wave of his hand.
Yoo Gilcheon had no desire to become an insect whose wings are torn off by a playful hand.
"That's just the most ridiculous rumor of all."
"What?"
"Heh heh, Cult Leader, you know how much our sect values appearances. We have to consider the eyes watching and the ears listening, so we spread such rumors."
Yoo Gilcheon slandered his own sect.
"Rumors? Hmm... I heard Gunyang claimed to have seen the Immortal Realm before he died."
"..."
Gunyang was Yoo Gilcheon's deceased master and the former Sect Leader of Wudang.
If Sahae was a Fellow Daoist, then Gunyang was a figure far superior to even the Heavenly Demon. And yet, Gunyang? If his master were still alive, he would have roared in fury, demanding to know where this impudent junior had tossed all his manners.
"Don't even get me started. You know Taiji Cave, right? That cave? Master spent his final years in prolonged seclusion there, facing the wall. It's embarrassing to admit, but... does staring at a wall really lead to enlightenment? It's more likely to drive a person mad."
"..."
"This is just between us, Cult Leader, but in his final years, Master often hallucinated. I suspect the rumors circulating the world are exaggerated versions of things he said during those episodes."
Yoo Gilcheon spoke with a grave expression, openly disparaging his master.
Immeasurable Life Buddha, Master, forgive me. But is deceiving the Master and destroying the ancestors really what matters now? Wudang might be destroyed any moment!
"Damn it, after all this effort to find it."
"Exactly. That's what the rumors say, anyway. Why don't you try visiting Shaolin instead? Ascension and liberation are basically the same thing, right?"
"Hmm..."
Yoo Gilcheon had finally sold out Shaolin, and the Heavenly Demon frowned.
"I hate those monk bastards."
"Huh?"
"For some reason, I don't want to be mixed up with them even after death. All that 'subduing demons' nonsense... It's just uncomfortable."
"Ah... I suppose that makes sense."
It hadn't sold. He'd been flatly rejected. Damn it...
But he absolutely couldn't afford to offend him.
Yoo Gilcheon soothed him with the caution and care one might reserve for a mortal enemy.
"You've come a long way. Why don't we have some tea first?"
"No liquor?"
"Heh heh, liquor in a Daoist Cap? If we had any, I'd gladly offer it, but... shall I go down and buy a bottle?"
Of course, Wudang had been drinking alcohol for quite some time.
The Ten Precepts, originally created to enforce asceticism among the Daoist priests, had long since been revised.
Yoo Gilcheon only said this because he resented the Heavenly Demon occupying his seat.
"Forget it. I don't even feel the effects of alcohol anymore. Just bring me some tea."
"Yes, sir."
Yoo Gilcheon wiped his chest in relief and hastily began heating water for tea in the brass brazier, fearing the Heavenly Demon might change his mind.
"By the way, does this 'Ascension' thing actually exist?"
"Well, the Taoist scriptures do mention it."
Yoo Gilcheon nodded absentmindedly in agreement, a mistake he immediately regretted.
"Then find it for me."
"...Excuse me?"
Yoo Gilcheon barely managed to catch the teaware before it slipped from his grasp.
"Find it. The Ascension Method."
"..."
"Why?"
"Well, it's not something you can just find by searching..."
"Wouldn't an expert be better? If I move, it'll only cause trouble. I'll wait here."
Yoo Gilcheon felt like a thunderbolt had struck him.
This madman! Even if he's closer to the Child's Heart, he's not some brat throwing a tantrum on the market floor, demanding candy. How dare he order me to find it for him? Am I your disciple? Your subordinate? Find what, exactly?!
"Heh heh, Cult Leader, you're joking, right?"
"Joking? Hmm. Do you want me to find it myself? How? Should I stir things up a bit?"
"..."
"I'll give you a year."
Baek Ganghwi's smile flashed with murderous intent.
In an instant, the air in the room froze as if winter had descended, and the hall's pillars cracked ominously. Yoo Gilcheon's courage instantly shrank.
This bastard... he's serious. His aura nearly caused the ancient pavilion, which had stood for a thousand years, to collapse. Humans, beings of both good and evil. Good today, evil tomorrow. No, even as he breathed, his whims could turn him evil at any moment. That smile, tinged with cruelty...
Yoo Gilcheon, faced with the arrogance befitting the strongest martial artist in the world, unleashed his rapidly gathered inner energy, shattering the door as he roared:
"Find the Ascension Method immediately! Search every corner of the world if you must, but find it!"
His voice rivaled the Buddhist Lion's Roar.
The Heavenly Demon seeks the Ascension Method.
If Wudang fails to answer, the next target will be... them...
The words that echoed across the Central Plains united the entire Martial World.
The Orthodox Factions sought survival, while the Heterodox Factions feared being caught in the crossfire.
Rumor had it that the Demonic Cult's fearsome Cult Leader had voluntarily offered to depart, leaving them no reason to object.
Even those bastards must have had a hard time.
As the Martial World's collective effort to help the Heavenly Demon ascend began, the heavens themselves seemed moved.
Before a year had passed, starting with the Mosan Sect, renowned for their esoteric arts, the Five Great Daoist Sects joined forces to scour the Quanzhen School's ruined records. With support from the Beggar's Sect and Haomun, they gathered countless anecdotes and historical accounts from across the land, finally completing the Ascension Method.
It was a priceless treasure.
Yet no one coveted it. Instead, they volunteered to guard it, ensuring no untoward incidents would occur.
The Ascension Method was so difficult that even Taoist masters who devoted their entire lives to alchemy struggled to achieve it. What madman would dare covet Baek Ganghwi's possession?
"Cult Leader, I've found it! This is the Ascension Method!" Yoo Gilcheon declared in a strong, confident voice, presenting the text with both hands.
"Hmm? You actually did it," Baek Ganghwi remarked, his eyes gleaming with delight as he gazed at the manual.
"Yes, Cult Leader."
"Are you sure this is genuine?"
"..."
In truth, Yoo Gilcheon had altered a few words.
Demonic Immortal? What's wrong with that? Is there something to be ashamed of in the Immortal Realm?
But that day, Yoo Gilcheon abandoned his pride as a Taoist.
If not me, who will walk this thorny path?
"Yes! It's absolutely genuine!"
"Good. Then clear out Taiji Cave. Block the entrance with a massive boulder to prevent anyone from approaching. Stock up on Grain-Seclusion Pills and other necessities."
"Yes, Cult Leader! Of course... wait, what?"
"I'm going into seclusion to cultivate. Didn't you achieve Gunyang's Dao here?"
"..."
"I won't leave Taiji Cave until I achieve Ascension. Remember that."
Yoo Gilcheon, seething with murderous intent, personally swept and cleaned Taiji Cave.
Damn it! Taiji Cave isn't some Demonic Cult's secluded training ground! If you want to Ascend, go do it at your own home! Why are you trying to freeload off Wudang?!
But...
On the other hand, he thought it might be for the best.
At least peace would be maintained while the Heavenly Demon was cultivating for Ascension.
That day, the Martial World revived the ancient custom of leaving weapons at the trees near Wudang's mountain gate, honoring the sect for enduring this hardship alone.
The tradition of the Sword-Releasing Pool, which had become a mere formality over the years, was rekindled.
After the Heavenly Demon entered Taiji Cave, Yoo Gilcheon sealed the entrance with the largest boulder on Wudang Mountain. He meticulously affixed talismans, fearing the Heavenly Demon might fail to ascend and return as a vengeful ghost.
Twenty years passed since the Heavenly Demon's seclusion in Taiji Cave.
One day, Yoo Gilcheon, his life nearing its end and facing Power Dissipation, stood before Taiji Cave, leaning heavily on his cane, accompanied by the leaders of various sects.
Such is the way of time.
Where there is birth, there must also be death.
Sensing his life force waning, Yoo Gilcheon sought to confirm the Heavenly Demon's survival as his final duty before death.
"Open it."
At his command, dozens of martial artists pushed against the boulder, soon revealing the interior of Taiji Cave.
Inside, the Heavenly Demon sat upright, his back straight.
"Cult Leader..." Yoo Gilcheon called out, but there was no response. Not even the Heavenly Demon's eyelids twitched.
Tap...
Yoo Gilcheon, leaning heavily on his staff, approached cautiously and reached out a hand. The Heavenly Demon's body, crumbling like ash, scattered in the breeze.
"Ah..."
Tears of joy streamed from the wrinkled eyes of Yoo Gilcheon, who had already reached the venerable age of ninety-one.
Crack!
Gathering his last reserves of strength, Yoo Gilcheon straightened his once-bent back and roared toward the world:
"The Heavenly Demon is dead!"
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny