Duel Against the Dark Heaven Demon Emperor
The ferocious aura of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art wrapped around his body, and Mu Gucheon's presence transformed with it. An even denser surge of inner energy enveloped Mu Gucheon, radiating a fighting spirit so intense it made Su-a's skin prickle. As a man who bore the title of Emperor and stood as the strongest under heaven, an overwhelming power poured from him. Watching this, Su-a tightened her grip on her sword.
Thud! Mu Gucheon stamped the ground with enough force to crater the earth, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Su-a matched his movement and raised her guard, but the sheer power of his inner energy—strong enough to make her flesh tremble—forced her to bite her lip.
Yet Su-a refused to simply endure. Matching Mu Gucheon's full power, she began swinging her sword in earnest. The autonomous weapons supporting her movements accelerated as well, harassing Mu Gucheon from the flanks. He reinforced his protective qi against the bullets and lasers coming from behind and continued trading blows with her.
Clang! Kaang! Shukang! Thud! Ratatatata!!!
"You're truly strong! It's been so long since I've faced a proper opponent! KWAHAHAHA!!"
Having encountered a worthy foe after what felt like ages, Mu Gucheon pressed Su-a with genuine delight. Cold sweat beaded on her skin as she blocked his strikes, but her composure was steadily crumbling. Every slash of her blade was deflected by his hand before it could reach him, and each of his counterattacks landed with savage force.
In the end, she took a direct kick. A devastating impact slammed into her side, launching her body nearly nine meters through the air.
Shwaaaaaack!!!
"Ugh...!"
Su-a stabbed her energy sword into the ground to halt her momentum. The moment she regained her balance, Mu Gucheon charged again, both palms thrusting forward. Deciding to gamble, she recalled her autonomous weapons.
"Defense mode—shield!"
Tzzaang!
A barrier instantly unfolded to protect her. Mu Gucheon swung his inner-energy-infused hand straight at the newly formed energy shield.
Cracklecracklecrackle!!!
The collision unleashed violent lightning that damaged Mu Gucheon, yet he ignored it completely and continued his barrage. As cracks began to spiderweb across the shield, Su-a's expression filled with disbelief.
'Impossible! The energy shield should melt anything it touches!'
Crackle!
Witnessing Mu Gucheon's absurd physique and inner energy piercing the anti-particle barrier with raw force, Su-a poured every ounce of output into her energy sword.
Bang!
The instant the shield shattered, her blade erupted with light bright enough to drown the entire area. She swung it at Mu Gucheon, who met her maximum-output energy sword with a powerful palm strike.
Kwaaaaaang!!!
It was not the sound of blade meeting flesh, but the roar of a bomb detonating. A massive shockwave erupted, unleashing wind and light fierce enough to hurl ordinary people away and blind every spectator.
When their vision slowly returned, an astonishing sight greeted them. An Rok-san was gripping Mu Gucheon's hand, while Cindy stood protectively in front of Su-a.
"Wh… what?"
As the crowd fell into confusion, An Rok-san spoke calmly to Mu Gucheon.
"Su-a has lost. Shall we end it here, Cult Leader Baehwa?"
"...Very well. I became overly excited—unlike myself."
Mu Gucheon accepted the proposal. Su-a's combat ability had far surpassed the level of a simple spar, and he himself had nearly crossed the line into a true battle. With that realization, he withdrew without protest.
He then turned an intrigued gaze toward both An Rok-san and Cindy. While An Rok-san had stopped the direct attack, it was Cindy who had neutralized the aftershock. The explosion of light had hidden the truth from the spectators, but Mu Gucheon—standing at the center—had seen it clearly.
"The spar ends in victory for Cult Leader Mu Gucheon."
"...Understood. It's a little disappointing… but opportunities aren't limited to today."
As Mu Gucheon looked at An Rok-san and Cindy with eyes gleaming with both curiosity and fighting spirit, An Rok-san returned a confident smile. Cindy, meanwhile, began looking after Su-a.
"Su-a, are you all right?"
"Haa… I'm fine. You blocked it for me, Cindy. Honestly… it was chilling."
"Still, that was incredible. Aside from Kang-hyun, there aren't many who can even stand against Cult Leader Mu Gucheon!"
"This isn't the Changcheon Murim. Besides, Cindy, you could probably fight him on near-equal footing. In both the Changcheon Murim and now, you're stronger than me, aren't you?"
"Hearing you say that makes me curious. For now, focus on recovering. I already asked Madam Seo and Sister Dang to look after you, so come back soon."
Although Su-a was strong within the game, in reality Cindy—who had undergone rigorous training and served as an active CIA operative—was the stronger of the two. Mu Gucheon had realized this in the single instant Cindy protected Su-a, but the moment had passed. An Rok-san had suggested ending the bout there for the day, and Mu Gucheon had agreed.
Thus, the tumultuous first day for Su-a, Cindy, and Hwa-ryun at the Baehwa Sect came to a close.
After encountering a true opponent for the first time in ages, Su-a washed herself and immediately collapsed into bed. As sleep approached, her thoughts drifted.
'What is Lord An Rok-san planning to do with Cindy and Hwa-ryun here…? Why doesn't he make me… Gasp!? Jung Su-a, have you lost your mind?! How can you even think such things now?!'
Unintentionally recalling the video of Cindy and Hwa-ryun being ravished by the group's prominent figures, Su-a had unconsciously overlapped her own image with theirs. She began stomping her feet in self-reproach for the lewd turn her mind had taken without her realizing it.
After writhing in embarrassment and shame for a long while, she finally calmed herself. Yet the heat swirling in her head refused to settle easily. The chaotic day within the Demonic Cult finally ended, and Su-a fell into a deep, rare sleep.
One week after Su-a's party arrived at the Baehwa Sect.
In that single week, Su-a's group had built strong friendships with many of the sect's members. Seven days had been more than enough time for them to blend seamlessly into the Baehwa Sect.
The sect revered strength above all else. Having proven their martial prowess, Su-a's party received ample respect and hospitality. Mu Gucheon had even issued special orders to treat them with exceptional care, so the cult members paid them close attention.
The reason was simple: both An Rok-san and Cindy had sparred with Mu Gucheon.
Mu Gucheon's sole interest lay in strength, and neither Cindy nor An Rok-san fell short of that standard. Though Cindy had been defeated like Su-a, Mu Gucheon expressed great satisfaction with their bout. Fighting a Westerner had been a refreshing experience, and for that Westerner to possess fairy-like beauty while also meeting his criteria for power, even a man like Mu Gucheon—who cared only for strength—could not help but feel interest and favor toward the woman named Cindy.
Moreover, both Cindy and Su-a had reached a realm at a young age that made them difficult for even him to subdue easily. Mu Gucheon remarked that he looked forward to their futures and took great interest in all three women—including Hwa-ryun, who had achieved parity with his own son.
An Rok-san's spar with Mu Gucheon had ended in a draw, shocking every member of the Baehwa Sect. Those who had quietly looked down on the righteous faction were struck with tremendous disbelief. It was not the Murim Alliance Leader, but an elder who had drawn with their idol—the cult leader Mu Gucheon, whom they followed with blind loyalty.
Of course, when An Rok-san stated he would have lost in a true life-or-death battle, the cult members accepted the explanation. Mu Gucheon, however, saw deeper.
'He's concealing his true ability. Because it was only a spar, it ended at this level… but I want to see his skill all the way to the bottom.'
Yet as both a seeker of strength and the leader of the Baehwa Sect, Mu Gucheon suppressed his martial desires with rational leadership. He granted An Rok-san's party the highest treatment and allowed them to remain in the sect.
'Opportunities aren't limited to the present, after all. Hehe~'
All while anticipating a future rematch with An Rok-san.
Thanks to Mu Gucheon's goodwill and overwhelming martial power, the group was able to enjoy a comfortable stay. Su-a's party spent pleasant hours with the NPCs they had encountered in that other world.
"Mixing the poison into the tea this way neutralizes its toxicity, deepens the flavor, and is even beneficial for health."
"The Dang Clan truly is remarkable."
The pavilion where the two beautiful matriarchs sat radiated an almost divine aura, as though two fairies had descended to share quiet conversation. Both Seo Bong-hwa and Bang Se-hwa possessed voluptuous, seductive figures paired with mature, benevolent faces. Each had borne several children and stood as the mistress of a mighty sect. At first their different backgrounds—righteous faction and demonic cult—had made them awkward around each other. Yet through Su-a's group's mediation, their personalities proved surprisingly compatible. Sharing the common burden of raising fiery daughters had quickly deepened their bond.
With the addition of the younger married women Su-a and Cindy joining the cheerful conversation, Bang Se-hwa's private garden glowed with breathtaking beauty, as if the very air had been enchanted.