Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Joining the Cult - The Heavens Draw Low as Man Rises High
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April.
The air was filled with yellow spring blossoms that seemed utterly out of place for a demonic cult.
As Geum-gang savored the floral scent, a familiar voice called out to her.
"It's been a while, Geum-gang."
The girl with sky-blue hair bowed her head deeply in greeting.
Half of her felt glad, the other half uneasy.
Geum-gang returned the gesture with an awkward motion of her own.
"Y-yes... It's been a while."
'Hmm? You mean when Hee Yeon took your badge? That was brutal. How many ended up half-crippled? The young master from the Western Regions had his collarbone split clean open.'
For some reason, she found herself stepping back a little.
"It was an impressive spar. I tried my best not to lose, but I fell far short."
Her temperament was refreshingly straightforward.
Hee Yeon had made a firm vow to herself after witnessing Geum-gang's duel.
A private vow she shared with no one.
'Either way, here I am too.'
A massive gate loomed before the two girls.
'Gold? No, it looks like wood...'
A colossal door of indeterminate material stood before them.
They had received the Cult Leader's summons shortly after the second trial ended.
Unlike Geum-gang's expectation of just receiving a letter, they had been called with utmost care, even mentioning the 'Cult Leader's Decree'.
"Hm!"
Was she being too conspicuous?
What was Geum-gang's goal?
In this life, she would suffer no injustices.
For this simple purpose, she needed immense power.
At least as much as her master.
Power and position to match.
Following in her master's footsteps to become the Left Envoy sounded good.
Unlike the name suggesting she served the Heavenly Demon, her master spent her days lounging endlessly in the palace.
Securing a position in the Heavenly Demon Cult, the strongest single faction, would be great, but...
'Being too noticeable brings nothing good.'
The developments were far more radical than Geum-gang had anticipated.
Acting on inertia had led her this far.
This was unprecedented treatment, even in the eyes of the other cultists.
Not even formally initiated into the cult,
yet here she was, having a private audience with the Cult Leader.
It could be a great opportunity, but falling out of favor with the higher-ups was no good sign.
She had to handle this well.
"Sigh."
In the end, it seemed she'd be eating cold rice here too.
Tall stature with long, gracefully extended limbs.
Flawless white skin and crimson lips.
To describe her beauty, one need only draw a stunning woman.
Silken hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her languid violet eyes added an air of mystery.
Yet there was an intangible pressure that made it impossible to approach her lightly.
She looked perfectly at home seated on her throne with a bored expression.
Aside from Ha Jin, she was the most beautiful person Geum-gang had ever seen.
"Greetings to you, Cult Leader."
"..."
The Cult Leader slowly descended from her lofty perch, scrutinizing the two girls closely.
Even in her casual attire, her dominion was unmistakable at a glance.
In a strangely ethereal motion, like a shadow gliding, she brushed Geum-gang's chin.
"How lovely you are. Hm?"
She then poked and prodded her body in odd ways, examining every inch.
"You... do not cultivate the Heavenly Robe Sect's arts?"
She tapped Geum-gang's cheeks and felt her over thoroughly.
"Hm. You've clearly refined the Golden Body, yet..."
The touch felt awkward, but Geum-gang couldn't even think to resist.
"This girl is indeed a disciple of the Heavenly Robe Sect."
Finally managing to speak, Geum-gang met the Cult Leader's piercing gaze.
Violet eyes like blooming violets peered into her soul.
"Yes. How peculiar."
Her clear, beautiful voice drew her in completely.
The Cult Leader tapped Geum-gang's navel, fiddling with something inside.
Each touch sent heat surging through her body, an odd sensation she couldn't refuse.
"Ngh..."
As her body warmed, moans akin to religious ecstasy escaped her lips.
Geum-gang twitched but endured the Cult Leader's touch.
"Hm? Playing coy, are we? Truly fascinating. Fascinating."
To control the overflowing sensation, Geum-gang subtly regulated her blood flow.
'Slowly. Slowly...'
Redirecting it elsewhere.
Only then did the strange feeling subside, allowing her to ask.
"What is so fascinating?"
"You have no idea. Of course, you wouldn't even conceive it. Why do you possess internal energy?"
Internal energy?
What did that mean?
The Golden Body Art's initiation clearly involved discarding one's cultivation.
Her dantian hadn't even formed.
"This girl has no dantian."
"True. Yet you have internal energy. Fascinating. Does every single meridian replace the dantian?"
The Cult Leader fell into thought again, staring through Geum-gang.
It felt utterly bizarre.
Like layers of clothing being peeled away one by one...
The sensation when the maids first undressed her.
"Hm. A disciple of the Left Envoy. A gift for you."
After staring for a long while, the Cult Leader extended her hand to a distant bookshelf, retrieving a manual.
Void Grasping Technique.
A feat only achievable by transcendent masters.
The Cult Leader performed this supreme art effortlessly.
A testament to her profound internal energy.
[Manual Acquired]
"The flow of the stars is so orderly. Have you ever studied internal energy cultivation methods?"
"No. This girl has no need to learn breathing exercises..."
The Cult Leader shook her head, cutting her off.
"Hm. Try cultivating it anyway. Even if you think it's a waste."
As Geum-gang took the manual skeptically, the Cult Leader poked her forehead.
"It's a breathing art created by a warrior who pursued the movements of the heavens. Its stability is top-tier. You won't lose out."
Glancing at Hee Yeon, who stood blankly listening to their exchange, she stroked her shoulder and thigh.
"Hee girl of South Heaven. You resemble me."
"N-no... Such an honor..."
As Hee Yeon flailed her hands in flustered denial, the Cult Leader cut her off again.
"No. You truly do. Yes..."
The Cult Leader tapped her temple thoughtfully, then cleared her throat melodiously.
"With a daughter so outstanding, the South Heaven Sword Family Patriarch has no worries."
"Your words are too generous. This girl still has much to learn."
"It's fine. Yes. It would be unfair to gift only the Left Envoy's disciple. I shall bestow a title upon you."
"Wha—?!"
Hee Yeon bit her tongue in shock.
A title from the Cult Leader herself!
Forgetting her slip-up in the Cult Leader's presence, her heart raced.
"As beautiful as the Left Envoy's disciple, so 'Flower'... Sword Master... Among them, the piercing sword. Piercing Sword. Yes, I shall call you South Piercing Sword Flower."
Hee Yeon couldn't hide her elation.
Titles bestowed personally by the Cult Leader were exceedingly rare.
Her shoulders shook, cheeks flushing red.
"Ah, satisfied?"
Not even finishing her words, Hee Yeon nodded vigorously.
"Good. You may go to the Heavenly Demon Hall."
What the Cult Leader had confirmed in them remained unknown.
The two girls, enchanted by her violet eyes, could only nod.
After their meeting with the Cult Leader, the girls stayed briefly at the Heavenly Seed Pavilion to prepare for entering the Heavenly Demon Hall.
All warriors who entered—or had entered—the Heavenly Demon Hall trained and received guidance here.
Geum-gang and Hee Yeon lay in the same room, staring endlessly at the ceiling.
Their encounter with the Heavenly Mountain's ruler left various impressions on the girls.
For Hee Yeon, awe and reverence.
For Geum-gang, a strange discomfort and questions.
'Tch. I couldn't refuse her no matter what.'
From long ago.
When someone had stacked bricks on her.
That same unpleasant memory resurfaced.
The feeling of her decisions being utterly ignored...
'I need to get stronger. At least as strong as Master.'
Ha Jin had said even the Cult Leader couldn't treat her lightly.
Not needing to be the world's best—just strong enough that no master could handle her carelessly—would suffice.
"Hah!"
Frustrated for no reason, Geum-gang stomped the floor to vent.
She ignored Hee Yeon peeking at her timidly from the side.
And then.
The
[Manual Received from Cult Leader]
Why had she thought Geum-gang possessed internal energy?
"Shall I read it first?"
How captivating are the movements of the heavens.
The beauty of order knows no bounds.
Stars gather in spring, scatter in summer.
The sun rises and sets, the moon sets and rises again.
With our land at the center, the heavens revolve...
Such were the passages of the Heavenly Movement Heart Formula.
How natural are the heavens' motions.
Behold the beauty of this orderly world.
However...
"What nonsense. The Earth is the one that moves."
It was common knowledge to a modern person.
The celestial bodies move, sure, but...
With our land at the center?
Even in the martial world, this was utter drivel.
Even Geum-gang, with her limited education, knew that much.
"If you're gonna give me one, make it a proper one. Should I fix it at least?"
An act no one versed in internal arts would attempt.
If it works, don't touch it.
This was the golden rule for breathing exercises.
The slightest misalignment could rupture meridians.
For Geum-gang, utterly ignorant of internal energy, tampering with a cultivation method was insanely dangerous.
Yet.
"Hm."
Her knowledge was correct.
"Mm! Hm!"
Geum-gang already understood the beauty of order.
Her body embodied order itself.
Symmetry and balance.
She had internalized that profound harmony physically.
Even freely altering the heart formula yielded only 'minor' side effects, rebirthing it as a breathing exercise.
Less stable, but circulating energy faster than the original.
Somehow, it veered closer to demonic arts.
Of course, Geum-gang didn't fully trust herself.
She occasionally had Hee Yeon test it with her sword.
"This... Circulating like that will burst your meridians, Geum-gang. Your dantian will shatter."
The 'minor' side effects were severely swollen meridians and strain on the dantian.
"It's fine. Look at my body."
Geum-gang flexed her arm proudly.
For any other warrior, it wouldn't be minor at all, but Geum-gang's inherently sturdy body brushed it off.
Hee Yeon nodded too.
The person before her didn't seem prone to meridian damage or pain.
Geum-gang had come to fully trust her body as well.
Meridians?
They'd hold. Whatever.
Dantian...
The Cult Leader said she didn't have one.
It'd be fine. Whatever.
It was the kind of recklessness Ha Jin might pull, but Geum-gang didn't notice as she began studying the heart formula.
The Cult Leader had recommended it, so it should be fine.
Whether she truly had internal energy was unclear, but it ultimately flowed through the meridians.
For Geum-gang, who had mastered bodily control, it posed no great difficulty.
"Alright then... Let's try it."
Geum-gang took a deep breath.
And began sensing the heat throughout her body.