The Heavenly Demon Sect (7)
The water in the pond near the investigation hall was a special liquid known as Cheonjungsu, or Heavenly Heavy Water. It wasn’t an elixir, but in some ways it was considered even more precious than most spiritual medicines. The fact that it filled an entire pond was enough to hint at the true stature of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Its effect was simple: it dramatically increased the efficiency of qi circulation and breathing exercises. It also had the ability to naturally expel turbid energy and waste from the body, but since my Extreme Yang Body was inherently resistant to accumulating such impurities, that part was largely wasted on me. The only real benefit I could gain was assistance in cultivating my mental techniques. Still, for my current condition, that alone was more than enough.
To break through the wall of the Transformation Realm, I needed to elevate my mastery of internal energy arts.
As if to prove it wasn’t ordinary water, the Heavenly Heavy Water didn’t soak into my clothes. Instead, it simply slid down my body and back into the pond.
“Master, I have a question.”
Cheon Wigang had been quietly watching me meditate from nearby. I climbed out of the pond and spoke immediately.
“Speak.”
“Is there a faster way to reach the Transformation Realm?”
“Within a year, the orthodox method would be difficult.”
Cheon Wigang’s tone was firm.
“You already knew about my condition?”
“It is only natural for a master to know his disciple’s physical state. The doctor was reluctant, so do not go bothering him by asking why he spread the news around town.”
“I wasn’t planning to….”
“Tsk. To think the disciple I finally accepted has a limited lifespan.”
“If the orthodox method won’t work, what other options are there?”
He had said it would be difficult, not impossible.
“It is possible to forcibly achieve body reconstruction using spiritual medicines and the full-powered strikes of a Profound Realm martial artist. Even if it only creates a half-baked Transformation Realm. However, even a Profound Realm expert would have to expend their innate primordial energy.”
“…It sounds incredibly inefficient.”
“It is. Moreover, it is impossible for you. If you tried to force a body reconstruction in your current state of complete imbalance, your body would never endure it.”
So either way, I was out of options. The more I searched for solutions, the more it felt like I was swallowing a million sweet potatoes with no end in sight.
“However, without knowing exactly what kind of mental technique you have learned, I cannot make a hasty judgment.”
“It is definitely a demonic art. I absorb demonic energy and convert it into true qi.”
At my words, Cheon Wigang suddenly fell silent, lost in thought.
“A demonic art that devours demonic energy… Not all demonic arts consume demonic qi. And to refine it instantly? Is that the legacy of a Martial God?”
“Yes.”
“Recite the formula.”
“Understood. I’ll say it right… huh?”
The formula was clearly in my head, but the words wouldn’t leave my mouth. I had no idea what kind of trick this was, but it felt like something was forcibly blocking my actions.
As I stood there mumbling, Cheon Wigang placed his palm on my Baihui acupoint and narrowed his eyes.
“Again.”
“….”
“It is a seal.”
“I don’t remember ever having a seal placed on me….”
“There may be a built-in mechanism within the martial art itself that prevents leakage. A seal even I cannot break. It seems the technique you learned truly is a supreme art.”
“That much is certain.”
Even by pure intuition, it was clearly EX-rank. Its effects were absurdly overpowered, no question about it.
“…For now, even I have no solution. The only path is steady training and cultivation.”
“I see.”
I gave a slight smile as I spoke. Suddenly, the words I had heard about the spirit of the Heavenly Demon Sect came to mind. Even if you are shattered into a hundred pieces and collapse, grit your teeth and rise again. Although the result had been a coincidence born of miracles, perhaps entering the sect itself had been fate.
For someone like me, who had been declared terminally ill while half-dead, those words were exactly what I needed. I decided to look at it positively.
“I will help you as much as I can, so do not be too disheartened.”
Cheon Wigang—no, my master—spoke with a blank expression. His tone was cold, but the content was filled with consideration.
“Yes, Master.”
Honestly. What a dishonest man. Only now was I beginning to glimpse his true nature.
“Stop smiling.”
“Yes sir.”
I immediately put on a slightly exaggerated poker face. Master glared at me with a displeased look, but since he had been the one to say it first, he seemed unable to call me out on it.
“This won’t do.”
“Master?”
“I need to see exactly what you have learned and how far you have progressed. Come at me.”
Without warning, Master stepped back, clasped his hands behind his back, and declared.
“Is it safe underground?”
If too much power was used down here, there was a risk of collapse.
“This Heavenly Demon Cave has been reinforced to withstand even a direct strategic nuclear strike. It is also protected by the absolute formation secretly passed down in the sect. Even if two Transformation Realm experts were to spar here, it would be perfectly safe.”
A strategic nuclear strike? In this regard, they were strangely modern. The more I learned about them, the more fascinating this group became.
Anyway, I moved away from the investigation hall and loosened up my body. This was the first spar between master and disciple. There was no way I could half-ass it.
Master watched with sharp eyes as I gathered my momentum.
“Should I go all out?”
“Obviously.”
When it came to pure destructive power, the latter half of the Blood Demon Art bearing the name ‘Fire Dragon’ was the strongest. The problem was that I still hadn’t properly mastered it. The choice was between using a familiar advanced technique or attempting the latter half even if it was clumsy.
After a brief moment of hesitation, I made my decision. Master would be able to handle anything I threw at him. It meant I could pour everything out without worry.
The Unicorn Divine Art was already active. Upon closer inspection of my inner state, the issue was that the Hyeop-in-ji-ro trait triggered a buff at the same time. Still, I figured I could handle one extra stack.
“Then I will use Blood Demon Art — Fire Dragon Cross Strike.”
As I spoke, I silently compressed an enormous amount of energy from the Blood Demon Art into both hands. The materialized crimson energy blazed fiercely, covering not just my hands but my entire arms.
Master remained motionless with his hands behind his back, observing me closely.
‘Perfect.’
In a real fight, such preparation time would have been impossible, but thanks to Master waiting patiently, I succeeded in compressing the energy to its absolute limit. I was confident that even Cheon Hayeon would not be able to block this attack easily.
Of course, my opponent was several levels above her, so I could attack without reservation.
BOOM—!
At the same time as my charge, I channeled the concentrated intent into my steps and stomped down. A circular wave of force spread out from the Yongcheon acupoint on my foot and struck Master.
Fire Dragon Cross Strike. The name was flashy, but the technique itself was extremely straightforward. It was an attack that alternately released the compressed true qi from both hands at close range. Its purpose was to pierce through the opponent’s defense entirely.
KWANG—!
The moment the force of the Heavenly Demon Dominion Steps reached Master’s feet, I thrust both palms forward.
“Interesting.”
Just before the two fire dragons that seemed to bite and tear could reach Master’s body, a voice echoed directly in my mind like the Wisdom Light Heart Speech. At the same time, Master’s hand drew a soft circle.
At first glance, it looked similar to Tai Chi.
“Ugh…!”
In an instant, the direction of my true qi completely twisted. I couldn’t correct it. Even the enlightenment I had gained while training the Art of Converting Flower and Grafting Wood was useless.
Pa-pa-pa-pak—!
The extreme yang energy scattered in all directions, turning into sparkling flames.
When my face filled with shock, Master’s voice rang in my head once more.
“This is the sect’s protective divine art that I will pass on to you.”
I felt my body spinning dozens of times as the sensation in my limbs gradually faded.
“It is called the Geongon Daena-i — the Great Shifting of Heaven and Earth.”
With Master’s final words, my consciousness cut to black.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
After laying the unconscious Kim Mugong down properly, Cheon Wigang channeled qi into his fingers and carefully performed the Chugung Gwahyeol — the acupoint striking and energy channeling technique.
The process continued for a long time. Beads of sweat formed on Cheon Wigang’s forehead.
‘What a high-maintenance disciple.’
Compared to Cheon Hayeon, who had accomplished everything smoothly, Kim Mugong became more precarious the more he observed him. And now he had even received a terminal diagnosis.
Even a Profound Realm martial artist could not restore Kim Mugong’s body to a normal state.
‘I’ve bought him a little more time.’
While performing the technique, he had managed to stabilize the demonic energy of the Fire Demon Core, if only slightly. Judging by the reaction, this too would likely become impossible next time.
With a bitter smile, Cheon Wigang finished the procedure and stood up.
‘I cannot tell.’
Even Cheon Wigang, who prided himself on knowing nearly every divine art that existed under the heavens, could not begin to guess what kind of mental technique Kim Mugong had learned.
A technique that devoured demonic energy.
Kim Mugong had judged it to be a demonic art based on that, but that was only because he lacked understanding of demonic arts. Demonic energy was an extremely dangerous power. Handling it required meticulous concentration. The slightest failure would almost certainly lead to qi deviation, turning the practitioner into a mindless ‘demonic being’ that had lost all reason.
And to refine demonic energy on the fly in the middle of battle and use it as one’s own true qi?
As far as Cheon Wigang knew, there was only one transcendent mental technique in the entire world capable of such a feat.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
He had heard that only the complete Heavenly Demon Divine Art possessed such an ability.
Moreover, the footwork Kim Mugong had used while infusing it with intent was far too similar to the Heavenly Demon Dominion Steps recorded in the ancient texts.
However, the Heavenly Demon Dominion Steps had been lost for a very long time.
‘Is it a case of all paths returning to the same origin, or….’
Looking at it rationally, it was far more likely that the Martial God had refined his own arts and coincidentally created something similar to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. After all, the Martial God was a transcendent being who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Heavenly Demon of his era. Creating such a supreme mental technique would have been entirely possible for him.
“Ugh… Don’t you think knocking me out was a bit much? My head is still ringing, Master.”
Kim Mugong, who had slowly regained consciousness, sat up abruptly and grumbled.
“Be quiet.”
Cheon Wigang lightly ignored his disciple’s complaint and erased the second possibility from his mind.
For now.