Chapter 208
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Overwhelming Power 1
After returning to the Divine Cult, Mu-heun took care of the most urgent matters.
He refined the state of the Dragon Demon Pavilion.
And quickly reorganized its operations.
About three days passed in this manner.
When Mu-heun was summoned by the Cult Leader and visited the Cult Leader's Hall once again.
‘I reported to him as soon as I returned to the Divine Cult, and he praised my achievements several times... Why has he summoned me again?’
There was nothing to hold against him for killing the Ice Demon and Flame Demon, who were the Cult Leader's disciples.
This was because he had submitted the ledger as evidence—proof that the Ice Demon and Flame Demon had commissioned his death from the Three Blades of the World and the Seven Tunes of Asura of the Valley of Villains. Furthermore, Jin Mu, the Commander of the Bright Heavenly Demon Unit, had accurately reported the situation and served as a witness to their duel to the death.
‘So, why did he call for me?’
Of course, he had planned to come and speak with him at some point, even if he wasn't summoned.
‘But considering how cunning the Cult Leader is, I have a rough idea of what this is about...’
-Creeeak
The massive doors opened, revealing the Cult Leader's Hall, where a purple flame burned. As before, the atmosphere was grand and heavy.
Mu-heun knelt on one knee, cupped his fist, and spoke.
"I greet the Cult Leader, the sky of the Divine Cult."
"Welcome."
‘Did the Cult Leader eat something strange lately...? He seems to welcome me warmly every time he sees me.’
"When I first met you, you asked me to send you to the Blade Leaf Valley."
"Yes, that is correct."
"After that, you wanted to go to Sichuan."
"...Yes. That is correct."
"Now, by defeating the Ice Demon and Flame Demon and absorbing their forces, you have established your own power base to some extent."
"Yes, that is correct."
"Then, you must prepare for the selection of the next Cult Leader, which will take place in two years."
Mu-heun smiled inwardly, a smile of triumph.
‘Here it is. The main point!’
"That is right. Therefore, Cult Leader, I have a request. May I speak of it?"
"Yes. I was just about to tell you to ask for anything you wish for your achievements. So, what is your request?"
"I wish to move up the competition between the Cult Leader candidates."
"...You wish to move up the date?"
The Cult Leader asked as if puzzled, but his expression did not change in the slightest. Mu-heun scrutinized the Cult Leader's face for any emotion.
‘It's as if he already expected this.’
"Yes. I am aware that my elder brothers are already talking about it."
"That's right. My three disciples, wary of your growth... No, to be precise, voices of concern are rising from their factions. Some of them even insisted that the selection for the next Cult Leader should be held immediately."
"That is why I am bringing this up."
"However, that was merely their proposal. They suggested that since my jade body is now stable, it would be best to conclude the selection as soon as possible and bestow my teachings upon the next Cult Leader."
Mu-heun nodded in understanding, but he knew that couldn't be the whole truth.
‘Unless they're insane... who would dare speak to the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult like that? They must have phrased it much more circuitously.’
‘For instance, something like the Sword Demon Cheon Jeong-mun is on the verge of reaching the middle stage of Transcendence and seeks your guidance... something like that... But the Cult Leader must have seen through their true intentions.’
"What are your thoughts on their proposal, Cult Leader?"
"...It matters not what they say or think; my will remains unchanged. I act of my own accord, not theirs. Unless they can offer words that persuade me, I will not change the date I have set. And that applies to your request as well."
Though the Cult Leader had become a bit more amiable,
Mu-heun felt a little relieved seeing his unwavering nature.
He had thought long and hard about the Cult Leader's character.
The fact that he let him live, a practitioner of the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon.
Taking him as a disciple. Sending him to the Blade Leaf Valley.
Sending him to Sichuan.
Leaving him to handle all these matters on his own, and so on.
Considering all these things from various angles,
it seemed he had been secretly waiting for someone like him.
"In that case, may I offer a word to persuade you, Cult Leader?"
"Speak."
"Are you aware of the otherworldly beings that the founding Heavenly Demon defeated 300 years ago?"
"..."
The Cult Leader gazed at Mu-heun for a moment before speaking.
"Is that not the myth-like event that occurred only once since the founding of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? Though I am half in doubt, I am aware of it."
Mu-heun didn't know if those words were true, but he decided to play the card he held.
"They have appeared."
"..."
"From this moment, I will tell you everything I have experienced, without a single falsehood."
Cult Leader Cheon Mu-jin listened silently to Mu-heun's story.
The Three Books on the Advent of the Chaotic Heavens' Inhuman Beings. Monsters, Ghost Spirits, and Evil Gods.
The monsters of Yuhua County, the ghost spirits of Hubei Province.
The Rakshasa Mahuraga.
It was a story shocking enough to rattle even him, a man who had reached the twilight of his life. But he was not so foolish as to doubt Baek Mu-heun's words now.
After all, wasn't Mu-heun the one who learned the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon from the founder in a prophetic dream?
The achievements he had accomplished and his unbelievable rate of growth added credibility to his words. At this point, it seemed foolish to even question the truth of his claims.
"And so, there is no time?"
"That is correct."
"You speak as if it is a given that you will defeat my three disciples."
"I cannot lose."
The Cult Leader gazed steadily at the confidently speaking Mu-heun.
‘Conceit? Arrogance? Recklessness? No, it's not that. Confidence... no, is it conviction?’
"...However, your current skill does not seem to be at that level. At your current level, I cannot even comprehend how you defeated the Ice Demon and the Flame Demon simultaneously."
Mu-heun was certain. This was the very point the Cult Leader had summoned him to confirm. The Cult Leader was the person who best understood the skills of the Ice Demon, the Flame Demon, and Mu-heun himself.
That was why it must have been hard for him to believe that Mu-heun had faced both of them at once and defeated them simultaneously.
Realistically, it was nigh impossible to defeat them both at once with his current martial prowess.
"I will speak frankly."
To dispel Cult Leader Cheon Mu-jin's doubts, Mu-heun explained the situation at the time in detail.
"And so, at that time, my realm had reached the peak of Transcendence."
"The peak of Transcendence..."
A stir appeared on Cheon Mu-jin's usually unshakable face. The change in his expression was not large, but he seemed quite surprised.
After all, the peak of Transcendence was not a realm that just anyone could reach.
The Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon allows one to temporarily wield the power of a higher realm. However, that was not as easy as it sounded.
Only those who could process their energy into a fine, detailed state, explode it, and then maintain a near-perfect balance could fully wield the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon.
Here, "near-perfect balance" becomes exponentially more difficult the greater the amount and power of the energy one must handle.
That is why, despite it being a demonic art that allows for rapid growth, it is extremely rare for someone to advance from the initial stage of Transcendence to the middle stage, and reaching the peak from the middle stage is an event that might happen only once in a century.
And yet, he caused an explosion, absorbed the energy using a divine weapon, and then wielded power reaching the peak of Transcendence based on that absorbed energy?
Easier said than done. The only ones capable of such a feat are...
someone who has already experienced the peak of Transcendence but lost their internal energy for some reason,
or someone with such outstanding innate talent that they require no practice or adjustment in handling their energy.
In Cheon Mu-jin's eyes, Mu-heun was... both.
‘Just what in the world is this kid...?’
Mu-heun carefully observed the Cult Leader's reaction before continuing.
"Three months from now. I will defeat my elder brothers one by one."
"Is three months enough?"
"Yes. The reason I say this now is not simply because I am confident I can defeat them."
"...Speak."
"There are two reasons. The first, as I mentioned earlier, is that otherworldly beings will threaten the entire Central Plains. The Divine Cult is already short on power. Therefore, we are in a situation where we must bring every last fighter we can. However..."
"They could die at your hands like the Ice Demon and the Flame Demon, so you want to have an official duel to make them your people?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"..."
Seeing Mu-heun's confidence—no, his conviction that went beyond mere confidence—a strange light gleamed in Cheon Mu-jin's eyes.
"I have lost one elder brother and one elder sister this time. Their skills were indeed astonishing, but I could not let them live, for they slaughtered my subordinates."
"It sounds like you do not wish to see bloodshed within our ranks when we are facing a powerful enemy."
"That is correct."
"What is the second reason?"
"The second is that there is no time."
"No time?"
"Yes. I do not know the scale of the coming disaster or when it will strike. But what is certain is that the enemy is powerful, and they are definitely coming. At such a time, the Divine Cult must prepare for this external foe, and to do so, we must be united.
"However, the Divine Cult is currently divided into factions supporting different candidates. They are too busy calculating which candidate would be more advantageous to support to even think about joining forces."
"You intend to become the focal point?"
"Yes. To become the focal point of the Divine Cult, I must show my strength. Overwhelming strength. For that reason, I wish to duel my elder brothers."
"..."
Cheon Mu-jin could not help but be surprised once again by Mu-heun's answer.
It wasn't because Mu-heun had reached the peak of Transcendence, nor was it because he believed he could naturally defeat his elder brothers, who were more than twice his age.
Mu-heun's attitude could easily be mistaken for arrogance. But Cheon Mu-jin knew it was not arrogance at all. It was not arrogance. No, it was far from it.
It was, so to speak, a sense of urgency.
This was the astonishing point. His vision was not limited to his own family or the Divine Cult. Despite his young age, barely out of his teens, his sight reached the entire world.
No, it encompassed the world.
That was why he considered the selection for the next Cult Leader within the Divine Cult as just another rite of passage.
Cheon Mu-jin closed his eyes for a moment and thought.
‘So his true enemies were never my three disciples. His foes are far more powerful than them, and his gaze extends beyond Xinjiang to encompass the Central Plains. Further questions are meaningless.’
"Very well, I understand. I will summon my three disciples and tell them that the selection, scheduled for two years from now, will be moved up to three months from now. Of course, they will have to agree."
"Of course."
Mu-heun was confident his elder brothers would agree. They would not be foolish enough to delay the date after seeing his rate of growth.
"Then, create the picture you desire on that stage."
‘As expected!’
Mu-heun cheered inwardly.
‘As I thought, the Cult Leader must have been aware of the otherworldly beings. It makes sense. There's no way the Cult Leader wouldn't know something that even the Martial Alliance Leader and the Soul-Stealing Immortal knew.
‘Therefore, it was highly likely he would fully incorporate my opinion regarding the selection.
Mu-heun cupped his fist and spoke.
"Thank you for your consideration, Cult Leader!"
Mu-heun turned and left the Cult Leader's Hall, walking towards the Dragon Demon Pavilion.
‘Three months... That's enough time to absorb all the energy in my dantian and achieve a breakthrough.’
* * *
At the Sacred Fire Palace, Seol Ha-ryeong met with the Sun and Moon Divine Maiden and explained everything that had happened.
"And so, Lord Mu-heun released me from the Soul-Stealing Arts."
"..."
"I am sorry for having deceived you, Lady Mi-wol."
"It's alright. This was all destined to be."
"Th-Then... Lady Mi-wol. May I ask a favor of you?"
"Is it perhaps something along the lines of, 'I wish to be assigned under the Dragon Demon's command'?"
"Ah...!"
"I see I was right."
The Sun and Moon Divine Maiden, Mi-wol, shook her head.
"Now is not the time."
"...I see. I suppose so."
Seeing Seol Ha-ryeong's disappointed expression, Mi-wol smiled lightly and said.
"Requesting to be assigned under the Dragon Demon's command is a meaningless request."
"..."
"Because soon, the entire Divine Cult will be under the Dragon Demon's command."
"...!!"