Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 262

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 262

A fierce wind seemed to blow in with a whoosh.

When his scattered hair settled back into place, all directions were filled with the creature’s spirit energy.

The air was heavy.

Trees crushed by his power creaked and split, and rocks sank deep into the ground.

He raised his head.

Above the giant tree before him, the Blue-Robed Man stood on a branch as thick as a human thigh.

The moment their eyes met, the creature smiled brightly and licked his lips with his tongue.

Seeing his Adam’s apple bob, he was clearly treating him like food.

Meanwhile.

‘He has narrow eyes. Narrow eyes.’

No wonder I felt uneasy…

This isn’t good.

From experience, bastards like that are dangerous because they have something sinister about them.

With those damn narrow eyes, there’s no telling what’s hidden behind them.

“Zhuge Munhyeon.”

“…You know me?”

“Of course. I know you very well.”

The creature looked as if he’d met an old friend.

But he knows me?

Just what…

“You’ve been watching me.”

“That’s right. Your energy is truly appetizing, you see.”

The creature kept flicking his sharp, forked tongue and licking his lips.

It seems not all immortals look noble or strong.

This bastard… is really annoying.

“Oh my, let me set up a barrier first. I have many questions for you, and I don’t want to be interrupted.”

“…”

The constantly grinning creature extended his hand toward the giant tree.

Whoosh!

Black smoke-like substance erupted from where his hand touched, swallowing the tree, then spread in all directions.

For a moment, it seemed as if dark clouds had covered the surroundings.

A barrier.

And one of tremendous scale.

‘This is… a Half-Immortal’s barrier?’

It couldn’t even be compared to what the Ascetic of Dongho Lake or Yeongmun had deployed. Even Hwangyo, who had similar power, didn’t even know what a barrier was.

That makes it even more infuriating.

He may be annoying, but he’s definitely strong.

Above all, beneath this intensely powerful force that made his flesh tremble, there would be countless lives.

Those who were completely innocent and didn’t even know why they were dying.

“How amusing. A creature who has already broken taboos is setting up a barrier to reduce harm to the Mortal World.”

“Huh? What do you mean? Reduce harm to the Mortal World?”

The response to his sarcasm was a bit strange.

After watching silently for a moment, the Blue-Robed Man’s lips twisted oddly.

“You, were you perhaps a drifting cloud?”

“Drifting cloud?”

“You must be. I can tell from how you know nothing. Hunters call immortals like you and me, who don’t belong to any faction, that.”

Drifting cloud, meaning a wandering cloud.

“Keke, this is truly fortunate. I was worried about how to hide after devouring you, but if you’re a drifting cloud, there’s no need to worry. Since you have no ties to any faction, no one will come looking for you.”

It was all incomprehensible content, but since the tone suggested that no one would care if he died, his eyes naturally narrowed.

Zhuge Munhyeon, who had been glaring at the Blue-Robed Man with furrowed brows, suddenly plopped down.

“What are you doing?”

“What do you mean what? I’m suggesting we have a conversation.”

“A conversation?”

“You said so earlier. That you have many questions for me.”

“…”

“So do I. What do you say? Come down. My neck hurts.”

Zhuge Munhyeon casually called to the Blue-Robed Man, even waving his hand.

“Ha!”

The Blue-Robed Man was simply dumbfounded.

What kind of person is this?

Since he had learned spirit energy, he should know that he possessed far greater spiritual power, yet he felt not even a trace of fear.

Whether belonging to a faction or being a drifting cloud, when meeting a strong opponent, the common instinct is to be intimidated and think of escape first.

‘Is it because he hasn’t completely severed his ties with humans?’

When the Blue-Robed Man tilted his head and looked at him strangely, Zhuge Munhyeon urged him again.

“What are you pondering? You seem to regard me as mere prey anyway, so it’s fine to take some leisure time, right? As you said, I’m a loner without any faction, so no one will come looking for me immediately.”

“You…”

The Blue-Robed Man chuckled at those brazen words and jumped down from the tree to sit on a nearby rock.

“Fine. Speak. I’m in a good mood, so I’ll indulge in conversation for a while.”

He’s getting more and more annoying.

He’s acting as if he’s already won without even fighting. Like a hungry beast waiting for its food to cook deliciously.

But whatever the case, he came down to talk, and that’s enough.

The creature seemed to know much more than Yeongmun.

His spiritual power alone far exceeded Hwangyo’s level, didn’t it?

That’s why he’s so leisurely.

Indeed, the creature’s energy far surpasses his own.

He probably thinks he can kill him anytime.

“Let me ask your name first.”

“Mine?”

“Surely it’s not something like Medical Sage of Mount Tai, as Hwangbo Yun said?”

“Keke, that’s right. That was just a name that fellow arbitrarily gave me.”

The Blue-Robed Man nodded and spoke without a moment’s hesitation.

“I am Cheonggyo.”

“Cheonggyo?”

“That’s right.”

“Then one more thing. Do you belong to Gwi, or do you belong to Yo? Or should I just call you a yokai?”

“Ho? You’re not completely ignorant, are you?”

“I met a similar creature.”

“A similar creature?”

“Yes, he was a tiger-type Gwi, and his name was Hwangyo.”

“Hmm…”

At Zhuge Munhyeon’s words, Cheonggyo nodded silently.

“Perhaps…”

“Do you know him?”

“Ah, I was just asking. I wondered if you creatures know each other.”

“Stupid fool. How vast is the world that we would all know each other? I’ve never even heard the name Hwangyo.”

At Cheonggyo’s mocking words, Zhuge Munhyeon nodded.

True, the Central Plains aren’t small.

Anyway, he had gained the information that Half-Immortals don’t know each other either.

Also, this creature had revealed himself to be a drifting cloud, that is, the type that wanders without belonging to any faction.

‘Since they said multiple people came to find Hyeoncheonja at that time…’

It means they weren’t involved in his death.

“And above all, that distinction is wrong.”

“What?”

“Goe and Yo, that’s just a definition solidified by those who consider themselves good. Good is simply good. Only the appearance and methods are different.”

“Ah…”

I understood immediately.

The distinction between orthodox and demonic factions was the same.

They’re all just martial artists who learned martial arts, so what’s this talk of orthodox and demonic distinctions?

In the end, it was a matter of who was mainstream.

“By the way, why did you laugh earlier when I said the reason for setting up the barrier was to avoid harming the mortal world?”

“Because that’s not it.”

“What?”

“The barrier is purely to protect myself.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If I manifest power without a barrier, hunters might appear.”

“Hunters?”

“Hmm, haven’t you met them yet?”

“…”

“They’re a force. They don’t leave alone those who don’t belong to them.”

“Not leaving them alone means? You mean they kill them?”

“Kill… what an extremely human sentiment.”

“Because I’m human.”

“You are? Pfft!”

…This bastard.

He was openly mocking me, making me want to slap his face.

Why is there such an annoying bastard?

Why does he keep flicking his tongue?

“If you meet hunters, you get eaten.”

“What?”

“That’s all there is to it. The weak eventually get eaten by the strong.”

“Hmm, like a food chain.”

“You could say it’s similar.”

The fact that they increase their spirit energy through devouring was already known to me.

‘What good… their actions are no different from the demonic path.’

Survival of the fittest, natural selection.

It’s a tradition that has long supported the demonic path.

Because they believe one strong person can trample ten thousand weak ones.

But in some ways, the good are more cruel than demons.

The winner devours the loser’s spirit energy.

Aren’t they just like those who learned the forbidden absorption demonic arts?

The only difference would be that absorption demonic arts eventually fail to control their instability and turn one into a demon, but these guys make that power completely their own.

‘Is this also All Streams Return to Source? Perhaps… what these things learned might be a more advanced absorption demonic art.’

I felt greed for a moment.

Though my perception of absorption demonic arts wasn’t good, what if I could stably absorb power and become stronger?

‘Hmm, not bad? These bastards aren’t even human anyway.’

Beings not defined by human concepts.

Those kinds of bastards where morality doesn’t apply.

“Do you also know how to absorb others’ spirit energy?”

“…”

At those words, he stopped laughing abruptly.

Why?

Was that something I shouldn’t have asked?

Is that also taboo?

Don’t look at me so frighteningly, just teach me refreshingly if you know. I can’t just devour others’ spirit energy like picking fruit, can I?

“Hmm, seeing you ask such things, it seems you obtained spirit energy through acquired effort.”

“Huh?”

“Absorbing spirit energy is something you’re born with.”

“Ah…”

He means talent.

Damn it…

Never mind then.

I thought this guy might become a good spirit pill.

“Since you asked many questions, let me ask one too.”

“Go ahead, I’ll answer kindly.”

“How were you able to hide your spirit energy without even setting up a barrier?”

“Spirit energy… Ah!”

He’s asking about Yang Yi.

It seems even those who reached the realm of good don’t know everything.

Since he had an expression of being extremely curious, my mind started spinning rapidly.

The reason for asking about Yang Yi.

He said barriers are for protecting oneself.

To prevent hunters from chasing.

But how could that compare to Yang Yi?

Barriers are similar to formation techniques and are deployed over a certain area, but Yang Yi completely hides one’s presence.

In other words, you can walk around freely without worrying about pursuit.

That’s why he has such a covetous expression.

But since he has what I need, I shouldn’t show it carelessly. First, after I get all the answers I need…

“Want to know?”

“…Very much.”

“Then answer just one more thing.”

“Tsk, what a troublesome guy. Speak quickly.”

“Long ago, there was a Heavenly Demon who was the greatest martial artist of all time… no, of all history. He was an excellent person who possessed virtue, character, insight, dignity, perception, and so on. The kind of person who won’t be born again in the mortal world.”

“Somehow doesn’t seem like a good guy.”

“…”

Which part?

I attached all the good qualities to him?

“Ahem, anyway, having no one left to compare with, he dreamed of ascension to immortality, and eventually obtained an ascension method from the Wudang Sect and began cultivation in Taiji Cave. But it turned out to be not an ascension method but a destruction method. It was revealed later that it was Yo and Goe who transmitted the destruction method. Do you know anything about this? If you do, why did they kill him?”

The blue-robed figure seemed to furrow his brow and think deeply about the question I asked while praising myself, then shook his head.

“How would I know about the death of some insignificant human?”

“…”

In, insignificant?

This bastard, after I enthusiastically introduced him with all kinds of flowery language!

“But I roughly understand.”

“What?”

“If it’s the Heavenly Demon… by human standards, he’d be the worst and most vicious, right?”

“He’s a hero.”

“Whatever he was.”

“…”

“Those who form factions don’t particularly like it when their opponents become stronger. If Yo and Goe tried to kill him, the reason is obvious.”

“Obvious?”

“Of course. When someone who should naturally walk the same path as them becomes an enemy… do you think they would just stand by and watch?”

“Ah…”

It was an extremely simple reason.

Well, that could be the case.

How worried must they have been about someone who was the greatest of all time, both by his own claim and others’, entering the path of goodness?

They must have been concerned about the imbalance of power.

‘Ah, so in the end… I was acknowledged even in the World of Goodness?’

It was around the time he was having such thoughts.

“But it is strange. No matter how strong he was, by human standards it would have been trivial… Why go through such troublesome efforts to kill him?”

“…”

“He must have been quite bored.”

Even when this damned bastard speaks.

He was in the middle of savoring his past when even death was glorious.

“Now, I’ve answered everything you were curious about, so tell me about the method to conceal Spirit Energy.”

With an expression full of anticipation, he gulped and licked his lips with his tongue.

Seeing that appearance that seemed even nervous, Zhuge Munhyeon smiled faintly as he grasped the Silver Cold Staff and stood up, saying:

“I don’t want to.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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