Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 53

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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 53

“Ugh, damn it. Nearly died there.”

As expected, the projectile needles hit their mark.

The moment he entered the mechanism, it began operating, and thin needles poured down like rain from all directions.

What if he had remained at the Tan Qi level?

He would have become a porcupine, only to be discovered later by a rescue team that came after hearing he had entered the secret cave.

But let’s forget what’s past.

He survived, so that’s what matters.

What’s important is from now on.

The mechanisms and formations of the secret cave that remained intact in their original form without collapsing.

“Strange. It’s night outside, but this place is bright… I don’t see any luminous pearls either.”

Fortunately being able to see inside, even if dimly, Zhuge Munhyeon walked slowly along the narrow passage with a slight smile.

He felt no fear.

He was someone overflowing with competitive spirit, both in the past and now.

Whether it’s people or mechanism formations, how different could they be?

The stronger the opponent he had to fight, the more thrilling anticipation would boil up within him.

Right now, he had to fight against this damn secret cave.

His steps became lighter and his footsteps disappeared without echo.

After walking like this for a while, the end of the passage wrapped in silence curved.

Zhuge Munhyeon stopped at that entrance and looked around.

It couldn’t end with just this much…

He examined the faint traces scattered on the floor and walls with sharp eyes.

“It’s a formation.”

Even the air was already different.

It was clear that a formation was spread out, obstructing the flow.

Impressive.

To install a formation in this narrow passage without even a trace of presence being felt.

The Zhuge clan of the previous generation must have had remarkable skills.

Zhuge Munhyeon recalled all the formations he had experienced so far. The countless formations Han Siheon had deployed to confine him…

But none of them looked similar.

Then something suddenly came to mind.

“Eight Formations?”

If he hadn’t seen the Eight Formations spread across the terrain that seemed like a miniaturized Yungzhong Mountain on his first day at the Military Strategy Hall, he wouldn’t have known.

That day, he had pondered methods to pass through the Eight Formations there, even forgetting the passage of time.

So he had seen it.

And felt it.

“Damn, this is driving me crazy. Is this really the Eight Formations?”

It was something that had been lost from the family and remained only in records until Father recreated it.

What was spread on the miniature terrain was also incomplete.

But now a completed miniature Eight Formations was spread before his eyes.

“Hah, what should I do about this?”

He couldn’t bring himself to step foot into it.

An unknown formation.

A formation technique where he couldn’t know what would happen once he entered.

Zhuge Munhyeon had no choice but to stand at the entrance of the formation and contemplate for a long while.

But soon.

“It doesn’t make sense to turn back after coming this far.”

He steeled his resolve.

To move forward.

It wasn’t completely without possibility.

The Eight Formations were developed as military formations.

To fully demonstrate their effect, vast terrain was needed. Therefore, even though this was a completed Eight Formations, the confined space would prevent its effects from being maximized.

“If this really is the Eight Formations, then it starts with… Returning Mist.”

An illusion formation that spreads thick mist and ultimately makes you exit where you entered.

Step.

The moment he took one step, mist thickened, and soon his pace quickened.

Fortunately.

When he cleared the collapsed debris and found the iron rod, he had seen the structure of the secret cave that Scholar Yang Hun and Yeo Mungi from the Military Strategy Hall had roughly predicted.

The middle section of the secret cave.

Then the projectile needles would be the last mechanism, and only the Eight Formations would remain.

The moment he passed through the Returning Mist Formation in one breath and entered the second section.

Swiiiiish!

What flew at him with a sharp sound was a heavy club-like object. And it was as big as a person…

“Ugh!”

Startled by the mechanical device that flew at him in the situation with added thick mist, Zhuge Munhyeon quickly flipped his body backward.

Kuaaaang!

The heavy sound of hitting the wall.

And.

Click.

A clear, fine sound that made his spine tingle.

Unfortunately, the hand that touched the floor while flipping backward had pressed something.

“Ah, damn it! How many years has it been and it’s still operating!”

He was so frustrated that he let out a hollow laugh.

Even with bad luck, how could it be this bad?

This must be when you use the saying that even falling backward would break your nose.

But it wasn’t time to lament.

With the clicking sound, the floor sank deeply and he felt an ominous presence from below.

Yu Gilcheon… to make things this difficult.

He had recorded people’s reputations like crap, and when he died, he left behind so many damn things.

“You damn bastard!”

Zhuge Munhyeon let out an angry shout and displayed all the skills he possessed.

Flipping, twisting, leaping, running…

The stimulation to his mind made him struggle with memories from his time as the Heavenly Demon for a while.

It was the first time in his life he had moved so frantically.

The Zhuge Family, truly terrifying people.

Why on earth did such people decline so much?

After running through deadly hardships over and over again, Zhuge Munhyeon finally faced an iron door.

“Ah…”

He had overcome the Eight Formations.

To be precise, it was like a miniature version of the Eight Formations that couldn’t even display one-tenth of its original power, but so what?

Hadn’t he overcome something containing the essence of the Zhuge Family’s formation techniques and mechanisms with skills that hadn’t even reached Gang Qi?

“Hehehehehe.”

Looking back, the formation had disappeared and the mechanical devices that had been tormenting him were nowhere to be seen.

Baek Mu’s words were right.

This was made for people to come in and die.

I could see why Wudang didn’t handle it directly and left it to the Zhuge Family.

Because everything was uncertain.

Without risking one’s life, it would have taken at least a year to dismantle.

Whatever they crammed into that narrow passage.

Every step activated mechanical devices, every touch triggered hidden needles and blades… Ugh, damn it.

It was fortunate that some mechanisms weren’t working due to collapse, or I really would have died several times.

If the secret cave had been in perfect condition, even after realizing Gang Qi, I wouldn’t have been able to pass through easily.

But I finally made it through.

That hellish ordeal…

I couldn’t do it again even if asked.

Thanks to that, my snow white robe became worse than rags, torn to the point where I couldn’t tell if I was wearing anything, and my exposed body was covered in wounds with blood flowing freely… but I can’t contain the overwhelming emotion of this moment.

I’m so moved that tears are welling up.

Now just one iron door.

According to the structure of the secret cave predicted by Yang Hun and Yeo Mungi, Yu Gilcheon should be beyond that door.

And whatever he left behind…

“Don’t tell me this bastard installed something strange on the iron door too?”

I couldn’t help but be suspicious.

After being tricked so much.

Having nearly died about twenty times.

Zhuge Munhyeon caught his breath and slowly approached the iron door. Carefully, listening intently in case another clicking sound came from somewhere.

And the appearance of the iron door, hidden in the dimness, was revealed.

On that tightly closed door was written:

O fated one, you have suffered much. Having come this far, I believe heaven’s will is with you.

“…”

Zhuge Munhyeon’s eyes shot up as he stared blankly at those words.

This crazy bastard!

Fated one?

After setting up such mechanisms and formations, he talks about fate? I would have died before gaining any fate!

Just as I was getting angry from the absurdity.

Rip, slide.

The clothes that had become rags could no longer hold on and slipped down my body.

“Oh my!”

Zhuge Munhyeon instinctively grabbed at his clothes.

Even though he knew no one else was there, he instinctively prevented his naked body from being exposed.

“Damn it, there should be clothes inside.”

Zhuge Munhyeon grumbled as he pushed the iron door, tying his lower body tightly so it wouldn’t be exposed, though his upper body was another matter.

Creeeeak. Thud, bang!

The door made an unpleasant groaning sound.

Was it because it had been closed for so long?

After pushing it slightly open, he stepped back from the door gap in case something shot out from inside.

Fortunately, it was quiet.

Poking his head out to look inside, he couldn’t see anything unusual.

“Whew…”

Only then did Zhuge Munhyeon feel relieved and opened the door wide to enter.

A small cavity.

And a withered skeleton sitting in meditation on a place carved into a circular shape from rock.

It looked like it would crumble to dust at a touch, wearing a Taoist robe with a clear Taiji pattern.

Though only bones remained, Zhuge Munhyeon recognized it immediately.

“…Yu Gilcheon.”

Why was that?

I thought I’d throw punches first even if I met him in the afterlife.

But actually facing him, my heart felt heavy and my expression became calm.

After staring for a long time, Zhuge Munhyeon slowly approached him. Then he plopped down in front of him and faced him directly.

“You’ve aged a lot.”

Anyone who heard might have pointed fingers calling him crazy, but that was his impression at that moment.

An encounter with the past.

Though he was just silent remains, Zhuge Munhyeon’s eyes reddened as if meeting a moment from life.

“Still, you bastard, you went too far. What do you mean evil seed? Evil seed… It’s not like I recklessly caused massacres.”

As if returning to his days as the Heavenly Demon, Zhuge Munhyeon expressed his grievances like rambling.

“Anyway, I’m sorry. We were like old friends, and if I’d known you’d be waiting like this, I would have brought at least a bottle of liquor. But well, you wouldn’t have done that either, so just understand.”

Even while grumbling, he found himself laughing.

It was obvious without seeing.

He probably danced with his Taoist robe fluttering, celebrating that the Heavenly Demon had died.

“I couldn’t achieve ascension with what you gave me, but thanks to it, I took a long detour and met good parents. I’m grateful for that part. I never thought I’d change like this either, but it was quite warm.”

Though alone, it seemed like a conversation.

Yu Gilcheon’s smiling face seemed to overlap on the remains.

“You didn’t wish for this, did you? Even after performing purification to cleanse demonic energy for ascension, that essence wouldn’t change, so you wanted me to live again and feel human emotions.”

Zhuge Munhyeon chuckled enough to make his insides resonate gently as he guessed the hidden true intention, then looked steadily at the remains.

“So where are you now? Did you really ascend to immortality? Or are you also reborn and living somewhere like me?”

Questions he’d been curious about poured out.

But there were no answers.

The enlightened one remained only as a skeleton, seeming to smile.

“This is why I hate you Taoist bastards. Always throwing questions around. Let’s end the conversation here. Memories should remain as memories. If you left something behind, I’ll take it. And the Cheongyang Sword too. Your descendants worship it in the ancestral hall.”

Zhuge Munhyeon stood up with a chuckle and reached toward the remains.

I don’t know what lingering attachment this fool had to still remain here, but now I had to let that body rest in eternal peace.

Rustle.

As soon as I grabbed the collar, his remains scattered like dust and settled.

“I’m borrowing the clothes. As you can see, I’m in this state.”

Zhuge Munhyeon grinned and covered his body with the Taoist robe.

Though old, it was still wearable.

After carefully collecting some of the crumbled remains, he looked at a sword placed nearby and drew the main body from the heavily rusted scabbard.

Shing.

A famous sword is indeed a famous sword.

The radiance containing spiritual energy was clear enough to use immediately.

And the inscription engraved at the bottom of the blade: Cheongyang.

After briefly looking at those two characters, Zhuge Munhyeon put the sword back in its scabbard and secured it, then looked around.

Searching for something he had left behind.

Fortunately, since he had blocked the entrance with mechanical formations so no one could approach, it seemed he hadn’t hidden anything separately.

On a study desk placed in one corner of the cavity lay a single book titled ‘Hyeoncheon Secret Records’.

“Did this guy write a diary or something?”

Zhuge Munhyeon chuckled and opened the cover of the book.

And there it read:

The calamity has disappeared.

…was written there.

Ah, damn that bastard.

From the very first line of the diary, it’s overflowing with joy and absolutely ridiculous.

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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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