Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 46
News of the Turyong Tournament spread like wildfire throughout the Heavenly Demon Cult.
The extraordinary announcement that Do Je—the Demon Master of the Elder Council and lord of Baek Myun Valley, a place brimming with every conceivable indulgence—would host the tournament, and that the Third Prince, blood of the Cheon Family, would participate, was more than enough to capture the attention of every disciple.
We could actually see the successor to the Cult?
The rumor spread rapidly, carrying with it countless questions about the possibility of witnessing the Cheon Family, and it soon reached even the Red Cloud Sect.
“What did you say? The Third Prince is entering a gambling tournament?”
“Exactly as I’ve reported. I cannot fathom the reason, but he is indeed participating in the Turyong Tournament. Since Do Je has officially recognized it, Baek Myun Valley has already begun to overflow with visitors.”
“Ha, what an absurd spectacle he makes of himself. Has the Third Prince no shame? Here is the so-called successor, and the best he can manage is to lurk about gambling dens?”
Either his mind had been shattered by obsession with the demonic path, or he had fallen so far that he no longer cared what anyone thought.
The giant seated at the head of the table, the Red Cloud Sect Master, let out a derisive snort.
“Is he begging for alms? Tsk.”
“It is difficult to dismiss him so lightly.”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”
“Word has already come that the Wuzhong Sect and the Paihuang Sect are also sending participants. The sect masters of each faction have departed for Baek Myun Valley, bringing their first disciples with them.”
The Red Cloud Sect Master’s brow furrowed.
Among the various sects of the Divine Cult, the Wuzhong Sect and the Paihuang Sect were counted alongside the Red Cloud Sect as the foremost powers. They were known collectively as the Three Demon Sects, and their interactions spanned many years, so he knew each sect master well.
‘They are not the sort to chase empty fame and act recklessly.’
He asked with a puzzled expression.
“To compete against the Third Prince?”
“That is not all. I have also heard rumors that Yi Ma-je’s disciple is participating in this tournament.”
“What?!”
Crash!
The Red Cloud Sect Master slammed the table and shot to his feet.
“Yi Ma-je had a disciple?”
“Indeed.”
“Ah, so that is why.”
Now everything began to make sense. Why the other sect masters had led their disciples toward this gambling tournament.
‘No, this is far more than a mere gambling tournament.’
The sect masters of the Three Demon Sects were all warriors who had been active in the same era as Yi Ma-je.
They had competed with one another, vied for merit, and built their reputations, yet in the end, it was only Hwa Do-myung who ascended to the position of Demon Master.
No matter how many years had passed, that fierce competitive spirit had not weathered away.
‘Yes… if it concerns a disciple, the matter takes on a different character entirely.’
A person lives on through the name they leave behind.
And the name of a warrior is spread to future generations through the achievements and deeds of the disciples who honor him!
In other words, this Turyong Tournament was a stage upon which to prove to the entire Divine Cult who had obtained the more brilliant successor, and who had honed that successor more keenly.
“Prepare at once! And summon Sa-ryun as well!”
“Yes!”
Meanwhile.
“Hah! Hah!!”
Cheon So-hyun, at the center of all these rumors, drew in ragged breaths as he gathered his inner energy.
“Again.”
My heart hammered against my ribs, and my entire body felt as heavy as stone.
A clear limitation. Yet I could not stop. No—I would not stop.
‘Just a little further.’
I could sense myself approaching the threshold of the Second Black realm, having surpassed the First.
“Try whatever you wish.”
Yi Ma-je gripped the wooden sword and rotated his wrist with casual ease.
Boom!
Cheon So-hyun closed the distance like lightning, driving a fist forward. The curved arc of my punch struck the wooden sword and rebounded.
Whiiing!
A flicker of surprise crossed Cheon So-hyun’s eyes.
‘…This man.’
As expected of a noble without pretense.
Yi Ma-je’s left palm filled my vision. The explosive force threatening to erupt would have meant certain defeat, so I drew upon my inner energy with all my strength.
I pushed hard against the ground to create distance, then seized the opening to barely deflect Yi Ma-je’s incoming sword strike.
Crack! Thud!
The wooden sword struck repeatedly against my fist and palm, yet not even a splinter appeared. Rather, with each passing moment, the weight of the descending wooden sword grew as heavy as a mountain.
‘This is absurd.’
How could something be so impossibly durable?
Since the day I decided to enter the tournament, I had sparred with Yi Ma-je occasionally, but never once had I managed to leave a mark on the wooden sword.
In his hands, an ordinary wooden sword possessed a hardness rivaling a genuine blade.
‘This won’t work.’
Boom!
Cheon So-hyun unleashed the Spiritless Technique in full force, knocked aside Yi Ma-je’s wooden sword, and drove the King’s Seal technique through the gap.
“…!”
In that instant, a crack appeared between Yi Ma-je’s brows.
Just as he seemed to retreat, he exploded forward, baring sharp teeth. Like a predator stalking prey, his movements contained not a shred of wasted motion.
Screech!
“…Impressive.”
He stepped back one pace, his expression revealing rare interest. In his hands lay the wooden sword, split cleanly in two.
Cheon So-hyun exhaled heavily, his shoulders heaving.
“Impressive? Over just one wooden sword?”
“Had it not been wood, the result would have been the same. I maintained a hardness equal to a genuine blade throughout. You seemed troubled all this while, but it appears you’ve achieved something.”
Cheon So-hyun wore an uncertain expression as he sheathed his blade.
“I’m not entirely sure. I sensed something, but I’ll need to examine it more carefully.”
“Take your time.”
Whoooosh.
Cheon So-hyun closed his eyes and summoned the Spiritless Technique once more.
Like a single spark igniting the entire earth in flame, the Spiritless Technique surged violently through my body, burning away the impurities and stagnant energy accumulated in my meridians while revitalizing my essence.
‘How remarkable.’
Admiration flowed unbidden from my lips.
Ordinarily, the process of expelling turbid qi from the body and purifying one’s meridians was a realm that could only be approached with tremendous sacrifice and effort.
It possessed effects similar to the Purification Ritual performed only by renowned sects like the Nine Sects and One Faction or the Five Great Families. The Spiritless Divine Art was what made such a thing possible through one’s own strength.
Could another divine technique of this caliber exist anywhere in the Realm?
Regardless of which demon created it, one thing was certain—whoever had devised it was a Warrior worthy of being called a Grand Master.
That was when it happened.
A tremor.
My dantian convulsed with an unusual sensation, as though announcing that the time had come to ascend to the next realm.
‘…!’
Could any joy surpass this for a Warrior?
Cheon So-hyun hastened to enter a state of meditative cultivation.
Once, and then again. I circulated the Spiritless Qi with fierce intensity, sinking my consciousness deeper and deeper with each cycle.
‘Hmm.’
Yet an unsettling sensation crept over me.
I could not discern whether this unease stemmed from curiosity about the next realm, my own desire to reclaim serenity through martial achievement, or the grasping tendrils of the Spiritless Divine Art itself.
The deeper my consciousness sank, the more intensely the hunger to delve further into the Spiritless Divine Art consumed me.
‘How repulsive—this clinging sensation. Is this what demonic cultivation feels like?’
Cheon So-hyun forcefully pulled his consciousness back, sensing the viscous drag of a swampland. A certainty gripped him: cross that threshold, and there would be no return.
As my eyes opened, the surroundings had grown considerably darker.
“Is it finished now?”
“Are you well?”
Yi Ma-je and Kang Hyun stood beside me, looking down with concern etched into their eyes—time had clearly passed far longer than anticipated.
“Yes, I intended to finish sooner, but it took longer than expected. Did I appear to be in danger?”
Yi Ma-je regarded Cheon So-hyun intently.
“The heat grew excessive and your cultivation extended beyond normal duration, so I remained vigilant. You pushed yourself to the brink throughout—your body and spirit must be exhausted. First, steady your breathing.”
“Yes.”
As Cheon So-hyun regulated his breath, Yi Ma-je turned to Kang Hyun with a question.
“What did you observe?”
“Pardon?”
“Your impressions of the match.”
Kang Hyun paused briefly before responding.
“Ah, well… the progression seemed similar to before, but the technique the Prince displayed at the end reversed the entire situation. Since he shattered the wooden sword, if he had pressed further, wouldn’t the flow have changed completely?”
Yi Ma-je nodded.
“The transition from swordplay to unarmed combat would naturally create openings. But tell me—did you discern the principle behind the technique that destroyed the wooden sword?”
“Not precisely, but…”
Kang Hyun picked up a twig and grasped it firmly.
As he channeled his qi into the branch, it turned white before returning to its natural color and crumbled to dust.
“I suspect he compressed his qi multiple times in succession to create a devastating impact. Though I wonder if such a thing is possible with a single strike… am I correct?”
“Precisely. What I call the Penetrating Palm Method—channeling internal force instantaneously to rupture the interior.”
Yi Ma-je added a grave warning.
“However, applying the Middle Water Technique in actual combat is as difficult as threading a needle through its eye. Be aware and vigilant, but do not seek an opportunity to use it. If your opponent is the type to reveal such an opening, it would be more rational to pursue victory through another avenue.”
“Is it truly that difficult?”
Kang Hyun gazed at him with wide eyes, and Cheon So-hyun nodded with his eyes closed.
“Engrave these words upon your heart. Every lesson becomes your flesh and blood.”
“Yes, I will remember it well.”
Kang Hyun’s lips curved into a faint smile. His master had been unusually generous with teachings of late. Such rare opportunities demanded that he miss nothing.
Yi Ma-je spoke to Cheon So-hyun.
“I too have much to contemplate. Shall we retire?”
It was an invitation to ask questions. Cheon So-hyun voiced the part that had puzzled him throughout.
“What martial technique hardens that wooden sword? The sensation felt different from simply infusing inner force.”
“Hmm. What makes you think so?”
“Throughout our exchanges, the qi remained subdued. You maintained offense and defense with only a minimal amount of inner force, barely perceptible on the surface… yet the hardness was excessively solid for such restraint. Is it a Seal Technique?”
Yi Ma-je’s eyes deepened. Though he had spoken his thoughts casually, the man had pierced through to the very essence of martial principle.
“Precisely. Since it is fundamentally a Seal Technique related to external force, there is no need to fixate on inner power.”
“External force?”
Yi Ma-je nodded.
“A martial technique I devised during my days as a Great Lord. Once, during a mission, my weapon shattered, and I suffered a bitter defeat. I was always cautious, preparing for the crisis of facing bare-handed combat, but reality proved far different from expectation.”
A note of bitterness colored Yi Ma-je’s voice.
“It was difficult to accept that my weapon had broken and my swordsmanship had been neutralized. On that brutal battlefield, countless doubts swirled through my mind. The price I paid was severe indeed.”
“I see.”
Then Yi Ma-je spoke words that caught him off guard.
“I distilled that regret and reflection into a technique I named the Radiant Peak Seal. Would you like to learn it?”
“Pardon?”
Cheon So-hyun’s eyes widened as he stared at him.
“Not him, but you’re offering to teach me?”
He could scarcely believe that Yi Ma-je would so readily impart a secret technique to someone who was not even his disciple, as casually as offering a rice cake.
“I taught Kang Hyun this technique before. It is a martial art that requires direct physical embodiment, so he has yet to make it truly his own.”
“Ah, is this because of the tournament?”
“Correct. Since it is a method of refining the body to draw out latent potential, it should prove effective for your fist techniques as well. It may suit you even better, in fact.”
“You do not regard this as a mere gambling match.”
“The sect masters of the Three Demon Sects have sent word. They say their disciples are present at Baek Myun Valley. Among the younger generation, they are outstanding talents, and you will inevitably face them eventually.”
“What problem would that pose?”
His tone carried absolute confidence, as though he cared nothing for overwhelming numbers.
Yet Yi Ma-je’s demeanor remained unchanged.
“I know it is difficult to find your equal among those of similar age. Few younger generation warriors could match you in combat. However, the problem lies in the fact that the Blade Emperor Sect has arranged this tournament.”
Cheon So-hyun nodded slowly.
A gambling arena prepared by an addict intoxicated by stimulation. Danger would inevitably follow, and ambitious warriors would surely throw themselves in, each concealing their true strength.
Now that he thought about it, when Do Je had laid out the conditions before, he had said something like this.
-Do you possess the desperation and ruthlessness to achieve your goal even if you end up floundering in the mire?
Was that not precisely a warning of the dangers that awaited?
Yi Ma-je continued speaking.
“Unlike me, who lacks any significant influence, the Blade Emperor Sect wields considerable power. Since Baek Myun Valley has established itself as an information hub, if we align our purposes, it will greatly benefit our objectives.”
Cheon So-hyun’s gaze met Yi Ma-je’s resolute eyes.
No matter how different the nature of the Demonic Sect and the Central Plains might be, the secret martial arts of a warrior of Yi Ma-je’s caliber would not be an exaggeration to call a martial arts scripture.
That was why I felt uneasy, but I realized it was shallow thinking. The phrase “our objectives” ultimately meant that Yi Ma-je was willing to share the same fate with us.
It would be wrong to hold back too much.
“So how do we learn it? Let me hear the incantation first.”
Yi Ma-je chuckled and nodded.
Time flowed like a river, and a month passed. Finally, the day of the Turyong Tournament dawned.

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