Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 7

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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 7
‘Ugh.’
A stench reminiscent of garbage assaulted my nostrils. I lowered my head, pinching my nose shut.
‘What in the world is this wretched smell….’
My clothes clung to my body, sticky with waste matter expelled from every pore.
Even as I raised my hand to wipe the sweat trickling down my forehead, the foul odor rushed in.
My brow furrowed involuntarily at the indescribable discomfort.
“Ha-ha-ha!”
Yet a hearty laugh burst forth.
The air flowing through my entire body, the breeze caressing my skin, the hair dancing lightly at my ears—all sensations I had never experienced before, refreshing beyond measure.
Moreover, the sharp lower back pain that had struck intermittently had vanished entirely.
By mastering the secret incantations and circulating my energy with greater precision, the true effects had manifested.
The efficacy of the Shadowless Divine Art far exceeded my expectations.
As I smiled with satisfaction,
“Young Master, are you well?”
“Hmm?”
At the sudden voice, I turned to see Yeon Hong regarding me with concern—though she stood quite a distance away.
“How long have you been there?”
“Well… I arrived about half an hour ago, but it seemed you were in the midst of cultivation, so I waited.”
“Is that so? But why are you standing so far away….”
“Ahem.”
Yeon Hong let out a series of stifled coughs. Watching her breathe only through her mouth, her lips trembling, I understood the reason.
“Ha-ha, when did I perspire so much? I should wash up soon. Is there somewhere nearby that would be suitable….”
As if waiting for the question, the answer came immediately.
“I’ve prepared bathwater inside.”
“No, no. If I went in like this, it would be a disaster. I’d prefer to wash outside. Is there perhaps a stream or a well nearby….”
“That way! If you go straight down that narrow path, you’ll find a stream.”
“A stream sounds perfect. Sorry to trouble you, but could you bring me some clean clothes….”
Yeon Hong’s eager hand pointed to the side of the wooden platform where I sat.
“They’re already there for you!”
White garments lay neatly folded—placed there at some point I hadn’t noticed.
“Your preparation is thorough indeed.”
“Please be careful on your way.”
At Yeon Hong’s pointed gaze urging me to leave, Cheon So-hyun rose to his feet.
‘…It’s quite intense.’
Even as I retrieved the clothes, the terrible stench assailed my nose, yet my smile never wavered. It meant that vast quantities of impurities had been purged from my body.
‘If anything, it’s encouraging.’
With a heart full of satisfaction, I gathered the garments and proceeded straight down the narrow path, passing through the gently swaying trees.
* * *
After that, I devoted myself entirely to the Shadowless Divine Art.
Whoooosh!
A scorching wave of demonic energy circulated through my entire body, and with it came an unprecedented vitality that surged forth, infusing my flesh with newfound strength.
I attempted to gather my inner force at the dantian just to be certain, but as expected, nothing remarkable occurred.
‘Is it still too early?’
According to the manual, the Threefold Samadhi Flame could only be ignited from the First Stage onward, which meant I hadn’t yet reached even that initial threshold.
So what could my current state be called?
Judging by the author’s arrogance, it was a level so beneath naming that it wasn’t even worth recording.
That must be why it wasn’t written down at all.
For a moment, frustration flared within me at how I’d come to this state, but I decided not to dwell on it. There were more pressing concerns at hand.
‘What exactly is this demonic technique?’
The way my meridians tightened and my limbs filled with circulating energy—the process of qi flowing and generating elasticity and vitality felt strangely familiar.
The problem was that the only martial art I should be familiar with was Shaolin’s teachings.
Had I truly lost my mind? Now I was becoming accustomed to demonic techniques?
‘This is maddening.’
If this were Buddhist martial arts, it should contain the profound mysteries of Exposing Falsehood and Revealing Truth, which destroys heretical practices. Yet instead, my body was saturated entirely with heretical energy.
It should mean I was merely mistaken, but I couldn’t convince myself of that either.
Whoosh!
I drew up my demonic energy and threw a punch into the empty air.
The power was so feeble it seemed wrong, yet the force contained within it was identical to the fist techniques I’d trained in my entire life.
My breathing began to quicken. No matter how many times I examined it, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
‘How is this even possible?’
So there was no problem whatsoever in executing Shaolin’s fist techniques through the Demonic Spirit Art.
My mind immediately became chaotic.
‘The meridian pathways and characteristics are different inner cultivation methods, so why? Is Shaolin’s martial art so supreme throughout the Realm that there’s no obstacle to executing it through demonic energy? Or… is this the function of the Demonic Spirit Art itself?’
What was it called—a Heavenly Bone Constitution? It could be thanks to Cheon So-hyun’s physique, which was perfectly suited for refining martial arts.
Even after wracking my brain over the manual’s unhelpful explanations, no answer emerged. If I could only solidify my qi into a tangible form, I could examine it more carefully, but in my current state, it was utterly impossible.
I’d merely improved somewhat; the fundamental mess remained unchanged.
‘Is there nothing but raising my cultivation level?’
These were problems that would resolve themselves through devoted training. The same applied to the flaw in my dantian.
Once I became accustomed to wielding demonic energy, I could examine my qi more precisely, and by building my inner force more solidly, I could either shatter or crush through the dantian’s barrier to find a path forward.
Fortunately, the Demonic Spirit Art was an exceptional technique for elevating the body’s perfection. With wholehearted dedication to training, I would soon recover my vitality.
“That’s it!”
Now that I’d vanished, those bald-headed senior brothers were undoubtedly frantic across all of Songshan as if a meteor had fallen. The best way to ease their worries was to raise my achievement in the Demonic Spirit Art as quickly as possible!
‘Abbot, please wait just a little longer. I will return!’
I steeled my resolve, reaffirming my goal and organizing my path forward.
After more than a fortnight of pouring all my attention into physical recovery, I felt my internal injuries healing and my martial prowess rising sharply.
Like a single spark spreading across an entire mountain, my demonic energy blazed fiercely, burning away the impurities throughout my body.
The rapid foundation I’d laid owed much to Yeon Hong’s assistance and the Physician’s skill with medicine.
“Young Master, please take your medicinal broth.”
Sa Ma-ryang entered the chamber and withdrew the broth from a large cloth bundle.
“Is that all medicine?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“…Looks like I’ll be filling my belly with medicine again today.”
“Haha, it will certainly aid in your recovery. This is Baekgang Decoction, a medicinal brew highly effective at invigorating the body’s vitality. It is best consumed while still warm.”
“Very well.”
I drank the steaming decoction down in one go.
The acrid scent of medicinal herbs tickled my nostrils, and the bitter taste traversed my tongue before sliding down my esophagus.
Soon my internal organs began to burn with warmth, and unexpectedly, a vigor I had never felt before began to surge forth.
“Oh? What is this? It seems remarkably effective?”
“You recognized it immediately?!”
Sa Ma-ryang’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
“The Baekgang Decoction uses medicinal materials from ancient texts as its foundation, to which I have added herbs I personally harvested and blended according to my own methods. It has already received approval from the Medical Authority. I dare say that if we were to add a few more rare medicinal ingredients, it would be worthy of being called an elixir!”
Sa Ma-ryang continued, speaking with fervent enthusiasm.
“If you are interested, might I explain which medicinal materials were blended together?”
Though I held little interest, his evident excitement compelled me to reluctantly respond.
“Very well, what…?”
“First, I added rare grass that grows only on Go Hyun Peak in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains!”
‘…He hasn’t finished speaking yet, you fool.’
“Spirit-infused jade water and the shed skin of the Poison-Horned Spider dried for forty-nine days in a sun-drenched basin, and most importantly, an infant not yet one hundred days old…”
At his continued words, my expression hardened at once.
“What?”
Noticing my displeasure, Sa Ma-ryang asked with alarm in his voice.
“Is, is there some problem, my lord?”
I glared at him with a deeply furrowed brow.
“You’re saying you put a newborn in this?”
Using an infant who couldn’t even walk as a medicinal ingredient? How could such heaven-defying bastards exist?
Whether it was the nature of the Demonic Sect or not, witnessing such atrocities committed brazenly was nearly unbearable.
“Pardon?”
The Physician scratched his head as if questioning what I meant.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. One wearing human form could never commit such a horrific act…”
“Hmm?”
It seemed I was mistaken.
I laughed awkwardly at my embarrassment.
“Haha, of course that’s it.”
Yes, no matter what, there had to be some minimum standard of decency.
From what I had observed thus far, even the Demonic Sect was ultimately a place where people lived. Yeon Hong and that mad Physician—they all maintained certain human principles.
An organization with such a long history would naturally operate within certain bounds of common sense.
“Then you mix in things like fingernails or hair?”
I asked awkwardly while finishing the decoction. As the acrid medicinal scent dispersed, Sa Ma-ryang bowed his head.
“We mix in human excrement.”
Pfft!
I spat out the medicinal broth I’d been holding in my mouth.
‘This bastard…!’
“Haha.”
Sa Ma-ryang’s face was instantly drenched in brown liquid, yet he never lost his smile.
“I understand it may be unsettling, but this is a medical technique passed down since ancient times. After drying and grinding into powder, it’s refined through water distillation and decocted—perfectly safe to consume and remarkably efficacious. There’s no need for concern.”
‘That’s not the damn problem, you fool!’
You’re actually feeding human waste to people?!
Fury surged through me alongside the urge to give him a proper lecture, but I managed to maintain my composure as I glared at Sa Ma-ryang.
“…Wait, just to be sure.”
“Yes? Please speak freely.”
“Have all the medicinal broths you’ve been making for me this whole time been prepared that way?”
Fortunately, Sa Ma-ryang shook his head.
“That is not the case. As I mentioned, the Strength-Restoring Broth is a decoction I formulated according to my own methods….”
Sa Ma-ryang caught my expression and cleared his throat awkwardly, his lips twitching.
“My apologies. I should have informed you beforehand about the medicinal ingredients involved. Shall I proceed with taking your pulse now?”
“…Very well.”
In any case, he was a physician attending to me with utmost dedication, so I sighed and extended my hand.
“Hmm? What is this…?”
Sa Ma-ryang’s eyes suddenly widened as he took my pulse.
“Oh! My congratulations, Young Master!”
“What now?”
Sa Ma-ryang spoke with a radiant smile.
“The circulation through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians has become remarkably vigorous! Moreover, the innate vital essence that suffered such severe damage has recovered and regained its proper flow. How such a thing is possible—truly, my heartfelt congratulations!”
“…I see.”
Innate vital essence was akin to the very source of life force, existing beyond the realm of what medicinal broths or acupuncture could restore.
It seemed the Shadowless Divine Art had been remarkably effective.
“In truth, I had even understated the minimum recovery period at five years. Yet to witness such remarkable progress…. I fear I have presumed to judge a descendant of the Cheon Family through the eyes of an ordinary person.”
It was closer to something made possible by me rather than the Cheon Family, but I had no desire to correct him, so I simply nodded vaguely.
“However, while not harmful, I do sense a distinct heat energy throughout various parts of your body. Does this perhaps stem from your martial cultivation?”
“Indeed. I’ve been focusing on breathing exercises, and the effects are beginning to manifest.”
The Shadowless Divine Art was a demonic technique that manipulated extreme yang energy.
Demonic qi surged through my entire body like rising flames, leaving long traces along my meridians like the remnants of fire.
With each cultivation session, demonic qi seeped into every corner of my body, naturally distancing me from Buddhist internal cultivation, yet my physical vessel was rising in grade at an accelerating pace.
Soon enough, I would be ready to venture beyond the Demonic Sect.
A bright smile bloomed across Sa Ma-ryang’s face once more.
“How fortunate indeed. At this rate of recovery, not only will you make a full recovery in the near future, but you should also be able to participate in next year’s Grand Assembly.”
“Hmm? Grand Assembly?”
“Ah, my apologies. It seems you haven’t yet learned of this matter, as it was discussed during your period of unconsciousness.”
And with Sa Ma-ryang’s following words, I felt as though struck by lightning, my mind suddenly jolting awake.
“The Divine Sect has decided to advance into the Central Plains.”
“…!”

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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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