Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 71

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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 71
I swallowed my laughter as I accepted the wooden box from Cheon Woo-shin.
‘Heh heh. Is this also the karmic reward of my past life?’
To think he would willingly hand over a spiritual elixir worth roughly a hundred years of cultivation.
“Pardon? Ah, so you were… testing me all this time?”
Cheon Woo-shin asked cautiously, gauging my reaction, and I nodded with a smile.
“Of course. Why would I neglect you? Surely you don’t doubt the deep bond between us?”
“Deep bond…”
A smile bloomed across Cheon Woo-shin’s face as he turned the words over in his mind.
“You’re right, it has been deep. Haha, I can’t deny my surprise, though. You got me good.”
“Yes, this will serve me well for recovery. Thank you.”
“Of course, brother. Though I never expected you to give it to me first. You seem brighter than when I last saw you.”
“That’s true. I’ve decided to live without restraint now, expressing myself freely. It seems the emotions I’d been suppressing were leading to inner demons.”
“A wise decision. There’s no good in holding things back. So you’re completely free of them now?”
I burst into laughter at his concerned question.
“Can’t you see? After I left the sickbed, I cast away all of it—inner demons and everything. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Ah… I see. I’m truly relieved.”
Cheon Woo-shin visibly relaxed, his eyes sweeping over me carefully.
My physique had certainly become more robust, radiating such formidable vitality that it was hard to believe I’d suffered from a grave illness.
Though I’d been concerned that my inner state might differ, hearing his firm reassurance melted away even that worry like snow in spring.
The bright smile and the warmth in his eyes were welcome changes for Cheon Woo-shin. Before I’d fallen into inner demons, hadn’t my brother grown darker by the day, even refusing to meet with me?
“How have you been since awakening?”
“Well, it’s a long story, but first…”
I recounted the events I’d experienced lightly.
Tales of waking from the sickbed with acupuncture needles bristling across my entire body like a porcupine, or spitting out herbal medicine brewed with bizarre ingredients. Though the stories were mostly trivial, Cheon Woo-shin laughed heartily and seemed delighted.
His eyes sparkled throughout, clearly he’d been waiting all this time for our reunion.
That innocent reaction weighed heavy on my heart for a moment, but…
‘Amitabha Buddha.’
I quickly let it go and continued the conversation.
Just as I’d called the Cult Leader father, I’d long since accepted that it was natural to embrace the connections I’d left behind.
Resisting would only fill me with suffering inside and out.
Since Buddhism teaches adaptation rather than resistance to change, I spoke warmly with Cheon Woo-shin as I would with a close mentor.
Then, suddenly, Cheon Woo-shin opened his mouth with a grave expression.
“By the way… there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I want to support whatever you do, brother, but… I don’t think I can help you overthrow the Great Sect.”
“What? Suddenly?”
Of course, his help would be valuable, but I hadn’t harbored expectations from the start. That’s why I’d never brought up the matter.
“I thought it best to tell you beforehand for both our sakes. Your secret contact with the Demon Masters, your gathering of forces through the Tuyong Tournament… isn’t it all ultimately to overthrow the Great Sect, accepting the risks?”
Cheon Woo-shin bowed his head slightly.
“If I’ve overstepped my bounds, I apologize.”
Despite the gentle tone, his words carried unmistakable resolve. Cheon So-hyun regarded him with an unruffled expression and asked, “Is there a particular reason?”
“Is there some special reason for this?”
“Because expansion into the Central Plains is necessary—both for the Sect and for myself.”
“Necessary for you too?”
“Yes. To achieve the flawless martial perfection we seek, it’s an essential step. Only by stepping into the Realm can I truly test my limits and shatter them.”
“So you’re saying you want to find worthy opponents and engage in life-or-death duels?”
“Precisely. Like our ancestors before me, I wish to throw myself into the Martial Arts World of the Central Plains as a true warrior.”
Cheon So-hyun studied him intently.
So this was what it meant to be the Fifth Prince of the Demonic Sect. Regardless of his temperament, his dedication to martial arts was thoroughly rooted in the demonic path.
The only problem was that his aspirations bordered on wishful thinking.
‘Looks like he’s begging to die out there.’
At first glance, Cheon Woo-shin’s accomplishments were impressive.
The dense musculature visible between his garments, the qi flowing unconsciously from him, the composed stance—there was no doubt he was a warrior with exceptional fundamentals for his age.
But.
‘He’s merely superior to his peers, nothing more.’
In the Central Plains Martial Arts World, teeming with old masters, he would likely perish without lasting long.
“The Sect has plenty of masters. Why search outside when there are countless experts right here in this region?”
“Because they cannot face me with their full conviction. I don’t seek instruction—I seek an opponent willing to test their martial prowess against mine with everything they have.”
“I see.”
In other words, his position as the Cult Leader’s son meant he could never engage in a true life-or-death battle within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, so he needed to seek it elsewhere.
‘He wants to achieve enlightenment by walking the line between life and death.’
It sounded reckless, yet there was a certain logic to it.
After all, the promising disciples of the Central Plains also trained under their sects’ protection before eventually venturing into Jianghu to gain real combat experience when the time came.
As Cheon So-hyun pondered his words, a spark of inspiration suddenly flashed across his eyes.
‘Hmm, if this works out well…?’
A subtle smile spread across Cheon So-hyun’s face as the brilliant scheme took shape in his mind.
“Then there’s no need to leave at all. You’re looking for an opponent so formidable that even pouring everything you have wouldn’t guarantee victory, right?”
“In summary, yes.”
“I’ll be that opponent. We’re both successors, so there’s no reason for restraint—it’s perfect.”
Cheon Woo-shin’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“I’m afraid that’s impossible.”
“Impossible?”
“Before considering whether it’s possible, I cannot wish for brothers to fight. Especially not against you, my elder brother.”
Whether it was exceptional familial affection or something else, Cheon Woo-shin’s resolve was remarkably firm.
Yet I had no intention of backing down.
Aside from matters concerning the Great Sect, I couldn’t simply watch my younger brother depart to his death after receiving such a precious hundred-year-old ginseng root.
“I wonder. Can this flawless martial perfection you seek truly be achieved by choosing your opponents carefully?”
“…!”
“The view you see now and the view after honing your skills will be worlds apart. If you’re going anyway, shouldn’t you polish yourself thoroughly first?”
Cheon Woo-shin swallowed hard.
The words struck at the heart of his uncertainty.
His older brother would personally face his opponent?
It was bewildering, yet exhilarating. No—exhilarating was the right word, not merely surprising.
His brother had always despised martial contests, let alone discussing them.
‘…So he truly wishes to stop the Great Sect.’
That was when it happened.
A man’s voice called from beyond the door.
“May I enter for a moment?”
Cheon Woo-shin spoke quietly.
“It seems guests have arrived. More than one, it appears—would that be acceptable?”
“It matters not. Have them all come in.”
After all, he had come to meet with the elders anyway, so there was no reason to refuse.
“Please, enter.”
The door opened at once, and two men stepped inside. The sharp-featured man at the forefront offered a respectful fist salute.
“Heon Won-rim, Chief Administrator of the Baekryeon Demon Sect, pays respects to the Third Prince of the Divine Sect.”
“Welcome. I am Cheon So-hyun.”
“Your esteemed presence has graced our sect, and as Chief Administrator of Baekryeon, I have come to pay my respects in person. I do hope we have not interrupted a private reunion between you two.”
Cheon Woo-shin answered briefly.
“It is no trouble.”
“Nor is it for me. We can catch up leisurely another time. Please, be at ease.”
“Thank you.”
Cheon So-hyun’s gaze remained fixed over Heon Won-rim’s shoulder.
‘Who exactly is this man?’
A powerfully built, middle-aged man followed Heon Won-rim inside.
He appeared to be in his mid-forties at first glance, yet his pristine white hair and weathered demeanor suggested his true age was far greater.
‘…Formidable indeed.’
What was remarkable was that despite observing him from mere steps away, I sensed nothing—no aura, no presence.
At my current level, I could not even gauge his depth. His perfectly concealed inner energy exuded the same oppressive weight as standing before one of the Nine Sects’ patriarchs.
“Baek Jeol, sir—you have come.”
It was Cheon Woo-shin who rose first, bowing deeply, his shock evident on his face.
The man accepted the greeting, then extended his hand to Cheon So-hyun.
“Delighted to meet you. I am Heon Won-cheong.”
Cheon So-hyun grasped his hand and returned a respectful bow. The man bore the bearing of a family elder, and courtesy was warranted.
“I am Cheon So-hyun.”
Heon Won-cheong’s eyes shifted in that instant.
The firm musculature and latent strength transmitted through his grip, combined with my immediate suppression of the subtle energy he had released—all exceeded expectations.
“The rumors seem to have understated matters.”
“Rumors, sir?”
“You have stirred quite the commotion in the once-quiet Divine Sect, have you not?”
“….”
“You’ve earned merit, built your forces, and word of your progress has even reached the inner chambers of the Main Family Residence. When I heard you were the Sect Master, I wanted to see you for myself. Your manifested aura and the depth of your cultivation are indeed impressive.”
“You’re too kind.”
Heon Won-rim’s brow furrowed subtly at Heon Won-cheong’s words.
Baek Jeol Heon Won-cheong—the foremost martial master of the Demonic Path in the previous generation, the pride of the Baekryeon Demon Sect, and an absolute master who still ranked among the strongest.
His standards for warriors were as exacting as his lofty realm, and the younger generation treasured even his smallest acknowledgments as precious gifts.
‘But to give such praise to none other than the Third Prince…?’
Since the man before him was the Cult Leader’s bloodline and not one to speak empty words, Heon Won-rim observed him carefully.
“You must have devoted considerable effort. To raise your abilities so flawlessly… one might call it a blessing upon the Divine Sect.”
“A blessing? I’ve only just begun to act like a proper person.”
Cheon So-hyun chuckled softly and gestured for both men to take their seats.
“But you said you had something you wanted to ask me, didn’t you?”
Heon Won-rim smiled as Cheon So-hyun cut straight to the point the moment they sat.
“My sudden request for this meeting seems to have caused misunderstanding. I didn’t arrange this gathering to ask you something. I merely wished to deepen our sectarian bonds….”
“Let’s say you did.”
“…Pardon?”
“Exchange visits, see each other’s faces, share drinks, spar occasionally—that sort of thing, yes? We’re both busy men, so let’s just get to the point. That serves us both better. After all, this is about martial arts, isn’t it?”
Heon Won-rim gazed at Cheon So-hyun and smiled quietly.
‘He’s impatient, it seems.’
News of Cheon So-hyun’s frantic efforts to oppose the Great Sect had already spread widely—whispered about as the stubborn insistence of someone lacking sufficient ability.
Of course, the addition of two Demon Masters had added some weight to his position….
‘Is he drunk on such meager achievements?’
It remained nothing but futile thrashing. No different from the recklessness of making enemies of the entire Divine Sect.
“Very well. Since you understand already, there’s no point in dancing around it. I’ll be direct: suspicions have arisen that your martial arts contain elements similar to those of the Main Family Residence. I requested this meeting to investigate.”
“Similar elements… so you want to examine my martial arts?”
“Precisely.”
His voice carried a faint undertone of amusement—the tone of one with little expectation. It was Heon Won-rim’s assessment that this was merely a misunderstanding by the Red Cloud Sect Master.
‘What I truly need to uncover is the information Cheon So-hyun possesses.’
The Killing Register’s list, the reason for heading toward the Cult Leader’s Hall, and the conversation that took place there—there was much to understand.
‘First, I’ll coax it out of him slowly….’
That was when it happened.
“Then what do you intend to offer in return?”
“Excuse me?”
“Is there any request more discourteous and unreasonable than asking a Warrior to reveal his martial arts? Wouldn’t you agree?”
At this bold question, Heon Won-cheong laughed and nodded.
“A fair point. Since we haven’t built trust between us, conducting this through a transaction would be cleaner.”
Heon Won-rim spoke.
“From this moment forward, you would establish a connection with the Main Family Residence. Surely that’s an opportunity more precious than anything else for the Third Prince.”
“Perhaps, but as you know, I’m in no position to afford such luxuries right now.”
Yet his expression remained indifferent, utterly unmoved by the proposal.
“Then… you do have something specific in mind. If so, why not speak plainly? Any discussion seems meaningless until we hear your conditions.”
At Cheon So-hyun’s composed reply, the veins on Heon Won-rim’s forehead—which had maintained a smile throughout—suddenly became pronounced.
“I’m opposing the Great Sect. Lend me your strength.”

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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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