Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 79

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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 79
As Abbot Senior Brother vanished, darkness engulfed the surroundings once more.
Cheon So-hyun clicked his tongue and unleashed his lightness technique.
‘Shaolin’s decline? What nonsense.’
It was inconceivable—if the sect would falter merely from losing a single Martial Monk, it would have been better off destroyed long ago.
The Thousand Year Shaolin Temple, the pillar of the Realm—how could they show their faces in public with such shame?
In my past life, I had pursued seclusion and dreamed of nirvana precisely because I trusted my senior brothers. I harbored absolute certainty that they would swiftly close any gap left by my absence.
“This abominable thing…!”
“Silence!”
As Abbot Senior Brother’s phantom materialized again, Cheon So-hyun kicked through it and surged forward.
Boom!
Suddenly, hidden projectiles cascaded down like a downpour, sweeping across his entire body.
Cheon So-hyun drove his feet hard into the ground, launching himself through the air. He deflected the barrage of projectiles with his martial force, twisting his body desperately to evade the onslaught.
Screech!
Yet the assault never ceased. Blood flowed from the mounting lacerations, staining his robes crimson.
How long did I endure the pain and press forward? When my breath reached the very limit, the surroundings brightened once more.
“How fitting you flounder in the mire. One might call it karmic retribution—reaping what you have sown.”
“All that you believed you had enlightened proved nothing but illusions. Had Senior Brother truly stepped upon the threshold of nirvana, how could he have fallen into the Demonic Sect instead of the Pure Land?”
This time, Past Life Disciples emerged and surrounded him. Amid their mockery and reproach, Cheon So-hyun’s shoulders suddenly trembled as laughter erupted from him.
“My mouth’s been itching to speak—how have I endured living with you foolish bald-headed fools? Must one sit in the Pure Land to welcome novices to be called a Buddha? Why shave your heads so uselessly? Why consume temple rice? Such a waste.”
“You continue to accumulate karma so meaninglessly. Nirvana? This pit of perdition suits Senior Brother far better.”
Cheon So-hyun nodded readily.
“True. The lotus blooming from mud is the purest dharma of all. Next—who’s next? Come forward, anyone. Let’s hear more. I need to catch my breath.”
In that instant, the disciples surged forward in unison, their killing intent blazing forth.
Cheon So-hyun advanced without hesitation, sweeping his legs and splitting skulls with his palm strikes, moving with ferocious intensity.
Crash!
As if light itself depended on bald heads, a strange cycle repeated—darkness when he shattered his senior brothers, brightness when they reappeared.
“Can’t even get rice gruel to eat, yet you’re so light? Have you abandoned all your training?”
“Silence!”
The disciples charged forward, radiating murderous intent. At their perfectly coordinated assault, Cheon So-hyun’s eyes grew sharp.
These were the faces I had yearned for all this time.
Even as I endured grueling cultivation, I had smiled in secret at the anticipation of meeting them soon—yet my offense remained relentless.
“Very well. Let us all perish together.”
They bore only the same outward appearance; within them dwelt not a shred of righteousness, memory, or karmic connection. Abbot Senior Brother was no different.
Seeing forms woven from demonic essence proved so unbearable that I dashed about aimlessly, wreathed in hellfire.
‘It’s becoming clear now. My eyes grow accustomed to it.’
When I finally judged that my perception had merged with the formation’s essence, I unleashed the Red Palace Unobstructed Technique.
All my vital force converged and concentrated, originating from my dantian.
My breath fell silent, and as the demonic essence that had been subtly leaking away was finally contained, the hidden projectiles ceased their assault as if by magic.
By perfectly concealing my presence, I had become completely absorbed into the Tenth Complete Formation.
-If you can perfectly control the demonic energy, only then will the next path reveal itself.
‘Where is it?’
As I swept my gaze across the surroundings, I saw demonic energy coalescing within the pitch-black darkness, gradually taking form.
A massive gate composed of a hue darker than darkness itself—the Gate of Life, called the vital passage at the heart of the Tenth Complete Formation.
‘There it is!’
Cheon So-hyun launched himself forward with all his might, shooting toward the Gate of Life.
-The Gate of Life is constructed from Heavenly Demon energy. It is the product of demonic immortality, endlessly pouring forth adversaries. It will grow increasingly fierce, so you must crush it from the outset. Let me share the technique….
He immediately extended both hands and stimulated his dantian with tremendous force.
‘The subtlety of absorption, as he called it.’
Utilizing the Gwangmyeong Left Envoy’s insight, the condensed energy created a massive pulling force, drawing in the surrounding energy.
Crack.
The demonic energy of the Tenth Complete Formation carved roughly through my meridians and surged violently. As heterogeneous energies collided madly, a tearing pain shot through my entire body.
-That is the only method, but it will exact considerable cost. Your original essence may be damaged, and you could lose consciousness.
-You’re not pushing me off a cliff, yet you’re asking me to attempt this?
-You must. Otherwise, you will remain trapped forever. These are energies that will vanish like mirages anyway, so cling to them even for a moment. If you escape through the Gate of Life in that instant, the trial will end.
“Cough!”
Blood and foam bubbled from Cheon So-hyun’s mouth.
‘…So there was a reason his mind was half-gone.’
Now I finally understood why the Gwangmyeong Left Envoy suffered from madness. To accept external energy without refining it was akin to inhaling poison.
Even red blood that flows through everyone becomes deadly toxin when it enters another’s veins.
How much more so would demonic energy that carved directly through the meridians without passing through inner cultivation techniques be?
‘Ughhhh!’
The energies colliding within my body raged as if they would burst my flesh apart. The ever-increasing impacts delivered torment akin to hell itself.
Yet Cheon So-hyun gritted his teeth and took another step forward.
Thump! Thump!
One step, then another.
As I endured the excruciating pain and extended my feet, a sudden question arose.
What had the Gwangmyeong Left Envoy done with this ferocious external energy?
Surely he had refined it in his own way and accepted it into his dantian. Then he must have honed it even more sharply and wielded it without hesitation.
‘How on earth?’
I had only received simple insights, and I had not heard the essence of his method, so I could not know what approach the Gwangmyeong Left Envoy had used.
Of course, that did not mean I was without recourse. I already possessed numerous techniques and enlightenments that could serve as beacons.
‘At its core, it is all energy. If the problem is that it bypassed inner cultivation techniques….’
I immediately devised a new method by combining the Wuling Divine Art, the Red Palace Unobstructed Technique, and the insights the Gwangmyeong Left Envoy had imparted.
Screeeee!
In that instant, a piercing tinnitus erupted, tearing through my eardrums.
Cheon So-hyun gritted his teeth against the sensation of an awl being driven into his bleeding ear canal and twisted about.
‘I must transcend my limits now.’
My goal was not merely to pass through the Tenth Complete Formation and emerge into the Central Plains.
It was to meet the bald senior brothers of Shaolin Temple, and to break the seal.
What perils might lurk along that path remained impossible to predict, yet to navigate them safely, I had to elevate my own martial prowess.
Thus, if the techniques of a madman could aid my progress, there was no reason to refuse them. Control remained entirely within my grasp.
A deep, resonant hum.
First, I incinerated the rampaging external qi with the Wuling Divine Art’s fierce flames, refining it.
Though merely a temporary measure, stabilizing the energies that had been colliding repeatedly opened wider possibilities.
‘I cannot lose my mind merely to gain one martial technique. But how do I avoid succumbing to madness?’
Even if slower, I needed precise work—accepting the qi more carefully, condensing it, and drawing it into my dantian with meticulous control.
A deep hum resonated.
The answer was the Red Palace Unobstructed Technique.
I compressed the external qi and drew it into my dantian at its center. Though I had never attempted this method before, it proved far from impossible.
Manipulating qi was merely a continuation of the cultivation I had practiced since my past life.
After devising, attempting, and failing dozens of times, constantly checking and correcting my approach, that moment arrived.
At last, the transformation I had awaited occurred.
“…!”
The Heavenly Demon qi of the Tenth Complete Formation had seeped into my dantian.
Until now, the limitation had been clear. The imbalance in essence, energy, and spirit prevented me from drawing forth complete martial power.
My qi—representing inner strength—and my essence—representing the physical body—lagged far behind my spirit, which embodied enlightenment.
This was inevitable. Even as I rapidly elevated my martial prowess, it could not match the enlightenment I had attained as Divine Fist.
But now, everything had changed.
A deep, resonant hum.
As the Heavenly Demon qi of the Tenth Complete Formation flowed endlessly into me, my inner strength accumulated like an inexhaustible spring.
When I channeled that vast energy through the Wuling Divine Art and Gwangak Gyeol, my physical cultivation surged dramatically. At last, the gap between essence, energy, and spirit began to narrow.
A sharp, crackling sensation.
A burden followed, as though my brain were being seared, yet Cheon So-hyun gritted his teeth and endured.
I was certain that merely etching this sensation into my very marrow could compress years of cultivation into this moment.
I could not stop. Even if this inner strength would vanish like a mirage, the sensations imprinted upon my body would remain vividly.
As I cycled my qi again, I felt the realm of Gwangak Gyeol shifting dramatically, yet I had no mental capacity to dwell on it.
‘I must not lose this sensation.’
Enlightenment was descending upon me like a tempest.
I recited and established the theory of the technique, condensing it into a single profound principle, and inscribed the incantation.
‘Inhale without staining, return to become true, transform demon into path, still fire within the heart….’
This technique was possible only within the Tenth Complete Formation, where demonic qi ran thick.
To fully manifest it beyond this place, I had to accept the demonic qi without becoming tainted by it, transmuting it into my own true essence.
I mastered the torrent of true essence and harbored it within my dantian.
Only then did the name of the technique come to me.
Palace Inhale Return True.
Concentrating all my consciousness, savoring the sensation.
‘…I’m reaching my limit.’
Just before consciousness slipped away, I released all the gathered qi at once.
My vision turned white, and with a deafening roar, the Tenth Complete Formation collapsed.
* * *
When Cheon So-hyun opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the Cult Leader’s face.
‘Good heavens, what a fright.’
He nearly struck out reflexively. It was a more grotesque sight than any hell he’d witnessed before. Who wouldn’t be startled in such circumstances?
“Ahem, have you been waiting long?”
The Cult Leader offered no response.
Though no distinct emotion emanated from him, his slightly furrowed brow seemed to convey both displeasure and surprise in equal measure.
“Did you destroy the Tenth Complete Formation to escape?”
“…I beg your pardon?”
Cheon So-hyun glanced around in bewilderment. Impossibly, the Demon Gate that had radiated brilliance now lay blackened and charred.
He hadn’t exited through the Gate of Life—he’d shattered the formation itself.
‘This is madness.’
Cold sweat beaded at the nape of his neck at the realization he’d destroyed the Cult Leader’s training grounds. Cheon So-hyun laughed awkwardly as he answered.
“Haha, well… even within adversity, opportunity presents itself. My resolve may have been excessive, but I managed to escape having undergone considerable transformation.”
The gains were immense.
I had not only acquired a new seasonal technique—Palace Inhalation and True Return—but the Gwangak Gyeol had transcended the third tier to reach the fourth, causing my physical essence to leap dramatically forward.
The Cult Leader, who had been observing me intently, spoke with casual indifference.
“I see.”
The Cult Leader lifted a wine bottle and filled a cup, then gestured lightly. The floating cup glided smoothly through the air toward Cheon So-hyun.
Cheon So-hyun caught the cup with a bewildered expression.
“…Are you offering me a drink?”
Last time, he’d drunk alone without pause in a manner I’d never witnessed before—what sudden whim had seized him now?
“It will aid in restoring your body and spirit. You have a long journey ahead, so compose yourself.”
Cheon So-hyun’s eyes widened considerably.
“Are you permitting my departure from the sect?”
“Did you not create a new seasonal technique within these walls?”
How had he discerned that? And what bearing did it have on anything?
The Cult Leader answered the unspoken question in my gaze.
“Do you know the source of the energy that comprises the Tenth Complete Formation?”
“Yes, I’ve heard it called the Heavenly Demon Qi.”
“Precisely. It is the legacy of ancestors who debated supremacy across all eras, the very essence of demonic immortality. To breach the formation, one must wield it—there is no other path.”
This was not a matter of mere talent or aptitude.
Cheon So-hyun exhaled slowly and nodded.
“Ah… I understand.”
In essence, he was granting me this opportunity because I’d proven myself capable of becoming the foundation of a new martial lineage.
“Are there other conditions attached to my departure?”
“The same as the Tenth Complete Formation: return with all four limbs intact. Unless the injuries are severe enough to render you crippled, the sect will not move against you.”
The conditions were more lenient than anticipated. Yet I needed to understand them precisely, so I pressed further.
“What happens if I don’t return safely? Surely one can live without an arm or two?”
“Perhaps, if you were human.”
“…Pardon?”
“Never forget that everything you are has been built upon the faith of my disciples. To grow arrogant intoxicated by that belief is foolish enough, but to treat it lightly is a sin beyond compare. Remaining incomplete is equally damning. Reflect deeply upon that weight.”
Cheon So-hyun regarded the Cult Leader with fresh eyes.
I had believed him to be someone consumed solely by the pursuit of strength, yet it seemed I was mistaken.
Had even the creation of that horrifying hellscape and his relentless cultivation been for the sake of his disciples?
Glug.
The Cult Leader lifted the wine bottle and filled his own cup.
“If you harbor concerns about what comes after death, cast them aside with this drink. I shall honor your spirit with the souls of unbelievers.”
“…”
Cheon So-hyun let out a dry laugh and clinked his cup against the Cult Leader’s.
‘A madman. A proper madman indeed.’
Why were there so many deranged Demons in this world? For the first time, I questioned whether venturing into the Central Plains was truly the right path.
Gulp.
Yet the answer remained unchanged.
“Yes, I shall return safely.”
In any case, the wine tasted excellent.

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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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