Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 80

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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 80
“Hahahaha!”
Cheon So-hyun’s footsteps as he left the Cult Leader’s Hall were lighter than they had ever been.
He could finally venture into the Central Plains?
It felt as though all the grueling hardship he’d endured was being rewarded at once.
Naturally, his mind began to conjure images of influential figures throughout the Central Plains, scenic wonders, grand halls, fine restaurants, and the faces of those arrogant bald brutes who had emerged from the Tenth Gate.
Soon he would be able to witness all of it, would he not?
“Excellent, truly excellent!”
Of course, he possessed a clear objective, but there was no reason he couldn’t savor the journey itself.
Excessive obsession over anything only leads to complications. He decided to release his burden and ease his mind.
What demanded his focus now was the transformation occurring within his body.
‘The Palace Suction Returning to Truth technique?’
Cheon So-hyun extended his hand into the void and summoned his qi.
Soon a suction force formed at his dantian, and the surrounding atmosphere began to ripple gently before seeping into his palm.
‘Hmm, it will be difficult to employ immediately.’
The speed at which he drew in qi was so sluggish it made him yawn—it fell far short of the pace achieved through breathing exercises, leaving him feeling suffocated.
Yet since this martial art had only just begun to take its first steps, he dismissed the concern without worry.
‘Still, it’s fascinating.’
Setting aside his regrets, he found himself captivated by the novel sensation of external qi boring through his meridians.
The Palace Suction Returning to Truth technique divided into three major stages.
The inhalation of external qi, its refinement into essence, and finally its acceptance into the dantian as true origin.
The Red Palace Unobstructed Technique, which governed harmony, served as the overall supervisor, while the refinement process through the Wuling Divine Art’s transformative fire was absolutely necessary.
Enduring the burden throughout this process fell to the Gwangak Gyeol’s responsibility.
What was peculiar was that despite being a martial art created by combining demonic techniques, it didn’t feel particularly sinister.
Rather, in expelling corrupted qi and advancing steadily, however slowly, it seemed closer to the righteous path.
Did martial arts truly mirror the nature of their creator?
Since this was his first time creating a martial art, numerous questions weighed upon him.
It could be deployed independently, or depending on proficiency, woven between techniques to create variables. The applications were truly limitless.
It was a martial art more than sufficient to serve as the foundation of his martial lineage, just as the Cult Leader had said.
‘Then how should I distinguish the levels of mastery?’
That was when it happened.
*Writhe.*
“…Huh?”
Cheon So-hyun’s face contorted as he came to an abrupt halt.
‘What… what is this suddenly?’
Without warning, a searing pain erupted from his abdomen. As though he had swallowed a piece of charcoal heated to incandescence, his intestines suddenly blazed with heat.
The agony of fire rolling through him caused cold sweat to bead upon Cheon So-hyun’s brow.
‘Damn… this is unbearable.’
He frantically scanned his surroundings, but no suitable place to address this presented itself.
*Thump! Thump!*
Cheon So-hyun’s face drained of all color as he pushed his lightness technique to its limits.
* * *
“Haah.”
At Yi Ma-je’s Dwelling in Baek Myun Valley.
Yi Ma-je stood atop the Training Ground, where iron weights lay arranged in rows, his shoulders heaving as he regulated his breathing.
“This should be sufficient to loosen up my body.”
“Yes, Master.”
Kang Hyun shouted from behind him, his face tense with focus.
“Then let us begin! I shall assist you!”
“Very well.”
Yi Ma-je planted both feet firmly against the ground and drew every ounce of inner energy circulating through his body down into his dantian.
This was a moment of profound significance for him—a monumental day to test the limits of his flesh and verify his progress.
“Hnngh!”
Yi Ma-je hoisted the iron bar onto his shoulders.
As he lowered his body with his spine perfectly straight, a weight as though Mount Tai itself rested upon him crushed down upon every fiber of his being.
The iron bar, with massive boulders affixed to either end, weighed a staggering twelve hundred jin—a burden Yi Ma-je himself had never attempted before.
Crack!
As sinews bulged across his entire frame and muscles writhed beneath his skin, the very earth beneath him split with a sharp sound.
Had other warriors witnessed this, they would have derided him for wasting effort on such futility, yet Yi Ma-je’s demeanor was utterly grave.
He was a martial master who specialized in external cultivation.
He relied solely upon the raw strength of his physical body to endure the load, channeling the full force of his being to conquer a new threshold.
“I’ve descended fully! My hands aren’t even touching it now! Now let us ascend!”
Crack.
The instant Yi Ma-je clenched his teeth and began to rise—
Boom! Crash!
At the violent explosion of sound, Yi Ma-je’s brow twitched. He turned his gaze toward the source.
Something was approaching rapidly, kicking up a cloud of dust. As it drew nearer, Kang Hyun muttered in bewilderment.
“Huh? Isn’t that the Young Master?”
His concentration shattered, Yi Ma-je exhaled a long sigh and released the iron bar, letting it fall.
“Indeed it is.”
Just as Kang Hyun said, Cheon So-hyun was approaching with his lightness technique deployed. His face was ashen, and he bore the desperate appearance of one fleeing from a pursuer.
The moment Cheon So-hyun entered the Training Ground, Kang Hyun asked with concern.
“Young Master, what is the matter? Why do you look so—”
“Move! Get out of the way!”
Cheon So-hyun bellowed and cut between the two of them, then bolted like an arrow toward the rear of the courtyard.
Yi Ma-je and Kang Hyun exchanged a wordless glance.
Kang Hyun scratched the back of his head awkwardly and spoke.
“Hmm… it seems he had rather urgent business. Ha, well then, to spare ourselves embarrassment, shall we continue our challenge, Master?”
* * *
“Ugh.”
Cheon So-hyun braced every fiber of his being, determined not to let his past suffering come to naught.
“What on earth did he give me?”
Had the Cult Leader poisoned me?
It felt as though a burning coal had dropped into his belly. The liquor the Cult Leader had offered was being digested, triggering excruciating abdominal pain.
Whoooosh!
Sensing something gravely amiss, he immediately activated the Wuling Divine Art.
Moving swiftly to contain the internal injury, he circulated his energy in rapid succession, repeatedly suppressing and subduing the spreading inferno.
How much time had elapsed in this manner?
Cheon So-hyun’s complexion gradually regained its vitality.
‘…This is absurd. He casually sipped something like this?’
When I had rushed over in a frenzy, I had been consumed with the desire to burn the Cult Leader’s Hall to the ground.
‘Something this precious?’
But now I regretted not having thrown a tantrum demanding an entire bottle of the stuff.
It was rare indeed—a liquor infused with Yeol-yang essence.
While it could not be called a miraculous elixir, it contained more than enough vital energy to nourish both body and spirit, exactly as the Cult Leader had claimed.
As I guided the flames into my meridians, the burning sensation subsided, and I felt my inner power expanding.
Whoooosh!!
The Wuling Divine Art circulated throughout my entire body, beginning to trace a perfect cycle.
The rigorous cultivation of past days, the sensation of wielding the Heavenly Demon technique within the Tenth Complete Formation, and the Yeol-yang essence seeping into my dantian became kindling, igniting a fierce blaze.
My mastery of the Wuling Divine Art was ascending.
Moments later, as I ceased the energy circulation and triggered the Samadhi Transformation, the black flame coalesced in my palm, shimmering with an ethereal glow.
‘Have I now conquered roughly half of this black flame?’
Though the size of the inferno had diminished compared to before, the formidable power contained within it was incomparable to the past.
A sudden intuition struck me—perhaps the true purpose of the black flame was not to amplify the fire itself, but to fully accept it within my body.
In other words, I had obtained the very key to the next realm.
‘Hehehehe, as expected.’
Confidence that my path thus far had not been mistaken filled my chest with satisfaction.
In the end, my advancement had come precisely because I had not refused the liquor. There was now even less reason to abstain from such a treasure.
“Hahahaha!”
A hearty laugh burst forth unbidden.
“Young Master, have you finished?”
Kang Hyun, who had been watching from beneath the eaves, spoke to me. Yi Ma-je stood beside him with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Yes, I’ve just finished. It seems to have taken quite a while.”
“The sun has already set, so time has certainly passed. I thought something terrible had happened earlier. I wondered why you were in such a hurry—did you perhaps consume some miraculous elixir?”
“Not quite an elixir, but close enough.”
Yi Ma-je asked quietly.
“Could it be that the Cult Leader bestowed upon you the Infinite Heavenly Wine?”
‘Infinite Heavenly Wine?’
So that was the name of the liquor the Cult Leader had been sipping.
“Well, I wouldn’t say I was bestowed it—I merely managed to drink a single cup. I’m beginning to regret not asking for the entire bottle… *smacks lips*.”
Yi Ma-je chuckled softly at the sight of the Protagonist smacking his lips with lingering regret.
Wuliangtianzhu was one of the rare treasures spoken of as the Sect’s divine elixir.
It possessed the function of expelling bodily waste and drawing out latent potential—a liquor bestowed only upon the rarest few among those who had received the grace of entering the palace.
“So matters proceeded smoothly, then. When do you intend to depart from the Sect?”
“I’ll simply prepare what’s necessary and leave. My training has already consumed considerable time, so I cannot afford to linger much longer. I’m planning to stay for two more days before departing.”
“So soon? Ah, I sent a letter to that military official when you arrived earlier, so he should arrive shortly.”
Cheon So-hyun gazed at Kang Hyun with an expression of admiration.
“My, it’s been a while since you’ve proven useful. I thought you’d been strutting about shamefully of late, but what’s changed?”
“Useful, you say? It’s nothing remarkable—just apprehending a few wretched disciples. Haha.”
While Cheon So-hyun devoted himself to training, Kang Hyun frequently left his quarters empty.
It was to capture disciples who had defected from the Wuzhong Sect according to the conditions set by the Blade Emperor Sect.
“So how many have you found?”
“Two out of four have been captured and handed over. Pathetic wretches—they made such a fuss about their grievances. They dug tunnels and hid, seeking revenge. They’ve festered so badly they can barely muster strength, but I left the remaining two to the newly appointed Moon Ju of the Wuzhong Sect, who insisted on pursuing them himself.”
“I see.”
Cheon So-hyun answered softly and nodded his head.
He had finally regained his composure.
He had seemed rather precarious under the burden of his family, but now that he had found purpose and achieved it, a vitality radiated from him.
“Time grows pressing. When do you intend to inspect Ma Gun?”
At Yi Ma-je’s words, Cheon So-hyun turned to look at him.
“Ma Gun, you say?”
“While you’ve been immersed in training, considerable foundations have been laid. The arena where the Tuyong Tournament was held has been demolished, and the new building is nearly complete. According to the Blade Emperor Sect, the Baekryeon Demon Sect has sent considerable manpower and resources. Shouldn’t you inspect it once before departing?”
Cheon So-hyun pondered briefly, then shrugged his shoulders.
“There’s no particular need to tour it now. Whether buildings or personnel, it would be better to examine everything carefully after I return.”
Yi Ma-je regarded him with a puzzled expression.
This was a matter they had not discussed, as achieving the conditions for departure had taken priority. However, most of the talented individuals gathered in Baek Myun Valley had been impressed by the Third Prince’s accomplishments and conduct. Thus, it would have been appropriate for him to show his face at least once to inspire their enthusiasm.
Knowing this, Yi Ma-je asked again.
“Is there some other intention behind this?”
“Nothing so grand as to call it an intention. Simply put, there’s a need to filter out those blinded by reputation to some degree. Such people won’t endure the hardship and will flee, while those with steadfast resolve will remain, will they not?”
“…So you mean to separate the genuine from the false.”
Yi Ma-je nodded in understanding.
“There’s merit to that reasoning. Then leave matters concerning Ma Gun to myself and the Blade Emperor Sect, and focus solely on completing your journey safely.”
“Yes, I am grateful for your assistance.”
At that moment, the presence felt at the entrance drew their attention.
“Young Master! You’ve returned safely.”
Sa Ma-ryang offered his greeting with a complexion noticeably brighter than before.
“Indeed. You finally look like a proper person again.”
“Yes, the efficacy of the Bainian He Shou Wu exceeded expectations. I am grateful once more.”
Sa Ma-ryang had recovered his vitality by consuming a portion of the root, setting aside what was needed for the Alchemy Division of the Jin Geuk Dan.
After offering proper respects to Yi Ma-je and Kang Hyun, he cautiously asked what had long puzzled him.
“Young Master… did you successfully conclude the matter at the Cult Leader’s Hall?”
“No need to belabor the point. I intend to depart as soon as preparations are complete.”
Sa Ma-ryang nodded in admiration.
“Truly remarkable. You must have endured considerable hardship.”
The Young Master answered as though it were nothing, yet in truth, a successor’s departure from the Sect was a momentous affair.
The risks were substantial, and he must have undergone grueling trials to prove himself worthy of shouldering such burden.
“It was wise to organize everything in advance.”
“Hmm?”
Sa Ma-ryang withdrew a document from his robes and presented it.
“Intelligence that will prove invaluable in the Central Plains—I’ve compiled maps of major powers, safe houses across regions, and influential contacts who may prove useful. Do review it. I’ve also included information regarding the Jin Geuk Dan.”
Cheon So-hyun chuckled softly and accepted the document.
“You’re eager to see me off, aren’t you? Let’s eat first. I drank on an empty stomach, and I feel rather hollow.”

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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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