Heavenly Demon Divine Saint - Chapter 95

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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 95
“So you merely stood by and watched…”
Namgung Seon-wi mulled over the words before letting out a low chuckle.
“It sounds as though you waited until an elder of the Main Family Residence was defeated before stepping in. When emotions entangle Warriors, and once a martial contest is decided, there’s no place for outsiders to interfere.”
Cheon So-hyun met his gaze directly.
“I’m not questioning your intentions—I’m asking what you truly think. What does it seem like to you?”
His demeanor suggested he was ready to clash at any moment. Namgung Seon-wi inwardly clicked his tongue, studying him carefully.
‘Where did such a specimen emerge from?’
It wasn’t mere youthful impetuousness or recklessness. The aura emanating from him was born of solid confidence—a presence that was unmistakably palpable.
Just as he’d said, Namgung Seon-wi had been gauging the Warrior throughout the entire contest.
What manner of person was he, why had the elder been driven into a defensive position, whether his martial arts aligned with what he’d been searching for, and even whether this connected to the cessation of the Family Head Hall’s lightning.
From the sequence of observations, one certainty had crystallized.
“To speak plainly, I’d say he exceeds expectations considerably. As I mentioned before, I never dreamed such a master existed among those of the same generation. And strangely, his martial arts seem familiar somehow.”
“Familiar? What do you mean by that?”
“It may sound peculiar, but I have several combat forms deeply etched into my mind. From constantly revisiting them, they linger in my consciousness like phantom images. Unexpectedly, some of those forms overlap with So Hyup’s martial techniques.”
Cheon So-hyun’s brow furrowed with puzzlement. Beneath his seemingly casual tone, an undercurrent of earnestness seeped through.
“Is that why you sought to leave the Family Estate? To gain insight by observing different combat forms?”
“Well, something along those lines.”
Namgung Seon-wi readily acknowledged it. Since he’d already seen through the circumstances of the Family’s workings, there was no need to deny it and lose face.
“Confined within these walls, swinging a sword endlessly, I’ve begun to sense the limits of my thinking. The blade I’ve wielded like a companion since childhood has grown unfamiliar—it’s reached a point where change is necessary. Knowing this, the Family grumbles but cannot bring itself to firmly forbid it.”
Namgung Seon-wi burst into open laughter.
“What man of ambition wouldn’t pursue his aspirations? Ha!”
Cheon So-hyun nodded slowly.
‘So he’s facing his own trials.’
Enlightenment in the martial way arrives when and where it will.
It comes unbidden while eating, while drinking, even in casual conversation.
Conversely, enlightenment is precisely what makes it so difficult to grasp. There is no specific method one can point to for obtaining it.
There is only one clear path: endless ascetic training, repeating practice until the martial way transcends consciousness and becomes inscribed upon the unconscious mind.
To crystallize and embody the mental images born from the unconscious—that is the enlightenment Warriors desperately seek.
In that regard, Namgung Seon-wi’s reasoning was not without merit. He already possessed his own inner vision.
The problem lay in where he intended to go.
“I understand your desperation, but shouldn’t you at least choose the location carefully? What meaning is there in leaping into a pit of fire and achieving something when there’s no future beyond it?”
Namgung Seon-wi shook his head.
“There is always a future for those who live. Whether exhausted and depleted, or fallen in despair—if one simply rises again, the future remains within reach. Moreover, whether that place becomes my funeral pyre or a forge to temper my blade—I won’t know unless I face it directly.”
Cheon So-hyun swallowed a hollow laugh.
‘This man is truly mad.’
There are countless things in this world one can know without experiencing them. Stepping into the territory of the Heavenly Demon Cult was precisely such a thing.
‘The Three Paths River lies before us. Foolish wretch.’
Formation arrays spread throughout the region near the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Among the Demons who sensed such changes and eliminated intruders was the Gwangmyeong Left Envoy himself—it would be no surprise if limbs were severed immediately.
The problem was that the Demonic Sect, preparing for war, would not simply allow the Crown Prince of the Namgung Family to die.
They would find some way to exploit the situation, and if matters spiraled beyond control, unsealing Shaolin Temple itself would become meaningless.
There was no telling what the Namgung Family might attempt upon learning of the Crown Prince’s crisis.
In other words, I had to keep Namgung Seon-wi bound to this place, even if it meant breaking his legs.
“Then why not settle this without further delay? Shall we have a match?”
“Hmm? Here and now?”
“Is there any reason we couldn’t?”
Namgung Seon-wi assessed the fighting spirit radiating from Cheon So-hyun’s entire being and chuckled softly.
“It’s a tempting proposal, but I’m afraid it’s impossible at the moment. The Main Family Residence is not so discourteous as to trap a weary guest and force consecutive matches upon him. It seems So Hyup has something rather urgent on his mind as well, but whatever it may be, there will be a suitable opportunity soon enough. I would recommend postponing until then.”
“A suitable opportunity?”
“A banquet is scheduled for four days hence. It was originally meant to be merely a temporary affair, but it seems it will take on considerably greater significance now. A martial tournament will be held as well, so I would advise you to recover your strength by then.”
Cheon So-hyun paused, turning the words over in his mind.
‘A martial tournament, then….’
It didn’t seem like an unfavorable development.
Reflecting on my experiences thus far, whether it was the Family Head or Namgung Myeong, the bloodkin of the Namgung Clan tended to be corrected only after suffering public humiliation before a crowd.
Moreover, if I attended as a distinguished guest, demanding a golden token would hardly be unreasonable.
“Very well. Until then.”
* * *
Cheon So-hyun entered the Guest Hall, removed his tattered garments, and examined his body.
‘Better than expected?’
Not only the areas wrapped in the Hundred-Grade Heavenly Silkworm Technique, but even where the sword energy had grazed him bore no significant marks.
‘The Gwangak Gyeol’s effects are truly remarkable.’
Upon reaching the fourth stage, my protective energy had become considerably more resilient.
Just as Yi Ma-je had elevated the wooden sword’s hardness to rival a true blade, with each advancement, the perfection of my physical form seemed to ascend as well.
Cheon So-hyun dressed himself and immediately lay upon the bed.
“Ah, I’m exhausted.”
As the tension I had maintained so rigidly finally released, fatigue crashed over me in waves.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t experienced genuine rest since evading my escort. I’d catch brief snatches of sleep only to be startled awake by wild beasts, then hurry onward again, all while instructing that fool who couldn’t tell heaven from earth.
As Cheon So-hyun closed his eyes with the setting sun at his back, then opened them again, he was startled to find everything around him brilliantly illuminated.
“…?”
Had I slept for an entire day? Perhaps because this was a place under strict guard, I had enjoyed uninterrupted, deep sleep.
He gathered his drowsy mind and settled into a cross-legged position.
Whoooooosh!
As the Wuling energy circulated through my entire body, it burned away the fatigue that even deep sleep had failed to resolve.
One cycle, then another.
‘Interesting.’
As the cycles continued, a tingling sensation arose from my Dantian—a sensation most welcome indeed. It signaled that the next stage of the Wuling Divine Art was near at hand.
‘Third Jade, wasn’t it?’
Regarding the third stage of the Wuling Divine Art, Third Jade, I had already grasped its essentials before departing the sect.
‘It was definitely the stage of accepting the Wuling’s flame into one’s body.’
To accept and fully integrate the Wuling’s flame within oneself—that would be the beginning of Third Jade.
‘Let me give it a try.’
Cheon So-hyun wrapped his hands in black flame energy. With a clear mental image of the next realm, he intended to break through immediately.
The moment the thought formed, the Red Palace Unobstructed Technique extended outward and seeped into the flame, beginning to compress it.
Compressing, then compressing again.
As the shrinking flame finally condensed into a single point of light, I felt an intense power seeping through my skin.
‘This is the critical part.’
I immediately employed the Palace Breathing Technique to draw the light from my palm. The instant the condensed fire energy seeped through my palm center into the meridians.
“…!”
Cheon So-hyun’s eyes snapped open. Like someone burned by fire, he leaped up and expelled his energy into the void.
“Gasp, gasp.”
The pain induced by the flame energy exceeded all imagination. For a moment, I felt a surge of vitality, but the backlash that followed was unbearable.
“This… I’ll need to find the right technique.”
Though the attempt failed, I had grasped a clue toward the next realm. With several days to spare, I decided to calmly contemplate the method.
* * *
For four days, considerable turmoil erupted within the Namgung Family.
It was due to the martial match between Cheon Gang, a Later-Stage Martial Artist of the Qinghua Sect, and Namgung Myeong, an elder of the Namgung Family.
The mere fact that a family elder had been defeated by a distant Later-Stage Martial Artist was already a major topic of conversation, but the attention intensified further upon learning he was not even a successor of a renowned sect.
Not only the family’s retainers but also guests invited to the Namgung Family eagerly discussed the events of that day whenever they gathered.
“Really? He was that impressive? How could a Later-Stage Martial Artist defeat an elder? And not just any elder, but one of the Namgung Family?”
“I saw it with my own eyes! The claim that they fought fiercely is actually distorted. He conceded several moves at the beginning. You should have seen his expression then. Like ten years of accumulated indigestion just… whoosh….”
“Ahem!”
The Later-Stage Martial Artists turned their heads at the cough. A servant and an elder of the Namgung Family stood before the Guest Hall.
The Later-Stage Martial Artists startled and quickly bowed before hastily vacating their seats.
“Elder, are you well?”
The servant who had coughed looked toward Namgung Myeong.
“I’m fine. It is all due to my own lack of virtue. What good would it do to blame others now?”
Namgung Myeong seemed unable to completely shake off the aftereffects of the recent match. Bandages wrapped various parts of his body, and his energy remained unsettled, causing his breathing to tremble.
“Has there been any word from Cheon Gang since then?”
“No, sir. According to the servants, he hasn’t left his quarters. It appears he takes his meals inside, and I suspect the aftermath of the match has affected him greatly.”
Namgung Myeong shook his head at the hollow consolation.
“There’s no need for that. This defeat was necessary for both me and the family. I intended to see him in person, but it seems he’s training instead.”
Namgung Myeong withdrew a wooden box from his robes and handed it to the man.
“Give him this when he emerges.”
“What is this?”
“A Clarity Restoration Pill.”
The man flinched in surprise, his words faltering.
“Pardon? Elder, how could you possibly….”
The Clarity Restoration Pill was a spiritual elixir distributed only to the elders of the Namgung Family. While it was most often used as medicine for internal injuries, it could prove remarkably effective for Later-Stage Martial Artists with insufficient inner power.
“I promised to make amends, so I must keep my word. This may well become a debt of gratitude to the family.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that, sir?”
“That’s not it.”
Namgung Myeong waved his hand dismissively and turned to leave.
He was a man of fierce pride and great concern for his dignity. The very act of admitting defeat and offering compensation had been humiliating, but now he found himself thinking that none of it mattered anymore.
‘As long as I can keep the Crown Prince here.’
With that thought, Namgung Myeong made his way toward the Family’s Inner Chamber. He needed to tie up the loose ends more decisively.
* * *
Namgung Myeong bowed deeply before the great main gate.
“It has been quite some time since I last paid my respects. I trust you have been well.”
Rumble!
Thunder roared ceaselessly through the space. Before the gate, sealed tight with bolts and chains, Namgung Myeong continued speaking.
“Four days ago, a visitor came to the Main Family Residence—a martial master named Cheon Gang from the Qinghua Sect. Upon investigation, I discovered that the Qinghua Sect is so small that distinguishing its orthodox teachings would be pointless, and yet it has produced a remarkable successor. To my shame, I, an elder, was defeated by him.”
The words poured out with complete candor. Speaking the truth as it was brought both embarrassment and a strange sense of relief.
What must the Family Head be thinking now?
He might as well have shouted at me as he did in those old days, or cursed me for my incompetence.
Rumble!
But all that came back was the sound of thunder.
“….”
Namgung Myeong’s expression grew progressively darker. The lightning leaking through the cracks of the gate seemed like desperate thrashing to escape from demonic possession.
That appearance was far removed from the bearing of a sovereign, and it felt strangely unfamiliar.
Namgung Myeong exhaled slowly and continued speaking.
“His martial techniques matched those the Crown Prince has always spoken of.”
Boom! Crash!
“What did the Crown Prince see in his youth that impressed him so? Why has he never forgotten it, and why does he seek it out only now? Surely you, as the Family Head, would understand.”
Namgung Myeong bowed his head deeply.
“A grand banquet will be held soon. Before Seon-wi sets foot upon a path of delusion, would it not be wise for you to test his sword first?”
As always, no answer came. Namgung Myeong glanced up at the nameplate once more, then slowly turned away.

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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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