Obtaining Heavenly Demon Martial Arts in the Magic Era - Chapter 61

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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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61
“……Founder, you said my father might still be alive……”
Cheon Do-hyeon’s voice trembled slightly. He wanted to seize Mujik by the collar and shake him right then and there.
To make him explain further, in greater detail.
But — the elder raised one hand slowly, cutting short Cheon Do-hyeon’s urgent words.
『……Even I cannot know that.』
Mujik’s voice was heavy.
『The previous Heavenly Demons — myself included — are those whose destinies in this world have been severed. The fate given to you must be untangled by your own hand.』
“…….”
『Now I shall conclude the ceremony. Steel yourself.』
His tone was resolute.
There would be no room for further questions or counsel.
Cheon Do-hyeon bit his lip.
“……Yes.”
Mujik brought the Steel Staff down once against the obsidian floor.
Thud—
Fine fractures carved themselves into the stone where the staff touched.
It was the signal announcing the Ascension Ceremony.
『From the First Generation to the Fifty-Sixth. All take your places.』
Whirrrrr—
The obsidian space trembled once more.
Five, ten, twenty, forty—
Fifty-six predecessors lined themselves slowly in a vast circle surrounding Cheon Do-hyeon.
Having crossed paths once with each of them during the succession ritual, their faces were already familiar.
Each held their hand over the center of their own chest.
『We now hold the Ascension Ceremony of the Fifty-Eighth Heavenly Demon.』
Mujik’s voice settled heavy and solemn across the Mental Realm.
『The first step of the ceremony is — the renewal of the Secret Technique in your hands.』
『……The Secret Technique?』
『The Heavenly Demon Divine Art.』
Mujik gazed quietly at Cheon Do-hyeon’s chest.
『Written by the hand of the Fifty-Seventh — Cheon Song-gyeong. More precisely, that text your father compiled and passed to you.』
『Now — it shall be rewritten within you.』
Fifty-six predecessors slowly withdrew their hands from their chests. Upon each palm, a thread of Demonic Qi had condensed.
The wisdom each had honed over a lifetime.
The essence each had inscribed into their own spiritual cultivation.
Fifty-six threads of Demonic Qi, as if to embody this, flowed as one into Cheon Do-hyeon’s chest.
Whirrrrr—
Within Cheon Do-hyeon’s chest, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art thrummed once, massively.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The rhythm quickened gradually.
Faster, faster, yet faster still.
The pages of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art that Cheon Do-hyeon drew from his inner sanctum began turning of their own accord, one after another.
Shhhhwish—
Then the cover began to transform slowly.
The black leather was tanned one shade deeper.
The four characters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art inlaid in gold thread — were inscribed anew.
Ching—
Four new characters were carved into that same space.
— Heavenly Demon Secret Records.
“…!”
The name had changed.
『……This is.』
Mujik gazed quietly upon Cheon Do-hyeon.
『Your Secret Records. Until the day you recompile it with your own hand, this single volume preserves all the wisdom of every generation from the First to the Fifty-Sixth.』
Cheon Do-hyeon gripped the Heavenly Demon Secret Records firmly.
The weight of immeasurable years was condensed within a single book.
『Moreover, through the Heavenly Demon Secret Records, once each month — for a brief span — you may open the Mental Realm and meet the spirits of all your predecessors.』
“Then—!”
The Progenitor smiled gently and nodded.
Cheon Do-hyeon looked toward Cheon Woo-hyeok standing at the far end of the line. He too gazed back at Cheon Do-hyeon, offering a small nod.
Now he could see his grandfather once a month, at least.
『The second procedure of the Ascension Ceremony is the bestowal of the Heavenly Demon Seal.』
Mujik raised his hand and slowly carved through empty space.
Screee—
Where the air had split, a palm-sized obsidian seal emerged into view.
Upon its black surface, an insignia etched in threads of gold.
Two characters stood out clearly: Heavenly Demon.
『The Heavenly Demon Seal.』
Mujik’s voice settled with grave weight.
『The tool that makes a Heavenly Demon what he is. The symbol of our lineage, passed down through generations. It exists only in the Mental Realm, which is why it cannot be seen in the waking world—a sacred relic.』
The Heavenly Demon Seal drifted through the air, following Mujik’s gesture.
『I give this to you now. Henceforth, you shall be the supreme lord of all Demon Spirits and Spirits. Every demon and phantom shall kneel before you.』
Mujik had said that upon receiving proper succession, one gains the power to save one’s companions.
『All beings that possess Demonic Qi shall have no choice but to obey your command.』
From the sound of his words, this seemed to describe the Heavenly Demon Seal’s ability.
It was truly a wondrous sacred relic.
“——!”
The moment Mujik placed the Heavenly Demon Seal in Cheon Do-hyeon’s palm, it dissolved naturally into his body.
Thump.
Then Cheon Do-hyeon’s heart beat once, heavy and deep.
The power of the Heavenly Demon Seal had melted completely into his soul, becoming one with it.
『Thus.』
Mujik proclaimed in solemn tones.
『You are — the Fifty-Eighth Heavenly Demon.』
Cheon Do-hyeon fell to one knee on the marble floor at once.
And he bowed deeply, deeply before the fifty-six predecessors who stood before him.
“I shall honor this trust.”
Thus all the rituals came to an end.
Crumble, crumble, crumble—
The Mental Realm that had been created for the Ascension Ceremony collapsed.
‘It’s served its purpose, then.’
The matter that had composed it crumbled and shattered like grains, disintegrating in real time.
As he watched these scenes unfold,
Cheon Do-hyeon felt his consciousness gradually returning to the waking world.
It was then that Cheon Woo-hyeok, who had been watching over his grandson with particular quiet
among all the predecessors, opened his mouth.
『Go well, Do-hyeon. And Song-gyeong, your father—find him, I beg you.』
It was a voice so small that only Cheon Do-hyeon could hear it.
“Yes… Grandfather. I will… I promise.”
Cheon Woo-hyeok smiled toward his grandson.
With that image as his last sight, Cheon Do-hyeon’s consciousness completely withdrew from the Mental Realm.
#
Gasp, gasp.
Cheon Do-hyeon’s consciousness had returned to the waking world.
And the first sensation he felt
was a damp, burning back.
He was being carried on someone’s back.
Behind that came the musty reek of sweat mingled with the sharp scent of blood.
The moment he caught that smell, Cheon Do-hyeon knew he had truly returned to reality.
When Cheon Do-hyeon opened his eyes, blurred vision resolved into the faces of his companions.
Behind them, the sound of ragged breathing.
Hot breath.
And then a face suddenly thrust itself into view.
It was Lee Ye-rim’s face, twisted with fury.
“You bastard—!”
Lee Ye-rim grabbed Cheon Do-hyeon by the shoulders as he hung on Lee Dae-gwang’s back, and shook him hard.
“Are you awake? Did you finally come to?”
“Do-hyeon!”
“What is it? You’re awake?”
Cheon Do-hyeon opened his eyes slowly.
“……Everyone’s safe, then. What’s the situation?”
“Safe? Safe, you say? Turn around, you fool! We’re all about to take a one-way trip to the afterlife!”
His body still had no strength.
He turned his head with all his remaining force, and behind them, creatures that were clearly no ordinary beings were in hot pursuit of the group.
Unlike the Blood Corpses and Ghost Generals,
these bore their living forms perfectly preserved.
Yet their skin hung shriveled and desiccated as leather.
Flesh that would crumble to dust at a single touch.
Where eyes should have been, only hollow sockets remained, long since emptied.
Each carried a different weapon in their hands.
The very arms they had wielded in life.
“Put me down……”
At Cheon Do-hyeon’s words, Lee Dae-gwang jumped and cried out.
“Those bastards are way stronger than they look! They’re pulling Inner Force Energy out like they’re breathing!”
“It’s all right. Now that I’m……”
“Hey, wait——”
“Do-hyeon!”
Watching Cheon Do-hyeon leap down from Lee Dae-gwang’s back, the others cried out in shock.
And in the very next instant, their voices died.
Thud! Thud!
The creatures that had been chasing them down for the kill all at once threw themselves to the ground, pressing their heads into the dirt before him.
『……Heavenly Demon, my lord.』
『……We behold the Heavenly Demon.』
Seven Heavenly Corpses knelt at once toward Cheon Do-hyeon.
“What……what is this?”
“……!”
Lee Ye-rim and Jegal Seo-rin stood bewildered, watching the monsters that had been hunting them moments before now bowing their heads to Cheon Do-hyeon.
Then it came.
“What in the——”
Screeeeeee——
The scattered Demon Spirits all suddenly converged toward Cheon Do-hyeon.
『We behold the new Heavenly Demon!』
『We behold the Heavenly Demon whose succession is now complete!』
『The Heavenly Demon has returned!』
Lee Dae-gwang stared blankly at the sight.
Through the lenses of the Spiritual Eye Spectacles, which pierced to the heart of all things, he could see the Demonic Qi that enveloped the Heavenly Demon Church swirling violently around Cheon Do-hyeon as its center—like the eye of a hurricane.
“It’s a shame that only I can witness this.”
The Demon Spirits bowed their heads toward Do-hyeon alone.
The Ghost Generals that had been seen in the Inner Sanctum some time ago entered the Heavenly Demon Sacred Hall, leading the Blood Corpses.
They sheathed their blades, then knelt as one.
The Blood Corpses too lowered their vacant eyes in reverence.
Before long, arrayed before Do-hyeon were Demon Spirits, Heavenly Corpses, Ghost Generals, and Blood Corpses——
more than two hundred of these otherworldly beings lined up in formation.
Then it came.
Boom——
A tremendous tremor shook the earth.
As the group turned their heads toward the source of the sound,
“Those giants……!”
The two colossal Demon Spirits that they had glimpsed at the outermost reaches of the Outer Sanctum were walking slowly toward them.
The Left Guardian Spirit and Right Guardian Spirit Demons, whom they had thought mad, had abandoned their posts to pay homage to the newly ascended Heavenly Demon.
Thud—— Boom——
As their massive knees touched the ground of the Outer Sanctum, the entire region shook once more.
Two thunderous voices, synchronized as if from a single throat, resonated against the spire of the Heavenly Demon Sacred Hall.
『……The Heavenly Demon has returned.』
Lee Ye-rim’s mouth fell slightly open.
“……Cheon Do-hyeon. What is happening here?”
Cheon Do-hyeon slowly turned his gaze toward her.
“Ah.”
“…oh, I’m sorry. Even I think I spoke rather disrespectfully. I’ll call you Cheon Do-hyeon from now on.”
Cheon Do-hyeon smiled softly.
He tucked the Heavenly Demon Secret Records into his chest and answered.
“I think everyone can stop worrying now. We’ll be safe here in the Shihman Great Mountains.”
That was when it happened.
Jegal Seo-rin rushed toward Cheon Do-hyeon and embraced him suddenly.
“……!”
“When you lost consciousness, I was so worried… I really….”
Cheon Do-hyeon froze in shock.
And Lee Ye-rim’s face twisted into an expression of pure irritation at the sight.
Glance.
Seeing Lee Ye-rim’s reaction, Seo-rin couldn’t help but smile faintly, hiding it from view.
And Lee Dae-gwang, who had been watching this unfold quietly, couldn’t contain the laughter bubbling up inside him.
“Hehehehe! Oh my, what a scene—a shame that only I get to witness such a moment.”

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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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