The Introverted Heavenly Demon - Chapter 8

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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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The Introverted Heavenly Demon Episode 008
Another Trial
“Minor Sect Leader, congratulations. You have received recognition from Myeong Joon through the Divine Demon Assembly.”
Baek Ryung Hou, a member of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect who had come to find me early in the morning, spoke with a solemn expression.
Of course, those words weren’t entirely truthful.
If I failed to continuously prove my qualifications, the position of Minor Sect Leader could be stripped from me at any moment.
Tests similar to this one would continue indefinitely.
“Th—”
In any case, without thinking, I nearly reflexively blurted out words of gratitude for receiving congratulations from an elderly elder.
I had almost made a mistake.
In this place, I always had to think twice before speaking.
‘How would the original Minor Sect Leader Baek Yeon have responded?’
“You came all the way here from early morning just to say that? Do you have nothing better to do?”
“….”
I felt Woo Sa’s pupils tremble.
No matter how much of a Minor Sect Leader I was, it was not something someone as young as me—and who was, when it came down to it, Woo Sa’s own uncle—should have said by common sense.
However, Woo Sa was also someone who understood well the Minor Sect Leader’s temperament that the Sect Leader possessed.
“Haha. Your dignity as a Minor Sect Leader has truly become second nature recently. Impressive!”
I could sense the complicated emotions in Woo Sa’s tone as he offered his praise with a troubled expression.
“Of course, that’s not why I came. I came to tell you that another trial will be given to you, Minor Sect Leader.”
“Another trial?”
“Indeed. In some ways, it will be an even more difficult trial to endure than the Divine Demon Assembly.”
What…? I had barely finished the Divine Demon Assembly less than a day ago.
The books I had read contained little explanation about trials that a Minor Sect Leader would face beyond the Divine Demon Assembly, so this was the first I was hearing of it.
What kind of terrifying trial could it be for him to speak like that?
“In the name of Myeong Joon, I shall convey the Sect Leader’s will to you, Minor Sect Leader.”
Without realizing it, I swallowed dryly. It was a tense moment.
“From this evening onward, you will undergo wall-facing meditation in the Hall of No Mind for one month.”
What…?
“You must not leave the Hall of No Mind for even a moment, you cannot meet anyone, and you cannot speak with anyone.”
This…!?
“Minor Sect Leader…?”
“That’s absurd.”
Wall-facing meditation? Locked away alone in an empty place…
“All previous Sect Leader successors have gone through this. It will be difficult, but it will serve as an opportunity to see progress in your future cultivation…”
“So you’re saying no one else will be in the Hall of No Mind besides me? No one can enter…?”
“Of course not. Meals will be left at a designated location at designated times.”
Insane!
‘Being alone in a place with no one around? That’s absolutely perfect!’
As a power introvert who had been continuously exposed to draining social situations and was exhausted to my core, the mere thought of being able to spend an entire month alone in an empty place, staring only at a wall, filled me with boundless energy.
“If you become the Sect Leader, the nature of that martial art requires frequent periods of closed-door seclusion and wall-facing meditation. I thought it best to become accustomed to it beforehand….”
“Ah!”
“…Minor Sect Leader?”
Of course!
No wonder it had been difficult to catch sight of the Sect Leader since I began living here.
Becoming the Sect Leader meant spending long stretches in solitary wall-facing meditation!
“Woo Sa… I will absolutely become the Sect Leader.”
“Indeed. A commendable resolve.”
Extraordinary martial prowess and formidable authority were certainly appealing.
But the true essence of being the Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect was this: spending the entire year confined to one’s chamber, doing only what you wished, meeting only those you desired to see.
Wasn’t this the perfect occupation an introvert could dream of?
“Hmm. In any case, the Sect Leader has instructed that the scriptures of the Hyeonma Scripture be provided so you may cultivate during your wall-facing period.”
“Very well.”
“Should you, for any reason, be unable to endure the wall-facing period and leave the Hall of No Mind, you risk losing your position as Minor Sect Leader. Take heed.”
“I understand….”
No, that wasn’t right.
“Once you’ve finished your nagging, be on your way. Don’t make it obvious you have nothing else to do.”
Woo Sa mentioned a few more precautions before departing from my chamber.
His expression was both wistful and admiring.

* * *
‘So this is the Hall of No Mind….’
Though the Hall of No Mind was indeed isolated from the outside world, it was far less oppressive than I had anticipated.
A space roughly thirty square meters, surrounded on all sides by rocky cliffs except for the entrance, with the sky open above—allowing natural light and ventilation to flow freely.
Food, soft quilts for sleeping, plush pillows.
In the center of the Hall of No Mind lay a broad, flat rock.
“Yaaaaaahhhhh!!!”
I first expressed my sense of reclaimed freedom with a resounding cry.
Then, without concern for appearances, I sprawled across the expansive rock.
How long had it been since I lay down so comfortably?
The thought that no one would disturb me for the next month filled me with unparalleled peace.
I lounged about, took leisurely naps, and ate the boxed meals left in their designated spot.
‘Solitary dining! Yes, this is true healing!’
Extroverts claimed they despised eating alone, but I simply couldn’t understand it.
The specialty boxed meals prepared by the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s master chefs were undoubtedly exquisite in both taste and nutrition, but what brought me the greatest joy was being able to eat leisurely, entirely alone.
I didn’t even miss the absence of streaming services or video platforms.
Free from the weight of others’ gazes, unburdened by the need to meet anyone—I savored this liberation as time dissolved away.
By the time my mental batteries had fully recharged.
A massive natural stone cliff overlooking the Hall of No Mind suddenly caught my attention.
‘Now that I think about it, this Hall of No Mind….’
Before the ancient rock wall, whose age seemed to resonate through every fiber of my being, stood an altar as solemn and magnificent as the one I had witnessed in Seonghwa Hall.
‘This must be one of the Myeong Cult’s sacred sanctums as well, I presume?’
That was what Myeong Joon had said when we met in Seonghwa Hall.
That one could commune with Myeong Joon in the sacred sanctums of the Myeong Cult.
Recalling those words, I approached the altar, settled into a meditative posture, and focused my mind.
‘Myeong Joon?’
It was harder than expected, but after steadying my thoughts several times and calling out to Myeong Joon, a response finally came.
-Tsk, tsk…
‘Myeong Joon! You’ve arrived!’
-You seem quite delighted. Why do you grin so foolishly while eating?
‘Ah. You were watching?’
-Indeed. What nonsense is that Minor Sect Leader up to?
‘This is… well, it’s a behavioral trait characteristic of introverts, you might say….’
-I already know. No need for explanations. My manifestation here cannot endure for long.
‘Yes, thank you for your understanding.’
-You possess the Mysterious Demon Scripture, do you not?
‘The Mysterious Demon Scripture? Ah, yes.’
I snapped to attention and retrieved the book I had received when I began my wall meditation.
A thick tome with “Mysterious Demon Scripture” inscribed upon its cover.
It was one of several martial texts that the Demonic Cult designated as canonical scriptures.
-The Hall of No Mind is an incomparable place for cultivating demonic arts. There is reason the Minor Sect Leader was assigned wall meditation.
‘Yes, I understand completely.’
The Mysterious Demon Scripture was a family secret technique containing the foundational cultivation methods and inner energy training of demonic arts.
It was the inner energy that the family’s children first learned, representing the preparatory stage of basic practice before advancing to higher martial techniques.
Above all, it was precisely what I needed at this moment.
As the Sect Leader had said, by cultivating the Mysterious Demon Scripture, I would gradually gain mastery over Cheon Ma.
‘I wonder if I can do this properly.’
-I shall observe. Give it a try.
Despite my inner apprehension, I opened the book and began reading through it slowly, page by page.
‘This is more fascinating than I expected.’
The essence of the Mysterious Demon Scripture lay in awakening the seed of demonic cultivation through the circulation of inner energy.
Through breathing, one draws in the external qi of all creation, beginning the circulation from the Huiyin point at the lowest center of the body, passing through acupoints such as Zhongji, Guanyuan, and Shimen, before reaching the Dantian point within the mouth.
【The fundamental cultivation method of demonic arts involves not dispersing the circulating qi as-is, but rather inducing and amplifying fluctuations of inner energy by regulating breath and meridians, thereby reversing the flow of heavenly qi.】
This was precisely the section Myeong Joon had instructed me to read carefully.
The essential difference between the martial techniques of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, called demonic arts, and the inner cultivation methods of the Orthodox Martial Sects.
If the Orthodox Sects build gentle and harmonious inner energy by conforming to heavenly qi and cultivating its proper flow,
then the Sun and Moon Divine Sect induces artificial transformations during the circulation of qi, amplifying power and refining volatile and ferocious inner energy.
Thus far, anyone could accomplish this.
But controlling inner energy that constantly transforms and rages violently carries inherent danger.
One misstep could result in twisted meridians and reversed qi flow, leading to the perilous condition known as demonic possession.
But with Myeong Joon watching over me, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
-It is not easy for humans to perceive the flow of natural energy. Focus your mind by recalling the contents of the scriptures. The key is to visualize and manifest the mental image concretely.
‘Will this work?’
I sat in lotus position atop the Rock and, following Myeong Joon’s guidance, attempted to perceive the flow of energy as written in the Hyeonma Scripture.
But as expected, it didn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped.
‘Sigh… It’s not working well.’
-You have never cultivated inner energy before, so it won’t be easy.
‘Ah, wait. Could it be this?’
-Don’t be impatient. You must take a long-term view.
‘If I do it this way, it seems like it might work….’
-If you can grasp even a hint of it within ten days, that would be fortunate.
‘Ah, really. I’m trying to concentrate here, so could you please be quiet?’
-….
Could this be it?
After struggling with it for quite some time, I finally managed to perceive something.
-Hmm?
At first, it felt like a soft, feathery sensation tickling me, but soon I felt something supple making contact with me.
‘Myeong Joon, is this correct?’
-Heh….
‘Why aren’t you answering? Am I doing this right?’
-Y, yes. That’s right….
Though I had managed to perceive the existence of energy, making it flow as described in the scriptures proved even more difficult.
‘A bit more… should I not try to control the energy flow, but rather let it run wild?’
-Wow, you’re actually doing it….

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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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