Chapter 366: Fatal Poison (5)
“Did you say the realm of the Heavenly Demon?”
“Yes. I can help you step into that supreme demon realm, which no more than five have ever reached in the history of Murim.”
The Sword Demon fell silent at the proposal.
But before long, he smirked faintly.
Puk!
Without hesitation, he pierced Cheon Juchun’s forehead with the Sword of Will.
“How ridiculous. You, who haven't even touched the hem of that realm, dare speak of it?”
As Cheon Juchun’s life force quickly dwindled, the Sword Demon gazed at him with a subtle hint of contempt in his eyes.
“If it were truly that easy, there’s no way you would’ve been suppressed by the former Cult Leader for so long.”
Just as the Sword Demon turned his body—
“Is there any need to struggle against a natural disaster you could simply avoid?”
“……!”
The Sword Demon, now at peak vigilance, slowly returned his stance.
Cheon Juchun, who should have died with a sword through his forehead, was speaking as if nothing had happened.
The man yanked the sword lodged in his forehead with a grimace.
“That hurt. The recovery’s slow because your Sword Intent soaked into it, didn’t it?”
“So it wasn’t your real body but a puppet.”
It wasn’t enough to rattle his composure, but such a high-level spirit transference wasn’t something even the Heavenly Demon Cult could easily pull off.
Especially now, with the top practitioner from the Illusion Clan eliminated.
“Hehe, I was going to meet the famed Sword Demon of the world—of course I wouldn’t come unprepared.”
“Whether I kill you or capture you, it’s meaningless. I don’t want to waste my strength, so just leave.”
The Sword Demon clicked his tongue and issued an expulsion.
But Cheon Juchun showed no sign of backing down.
“My proposal still stands.”
“…You're still clinging to that deluded fantasy?”
“I never said I’d help you surpass the Cult Leader. That man transcended even the Supreme Demon Realm and ultimately ascended. I’m merely saying I can let you experience the domain he once trod.”
“…….”
“After years of research, the theory has reached a form of completion, but there hasn’t been a suitable ‘subject’ to apply it to. The best candidate was the Second Heavenly Lord, but he utterly betrayed our society.”
“You're saying that ‘subject’ must have reached at least the Transcendent Demon Realm?”
Cheon Juchun shrugged his shoulders.
“Isn’t that obvious? Skipping from the Extreme Demon Realm straight to the Supreme would be nonsense even a third-rate martial artist wouldn’t believe.”
…At first, the proposal sounded absurd, but oddly enough, the conditions weren’t entirely unreasonable.
“You’re a great sword master who reached the Transcendent Demon Realm without even possessing Heaven-Slaying Qi. You have plenty of potential.”
Cheon Juchun extended his hand to the Sword Demon.
“Join me. I will help guide you to the supreme demon realm.”
Cheon Juchun extended his hand with a gentle smile.
There didn’t appear to be a trace of malice in that gesture.
Pure goodwill and sincerity.
That’s all there was.
“…….”
Unlike before, the Sword Demon remained silent for quite some time.
“I’ve passed down the Blood Dragon Heaven-Slaying Sword Art to my successor. That boy bears the dream I shared with Yoon, and one day, he will undoubtedly surpass me and reach the supreme demon realm.”
“…….”
After contemplating the meaning between the words, Cheon Juchun finally spoke.
“If you have no regrets, wouldn't it be fine to take the challenge without hesitation?”
“I have no need for the Heavenly Demonic Divine Art. The Ma Clan will, with its own martial arts, eventually surpass even the Heavenly Demonic Divine Art.”
“……!”
That was a de facto rejection.
Cheon Juchun’s expression twisted slightly.
“Furthermore.”
The Sword Demon glared at Cheon Juchun with a wrath he hadn’t shown before.
“You presumed that I was despairing at the gulf between myself and the former Cult Leader, that I had lost all hope—and that’s why you dared to extend your hand to me.”
“…….”
“Pay the price for mocking me.”
As the Sword Demon made his final declaration, Cheon Juchun’s tone changed entirely.
“Well now, you're more stubborn than I expected.”
Tak!
Cheon Juchun snapped shut the fan he had been holding with force.
“Looks like I’ll have to subdue you and take you by force.”
“You think you’re capable of that?”
“Of course not—by myself. But…”
Tak!
In an instant, more than a dozen men and women appeared around the Sword Demon.
Then—
“Grrrk!”
“Grraargh!”
Each one of them, differing in age and gender, began morphing into creatures neither human nor beast.
“How about this?”
Abundant life force.
But accompanied by a disturbingly unstable energy.
Judging by their energy levels alone, each one was close to Peak Master Level.
The Sword Demon glanced at them and murmured dryly.
“Awakened Bodies. I heard that Dao Zun had such creations.”
Upon hearing the term “Dao Zun,” Cheon Juchun’s expression darkened.
“You had dealings with that arrogant old crone?”
A being who had harassed the Heaven-Defying Society across the Central Plains for a lifetime.
She was naturally among Cheon Juchun’s top assassination targets, but having severed all ties with the Wudang Sect and roamed alone, there hadn’t been an easy way to capture her.
“Thanks to that Saber Demon bastard.”
Swiik!
The Sword Demon raised his sword with his remaining arm.
Even with that, the Awakened Bodies, sensing the difference in level, flinched visibly.
The Sword Demon sneered.
“She once said that if you gather three or four decent ones, they can handle an Extreme Demon Realm opponent.”
There were more than ten of them here now.
However—
“To face me, they’re woefully insufficient.”
The Sword Demon’s sword sliced through the air.
The blade, imbued with his will, formed an intangible slash that swept in every direction.
“Evade.”
Cheon Juchun gave the order to the Awakened Bodies, but before they could react, the Sword Demon’s single strike had already decapitated every last one of them!
The blood from the severed necks of the Awakened Bodies spouted skyward.
Absurdly, that sight resembled a soaring Blood Dragon.
Cheon Juchun clicked his tongue.
“Tsk! No wonder they were so lacking—you didn’t even bring proper Spirit Candidates.”
He had expected it, but to think they couldn’t even endure a single exchange!
“The ones worth using were all wiped out by that damn Grand Heavenly Lord back then. The damage wasn’t something minor.”
Though it had happened quite a while ago, the Heaven-Defying Society still hadn’t recovered from the damage of that incident.
The Sword Demon shot a murderous aura at Cheon Juchun.
“Do you have no other cards left? If not, die quietly.”
“Of course I do.”
Tak!
With a snap of his fingers, a single figure suddenly dropped in front of the Sword Demon.
“...You are—?”
From head to toe, aside from the eyes, the person was wrapped in pure white cloth.
As the Sword Demon tried to recall the familiarity emanating from that presence—
Step. Step!
A dignified man with cloudy eyes revealed himself behind the white-clad figure.
“…!!!”
The moment he recognized the identity of the approaching figure, the Sword Demon, unusually, opened his eyes wide.
Cheon Juchun spread his arms with a twisted grin.
“Let me introduce them. A gift I specially prepared just for you.”
***
Underground of Dagger Peak, the Cult Leader’s private cultivation chamber.
This place was, literally, accessible only to the Cult Leader—but an exception had been made for the first time in hundreds of years.
“How are you feeling?”
Cheon Yura slowly opened her eyes from meditation, the sacred chalice of the Evil Refining Sect placed before her.
She spoke in a slightly somber tone.
“My body was never unwell to begin with.”
“That’s a relief.”
“It is not a relief.”
She stared at her own palm and slightly trembled her eyes.
“This incident made me realize something. I tried to take a step forward too hastily... and ended up retreating two steps instead.”
“……”
“It’s all my fault. I cannot face those who follow me.”
Cheon Yura was not someone who apologized easily.
A sovereign must never bow their head lightly.
Even if I was her husband, for her to speak so dejectedly meant the wound in her heart was deep.
She grasped the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword, still sheathed.
“The greater problem is that the emotions I felt then were, without a doubt, truly ‘my own.’”
“Your own emotions?”
“You could say the demonic nature 'devoured' me... but in essence, it only provoked emotions I could no longer control.”
In short, it destroyed her self-control?
Though, originally, imbalance between reason and emotion was precisely what defined a Heart Demon...
“Even now, I do not regret killing Second Elder. He was, without a doubt, a traitor who abandoned the pride of the Cheon Clan.”
“……”
“The way I acted toward you too—was also part of my true feelings. When you scolded me, I told myself your words were right... and yet, deep inside, I felt so hurt.”
Hmm...
“I couldn’t contain that wounded feeling.”
Though she confessed calmly, only stating her emotions—
Why was I the one feeling so embarrassed?
“I’m scared of when this Heart Demon might suddenly erupt again. If it's not you, no one else could withstand it…”
That was understandable.
I had heard that several Guardian Lions were seriously injured while trying to protect Sa Biyeon from Yura before I arrived.
And those people had been with her since her days in the Lesser Demon Hall—so the emotional trauma between them would have been even greater.
I calmly comforted Yura.
“For now, just say you’re training and rest your mind here for a while. I’ll try to manage outside as acting Cult Leader.”
Now that I understood how the Cheon Clan would move, the course of action was clear.
However—
“No.”
“…What?”
Cheon Yura bit her lip slightly.
“I know... this is just being childish. But I don’t want to run away.”
Terrified beyond belief.
But still, she wouldn’t run.
Even if it meant falling deeper into the abyss.
“If I stay locked away here quietly, I think that would be the same as running away.”
“……”
“Whatever price must be paid, it’s for me to bear—not you, Jin Yeomyung.”
“But we…”
Just as I was about to say the word husband and wife—
She cut off my words and spoke.
“A relationship isn’t one where only one side is forced to sacrifice. Isn’t that right?”
“…That’s right.”
“I want you to support me. If you do, I think I can overcome this.”
Yes.
We were in a relationship where we could lean on each other.
I gently embraced her.
“Marriage is about filling in each other’s shortcomings as we go.”
I felt Yura, held in my arms, slightly nod her head.
“This is only the beginning. Mistakes can be corrected.”
In her past life, she had made countless mistakes.
And because she couldn’t take them back, it led to irreversible consequences.
But this life is different.
I am by her side.
As long as I’m here, no one can harm or destroy her.
“I’ll help you.”
***
A few days later.
To resolve the recent incident, a meeting was arranged between the elders of the Cheon Clan and the Cult Leader.
“As this is still the early stage of the Cult Leader’s reign, we believe there’s ample chance for correction.”
Fourth Elder spoke on behalf of the Council of the Seven Elders, addressing Cheon Yura.
“Our Cheon Clan demands, as compensation for the late Second Elder’s matter, the replacement of the Demonic Faction Lord who has misled the Cult Leader’s eyes and ears.”
“…What did you just say?”
The Cheon Clan had declared war.