Chapter 427: The Path of the Heavenly Demon (1)
If it was the Vice-Lord of the Supreme Demon Palace, then it was undoubtedly the retired Extreme Demon Realm, Ghost Shadow Demon.
I had heard that he was over ninety years old this year, and he was a legendary elder who had been active since the era of the Fourth Cult Leader.
But more important than his existence right now was the Supreme Demon Palace itself.
“What, what the hell? Why is the Supreme Demon Palace appearing here!?”
Not only Ma Chulsoo but even Pa Yeongyeong showed visible signs of shock.
Those who had been granted a peaceful and carefree old age away from the grudges of the Central Plains only moved for one reason.
When the survival of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was at stake.
Even in my previous life, they had only moved when the Allied Forces of Justice and Evil had broken through the outer defenses and advanced near the Eight Demon Seals.
‘Heavenly Researcher… what are you thinking?’
Whatever the case, the fact that they had moved meant that something serious enough to threaten the cult’s survival had happened.
It meant that something truly grave had occurred concerning Yura.
“I guess I should go to Luoyang to meet them… but it seems I won’t need to.”
From afar, the presence of hundreds was approaching.
“Is that… really the Supreme Demon Palace?”
Before long, hundreds of figures descended and landed before us.
Among them were numerous retired elders of the Cheon Clan, like the White Bone Demon Ghost, the Eradication Divine Beast, and the Little Heartless Demonic Empress, whom I had met in the past during the Heavenly Thunder Corps.
Every single one of them was at or beyond Peak Master Level, with none below that rank. It was a truly formidable force that had reached profound heights in the Transcendent realm.
Not even a single squad of the Thirty-Four Demon Squads could compare to this power alone.
This was the force of the Supreme Demon Palace, which formed one pillar of the Five Great Halls of the cult.
“A magnificent sight. Just what kind of battle took place here?”
An elder exuding an unusual presence at the front marveled at the traces of destruction spread around him.
‘Ghost Shadow Demon.’
He didn’t seem like a man over ninety at all—what a vigorous body.
After briefly surveying the surroundings, Ghost Shadow Demon respectfully clasped his hands toward me.
“Faction Lord. It has been a long time.”
“It has indeed, Vice-Lord. I believe the last time we met was during the Cult Leader’s coronation ceremony.”
“Hohoho, has that much time already passed?”
There was no trace of hostility in his demeanor.
Clack!
However, Pa Yeongyeong and Ma Chulsoo had already flanked me, glaring sharply at Ghost Shadow Demon as if to guard me.
It was an excellent response, as it was still uncertain whether they were friend or foe.
Perhaps sensing this, Ghost Shadow Demon chuckled softly.
“Please be at ease, young masters of the two clans. We did not come to fight you.”
“Well, who knows about that?”
Pa Yeongyeong replied in a curt tone.
“The fact that the Supreme Demon Palace is here must mean that something serious has occurred within the cult.”
Ma Chulsoo added his voice.
“And in such a situation, can anyone say for certain which ‘side’ the Supreme Demon Palace is on?”
At their words, Ghost Shadow Demon’s smile deepened.
“Hoho, how astute. Truly, you are worthy of being the future leaders of the Six Great Demonic Clans.”
His eyes gleamed with pride toward his juniors.
He then pulled a letter from his robes.
“A message from the Lord.”
A message from Heavenly Researcher.
I accepted the letter and quickly read its contents.
Inside was a detailed report of how the Heavenly Demon Pavilion was attacked by the Grand Heavenly Lord and the developments observed thereafter.
‘The Celestial Guard, the Demonic Emperor Blade Unit, and the Heaven-Crushing Dragon Unit, who guarded the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, betrayed us. They ambushed nearby units, annihilated them, and then attacked the Pavilion?’
Crinkle!
The Guardian Hall was the cult’s final shield to protect Yura.
Naturally, even among the Thirty-Four Demon Squads, the very best were stationed around the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
‘Those bastards all betrayed us?’
Still, there was something I couldn’t understand.
All three Guardians were Extreme Demon Realms. Combined with the Guardian Hall’s power, they should have easily held out until reinforcements arrived….
However.
As I read the line below, I understood the situation.
‘An entity suspected to be one of the Four Atrocities intervened. Overpowered all three Guardians in an instant….’
Then that entity dueled Yura in a one-on-one fight, which led to the destruction of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
She disappeared afterward, and the Cheon Clan began seizing control of the cult’s core, including the Five Great Halls.
The Pa Clan and Jin Clan tried to resist, but they were unable to reverse the situation.
I couldn’t help but scoff at how absurd things had become.
‘All of the Lower Six Elders, except for the Yama Blade, joined the Cheon Clan? Meanwhile, Thunder Commander was killed, and his eldest son, Sa Bihwan, entered the Elder Council as acting clan head of the Black Gold Sa Clan.’
Furthermore, Great Elder Cheon Yeongha and Yama Blade Mu Jin were subdued and imprisoned.
With Thunder Commander dead, how could any other clan leader or acting leader participate in the Elder Council?
In effect, the Elder Council had been hijacked by the Cheon Clan.
‘With the Ma Clan remaining passive, the Pa Clan and Jin Clan have decided to wait for my return rather than hastily engage in a final battle.’
Although the attack on the Heavenly Demon Pavilion happened abruptly, it had concluded just as swiftly—and successfully.
In truth, sending the Supreme Demon Palace to me in a situation where the dynastic revolution had effectively succeeded might have been a signal that they intended to side with us…
‘He's testing the waters.’
Knowing Heavenly Researcher’s true nature, I realized he was weighing his options between the Heaven-Defying Society and our side.
‘Sorry, but I no longer intend to be swayed by you.’
Fwoosh!
The letter turned to ash and scattered in the air by Samadhi True Fire.
I closed my eyes briefly.
It didn’t take long to make my decision.
“Vice-Lord of the Supreme Demon Palace, Ghost Shadow Demon.”
“Yes, Faction Lord.”
“By the law of the cult, from this moment forth, the Supreme Demon Palace comes under my direct command.”
“That is only natural—”
“Your retirement is revoked. Not merely until my return, but until every single issue plaguing this cult is resolved, you will follow the orders of this Faction Lord and devote yourselves completely.”
“……!”
Revocation of retirement.
At those words, the expressions of Ghost Shadow Demon and the elders of the Supreme Demon Palace stiffened.
This was not mere cooperation, but total submission.
Immediately, opposition welled up from Ghost Shadow Demon.
“That is not something the Faction Lord can decide.”
Only a few with personal ties to me looked troubled.
The rest of the elders glared at me with intense fury for attempting to revoke their retirement.
“Even if you’re the Cult Leader, it’s the same. By the sacred law of the Heavenly Demon, the Supreme Demon Palace has been granted absolute autonomy for four hundred years. You rewriting that at your whim is a violation of law!”
Ghost Shadow Demon’s tone changed.
“You seem to be overheated and incapable of rational thought. I’ll give you a chance to reconsider. Do you truly believe you can suppress this rebellion in the cult while turning even the Supreme Demon Palace into an enemy!?”
Ordinarily, those words would be valid.
But.
Would those same words be valid if spoken to a previous Cult Leader?
“The ones incapable of rational thought are you fools.”
I lifted one foot.
And brought it down.
“Obey the command of the Heavenly Demon.”
KUUUUNG!
“Hurgh!”
A tremor shook the earth, and the ground began to quake.
No one here was so clumsy as to lose balance from a mere earthquake, but there was no one who could fail to realize the overwhelming power imbued in my stomp.
“I, Demonic Faction Lord Jin Yeomyung, shall return to the cult and purge all those who initiated this rebellion, and restore Cult Leader Cheon Yura to her rightful position. If I subdue the rebellion and the Cult Leader remains absent…”
The presence of the Supreme Demon Palace elders began to collapse all at once.
“Then I shall become the Fourth Heavenly Demon of this cult and act as her proxy until her return.”
“R-Ridiculous!”
“Unprecedented!”
“You would claim the title of Heavenly Demon without being a blood relative of the Cheon Clan? And then presume to act on behalf of the Cult Leader?”
“Every word out of your mouth is nothing but nonsense!”
They were right.
From top to bottom, everything I said denied the cult’s history.
But there was one thing.
One thing that allowed me to overturn it all.
“So what if that’s the case?”
The aura of Black Gold spread outward, forming a massive domain.
“Obey the most fundamental law of the cult.”
Power.
The Rule of the Strong.
Though I had not undergone the formal succession process.
I had already been acknowledged by the previous one…
I was the Demon who reigned over the Heavens.
Heavenly Demonic Divine Art
Heavenly Demon’s Dominance
The domain of Black Gold extended across ten li in every direction, pressing down upon every living being within.
“Keuhk!”
“Gaaaaah!”
Not only the elders of the Supreme Demon Palace, but even those at Extreme Demon Realm like So Cheon and Baek Sang-ah, as well as Ghost Shadow Demon, were unable to withstand the pressure and began collapsing.
“Wh-What is this…?”
“Th-This domain is nothing like the one we saw from the Cheon Clan…”
Some among them, who had secretly experienced Heavenly Demon’s Dominance during the prior Cheon Clan incident, muttered in disbelief.
The technique from before was nothing but a flashy husk.
Now, I had fully mastered its ultimate technique.
Of course, the difference was absolute.
“Whether you help me or not, it makes no difference. It only changes how much of a nuisance I’ll have to endure.”
“Guhk! Guaaaah!”
I approached the struggling Ghost Shadow Demon, who was still fighting to stand.
“Ghost Shadow Demon. Do you still think I’m unqualified?”
“That is… cough!”
Just as the Ghost Shadow Demon was about to reply.
“If you still want proof… fine.”
I withdrew Heavenly Demon’s Dominance.
Only then did I start to hear harsh breaths escaping here and there as they shook off the pressure.
“Why even us… damn bastards…”
Ma Chulsoo, barely holding on with the power of Heaven-Slaying Star, grumbled while clutching his collar.
I raised a single finger toward the panting Ghost Shadow Demon and the Supreme Demon Palace elders.
“There isn’t much time, so from now on, exactly one moment.”
Their gazes gathered on my finger.
“Use all your strength to attack. I will subdue all of you within that moment.”
“What?”
“Subdue… you say?”
“I have no intention of killing a single one since we’ll still have to work like dogs afterward.”
I finished my statement while accepting the baffled looks from the Supreme Demon Palace elders.
“So, come at me with all you’ve got.”
“……”
“……”
For a while, silence hung in the air.
As the Ghost Shadow Demon and elders exchanged glances,
Kugukung!
Suddenly, the ground cracked, and something burst out from beneath, grabbing my ankle.
It was a hand… but the texture was rough and coarse for a human’s.
That was definitely a type of puppet created by a special method...
“Alright then, no reason to refuse!”
The voice of the Corpse Terror Demon Lord, whom I had seen once during the Heavenly Thunder Corps incident, echoed in my ear.
Being a master of puppetry, he had secretly hidden puppets beneath the floor even in such a situation.
As the Corpse Terror Demon Lord signaled the start, the elders began rising one by one.
“A fight against a strong opponent with no fear of death? Sounds good!”
“To have to work hard again at this age, but if the opponent is worth it.”
Though retired now, these were demonic practitioners who had dominated an era.
Warriors who loved blood and revered strength, having experienced over a hundred battles.
“Just that work alone would be enough, but if you can really subdue us all without a single casualty within one moment…”
Ghost Shadow Demon wiped the blood from his lips and smiled wickedly.
“Faction Lord, the Supreme Demon Palace recognizes you as the Fourth Heavenly Demon and will gladly obey.”
“Even if it is the word of the Supreme Demon Palace Lord?”
Ghost Shadow Demon nodded as if it were obvious.
“Of course. The Vice-Lord’s orders cannot take precedence over those of the Heavenly Demon.”
“Good.”
The moment those words ended, the elders simultaneously surrounded the area, beginning to draw up demonic qi.
“You all, stand back.”
I ordered the four to retreat, then flicked my hand toward the nearly three hundred elders surrounding us.
“Then come at me.”
Papapapat!
The Supreme Demon Palace’s hidden strongest force, one pillar of the Five Great Halls, all charged at me at once.