Chapter 472: Heavenly Evil Cheon Yura (1)
Blood Sea Flash.
It was no coincidence that Ma Chulsoo’s strike, forged by drawing out all his capabilities, resembled Ma Seoyeon’s Space Slash.
One of the abilities of Heaven-Slaying Qi—Memory of Blood.
Ma Chulsoo had swum through the depths of that memory and succeeded in regressing through Ma Seoyeon’s history.
A strike that seemed to have pulled forward the full potential of the man known as Ma Chulsoo ahead of its time.
The moment that strike touched my Bright Net Virtuous Flow—
Fwoosh!
Ma Chulsoo’s Blood Sea Flash literally vanished without a trace.
“……”
“……”
A brief silence descended.
Before long, Ma Chulsoo, regaining his senses, parted his lips slightly.
“…What was that?”
Even a master like Ma Chulsoo would freeze when the situation became too unreal.
He stammered, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
“Why… why did my Blood Sea Flash…”
“Indeed, now I can be sure.”
I nodded after reaffirming how Bright Net Virtuous Flow functioned.
“As my master said, True Martiality isn’t just a convenient power.”
“Jin Yeomyung! What the hell was that just now?!”
Ma Chulsoo shouted harshly, calling me as he once did.
I could sense a faint trace of despair from him—evidence of how great the shock was, and how much confidence he had placed in that strike.
“True Martiality, Bright Net Virtuous Flow. A technique I established after surpassing Supreme Demon Realm.”
Ma Chulsoo’s expression stiffened.
“You surpassed… Supreme Demon Realm?”
I opened and closed my hand slowly as I spoke.
“Though it’s not a complete form. Honestly, even reaching the threshold in such a short time was nothing short of a miracle.”
Ma Chulsoo stared at me with a furrowed brow.
“…Then why do you look so grim despite such an achievement? Are you saying you're not satisfied?”
“No, that’s not it.”
The reason for my dark expression when speaking of True Martiality was simple.
Because completing this technique meant a complete farewell to my master and the senior disciples.
Ma Chulsoo pressed me again.
“So then, what exactly is that technique? How did it erase my strike so completely…?”
“This is martial arts, and yet not martial arts.”
“What are you saying now?”
“This… is a power that can only be activated toward those I share a connection with.”
To be precise, the moment I gained True Martiality, I imposed that restriction upon myself.
But then Ma Chulsoo hesitated a moment and said:
“That…”
“What is it?”
“…For just the briefest moment… I think I saw you approaching something radiant, like overlapping visions.”
What?
“Ah, never mind. I must’ve been hallucinating. Forget it.”
Ma Chulsoo shook his head, but I couldn’t take those words lightly.
‘He saw that?’
To use True Martiality, one must approach the Divine Domain and manipulate its laws directly.
That form should be invisible in reality, and yet he saw it…
‘Is the power of Heaven-Slaying Qi influencing spiritual perception? Or is it simply his innate talent?’
Either way, it was intriguing enough to make me consider training him seriously later.
‘So that’s why the Sword Demon yielded to him.’
As I gazed at Ma Chulsoo with growing interest—
He sheathed his sword and said,
“Well, now that you’re back, all that’s left is to march on Mount Tai and wipe them out.”
“Ah, about that.”
I popped his swelling expectations with a needle.
“I’ve changed my mind. I’ll go to Mount Tai alone.”
“…What!?”
“The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and Murim Alliance will now disperse across the Central Plains to aid the survivors.”
“Why?!”
“Because in the current situation, there’s no need to shed more blood.”
The reason I had brought forces at all was the time it would take to break through to the summit of Mount Tai.
Even if I had surpass Supreme Demon Realm, interference from the Four Atrocities or massive demonic beasts could hinder the great task.
But now it was different.
I now had confidence that beings of lower rank could no longer obstruct me in any way.
“Even so…”
I patted Ma Chulsoo’s shoulder as he remained hesitant.
“Dealing with what’s spread across the Central Plains won’t be easy either.”
“……”
“I believe in you.”
“Ugh… ngh…!”
Ma Chulsoo, who had been staring at me with dazed eyes, suddenly clenched his teeth and snapped his head away.
“…Damn it.”
“……?”
“When the Cult Leader speaks, a powerless Lord should just obey.”
Powerless?
Regardless of his actual strength, Ma Chulsoo was effectively the most prominent among all the elders right now.
“I’ve got something I want to ask.”
“Speak.”
“The former Cult Leader… is she really recoverable?”
Ma Chulsoo wasn’t asking whether it was possible or not.
Currently, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was showing an unprecedented level of unity centered around me.
If Yura were to reclaim the seat of Cult Leader, it might even cause problems.
He was just asking indirectly.
“She will be restored.”
Of course, this kind of question had only one answer.
“I will turn everything back. Everything done until now was a journey for that purpose.”
“…Is that so?”
Reading my firm resolve, Ma Chulsoo didn’t question me any further on that subject.
Instead—
“I’ve got one more question.”
He tilted his head.
“That technique… Bright Net Virtuous Flow—what does that name even mean?”
“Hm?”
“It doesn’t seem like something you’d name a martial art, no matter how you look at it.”
Bright Net refers to none other than myself and Yura.
Those close to us already know this meaning.
But ‘Virtuous Flow’—it wasn’t a Daoist art, and surely, it didn’t suit a supreme technique of the Heavenly Demon.
Still, the reason I named this True Martiality technique Virtuous Flow was—
“…It’s a child’s name.”
“…What?”
Feeling a little embarrassed, I turned my gaze aside.
“The name of the child to be born between Yura and me.”
Something that could suit either a son or a daughter—I pondered for many days and nights.
“……”
“I put quite a bit of thought into it.”
“……”
An awkward silence passed.
Even now, having become the Heavenly Demon, I didn’t dare guess what kind of eyes he was looking at me with.
“So.”
Ma Chulsoo struggled to choose his words before barely managing to speak.
“What if it’s twins?”
“……”
I paused at Ma Chulsoo’s sudden question.
…Now that he mentions it?
***
The sudden division of forces.
Even at that declaration, the upper ranks of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult did not waver in the slightest.
A few among the guards or close aides hinted at wanting to accompany me, but excluding the Sword Demon, they would only be a hindrance.
However, someone outside the Cult voiced concern.
“Cult Leader, are you truly going to be alright?”
In a private meeting, Jegal Eun asked me with a grim expression.
“Even now, with the entire distribution and intelligence network of the Central Plains paralyzed, we’ve managed to keep watch on Mount Tai in real time by dispatching people.”
And the reports that came back all had one thing in common.
“That place… is no longer fit for human life.”
As time passed, the accessible radius was expanding.
At first, scouts could get within ten li of Mount Tai, but now even a hundred li was difficult to approach.
I nodded.
“That’s exactly why I’m not taking any troops with me.”
“……”
“Anyone who enters that place—even if they’re peak-level warriors—will have their reason devoured and become mindless demons.”
The only ones who might be of any help were absolute masters who had surpassed Extreme Demon Realm or reached the Transformation Realm.
But even those experts would struggle against beings on the level of the Four Atrocities, as had already been proven in the battle against Gunggi near Luoyang.
‘If it had been just a little earlier, it might have been fine—but the situation has changed too drastically.’
The cause, undoubtedly, was the acceleration of the Heavenly Timing due to the fusion of Yura and the Great Celestial Army.
“Please don’t worry too much.”
I consoled the worn-out Jegal Eun.
“I know they’re still alive. Those two…”
“…!”
Now I could sense it clearly.
I could vaguely feel the lives of those connected to me.
“And if So Cheon is alive, then Lady Baek surely went to Mount Tai with the same resolve as I did.”
Baek Sang‑ah carried a strong sense of responsibility.
No matter how much she complained outwardly or cried wanting to give up, she possessed a monarch’s quality distinct from Yura—she always took responsibility for what she once bore.
The fact that she refused to reappear in the Alliance—
means she knows how critical it is to settle this quickly.
Whatever their fate, the moment they entered Mount Tai, their survival or death would become certain.
After some time passed.
Within the activated barrier of Yukdobun, I confirmed the survival of the two of them.
“…Young Master Jin?”
“…You?”
So Cheon and Baek Sang‑ah’s eyes widened when I suddenly tore through the space of Yukdobun.
“You really are alive.”
However—
Seeing only the two of them here, I could guess what happened to the Dao Zun or others.
“It seems… many things occurred.”
Their shredded clothing was the least of it.
Their aura was so withered that they resembled So Jeong.
I felt bitter as I sensed that energy.
“How did you penetrate Six Path Veil’s barrier…?”
So Cheon sounded genuinely surprised I had torn through space.
Indeed, once Yukdobun was activated, no one from outside could intervene.
Of course, such conventional limits no longer applied to me.
I turned my gaze to Gunggii, who stood guard ahead.
“Do you need help?”
I immediately recognized Gunggi’s current strength.
He had grown far stronger than the last time we met.
Even stronger than Chaos seeping his Master, or than Do-ol.
Even peak‑period Gunggi would now be a difficult match for the two of them.
However—
The answer I received was unexpectedly cold.
“Go.”
“……”
“I was originally going to go to Young Master Cheon, but that is Young Master Jin’s task.”
In turning her back to me deliberately, pain beyond expression emanated from her.
“She lost far too many to that person.”
“Lady.”
“Even if her actions weren’t of her own will, I’ll make her pay interest on top of everything later.”
Her entire body began to radiate ferocity.
“So bring her back alive. She will die otherwise.”
Her tone allowed no further objection.
So Cheon stood beside her, burning with cold determination.
At that level, I was nothing but an obstacle.
“I understand.”
I slowly stepped back and said,
“I will bring Yura back.”
“……”
“Please, Young Master—survive.”
No further words were needed.
As the two rushed toward Gunggi, I left Yukdobun’s space without hesitation.
I believe in them.
So Cheon and Baek Sang‑ah will see their mission through.
I gazed at the summit of Mount Tai above.
The world was dyed blood‑dark.
Amid that darkness, there was a place that was piercingly blue and white, like a sanctuary.
In my former life there was a day called Heaven-Opening Day, to commemorate heaven opening—if such a day existed, this would be how it felt.
I walked past the demonic beasts crawling around, exuding fierce energy, and slowly headed toward the summit of Mount Tai.
Even without sensing it, I instinctively knew.
Yura is there.