— Chapter 4 —
Azure skies and scorching sunlight. Hyuk Murin headed towards the Heavenly Martial Hall, his personal training chamber reserved exclusively for the Heavenly Demon. Its impenetrable walls and strict prohibition against entry ensured absolute privacy. For nearly a month, he’d followed the same routine, spending most of his days within its confines.
“This is the true starting point.”
Simply returning to the past hadn’t solved everything. Instead, his declaration of divorce had only accelerated the deterioration of his relationship with the Cheon Clan. He still lacked any real following, and his own martial prowess remained far from adequate.
“In the end, power is all that matters.”
He couldn’t rely solely on the advantage of foreknowledge. The Heavenly Demon Cult operated on the principle of strength; cultivating his own power was his only path to survival.
Click.
Hyuk Murin locked the door and stretched his limbs, loosening his muscles. The floor, paved with smooth bluestone, facilitated fluid movement, a fitting feature for the Heavenly Demon’s personal training space.
“This should suffice.”
Warmed up, Hyuk Murin walked to the center of the hall. He sat down, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began circulating his energy. After a month of repetition, he finally sensed a change. The Extreme Demonic Energy he’d painstakingly gathered each day was showing signs of breaking through the Laogong acupoints in his palms and the Yongquan acupoints on the soles of his feet.
Hsss—
Inhaling deeply, he focused all his energy on the Laogong acupoints in his hands. The meridians leading to his palms opened, if only slightly.
No time to waste.
Leaving a thread of Extreme Demonic Energy to keep the pathways open, he immediately shifted his focus to the Yongquan acupoints on his feet. These too yielded, the meridians bursting open.
The Baehoe acupoint, previously opened, along with his hands and feet – the five points forming a pentagram within his body were now fully connected. In that instant, Extreme Demonic Energy pulsed through his entire being. It rippled momentarily before subsiding.
Huuu—
Exhaling, Hyuk Murin slowly opened his eyes. Having formed the Zhoutian Fire Symbol within his body, he looked down.
It’s done.
Even after he ceased circulating his energy, his body resonated with nature, passively accumulating energy. From now on, energy would flow into his lower dantian continuously, whether he was sleeping or eating. While the amount would be negligible compared to active cultivation, this passive accumulation was a significant advantage. More was always better when it came to inner energy.
“Demonic arts are truly something else.”
To achieve such incredible passive energy absorption after reaching only the second stage… He was eager to discover the advancements the Soul Purifying Demonic Art held in its later stages.
Still not enough.
Even though Extreme Demonic Energy far surpassed ordinary demonic energy in purity, the sheer quantity was still insufficient, considering the challenges ahead. To face the Seven Demonic Houses on equal footing, without the Cheon Clan’s backing, he needed far more power.
“I need to devise a plan.”
Things were about to get busy. He couldn’t afford to spend all his time cultivating. He needed to accelerate his power growth.
And the most effective method would be… that thing in the Elixir Repository.
It was risky, but with the Soul Purifying Demonic Art, it was a risk worth taking.
Hyuk Murin stroked his chin, contemplating the details, when…
Knock, knock—
Jang Wi’s knock interrupted his thoughts.
“Enter.”
Jang Wi opened the door and bowed his head.
“My Lord, Elder Cheon has arrived.”
Finally.
“Very well. Inform him I will meet him shortly at the Jeongcheon Pavilion.”
“Your command will be obeyed.”
It seemed the old man’s patience had finally worn thin after a month. Since he was the one in a hurry, there was no need to rush. Hyuk Murin had worked up a sweat, so a bath and a leisurely breakfast were in order. With a smirk, he strolled out of the Heavenly Martial Hall.
The Seven Demonic Houses.
Seven prestigious clans who had sought guidance from the First Heavenly Demon and received divine artifacts from him. Since the founding of the Heavenly Demon Cult, they had served as its core strength and unwavering foundation.
And among these Seven Demonic Houses, the Cheon Clan held the most influence, sitting at the head of the table.
Cheon Jung-ak, the current head of the Cheon Clan and an Elder of the Heavenly Demon Cult, sat in the Jeongcheon Pavilion with a hardened expression.
“…”
Known as the Iron-Blooded Demonic Emperor for his cold demeanor and ruthless nature, Cheon Jung-ak turned his head, gazing at the sunlight streaming through the window. The angle of the light had shifted considerably since his arrival, yet the Heavenly Demon had yet to appear. Still sensing no presence, Cheon Jung-ak clenched his fist and muttered,
“He’s late.”
After over a month of silence following his letter, he had sent inquiries to ascertain the situation. And then he’d received that preposterous report.
—The… Heavenly Demon burned your letter, Clan Leader.
Such an absurd action.
“If it weren’t for my daughter, I wouldn’t have come here at all.”
With his daughter facing a sudden divorce, he had no choice but to meet with his son-in-law in person.
And yet…
“He dares to keep me, Cheon Jung-ak, waiting.”
The ignorant whelp, not only had he betrayed his clan, but now he was deliberately making him wait. The power must have gone to his head. He likely believed the world was his after his sudden ascension.
Thinking of the Heavenly Demon further fueled his anger, causing his facial muscles to twitch. He closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure.
Just then, footsteps sounded from outside.
Click.
“I apologize for the wait.”
Hyuk Murin entered, offering a casual greeting.
“…You seem rather busy.”
“Such is the life of the Heavenly Demon. I trust you’ll understand.”
Cheon Jung-ak subtly expressed his displeasure, but Hyuk Murin, gesturing towards the stack of documents on his desk, smoothly deflected the comment and took his seat in the position of authority.
Cheon Jung-ak’s eyes flickered with surprise. He had expected Hyuk Murin to sit opposite him.
“Would you care for some tea?”
“I’ll pass. We’re not exactly on those terms, are we?”
“On those terms…”
Their gazes locked in the air. After a moment of silence, Cheon Jung-ak spoke first.
“I heard from my daughter. You suddenly demanded a divorce.”
“I judged that now is the appropriate time for us to part ways.”
“Less than six months after the marriage?”
“Indeed.”
Cheon Jung-ak frowned. So there was no real reason, other than that Hyuk Murin had used the Cheon Clan’s influence to secure the position of Heavenly Demon and now saw no further use for them.
“I find that difficult to accept. I won’t allow my daughter to become the subject of gossip.”
Oh? He wasn’t simply opposing the divorce for his own political gain.
Come to think of it, Cheon Seo-hee is his only child.
It was understandable that he would shower her with affection and protect her reputation. He didn’t want his daughter’s name to be tarnished.
Well, it can’t be helped.
Hyuk Murin was doing this to survive. He couldn’t compromise on the divorce.
“Difficult or not, you will accept it. My words were not a request, but a declaration.”
The atmosphere instantly turned frigid. Cheon Jung-ak glared at Hyuk Murin before speaking in a chillingly low voice.
“Then the Cheon Clan will no longer consider you an ally. Can you handle the consequences?”
Without the Cheon Clan’s backing, he’d face immense pressure from the other clans. Facing them alone was suicidal.
But Hyuk Murin simply smiled.
“Handle the consequences? Amusing. Is the Heavenly Demon supposed to cower before others?”
“…!”
“And if I lose an ally, wouldn’t the Cheon Clan also suffer?”
No matter how powerful the Cheon Clan, they had allied with the Hyuk Clan for a reason. If their alliance dissolved, the Cheon Clan would remain among the most powerful of the Seven Demonic Houses, but they would lose their top spot. Their current position was due in part to the added, albeit minimal, influence of the Hyuk Clan.
“How audacious.”
Cheon Jung-ak sneered, a corner of his lip curling upwards. The difference in power, influence, and authority was vast. It was clear who would suffer more from a broken alliance. The boy had become intoxicated by his position in just three months, forgetting his place.
I need to put him in his place.
Once he suffered a bit, he’d learn to behave.
Cheon Jung-ak channeled his formless demonic energy, sharpening it with his killing intent. He wouldn’t inflict physical harm, but he would deliver a psychological blow that would be difficult to overcome. He unleashed his killing intent-infused demonic energy, directing it at Hyuk Murin.
But…
“…”
Hyuk Murin’s expression remained unchanged. He seemed completely unaffected, calmly weathering the onslaught. A slight crack appeared in Cheon Jung-ak’s otherwise impassive face.
“Anything else?”
The dismissal was clear. Cheon Jung-ak rose from his seat.
“…We shall see. Let’s see how far you get.”
“I appreciate your anticipation. Then I shall see you at the next regular meeting of the Elders’ Council.”
Thud—
The door closed with a heavy sound.
“…”
Once Cheon Jung-ak’s presence had completely disappeared, Hyuk Murin let out a soft sigh of relief.
Huuu.
That was close. He’d reached his limit, but he’d managed to maintain a calm facade and dismiss Cheon Jung-ak. A few days ago, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand that assault of killing intent. But having just reached the second stage of the Soul Purifying Demonic Art, he’d barely endured. He carefully calmed his turbulent internal energy.
“Still, it’s different now.”
It was dangerous, but he had held his ground. In his past life, he would have been paralyzed like a mouse before a snake. At least now, he wouldn’t be so easily intimidated.
A small smile played on Hyuk Murin’s lips as he rose and turned his attention to his desk.
“The paperwork has piled up.”
Having neglected his duties for a month, the documents had doubled, overflowing the desk and forming a mountain on the floor. It had already been a lot; a bit more made little difference. He had no time for such trivial matters right now.
“Hmm?”
A single letter caught his eye. Lying conspicuously in the center of the desk, it seemed to draw his gaze. As if entranced, he picked it up and slowly unfolded it.
The contents were unexpected.
The sender was Sima Geuk, the Grand Strategist of the Heavenly Demon Cult, and the message was simple:
[I hereby tender my resignation from the position of Grand Strategist.]
[Respectfully, Sima Geuk]
“…”
Hyuk Murin stared at the resignation letter.
Whoosh!
He ignited it with Sammae Jin-Hwa.
“This time, it won’t be so easy to leave.”
——
Translated by Sato
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