Chapter 70: We’re All Just Trying to Make a Living.

“Are you concerned for the safety of our cult?”

“How could I not be?”

A smile appeared on the Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s lips.

“But just because it is dangerous, we cannot recklessly try to subjugate the beings here.”

“Why is that?”

“Blood only begets blood. To draw the sword out of concern for something that has not even happened is no different from declaring war on the entire world.”

“But……”

“Do you think the Sea of Trees is only filled with beings like the Heavenly Demon? Not only are there many beings like the Sky Mountain Panda you saved, for whom this place is simply their home, but there are also not a few who possess good intentions.”

“Aah.”

“Besides, to subjugate the Sea of Trees, a not insignificant amount of blood would have to be shed. There is a high probability that it would be like poking a hornet’s nest.”

“Hmm.”

Jin Cheon was about to say something but clamped his mouth shut.

‘Isn’t it possible for you, Cult Leader?’

Jin Cheon believed without a doubt that the Iron-Blooded Demonic God could subjugate the Sea of Trees by herself.

“Of course, if I were to set my mind to it, it would not be impossible to wipe them out.”

The Iron-Blooded Demonic God said, as if she had read Jin Cheon’s thoughts.

“However, for me, there are things that should and should not be done, and the Sea of Trees belongs to the latter.”

“How can you say such a thing……”

“You will come to understand in time.”

Jin Cheon did not press for an answer.

If the Iron-Blooded Demonic God had postponed the answer, there must have been a good reason for it, so why would he pry?

He was just surprised that there were things that the Iron-Blooded Demonic God should not do.

“Still, you do not need to worry too much about the Sea of Trees. The deeds performed by the Heavenly Demon in his lifetime are still alive, so the possibility of the strange and powerful beings of the Sea of Trees being released into the world is low.”

“What do you mean by the Heavenly Demon’s deeds are still alive……”

“Long ago.”

A secret history about the Sea of Trees flowed from the Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s mouth.

“He was concerned that the strange and powerful beings of the Sea of Trees would come out into the world, so he devised a method.”

“What kind of method?”

“With the help of a great sorcerer, the founder of the Evil Spirit Guardian Clan, he placed a spell on the great tree located in the center, the Divine Spirit Tree, by imbuing it with his will. To prevent the beings of the Sea of Trees from escaping this place.”

“Ah!”

“Due to the seal of the Divine Spirit Tree, not only did the cultivators’ power weaken, but they were also unable to leave the Sea of Trees of their own will. It is one of the deeds he performed when he was a hero.”

No wonder the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was at peace; to think there was such a background…….

“The maintenance of the Divine Spirit Tree is being handled by the third one and the Evil Spirit Guardian Clan, so you do not need to worry about it. The true value of the Heavenly Demon Divine Qi begins when you achieve the Demonic King, so the completion of the Demonic Lord is only the beginning. Focus only on your training.”

“Yes, Cult Leader.”

Jin Cheon bowed his head to the Iron-Blooded Demonic God.

***

Time flew by, and one day, after Jin Cheon had been training in the Sea of Trees for two years and a few months.

“I will be away for a while. For the time being, train alone.”

Leaving those words behind, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God vanished and did not visit Jin Cheon for over a hundred days.

Suddenly, Jin Cheon found himself in a situation where he had to train in the Heavenly Demon Divine Qi alone without any teachings, but that was not the problem.

His martial arts, which had been growing at a frightening pace, seemed to have entered a period of stagnation, and now they were at a standstill.

Even Jin Cheon, a Heavenly Demon’s Physique, had hit the wall of the realm of Extreme Demon.

The problem was that it was not easy to overcome that wall.

No matter how great the Iron-Blooded Demonic God was, it was impossible for her to teach him that enlightenment completely, and even if she did, it would be impossible for Jin Cheon to understand it.

Since he had reached a stage where he had to realize and overcome it on his own, it was no exaggeration to say that even the Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s teachings were useless at least for now.

“Hoo.”

Jin Cheon let out a deep sigh as he looked at the snowy landscape spread out before him.

“You were here, my lord.”

Danmok Cheong’s voice came from behind him.

“You have seemed deeply troubled lately.”

“I’ve been at a standstill for months.”

Jin Cheon replied, looking at the heavily falling snow.

“It feels like I could grab it if I just reached out my hand, but I can’t. It seems I’m quite the dunce.”

“You shouldn’t say such things anywhere, just in case.”

“Hmm?”

“You reached the pinnacle in just three years after defecting to our cult. It’s a speed that others wouldn’t even dare to dream of, so I think you are being too impatient.”

“Yes, that would be so.”

Jin Cheon nodded.

“But I can’t stop here. I can’t even overcome a single wall called the Extreme Demon.”

“My lord……”

Danmok Cheong could not even fathom Jin Cheon’s standards.

How many people in the world could describe the realm of Extreme Demon as ‘just’?

It was a statement that was tolerated because Jin Cheon was a disciple of the Iron-Blooded Demonic God and an unparalleled demonic art genius; otherwise, he would have been pointed at and called an arrogant fool spouting nonsense.

“Captain Dan.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I have a lot to do. I have to crush the Demonic Devil Cult fellows, and I have to take revenge on the Righteous Heavenly Alliance. Furthermore, I have an obligation to break my bones and grind my body to powder for the glory of our cult. To do that, I need strength…… but it’s not easy.”

“You will achieve it soon.”

Danmok Cheong offered words of encouragement, but Jin Cheon’s heart was not easily soothed.

Since there were plenty of people who retired after remaining at the pinnacle without ever overcoming the wall of the Extreme Demon their entire lives, it would be stranger if he didn’t feel impatient.

He couldn’t help but feel a vague fear that he would not be able to develop any further and would only regress after being at a standstill.

A few days after that.

Jin Cheon put aside his worries about martial arts for a while.

It was not because a sudden enlightenment had come to him.

His martial arts were still at a standstill.

Nevertheless, the reason Jin Cheon could put aside his worries about martial arts for a while was that there was nothing to eat.

“My lord, I don’t think we can wait for the Third Young Master any longer.”

Danmok Cheong reported to Jin Cheon with a serious expression.

“We are almost out of grain avoidance pills and dry rations. At this rate, we won’t last three days.”

As if a hole had been punched in the sky, it had been snowing heavily for a month straight, so there had been no news from Wi Mu-rin, who was supposed to bring food.

Of course, would the Third Young Master Wi Mu-rin be held back by a mere snowstorm…….

“Three days.”

Jin Cheon mulled over Danmok Cheong’s words.

“If Senior Brother Wi doesn’t come even after three days…… we’ll either starve to death or freeze to death.”

“That would be so.”

“Yes, martial arts and whatever else, eating and living comes first. What’s the use of martial arts in the face of hunger? There’s no strong man before starvation.”

Now that he had said it, Jin Cheon found himself reflecting on why he had been so impatient for the past few months.

“It can’t be helped. We’re all just trying to make a living. We have to eat and live first.”

“What should we do?”

“What do you mean, what should we do?”

Jin Cheon replied with a slight smile, as if asking if that was even a question.

“As they say, a thirsty man digs a well. We have to go find food ourselves.”

“But……”

The reason Danmok Cheong was hesitating was that they might have to leave this Black Bamboo Forest to find food.

“We can’t just wait for Senior Brother Wi and starve to death. We’re not some baby swallows. It’s the same whether we die this way or that way.”

“That is true, but……”

“As martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, we should also know how to be self-sufficient. Isn’t that why we rolled around like dogs in the Blood Wolf Corps?”

“That is correct.”

When Jin Cheon mentioned the Blood Wolf Corps, a smile appeared on Danmok Cheong’s lips.

There was a reason why the Blood Wolf Corps not only cultivated patience to endure extreme situations but also taught survival skills necessary to live.

“Gather everyone.”

“As you command.”

At Jin Cheon’s command, Danmok Cheong summoned the members of the New Demon Squad.

***

Leading the members of the New Demon Squad, Jin Cheon left the mountain stronghold and searched the Black Bamboo Forest for food.

However, because it had snowed so much, it was not easy to even move through the snow that came up to an adult’s chest, let alone find food.

It was fortunate that they were all martial artists who had learned martial arts; an ordinary person would not have even dared.

“It seems impossible to find food within the Black Bamboo Forest.”

“Then we have to go out.”

“Please stay in the mountain stronghold, my lord. We will go out and find food.”

“How do you know what will happen?”

Jin Cheon frowned.

“Did you think I would wait in a warm and full place for you to bring back food?”

“We are quite strong now too. You do not need to worry too much, my lord.”

“Of course, that’s true, but still, no.”

It wasn’t just Jin Cheon who had gotten stronger.

Danmok Cheong and the members of the New Demon Squad were also incomparably stronger than before, so they had a right to be confident.

He learned later that the spiritual qi of this Black Bamboo Forest not only allowed them to accumulate internal energy quickly but also improved the ability of their upper dantian.

On top of that, Jin Cheon had personally guided them in their demonic arts, so it was in a way natural for the members of the New Demon Squad to have made a quantum leap in their achievements.

But Jin Cheon could not send his subordinates alone.

“Have you forgotten? This is the Sea of Trees. We don’t know what will happen if we go outside the Black Bamboo Forest, so we have to work together.”

“My lord……”

“Let’s go.”

In the end, Jin Cheon left the Black Bamboo Forest with the members of the New Demon Squad.

Hwiiiiiii!

It was around the time they had been wandering for a long time in search of food, pushing through the fierce blizzard.

“……This is.”

Jin Cheon frowned upon discovering a track of something that had moved through the snow.

A straight path had been made in the snow as if something had passed by, but since there were no footprints, it was a rather strange track.

It was then that something was detected by Jin Cheon’s senses.

‘Something is watching us.’

Jin Cheon raised his qi sense to its fullest and surveyed his surroundings.

He could feel something not too far away, but since it wasn’t clearly detected, it didn’t seem to be a being with demonic qi.

“M-my lord.”

“Speak.”

“That…… isn’t that an apple?”

Jin Cheon’s gaze turned to the direction Danmok Cheong was pointing.

For some reason, two bright red apples were lying incongruously on the pure white snowfield.

“A spiritual medicine……?”

However, it was impossible for a spiritual medicine to be dropped in the snowfield so out of place.

“Wait a minute.”

Jin Cheon narrowed his eyes and stared at the two apples lying on the snowfield.

“That’s, an eye.”

“Pardon……?”

“Look closely. It’s an eye.”

As Jin Cheon said, the apples lying on the snowfield were not apples, but the eyes of something.

With vertically slit pupils…….

“Shik, shiik!”

A threatening sound came from the snowfield, and a bright red tongue flickered.

Soon, ‘it’, which had been buried in the snowfield, slowly raised its body.

A body covered in pure white scales.

Red eyes like rubies.

Three long horns protruding from its head.

It was a huge snake, at least ten zhang long.

“Th-that’s.”

Danmok Cheong took a step back in surprise.

“I’ve heard of it.”

“What is that.”

“It is a White-scaled Three-horned Snow Python.”

“White-scaled…… what?”

“It is called a White-scaled Three-horned Snow Python. Unusually, despite being a snake, it is a spirit beast that sleeps underground in the summer and is active in the winter.”

“Ah?”

“I’ve heard that it sprays its venom like it’s breathing it out……”

At that very moment.

“Shik, shiik!”

As the White-scaled Three-horned Snow Python opened its maw wide, a white venomous liquid burst out like a fountain from its sharp and long fangs.

“Everyone, dodge!”

Jin Cheon shouted and launched himself into the air.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep