Chapter 138: Heaven-Slaying Star (1)

After boldly declaring herself to Cheon Yujeong—

Cheon Yura left the Lesser Demon Hall to keep her word.

Dozens of Guardian Lions and the Grand Protector, Crimson-Faced Battle Demon Wang Cheongeol, stood at her side.

Sa Biyeon also accompanied her, leading the guards from the Sa Clan.

“Um, but, Young Cult Leader.”

“What is it, Biyeon?”

Cheon Yura had returned to her usual softer tone, shedding the high-handed manner she had used while dealing with Cheon Yujeong.

Sa Biyeon cautiously gave her counsel.

“To be honest… Cheon Yujeong wasn’t entirely wrong. If you get involved in the Ma Clan’s affairs right now, something uncontrollable might really happen.”

“Something uncontrollable, huh…”

Cheon Yura chuckled softly and shook her head.

“Biyeon, you really don’t understand that man at all.”

“…Excuse me?”

What… did she just say?

Sa Biyeon stared at her master with a dumbfounded expression.

“That man doesn’t act without thought.”

‘He does seem to act without thought sometimes, though…’

Sa Biyeon swallowed that retort.

“Of course, he doesn’t calculate everything, but there’s one clear principle in the way he thinks.”

“And what would that be?”

“If he thinks something is out of his control, he makes it even bigger.”

“……!”

“Now, look. At that spectacle.”

From the cliff’s edge, Cheon Yura pointed somewhere in the distance.

“Ah…”

Sa Biyeon could hardly believe her eyes.

The area around Iron Steed Prison Cave was swarming with martial artists.

The number easily exceeded several thousand.

“W-what in the world?!”

“The Blood Dragon Demonic Clan, the Illusion Clan, and even the Extreme Saber Clan are here.”

Not just the direct forces of the Six Great Demonic Clans, but even banners from the Thirty-Four Demon Squads were densely packed among them.

“Even the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan has arrived.”

The Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan, the original house of Jin Yeomyung.

Their distinct, massive physiques and overwhelming presence could be felt even from this far away.

“Looks like the Asura King himself has stepped up.”

“W-what is happening…”

“Well, if the Sword Demon personally moved, his opponents would need to respond in kind.”

With the Lord of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan taking the lead, numerous martial forces associated with the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan had responded to his movements.

And it seemed the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan had moved to protect their eldest son as well.

‘Judging by the factions, the Illusion Clan and the Saber Clan seem to be siding with the Ma Clan and Jin Clan respectively?’

Regardless—

“With things like this, it wouldn’t be a stretch for me to get involved too, right?”

Indeed.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that nearly one-third of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s total strength was gathered around Iron Steed Prison Cave.

With the situation devolving into such chaos, Cheon Yura’s intervention might actually become a remedy, not a poison.

Because now, she could clearly claim the justification of mediating the conflict between the Six Clans.

“Could it be… did Young Master Jin foresee this situation?”

“Who knows. Maybe it wasn’t all planned, but he likely had something like this in mind.”

Sa Biyeon was genuinely impressed.

Just how does someone stir up the entire Heavenly Demon Cult like this?

Of course, it all hinged on the martial power strong enough to devastate both the Blood Mist Sword Unit and the White Demon Sword Unit of the Ma Clan.

But Sa Biyeon knew she could never orchestrate something this bold.

‘True enough… with things this tangled, Young Cult Leader now has every reason to get involved.’

The scene was on the verge of erupting at any moment, but strangely, a calmness settled in Cheon Yura’s heart.

And with that calm came a bit of humor.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Sa Biyeon smiled and asked,

“Um, but Young Cult Leader.”

“What now?”

“In all this chaos… how exactly do you plan to put a leash on Young Master Jin?”

“……!!”

The surrounding Guardian Lions all turned to stare at Cheon Yura at once, confused by what they’d just heard.

“T-that’s…!”

Her face turned beet red in an instant.

Half-covering her flushed face with her palm, Cheon Yura shouted at Sa Biyeon.

“Of course, that was a joke! Why would I ever leash that man?!”

Despite her outburst, her servant’s mischievous smile didn’t fade.

“Urgh! Stop teasing me, Biyeon!”

From a cliff in the Ten Thousand Mountains, the shrill cry of a girl began echoing deeply through the range.

***

“…What the hell was that just now?”

Jin Gun-ak, the Asura King and head of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan, winced as an unexpected echo scratched at his ears.

Though it came from an incredibly far distance, Jin Gun-ak’s extraordinary senses still caught it.

But he didn’t have time to focus on the strange noise.

His second son was approaching from the distance.

Second son—Jin Yeowoon, the Tyrant Dragon—bowed respectfully with his fists clasped.

“Clan Head. The placements for the Tyrant Dragon Unit, Nine Heavens Fist Demon Unit, Asura Flame King Unit, and Black Wind Killer Demon Unit are complete.”

Jin Gun-ak nodded lightly.

“Good. What’s the Ma Clan up to?”

“They haven’t moved an inch since their initial deployment.”

At those words, Jin Gun-ak stroked his beard with a suspicious look.

“As I thought, maybe it’s because that Ma Seonghwan bastard isn’t there.”

“That’s likely. Judging by the confirmed presence of Guanghyeol, the personal guard of the Ma Clan Lord, at Iron Steed Prison Cave’s entrance…”

It meant the Ma Clan Lord had entered Iron Steed Prison Cave alone despite mobilizing all this power.

“Damn that Sword Demon. What’s he scheming?”

He was tempted to enter Iron Steed Prison Cave himself, but—

“If it weren’t for that damned Heavenly Demon Order…”

Since the sudden activation of the Heavenly Demon Order by the Cult Leader, all access to Iron Steed Prison Cave had been strictly prohibited.

Even someone like Jin Gun-ak couldn’t defy a direct order.

Just then—

A voice called from outside the tent.

“Clan Head! The Young Head of the Saber Clan has arrived!”

“What?! Bring her in at once!”

Hearing that the Young Head of the Saber Clan had arrived, Jin Gun-ak’s expression lit up.

Composing himself quickly, he opened his arms wide as Pa Yeongyeong entered the command tent.

“Oh ho! Isn’t this the Young Head of the Saber Clan?!”

“I greet Clan Head Jin.”

“Ha ha ha! Is this our first meeting since your birthday last year?”

“Seems so.”

Pa Yeongyeong forced a smile as she accepted his greeting.

Seeing how visibly unwell she looked, Jin Gun-ak gently asked,

“Is your body still not fully healed?”

“Your son’s Qi was incredibly fierce. Honestly, it’s hard to believe that Young Master Jin isn’t the Young Head.”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Even such a pointed remark made Jin Gun-ak laugh heartily.

After all, it was still praise for his son.

Meanwhile, Pa Seolyeong, who had followed behind Pa Yeongyeong, glanced over at Jin Yeowoon.

To her surprise, Jin Yeowoon remained utterly unfazed and silent.

‘Hmm? Not even a flicker of emotion?’

Pa Seolyeong quietly admired how composed Jin Yeowoon looked while standing beside the Clan Head.

‘According to the intel, he’s supposed to be impulsive and brutal.’

But if he wasn’t reacting, then it could mean one of two things—

Either Jin Yeomyung had a tight grip on his younger brother…

Or Jin Yeowoon truly respected his older brother from the bottom of his heart.

‘Maybe it’s both.’

Just as Pa Seolyeong was quietly moved by the moment—

“Thank you for joining the war.”

“It’s nothing. Since the Illusion Clan stepped in, it only makes sense for the Saber Clan to balance the scale.”

“Hehehe, truly—if it wasn’t the illustrious Saber Clan, who else would be bold enough to act so decisively?”

Jin Gun-ak made no effort to hide his genuine gratitude.

When Ma Seonghwan mobilized an enormous force and marched out—

Sensing the danger, Jin Gun-ak likewise mustered the warriors of his main house in response.

He had staked everything on his eldest son—at the very least, he had to prevent his death.

However, just when things seemed secure, the Illusion Clan—who seemed entirely unrelated to the affair—suddenly raised an army in support of the Ma Clan, throwing Jin Gun-ak into a tight corner.

Even for someone like him, a two-on-one fight between members of the Six Great Demonic Clans was practically suicide.

‘Damn you, So Clan. Ignoring my request like that…’

In desperation, Jin Gun-ak had reached out to the Hidden Shadow So Clan, the nearest to the Jin Clan, seeking aid. But for some reason, the So Clan turned him down and firmly shut their gates.

As he stood at the brink, contemplating whether to abandon his eldest son and withdraw his forces—

An entirely unexpected move came from the Extreme Saber Clan, which suddenly mobilized and declared support for the Jin Clan.

Thus, with four factions now in place, a fragile balance was established, and the standoff around Iron Steed Prison Cave had continued for half a day.

“Where is the Supreme One now? If the Greatest Saber of the World stood with us, I’d feel more secure.”

“Unfortunately… the Clan Leader is not currently in the Ten Thousand Mountains.”

“Ah… has he gone to see the Saber Lord—no, the Saber Supreme again?”

“Yes, he’s quite the free-spirited one.”

The deep friendship between Saber Demon Pa Uryang and Saber Lord Heon Yanghu—surpassing mere camaraderie—was well-known throughout the Central Plains.

“North Heaven isn’t far from here, so he could’ve stayed close, especially since the Young Head was injured, but… tsk!”

Pa Yeongyeong and Pa Seolyeong gave subtle nods of agreement, smiling slightly.

Their bond was famous, sure—but when the Clan Leader vanished on a whim, it was always the subordinates left to clean up the mess.

“Clan Leader Jin.”

“Oh! Acting Head Pa Seolyeong!”

Jin Gun-ak beamed as he turned to Pa Seolyeong.

Though Pa Yeongyeong held the title of Young Head, the true power in the Saber Clan was none other than Pa Seolyeong.

Jin Gun-ak even went so far as to formally call her Acting Clan Head—a sign that he dared not take her lightly.

Especially now, when the Saber Clan had mobilized in the absence of their official leader, it meant the decision came from none other than the woman standing before him.

With a serious expression, Pa Seolyeong met Jin Gun-ak’s gaze.

“This may seem sudden… but I heard that before the Clan Leader left the mountains, he sent a letter to you, Clan Leader Jin.”

“Seolyeong.”

Pa Yeongyeong quickly tried to stop her, sensing the implications.

“Sister, this concerns the clan.”

Pa Seolyeong silenced her elder with that one phrase.

“Ah, you mean that?”

“Yes. It concerns the marriage pact between Young Master Jin Yeomyung and the Saber Clan’s Young Head, Pa Yeongyeong.”

Hmm.

Jin Gun-ak’s expression twisted subtly with nuance.

***

While conflict stirred among the four clans outside—

In the deepest part of Iron Steed Prison Cave, inside the sealed Jade Cave, events were unfolding at a frantic pace.

“What are you saying?! You’re going to give me Heaven-Slaying Star?! No, before that—you need treatment first!”

Ma Chulsoo reached out in alarm, trying to approach Ma Jinyoon.

I forcefully held Ma Chulsoo back.

“Let go, Jin Yeomyung!”

“Listen to me. Do you want to die together with your brother?”

Charging toward someone overtaken by Demonic Nature without preparation was the same as asking to be killed.

Ma Jinyoon gave me a faint nod of gratitude and spoke.

“Jin Yeomyung, if you’ve read the records, then you should understand what I’m saying.”

“…Yeah.”

“Unlike the Divine Demon Physique, which one must be born with, Heaven-Slaying Star can be transferred—but only once.”

I let out a deep sigh.

“I don’t like you, not one bit…”

“Good. I feel the same.”

Seeing how maturely Ma Jinyoon was handling things now left me with mixed feelings.

“There really isn’t a way to fix this?”

Ma Jinyoon silently shook his head.

“From the moment the Great Art given by the Lord ran rampant, it was over.”

“…Don’t you think that was Cheon Jumyeong’s trap?”

I still didn’t believe Cheon Jumyeong had passed on that art out of goodwill.

But Ma Jinyoon remained unmoved.

“Even if that were true… I was able to save my brother. That’s enough.”

“…Is that so?”

Ma Jinyoon looked again toward Ma Chulsoo.

“Brother, you don’t need to worry too much about the danger of Heaven-Slaying Star. Because of the Great Art, its energy is currently very stable.”

The state Ma Jinyoon was in now was only due to his shattered Dantian.

There was a high chance that the power of Heaven-Slaying Star, once inherited, would be entirely safe.

But Ma Chulsoo didn’t budge.

“I can’t accept it.”

“Ma Chulsoo!”

Even now, Ma Chulsoo was being indecisive, and I couldn’t help but shout at him.

He still couldn’t acknowledge his brother’s end, still turned his face away from reality.

‘Even after all I said!’

I seriously considered whether I needed to force it down his throat myself.

Just then, Ma Jinyoon said something that struck like lightning.

“Brother. The Clan Lord is coming.”

“…!”

“If you refuse—Heaven-Slaying Star will end up in the Clan Lord’s hands.”

“No way.”

I had been skeptical about the possibility of it being transferable… but could this have been the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan Leader’s true objective?

Ma Jinyoon voiced a truth no one wanted to hear.

“And then, having lost your value, you’ll be eliminated by the favored elder brother of the Clan Lord. If you want to avoid that… there’s only one path.”

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