Chapter 452: A New Sky (3)

Seven days and nights had passed.

The battlefield had long since been cleared, and the blood-fueled frenzy that had engulfed Ten Thousand Great Mountain was beginning to settle down.

Yet, the heavy scent of blood still lingered thickly throughout the mountain.

Thud!

A massive serpent, large enough to swallow several people whole, collapsed to the ground, spraying blood laced with venomous energy.

“This side is done!”

“Disassembly team, hurry up!”

As though they had done this many times before, dozens of workers and warriors rotated positions and began their work.

One burly worker began skinning the snake with the weapon he had been issued.

“Damn it, if it’s not Divine Vessel-level, the blade won’t even go in properly.”

“Just bear with it. These giant bastards are getting harder and harder to find.”

As one worker grumbled, another chuckled and patted his shoulder.

“Well, it’s not like big scores like this come every day.”

Naturally, the hides, meat, and blood of these things were worth a fortune.

Up until now, their overwhelming numbers and the internal chaos had made coordinated hunting difficult, but ever since the upper ranks of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had stabilized, they had become nothing more than lucrative prey.

Of course, not everyone who had come here was simply after a quick fortune.

Nearby, a worker emanating a trace of ghostly energy spoke.

“My son was eaten alive by those things. I’ll never quit this work until we’ve uprooted every last one of them.”

“…Stay strong.”

“I heard the Man Clan working over there recently lost their mother too.”

The atmosphere immediately turned solemn.

In just a few short months, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had spilled a tremendous amount of blood.

According to rough estimates, over ten thousand innocent cult members had lost their lives, and thousands of warriors had perished.

Among those gathered here, many had lost family members or relatives.

Just then, another person who had been silently slicing the hide spoke up.

“At least we’ve had it easier.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The Central Plains have apparently turned into a complete hell thanks to those demonic beasts.”

“Hmm…”

“It’s just a rumor, but they say Beijing’s been utterly destroyed. That massive city wall crumbled in an instant.”

The speaker was from a vassal family under the Extreme Pa Clan.

His words carried a certain credibility.

Anxiety spread across the workers’ faces.

“Isn’t Beijing the largest city in the Central Plains?”

“I heard its walls were towering… but still, that’s…”

“If hundreds or thousands of things like these rampaged, it might not be so impossible.”

“……”

“……”

The surroundings fell silent.

Even the snake beast they were dissecting now could easily scale a city wall.

Considering how tough its hide was, ordinary soldiers wouldn’t even be able to respond to it.

As the unease deepened, someone shouted in irritation.

“What does it matter what happens to Beijing?! Don’t we have the Heavenly Demon with us now?!”

“Ah!”

“R-Right!”

Immediately, the anxiety vanished from their faces.

The god who had ascended years ago had returned, descending into the body of another to protect them in a world gone mad.

This was how most cult members responded to the appearance of the new Heavenly Demon.

Of course, considering the ages of Jin Yeomyung and Cheon Taejong, it was logically impossible, but such rational matters were never important to the cult members.

What mattered was that with the new Heavenly Demon’s appearance, the confusion in the cult had subsided, and order had been restored.

“The Supreme One will handle everything. All we have to do is focus on our duties!”

“Absolutely!”

Just as the mood was about to shift—

“Thank you for saying that.”

“…Huh?”

A figure clad in the ascendant Black Dragon Robe appeared before their eyes.

“…Huhuh?”

Within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, only one person was permitted to wear the Black Dragon Robe.

And the only one who could command those bearing the seal of the Guardian Hall at this time—

Nearly a hundred cult members dropped to their knees in unison.

“T-The Heavenly De—!”

“Enough.”

I gestured with my hand to stop the cult members who were about to prostrate themselves fully.

“I was merely passing through and overheard you. Excessive formality isn’t necessary at a worksite.”

With a flick of my Sword Intent, I lifted the corpse of the massive snake.

Then with a simple wave of my hand, I separated its flesh from bone.

“Ooooooh!”

That tough demonic beast being dismantled so easily drew gasps of admiration from many.

“Then, carry on.”

I passed by the cult members who kept bowing their heads and continued heading north.

“The atmosphere isn’t bad.”

Sa Biyeon, who was attending me by my side, nodded with satisfaction.

“The presence of a dependable pillar offers peace of mind to many. Even if it’s not something religious.”

I let out a brief laugh and nodded.

“It’s still too early for them to truly feel they can rely on me. I haven’t even held an official enthronement ceremony yet.”

“You will surely do well, Supreme One.”

A week ago, it had been publicly declared throughout Ten Thousand Great Mountain that I had ascended to the position of Heavenly Demon without a formal enthronement.

Most cult members accepted and acknowledged it without issue, but among the warriors, not a few still looked at me with eyes filled with doubt.

Especially since I was the first Cult Leader and Heavenly Demon not from the Cheon Clan—such a title created a sense of alienation among the field warriors.

“Well, let’s just hope this visit goes well.”

The place we were headed to was none other than—

The main house of the Cheon Clan.

Even though I had recently declared myself the Cult Leader and Heavenly Demon and ordered the Cheon Clan’s closure, they had shown no response.

The envoy sent to the Cheon Clan had been unable to penetrate the formation blocking the entrance and had returned empty-handed. In the end, I decided to visit personally.

Not long after—

I stood before the walls of the Cheon Clan, where I had once run amok with Yura.

“Welcome, Cult Leader.”

“That’s unexpected.”

I let out a faint smirk as I looked at the dozens who opened the gates to greet us.

“Seems like you’ve finally sorted out the internal turmoil?”

At my question, the elderly man with the wiry build at the front nodded.

“There were significant losses. Only now have we managed to restore the family’s discipline.”

On either side of the old man stood others of similar age, shoulder to shoulder.

‘All Extreme Demon Realm… Truly, the strength of the Cheon Clan is astounding…’

From what I knew, over ten Extreme Demon Realm experts, including the Seven Elders, had been mobilized to strike at Daecheong-gun at the time.

And not a single one of them had survived.

Yet the Cheon Clan still had Extreme Demon Realm experts?

“I am Cheon Hyeonbaek.”

The old man in the center bowed respectfully.

“I serve as the Second Elder of the Cheon Clan’s Elder Councils.”

“…Second Elder?”

There were three who had stepped forward.

Yet he called it the Elder Councils?

Cheon Hyeonbaek elaborated.

“The First Elder, who now has difficulty moving, has decided to continue advising in a consultative capacity. Thus, I have become the Second Elder.”

“…It seems you are older than expected.”

If he referred to the First Elder without any honorifics, then he must be of such seniority that even within the Cheon Clan, few could match him.

“A figure of the previous generation, then.”

“That is correct.”

“So he did not enter the Supreme Demon Palace.”

Traditionally, retired elders of a certain realm were to enter the Supreme Demon Palace.

Of course, a figure from the Cheon Clan could easily ignore such rules.

Cheon Hyeonbaek gave a wry smile.

“Being under the Heavenly Brain Clan is something that, pride-wise, was hard to accept.”

“Ah, I understand.”

I understood immediately.

The current Lord of the Supreme Demon Palace was none other than Heavenly Researcher.

Given that the Heavenly Brain Clan, to which he belonged, held a rather ostracized position even within the Cheon Clan, it wasn’t difficult to understand.

“Well, I’m not here to fuss over such things.”

“Thank you.”

“What I require from your clan are four things.”

At the mention of four conditions, the expressions of Cheon Hyeonbaek and the elders briefly stiffened, but they soon nodded calmly.

“We shall listen with utmost respect.”

“First, the Cheon Clan shall acknowledge my status and authority and publicly declare it.”

“……”

“Second, as previously stated, you will acknowledge the existence of the Seven Clans and seal your gates for the next fifty years.”

At the word ‘Seven Clans,’ their expressions stiffened visibly this time.

But I ignored their reactions and continued.

“Third, from this day forth, all authority of the Cheon Clan will be transferred to Cult Leader Cheon Yura.”

That much had already been announced publicly, so they should be aware.

“What is the final condition?”

“The last is simple. Hold a grand funeral for the fallen elder of the Cheon Clan, Cheon Yeongha, within the clan grounds… with me in attendance.”

“…None of these are easy.”

Cheon Hyeonbaek let out a deep sigh.

The final condition may have seemed simple on the surface, but it was essentially no different from allowing a non-Cheon Clan member into the core of the clan.

“You will answer here and now.”

“What if we refuse even one of the conditions?”

“You will be annihilated. By my own hand, today.”

I completely shut down any attempt to test my limits.

Not a single one of the four conditions could be compromised.

“…We have no choice then.”

Cheon Hyeonbaek raised his hand.

Immediately, the elders beside him and the fifty elites they had brought all released an overwhelming surge of combat qi in unison.

“Hm, interesting.”

The Sword Demon, who had been quietly hiding his presence in the back, tried to step forward, but I lifted a hand to stop him.

This wasn’t a case of negotiations falling apart, as they hadn’t shown any true killing intent.

As expected, Cheon Hyeonbaek had not come with the intent to become my enemy.

“These individuals were selected from among the survivors of the recent upheaval. In essence… if judged by current active strength alone, they represent the final power of the Cheon Clan.”

“…I see.”

I briefly swept my gaze behind Cheon Hyeonbaek.

All of them were at the Peak Master Level or above. And none appeared to be mere beginners.

They had not called them the final power of the Cheon Clan without reason.

If these individuals aged ten more years, they would become the senior Supreme Demon Palace elders I had once faced at the Heavenly Thunder Corps.

“Defeat all of us, including myself, without inflicting a single injury. If you succeed, we shall recognize you as one of the Fourth Great Heavenly Demons and accept all your conditions without protest.”

“…Without a single injury.”

To subdue high-ranking elders of the Cheon Clan who would charge at me with their lives on the line?

“Such absurd nonsense.”

The Sword Demon behind me muttered his dissatisfaction.

Even for the Sword Demon, this was an impossible task.

Only a true transcendent could accomplish it.

“Fine.”

I flicked my hand.

“Come.”

It might seem similar to when I had fought the Supreme Demon Palace elites, but this time, the condition of “without injury” had been added.

Even minor internal wounds could be argued as injuries under such a condition.

The moment I flicked my hand—

“Attack!”

“Graaaah!”

Led by Cheon Hyeonbaek, over fifty masters charged at me with explosive force, as though they were ready to burn their very qi center in the process.

Seeing their fierce charge, I laughed bitterly to myself.

‘If I even tried to counter them, they’d suffer internal injuries from the recoil.’

That’s how furiously they were raising their energy.

‘It can’t be helped.’

I lightly waved my hand toward the oncoming group.

And then, something formless—something they could never detect—shot toward their foreheads all at once.

Immediately upon release—

Thud!

Every single one of them, except for Cheon Hyeonbaek,

Without a single exception, collapsed in place mid-charge.

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