Chapter 463: Ancient Covenant (3)

I held the True Star Sword.

Although its use was limited to a single time, its value was far from trivial.

The true merit of the True Star Sword lay not only in its power, but in its ability to bypass distinctions in rank.

As I retracted the True Star Sword, something hidden in my chest cavity began to resonate with it.

“Karmic Realm…”

Along with “Fate,” it was one of my last secret weapons.

Knowing I had increased my cards to save Yura was undeniably a good thing.

I slightly bowed my head to King Jin Gwang.

But he shook his head as if my gratitude displeased him.

“You needn’t thank me. This is merely a transaction, nothing more.”

Flash!

The portion of his eyes that had been concealed began to glow.

“Our appearance in the first place will bring nothing good for you or the humans on the surface. Ultimately, it’s only a matter of how you perish.”

Of course, he was right.

I had summoned them out of malevolence toward Heavenly Evil and his subordinates, in hopes of using poison against poison.

The more I thought, the more I understood the intentions of the Four Execution Kings.

“No matter how one perishes, it’s a matter of whether one can attain repose afterward.”

“Hoho…”

King Jin Gwang’s gaze shifted slightly.

The Ten Kings of Hell are the ones who judge souls after death and send them into the cycle of reincarnation. If Heavenly Evil’s true form manifested and the Age of Myth arrived, all life on the surface could neither be dragged into hell nor escape eternal exploitation by those judges.

Perhaps the senior brothers had wished that, rather than letting people suffer endlessly, they would at least find peace at the hands of the Hell Kings.

Of course… the wills of the humans subject to that choice still had no bearing at all.

King Jin Gwang, his expression subtly changed, asked again.

“Your insight is quite sharp. Do you have no intention of becoming a Judge? Someone like you could become the Chief Judge in a short time.”

When such a being says ‘a short time,’ it’s certainly not a few years.

It could be centuries, or even millennia.

“I still have much to do on the surface. I want to enjoy the joys and sorrows of life before choosing my next path.”

“Joys and sorrows…”

He looked surprised at that.

“You are indeed an unusual being.”

“I’ve been rather fortunate.”

It is well accepted even among high-ranked beings that the higher one’s level, the more emotions fade.

Thus, my display of emotion—even at the Supreme Demon Realm—must seem strange to him.

“Very well. Frankly, we do not relish forcibly ‘harvesting’ in defiance of the natural order either…”

He gathered his long sleeves and bowed lightly.

“Please, complete your task without undue delay.”

I nodded my head and returned his bow.

I sincerely hoped this meeting would be both the first and the last.

Ma Chulsoo and I exited the blood‑thickened stench of death lingering over Xi’an.

Ma Chulsoo, who had observed everything from beginning to end, asked me.

“Are you not going to finish it?”

“As you heard, they are not exactly enemies. And winning would cost too much.”

“Indeed…”

Ma Chulsoo nodded in hesitant agreement.

“If we could use Blood Divine Power, perhaps there would be a chance… but for now, it’s best not to clash.”

Ma Chulsoo seemed more concerned with the cost‑benefit of confronting King Jin Gwang than the horrors in Xi’an.

Well, his essence was that of a demon‑spirit.

But as for me—who was not innately a demon—I bowed my head slightly toward Xi’an, which had become an unwilling graveyard in this chaotic era.

After praying for the repose of those who had unwillingly become the dead, I decided on my next destination.

“Let’s go to Nakyang.”

The army of Heavenly Demon Divine Cult moved from Xi’an directly toward Nakyang.

The distance between Xi’an and Nakyang was roughly eight hundred li.

A typical convoy would have taken at least fifteen days, but Cheonma‑Shingyo managed to arrive within three days after merging with the main force.

And as soon as they reached Nakyang—

The sight of one collapsed section of wall in the thousand‑year‑old capital confronted them.

But—

“It looks surprisingly intact, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

Though one side of the wall had collapsed completely, soldiers and masked warriors appeared to be filling the gap by establishing a camp.

“I feared Nakyang might have suffered as badly as Xi’an, but thankfully it seems not.”

Still, an unmistakable tension remained; both soldiers and warriors wore troubled expressions.

While we were assessing the situation in Nakyang, dozens of mounted riders galloped toward us from afar.

At the front rode none other than Jegal.

“Y-Young Master… no, Young Master Jin… n-no! C-Cult Leader!”

She was so flustered that even this clever woman couldn’t get her words straight.

Only after she had practically rushed right up to me did she manage to calm her breathing, and only then did Jegal Eun offer a respectful greeting.

“I-I greet the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon of Divine Cult. I am Jegal Eun, strategist of the Murim Alliance.”

“Nice to meet you, Strategist Sama.”

“…?”

“…??”

A few subordinates behind her looked puzzled, and among those escorting her, the ones who knew my identity let out faint smirks.

Jegal Eun glared with wide, scolding eyes that seemed to ask, ‘Is this really the time for jokes?’

I shrugged with a slight smile.

“My apologies. I had heard the Alliance’s strategist was once praised as the Sacred Daughter of the Sama Clan.”

“That nickname was given arbitrarily by your people… no, never mind.”

Jegal Eun let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders.

Though it was Cheon Yura who arbitrarily gave her the Sama surname, she had used it so freely since then that there was no room left for excuses.

“I’ll escort you inside the Alliance for now. Let’s speak in more detail within.”

“Very well.”

“Currently… the Alliance Leader and all of the Alliance’s core experts are missing.”

“All of them?”

“Yes, everyone who fought against the previous Cult Leader, Cheon Yura.”

Including Baek Sang-ah and So Cheon, and also Dao Zun Jin Ryeong, Saber King Heon Yanghu, and Plum Blossom White Sword Jo Gongmyeong… all of the top-tier and extreme demon realm experts were said to have vanished.

“What about the bodies?”

“Strangely, none were found.”

“Is it possible they were attacked so thoroughly that not even corpses remained?”

Flinch!

Jegal Eun’s shoulders trembled greatly for a moment, and Strategist Wisdom Talent glared at me with an expression sharp enough to kill.

But even so, it was a question that had to be asked.

“I believe the possibility is low.”

“Your basis?”

“Because of Young Master So Cheon.”

Jegal Eun’s expression, which had momentarily wavered, hardened once again.

But because her emotional state was already unstable, she seemed like she might collapse at the slightest push.

“No matter the circumstances, even if the Cult Leader was the opponent, Young Master So Cheon would have ensured the Alliance Leader—his lady—escaped.”

“Hmm…”

Though it was a weak basis, I surprisingly found it quite plausible.

So Cheon may not have stood out due to his loose personality, but he was deeply obsessive and persistent.

More importantly, he hadn’t been alone—Dao Zun and Saber King were with him. With such powerful experts around, escaping wouldn’t have been impossible if they tried.

‘Even if trapped in a conceptual domain or something, that bastard So Cheon might figure out a way.’

It seemed genuinely plausible, enough that I was surprised at myself.

“Good. Let’s assume for now that they’re trapped somewhere. What is the current state of Nakyang?”

“As you likely saw on your way here… it’s not good.”

“…”

Jegal Eun’s face turned grim again.

I, too, quietly clicked my tongue.

Frankly, I had never imagined that proper supply lines would be impossible in a major city like Nakyang.

“The food shortage seems serious.”

“Yes. With trade routes to other cities virtually severed, and a large influx of refugees from nearby provinces, we’ve run into a major food crisis.”

Fortunately, there were grain-producing areas in the southwest, near Naksu and Isu. And also…

“Crops have been growing at an abnormal speed, which has helped us hold out, at least for now…”

This was one of the few beneficial side effects of the rapidly strengthening Heaven and Earth Energy.

“I’m sorry. We can’t afford to provide provisions for the forces of the Heavenly Demon of Divine Cult…”

“I understand. We’ll find a separate solution for the food issue.”

Jegal Eun lowered her head deeply in guilt.

The Heavenly Demon of Divine Cult was, for now, a savior, not an invader.

She wore that expression precisely because she knew that.

“There are three things I want to know. One, her condition—she who appeared in Nakyang. Two, what she sought here. And finally, the current state of Mount Tai.”

“For now… I can answer the second and third right away.”

After hearing Jegal Eun’s initial responses,

I stepped into the heart of the ruined city of Nakyang, into the inner castle where the Lord of Nakyang once resided.

No—the real destination lay beyond the ‘entrance’ that still existed here.

‘It’s been quite a while since I last visited this place.’

The uniquely heavy, sticky air welcomed me once more.

I let out a deep breath, savoring the atmosphere of Heaven of Sacred Spirits for the first time in ages.

‘Comfortable.’

Unlike the past, when I used to feel only oppressive pressure, now I felt nothing but comfort and tranquility.

That this place now felt more comfortable than the mortal world was proof that my level had surpassed the realm of humanity.

‘Yura… it’s certain the Grand Heavenly Lord passed through here.’

She had broken through the Murim Alliance’s defensive line, including Baek Sang-ah, and after pushing through to this place, she had suddenly vanished.

The surroundings were savagely torn apart.

Both the terrain and the energy.

But unlike before, there was one thing that had not changed.

In the distance, I could see the Heavenly Demon Founder in his youth fishing along the riverside.

I swiftly approached and bowed my head to him.

“It’s been a while, Master.”

It was at least fortunate that he remained unharmed.

But far behind him, a portion of the once-majestic Heaven of Sacred Spirits, which had resembled an ancient primeval forest, had been utterly ravaged.

The Heavenly Demon Founder in his youth smiled calmly, unchanged.

“It’s been a while, Disciple.”

Retrieving his fishing rod, he continued.

“There’s only one reason you’ve returned to this place. It must be because of the other disciple, correct?”

“……”

The other disciple.

His words clearly referred to Cheon Yura rather than Grand Heavenly Lord, and I stiffened slightly at the remark.

The Heavenly Demon Founder glanced at me and said casually,

“You’re quite alike.”

“What do you mean?”

“In essence.”

Essence… huh.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Huhu, are you questioning me even though you likely already have an idea?”

He looked at me with eyes full of serene insight.

By realm alone, I shouldn’t be inferior to him.

And yet, why did I feel completely exposed, as if I had no defenses?

“You, Disciple, possess both the power of Heavenly Evil and Earth Sage.”

I calmly nodded.

“So I’ve been told. Honestly, though, I can’t really perceive what this ‘power of Heavenly Evil’ is supposed to be.”

A faint quality one could barely detect even by entering deep contemplation in full lotus position.

They said it was thanks to this power of Heavenly Evil that I could deal with Four Atrocities Chaos more easily than expected.

But to my shame, I still couldn’t grasp the nature of this power.

“I find it hard to believe. Are you saying I didn’t notice foreign energy entering my body?”

“Normally, you would’ve noticed immediately. But right now, Disciple…”

His finger pointed toward the area around my dantian.

“You have those, don’t you?”

“…!”

What he referred to as ‘those’ were none other than the Founder’s Fragments.

“You’ve harbored alien true qi within you since before reaching the Supreme Demon Realm. Because of that, even when the power of Heavenly Evil merged into those fragments, you didn’t notice.”

The power of Heavenly Evil had merged with the Founder’s Fragments?

As I mulled over the meaning of his words—

“The other disciple is undergoing a transformation much like yours. Though unlike you, she is in a far more unstable state.”

“…!”

“More importantly, you did something amusing, albeit rather dangerous, to her, didn’t you?”

“…So you noticed.”

The Heavenly Demon Founder had instantly seen through the fact that I had embedded Yorang into her body.

“Of course I noticed. How could I not know the essence of my own being? However…”

The expression of the Heavenly Demon Founder, which had been composed the entire time, dimmed slightly.

“It is a very dangerous gamble. I understand your intent, but if mishandled, it could turn on you and devour you instead.”

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