“The realm of Celestial Being is not something you force your way into. When the heart is ready, it happens naturally.”

Unhwi spoke as he rose.

“You have already completed every preparation. Now you only need to empty your mind and wait.”

“But when…?”

“It seems you do not even realize it yourself yet.”

“What do you mean.”

“Right now.”

The moment Unhwi finished speaking, a subtle change began within Hwa Munyeom’s body. His aura was changing. The sharp, blade-like presence he had carried until now softened, deepening into something like a vast sea.

Feeling it, Hwa Munyeom closed the eyes he had been holding wide open.

As he naturally folded into a cross-legged seat, his posture looked as steady as an ancient tree.

Unhwi quietly stepped down from the pavilion.

The entry into Celestial Being had begun.

After putting a bit more distance between them, Unhwi silently watched Hwa Munyeom.

Crossing from Divine Manifestation to Celestial Being was an extremely dangerous process.

If something went wrong, one could fall into qi deviation, and in severe cases, internal power could surge backward and leave the practitioner crippled.

Someone approached Unhwi.

“The stabilized Heavenly Alliance will grow even more powerful now.”

It was Seo Hyo, who had become the Vice Alliance Lord of the Heavenly Alliance.

With an awkward expression, he scratched his head.

“I am sorry. I simply could not help overhearing a conversation between a Divine Manifestation ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) expert and you, sir. I should not have done that.”

Unhwi shook his head.

Conversations between true experts often naturally contained profound insight.

In a situation like this, that went without saying.

It was exceptionally rare for Unhwi to shape his words to the level of Celestial Being.

Even if Seo Hyo had lived as a merchant, his foundation was still that of a martial artist.

If a martial artist saw such a moment and simply withdrew, it would be disqualifying.

“I understand. Do not blame yourself.”

“…Thank you. As expected, your heart is surely broader than the sky, sir.”

“Enough of that. Was it helpful?”

Seo Hyo scratched his head again.

“There is… one thing that catches at me.”

“Speak.”

“The Alliance Lord, who was once the Vice Master of the Mukse Society, clearly has the dream of rebuilding the Millennium Demon Cult. I do as well. But you said mine and the Alliance Lord’s differ… and I do not quite understand.”

Unhwi looked toward the pavilion and paused for a moment before speaking.

“Seo Hyo. Why do you want to rebuild the Millennium Demon Cult?”

“Well… because the Millennium Demon Cult is the only organization that can create true order in the martial world.”

“Is that all?”

Seo Hyo hesitated, then shook his head.

“No. If I am honest… there is something like a destiny for me.”

“Destiny?”

“You know what my name means, do you not.”

“The dawn of the west.”

“You know what lies in the west. The Heavenly Mountains are there. And in that place…”

“The Millennium Demon Cult’s main sect once stood.”

“Yes. I was born where it fell during the Millennium Cataclysm. More precisely, in a small village near the Heavenly Mountains.”

Deep emotion colored Seo Hyo’s voice.

“I heard it from the time I was young. That the wind blowing down from the Heavenly Mountains carries the soul of the old demon cult. And that someday, someone would raise that soul again.”

Unhwi had only suspected it, and hearing it stated this directly was a first for him as well.

“So the rebuilding of the Millennium Demon Cult became your dream.”

“Rather than a dream… it would be more accurate to call it a mission. Every moment of my life has been aimed at it.”

Unhwi looked at Seo Hyo and said,

“That is the difference between you and Hwa Munyeom.”

“What difference is that?”

“To Hwa Munyeom, the Millennium Demon Cult is a means. A tool to establish order in the world. But to you, it is the goal itself.”

Seo Hyo’s eyes widened, and he nodded.

“That is right. To me, the Millennium Demon Cult is everything.”

“And that is why it is dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

Unhwi pointed toward the pavilion where Hwa Munyeom sat.

“Do you know what Hwa Munyeom just realized in there. A shift from revenge to protection. A change from destruction to guardianship.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“You are bound to the name Millennium Demon Cult. You are ready to do anything for that name, and it has become your identity.”

Seo Hyo’s face began to harden.

“But what truly matters is not the name Millennium Demon Cult, but the values it pursues. Order, justice, and peace in the martial world. Those must be the real goal.”

“Then are you saying I am thinking wrongly?”

“It is not wrong. It has a limit.”

Unhwi placed a hand on Seo Hyo’s shoulder.

“If you cling to the name Millennium Demon Cult, you may sometimes make the wrong choice for that name. But if you focus on the true values, you can fulfill that will even without the Millennium Demon Cult.”

“….”

“I am not telling you to deny your destiny. I am telling you to think about what the true meaning of that destiny is.”

Seo Hyo stayed silent for a long time, then spoke.

“Then what do you think I should do, sir?”

“Do as you have been doing. Grow the Heavenly Alliance, establish order in the martial world, and realize justice. In that process, the spirit of the Millennium Demon Cult will revive naturally.”

“Not the name, but the spirit…”

“That is right. The name is only a shell. What matters is the meaning held inside.”

It was a truth so clear it did not even need emphasis.

The name Millennium Demon Cult was a symbol of fear and dread, and also of reverence.

To flaunt the name alone was foolish.

Only if it possessed a level of might comparable to the Original Blood Cult could it truly be the Millennium Demon Cult.

If only the name was Millennium Demon Cult, how was that any different from back-alley children playing at games?

That was why, though the desire to rebuild the Millennium Demon Cult had persisted for centuries, no one had actually put it into action.

“Everything that exists in this world must ultimately be supported by solidity within.”

“It feels like you are looking far too far ahead, sir.”

“Hard to keep up?”

“It is hard, but I will try.”

Unhwi gave a small smile.

“A good attitude. I will watch over the Alliance Lord, so go and handle the work that has piled up.”

Strictly speaking, the Vice Alliance Lord ranked above the Heavenly Arbiter, but there was no one here watching.

Seo Hyo performed a respectful clasped-fist salute.

“I will do so. And if you need anything, please tell me, whatever it may be.”

With that, Seo Hyo stepped aside.

Time passed.

Many people came and went in between.

Chief Seong came as well, and those newly appointed as elders came, and figures from the Mukse Society came too.

Unfortunately, his daughter Hwa Muryeong and Dong Murin did not come.

After stepping down from her post at Cheonsu Temple, Hwa Muryeong had become the Grand Elder of the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace and was running the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace together with Dong Murin, while the one who had previously been the vice leader of the Flame Star Division became the new head of Cheonsu Temple and was working under the authority entrusted to him by Hwa Muryeong.

In any case, after finishing brief conversations with all of them, the time Unhwi had remained here amounted to exactly two days.

During those two days, Unhwi made his decision.

Before long, Hwa Munyeom slowly opened his eyes.

There was a depth in them that had not been there before. Like the eyes of an ancient tree that had endured long years, there was a gentle warmth that seemed capable of embracing everything in the world.

“Congratulations, Alliance Lord.”

At Unhwi’s congratulation, Hwa Munyeom smiled.

“Thank you. Without you, it would have been impossible.”

“You were already prepared. I only indicated the direction.”

Hwa Munyeom rose from his seat. His movements were completely different than before—more natural, more harmonious.

“Now I understand. What Celestial Being is.”

“What is it?”

“To become one with the world. My martial arts become a part of the world, and the world becomes a part of my martial arts.”

Hwa Munyeom continued while looking at the go board.

“Now, the meaning of this board looks different too. What matters is not victory or defeat, but harmony.”

“That is correct. That is the core of Celestial Being.”

Looking at Hwa Munyeom, who had ascended to Celestial Being, Unhwi spoke.

It was the resolve he had reached while guarding him through those two days.

“I will step down from the post of Heavenly Arbiter and return to Snow Mountain.”

Hwa Munyeom’s expression hardened.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep