Chapter 260: A Formidable Existence

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The forest held its breath.

That was how it felt.

GULP.

A dry swallow went down quietly.

Thus Yeom Sang-ah was seized by extreme tension.

Today was the first time she had seen him.

The real figure of the current Grand Prelate of Heavenly Demon Cult, called the Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor.

Yet she knew of him.

For she had heard stories about him in the past.

Aryun-nan had once said.

That the first and youngest Grand Prelate in Heavenly Demon Cult’s history had been born.

-His name is Gun Mu-ak. Within Heavenly Demon Cult, he is revered by the title Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor.

-Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor…

-Yes. An arrogant epithet. Hoot.

-But if he’s the youngest, then his age…?

-He was around your age.

-…!

-Are you surprised? Well, I was too.

-Then, do you mean you met him?

-Recently.

-Ah…

-Thinking it might help with our affairs, I arranged a private meeting and briefly probed his intentions, but he and Heavenly Demon Cult as a whole still had no particular interest in external activities. That’s why I decided to focus on maintaining relations with Asura Demon Cult.

-I see.

-Hoo. They may be quietly building strength while scheming something behind the scenes… but before that, our cult will seize the martial world. Then Heavenly Demon Cult will naturally come seeking cooperation for friendly relations.

-Yes, Father is right. But what was your first impression of the Grand Prelate? His potential must be at an tremendous level, right? To have risen to that position at the youngest age…

-Well, I’m not sure.

-Pardon?

-He was certainly an absolute master, but it was difficult to accurately gauge his power. I could only roughly estimate.

-…!

-What, are you worried? That he might become a great threat later?

-Yes… I’d be lying if I said otherwise.

-Huhu, there’s nothing to worry about. He’s beneath me anyway.

‘He was wrong.’

Yeom Sang-ah’s thought.

Yes, he had missed the mark completely.

Aryun-nan’s prediction at that time…

Now that she was facing him like this, she could feel it with her whole body.

Gun Mu-ak’s formidable aura.

But why couldn’t Aryun-nan, who had been stronger than herself, feel it?

The reason was simple.

Gun Mu-ak’s martial attainment had already surpassed Aryun-nan’s at that time.

By an enormous gap at that.

In other words, to the extent that he could readily disrupt the exquisite senses of Aryun-nan, who had achieved two Rejuvenations.

Most likely.

Suddenly.

SEUK.

A figure approached and stood behind Gun Mu-ak’s back.

‘…!’

Yeom Sang-ah was shocked anew.

Because, just as before, she couldn’t detect the secretive presence of that movement.

The identity of the figure was a young woman in white.

“Grand Prelate.”

She bowed her head demurely along with her soft words.

A pale and smooth forehead, dark and slender eyebrows, deer-like eyes, and an elegant nose like a boat-shaped sock toe along with cherry-like lips.

She was beautiful.

Also.

She was sacred.

She boasted a dignified bearing that stood out more than her beauty.

A figure reminiscent of a celestial maiden’s nobility and purity.

It was strange.

For she clearly belonged to the Heavenly Demon Cult and was a demoness…

The startled Yeom Sang-ah saw something.

What the woman in white was holding in both hands – a pair of gleaming iron bells.

The iron bells were even larger than an average person’s head.

Seeing that, Yeom Sang-ah immediately realized.

The identity of the woman in white.

‘The Heavenly Demon Cult’s Dharma Protector!’

A Dharma Protector, a high-ranking position within the cult – official title is the Demon Heaven Left Attendant.

She was Eun Yi-bi, a demoness known by the epithet Little-Face Bell Demoness.

She was originally a woman who had already passed fifty years of age.

Yet her actual face looked as youthful as a woman in her twenties.

The reason was simple.

It was the effect of applying Beautification Technique, which was commonly popular among female masters.

However, Eun Yi-bi’s internal power was so profound that the effect was maximized.

Otherwise, she couldn’t possibly look like she was in her twenties.

It was maintenance of a youthful appearance at the cost of lifespan.

Since maximizing the effect of Beautification Technique consumed a certain amount of innate true energy.

Eun Yi-bi had probably used about four or five years of life force.

In other words, it could be called the price of realizing her primal desires for beauty and youth.

Soon, Gun Mu-ak gave an order.

“Give it to her.”

At that, Eun Yi-bi, standing behind him, placed a bundle on the nearby ground.

Immediately after.

SARARARAK, SARARARAK.

Yo Mong-ji untied the bundle and took out a set of white palace attire.

It was identical to what Eun Yi-bi was wearing.

Yeom Sang-ah, examining those clothes, realized yet another thing.

‘So that’s how it was! You too…!’

-HEUUUK! Yo Mong-ji… how dare…

-My, don’t strain yourself. You’re going to die here anyway. And that’s not my real name.

The words she had heard earlier.

Now she understood clearly.

The true identity hidden behind the alias Yo Mong-ji.

Demon Heaven Right Attendant, Delusional Seductive Demoness Ya Baek-ji.

One who executes deadly illusion-type demonic arts that stimulate the target’s desires and guides them to the netherworld…

“I missed this sect attire.”

Ya Baek-ji, having spoken with a graceful smile, stripped off her clothes in one motion.

A voluptuous naked body that stimulated lust.

But the dark brown pupils of Gun Mu-ak, who gazed upon it, showed not even the slightest tremor.

Utterly indifferent.

A feeling of having transcended all desires.

Much like Cheol Ryu-heun, who was the reincarnation of the Divine Martial Sword.

In the instant Ya Baek-ji began changing clothes.

‘Now’s the time!’

Yeom Sang-ah thought this was an opportunity to escape.

Fighting would be difficult, so she thought that if she deployed lightness skill empowered by extreme internal power, accepting the worsening of her internal injuries, she might be able to secure an escape route.

Just as she was about to explosively release massive energy through her Bubbling Spring point.

“Stop.”

Gun Mu-ak, having spoken quietly, moved his head.

A gaze directed at Yeom Sang-ah.

‘HEUP!’

Yeom Sang-ah, meeting his eyes, trembled from wave-like shivers.

Rain and wind blew fiercely.

They beat against her entire body wildly.

An aching sensation arose.

From the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

Of course, it was an illusion.

Just his gaze had given such a feeling.

She couldn’t move at all from merely meeting his eyes briefly.

She felt as if she had become a stone statue.

As if all her blood was growing chill and hardening…

Ya Baek-ji, who had finished changing clothes before she knew it, covered her mouth with one hand and laughed.

“Huhu, how cute. You thought of escaping at a time like this?”

Following that, a strange sound was heard.

CHYUCHYUCHYU, CHYUCHYUCHYU…

Ya Baek-ji’s features rapidly changed to those of someone in their twenties.

It was Beautification Technique of a level comparable to Eun Yi-bi’s.

But even her facial features changed completely differently.

She had harmoniously used Face-Changing Technique, which alters one’s appearance.

That was Ya Baek-ji’s original face.

Immediately after.

FLOATING.

Ya Baek-ji’s clothes and banana leaf fan placed on the ground floated up like feathers.

HWAREUREUREUREUK, HWAREUREUREUREUREURK-!

They were engulfed by strange flames and quickly disappeared.

Samadhi True Fire.

It was Gun Mu-ak’s handiwork.

With just a gaze, he had manifested the energies of Telekinesis and Samadhi True Fire.

Yeom Sang-ah’s thoughts became paralyzed.

She was terrified.

That was not the ability of an ordinary master.

It was fearsome cultivation that seemed to have reached the end of the superhuman realm.

She had to give up on life.

There was no longer any way to avoid death.

Thus Yeom Sang-ah sank into deep despair.

Gun Mu-ak, hands clasped behind his back, opened his mouth.

“Your aptitude is outstanding.”

Yeom Sang-ah, hearing that voice, felt chills creep up her spine.

‘Eugh…!’

How could a person be like that?

He subjugated the opponent’s body and mind with just his voice.

Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor… she understood why he was called by such an epithet.

Could there really exist a person in this world capable of facing him?

A figure suddenly came to mind.

The secretive helper that Aryun-nan had mentioned.

At that time, he had declared.

That this was someone who far surpassed his own strength.

-Did you spar with him?

-No.

-Th-then…

-On the day we first met, I was overwhelmed by the force he emitted.

-…!

-The moment I saw him, I immediately realized. That a martial contest itself would be meaningless. That was my first time experiencing such a shiver.

-Father, at that time you had already achieved two Rejuvenations…

-I felt that even that was insufficient. That’s why I’ve been compliant until now.

-I can hardly believe it. What kind of person is he…

Was this how Aryun-nan had felt at that time?

In any case, only someone with martial prowess on par with that nameless secretive helper could properly face Gun Mu-ak, the first and youngest Grand Prelate in Heavenly Demon Cult’s history.

THUMP.

Yeom Sang-ah, her legs losing strength, collapsed and muttered to herself.

“In the end… so futilely…”

Gun Mu-ak, seeing that sight, continued speaking.

“Though your talent is regrettable, I will dispose of you here. For the acts of a traitor are bound to repeat themselves eventually.”

At that, Delusional Seductive Demoness Ya Baek-ji, having nodded slightly, walked forward, her skirt hem trailing.

“Yes. She’s an untrustworthy wench. I shall deal with her.”

Then she spoke coldly toward Yeom Sang-ah.

“The foolishness of overlooking the size of your own vessel because of desire has summoned death. Hoo, find out in the afterlife why I spent such a long time infiltrating the Sun Moon Demon Cult. I’ll send you off comfortably as a special favor. Since false affection is still affection.”

But suddenly.

PAT-!

A figure rushed like a ray of light toward Ya Baek-ji’s face.

KWAKKWANG!

Black haze spread in circles like ripples.

It was the residue of force waves created by the clash of offense and defense.

At that figure’s sudden offensive, Ya Baek-ji retreated half a step.

“My goodness… you arrived faster than I thought?”

The figure’s identity was the Third Apostle.

“Young Lady! I shall escort you!”

Having shouted briefly, the Third Apostle quickly supported Yeom Sang-ah and helped her stand.

Suddenly.

PEOPONG!

Intangible force that flew in before they knew it separated the two.

“UUK!”

“HEUUT!”

Thus the Third Apostle and Yeom Sang-ah, tumbling on the ground, let out pained sounds.

The true form of the powerful intangible force was Telekinesis manifested by Gun Mu-ak.

However.

PAK!

Gritting his teeth, the Third Apostle desperately sprang to his feet.

At that moment, Little-Face Bell Demoness Eun Yi-bi’s voice was heard.

“Stop. Refrain from rash action.”

Simultaneously, she rapidly crossed both hands in front of her chest.

CHIRIRIRIRIRING-!

From the forcefully colliding iron bells, tremendous power was released.

Explosive wave-form sound power carrying turbid demonic energy.

KKWAGWAGWAGWANG!

The Third Apostle, swept up in it, was bounced backward.

KUNG- JJEOJEOJEK!

When he slammed his back into a rock and collapsed face-down on the ground.

“KEO… HEO…!”

A quiet voice reached his ears.

“I shall gift you the pleasure you desire.”

It was Ya Baek-ji.

* * *

KKUNG-

When Divine Wind descended onto a clearing in the forest.

-CHIRIRIRIRIRING… KKWAGWAGWAGWANG…

A series of sounds was heard from the distance.

Faint echoes.

Cheol Ryu-heun, who had been gazing at that section of sky, pulled the reins and spoke.

“That way.”