Chapter 263: An Honest Enemy

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The silence deepened further.

Cheol Ryu-heun’s provocative statement once again invited stillness.

However, Gun Mu-ak didn’t react strongly.

He merely cast his gaze quietly.

While maintaining a distance of about three zhang.

On the other hand, Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji were internally shaken.

‘…!’

It wasn’t just because of the insolent words they had heard earlier.

Nihilistic aura.

The main cause was being unable to sense the power that Cheol Ryu-heun possessed.

On top of that, a strange illusion was layered.

It was an optical illusion.

Just as Ximen Yue, Seol Hu-yong, and others had seen unprecedented darkness through Gun Mu-ak a moment ago.

A massive white-glowing mountain was captured by Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji’s dark brown pupils.

A phantom that didn’t exist.

A dazzling and enormous mountain created by Cheol Ryu-heun’s presence.

Was that all?

An enormous sword pierced through the mountain and soared upward.

What followed immediately was an auditory hallucination.

-KKWAKKWANG-! KWARURURU, KWARURU, KWARURURU…

The exploded mountain was collapsing.

However,

The debris expanded infinitely and gave birth to another massive mountain.

And

Pure white light spread widely.

With the place where Cheol Ryu-heun stood as the center, white mountains extended wildly outward.

It was as if this entire land had transformed into a mountainous region.

Moreover, the sword stood like a pillar, connecting heaven and earth directly.

It was majestic.

Truly a wondrous illusion.

Divine status.

That’s right.

It was a presence reminiscent of a Martial God who freely roamed between the celestial and earthly realms.

Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji, who felt such a sensation, were enveloped in wave-like shivers and got goosebumps.

FLASH!

The sword connecting heaven and earth emitted brilliant light.

The darkness was half cleared.

A pure white magnificent radiance clashing with the emptiness of darkness that symbolized Gun Mu-ak’s overwhelming presence.

Darkness and light were fiercely mixing at the center of the gap.

That illusion also rang with auditory hallucinations.

-KUKUKUKUKU… KUKUKUKUKU… KUKUKUKUKU…!

The advancing white mountain and the resisting wall of darkness continuously collided, playing thunderous sounds.

A contest without an inch of yielding.

All those illusions and auditory hallucinations suddenly disappeared cleanly.

“As you can see… I have no intention of swinging my sword either.”

Gun Mu-ak’s soft, dry voice had awakened Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji’s minds.

The two women calmed their shivers.

‘Huuu…’

Now they could finally breathe a little.

Meanwhile, they harbored the same question in their minds.

‘Could he possibly be on a level equal to the Grand Prelate?’

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun moved.

With bold strides.

Footsteps advancing without hesitation.

Seeing that, Gun Mu-ak also walked forward with a composed attitude.

The two soon stopped with a gap of five or six paces between them.

Gun Mu-ak, having faced him directly, muttered internally.

‘An interesting fellow.’

The opponent’s indifferent expression stimulated his curiosity.

He had already identified him.

He had immediately recognized him as Cheol Ryu-heun upon seeing the horse and clothes.

Anyway,

Facing him at close range brought a peculiar feeling.

It was different from when he had seen him from afar.

What were those nihilistic pupils?

There was absolutely no light of emotion.

Like a transcendent of a superhuman realm who had achieved enlightenment regarding the principles of all creation.

How could a person’s eyes look so emotionless?

This was the first time.

Facing such a person.

It was more than unfamiliar.

Cheol Ryu-heun’s gaze was an endless abyss.

Calm and profound.

The more one looked, the more it felt as if there were no emotions whatsoever in his heart…

It was refreshing.

And

It was curious.

He wanted to learn a bit more.

At least one thing had become clear.

The fact that it was he who had killed Aryun-nan.

However, there was something strange.

While his clothes were scorched and torn, there wasn’t even a small scratch on his body.

‘It must be proof that he far surpasses Aryun-nan’s power. Without receiving a single wound.’

That wasn’t particularly surprising.

Overwhelmingly subduing Aryun-nan was something he himself was also capable of with his own abilities…

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun suddenly lowered his gaze and spoke:

“Very large. Befitting the title of the Heavenly Demon Cult Grand Prelate.”

He indicated Gun Mu-ak’s lower region with a chin gesture.

Below the navel.

The party in the rear revealed bewildered looks upon seeing that.

What? He suddenly says it’s big – could he be talking about… that? No, is he saying that thing hidden in the pants is visible to him? How?

Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji, whose cheeks had reddened for some reason, exchanged glances.

Indeed, it’s large.

Of course…

We saw it long ago.

Since childhood, that place was exceptional.

Amid that, Gun Mu-ak calmly responded.

“Did you read my energy?”

“Not all of it.”

The party who heard those words scratched the backs of their heads awkwardly.

Ah… he meant the internal power of the lower dantian?

Cheol Ryu-heun recalled the words he had exchanged with Aryun-nan before his death.

-I met the Asura Demon Cult Leader a short while ago.

-…!

-He was at a level surpassing your current internal power. And he will become even stronger.

-What…

-Even such a fellow is crouching quietly, believing the time hasn’t come, yet you foolishly dare to act up.

Yes, the Asura Demon Cult was currently exercising restraint.

However,

This fellow before his eyes was different.

He had boldly appeared in this land and revealed who he was.

As if he cared about nothing.

That meant the Heavenly Demon Cult had completed some kind of preparation.

Indeed, they wouldn’t have wasted those long, long two hundred years.

A faint smile passed across Gun Mu-ak’s lips.

“Your energy sensing is excellent. How is it? Isn’t it weaker compared to yours?”

“Stop playing innocent. You’ve hidden even greater power. I don’t know how much, though.”

“I too… have read something.”

“You’re going to talk about my body.”

“…!”

“Well, I’m good at hitting the mark.”

“Yes, it seems so. The energy circulation in your body appears to break martial arts common sense.”

“For you to figure that out through energy sensing alone, you’re quite capable. Now, the probing ends here. I hate wasting time.”

Cheol Ryu-heun slightly waved his hand along with his words.

It meant to honestly tell him the reason he had come here.

“I came for two purposes. One of them… I just accomplished it. The disposal of the Sun Moon Demon Cult.”

“The word ‘disposal’ is quite meaningful.”

“Currently, our cult is proceeding with the demonic path unification.”

At that, the party in the rear stirred greatly.

Demonic path unification.

In other words, didn’t it mean incorporating the Asura Demon Cult, Illusion Demon Cult, and others as subordinate organizations centered on the Heavenly Demon Cult?

It was something that couldn’t help but be surprising.

Moreover, it was excessively honest.

They hadn’t expected him to openly bring up such a topic.

However, Cheol Ryu-heun’s reaction was merely dry.

“And?”

“Of course, the Sun Moon Demon Cult was also a target of demonic path unification. But they are no longer necessary.”

The moment Gun Mu-ak’s words ended, Cheol Ryu-heun grasped the hidden meaning.

“I see, you’ve restored the demonic techniques that will replace the Sun Moon Demon Cult.”

“You hit the mark again.”

Gun Mu-ak’s left hand pointed to the rear.

“She is here.”

The place the finger was directed.

Little-Face Bell Demoness Eun Yi-bi stood there.

Gun Mu-ak, having withdrawn his hand, continued speaking:

“She is our cult’s Demon Heaven Left Attendant. She has inherited the Sun Moon Great Demonic Heaven Art, the origin of the Sun Moon Demon Arrival Technique that was lost due to the Sun Moon Demon Cult’s creation in the past. More precisely, it should be called a new Sun Moon Great Demonic Heaven Art.”

“With your power?”

“That’s right. About half.”

It was a succession of honest answers.

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke meaningfully:

“You resemble him.”

“What do you mean?”

Gun Mu-ak’s question came with Cheol Ryu-heun’s indifferent answer flying back.

“The First Heavenly Demon.”

Heavy silence descended once again.

Heavenly Demon.

The pioneer of the demonic martial world who ascended by stepping on the ninth heaven a thousand years ago, and an existence recorded as the sole god.

The complexions of Ximen Yue and the rest of the party turned pale.

‘He resembles him?’

Everyone immediately realized.

The true meaning of what Cheol Ryu-heun had just said.

Sure enough, Cheol Ryu-heun opened his mouth again.

“You intend to walk the path he once walked again.”

“Correct. My goal is to construct the combat power of the period that was both the starting point and the golden age of our cult’s history.”

Cheol Ryu-heun’s statement caused an intangible shockwave.

“And after that, you intend to seize the position of the absolute Hegemon who dominates the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic martial worlds”

“Yes. Though it’s still too early.”

Ximen Yue, Seol Hu-yong, and others were simultaneously shocked.

It was truly an audacious nerve.

To come to this land and utter such words without hesitation…

That was essentially a declaration of war.

Everyone finally understood.

The true meaning behind the words that he hadn’t come to fight.

‘So that’s it! It will happen eventually, but the time hasn’t come yet…!’

However, Cheol Ryu-heun’s expression was still unperturbed.

“You’ll need to secure justification quickly. If you want me to beat you up.”

At those words, Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji’s expressions changed slightly.

But they forcibly suppressed their anger and hostility.

Gun Mu-ak, having shaken his head, responded.

“Hm, well… Sorry, but that won’t happen. I won’t cause any friction with the orthodox-unorthodox martial artists while here. I will only quietly see to my business and leave.”

Cheol Ryu-heun thought again.

He resembles him.

The Heavenly Demon of the past.

An enemy who honestly reveals their ambition is strong.

Long ago, the Heavenly Demon was like that.

He engaged in direct confrontation with only pure martial force.

Thus, he stepped to the summit as the progenitor of all demons and the overlord of the martial world.

That fellow would probably be the same.

When the time was right, he would come challenging directly head-on.

“The Sun Moon Demon Cult has been disposed of, so what’s the remaining one task?”

“The punishment of heretics. A group that betrayed our cult a few years ago.”

“Where are they?”

“We’re also searching for them.”

“There was no lie in what you said earlier, was there?”

“That’s right. I will stay quietly and leave. One month at the shortest, three months at the longest. I promise on my position as Prelate.”

“Good. Anyway, you came at the right time. I was planning to visit before long as well.”

“Our cult… for what reason?”

“Because there are things we need to sort out between us.”

“Things to sort out?”

The moment Gun Mu-ak wondered.

KUKUKUKUKU-

Cheol Ryu-heun released a black current of energy from his entire body.

Along with that.

URUREUREUNG, URUREUREUNG-!

The ground and atmosphere violently vibrated due to the powerful energy.

Pressure that terrifyingly weighed down in all directions.

Immediately after, the dark haze that Cheol Ryu-heun had extensively released transformed like a giant.

Simultaneously, not only Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji’s expressions, but even Gun Mu-ak’s expressions rapidly hardened.

‘How can this be, that is…!’

Demonic energy that seemed about to cover heaven and earth in darkness.

What Cheol Ryu-heun had revealed was the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.