Chapter 480: Gathering of the Demonic People

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Gun Mu-ak’s footsteps moved toward the lattice door.

At the same time, the door swung open with a bang!

It was the sublime skill of object manipulation through the void, executed with just a glance.

Thus, stepping over the threshold, a corridor open on both sides appeared.

Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji, who had been waiting there, swiftly fell into position behind Gun Mu-ak.

Step, step, step, step…

At first glance, it seemed like nothing more than an antique corridor, but in truth, the entire structure was a formation in itself.

Known as the “Heavenly Murder Demon Asura Tribulation Formation”…

It could be called a kind of legacy left behind by the first Great Prelate of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Sword Stream Demon Master Ga Ya-hwan. It was a demonic-energy-type formation that, when enemies infiltrated this place, would activate a dark power with binding and crushing properties that connected the corridor and pavilion.

Of course, the power forming its foundation was the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

Gun Mu-ak suddenly thought.

The main forces under the Heaven Emperor Society Lord that he would have to face in the future… Perhaps, someday, they might ambitiously attack even this place…

If such a thing happened, the Heavenly Murder Demon Asura Tribulation Formation, which had protected the successive Great Prelates’ quarters like an iron wall during the long years past, would be mercilessly destroyed and annihilated.

He had already seen the martial prowess of Wang-ryu, the Black Tortoise Divine General… One of the Four Divine Generals.

That one person’s martial power had exceeded his own martial level, so what would the power of the true mastermind and enemy, the Heaven Emperor Society Lord, be like?

He could probably destroy the Heavenly Murder Demon Asura Tribulation Formation with a single stroke of sword energy.

Such a thing must not happen.

This place, at least.

Indeed, that was so.

This was, after all, the sacred ground symbolizing the achievements of the Heavenly Demon… The one and only god of the Demonic Path and the founding patriarch.

That was why he wanted to gather strength and strike first.

Suddenly, Cheol Ryu-heun’s words came to mind.

-The true battle starts now. You should immediately organize an integrated force centered on the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Demonic Path Jianghu and get moving.

-What…?

-We must swiftly annihilate the forces under the Heaven Emperor Society. One of them is the Demonic Path’s share.

-Could it be…?

-Yes, that’s right. It’s already in my head. The location of the enemy base that the Demonic Path’s full force will strike.

‘I entrusted everything to him. Along with the trust in my heart that I had never easily given to anyone…’

On his handsome face, no fatigue could be found from the bloody battle in the Shiwan Mountains.

In his deeply sunken eyes, only a sharp light like some resolute will flickered past.

* * *

The great hall to the north within the Heavenly Demon Cult.

It was a pavilion so grand and luxurious it could be compared to imperial palace buildings.

The great hall inside was like a plaza.

So spacious that the dozens of people gathered there seemed almost sparse.

The groups of demonic people of various ages seated at the long tables on both sides each boasted extraordinary intangible presence.

Among them, the dignified appearances of the leadership from the Demonic Path’s prominent forces… The Heavenly Demon Cult, Asura Demon Cult, and Illusion Demon Cult… Were particularly impressive.

There were no words exchanged.

In all directions, silence reigned as if even mice had died.

On the tables, all kinds of special liquors and fine dishes were laid out, but not a single person touched them.

Perhaps that’s why an indescribably heavy atmosphere seemed to press down heavily upon the hall.

The feeling was such that if one rashly took a seat there, they might suffocate and die at any moment.

Amidst that, the low voices of two people seated side by side at the far end of the left table slightly broke the silence in the great hall.

“Old man, how did you worm your way into this gathering? You’re not even at that level to begin with. No matter how I think about it, I can’t believe it.”

“You impertinent wench, that mouth of yours that looks like a magpie’s filthy arse is as dirty as ever. One of these days, I’ll pick a day and teach you a lesson.”

Thus, they raised hackles at each other in displeased tones.

One was an old demonic leader in blue robes with deep wrinkles like furrows across his face, and the other was a woman in her twentieth year with reddish light clothes and brown hair braided in two strands.

Currently gathered here were famous figures from various circles of the Demonic Path Jianghu.

This meant each one was a first-rate powerhouse who could boast fearsome martial prowess, authority, and bearing.

However.

The outward appearances of the two didn’t give off much of a threatening feeling.

The old man had a scrawny, emaciated frame like a scarecrow in a field, while the woman was short at less than five feet tall with an adorably cute impression like a child.

A sickly old man, a mischievous young girl… In other words, appearances somewhat removed from demonic people.

But those who knew, knew.

That the old man and woman were renowned masters of the Demonic Path.

Shadow Flash Demon Elder Hak Hyeon-hoe and Innocence Demon Maiden In Ae-yeon.

In terms of lightness techniques alone, the two were skilled enough to receive praise as the foremost throughout the entire frontier… Demonstrating nimble movements at that level.

On top of such a competitive relationship, their respective sects had been in conflict for the past several decades, so there was no way for them to get along.

In Ae-yeon, her mood twisted by Hak Hyeon-hoe’s words about teaching her a lesson someday, retorted even more spitefully.

“Teach me a lesson? What a joke. You mean someday you want to overpower me and peek under my skirt, right? Honestly, just because you have one extra piece of flesh between your legs, you have to show off… Tsk.”

“Oh my. Hearing those words, my ears perk up. Very well, since you’ve brought it up, will you compete with me in skill as soon as this gathering ends?”

“Fine, you think I’d refuse?”

“Hehe, foolish girl. Are you confident you can beat me in lightness techniques? For the past five years, I’ve shed blood and sweat to grasp a new realm.”

“Pfft, guys with long tongues have never shown me proper skill. I wonder if you’ll be an exception? You probably grabbed your balls, not a new realm.”

At those words, Hak Hyeon-hoe’s face twisted hideously.

But he soon quickly fixed his expression and countered.

“A girl who hasn’t lost the smell of mother’s milk flapping her lips like that… Kekek. Fine, babble all you want. Later I’ll win brilliantly and rip not just the hem of your skirt but your undergarments to shreds.”

“My, what a taste you have… Well, keep fantasizing. Wait, when you lose to me, you won’t run off with your balls jingling, will you?”

As In Ae-yeon countered without so much as changing her expression, Hak Hyeon-hoe’s eyes emitted a fierce light.

Killing intent.

It rose fully in his pupils and swirled like knife blades.

At that moment, some of the gathering sensed it and turned their gazes.

Let alone In Ae-yeon right beside him, who was also a renowned Demonic Path master… Would she not have felt it?

“What low-class killing intent.”

“Test my patience and don’t be careless with your words and actions.”

“Hmph, you think I’d be scared into holding my tongue? I guarantee, right after you’re defeated, you’ll crawl on all fours under my crotch, bawling and pissing yourself while licking even my toes. Begging me to let it go just this once, swearing you’ll never act uppity again.”

Even the seasoned Hak Hyeon-hoe internally stuck out his tongue at In Ae-yeon’s sharp tongue, then soon released even thicker killing intent.

Just then.

“Ahem.”

A low voice rang through the hall.

It was a rebuking voice uttered by a figure seated at the very front of the same table.

The moment Hak Hyeon-hoe and In Ae-yeon met his gaze, they flinched as if their legs had gone weak.

They weren’t the only ones.

The demonic people in other seats had similar reactions.

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

The owner of that voice boasted a truly terrifying bearing and dignity, as if an Asura from hell had manifested.

That wasn’t all.

Even on the center of his chest, a pattern depicting an Asura’s face was embroidered with crimson thread.

His age, judging by his features, was in the mid-to-late fifties.

Jet-black topknot, murderous eyes, a long scar running from his left temple down past his cheekbone, a beard like a swallow’s tail feathers… Added to that, his jet-black robe gave a fearsome feeling.

The quiet atmosphere of the hall grew even more silent like the deep sea.

Due to the domineering intangible presence emanating from the one who evoked the image of an Asura manifest…

The identity of the demonic man in his fifties was Sal Ma-ha, the Asura Blade Demon Emperor… A master ranked among the strongest of the Demonic Path and the current Patriarch of the Asura Demon Cult.

As if to clearly prove his status, a massive crescent-moon blade with skull decorations attached leaned obliquely beside his chair.

It was the Skull Demon Blade… One of the Four Great Demonic Weapons that represented the fame and position of the Asura Demon Cult Patriarch Sal Ma-ha.

Indeed, before the grand title of Asura Blade Demon Emperor, the sobriquets Shadow Flash Demon Elder and Innocence Demon Maiden of Hak Hyeon-hoe and In Ae-yeon were utterly shabby.

Just as the difference in name value was great, so too was the gap in martial prowess far too large.

That was why both had startled and flinched.

Thinking that in their burst of emotion, they had ignored the atmosphere of the hall and crossed the line…

Right after Sal Ma-ha gave a warning with his eyes, the two men seated side by side next to him opened their mouths.

“Both of you, considering the nature of this gathering, you should exercise restraint. If you keep this up, I won’t hold back.”

“Please consider the position and face of our Patriarch, who even wrote letters of recommendation to the Heavenly Demon Cult side.”

They were figures wearing black cult robes in the style of long robes, with Asura patterns embroidered in gold and silver thread respectively.

Both their appearances were quite young.

They seemed to be in their late twenties or early thirties.

First, the man with the golden Asura pattern boasted delicate and fine facial features like a noble lady from a good family… Almost no different from a woman.

In contrast, the man with the silver Asura pattern had a square jaw, fierce eyes, thick nose, and full lips, giving a intensely masculine impression.

The two were none other than the two Dharma Protectors of the Asura Demon Cult… Gold Gate Dharma Protector Hu Su-ryeo and Silver Gate Dharma Protector Jin Jung-bi.

In terms of the Heavenly Demon Cult, they held positions equivalent to Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji… High-ranking cult members.

Hak Hyeon-hoe and In Ae-yeon put on flustered expressions again.

“My apologies.”

“Please forgive us.”

Thereupon, Hu Su-ryeo gestured with a light smile.

“Yes. Just this once. Please, I hope you don’t get to see me transform over some pointless matter.”

At those words, Hak Hyeon-hoe and In Ae-yeon nodded instead of answering, their spines having gone cold.

At that moment.

A person seated at the table opposite Sal Ma-ha sent a telepathic message.

It was a demonic person wearing a wooden mask carved in the shape of a demon, painted harmoniously in blue and yellow, and exuding a truly supreme intangible presence.

It was closer to an eerie presence than a domineering pressure.

The reason was simple.

Though he was merely sitting with his back leaning against the chair, the air around him created the illusion of vibrating like a swarm of goblins.

His features couldn’t be discerned due to the wooden mask, but the gray-white beard draping down below his chest gave a rough idea of his age.

He must have easily passed sixty at least.

The identity of the wooden-masked demonic person, who gave off the air of a supreme first-rate powerhouse, was Yak Pa, the Demon Midst Illusion Emperor… The current Patriarch of the Illusion Demon Cult.

Sal Ma-ha met his gaze and replied via Sound Transmission.

As he said this, he briefly recalled a conversation from not long ago with Gold Gate Dharma Protector Hu Su-ryeo and Silver Gate Dharma Protector Jin Jung-bi.

-Currently, the Great Prelate of the Heavenly Demon Cult and his attendants are traveling together with Cheol Ryu-heun. When we hastily looked into it separately, it turned out to be true.

-What? What do you mean…

-Their goals are said to be the same. So they supposedly formed a kind of temporary alliance…

-If their goals are the same, then Cheol Ryu-heun is also targeting the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan of the Shiwan Mountains?

-Yes, it appears so. The rumors about the Divine Martial Sword that have been spreading rapidly recently are apparently false.

-Ha!

-We’ll have to wait a bit longer to learn the deep inner circumstances we still don’t fully know.

-What a strange combination. The Heavenly Demon Cult traveling together with White Peak Sword Sect…

-He has mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, they say.

-Who? Cheol Ryu-heun?

-Yes. Not only the great Heavenly Demon’s demonic arts… But he also possesses the complete transmissions of the Sword Emperor, Evil Emperor, Martial Immortal, and Blood God, they say.

-…

Suddenly wearing a smile, Sal Ma-ha spoke again using the technique of lip-to-lip Sound Transmission.

Just as Yak Pa, the Demon Midst Illusion Emperor of the Illusion Demon Cult, let out an exclamation.

Whoosh…

The door to the great hall swung wide open, and at the same time, a low, heavy telepathic voice resounded.

-His Holiness the Great Prelate arrives. All present, show your respects.