Chapter 200: Victory and Aftermath
Chapter 199
“I like you.”
‘He is a man without pretense.’
He smiles when he is pleased and gets angry when he dislikes something.
Stopping his laughter was not a very good sign.
“…I like you too much.”
It was a gaze that was sizing me up.
“Since I received a gift, there must be a reward. Speak. What do you want?”
‘You want me to reveal my motives, don’t you?’
It seemed the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign thought I was trying to lure him in and use him.
It was close, but not the correct answer.
Though I wished for his intervention, there would be a clear difference between the picture I painted and his expectation.
“I plan to revive the Great Martial Arena.”
“…Oh?”
The Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign wore a taken-aback expression.
I felt as if I had personally slapped him in the face.
‘Good.’
I was able to continue speaking in a good mood.
“Block the intervention of the Demonic Sovereigns for fifteen days.”
“Fifteen days?”
As if not understanding why there was a time limit, the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign tilted his head.
“Can you even revive the Great Martial Arena?”
“I am the Heavenly Demon.”
Along with those words, I infused the Heavenly Demon Divine Art into the Dark Dragon Treasure Robe I was wearing.
An appearance that the previous Heavenly Demons had failed to show.
Over the navy base of the treasure robe, black flames flickered as if alive, bringing out its hidden appearance.
“…The Dark Dragon!”
Someone let out a mutter like a groan from afar.
It is said that from close up it looks like black flames, but from afar it looks like a dragon.
In the eyes of those watching from a distance, I must have looked like the reincarnation of the Heavenly Demon, or the incarnation of a black dragon.
At my response, the corners of the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign’s lips curled up.
“The reason you set a fifteen-day grace period?”
The condition that was presumed to be the part the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign understood the least.
The answer to this question was predetermined.
Restricting the Demonic Sovereigns in the first place is not equal.
That would only be another contradiction.
“Because I am not Yi Gang-mu.”
I have no need for contradictions.
“Ku-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
The laughter he showed when crushing the head.
Along with a wild laughter that surpassed that laugh, the energy that spilled out enveloped the surroundings in an instant.
Unconcealable joy overflowed from the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign.
“Good! Very good!”
I could tell that what I said had worked extremely well.
So much so that I wondered if it had worked too well.
If a monster like this ran wild in excitement, I absolutely would not want to be near him.
‘The problem is, I feel like I am about to lose my mind too.’
Something was welling up in my chest.
As if something I had endured and suppressed for so long had burst out.
And the result of those mixed emotions was,
“Until the fifteen days pass, the Demonic Sovereigns will not be able to touch you, the Heavenly Demon.”
A declaration.
“After fifteen days, I will take your head myself.”
“On the Great Martial Arena.”
“Yes, on the Great Martial Arena as you wish.”
And it gave birth to a resolution.
***
The aftermath created by Yeon Cheong-un’s actions, which caused a stir in the Heaven-Rebelling Faction’s territory in the middle of the night, was larger than expected.
“…Damn, I feel like I’m going to piss myself.”
“It’s a dirty comment, but I understand.”
The explosively boiling air was hotter than the scorching summer sun.
“Yes… that is the Heavenly Demon.”
“Watch your mouth. The Heavenly Demon? Is he your friend?”
Who would have imagined that such words would come from the Heaven-Rebelling Faction?
Not anywhere else, but here in the Heaven-Rebelling Faction, they were addressing him with the title of the Heavenly Demon.
Of course, not everyone shared that emotion.
But even they admitted one thing.
At the very least, the Heavenly Demon they saw now was different from those who had called themselves the Heavenly Demon until now.
“Then what should we call him?”
“Well, the Heavenly Demon… Lord Heavenly Demon? Big Brother Heavenly Demon? Oh, damn! Trying to mix a different emotion into a word we used to use as an insult feels really strange.”
While some were confused about how to address him, the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign settled the matter.
“Call him as he is.”
His powerful voice suppressed the crowd.
An influence that drew the attention of everyone in the Heaven-Rebelling Faction in an instant.
To those who were confused, the Heaven-Entering Divine Demonic Sovereign gave freedom.
“That will grant him that position.”
Within the Heavenly Demon Cult, the word Heavenly Demon had long ceased to be an object of one-sided worship.
Respect, which had vanished long ago.
Respect for the name of the Heavenly Demon returned to this land.
***
‘It’s hot.’
On the way back to the shrine, the atmosphere felt from behind was fully palpable.
It was an intensity that was not just hot, but felt ready to burn everything down.
“Sigh… Huff…”
No matter how hard the Black-Wristed Demonic Monarch, who was large in every aspect, tried to suppress his excitement, his feelings were transmitted clearly to the surroundings.
It wouldn’t feel out of place at all if he suddenly bellowed like a bear.
Yet the reason he didn’t receive glares was that everyone shared the same feeling, only differing in degree.
“…Hehe… Hehehe…”
“…It is the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon has come.”
Especially in the eyes of the Heavenly Demon’s Personal Guard who had accompanied me since Mount Cheonja, emotions that could be described as those of fanatics were settling in.
[Will you be alright?]
Fortunately, it seemed not everyone was swept away by this heat.
Old Jong’s voice transmission in my head carried concern for the upcoming situation, though it was not without some excitement.
‘Indeed, over-immersion is bad.’
I had only been swept up by the momentum.
Even so, if I asked myself if I couldn’t have endured it, it probably would have been possible.
But I did not endure.
I must not endure.
He who seeks to live will die, and he who seeks to die will live.
Now, I would only charge forward with all my might.
“…Still, I must make preparations.”
I hadn’t pulled out the card of the Great Martial Arena without any thought either.
I had my own way.
“What kind of preparation is it?”
“Give us any order.”
Though they were highly excited, they were listening closely to my words and reacted instantly.
‘It will be easy to put them to work.’
“If the Great Martial Arena has been abandoned for a long time, it must be a mess. I want it to be in a proper state by the time the sun is in the middle of the sky tomorrow. I also want everyone to know that the Great Martial Arena has been revived.”
“Ah! I see!”
“We will prepare it without fail!”
Since the rumors would spread widely through the Heaven-Rebelling Faction, probably no one in the Demonic Cult would be ignorant of it by tomorrow.
But the Great Martial Arena, which had been abandoned for a long time, would certainly need maintenance.
To prepare as I planned, they would have to move starting tonight, and it was a bit burdensome to be with them.
So I was giving them work.
“I want the place where I will ascend to be perfectly prepared by noon tomorrow.”
“We will hurry immediately!”
No sooner had the words fallen than the Heavenly Demon’s Personal Guard rushed toward the Great Martial Arena.
At their lead was none other than the Black-Wristed Demonic Monarch.
“Did you separate them on purpose?”
Yi Hwa, who read my mind accurately, asked sharply.
“I have something to prepare before the sun rises.”
“…I see.”
Yi Hwa lowered her head with a bittersweet face.
She looked as if she wanted to go with me, but was holding back.
“I will be waiting at the shrine.”
She was speaking to me, but also to Old Jong and Yi Cheon-gyeong.
She was a clever girl.
Smiling, I patted Yi Hwa’s head, stepped back, and raised my hand.
“Azure Bird.”
Screeech!
Along with my call, a massive presence loomed over.
“Let’s go.”
The Azure Bird grabbed my hand and soared into the sky.
The view of the ground receded instantly as I aligned my gaze with the night sky.
***
I believed humans instinctively yearned for the sky.
That belief was not wrong.
The experience of soaring into the sky while holding onto the Azure Bird’s leg was truly fantastic.
The thrilling experience I encountered for the first time ended in a quiet spot somewhere in the Tianshan Mountains.
As soon as I landed in a place where no human presence could reach, I immediately called for my master.
“Are you there?”
‘It would be a sight to see if Master Heavenly Demon answered here.’
I could tease him, saying he was indeed watching secretly.
Someone answered my call.
[The Heavenly Demon is not here, you punk.]
“…”
It was Master Zhang Sanfeng.
He seemed to have seen through my thoughts.
I should end my minor rebellion here.
[Yes, you troublemaker disciple. What do you need that you are bothersomely looking for your masters?]
“Ay, you already know~.”
Master Zhang Sanfeng would already know what I wanted.
[The divine power of water, right?]
“Yes.”
I still couldn’t forget the elation when I achieved the Five Elements Divine Power.
It had allowed me to overwhelm, even if only for a moment, a top expert of the Kunlun Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects.
I wasn’t sure if it would work against an expert of the Demonic Sovereign level, but it would definitely work against those below that.
If it was the high-level experts of the Demonic Cult divided into Demonic Monarchs, Demonic Kings, and Demonic Emperors, I would be able to face them.
[The easiest and fastest way would be to boil and eat that fellow in front of you.]
“…Oh.”
Because I lacked the essence that was the root of the power, the water divine power I had received had quickly faded.
Indeed, if I received that root completely from this fellow, the water divine power would settle perfectly.
Peep?
Sensing danger from my gaze, the Azure Bird subtly widened the distance, rolled over, and showed its belly.
And it cried sorrowfully.
Peeeeep!
“…Stop pretending to be a chick! You’ve lived for over a thousand years, so you wouldn’t even remember those days.”
Ending a long life as boiled chicken soup. That was indeed a bit harsh.
“What is the less easy way?”
[If you must take the long way around… well, you’ll have to make up for quality with quantity.]
“Was divine power a force that could be replaced by quantity?”
[Normally, no. If that were possible, would divine power be so rare? However, you are a bit different. You have already experienced the water divine power, and have achieved the Five Elements Divine Power, albeit weakly. If there is a large amount of power that can replace it, we can somehow make it work.]
“It means I can raise it to a similar level through the mutual generation and restriction of the other divine powers I already possess.”
[It’s easy when you understand even when I explain poorly.]
“…I have grown quite a bit, after all.”
What is an immortal?
Lately, when thinking about this topic, I often felt a sense of self-doubt.
Anyway.
“Will the Queen Mother of the West be angry?”
[Angry? She is someone who is eager to give you things. She said this time was very interesting and liked it.]
“Haha, that’s a relief.”
The Kunlun Mountains are the territory of the Queen Mother of the West, the home turf of the Azure Bird, and a treasury of all kinds of spiritual herbs.
I plan to raid it properly this time.
[Fifteen days… You set a generous limit.]
“The Azure Bird will have a hard time.”
[He can afford to be worked a bit.]
I could feel Master Zhang Sanfeng’s strange ill-will toward the Azure Bird.
Peep?
The Azure Bird’s head turned to the side as if it would break.
It seemed to be contemplating whether it should roll over again.
“Which is better, boiled chicken soup or being a bit tired for fifteen days?”
Peep.
The Azure Bird’s wings drooped.
It seemed to accept the fact that it would have to fly like crazy for fifteen days.
‘After fifteen days…’
If I ride the Azure Bird every night for fifteen days and build strength with the spiritual herbs of the Kunlun Mountains, how strong will I be after fifteen days?