Chapter 1817 – 1817. The Ascent To Guangming
“You know the exact location of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.”
If I were Baek Ran, I would have taken the Heavenly Demon Divine Art first. Even if it was something I already knew, it would be a waste to give it to someone else.
She is now trying to hand over the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to someone else. Of course, she’s not just giving it away. She will take a price worthy of the treasure that is the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
There is no such thing as a free lunch in any world. And this world is particularly sensitive to profit and loss. I rubbed the back of my head.
“If I am to become the Heavenly Demon, mastering the Heavenly Demon Divine Art is a given. The biggest problem is what to do with So Cheonma Cheon Yu-un, the confirmed successor.”
There are other problems after that, but there’s no solution if Cheon Yu-un is standing in the way.
“You have to kill Cheon Yu-un.”
The Heavenly Demon Cult is a place of the strong. It’s a force where the strong are favored. But that doesn’t mean anything is allowed.
“Are you crazy? If I kill Cheon Yu-un outright, do you think the others will just stand by? His father, the current Heavenly Demon, will kill me.”
“That’s if you kill him without cause. If there’s enough justification, you can kill Cheon Yu-un.”
“Even if there’s justification, there’s no way the Heavenly Demon will just stand by.”
“It’s okay. I’ll protect you from the Heavenly Demon.”
I looked at Baek Ran with suspicious eyes. What if I kill Cheon Yu-un and she just clams up? What can I do?
Baek Ran smiled slyly. My wariness was slowly fading.
“How are you going to protect me? You don’t mean physically, do you?”
“Have you forgotten my position? I am a First-Class Imperial Guard. I have the authority to oversee everything except the Imperial Family.”
“This is the Heavenly Demon Cult. Do you think the Heavenly Demon will obediently follow? If the Heavenly Demon kills you without a trace?”
Baek Ran wasn’t strong enough to face the Heavenly Demon and the elders.
“They can’t do that.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“The reason the Heavenly Demon is holed up is because of the Emperor. He has an immense fear of the Emperor. The elders are the same. They’ve met the Emperor before… If they kill me, who is the Emperor’s eyes and ears? They know that would be the end of the Heavenly Demon Cult.”
I frowned.
“Isn’t the reason the Heavenly Demon is avoiding outside activities because he’s sick?”
“Sick? It’s a bit different. He’s being eaten away by Qi Deviation like a disease. Only the Heavenly Demon’s closest aides would know that… You really are extraordinary.”
Baek Ran was impressed. I couldn’t just be happy about that. It meant that things were different from the original [I Woke Up and Became the Heavenly Demon].
“Is the cause of the Qi Deviation also because of the Emperor?”
“It’s the aftermath of seeing a huge opponent, something you can never reach. This generation’s Heavenly Demon is close to being a petty person. He’s not fit to be the Heavenly Demon.”
“Okay, what’s the detailed plan?”
I looked at Baek Ran. She wasn’t just a revenge-crazed person. She knew how to endure for revenge. The fact that she spoke of revenge meant that she had a plan with a high chance of success.
“It starts with the Ink Lotus and the Reverse Demon Divine Art.”
Was it because she was a regressor? She knew that Cheon Yu-un was related to the Ink Lotus. Fortunately, she didn’t know that I was related to the Ink Lotus Lord. Or maybe she was pretending not to know.
“Why that?”
“The Emperor wants order. Humans should be human, and monsters should be monsters. The Reverse Demon Divine Art is a martial art that destroys order. I will tie the Ink Lotus and the Reverse Demon Divine Art to Cheon Yu-un.”
“Do you have proof?”
“Unfortunately, no. He’s so meticulous that he doesn’t leave any evidence. But suspicion alone is enough to pressure Cheon Yu-un. After that, we’ll use the Ma Clan.”
“The Ma Clan… Are you going to use the Yu-un Trading Company as an excuse to move the Ma Clan?”
“That’s right. The Ma Clan, except for the Cheon Clan, which is considered the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline, is declining. In the meantime, the Yoon Clan has committed treason by joining hands with the Yu-un Trading Company. I will pressure them to pressure Cheon Yu-un. They will want to stop the power of the Cheon Clan, so the Ma Clan will actively cooperate.”
“You’re not planning to incite the five clans of the Ma Clan to revolt, are you?”
“It has to look like a revolt. That way, we can draw out the Heavenly Demon Cult’s forces. If we bring up the Reverse Demon Divine Art, Cheon Yu-un will try to quell this disturbance as quickly as possible. I will tie up the Heavenly Demon’s attention, and you will reveal the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and kill the traitor Cheon Yu-un. The five Ma Clans will support you.”
“The traitor Cheon Yu-un…”
“Hmm. The Reverse Demon Divine Art, which turns humans into monsters, is the kind of power the Emperor hates the most. If we succeed, Cheon Yu-un will die as a traitor.”
“No. I just like the sound of ‘traitor Cheon Yu-un.’”
“Hehe. I think so too. There’s one thing you need to keep in mind for this plan. Speed. We have to finish things before the Heavenly Demon Cult, before the current Heavenly Demon, can respond. Do you understand?”
“I will.”
“And be careful of Cheon Yu-un. He’s a very cunning guy… He might have a hidden card.”
I talked with Baek Ran and refined the plan a bit more.
Then, the corpses of the Hong family father and son caught my eye.
“Do you have no feelings about killing these guys?”
“You killed them. Are you feeling guilty now? That’s a bit disappointing.”
“Guilt, my ass. I just asked because you seemed to be close to that kid.”
I said, pointing at the dead Hong Je-yu. She looked at Hong Je-yu’s corpse with emotionless eyes.
“If you hadn’t killed him, I would have.”
“It doesn’t seem like resentment. Is it to silence them?”
“Silencing them is the biggest reason, but I personally don’t like those kinds of people.”
Baek Ran took her eyes off Hong Je-yu.
“Let’s move. If we destroy that building in the middle, we can break the barrier.”
Baek Ran said, putting on her bamboo hat.
“Have we met before?”
She looked at me. The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.
“You’ve become much stronger than when I saw you in that cave. I was very surprised.”
“Did you approach me on purpose?”
“From my perspective, you are a variable. An incomprehensible variable, one I still can’t understand. So I wanted to see it with my own eyes.”
“…What are your thoughts after seeing it?”
“That’s a secret.”
“You’re a woman with a lot of secrets.”
Before we went outside, we started to gather what we needed. Heavenly Jade, elixirs, magical artifacts, martial arts, and so on. There were so many things to take that even if we split them, our spatial pouches would be full.
I wrapped the magical artifacts, which seemed to have a screw loose somewhere, in black cloth and a power cannon. The magical artifacts were absorbed into the power cannon and disappeared.
“Is that the magical artifact that caused the explosion earlier?”
“It has the disadvantage of consuming spiritual energy, but it has a decent power beyond that. If fully charged, it could probably take down even a supreme master of the Three Peaks.”
“This is mine.”
“I don’t need it. In my opinion, this magical artifact has good power but poor efficiency. I’ve seen similar magical artifacts a few times… If you accumulate too much spiritual energy, it won’t be able to withstand it and will break. Use it carefully.”
“Sure.”
I answered casually and continued to absorb the cheap magical artifacts into the power cannon. Baek Ran, who was watching, handed me her share of the magical artifacts.
“Absorb these too. I’ll give them to you specially. I could have melted them down to make new magical artifacts, but I’m giving them to you as a favor.”
“You know my spatial pouch is full, but you’re still acting like you’re doing me a favor.”
“Ahem.”
Anyway, thanks to her, I was able to charge the power cannon a lot. I don’t know how much I charged it, but I put in over 400 cheap magical artifacts. It would be at least 100 Heavenly Jade’s worth of spiritual energy.
‘This is a spear. A sure shot that can kill even a supreme master. Hehe.’
I was satisfied.
But that was the end of the settlement.
I could read the martial arts later, and I could give the elixirs to Wi Yu to make into spiritual pills. The important thing was the Heavenly Jade.
After thoroughly searching the corpses, the Heavenly Jade I had increased to 774. It was well over the 700 I had aimed for.
“Baek Ran, let’s do some Qi circulation. Please stand guard.”
“It’s better to act quickly now… Is your internal injury severe?”
“It’ll be quick.”
“Okay. I’ll protect you, so do your Qi circulation.”
I sat cross-legged. Baek Ran was behind me, so even if I took out the Heavenly Jade from my inventory, it wouldn’t be visible because I was blocking it. The 700 Heavenly Jade disappeared without a trace.
『Using 700 Heavenly Jade to raise your VIP level.』
『Achieving VIP 3.』
『1,000 Heavenly Jade are required to raise your VIP level.』
『VIP 3 achievement benefits are granted.』
『Martial arts power increased by 100%.』
『Growth rate increased by 80%.』
『Elixir effects increased by 50%.』
『Attendance rewards are improved.』
『Physical and internal energy recovery rate increased by 70%.』
『Spatial transfer system activated. 5 spatial transfer points can be activated.』
『Acquiring 2 Star Fragments.』
『The Light of the Heavenly Star can be used.』
‘The stats have generally increased. I have 3 Star Fragments now… What is the Light of the Heavenly Star?’
The best way to find out about something you don’t know is to use it directly. But that was impossible right now. Baek Ran was behind me.
Regardless of whether Baek Ran was a beauty, whether I completely trusted her was another matter. There was no reason to show her all my cards.
‘I’ll hold off for now.’
Baek Ran wouldn’t be sticking around forever, so I could use it later when I had the chance.
I began Qi circulation, reciting the incantation of the Thunder Sky Knot.
What I was looking forward to was the increase in martial arts power and growth rate. Now that my VIP level had increased, I might be able to break through the wall of the Three Peaks.
The energy within me surged. Thunder energy circulated throughout my body, and the demonic energy that I had been hiding slowly crept out.
I saw a wall.
A high wall. A wall that I couldn’t overcome no matter what I did in my current state. It was the wall of the Three Peaks.
I punched the wall. The wall didn’t budge. Even when I rammed my body into it, the wall didn’t shake. There was no sign of it breaking.
‘I raised my VIP level, but I still can’t break through the wall? Damn it….’
I didn’t give up and kept hitting the wall. But the wall was still intact.
‘What do I need? Enlightenment… bull. Am I still lacking in power?’
I looked up at the wall. Was it just my imagination? The wall felt smaller than when I first saw it. But it was still as solid as ever.
