Chapter 1829 – 1829. The Ascension To Light
“Haa…!”
The First Heavenly Demon, Cheon Gal-son, fell to the ground as soon as he entered the new space. He gasped for breath, his mouth wide open. All the pressure that had been weighing down on him had vanished. It felt as if he had been pulled up from the deepest depths. Ironically, he was in the deepest part of this mental world.
The First Heavenly Demon looked around. And then he was shocked again. Because there was nothing in this space. Literally nothing. Only a pure white space existed.
The deepest core of the mental world held the weak parts of a human. The scars of the heart, one could say. At the same time, it was the location of the core of the mind, the pure spirit without any pretense. The First Heavenly Demon had intended to destroy Seong Yu-jin’s mind core.
‘I realized it on the way here. This guy isn’t satisfied with the position of Heavenly Demon.’
He would constantly try to become stronger, reaching higher and wider. He had the ability to do so. Perhaps, for his sake, he would discard the Heavenly Demon Cult without a second thought. Saying something like, ‘The Heavenly Demon Cult is nothing.’
The Heavenly Demon Cult was the First Heavenly Demon’s greatest achievement. It was the history he left behind in the world.
‘I left the Heavenly Demon Cult because I couldn’t ascend to immortality. Leaving my soul in this way is also to confirm the existence of the Heavenly Demon Cult.’
The world thought he had given up ascension and dedicated himself to the Heavenly Demon Cult, but the truth was different. He lacked the enlightenment and lifespan to ascend. Passing on the Heavenly Demon Cult in this way was also to confirm the cult and exert influence even after death.
‘It all started when I found that nameless demonic art in the tomb back then….’
He named that nameless demonic art the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Even now, he didn’t know the origin of that demonic art. What was certain was that the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was an unparalleled martial art, different from any other demonic art.
The First Heavenly Demon, having recovered some of his strength, stopped his deepening thoughts and rose from his spot.
‘I don’t need a Heavenly Demon who doesn’t respect me. I’ll crush his mind core and kill him.’
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him. What if he crushed the mind core and implemented his own mind core in its place? Wouldn’t he be able to take over this talented body? Without having to wait for the day of resurrection.
‘I’ve never tried it before… but there might be a possibility. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art has techniques related to the soul. The reason why the souls of past Heavenly Demons weren’t dragged to the underworld and could be kept in coffins was also thanks to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art…. It’s worth trying.’
He had blind faith in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was him, and he was the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
He walked forward. He didn’t know the direction. There was nothing here, so how could he know the direction? He simply walked forward. Walking backward or sideways was something his pride wouldn’t allow.
“……!”
A night sky appeared in the empty space.
Stars were shining. They were shining very brightly.
‘…The energy of stars.’
It was obvious, but the energy of stars also affected the mental world. However, it was a bit unexpected for it to affect it in this way. As someone born under the Earthly Dark Star, he could indirectly feel the energy of the stars.
‘The Heavenly Gang Star! This guy was born under the Heavenly Gang Star! Such an incredible guy…!’
The Heavenly Gang Star, the best among the stars. The energy of the Heavenly Gang Star meant he must have immense potential.
However, he didn’t know what the abilities of the Heavenly Gang Star were. As far as he knew, there had never been anyone born with the energy of the Heavenly Gang Star.
‘If I can just get this body…!’
He would be able to succeed in the ascension he couldn’t achieve in his lifetime. No, perhaps he could achieve something even greater.
The First Heavenly Demon, trying to hide his excitement, stopped in his tracks as he strode forward.
There was a dragon.
A black dragon. A black dragon, wrapped in chains, was coiled up and crouching. At its center was a faintly glowing bead. A wish-fulfilling orb.
‘No, that’s the mind core. The dragon is just there to defend the mind core.’
The black dragon. Its appearance was magnificent. Its imposing presence was greater than the emperor he had just faced. It was truly a demonic dragon.
The good thing was that the demonic dragon was asleep.
He suppressed his presence as much as possible and approached the demonic dragon. The demonic dragon showed no signs of waking up. The First Heavenly Demon remained vigilant and moved past the demonic dragon toward the mind core.
The mind core floating in the air was a sphere. It was about the size of a head. He focused on the shape of the mind core. A perfect white sphere.
‘The mind core usually takes the form of the most meaningful object….’
Does this sphere have a special meaning? He felt something was off, but he didn’t have time to think. He didn’t know when the demonic dragon would wake up.
The First Heavenly Demon reached out his hand toward the mind core. He felt a smooth texture.
He used the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. He planned to use demonic energy to shatter the mind core and immediately construct his own existence as the new mind core.
It was the moment when the black demonic energy was about to penetrate the pure white mind core. The world expanded. The world expanded endlessly.
The First Heavenly Demon saw it. In front of it, he was less than a mere speck of dust.
“……!!”
The First Heavenly Demon was startled and took a step back. Cold sweat poured down his face like a waterfall. He slowly looked around and swallowed hard.
‘What was that just now? I feel like I saw something… what did I see?’
The mind core was still floating in the air. The pure white sphere showed off its perfect form.
He reached out his hand again to break the mind core. His hand trembled. His instincts were refusing to touch it. His hand couldn’t move forward.
‘What is this….’
His mind became complicated by the incomprehensible event.
-I can feel your anguish.
A voice came from the demonic dragon, which he thought was asleep. Startled, the First Heavenly Demon turned his head to the side. The demonic dragon’s red eyes captured the First Heavenly Demon.
“…Were you awake?”
-I was watching what you were doing… but as expected.
Crack!
As the demonic dragon moved, the chains that had been wrapped around its massive body disappeared.
Sensing something was amiss, the First Heavenly Demon drew his sword from his waist. The demonic dragon opened its mouth wide toward him.
He saw inside the demonic dragon’s mouth and froze. He realized the demonic dragon’s true identity.
The dragon’s body was just a shell.
This was a demon.
Just a pure demon.
Crunch!
Half of his body was bitten by the demonic dragon.
“Kuaaaaaaak!”
The First Heavenly Demon screamed. It wasn’t just his body being bitten. His existence was being torn apart. He couldn’t help but scream. The demonic dragon enjoyed his screams and simply soared upward.
“You bastard!”
He felt the demonic dragon’s malice. Even though it could have swallowed him in one bite, it had deliberately bitten off half of him.
-Struggle a little more. Provoke me more!
The First Heavenly Demon swung the sword he held in one hand. It was useless. The blade couldn’t pierce the dragon’s scales. The First Heavenly Demon gritted his teeth. A last resort that he should never use flashed through his mind.
‘I have to live! I can’t die!’
He tried to erase that resort from his mind and activated the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. And then it was taken by the demonic dragon. The demonic energy was being sucked into the demonic dragon.
His Heavenly Demon Divine Art had succumbed to the demon.
“Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!”
Without the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the First Heavenly Demon could do nothing.
-That was a decent appetizer.
The demonic dragon, having completely swallowed the First Heavenly Demon, continued to rise.
Higher up. To escape this wretched place.
Whirr!
Chains that had risen from the ground wrapped around the demonic dragon’s massive body. The demonic dragon resigned itself to the restraint that it could neither avoid nor resist.
-…Figures.
Its body was forcibly pulled down to the ground. The chains had come from the mind core. The demonic dragon, captured by the mind core, coiled up as it had before.
-Damn Heavenly Gang Star. Damn absolute spirit.
The demon could do nothing. It was just being used.
-Seong Yu-jin, you son of a bitch.
• • •
『The Heavenly Demon Divine Art has been completely absorbed.』
『Synthesizing with the existing Heavenly Demon Divine Art.』
He could feel the absorbed Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
He checked the information about the new Heavenly Demon Divine Art that appeared in his mind. It was quite interesting.
‘This Heavenly Demon Divine Art is about power and the sword.’
It was a sword that pursued power to the point of being reckless.
He also learned how the First Heavenly Demon had used the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
‘The First Heavenly Demon mixed the power of the stars appropriately.’
The star the First Heavenly Demon was born under was the Earthly Dark Star. By using the energy of that star, he could freely control mass. Depending on how it was used, he could imbue a single sword strike with the weight of a mountain. It wasn’t a bluff or an exaggeration; he could actually change the mass of the sword to be similar to that of a mountain.
‘The Heavenly Gang Star is different from other stars… It seems difficult to use it like the First Heavenly Demon.’
And now was not the time to be thinking about that.
It was good that he had killed the souls of the thirteen Heavenly Demons and absorbed their power. The problem was what came next. Right now, he was sitting cross-legged, and his surroundings were filled with yin energy.
‘To create the Heavenly Demon Divine Art I just absorbed, I need to focus on circulating my energy right now. But… can I hold out until I completely make the Heavenly Demon Divine Art my own? Even if I die and resurrect, I might die again. The situation is that dire.’
Should he just die once and teleport away?
‘If I prioritize safety, yes… but it’s too wasteful.’
Everything he had gained in this place. And the yin energy overflowing in this place. It was too wasteful to throw it all away.
‘They say a crisis is an opportunity. Let’s give it a try.’
A massive amount of yin energy began to enter him. The energy of the elixir mixed with the yin energy, becoming a tremendous power. That power rampaged inside him, disappearing and increasing repeatedly.
Normally, he wouldn’t be able to withstand it. But right now, he was in a special state. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art that used the soul and the souls of the thirteen Heavenly Demons that had been absorbed into him. Even if they were just remnants of souls, he could use them. He consumed the souls of the Heavenly Demons to protect his body and attempted to control the massive energy.
• • •
There was a wall in front of him.
The wretched wall was slightly smaller than when he had seen it before, but it was still large. And thick.
He walked right up to the wall.
He clenched his fist tightly. He could feel a tremendous power. Now that he was overflowing with power, it was an opportunity to break this wall.
Bang!
His fist hit the wall.
The wall didn’t even budge. He put more power into it and hit the wall harder.
Kwaaang!
The wall shook. Cracks appeared on the wall where his fist had struck.
His fist was tattered. Who cared? He put power into his fist again. This time, he scraped together every last bit of power and put it into his fist.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
The wall shattered.
