Chapter 554

My conversation with Mi Yeonhwa did not last very long. It was not something that needed to last long in the first place.

Right after facing her, I walked down the street with her.

[What did you mean?]

Preparing to become the Heavenly Demon. Mi Yeonhwa asked about those words, and when I heard her, I looked back.

What did I mean? I had already said it all. Was anything else needed?

“I meant it literally. I’m going to become the Heavenly Demon.”

[I’m asking what kind of nonsense that is.]

“What about it doesn’t make sense? Is something else needed?”

[......What?]

Mi Yeonhwa was briefly flustered by my words. She was wearing a mask, but I could still sense the attitude behind it, as if she were asking whether nothing else was necessary.

“The Heavenly Demon, you see, is ultimately a battle over whether one possesses orthodoxy and legitimacy.”

No words came back. It felt as if she were telling me to keep running my mouth.

“Strength? Once you possess those two things, you have no choice but to possess strength as well. That is what the Heavenly Demon’s orthodoxy means.”

[......What do you mean?]

“Do you truly believe the things needed to ascend as the Heavenly Demon are the Heaven-Slaying Star and overwhelming talent?”

[.......]

“Judging by your reaction, you know that isn’t true either. If that were all it took, the Young Cult Leader should already have ascended to the Heavenly Demon’s seat. He wouldn’t be stuck at the mere position of Young Cult Leader.”

The mere position of Young Cult Leader. At those words, Mi Yeonhwa’s shoulder flinched. Something about them seemed to displease her, but no words came back yet.

“That isn’t what’s needed for the Heavenly Demon. The Young Cult Leader knows that, and the Holy Cult knows it too. That’s why both sides are so anxious.”

[......Then what is needed?]

Why bother asking? I had already heard the answer.

“The Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.”

[......!]

“The divine arts the Heavenly Demon possessed and lost. Those are what he needs. Only with them would he be able to rule as the Heavenly Demon.”

Mi Yeonhwa’s steps stopped. I turned back and looked at her.

“Am I wrong? The reason the elders of the Holy Cult formed factions is also because no one possesses complete legitimacy. The reason that oh-so-impressive Young Cult Leader went all the way to the orthodox faction to do something is probably the same.”

[......What a laughable story. Then are you saying you possess that legitimacy?]

“Ha ha.”

I laughed lightly and moved my feet. When I stepped closer, Mi Yeonhwa could not help but flinch.

Seeing that, I moved my energy slightly.

Grrrrrrrk.

[......!]

I saw Mi Yeonhwa’s body begin to tremble faintly.

Demonic qi. I had used it. I had unraveled what had been woven inside Mi Yeonhwa and fastened my own thing in its place.

I did wonder whether the Young Cult Leader or the other Demonic Cultists had noticed it.

But I assumed they had not. If they had, she would not be reacting this way.

“How does it look?”

I set the mood.

[......What?]

“I’m asking how it looks to you.”

This was why I alternated between polite speech and casual speech.

The alien feeling that I could use demonic qi.

At the same time as giving her the illusion that I possessed something.

“Compared to those who have nothing, those who possess something don’t bother stepping forward. The flailing of rabble doesn’t really concern them.”

[.......]

“I don’t care what kind of being you are. I don’t care if you go around spreading this fact to someone. Either way.”

How had he done it again? I recalled the sight the Heavenly Demon had shown me. The sensation of spewing demonic qi to the extreme. I remembered that it had been somewhat different from simply pouring it out.

I think it was roughly like this.

Crack-crack-crack.

[......!]

When I applied the demonic qi, Mi Yeonhwa’s reaction became pronounced. Apparently, this was the right answer.

“That won’t change the result.”

Tap, tap.

I patted Mi Yeonhwa’s shoulder and erased the energy. Then I turned away and walked off as I spoke.

“So choose carefully. You don’t have much time left to think about it.”

I waved my hand loosely as I moved.

Mi Yeonhwa did not follow. After checking her presence and walking a bit farther.

“......Ugh.”

I bent my upper body slightly. It felt as if my insides were boiling.

It was unpleasant.

Is it because I applied demonic qi?

I felt like this every time I used demonic qi. It was surprising and new every time. How could such a thing be so...

How can an energy be this unpleasant and irritating?

It was enough to sour my mood. As I clicked my tongue at the grimy sensation—

[It is because your mind does not accept it.]

The Heavenly Demon spoke.

[It is not that the demonic qi rejects you. After all, none other than this throne has coiled itself there.]

Does that change anything?

What meaning was there in the demonic qi the Heavenly Demon had laid down? When I asked that—

[Of course it does. I placed the divine arts in you to match your body. There is no way it would not suit you.]

......Excuse me?

I narrowed my eyes at his words. He had placed the divine arts in me to match my body? That meant—

......Did you perhaps place the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts in me?

[Is that not obvious? I believe I have told you many times.]

The Heavenly Demon spoke to me with a trace of laughter.

[In the end, you must become Sky.]

“.......”

The peerless divine arts the Holy Cult was searching for and chasing after. The Heavenly Demon Divine Arts said to exist for the sake of becoming the Heavenly Demon were inside my body right now?

But I was not even surprised anymore. It felt a little late for that. My life had become far too spectacular to be shocked by something like this.

......Is that different from ordinary demonic qi?

For now, I asked just to check. I did not know the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts precisely. How could I? It would be strange for me, as an orthodox martial artist, to try to learn about such a thing.

But what can I do?

He said it was already inside my body.

There was no room to argue about it now. If I was curious about anything—

Before that. Yoo Cheongil. That old man let this pass?

Was Yoo Cheongil not there when the demonic qi was injected into me? According to my memory, that was not the case. Yet that man had simply left it alone?

It was possible he had not noticed, but that man? I did not think so. I could believe many things, but there was no way Yoo Cheongil had failed to notice this.

In that case.

The possibility that he knowingly left it alone.

That was overwhelmingly high.

[You have already guessed it.]

Damn it. The Heavenly Demon easily gave me the answer to my question. As expected, that man seemed to have known and let it pass.

[You asked what makes it different from ordinary demonic qi.]

Yes.

[The power the divine arts possess is not a difference in the demonic qi. Demonic qi is fundamentally the same.]

Excuse me?

That was different from what he had said earlier.

Then what’s different?

Just a moment ago, he had said demonic qi could not possibly refuse me because he had coiled it there himself. Now he was saying demonic qi was not different?

[That simply means I altered it slightly to suit your flesh. It does not mean the demonic qi itself changed. Divine arts are a matter of how, and in what manner, that demonic qi is manifested.]

You mean... the method of using demonic qi is different?

[The foundation is different. The ability to use demonic qi more like demonic qi. That is the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.]

I don’t understand.

An explanation could not get much more plain than this. At this point, was he just unwilling to explain?

Just as I was finding it absurd—

[There is no need for you to try to understand. In any case, it is not something that can be explained.]

Then what am I supposed to do?

[I will show you.]

Excuse me?

[It seems, child, that this would be easier for you. I will show you.]

Since I would not understand even if he explained it, he would show me directly. At those words, I furrowed my brow.

Did I really need to see it? That thought crossed my mind briefly, but—

I just need to go somewhere with few people, correct?

[Yes.]

Curiosity had arisen. I had to use demonic qi anyway. And judging by the feeling—

It seems like I’ll have to keep using it from now on.

Leaving the demonic qi alone had become awkward.

If so, I thought I ought to at least know about it.

*****

A place with few people. I did not know very well where such a place would exist here. Though I was wandering around like this to begin with—

There must be eyes on me.

I knew there were eyes watching me from all directions, so I was not even sure whether finding a place with few people would be all right.

[Stop around here.]

Fortunately, there was someone who could tell me the way. I came to the place the Heavenly Demon indicated.

When I asked whether there was something nearby—

[You need not concern yourself with it.]

He said there was, but it did not matter.

What was that? Was that really all right? His words were somewhat absurd.

On one hand, I wondered whether I could trust this.

On the other hand, I wondered whether anything would change if I did not. This man was stuck inside a sword anyway and could not do anything.

If I was screwed, he would be screwed too, so would it not be fine?

I had not even brought the Divine Sword right now.

It was an ambiguous place. Sparse thickets could be seen here and there, and cliffs lined the area.

There were certainly few people, and when I checked on my own, I felt no human presence.

Maybe his words that I need not concern myself were because there was actually nothing here. As that thought crossed my mind—

Sssssss.

Soul energy moved.

[Excuse me.]

At the Heavenly Demon’s words, I relaxed my strength. It was close to granting permission for him to change bodies.

Click.

I heard some kind of sound, and my consciousness floated upward. My body became a soul-form and settled a little distance away.

Twitch. The Heavenly Demon moved my body lightly. Then he looked toward me.

“Watch closely.”

I had become a spirit form and was looking at my flesh from a third-person position, but I could still feel every sensation of his movements.

Grrrrrrrk.

I felt a sensation in my dantian. It had opened at the middle dantian, but demonic qi was resting near the lower dantian.

Sssssss. The demonic qi flowed through my meridians and seeped into my entire body. The speed was slow. Calm, as if telling me to memorize it.

The energy that penetrated my entire body was not strange yet.

I thought it was no different from when I used demonic qi.

Vmm.

The change began in an instant.

Oh.

My eyes widened.

This is...

Near the heart.

Between the throbbing vibrations, spiritual energy moved.

Demonic qi wove together with spiritual energy.

Is he insane?

I immediately realized something about the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts. So that was what it was.

It uses demonic qi and spiritual energy at the same time...?

The Heavenly Demon Divine Arts were a power that used spiritual energy mixed together with demonic qi.

The energy created after balancing the ratio slowly pursued change.

Saaaaaa—! The energy burst out of the body. Black energy.

From a mistlike form, it gradually began to solidify.

It slowly wrapped around the body. It looked as if he had clothed himself in shadow.

But what should I say...

It looks like something I’ve seen before.

I felt like I had seen that somewhere. That... that was definitely—

Moonbolt?

Moonbolt.

The sight of wrapping the Sword Aura of Radiant Moon Flash Aura around the whole body. It was somehow similar to that.

Was this a coincidence? As I stared blankly at it—

“Focus.”

The Heavenly Demon spoke.

Rustle. Draped in a cloak, the Heavenly Demon drew the sword from his waist. Then—

Srrk.

He slowly slashed downward.

That was all.

One calm sword strike drawn downward. At that moment—

Whoosh—! Wind blew, and space was split.

......!!

My body froze at the blackened line. Goosebumps rose over me. Despite the insignificant motion, I felt something.

“Remember this well.”

A single line drawn through empty air.

“This is the demonic way.”

The words were incomprehensible, but strangely enough, they struck my heart.

My martial arts reacted.