Chapter 203: Heavenly Demon Founder (1)
He-Heavenly Demon Founder?
That man?
The realization that the Heavenly Demon Founder—a man said to have lived over a thousand years ago—was standing right before our eyes was utterly shocking.
And Cheon Yura seemed certain of his identity, either due to some information or another reason she possessed.
“Founder…”
The young man repeated the word, as if savoring it.
It looked like he was reminiscing about long-forgotten memories.
“Wait a second.”
I hastily stopped Cheon Yura.
“…Why?”
She looked at me with genuine confusion, clearly not understanding my actions.
“Let’s say that man really is the Heavenly Demon Founder. Then shouldn’t we show him respect and reverence? Why are you trying to fight him from the get-go?”
Where in the world did people charge at their ancestors the moment they met them, like saying, “Nice to meet you, now let’s fight”?
And yet, that was exactly what was happening in front of me.
“Jin Yeomyung, aren’t you even curious? It’s the Founder! A chance to cross swords with someone that legendary doesn’t come twice!”
Cheon Yura was so excited she wasn’t thinking straight.
No matter what I said, I could sense that she was determined to risk life and death in a duel.
The young man—the Heavenly Demon Founder—chuckled softly.
“Heh heh heh, what an amusing descendant. I too used to run wild just like that in my youth. I rather miss those days.”
…So her recklessness had been passed down for over a thousand years.
The Heavenly Demon Founder looked over Cheon Yura with a serene gaze.
“Descendant. Are you wandering in search of the first sign of the shedding of your shell, after surpassing the extreme limits of demonic cultivation?”
“……!”
I turned toward Cheon Yura, shocked.
If what he said was true, then her skills had already reached the very edge of demonic perfection.
An accomplishment virtually unheard of in all of history.
But to my surprise, Cheon Yura shook her head.
“That’s not important. I just want to see for myself the extent of your skills, Founder.”
I worried he might be offended by her impudence.
But—
“Heh heh, very well. Even if a descendant challenges me to battle at first sight, she is still a descendant. As an ancestor, I suppose it’s only right that I indulge her.”
Unexpectedly, our Founder had a heart as vast as the sea.
Snap!
The Heavenly Demon Founder broke a branch from a nearby tree and casually shook off the smaller twigs.
In an instant, a long, switch-like stick was formed.
“This should suffice.”
Gulp!
If anyone else had done that, Cheon Yura would have exploded with fury and tried to kill them on the spot.
But this man stood far above her in every way imaginable.
Rather than retaliate, Cheon Yura poured all her focus into maintaining her composure.
“That sword… it’s the one I used back in my prime. I didn’t expect it to still remain in the mortal world…”
“……”
“Try to resonate with it properly. It’s not just a sword with strength and durability.”
“I’ll bear that in mind.”
“Heh, I’ve said enough. Come at me.”
Woooong!
The moment he finished speaking, Cheon Yura’s sword floated into the air.
It rose just above her head, then began to split into twelve flying swords.
‘That—That’s!’
The Twelve-Part Sword Formation of the Heaven-Slaying Demonic Sword that I saw in the final moments of my previous life!
I couldn’t stop the tremble that seized my entire body.
The fact she summoned that meant she had fully mastered the Heaven-Slaying Demonic Sword.
And it also meant she was nearing the realm once reached by the Heartless Demonic Empress of my past life!
“Here I come.”
The twelve flying swords gathered into one concentrated sword formation.
—Heaven-Slaying Demonic Sword: Combined Form.
“Nameless Sword.”
A sword without a name.
There were only two reasons a technique remained nameless.
Either it had just recently been created and hadn’t yet been given a proper name…
Or it was so far beyond naming that none was necessary.
Chzzzzz!
The twelve flying swords merged into one again and shot forth like a ray of light.
Even I wouldn’t have been able to take that head-on.
Despite the transcendental nature of the technique hurtling toward him, the Heavenly Demon Founder didn’t react much.
“Mind-Guided Sword, huh? Not bad.”
As the sword beam tore through the earth, he casually swung the branch in his hand.
And then—
As if it were a lie, Cheon Yura’s sword shattered like fragments of glass.
“Guh!”
“Lady Cheon!”
I rushed toward Cheon Yura, who staggered while spitting blood.
“Hah… Hah…”
She must have suffered serious internal damage from the backlash of her technique being broken head-on—her complexion had gone beyond pale to ashen.
The Heavenly Demon Founder approached her.
“Your internal injuries are severe, but you’ll recover if you stay here for a day or two.”
Indeed, with the abnormal density of Qi in this place, most wounds would heal with ease.
“Splitting your sword to wield it with refined intent wasn’t a bad approach. In the end, it’s a matter of sensory mastery. However…”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“Refinement is only a byproduct of results. To truly overcome the wall, you need something more.”
…Nod.
Without a word, Cheon Yura nodded.
“Your talent is great enough to shatter the heavens. You won’t stray from the path. Now then, it’s your turn to prepare.”
“You mean me?”
“Since it’s come to this, I’d like to see your skills as well. And for some reason…”
The Heavenly Demon Founder smiled softly.
“Your fangs, despite being of a lower realm than your ancestor’s, seem far more threatening.”
“……”
I let out a sigh and rose to my feet.
Since this was what he wanted, there was no avoiding it.
I gently lifted Cheon Yura and carried her a short distance away before setting her down.
The Heavenly Demon Founder looked at me with a pleased nod.
“It’s good to see a man who cherishes his beloved.”
“She’s not… my beloved. Not yet.”
“Not yet?”
“Her father is far too stubborn. One day, I’d like to teach him a lesson, but it’s frustrating—I’m nowhere near strong enough.”
For some reason, the Founder burst into laughter at my words.
“Hahaha! You’re an amusing one. What’s your name?”
“I’m Jin Yeomyung of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan.”
“Jin Yeomyung… Jin… Jin… Hm? Jin Gwanchun?”
The Heavenly Demon Founder’s eyes widened slightly.
Understanding his reaction, I let out an even deeper sigh than before.
“Yes, the founder of our clan was indeed named Jin Gwanchun.”
One of the Six Great Demonic Lords, the Fist Demon Jin Gwanchun.
A man who split mountains with his fists and parted rivers with his kicks—a being hailed as having a divine body.
However—
“You don’t quite look like a descendant of that Gwanchun fellow…”
“……”
“Hmm, I suppose with time, there’s been a lot of blood mixed in from other lines.”
No, not that much has been mixed in.
‘If you saw my younger brother, you'd change your mind right away.’
But my pride wouldn’t allow me to say that out loud.
‘Once I return, I’ll devote everything to increasing my raw strength!’
Every time someone learns I’m from the Jin Clan and reacts like this, I feel so wronged I could lose my mind!
Perhaps sensing my mood, the Heavenly Demon Founder waved his arms awkwardly.
“Ah, I didn’t mean your build or anything like that! I was just surprised to see you using a sword, that’s all!”
I replied bitterly.
“No worries. I’m well aware that my physique doesn’t live up to the Jin Clan’s reputation.”
“…Kghm!”
Our Founder turned out to be more naive than I’d expected.
Completely unlike the image I’d once had of him.
‘I have a mountain of questions I want to ask, but first… I need to clash with him.’
To see just how far I could go in my current state.
I immediately assumed the stance of a certain technique.
The moment he saw it, the Heavenly Demon Founder’s expression brightened.
“That’s… that’s Jeon’s sword, isn’t it!”
As expected, he recognized it.
“I’m coming.”
“Come.”
I poured all my internal energy and will into one technique.
It didn’t have the overwhelming pressure that Cheon Yura’s sword did, but—
The moment he saw the strike, the corners of the Heavenly Demon Founder’s mouth curled into a soft smile.
“Heaven-Breaking… What a nostalgic sound that is.”
Fwoosh!
Just as I felt a crimson flame briefly flicker along the Founder’s tree branch—
Flash!
My will clashed against his.
And not long after…
I ended up in a worse state than Cheon Yura, sprawled out in utter defeat.
“Wake up, Jin Yeomyung.”
How much time had passed?
The voice of Cheon Yura, who had been practically half-dead earlier, rang in my ears.
“L-Lady Cheon?”
I blinked up at the sky.
“Yes, it’s me. So you’re finally awake.”
“How long was I unconscious?”
“Three days.”
Jolt!
Three whole days? From a single exchange?!
“The Founder said he used a little more strength when facing you.”
For some reason, Cheon Yura’s voice was full of irritation.
Her irritation was clearly born out of a sense of competition toward me.
I looked at her with a helpless expression.
“You almost died too, didn’t you?”
“Even so, I can’t help feeling humiliated.”
Cheon Yura glared at me, her eyes burning more intensely than usual.
I avoided her gaze and pushed myself up.
“In any case, if it’s been three days, that’s bad. Anything could’ve happened out there by now… Hm?”
I noticed the Heavenly Demon Founder sitting on something a short distance away.
The problem was what he was sitting on.
“…So Cheon?”
The guy was prostrate on the ground with his head bowed low, and the Founder was calmly seated cross-legged on his shrimp-like back?
“Ah, you’re awake.”
“Yes, but… what’s going on with him…?”
He must’ve finished circulating his Qi while I was unconscious.
Did he say something wrong? I mean, the guy didn’t know who the Founder was…
The Heavenly Demon Founder smiled softly and said something like a bolt from the blue.
“His hands were a bit too quick, so I gave him a little discipline.”
“……”
“……”
I was so stunned I couldn’t even close my mouth. Beside me, Cheon Yura shook her head, clearly wanting no part of this.
I looked at the trembling So Cheon with all the reverence I could muster.
“You… seriously… I respect that.”
A pitiful moan escaped So Cheon’s lips.
“P-please… spare me… it’s been six whole hours…”
“You should be thankful you’re still alive. Just accept it.”
I have no idea what gave him the audacity to try stealing from the Founder’s pouch.
“Hmph, time truly is amusing. And you… To think that monster spawned a descendant like you. And one who’s learned such a refined version of the Taiji techniques, no less.”
“Uh, well…”
“Still, it’s a relief. Though he was my disciple, I always worried whether he could actually produce a descendant, given that his nature was comparable to the Heavenly Killing Star. Hahaha!”
…Honestly, we’re just kind of peculiar people.
The laughing Heavenly Demon Founder finally stepped down from So Cheon’s back.
So Cheon, completely drained, collapsed unconscious on the spot.
“I stimulated his Twelve Meridians and part of his Middle Dantian while sitting on him. He should be able to survive here for a few more days.”
“…!”
In other words, the Founder had personally administered a primitive meridian activation technique!
‘You lucky bastard.’
I sent a bitter, jealous look at the unconscious So Cheon.
“Haha, if you two want the same, I could do it too—but you’ve already broken through your meridians from a similar experience, haven’t you?”
He had already seen through the fact that Cheon Yura and I had obtained a fortuitous encounter via the Qi Flow Formation.
Looking at both of us, the Heavenly Demon Founder spoke again.
“Well, some time has passed… Shall we finally get to the main point?”
“……”
“……”
Cheon Yura and I tensed up.
Even if we both attacked him at once, we had no chance against him.
Even if I, like back when I was the Sword Demon, pushed my life force to the limit—my instincts told me it still wouldn’t work.
‘He may be friendly now, but there’s no telling when he might change his stance.’
The Heavenly Demon Founder asked us,
“What have you two come to this place for?”