Episode 547: Return to the Demonic Sect

Upon returning to the Demonic Palace, Maeseollan summoned the Celestial Annihilation Squad and the Newborn Division. She realized it was inefficient to keep those most knowledgeable about mana confined to Shaanxi. By stationing them at the centrally located Demonic Palace, they could be dispatched anywhere swiftly.

Meanwhile, the Sichuan Assembly remained in Shaanxi, along with the newly joined Black Hand Group led by Yang Bi-ung and the Full Accumulation Group led by the old woman Manyaksang.

Leading the Newborn Division back to the Demonic Palace, Maeng Gasuk immediately sought out Ong Giseung. Thanks to the devoted care of Murang and Jinbaek, Ong Giseung had nearly fully recovered.

The moment Maeng Gasuk saw Ong Giseung practicing his energy flow in the courtyard, he shouted, “You rascal! Ignoring your elders now, are you?”

“I heard you were on death’s door, but you seem perfectly fine,” Seok Tangang added bluntly.

Only then did Ong Giseung squint and rise to his feet. As he turned, he saw the Newborn Division members beaming at him. Though they didn’t show it outwardly, the moment was deeply moving for them. After all, they had thought Ong Giseung was dead, and seeing him alive and well was a joyous surprise.

Yoo Songryeong spoke with a voice thick with emotion, “It’s a relief. You’re alive.”

“Long time no see, aren’t you going to greet us? Or are you dozing off again?” Seol Seorin teased, prompting laughter from the others.

Ong Giseung smiled warmly, “It’s been a while, everyone.”

That simple greeting touched the hearts of the Newborn Division members. Although it hadn’t been that long—less than a year—the time felt unusually long because they had believed Ong Giseung was dead.

Just then, the Celestial Annihilation Squad appeared in the courtyard. “Welcome home,” Yeon Woo-gyeong greeted, followed by others offering their own words of welcome. Though their words were plain, the sincerity in their voices was unmistakable.

After the initial greetings, Yoo Songryeong approached Ong Giseung. “How’s your health?”

“Feeling great. Thanks to Murang and Cho Hwan’s care.”

“Come to think of it, you don’t seem to doze off much anymore.”

“Ever since I managed to control the Demon Soul, I don’t feel sleepy.”

Maeng Gasuk clicked his tongue and interjected, “Where have you been all this time? If you’d shown up a bit earlier, or if we’d known you were alive…”

“Why?”

“While you were gone, the Lord raided Manyaksang. Well, now that Manyaksang is on our side, ‘raided’ might not be the right word. Anyway, we’ve been consuming all sorts of elixirs from Manyaksang.”

Maeng Gasuk spoke with genuine regret. The elixirs Manyaksang possessed were vast in quantity. Sabigang distributed them among the martial artists, paying special attention to the Celestial Annihilation Squad and the Newborn Division. It was only natural, as they were the groups he intended to keep closest.

Seok Tangang nodded in agreement. “Thanks to that, our power has increased significantly. We’ve tackled several summoning sites in Shaanxi, and it’s been much easier than before.”

Gok Bo-ok chimed in, “Indeed! Those elixirs weren’t expensive for nothing. If we’d known you were alive, we might have saved a root of the Millennium Snow Ginseng for you. Such a pity.”

“Exactly. I should’ve saved some of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng I consumed,” Jo Muntak added, to which Ong Giseung shook his head with a smile.

“It’s fine. As long as you all benefited from it.”

“No, you don’t understand the true effect of those elixirs. You have to experience the feeling of growing stronger overnight,” Bang Gak lamented, and others echoed similar sentiments.

“Right. If we’d known you were alive, we would’ve saved a drop of the Pure Essence Oil for you.”

“Indeed. I would’ve only eaten half of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and saved the rest for you.”

“I would’ve given you the Great Elixir. Unfortunately, it’s all gone now.”

“I would’ve saved the Heavenly Treasure Pill for you. But it’s too late; I’ve consumed it all.”

“Really, if only I’d saved ten Spirit Pills. I ended up eating all twenty myself.”

“Don’t even mention it. I consumed the Full Heaven Fire Spirit Pill for days. If I’d known you were alive, I would’ve saved some. It’s a shame I finished it all.”

“Exactly. If only we’d known Ong Giseung was alive…”

At that moment, a powerful presence emerged behind Ong Giseung, forming a massive shape. It was the Demon Soul. The sudden appearance of the Demon Soul silenced the Celestial Annihilation Squad and the Newborn Division.

The Demon Soul cracked its neck and spoke in a low voice, “So… was it delicious?”

**

Tarrant furrowed his brow. “What happened?”

“I’m sorry, I never expected Helmut to betray us…”

“There must have been signs.”

“It was my oversight.”

Count Jacock was sweating profusely, bowing his head. He should have been the first to notice Helmut’s betrayal. After all, the evil god he served was one of foresight and change. However, the god of foresight doesn’t always provide clear prophecies. Sometimes the information is clear, other times vague and ambiguous.

This time, the prophecy was relatively clear: “A demon who turns his back will strike back.” But Jacock dismissed it, thinking it referred to Baritan, as he had already received a prophecy about Baritan’s continued rebellion.

In a previous prophetic dream, the Demon King Tarrant was holding a sword upside down, a sword that belonged to Baritan. It was a sign that Baritan was still plotting rebellion. So when a similar prophecy came, Jacock assumed it was about Baritan again. Little did he know it referred to Helmut.

Helmut, who was more loyal than anyone, driven by his inferiority complex as a human, was more demon-like than the pure-blooded demons. Yet, he betrayed them. Moreover, his combat abilities were exceptional, making the betrayal a significant blow.

Tarrant remained silent, lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the void. Finally, he spoke, “What was the prophecy about Sabigang?”

“It said, ‘The one who defies time will take up the sword.’”

“Hmm. Defying time… Is there an ancient spell like that?”

Adler, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward. “There is, but its meaning is profound and not easily understood.”

“Yet the prophecy has come. It’s highly likely that this ‘Sabigang’ is a regressor. Humans are inferior beings, but they sometimes cause astonishing anomalies.”

No one could refute Tarrant’s words. They were already quite surprised by Sabigang. Count Jacock knelt and shouted, “Your Majesty, if you grant me the opportunity, I will eliminate the traitor Helmut and bring you the head of this Sabigang.”

“Hmm.”

But Tarrant did not respond immediately. He remained deep in thought, his eyes narrowing. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “It seems the time is not yet right. Even Helmut fell to this Sabigang. Despite his exceptional combat skills. Let’s proceed with the original plan, step by step. Adler.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“How is the situation with the League Leader?”

“The results will be out soon.”

“Good. If we’ve lost one, we must take more from them.”

“I will ensure everything is thoroughly prepared and proceed without any setbacks.”

Tarrant nodded. “Indeed. We cannot afford any more setbacks.”

“I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty.”

Count Adler bowed deeply.

**

Endless rows of tents stretched out. The Neungun faction had gathered a massive force of martial artists to subdue the Chuma Association, amassing a staggering fifty thousand volunteers. It was proof that the power of the righteous alliance still held sway in the martial world.

However, the Chuma Association had also rapidly grown in strength, reaching a similar number of fifty thousand. In terms of sheer numbers, it was a close match.

Regardless, the Neungun faction set out with fifty thousand martial artists. Now, Gu Yoon waited anxiously at the camp entrance for the Neungun faction.

“Before we go to war, I want to make one last attempt to persuade Mosaseong,” Neungun had said. He couldn’t bear the thought of martial artists turning their swords against each other when the demons were a looming threat.

His noble intention was admirable, but it was also perilous. Moreover, Neungun insisted on going alone. Gu Yoon opposed it to the end, but Neungun wouldn’t budge.

To truly embrace an opponent, one must first show their empty hands.

In the end, Neung Un-pa decided to take only Lee Ja-jun, the leader of Changshin, with him.

It had been six long hours since Neung Un-pa set out to meet the leader of Chuma.

They had left at dawn, and now the day was fading into dusk. An entire day had passed.

Yet, there was still no sign of Neung Un-pa.

“Leader… are you safe?”

Every time anxiety crept in, Gu-yun steadied his heart.

He had faced many challenges while serving Neung Un-pa, but he knew him to be a truly strong person.

Chuma’s leader, Mo Sa-seong, was also formidable, but he was no match for Neung Un-pa.

However…

“Let’s hope they’re reasonable people.”

How receptive would the deeply entrenched Chuma leader be?

Could those who followed the demon clan really be swayed by a few words from Neung Un-pa?

If they had refused, chaos would have already erupted on Chuma’s side.

Perhaps, at this very moment, Neung Un-pa and Lee Ja-jun were fighting for their lives.

Whenever such thoughts arose, Gu-yun felt an urge to mobilize the troops and head to Chuma.

And just as that thought crossed his mind again,

“Sir! The leader is returning!”

A subordinate, peering through a telescope from the watchtower, shouted.

“Ah, thank goodness! They’re safe!”

Gu-yun’s face lit up with relief.

Indeed, Neung Un-pa and Lee Ja-jun arrived at the Jeongdo Alliance camp unharmed.

Gu-yun rushed to greet Neung Un-pa, asking eagerly,

“How did it go?”

“Things went well.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Tomorrow at noon, we will gather all forces at Daewoon Mountain with Chuma’s leader.”

“All forces, you say?”

“Yes, all of them. I plan to address everyone directly.”

Gu-yun looked incredulous at the sudden turn of events.

Lee Ja-jun, standing nearby, chimed in.

“The leader personally reached out to Mo Sa-seong. During the process, he healed Mo Sa-seong’s spirit, which allowed us to persuade him.”

“That sounds… incredibly risky, wasn’t it?”

“Not at all. They were actually in awe of the leader’s divine presence. They were simply gripped by fear of the demon clan.”

Neung Un-pa nodded in agreement with Lee Ja-jun’s words.

“The young leader is right. They were merely trying to survive, albeit on the wrong path. But now that they know the right way, tomorrow we will unite and resolve to fight against the demon clan.”

Gu-yun spoke with genuine admiration.

“Truly remarkable. You’ve accomplished something great.”

“Then let’s prepare without any setbacks.”

“Understood!”

Gu-yun replied energetically.

But he didn’t notice.

The cool smile spreading across the leader’s face as he turned away.