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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon Secret Vault
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Heavenly Demon Secret Vault.
A peerless secret repository accessible only to the Heavenly Demon or demonic cultivators who had performed monumental feats.
Rumors swirled that it housed all the world's divine weapons, elixirs, and supreme arts. To demonic cultivators—and even to the martial artists of the world—it was no different from another realm entirely.
Located deep within Snow Dissolving Peak, the vault was divided into four main sections.
First floor: Armory.
Second basement: Elixir Vault.
Third basement: Martial Arts Repository.
And the deepest level: Heavenly Demon Cave.
Entering the Armory, Elixir Vault, or Martial Arts Repository was nearly impossible without extraordinary achievements.
They brimmed with priceless treasures, peerless elixirs, and supreme manuals that would make any wandering martial artist gape in awe.
Yet none could compare to the lowest level, Heavenly Demon Cave.
The criteria for entry there were entirely different.
Heavenly Demon Cave.
The deepest sanctum of the Heavenly Demon Secret Vault, accessible solely to the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Within that grand cavern stood just nineteen martial arts manuals, lined up in a single row.
These were the signature ultimate techniques of past Heavenly Demons—divine arts each had recorded before their deaths.
Those who first beheld the sight were invariably swept up in excitement, eagerly flipping open the manuals.
But they soon clicked their tongues and closed them shut.
The reason for their surrender was simple.
'Utterly inscrutable.'
A Heavenly Demon was, absent extraordinary circumstances, a peerless genius of the ages, one of the world's supreme martial artists.
Such beings possessed unparalleled insight into martial arts and often a touch of arrogance.
No wonder they wouldn't painstakingly document their arts for posterity, even if earnestly requested.
He hadn't expected illustrations, of course.
But their scrawls were illegible scribbles dashed off in one stroke, coupled with cryptic explanations only they themselves might comprehend. Even a thorough reading left interpretation elusive.
And those who barely deciphered the text still couldn't fully grasp the ocean-deep profundity of each art.
"Well, none of that mattered to me anyway."
In his previous life, Hyeok Mulin had no other options.
His sole privilege was unrestricted access to the Heavenly Demon Secret Vault. He had spent most of his time in Heavenly Demon Cave, seeking to master the arts of his predecessors.
He hadn't fully succeeded, but he had gained considerable depth in many.
"And among them, what I need most right now is..."
Hyeok Mulin's gaze fell to his hand.
📜 Pure Soul Divine Demonic Art 📜
The manual was caked in dust, as if untouched by human hands for centuries.
"Even I overlooked it at first."
It was tattered, for one—and far too thin.
Compared to the others, it was less than a third as thick.
Could such a slim volume truly contain the secrets of a supreme art?
Doubts were inevitable.
Moreover, it was the only one among the nineteen Heavenly Demons' manuals to record a core art.
A core art formed the foundation of one's martial foundation. Barring rare exceptions, one stuck with the core art learned in youth until death.
Activating two or more core arts invited unknown repercussions. Heavenly Demons at the pinnacle had no reason to risk it for a new one.
'And crucially, the identity of the Heavenly Demon who created this core art was unknown.'
It was the sole manual with a core art, so curiosity had driven him to investigate its author.
Yet scouring records like the Heavenly Demon Secret Records and Cult Chronicles yielded nothing.
How he ascended to Heavenly Demon, whether from the Seven Great Demonic Families, what arts he wielded—nothing remained.
The only details: Eleventh Heavenly Demon, who abdicated after a mere three days as Cult Leader.
Suicide? Assassination? Abdication? Seclusion? Even the circumstances were lost.
'Once I confirmed that, even I lost interest.'
Why risk a dubious core art from an obscure figure?
But sensing his end nearing, Hyeok Mulin had grasped at this straw and opened it.
The moment he fully comprehended the incantation on the first page, he fell into a trance right there.
Three Days Heavenly Demon.
He was a genius—a true one, countable on one hand across all history, not some casual praise.
Pure Soul Divine Demonic Art.
Its meaning was straightforward.
Empty the demonic.
Then refine the body to contain ultimate demonic essence.
"This must be a core art only I, of our cult, can master."
According to its teachings, one must purge all demonic qi from the body.
p>Not merely expend it, but discard it entirely—demonic qi emptied from the dantian could never be refilled.
Cast aside a lifetime's accumulation of demonic qi.
Simple in words, but was there any demonic cultivator capable of it?
Save Hyeok Mulin on death's door, none sane would attempt it.
Yet in his final moments, having grasped it, he knew.
Ultimate Demonic Essence.
It held absolute worth.
Worth discarding a lifetime's qi for.
"..."
Hyeok Mulin silently read the manual through.
Having understood it once, rereading took little time.
Finishing, he returned it to its place and turned away.
Finding a spacious spot amid the emptiness, he sat cross-legged.
Closing his eyes, he focused his mind on his lower dantian.
Drawing a deep breath into his lungs, he slowly exhaled after a moment.
Demonic qi mingled in the expelled breath.
"Hoo..."
Not expending, but purging it.
Breathing leisurely, like opening a channel, he spent an hour concentrating and fully expelled all demonic qi from his dantian.
His body, now that of a complete mortal without a shred of inner power, felt drastically heavier than before.
But he couldn't stop here.
Gathering the dispersed demonic qi, Hyeok Mulin refined pure essence, excluding impurities, compressing it to the size of a grain of rice.
Preparation complete, he surveyed his eight extraordinary meridians and opened the Three Acupoint Gates.
Qi Sea Acupoint, Dantian Center Acupoint, and Hundred Confluence Acupoint flung wide. He dispersed his mind to unblock obstructed channels.
Cold sweat beaded as he recited the Pure Soul Divine Demonic Art incantation. The meridians twitched tentatively.
For an instant, it felt as if all three would pierce through simultaneously, like a contrived puzzle.
But it was a feint to fool the heavens.
Targeting one from the start, Hyeok Mulin focused wholly on the Hundred Confluence and thrust the condensed demonic qi in.
His skull split, brain pierced by agony.
The pain descended, scorching his organs like fire.
Yet amid convulsions, Hyeok Mulin held his posture firm.
A desperate gamble. Stopping meant death.
All he could do was trust himself and pierce the Hundred Confluence.
'Please... just once, break through!'
Gnashing his teeth, he poured everything in.
Then, black blood trickled from his nose.
Kwarung—!
Lightning shook the heavens.
Perforation.
A minuscule gap, smaller than a needle's eye.
But it pierced.
Reverse Heaven qi pierced the Heavenly Spirit Aperture, defying natural order and descending.
Unlike core arts building from lower dantian upward, this plunged from above, past upper dantian to middle, then lower.
Settling formlessly, it fused into the dantian.
For a flash, pure black suffused Hyeok Mulin's body, thick haze rising.
"Hoo..."
Exhaling lightly, he slowly opened his eyes.
He felt it.
The Pure Soul Divine Demonic Art activated.
His body transformed into an Ultimate Demonic Physique.
Self-inspecting, Hyeok Mulin satisfyingly curled his lips.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Leaving Snow Dissolving Peak, Hyeok Mulin headed straight for Heavenly Demon Palace.
Nearing the main palace, an elderly man entered his view.
Blood Hand Strange Demon Jang Wi.
Patriarch of the Shinwon Jang Clan, which had served Heavenly Demons for generations, and current Left Guardian of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He stood rigidly at the palace entrance.
Snow blanketed his robes—he'd waited quite a while.
"..."
Gazing at him with deep eyes for a moment, Hyeok Mulin stepped forward.
"How much time has passed?"
As Hyeok Mulin approached, Jang Wi bowed his head.
"Fifteen days since your command, my lord."
Before entering the Heavenly Demon Secret Vault.
Hyeok Mulin had tasked Jang Wi: visit Pure Heaven Pavilion daily and seek him if anything major arose.
His presence at the entrance meant...
"The Cheon Clan came looking, I take it."
"Yes. I notified you four days ago, my lord."
Jang Wi carefully withdrew a letter from his bosom.
Offering it with both hands, Hyeok Mulin took it, untied the string, and read silently.
It was exactly as expected—no surprise.
As he scanned the lukewarm contents with a bland face, he felt Jang Wi's sidelong glance from beside him.
"Curious about the contents?"
Hyeok Mulin asked point-blank. Jang Wi hesitated, then replied cautiously.
"May I know?"
"Nothing much. They just want to see my face in their front yard."
"From the Second Elder?"
"Yes."
Jang Wi nodded slowly.
"I'll prepare at once. It's been four days since the letter arrived—if we don't hurry, the Elder's mood..."
"No need."
Hyeok Mulin cut him off.
Samadhi truefire flickered in his palm, incinerating the letter to ash in an instant.
"...!"
Jang Wi's eyes widened at the unbelievable sight.
Brushing off the ash from his hand, Hyeok Mulin turned away.
"If it's important, he'll come himself."
Finishing, he strode past the entrance into Heavenly Demon Palace, utterly unconcerned.
Witnessing the utterly unexpected scene, all Jang Wi could do was stare blankly at the Heavenly Demon's retreating back.