Chapter 470: Ten Thousand (Ten Thousand)

Her long black hair, falling past her waist, was like silk.

The black hair, which didn’t allow any color or light, rather made one feel nobility.

Her fair skin made this stand out even more.

Beautiful.

Anyone who saw the woman would say so.

The purple eyes contained within her pupils held light.

Those pupils were the mark of demonic energy that demons naturally possessed, but…

The level was different.

It was much clearer, feeling like a well-crafted, beautiful jewel with no trace of murky color.

She was a beautiful woman whose mere sight could make anyone’s heart race.

However, what I felt from her wasn’t that pathetic flutter.

‘Why.’

Just fear.

‘This person… why.’

And dread.

Emotions deeply engraved within my body surged all the way to the top of my head in an instant.

I clenched my fingers tightly, because I felt like I would tremble right away.

It had been like that from the moment I met those purple eyes.

I can’t breathe.

I feel my heart chilling.

It’s a sensation of my body being heavily pressed down, as if something is tightly constricting me.

Deudeudeuk-deudeudeudeuk-!

A rattling sound echoed around my ears.

When I shifted my gaze, the sound was coming from the empty space the woman was holding.

‘That’s insane.’

The mysterious demonic rift that was trying to drag me away.

The woman had suddenly grabbed and closed that demonic rift.

This sound was the rift struggling to open again.

‘…To grab and close a dimension…’

What kind of brutal act is that?

Setting aside whether it’s even possible.

The repulsive force it exerted to reopen was unusual.

Just the wave of energy alone made my skin crawl.

The woman… no.

The Master of Ten Thousand Demons.

The Heavenly Demon (Cheonma) had an indifferent expression.

Deudeudeuk… deudeudeudeuk-!

At the continuous ringing sound, the Heavenly Demon’s head turned towards the rift.

“You’re noisy.”

The slight smile she wore disappeared.

“…Be quiet for a moment. You’re distracting.”

Frost settled into her voice.

Woong.

Night unfolded from the Heavenly Demon’s toes.

Guguguguk-!

Darkness spread its domain.

It was still broad daylight with the sun out, but as the Heavenly Demon looked at the darkness, the ground changed into night.

I widened my eyes, seeing the numerous black domains that began to spread.

It’s demonic energy.

This darkness was all demonic energy.

It was just much denser than the demonic energy demons emitted, and also…

‘Just potent.’

Night has fallen.

That’s what I thought, seeing the Heavenly Demon’s demonic energy filling the ground.

She created night at a time when the moon wasn’t out.

It wasn’t like the Gu family’s secret technique, Jeokcheon, or other martial arts.

She simply reversed the surrounding air and situation just by emitting energy.

Deudeuk… deudeudeuk… deudeuk….

The Heavenly Demon calmly stared at the rift.

As her frosty, cool eyes gazed while emitting energy…

Deudeuk….

Surprisingly, the rift swallowed its own sound.

“You listen well. Good.”

Did the rift really get scared of the Heavenly Demon and quiet down?

That’s impossible.

A demonic rift isn’t some living creature that gets scared.

But.

‘…If it’s not that, there’s no explanation.’

The problem is there’s no other way to explain that.

The demonic rift, which had been struggling as if demanding to be let go immediately.

Stopped its movement like a ghost right after the Heavenly Demon emitted her energy, and I had to feel a sense of bewilderment seeing that.

The Heavenly Demon’s gaze turned towards me again. I frowned as I met her eyes.

‘…As expected.’

The Heavenly Demon was right.

The only one in this world who could emit such an aura was the Heavenly Demon.

Called the sky of the Demonic Cult, the being who became the greatest under heaven in the shortest time.

Just looking at her, I felt like I would involuntarily bow my head.

A person who suited being in the sky more than anyone else.

That’s the kind of being the Heavenly Demon was.

“How fascinating.”

“…!”

As I watched the Heavenly Demon without saying anything, she spoke to me instead.

Only then could I regain my composure.

“This is my first time having an experience like this.”

A faint smile formed.

I was afraid of that smile.

“It’s quite a fresh gift. Isn’t it?”

Holding her smile, she took a step towards me.

Then, her hand reached out.

What should I do?

My mind conjured questions seeking a solution, but…

Seureuk.

My body had already taken a step back.

It was an action I took without realizing it.

It was an act that should have hurt my pride, but such thoughts didn’t cross my mind.

The Heavenly Demon wasn’t someone who made you think of such things.

The problem was.

Even after stepping back one step.

She was already in front of me.

Tuk.

I was caught.

The Heavenly Demon approached and suddenly grabbed my left arm.

She brought my hand before her eyes and started examining it.

At the touch, I tried to pull my hand away immediately, but…

Kkuuk-!

‘Damn it.’

My caught hand showed no intention of moving at all.

“Hmm.”

My left arm was lifted.

The skin hidden by my martial attire was revealed, clearly showing its mutated state.

My left arm, covered in blue scales.

Its somewhat grotesque appearance, in detail.

After being held like that for a moment, my hand was suddenly flung away.

Did I break free with my own strength?

‘Impossible.’

This was only possible because the Heavenly Demon allowed it.

It sucked, but that was the reality.

“Daeju.”

“…!”

My body stiffened at the title the Heavenly Demon called me.

Daeju.

She definitely called me that.

I looked at the Heavenly Demon with trembling eyes.

“…How….”

I realized she recognized me.

How did she recognize me?

And besides.

‘Why is the Heavenly Demon here?’

Her being here right now was itself an impossible event.

As I stared at the Heavenly Demon unable to say anything.

She continued speaking, looking at me with slightly narrowed eyes.

“I must have told you.”

As her voice reached me, I had to swallow dryly.

“If you carelessly get injured and return, I’ll get angry.”

The corners of her eyes curved like crescent moons.

Her smiling appearance was exceptionally beautiful, but the presence radiating from her body was by no means trivial.

I felt like I would be terrified any second.

No, was I already scared?

If so, I had to endure it.

“…I don’t know who you’re mistaking me for. I am not the human called Daeju.”

I forced the words out. I intended to kill her someday, so I couldn’t be scared or back down.

“Hmm.”

Hearing my words, the Heavenly Demon gave a thoughtful look for a moment, then nodded slightly not long after.

“Is that so.”

What? Did she really accept it immediately?

That thought flashed by, but only for a moment.

“It seems you aren’t called Daeju there.”

“…!”

Her nonchalantly spoken words sent a shiver down my spine.

“Or perhaps, I haven’t appeared yet? That shouldn’t be the case.”

The Heavenly Demon rested her chin on her hand and slightly frowned.

Seeing that, I swallowed a scream.

‘Did she figure out that I came from another dimension?’

Not only did the Heavenly Demon suddenly appear holding Cheonjun’s head.

She seemed to have figured out who I was and where I came from.

Kkudeudeuk.

A reaction came from my heart area.

My energy suddenly surged.

‘What is it?’

I bent down at that unexpected anomaly.

Because the intense vibration was similar to pain.

It wasn’t just my heart, either.

As if my heart was also in my left arm, this one also started pounding like crazy.

Where is this? I’ve definitely felt this somewhere before.

This is.

‘Ah.’

It came back to me.

The moment I faced the Blood Demon disguised as Jang Seon-yeon at the last orthodox faction meeting.

It was the hostility I felt then.

‘Why is that?’

Why am I feeling the sensation from back then while looking at the Heavenly Demon now?

‘No, now is not the time to ponder such things.’

It meant that the situation I was facing was extremely dangerous, and now wasn’t the time to figure out my physical condition.

‘What should I do?’

I feel a gaze.

The gaze the Heavenly Demon was directing at me.

She was probably just looking at me at my eye level, but I felt the illusion that she was looking down on me.

Kung-! Kung-!

As the rising hostility mingled, and heat began to boil…

Seuuk.

I felt a touch on my chin, and my head was slightly lifted upwards.

The Heavenly Demon lifted my chin with her hand.

“Daeju.”

“…I am not Daeju….”

“Looking at your eyes, Daeju knows me. Right?”

“…”

“How do you know me? I’m truly curious about that.”

With my head lifted, I lowered my gaze and looked at the Heavenly Demon.

She was still wearing a smile.

“What unpleasant eyes. I want to pluck them out right now.”

Those were incredibly chilling words.

“…”

“I’ll let it slide. As always. I am merciful.”

I had to break free from this hand right away.

But my body was stiff and wouldn’t move.

I had gathered my strength and tidied up my incomplete cultivation level. Just moments ago, I thought I wouldn’t easily get beaten anywhere.

‘Fuck.’

To encounter the Heavenly Demon the moment I thought that. My luck is truly terrible.

‘Moreover.’

I shifted my gaze to the floor.

Cheonjun’s severed head lay rolling on the dirt floor nonchalantly.

Even amidst this, Ma Geom-hu caught my attention.

‘Tsk.’

Ma Geom-hu had already knelt and bowed his head the moment the Heavenly Demon appeared.

That was the attitude a demon would take when facing their Cult Leader.

“Daeju.”

At the penetrating voice, I turned my gaze back.

“If you’re talking with me, don’t avoid my gaze.”

Words spoken so casually.

At those words, I gritted my teeth and grabbed the Heavenly Demon’s hand.

Hwik.

“Hmm.”

As I grabbed her wrist, a small reaction came from the Heavenly Demon’s lips.

“I told you I’m not your Daeju.”

Even as I spoke, I had to be careful not to let my voice tremble.

At my words, her purple eyes turned to the wrist she held. I tensed my body there.

“How novel.”

I expected her to break free immediately, but the Heavenly Demon remained nonchalant.

“This is my first time experiencing this….”

A slight heat seeped into her voice. My shoulders trembled.

“This isn’t bad either.”

Saying that, the Heavenly Demon smiled.

Something chilling permeated that alluring smile.

“I wish to ask one thing.”

Is it intense curiosity?

Or perhaps trivial interest?

Something was mixed in the Heavenly Demon’s eyes.

It’s not an easy thing.

It was almost unheard of for emotions to mix in the Heavenly Demon’s gaze.

And even if it happened occasionally.

It was mostly close to murderous intent.

“Was the choice I made upon reaching the end, ultimately, you?”

“What is th….”

As I tried to answer the Heavenly Demon’s words, she shifted her gaze and looked at the empty air.

Even so, she didn’t let go of the hand holding the demonic rift.

“Unfortunately, a guest has arrived.”

At her calm voice, I involuntarily scanned where the Heavenly Demon was looking.

“…Huh?”

Something was approaching beyond the sky where nothing was visible.

Swiiik-!

It’s a sword.

A pure white sword hovered in the air, approaching this way.

Easily hundreds of swords.

A feast of swords, potentially thousands.

Seeing that overwhelming sight, I couldn’t help but bite my lip.

‘Why you again…?’

Not only did the Heavenly Demon arrive, but the situation worsened.

That was the aura of a person who absolutely should not have come in the current situation.

Looking at the swords filling the sky, the Heavenly Demon tidied her hair.

As I focused, I could see.

The figure who appeared here, riding atop the swords.

Her once brilliant blonde hair was now tinged with white.

Moreover, the swords held in both hands emitted an even clearer light.

It was a form that seemed like sunlight itself had taken human shape, rather than being backlit by the sun.

It was the form of hers that I hated the most.

Because that was a form that could only be achieved by burning one’s life force.

Looking at the woman who suddenly appeared.

“Fortunately, it seems you’ve sensed it properly.”

The Heavenly Demon spat out the words in a cold voice.

“Still such an unsightly face.”

It was somewhat amusing.

How could it not be amusing?

The Heavenly Demon speaking like that, and the woman who suddenly appeared.

Had faces that looked exactly the same.