Chapter 190: Heavenly Demon
“I was also the one who called Cult Leader Dokgo Jinak here.”
"...!"
The underground facility instantly fell silent.
Every righteous martial artist present turned to look at me.
Master Gonghyeon stared at me in bewilderment.
“Are you truly saying that you were the one who summoned Dokgo Jinak here?”
“Yes.”
Murmurs broke out again at my answer.
Gonghyeon looked back and forth between Dokgo Jinak and me.
“How did you come to have this kind of relationship with Dokgo Jinak?”
It was a question I had already expected.
“Because of what happened at Falling Death Valley.”
“Falling Death Valley?”
“The Righteous Alliance announced that I was ambushed by the Demonic Cult and fell into Falling Death Valley.”
I paused.
“But the person who attacked me was not a member of the Demonic Cult.”
Gonghyeon's eyes sharpened.
“Then who was it?”
“The person who attacked me...”
I looked toward Moyong Cheonhwi.
“was Moyong Seong.”
Shocked voices erupted from all around.
“The Heavenly Origin Star?”
“What are you saying?!”
Several Righteous Alliance elders turned toward Moyong Cheonhwi with disbelief on their faces.
But Moyong Cheonhwi said nothing.
He merely stared at me with an indifferent expression.
“And after I fell from the cliff and lost consciousness...”
I continued,
“the person who saved me was Cult Leader Dokgo Jinak.”
"...!"
The murmuring grew even louder.
Master Gonghyeon asked with a puzzled expression,
“Then is the Heavenly Demon here because of the bond formed at that time?”
“That is not the only reason.”
“There is another?”
“Yes.”
I looked directly at Gonghyeon.
“Something similar to what happened to you at Shaolin also happened to Cult Leader Dokgo Jinak.”
Gonghyeon's expression changed.
“Something similar to what happened to me?”
“Cult Leader Dokgo Jinak was also once consumed by demonic qi.”
"...!"
Gonghyeon looked toward Dokgo Jinak in shock.
“Dokgo Jinak... you were consumed by demonic qi?”
Dokgo Jinak gave no answer.
He remained silent.
But everyone understood that his silence was not a denial.
“What happened at Shaolin.”
I looked over the corpses of the demonic humans scattered around us.
“What happened inside the Demonic Cult.”
Then I turned my gaze toward Moyong Cheonhwi.
“And everything happening before us now.”
My voice hardened.
“There are far too many connections to dismiss these events as unrelated.”
"..."
Moyong Cheonhwi remained silent.
“And my conclusion is this.”
I pointed directly toward him.
“The one behind all of it is Moyong Cheonhwi.”
Then I raised my voice so everyone could hear.
“Moyong Cheonhwi is the true public enemy threatening the peace of the martial world.”
My voice echoed through the underground facility.
“He is the true evil that all of us must join forces to eliminate!”
Silence followed.
No one seemed able to speak.
Then, after a while—
“Even so....”
Master Gonghyeon finally spoke.
His face was filled with conflict.
“For the righteous martial world to join hands with the Demonic Cult in order to kill Moyong Cheonhwi...”
He shook his head.
“That is not something I can easily accept.”
It was the reaction I'd expected.
How many years had the righteous faction and Demonic Cult spent pointing swords at each other?
A few explanations couldn't erase that history.
Then—
“Do not misunderstand.”
Dokgo Jinak's cold voice rang out.
Gonghyeon's eyes sharpened.
But Dokgo Jinak didn't care.
His gaze was fixed on Moyong Cheonhwi.
“I came to punish a man who committed crimes against the Divine Cult with my own hands.”
His voice was arrogant and absolute.
“This matter will be finished by the strength of the Divine Cult.”
Then—
“We have no need for your help.”
The arrogance in his words was unbelievable.
Master Gonghyeon was about to respond when Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon spoke first.
“You heard him, Master Gonghyeon.”
Gonghyeon looked toward him.
Cheon Gwangcheon continued,
“We do not need to trust one another.”
His gaze moved toward Moyong Cheonhwi.
“It is enough that the enemy we must point our blades at first is the same.”
"..."
Then—
“Would that not be enough for now?”
Master Gonghyeon remained silent for a long moment.
Finally...
“...Very well.”
He nodded.
“For now, stopping Moyong Cheonhwi must come first.”
With that, Gonghyeon looked away from Dokgo Jinak.
At least for this moment...
the righteous faction and Demonic Cult lowered the blades they had been pointing at each other.
Then Dokgo Jinak spoke.
“Moyong Cheonhwi.”
His voice thundered through the facility.
“I already know you released your insects inside the Divine Cult.”
"..."
Moyong Cheonhwi showed no visible reaction.
Dokgo Jinak continued.
“While tracing the traitors who betrayed the Divine Cult, including Phantom Demon Musician Sa Eumryeong...”
His gaze turned colder.
“an interesting name appeared.”
"..."
“Moyong Cheonhwi.”
Then—
“Your name.”
Murmurs erupted again.
“The Alliance Leader colluded with the Demonic Cult?”
“He even planted people inside them?”
“Since when...?”
The surviving Righteous Alliance elders stared at Moyong Cheonhwi.
Until recently...
he had been the Alliance Leader they trusted and followed.
Now only anger and betrayal remained in their eyes.
Dokgo Jinak spoke firmly.
“I found every filthy insect hiding inside the Divine Cult and dealt with them.”
His gaze sharpened.
“Now only you remain.”
At those words...
memories from before my regression surfaced.
Phantom Demon Musician Sa Eumryeong.
Yin Soul Demon Elder No Hyeonmyeong.
Myriad Poison Demon Lord Gongya Dok.
The traitors hidden inside the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Before my regression...
those bastards had destroyed the Divine Cult from within.
The Righteous Alliance had followed the path they opened all the way to the Heavenly Demon Hall.
But this time—
They were eliminated first.
Another future I knew had changed.
“Moyong Cheonhwi!”
One of the Righteous Alliance elders finally shouted.
“How long have you been plotting something like this?!”
"..."
“You deceived the Alliance!”
His voice shook with fury.
“You used us!”
Then—
“And now you're telling us you were even colluding with members of the Demonic Cult?!”
His furious voice echoed through the facility.
Moyong Cheonhwi merely glanced at him once.
He made no excuse.
If anything...
he looked annoyed.
I slowly looked around.
Shaolin.
Mount Hua.
Kunlun.
The greatest masters of the righteous martial world had gathered here.
And on top of that...
Dokgo Jinak, the Ten Demons, and the strongest masters of the Demonic Cult were here as well.
Righteous and demonic.
The strongest warriors in the martial world had united against one common enemy.
Moyong Cheonhwi.
Of course, Heo Seongbaek and the black-masked Shadow Corps members remained.
But judging purely by fighting strength...
our side was overwhelmingly superior.
No matter how powerful Moyong Cheonhwi was...
there was no way he could handle this many masters alone.
And yet—
...What is it?
Moyong Cheonhwi still looked far too calm.
From the beginning until now...
there hadn't been even a hint of anxiety on his face.
I don't know what the hell you're relying on.
I tightened my grip.
But today is still the end for you.
Then—
Step.
Dokgo Jinak walked forward.
Muk Jincheol began moving with him.
“Cult Leader.”
Dokgo Jinak raised one hand.
“Do not interfere.”
Muk Jincheol stopped.
Yeom Yuhwa and the other Demonic Cult masters did the same.
Dokgo Jinak stared at Moyong Cheonhwi.
“Moyong Cheonhwi is mine.”
Muk Jincheol glared at Moyong Cheonhwi for a moment.
Then lowered his head.
“By your command.”
I looked around.
Master Gonghyeon and Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon didn't seem inclined to intervene either.
Instead, their attention remained on Heo Seongbaek and the Shadow Corps members.
If they moved...
they would stop them immediately.
Right.
Dokgo Jinak was enough.
Even before my regression...
he had been an absolute master capable of competing with Moyong Cheonhwi for the title of strongest under heaven.
Dokgo Jinak stopped in front of Moyong Cheonhwi.
“For planting filthy insects inside the Divine Cult.”
Wooooom.
Energy began rising around his body.
“And for daring to scheme against the Heavenly Demon.”
Killing intent spread through Dokgo Jinak's eyes.
“You will repay those crimes with your head.”
But Moyong Cheonhwi didn't flinch at the warning.
Instead...
he sneered.
“Dokgo Jinak.”
His voice was calm.
“You are truly arrogant.”
Moyong Cheonhwi raised his sword.
“Let us see how long you can preserve that arrogance.”
At those words, Dokgo Jinak's mouth curved upward.
“I will show you what the authority of the Heavenly Demon truly means.”
Wooooom.
The energy pouring from both men collided.
Two overwhelming presences pressing against one another.
Moyong Cheonhwi pointed his sword at Dokgo Jinak.
Dokgo Jinak slowly clenched his fist.
"..."
"..."
A suffocating silence stretched between them.
Then—
BOOM!
The ground beneath Dokgo Jinak exploded.
His body vanished.
In the next instant...
he was already in front of Moyong Cheonhwi.
WHOOOM!
His fist shot toward Moyong Cheonhwi's chest.
Moyong Cheonhwi's sword moved.
CLAAAAANG!
Fist and blade collided head-on.
A tremendous explosion roared outward.
WHOOOOOSH!
A violent wind swept through the underground facility.
