Chapter Content
Prologue
The child was smart.
He knew the silver, shining object in his father's constantly bowing hand was a silver coin, and he knew he was being sold for it.
It was a harsh fate for a child of only five to be separated from his parents and siblings, but the child didn't see it that way.
He thought that thanks to the silver coin in his father's hand, his mother, father, older sister, and older brother would be able to eat their fill. He was grateful to the old Taoist master who had given his father five silver coins.
"Taoist Grandfather, let's go quickly. I'll listen well and do whatever you ask. I won't eat much either."
Fearing the Taoist Grandfather might change his mind and take the silver coins back from his father's hand, the child quickly grabbed the hem of his sleeve and pulled.
As the old Taoist walked, led by the child, he was tormented by an uncontrollable inner demon.
'I do not know if this is truly the right thing to do. If I could save the countless lives of the world by sacrificing one life, how could I refuse even my own? But how can I commit such a cruel act upon a child so young!'
The old Taoist couldn't bear to look at the child pulling him and turned his gaze to the distant mountains.
White clouds drifted peacefully, and the wind was warm.
Green foliage covered the mountains and fields, and the life within them was at peace.
It felt as if he alone reeked of the stench of blood.
"Yes, resent this poor Taoist. For the sake of the world's countless lives, let us go to hell together."
Chapter 1: Immortal Divine Demon
He was called the Supreme Lord of the Nine Heavens, for he was the master of the nine lands. He was called the Sovereign of All Evil, for he was the ruler of all malevolence. And he was called the Immortal Divine Demon, for he was an undying fiend.
Dugu Wujung!
The absolute ruler who looked down upon the world with all the lands of the demonic path beneath his feet.
He was the strongest and most ferocious being in the entire history of the martial world spanning thousands of years.
His Immortal Demonic Aura was undefeated, invincible, and a source of terror.
He was so great that he single-handedly blew away the combined attack of the Ten Great Masters of the Orthodox Faction, shamelessly trampling the martial world proverb that one hand cannot handle ten.
But because he was too strong, he was fated to be broken.
He could handle ten hands, but he could not overcome a hundred.
To stop him, who was too strong, reclusive masters who had vanished decades ago and even sorcerers who did not meddle in the affairs of the martial world all crawled out, making the world as hot as a boiling cauldron.
Moreover, even his subordinates, who had been crushed by fear, all turned against him. How could he prevail alone?
The legend of the great absolute ruler came to an end, leaving behind the words "heaven and earth overturned."
Only after the great earth was soaked in red blood did the world regain its peace.
However, those who had brought down the great absolute ruler could not return to their places, unable to put the final period on the matter.
Mount Tai in Shandong Province.
It was a famous spiritual mountain, considered the foremost of the Five Great Mountains (the five highest mountains on the continent), and was even regarded as the underworld where the souls of the dead gathered.
At its peak was the Jade Emperor Shrine, dedicated to Bixia Yuanjun, the daughter of the Lord of Mount Tai.
The Lord of Mount Tai was a god who governed people's lifespans and fortunes, and Bixia Yuanjun was called the guardian goddess of women as she governed marriage, childbirth, and success.
Bixia Yuanjun also possessed the divine power to prevent future calamities, so the Jade Emperor Shrine was filled with protective talismans.
The hour when the sun was highest in the sky.
"Is this your house, Taoist Grandfather? It's so big! It's huge!"
A five-year-old child with a grimy face ran towards the Jade Emperor Shrine.
Behind the child, the old Taoist could be seen with a worried expression.
"Where is your room, Taoist Grandfather? I'll clean it for you right away!"
The child, having run to the entrance of the Jade Emperor Shrine, waved his hand and shouted.
For a child sold for silver coins, he was far too bright. He seemed like a child who didn't know he was being separated from his family. But the old Taoist knew that wasn't the case.
The child knew he had been sold for silver coins, and he was deliberately acting bright, afraid that the old Taoist might dislike him and take the coins back.
Thus, the anguish on the old Taoist's face as he gazed at the child could only grow heavier.
'Child, resent this poor Taoist. All the sin lies with me.'
The old Taoist, forcing an air of indifference, headed towards the Jade Emperor Shrine.
"Taoist Grandfather, should I start cleaning here? Just give me a broom, and I can sweep it clean!"
The child shouted, looking around at the floor.
Just then, the doors of the Jade Emperor Shrine swung wide open from behind the child, and a person stepped out.
Startled by the sudden noise, the child spun around in a flash, then, as if seeing a fearsome demon, he yelped in shock and fell back on his bottom.
A middle-aged man with a black beard stood there.
A scar that cut diagonally across half his face looked incredibly hideous.
"Is this the one?"
When the black-bearded man asked, the old Taoist nodded.
The black-bearded man looked down at the child with coldly gleaming eyes, then suddenly reached out, grabbed the child's arm, and lifted him up.
"Agh! It hurts!"
"Silence!"
The black-bearded man, after shouting as cold as frost, immediately turned and entered the Jade Emperor Shrine.
The child looked back at the old Taoist with a plea for help in his eyes.
The old Taoist ignored the gaze and slowly followed him inside.
The inside of the Jade Emperor Shrine was dark.
Sunlight squeezed through the cracks of the windows, but it was not enough to illuminate the entire space.
The black-bearded man carried the child and headed deeper inside.
Behind the large statue of Bixia Yuanjun was a very small side door, and passing through it revealed a staircase leading underground.
Lanterns were hung here and there, but the unique darkness and damp air of the underground made the child even more frightened.
After descending for a long time, a rather spacious underground area appeared. And there were five more old men there.
There was a bald old monk and an old nun.
There was also an old man with a white beard and one arm missing, and a hunchbacked old man could be seen.
The black-bearded man placed the child in the middle of them as if throwing him down.
The child looked around at the old people surrounding him with a frightened face and squeezed out in a trembling voice.
"He-hello! I'm Myung. Cho Myung is my name. I eat little and work hard. Just tell me to do anything...!"
"Shut your mouth!"
The black-bearded man shouted sternly.
Cho Myung hunched his body like a turtle pulling its head into its shell and clamped his mouth shut.
"Are the preparations ready?"
The old Taoist asked as he entered.
Cho Myung turned with a hopeful face, but the old Taoist no longer even glanced at him.
Cho Myung's face turned pale with fear.
He was only a five-year-old child, but all seven old people either ignored him or acted coldly.
"Now, when the Yang energy is at its peak, is the right time. Let's begin immediately."
An old man wearing a Taeguk hat with a black and white yin-yang symbol said. But the other old men, who seemed ready to do something at any moment, did not move rashly.
At that, the old man in the Taeguk hat frowned and shouted.
"This is a matter of saving countless lives by sacrificing one soul. Do you think any of us are doing this because we want to!"
As the old man in the Taeguk hat rebuked them, the one-armed old man strode forward, grabbed Cho Myung's arm, and lifted him. Then he moved towards a stone door on one side.
The old man in the Taeguk hat watched this and then spoke harshly to the other old men.
"Why is everyone acting like this now? Do you think Lord Changcheon is doing that because he wants to?"
As the old man in the Taeguk hat chided them once more, the old Taoist who had brought Cho Myung began to move towards the stone door, followed by the others one by one.
Kugugugugung!
As the stone door opened, a stone chamber that looked to be about twenty pyeong [approx. 710 sq ft] was revealed.
Cho Myung, dragged by the one-armed old man, felt a chill run down his spine at the sight inside the stone chamber.
A person could be seen on the inner wall, in such a miserable state that it was hard to look at.
Iron chains as thick as a child's wrist bound his limbs, pinning him to the wall with his body spread wide. Over a dozen weapons, including longswords, knives, and long spears, were embedded all over his body like porcupine quills.
What particularly startled Cho Myung were the two eyes, where the trails of blood that had flowed down were clearly visible.
Amazingly, longswords were embedded in his eyes as well.
"Kekekek! Truly befitting of hypocrites! To speak of justice and righteousness with your mouths while plotting such things behind the scenes!"
Surprisingly, not only was he alive, but he even sneered with a voice full of vigor.
Cho Myung was so startled his heart nearly stopped, and he turned his head away.
"Amitabha! If we can extinguish Lord Dugu's Immortal Demonic Aura, how could we refuse even hell?"
"Bald monk! Then you go to hell alone. What sin has the child committed!"
"Amitabha!"
When the old monk, unable to find a retort, only muttered the Buddha's name, the monstrous man spoke as if he could see the child.
"Child, do you know what these old fools are trying to do?"
"Silence!"
The one-armed old man shouted sternly, but the monstrous man paid him no mind.
"These old fools are trying to kill both you and this sovereign at the same time. When the so-called Ten Heavens of the Orthodox Faction couldn't do anything to this sovereign even with a combined attack, they mobilized the sorcery of the Unorthodox Path they used to despise to stop this sovereign. And now, they're going to mobilize all that sorcery to kill this sovereign. Kekekek! Filthy old men! If you can't kill me even after binding me in this state, you should be lamenting your own incompetence. Are you really going to use a child as a sacrifice to finally kill this sovereign! You detestable and atrocious bastards! The countless lives of the world? What a load of dog crap!"
The monstrous man, Dugu Wujung, screamed.
His voice was laced with killing intent, making Cho Myung's heart pound, but not so much that he couldn't understand the words.
"Taoist Grandfather..."
Cho Myung looked at the old Taoist who had brought him here. But the old Taoist did not meet his gaze.
"I can eat little and work hard..."
Those were Cho Myung's last words.
The one-armed old man, as if he didn't want to hear any more, placed Cho Myung on the floor and pressed his mute acupoint to prevent him from speaking.
A circle was drawn with red blood, and strange, indecipherable patterns were drawn around it. Cho Myung was placed in the very center of the circle.
The one-armed old man also pressed the acupoints on Cho Myung's two legs and two arms, making him unable to move a muscle.
"You even seal his mouth to prevent him from letting out his final sorrow! Child! Resent and resent these filthy things here. Remember all the faces of these old fools and prostrate yourself before King Yama, pleading your grievance. Who knows? King Yama might listen to your grievance and resentment and summon these old fools to hell."
At Dugu Wujung's words, Cho Myung trembled but looked around at the old men in the stone chamber.
Some of the old men looked away, while others stared coldly as frost.
Cho Myung looked at the old Taoist one last time.
The old Taoist still looked away.
Cho Myung's whole body trembled violently.
It was all he could do, with his limbs immobilized.
"Begin."
The one-armed old man shouted.
Then, the old man in the Taeguk hat stepped forward.
"From now on, we will begin the Grand Art of Soul Separation and Body Transference."
At the words of the old man in the Taeguk hat, the air in the stone chamber sank heavily.
The Art of Soul Separation was to detach a soul from its body and transfer it to another.
The Grand Art of Soul Separation and Body Transference was the most outstanding among the Soul Separation Arts, a secret technique of the Maoshan Sect.
That's right.
The old men planned to transfer the soul of the Immortal Divine Demon, Dugu Wujung, into Cho Myung's body.
It was because Dugu Wujung's Immortal Demonic Aura was so strong and bizarre that they couldn't kill him even after capturing him.
Changcheon Sword, Nangong Hwang!
He, the Grand Lord of the Nangong Sword Family, had cut off Dugu Wujung's head.
But from Dugu Wujung's decapitated body, the Immortal Demonic Aura poured out like a mad beast, and his own arm was cut off instead.
There were five more masters of the Ten Orthodox Heavens, but it was so terrifying that they barely managed to hold it back.
The Immortal Demonic Aura, which had rampaged like a mad beast, only subsided after reattaching Dugu Wujung's severed head.
The heaven-shaking laughter Dugu Wujung let out at that time had left the masters of the Ten Orthodox Heavens dumbfounded.
"Even this sovereign cannot kill this body! Do you think the likes of you can kill it! Kuhahahaha!"
The one who stepped forward when the Ten Orthodox Heavens were in despair was the Sect Leader of the Maoshan Sect.
He said that if they performed the Art of Soul Separation and transferred the soul of the Sovereign of All Evil, Dugu Wujung, to another body, they could kill him.
The Immortal Demonic Aura would remain in the soulless body, but if that body was sealed in a place no one could find, it would slowly disappear over a long time.
The problem was the new body needed for the Art of Soul Separation.
The Maoshan Sect Leader said that given the opponent, a perfect body was needed.
The purest body, one that had not accumulated any internal energy.
And so, they found Cho Myung.
"This will proceed for nine days and nine nights, so I ask you to have patience and focus."
The old man in the Taeguk hat, the Maoshan Sect Leader, said to everyone and began the Grand Art of Soul Separation and Body Transference.
He attached talismans, drew a soul separation formation with the blood of a black dog, and then chanted an incantation.
One of the truly important things when performing the Grand Art of Soul Separation and Body Transference is the state of the two bodies.
A soul does not easily leave a healthy body.
Likewise, another soul cannot easily enter a healthy body.
Dugu Wujung's body, from which the soul must leave, must be further broken, and Cho Myung's body, into which Dugu Wujung's soul must enter, must also be thoroughly broken.
Nangong Hwang reached out and pressed an acupoint.
Cho Myung slumped into unconsciousness.
"Stop the heart!"
At the Maoshan Sect Leader's shout, the hunchbacked old man pressed an acupoint on Cho Myung's chest.
As the flow of blood to the heart was blocked, Cho Myung's body was instantly pushed to the brink of death.
The hunchbacked old man moved his hands busily, stopping Cho Myung's body at the threshold of death.
"Now it's Dugu Wujung's turn!"
At the Maoshan Sect Leader's shout, Nangong Hwang approached Dugu Wujung. And he grabbed the hilt of the sword embedded in his heart.
"Kekekek! It seems you want to lose your remaining arm too?"
It was the moment Dugu Wujung taunted him.
Nangong Hwang, who had been staring with a cold gaze, twisted the sword hilt with all his might.
"Kuuuugh!"
The moment Dugu Wujung gritted his teeth and endured the pain, a ferocious energy stirred within his body, about to pour out.
Instantly, five old men simultaneously unleashed their internal energy to suppress Dugu Wujung's body.
The Immortal Demonic Aura, unable to escape Dugu Wujung's body, thrashed about as if going mad.
Nangong Hwang twisted the sword embedded in the heart even more.
"Kuhahaha! This is killing me!"
Dugu Wujung burst into mad laughter and taunted.
But soon, as his body, with its heart torn apart, was thoroughly broken, he had no choice but to lose consciousness.
The Maoshan Sect Leader did not miss this moment and chanted the incantation.
It was an incantation that forced Dugu Wujung's soul to transfer to a new body.
The inside of the stone chamber was like a raging storm.
The display of internal energy from the five masters suppressing the Immortal Demonic Aura rampaging within Dugu Wujung's body, and the sound of the ceaseless chanting.
In the midst of it all, Cho Myung only twitched occasionally due to the pain.
The grand art must continue for nine days.
That is the time it takes for the soul to finally give up and move to a new body.
However, it was the seventh day.
Kwa-ang!
With a sudden roar, the masters who were suppressing Dugu Wujung's Immortal Demonic Aura were all sent flying.
"What happened?"
The Maoshan Sect Leader, who had been concentrating on the grand art with his eyes closed, shouted in terror.
None of the masters who had been sent flying could even answer, just staring straight ahead.
The miserably broken Dugu Wujung remained slumped as he was.
"What in the world is...!"
The Maoshan Sect Leader shouted again before abruptly shutting his mouth. He felt it too. Something huge was rising.
The gazes of the masters who had been sent flying all gathered in one place.
Cho Myung's body, which had been curled up as if dead until now, was floating up into the air.
On his neck and arms, exposed outside his clothes, dark blood vessels bulged as if they would burst. It was as if something was alive inside the blood vessels, writhing ferociously.
The swords that had been embedded in Cho Myung's body for the grand art were gone, flown off somewhere.
"Immortal Demonic Aura...!"
Someone muttered like a groan.
Indeed, what else could it be?
It was exuding such an overwhelming pressure that just facing it made even masters belonging to the Ten Orthodox Heavens feel intimidated.
"Is it because of the Immortal Demonic Aura?"
The moment the Maoshan Sect Leader, who had belatedly grasped the situation, shouted, Cho Myung's eyes flashed open.
Two eyes of pure black ink, the whites having disappeared.
Flicking his pitch-black eyes, Cho Myung swept his gaze over the masters of the Ten Orthodox Heavens, and then his body suddenly shot towards the western rock wall of the chamber.
Kwang!
The rock wall, which seemed to be at least five feet thick, exploded, and Cho Myung's small body disappeared outside.
Everyone was bewildered by this unexpected situation.
The masters of the Ten Orthodox Heavens ran to the gaping hole in the rock wall and looked outside.
Cho Myung was gone, and only the dizzyingly high celestial cliff could be seen below.
But it was at that moment.
"Kekekekek! Kuhahahahaha!"
A heaven-shaking mad laughter came from behind.
The Maoshan Sect Leader and the six masters were startled and hastily turned around.
Shockingly, Dugu Wujung was bursting into mad laughter.
Nangong Hwang was the first to run to him and grab the hilt of the sword embedded in his heart.
Instantly, Dugu Wujung stopped laughing and let out a sardonic sneer.
"What are you hesitating for! You should be able to kill me easily now."
"...?"
"Kekekek! Instead of this sovereign's soul, the Immortal Demonic Aura has moved into that child's body. In a way, another Dugu Wujung has been born. A young Dugu Wujung who harbors a grudge against you! I'm truly looking forward to it! Kuhahahaha!"
As Dugu Wujung laughed heartily, the life force was rapidly draining from his face.
(End of Chapter)