Chapter 166: The Celestial Dragon and the Wretched Old Devil

While Baek Moo-jin was repeatedly pondering the sword…

Outwardly, it was a place indistinguishable from the Peach Blossom Spring, yet whispers about Baek Moo-jin were circulating.

This place was peculiarly called the Lower Realm.

The Lower Realm originally referred to the world inhabited by humans beneath the heavens. However, this place could be called the Lower Realm in the sense that it was where those who had fallen while confronting the lowly gathered.

In other words, the master practitioners of the Samma sect from the previous era were residing here.

The Lower Realm had only one exit.

It was the residence of the ‘Gatekeeper’.

Today, the demonic warriors summoned by the Gatekeeper had gathered in one place.

Here, those whose aliases contained characters like ‘ghost’ or ‘kill’ were considered the youngest members. Currently, the youngest was the most recently captured Wanshan Blood Demon. That is, the very fiend who had created the Honglakjang that Baek Moo-jin had eradicated earlier was the youngest here.

In any case, these demon hunters knew nothing of the outside world.

All they ever heard came from the gatekeeper.

This was the terrifying part.

Being completely cut off from the outside world, the demon lords had absolutely no chance to judge the world correctly.

The gatekeeper pushed aside the curtain and entered, speaking in a bright voice.

“Senior guards, it’s been a while.”

As the gatekeeper beamed, the Madu sighed as if it were only natural.

The gatekeeper’s true identity was the abbot of Cheonryongsa Temple, who had mastered the martial arts of the Hangmasung lineage for generations. In other words, the place called the Lower Realm was established within Cheonryongsa Temple’s forbidden grounds.

The man called the gatekeeper had no name and was simply known as ‘Celestial Dragon’. In the Underworld, he was also the leader of the Twelve Generals.

The very existence of this man named Cheonryong was bizarre.

He was a rare giant, as if a descendant of the giants that existed in ancient times. When the vicious demonic heads of the Samma Sect were alongside the gatekeeper Cheonryong, they looked like children. The martial arts he used were also the Buddhist Demon-Resisting Arts, making him a peculiar man who could easily crush demonic martial arts. Regardless of all that, it was clear he was a man strong enough for the Great Prince to entrust him with guarding the gate.

Most of the demonic cultivators here had been captured by Cheonryong, making them even more difficult to deal with.

An evil man known as the Lonely Old Demon, who had stirred up trouble in Hubei before being captured, spoke in a disinterested tone.

“What brings you all here? Finally planning to take on the demonic hybrids?”

At those words, Cheonryong smiled and said.

“Gentlemen… I have astonishing news to share.”

“Amazing my ass…”

When the legendary womanizer, the Moonlit Lust Demon, sneered, the Celestial Dragon pointed at him and said.

“You will be astonished, I assure you.”

Chen Long smiled as he looked around at the demonic cultivators.

“The reason the Great Prince did not kill you is because he believes even villains have their uses. And our Cheonryongsa has, for generations, guided demonic practitioners through the Dharma.”

“Oh? So we have use. What a surprising story.”

Ignoring the demons’ sarcasm, Cheonryong continued.

“Outside, the unification of the demonic path has been achieved.”

At Cheonryong’s words, the demon cultivators fell silent. Cheonryong then smiled as if to say, “See?” and continued.

“Originally, the Second Prince intended to purge the Demon Cult, but now there’s no need for that.”

“Why…?”

“The descendant of the Demon Sect has appeared.”

“The Demon Cult? The ancient Demon Cult we know?”

“Indeed.”

Chen Long sensed the demons’ eyes shift abruptly.

To the demon cultivators, the Demon Sect is an object of aspiration.

An unclimbable mountain.

No matter how powerful the current Demon Lord might be… In their hearts, only the Demon Sect could be considered the true embodiment of evil and the essence of demonic arts.

Cheonryong spoke.

“To be precise, I am a descendant of the Demon Sect’s Left Guardian. My family is the Baekhwa Ma Clan. Have you heard of it?”

The demon cultivators looked at the oldest demon cultivator present.

The emaciated old man with dull eyes, Luo Luo Ma Ye, blinked at the mention of the Demon Sect.

Luo Luo Ma Ye roughly meant ‘a worthless old devil’.

Yet he was a man respected even by the reckless bandits of this place.

Rumors swirled that Luo Luo Ma Ye had been captured by the Heavenly Lord, as he had been dwelling in the lower realms even before the Heavenly Dragon of that era was appointed as the gatekeeper.

Noknokmaya said.

“The White Flower Demon… I’ve heard of it. That master, the White-Robed Demon King, was a controversial figure among the demonic practitioners.”

“Oh… Is that so?”

Even Cheonryong addressed this man with strict respect. Cheonryong asked Noknokmaya for his opinion.

“Please tell us more. About the White Flower Demon Clan…”

Noknokmaya spoke.

“When the White Flower Demon Clan was at its peak, even the Demon Sect’s leader found them a headache. Eventually, internal strife erupted. But for the White Path, it must have been an unparalleled opportunity. They believed that if only the White Flower Demon Clan would vanish, they could crush the Demon Sect. Think about it. The White Flower Demon Sect was a family that wielded ice magic. They say just three or four of them could shatter the elite forces of the Martial Alliance. But their small numbers made it difficult for them to seize power. That’s all I know. I heard they vanished from history after clashing with the Demon Sect leader who tried to check their power.”

Chen Long nodded with apparent interest and replied.

“Hoh… The successor of that White Flower Demon Sect has appeared. And they crushed the Demon Soul Sect.”

Chen Long continued.

“Hearing Senior Luo Luoma’s account makes it even stranger. That man is said to be establishing a sect in Hanzhong. It seems he intends to unify the demonic arts and then throw himself into the righteous path.”

At Cheonryong’s words, derisive laughter flowed from all around.

“He’s a madman.”

“The Demon Clan is a world where the strong reign supreme… Even there, it’s a faction alliance… Shouldn’t the entire White Flower Demon Clan have fallen under the clan leader’s control? How can he claim to establish a foothold in Hanzhong and found a sect?”

Cheonryong nodded.

“Exactly. He’s rejected the Demon Clan’s loyalty… and is said to be living alongside the White Path’s Dao King.”

At Cheonryong’s words, Noknokmaya laughed coldly.

“…The Dao King?”

Chenlong narrowed his eyes and looked at Noknokmaya.

“You know him?”

Luo Luo Maya snorted.

“Isn’t that the young brat from the Murong clan? I came here after killing him too, intending to wipe out the entire Murong clan. So he’s still alive. Even after losing both eyes, he’s managed to…”

Cheonryong smiled.

He already knew this fact himself.

Then, this time, Cheonryong looked at Mangshan Blood Demon and said.

“Senior Wangsan Blood Demon.”

Mangsan Blood Demon, who had nearly died at Cheonryong’s hands in the past and was slowly recovering his power, replied with a dejected look.

“Speak.”

“Actually, the one who killed your disciple and created the Honglakjang was also a master of Binggong. The youngest young master went to kill the Honglakjang’s group, but… he said everything was frozen solid.”

At those words, the Wasteland Blood Demon replied with a chilling laugh.

“Disciple? What nonsense… They were merely my insects. Well, so it was.”

This time, Cheonryong looked at Wolhaseokma.

“Senior Demon.”

“Why?”

“Do you know who the most beautiful woman of this era is?”

“How should I know?”

“Hahahaha… I hear that the White Flower Demon’s lover is the most beautiful woman of this generation. She’s a woman named Jin Sohye, the young mistress of the Seonghwa Palace. They say Sunghwa Palace is also part of the Black Path. She comes from the Demon Sect, her lover is of the Black Path… yet she’s the one who wants to create a White Path sect.”

“Black sect or whatever… Huh… That guy seems to have everything in the world. What’s his name, anyway?”

Chen Long placed his massive hand on the table as he spoke.

“His name is Baek Moo-jin.”

At that, Moonlit Demon looked up at the ceiling in his usual tone.

“If I could tear Baek Moo-jin to shreds and take Jin So-hye beside him, my life wouldn’t be so bad after all.”

“What a crazy bastard…”

The Moonlit Demon burst into laughter at the Old Demon’s rant.

“Brother Drum-Boy, don’t be so harsh. You and I have different physical structures, don’t we?”

When Gonoshinma glared at Wolhaseokma, Cheonryong reached out to quell the commotion.

“Now, now… In any case, the King of Power and the King of Death, Yi Neung-so, are there. The King of the Way and the Young Princess are also present. Speak your honest opinions. Fellow seniors… Is this one truly a demonic cultivator? Or a righteous cultivator?”

Chenlong narrowed his eyes, scanning the expressions of the demon lords.

The demon masters instinctively knew the moment had come to answer well. They were those who had listened to the teachings of the Buddha from the monks of Cheonryong Temple for over ten years. Yet, their hearts were filled only with the desire to go out into the outside world.

One glimmer of hope remained…

If the Demon Cult’s power grew too strong, the Cheonryong Temple had promised to temporarily appoint the demon cultivators as the Demon-Subduing Army and bring them along to fight the Demon Cult.

Therefore, from their perspective, it was only natural that they hoped Baek Moo-jin was a demon cultivator.

And even the Celestial Dragons, knowing this fact all too well, were asking.

2.

Noknokmaya spoke.

“Hah… Even the Heavenly Path is rotten to the core. If he kills the Demon Clan leader and stands with the masters of the White Path, how could he be a demon? He is the White Path!”

Cheonryong laughed and said.

“Ah, is that how you see it?”

“Senior Noknok, what nonsense is that! How could a descendant of the Demon Sect ever become a White Path cultivator!”

Gonoshinma roared.

“You’re mad. Not even a subordinate of the Demon Sect, yet you call the Left Lion a righteous force? Then if I go out and have a drink with that bastard Yi Nengsu for the first time in ages, does that make me righteous too?”

As if he had seen Yi Neung-so, Wolha Saekma chimed in with a sneer.

Chen Long laughed and said.

“You all swore an oath to become the Heavenly Army of the Lowly back in the day, and that’s how you’ve kept yourselves alive. Isn’t that right? Of course, it’s just a play on words. Life isn’t just a day or two. The reason I spared your lives in the first place was precisely to use barbarians to control barbarians. Even if it weren’t for Bai Wuzhen, you would have been mobilized soon enough when we went to fight the Demon Lord. But it’s not just Bai Wuzhen there—there are also survivors of the Murong Clan, and the most beautiful woman of this era. If I send you, shouldn’t the seniors be grateful to me?”

Luo Luoma smiled at the Dragon’s words and replied.

“Huh huh huh…”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Something must be amiss. To see you trying to send us out… Who on earth could be thinking this? To send us to fight Baek Moo-jin…”

Chen Long chuckled.

“The Crown Prince is absent. I am in charge here.”

“Hmm…”

The Madu suddenly tensed, glancing at Cheonryong and the Hangmasung monks waiting behind him. The numbers, of course, favored Cheonryong’s side overwhelmingly. Outside, too, the masters of Bicheon would surely be swarming. But it meant that if they could subdue only Cheonryong and the Hangmasung here, they could escape without interference from the Crown Prince.

But since Cheonryong deliberately announced the Crown Prince’s absence, his confidence was clearly no less than the Madu’s.

He spoke as if looking straight into the heads of the demon lords.

“He likely won’t return here. The time has come for him to relinquish his title as the Black Path’s overseer.”

“Ah…”

Noknokmaya immediately grasped the situation.

‘The ruler of the underworld is changing.’

Noknokmaya looked at Cheonryong and said.

“Was striking Baek Moo-jin something you received permission for?”

“Permission…”

A heavy sigh escaped Cheonryong’s body.

“Now the Celestial Dragon Temple is the guardian of the dark path. Of course, even before receiving such a mission from the Heavenly Lord… originally, we were those who pursued the meaning of ‘resisting the demon’ throughout our lives.”

The former Demon Lords fell silent.

Some had been defeated by the Great Prince, while others, like Noknokmaya, had fallen to the Lord of the Underworld. And the majority here were those defeated by Cheonryong, who now watched them. Defying the Underworld Lord was something best abandoned in this lifetime.

Cheonryong spoke as if summarizing the situation.

“Now then, let me clarify. The Celestial Dragon Sect has been entrusted with the authority to manage the Black Path. Though Bai Wuzhen has the merit of slaying the Demon Lord, he remains a descendant of the White Flower Demon Clan, which belonged to the Demon Sect… Whether Bai Wuzhen knows it or not, the White Flower Demon Clan and the Celestial Dragon Sect share a deep-seated grudge. I shall grant you all a glimpse of the outside world. I will bring Bai Wuzhen here. Let us go together. Members of the Anti-Demon Army… Go to Zhongzhou and show them the oath that saved your lives. How stifling it must have been all this time?”

The Madu fell silent.

Madness flashed in the celestial dragon’s eyes.

It was impossible to tell who was the sorcerer and who was the anti-sorcerer.

Noknok Maya, who had been staring expressionlessly at Cheonryong’s flushed face urging them to go capture Baekmujin, closed her eyes and said.

“Do as you wish.”

When Noknokmaya spoke as if she would comply with Cheonryong’s will, the other demon heads looked at her with expressions of surprise.

Chen Long stood up and said.

“Very well. I shall inform you as preparations proceed. Ah, since we shall be with the Demon-Subduing Monks, there need be no concern about disturbances outside, correct? As for the demonic practitioners who broke their oath, we can do nothing about them either.”

As Cheonryong glared at the demon lords with an intimidating gaze, Noknokmaya nodded.

“These men know the strength of the Celestial Dragon Temple and yours better than anyone.”

“Very well. Then rest now.”

As Cheonryong withdrew…

The demon warriors all turned to look at Nokrok Maya.

“Your Highness, what on earth is going on?”

“The Crown Prince might be toying with us.”

Noknokmaya, who had always sat with a dull, powerless expression, finally smiled after a long while and replied.

“No, it’s not that. This is simply a misjudgment by the Celestial Dragon Sect. Or perhaps there truly was a grudge between Baekhwa Maga and him… In any case, let’s make the most of this opportunity.”

As Green Lotus Maya smiled for the first time, the Madu gazed at her face as if witnessing a rare sight.

The moment they saw her face, the Madu had a peculiar thought.

Had the Celestial Dragon Sect been attached to guide the demonic path?

Or had Green Lotus Maya been attached to him to corrupt him into the path of darkness?

Who had influenced whom, after all?

In any case, the demon lords of the lower realms, upon seeing Noknokmaya’s smile for the first time in this place today, immediately thought they were fortunate to have survived this long.

Noknokmaya murmured as if thinking of the grandson she had left behind in her homeland.

“For now, I too am eager to see this Baek Moo-jin fellow.”

The Celestial Dragon and the Wicked Old Demon End