Time flowed on without pause, and much had changed within the Poison Demon Sect.
The most significant change was financial.
Just as Un-hyeok predicted, the moment the Poison Demon Sect's farming tools hit the market, they drew considerable attention.
The quality spoke for itself, but what truly mattered was the price.
At roughly half the cost of competitors, it was only natural that people chose the Poison Demon Sect's goods.
Furthermore.
The warriors of the Poison Demon Sect had also transformed into something entirely different from what they once were.
Among them, not a single misfit remained.
'The foundation is more or less set.'
Today was the day he entered the Demon Cultivation Grotto.
Having finished his preparations, Un-hyeok stepped out of his sleeping quarters and was greeted by a crowd of Poison Demon Sect members.
"Young Sect Leader! Don't worry about things here and go with a clear mind. We'll hold down the fort!"
"We wish you martial fortune!"
"THOOM--!"
Led by Neung Ja-pil, the warriors saluted with military discipline.
The smiths, too, came to see Un-hyeok off.
The Mad Forge Artisan spoke on their behalf.
"Tch, if you take that sword I forged and still manage to die in the Demon Cultivation Grotto, I'll cross the river to the underworld myself just to kick your backside."
"Don't you worry, Elder."
"Heh heh heh. Good, safe travels. I'll see you when you're back."
After the Mad Forge Artisan's turn, Un-hyeok said his farewells to his two younger siblings.
"Won, with me gone, you're the pillar of this household now. Think you can handle it?"
"...Yes."
Mu-won looked a bit more subdued than usual, but he put on a strong face before Un-hyeok.
"Don't worry. I'll do my best so you won't even notice you're gone."
"Good. I'm counting on you."
"Brother!"
Seo-ryeon came scurrying over and threw herself into Un-hyeok's arms.
Her tiny hands gripped his collar so fiercely that it was plain she did not want to let go.
"You'll... come back safe, won't you?"
"Of course."
Seo-ryeon held out her pinky finger.
"Promise me."
Un-hyeok smiled and hooked his pinky around hers.
"I promise."
Only then did Seo-ryeon pull away from him.
He had more or less said his goodbyes to everyone in the household.
Far off at the main gate, Ryeon-hwi was waiting.
'All right, time to head--'
Just then.
"LORD OF COIIIIN...!"
Un-hyeok squeezed his eyes shut.
There was only one person who called him 'Lord of Coin.'
"General Manager Seok."
General Manager Seok In-gu latched onto Un-hyeok's trouser leg and clung for dear life.
"You can't go to the Demon Cultivation Grotto! What if your precious person gets so much as a scratch?! It's too Tangerous!"
Not even Seo-ryeon had clung to him this desperately.
Ever since Un-hyeok started bringing in money, In-gu's attitude had completely changed.
He would clasp his hands in prayer at the mere sight of Un-hyeok. He would stare at him all day with an uncomfortably reverent gaze.
In short, it was nothing but a nuisance from Un-hyeok's point of view.
"Let go!"
"No! If the Young Lord of Coin leaves, who's going to bring in the money?!"
"We've got the smiths. And the Golden Dragon Chamber. What's the problem?"
"Who do you think brought us the smiths?! Who do you think forged the relationship with the Golden Dragon Chamber?! It was all you, my Lord of Coin!"
To In-gu, Un-hyeok was nothing short of the God of Wealth himself.
After a prolonged tug-of-war, In-gu finally sprawled flat on the ground in a spread-eagle.
"If you're going no matter what, then go ahead and step on me... ARGH!"
Un-hyeok stepped over him without a shred of hesitation.
Eyes glistening with tears, In-gu reached a trembling hand toward the sky.
"Sob...! How can you leave us so coldly?! LORD OF COIIIIN!"
But Un-hyeok did not spare him a glance.
Seok In-gu's antics were nothing new.
At the main gate, Ryeon-hwi waited with an awkward look on his face.
"Hyeok, about...."
"?"
"Don't be too hard on General Manager Seok. He acts that way... because he cares about you."
Un-hyeok smirked.
"I know."
The truth was, Un-hyeok felt the same.
Now that the moment of departure had come, his feet would not carry him easily.
'I suppose that's how much they've grown on me.'
Who could have guessed that people who were once mortal enemies would end up like this?
Life was truly unpredictable.
Un-hyeok looked back.
His household members were waving at him.
"Young Sect Leader, safe travels!"
"Go show those other sects what you're made of!"
"Boy, a fine weapon doesn't mean you can drop your guard! Always be careful, and then careful again!"
"LORD OF COIIIIN...! Sob!"
Cheers from countless people.
Ryeon-hwi asked Un-hyeok.
"So, are you all set?"
"Yes."
'At last.'
From here on, a hellish life awaited in the Demon Cultivation Grotto.
But that was precisely what Un-hyeok had been hoping for.
'When I mastered the Myriad Streams Return to Poison Divine Art, the Cosmos Poison Demon, Dok Pae-cheon, told me. That by enduring the trials of the Demon Cultivation Grotto, I can find the spark of the Sacred Fire.'
Un-hyeok clenched his fists.
'I can become stronger.'
Someday, in order to take his revenge on the Central Plains.
Un-hyeok stoked the flame of desire within his heart.
Just then, Ryeon-hwi placed a hand on Un-hyeok's shoulder.
"Hyeok, take care."
No elaborate words.
The warmth from his hand said everything.
Un-hyeok smiled.
"Yes. Then, I'll be off."
Un-hyeok left the Poison Demon Sect behind and set out.
Now, it truly begins.
"To the Demon Cultivation Grotto."
***
Meanwhile.
A cave at the far edge of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Its entrance seemed to reach the sky, and its depth knew no end.
The Demon Cultivation Grotto.
Created in the era of the Cosmos Poison Demon, Dok Pae-cheon, to select the disciple of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's supreme lord, the Heavenly Demon-- this was that very place.
At present, the interior of the Demon Cultivation Grotto was abuzz with preparations for the incoming cadets.
"Hmm...."
A man of about forty-five, with keen eyes and a solid jawline.
The head of the Demon Cultivation Grotto, Dongbang Yeol.
His razor-sharp gaze swept across the documents as he spoke.
"So this is the full list of cadet candidates entering the Demon Cultivation Grotto this session."
The Senior Instructor, known as Sweet Spring Blade, answered with crisp military bearing.
"Sir! From the children of the sects and individuals who have pledged themselves to the main cult, we have selected one thousand of the most promising!"
Background, reputation, talent, and more.
A comprehensive evaluation had determined their ranking, from Number One through Number One Thousand.
"Good."
Dongbang Yeol set the documents on the desk.
"This session of the Demon Cultivation Grotto will be fiercer than ever. The Five Great Demon Sects have sharpened their swords in earnest."
"After all, this is the seat for the supreme lord's final disciple."
"True enough. All five of the Sacred God's previous disciples came from each of the Five Great Demon Sects."
Dongbang Yeol's eyes drifted to the documents.
All of the Five Great Demon Sects' scions were placed in the highest ranks.
'There was a time they were called the Six Great Demon Sects, but....'
His gaze moved to the very bottom of the list.
"Number Nine Hundred Ninety-Nine...."
The Poison Demon Sect-- a sect that once bore the name of the Six Great Demon Sects.
The evaluation assigned to its young heir, Dok Un-hyeok.
Unsurprisingly, it was abysmal compared to the other Five Great Demon Sects' scions.
"In terms of the Poison Demon Sect's strength, aside from Dok Ryeon-hwi, they have no noteworthy experts. Furthermore, Dok Un-hyeok is so infamous as the 'Disgrace of the Poison Demon Sect' that even within the Divine Cult, he's well known as a fool. His martial prowess was rated accordingly."
"I concur."
Dongbang Yeol shared the Senior Instructor's assessment.
Tiger father, dog son.
That was how everyone regarded Un-hyeok.
"What puzzles me, though, is why they sent Dok Un-hyeok instead of Dok Mu-won. Dok Mu-won has been called a 'once-in-a-century talent' for his martial aptitude."
Dongbang Yeol clicked his tongue softly.
"Whatever he's thinking, I can't make heads or tails of it."
Sweet Spring Blade cautiously offered his own theory.
"Could it be, perhaps, that Dok Ryeon-hwi is trying to protect Dok Mu-won?"
"Oh...?"
Dongbang Yeol showed interest.
"Go on."
"Yes. Currently, the most promising of Dok Ryeon-hwi's children is Dok Mu-won. But the Demon Cultivation Grotto is far too Tangerous for him at this stage."
"Hmm.... So you're saying he didn't send Mu-won for fear the boy might lose his life in the Grotto?"
"Yes. If Dok Mu-won dies, the Poison Demon Sect has no other successor to carry it forward."
There was Dok Seo-ryeon, the young girl.
But she was still far too young, and a woman besides.
She did not meet the same criteria as a replacement for Dok Mu-won.
"A plausible theory.... entirely plausible."
In truth, for a talent of Dok Mu-won's caliber, all he needed to grow stronger was time.
'Dok Ryeon-hwi-- so he's made up his mind this time.'
There had been recent signs that the Poison Demon Sect was stirring.
Word had it they were raking in money hand over fist by selling their blades in the marketplace.
The instructors had been sent to verify the quality of those weapons.
'The quality really was upper-mid grade or better, and the prices were low.'
Thanks to that, even the standard-issue weapons distributed to cadets in the Demon Cultivation Grotto were now sourced from the Poison Demon Sect.
Considering all the circumstances, Dok Ryeon-hwi must have resolved to restore the Poison Demon Sect's former glory.
'I'm certain of it. Dok Un-hyeok has been discarded.'
The chances of Dok Un-hyeok surviving the Demon Cultivation Grotto?
None.
The moment he set foot inside, he would most likely be crippled.
The Demon Cultivation Grotto was no gentle place for greenhouse flowers to endure.
'They say Dok Ryeon-hwi dotes fiercely on his own household and blood. But it seems that once someone falls out of favor, he shows no mercy-- even to his own flesh and blood.'
Then again, keeping a fool like Dok Un-hyeok around this long had been remarkable enough.
'Still, whether that's truly the best path for Dok Mu-won, I can't say. A martial artist grows by overcoming harsh trials.'
Even if the Demon Cultivation Grotto was beyond what the current Dok Mu-won could handle, surviving it would have established him as a formidable expert within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
'Well, it's none of my concern.'
Dongbang Yeol's goal was singular.
To identify the finest candidate worthy of becoming the disciple of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's supreme lord, the Heavenly Demon.
"How do you expect this session of the Demon Cultivation Grotto to unfold?"
"Sir, I expect the scions of the six-- no, the Five Great Demon Sects will be at the center of it. Their subordinate factions will rally around them."
In other words, they would form factions.
But the Demon Cultivation Grotto had no reason to forbid it.
Gathering followers and managing them was, in itself, an individual's ability.
"I noticed some decent prospects among the Poison Demon Sect's subordinate forces as well."
"You mean Go Eo-ryeong of the Black Slaughter Sect."
"Yes. From what I've heard, that one's showing quite the promise."
"Indeed. Based on our projections, the forces under the Poison Demon Sect may well rally around him as their new center."
TAP-- TAP--
Dongbang Yeol tapped Go Eo-ryeong's dossier with his index finger.
"According to his file, he's been holed up in his sect lately."
"With the Grotto imminent, we believe he's been focused on martial training."
But what they did not know--
Go Eo-ryeong had actually gone into seclusion to tame the inner demon he suffered at Un-hyeok's hands.
This, of course, was kept strictly secret.
The reason: the Black Slaughter Sect wanted no one to know.
The humiliating incident in which even Sect Leader Go Gu had been bested by a boy not yet twenty.
If word got out, the Black Slaughter Sect's reputation would suffer greatly.
And that, in turn, would make them prey for other sects.
A grin curved across Dongbang Yeol's lips.
"Interesting. Who knows-- by the next generation, the Black Slaughter Sect might take the Poison Demon Sect's place."
In addition, there was something the upper echelons of the Inner Court had shared with Dongbang Yeol alone.
'A distinguished personage will be entering this session of the Grotto.'
Someone of the Cheon bloodline.
The blood of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's supreme lord, Cheon Mu-jin, would be among the entrants.
"Instructor Gam, there haven't been any leaks about the Grotto's test contents or information, have there?"
"No, sir. Security has been airtight."
"Good."
All preparations were now complete.
"The Demon Cultivation Grotto begins soon."
Who would die, and who would survive?
Which raw gem would polish itself until it shone?
No one could say.
But one thing was certain.
Every individual who had passed through all the trials of the Demon Cultivation Grotto and distinguished themselves had, without exception, proven extraordinary.
'This time should be no different.'
Dongbang Yeol clapped Sweet Spring Blade on the shoulder.
"Instructor Gam, it'll be grueling, but bear with it a while longer. This session of the Grotto is where the Sacred God takes a final disciple, so give it your utmost attention."
"You can count on me!"
Sweet Spring Blade's eyes blazed with intensity.
"I've prepared hell from day one!"