The day to enter the Heavenly Demon Palace had arrived.
I bathed in hot water and paid much more attention to my grooming than usual.
Looking in the mirror, I couldn’t help but admire myself again. Sado Hwan really was incredibly handsome.
[Why is a man staring at himself in the mirror like that?]
“Men should groom themselves too. Looks are a part of your competitiveness.”
The Heavenly Demon wasn’t someone swayed by appearances, but still—presenting myself clean and tidy would feel better overall, right?
Surprisingly, Saweol hadn’t dressed up at all. She was wearing her usual outfit, though there was a slight flush on her face from time to time.
I had already asked Gwak Jin if I could bring Saweol along, and he had given permission. In a way, she was like insurance—just in case.
“Well, it makes sense. The person Saweol admires most is the Heavenly Demon…”
The Heavenly Demon, a woman, had risen to the highest ranks of the cult. As another woman who had endured hardships, Saweol couldn’t help but look up to her.
In the past, she would’ve acted awkward and stiff, pretending she wasn’t nervous, but now she wore a natural expression. That alone was impressive growth.
“Let’s go.”
I fastened Skybreaker to my waist and stepped out of the Sado residence.
To reach the Heavenly Demon Palace, we had to ascend the Stairway to Ascension.
There was originally a rule forbidding the use of lightfoot techniques on the stairway, but most people ignored it. Walking up by foot would take an hour, while using Martial Arts would take less than five minutes.
But that only applied up to the main sect.
To reach the Heavenly Demon Palace, the use of Martial Arts was strictly forbidden. Only the Heavenly Demon herself and her personal guards—the Heavenly Demon’s Shadow Guard—were allowed to fly directly there.
We stepped onto the Stairway to Ascension.
Even though we were deep in the remote Ten Thousand Demon Peaks, far from southern Yunnan, the entire stairway from the main sect to the Heavenly Demon Palace was paved with marble.
According to the lore, the cult had been exiled to this remote place by the martial world, yet the authority of the Heavenly Demon remained absolute.
Why did the Heavenly Demon summon me?
As I climbed, I kept mulling over this unresolved question—but still found no answer.
Was it to reprimand me for Sado Gwang’s death?
Unlikely.
The Heavenly Demon had been more inclined to dislike Sado Gwang. If I had killed him, she’d probably be relieved, not angry. It’s not like she summoned me to praise me either—and besides, it was all circumstantial evidence at this point.
And technically, I wasn’t even the one who killed him.
Skybreaker even tried to save him in the end. Sado Gwang jumped into the Valley of Lost Souls on his own.
I kept climbing the steps.
A trained martial artist’s body really was convenient. At this height, any normal person would be struggling, but I was perfectly fine.
Before I knew it, we broke through the clouds and ascended higher.
I couldn’t show it, but it was breathtaking.
Thick clouds lay beneath my feet like a bed of cotton. Through the gaps, I could occasionally glimpse the demonic region.
Tens of kilometers surrounding the main sect of the Ten Thousand Demon Peaks were all under the cult’s domain. People looked smaller than ants, and buildings like tiny toys.
Lifting my head, the Heavenly Demon Palace finally came into view.
Unlike the cloud-covered lower sections, the towering palace was bathed in golden sunlight. Despite the ominous name, it looked more like a celestial palace than a demonic one.
Of course, in Do Il-gwang’s era, it had been a place filled with screams.
I resumed walking.
After another thirty minutes or so, we arrived at the open gates of the palace.
Gwak Jin was already waiting at the entrance. He stood perfectly upright, without a hint of disorder, awaiting our arrival.
He had to be well past seventy by now, yet he still looked incredibly spry.
I stood before him, offered a bow, and spoke.
“Sado Hwan, rank 23 of the Cult, seeks audience with the Supreme One.”
“Sawol, rank 24 of the Cult, seeks audience with the Supreme One.”
Gwak Jin’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the two of us, then gave a small nod.
“Welcome. Please, follow me.”
We entered the Heavenly Demon Palace under his guidance.
Like the stairway, the palace was built entirely of marble. With my limited knowledge, I could only say that it had an Eastern architectural style. Then again, this was a virtual world—maybe it didn’t matter.
[To think I’d be born and one day walk into the Heavenly Demon Palace... what an honor.]
Skybreaker’s voice was visibly moved.
The Heavenly Demon Palace was a place accessible only to those ranked within the top ten of the cult or to the leaders of the Six Demon Families.
If Gwak Jin keeps showing up personally, then it probably isn’t a trap…
Gwak Jin wasn’t friendly, but he was meticulous and proper in his duties.
He explained each section of the palace as we passed by.
What amazed me most was how the palace, despite being at such a high altitude, was surrounded by rare flowers and herbs. Every corridor had small gardens in full bloom.
[Looks like some kind of formation was set up to amplify natural energy.]
Even the temperature felt like early spring.
“The Supreme One awaits at Little Ice Garden—her most frequented garden.”
“I thought it would be the Grand Hall?”
“This is not an official matter. There’s no reason to receive you in the Grand Hall.”
Saweol and I followed Gwak Jin to the Little Ice Garden.
Unlike the other lavish gardens filled with rare flora, this one was simple—just a few wildflowers and shrubs.
At the center was a small pond, with a cloud bridge arching over it.
At each end of the bridge stood an ice sculpture—one of a young boy, the other a girl, as if they were running toward each other.
“What are those…?”
And then—we saw the Heavenly Demon.
She wore a long, flowing white silk skirt. Standing within the garden, she looked like a painting brought to life.
With her silver hair and silver eyes, she gave off an ethereal, almost surreal aura.
She was barefoot. Each step she took seemed to ripple the air, and even my heart felt shaken.
Skybreaker. Is she using her mental domain?
[She isn’t. And refer to her as the Supreme One.]
Even without using sim-sang, she could shake someone’s heart like this—truly worthy of the title Heavenly Demon.
[What are you doing? Hurry up and show the proper courtesy.]
“Huh—”
I quickly knelt and bowed deeply.
“I greet the Supreme One.”
“I-I greet the Supreme One!”
Unlike me, Saweol was visibly tense—so nervous she was even stammering.
“Stand.”
A voice, low for a woman, echoed in our ears.
“You’re that girl from before. To have risen in rank so quickly… you’re quite gifted.”
“Th-thank you!”
At her praise, Saweol’s face flushed red like a beet—so different from her usual emotionless demeanor.
“What is your name?”
“My name… is Saweol.”
She didn’t mention her real name, Seong Hwayeon. She once said she’d reclaim her family’s name and use it proudly one day.
The Heavenly Demon took a few quiet breaths.
“There must be a story behind you... Gwak Jin.”
“Yes, Supreme One.”
“Give this child a Soul-Life Pill and assign a protector.”
“?!”
A Soul-Life Pill was a powerful elixir—equivalent to ten years of inner energy by Jianghu standards.
For someone in their twenties like Saweol, ten years' worth was an enormous amount.
“I am eternally grateful, Supreme One!”
“I look forward to your continued service to the Cult. Now then—your master and I have things to discuss.”
Saweol bowed and left with Gwak Jin.
Gulp.
Unconsciously, I swallowed.
Saweol, my emotional safety net, was gone. I still had Skybreaker, but I felt like I’d just been thrown unarmed before the Heavenly Demon.
“Shall we walk?”
The Heavenly Demon began moving, and I followed her steps.
Cold…
Just like when I met her outside the Discipline Hall, an icy aura emanated from her.
That shouldn’t be possible.
At Transcendent Peak, a martial artist should have complete control over their energy. Not a single drop should leak out.
It must be from internal injuries.
The Heavenly Demon had been gravely injured.
Not from her battle with Do Il-gwang—but after ascending as the Heavenly Demon.
The reason?
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
More precisely, the second half of it.
Its advanced techniques wielded tremendous power—enough to split mountains and sever rivers. But to wield them properly, one needed the inner strength provided by the first half.
Do Il-gwang had attempted to learn it but quickly gave up after witnessing its power.
The current Heavenly Demon tried to master it… with only her own martial arts.
Her main foundation was ice arts.
Techniques with elemental affinities, like ice or lightning, grow rapidly until First-rate level, but beyond that—once you aim for Peak—progress tends to stall.
At least, that was the setting in Return of the Murim.
Yet she’d still become the Heavenly Demon, proving her extraordinary talent.
She attempted to recreate the Divine Art’s advanced forms using only her ice techniques—and failed.
The techniques of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art do not permit usage without their matching inner energy. It’s almost like they reject all but their counterpart.
Normally, this would cause deviation, possibly even death or complete crippling.
But she somehow minimized the damage—only suffering internal injuries.
Still, being the world’s strongest with internal injuries? It’s insane.
Later, she would eventually master those very techniques.
But for now, she had not yet recovered fully and couldn’t completely suppress her qi.
At the edge of the pond, she stopped.
“Do you know why I summoned you?”
“I’m sorry, but I do not.”
“To fulfill a promise.”
“A… promise?”
“Yes. A promise.”
She turned to look at me. The moment our eyes met, I knew exactly what promise she meant.
That promise was—
[Snap out of it.]
Skybreaker’s voice pulled me back to my senses.
“When did she…?”
She hadn’t even fully activated her sim-sang—just stared at me gently—and my mind was already unraveling.
Didn’t I train to avoid exactly this?!
Fortunately, the initial impact passed, and I regained control of myself.
But then—
“Hmm.”
The Heavenly Demon studied me quietly, then curled her index finger slightly.
In that instant—
Skybreaker was drawn from my waist and flew into her hand.
She slowly, gracefully unsheathed the sword.
“?!”
[Hrrk—!]
Skybreaker let out something like a breathless grunt. Had he not reached Transcendent Peak, the Heavenly Demon’s energy would have been sucked into the sword’s core.
Fortunately, he had refined his control enough not to absorb it.
But—
“This sword…”
The Heavenly Demon’s cold gaze locked onto me.
“…is a cursed blade that feeds on human energy, isn’t it?”