"I feel like I've turned into a spectacle."
The Heavenly Demon responded to Cale's mumbling.
"That's right, a spectacle."
One corner of Cale's lips twisted up after hearing that response.
"It doesn't matter to me, but you are in that high position of the Heavenly Demon. Is it okay for you to turn into a spectacle like this?"
The Eight Pavilions and Eight Battalions… No, the representatives of the now Seven Pavilions and Seven Battalions, after getting rid of the spies from the Blood Cult, were all here.
Some of them, such as Pavilion Master Gong, did not seem to like the current situation.
Furthermore, the people from the Orthodox faction and Unorthodox faction were standing with stiff expressions on their faces as well.
"Young master Kim."
The Heavenly Demon calmly commented.
"I've always been a spectacle."
He sat down in a lotus position on a platform that was a bit higher than everywhere else.
"The position of Heavenly Demon is one that symbolizes the strength of the Demon Cult that forces me to live as an existence that is no longer human while receiving the gazes of the Cult members."
"That is why you are a spectacle?"
"That's right. Furthermore, showing my condition will significantly influence not just the Demon Cult but the Orthodox faction and the Unorthodox faction as well. Their alertness toward the Blood Cult will go up significantly."
The Heavenly Demon smiled toward Cale while seated.
"Because I am the Heavenly Demon."
The Heavenly Demon had turned into a living jiangshi.
The way he was saying that this situation would install the most fear toward the Blood Cult in the entire Central Plains Martial Arts world…
It seemed a bit arrogant but Cale did not say anything to oppose it.
It was because the Cleave Saint, who had heard the explanation about the Blood Cult and living jiangshis… That extremely stubborn man had turned completely pale.
"Let's get started."
Cale walked to the Heavenly Demon's back after hearing that.
"Hey."
He then asked.
"This formation is safe, right?"
"Didn't you hear the explanation?"
"I did."
This formation was supposedly created by the combined knowledge of the Sage Demon, the three Guards, and the Heavenly Demon.
It was an even stronger formation than the one at the pavilion that Cale saw the Heavenly Demon last time.
'He said it should be able to handle twenty times that?'
Similar to how the formation at that pavilion did not allow the dead mana smoke to head out…
This formation was supposed to do the same thing but be twenty times as effective.
Cale was amazed that a formation, compared to magic, could be so effective.
And although he questioned whether it was true…
'Human, this is super strong! It does seem to be twenty times as strong! To be honest with you, it looks like it can even handle twenty five times as much!'
He could trust it after hearing Raon, who was probably flying around outside the formation while invisible, confirm it.
Cale looked outside the formation for a moment.
Sui Khan, Choi Jung Soo, Ron, etc etc… His people were stationed and waiting next to the top executives of the Demon Cult.
– Cale, your condition is very good today!
– I feel so relaxed having hyung-nim and the noonims here.
Cale heard the cheapskate and then the crybaby in his mind before sitting down in a relaxed position and placing his hand on the Heavenly Demon's back.
"I'm ready."
Next to him was the heater-shaped divine item as well.
One hand was on the Heavenly Demon's back… One hand was on top of the heater.
Once Cale finished his preparations…
Oooooo– oooooo–
The air started to fluctuate.
The Heavenly Demon closed his eyes.
A dark red aura fluttered and rose up from his body.
The Heavenly Demon could not speak from here.
– Human, are you okay?
Cale heard Raon's voice in his mind.
"Totally fine."
He nonchalantly responded before looking at the Heavenly Demon's head.
Black smoke was rising up from there.
Cale could not see the Heavenly Demon's face. However, he could imagine what kind of look was on his face.
'He's probably scowling.'
The dead mana in his body, that evil aura was being lured to aim for his upper dantian.
The Heavenly Demon was feeling pain like last time in order to make that happen.
However, he didn't even groan.
'Oh esteemed Heavenly Demon.'
The Sage Demon had his hands clasped together and could not look away from the face of the Heavenly Demon who was scowling in pain.
The Heavenly Demon was faintly visible beyond the formation but for someone like him whose martial arts level was high, it wasn't that big of a deal.
He could clearly feel the Heavenly Demon's pain.
And as that happened, from his closed eyes, nose, ears, and mouth… Black smoke was coming out of all facial orifices.
This evil aura that was full of an ominous vibe…
That thing was starting to fill the inside of the formation that was the size of most decent training grounds.
It was slow at first.
The black smoke rose up extremely slowly and started to fill the inside of the formation.
However, it started to get quicker.
'It's black.'
The area was becoming dyed black.
The Heavenly Demon was already not very visible.
Despite it being the middle of the bright day, the inside of the formation seemed to be night time.
No, it was not night.
At least the night sky had some sort of light on it.
Even during nights of the new moon, your eyes could faintly make stuff out.
However, they could not see anything in this thing.
All they saw was darkness.
"Are you sure this is okay?"
Pavilion Master Gong asked with a serious look on her face but the Sage Demon did not have the time to look at her.
"It should be fine."
He could barely answer like that.
Pavilion Master Gong could not get upset about that response. She could only tightly clench her cane and bite down on her lips.
'I couldn't think properly last time to tell but that black smoke truly is ominous.'
This smoke gave her an instinctual desire to avoid it.
The amount of it was significant as well.
'I can't believe the Heavenly Demon lived with such a thing inside his body-!'
She could not believe it.
Nonetheless, she had to believe it.
The Heavenly Demon lived with this significant amount of black aura that is continuing to dye the inside of this formation with darkness nonstop.
He was trying his hardest to maintain his consciousness.
He was also thinking about destroying the Blood Cult that messed with the Demon Cult.
'…Young master Kim...!'
All she could do right now was think about a single person's name as if she yearned for him.
She desperately hoped that he could heal the Heavenly Demon.
That was her only wish.
Did her desire reach him?
"Ah-"
The Sage Demon's mouth opened.
Was that a good sign?
Pavilion Master Gong's face stiffened after turning to look at him.
It was a sense of urgency that was on the Sage Demon's face.
"Oh no-"
His eyes could not stop shaking while looking at the formation.
"Sage Demon. What is it?"
"The formation, the formation is shaking."
"What do you mea-"
The Sage Demon ignored Pavilion Master Gong's calling and urgently walked up to the formation.
The Left and Right Guard were already walking up to him as well.
"Is the formation shaking right now?"
The Sage Demon looked at one of the eight foundation stones of the formation instead of responding to the Right Guard's question.
Crack. Crack.
The foundation stone was starting to crack.
'How is this possible?'
The Sage Demon's face turned pale.
They had made this formation so that it could hold twenty, no, twenty five times the amount of evil aura that the Heavenly Demon normally released!
But such a formation was about to break right now.
It was at that moment.
Baaaaaaaaaang-!
He heard a loud noise.
The noise came from the faint barrier created by the formation.
The Sage Demon raised his head.
There was an enormous black smoke slamming against the barrier.
Complete darkness.
That was the thing banging on the barrier.
Baaaang, bang! Bang!
Without stopping…
Without any rest…
In order to destroy that barrier.
'This is outside of what we expected!'
For the Heavenly Demon to have so much of this evil aura inside of him…
For this evil aura to be so strong and violent…
They had never imagined it to be like this.
What would happen if this formation was to break?
What would happen if this enormous darkness flowed out?
He recalled the warning that young master Kim gave him.
'You need to be careful around this dead mana, the evil aura. Of course, this aura seems to have been modified by the Blood Cult but regular people touching this dead mana will be like being in contact with a critical poison. Martial artists may be able to resist it a bit but I think that even they will be in danger.'
The Sage Demon's mouth opened automatically.
"Left Guard, move the people back!"
Inside the formation… He had no idea of what was going on.
Baaaaaang! Baaaaang!
However, the endless explosions explained the fierce battle going on inside.
"Right Guard, I need you to help me repair the formation."
He needed to do his job for now.
And his job was to make it so that the Heavenly Demon and young master Kim did not have to worry about anything other than the purification process.
"The formation may break if something goes wrong!"
It was at that moment.
The Sage Demon heard a young voice next to him.
"That will not happen, Sage Demon."
The Sage Demon saw a pair of eyes appear in the air as he felt a different kind of fear than when he saw the black smoke.
They were the eyes of something that was not human.
"I will stop it even if the formation is broken."
The voice was young.
However, the Sage Demon felt suffocated by a mysterious aura.
"If our human wants it, I will make it happen."
As the Sage Demon was not able to say anything at this bright dark blue light…
Crack!
One of the foundation stones ended up completely cracking in half.
The moment the black aura was about to flow out of that gap…
The Sage Demon saw a black barrier appear to block that gap.
However, the black barrier was different from the smoke.
He felt an aura that was warm as if it held the coziness of the night while cool and refreshing as if it held the cool night air.
"Ah."
The Sage Demon subconsciously gasped in relief.
"!"
He then turned his head after feeling a significant aura behind him.
Rumble-
The sky was starting to cry.
Grey clouds appeared when it had been a beautiful sunny day just moments ago.
"It looks like the human is finally starting to make his move. Sage Demon, the Heavenly Demon will be fine. Our human is the one you should be worried about."
He did not have the focus to pay attention to the young voice.
The Sage Demon blankly looked up at the sky.
The formation created a large circle and even covered the ceiling.
However, the sky was roaring on top of that ceiling.
Crackle. Crackle.
He could see rose gold currents within the roaring clouds.
He could not ask what that was.
This was the only question he could ask.
"I, is that young master Kim-nim's power?"
The young voice responded.
"That's right! That is our human's power!"
The Sage Demon's hands fell to the ground and he could only blankly look up at the sky after hearing that answer.
Baaang, bang, bang!
The black smoke was still, no, it was trying even harder to break through the formation and come out, but…
He could not pay attention to that.
'It is nature.'
He felt the enormous aura of nature.
No, it was fire.
Fire was trying to come from the sky to the ground.
"Ah."
The moment he let out a short gasp…
He, as well as everybody else in the area, looked up at the sky.
Even the people who had no idea about what was going on here looked up after suddenly hearing the sky roaring and could see thunderbolts striking down nearby or far away depending on where they were located.
A rose gold thunderbolt, or perhaps fire, struck down from the sky to the ground.
Baaaaaang-
The Sage Demon's sight became dyed red and golden.
He couldn't help but tear up.
However, he could not close his eyes.
Baaaaaang-
The formation was breaking.
The formation shattered as if it was nothing the moment the rose gold fiery thunderbolt touched the top of the formation.
Rose gold light pushed into it like a tsunami.
This rose gold tsunami fell down as ruthlessly as a waterfall, allowing him to see inside.
"Ah-"
'Oh esteemed Heavenly Demon.'
The Sage's legs became weak and he knelt down on one knee.
He could see two people surrounded by rose gold light.
Young master Kim and the Heavenly Demon…
The two of them were stationed the same way they had been in the beginning.
They looked fine even after having been inside that deep darkness.
The moment the rose gold light wrapped around them…
It spread out almost as if it exploded.
The darkness was disappearing.
The evil aura looked as if it was shrieking and trying to run away.
Bang, bang! Bang! Bang!
Although it continued to slam against the formation and the formation was breaking since the top was destroyed…
The rose gold light was swiftly swallowing up the darkness.
Darkness could not pierce through the areas that the rose gold light had passed through.
He was at a loss for words because this overwhelming rose gold light could not even compare to what he saw in the rear garden last time.
Ruuuumble-
However, the sky had not stopped roaring.
The Sage Demon placed his hand over his arm that was full of goosebumps and looked inside the formation.
The formation that was barely holding on after having the top broken…
The two people who were still in the same position inside…
Cale had no choice but to ask despite knowing that the Heavenly Demon could not answer.
"Hey. Just how much dead mana is inside of you?"
He could tell because he had his hand on the Heavenly Demon's back.
The enormous aura he could feel on his hand…
He was certain that this dreadful and ominous aura was dead mana infused with something else.
– Cale, I can feel all sorts of negative emotions.
As the Cheapskate mentioned, the numerous malice and grudges that the Blood Cult had implanted was inside the Heavenly Demon.
This was out of his expectations.
There was too much dead mana inside the Heavenly Demon's body.
"You released about a third of it so far, right?"
However, Cale was still calm.
He tightly clenched the heater with his other hand as he spoke.
"Release the rest of it at once. Do it before the formation is completely destroyed."
– Cale, it is still easy to deal with! It's not tiring at all!
He had the Cheapskate's confirmation as well. Cale was still feeling fine so he could calmly say this.
"I'll get rid of all of it."
It was very worth trying.
The moment Cale started smiling…
Ruuuumble—-
The sky that was ready to release the next thunderbolt roared even louder.
Cale felt a rumbling starting from the Heavenly Demon at the same time.
Booooom-
The rumbling flowing through to him through his hand…
The moment he realized that it was starting.
Cale subconsciously started to speak.
"Holy shit, there's so much!"
Dead mana that was full of all sorts of negative emotions and malice came out of the Heavenly Demon's body.
He felt as if the whole world was being dyed in darkness for a moment.
Although he was shocked, he was not nervous.
The fire that would destroy this darkness was waiting for his command.
—
Translator's Comments
Easy peasy lemon squeezy?