"It has been 5,000 years since Murim was formed," I muttered as I continued reading, flipping through the final pages of the ancient tome.
He scoured the historical records, searching for any lingering pieces of information.
Yet, the more he read, the more astonished he became.
It had been 5,000 years since he was killed.
The so-called Justice Faction, the very ones who had once hunted him down, had splintered into large sects and alliances.
The name of the Heavenly Demon, Cheon Minjun, was written across the historical records, portrayed as so ruthless and fearsome that his legend filled nearly half of the thick book.
But there was one thing that troubled him now—the Heavenly Demon Sect.
A sect founded not long after the Heavenly Demon had fallen in battle.
A demonic sect that adopted the teachings of Heavenly Demon Cheon Minjun.
Yet the situation bewildered me. I had no recollection of ever having a friend or disciple who would know my teachings.
From what I have read, the behavior inherited by this so-called Heavenly Demon Sect…
It was too soft.
Too weak.
That was all I could think of.
"What kind of fool would create the Heavenly Demon Sect?" Shin Jeong-Woon scoffed aloud.
So focused on the book, he hadn't noticed someone approaching nearby. Suddenly, a voice responded to Shin Jeong-Woon's remark.
"The fool you speak of was none other than Heavenly Demon Cheon Minjun," the stranger said, catching Shin Jeong-Woon off guard and causing him to turn his head.
He saw an old man with a long beard, dressed in simple gray robes.
'Who is this old man? I didn't even sense his presence,' thought Shin Jeong-Woon.
He merely smiled and replied, "If Cheon Minjun had truly founded this sect, it would never have become so weak."
The old man raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And why do you think that, young man?"
Shin Jeong-Woon smiled and began, "From the history I've read, he was a man obsessed with strength above all else, nearly reaching the pinnacle of power. If I compare that to this weak imitation of a sect, doesn't it tarnish his reputation? If Cheon Minjun were to return to the world today, he would've already torn their limbs from their bodies," Shin Jeong-Woon spoke, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.
The old man chuckled heartily before his expression turned serious. "If that's what you believe, then there is some truth to it. The Heavenly Demon Sect is nothing more than an incomplete legacy of the Heavenly Demon, a diluted lineage, you could say."
The old man's words piqued Shin Jeong-Woon's interest. "To create a sect as weak as this, what exactly was passed down from Heavenly Demon Cheon Minjun?" he asked, his face now filled with confusion.
Yet inside, his expression twisted into a chilling grin. 'Here it is… this is where the real fun begins.'
The old man sat down on the floor next to Shin Jeong-Woon and began to recount, "Long ago, after the Justice Faction claimed victory and killed the Heavenly Demon, they and their allies scoured the world in search of his inheritance. Unsurprisingly, they found nothing—until 500 years later. A man claiming to be the Heavenly Demon's heir emerged, traveling the world to prove his legitimacy with martial arts and an internal energy technique known as the 'Hundred Shadow Dragon Creation.' As expected, he was hunted down by the entire world. But he wasn't foolish enough to face them alone, and thus, he founded the Heavenly Demon Sect.
The sect was powerful under the first Demon Lord's rule, but after his death, the teachings of the Heavenly Demon were passed down to weaker and weaker individuals, leading to its current state."
Shin Jeong-Woon absorbed the information carefully, considering each piece.
Inheritance.
The Justice Faction's decisive victory.
Hundred Shadow Dragon Creation.
The sect's formation.
And finally, he came to one conclusion:
'IT'S ALL NONSENSE.'
He looked the old man squarely in the eyes and continued, "I suppose the inheritance of the Heavenly Demon was so terrible that it couldn't withstand the river of time over thousands of years."
The old man simply nodded before saying, "I believe your father has been waiting for some time now. I cannot linger here any longer. I will take my leave."
Shin Jeong-Woon also stood and offered his farewell.
After the mysterious old man departed, he placed the history book back on the shelf and muttered under his breath with a mischievous grin, "A fake Heavenly Demon… I'll find you and sever every joint of your descendants."
'I think it's about time I tested the potential of this body,' I thought as I straightened my clothes and headed to my room.
...........
........
In an antique chamber meticulously designed, a young man dressed in black sat cross-legged, his eyes closed in deep meditation.
Golden energy began to gather in the room, slowly seeping into the young man's body.
The energy was so pure that even fierce beasts would feel threatened by its mere fragments.
Before long, dark energy also began to converge in the room, clashing with the golden energy.
The golden energy pooled in the Lower Dantian, while the dark energy gathered in the Middle Dantian, colliding fiercely.
Shin Jeong-Woon, deep in meditation, furrowed his brows as the dark energy arrived.
'Don't tell me… this is Death Qi.'
The ominous energy continued to accumulate within Shin Jeong-Woon's body.
He gritted his teeth, struggling to consolidate the two opposing forces with his cultivation technique.
Three hours passed…
Four hours passed…
…
…
Six hours passed…
Shin Jeong-Woon, now looking disheveled, opened his eyes and spat blood from his mouth.
To absorb both Pure Qi and Death Qi simultaneously and attempt to fuse them—such a feat was unimaginable.
The Death Qi, which had solidified in the Middle Dantian, was now dense and tangible, but he couldn't yet fully wield it.
The Pure Qi his body could absorb was also immense, despite never having trained in his entire 18 years of life.
Shin Jeong-Woon was elated. This body was blessed with incredible talent. It had never trained, perhaps out of fear of death, but that fear had become the foundation for his Death Qi.
It was as if Shin Jeong-Woon's very body had been attracting Death Qi all along.
'This will be truly thrilling… my pursuit of ultimate power begins now,' Shin Jeong-Woon declared as he clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with a crimson glow.
But then—
'Ugh, the stench is unbearable. I need a bath immediately.'
Fortunately, he had already instructed Tang Jin to prepare the tub for him to soak.
...