Chronicles of the Demonic Cult Conversion-Chapter 81 : Chapter 81

Chapter 81. To Reach the Heavens.
“Without that person’s approval, no one's name can be erased.”
“The Divine Spirit Tree would have been destroyed without her help.”
“I know that too.”
Wi Mu-rin did not deny Jin cheon’s words.
“But that is the law of our cult.”
“That person would have also gladly agreed to free her.”
“We cannot dare to presume that person’s intentions. Nor should we. I can do nothing until that person personally approves of her release.”
“I will stake my neck on it.”
“Even so, nothing will change. I, too, wish to free her.”
“……”
Jin cheon was at a loss for words at Wi Mu-rin’s firm attitude.
He couldn't get angry either, because he knew Wi Mu-rin wasn't doing this because he wanted to.
Wi Mu-rin also knew very well how much help the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees had provided…….
“Is it really not possible?”
“That person’s permission comes first.”
“Understood.”
Jin cheon stepped back from Wi Mu-rin.
He wouldn't be able to achieve what he wanted by holding onto the innocent Wi Mu-rin and arguing.
“I’m really sorry, but it seems you’ll have to wait a little.”
“You’re the same as them.”
At Jin cheon’s words, the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees opened her mouth, her attitude having become endlessly cold.
“In the end, it was a lie, wasn’t it? To use me?”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
“It’s just that I don’t have the authority. I told you from the beginning. That I would speak well to my superiors.”
“You did say that.”
“Please wait just a little. The Cult Leader will also willingly agree to free you.”
“Really……?”
“If the Cult Leader does not approve of your release, then I will keep my promise no matter what it takes. Even if it costs me my neck.”
At Jin cheon’s words, the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees showed a somewhat softened demeanor.
“Really? Can I trust you?”
“I told you. I’d stake my neck on it.”
“Hmm.”
“Instead, I’ll continue to stay in the Black Bamboo Forest until that person’s approval is given. That should be enough for you to know that I’m not trying to use you and run away.”
In truth, having reached the state of Extreme Demon, that is, the third stage of the Heavenly Demon Divine Qi, the Demonic King, there was no reason to stay in the Sea of Trees any longer.
He had achieved enough to break his seclusion and make his debut…….
“Well, if you put it that way, I’ll take a step back too.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Jin cheon was quite relieved when the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees showed a sign of agreement.
He would have had nothing to say even if she had gotten angry and thrown a fit, but if she was going to let it pass this smoothly, he felt like bowing down in gratitude.
***
From the battle in front of the Divine Spirit Tree, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult acquired an enormous amount of spoils.
The majority of the dead cultivators had inner cores, so they were unintentionally able to secure a large number of precious ingredients for spiritual medicine.
For example, things like the inner core of the Human-faced Spider.
“I would like Senior Brother Wi to take the inner cores and make spiritual medicines. The created medicines will then be divided fairly among those who participated in this battle. What do you think?”
“That’s a good idea.”
Cheol Yu-ra readily nodded at Jin cheon’s proposal.
“Then, Senior Sister, please take charge and proceed. Senior Brother Wi’s side will handle the production of the spiritual medicines, but you seem to be the right person to distribute them.”
“How can you trust me? What if I gobble up the spiritual medicines?”
“Then there’s nothing to be done about it, is there?”
Jin cheon shrugged his shoulders.
“If it’s a trust that can be broken over some mere spiritual medicines, it’s better for me if it breaks quickly.”
“It’s probably not just some mere spiritual medicines, though?”
The reason Cheol Yu-ra said that was because the inner cores they had obtained this time were extremely precious things that couldn't be bought even for a thousand gold pieces.
For example, the inner core of the Human-faced Spider was something anyone would covet.
Humans fight among parents and siblings over a few pennies, so how much more would it be for a spiritual medicine that one might see only once in a lifetime.
“To me, trust is more important than spiritual medicines. Inner qi is a problem that time will solve even without spiritual medicines, but trust isn't, is it?”
“A wise answer.”
Cheol Yu-ra smiled whitely.
“Thank you for trusting me. I will take responsibility and distribute the spiritual medicines.”
“Yes, Senior Sister.”
Thus, Jin cheon readily entrusted the inner cores to Cheol Yu-ra and Wi Mu-rin.
“Will you be alright? Perhaps we should take our share now……”
“It’s fine.”
When Danmok Cheong whispered out of concern, Jin cheon shook his head.
“I also know that there are many untrustworthy people in our cult. In the first place, all animals called humans are like that. Still, if I can’t trust Senior Sister in our cult, who can I trust?”
“That is……”
“It’s best to be on good terms. We’re one family, we should trust each other.”
“Even if not in a case like this, someday there will be someone who betrays your trust, My Lord.”
“Then I’ll just kill them.”
Jin cheon said as if it were no big deal.
“There’s no need to worry in advance. So just let it go this time.”
“Understood.”
After the post-battle arrangements were finished.
“Well then, I will be on my way first.”
“Travel safely.”
“Yes, see you in the Divine Land.”
As soon as the post-battle arrangements were finished, Cheol Yu-ra immediately set off.
The reason she was in such a hurry was because of the injured.
Although they had won the battle, the Sea of Trees was still a dangerous place.
As such, it was necessary to return to the Divine Land as soon as possible for the treatment of the injured.
Moreover, since they had to transport the captured Taoists of the Qingcheng and Moshan Sects this time, Cheol Yu-ra had an even greater need to hurry.
“I’m leaving first!”
“Yes, yes, please leave quickly.”
The Blood Qilin also followed Cheol Yu-ra and hurriedly left the Sea of Trees.
It was something he found out later, but the Blood Qilin was very afraid of the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees.
This was because the very person who had chased the Blood Qilin for days on end when he had entered the Sea of Trees without knowing any better was none other than the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees.
On the other hand, Wi Mu-rin and the sorcerers of the Evil Spirit Guardian Clan stayed for a few more days to repair the seal of the Divine Spirit Tree before leaving the Sea of Trees.
“I will come again when food and daily necessities are about to run out.”
“Yes, Senior Brother. Travel safely.”
When even Wi Mu-rin and the sorcerers of the Evil Spirit Guardian Clan left, Jin cheon’s party was once again left in the Sea of Trees.
Since Wi Mu-rin had installed a new formation in the Black Bamboo Forest right before he left, it would not be an exaggeration to say that there was no fear of being attacked.
“Everyone must have learned a lot from the last battle. Continue to train while we stay longer in the Black Bamboo Forest.”
“As you command!”
After being in seclusion for three years, it would have been reasonable to take a little break, but the situation was not like that.
‘This is the most important time.’
There is a time for everything, whether it’s studying or martial arts.
Just as with everything in life, the time one can concentrate on something with a peaceful mind is not very long.
It was a fact that after making his debut and being active in the Jianghu, he would lack time to train for various reasons.
In that sense, the secluded training in the Black Bamboo Forest was a very precious time for Jin cheon’s party.
For that reason, Jin cheon thought it was for the best and pushed himself even harder in his training.
As it happened, he also needed time to get used to the state of Extreme Demon, so staying longer in the Sea of Trees was not a big problem.
Thus, several months passed.
It was a certain day when the unusually harsh winter had finally passed and green vegetation began to grow lushly.
The Iron-Blooded Demonic God suddenly appeared before Jin cheon, who was training all by himself.
***
“The Heavenly Demon reigns, ten thousand demons bow in submission. Long live, long live, long, long live.”
Jin cheon knelt on one knee before the Iron-Blooded Demonic God and paid his respects.
“You have made an achievement.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
“As expected, it is more than I anticipated. It can be called a surprisingly fast achievement.”
“I believe I am still very lacking.”
“That is excessive modesty.”
The Iron-Blooded Demonic God shook her head.
“It is an achievement comparable to the first Heavenly Demon, so you may be proud.”
“I am simply overwhelmed with gratitude.”
Jin cheon was at a loss for what to do at the Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s praise and bowed his head.
To Jin cheon, a single word of praise from the Iron-Blooded Demonic God was more precious than the praise of all the people in the world.
As it was praise from the greatest of all time, its weight and truthfulness were no different from an immutable truth.
“Yes, many things have happened. You have worked hard. Originally, it would have been my duty, but I was unavoidably absent and could not look after it. I am sorry about that.”
An unavoidable situation for the greatest of all time… he couldn't even dare to guess.
“Not at all. As a member of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and as a disciple of Your Holiness, I only stopped something that was a threat to our cult. I only did my duty, so how can you say you are sorry?”
“Is that so? It seems I am blessed with disciples. Well, I suppose I should at least be blessed with disciples to feel less aggrieved.”
“……”
Jin cheon remained silent, not knowing for what reason the Iron-Blooded Demonic God had said such words.
“You have worked hard in many ways. You may now break your seclusion.”
“Yes, Your Holiness. However, I have something to tell you.”
“Is it about the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees?”
“Yes.”
“She is a woman of a strange fate. She harbored affection for the first Heavenly Demon and helped him, but in the end, she was betrayed by him.”
“Was there such a story?”
“She is the one who made the cultivators of the Sea of Trees write their own names on the Divine Spirit Tree. Tricked by the first Heavenly Demon’s persuasion, she took the lead in making the cultivators of the Sea of Trees carve their own names on the Divine Spirit Tree.”
“Ah.”
“She went through many changes of heart after that. I heard that for the first hundred years, she lost her reason in anger and wandered the Sea of Trees.”
He had thought there was some hidden story in the conversation between the Hui Dragon Emperor and the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees, but to think there was such a secret history.
“I, too, acknowledge her meritorious service, but it is not easy to guess her intentions.”
“By intentions, you mean……”
“If she still has lingering affection, she might contribute to the resurrection of the first Heavenly Demon.”
“Surely not? She should be grinding her teeth in revenge.”
“A person’s heart is not an easy thing. Deep affection can make one lose all reason, so it is impossible to fathom its depths.”
“Still, I believe a promise must be kept.”
Jin cheon stated his conviction.
“If not for her, not only I and my subordinates but also Senior Brother Wi’s party would have lost our lives. How can I break a promise when I owe her my life?”
“What if she contributes to the resurrection of the Heavenly Demon?”
“I will take responsibility and stop her.”
“Good.”
The Iron-Blooded Demonic God nodded.
“Since that is your will, I will accept your request. I permit you to erase her name from the Divine Spirit Tree.”
“Your grace is immeasurable.”
Jin cheon bowed his head to the Iron-Blooded Demonic God.
‘I knew you would permit it.’
In fact, from the beginning, Jin cheon had believed without a doubt that the Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s permission would be granted.
If she had been concerned that the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees would contribute to the resurrection of the Heavenly Demon, she would not have accepted Jin cheon as a disciple in the first place.
Jin cheon’s body, with the Heavenly Demon’s Physique, could have been used as a vessel to contain the soul of the first Heavenly Demon.
“Let’s go, I will keep the promise you made in your stead.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
Jin cheon followed the Iron-Blooded Demonic God.
He had only walked a few steps, but the surrounding scenery changed in a flash, and they had soon arrived in front of the Divine Spirit Tree.
‘Senior Brother Wi was right. He said the boundary between martial arts and sorcery becomes ambiguous when one reaches a certain realm.’
While Jin cheon was thinking such thoughts, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God approached the Divine Spirit Tree and placed her delicate hand on the name written on the very first line.
Seop So-yeon.
That seemed to be the name of the Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees.
Sueuk. As the Iron-Blooded Demonic God caressed her name, the red letters carved on the Divine Spirit Tree gradually faded, leaving only a faint trace, as if it were there and not there.
“Is it done now?”
“To some extent.”
The Iron-Blooded Demonic God nodded.
Despite not being a sorcerer, it seemed that releasing someone from the Divine Spirit Tree was such an easy task for the Iron-Blooded Demonic God.
A little time passed after that.
The Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees, no, Seop So-yeon, appeared before Jin cheon and the Iron-Blooded Demonic God.
Feeling that she had been freed from the Divine Spirit Tree, she had clearly come to find Jin cheon.
“This is different from the promise.”
The Fox Immortal of the Sea of Trees growled at the Iron-Blooded Demonic God.
“Why haven’t you returned my power?”
Then, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God replied.
“Is that much power necessary to accumulate merits and demerits? Even with the power you have now, there should be no great hindrance in accumulating merits and demerits.”
“Th-that’s.”
Seop So-yeon hesitated for a moment, as if at a loss for words.
As the Iron-Blooded Demonic God had said, she knew better than anyone that accumulating merits and demerits was more about will than power.
“If you want to have your power fully returned, prove it.”
“What……?”
“Dokgo Seong, if you contribute to thwarting his resurrection, not only will your accumulation of merits and demerits be completed, but you will also regain your power and reach the heavens.”
At the Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s words, Seop So-yeon’s pupils shook violently as if an earthquake had occurred.