Chapter 540

**Chapter 540: The Lazy One Flees (5)**

‘The Heavenly Demon?’

Did he just say “Heavenly Demon”?

Involuntarily, I swallowed dry saliva.

Heavenly Demon… why is that name appearing here?

“So…”

Jangil stared at Wei Yanho for a long time with bewildered eyes before speaking.

“Are you saying this is the Heavenly Demon Cave (天魔洞)?”

As he spoke, Jangil could feel his own disbelief.

Heavenly Demon Cave, no less.

Who is the Heavenly Demon?

There are many ways to describe him, but only one defines him perfectly:

The First Demon of All Time (古今第一魔).

Since the concept of “demon” (魔) arose in the martial world, many have proclaimed themselves as such, but none dared to measure up to the Heavenly Demon.

The great demons who shook the world, the demonic leaders who boasted of being the first under the heavens… they all only showed respect to the Heavenly Demon, not even daring to approach his stature.

It was inevitable.

The Heavenly Demon was the beginning and the end of all demons.

He was the one who elevated the Demon Cult, which was previously just another religion, to its current status. Before the Heavenly Demon, the Demon Cult was nothing more than a marginal sect. He was the one who transformed it into the Demon Cult we know.

Until the appearance of the Sword Emperor, that unparalleled genius, no one could deny that he was the first of all time. Even in the Central Plains, where he was hated to death, no one dared to claim that anyone was superior to him. They simply did their best to ignore his existence, treating him as if he didn’t exist.

That was the Heavenly Demon.

And it is said that the last place he lived was precisely the Heavenly Demon Cave. Rumor has it that he left his entire legacy there for future generations of demons.

And now they say this place is that cave?

‘Impossible.’

Jangil frowned.

Who was the Heavenly Demon?

The leader of the Demon Cult and, in his time, known as the First Demon under Heaven. Sure, back then the Demon Cult wasn’t as big as it is now, but with just the spoils from their raids in the Central Plains, they could have lived in great luxury.

And the tomb of such a figure is as miserable as this?

It was impossible.

Furthermore…

“It seems there is a misunderstanding. During the time of the Heavenly Demon, the Demon Cult was not in Xinjiang.”

Wei Yanho didn’t respond, he just kept looking at the wall.

“So this place cannot be the Heavenly Demon Cave.”

Wei Yanho’s head slowly turned towards Jangil.

“Heavenly Demon Cave?”

“Yes. This is not that place.”

“What is the Heavenly Demon Cave?”

Jangil realized that his perception and Wei Yanho’s did not match.

“You said the Heavenly Demon was here?”

“…Yes.”

“The Heavenly Demon Cave is called the last place where the Heavenly Demon lived. This is not that place. Furthermore, the Heavenly Demon Cave disappeared a thousand…”

“No.”

Wei Yanho firmly cut off Jangil.

“It wasn’t a thousand years ago. He was here until recently.”

“What?”

Jangil’s eyes filled with confusion.

The Heavenly Demon died a thousand years ago. How could he have been here until recently? No one can live a thousand years. Not even an immortal could achieve it.

“The Heavenly Demon is already dead.”

“I think so.”

“Then how was he here?”

Wei Yanho shook his head.

“I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if it makes sense or not.”

Wei Yanho glanced at Jangil as he spoke.

“But you feel it too, right?”

“…”

Jangil closed his mouth.

Yes, he felt it too.

That something terrifying had been here.

“I don’t know if whoever was here is the same person as the Heavenly Demon known to the world. But there is no other way to describe whoever was here other than ‘Heavenly Demon’.”

At Wei Yanho’s words, everyone nodded.

They felt it too.

Although that was no longer here, just the residual energy was enough to threaten them all.

How powerful must he be to achieve that?

It was an experience they had never had before. How overwhelming must his presence be, how immense his power, to leave his essence impregnated in space itself?

Jangil looked around with trembling eyes.

If there was no special mechanism here, if only the fact that someone had inhabited this place could cause this… what other word other than “Heavenly Demon” (天魔) could describe that being?

Even now, the pressure that crushed them was terrifying.

In the end, Jangil couldn’t help but agree with Wei Yanho. Even if whoever was here was not the Heavenly Demon of the past, at least someone close to that level had been present.

Without a doubt.

“Then…”

While the others felt chills, what Wei Jeonghan felt was pure horror.

“Yanho.”

“Yes.”

“You say the Heavenly Demon was here?”

“Yes.”

Wei Yanho replied firmly.

“Can you estimate how powerful he was?”

Wei Yanho slowly shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“No.”

Wei Yanho let out a sigh.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen something like this, so I can’t estimate what level of power is needed to create this phenomenon. But one thing is certain…”

He paused briefly, and all eyes were fixed on him.

“I couldn’t beat him.”

“Absolutely?”

“Yes. Absolutely not. At least not now.”

Wei Yanho bit his lip slightly.

He was getting stronger.

So fast that sometimes even he was scared of his own growth. But no matter how much he strengthened, there were still beings in the world who surpassed him.

And whoever had been here was not someone who could simply be described as “powerful.”

‘Perhaps…’

There was only one being who could inspire such a degree of reverence in Wei Yanho.

Baek Muhan.

His master, the one known as the Sword Emperor.

The Wei Yanho of now was very different from the one who first came out of the cave. Ten versions of that Wei Yanho could not face the current one.

And yet, Baek Muhan remained an unattainable enigma for him. No matter how much he climbed and climbed, he couldn’t even brush his shadow… No matter how much time passed or how the world changed, there would never be anyone who could approach Baek Muhan’s level.

So grand he was, and therefore even more worthy of reverence.

But now, Wei Yanho felt in this place a power comparable to that of Baek Muhan.

Although of a completely different nature: sinister but overwhelming, and tyrannical.

‘Is it really the Heavenly Demon?’

In Wei Yanho’s mind came the words of his master. Or rather, they were not words of his master, but a deduction that Wei Yanho had made based on him.

The Heavenly Demon was the only being that Baek Muhan had mentioned as his possible equal. If it was really the Heavenly Demon, then he could have replicated everything Baek Muhan was capable of doing.

If Baek Muhan was able to leave his will for future generations, the Heavenly Demon could also have done so, albeit in a different way.

‘He was here?’

That Heavenly Demon?

But why?

Baek Muhan had to resort to complicated methods due to his complicated personality, which prevented him from directly transmitting his legacy to the Great Family of the Infinity Sword.

But the Heavenly Demon was not Baek Muhan.

He was someone who could handle all the members of the Demon Cult as if they were dogs. What need did he have to use such elaborate methods?

It was a mystery.

The only clear thing was… that, whether it was the Heavenly Demon or another being worthy of that title… a colossal existence had been here until recently.

“You can’t beat him?”

Wei Yanho’s face tightened.

“Not even close?”

“No.”

Wei Jeonghan bit his lip slightly.

Wei Yanho was strong, no doubt.

If he continued to grow at this rate, one day he might even rival the Grand Demon King, the most powerful being he had ever known. And now Wei Yanho denied it so firmly?

‘What is the Yanho of now like?’

Could he compare to the Grand Demon King?

Wei Jeonghan shook his head.

The Grand Demon King plunged the martial world into terror. His power was on another level compared to even the bishops of the Demon Cult. Only the union of the greatest masters of the martial world managed to stop him.

No matter how strong Wei Yanho was, it was hard to believe that he could withstand the combined attack of the Supreme Sovereign, the Sword Sage and the Sword Saint. Frankly speaking, wasn’t it the same Wei Yanho who couldn’t beat the Insane Demon?

But did that mean that Wei Yanho would fall easily to the Grand Demon King? Having become much stronger since then, and now with that absurd sword in his hands…

At least he could put up resistance, he could fight. It wasn’t as desperate a difference as Wei Yanho painted it.

So, was that presence that was here more powerful than the Grand Demon King, the very symbol of the Demon Cult?

Only then did Wei Jeonghan understand it.

The most powerful of all.

The leader of the Demon Cult.

The one who, even so, called himself a puppet.

‘Jeok Moku…’

He now understood why someone who seemed to be able to do anything in the world called himself a puppet, and why what he wanted most was freedom.

If someone called the Heavenly Demon had been here, if he was a being so powerful that not even Jeok Moku could face him, then all of Jeok Moku’s incomprehensible actions made sense.

“But then, why didn’t he participate in the last war?”

“There must have been a reason why he couldn’t.”

“A reason?”

Wei Yanho shook his head.

“I don’t know what it would be. The only sure thing is that he was here for a long time. So much so that his energy was impregnated in this place. But now he was able to leave. That means…”

Wei Yanho didn’t finish the sentence.

But everyone could guess what followed.

“We must report this to the Righteous Martial Alliance immediately.”

They didn’t know if it would do any good, but it was better to know than not. At least they could prepare mentally.

“Yanho.”

“Yes.”

“If whoever was here is as strong as you suspect…”

“…”

“Is there any hope for the Central Plains?”

Wei Yanho did not respond.

And that was answer enough.

“I understand.”

“Maybe it would be better not to report…”

Wei Jeonghan smiled at Wei Yanho’s words.

“When the Demon Cult first attacked, no one believed we had a chance.”

“…”

“The same thing happened in the last attack of the Cult. No one believed we could win. But in the end, we stopped them.”

Wei Jeonghan’s voice was firm.

“Hope is not lost when strength falters. It is lost when one gives up. As long as we don’t give up, there will always be hope.”

“…Yes.”

At that moment, everyone turned their heads in unison.

The cave began to rumble. Someone had entered.

“First… we must get out alive.”

They nodded to each other and quickly began to run back, deploying their light movement techniques.

Bestial screams pursued them.

“There they are! There! Catch those bastards and tear them to pieces!”

The demons chased them at full speed.