Myst, Might, Mayhem Chapter 497.20
Chapter 497.20 – Side Story 6 Part 3
Flame of the Abyss (3)
“Heavenly Demon!”
A figure descended with measured steps into the heart of the volcanic cavern, his hands clasped behind him.
It was the Heavenly Demon, the founding Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox was momentarily overwhelmed by emotion upon seeing his face after their long separation. Regretting her lack of composure, she quickly averted her gaze to conceal her reddened cheeks.
‘I’ve blundered.’
She had fled to the Western Regions specifically to avoid his presence for a time.
Only a few months prior,
‘Ah…’
She had been consumed by a bitter ache as she watched the Heavenly Demon smile brightly while gently stroking Cheong-ryeong’s pregnant stomach.
Convinced he was the Demon King of ancient prophecy, she had believed he was the predestined partner she had sought for eternity.
This was why she had repeatedly lunged at him, attempting to leave her mark. It was her clumsy way of proving that only she was a worthy match for him, as her feelings for the man had become genuine.
And yet,
‘You never change.’
His heart held room for only one person.
A mere mortal whose lifespan would not even reach a century.
He loved and protected that woman with absolute devotion.
For the first time in her long life, the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox felt a jealousy so sharp it caused physical pain in her chest.
The more radiant his happiness appeared, the more her desire to be the sole woman by his side intensified, until it became unbearable.
‘I must go.’
She feared that if she remained, she might lose control and murder the woman he held dear.
She had departed and spent months trying to erase him from her mind, but the heart is a treacherous thing—she couldn't even stay away for a single year.
The instant she laid eyes on the Heavenly Demon, her pulse quickened, and she found it impossible to hide her delight.
At that moment,
“So, you are the one?” Hong Hae-a spoke, his expression turning frigid.
Having mastered immortal arts, he had awakened the Immortal Eye, allowing him to perceive things hidden from the sight of common men.
As the Heavenly Demon made his entrance, Hong Hae-a detected numerous spiritual connections radiating from him.
‘He can see the threads?’
The Heavenly Demon’s eyes flashed with interest at the boy's remark.
These connections were rooted in the Dao and the Immortal Way; thus, the closer one came to the pinnacle of immortal arts, the more clearly they could be sensed.
“I suspected you weren't ordinary since you knew how to bind demon beasts as spirit servants, but you are more troublesome than I anticipated.”
Whoosh!
The moment Hong Hae-a finished his sentence, the Heaven and Earth Wheels resumed their violent spinning.
Having witnessed through his Immortal Eye the connections binding his mother, the Iron Fan Immortal, and the White Ghost King—a Great Spirit Beast equal to the Six Demons—his caution had reached its peak.
Suddenly, the Iron Fan Immortal cried out to her son:
“Child! Cease this at once. This is the master your mother serves!”
Grr!
Hearing her plea, Hong Hae-a’s face contorted with rage.
Believing his mother’s mind was being manipulated by that connection, his fury boiled over.
“You have the audacity to make my mother into a spirit servant?”
The Heavenly Demon answered with total indifference:
“There happened to be a vacancy.”
“A vacancy?”
“More importantly, where is Alyu?”
“Alyu? You mean that low-ranking demon that squeals like a pig? I already told you. I will let him live if you deliver the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox to me with your own hands.”
“Ah, is that so?”
The Heavenly Demon let out a small, mocking laugh.
He ran a hand through his hair and spoke in a tone as cold as ice:
“That was my offer when I didn't know where you were hiding.”
It was a bizarre sensation.
The man hadn't released his Qi or performed any grand gesture.
Yet, Hong Hae-a felt a deep sense of unease at the Heavenly Demon’s words.
Unlike his father or the lesser demons, he had studied under immortals and believed himself to be without equal in the mortal realm.
However, the presence before him forced him into a state of high alert.
‘He is clearly human, but…’
The Immortal Eye confirmed he was a mortal man. Still, why was his intuition—which hadn't flinched even against the most dangerous 'pursuers'—suddenly screaming in warning?
The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, who had been looking away, crossed her arms and shouted:
“Red-haired brat! Your luck has truly run out.”
“What?”
“Of all the people in the world, why did you have to provoke this man?”
“What kind of rubbish are you talking about, fox?”
“Rubbish? The man standing there is someone you couldn't defeat even if you died and were reborn a thousand times.”
“Huh?”
Hong Hae-a scoffed at her provocation. Despite his wariness, he believed a mortal's power had inherent boundaries.
Only a few of the ancient immortals could hope to challenge him now, yet this woman claimed this human was beyond him?
The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox smirked, her eyes glinting with a secret knowledge.
“You shouldn't ignore your big sister's advice. This man’s hands are the ones that severed your father's horns.”
‘!?’
Hong Hae-a’s eyebrow twitched at her words.
He had been puzzled ever since he had recovered his father’s statue, which had been sealed as a killing stone.
He had noted his father's broken horn. Even the ancient immortals had been unable to crack them.
Had this man truly managed to maim the Great Strength King?
‘Has he moved beyond the realm of humanity?’
If he had truly cut the horns of the Great Strength King—the most powerful of the Six Demons in terms of raw strength—it meant he had transcended mortal limits.
“Not an immortal, not a demon, and not a spirit born of heaven and earth… and he defeated my father?”
“I am telling you for the final time. Give Alyu back.”
The Heavenly Demon issued his warning.
Hong Hae-a’s gaze turned sharp and dangerous.
“You are far too arrogant.”
Whoosh!
With a wave of Hong Hae-a’s hand, one of the whirling Heaven and Earth Wheels abandoned its target on the fox and streaked toward the Heavenly Demon.
“Iron Fan Immortal, intercept it.”
Snap!
At the Heavenly Demon’s command, the Iron Fan Immortal, who had been standing guard, moved to block the projectile.
But in that instant,
Crackle!
Emerald flames flared from Hong Hae-a’s palm.
He slammed his other hand against the green fire as if clapping.
Zap! Whoosh!
The impact sent a shockwave of green flames surging through the lava cave like a tidal wave.
The Heavenly Demon struck out with sword qi to split the approaching wave, while the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox swirled one of her tails to dissipate the fire before it reached her.
Whoosh!
‘What was the point of that?’
The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox frowned. She had used her demonic power to block it, thinking it was a lethal strike, but it had been far too easy to stop.
As she wondered, the true purpose of the green shockwave revealed itself as it blanketed the cavern.
The Heavenly Demon’s eyes narrowed.
“Roar!”
The White Ghost King let out a thunderous roar, beat his chest, and then immediately dropped to one knee before Hong Hae-a.
He wasn't the only one who changed.
The Iron Fan Immortal stopped her attempt to block the wheel and leaped through the air to land at Hong Hae-a’s side.
“Mother!”
“My son!”
The two embraced tightly.
Watching this, the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox looked at the Heavenly Demon and asked, “Don't tell me… the connections were broken?”
The Heavenly Demon did not disagree.
The moment that green energy touched the White Ghost King and the Iron Fan Immortal, the bonds that made them his spirit servants had been snapped.
‘So that was his trick.’
He had found it odd when his link to the demon beast Alyu was severed, but now the mystery was solved.
As he had sliced through the green wave, the Heavenly Demon had sensed a potent aura of the Immortal Way.
Given his own mastery over various techniques, he recognized this as a high-level immortal art specifically designed to sever spiritual ties.
“My son. Because of you, your mother was saved from committing a terrible sin.”
“I could never allow that wretch to bring shame upon you, Mother.”
“That man is dangerous.”
Even though she burned with a desire for vengeance for the humiliation of being enslaved, she had felt his power firsthand and was gripped by concern.
Hong Hae-a smiled at her worries with total confidence.
“Do not fret, Mother. No matter his strength, he is no match for your son.”
“But even your father…”
“I have attained a new level known as the Flame of the Abyss, which goes beyond even the Samadhi True Fire. I am confident I have surpassed Father in his prime.”
“Ah, my child.”
Hong Hae-a’s self-assurance was absolute. While the Iron Fan Immortal felt a sense of relief, a lingering dread remained. The human’s true depth was still impossible to measure.
Just then,
The White Ghost King, still kneeling, bellowed:
“Young Master! I couldn't fight with my true power because the Mistress was held captive. Now, I shall take my true form and crush this bastard!”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The White Ghost King stood and drummed his chest with ferocity.
His snake-patterned armor began to fuse with his flesh as his body swelled to a massive size. His demonic power surged exponentially.
The Golden Nine-Tailed Fox observed this and said, “The White Ghost King. It’s been ages since I’ve seen him like this. I’ll take care of that brute, while you handle the red-haired boy?”
“That won't be necessary.”
“What?”
Whoosh!
The Heavenly Demon walked forward slowly, his hands still behind his back.
The White Ghost King, now a towering monstrosity in his true form, let out a deafening roar.
“Roar! You cur! Now you face me for real! You will pay for the way you toyed with the Mistress and me!”
Slash!
In a heartbeat, a single black line split the air.
The Heavenly Demon was suddenly standing behind the White Ghost King.
The giant’s glowing white eyes widened in shock.
A thin blue line appeared across the White Ghost King’s throat, and then—
Thud!
His head tumbled to the cavern floor.
Blue blood sprayed like a geyser from the stump of his neck.
Whoosh!
The intense heat of the lava caused the blood to vaporize instantly, filling the air with blue mist.
It was so fast that the Iron Fan Immortal stood frozen in sheer terror. In his true form, the beast should have been many times stronger than a human.
Yet his head had been taken the very second he finished his transformation.
Just what kind of monster was this man?
Step, step!
As a cold fear set in, the Heavenly Demon continued to walk forward, his hands still casually clasped behind him.
“I have given you enough warnings,” he said. “From this moment on, you will be pleading for the mercy of death.”