Chương 200: Chapter 1088: What Sin Did I Commit In My Past Life (Part 3)
"… Ten times?"
The Five Swords' faces stiffened instantly.
Of course, they had already suspected that the individuals they faced this time were not the main force of the Demonic Sect. Just the existence of the Heavenly Executioner alone was enough to make them speculate.
"But…"
Baek Cheon turned to Chung Myung, his eyes filled with a sense of despair.
Just the presence of the Demonic Sect members present there had put the elite forces of Myriad Mad Sect and the Black Ghost Castle in crisis. But what if Danjagang had held back and waited leisurely instead of confronting the Demonic Sect?
Perhaps everyone who entered Hangzhou would have their bones buried there.
'But ten times that power?'
It was truly an unbelievable statement.
Hyun Jong, seemingly feeling the same emotions as the Five Swords, nodded repeatedly.
"...It's beyond imagination. No, to be honest, it's almost impossible to believe."
His voice conveyed a sense of bewilderment and frustration to everyone.
"Of course, the Demonic Sect... it was the place that drove the strong enemies to the brink of destruction in the past. However... it's been over a hundred years since then."
"That's why."
Chung Myung's composed response came back. When Hyun Jong looked at him, as if asking what he meant, Chung Myung added more details.
"Considering that, it's about ten times. If it weren't for that, it wouldn't have ended with just ten times."
Hyun Jong still had a face that was hard to believe. However, in Chung Myung's eyes, there was not a single flicker of doubt. The moment Hyun Jong saw that confident expression, he could not help but believe all these words. Whenever that child spoke with such a face, there was always a basis for it.
"Can you explain a bit more about the reasons behind this?"
"It's simple. It's because of the bishop."
"The bishop?"
"Yes."
Chung Myung nodded and continued speaking.
"The bishop we faced was young. In other words, it means that the Demonic Sect, which was driven out of the central region in the past, is currently strengthening its control, creating new forces in any way possible."
Chung Myung glanced around at the people sitting nearby before speaking again.
"And that means... at present, there could be as many young bishops as that one in the Demonic Sect."
Silence ensued.
Im Sobyeong, pressing his cheek firmly with his fan, raised one hand.
"No. Wait a moment, Sect Leader."
His forehead was wrinkled.
"There is a possibility, of course. Since we've only seen two bishops, there could be any number of other bishops. But jumping to conclusions like that..."
"The Demonic Sect has seventeen branches."
Im Sobyeong tightly sealed his lips.
This statement was vaguely familiar. It was said that in the past, the Heavenly Demon led a Demonic Sect consisting of seventeen branches and invaded the central region.
"And each branch is commanded by a bishop. In other words, in a proper Demonic Sect, there are seventeen bishops."
"Seventeen..."
For a moment, Baek Cheon felt a shiver down his spine.
The image of Danjagang spewing out demonic energy like a storm flashed through his mind. A terrifying presence that overwhelmed even the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, Jang Ilso, and even Chung Myung.
"That guy... seventeen of them?"
His fingertips trembled.
In the suffocating silence, Chung Myung's eyes darkened.
Normally, the number of bishops was known to be around ten. However, this was based on incomplete information, as the Demonic Sect, like any other sect, lost bishops in wars and the exact number was not well-known.
If the Demonic Sect had a proper force, the number of bishops would be seventeen. Or even more, considering that those who only serve the Heavenly Demon without leading a branch were also called bishops.
"Um... But Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword..."
Tang Gunak also expressed disagreement with this statement, his face stern.
"The current Demonic Sect is different from the past. Weren't they driven out from the Central Plains? To say they have recovered their strength..."
"Then what about before?"
"What... do you mean?"
"Was the Demonic Sect in the Central Plains before?"
Tang Gunak closed his mouth. It was a logic that seemed so natural, yet something he had never thought about until now.
As if pointing that out, Chung Myung spoke.
"The previous Demonic Sect also strengthened its power in a place other than the Central Plains. Nevertheless, they managed to gather their strength around the Heavenly Demon to seamlessly invade the Central Plains. Is there any guarantee that this time will be different?"
"...There is none."
To Tang Gunak's acknowledgment, Chung Myung nodded.
"They are now building up their strength again to invade the Central Plains. In that case, above all, they must be pouring all their efforts into cultivating proper bishops. Having just one bishop, who can exert a more formidable power than a thousand mediocre practitioners, is crucial."
In Kangho, it was considered more important to secure at least one absolute master than simply increasing the number of disciples.
"And they've had a hundred years to do that."
Chung Myung's gaze became slightly colder.
"While the Central Plains forgot the past and indulged in peace, they licked their wounds, waiting patiently for the day of revenge. For a whole century."
"..."
"Can there really bo only one newly cultivated bishop among them? Can it be?"
Tang Gunak sighed deeply.
Cultivating an absolute master was by no means an easy task. Even if a faction puts all its efforts into it at the sect level, it can be considered a success if they manage to cultivate one in a generation.
But... given a hundred years?
If they, who withdrew from the Central Plains, poured all their strength into cultivating their descendants from that moment until now? If the demonic sect that single-handedly pushed the entire Central Plains to the brink of destruction dedicated a century to nurturing its descendants?
'...It seems far from impossible.'
Understanding the situation, Tang Gunak looked at Chung Myung with a stern face.
"Then do you... think the Demonic Sect has fully recovered its strength?"
"To be honest..."
Chung Myung closed his mouth, pondered for a moment, and then spoke again.
"In terms of quantity, I don't think they could have reached their past strength. At most, there might be around ten bishops. If we're being optimistic."
Everyone nodded.
It was creepy that there were ten people at the level of Danjagang, but compared to seventeen, it was a more realistic number.
"The problem lies in the quality of the bishops."
"Hmm?"
"The bishops who survived when the Heavenly Demon died in the past are still in the Demonic Sect. Do you understand what that means?"
"...Are you saying the bishops from back then are still alive? Then how old are they exactly?"
The undisguised shock in Tang Gunak's eyes was unmistakable.
"That's not the important part. What matters is that they've become stronger than before."
The physical body naturally declines with age.
Even for experts who defy heaven's principles, it's unavoidable. However, internal energy accumulates over time. If those formidable figures who nearly brought the Central Plains to destruction continued their cultivation for the past hundred years, it was impossible to gauge their current level.
"The young bishop called that bastard the Grand Bishop."
"...And there's also an Archbishop on top of that? So, does that mean there have been at least two surviving bishops from the past until now?"
"Yes. At the very least."
Chung Myung bit his lip slightly.
"Just their existence alone should lead us to believe that the overall strength of the bishops, including those from the past, has become stronger than before."
Everyone fell silent, and Chung Myung understood this silence.
Who would have imagined that someone survived over that long period? When Chung Myung died, Tang Jopyeong, who was just a child back then, has now become the highest-ranking adult in the Tang Family. A significant amount of time has passed since then.
But even back then, the bishops were not young. Could they still be alive now?
Of course, it couldn't be considered entirely impossible. Hadn't Chung Myung already seen with his own eyes a surviving bishop from the North Sea, a survivor of the past war?
However, this situation was different. The North Sea's bishop was simply a hastily inserted figure to fill the serious gap left by the bishops of that time. Under normal circumstances, he couldn't dare claim the title of bishop.
But...
'Heavenly Executioner.'
That guy was too different, even in different circumstances.
He was particularly notorious among the terrifying bishops of the past. Such a figure was still alive. And yet, he hadn't ascended to the position of Archbishop.
The significance of that fact was immense.
"I can assure you."
As soon as those words were uttered, everyone stared at Chung Myung with tense faces.
"If the Demonic Cult invades the Central Plains again this time, their power will undoubtedly be formidable, no less than in the past."
Throughout the speech, there was a tingling sensation on the tip of his tongue. Even for Chung Myung, bringing up these words was not an easy task. No, just not long ago, he wouldn't have mustered the courage to say these words in front of them.
While a suitable adversary could stir up a competitive spirit, an overwhelmingly powerful enemy could even erode the remaining will to fight.
Chung Myung had avoided mentioning the Demonic Sect as much as possible, not just to conceal his identity but because they were not ready to accept the existence of the Demonic Sect.
But now, it was unavoidable.
Having seen and felt with their own eyes, and with their end drawing near, they needed to know the truth. How massive and powerful was the enemy they were about to face?
The moment of truth had arrived.
'If there's any hope...'
It was that moment.
"There's something I want to check."
Chung Myung's gaze turned to the side. It was none other than Baek Cheon who had opened his mouth through the heavy atmosphere.
"According to what you said, and as they mentioned... Wasn't more than half of the Demonic Sect's power in the past due to the existence of that Heavenly Demon?"
"...That's right."
Baek Cheon furrowed his brows and asked, "So, when you say the Demonic Sect will be no less than in the past, you mean under the assumption that the Heavenly Demon returns with the same power as before? Right?"
Chung Myung nodded slowly.
"Are you sure?"
"..."
"Is it really that if the Heavenly Demon resurrects, it will come back with the same power as before? No... resurrection itself is absurd, but it's even stranger to resurrect with that power intact."
In response to Baek Cheon's question, everyone nodded with faces showing realization.
Perhaps the most important thing in this discussion was the Heavenly Demon. Paradoxically, they had missed something crucial because they knew too little about the Heavenly Demon.
However, Chung Myung's answer was somewhat different from their expectations.
"I don't know."
"What?"
"I don't know either."
Chung Myung said firmly with a calm expression.
"I don't know how he resurrects. So, I can't predict. Whether he needs time to regain that power after resurrection, or if, as soon as he resurrects, he becomes a being worthy of the name 'Heavenly Demon.'"
"..."
"One thing is certain. Regardless of how he resurrects... if he is given time, the result will be the same."
Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword Chung Myung. At the same time, Plum Blossom Sword Saint Chung Myung.
As it were fate, words flowed from his mouth as he lived two lives with two identities.
"If we can't stop the Heavenly Demon and the Demonic Sect, what we witnessed in Hangzhou will be replayed throughout the entire Central Plains. No, perhaps beyond the Central Plains and into the world."
Perhaps a prophecy. Simultaneously, a curse.
"Destruction is coming."
The unavoidable reality flowed from Chung Myung's lips.
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