ALL NOVEL Ch 30
Cho Hwi’s heart was filled with mixed emotions as he moved along with the long procession of demonic cultists toward the Heavenly Demon Fortress.
He had clung to a sliver of hope, waiting persistently, but even after nearly a month since the Celestial Bloodstone had turned into blue jade, he had yet to hear a word from his ancestors.
“Could it be… that my bond with the ancestors is truly over?”
He couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
He missed the constant nagging of the Sword God.
He also missed the gentle voice of Man Sangjo, who had always exuded wisdom and dignity, and even the strict admonishments of Elder Jo Maengdeok.
What about the others?
He still hadn’t figured out the identities of all the elders…
“Brother… no, Lord. We’ve finally arrived!”
Sao Hyang pointed ahead.
In the distance, a massive fortress stood.
The **Heavenly Demon Fortress**.
Before its overwhelming presence, Cho Hwi was at a loss for words.
The massive iron gates—could they even be called gates? How would they even be opened or closed?
The giant iron gates blocking the entire gorge were intimidating, radiating an air of menace that made anyone shudder.
Cho Hwi finally understood why the people of Zhongyuan called it the “Heavenly Demon Fortress” rather than the “Heavenly Demon Sect.”
Through the gaping gaps of the iron doors, countless demonic cultists were constantly pouring in.
Muttering under their breath, they chanted spells in excitement as they entered.
The sheer momentum of the massive crowd overwhelmed Cho Hwi.
**A hundred thousand cultists?**
No, that assessment was far too modest. The people of Zhongyuan had drastically underestimated the number of demonic cultists.
As they advanced, a giant altar appeared in the distance, visible through the cracks in the gates.
On the top of the endless stairway, a group of people were calmly watching the devotees.
Even from such a distance, their presence was overwhelmingly powerful.
Among them, in the center, stood a person.
A man wearing a coronet encrusted with colorful jewels.
His black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and he was an extraordinarily handsome man.
Cho Hwi instinctively knew that he was the one with the highest authority among all the demonic cultists.
“…The Heavenly Demon?”
Sao Hyang, who had noticed Cho Hwi’s gaze, smiled softly.
“It’s the **Divine Lady**.”
“Divine Lady? A woman?”
Perhaps it was the intricate patterns painted on her face that confused him.
Her aura seemed masculine, yet she was a woman?
Cho Hwi once again calmly focused on the altar.
As they passed through the massive iron gates, Cho Hwi felt an overwhelming sense of pressure, as though he was suffocating.
It wasn’t just the aura of martial artists or the demonic energy of the cultists that caused this.
It was the pure pressure that emanated from the immense crowd, the tidal wave of people!
In the center of the Heavenly Demon Fortress was a massive altar, and in front of it, an astonishingly wide plaza was filled with an overwhelming number of people.
There was no room to step; the crowd of hundreds of thousands was packed tightly together.
Cho Hwi had never witnessed such a massive human tide in his life.
Yet, the iron gates still showed no sign of closing.
From Yumi Li Hapgok (柳迷理合谷) to the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Fortress, it was a distance of thirty miles.
Yet, the long procession still showed no signs of stopping.
‘Truly, the thousand-year-old demon cult…’
Unlike the heretic sects, the roots of the demonic cult were deep.
If one group has maintained its culture for a thousand years, what kind of power must they have drawn from their long tradition and history?
What Cho Hwi was witnessing now was only the tip of the iceberg.
The gazes of the demonic cultists were all turned toward the altar.
Their eyes burned with desire.
They chanted incantations, wept in prayer, and tore at their flesh, offering their blood in repentance.
The insanity of their actions made Cho Hwi feel a heavy pressure on his chest.
What must it feel like to bear the blind faith of such a massive group, to receive all their fervent wishes?
Was the Heavenly Demon truly a god-like being, the one who could fulfill all their desires?
At the far end, standing on the towering stairway, were those representing the Heavenly Demon’s authority.
Among them, the **Divine Lady**, who stood out with the most imposing presence, caught Cho Hwi’s attention.
From afar, it was difficult to discern her true form, and she appeared more masculine, possibly due to the grand coronet and flowing ceremonial robes that made her seem larger than life.
But as he observed closely, he could see that she was indeed a woman.
‘The Divine Lady…’