"…Ten times?"
Five Swords's expression hardened seriously.
They already suspected that the forces they encountered this time were not the main body of the demonic cult. Even without considering others, the mere presence of the Heaven Killer was enough to make a solid guess.
'But…'
Baek Cheon glanced at Chung Myung, his eyes filled with despair.
Even with only the demonic cult members present, the elites of the Ten Thousand People Clan and the Black Ghost Fort were in danger. But what if Dan Ja-Kang had withdrawn the cultists and, instead of taking the front line, had waited leisurely?
Perhaps everyone who entered Hangzhou would have met their end there.
'But ten times that force?'
It was truly an absurd statement.
Hyun Jong, perhaps feeling the same as Five Swords, shook his head repeatedly.
"…It's beyond what I imagined. No… To be honest, it's hard to believe all this."
His voice conveyed childish bewilderment and frustration to everyone.
"Of course, the Demonic Cult… was the force that once drove the murim world to the brink of destruction. But… it's been a full hundred years since then…"
"That's why."
Chung Myung replied calmly. When Hyun Jong looked at him as if asking for clarification, he elaborated.
"Taking that into account, it's about ten times. If it were any less, it wouldn't stop at just ten times."
Hyun Jong still looked doubtful. However, in Chung Myung's eyes, there was no trace of wavering. Seeing that confident expression, Hyun Jong had no choice but to believe him. Whenever that boy spoke with such certainty, there was always a solid basis behind it.
"Could you explain the reason a bit?"
"It's simple. Because of the high priest."
"High priest?"
"Yes."
Chung Myung nodded and continued.
"The high priest we faced was young. That means the Demonic Cult, driven out of the Central Plains, is currently expanding its followers and creating new forces in some way."
He glanced around at those seated nearby and said,
"And that means… there could be many more like that young high priest in the Demonic Cult now."
Silence fell.
Im So-Byeong, pressing his cheek with a fan, raised a hand.
"No. Wait a moment, Taoist."
His brows furrowed.
"Of course, it's possible. We've only seen two high priests so far. There could be many others. But simply estimating it that way is…"
"The Demonic Cult has seventeen sub-cults in total."
Im So-Byeong sealed his lips tightly.
He had heard this before. In the past, the Heavenly Demon led the Demonic Cult, which consisted of seventeen districts, to invade the Central Plains.
"And each sub-cult is led by a high priest. In other words, a proper Demonic Cult has seventeen high priests."
"Seventeen…"
At that moment, Baek Cheon felt chills run down his spine.
The image of Dan Ja-Kang, who emitted demonic qi like a storm, flashed through his mind—a terrifying incarnation of fear. The formidable figure who overwhelmed even the mighty Desolate Gold Elder, Jang Ilso, and Chung Myung.
'That guy… seventeen of them?'
His fingertips trembled.
In the suffocating silence, Chung Myung's eyes darkened.
Generally, the number of high priests is known to be about ten. But that was because the Demonic Cult could not replenish the high priests who died in the war where they poured all their strength, so only an approximate number was known.
If the Demonic Cult had proper strength, the number of high priests would be seventeen. Moreover, if those who do not lead a sub-cult but serve only the Heavenly Demon in the most honorable position are also called high priests, the number should be even higher.
"Hmm. But Mount Hua's Sword Saint."
Tang Gunak also spoke with a stern face, as if objecting.
"The current Demonic Cult is different from the past. Weren't they driven out of the Central Plains? It's hard to say they've recovered their strength again…"
"Then what about before?"
"…What do you mean?"
"Did the Demonic Cult grow in the Central Plains before?"
Tang Gunak fell silent. It was such obvious logic, but he had never really considered it until now.
Chung Myung said, as if to show him,
"The previous Demonic Cult also grew its power outside the Central Plains. Yet, centered on the Heavenly Demon, it fully prepared and invaded the Central Plains. Is there any guarantee it would be different this time?"
"…There isn't."
When Tang Gunak admitted this, Chung Myung nodded.
"They are now growing their strength to invade the Central Plains again. So above all, they are putting all their effort into raising proper high priests. One high priest exerts more overwhelming power than clumsily raising a thousand followers."
In the murim world, increasing the number of absolute masters even by one is far more important than simply increasing numbers.
"And they have had a hundred years."
Chung Myung's gaze grew colder.
"While the Central Plains forgot the past and indulged in peace, they licked their wounds, waiting for the day to take revenge on the Central Plains. For a full hundred years."
"…"
"But is it really possible that the only newly raised high priest is just that one? Surely not?"
Tang Gunak sighed deeply.
Raising an absolute warrior is never easy. No matter how much effort a sect puts in, if they can raise even one per generation, it can be considered a success.
But… if given a hundred years?
If those defeated in the Central Plains had poured all their strength into nurturing successors from that moment until now? If the Demonic Cult, which as a single sect drove the entire Central Plains to the brink of destruction, had been sharpening themselves for a hundred years?
'…I can't even say it's impossible.'
Understanding the situation, Tang Gunak looked at Chung Myung with a stern face.
"Then you think… the Demonic Cult has fully recovered its strength?"
"To be honest…"
Chung Myung paused, pondered for a moment, then spoke again.
"In terms of numbers, I think they haven't reached the past level. The number of high priests is probably about ten at most now. That's the optimistic view."
Everyone nodded.
Having ten like Dan Ja-Kang is chilling enough, but compared to seventeen, it's a more realistic number.
"The problem is the quality of the high priests."
"Hmm?"
"The high priests who survived when the Heavenly Demon died are still in the Demonic Cult. Do you understand what that means?"
"…The high priests from that time are alive? Then how old are they?"
Unconcealable horror bloomed in Tang Gunak's eyes.
"That's not what's important. What's important is that they have become stronger than before."
The body naturally deteriorates with age.
Even martial artists who defy the natural order cannot avoid this. But inner strength only accumulates over time. If the powerful warriors who drove the martial world to the brink of destruction continued training for a hundred years, no one could guess their current level.
"That young high priest was called the Second High Priest."
"…So there is also an Arch High Priest above him. That means at least two high priests have survived from the past until now?"
"Yes. At the very least."
Chung Myung bit his lip slightly.
"Just their existence alone means the total strength of the high priests, including those from the past, has become stronger than before."
Everyone fell silent. Chung Myung understood this silence.
Who would have imagined that someone survived for such a long time?
When Chung Myung died, Tang Jo-pyung was just a child, but now he has become the eldest of the Tang family, with only a little time left before his death.
But to think that the high priests who were not young even then are still alive…
Of course, it's not entirely impossible. Didn't Chung Myung see with his own eyes the high priest of the North Sea who survived the past war?
But this case is different. The North Sea high priest was just a rookie inserted clumsily to fill the serious high priest vacancy at the time. Under normal circumstances, neither his age nor his martial skill would allow him to call himself a high priest.
But…
'Heaven Killer.'
That guy is a completely different case.
He was notoriously infamous even among those terrifying high priests of the past. That guy is still alive. And yet, he has not risen to the position of Arch High Priest.
That fact meant a great deal.
"I declare with certainty."
The moment those words came out, everyone looked at Chung Myung with tense faces.
"If the Demonic Cult invades the Central Plains again this time, their power will be no less than in the past."
His tongue felt bitter as he spoke the truth. Even Chung Myung found it hard to say this. No, not long ago, he wouldn't have dared to say this in front of them.
A moderate enemy fuels ambition, but a despairingly huge enemy even crushes the remaining will.
Chung Myung avoided mentioning the demonic cult as much as possible not only to hide his identity but also because they were not ready to accept the existence of the Demonic Cult.
But now, he could no longer avoid it.
Having seen with his own eyes and felt it on his skin, and being certain that their outbreak is imminent, now they must know the truth.
How huge and strong the enemy they must fight is.
'If there is hope…'
It was at that very moment.
"There is something I want to confirm."
Chung Myung's gaze turned aside. Breaking the heavy atmosphere, it was none other than Baek Cheon who spoke.
Meeting Chung Myung's gaze directly, he bit his lip slightly and said,
"According to what you said, and as they mentioned… wasn't more than half of the past Demonic Cult's strength due to the Heavenly Demon?"
"…That's probably true."
Baek Cheon frowned and asked,
"Then your claim that the Demonic Cult is no less than before assumes that the Heavenly Demon returns with the same power as before, right?"
Chung Myung slowly nodded.
"Are you sure?"
"…"
"Does the Heavenly Demon really resurrect with the same power as before? No… resurrection itself is an absurd concept, but to resurrect with full power is even stranger."
Everyone nodded with sudden realization at Baek Cheon's question.
Perhaps the most important topic in this discussion is the Heavenly Demon. Yet ironically, they knew so little about it that they overlooked it.
But Chung Myung's answer was a bit different from their expectations.
"I don't know."
"…What?"
"I don't know either."
Chung Myung said firmly with a cold face.
"I don't know how he resurrects. So I can't predict it for certain. Whether he needs time after resurrection to regain his power, or if he becomes a true 'Heavenly Demon' the moment he resurrects."
"…"
"There is only one certainty. No matter how he resurrects… if he is given time, the result will be the same."
Mount Hua's Sword Saint Chung Myung—at the same time, Plum Blossom Sword Saint Chung Myung.
From his mouth came words like an unavoidable fate, having lived two lives with two identities.
"If we cannot stop the Heavenly Demon and the Demonic Cult, what we saw in Hangzhou will be reproduced throughout the entire Central Plains. No, perhaps beyond the Central Plains to the whole world…"
Perhaps a prophecy. At the same time, a curse.
"Destruction will come."
An unavoidable reality flowed from Chung Myung's mouth.