Hundreds of thousands of mortals fought a
brutal battle upon a field which once was green and full of life but
now was reduced to a hellscape of blood and mud. The clanging of weapons
and armors intertwined with the screams of the injured and the dying. As nauseating as the sight was, the smell was worse. A
mixture of every awful smell produced by man, alive or dead, blanketed
the entire region.
Baz sat on nearby mountaintop, drinking a cup of tea as
he watched the ocean of mortals desperately fighting the war he had
started. The pressure from his powerful True Spirit, of a nascent
cosmos, kept the foul stench far away from him.
Farther down the mountain was a command center where the
generals and leaders of the cult’s armies monitored the battle, and sent
their orders to the legions below.
Far in the distance stood another mountain where the upper echelon of the southern alliance did the same.
Decades of living as a god atop a mountain had caused a
monumental shift in Baz’ perspective, on just about everything. While a
lingering feeling of sympathy still persisted, he looked upon the dying
mortals with apathy in his heart. He had been through too much, lost too
much—both externally and of himself, to feel much of anything. At this point, after half a century of fighting and
struggling in this world, Baz only truly cared for individuals, the cult at large, and for
his own goals, his purpose.
He took a sip of his tea as Demonic King Haru approached from behind.
“I greet the Demon Lord,” she said with a respectful bow.
Baz responded without turning his gaze away from the battle. “What’s on your mind, Haru?”
There was a momentary hesitation before she spoke her
mind. “Some of the generals are curious about the shift in strategy.
With the success of our blitz in the North, they feel that the same
strategy would be effective here as well. Even with the greater number
of Masters gathered in this alliance of theirs, with the power of the
Heavenly Demon, they are confident of our victory. May I ask, why
sacrifice so many of our mortal soldiers?”
Baz took another sip of his tea and felt no rush to
answer but rather did so in his own time. “Our blitz was effective, yes,
but we will soon face the Great Martial Alliance, and the Lumerian
Kingdom beyond that. War at such a large scale requires more of us than
pressuring individuals or singular Groups. Our mortal forces are
plentiful, but they are weak. We must improve more than the individual
power of our upper echelon or we will never stand a chance in the
greater wars to come.” He took another sip of his tea. “The border we
share with the alliance is vast, without traditional warfare we would
lose territories and momentum as they send their forces into our lands.
There is still time before then, but we must make use of that time to
separate the wheat from the chaff and level up our mortal armies.
Likewise, our tacticians need to build up their own experience in
commanding mortal armies in extended battles.”
Compared to her level of power, Haru was still very
young. As a native of the Red Sea, she also wasn’t very experienced in
the ways and customs of high leveled society. Beyond that, she was also a
demonic cultivator. Though she was over fifty years old at this point,
cultivation and the cult was all she had truly known. The world of System path
leveling was never one she was particularly familiar with. The same was true for the
intricacies of the greater world.
“And, if I may ask, what of our enemies?” she asked,
frowning with genuine curiosity. “Why is it that none of them engage in
similar blitz strategies? Surely if a Grandmaster and almost 40 Masters
rushed at our camp, we would struggle to defend ourselves. And yet, none
of them has even attempted it.”
A slight smile flashed across Baz’ face. “I once asked a
wise man the very same thing. He told me something along the lines of,
‘Once these old Masters reach their limits, real or perceived, there are
only two things that matter to them, their lives and their reputation.’
It’s difficult for us cultivators to truly understand, as we’ve reached
our current levels of power within a mortal lifetime. Those Masters and
Grandmasters have spent many centuries leveling up to reach their
current levels. They are, as a general rule, cowards. There is nothing
they fear more than death, and they will try to avoid it at all costs.
As much as we’ve threatened or even hurt their reputation which has forced them
to act, they still don’t want to risk their own lives by engaging us
directly, not unless they are left with no other choice.”
The Demonic King scrunched her face in confusion.
“They’re just... cowards? I thought there was some strategy behind it or…
something, some plan or reason. But they just fear death?” She couldn’t
hide her contempt. The demons of the cult, especially the first
generations, were raised in the wastelands of the Red Sea, where life
and death was a daily struggle. Even as powerful demonic cultivators,
they still held little to no fear of death. Power was all that mattered,
power and the success of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. If their
deaths were necessary, none of them would hesitate to sacrifice
themselves.
“Yes and no,” Baz said. “Cowardice is certainly the
biggest factor, although there are others. It’s also just a matter of
culture. Since they have lived for so long, traditions have become
deeply ingrained in their way of life. There is a standard protocol for
war. First mortals, then elites—those between Second-rate and below
Expert, and then finally the highest leveled. It’s an unwritten law
which all these old monsters follow. Their pride wouldn’t accept the
blow to their reputation if they did something as uncouth as bullying
the weak.”
“How strange.” Haru shook her head. “Results are all that
matter, but I suppose leveling up our mortal forces and training our
commanders is a good result as well.”
Baz returned to his tea as Demonic King Haru returned to the command center.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult vastly
overwhelmed the southern alliance of Groups when it came to mortal
forces. The cult’s armies was essentially endless. While the Red Sea was
fairly sparsely populated in terms of those of higher levels, there was
a truly staggering number of mortals. And with the sheer size of the
territory now under the cult’s control, there was a nearly limitless
supply of mortals to enlist.
The cult used the southern alliance’s resistance to send
wave after wave of mortals to level them up, and for the generals to
improve their tactics.
It was cruel, but highly effective.
Since the cult was in no real rush, they continued their
waves of attacks until their enemy could no longer persist. It took the
southern alliance almost half a year before they finally decided enough
was enough, and they took the war to the next stage.
They had continuously lost during the entire war but
still used the time spent on it to prop up their own reputation. "Where
the demonic cult had conquered Group after Group in the North, the South held
on," they said.
It was a transparent attempt, but it mattered to them, for reasons no one in the cult could truly understand.
When it came to elite soldiers, those Second-rate and
above, the cult also outnumbered the southern alliance quite severely.
Even just the cult’s demonic cultivators could stand against the
alliance’s numbers, even if they were slightly outnumbered. With the
added forces of all the Groups that had joined the cult, however, they
outnumbered the alliance five to one.
While elite soldiers weren’t as expendable as mortals,
the cult still continued with the same strategy of using the war to
level its soldiers.
The sounds of the battle evolved as the levels of the soldiers increased.
Explosions shook the land and projectiles of essence whistled as they cut through the air.
Although the elite soldiers on each
side were counted in the tens of thousands, the battle changed significantly from how the mortal armies fought. Battles
were more intimate, in spite of the more ranged attacks. Rather than
dense crowds fighting en masse, there were now scattered groups engaged
in more skilled combat.
It made for better entertainment as Baz cultivated atop the mountain.
Primarily, it was the forces from the conquered Groups
that faced the southern alliance’s armies. It served several purposes.
The cult’s leadership decided to give the demonic cultivators a well
deserved break from several years of constant warfare. As newly inducted
members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the conquered forces would
also gain a sense of camaraderie as they fought side by side. Lastly,
the cult’s leadership learned from the more experienced Peak and Master
practitioners. The cult’s leaders had mainly dealt with smaller battles
against the gangs of the Red Sea or conducted blitz warfare against
single Groups, and so this was an excellent opportunity to train in the
tactical and strategic aspects of warfare on a larger scale.
After a few months of clashes between the elite armies,
the cult decided it was time for their demonic cultivators to take over.
With every year that had passed since the beginning of their campaign,
the cult’s internal forces of demonic cultivators had grown, both in
terms of numbers and power.
The System path practitioners from the conquered Groups pulled back as the demonic cultivators took their place.
It changed the battle almost as dramatically as the
change from the mortal armies. The demonic cultivators of the cult were
aggressive, aggressive. When they entered combat, they almost
went berserk as their impure demonic essence rushed through their
meridian systems.
All of them wielded various forms of the Techniques
developed and taught within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Most of them
used the [Demonic Martial Form], some used the more advanced [Eight
Paths Demonic Sword Art], but others used Techniques and Martial Arts
for axes or fists. Many even used magic or set up simple formations in
the heat of combat.
Their aggressive attacks were unlike any that the enemy had every faced.
Beyond their berserk aggression, the sheer might of their
physical cultivation let them fight above their weight class. Within a
week of the demonic cultivators’ attacks, the upper echelon of the
southern alliance had to step up to save their disciples from
extermination.
A Master Practitioner from a mid-sized
Group was the first. He couldn’t stand the sight of his sect’s disciples being slaughtered
by demonic cultivators, and so he launched into the skies above the
battlefield.
A group of Peak Practitioners followed him, pouncing onto the battlefield.
Several flat discs of crackling energy emerged behind the
Master with flat side pointed toward the legions below. They spun rapidly, energy coursing through them. He extended his
hand toward the cult’s legions, and the energy discs behind him flared
up and spun faster and faster with every moment. “Die, demons!” he shouted with
rage and indignation in his voice.
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SWISH - THUD
The energy discs quickly faded and vanished, as if they never existed in the first place.
Their creator, the sect master of a powerful sect with a
long history, looked down and stared at the Demonic Essence Sword lodged
in his heart. Absolute shock and despair was the last thing the Master
Practitioner felt before his death. Both the Master and the group of
Peak Practitioners who followed him into battle collapsed and fell into
the wet mud.
Both sides of the war ground to a halt.
To witness the death of a Master was rare enough, to see it happen so quickly and with such ease was stupefying.
It was a common reality for lower leveled practitioners
to never even see the Masters of their sects, or whatever other Groups
they belonged to. They were lofty beings who could spend centuries
living in seclusion from worldly affairs, only ever stepping out in
times of need. Even among those who were active, they rarely interacted
with the lower-leveled.
Now, one had made a dramatic appearance, only to be felled like a bug.
Baz remained seated on his mountaintop, with a cup of tea in his hand.
He had sent a volley of his [Demonic Essence Sword]
Technique from a distance which would have been beyond his reach if not
for the improvement of his soul cultivation. They had caught the enemy
Master and Peak Practitioners off guard and killed them instantly.
He wasn’t the only one who reacted when the enemy Masters moved.
Haru and the other Demonic Kings, as well as several of
the Masters who joined the cult from the northern Groups, dashed out of
the command center just in time to witness the spectacle.
Baz looked down on his most powerful followers, and he gave a simple command, “Go.”
Without a moment of hesitation, the Demonic Kings
launched like missiles toward the enemy camp. The other Masters quickly
followed.
The sudden escalation caused the alliance’s Masters to
rush out as well. Not only was the death of one of their own a massive
hit, they also couldn’t allow the cult’s Masters to move without a quick
answer. Out of all of them, the only one not to move was Grandmaster
Hae Taeyoung. He stepped out from their camp and focused all of his
attention on the Heavenly Demon atop the mountain on the other side.
Haru and the other Demonic Kings led the attack and tore
into the Masters of the southern alliance. With half of them being Mid
stage [Nascent Soul] demonic cultivators, only high Masters could resist
them. Among the almost 40 Masters of southern alliance, there were only
two high Masters. Demonic Kings Haru and Shik faced one of them each.
The elite armies on the battlefield had to retreat with
haste lest they be caught by stray impacts and the shock waves of
powerful clashes.
Blasts large enough to break apart mountains and reshape
the landscape flooded the region. At the speeds at which Masters could
generally move, their fights weren’t contained to the battlefield but
rather spread far and wide across the region.
The heavens ruptured and the earth shook from the terrifying battles.
The Demonic Kings of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were by far the most aggressive out of all of them.
The other Masters were all accustomed to a more retrained
form of battle. Unlike the Demonic Kings, they had all spent centuries
climbing to their current levels and desperately wanted to avoid pushing
themselves and their opponents too far and risk death. A worry the
Demonic Kings did not share.
Haru had not fully mastered the fleeting aspect of the
[Fleeting Cloud Step] yet, but through the use of the powerful pressure
of her Soul Seed, she had reached the initial stages. She could take
steps mid-air, just not to the same degree of ease and fluidity as Baz,
and she dashed around her opponent.
They fought across the sky.
Enormous blasts of essence from Haru’s Fist Techniques
had the high Master she was facing on the defense. The old Master was
high leveled enough that he was technically superior to Haru, but he
struggled to deal with her onslaught.
The same applied to Shik.
He sent sword strike after sword strike against the high
Master he faced. She was powerful but too ancient to truly push herself
to her limits. It was all she could do to hold on against the young,
energetic swordsman.
As the many Masters on each side
continued their earth shattering battles, Baz and the leader of the
southern alliance stared at each other from their respective mountains.
The distance was vast, but at their levels they could
sense each other clearly. Though most of what they sensed were each
other’s attention, their intent.
When Baz stood up, the alliance leader readied himself.
Explosions rocked the skies all around them as the two of them stared each other down, utterly unconcerned about anything else.
After a short stare down, as if of one mind, they both projected their presences.
Baz pushed forth the immense weight of the nascent cosmos
within his True Spirit while Alliance Leader Hae Taeyoung activated his
[Stalwart Domain]. The Domain clashed with Baz’ aura in the middle of
the battlefield like two worlds crashing into one another, neither yielding to the other.
Everyone, even the Demonic Kings, halted their own fights
in shock, regardless of how far away their fights had reached. In the
presence of such a clash of powers, there simply wasn’t a place left for
them and their battles.
Those unfortunate enough to be caught by either, let
alone the clash of both, struggled to flee while those who were outside
of the range of the two auras kept their distance so as to not get
caught up.
All of them, however, remained close enough to bear witness. A fight between such powerhouses was rare, even across centuries.
Baz’ gravity weighed extremely heavy on all things within its vast range.
Trees were crushed and flattened against the ground. The
wet mud of the battlefield condensed and compacted into a flat, hard
surface, the moisture within couldn’t penetrate the surface and lay
spread out in a thin layer across the entire field. The previously
uneven land of the field turned slick like a mirror under the extreme pressure.
A small unit of Second-rate soldiers hadn’t yet been able
to retreat far enough. They were in the very back of the cult’s legions
receding from the battle, and were flattened in an instant. Even the
Masters, and especially Peak Practitioners, who still remained were
forced onto the ground, some struggling just to stay alive. Only the
stronger Masters and the Demonic Kings within range managed to stay on
their feet.
The other side was the territory of the alliance leader’s [Stalwart Domain].
It was far less destructive, yet no one within its range
could escape its might. Nature and the landscape around the battlefield
remained unaffected but the high leveled practitioners subjected to it
all felt their very souls acknowledge the presence of a superior being.
Those lower leveled of the southern alliance collapsed to their knees,
unable to bear their own weight while under the effect of the [Stalwart
Domain].
Alliance Leader Hae Taeyoung moved with the speed and precision of a high-powered machine.
In a fraction of a second—he stepped forward, drew his
sword, and followed through with a rising vertical cut that split the
battlefield in two.
It reached Baz’ mountain in the blink of an eye.
He slapped the air in front of him, and a massive [Demon
God’s Extermination Palm] slammed into the attack, redirecting it to
strike the mountain far to the side of its target. The entire side of
the mountain broke apart.
Baz didn’t flinch.
He drew his own sword and with a downward swing of his
[Unyielding Sword of the Demon God] returned an invisible attack. Just
like the Alliance Leader’s attack, it split the battlefield in two.
Unlike the large gorge caused by the Grandmaster’s slice, however, Baz’ swing was a clean cut.
The old Grandmaster dashed forward and with brute force
broke right through the invisible cut which sought to sever him and the
mountain upon which he stood in half. As Baz jumped to meet him in the
skies above the battlefield, he used pure force rather than his
[Heavenly Demon Cosmic Steps].
BOOM
A crater was left behind on the side of the mountain.
Their respective Domain and aura clashed even more
violently the closer they got to one another. Moments after they each
leaped into the sky, the air crackled and twisted. The weight of Baz’
True Spirit struggled fiercely against the Grandmaster’s [Stalwart
Domain].
Ultimately, Baz’ True Spirit lost.
It was slight, but the constant, powerful effect of the
[System]-controlled Domain seeped through the force exerted from Baz’
nascent cosmos. It gradually broke through and began effecting Baz,
slowing his movements.
When they finally collided, the entire battlefield broke
apart, in spite of Baz’ gravity trying its best to push everything down.
They separated, both remaining in the skies.
The Grandmaster activated a horizontal Sword Skill. From
the path of his sword emerged a phoenix of powerful essence. It flew
toward Baz at an incomprehensible speed, and with every flap of its
wings, the phoenix grew larger.
Baz had to use his [Heavenly Demon Cosmic Steps] to dodge
under the debuff of the [Stalwart Domain]. His powerful physical
cultivation made its effects weaker than they should have been, but he
still felt its impact.
As the phoenix flew past the spot where Baz used to be,
it flapped again and continued toward Baz’ mountain and tore through it
like it was wet paper.
Baz stepped out of his compressed space, and he launched a
series of thrusts which took the form of several serpent dragons that
raged toward the alliance leader.
Two were blocked and the rest dodged.
The impacts of their fight reshaped the landscape of the region.
Haru, the other Demonic Kings, and the Masters had moved
back even farther. They all stood by and watched the devastation, mesmerized by the display of power on both sides.
Once the leaders began their fights, nothing else mattered.
The Grandmaster activated Skill after Skill, with no
sign of the mechanical inefficiencies commonly found with System path
practitioners. Streams of essence flowed seamlessly and effortlessly
from each swing of his sword.
Baz wielded his [Unyielding Sword of the Demon God]
beyond his limits to defend against the attacks, but it was impossible
to block them all.
He dodged an attack in the form of a flock of small
birds, only for them to gather together behind him and transform into a giant
roc. His attempt to dash away with his [Heavenly Demon Cosmic Steps]
failed as the giant roc slashed his back with its talons. A large gash
tore up his back, but his powerful physique held him together. Without [Steel Hide], the upgraded version of his [Stone Skin] Technique from the original [Earthen Cultivation Art]
manual, he would likely have been cut in half.
What would have been a fatal injury was instead only a small hindrance.
His broken spine fused back together in moments from a
powerful push of essence through his meridian system. In one fell swoop,
Baz destroyed the giant roc and stepped through space itself to appear
behind the Grandmaster where he launched a series of increasingly sharp
attacks.
Some pierced through the alliance leader’s defenses to leave shallow wounds on his body.
Most, however, were blocked. Baz just couldn’t exert as
much power in his attacks as he needed to get through the Grandmaster’s
defense.
Baz’ True Spirit fought back against the [Stalwart
Domain], the constant pressure forced his nascent cosmos to develop
quickly. The rate at which the infinite essence within his nascent
cosmos developed and formed celestial bodies, exploded.
The boundaries of his True Spirit expanded rapidly.
The pressure of a life and death situation, a fight where
your very survival was at stake, was always the greatest catalyst for
improvement.
Baz’ True Spirit grew to the point where it could no
longer remain in a seated lotus position within him. It spread out its
arms and legs to match Baz’ physical body. It was still too small to
fully match his true size, but soon it would be a perfect copy which
encapsulated his entire being.
Minor stage increased
With every exchange, Baz closed the gap with his opponent.
His attacks began to break through and cause damage. It emboldened him.
Despite the fact that his essence didn’t share the same
impurities that caused the other demonic cultivators to go berserk, he
fought with an aggression the old Grandmaster couldn’t hope to match. It
was unheard of to fight with such fierce recklessness. Baz didn’t care
about such conventions, he fought with everything he had.
An essence phoenix sought to rip him apart, but Baz
lifted his left arm with an intensely focused [Steel Hide] active to
block. The phoenix’s talon broke through all the way to the bone.
Baz’ arm cracked, but it held.
In the infinitesimally small gap left during the
Grandmaster’s attack, Baz struck with a dense, upgraded version of the
first original he ever personally created, [Crescent Cloud Slash]. His new
[Crescent Demonic Slash] tore through the Grandmaster’s defenses and
left a large diagonal gash across his chest.
In the same instant, Baz used his [Heavenly Demon Cosmic
Steps] to reach his opponent’s back and stabbed with every ounce of
strength he had left to pierce the old monster’s heart through his back.
His essence and intent ravaged through the Grandmaster’s body and reached deep into his spirit body.
After a single final cough, the leader of the southern
alliance died and fell from the heavens. With a thud, he joined the
crushed remains of so many fallen soldiers on what was left of the
battlefield.
The Demonic Kings and the rest of the Heavenly Demon
Divine Cult’s Masters erupted into cheers as the enemy Masters
surrendered in despair.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Demon himself stood alone in the sky. With this, the cult controlled the entire region.
The first step of the campaign was now complete, and it was finally time begin preparations to face the Great Martial Alliance.
Timeline:
Year
0
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is founded.
Cave of Latent Demons is created.
Haru, Chul, and the other first generation demons begin cultivating.
Year
0, m 6
Haru and Chul break through to Essence Consolidation
Year
0, m 7
Third demonic cultivator breaks through to Essence Consolidation and dies
Year
0, m 7–9
The remaining 3 reach Essence Consolidation
Year
1
Second generation, over 50 new candidates, begin cultivating
Year
2
Third generation, closer to a hundred candidates, begin cultivating
Year
3
Fourth generation, around 100.
Year
4
Fifth generation, around 100.
Year
5
Sixth generation, around 100.
Demonic mania is discovered.
Aberrant Demon Path is developed
Secondary training area opens for those training the Aberrant Demon Path
Year
6
Haru wins the first graduation tournament
First generation graduates, including Haru, Chul, and Shik
Seventh generation, around 100
Year
7
Second generation graduates, Jum wins the second graduation tournament
Year
7–8
Jum and a few other demonic cultivators reach out to Víctor about magic
Year
8
Third generation graduates, including Joon
Year
9
Baz enters isolated cultivation
Year
10
Baz breaks through to Nascent Soul, about 22–23 years after he was summoned and began cultivating
Year
11
Construction of Demonic Citadel begins
Jeoksa Jaemin arrives and a deal is struck regarding his 2-year-old son
Víctor's magic academy rivals the Cave of Latent Demons in terms of recruitment and graduates
Jum develops Formation Arts
Jum is promoted to Demonic General, third after Haru and Chul (Education Hall Master)
Jum is given the title of Formation Hall Master
Year
11–12
Jeoksa Jaemin holds up his end of the bargain and sends countless resources
Year
12
Demonic Martial Form is developed and spread throughout the cult
The Cave of Latent Demons extends its curriculum, disciples now stay there for 8 years
All demonic cultivators work on developing new Techniques
Whispering Reaper Guild attacks
Marion is killed
Sebastian has an epiphany and his Akashic Connection Talent is upgraded to Akashic Incarnation
Sebastian accepts his place and identity, he becomes Baz, the demon god.
The Unyielding Sword of the Demon God is developed
Mujin is named the capital of the cult and a restructure is begun
Baz bestows new titles for everyone.
Víctor reaches level 50
The training at the Cave of Latent Demons is extended to 10 years
The new city, Muwon, is announced, though the name is not revealed until later
From this moment onward, the cult exclusively recruits sproutlings to the Cave of Latent Demons
Víctor endures his Major Accomplishment Tribulation
Year
16
The construction of the Demonic Citadel and the entire Mansan mountains has reached a point of minor completion
The Grand Demonic Mist Formation is completed and deployed
Year
17
Demonic General Joon and his Intelligence Hall embeds themselves in the Jeoksa Family
Year
18
The Kam brother attack and are killed
Messaging boards have been installed at important sites of the cult
Demonic General Joon prepares for the takeover of the Jeoksa Family
Jeoksa Jaemin's son, Jaebak, is sent to the Cave of Latent Demons
The plan is executed, and the Jeoksa Family pledges themselves as the first Vassal Family of the cult
Baz kills elites of the Tang Clan
Baz breaks through to Soul Transformation, 8 years after reached Nascent Soul
Year
20
The Mansan mountains are now teeming with natural essence, nature having recovered due to their presence
Baz' singularity bursts forth like the big bang and becomes a cosmos
Baz' True Spirit begins taking shape
The Demonic Caverns are constructed
Thousands upon thousands of sproutlings from all over the Red Sea were recruited and enlisted to the Demonic Caverns
Plans for a major campaign to conquer the region are started
Year
22
Baz' inner cosmos settles and begins its development
Gawen endures his Major Accomplishment Tribulation
Year
24
Safi endures her Major Accomplishment Tribulation
Year
25
Eduard endures his Major Accomplishment Tribulation
Year
28
Jeoksa Jaemin's son, Jaebak, graduates as top of his generation
Year
30
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is officially a powerhouse. Nearby Groups are paying attention.
Haru breaks through to Nascent Soul, about 30 years after she began cultivating
The Eight Paths Demonic Sword Art is developed
Year
31
Chul breaks through to Nascent Soul
Year
31–34
Three other demonic cultivators break through to Nascent Soul—Seong is third, Shik is fourth, and Duho is fifth
Year
35
The campaign begins
The Red Sea is conquered
The Iron Courage Fortress is the first proper Group to fall and pledge allegiance to the cult
Year
36
Haru reaches mid-stage Nascent Soul during the assault on the Mystic Ash Sect
8 Groups have been absorbed
Year
37
Chul reaches mid-stage Nascent Soul during the assault on the Fearless Sword Palace
The Fearless Sword Palace pledges alliegance to the cult
27 Groups have been absorbed
Year
38
Shik reaches mid-stage Nascent Soul during the assault on the Murukuan Temple
43 Groups have been absorbed
Year
40
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult has conquered every Group all the way to the Mika Sea, the northern ocean
Demonic Kings Seong and Duho join the Jeoksa Family to begin the Southern campaign
Year
41–42
The cult's army battles the southern alliance
Year
42
Baz fights a Grandmaster for the first time
The cult conquers the entire eastern region of the continent
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