"Haa…! Haa…!"
The Gilyeon Sect Master gasped for breath. He had barely escaped.
The moment of the explosion, he had slipped out by tethering himself to an external spatial thread. There was no way that brat had noticed.
"That bastard… what the hell is he…?"
The last time he had seen Seo-jun, he hadn’t been this powerful. Even then, the boy had shown promise, but he had certainly not reached the realm of transcendence.
It hadn’t even been a full year since then.
And yet, he had grown this much?
Even by monstrous standards, the rate of growth was absurd.
If left unchecked, he might become a second Namgung Jincheon.
"What a nightmare."
The Gilyeon Sect Master straightened himself against a tree, exhaling deeply. A cool breeze swept past him, and a leaf drifted down toward him.
"What now…?"
In the end, he had failed to retrieve Namgung Jincheon’s body.
And with so many of the Black Lotus Union’s transcendents dead, the war’s outcome was practically decided.
The Black Lotus Lord, a peak grandmaster, still remained, ensuring the faction would not collapse overnight. But they would lose most of their territory.
"It’ll take time, but…"
The Black Lotus Union was no ordinary criminal sect.
Even with devastating losses, they wouldn’t fall immediately.
And perhaps, somewhere along the way, an unexpected factor might shift the balance once again.
But he couldn’t deny the inevitable decline of the Black Lotus Union.
"Should I abandon them entirely and forge a new identity?"
The Gilyeon Sect Master let out a wry chuckle and clenched the leaf in his hand.
And then—
"Huh?"
A sharp pain.
With a puzzled expression, he opened his palm.
His face hardened.
"What the…?"
The leaf… had a mouth.
And it spoke.
[You never left my domain.]
His eyes widened in horror.
He turned abruptly.
The tree he had been leaning against grew branches.
The branches twisted—taking the shape of a man.
Before he knew it, Seo-jun stood there, looking down at him.
"I’ve finished sorting my thoughts."
Crunch—!
A single horn sprouted from Seo-jun’s temple.
The sky darkened, shifting into a deep crimson hue.
The grass beneath him wriggled, sprouting countless eyes and gnashing mouths.
"Every sect involved in this… will be exterminated."
The Harmonious Realm.
Also known simply as the Transcendent Realm.
A state where divinity swelled beyond measure, balancing the surrounding space with qi, form, and spirit.
But if that balance were to be replaced entirely by demonic energy…
Then reaching the Abyssal Demon Realm was inevitable.
"So that is the fusion of transcendence and abyssal demonic power."
Seo-jun understood it instinctively.
Normally, the process would have involved harmonizing qi and demonhood, balancing the opposing forces.
Both transcendence and abyssal demonhood were defined by their relationship with qi and spirit.
Thus, as long as neither was entirely dominant, equilibrium could be achieved.
But this…
This was a new realm. A state never before seen in Zhongyuan’s history.
A path entirely unexplored.
Yet for Seo-jun, there was something even beyond that.
Because of the Demon of Fire's Realm (Hwamagyeong).
His very existence had already been steeped in demonic energy.
So, the state he had reached was closer to the demonic extreme than anything else.
"It’s too early to name it."
But with this…
Seo-jun had now completely diverged from Zhongyuan’s martial path.
His path… was his alone.
"The Black Lotus Union will not survive."
"And any scavengers who seek to exploit Namgung’s fall—regardless of their status—will be slaughtered."
Demonic energy flooded the domain.
Seo-jun grasped his own authority with certainty.
He saw everything within his domain.
Blink—
A giant eye emerged in the sky, replacing the sun.
The air itself. The land beneath. The swaying grass.
Everything watched the Gilyeon Sect Master.
"And you… you will suffer eternally… repenting for your sins."
Crunch—! Crunch—!
The Gilyeon Sect Master looked down.
Countless gnashing mouths had appeared.
"Huh…?"
Splurt—!
Blood burst forth from his body.
Yet he felt nothing.
The moment he realized it, an indescribable pain—far beyond human comprehension—crashed down upon him.
"AAAAAAAAAGH—!!!"
Screaming in agony, the Gilyeon Sect Master reflexively formed a hand seal.
Centuries of training had not been for nothing.
The sorcery activated instantly.
Flick—
But nothing happened.
"Keuk—!"
Instead, he vomited blood.
For most living beings, demonic energy was the deadliest poison.
And the abyssal qi now burrowing into his core had sealed his sorcery from the source.
His eyes flared red with panic.
"N-No… this is impossible…!"
No such domain could exist.
Even in his weakened state, this should not be happening.
"Petty tricks…! You overstep, brat…!"
Gritting his teeth, the Gilyeon Sect Master unleashed his final reserve of primordial qi.
BZZZZZT—!
A colossal surge of energy erupted.
The demonic energy within his body was forcibly expelled.
At the same time, he formed another hand seal.
"Two Extremes—Annihilation Technique!"
Crack—!
A star collapsed.
A black void emerged, consuming even light itself.
KWAHHHH—!
The very fabric of reality was pulled into the singularity.
All of Seo-jun’s domain, the countless eyes and devouring mouths, were drawn into the abyss.
"I will remember this…!"
"The day I regain my strength… YOU—"
Seo-jun swept his hands in an arc.
Grasping both heaven and earth—
And reversing them.
The Grand Reversal of Heaven and Earth.
Hwaaaaaaa—!
The domain inverted.
So did the Gilyeon Sect Master’s spell.
The black singularity turned white—and vomited back everything it had consumed.
"Khhhaaack—!"
BOOOM!
The shockwave hurled the Gilyeon Sect Master through the air.
Click—
Every single eye in the sky turned to him.
Reversed Sun and Moon Art.
Slllllsh—!
His body ripped apart.
Chunks of flesh were torn from him.
He couldn't even scream.
Blood, bones, everything—scattered.
"Greed."
Countless mouths lunged forward, devouring his remains.
Crunch—! Crunch—!
What they ate was sealed away in the deepest abyss of Seo-jun’s domain.
Even his soul could not escape.
He could not see it.
But now, inside the domain…
He could feel it.
[AAAAAAGGGGHHHHH—!!!]
The wails of a tormented soul echoed endlessly.
The Northern Darkness Divine Art had drained the Gilyeon Sect Master’s essence to the brink of obliteration.
With time, his soul would recover.
And then—his strength would once again become Seo-jun’s.
But in the process, he would suffer eternally.
Seo-jun watched him for a moment before expanding his vision.
Hwaak—!
The prison containing the Gilyeon Sect Master shrunk into the distance, swallowed by his vast domain.
Then, the outside world came into view.
From afar, his domain looked like nothing more than a small sphere—barely the size of a man’s head.
Seo-jun turned his palm over, observing the tiny sphere resting in his hand.
"Tch…."
Clicking his tongue, he pressed the sphere into his chest.
The endless screams of the Gilyeon Sect Master abruptly stopped.
For a brief moment, silence lingered.
Everything around him remained unchanged.
Seo-jun was still standing where he had been from the very beginning.
He had not taken a single step since the battle began.
The Gilyeon Sect Master had been nothing more than a puppet dancing inside Seo-jun’s domain.
Then—
A faint movement behind him.
Seo-jun turned to see Namgung Yeon, awake, staring blankly at Namgung Jincheon’s lifeless body.
"Aunt."
"Ah… Ahh…."
Tears spilled from Namgung Yeon’s vacant eyes.
Seo-jun unsealed her acupoints.
Without hesitation, she gripped her sword—
And thrust it toward her own throat.
"That won’t do."
The blade froze just before piercing her skin.
Seo-jun had caught it with Imperial Sword Control, his cold gaze fixed on her.
"If you die now, what does your brother’s death amount to?"
Namgung Yeon trembled.
"Because of me… my brother died."
"He died to save you."
Even if Namgung Jincheon had embraced death in the end, the reason he had fought to the bitter end—
Was to save Namgung Yeon.
It had never been a simple act of suicide.
"If you die now, his death becomes meaningless."
"Killing four Transcendents means nothing—
"But saving his family does."
Namgung Yeon bit her lips hard, lowering her head.
Seo-jun didn’t say anything more.
His own mind was already too weighed down to offer comfort.
Instead, he extended his senses outward.
No one was approaching.
No sign of the Black Lotus Union.
No sign of the Martial Alliance.
The battle between Namgung Jincheon and Je Cheon-hyeok must have sent shockwaves throughout all of Zhongyuan—
And yet, not a single person had come.
"Useless bastards."
Seo-jun’s expression twisted in disgust.
Without another word, he used Spatial Manipulation to lift Namgung Yeon into the air.
Then, with careful hands, he picked up his mother-in-law’s broken sword, which lay buried in the sand.
Finally, he lifted Namgung Jincheon’s body—
The man who still stood as if he were alive.
"Father-in-law…."
Seo-jun raised his gaze.
Before him lay a miracle—
A desert blooming with flowers, and a sky cleared of storm clouds.
A miracle Namgung Jincheon had created in his final moments.
Even in death… he left his son-in-law with one last lesson.
Seo-jun stared at the landscape for a moment longer.
Then, he turned.
The flowers shook in the desert wind as he walked away.
The Death of the World’s Strongest Warrior
At Namgung Jincheon’s funeral, the wailing never ceased.
The Namgung household had been drowned in sorrow.
Even the usually talkative elders were silent.
Namgung Sua…
Had collapsed in grief and cried until she fainted.
"Brother…."
Namgung Myeong stood before Seo-jun.
His eyes were bloodshot, his expression hollow.
And then—
He bowed.
Deeply.
"Brother-in-law, please… take over as head of the household for now."
"I am not ready…."
"No."
Seo-jun, who had been tending to Namgung Sua, rose to his feet.
Geum Chun-bong watched him worriedly.
"Father-in-law entrusted the family to you, Myeong."
"But—"
"Don’t be burdened by it."
Seo-jun placed a firm hand on Namgung Myeong’s shoulder.
His tone was gentle, yet unyielding.
"Just follow your heart.
"I’ll handle the rest."
The Namgung Clan was powerful.
But its true pillar had been Namgung Jincheon.
Without him… the clan might waver.
Seo-jun wouldn’t allow that.
"Nothing changes."
"Until you are ready, I will stand in Father-in-law’s place."
Seo-jun turned and left the room.
Namgung Myeong and Geum Chun-bong followed closely behind.
Though Seo-jun’s voice had been calm,
None of the Namgung elders could relax in his presence.
Even in silence, an oppressive aura radiated from him, like a storm waiting to break.
Only Geum Chun-bong treated him without reservation.
"Oppa, are you really okay?"
"I’m fine."
Seo-jun forced a small smile.
He glanced toward Namgung Sua’s room.
The broken sword had been meant to be buried with Namgung Jincheon.
But it had never left Sua’s side.
It must have been his will.
Namgung Sua would become its next wielder.
Seo-jun still remembered her sobbing figure—
Utterly devastated, collapsing in grief.
His brows furrowed slightly.
"The funeral will take a few weeks, right?"
"Yeah. Just preparing for it will take that long."
There was time.
The Black Lotus Union would fall.
The Martial Alliance…
Would have to answer for their incompetence.
"If they start spewing nonsense…
"I’ll erase them myself."
Seo-jun’s steps shifted direction.
Toward the Martial Alliance.