"Stop hesitating and fight with everything you’ve got."
Crack—!
With a sickening rip, Baek Yoon’s head and spine were torn clean from his body.
His eyes locked onto Seo-jun’s.
"This is your last chance. You wouldn’t want to waste it, would you?"
Thwack—!
Seo-jun slammed Baek Yoon’s head back onto his body, reattaching it as if plugging in a broken doll.
Baek Yoon’s body trembled violently.
Boom—!
Seo-jun’s kick sent him hurtling through the air, crashing into the snow.
Pale-faced, Baek Yoon clutched his throat, gasping.
"Haa... haa...."
Squirm—
His severed nerves and muscles reconnected through the power of Blood Arts.
Baek Yoon’s shaking eyes met Seo-jun’s.
He was alive.
No—Seo-jun had kept him alive on purpose.
His True Blood had triggered, but on top of that, Seo-jun’s own Blood Arts had prevented him from dying completely.
"Grk...."
Air hissed through his half-healed throat.
Baek Yoon’s expression twisted.
"What the hell...."
How?
No matter how strong Seo-jun was, it didn’t make sense that Baek Yoon couldn’t react at all.
He simply couldn’t comprehend it.
Seo-jun casually raised an eyebrow at Baek Yoon and Neungwol, who were staring at him in shock.
"What’s the hold-up? Aren’t you going to attack?"
Inside his core, the turbulent energy within him swirled violently.
"The Namgung lineage shall become a mighty tree that pierces the sky."
The insight he had gained from Namgung’s Lifeline wasn’t some grand revelation.
Rather, it was a realization about himself—
Four Realms.
Each of these realms were merely branches of the same tree—
And at the center of it all was Seo-jun himself.
As long as he never forgot his foundation, these realms were nothing more than stepping stones beneath his feet.
Of course, achieving four realms simultaneously didn’t make him four times stronger.
But each realm had its own abilities:
But at the cost of slowly dissolving into nature itself.
However—Seo-jun had found the solution in Namgung’s Lifeline.
By anchoring himself with his existing three realms, his self-awareness had solidified.
And now—
By achieving harmony among all four realms, he had stepped onto an even higher plane of existence.
His chest tightened with the overwhelming sensation of omnipotence.
"There’s a burden, but..."
It didn’t matter.
At the very least—he had more than enough time to toy with these two.
Seo-jun calmly raised his hand.
Above, the sun and moon—
Now perfectly whole—began to rotate around a single point.
Heaven-Reversing Sun and Moon Art (Yeokcheon Ilwolgong).
A massive pillar of energy descended from the sky.
Neungwol’s expression hardened.
"Baek Yoon...!"
He shouted, pulling his spear back.
Pouring all of his muscle strength, internal energy, and the momentum from his spinning footwork, he thrust his spear skyward.
Screeeech—!!
The full-force spear strike clashed against the descending power of Heaven-Reversing Sun and Moon Art.
Neungwol’s body tore apart from the strain—
But he immediately repaired himself using Blood Arts, forcing himself forward.
"Urrrrrghhh...!!"
Fwoosh—!
His spear pierced through the attack—
Barely scattering it.
"Kuhp...!"
Splurt—!
Neungwol coughed up blood and screamed—
"Baek Yoon! Get your shit together! Are you just gonna die like this?!"
The energy-infused voice shook Baek Yoon awake.
His eyes snapped back into focus.
He gritted his teeth—
Blood trickled between them.
Though still staggering, his stance naturally formed once more.
Baek Yoon’s eyes locked onto Seo-jun.
"...Who the hell are you?"
Crackle—!
His breath froze midair, turning a deep red as blood-colored frost wrapped around his body.
Dressed in crimson armor, Baek Yoon raised his hand—
A single orb floated above his palm.
Blood Ice Orb.
Just like Seo-jun’s, it radiated a mysterious pink hue.
"You’re not from Ice Palace. There’s no way you are."
Baek Yoon clenched his fists—
Splitting the Blood Ice Orb into two—one in each hand.
Blood Arts, Ice Arts, Demonic Qi, Sun and Moon, Domains—
All of it entangled in a whirlpool of chaotic knowledge.
But one thing stood out—
Sun and Moon Demonic Arts.
A legendary Demonic Sect technique that manipulated both yin and yang.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he immediately rejected it.
If that were the case—what about the domain?
Could a demonic warrior truly wield a domain?
"No."
Baek Yoon exhaled sharply.
He cleared his mind of useless distractions.
Seo-jun’s identity didn’t matter.
All that mattered was killing him.
His will sharpened.
"...I’ll kill you and break through this wall."
Ziiing—!
The Blood Ice Orbs in his hands hummed violently.
Baek Yoon’s blue eyes flashed.
Whoosh—!
The two Blood Ice Orbs shot toward Seo-jun.
Their completion level was far higher than before—
A testament to Baek Yoon’s talent.
But the wall before him was far too high.
Fwoosh—!
Before reaching Seo-jun, the orbs dispersed into mist.
A strange pink fog swirled around him.
Baek Yoon ignored it.
Boom—!
He kicked off the ground, charging forward.
Seo-jun’s hand flashed.
Ridiculous speed.
By the time Baek Yoon noticed, it was already in front of his face.
Crack—!
Barely dodging, his temple was sliced open.
Blood splattered.
Baek Yoon’s eyes gleamed.
Blood Arts.
The scattered droplets responded to his will.
Screeech—!
Ice Arts froze the droplets into hundreds of crimson spikes.
A weapon forged from his own flesh and blood.
"Huup...!"
Blood and ice.
Blood Arts and Ice Arts.
Desperation before an unreachable wall.
His will burned—
And the spikes flew at impossible speed.
Whoosh—!
The spikes pierced Seo-jun—
But Baek Yoon didn’t celebrate.
Seo-jun’s body dissolved into mist.
"Shapeshifting...!"
He whirled around—
But before he could react—
BOOOOOOOM—!!
A foot slammed into his skull.
His head snapped back—
His vision went black.
The spear from Neungwol flew through the air, cutting the space around him. Rather than feeling disappointment, he used the momentum to twist his body.
Seo-jun watched him. With a light step, black flames shot from the ground, covering Neungwol's body.
"Ugh...!"
Wrapped in flames, Neungwol crashed into the air. Whoosh-! His figure appeared through the cracking flames, his body freezing. His stiff fingers gripped his spear, and the spear technique honed over centuries naturally unfolded.
Crack-!
Seo-jun turned his head, and Neungwol’s spear barely missed him, brushing through his hair.
Neungwol had surpassed his limits.
"Haaa!"
A flash of light appeared before his eyes. Warm moonlight surrounded his body, pushing him forward. The spear merged with the light, creating thousands of spear strikes in harmony.
Screeeeeeeeeech!!
The web of light descended upon Seo-jun. He instead dove forward. Thunk! With a swipe, he pushed aside the spear and, using the gap, expanded his body to its fullest in an instant.
Fwoosh-!
Seo-jun's body collided with Baek Yoon's in front of him. Baek Yoon’s eyes widened. He gritted his teeth and extended his hand.
From there emerged a mysterious pink energy.
Seo-jun grinned, matching the hand with his own. Crack-! The two hands locked. Baek Yoon’s power failed to hurt Seo-jun. Instead, Seo-jun absorbed the energy, forcefully pulling Baek Yoon’s arm.
Crack-!
"Ahhh...!"
Baek Yoon’s arm was torn off. Seo-jun grabbed the severed arm, twisting it like a spear. Crack-! The blood inside the arm began spinning, infused with Blood Arts.
Crack-! The bone and flesh turned into a long form, drenched in blood.
Seo-jun held the red spear in his hand. With a wide stride, he pushed his left foot into the ground. Boom-! His body, like a spring, uncoiled in one swift motion. The right arm, now like a whip, lashed out.
Screeeeeeeeeech-!!
The red spear carved through the air, leaving a red trail across the world.
The speed was impossible.
Instinct saved Neungwol's life.
"Tch...!"
Boom-!
In reflex, Neungwol raised his spear. The red spear struck it and bent under the force.
Seo-jun, as if predicting it, flicked his fingers casually.
Snap-!
The weapon formed from his physical form surpassed even the supernatural.
That simply meant one thing.
Screeeech-!!
The blood spear erupted, freezing Neungwol’s body.
Whoosh-!
The last black flames spread over it.
Neungwol, with his eyes wide open, released his internal energy, breaking the frost.
"Haaa...!"
The shattered energy cleared the flames. Breathing heavily, Neungwol bent his waist and looked at Seo-jun.
His breathing was steady.
‘This monster...’
He noticed Baek Yoon next to him.
“Damn...”
Baek Yoon’s red armor was shattered, and his left arm was irreparable. All that remained was his determination.
With a growl, Baek Yoon roared like a beast.
“Aaaaahhh...!!”
His voice, beyond the limits of his human form, caused the space around them to quake.
Baek Yoon’s eyes flashed blue, and he shouted,
"I am—!"
"No."
Before Baek Yoon could finish, Seo-jun grabbed his throat, laughing.
"Your fun’s over."
BAM-!
Baek Yoon’s limbs exploded, his blood swirling inside, cutting him apart from the inside out.
“Khrgh...!”
“I’m getting tired of this—let’s talk about the Myeolshin Guild.”
“Baek Yoon...!”
Neungwol rushed in, but he was too worn out to act. Even with the gaps in his wounds, he couldn’t push away the internal energy that had permeated his body.
Crunch-!
The energy in Neungwol’s body froze, making his wounds split open.
"Aahhh...!"
Crack-!
Sharp ice pillars pierced Neungwol's body, fixing him in mid-air [N O V E L I G H T] like a cross.
Neungwol, groaning in pain, suddenly looked up at the eerie sound.
Crack-! Crack-!
A strange sound. The mouths surrounding them dripped with saliva, gnawing at the air.
"I’m going crazy..."
It wasn’t hard to guess their purpose. They would be devoured by these things.
It was obvious how the prey would end up.
But Neungwol couldn’t even lift a finger. Escape was... impossible.
His head slumped. From his fingers to his toes, his body froze.
Seo-jun, casting a glance at Baek Yoon’s limp body, watched him closely.
"So, are you going to tell me now?"
Baek Yoon was a master of Blood Arts, a force comparable to a transcendent being.
He must have known much more than any of those lowly fish captured by the Emperor.
"Khrgh..."
Gripping his neck, Baek Yoon glared at Seo-jun.
Those crimson eyes locked onto him. That simple truth was enough to send a chill down Baek Yoon’s spine.
But more than fear, a sense of injustice overwhelmed him. He finally voiced his long-suppressed question.
“Who the hell are you...?”
Instead of answering, Seo-jun smiled, lifting the corners of his lips.
“Me?”
He said,
“I’m Chun Bong’s older brother.”
Baek Yoon’s eyes blurred at the strange response. His expression contorted, reflecting his inner turmoil.
"You... you really are...?"
"What, is this easier to understand?"
Seo-jun looked at him intensely.
Myeolsa Cheon-gun, Seo-jun.
Baek Yoon’s eyes widened.
Meanwhile, in the North Sea Ice Palace,
Sitting on a massive throne, Baek Seolhyang smiled coldly.
‘What can you do in front of the Grand Scheme, Baek Seo-jun?’
All that was allowed to him were struggles. He had already been cornered.
It was like a butterfly trapped in a spider’s web.
"Heh..."
Baek Seolhyang’s eyes glowed eerily.