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Bang-!

“Ugh!”

As Peng Zhou was being beaten to a pulp, everyone in the pavilion couldn’t help but be silent at the sight.

“…What is happening?”

“Isn’t that a bit too much…?”

Everyone’s eyes were glued not to the broken Sword King but to the young man who had caused it.

He was the most famous young man in Hanam, the object of attention for countless martial artists.

He had instantly seized the title of the next world’s number one, which belonged to Shin Ryong, displaying hidden power and causing his value to soar in an instant.

His overwhelming might and accomplishments were unmatched for someone of his age.

Watching such a young man, people couldn’t help but think of him as a monster, sparking doubts in their minds.

He was once called the youngest Transformation Realm Martial Artist.

After the Shinryong Temple ambush incident, the boy known as Jin Ryong became So Yeomra.

While rumors circulated that he had reached the Transformation Realm at that time, it was also a rumor that faded when the Alliance acknowledged Shin Ryong as the youngest Transformation Realm Martial Artist.

Perhaps that’s why there were whispers that So Yeomra actually reached Transformation Realm at that time.

The question remained: if that were true, how could the Alliance recognize Shin Ryong as the youngest Transformation Realm Martial Artist?

Those questions lingered in the air, but now they seemed irrelevant.

What mattered was,

“What on earth is that?”

Right now, he was the very embodiment of So Yeomra.

“…The Sword King is being so utterly devastated?”

In the pavilion, where the upper echelon of the Alliance and the leaders of prominent clans gathered,

those responsible for various regions or significant roles in the righteous faction,

now couldn’t even maintain proper expressions while looking at So Yeomra.

“Isn’t So Yeomra past the age of accountability?”

“I’ve seen it during the spar with Shin Ryong… But this is too much.”

Everyone felt that it was excessive.

He was indeed past accountability age.

For someone of that age to reach Transformation Realm was something unprecedented outside of Shin Ryong, and yet, So Yeomra’s current state surpassed that.

The levels of completion were different.

If Shin Ryong barely touched upon the Transformation Realm and was just starting to walk, So Yeomra was already soaring through the skies, showing no signs of retreat against the Sword King.

Bang-!!

The energy of the bet rippled.

The explosive energy radiated even into the pavilion.

Sword King Peng Zhou.

People said his Martial Arts prowess was falling short of his reputation, yet he was undeniably a martial artist of the Transformation Realm.

And now, as he staggered from the blows of So Yeomra, blood spilling,

resistance was out of the question.

This wasn’t a spar; it was one-sided violence.

“…What do we even call that?”

Someone watching broke the silence.

No one could answer.

How should one express that?

Could it even be adequately described with the term genius?

To call him a monster seemed too small a word.

What So Yeomra was displaying was nothing short of astounding.

“…It’s hard to believe.”

Was it an illusion or a dream?

If it were an illusion, it would be a harrowing sight. If it were a dream, it would be a nightmare.

Yes, it was the nightmare of countless martial artists.

Such an existence could only be insultingly labeled a dream.

How could he crush the Sword King so overwhelmingly? It didn’t make sense to anyone.

As everyone shared the same thought and fell silent,

“Chuckle.”

From one corner, someone let out a laugh. An elder with a head full of white hair.

The Sect Leader of Hwasan, Maehwa Seon, one of the Seven Great Masters of the “Seven Swords of the Gods”.

“That child truly has a talent that surprises people every time.”

I thought I had already been astonished during the previous spar with Shin Ryong,

but this fight with the Sword King was even more impressive.

‘Just how much is he hiding?’

What kind of potential does that child possess?

Merely calling it potential and brilliance seemed inadequate.

‘Like father, like son, I suppose.’

Or should he be seen as the grandson of his grandfather?

No matter how you look at it, it felt like an unfortunate realization.

For now, Maehwa Seon just thought it was enough to witness the current moment.

‘A new era has arrived.’

The sense of facing the center of a new era.

Yes.

That child is the center. Regardless of what kind of era unfolds in the future, that child will be at its heart, leading the way.

Just facing through such a process felt sufficient.

While Maehwa Seon was lost in thought,

“Judging by your expression, it seems you’re brooding over something alone again.”

“…”

At the teasing voice that emerged, Maehwa Seon turned.

And casually covered his nose as he spoke.

“Strange… I could smell something…”

“Eh? What?”

“Just a thought.”

“I heard you, and it’s not just anything… No, never mind.”

The head of the Beggar Clan, Woo Bongchwigae, shook his head at Maehwa Seon’s reaction.

“To be fair, all your disciples seem to have been eliminated from the tournament… It’s understandable that you might be displeased.”

“…”

Maehwa Seon shot an annoyed glance at Woo Bongchwigae’s remark.

Indeed, all of Hwasan’s disciples who participated in the previous martial arts tournament were eliminated.

While some of it was due to the uneven matchups, it also factored in that they had deliberately brought along youths who were not yet fully trained.

With Yeongpung the last remaining, Hwasan’s presence in this martial tournament had vanished completely.

Woo Bongchwigae pointing this out made Maehwa Seon a bit uncomfortable.

While he was momentarily bothered, Maehwa Seon suddenly smirked.

“Wondering why I’m laughing—”

“Still, we’re in better shape than the Beggar Clan, who didn’t even participate, right?”

“…What?”

At Maehwa Seon’s remark, Woo Bongchwigae frowned this time.

Indeed, those from the Beggar Clan had not a single person participate in the tournament.

The reason being—

“Is it that you don’t know that being part of the Alliance makes participation in the tournament impossible?”

The Beggar Clan was directly associated with the Martial Alliance, making their participation in the tournament prohibited.

“Hmm, but honestly, even if we did participate… I doubt the results would be good…”

What good would come from a group of beggars trying to fight?

Maehwa Seon expressed his frustration in a graceful manner.

“Damn…!”

As Woo Bongchwigae gnashed his teeth,

Bang–!!

A loud sound redirected everyone’s attention.

“Looks like it’s over.”

Maehwa Seon chuckled, yet Woo Bongchwigae clicked his tongue.

“…Can we have a talk later?”

“Oh dear, unfortunately… I have many appointments today… hehehe.”

“Damn-!!”

Despite their trivial banter, their focus remained on the sparring stage.

A middle-aged man with a massive body collapsed.

His original face had become unrecognizable, swollen beyond belief.

The thoroughly beaten Sword King Peng Zhou had lost consciousness and fallen to the ground.

“…In the end, it’s….”

“Did he really win?”

With the spectacle laid out, everyone merely breathed in disbelief.

The Sword King was defeated by a young man much younger than himself.

Those who confirmed the fact bit their lips.

If it came to this, tremendous events were bound to occur in the future.

It was a significant calamity for the Peng Family;

a catalyst that would lead to a great upheaval in the Central Plains.

While everyone pondered the repercussions, deep shock settled in.

-Judgement of Gu Yangcheong… victory for So Yeomra…

Just as the judge was about to announce So Yeomra’s victory,

“…!”

“…Huh!”

Clink-clink-! Clink-clink-clink-!!

Inside the pavilion, suddenly martial artists started to clutch their swords.

“…What is this…”

An extremely sharp energy lingered around.

Everyone felt it, as they were all exceptional martial artists.

“Bong! What is…?”

Maehwa Seon felt the same.

He was about to call for the Beggar Clan leader when—

Whooooooosh—!!!!

Kugugugugung—!!!

Suddenly, vibrations shook the surroundings.

“Ugh!”

“What the hell—!!”

Kugugugugung—!!!!

Was there an earthquake or something?

While everyone appeared disoriented and unable to keep their balance,

“…That is…”

At least a few individuals managed to steady themselves.

Among them, Jin Ryung-Gyeomje, the Great Lord of the Guardian Unit, widened his eyes while gazing into the void.

Above the brilliantly clear sky, something was beginning to manifest.

Zeeeeeeng—!!!

A massive crimson line appeared.

How could such a thing appear in the sky?

The long and intense line quickly began to intertwine, covering the entire sky,

slowly taking shape into something.

While the Sword Sovereign observed, another event unfolded simultaneously.

Whirrrrrr—!!

“Ugh!”

“What is this again…?!”

A curtain suddenly appeared, wrapping around the pavilion.

A crimson curtain resembling the one in the sky began to enclose the pavilion.

As those inside witnessed the strange phenomenon, they immediately sprang into action.

Fwhoosh-!!

The Plum Blossom Master of Hwasan, the Sword Sovereign, and the Clan Leader Geomseon all moved at once, swinging their swords together.

Boom—!!!

The three great martial masters unleashed their Sword Intent.

In normal circumstances, the force would have destroyed everything in its wake,

yet—

Bam—!!

Upon colliding with the curtain, their Sword Intent dissipated without leaving a mark.

Eventually—

Whoooosh–!!

The crimson light enveloped the entire pavilion without losing momentum.

Truly an unforeseen turn of events.

As Jin Ryung-Gyeomje felt the gravity of the situation, his forehead scrunched tightly.

It wasn’t just him.

All present felt an instinctive awareness.

Right now…

Something began to erupt in this Hanam, where they currently stood.

*

Hanam.

The strange phenomenon displayed above the Martial Alliance at its heart.

An elder, observing this expansive display, burst into a bright smile.

“Finally…!!”

The vision he had long desired.

That sky above was the vast Domain of Sorcery, the technique he had forged through his own power.

After decades of laboring and honing his skills, he had made this happen.

How could he not feel joy witnessing such a sight?

“Ah! Finally… finally coming to fruition?”

With fervent longing, the elder scanned his surroundings.

Clusters of gathered people;

they were all offspring of the famed Jeongal clan who once bore this surname.

Now, they hid their names, merely dreaming of revenge.

Among them, a gigantic stone radiated light.

Materials fundamental to his sorcery, the essence sealing the presence that lay hidden beneath the land of Hanam.

Such stones had been hidden throughout Hanam, a total of six, and the elder had successfully located them all and completed the release spell.

“Just a while longer, just a little bit more…”

He would soon show the Martial Alliance, which had plunged them into darkness for so long, a glimpse of hell.

Gradually, the arcane array in the void thickened.

While watching this, the elder clenched his fists tightly and turned to face his followers.

“Listen, everyone.”

“Yes! Great Lord!”

At his command, dozens of individuals knelt.

“It is the time we have long awaited. Remember those days when we lived as traitors, stripped of our names by their hands.”

Boom-!

The staff he had grasped slammed against the ground.

“Today, we will finally wash away the humiliation of our past and show them who we truly are.”

Whoooosh-!

Deep energy began to leak from the elder’s shoulders.

Resentment and fury.

The energy filled with these emotions spread out, and it seemed to awaken different expressions among others.

Flutter-!

Amidst all this, the elder donned a robe.

A black one, embroidered with the character for “Evil” in a dark, royal purple thread on the back.

As he put this on, those around him similarly began to wear the same attire.

Everyone wore the same clothes.

The only differentiating factor was that the elder’s robe had a denser embroidery and insignia.

Although the martial robes were somewhat conspicuous, they had a reason for wearing them.

“As promised, I’m wearing it now. Can we get to work?”

The elder spoke, glancing back.

There stood Nahi, the one who made them wear such clothes.

She surveyed the elder and his followers before nodding her head.

“Yes.”

“…When will the Cult Leader make an appearance?”

Inquiring about the one who had orchestrated this, the Heavenly Demon, the elder asked.

Nahi replied,

“He is currently occupied but assured that he would arrive before long. Furthermore…”

Swoosh.

Nahi pulled out the same robe as the elder and draped it over herself.

“He also expressed he wouldn’t forget the promise, ensuring that you would surely attain what you desire.”

With Nahi’s words, the elder nodded in response.

Though it was strange that their leader had yet to appear, his full focus was on the sky above.

Before long, in just a fraction of a time point,

from beneath the land of Hanam, a great being would descend.

If it happens that way,

The root of the righteous faction, the Martial Alliance, would crumble, and a bloody revolution would commence.

Tightening his face into a serious expression, the elder grasped his staff.

“…Let us proceed. For the reform.”

“For the reform—!”

Dozens of individuals began to march toward Hanam as if bestowed with a grave mission.

Revenge, or perhaps reclamation.

With dreams of something ahead, many advanced with purpose.

“…”

Having watched these figures vanish from sight, Nahi finally turned her gaze.

At that moment.

Patter-patter-!!

As if waiting for her cue, individuals began to land around Nahi.

All of them were martial artists, clad in yellow martial robes.

At the forefront stood a familiar face.

It was none other than the Clan Leader of Huangbo Clan, Huangbo Yeolwi, the Tiger Fist Master.

Suddenly appearing, he presented a robe he had been holding to Nahi.

Swoosh.

Nahi accepted the robe as if expecting it, swiftly getting changed.

Patter.

The black martial robe fell to the ground.

Instead, the yellow clothes denoting her as a martial artist of Huangbo Clan donned her.

Donning a hood to conceal her face, Nahi slowly loosened her body and declared.

“…Everything is according to the Cult Leader’s wishes.”

Ending her words, she began to move along with the people.

Following the command of the Heavenly Demon, it was time to punish the evil that had invaded Hanam.

 

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