1054——————==

True Martial Home

A violent silver light dove into the summoning point of the Blood Demon Sect like an arrow, and no one could stop it. The moment the silver light was sucked into the red orb, crimson light bounced up to the higher heavens, turning into a bright red dot in the sky.

Whoosh…

The silver entity appeared intact at that spot, emitting an unfathomable sound from its mouth.

[Complete release of magical distortion spores. Summon trigger removed.]

Creak…

This silver entity was indeed shaped like a deer. As the silver deer unexpectedly appeared in the hall, everyone paused and gazed at it. The moment they laid eyes on the deer, an instinctual thought crossed their minds.

So strong!!

An overwhelming pressure sent shivers down the spines of the strong. While no one knew the type of power being channeled, it exuded an aura that could paralyze absolute strength, making it hard to take even a step closer.

As this peculiar equilibrium continued, a Garuda screamed from above.

[Kraaaah!! Aah!! Uaaah!!]

It was clear that he wasn’t in his right mind. The bloodline injury inflicted by the Bright Dragon was still tormenting him, and on top of that, just moments ago, the summoning of the Blood Demon Sect had been thwarted, causing backlash that throbbed through Garuda’s blood vessels.

The failure of the forbidden technique always returns to haunt the sorcerer!

Even a Demon King was not exempt.

Despite being the Demon King Garuda, who had faced numerous battles throughout his life, he was always on the conquering side and had rarely faced defeat. Thus, after years of anguish, he was quickly running out of mental strength.

Gurgle! Gurgle!

[Graaaah….]

Garuda’s eyes bulged wide, and then something red and yellow spewed from his beak. This mass emitted light and hovered in the air, but no one in the hall knew what it was.

Hooong! Hooong!

A spiraling force pulsed as the red-yellow mass grew larger.

However, even the deer didn’t dare to charge at Garuda, and the humans were even more cautious. Everyone could guess that this was Garuda’s last desperate struggle, but they knew if they made a wrong move, it could spell disaster.

At that moment, an unexpected silence enveloped the battlefield.

Szzzzz…

From afar, in the battle between the celestial beings and the Zhuge clan, a Five Elements Lineage suddenly squirmed, his body turning pitch black. Moments later, his form swiftly changed into a familiar shape to the Zhuge clan members.

“Heh, looks like I’m not late.”

Zhuge Yulong fixed a sharp gaze on the newly materialized being.

“Zhuge Sa!”

That’s right.

It was Zhuge Sa, who had mysteriously disappeared decades ago during the decisive battle with the British Empire! And here he was, looking exactly the same as before.

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“Brother, express your gratitude to your little brother for coming to save us even while you’re fiercely battling Simon Magus.”

“I heard. Have we gained the upper hand?”

“Upper hand? Heh heh… that kid isn’t going down without a fight.”

Zhuge Sa said with a wry smile.

“Anyway, there’s no time. Based on my reading of [Small Cycle], the Blood Demon Sect will summon again shortly. I’ll stop it.”

“You can summon a spell that failed once again? Even if it’s Demon King Garuda…”

“Brother, trust me. I saw it firsthand in the Inferos Mundi—it’s the future.”

“……”

Zhuge Yulong flinched at the mention of Inferos Mundi. He possessed knowledge of the Demon Path, so he understood the significance of that place.

“Most likely, Garuda will go berserk and attempt a full summoning. If no one intervenes, everyone here will die, except Sagong Lin and Seo Mun-hye.”

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yulong stared at Zhuge Sa for a moment before speaking.

“To end up in that dimension while fighting Simon Magus… you’ve already given up on humanity.”

“Heh! Wasn’t it a foreseen event?”

As Zhuge Sa responded dismissively, he suddenly turned away.

“My true form will likely get burned by the aftermath of the Blood Spear. It’s a hefty cost to still be in this ‘Heavenly Riot’.”

“……”

“But hey, if I win against that guy, I can reattach myself to the Portrait Immortal.”

“I hope so. Don’t stray from the path.”

“Heh! Now you’re telling me that?”

Ssss…

Zhuge Sa scoffed, and the moment his words ended, he vanished from sight. Zhuge Yulong knew that although Zhuge Sa appeared as he once did, he had actually possessed the body of a Five Elements Lineage; it meant he had interfered with reality using the Soul Exchange Technique from another dimension.

Also, it indicated that Zhuge Sa had already strayed far from his humanity. Regardless of whether he triumphed against Simon Magus, he would no longer be the original Zhuge Sa. He had upgraded to an entity that wielded magic.

‘…The predictions are hard to pin down.’

Zhuge Yulong felt tension building.

Perhaps even if this chaos with the Eight Parts of the Divine was quelled, an even greater Demon King could descend upon this world.

Zzztt!

Reaching the red orb that Garuda had summoned, Zhuge Sa glanced back at Bai Woong’s companions and grinned.

“Long time no see! Martial artists!”

“Zhuge Sa!!”

“Heh heh heh…”

Zhuge Sa unleashed a wild laugh, privately assessing the attributes of the Five Elements Lineage he had possessed.

‘Is this attribute wood? Did they use elixirs on a half-dead human to create a state of transcendent life and forcefully make them into a Portrait Immortal…’

Thanks to this, he had gained tenfold the physical ability and recovery rate compared to a typical Dragon Person or Demon.

This was an irretrievable forbidden technique.

Moreover, it could be said that he had genuinely stepped into the realm of demon practices.

Because—once an entity became a Five Elements Lineage through this spell, there would be no turning back to human form. It was evident that they had been willingly recruited under the banner of loyalty to the Great Bear Empire. While it was a noble sacrifice for the empire, it was also a choice that took a step towards evil.

“Heh… It seems everyone is smoothly falling from grace.”

Zhuge Sa inwardly lamented reality.

Of course, it could only play out this way.

Even Mangnyang had become tainted by the evil path, reaching out for forbidden techniques, while all his former reincarnated allies were too occupied with stopping the grim reality to even assert ideals. Now, it was only a matter of time before they took that step into the dark world. This had been foreseen from the moment Bai Woong, the core, had vanished.

But it shouldn’t end like this.

Zhuge Sa slowly reached out toward the red orb, murmuring.

“Isfare, it’s a parting from the moment we meet.”

What had become filthy and pitch black no longer held his interest.

Zhuge Sa had decided to endure the pain, thinking it would be boring if everything turned to ruin by the time Bai Woong returned.

Hooorrr…

Finally, Zhuge Sa’s hand surged with the powerful magic of the Five Elements Lineage, and the Heart of the Five Elements scraped o the depths, seizing the red orb.

Whoosh!

Flames began to engulf Zhuge Sa’s body, and Garuda, half-mad, continued to scream.

[Kraaaah!!]

As the screams intensified, the flames danced around Zhuge Sa like a serpent’s tongue, consuming him, and despite feeling excruciating pain, Zhuge Sa laughed. He blocked out the agony with his rationality and began swiftly nullifying the summoning spell of the flames using the Soul Exchange Technique.

Crackle!

With his mastery in dark magic, he could nullify the summoning, but he could not escape death itself. Because Garuda’s spell summoned the crimson flame from a red giant star existing in a distant constellation at the cost of his own life. Although only a small portion could be summoned, it wouldn’t be surprising if this planet faced annihilation the moment that spell was cast. He was dispersing the backlash as much as possible using the magic-infused Heart of the Five Elements and abilities of the Five Elements Lineage, but saving his own life was simply out of the question.

Still, it’s fine.

Considering the cost of being with a reborn person, it’s a bargain!

“Ahahahaha!!”

With one laugh came another.

Hoooorr…

Then, briefly revealing himself to the world, Zhuge Sa was enveloped in the fire of the chaotic flames and disappeared. Reading [Small Cycle] from a distant dimension, he had possessed a doll for a moment to prevent Garuda’s self-destruction.

“Hmm….”

“What’s going on?”

It happened so fast that the humans in the hall couldn’t figure out the situation. Hardly anyone understood why Zhuge Sa had appeared out of nowhere.

However, the one who moved the quickest in that moment was none other than the silver deer.

Whoosh—

Boom!!!

[Uggg… Gulp…!!]

The deer charged with incredible speed and strength, piercing through Garuda’s torso with its silver antlers. Garuda, who had been impaled, thrashed about, appearing still dazed. However, with that attack, it seemed Garuda had regained his senses and began to spit blood while rapidly teleporting away.

[Inoom…!!]

Flash!

Was it a case of reaction? Despite sustaining heavy damage from the repeated failures of his techniques and the assault of the Bright Dragon, Garuda emitted immensely powerful divine flames. Since the speed of the divine flames matched light, evading them was entirely impossible. The divine flames possessed such overwhelming power that even the Old Ruler’s essence could be harmed, so it seemed the silver deer was destined to perish.

[Triggered user command, activating Hwan-in mode.]

Yet, the silver deer’s eyes glinted as a hexagonal translucent barrier was summoned around its body.

Clang!!

[Quantum overfield.]

Bang!!

The hexagonal barrier shattered as Garuda’s divine flames struck it directly, but the flames didn’t harm the silver deer in the slightest, dispersing into nothingness like water droplets.

Direct Neutralization!

[Oh, no.]

Upon seeing his full-force attack blocked, Garuda’s expression turned frantic. He had internally believed that among the Eight Parts of the Divine, he could rival Asura in sheer attack power; he never expected that silver deer would so confidently neutralize his attack. In that moment, the silver deer lunged once more at the weakened Garuda.

Bam!!

[Kraaaaah….]

This time, Garuda couldn’t dodge with a teleport. Unlike before, he was running low on strength, and the energy seeping from the antlers that pierced him was sealing his power. Struggling for a bit longer, Garuda soon began to slacken, and the silver deer slammed him into the ground a few times.

Boom! Boom!

Finally, as Garuda’s breath came to a halt, the silver deer briefly glanced at Bai Woong’s companions.

[……]

Then, without a word, it darted off into the distance, leaving no one in the hall capable of stopping it.

Witnessing this, Dokgo Seong assisted the Bright Dragon and asked, “Are you alright?”

“…I have no idea what just happened.”

“I’m in the dark too. But what’s certain is…”

He turned to glance at the Master of Zen and Han Baek-ryeong, who had approached him and continued, “We need to assist the other battlefield.”

[W-what happened to Garuda…!!]

Yacha was losing his composure. He had just felt Garuda’s magical response cease completely, marking his total demise.

‘This can’t be!’

Garuda was renowned as a combat expert among the Eight Parts of the Divine. Even if he wasn’t at his peak, it was absurd to think he could be killed by mere humans teaming up! However, realizing that the Great Bear Empire was far stronger than he had imagined made it feel as if he had been overly arrogant.

Hooong…

Yacha, losing his composure, flailed aimlessly into the air. Just then, Seo Mun-hye, who had been evenly matched against Yacha, suddenly glinted with white-eyed intensity and took advantage of that opening to attack.

Giant’s Might

Supergravity.

Boom!

[Uuuh… Aaaah!!]

It was merely one palm strike from Seo Mun-hye, but the divine power she imbued turned into supergravity, delivering a severe blow to Yacha. As the cosmic weight threatened to tear Yacha’s very essence apart, he tried to withstand it with divine strength but felt a cold sweat run down his back.

‘Oh no!’

That strike was devastating. One could very much consider the connection in their fierce duel severing right then and there. And while Yacha was dazed, Seong Jin, watching from the sidelines, shouted to Sagong Lin next to him, “Now’s our chance!!”

Boom!

Absolute Realm.

Absolute Supremacy!

Sagong Lin leaped through the barrier entrance and attacked Yacha at once. Though Yacha attempted to defend himself with a sorcery defense barrier, he had concentrated all his strength for that one moment, and it shattered instantly under the might of Absolute Supremacy’s strike.

Cause and Effect Reversal.

Thud.

In an instant like striking Krishna, Sagong Lin’s blow found its way deep into Yacha’s brow. Yacha staggered, disbelieving reality, but the divine power present in Sagong Lin’s blade began to swiftly seep into him, paralyzing his body.

[Ugh… Aaaaah!!]

Crash!

Finally, Yacha could no longer endure and collapsed. Gazing down at the subdued Yacha, Sagong Lin turned to Seo Mun-hye.

“It’s done, Seo Mun-hye. Release the divine power for now. We must summon Mangnyang to seal Yacha…”

Continuing to channel the might of a giant put a heavy strain on Seo Mun-hye. With Yacha, their target, now down, it would be wise to ease her combat posture. However, Seo Mun-hye, seemingly unresponsive, blankly stared into the space around her.

Suddenly, Seo Mun-hye raised her hand and attacked Sagong Lin!

Boom!

[Ugh…!!]

Sagong Lin couldn’t brace for the sudden assault, bleeding profusely and crumbling to the ground. The speed of the ambush was astonishing. As Sagong Lin writhed on the ground, still trying to fight through the pain, Seo Mun-hye murmured to herself.

“I’m calling… I’m summoning… My source… the giants to return home…”

“……!!”

“Who… am I…?”

Upon witnessing this, Sagong Lin immediately grasped the situation.

Seo Mun-hye had lost her sanity.

Having awakened her immense source of power, she was engulfed by the call of distant higher-dimension beings.

Boom!

The Thief Gang, heavily bloodied, was thrown into an unnamed hillside. After being bombarded thousands of times by the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s power, they could no longer withstand the onslaught. The Thief Gang, devoid of power to cast spells any longer, gasped for breath.

[Huff… Huff….]

The outcome was already decided. Unless additional support came, the Thief Gang’s defeat was certain.

[Thief Gang. As a gesture of friendship from yesteryears, I’ll grant you a painless death.]

Grrrr….

[……]

Seeing the vast chaotic energy building on one side of the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s arm, the Thief Gang fell silent. Then, he asked the Master.

[My Lord… I have a question.]

[What is it?]

[We’ve been anxiously searching for the whereabouts of the missing Chi You… Could it be that you already knew?]

With a slow nod, the Master of the White Lotus Sect replied.

[Chi You has perished.]

The reason he answered so frankly was that the bond of friendship with the Thief Gang ran deep. In the past, when the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s martial arts were weak due to only reading books, the Thief Gang had saved his life by participating in political disputes within the White Lotus Sect with all-out effort.

[I see… So, you weren’t afraid of Chi You, and faced us until the end.]

[I have a question, too. What binds you so tightly to Chi You? Surely you know it was merely a predatory contract where he divided divine energy with you?]

[……]

The words of the Master prompted a hollow laugh from the Thief Gang.

[How strange… It feels as though I’d already sensed that, yet you’re speaking about it as if you knew everything.]

[You sensed that Chi You betrayed you.]

[At least I did… I knew there was something off about Chi You. But.]

The Thief Gang closed his eyes as he replied.

[Even so, I believed he would save humanity… in one way or another… I thought he would navigate the path of a savior amidst this devastated world. That he would become a Celestial Demon leading mankind.]

[……]

[Even if it’s a false belief, it’s just fine. For as long as I hold on to that belief, I cannot help but be happy. For that belief, I pledged to carry all the evils of the world.]

Swoosh…

The Master of the White Lotus Sect placed a hand on the head of the Thief Gang, saying coldly.

[Goodbye, my friend.]

[Hehe….]

The Thief Gang smiled bitterly.

[Master of the White Lotus Sect. I saw myself in your eyes….]

Hooorrr!!

In that moment, the whole body of the Thief Gang was consumed by the chaotic darkness of the Master of the White Lotus Sect. When the remnants of chaos scattered like mist, the Master of the White Lotus Sect slowly looked up at the sky.

[Perhaps so.]

He and the Thief Gang were no different.

Thus, one day, he too would meet a fate similar to that of the Thief Gang.