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Krrrr—-!!!

The deafening roar echoed from the void, almost making my ears ring.

Paddiddick.

Krrrung.

An unknown thunderous Qi swirled beyond the dark clouds. The sight felt like something out of a tempest filled with thunder.

Everyone watching was struck dumb.

Just witnessing it was a spectacle. This was not a natural phenomenon but merely the result of one human’s creation.

How could it not be astonishing?

This was beyond mere admiration.

Krrrung–!! Krrrrrrrrr—-!!!

The sight of the roiling thunder was reminiscent of a giant serpent writhing within the clouds.

It was an enormous sight that made it impossible to look away.

While countless watchers were gazing in silence,

[Kiiyiiiiiii—aaa–!!!]

The demon beasts screeched.

In that moment.

[Kraaaarrr—!!!]

From the countless Demonic Gates floating in the air, the demon beasts surged forth.

They bore a resemblance to beasts, yet each was far more monstrous and larger than one could compare.

It looked as if massive buildings were tumbling down.

Each one was capable of decimating an entire village, prompting all nearby martial artists to hold their breath.

Disaster was imminent.

The seasoned peak of the Red Demon Beast required one to be well-versed in combat to stand a chance alone.

And now, dozens of these monsters were materializing simultaneously.

If they descended here, everything would be obliterated.

Even enduring through the means of justice and agreement had its limits.

Thus, all martial artists were preparing to throw their lives on the line, but

Surely, they had not expected this.

“Be cautious, everyone.”

I sought to confront such a monster.

“It would be wise to keep your eyes closed, as the glare will be intense.”

I meant that I had summoned an even stronger beast.

Flap!

The old man in the fluttering red martial robe drew a line with his finger, pointing downward. And then—

Krrrung—!!!!

Boom–!!!

Lightning began to strike from the sky.

[Kraaaarrr–!!!]

[Kiiyiiik–!!]

Heaven’s wrath came pouring down.

The overwhelming thunder pierced through the demon beasts, raining down upon them.

The formidable White Grade Demon Beasts, known for their astonishing defensive capabilities, were left helpless and perished one after another under the onslaught of the lightning.

[Kyaaaaaaa–!!]

The cries of the demon beasts echoed all around.

The scent of burnt flesh mingled with the air, and the vibrations dominated the surroundings.

The demon beasts, thirsting for carnage, were sequentially extinguished.

“…Huff….”

I swallowed hard at the sight.

‘…That old man…’

Was he really that powerful?

With just a single sword in hand, he was annihilating creatures that could lay waste to Hanam.

He was the Heavenly Lord, one of the Three Eminent Beings, and perhaps the oldest martial artist currently alive, a living legend of the Nangong Clan.

In his heyday, he was said to have taken on thousands of Demonic Sect Martial Artists by himself.

His strength was truly worthy of being called one of the Three Eminent Beings, and his presence emanated that of a being called the Master of the Heavens.

But—

‘It didn’t seem like he was this strong…’

I felt a bit puzzled.

This had been the case since I first heard about the resurrection of dragons from Pildu Ma.

It was a contingency plan for organizing and revising the strategy, given that I anticipated the White Grade Demon Beasts would be stronger than me.

‘Demon beasts are strong.’

Unless one reached the Realm of the Heart, they couldn’t even inflict harm.

Not only was their defense bewildering, but their attacking power was also overwhelming; fighting one alone was a daunting challenge.

However, for my future plans, I had to summon them and hunt them down, which is why I resorted to the method of—

‘If I can’t kill it myself, then I shall summon someone who can.’

If I couldn’t hunt down a White Grade Demon Beast alone, I would summon a being capable of doing so.

Once I solidified my thoughts, I sought the Heavenly Lord.

A powerful ally I could summon at any cost.

Although I had to swallow my pride and manipulate the situation, in the end, he was the only one I could summon.

For some reason, after the instance with the Tang Clan, he had stayed at the Gu Clan with my father and abruptly declared that he needed to earn his keep by doing gatekeeper duty.

Thanks to that, I found myself in a bizarre situation where the Sword Sovereign served him, the Heavenly Lord guarded the house, and the Master of the Martial World trained me.

But anyway.

‘…In any case, I succeeded in summoning him.’

Whatever the case, the Heavenly Lord had arrived in Hanam about two weeks ago at my request, showcasing such powerful prowess.

‘What makes him so strong?’

I couldn’t help but be astonished at the sight of the Heavenly Lord.

He was powerful. That was natural.

How else could he be one of the Three Eminent Beings?

I had faced him a few times in my previous life, and understood his power, thus I always sought to avoid any confrontation.

He was stronger than me. Even compared to my previous life, his level of power had grown beyond mine.

It was only natural for him to be powerful, yet…

‘…He’s far stronger than I expected.’

The Heavenly Lord’s current display of strength was far beyond anything I had anticipated.

With just a flick of his hand, Red Demon Beasts were swept away.

It had been the same in my previous life.

The first time the Red Demon Beast revealed itself, it was the Heavenly Lord who had not only hunted it down but also discovered its weaknesses.

The strategy against Red Demon Beasts had two approaches.

Find the fine gaps in their constant regeneration and target those spots for the kill.

I had established this strategy in the current life by utilizing the Beggar Clan to spread it across the world, which helped mitigate the damage from the Red Demon Beasts.

And the second strategy.

‘Unleash a wager that the barrier cannot withstand.’

The barrier protecting the Red Demon Beasts.

If it absorbed a certain amount of energy, it would break.

At first glance, the second method seemed simpler, but that ‘certain amount’ was an incredibly large quantity, thus the consensus was that most opted for the first strategy.

But.

‘…He’s just using whatever methods he likes!’

It was ludicrous seeing how the Heavenly Lord approached hunting.

Krrrung–!!!

[Kiiyiiik–!!]

A single bolt of lightning obliterated a Red Demon Beast resembling a pig.

It was the Red Fiend Pig, known for its immunity to flames and physical attacks, making it difficult to deal with; it died instantly from a single lightning strike.

There was no need to find a weakness.

The amount of energy contained in the lightning was sufficient to pierce through the barrier.

This meant that I was free from the hassle of hunting for weaknesses.

At present, I had also abandoned the need for finding weaknesses and used the second method, but—

‘To think he could use it even now.’

To utilize that method against all these demon beasts was impossible.

The issue wasn’t just with the wager, but continuously unleashing such overwhelming firepower was incredibly draining.

‘That old man is something else.’

The Heavenly Lord showed no sign of fatigue and continued to unleash thunder.

Krrung-!! Krrrr—–!!!

It was a relentless torrent of devastation.

[Crurururrk-!!]

With each bolt that struck down, demon beasts perished.

I narrowed my eyes at the sight.

‘My wager must surely be larger than his.’

No matter how high the Heavenly Lord’s realm was, in terms of sheer quantity, I believed I had more.

Yet how could he perform such feats?

I couldn’t comprehend.

‘What could be the difference?’

It seemed to be a difference in usage, yet rather than delve into that—

‘Is this what constitutes the Three Eminent Beings?’

I found myself swallowing hard as I confirmed the Heavenly Lord’s presence.

What had I been ignorant of in my previous life?

I felt that my senses were vastly different from back then.

He was the ruler of thunder and skies.

As a practitioner of sword mastery, I finally understood why he was known as the Heavenly Lord and not the Sword Sovereign.

‘…Approaching this level, it feels profoundly different.’

It was likely the first time I was facing one of the Three Eminent Beings head-on since reaching my previous life’s level.

While facing the Master of the Martial World was insignificant, the difference with the Heavenly Lord was clear.

‘It’s a wall.’

That was a wall.

A wall that loomed too high for me to scale yet was something I must eventually overcome.

Such a wall stood in front of me.

“…Ugg…”

Struggling to rise, my body felt heavy.

A slight movement sent pain coursing through my bones.

‘Ah… this is bad.’

My injuries were severe enough to require several months of recovery.

My insides especially ached terribly.

It hurt so much that it cramped the flow of the Tua Pacheonmu technique.

Earlier, my habitual movements almost made me faint.

“Phew… ha…”

I barely managed to breathe while surveying my surroundings.

And thus, I clearly observed the reactions of those around me.

‘These people… didn’t I tell them to close their eyes?’

Even with the Heavenly Lord’s warning, everyone was wide-eyed and gaping.

With thunder flashing like that, aren’t their eyes hurt?

“…T-that person… could it be…”

“Heavenly Lord…?”

“How could it be the Heavenly Lord…?”

Even without seeing his face beneath the red robe, they knew his identity.

They understood that there was only one person capable of conjuring such lightning from the heavens.

Kraaaarrr—-!!!

Just as I thought, another bolt of lightning struck down upon a demon beast.

The beast engulfed in that thunder collapsed lifelessly after being struck.

“…”

That was the end.

What was once over thirty demon beasts, which could have ravaged Hanam if left unchecked, were now completely annihilated by a single older man’s action.

All that remained were the demon corpses and the charred stench of burnt flesh in the air.

In the center of it all, the old man casually turned around and began walking towards me.

He held his sword in hand, yet he hadn’t swung it; all he did was repeat a few hand gestures.

And with that, he had created this calamity.

‘The Heavenly Lord.’

Cold sweat dripped down my back.

‘He’s incredibly strong.’

Exuding this level of presence in so brief a moment.

How could I have been unaware of his strength in my previous life?

Had I just not perceived it before?

‘This isn’t something you can just overlook.’

He possessed abilities finely tuned for the age of war.

The fact that he wielded his sword so sparingly indicates that if he truly fought, he would present an even more overwhelming figure.

It wasn’t something that could simply be overlooked just because I hadn’t seen it in my previous life.

This was across the board bewildering, yet,

“Are you alright?”

I could no longer ponder further as the approaching Heavenly Lord quickly cut off my thoughts.

“…Y-yes… I’m fine.”

“I shall assist you.”

“No need, Elder, and…”

I glanced around, speaking cautiously.

“I’ve mentioned this before, but please… lower your voice. There are too many watching us…”

The term ‘Young Master’ doesn’t suit someone like him, and asking him to lower his voice felt futile.

“I am but a serving man, how can I do so?”

“…”

This is ridiculous.

Whether it’s the Sword Sovereign or the Heavenly Lord, I couldn’t understand why they keep making me uncomfortable.

At this point, I wondered if they were enjoying this.

“The Heavenly Lord is speaking to So Yeomra with such height.”

“W-Why would… that be? I thought So Yeomra was betrothed to the Nangong Clan…”

“If that’s the case… then could it be…?”

Damn it, as expected, strange rumors would soon circulate.

Just as I hastily tried to halt it—

[Kiiy… ki… kiiyik…!]

Everyone turned their heads in response to the sound that arose.

It was not over yet.

The one who had summoned the Red Demon Beast. The dragon was still alive.

However—

‘…It looks like it’s on the verge of death?’

Its state was incredibly pitiful.

Its enormous wings were pockmarked with holes, rendered tattered and ragged. Moreover, its already gaunt physique had become even frailer.

“I refrained from intervening for fear of being meddlesome, or perhaps it was a grave mistake on my part.”

“…”

So that’s why that beast was still alive; it was the old man’s consideration.

Hearing that made me whisper quietly.

“…No, thank you. This was precisely what I needed.”

“I’m glad to hear it was helpful.”

As the old man chuckled, I paced myself as I looked at the dying creature.

It was obvious that it would perish in no time.

‘If I’m not careful, I’ll be too late.’

Letting it die like this would be problematic.

So, I painfully gathered myself and started to move forward.

“Prince…!?”

As I staggered forward, Tang Soyeol rushed to stop me, yet someone blocked her path.

It was Nangong Bi-ah.

“Sister…! What are you doing…?”

“…Wait…”

“But the Prince…!”

“…There must be a reason…”

“…”

Seeing me, Nangong Bi-ah held Tang Soyeol back.

Tang Soyeol wanted to say something but fell silent.

Wi Seol-Ah looked at me anxiously; thankfully, she didn’t take any rash actions.

“W-So Yeomra! What are you doing going alone!”

“It’s dangerous!”

“…Damn it, everyone move! We need to save So Yeomra–!”

All the nearby martial artists seemed of one mind as they approached, but they too could not advance.

Crackling.

A surge of thunder quietly enveloped them.

“Gah….”

While I gasped in shock, the owner of the thunder held an amused smile and said,

“I apologize, but… please hold for a moment. It seems one among them has something to do.”

It was none other than the Heavenly Lord’s words. No one could open their mouths.

“Phew….”

With my exhausted body, I finally reached the demon beast.

[Ki… kiiiiii…]

It was truly in the throes of death.

I cautiously reached out a hand.

Swish.

“…”

The barrier that had surrounded it had long since disappeared.

It seemed to have crumbled long ago out of exhaustion.

Perhaps summoning the beast had been its last struggle.

‘The successful attack when it first resurrected must have made an impact.’

I was indeed right to have fired the Sacred Spear first.

Had I not done so, perhaps I could not have defeated it.

Thinking that, I seized the creature’s neck.

[Ki…i…]

It offered no resistance.

At that moment, I spoke.

“You’ve lost. Accept it.”

[…]

There was no reply.

But really… does it even respond when spoken to?

‘…Will it be meaningless like this?’

If it didn’t accept its defeat, then Tam couldn’t be utilized. Was there nothing to gain from this emotionless creature?

Suddenly, I had my doubts, but it seemed like an exercise in futility.

So I prepared to end it.

Wooowooong.

“…!”

I sensed something around my heart.

Fsssssssss-!!

Immediately, shadows erupted forth, engulfing the creature’s body.

It was Tam.

Crunch.

Kaboom.

Tam emerged and began devouring its power.

“…”

So that works.

I planned to kill it if it didn’t understand, but for some reason, its power responded to me.

After an extended dinner, Tam seemed to finish its meal and returned to the shadows.

Gulp.

“…Phew….”

As I took a deep breath, I felt something seep into my heart.

So this was its power.

Awakening a peculiar sense, I plopped down.

[Kuh…gurgle….]

Having lost its power, the creature began to wither away, much thinner than before. I quietly gazed at it.

It seemed right to conclude that it lacked the strength to kill me.

“Phew….”

With a heavy sigh, I finally took a moment to rest.

[…Ki…ee…go…ma….]

“Hmm?”

The sob sounds mixed with something unfamiliar.

[Thank… you…]

“What?”

A clear human voice.

The creature that had been shrieking moments ago suddenly spoke with a childlike tone.

Surprised by its words, I leapt closer.

“What did you just say…?”

Whiiiii–!

Swish!

Perhaps it finally lost its breath, for the demon beast’s body began to blow away, disintegrating in an instant.

In the aftermath, all that remained on the ground was a white jewel.

It was the White Horse Stone, a testament to its status as a White Grade Demon Beast.

“…”

I narrowed my eyes at the sight.

For reasons I couldn’t comprehend,

I felt distinctly uneasy in my heart.

 

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