Chun Woo-myung’s eyelids flickered. It was surprising that the rotten corpse spoke, but it was more surprising that he recognized his sword technique.

‘What is it?’

He wasn’t alive. His skin was rotting, and his eyes were dazed like the others.

The monster shouted.

“D…De… Demon Godddd!”

“Demon God?”

Phat!

There was no time to talk; the monster went straight for Chun Woo-myung.

“Shit!”

Hu Bong managed to move forward.

Wheik!

Hu Bong used his Sword and Flame Qi simultaneously, and the monster was engulfed in flames.

‘Amazing.’

Yun Ja-seo, who was watching, admired it. How many people in the world could wield their sword so greatly?

‘As expected of the Flame Emperor!’

That was Hu Bong’s title.

Yun Ja-seo had identified him. There weren’t many people who could use Flame Qi and Illusion Sword technique in Murim. As a result, he was surprised, yet he wasn’t relieved. This was because the Sky Demon Order was their enemy.

Chachacha!

At that time, the monster looked at the trajectory of the flames. His blade cut the trajectory of the flames by drawing a line with subversive momentum.

‘Huh?’

As a result, Hu Bong’s eyes widened as the monster spread the technique. It was the same with Chun Woo-myung.

‘This blade technique?’

Surprisingly, the blade technique that monster was unleashing was something they knew all too well. It had disappeared into history now, but even 20 years ago, it was called the strongest blade technique.

Phat!

Hu Bong avoided the sharp blade flying through the gaps in his technique by spreading his footwork. But the monster continued to unleash his form at Hu Bong.

‘Damn it!’

Hu Bong was experienced, but the monster’s blade technique was so exquisitely aimed at the neck. At that moment, a sharp sword pierced into the monster’s side.

Chasl!

With that, he changed the direction of the blade to block it.

“Demon… God!”

The monster’s expression contorted with anger.

It was none other than Chun Woo-myung who spread the sword towards him. He intervened to save Hu Bong.

“What are you? Why are you saying my father’s name….”

Shh!

Before Chun Woo-myung could even finish his words, the monster’s blade came for his head.

Bang!

But then the floor sank, and both missed their balance.

“You need to be careful, Young Master!”

It was Ko Wang-suk who made the floor sink. If she were a little late, Chun Woo-myung would have been beheaded.

“Mouse like… things… always… around!”

Pak!

Furious, the monster slammed the blade to the ground. Sharp eight-pointed energy rose from the bottom and aimed for Chun Woo-myung.

Hu Bong and Ko Wang-suk shouted at the same time.

“That is!”

They knew this well.

It was of the Blade God Six Martial clan’s 7th formation, the Eightfold Blade. Knowing this meant knowing the gap.

Phat!

The three of them moved back at the same time. However, the changes in the energy points were so fast that they couldn’t avoid altogether.

Chachang!

Hu Bong and Chun Woo-myung responded with swords simultaneously, and Ko Wang-suk used her hand with internal energy.

Chachahca!

‘What sharp control!’

Despite knowing what was being done, they couldn’t help but feel inferior to it. One of the rogues watching them said,

“Leader. Let’s run away.”

“Run?”

“Well, they are the Demonic Cult members. If they die fighting that one, we have nothing to lose. Let’s run now.”

What was said was true, but Yun Ja-seo frowned.

Wasn’t it nice for the cult that they hate to lose people? Besides, this monster was too strong.

‘There is no hope.’

Instead, they might be dragged into danger if they stated they couldn’t help.

“Please! Leader!”

At their words, Yun Ja-seo hesitated.

‘We need to go….’

However, he couldn’t move. Despite what happened, these people helped them till here. And they were definitely companions for a short while.

“Leader!”

Another yelled.

“You people run.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am Yun Ja-seo! Although my clan is closed, at least the teachings of the clan haven’t been erased from my heart!”

“N-No way!”

“I have received grace so I will repay it!”

Phat!

With that, Yun Ja-seo desperately moved, trying to use the sword of the Qingcheng sect.

“Brother Chun! Brother Hu! I will help!”

Chachachak!

He aimed at the back of the monster, which was focusing on the three people simultaneously. And since he was looking from afar, he knew how to move. No matter how strong the monster was, he couldn’t defend himself when battling three people.

However…

Bang! Papapak!

“Kuak!”

As the monster took a step, the rocks flew up, blocked the sword, and struck him on the chest.

“Kuak!”

Blood gushed from his mouth!

“Brother Yun!”

Chun Woo-myung, who was dealing with the monster, shouted. To which he smiled.

‘Foolish bastard. How can he be that kind?’

After all that had happened, the child still looked for him. At least, he felt like he didn’t deviate from the clan’s teaching, and that felt fine to Yun Ja-seo.

Pak!

’!?’

But someone suddenly came and supported him.

And a shadow appeared in front and spread a sword which stopped the stones.

Chachacha!

“Kuak!”

Since the level was low, the stones pierced, and the three fell down. Yun Ja-seo was shocked at the faces he saw.

“You people!”

They were the ones who wanted to run. Holding the aching stomach, one of them said,

“Ugh… Leader… you were turning us into cowards.”

Yun Ja-seo said in a trembling voice.

“You have to rebuild the clan….”

“I don’t know about that, and like the leader said, those Demonic Cult ones seemed like nice people. So let’s do this together.”

Nangin, who’s one of them, reached for Yun Ja-seo.

“Let’s help….”

He took his hand and stood up.

“It’s them!!”

The three were ready to run when Chun Woo-myung shouted.

“Don’t come!”

With their level, handling the monster would be tough. Chun Woo-myung was able to deal with the monster because they knew about the monster’s techniques.

“We cannot do that. We will all live!”

If they hadn’t helped, the rogues would have run, but not anymore, which moved Chun Woo-myung.

Even if their relationship started off weirdly, they all felt righteous for some reason.

‘They will die.’

And Chun Woo-myung didn’t want that to happen. So he decided to do his best.

The Unification of Energy induced into the Sword Force of the Sky Demon.

‘Too tough!’

Crack!

All the energies were gathered, which made the wind rise around, and all concentrated on the tip of Chun Woo-myung’s sword.

‘The Young Lord is trying to win! Then!’

Hu Bong, who understood it, began to use the Illusion Sword technique and Ko Wang-suk, too, did the same.

The three used the best of theirs at the same time.

It was then.

“Ki…ds…!”

Something hazy appeared in the hand of the monsters. It wasn’t sword energy, but…

“Invisible Blade!”

Something which could only be achieved by those at the Divine Master level. The Blade God Six Martial clan technique would now unfold more strongly.

Papapa!

Six people were thrown out at once.

“Kuak!”

“Ack!”

Two rogues were torn into a pile of meat, and Yun Ja-seo couldn’t be much greater. He, too, tried to block it, but his right arm was cut off while trying.

“Kuck!”

Chun Woo-myung coughed blood and looked at Hu Bong and Ko Wang suk. Ko Wang-suk looked terrible, but Hu Bong took most of the attack, trying to protect them.

“Uncle Hu!”

“Young Lord… cough….”

Thud!

Hu Bong was on his knee. Fortunately, he had regenerative power, so he didn’t lose his life.

‘My arms don’t have the strength anymore….’

Ko Wang-suk had blocked it with her arms. She used energy on it to protect her body. However, she knew that she couldn’t move like that again.

‘If only I wasn’t stubborn….’

Chun Woo-myung regretted it. If only he wasn’t after the thoughts of some adventure.

Step!

The monster walked towards them. Looking at it, he knew that there was no hope.

Then the monster said,

“You… are.. not… Demon… God… kid…”

It seemed like the monster knew he wasn’t the Demon God, and Chun Woo-myung shouted,

“Who are you? How do you know that technique?”

From what he knew, that clan was already annihilated, and whoever was alive was in hiding. Everyone from that clan who survived hated his father. Then who is this one?

The monster answered him.

“I… am… the… Blade… Lord… of the….”

“What?”

HU Bong was shocked.

’… no way.’

The Blade Lord represents the clan, and he already died at Chun Yeowun’s hands. There was no way that man could have survived.

“No. You are the Blade Lord?”

At Hu Bong’s words, the monster smiled weirdly.

“I left… and… came… back… from….”

‘Back from the dead?’

Shh!

Whether they were shocked or not, the monster declared itself as the Blade Lord and lifted the Invisible Blade, ready to take them down.

“Stop. Blade Lord.”

A voice from somewhere was heard, and the blade that was about to strike stopped.

Step! Step!

At that moment, a black figure moved into the misty forest, and it was a middle-aged man giving out some weird cold energy.

‘Tremendous.’

Clench!

Hu Bong clenched his hand, ready to jump in. With this power alone, this man had surpassed the Blade Lord. He couldn’t understand why the man wasn’t famous in the Murim.

“Why… am… i… asked… to… stop?”

The white-haired man smiled.

“These are sacrifices to draw out the Demon God.”

“What?!”

At that, both Hu Bong and Chun Woo-myung stood up in anger. They said they were going to be sacrificed to bring out Demon God.

“Idiots.”

Shh!

The middle-aged man held out his hand, and the chill spread around, making their bodies freeze.

Jjkkk!

“Huh?”

“Ice Qi?”

Their bodies were trapped in it.

“Do you think you have locked me up like this?!”

Whei…

Hu bong tried to melt it, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t move and almost exhausted his Qi.

“No.”

Hu Bong was shocked when the white-haired man said,

“If you have any intention to stay alive, stay till. Hu Bong, Demon God’s first subordinate.”

The man knew who Hu Bong was, which made him more furious.

“How dare you bastard!”

“How long will you be this great in the jaws of a tiger?”

“What?”

Thud!

Then, the ground shook.

Thud!

However, it wasn’t an earthquake.

Thud…

‘T-this…’

There was something huge that was making the entire place resonate. Eerie energy shook.

Creepy!

The atmosphere was enough to make them feel fear. All three of them were shocked when something huge came from the fog.

‘Mon…ster!’

At the palace of the Crown Prince in the Imperial Palace…

Bang!

The table was broken into two, and the one who did it was the Crown Prince.

He had an irritated face, different from what he had in front of the Emperor.

He spoke to the man in an official robe in front of the table.

“Didn’t I suffer shame after doing what you said?”

“I apologize.”

The officer with him dropped his gaze and apologized. The prince’s anger was still there, so he grabbed the man by the collar.

“Can we really deal with the damned cult if we do this?”

“Huhu. It will be done.”

The man comforted him and pulled something from his sleeve. It was a scroll.

“You need to listen to it clearly. Now, could you let me go?”

“Huh!”

The Crown Prince let go of the collar, and the man smiled as he opened the scroll.

Inside the scroll was some bizarre entity, which made the Crown Prince ask in disgust.

“What is that?”

“Do you know of the old legends?”

The Crown Prince asked,

“That book with legends written in it?”

“Well, you might see it that way. However, didn’t the Crown Prince look at the Ghoul with his own eyes?”

Ghoul.

It meant a dead body.

“Are you talking about that ugly thing?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you get such a thing?”

The Crown Prince was curious about it. He wondered how this person got a dead being.

“Crown Prince, various beings were talked about in those records. Do you know which of them is the most?”

“… how will I know of it?”

“Huhuhu. My noble Crown Prince.”

“Are you disrespecting this Crown Prince?”

“Why would I ever? There are three great yokai which are known to have existed for a long time. And are called the Three Yokai.”

“Three?”

Three Yokai. It refers to the evilest beings in the world. And the term yokai wasn’t coined for nothing. The Crown Prince took the scroll and said,

“… is this that?”

“Huhu. Right. Precisely. It’s one of the three.”

“One of the three?”

And the man said,

“Not some mere existence. This being in here is the king of the dead that the dead worships too! A giant monster which is said to be the beginning of end!”

“King of… dead!”

Just the title sent a shiver down his spine. The Crown Prince then asked.

“What… what after it?”

“The leader of…. No, Demon God Chun Yeowun is a human who has crossed normal realm.”

“Huh!”

Right, he witnessed that, so he didn’t deny it. With the power Chun Yeowun showed, no wonder the Murim was unified under him, and he was recognized as the strongest by everyone.

The man continued to speak.

“But this being is on another level.”

“What do you mean? This one is going to take care of that man?”

Despite pretending to be bold, the Crown Prince who saw the Demon God couldn’t feel that this monster would take him down. However, it didn’t matter now.

As a result, it didn’t matter if the giant monster was good or bad; he just wanted that man dead.

The man smiled.

“Well, the King of the Dead can easily kill the Demon God.”

“Easily kill?”

“He is a giant monster known to be the strongest of the Three Yokai. How can a human, called Demon God, handle it? What we…”

“Interesting.”

’!?’

At the unfamiliar voice, the man stopped talking. It was made sure that everyone had moved away from the Crown Prince’s room. So even the Crown Prince went stiff.

“Crown… Prince?”

He was looking at the man with a fearful expression. And the man turned his head. Behind him was a man with a black robe and a dragon pattern on it.

“Ugh!”

Surprised by that, he tried to move and attack. But nothing happened as the moment his fist touched, it broke.

Crack!

“Kuaak!”

The man groaned with an aching hand. The Golden Gumiho with nine tails looked at the scroll that was on the floor.

“Strongest of the three? Since when did he turn as the strongest? Such a joke.”

The golden fox moved around. The Golden Gumiho looked down and smiled.

“Demon… God…”

It was Chun Yeowun. The Crown Prince couldn’t shut his mouth, which was opened due to the shock.