Several days had passed since the finals of the Yongbong Gathering, and Seo-jun and his party were departing Hanam.

Not long before their departure, Seo-jun had reluctantly attended a final meeting of the elders from the Sixteen Noble Houses. However, the discussion was not much different from previous ones.

The only new matter was the emergence of a new Grand Demon (Daemadu) in Gorang County, Gansu Province.

Since Seo-jun was more aware of Cheon Seo-jun’s existence than anyone else, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

The elders concluded the meeting by agreeing to increase vigilance against the Demonic Cult (Magyo).

“Haha, I’ll take a recommendation for dinner tonight.”
“A recommendation? What do you mean, Master He Do-jin?”
“It means I’m asking for suggestions on what to eat. It’s a phrase young people use these days.”
“Huh, so this is what it feels like to witness the generation gap. Time really flies.”

Though Master He Do-jin flaunted his MZ appeal, it wasn’t a major event.

In the carriage leaving Hanam, Seo-jun, despite it being a joyous day of returning home, found himself glancing nervously at Chun-bong.

“What.”
“Huh? No, it’s just… nothing.”
“......”

Chun-bong’s glare was sharp.

Over the past few days, Chun-bong had been in a bad mood. At first, after the Chun-bong Kiss Incident, she had been flustered and hopping around in embarrassment for a day or two. But as time passed, her mood suddenly plummeted.

What’s going on?

Even Seo-jun, who held a PhD in Chun-bong psychology, couldn’t figure out the reason.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so why…?

Then, a realization hit him.

“Oh, is it that time of the month?”

Namgung Su-a’s horrified gaze shot at him from the side, followed by Chun-bong’s dropkick.

“Urgh…! No, wait! Why?!”
“You…! Just die already…!”

The first day passed uneventfully like that.

By the next day, perhaps thanks to the lullabies Seo-jun sang to her all night, Chun-bong’s mood had slightly improved.

Relieved, Seo-jun gazed out the carriage window.

“Spring is already over.”

When they’d arrived in Hanam, it had been snowing. Now, it was nearly summer.

Time flowed like this. Soon enough, thirty would come, then forty, fifty, a hundred, five hundred, a thousand….

Hmph.

Still, a thousand years didn’t feel like it would come so quickly. By then, he’d probably be called a walking fossil, and it wouldn’t be much of an issue.

“I don’t want to grow old.”
“What’s that, you brat?”

The oldest among them, Pae Jin-gwang, chimed in from the leading carriage, poking his head out the window.

“You’ll get old soon enough, brat.”
“Hey, old man.”
“What.”
“How old are you, really?”
“I don’t know. I stopped counting after five hundred. Probably over seven hundred.”
“Wow, you’re a legit walking boomer fossil….”
“Are you challenging me to a duel?”
“I’ll pass.”

Seo-jun sheepishly scratched his head.

It was a peaceful moment. Apart from minor incidents, there was no way anything major would happen in Hanam. Even if something did, the strength gathered here was enough to overwhelm most great sects.

Everything should’ve been fine. Logically, at least.

Huh?

Just as a strange sensation brushed the edge of Seo-jun’s Qi sense, a crimson pillar descended from the sky.

Blood?

Before the thought even fully formed, his body moved.

The pillar was enormous, large enough to crush the entire area. If left unchecked, it would flatten the carriages and everyone with them.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt────

Within the realm of instinct, Seo-jun’s inner energy spiraled into a Reverse Tai Chi formation and shot into the sky.

The Reverse Celestial Sun and Moon Art pierced the center of the crimson pillar.

CRACK! The pillar shattered, sending shards raining down on the group.

“Ack!”
“My arm…!”

The shards tore through the air, ripping apart the limbs of warriors.

While the masters at the Extreme Pinnacle level managed to block most of the fragments, it was impossible to stop them all.

Several warriors from the Namgung Clan were injured and fell.

Seo-jun’s eyes lit up brightly.

“Fall back, all of you.”

The inner energy of Mixed Origin Divine Art surged and concentrated at his fingertips. Something was approaching rapidly. With the intense will to pierce, Seo-jun unleashed Reverse Tai Chi.

Piercing the Heavens (Gwanchun).

CRAAAAASH─────

The projection of his intent tore through space and struck its target.

BOOM!

It collided with a crimson barrier, and through the gap, a figure emerged, smirking.

“Not even close…, hm?”

The figure staggered momentarily, as if pressed by an invisible weight. Realizing the attack had carried an embedded intent, the man furrowed his brow.

“Impertinent brat….”

He waved his hand.

“Urk…!”
“Cough…!”

The wounded warriors struck by the fragments twitched violently. Moments later, they went still—dead.

Seo-jun instantly spread a barrier of Qi.

WHOOSH—

The expanding curtain of energy sealed off the miasma emanating from the corpses.

Poison.

This was bad. Seo-jun’s eyes darted quickly.

In the carriage: Chun-bong, Namgung Su-a, Namgung Myeong.
In the leading carriage: Pae Jin-gwang, Namgung Hyeok, and Jang Geuk.
Outside: the remaining warriors of the Namgung Clan.

Seo-jun scrutinized the man. His aura was peculiar. Unlike other masters of the Transformation Stage, he didn’t feel integrated with the space around him.

Instead, the stench of blood was overwhelming. He wasn’t even at the Extreme Pinnacle level. Similar to the Transformation Stage, but different. In that case…

Seo-jun made a quick decision.

“Stay here. Don’t move.”

Leaping out of the carriage, Seo-jun climbed onto its roof, locking eyes with the man.

Pae Jin-gwang, Namgung Hyeok, and Jang Geuk also disembarked, gazing up at the figure in the sky.

Behind the man, four others dressed in black emerged.

Without taking his eyes off the man, Seo-jun asked, “Old man, do you know him?”
“No. Never seen him before.”
“You’re sure?”
“…Blood Arts.”

Blood Arts? That explained the strong stench of blood.

Seo-jun frowned slightly, but Jang Geuk and Namgung Hyeok reacted differently.

“Blood Arts? Are you saying he’s from the Blood Cult?”

Namgung Hyeok’s words made Pae Jin-gwang shake his head.

“That’s impossible. The Blood Cult was eradicated down to its roots. We tracked and killed every remnant and their martial techniques. There shouldn’t be any survivors.”

The man in the sky, who had been graciously waiting during their conversation, clicked his tongue.

“I’ve given you plenty of time. Not that it matters—you won’t know me. I am Shihyeol Mancheon.”

The man who initiated the attack was exceedingly arrogant.

Seo-jun struggled to keep his rising temper in check. Losing control wasn’t an option here. Chun-bong, Namgung Su-a, and Namgung Myeong were in the carriage. Protecting them while fighting wouldn’t be easy.

The Namgung Clan’s warriors were already dead, a grim annoyance, but any misstep could lead to even more casualties.

Shihyeol Mancheon continued speaking.

“I know that woman Geum Hee is here. Hand her over, and I’ll let the rest of you go unharmed.”

“…Bastard.”

CRACK! Seo-jun shattered his inner core on the spot. The sudden imbalance in his Qi, Spirit, and Essence caused a massive surge of energy.

This is a mess.

Seo-jun didn’t want to resort to Demonic Transformation. The last time he had come dangerously close to losing control. This time would likely be worse. But against this opponent, he had no choice.

CRACKLE—

A long horn sprouted from Seo-jun’s head, followed by two pairs of arms extending from his sides.

Shihyeol Mancheon’s expression twisted. He hadn’t anticipated this. Now was the perfect moment.

WHOOOOSH────

In an instant, six streams of Reverse Celestial Sun and Moon Art shot forth.

Shihyeol Mancheon clicked his tongue.

“You reject mercy.”

If they’d simply handed over the Divine Blood, he would’ve granted them a painless death.

BOOM! Streams of blood shot out from Shihyeol Mancheon’s sleeves, intercepting the six attacks.

“Hm…!”

Shihyeol Mancheon’s eyes widened. The power behind the attacks was abnormal. Adding more force, he deflected the energy upwards, scattering it into the sky.

“This brat….”

It stung his pride. To think he’d had to deflect an attack from a mere Pinnacle Stage Qi technique. Shihyeol Mancheon growled, issuing a command.

"Take care of the Fist King."
"……."

The four figures in black silently lunged toward Pae Jin-gwang.

Seo-jun’s gaze remained fixed on Shihyeol Mancheon. Jang Geuk and Namgung Hyeok, rather than acting hastily, stood vigilant against him.

The top priority was protecting the carriage. Poison filled the area, and if Seo-jun moved too far from the carriage, the passengers inside would be poisoned.

The warriors of the Namgung Clan, who had already been outside the carriage, had succumbed to the poison and perished. Even Pinnacle Stage warriors were unable to resist it.

Clinging to his fading rationality, Seo-jun spoke.

"Ignore his blood arts and just kill him."

Immediately, Jang Geuk and Namgung Hyeok sprang into action.

Seo-jun sat cross-legged on the roof of the carriage, forming hand seals with his six hands.

With the unfolding of his incantation, dozens of pillars shot up from the ground.

Riding the surge of one of the pillars, Jang Geuk leapt high, coating his blade with internal energy.

Great Spirit Divine Art (Georyeong Singong).

Jang Geuk was a genius. While standing beside Seo-jun might make him seem overshadowed, it was quite the opposite.

Following the paths of already established martial arts posed little difficulty for Jang Geuk. By mastering the techniques Seo-jun had created, he had grown far stronger than before.

A faint silhouette of a giant loomed behind him as his sharpened instincts reached their peak.

"Your arrogance knows no bounds."

Shihyeol Mancheon’s expression twisted. Ignore his blood arts? That meant they were confident they could withstand them.

"Let’s see you try."

SPLASH!

An overwhelming torrent of blood erupted from Shihyeol Mancheon’s body.

The massive wave surged toward Jang Geuk.

Seo-jun, who had anticipated the attack, fired a massive sphere of energy created between his six palms.

It was the Mixed Origin Sun and Moon Art (Honwon Ilwolgong).

BOOOOOOM────────────!!!

A colossal hole was blasted through the blood wave. Through it, Jang Geuk advanced, his eyes glinting with a green hue.

"You’ve chosen the wrong opponent…!"

To challenge his lord with Qi techniques, the enemy would need to be at the Transformation Stage (Hwagyeong) or higher.

The enemy’s momentum was impressive, but it lacked the telltale signs of a Transformation Stage master, one with a seamless unity with their surroundings. Without that, their Qi techniques were meaningless.

As Jang Geuk soared forward, his instincts screamed a chilling alarm.

"Hmph…!"

He twisted his body just in time as droplets of blood materialized midair and shot toward him.

How?

He wasn’t facing a Transformation Stage master… was he? But there was no time to ponder.

I can’t dodge them all…!

Jang Geuk enveloped his body in defensive energy. A futile effort.

"Ignore it and just kill him."

The Five Elements—Water, Blood Manipulation (Oheng, Su, Johyeol).

The droplets of blood froze in midair. Shihyeol Mancheon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"How…?"

Namgung Hyeok seized the opening. His technique, Azure Sky Falling to Form the Great Sea (Changchung Nakha Seongdaehae), unfolded immediately.

A small domain manifested atop his sword, within which an ever-expanding sea crashed down toward Shihyeol Mancheon.

Shihyeol Mancheon extended a palm. CRASH! A light wave of his hand destroyed Namgung Hyeok’s ultimate technique.

Jang Geuk, charging in from behind, was also flung away with a sweeping motion.

Ignoring them, Shihyeol Mancheon’s eyes remained locked onto Seo-jun.

"What sorcery is this…!"

It wasn’t unusual for the enemy’s Qi techniques to be strong. But to interfere with his own Qi arts? That was another matter entirely—an impossibility.

His fury surged as Shihyeol Mancheon’s eyes turned a deep crimson.

Seo-jun, observing him, nodded.

I see now.

That was the Hwagyeong of Blood Arts (Hyeolgong). Unlike the orthodox Transformation Stage, which creates a unified space of essence and Qi, Shihyeol Mancheon had dissolved his essence into his blood.

Did it have a special name?

He wasn’t interested.

Seo-jun unleashed six consecutive Reverse Celestial Sun and Moon Art (Yeokcheon Ilwolgong) strikes.

Shihyeol Mancheon’s expression twisted further as he attempted to interfere. This was personal now. If anyone could interfere with Qi techniques, it should be him, not this brat.

The overwhelming density of his blood Qi dominated the surrounding energy, trying to scatter Seo-jun’s attacks.

Or so he thought.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH──────────

There was no effect. The Reverse Celestial Sun and Moon Art surged forward unimpeded. Shihyeol Mancheon ground his teeth.

"What are you…!"

It made no sense. The boy’s cultivation was clearly at the Pinnacle Stage. This shouldn’t be possible.

Using streams of blood to envelop and deflect the attacks, Shihyeol Mancheon’s crimson eyes glinted.

"Fine…! I see how it is."

He discarded any pretense of holding back, summoning his full strength.

Judging by the situation, the Fist King was weaker than anticipated. Despite living for so many centuries, his reliance on external martial arts had its limits.

He had overestimated the Fist King. Now that he knew better, there was no need to conserve his strength.

SPLURT! Shihyeol Mancheon’s body transformed into pure blood, his aura exploding exponentially.

BOOM!

His elongated form closed the distance to Seo-jun in an instant. The sheer speed was absurd.

Jang Geuk and Namgung Hyeok couldn’t even react. Seo-jun, however, sensed it through the horns on his head. Face to face with Shihyeol Mancheon, their eyes met.

"I’ll admit, you’re remarkable."

Shihyeol Mancheon thrust his palm forward, a massive blade of dark crimson energy forming above it. It was Toxic Blood Qi (Dokhyeolgang).

Through his elongated pupils, Seo-jun saw it.

I can’t nullify this.

The difference in cultivation was too great. The fact that he was holding his own at all was already a miracle.

Remaining seated, Seo-jun activated Dominating Demon Deity Art (Paeryeok Gwisinmu).

Six fists collided with Shihyeol Mancheon’s strike.

BOOOOOM────────────!!!

He deflected as much of the impact as he could, but it wasn’t enough. The carriage roof was blown away, and Chun-bong, Namgung Su-a, and Namgung Myeong stared in shock at Seo-jun.

Blood trickled from Seo-jun’s mouth as six hands swirled with the energy of the Reverse Celestial Sun and Moon Art.

But Shihyeol Mancheon was faster. His blood-transformed body twisted unnaturally as his palm slammed into Seo-jun’s abdomen.

SPLURT!

The sickening sound of wet flesh tearing filled the air as Seo-jun’s body shattered into pieces, scattering in all directions.

"Brother────!!"

Chun-bong’s heart-wrenching scream tore through the air as Shihyeol Mancheon smirked.

"Don’t worry, you’re next."

DRIP, DRIP—blood connected the fragments of Seo-jun’s body. It wasn’t his doing.

"What…?"

Shihyeol Mancheon’s eyes widened as the shattered remains of Seo-jun reassembled, like a web of crimson threads binding them together.

The fragments formed a perfect array.

Reverse Heavens, Reverse Tai Chi, Piercing the Heavens (Yeokcheon, Yeoktaegeuk, Gwanchun).

BOOOOOM────────────!!!

A massive column of energy pierced the sky.

Within the array of fragmented flesh, blood threads pulled the pieces back together.

DRIP, DRIP—Seo-jun’s body reformed. Finally, his head settled atop his neck.

Dressed in a blood-forged garment, Seo-jun gazed at the chaotic pillar he had created. From within its core, a figure burst forth.

"You… what are you?"

It was Shihyeol Mancheon, missing one arm.

DRIP, DRIP—his blood extended, reforming the lost limb.

Jang Geuk and Namgung Hyeok hurriedly stepped between Seo-jun and Shihyeol Mancheon.

"My lord… are you alright…?"

Seo-jun said nothing. His eyes were void of light. His rationality was gone.

Instead, three grotesque flowers bloomed behind his head.

SQUELCH──

Countless eyes on the flowers fixed their gaze on Shihyeol Mancheon.

Seo-jun, too, looked at him. His partially reattached neck twisted unnaturally before snapping back into place.

"A mere insect dares─."

Higher. Even higher.

It’s not enough. To rip him apart, I need more power.

One sole desire rooted itself within him.

Seo-jun’s eyes turned crimson.