The God of War moved no further. From his lips, sealed tight like stone, there came a trace of regret.

He hid no emotion.

Thud—

Meanwhile, the right hand of the Law King, now placed upon the spine of the Four Kings of Dragon Resonance, shimmered with a five-colored radiance.

The Five Thunder Divine Palm of the Podarlap Palace. A divine martial art with no natural nemesis across the vast land distorted the air with its flow.

“I wish to kill the Four Kings of Dragon Resonance, but I remember that the God of War’s extraordinary killing arts are directed only toward the enemy. Is this Northern King still a comrade?”

“Her stored energy is of great use.”

The Southern Emperor, who had been observing the sequence silently, continued without emotion.

“It’s best to suppress her. The God of War must be summoned again with the Law King of the Western Heavens’ formation. And it may prove effective in binding the Lord of the Divine Sword Corps as well.”

“The Funeral of Light has already unfolded with Empty Moon Dance. It won’t take long to reinitiate the formation, so if I and the Heavenly Bow King combine forces, even the Lord of the Divine Sword Corps will dance with a severed waist.”

Said the Law King. A veiled request to be set free. No one answered.

And so, even as the aftermath of the God of War’s strike lingered like temple incense, the only ones with a defined presence within the palace were the Six-Origin Star Army.

The Southern Emperor glanced at the ceiling.

The Heavenly Bow King was at the watchtower outside the Black Capital Palace. The highest point in the Black Capital. A vertical descent would land directly inside the palace. That’s why he could bombard the entire Black Capital.

He inherited the ancient archery divine art of the Yuan Dynasty: the Siamese Fierce Falcon Artillery. A bow technique capable of killing a thousand men in three shots.

Alongside the Heavenly Bow King stood the Lord of Lava Fortress. Even if he’d been repelled by the black-robed ones of the Imperial Fortress, he remained a master of Heavenly Armor.

Thus, the capital of the Demon Realm allowed no proper siege to its enemies.

With their combined force, there was no Northern King who could not challenge the Lord of the Divine Sword Corps. At this moment, it was reasonable to consider killing Jeong Yeon-shin before the formation was activated again.

That’s when the God of War shook his head.

Then, suddenly returning to the altar, he stomped a massive flow of power into the ground beneath his feet, without a sound.

He was fortifying the formation of So Cheonmujuk, who stood like a statue. Preparing for the next manifestation.

“Do not step onto the front lines.”

“The current Lord of the Divine Sword Corps is you.”

The Southern Emperor spoke firmly. The dark clouds shrouding his entire body writhed menacingly. But the God of War shook his head again.

“Even so, there is no individual who can replace a nation. I can kill ten thousand men in a single meal’s time, but a good emperor benefits a hundred million over decades. Which is greater? Besides, you are a supreme master who cannot be struck down by any ambush. Naturally, you are the treasure we must protect to the end.”

“Such useless rhetoric in an age of power.”

“I envy you. Founding Emperor... You are the one who, as a human, may reach the state of Gunreung. We shaped you that way.”

“I’ve prepared countermeasures for the dead Gunreung’s trickery. As you know, this formation can be used twice, so he’ll be summoned again immediately.”

The God of War lightly shrugged.

“No need to boast. After getting hit hard once, I’ve realized not everything goes my way. Even if I fail, so be it.”

When he clenched his fist, the palace roof buckled with a crunch. The blue sky broke through—along with a swallow soaring through the open heavens.

And then.

The lame giant’s gaze met Baekyeon’s. For a moment, the air twisted violently, as if an invisible flame had burst between them.

The massive cripple grinned wide, then slowly tilted his head downward.

“Come down.”

He finished his sentence slowly.

It wasn’t spoken to the swallow. It was a message to the Lord of the Divine Sword Corps. Immediately, the Law King’s voice followed.

“The funeral of the drained Divine Sword will be delayed. We could hibernate here and not miss it.”

His voice, continuing, sounded strangely dry.

“There is no spring in the martial world.”

***

A ridgeline stretched endlessly.

Just before crash-landing under the blade of an outsider, there had been a tale from the one-armed blind man.

—You know what? Supreme masters inevitably bring about incidents. Those who’ve once crossed paths are drawn to one another like fate. Of course, you’ve probably experienced this many times... I suspect it’s the gods of the upper dantian drawing each other in. Just like how we met by chance in the Valley of One Blood.

But the current Lord of Cheongeuk was not as carefree as back then. At this moment, he was racing neck and neck with Jeong Yeon-shin, who carried Joo Gwang-shin on his back.

“Even now, it’s outrageous. Striking while someone was circulating their qi... It’s the sort of act a Black Capital thug might pull. That shouldn’t have happened.”

“Child’s Dream Sword is intact.”

“As he should be.”

A calm threat and unwavering posture. As they exchanged that brief dialogue, a massive city like a Go board unfolded in Jeong Yeon-shin’s view.

Still encased in a bluish Tai Chi. A fierce storm swept past his ears.

Fwoooosh!

After relentless running, they had arrived.

At last—Black Capital.

“A piece of advice: now would be a good time to abandon the Sect Leader. I don’t think you can withstand my ambush with a cripple on your back. And your energy seems drained, too.”

“Child’s Dream Sword is unharmed.”

“And you’re going to confirm that now, aren’t you? If there’s even a crack in your sword soul, you’re a dead man.”

The blind man under the bamboo hat spoke unusually seriously.

In that moment, dry wind fractured and disappeared in streaks. Space cracked with the fluctuation of emotion.

Meanwhile, his observation was correct.

Jeong Yeon-shin had previously enveloped the entire Black Capital in the Namhwa Radiant Tai Chi, and in that state, he had unleashed Empty Moon Dance three times. All to shatter the world’s strongest defensive inner force. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Thanks to the blue Tai Chi, there had been no recoil from the technique. All his acupoints remained intact.

Only, the profound internal energy deep enough to wield Empty Moon Dance thrice had naturally run dry.

Even the three light rings circling nonstop from his heart had slowed in rotation.

All the Northern Kings likely guessed his condition. From within the capital of the Demon Realm, now looming ahead.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t care.

Boom!

He kicked off the ground. It had been a while since he’d left Violent Wind Division and the Blood King’s Red House under Eo Ung-gong’s command. His figure drew a massive arc, soaring across the skies of the Black Capital.

From his back, Joo Gwang-shin chuckled nasally.

“Next time you jump, try winding your energy tightly in a spiral from the Dragon Spring Acupoint before compressing and releasing. The optimal secret technique... is exactly what I taught you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t worry about the black-robed elders. They were not to be pitied, but honored. And in this moment, there was something he absolutely had to do in the Black Capital Palace.

As he split the dusky sky alongside the Lord of Cheongeuk—

—A remarkable move indeed.

Mun Gok’s voice slammed into the soles of his feet. He had already leapt far beyond the Black Capital’s walls. Truly unrestrained.

—The Black Swords before me are quite terrifying, so I’ll leave you to the other Northern Kings. Isn’t your energy depleted? The God of War may already be waiting below.

Before Mun Gok could finish—

Fweeeeeeeeeee—

A massive arrow shot like a spear.

The Heavenly Bow King. The one who had shouted old Yuan words like naadam in the Whipwind Order.

In an instant, a devastating shockwave followed the shaft. A bombardment of archery reminiscent of the Dark Night Tenth-Mile Kill. At that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand blurred.

Boom!

As soon as he snatched the arrow out of the air, he flung it back in the direction it had come from. In that fleeting instant, circular {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} shockwaves burst from his fingertips with a ku-gu-goong—. A heavy recoil dug into his wrist.

It was the last of his force, wrung out to the limit.

His body plummeted toward the city.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t check whether the arrow had struck the Heavenly Bow King directly. He simply landed silently in front of the Shingeom Samdan.

Among the rearguard seniors he’d ordered to fall back—where the blue-clad elite of Resonance Division were mixed in.

Step—

“You see? As you are now, you wouldn’t even withstand a single strike of mine...”

“Resonance Division, resupply.”

Jeong Yeon-shin gave the quiet order.

The blue-clad Resonance Division members were not shaken by the sudden appearance of their Master. With blank expressions, they calmly released pale energy.

Secret Martial Art

Path-Entering Grand Technique

More than half of them had ears long and sharp like sword blades. Though they hadn’t achieved the Tri-Flower Harmonization, many had cultivated internal energy for over sixty years.

In terms of endurance, they were said to be the strongest in the Divine Sword Corps.

Wooooong!

The energy reservoir filled at breakneck speed.

The radiance of Jeong Yeon-shin’s heart began to whirl fiercely once more, then roared out from within his body like thunder.

It felt as natural and smooth as if the energy had originally been cultivated by Jeong Yeon-shin himself.

It was indeed a secret martial art.

The most crucial resupply for the Master of the Divine Sword Corps had been completed in an instant. The blind man in a bamboo hat beside him seemed momentarily at a loss for words and murmured,

“Ipwang Fortress...”

By now, nearly two hundred members of the Shingeom Samdan had formed a perimeter around their Master. A brief moment of protection.

Then Jeong Yeon-shin stomped the ground with a thud and soared upward—issuing a command as he did so, through Liuhe Transmission.

[Advance to Heukdo Palace. The Lord of the Lava Fortress will handle the Outsider’s Blade.]

“Hm? That’s going a bit far, don’t you think? Why should I...?”

From the ground, the Lord of the Heavenly Extreme Sect’s voice trailed off mid-sentence.

Already, something like a lump of pure heat was tearing past the spot where Child’s Dream’s blade had fallen—an overwhelming form of movement.

It was unmistakably the Lord of the Lava Fortress, hot on Jeong Yeon-shin’s trail.

The Outsider’s gaze, which had been warping space, dropped away from Jeong Yeon-shin. The Lord of the Heavenly Extreme Sect’s voice turned toward the surge of intense heat.

“Hold it. Just a moment.”

That was as far as it went.

Jeong Yeon-shin briefly pushed all thoughts of the ground from his mind. He also ignored the martial forces across the vast city reacting to his presence.

“The Northern King! The Northern King has arrived!”

“Don’t try to stop him recklessly! The Heavenly Bow King is watching from above!”

“He killed the Ultimate King! There’s a limit to human skill!”

The Northern King. A high King.

The most revered figures of the Demon Realm.

The belief in them was overwhelming. And they were indeed beings worthy of such immense trust. How many Northern Kings had made Jeong Yeon-shin suffer up to now?

The old sect masters of the Demon Realm, the Thirteen Heavens Lords, the Eight House Lords...

The moment his foot touched the roof of a palace, he felt a single gaze distinctly. It was the Heavenly Bow King’s.

Incredibly deep and heavy. A divine martial art technique once sensed from Bukdo—the Radiant Light of the Yuan Dynasty.

It felt as if his body had become a target.

In that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin supported the Ju Gwang Shinga with one hand and summoned indigo-blue flames in the other. Then he vanished from his spot.

Fwoosh—

From where he’d stood, a shimmering trail of light extended like smoke all the way to the top of Heukdo Palace. A single thread-like afterimage rippled silently, connecting the earth and the palace.

Even though the distance spanned over a dozen ri...

It was the prelude to a movement worthy of being called the Fastest Under Heaven.

“...!”

The next moment, Jeong Yeon-shin stood atop the watchtower of Heukdo Palace, his back to a diminutive archer.

A man radiating the overwhelming presence of an absolute master, and yet Jeong Yeon-shin rested an elbow on the stone wall like a carefree drifter, not even looking back.

He simply gazed out over the vast, distant horizon.

“...This is something to be envious of. You are one who truly enjoys the naadam of a single instant.”

The Heavenly Bow King muttered praise, as though reciting the battle style of a man suited for short duels.

BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM—!

Explosions of translucent shockwaves burst in a line along the path Jeong Yeon-shin had taken. At the same time, a dark-blue thread appeared across the Heavenly Bow King’s neck.

The shockwave caught up and even the watchtower itself burst apart. The Heavenly Bow King’s head rolled off his body.

Crunch.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood atop a falling piece of stone wall.

And began to fall with it.

No roof.

The inside of the palace lay completely exposed.

It was a place brimming with unimaginably powerful energy. Perhaps due to the formation triggered by the God of Combat’s return, the force of martial energy within was palpable.

A silver-lit altar.

The Invincible of the Small Heavens clad in violet long robes, even bearing the Thunder Hammer. Around her stood six Northern Kings. And a limping man looking up at them with an amused face. Debris from the collapsing watchtower rained down on them—and amid it all, the lone falling figure of the Master of the Divine Sword Corps.

“As expected.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke slowly.

“There’s no chance of winning alone.”

It came out as calmly as something Yong Hui-myeong might say, yet despite that, many of the Northern Kings’ eyes flared wide.

Jeong Yeon-shin landed in one corner of the palace.

And behind him... the Heavenly Bow King’s head rolled to a stop.

But in this moment, what Jeong Yeon-shin felt over his shoulder wasn’t some severed head of a Northern King—

It was the presence of the Seventeenth Unit of the Divine Sword Corps.

Comrades who, in the chaos of battle, would make him a god of war with no defeats.

“......”

The hall filled with wide-eyed shock and gazes as if looking at a madman.

Rumble...

Amid the countless shards of stone falling like rain, the Master of the Divine Sword Corps rose to his feet.