The fierce battle on the battlefield abruptly halted in the face of the majestic destruction.
“Crazy···.”
“Ha!”
Amidst the swirling dust, the majority of the crowd stared wide-eyed at the massive mushroom cloud that engulfed the city.
It was only natural since none had ever seen such a spectacle before.
In this world, the technology to handle gunpowder was rudimentary at best, making such a colossal explosion almost impossible to achieve.
Not to mention, wasn’t that caused solely by the energy emitted from a single creature?
‘···Could it really be the legendary dragon? The power to obliterate a city. How absurd.’
Jung Cheon, a master and general participating in this operation from the Northern Army, the largest military faction controlling parts of Shanxi and Gansu, squinted and clicked his tongue.
Being close to Beijing, he understood the importance of this situation, plus he had the plea of his lord Wangya, so he chose to engage in battle, but he held a strong confidence and pride in his abilities.
There was no need to mention the martial prowess honed through countless real battles and wars.
‘But that··· seems impossible. If that landed right in the middle of the army.’
He glanced at the twin halberd in his hand and twitched his eyebrows.
Though he alone on this battlefield was a one-man army, most of his abilities were derived from individual combat.
The thought of launching an attack that could wipe out an entire army was something he had never even dared to imagine.
‘If I could cut down from the front··· who knows. As long as I wasn’t struck directly, I could probably endure the aftermath with self-defense techniques.’
The problem was that he couldn’t assure the safety of the soldiers accompanying him in that case.
Facing such a reckless energy-packed attack head-on without dodging was nothing short of foolish.
He turned his gaze to Beijing, where the dust began to settle, and muttered softly.
“Hmm.”
The first thing he saw was the gigantic scar left on the ground.
Where the destructive beam had swept through, a massive crater had formed, and everything on that surface had melted smoothly, reflecting light.
‘Truly a catastrophe.’
Against such an attack, even the strategy of a siege or a fortified defense was utterly meaningless.
The opponent, able to freely soar through the skies, had predetermined means of attack.
And the dragons, who could clearly observe everything from their high vantage point in the sky, shared the same sentiments.
[Whoa.]
[What the···.]
Gasps escaped their mouths involuntarily.
Even those who had lived for countless years hadn’t seen an attack of such might.
It would be easier to unleash a storm or earthquake over a specific area than to create pure destruction of such overwhelming power, which felt almost alien.
[Wow, what on earth is that?]
The black dragon, who had been indifferent during the entire trip here, began to show keen interest, astonished.
This temporary substitute, much younger than herself and not a true golden dragon, still impressed her by effortlessly decimating the swarms of bug-like humans and undead monsters beneath the ground.
‘An attack like that! If they could fire it at every city, the nest of humans would be obliterated!’
Where else could you find such a glorious fireworks display?
Her sparkling gaze turned towards Horus, who was lazily circling the battlefield in the sky.
Human and monster eyes on the ground and dragon eyes in the air all focused on a single presence.
It was the moment when the distinct form of the golden dragon was etched vividly into everyone’s memory.
*
Flap— flap—
‘Oh dear, am I pushing myself too hard to impress?’
What usually felt like a light flapping of wings now felt heavy.
In the situation where all gazes were on him, Horus was not in the best shape.
One breath that blew away of most of the metropolis with terrifying power.
That was an attack level typical of an ancient dragon, not a golden dragon or a fierce dragon.
It was only natural that his body would face strain!
‘Thanks to that, I definitely left my mark.’
After all, it was somewhat disgraceful for him to personally leap down there and fight.
If it were his intention, he would make a grand display before making a graceful exit.
The problem was that using Limit Break had made it increasingly difficult to maintain his mature form with the Elder Dragon Heart.
Aside from his abilities, his real body was still merely a hatchling.
‘But it’s not all bad. Most importantly, I discovered potential this time.’
Besides growing strength, the long-standing issue of his physical growth had finally presented a solution.
‘Though it might take a little time. Ah, but first, I need to wrap things up over there.’
Horus’s gaze shifted to the battlefield below, especially towards the direction where the demon cultists were gathered.
No matter how lackadaisical the demon cultists were, there wouldn’t be chaos in the rear after such an attack obliterated the area.
Had it not been for the presence of jiangshi mindlessly obeying orders, they would have crumbled utterly by now.
‘Well, that’s in its final moments. I suppose it’s time to finish things up.’
He had shown enough.
The substantial damage dealt to the demon cultists would instill plenty of crisis and awareness in everyone existing in this world, and their shared grudge would tie them together.
Although the loss of the high-level undead, including the jiangshi, was somewhat regrettable, they were never created from Awakened Ones, so they were essentially expendable in this world.
Instead of leaving them idle indefinitely, it would be better to burn them gloriously for maximum impact in this opportunity.
‘Usually, if you hold on too tightly, it turns to waste. Unlike Auterica, I had to concentrate more on recovering the already destabilized world. Alternatives are plentiful if needed.’
He had already acquired all relevant skills, and the remaining demon cult’s remnants were restrained at their base in Tienshan, ready to be used periodically for creating crisis awareness.
All that was left was to rebuild the Dragon Heart.
“Rebirth of the Heavenly Demon, Thousands of Blessings!”
“Die!”
“Guh! Heavenly Demon, I beseech you!”
Around half a day into the battle.
The end of this war, based on the fate of this world, was approaching.
*
“Puhahaha— It all came to this in the end. How disappointing, so disappointing.”
The Heavenly Demon Church’s law guardian, Ghost Sword Demon Master Yeom Cheol, let out a low laugh.
Across from him, Sword Saint Namgoong Woo, with a stern expression, opened his mouth.
“This is the end, Yeom Cheol.”
“Cough—!”
Dark, tainted blood poured from the mouth of the Ghost Sword Demon Master, pierced through the heart by a sword after having his arms severed.
Despite blood dripping from his lips, the mocking gleam in his one-eyed, aged glance did not fade.
“Hehehe··· Never thought I’d end up like this because of such a blundering fool. If I had indeed fought properly, the outcome would have differed, Namgoong Woo.”
“A loser should stop talking so much. You should rather confine yourself to the training hall.”
The two had fought on equal footing until then.
Given that situation, the tides of victory for either would inevitably be influenced by the changing conditions around them.
“Well then, I will go help elsewhere, Elder.”
A crucial variable.
A young··· no, an immature youth, wrapped in dragon-shaped energies, lightly bowed his head and immediately leaped into action.
His movements were as graceful as a dragon frolicking among the clouds.
Yeom Cheol, catching a glimpse of the youth from the corner of his eye, twitched the corner of his mouth.
“Pfft— The one to sever my arm, and it’s such a young brat! Early twenties in the heavenly realm? Heaven has entirely made its decision.”
Even the Sword Saint agreed.
He thought his grandson, who peaked in his mid-twenties, was a genius, but this fellow clearly exceeded his expectations!
When they first met in the Shaolin Temple, he was at the peak; during the demon cult’s assault, he reached super peak; and now, upon their reunion, he was at the heavenly realm.
No matter how much one considered he was from another world, the rate of his growth was simply unbelievable.
At this rate, it seemed the next supreme martial artist was already predetermined.
The Sword Saint’s gaze followed where the youth was heading.
The dragon-shaped energy gleamed radiantly as he wreaked havoc on the battlefield.
His dazzling yet overwhelming form naturally drew everyone’s attention.
A captivating allure.
It wasn’t just his martial aptitude; he possessed something unexplainable that attracted others.
‘A young hero emerging in troubled times.’
Just his brave act of infiltrating enemy lines to rescue the dragon’s children was enough merit.
If not for him, the demon cult’s ritual could have completed amid the battle, leading to chaos, and even if they had won, hope would have vanished in this land due to a lack of sacrifice.
Yet, here he stood on the front lines aiding warriors in crisis···.
“Hmm, it seems So-ran has taken quite an interest in that guy.”
Deep in thought, he stroked his beard, pondering seriously.
It wasn’t just because she was his granddaughter; the beauty of Namgoong So-ran was celebrated as the finest in Anhui.
Naturally, the women who married into the prestigious Namgoong family would not bear ugly children.
His own mother, wife, and daughter-in-law were all beauties, after all.
The only concern was that he didn’t know when he would return to his homeland, this otherworlder.
‘If he settles down, it will become home for him. Even if he takes root in this world, his achieved realm won’t diminish.’
Plus, he had no immediate family, so it was perfectly natural to consider him as a suitable son-in-law.
Then there was the girl Je Gal Hye-mi, who seemed to be a formidable rival…
Suddenly stopping his thoughts, he shook his head.
No matter what, welcoming the misfortune of another did not sit well with him.
“The scheming chatter is audible here··· Gah!”
Slash—!
“I almost forgot about you.”
As if awakened from deep thoughts by the voice of the Ghost Sword Demon Master, Sword Saint immediately pulled out his sword from the heart and beheaded him.
As a master of the Heavenly Demon technique, of course, he wouldn’t easily die from just a heart stab.
To ensure it, he obliterated the brain and completely destroyed the heart and dantian.
“······.”
At that moment, bringing an end to a long-standing grudge.
As he momentarily closed his eyes in reflection, the Sword Saint quickly reopened them and leaped elsewhere.
‘Now isn’t the time for this.’
To the place where the most brutal fight was unfolding in this battlefield.
To where the final confrontation with the Heavenly Demon awaited.
*
The balance of the battlefield began to tilt rapidly.
The dire conditions of the demon realm were being suppressed by the powers of the four dragons, and the brave participation of the monsters compensated for the power deficit.
Thanks to this, those who caught their breath found the leisure to assist their comrades, and it snowballed, impacting the battles of the strongest warriors on both sides.
The Ghost Sword Demon Master met his end at the hands of the Sword Saint, and the Blood Demon Jiangshi was destroyed by Pacheon Dohwang.
Even the fights between heavenly realm combatants no longer needed the assistance of the blood-soaked monster.
Numerous upper-tier jiangshi like the Qilin were beginning to fall one by one amid the joint attacks of various monsters and warriors.
And soon, all that power began to coalesce towards a single individual.
The final boss of this stage, the Heavenly Demon.
Boom—!
Rumble—!
In the heart of the battlefield.
With a deafening roar, unimaginable chaos erupted.
A solitary figure, clad in dark energies, faced off against a multitude.
However, the numbers were finding it hard to seize the upper hand.
“···Amitabha, I had my suspicions, but it seems the Heavenly Demon Master has forsaken humanity to become a demon himself.”
Despite not necessarily lacking in power, some unknown force continuously infused energy into him surpassing all else.
The fierce momentum of the Shin-Gwang-Ma, which had been holding strong at the front, had considerably dwindled, affecting the overall morale.
“Insanity. How can one who faced the scriptures transform into a jiangshi? What on earth is he thinking?”
“Wow! Was that for real? I thought it was just some wicked spell typical of the demon cult. He’s crazier than I expected!”
As the Heavenly Demon fought to the limit, he could no longer hide the deathly energies with his Heavenly Demon technique.
The observers, who had been half-hoping until now, were finally struck with conviction and horror—
“···Seems there’s been quite a lot of death.”
Even then, the Heavenly Demon simply looked around coolly.
Countless casualties had mounted on both sides, horrific corpses lay scattered, and even amidst the pressing gloom of death surrounding the battlefield, he remained unfazed.
“Ah! Did I ever wonder why I stepped into the realm of death?”
As if everything was going according to his plan.
This demon masquerading as a human grinned savagely.
Now, he no longer needed to conceal his true nature; the energies of death that had stealthily lurked began to ravage his entirety.
“I recently acquired something quite marvelous. Very marvelous.”
Goooh—!
An unfathomable black energy erupted from his body.
Darkness that exceeded mere blackness, imbued with the essence of the abyss itself.
As the warriors instinctively recoiled, taking precautions,
[Wait, this energy is!]
The white dragon, focused on stabilizing the spatial distortions, gasped in shock.
The energy he had personally experienced before suddenly presented its presence.
Deep beneath the land of this demon realm.
[No way!]
The “Power of Consumption” had devoured countless dragons, from Gonmudo’s great foe, Tam (탐).
The white dragon figured out that its remains lay buried deep underground in this demon realm.
And it had now been activated, directly linking it to the Heavenly Demon.
[That has been the source of his ceaseless power! We must stop it! If he harnesses that strength!]
But the white dragon’s warning came a moment too late.
Before those responding could act, the Heavenly Demon, cloaked in darkness that engulfed the ground, abruptly appeared beyond the encirclement of the masters.
“Urk!”
In his right hand, he clutched the leash of one of the dragon children, Je Gal Hye-mi, who had retreated to the back.
“At last, all is in place.”
The ground, rife with death, exuded malevolent energies.
A predator, strong even in death, Tam.
One who embraced death while melding with it.
“Now deliver your karma to me!”
After absorbing countless efforts, he too had ultimately been consumed by the cycle of karma.
Karma jiangshi, the Heavenly Demon began to draw in the karmic debts of the “Child of the Dragon”—
“Who gave you that right!”
Sliiish—!
In that instant, a sharp sound sliced through the air.
“How are you, Je Gal Soja?”
“Cough, cough···. H-Ha, Master?”
Having abruptly arrived out of nowhere, the young hero who had severed the Heavenly Demon’s arm in a moment of crisis, pulled Je Gal Hye-mi back and retreated.
And seizing that fleeting moment, the master fighters surrounding the Heavenly Demon sensed his rising fury as they swiftly closed in.
“···You! You continue to thwart me···!”
As if he had missed a golden opportunity, the Heavenly Demon roared in anger as the dragons hovering above slowly circled in.
Resolutely watching him, they would not allow any tricks to unfold.
That’s it.
Within that tense moment, Gold Dragon Horus glimmered with a knowing light in his eyes.
Finally, all pieces for the correct ending had fallen into place.
