Chapter 165 – The New Lord of the True Dragon Sword Clan (4)

The Demonic Cult had long ago secretly established an intelligence network throughout the Central Plains. Because of this, they quickly learned that Yu-jin had become a new absolute master.

However, despite the Heavenly Demon’s words, the vice-leaders and other cultists shouted with unfazed expressions.

“We have you, our Lord.”

The faces of the cultists, shouting in unison, were filled with reverence, regardless of their rank.

The Heavenly Demon.

He had been the leader of the Demonic Cult since before they were born, an absolute martial artist who had risen to the position of the strongest under heaven, encompassing both the Central Plains and the lands beyond. To the masters of the Demonic Cult, who pursued the law of the strong, the Heavenly Demon was no different from a god.

No, the Heavenly Demon truly possessed power and authority worthy of being called a god, and they treated him with religious faith. He was a man born with the destiny of both a ruler and a conqueror.

“Yes. I am the Heavenly Demon.”

A suffocating pressure emanated from the Heavenly Demon’s entire body as he spoke calmly.

Seol Mu-rin and the others couldn’t even breathe properly, their eyes fixed on him. For hundreds of years, the Heavenly Demon had defeated countless absolute masters, growing so strong that even he himself couldn’t gauge the extent of his power.

“But you must all understand. The one who has newly risen as the young lord of the True Dragon Sword Clan is a very dangerous being. He needs to be watched.”

Hearing the Heavenly Demon’s words, the cultists wore expressions of disbelief. Some had served him for decades, even over a century, yet there had never been a single martial artist whom the Heavenly Demon had so directly declared a threat.

“Reaching the Profound Realm at that age is impossible. There must be some deception involved.”

At Seol Mu-rin’s words, the Heavenly Demon shook his head and spoke.

“I have crossed blades with him once. And he survived my Asura Heaven-Annihilating Sword.”

All the cultists who heard the Heavenly Demon’s words were seized by an astonishment far greater than before.

Among the cultists present, only a few had ever witnessed the Heavenly Demon’s Asura Heaven-Annihilating Sword. What those few felt upon seeing it was sheer terror.

Before the power of darkness that literally annihilated everything it touched, all existence was rendered helpless. To hear that someone had faced such a technique and survived was naturally shocking.

“And yet you still look down on the Central Plains?”

When the Heavenly Demon asked with a smile, the cultists once again shouted in unison.

“As long as our Lord is with us, defeat does not exist!”

Their faith in the god known as the Heavenly Demon never wavered. No one in this place lacked the discipline to have their faith shaken.

The Heavenly Demon smiled for a moment, then nodded.

“Indeed. We have waited for a long time. For over fifty years, we have cultivated our strength in this foreign land.”

At his words, the cultists revealed their intense hatred for the martial world of the Central Plains.

Having been continuously persecuted for their different ideology, they couldn’t help but hate the Central Plains’ martial world, which was why they clung even more to the Heavenly Demon. He was the only one who could save them from their oppression.

“There is no longer a need to hide. We will achieve our long-held desire. Demonic Brain! If we were to strike the Central Plains’ martial world with our current forces, what are our chances of victory?”

“Weakened by their war with the Tibetan martial world, the Central Plains is no longer a match for us.”

The Demonic Brain replied with a bow. His tone was filled with strong confidence—a confidence born from the fact that no generation of the Western Heaven Demonic Cult had ever possessed such power.

“A certain victory, you say? Then we are more than capable of settling the score with them.”

“That is correct. We can surpass the martial artists of the Central Plains. They are no longer a match for us. Although they may have many absolute masters of the Profound Realm, they will be no match for you, my Lord.”

The Demonic Brain’s voice was filled with firm belief—the belief that even if all the absolute masters of the Central Plains came at him, they could never defeat the Heavenly Demon.

This was the force that the Heavenly Demon and the cultists of the Western Heaven Demonic Cult had built by dedicating everything over the past few decades.

Most of the Western Heaven Demonic Cult’s warriors had skills far surpassing what the people of the Central Plains called first-rate. There were five thousand of them.

That wasn’t all. There were a hundred Living Corpses, with power comparable to masters of the Transformation Realm, and a staggering four thousand Iron Corpses, with power similar to peak masters.

The current Western Heaven Demonic Cult could engage in a decisive battle with the martial artists of the Central Plains. And they would claim a glorious victory and take over the Central Plains.

“Good.”

The Heavenly Demon nodded in satisfaction and looked at the faces of the cultists gazing up at him. They watched him with eyes full of faith.

“Complete all preparations within a month.”

“We obey our Lord’s command!”

At the Heavenly Demon’s words, the cultists smiled brightly, bowed their heads, and shouted. The conquest of the Central Plains’ martial world they had so longed for was finally beginning.

“I will be the one to declare war. It will be the grandest declaration of all.”

As the Heavenly Demon laughed, the surrounding darkness stirred.

***

After indulging in Lee Hye-yeon all day, Yu-jin covered her unconscious form with a blanket. Then, he slowly left the room.

“Are they coming?”

Yu-jin could feel it. Absolute masters with immense presences were approaching the True Dragon Sword Clan.

Countless people were flocking from all over to witness the inauguration of the new clan lord, but only three masters posed a threat to Yu-jin.

The Thunder Sword Emperor, the Phantom Emperor, and the leader of the Martial Alliance, the Supreme Ultimate Sword Emperor.

They were all people who held goodwill towards him, so there was no particular problem. The person who gave Yu-jin the biggest headache was a single individual: the Emperor.

“I knew he’d be a wise ruler, but did he have to have the qualities of a sage king too? This is getting troublesome.”

No matter that Yu-jin was to be his brother-in-law, no emperor had ever attended the inauguration of a clan lord.

But the Emperor had insisted on coming, even meticulously checking on the welfare of his people along the way. However, the Emperor’s actions only served to tire Yu-jin.

“It’s the first time a man from a martial clan has become an in-law to the imperial family, and that man is the lord of the True Dragon Sword Clan. The union of the Imperial Family and the True Dragon Sword Clan is already monumental, but for him to come in person… All I need is Yun-hui. This is just exhausting.”

Yu-jin let out a deep sigh when he felt someone approaching. It was, of course, someone he knew well.

“As expected of my father-in-law. To get up so quickly after taking that attack.”

“Hmph. What do you take me for? This much is nothing.”

The person who had approached Yu-jin was Lee Hwan. However, his entire body was wrapped in bandages. In the end, he had failed to block Yu-jin’s final punch and was defeated.

But Lee Hwan just looked at Yu-jin with a relieved smile. Of course, he was only able to stand safely because Yu-jin had pulled his punch at the last moment.

“I have no idea how you obtained such strength. The Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven, who is said to have overwhelmed the Heavenly Demon and the absolute masters of the Central Plains, and now you. Just how does one become so powerful? Your strength has already completely surpassed the conventional concepts of the martial world. It feels as if non-humans are running rampant across the land.”

Yu-jin nodded at Lee Hwan’s words. He could fully understand Lee Hwan’s concerns.

The Heavenly Demon, the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven, and himself—all had reached a place that could no longer be ascended with a human body.

Furthermore, unlike the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven, who at least retained some humanity, the Heavenly Demon and he were trying to reach the ultimate pinnacle through impossible means.

Though they were all in the Profound Realm, the gap between ordinary absolute masters of the Profound Realm and Yu-jin and the Heavenly Demon was already insurmountable.

“Well, I’m not sure myself. I simply sought power for something I desired, and now I can finally achieve it. Whether I can become any stronger than this is questionable, though.”

“I don’t know what the heavens were thinking, unleashing monsters like you. In any case, it’s strange to think that such a person will be my son-in-law.”

“Is that so? By the way, can you feel this presence, Father-in-law?”

“I’ve been feeling it for a while now. This subtle yet intense energy… is it the Phantom Emperor?”

The Phantom Emperor’s powerful aura was reaching them from over a hundred li away. Lee Hwan looked at Yu-jin with an admiring expression and spoke again.

“To be resourceful enough to form a connection with the Imperial Family… I thought I was quite a capable clan lord myself, but I’m lacking compared to you. What martial arts faction can now dare to stand before the True Dragon Sword Clan? Even the name of the Martial Alliance feels inadequate in comparison.”

Yu-jin smiled at Lee Hwan’s words.

“Will you come with me?”

“No. I dislike bowing my head to others, even if it’s the Emperor.”

“Then please rest.”

“You do your best as well.”

Lee Hwan encouraged Yu-jin one last time before leaving for his own quarters. Though he had stood up with indomitable will, the damage he had taken from Yu-jin was quite severe.

“Ah, what a pain.”

Yu-jin’s wish was to quickly ascend to the position of clan lord and kick everyone else out.

***

Yu-jin stood before the main gate of the True Dragon Sword Clan, accompanied by the newly risen power figures and the direct blood relatives of the clan.

The person now arriving was so significant that he, the leader of the martial world’s greatest clan, had to come out and wait.

Countless people had already moved to the sides and bowed their heads. No, they weren’t just bowing; they were prostrating themselves on the ground.

And walking down the path cleared by the people was a procession. The golden palanquin at its center and the golden flags fluttering right behind it completely overwhelmed the crowd.

The characters and symbols inscribed on the golden flags were ones that only the Imperial Family could use.

Before them, even the most renowned martial artist had no choice but to prostrate themselves—unless they wanted to be hunted down by the million-strong imperial army.

‘So it was true that the True Dragon Sword Clan was connected to the Imperial Family.’

The prostrated people trembled as they thought about the future of the True Dragon Sword Clan.

The Divine Sword Emperor, Kang Yu-hyeon, had been assassinated by an unknown entity, leaving the True Dragon Sword Clan in turmoil. But then, a new absolute master named Yu-jin appeared and instantly stabilized the wavering clan.

Yu-jin had thoroughly purged those who resisted him, and as a result, he had built a power base stronger than any previous clan lord.

In such a situation, being connected to the Imperial Family, the most powerful group in the Central Plains, meant the future of the True Dragon Sword Clan could only be described as bright.

‘That’s not all.’

Yu-jin grinned. The True Dragon Sword Clan was already a great clan that had accomplished the unprecedented feat of conquering all three castles in the long history of the Central Plains’ martial world.

Because of this, even the authority of the Martial Alliance had to waver before the True Dragon Sword Clan. Now that the clan was connected to the Emperor himself, the Martial Alliance’s authority could become purely nominal.

The Supreme Ultimate Sword Emperor, leader of the Martial Alliance, was well aware of this fact and was personally coming to the True Dragon Sword Clan to prevent the complete collapse of the Alliance’s authority.

‘It seems this inauguration will be enjoyable in more ways than one.’

Yu-jin thought to himself as he watched the hundreds of imperial warriors.

Thud!

The imperial warriors stopped in perfect unison before the main gate of the True Dragon Sword Clan. Soon, two figures emerged from the palanquin at the center of the procession. It was the Emperor and Princess Ju Yun-hui.

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor!”

Yu-jin bent one knee, bowed his head, and clasped his hands in respect. The many people behind him immediately followed suit, showing their reverence in the same manner. The Emperor looked at Yu-jin with a smile and spoke.

“Rise. It would be troublesome if my future brother-in-law acts this way. I would like you to remember that I have come to meet family.”

However, Yu-jin did not rise at the Emperor’s words. He couldn’t simply stand up after hearing that. Seeing Yu-jin remain kneeling, the Emperor extended a hand towards him.

“You don’t intend to embarrass me, do you?”

With the Emperor going this far, he couldn’t refuse to take his hand. Yu-jin finally grasped the Emperor’s offered hand and rose to his feet.

The people who heard this exchange were utterly astonished, still prostrated on the ground. They had no idea the relationship between Yu-jin and the Emperor was so deep.

The people present realized that there would no longer be any faction in the Central Plains capable of ignoring the influence of the True Dragon Sword Clan.

The True Dragon Sword Clan’s martial might was supreme, but its financial power was also immense due to the support of the merchant world. Now that it had gained political power through its connection to the Imperial Family, no faction could possibly defy it.

‘It wasn’t my intention, but it seems I’ll be leaving my name in the long history of the martial world after all.’

The thought made him want to laugh, but Yu-jin managed to suppress it and bowed his head.