Chapter 166 – Declaration of War (1)

“This way, Your Majesty.”

“Very well.”

At Yu-jin’s guidance, the Emperor nodded and followed him with Ju Yun-hui. Those left behind busied themselves with assigning quarters for the numerous imperial warriors.

Yu-jin rushed about, conversing with the Emperor and the Illusory Emperor and attending to other guests. While none could compare to the Emperor in stature, they were not figures he could afford to neglect.

Among them were the Thunder Sword Emperor Namgung Sang, his lover Namgung Hwa-rin, and the Martial Alliance Leader.

Of course, Yu-jin was also busy in another sense.

* * *

Yu-jin pulled back the covers that concealed Ju Yun-hui’s body and spoke.

“It feels good to be able to savor your beautiful body after so long, Yun-hui.”

With those words, Yu-jin claimed Ju Yun-hui’s lips, laying her down on the bed before leading her once more into ecstasy.

His devoted caresses made her wet again below, and after licking up the nectar she produced, he positioned himself between her legs.

“My Lord, wait a moment.”

Ju Yun-hui, stopping Yu-jin as he was about to enter her, sat up with a blush and gently pushed his torso, laying him down on the bed.

“Yun-hui?”

“I wish to serve you, My Lord.”

Finishing her words, Ju Yun-hui climbed on top of Yu-jin and began to lick his firm chest. Starting there, her tongue diligently traced his body until it reached his erect manhood.

Without hesitation, she took his large member into her mouth. The intense, stimulating pleasure made Yu-jin finally release himself inside her mouth.

“Your seed, My Lord… It’s been a while…”

Already tamed by him, she could accept his white fluid as if it were delicious, but there was too much for her to swallow.

Some of it trickled from her small mouth, down her pale neck, and onto her chest, which she then spread all over her breasts.

Having climaxed in her mouth, Yu-jin found her utterly lovely. Suddenly unable to restrain himself, he sat up and covered her lips with his own.

“Here I come!”

He turned her over onto her stomach and entered her from behind. Having already released once, Yu-jin moved his hips slowly and gently, while Ju Yun-hui let out heated moans, her body swaying limply.

Aroused as he was, Ju Yun-hui was no match for him. She received him from behind, her juices flowing freely. It wasn’t long before she couldn’t hold back and exploded into an early climax.

Yu-jin then laid her on her back, lifted her legs, and placed them on his shoulders. He thrust his member deep, yet gently, into her wet petals.

He moved his hips very slowly and gently while kneading her breasts with his hands. Ju Yun-hui, once again seized by pleasure, bucked her hips and cried out.

A few busy days passed like this, and finally, the day of Yu-jin’s inauguration as the clan head arrived. With not only the absolute masters of the Profound Realm but also the Emperor in attendance, the ceremony was more magnificent than any in history.

* * *

A clear sky.

An altar stood beneath the clear sky, where the blue waters of a lake rippled. Around it, martial artists in ancient, elegant attire were lined up.

People marveled at their powerful presence. The sight before them was enough to prove why they were called the greatest swordsmen.

“Presenting the Young Lord of the True Dragon Sword Clan, Kang Yu-jin.”

He was worthy of being called the Clan Head, but as he had not yet officially assumed the position, he was still called the Young Lord.

Recently, however, everyone found it more awkward to address him by that title. Of course, they all knew that after today, the title would not be used for a long time.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The short, resounding beats of a drum echoed between the sky and the people. Escorted magnificently by the warriors of the True Dragon Sword Clan, Yu-jin’s steps were filled with gravity and strength.

*I’ve finally made it this far.*

Walking toward the altar, Yu-jin thought for a moment before starting to ascend the stairs.

At the top of the stairs stood the Emperor. He had come in person to acknowledge Yu-jin as the Clan Head. Looking at the Emperor, Yu-jin walked slowly, lost in thought again.

He had overcome countless brushes with death and finally reached an unprecedented realm. Now, the only one who could see the world as he did was likely the Heavenly Demon.

As Yu-jin stepped onto the stairs, a breathtaking aura began to swirl around him. It was an imposing air that only those born with the spirit of a king, like the Emperor standing at the top of the stairs, could exude.

*Such pressure…*

*Hmm… So he has truly reached the Profound Realm.*

Namgung Sang and Hyeon Cheon-ja, who hadn’t seen him for long due to his busy schedule, were taken aback. The aura emanating from Yu-jin was that intense.

But the Emperor merely gazed at Yu-jin with a dignified look. Though he knew nothing of martial arts, he was born with the same kingly spirit and seemed unaffected by Yu-jin’s presence.

*Before this man, truly…*

In front of the Emperor, even the great Yu-jin could only shake his head. While killing him would be a simple matter, the will to fight him didn’t even arise.

The Emperor knew this well, which was why he accepted Yu-jin, another born with the spirit of a king.

Thud.

Finally arriving two steps away from the Emperor, Yu-jin prostrated himself on the spot.

The Emperor looked down at him and presented a sword. The Ink Dragon Sword, drawn only for an enemy that must be killed, was now in the Emperor’s hands.

A formidable aura rose from the Emperor as he held out the Ink Dragon Sword. Yet, the crowd watched the Emperor and Yu-jin with excited faces.

“You are the head of the True Dragon Sword Clan, the greatest family in the martial world of the Central Plains. This I, the eighteenth Emperor of the Empire, personally acknowledge. No one may deny your authority. To deny your authority is to deny my own. Therefore, I shall treat anyone who commits such an insolent act as a traitor.”

At the Emperor’s words, the Martial Alliance Leader Hyeon Cheon-ja and others who had come to observe the True Dragon Sword Clan could not hide their astonishment. The Emperor had truly bestowed upon Yu-jin an authority that no one would dare challenge.

“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless.”

Yu-jin replied quietly with his head bowed, and the Emperor nodded solemnly before speaking.

“Take it.”

Yu-jin received the sword at the Emperor’s command.

“You are truly the head of the True Dragon Sword Clan.”

In the hundreds of years of the True Dragon Sword Clan’s history, only Yu-jin had been acknowledged by the Emperor. It was a truly momentous event.

A smile bloomed on Yu-jin’s face, well aware of this fact. But his smile did not last long. The same was true for the absolute masters of the Profound Realm present here.

Kuooooo!

The clear sky was suddenly stained with darkness. At the immense presence felt from the center of the darkness, those with weak martial arts began to lose consciousness and collapse.

Only those who had reached the first-rate realm or higher remained conscious, but even they did not know how long they could hold on.

The only ones who were truly conscious were those who had reached the peak realm. However, the Emperor, born with the spirit of a king, remained conscious despite having learned no martial arts.

“What meaning does worldly authority have? When I, who governs your life and death, am here.”

A man finally revealed himself. A man who could only be described as darkness incarnate floated in the sky. And upon seeing him, Yu-jin smiled again and shouted loudly.

“Heavenly Demon!”

It was the moment the Heavenly Demon, known as the Lord of Demons or the Incarnation of Darkness, appeared at the sacred altar of the True Dragon Sword Clan.

* * *

The sky, clear just moments ago, was now completely obscured by deep darkness. And the darkness distorted space, making it difficult for people to breathe.

A being that was death made manifest. The Heavenly Demon instilled a fear of death just by meeting his gaze. Such was the existence of the demon who defied the heavens.

“It has been a long time, kindred one.”

“Kindred one” meant a being of the same kind. And for hundreds of years, the only human the Heavenly Demon had called such was Yu-jin.

At the Heavenly Demon’s words, Yu-jin grinned and spoke.

“It doesn’t feel that long, yet it feels like an eternity.”

Before the Heavenly Demon, who could shake even the absolute masters of the Profound Realm, Yu-jin spoke nonchalantly. Even Han So-un, who had reigned as the absolute master of the demonic path before the Heavenly Demon, was trembling at the sight of him.

The Heavenly Demon’s presence was that formidable, yet Yu-jin was composed. But Yu-jin could sense it. The Heavenly Demon before him was not real, but a clone.

A clone that could only use thirty percent of the Heavenly Demon’s true power, yet it was on par with most absolute masters of the Profound Realm.

*A monster is a monster, after all. But I am no longer afraid.*

He had completed the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts and fully assimilated Kang Yu-hyeon’s crucial insights.

As a result, Yu-jin’s power now far surpassed that of ordinary absolute masters. Perhaps that was why, unlike before, he felt no fear upon seeing the Heavenly Demon.

It was then.

Fwoosh!

The Illusory Emperor, the Thunder Sword Emperor, the Sword Empress, the Hegemon Heaven Saber Emperor, and the Taiji Sword Emperor all ascended the dais and glared at the Heavenly Demon. The five established absolute masters of the Central Plains, along with the new absolute master, Yu-jin, made a total of six absolute masters glaring at the Heavenly Demon.

But the Heavenly Demon’s expression remained one of pure composure. On his face was the confidence that none of them could kill him.

“I did not come to fight today. I came to declare war. The real battle can wait until then, martial world of the Central Plains.”

The Heavenly Demon spoke in a relaxed tone. But the faces of those who heard him twisted grimly.

For decades, the Demonic Cult had been building its strength in the outer lands, and now it was finally making its move. Against a Central Plains martial world that had been greatly weakened by the war with the Western Regions.

When a being who was known as a legend hundreds of years ago, and now could be called a myth, declared his intent to target the Central Plains, those who were still conscious trembled in fear.

“You still haven’t abandoned your ambition!”

The Martial Alliance Leader, Taiji Sword Emperor Hyeon Cheon-ja, shouted as he glared at the Heavenly Demon.

“Ambition? What do you mean, ambition? You people persecuted us and drove us into barren lands. You constantly oppressed us because our ideologies were different, because the source of our martial arts was different. Hundreds of years have already passed like that.”

For hundreds of years, the Heavenly Demon had poured everything into rebuilding the shattered demonic path, and whenever he regained strength, he attempted to advance into the Central Plains.

However, even if his own martial power surpassed all the absolute masters of the Central Plains, the warriors of the Western Heaven Demonic Cult who supported him could not hold out, leading to countless failures for the Heavenly Demon.

But the Heavenly Demon did not give up, and he had finally seized the perfect opportunity.

“The ideals of the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven were admirable. But he had too much to protect. And those things he had to protect held him back. In the end, he lost his life in vain.”

The Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven. Unlike the Heavenly Demon or Kang Yu-hyeon, who had forsaken their humanity, he was a great warrior who had reached the pinnacle in a human body. He was one of the few warriors truly acknowledged by the Heavenly Demon.

“But I am different from the Great Dharma Master of Shaking Heaven. Oh, Central Plains, Central Plains full of malice. I will surely destroy you all.”

As the Heavenly Demon declared once more, Hyeon Cheon-ja trembled. The thought of the impending blood calamity made even an absolute master like him shudder.

“I will never let that happen!”

Hyeon Cheon-ja drew his sword, and a great wind began to swirl around its blade. But he could not swing it. The Emperor had already stepped forward, past the absolute masters.

Even the Emperor of the world could not help but feel fear before the ruler of death known as the Heavenly Demon, but he pushed all those emotions down and spoke.

“I admit that many people of the Central Plains have persecuted you. If I were to accept you, would you abandon your plans to invade the Central Plains?”

“Your, Your Majesty!”

At the Emperor’s sudden words, the Illusory Emperor cried out in shock. But the Emperor, as if his tension had eased, managed a faint smile and looked at the Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon also looked at the Emperor with an intrigued expression. He had met previous emperors several times, but not one had ever spoken to him in such a manner.

“The current Emperor of the Central Plains is quite peculiar. However, I will still destroy the Central Plains. Of course, I commend your intentions. But I have seen countless foolish kings, tyrants, wise kings, and sage kings. And I have realized one thing. The reigns of sage kings and wise kings never last long. Even if you were to accept us now, future generations of the Central Plains will never tolerate our existence.”

The people of the Central Plains took great pride in being ‘Central Plains people’ and had a very strong tendency to exclude others.

They formed cliques even among people from the same regions within the Central Plains; there was no way they would look favorably upon people from the outer lands. And the ideology of the Western Heaven Demonic Cult contained elements that the rulers of the Central Plains despised, so it could never become one with the Central Plains.

“That is a pity.”

As if genuinely disappointed, the Emperor let out a deep sigh. But the problem came next. The Heavenly Demon began to raise his aura as he stared at the Emperor.

And the moment the Heavenly Demon began to raise his aura, a darkness blacker than night completely enveloped the sacred grounds of the True Dragon Sword Clan.