In Dae Guhwi's eyes.
A fire of tribulation, one that seemed ready to burn everything to the ground, was blazing, something that had never been seen before.
"...Why did you do this."
Watching him, Dae Unpung clicked his tongue.
"I was against the plan to use the Extreme Annihilation Flame Essence in the first place."
"..."
"Because even if there were hundreds of Extreme Annihilation Flame Essences, they still wouldn't be able to kill the disciple of the Thunder God."
"Is there a need to do this?"
Dae Guhwi wore an expression of incomprehension.
"Even without going out of your way to kill me, you could have become the successor to the Divine Beast Palace."
"The successor to the Divine Beast Palace?"
Dae Unpung snorted.
"Do you think I'm doing this just to become the successor of our palace?"
Turning his head toward the direction of the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion, he muttered coldly.
"Well, it's the same for the Palace Lord position. Having chosen a successor he dislikes, the Palace Lord would not have let go of that seat until he died of old age."
Dae Unpung spoke as if spitting out the words.
"Until then, I would have had to live with only the title of successor."
"If you were going to do this, why did you even call me here?"
Dae Guhwi suppressed his anger and spoke.
"Everything you planned would be ruined."
"Not at all, it's quite the opposite."
Dae Unpung took a deep breath.
"If more time passes like this, you would soon become a grandmaster of the Central Plains and gather a formidable force."
"..."
"By then, you would become an entity that no one could touch."
Dae Unpung had already colluded with external forces and seized control of the Divine Beast Palace.
If Dae Guhwi were to find out about this fact belatedly?
Dae Guhwi would define him as a traitor who ruined the Divine Beast Palace and would surely make him pay the due price.
Before his reputation and power could grow any further, this was the scheme to eliminate him taking advantage of this opportunity.
Because missing him this time would definitely become a source of trouble later.
"You intended to eliminate me using the opportunity of this internal strife."
Dae Guhwi let out a despondent laugh.
"It must have been you, older brother, who manipulated the rest of our siblings, including our eldest brother."
Not only had Dae Mukgang's group been reduced to fools who knew nothing of the world, like immature children.
They had stubbornly tried to kill him, even when he said he would give up the successor position.
"There was no manipulation to speak of. Haven't you seen it for yourself?"
Dae Unpung let out a nasal snort.
"Those fools were merely born lucky with the Palace Lord's bloodline, inheriting only his sturdy body... their minds are no different from beasts, absolute morons."
"Leaving the other siblings aside, how do you plan to handle the Palace Lord's fury?"
"Huhuhu. I have already been slowly poisoning him with the poison from the Western Heaven Poison King Palace for a long time."
Dae Unpung spoke with confidence.
"Because even the Palace Lord cannot detect the poison unleashed by the Poison Saint."
In an instant, Dae Guhwi's expression stiffened.
The reason why the Palace Lord's face had looked so dark and devoid of energy.
It wasn't simply because his heart was troubled; he had been in a state of poisoning from the poison unleashed by the Poison Saint.
Boom!
At that moment, an explosion rang out in the distant sky, and flames erupted from various places.
Simultaneously, countless troops were infiltrating the interior of the Divine Beast Palace.
Western Heaven Poison King Palace, Divine Dragon Society, Black Blood Gang, Moon-Worshipping Sword Unit, etc...
The most renowned factions around Magnam were rushing in all at once.
"And the traitor who colluded with those external forces will be fabricated as you, not me."
The decisive reason why Dae Unpung had summoned Dae Guhwi here.
It was because he needed a scapegoat to cover up the destruction of the Divine Beast Palace and the assassination of the Palace Lord.
"You've been conspiring with various factions for a long time."
"Of course, did you think I carried out such a huge task all by myself?"
Dae Unpung spoke imposingly.
"At this rate, our palace will perish anyway. I had no choice in the first place."
Dae Guhwi wore a miserable expression.
For generations, the Divine Beast Palace divided ranks by strength and demanded absolute obedience to it.
However, in this generation, the siblings were all born with rat-like temperaments.
Not only did they covet power, but they were also trying to ruin their own family using the power of outsiders.
Rumble.
Just then, the doors of the pavilion opened, and martial artists wearing pitch-black assassin outfits swarmed in.
They were the martial artists of the Moon-Worshipping Sword Unit, known as the terror of Miaojiang.
"You have arrived. Commander Heuk."
As Dae Unpung paid his respects, the man at their forefront, Black Sand Wind, looked at Dae Guhwi and let out a clicking chuckle.
"Pavilion Master Dae."
The Commander of the Moon-Worshipping Sword Unit, Black Sand Wind, approached Dae Unpung and showed a menacing smile.
"Congratulations on accomplishing the great cause."
Because Dae Unpung was commanding the Jin Ryugwan of the Divine Beast Palace, he addressed him as Pavilion Master.
"This is only the beginning. I cannot say the great cause is accomplished yet."
Black Sand Wind looked at Dae Guhwi with intrigued eyes and nodded.
"So that man is the Beast Corps Leader of the Martial Soul Society."
"That is correct."
As Dae Unpung nodded, Black Sand Wind extended his hand.
"As promised, I will handle him, so please open the path to the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion together with the Divine Dragon Society Leader."
He formed a cruel smile.
"Because the resistance from the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion's unit seems quite persistent."
The Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion's unit, the direct combat unit of the Palace Lord composed of the most elite martial artists of the Divine Beast Palace.
Even against the sudden ambush of the enemies, they were resisting to the bitter end, protecting Dae Gon who was staying in the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion.
"I shall."
Dae Unpung looked at Dae Guhwi and then turned his body.
"Be careful. He is the disciple of the famous Thunder God."
"Huhuhu. Even if Nae Bihon himself were to come, I would not be afraid."
That was not mere simple confidence.
The Moon-Worshipping Sword Unit was an assassin group formed by those inheriting the lineage of the Fire-Worshipping Cult.
Because they used cruel secret arts combined with their sword arts, they could destroy most ordinary martial arts of the martial world in a single breath.
"Then."
Dae Unpung left a short smile for Black Sand Wind and turned around without hesitation.
"I heard you made a name for yourself as the Beast Corps Leader of the Martial Soul Society."
Looking at Dae Guhwi, Black Sand Wind slowly drew the Black Death Sword from his waist.
"Have you given up."
Dae Guhwi was bowing his head with a tormented expression, not even thinking of fighting.
It wasn't because of the betrayal of Dae Unpung, whom he had trusted.
'In the end, this is all my fault.'
His brothers changing, and Dae Unpung bringing foreign enemies into the palace.
Even the Palace Lord, known to have the sharpest and most beast-like senses in the world, failing to guard against the poison.
It was all because of him.
Because the only prodigy who could make the Divine Beast Palace prosper since its founding ancestor had suddenly left, declaring he would bury his bones in the martial world of the Central Plains.
The one he had constantly trusted in his heart.
Faced with the sudden independence of his only reliable child, Dae Gon's heart must have been in turmoil.
"Was he just a greenhorn after all."
As Dae Guhwi, engulfed in guilt, bowed his head, Black Sand Wind judged that he was terrified.
It was inevitable to have such an illusion.
Because the Moon-Worshipping Sword Unit was composed of the most elite swordsmen capable of annihilating a decent martial world sect in a single breath.
One could absolutely not face them alone.
"Kill him without pain."
As if his interest had waned, he nodded to a subordinate next to him.
Flash!
The subordinate immediately unleashed a fast sword, piercing straight toward Dae Guhwi's heart in an instant.
Or rather, it should have pierced it.
Zzzzt.
The sharp blade stopped exactly one inch away from Dae Guhwi's heart.
Due to the erupting rage.
The protective astral shield made of Thunder Astral Energy, the Heavenly Thunder Essence, had manifested on its own.
"Ughh. Aaaargh!"
The martial artist who had extended the sword let out a miserable scream.
Zzzzt.
Massive Thunder Spirit Energy had been injected through the blade that touched Dae Guhwi's skin.
Pop!
Eventually, unable to handle that power, the martial artist's arm exploded.
Zzzzt.
Meanwhile, Dae Guhwi's eyes turned completely white, and white lightning swirled around his body.
Descent of the Thunder God.
Another Thunder God, not lacking a single inch compared to Nae Bihon, one of the Death Gods of the Central Plains, had appeared.
"Not the disciple of the Thunder God, but a Thunder God?"
Black Sand Wind's complexion changed.
Even when he heard that the twenty-year-old Dae Guhwi had become the Beast Corps Leader of the Central Plains' Martial Soul Society, he had just snorted.
―'Was there really no one of talent in the Central Plains?'
Dae Unpung had claimed he was a formidable foe not to be ignored because he had become the disciple of the Thunder God, but.
From Black Sand Wind's perspective, he wondered what was so great about being a mere disciple of the Thunder God.
Because the Thunder Spirit Energy was a power possessed only by the Thunder God, and the martial arts of the Thunder Spirit Sect were not that threatening without the Thunder Spirit Energy.
Therefore, while the others were agonizing over how to attack Dae Gon at the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion.
He thought he could handle him easily.
And so he had promised to strike down Dae Guhwi, whom Dae Unpung considered a thorn in his side.
But if it turned out like this...
He would have to risk not only his own life but also the lives of all his subordinates waiting outside.
Step, step.
The imposing swordsmen of the Moon-Worshipping Sword Unit gradually backed away.
Because just looking at those purely white eyes felt like their souls were melting away.
"I've wanted to spar with the Death Gods of the Central Plains for a long time."
As his subordinates froze, Black Sand Wind laughed boisterously as if to show off, shouting bravely.
If the momentum were to completely shift at this rate, they would end up having to offer their necks without even putting up a proper fight.
"It's narrow in here, let's take this outside and have a go."
One against three hundred.
The result of that battle was astonishing and utterly gruesome.
The three hundred swordsmen using the Moon-Worshipping Sword Art mixed with the Defeated Cult's secret arts were turned into a mushy liquid.
Those who had even bone fragments left were the better ones; most had become sticky, formless byproducts.
And Black Sand Wind, known as the black terror of Miaojiang.
Putting his name to shame, his entire body was dyed red.
His clothes and skin had completely melted away, clearly exposing his red muscles.
Clatter.
Throwing away the broken Moon-Worshipping Sword, Black Sand Wind poured out curses at Dae Guhwi.
"You will surely die as well."
Thud.
With those words as his last, he turned into red liquid and flowed down to the floor.
"Hoo. Hoo."
Breathing heavily, Dae Guhwi looked down at his lower abdomen.
The broken Black Death Sword was deeply embedded there.
When he pulled it out with all his might,
Spurt.
A stream of blood shot up a foot high, but he calmly threw the blade to the ground.
If one possessed Thunder Spirit Energy, they could restore most ordinary wounds in a single breath.
However, the wound inflicted by the Moon-Worshipping Sword containing the Defeated Cult's magic arts did not heal easily.
And his stamina and internal energy, which had hit rock bottom, were recovering extremely slowly.
"Palace Lord."
But there was no time to hesitate.
The factions that had attacked the Divine Beast Palace had joined forces and headed to the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion where the Palace Lord was.
The current Divine Beast Palace was an absolute mess.
There wasn't even a need to bring a large force; just the Divine Dragon Society alone would be enough to deal with it.
Even if the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion's unit desperately blocked them, its fall was only a matter of time.
Moreover, the Palace Lord was poisoned and couldn't properly use his strength, so he had to stop them quickly.
Crash!
Becoming a white lightning bolt, Dae Guhwi headed to the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion.
'I shouldn't have come alone.'
Regret washed over him like a wave, but he soon shook his head.
'No. Even if I had brought the troops of the Martial Soul Society, it would have been useless.'
Dae Guhwi, having multiplied the speed of his movement technique, bit his lip.
'Because our palace is an external force.'
Even if he had brought the entire force of the Beast Corps, no, the Martial Soul Society, he wouldn't be able to stop this rebellion.
Because there was no justification to intervene.
The reason the Martial Soul Society, which included a large number of masters from the external regions including Dae Guhwi, was able to settle in the Central Plains.
It was because they had officially declared that they entered the Central Plains after cutting all ties with their existing sects.
If such a Martial Soul Society were to intervene in a power struggle between external factions now, especially an incident at the Divine Beast Palace where Dae Guhwi served as the Beast Corps Leader?
The legitimacy of the Martial Soul Society would crumble in an instant.
Furthermore, they could face criticism and attacks claiming they were a bridgehead for external forces, and their very existence would be shaken.
Blaze.
Meanwhile, the surroundings of the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion were burning.
Under the eerie red light, the sounds of weapons clashing and the screams of the dying echoed.
The martial artists of the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion's unit were fighting bravely against the enemies with bloodshot eyes, but most were injured and their entire bodies were covered in blood.
Even so, befitting the most elite martial artists of the Divine Beast Palace and warriors capable of fighting a hundred men each, they maintained a formation like a solid wall.
However, the enemies were endlessly surging forward like waves, so the defense line breaking was only a matter of time.
"The beast bastards of the Divine Beast Palace are throwing a tantrum!"
As the Western Heaven Poison King's bizarre laughter rang out, a peculiar green poison mist slowly rose up.
The martial artists of the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion's unit who brushed against the poison mist collapsed, vomiting black blood without even being able to scream.
Not missing that opportunity.
The spearmen of the Divine Dragon Society pushed into the defense line, executing a formation that resembled a writhing dragon.
Behind them, the martial artists of the Black Blood Gang, twisting their flexible waists like snakes, slipped in like shadows to exploit the openings.
―'We must not let them pass!'
The Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion's unit fought back desperately. When one fell, the comrade next to them used that corpse as a shield and held out.
If their arms were cut off, they bit with their teeth, and if their legs were broken, they crawled to grab the enemy's ankles.
The advance seemed to falter against this desperate fight to the death, but that was only for a moment.
Boom.
With a massive roar, the formation of the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion's unit fell into disarray.
As the offense and defense prolonged, they had used the Extreme Annihilation Flame Essence to forcefully break the formation of the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion's unit.
―'Now!'
As the defense line was breached, the poison masters of the Western Heaven Poison King Gate and the martial artists of the Divine Dragon Society entered the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion.
Swooosh!
At that moment, along with a sharp sound of tearing air, a pure white thunderbolt fell in front of the entering martial artists.
It was Dae Guhwi.
"Stop!"
He became a beast enveloped in lightning energy and started striking down the pouring troops.
"Are you telling me he took down the Moon-Worshipping Sword Unit."
Having secretly entered the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion.
Dae Unpung, who had been watching the situation from afar, opened his mouth upon spotting Dae Guhwi.
"All by himself?"
Cold sweat naturally ran down his back.
He had never been able to understand why the Palace Lord so desperately wished to make him the successor.
Only now could he finally understand.
Dae Guhwi.
That he was a prodigy with the greatest talent in the history of the Divine Beast Palace.
Rumble. Zzzzt!
Dae Guhwi broke the enemy's front lines and endlessly unleashed Thunder Spirit Energy.
However, the enemies were so numerous that no matter how many he struck down, there was no end.
Moreover, as Dae Guhwi sprayed Thunder Spirit Energy and displayed invincible majesty.
They changed their battle formation into the shape of a massive shield to completely block his attacks, and gradually began to corner him like a beast trapped in a fence.
Crash! Zzzzt!
Dae Guhwi executed the martial arts of the Thunder Spirit Sect with all his might to break the formation they laid out, but.
As time passed, he instead became trapped in the space they created.
'Even if I've reached the realm of Ultimate Origin, I cannot handle this size of an army alone.'
Not to mention, wasn't he in a situation where he had suffered severe injuries and consumed his true power while taking down the Moon-Worshipping Sword Unit?
Zzzt! Kaboom!
He moved like a wounded beast and poured out attacks like a madman, but.
He couldn't pierce the barrier erected by the massive army.
Rumble.
Meanwhile, even the elite troops of the Western Heaven Poison King Palace entered the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion.
'No!'
Just as Dae Guhwi, watching that sight, was about to draw out his true power once again,
Rumble. Step.
Suddenly, the ranks of the troops opened, and a middle-aged man with a robust physique revealed himself.
It was the Divine Dragon Society Leader.
"There are no dog-like sons born of tiger fathers, after all."
The Divine Beast Palace Lord Dae Gon had conquered Magnam with just his two fists.
If Dae Gon had not been poisoned by the extreme poison of the Western Heaven Poison King Palace?
The Divine Dragon Society Leader would absolutely never have participated in this matter.
"Why on earth, what kind of deep-seated grudge do you have..."
Dae Guhwi let out a thunderous shout.
"For factions that have no grudges or ties with our palace to gather and do such a thing!"
"Hoh. You really know nothing."
The Divine Dragon Society Leader tilted his head up and down while looking at Dae Guhwi.
"Then again, what would a greenhorn who only wipes the asses of the Central Plains people know."
"..."
"Isn't your father doing something useless while holding a treasure of the world?"
Dae Guhwi's eyes flashed.
"A treasure?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't know. The tide has already turned anyway."
The Divine Dragon Society Leader laughed while looking at the vicinity of the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion, where corpses were piled up like a mountain.
"Dae Guhwi. If you surrender, I will spare your life and the lives of the Divine Beast Palace's disciples."
Erasing his smile, he put on a solemn expression again.
"If you refuse, the Divine Beast Palace will cease to exist in this world as of today."
"You intend to break the Palace Lord's spirit through my surrender."
Dae Guhwi snorted.
"Even though you say that, you don't have the confidence to defeat the Palace Lord."
If he had the confidence to defeat him alone, this many forces wouldn't have joined together to invade.
The Divine Dragon Society Leader wasn't trying to show mercy and keep Dae Guhwi alive; he wanted to make him surrender to break the spirit of the Palace Lord Dae Gon and the disciples of the Divine Beast Palace.
He was trying to minimize troop losses and easily take over the Divine Beast Palace.
"If you know that, shouldn't you be surrendering even more?"
The Divine Dragon Society Leader spoke with a relaxed expression.
"Otherwise, the bloodline of the Divine Beast Palace will be cut off, won't it?"
Those words meant that the rest of his brothers, except for Dae Unpung, had already breathed their last.
"No need for long words."
Enraged, Dae Guhwi drew up every bit of internal energy left in his body and spoke.
"Bring it on."
Killing intent capable of overturning the world flowed from his eyes.
"Even if I die, I will surely cut off your neck."
"Good spirit."
The Divine Dragon Society Leader, nodding his head, slowly raised his hand.
Step.
Then, the massive army that had been standing by deployed their formation again.
Vvmm.
A massive hemispherical light flowed out, surrounding Dae Guhwi from all sides.
The Divine Dragon Society Leader only had a plausible facade.
He didn't have the slightest intention of fighting Dae Guhwi alone.
"Deploy!"
At the Divine Dragon Society Leader's shout, the shield-shaped formation began to transform into a sharp spear.
Seeing that Dae Guhwi's stamina and internal energy were depleted, he intended to take his neck in a single breath.
'Is this the end.'
Facing death, his mind actually grew peaceful, and his senses became even sharper.
As his spirit reached infinite tranquility and filled with an unprecedented sense of elation,
Oooong!
The Thunder Spirit Energy and the Power of the Wild within his body, which couldn't be mixed, slowly began to converge into one.
'What a shame.'
Dae Guhwi wore a somewhat regretful expression.
If he could survive here.
He would have created a methodology to unify the two powers into one and reached an even higher realm.
But his life ended here.
It was a shame, but this was the end of the line.
"Annihilate!"
As the Divine Dragon Society Leader shouted loudly once more.
The intensely gathered power from the formation spread out in all directions slowly headed toward Dae Guhwi.
But at that moment,
Ruuuumble.
A bizarre sound rang out from the distant sky.
Vibrate.
Amidst the calm silence, as the ground began to tremble slightly, all the martial artists instinctively looked up at the sky.
Flash.
Far away, at the edge of the horizon, a pinpoint of light the size of a needle's eye appeared.
The small dot suddenly grew explosively, and then,
Swoooooosh—!
With a rupturing sound that seemed to tear the sky apart, a black trajectory crossed the midair.
Kabooom!
Its speed was so incredibly fast.
Even before it arrived here, a shockwave like a storm struck the troops surrounding Dae Guhwi.
As a massive pressure crushed the air and spread out, those with weak internal energy screamed, covered their ears, and collapsed.
Rumble—!
The formation collapsed in an instant, and dust exploded out in all directions.
Step, step.
Just then, parting the curtain of dust, a single black shadow slowly walked out.
It was a young man in black clothes wearing distinctive pauldrons on his shoulders.
His eyes were so clear that their glow could be seen from ten miles away.
And he was emitting waves of true energy so intense that they were visibly radiating from his entire body.
It was none other than Black Leopard.
"Commander Dae."
Approaching Dae Guhwi, Black Leopard paid his respects courteously.
"I apologize for being late."
Since Black Leopard occasionally went back and forth to the Martial Soul Society under Bu Eunseol's orders, he was acquainted with the Beast Corps Leader, Dae Guhwi.
"How."
Dae Guhwi was greatly surprised.
No matter how much Black Leopard was active here and there in the external regions, his main area of activity was around Magnam and Makbuk.
So how did he come here?
[The Command Lord sent me.]
[The Society Leader?]
At Black Leopard's telepathic message, Dae Guhwi's eyes widened.
Even when he said he was returning to the Divine Beast Palace, Bu Eunseol had barely listened.
So how could he have sent the Mercenary King to the Divine Beast Palace?
[He sensed that there would be a disaster at the Divine Beast Palace a long time ago.]
Black Leopard said.
[The Command Lord frequently receives reports on the movements of factions in the external regions, including the North Sea Ice Palace. It's for the sake of the Commanders who believed in the Command Lord and came to the Central Plains thousands of miles away.]
[But this is our palace's problem.]
[It's fine.]
Black Leopard showed his white teeth and smiled.
[My Mercenary Corps is not a Central Plains faction, right?]
If a Central Plains faction intervened in a power struggle among external factions? It could escalate into a conflict between countries.
Knowing this well, Bu Eunseol had sent Black Leopard to prevent such sparks in advance.
Rumble.
At that moment, from afar, around three hundred troops were riding horses toward the Divine Beast Palace.
It was the Mercenary Corps led by Black Leopard.
Swoosh! Slash-slash!
Riding their horses, they were slicing through the troops trying to enter the Divine Beast Palace with unstoppable momentum.
[Of course it's fine for us to get involved in this kind of conflict.]
Black Leopard winked.
[We'll handle them, so please sort out the inside, Commander Dae.]
"You cannot."
Dae Guhwi shook his head.
"It will be an annihilation anyway."
The forces of the factions that had invaded the Divine Beast Palace numbered at least fifty thousand.
Even if those three hundred-odd mercenaries helped with all their might, it would be a total annihilation anyway.
"It is fine."
Black Leopard smiled and pointed at the Mercenary Corps.
"Raise your eyesight and look closely."
Dae Guhwi felt something strange but looked at the Mercenary Corps rushing in on horseback.
Because they were all wearing masks, their faces couldn't be seen, but he could tell just from the shape of their eyes.
That the one charging at the forefront was none other than Nae Bihon.
'No way.'
Riding on his left and right were Bing Hanpung and Do Cheonlin.
Riding on his left and right were Bing Hanpung and Do Cheonlin.
The Martial Soul Society's greatest elites had disguised themselves as members of Black Leopard's Mercenary Corps and were charging toward the Divine Beast Palace.
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