As long as darkness exists, so will an invincible being—the Dark King.
That is the title given to Yeop Hyocheon, the foremost of the Seven Demon Kings, the Dark King.
He can completely conceal his presence within darkness, and he can condense darkness to use it in the form of weapons or hidden projectiles. It is said he can amplify an enemy’s fear through darkness, create illusions, and even steal an opponent’s martial arts.
His martial prowess is evaluated as being on the same level as the Three Demons.
To him, who appeared perfect in every way with nothing lacking, there was one fatal flaw.
Namely, his position as Chief Instructor.
Though the treatment was equivalent to that of a Vice-Alliance Leader, in reality, it was a post where part of his authority had been castrated.
Yet Yeop Hyocheon never once voiced a single complaint.
While the Demon Emperor repeatedly entered seclusion, he commanded Majeon in his stead and faithfully carried out his assigned duties.
If this place had been the Martial Alliance?
He would surely have received immense respect.
But this was Majeon.
Such loyal behavior might earn the Demon Emperor’s trust, yet it was far removed from the domineering way of the Demonic Path.
‘From the Chief Instructor’s standpoint, there’s no helping it, is there.’
Still, the people of the Demonic Path could more or less understand Chief Instructor Yeop Hyocheon’s position.
The Demon Emperor—one of the greatest masters in the history of the Demonic Path and counted among the strongest transcendent great demons—reigned as the Majeon Leader.
The Demon Emperor never forgave anyone who did not show absolute obedience to him. Even the slightest hint of disloyalty, and he would immediately sever their head.
For example, wasn’t even Dan Wolhon of the Strategy Department—known for his fiery, explosive temper—swearing absolute loyalty to the Demon Emperor?
The sole exception was the Martial Soul Command Lord, Bu Eunseol, but even he outwardly submitted to the Demon Emperor.
Thus, in the Demonic Path, not a single person dared to go against the Demon Emperor’s mood.
But how could they have known?
Contrary to what everyone thought… he was not loyal to the Demon Emperor. No—he actually harbored hatred toward Majeon itself.
Majeon, Solitary Light Pavilion, Yeop Hyocheon’s office.
“Strong indeed.”
In the secret chamber within his office, Yeop Hyocheon—who had been reading the reports handed to him by his subordinate—showed a delighted expression.
“Incredibly so.”
According to the reports, Bu Eunseol was growing stronger day by day.
He had even recently defeated the Spear Human Heaven’s leader, the Spear-Wielder.
Considering that he had not yet reached his thirties… this was an astonishing rate of progress that surpassed the level of the current supreme masters.
If this momentum continued for another ten years?
His martial prowess would undoubtedly reach the pinnacle of the entire martial world.
“The Demon Emperor. He’s merely wasting his time.”
Yeop Hyocheon knew everything.
The Demon Emperor was convinced that Bu Eunseol was the Heaven-Dark Star, and he was merely waiting for the moment that truth would be revealed.
“Heaven-Dark Star, my foot.” He snorted. “What is truly fearsome is the fact that the child has inherited Bu Zhanyang’s power.”
The world did not know just how terrifying Bu Zhanyang’s power truly was.
That fearsome power had now transferred to Bu Eunseol.
“Break through all the trials, Bu Eunseol.”
Yeop Hyocheon gazed into empty space with joyful eyes.
“Only then will that power truly manifest.”
But at that moment,
Srrrrk.
Black mist rose in front of the desk where he sat, and a masked figure whose entire body was dyed black appeared in a prostrated posture. Without the slightest sound or trace, he had manifested in this airtight secret chamber where even air barely passed through.
“Heavenly Lord.”
Yeop Hyocheon had once been the Heavenly Lord of Eternal Daybreak, the direct organization under the former Demon Emperor.
Was that why his subordinate still called him Heavenly Lord?
Regardless, Yeop Hyocheon spoke in a low voice.
“Report.”
“As you ordered, we quietly spread such information, and movements have been detected from organizations attempting to track the Heavenly Lord’s whereabouts.”
“I see.”
Yeop Hyocheon smiled.
“Then it’s about time to create a suitable opportunity.”
“Understood. And… the dissatisfaction of the Shadow Pavilion Lord has risen to an uncontrollable level.”
The subordinate spoke in a hushed tone.
“The Martial Soul Command Lord has independently built a massive intelligence organization, making his movements impossible to track… and because of that, he can no longer face the Demon Emperor with dignity.”
“The face of this sect’s greatest power broker and head of intelligence must be quite unsightly.”
When Yeop Hyocheon gave a soft chuckle, the subordinate continued.
“That is why the Shadow Pavilion Lord sent this information to the Heavenly Lord. The Wind God of this era has appeared… and among the Eight Human Heavens, the seals on the Wind Man and the Dead Man have been broken.”
“Hmm.”
“The Wind Man is once again gathering the forces of Wind Human Heaven, and the Dead Man has dispatched large quantities of Enemy Destroyers to the Azure Cloud Sea Palace which supplies our sect exclusively with the spiritual herbs used to create elixirs.”
“Enemy Destroyers, huh…”
“It seems they plan to use the spiritual herbs in Azure Cloud Sea Palace to produce Enemy Destroyers in large quantities once more.”
“And the Martial Soul Command Lord?”
“His whereabouts are nowhere to be seen. The intelligence network of the Death Spirit Corps still cannot detect the Eight Human Heavens… so he is likely unaware of these facts.”
Yeop Hyocheon smiled.
“Seeing them pass on this information so generously without any reason… they must be asking for help. They want to use this chance to sweep away the Death Shadow Corps.”
“Exactly. Since the Death Shadow Corps has no way of knowing that Enemy Destroyers possess an immortal attribute… even if our sect suffers losses, they intend to gain justification to wipe out the Death Shadow Corps at this opportunity.”
“Hahaha, do as they wish. Anything at all.”
Yeop Hyocheon smiled faintly.
“However… on the condition that the approval authority lies not with this Chief Instructor, but with the Shadow Pavilion Lord himself.”
“Understood.”
“Then shall we step away for a while? With the Azure Sky Alliance having appeared just in time, it seems appropriate to inspect the Sichuan branch.”
As Yeop Hyocheon rose from his seat, a peculiar smile lingered on his lips.
“When I return, something very entertaining will be happening.”
***
Since its grand opening ceremony, the Azure Sky Alliance had maintained a consistently quiet course of action.
In particular, not only did the Sunflower Merchant Guild—which was said to rival the top ten merchant groups of the Central Plains—generously provide funding, but the Sichuan Tang Clan, Southern Palace, and Zhuge Clan—all possessing immense wealth—also offered financial support.
Instead of rushing about in the early days of a sect to gather funds and forces as was usual, they were able to focus on training martial artists and recruiting talented individuals, steadily building a solid foundation.
If they continued to strengthen their base in this way?
In the end, the Azure Sky Alliance would take deep root in the martial world… and one day grow into an organization capable of threatening Majeon.
Thus, Yeop Hyocheon headed to Sichuan, inspected Majeon’s branch, and began closely investigating the Azure Sky Alliance’s movements and trends.
Fortunately, the Azure Sky Alliance did not seem to have any intention of clashing with Majeon; they were conducting themselves quite amicably with Majeon’s branch as well. They absolutely did not encroach on Majeon’s territory.
“Not bad.”
Having finished the inspection with satisfaction, Yeop Hyocheon immediately boarded his carriage again.
“It doesn’t really matter anyway.”
He had already known for some time that the Azure Sky Alliance was steadily building its foundation and showing moderate behavior. But Majeon was not a place Yeop Hyocheon needed to protect. Whatever the Azure Sky Alliance did was of no concern to him.
He had merely used the inspection as an excuse to leave for a while.
“This sect has been running smoothly lately anyway.”
Because the Demon Emperor had briefly emerged from seclusion only to enter it again, recently the various organizations of Majeon had been operating well even without his direct management.
The Demon Emperor mercilessly disbanded any organization he deemed useless.
Therefore, to continue clinging to Majeon and maintaining one’s position, one had to constantly prove one’s value and capability.
“That’s what makes the Demonic Path so good.” Yeop Hyocheon murmured lowly inside the carriage. “Simply being strong resolves so many complicated matters so easily.”
The righteous Martial Alliance must manage countless factions and sects while keeping the four great sects and numerous affiliated groups in mind.
The Black Path Alliance must constantly flatter and bribe the government to stay in its good graces.
The demonic sect figures must proselytize the children of wealthy families with bizarre doctrines or brainwash commoners.
But Majeon needed none of that.
Possess overwhelming strength—that was enough.
Once you did, power naturally fell into your grasp, subordinates pledged loyalty, and authority followed.
Of course, it was not without its downsides.
Lose your strength or exhaust your usefulness? Then you were discarded without mercy.
But would being abandoned for losing strength only happen in Majeon?
Rather, that was closer to the universal law of the world.
Thus, while the laws of the Demonic Path were harsh, they could also be called fair and rational.
Clack, clack.
The carriage continued running ceaselessly yet amid that, a strange sensation brushed through Yeop Hyocheon’s mind.
“Hahaha.”
Laughing lowly, he murmured with a relaxed expression.
“They’re coming quickly.”
Perhaps about one quarter-hour had passed?
The dry sky had turned pitch black before he knew it, and from somewhere, a chilling, eerie wail echoed.
“Stop the carriage.”
At Yeop Hyocheon’s leisurely command, the running carriage immediately halted.
Screech.
After stepping down, he waved his hand at the coachman.
“Return to Majeon at once.”
The coachman saluted without a word and drove the carriage away.
Yeop Hyocheon stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant sky.
Though the sun still hung high, the ground around him had already been dyed jet black, as if darkness were devouring the light.
Perhaps another half quarter-hour passed?
Mist slowly rose from the opposite side, spreading like waves, and indistinct shapes gradually revealed themselves.
As they drew nearer, their forms became clearer, taking on human shape.
Finally revealed were eighteen grotesque beings with metallic, dusky-black skin and eyes glowing red.
Wherever they stepped, black mist spread, and the air trembled.
A cold wind blew, and the atmosphere grew eerily silent, as if shrinking away from them.
“My, my… still incomplete, are they?”
Yet a smile filled Yeop Hyocheon’s lips.
“The research to turn the human body into Black Divine Energy.”
Kuung.
The eighteen grotesque beings halted their steps.
At the same time, black mist rose among them and transformed into the figure of a bizarre old man with spiky, disheveled hair.
“Dark King, Yeop Hyocheon.”
“Not the Forest Lord, I see.”
Upon spotting the old man, Yeop Hyocheon spoke with regret.
“I heard you had broken through the Absolute Boundary and come out, so I had some expectations. What a shame.”
The old man was a figure from the Ancient Sword Forest and the grotesque beings who appeared were human-form Black Divine Energies created by the Ancient Sword Forest.
“To think you were the one holding the treasure stolen by the Seven-Finger Demon Blade.”
The old man spoke in a furious voice.
“Hand over the orb at once.”
When Yeop Hyocheon said nothing, the old man declared solemnly,
“The Sacred Heaven Jade is this Forest’s treasure. Had we not lost it, this Forest would not have been forced to hide our bodies like this for so long.”
Thirty-some years ago, the Ancient Sword Forest had its Sacred Heaven Jade stolen by the Seven-Finger Demon Blade. But no one could track the Seven-Finger Demon Blade’s movements, so they had been forced to wander the martial world all this time.
Finally, they obtained a clue to the Sacred Heaven Jade—none other than Majeon’s second-in-command.
Yeop Hyocheon was keeping it.
Even the Ancient Sword Forest could not attack Majeon head-on.
In the end, they relentlessly monitored Yeop Hyocheon’s movements, and the moment he stepped outside Majeon, they launched an immediate assault.
“Here it is.”
Yeop Hyocheon took out a half-spherical stone from his robes.
The old man’s eyes widened as if they would tear apart.
“Why do you only have half?”
“Because this Chief Instructor acquired only this half to begin with.”
“I cannot understand. Why would Majeon’s leader need the Sacred Heaven Jade?”
The old man asked, unable to comprehend.
“Would you really sacrifice your life force and mind just to steal one mere trait?”
“That is this Chief Instructor’s business to handle.”
Seeing Yeop Hyocheon’s confident expression, the old man’s eyes flashed.
“You deliberately summoned this Forest.”
“It wasn’t that I summoned you—you rabid dogs simply stuck out your tongues and rushed in first.”
Yeop Hyocheon drew a pure-white smile on his lips.
“To draw ‘him’ out, I had to pull out everyone involved in fabricating the blood case in Saha Manor along with them, didn’t I?”
The white gleam in Yeop Hyocheon’s eyes shone with utterly wicked light.
“Hahahaha!”
The old man burst into incredulous laughter.
“But before that, you will die.”
“With those incomplete monstrosities?”
“Even incomplete, they are Omnipotents possessing the abilities of Black Divine Energy. We can reduce you to dust in an instant.”
“Omnipotents? Quite a grandiose name.”
“Are you deliberately acting relaxed?”
The old man glared at Yeop Hyocheon’s calm expression.
“Planning to break through the Absolute Boundary and flee?”
At that moment, one of the Omnipotents stepped forward.
Guuuung.
Suddenly the black sky grew even darker, and a transparent wall formed around dozens of zhang.
“Interesting. You implanted Black Divine Energy with the mysteries of formations, did you?”
“Still acting relaxed even after losing your chance to escape.”
When Yeop Hyocheon yawned as if bored, the old man clicked his tongue instead.
“With this number of Omnipotents, even the Three Demons could be killed easily—yet how arrogant you are, Yeop Hyocheon.”
“Three Demons? You’re seriously mistaken.”
Yeop Hyocheon lifted the corners of his mouth.
“If only you had been as active in the martial world as the Three Realms, you might have properly understood the strength of today’s supreme masters.”
He shook his head.
“Having been holed up like rats in the Absolute Boundary, you still have the eyes of frozen fish.”
The red glow in Yeop Hyocheon’s eyes had already turned into a pair of ghost lanterns.
“Still looking down on martial world people, I see.”
“Shut your nonsense.”
Murderous blue killing intent burst from the old man’s eyes.
“Turn him to dust at once.”
At his command, the Omnipotents who had been standing behind instantly surrounded Yeop Hyocheon.
A strange radiance rose from the bodies of the Omnipotents, which gleamed as if coated in black mercury. They were unleashing transcendent power that no human could possibly block.
Shuuk.
But Yeop Hyocheon had already vanished.
True to his title of Dark King, he had concealed himself within darkness.
“Childish tricks.”
Snorting, the old man stomped his foot.
“Drive out the darkness first.”
The black skin of the Omnipotents turned silver, and the dark sky disappeared, replaced by blindingly intense light.
Jjaaaeng.
The entire world was dyed painfully white, yet nowhere could Yeop Hyocheon’s figure be seen.
Sseuk, sseuk.
The Omnipotents scanned their surroundings.
Each was no different from Black Divine Energy possessing mysterious powers.
No matter how great a martial art, none could block the power they unleashed.
But even that overwhelming power was useless if the target could not be found.
“Impressive stealth technique.”
The old man snorted instead.
“Do you think hiding like a rat will end this?”
He nodded toward one of the Omnipotents.
Clap!
When he clapped his hands and extended them, a tremendous wave of transparent energy spread in all directions.
But before that energy could fully extend,
Kuung.
With the sound of a massive metal lump falling, the head of the Omnipotent who had clapped rolled to the ground.
“Catch him!”
At the old man’s shout, the Omnipotents moved at speeds invisible to the eye, attempting to locate Yeop Hyocheon hidden within the Absolute Boundary.
But it was futile.
No trace of Yeop Hyocheon could be found anywhere.
“Then we have no choice but to turn this entire area into a domain of death!” The old man shouted.
Kuung. Kuung.
In the meantime, the heads of the Omnipotents who tried to exert their power fell one after another.
The Omnipotents’ abilities could truly be called invincible. However, the moment they exerted power, a very brief opening was exposed.
Yeop Hyocheon had instantly seen through that flaw and, in that split second, severed their heads.
“Unleash Void-Breaking!”
At the old man’s cry, waves of light spread from one Omnipotent’s body, distorting the very severed space of the Absolute Boundary, and a wind fierce enough to tear the world apart began to blow.
Even if it meant mutual destruction, they intended to kill Yeop Hyocheon for certain.
Kuung.
But it was useless.
Before the power of Void-Breaking could fully spread, yet another Omnipotent’s head fell away.
Even so, Yeop Hyocheon’s figure remained completely unseen.
“Where are you!”
The enraged old man looked around and shouted.
“Stop hiding like a rat and come out!”
[Hmm.]
At that moment, Yeop Hyocheon’s low sigh was heard.
[As I said, incomplete won’t do.]
The moment Yeop Hyocheon made a sound, the Omnipotents immediately unleashed tremendous waves toward that direction.
But nothing was there.
“Dark… King.”
Only then did the old man realize what Yeop Hyocheon’s title truly meant.
It was not merely because he hid his body and unleashed martial arts through darkness.
He could create darkness anytime, anywhere he wished, and could even cast darkness over an enemy’s mind…
He was the true sovereign of darkness.
Seogeuk. Kuung.
Meanwhile, yet another Omnipotent’s head fell.
Of the original eighteen Omnipotents, only ten remained.
Seogeuk, kuung.
Each time a head fell, the old man’s body shook violently.
Without Yeop Hyocheon’s permission, no one could see him.
They could not even take their own lives.
Trapped in endless darkness, they could only await his judgment.
Kuung.
With a dull thud, the last Omnipotent standing near the old man finally collapsed.
“You bastard!”
The old man shouted with eyes mixed with rage and terror.
“Yeop Hyocheon! Are you saying you’re stronger than the Three Demons?”
Once again scanning the surroundings, he clenched his fist tightly.
“Why on earth? With this level of strength, you could even take down the Demon Emperor!”
[Pathetic.]
Then Yeop Hyocheon’s voice rang out.
[Because you cannot see the essence, this is how you end up.]
Seogeuk.
Suddenly, a spine-chilling slicing sound rang beside his ear.
At the same time, the old man’s vision turned red.
That was the last sight he would ever see in life.
Saaaa.
With the old man’s death as well, the transparent wall that had blocked dozens of zhang around them vanished, and the surrounding scenery began to regain its original colors.
The Absolute Boundary had been broken.
“What a shame.”
Reappearing, Yeop Hyocheon looked at the fallen old man and clicked his tongue.
“Of all things, the ones who took the bait were the rabble of the Ancient Sword Forest.”
The Sacred Heaven Jade must be complete to display its true power.
“No—since the Ancient Sword Forest has moved, ‘he’ will surely move as well.”
Yeop Hyocheon’s eyes flashed.
Soon, the one holding the remaining piece of the Sacred Heaven Jade would reveal himself to him.
“It is gradually being completed…”
Gazing at the distant sky, Yeop Hyocheon spoke with a solemn expression.
“Before long, this body will become the master of you all.”
Kurrrung!
At that instant, a thunderbolt struck from the dry sky.
The moment lightning flashed down, the world was plunged into darkness and in the position where Yeop Hyocheon stood, for a fleeting instant, the figure of a Demon King with gleaming golden eyes appeared.
“Hmm.”
When the sky cleared again, there stood Yeop Hyocheon—his hair neatly combed as if nothing had happened.
“Now then… shall we go watch the entertaining spectacle that will unfold in this sect?”
With a low laugh, his figure vanished into the sky in an instant.
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