The rumors of the death of the Greatest Under Heaven did not spread as quickly as one might expect.
It wasn’t that the Namgung Clan had concealed it. They had no reason to feel ashamed of Namgung Jincheon’s death.
He fought for his family and, in the end, took four Harmonious Realm warriors with him as he departed from this world.
If word of his death got out, there would undoubtedly be vultures circling the Namgung Clan, but no one cared about such trivialities.
In fact, concealing Namgung Jincheon’s death would be the greatest insult to him.
So then, why did the rumors not spread quickly? The reason was simple.
Few believed it, and even those who knew were cautious with their words.
The atmosphere in Hefei, where the Namgung Clan resided, was cold and tense.
There weren’t many fools willing to risk their necks by running their mouths carelessly.
However, once the rumors finally left Anhui, words without feet swept across Zhongyuan at terrifying speed.
The death of the Greatest Under Heaven was made known to the entire martial world.
The elders who had gathered at the Martial Alliance were, of course, obligated to discuss it. Yet, the atmosphere was not as heavy as one might expect.
“The Lord of Pa Cheon, the Master of Gilyeon Sect, the Sword Sect’s leader, and even the Division Leader of the Black Lotus Union... Namgung Jincheon truly accomplished something great.”
“What is the current state of the war?”
“The Gilyeon Sect will soon be completely driven out. However, eliminating the remaining sects in one strike will be difficult.”
“And how do we intend to handle the Namgung Clan?”
“Some form of compensation is necessary.”
Silence briefly fell over the meeting hall. Someone cleared their throat before speaking.
“This is too great a matter for the Martial Alliance to compensate alone...”
“Are you suggesting we just turn a blind eye? Have you lost your mind?”
“That’s not what I meant. Rather than the Alliance itself, shouldn't the Sixteen Noble Houses each contribute their share?”
A man who had been silently listening finally spoke.
“Speaking of the Sixteen Noble Houses... The Namgung Clan has no Harmonious Realm warriors left, do they?”
“Aside from the previous generation of masters, no.”
“Then, they’ll inevitably be expelled from the Sixteen Noble Houses. I had expected the next generation of Namgung to proclaim themselves the greatest martial clan under heaven.”
Someone let out a scoff.
“A lofty crane that stretches its neck too far is bound to die young.”
“Watch your words. That was too much.”
“Why act so reserved? You’re all just as busy scheming about the power shift with the Namgung Clan gone.”
“Enough! Show some restraint!”
Silence returned to the meeting hall.
Some elders mourned Namgung Jincheon’s passing, others calculated the shifting power dynamics, and some prepared for the post-war landscape.
With four Harmonious Realm warriors of the Black Lotus Union dead, most anticipated the Martial Alliance’s victory.
If the Black Lotus Union was cornered, some of their hidden old masters might emerge. But if that happened, so would their counterparts on the righteous side.
Above all, unless the Black Lotus Union was completely eradicated, reclusive martial artists rarely emerged.
Most had long severed their ties with worldly affairs. As long as things didn’t escalate excessively, great benefits could still be reaped. That was the general consensus.
Jegal Tong, who had been silently biting his lip, clenched his jaw.
"The war isn’t over yet. And yet, they’re already acting like this..."
Even as the Supreme Strategist of the Martial Alliance, most of the elders outranked him.
And the difference wasn’t small either. That made it difficult for Jegal Tong to speak rashly.
“It’s my oversight. I knew Sama Hyun was a madman, yet I still applied conventional reasoning. For now, since we are at war—”
—Thunk!
Suddenly, without warning, the doors to the meeting hall were thrown open.
The elders frowned.
“What sort of disrespect is this?”
The backlight obscured the figure’s face, but these were the elders of the Martial Alliance. Such a triviality posed no problem.
Someone recognized the man who had barged in and shouted.
“Jin Gi-jaecheon!”
“Jin Gi-jaecheon? The one from the Namgung Clan?”
“A young man with no manners.”
As someone clicked their tongue in disapproval, Seo-jun silently entered the meeting hall.
His crimson eyes swept across the elders.
In a quiet, low voice, Seo-jun spoke.
“Who is the Supreme Strategist?”
Jegal Tong closed his eyes tightly before opening them again.
“...That would be me.”
“You know why I’m here, don’t you?”
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“Of course. But first, let’s—”
One of the elders interrupted.
“Supreme Strategist, you need to know when to shut things down. Jin Gi-jaecheon, was it? You should follow proper procedure first—”
—Kuuuuuuuuuuung!
The elder’s head slammed into the ground.
And it wasn’t just him.
“Ghh...!”
“You bastard...! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Every elder in the room, except for Jegal Tong, had their heads driven into the floor.
A faint presence of Seo-jun’s domain flickered, pressing the entire hall beneath an overwhelming force.
"Useless fools who do nothing when they’re actually needed."
Killing intent surged within him before subsiding.
In the end, he was no different. He had been of no help.
If only he had arrived by Namgung Jincheon’s side a little earlier... perhaps the outcome could have been different.
Tsk. Seo-jun clicked his tongue.
Azure energy rippled within the meeting hall. Seo-jun moved forward against the flow of power.
Then, something caught his eye—a smoking pipe.
Normally, he had no interest in such things. But right now, it might just help relieve this suffocating frustration.
He picked up the abandoned pipe from the table and stood before the Supreme Strategist.
—Crackle! A spark ignited midair, and smoke curled upward.
“Hoo....”
A bitter taste lingered in his mouth.
"Help? What a joke."
He exhaled the smoke and gripped the pipe tightly.
—Crack! The pipe shattered in his grasp, falling in pieces to the floor.
Seo-jun’s crimson eyes bore down on the Supreme Strategist.
“You’d better explain properly.”
“...Yes.”
As Seo-jun spat on the corpse, the elders fell silent.
"At least this one was tolerable."
His narrowed eyes turned toward Jegal Tong.
Though he had been outmaneuvered by the Black Lotus Union’s strategist, he was still the Supreme Strategist of the Martial Alliance. Having him was better than nothing.
For now, he could borrow the man's head. If he turned out to be useless, he could simply dispose of him later.
“I’ll handle the Gilyeon Sect myself.”
“...What?”
“Next is the Sword Sect. Then, the Pa Cheon Sect. After that, the Black Lotus Union.”
“W-wait, let’s discuss this—!”
Without another word, Seo-jun left the Martial Alliance.
As he tore through space and soared across the sky, some of the suffocating frustration in his chest eased.
"Father-in-law had been on the verge of reaching the Celestial Realm."
When people died, their souls moved on to the underworld. And the Celestial Realm— could it be the state where one fully absorbs both essence and qi, becoming akin to a god?
"If that's the case..."
Several theories surfaced in his mind, but there was no way to verify them.
Seo-jun clung to a sliver of hope as he stood above the sky.
— Push forward!
— The Gilyeon Sect has no proper forces left! Crush them in one sweep!
The Gilyeon Sect was situated in Gilyeon Mountain, north of Gansu Province.
Amidst the steep peaks and cliffs, warriors clashed, their weapons slicing through the air.
From a distance, Seo-jun gazed down at Gilyeon [N O V E L I G H T] Mountain, scanning the warriors below. Then, he extended his hand.
“Ideal World.”
A vast domain, stretching beyond reason, swallowed most of Gilyeon Mountain.
The treacherous mountain range vanished. In its place lay an endless grassland.
“W-what is this...?”
“Is this the Gilyeon Sect’s formation...?”
Righteous and demonic alike were paralyzed with confusion.
Without a word, Seo-jun calculated the range and fused heaven and earth.
Hunwon Ilwol Gong.
A massive explosion erupted.
—Kwaaaaaaaaaang──────!!!
At the center of Gilyeon Mountain, a vast, spherical void appeared.
The tallest peak had become the deepest crater.
A landslide should have followed, but it did not—only because Seo-jun had allowed it.
Standing atop the ruins of the Gilyeon Sect, he looked down at the survivors.
“This... this is impossible...”
“That lunatic...!”
Some were in complete shock, while others seethed with fury.
Those consumed by rage formed a formation, channeling their sorcery into the sky.
—Rumble!
Dark clouds gathered, and an enormous lightning bolt descended upon Seo-jun.
It was meaningless.
Pazzzzzzt!
The very lightning the Gilyeon Sect controlled submitted to Seo-jun’s will.
Azure bolts of lightning coiled around him, awaiting his command.
Seo-jun scanned everyone within his domain. It wasn’t difficult. The difference between righteous and demonic qi was unmistakable.
“From this day forward, the Gilyeon Sect ceases to exist.”
The moment he declared it, the blue lightning surged.
—Kwaaaaaaaang!
A massive bolt pierced the sky, followed by countless smaller streaks branching off like roots, striking the earth below.
—Kwachajajajak!
Every being tainted with demonic qi was struck down by the divine punishment.
Only they screamed in agony.
One Martial Alliance warrior, who had been locked in combat with a Gilyeon Sect disciple, collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
"The heavens have delivered their judgment upon them."
There was no other explanation.
The Gilyeon disciple before him had been charred black, reduced to nothing more than a burnt corpse.
And yet, he himself remained unscathed—not even a scratch.
The same phenomenon was happening all over Gilyeon Mountain.
No mere human could perform such a miracle.
The warrior clasped his hands together and bowed toward the sky in reverence.
Seo-jun stood above, gazing down at the dying.
“Aaaaaaagh...!”
“S-spare me...! Gaaah—!”
Most of the Gilyeon Sect had perished. Only two remained—those who had reached the peak of transcendence.
Tszt—
The lightning coiling around Seo-jun’s body morphed into two swords.
Heavenly Thunder Demon Vanquishing Art .
They were the Heavenly Thunder Qi Swords.
With a flick of his wrist, two blue streaks connected the sky and the earth.
—Rumble!
Two martial artists, their chests impaled by lightning swords, died without a single scream.
Their mouths hung open, black smoke billowing from within.
In an instant, the battlefield was cleansed.
The Gilyeon Sect was gone. Every last disciple had been exterminated.
The Gilyeon Sect had been eradicated.
Standing above, Seo-jun surveyed the remnants of the destroyed sect.
—Tsk.
Overcome with rage, he stomped his foot.
—Kuuuuuuuuung──────!!
The force split Gilyeon Mountain in half.
After enduring both Hunwon Ilwol Gong and Heavenly Demon’s Sovereign Steps, the mountain finally gave way, splitting into two.
A canyon, wide enough to fit an entire city, now lay where Gilyeon Mountain once stood.
"Yes. This is how it should be."
There was no need to hide his power.
The Demonic Flame Realm? Why had he ever bothered concealing it?
If he had revealed his strength from the start and shaken the Black Lotus Union to its core, perhaps his father-in-law wouldn’t have died.
Taking a breath, Seo-jun once again tore through space.
Next was the Sword Sect.