A grin spread across Mun Gok’s wide mouth. At the same time, his large foot gave a short kick to Namgung Hwa-shin.

KWAHHHHHHH―!

A pale shockwave burst from Namgung Hwa-shin’s abdomen, and his body was launched like a cannonball. In that instant, a whirlwind of yellow dust stretched in a straight line across the plains, following the trajectory of his flung figure.

It was a scene that inevitably drew the attention of all the Black Swords, including Jin Myeong-jo.

“Hm.”

Mun Gok gave a broad shrug of his shoulders.

Even that small movement sent a dull shockwave bursting from his shoulder blades. In a fleeting moment, he had tightened his muscles and concentrated his overwhelming internal energy to seal the two gashes left by the twin sword strikes.

Just then, a voice as cold as shattering ice rang out from directly in front of Mun Gok.

“Focus on me.”

It was Jin Myeong-jo. Words spoken to the foremost external martial artist known for his Fist-Palm Method, famed as Clear Name Absolute Technique.

Mun Gok smiled faintly.

“I didn’t expect your sword to dig all the way to the tendons. Good thing I tightened up in a hurry.”

Just as Mun Gok had bought time to brace his shoulders, Jin Myeong-jo, who had just unleashed that absurd sword strike, also needed a moment to regulate his internal breathing. It had been a brief but intense clash.

Mun Gok glanced past Jin Myeong-jo’s shoulder.

A young man from the Heroic Faction was catching Namgung Hwa-shin. His appearance—blue robe with a black overlay—looked like someone halfway dressed as a Black Sword. The killing intent radiating from his entire body was the only thing truly unusual.

But Mun Gok’s eyes had already identified him. It was Hуeon Won-chang, the Great Hero of Ipwang Fortress. No enemy of the Demon Realm was ever insignificant.

“I’m fine.”

Namgung Hwa-shin spoke as Hуeon Won-chang supported him, his eyeballs rolled back so only the whites were visible.

He hadn’t just passed out—he had almost died.

“Sturdy fellow,” Mun Gok murmured.

At the same time, Namgung Hwa-shin patted Hуeon Won-chang’s shoulder and staggered back onto his feet. No one could guess what was running through his mind at that moment.

Everyone here was a lunatic.

But Mun Gok soon turned his gaze back. The Blood Demon, twin swords in hand, was floating midair using the Body Preservation Technique of Neunggong Heodo.

Mun Gok spoke.

“The Master said: ‘One who gives their all in heart and mind...’ The more wholeheartedly you pursue it, the more your martial arts improve. Truly admirable.”

Blood trickled down his shoulders like a waterfall, the rare and precious blood of a “Six-Star.” And the battle had only just begun.

“But this is war. It’s different from the battles you’ve known. Do you think you can win?”

“......”

Jin Myeong-jo merely thickened the faded dark-red aura around his twin swords. That was all. Mun Gok’s words were cut short.

Somehow, the Great Sword of the Sage Sword Lord was now aligned vertically with the sky, and the other Black Swords nearby had all completed their perfect stances. Each held a crimson sword shrouded in mist.

They did not stop. There was no hint of rest.

Suddenly, the air around them warped translucently as they moved.

FWOOOOOOOOSH!

In the next instant, the world went completely black before the transcendent giant’s eyes.

***

It was overwhelming.

The most solid of the Six Original Star Lords, the Northern King with the greatsword, the Vice Captain of the Divine Sword Corps, the Lord of Annihilation, the Lord of Yeouicheon, the Lord of the Thousand Forests, the Light Blade Lord, and the Divine Sword Successors were all entangled in the whirlwind of yellow dust.

The footwork of masters had conjured a dragon-like vortex. A swirl that soared even higher than the fortress walls.

Even Hуeon Won-chang was circling just outside the whirlwind, his gaze sharp with killing intent, his black cloak fluttering like a blade.

KWAKWAKWAKWAHHH―!

The dirt ground caved inward in massive spirals, and beyond it, the wall of the Black Capital fortress trembled without end. Dust flowed like silk between the bricks.

It was impossible to tell how many exchanges had taken place, or who had attacked whom.

Beneath the deep blue sky of late winter.

A realm no one else could easily enter.

RUMMMMMBLE!

Even to Shin So-bin, who was now charging toward the fortress wall with Inner Power surging, the whirlwind born of the clash between high-level leaders was overwhelming compared to her own Palm Technique.

‘My Internal Energy is stronger, so why...!’

She knew the reason. Of course it was due to the practitioner.

But what could she do? She knew nothing about Jeong Yeon-shin. As a noble scion from a prestigious family, as a blessed top disciple of the Seomye martial line, she had only known comfort.

And then it happened.

“Break through!”

From the front came a shout by Hong Jugeom, a senior swordsman of the Annihilation Division, one of the older Blue-ranked warriors.

There was no clash of metal. Only the rumble of footwork pounding the earth and the roar of wind.

Ipwang Fortress’s Divine Sword Corps.

They slipped through the incoming halberds, axes, hooves, and reckless fists in an instant, rushing straight for the city gate.

Around five hundred warriors of the Divine Sword Corps vaulted over incoming blades by planting their palms on them, or spun like whirlwinds past the enemy at full speed.

“......?!”

For the first time, emotion appeared on the distorted faces of the mounted enemy troops. Those who should’ve been crushed instead bypassed the collision entirely. It was only natural for them to be shaken.

Perhaps it was thanks to mastering Jeong Yeon-shin’s refined form of Divine Sword Internal Power that their Flowing Energy had skyrocketed.

KUGUGUGUGUGU―!

The Blue warriors moved so fluidly, even they were surprised at themselves. Enough to prioritize tracking Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Don’t get distracted! The Northern King is the Black Swords’ target!”

Hong Jugeom shouted again. Shin So-bin, who had been dazedly watching the whirlwind of grandmasters, spurred her light-step technique with a snap of focus.

FWOOOOOSH!

With a massive leap, she vaulted over the wall.

The faint glow of the Ten Ri Radiance trailed from her heels. Several Blue warriors followed, springing vertically up the fortress wall with thunderous steps.

From midair, Shin So-bin glanced back.

An immense pressure slapped her cheek.

Over a thousand martial troops of the Black Capital were now turning their horses around on the slope. Yozoku warriors with twisted faces and massive builds, easily five times Shin So-bin’s size.

‘No time...!’

All of them had mastered the Heavenly Armor. She had already passed by them once and felt the crushing pressure through her skin. If they collided properly, the escape route would be blocked, or worse—she’d be flattened to death.

And now, the Yozoku who had launched into a direct pursuit were catching up to the rear of the Divine Sword Corps.

Unlike mounted combat, they could change direction freely. The pounding of hooves and footfalls shook the ground.

At the edge of the formation, Yeon So-ha—said to be an escape expert due to working under Yong Hui-myeong—whistled sharply.

“If they catch us, they’ll crush our heads first. With that kind of force, they could trample all of Beijing. Is this normal?”

“Focus, Senior Yeon!”

Leaving everything behind, Shin So-bin landed smoothly beyond the fortress walls. She was finally within the Black Capital. True to its name, the entire city was lined with buildings made of jet-black bricks, rising like yet another fortress before her.

She had definitely crossed the wall, and yet another fortress loomed ahead. Even though it was deathly silent, no presence in sight, the sensation was unmistakable.

Every building felt like a massive sword.

Unlike the South, where they tried to block gates, here the homes had sharply peaked rooftops to ward off monstrous birds that sometimes descended from the sky—just a part of their way of life.

Even the air was heavy. Oppressively humid. Just smelling the blood-scent soaked into every corner made her body feel weighed down.

Meanwhile, the five hundred Blue-ranked warriors of the Divine Sword Corps had mostly landed from the walls into the city. Not a single tremor followed.

They absorbed even the faintest shock through the pressure points on their soles, using it now as propulsion for their next movement.

“Form the Sword Array!”

Hong Jugeom’s cry climbed the sharpened rooftops like a blade.

The Divine Sword Corps struck the ground in unison.

KWAHHHHHHH―!

As rubble exploded in every direction, the Blue warriors burst through their own overlapping shockwaves and surged down the official road of the Demonic Capital.

A truly overwhelming military city.

Even the commoners had access to this road, yet it was unimaginably wide—wide enough for seven or eight horse-drawn carriages to race side by side.

Their destination was clear.

Beyond the vast official road and dozens of palace complexes.

At a point absurdly far away, the ruler’s palace loomed.

Distinct from the blade-like homes that surrounded the Divine Sword Corps like a forest, it was a structure of elegant octagonal roofs in the Ming Dynasty style, yet within, it was filled with total darkness.

It was called the Black Capital Imperial Palace.

The place where the future Emperor of the Qing would reside.

Where So Cheonmujuk, the leader of the Demonic Cult, was said to be preparing a ritual formation to manifest the God of War. It was even likely that other Northern Kings stood guard at her side.

Naturally, the Southern Emperor himself would be seated on the throne.

But there was no other path.

Whether they stood still or turned back to retreat, death in the names of the God of War and the Northern King would come. Above all, the Divine Sword Corps had lost their Acting Commander.

They charged forward, dragging a thunderclap behind their heels.

“Keep circulating your energy.”

“Don’t let the flow stop.”

Words muttered to themselves.

Even while running, they prepared final technique through moving meditation.

Meanwhile, the center of the Black Capital was wide open with a main road, making forward progress relatively easy. Beyond that lay the grand halls of high-ranking officials.

Buildings aligned in vast squares. With their pointed rooftops, they resembled fortresses. Even beyond that lay the Black Capital Palace.

It was over three thousand jang in distance.

A width rivaling, if not surpassing, the old city of Chang’an. Naturally, not even the fastest lightness techniques could cross it in a single breath.

They saw many things.

In places, the air shimmered in translucent, burning circles. Strewn around them were pieces of flesh, pools of blood, entrails—unidentifiable in origin. As if commoners had fled mid-slaughter while butchering raw meat.

An overwhelming atmosphere.

Some bright red muscular lumps or sinews visibly pulsed. Likely parts that hadn’t /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ been edible and were thrown away.

What beast had this meat come from?

Surely it had to be from those monsters born of that “Gate,” Shin So-bin thought. At the same time, she gently stroked her chest.

“There you go again. You can’t come out. The monster bird will eat you.”

The sparrow, which had been pushing against her collar with its short beak, paused. Then, the tiny head inside her robes tilted curiously.

“There, good girl.”

This was how the demon-infested martial world Shin So-bin had learned about was supposed to be. One had to act cautiously, always endure, always observe others—and yet, still, someone always ended up lost...

Her Grandmaster had been that way.

And now, Jeong Yeon-shin was gone. Hadn’t the Divine Sword Corps come here prepared to face annihilation? It was precisely why Shin So-bin had trained Hwangang so deeply.

‘I have to save even just one more person...’

That was when it happened.

A youth in a worn, patched-up blue martial uniform opened his eyes sluggishly. A young Blue Rank swordsman from Myungryu Division—now drafted into the Divine Sword Corps. It was Sambok.

“...It’s the Chi Geuk Army.”

Ahead of them, the summer-like haze shimmered fiercely.

The aftermath of an absurdly powerful internal energy barrier. Within the distorted air stood a formation of over three hundred warriors, completely blocking the central main road of the Black Capital.

The elite troops of the King of Chi Geuk, famed for possessing the greatest protective inner energy in the world.

The monsters clad in Heavenly Armor. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

A martial force said to be capable of trapping even the Northern King.

But the Blue Rank warriors saw beyond them. Just ahead, the one-armed middle-aged swordsman Ma Gwang-ik, and Oh Wol-hyang, were already raising her sword hilt toward the Black Capital Palace.

“There are definitely more Northern Kings here. They must be forming a guard. The King of Chi Geuk is clearly present...”

At that moment, the Divine Sword Corps was already within ten steps of the Chi Geuk Army. They had not slowed down one bit. Their silhouettes gleamed through the translucent air.

Yozoku martial artists raising massive fists up to the opposite shoulder, driving elbows like spearheads to distort the atmosphere.

Movement within Stillness.

Still, yet aggressive.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The Heavenly Armor masters launched a dominant offensive simply by standing there. Surely many had been crushed in an instant upon contact. After all, it was the same technique that had driven even the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps into a corner.

Moreover, these warriors had pushed the Heavenly Armor technique to the peak of demonic mastery.

In that moment, Shin So-bin felt it.

Grrrk—

It was the sound of Sambok grinding his teeth. A Divine Sword Corps scout trained in Myeongryu martial arts. He had to know exactly what Jeong Yeon-shin had gone through in the North. He must have seen it firsthand during the battle of Qingguangping.

BANG!

The five hundred-strong Divine Sword Corps dashed forth like hawks in a steep dive. At the same time, faint white streams of light began to flow from their weapons and bodies.

Simultaneous operation of Jongga Moving Meditation and Radiant Pact.

WOOOOOOOOONG!

The flow of qi intertwined as if it had always been one. With each step, the white currents thickened. The wave force of Radiant Pact’s power warped and crushed the qi field of the Heavenly Armor before them.

“...?”

“What is this?”

Cracks formed in the otherwise expressionless faces of the Chi Geuk Army warriors.

The Ipwang Divine Sword Corps.

Their speed was absurd. They did not hesitate at all. Suddenly, the Blue Rank warriors bared their teeth, and their lightness steps surged with a strange thunder KWIIIUUUUNG—transforming them into massive spheres of light just in front of the Chi Geuk Army.

It happened in an instant.

A single massive Light Sword swept around the Divine Sword Corps like a crashing wave. It flashed faster than the blink of an eye.

KWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHNG!

A brilliant white tidal wave of light blasted through the Chi Geuk Army.

A brutal shockwave burst in all directions like feathers, scattering bodies either explosively or slicing them into pieces. Even the scent of blood was torn apart by the radiant shock of the Radiant Pact.

Only devastation remained.

The ground sank in belatedly, swallowing the fragments of what used to be people into the cracks. The heavily compressed air finally burst open with a boom.

“......”

A silence of death.

The Divine Sword Corps had already charged far ahead. The fragments of white footwork energy faded from the traces of their steps. Not a single casualty.

No one had expected this outcome.

At that moment—

From the distant Black Capital Palace, the voice of an absolute being drifted down at last.

[...The Divine Sword Corps Commander and I have achieved perfect Human Harmony. Are we not surrounded by excellent talent?]

“Southern Emperor?!”

Regardless of Shin So-bin’s shock, the old-fashioned speech continued.

[But this is the Black Capital, so I possess Geographical Advantage, and I’ve waited a long time—thus Heavenly Timing also favors me.]

“......”

[Whereas for a heaven-given sword like your Commander, trials are constant. Naturally, he never fights with full force.

As always, he will arrive only when you’re at death’s door—or after. You will be forced to swallow your rage and tears. With a body like a tattered rag.]

Heavenly Timing, Geographical Advantage, Human Harmony.

A Yozoku who had been designated as future Emperor now spoke the teachings of Mencius. A gesture of learning without pride—terrifying in its implication.

[Now go.]

At the same time, heavy presences surged from across the vast Black Capital. Aside from the martial forces already pursuing the Divine Sword Corps, more reinforcements had been waiting.

Naturally. This was the capital of the Demonic World.

‘Ah...!’

And then Shin So-bin realized it.

Everything the Southern Emperor had just said was a kind of True Speech. A declaration voiced through the upper dantian, stirring mysterious harmony.

It felt as if that voice had just boosted the martial pressure erupting from the troops hidden all over the Black Capital.

And they couldn’t know which other Northern Kings might now appear under the pretext of guarding the sacred grounds. They had clearly staked everything on manifesting the God of War.

FWOOOOSH!

Terrifying forces surged toward the Divine Sword Corps from all directions. Mounted troops had already begun to close in from behind.

They had come knowing it would be like this—but feeling that power against their skin was like confronting the military might of an entire nation.

A shadow fell across the face of Hong Jugeom, who led the vanguard.

“Just a bit farther...”

It was then that Shin So-bin, Sambok, Yeon So-ha, and the other young elites scanned the surroundings swiftly.

Far to the south of the Black Capital.

Across the vast mountain range on the opposite side of the great city.

Suddenly, a straight trajectory was carved across the rough northern horizon. It looked vaguely like a Sword Path, but carried an ominous air.

“An Outsider...?”

Shin So-bin’s eyes widened as she turned to look.

[Southern Emperor.]

A faint voice echoed from far away. A young man’s voice, flowing along the dim starlight, soaked into the plains like a whisper.

[You’re aware of me, aren’t you.]

Feather-like clouds across the vast sky began to scatter and break apart. It was a transcendental scene. Even twilight, out of season, began to pour down.

From a distant mountain ridge, something stirred.

HUUUK!

From the endlessly stretched Sea of Clouds, a sharp aura rolled forward. Pale white clouds split to the sides, casting long shadows across the night sky.

Slowly, the sky opened.

In that instant, a white sparrow soared from within Shin So-bin’s robes. Its pure white shoulders tensed, and the sparrow’s wings crossed the horizon like a pair of sword hilts.

BWEEEEEEEEEEP—

The cry of the white flame echoed with clarity.