Chapter 351: Chapter 351

A group of figures moved swiftly and silently through the darkness of the forest, their movements precise and coordinated.

The figure at the front of the group raised a hand, and the others, who had been marching in perfect formation, stopped instantly, their movements synchronized.

A heavy silence filled the air, the forest bathed in the stillness of night, a strange mixture of peace and unease.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves and branches, creating a soft, rhythmic sound.

“…Prepare for battle.”

As the words echoed through the air, the group drew their weapons in unison, the tension in the air thickening, like the calm before a storm.

No one questioned the sudden order.

Their commander had long since proven his worth, and obedience was ingrained in their very being, a conditioned response.

“Huh? Did I get caught already?”

…a casual voice, out of place amidst the tense atmosphere, echoed from behind.

“Things never go as planned, do they? I’m not very good at stealth! Hahaha!”

A figure emerged from the shadows between the trees, its massive form slowly coming into view.

Despite being the target of everyone’s attention, the barbarian warrior laughed heartily, his demeanor relaxed and unconcerned, as if he was just out for a stroll.

“…Activate all restrictions on the Heavenly Jiangshi. Maximum power.”

But the others couldn't afford to be so casual.

They couldn’t even look away, their gazes fixed on him.

The massive figure approached, its footsteps heavy and deliberate, its aura radiating a savage, predatory intent that made their instincts scream.

“There aren’t as many as I expected.”

Harley, the giant warrior, tilted his head slightly, his mismatched eyes, gleaming with a strange light, scanning the surroundings.

There were about fifty of them.

All Master Realm experts, and some of them even had jiangshi, powerful undead warriors, emerging from the coffins they carried on their backs. It was a formidable force…

But it was still less than he had anticipated.

And more importantly,

“…And she’s not here. Tsk, did they move her somewhere else?”

…Zhuge Hyemi, his target, was nowhere to be seen.

She wasn't inside any of the coffins either.

He had been unsure from a distance, but at this range, there was no way they could fool his senses.

‘And there weren’t any signs of them splitting up, based on the information I gathered and the traces I followed.’

He realized he had been too optimistic.

He had been able to track them because of the traces they left behind, a consequence of their large numbers.

But if a small group of stealth experts had taken her and slipped away…

“Ugh! This is troublesome. I should have just finished them off earlier.”

Harley grumbled, scratching the back of his head, his face contorted in a grimace.

Even if the Demonic Cult was powerful, splitting their forces in this chaotic world, where danger lurked around every corner, was a risky move.

And the Zhuge Clan, their target, specialized in defensive formations and lacked powerful martial artists.

They couldn’t have known he was coming, so he had assumed they wouldn’t split their forces…

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

He shrugged, his voice casual despite the tense atmosphere.

He hadn't come all this way for nothing.

“But still, I’m a bit… disappointed.”

His tone was light, but an overwhelming aura, powerful enough to make their bodies tingle, erupted from him.

It didn’t matter if they surrendered or resisted.

He would crush them and search their minds.

“So, don’t blame me if I get a little rough. Khahaha!”

He laughed, a manic sound, and his muscles bulged, his already massive body expanding rapidly, his bones cracking and popping in an unnatural way.

It was clearly not human.

“…A demon! Deploy the Heavenly Jiangshi! Blood Slaughter Squad, prepare the Heavenly Demon Binding Formation…!”

The commander, an expert in anti-demon warfare, gave his orders, then paused, his eyes widening in shock.

His gaze, which had been trained to maintain a calm and indifferent demeanor, flickered as he followed the rapidly growing figure, now over six meters tall.

“Haha! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

It wasn’t just his size.

The giant, no longer human, grinned down at them, its monstrous form radiating a savage, predatory aura.

Unlike before, its appearance now incorporated the demonic traits of the Ganghwange demons he had consumed.

“How did things turn out …”

Yalu Huan, the Strategist, the Heavenly Riding Demon, the commander of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s external operations.

Or rather, the former Strategist, as the heavens had changed, was facing the greatest crisis of his long life.

“Hahaha, this is ridiculous. To think the Cult Leader… the Heavenly Demon, who was so close to the Divine Transformation Realm… would die .”

A hollow laughter escaped his lips as he sat in a dimly lit cave, a few lamps barely pushing back the darkness.

His calculations had been flawless.

He had thoroughly assessed the participants of the Murim Alliance meeting, their strengths and weaknesses, and had deployed an overwhelming force, just to be safe…

“Mad Demon… Mad Demon… I took precautions against him, but I didn’t expect those two to join forces and attack the Shaolin Temple.”

The Mad Demon… or rather, the ‘new Mad Demon’, as he was now called, had been the key to their failure at the Shaolin Temple.

If it wasn’t for him, they would have been able to eliminate everyone there, including Master Wu Jin and Sword Saint Namgung Woo.

Their corpses would have been turned into jiangshi, strengthening the Cult’s forces, and the Cult Leader wouldn't have had to retreat and act alone.

‘A self-proclaimed Demon King. He darkened the very sky with his presence, wielded unknown high-level sorcery, and commanded an army of black jiangshi, each capable of using martial arts… A lord of death…’

And the Demon King who had appeared after him was a disaster, a cataclysmic variable that threatened to derail their entire plan.

The failure at the Shaolin Temple wasn't a major problem in itself.

He would have had to adjust their plans slightly, but their main objective had been to secure the Dragon’s Children.

“But with the Cult Leader gone, the operation is meaningless. Hahaha… To think it would end … Who knew he would dig his own grave?”

There was no doubt about the Heavenly Demon’s death.

The Demon King had presented his corpse as proof of his victory.

None of the high-ranking executives at the headquarters were foolish enough to be fooled.

The gruesome death of their leader, a figure of absolute authority, had instilled fear in the hearts of his subordinates, prompting many of them to switch sides.

The Demon King’s purge had begun earlier than expected.

And that was when he lost contact with the Heavenly Communication Hall Leader, who had been secretly relaying information to him while pretending to cooperate.

‘It’s a shame. I could have used more information. It’s not easy to contact the outside world with all communication lines severed.’

He clicked his tongue and frowned.

Then, he glanced at the figures within a specially constructed formation.

‘The Dragon’s Children…’

They were the key to their plan, the ultimate objective, and they had secured seven of them.

It was the culmination of years of intelligence gathering.

They would have been transported to the headquarters, the location with the strongest Dragon Vein, to prepare for the ritual… but with the headquarters now under enemy control, they had to change their plans.

He couldn’t just hand over these valuable sacrifices to the Demon King.

“But… this is strange. Those two… they’re different from the others.”

He narrowed his eyes, observing the children within the formation.

The Heavenly Demon Cult was renowned for its sorcery, and Yalu Huan, the Strategist, was an expert in this field, having personally overseen the Cult Leader’s sacrificial rituals.

He couldn't mistake it.

A faint, lingering trace of an otherworldly energy within the bodies of the two children, a boy and a girl, who seemed unusually healthy and energetic compared to the other sickly Dragon’s Children.

‘The Zhuge Clan’s daughter and the imperial descendant…’

His eyes gleamed with a sharp, predatory light, as if he could see through their disguises.

It was clearly not from this world.

He had seen it before, emanating from the Cult Leader’s body after the rituals.

‘Of course, its nature is quite different. I’ll have to investigate this further.’

He scanned the dimly lit cave, then looked back at the children.

The ritual was meaningless now that the Cult Leader was dead.

Then perhaps he could use these seven for his own purposes…

“…I’ll need an altar. A strong Dragon Vein, preferably. Is there a suitable location nearby…?”

The lamplight flickered, and his shadow, cast on the cave wall, writhed and twisted grotesquely.

Like a creature from another world.

A beast-like jiangshi, its upper body covered in fur, its head shaped like a boar, its claws sharp and elongated, charged forward.

Its body, no longer bound by the limitations of life or pain, moved at an impossible speed, its jaws snapping shut as it bit down on something.

But instead of the sound of tearing flesh, only a jarring metallic clang echoed through the air.

“Khaha! This is working! I didn’t expect it to be this effective! As expected, you have to try things out yourself!”

Harley, laughing boisterously, swung the demon jiangshi around like a ragdoll, slamming it into the ground.

His forearms, instead of the usual dark red dragon scales, were covered in black, shell-like armor.

‘This is much more durable than dragon scales. It lacks flexibility, so it’s not suitable for covering my entire body… but it’s perfect as a weapon and a shield.’

It was the Black Tortoise Shell, a material he had acquired from one of the demon cores Hans had retrieved from the Heavenly Demon Cult.

He hadn’t used it in his fight against Scribe, as he wasn't used to it yet.

He couldn’t just equip untested gear in a battle against a transcendent being.

But this was the perfect opportunity for a real-world test.

“It’s regenerating…! This monster!”

“It’s immune to ordinary attacks! And it heals so quickly!”

“Avoid that black shell! It has some kind of recoil effect!”

Overwhelming violence, a consequence of his massive size, over six meters tall.

It didn't discriminate between jiangshi and humans.

The Demonic Cult warriors, unable to withstand his attacks, began to fall, their numbers dwindling rapidly.

And Harley wasn’t just relying on his physical strength.

“…His attacks are becoming more efficient.”

“He’s… evolving? Here?”

His skills were also improving, his movements becoming more refined and precise.

‘I didn't expect Harley to benefit from the Heavenly Demon Divine Art before Hugo. As expected of a legendary martial art.’

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art, acquired from the Heavenly Demon’s corpse, was proving to be incredibly helpful for Harley’s Mad Control Heart Technique.

Perhaps it was because both techniques utilized a raw, aggressive energy.

And as he refined the technique through actual combat,

《The individual gains enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill “Mad Control Heart Technique (Modified)”.》

…he finally achieved a breakthrough.

An overwhelming physique, a monstrous body, combined with a technique that maximized its destructive potential.

It didn't take long for his opponents, even the most resilient among them, to crumble before his might.