Chapter 354: Chapter 354

It didn’t take long for the clear, blue sky to be completely covered by dark, ominous storm clouds.

Even the seasoned veterans of the Demonic Cult, who had witnessed countless strange and unusual phenomena, couldn't help but stare at the sky in awe.

Even in Beijing, a place notorious for its demonic energy, such a dramatic shift in weather was unheard of.

Yalu Huan, the Heavenly Riding Demon, who had been busy preparing for the ritual, also looked up at the sky, his face grim.

Manipulating weather wasn’t something that could be done casually.

And to cause such a dramatic change in such a short time…

He quickly reviewed the list of potential candidates in his mind.

He had heard about this phenomenon recently.

He hadn't seen it firsthand, so he had assumed the rumors were exaggerated…

The self-proclaimed Demon King, who had killed the Heavenly Demon, taken over the Heavenly Demon Cult’s headquarters, and then devoured its foundations.

An unexpected variable, a monster of unknown origin.

His senses sharpened, his vigilance heightened.

‘…This isn’t just ordinary sorcery. He’s manipulating the very forces of nature with his demonic energy. How can such pure demonic energy exist in this world?’

His instincts screamed in warning as he sensed the dense, heavy energy within the storm clouds.

It wasn’t just demonic energy, it was something closer to the source of death itself, a power that should only exist in the deepest depths of hell.

And yet, it was here, in broad daylight.

He didn’t have time to react.

His connection to his subordinates outside Beijing, maintained through a special technique, began to flicker and fade.

“Formations…? Wait, did he create a formation in the sky using those clouds?”

A spatial distortion, created through artificial means.

Those beneath the storm clouds couldn't contact the outside world or leave without the caster’s permission.

He gasped, his mind reeling from the sheer scale of the phenomenon.

[“Indeed, you have a keen eye.”]

And as if responding to his unspoken thoughts,

…a voice, strange and unfamiliar, echoed through the air.

[“Khehehe— I didn’t expect this. To find you all gathered here.”]

A sinister laughter, as if rising from the depths of hell.

Everyone’s gaze, which had been fixed on the sky, was now drawn to a single point in the air.

They couldn't look away.

A chill ran down their spines.

Beneath the storm clouds,

…a figure hovered in mid-air, looking down at them with an air of arrogant indifference, as if surveying his domain.

They instinctively took a step back as they felt his overwhelming presence, the sheer density of his being distorting the space around him.

Even the hardened warriors of the Demonic Cult, who had undergone brutal training and undergone various modifications to suppress their fear, couldn't help but react.

Their bodies stiffened, cold sweat trickled down their backs, and goosebumps rose on their skin.

It wasn't just a sense of danger, it was a primal fear, an instinctive reaction to an unknown and incomprehensible threat.

And amidst the chilling silence,

…the figure spoke again, its tone laced with amusement.

[“Entertain me, insignificant insects.”]

The last remnants of the Heavenly Demon Cult faced the Demon King from another world.

There was a common image of a final boss in various media.

An overwhelming charisma, a heavy and imposing presence, a tendency to delegate tasks to subordinates…

‘Well, it wouldn’t be very impressive for a boss to handle everything personally, especially with competent subordinates. It’s inefficient.’

And that was exactly how Hans was currently behaving.

“Activate the Demon Subduing Formation!”

“Ugh, what’s that?! What kind of sorcery is this?!”

[“Kill! Only death awaits those who defy the King!”]

“They’re… not just using their martial arts, they’re retaining their sentience?!”

A large-scale battle erupted in the desolate wasteland, a place devoid of human presence.

Demons and undead clashed, jiangshi fought against jiangshi.

And amidst the chaos, Hans simply stood there, his arms crossed, observing the situation with a calm and detached demeanor, occasionally nodding slightly.

‘Hmm, I’m not sure yet. I’m close, but…’

Hans, the Immortal King, was a unique avatar.

His combat power was among the highest, but his true strength wasn’t just his individual abilities.

The Immortal Army, the countless undead under his command.

Not just their numbers, but also their power, with master-level and even transcendent-level experts among them, was his true strength.

After all, that was how the previous Immortal Kings had almost conquered the continent.

‘Of course, there are limits to the number of undead I can control in Ganghwange, unlike Auterica, where I inherited the previous generation’s legacy…’

But that was no longer a concern.

He had absorbed the Heavenly Demon Cult, the largest, strongest, and most ruthless faction in Ganghwange.

And they had recently absorbed the Blood Cult, renowned for their jiangshi creation techniques, further enhancing their power.

“They’re breaking through! Deploy more jiangshi!”

“Impossible! Our jiangshi creation technique is the best in the world! We shouldn’t be losing… Why? Why is there such a difference?!”

“Wait, isn’t that one of our demon jiangshi? It was created with the same method, but… what’s with this gap?!”

The Demonic Cult’s sorcerers, their pride wounded, screamed and clutched their heads in frustration.

It was understandable.

Their jiangshi, seemingly similar in level, were being effortlessly destroyed by their opponents.

‘They’re not the same.’

To be precise, the materials were the same.

He had simply taken the jiangshi stored in the Palace of Enlightenment, the Heavenly Demon Cult’s research facility.

The difference was in the post-processing.

‘It would have been even better if I could use the reagents from Auterica, but it doesn’t matter. I have the power of the abyss, which is practically a universal upgrade for undead.’

And the reagents weren't very efficient for mass production anyway.

He had simply infused the jiangshi with abyssal energy, using it as a medium for his necromancy, enhancing their power and resilience.

‘…And I’ve also acquired a new skill in the process.’

- Individual Name: Hans

- Race: Undead (Immortal King)

- Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Super Strength」, 「Hypersensitivity」, 「Xenoglossy」, 「Sturdiness」, 「Limit Break」, 「Mimicry」

- Individual Traits: 「Immortal Heart」, 「Unholy Sage」, 「Forbidden Truths」, 「Path of Magic」, 「Abyssal Eye」, 「Magic Power Control」, 「Lord of Heaven’s Defiance」

- Special Notes: Has become the Immortal King, Auterica’s calamity, by inheriting the “Immortal Heart”, imbued with the essence of the abyss. A faint divine spark has begun to sprout. All restrictions on undead have been weakened due to the influence of “Lord of Heaven’s Defiance”.

「Lord of Heaven’s Defiance」 was a skill he had acquired while studying the Heavenly Demon and Scribe’s corpses and then delving into the art of jiangshi creation.

It had played a crucial role in completing the Karma Jiangshi and modifying the Heavenly Demon Cult’s jiangshi.

The undead under his command were now highly resistant to holy power, their greatest weakness.

‘…And perhaps, I’ll eventually be able to bypass the dimensional barriers and move undead from other worlds.’

He wasn't sure about the exact requirements for that ability, whether it was acquiring divinity as an undead, mastering the jiangshi creation technique, or both…

But it didn't matter now.

“Kkuk kuk— Excellent.”

Thanks to 「Lord of Heaven’s Defiance」, which weakened ‘all’ restrictions, he could now do this.

“What’s happening?! Why are our jiangshi turning against us?!”

“That fool! He’s lost control! Focus! Use Soul Binding if necessary! We’re losing our jiangshi!”

The Demonic Cult’s formation crumbled as a group of jiangshi suddenly turned against them, tearing their former masters to shreds.

But it didn’t last long.

The sorcerers, realizing the situation, activated the talismans they carried, unleashing black flames that disrupted Hans’s control over the jiangshi.

‘A consumable that temporarily strengthens their control. Well, that’s fine. The higher the difficulty, the faster I learn. Let’s see how long you can last.’

Their resistance was far greater than he had anticipated.

This was Beijing, a demonic realm.

A cursed land, once a blessed sanctuary, the center of the world where the Dragon Heart had resided, now a black hole, draining the surrounding energy.

“Hmm, they don’t seem to be affected by the environment, though.”

He himself wasn’t affected, as he didn’t use Ki… but they were natives of this world.

Hans, observing their auras with 「Abyssal Eye」, quickly understood the reason.

‘…So, that’s also an effect of the Dragon’s Children sacrifice. I heard that the Murim warriors’ internal energy was disrupted at the Shaolin Temple as well.’

It seemed to be a similar phenomenon.

He scanned the area with his narrowed eyes.

‘Found them. Zhuge Hyemi and Zhu Gang-in are both safe. And there are others… seven in total? They’ve gathered quite a few.’

Well, he had been planning to find them anyway, so it saved him some trouble.

Having confirmed their location, he turned his gaze towards the other group.

The Demonic Cult’s experts, including Demon Sword Master Yeo Mun-cheol, the one-eyed old man he had encountered at the Shaolin Temple.

And the high-ranking jiangshi that had been deployed outside the headquarters.

‘…That’s… the jiangshi created from the Blood Demon’s corpse? There are five or six Master Realm level jiangshi… How long have they been preparing for this?’

In this world of endless conflict and death,

Where even master-level experts were often killed in battle,

…it wasn’t difficult to acquire high-quality corpses.

‘And that’s… Yalu Huan, the Heavenly Riding Demon, the Demonic Cult’s Strategist.’

Hans’s gaze settled on an elderly man with a long, white beard, a sage-like figure who was staring up at him with a grim expression.

But the power he sensed within him was immense, far surpassing even the Heavenly Demon’s.

Even considering that he was a sorcerer, not a martial artist, it was… excessive.

“I see. You’re not human.”

Hans easily identified the cause.

Yalu Huan’s lips twitched at his casual remark, his tone arrogant and dismissive.

“Hehehe, you’re not human either. No, you’re even worse. You’re not even alive.”

The old man’s eyes, now a bright, unsettling yellow, their pupils slit vertically, gleamed with a strange light.

Hans tilted his head slightly, surprised that his disguise, which had fooled even the Heavenly Demon until late in their fight, had been seen through so easily.

“Hmm? A dragon? Why is a dragon with the Demonic Cult, not the Golden Island Sect?”

“I should be asking you that. You seem to be from another world. Why are you here? This world is already crumbling. There’s nothing for you here.”

They continued their verbal sparring, their questions unanswered, their words like ships passing in the night.

Hans frowned, his patience wearing thin.

It was normal for enemies to avoid answering each other’s questions.

He usually maintained a calm and composed demeanor, thanks to his overwhelming power… but he wasn't known for his patience.

He usually just… took what he wanted.

‘Why am I even bothering with this?’

If he wanted answers, he could just force them out.

Or he could just… read their minds.

He nodded decisively, his resolve hardening.

There was no need to waste any more time.

…the earth below, now shrouded in shadows, trembled.

And then, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

‘The Heavenly Demon.’

His appearance, his physique… unmistakable to those present.

The Demonic Cult warriors froze, their bodies stiffening as they witnessed the impossible.

“It’s been a while, Strategist.”

“…Cult Leader? But you’re… dead…”

“You seem to have been misinformed. I suggest you find the source of that misinformation and… deal with it accordingly.”

Yalu Huan, the former Strategist, was no exception.

The Heavenly Demon, his appearance unchanged, grinned, his gaze sweeping over his stunned subordinates.

As if to prove his continued existence.