Chapter 374: Chapter 374

The battle came to a sudden halt as everyone stared at the scene of spectacular destruction.

Amidst the swirling dust and debris, the crowd gazed at the massive mushroom cloud that had engulfed the city, their faces a mixture of shock and awe.

It was a sight none of them had ever witnessed before.

Gunpowder technology in this world was crude and primitive, making such a large-scale explosion practically impossible.

And this had been caused by a single being’s energy.

‘…Is that… a legendary dragon? To destroy an entire city with a single attack… This is absurd.’

Heavenly General Jeongcheon, a Mysterious Realm expert from the Northern Army, the largest military force in the region, controlling parts of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu Provinces, clicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes.

His martial prowess, honed through countless battles and wars, was undeniable.

‘But that… I wouldn’t stand a chance. If that attack hit our army…’

He glanced at the glaive in his hand, his eyebrows twitching slightly.

A Mysterious Realm expert, a master of unparalleled skill, was said to be a one-man army… but that was mostly in the context of one-on-one combat.

He had never imagined an attack that could wipe out an entire army.

‘If I could cut it down… I don’t know. I could probably survive the blast with my protective aura, as long as I don’t take a direct hit.’

But he couldn't guarantee the safety of his army.

And it would be foolish to face such a concentrated attack head-on.

He focused his vision, peering through the dissipating dust and debris towards Beijing, and muttered softly.

The first thing he saw was a massive scar on the earth.

A huge crater, its edges smooth and glassy, reflecting the light, where the destructive beam had passed through.

Against such an attack, even overwhelming numbers or fortified defenses were meaningless.

And the attacker could fly, so their options were limited.

And the dragons, watching the scene from their vantage point in the sky, felt the same way.

They gasped, their voices filled with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

Even they, who had lived for centuries, had never seen such destructive power.

It would have been easier to summon a localized storm, earthquake, or even a volcanic eruption… but this… this was pure, unadulterated destruction, a force beyond their comprehension.

Black Dragon, who had been relatively quiet until now, finally expressed her interest, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

She hadn’t expected much from Horus, who was much younger than her and just a temporary replacement for the Yellow Dragon… but his actions, eliminating a portion of the demon jiangshi and the Demonic Cult’s forces, had left a deep impression.

‘Such a powerful attack! If he could just… unleash it on every human city…’

What a magnificent fireworks display that would be!

Her gaze, filled with a strange admiration, was fixed on Horus, who was circling above the battlefield, then turned and headed back towards them.

And so, the gazes of the humans and demons on the ground, and the dragons in the sky,

…converged on a single being.

The unusual Yellow Dragon, its overwhelming power imprinted upon their minds.

‘…I overdid it, trying to make a grand entrance.’

Even flapping his wings felt… heavy.

He was trying to hide it, as everyone was watching him… but Horus wasn’t in good shape.

That single breath attack, powerful enough to destroy most of a city…

It was an attack worthy of an Ancient Dragon, an Elder Dragon, not a mere Adult Dragon.

Naturally, it had taken a toll on his body.

‘But it made an impact.’

It would have been embarrassing to fight alongside the others on the ground.

It was better to make a grand entrance and then leave.

The problem was that he had pushed his limits with 「Limit Break」, and now, maintaining his adult form with 「Elder Dragon’s Heart」 was becoming increasingly difficult.

He was still a hatchling, after all.

‘It’s not bad. I’ve discovered a new possibility.’

Not just his combat abilities, but also his physical growth, which had been limited by his age…

He had finally found a solution to that long-standing problem.

‘…Though it’ll take some time. Ah, I should focus on this first.’

Horus’s gaze shifted towards the battlefield, towards the Demonic Cult’s forces.

Even the heartless demons of the Demonic Cult wouldn't be completely unaffected by such a devastating attack.

If it wasn’t for the jiangshi, who followed orders without question, their ranks would have already crumbled.

‘Well, that’s almost over as well. Time to finish this.’

He had shown them enough.

The devastating attack would instill fear and caution in the hearts of the other factions, and their shared resentment towards the Demonic Cult would unite them.

It was a shame to lose the demon jiangshi and the high-ranking undead, but they weren’t created from Awakened individuals, so they were only usable in this world.

It was better to use them now, while they could still make an impact, than to keep them in reserve indefinitely.

‘Use it or lose it. And unlike Auterica, my priority here is restoring this broken world. I have plenty of other options if necessary.’

He had already acquired the necessary techniques, and the remaining Demonic Cult members, who would serve as a constant reminder of the threat, were securely leashed at their headquarters in the Tian Shan Mountains.

All that remained was the restoration of the Dragon Heart.

“The Heavenly Demon descends, all shall submit!”

“Ugh! Heavenly Demon!”

Almost half a day had passed since the battle began.

The war for the fate of this world was nearing its end.

“Hehehe— So this is how it ends. A shame, truly a shame.”

Demon Sword Master Yeo Mun-cheol, a Guardian of the Heavenly Demon Cult, chuckled softly.

Sword Saint Namgung Woo, facing him, his expression grim, spoke.

“It’s over, Yeo Mun-cheol.”

A stream of dark, clotted blood gushed from Demon Sword Master’s mouth, his arms severed, a sword piercing his heart.

But the mocking smile on his one-eyed face didn’t falter.

“Hehehe… To think I would end up because of that… naked savage. If we had fought one-on-one, the outcome would have been different, Namgung Woo.”

“Losers make excuses. You should have stayed in the training grounds if you didn’t want to fight.”

Their battle had been a stalemate until now.

Naturally, the changing circumstances had influenced the outcome.

“I’ll be going now, Elder. There are others who need my help.”

A young… no, a very young man, his body wreathed in a dragon-shaped aura, bowed slightly, then leaped into the air, his movements graceful and fluid, like a dragon soaring through the clouds.

Demon Sword Master, glancing at him, his lips twitching, muttered,

“Kuhut— To think I lost an arm to that… child! Master Realm in his early twenties? The heavens must be joking.”

Sword Saint nodded in agreement.

He had considered his own grandson, who had reached the peak of the Master Realm in his mid-twenties, a prodigy… but this young man was beyond his comprehension.

Peak Master Realm at the Shaolin Temple, then Transcendent Realm during the Demonic Cult’s attack, and now, Master Realm…

Even considering that he was an otherworlder, his growth rate was unbelievable.

It was as if the heavens themselves were favoring him.

‘He’s the next Heavenly Demon, without a doubt.’

He watched as the young man moved through the battlefield, his dragon-shaped aura shimmering and flashing, a spectacle of power and beauty.

He drew everyone’s attention, a magnetic force pulling them towards him.

It wasn’t just his martial arts talent. There was something… more.

‘A young hero, appearing in these troubled times.’

He had already achieved a great feat, infiltrating the enemy’s stronghold and rescuing the Dragon’s Children.

If it wasn’t for him, the Demonic Cult’s ritual might have been completed, and even if they had won the battle, the sacrifices would have been lost, leaving the world without hope.

And he was now fighting on the front lines, assisting the other warriors…

“Hmm, So-ran seems to be quite interested in him.”

He stroked his beard thoughtfully, a serious expression on his face.

His granddaughter, Namgung So-ran, was renowned for her beauty, considered the most beautiful woman in Anhui Province.

Well, it wasn’t surprising, considering the prestigious lineage of the Southern Palace Clan.

His own mother, wife, and daughter-in-law were all incredibly beautiful.

The only problem was that the young man was an otherworlder, his future uncertain.

‘Well, home is where the heart is. Even if he settles down in this world, his power won’t decrease.’

And he had no family ties, so he could easily be adopted as a son-in-law.

And Zhuge Hyemi, his potential rival…

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

It wasn't right to be happy about someone else’s misfortune.

“I can hear you scheming…”

“I almost forgot about you.”

Snapping out of his reverie at Demon Sword Master’s words, Sword Saint pulled his sword from his opponent’s heart and then swiftly decapitated him.

It seemed like even a heart wound wasn't enough to kill a Mysterious Realm expert who practiced such sinister demonic arts.

He destroyed his brain with a Ki blast, then shattered his heart and dantian, just to be safe.

Having finally ended his long-standing rivalry,

Sword Saint closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and leaped into the air.

‘I don’t have time for this.’

Towards the center of the battlefield,

…where the final battle against the Heavenly Demon was taking place.

The tide of the battle turned rapidly.

The oppressive environment of the demonic realm was suppressed by the Five Dragons, and the arrival of the demon reinforcements had evened the odds.

The Murim Alliance warriors, finally able to breathe, began assisting each other, and the change in momentum affected even the battles between the strongest individuals.

Demon Sword Master Yeo Mun-cheol was slain by Sword Saint Namgung Woo, and the Blood Demon jiangshi was destroyed by the Heavenly Crushing Sword Emperor.

Blood Asura was no longer needed to hold off the Master Realm jiangshi, and the Kirin and other high-ranking demon jiangshi were being slowly overwhelmed by the combined forces of the Murim Alliance and the demon reinforcements.

And all that power, all that momentum,

…began to converge on a single target.

The Heavenly Demon, the final boss of this stage.

At the center of the battlefield,

…a fierce and earth-shattering battle was unfolding.

A one-on-many fight against a figure shrouded in a dark aura.

But the many couldn’t gain the upper hand.

“…Amitabha, I had my doubts, but it seems you’ve truly abandoned the path of humanity and become a demon, Heavenly Demon.”

An unknown, sinister power was constantly replenishing his energy.

And the new Mad Demon, who had been holding the line until now, was starting to tire, his aura weakening.

“He’s insane. To turn himself into a jiangshi to achieve the Divine Transformation Realm… What was he thinking?”

“He was serious? I thought he was just using some kind of demonic secret art. He’s even crazier than we thought.”

The Heavenly Demon, also exhausted from the prolonged battle, could no longer completely conceal his deathly aura with his demonic energy.

Those who had been skeptical until now finally realized the truth and gasped in horror, but—.

“…So many have died.”

…the Heavenly Demon simply looked around the battlefield, his expression unchanged.

Countless bodies, both human and demon, lay scattered across the devastated landscape, the air thick with the stench of death… but he didn’t seem to care.

“Ah, you’re curious about why I chose this path, aren’t you?”

As if everything was going according to plan.

The monster, mimicking a human form, grinned savagely.

As if he no longer had any reason to hide, the deathly aura that had been subtly emanating from him began to engulf his entire body.

“I’ve acquired something… quite valuable. Very valuable.”

A dark, abyssal aura, like the depths of hell, erupted from him.

And as the warriors around him instinctively retreated, their defenses raised,

[“Wait, that energy…!”]

…White Dragon, who had been focusing on stabilizing the spatial distortions, cried out in alarm.

It was a familiar aura, one he had encountered before.

Tam (Greed), the Golden Island Sect’s nemesis, the one who had devoured countless dragons using the Power of Gluttony.

He could sense his presence in the depths of the demonic realm, beneath Beijing.

And he could also sense that it was connected to the Heavenly Demon.

[“Is that… the source of his power?! We have to stop him! If he uses that power…!”]

But White Dragon’s warning came too late.

Before anyone could react, the Heavenly Demon, enveloped in darkness, suddenly appeared outside the encirclement of the master-level experts.

He was holding Zhuge Hyemi, one of the Dragon’s Children, by the throat.

“All the conditions have been met.”

The death-infused earth, overflowing with negative energy.

Tam, the predator whose presence still lingered even in death.

And he himself, who had embraced death and become one with it.

“Give me your karma.”

The Heavenly Demon, a Karma Jiangshi, a being whose soul had been consumed by the karma he had devoured, began to absorb the Dragon’s Child’s karma—.

“Not if I can help it!”

…And at that moment, a voice, accompanied by a sharp, cutting sound,

…echoed through the air.

“Are you alright, Young Miss Zhuge?”

“Cough, cough… Y-Young Master Ha…?”

The young hero, appearing out of nowhere, had severed the Heavenly Demon’s arm, rescuing Zhuge Hyemi and retreating with her in his arms.

And the Mysterious Realm experts, seizing the opportunity, quickly surrounded the Heavenly Demon, who was staring at his severed arm, his face contorted in a grimace of pain and frustration.

“…You… You’re still interfering…!”

He roared in frustration, as if he had missed a golden opportunity.

And the dragons, who had been circling above, descended, their gazes fixed on him, their eyes burning with a cold, hostile light.

Horus, the Gold Dragon, his eyes gleaming,

…knew that all the pieces were finally in place for the true ending.