Chapter 336

Chapter 336
## Chapter 336

### Golden Island Sect (3)

An unmoving expanse, drenched in complete stillness.

Twitch—

A figure, seated cross-legged at the absolute center of the room, made a sudden, brief movement.

His shut eyelids parted deliberately, and a dazzling brilliance, akin to a bolt of lightning, flared from within.

The radiance momentarily illuminated the dark surroundings before pulling back into his irises, leaving two intense pinpricks of light gleaming in the shadows.

“…The bond has been broken.”

A peculiar, genderless voice—simultaneously mundane and extraordinary, carrying the weight of age yet the vibrancy of youth—reverberated through the quiet chamber.

“Could this be… Ganghwange?”

The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society, who possessed this unique voice, shut his eyes once more to concentrate his perceptions, but his efforts yielded nothing.

The spiritual tie to his proxy in Ganghwange, the vessel tasked with manifesting his unholy might, had been completely severed.

That outcome could point to only a single reality.

‘What could have transpired? There shouldn’t have been a soul remaining in Ganghwange capable of overpowering the Heavenly Demon.’

Ascending to divine status required more than sheer force.

Deities maintained their existence through the devotion and reverence of their zealots.

The situation was mirroring a scenario where a colonial governor perished abruptly, instantly severing all lines of communication and logistics.

‘Tsk, to think it would happen during this window… ’

The Master, who was currently recovering from the wounds and setbacks he sustained in Auterica, clicked his tongue with obvious irritation.

He had never anticipated that a being as formidable as the Heavenly Demon would meet such an abrupt demise.

An unforeseen anomaly had clearly disrupted his plans.

‘…Still, I must refrain from rash movements.’

Crossing the thresholds between dimensions demanded an immense expenditure of energy and time.

Furthermore, attempting to re-enter a realm he had previously invaded would exact a far greater toll, as the native deity of that world would hardly permit him to slip across the borders unchallenged.

It remained far more practical to seek out uncharted realms.

“I placed too much confidence in him. I expected far better results.”

Exhaling a quiet sigh, he closed his eyes once again.

Sustaining the loss of an apostle, a chosen proxy in an alternate realm, was undoubtedly a blow, but it fell within tolerable parameters of risk.

‘It may have been the surviving fiends. I presumed I had wiped out their entire lineage, but a few must have slipped through my fingers. I shall ensure absolute eradication next time.’

Shrugging off the unexpected complication, he sank back into his deep contemplation, his consciousness becoming tranquil and undisturbed.

He remained entirely oblivious to the fact that the architects of this disruption were the exact same individuals who had thwarted his designs back in Auterica.

—

“Um… Mad Demon-nim?”

“Hmm? What’s on your mind, pal?”

“I am completely serious when I say this, I taste absolutely dreadful. This isn’t a joke. It is literally how my kind stays alive. We consider the foulest mud-dwelling pike eel to be a rare treat because our own flesh is so repulsive, truly…”

“Argh! I hear you loud and clear! Why are you trembling like a leaf?”

“…In that case, would you mind terribly… not licking your lips while you stare at me?”

“Ah.”

Slurp!

Harley, suddenly catching himself in the middle of his unconscious habit, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

The pair were currently journeying away from Yungjung Mountain toward a fresh destination.

Upon discovering that Qingguan belonged to the Golden Island Sect, Harley had formally requested an audience. Qingguan, after relaying the message to his superiors, had been granted authorization to act as his escort to their domain.

‘I cannot afford to jeopardize this opportunity by acting recklessly. There will be plenty of time for other matters later.’

He found himself deeply fascinated by Qingguan, who happened to be the very first demon he had run across in this particular world, yet he genuinely had no desire to mistreat him.

His physical reactions moments ago were purely primal—an automated physiological mechanism triggered by encountering an entirely unmapped strain of genetic material.

Even though Harley’s physical form neared absolute perfection, elevating him to a transcendent status… he remained incapable of entirely overriding his basic, ancient impulses.

“Ahem, your kind can regrow dropped limbs, can’t you? You are making a mountain out of a molehill.”

“I have no idea what sort of realm you hail from, but regeneration is far from a universal trait among demons. My expertise lies entirely in mystical sorcery, not raw physical brawling.”

“Ah, well that is a massive letdown…”

“…Excuse me?”

“It’s nothing, forget about it. Onward we go! Hahaha!”

“…”

The Golden Island Sect operated as a highly reclusive faction comprised of demons.

Their public-facing cover organization, known as the Maoshan Sect, was situated within Jiangsu Province along the eastern coastline, though fortunately, their travel plans didn’t require a journey to that specific location.

“That place merely serves as an interface for dealing with the mundane world. The vast majority of the Maoshan Sect disciples are ordinary mortals, while those of us who are demons generally live in a separate domain.”

Qingguan guided him toward the banks of a massive, nearby river while shedding light on their destination.

“Every member utilizes their own unique approach, but this method suits me best. It requires specific geography, but it proves highly efficient provided I can locate a viable water source.”

Unpacking his ceremonial implements, the priest constructed a makeshift altar directly on the river’s edge and launched into an incantation, initiating a bizarre supernatural rite.

The river’s steady flow instantly began to churn, forming a violent, swirling vortex.

‘Now that is quite a display… But what do we have down there?’

Right at that moment,

Harley, who had been observing the magical display with genuine curiosity, spotted a strange anomaly resting along the river bottom.

A glowing, iridescent gateway had opened, projecting an image of a faraway, dense woodland that bore absolutely no resemblance to their immediate surroundings.

“…Whew, the path is open. We simply need to step through. Behold the shrouded domain of the Golden Island Sect, a pocket realm hidden away from reality! It is exceptionally uncommon for a total stranger to receive clearance this swiftly, but it appears the elders look favorably upon an audience with you, Mad Demon-nim.”

Clang—

Qingguan, concluding his ritual tasks, walked back over while ringing a miniature handbell, a bright expression painted across his features.

He felt an undeniable wave of relief at the prospect of returning to his home territory, irrespective of the odd circumstances bringing them there.

“Excellent, let us proceed then… Ah!”

“Is something amiss, Mad Demon-nim?”

“…It’s nothing. A random thought just crossed my mind.”

Harley came to a sudden halt, scratching at the rear of his skull with a highly contemplative look.

He had completely lost track of Mok In-gwang, the individual who previously held the title of Mad Demon, who was currently residing back at the Shaolin Temple.

“Oh well, what’s done is done! Let’s move, buddy! Hahaha!”

Dismissing the thought entirely, he strode forward with absolute assurance.

Mok In-gwang was receiving excellent care and hospitality within the walls of the Shaolin Temple.

The monks would hardly mistreat a person who had rendered them assistance, even if he was an erratic variable whose helpful deeds had occurred by complete accident.

Furthermore, they would undoubtedly prefer to keep a warrior of his immense caliber within arm’s reach, purely as a precautionary measure.

‘I can always pay him a visit once this business concludes.’

His primary goal in this region was to extract vital intelligence.

The task shouldn’t occupy too much of his time.

Harley trailed closely behind Qingguan, who leaped directly into the churning waters while continuing to jingle his bell, and crossed the threshold of the shimmering gateway.

In the next instant, he materialized within the center of an eerie, surreal woodland.

And then—.

“Grrr— What do we have here? A mongrel? Speak up, who authorized your entry?”

…He found himself staring directly at an imposing figure who was already occupying the clearing.

A colossal demon stood right in front of him, thick arms folded tightly over its chest, fixing him with a piercing, interrogative stare.

“Eek! M-Lord Dool! What brings you to this part of the woods…?”

Qingguan, who had emerged from the portal alongside Harley, stumbled backward in sheer terror, all color draining from his face.

It was glaringly obvious that this individual possessed a truly terrifying reputation.

“Is this domain suddenly off-limits to me? And what about you, has fear stolen your tongue? Or are you simply paralyzed by my presence? Kkuk kuk—!”

An immense entity loomed before them, standing well over five meters tall, possessing a physical build reminiscent of a predatory tiger balanced on two legs. A lengthy tail whipped through the air behind it, while razor-sharp teeth were exposed in a mockery of a smile, flanked by twin boar tusks jutting upward from its lower jaw. Its irises blazed with an eerie, spectral fire.

An oppressive wave of sheer bloodlust and raw menace, perfectly matching its monstrous physiology, began to saturate the clearing.

‘Remarkable. It makes perfect sense how their kind has managed to endure. When they possess powerhouses of this caliber.’

While this creature didn’t quite match the reality-bending power of the Heavenly Demon, it certainly appeared to stand on equal footing with a master like Sword Saint Namgung Woo.

As Harley silently evaluated the sheer potential of his adversary, Qingguan, who had scrambled backward, swallowed hard and nervously forced himself to take a tentative step forward.

“Um… Lord Dool? This individual happens to be an invited guest of the Azure Dragon…”

“Scram, fish snack. Before I decide to scale and gut you.”

“Eek!”

The priest’s momentary burst of bravery dissolved instantly.

Dool unleashed a low snarl, redirecting his burning gaze straight at Qingguan, which caused the terrified Taoist to freeze entirely, his jaw working up and down without producing a single sound.

Harley, noting that the behemoth had completely lost interest in his guide, smirked and advanced a single pace.

“Hey there, titan. Just so we are entirely clear, are you trying to start a brawl with me?”

He required absolute clarity on the matter.

He was traveling as an invited visitor within their sovereign territory.

He intended to maintain proper protocol until he extracted the information he required.

“Kkuk kuk, a brawl? Let’s not use such crude terms… view it as a basic evaluation. I cannot simply permit random wanderers to cross our borders without assessing their capabilities. A true combatant demonstrates their value through a clash of arms.”

“Aha! So it’s a… traditional welcoming ritual?”

“Hoho? Does the prospect appeal to you?”

“Hahaha—! Without a doubt!”

Qingguan gestured wildly with his hands in a state of absolute hysteria, his face twisted in panic, but the two combatants completely tuned him out.

The surrounding atmosphere vibrated with mounting aggression.

“That sounds incredibly entertaining! Nothing beats a proper test of strength!”

Harley’s mouth split into an extraordinarily wide smile, baring rows of jagged, flesh-tearing teeth.

A few stray droplets of saliva, which he had been actively trying to hold back, spilled onto the earth below.

‘He is undeniably a master of pure physical conditioning… ’

In stark contrast to the frail Qingguan, this opponent’s physiology was remarkably advanced, with every visible muscle group vibrating with raw, concentrated kinetic force.

Harley’s predatory instincts provided immediate confirmation.

This specific target would taste absolutely phenomenal—a true gastronomic masterpiece.

‘…Just a single bite… No, given his sheer mass, I can easily help myself to several portions!’

His suppressed craving began to boil over with immense force.

—

Dool was dying of absolute boredom.

The strict covenant he had been forced to swear upon seeking asylum with the Golden Island Sect after the slaughter of his previous pack was the root cause of his misery.

He was strictly forbidden from raising a hand against any fellow member of the Golden Island Sect.

Initially, he had written it off as a minor caveat, but as the decades rolled by, the true weight of that prison became unbearable.

For a creature whose very identity was forged in bloodshed and warfare, existing within this tranquil haven felt identical to being locked in a cage.

He was reduced to wandering the grounds, subtly orchestrating conflicts between others and watching from the sidelines, or attempting to goad peers into striking him first…

Unfortunately, his infamous reputation ensured that none of his subtle traps ever worked.

Just as he was seriously considering severing ties with the Golden Island Sect to seek a glorious death in the brutal outside world,

Word reached him that an unaligned traveler had been permitted entry.

‘A total outsider!’

An individual entirely detached from the binding covenant.

Though the traveler had been granted passage—meaning he was technically classified as a visitor or a prospective ally—Dool couldn’t care less about those bureaucratic technicalities.

He was fair game!

Sprinting directly to the threshold point, he quickly intercepted his quarry.

The arriving warrior possessed a highly unusual spiritual signature, exhibiting a strangely familiar pressure.

His primitive urge to rip the traveler to shreds and consume his flesh shifted slightly.

This newcomer might make an excellent thrall, provided he survived a proper thrashing.

Consequently, he had adopted an uncharacteristically welcoming demeanor, extending a rare display of patience, opting for a structured challenge rather than a blind ambush.

Then, the situation took a completely unpredicted turn.

“Let us find out what you are made of.”

The instant the words left his maw,

Crack— Crackle—

…The visitor’s physical frame, which originally barely reached the height of Dool’s upper leg, began to warp and dilate at an alarming velocity.

His midsection, torso, muscular shoulders… and finally, his skull expanded upward, forcing Dool to tilt his head back just to keep the stranger’s face in view.

“Ah, whoops. Did I overindulge a bit? It has been quite a while since I altered my mass, so my fine control is a bit rusty! Hahaha!”

Rumble—

A booming roar of laughter, carrying the force of a localized tempest, caused the clearing to vibrate.

Dool gaped upward at the towering monstrosity, his jaw hanging loose.

It wasn’t merely the sheer scale of the transformation.

The incredible compaction of the stranger’s muscle tissue, with every single fiber radiating immense power, mirrored the devastating pressure of a volcano on the verge of eruption… it utterly dominated the environment, demanding absolute submission.

‘Um… ’

A solitary, frantic spark of self-preservation flared within Dool’s mind.

‘Is this… truly a good idea?’

…Naturally, it was an atrocious idea.

An absolute disaster.