Chapter 338

Chapter 338
## Chapter 338

Dragon and Dragon (2)

Shaolin Temple, located on Mount Song.

Just as anticipated, the moment the turmoil calmed down, the various martial artists who had assembled for the grand gathering began departing for their respective territories.

A few voices recommended lingering at the temple a bit longer to guard against potential ambushes, but only a handful of sects whose ranks had been completely devastated actually followed that counsel.

The majority were desperate to rush back and draft their own defensive strategies.

Among those eager to depart were the Zhuge Clan and the Southern Palace Clan.

The Zhuge Clan, famous for their mastery over tactical formations and defensive arrays, had managed to escape the Demonic Cult’s onslaught without devastating casualties. Meanwhile, the Southern Palace Clan still possessed formidable combat readiness, anchored by Sword Saint Namgung Woo, a supreme master of the Mysterious Realm.

‘Word is that the clash between the Sword Saint and the Demon Sword Master concluded in a tie. If that’s true, the retreating forces of the Demonic Cult must be under his direct command.’

Hugo observed the departing martial groups, his expression locked in deep contemplation.

Even though the Heavenly Demon was no longer present, the remaining factions of the cult still held terrifying strength.

To hunt down and eradicate those remnants swiftly and effectively…

“Young Master Ha!”

A recognizable voice broke through his internal musings.

It belonged to Namgung So-ran, who had made it a point to seek him out every single day to ensure his well-being, despite the immense chaos surrounding them.

“…Please journey safely. And should you ever choose to sever ties with the Zhuge Clan, I implore you to consider joining our Southern Palace Clan!”

With both of their families preparing to move out, and given the arduous nature of travel across the land, this farewell felt heavy, carrying no true promise of a future reunion.

“Well, the distance between the Zhuge Clan and the Southern Palace Clan isn’t entirely insurmountable, and our families do engage in occasional diplomatic visits. I will certainly make it a point to seek you out when the opportunity arises…”

Naturally, that was merely a polite consolation.

In reality, the geographic expanse separating their two family estates was double the distance between the Shaolin Temple and the Zhuge Clan’s home.

After offering his final goodbyes to Namgung So-ran, he went around exchanging parting words with the various other allies and acquaintances he had crossed paths with during his stay.

During this, he managed to catch wind of the current state of Mok In-gwang, the individual formerly known as the Mad Demon. It appeared the man intended to reside at the Shaolin Temple for the foreseeable future.

It was a sensible choice. His fixation on the ‘new Mad Demon’, Harley, meant it was entirely logical for him to linger at the very location where their paths had diverged.

‘…New Mad Demon? What sort of ridiculous moniker is that? I really should have stuck around just to force them to change it!’

Regrettably, the window of opportunity had closed.

Titles in the martial world weren’t self-appointed; they were thrust upon you by the public.

Had Harley stepped forward to dispute the name himself, the outcome might have differed… but he had already departed.

‘I need to devise a plan to intervene before that title becomes permanently attached to him…’

Yet, his hands were tied given his current circumstances.

After all, he—.

“…An urgent crisis has erupted back at the family estate. Abandon all non-essential gear. We move at our absolute maximum pace.”

…was forced to fall in line with the rest of his clan for an immediate, high-speed trek home, spurred by a dire alert transmitted through a magical communication device.

A tempest of transformation was beginning to blanket the entire continent.

—

And positioned directly at the epicenter of that gathering storm,

Deep within the frozen peaks of the Tian Shan mountain range in Xinjiang Province.

“…Kkuk kuk… I’ve tracked you down. To think you were concealing yourselves in a place like this—.”

A silhouette garbed in shadows hovered mid-air, gazing down at the rugged terrain below with a cruel, mocking grin stretching across his features.

His vision was locked onto a compact settlement nestled in a secluded, treacherous crevice of the massive mountain range.

‘Magnificent. Engineering a settlement of this scale in such a hostile, isolated environment is no small feat. To top it off, the entire perimeter is masked by sophisticated arrays. Had I not deployed the 「Abyssal Eye」, it would have completely escaped my notice.’

Hans stroked his jawline, murmuring aloud in genuine appreciation.

It was a fully functioning, isolated ecosystem, complete with agricultural plots, domesticated animals, and every resource required for sustained survival.

Despite its compact boundaries, it functioned essentially as an independent city-state.

It was a perfectly fitting sanctuary for the Heavenly Demon Cult, recognized across the length and breadth of Ganghwange as the most expansive, dominant, and merciless faction in existence.

‘Though, none of that matters to me.’

A profound, bottomless light ignited within his eyes.

The synthetic chimera eyes fused into his skull began to pulsate and writhe violently from the sudden influx of raw energy, but he ruthlessly clamped down on the power, forcing the eyes back into alignment within his sockets.

“Kuh— Time to get started, shall we?”

A low chuckle escaped his throat, and an oppressive, monstrous wave of demonic energy erupted from his frame, carrying enough raw malice to smother the entire mountain range.

It completely eclipsed the historical aura of the Heavenly Demon, the former absolute ruler of these lands.

Goooo—

The previously pristine sky rapidly deteriorated into darkness as heavy tempest clouds massed together, throwing a massive, ominous shadow over the valley below.

“——!”

“——?!”

He could easily detect the sudden wave of sheer terror spreading through the settlement below.

In that moment, Hans… the supreme entity who had breached dimensional boundaries to set foot in Ganghwange… delivered his thunderous proclamation.

[“Heed my words, fragile mortals confined to your insignificant realm.”]

He spoke so they would grasp the exact nature of their reality.

[“I stand as the absolute master of all demonic entities.”]

He spoke so they would lose the sheer will to look upon his form.

Rumble—!

A deafening crack of thunder tore through the swirling storm clouds.

With that, the transcendent entity, the sole architect behind these apocalyptic weather phenomena, indelibly carved his authority into the fabric of this reality.

[“Prostrate yourselves before your newly arrived Demon King.”]

With those words, a terrifying Demon King asserted dominance over the Heavenly Demon Cult.

—

Dragons and dragons shared countless structural traits, yet the elements that set them apart were far more profound.

It was akin to sampling two culinary creations derived from identical components, yet yielding drastically divergent outcomes due to entirely separate cooking techniques.

‘The primary distinction lies in the fact that a dragon’s emergence isn’t exclusively a matter of ancestral lineage.’

In stark contrast to true dragons, who could perpetuate their existence solely via biological reproduction, alternate lifeforms possessed a pathway to ascend to dragonhood.

A prime example was an imugi—a lesser, serpentine dragon—transforming into a genuine dragon after enduring a millennium of arduous cultivation.

Granted, such a phenomenon was exceptionally scarce, but it remained a verifiable reality.

However, such alternative paths typically resulted only in lower-tier draconic entities, such as the Chicken Dragon, the Ox-Headed Dragon, or the Winged Dragon.

The apex Five Dragons—comprising the Red, Azure, White, Black, and Yellow variants—owed their existence entirely to unblemished, primordial bloodlines.

While those who achieved dragonhood through pure cultivation weren’t automatically inferior in combat prowess, the sheer volume of raw power and ancient wisdom amassed and inherited across countless generations was something that simply couldn’t be disregarded.

Consequently, the direct heirs of the Five Dragons naturally commanded the highest echelons of authority within the Golden Island Sect.

And at this very moment, two of those prominent figureheads…

“…How adorable.”

“Ahem! He is… undeniably captivating.”

…found themselves completely defenseless against the charms of a tiny youth.

The Azure Dragon offered a gentle, maternal smile as she softly ran her fingers through Horus’s hair, while the Red Dragon cleared her throat uncomfortably, keeping her eyes glued to his small form.

The young boy was lounging comfortably atop a pavilion situated within a breathtaking, serene woodland, partaking in a lavish banquet of rare delicacies while being utterly inundated with doting affection.

‘This strategy is yielding far better results than I initially anticipated.’

No longer feeling constrained by bashfulness, Horus pushed his chest out proudly and tilted his head upward, wearing a thoroughly self-satisfied expression.

“Come now, Horus, sample this piece. It features a beast raised exclusively on a regimen of spiritual silkworms, meticulously crafted by the premier culinary master of the Golden Island Sect, who once served the imperial court…”

“Do not limit your palate solely to meat dishes, try this item as well. A portion of Ten Thousand Year Polygonatum, gently poached in premium jade bee nectar…”

A limitless array of gastronomic treasures was laid out before him.

Horus consumed the offerings with an air of distinct nobility, letting his mind drift back over the sequence of events that had occurred since his arrival.

‘I never envisioned our entry would proceed this effortlessly.’

His arrival had been entirely abrupt and unheralded.

Harley had essentially acted on a sudden impulse, and trespassing without prior clearance into the sovereign domain of the Golden Island Sect constituted a severe transgression.

It possessed all the ingredients to spiral into a catastrophic dispute…

‘…Yet, it completely failed to do so.’

The explanation for this outcome was singular and absolute.

He represented the sole surviving ‘Yellow Dragon’ remaining across the face of this world.

‘Are you serious? First back in Auterica, and now over here? Is the Gold Dragon bloodline perpetually hovering on the brink of total wipeout?’

This state of affairs was far from mere happenstance, however.

The Yellow Dragon historically functioned as the supreme authority over the Five Dragons, serving as the rightful patriarch of the Golden Island Sect.

This mirrored the hierarchy back in Auterica, where the Gold Clan held undisputed dominion as the royal lineage among draconic beings.

Because of this status, they naturally became the primary targets for any malicious forces intent on unraveling the stability of the world.

The ancient Immortal Kings had pursued the Gold Clan with relentless malice, and the mysterious Master of Heaven’s Turn Society, who had mounted an invasion of Ganghwange and plundered the Dragon Heart, operated under the exact same directive.

‘He didn’t just casually stroll into the palace and seize it without a fight.’

The widely accepted public narrative claimed that a winged entity from an alternate realm had triggered a horrific, bloody massacre within the imperial palace grounds to secure the Dragon Heart… but a fierce, desperate conflict had raged in the shadows.

The reigning imperial dynasty, flanked by a selective group of grandmaster-level martial artists, had aligned with the Golden Island Sect—who represented the interests of the demonic beasts—to mount a defense.

‘But they suffered a crushing defeat. Furthermore, the foundations of Harris’s Gentle Eight Trigrams Secret Art originally belonged to a martial master who fell at his hands.’

The Master had not executed his grand scheme in isolation. He commanded the absolute backing of the Demonic Cult, an organization that had been quietly consolidating its influence in the darkness for generations.

Infiltrators and mentally conditioned turncoats had successfully compromised every major faction, rendering it virtually impossible to place faith even in lifelong companions, while the widespread chaos triggered by rogue dark sects effectively paralyzed their ability to coordinate an organized counter-offensive.

As a direct consequence, the imperial bloodline was utterly wiped out, a multitude of legendary martial masters lost their lives, and the entire realm was plunged into deep destabilization.

To make matters worse, the Golden Island Sect didn’t just lose the core lineage of the Yellow Dragon; they also suffered the loss of the vast majority of their draconic populace, including the Kirin and the Black Tortoise, who formed the bedrock of their highest-ranking leadership.

“Delicious… Tell me, what are the remaining dragons occupied with at this moment?”

Horus paid close attention to their words, his tiny jaws continuously working through the exotic foods.

His fundamental task of gathering critical intelligence was proving to be… remarkably straightforward!

The entire process required nothing more than eating his fill and keeping his ears open.

“The White Dragon along with the Black Dragon are currently stationed at the Dragon God’s Temple, exerting every ounce of their power to preserve the world’s equilibrium. They are accompanied by whatever forces remain capable of providing assistance.”

“The two of us were stationed there until very recently. It is simply not an environment where an individual can remain… indefinitely. It requires a strict rotation to safeguard and ration one’s vital energy, otherwise, the strain will claim your life.”

“…A significant number have already perished.”

“If the current state of affairs persists, our forces will reach their absolute limit before long. This explains why we were so utterly desperate to receive a sign of guidance from the Dragon God…”

Horus offered a slow, understanding nod of his head.

The intense, volatile reaction they had displayed upon encountering Harley now made complete sense to him.

He cast a brief glance toward Harley, who was currently strolling along the outer perimeter of the isolated pocket dimension in the company of Qingguan, before refocusing his gaze onto the two maternal figures seated across from him.

Their lavish hospitality toward him wasn’t driven solely by his endearing appearance.

They were motivated by calculated necessity…

Poke, poke—

“Simply remarkable. His facial features are incredibly… pliable.”

“Red Dragon, I must ask you to refrain from disruptive behavior while he is enjoying his meal.”

“You should cease twisting his hair into braids. Regardless of the fact that this form is merely an avatar, such actions lack proper decorum.”

“But take a look at his locks. Does he not appear exceptionally striking with this arrangement?”

…Or perhaps he was mistaken?

Could it be that they were genuinely, completely paralyzed by his sheer aesthetic charm?

As Horus sat silently evaluating the true nature of his own inexplicable appeal,

“Tsk, to think that notorious dragon slayer ended up serving as the custodian for the Yellow Dragon. Granted, his essence differs entirely from our historical Yellow Dragon…”

“True, it stretches belief, but he undeniably carries the distinct karma of the Yellow Dragon. For our current needs, that single factor suffices.”

“It defies reason. His physical age appears scarcely a century old… no, honestly, not even half of that milestone. How can such a reality exist? What manner of bizarre realm did he originate from?”

…The two women shifted back into a tone of profound gravity.

At long last, the topic of conversation turned toward the ‘Dragon’s Children’.

“So… your words imply that they are ultimately… intended as living offerings? Designed to reconstitute the missing Dragon Heart?”

“Precisely. They exist as consecrated offerings dedicated to the grand and supreme Dragon God.”

“Red Dragon…”

“Hmph.”

The Dragon God held the status of the Principal Deity overseeing the realm of Ganghwange.

A historically detached, passive deity who had finally broken his silence and intervened only after the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society successfully made off with the Dragon Heart.

He had dispersed his unique ‘countermeasure’ across the corners of the continent.

Consequently, an array of unborn infants, developing within specific geographic nodes saturated with concentrated Ki second only to the composition of the Dragon Heart itself, had been designated as the physical vessels to house that ‘countermeasure’.

They were widely designated as the Dragon’s Children.

Living sacrifices, pre-ordained to be surrendered to the supreme Dragon God before they had even drawn their first breath in the mortal world.

“…And the sacred invocation will be carried out directly within the confines of the Dragon God’s Temple, executed by our own hands, the Five Dragons.”

“The entire premise is utterly grotesque. Yet, what alternative do we possess? It represents the absolute decree of the Dragon God. He remains completely indifferent to our personal morality or grief.”

Horus maintained a slow, rhythmic nodding motion as he absorbed the bitter, resentful words flowing from the Red Dragon, whose tone practically dripped with profound animosity.

He found himself entirely capable of empathizing with her perspective.

‘…Wow, that deity is genuinely ruthless.’

He had long since come to terms with the reality that higher entities typically conducted themselves in this fashion.

As the cosmic administrators of entire realities, their underlying intentions were vast, cold, and fundamentally detached, resulting in choices that routinely bypassed conventional mortal comprehension.

Mortals might categorize them as benevolent or malevolent entities based on the visible outcomes of their actions, but they fundamentally existed as forces that couldn’t be accurately measured by standard mortal ethics.

‘…This complicates matters significantly.’

His mind flashed back to the meaningful bonds and acquaintances he had formed over the course of his journey in this land.

-“I intend to dedicate myself fully to my martial training while staying here, so you must promise to recount all your grand adventures to me upon your return, Young Master Ha. Do we have an agreement?”

-“I find myself deeply indebted to your unmatched skills, Divine Healer. I pledge to find a method to return this profound favor down the line…”

Horus knit his brows tightly together, letting out a heavy, troubled breath.

An intensely foreboding sensation began to settle deep within his chest.