Chapter 354

Chapter 354
## Chapter 354

Shifting Tides (3)

A brief moment was all it took for the pristine, azure firmament to be swallowed by dense, threatening tempest clouds.

Rumble—

Even the hardened veterans of the Demonic Cult, individuals who had borne witness to a myriad of bizarre and unnatural occurrences, stood paralyzed, gazing upward in sheer astonishment.

Even within the boundaries of Beijing, a territory heavily tainted by malevolent energy, a meteorological transformation this rapid and severe was completely unprecedented.

“…What manner of power is that?”

Yalu Huan, the Heavenly Riding Demon, who had been completely absorbed in organizing the sacred rite, shifted his gaze toward the heavens, his features tightening with apprehension.

Bending the weather to one’s will was a feat that demanded unfathomable capability.

To spark such a violent metamorphosis in the blink of an eye…

He rapidly cross-referenced the names of every formidable entity he knew.

In the end, only a single identity fit the description.

Discussions regarding this unbelievable phenomenon had reached his ears only recently.

Because he had not observed it with his own eyes, he had dismissed the accounts as mere hyperbole…

“The Demon King.”

The self-entitled ruler who had brought about the demise of the Heavenly Demon, seized control of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s primary stronghold, and subsequently absorbed its very essence.

An unpredicted wild card, a monstrosity whose origin remained a total mystery.

His awareness sharpened to a razor’s edge, his wariness spiking dramatically.

‘…This far exceeds standard mysticism. He is seizing control of the natural elements themselves through sheer malevolent aura. How can an energy of such unadulterated wickedness even exist in this realm?’

His very survival instincts screamed in panic as he registered the suffocating, heavy pressure trapped within the churning storm.

This transcended basic demonic energy; it felt far closer to the absolute origin of demise, a dominion that belonged exclusively to the lowest realms of damnation.

Yet, here it manifested, beneath the brilliant sun.

Rumble—

He was denied any chance to formulate a countermeasure.

The telepathic link he maintained with his outer forces stationed beyond Beijing, sustained by a highly specialized art, began to waver and fracture into nothingness.

“A barrier technique…? No, could he have woven a massive formation across the heavens using those very clouds?”

A profound distortion of localized space, engineered entirely by supernatural design.

Those trapped beneath the shadow of the tempest could neither signal external allies nor retreat without obtaining the explicit consent of the one who cast it.

He drew a sharp breath, his consciousness spinning as he grasped the breathtaking magnitude of the event.

[“You possess a remarkably sharp perception, it seems.”]

As if providing an answer to the thoughts racing through his mind,

…a foreign, unfamiliar voice reverberated through the atmosphere.

[“Khehehe— This is quite a pleasant surprise. Finding all of you congregated in a single location.”]

A wicked, mocking laughter resounded, sounding as though it bubbled up from the pits of purgatory.

Every single eye, which had previously been glued to the dark clouds above, was instantly drawn to a solitary coordinate in the sky.

They found themselves utterly incapable of breaking eye contact.

An icy dread washed over the assembly.

Exactly when had he materialized there?

Suspended beneath the swirling storm,

…a lone silhouette hovered in the open air, peering down at the gathering with a demeanor of supreme, detached arrogance, as though surveying a kingdom that already belonged to him.

“………!”

“…Hmph.”

They involuntarily retreated a step as they encountered his suffocating aura, the sheer density of his spiritual weight warping the space directly surrounding his body.

Even the most brutalized combatants of the Demonic Cult, who had endured horrific training regimens and undergone physical alterations specifically designed to eradicate their capacity for terror, could not suppress their physical reactions.

Their muscles locked up, freezing sweat ran down their spines, and their flesh broke out in intense goosebumps.

This was no mere recognition of peril; it was a baseline, ancestral dread—an involuntary reaction to an anomalous and incomprehensible entity.

[“Now then,”]

Amidst the suffocating, deathly quiet,

…the levitating figure spoke once more, his words vibrating with sadistic amusement.

[“Provide me with some entertainment, you worthless gnats.”]

The final surviving core of the Heavenly Demon Cult stood arrayed against a Demon King originating from an entirely different realm.

—

A particular archetype usually came to mind when thinking of a final antagonist in fictional tales.

An overwhelming, magnetic authority, a dense and suffocating aura, and a habit of delegating tactical duties to underlings…

‘Well, it wouldn’t project a very majestic image if the leader intervened in every minor skirmish personally, especially when surrounded by capable servants. It lacks efficiency.’

And that precise archetype perfectly mirrored the way Hans was conducting himself at this moment.

“Trigger the Demon Subduing Formation!”

[“Kyaaa—!”]

“Blast it, what is that?! What sort of unholy witchcraft are we facing?!”

[“Slay them! Ultimate demise is the only reward for those who oppose the Sovereign!”]

“They… they aren’t merely executing their combat styles, they actually preserve their cognitive awareness?!”

[“Slay them! Slay them!”]

A monumental conflict erupted across the barren, blasted earth, a region completely isolated from ordinary civilization.

Fiends clashed violently with the walking dead, while jiangshi locked in brutal combat against opposing jiangshi.

Amidst this absolute pandemonium, Hans remained perfectly stationary, his arms folded across his chest, reviewing the battlefield with an analytical, detached gaze, occasionally offering a subtle nod of approval.

‘Hmm, I cannot be entirely certain just yet. The goal is within arm’s reach, but… ’

Hans, known as the Immortal King, represented an exceptionally rare category of avatar.

While his personal offensive output ranked at the absolute apex, his definitive advantage did not reside solely within his individual prowess.

It lay within the Immortal Army, the infinite legions of the deceased bound to his absolute command.

It was not merely a matter of overwhelming numerical superiority; the inclusion of master-level and even transcended combat entities among their ranks comprised his genuine authority.

Ultimately, that was the exact method by which the ancestral iterations of the Immortal Kings had come so close to subjugating the entire continent.

‘Granted, there are distinct boundaries governing the volume of undead I can actively manage within Ganghwange, a stark contrast to Auterica where I inherited the grand legacy of the prior era… ’

However, that constraint had ceased to be an issue.

He had successfully integrated the Heavenly Demon Cult, recognized as the grandest, most potent, and utterly merciless organization throughout Ganghwange.

Furthermore, they had recently assimilated the Blood Cult, an entity celebrated for its unparalleled jiangshi engineering methods, which only served to amplify his military assets.

“Our defensive line is collapsing! Send forward additional jiangshi at once!”

“This defies logic! Our clan’s jiangshi synthesis techniques are unrivaled across the globe! We should not be suffering defeat… How? How can there be such a vast disparity in quality?!”

“Hold on, isn’t that specimen one of our own demon jiangshi? It was synthesized utilizing the exact same formula, yet… what explains this terrifying difference in performance?!”

The mystics of the Demonic Cult, their deep-seated arrogance thoroughly shattered, shrieked in absolute dismay while gripping their heads in sheer disbelief.

Their reaction was entirely logical.

Their own jiangshi, which appeared to match the opposing forces in baseline tier, were being effortlessly systematically dismantled by their adversaries.

‘They are far from identical.’

To be perfectly precise, the foundational raw materials were indistinguishable.

He had simply commandeered the stored jiangshi housed within the Palace of Enlightenment, which served as the primary research and development hub for the Heavenly Demon Cult.

The true variance resided entirely within the secondary refinement process.

‘It certainly would have yielded superior results had I been able to utilize the specialized chemical components from Auterica, but it is of little consequence. I wield the absolute energy of the abyss, which serves as an all-encompassing, supreme enhancement for any undead entity.’

Besides, those specific alchemical components were highly impractical for large-scale fabrication to begin with.

He had opted to saturate the jiangshi directly with abyssal power, employing it as a conductive channel for his dark necromancy, thereby multiplying both their physical output and structural durability.

‘…And I have managed to secure a completely fresh ability throughout this experimentation.’

* 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 ascended to the rank of the Immortal King, the defining catastrophe of Auterica, by successfully inheriting the “Immortal Heart”, which remains saturated with the fundamental core of the abyss. A minuscule spark of divinity has begun to manifest. All fundamental constraints imposed upon undead entities have been substantially diminished due to the passive authority of “Lord of Heaven’s Defiance”.

「Lord of Heaven’s Defiance」 was an attribute he had manifested while meticulously analyzing the physical remains of both the Heavenly Demon and the Scribe, followed by a deep immersion into the mechanics of jiangshi fabrication.

This specific attribute had played an indispensable role in finalizing the construction of the Karma Jiangshi and re-engineering the baseline jiangshi forces of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

As a direct consequence, the undead operating under his banner now possessed an immense defensive resilience against sanctified or holy attributes, which historically constituted their ultimate vulnerability.

‘…And with time, I might ultimately find a method to disregard planar boundaries entirely, allowing me to summon undead legions directly from alternate realities.’

He remained uncertain regarding the precise parameters needed to unlock such a feature, whether it demanded the acquisition of true godhood as an undead entity, a flawless mastery over jiangshi creation, or a combination of both variables…

Regardless, it held no relevance to his immediate situation.

“Kkuk kuk— Truly magnificent.”

By utilizing 「Lord of Heaven’s Defiance」, an attribute that mitigated ‘every’ fundamental restriction, he was now fully capable of executing maneuvers like this.

“What? What is happening? Kyaaa—!”

“What is the meaning of this?! Why are our own jiangshi suddenly executing an about-face and striking our lines?!”

“That brainless idiot! He has completely dropped his mental link! Center your minds! Implement the Soul Binding technique immediately if you must! We are actively being stripped of our forces!”

The tactical formation of the Demonic Cult fractured violently as a contingent of their own jiangshi abruptly shifted targets, violently shredding their creators into pieces.

Yet, this chaotic rebellion was short-lived.

The practitioners, instantly diagnosing the core issue, incinerated the specialized paper charms they carried, discharging waves of obsidian flames that actively severed Hans’s mental grip on the rebelling jiangshi.

‘A single-use item designed to provisionally amplify their authoritative link. A reasonable response. The steeper the operational challenge, the more rapid my evolutionary learning curve becomes. Let us discover precisely how long you can sustain this defense.’

The degree of pushback they offered was considerably more robust than he had initially projected.

This location was Beijing, a designated dark domain.

A corrupted territory, once celebrated as a sacred haven and the literal axis of civilization back when the Dragon Heart was anchored here, now transformed into a metaphysical black hole that relentlessly siphoned away the surrounding environmental energy.

“Fascinatingly, they do not appear to suffer any debilitating symptoms from this localized environment, however.”

He personally remained entirely unaffected, given that his abilities did not rely on the circulation of Ki… but they were native inhabitants of this particular reality.

Hans, scrutinizing the complex spiritual signatures of his targets through the use of 「Abyssal Eye」, rapidly deduced the underlying mechanics.

‘…Ah, so this is yet another lingering consequence of the Dragon’s Children ritualistic slaughter. I recall reports indicating that the internal reserves of the Murim combatants were similarly thrown into disarray during the conflict at the Shaolin Temple.’

The situation appeared to stem from an identical underlying principle.

He swept his narrowed gaze across the sprawling landscape.

‘Identified them. Zhuge Hyemi and Zhu Gang-in remain unharmed. And they are accompanied by others… totaling seven individuals in that cluster? They have managed to assemble a surprisingly decent vanguard.’

In any event, he had intended to track their whereabouts eventually, so their consolidation saved him an immense amount of tracking effort.

Having verified their status, he redirected his attention toward the alternative faction.

The elite powerhouses of the Demonic Cult, featuring the prominent Demon Sword Master Yeo Mun-cheol, that singular-eyed patriarch he had previously crossed paths with during the events at the Shaolin Temple.

In tandem with them were the elite, high-tier jiangshi units that had been stationed away from the main fortress.

‘…That particular entity… could it be the jiangshi forged from the physical remains of the Blood Demon? There are roughly five or six specimens operating at the Master Realm threshold… Exactly how long have they been orchestrating these preparations?’

Within a realm characterized by perpetual warfare and constant mortality,

An environment where even master-tier martial artists frequently perished on the field of battle,

…harvesting pristine, high-grade cadavers was a remarkably simple endeavor.

‘And that individual over there… is Yalu Huan, the Heavenly Riding Demon, who functions as the chief Strategist for the Demonic Cult.’

Hans’s focus eventually locked onto an ancient individual sporting an elongated, snowy beard, presenting an image closely resembling a venerable philosopher, who was staring back up at his levitating form with an incredibly dark expression.

Yet, the raw potential radiating from his physical vessel was staggering, easily eclipsing the baseline power output of the Heavenly Demon himself.

Even when accounting for the fact that his expertise lay within mystical sorcery rather than conventional physical combat, the sheer volume of energy was… abnormal.

“I recognize it now. You do not belong to the human race.”

Hans effortlessly discerned the underlying truth.

Yalu Huan’s mouth twitched slightly upon hearing the casual, dismissive statement delivered with such supreme confidence.

“Hehehe, you can hardly lay claim to humanity yourself. In truth, your condition is far more abhorrent. You do not even belong among the living.”

The patriarch’s eyes, which had shifted to a vibrant, disturbing shade of amber with pupils narrowed into sharp vertical slits, flashed with an eerie illumination.

Hans inclined his head a fraction, mildly astonished that his sophisticated concealment, which had successfully deceived even the sharp-witted Heavenly Demon until the absolute climax of their engagement, had been penetrated with such effortless ease.

“Oh? A dragon? What business does a dragon have associating with the Demonic Cult, rather than aligning with the Golden Island Sect?”

“That is an inquiry I ought to be putting to you. You carry the distinct scent of an extra-dimensional traveler. What drives your presence here? This entire realm is already on the verge of total collapse. There is nothing left here of any value to your kind.”

They persisted in trading verbal barbs, deliberately withholding concrete answers to one another’s inquiries, their dialogue resembling vessels passing blindly through thick fog.

Hans’s brow furrowed slightly, his threshold for tolerance rapidly diminishing.

It was standard protocol for opposing combatants to dodge direct questioning.

However…

‘…This is becoming incredibly tedious.’

He typically maintained an orderly, serene disposition, enabled entirely by his absolute superiority in raw force… but he was fundamentally not an individual celebrated for his infinite patience.

His standard operating procedure was to simply… claim what he required by force.

‘What purpose does it serve to engage in this pointless dialogue?’

If he required definitive answers, he could simply extract them through physical coercion.

Alternatively, he could simply… violently access their cognitive memories.

He delivered a sharp, resolute nod, his internal determination solidifying.

There existed absolutely no rationale for squandering another second.

‘Manifest.’

In perfect accordance with his mental command,

Rumble—

…the terrain situated directly beneath them, now completely blanketed in deep shadows, shuddered violently.

Immediately following the tremor, a tall silhouette slowly materialized from the absolute blackness.

‘The Heavenly Demon.’

His physical proportions, his distinctive posture… there was absolutely no mistaking his identity for anyone present on that field.

The gathered combatants of the Demonic Cult instantly petrified, their muscular frames locking up entirely as they bore witness to a physical impossibility.

“It has been quite some time, Strategist.”

“…Cult Leader? But that is impossible… you were confirmed dead…”

“It appears you have been operating under a remarkably flawed set of data. I highly recommend you locate the individual responsible for distributing that particular rumor and… settle accounts with them in an appropriate fashion.”

Yalu Huan, the veteran Strategist, proved to be no exception to the absolute shock gripping the field.

The Heavenly Demon, his physical form entirely pristine and unaltered, smirked widely, his gaze deliberately sweeping across the paralyzed ranks of his former followers.

As though providing absolute, undeniable confirmation of his physical reality.