Chapter 440

Chapter 440
## Chapter 440

Black Dragon Society (2)

Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero Ha Seung-hoon.

He was the champion who had achieved legendary renown for crushing the Demonic Cult’s plots during the ultimate conflict that broke out in Beijing—a rising star who had broken through to the Aura Realm when he was barely twenty winters old.

Anyone familiar with his name unanimously agreed that the position of the world’s finest master was already set in stone.

Consequently, once the fires of war had completely died down, it was only a matter of course that a myriad of sects and families inundated him with invitations.

After all, he was merely staying with House Zhuge due to a minor, passing bond and held no official allegiance to their name.

To claim him meant acquiring both unrivaled power and immense reputation at a single stroke.

“Even though we crushed the Demonic Cult’s plots and tore them down, that does not mean our work is finished. The survivors who slipped away are still spreading misery throughout the land, and countless innocents remain ensnared in agony, unable to break free from the chaos. I wish to assist them, even if only in some small measure.”

Against that backdrop, his public vow to launch a crusade of justice across the lands was bound to create a massive stir.

From the viewpoint of House Zhuge, who were expending every ounce of their strength to reconstruct their shattered family, it felt as though a priceless artifact already within their palms might slip away to an outsider—a thoroughly justifiable state of panic.

“I wish to accompany you on that righteous path as well! My survival was only possible because of everyone’s aid. I want to pay back that debt to the world in some way. Ah! O-Of course, the personal debt I owe to you, Young Master Ha, I shall handle on my own terms…”

They ultimately had no choice but to give their reluctant blessing to the stubborn demands of Zhuge Hye-mi, the family’s cherished jewel, and that reality carried significant weight.

At the very least, by keeping her at his side, he wouldn’t unexpectedly become the son-in-law of some rival organization.

It might even persuade him to fully commit his loyalty and come back to the family far earlier than anticipated.

Naturally, her newly awakened talent to command authentic magic as a child of the dragon served as a primary justification as well.

Even within House Zhuge, which was packed with theoretical prodigies, she had always shone as an incredibly gifted youth.

“Heavens, to think the greatest pride of our bloodline has already achieved this…”

“Incredible! Dragon magic! Ha, just one more time! Let us witness it once more!”

“If we could only fuse that power with our own family’s ancestral arts…”

Several elders, placing a massive premium on her potential, argued fiercely that she ought to be kept safely sequestered within the family estate.

Yet the family head and the grand patriarch, who wielded ultimate command, backed her desires and granted her leave to depart.

“Nonetheless, there are a few stipulations. To begin with…”

Naturally, that permission arrived alongside protectors drawn from the family’s elite and instructions to convey their itinerary through magical communication—hardly suffocating rules.

‘This isn’t a bad arrangement for me either. Zhuge Hye-mi’s capabilities will certainly assist our path through the martial world. Furthermore, observing her sophisticated magic from such proximity is a learning experience in its own right.’

Her hidden guardians, masters of clandestine reconnaissance, didn’t complicate matters in the slightest.

In a realm still teeming with perils, such measures for her security were far from bothersome.

The single detail he had failed to foresee, however…

“Whew~ Even in a frontier wilderness like this, we get hot bathing water. Magic truly is incredible! I only wish I could master it myself.”

“Well, my capacity to employ this magic originates from inborn traits, so…”

“Pfft—I was obviously teasing, big sister! Even if you attempted to instruct me, I couldn’t handle anything that requires so much brainpower. I’ll just tag along behind my brilliant older sister! Hehe!”

…was finishing up with Nangong So-ran tag-teaming along as well.

En route to the Mount Mosan Sect in Jiangsu Province, their intended destination, they paid a polite visit to House Nangong in Anhui Province along the way.

Somehow, Nangong So-ran hit it off immediately with Zhuge Hye-mi, whom she had only just encountered, addressing her as “big sister” without hesitation.

With the backing of the Sword Saint—one of House Nangong’s revered elders and Ha Seung-hoon’s trusted companion from the great war—she naturally integrated into the traveling party.

Ha Seung-hoon found himself unable to dismiss the request of his old battlefield brother.

‘Eh… whatever. One more or two more makes little difference in the end.’

If anything, journeying alongside the progeny of renowned families would only heighten his status—hardly an unfavorable development.

It would likewise make requesting their families’ assistance far smoother should the need arise.

Thus commenced the righteous crusade of three individuals, complemented by a small cadre of hidden protectors provided by their respective clans.

Though not a great deal of time had drifted past since their final clash with the Demonic Cult, as they journeyed across the world, they encountered and resolved a multitude of dilemmas.

They wiped out outlaws who still boldly preyed on travelers, chastised thugs causing havoc completely blind to the changing times, tracked down Demonic Cult survivors running wild without leadership, and brought down corrupt magistrates who bled the common folk dry.

They even excavated fresh water wells for settlements gripped by drought and hunted down lethal monsters—minor acts of benevolence weaving through their ultimate objective: tearing out the roots of those who continuously stoked the embers of unrest.

“Oh! We thank you from our hearts, grand champions!”

“P-Please… show mercy! I will live an honest life from this day forward!”

“Aigoo~ My sweet Mal-sook, now your soul can finally find rest…”

Ever-growing renown and an array of combat trials arrived as a natural consequence of their journey.

On one occasion, they had even brought down an expert of the Aura Realm, demonstrating the sheer peril of their travels.

And at a certain juncture, Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero Ha Seung-hoon…

…awoke to a single, undeniable truth.

‘…Why? Why has my progression come to a halt?’

His advancement had hit a ceiling.

He was continuously ingesting Growth Potions, ensuring his mastery percentages kept climbing, but the boundary of transcendence remained utterly hidden from view.

He required at least a glimpse of that threshold to contemplate how to break through it…

‘My internal force is not deficient. At my current tier, I stand at the absolute peak even among masters of the Aura Realm. So what is the cause?’

His Empty Spirit Body was a mythical constitution that effortlessly channeled the breath of nature, obliterating any restrictions on inner power and physical durability alike.

His Heavenly Dragon Divine Art, bestowed by the Dragon God, held equal footing with—no, perhaps outmatched—the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, an absolute pinnacle methodology.

Furthermore, All Streams Return to the Sea, Versatile, and Mimicry stood as the finest auxiliary traits for mastering martial paths!

‘Ah, it makes sense now.’

Drawing upon the wisdom of guiding multiple incarnations past the threshold of transcendence, he swiftly identified the root problem.

Shattering the limit through martial enlightenment… stepping into the Transcendent Realm could no longer be accomplished through the paths he had previously trodden.

‘…Come to think of it, not a single one of my incarnations achieved breakthrough strictly through their own individual strength.’

Hans climbed to the rank of the third Immortal King by completing the Heart of the Immortal King.

The Immortal King, that entity of apocalyptic ruin that had once drowned half the lands in slaughter.

Absorbing the power and destiny of such a being alone was sufficient to force transcendence.

Heinz 2nd, inheriting the primal source of a vampire bloodline, and Hela, consuming the abandoned destiny of the Demon King, walked an identical path.

Claiming what they had no right to possess might have fractured their consciousness, but the miraculous trait Avatar—intertwined with Mind Hub and Soul Firewall—turned the impossible into reality.

‘Heinrich and Harris, supported by the Main God and the World Tree, encountered far fewer complications.’

Yet it remained external assistance all the same.

Strip away their singular circumstances as a divinity-blessed cleric and a high elf World Tree oracle, and it would have been an unattainable dream.

‘Strictly speaking, was Harley the only one who transcended purely through his own internal force?’

Whether consuming the vital essence of countless entities to compel an advancement counted as a “self-made” triumph was certainly open to debate.

Harley’s scenario—relying entirely on physical characteristics to shatter boundaries—was an exceptional case no matter how one looked at it.

‘But this occasion demands something else. To step into the Transcendent Realm, I must refine my martial mastery solely through personal enlightenment, with zero shortcuts.’

He released a quiet breath.

Not a single person among the existing masters of the Transcendent Realm lacked the title of “genius.”

Even the Heavenly Demon, who had accelerated his power as an Awakener, was gifted from birth with the extraordinary trait Heavenly Slaughter Star.

His distinct trait was merely that innate gift transformed into a formal skill with supplementary functions; even if he had never awakened, he would have evolved into a legendary fighter on Earth.

Though it was far more probable he would have been a predatory killer hunted down and eliminated by the Awakeners.

‘Enlightenment… I require true insight. Not forms acquired from foreign texts and pre-existing concepts, but an expression saturated with my own personal truths and principles… ’

Was this the ultimate destiny of a martial artist?

By virtue of Hugo’s seasoned, composed disposition, he constantly maintained a benevolent expression to the outside world.

Yet as the days stretched on, an internal craving for absolute strength pooled within him without pause.

‘Is this the path by which martial artists succumb to corruption and demonic paths?… No, unholy arts only hasten early advancement. At my current echelon, they would act as nothing but venom.’

Right then,

The clue concerning the “Black Dragon Society” uncovered back on Earth transformed into a beam of light cutting through his stagnation.

Upon the soil of China, which was teeming with individuals who had returned from martial worlds.

The oldest, most concealed assembly of premier martial practitioners distilled from the general populace.

Beings who were destined to strike the limits of progression within Earth’s barren ecosystem, who had condensed the wisdom of countless dimensions into an entirely unique philosophy.

The sheer excitement caused his pulse to quicken.

“Young Master?”

“Brother?”

Jolted by the remarks from his flank, he sharply turned his gaze.

His two traveling partners were observing him with peculiar looks.

“Did you speak? Is something amiss?”

“No, it is merely… well…”

“It is not a problem, precisely… rather, your face just now, brother…”

“My face?”

He ran his fingers over his features, cocking his head.

His fingertips met the familiar, polite grin.

Discerning the reality of the moment instantly, he dismissed it with an easy shrug.

“Ah! I was buried in my own thoughts and suddenly hit upon a brilliant concept. I must have grinned without even recognizing it.”

This was clearly a satisfactory explanation, as they gave understanding nods.

It stood to reason—anyone would find a sudden smirk bizarre in a place like this.

“In any case, it appears we are finished here. Let us depart.”

“Yes, we have finally crossed into the domain of the Mount Mosan Sect. We would have arrived far sooner if not for the distractions.”

“It couldn’t be avoided, big sister. We could hardly overlook the intelligence regarding the hiding spots of the Demonic Cult remnants.”

As the trio conversed and made their exit, terrified eyes watched them from the shadows.

But that fear lasted only a moment.

Figures clad in tattered rags cautiously slipped into the abandoned estate.

Shattered nameplates littered the earth, main halls lay in ruins, and broken martial artists lay groaning—their centers of power shattered, their limbs ruined.

These were once the merciless outlaws of the underworld who had dominated this territory through bloodshed and terror.

“Ugh… s-spare… have mercy…”

“Get back, you beggars! How dare you approach… Argh!”

And precisely as one would predict,

Those harboring deep-seated vendettas offered not a shred of pity.

Shrieks and the sharp odor of blood radiated from the shattered estate for a considerable duration.

Mirroring exactly what had transpired in every previous location.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Heinz 2nd had poured immense assets into completely trapping the Black Dragon Lord.

He had not only grilled Black Shadow to extract detailed tactical intelligence but had also surreptitiously set up magical detection fields and blood portals at the principal headquarters and all neighboring safe houses.

He was fully prepared to descend upon him wherever and whenever he showed his face.

‘I did not foresee this development… ’

Because of this, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of absurdity at the current turn of events.

He locked his gaze onto the elderly figure marching confidently through the main entranceway, as if treating all his elaborate traps as a joke.

The exact visage gathered from multiple intelligence files: an old Chinese combatant dressed in traditional black martial arts attire.

This was the master of the Black Dragon Society—the Black Dragon Lord.

“I have kept you waiting, it seems. I traveled as rapidly as circumstances allowed, but moving in secret always brings setbacks. Please overlook my lateness.”

Despite knowing the exact layout of the area, not a hint of apprehension could be detected in his bearing.

It was as if he had entirely reconciled himself to whatever destiny awaited.

‘Or perhaps he is utterly confident that I have no intention of destroying him.’

Squinnying his eyes, Heinz scrutinized the old man intently.

Just as the rumors claimed, a master of the Transcendent Realm—and one situated in the upper tiers at that.

“…Remarkable, precisely as the reports indicated.”

“Oh? Do tell, what manner of stories have reached your ears?”

The Black Dragon Lord countered the muted praise with an expression of curiosity.

Heinz forged ahead without wavering.

“The solitary transcendent produced by Earth, correct?”

“Oho!”

The one and only master to achieve transcendence from an Earth entirely devoid of mystical properties.

Though, naturally, he hadn’t achieved that feat entirely on Earth’s soil.

A traveler who had returned from a martial world during the early stages of the great shift, he had crossed back when he was on the very threshold of the Aura Realm.

Even so, he had persevered, attempting what should have been impossible—and triumphed magnificently.

‘Though it cost him his remaining years and his youth.’

It was bound to happen.

Even with the aid of mystical medicines, stepping into transcendence demanded an astronomical amount of energy.

In an environment like Earth that lacked natural energy, sacrificing one’s primordial essence—life force itself—to substitute for internal force was hardly astonishing.

“Heh, possessing knowledge of that depth indicates your intelligence network is quite comprehensive.”

Despite having his most critical secret exposed, he appeared entirely unfazed.

Smiling as if thoroughly entertained, his gaze remained locked onto Heinz.

“That is a piece of information I have never revealed to a single soul… Well, I suppose you have earned the right to know.”

“Hm?”

“Heh heh heh, this will astound you. It is of the highest secrecy!”

He went so far as to offer up additional details willingly, bubbling with the enthusiasm of a youth holding a prized secret.

“The erstwhile Commander of the East Asia Division for the Reverse Heaven Society.”

Heinz stiffened.

The Black Dragon Lord stared at him with a beaming countenance and pressed on.

“I was the figure who preceded the Law Ruler—the Reverse Heaven Child.”