Chapter 356
Chapter 356
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon Dragon (2)
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At the pinnacle of divine beasts in the Kanghwan Realm stood the dragons, divided broadly into two factions.
The innate dragons of the Five Dragon clans, born with draconic blood and growing into their power from the start, and the ascended dragons who earned their ascension through eons of rigorous training and cultivation.
Yet between these two factions, there was no significant gap in ability.
While the Five Dragons' lineage carried ancient mysteries accumulated over endless ages, those who scaled the Dragon Gate—an ordeal that occurred perhaps once every millennium, relying solely on their own strength—matched them without fail.
If one had to draw a comparison, it was like the difference between those born into nobility and self-made tycoons who built empires from nothing.
The problem lay in the unavoidable discrimination that persisted even among them.
The Five Dragon clans, descendants of the Dragon God, had long enjoyed privileges in every aspect, reigning as the entrenched elite.
Even those who rose to equal standing received treatment no different from other divine beasts—mere Dragon Gate ascendants.
This disparity was evident just by looking at the leadership of the Golden Toad Order, which governed the Illusory Realm.
As a coalition of diverse divine beasts and yokai, the Golden Toad Order's leadership shifted with the eras, typically consisting of ten to twelve members.
Yet nearly half—five seats—were perpetually reserved for the Five Dragons.
Since even a coalition couldn't let dragons monopolize everything, only one Dragon Gate ascendant, a Responding Dragon, had ever claimed a seat among them.
The rest were divvied up among non-dragons like qilin, black tortoises, and nine-tailed foxes.
In such circumstances, resentment was inevitable.
However, true to their nature as beings who had transcended limits through grueling cultivation, the ascended dragons rarely voiced complaints.
For most, surpassing personal boundaries mattered more than such superficial honors.
Not everyone was like that, though.
There were mutants like him in the world.
'Are they all idiots? Why do they just accept this injustice?'
He could not tolerate the current reality.
Because they were descendants of the Dragon God, some things were unavoidable?
That applied to him too—he was also a descendant of the Dragon God.
Though his bloodline was a diluted bastard strain far removed from the orthodox Five Dragons...
Before scaling the Dragon Gate and earning true draconic recognition, he had been treated no better than a common yokai despite being of draconic kind!
'And yet... after all I've been through to crawl this far...!'
After thousands of years of training, he had finally, barely reached this point.
Yet now he had to meekly watch someone lording over him just because of that?
Every encounter with the pervasive, subtle discriminations made his skin crawl with hives.
He even sought out the Responding Dragon among the leadership in frustration, but nothing changed.
The elder regarded him with utter disinterest, chiding him instead for insufficient cultivation.
'Am I the strange one? Are they right, and I'm wrong?'
He agonized over it countless times since, but no matter how he pondered, he saw no fault in himself.
Meanwhile, fueled by his exceptional drive and ambition, the rebellion swelling within him rapidly mutated.
'No, they're the ones in the wrong—perpetuating favoritism and discrimination. I too am a descendant of the Dragon God. I deserve rightful authority and standing.'
Anger at a system he couldn't change alone.
Envy toward those who enjoyed every privilege.
Greed for what he lacked and could never attain.
'So—this sacrifice is essential for true reform.'
His heart devil sprouted in an instant, devouring him before he could react.
But he offered no resistance, yielding naturally...
And in his rampage, he shattered an absolute taboo beyond redemption.
Krunch—crunch—!
If he lacked it, he would simply take it.
Luring an innocent young subdragon, fresh from completing its Yeouiju and brimming with excitement, was child's play.
After all, it never dreamed a fellow dragon would harm it within the safety of the Illusory Realm.
'How naive.'
With his second head grown, he concealed it within his body and pressed on.
His power had surged dramatically, making the task smoother than expected.
"Wh-what is this...! Gahk!" Now he had three heads.
His power grew steeper than anticipated.
He should have used this method sooner.
Regret gnawed at him for the wasted time.
"You think you'll be forgiven for this...!" Four heads now.
The effects were outstanding, as expected.
Stronger power meant higher-tier prey, broader choices.
'This must be what they call a virtuous cycle.'
Centered on the original green head, red, black, and white ones writhed, each clutching a Yeouiju, bellowing in discord.
They were still too immature.
He needed time to consolidate his gains.
'...Or so I thought.'
The situation soured.
Even fresh adults who had completed their Yeouiju and rites vanishing three at once would draw suspicion.
He needed to accelerate.
'Damn it.'
Five heads, but things spiraled toward disaster.
The Golden Toad Order's investigators closed in relentlessly.
He thought he'd prepared thoroughly, but they moved faster than expected.
'Interfering to the bitter end! Only the Imperial Dragon remains...!'
He wasn't exposed yet, but it was only a matter of time.
All or nothing now.
Strike fast and flee, exposure be damned.
With defenses tightening, targeting easy young dragons was impossible.
Time for calculated risks.
He lured and ambushed a mature Imperial Dragon investigating the incidents.
"You bastard! How do you have such power...!" Was the foe careless, preying only on youths before? Or had his explosive growth exceeded expectations?
Either way, he devoured the Imperial Dragon more easily than anticipated, completing his sixth head.
"Hah... you've truly become a monster. Why would you do this...?" "Completely consumed by evil. Hiding this long is impressive. We've been too lax." "Tch, it's because of his origins. This is why we can't accept just anyone." In exchange, his identity was fully exposed, and he found himself surrounded by arriving foes.
Viewing his atrocities gravely, even Azure, Black, and Crimson Dragon elders from leadership intervened personally.
Overwhelmed by their might, all assumed the crisis ended there.
That the heaven-defying Demon Dragon would be slain, restoring peace.
💥 KRAAHAT! 💥 "Origins? Origins, you say? How laughable! You lot dare speak of such things!" But events veered into uncharted territory.
Rooooar—
A volcanic eruption of aura surged from the Six-Headed Dragon, on another level entirely.
Not mere summation, but a transcendence completing something profound.
"Perfect timing—stopping at five felt lacking anyway. Since I've started, I'll devour every last one of you Five Dragons!" Normally, even devouring five dragons wouldn't allow full absorption.
Inevitable losses in usurpation, and Yeouiju—dragons' conduit for divine powers—plummeted in efficiency with multiples.
"Now I see—it's the surest way! If all Five Dragons vanish from this world, digested after devouring those accursed 'Dragon God's heirs'..." The wildcard was his foundation before ascension.
A bastard still, but bearing Dragon God blood.
Not mere inheritance—he proved himself through millennia of cultivation, forcibly awakening latent power by usurping draconic karma.
"...I alone shall be the Dragon God's sole heir!" His origin: Taom (Gluttony).
The mythic beast said to devour all, even itself.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So what happened next?"
"...We underestimated their power. Many fell, including the era's Crimson Dragon, while the Azure and Black Dragons suffered grave wounds and were forced to retire. The Gluttonous Dragon barely escaped with his life, having lost several heads."
The Azure Dragon continued softly, like telling a bedtime story to the wide-eyed Horus.
Technically, it was an old tale—fifty or sixty years past.
"But Horus, why ask suddenly? It's rare for you to show such interest."
She tilted her head mid-story.
Of course, the incident was pivotal for the Golden Toad Order.
It sparked sweeping reforms against discrimination and conflict.
...Though with the Blood Purge led by the Reverse Heaven Society Lord slaughtering dragons and members alike, such reforms were now moot.
The brink-of-extinction crisis united everyone, prejudices be damned.
"Ehehe... Rebuilding Dragon Heart isn't the endgame, right? Better know about bad guys in advance. That wicked dragon's probably plotting, just waiting for his chance!"
"...You're right. He hasn't shown himself yet, but we can't relax."
Enlightened, the Azure Dragon nodded gravely.
Her hand gently stroked his soft, slender hair.
"You've taught me something big, Horus. I've been too focused on immediate threats, sidelining that. Time to prepare for him too."
"Ahem!"
"Hehe. ...Though we're short-handed. Still, better overwork than letting it escalate."
She pondered with eyes closed, petting devotedly.
Horus, puffed up, shrugged smugly—then licked his lips, glancing away.
'...So that's how it went? Every dimension's got issues. Outerica had that human god stirring trouble; here it's the Dragon God's bastard wreaking havoc.'
The Reverse Heaven Society Lord dealt the fatal blow to Kanghwan Realm, but Yahu Hwan—as their strategist—likely contributed.
And from the tale, this guy could rival Outerica's Immortal King disasters.
'Severed heads regenerating means he's fully recovered. No dragon corpses at Demonic Cult HQ either—probably all devoured by him.'
Knowing he was a yokai, the Society Lord and Heavenly Demon might have tolerated his feeding.
Without personal hunts, karma usurpation had limits—no explosive growth like in the story.
Fortunate for him.
'Good—still within expected bounds.'
Horus nodded contentedly.
Not in the serene Golden Toad Order HQ of the Illusory Realm, but...
Amid raging battle.
Gazing at the fierce clash in the heart of the Demon Realm.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 💥 KRAAAK—! YOU PESTS! HOW DARE YOU ANNOY ME! 💥 Thunderous rage echoed, whipping storms in all directions.
Rumble—!
Those of lesser realm spat blood, staggering from the emotional torrent.
Yet the undead horde, shrouded in abyssal aura, merely paused in the energy gale before mechanically exterminating foes.
Demonic Cultists bore the brunt, but even knowing this, the Six-Headed Dragon couldn't stay calm.
For good reason...
⚔ GROOOAR—! ⚔ A savage roar countered from the front—no living beast's cry, thick with deathly aura.
Boom—!
Familiar waves of destruction crashed upon him again.
"Urgh! No chance!" Six Yeouiju blazed, weakening, twisting, and scattering the assault before it fizzled against his barrier.
Repeated exchanges.
But this wasn't as simple as it seemed.
'What the hell is that thing?!'
All six heads snarled, scanning wildly.
Since his open assault began, Cultists retreated, leaving only the dead around.
Elite monsters oozing death aura, every one.
'One-on-one, I'd smash it...!'
Most prominent: a winged colossal lizard skeleton.
Matching his bulk, it had unleashed the prior attack.
Unyielding in melee, spewing death breath at openings—a tenacious foe.
And not alone.
Unseen black steel corpses and familiar yokai jiangshi prowled, seeking weaknesses.
All cloaked in lethal death aura.
Yes, that was the crux.
'This cursed power never wanes!'
The ominous black flames enveloping them were lethal poison to the living, supreme weapons to the dead.
Boosting all stats, instant regeneration from ruinous damage, fatal mere contact to lifeforms.
Perfect offense and defense incarnate.
'Tch, shouldn't have eaten them in anger!'
He knew their potency firsthand.
Frustrated by endless regen, he'd devoured a few black steel corpses and lizard parts...
Gurgle—
His vast belly rumbled noisily.
Never indigested before, he now suffered his first stomachache.
'Krrk!'
With perfect absorption innate, no bowels or anus even—this was catastrophic.
Gluttony's authority would eventually settle it, but...
"Kukuku—looking quite miserable? Don't eat random scraps."
"Grr... you...!" No leisure for that now.
The culprit's voice rang in his ears, and—
Kaboom—!
Rumble—
Mysterious runes encircling everywhere unleashed fresh destructive torrents.
Chains, lightning, flames, thorns, fangs, beasts, axes...
Myriad forms of death, beyond count.