If You Don't Kill, You'll Be Killed
As she stepped away from Yeop Hyeon, a black-clad warrior suddenly appeared before the veiled maiden.
"Milady, why didn't you kill him just now? If we'd taken him out, the entire Qingzhou continent would fall into our Demon Sect's hands in an instant!"
The veiled maiden halted and addressed the shadow.
"If I could have killed him, do you think I'd have held back? He wasn't using his full power. Besides, dragging out the fight would only heighten his suspicions. Better to stay close and stab him in the back at the critical moment."
The black-clad man nodded.
"Indeed, your insight is truly admirable, milady!"
"Go to my father and tell him to be wary of that man's backers."
With that, the two figures vanished from the hall.
About an hour later, the space where the veiled maiden had disappeared rippled suddenly, and a figure emerged from within.
It was Yeop Hyeon.
"She's not completely foolish, at least. Never forget that someone might be watching you anytime, anywhere, miss..."
Yeop Hyeon's lips curled into a sinister grin, twisting into an unsettling smile.
Deep in the mountains, a Black Flame Horse carrying Yeop Hyeon, Mu Yun Qi, and the others thundered forward. Flames erupted in its wake.
The extermination operation had begun.
Their targets this time were the Jungto Sinju warriors who had infiltrated the neighboring countries around Jiang Kingdom.
These remnants from Jungto Sinju were like tumors. If not rooted out early, they would cling to the incoming Demon and Ghost Sects like ghosts upon entering Qingzhou.
An hour later, Yeop Hyeon's group arrived at a small fortress on the outskirts of Jiang Kingdom. Long abandoned by its people, the place looked desolate enough to spawn actual ghosts.
As Qingzhou's spirit energy waned, survival conditions grew harsher by the day. With Jungto Sinju warriors rampaging through plunders, many of Jiang Kingdom's fortresses had become ghost towns.
Some had been evacuated by the people themselves, while others had been deliberately emptied.
Beneath the fortress walls, Yeop Hyeon looked up. Corpses dangled from the gates above—not one or two, but hundreds, even thousands.
Some among the piles still had color in their cheeks, suggesting they'd been killed only recently.
Mu Yun Qi and the others paled instantly at the sight.
Mu Yun Qi, standing beside Yeop Hyeon, spoke in a heavy voice.
"According to Captain Luk's intel, there are a few hundred Jungto Sinju warriors inside. They're using this place as a base to raid the surrounding fortresses."
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"Half an hour enough?"
"Heh... You still think I'm the old Mu Yun Qi from back in the day?"
Mu Yun Qi waved grandly at the group and bellowed.
"Brothers, charge!"
With that, over a hundred warriors surged into the fortress like a tidal wave.
At that moment, a man appeared out of nowhere, blocking the gate.
"Who the hell are you—"
Before he could finish, a flying dagger buried itself between his eyes.
The hundred cavalry poured into the fortress like a flood. The clash of weapons and screams leaked out beyond the walls.
Meanwhile, Yeop Hyeon didn't enter. He leaned against the gate with arms crossed, casually chewing on a blade of grass, looking utterly nonchalant.
Less than half an hour later, Mu Yun Qi and the hundred Canglan Dao Soldiers emerged from the gate. In a clearing inside, hundreds of corpses piled like a mountain burned fiercely.
Mu Yun Qi approached Yeop Hyeon and handed over an ingot.
"Around ninety million top-grade spirit stones, plus the miscellaneous stuff—probably adds up to about one hundred thirty million."
Mu Yun Qi shook his head.
"God knows how much plundering they did to amass all this..."
Yeop Hyeon took the ingot and asked.
"Anyone left alive inside?"
"A few stragglers—we evacuated them to safety."
"Good work. Let's move."
Leaving the fortress, Yeop Hyeon's group headed onward. Walking beside him, Mu Yun Qi spoke up.
"Yeop bandit, I hear Canglan's already turned into a ghost land... Think Qingzhou's headed the same way?"
"You think it'll fall?"
"Dunno. But this is home, right?"
Mu Yun Qi's voice grew somber.
"Saw all those bodies inside. Mostly Jiang Kingdom civilians. If... we fail to hold the Imperial City, Jiang Kingdom and Canglan Academy might end up the same."
"No need to overthink it. If we don't kill them, they'll kill us."
Mu Yun Qi fell silent for a moment, then grinned fiercely.
"You're right. Kill or be killed... Damn... Haha!"
While Yeop Hyeon and his forces swept through the Jungto Sinju warriors, a similar group emerged within the Daeun Empire, driving out the invaders there.
At first, the Jungto Sinju warriors resisted fiercely, but more and more began fleeing.
Their opponents were simply too strong.
Even Law Realm powerhouses met gruesome ends, their heads often strung up on gates.
As the tide turned against them, the Jungto Sinju warriors had no choice but to admit Qingzhou's latent power far exceeded their expectations.
Besides the Canglan Dao Soldiers, Yeop Hyeon's side boasted two mercenary bands unleashing havoc. The reason? The pay was outrageously good.
Two days later, the Jungto Sinju warriors began retreating toward Manggu Mountain, the pass they'd crossed. With Yeop Hyeon's forces hounding them relentlessly, they had no choice.
Hunter and hunted had fully reversed roles.
Two more days passed, and most had fallen back near Manggu Mountain, while scattered remnants hid away, not daring to show their faces.
Qingzhou seemed to be stabilizing, but its spirit energy continued to dwindle bit by bit.
Canglan Academy, inside the Gyeok Ok Tower.
An ingot floated before Yeop Hyeon, who sat in the half-lotus position.
It contained six hundred million top-grade spirit stones he'd earned in two days, plus his original seven hundred million—a total of 1.3 billion. If O Ru-ju sold off the commissioned goods well, billions more would come his way.
His wealth surpassed that of most first-rate Jungto Sinju clans.
Securing the ingot, Yeop Hyeon began cultivating.
This time, not sword qi, but the sword path—comprehension of the realm itself.
Myriad Laws Realm!
His current goal was to reach the Myriad Laws Realm. Up to Divine Fusion Realm, he'd simply needed to absorb swords.
From Myriad Laws onward, he required both swords and enlightenment. Neither could be lacking.
Swords weren't an issue for him—with two Heavenly Realm swords and countless others.
Enlightenment posed no great obstacle either. Upon reaching Sword Emperor, he'd already grasped space to some degree. All he needed now was time!
His understanding of space wasn't profound, nor had he studied it deeply. But in attaining Sword Emperor, he'd successfully borrowed space's momentum, crossing the threshold.
Yeop Hyeon slowly closed his eyes, sensing everything around him.
His mind settled, stray thoughts vanishing.
A sword floated before him. Sword momentum erupted from it—space's momentum borrowed through the blade. Via the sword, he could sense space in detail.
Space couldn't be touched, but it could be felt. Borrowing, wielding, and controlling it were entirely different matters.
Master that, and the Myriad Laws Realm awaited.
Of course, his aim was the true Myriad Laws Realm.
Time flowed slowly within the Gyeok Ok Tower.
Manggu Mountain, Qingzhou Pass.
Jungto Sinju warriors fleeing Qingzhou packed the area. With Yeop Hyeon and Yeon Man Ri holding the line, there was no place for them. Canglan Dao Soldiers and mercenaries hunted them with bloodshot eyes.
But at the pass to Jungto Sinju, an old man blocked the way, preventing others from passing.
A man stepped forward.
"Who might you be...?"
The elder scanned the gathered warriors and replied.
"Fleeing back to Jungto Sinju like rats—how lamentable."
The man shook his head.
"Yeop Hyeon and the Canglan Dao Soldiers are beyond us. No choice."
The elder peered into the man's eyes.
"Don't you want revenge?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm an elder of the Demon Sect. I've come to tell you that our Demon Sect will soon seize Qingzhou. And we'll handle Yeop Hyeon."
The Demon Sect?!
The hall erupted at the words.
The Demon Sect was a top-tier power even in Jungto Sinju.
A colossal force surpassing Cangmu Academy, the Shadow Realm, or even Bukhanjong.
With them invading Qingzhou, crushing Yeop Hyeon and Yeon Man Ri would be child's play. The warriors buzzed with excitement.
Gazing at them, the elder bellowed.
"Qingzhou isn't Yeop Hyeon's—it's ours! That ruthless bastard has no grudge against you, yet he blocked your path to riches. How can we leave without revenge? His name's already on the wanted list—killing him upholds justice in the Qingcang Realm!"
"But those Canglan Dao Soldiers..."
The man before the elder mumbled, and the elder chuckled.
"Worry not. Yeop Hyeon and the Canglan Dao Soldiers are ours to deal with."
Just then, the elder glanced at someone in the crowd.
That man shouted to the others.
"With the Demon Sect on our side, what's to fear? Brothers, kill Yeop Hyeon and wash away our humiliation!"
The hall boiled over once more.
"Kill Yeop Hyeon and drown Qingzhou in blood!"
"Woo!"
The elder watched the frenzied warriors, a meaningful smile playing on his lips as he raised his hands to his chest.
The noise died instantly.
The elder addressed them slowly.
"The Demon Sect will arrive soon. Gather here then, and we'll march into Qingzhou together to subjugate Yeop Hyeon!"
"Yes!"
Many cheered and scattered.
Soon, Jungto Sinju warriors across Qingzhou shared word and converged on Manggu Mountain.
Within a day, tens of thousands gathered. Mostly Divine Fusion Realm experts, with fewer Myriad Laws or Law Realm powerhouses.
Meanwhile, a fleet of nearly a hundred cloud ships approached Qingzhou slowly.
Its masters: warriors of the Demon Sect and Ghost Sect.