Chapter 1154
The next day, the succession tournament began at the Beast Palace.
The first trial stood guarded by five divine beasts: a massive black panther, a silver-furred wolf, a lion with a crimson mane, a golden-winged hawk, and a bear as large as a house. These were the five sacred beasts symbolizing the power and legitimacy of the Beast Palace—the test was to earn their submission.
Dae Muk-gang stepped forward first.
He unleashed a formidable aura, pressing down upon the divine beasts. Under his oppressive force, the beasts snarled and retreated, but their submission was not genuine. It was not obedience—merely brute coercion.
Below the high altar overlooking the trial grounds, Dae Muk-gang glanced at the impassive face of the Beast Palace Lord, Dae Gon, and smiled in satisfaction. In the world of beasts, the strong devour the weak. Forcing submission through power was only natural.
One by one, the other brothers took their turns, each exuding their own aura to subdue the beasts. Yet none could simultaneously dominate all five divine beasts.
"Dae Gu-hwi! Step forward."
Finally, it was the last contender's turn. With a bitter expression, Dae Gu-hwi reluctantly entered the trial grounds. He deliberately did nothing—merely stood in silence, gazing at the five divine beasts.
Then, an unbelievable scene unfolded.
Grrrr...
The beasts, which had been growling lowly until now—
Keeeen...
—as if recognizing their long-lost master, whimpered with affection and bowed their heads before him.
"It's the Beast King's Aura!" the disciples of the Beast Palace cried out.
"The Divine Body of the Beast King!"
'Damn it.'
Dae Gu-hwi inwardly sighed. During his time with the Martial Soul Society, he had been rigorously trained by his master, Noe Bi-hon, and had also learned martial techniques of the Central Plains from Bing Han-pung and Do Cheon-rin. Without realizing it, he had ascended to an unfathomably high realm—even without deeply mastering the Beast Martial Arts, he had naturally awakened the Beast King's Aura, capable of subduing all beasts.
The faces of his brothers drained of color as they watched, consumed by jealousy so intense that they lost all reason—even forgetting their own limitations. Had they been thinking clearly, they would have recognized that Dae Gu-hwi's ability far surpassed theirs and quietly withdrawn. But witnessing the manifestation of the Beast King's Aura, they only grew colder, their resentment hardening into murderous intent.
"Don't get cocky. The next trial is the martial contest!" Dae Muk-gang roared, his words a declaration of war.
"Begin the martial contest!"
As the seven brothers of the Beast Palace ascended the stage, all but the third brother, Dae Un-pung, surrounded Dae Gu-hwi as if by prior agreement.
"Hahp!"
In unison, they lunged, their attacks raining down upon him.
Pah-pah-pah-pah!
Claws like a tiger's rending the air with razor-sharp fist winds, fangs like a wolf's piercing toward the heart with finger strikes, and crushing palm strikes like a bear's brute strength shattering bone—each technique was savage, cruel, and lethal, befitting the heirs of the Beast Palace as they unleashed the profound mysteries of Beast Martial Arts.
In contrast, Dae Gu-hwi's movements were eerily serene and fluid. Like slipping through the gaps of a raging tide, he effortlessly evaded each onslaught. But his motions were not merely for evasion—he subtly redirected the trajectories of his brothers' attacks, ensuring they did not strike one another.
He caught incoming fists in his palms, guiding them harmlessly aside. When a sharp kick aimed for his waist, he twisted his body by a hair's breadth to avoid it while simultaneously pushing another brother out of harm' way with a flick of his sleeve. It was less a martial contest and more like a solitary dance.
Yet avoiding every attack from all sides without pause was impossible.
Thwip!
Eventually, the second brother, Dae Mok-san's claws grazed his shoulder, leaving a crimson line. As blood welled up, his brothers' eyes gleamed with madness.
"He's not invincible after all!"
"Press harder!"
Their assaults grew more relentless and brutal. Dae Gu-hwi, unwilling to retaliate or block with full force lest his brothers be hurt, bore the full brunt of their attacks.
Thud!
Then, Dae Muk-gang's fist drove squarely into his ribs.
The martial arts of the Beast Palace were such that even a child with no internal energy could topple a martial master if properly trained. And Dae Muk-gang, having mastered its essence, struck with a force that could shatter even a Diamond Bronze Man.
As that terrifying power radiated—
Zzzzt! Zzzzzt!
—Thunder Essence Divine Qi instinctively surged within Dae Gu-hwi's body.
'No, I can't.'
If the Thunder Essence Divine Qi activated, the counterforce would grievously wound Dae Muk-gang. In that instant, Dae Gu-hwi severed his breath, forcibly suppressing the energy.
Drip.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The Thunder Essence Divine Qi he had absorbed was on par with Noe Bi-hon's—suppressing it recklessly inflicted severe internal injuries.
"Now's our chance!"
His enraged brothers, mistaking his condition as a result of Dae Muk-gang's strike, cheered and redoubled their assault.
Thud! Slash! Crunch!
With each passing moment, wounds accumulated on Dae Gu-hwi's body. His forearm was slashed, his back bruised deep blue. As the strikes piled up, even his once-fluid movements began to falter.
Yet Dae Gu-hwi did not retaliate even once.
He simply endured in silence—dodging, blocking, deflecting.
If I unleash the Thunder Essence Divine Qi, I'll disgrace the Beast Palace's honor.
The Thunder Essence Divine Qi was the very power of the Central Plains' Four Divine Figures. It was something that should never be revealed in a succession ceremony.
If I lose half-heartedly, it'll only invite suspicion.
Beneath the martial stage, all the disciples and elders were watching this fight.
Since he had already resolved to lose, Dae Gu-hwi decided to drag out the fight while pretending to struggle, then go down in a spectacular defeat.
"Hahahaha!"
"He can't even fight back!"
As Dae Gu-hwi helplessly took their blows, his brothers grew increasingly triumphant, pouring on their attacks with glee.
But the look in Dae Gu-hwi's eyes as he watched them was not resentment or fury—only sorrow and pity.
Because it reminded him of himself in the past.
Of the time when he had resented the palace lord and cursed the world.
Stagger.
Finally, Dae Gu-hwi dropped to one knee, feigning exhaustion from the accumulated damage.
He had deliberately left an opening so his brothers could unleash their final moves.
"Now!"
In that split-second gap, his brothers, consumed by madness, did not hesitate.
Dae Gu-hwi's eyes widened.
Five martial forms descended upon him at once.
Iron Horn Shatters Heaven, Giant Bear Splits Mountains, Divine Ape Seizes Prey, Venomous Scale Crushes Bone, Golden Eagle's Blinding Light...
Were these not the most ruthless techniques of the Beast Martial Arts—killing moves meant to take lives?
CRACK!
For an instant, white lightning flashed in Dae Gu-hwi's pupils.
Not content with just defeating me...
There was no brotherly affection left in their eyes.
Only the chilling killing intent of those desperate to eliminate a thorn in their side.
...Did you plan to kill me?
They saw Dae Gu-hwi as an unstable element, one that could return at any moment.
So, in this official martial contest, they had conspired to finish him off for good.
But then something unexpected happened.
BOOM!
Suddenly, Dae Un-pung spun violently, throwing himself in front of Dae Gu-hwi.
He executed Black Dragon Whirling Pearl, intercepting the attacks meant for his younger brother.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
But his skill was no match for the combined killing moves of five brothers.
By the time he blocked them, his body was a wreck.
"Brothers! Isn't this going too far?" Dae Un-pung shouted.
"Hasn't Gu-hwi made it clear enough that he has no intention of becoming palace lord?"
"Out of the way!"
They shoved Dae Un-pung aside and advanced again.
Watching this, Dae Gu-hwi's expression darkened.
"If I had no intention of aiding the Society leader's great cause, I would have gladly died here."
Slowly, he straightened his posture and rose.
"But I cannot die today."
"Enough nonsense!"
As Dae Mook-gang lunged, Dae Gu-hwi calmly settled into stance.
Not a Beast Martial Arts stance—but the Starting Stance of the Heaven-Sundering Thunder God Fist, taught to him by his master and adoptive father, Noe Bi-hon.
By using the martial arts of the Central Plains' Thunder God instead of the Beast Palace's own techniques,
He would prove once more that he was unworthy of the throne—
And demonstrate the overwhelming gap in strength, forcing his brothers to abandon their killing moves.
CRACK!
Dae Mook-gang twisted his fingers and raked them toward Dae Gu-hwi's face—the ruthless technique White Wolf Shatters Snow.
SWOOSH!
At the same time, the second brother, Dae Mok-san, struck with Fierce Tiger Bites the Heart, aiming for his abdomen.
BOOM!
In that instant, twin bolts of lightning erupted—white palm energy exploding against their chests.
The first form of the Heaven-Sundering Thunder God Fist—Heavenly Thunder Sunders Creation.
"Guh—!"
The two brothers staggered back as if struck by lightning, their bodies trembling.
Even a light strike infused with Thunder Essence Divine Qi was enough to paralyze them.
"What kind of sorcery is this?!" Dae Mook-gang roared in fury.
Beside him, Dae Mok-san sneered.
"Did you have to lick the boots of Central Plains masters just to win?"
Dae Gu-hwi exhaled deeply.
Have my brothers really fallen this far?
He had used Central Plains martial arts—they could simply disqualify him from succession and be done with it.
Yet here they were, whining about "sorcery."
They had always been hot-blooded, but never this foolish.
Has the palace's stability ruined them?
The Beast Palace had long reigned as the unrivaled power of the Southern Barbarian Region, maintaining an unshakable dominance.
But that very peace had turned them into hothouse flowers—soft and witless.
Palace Lord...
Dae Gu-hwi's gaze shifted to Dae Gon, sitting silently atop the ceremonial platform.
You knew all along.
Dae Gon remained motionless as a boulder, his face expressionless.
But his eyes held only emptiness—indifference.
It was all because of me.
In that moment, Dae Gu-hwi understood.
The Beast Palace had fallen to this state because of him.
Because competing had broken me... Because the palace lord, burdened by guilt, stopped the bloodshed.
Traditionally, the Beast Palace fostered competition among heirs, using that rivalry to strengthen them and teach them the ways of the world.
But because of the eldest madam's burning ambition—
Dae Gon lost his beloved third wife, and his brilliant youngest son lost his talent.
After that tragedy, Dae Gon forbade his children from competing with bloodshed.
And so, his brothers remained immature—unable to distinguish right from wrong even in a succession ceremony.
They had simply formed convenient alliances, displaying behavior so disgraceful it resembled children's squabbles.
'Then.'
Dae Gu-hwi watched Dae Un-pung, who was panting heavily after taking severe injuries in his stead to block the attacks raining down on him.
Unlike his other brothers, Dae Un-pung had regained his senses quickly and understood just how shameful this situation was.
Though he had not cultivated outstanding martial prowess...
If he formally became the Young Palace Lord and mastered the Beast Palace's secret arts, he could still become a worthy successor.
"Very well."
As Dae Gu-hwi slowly drew in a breath after finishing his thoughts, the world seemed to hold its breath—everything falling into an eerie stillness.
KWA—AAANG—!
With an explosive roar, a dazzling shockwave erupted from his body like a storm, sending his hair and robes whipping wildly in the tempest.
Lightning-like brilliance flashed in his pupils.
From birth, he had possessed a Beast Force so exceptional that even Dae Gon acknowledged it.
Moreover, after seriously studying the martial arts of the Central Plains, he had reached a level where he could compensate for the weaknesses of the Beast Palace's techniques.
KWAOONG!
Closing the distance in an instant with the Mountain Boar Shatters the Gates stance, he unleashed the Dragon's Fang Severs the Sinew and Frost Tiger's Chaotic Fangs toward Dae Muk-gang, who was still defenseless.
"ARGH—!"
Dae Muk-gang screamed without a shred of dignity.
Both his shoulders had been dislocated.
Originally, this technique would have shattered the joints, but Dae Gu-hwi couldn't bring himself to cripple his own brothers—so he settled for dislocation instead.
"Brother! I'll help you!"
CRACK.
Dae Mok-san, who had just reset Dae Muk-gang's shoulders, shouted to the others:
"Attack him together!"
What they were doing now was a farce so pitiful even a backwater martial school would scorn it.
Yet, oblivious to their own shame—
Unaware of Dae Gu-hwi's mercy—
Unconscious of their own inadequacy—
They rushed at him like a mindless mob.
Dae Gu-hwi's expression darkened with despair.
His brothers had fallen into ruin far worse than he had anticipated.
'......!'
Then, he felt it—the gaze of Palace Lord Dae Gon behind him.
Without realizing it, Dae Gu-hwi hunched his shoulders and glanced back.
"HAAAP!"
Seizing the opening, Dae Muk-gang and the other four brothers—excluding Dae Un-pung—lunged at him simultaneously.
The terrifying aspect of the Beast Palace's martial arts lay not only in the Beast Force, which allowed them to unleash monstrous strength without Internal Energy, but also in movements so unpredictable that even the greatest Masters couldn't anticipate them.
'My brothers have wasted their training in the palace's martial arts.'
To Dae Gu-hwi's eyes—
The movements and techniques of his five brothers were as clear as slow-motion afterimages.
'There's no other way.'
BAM! BAM! BAM!
With the Iron Bear Shatters Bone and Iron Horn Pierces Heaven stances, he shattered the knees of Dae Mok-san and the other four brothers in rapid succession.
—AAARGH!
As their knees burst apart, they screamed and crumpled to the ground, rolling in agony.
He had rendered their legs useless.
After felling all five brothers, Dae Gu-hwi turned—
"Dae Un-pung!"
—and suddenly unleashed a Great Roar, a sound like a beast's furious bellow, before charging at Dae Un-pung with the Mad Crocodile's Severing Hand.
"Ghk—!"
When Dae Gu-hwi's sharp fingers lunged for his Heavenly Prominence Acupoint, a panicked Dae Un-pung instinctively leaped into the air—
And naturally countered with the Soaring Eagle Strikes Blood, aiming for Dae Gu-hwi's Hundred Meetings acupoint.
This sequence of movements was a standard counter to the Mad Crocodile's Severing Hand—
A technique every Beast Palace disciple had ingrained in their reflexes.
THUD.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Instead of evading, Dae Gu-hwi took the Soaring Eagle Strikes Blood head-on.
WHACK! THUD!
Blood gushed from his skull as he collapsed ungracefully to the ground.
Dripping.
Without even wiping the blood streaming down his face, Dae Gu-hwi barely pushed himself up and extended both hands toward Dae Un-pung.
"I yield, Brother."
He had deliberately allowed himself to be struck—just to concede the succession to Dae Un-pung.
"The victor—Dae Un-pung!"
—CHEERS ERUPTED!
But the cheers were short-lived, and the disciples' faces remained grim.
Having witnessed everything, they now realized just how disgracefully their successors had lived.
As the cheers faded, only a desolate wind lingered over the martial arena.
The Beast Palace... was undeniably headed down the wrong path.
Dae Gu-hwi quietly prepared to leave the Beast Palace.
The long and bloody struggle for succession had finally ended with Dae Un-pung's victory.
With his brothers' knee joints shattered—
They would never again be able to unite to threaten Dae Un-pung.
It was a brutal solution, uncharacteristic of Dae Gu-hwi... but an unavoidable choice for the Beast Palace's future.
CREAK—
As he silently stepped through the palace's main gate, Dae Gu-hwi gazed at the distant sky.
Relief that the succession was settled mingled with guilt toward the Palace Lord.
Part of him wanted to stay and support Dae Gon, but...
'My decision is already made.'
It wasn't that he disliked the idea of becoming the Beast Palace's lord.
But after traveling the martial world with Bu Eun-seol and experiencing the vastness of the world—
After joining the Soulless Society and resolving to pursue greater, nobler causes—
He could no longer turn back.
Every plan Bu Eun-seol was enacting now—
Wasn't for petty martial world power struggles, but to save countless lives.
"So you're leaving."
At that moment, a dark shadow emerged from in front of a massive ancient tree. It was Dae Un-pung.
He had known Dae Gu-hwi would depart quietly and had waited to see him off.
"Elder Brother. How did you—"
"I had a feeling you'd leave without even saying goodbye."
When Dae Un-pung gave an awkward smile, Dae Gu-hwi returned a relaxed one.
"From now on, I entrust the Beast Palace—and the Lord—to you."
Unlike Dae Gu-hwi's calm demeanor, Dae Un-pung couldn't bring himself to meet his younger brother's eyes and lowered his head.
"This position should have been yours."
Dae Un-pung wore an uncomfortable expression.
"I've stolen what was rightfully yours."
"Not at all. I was never fit for it in the first place."
Dae Gu-hwi laughed lightly, steering the conversation away.
"Please convey my final respects to the Lord. I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye to him before leaving."
Lord Dae Gon had secluded himself in his quarters immediately after the martial contest ended.
Had the bloody struggle between his children left him displeased?
Even though Dae Un-pung had officially become the successor, the Lord remained silent, offering not a single word of congratulations.
"The Lord must be deeply disappointed too. He always wanted you to take his place."
A bitter note lingered in Dae Un-pung's voice.
Dae Gu-hwi didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he bowed deeply, offering a final courtesy.
"Then, I'll take my leave now."
"Take care of yourself. And... come back someday."
Dae Un-pung grasped Dae Gu-hwi's hands gently—then firmly.
The warmth of brotherhood passed between their palms. Dae Gu-hwi committed that warmth to memory one last time before turning away.
Clack, clack.
The carriage Dae Un-pung had provided carried Dae Gu-hwi far beyond the Beast Palace.
How long had it been?
Coincidentally, the sky darkened with thick storm clouds before unleashing a torrent of wind and rain.
Thick sheets of rain lashed against the world outside the window, while flashes of lightning split the heavens, accompanied by thunder that shook the earth.
"Lightning."
As Dae Gu-hwi absentmindedly watched the flashes outside, a thought struck him like a bolt.
A chilling sensation, as if ice water had been poured from his crown to his toes, ran down his spine.
When I took that last attack... I didn't suppress my Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
He had obtained the Thunder Essence Divine Qi alongside Bu Eun-seol during Noe Bi-hon's recovery of power.
Though he had since learned to control it to some extent under Noe Bi-hon's guidance—
Since he hadn't yet reached the Transformation Realm, unless he deliberately suppressed it,
There was no way to prevent the energy from overflowing beyond his body.
Especially when channeling Internal Power—if his skin made contact with another person,
A powerful electric discharge would instinctively manifest.
During the martial contest, he had continuously suppressed the Thunder Essence Divine Qi to protect his five brothers.
But when he deliberately took Dae Un-pung's attack, he had forgotten to do so.
Yet Dae Un-pung had shown no reaction—not even the slightest twitch.
Even if he had achieved Great Completion in Beast Martial Arts, he should have at least winced from the tingling sensation.
Fourth Brother...
Cold sweat trickled down Dae Gu-hwi's back.
He possesses terrifying Internal Power—enough to remain unaffected even when exposed to my Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
It made no sense.
If he had that much power—
Why had he endured being oppressed and ignored by his brothers all this time?
With that level of strength,
He could have easily claimed the position of Beast Palace's successor even without Dae Gu-hwi's help.
So why had he pretended to be weak?
Clack, clack.
Just then, the rhythmic sound of the carriage wheels grated on his nerves.
Too mechanical. Too quiet.
There's no one.
The driver's seat was empty.
No matter how deep in thought he had been, given his martial prowess—
There was no way a driver could have slipped away unnoticed.
And in that instant—
KABOOM!
A tremendous explosion erupted from inside the carriage.
This was no ordinary gunpowder blast.
It was the Fire Spirit Palace's treasure, said to contain the opposing forces of nature's energy—
The Extreme Annihilation Flame Crystal, an artifact that even the World's Greatest Martial Artist could never withstand if caught in its blast radius.
KRAKOOM!
A silver flash tore through the downpour, instantly reducing the surrounding area to scorched earth.
Where the carriage had been, only a massive crater remained.
Unquenchable flames seared the ground, melting it even under the relentless rain.
With the deafening explosion, the carriage—and Dae Gu-hwi inside it—vanished without a trace.
As if nothing had ever been there to begin with.
Beast Palace, Black Fang Pavilion.
In this hall reserved only for the successor, Dae Un-pung stood gazing out the window.
His eyes narrowed slightly, lost in thought.
"It's done."
From the depths of the lightless darkness,
A black shadow prostrated itself behind Dae Un-pung and spoke.
"Thirty Extreme Annihilation Flame Crystals were used simultaneously. Not even a trace remains."
Dae Un-pung said nothing.
After staring out the window for a long while, he slowly narrowed his eyes.
"I expected it to fail, but still... what a waste."
Then, in a heavy, chilling voice, he muttered:
"At least I had the foresight to arrange for someone to enter the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall and eliminate the Lord."
"...What?"
The prostrated shadow wore a puzzled expression.
"Dae Gu-hwi is dead. No one remains to interfere with the plan, so why—"
The words never reached completion.
Schlick.
A grotesque sound echoed inside the chamber as a crimson Blood Line traced across the shadow's throat.
Thud.
Blood sprayed as his severed head rolled grotesquely across the floor.
Flash!
At that precise moment, lightning struck outside the window.
And in perfect synchronization, from the shadows near the bookshelves emerged a figure with eyes gleaming like a tiger's—walking forward with deliberate slowness.
Dae Gu-hwi.
He hadn't died in the carriage explosion. Instead, he had infiltrated the very pavilion where Dae Un-pung resided, lying in wait all this time.