Chapter 844
The invincible existence where darkness exists—the Dark King.
That was the title given to Yeop Hyo-cheon, the foremost of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, the Dark King.
Within darkness, he could completely conceal his form, and by condensing shadows, he could wield them as weapons or hidden arms.
It was said he could amplify an enemy's fear through darkness, conjure illusions, and even strip away their martial arts.
His martial prowess was practically evaluated as being on par with the Three Demons.
Yet even for one who seemed flawless in every way, there was a fatal flaw.
Namely, his position as the Supreme Cult Commander.
Though his treatment was equal to that of the Deputy Hall Lord, in reality, it was a role where a portion of his authority had been castrated.
Yet Yeop Hyo-cheon had never once voiced dissatisfaction.
In place of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, who repeatedly secluded himself in closed-door training, he commanded the Demon Hall and faithfully carried out his duties.
Had this been the Martial Alliance?
He would have undoubtedly received immense respect.
But this was the Demon Hall.
Such loyal conduct might earn the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's trust, but it was far removed from the Demonic Hegemony.
—From the Supreme Cult Commander's standpoint, it can't be helped.
Still, those of the Demonic Path could somewhat understand Yeop Hyo-cheon's position.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Even among the successive Number Ones of the Demonic Path, he was counted as the strongest—a transcendent Great Demonic Person who reigned as the Demon Hall's supreme leader.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor never forgave those who did not show absolute obedience to him.
The slightest hint of disloyalty, even a hair's breadth, would result in immediate decapitation.
As proof, even Dan Wol-hon—the Defying-Heaven Night Star, whose temperament was known to flare up like fire—had sworn absolute loyalty to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, had he not?
The sole exception was Bu Eun-seol, the Martial Soul Lord—yet even he outwardly submitted to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Thus, within the Demonic Path, not a single soul dared to provoke the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's displeasure.
But who could have known?
Contrary to public perception... he was not loyal to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor. No, he loathed the Demon Hall itself.
Demon Hall, Singular Light Pavilion—Yeop Hyo-cheon's Office.
"Impressive."
Inside a secret chamber within his office, Yeop Hyo-cheon wore a pleased expression as he read through the reports delivered by his subordinate.
"Unbelievably so."
According to the reports, Bu Eun-seol was growing stronger by the day.
In fact, he had recently defeated the Spear Master, the leader of the Spear Master's faction.
Considering he had not yet even reached his thirties...
This was an enormous rate of growth that surpassed even the current generation's superlative martial experts.
If this momentum continued for another decade?
It was certain that his martial prowess would reach the pinnacle of the martial world.
"Sado Mu-myeong. He's wasting his efforts."
Yeop Hyo-cheon knew everything.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was convinced that Bu Eun-seol was the Heavenly Darkness Star and was merely waiting for the moment it would be revealed.
"What does the Heavenly Darkness Star even matter?"
He scoffed.
"The truly terrifying thing is that boy has inherited Bu Jan-yang's power."
The world did not know.
Just how fearsome Bu Jan-yang's power had been.
And that such a horrifying power had now been passed to Bu Eun-seol.
"Break through every trial, Bu Eun-seol."
Yeop Hyo-cheon gazed into the empty air with delighted eyes.
"Only then will that power manifest."
But then—
Sssk—
A black fog seeped up from the desk before him, and from it emerged a masked figure, entirely shrouded in darkness, kneeling in prostration.
Not a single sound or trace of movement had betrayed his arrival in this tightly sealed chamber, where even the air barely circulated.
"Lord of Heaven."
Yeop Hyo-cheon had once been the Lord of Heaven of the Nightless Heaven, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's direct organization.
Was that why his subordinate still addressed him as such?
Regardless, Yeop Hyo-cheon spoke in a low voice.
"Report."
"As commanded, we discreetly spread the information. Movements from organizations attempting to track your activities have been detected."
"I see."
Yeop Hyo-cheon smiled faintly.
"Then it's about time we create a suitable opportunity."
"Understood. And... the Secret Shadow Pavilion's master is brimming with uncontrollable frustration."
The subordinate spoke in a hushed tone.
"The Martial Soul Lord has independently built a vast intelligence network, making his movements untraceable now... Because of this, the Secret Shadow Pavilion's master has lost face before the Demonic Heavenly Emperor."
"The dignity of the Demon Hall's most influential figure and head of intelligence is in tatters, I imagine."
As Yeop Hyo-cheon chuckled, the subordinate continued.
"Thus, the Secret Shadow Pavilion's master has sent you this information: The Wind God of this era has appeared... and among the Eight Heavenly Servants, the restrictive seals on the Wind Person and the Deathly One have been broken."
"Hmm."
"The Wind Person is reassembling the Wind Person's faction's troops, and the Deathly One has dispatched a large number of Enemy Annihilators to the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace—the sect that exclusively supplies the spiritual herbs used to make elixirs."
"Enemy Annihilators, you say..."
"It seems he intends to use the spiritual herbs at the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace to mass-produce Enemy Annihilators once more."
"Where is the Martial Soul Lord?"
"He's nowhere to be seen. The Death Soul Squad's intelligence network still wouldn't be capable of detecting the Eight Heavenly Servants... So they wouldn't know about this development."
Yeop Hyo-cheon smiled faintly.
"Judging by how they're generously feeding us this information without reason, they must be asking for our help. A perfect opportunity to wipe out the Death Shadow War Unit."
"Indeed. Since the Death Shadow War Unit would have no way of knowing that the Enemy Annihilators possess undying attributes... Even if our forces suffer losses, this seems like their chance to justify purging the battalion."
"Heh heh heh. Let them have it their way, then. Whatever they desire."
Yeop Hyo-cheon grinned coldly.
"However... on the condition that the final approval comes not from me, the Cult Leader, but from the master of the Secret Shadow Pavilion himself."
"Understood."
"Then I suppose I should make myself scarce. Since the Azure Heaven Alliance has made its appearance, it would be wise to inspect the Sichuan Branch."
As he rose from his seat, a peculiar smile lingered at the corners of Yeop Hyo-cheon's lips.
"By the time I return, something very amusing will have unfolded."
Since its founding, the Azure Heaven Alliance had maintained a quiet and steady course.
Not only did the Seonhwa Merchant House—said to rival the Ten Great Merchant Guilds of the Central Plains—provide ample financial backing, but the Sichuan Tang Clan, the Namgung Clan, and the Zhuge Clan, all possessing vast wealth, also contributed funds.
Thus, instead of scrambling to gather resources and expand influence—tasks typically unavoidable in a sect's early stages—they were able to focus on training martial artists and recruiting talented individuals, solidifying their foundation.
If they continued building their strength so meticulously?
Eventually, the Azure Heaven Alliance would take deep root in the murim... and grow into an organization capable of threatening even the Demon Hall.
And so, Yeop Hyo-cheon headed to Sichuan to inspect the Demon Hall's branch, closely observing the Azure Heaven Alliance's movements and tendencies.
Fortunately, the Azure Heaven Alliance seemed uninterested in provoking conflict with the Demon Hall, maintaining a notably friendly stance toward the Demon Hall Branch—never once encroaching upon the Demon Hall's domain.
"Good enough."
Having concluded his inspection with satisfaction, Yeop Hyo-cheon immediately boarded his carriage again.
"Not that it matters either way."
He had long known that the Azure Heaven Alliance was strengthening its foundations and adopting a moderate approach.
But the Demon Hall was not something Yeop Hyo-cheon needed to protect. The Azure Heaven Alliance's actions were irrelevant to him.
His so-called "inspection" had merely been an excuse to step away for a while.
"Even the main hall has been running smoothly lately."
Since the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had briefly emerged from seclusion only to return shortly after, the Demon Hall's various factions had been functioning perfectly well without his direct oversight.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor ruthlessly discarded any organization he deemed useless.
Thus, to maintain one's position within the Demon Hall, one had to constantly prove their worth and capabilities.
"This is why the Demonic Path is so appealing."
Yeop Hyo-cheon muttered softly inside the carriage.
"With strength alone, even the most complicated matters resolve themselves effortlessly."
The Martial Alliance, as an orthodox faction, had to consider succession and sect relations, managing countless connections to steer their organization.
The Black Path Alliance had to constantly flatter and bribe government officials to stay in their good graces.
Unorthodox factions had to proselytize the children of wealthy families with bizarre doctrines or brainwash common folk.
But the Demon Hall had no need for such things.
Strength alone was enough.
With power, influence naturally fell into one's grasp, subordinates remained loyal, and authority followed.
Of course, it wasn't all advantages.
If one lost their strength or outlived their usefulness? They were discarded without hesitation.
But was being abandoned after losing power something unique to the Demon Hall?
If anything, it was simply the natural order of the world.
Thus, while the laws of the Demonic Path were ruthless, they were also fair and rational.
Clack, clack.
The carriage rattled on without pause.
But then, a strange sensation flickered through Yeop Hyo-cheon's mind.
"Heh heh heh."
He chuckled softly, murmuring with a relaxed expression.
"How impatient."
Had it been about a quarter of an hour?
The clear sky had darkened abruptly, and from somewhere, a chilling demonic cry reverberated.
"Stop the carriage."
At Yeop Hyo-cheon's unhurried command, the galloping carriage came to an immediate halt.
Creak.
Stepping out, he gestured dismissively to the coachman.
"Return to the Demon Hall at once."
Without a word of protest, the coachman bowed and drove away.
Yeop Hyo-cheon stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant sky.
Though the sun still hung high...
The land around him had already begun to darken, as if shadows were devouring the light.
About another seven or eight minutes passed.
From the opposite direction, a creeping mist unfurled like waves, and within it, indistinct figures gradually took shape.
The closer they came, the clearer their forms grew—until they solidified into humanoid figures.
What finally emerged were...
Eighteen grotesque beings with metallic black skin and glowing crimson eyeballs.
Wherever they stepped, black fog spread outward, and the air trembled in their wake.
A chilling wind blew, and the air grew deathly still as if holding its breath to avoid them—
"Tsk, still incomplete, I see."
—yet the corners of Yeop Hyo-cheon's lips curled into a smile instead.
"Research to turn human bodies into Black Divine Artifacts, you say."
Kwoong.
The eighteen oddities halted their steps.
At the same time, black mist seeped between them, coalescing into the form of an old man with wild, bristling hair.
"Dark King, Yeop Hyo-cheon."
"Not the Forest Lord, then."
Yeop Hyo-cheon clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"I had expectations, hearing you broke through the Absolute Boundary. What a shame."
The old man was a figure from the Ancient Sword Forest—
and the grotesque beings that had appeared were human-shaped Black Divine Artifacts crafted by the forest.
"So you were the one who possessed the treasure stolen by the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
The old man's voice was hoarse with age and irritation.
"Hand over the orb. Now."
When Yeop Hyo-cheon remained silent, the old man spoke solemnly.
"The Sacred Heaven Jade is our forest's treasure. Had we not lost it, we would never have been forced into hiding like this."
Thirty years ago, the Ancient Sword Forest had the Sacred Heaven Jade stolen from them by the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade.
But since no one could trace the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's whereabouts, they had spent all these years wandering the Rivers and Lakes in secrecy.
Now, at last, they had found a clue—the very man standing before them, the second-in-command of the Demon Hall, Yeop Hyo-cheon, was said to possess it.
Even the Ancient Sword Forest could not openly assault the Demon Hall.
So they had watched Yeop Hyo-cheon's movements relentlessly, and the moment he stepped outside, they struck.
"Here it is."
Yeop Hyo-cheon pulled out a hemispherical stone from his robes.
The old man's eyes widened to the point of tearing.
"Why do you only have half?"
"Because this is the only half I obtained in the first place."
"I don't understand. Why would the Head Leader of the Demon Hall need the Sacred Heaven Jade?"
The old man's voice was thick with disbelief.
"Are you willing to risk your life and sanity being destroyed just to steal a single special trait?"
"That's for me to decide."
Noticing Yeop Hyo-cheon's unshaken confidence, the old man's eyes flashed.
"You deliberately lured us out."
"I didn't lure you. You lot just lunged first like rabid dogs, tongues out and all."
Yeop Hyo-cheon's lips curled into a razor-thin smile.
"Only after dragging out all the ones who fabricated the Blood Eye Case alongside her—will he finally show himself."
The white gleam in Yeop Hyo-cheon's pupils burned with unbridled malice.
"Hahahaha!"
The old man burst into laughter, as if the very idea was absurd.
"You'll be dead long before that happens."
"With those unfinished abominations?"
"Unfinished or not, they are Omnipotent Beings—imbued with the functions of Black Divine Artifacts. They'll reduce you to dust in an instant."
"'Omnipotent Beings'? Quite the grandiose name."
"Are you deliberately stalling for time?"
The old man's eyes narrowed at Yeop Hyo-cheon's composed expression.
"Planning to break through the Absolute Boundary and escape?"
At that moment, one of the Omnipotent Beings stepped forward.
Kwoong.
The already blackened sky darkened further, and transparent walls materialized across dozens of yards.
"Fascinating. You've implanted a Black Divine Artifact capable of deploying Boundary Formations."
"And yet you keep your composure even after losing your chance to flee."
When Yeop Hyo-cheon yawned as if bored, the old man clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Even the Three Demons would be nothing before this many Omnipotent Beings—yet here you stand, arrogant as ever, Yeop Hyo-cheon."
"The Three Demons? You're misinformed."
Yeop Hyo-cheon smirked.
"Had you been as active in the martial world as the Three Clans, you'd know the true strength of today's superlative martial experts."
He shook his head slowly.
"But you've been holed up in your Absolute Boundary like rats, still clinging to outdated perceptions."
Yeop Hyo-cheon's crimson-flaring pupils had already transformed into twin demonic slits.
"To think you still look down on martial artists."
"Enough of your nonsense."
Azure killing intent erupted from the old man's eyes.
"Turn him to dust. Now."
At his command, the Omnipotent Beings standing behind him instantly surrounded Yeop Hyo-cheon.
Their bodies, gleaming like liquid mercury, emitted an eerie radiance—
unleashing a transcendent force no ordinary human could withstand.
Shwuk.
But Yeop Hyo-cheon had already vanished.
True to his title of Dark King, he had melted into the shadows.
"Pathetic."
The old man snorted and stamped his foot.
"Dispel the darkness first."
Then the Omnipotent Beings' black skin transformed into silver.
The dark sky vanished, replaced by a blinding radiance so intense it stung the eyes.
Screeeech—
The entire world was dyed in a dazzling white, yet nowhere could Yeop Hyo-cheon's figure be seen.
Swish. Swish.
The Omnipotent Beings scanned their surroundings.
Each of them was no different from a Black Divine Artifact, wielding unfathomable power.
The might they unleashed was something no martial art, no matter how extraordinary, could withstand.
But even that overwhelming strength—
—was utterly useless if they couldn't locate their target.
"Impressive Hidden Stealth Secret Art," the old man sneered instead.
"Do you think this ends just because you're hiding like a rat?"
Then he nodded toward one of the Omnipotent Beings.
CRACK!
As he clapped his hands, a tremendous shockwave erupted, sending transparent energy rippling outward in all directions.
But before that energy could fully expand—
THUD.
With the sound of heavy metal crashing down, the head of the Omnipotent Being who had clapped rolled across the floor.
"Catch that bastard!"
At the old man's shout, the Omnipotent Beings moved at speeds beyond visibility,
attempting to pinpoint Yeop Hyo-cheon's location hidden within the Absolute Boundary.
But it was futile.
No trace of him could be found anywhere.
"Then we have no choice but to turn this entire area into a space of death!"
The old man roared—
THUD. THUD.
—but in that instant, the heads of the Omnipotent Beings preparing to unleash their power fell one after another.
The Omnipotent Beings' abilities were nothing short of invincible.
However, the moment they activated their power, an extremely brief vulnerability was exposed.
Yeop Hyo-cheon had instantly discerned this flaw and, in that split second, severed their heads.
"Activate Shatter the Void!"
At the old man's command, a wave of light surged from one Omnipotent Being's body,
twisting the very fabric of the space severed by the Absolute Boundary, as a wind capable of tearing the world apart began to howl.
Even if it meant mutual destruction, they were determined to kill Yeop Hyo-cheon.
THUD.
But it was useless.
Before the Shatter the Void could fully expand, yet another Omnipotent Being's head tumbled to the ground.
And still, Yeop Hyo-cheon's figure remained completely unseen.
"Where are you?!"
The enraged old man scanned his surroundings and bellowed.
"Stop hiding like a rat and show yourself!"
[Hmm.]
Then, Yeop Hyo-cheon's low sigh echoed.
[I told you, incomplete ones won't do.]
The moment he spoke, the Omnipotent Beings unleashed a devastating shockwave toward the source of his voice.
But there was nothing there.
"...Dark King."
Only then did the old man realize the true meaning behind Yeop Hyo-cheon's epithet.
He wasn't called the Dark King merely because he hid in darkness and wielded martial arts within it—
—but because he could create darkness wherever and whenever he pleased, casting shadows even over the spirit and mind of his enemies...
A true sovereign of darkness.
Slice. THUD.
In that moment, another Omnipotent Being's head fell.
Of the original eighteen, only ten remained.
Slice. THUD.
With each decapitation, the old man's body trembled violently.
Without Yeop Hyo-cheon's permission, he couldn't even lay eyes on him.
He couldn't even take his own life.
Trapped in endless darkness, he could only await Yeop Hyo-cheon's judgment.
THUD.
With a dull thud, the last Omnipotent Being standing beside the old man collapsed.
"You bastard!"
The old man screamed, his eyes a mix of fury and terror.
"Yeop Hyo-cheon! Are you saying you're stronger than the Three Demons?!"
Scanning his surroundings once more, he clenched his fists.
"Why?! With this level of power, you could even challenge the Demonic Heavenly Emperor!"
[Pathetic.]
Yeop Hyo-cheon's voice drifted through the air.
[You're being toyed with because you fail to see the essence.]
Slice.
Suddenly, a chilling sound of severing rang in the old man's ears.
At the same time, his vision turned crimson.
It was the last sight he would ever see.
Whoooosh—
With the old man's death, the transparent walls that had sealed off dozens of yards dissipated,
and the surroundings gradually regained their original colors.
The Absolute Boundary had shattered.
"What a shame."
Yeop Hyo-cheon, now visible again, clicked his tongue as he gazed at the fallen old man.
"To think the one caught was just a remnant of the Ancient Sword Forest."
The Sacred Heaven Jade could only manifest its true power when fully united.
"No—if the Ancient Sword Forest has moved, then he must have as well."
Yeop Hyo-cheon's eyes flashed.
Soon, the one who possessed the remaining fragments of the Sacred Heaven Jade would reveal themselves to him.
"It's slowly coming together..."
Yeop Hyo-cheon stared at the distant sky, his expression solemn.
"Before long, I will become your Owner."
CRACK!
At that moment, lightning split the clear sky.
In the instant the bolt struck, the world was plunged into darkness.
And for the briefest fraction of a second, the silhouette of a Demon King, golden eyes gleaming, flickered where Yeop Hyo-cheon had stood.
[Hmm.]
When the sky cleared again, Yeop Hyo-cheon stood there as if nothing had happened, his hair neatly combed back.
"Shall I go see the entertaining spectacle about to unfold in the main battle?"
With a low laugh, his figure vanished into the heavens in an instant.