Stirring the Lion's Den
Jeok-un's voice was laced with internal energy, ensuring that every single spectator heard him clearly.
...Bestow a favor upon Sadocheon?
The sheer absurdity of his words and the baffling situation left everyone dazed, but only for a brief moment.
"A favor?! What kind of nameless bastard crawls in here and spouts such nonsense?!"
"How dare he touch a Squad Leader of the Ten Heavens?! Off with his head this instant!"
"He's not even at the Peak Realm! The absolute insect!"
Insults, curses, and chilling threats rained down from all directions.
The spectators looked ready to leap over the railings at any second.
From their perspective, it was only natural.
Some nameless, green brat had suddenly burst into the very heart of the Unorthodox faction and started running amok.
Moreover, Dok-go Cheon, the Lion Blade Emperor—the pride of Sadocheon and the object of their blind faith—was watching from above.
Yet, as the chaos threatened to spiral out of control, a few people in the crowd tilted their heads, staring closely at Jeok-un.
"...Wait, doesn't that guy look familiar?"
"Where would you have seen a lunatic like that?!"
"No, really. I've definitely seen him somewhere else...! Wait, hold on a second!"
One of them pulled a wanted poster from his robes and compared it to Jeok-un's face.
His eyes widened to the point of tearing as he shrieked at the top of his lungs.
"Jegal Jeok-un! That's the prodigal son of the Jegal Family!"
"?!"
"The Depraved Dragon of Jegal!"
"The Depraved Dragon of Jegal" was the moniker that had recently begun circulating in the Jianghu.
At first glance, it sounded like a grand title, but it was actually a derogatory nickname meant to mock him.
The character for Pae in his title did not mean "hegemony" or "supreme," but rather "depraved" or "rebellious."
It was a sarcastic play on the "Nine Dragons and Four Phoenixes"—the titles reserved for the greatest rising stars of the Orthodox faction—labeling him instead as a rising star of pure villainy.
"How dare a bastard from the Orthodox faction show his face here!"
"A wretched dog of the Jegal bloodline!"
"Fine! I'll slaughter you right now!"
In an instant, the atmosphere grew even more hostile.
Everyone bared their teeth in raw animosity.
It was only natural; there were more than a few in Changsha who harbored deep, bitter grudges against the Jegal Family.
Amidst the rising clamor, only Dok-go Cheon quietly observed Jeok-un.
'Jegal blood... and yet, that power is of an entirely different nature than theirs.'
The jeers and shouts of the crowd failed to stir even a ripple of anger in him.
Instead, the mysterious energy radiating from Jeok-un only served to pique his fundamental curiosity as a martial artist.
Meanwhile, Jeok-un paid absolutely no attention to the hostility directed at him.
"What a lovely sight," he said.
"...?"
"You lot are happily enjoying a feast, completely oblivious to the fact that your own storehouse is burning down."
"!!"
"Is this the legendary 'bold spirit' of the Unorthodox path I've heard so much about?"
He had just insulted the entire arena.
"You insolent brat!"
A roar like thunder shook the surroundings.
Hu Seong, the Leader of the Law Enforcement Division, trembled with rage, his eyes bloodshot.
"I will rip that tongue right out of your mouth!"
"Tsk. You're going to deafen me."
Even in the face of a shout that rivaled the Buddhist Lion's Roar, Jeok-un merely knit his brows in mild annoyance.
He turned his head, locking eyes with Dok-go Cheon.
"I'd prefer if the small fry stepped aside. I wish to speak with the master of the house."
"How dare you—!"
This was intolerable.
Driven mad by the sheer disrespect shown to Dok-go Cheon, Hu Seong drew his sword and prepared to charge.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and stopped him.
Had it been anyone else, Hu Seong would have snapped at them to stay out of his way.
"...Lord?"
But the one holding him back was none other than Dok-go Cheon.
In the next instant, Dok-go Cheon's figure vanished.
Or rather, he seemed to dissolve into the air as he rose.
Like an imugi ascending to become a dragon, he soared straight up into the sky.
The distance from the VIP platform to the martial arts arena was easily over three hundred meters.
Yet, he reduced that vast distance to nothingness.
It was a display of movement technique that could only be achieved by a master of the Profound Realm—a feat second only to Void Walking.
The Ascending Qi Flight had been unleashed.
"...!!"
"Ah!"
Even those who knew nothing of martial arts gasped in awe at the divine display.
A spark of interest flickered in Jeok-un's eyes as well.
Dok-go Cheon spoke slowly.
"Do you seek to enact some long-standing vengeance on behalf of your family?"
"What nonsense is that? If you want to wipe out the Jegal Family, I'd applaud you. Please, work harder and destroy them completely."
"..."
It was not a matter of the Jegal Family's grudges?
Dok-go Cheon's curiosity deepened.
"Speak, then. What is your purpose?"
"I already told you. I have personally graced you with my presence to bestow a favor as vast as the ocean upon Sadocheon."
"Enough wordplay."
At Jeok-un's words, Dok-go Cheon released his energy.
A vast, tidal wave of pressure surged toward Jeok-un.
It was a torrential force that would have suffocated any ordinary martial artist.
Jeok-un smirked.
"I'd appreciate it if you stopped testing me with such half-hearted pressure."
"...!"
Jeok-un spoke casually, easily enduring the crushing wave of energy.
'As expected, this boy is different.'
Seeing this, Dok-go Cheon knew his suspicions were correct.
The energy he had just released was not something a mere Peak Realm martial artist could withstand.
He had infused it, however slightly, with "Will"—a force that could only be manifested by those who had reached the Profound Realm.
Simply put, Will was the power of intent, the sole source of strength that allowed a Profound Realm master to transcend the limits of martial arts.
Even a single thread of internal energy infused with Will could unleash devastating power.
Under normal circumstances, any opponent should have been coughing up pools of blood and collapsing. Yet, the youth stood perfectly fine.
'He is either concealing a divine relic, or he possesses a transcendent martial art.'
Either way, he possessed something extraordinary.
Dok-go Cheon studied Jeok-un with unwavering interest.
Even he could not identify the nature of the energy Jeok-un was using to resist him.
It was neither Orthodox, Unorthodox, nor even Demonic.
Yes, it was an energy akin to pure chaos.
Dok-go Cheon drew the Lion's Roar Blade.
It was the divine weapon that had forged the legend of the Lion Blade Emperor.
Raising his trusted weapon and companion, he spoke to Jeok-un.
"Speak. Why are you truly here? I shall grant you the courtesy of hearing your final words."
A murderous intent, sharp as a razor, pricked at Jeok-un's skin.
Such was the killing intent unleashed by Dok-go Cheon, a master of the Profound Realm.
It was a force so dense it could physically manifest in the real world.
Unable to withstand the pressure, the majority of the spectators collapsed, losing consciousness on the spot.
Even the martial artists of Sadocheon groaned, barely holding their ground.
Amidst the heavy silence, Jeok-un spoke clearly and calmly.
"Well, as you know, I've ended up making enemies of about half the Jianghu."
"..."
"But as the old Jianghu saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Jeok-un kicked No Hwang-mun, whom he had been pinning down, sending him sliding to Dok-go Cheon's feet.
"So, as a gift for my new friend, I brought you a spy from Black Badge Castle who has been operating within Sadocheon."
"...What?"
"?!"
A heavy silence fell over the arena.
The murmurs died down instantly, replaced by a cold stillness.
...A spy from Black Badge Castle?
Had they heard correctly?
Not just Dok-go Cheon, but everyone who remained conscious could not hide their bewilderment.
"You..."
"No Hwang-mun and No Hwang-gu. Or rather, Agents 14 and 15 of Black Badge Castle's Secret Night Division."
"...!!"
"Their mission: rise to the rank of executive and distribute drugs widely within Sadocheon's territory."
"!!"
Before Dok-go Cheon could even ask for clarification, Jeok-un poured out the details.
Drug distribution.
It was the crime Dok-go Cheon loathed most, and one strictly forbidden within Sadocheon.
"After securing the position of Squad Leader, they used the gambling houses to distribute drugs dissolved in alcohol. Oh, and I should probably tell you the location of the farm where the drugs are produced as well."
As Jeok-un rattled off the highly classified information, No Hwang-mun, who lay sprawled on the ground, turned deathly pale.
'H-How does this bastard know all this?!'
When he saw Dok-go Cheon, he thought he was saved.
But the information spilling from Jeok-un's mouth was far too precise.
It was as if he had laid eyes on Black Badge Castle's most guarded secrets himself.
—I'll let you live. For now.
No Hwang-mun finally understood what Jeok-un had meant when he shattered his dantian.
Jeok-un had brought him here to use him as currency to buy his own safety from Dok-go Cheon.
The gaze of the crowd shifted back to Jeok-un, but with an entirely different weight.
As shock painted the faces of everyone present, Jeok-un shrugged.
"You don't need to worry about the authenticity of the information. It came straight from the Divine Strategist's office."
"...!"
The Divine Strategist, Jegal Mun.
The name of the Chief Military Advisor of the Orthodox Martial Alliance flashed through everyone's minds.
It made perfect sense now. He had discovered the Alliance's classified intelligence within the Divine Strategist's private quarters.
That explained how Jeok-un knew secrets that only an insider of Black Badge Castle should know.
"Well, if you still don't believe me, there's another way."
Jeok-un smiled coldly.
"There should be a poison parasite that has been growing inside his belly for over a decade. Why don't you check for yourself and clear up any doubts?"
"!!"
A poison parasite.
It was not a creature an ordinary person would ever harbor in their stomach.
"K-Kaaah! N-No!"
No Hwang-mun tried to crawl away from the arena, but his body suddenly floated into the air.
Dok-go Cheon had slowly extended his hand toward him.
He was lifting No Hwang-mun using the Telekinetic Grab.
"Kehk! N-No! L-Lord!"
"Squad Leader of the Golden Moon. If this is not the truth, you have nothing to fear."
"N-No! Stop! Aaaagh!"
Something began to squirm and writhe grotesquely inside No Hwang-mun's abdomen.
"Aaaargh! Aaaaagh!"
A horrific shriek of agony tore from his throat.
The spasm of a poison parasite inflicted pain beyond imagination upon its host.
Though it was a brief moment, to No Hwang-mun, it felt like an eternity of torture.
And then, finally.
With a sound like a bursting drum, something tore out of No Hwang-mun's stomach.
"Hieeeek!"
"W-What is that?!"
The parasite, drawn into Dok-go Cheon's hand, was instantly incinerated by Samadhi True Fire.
Dok-go Cheon's gaze, cold as the icy winds of the North Sea, fell upon No Hwang-mun, who was already dead and limp.
He tossed the corpse aside like trash.
"...Hu Seong."
"Command me, Lord!"
"The Alliance Entrance Exam is concluded for today. Dismiss all spectators immediately, and arrest everyone connected to this Black Badge Castle spy."
"By your command!"
"Aaaargh!"
Simultaneously, Hu Seong moved, immediately capturing the Vice Leader of the Golden Moon Squad, who was trying to slip away.
The chaos sparked by Jeok-un's intrusion had now taken an entirely different turn.
Sadocheon's warriors swiftly cleared the arena of spectators.
Within moments, only the high-ranking executives and a select few remained.
"...State what you want. I shall reward you in accordance with the service you have rendered."
Having uncovered a horrific truth, Dok-go Cheon barely suppressed his boiling rage as he spoke.
Now, if Jeok-un simply answered, this entire affair would draw to a close.
As established, Jeok-un's true goal in coming here was simple.
The position of Squad Leader.
Yet, strangely...
"..."
The words refused to leave his mouth.
The reason was simple.
The moment he witnessed the intense waves of energy radiating from Dok-go Cheon...
The desire for the Squad Leader position vanished from his mind, as if he had been blinded by a sudden light.
He realized it instinctively.
'Was the Lion Blade Emperor always this strong?!'
He knew with absolute certainty that facing this man's power would push him to a higher level of strength.
Before his regression, the Dok-go Cheon he had seen was poisoned, his body deteriorated to its worst state.
Thus, he had never witnessed the Lion Blade Emperor at the absolute peak of his power. The sight of it now stirred the dormant soul of the martial artist within him.
Misinterpreting his silence, Dok-go Cheon spoke.
"What is it? Do you find yourself unable to speak now that the time has come?"
Finally, Jeok-un, lost in thought, muttered quietly to himself.
"...Well, I've already achieved one of my primary goals."
"What?"
In that instant...
A massive, violent surge of power suddenly erupted from Jeok-un's entire body.
"...!!"
Starting with the first star, Covetous Wolf...
He had already opened the second star, Giant Gate, as well.
The terrifying energy of the Overlord's Divine Qi enveloped his entire form.
"You..."
"Haha. I came here wanting a position in Sadocheon..."
"...!"
"My subordinates are going to nag the life out of me again, but... I simply cannot hold myself back."
In a flash, Jeok-un drew both of his swords.
"Lion Blade Emperor, Dok-go Cheon."
He declared:
"Right here, right now, I must fight you."
He was declaring a duel to the death with the Lord of Sadocheon.