In the sprawling palace of the Namgoong Clan, a heavy silence filled the war chamber. Scrolls lay half-opened, detailing maps, intelligence reports, and cultivation rankings. But all eyes were glued to the freshly delivered parchment—a black seal burned into its center.
It was official.
Riku, only 17 years old, had been declared the new Demon Cult Leader… and he had reached the Supreme Grandmaster Realm.
Elder Namgoong Jin, the head of the clan, clenched the scroll in his hand. "Impossible," he whispered, veins throbbing on his temple. "Even prodigies take decades to reach that realm."
"He's not just a prodigy," said a younger voice—Namgoong Yeon, the clan's heir. "He defeated the Crimson Ghost Elder… his own father. Gave him three free moves. Then killed him on the arena floor."
The chamber remained still, heavy with disbelief. What terrified them wasn't just Riku's power—but the fact that he did it publicly, under the gaze of the Demon Lord himself.
In the secretive stronghold of the Tang Clan, alchemy furnaces roared. Elder Tang Baek stood overlooking a vat of boiling poison, but even the bubbling didn't hide the deep frown on his face.
"He ...," a voice said from behind.
Tang Baek turned to see his niece, Tang Mei, holding another sealed report. "With the same abilities as demon god he will disrupt balance of martial world …"
"Seventeen…" Baek muttered, dropping bitter herbs into the mix. "That boy is a catastrophe born early. And we… we haven't prepared enough."
At the Moyoung Clan, swords clashed in sparring fields. Patriarch Moyoung Dae stopped mid-training when he heard the news.
"Withdraw all spies from the South," he ordered immediately. "If this Riku can kill a council elder with ease, we cannot afford to let our disciples die in the Demon Province."
"But, Patriarch, our informants—"
"Dead. All of them will be dead within the month if he catches them."
Meanwhile, the Northern Blade Family, protectors of the borders and cultivators of the harshest climates, gathered in a frozen courtyard.
The Northern Lord himself—a stoic man known only as Baek San—stood watching falling snow.
"Demon Cult… led by a child," one of his commanders said.
Baek San closed his eyes and whispered, "A child who overcame our ancient poisons… and whose sword ki melted cold iron like butter."
He turned toward the mountains.
"If we do not act soon, winter won't be the only thing burying the North."
Even the smaller sects—like the Azure Cloud Pavilion, the Flowing Petal Sect, and the Iron Banner Hall—held emergency councils. No one had seen this coming. A Demon Cult Leader at 17, fused sword techniques of both Murim and forbidden arts.
The lands shook. And fear seeped in.
But nowhere was the chaos more palpable than within the Blade Academy.
Deep within their inner sanctum, veiled in shadow and hidden within the neutral zone, five cloaked figures gathered. Each one was a master from a different region, their presence kept secret even from their top students.
A wall-sized projection flickered to life, revealing an image of Riku standing on the Arena, sword dripping with blood, eyes ablaze with tomoe.
"He has intercepted three of our infiltration plans," one of the elders hissed. "Our southern branch is gone. Our puppet noble house was exposed. And worst of all—he crushed the Blood Veil mission."
Another elder spat, "And yet he still walks free."
The leader, a man known as Razor Elder, slammed his palm on the table.
"That ends now. Initiate Final Protocol: Void Fang."
The other elders stirred, startled.
"You want to enact our last resort?" one said. "That was meant for when the Demon Lord himself moved."
Razor Elder's eyes narrowed. "This boy is no ordinary heir. He's a convergence of all forbidden paths: Blade God's technique, Sage Arts… and worst of all, he now holds Demon Emperor Qi."
A silence swept over them.
"If he lives," Razor Elder continued, "he will not only lead the Demon Cult to victory—he will destroy the entire balance of the martial world."
Back within the Demon Province, Riku stood calmly in the courtyard of his fortress, staring at the distant horizon. His new sword, infused with all elemental Qi types, was sheathed behind him—radiating a calm pressure like a slumbering dragon.
Behind him, his six sworn swords sparred. The red-haired girl, Moon Gyu, now wore the crest of Grandmaster. The blade clan heir had broken his bottleneck. Every one of his allies radiated strength.
But Riku… was still leagues above.
A messenger arrived, kneeling. "My Lord, scouts report suspicious movements near the neutral zone. Blade Academy forces gathering."
Riku gave a small smile. "Let them come."
He raised his hand, and from behind him, hundreds of cloaked warriors appeared—his personal corps. Each one trained by him during his two years of seclusion.
Riku's voice echoed like thunder.
"The Murim world sent us fear. Let's return it with war."
Riku used system points to learn yamanaka clan technique inorder to find information and launch counterattack.
Making him strongest in murim world .