Lee Seong-jun let out a low snort. "What?"
This was a continent he had already conquered once. There was no reason it should be difficult a second time.
The Blood Sect had been a shadow of its former self when he first united it—but now, the world was different. Support poured in from all sides, from those who still remembered the terror and glory of the Blood Emperor. His forces were loyal, strong, and capable. He needed no one's help.
"Why would I need to ally with anyone?" he asked flatly.
"Because the Thousand Continents have changed," replied the man before him. "It is no longer a place that one man can easily rule. But if you join hands with the Taecheonhoe—and with me, its leader, Chu Baek-hon—then together we can seize this land once more."
Chu Baek-hon's voice was firm, his gaze unwavering.
"The Blood Empire—no, the entire continent—is rotting from within," Chu declared. "Corruption festers. Officials and criminals alike conspire while the people suffer. Even my own family was destroyed by these parasites."
Lee Seong-jun tilted his head. "So, this is revenge, then? You want to join me for that?"
Chu Baek-hon shook his head. "You misunderstand, Blood Emperor. It is you who will join me. You will serve under my command."
A quiet, humorless smile curved across Seong-jun's lips. "So that's it. You want to use my name to build your new empire."
Even under the Blood Emperor's cold, suffocating gaze, Chu Baek-hon did not flinch.
"It may sound presumptuous, but it's only natural," he said evenly. "You once cared for the people and sought peace. But you failed. The betrayal of your closest ally—the so-called 'pillar' of your empire—proves as much."
Lee Seong-jun's eyes narrowed slightly. "Danghak," he muttered. "That man was the greatest mistake—and the deepest stain—of my life."
Chu Baek-hon nodded solemnly. "Then let me correct what you could not. I will rebuild this decaying world and make it pure again. It may wound your pride, but I will name you Vice-Chairman of the Taecheonhoe. Together, we can achieve the peace you dreamed of."
He met Seong-jun's eyes with bold sincerity. "You, too, sought stability and order, did you not? Then you must see this as the right path—"
"Enough," Seong-jun interrupted, his tone cutting through the air.
He had already realized that Chu Baek-hon liked to drown his own logic in words.
"I understand your ideals," Seong-jun said coldly. "But you've made one mistake."
He took a step forward, his presence pressing down like a mountain.
"How can a wolf kneel to a dog? You should be my vice-chairman."
Chu Baek-hon laughed quietly. "Ha… yes. You really are the Blood Emperor."
"Took you long enough to notice."
"I'll admit it," Chu said, his voice hardening. "You have the spirit—the temperament—of the Blood Emperor. But the man before me is weaker than the legend. Your power has withered. Greed, in your state, will only poison you."
"Too greedy, am I?" Seong-jun asked, amused.
"I showed you respect out of regard for your past. But if you insist on forcing my hand…" Chu Baek-hon's words faded as the air around him cracked.
A violent aura erupted from his body, wind howling as his black hair turned stark white.
Seong-jun's eyes gleamed crimson. "So, you've reached the threshold of enlightenment."
This wasn't simple internal reinforcement. Chu Baek-hon had entered a transcendent state—his entire being harmonized with his energy.
"Not bad," Seong-jun murmured, almost pleased. "It's been a while since I've seen something interesting."
"If you accept my offer now," Chu warned, "I'll let you live, out of respect for what you once were."
Seong-jun smiled faintly. "Try me."
A sharp sound tore through the silence as the Blood Emperor stepped forward, and the world seemed to hold its breath.
Chu Baek-hon had been called a genius of his generation. A prodigy whose talent could be counted among the greatest in the continent's history.
Under a reclusive master, he had trained in isolation, forging body and spirit until he ascended to the level of Ipsin—a realm few in history had ever reached.
It took him only twenty years.
Yet he never sought fame. He lived quietly, with only a handful of disciples who shared his ideals.
Back then, the Blood Empire had been strong. The Blood Emperor—ruthless yet compassionate—had brought an age of peace.
But Chu Baek-hon had known that such peace could not last.
When the empire began to rot, he wanted to act. But time had dulled his spirit, and his family bound him in peace. So he hesitated—and in that hesitation, fate struck cruelly.
His family was taken from him.
From that moment, he swore never to stand idle again.
When chaos swept across the land, he returned to the martial world, forming the Taecheonhoe—a gathering of righteous masters seeking to restore balance to the world.
In less than a year, they had become one of the strongest forces on the continent.
Then came the news: Sochang Castle had rebelled, and its lord was dead.
The rumors that followed were stranger still.
The Blood Emperor has returned.
At first, Chu Baek-hon dismissed it. The real Blood Emperor would never let the usurpers Yeon Seo-han and Danghak live. He would have torn them apart before sunrise.
But whether true or false didn't matter. The people believed.
The name Blood Emperor alone carried enough weight to inspire rebellion and fear. To the desperate, it was salvation. To the powerful, it was doom.
Thus, the Taecheonhoe decided to seek out the one who claimed the name.
Chu Baek-hon expected a fraud. Instead, he found the real thing.
The presence alone—the weight of his gaze, the rhythm of his breath—was unmistakable.
But there was something else too.
'He's weakened,' Chu realized. 'The soul remains, but the power… is gone.'
And that was why he dared to believe he could win.
That illusion lasted only a heartbeat.
Seong-jun moved—just one step—and the world itself seemed to bow under the pressure.
'This presence… it's absolute.'
For a fleeting moment, Chu Baek-hon felt awe. Then rage.
'You still had this strength… and you did nothing? You let the world decay? You let my family die?'
His voice broke into a roar. "Why did you just stand by and watch!?"
He swung his sword, releasing a torrent of blue energy that split the air like thunder.
Sparks danced across the ground, wind screaming. But when he blinked, his blade met only emptiness.
A crimson flash brushed past his cheek.
"I had my reasons," Seong-jun said quietly.
Chu Baek-hon's fury surged. His aura exploded, coating his sword in blinding blue flame.
"Then die with your excuses! Extreme Heaven and Earth Sword Strike!"
The heavens cracked as his blade fell. The ground tore apart, light swallowing everything in its path.
It was a strike meant to shatter worlds.
But Lee Seong-jun did not flinch. His hair glowed blood-red, his gaze unshaken.
He raised one hand.
With a whisper of wind—phweee—a crimson arc flashed.
The world went still.
The earth-splitting sword strike dissolved into dust, scattering like grains of sand in the air.
And in that silence, the Blood Emperor stood, untouched—his expression calm, almost disappointed.