The destruction of heaven and earth—so simple, so absurdly easy.
Chuhonbaek coughed blood, his glare filled with resentment. Despite the fury blazing in his eyes, Lee Seong-jun remained expressionless.
"I told you," Lee said quietly, "I had my own circumstances."
"Blood Emperor… if it were you, it would've been enough!"
Lee's eyes turned cold. "I don't know what happened, but don't blame me."
"Shut up!" Chuhonbaek snarled, his voice cracking.
Lee didn't flinch. "You could've stepped forward yourself, right? No—your strength was considerable, but you never set foot in the true martial world. You were afraid. That's why you acted from the shadows."
"I told you to shut up!"
Screaming, Chuhonbaek drew his sword again, eyes blazing with killing intent.
"What? It wasn't me denying reality—it was you!" Lee's words struck like a blade.
"Stop it! Stop it!"
Chuhonbaek swung wildly, but his attacks, born of emotion rather than focus, were meaningless. Lee caught him by the collar and slammed him to the floor.
"Keep going," Lee said coldly, his voice sharp as steel. "You know why this happened. Because you were weak. Because you weren't prepared."
Chuhonbaek froze, trembling. Anger twisted his face—but he couldn't deny it. Deep down, he knew the truth.
If he had prepared, if he had been stronger, things could've been different. The Blood Empire might not have fallen into chaos.
'It's my fault… all of it… my fault.'
He fell to his knees, clutching his hair, a strangled cry escaping his throat. But Lee Seong-jun didn't stop.
"Accept reality. Feel regret. Feel pain. And through that, learn the weight of responsibility—then move forward."
It wasn't mockery—it was conviction.
Lee understood all too well. His own path had been one of blood and loss. He wanted to help Chuhonbaek, to guide him, but compassion was something he had long forgotten how to show.
'All I can offer you… is the path I've already walked.'
Memories flashed behind his eyes—civil wars, endless battles, the war against demons and even gods. Every choice had cost lives. Every mistake had taken comrades from him. Yet he had endured, carrying their burdens until the end, fighting until peace was won.
That was his atonement. His responsibility.
"Be strong enough," he said, "not to repeat my mistakes. Use your power to change what others can't even dream of."
Lee knelt and extended a hand. "I swear in the name of the Blood Emperor—if you choose that path, I'll help you."
Silence filled the hall.
Then, slowly, Chuhonbaek's trembling stopped. He lifted his head, no longer running from reality. His eyes, once clouded with despair, now burned with determination.
"…Blood Emperor," he said quietly, "I'll surpass you. I'll make you pay for the mistakes you made that day."
"Please," Lee replied with a faint smile. "I hope you do."
As Lee rose to his feet, Chuhonbaek collapsed, exhausted.
"Anna," Lee called, "take care of him."
"Leave it to me."
Anna knelt beside Chuhonbaek, blue light spilling from her hands. His pale complexion returned to normal; his breathing steadied. He wouldn't wake soon—but his life was safe.
After ensuring his condition, Lee turned to the remaining Taecheonhoe members, who stood frozen in awe.
"What about you?" he asked calmly. "What will you do?"
Though the wager for leadership had ended, Lee didn't demand loyalty. Yet everyone had witnessed his overwhelming strength, his authority, his will.
One by one, they knelt.
"I'll follow you."
"Please, let us serve under you!"
On the hundred-step throne, a man sat with an indifferent expression, listening to his retainers' reports.
The Emperor's eyes opened slightly. "So, you moved right away. Good. You're not the type to run."
While the Emperor's lips curled into a faint smile, the officials below him trembled with unease.
One of them finally spoke. "Your Majesty, the Taecheonhoe has already fallen under the Blood Emperor's command. If that's true…" He hesitated. "Then the one they call a demon—the true Blood Emperor—may have returned."
"So?"
"I only meant to give you clearer information, Your Majesty."
The Emperor's laughter filled the hall. "Hahaha!"
A suffocating aura erupted from his body, pressing down on everyone present. "You snakes… I know your kind."
"Wh-what do you mean…?" the man stammered.
"Don't play dumb." The Emperor's eyes gleamed, dark and deep. "You change your loyalties as easily as turning your hand. You serve only power."
The official's face paled.
"Relax," the Emperor continued with a chilling smile. "I know how to deal with snakes. You'll kneel to true strength—and you'll serve me for eternity."
His words were a declaration. Black energy surged from his form, spreading across the throne room like a storm. The pressure was immense—an abyss of power that made even the mightiest of the Blood Empire cough blood and collapse.
"I ask you again," the Emperor said coldly, "do you still think I need your 'information'?"
The official swallowed hard, mind racing.
This power… this wasn't the same Blood Emperor he remembered. That one was terrifying, yes—but this was different. Stronger. More absolute.
'The current Blood Emperor's power is no longer untouchable,' he calculated. 'If I, the Tang Clan, and Taecheonhoe united… we could subdue him.'
He bowed deeply. "We apologize, Your Majesty. We failed to recognize the might of the Heavenly Demon."
Then he knelt completely, shouting with practiced reverence.
"Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years! May the Heavenly Demon rule the thousand continents!"
Meanwhile, Lee Seong-jun wasted no time.
He and his allies advanced straight toward Chongqing, the imperial capital. None dared stand in their way.
In the world of the Thousand Continents, the Blood Emperor was more than a legend—he was myth made flesh. Even his name alone scattered opposition.
With warriors of the Blood Empire and the Taecheonhoe united under his banner, his march to the capital was unstoppable.
Finally, the imperial palace came into view.
"From here on out," Lee said, his tone calm but resolute, "it's going to be a real battle. Be ready."
The newly crowned Heavenly Emperor, Mukhwang, and his scheming ally Tang Xue awaited inside. The gates of the capital were sealed tight.
And atop the wall—
Lee's eyes narrowed as he saw a familiar face.
"...Tanghak."
His voice was low, filled with both anger and sorrow.
The man who stood there was unchanged—no scars, no sign of time's passage. His skin was pale, his smile mocking.
"I doubted it at first," Tanghak said, his voice calm yet trembling with excitement. "But it's really you, isn't it?"
Their gazes locked.
The wind howled—then a crimson flag of energy tore through the air toward Tanghak. The sheer force could've leveled the walls.
But before it could strike, it dissolved—eaten away by invisible poison.
Tanghak smiled thinly. "You remember, don't you? The formless poison. You can't touch me."
Lee Seong-jun's fists clenched. "I wanted to believe it wasn't you," he said quietly. "I knew you had the heart to betray, but… I hoped you'd changed. I hoped you'd fooled the world, not me."
He exhaled slowly, eyes filled with regret. "But I can't deny it anymore."