A faint, bitter smile curved across Danghak's lips as he watched Lee Seong-jun's brow furrow.
"It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" he said softly. "You seem to have recovered even more than before. Though we've long crossed the river of no return, could you spare me a moment to make peace, Your Majesty?"
His tone and manner were exactly the same as they had been in the past—the same Tanghak who once stood at his side.
If this had been a simple reunion, Seong-jun might have smiled back.
But the Tang Clan had betrayed the Blood Empire.
Tanghak was no friend now—he was a traitor.
"It seems you've had plenty of time to prepare," Seong-jun said coldly. "But for all your efforts, your defenses are sloppy."
He surveyed the fortress walls, noting every soldier's stance, every flaw in the battlements. With the power at his command, he could have torn them apart in an instant. Yet he remained still.
"I don't know what game you're playing, but I'll give you time. Show me what your clan has prepared."
His voice carried the weight of final judgment. There was no vengeance, only inevitability.
On the wall, Danghak smiled faintly, folded his hands together, and knelt. Even from that distance, Seong-jun could see the motion clearly—hands and head pressed against the cold stone.
"I am honored to see you again, Your Majesty," Tanghak said.
Seong-jun's eyes narrowed. He offered no response.
"I have been well," Tanghak continued. "And I still serve the same master I once did. You, the Blood Emperor."
There was no tremor in his voice, no hesitation in his eyes. It was genuine. Once, Seong-jun might have believed him. But sincerity was not redemption.
"I won't ask why you betrayed me," Seong-jun said at last. "You always were that kind of man."
"I never betrayed you," Tanghak replied firmly. "I simply refused to follow a false emperor. Chugon was unworthy of the throne."
"It was I who named Chugon emperor."
"At first, I trusted your judgment. But when I saw his weakness with my own eyes, I had to act. He was not fit to rule."
Seong-jun's eyes turned to ice. "Your tongue has grown long. Perhaps you've spent too long among scholars instead of warriors."
The Tang warriors surrounding their leader bristled, hands moving to their swords.
"How dare you insult the one who rebuilt the fallen empire!" one shouted.
But before Seong-jun could lift his hand, Tanghak's voice boomed like thunder.
"Silence, all of you! How dare you raise your voices before His Majesty the Blood Emperor!"
His green-tinted eyes gleamed—deadly and venomous. The insolent warriors collapsed where they stood, their bodies dissolving into nothing.
Tanghak turned back toward his kneeling soldiers. "Kneel! Pay your respects to the Emperor who rules above the heavens! Any who disobey—will die by my hand!"
The soldiers' faces went pale. One by one, they dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads against the ground.
Even as he watched, Seong-jun's expression did not soften.
Tanghak had always been like a snake—deadly, cunning, and sincere only when it served him. His loyalty in the past had been real, yes, but that made his betrayal all the deeper.
"What do you want, Tanghak?" Seong-jun asked at last.
Tanghak's head remained bowed. "Your Majesty, I beg you… stay your wrath. Trust your descendants. Let the Blood Empire live in peace."
"Peace?" Seong-jun's tone was sharp enough to cut steel. "You came here to beg?"
"I speak for all of us," Tanghak said quietly. "Please—listen, just once."
"It's too late for that," Seong-jun replied. "You should have spoken before you raised your hand against me."
His gaze swept across the soldiers on the wall. "Blood has its price. And today, that price will be paid."
The aura around him grew heavier—thick and suffocating. The Blood Emperor's presence alone made the air tremble.
Behind him, Anna stepped forward. "I'll handle this."
Seong-jun turned his head slightly. "You're certain?"
"I can feel it," she said, her calm voice hiding a dangerous resolve. "There's another power behind him—this Mukhwang. You'll need your strength for him. Let me take the wall."
Her energy was perfectly contained, yet overwhelming. She had long since surpassed her previous limits. Even the impregnable walls of Chongqing would not stop her now.
"Very well," Seong-jun said after a moment. "I'll leave it to you."
Anna smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I'll make it quick."
Then, with a single step, she vanished into the air—so fast that the soldiers barely caught sight of her before a chilling wind swept across the wall.
The Tang warriors froze as Anna's voice echoed from above. "That's a wise choice. At least you know when to fear."
Tanghak looked up, his expression unreadable. "May I ask your name, warrior?"
Anna's eyes gleamed like frost. "You don't deserve to know."
Power erupted from her feet—a surge of dragon-like energy that made the heavens shudder.
Meanwhile, Seong-jun advanced alone toward the palace.
His thoughts were cold and sharp.
The Tang Clan's excuses meant nothing. Betrayal was betrayal.
They would all answer for it.
At the center of the palace, an ominous energy pulsed like a heartbeat.
A dark laugh rolled from the grand hall. "So you've finally arrived, Blood Emperor… no, Demon Emperor."
Seong-jun answered not with words but action. A crimson sphere of condensed power roared from his hand, exploding across the throne room.
The ornate palace shattered—the throne, the banners, the gilded walls—all torn apart by a single strike.
"You're as aggressive as ever," a mocking voice replied from above. "Truly fitting for the Demon Emperor!"
Black energy gathered around the Silent Emperor, Mukhwang, until it blotted out the light. "Let's see you dodge this."
The air itself split apart. The battlefield turned into a storm of ruin.
But Seong-jun's form dissolved into red mist, slipping through every strike.
"Not bad," Mukhwang admitted. "But let's raise the stakes."
A vast tide of black aura crashed downward. The palace trembled, the earth split open—yet in that chaos, Seong-jun shot upward like lightning.
For a brief instant, his red blade slashed through Mukhwang's shadow.
The image shattered—but the emperor himself had already vanished, reappearing behind him.
"You're too hasty," Mukhwang whispered. "That leaves you wide open."
A crushing blow sent Seong-jun crashing into the marble floor. Pain seared through his body. For the first time in years, he felt it—real, tangible pain.
And he smiled. "Thank you."
"…What?"
"Thanks to you, I've come to my senses."
His voice steadied. The storm in his heart quieted. He understood now why Tanghak had provoked him—to shake him, to dull his edge.
No more.
"I won't suppress my anger," Seong-jun murmured, his aura flaring brighter, "but my mind… will remain cold."
The fury in his eyes vanished, replaced by calm indifference.
Mukhwang frowned. "Damn that snake. So this was Tanghak's plan."
"You talk too much," Seong-jun said quietly.
Then his body moved—faster than sound, faster than sight.
The Demon Emperor's blade cut through the air, blazing like red lightning, filling Mukhwang's vision with death.
And the battle that would decide the fate of the Thousand Continents truly began.