It was more than mere physical prowess.
The energy coursing through Lee Seong-jun's body transcended simple strength—it was the foundation upon which one could break past the wall separating mortals from the divine.
If I absorb the remaining souls and bonus points for the buff effect…
His eyes gleamed with ambition. He had built the foundation to challenge the wall, yet it still wasn't enough. The "entrance nerve," the first divine threshold, was not something a human could overcome through will alone.
What he lacked wasn't internal energy, but something beyond it—spiritual essence, the purest form of fortune and enlightenment.
Still, it's not impossible.
He shook his head, suppressing his impatience. His growth had already reached absurd heights. Even without divine providence, the day he surpassed the wall would come soon enough.
"Greed is poison," he muttered.
Before reaching higher, he needed to make the power his own—to adapt, refine, and master it completely. And there was only one place suited for that.
The Imperial Palace's underground training grounds.
Forged with minerals offered by demons during the age he was once worshiped as a god, the chamber was impervious to collateral damage. It was, quite literally, the perfect place to unleash his full might.
"It's been a while since I trained without restraint," he said, lips curling slightly as he descended into the depths.
A week passed like the blink of an eye.
The results were undeniable. He had mastered every new power—his titles, divine achievements, and the gifts from his seventh class advancement. Meanwhile, Anna had succeeded in transforming Bi-hyung's "Ten Thousand Lives Reincarnation Soul-Severing Art" into magic.
Now, one final matter remained—the reckoning with Tanghak.
"Please… forgive me!" Tanghak cried, his body trembling as he prostrated himself before them.
Anna's eyes were cold and lifeless. Without a word, she raised her hand, tracing six luminous stars into the air.
Crackling light flashed—Phage!—as the formation solidified into a six-pointed sigil, pulsing with divine electricity.
"Regret and despair in eternal torment," she said quietly. "That will be your only atonement."
Her voice held neither anger nor pity, only the calm cruelty of justice long overdue.
"This barrier will never break. Not even the Demon King could breach it. You'll be buried deep beneath the earth, forgotten by the world."
Then she turned to Lee Seong-jun. "Let's begin."
He nodded once.
Blue mana rippled from her fingertips, flowing into the sigil above Tanghak's head.
Wooooom—!
The magic circle enclosed him like a cocoon. Tanghak screamed, his voice shrill and desperate.
"Your Majesty! Kill me! Please, kill me!"
For the first time, his words carried genuine fear.
Lee Seong-jun's gaze was steady. "Now I see your true face."
Tanghak had deceived countless souls while smiling—devoured his own empire with ambition disguised as loyalty. But in the face of eternal despair, all masks crumbled.
"If you'd been this honest from the start," Seong-jun said softly, "this ending might've been different."
Anna's mana flared again. Tanghak convulsed, bones twisting as the formation pulsed with divine fury.
"Stop! Stop it!"
Crack!
The sound of breaking bones filled the air.
"Please! Your Majesty!"
"I once asked you to protect the Blood Empire," Lee Seong-jun replied coldly. "You spat on that trust. This is your karma."
Tanghak's body contorted grotesquely. His scream tore through the chamber—long, endless, inhuman. The light faded from his eyes, but death would never claim him.
The "Ten Thousand Lives Reincarnation Soul-Severing Spell" was not a death sentence—it was eternal suffering.
"Don't ever let me see you again," Lee Seong-jun said, turning away.
Even hardened warriors flinched at the horror of Tanghak's punishment. But Lee Seong-jun felt nothing.
He's paying the price for his sins.
He erased all thought of Tanghak from his mind. The past no longer mattered. The future awaited—and it began with the Blood Empire.
Though order was restored swiftly, the empire was a shadow of its former self. Cities lay in ruins, citizens scattered.
A new ruler was needed.
"Song Cheon-baek," Seong-jun said. "You will be the new Emperor of the Blood Empire."
Cheon-baek's eyes widened. "Your Majesty, how can I—?"
"I can't remain here. Soon, I'll have to return to Earth. The continents are changing faster than anyone can imagine. Without strong leadership, chaos will consume us."
"...I'm not confident," Cheon-baek admitted.
"I know," Seong-jun said with a faint smile. "You're too honest, too upright for this age. But you're also loyal—and I won't be betrayed again."
He placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "You won't face this alone. Taecheonhoe, Chu Baek-hon, and my trusted vassals will support you. And I'll ensure Earth's relations with the continent stay strong. You have my word."
Still, Cheon-baek hesitated. "I… I really don't know if I'm worthy."
"This isn't a request," Seong-jun said firmly. "It's an order."
After a long silence, Cheon-baek knelt. "…I will obey, Your Majesty."
A golden light flared between them.
Ding!
[SSS+ Grade Skill – Holy Book of Knowledge activated.]
[EX-Grade Skill – Yaeunseongjae and A-Grade Skill – Amplification Effect activated.]
[Target 'Song Cheon-baek': Strength +338, Stamina +338, Agility +348.]
[Permanent Buff Granted.]
A warm brilliance enveloped the new emperor.
"T-This power…"
Seong-jun smiled faintly. "Consider it a bribe—and a gift."
Then he placed his palm upon Cheon-baek's forehead, transferring a surge of divine knowledge.
"This is the Great Heavenly Divine Art," he explained. "A martial art used by the Immortal Emperor himself before his ascension."
Cheon-baek's breath caught. "The Great… Heavenly Sword…"
His eyes burned with newfound determination.
Though once bound by limitations, he was, at heart, still a warrior—a man who had longed for greatness. And now, the gift he had received was the key to transcendence.
"Your kindness knows no end," Cheon-baek said, bowing deeply. "I will protect the Blood Empire with my life."
Lee Seong-jun turned away, satisfied. There was nothing left for him to fix.
His mission across the Thousand Continents was complete.
It was time to return home—to Earth.