Chapter 338: Dragon and Dragon (2) |
Shaolin Temple, located on Mount Song.
As expected, once the chaos subsided, those who had gathered for the meeting began to return to their respective homes.
Some suggested staying at the temple for a while longer, as a precaution against further attacks, but only a few factions, whose forces had been severely depleted, heeded that advice.
Most were eager to return and formulate their own countermeasures.
And that included the Zhuge Clan and the Southern Palace Clan.
The Zhuge Clan, whose specialty was defensive formations and tactics, hadn’t suffered significant losses during the Demonic Cult’s attack, and the Southern Palace Clan, with Sword Saint Namgung Woo, a Mysterious Realm expert, still had plenty of strength to spare.
‘They said the fight between Sword Saint and Demon Sword Master ended in a draw. So, the retreating Demonic Cult forces must be led by him.’
Hugo watched the departing groups, his gaze thoughtful.
The Heavenly Demon was gone, but there were still numerous powerful remnants left.
“Young Master Ha!”
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
It was Namgung So-ran, who had been visiting him every day, even amidst the chaos, to check on him.
“…Please be careful. And if you ever decide to leave the Zhuge Clan, please consider our Southern Palace Clan!”
Both clans were about to depart.
Considering the state of travel in this world, it was practically a farewell, with no guarantee of meeting again.
“Well, the Zhuge Clan and the Southern Palace Clan aren’t that far apart, and we have occasional exchanges. I’ll visit you when I have the chance…”
Of course, that was just her wishful thinking.
The distance between the two clans was twice the distance between the Shaolin Temple and the Zhuge Clan.
Having bid farewell to Namgung So-ran, he exchanged greetings with the other connections he had made here.
He also learned about Mok In-gwang’s, the former Mad Demon’s, current situation. It seemed like he was planning to stay at the Shaolin Temple for a while.
It made sense. He was interested in the ‘new Mad Demon’, Harley, so it was logical for him to wait here, where they had parted ways.
‘…New Mad Demon? What kind of a name is that? I should have stayed and corrected them!’
But it was too late now.
Titles weren't self-proclaimed. They were given by others.
If Harley had personally corrected them, it might have been different… but he was gone.
‘I’ll have to do something before that name sticks…’
But there was nothing he could do right now.
After all, he—.
“…There’s been an incident at the clan. Discard all unnecessary baggage. We’ll be traveling at maximum speed.”
…had to join the others on their urgent return journey, having received an alarming message through a magical communication device.
A storm of change was sweeping across the world.
____________________
And at the center of that storm,
In the Tian Shan mountain range of Xinjiang Province.
“…Kkuk kuk… Found you. So you were hiding here—.”
A dark figure, hovering in the sky, looked down at the mountain range, a sinister smile on his face.
His gaze was fixed on a small city nestled in a remote corner of the vast mountain range.
‘Impressive. To build a city of this size in such a remote and dangerous location. And the entire area is protected by formations. I wouldn’t have found it without 「Abyssal Eye」.’
Hans stroked his chin, muttering in admiration.
It was a completely self-sufficient community, with farmland, livestock, and everything they needed to survive.
It was practically a city-state, despite its small size.
A fitting headquarters for the Heavenly Demon Cult, the largest, most powerful, and most ruthless faction in Ganghwange.
‘Of course, I don’t care.’
His eyes glowed with an abyssal light.
The chimera eyes implanted in his skull twitched and writhed under the sudden surge of power, but he quickly suppressed them, forcing them back into their sockets.
“Kuh— Let’s begin, shall we?”
He chuckled softly, and a monstrous demonic aura, powerful enough to engulf the entire mountain range, erupted from his body.
It far surpassed the aura of the Heavenly Demon, the previous ruler of this land.
Goooo—
The clear sky darkened as storm clouds gathered, casting a long shadow over the land below.
“——!”
“——?!”
He sensed the rising panic within the city.
And then, Hans… the absolute being who had crossed dimensions and arrived in Ganghwange… made his grand declaration.
[“Listen, mortals, trapped in your little world.”]
So that they could understand the situation.
[“I am the master of all demons.”]
So that they wouldn’t dare to look him in the eye.
Rumble—!
A thunderous roar echoed through the storm clouds.
And the divine being, the one who had caused all these phenomena, imprinted his presence upon this world.
[“Bow before your new Demon King.”]
And so, a Demon King descended upon the Heavenly Demon Cult.
____________________
Dragons and dragons shared many similarities, but their differences were even more pronounced.
Like two dishes made from the same ingredients, but with completely different results due to the different cooking methods.
‘The biggest difference is that a dragon’s birth isn’t solely determined by its lineage.’
Unlike dragons, who could only reproduce through bloodline inheritance, there was a chance for other creatures to become dragons.
Like an imugi, a lesser dragon, ascending to dragonhood after a thousand years of cultivation.
Of course, it was an incredibly rare occurrence, but it wasn't impossible.
But such methods could only create lesser dragons, like the Chicken Dragon, the Ox-Headed Dragon, or the Winged Dragon.
The Five Dragons – Red, Azure, White, Black, and Yellow – were all born from pure bloodlines.
Those who ascended through cultivation weren't necessarily weaker, but the power and knowledge accumulated and passed down through generations couldn’t be ignored.
Naturally, the descendants of the Five Dragons held the highest positions within the Golden Island Sect.
And now, two of those leaders…
“…Cute.”
“Ahem! He’s… quite charming.”
…were completely captivated by a small child.
Azure Dragon smiled warmly, gently stroking Horus’s head, while Red Dragon coughed awkwardly, her gaze fixed on him.
He was sitting on a pavilion in a picturesque forest, enjoying a feast of delicacies, showered with affection.
‘This is working better than I expected.’
Horus, no longer shy, puffed out his chest and raised his chin, a smug look on his face.
“Here, Horus, try this. A pig raised on a diet of spirit silkworms, prepared by the Golden Island Sect’s best chef, a former imperial chef…”
“Don’t just eat meat, try this as well. Ten Thousand Year Polygonatum, simmered in jade bee honey…”
An endless stream of delicacies was presented to him.
Horus ate them with a regal air, recalling the events that had transpired since his arrival.
‘I didn’t expect it to go this smoothly.’
His sudden and unexpected appearance.
Harley had acted on a whim, but unauthorized entry into the Golden Island Sect’s territory was a serious offense.
It could have become a major problem…
‘…But it didn’t.’
For one simple reason.
He was the only ‘Yellow Dragon’ left in this world.
‘Seriously? Both in Auterica and here? Are Gold Dragons always on the verge of extinction?’
But it wasn’t just a coincidence.
The Yellow Dragon was the leader of the Five Dragons, the head of the Golden Island Sect.
And it was the same in Auterica, where the Gold Clan was the ruling family of the dragons.
Naturally, they were the primary targets for those who sought to destroy the world.
The previous Immortal Kings had relentlessly hunted the Gold Clan, and the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society, who had invaded Ganghwange and stolen the Dragon Heart, was no different.
‘He didn’t just waltz in and take it.’
The official story was that a winged otherworlder had caused the bloody incident at the imperial palace and stolen the Dragon Heart… but there had been fierce resistance in the shadows.
The imperial family, along with a few master-level experts, and the Golden Island Sect, representing the demons.
‘But they lost. And Harris’s Gentle Eight Trigrams Secret Art was originally from someone who was defeated by him.’
The Master hadn’t acted alone. He had the support of the Demonic Cult, which had been operating in the shadows for a long time.
Spies and brainwashed agents had infiltrated every faction, making it difficult to trust even their own allies, and the rampant dark sects prevented them from mobilizing their forces effectively.
As a result, the imperial family was annihilated, countless masters perished, and the world was plunged into chaos.
And the Golden Island Sect lost not only the Yellow Dragon’s bloodline, but also most of their dragons, including the Kirin and the Black Tortoise, their highest-ranking members.
“Yummy… So? What are the other dragons doing now?”
Horus listened intently, his small mouth munching on the delicacies.
His primary objective, gathering information, was… surprisingly easy!
All he had to do was eat and listen.
“The White Dragon and the Black Dragon are at the Dragon God’s Temple, trying to maintain the balance. Along with those who can support them.”
“We were there until recently. It’s not a place where you can just… stay indefinitely. You have to rotate and conserve your strength, or you’ll die.”
“…Several have already died.”
“If this continues, we won’t last much longer either. That’s why we were so desperate for the Dragon God’s guidance…”
Horus nodded slowly.
Now he understood why they had reacted so strongly to Harley.
He glanced at Harley, who was wandering around the outskirts of the hidden realm with Qingguan, then returned his attention to the two women before him.
They weren’t treating him so well just because he was cute.
They had their reasons…
Poke, poke—
“Fascinating. His cheeks are so… squishy.”
“Red Dragon, don’t distract him while he’s eating.”
“You stop braiding his hair. Even if he’s just an avatar, it’s not appropriate.”
“But look at his hair. Isn’t it pretty this way?”
…Or were they?
Were they really just… enamored by his cuteness?
As Horus pondered his own mysterious charm,
“Tsk, to think that dragon slayer was the Yellow Dragon’s guide. Of course, he’s completely different from our Yellow Dragon…”
“Yes, it’s hard to believe, but he seems to possess the Yellow Dragon’s karma. That’s enough for now.”
“Unbelievable. He looks barely a hundred years old… no, not even half that. How is this even possible? What kind of world did he come from?”
…They resumed their serious discussion.
And finally, they started talking about the ‘Dragon’s Children’.
“So… you’re saying they’re… sacrifices? To restore the lost Dragon Heart?”
“Yes. Sacrifices to the great and almighty Dragon God.”
“Red Dragon…”
“Hmph.”
The Dragon God, the Main God of Ganghwange.
A passive observer, who had finally taken action after the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society stole the Dragon Heart.
He had scattered his ‘solution’ throughout the continent.
And several unborn children, residing in locations with strong Ki, second only to the Dragon Heart, had been chosen as vessels for that ‘solution’.
They were the Dragon’s Children.
Sacrifices, destined to be offered to the Dragon God before they were even born.
“…And the ritual will be performed at the Dragon God’s Temple, by us, the Five Dragons.”
“It’s ridiculous. But what can we do? It’s the Dragon God’s will. He doesn’t care about our feelings.”
Horus nodded slowly at Red Dragon’s bitter words, her voice filled with resentment.
He could understand her feelings.
‘…Wow, he’s really heartless.’
He had always known that gods were like that.
Managers of worlds, their will vast and incomprehensible, their actions often beyond human understanding.
They were categorized as benevolent or malevolent based on their general tendencies, but they weren't beings that could be judged by mortal standards.
‘…This is troublesome.’
He recalled the connections he had made in this world.
-“I’ll be training hard here, so please tell me all about it when you return, Young Master Ha. It’s a promise?”
-“I’m indebted to you, Divine Healer. I’ll repay your kindness someday…”
Horus frowned and sighed.
He had a bad feeling about this.
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