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How did this happen?

'First, let's organize the situation.'

My eyes don't move.

Neither does my consciousness.

I use the method that amplified my senses during my days as a first-rate martial artist to explore my surroundings.

From behind me, I hear the footsteps of Hong Guk.

"Sir Seo Hweol, I've done everything you asked. Hehe..."

'Ah, I see...'

I had used Hong Guk to find a connection between Seo Hweol and the Blood Yin Realm.

But, from the start, Hong Guk had been recruited by Seo Hweol.'I thought he was on a trip elsewhere, but he was actually under the Black Dragon King all along. I thought he was just at the early stage of the Four-Axis, but he had already gone through all the Axis Foundation rituals in the lower realm and just needed to accumulate spiritual energy, and he sneaked into the lowest level of the Serving Command Ark avoiding Gyu-ryeon's eyes?'

How many of the words and actions this guy spouts are not lies?

I listen to the breathing and heartbeats of Cheon Ryang and the other Seo Hweol opposition faction demon beasts, thinking.

'Except for Hong Guk, the others aren't on Seo Hweol's side...'

The situation is becoming a bit clearer.

Meeting Hong Guk was where it all went wrong.

'Cheon Ryang wasn't the one making the idiotic decision to drag Gyu-ryeon's farm to the Tiger Race at this time.'

Hong Guk must have been egging Cheon Ryang on from the side.

And Seo Hweol could have wiped us out even before Gyu-ryeon arrived if he wanted to.

But the reason he waited for Gyu-ryeon to come and then ambushed her, trampling her, is...

"...Senior, Gyu is no longer needed, it, seems?"

While being held by the throat by Seo Hweol, I ask with difficulty breathing.

Seo Hweol smiles.

"Let's just answer what I ask."

"You're, too, much…Senior, Gyu, really… you."

Crack!

My left arm is twisted back.

However, I don't scream but just give a wry smile.

"I'm, not one, to talk, but, you're, too easily, playing with, heart, aren't, you?"

"Hmm… Can't you feel pain? Or is your tolerance high?... Your tolerance seems high. As expected, you are too strange."

Crunch, crunch...

Seo Hweol begins to crush my left arm with spiritual energy.

Yet, I just grin at him.

"Indeed, no matter how many times I see it, your willpower is not something that a human who hasn't even lived 50 years can have. Miss Hye-seo is completely intolerant to pain, but you, her colleague, what are you exactly?"

"...What, did you, do, to Oh Hye-seo?"

What did he do to make her intolerant to pain?

"Nothing much. Just a few experiments."

...

I shut my mouth after looking into Seo Hweol's eyes.

Seo Hweol is just throwing words to stir my emotions.

'If I show too much interest in Oh Hye-seo here, it's all over.'

Rather...

Just then.

"Seo Hweol..."

Thud... Thud...

Gyu-ryeon rises from her place.

Even though she is bleeding all over her body, and there is not a single place untouched by Seo Hweol's assault, she resembles a little girl shedding tears.

"Why, why do you do this? I, I loved you..."

"…"

Seo Hweol turns to Gyu-ryeon with a smile.

"I loved you! I liked you! I wanted to look pretty for you, wanted you to only see my good sides. I wished you would only look at me, holding your hand felt so good... But why, why did you do this to me..."

"Ah, Senior Gyu. That is because…."

Seo Hweol flings me aside and casually approaches her.

He whispers into Gyu-ryeon's ear with a kind face with hands clasped behind his back.

"You just had the urge to reproduce, wanting to mate with me. Nothing more than that."

"No, no! It's not about sexual desire! I really, my emotions..."

"Senior Gyu."

Swoosh...

Seo Hweol's hand caresses Gyu-ryeon's cheek.

His hand gradually moves down her jawline, caressing her neck, then down to her collarbone, delicately as if playing an instrument.

"Emotion, you see, is here."

Seo Hweol's hand reaches Gyu-ryeon's chest.

"Inside here."

And his hand moves a bit lower from her chest, touching Gyu-ryeon's ribs.

Puff!

Seo Hweol's hand brutally penetrates her ribs.

"The action that takes place inside the lungs is what emotion is."

Seo Hweol continues, gently stroking Gyu-ryeon's head.

"When an external stimulus comes, the brain recognizes it, the diaphragm goes down, and air enters the lungs. Then, the vibration of the air that enters the lungs is sorted out and expressed along with body language, foot movements, and eye contact. That's what 'emotion' is. That's all there is to it."

"Ugh...!"

Unable to listen any longer, I vomit blood and rise.

"Stop... spouting... nonsense...! What you're talking about... isn't emotion...!"

"This is all there is to emotion."

"What you're talking about… is acting out emotion, not emotion itself…!"

Yes.

What he's talking about is merely the emotional acting done by clowns and actors on stage, not real emotion!

Seo Hweol looks at me as if I said something absurd.

"Interesting words, Daoist Seo. This world is a play under fate, and we are merely actors acting within this play. Why would you say acting by an actor is not emotion?"

"…"

For some reason, the Mad Lord's figure seems to overlap with Seo Hweol’s.

Their ideologies are drastically different.

Even their attitudes towards emotion are polar opposites.

But why does it feel like the destinations of these two madmen, though at opposite extremes, somehow seem similar?

"Like an actor, you should just be faithful to your role. Otherwise, you'll be driven off the stage. That's why you have to die, Senior Gyu."

Seo Hweol looks at her with a pitying gaze and smiles faintly.

Indeed, if he is an actor, it'd be a splendid performance.

But still, his heart essence is a cold and pure darkness, and in my eyes, he is not an actor but a monster pretending to be human.

Seo Hweol's hand, starting from her lungs, begins to ravage through her body.

"You definitely were of use. Just enough to make Miss Hye-seo jealous, just enough to help me, and be satisfied with a supporting role in the corner… But you overdid it. You could have kept continuing on the stage. Was it jealousy towards Miss Hye-seo? Was it possessiveness towards me? Either way… it would be troublesome if you really became an Integration stage Demon King and tried to possess me."

"...Seo Hweol..."

"Do not worry, senior. Today, the cunning opposition faction demons here will collude with the Blood Yin Realm and summon the Heavenly Fiends here. You will try to stop them and will be killed by the vile Heavenly Fiends. It will be a sad tale. Mourning the loss of my lover, I will gather the entire Earth Tribe to oppose the Blood Yin Realm."

"Seo Hweol..."

"All thanks to your death today, a beautiful story will unfold. Rest in peace, Senior Gyu, for the glory of the Earth Tribe."

"Seo Hweol...!!"

Drip, drip...

Gyu-ryeon bursts into tears.

Wo-woong!

Golden light erupts from her body.

"I, I really, truly loved you...!"

"As I said, emotion is merely the amount of air coming from the lungs. Ah, since the lungs correspond to metal in the Five Elements, perhaps emotion is of the metal attribute. Haha..."

"We made a pact with the Vast Cold Oath didn't we...? I, I..."

Confused, Gyu-ryeon forcefully pushes Seo Hweol away.

With one hand raised, the seal of the Ark Controlling Envoy shines in her hand.

Simultaneously, a spatial rift opens, and the entire cotton farm enters a dark space through the rift.

The lowermost floor of the Serving Command Ark.

The administrative area of Ark Controlling Envoy Gyu-ryeon.

Puff!

As she soars into the air, trying to fly to the upper layers of Serving Command Ark, Seo Hweol says,

"I've been waiting for this. Knowing you would teleport here under pressure."

Patt!

Seo Hweol slams her down again.

Boom!

A loud crash resounds, and the entire farm collapses.

Gritting my teeth, I form a seal.

Zing!

At the same time, light flashes throughout the farm, and the Mad Lord's circuit begin to operate, launching an attack on Seo Hweol.

"Ho, a puppet circuit... When did you install this? I've always been curious, but the Mad Lord couldn't have had a disciple, so where did you learn this circuit? It's quite similar to that of the Mad Lord."

Crack!

However, with a bit of effort from Seo Hweol, the entire farm begins to collapse.

'He's practically at the Integration stage...!'

Indeed, showing off the Four-Axis stage cultivation in front of the Mad Lord a thousand years later was just for show.

In reality, in just a thousand years, he was an entity capable of regaining the title of 'Dragon King.'

"Run..."

Flash!

As Cheon Ryang and the other opposition faction demon beasts attempt to flee, Seo Hweol clenches the air, and they all crumble into pieces of flesh.

Seo Hweol approaches Gyu-ryeon, who is trying to stand up, and tramples on her neck again.

Crunch!

"Thank you, Senior Gyu. The lowest level of Serving Command Ark is a space of darkness, so whatever happens here hardly draws attention. It would be more troublesome if traces are left outside..."

"Guh...!"

"What bug is this? An interesting stealth technique."

Snap!

With a flick of his finger, Yu Hwa is ejected from behind Seo Hweol.

"Ho, isn't this the musician from that time? Were you also from the Heart Tribe? Haha, indeed, the Heart Path Method is quite profound and mysterious."

Yu Hwa glares and attempts to play.

But the next moment, with a flick of Seo Hweol's finger, her arms are broken.

"...!"

"The rumors about you and Daoist Seo being in a romantic relationship in the Immortal Demon Tower were true, it seems. To be together with Daoist Seo today on such a day..."

Seo Hweol extends his hand towards her.

And the next moment.

Flash!

A golden thread flickers between Seo Hweol and Gyu-ryeon.

Seo Hweol twitches and looks at Gyu-ryeon.

"This is..."

"Vast Cold Beautiful Agreement. We made a Vast Cold Beautiful Agreement, Seo Hweol... We, we..."

As she starts truly realizing Seo Hweol's deception towards her, she panics, repeating the same words.

"Ah, Senior Gyu. Do you still have something to say?"

"Vast Cold Beautiful Agreement... we, with the Vast Cold Beautiful Agreement..."

"Huhu, Senior Gyu. You sure like this Vast Cold Beautiful Agreement, I see."

"We made a pact with the Vast Cold Beautiful Agreement to die together on the same day..."

Seo Hweol smiles gently, kneels on one knee in front of Gyu-ryeon who is lying in confusion and muttering, and tenderly strokes her head.

"Senior Gyu, you know why the Vast Cold Oath was replaced by the ritual of White-Red Wine, don't you? Definitely, it's something of a terrifying technique that binds a couple and pulls them towards the fate to die together on the same day. But... the Vast Cold Oath is a technique that has lost its efficacy since ancient times. It requires specific conditions to activate, but now, without being a True Immortal, the conditions for activating the Vast Cold Oath are forever unknown."

Creak, creak...

Seo Hweol breaks off Gyu-ryeon's horn.

Holding her horn in his hand, Seo Hweol grins.

"Now, it's a spell that is completely useless. I was a bit startled when you first applied the Vast Cold Oath on me, not knowing what spell it was. But realizing it's a meaningless technique, it's just laughable. Huhu... just like you, Senior Gyu."

"No, no... Seo Hweol...! Don't abandon me...! I, I love you, I really like you... Seo Hweol...! I, I am..."

Tears of blood flow from her eyes.

She collapses, feeling a sense of disconnect from Seo Hweol's gentle smile.

"Now, as I explained earlier, with your death, I can gather the Earth Tribe based on the role of a young man of the Bright Cold Realm who has been deceived by the cunning schemes of the Blood Yin Realm, centered on the sadness of losing a lover. Now, please make your exit…."

The next moment.

As if trying to escape from Seo Hweol's words, Gyu-ryeon cries tears and shatters the ground below, diving into the dark space.

With that aftermath, both Yu Hwa and I are swept away and dragged along with her.

"Where do you think you're going? If you recklessly use such power in the lowest floor…"

Splash!

Seo Hweol launches something sharp.

It's a droplet.

The droplet fired from the tip of Seo Hweol's finger targets her Demon Core, and Gyu-ryeon's Demon Core shatters into pieces.

At the same time, Gyu-ryeon grabs the void and widens the space.

Screech!

A spatial rift opens..

From the lowest level of the Serving Command Palace, an entrance leading [downward] appears.

Seo Hweol, seeing her open the spatial rift, figures out where the rift is headed and, with a cheerful laugh, stops in his tracks.

"Choosing to exit the stage yourself, what an excellent choice."

I am pulled into the spatial rift along with Gyu-ryeon, drawn by her spiritual energy and the strange force emanating from her.

Beyond the spatial rift, the last thing visible is Seo Hweol looking at us with a smiling face.

Yet, with eyes that are not smiling at all, he observes our end to the very last.

"Hmm... It's a bit regrettable to have let Seo Eun-hyun escape. I wanted to research what beings of Heavenly Rejection can do... But it's not a loss since I can study Miss Oh Hye-seo more. Quite satisfying. Don't you think so?"

Seo Hweol turns around with a slight smile.

There, Hong Guk is fawning over Seo Hweol with a flattering expression.

"How could there be any doubt? Everything went according to sir Seo Hweol's plan.Truly remarkable! How did sir know leaving Seo Eun-hyun would consolidate the opposition? You've eliminated the opposition and gained the pretext of losing your lover to the vile Heavenly Fiends of the Blood Yin Realm..."

"Yes, indeed. Your contribution has been significant until now."

"Not at all. It's all thanks to sir's superior stratagem. I just did as you instructed..."

"I see, I'll help you evolve into a Heavenly Fiend of the Blood Yin Realm then!"

Hong Guk, ecstatic, laughs out loud.

"Haha, thank you. In fact, 700 years ago, while fighting the fiends of the Blood Yin Realm, I felt that those fiends fought quite comfortably. I thought, if only I could evolve into one of such renowned Heavenly Fiends…"

Ignoring Hong Guk, Seo Hweol forms a seal, and the opposition factions' blood energy gathers in front of Seo Hweol, emitting an ominous aura.

Seo Hweol collects the blood energy and chants a spell, and soon, something dark emerges from the mass of collected blood energy.

"Here, take this. With this in your mouth, you can become an entity of the Blood Yin Realm."

"Ah, thank you. I'll remember sir's grace in the Blood Yin Realm... Kweeeek!"

The next moment, the dark object Seo Hweol hands over latches onto Hong Guk's face.

"Kweeeek! Kweek! Sir, Seo Hweol, Seo Hweol…!"

Hong Guk tries to remove the black object, but it clings to his face and does not come off.

After a while, Hong Guk screams as the creature from the Blood Yin Realm tears off his head, killing him.

The creature that ate Hong Guk's head settles on his body, taking on the exact appearance of Hong Guk's head.

Seo Hweol speaks to the entity that had taken over Hong Guk's body.

"Go to the Human Race Territory and create a pretext for those humans who wish to wage war against the True Devil Realm. Leave the Serving Command Ark and tell the Black Dragon King to find a host from the Mystical Scaled Fish Commanding Sect."

"Un. Der. Stood."

The entity awkwardly responds and bows to Seo Hweol.

Pleased with the sight, Seo Hweol turns his head to the side, smiling with his eyes.

"I've kept my promise. Now, the Hong Guk you knew, having been devoured even in soul by the Heavenly Fiends, will suffer pain until he reaches the Netherworld. A sufficiently cruel death."

Baek Nyeong appears out of thin air.

Baek Nyeong looks at Seo Hweol for a moment and then closes his eyes.

"...Please save my people."

"Have I ever spoken empty words?"

"..."

Baek Nyeong, dripping with silent tears, kneels in front of Seo Hweol,

Seo Hweol looks into the darkness with a pleased smile.

"Truly a night of delightful betrayals."

Where is this?

Swoosh...

I can hear the sound of rain.

I regain consciousness and open my eyes.

The sky is visible.

The sky, filled with dark clouds, is pouring rain as if a hole had been punctured through it.

'This is...'

Somehow, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth feels sparse.

If the Bright Cold Realm is underwater, this place feels like a vacuum.

"The Lower Realm...?"

Inhaling the sparse spiritual energy of heaven and earth, I grab my arm, broken by Seo Hweol, and stagger to my feet.

Then, I shiver.

Surrounded by a mass as large as a mountain range, a mountain range-sized entity encompasses me.

It's Gyu-ryeon.

"Ah..."

She transformed into her true form and protected me from the pressure of space as we fell into the Lower Realm.

"Senior…Gyu.."

I run towards where her head is located.

"Senior Gyu-ryeon!"

When I reach where her head is.

I realize.

"…"

[Seo Hweol... Seo Hweol... Seo Hweol....]

She is muttering Seo Hweol's name endlessly, her eyes blurred as if her soul has left her body.

And even that is fading as her eyes grow more vacant, possibly due to Seo Hweol shattering her Demon Core.

"Senior, please transform back! If you transform back, I'll somehow see to your wounds, Senior! Senior!"

But her mind seems to have completely collapsed, perhaps due to the betrayal by the person she loved most.

She continues muttering Seo Hweol's name until, at one moment, the light in her eyes disappears.

Gyu-ryeon has died.

"Senior..."

With a heart filled with devastation, I look at the dead body of Gyu-ryeon.

Just then.

Creak...

Something rolls out of Gyu-ryeon's mouth.

Splatter!

It's a mass of blood.

"…!"

Within the scarlet blood, I see something moving.

"This is..."

I hurry over and approach the moving thing within the mass of blood.

And what I found is...

"Senior?"

Gyu-ryeon.

Naked, crawling out from within the mass of blood, Gyu-ryeon mutters with a lost face.

"Seo Hweol... Seo Hweol... Seo Hweol..."

"Senior Gyu..!"

From the Four-Axis stage onwards, one can resurrect even after death by consuming their cultivation.

Although the spiritual energy I feel from her is no different from that of a mortal, I decide to be thankful that she is even alive.

"It's good that you are alive..."

"Seo Hweol...!!!"

Then, I feel something is off about her state.

"I'll kill you!!!"

Drip, drip...

Tears of blood flow from her eyes.

Swoosh...

Rain pours from all around, and the rainwater washes away her tears of blood.

Within that rain, her cries of vengeance echo far and wide like rumbling thunder in a storm.

"I will, I will definitely kill you, Seo Hweol...! You, you..."

Thus.

On some unknown land in the Lower Realm.

That day, a being whose heart was shattered by betrayal from her loved one weeps tears of blood and cries out for revenge.