Chapter 541: The Age of Upheaval.

Time truly flowed by quickly.

Summer passed.

Autumn arrived.

Before long, autumn departed, and winter came once again.

Such partings were repeated.

Three years.

Before one knew it, three years had passed.

If anyone were to look at it, they might call it a short time.

Yet, in that short time, countless events unfolded across the Central Plains.

As for the first piece of news, it was that the Martial Alliance had publicized the evil deeds committed by the Tang family.

The publicized news was the story that the Tang family of Sichuan had conducted human experiments for their own benefit.

And the news was that they had kidnapped children over many long years for those human experiments.

As the news spread, many were enraged.

-Punish the Tang family!

-How could a prestigious family of the orthodox sects do such a thing!

The repercussions were far greater than expected.

Although they claimed all the elders who planned the deed were beheaded.

There was no way the anger towards the Tang family could be quelled by just that.

-The Tang family is no longer one of the Four Great Families.

-How can we call a family that committed such evil deeds that?

Talk like that began to be heard.

The stories that started spreading in some corners broadened their reach across the entire Central Plains.

The fact that the Tang family stopped all their ongoing businesses along with their apology and entered a period of seclusion likely contributed to this as well.

As the seasons passed like that, the number of people who truly called the Tang family one of the Four Great Families gradually decreased.

The story of the Tang family, which had once burned so brightly, began to fade.

What remained now was only the talk about which family would rise to take the vacant seat of the Four Great Families.

The second incident that followed was.

Starting with a report from Sichuan, the Alliance’s investigation revealed that the red-grade demonic gates had truly begun to open.

Because of that, there was quite a commotion at the time.

The appearance of the red-grade demonic gates, which hadn’t shown up for centuries.

Due to this, the damage was severe for a while.

The reason the Central Plains’ peace was maintained even when monsters appeared was ultimately because the danger level of green and blue monsters was low.

And also, because the cultivation level of the martial artists who could handle them was relatively low.

Red monsters were not like that.

Peak-level martial artists.

They say they were strong enough that even multiple peak-level martial artists had to band together to hunt them.

This caused the importance of peak-level martial artists to skyrocket.

What was fortunate, relatively speaking.

A good five years.

Unlike the immense damage that was expected for five, or even ten years.

The damage caused by the red monsters was significantly less than anticipated.

The reason was.

The moment the news of the red-grade demonic gate outbreak spread.

It was thanks to an [Anonymous Informant] who revealed the countermeasure against red monsters through the Beggars’ Sect’s seal.

-Red monsters possess a membrane made of Qi.

-The membrane protects their entire body while rotating.

-It has the ability to absorb internal energy, but if a martial artist who has reached the peak concentrates extremely hard.

They will be able to find a gap in the rotating membrane.

-Aim for that spot.

At first, it was something difficult to believe.

It didn’t take long for it to be known that it was true.

It was thanks to that.

As the countermeasure spread, the immense damage that could have occurred was relatively reduced.

Furthermore, the fact that the frequency of red-grade demonic gate appearances was significantly lower compared to other grades was likely another reason.

What’s important here is.

That whatever the case, the title ‘Era of Peace’ had been cracked.

The third incident was.

[The Leader of the Martial Alliance Changed]

Immediately after Sword-Faller Jang Cheon departed, the Alliance had to install a new Leader.

A political struggle ensued regarding this matter.

The selection of the Leader was conducted secretly within the Martial Alliance, so details were unknown.

The information that was known, at least, was.

That the Sect Leader of Wudang and the Head of the Peng family had contended for the position of Leader.

And not long after, news arrived that the Wudang Sword Sage had ascended to the position of Leader after Sword-Faller Jang Cheon.

This was an unprecedented event.

It was the first instance since the founding of the Martial Alliance where a martial artist from a sect became the Leader.

And.

The fourth incident was precisely.

The red-grade demonic gate that went berserk in Qinghai.

The news that the Sect Leader of the Kunlun Sect, Qinghai’s One Sword Yi Bi-jin, had died because of it.

*

In a plain within Guangdong Province.

There, a man knelt, spilling blood.

“Keuhuk….”

He vomited blood as he braced himself on the ground.

Tuk-! Dark red blood flowed.

It signaled that the man’s life was nearing its end.

His left arm was twisted unnaturally.

The center of his chest was abnormally caved in.

It was excruciating pain.

Feeling this, the man laughed.

“Haha….”

The man’s name was Do Mun-gang.

Though he wasn’t called that anymore, he was a figure known as the ‘Fifth Emperor of Demonic Arts’ until just a few years ago.

Do Mun-gang, the ‘Devil of Nine Fists’ (九拳的魔).

A master of the Hwa-gyeong realm, known for turning opponents into pulp with just nine punches.

He was dying on the lands of Guangdong.

“…This is absurd.”

Spilling blood profusely, Do Mun-gang lifted his head.

At the end of his barely lifted gaze, someone stood before him.

Clad in martial attire mixed with blue and black, he stared down at Do Mun-gang with his hands clasped behind his back.

Looking at him, Do Mun-gang raised the corners of his trembling lips.

“…Wasn’t it able to connect?”

“It grazed me.”

It was a calm voice.

At the somewhat beautiful, clear tone of voice, Do Mun-gang laughed emptily.

“…Ha….”

It was a peerless martial art renowned for never missing its target.

No, it was a martial art like that, yet the person before him had shattered it all.

Did it barely graze him?

His martial art, containing decades of his life.

Did it all crumble against a youth who seemed barely past his twenties?

“Tsk tsk…”

Do Mun-gang chuckled and lowered his head.

Because he no longer had the strength even to lift his head.

Beyond his gradually closing vision, Do Mun-gang asked.

“…May I ask your name?”

He wanted to know.

The name of the martial artist who had mangled him like this.

And also.

The name of the person who seemed destined to become the greatest of all time, past and present (古今第一人).

Do Mun-gang wanted to hear it.

Hearing the question, the youth’s light cyan eyes sparkled as he spoke.

“My name isn’t important. Just call me the third son of the Gu family.”

“…The Gu family…”

Upon hearing the surname, a face flashed through Do Mun-gang’s mind.

The monstrous man who had placed the seal upon him.

The surname was the same.

Could he possibly be that guy’s son?

He heard he had a son. But the name escaped him.

However.

‘…No, it can’t be….’

He quickly dismissed such doubts from his mind.

That monster used fire techniques, but…

The brat before me didn’t use fire techniques.

He killed me with pure physical combat alone, so he surely isn’t from that family.

Having finished his thoughts, Do Mun-gang asked the youth something else.

“Then… do you have a title…?”

“A title?”

The youth rolled his eyes.

A brief consideration.

Or perhaps hesitation.

A few seconds passed.

The youth introduced his title to Do Mun-gang.

“Heavenly Demon (天魔).”

Hearing the title, Do Mun-gang thought.

“…Heavenly Demon…”

A devil sent from heaven.

It was a rather arrogant title, yet it suited the youth quite well.

Thinking thus, Do Mun-gang…

Thud….

Lowered his head and met his death.

“Hmm….”

Tuk tuk.

Looking at the dead Do Mun-gang, the youth brushed off his hands.

His expression wasn’t particularly moved.

Then, he pulled a letter from his robes.

It was a letter his master had given him as a gift.

The letter bore the seal of the Beggars’ Sect.

Looking at the seal’s design, it was none other than the seal of the Beggars’ Sect Leader.

At this, the youth wore a reluctant expression.

It was obvious at first glance that this wouldn’t be an ordinary matter.

What bullshit had he sent this time?

He was already uneasy.

He soon unfolded the letter to check its contents.

“Ah.”

Seeing the first line in the letter, the youth’s eyes widened.

It was because something unexpected was written in the line.

• The Divine Dragon Martial Arts Festival (神龍武鬪祭) will be held.

A rather abrupt and unexpected phrase.

Why did this pop up all of a sudden?

It was simply baffling to see.

Seeing it, the youth couldn’t help but smile for some reason.

Should I perhaps call it fortunate?

“I suppose it was about time I started moving.”

Gguk.

He roughly folded the letter and put it back in his robes.

He looked up at the sky.

Then he said.

“Come down now.”

He said this while glaring at the sun.

• Kuaaaaaaa!

A rough cry echoed from somewhere.

Shwoooosh-!

Something rapidly fell from the sky towards the ground.

Immediately after, something unknown collided with the ground.

Kuuuuung-! Kwaaaaaa-!

Dust spread out along with immense wind pressure.

When the view cleared again after a short while.

Geureureu….

The youth was perched atop a massive monster covered in blue scales.

Stroking its scales with his hand, the youth spoke.

“Let’s head home for now. If we’re late, that damn old man will throw another fit.”

Geureureu-!

Hearing him, the monster immediately surged upwards powerfully.

Pwaaang-!

It moved through the sky, flying as if swimming gracefully.

Its speed was tremendous.

It was so fast the surrounding scenery changed in an instant.

While his hair whipped violently in the wind, the youth repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists, thinking.

‘This level of preparation should be enough.’

It took longer than expected, but I’ve laid a decent foundation.

I feel like I can do it now.

Yeah.

It really feels like the time has finally come.

‘Let’s begin.’

It’s time to really cut loose.