Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 72

The Blood King Castle, once the size of a star, had long been in decline. Its territory, submerged in darkness, was vast, and the struggling Blood Cult faced severe financial difficulties. But a change was occurring.

“…Good heavens.”

“Really…”

Those who witnessed it couldn’t help but be amazed. They were looking at the rear of the Blood King Castle.

“That is…”

The current generation of Blood Cult members had only seen it in pictures, writings, and stories. A sight none of them had actually witnessed.

“Is that the Myriad Mountains?”

The sacred ground of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Myriad Mountains, passed down in legends. A part of the mountain range, which the other forces of Eun [a fictional world] called the Ten Thousand Mountains, was now located behind the Blood King Castle.

Its size and grandeur were overwhelming.

“And that’s just a part of it…?”

But even that wasn’t the complete Myriad Mountains. The Heavenly Demon Castle, which had merged with the Blood King Castle, was meant to represent the Myriad Mountains. Because the Heavenly Demon Cave had been split and divided, it wasn’t in its complete form.

‘One-third.’

That was the message Ro-woon received. He had successfully merged one-third of the Heavenly Demon Castle. That meant two more Heavenly Demon Caves, or Heavenly Demon Tombs, remained.

‘I’m not the only one looking.’

His master, Shin Yeo-wool, and those who had taken him were surely searching for the remaining Heavenly Demon Caves as well.

As Ro-woon thought this, he turned his gaze.

Thud! Bang!

Loud noises and shockwaves echoed. The inner energy pouring out was shaking the air.

But something was different.

Bang!

It was a special energy, slightly different from the Blood Demon energy the Blood Cult members used.

“Hahaha!”

Unlike the thick, sticky Blood Demon energy, this power blazed and exploded.

“Take this!”

The Blood Cult Leader, Kang Han-cheol, shouted excitedly, unleashing a fist strike engulfed in a blazing blue flame.

Opposite him was Do Mu-seong, the former First Elder. He began to infuse his cherished sword with inner energy, sharpening it. Having reached the realm of *talma* [a state of enlightenment or mastery], he could freely control his inner energy and use a stronger sword aura.

But the color of the sword aura blooming on his sword was different. It was neither the blue sword aura that hid the Blood Demon energy nor the red sword aura imbued with it.

Sizzle!

A flickering flame. A unique flame, both blue and red, flickered and hardened, becoming solid.

Swish!

As his sword cut through the air, Kang Han-cheol’s fist strike was split apart. The moment Kang Han-cheol’s eyes flashed and he tried to unleash another fist strike of flame…

“Stop.”

Ro-woon’s voice echoed.

Thump! Thump!

Noises echoed at the same time. They, who had been clashing like excited children, were now kneeling on one knee in front of Ro-woon.

“I told you not to kneel for no reason.”

Even at Ro-woon’s annoyed words, Kang Han-cheol spoke without wavering, “My knees are aching, that’s why.”

An absurd answer.

“I am the same,” Do Mu-seong added, following Kang Han-cheol’s words.

The two looked younger and stronger than before, yet they were kneeling, saying their knees were aching.

“You’ve changed strangely.”

It was an excuse to show respect to Ro-woon, who hated formalities. They had also changed. They used to show unwavering, straightforward loyalty, but now they showed it in a more flexible way.

“Okay, how do you feel?”

At Ro-woon’s words, Kang Han-cheol and Do Mu-seong, who simultaneously raised their heads, were filled with joy.

“It’s unbelievable.”

“How we can use the Heavenly Demon energy…”

They, members of the Blood Cult, could use the Heavenly Demon energy. What the Heavenly Demon Cult had desperately wished for had become a reality.

Moreover,

“We have no idea how the operation with the Blood Demon energy is so free.”

The two energies naturally settled in their *dantian* [an energy center in the body], and they could switch between them or merge them freely. They weren’t yet familiar with the Heavenly Demon energy, so its use was limited, but with time, their power would nearly double.

Not just them.

‘The entire Blood Cult.’

The reason for their change was simple.

Swish.

The castle that had risen behind the Blood King Castle.

‘The Myriad Mountains.’

Because the sacred ground, which possessed actual power, was located there.

Also, Ro-woon’s change had led to their change.

‘Sanctification.’

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art, which had reached its final stage. Although it still needed time to complete, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and the Myriad Mountains, which had reached their peak, had affected the entire Blood Cult, connected by the blood bond.

‘Heavenly Demon and Blood Demon.’

No.

“Divine Demon.”

They were returning to their original form. And also, the Divine Demon.

“The Divine Demon has returned. We must find him.”

The Divine Demon had returned.

“My master.”

***

“Jongnam…”

Kang Han-cheol, having heard about what happened in the Heavenly Demon Cave, looked incredulous. He had seen Ro-woon do the impossible many times, but this was different.

He was surprised by the appearance of the Myriad Mountains and the Blood Cult members using Heavenly Demon energy, but…

“Did Jongnam really do that?”

This was the most surprising thing for Kang Han-cheol.

‘Jongnam.’

That stubborn and proud Jongnam had requested an alliance with Ro-woon, under the name of the Heavenly Demon.

“Is that so surprising?”

It was Do Mu-seong.

“In the end, they are martial artists. They have seen the true form of the Blood Demon, so it’s natural they would bow their heads.”

Survival of the fittest.

“That’s not it.”

Kang Han-cheol denied it. “The Nine Great Sects, they are righteous sects. And they are proud ones at that.”

It wasn’t about right or wrong. Their pride was endlessly high. Demonic beings were their targets, beings they couldn’t coexist with.

That was history, and that was the world Kang Han-cheol had experienced. He had seen it countless times.

‘Demons.’

They were not lenient towards demons. They would never leave alone what they considered heretics.

‘Ainhart.’

The war with magic.

‘Gehenna.’

The war with demonic beings. Eun denied everything in the new world and isolated Asia. That was their essence.

But Jongnam, and even the Jongnam Divine Maiden, one of the few qualified to represent Jongnam, had requested an alliance under the name of the Heavenly Demon. That was unbelievable for Kang Han-cheol.

“It could be a trap.”

Perhaps they were trying to seize an opportunity to gain merit.

“It won’t be.”

Ro-woon was firm.

‘Jongnam, or rather, the Nine Great Sects.’

The righteous sects. Like Kang Han-cheol, Ro-woon thought so too. But the truth he had learned was different.

“They are already one with the demons.”

The Heavenly Demon Cult. The vanished ones were with the *hoe* [a mysterious organization]. The proof was right here, in the Blood King Castle.

‘The Myriad Mountains.’

The sacred ground of the Heavenly Demon Cult. Its appearance as the Heavenly Demon Cave meant the world of the Heavenly Demon Cult might not exist. Had they perished?

‘Blood Handred.’

Their remnants remained. Moreover, the demon he had felt while defeating the Iron Sword Alliance.

“*Hoe* is the Heavenly Demon Cult.”

*Hoe* and the Heavenly Demon Cult were inseparable.

“That’s why Jongnam reached out. Because they know that what they thought about demons is different.”

Because they knew the truth about demons, they could reach out to demons. Because they knew demons weren’t as evil as they thought.

“And that’s why they reached out to erase the demons from *hoe*.”

“To erase the demons…?”

“The master of the demons has appeared.”

The master of the demons, the Heavenly Demon.

“It’s a story of telling me to find what’s mine.”

It was a ridiculous and sad story. Because of Eun, who ruled Asia, there were righteous armies fighting for independence. But when they learned the truth…

‘They are no different either.’

There were those fighting to be independent from the demons.

“Of course, I can’t completely trust them, but at least the Jongnam Divine Maiden didn’t lie.”

At Ro-woon’s confirmation, Kang Han-cheol no longer questioned it. The alliance with Jongnam, the appearance of the Myriad Mountains, and ‘Sanctification,’ the power Ro-woon had regained.

But the most important thing was one.

‘Master.’

The fact that he had found traces of Shin Yeo-wool.

“From now on…” Ro-woon said with drowsy eyes, as if he couldn’t resist sleepiness, “Many things will change.”

Starting from himself.

* * *

“It’s a good place,” a man said, adjusting his crooked glasses. “It’s completely different from the rumors.”

Lee Shin-woo said, looking at the scenery of the Blood King Castle. He had also come here during the merging of the worlds.

“The people’s faces are full of life.”

“If you had seen it a while ago, you wouldn’t have said that.”

Ro-woon approached him and sat down. A view overlooking the entire Blood King Castle. There, the brothers were together.

“I’m sorry.”

Lee Shin-woo finally spoke, “For not saving you.”

“I…”

He closed his mouth again, about to say something. The story he told after a long silence seemed different from what he had originally intended.

“I won’t ask what happened.”

He wasn’t talking about the time at the Hwasan corpse disposal site. The changes that had happened to Ro-woon. How Ro-woon, a player, became a martial artist. How he became the Blood Demon, the leader of the Blood Cult. Why the Jongnam Divine Maiden called him the Heavenly Demon. And also…

‘That.’

How did he know about the overwhelming power that paralyzed all reason just by looking at it?

“I’d be grateful if you told me when you want to.”

“The board will shake,” Ro-woon said, ignoring Lee Shin-woo’s words.

“I won’t care what you do there, brother.”

The shaking board. It was easy to guess that the board was Eun. There were many things Lee Shin-woo, a righteous army member, could do there.

“So, do as you please. Don’t tell me.”

Ro-woon said those words and stood up. “Don’t die.”

Ro-woon walked away as if he had nothing more to say. Ro-woon had disappeared.

Lee Shin-woo stood there for a long time before taking off his crooked glasses again.

“…”

He seemed lost in thought.

“You’re still the same.”

A smile spread across his lips. He thought Ro-woon had changed. He thought he had become a monster in the time of pain. But he wasn’t.

“This time…”

Warmth. That was Ro-woon’s essence. The way he embraced everyone at the center of Eun and Earth.

“I’ll try to be of help to you.”

It should have been him. The position of the leader of the Righteous Army. It should have been Ro-woon, not himself, who had to lead everyone. That was what he had wished for in the past. But now it was okay.

‘Once is enough.’

The sadness of losing his brother. Himself, who couldn’t do anything while his brother was stuck in hell. He would never feel that weakness again. But even so.

Swish.

He had to lead the righteous army.