‘The gap… It’s gotten wider!’

Vator knew he must face up to reality now.

He had a better understanding of Kang Jin-Ho's strength than anyone. At least, that was what he firmly believed until now.

After all, only he had personally fought Kang Jin-Ho as an enemy out of everyone in his circle of acquaintances.

The gap between the two men wasn’t so wide back when they first fought. Of course, Vator wasn’t naive enough to think Kang Jin-Ho went all out during that fight.

Even though that had been the case, Kang Jin-Ho still suffered a few injuries while suppressing Vator. That was why Vator didn't think the gap in strength between the two men was wide enough to be unbridgeable.

But that had been nothing but a delusion on Vator’s part!

The gap was… widening. His target was getting further away! And that gap would continue to grow with time. Vator was sure about this!

Even though Vator decided to cultivate demonic arts in fear of never catching up to Kang Jin-Ho, the gap between the two men still continued to grow wider and wider. As it turned out, demonic cultivation only managed to slow that growth by a little bit.

Vator slowly licked his lips.

Shocked? Of course he was. Greatly shocked, in fact! However, the emotion he was feeling right now was not despair. Not even close!

‘Now I finally have some idea of how strong he is!’

Vator knew of Kang Jin-Ho's strength. No, that should be... He knew how strong Kang Jin-Ho was back then. But Kang Jin-Ho's current strength had been a bit of a mystery, even for him.

After all, Kang Jin-Ho wasn’t going all out when fighting Vator. And he was so much stronger now compared to himself back then.

However, wasn't Vator there when Kang Jin-Ho and the Crimson King were busy trying to kill each other?

Unfortunately, how many people in this world would be able to figure out how strong a dragon and qilin were by observing their fight?

A battle between experts beyond one's wildest imagination could certainly broaden one's horizons. However, that didn't mean one could truly appreciate the finer details of said battle. That was what Kang Jin-Ho's fight with the Crimson King was like to Vator.

He could tell Kang Jin-Ho was terrifyingly strong, but there were no methods, a yardstick, to measure that strength. But now, Vator had the perfect yardsticks to do just that today. And those yardsticks were called… The Elder Knights!

Even Vator had to concede that his strength was about on par with those Elder Knights. They were so evenly matched that factors like compatibility between disparate martial arts and whose condition was better on the day could have determined the outcome of their battle.

‘No, wait. If I’m being even more objective…’

Maybe the Elder Knights were slightly stronger than Vator. The big man still felt he could win in one-on-one fisticuffs, but there was no denying the objective fact that the Elder Knights’ martial prowess exceeded Vator’s. 𝘙𝙖ℕȏ𝔟Ès

So, what this situation told Vator was that…

‘Even if there were eleven of me, I still wouldn't win against my master…!’

Vator didn't want to accept this evaluation. However, what choice did he have?

Of course, he swore to stay loyal to Kang Jin-Ho. That resolution hadn't changed even now. However, being loyal didn't mean Vator had given up on surpassing Kang Jin-Ho one day.

Loyalty was separate from his pursuit of strength, after all!

A general had no reason to be weaker than the king they served. As a martial artist, Vator found it blindingly obvious that he'd constantly push himself to become stronger than anyone, including the person he swore his loyalty to.

That had been the case for Vator. Yet, the revelation of Kang Jin-Ho’s strength didn’t plunge the big man into despair. No, he was getting excited instead!

‘How can I not be excited, though!’

After all, Kang Jin-Ho was demonstrating the demonic cultivation’s near-infinite possibilities right now!

Vator might have despaired if he had witnessed this scene in the past. He’d have no way of reconciling with the fact that catching up to Kang Jin-Ho would forever be impossible with his current martial arts.

But Vator had changed since then. He was mastering the demonic cultivation Kang Jin-Ho had personally handed down. Even now, Vator’s strength was improving by leaps and bounds.

‘As long as… As long as I can make that strength mine!’

Didn’t this demonstration indicate that, once Vator finished acclimatizing to demonic cultivation and could focus solely on mastering it, he’d become as strong as Kang Jin-Ho? In that case, how could he not be excited?

Vator licked his lips again.

‘Yes! I will become even stronger!’

Much stronger! Even stronger than now! As strong as Kang Jin-Ho himself!

Vator continued to watch the battle in sheer excitement. Funnily enough, however…

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The most excited person in this place was definitely not Vator.

***

“...Oh, my liege!”

Chang Min let out a barely suppressed gasp.

So powerful! Powerful beyond his imagination! The godly might Kang Jin-Ho demonstrated sent indescribable shockwaves to all demonic cultivators present in this hall.

“Now, behold!” Chang Min addressed his fellow demon cult believers while tightly clenching his fists. “That… is your demon emperor! Your lord! And the master of ten thousand demons! He's the destined one who will revive the demon cult's fortunes once more in the modern era!”

Gulp!

Demonic cultivators nervously swallowed their saliva.

Of course they knew that Kang Jin-Ho was their demon emperor. Their sole cult leader! These people had already accepted Kang Jin-Ho as their god, their object of worship, when he displayed his divine might in China to push back the Crimson King’s faction and fight the legendary Crimson King!

However, merely knowing the truth and confirming it with their own eyes were two very different things.

Besides, these demonic cultivators weren't the same as everyone else here. Others might be awed by Kang Jin-Ho's strength, but the demon cult believers were seeing something else, something much more significant, from this battle.

They saw the demon cult’s legend, the mythical tale of

“All things begin with Heavenly Demon but ends with Crimson Demon,”

coming to life!

That legend said that all demonic cultivation methods originated with the Heavenly Demon, and all demonic cultivation methods became perfected with the Crimson Demon!

The protagonist of that legend was using the demon cult’s treasures, the Crimson Destiny and Azuremourne, to slaughter these Western monsters with the ease of an adult twisting a child’s arm. And the demon cult believers were moved beyond words by this soul-stirring sight.

“Do not doubt!” Chang Min roared.

“…”

“That noble being has come from the past to save the demon cult from its annihilation! He holds the sovereign right to decide your fate! And he holds the divine right to rule over every demonic cultivator! In return, he shall grant you the strength you’ve been thirsting for! So, do not ever doubt him!”

“Yes, Elder Chang!”

Enthusiastic roars replied to Chang Min’s command, prompting the demon cult’s top elder to glance behind him. He was greeted by the sight of passion blazing hotly within the eyes of the demonic cultivators.

‘Ohh, my liege!’

Demanding the demon emperor to prove himself was an insolent act of a non-believer. That noble being had come to the modern era to bring salvation to all demonic cultivators. As such, he only deserved absolute, unquestioning faith and loyalty from his followers!

Unfortunately, humans were wicked creatures. They did not believe what they couldn’t see. Even after believing in the truth, they’d doubt it. Question it. Seek to deny it.

There was only one surefire way to make them all believe. And that was to prove “it” beyond any reasonable doubt!

That was what the demon emperor was doing right now—proving his godly strength. And the process of proving himself also gifted hope to all those who chose to believe in him. The hope that these demonic cultivators would one day also become powerful experts simply by faithfully serving him!

‘And it will come true one of these days!'

The dream that Chang Min would kill to see realized—the Dao of Demonic Under the Heavens! As long as he could see this ideal become a reality with his own two aged eyes… No, even if it was just a faint hint of this dream coming true! Chang Min would still laugh heartily even as he was cast into the eternal conflagrations of the netherworld.

“Now, watch and burn this memory into your souls! Our noble demon emperor will demonstrate to you all! And that will be… The path you must follow!”

***

Baaaaang! Baaaaaaaaang!

The skin on Gawain's palms split, causing blood to trickle out.

Even though he had proudly wielded a spear his entire life, Gawain had never poured his entire being into each and every attack like he had done today.

...And he was painfully reminded of what Kang Jin-Ho said earlier. The one about how Gawain had been satisfied with what he had!

Indeed, Gawain had never been desperate. When had he ever risked his entire being every time he attacked? When did he ever try to become stronger, potentially at the cost of his life?

Today was the first time he learned that his hands couldn't take it if he roused up every ounce of strength residing in his body to attack. In other words, Gawain had never fired a Vortex at full power until this moment, even though he had existed for basically eons of time!

Why did he only have to realize this now!

Gawain powerfully bit his lip.

‘No, that’s not right!’

Knowing it sooner still wouldn't have changed anything. After all, there was no need for him to become stronger. He had already acquired everything a knight could dream of, including the supreme honor of being the guardian. Since that was the case, would he abuse himself even more to attain a slightly higher realm of strength? When seemingly there was no need for it?

Of course not!

Humans couldn’t do that. As a species, humans naturally became lazier once they acquired everything their hearts desired. No one in their right mind would continue to hurt and abuse themselves in the unending pursuit of strength. Such people simply did not exist!

...At least, that was what Gawain had believed until now.

‘Is this the secret to that man’s strength?’

Indeed, it had to be. That must've been Kang Jin-Ho's secret! It was his desperation driving him forward. Even now, he pondered, agonized, and pushed himself to become stronger and stronger.

Despite having far transcended the realm lofty enough to satisfy the likes of Gawain and other Elder Knights, Kang Jin-Ho did not stop striving for even greater strength. No wonder he was this powerful!

As it turned out, there was no such thing as “That’s good enough” to one's growth. To reach the next level of strength, one would have to push themselves even further. To punish themselves even more! And the man who faithfully followed through this rather textbook-like mindset and succeeded was now standing before Gawain's eyes.

He couldn't help but be respectful, to hold Kang Jin-Ho in a reverential light! However…!

“Uwaaaaaaaaah!”

A massive Vortex that had sucked up all the blood gushing out of Gawain's hands rapidly closed in on Kang Jin-Ho. It was the strongest, fiercest, deadliest attack Gawain had produced in his entire life!

‘You will be the one dying today!’

There was no reason why Gawain and other Elder Knights couldn’t kill an enemy far stronger than they were. Knowing this, Gawain poured his absolute everything, even at the risk of immediate death, into this single attack.

The blood-stained Vortex, a volley of deadly arrows, the veil of cold air that could freeze a person whole, a sudden swell of sword light shaped like a crescent moon, and finally, the blindingly bright sword aura reminiscent of cleansing flames! All these incredible attacks rained down on Kang Jin-Ho simultaneously.

Just looking at them was enough to make one's hair stand on its end!

Kang Jin-Ho bared his fangs in a ferocious smirk. His primal and savage instincts roared loudly from deep within his heart.

‘This is different!’

These attacks were noticeably different from everything else Kang Jin-Ho had swatted away until now. Even if the destructive power of each attack remained more or less the same, there was an appreciable difference in this new round of attacks.

...And that difference was killing intent. The Elder Knights' will, their desire, to kill their enemy no matter what!

The suffocating killing intent that screamed the desire of

“I’ll tear you apart limb from limb even if it kills me!”

closed in rapidly on Kang Jin-Ho.

Even Kang Jin-Ho's hair reacted as they should by standing up. A creeping chill of tension ran down his spine.

Kang Jin-Ho reflexively gripped the Crimson Destiny and Azuremoure even tighter than before.

‘Yes! This is it. This is it! This is what a real battle should be like!’

Kang Jin-Ho suddenly wanted to guffaw uproariously like a madman. It seemed these fancy Knights had finally realized what a real battle was after losing five of their comrades. If that was the case… Kang Jin-Ho should respond appropriately!

Fwhooooooooosh!

The flames of pitch-black demonic qi explosively gushed out from Kang Jin-Ho’s chest. These flames rapidly traveled along his arms to envelop the two treasure swords gripped tightly in his hands.

As these hellish flames instantly enveloped them, the blades became dyed in pure darkness. And then… Kang Jin-Ho madly swung the Crimson Destiny and Azuremourne in the air.

A massive wall of flames swelled up in the blink of an eye. And this wall of black flames crashed into the Elder Knights' attacks containing their everything!

KA-BOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The storm of flames and remnant energy strands instantly swept across the hall. But the catastrophe didn't end with shockwaves only. The deflected bits of aura strands and demonic flames scattered angrily in every direction to smash into walls, destroy pillars, and upend the floor tiles.

RUMBLE, KA-BOOOOOM!

The hall rocked as if a world-ending earthquake had erupted underground. The rumbling and shaking were so terrifying that the people trapped inside were briefly mystified by how the hall still managed to stay intact.

“What the…! Protect yourselves!”

The fragments of aura and demonic qi flung viciously in every direction, which included the locations of the martial artists witnessing this duel! Some managed to respond in time, but several instantly lost their lives after failing to dodge.

“Kuh-huk?!” Lee Hyeon-Su dodged by instantly lying flat on the floor, then hurriedly raised his head.

‘What happened?! Who won?’

That was when he caught the sight of Kang Jin-Ho charging forward at a scarcely believable speed.