The Crimson King's offer wasn't even worth considering.

There was no doubt that he was a great martial artist. And he might also be a great king. However, none of these things made him... a great human being.

That shouldn't come as a surprise, though.

The air the Crimson King gave off was a good indicator of his disposition and personality. Long story short, he was a scion from a renowned clan, and his privileged upbringing meant he got to inherit an upper-tier cultivation technique. Of course, he didn't rely on anyone but his own blood, sweat and tears to stand on the top of the world.

The Crimson King must be proud of what he had achieved, but... From Kang Jin-Ho's point of view, he was just another sheltered kid growing up in a greenhouse.

Of course, that didn't mean Kang Jin-Ho sneered at the Crimson King for his privileged upbringing. It didn't matter whether a person grew up in a greenhouse or a barren wasteland as long as they could stand on their own two feet.

However, it was an act of sheer arrogance for a man from a greenhouse to talk about the matters of the outside world as if he were an expert.

The world the Crimson King lived in was different to the one Kang Jin-Ho occupied. Still, what the Crimson King said gave Kang Jin-Ho pause.

'What am I fighting for?'

The excitement of the battle made him forget, but this brief discussion helped him sober up. Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor wouldn't have cared about anything and continued to attack the Crimson King, but hadn't Kang Jin-Ho already discarded that persona?

What differentiated Kang Jin-Ho from Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor? The answer was simple.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Chang Min. Looking away when fighting against a top-tier expert like the Crimson King was suicidal. Even so, he still turned his head as if the Crimson King didn't even exist here.

“Chang Min.”

Kang Jin-Ho's voice wasn't loud. Despite being quiet and subdued, Chang Min's hearing still accurately heard it.

Chang Min hurriedly bowed. “Yes, my liege!”

“Get a move on. Now.”

As Chang Min began shuddering powerfully, Kang Jin-Ho turned his head away to resume staring at the Crimson King. It was as if that brief command was everything that needed to be said.

Indeed, there was no need to say anything else. The demonic cultivators' original goal had always been just one thing, after all. As for Kang Jin-Ho, his job wasn't ordering people around... But to fight!

Clack!

The Crimson Destiny and Azuremourne lightly hit each other, causing a weighty metallic noise to resound in the air.

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes at the Crimson King and quietly muttered, “Let's resume, then.”

“Hmm...!” The Crimson King slowly nodded back.

He had already repeated his offer. Killing Kang Jin-Ho seemed like such a loss and a waste to him. So, he bent his ironclad rule this once and even forgot about his pride to offer a hand of reconciliation. However, he now had no choice after the other side refused to submit.

Only one other option remained. And that was to end the demon emperor's life here and now to prevent any future variables!

The Crimson King stood tall and imposing. “You will regret... No, that's wrong. You probably don't regret anything. Indeed, your life ending by my hands should be... an honor for you.”

Kang Jin-Ho bared his fangs in a toothy smirk as he listened. Even till the end, it seemed the Crimson King had failed to understand who Kang Jin-Ho was. He didn't see dying at the hands of a stronger cultivator as an honor. And he certainly regretted his past choices, too.

Compared to the Crimson King, who was a man among men, Kang Jin-Ho was no better than a small fry. A peasant, really. But so what?

Kang Jin-Ho had no problem with being one.

“All of you, start running!” Chang Min loudly roared. Sweat was raining down his face.

Finally, Chang Min figured out what Vator was saying earlier. About how he still didn't know anything about the demon emperor and how his plan of delaying the Crimson King was idiotic...

Taking one look into the demon emperor's eyes was enough for Chang Min to figure out everything.

All Kang Jin-Ho said was to get moving again. But his eyes, they were... They were still burning like the eyes of a predator!

Vator was right. The demon emperor had no desire to flee. Even if the demon cult members sacrificed themselves to carve out a way, he would never leave this place. At the very least, that was what Chang Min realized.

In that case, what should he and other cult believers be doing right now? Wasn't that obvious? They should flee!

That was their original goal, to begin with, anyway. Regardless of the hurdles and hindrances, they were supposed to break through and jump into that damn ocean. After finding themselves stuck on a battlefield created by countless problems piling up one after the other... The demonic cultivators had finally remembered the reason for their dangerous trek to this place.

“R-run! Now!”

Words were no longer necessary. Just like how Chang Min only needed to hear the demon emperor's brief command to figure out what to do, the demon cult members instantly understood what Chang Min wanted to say.

Even as the cult believers wanted to stay loyal to their demon emperor, even as the fear of the Crimson King crippled their senses, even as the shock from this hellish, never-before-seen battle had set the proverbial cat among pigeons...! What led them through this disorientating battlefield was just one desire burning in their hearts—to live!

Their desire and Kang Jin-Ho's order aligned perfectly. In that case, there was only one thing left to do.

Their slack leg muscles rapidly regained tension and strength. Their falling jaws gradually clamped shut. They pushed themselves off the ground with their broken arms and forced their creaking knees to stand up straight. Those who couldn't stand flailed their arms and legs about to crawl forward.

The movement began from the front of the crowd. Soon, that movement became tidal waves that surged forward. Demonic cultivators, now knowing what they must do, pounced on their end goal.

They leaped into the ocean one... by one! And no one could stop this flow.

The martial artists of the Crimson King's factions remained dazed, their wits not as sharp as those who risked everything to march forward. All they could do was stare at this unfolding situation in panic. And that should have been the end of their involvement.

No one could stop the demonic cultivators after they rode the momentum to escape. If any of the martial artists tried to intervene by attacking with their swords and spears, they would get ripped apart to shreds by the demonic cultivators emitting violent aura!

“Keep running! Don't stop! Jump in the ocean! This is our liege's will!” Chang Min cried out until his voice became hoarse. He put his very soul into his cry. Even though his voice wasn't the loudest or the clearest, everyone still heard how ardent and desperate he was.

The demonic cultivators grabbed the nearest comrade and charged toward the ocean while trampling on the hesitant and undecided hurdles blocking their way. The ones at the front of the pack ran hard and fast enough to nearly break their legs—only to suddenly turn to left and right at the sight of their final hurdle. And that was... their demon emperor and the Crimson King!

Obviously, people who bet their everything for survival wouldn't willingly jump into the jaws of death. The violent flood of humans that looked impossible to divert urgently split apart into two halves. And then...

They jumped right into the ocean!

Saltwater entered their torn wounds. The fatigue of mind and body instantly robbed them of their stamina, but the demonic cultivators still unhesitantly jumped into the water and began swimming forward.

“We're leaving, too!” Chang Min cried out while grabbing Vator.

However, Vator hurriedly pushed Chang Min away. “W-what?! Let me go, you old fart!”

Leaving? Why should he! Vator's master was desperately fighting against the Crimson King in this location, so why must he leave? Such a thing was unthinkable!

Kang Jin-Ho encountered a once-in-a-lifetime enemy, causing him to get injured and bleed profusely. But now, Vator couldn't even offer any help and pathetically whimper from the injuries inflicted by the shockwaves of his master's battle. As a martial artist and a proud Warrior of the Wild Plains, what could be more humiliating than this situation?

“Let me go, now! Damn you, old fart! I'm not going anywhere!”

“You stinking fool!” Chang Min roared while wrapping his arms around Vator's massive waist.

Unsurprisingly, Chang Min couldn't fully wrap his arms around the big man, but that was about the extent of Vator's resistance. There was almost no strength left in Vator's torso. Such was the seriousness of his state that he should be applauded for merely staying conscious until now.

“We're leaving, now!”

“Let me go! You... You son of a b*tch!” Vator desperately cried out.

However, Chang Min turned a deaf ear to the big man's helpless cries. Obviously, Chang Min was also dying inside. However, he couldn't let everyone die in this place, either!

'We'll only be a hindrance to my liege!'

Chang Min now knew that the Crimson King wasn't human. By now, his initial plan was lying on the ground in a million pieces. Never mind elders, even if everyone in this place attacked together... They wouldn't be able to hold the Crimson King back for even a minute!

In that case, the only other way to help the demon emperor was to not get in his way. That was why Chang Min had to pick Vator up and rush toward the ocean, even as tears of blood leaked out of his eyes.

“M-master!”

Vator continued to cry out in anguish.

***

“Stop them! Now!”

Cai Kechang cried out hoarsely. His roar sobered up the martial artists from their stupor. They stopped spectating and hurriedly charged at the fleeing demonic cultivators.

Why did Cai Kechang issue that order, though? Even though he didn't care whether the demonic cultivators managed to escape from here or not. The 'correct' order he should've issued was telling his men to surround the vicinity of the battlefield to prevent Kang Jin-Ho from escaping.

Despite knowing this, Cai Kechang still ordered his men to... stop the demonic cultivators instead. But why?

He wasn't sure. Maybe this was his subconscious reaction to how powerless he was in the face of the world-altering collision between the two titans. If not, maybe it was...

'Who gives a sh*t!'

Cai Kechang angrily shook his head. It seemed he had gone mad after tasting failure upon failure. To think he'd worry about Kang Jin-Ho escaping from here and then training those demonic cultivators when the Crimson King had personally stepped up to stop that from happening!

'Yes, I must've lost my damn mind!'

Cai Kechang bit his lip, hard. Even then, he didn't withdraw his order. Despite his urges repeatedly telling him to issue a different command... Cai Kechang didn't say anything and continued to chew on his lips.

***

Even as pandemonium unfolded all around them, the Crimson King and Kang Jin-Ho only glared at each other in silence. Then again, these two men probably wouldn't have looked away even if a volcano erupted right next to their location.

The individual before their eyes was far more important than anything else in this world, after all. More dangerous than anything, too!

The world in Kang Jin-Ho's view was changing. Even as countless demonic cultivators were jumping into the ocean behind him, he paid no attention whatsoever. Not because he wasn't interested, no, but he genuinely couldn't 'see' any of them right now.

The world became black and white in his view. The backdrop distorted and became blurry. With the exception of the Crimson King, Kang Jin-Ho's brain shoved everything away in the proverbial backburner.

On the other hand, the Crimson King's figure became even clearer and more vivid than before. He accurately saw every strand of the Crimson King's hair dancing in the winds. He could even see the droplets of blood staining the body hair near the Crimson King's throat.

Kang Jin-Ho gripped the Crimson Destiny and Azuremourne even tighter.

Nothing had changed in this situation. His job was still the same—and that was to cut off the head of the enemy standing before his nose, then pulverize his bones to powder! And his enemy this time was...

“Crimson... Kiiiiiing!”

Kang Jin-Ho roared as he made a straight beeline toward the Crimson King. The waves violently crashed while lightning split the heavens above. The sprays of ocean water powerfully spread around in the air.

As this fantasy-like scene unfolded, the Crimson King raised his dukes and charged straight at Kang Jin-Ho.

BAAAAAANG!

A sword and a fist collided in mid-air.

Just as the Crimson Destiny got deflected away, the Azuremourne chopped down on the Crimson King's head. And when that attack was also deflected away, Kang Jin-Ho's kick slammed into the Crimson King's neck.

Unfortunately, the Crimson King's defenses remained impregnable. His punch landed on target, causing Kang Jin-Ho's figure to push back the seawater before slamming into the ground below.

Even as he landed mercilessly on the unforgiving earth, Kang Jin-Ho still swung the Azuremourne and sliced through the Crimson King's leg.

“Kuk?!”

The Crimson King grimaced as the blade left behind a flesh wound.

Indeed, that pitiful attack only managed to graze him a little. However, that wasn't the end.

Kang Jin-Ho maintained a low posture from landing on the ground and pounced forward to stab the Crimson King's gut.

That was when a look of genuine fluster took over the Crimson King's expression. “Y-you bastard!”

By then, Kang Jin-Ho had discarded them all—his pride as a demonic cultivator and honor as a swordmaster. And he was simply fighting... like a savage!

There was no technique behind his attack. This was no secret super-move he had been holding back until now. With the desire and determination to kill his opponent burning in his heart, Kang Jin-Ho rapidly turned this duel between top experts into a messy street brawl!

And this messiness was plunging the Crimson King even deeper into the pit of fluster.

“What is the meaning of this, Kang Jin-Ho! You bastard!”

The Crimson King fired another fist light in the blink of an eye, thinking that Kang Jin-Ho would obviously try to dodge it. In that sense, this attack was meant to buy the Crimson King a moment to breathe.

However, he instantly realized he had made a mistake.

Kang Jin-Ho didn't bother dodging the incoming fist light. No, he charged straight into it as a demonic smile bloomed on his face!