Everything had burned to the ground except for a single hall.
A lone flag fluttered from its roof.
It was a red °• N ?? v ?? l i g h t •° banner bearing the words:
Sichuan Divine Cult.
On the wall of the surviving hall, a message had been written in blood.
[Praise the Four Divine Demons. Welcome the return of the Divine Demons.]
Those who saw the words were left speechless.
The Four Divine Demons.
The beings who had once plunged the Central Plains into terror.
The message implied that they had returned.
But that was not the real problem.
The Four Divine Demons had not merely returned.
They had returned with an organization behind them.
And they seemed even more brutal than before.
The Four Divine Demons of the past had certainly been cruel, but even they had observed certain limits.
This time, those limits had been crossed completely.
They had burned everything openly and deliberately, leaving behind evidence as though putting their terror on display.
People came to the same conclusion.
Their grudge against the Heavenly Martial Emperor must have made them even more vicious upon their return.
Yet something did not add up.
The Four Divine Demons bore an even deeper grudge against the orthodox factions, while the Heavenly Yin Gate had belonged to the unorthodox side.
Worse, it had been a notoriously vicious faction with an awful reputation.
In truth, not a single person mourned the disappearance of the Heavenly Yin Gate.
If anything, there were probably more people who felt relieved to see it gone.
But that was beside the point.
The problem was that the Four Divine Demons had returned.
That was not good.
They were apparently even more brutal than before, and now they had an organization at their backs as well.
The rumor swept across the Central Plains in an instant, and every sect that heard it found itself thinking the same thing.
Is the terror of the Four Divine Demons beginning again?
Naturally, everyone’s attention turned toward Heavenly Martial Castle and the Heavenly Martial Emperor.
There was no chance the Heavenly Martial Emperor would remain idle in a situation like this.
Then even more shocking news arrived.
The Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle had changed.
People were stunned.
Of all times, why would the Castle change its lord now?
Wouldn’t Heavenly Martial Castle be in chaos while adjusting to its new Lord?
Perhaps it was not even in a position to respond properly.
Why?
Had something happened to the Heavenly Martial Emperor?
Suspicion bred more suspicion.
Some said the Heavenly Martial Emperor had fallen ill.
Others claimed he had lost a struggle for power and been forced out.
And just who was the new Lord?
The Heavenly Martial Emperor’s eldest son, the Limitless Heavenly Fist?
Or his second son, the Eightfold Adamant Fist?
Then, as though mocking every prediction, an even more bewildering rumor began to spread.
The new Lord had only recently passed the age of twenty.
People refused to believe it.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“How could that possibly be true?”
“Not unless the Heavenly Martial Emperor has gone insane.”
Most dismissed the story outright.
People scrambled to verify it.
What they discovered was that the Heavenly Martial Emperor was as healthy as ever.
Then why?
People began speculating again.
“He must be a figurehead.”
“The Heavenly Martial Emperor probably still holds the real authority.”
“But then why hand over the position at all?”
No one could answer that.
The people of Heavenly Martial Castle offered no explanation.
All they said was that they would devote their loyalty to the new Lord.
For those left with doubts, there was little choice but to believe.
With the Four Divine Demons back in the world, the only forces they could truly place their hopes in were Heavenly Martial Castle and the Heavenly Martial Emperor.
They desperately prayed that, just as before, the Heavenly Martial Emperor would stop the Four Divine Demons.
But there were also those who regarded the change of leadership at Heavenly Martial Castle with far greater attention.
Taihua Hall of the Mount Hua Sect.
The senior figures of Mount Hua had gathered, their expressions grave.
“To think the Heavenly Martial Emperor would actually hand over the Lord’s seat. He never struck me as a man who would step down so easily.”
“I still find it hard to believe he surrendered the position at all.”
At the elders’ words, the Sect Master of Mount Hua finally spoke.
His name was Ak Jinpung, known as the Scarlet Sword Lord, and his long white beard shimmered silver as it swayed.
“Did you ask the Beggars’ Union?”
“Yes. According to their information, the new Lord has only just passed the age of twenty.”
“Good heavens... Then he is around the same age as our second-generation disciples.”
“That is correct. He became Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle at an age when most would barely be considered second-generation disciples. No matter how gifted he may be, at that age he could only be around the supreme level. I cannot understand Heavenly Martial Castle’s decision.”
“Could we have misheard the report? Perhaps they selected a Young Lord rather than a new Lord?”
“No. I thought the same thing and verified it several times.”
“Hmm... So it truly happened.”
“Yes.”
“Then did something happen to the Heavenly Martial Emperor?”
“I checked that as well. He is perfectly healthy.”
“If he is still healthy, perhaps he placed the young Lord in the position early to prepare for the future. Or perhaps he learned that the Four Divine Demons had reappeared and handed over the Lord’s seat in advance so he could focus on dealing with them.”
“Ah! Could it be... because of that?”
“Did you remember something?”
“There was that absurd rumor some time ago. The one claiming that the Heads of the Five Great Families were receiving instruction from the Heavenly Martial Emperor.”
“Yes. A ridiculous rumor.”
“It was true.”
“What?”
“I confirmed it with the Beggars’ Union this time.”
“Why are you only telling us now?”
“The news that Heavenly Martial Castle had changed Lords was so shocking that I completely forgot.”
“Understandable. Very well. Tell us. What exactly is happening?”
“They say the Heads of the Five Great Families and their younger talents have entered a place called the True Martial Sect to train.”
“Hmm. If that is true, then I can understand why the Heavenly Martial Emperor handed over the Lord’s seat. It seems he is looking at the larger picture. He knows he cannot bear the entire burden forever, so he intends to strengthen the Central Plains itself.”
“Then all those ridiculous rumors from before were true?”
“From what I hear, the Emei Sect and Qingcheng Sect have already joined them. The Zhongnan Sect, Kongtong Sect, and Kunlun Sect also appear to be considering it.”
“Of course they are. Receiving instruction from none other than the Heavenly Martial Emperor would be a priceless opportunity.”
“The greatest expert of all time... personally teaching martial arts...”
“But... we are the great Mount Hua. Once, we commanded the Central Plains and spoke of justice in the martial world with nothing but our swords. We were called the greatest sword sect beneath heaven!”
At one elder’s impassioned declaration, everyone fell silent.
Scenes of their former glory unfolded in their minds.
The days when Mount Hua had stood at the very center of the Central Plains.
Back then, Mount Hua had needed instruction from no one.
As everyone sank into nostalgia, one elder cautiously spoke.
“...If we go, Mount Hua stands to gain much. This is instruction from perhaps the greatest expert the history of the Central Plains will ever produce.”
“You fool! What do you mean, ‘will ever produce’? The next greatest expert of all time will come from Mount Hua! Never say such a thing again!”
“Yes.”
“We may die, but Mount Hua’s pride will never bend. We will strengthen ourselves in our own way!”
The elders reacted fiercely.
Then the Sect Master, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke.
“Pride... is something one can afford only when one is strong. Can we, as we are now, withstand the Four Divine Demons?”
“Th-That...”
“Even the Heavenly Martial Emperor himself is doing everything he can to protect the martial world... and yet we cling to something as trivial as pride. I will go. I will go there... and personally ask him to teach me.”
“Sect Master!”
“My decision is made. Say no more.”
He rose from his seat.
Then, without warning, he drew his sword and cut off his own beard.
Slice.
“Gasp! S-Sect Master!”
“Anyone who raises this matter again will end up like this beard. Remember that.”
After witnessing the Sect Master’s determination, no one dared say another word.
They merely lowered their heads and shed silent tears.
Purple Firmament Palace of the Wudang Sect.
Hyeonjin, Sect Master of Wudang and the man known as Daoist Empty Void, sat with his eyes closed in contemplation.
The elders of Wudang remained completely silent around him, watching only Hyeonjin.
When he finally opened his eyes, they urgently asked,
“Have you decided?”
“I have sorted through my thoughts. Why would the Heavenly Martial Emperor hand over the Lordship? Because he believes Heavenly Martial Castle will not waver even with such a young Lord sitting in that seat. And at the same time... he is preparing to confront the Four Divine Demons.”
“Do you think he is training the Heads of the Five Great Families in preparation for the Four Divine Demons? Could he have known in advance that they would reappear?”
“I do not know. I have hardly comprehended every principle beneath heaven. But one thing is certain. Heaven’s favor still rests upon Heavenly Martial Castle.”
Hyeonjin slowly looked around at the others.
“Now... is the time to follow the will of Heaven.”
He rose from his seat.
“Surely you don’t mean... you actually intend to go?”
“Infinite Life Buddha... If this too is the will of Heaven, how could I defy it? This is no time for us to quarrel among ourselves. First, let us deal with the enemy before us—the Four Divine Demons. We can discuss everything else afterward.”
“Understood.”
“From this moment forward, the Wudang Sect will enter a state of war. Distribute our spirit medicines freely among all disciples and have them devote themselves solely to training.”
“Understood!”
“I will go and see it for myself.”
Hyeonjin’s eyes sharpened.
“The teachings of the greatest expert of all time.”
The Mahavira Hall of Shaolin Temple.
Smoke rose from an incense burner toward the ceiling.
A monk watched it drift upward, repeatedly murmuring a Buddhist invocation.
He was Master Wongak, Abbot of Shaolin Temple.
“So... the Four Divine Demons have returned to the world.”
“They say the Heavenly Martial Emperor has announced that he will share his teachings and invited any Sect Masters who wish to learn to come to him.”
“Hoo...”
Depending on how one looked at it, the words could almost be considered insulting.
“Karma...”
“Karma?”
“No... perhaps compassion.”
“Compassion?”
Wongak looked toward the monks.
“If it were you... could you do the same?”
Every one of them shook their heads.
“Tsk, tsk. Your cultivation is still lacking. How many times have I told you to cast aside desire?”
“It is not so easily discarded. Shaolin has long stood as the foremost pillar of the Central Plains martial world. Heavenly Martial Castle now occupies that position. How could we not feel bitter?”
“That is attachment. A disciple of the Buddha clinging to attachment—have you no shame? Leave immediately and spend a month in wall-facing meditation.”
“Understood...”
The monk rose with slumped shoulders and left.
The others could only lower their heads.
“There is no high or low in learning. Did the Buddha not teach us that even the words of a child should be learned from if they contain truth? And now the foremost expert in the martial world himself offers instruction. How can you speak of refusing to learn?”
“We apologize. Our thinking was shallow.”
“The Heavenly Martial Emperor... has offered everything he possesses for the peace of the martial world. Do not belittle the greatness of his intentions.”
“Yes.”
“I am too old to go myself, so Hyeonmun, you will go.”
“Me?”
“You are my successor. Who else would I send? Take Ilyeon with you as well.”
“Ilyeon too?”
“I hear he also asked everyone to bring their younger talents. So take him.”
“Understood. I pray you remain in good health while I am away.”
“Do not worry about me. Go and learn well.”
“Yes!”
The reappearance of the Four Divine Demons had even forced the stubborn Shaolin Temple into motion.
Jeok Wigang’s scheme was working exactly as intended.
And so the entire Central Plains entered a state of extreme tension.
One sect after another rushed to prepare for war, throwing themselves into training as they braced for the disaster they believed was approaching.

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