After a few days, the Tang Clan base has already been occupied by the demonic martial artists and is now being treated as their base. While the demonic martial artists were lazily lurking around the place, the atmosphere suddenly felt suffocating as thirty-one people walked in through the gates of the Tang Clan base. They immediately straightened their backs and greeted them in unison.
"GLORY TO THE DIVINE GOD!!! GLORY TO OUR CULT!!!"
Lucian's group finally arrived after riding horses to get here... Actually, they could have arrived at the Tang Clan base in a day if they used their movement techniques, but since they used horses, it took them four days instead.
"Report the situation." Lucian commanded after he arrived.
A sturdy-looking guy who had been talked about on the battlefield stepped forward as he was also the strongest among the demonic cultists here, the only one in the Heavenly Realm. "GLORY TO THE DIVINE GOD!!! I will now report the current situation. The Righteous Alliance gave up the Tang Clan base in Hubei and fled to Hunan Province, the neighboring province of Hubei and the base of the Baek Clan. According to the scout, the Righteous Alliance is gathering their main troops and is ready to attack, currently marching their way here.... As for their exact numbers.... It was unclear, but the scout estimated that there were around two hundred. And as for our forces, the first-rate martial masters and those lower in ranks have been wiped out by the Righteous Alliance clan and sect leaders, and only a few peak masters are left, around a thousand."
This man is none other than Jin Hyeon-ryu, he made a name for himself on this battlefield that both the demonic and righteous martial masters are calling him the Crazed Slaughterer, as he goes crazy and slaughters everyone on the battlefield whether they're enemies or allies, and is now being branded as a traitor of the Righteous Alliance.
Lucian nodded. "Not bad."
"YOU HAVE PROVEN YOUR IDENTITY. I AM NOW RECOGNIZING YOU AS MEMBERS OF THE HEAVENLY DEMON CULT. YOU HAVE PROVEN YOUR STRENGTH.
CONTINUE TO PUSH YOURSELVES TO THE LIMITS…
AND LET THE WORLD KNOW OF OUR MIGHT.
WE ARE NOW COMMENCING A FULL-SCALE ATTACK ON THE RIGHTEOUS ALLIANCE."
Lucian said using a sound-enhancing art.
After they arrived, they began marching to Hunan. These people who survived are the elites of the elites in the demonic cult. They are not to be taken lightly at all. Half a day later, the Righteous Alliance and the Demonic Cult members finally encountered each other, with Lucian and Zheng Tianlong in the front lead.
They didn't need to converse, this wasn't a gathering. This was a fight to the death.
"Attack." Lucian said calmly as he took the lead. Beside him was Ma'wang. They were heading in the direction of the Alliance leader and the Wudang Sect leader, while the others went to the leaders of each sect and clan.
"I'll fight the Alliance leader, you take that old man from Wudang." Lucian said to Ma'wang as they each went in different directions.
"Hohoho~ how daring..." Zheng Tianlong laughed gently as he saw Lucian coming toward him instead of Ma'wang. "You're 100 years early to fight me!" as he also began to charge toward Lucian.
Lucian started with his strongest sword art technique from the very start.
Heaven's Destruction Sword Art, 7th form, Heaven's Fall! A death qi surged, so dangerous and eerie that even those present here couldn't help but look in his direction. Their instincts screamed at them to run, run far away from here. The air itself seemed to shiver under the weight of his technique, carrying a metallic scent, like ozone before a storm. The clouds above warped and twisted, black streaks cutting through the sky as the heavens themselves trembled.
With just one swing, the heavens cracked open; the clouds were visibly shredded by a formless sword. A deafening roar split the air, echoing like mountains colliding. Lightning sparked unnaturally along the cracks, illuminating faces twisted with fear. The people present couldn't help but see the image of heaven falling, just as the technique suggested, while dust and loose rocks levitated around them, pulled by the overwhelming energy.
"T-This... What is this?!" Zheng Tianlong's voice cracked as his eyes widened. He gripped his sword tighter, feeling the ground tremble beneath his feet. Using a defense art now would be meaningless—he could feel it in his bones. Only a ferocious offense could hope to match this.
Azure Dragon Art, 9th form, Dragon Descent! His qi surged outward, a feral, howling wind whipping across the battlefield. The air rippled as if the sky itself was bending, and the roar of a celestial dragon seemed to shake the clouds above. The dragon's phantom claws slashed through the gusts of Lucian's formless attack, colliding with a force that made the air explode in jagged shockwaves, scattering debris and tossing dust and pebbles into the sky.
When the two techniques collided, heaven and earth cried. A colossal shockwave radiated outward, shattering nearby trees and sending loose stones flying like missiles. The heavens wept as torrential rain slammed down, hammering everyone like needles of ice. The ground quaked violently, fissures tearing across the battlefield, swallowing patches of earth whole. The scene was catastrophic, like the world itself was unraveling.
The others, who were supposed to be fighting, scrambled desperately for safety, narrowly leaping over gaping cracks. They shielded themselves from jagged debris and clawed at the wind to maintain balance, their eyes fixed on the battle, knowing one misstep could send them plunging into the abyss. The energy left a lingering hum in the air, vibrating against bones, warning all that true calamity had arrived.
"W-What is this heaven-defying technique?!!!"
"Are we supposed to kill that person?!!! Isn't this just suicidal?!"
"KIEKEKEKKE!!! OPEN YOUR EYES WIDE AND LOOK AT THE MIGHT OF OUR GOD!!! OFFER YOUR PITIFUL LIVES TO THE REBIRTH OF OUR GOD!!!"
While the Righteous Alliance groups were shocked and busy avoiding the cracks that formed continuously, the demonic martial artists continued to attack them, not caring that they might get swallowed by the earth and buried alive. To them, stopping merely because of that was just an excuse—the excuse of the weak! To those who considered themselves strong and the rightful rulers of this world, this was nothing but a challenge to their strength. After all, if you're truly strong, this should be nothing but a mere trick in your eyes.
The fight continued between the Righteous Alliance leader and Lucian. They both used techniques that intensified the fury of the world itself.
In Ma'wang's case, he had already killed Zhang Xianwu, the leader of the Wudang Sect, after exchanging the first moves. After all, he used the 5th form of the Heavenly Demon Art. He had learned from his fight with Lucian that the qi consumption of the Heavenly Demon Art was disastrous—just one technique used three-fourths of his qi already. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes he did during his fight with Lucian. After all, even though the Heavenly Demon Art was visibly stronger than Lucian's sword technique, he had been rendered powerless after his qi depleted. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes when fighting people of the same rank, so he immediately used the most powerful form of the Heavenly Demon Art.
And how could Zhang Xianwu defend himself? He had just advanced to the True Immortal Realm two months ago; he was supposed to fight Lucian. And compared to Ma'wang, who had been in this realm for 30 years... he was comparable to a tiger cub fighting a full-grown tiger. But looking back at this now, whoever he chose... he was doomed to fall. How pitiful. He died before he could enjoy his reign as one of the strongest in this world.
"Heh... You're not bad, old man. But it seems in terms of qi, I'm still better. And even if you had the same amount of qi as me, you'll never defeat me, as you are just a frog in the well." Lucian laughed maniacally. It was an unsettling laugh of an evil lord.
Zheng Tianlong huffed, his breath ragged; he was covered in blood after fighting Lucian. And of course, Lucian was in no better state. His injuries were not light, but this was also why he was laughing.
Compared to his previous world, where he could win without exerting any effort, here he was actually fighting with his life on the line. He felt different types of emotions for the first time: fear, happiness, and excitement. But how could he know that he felt fear when he had never known what that meant? Yes, he felt the fear of losing someone important to him, but he had never once felt the fear of dying or being defeated. He had never even considered such things happening.
One cannot see their own flaws when nothing stands above them.
Strength feels absolute when there is no stronger mirror to reflect the truth.
A man thinks himself mighty not because he is powerful, but because everyone around him is weaker.
Only when he steps into a room filled with monsters instead of sheep does he finally understand—he was never strong, he was only unchallenged.
But... is there even anyone here to challenge him yet? Thus, his reign as the absolute being was now unstoppable.
"W-Why?!!" Zheng Tianlong's voice shook; after all, his injuries were far more severe than Lucian's, and he knew his life was ending. He even used his true essence to match this monster attack. "With that power... you could protect the weak and save the whole world... tell me, why are you doing this?"
Lucian gazed at the cloudy sky, rain falling on his face.
"The weak don't need protection from the strong... the weak should learn to be strong to protect themselves. This is not a world of charity where the strong will do the bidding for them. And in my reign, I'll make sure they realize that."
After saying that, he beheaded Zheng Tianlong. The Righteous Alliance, who had lost two True Immortals, could do nothing but be slaughtered by the demonic martial masters. In this battle, the Heavenly Demon Cult reigned victorious.