Chapter 199 : Absolute Reverence

Not ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍only the gossipers of the Jianghu, but even among ordinary people, the most frequently discussed curiosity about the Jianghu had always been the same.

<Who ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍is the strongest in the world?>

And ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍another question.

<Who ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍is the most evil in the world?>

Neither ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the first nor the second question was unified under a single name.

Depending ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍on one’s thoughts, or the environment one was in, the names put forward differed.

In the case of the former, so many names were listed that it was difficult to compress them, but the latter was not so.

Because the names most people pointed to with their first finger could be narrowed down to about three.

People referred to those three as the Three Great Public Enemies of the World.

Three Steps, One Kill (三步一殺) – Giyuhwan

One Cough, Instant Kill (一嗽卽殺) – Namyu

Kill Without Reason (無本殺) – Haye

The nicknames might have sounded a bit strange.

That was inevitable.

Because their actions themselves had become their nicknames.

Three Steps, One Kill.

He earned that nickname because he killed one person every three steps he took.

One Cough, Instant Kill.

If he coughed, he killed. It wasn’t just a hacking cough. Even the faintest sound of presence from around him became a reason for murder.

Kill Without Reason.

Honestly, it was hard to understand why this one was ranked third.

It was exactly as it sounded.

There was no reason.

He simply killed.

He killed while walking down the road, killed while eating, and even burst out from the latrine mid-business just to kill.

All three of them were, in a word, beings born for murder.

That was why both the Orthodox Faction and the Demonic Path had declared them public enemies.

But it wasn’t a declaration to capture and kill them. It meant that they were so dangerous that one should avoid them.

In reality, aside from the early days, not a single martial artist stepped forward to hunt them down.

To the point that all three of them lived out their natural lifespan.

Because while alive, each of their strengths had reached the pinnacle of that era—the Manifestation Realm.

Naturally, to capture them, either the Number One of the Hundred Paths or the Cult Leader of the Bright Cult would have had to step forward.

But in no era did such a thing occur.

Because they feared that something might happen to their own Manifestation Realm master in the process.

It wasn’t just a matter of being killed in reverse while trying to capture them.

Suffering severe injuries that left one crippled or required long-term recovery could also become a major problem.

Because for both the Orthodox Faction and the Bright Cult, such an event occurring while the opponent’s Manifestation Realm master remained intact could bring about the worst possible situation.

There was still the method of joint cooperation, but neither the Orthodox Faction nor the Bright Cult had any intention of joining hands.

In the end, the top masters of both the Orthodox and Demonic sides did not move.

And unfortunately, in all three periods when the Three Great Public Enemies were active, the Manifestation Realm in the Central Plains consisted only of the Number One of the Hundred Paths and the Cult Leader of the Bright Cult.

That was why all three of the Great Public Enemies were never slain by the sword of justice and instead lived out their natural lives.

At this point, I knew a story that the people of the world did not.

In truth, the birth of the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens was closely related to those Three Great Public Enemies.

The beginning stemmed from the earliest among them—Three Steps, One Kill.

Nine hundred years ago, even back then, the Heavenly Gold Merchant Guild was the greatest merchant house in the world, and its Guild Master lost his eldest son to Three Steps, One Kill.

There was not a single martial artist who stepped forward to avenge the son who had been killed without reason.

Numerous sects of the Martial World, who had taken enormous bribes from them, turned their backs.

Enraged by that, the Guild Master of the Heavenly Gold Merchant Guild of that era gathered with other victims to seek revenge—that was the origin of the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens.

Its original name was “Cheonoechi (天外治),” meaning to punish evildoers in place of the heavens that did nothing.

Of course, they failed to punish Three Steps, One Kill.

Because time was needed to build power to that extent.

By the time Cheonoechi had gained sufficient strength, Three Steps, One Kill had already lived out his natural life and peacefully closed his eyes at home.

Though they failed to achieve their goal, the purpose had vanished, so they should have disbanded.

But Cheonoechi chose preservation.

They even changed their name.

Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens.

They pledged a grand ambition—to become a heaven beyond the heavens and pursue peace and stability in the world.

They established the will that if another Three Steps, One Kill were to be born in the future, they would punish him without hesitation.

And time passed.

Two hundred years after Cheonoechi changed its name to the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens—

One Cough, Instant Kill, Namyu, appeared in the world.

But the world did not change from the past.

Even the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens possessed only a single Manifestation Realm master.

They feared the repercussions of losing him.

In the end, the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens did not move, putting forth the justification that they must preserve their forces and masters for the grave mission of maintaining the world’s stability and peace.

Just like during the time of Three Steps, One Kill, even as the Orthodox Faction and the Bright Cult turned away and countless innocent people died, the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens did not step forward until the end.

Many who felt disillusioned by such actions left the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens.

Their power shrank, and the number of masters rapidly decreased. The Assembly devised a method to compensate for this.

Departing from their original intent of recruiting only the highest masters of the era and sustaining their lives with numerous elixirs in the Honor Pavilion, they began raising masters themselves.

That was the birth of the Behind-the-Curtain Faction.

Meanwhile, time passed, and One Cough, Instant Kill died after leaving an indelible scar on the Jianghu.

He, too, closed his eyes peacefully at home.

Because not a single great sect of the Jianghu, nor even the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens that claimed to pursue peace, stepped forward.

And then, more than three hundred years passed.

A fiend of slaughter appeared in the world once more.

Kill Without Reason, Haye.

His appearance was a nightmare itself for the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens.

Because Haye had been raised by them.

Though they never said it out loud, the incident of One Cough, Instant Kill had left a deep wound on the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens.

To prevent such a thing from ever happening again, the Behind-the-Curtain Faction raised a weapon for the Assembly.

They created a blade of the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens—one so sharp that there was nothing it could not cut.

That blade was Haye.

Perhaps because they had only sharpened him too much, he went mad and rampaged.

The Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens, which claimed to pursue peace and stability, had ended up creating a fiend that threw the world into chaos.

There is a saying—Untie what one has tied.

Since the one they raised caused such a problem, naturally, this time the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens should have stepped forward.

But the Assembly did not move.

No—they could not move.

At that time, the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens had no ability to control him.

Because when Haye fled from the Assembly, he killed every one of their masters at the Manifestation and Transcendent Realms.

Even then, the Orthodox Faction and the Bright Cult remained silent.

The Assembly’s evaluation was that even if they had stepped forward at that time, they would not have survived.

Because Haye had been raised as a weapon that sharp.

Hearing that those three could not be separated from the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens, my eyes widened to the point they felt like they would tear apart.

It was such a shock that I did not even spare a thought for the Twelve Great Evildoers who had once thrown the world into chaos during times when the Three Great Public Enemies were inactive.

Then, Palmi Venerable’s meaningful voice reached me.

“This is something only you and I should know, wouldn’t you? If the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens finds out that we brought them back to life, they won’t stay still. Hahaha.”

I stared at Palmi Venerable with a horrified gaze as he burst into loud laughter.

With that single sentence, he had made me his accomplice in this matter.

I couldn’t even deny it.

If they learned the true identities of those three, the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens would cast me out without hesitation.

But then…

“Or how about we take this chance to seize the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens? If the one at the top says so, what could the subordinates possibly do? Well… what do you think?”

His subtle voice approached me like a sweet temptation of a devil.

As I hesitated, unable to answer, Palmi Venerable smiled faintly.

“You don’t have to decide right now. We still have some time before we arrive at the Assembly.”

At the end of those words, his eyes, as he patted my shoulder, glistened with greed and lust.

Realizing what that gaze meant, my hand unconsciously tightened my collar.

Staring intently at me, Palmi Venerable burst into loud laughter and walked ahead.

“Puhahaha.”

I watched his departing figure with eyes filled with fear, confusion, and conflict.

Following the Vice Cult Leader’s long-distance Mental Voice Transmission that echoed in our minds, Venerable Miru entered the Potala Palace alongside the Bright Cult’s martial artists and could not suppress his shock.

The inner walls of the Potala Palace, once white, had all turned red.

There was not a single white wall in sight, making it clear just how much blood had been splattered.

Inside the blood-soaked palace lay countless corpses.

The problem was that among those many corpses, not a single one was intact.

This was the handiwork of the Vice Cult Leader, who had entered earlier.

It was a sight that had never been seen in the dozens of days of battle before.

He was someone with terrifying and fearsome power, but the Vice Cult Leader had never been one to tear people apart like this.

Yet now, every corpse before Venerable Miru’s eyes was so mutilated and torn apart that they could barely even be called whole bodies.

At the end of that horrific path, in the Grand Hall—

he was there.

The Vice Cult Leader sat in the seat where the Dharma King of the Potala Palace had once sat, his face drenched in blood.

My legs lost all strength on their own.

It wasn’t just me.

There was no command to kneel, nor did he emit any overwhelming aura, yet the moment everyone saw the Vice Cult Leader sitting on the Grand Preceptor’s Chair, drenched in blood with a weary expression, the strength drained from their legs.

Thousands of masters who had entered the hall all collapsed and prostrated themselves before him.

As if that were a signal, it spread backward, and even the martial artists waiting outside the palace all fell to the ground.

Yul Han merely watched them with an indifferent gaze.

The Bright Cult’s conquest of Tibet had entered its final stage.

It was a campaign accompanied by immense slaughter and plunder.

Though there was no obligation to heal the wounds, things had to be put in order.

Because it was judged to be the minimum courtesy owed to the Heavenly Dragon Temple that had aided them.

A portion of the plunder was distributed to the Heavenly Dragon Temple.

It was meant to be used as resources for reconstruction. Of course, any items belonging to the Heavenly Dragon Temple among the plunder were all sorted out and returned.

Most of them had been found in the Potala Palace, which had destroyed the Heavenly Dragon Temple that stood in their way.

Through such handling, the Heavenly Dragon Temple expressed its gratitude to Yul Han.

Because they realized it was his consideration.

After all, in battle, the Bright Cult was not a sect that showed consideration like this.

The sects of Tibet that had not suffered damage also felt relief through the mediation of the Heavenly Dragon Temple.

Because the Bright Cult’s fierce plundering and slaughter had been limited solely to hostile sects.

To the point that many living in Tibet did not even realize a war had taken place.

That meant no harm had come to civilians at all.

Their movements were strictly along remote mountain paths, and battles were fought only at night, and only within the walls of those sects.

Thus ended a war that was unlike the Bright Cult, yet worthy of its name.

Yul Han gathered the martial artists and quietly withdrew.

It was a clean retreat without committing even the slightest tyranny under the excuse of exercising the victor’s rights.

The Heavenly Dragon Temple recorded this event as follows:

‘The divine beings of the Bright Cult, blinded by worldly desires and turned into demons, punished the Potala Palace and its followers who had fallen into demonic corruption, and then departed.’