In the heart of a jagged mountain range stood a sect so vast it seemed to swallow the land itself—its towers, painted in dark-crimson, gleamed under the cold moonlight like blades waiting to be drawn. This was the Great Devil Sect, a place so immense it could rival the Forbidden City.
At the center of the sect rose a colossal hall. Inside, the atmosphere was suffocating, thick with smoke and dark qi. Upon a dark throne sat the Devil Matriarch, her crimson robes flowing like waves of blood. A long pipe rested between her lips, glowing with embers as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes narrowed, and with every exhale, smoke coiled through the hall like sinister serpents.
"Damn you, Queen of War," she cursed, her voice echoing across the chamber. Her expression twisted in irritation, her sharp brows knitting as her jade fingers tapped the armrest. "Why don't you agree to a rematch? Hah! Are you scared, or what? Damn it… I need to fight a worthy opponent to break through to the next stage!"
Her cold, furious eyes shifted. "Roumei! Tie Roumei! Bring me more of this stuff!"
Qianlin, watching the memory unfold through the soul's illusion, gasped aloud. Her eyes widened, her face pale with shock. Her sister… is Tie Roumei?!
The Devil Matriarch smirked at Qianlin's reaction. "Well, she is the bastard of my mother," she said with a chilling calmness. "But I raised her as my own daughter. She couldn't inherit my martial arts, but I gave her everything else. Every weapon art, every killing technique in this sect—she learned them all."
The massive hall doors creaked open. A tall woman entered, her steps steady, her face cold and disciplined—Tie Roumei. In her hands she carried a small box. With a deep bow, her expression unreadable, she said, "Here you go, Sect Leader."
The Devil Matriarch's lips curved into a twisted grin. She snatched the box, withdrawing the strange drug, and lit it. The acrid smoke filled her lungs as she closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. "Ah… this calms me down…" she muttered.
But her composure didn't last. Her face contorted again, her voice dripping with anger. "Damn Queen of War! I will settle our fight!"
Her hand trembled, clutching the pipe so tightly it cracked. She turned to Roumei. "Where did you get this stuff? Even a transcendent immune to poisons like myself can feel its effects."
Tie Roumei's voice was flat, her face expressionless. "This is a divine plant from the western mountains. Rare. Its effects are solid."
The Devil Matriarch laughed, her sharp teeth glinting under the dim crimson light. "Even though it's strong, it still doesn't work much on me!" She inhaled again, but the madness in her eyes only grew darker. "Damn you, Queen of War!"
"Sister," Tie Roumei suddenly said, her voice carrying a chilling calm, "I found something. A secret passage in our sect. A passage our mother tried to hide from us."
The Devil Matriarch froze mid-smoke, her scarlet eyes narrowing. "Oh? A secret passage left by our mother? What did you find inside?"
Roumei's face stiffened, her voice dropping low. "It's about the creation of our sect. About our ancestor. I found mother's letter… and letters from previous sect leaders too. Sister, what I discovered will shake you."
The Devil Matriarch smirked arrogantly. "Hah, what is it? Some ancient grudge? Some petty family drama?" She snatched the letter from Roumei's hands.
But as her eyes scanned the words, her arrogance drained away. Her pupils dilated. Her lips trembled. The air around her thickened, pressure crashing through the hall as if the heavens themselves bowed.
BOOM! The chamber quaked as she released her qi in fury, her eyes blood-red, veins bulging. Her voice cracked with rage:
"It can't be… it CAN'T BE! Our sect… the Great Devil Sect… was founded by the Murim Alliance?!"
The pride she had carried her entire life, the core of her existence, shattered in that instant. Her qi surged like a storm, ripping tapestries from the walls. "DAMN IT!"
She seized Roumei by the wrist, her grip shaking. "Give me more of that stuff!"
Without hesitation, Roumei handed over the entire supply. The Devil Matriarch inhaled the smoke aggressively, her chest heaving, eyes wild.
Roumei's expression remained calm, but her tone was sharp as steel. "Sister, even though this sect began as the Murim Alliance's plan, that plan has already failed. Your existence is proof. You broke through to the Transcendent stage and became one of the strongest martial artists in the world."
The Devil Matriarch's body trembled, her face twisted in despair. "But if this secret comes out… all of unorthodox murim will laugh at us! They'll mock us! They'll stop following me!"
Roumei's lips curved in a thin, cold smile. "No. If the truth comes out, the first ones to be destroyed will be the Murim Alliance—for creating a dark path in this world. You needn't worry. The Alliance will never reveal this. They'd condemn themselves."
The Devil Matriarch spat out smoke, her face contorted in rage. "Hah! The Murim Alliance are crafty foxes! They'll twist everything with lies and excuses. But what about the unorthodox? What about those who follow only strength and respect?"
Roumei's eyes sharpened. "Then let us destroy the Murim Alliance."
The Devil Matriarch froze, pipe halfway to her lips. She turned slowly, her eyes burning. "You… want me to destroy the Murim Alliance?"
Roumei bowed her head slightly, her tone steady. "Sister, you always wanted to rule the world, didn't you? We already conquered unorthodox murim. Now it's time for more. , Maybe this indicate that we should eliminate, Not just the influence of Murim Alliance—but the Murim Alliance itself."
The Devil Matriarch exhaled smoke, the drug tightening its hold on her mind. Her lips twisted into a manic grin. "Yes… that's it. The dead never speak. This time, I'll eliminate the Queen of War… and become the strongest in the world!"
Roumei's eyes gleamed coldly. "I've already made arrangements. Our forces are ready. Tonight, we burn every Murim Alliance branch in our territory."
The Devil Matriarch inhaled deeply, blowing smoke that coiled like demonic dragons above the hall. "Yes… do as you think is right. Show the world the strength of the Great Devil Sect."
Roumei bowed low, her expression sharp and merciless. "As you command, Leader."
That very night, flames consumed the land. The Great Devil Sect annihilated every Murim Alliance branch in unorthodox territory. The world trembled as the Great Devil Sect declared war on the Murim Alliance.
Meanwhile, at the towering leader's hall of the Murim Alliance, a lone figure stood under the stars. A tall, imposing woman gazed up at the heavens, her sharp features calm yet dignified. This was none other than the Queen of War.
The night sky was breathtakingly clear, stars shining like diamonds. Footsteps echoed—Namgong Chunying approached.
The Queen of War turned, smiling faintly. "Oh, Chunying. Sit with me. Tonight, the sky is beautiful, isn't it? So clear…"
Chunying's lips curved into a fox-like smile. "The sky always looks beautiful before the storm."
The Queen of War's expression shifted, her sharp eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"
Chunying handed her a slip of paper. "We just received an urgent report from the Beggar Clan."
The Queen of War read it, her expression darkening. Her relaxed smile vanished. "They attacked… suddenly… in the dead of night."
Chunying's eyes gleamed. "I don't think it's sudden. This is a prepared strike. And… one more thing. The Elder Council has already made a decision about this matter. They've arranged a meeting in the hall—now."
The Queen of War clenched her fist, her jaw tightening. "Before me, they received this information? Hah… damn those old owls." She rose, her presence like a mountain pressing down. "Fine. Let's hear what they have to say tonight."
Draped in a commanding robe, she strode toward the council hall. Inside, elders and advisors were already waiting, their faces grim. Qingsui, her most trusted ally, stood firmly at her side. Chunying lingered at the other.
The Queen of War ascended the dais and sat upon the leader's chair, her eyes sharp as blades. "It's been a while, Chief Elder," she said coldly. "About tonight's attack—what do you think must be done about this violent act?"
queen of war say "I just heard the news. We will send an elite squad to subdue their forces, and then we will talk and sort out the situation."
The Chief Elder, her voice firm, replied, "Our decision differs from yours, Alliance Leader."
The Queen of War's eyes narrowed, her aura rising like a storm. "Oh? Then tell me. What do the elders think?"
The Chief Elder's voice rang through the hall, heavy and merciless.
"We must declare an all-out war against the Great Devil Sect."
The Queen of War froze. Her face paled, her eyes widened slightly. She gripped the armrest of her chair tightly, her nails digging into the wood.
"You… want me… to declare war?"
The hall trembled with the weight of her words.