Heavenly Dragon Swordsman Ha Seung-hoon was a hero who made significant contributions to stopping the advance of the Demonic Cult in the final war in Beijing, and a superstar who reached the Hwa-kyung realm in his early to mid-twenties.
Those who knew him said that the next Number One Under Heaven was already a foregone conclusion.
Therefore, after the war ended, countless groups sought him out. It was a natural reaction, as he was not officially affiliated with the Je-gal Clan, but was merely staying there due to a minor connection. If they could bring him in, they would gain both military power and fame.
"Although we stopped the Demonic Cult's plot and defeated them, the work is not over. The remnants of their forces are still causing chaos, and many are still suffering from the turmoil. I want to help those people, even in a small way."
In this situation, he declared his intention to leave on a journey to help others. For the Je-gal Clan, who were working hard to rebuild their family, it was not strange that they felt a sense of crisis, as if a treasure they had almost acquired might be stolen.
"I want to participate in that meaningful work too! I survived thanks to everyone's help. I want to repay the debt I owe to the world, even a little bit.
Oh! Of course, I'll repay the debt I owe to Young Master Ha on my own..."
The family's decision to reluctantly approve the stubborn request of Je-gal Hye-mi, their precious daughter, was largely influenced by this. As long as she was by his side, he wouldn't suddenly become an adopted son-in-law of another group. It was also possible that he would be completely roped in and return to the family sooner than they expected.
Of course, her ability as the Child of the Dragon to freely use Divine Arts also played a big part. Wasn't she already considered exceptionally talented in the Je-gal Clan, which was filled with geniuses in the theoretical aspects of martial arts? When all the restraints on her disappeared and only her strengths remained, her talent blossomed to the point where she could look down on most sorcerers.
"Hah! The legendary secret formation of our Je-gal Clan already...!"
"My goodness! The Divine Arts of the Dragon! Just once! Please show me just one more time!"
"If only we could incorporate that into our family's sorcery..."
Some of the elders, who highly valued her ability, insisted that she should be strictly protected within the family for her safety. However, the clan leader and the supreme elder, who had the final say, supported her will and allowed her to go out into the world.
"However, there are a few conditions. First..."
Of course, this came with restrictions, such as having a few of the family's masters as escorts and sending her destination in advance through sorcery. But these conditions weren't that difficult.
'It's not a bad thing for me, either. Je-gal Hye-mi's ability is a great help on this journey. Besides, just watching her improve her divine arts is a learning experience.'
Her secret escorts, who specialized in stealth, weren't much of a hindrance either. With the world still full of danger, it was good to have that insurance for her safety.
However, there was one thing he hadn't expected.
"Phew~ I can't believe I can wash with warm water even in a remote place like this. Divine Arts are truly amazing! I wish I could learn them too."
"Well, my ability to use these Divine Arts is all thanks to a congenital factor..."
"Heehee, I'm just kidding, big sister! I can't do anything that complicated anyway, even if you teach me. I'll just stick to a talented big sister like you! Hehe!"
During their journey to Mount Mao Sect in Jiangsu province, their first destination, they visited the Nam-gung Clan in Anhui province on the way. Somehow, they ended up traveling with Nam-gung Soran. She was so friendly that she and Je-gal Hye-mi, whom she had just met, instantly became like sisters. Afterward, with the support of the Sword Saint, a senior figure in the Nam-gung Clan, she naturally joined their group.
Ha Seung-hoon, unable to refuse the request of his former comrade-in-arms from the final war, had no choice but to accept her.
'Hmm... well, it probably doesn't matter. One or two is all the same anyway.'
In fact, it wasn't a bad deal, as his influence would grow even more with the descendants of these prestigious clans by his side. If he ever needed their families' help, it would be much easier to ask.
And so, the Jianghu journey of three people and a few secret escorts from the two clans began.
Not much time had passed since the war with the Demonic Cult, but they experienced and resolved many incidents as they crossed the continent. They took down bandits who were still actively operating, punished ruffians who were causing trouble without realizing the world had changed, hunted down remnants of the Demonic Cult who were running wild without control, and punished corrupt officials who were preying on the people.
Small good deeds like finding a new water source for a dried-up village and hunting dangerous beasts were also part of their journey, but their main goal was to deal with the troublemakers who continued to cause chaos in the world.
"Oh! Thank you so much, great heroes!"
"P-Please spare me! I'll live a good life from now on!"
"Oh, my goodness~! My Mal-suk, you can finally close your eyes in peace...!"
In the process, it was natural that they experienced various battles and their fame skyrocketed. They had even taken down a Hwa-kyung master once, so there was no need to talk about how intense their journey was.
And Heavenly Dragon Swordsman Ha Seung-hoon had no choice but to realize one thing at some point.
'...Why? Why am I not growing anymore?'
He had realized that his growth had stagnated at some point. Although his skill proficiency was constantly increasing because he was steadily taking the 'Elixir of Growth', the wall to Transcendence was nowhere to be seen.
He couldn't even begin to think about how to overcome it if he couldn't see it.
'It's not that I lack power. My current level is among the best in the Hwa-kyung realm. So, what's the reason?'
His 'Empty Spiritual Body' was a legendary physique that allowed him to use the natural Ki as he pleased, which erased the limits of his inner strength and even his body. And his 'Heavenly Dragon Divine Art', which he gained from the Dragon God's blessing, was a supreme martial art that was on par with, or even better than, the Demon God's Divine Art. And aren't 'All-encompassing Return', 'Versatility', and 'Mimicry' all skills that are the best support abilities for learning martial arts?
'Ah, I see.'
But since he had the experience of raising several Avatars to the Transcendent realm, he quickly realized the reason.
Transcendence through the mystery of martial arts—reaching the Hyun-kyung realm—couldn't be achieved with the methods he had used so far.
'...Come to think of it, my Avatars didn't break through the wall on their own.'
Hans naturally became the Third Immortal King after completing the 'Heart of the Immortal King'. The Immortal King was the very symbol of world destruction, having plunged half the continent into death. Inheriting the power and karma of such a being was enough to satisfy the conditions for Transcendence.
It was the same for Heinz II, who inherited the roots of a vampire lineage, and Hella, who swallowed the karma of the Demon King, whose position had become vacant at the time.
Normally, their minds would have been shattered by such an unqualified transgression, but the cheat-like skill 'Avatar'—and its related abilities like 'Mind Hub' and 'Soul Firewall'—made the impossible possible.
'Heinrich and Harris, who broke through the wall with the help of the Main God and the World Tree, had fewer side effects.'
But the fact that it was all thanks to outside help doesn't change. Even that would have been impossible without the special conditions of being a priest who receives power through faith and a high elf who is a priest of the World Tree.
'When you think about it, Harley is the only one who reached Transcendence on his own, right?'
He didn't know if he could call it 'on his own' when Harley had devoured the potential of other living beings and forcibly digested them to break through the wall.
Harley's case, where he overcame his limits solely with his physical characteristics, was a special case.
'But this time is different. To reach the Hyun-kyung realm, I need to cultivate Martial Arts and gain enlightenment purely through them, without any tricks.'
He let out a small sigh. There wasn't a single person who had reached the Hyun-kyung realm now who hadn't been called a genius. Even the Heavenly demon, who had quickly become strong with various buffs as an Awakened person, was a being born with a special talent called the 'Heavenly Killing Star'.
His unique skill, 'Heavenly Killing Star', was a talent that was turned into a skill with various supernatural effects. He probably would have become a famous martial artist on Earth even if he hadn't been an Awakened person.
Of course, there was a much higher chance that he would have been caught and killed by an Awakened person while acting as a psychopathic serial killer behind the scenes.
'Is this how martial artists fall for Demonic Arts? ...No, Demonic Arts only offer quick results at lower realms. For me, it would be poison.'
It was at that time that the clue of the 'Black Dragon Society' discovered on Earth was enough to become a ray of light for him, who had been stagnant.
It was a land of China with an unusually high number of Martial Arts Returnees. Among them was the oldest and most secretive group, made up of the most skilled martial arts practitioners.
The expectation of finding 'something' that these people, who were faced with the limits of growth in the environment of Earth, had discovered after establishing the secret principles derived from countless dimensions, made his heart pound.
"Young Master?"
"Big Brother?"
At that moment, he looked up at the two people's voices from his side. The two who had been on the journey with him were looking at him with strange expressions.
"Did you call me? Is something wrong?"
"No, that... um..."
"It's not that something is wrong, but your expression..."
"My expression?"
He tilted his head while stroking his face. All he could feel was the muscle that was always holding a gentle smile. But he could roughly guess the situation from their gazes and continued on nonchalantly.
"Ah! I was lost in thought for a moment and had a good idea. I must have smiled without realizing it."
As if that was the correct answer, the two of them nodded in relief. Of course, it would be strange for him to suddenly be smiling for no reason in this situation.
"Well, it seems everything is handled, so let's get going."
"Yes, and we've finally arrived in the territory of Mount Mao Sect. If we hadn't taken a detour, we would have arrived much earlier."
"We couldn't help it, big sister. We couldn't just stand by after getting information about the Demonic Cult's remnants' base."
As the three men and women slowly walked away while talking, frightened eyes gathered behind them.
But it was only for a moment.
People in tattered clothes cautiously entered the manor they had just left. The sign on the ground was shattered, the buildings had completely collapsed, and countless martial artists, their Dantian destroyed and their bodies crippled, were writhing on the ground.
They were the wicked criminals of the Black Faction who had once ruled this area with blood and fear.
"Agh... S-Save me..."
"Get lost! How dare you beggars... Guh!"
And naturally, the fate of those who had accumulated resentment was not good. For a while, screams and the smell of blood flowed from inside the collapsed manor, just as it had in other places they had passed through.
***
Heinz II put a lot of effort into capturing the Black Dragon Lord. Not only did he interrogate Heukyeong to analyze the information, but he also secretly installed alarm barriers and Blood Gates in the headquarters and all the nearby safe houses. This was to ensure he could storm the place the moment the man appeared, no matter when or where.
"I didn't expect this..."
Therefore, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease about the current situation. He stared at the old man who was walking into the headquarters' main gate with an air of defiance, as if ignoring all his preparations. He was an old man with the same appearance he had been told about through various methods, wearing a black Wushu uniform, just like one would imagine a Chinese martial artist. He was the leader of the Black Dragon Society—the so-called Black Dragon Lord.
"I suppose I've kept you waiting. I tried to hurry as much as I could, but since I have to hide, I couldn't help it. Please forgive my lateness."
He must have been fully aware of how the situation had unfolded, yet his attitude showed no signs of tension. It was as if he had already given up and accepted everything.
'Or maybe he's confident that I won't harm him.'
Heinz narrowed his eyes and carefully observed him. As he had heard, he was a master who had reached the Hyun-kyung realm, a Transcendent level. He was even at a high-level among them.
"...Indeed, just as I heard."
"Oh? May I ask what you've heard?"
The Black Dragon Lord responded in a mysterious tone to his quiet admiration. Heinz ignored his attitude and continued to speak.
"You're a Transcendent who was born on Earth, right?"
"Oh-ho!"
He was the only Transcendent born on Earth, a barren land for Mystic Powers. Of course, it didn't mean he had reached his Realm purely on Earth. He was a Returnee from the Murim world who came back during the early stages of the Cataclysm, and his Realm at the time was at the very end of the Hwa-kyung realm. However, he didn't give up and continued to attempt to break through the wall, and he successfully achieved that impossible feat.
'I heard he sacrificed his lifespan and youth as a price.'
That was inevitable. No matter how much he relied on the help of elixirs, reaching Transcendence required an enormous amount of energy. It wasn't strange that he used his Congenital Vitality, which was akin to his life force, instead of Ki, which didn't exist on Earth.
"Well, if you know that much, you probably know everything else."
Even though the other person already knew important information about him, he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he just smiled and looked at Heinz as if something was amusing.
"This is a story I haven't told anyone... but I think I can reveal it to you."
"Hmm?"
"Hahahaha, you'll be so surprised. It's a top-secret!"
Then, he went a step further and was the first to speak, sounding excited like a child about to tell a secret.
"The Former East Asian Branch Manager of the Heaven-Turn Society."
At those words, Heinz's body froze.
The Black Dragon Lord looked at him with a smiling face and continued.
"I am the predecessor of the Preceptor[1], the Heaven's Rebel."
Glossary
Congenital Vitality (선천지기): A person's natural, inborn vitality.
[1] Yulryeongja