182. The Clash that Shook the Heavens

At the heart of the Dark Citadel, a heavy silence fell like the eye of a storm. With the last master of the Chilhweokhoe defeated, only the Heavenly Sword Demon remained, standing alone above the warriors of the Murim Alliance and the Daewon Empire. Her gaze remained unshaken, and the Seven Swords circling her shimmered with powerful inner energy.

"The Chilhweokhoe is finished. All that's left… is me. But do you truly believe you can surpass me?"

Her cold voice echoed across the battlefield.

The warriors of the Murim Alliance were already pushed to their limits. Yet not a single one showed signs of retreat. Jin Cheong-woo and Do Hyeon-jung exchanged glances and nodded in silence.

"Let's pour everything we have into him."

Do Hyeon-jung stepped forward, his inner energy glowing as he channeled it into Lee Do-hyeon.

"Lee Do-hyeon, you're our last hope. Take everything we've got!"

Jin Cheong-woo followed, unleashing the Gaui Divine Art, transferring his inner power to Lee Do-hyeon. The other warriors joined, pouring the remnants of their strength into him. Radiant light exploded from Lee Do-hyeon's body as his sword was cloaked in the brilliance of Aether.

"Heavenly Sword Demon… it's just you and me now."

Lee Do-hyeon stepped forward with the Aether Seeker in hand. His eyes burned with unwavering resolve.

The Heavenly Sword Demon smiled, intrigued.

"Very well. Let's see how far you've come. But know this—power alone won't be enough."

She raised her hand, and the Seven Swords spiraled into motion like a tempest, cutting across the sky and earth as they rushed toward Lee Do-hyeon. He swung the Aether Seeker, clashing against them. The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.

What followed was a battle that transcended the mortal realm. To ordinary soldiers, the clash was nothing more than flashes of lightning; even veteran warriors could barely track their movements.

"This… this is a realm of legends," someone muttered in awe and fear.

The Heavenly Sword Demon manipulated her swords like extensions of her own will—attacking, defending, flowing as one. Lee Do-hyeon split the Aether Seeker into seven blades to match them. Each clash in the sky was a thunderous detonation.

But the gap in experience and depth of energy became clear. Her Seven Swords began to overpower his, and Lee Do-hyeon slowly lost ground.

"I can't hold back. I must give it everything."

He summoned every ounce of mana and inner power, merging the Aether Seeker into a single blade. It pulsed with life as he achieved the state of Oneness of Man and Blade.

"I'll show you everything I've become!"

Soaring dozens of meters into the air, he brought the sword down like a bolt from heaven. The Heavenly Sword Demon likewise fused her Seven Swords into one—a blade brimming with unmatched destructive force.

"Show me the true extent of your strength!"

Their weapons met in midair.

The resulting explosion shook the entire battlefield. Warriors and soldiers were hurled like leaves in a storm. The earth tore, and the sky cracked open.

Then… space itself began to rip.

A massive rift opened in the sky, sucking in everything around it. From within, darkness and a strange, divine light spilled forth.

The Heavenly Sword Demon gazed into the rift with a smile.

"This is the gate to Elysium. At last, it has opened."

Confident that her ultimate technique had torn open the fabled path, she leapt into the rift without hesitation.

Lee Do-hyeon, clinging to the edge of the dimensional breach, saw her vanish inside.

"I won't let you go alone. I'll follow you… to the very end!"

With the last of his strength, he launched himself into the rift. It swallowed him whole, growing wider still.

The two vanished into the dimension known only in legend—Elysium.

It was a world of radiant wonder and unspeakable secrets. What awaited them there was unknown, but destiny itself was waiting to be rewritten.

Silence returned to the battlefield.

The warriors left behind stared at the sky with heavy hearts, haunted by the questions the rift had left behind.

"What awaits in Elysium…"

***

Chapter : Beneath a New Sky

Several months had passed.After the fierce battle with the Heavenly Sword Demon Queen, both the Murim and the Daewon Empire were left deeply scarred.Though the Empire had succeeded in toppling the Demonic Sect, their alliance with the Murim Alliance had completely collapsed in the process.

Most of the martial masters of the Murim were either wounded or slain in battle, and the remaining forces had scattered.Within the Empire, public sentiment boiled over.Rampant corruption among officials and excessive taxation led to widespread rebellion, and the Imperial army was stretched thin trying to suppress the uprisings.

The Emperor sat on his throne and let out a long, weary sigh.

"We may have destroyed the Demonic Sect… but it seems our empire is crumbling as well."

Meanwhile, at the Murim Alliance's headquarters, the surviving masters were trying to regroup.But even here, a deep sense of loss hung in the air.

Han So-yeon wandered the forest every night, murmuring quietly to herself,

"Do-hyeon orabeoni… where are you…"

Baek Wol-hui gripped her sword and practiced alone, over and over again, waiting.

"Captain… this can't be the end, right…?"

Chun-hyang offered prayers each day in the garden of Yeonhwa-ru.

"Orabeoni, I believe… I truly believe you'll return."

Then, one day, the sky turned dark—and light began to pour from above.The martial masters and townspeople looked up in awe and unease.

"What is that…?""Is it the Heavenly Sword Demon Queen's curse… returned?"

From the center of that descending light, a figure emerged.

It was none other than Lee Do-hyeon.

Han So-yeon saw him first and cried out.

"Orabeoni!"

She rushed toward him, grabbing his collar, tears streaming down her face.

"You're… you're really alive…"

Baek Wol-hui approached in silence, then gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

"Captain, where the hell have you been?"

Chun-hyang ran to him and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"Orabeoni… you really came back."

Do-hyeon smiled faintly, his voice tired.

"I'm sorry. I made you wait too long.But… this isn't over yet."

His clothing was unlike before—no longer the traditional garb of the Murim.Now, he wore strange garments adorned with metal plating, unfamiliar to all.

Jin Cheong-woo asked,

"Do-hyeon… where exactly have you been? What happened there?"

Do-hyeon looked up at the sky and answered quietly,

"Elysium… the Heavenly Sword Demon Queen went there. And I followed her."

Everyone froze, their faces showing shock.

"You mean… she's still alive?""What even is Elysium?"

With firm resolve, Do-hyeon spoke,

"It's not just another dimension. It's a world deeply connected to ours.And what happened there… will soon affect this world too."

"I've returned.But this war… is far from over."

In his voice burned an unshakable determination.And in that moment, everyone realized—he would soon be leaving again.