Chapter 30: War Declaration

The tension in Wolseong had reached its breaking point.

For years, the Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects had maintained an uneasy truce, a fragile peace that now stood on the brink of annihilation. The rise of Nam Gong-Wook, the Abyssal Sovereign, had shattered the balance, forcing the Orthodox factions to move before his power became insurmountable.

The King of Wolseong had summoned the leaders of every major Orthodox Sect to his palace, standing atop his golden throne as his fury echoed through the hall.

"These heretics no longer cower in the shadows! They have defiled our sacred order, and we have allowed them to thrive like vermin! But no more—" his eyes gleamed with hatred, "—no more will we tolerate their existence. We march for war! And the head of Nam Gong-Wook shall be my trophy!"

The Orthodox Sects roared in agreement.

Yet, as the war drums sounded across Wolseong, none were prepared for the monster that awaited them in the battlefield.

The Battlefield of Heaven and Hell

The battle was set in the vast plains outside the capital, a land that had seen centuries of bloodshed.

The King's army, consisting of elite warriors, renowned sect leaders, and Grandmaster martial artists, stood in perfect formation. The banners of Mount Hua, Wudang, Ironclad Dominion, and other Orthodox factions flew high, their warriors burning with righteous fury.

Opposite them stood the Unorthodox Sects.

At their helm was the Heavenly Demon, Jin Seol-Hwan, his very presence warping the air around him. He was clad in black and crimson robes, his long silver hair flowing like a river of moonlight, and in his grasp was a black spear radiating an ominous aura. His mere gaze sent shivers down the spines of lesser warriors.

Beside him stood Nam Gong-Wook, the Abyssal Sovereign, his aura unfathomable, an emperor standing before insects. He watched the Orthodox forces with cold indifference, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

To their flanks, the leaders of the Black Veil Society, Crimson Moon Cult, Blood Phantom Sect, Soul Reaper Hall, and Obsidian Fang Clan prepared their warriors. Their eyes burned with devotion to their new leader, the man who had unified them through sheer strength—Nam Gong-Wook.

Jin Seol-Hwan stepped forward, his voice a thunderclap across the battlefield.

"You dare to challenge us? You march upon us with arrogance, believing your righteousness makes you strong? I am the Heavenly Demon! And today, I shall remind you what true power is!"

His words were met with silence. A silence filled with dread.

The battle had not even begun, and already the Orthodox warriors felt something was terribly wrong.

Then, without warning—

Heavenly Demon moved.

The Massacre Begins

The first to fall were the front-line warriors of Mount Hua.

Jin Seol-Hwan's spear became a blur, black lightning crackling as he tore through them like a storm of destruction. Each strike obliterated multiple warriors, sending blood and limbs flying in all directions.

A Mount Hua Grandmaster charged at him, unleashing a devastating Nine Celestial Sword Art technique—

Only for Jin Seol-Hwan to catch the sword with his bare hand.

"Pathetic."

With a flick of his wrist, the sword shattered. The Grandmaster's body exploded a moment later, torn apart by sheer force.

The battlefield erupted into chaos.

Nam Gong-Wook dashed into the fray, his Abyssal Sovereign Sword Art awakening with a terrifying presence. His first opponent was Wei Zhenhua, the Grand Elder of Wudang. The old Daoist wasted no time, summoning a golden sword of pure qi and striking with the Tai Chi Sword Arts.

Lucian countered with Eclipsing Void Slash.

Their clash sent a shockwave across the battlefield, leveling dozens of warriors nearby.

Wei Zhenhua's face paled—he had blocked the attack, but his arms trembled violently.

"You… what kind of monster are you?"

Lucian smirked, stepping forward with overwhelming intent.

"The one who will bury your entire sect."

The Heavenly Demon's Wrath

The battle raged for hours, but the Orthodox Sects were losing.

Jin Seol-Hwan had killed five Grandmasters single-handedly.

His spear pierced Baek Ji-hwan, the Grand Elder of Mount Hua, before he could even react. His palm shattered Han Gyeon-woo's spine, the Fortress Guardian of Ironclad.

Even Baek Mu-jin, the Unshakable Spear, had fallen, his body torn apart by a single devastating blow.

Blood soaked the battlefield.

And then—the King of Wolseong entered the fray.

His golden armor shone as he struck with Heaven's Wrath, a technique so powerful it had once split mountains. The ground beneath him cracked as he charged, aiming straight for Jin Seol-Hwan.

Their clash shook the heavens.

The Heavenly Demon grinned, blocking the strike with a single hand.

"Your strength is formidable… but you are centuries too early to stand before me!"

He countered with Abyssal Devouring Strike—a technique that distorted space itself.

The King barely evaded, but not without consequence. The attack left a deep scar across his chest, his golden armor shattered. Blood dripped from his wound, his face contorted in pain and disbelief.

"Y-you…!"

The King of Wolseong, the ruler of the strongest kingdom in Murim, had been injured.

The battlefield froze. Orthodox warriors stared in horror—if even their King could be wounded, what hope did they have?

Panic spread. Their morale shattered.

And in that moment, Nam Gong-Wook seized the opportunity.

"Your King bleeds! Your Grandmasters fall like insects! This is your so-called righteousness? If you bow now, I will grant you mercy. If you stand, you will drown in the abyss."

The weight of his words crushed their spirits.

And then—it happened.

The King raised his hand.

A signal for retreat.

The once-mighty Orthodox army, proud warriors of the so-called righteous path, turned and fled.

The Unorthodox Sects had won.

The Declaration of War

As the blood-soaked battlefield fell silent, Jin Seol-Hwan stood tall, watching the retreating Orthodox forces with amusement.

"They will not let this go unanswered."

Lucian wiped the blood from his sword, his crimson eyes gleaming.

"Let them come. I will carve their corpses into the foundations of our new empire."

The leaders of the Unorthodox Sects gathered. They had not only survived but had humiliated the Orthodox alliance.

Yet they all knew… this was only the beginning.

The war had not ended.

It had just begun.

The King of Wolseong would never forgive this humiliation. The Orthodox Sects would never accept this defeat.

Jin Seol-Hwan turned to his warriors, his voice echoing like a divine decree.

"From this day forward, the peace between Orthodox and Unorthodox is shattered! We are at war!"

A war cry erupted from the Unorthodox army, their voices shaking the heavens.

And in the midst of them all stood Nam Gong-Wook, the Abyssal Sovereign—

The man who would bring Wolseong to its knees.