Hwa Sogwang carefully broached the subject as he entered the room where Yeon Woo Jin was staying.“Um… my lord. Could something be done for the leadership as well?”When Yeon Woo Jin looked at him with a puzzled expression, Hwa Sogwang scratched his head and explained.“You told us to prepare disciples who could undergo body strengthening. I was wondering if the leadership of the Blazing Fire Divine Palace might also be included…”“Ah, that. Of course. Include them. The more who grow stronger, the better.”“R-really? Th-thank you, my lord!”Beaming, Hwa Sogwang declared,“We will fight with all our lives for Musincheon.”“What are you saying? You should fight for yourselves.”“…What?”When Hwa Sogwang asked back in surprise, Yeon Woo Jin’s face grew serious.“Sit down first.”“Y-yes, sir!”At his grave tone, Hwa Sogwang unconsciously swallowed hard and sat.“The reason I’m making the Blazing Fire Divine Palace strong is because something far greater is coming.”“Something greater? What kind of thing?”“The Heavenly Demon Cult is about to reveal itself.”“What?”What was he talking about now?The Heavenly Demon Cult, here? Out of nowhere?Yeon Woo Jin told Hwa Sogwang everything that had happened so far.“G-good heavens! Did the Celestial Secret Daoist truly say such things about the heavens’ fate?”“Yes. That is why I’ve been traveling the Central Plains, making people stronger.”“S-so that’s what it was about?”“Yes. Which is why I need you, Palace Lord, to introduce me to other sects of the Demonic Path. Besides the Blazing Fire Divine Palace here in Qinghai, there is also Bukcheon Gate, isn’t there?”At the mention of Bukcheon Gate, Hwa Sogwang’s brow furrowed.“Y-you mean to make those bastards stronger as well?”“As I just said, now is not the time to quibble over good and evil.”At Yeon Woo Jin’s words, Hwa Sogwang groaned.Still, his face twisted with dislike at the thought of Bukcheon Gate.“Why?”“They and the Blazing Fire Divine Palace are mortal enemies. It’s trouble enough already with their endless ploys to surpass us. If they grow stronger, I fear those tricks will only grow worse.”“If that happens, I’ll come back and reclaim the strength I gave them.”“…That’s even possible?”“Yes.”Astonishing.In Hwa Sogwang’s eyes, Yeon Woo Jin truly seemed a god.If the power could be withdrawn at will…“I understand. I will guide you to Bukcheon Gate, my lord.”“Oh, and on the way here we encountered some suspicious people. I thought perhaps you might know them, so I brought them here.”“Suspicious people?”“Yes. They disguised themselves as bandits and attacked us.”“What? I-is that true?”“Yes.”Ambushed on the way here, by men disguised as bandits—Flames rose in Hwa Sogwang’s eyes.Who dared?“Where are they?”“In the next room.”“Allow me to see them.”“I’ll come too.” ****Entering the next room, Hwa Sogwang examined the prisoners.He knew all too well who they were.Rage boiled within him, but with Yeon Woo Jin at his side, he swallowed it down with superhuman effort and spoke quietly.“It’s been a while, Sa Hwal Squad Leader.”At his words, the leader of the Sa Hwal Squad averted his gaze and replied,“In this shameful state, forgive me for not greeting you properly.”Grit.Hwa Sogwang clenched his teeth.“Was it Sa Se Hwang who ordered you to attack the escort heading for the Blazing Fire Divine Palace?”“The Gate Master knows nothing of this. It was entirely my doing.”At those words, Hwa Sogwang glanced sideways at Yeon Woo Jin.Then he sighed.“You truly don’t understand the situation.”“What do you mean? I ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) know it well. You will kill me, won’t you?”Hwa Sogwang shook his head.“No. Quite the opposite. I almost pity you.”“Pity? I need no such thing.”“No, you’ve committed an act you should never have. You’ll understand what I mean before long.”As the Sa Hwal leader tilted his head, Hwa Sogwang turned and bowed deeply to Yeon Woo Jin.The squad leader’s eyes widened in shock.The Flame Emperor, bowing his head to someone?“My lord, these men are of Bukcheon Gate.”My lord?Did the Flame Emperor have a master?At that moment, Lee Hwa Un, who had been silent, stepped forward.“My lord, these men are insolent. Would it not be best to exclude them from this journey?”Not only the Flame Emperor, but even the Green Forest Grand Emperor called him lord.Who was this youth with such mysterious powers, that two giants of the martial world bent their heads to him?Then Yeon Woo Jin spoke.“Let’s at least go and see. I’m curious what sort of man their Gate Master is.”“I will guide you,” Hwa Sogwang said.The Sa Hwal leader cried out urgently.“The Gate Master knows nothing! It was all my doing! Punish me and end it with me!”His desperate resolve to protect his master was plain.Seeing it, Yeon Woo Jin smiled.“Since you care for him so much, you can’t be entirely bad. That makes me even more curious.”At his words, Hwa Sogwang added,“He is not a wicked man. His flaw is a deep inferiority complex toward me.”“Then let’s finish what we must here first.”“Understood. I’ll have preparations ready at dawn.” ****What do warriors desire most in their training?Opportunity.Everyone dreams of becoming stronger, yet the path to strength is never easy.But if one encounters a rare chance, the path can be shortened.Thus, many wander the Central Plains under the guise of training, seeking such fortunes.But if it were easily obtained, would it still be called opportunity?Of course not. Very few ever gained it.And now, such a chance had fallen upon the Blazing Fire Divine Palace.In the training hall, faces flushed with anticipation.A chance to grow strong.And yet doubt lingered.Could it really be as simple as the Palace Lord said?There was one fact Hwa Sogwang had not told them.That was this—“Gwaaaaah!”The fact that they would have to endure unbearable pain.As the Flow-Reversal Heavenly Muscle Formation began, screams like those from a torture chamber echoed through the training hall.“Stop! Stop!”“Ugh! P-please, make it stop!”Some writhed, begging to be released.“Ghhhk!”“I-I will endure! I must grow stronger!”Others clenched their teeth, bearing the agony for the sake of strength.Most chose to endure, driven by the will to grow.When at last the process eased, they thought it had ended more quickly than expected. Manageable, even.But that was a grave mistake.When someone asked, the answer dashed their hopes.“Is it over?”“No. It hasn’t even begun.”“What? But we’ve already endured such pain!”“That was only to accustom your bodies to pain. Without that, you would die from what comes next. It’s the stage of building resistance.”How much greater could the pain be, that one needed resistance first?The agony so far had already been tremendous.“Then… compared to what is to come, how much was what we just suffered?”“What you’ve endured so far? Barely a tickle.”With a bright smile, Yeon Woo Jin said what to them was monstrous.Their faces froze in disbelief.“C-can we quit, then? Leave before it goes further?”But Yeon Woo Jin shook his head.“No. Once you’ve entered, you cannot leave until the entire process is complete.”“W-what…”Their faces crumpled in despair as they stared at the formation beneath their feet.Then the array began to glow once more.It had begun again.“Ah…”Bowing their heads, they braced themselves for the return of torment. ****The Sa Hwal Squad Leader and his men from Bukcheon Gate were also dragged into the training hall.To their eyes, it was less a hall for training and more a chamber of torture.Though odd, that the ones screaming were all men of the Blazing Fire Divine Palace.“L-leader… it seems they mean to torture us.”“Never in my life have I heard screams like these.”“Indeed. I’ve tortured men who refused to speak, but even then I’ve never heard such sounds.”“Strange. Why are those disciples of the Blazing Fire Divine Palace being tormented so?”The squad leader, Gi Parang, sighed.“How should I know? I was dragged here too. Perhaps they committed some grave betrayal. One thing’s certain—they’ve sinned heavily.”“But the one inflicting the torment… isn’t that the youth said to be the Flame Emperor’s lord?”“He must be some pervert who enjoys torture. Looks like we fell into foul hands. Forgive me, men.”“No, we volunteered for this.”“That’s right. It’s not your fault, leader. Just rotten luck.”“This torture? We can endure it!”“We are not weaklings like the Blazing Fire Divine Palace!”As they steeled themselves, the demon-like Yeon Woo Jin turned his head toward them.At once, their bodies stiffened in dread.They prayed desperately that his gaze would pass them by.But heaven crushed their hopes.He began walking slowly toward them.Beside him, Hwa Sogwang’s voice could be heard, asking again and again,“Will you truly subject them as well?”“Yes.”Hwa Sogwang sounded as though trying to dissuade him.“You know why I do this.”The Sa Hwal Squad members thought,—Because he enjoys it.Hwa Sogwang hesitated.“I know, but… these are the very men who attacked you, my lord.”“I know.”“And yet you would show them grace?”“If making them strong saves even one more life, isn’t that the better choice?”The exchange only deepened the squad’s bewilderment.What were they hearing?It looked as though Yeon Woo Jin intended to grant them a favor, while Hwa Sogwang was reluctant.Wasn’t this torture?They tilted their heads in confusion as Yeon Woo Jin began drawing an array beneath their feet.The same formation etched under the Blazing Fire Divine Palace disciples.The Sa Hwal Squad shouted,“You will gain nothing from torturing us!”But Hwa Sogwang’s face twisted with fury as he barked,“You cursed fools! Do you not even know what fortune you’re about to receive?”Fortune?How could torture be fortune?Was this what it meant to accept the lord’s torment as a blessing?Meanwhile, the formation was complete.“Place them on the array,” Yeon Woo Jin said.Scowling, Hwa Sogwang stood the immobilized squad members one by one atop the glowing patterns.They tried to resist, but with their acupoints sealed, they could not move.Like wooden dummies, they stood upon the formation.Light flared, and they clenched their jaws, bracing for what was to come.Determined not to scream.Determined not to break.But their resolve shattered instantly.“Gaaaahhh!”“Aaaaghhh!”Pain as if every joint in their bodies were being torn apart engulfed them.Never in their lives had they felt agony like this.They longed to thrash and writhe, but with their points sealed, they could not.Which only made the torment feel doubled.

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