Chapter 61:The Devil and The will of Heaven

The deep forests of the secret realm had finally fallen silent.

Only moments ago they had trembled under the clash between a mythical beast and a monster wearing human skin.

Now only blood remained.

Broken mountains.

Uprooted trees.

Craters scattered across the earth.

And at the center of it all stood Lucifer Morningstar.

The Devil.

The corpse of the Imugi lay before him like a fallen god.

Its enormous body stretched across the shattered landscape, scales reflecting a faint silver glow beneath the moonlight.

Any cultivator would have gone mad from excitement.

An Innate Peak Mythical Beast.

Every part of its body was priceless.

Its scales could become peerless armor.

Its blood could refine the body.

Its eyes could be used in alchemy.

Its bones could forge divine weapons.

Entire sects would wage war over such a treasure.

But Lucifer merely looked at it casually.

As if it were a meal waiting to be cooked.

Chirin floated beside him.

"So what now?"

Lucifer grinned.

"Now?"

He placed a hand on the Imugi's corpse.

"Now I eat."

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Black and crimson energy began swirling around Lucifer.

The Sin of Gluttony activated.

The enormous corpse started trembling.

Its blood flowed backward.

Its scales detached themselves.

Its flesh withered.

Its essence was being devoured.

Even Chirin felt chills.

No matter how many times she saw this ability, it remained terrifying.

The Sin of Gluttony did not merely consume.

It stole.

Power.

Life.

Potential.

Everything.

The Imugi's scales began dissolving into streams of silver light before merging into Lucifer's skin.

Pain exploded throughout his body.

Veins bulged.

Bones cracked.

Muscles tore apart before reconstructing themselves.

Yet Lucifer smiled.

He enjoyed it.

Every second.

Every ounce of agony.

Because pain meant growth.

The scales fused completely.

A faint draconic pattern appeared beneath his skin before disappearing.

His defense increased tremendously.

Next came the eyes.

The Imugi's crimson eyes shattered into countless particles.

They entered Lucifer's pupils.

For a brief moment his vision expanded.

Mountains.

Forests.

Rivers.

He could see everything with astonishing clarity.

Miles away.

Nothing escaped his sight.

Then came the blood.

The blood essence surged into his dantian like a raging ocean.

Ki exploded.

His cultivation surged upward.

The barrier holding him back shattered.

Innate Realm First Stage.

Second Stage.

Third Stage.

Boom.

The breakthrough echoed throughout the forest.

Wind exploded outward.

Birds fled.

Beasts ran.

The Devil had become stronger again.

Yet when everything ended—

Lucifer frowned.

"Only Innate Third Realm?"

Chirin nearly exploded.

"ONLY?"

She pointed at the corpse.

"That's a mythical beast!"

Lucifer shrugged.

"I expected more."

Chirin stared at him.

Sometimes she genuinely wondered if this man could ever be satisfied.

The answer was probably no.

Lucifer stretched his body.

Bones cracked pleasantly.

"Good enough."

His crimson eyes narrowed.

A dangerous smile appeared.

"It should be enough to greet our guests."

Far outside the secret realm—

Chaos was brewing.

The Murim Alliance had arrived.

Not a small force.

Not an investigation team.

An army.

Thousands of martial artists surrounded the border town.

Formation masters.

Elders.

Elite warriors.

The sky itself seemed heavy beneath their pressure.

No one was allowed to enter.

No one was allowed to leave.

Every cultivator exiting the secret realm was thoroughly inspected.

The atmosphere felt less like an investigation.

And more like a siege.

At the center stood one man.

The Great Elder.

White Tiger.

One of the pillars supporting the Murim Alliance.

His mere presence made countless experts lower their heads.

Even among legends—

He was feared.

The surviving Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes finally emerged.

Their condition was miserable.

Torn robes.

Bloodied bodies.

Exhausted expressions.

The White Tiger's eyes narrowed.

"What happened?"

No one answered immediately.

The memories remained fresh.

The Imugi.

The massacre.

The Devil.

The First Phoenix silently stared toward the secret realm entrance.

Her thoughts were elsewhere.

A certain figure with crimson eyes kept appearing in her mind.

She remembered the battle.

Remembered him standing before the Imugi alone.

Remembered him handing her the inheritance.

And walking away without asking for anything.

It made no sense.

Nothing about him made sense.

She wanted to tell White Tiger everything.

Warn him.

Explain what kind of monster they were dealing with.

Yet the words never came out.

Instead she remained silent.

Watching.

Waiting.

Perhaps hoping.

To see him one more time.

Hours passed.

One by one the survivors emerged.

Eventually the secret realm began collapsing.

Space itself started breaking apart.

The entrance flickered.

It would soon disappear forever.

White Tiger frowned.

"Did he escape?"

No answer came.

The Murim Alliance forces relaxed slightly.

Perhaps the Devil had truly escaped.

Perhaps he had died.

Perhaps—

A figure emerged.

Black hair.

Crimson eyes.

Bloody clothes.

One hand inside his pocket.

A lazy expression.

As if he had simply gone for a walk.

The moment he appeared—

Everyone recognized him.

Lucifer Morningstar.

The Devil.

Silence descended.

White Tiger stepped forward.

His aura spread across the area.

Thousands watched.

The Devil versus the Murim Alliance.

White Tiger spoke first.

"I am White Tiger, Great Elder of the Murim Alliance."

His voice echoed.

"In the name of peace and justice, I have come to arrest you for your crimes."

Lucifer blinked.

Then tilted his head.

"Wow."

White Tiger frowned.

"A cat can talk."

Several warriors nearly choked.

White Tiger's eye twitched.

"I'm not a cat."

Lucifer nodded seriously.

"My mistake."

White Tiger relaxed slightly.

Then Lucifer added:

"You're a bigger cat."

Even the First Phoenix struggled not to laugh.

White Tiger's face darkened.

"I am a tiger."

Lucifer shrugged.

"Same family."

The Great Elder took a deep breath.

Patience.

He needed patience.

"I'm not here for jokes."

White Tiger's voice turned cold.

"I am here to arrest you."

Lucifer yawned.

"Funny."

White Tiger frowned.

"What is?"

"You talk about peace and justice."

Lucifer looked around.

"Yet you brought an army."

No one spoke.

Lucifer continued.

"You surround me."

"You threaten me."

"You arrest me."

"And somehow you're the good guys?"

White Tiger narrowed his eyes.

"You slaughtered Green Forest."

Lucifer nodded.

"They deserved it."

"Who are you to decide that?"

The question echoed.

Lucifer smiled.

The smile wasn't warm.

It was dangerous.

"You decide my fate."

"So why can't I decide theirs?"

The Murim warriors became restless.

White Tiger's expression hardened.

"We are the will of Heaven."

The moment those words left his mouth—

Lucifer laughed.

Not loudly.

Not mockingly.

Just genuinely amused.

"We are the will of Heaven."

He repeated it.

Then looked directly at White Tiger.

"Tell me."

"When humans sin, Heaven punishes them."

White Tiger remained silent.

Lucifer's smile widened.

"But when Heaven sins..."

His crimson eyes glowed.

"Who punishes Heaven?"

The atmosphere froze.

Lucifer's answer came immediately.

"The Devil."

For a brief moment—

No one spoke.

Even White Tiger felt something strange.

Not fear.

Not intimidation.

Just certainty.

The certainty that this man truly believed those words.

White Tiger shook his head.

"Enough."

He raised his hand.

"Capture him."

Thousands moved.

The pressure exploded.

Yet Lucifer simply smiled.

"Good."

Chirin appeared beside him.

"You planned something?"

Lucifer grinned.

"Of course."

A talisman appeared in his hand.

White Tiger's eyes widened.

"STOP HIM!"

Too late.

Lucifer ripped it apart.

Light exploded.

Space twisted.

The world distorted.

And the Devil vanished.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

White Tiger stared at the empty space.

The army stared.

The Phoenix stared.

The secret realm entrance collapsed completely.

And the Devil was gone.

Again.

Far away—

Lucifer appeared atop a mountain.

The teleportation completed successfully.

He exhaled.

"That was close."

Chirin groaned.

"I thought we were dead."

Lucifer laughed.

"I was buying time."

"The talisman needed time to activate."

Chirin crossed her arms.

"And if White Tiger attacked earlier?"

Lucifer shrugged.

"Then we'd be dead."

"THAT WAS YOUR PLAN?"

"Pretty good plan."

"No it wasn't!"

Lucifer laughed.

The mountain echoed with his amusement.

Eventually Chirin sighed.

"Do we have another talisman?"

Lucifer coughed.

"No."

Chirin froze.

"You used our only one?"

"Maybe."

"We're doomed."

Lucifer stood up.

His eyes looked toward the horizon.

Toward the distant lands of Sichuan.

A dangerous smile appeared.

"Not while I'm alive."

Meanwhile—

Murim Alliance Headquarters.

The atmosphere was tense.

White Tiger had returned.

And he had returned empty-handed.

The other Great Elders wasted no time.

Tortoise laughed.

"You lost to a child?"

Snake smirked.

"Perhaps age has softened your claws."

White Tiger's killing intent exploded.

"What did you say?"

The room shook.

Before matters escalated—

A voice interrupted.

"Enough."

Everyone froze.

The Alliance Leader had spoken.

Immediately silence returned.

The Alliance Leader looked toward White Tiger.

"What happened?"

White Tiger lowered his head.

Then explained everything.

The teleportation.

The escape.

The Devil.

The room fell silent afterward.

Even the mocking elders stopped smiling.

Finally the Alliance Leader spoke.

"You're all making the same mistake."

Everyone looked up.

The leader's gaze was cold.

"You think Lucifer Morningstar is merely another talented genius."

His voice deepened.

"He isn't."

The room became quieter.

The leader continued.

"There is a storm growing."

"And none of you understand how dangerous it may become."

White Tiger clenched his fists.

"Give me another chance."

Snake immediately objected.

Tortoise smirked.

Arguments began again.

The Alliance Leader raised one hand.

Silence.

"Tortoise."

The elder blinked.

"Yes, Leader."

"You will pursue Lucifer."

White Tiger's face darkened.

The humiliation burned.

Yet he could not object.

The decision had been made.

One by one the elders left.

Eventually only the Alliance Leader remained.

He walked toward the window.

The night sky stretched endlessly above.

Stars shimmered.

The wind howled softly.

The leader stared into the darkness.

Far away.

Toward a future no one could see.

Then he whispered:

"A demon has begun moving."

His eyes narrowed.

"And wherever he walks..."

The wind intensified.

"...blood follows."

Far away in the darkness—

Lucifer walked toward Sichuan.

Completely unaware.

Or perhaps completely unconcerned.

That the entire Murim Alliance had begun hunting him.

A grin spread across his face.

Adventure awaited.

And so did slaughter.

The Devil's journey had only just begun.