Chapter 84:The Devil Steps into The Battlefield

Too quiet.

The wind carried no birdsong.

Even the trees stood unnaturally still.

At the highest watchtower overlooking the entrance to Sichuan, two Murim Alliance guards leaned against the wooden railing, keeping watch over the endless mountain road.

One of them let out a long yawn.

"Do you really think he'll come?"

The other never took his eyes off the horizon.

"If we're talking about him..."

"He'll come."

The first guard rolled his eyes.

"You still believe those ridiculous rumors?"

He stretched lazily before pointing toward the massive defenses surrounding Sichuan.

"Look at this place."

"Formation masters have covered the entire city."

"Talisman masters prepared thousands of seals."

"Crossbow divisions are stationed on every wall."

"Sword masters... blade masters... elite disciples..."

"This place has become one giant fortress."

He laughed.

"If I were Lucifer, I'd avoid this place forever."

The second guard remained silent.

His hand rested on the alarm bell.

"Don't lower your guard."

"Not even for a moment."

The first guard sighed.

"I swear, all those stories are exaggerated."

"He only kills people after they're already half dead."

"A Great Elder fights a Great Evil..."

"They both nearly kill each other..."

"Then Lucifer appears and finishes whoever is left standing."

He shrugged.

"Anyone could do that."

"So what's so impressive?"

The second guard finally looked at him.

"You've noticed something?"

"What?"

"Every major disaster in Murim..."

"...has his name attached to it."

The first guard opened his mouth to argue—

Then...

He froze.

Far away...

A lone figure slowly walked up the mountain path.

Hands inside his pockets.

Long black hair dancing in the wind.

A bamboo stick lazily hanging from his mouth.

Crimson eyes.

Even from this distance...

The guard felt his heartbeat stop.

His hands trembled as he grabbed the observation lens.

The moment the face came into focus—

His blood turned cold.

"No..."

"No way..."

The figure stopped walking.

Then...

He looked directly toward the watchtower.

As though he had known they were watching all along.

A slow...

Terrifying...

Smile spread across his face.

Then...

He casually raised one hand...

And waved.

The first guard stumbled backward.

"The Devil..."

"IT'S THE DEVIL!"

The alarm bell rang.

DONG!

DONG!

DONG!

Its sound echoed throughout the entirety of Sichuan.

Panic spread instantly.

"The Devil has arrived!"

"Battle stations!"

"Seal every entrance!"

Inside the Tang Estate...

Tang Ock slowly opened her eyes.

She quietly looked toward the distant walls.

"...So it begins."

Across Sichuan...

Dozens of Array Grandmasters raised their hands simultaneously.

Countless spiritual symbols appeared beneath the city.

Light shot into the sky.

One pillar...

Five...

Ten...

Hundreds.

The beams connected together, forming an enormous dome that covered the entirety of Sichuan.

The Alliance's strongest defensive formation.

The Heavenly Lock Formation.

An elder smiled confidently.

"Even Lucifer cannot break this."

Outside the barrier...

Lucifer stopped walking.

He looked up.

"Fancy."

Chirin floated beside him.

"So?"

Lucifer slowly pulled the black blade from its sheath.

"Let's see how fancy."

He raised Chirin.

No elaborate stance.

No charging.

No shouting.

Just one simple swing.

"Cleave."

The black slash flew forward.

For a single second...

Nothing happened.

Then—

CRACK!!

The enormous barrier split cleanly down the middle.

The countless runes shattered one after another.

The Heavenly Lock Formation...

Collapsed.

Every Array Master spat blood simultaneously.

"W-What?"

"Our formation..."

"It broke with one attack?!"

Lucifer simply continued walking.

"Talisman division!"

Thousands of talismans ignited together.

Golden flames filled the road.

Fire dragons.

Lightning.

Ice chains.

Explosive seals.

The sky disappeared beneath countless techniques.

Lucifer didn't even slow down.

"Dismantle."

Hundreds of invisible slashes erupted.

Every talisman...

Split apart.

Every seal...

Fell uselessly to the ground before activation.

The Talisman Masters stared in disbelief.

"Our techniques..."

"He destroyed every single activation point..."

"Impossible..."

"Vanguard!"

Thousands of Murim warriors charged.

Battle cries shook the mountains.

"For the Alliance!"

"Kill the Devil!"

Lucifer finally stopped.

He looked at the charging army.

"...Only this many?"

He sighed.

"I expected more."

His crimson eyes glowed.

"Blood Manipulation."

"...Blood Chains."

The earth exploded.

Gigantic crimson chains burst from beneath the ground like awakened dragons.

They pierced bodies effortlessly.

One...

Ten...

Hundreds...

Thousands.

Soldiers screamed.

Before they could escape—

The chains continued growing.

They twisted through the battlefield.

Piercing everything.

Humans.

Horses.

Buildings.

Even stone.

The chains stretched toward the heavens.

Each one decorated with impaled corpses.

An enormous forest...

Made entirely of bodies.

Blood rained over Sichuan.

The streets became rivers of crimson.

Lucifer slowly walked between the towering chains.

His black robes fluttered.

His smile widened.

He looked almost peaceful.

"...Beautiful."

Chirin looked around.

"You've gone overboard again."

Lucifer shrugged.

"Maybe."

His aura fluctuated.

Blood Manipulation continuously devoured his qi.

He could feel it draining rapidly.

"So hungry already?"

"Sin of Gluttony."

The corpses hanging upon the chains instantly withered.

Their cultivation...

Their life force...

Everything flowed into Lucifer.

His qi recovered almost instantly.

The chains became even larger.

Lucifer laughed.

"The Murim Alliance really disappoints me."

"If you wanted to kill me..."

"You should've sent a Great Elder."

He looked around at the endless corpses.

"Instead..."

"You sent food."

Inside the Tang Estate...

The Alliance Elder stood up.

"I have to reinforce the front."

Tang Ock calmly poured another cup of tea.

"At least..."

"Finish your tea first."

The elder paused.

"...You're strangely calm."

He accepted the cup.

Drank.

One sip.

Two.

Then—

"Cough!"

Blood splashed across the table.

He stared at the crimson liquid with wide eyes.

"W-What..."

He collapsed onto one knee.

"You..."

Tang Ock calmly took another sip from her own cup.

"This..."

"...is Sichuan."

She looked directly into his eyes.

"And you're sitting inside the Tang Clan."

The elder finally understood.

"The tea..."

Tang Ock nodded.

"You remembered."

He desperately tried circulating his qi.

Nothing responded.

The poison had already spread throughout his body.

"...You..."

Tang Ock gently placed her cup down.

"You should've remained on guard."

The elder collapsed.

His breathing stopped.

Tang Ock quietly finished the remaining tea.

Then she walked outside.

The massacre had already reached the Tang Estate.

Mountains of corpses surrounded the entrance.

Lucifer stood atop them.

Blood dripped from the chains stretching across the sky.

Tang Ock looked at him.

"...You're late."

Lucifer turned.

"I thought..."

"...the first thing you'd do would be hug me."

"Or kiss me."

He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

"I'm hurt."

Tang Ock ignored the performance.

"My clan."

"They're safe?"

Lucifer sighed.

"You don't even ask how I'm doing."

Silence.

"...Fine."

"I already sent Zhong Yu."

"Tsuru."

"Lei Xin."

"They evacuated everyone while I distracted the Alliance."

Tang Ock slowly looked around.

"...This..."

"...is your idea of a distraction?"

Lucifer scratched the back of his head.

"Maybe..."

"I got carried away."

She couldn't help smiling.

"That's exactly like you."

For the first time that day...

Lucifer smiled naturally.

He stepped forward.

Wrapped an arm around her waist.

Then kissed her.

"I missed you."

A loud cough echoed behind them.

Lucifer slowly turned.

Sue.

Yu Ming.

Standing side by side.

Watching everything.

Chirin immediately burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

"The Devil got caught cheating!"

Lucifer grabbed Chirin's mouth.

"Quiet."

Too late.

Sue placed one hand on his shoulder.

"Husband..."

"...explain."

Yu Ming smiled sweetly.

"Honey..."

"...explain."

Lucifer immediately activated Sin of Sloth.

"Actually..."

"I suddenly remembered something important."

"Bye."

WHOOSH!

He vanished.

Sue blinked.

"...He ran away."

Yu Ming sighed.

"...Coward."

Several minutes later...

The three women sat around a stone table.

Tea had replaced swords.

For now.

Sue crossed her arms.

"I'm his legal wife."

Yu Ming immediately answered.

"I met him first."

Tang Ock smiled gently.

"Sisters..."

"...don't fight."

Both women froze.

"...Sisters?"

Tang Ock nodded.

"We all love the same impossible man."

"...So why should we become enemies?"

Sue looked away.

"...Still..."

"I wanted to be his number one."

Tang Ock smiled sadly.

"I used to think that too."

"But..."

She looked toward the blood-covered horizon.

"The farther he walks..."

"The farther ahead he becomes."

"I no longer want to stand in front of him."

"I just want..."

"...to walk beside him."

Silence.

Yu Ming slowly lowered her eyes.

Sue did the same.

For the first time...

Neither argued.

Meanwhile...

Far away...

Lucifer stood atop a cliff.

Chirin floated beside him.

"You really just abandoned them."

Lucifer looked toward the distant battlefield.

"If they knew where I was going..."

"They would've followed."

"And this..."

"...isn't a place for them."

Chirin looked at him.

"You've changed."

"The old Lucifer would've dragged everyone into the fight."

Lucifer didn't answer.

Ahead...

The sky split apart.

Golden qi collided with black qi.

The battle between the Spear Demon and the Great Elder Dragon had already devastated half the mountain range.

Every collision echoed like thunder.

Lucifer smiled.

"...Looks like I made it."

He drew Chirin.

One black slash erupted across the battlefield.

"Cleave."

The attack split the smoke.

Both legends instinctively retreated.

For the first time since their battle began...

They looked toward the newcomer.

A familiar figure walked through the shattered earth.

One hand inside his pocket.

A bamboo stick between his lips.

A wicked smile on his face.

"Well..."

"...looks like the party started without me."

The Spear Demon frowned.

The Great Elder Dragon narrowed his eyes.

The battlefield...

Had just become infinitely more dangerous.