My Alter Ego's Path to Greatness

Three Gorges, a remote, uninhabited valley located over two hundred kilometers from the Shaolin Temple…

A lone hut nestled within…

"It should be starting soon."

Inside, an old man with a sage-like appearance stroked his white beard and muttered. The small window offered a view of a peaceful forest, but his gaze encompassed a much wider world.

"There are no issues with the preparations, are there? The Cult Leader himself will be attending. There must be no mistakes."

"Yes, Military Advisor. We've checked and verified everything multiple times. The Cult Leader himself approved the plan."

"I see, that's good. Our efforts haven't been in vain."

The old man nodded slowly and closed his eyes, reminiscing. It had been a long time. Twenty-two years since the bloody incident at the Imperial Palace, which had twisted the fate of this world.

'Those Golden Island bastards…'

Their persistent interference had delayed his plans, but it also allowed for more thorough preparations. Crushing the Kunlun Sect, the vanguard of the orthodox Murim, was part of that. And the timing coincided perfectly with a certain event…

"How foolish. A social gathering at a time like this."

The old man chuckled and shook his head. The masked man kneeling before him bowed his head silently.

A gathering in the name of the Murim Alliance, which had long been disbanded. It wasn't a bad strategy, in the long run. Assuming the situation in the Murim didn't worsen and the current power balance remained stable.

"Hahaha, there's been too much peace."

While there hadn't been a single day without bloodshed, it was a trivial complaint in the old man's eyes. To seek stability so soon after the world's upheaval… such naivete. In these chaotic times, power was the only justice. Peace and stability could only exist under absolute power. And they were preoccupied with meaningless social gatherings. How foolish.

'It would be more logical to avoid the gathering, considering our objective…'

But the Cult Leader didn't want a passive approach. He sought absolute dominance, achieved through overwhelming power and violence. And for that, he needed to crush the remnants of the Murim Alliance.

'With the Cult's Guardians and elites following the Cult Leader, there shouldn't be any problems.'

Today, the remnants of the Murim Alliance would be eradicated. So, his current priority was ensuring the smooth execution of the other parts of the plan, not the Shaolin Temple.

"There's no need to hesitate any longer. Inform all branches. The time has come. Begin the plan."

"As you command! May the Heavenly Demon's return bring ten thousand blessings!"

The masked man vanished like smoke.

"Hahaha, it's almost time."

The old man, Ya Yulhwan, the Military Advisor of the Heavenly Demon Cult, closed his eyes and chuckled. His long wait was almost over.

The situation escalated rapidly.

"Deploy the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation!"

"They defy the Cult's will. Kill them all!"

"Such wickedness within these sacred grounds!"

"May the Heavenly Demon's return bring ten thousand blessings!"

"You damned Demonic Cult bastards!"

The gathering, intended for peaceful exchange, had turned into a chaotic battlefield. Screams, shouts, and curses filled the air.

Kwaaang—!

The continuous explosions from the outer gates, where the Shaolin Temple's entrance was located, suggested that this wouldn't end easily. The clash of overwhelming auras and the resulting Qi storms were incredibly intense.

"Ugh, how did the Demonic Cult reach the Shaolin Temple…!"

It was a signal of the enemy's resurgence, in the worst possible way.

"Gah!"

"Don't overdo it! Focus on defense!"

"These bastards… what sorcery is this…!"

Those attending the gathering for the first time were initially confident. While not the strongest members of their respective factions, they were elites who had overcome numerous obstacles to reach this place. How dare the Demonic Cult attack them here!

They fought back fiercely, their spirits ablaze, and soon realized something was amiss.

"Don't clash weapons with them! Their energy disrupts the flow of internal energy… Gah!"

"S… Senior brother! These… damned bastards—!"

It was strange. This was the Shaolin Temple, the most powerful orthodox sect in Henan. Even the Demonic Cult, the strongest and most vicious faction, wouldn't attack them head-on. And the Shaolin Temple wasn't the only force present here.

Clang—

Nangun Soran, her sword clashing with a masked Demonic Cult member, gritted her teeth.

'Ugh, what is this? Poison? Absorption technique? No, it's not that. It's… disrupting something more fundamental…'

Her internal energy, cultivated through years of training and consumption of elixirs, was faltering. She tried to force it back into a steady flow, but it only drained her energy and mental strength. This was the reason why even the Shaolin Temple was struggling.

'If this continues…'

Internal energy was essential in battles between experts. If only one side was restricted, a fair fight was impossible. It was impressive that they were even holding out this long.

"Haa!"

Clang—

Nangun Soran took a deep breath and forced her internal energy to flow, taking a large step forward. It drained her energy, but it restored her internal energy flow, albeit momentarily.

'Great Swallowing Flight!'

Swish—!

A surge of dark blue sword Qi sliced through the air, cutting down her persistent opponent.

"Haa… haa…"

But she couldn't celebrate. The enemy she had just defeated was just a low-ranking member of the Demonic Cult.

'…This is dangerous. If this continues…'

She couldn't rely on her grandfather, Sword Saint Nangun Wu.

Kwaaang—!

His aura, mixed with the intense energy fluctuations from the outer gates, told her he was in a difficult battle. The fight there must have been far more intense than here.

'For Grandfather, a Peak Master, to struggle… his opponent must be…!'

But she wasn't given time to think.

"That's the Sword Saint's granddaughter! Capture her!"

"Eek!"

Three opponents of similar level as the one she had just defeated surrounded her. She quickly looked around and bit her lip.

'…I made a mistake. I got separated from the others.'

She fought back desperately, but she had struggled against one; facing three was a losing battle. Her sword was knocked out of her hand as her internal energy was depleted.

"Soran!"

She heard her brother's voice, desperately trying to reach her, but she couldn't face him. She had come here, against his wishes, only to become a burden. She hadn't imagined this trip, her first venture into the world, would be her last. She stared at the approaching weapons, her eyes wide.

'…I should have just asked him directly.'

If only she had learned about the abilities of Ha Seunghoon, the otherworlder she was interested in. It was a trivial thought in this situation, but she felt strangely disappointed that she wouldn't know.

Swish—!

As various thoughts raced through her mind…

…a chilling sound echoed, and blood splattered on her.

"Always be mindful of your surroundings and coordinate with your allies in battle, Lady Nangun. Reckless actions like this can be fatal."

"…Young Master Ha? How…?"

"The Nangun Clan warriors are coming this way. Let's join them."

She stared blankly at him, the object of her earlier curiosity, forgetting to wipe the blood off her clothes. His back seemed impossibly broad.

Even after rescuing the Nangun Clan young lady, Hugo continued fighting. He hadn't intended to be so active, but it couldn't be helped in this chaotic battle.

'Their internal energy is disrupted when they face the Demonic Cult?'

He observed the battlefield. Seeing a Transcendent Realm expert on their side struggling against a few First-Rate Demonic Cult members, he understood why they were losing.

But…

Swish— Clang!

Slash!

His sword deflected an enemy's attack and cleanly sliced through his throat, a single, fluid motion.

'Why am I unaffected?'

Unlike his allies, who were struggling as if poisoned, he felt no adverse effects while fighting the Demonic Cult members. His opponents often underestimated him, assuming he would have an opening, and paid the price.

'I should consider this.'

The biggest difference between him and the others…

…was that he was an otherworlder, an Awakened. If that was why he was immune to whatever the Demonic Cult was using…

'Haa, I'll think about it later.'

His priority was to help those present, and make a good impression in the process.

"Thank you for your assistance, Young Master."

"Haa— You saved my life. I'll repay you someday."

"Impressive. Such skill in this dire situation. I'll remember you. Ha Seunghoon of the Zhuge Clan…"

His actions quickly spread his fame. Calmly appearing amidst the struggling crowd, offering assistance, and leaving… Those he helped couldn't help but remember him.

'I can't do much against the stronger opponents, but this is enough to boost morale.'

But as he was trying to stabilize the situation…

…a sudden, unexpected change occurred.

Whoosh—

KABOOM—!

A figure crashed into a nearby temple building with a deafening roar, moving too fast even for Hugo to react. Everyone's gaze turned towards the source of the commotion.

And then…

"Monk Wujin, is this all you've got? The Shaolin Temple's reputation is a thing of the past."

A cold voice echoed through the temple grounds.

Only after his words faded did they realize he was there.

A figure in black robes, his long, black hair swaying in the wind.

"Is that… could it be…?"

"Master Wujin…?"

No one recognized his face, but they instinctively knew who he was. His presence was overwhelming. An arrogant aura, looking down on the world. The master of all darkness. A demon descended from the heavens. The one they called…

"The Heavenly Demon…"

Everyone froze at the appearance of the world's worst villain.

And at the same time…

"Oh! We're finally here! This is exciting! Kahahaha!"

"…Ugh! What the…? This is chaos! What the hell is going on here?"

Two large figures entered the Shaolin Temple.