I could smell the stench of blood on the soil I once considered sacred—the soil that had nourished the hopes and dreams of countless souls. The blood of man who never lived a single second for themselves stained the earth, a grim reminder of a lost innocence. Abbot was dead, his wisdom extinguished in an instant, and before us now stood the very embodiment of hell incarnate—a demon in human skin. weapon of destruction from abyss MAKEN THE HEAEVNLY DEMON
As his cold gaze swept over the assembly, the air itself seemed to chill with the weight of his presence. The sacred ground we once revered now bore the marks of our deepest despair. Yet even in this moment of overwhelming loss, our resolve was kindled. The Demon Lord, whose cruelty had shattered entire clans and whose very existence defied the natural order, now stood infront of us drenched in blood Abbot. smiling with grin. Even before the Abbot's last drop of blood could fall to the sacred earth, the Storm Emperor unleashed a surge of telekinetic electricity, attempting to bind Maken in a crackling chains of lightning.completly binded by vows of lightning he was incapacitated. In that very instant, the Fire King roared and exhaled a breath of Azure Dragon from his mouth— purple flames said to incinerate even Heavenly Jades within seconds. As the inferno raged, from those flames somthing emerged. spike head of Maken's morningstar came out of the fire at mach speed we could feel the sonic boom coming from its incredible speed and even before we could do anything spike head smashed through fire kings head.His skull shattered, and his brain was horrifically splattered across my face—a gruesome testament to the brutal power of the Demon Lordeven though he was chained by lightning he still killed on of the kings of martial clans
Storm Emperor looked at me and said:
"I don't know how long I can hold him, young one. I can feel chains of lightning being broken second by second by his chi. Evacuate all the children and meet the Shaman King, who should be in his hut at the bottom of the valley."
"I will return as soon as I complete evacuation, Elder."
"No, don't even think of coming back here before you meet the Shaman King. This is the only plan Abbot knew to defeat the demon. Even if events are preponed, even if Abbot is dead, we still have to carry his plan. Now go—away!"
I looked at the children and unleashed my chi. My Plum Blossom Divine Art allowed me to control plum blossom petals made out of pure chi. I directed these petals toward the children. Just using one petal, I was able to carry each child.
With a storm of plum petals, I took control of the whole podium and levitated them. Using my footwork, I started descending the mountain.
I looked back—and what I saw terrified me.
With the iron shaft of his Morningstar clutched in his right hand, he drove it mercilessly into the Storm Emperor's ears, ending his life in an instant.
I could feel the feeble surge of telekinetic resistance as the Storm Emperor tried to counter the onslaught, but the overwhelming ki of the Demon Lord proved irresistible, snuffing out all hope of salvation.
"By the might and grace of Fujin, Lord of Wind, I command the sky to kneel! Unfathomable weight of the heavens—HEAVENLY PRESS!"
With a thunderous war cry, the Wudong Sword Emperor invoked the Weight of Heavens. The very earth around him cracked and crumbled, shredded beneath the pressure—yet he remained unmoved, a pillar of resolve amidst the chaos. Even as the crushing force of the skies bore down on him, he advanced, unwavering, toward his next foe.I knew I had but moments before his gaze found us. I surged into motion, wind tearing at my robes. The remaining Future Pillars followed, each bearing children I could not reach. The Kings—noble to the last—cleared a path with their lives, hurling themselves at Maken to delay the inevitable.
"I must return... as soon as I can."
That single thought rang through my mind like an oath carved in stone—unyielding, unstoppable.
............................................
After three hours of relentless descent, we finally reached the bottom of the valley. Exhausted, bruised, and carrying the weight of what we had witnessed, we arrived at the Shaman King's hut.
The place was modest—woven from mountain reeds and wood infused with old enchantments—yet it emanated a quiet power. Smoke rose gently from a small incense bowl near the entrance, its scent calming, grounding.
The Shaman King stepped out to meet us. Despite the grand title, there was a humility in his posture, and a jittery awkwardness that seemed almost too human for someone of his station. He was barely twenty, yet he bore the weight of ancient knowledge. It was said he had earned the title of Shaman King not through lineage, but by mastering the Mystique Arts at a depth no elder had reached in generations.
He moved swiftly, his eyes scanning the children we had evacuated—checking their pulse, chi, and physical condition with quiet efficiency. His fingers brushed over their foreheads like a gentle wind, whispering incantations under his breath.
Then his gaze fell on me.
For a moment, his expression froze. His eyes narrowed slightly, and it looked as if a buried memory had surfaced—something important, something urgent. He stepped closer, his presence suddenly heavier, more focused.
And then, he spoke
"Miss Plum Blossom Empress… Even though it's too early—no, it's too late… Too early for this to happen, but too late to tell you. Still, I need to say it."
I nodded solemnly. "I am listening."
He lowered his gaze, voice heavy with burden.
"The truth is… the Abbot and I spoke of this matter at length. Of the principle behind the Demon King's near-infinite chi. We pieced together fragments—half-truths, rumors, ancient scrolls—and from that, we formed a theory."
He took a breath, as though dreading the words to follow.
"The theory was this: the Demon Lord practices soul cultivation."
"Wait—don't say that means what I think it means!" Red Phoenix exclaimed, her voice laced with fear. Her eyes widened, horror dawning upon her face.
"Alas," he said grimly, "it is exactly as you fear. He is able to absorb the chi of every soul he slays."
A hush fell over the chamber. The depth of the catastrophe became clearer with each heartbeat.
The Abbot.The Storm Emperor.Their deaths alone would grant the Demon Lord the power to shatter nations—and that was three hours past.
"So this is it then…" one of the Dragons spoke, his voice hollow. "The end of the Murim. There is no way left to defeat that demon."
"There is a way," came a calm voice.
All heads turned.
The Shaman King stood at the center of the gathering, his expression composed, yet shadowed by great sorrow. Hope flickered in every gaze fixed upon him.
"The Abbot… the Elders… and I—we discussed this a year ago. In secret, we prepared a final measure. A desperate one."
He stepped forward, drawing a breath as he looked upon them all.
"The uniforms worn by the New Murim Alliance—each is a talisman, carved and inscribed with ancient seals. These talismans are linked to this."
He raised his right hand, revealing a single, gleaming jade talisman glowing faintly in his palm.
"This talisman will receive and store the chi from every warrior of the Murim, drawn through the talismanic threads in your garb. In effect, it will pool all the energy of our alliance into one vessel."
A stunned silence fell.
"That means," he continued, "one person—one—will bear the sum of all our chi. The strength of a thousand warriors in a single body."
He paused.
"But to bear such power… even for a moment… will tear the body apart. It must be wielded delicately. Precisely. And even then… to activate the talisman is to choose death. There is no known soul who can endure it and survive."
He looked up, directly at me
And his voice trembled with emotion as he held out the jade talisman in his hand.
"GREAT PLUM BLOSSOM EMPRESS…" he said, bowing his head slightly.
"Will you save the Murim?"