Blood Demon's Awakening

🌩️ The Lightning Mountains

The Blood Flame Sect airship began its descent through layers of storm clouds that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Lightning crackled across the sky in patterns too regular to be natural, creating a web of electric blue that illuminated the jagged mountain peaks below.

"We're entering Thunder Lightning Gate territory now," Blood Wolf announced from the observation deck, his voice barely audible over the rumbling thunder.

Jin-ho pressed his face against the crystal window, watching as bolts of lightning struck the mountainsides with clockwork precision. Unlike the serene, frozen beauty of the Ice Soul Palace, this place radiated raw, untamed power.

"The mountains themselves are alive with electricity," Blood Scribe observed, consulting his ancient maps. "Legend says the Thunder Lightning King's power still flows through these peaks, even after three thousand years."

👻 The Thunder Lightning King's Homecoming

『Finally... I'm home again...』

The Thunder Lightning King's voice echoed in Jin-ho's mind, heavy with emotion that Jin-ho had never heard from the usually boisterous demon god before.

『How long has it been? The lightning... it's changed. Weaker than when I ruled here.』

Jin-ho could feel the Thunder Lightning King's nostalgia washing over him like a tide. Through their shared consciousness, he caught glimpses of what this place had been like in its glory days—towers of pure electricity reaching toward the heavens, disciples who could split mountains with a gesture, storms that obeyed the Thunder Lightning King's every whim.

"This was your domain," Jin-ho whispered, understanding flooding through him.

『Yes. Every bolt, every storm, every spark of electricity in these mountains once answered to me. And now...』

The Thunder Lightning King's voice grew bitter.

『Now they serve petty tyrants and murderers.』

💔 Jin-ho's Silent Vow

As the airship descended further, Jin-ho's thoughts turned to Noe Jin-woon. His friend had grown up in these mountains, had trained on these very peaks, had dreams of becoming a great cultivator who would make his sect proud.

Instead, he had died alone and afraid, betrayed by the very people he had served faithfully.

"Jin-woon..." Jin-ho's hand unconsciously moved to his chest, where he could still feel the echo of his friend's final moments. The memories weren't his own, but they felt real enough to make his heart ache.

Memories of Jin-woon's childhood flashed through his mind:

A young boy afraid of thunder, hiding under his blanket The same boy, older now, laughing as he successfully created his first spark of electricity Jin-woon's joy when he first met Jin-ho, finally finding someone who didn't judge him His tears of regret as he fled, leaving Jin-ho behind

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," Jin-ho murmured. "But I promise... I'll make them pay for what they did to you."

🔥 The Blood Heaven Great Emperor's Support

『That's the spirit I want to see』

The Blood Heaven Great Emperor's approval resonated through Jin-ho's consciousness.

『These Thunder Lightning Gate dogs think they can murder our vessel's friend and get away with it? They'll learn differently.』

For once, both demon gods were in complete agreement. Their mutual anger created a resonance that made Jin-ho's blood sing with power.

『Jin Noe-mu especially』 the Thunder Lightning King snarled. 『That pathetic worm has been coveting my power for sixty years. Today, he'll learn why I was called the King of Destruction.』

⛈️ Signs of Hostility

As they drew closer to the Thunder Lightning Gate's main compound, the artificial lightning strikes became more frequent and aggressive. What had seemed like natural phenomena from a distance now revealed themselves as deliberate warnings.

Crack! BOOM!

A massive bolt struck just meters from their airship, close enough to make the entire vessel shake.

"That was a warning shot," Blood Guard observed grimly. "They're telling us we're not welcome."

"Let them try," Jin-ho said, his voice colder than it had been at the Ice Soul Palace. The warm, trusting young man who had hoped for friendship from Seol Hwa-rin was gone. In his place stood someone who had learned that power was the only language some people understood.

🌊 A Tide of Electrical Energy

The airship passed through a barrier of crackling energy that surrounded the Thunder Lightning Gate like an invisible wall. Jin-ho felt the Thunder Lightning King stir with recognition.

『The Thousand Thunder Formation... they're still using my techniques, the insolent fools.』

"What's that?" Jin-ho asked internally.

『A defensive formation I created. It can detect any approaching threat and... oh, that's interesting.』

"What?"

『It just scanned you. And now every lightning cultivator in that compound knows that you carry thunder and lightning energy within you. They know Jin-woon's power lives in you now.』

Jin-ho's eyes hardened. So much for a subtle approach.

⚡ The Thunder Lightning King's Ancient Authority

As they descended toward the landing platform, something unexpected happened. The aggressive lightning strikes suddenly ceased, as if the mountains themselves had recognized their former master.

『Even after all this time, this place remembers me』 the Thunder Lightning King said with satisfaction. 『Good. Let them all be reminded of who they truly serve.』

The sudden calm was more ominous than the storm had been. Jin-ho could see figures gathering on the landing platform below—dozens of Thunder Lightning Gate disciples, their robes crackling with electricity, their faces set in expressions of barely contained hostility.

"They're all here to welcome us," Blood Wolf said dryly.

"Some welcome," Jin-ho replied, but he wasn't afraid. The grief and anger that had been building since Jin-woon's death were finally crystallizing into something sharper, more dangerous.

🛡️ The Blood Flame Sect's Readiness

"Remember," Blood Wolf addressed the team as they prepared to disembark, "this isn't like the Ice Soul Palace. There won't be any pretense of hospitality here. They want us dead, and they're not going to hide it."

"Good," Blood Scribe said, checking his equipment. "I prefer honest enemies to false friends."

Blood Guard was already scanning the reception committee below. "I count at least thirty disciples, plus several elders. Jin Noe-mu isn't among them yet, but he's probably watching from somewhere."

"Let him watch," Jin-ho said, stepping toward the airship's exit. "Let him see what's coming for him."

⚡ A Promise to the Dead

As the landing ramp extended, Jin-ho paused for one final moment of reflection. In his mind, he could almost see Jin-woon standing beside him, that familiar nervous smile on his face.

"You don't have to do this for me," he imagined his friend saying.

"Yes, I do," Jin-ho whispered. "You died because you tried to be loyal to people who saw you as nothing more than a tool. Someone needs to make them answer for that."

『We'll make them answer』 both demon gods said in unison.

『Together』

Taking a deep breath, Jin-ho stepped off the airship and onto the stone platform of the Thunder Lightning Gate. The assembled disciples watched him with a mixture of hatred, fear, and curiosity.

Above them all, storm clouds gathered as if responding to his presence.

The hunt for Jin-woon's killers was about to begin.