Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 64

—————
This chapter is translated by Falnar Novels Team.
Support us by reading on our official site: https://falnarnovels.com
—————

Chapter 64.
“The loser becomes a hunting dog crawling beneath the victor’s feet. How does that sound?”
Yun Cheon’s chilling voice descended upon the banquet hall.
Maeng Ung’s bestial instincts screamed a desperate warning.
A suffocating cold tightened around his throat.
Goosebumps erupted across his skin.
‘This monster is no mere child…!’
An unfathomable abyss of a creature.
Yet Maeng Ung could not retreat.
This was his inauguration ceremony, with all the gangs from the Qinghai Province vicinity summoned to attend.
Hundreds of guests watched.
‘If I show cowardice here, the Blood Axe Fortress’s reputation is finished!’
A cornered beast bares its fangs.
Maeng Ung forcibly suppressed the primal instinct coursing down his spine and bellowed.
“You insolent whelp! How dare you flap your mouth about anyone’s safety!”
Maeng Ung stamped the ground with a heavy, deliberate step.
Boom—!
The earth screamed.
“Die!”
Maeng Ung roared and launched himself toward the elevated platform.
The Blood Axe Fortress Master’s ultimate technique.
A colossal axe drank in Maeng Ung’s entire body’s inner energy, unleashing a crimson, blood-tinged malevolent light.
Destructive power savage enough to cleave a mountain in two.
Yet Yun Cheon did not even draw his blade, nor did he move from his seat.
“You sense the gap between us. How foolish.”
Swish.
Yun Cheon lightly raised the left hand that had been setting down his teacup.
Beneath his sleeve, jet-black ink-steel cold iron gleamed.
The massive crimson axe blade and Yun Cheon’s wrist collided.
Clang—!
A deafening metallic shriek accompanied a tremendous shockwave that swept through the banquet hall.
And in that same instant, a sight that defied all expectation unfolded before their eyes.
A full-force overhead strike.
Despite the axe’s tremendous weight and Maeng Ung’s raw strength combined, Yun Cheon’s wrist did not yield even an inch downward.
Rather, the merciless rebound—as if striking solid steel—sent tremors through Maeng Ung’s grip.
This was the first exchange.
The beginning of despair.
“What… what manner of strength!”
In the moment Maeng Ung, seized by shock, attempted to withdraw his axe.
Yun Cheon twisted the wrist that had blocked the blade, serpentine, seizing the junction where the axe head met its haft.
“…?!”
In an instant, the frigid essence of the Limitless Frozen Heart Method concentrated within Yun Cheon’s grasp.
Extreme cold pierced through the metal.
Crack—!
Boom—!
The massive axe handle, rapidly frozen beyond its limit, shattered into countless fragments that scattered in all directions.
White frost clung to the metal shards as they flew.
The second exchange.
Complete disarming.
“Gasp…!”
Maeng Ung’s center collapsed without his weapon.
Seizing the moment, Yun Cheon’s form on the elevated platform dispersed like a phantom.
Shadowless Step.
With speed that even shadows could not pursue, Yun Cheon’s hand plunged into Maeng Ung’s chest.
Thrust—!
A technique resembling a dragon’s claw.
The Cloud Dragon Claw pierced directly through Maeng Ung’s dantian.
The savage cold of the Limitless Frozen Heart Method surged like a tempest through Maeng Ung’s meridians.
Whoooosh—.
“Gaaahhhhh…!”
Maeng Ung’s entire body froze solid, and his massive bear-like frame crashed to the ground.
Frozen blood poured from between his cracked lips.
Merely three exchanges.
The fortress master of Blood Axe Fortress, once standing shoulder to shoulder with the Black Dragon Gang, now knelt pathetically at the feet of the new Black Dragon Gang Leader who wielded no weapon.
Yun Cheon stepped closer to the fallen Maeng Ung and moved his lips.
Only to Maeng Ung’s mind did a chilling voice pierce through.
[Is your backer the Asura Blood Sect? Or the Golden Pavilion? If you do not answer, I will completely cripple your martial arts.]
“Gahhh… gasp….”
Maeng Ung’s bloodshot eyes filled with shock.
‘This… this bastard! He set a trap from the beginning! To uncover my backer…!’
The terror of absolute zero strangling his dantian.
In agony as his breath was cut off, Maeng Ung hastily sent a transmission.
[P-please spare me! B-both! I received support from both sides!]
Only then did Yun Cheon withdraw the yin-cold energy that had burrowed deep.
‘The Inspection Bureau’s intelligence was accurate. To think he received dual support. I’ll hand this one over to Sa Do Myeong.’
Tap-tap-tap—!
Yun Cheon’s fingers moved like lightning, sealing Maeng Ung’s meridian points.
Whoosh—.
With that, the massive bandit leader’s body completely collapsed.
As Maeng Ung froze solid and fell, the bandits of Blood Axe Fortress who had stormed into the banquet hall all held their breath.
An absolute terror so overwhelming that not even a scream could escape.
The one most shocked was Sa Hae Ryong, the Iron Shark Gang Master, who witnessed the spectacle from right beside him.
He knew better than anyone that he and Maeng Ung were evenly matched in strength.
In fact, when Maeng Ung aimed for Yun Cheon’s crown, Sa Hae Ryong’s hand was already gripping the hilt of the jagged saber slung across his shoulder.
The blade, flicked upward by his thumb, had been drawn halfway out of its sheath.
Yet it took only three exchanges.
No—in truth, the outcome was already decided in the very first clash.
‘What… what is that monster!’
Witnessing Maeng Ung’s dantian freeze and shatter in that brief instant, every hair on Sa Hae Ryong’s body stood on end.
Click—
A faint metallic sound echoed through the quiet banquet hall.
It was the sound of Sa Hae Ryong quietly sliding his half-drawn jagged saber back into its scabbard.
‘Something is terribly wrong! There’s no way a monster like that could be ranked 100th in the Feng Yun Ranking! This is like walking straight into a tiger’s mouth with my own feet!’
Sa Hae Ryong forced an awkward smile and hastily signaled his lack of hostile intent.
“Ahem… ahem. Maeng Ung, Gang Master. How… how rude of me! I was about to step in myself, but the new Black Dragon Gang Master has… handled it splendidly. You possess martial prowess far exceeding your years.”
Beads of cold sweat dripped steadily from his forehead.
‘Was this a trap? Could even… turning his back be part of the scheme?’
Yun Cheon was presenting his back fully to Sa Hae Ryong, yet even that posture felt like a lure designed to provoke an attack—leaving him paralyzed with fear.
The Iron Shark Gang Master’s mind flashed white with panic.
‘Retreat. I… I must escape this place alive, no matter what.’
Sa Hae Ryong’s thoughts spiraled around a single word as he struggled to breathe.
* * *
Meanwhile, Seong Mu Do, the Sect Master of the Seven Star Sect, who had withdrawn to observe from the rear.
The folding fan he held trembled slightly.
‘That… that clear and chilling aura… and that arrogance.’
In Seong Mu Do’s aged eyes, Yun Cheon appeared utterly alien.
Despite shattering Maeng Ung’s dantian and crippling him, Yun Cheon’s breathing remained perfectly composed.
Not a speck of dust clung to his pitch-black martial robes.
‘This is no mere back-alley martial art! There is clearly a foundation beneath it—at minimum from ten major sects or greater powers! A massive force unknown to me has definitely moved into Qinghai Province!’
Seong Mu Do swallowed hard, grateful for his own prudent restraint, and felt a dry lump in his throat.
From within that oppressive silence, Yun Cheon’s cold voice cut across the Training Ground.
“From this day forward, Blood Axe Fortress is absorbed under the Black Dragon Gang. Does anyone wish to contest this decision?”
“….”
No one answered.
Not a single one among the hundreds of Blood Axe Fortress bandits stepped forward to seek revenge, despite their fortress master lying defeated.
“So Ryong! Take this man into custody.”
“As you command!”
Yun Cheon, confirming their submission, brushed his collar lightly.
“The banquet has been disrupted by this commotion. My apologies. We shall continue the festivities. Since not all honored guests have yet arrived, please enjoy the remainder of the celebration.”
Yun Cheon ascended the Elevated Platform once more without even wiping the blood from his hands, and leisurely picked up his teacup.
As Yun Cheon’s oppressive aura that had suffocated the hall dissipated, the members of the heterodox sects finally gasped for breath and opened their airways.
The Blood Axe Fortress’s fortress master and bandits, who had belatedly regained their senses, began to panic and create a commotion.
“F-Fortress Master! Ugh… what should we do…!”
The Blood Axe Fortress’s fortress master who had been the first to provoke Yalü Hee from the start.
He was crushed beneath the overwhelming atmosphere of the Black Dragon Gang, capable only of uttering pathetic sounds.
“Hic! Hiccup!”
Witnessing his pathetic state, Jin So Wol passed by the fortress master’s side with a spear slung over her shoulder, her voice cutting through the air with chilling indifference.
“…That’s what you get for throwing your cup in that direction.”
Jin So Wol’s true intentions were pure.
‘Because that bastard threw his cup toward Yalü Hee earlier, I couldn’t step forward and earn any credit. There goes my exemption from morning running drills.’
Merely the petulant complaint of a martial artist disappointed at losing a wager.
However, the fortress master’s interpretation of those words was entirely different.
‘H-Hieek! She clearly remembers that I provoked her earlier! This is a warning that she’ll tear me to shreds once the banquet ends!’
The fortress master’s face drained of all color as he collapsed onto the spot, trembling violently.
The reactions of those observing the banquet were starkly divided.
The disciples of the Iron Shark Gang and Seven Star Sect fell into confusion and wariness, unsure what to do.
Meanwhile, the merchants and residents of the surrounding area who had benefited from the heavens opening anew since the Black Dragon Gang’s arrival actually seemed delighted, raising their cups with satisfaction.
“Did you see how the Blood Axe Fortress Master couldn’t move a muscle?”
“Don’t even mention it. That bear of a man was laid flat in just three exchanges!”
“Hah! It’s absolutely refreshing! How much money have they extorted from us during every trading expedition!”
Many of the merchants had been genuinely terrified by the Blood Axe Fortress Master’s appearance.
However, once Yun Cheon subdued Maeng Ung in mere moments, they finally relaxed and enjoyed the banquet, speaking loudly and boisterously.
“We now welcome the distinguished guests of this inauguration ceremony!”
It was at that very moment.
The distinguished guests who had not yet appeared.
They began arriving at the banquet hall one by one.
It was the result of So Ryong deliberately adjusting the arrival times of the guests and nearby forces of Qinghai Province differently.
“Qian Mo Cave’s Instructor Chuk Mu Gwang! Senior Instructor Ya Jin and Instructor Ma Chung now enter!”
From beyond the massive black iron gates of the Black Dragon Gang that had been firmly shut, the gatekeeper’s resonant announcement suddenly transformed the atmosphere of the banquet hall.
“What…!? Chuk Mu Gwang of Guangfeng?”
“A master of absolute perfection has come to this remote banquet?”
The eyes of the local forces widened as if they might burst from their sockets.
However, this was merely the prelude announcing the procession of giants.
“Ilwol Trading Company’s Qinghai Branch Director, Geum Bu Dong! He enters to present congratulatory gifts to the new faction leader!”
From beyond the massive black iron gates of the Black Dragon Gang that had been firmly shut, the gatekeeper’s resonant announcement tore through the air of the banquet hall.
“W-What?!”
Sa Hae Ryong’s mouth fell agape.
The legendary Ilwol Trading Company had come directly to this remote faction’s inauguration ceremony bearing gifts?
As carts overflowing with gifts poured into the Black Dragon Gang’s courtyard, Sa Hae Ryong’s eyes widened in astonishment.
The great figures continued to pour in without end.
“Jo Gyeom of the Ghost Killing Gate, Hyeol Ryeon Cheong of the Hyeol Ryeon Family, Baek Ri Hyeon the Sword Saint, and Jang Dae San of the Cheolhyeol Muggeuk Sect have arrived.”
“The Demonic Path Pavilion Master, the One-Stroke Soul Reaper Gal Mu Heun, is now entering!”
The sinister aura of the Demonic Cult’s leadership.
Seong Mu Do, the Sect Leader of the Seven Star Sect, finally felt his legs give way beneath him as he collapsed to the ground.
‘The… the Demonic Path Pavilion Master himself, and a late-stage master of the tenth rank, personally attending?!’
‘Just… just what manner of person is this new Black Dragon Gang Leader?!’
‘This is nothing short of a demon’s lair!’
Seizing the moment, Yalü Hyeon, who had been holding his breath in the corner of the banquet hall, slipped out and formally joined the procession of arrivals.
‘I must reveal my identity now! If I wait any longer, I’ll be cast out without even seeing my sister!’
What he had thought to be a minor faction’s gathering had proven to host guests of considerable standing.
The moment Yalü Hyeon completed the entrance formalities, he drew the massive horse-slaying saber strapped to his back and drove it deep into the floor.
Thud—!
The heavy, resonant sound drew every eye in the banquet hall toward him.
Then, not as the youngest member of the Guang Feng Yalü Family, but as a warrior in his own right, he bowed deeply toward the elevated platform and cried out.
“From the Twelve Orthodox Families, the Guang Feng Yalü Family’s acting young master, Yalü Hyeon! I offer my sincere congratulations on the Black Dragon Gang Leader’s inauguration and my sister’s appointment as instructor!”
“…Hyeon? Hyeon has come?”
Yalü Hee’s eyes widened as she stood rigidly below the platform.
Her only sibling in the family who had remained loyal to her.
While her face showed a mixture of joy and surprise, the pupils of Yalü Hyeon’s eyes gazing up from below were filled with shock.
The sister who had been cast out as a disgrace to the family.
‘I’m relieved my sister hasn’t lost her way, but….’
Yalü Hyeon’s purpose in coming had always been to bring Yalü Hee back to the family home.
‘Yet… will I be able to?’
Yalü Hyeon sensed that it would not be so simple.
“The… the Twelve Orthodox Families…!”
“An… an instructor? Then one of those women is a daughter of the Yalü Family?”
“…At this rate, isn’t the Black Dragon Gang Leader an absolutely formidable figure?”
Boom—!
At that moment, the earth trembled and the air in the banquet hall shimmered like heat haze.
A towering giant, bearing a massive black-iron hammer upon his shoulder and trailing scorching winds, strode through the entrance.
“…Disciple of Yeom Hwa Jjon, Gong Ya Pae, reporting for duty!”
Gong Ya Pae, who had parted the crowd to enter, waved his hand enthusiastically toward Yun Cheon on the elevated platform.
“Little brother! Your older brother isn’t late, is he?”
A direct disciple of one of the Five Venerable Ones, calling the new Black Dragon Gang Leader his “little brother” and laughing heartily.
Collapse.
Finally, the knees of Sa Hae Ryong, the Iron Shark Gang Leader, buckled beneath him.
He had come with the intention of plundering what he believed to be a backwater gang’s den.
But upon opening the lid, he discovered it was a nest of monsters where the core forces of the Demonic Cult’s leadership had gathered.
‘W-what were we even trying to do?’
Territorial rights? Pride?
Such luxuries were beyond reach.
My mind held only the primal instinct to survive.
‘No… wait! Unlike those Blood Axe Stronghold bastards, we haven’t drawn our blades yet! There’s still a chance!’
Just as I desperately searched for any way to escape this predicament—
Kuguguguong—!
A thunderous roar as if lightning had split the clear sky.
An overwhelming pressure descended upon the entire Training Ground, as though the heavens themselves were collapsing.
“Ugh…!”
“Hack!”
“Cough!”
The assembled crowd gasped in unison, their breath stolen away.
At the entrance of the Training Ground, where the dust had settled—
An elderly man wearing a bamboo hat and a woman of mysterious bearing stood waiting.
With each step the woman took, the flames dancing in the hall froze to an eerie blue and trembled, while the ashen pressure emanating from the old man seized the breath of everyone within.
Seol Young, the woman of Icy Soul who had cast off all traces of illness.
And one of the Five Great Venerables of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
Saengsa Jjon.
Even the receptionist announced their identities with a trembling voice, bewilderment evident in every word.
“The Five Great Venerables of our sect, Saengsa Jjon, and his granddaughter have graced us with their presence! All assembled must show proper respect!”

—————
This chapter is translated by Falnar Novels Team.
Support us by reading on our official site: https://falnarnovels.com
—————