Merin sighs as he looks at the gathering point ahead.

Just hours ago, that black shadow had revealed itself to be a King Kong Realm martial artist—

a true monster of power.

He had watched that man battle an Armoured Grey Bone Monster—

a being Merin now knows is called an Armoured Bone Demon,

a creature of the Bone Demon Clan,

One of the many clans within the dreaded Demon Race.

The fight had been devastating.

And as Merin watched it unfold, one thought chilled him:

The one we killed wasn’t even serious.

That creature had been playing with them—testing them, perhaps.

Had it fought seriously, they wouldn’t have lasted a single minute.

Their only saving grace had been the anti-tank gun.

A single, lucky shot.

Now, hours later, they stand before the portal.

The only way out of this realm battlefield.

Behind him, Jane’s voice rises:

“What are you all going to do now?”

Evander, back in his human form, speaks for the Manford family.

“They’re going home,” he says.

“I’ll stay behind and search for news of the missing cousins.”

Three cars had entered the realm battlefield—

But now, only the passengers of two remain.

All the family members survived.

But except for three,

every bodyguard lies dead.

Black says, “I’ll return here later. This place is a treasure trove.”

Jane nods. “Then… should we hunt together next time?”

She looks at Merin.

Merin nods. “I’ll be coming back too.”

This land is dangerous—yes. It’s a battlefield.

But the treasure bones scattered here are priceless.

If he keeps absorbing them, he could reach the peak of the Lower Unification Realm in no time.

He doesn’t know if he’ll ever find another place like this.

He just needs to rest first. And now that he knows the way out,

He can afford to return.

As the group approaches the portal, a middle-aged man steps in their path.

Black’s eyes widen. “Uncle?”

The man gives a relieved nod. “Good. You’re safe, Black.”

His gaze sweeps across the group. “All of you will need to sign an NDA.”

Jane frowns. “Why?”

“The presence of the Demon Race cannot be made public,” the man says.

“Why not?” Black asks.

Evander answers before the man can. “Because demons feed on emotion—

And most of it is fear, hate, panic. Attention gives them power.”

The middle-aged man turns sharply, surprised. “Who are you?”

Before Evander can speak, Cassie steps in.

“We’re from the Manford family.”

The man’s expression shifts. “Ah… the Manfords. Demon-blooded.

You’re exempt.”

Merin, Jane, Black, and the three remaining bodyguards each sign the NDA.

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Then they step through the portal, leaving Evander behind.

Merin returns to his cottage and finds Greenview Town flooded with martial artists—both official and unofficial forces gathering in large numbers.

He enters his cottage, locks the door, and collapses into sleep.

When he wakes, he washes up, cooks a simple meal, and enjoys it alone in silence.

After eating, he calls his parents—he hadn’t contacted them in over a day.

Once the call ends, he settles down and begins training again, rotating between the two breathing techniques to refine his true energy.

He doesn’t have an official cultivation technique for breaking into the Upper Unification Realm,

But he knows what’s required: Karst energy has three primary properties—heat, cold, and lightning.

Most martial artists master either heat and lightning or cold and lightning to break through.

What surprised everyone, especially the bodyguards, was when Merin used both heat and cold at once—

a near-impossible feat at his level.

Because the two are opposing energies, most Lower Unification Realm martial artists can’t withstand the internal conflict.

It’s considered dangerous—even suicidal.

That’s why the bodyguards assumed he was already in the Upper Realm.

But mastering opposing elements has its rewards:

It rapidly refines the body and purifies true energy, even without a formal breakthrough technique.

The next day, Merin receives messages from both Jane and Black.

They inform him they won’t be able to form a team with him in the Realm Battlefield—they’ll be entering with their fellow disciples.

Merin replies with a simple “Okay” and returns to his training.

He doesn’t stop until the following day, when his body and true energy reach their current limit.

Further refinement is impossible without first increasing his true energy reserves.

But absorbing Karst energy from the ground is a slow process—

At this rate, it would take years to reach the next threshold.

So Merin leaves his cottage and returns to the portal.

Upon entering, he finds a small town has sprung up on the other side, built right within the Realm Battlefield.

He locates an inn, and though the room prices are ten times higher than outside, he understands why.

This is a battlefield—and he’s not short on money.

After paying, he rests in his room for an hour, then heads out to roam the town in search of information.

From gathered whispers and overheard talks, he learns that a war is raging near the portal to the Bone Demon Dimension.

Some daring martial artists have even managed to sneak into the dimension itself.

So far, their side holds the upper hand.

From everything he hears, Merin concludes that the Bone Demon Clan is considered a low-tier Demon Clan.

They’re dangerous, yes—but ultimately outclassed by stronger powers.

And for now, the Federation is expected to win the war.

But the Bone Demon Clan is only one among many within the broader Demon Race—

a race made up of countless clans, three of which are led by true Demon Gods.

If even one or two other clans decide to intervene on behalf of the Bone Demons, the tide could shift instantly.

And if any of the six Upper Demon Clans step in, the Federation wouldn’t just lose—they’d be annihilated.

Those clans don’t need armies.

They only need to send one individual.

A single Upper Demon could crush the Federation alone.

Demonic cultivation is divided into five major realms, each further broken into noble-like tiers:

Demon Soldier, Demon Knight, Demon Baron, Demon Viscount, Demon Count, Demon Marquis, Demon Duke, Demon Archduke, and Demon God.

A Demon Duke alone would be enough to wipe out everything the Federation has.

That’s why, despite the current advantage, the Federation is cautious.

They can’t afford to antagonise the Demon Race too deeply.

But the Federation isn’t without its own powerful systems.

One in particular—Demon Hunter cultivation—is designed to counter demonic bloodlines.

It parallels the demonic path in structure and power and is uniquely suited to fighting Demon-kind.

Merin, upon hearing the name and learning of its capabilities, was captivated.

He dreamed of becoming a Demon Hunter himself.

But that hope was crushed when he learned he couldn’t.

It wasn’t because he lacked a rare talent, spiritual roots, or elemental affinity.

The reason was far simpler—and far more frustrating.

His true energy came from the origin world, a force fundamentally incompatible with demon energy.

Demon Hunters cultivate demon energy, and the two forces don’t just conflict—they repel and destroy one another.

Unlike the manageable clash between his fire and ice, this conflict would be absolute.

If Merin ever tried to cultivate demon energy, it wouldn’t just injure him—it would kill him instantly.

That’s why the path of a Demon Hunter is only open to those who start training in it from the very beginning, before learning martial arts or reaching the peak of the King Kong Realm.

This rule applies only to ordinary people.

Those with demon blood, like the Manfords, are exceptions.

For them, demon energy blends naturally with their body, allowing them to become Demon Hunters at any realm, any time.

So for Merin, the only option left is to advance to the peak of the King Kong Realm—

because only then can he attempt a forced shift into the Demon Hunter path without immediately dying.

Determined to accelerate his progress, Merin left the frontier town and returned to the battlefield, hunting only white and grey Bone Demons.

Anything stronger—like an Armoured Bone Demon—would mean certain death, especially with no teammates nearby to split the threat.

He hunted cautiously, methodically, relying on his experience to stay alive.

After a week of steady battle and bone absorption, the portal was closed, and everyone was forced to leave.

Merin didn’t know why the battlefield had been shut down, but it didn’t concern him.

His goal was complete.

He had reached the peak of the Lower Unification Realm—just one step away from the breakthrough.

He spent one final day resting in his cottage, then cancelled his rent and returned home.

He had achieved more than he ever planned when he first arrived.

While Merin returns home, far away, within the headquarters of the Church of Life and Blood, a different story unfolds.

In the great marble hall, beneath the shadow of a towering statue of the goddess, a robed man kneels and offers up a Bone Crown to the High Priest.

The High Priest accepts it with a smile.

“Good, good. You’ve succeeded,” he says, his voice full of reverence and restrained triumph. “Now we’re one step closer to fulfilling the prophecy.”

He turns and gestures. “Follow me.”

They walk behind the statue and descend into a hidden corridor—a narrow, dim passage cut deep into the foundation of the temple.

At the end lies a sealed chamber. In the centre of the room stands a thick, cylindrical glass pillar, glowing faintly with pale blue light.

Suspended inside, floating in an unknown shimmering fluid, is a baby.

The High Priest extends his hand. “Give it to me.”

The man obeys, placing the Bone Crown into the priest’s waiting hands.

The High Priest closes his eyes, channelling the dark energy from the crown and guiding it into the fluid chamber.

As the crown pulses, the fluid bubbles, and the child begins to change.

Before the man’s stunned eyes, the infant rapidly grows.

Its limbs stretch, bones crack and reform, flesh matures—and in seconds, the baby becomes a six- or seven-year-old child.

The boy opens his eyes.

“Now,” the High Priest whispers, smiling darkly, “The next is the Snake Pearl.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep