At Dong Yeohae’s jab, Shindo Gwang cleared his throat and said,“Hem-hem. The meat here is good.”In truth, Shindo Gwang had also been stuffing his face, but he’d come to his senses a bit earlier than the father and son.There was a reason they were losing their minds over food like this.For a month, the only things they’d eaten were Fasting Pills pressed from grains and water.Men who’d always eaten well had spent an entire month choking down Fasting Pills just to fill their bellies—so this reaction wasn’t strange at all.Above all, Yeon Woo Jin’s training intensity had been beyond imagination, and the amount of food their bodies demanded because of it was enormous.Holding back from eating what they craved was no different from torture.“Whoo—hah! I finally feel alive again.”Patting his swollen belly, Dong Yeohae sprawled out contentedly.Shindo Gwang asked the reclining Dong Yeohae,“So? How does it feel after spending a month with our lord?”“It was a month I still can’t believe. As you said—he’s truly incredible.”“Right? Now you see why I said there isn’t a sliver of room for debate.”Dong Yeohae and Dong Baekdan both nodded.“It’s a shock that even with the three of us charging him, we couldn’t so much as brush a hem of his robe.”At Dong Yeohae’s words, Dong Baekdan chimed in.“Exactly. And our realms even rose, didn’t they? But even after a realm rise, it was the same.”“Just how high up is he, really?”At Dong Yeohae’s mutter, Shindo Gwang grinned.“Kekeke. Took you long enough. My lord is the Greatest Under Heaven, past and present.”Before, they might have called that nonsense—but not now.“All right, then—shouldn’t you make a decision?”“A decision about what?”“What do you think? After he’s shown us grace like this, are you really not going to serve him?”At Shindo Gwang’s words, Dong Yeohae fell into thought.Seeing him ponder, Shindo Gwang said,“Follow your heart. Saying you’ll serve our lord when you don’t truly mean it would be worse.”Dong Yeohae sank deeper into thought.A moment later, he looked to Dong Baekdan.“Baekdan, what do you think?”“I… want to serve him.”Dong Yeohae nodded.“I feel the same. When will we ever meet another man who exerts himself this much for our sake? While I’m still alive, I want to serve him.”“I’m of the same mind.”“Good. Let’s gather the leadership and discuss it.”“Good idea.”At Dong Yeohae’s talk of convening the leadership, Shindo Gwang said,“Before that, why not get our lord’s permission first?”“Permission?”“Of course. Were you going to decide that among yourselves without asking him?”“You’re right. You’ve got the right of it. I’ll go ask his permission at once.”The two sprang up and headed for the room where Yeon Woo Jin was resting.Hearing that Dong Yeohae and Dong Baekdan wished to serve him as their lord, Yeon Woo Jin smiled and gave his leave.“Yes, do that. I’ll be counting on you.”“Yes! We’ll serve you with all our hearts.”The two, having received permission, smiled.“Could you delay entering the Time-Space Division Formation tomorrow, just for a bit?”“What for?”“I’d like to gather the leadership and tell them what happened today—that from now on, Yanghwa Palace will serve our lord.”“Hm. Then just bring the leadership into the Time-Space Division Formation.”“…Pardon?”“Since you’re at it, they can train too.”“Ah, understood. I’ll send word to them at once.”“Yes, do that.” ****The next day.Summoned by the Palace Lord, Yanghwa Palace’s leadership gathered in front of the Palace Lord’s private training ground.They stood there wearing expressions that said they had no idea what was going on.“Why do you suppose the Palace Lord called us here in such a hurry?”“Who knows? No one seems to know anything.”“All we got was the notice to assemble here.”Just then, while the leadership puzzled over it, Dong Yeohae appeared.“Paying respects to the Palace Lord!”Receiving their greetings, Dong Yeohae said,“All right, head inside.”“Sir? Isn’t that the Palace Lord’s private training ground?”“Yes. We have business inside. Go on in.”They didn’t know why, but since the Palace Lord had told them to enter, they started moving their feet.One among them, the strategist Seon Dohyeon, stopped.“Palace Lord, there’s a formation spread on the way into the training ground.”“As expected of a strategist—different eyes. That’s right. A formation is up.”“It’s a type of formation I’ve never seen before. Why is it spread here?”“You’ll know once you’re inside. Go in. That’s an order.”At the order, the strategist tilted his head and stepped through.Inside, Dong Baekdan and Shindo Gwang were already there, having arrived early and begun training.“What—Clan Head Shindo, you’re training here too?”“Hahaha. That’s how it turned out. Let’s get along—two months of it.”What was that supposed to mean?“Get along for two months”?The leadership turned to Dong Yeohae and asked,“Palace Lord, could you please explain what exactly is going on?”To their question, Dong Yeohae said,“From now, all of you will train here with me for two months.”“Training?”“Yes. A long peace has made you lot complacent. I can see it.”“N-No, sir. We’ve been training diligently.”“That’s right. We were sweating it out at dawn today as well.”When they pushed back, Dong Yeohae snorted.“You sweated? You call breaking a sweat training? And what about all that fat plastered over your bellies?”“Still, how can you suddenly tell us to train for two months?”“Right. You should have given us a heads-up so we could notify our families.”“Kekeke. Don’t worry. Outside, only two days will pass.”What was that supposed to mean now?He kept saying things they couldn’t make sense of.“All right then. Time to get stronger. Kekeke.”The Palace Lord’s expression was odd.He looked… delighted.But why?“Kekeke. You lot had it easy, didn’t you? Now it’s your turn.”As the Palace Lord’s chuckle deepened, the leadership’s unease only grew. ****Two months later.The leadership emerged from the training ground.They ran straight to the dining hall and shouted at the cooks to hurry and bring food.They hadn’t been seen for two days, and now they showed up looking like beggars asking for a meal—the cooks were startled.When the food was set before them, they lunged with their hands like actual vagrants, grabbing and wolfing it down.CHOMP— CHOMP—SMACK— SMACK—SLURP—CHOMP— CHOMP—All around them, there was nothing but the sound of eating.Among those devouring the food like that was the strategist.“L-Look at that. Even the strategist is eating like that.”“What on earth happened over two days to make them like this?”“They don’t look like two days—they look like they spent a couple of months begging. ”“Right? Their clothes are worn to rags.”They didn’t care how anyone looked at them; they focused solely on eating.In a flash, the dishes laid out were gone.“More! Bring more!”“Not enough!”“A-And bring liquor! Quick!”The cooks were busy again.After a few more rounds of dishes—“BUUURP—! I’m full!”“Gods, I’ve wanted this food so badly.”“I realized something.”“What?”“No matter how strong you get, you can’t beat hunger.”“Right! Right! What’s the point of being strong? If you’re hungry, starving to death is the same for everyone.”“From now on, I’m never forgetting how precious this food is.”With their bellies full and faces serene, the leadership chatted.“It really was a storm of two months.”“Yeah. Two months I never want to experience again in my life.”“Still, our realms rose, our vitality surged, and we even got younger. Feels like being born again.”“We owe it all to our lord.”“Damn right. We’ve received a great grace from him—now it’s our turn to repay it.”“Our lord is in the Little Heavenly Lord Contest. Let’s find ways we can help.”“Good idea.”“Our lord will become the Heaven Lord anyway—but we should still win the Little Heavenly Lord Contest by a landslide.”“Exactly! Let’s make it so those Five Guardian Clans can’t even squeak.”The leadership of Yanghwa Palace now naturally called Yeon Woo Jin “our lord” as they rallied together. ****“Our lord! You’re already leaving?”“You know how it is. I’m in the Little Heavenly Lord Contest right now.”“Ah! Heavens, I let it slip my mind for a moment.”Dong Yeohae bowed, looking apologetic.It was understandable—because in Dong Yeohae’s heart, Yeon Woo Jin was already the Little Heavenly Lord, and already the Heaven Lord.Knowing Dong Yeohae’s heart, Yeon Woo Jin smiled and said,“Don’t forget what I asked you.”“Of course! How could I forget? We’ll throw everything we have into preparing for a decisive battle with those Demonic Cult bastards.”Watching Dong Yeohae steel himself, Yeon Woo Jin held something out.“Hand these out to your most obedient subordinates.”“What are these?”“Harmony Pills.”“Pardon? Is this that Harmony Pill everyone’s been raving about?”Dong Yeohae opened the pouch and jolted.“Gasp! S-So many? I’ve heard these are quite expensive! I—I can’t accept them, my lord!”“It’s fine. I made them, so the cost wasn’t much.”“P—Pardon? Our lord, you made the Harmony Pills?”Yeon Woo Jin nodded.“What in the world is there that our lord can’t do?”He truly wondered.During training he brought the dead back to life, he made the famed elixir the world called a miracle pill, he deployed mysterious formations—On top of that, his martial might was absurd.Throughout training, they hadn’t so much as brushed Yeon Woo Jin’s collar.He even said he’d never once used his full strength.He was, in every sense, a Martial God.He didn’t know what the other Little Heavenly Lord candidates were like.But one thing was certain.Even if all the other candidates attacked at once, it would be useless.He was overwhelmed with emotion.To be able to serve a lord like this—Loyalty welled up in him.In his heart, he wanted to serve at his side forever.But there was work to do.This was the first order their lord had given.Dong Yeohae clenched his fist tight.He would meet their lord’s expectations—no matter what.As Dong Yeohae made that vow, the warriors of Yanghwa Palace felt a chill they couldn’t explain.Yeon Woo Jin departed.Watching his figure recede, they made one more resolve.They would do anything that would help in the Little Heavenly Lord Contest.He °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° spoke to the strategist who stood beside him, seeing him off.“Find ways to help our lord right away. You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? This Little Heavenly Lord Contest will be decided by how many sects under Martial Deity Heaven each candidate can pull to their side.”“I think so as well. It would be best to start with the sects we already have ties with.”“Good. Draft a meticulous plan. I’ll spare no support.”“Yes!” ****All of Yeon Woo Jin’s subordinates who had been at Shincheon Manor returned to Yeon Woo Jin’s residence within Martial Deity Heaven.Among them were also descendants of clans currently competing in the Little Heavenly Lord Contest.“Guardian Unit Chief Gi Ho! Paying respects to our lord!”“Deputy Chief! Bu Cheongi! Paying respects to our lord!”Their original names were Hyeok Ryeon Ho and Jangson Cheongi.“My lord, shall we return to our clans and extract information?”At their words, Yeon Woo Jin shook his head.“Forget the intel. Aren’t you going to visit home?”“It’s fine. No one will be looking for me at home.”“At least go see your mother.”At the word “mother,” Gi Ho hesitated.Yeon Woo Jin looked at Bu Cheongi.“You too. There’s someone you want to see.”Bu Cheongi also hesitated.Seeing that, Yeon Woo Jin snorted a laugh.“Don’t think about gathering intel—go see the people you want to see. That’s an order.”“U-Understood!”Yeon Woo Jin addressed the others as well.“The rest of you, go home, see your parents, and take a good few days’ rest. That’s an order.”“Understood!”“What are you waiting for? Move.”They all filed out at his words—everyone except Gi Ho and Bu Cheongi, who still lingered awkwardly.To the two of them, Yeon Woo Jin held something out.“You shouldn’t go empty-handed, so take these as gifts.”

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.