“We will start an all-out preparation for a defense war with Mount Heaven as the center.”

As the temporary Scarlet Sky Council convened once more a few hours after, Yeon gave out her very first order as the new Heavenly Demon.

Compared to the style of the first part of the meeting where Yeon attentively listened and inquired about the details of the situation, the second part went faster as she straightforwardly passed down her judgment of the situation.

She didn’t propose her thoughts before waiting for the council to agree with it, rather her words were to be followed as soon as they left her mouth!

“Understood, Leader-nim!”

‘It seems like I no longer need to give her a hand after all…’

Seeing Yeon’s change in expression, Leo proudly nodded to himself. It was hard to say that he was the one behind this growth as the Heavenly Demon’s Inheritance played the biggest role in that part, but he was still happy to see how far she had grown as her family.

While a discussion was definitely advised, that was only true when a decision was too difficult to make. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case this time around. Instead, this was exactly the moment when Yeon had to display her decisive charisma!

The only response to a possible attack in the Heavenly Strength Society’s book was to aggressively prepare for it! In fact, if not for the societal complications, following consequences, and the sequelae of war that the Society had yet to completely recover from, the proper answer would have been to go knocking on the assailant’s door!

If Yeon had actually hesitated too much or sought advice in regard to making such an obvious decision, then it would have only meant that she wasn’t yet ready to take actual control, meaning that the council would have had to take things into their own hands…

“There is no need to hold back on the resources or the manpower. Regardless of the indefinite threat, the next period of improvement and recovery is something that is necessary to restore our strength to its peak. So that we…”

The true path of the Heavenly Demons was that of freedom! Free from evil and righteous, free from black and white, free from all inhibitions! As the guardians of the realm, they had to be unparalleled under the sky!

If the movement created by a single person was truly enough to threaten them in the near future, then the current Heavenly Strength Society didn’t deserve any of its standings, and that had to change!

“…No longer need to feel such apprehensions from any bothersome disruption like this!”

The apprehensions of being backstabbed by the Hyena-like sects eyeing their corpse, or even the direct threat of the liberation-seeking Murim League… All of that would be nothing if the Heavenly Strength Society truly gave it their all!

‘It can be done.’

A protagonist was always a variable that could never be really predicted, but Leo was at least confident about the cards in his hands. At the very least, the Society was still in far better shape than the one that had put their all into cooperating with the Righteous Faction from the very start after being blinded by Geochin’s deceiving charm.

“We…”

The details of how the seclusion that the entire Society would undergo were quickly discussed as those responsible made sure that Yeon wasn’t dissatisfied with any part of it, but just when everyone thought that the meeting was over, she let out another heavy decision.

“Since Iyeolhan will be the one responsible for handling a big part of the preparation, I will be appointing Baekho to take over the position that he temporarily occupied.”

It went without saying that Iyeolhan’s experience with pressure training made him the most qualified to overlook the majority of the following phase. Still, no one in the council found it necessary to change his position just because of that.

No matter what, just by considering their authority and what they represented, each figure within the Four Pillars was extremely important, but that was also why removing someone from it after his appointment by a few months didn’t sound right, especially if it was someone as worthy of it as Furious Sword Gentle Han!

“Thank you for relieving me from this burden, Leader-nim!”

However, the person involved seemed to be more than happy to accept Yeon’s decision. Although the one giving him the order could be said to have been once his student, he didn’t find fault with her words, nor did he call her out on picking favors.

‘This is much better.’

He really didn’t want the position at all. Besides… He wasn’t exactly sure if he would be Leo’s match given enough time!

“Congratulations, Baekho-nim!”

Since that was the case, there would naturally be no one else to protest. The Blade Spirit winked at Leo with a smile as the Scarlet Sky Warriors took turns in congratulating him.

It had only been a few months, but two of the four that Cheon Jeong had raised as her half-children had either stood above her or matched her in rank! The exhilaration that she felt deep inside was indescribable!

As for Leo himself…

[ Plot Change Confirmed. Unique Event Occurrence has been detected. ]

[ The Reader’s character had managed to pierce through his foggy destiny, advancing past its last stop. ]

[ You have received 332 Reading Points! ]

Although he was slightly surprised by the abruptness of it, it wasn’t like he didn’t expect Yeon to make such a move. In a way, she was providing him with the ability to make impactful decisions without even having to report to her, showing her ultimate trust in him, but Leo couldn’t help feeling more than slightly emotional about this point.

He didn’t have to figure out his identity like he did as Arthur, but it had taken him so much longer to change his destiny this time around. The person who should have given up his life a few months ago was now alive and breathing, reborn as the pillar of the strongest nest in Murim!