Chapter 377 The Path to Becoming a God (5)

Chapter 377: The Path to Becoming a God (5)

The summit of the volcano boasted a staggering height.

Amidst the plum blossoms in full bloom, the leader of the Volcano Sect, Sword Yangja, and his disciple, Jin Gong, were conversing.

“We must go.”

“…Do you think we can defeat the Lion Clan Leader?”

“We cannot stand idly by while the Evil Sect gains power and turns the world into hell, can we?”

He was well past seventy. If only we could wait a little longer…

“Master.”

Jin-gung gazed at his master with clear eyes.

Meeting that gaze, the sword master sighed and bowed his head.

“…I am afraid.”

“What is it that frightens you so?”

“I fear the deaths of my disciples.”

Jingong nodded. He understood his master’s anguish all too well.

But he had no intention of yielding.

“If one spares their life in the face of injustice, how can they claim to be a member of the righteous faction? Especially…”

The reason was simple.

“The one who requested aid is none other than the defeated army.”

For I received a letter from the commander of the Iron Blood Army, who led thirty thousand men against the barbarians and saved Huashan.

“If the Master does not permit it, I myself will go down.”

“Jingong!”

“The Patriarch risked his life to confront the Ten Demon Lords. In that battle, not only the Patriarch but also the three Elders perished. Was that for the glory of Huashan? Was it not for the peace of the world?”

“……”

The words were so undeniably true that Jian Yangzi was momentarily speechless.

And he recalled the teachings of his master, the former Grand Master of the Sword Sect, Huashan Jianxian.

For a brief moment.

“I lost my way for a time.”

The swordsman answered calmly, his mind and body composed.

“Master.”

“Yes, let’s go. Let’s go and show the spirit of Hwasan.”

“Yes! I will send letters to the shamans and Shaolin.”

* * *

Whoooosh!

In the desolate city of Muwangseong, where biting winds howled, appeared a man from Yongmasan, reduced to the appearance of a beggar.

His long hair hung in matted clumps, his clothes were torn and full of holes, and grime caked his unwashed face.

He had traveled from Hunan to Hebei, sleeping rough to avoid the Lion Clan’s gaze.

“Halt!”

As Yongmasan appeared, the gate guard approached and blocked his path.

At first glance, the formidable presence made Yongmasan inwardly marvel that this was indeed the city of Muwangseong.

“What brings you here?”

“I have come to see the lord of the castle.”

“……”

The guard stared at Yongmasan as if he were a madman.

It was understandable. Not only had the inner city not received word of a visitor, but Yongmasan was dressed like a beggar.

He wanted to kick him out on his butt, but as the gate guard, he represented the city’s face.

He escorted Yongmasan out as politely as possible.

“I’m sorry, but the Imperial City is not receiving visitors at this time. Please turn back.”

Yongmasan pulled a letter bearing a red seal from his robe as if he had expected this.

“I bring a letter from the Lord of Guryongseong.”

The gatekeeper’s eyes widened upon seeing the letter.

“If this is a forgery, then…”

“I’m not bold enough to attempt fraud against Nine Dragons Fortress and Muwang Fortress.”

“Hmm… I see… No, I understand. Please wait here for now. I’ll send word inside.”

“Understood.”

Whoosh.

Yongmasan thought as he faced the biting wind blowing in once more.

‘They’re using me like a damn rag.’

He vowed never to owe Mu-jeon another favor.

* * *

A month had passed since he returned home.

“I’ll wait for good news.”

“Sajo…”

“Brother! This younger brother will be back shortly. So please, always keep your spirits high and your heart full.”

“……Just go.”

Perhaps tired of his frequent amorous escapades with the ladies, Master Sa-jo took Shin-baek and set off on his journey.

Thanks to that, I did my utmost to fulfill my wifely duties in the quiet household.

“Please try this, Your Excellency.”

“Hmph, I told you I don’t need it.”

“Oh, come on! I went to great lengths to get this because it’s supposed to be good for men. Now, please try it. That’s how you’ll get pregnant, you know.”

“Ah, a child?! Hmm… Well, since you put so much effort into making it, shall I give it a try?”

Something like that, anyway.

Ah, and for the record, I didn’t engage in any external activities whatsoever.

Honestly, I wanted to slaughter every last one of those bastards running rampant in Seocheon, but I followed Mun Sang’s advice to keep my cultivation level secret.

So what do I do with my time besides being with my wives?

What else?

I trained my martial arts for the upcoming rematch with the Lion Clan leader.

Crack!

The whirlwind I summoned in my palm began devouring the surrounding natural energy.

Hmm… It never ceases to amaze me.

The artificial black hole, now perfected in form.

Even after achieving the Twelve Star Great Achievement, he couldn’t explain this principle at all.

The hypothesis he had painstakingly pieced together from fleeting memories of his past life was the Big Bang.

The process of converting the Zhenwang Qi into career points can be described as a kind of explosion.

Heavy Zhenwang Qi is compressed into a single point, then violently exploded to gain career points. I suspect gravitational force is generated during that process.

Whoosh!

Watching it grow larger and larger as it consumed the surrounding natural creatures, my mind grew simple and all manner of thoughts began to fade away.

“……”

Worries, anxieties, even the desire for revenge against the Lion Clan Chief.

Naturally, all this time, Huiyue had been consuming my inner energy and the natural energy around us, growing larger and larger.

“H-husband!”

“Hm?”

When it had grown as large as a decent-sized boulder, the cleaning staff who brought the herbal medicine discovered it and, horrified, called out to me.

“Holy crap!”

Crack. Boom.

I immediately dispersed the moonlight, but the shockwave uprooted a tree planted in the backyard.

Crash.

The problem is, that tree fell and smashed my house inside the Jeonryong Hall.

“Husband… where are we going to sleep now?”

“Hmm…”

Just then, having suddenly become a homeless refugee, Ju Cheol-san approached.

“Master, a letter has arrived from the Military Bureau.”

“Hm?”

He took it and unfolded it. The letter contained only a single character.

“Finally…!”

The moment he recognized that character, his emotions surged.

[Complete.]

That was it.

At last, preparations to strike the Lion Clan Chief’s neck were complete.

“Third Lady, please summon First Lady and Second Lady. I have something to say to all of them.”

“No, why suddenly the court ceremony you never held before…”

* * *

Whoosh.

As the cold winter wind whipped, two men faced each other across the fortress wall.

One wore splendid clothes, yet his frog-like build and face overshadowed the finery.

The other was a tall, slender figure, a peerless beauty like a jade ornament, yet his appearance was obscured by his faded, shabby attire.

“Ugh… It’s freezing to death out here. Why did you call me?”

“It’s funny that even a veteran like you feels the cold. After all, isn’t where you live twice as cold as here?”

“Heh heh, so that’s why you’re trying to migrate south to warmer climes, isn’t it?”

“Impossible!”

“Whoa, you scared me! Just say no quietly, why yell and make a scene?!”

“Kheh, my apologies. I got excited hearing the Northern Heavenly River was descending.”

“Enough. Get to the point. I need to hurry and go pick up my nephew who ran away from home.”

“I want a truce.”

“A truce? Suddenly? Out of the blue like this?”

“Haven’t we fought for over a hundred years? With nearly a thousand family members lost in that time, it’s about time we took a break.”

“Hmm…”

The handsome man, the North Sea Heavenly Lord, narrowed his eyes.

The Toad-like-Appearance Lord of Wuhuang City met his gaze.

“Be honest. You’re planning to abandon your Mu Huang City and go somewhere, aren’t you? That’s why you’re making this absurd request, right?”

“……”

“Heh, your eyes rolling confirm I’m right.”

“……Yes.”

The Lord of Muheong Castle sighed as he answered.

Heh.

“So they say you lost the title of ‘Number One Under Heaven’… Why? Want to face off against the Lion Clan Leader?”

“I don’t think I owe you any explanation about where I’m going.”

“Heh heh, that bastard is a true monster. Not human. Even if you inherited Emperor Xuanyuan’s martial arts, you couldn’t defeat him, could you?”

“You speak as if you’ve met him.”

“Twenty years ago? He showed up out of nowhere while I was sleeping, demanding to see the Heavenly Sword. So we had a fight.”

“And the result?”

He laughed and held up two fingers.

“He was on his knees in two hundred seconds.”

“…….”

The Lord of Muheung closed his mouth.

Because he knew the martial arts of the man standing before him were no different from his own.

But a warrior’s pride is like life itself.

What good is it to be scared before the fight even begins?

“Hmph, short or long…”

“What’s there to compare? One is a brush, the other a broom.”

“…I’ll handle it myself.”

Seeing the displeased expression on the face of the Wuhuang City Lord, the North Sea Heavenly Lord chuckled and said.

“Fine. Let’s call a truce. If my mortal enemy, who stands in my way, chooses to go and die, why should I stop them?”

“Well, thank you. But if you’re planning to stab me in the back…”

“Oh, come on, it’s me, Shin Jun. Shin Jun from Bukhaecheonju. When have you ever seen me cheat?”

“Plenty of times. Just look at the year before last…”

“Ahem, that was strategy. Anyway, don’t worry this time. I don’t want to see you righteous faction folks banding together to invade North Sea Heaven either.”

“……”

“Well then, I gotta go pick up my nephew. See ya.”

Thud.

The North Sea Heaven Lord’s figure vanished in an instant, carried by the wind.

Whoosh!

The raging blizzard blurred the sight of the Emperor of the Unfettered Realm.

“Still the same.”

That night, after the Lord of Muheungseong met the Lord of Bukhaecheon.

Click.

A group slipped out through the main gate of the Mu Huang Fortress.

“Move as quickly as possible.”

“Yes.”

Seven hundred sword demons, each radiating the fierce aura of a dragon or tiger, and the two absolute powerhouses standing before them.

They were the direct command of the City Lord and the mightiest force in Muheung City: the Manryeon Sword Corps and the Muheung City’s Supreme Sword Army. And the Muheung City Lord himself.

* * *

Dawn.

“My apologies. I should be welcoming you comfortably, yet I’ve caused you such hardship.”

I rubbed my hands together respectfully before the four elders.

“It’s fine. When is the right time to eliminate Sima’s faction?”

“How can I, as an elder of the clan, stand by and watch when you seek vengeance against those bastards who beat you like a dog? I’ve made every possible preparation, so don’t worry.”

“Prepared? My ass. You’ve been eating, sleeping, and playing all day.”

“Hold your horses. Let’s hear what the next castle lord has to say first.”

As Taecheongjin, Jeonbaek, Dangducheon, and Yifengjin each spoke in turn, the place became as noisy as a bustling market.

Behind them stood the Nine Dragons Fortress’s elite five hundred, including Dan Yun and Wei Zhifeng, lined up in formation.

“Losing money is losing little; losing honor is losing much. But losing courage is losing everything.”

“…….”

“After losing the war, what has Nine Dragons City been like these past two years? Even as the heretical sects ran rampant across the Western Heaven lands, even as the people of Western Heaven suffered, the Lion Clan Chieftain was too afraid to even dream of revenge.”

As my words continued, the expressions on people’s faces darkened.

“The prestige of Nine Dragons City has fallen to the ground, and its honor has become a laughingstock. But! That will not be the case from now on.”

Crackle. Snap.

I have drawn upon over ten generations of royal lineage.

A formidable aura spread out around me. The gravitational force generated by it.

I gathered that force into one hand and unleashed it toward the cliff directly behind me.

Then.

CRACK! BOOM! CRASH!

The towering cliff collapsed entirely.

At that sight, everyone gaped, eyes fixed solely on me.

“This Jinmu Sword will snap the Lion Clan Leader’s neck.”

Waaah-!

That became the signal for Guryongseong’s advance against the Lion Clan.