NOVEL NEXT Chapter 813
Chapter 15: True Martial Home
As soon as his hand was severed, Peng Zuo began muttering bizarre ancient incantations. Instantly, six pillars were summoned around him, bouncing back the assaults from the Dharma Protectors and even the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Peng Zuo screamed angrily.
[ I wanted to make this my base, but it’s no longer needed! I’ll kill them all!]
Wiiing!
Ancient characters burst forth from the pillars and scattered in all directions. Normally, I would think of dodging that attack with the Three Treasure Technique, but for some reason, I felt like I could cut those characters. It’s impossible to slice sorcerous attacks with Sword Qi or Sword Strength, yet somehow, I believed I could do it now.
One Slash!
I concentrated my mind and struck down with all my strength in a single swing. My attack pierced through every obstacle in front and struck the pillar. The pillar exploded with a thunderous sound. Astonishingly, I had succeeded in slashing through a sorcery!
At that moment, Peng Zuo’s gaze turned towards me, and I advanced right up to him, slashing at him.
Whoosh!
With a peculiar sound, time and space warped dramatically. This distortion was entirely different from the spatial distortion of the Bowing Sky Slash; it was Peng Zuo’s divine powers warping space. Unlike the minor distortions produced by martial arts, his powers threatened to obliterate my entire attack and smash my head with his enhanced strength.
‘ Last time, I lost to Peng Zuo because of this.’
Despite my perfect opening, I was struck down in an instant by this absurd divine power! Yet given the situation, I wasn’t in a position to panic. I quickly calmed my mind and recalled the efforts I had put in over the past ten years.
Thud!
My face got hit, but I still managed to steady myself despite taking Peng Zuo’s attack. I didn’t even feel the ringing from the blow to my head; I had deflected the giant’s power using a technique called Transformation of the Scriptures. This was the peak of the legendary realm that Jianghu people revered, known as the Immaterial Transformation, and a technique that significantly reduced the requirements to achieve it.
Zing!
Without losing momentum, I swung the Cheong-un Sword continuously, leaving behind a total of ten phantoms of Sword Strength. The Cheong-un Sword, known for its ability to inflict actual damage while creating illusions of Sword Qi, would inevitably strike Peng Zuo, no matter how powerful he was.
[ Gah… What is this..]
Boom!!
Peng Zuo flailed as if stunned, but it was too late; my attack landed heavily on him. My target was the area that the Eight Trigrams Garment couldn’t protect—the neck. Yet even that area seemed cushioned by the Garment’s defensive strength, resonating with a dull, loud sound.
However, as if the defense shattered, a transparent sphere appeared above Peng Zuo’s neck, only to shatter like glass. Thanks to my Infinite Internal Power and the auxiliary effects of Yin Spirit Power, I had managed to break through the Eight Trigrams Garment’s defense despite its earlier resilience. Factors like having endured the relentless attacks from the Master of the White Lotus Sect and the Dharma Protectors played a part in this.
Wobbling, Peng Zuo was at his most vulnerable. I swung again, resolute in my intent to decapitate him, when suddenly Peng Zuo screamed.
[ Wait!! I’ll surrender…]
Thwack!
I didn’t stop and swung my sword, severing his neck. His head flew into the sky and then fell to the ground, bouncing around.
‘ Alright, I won.’
Though I achieved victory through a surprise attack, breaking the Eight Trigrams Garment revealed that Peng Zuo wasn’t that extraordinary after all. If he had fought me while fully utilizing the power of the Golden Crow, it would have been tough, but manipulating the situation to my advantage is a skill in itself.
Snatch!
As soon as I killed Peng Zuo, I grabbed his head and stuffed it into the Wooden Armor. Behind me, the spectacle of his lifeless body sprouting blood from the neck as it twisted around was quite gruesome, but I didn’t mind.
After all, Peng Zuo was a descendant of the gods and a Great Immortal, so a severed head wouldn’t kill him instantly. He would likely survive for about a day. Plus, with Zhuge Sa, a master of the Soul Exchange Technique, on our side, it was possible to keep him alive for torture with just the head.
What remained was to retrieve the Eight Trigrams Garment and the Golden Crow and handle the situation in Nanhai. As I turned with Peng Zuo’s head in the Wooden Armor, the Master of the White Lotus Sect spoke up.
[ Impressive skill. It’s hard to believe you’re not yet in the Absolute Realm…]
” I can’t quite tell if that’s a compliment or mockery.”
[ … Is that a hint of insecurity from you? I kind of like it. ]
” Master, the operation to subdue Peng Zuo has been completed for now. Please help me finalize it.”
[ No. It seems it’s not over yet… ]
” Huh?”
Kugugugu…
At that moment, countless black water droplets began bubbling up from beneath the sea. Strange sounds gurgled from the ocean floor, and soon after, something massive burst forth from the surface with a great wave.
Kuroong!!
” Ah, the Flower Fire Grass!!”
I cried out in shock.
The precious Flower Fire Grass had been utterly destroyed!! Moreover, something humanoid but grotesquely alien had emerged, lifting the ruined Flower Fire Grass with its six arms and three heads. That monster displayed an overwhelming force since the size and weight of the Flower Fire Grass surpassed even a giant ship.
[ Hmm…]
Kuroong…
Finally, the creature floating in the air tossed the Flower Fire Grass back into the sea, causing the waves to toss violently. It seemed to be holding onto a golden-winged human, whom I had just seen moments ago, but it appeared it had overpowered him down below. Naturally, I recognized this powerful being and called out.
“Asura!! Peng Zuo has been defeated! It’s time for all of us to withdraw!”
That was the true identity of the Beyond-Death ranker, Pasun, who had stopped us earlier—a Dharma Protector, Asura. It had shed its humanoid form, returned to its true self, and effortlessly shattered the Flower Fire Grass while defeating the special-summoned Dawn’s Renown.
Of course, its combat prowess surpassed anyone, so I definitely didn’t want to fight Asura. Crushing the robust Flower Fire Grass with Peng Zuo’s strength was no feat; defeating an existence of the Apostolic level with a single strike was something entirely impossible. This being was among the strongest divine entities we could encounter on Earth, aside from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
‘ That guy is a monster. Please…’
Battling against the exceptional martial god among the Dharma Protectors would mean certain doom.
Asura glanced down at me and spoke.
[ With Peng Zuo dead, the question remains who will take the Golden Crow, doesn’t it?]
” ……!!”
Of course, he was coveting the Seven Luminaries, wasn’t he?!
My vision went dark, knowing I couldn’t avoid a confrontation, but Asura continued.
[ But I have no particular interest in it. If you want it, Baek Woong, take it. ]
” What?!”
Is he serious?!
‘ Wow!’
Not just the Seven Luminaries, but the liberated form, and he’s just giving up the claim?!
He has no greed whatsoever?
I felt jubilant, but the subsequent words from Asura sent a chill through my veins.
[ … However, I cannot give up on the path towards the Martial God. ]
” ……”
[ Baek Woong, if you want the Golden Crow, you must assist me. In exchange, you will tell me right here how to meet the Martial God. ]
No…!!
I desperately tried to divert the conversation.
” Th-That’s something I’ll discuss later.”
[ Why must you put it off until later? Isn’t it rather cheap to help you obtain the liberated Seven Luminaries in return? ]
It is cheap.
However, I knew that his promise to meet the Martial God was a ruse!
If I could just get through this moment, I’d come up with a scheme to trick Asura, but I hadn’t expected him to demand a direct solution right away. I desperately reeled through my thoughts.
” Right! I have a reward to receive from Peng Zuo. I shall retrieve it and hand it over to you.”
[ I’ve already received my reward. ]
Asura replied casually, shaking the golden-winged humanoid captured in his hands.
[ This is a powerful ancient being known as ‘Dawn’s Renown.’ It was notorious throughout Heaven and Earth. Right now, it can barely use even two-tenths of its original power due to the binding but might even be stronger than me, a high-level existence. I’ll eat it to grow stronger. ]
” ……”
[ Peng Zuo had agreed to provide me this as a reward. ]
So that’s why he intruded while destroying the Flower Fire Grass?!
Asura crossed his arms with two of his hands.
[ Should I obtain the liberated Seven Luminaries, I would be invincible. But since you know how to meet the Martial God, I’ll show you some courtesy and give you the Luminaries. So hurry up and tell me! ]
Asura genuinely seemed to have the mindset of concession. Normally, such favorable exchange conditions should never exist. In all my days, I’ve never seen a high-level being offer the liberated Seven Luminaries to a mortal! Even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would covet something like that, yet here we are.
However, since I had already lied, I simply could not accept Asura’s condition.
Ugh, I want to cry!!
Was there really no way to get out of this situation?
‘ Oh, wait!!’
In a moment of inspiration, I blurted out a random idea.
” The way to meet the Martial God… is to gather all four great artifacts of the White Lotus Sect!!”
Now that it had come to this, I would see it through to the end!
[ ……?!]
Asura jolted, and I noticed the Master of the White Lotus Sect, who had been listening in stealthily, seemed equally surprised. Asura then spoke in a bewildered tone.
[ No… That’s surely Yacha’s mission. I can’t just barge into her affairs now… ]
” Yacha’s mission, you say? She was involved with the Four Great Artifacts of the White Lotus Sect?”
[ ……]
Asura fell silent. Observing his reaction filled me with a sense of conviction.
‘ Asura knows something about the Four Great Artifacts! Maybe even their whereabouts!’
If he knew nothing, he wouldn’t react this way. There must be some scheme involving Yacha that was related to the Four Great Artifacts, and as a fellow comrade, Asura must be aware of it.
Asura then asked.
[ Are you certain? If I gather the Four Great Artifacts, will I be able to meet the Martial God?]
” Absolutely!”
Taking advantage of my previous deceit, I spun the tale convincingly.
” The conditions for first meeting a Martial God are ambiguous. They often appear to those with exceptional talent, but that’s not a must. Therefore, if one wishes to meet the Martial God, one should seek them out along different paths, and I discovered that the White Lotus Sect has a close connection to the Martial God!! I acquired information suggesting the Martial God left clues for meeting them within the Four Great Artifacts.”
All of it’s a lie!
I just made it all up!
But please, fall for it!
[ Ooh…!!]
Asura could hardly hide his excitement and was clenching his fists. Meanwhile, the Master of the White Lotus Sect interjected, unable to restrain himself.
[ … Baek Woong!! This is the first time I’m hearing such a tale!! Could it be the prophecy of the Divine Maiden?!]
” ……”
[ How much do you know about Maitreya and True Martial Home?]
Yikes!
If the Master of the White Lotus Sect said something unnecessary, it could all come crashing down!!
While my insides twisted with anxiety, I kept my face calm and responded.
” Master! I had meant to tell you that. Let me continue.”
[ Hmm…!!]
” Asura, if you grant me the Golden Crow now, we could establish a more cooperative relationship moving forward. The Four Great Artifacts seem to have vanished into the chaos of the outer realms, so their current whereabouts are uncertain! However, if you and we join forces, we can save the time and effort, quickly recovering the Four Great Artifacts.”
[ …….]
Asura was deep in thought, his silence indicating his profound contemplation.
At that moment…
” Hey! Don’t be deceived, everyone.”
A familiar voice rang out. From the harbor, a figure emerged, walking alongside the Three Masters. The man dressed in a dog costume entered with the Cosmic Fragment in hand, radiating a frightening realm of killing intent.
” Baek Woong, you’re the avatar of [ Impending Chaos], aren’t you?”
The Master of the Twelve Joules, Ha Eun-cheon, had appeared in the chamber.