There was a reason behind the sudden decision to travel to Hangzhou.
In Zhejiang Province, where Hangzhou is located, a sect called the Sea Wall Sect held sway. Just as its obscure name suggested, its influence wasn’t much to speak of.
Sure, they had a single transcendent-level master, as was expected of any sect that governed a region, but that was the extent of their strength. By no means could they compare to the Sixteen Great Sects.
Yet, the Black Lotus forces had invaded Zhejiang. And they’d come by sea.
For the Sea Wall Sect, it was as if a fire had been lit under their feet. Naturally, they sent an urgent request for help to the closest of the Sixteen Great Sects—the Namgung Clan.
Zhejiang Province, close to Anhui, was home to several sects that had branched off from the Namgung Clan. Some were established by collateral family lines, while others were founded by martial artists who had received permission to leave the Namgung Clan and start anew.
Given their ties to the region, the proximity to Zhejiang, and the direct plea for assistance, the Namgung Clan had no reason to refuse the request.
The Namgung Clan agreed to send aid.
When Seo-jun heard about it, he quickly nodded. After all, he hadn’t had the chance to see the sea since coming to the Central Plains.
When he visited the Northern Ice Palace, he had been too busy even to think about looking at the North Sea. This time, he planned to take his fiancées and enjoy the view of the ocean.
“Zhejiang? I’ve been there before,” Chun-bong chimed in.
She went on to say that something famous from her family was there.
“When I was little, I went there briefly with my father. There’s a sword mark left behind by my grandfather.”
“A sword mark?”
“Yeah, it’s in the sea. That’s why the sea there is called Sword Mark Sea.”
Chun-bong gazed off into the distance with a wistful look, seemingly reminiscing about her family.
Seo-jun, seeing her like this, scooped her up and sat her on his lap.
“In that case, let’s stop by Sword Mark Sea while we’re there. Now that you’ve got a new family, consider it an initiation.”
“N-new family...”
Blushing furiously, Chun-bong giggled shyly.
“Hehe... I like it!”
And just like that, the decision to visit Hangzhou was finalized.
There was still plenty of time before the betrothal ceremony.
But based on Seo-jun’s experience, this chaotic world of the Central Plains threw new problems at you every day. The more time they had, the better.
With that in mind, Seo-jun Airlines was ready to escort its passengers to Hangzhou.
“All right, hold on tight.”
Chun-bong and Namgung Sua each grabbed one of Seo-jun’s arms.
While it was possible to carry them through the air using Heavenly Demon Divine Arts, it was better to exercise some restraint in the orthodox sects’ territory.
“Not that I’m complaining,” Seo-jun thought.
Who needed levitation when both fiancées clung to him on either side?
BOOM!
Activating Mixed Origin Steps at a moderate speed, the fierce wind whipped against their faces.
“Ahhh...!” Chun-bong screamed at first but soon gaped in awe.
Flying through the sky, with clouds as their companions, was an experience few could ever hope to have.
“Wow...! The people look like ants!”
“That’s right, Chun-bong. Look down on the insignificant mortals beneath you.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
Despite her words, Chun-bong couldn’t stop grinning as she gazed down at the ground below. Her heart raced with exhilaration, and a sense of superiority surged within her.
“One day, all of the Central Plains will be under the Jin Clan’s feet...”
“What was that?”
Chun-bong’s thoughts seemed to be heading in a dangerous direction, but Seo-jun didn’t mind.
The people of the Central Plains would probably enjoy being trampled on by Chun-bong anyway.
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“We’re here.”
The enjoyable flight ended quickly, and before long, they arrived in Hangzhou.
“Hangzhou isn’t exactly close...” Namgung Sua remarked as she tidied her wind-blown hair and surveyed their surroundings. It was unmistakably Hangzhou.
To think they could arrive so quickly.
Seo-jun shrugged. “Once you’ve mastered Sua’s Art to a certain degree, you’ll be able to do something similar.”
“Really?”
“Sure. The Namgung Clan’s techniques already incorporate lightning into their moves.”
Eventually, she could even become lightning itself and traverse the sky.
“By the time you reach the Fiery Realm, it’ll be no problem.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“I’m completely serious.”
What’s so difficult about the Fiery Realm?
Seo-jun chuckled as Namgung Sua jabbed his side with her finger.
“Ah—!”
With a slight pout, Namgung Sua grabbed his arm and tugged him forward.
“Hurry up. They’re waiting for us.”
“If anything, they’ll be surprised to see us already.”
It hadn’t been long since the Sea Wall Sect sent their support request. They were likely under the impression it would take some time for reinforcements to arrive.
Normally, when a commander visited a unit, it was customary to give prior notice. If a general suddenly showed up unannounced, it wouldn’t be surprising if the officers had heart attacks.
“This’ll be fun.”
Seo-jun quickened his pace.
*
“Come out here!”
Seo-jun shouted in front of the main gate of the Sea Wall Sect.
The guards standing watch blinked in confusion. Chun-bong covered her face with both hands and let out a sigh.
“What an embarrassment...”
“I’m your husband, Jin Chun-bong.”
“Wha—!”
Chun-bong froze, her body stiffening. The effect was excellent.
“Are you from the Namgung Clan?”
A guard, noticing the emblem embroidered on Seo-jun’s robe, asked cautiously.
“Yes. You requested assistance, didn’t you?”
“Uh, y-yes...”
As the guard fumbled for words, the man next to him grabbed his head and forced it into a perfect ninety-degree bow.
“Welcome! Let me escort you to the sect leader!”
Ah, the taste of power.
Seo-jun followed the escort with light steps to meet the sect leader.
After a brief wait, the sect leader appeared. He glanced at Seo-jun and the two women standing at his sides before frowning deeply.
“We’re at war right now.”
“I know.”
What was his problem? Seo-jun shrugged and introduced Chun-bong and Namgung Sua.
“This is Hui from the Golden Peak. And this is Sua from the Thunder Peak.”
“Hm...”
“Relax. We won’t get in the way, so wipe that look off your face.”
Seo-jun casually plopped down onto the nearest chair. Judging by the sect leader’s expression, he didn’t seem particularly thrilled about the reinforcements.
“Not that it’s any of my business,” Seo-jun thought.
All he had to do was take care of the problem and leave. He had no intention of interfering as long as they didn’t make things unnecessarily difficult.
“...I apologize for the late introduction. I’m Yeo Woon-jeok, the leader of the Sea Wall Sect.”
“I’m Seo-jun, elder of the Namgung Clan.”
Yeo Woon-jeok took a deep breath and asked, “Are you aware of the current situation?”
“To some extent.”
The Black Lotus warriors had sailed around and infiltrated the eastern coast of Zhejiang Province.
The Martial Alliance was currently concentrating its forces in the western regions of the Central Plains. While the Black Lotus forces had exploited this gap, their presence in Zhejiang wasn’t significant enough to pose a major threat to the orthodox factions as a whole.
However, from the perspective of the Sea Wall Sect, with the enemy right at their doorstep, it was an incredibly troublesome situation.
“Their numbers aren’t very large—only a few dozen at most.”
“But there are three transcendent-level warriors, right?”
“That’s correct. We’re holding them off somehow, but the damage keeps piling up.”
Yeo Woon-jeok himself was dealing with one of the transcendent warriors. However, the other two were proving difficult to handle.
Leaders from other smaller sects, those close to the transcendent level, had combined forces to fend off one. Meanwhile, the remaining one was being held back with every ounce of strength they could muster. But as time passed, their forces were slowly being worn down.
“Three transcendent-level warriors...”
To be honest, Seo-jun was confident he could take on all three at once. Even without unleashing his full strength, he could crush them without much effort.
The thought brought a smirk to his face.
If this province was struggling against three transcendent-level warriors, it meant Seo-jun alone could completely annihilate Zhejiang Province.
“Guess I’ve reached nation-level power now.”
In the Central Plains, controlling an entire province was equivalent to ruling a small country. And judging by the situation, Seo-jun could probably conquer Zhejiang Province in just a few days if he wanted to.
Not that he had any reason to do so.
“Are the transcendent warriors grouped together?”
“No. One is guarding their ship, moving between the sea and the harbor, while the other two are attacking separately with ambushes.”
The first priority was to cut off their retreat.
While transcendent-level warriors might seem trivial to Seo-jun, to everyone else, they were walking disasters. Losing the chance to take out all three would be a waste.
“Let’s head to the harbor right away.”
Yeo Woon-jeok nodded in agreement, but when Chun-bong and Namgung Sua naturally fell in step behind Seo-jun, his brow furrowed.
“Look, I understand your esteemed status, but precisely because of that, your presence here is more of a hindrance. War isn’t child’s play.”
Chun-bong let out a small scoff. Something about Yeo Woon-jeok’s gaze rubbed her the wrong way.
“We’ll handle ourselves, so don’t concern yourself.”
“I understand that martial artists at the peak level can be helpful in battle, but they often perish in their very first fight. If you get hurt, it’ll cause us no end of trouble.”
Seo-jun, who had been walking ahead, turned his head.
Yeo Woon-jeok wasn’t entirely wrong, but his attitude was lacking.
“You should train your Qi sense a bit harder.”
Yeo Woon-jeok scowled in confusion.
“What are you implying?”
“‘Peak level’? Anyone with eyes can see they’re both at the transcendent level.”
Unless someone revealed their full aura, it was hard to gauge someone’s martial level, especially when it came to similar tiers.
But mistaking the transcendent level for the peak level?
“The Namgung Clan takes care of its own. Focus on learning how to mask your emotions better.”
“...”
“Whatever your issue is, don’t let it seep into your aura.”
The uneasy energy that had been pricking Seo-jun’s senses wasn’t hard to notice. For some reason, Yeo Woon-jeok had been warily watching them the entire time.
“If you’re worried that this situation will give the Namgung Clan an excuse to interfere in Zhejiang Province...”
Seo-jun chuckled.
“It won’t matter. You wouldn’t be able to stop us anyway.”
“This place is a mess.”
Seo-jun surveyed the harbor.
Where there should have been crowds bustling about, there were only rats and crows. Debris and corpses floated aimlessly in the water.
Even if they drove out the Black Lotus forces, the damage was already catastrophic.
The Central Plains’ sea, which Seo-jun was seeing for the first time, wasn’t exactly a scenic destination.
Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun focused on the lone ship visible on the distant horizon.
“Sua, Chun-bong.”
“Yes?”
“You know the saying: ‘Train as though it’s real combat,’ right?”
Namgung Sua nodded.
“You do, don’t you?”
“Since we’ve got the perfect sparring partner, I’ll set the stage. You two can have a go at it.”
It would be a life-and-death duel against a transcendent-level warrior, but with Seo-jun guaranteeing their safety, it wasn’t a real risk.
Yeo Woon-jeok glared at them with cold eyes, but no one paid him any attention.
Crackle. Seo-jun smiled as electric currents began to flow between his fingers, glowing blue like water running through his hand.
With a casual flick of his wrist—
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning erupted from the distant sea, striking skyward.
The impact was enough to obliterate even a massive ship, but the vessel barely managed to stay afloat.
A man wielding a massive scythe had somehow blocked the brunt of the attack.
Even so, a few warriors aboard were electrocuted to death, their bodies floating lifelessly in the water alongside fish stunned by the strike.
Seo-jun smirked and flicked his other wrist.
BOOM!
This time, the ship split in two and sank. From the wreckage, a furious man leaped into the air, roaring in anger.
“Which bastard dared do this?!”
Seo-jun grinned broadly and pointed at him.
“Now, take turns fighting him. You’ve got this.”
While defeating him in one go might be difficult, Seo-jun was confident that Chun-bong and Namgung Sua would eventually emerge victorious.
After all, with their internal energy drastically increased thanks to the Divine Deer Elixir, nothing was impossible.