Chapter 104
Baek Mu-Gun’s expression stiffened when he saw three powerful attacks being launched toward him. Even he would have difficulty blocking the techniques of three Absolute Realm masters—but only if he used normal martial arts. The Heavenly Descent Thunder God Sect’s martial arts would completely alter that result. Although he had to hide his identity as the Thunder God’s successor, it would only be meaningful if he was still alive.
Swiftly unleashing the Heavenly Descent Thunder God Sword, a flash of golden lightning swept through Mu-Gun. At the same time, a golden Thunderbolt Sword soared and circled him until it formed a huge golden wheel.
As soon as the three Absolute Realm masters’ attacks collided against it, the golden wheel ripped them apart and devoured them. It then fired countless golden Thunderbolt Swords at the three Absolute Realm masters.
Greatly surprised by Mu-gun retaliation, the Absolute Realm masters tried to defend against the hundreds of incoming Thunderbolt Swords. Failing to block them all, a thunderous roar resonated as the projectiles pierced through them and blasted them a few distances away. The impact was enough for them to break through the wooden walls of the inn and be flung outside.
Mu-Gun momentarily staggered. He had just executed the Hundred Golden Lightning Wheel Wave, the fourth technique of the Heavenly Descent Thunder God Sword Art to defeat the three Absolute Realm masters in a single stroke. However, befitting its strong power, the technique consumed a huge amount of internal energy. In fact, that one attack consumed seventy percent of Mu-Gun’s internal energy. Losing too much internal energy at once made him feel dizzy.
The Hundred Golden Lightning Wheel Wave’s power shocked the seven Upper Peak Realm masters, who had quickly gotten rid of the Great Namgung Family’s martial artists on the inn’s ground floor. However, Mu-Gun’s identity surprised the Heavenly Killer Dark Monarch Yoo Hyo-Gwang’s subordinates much more. Witnessing that technique, they immediately recognized Mu-Gun as the Thunder God’s successor.
They didn’t expect the Baek Sword Sect’s Young Patriarch to be the Thunder God’s successor, the Nine Celestial Demons Sect’s old enemy. They had to report this to the Nine Celestial Demons Sect, but they would have to escape from the inn in one piece first before they could. At that moment, they saw Mu-Gun staggering. His most recent attack seemed to have put a huge strain on him.
Wondering if they would be able to kill Mu-Gun if they attacked him right now, they immediately rushed toward Mu-Gun and attacked him. Witnessing their offense, the Commanders of Lulin and the Dragons of Changjiang also blindly followed and rushed at him.
“Worthless trash! Who do you think you’re messing with?!”
At that moment, a figure jumped down from the second floor and threw a punch toward the seven martial arts masters, the energy it shot forth taking the shape of a huge dragon. Hwang Rei had just used the Supreme Nine Dragons Fist Art, his famed martial arts. Greatly astonished by the huge dragon-shaped vajra qi rampaging from above, the seven martial arts masters frantically stepped away. However, it was futile. Seemingly alive, the dragon-shaped vajra qi changed directions and chased after them.
Realizing they would not be able to avoid the attack, they launched a simultaneous counterattack against the dragon-shaped vajra qi. However, as the collision reverberated another thunderous roar, the dragon-shaped vajra qi easily broke through their offense.
The seven Upper Peak Realm masters clenched their teeth and launched another wave of attacks against the dragon-shaped vajra qi. No longer able to withstand the impact of their offense, the dragon-shaped vajra qi rampaging toward them lost its form. Experiencing Hwang Rei’s power firsthand made the seven Upper Peak Realm masters realize that they had no chance of winning. However, when they tried to escape from the inn, a man blocked their path.
“You are free to come at us as you wish, but the same will not apply when you want to leave,” Divine Wind Sword Saint Namgung Ho sternly said.
The seven Upper Peak Realm masters’ expressions stiffened. Left with no other option, they unleashed a barrage of attacks on Namgung Ho. The best they could hope for was defeating him, which would allow them to escape.
With a cold smile, Namgung Ho swung his sword against their attacks in response. Divine wind sword qi swirled from it and clashed head-on with the Upper Peak Realm masters’ attacks, blocking them and causing them to violently explode. Pushed back a few steps, Namgung Ho frowned. Despite being an Absolute Realm master, defending against seven Upper Peak Realm masters’ joint offensive was by no means easy.
With momentum on their side, they tried to attack Namgung Ho again.
Namgung Ho was not alone, though. Hwang Rei, who was standing behind them, fired another gigantic dragon-shaped vajra qi toward them. The Upper Peak Realm masters immediately turned around and blocked it, creating another thunderous roar as the impact staggered them.
While they were still recovering from the impact, Namgung Ho launched another attack, sending a wave of divine wind sword qi swarming from behind them. Mu-Gun also unleashed a wave of moonlight sword qi.
The seven Upper Peak Realm masters clenched their teeth as they tried to defend against the two Absolute Realm masters’ attacks that were rampaging toward them from both upfront and behind. However, their skills proved too weak to block the incoming attacks.
A thunderous roar resonated from both sides as the sword qi Mu-Gun and Namgung Ho unleashed brutally devastated the seven Upper Peak Realm masters. Wounded all over, the seven martial arts masters’ blood spilled as they collapsed to the ground. They were still breathing, but they were in such a critical condition that it would seem difficult to escape death even if they were left alone. Mu-Gun and Namgung Ho ended them without hesitation. It could have seemed cruel at first glance, but they were simply relieving their enemies of their pain.
After finishing off the enemies in the inn, Mu-Gun headed outside. The three Absolute Realm masters who had been blasted out of the inn by the Hundred Golden Lightning Wheel Wave were laying on the ground with holes all over their bodies. Considering the ground beneath them was soaked with their blood, confirming they were dead no longer seemed necessary.
“Did you do that?” Namgung Ho, who followed Mu-Gun out of the inn, asked in surprise.
The wounds the three suffered made it clear that a single attack had defeated them. Moreover, judging from their demeanor, they seemed to be of a higher status than those who died inside the inn. If so, then they were probably Absolute Realm masters. Even so, Mu-Gun took all of them down with a single attack. That was only possible if he was, at the very least, a Supreme Realm master.
“I was lucky.”
“They all seem to be Absolute Realm masters. I doubt you would have been able to defeat them all out of pure luck.”
“It’s possible for people of inferior skills to defeat even Absolute Realm masters for as long as the latter let their guard down. It is not impossible for such situations to happen amid battles in murim. They let their guard down because of my age, and I took that opportunity to take them out using an all-out attack. If they fought me with all their might, it would have been me laying there, not them.”
Namgung Ho was suspicious of Mu-Gun’s comments, but he couldn’t help but believe in his reasoning. No matter how amazing Mu-Gun was, there was no way he would be in the Supreme Realm at such an age. Namgung Ho himself thought it was either their enemies had just been careless or Mu-Gun was hiding a secret martial art. It would have been great if they could find someone who had witnessed Mu-Gun defeating the three Absolute Realm masters, but the Upper Peak Realm masters had killed all the Great Namgung Family’s martial artists on the ground floor. In any case, this incident inevitably made Namgung Ho act more vigilant toward Mu-Gun.
“Do you have any idea who these people are?”
“I’m certain that one of them is a demonic practitioner of the Nine Celestial Demons Sect. However, I’m not sure about the identities of the other two.”
Mu-Gun was able to identify the Heavenly Killer Dark Monarch from his unique demonic qi, but it was hard to identify the Lulin Fist King and the Changjiang King of Hell using their martial arts alone.
“Search these three and those in the inn. Find anything that would help us identify them.”
Upon receiving Namgung Ho’s orders, the Great Namgung Family’s warriors searched the enemies’ corpses and found a name plaque on Gu Se-Gwang and Hwang Chi-Soo.
“They’re the Lulin Fist King and the Changjiang King of Hell.”
Namgung Min, who was standing next to Namgung Ho, immediately identified Gu Se-Gwang and Hwang Chi-Soo as soon as he heard their names.
“If these two are really the Lulin Fist King and the Changjiang King of Hell, then that means that not only the Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulin but the Changjiang Waterway Alliance is under the Nine Celestial Demons Sect’s control as well.”
“That’s most likely the case.”
“This is no ordinary matter.”
“I think this is a good outcome, though. It’s much better to learn about things like this as soon as possible. That would give us time to prepare countermeasures and prevent them from attacking us before we knew anything.”
“That’s true. Anyway, we should share this information about the Changjiang Waterway Alliance during our meeting in Wuchang.”
“I think so as well.”
“Let’s go back in for now.”
Namgung Ho ordered the Great Namgung Family’s martial artists to clean up, then returned to his room. Mu-Gun and his party also went back inside.
“It’s a pity, but we have to end our drinking party for today.”
“Alright.”
Mu-Gun bid Hyun-Ah farewell and headed back to his room. Having repelled the Heavenly Killer Sect’s surprise attack, the Great Namgung Family and the Baek Sword Sect arrived in Wuchang without any further trouble. The meeting between the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families took place at the Wuchang Sword Family’s manor in Wuchang, which was a subsidiary branch of the Wudang Sect.
With the Wudang Sect’s support, the Wuchang Sword Family grew rapidly and gained dominance over half of the Hubei Province, the other half of which was owned by the Great Zhuge Family, one of the Seven Great Families. The Wuchang Sword Family did their best to serve the representatives of the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families. They were also polite toward the Baek Sword Sect group, who attended as a representative of the Zhejiang Martial Alliance.
The representatives of the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families gathered two days after they all arrived at the Wuchang Sword Family. Mu-Gun also attended. The Nine Prominent Sects’ Kunlun Sect and Kongtong Sect as well as the Seven Great Families’ Guangdong Jin Family couldn’t attend the meeting due to the distance.
Aside from Mu-Gun, who was still in his early twenties, the representatives were all middle-aged or older. Some of them were not pleased that the young Mu-Gun was attending as a representative of the Zhejiang Martial Alliance.
“The Zhejiang Martial Alliance must regard this meeting as a small matter. If that’s not the case, then do they not have anyone prominent enough that they have to send their Young Patriarch in their stead?” Tang Jin-Ho of the Sichuan Tang Family, one of the Seven Great Families, openly belittled Mu-Gun and the Zhejiang Martial Alliance. Jin-Ho deliberately provoked Mu-Gun to dampen the spirit of the Baek Sword Sect and the Zhejiang Martial Alliance, which had shown rapid growth recently.
“The Zhejiang Martial Alliance is not disregarding the importance of this meeting at all. How could we disregard it when we are dealing with one of murim’s significant issues? Elder Tang seems to be dissatisfied with my presence here, but if the reason for that is simply because of my age, then that is a little disappointing,” Mu-Gun responded without any hint of panic.
“What did you say?”
“I just find it too narrow-minded to think that I am lacking in martial arts or experience within murim just because I am young.”
“Do you mean to say that your martial arts and experience are great enough to be present here?”
“With all due respect, I am certain that no one here has dealt with the demonic practitioners of the Nine Celestial Demons Sect as much as I have. The same is true when it comes to dealing with the Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulin and the Changjiang Waterway Alliance, which we will be discussing today. I think those are enough for me to deserve a seat here.”
“Hoho, you’re very good with words, Young Patriarch Baek. From my point of view, you are well qualified to be here. What does everyone else think?” The Shaolin Temple’s Great Monk Gong Seon swiftly intervened and took Mu-Gun’s side as the conversation between Mu-Gun and Jin-Ho heated up.
“I agree. Although Young Patriarch Baek is still in his youth, his achievements in murim do not fall behind anyone here. His age is not important,” the Wudang Sect’s Elder Hyeon Myung also supported Mu-Gun following the intervention of the Shaolin Temple’s Great Monk Gong Seon.
“As someone who traveled and observed Young Patriarch Baek on the way to Wuchang, I also think that he is well qualified.”
“Young Patriarch Baek has already proven himself with his martial arts. It is impolite to even discuss whether he is qualified or not.”
The Great Namgung Family’s Namgung Ho and the Great Huangfu Family’s Huangfu Jian also supported Mu-Gun. The Nine Prominent Sects aside, Jin-Ho was embarrassed when the Great Namgung Family and the Great Huangfu Family, which were also part of the Seven Great Families, sided with Mu-Gun. When they did, he realized that it would no longer do him any good to discuss Mu-Gun’s qualifications.
“Ehem, since the others say so, I will no longer question Young Patriarch Baek’s qualifications.” Jin-Ho got off his high horse. No one questioned Mu-Gun’s qualifications any further.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on fre(e)webnov(l).com