novelraw Chapter 204 : Deployment
Chapter 204 : Deployment
Chapter 204: Deployment
The outskirts of the Central Heavens Martial Realm.
The place where the three members of the Six Heavens clashed had transformed into an entirely different world.
The once visible blue sky had disappeared, leaving only utter blackness, like the cosmos. A part of the dimensional space called the Central Heavens Realm had been destroyed.
This level of destruction had occurred even though the Demon Lord hadn't revealed his full power, and the Taecheong Divine Sovereign had done his utmost to minimize the damage.
The Demon Lord, Muk Geom-yeong, dragged the fight out intentionally, as if it were an intriguing martial duel, manipulating the tempo to buy time. His aim was to properly assess the Dao Lord and the Sword Lord.
Since Muk Geom-yeong was acting that way, the other two had no choice but to match his pace. After all, they had originally come to stop Muk Geom-yeong through dialogue, not combat. From the beginning, they had no intention of defeating him in a fight.
Thus, the battle continued without rest for several days until it suddenly came to an end when Muk Geom-yeong momentarily halted to converse. The end came unexpectedly—and absurdly—by the hands of another being.
“He got dragged off by those ghosts, so I suppose he’ll suffer a bit now, huh?”
While the three were conversing briefly,
a rift in the dimension tore open, and an uninvited guest emerged from within and took Muk Geom-yeong away.
“That makes sense, since he was one of their Five Kings.”
“Five? Weren’t there six of them?”
“Thanks to the Demon Lord, now there are only five.”
“…That bastard really is insane.”
The evil spirits, who waged an endless war against the Nyorai Realm, one of the realms within the Middle Realm.
Among them, those with six arms were particularly powerful. And standing at the pinnacle among them were their Six Kings.
These Six Kings were considered comparable to the Six Heavens of the Central Heavens Martial Realm, but Muk Geom-yeong had already annihilated one of them.
“If he’d already settled in Central Heavens, why the hell did he attack those who were fighting against the Nyorai Realm? That bastard’s really out of his mind.”
The Dao Lord shook her head and looked at the Taecheong Divine Sovereign.
“Old man, are you alright?”
Black smoke rose from various parts of the Taecheong Divine Sovereign's body. He had been tormented persistently by Muk Geom-yeong.
Though it had been a three-way battle, Muk Geom-yeong hadn’t properly engaged the Dao Lord. His gaze had remained fixed on the Taecheong Divine Sovereign.
Muk Geom-yeong laughed and admired while facing the Sovereign’s Microcosm and martial arts.
It was as if he wasn’t so much fighting, but testing whether the Taecheong Divine Sovereign was truly worthy of the title of Sword Lord. And the Sovereign withstood all of Muk Geom-yeong’s relentless attacks.
‘That old man’s no joke either.’
Taecheong Divine Sovereign.
No, now the Sword Lord—Jang Sambong.
‘I wasn’t sure at first, but he’s definitely not someone to take lightly.’
He possessed the skill most fitting of the title Sword Lord.
Even in the eyes of the Dao Lord, the fact that he had endured Muk Geom-yeong’s fiendish attacks without faltering was astonishing. In the end, he had even torn through Muk Geom-yeong’s Microcosm and stabbed a sword into his side.
‘His reputation wasn’t just for show.’
He had long been spoken of as the strongest among the Ten Thrones, with power comparable to the Six Heavens—and it had been proven true.
“I can manage. What about you, Dao Lord?”
“I’m more or less fine. Took fewer hits than you did, old man.”
Despite her words, the Dao Lord was missing an arm. Even with two members of the Six Heavens fighting together, the Demon Lord hadn’t been overpowered.
After a bit more conversation, the Dao Lord brought up what truly bothered her. This was a matter even she had to speak of cautiously.
“Do you think what he said is true?”
During a brief pause in the fight, Muk Geom-yeong had shared what he knew.
—There are hardly any Martial Gods or True Immortals left in the Upper Realm.
Neither Jang Sambong, who had only just joined the ranks of the Six Heavens, nor the Dao Lord, who rarely operated externally, had any knowledge of this.
The absence of the Martial Gods and True Immortals of the Upper Realm.
It was an unprecedented event. In fact, it was likely the first time such a thing had occurred since the establishment of the Central Heavens Martial Realm.
—The cultivators have also caught on. Those who reached the Great Vehicle Stage have already vanished. The Dragon Emperor of the Heavens must have realized something too. After all, he has the blood of dragons. He may be able to perceive or sense things we cannot. That’s probably why he’s rampaging like this, though I don’t know the exact purpose.
“He’s not the type to spout nonsense.”
“True. He’s a madman, but not a liar. Still, it’s hard to believe.”
The changes in the Upper Realm were that shocking.
“I had heard the Cultivation Realm was unsettled, but I didn’t know this was the reason.”
They had both sensed the strange movements among the cultivators. But neither had grasped the specifics or realized the enormity of the situation.
“Do you think that lunatic really came because the snake called him?”
“I doubt it.”
“Right? That bastard must have known this would happen.”
Muk Geom-yeong likely anticipated that the Sword Lord would appear if he made his move.
And as expected, Jang Sambong had acted and clashed with him. That battle might have been his true goal.
The crisis of the Central Heavens Martial Realm or the upheaval in the Upper Realm didn’t matter to him. Only he mattered. He acted solely by his own will.
That was Muk Geom-yeong, the Demon Lord known as the Greatest in the Central Heavens.
“That damn snake must be thrilled.”
The Dragon Emperor of the Heavens’ true objective was likely not to summon Muk Geom-yeong, but to incite a clash between the three of them. In the end, everything had gone as he wished.
The three members of the Six Heavens had clashed, and Jang Sambong had been injured. Now, the protector of the Central Heavens Martial Realm was hindered.
“The Demon Lord, that lunatic, has only made things worse. Why won’t he just ascend already instead of clinging to the Central Heavens?”
At the Dao Lord’s grumbling, Jang Sambong smiled.
He had heard the reason when he previously met Muk Geom-yeong, but he didn’t share it with the Dao Lord.
“May I ask a favor?”
“What is it? If it’s troublesome, I’m not doing it.”
Although she spoke sharply, Jang Sambong knew that she would accept his request.
“Please watch over the Central Heavens Martial Realm for just a while.”
“……”
The Dao Lord silently looked at Jang Sambong, then nodded. She couldn’t possibly ask someone in such poor condition to guard the realm.
Who could coldly turn away from an old man on the brink of death?
“It’s cheating to keep looking like an old man when you can undergo Body Reformation.”
At the Dao Lord’s small complaint, Jang Sambong smiled again.
When the Annihilation Squad returned to the Main Division of the Five Elements Cult, a meeting immediately commenced.
Since Im Gwan-hwa had already contacted them on her way back, Cult Leader Seo Gyeong-mu and the other executives were roughly informed of the situation.
“There’s no chance it’s a trap?”
“Very low. And even if it were, we extracted the information after utterly wrecking them. If we’re being deceived after that, then we deserve to fall for it.”
Won Gong and Neung So-yeon, who had been captured, were in tatters—both physically and mentally. That’s why Seo Ryeom was confident the information they obtained was genuine.
“How much time do we have?”
“It’s urgent. Won Gong and Neung So-yeon said they made regular contact. Even if that’s not the case, there might be some kind of spell or technique embedded in their bodies as a contingency.”
“Then we have to assume they already know, and prepare accordingly.”
Jang Woo-hyun agreed with that conclusion, considering it a sound judgment. Seo Gyeong-mu paused for a moment before speaking.
“What was the level of their skills?”
“There probably aren’t many in the Five Elements Cult who can deal with them. Only someone on par with a Five Elements Envoy or stronger could subdue them.”
It was hard to believe, and a small sigh escaped Seo Gyeong-mu. However, knowing Jang Woo-hyun’s skill, he did not doubt it.
“Astonishing… to produce such martial artists in such a short time.”
Seo Gyeong-mu fell into thought briefly. After some time passed, he spoke again.
“We’re short on time.”
“We can push forward just like this. For reasons unknown, Ha Do-gwang hasn’t been making any moves from Golden Frog Island. This is our chance. If he moves again, tracking him might become a real pain.”
At Jang Woo-hyun’s words, Seo Gyeong-mu shook his head.
“I understand that well enough. But our side currently lacks the manpower to mobilize.”
More precisely, they were short on top-level experts.
Seo Gyeong-mu, the current Cult Leader, had not fully recovered from his injuries and couldn’t act. Son Ung needed to remain to protect him and the Five Elements Cult’s Main Division.
The only ones left were the three Five Elements Envoys and Im Gwan-hwa of the Wu Hobup. Even if they summoned the two Envoys currently away, it would take considerable time for them to return.
“Right now, only Wu Hobup and Wu Il-do can move.”
Im Gwan-hwa of the Wu Hobup and one of the Five Elements Envoys, Woo Il-do. Among the upper echelon of the Five Elements Cult, only these two could currently take action.
“There are others besides those two, but judging from your story, those Ten Golden ThunderS aren’t going to be easy to deal with. Plus, they’ve got Ha Do-gwang and a traitorous Five Elements Envoy on their side.”
They needed more forces—and not just numbers, but strong martial artists.
Seo Gyeong-mu had voiced this after careful consideration, but to the Annihilation Squad, it sounded like nonsense.
Eventually, Seo Ryeom couldn’t hold back and spoke.
“Cult Leader, what the hell are you… no, what are you saying?”
The enemy was clearly identified, and they had discovered their location—yet they were supposed to just sit and wait? From Seo Ryeom’s perspective, this was incomprehensible. And the talk about lacking manpower made even less sense.
Did he not see the Annihilation Squad standing right in front of him?
“I cannot burden you all with this. This is an internal matter of the Five Elements Cult.”
Seo Gyeong-mu, guessing Seo Ryeom’s thoughts, responded.
He was trying to resolve the issue using the Five Elements Cult’s own power.
But those on the receiving end had a different mindset.
Everyone slightly furrowed their brows and looked at Seo Gyeong-mu. From the Annihilation Squad’s perspective, they didn’t even understand what kind of ‘burden’ he was talking about.
Only Im Gwan-hwa, whose expression rarely changed, smiled faintly.
‘The Cult Leader doesn’t understand them at all.’
They didn’t see this as a burden at all. In fact, they were probably itching to fight.
“Then… are we supposed to wait until the two Envoys return?”
Seo Ryeom, who had been wearing a sulky expression, threw out the question.
“That’s correct. If those two return, it shouldn’t be difficult to handle Ha Do-gwang.”
“Cult Leader.”
“Yes?”
“Then come later if you want. We’re going.”
Seo Ryeom, heated by the emergence of new enemies, had no intention of waiting.
“I’m well aware of your skill, but Ha Do-gwang isn’t someone to be taken lightly. And he’s gained a new power. This kind of thing—if you approach it emotionally—”
“Man, you talk too much. Whatever. Are we going or not? What about you?”
The Wind-Passing Great Sage, who had been silently listening, interrupted and asked Im Gwan-hwa.
“I’ll go too.”
“Alright, that’s settled. Anyone else? You?”
He turned to Woo Il-do.
“Yes.”
“Done then. Two from the Five Elements Cult. Grab whatever people you need. We’re heading out. Jang Woo-hyun, let’s go.”
With the Wind-Passing Great Sage stepping in to move things along, Seo Gyeong-mu found himself in a difficult position.
“Great Sage, we can’t act like this without clearly knowing the enemy’s strength. This is dangerous. I don’t intend to place any burden on the Annihilation Squad.”
“Burden? What burden? What are you even talking about? I don’t get it. They’re our enemy. If they’re the enemy, we fight. That’s how we do things.”
The Wind-Passing Great Sage bared his teeth and gave a fierce smile. At that, Mak Ya-wol and Seo Ryeom, who had been sitting quietly, also subtly released their auras.
Seo Gyeong-mu, his face full of discomfort, looked to Jang Woo-hyun as if pleading with him to stop this. But he was already smiling.
“That’s how it is. Besides, we already agreed to help—so don’t worry about it. We’re allies.”
As Jang Woo-hyun gave his permission, Seo Ryeom shouted with joy.
This time, it was a proper deployment of the Annihilation Squad.