Book 29 Chapter 10

大難猿

-Run, run, run! The missing railroad car!

In a deep, secret cave.

Deep within this deserted refuge, known by a select few as the Great Refuge, Nabaxian sat on a stool with his eyes closed.

His breathing was so labored that it was hard to tell if he was resting or not, and his complexion was very pale, as if the blood had drained from his body. Of course, his pale complexion wasn't due to cold, as he was sitting in a half-raised position with his jacket unzipped. Who would want to look at the upper half of a man over a hundred years old, but for all that, his steel-like body was made up of the well-toned muscles of a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties.

While the accumulation of internal energy over the years could give a killer power beyond measure, it did not build muscle, so while a skinny septuagenarian might be able to perform feats of strength unimaginable to a younger man, his body was usually still skinny.

No matter how much royalty was carved into their bellies in their youth, muscles are naturally susceptible to falling apart like porridge in water after a month or two at most. As a result, most strong athletes rely on the internal strength that comes with age and put physical training on the back burner. This is because they believe that the accumulation of internal qigong will be enough to reinforce their weakened bodies, rather than trying to build muscles that may fade away.

But that's just the killer's idea, not Bai Chen's.

He thought about how much stronger he could be if he had a trained body to back up his accumulating intelligence. He also thought a little about how he didn't want to disappoint his wife, whom he'd just gotten, simply because he was getting older.

Therefore, he had never neglected the cultivation of the inner gong, the training of his body, or even the training of his mind until this day.

After 'that day', that day on the volcanic Tianmu Peak, he could never rest, not even to shake off the horror of it. He could never be idle since he knew that while the sky might not fall, this realm he knew could crumble at any moment, like a sand castle on a beach.

But now there was a single, diagonal scar across his steel-hardened chest, and red blood was oozing from it.

'I thought I had it blocked, but…….'

The Archmage's attack sliced past his sword and into his chest. Any deeper, and the wound would have cut through his ribs and severed his heart. But more than that, it was the very existence of the 'technique' that disturbed him.

Bai Xiaochun cast Yin Qi and moved his chest muscles to close the wound. The gaping wound closed in an instant, stopping the bleeding. But it was only for a moment, as the thin wound on his front chest opened up again and began to ooze blood.

Bai Xiaochun let out a long breath and opened his eyes.

"Hah, it never stops."

I don't know how many times I've tried this, but every attempt has ended in failure. I didn't even try the Yun Gong yoga method, let alone the golden pills. All I could do was reduce the amount of bleeding.

Blood was constantly oozing from the thin, diagonal wound. Around the wound, chi was not flowing properly, as if it had been cut off.

'An unstoppable, unavoidable blow. I've seen it before.

Bai Xiaochun's pupils shook violently.

That was the case then, too.

'Yes, even then…….'

He watched as the unstoppable blow unfolded.

……that very day, two hundred years ago.

…… from the volcano Tianmu Peak.

He was losing consciousness due to excessive blood loss.

In Nabaxian's empty mind, the past flashed before his eyes.

'I don't want this to be a zuma light…….'

As he muttered this, his mind was already flying to the top of the volcanic Tianmu Peak, where nostalgic faces greeted him.

'Large…….'

The larger of the two, a man with an eerily beautiful face, fair as a woman's, was speaking to him.

* * *

"Bai Chen, are you still not going down?"

"I'm not going down, no, I'm not going down. I'll fight with my brothers."

Baekcheon's resolve was clear.

"If you're going down, go down. This fight, it's still too much for you. Honestly, it's too much for you."

Hyuk-jung was resolute. He wasn't the kind of person who could be moved to do something by passion.

"That's a bit much, Large."

"We're dealing with a monster of Murim's primordial blood. We can't fight it with something on our feet. Do you think we must die fighting with our burdens to make you feel better?"

"Ha, but……."

"But what?"

"I apologize for being a burden, but I want to fight too. I want to fight with you, Walin and Hyuk-jung."

He was still young, and as such, his blood was still boiling.

"If you fight now, you'll only get yourself killed."

Bai Chen rejected it with his whole body.

"Still, I don't want to, I don't want to at all. Even if I die, I will stay. Someone needs to see that fight. Even if the two of you fall at the hands of 'him', your bravery in fighting him must be passed down to posterity. And it is only your formation that can draw out his hidden power. Someone needs to see the martial prowess he displayed, don't you think?"

He had a point. If you're tired, you're tired, and if you're not going to win, you're going to lose.

"Okay, fine. If you don't want me to interrupt, I won't interrupt, I'll just watch, I'll just hide."

"You've grown quite stubborn."

"That's the norm. If you're going to stick around with your brothers, you've got to have some balls, not that it's optional."

Galjoonghyuk clicked his tongue at Na Baekcheon's attitude as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, well, well, you little bastard, you've really developed the art of the cheeky."

"Three days of bereavement for a man."

"Forget the parentheses. I'll be lucky if I don't get ostracized."

"I've reached the tenth level of the White Lightning Heavenly Sword Technique of Wen Zhong Vision."

"Really? That's great, you've got it all figured out, I'm impressed."

When Hyuk Wolin praised him, Gal Joong-hyuk snorted, "You can't praise him too much or he'll become cocky.

"Hahaha, does that mean I can fight alongside you?"

"No, that's not it."

Xue Yue Lin shook her head, not a trace of a smile on her compliantly beautiful face.

"What, no? Are you saying you're not there yet? I mean, you're not there yet, you're not there yet, you're not there yet, you're not there yet, you're not there yet."

Yes, he was a so-called "genius," which is why he was able to cultivate the Hundred Lightning Heavenly Sword Technique to the level of a teenager at such a young age.

"Five years from now, we might be able to fight together. But not today."

"What's five years……. It's still a decade, nay, a hundred years before he can fight alongside us."

Bai Chen was disappointed to hear that.

"A hundred years is too much, isn't it, a hundred years."

"Talk to me again in a hundred years, eh?"

Galjonghyuk growled.

"Why are you so desperate to eat me, is it because you don't want me to have all the love in the world?"

"What? Onya, I want you to die today. Others will think you've been killed by the Heavenly Blood God, and the cleanup will be perfect."

"Go, go big, don't make jokes like that with that look on your face. I'm afraid you mean it."

Sigh. The corner of Gal Joong-hyuk's mouth lifted.

"Me, seriously?"

"vs……."

"Yes."

Before Na Baekcheon could finish his sentence, Gal Joong Hyuk flicked a key at him.

"Large, this, this……."

Bai Chen's hand trembled as he clumsily took the key. Even though it was made of gold, it should be a light key, but somehow it felt incredibly heavy. It felt as if his shoulders were about to be ripped off.

"Is it heavy?"

Gal Joong-hyuk asked, amused.

"Yes, it's heavy. How can it not be heavy? Isn't this one of the keys to heaven and earth?"

The sassy behavior of a moment ago was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the young man's face was one of terror.

"Remember, that's the weight of power."

Fluffy.

Bai Chen's hands trembled as he held the key with both hands.

"Well, to be precise, it's an eighteenth of his weight, or maybe a fifth, since he's bigger than that, so hold on to it and don't drop it."

"Oh, I'm not dropping it. How could I drop this, big guy, take it away!"

Cold sweat trickled down Bai Xiaochun's pale face like rain.

"Have it."

It's no big deal, he said.

"What, me, me?"

"Yes, if anything happens to us……."

"What if it happens?"

"Take that and run."

"Do, you want me to run away?"

As Na Baekcheon swallowed hard and asked, Gal Joong Hyuk said with a serious face.

"Yes, never think of fighting, but run away, for that key is the 'Key of Man' of the three most important keys of the Iron Chest, the Keys of Heaven and Earth, and without it, the Iron Chest will never be opened."

It was a key that was higher than the Key of the Four Seas.

"……."

"If we don't take that away from them, they'll never open that box, and then they'll never be the rulers of this powerhouse."

Looking at Nie Baiqian, who was speechless, the two spoke again.

"Then run away and grow stronger. You know what's in that box, don't you?"

"Of course, that's why you're shaking."

My hands were shaking enough that I wouldn't be surprised if I dropped it right now.

"Yes, it will be heavy. The fate of Kang Ho is in it."

Gal Joong-hyuk chuckled with a grim expression.

The one who opens it controls the power, so the key was a lure.

"It's the best rice cake ever."

That's right. It was a giant rice cake baiting for the dominance of the powerful Qi Clan.

"It's a bit of a cowardly move, but we shouldn't hand it over just yet, should we?"

At Hyuk Yulin's words, Hyuk Joong snorted.

"What's cowardly about that? If you want to catch a big fish like that, your rice cake should be just as colorful."

But it was the other way around. Instead of catching walleye, they could end up being eaten by sharks.

A fateful bout was about to take place.

Bai Chen felt his heart tremble as he realized that he was at the crossroads of history.

"Then stay hidden and watch, and keep this fight fresh in your mind, just in case you need to…… No, thank you."

Hyuk-jung cut him off mid-sentence, but it was clear enough what he wanted to say.

With those eyes, he wanted them to recognize the true strength of the Heavenly Blood God Wei Tianmu, so that if they were defeated, they would be able to carry on.

When they died, the Heavenly Blood God's martial arts would be buried in darkness for all eternity, and Nie Bai Tian would be forced to watch the fight from the shadows.

And he looked.

A man approaches, carrying what looks like a giant coffin lightly slung over his right shoulder.

The manifestation of a nightmare, the essence of horror that has plunged the entire realm into hell, the heavy crate that the four of them struggled to lift being carried away…….

The shadow at the bottom of the mountain grew larger and larger until it reached the top.

It was as if the concept of distance disappeared with each step he took.

He wore a silver mask made of "ice silver" that emitted an eerie chill, as if it had been carved out of an ice cube.

Just looking at it sent shivers down my spine, and I felt like my heart would freeze into a white frost.

"This is what cold terror looks like.

Only then did Bai Chen realize its meaning.

But…….

"Hello, it's been a while since I've seen you both. You're still pretty, especially you, Lin. That's a good thing. How have you been?"

He sounded like he was out for a walk, which was completely inappropriate for the stifling, cold atmosphere.

"It's been a while. Shall we get started?"

Hyuk Yulin asked, suppressing his emotions.

"Have you improved your skills, little brother, and are you confident you won't get caught this time?"

"This time I'm going to kill you."

"That's nice to hear, but do you think you can do it on your own?"

"I can't do it alone, but two people can."

Bai Chen knew better than anyone how much the two of them had sacrificed for this moment.

"The Trident of Doom? That was kind of boring, but it had its moments of originality, but as you can see, you can't stop me. You have no choice. You're going to have to try harder."

The Three Jewels of Destruction.

The three gateways created by the Heavenly Fear Blood God Wei Tianmu, who challenged the mighty Black and White Firmament to obtain the one and only "Han Iron Chest" containing the fate of the Firmament.

The three gateways, presided over by the unfortunate Zong Xing, the apprentice Yong Jingyu, and the swordsman Xue Yunming, were responsible for the Hua Shan Society's three terrifying gates. Hundreds and thousands of martial artists sacrificed their lives to protect what was inside the box, only to discover the cruelty of providence that so much sacrifice doesn't always bring good results.

When Wei Tianmu, the Heavenly Blood God, had passed through the three gateways with a transcendent divinity that could hardly be considered human, and stood on the spot with the nine keys to the iron chest in his hand, two young men, still young at the time, stopped him at the last of the gateways.

They were three times subdued by the Heavenly Fearless Blood God Wei Tianmu, that is, three times beautifully subdued and three times disgracefully released.

They were Hyuk Wolin and Gal Joong Hyuk.

Gal Joong-hyuk, the Black Lion, who overcame the Wall of Unreality after suffering in hell, and Hyuk Wol-lin, the Taegeuk Shinrikyo, who perfected a new "Final Righteousness" after repeated research and long suffering.

That was before their names had become legendary.

"You're both in a different mood than last time. Have you both gotten past the barriers in your way?"

"Because if I don't, I can't beat you."

Hyuk Yue Lin looked at 'him' with eyes like a tranquil lake and said.

"I'm not going to be taken down as easily as last time!"

Gal Joong-hyuk glared at him with a lion-like gaze that didn't intimidate him in the slightest, and exclaimed.

"I'm looking forward to it, but first we need to do something about this pesky iron cage."

Nabaxian was afraid of his distribution, dismissing the box containing the fate of the Murim as cumbersome.

"Backwards Heaven!"

The Heavenly Blood God called out a man's name.

Sigh!

The figure appeared behind him without warning, as if from the shadows. He wore a mask made of bronze, and the word "North" was engraved on his forehead.

"Did you call for me, my lord?"

The one who is called the Great Sky, or the North Sky, replied. His voice was very blunt, as if he lacked the respect and fear of the Heavenly Blood God.

"Okay, I called it. Put these downstairs. I'll be down shortly with the rest."

As if it were no big deal, he tossed me a bundle of keys.

"So this is the 'box'."

Interest flashed in the eyes behind the mask.

"Yes, that's the box. Why, do you want it? If you want it, open it with all your might and take it. I won't stop you."

It was a casual, nonchalant tone.

"Is it okay if I take this power?"

He didn't sound all that interested.

"What's the big deal, something that doesn't interest you. With your abilities, is there anything you can't have?"

At that, Bei Tian shook his head and replied in a polite, nonchalant voice.

"Who among the four thousand mortals is not capable of such a thing, and how can I, an insignificant man, have what belongs to my lord?"

"So what? If you want it, you can have it. You see, I want something else, but I'm not going to give it to you, so if you need it, you'll have to get it yourself."

He spoke as if Murim were a child's toy.

"I will, of course, if it's necessary. But bossing around isn't really my thing either, so……. I'll be waiting downstairs with my men then."

"Do you not help?"

"He" chuckled and asked. He meant to say, "Don't leave without offering to help." Then Li Qiye turned around and said, "I'm sorry.

"You don't need it, do you?"

"Yeah, but that's the nature of the beast."

There was no other word more fitting to come out of the mouth of a Heavenly Frightening Blood God than 'love'. He added a word to make sure that even the blunt Duan Tian didn't miss it.

"It's called love, and when others know it came from the mouth of a Heavenly Blood God, they shudder."

"If you want to look good, look good, but if you pay attention to such things, how can you be a hyo-woong who walks the 'path,' let alone a strong man?"

"You've said too much, it's scarier when you say little."

The Heavenly Fierce Blood God retorted.

"I'm not a very scary person."

It was a statement that, if heard by any other martial artist, would have caused his heart to stop beating in utter horror.

"…… That doesn't sound very convincing, so I'm going to go downstairs and wait, my lord."

"Of course, but you still stiffly call me Master, even though I told you to call me Master?"

"You've got to separate the goods from the bad, my lord."

In a stern voice, Li Qiye said.

"You inflexible bastard. This could be the last time I see you, and what's the point in calling you Master?"

But the blunt man was unmoved by the words.

"That can't possibly be true, so I'll take my leave, my lord, and you may enjoy yourselves."

Then, carrying the iron bucket, he descended the volcano, not even giving the men behind him, Hyuk Wolin, Gal Zhonghyeok, and Na Baekcheon, their daily wages.

It was too tension-free to be a fight for Kang Ho's fate. Later, if I can survive this, I must never speak of this, Bai Chen thought, because no one will believe me anyway.

Who the hell believes that the Heavenly Blood God Wei Tianmu is also a human with blood?

Something you don't even believe yourself.

You want me to tell you that the most famous mass serial killer in history actually has a human side, that he jokes around with his protégé?

Bai Chen was still young, and he didn't want to be thought of as a madman.

"Let's pretend we didn't see it. Let's pretend we didn't hear it.

After that, it was a battle to the death.

Too nervous and unable to withstand the type of life force exuded by the Heavenly Frightening Blood God, Bai Chen was forced to fall into an illusionary state. If his strength was even slightly lacking, if the ductility of the Thunderbolt Sword Technique was even slightly slower, he would have died instantly.

So he didn't get to watch the whole thing. All he had was a powerful video. But it was enough for him to see the tremendous progress in martial arts he would later make.

That's what it means to see a legendary fight, to be next to a legendary person.

Without realizing it, you're being lifted up a notch. By higher averages. By renewed standards. It was akin to standing on the shoulders of giants and seeing the world.

But some of them I remember clearly because they were so intense and vivid, and because I saw them before I was completely lost in the hallucination.

The sting of the blow was embedded in his brain and has never left.

Then, Bai Chen saw.

What harmony the lightly wielded hand of a blood god creates.

At first it appeared to be nothing more than a light flick of the hand, but of course no sound was made. The air was frozen, not even stirring, and the wind remained silent.

There was no sound, no trace, no form.

However, the entire top of the Heavenly Peak was enveloped in a terrifying life force, and Bai Chen couldn't even breathe properly. Everything in front of him seemed to turn black.

A blow of soundlessness and formlessness.

But, as it turns out, Hyukwolin was Hyukwolin.

At this point, Xue Yulin, who had already reached a level that Bai Chen couldn't imagine, instinctively sensed something and deployed a defensive formation. In an instant, a shield of flame and ice enveloped his body.

Probably blocked. That double shield is an all-around attack.

But…….

Distance? Defense? Evasion?

All to no avail.

The double defense of the red and blue swords, the almost absolute defense of ice and fire, it had pierced through so futilely.

Rather than piercing defenses and tearing through shields, it felt like it had simply penetrated them. It was a move that rendered the very concept of interlocking meaningless.

Ch-ch-crack!

For a moment, it felt like the world had split apart.

Yin and Yang. The white saber and the black sword shone with vivid black and white colors, not the usual red and blue. The black-and-white sword circle was about to deliver the final blow with the swirling left and right sword, when a spider web of red blood shot out from the front of Yue Lin's chest, and crimson blood gushed out like a fountain through the thin red gap.

Poof!

In the distance, he could see Gal Zhonghyeok reaching for Hyuk Yue Lin, who was falling like a log, and it seemed so unreal to Bai Chen's eyes.

There was blood splattering and screaming in front of me, but I couldn't hear a sound or feel anything. Everything seemed to be happening so slowly. But he himself could not lift a finger, as if time had stood still.

I couldn't do anything.

The incident itself was frozen.

And what happened after that……?

He doesn't remember much after that. It's all a blur of darkness, but when I woke up, he was still alive. Surrounded by a cheering mob.

They were all chanting both names.

With the new alias in front. Now no one called the two of them by their names.

-Musin Revolution Long live Wolin! Long live Musin Ma Gal Joong Hyuk!

This was the moment when the gods and goddesses were born.

But the million didn't feel real at all.

"It's all over?

That was a lie; nothing was done.

His teeth chattered, his lips were pale as if blood had drained from them, and his body was cold as if he'd been in an ice cave.

What the heck was going on up there?

"What did I see?

Try as I might, all I could think of was a headache.

So afterward, Na Baekcheon found the two survivors…… Yes, they were surprisingly alive. Although severely injured, Hyuk Wolin and Gal Joong Hyuk were still alive.

Anyway, Nabechuan couldn't help but ask the two of them afterward.

"What the hell happened while I was out of it, did you really knock 'him' out, Large?"

"……."

He didn't answer, so I turned to Gal Joong-hyuk.

"Did you really, really, really knock him out, Large?"

Gal Joong-hyuk replied with a bitter smile.

"Well…… I'm not sure either."

It was a pretty vague answer, to say the least.

"Well, where's the answer to that, big guy? They took your 'iron chest' too, didn't they? If they take that away, isn't it all over? Did you find it back?"

"Here I am, why? Forget the painful past. I kept the 'key' anyway, so it's not the end of the world. I didn't find it. And when you ask questions, ask them one by one, you bastard. You're so confused when you answer."

Then he punched me in the head.

"So you kept all the keys?"

"Okay. Four for me, four for him, and one for you."

There were nine in total.

"Of the eighteen, those who guarded the Three Walls of Destruction had three at each gate, so there must be nine…… taken."

Half taken, half kept. A draw was a draw was a draw.

"Nothing has been found and nothing has been taken away, right?"

"You idiot, that's what it means to keep it."

"Ouch, ouch, stop hitting me, Gal Formation. Stop hitting me."

Later, he would become a fierce fighter of the Hundred Dao Martial Union, but at the time, he was just a mere pawn.

* * *

'Then those keys must have been…….'

It is said that when King Galjoonghyuk passed on the office of the Lord of the Black Sword to his son, he gave him the key as a reminder to recognize its weight as the ruler of the Black Sword and to never forget it.

I named it Cheonbung Geum Poetry.

The name was a warning that they were dangerous objects that could shatter the sky they were in at any moment. It was also a reminder that this peace could be shattered at any moment with a small key. The weight of the key was so great that not even the bravest of the four thousand could carry it in their arms. If he made a mistake and lost it, he would be unable to hold his head high in front of the entire Martial Kingdom.

If he did, Galjongchun, who is much younger than him, probably did more.

If so, where is the city of Cheonbunggeum?

Do you think they'll just give up the keys to the Iron Curtain?

If they did, they would have given up a hundred years ago. The fact that they were still missing was the strongest evidence yet that they hadn't given up.

It was a challenge of sorts, and the Heavenly Blood God was never one to lie when it came to challenges and bets. To him, conquering a great power was just as much a bet or a game.

Invisible attacks, unstoppable attacks, and attacks that don't heal.

The invisible, soundless, and indistinct blow that had oviposited the chest of the Taipei God Army's Heng Yue Lin, who was now called the Martial God, was certainly similar to the one wielded by the Martial King.

'If you don't check…….'

I had to check it out.

There's no way to know if that's going to be hope or despair for the powerhouse, but it's definitely something to check.

With that thought, Nabaxian's consciousness, which had drifted away, returned more and more. At the same time, his spirit that had flown to the past also flew to the present.

Bai Xiaochun closed his eyes tightly and broke out in a cold sweat. Then, a pain he had forgotten began to plague him.

I've been thinking too much. I wonder if it's because my body is weakened.

I can't stop thinking about the past.

Is it your body's way of telling you to organize your life, or is it God's will?

I hadn't gotten around to seeing the running lights yet.

First and foremost, I had to get my wife's permission first. Otherwise, I risked a lot of nagging later.

As the husband of a woman and the father of a child, he could not die without the consent of his wife and daughter. As the head of a family and the head of a group, he was obligated to live.

"Yeah, I haven't even seen my granddaughter's face yet……."

Despite muttering to himself, Bai Xiaochun was surprised. He didn't seem to care much about his grandson, and had subconsciously decided that if he had one, it would be a granddaughter. But there was a problem.

"No, no, no. Don't you have to marry her off to see your granddaughter? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

A face popped into my mind that I didn't really want to think about. A face with bushy bangs and a smile that always seemed to be tugging at the corners of her mouth, whether it was for herself or for others. It was Bi Ryuyeon, the first child to open her heart.

He was right to open his daughter's heart to him, but he was wrong to think that he would allow her to have a relationship with him, let alone marry him. It was disrespectful and disrespectful to the daughters and fathers of this world.

If it weren't for the title, I would have started with a punch to the face, but what's the point of status, dignity, and responsibility? It was a pity.

This is the place where even the stories of fathers who loved their daughters so much that they sent assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins after assassins.

"I'll comply.

Compared to them, he considered himself a very cultured father.

His symptoms were already beyond severe.

At that moment, something strange suddenly appeared in Bai Xiaochun's peripheral vision.

"Why is he in front of me?

At first, I thought I was still dreaming: there's no way that guy with the shaggy bangs could be here in the Great Refuge, but he was bleeding so much that he hadn't gotten out of his dream yet. I was thinking to myself, "How pathetic, a man who is a martial arts master.

The illusion, which had been so close, raised its hand and smirked.

"Good night, father-in-law!"

Even the bright, cheerful voice was too vivid to be a dream, and Nie Bai Tian was startled out of the sea of jumbo lights as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt.

"Yeah, how did you, uh, how did you get here?"

"Awww, that's because I'm worried about my father-in-law, of course. He's been through three thousand siege troops and scary old ladies to get here, and he's nearly died about seven times."

"It's disgusting and you need to stop saying that!"

In the meantime, I could hear conversations going on in front of me, like, "Hey, Gongsang. I heard you almost died seven times. Do you remember?" and "No, I don't remember, Brother Zhang." I could also hear conversations going on up ahead of me, such as "What's wrong with him?" and "I don't know, maybe he's trying to win my father-in-law's favor," and "I think he's earned his hatred instead of his favor.

Bai Xiaochun's vision was suddenly enveloped by the presence of Jang Hong, Nangong Shang, and Mo Yonghui, who had come up behind Bi Ryuyeon.

"You mean this isn't a dream?"

Na Baiqian asked in a dumbfounded voice if he still couldn't believe it.

"Of course it's a hundred and twenty realities, Jean."

Bi Ryuyeon smiled and said. At last, Bi Ryuyeon and her group had succeeded in securing a recruit for Nabaxian.

"It's great that someone is here, but why is this guy…….

Looking at Bi Ryuyeon, Nie Baiqian let out a sigh.

"This is a nightmare……."

* * *

"……Wow, I didn't think they'd come out of the woodwork with a god horse……."

When he heard what had happened outside since he had hidden himself in the Great Refuge, he let out a loud, earth-shattering lament.

I had a rough idea of what to expect after seeing Gal Zhongtian lying in a pool of blood, but things had taken a turn for the worst. Even though I didn't kill him, I couldn't help but feel a great deal of responsibility.

"I've never seen such a scary lady before."

Bi Ryuyeon shook her head in frustration.

"Oh, you mean Auntie……."

It was an incredibly unfamiliar and disrespectful title to call the Three Great Nanglangs, who had made even the Black Heaven Blind Lord Gal Zhongtian tremble, "Auntie." But she continued to speak, seemingly unaware of her reckless disrespect.

"We're a day, no, half a day, away from a full-scale war, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a full-scale war within the next hour. It's almost like people are desperate for a war."

Hearing this, Bai Xiaochun's complexion became even more somber.

"The current state of affairs is boring, so the young who can't control their boiling blood, or the old who can't forget their horrors, or the old who can't forget their horrors, hate the other side in order to conquer them. That's why they want war. A bloodbath of a nation."

"You fools, don't you realize that this boredom is evidence of peace?"

At Bi Ryuyeon's offhanded remark, Nai Bai Chen's eyes lit up.

"Right, fools. I see, I see. How many sacrifices do you think we've made in the past to get this 'boredom' now?"

"……."

The group was left speechless by Nabechuan's question.

"Thousands, nay, tens of thousands of sacrifices have brought us to this day of boredom, or in other words, 'peace'."

Time to do something other than die and kill. But there were plenty of people in the world who did nothing with that leisure time, and simply suffered from boredom.

"Well, let's get out of here so we can preserve the 'peace' of that boring routine."

Bi Ryuyeon was about to leave, but Na Baichen somehow stopped him.

"Wait a minute and see. There's something weird going on. Something's bothering me."

I hadn't had much time to think about myself, even as a fierce master of the Qiantian Blind, but since I've been hiding in this place, I've been able to think a bit more. I don't know if it was a dream or waking up, but the important thing is that something flashed through my mind.

A "box" never opens without a "key". And you don't usually carry something that big on your person. It was normal to keep it somewhere. That's what Bai Xiaochun did. The Qinglong Silver Pavilion had been destroyed because of that key. Because of the key they kept.

There was no way they could give up the key, the only tool that could open the iron chest, the Heavenly Bungee Poem. The most important of all, the Key of Heaven and Earth.

"What's in that tin foil hat?"

"Yeah. Why is everyone saying 'key' and 'key'?"

After listening to the brief, Mo Yonghui and Bi Ryuyeon each asked a question. They didn't seem to realize how important this was.

"It contains the fate of all the martial arts."

Nabaxian said in a serious voice.

"Oh, and the exaggeration."

Bai Chen shook his head, thinking how much he wished he could.

"No, no. Whoever possesses what is in that box will become the ruler of the entire Martial Realm, black or white. The ruler of the entire Martial Realm! That's why we named the iron chest the Ark of the Heavenly King."

"Heaven and Earth…… Scepter……."

They couldn't help but roll their eyes at the name.

'I'm going to beat a super-super-super-super invincible recruit!'

Bi Ryuyeon's eyes shone, and Nie Bai Tian shook his head again.

"A tome and a sack of recruits may produce a superhuman, but that is not what they contain. It is the majesty of dominion, the tokens of legitimate reign, and its collateral."

"Military, a token of dominance……?"

"Collateral……?"

Suspicion flashed across Mo Yonghui's and Namgung Sang's faces.

"What kind of lavish collateral is this that guarantees your dominance?"

At Bi Ryuyeon's question, Na Bai Chen thought for a moment.

'Should we keep secrets until the end? Or is it time? Is it time for future generations to know the hidden secrets?

Finally, Nabaxian spoke up again.

"Hah, while I don't like to pass on the karma of my ancestors, …… I think you should at least know what's going on in this clan and why they're risking their lives for it."

Bai Xiaochun had finally made up his mind. To tell the world what was happening to the Martial Realm, and why it had happened the way it had.

He is about to reveal the greatest secret the Murim have kept for the past hundred years.

"A hundred years ago, it was taken by the Heavenly Frightening Blood God, and inside the strictly sealed Ark of the Heavens and the Earth is the 'Longmoon Command' of Gu Feifang, the Eight Great Emperors, and the Black Dao Thirty-Three, who commanded the martial kingdom at that time."

"You mean like the…… Shaolin's Green Jade Buddhist Temple?"

A wave of consternation swept through the group.

"That's right."

"But I haven't heard a word about the loss of the Long March anywhere in the old file room!"

Mo Yonghui shouted in a furious voice.

"Of course they don't know, because we're not going to tell them."

"So the ones that are used now are……."

At Jang Hong's cautious words, Nie Baiqian nodded.

"Most of them are clones."

"Bo, clone……."

In short, it was fake.

Mo Yonghui was shocked and nearly fell to the ground when he realized that the authority he had been relying on was a sham. He was trembling as if he had been unwittingly turned into an aspen tree. Jang Hong's expression was stony, as if he had just realized the full extent of what had happened.

Only Bi Ryuyeon had her usual demeanor. At times like this, it seemed like nerves were tougher than whale tendons.

"But even those dozens of long-winded scriptures aren't as good as the 'Lord of the Three Treasures' that came with it."

"Gyurimsambo? You mean there was something more?"

"Yes, indeed. Rather, these three are more important, and the rest of the world is a joke compared to them."

"What the hell is that sambo?"

"First, the Heavenly Lord's Reign of Honor, a single card that proves its bearer to be a man who reigns at the pinnacle of the mighty martial realm. The second is a blood oath signed with the blood of the masters of the Jianghu Clan, the Three Families, and the Thirteen Provinces, stating that they will unconditionally surrender to the bearer of the divine plaque and obey his orders. And finally, the third is a blank book, the White Paper Book."

Each and every one of these names is a game-changer.

"What is this blank, blank, blank book? Is it a specially treated book that hides a legendary martial arts secret?"

When Jang Hong asked about the mysterious blank book, Na Baiqian shook his head.

"No, it's not. It's actually empty inside, but the book is already titled."

"There's no content, but it's titled? What the heck is the title of that book?"

"Its name is……."

As the nervous gazes of the group converged on Nabechuan, he slowly opened his mouth and spoke, carving out Chinese character after Chinese character.

"Xin.Mu.Lin.Qi!"

The words that were always spoken by the descendants of the Heavenly Frightening Spirit flowed out of the mouth of the Spiritual Master Nie Bai Tian.

"Shinmurimki?"

"Indeed. It symbolizes the beginning of a new era in the history of the Martial Kingdoms for whoever gets their hands on it."

This also meant that if the Warring States Sambo sealed inside the box fell into the hands of the Heavenly Spirit, the history of the Warring States would come to an end at that moment.

"umm……."

After crossing her arms and pretending to think about it for a moment, Bi Ryuyeon lifted her face again and spoke.

"Hmm, so it's a 'license' of sorts, a license to conquer the world!"

Even after hearing the secrets hidden in the deepest recesses of the mighty martial arts world, Bi Ryuyeon's appreciation was still very simple.

"It's a license……, and I'm told it's the dominion of the entire martial world……."

But she wasn't mistaken, she hadn't misheard. She was nodding to herself, wondering what made so much sense.

"So it's a 'license' to rule, isn't it, or in other words, a 'credential'?"

"Okay, credentials……."

It was a moment when something so big became so small in an instant.

"Hehe, yeah, a certification is a certification. A license to rule over an entire realm. But the difference between its use and its power is vast."

With that kind of bait, he could have lured a demon god to the volcano in a single bound. Gal Joong-hyuk's self-help words about the best rice cake in history were not an exaggeration.

"And where is that scepter now?"

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Bai Chen's lips.

"A thousand blood gods have taken it."

"So, are you saying that all control has been handed over to the Heavenly Blood God?"

"If that were the case, it wouldn't be so peaceful now, with Kang-ho complaining of boredom. He took the box, but not the key."

Who would have thought that a single man could break through all those traps? Fortunately, he took the box, but not the key.

"In those days, we gambled with the fate of the entire warband. We won half the time and lost half the time, and the game was postponed."

This did not result in complete domination, but it did not change the fact that the Ark of the Covenant was still in the hands of the Heavenly Spirit.

"Only eighteen keys can open those chests. If forced open, the various explosives and the strong acids and corrosive liquids contained between the crates are designed to destroy everything inside. The bet is not over yet."

The more I listened, the more I was amazed.

"Do you know what the most important task is that has been entrusted to each of the White and Black Heavenly Masters?"

"No way!"

Bai Chen nodded and said.

"Protecting the City of Heavenly Gold and preventing the heavens from collapsing, that is the first and foremost task assigned to each martial master."

* * *

Currently, the massive iron chest was resting on a stone platform in an unknown location. It is indeed a remarkable tale that a coffin, which at first glance appears to be nothing more than a hewn out of a huge chunk of iron, contains the power to bury the entire Martial Realm. This iron coffin could have been used to bury the fate of the martial kingdom if the wrong move was made.

But now there was a hand stroking this strange, coffin-like iron box.

He wore a mask of cold silver. Not just any silver, but icy silver, with a chill that ran through it as if it were frozen in an ice cap. Did the bone-chilling chill emanate from the mask, or from the man who wore it?

In Bing's masked hand, he held a golden key. It was engraved with the image of a white tiger.

He put the key in his hand and turned it.

Click!

A hundred years later, the writing was still intact and rust-free, and the lock clicked open.

"First one."

But the second key, as far as he was concerned, was already in.

When all eighteen locks are unlocked, the fate of Kang Ho will fall into his hands, and then, and only then, will this tiresome game come to an end.

"It's been a long time coming. It's just beginning."

He removed his mask and placed it in a box beside him, then turned and walked back up the stairs. He pushed open the secret door in front of him and stepped out into a lavishly decorated room. It was his own private room, and he especially liked the rosewood chair with its subtle scent. As he sank into it, he thought to himself.

"Would they be surprised to know that 'this' is here?

What will "he" look like.

'When that time comes, I'll be sure to take a look at the distorted face of Shinma!

What a sight to behold.

His smooth jawline drew a smile that was a mixture of cruelty and amusement.

Smart!

At that moment, I heard the sound of an announcement outside.

"What's going on?"

The man asked, his voice flat and unmoving.

"The elders are all gathered in the conference room."

"Again?"

"……Yes, I'm sorry."

'A bunch of stupid old men meeting day after day. We could have a hundred meetings, a thousand meetings, and it wouldn't change the fate of this clan.

But we weren't ready to say that out loud yet.

"Okay, I'll be right there."

"Yes, I will pass it on, each…… No, Lord Meng!"

"Next time you make a mistake, I'll rip out your tongue. Go away."

"Yes, four, hawk, my lord. I stand down."

The look of deep embarrassment on his face was palpable.

"You bastards!

Drupal.

He opened the drawer of his rosewood desk, and another mask of bronze came out of it. He put it on his face and left his office.

Drool! Ding!

The door to the temporary residence of the Black Heavenly Clan's current martial master slammed shut.

From the moment he puts on this bronze mask, he becomes a celestial being, or rather, a celestial wall.