Chapter 54
In the darkest dawn before the sun rises, a time when even the insects and beasts of the field are not yet awake.
In Baidao Wumen, one of the great righteous sects of Sichuan representing Kangding, the stretching of those starting their early day was in full swing.
"Yaaawn."
The dawn air of Baidao Wumen, built on the middle of a high hill, was cold, but it also made a person's mind clear.
The disciples of the fourth rank, the lowest rank among the ranks that signified the hierarchy of Baidao Wumen, woke up first, cleaned the surroundings of the sect, made food, and began to prepare to attend to their masters and senior brothers.
Although the fatigue that had not yet gone away made their shoulders heavy, this kind of life had already become a daily routine for them.
"I wanted to go too..."
The fourth-rank disciple, who was walking to guard the outer gate of the sect, rubbed his sleepy eyes, fiddling with the sword at his waist.
The Sichuan Alliance had been launched, and the Sword Immortal, who had been in seclusion, had taken up his sword for the Sichuan martial world.
For Baidao Wumen, which could not let its guard down at the closest position to the Black Contemplation Fortress, there was no more welcome news than this.
The sect leader, the Sea Map Divine Martial, Jiang Huanchao, had remained in the Qingcheng Sect to organize the internal affairs of the Sichuan Alliance, and soon Baidao Wumen had also sent many masters to the Sichuan Alliance.
So the disciple who was going out on guard duty had also had to watch many of his colleagues, including his senior brothers, leave.
Although he had not been chosen because his skills were still lacking, it was said that the Sichuan Alliance would continue to recruit many talented people in the future.
The disciples of Baidao Wumen were spurring on their training with the thought of raising the pride of their sect and entering the Sichuan Alliance to realize their ambitions.
"Hey, let's switch."
He, who had reached the outer gate of Baidao Wumen, called his colleague who must have been on guard duty since last night.
"You're not dozing off while standing, are you?"
He looked at the huge pillar of the outer gate, but his colleague who should have been on guard duty was nowhere to be seen.
Feeling that something was strange, he looked around, and around the pillar, a sword was lying carelessly, and the headband with the character for 'white', which symbolized Baidao Wumen, was also taken off not far away.
"What's wrong?"
He, who had found the sword, which was like life to a martial artist, and the symbol that symbolized that he was a member of Baidao Wumen, rolling on the dirt floor, looked around with an ominous thought.
His colleague who had been on guard duty was missing.
He had to go back immediately and report this.
At that moment, he saw something moving like a wave at the bottom of the hill, visible from outside the outer gate.
Since the surroundings were dark, at a glance, it looked as if a black forest were moving.
But it was by no means a forest.
"Th-this can't be..."
Fwoosh!
From the blackly spread forest, a flame suddenly dyed the sky red.
If he had seen it in his sleep, he would have thought that a forest fire had broken out and was illuminating the sky.
Even though the sun had not yet risen, the surroundings of Baidao Wumen soon became as bright as day.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The alarm sound that announced an emergency began to ring loudly throughout Baidao Wumen.
"E-enemy!"
The man, who saw the flag that was moving as if dancing in the flames, felt his knees go weak and the strength drain from his two legs.
The Supreme of the Evil Path, the Black Contemplation Fortress.
The Invincible.
The Number One Sword of the Evil Path.
The Black Qilin.
His colleague who had been on guard duty was not missing.
He had run away.
* * *
- Do not hate the supreme one. How can the heart of a man of the world stay in one place? Since I have held a strong wind in my heart for a while, it is my share to bear the pain of my heart being torn by the north wind.
His mother was truly a virtuous wife and a good mother.
She was a chaste woman who was closer to a lady of a prestigious family than a boisterous female warrior of the martial world.
She had not let go of her love for his father until the moment she was dying alone, and she had left an indelible wound and burden on the young child who had had to watch it.
He would show her the world in his hand.
To his mother, who had closed her eyes, and to his father, who could not see even with his eyes open.
He had walked with a great ambition at a young age, and in the time of patience, he had finally taken the first step to harvest the fruit.
Jeshin clenched his trembling fist.
The excitement of the first real battle was shaking his whole body and his mind.
"Are you nervous?"
"I'm excited."
Wenzhong had come up to Jeshin, who was looking at the estate of Baidao Wumen spread out on the hill, without him realizing it.
Wenzhong on the battlefield was exuding the dignity of a great master.
Jeshin felt reassured.
Already, the martial artists of the Black Contemplation Fortress, numbering a thousand, were in battle formation. Baidao Wumen was no different from a candy in a pocket, just something to be taken out and eaten.
One disappointing thing was the fact that the sect leader, Jiang Huanchao, had left Baidao Wumen, but since it was enough to take Jiang Huanchao's head after conquering Baidao Wumen, that was not so urgent.
The Sichuan Alliance, which was not yet organized, would surely be greatly shocked by today's attack.
Victory goes to the one who strikes first.
If they were to destroy Baidao Wumen, which was one of the pillars of the Sichuan Alliance, today, it would be a signal to the world of who the true master of Sichuan was.
As soon as Wenzhong had finished his seclusion training, the departure of the Black Contemplation Fortress, which had finished all its preparations, was like a storm.
"Calm your excitement. When you see blood, it will be even more difficult to find self-control, so you must not show the disgrace of being drunk on blood and running wild, forgetting your place."
"Yes, master."
Wenzhong was not very pleased with Jeshin's elated appearance.
For Jeshin, who was born as a young master of the Black Contemplation Fortress, being covered in blood was like a fate that could not be avoided in the end.
But from the perspective of Wenzhong, who was his blood relative, it was not something he was very willing to see the hands of the still young Jeshin stained with blood.
No matter how outstanding Wenzhong's skills were, on a battlefield where he was competing with the strong, he might not have the leisure to look after even Jeshin.
In particular, before the great battle with the Sword Immortal, he needed to preserve his true qi as much as possible.
"King Wucheng."
"Yes, Grand Preceptor."
At Wenzhong's call, Huang Feihu, holding his lion crescent moon blade, walked forward with a dignified air.
Huang Feihu, who had changed into a martial arts uniform made of tiger skin and silk iron armor, had lost all his past appearance of an escort and was exuding the air of a magnificent general.
"I plan to entrust this Baidao Wumen to you."
"I understand."
"How many of the Black Contemplation Divine Squad do you need?"
"The Red Flower Annihilation Squad under my command is enough."
"No matter how much Jiang Huanchao is not here, the opponent is Baidao Wumen, which has been holding out against our Black Contemplation Fortress on the front line. Will that be enough?"
Jeshin asked Huang Feihu with a worried voice.
In a large-scale battle like this, the edge of the vanguard was more important than anything else.
Although Jeshin knew Huang Feihu's skills well, he was worried that he, who had been living as an escort, would make the mistake of misjudging the full strength of Baidao Wumen.
"Before the sun reaches the middle of the sky, I will offer the nameplate of Baidao Wumen to the Black Contemplation Fortress and you, young master."
"Hmm... good! I will not doubt that the martial world will know that King Wucheng is in the Black Contemplation Fortress."
As Huang Feihu said this much, Jeshin did not block Huang Feihu any longer.
Even if the situation were to become urgent, since there was the Black Contemplation Divine Squad and even Wenzhong, there was no need to break the momentum of the confident Huang Feihu.
"Raise the flags and light the torches."
Fwoosh!
At Wenzhong's one word, which confirmed that all preparations were finished, a flame flickered in the area, revealing the dignity of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
If they knew that the Black Contemplation Fortress had approached right under their noses, Baidao Wumen would be in a panic and would surely not be able to display all their skills.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As the martial artists of the Black Contemplation Fortress revealed themselves on a large scale, a loud bell sound that seemed to shake the sky soon began to ring from Baidao Wumen.
Seeing the hundreds of Baidao Wumen martial artists pouring out of the outer gate like ants, a smile appeared on Jeshin's mouth.
Truly a motley crew.
Through Shiyue's report, they knew well that the current strength remaining in Baidao Wumen was only sixty percent of the total.
Since the forty percent of the martial artists who could be called the elite had already headed to the Sichuan Alliance, it was clear that it would be hard to find a better time than this.
The Black Contemplation Fortress was ahead not only in strength but also in information.
"My lord. Your orders."
"The person in charge of this attack is King Wucheng. If King Wucheng goes into battle, this Jeshin will follow."
"Then... the four great leaders, follow me!"
"Go!"
The hundreds of martial artists of the Red Flower Annihilation Squad, who had already finished their preparations, began to rush towards Baidao Wumen, following Huang Feihu.
"Go."
"Yes, uncle. Then!"
Pat!
Ten Variations True Art.
As the unique martial art of Mo Guangdi, the Ten Variations True Art, was displayed, Jeshin soon stepped on the lightness skill like a flying bird.
"Waaah!"
"You vile Black Contemplation Fortress bastards!"
Screams and shouts shook the peaceful Baidao Wumen.
As the sun began to rise, a blue light was in the sky, and as if it contained that light, the lion engraved on Huang Feihu's crescent moon blade was also shimmering with a blue light.
Swoosh!
The martial artists of Baidao Wumen, who were in the place where the crescent moon blade had fallen, lost their lives, spewing blood.
There was not a single bit of hesitation or mercy in Huang Feihu's move.
If he thought of the many lives he had taken for the success of his escort missions as an escort, this level of slaughter was something he was used to.
"M-monster!"
As three lives disappeared with a single move and a fountain of blood rose and created a fog, the people of Baidao Wumen who were around Huang Feihu stepped back as if they were terrified.
As Huang Feihu, holding his crescent moon blade, began to break through the center of Baidao Wumen, a bloody wind blew, and the martial artists of the Black Contemplation Fortress followed him and began to take the heads of those whose morale had been broken.
"Aaaah!"
The heat that had entangled the two camps in an instant began to spread around, containing the sound of screams and shouts, and a fishy smell.
As the hot heat of the battlefield swallowed Jeshin, Jeshin soon displayed the Ten Variations True Art with all his might.
Ten Variations True Art.
Supreme Ten Variations.
Ten Variations Finger Sword.
Among the achievements of the Ten Variations True Art, which consisted of ten stages, the fact that Jeshin, who was not yet of age, had achieved the fifth variation was also a way of announcing that Jeshin's talent had reached the heavens.
The finger wind that stretched out from Jeshin's two hands began to pierce the limbs and heads of the Baidao Wumen martial artists, and the martial artists fell, dying before they could even realize it.
The martial artists of Baidao Wumen, who had survived, let out a scream like a scream at the terrible sight of their colleagues, who were bleeding profusely with holes in their heads and bodies.
"I-it's the demonic art, the Ten Variations True Art!"
The unique martial art of the Black Contemplation Fortress Lord, Mo Guangdi. It was not so strange for Baidao Wumen, who knew its notoriety better than anyone else, to recognize the Ten Variations True Art in one go.
Jeshin, without even having time to feel the shock of his first kill, began to display the Ten Variations True Art as if he were in a trance.
The martial artists of Baidao Wumen, who had been horrified by the notoriety of the Ten Variations True Art, soon let out an angry roar at the sight of the young boy proudly killing their brothers.
"For a young brat, your hands are cruel beyond measure!"
The Three-Fist Victorious Fist, one of the masters of Baidao Wumen, seeing the wildly running Jeshin, immediately stepped forward, parting his disciples, and threw a punch.
Although a fist containing a powerful force rushed in an instant, Jeshin did not even bat an eye and finished his preparations to meet him.
Jeshin pierced the heads of the two Baidao Wumen martial artists who were attacking him in one go and flicked his finger, sending a bullet finger at the fist of the Three-Fist Victorious Fist.
Bang!
"Kuk!"
The Three-Fist Victorious Fist, at the shock he felt in his fist, staggered and twisted his body for a moment.
At the shock that was beyond his imagination, he held his right wrist. Now, he was left with only a right hand with brutally shattered bones, not his proud iron fist.
"You brat!"
As the lives of two more of his disciples were fleetingly lost while he was staggering, the Three-Fist Victorious Fist, with an angry roar, ignored the pain and clenched his fist again.
Although a sharp pain rushed through his nerves, the pain was all burned away before the anger of the Three-Fist Victorious Fist.
Bang!
Although the Three-Fist Victorious Fist felt his first of the three fists he was proud of shrink at the shock of the bullet finger, he never backed down.
Bang!
At the second fist, he no longer felt any sensation in his fist.
Bang!
When he threw the third fist, the fist of the Three-Fist Victorious Fist had already become a lump of meat.
A hole the size of a thumbnail was pierced in the top of the head of the Three-Fist Victorious Fist, who was throwing a fist of unknown shape, and soon, with a single streak of blood, the fighting spirit of the Three-Fist Victorious Fist also knelt down.
The fact that this young boy had achieved a study of the Ten Variations True Art of the Black Contemplation Fortress Lord, and moreover, to the extent of subduing him, clearly meant that he was not an ordinary person.
"You brat... what is your identity...?"
At the question of the Three-Fist Victorious Fist, who was struggling to open his mouth, Jeshin glanced once at the disciples of Baidao Wumen who were tragically embracing him and those who were fleeing, and then opened his mouth as if declaring.
"I am Jeshin of the Black Contemplation Fortress."
He could not be satisfied with just defeating one master of Baidao Wumen. Seeing his confident and arrogant attitude, anger and astonishment were in the eyes of the Three-Fist Victorious Fist and the disciples of Baidao Wumen.
It was unlikely that they did not know the name of Jeshin, the young master of their main enemy, the Black Contemplation Fortress. The Three-Fist Victorious Fist said as if muttering.
"Indeed... they say a tiger does not give birth to a dog..."
"Waaah!"
Even with his blurring vision, he could see the hot heat and the figures of his fleeing disciples.
Smoke was already beginning to rise from the main building, and the sound of his disciples' screams was also beginning to fade.
'I was too careless... to think that the Black Contemplation Fortress would move so quickly...'
Moreover, the Black Qilin, who had revealed his presence with a flag, could not even be seen in the shadows.
Like the blurring consciousness of the Three-Fist Victorious Fist, who was closing his eyes, the morale of Baidao Wumen plummeted, and on the entire hill where Baidao Wumen was located, flames and smoke rose, and the sound of screams echoed endlessly.
The fate of Sichuan was shaking like a lamp in the wind, announcing the departure of the Black Qilin.
(End of Chapter)