Enshrinement as a God

Sichuan Great Turmoil.

The situation in Sichuan, which was like a boiling cauldron, was changing rapidly with each passing day.

The Black Contemplation Fortress, which had seemed to be about to swallow the Sichuan martial world at any moment with the appearance of the Black Qilin, had not moved for several years after the great war with the Sichuan Alliance that had taken place in Baidao Wumen, and the Sichuan Alliance, after withdrawing its forces, had shown signs of a great division, with Sheng Houhu, who had been appointed as the vice-leader, at the forefront.

But unlike the chaotic situation in the martial world, the daily lives of ordinary people had not changed much.

This was because for them, whether it was the black path or the white path, the affairs of the martial world were just the affairs of the martial world.

Clatter, clatter...

A procession, flying the flag of an escort agency with a carriage at its center, was moving through the thick fog of the Hermit's Valley.

"We'll unload the cargo here."

The escorts of the Seo Won Escort Agency, who had heard the voice of the head escort at the front, began to unload their cargo around the lake that had appeared through the thick fog.

"I can't even do the job of an escort."

Jin Tianxiang stretched and muttered to himself.

It had already been two years since Huang Feihu, who had quit being an escort, had become a martial artist representing the Black Contemplation Fortress.

Jin Tianxiang, who had watched Huang Feihu's fame grow, sometimes felt the desire to also quit his job as an escort and to follow him and to make a name for himself.

And not long after the Seo Won Escort Agency had settled down by the lake, someone's figure appeared faintly in the fog from a distance.

"You're a little late."

"Hey."

Jin Tianxiang, the head escort of the Seo Won Escort Agency, lightly raised his body and raised his hand to the young man who had come out to meet him.

In such a remote place, and moreover, at the entrance of the Hermit's Valley, which was a taboo of the martial world, there was only one young man who came and went as if it were his own home.

The young man, who had not yet shed his boyishness, yawned loudly as if annoyed and slowly walked over.

"Here you go."

As if he were used to it, the young man poured out the animal hides and horns that he had been carrying on his shoulder onto the ground.

Jin Tianxiang, who had carefully checked the considerable amount of goods, saw the boy, who had somehow become eye-level with him, and said a word.

"As the situation in the world has become noisy, bandits and the like have become rampant. Agong, you haven't had any trouble, have you?"

Agong, who had grown up so much in a few years that he was unrecognizable, moved his feet to move the cart to the tavern.

"There's no big deal. By any chance, is there any news from my master?"

Jin Tianxiang, after accompanying Xi Xichang's party in the past, had heard that the Sword Immortal had broken his seclusion and had appeared in the Sichuan Alliance, and had guessed that the Sword Immortal had been living in seclusion in the Hermit's Valley.

But how surprised had he been when he had heard that Agong, with whom he was trading, was the disciple of the Sword Immortal, who had made the world clamor?

Whenever Jin Tianxiang met Agong, he would tell him news about the Sichuan Alliance and Xi Xichang and the Sword Immortal, who were said to be there.

"It is said that he still does not show himself in official positions. The same goes for the Black Qilin... could it be that they really had a mutual destruction...? Hup!"

Jin Tianxiang, seeing Agong's cold gaze, hurriedly shut his mouth.

Although the results that the Black Contemplation Fortress and the Sichuan Alliance had said were different,

the duel between the Black Qilin and the Sword Immortal had taken place, and neither of them had shown themselves in an official position.

And strangely enough, both the Black Contemplation Fortress and the Sichuan Alliance had withdrawn their forces, and after that, no great war had taken place, except for local provocations.

The public, seeing the two masters who did not show themselves officially and the two forces that were avoiding a full-scale war with each other, were increasingly giving weight to the speculation that the Black Qilin and the Sword Immortal had really had a mutual destruction.

"It's impossible that my master lost, so don't say such things in the future."

Jin Tianxiang, trying to continue the conversation, saw Agong, who had turned his feet as if his feelings were hurt, and scratched his chin.

Although he had seen him often, when he was young, he had a cute side, but as he had grown up, he seemed to have entered puberty and was quite on edge.

Agong lightly pulled the heavy cart with one hand as if he were handling a toy.

In fact, although he had not told Jin Tianxiang, Agong had also had a small incident.

* * *

"You'll have to take care of the tavern for a while."

"Me?"

"Can't you do it?"

"No, it's not that, but..."

Agong, seeing Old Ancestor Hongjun, who seemed to have already finished his preparations, and was informing him, had a troubled expression without realizing it.

Although he had already stayed here for several years, it was the first time that the Old Ancestor had given such an order.

"How long will you be away from the tavern?"

"Hmm... it seems the work will be finished in about a fortnight."

"Do you have to be away for that long?"

While living in the Mountain Sea Tavern so far, Agong had never seen Hongjun leave the tavern for such a long time.

Although he had often disappeared somewhere with Master Gongsun on a normal basis, this time the period was considerable.

Moreover, since he was said to be taking Cook Li with him this time, unlike on a normal basis, all the people of the Mountain Sea Tavern, except for Agong, would be leaving the tavern.

"This will be the last time I'm out for this long. Since the work I've been preparing for a long time is over, I won't be leaving the tavern so often from now on."

Agong was also well aware that Old Ancestor Hongjun and Master Gongsun often went out of the tavern to see to some business.

The words that he would not be leaving the tavern so often after this were, for Agong, a sad thing.

"The point to remember is that even if someone from the Hermit's Valley comes and asks about my whereabouts, you must never reveal that I have been away for a long time."

If it were to be known that Old Ancestor Hongjun had left the Mountain Sea Tavern, the Hermit's Valley would surely be in an uproar.

Agong had no intention of causing a commotion in the slightest.

"Don't worry."

At Agong's answer, Old Ancestor Hongjun, taking Master Gongsun and Cook Li with him, left Agong and left the tavern.

Swoosh!

As Hongjun, who had gone out of the tavern, took the lead and moved his feet, the bodies of the three people swayed in an instant, and the surrounding objects began to become blurry.

"Ugh."

Master Gongsun, who felt dizzy as the surroundings shook, clutched his head.

Li Hachan, seeing the surrounding environment that was changing in an instant, clicked his tongue inwardly.

'A monster.'

If they were to use their footwork to the destination, Hongjun and he could arrive in an instant, but the problem was Master Gongsun, who could not use martial arts.

Hongjun, for such a Master Gongsun, was literally moving by shrinking the ground.

To move by moving the ground, not a person!

Although he had suspected that he was a human in the first place, after experiencing such a thing, Hongjun seemed even less like a human.

It had not been long since he had joined the strange things that Master Gongsun and Hongjun were doing.

After the incident where Agong had almost been seriously injured by Tongtian, he, who had discussed with Master Gongsun to get Agong out of the Hermit's Valley, had come to know the reason why Hongjun was making Agong stay at the tavern.

The God-Sealing Plan.

And he had heard a rough story about the tower that Hongjun and Master Gongsun were said to be building for that plan.

At Master Gongsun's words that if this tower were to be completed, Agong would be able to leave the Hermit's Valley, Li Hachan had decided to help them.

Li Hachan, who had arrived near the tower in an instant with Hongjun's magic, swallowed his dry saliva, looking at the tower that was of a huge size and exuded a hideous atmosphere.

The walls of the stone tower were full of unknown symbols, and the incantations that looked like Sanskrit were densely filling every side of the tower.

Just by taking one step forward, it was difficult to even breathe due to the strange force that was heavily pressing down on his whole body.

"Now, then, shall we finish it?"

Old Ancestor Hongjun said, lightly clapping his hands.

Master Gongsun, with a wooden plaque with strange characters written on it hanging around his neck, began to touch and correct the Sanskrit and symbols around the tower, and Old Ancestor Hongjun slowly walked into the center of the tower, from which a strange pressure was emitting.

Li Hachan, as he had been asked in advance, raised his nerves and began to guard the surroundings of the tower.

Although he knew that there was a master who was secretly watching the tower from the Mountain Peak Sect even without him, Hongjun had set him up as a protector in preparation for a possible situation.

'What on earth are they doing in there?'

Master Gongsun had said that in order for the tower to do its job, Old Ancestor Hongjun's power was absolutely necessary.

He had said that the only one who had the ability to cast a huge net that encompassed the world was Old Ancestor Hongjun.

And he had also heard that even the invincible Old Ancestor Hongjun would have no strength to care about other things once he started to apply his power to complete the tower.

But if he were to cast a net, what was he trying to catch?

Li Hachan had not been able to hear the answer to this question from Master Gongsun.

Since nothing would change even if he heard the answer, and since Li Hachan himself did not want to know more about the things they were doing,

seeing this tower, which was so unrealistic that it was pointless to think or worry any more, he felt that his own martial arts, which were said to have no equal in the world, were insignificant.

As he was feeling this sense of powerlessness, as Hongjun entered the tower, the tower shook and began to exude a powerful presence to the surroundings.

As the energy of the tower became stronger, Li Hachan felt a strange gaze as if it were caressing his skin.

A chilling feeling as if someone invisible were watching him.

"How long do I have to do this?"

The fine hairs on his back stood on end.

It was not in his character to endure an unknown hostility and to prepare for a possible situation.

Especially if the opponent was mysterious.

Outside, where the power of the tower did not reach, the fog peculiar to the Hermit's Valley was thick, but from a certain moment, unknown black shadows began to peek in.

It was as if it were the figure of a person, and it beckoned to Li Hachan, and it also fought with something in the fog and disappeared in an instant.

Flash!

As if the fog were being torn apart, a lightning-like flash struck down.

The shadows that had been swaying and beckoning from outside the fog were torn to pieces and disappeared, and the fog of the Hermit's Valley filled the empty space again.

A bolt from the blue...

Although the shadows had disappeared, someone's sticky gaze was still caressing Li Hachan's skin.

It was desperate and persistent, as if it were trying to get something through Li Hachan.

"Go!"

Li Hachan, who could not bear it, raised his internal energy and displayed the Nine Palaces Divine Steps with all his might.

The disappeared shadows were slowly taking their form again from the ground and the sky.

Although they had no mouths, they were all holding on to Li Hachan and asking.

Whether he had left his seat.

(End of Chapter)