Chapter 80
Originally, the Ten Variations True Art was a martial art derived from the Supreme Finger of the Yellow Dragon Temple in the Western Regions, and Mo Guangdi, Jeul, who had learned it, established the Black Contemplation Fortress and created it as his own ultimate art.
The Ten Variations True Art was an ultimate martial art that was always mentioned when discussing the number one divine art in the world.
Especially the Ten Variations Finger Sword, which could be called the essence of the Ten Variations True Art, was an incomparable finger art, and the power of its finger force was as fast as an arrow and as sharp as a sword.
When one reached the state of the Ten Variations of the Ten Variations True Art, one could shoot a finger bullet just by flicking a finger and handle the formless and shapeless sword qi with a hand gesture, so it was difficult to find an opponent.
Jeshin had already reached the state of the sixth stage of the Ten Variations at the age of coming-of-age, and his achievement and talent were extraordinary.
As Jeshin stretched out his finger, a formless energy stretched out and flew towards the black and ominous birds that were covering his surroundings.
Caw— Caw—
As several crows were blown up with their feathers exploding in an instant, hundreds of crows spread their wings and flew up into the sky noisily.
The sound of their cawing and the sound of their flapping wings were so grating that Jeshin felt the urge to cover his ears and to sit down on the spot, but the power of the Ten Variations True Art that was flowing in his dantian was firmly protecting his spirit.
The problem was So Ho, who was calmly looking at him in front of him, rather than the flock of crows that was circling above the pavilion.
Although he didn't know what kind of strange martial art or magic they were using, if he didn't do his best, he might end up burying his bones here, let alone the Black Contemplation Fortress.
As the commotion of the flock of crows on the pavilion grew louder, his whole body became heavy, and his strength gradually began to drain away.
Seeing that the surroundings were full of a force that grated on his nerves and that his internal energy was running low, it was clear that So Ho's subordinate, who had turned into a flock of crows, was displaying a wicked magic.
"King Wucheng! Shiyue! Take care of those birds!"
Although he had flown away without resisting So Ho's one move, Jeshin did not think that Huang Feihu would fall so vainly.
It was clear that there was another reason why Shiyue was also unable to help him from the outside.
And at Jeshin's voice, the flock of crows that had been circling above the pavilion began to scatter here and there.
Even after the crows had disappeared, the shimmering red energy that covered the surroundings was blocking his vision like a thick fog, but it was clear that his two subordinates had reacted to his words.
"How about you stop?"
So Ho threw a low warning at Jeshin, who seemed to be about to use his hands at any moment.
The forces of Yoel, who had naturally gathered information after settling in Sichuan, had noticed Jeshin, whose position in the Black Contemplation Fortress had narrowed greatly after the fall of Wenzhong, who was one of the Twelve Honored Ones.
A human who had outstanding talent at the age of just having passed the coming-of-age, but who had no choice and was most vulnerable to temptation.
So Ho, feeling the martial prowess of Jeshin, whom he had seen with his own two eyes, was once again convinced.
Jeshin was like a flower bud that was about to bloom.
Right now, before he was in full bloom and complete, was the greatest moment when he could exert his influence.
Moreover, his subordinates who were outside were also masters of a comparable level.
If so, it was clear that he would produce results as much as he had expected.
Since he had put in a lot of effort so far, if Jeshin were to stop, So Ho was also fully prepared to withdraw his strength at this point.
"Do you dare to intimidate a young master of the Black Contemplation Fortress?"
But Jeshin was in a stance as if he were about to display the Ten Variations Finger Sword at So Ho with all his might at any moment.
So Ho did not even blink an eye at Jeshin's words.
The one who had blocked the two, who seemed to be about to clash at any moment, was a completely unexpected person.
"Stop it!"
Daji, who had appeared through the red mist, rushed to So Ho's side with an excited expression.
The burnt veil and the scorched silk clothes showed that the red mist that had risen in the surroundings was not ordinary.
Jeshin, even in the urgent situation, calmed his pounding heart, looking at Daji's appearance, which was revealing its presence like the moon in the night sky.
"This is a man's business. You should stay out of it."
"Father... it is a young girl's request. Please stop..."
As Daji grabbed So Ho's clothes and pleaded, So Ho looked at her for a moment.
Although it was a fleeting moment, a long silence like an eternity flowed.
Although Jeshin was fully prepared to use his hands at any moment, if Daji were to block him and to protect So Ho, he was not confident that he could attack, avoiding her.
"Disappear."
With So Ho's short one word, the red fog that had been raging around, and the flock of crows that had been noisily floating in the sky, all disappeared in an instant.
Since it was a situation that had happened so quickly, Jeshin, wondering if he had seen a hallucination, looked around again.
Behind So Ho, So Ho's subordinate, who had turned into a flock of crows, had returned and was guarding his place.
The only thing that had changed from before was that his one arm was loose, as if he were a one-armed man.
Daji's burnt veil, her scorched collar, and her moist eyes proved that what had happened just now was not a hallucination.
"My lord!"
Huang Feihu, with the face of a ghost covered in blood, jumped onto the pavilion, and Shiyue, who was also blackened, also hurriedly jumped into the pavilion.
It was clear that some kind of a bloody battle had taken place outside the pavilion.
Jeshin, who saw Huang Feihu, who was about to swing his crescent moon saber at any moment, stopped him and Shiyue.
Since the opponent had withdrawn his show of force, he did not want to have a meaningless fight anymore.
"The words that you will find another person if not me... what is the meaning of that?"
"Since the master of the Black Contemplation Fortress has two sons... if it's not you, it's a pity, but I have no choice but to choose the second-best option."
Seeing So Ho, who was answering without a care while looking at Daji, Jeshin felt his stomach twist.
If So Ho, who had wealth, an unknown skill, and even subordinates, were to side with Jejeong, the probability of him surviving in the Black Contemplation Fortress would be infinitely low.
His words that he wanted the chaos of the world gave him the chills. And regardless of whether he agreed with his purpose or not, Jeshin was now being forced to give an answer with no choice.
"My older brother is not so easy either."
"That depends on my daughter."
Jeshin, who saw the bowing Daji, clenched his fist.
As expected, he had sent Daji to him first with a purpose.
'To use his own daughter for something like this!'
Jeshin, seeing So Ho's appearance of trying to use his daughter, who had been on a sickbed until recently, without a care, recalled how wrong the common people's evaluation that he had cared for his daughter for several years was, and the fact that he had deceived the eyes of so many people so perfectly, and he shuddered.
"Well... have you made a decision?"
Jeshin glared at So Ho.
His red and glistening eyes looked as if a devil were extending his hand to him.
Jejeong had already been announced as the next master of the Black Contemplation Fortress, and Jeshin lacked the strength to fight against him.
In the end, in order to drive out Jejeong, he had to have a one-on-one match with Mo Guangdi, the supreme one of the Black Contemplation Fortress.
Although it was just a guess that Jeul's body condition was not normal.
Who would dare to compete against the Mo Guangdi of the world?
In order to face him, numerous masters were needed.
And not just any riffraff, but real masters.
If he were to be with So Ho's masters of unknown identity, it might not be impossible to face Mo Guangdi. No, perhaps this monster, So Ho, although he could not admit it, was a reclusive master who was hiding a skill that was comparable to his father.
"If I were to take your hand, what would I receive?"
"The master of the Black Contemplation Fortress."
So Ho turned his gaze to Daji's side for a moment.
"And if you want, my daughter as well."
The master of the Black Contemplation Fortress was Mo Guangdi, Jeul. His father.
Now, So Ho was saying that he would kill his father, no different from that.
Jeshin's expression was distorted hideously.
"Are you truly a madman?"
"Do you have the confidence to obtain the Black Contemplation Fortress without eliminating the master of the Black Contemplation Fortress?"
Jeshin could not easily answer.
Although he had not expressed it, the fact that he had to subdue Jeul in order to occupy the Black Contemplation Fortress was, in the end, a natural fact.
He had already tried to borrow So Ho's power to do so.
But as soon as he heard the words that he would take the neck of his father, who was like the sky, he could not control his boiling emotions.
"I doubt that you have the skill to be so confident."
"If you want, I can show you in person... but unfortunately, if I were to use my hands, not only you, but also your subordinates would not be able to leave alive."
It was an extremely arrogant statement.
But Jeshin, at So Ho's confident words, strangely felt a sense of relief.
If his master, Wenzhong, had been awake, in the worst-case scenario, he would have faced Jeul.
Since it was a burden for Jeshin to face his father and the supreme one, Jeul, even though he had made a plan to turn the sky upside down.
Moreover, since the ones who were trying to carry out the great cause following him were, in the end, Jeshin's people.
If So Ho were to step forward and to reduce the loss as much as possible, it could not be a better result.
"The opponent is one of the Twelve Honored Ones of the World and the number one master of the evil path. Are you really confident?"
"The young master should only focus on creating a place for me to face Mo Guangdi."
"Do you really not want any reward from me?"
At the word 'reward', So Ho's face was slightly distorted strangely.
He had recalled the Old Ancestor Hongjun, who had tied his feet in the Hermit's Valley in the past.
Reward!
Hongjun, who had urged the group of Sheng Wang, who had been trying to leave the Hermit's Valley for the first time, to become human, citing the law of equivalent exchange.
A human!
How could a beast that ran on the ground ask to become a rabbit on its own?
"The fact that you become the master of the Black Contemplation Fortress and the ruler of Sichuan. That is my wish."
Since he had already decided to ride on the back of a running tiger.
It was meaningless for Jeshin to ask whether his words were true or whether he was hiding another intention.
"Daji."
"Yes, father."
"You will follow Young Master Je to the Black Contemplation Fortress from today. You will be a token of our promise."
"Yes..."
"What are you talking about now?"
Jeshin, who saw Daji obediently answer So Ho's order, raised his voice in bewilderment.
"Although this child's talent is not great, she will be of a little help by the young master's side. If you don't like it, I have other children, so I will have them do it."
"Th-that's not it, but. The young lady!"
"You are the one who will become the master of the world. It is not a good attitude to be happy and sad about trivial things."
As Jeshin could not answer So Ho's words, Daji carefully bowed to Jeshin again.
"So Daji, I greet my master."
"It is not right to call me master."
"My daughter was born with the destiny to rule all the creatures of the world. If your star and this child's star are together, it will become a star that emits a stronger light than anything else."
"Even so, Miss Daji is not a person who deserves to be treated like this."
Jeshin, as if he had decided something, grabbed Daji's both hands.
"I think I fell for you when I first saw you."
Daji turned her head and avoided Jeshin's gaze.
So Ho, who saw the two of them, showed a satisfied smile.
Humans each had their own star, and the stars of those with a strong destiny could not hide their light.
So Ho, who had been called the king of stars, could steal a glance at the destiny of a person who was on a great path, by examining that light with his own power, even under the sky of another world.
Although he had created Daji to suppress the creatures of the world and to raise his new legion, Jeshin's star, which was floating in the sky of Sichuan, could exert a power that surpassed Daji if his hand were to reach it, and could become his new weapon.
So Ho, after discovering Jeshin, had modified his plan a little.
Their stars were destined to rule the world.
Since both stars had a strong power, they had the power to become the master of the world, no matter who it was.
Daji, avoiding Jeshin's gaze, recalled the words that So Ho had told him.
"Do you know what happens when two stars with a strong light and heat are together?"
"Well?"
"The hottest star... a single sun is worshipped for its greatness. But if two suns were to rise in the sky, the sea would boil and dry up, and the earth would burn. The creatures that could not endure the light of the stars would all die, and a living hell would unfold."
The reason she was born.
If only she had not run away from the Hermit's Valley then...
If she had run to Agong and had asked for help.
Daji felt the flow of a destiny that she could not escape from Jeshin's hand, which was holding her strongly.
(End of Chapter)