Chapter 572 – Contest (5)

The Fighting God’s strategist.

Literary Star of the Six Star Lords was a Northern King unlike other kings. Despite possessing vast territories, he enjoyed wandering.

So much so that his western territories beyond the Jiayuguan Pass of the Great Wall seemed meaningless.

In his youth when he had a small build, he learned transformation techniques alone and passed the Ming Dynasty imperial examinations under an identity that Yu Ling had created for him.

Had there been no penetrating eyes of imperial nobility to see through the truth, he might have become a scholar of the Imperial Academy.

Thus the name of the land Literary Star possessed was Heartless Prison. A prison abandoned by the Fighting God’s interest.

The lord of Heartless Prison, that is, Literary Star’s Great Warrior, was naturally called the Lord of Heartless Prison. He was also Literary Star’s son.

At this moment, he was glaring at Lazy Flame Dragon from atop a large black horse.

“He doesn’t even look back when his own father is in crisis. Though it’s surprising enough that he led troops all the way here in response to Literary Star’s call. It must have been a very long journey.”

“Your Majesty, is that a crisis?”

Two figures, large and small, were surveying the battlefield spread before their eyes.

Though the land they stood on was a very low hill, everything was laid bare to see.

Dust clouds rising gigantic like cumulus clouds, hundreds of pairs of riders and horses rampaging with overwhelming momentum, and seven black-robed figures walking silently toward the giant Literary Star.

Ssss.

Fine grains of sand rubbed against the feet of the two figures. It was the influence of the impact from Literary Star’s punch that he had unleashed just before missing King Yelu.

“If it’s a crisis, then it’s a crisis.”

The large figure clicked his tongue.

“Those are seven who would be more than worthy of becoming Great Warriors. Above the path they walk, the star of the northern wilderness rises.”

“…Six Star Lord Literary Star.”

It was the muttering of the small figure whose head barely reached the large figure’s waist. The massive figure nodded.

“Has there ever been such a battle even once? Since the arrival of the Fighting God.”

“There hasn’t been. That person sought the peace of the Northern King Your Majesties…”

“Even if Literary Star kills more than half of those black-robed ones, what use would it all be if his own body or life isn’t intact? He won’t be able to properly carry out the Fighting God’s will.”

“But why are you smiling?”

“Me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty is smiling more brightly than ever before.”

“Since when was that? My skin has become cold, and even my senses have dulled, so I didn’t notice.”

“It’s been since King Yelu passed by them.”

“Yes, Yelu…!”

A rough voice like rocks grinding against each other.

The large figure, a Yao tribesman with a nimble body despite his eight-foot eye level, laughed aloud. His grayish-white lips curled up greatly.

The ruler of the lands south of the Yaochou River, famous for its gray waters and the place where a flood dragon once emerged in the distant past.

Northern King Severing Hope.

He was also the previous Ruinous Star.

The only military force prostrating beside him was a single short, hairy Iron clan member.

Though Severing Hope was a renowned Northern King, he had mobilized only one Great Warrior as his army.

But that alone gave the feeling that the vicinity was completely filled.

“A fellow with rare spirit for a southern fugitive! A fellow suspicious in three aspects! A fellow who took the honor of ‘Six Star Lord’ from me without even crossing hands once! He should have been treated as a Northern King rather than merely as the owner of this northern wilderness land, but to be able to create such a great contest alone…!”

Each time Severing Hope King spoke, grayish-white breath spread out.

It wasn’t only because of his incomprehensible internal energy capacity.

At this moment, cold energy that not only turned the surroundings into an icy plain but also intensely crackled and spat freezing sounds.

It was the Ice Emperor’s domain.

It wouldn’t be strange if bodies froze and burst right now.

Transcendentally piercing cold ice energy flowed everywhere.

To the extent that Northern King Severing Hope and his Great Warrior not only wrapped themselves in all sorts of internal energy barriers but were also vibrating their entire body’s internal energy with extreme precision.

That was the level of cold energy needed to block it.

“Your Majesty, he is certainly a spy from the south. It’s just that the path made of blood suits our land’s customs.”

The Iron Clan Great Warrior with a bushy beard spoke.

Soon after, blue veins became distinctly visible on his blunt hands gripping a crescent-moon blade. The ground was gouged out by that sharpness.

But that was all.

Severing Hope King shook his head.

“Many kings had already been suspicious, they were all just observing Yelu for a while. Because the battle with the Southern Emperor was shocking.”

The rough voice settled below Severing Hope King’s long legs. Down to the body of the Ice Emperor who knelt with one shoulder stepped on by his foot.

The ends of her black hair that flowed down her nape kissed the frosty earth. It was all covered in dust.

Severing Hope King’s energy waves that had once spread out in vast circles were frozen solid in that state. Like frozen waves.

One of the transcendent fierce battles had already ended.

Resulting in a draw.

The Ice Emperor couldn’t shake off Severing Hope King’s landslide-like leg, while Severing Hope King and his Great Warrior were frozen in place and could no longer move.

Whichever side broke the balance first would survive.

“I can remain like this until the next winter comes.”

Severing Hope King spoke bluntly.

The Ice Emperor didn’t answer. She just turned her head slightly and stared into the distance.

The gazes of all three overlapped in the same direction.

Toward the Lord of Heartless Prison and Literary Star Army along with Lazy Flame Dragon, and beyond them toward the seven black-robed figures confronting Literary Star.

* * *

Six Star Lord Literary Star immediately asked upon facing the seven black-robed figures.

“Have you ever thoroughly read the Analects?”

Soon after, without waiting for an answer, he said.

“In the Chapter on Governance, Confucius said this. ‘To govern with virtue is like the North Star, which remains in its place while all other stars orbit around it’… It was an impressive passage.”

Governing with virtue.

Is like the scene of many stars surrounding and orbiting the North Star that sits quietly in its place.

The North Star that Confucius discussed here meant the Fighting God. Naturally, the many stars could only be subordinates or the people.

“……”

The squad leaders remained silent. A nine-foot giant discussing the Analects with dignity. It was truly a bizarre sight.

“To me, the North Star is the Fighting God. He cared for this northern wilderness with virtue. He generously bestowed divine martial secrets, prevented the consumption of human flesh between clans, and finally made it possible to cultivate the strength to advance toward a world without hunger.”

Whether agreeing with the Fighting God’s will or not, the many stars influenced by his course each rose in the northern wilderness with their own intentions.

Thus they became the Six Star Lords.

Six transcendents revolving around the Northern Flirting Star.

“The emperor who will overturn this barren land, the god who will make inhuman clans live like humans… He is what I can call my great cause. Like various great causes in history, to someone this would be evil.”

Swish.

Literary Star raised his right hand that had earlier created a crater with a diameter of one hundred zhang. Gentle smoke was still rising between his thick fingers.

It was the friction heat from his punch.

“Do you also have a North Star?”

Literary Star asked with a smile. And he added. Now I have certain suspicions.

Rustle.

The one who stepped forward at those words was Immortal Tree Spirit Squad Leader Cheon So-so.

Between her jet-black hair disheveled from lightness skill sprinting, the blue eyes characteristic of the Ming people shone like jade beads.

She spoke with a cool expression.

“Guiding Arts.”

It was a type of martial arts formula that strengthened will before battle. Guiding Arts. Reaching Lightning Genius.

Literary Star smiled graciously.

“These damned Ming people. Spouting only their own words is no different between Beijing and the northern wilderness.”

That was as far as it went.

The nine-foot giant was already standing before the squad leaders.

With steps that tore through space faster than sound in an instant, it was the Nine Marsh Demonic Power Steps known as the pinnacle of advancing footwork in the north.

There was no waste in the movement that flowed unrealistically fast like water, from Literary Star twisting his iron tower-like waist to the fullest while loading a single punch.

No roaring sound existed.

A moment when only beings fast enough to master Transcendent Martial Art could move greatly.

‘Rise.’

Cheon So-so shouted inwardly.

Simultaneously, the cool power of the Desolate Fortress Cold Heaven Flowing Ice Arts arose rainbow-colored from her lower energy center.

From the Yin Intersection point below her navel, through the surrounding abdominal muscles, straight to Cheon So-so’s straight forehead.

Twenty layers of internal energy fabric bloomed like cotton thread. Protective energy created with the mental imagery of eternal snow that never melts.

Deep Wall Heaven Ice Shield.

As soon as the invisible true energy barrier surrounded her head.

Zzeoeoeoeoeoeng!

A massive shockwave burst. A translucent storm extending in all directions in concentric circles. Cheon So-so’s eyes lost focus for a moment after taking Literary Star’s punch directly to her forehead.

She lost consciousness from a single strike.

As if it was natural. Because none of the seven squad leaders had breathing that could enter the peerless realm. Someone among them had to fully receive Literary Star’s strike.

But Cheon So-so stood tall.

Ice arts that reach the realm of divine martial arts bestow countless abilities. Exceptionally solid protective energy was one of them.

She had more easily elevated protective energy to the realm of divine martial arts than masters of other martial lineages, and thanks to occasional exchanges with Jeong Yeon-shin at the main fortress, that achievement was further enhanced.

Hwaaaaaak!

Long hair scattered like snowflakes.

Though the ground beneath her feet was about to collapse and fall, she was clearly alive.

Among the six squad leaders who had scattered in all directions, Wish-fulfilling Spring Squad Leader Beigong Ya passed by touching Cheon So-so’s nape.

It was a type of Pushing Palace Penetrating Points, a technique to clear energy and blood blocked by internal injuries or stagnant energy.

“……!”

The moment blue light returned to Cheon So-so’s eyes.

The other squad leaders were sprinting through the time she had bought.

Not only the Ultimate Martial Hall Master who had climbed to Literary Star’s shoulders while stomping on his back with prosthetic legs, but also Xiahou Wei-jin who struck Literary Star’s hamstring with a fist flowing with grayish-white light clusters.

Zzeoeoeng! Crack!

Intense vibrations shook the earth’s axis.

Grayish-white power wave formations sculpted sand like walls, and through the gaps in those yellow-brown waves, Literary Star spewed dark blue smoke like hellfire.

He said. Damn annoying.

—My leg is burning. It’s protective energy containing fire energy.

—Is this the Heaven Silk Steel Armor? I can’t use my right arm now. Support from the right side!

The telepathic transmissions of the Ultimate Martial Hall Master and Xiahou Wei-jin scattered in all directions at the same speed as thought.

Though not ultra-long-range thousand-li transmission, the multiple telepathic transmissions of supreme masters who achieved unity of essence, energy, and spirit were no different from Bright Wind Spirit.

Kwakwakwang—!

Regardless, Literary Star’s punch waves that twisted his body burst in succession in the void.

Twice while completely breaking Wish-fulfilling Spring Squad Leader Beigong Ya’s Imperial Descent Leg Technique chain style along with her long legs, and once while deflecting both palms of Annihilation Team Leader Shin Hwang where Divine Flame Twin Hands were deployed with roaring sounds.

Crack—

In the moment when Beigong Ya’s hands, bent backward in the air like an acrobat, struck both kneecaps and returned them to position.

Below Literary Star’s fist was a cheerful-looking handsome youth gripping an unusually thick rope.

A temperament that seemed to have been one with the rough northern land from the beginning. As the killing ghost of the northern wilderness, it was Dragon Treading Squad Leader Wei Zhi-ji.

Wooooooong!

His appearance was dyed with faint radiance like the other squad leaders.

It activated immediately. The stamina of peerless masters far exceeded humans, so if the fight was prolonged, they might face annihilation.

Divine Sword Group Wish for Peace Single Sword Guiding Arts

Radiant Art Combined Formation

Kiiiiiiing—!

The squad leaders’ bodies connected like constellations with grayish-white air currents. Along with a flow that completely encompassed the shock waves that had burst so far.

Guiding Arts. Reaching Lightning Genius. Combined Formation meant gathering into one. As always, the stars surrounding the Divine Sword Group Leader numbered seventeen.

Kwaaaaaang!

On the opposite side of Resonance Spirit Squad Leader Yun So-yu who was crushed and flung away by Literary Star’s opposite hand along with all her bones.

“……?”

Her beloved weapon, the Cloud Scar Sword, was somehow embedded like a tombstone in the crook of Literary Star’s left arm.

Crack—

Pure white cracks began to spread across the Heaven Silk Steel Armor that had boasted invincibility.

Even until then, Wei Zhi-ji’s gaze didn’t leave Literary Star’s fist. His extremely combative eye technique aimed for the gap of a fatal strike.

The combined attack of the Desolate Fortress Wish for Peace Single Sword Hall was not the joint training of jianghu martial arts.

It was war killing technique.