The Sword Emperor Transmigrates-Chapter 233

About a month had passed since Leonard started sparring with the Golden Dragon Knights. The announcement that he had taken over as the commander of the Golden Dragon Order came only when the continuous noise and shockwaves emanating from Dragon’s Head could no longer be kept secret.

The news that Leonard, a supernova unheard of in the history of the Cardenas family, would be leading the Order of the Golden Dragon spread rapidly. Though he was only seventeen, no one questioned his qualifications or judged him unfavorably.

On the contrary, most people welcomed the emergence of a commander who matched the mysterious energy of the Order of the Golden Dragon, and they were eager to see how his leadership would change the group’s trajectory.

“Honestly, haven’t you always wondered what missions the Order of the Golden Dragon were actually carrying out, or what kind of achievements they had under their belt?”

“Well, of course. It’s undeniable that they’re the strongest, but there’s never been anything proven out in the open for their merits as knights.”

“I think that’s exactly why the family head appointed Sir Leonard as their commander. To get rid of their secrecy by placing someone who naturally attracts attention at their head.”

Some people speculated out of curiosity, others out of doubt; everyone came with their own theories as to why Leonard had been entrusted with the strongest knight order and what changes that might bring. This sparked murmurs within the core forces of the Cardenas family, the Seven Great Orders.

The reactions of the commanders were mixed.

Demian laughed heartily, while Grace clicked her tongue in sympathy, knowing that there was a tough road ahead for her junior. Wade merely nodded indifferently. Audrey seemed displeased but accepted the situation, recognizing that no one but Leonard fit the role.

And Leonard—

Boom!!

Faced with the oncoming storm of aura that surged before him, he marveled at the knights who had reached this level in just a month.

This was not something that could be accomplished just with exceptional physical prowess and acute senses. Every Golden Dragon knight had been a prodigy of their generation, with an innate talent for understanding and learning that was nothing short of extraordinary.

...It seems that the Eighteen Arhat Formation is starting to become a little challenging.

This legendary formation originated from the Shaolin Temple, known to be one of the two prominent powerhouses along with the Wudang Sect in the Nine Great Sects. They were famed in murim and were the representative of the righteous sects.

While the 108 Arhat Formation required 108 Peak Realm experts and was thus far more demanding, the Eighteen Arhat Formation had the advantage of requiring fewer people and being easier to execute and dismantle, making it a preferred tactic with more accounts of success.

This formation allowed eighteen Peak Realm warriors to fend off foes five or even ten times their number, a testament to its overwhelming power. Many unorthodox martial artists had reached or even surpassed the Apex Realm, only to fall victim to this formation and lose to the Arhats.

Shiiing!

A Golden Dragon knight, with his speed amplified fivefold by the flow of energy coursing through the core of the formation, lunged with blinding speed. Already endowed with formidable physical power and impeccable swordsmanship, his enhanced state now reached an unimaginable level of destruction and velocity.

Inside the Eighteen Arhat Formation, a single Golden Dragon knight was stronger than the sea beast Moby Dick, which Leonard had subjugated in Atlantis.

“You tend to overcommit when facing a superior opponent. That’s a bad habit.”

However, Leonard effortlessly parried the fierce strike and countered with a kick to the abdomen. The sudden, spear-like thrust of his foot erupted with explosive sound, sending the knight staggering backward, coughing up blood, yet without disrupting the formation’s flow. This, at least, was commendable.

Moreover, while one knight was repelled, four others surrounding him swung their swords in unison. This type of synchronized attack left no room for conventional defense.

Northern God Style

Instance Opening Counter Technique

Deep Frost Shroud

A wide deployment of Leonard’s conceptual martial arts froze the incoming strikes, halting all four swords. The icy energy of the Black Tortoise Qi trailed along the blades, instantly immobilizing the four knights.

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.

Hmm, I countered too haphazardly.

Noting this, Leonard stepped back to avoid being surrounded. The ice encasing the four knights shattered with a crisp crackle, and they were released. Despite being the unique trait of a Demigod Tier knight, it only lasted briefly.

This, too, was a unique facet of the Eighteen Arhat Formation.

Under normal circumstances, the effect wouldn’t be this pronounced. Even with advanced mastery, the bonds between the members don’t strengthen this much. The formation’s defensive benefits typically only turn lethal damage into severe injuries or mitigate serious harm to minor wounds...

Yet the Golden Knights defied such conventions. With their synchronized consciousness with the Ancestor—far more profound than mere twins—they created an amplification effect, merging with the formation to amplify its efficacy several times over.

Even damage within the conceptual realm was shared among all eighteen knights, making it almost impossible to severely injure them. Their innate durability was already absurdly high, making it difficult to suppress all of them at once.

Putting aside the life and death points, even knowing the vulnerabilities and variations of the Eighteen Arhat Formation, it’s hard to break through from the front. Without an understanding of formation art, it would be an endless war of attrition.

Among the Cardenas commanders, only two seemed capable of breaking the encirclement: Wade, whose unmatched speed and raw power exceeded even that of the Golden Dragon knights bolstered by the formation, and Audrey, who focused on sheer quality regardless of the power scale. Grace or Demian would likely struggle greatly.

As for Corbin, the commander of the Light Dragon Order, his battle capability was an unknown variable.

“Let’s end it here.”

After dozens more exchanges, Leonard relaxed his sword. The Golden Dragon knights, who had been holding their breath in anticipation, finally exhaled and began disarming.

It was an impressive feat, considering no one was seriously injured in a fight where Leonard had employed his conceptual martial arts, even if he was not fighting with full seriousness.

Perhaps that was why—

“Impressive.”

The sudden emergence of a figure, whose faint presence only Leonard had sensed moments before, triggered an instinctive response from the Golden Dragon knights, causing their training to really kick in. Their swords flashed, slashing so many times in the blink of an eye that even the space itself seemed to waver.

However—

“Oh my, so without the formation, you can’t fully unleash that destructive power? A method that mimics a magic circle through human movement... Quite intriguing.”

Emerging unscathed, without so much as a scratch on his clothes, the figure walked nonchalantly among them, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

It was a figure he had once seen as a projection in the Hall of Dragons—Corbin, the commander of the Order of the Light Dragon.

With slightly less pronounced dark circles under his eyes than before, Corbin gave Leonard a slight nod. Now that Leonard was also a commander, there was no hierarchical difference between them.

“Pardon the sudden intrusion, Sir Leonard. Or rather, I should call you Commander Leonard now. Congratulations on your appointment to the Order of the Golden Dragon. This is our first meeting in person, isn't it?”

“It is an honor to meet you, Commander Corbin.”

Leonard acknowledged the greeting and made a brief gesture to dismiss the Golden Dragon knights, who were still stunned by the unexpected visit of a commander.

Impressed by the ease with which Leonard commanded the knights with just a gesture, Corbin whistled softly and murmured, “Your leadership is impressive. To think you could win over these problem children in less than a month. The family head’s judgment was, as expected, impeccable.”

“You flatter me. Anyone who could fulfill their needs would have achieved similar results.”

“Quite modest, considering you are regarded as the greatest genius in Cardenas’ history,” Corbin said, his tone a blend of curiosity and approval as he drew slightly closer.

“The family head has summoned you. Please come with me.”

* * *

When the Light Dragon Commander himself came to deliver the summons from the Archduke of Sword, Leonard instinctively knew why.

It probably had to do with the hostile forces identified in the far eastern region and the southern seas—namely, the demon worshippers and Outer God cults. That was why Corbin, who specialized in reconnaissance and infiltration, would accompany him to meet Declan, likely because firsthand accounts provided more insight than secondhand reports.

“I see you already have an idea of why I’ve called for you,” said Declan, setting down the documents he had been reading.

“Thanks to the efforts of the Order of the Light Dragon, we’ve discovered hostile forces in two locations. The demon worshippers in the eastern region are devoted to Behemoth, while the cult in the southern seas worships the Outer God Charybdis.”

“Charybdis? Is that the one considered on par with Scylla?”

“It seems you’ve heard about it before. That’s correct,” Declan confirmed, continuing his explanation.

“According to the classification set by the Atlantis Maritime Alliance, the farthest perimeter, the Sixth Sea District, is suspected to be where Charybdis’s cult headquarters is located. However, even the Order of the Light Dragon couldn’t scout the Sixth Sea District. Do you know why?”

At this, old memories surfaced in Leonard's mind.

“The Sixth Sea District has no other name! No team who has gone there has ever returned. It’s uncharted territory, a no-man’s land. That’s what we call it.”

“A Rift in the Fifth Sea District kept growing until it swallowed an entire area. That’s how the Sixth Sea District formed, but the Alliance tries to hide its origin as much as possible.”

If Frances’s explanation was accurate, it meant that not even Corbin would be able to infiltrate the Sixth Sea District. The Corroded Realm was already an area corrupted by the Outer God’s influence, where the very laws of the world had been twisted. No matter how skilled the infiltrator was, their presence would be detected.

“...The Sixth Sea District is part of the Corroded Realm. Even a commander would be unable to avoid detection while scouting the deeper areas.”

At that, Declan and Corbin's eyes widened in surprise.

“You seem well-informed. I heard Atlantis once captured an apostle of the Outer God. It shows,” Declan said, before adding, “It looks like we’ve determined who should be sent to the southern seas.”

“I agree. While we’ll send one or two commanders just in case, ordinary knights would be meaningless with the Golden Dragon knights around.”

Leonard nodded in agreement as memories of the Corroded Realm, Nastrond, came flooding back. He recalled pushing through waves of undead forces while advancing deeper, thinking that if it had been the Golden Dragon Order instead of the Red Dragon Order, they could have reached the apostle’s location without issue.

The battle endurance of the Dragonian knights was unmatched, almost beyond comparison to an ordinary Transcendence Tier knight. They could release augmented energy continuously for three days and nights, only growing slightly short of breath before recovering in less than thirty minutes.

And now, equipped with formation tactics like the Eighteen Arhats Formation, they might even manage to subdue two apostles.

“So Wade and Audrey will be going to the eastern region? No, Audrey is still recovering, so Grace would be a more suitable choice,” Declan said.

Among the Heart Demoniacs, Behemoth was recognized in the Black Dragon Order’s archives for its remarkable prowess in close combat. It could withstand and adapt to attacks that interfered even in conceptual realms, and it had the power and speed to topple mountains and rend the sky.

Of the commanders, only Wade could claim certain victory against Behemoth. The worshippers also possessed extreme physical capabilities, and attempting to confront them with mere tricks would lead to disaster.

“Commander Leonard,” Declan called.

“Yes,” Leonard responded as he dropped to one knee.

“Prepare to depart for the southern seas with the Order of the Golden Dragon. Commander Corbin and Commander Demian will accompany you as support, and reinforcements from the Arcane Society will also join. This is our chance to cut away the threats lurking beyond the empire’s reach.”

“Understood. When do we leave?”

“I’ll have a spatial portal opened at noon tomorrow. A Class 9 mage should be able to transport you directly to the south.”

A Grand Magus, a mage at the peak of a mortal’s magic capabilities, could even manipulate space and time, making it possible to traverse thousands of kilometers in an instant. Their power, divine in their own way, complemented that of a Demigod Tier knight.

With a voice imbued with authority, Declan commanded, “Leonard, Commander of the Order of the Golden Dragon, I entrust you with the task of locating and eliminating the Outer God cult. Heed the advice and assistance of the accompanying commanders to complete this mission.”

“I accept the family head’s command as the Golden Dragon Commander,” Leonard responded with determination.

Thus, the destination for the Order of the Golden Dragon’s first deployment was decided—the southern seas, home to the Atlantis Maritime Alliance, where many familiar faces still lingered.