There was no head in the chest.

The God of War’s meaning was clear. It was his way of declaring he would transcend resentment. By sparing Ma Jin, Shin Byeok, and the others within his grasp, he made that statement.

And in reverse, it also underscored just how immense a presence Namje had been to him.

Splash.

The stream of mare’s milk wine trickled across the dry stone floor. Silence had fallen around them. The sound of water hitting damp stone lingered for a while.

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin’s breathing was becoming visibly heavier.

“......”

His front, torn and tattered in several places, rose and fell faintly. He wasn’t panting like a lowly novice with poor internal technique, but his circulation of energy through the Radiant Wheel Technique now demanded significant effort.

‘It was a draw, but I lost.’

The moment the artificial fusion with the Radiant Wheel unraveled, this state hit him. Naturally so. If the martial path he borrowed from Yulha Nangnang had been perfect, he might have stood against the God of War and the Seven Nights.

By contrast, the God of War remained monstrous in his composure.

“This stench... Looks like those prairie folk lived miserable lives.”

He only criticized the mare’s milk wine in an indifferent tone.

Despite being covered in wounds, his breathing hardly wavered. He exuded the same boundless vitality as someone from Northern Jianghu. No method of annihilating him came to mind.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought about it. How had his maternal grandfather activated the Ultimate Martial Way on the bat-like enemy? Back on the Black Path, he hadn’t had time to observe.

‘To create an opening even in a balanced fight, to land the Ultimate Martial Way—that itself is another skill.’

This battle drove the truth painfully deep into his bones.

Even his use of Ultimate Moon through the mouth had been constantly disrupted. And compared to most peerless masters, his activation speed was near-instant.

Just then—

The God of War suddenly turned his gourd bottle upside down and asked,

“Is your mind still clear?”

“Perfectly.”

Jeong Yeon-shin replied flatly.

Did he see through how wrecked his body was? The God of War didn’t look convinced. His next words, spoken while draining the last of the wine, were the same.

“If you think you’re about to pass out, say so. I’ve no interest in talking to someone half-conscious.”

“......”

For a moment, a storm-like silence fell.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s silence was meant as a denial, but the God of War seemed to take it another way.

“You’re not much of a drinking partner. Good thing I let the ground drink instead.”

He meant Jeong was too taciturn. Jeong Yeon-shin kept silent still.

By that time, the God of War’s gaze had already shifted to the opposite hill. Toward {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} those who had followed Jeong Yeon-shin there.

His lips moved slowly.

“Will you be any different?”

He spoke of loss. And without needing to elaborate, the memories rose on their own—Namje, Shin Tu, the Northern Kings and clans, and the lands he failed to protect from the Divine Sword Corps.

Suddenly, the God of War’s glossy black eyes ran over Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder. The scorched character “Hwang.” His large hand clenched into a fist.

“You’ve already become like me. Haven’t you?”

“......”

“Then start talking.”

“I’ve lost enough.”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s words, the God of War’s thick lips curled into a faint smile. At the same time, the nearby stone pillars cracked under sudden pressure.

CRACK—

“A man’s fate never draws limits around what he will endure.”

In that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin sensed it clearly. The God of War’s essence, energy, and spirit was still in a state of extreme elevation. Even without intent, he was destroying his surroundings. A being who maintained that kind of power at all times.

A true god. A literal incarnation of battle.

The God of War slowly spoke again.

“I will kill your former master.”

His voice was terribly calm. The kind of certainty Jeong Yeon-shin had never heard before was now casually uttered by the God of War.

“If your sense of justice is so shallow that you’d block me... then I’ll mourn my departed comrade again. Say it was a meaningless death. And tear off your head.”

“......”

“The Lord of Ipwang Fortress is the sword of the Great Tree. A being that must now disappear.”

Whether the Great Tree had consumed him, or some trace of his mind remained—

With that, the God of War slowly turned away. None of his actions seemed friendly toward Jeong Yeon-shin. It all felt like necessity. As if he was simply doing what had to be done.

“If you plan to train with me, I welcome it.”

He had already perceived that Jeong Yeon-shin had no choice but to oppose the Celestial Tree.

Shling.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently sheathed Yeoroe.

‘He’s too well-informed.’

Even matters of the Celestial Tree, he saw right through.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced toward the opposite hill.

There stood a drunken noble of the Ming clan, collar loose, looking utterly dismayed. When their eyes met, his face changed instantly—like a mask in a face-changing act—and he smiled.

Then, as the God of War strode toward him like a rogue of the Black Path, he clasped his hands together.

“Seems my horizons have broadened with age. That was a once-in-a-lifetime fight.”

“It won’t be.”

“Pardon?”

“The martial world is growing stronger. Gather your forces.”

“Well, as you know, there are many warriors who admire the God of War, but most of the truly strong ones are already tied to the Grand Martial Alliance...”

“Even third-rate wanderers are fine. As long as they’re my companions.”

Now standing atop the hill, the God of War placed a hand on the noble’s shoulder. The size difference was immense—his hand fully covered the man’s shoulder and then some.

“You’re already a yozoku.”

In that moment, a translucent inner energy garment layered over the noble’s body. It came with a sound like iron scales lining up. The once-decadent green robe now looked like a general’s battle armor.

Northern Mixed Primal Desolation.

“Companion, you say...? Being a hound or a mutt is enough.”

With a solemn face, the noble barked like a dog. The God of War passed by without a word, and the man followed close behind.

Then, he left Jeong Yeon-shin a whispered message.

—First, I apologize. That a lowly Hao Mun Lord dares speak once more to the Master of the Divine Sword Corps. If the strategist you’ve recently acquired were with you, I’d have conveyed this to him, but... for some reason, the God of War didn’t show me your letter. Must be a matter of trust. Time will fix that. Also, I must apologize for mistaking Ipwang Fortress as a puppet of the Celestial Tree and training with the Tyrant Seven Fiends. Honestly, considering Ipwang’s past decisiveness, it wasn’t unreasonable, was it?

—Just get to the point.

—Sobriety hits hard. Here it is. I don’t want to face you again. The central plains are vast enough, so let’s keep moving separately. I’d rather not clash.

Oh, and...

The words stretched long. For a moment, it seemed the Hao Mun Lord hesitated through countless thoughts.

—Please don’t interfere with us. I believe you won’t side with the God of War out of personal emotion, especially when you’ve embraced the true-blooded heirs of the Bloodflame Cult under the banner of justice. The world’s already chaotic enough with just the Grand Martial Alliance swallowing all eight former Clan Leaders. It’s hard to tell friend from foe. If my words offended you, then just consider them the bark of a mangy stray dog. I don’t want to make an enemy of a monster like you...

—You talk too much. Go.

—Woof...!

Jeong Yeon-shin watched their retreating backs in silence.

Then, he struck the ground and leapt toward the fading edge of twilight.

***

“Were you watching all along?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked Namgung Hwa-shin the moment he landed on the hill, but there was no response. It was because she had fallen asleep while still standing.

Shin Hwang, Lord of Myeolseomdae, spoke up from beside her.

“I carried her here. I was certain she’d be of help.”

And it wasn’t just Shin Hwang.

Hуeon Won-chang, who had always been quick to act, was present as well, along with other masters of the Divine Sword Corps. Shin So-bin now stood in Jeong Yeon-shin’s shadow, Yeon So-ha feigning distraction, and the left-handed swordswoman Oh Wol-hyang and Sa Wol-gungwi Wi Ye-ryeong were also nearby.

As Shin So-bin began to sharply jab at Jeong Yeon-shin’s back with her fingertips, he furrowed his brow and spoke while she pressed along his pressure points.

“I told you not to come...”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Ipwang Fortress may be military in nature, but Wonpyeong’s First Sword Pavilion doesn’t operate that way. Only those who dare disobey the Divine Sword Corps Leader are fit to sit in that seat. It’s our fault for disobeying you.”

Shin Hwang bowed his head.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who trusted him next only to Jin Myeong-jo, was quietly shaken. It reminded him of the emotions Elder Shin Byeok once revealed, mistaking his character.

“From now on...”

Jeong Yeon-shin paused. Even saying it aloud felt overwhelming. He had just come face-to-face with the God of War, and now the truth of his words—that the world was growing more powerful—was undeniable.

The Divine Sword Corps of Ipwang Fortress.

He trusted them enough to act on their own.

Yet, perhaps because of that very trust, the situation had become uneasy.

Though the bond between the Corps and Jeong Yeon-shin was thick as that of master and disciple, the warriors of Ipwang Fortress were, by nature, geniuses difficult to restrain. Shin Byeok and Ak Su-rim had once done as they pleased with Ma Yeon-jeok, and Bukgung Ah and Heavenly Lord of the Iron Demon Sect were said to have done the same to Yong Hui-myeong. The rest, too, were all figures who followed their own convictions and still delivered top results.

But...

Would that continue?

The united nobles, the Four Great Guardians, the Ipwang Fortress Lord now aligned with the Tree of the World. The former Eight Clan Lords joining the Grand Martial Alliance one after another. Even the Sect Leader of the Fallen Sword Sect...

Jeong Yeon-shin thought to himself.

If the order had come from the Lord of Ipwang Fortress, not the Divine Sword Corps Leader, would the black-clad warriors have acted of their own accord?

Probably not. It was because his martial power and status still fell short of being the best in the world.

“...From now on, it’s fine if it’s anyone else, but if the God of War is the opponent, this won’t do. I’ll be the one in danger.”

It had been that way since the first clash. Not just blocking—his techniques were meant to seize, smash, and reverse strike.

Every one of those strikes had been fatal to Jeong Yeon-shin.

What about the united Ipwang Fortress Lord?

“......”

Just as images of Jang Sam-bong and the first Heavenly Demon floated unconsciously in his mind’s upper dantian, So Cheonmujuk’s voice suddenly descended.

“That giant’s going to be a serious problem.”

She had apparently been watching the fight from afar the entire time. As a rebel who moved to no one’s tune, it was perhaps best to count her out of any real power balance.

“Should I go kill him now?”

She asked lazily.

At that moment, she was floating cross-legged above the party, and her gaze as she looked down on Jeong Yeon-shin was strange. As if something had just stirred in her heart.

“Don’t. You’ll die.”

Piiik—

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s reply, Baekyeon’s cry echoed in the distance. The white spiritual swallow struck down onto his shoulder like an arrow fired by Chi-cheon Gungbaek. Having been closest to Jeong Yeon-shin’s energy field for some time, it had grown noticeably larger.

Sarak.

Unraveling a scroll tube from its long legs like a hawk, a fairly large letter was left in his hand. The hastily scrawled writing was immediately visible.

—Wu Gok of the Six Original Star Lords and the Deviant Sword of Cheongeuk Sect have marched south to Hanam. They may clash with Shaolin. Every land they pass has become wasteland, and part of the Yangtze’s tributary was split by the Deviant Sword’s slash and has yet to return.

—The prince of the former Dali Kingdom, Second Sword of the World Dan Seong-eum, has joined the Grand Martial Alliance with the Four Clans of the South. Also joining are Simmuryun, the Eon Clan, and the Mo Yong Clan. Grand Martial Leader Nangseong has gained a new title: Emperor of Rebellion.

—A formal challenge has been issued in the name of Hyeok Ryeon Pungwol, Leader of Muryong Sect and First Guardian of the Grand Martial Alliance, for a duel with the Divine Sword Corps Leader. Since you are unlikely to come to Yangyang, the challenge has been voided.

—Rumors have been confirmed that the new Sword King, Burning Sword, descended to Sichuan and beheaded Tang Gate’s Master. Sword King has conquered Sichuan’s martial world. The fate of Tang Clan Master Dokgun is unknown.

—The feudal kings discovered thirty thousand imperial troops who had clashed with the God of War. Most were crippled. The supernatural prowess and divine power he bestowed have spread dangerously far in fame.

—A faction of the Tree of the World has publicly declared a visit under the Fortress Lord’s name. ‘Immediately dissolve into the lives of the people of Ming—that is Plan One. Or confront the strange signs in the north and march again—that is Plan Two. Choose one.’

—Lord Jeong’s stance is urgently required.

—Grand Commander of the Heavenly Dragon Corps Wi Ji-geuk and Lord of the Commandments Yun So-yu discovered the Hidden Divine Will. They immediately kidnapped it and are bringing it to the fortress.

—His Majesty the Emperor is now residing in the fortress. Ipwang Fortress’s Clan Leader, New Clan Head, and Elder Council Chief have returned as well.

—There is a giant sitting in the Chief Overseer’s pavilion.

The letter was written in the hand of Im Jin-myeong.

There was no mention of Jeong Yeon-shin’s condition. It was as if he had no doubt he had survived his battle with the God of War.

Sarak.

He turned the page. There was one more sheet, with a short inscription.

[All I have left now is the status I once held as the embodiment of the Great Ming Law, and the voice I may yet raise to the world. I am grateful to still possess even these, and so I pass this on to you.]

The next line was stamped with the Emperor’s jade seal.

[Take the Lord’s Seat. Become Ming.]