As the man stepped out from the wide-open Ascension Gate alongside the Imperial Guard, Geomwang Tang Hochang gasped in shock.
“Cheolhyeol Majon Gu Yangcheol!”
“Hahaha! It’s been a while, little brat of Tang!”
In terms of allocation, Tang Hochang, who was not to be looked down upon compared to most martial artists, found Gu Yangcheol a master of the demonic sect who had been infamous for a generation before him.
In a martial arts world where power equals justice, Gu Yangcheol could be described as the most threatening figure among all the martial artists gathered here, reigning as the strongest for over 50 years.
“How the hell are you here?!”
As Tang Hochang accused him, pointing a finger, Gu Yangcheol rubbed his short beard and replied.
“Well, don’t you know the reason better than I do?”
“Kuh! Are you so desperate that you’re joining hands with the demonic sect? The Ming Dynasty has really hit rock bottom!”
“Hahaha! Is it alright to say such things in front of the Imperial Guard? You wouldn’t have anything to say if you were arrested for treason!”
“Shut up! You never had any intentions of letting us go!”
Hearing the conversation between Gu Yangcheol and Tang Hochang stirred the martial artists.
It was essentially something that had been foreseen since the martial artists of the righteous sect had seen the members of the demonic sect step out from the Ascension Gate.
The Ming Dynasty had no intention of apologizing for violating the principle of inviolability regarding governmental affairs.
Let alone sending back the righteous martial artists who had gathered to protest that fact peacefully.
In other words, they intended to suppress today’s demonstration from the very beginning.
“What a cowardly bunch!”
Realizing the situation they were in, all the righteous martial artists drew their swords.
“Hahaha! Good! Let’s recreate the Grand Battle from thirty years ago right here!”
As Gu Yangcheol shouted, he spread his arms wide, and the Imperial Guard and the demonic sect’s martial artists behind him also drew their weapons simultaneously.
It was truly a tense situation.
Just as a battle seemed about to erupt in front of the Ascension Gate plaza, another force appeared.
“How fun! Would you allow us to join your little fight?”
“Who are you?! Show yourselves!”
With an instant chill, Gu Yangcheol’s booming voice echoed as a group of martial artists in black clothing appeared at the plaza’s forefront, with a man of dark skin at their center.
As everyone went silent in awe of the overwhelming presence of the newcomer, the man spoke in a low voice.
“Cheonma.”
*
Cheonma.
The weight of that name was anything but light.
A hundred years ago, when Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty, it was public knowledge that he had received a great deal of help from the White Lotus Sect among the populace.
Indeed, even Zhu Yuanzhang himself started as one of the sect’s followers, hinting at how significant their influence was.
After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty and the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang ruthlessly oppressed the White Lotus Sect, which had selflessly assisted him, dismissing them as demonic sects.
Originally rooted in the Central Plains, the White Lotus Sect relocated to the Shiwanda Mountain area to escape the Ming’s suppression and subsequently kept a low profile while occasionally appearing in the martial world.
However, the fact that Cheonma was a master of the otherworldly realms was already widely known.
This was likely due to the history that recorded how the sixth Cheonma helped Zhu Yuanzhang slaughter 10,000 soldiers of the Yuan Dynasty all by himself.
Now, after decades of absence, Cheonma had returned to the martial world.
“Why is the demonic sect here?”
“Well, don’t you know the reason better than I do?”
Cheonma echoed Gu Yangcheol’s previous response back to him and approached Tang Hochang, who was currently at odds with him.
“What interest does the demonic sect have in this matter?”
In response to Tang Hochang’s cautious question, Nguyen replied with a calm expression.
“I’ll just say that it involves your granddaughter.”
Upon hearing that, Tang Hochang let out a hollow laugh.
“She is my granddaughter but what a joke! Did you think you could gather this many allies for revenge?”
“There’s a saying: ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ At least for now, the White Lotus Sect has no intention of harming the righteous side.”
“Hearing that is a relief. Truthfully, we were struggling to figure out how to deal with them.”
Tang Hochang said while looking back at his companions.
“Hey, let’s greet each other.”
Then the other two remaining members of the Three Kings greeted Cheonma.
“I am Gwonwang Son Yuseong.”
“I am Geomwang Namgung Min.”
As they exchanged formal greetings while bowing, they looked toward the alliance of the Imperial Guard and the demonic sect.
“It seems not only Cheolhyeol Majon Gu Yangcheol is present, but also Binghyeol Majon Yelena and Suramajon Gwak Cheolyong.”
“With three masters on our side, it’s only natural they would match numbers.”
As Namgung Min and Son Yuseong each spoke a line, Tang Hochang placed handcuffs on his forearm.
“I will take care of Cheolhyeol Majon.”
Then Son Yuseong said, “Then I’ll take care of Binghyeol Majon.”
Finally, Namgung Min added, “Since you two chose first, I guess I’ll naturally face Gwak Cheolyong.”
Once each person’s opponent was decided, Tang Hochang glanced at Cheonma.
“You’ll lead the Imperial Guard.”
“Understood.”
With the roles set, Tang Hochang shouted toward the righteous martial artists, who all looked to him as the overall commander of this demonstration.
“Then let’s all meet again alive!”
*
“Advance!!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
With the commanding officer’s voice, majestic drumbeats resounded as the Imperial Guard charged forward with spears and shields.
“Kill all those hypocrites of the righteous sect!”
Alongside them, martial artists of the demonic sect dashed forward with various weapons.
Opposing them were the makeshift alliance of the righteous and the White Lotus Sect.
“Let’s show the demonic bastards a taste of their own medicine!”
Waaaaaa!!
As the martial artists of the righteous sect rushed ahead with swords drawn, the soldiers of the White Lotus Sect naturally spread out behind them.
Soon, the central plaza of the Ascension Gate saw two massive groups clash.
“Die!”
“Let not a single one escape!”
The plaza quickly turned into chaos.
In a scene where each side cut down the other, remarkably notable figures began to emerge.
Among them.
“What! Ice in this weather?!”
“Ugh! Everyone get back! It’s an immense chill!”
The Ice Witch from the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
Binghyeol Majon Yelena Ivanovich.
With every gesture of hers, tremendous negative energy surged, freezing the bodies of the righteous martial artists in an instant.
“Haha, to think they can’t withstand even this level of cold, the people of the Central Plains truly are weak.”
Muttering to herself, Binghyeol Majon Yelena searched around for her next meal for the Ice White Divine, until suddenly, she felt an enormous positive energy and turned her head in surprise.
“You…!”
“Haha, it’s been a while, little princess of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
“Avenger for my father!”
Unlike the calm demeanor from just a moment ago, Yelena’s beautiful face twisted with rage, and ice crystals gripped in both hands.
However, what she was facing was Gwonwang Son Yuseong.
The ultimate user of the extreme yang true energy, who had the worst compatibility against the Ice White Divine, and the current generation’s strongest martial artist.
Even though Yelena was one of the three deities, she was not an opponent to be underestimated.
With her beautiful golden hair flowing, as Yelena dashed at full speed intent on killing, Son Yuseong thought to himself.
‘This could be dangerous.’
She had already surpassed the realm of the former Ice Palace Princess.
‘I can’t just buy time; I must fight seriously.’
Now over sixty years old, he felt a long-forgotten competitive spirit, and inwardly, Son Yuseong smiled with pleasure.
*
“I detest scoundrels like you.”
Suramajon Gwak Cheolyong remarked, staring at Geomwang Namgung Min.
“Ever since I was a child, I’ve found it absurd how the likes of you consider standing above others as something natural; you’re nothing but a pathetic brat.”
The gang leader of the Iron Dragon Gang, dominating the nightlife of Alchemy, wielded a large crescent blade as his primary weapon.
This monstrous crescent blade weighed over 40 kilograms and exceeded two meters in length, making it extremely difficult for ordinary folks to even lift.
Swinging the gigantic crescent blade single-handedly, Gwak Cheolyong said, “Folks like us, born at the bottom, end up spending our lives cleaning after you types. I’ve long hated that, and I’ve decided that one day, if I become strong enough, I’ll swallow up the entire Central Plains and kick all you power-wielders out.”
At that moment, as Gwak Cheolyong rambled on, Namgung Min, who had been listening, yawned quietly.
“Are you about done with your self-introduction? Honestly, it’s getting pretty boring.”
“…What?”
“Usually, the ones insecure about fighting start babbling a lot. I personally prefer real combat over chatting.”
As Namgung Min said this, he withdrew his sword from his waist.
“So why don’t you just come at me? I’ll teach you a thing or two.”
Provoked by Namgung Min’s challenge, Gwak Cheolyong wore a devilish grin and replied, “Fine, I will definitely kill you.”
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