Without quite knowing how it had happened, Jeok Wigang had ended up with the Five Great Families under his command.
“Once I become Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle, the next thing I need to do is unite the martial world. I’m grateful that you reached out to me first like this.”
“Our Five Great Families will take the lead in bringing the other sects in as well.”
“Indeed. We have many connections throughout the orthodox martial world. Leave that part to us.”
Jeok Wigang grinned.
“If you ever need my help, just say the word. No matter where you are, I’ll come immediately.”
Jeok Wigang and the heads of the Five Great Families exchanged smiles.
“Now then, shall we go test the weapons I gave you?”
“How should we test them?”
“How else do you test a weapon? In actual combat.”
At the words actual combat, everyone turned toward Jeok Wigang.
“You already know what it’s like after yesterday, right? Come at me.”
At Jeok Wigang’s beckoning gesture, the five family heads grinned and tightened their grips on their weapons.
“You’d better brace yourself this time, Supreme!”
With their weapons wreathed in deep blue condensed qi, all five charged Jeok Wigang at once.
KWA-KWA-KWAAANG—
Volleys of condensed qi crashed into the ground. Explosions thundered out, and the earth shook as though an earthquake had struck.
The five family heads stared in shock at the sheer destructive force.
“W-What is this?”
“Was I always this strong?”
There was no way they had grown dramatically stronger in a single day.
Everyone looked down at their weapons.
Even yesterday, the weapons had settled naturally into their hands, almost as though they were parts of their own bodies.
Today, it felt as though weapon and body had truly become one.
Was this the true realm of unity of sword and body?
More importantly, the energy flowing from the weapons and the qi within their bodies stimulated each other, producing a powerful synergistic effect.
It allowed them to unleash attacks far stronger than usual.
The problem was that they were far too strong.
This was beyond a simple increase in power.
It felt as though their very cultivation realms had risen.
While everyone stood stunned by power they had never expected, Jeok Wigang’s voice reached them.
“Do you like them?”
Everyone nodded furiously at the question.
These weapons were practically sacred objects.
HUMMMMM—
The weapons suddenly began to resonate.
They stared at them, wondering what was happening.
“The weapons have recognized you as their masters. From now on, no one but you will be able to use them.”
“What?”
Weapons that recognized their own masters?
They weren’t merely like sacred objects.
They were sacred objects.
The fact that Jeok Wigang could casually create such things in a single day was almost frightening.
Suddenly, a question occurred to one of them.
“Does... everyone who follows the Supreme receive weapons like these?”
“Of course.”
They stared at him in shock.
If the martial artists of the Central Plains were all armed with weapons like these, the overall strength of the martial world would rise by several levels.
Zhuge Ho smiled.
“May we tell the other sects about that?”
Jeok Wigang immediately understood what Zhuge Ho was suggesting and chuckled.
“Yes. Go ahead. Tell them that if they join us, they won’t just get weapons. I’ll look over their martial arts too, and they can have as many spirit pills as they need.”
“By spirit pills, do you mean the ones we took yesterday?”
“Those were just for recovering physical strength. These are actual spirit pills.”
Jeok Wigang produced several wooden cases that looked expensive at a glance.
After receiving one each, the family heads hesitated, wondering whether they were really supposed to open them.
“Take them, then start circulating your qi immediately.”
“You want us to take them now?”
“Yes.”
The family heads carefully opened the cases.
The instant the lids rose, white radiance drifted out like smoke.
Merely breathing in the fragrance made them feel as though their entire bodies were being purified.
More than anything else, however, it was the immense energy contained within the pills themselves that left them speechless.
“W-What in the world is this...?”
Compared to the pills inside these cases, their families’ secret spirit pills were little more than ordinary health tonics.
He really wanted them to swallow these?
What a waste.
If they had their way, they would have closed the lids again and taken the pills home to preserve as family treasures.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and take them.”
“Well... they’re simply too precious to eat.”
Jeok Wigang laughed.
“I have plenty, so don’t worry. Just take them.”
Plenty?
The family heads stared at him in disbelief.
“If I run short, I can always make more.”
“Surely pills like these require enormous quantities of spirit medicine? Wouldn’t the ingredients alone cost an astronomical fortune?”
“No. They aren’t particularly expensive to make, and they don’t require that much spirit medicine either. So stop worrying and take them.”
How in the world did he make them?
Now they really wanted to know.
Still, the first thing to do was swallow the pills.
One after another, the family heads took deep breaths and sat cross-legged.
A spirit pill of this caliber had to be followed immediately by qi circulation and meditation.
Only then could every last trace of its energy be absorbed without wasting even a fraction.
Once they were prepared, the family heads raised the pills and placed them in their mouths.
The pills instantly dissolved into liquid.
The moment they slid down their throats, a tremendous surge of energy filled their bodies.
The family heads focused entirely on absorbing every bit of it.
Roughly two hours later, they finished settling the energy and opened their eyes.
Their bodies felt so light they could have taken flight, while tremendous reserves of energy surged through every part of them.
Confidence welled up inside them until they felt as though no enemy in the world could defeat them.
They turned to thank Jeok Wigang.
He was already gone.
Paeng Gong, Head of the Paeng Family, let out a hearty laugh.
“He truly operates on a different level. If it were me, I’d have stayed here just to watch everyone make a fuss thanking me, then milked the favor for everything it was worth.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t have even brought pills like these out. I’d have hidden them away in my family’s most secret vault.”
“No greed for wealth, fair and impartial toward everyone, desires peace more than anyone, and brilliant on top of it all... There will never be a more perfect Martial Supreme.”
“Indeed. And we have been granted the honor of serving that perfect Martial Supreme at his side.”
“Come now. Instead of standing around talking, we should start doing something that will actually help the Supreme.”
“Right. I suppose it’s time to visit the sects we have connections with.”
Everyone was already moving to leave when Zhuge Ho spoke cautiously.
“Before that... we still have to pass the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s test...”
“Ah...”
“Could it be... that the Supreme gave us these weapons and spirit pills because he wants us to pass the test?”
“That may well be the case.”
“Whatever his intentions, passing the test comes first.”
“Agreed. Then let us all go train.”
“Good.”
One week later.
Jeok Wigang had finished preparing to leave for Heavenly Martial Castle when the Listening-Eye Beggar appeared before him, staring with desperate hope.
“I want to come too!”
The Listening-Eye Beggar desperately wanted to witness with his own eyes the historic moment when the lordship of Heavenly Martial Castle changed hands.
After all, Jeok Wigang becoming the next Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle was practically guaranteed.
No.
At this point, he might as well already have the position.
“That’s going to make our group awfully large...”
Jeok Wigang scratched his head.
Jeok Mugun’s voice came from behind him.
“Take him. The more people you have who can act as your hands and feet, the better. And since he’s from the Beggars’ Union, gathering information will be easier too.”
“Did you forget that the Lower Gate is already under me?”
“You brat. Haven’t you heard that the more, the better? When it comes to information, there’s no such thing as having too much.”
The Listening-Eye Beggar immediately nodded along with Jeok Mugun.
“He’s absolutely right. Think about it. Who found your younger brother for you? The Beggars’ Union. We accomplished something the Lower Gate could not. Just imagine how useful that makes us to you.”
After listening to the Listening-Eye Beggar’s lengthy sales pitch, Jeok Wigang chuckled.
“Do whatever you want.”
“You mean it? Thank you! Hahaha!”
As the Listening-Eye Beggar laughed, Jeok Mugun gave him a stern warning.
“I only helped because I expect you to serve my grandson properly.”
“Of course! I, the Listening-Eye Beggar, will do everything within my power to help him.”
Jeok Mugun looked over the people gathered around Jeok Wigang.
Just seeing them was reassuring enough to bring a smile to his face.
More than anything, the sight of Jeok Wigang commanding the Four Divine Demons—people he had once regarded as formidable opponents—filled him with satisfaction.
“What are you staring at?”
“Because I’m happy. You’re going to become Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle. Now I no longer have anything to worry about where the Castle is concerned. Hahaha!”
After laughing heartily, Jeok Mugun immediately began urging everyone onward.
“What are you all standing around for? Let’s go.”
Jeok Wigang watched his grandfather stride ahead in obvious excitement and smiled with genuine affection.
Then he turned toward the rest of the group.
“Let’s go.”
A grin spread across his face.
“We’re going to take over Heavenly Martial Castle.”
RUMBLE—
The massive doors of Abyss Hall, the secluded-training cavern of Heavenly Martial Castle, slowly opened.
A group dressed in black martial robes had been waiting outside.
The instant one man emerged, they all bowed deeply.
“Congratulations on your achievement!”
A huge man strode out of Abyss Hall.
He was Jeok Rigeuk, Jeok Mugun’s eldest son, known as the Limitless Heavenly Fist.
Another figure emerged behind him.
“Young Master! Congratulations on your achievement!”
It was Jeok Wihwang, eldest son of the Limitless Heavenly Fist Jeok Rigeuk and one of the candidates to succeed as Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle.
Sharp eyes.
Thick eyebrows.
Powerful muscles along his jaw and neck that emphasized his masculine features.
The muscles covering his body seemed capable of smashing Mount Tai itself, and even though he was not consciously releasing any qi, he radiated the presence of an absolute expert.
Jeok Rigeuk slapped Jeok Wihwang on the shoulder and burst into booming laughter.
“Kahahaha! That’s right! This deserves congratulations! At his age, this brat has already far surpassed what I was capable of!”
“Ooooh!”
“If he continues like this, it won’t be long before he surpasses even the man I am today. Even the Divine Transformation Realm will be within reach! So long as this boy lives, Heavenly Martial Castle will endure forever! Hahaha!”
“Congratulations!”
The congratulations from his subordinates put Jeok Rigeuk in an even better mood, and he laughed loudly.
Jeok Wihwang’s expression did not change.
Whether people praised him or his father celebrated, he showed no reaction whatsoever.
After enjoying himself for a while, Jeok Rigeuk finally stopped laughing and asked,
“What about Pae? It should be about time for that bastard to finish his seclusion too.”
“We had received no word of his emergence by the time we came here.”
“Really? He’s staying in longer than I expected. Anything happen in the Castle?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“The strategist has changed.”
“Hm? What do you mean, the strategist changed? Did the old strategist die while I was in seclusion?”
“Yes.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“Then who took over?”
“His son, Gongsun Cheongi, inherited the position.”
“Cheongi? The boy was certainly clever, but... wasn’t he suffering from a severed-meridian condition and practically at death’s door?”
“He obtained a fortuitous encounter and was cured.”
“Really? Good for him. Then I suppose he’s still adjusting to the position.”
“He is far beyond simply adjusting. At present, he is handling virtually every matter in Heavenly Martial Castle himself. For all practical purposes, he is the one governing the Castle.”
“What are you talking about? What about Father?”
“The Lord of the Castle is not currently here.”
“Hm? Where did he go?”
“To the True Martial Sect.”
“The True Martial Sect? He went to see Rihyeon? You’re joking.”
“How could I dare lie before you?”
“You’re serious?”
Jeok Rigeuk could hardly believe it.
His father had acted his entire life as though he never wanted to see Rihyeon again.
Had blood finally won out?
Had he gone because he wanted to see his son after all?
“Rumor has it that the True Martial Sect’s second son is quite talented. Perhaps the Lord went to take a look at the boy.”
At his subordinate’s words, Jeok Rigeuk’s expression turned cold.
“How talented?”
“They say he reached the supreme level at eighteen.”
“What?”
Jeok Rigeuk’s eyes widened.
“That’s impossible!”

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