Novel Full Chapter 315 : Chapter 315
Chapter 315. Seeeaaasssoned (1)
KABOOM!
“Oh… ooooh….”
Persona couldn’t hide her astonishment.
A level of destructive power she had never wielded before was unleashed from her own hands.
She had simply moved the energy within her body as Patrick had taught her and struck down with the saber with all her might, but….
“Such destructive power.”
A large boulder was shattered into pieces.
If it was like this in her pure human state, what kind of power would it have in her draconian state?
Just then, Patrick spoke from the side.
“You’re still far off. If you properly unleash the Fierce Tiger Assault with your internal energy, you should be able to blow away a small mountain.”
“Is… is that true?”
“Of course.”
Persona gazed at the saber in her hand with an ecstatic smile.
From the moment she first held it, she felt it strangely stick to her hand, but she never knew it was a weapon so perfectly suited for her.
Even though the shape was only slightly different, it felt completely different from a sword.
‘So this is what Master meant by a difference in aptitude.’
To the admiring Persona, Patrick said.
“Elaborate offense and defense can only be achieved with accumulated experience. However, delivering a powerful blow with overwhelming power can be learned in a short time through concentration and mastery rather than the subtleties of martial arts.”
“Yes. I will keep that in mind, Master.”
“Good. Then continue. There is no better method for mastery than repetition.”
“Yes, sir!”
Persona, answering energetically, once again moved her energy along the path Patrick had taught her and swung the saber.
She was still very clumsy.
Although she was overflowing with talent and had immense internal energy, she would need more practice to be deployed in actual combat.
However….
“……”
Patrick turned his gaze away and pressed his eyes firmly.
Because that clumsy saber art reminded him of a fond memory from the past.
[Oh, brother. Doing it as you said definitely increases the power.]
[See? Now, you’re buying the drinks tonight.]
[Hahaha. I’ll buy as much as you want.]
‘Mujong….’
The Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade.
It was the main martial art of his sworn brother from his past life, the Iron-Blooded Saber Dragon Peng Mujong.
In fact, as a direct descendant of the Hebei Peng Clan’s head, Peng Mujong was supposed to learn the Primordial Thunderclap Blade.
But because he was an illegitimate son, he faced opposition from the clan’s elders and was unable to learn the Primordial Thunderclap Blade.
The Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade was the highest-level martial art the Hebei Peng Clan allowed Peng Mujong.
However, the elders of the Hebei Peng Clan did not know.
They had no idea of the extent of the Iron-Blooded Saber Dragon Peng Mujong’s talent.
The regular martial arts tournament held by the clan.
There, Peng Mujong defeated his own brothers who had learned the Primordial Thunderclap Blade and emerged victorious.
It was an act of insubordination that the Hebei Peng Clan had absolutely not wanted.
An illegitimate son who learned a lower-level martial art was not supposed to be superior to the legitimate descendants who learned the secret art of the clan head’s direct line.
In fact, from this point on, Peng Mujong’s Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade began to diverge from the original martial art of the Hebei Peng Clan.
The innate genius named Peng Mujong had instinctively begun to improve the Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade, enhancing its strengths and erasing its weaknesses.
And later, while accompanying the monster known as the Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon, that improvement accelerated even further, and eventually, Peng Mujong’s Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade became completely different from that of the Hebei Peng Clan.
At this point, he could have given it a different name and made it his own unique martial art, but….
[Brother, how can I rashly change the name of the martial art of the great and historic Hebei Peng Clan?]
[Hey, you get treated like crap at home all the time, and you still talk about the ‘great Hebei Peng Clan’?]
[Brother, what do you mean I get treated like crap?]
[You aren’t even treated like an heir, are you?]
[I can’t do that stuff anyway because it’s a hassle.]
[You have to call your brothers, who are much weaker than you, ‘Young Master,’ don’t you? Is that a family?]
[Hahahahahaha. A true man of men doesn’t care about such things.]
[This won’t do. You’re frustrating me, so let’s have a go.]
[What do you mean… Keok! You crazy bastard! Aaargh!]
He thought he was a hopeless idiot.
He thought he was a sucker who, despite being treated with all sorts of contempt at home, was prouder of the damned Hebei Peng Clan than anyone else.
He was even the first to rush in and fight to the death when the clan was in crisis during the war.
By the time the Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon rushed there, Peng Mujong had already spilled all his blood on the ground.
[Brother…. Promise… it is.]
[Stop talking nonsense and shut up, you bastard.]
[I trust… you….]
Until his very last moment, he left as his last words a request to pass on his martial art to his clan, and he died in Jin Cheon’s arms.
And the Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon could not grant that last wish.
When he went to the Hebei Peng Clan with Peng Mujong’s body.
There was no one in the Hebei Peng Clan who shed a single tear for him.
They didn’t say a single word of condolence for the death of Peng Mujong, who had fought desperately to save even one more member of the clan.
Rather, his half-brothers even smiled secretly.
What did that smile mean?
Were they so happy that the illegitimate son who was superior to them was gone?
Did my sworn brother risk death to fight for these vermin?
At that moment, Jin Cheon’s thought of fulfilling his sworn brother’s last wish completely vanished.
He wanted to go on a rampage and smash everything, but he suppressed it and just left quickly.
‘It’s over. The Hebei Peng Clan.’
He spat and left like that, and never had anything to do with the Hebei Peng Clan again.
Until the very moment he met his end at the Falling Phoenix Sect.
‘I’m sorry. I… I didn’t know.’
He didn’t know then.
The obvious fact that the dead can do nothing.
The Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon died.
Now he could neither grant his sworn brother’s last wish nor right the wrongs.
That is what death is originally like.
That is why those who stand on the brink of death entrust their will to the living.
But….
“……”
The Patrick of his past life ignored it.
The moment he saw the arrogance of the Hebei Peng Clan with his own two eyes, he was so filled with anger that he couldn’t even grant his sworn brother’s final wish.
He shouldn’t have done that.
‘There’s no way you didn’t know.’
Even Patrick, an outsider, knew, so how could Peng Mujong, who had lived his whole life in the Hebei Peng Clan, not have known?
He must have known full well how he was treated and what he meant to his brothers.
Knowing that, Peng Mujong did not let go of his devotion to his clan.
Knowing everything, he was proud of his clan and sought to fulfill his duty as a man with the surname Peng to protect its members.
By sacrificing his life.
‘It must mean you were a much greater person than I was.’
Patrick couldn’t do that.
His devotion to his Master was a repayment for the warmth and affection he had received from him.
If his Master had been a hopeless sucker and had not shown him kindness, the Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon would not have existed.
That is why he did not understand the desperation in his sworn brother’s last wish and simply ignored it.
‘I’m sorry…. I’m really sorry.’
He realized how big a mistake this was only after experiencing one life and one death.
So in this life, I will at least make sure your martial art is not cut off.
Although it may not be a person with the surname Peng, I will surely leave your martial art behind.
Originally, he planned to teach it to Tutan when he grew a bit more and developed his insight.
But he had met a better candidate here.
Now, he could finally keep half of his promise to his sworn brother.
Even though the world is different and she is not a Peng, at least this….
[Unlike you, brother, why are you being so sentimental?]
“……”
[A man can’t always keep his promises in life. Isn’t that right?]
“……”
[Don’t worry about it. A cheerful man of men like me doesn’t care about such things. Hahahahaha!]
It was a nostalgic laugh.
The boisterous laughter that always rang in his ears as they drank together and fought together.
“…Alright. I will. You damned fool.”
***
Three months is a long time if it’s long and a short time if it’s short.
During that time, Patrick focused on teaching Persona the Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade, and in his spare time, he concentrated on his personal training.
The matter of divinity and divine rank was not something Patrick could resolve on his own.
The Four Calamities said they would take care of it somehow.
However, once the conditions were equalized, what remained was a confrontation of martial arts versus martial arts.
‘The Heavenly Demon….’
No matter what they said about divinity, it didn’t mean that the Heavenly Demon was weak as a martial artist.
The four individuals who are always mentioned when picking the greatest of all time.
Bodhidharma, Zhang Sanfeng, the Heavenly Demon, the Blood Demon.
In the Central Plains where Patrick was from, these four were called the Four Great Masters.
And he was challenging one of them.
There could be no negligence in his preparations.
While he was spending his time like that….
Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble….
“Hmm?”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, with a violent tremor, the ground shook.
At that, Patrick and Persona frowned simultaneously.
“Master, this is?”
“…Something seems to have happened.”
It wasn’t just an ordinary earthquake.
Because the source of the tremor was from the direction of Pavera.
And not only that….
Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble… KABOOM!
The moment Patrick’s gaze reached it, the crater of the volcano at the summit of Pavera began to erupt lava.
“Crazy!”
“Master.”
Persona’s body glowed brightly, and in an instant, she transformed into her giant black dragon form.
“Get on, Master.”
At Persona’s quick response, Patrick quickly climbed onto her back.
Then he looked at the retainers of the Four Calamities who had rushed out of the cave and said.
“Evacuate the residents! Now!”
“Yes? That…”
“But this is….”
To them, who were hesitating because they hadn’t grasped the situation, Patrick shouted.
“Get a grip!”
At Patrick’s lion’s roar, the four’s faces changed as if they had been doused with cold water.
“Figure out the cause later. Deal with the urgent matter first. I will enter the crater.”
“Yes….”
“Understood.”
After hearing their answers, Persona, with Patrick on her back, quickly flew up into the sky.
She headed straight for the entrance of the volcano, but….
“Master. The entrance has collapsed and is blocked.”
“Go up to the crater. I will enter directly.”
“Will you be alright?”
“I’ll be fine, so hurry up and go!”
“Yes!”
Persona flew high, and Patrick looked at the summit of the volcano and jumped off Persona’s back.
“Stay here.”
Leaving those words behind, Patrick fell straight down.
Towards the crater from which boiling lava was ceaselessly overflowing.
[ Radiant Dragon Twelve Sword Forms: Third Form: Flashing Dragon Strike ]
A single streak of light shot down to the ground.
The flash of light penetrated the magma at a dazzling speed and fell to the bottom of the crater.
And what Patrick, who had reached his destination in the fastest way possible, saw was….
“Azure Dragon? White Tiger? Vermilion Bird? What happened?”
There, three of the Four Calamities lay collapsed, battered and bruised.
From the three, who had lost all their strength, the suffocating presence and mighty power he had felt before were completely gone.
-Is that… Patrick?
Seeing the White Tiger open its mouth slightly, Patrick quickly ran over and said.
“What happened? What was it that happened?”
-…We were… attacked.
“By whom? What happened?”
-…The one who did this to us was….
The White Tiger continued in a mournful voice.
-It was the Walking Calamity.
And the White Tiger continued to explain to Patrick what had happened.
***
To gather the constellations into one.
It sounds simple, but it is synonymous with giving up most of the divinity the Four Calamities possess.
Originally, in the days when they were called the Four Divine Beasts, they commanded seven constellations each, for a total of twenty-eight constellations.
But after losing more than half in the war they participated in following the Outer God, only eleven constellations remained.
It was less than half of their prime, but it was also the only asset they could bet on in their final gamble.
They had to gather it as completely as possible and deliver it to Patrick.
To do that, one of them had to act as a vessel to gather the constellations into one.
-I will do it.
The one who volunteered for that role was the Black Tortoise.
He, who usually stayed back and remained silent, had volunteered.
-Will you be alright?
-Someone has to do it, don’t they?
-That is true, but….
Becoming a vessel to gather the constellations into one is by no means a simple matter.
The power of the constellations, having reached a state of saturation beyond the vessel’s limit, is extremely unstable.
If things go wrong, the vessel of the soul itself could shatter.
That means a de facto death even for those who have reached divinity.
The Black Tortoise had volunteered for that difficult and dangerous role.
-Unlike you all, I have no particular lingering attachments. I don’t mind if it all ends now.
At the Black Tortoise’s words, the others bowed their heads solemnly.
Their goal was to be freed from Kalaron after Patrick, the man of prophecy, defeated the Heavenly Demon.
Once freed from Kalaron, their souls could return to the Central Plains.
After that, they could slowly recover their divine power over a long period of time and regain their original names and positions.
But the Black Tortoise spoke as if he had cleanly abandoned such lingering attachments.
-Are you really sure?
-I am fine.
-We will not forget your devotion.
Thus, the other Four Gods began to gather the remaining power of the constellations into one, using the Black Tortoise as a vessel.
Although the Black Tortoise had said he was prepared for death, they couldn’t just recklessly pour it in.
They gathered the constellations into one, delicately but surely, never rushing.
Thus, the power of the constellations gathered in the Black Tortoise.
The two constellations the Black Tortoise originally possessed, the Girl Constellation and the Encampment Constellation.
To that were added the White Tiger’s Stomach Constellation, Net Constellation, and Three Stars Constellation.
And the Vermilion Bird’s Ghost Constellation and Willow Constellation settled in the Black Tortoise’s vessel in order.
First, a total of seven constellations had entered the Black Tortoise.
‘Now it’s my turn.’
What remained was the Azure Dragon’s turn.
The constellations he possessed were four in total.
If these four were gathered under the Black Tortoise’s vessel, the conditions for delivering the constellations to Patrick would be met.
But just then….
-It has been a long time. This feeling.
The Black Tortoise suddenly started acting strangely.
-What are you doing?
Seeing the Black Tortoise starting to move from its designated position, the White Tiger and the Vermilion Bird were terrified.
But the Black Tortoise did not stop its steps.
-Seven constellations fill me to the brim. It has been a long time since I felt the power of my prime.
And he completely left his position.
At that, the Azure Dragon shouted in terror.
-Return to your position, Walking Calamity. What is the meaning of this?
-Still haven’t figured it out? Or are you pretending not to?
-Walking Calamity!
-Do not call me by that name!!!
As the Black Tortoise roared thunderously, a terrifying power swept through the heavens and the earth.
-Krrgh….
The Azure Dragon hurriedly held on.
But the White Tiger and the Vermilion Bird, who had given up all their constellations, looked as if they would die at any moment, unable to withstand the power emanating from the Black Tortoise.
-Kuk….
The Azure Dragon hurriedly protected the two.
Even though he himself was struggling to hold on, if he didn’t protect these two right now, they could die.
To that Azure Dragon, the Black Tortoise spoke in a voice full of contempt.
-Pathetic.
-What did you say?
-O pitiful being who was once called the Azure Dragon. You are no longer the one I knew.
The Black Tortoise sent a look of disillusionment towards the Vermilion Bird and the White Tiger, who were barely breathing behind the Azure Dragon, and said.
-Losers. I cannot share a fate with scum like you, whose minds have been broken along with your bodies.
-What on earth are you planning to do?
-I will challenge them once more. I will defeat Kalaron and Yupinel and take the divine rank in charge of the axis of order in this world into my own hands.
-What did you say?
-Are you insane?
-This crazy bastard….
The other three were dizzy.
Because the Black Tortoise was usually a man of few words, they couldn’t know what he was thinking.
But they never thought he would attempt such a crazy act.
The Black Tortoise had now regained the power of its prime.
He was trying to use this power to join hands with the Outer God once again and destroy this world.
-Get a grip! We have already committed a folly once and were defeated. Do you intend to repeat the same mistake?
The Azure Dragon earnestly tried to persuade the Black Tortoise.
But….
-I do not wish to hear the ramblings of losers any longer.
As the Black Tortoise opened its mouth, a terrifying energy gathered inside.
And then….
-Die.
Crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle!
A massive energy engulfed the Azure Dragon and the other two.