Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Nine Heavens Martial Emperors
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Nine Heavens Martial Emperors.
This was the term for the nine strongest superhumans in the world, revered by all martial artists under heaven.
All of them had reached the Martial God Realm.
The leader of the Evil Path Alliance, the Life-Stealing Demon Emperor Gu Cheo-gi, was also one of these Nine Heavens Martial Emperors, an absolute master.
He was the Supreme Sect Leader of the Bright King Sect, one of the Eight Evil Sects, which naturally made it the center of the Evil Path Alliance.
The Bright King Sect, boasting a force stronger than any other evil faction, was located in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.
And now, in the grand hall of that Bright King Sect, a meeting of the Evil Path Alliance was taking place for the first time in ages.
Heaven-Breaking Lord Gu Ji-hwang.
The son of the Life-Stealing Demon Emperor and the Sect Leader of the Bright King Sect, he was a handsome middle-aged man with half-white hair.
His sharp eyes and intense gaze were impressive, and as one of the top masters even among the evil factions, he exuded a heavy aura.
The Bright King Sect Leader looked around and spoke.
“Is everyone here?”
It was a gathering of the leaders of the Eight Evil Sects, but only four people had assembled.
A woman wielding a red whip let out a coquettish laugh.
“Hohoho, isn’t this a good turnout for a sudden summons? The Black Poison Sect in Yunnan is too far away, and the Ghost Killer Valley and Overlord Heaven Sect never come anyway.”
Her name was Wol A-hyang.
She was the Palace Lord of the Black Moon Palace, possessing a body that was not just voluptuous but outright fat.
She appeared to be in her early thirties, but that was only because she practiced the Crimson Face Technique; in reality, she was a grandmother over sixty.
Contrary to her dull appearance, her Bare Hand Skill was a terror to martial artists.
A man with a massive build and a large diagonal scar across his face spoke up.
“Only four out of the Eight Evil Sects gathered? At this rate, can we even call ourselves the Evil Path Alliance? This is why we’re being pushed back by those Orthodox hypocrites!”
He was the Sect Leader of the Blood Knife Sect, one of the Eight Evil Sects, the Blood Ghost Blade Ma Jin-cheol, carrying a large sword with a reddish glow on his back.
The remaining one let out a bizarre laugh.
“Kekekeke.”
He was a bald man draped in a colorful oversized robe adorned with glittering accessories.
Just looking at him made one’s mind feel hazy, as if he exuded a strange atmosphere.
“What a pity. I came to relay the cult leader’s oracle after so long.”
This man, with his hazy eyes hinting at madness, was the Mama Heavenly King.
He was the Cult Leader of the Mixed Heaven Cult, rampant in Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces.
The Bright King Sect Leader said with a stern expression.
“Then let’s begin the meeting.”
Two hundred years ago, when the Heavenly Collapse Fist Emperor founded the Martial Alliance, the Evil Path Alliance had joined them as well. They had been overwhelmed and inspired by his great cause and personal prowess.
But the Orthodox and Evil factions had too great a rift to stay together. Once they had united to crush the Outer Realm Evil Forces under one banner and the Heavenly Collapse Fist Emperor vanished, losing their focal point, the Martial Alliance split apart immediately.
The Evil Path Alliance left the Martial Alliance and formed their own new league, which became known as the ‘Evil Path Alliance’.
In the beginning, the Evil Path Alliance had formed a fairly solid force centered around its leader, the Black Moon Palace Lord, but over time, it naturally grew lax.
Given the nature of the evil factions, who hated being bound and prioritized their own interests, it was perhaps a natural flow.
Countless evil factions withdrew from the Evil Path Alliance, but the representative eight sects, the Eight Evil Sects, remained.
Unlike the Martial Alliance, they had no grand headquarters, but they maintained a loose alliance centered around the Eight Evil Sects.
However, one of those Eight Evil Sects, the Four Evils Heaven Sect, had been destroyed.
No matter how weakened the Evil Path Alliance’s bonds had become, this was not something to overlook.
“As you all know, the Four Evils Heaven Sect was destroyed by the Huangbo Clan.”
“Kekekeke, if they had submitted to my cult, this misfortune wouldn’t have befallen them. What a shame.”
Ignoring the Mama Heavenly King’s words, the Bright King Sect Leader continued.
“This is a grave matter—one of the eight core sects of our alliance has fallen. Even if our alliance is a loose one, we can’t just let this slide.”
The Black Moon Palace Lord frowned.
“Hmph. That Blood Sound Monk Army with their useless inner strength got greedy and paid the price, that’s all.”
Thud!
The Blood Knife Sect Leader slammed the table and said.
“We can’t just let those Orthodox vermin get away with this! The Evil Path Alliance must punish them!”
“Kekekeke! That sounds good. This is a perfect chance to advance into Hunan Province and start full-scale proselytization.”
The Black Moon Palace Lord made a dumbfounded face.
“Are you sane? The Huangbo Clan is part of the Eight Great Families alliance, a core sect of the Orthodox Heaven Alliance. Mess with them wrong, and it’s war with the Orthodox Heaven Alliance.”
The Mama Heavenly King chimed in again.
“Exactly, exactly. If war breaks out, countless lives will perish—it goes against my cult’s purpose of saving the masses!”
No one pointed out how the Mama Heavenly King had flipped his stance like turning over a hand.
The Blood Knife Sect Leader scowled.
“Are you afraid of those Orthodox hypocrites? Hmph, looks like you’ve grown old and cowardly.”
The Black Moon Palace Lord glared at him and said.
“Oh my! Such harsh words, little brother! Saying your big sis is old— that hurts.”
The Blood Knife Sect Leader’s face twisted involuntarily.
He looked older on the surface, but he was in his late forties. Compared to the Black Moon Palace Lord, he was nearly twenty years younger.
Ignoring the Black Moon Palace Lord, he asked the Bright King Sect Leader.
“What does the Alliance Leader say?”
The Bright King Sect Leader gave a wry smile.
“You know this already, Sect Leader. My father withdrew from Evil Path Alliance matters ten years ago.”
“But this is different! One of the Eight Evil Sects was wiped out!”
“Of course, I reported it. But all I got back was to handle it ourselves, as usual.”
The Blood Knife Sect Leader pounded his chest.
“Hah! This is so frustrating! So, what’s the Bright King Sect Leader’s opinion?”
The Bright King Sect Leader’s eyes flashed.
“As I said, we can’t just let it slide. But right now, we lack justification, and public opinion is against us. If we act rashly, not only the Orthodox Heaven Alliance but even the Martial Alliance might step in.”
The Blood Knife Sect Leader looked surprised.
“That far…? Weren’t they split apart from mutual enmity?”
“The roots of being the same Orthodox faction haven’t vanished. They love their justifications, and the Huangbo Clan has that on their side.”
“Hmph! Justifications are empty shouts without power.”
“But the Orthodox Heaven Alliance and Martial Alliance have the power to wield those justifications. And they might use this as an excuse to expand their influence south of the Yangtze.”
The attendees’ expressions hardened. Traditionally, north of the Yangtze was Orthodox territory, south was Evil faction domain.
There were exceptions, of course, but the spheres of influence had largely held.
“No way they’d go that far?”
“They shout of harmony and justice on the surface, but they’re more obsessed with profits than anyone. That’s why they’ve split into the Martial Alliance and Orthodox Heaven Alliance recently.”
“…….”
“So the possibility is high. If we strike the Huangbo Clan right away, we’d only give them an opening.”
“Hmm.”
Suddenly, the Mama Heavenly King shot to his feet and spread his arms wide.
“Kekekeke! As expected, using force doesn’t sit right with me. The conclusion is proselytization! If we convert those Orthodox hypocrites to my cult through preaching, the world will naturally fall under our feet!”
“…….”
No one reacted to the Mama Heavenly King’s words. That he was a mad cult leader was public knowledge.
The Blood Knife Sect Leader scowled and shouted.
“But we can’t just sit by while one of the Eight Sects is exterminated!”
“Calm down, little brother. The Bright King Sect Leader didn’t say we’re letting it go.”
The Black Moon Palace Lord’s gaze turned to the Bright King Sect Leader.
“Right?”
“Correct. Striking the Huangbo Clan immediately would be foolish. We’re just holding off. Soon, there’ll be a proper chance for retribution.”
A glint appeared in the Black Moon Palace Lord’s eyes.
‘Soon?’
She instinctively realized the Bright King Sect Leader knew something they didn’t. But she didn’t pry.
‘…As expected of the Heaven-Breaking Lord.’
Gu Ji-hwang of the Heaven-Breaking Lord was renowned not just for his martial arts but for his cold, sharp intellect. No doubt he’d deliver proper vengeance.
The Bright King Sect Leader looked around and asked.
“Will you follow my lead?”
The Bright King Sect Leader’s weight in the Evil Path Alliance was immense. With the Life-Stealing Demon Emperor in seclusion, he was practically the leader.
Naturally, no one opposed his opinion.
“Let’s do it that way.”
“Tch! Fine. But when the time for retribution comes, make sure to include my sect!”
“We will.”
“Kekekeke! As for my cult leader’s thoughts…….”
The Mama Heavenly King muttered on, but no one paid attention.
Despite the constant ignoring, he didn’t mind. The other leaders knew this.
It wasn’t true disregard; they just avoided prolonging his pointless rambling by engaging.
And though the Mama Heavenly King seemed mentally unstable, he grasped the meeting’s content. His babbling was just a hobby.
If he truly opposed something, he’d resort to far more extreme measures.
The Black Moon Palace Lord spoke up.
“By the way, have you heard that rumor?”
“What?”
“About the North Sea Ice Palace. They say they played a major role in the Huangbo Clan wiping out the Four Evils Heaven Sect.”
The Bright King Sect Leader’s eyes flashed.
“I heard. Their Young Palace Lord even earned the moniker North Heaven Dragon? Quite audacious.”
The Black Moon Palace Lord licked her lips.
“What should we do about them? They’re conveniently separated—perfect for devouring.”
“You’ve heard he’s a handsome one, I see.”
“Oh? Misunderstanding. Of course I’m tempted, but…….”
“Doesn’t matter, but if you’re asking my opinion, better not to touch them.”
“Why? Jealous, perhaps…….”
The Bright King Sect Leader cut her off.
“Enough nonsense. Word is, the North Sea Ice Palace came to the Central Plains this time and got quite close to several sects.”
“That’s right. Not just the Huangbo Clan, but even hanging around the Tang Family’s young head like they’re best friends.”
“If we poke them needlessly and draw those others in, we’ll only heighten their vigilance. Besides, the Outer Realm Three Lords aren’t to be taken lightly.”
“Hmm.”
“Of course, I have no intention of just letting them return to the North Sea.”
The Bright King Sect Leader’s eyes gleamed coldly.