Chapter 101
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Ten Great Masters
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The news that the Demonic Alliance had completely crumbled sent ripples through the entire martial world once more. The unorthodox sects had gained momentum with the Demonic Alliance's resurgence, boiling over with activity, only to vanish in an instant. The aftermath was bound to be significant.
The unorthodox sects hunkered down again, and those lacking strength scattered to the winds. The Martial Alliance had moved with such unyielding force that the unorthodox factions struggled to muster their power.
Of course, excessive oppression might drive the remaining unorthodox sects to band together in resistance, but the Martial Alliance maintained that delicate balance with exquisite precision.
Given the sheer number of unorthodox sects, uniting them all would make them a formidable foe if they truly committed. Strictly speaking, the Demonic Alliance hadn't encompassed every unorthodox group. Their nature made true unity rare.
In any case, the unorthodox sects held their breath, and the world appeared peaceful on the surface. The name of the Righteous Heaven Alliance began to color the land with fearsome momentum.
It was a half-hearted victory, but still a Great Orthodox-Evil War. It was only natural that the Righteous Heaven Alliance, which had led that war to triumph, would rise to prominence. As a result, the number of sects joining under its banner grew substantially.
Consequently, the Martial Alliance's power waned slightly, while the Righteous Heaven Alliance's swelled.
All of this stemmed from the Great Orthodox-Evil War.
The war had profoundly impacted the martial world, and most of those effects worked against the Martial Alliance.
It was the Martial Alliance that had quelled the unorthodox uprising, yet all the glory went to the Righteous Heaven Alliance, leaving the Martial Alliance with nothing but losses. For them, it was frustrating and unjust.
But amid all this, what concerned the Martial Alliance most was something else entirely.
Mountain Breaking Sword Dugun Un, the Martial Alliance Leader who had barely clung to a spot at the tail end of the Ten Great Masters, had finally been ousted. In his place rose a new name: Heavenly Shadow.
With the Tyrant Dragon dead, Heavenly Shadow's entry shouldn't have displaced anyone. Yet this time, it did. The Great Orthodox-Evil War had produced more than one rising star.
The Sword Demon had ascended to the ranks of the Ten Great Masters. People could no longer deny him.
In truth, becoming one of the Ten Great Masters wasn't something you could force or will into existence. It happened when people acknowledged you. It was all word of mouth—no clear criteria or rules.
Thus, there could be masters stronger than some on the list who weren't named. Still, the Ten Great Masters undeniably existed, and they were the ten strongest in the world, without question.
Merely being called one of the Ten Great Masters was a tremendous honor.
The Martial Alliance Leader being among them bolstered the Alliance immensely. No matter the schemes and intrigues in the martial world, raw power was ultimately paramount. Superior martial arts spoke loudest.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that defined the martial world. Of course, arts alone weren't everything in practice, but that perception was deeply ingrained among martial artists.
Hence, a faction leader's strength became a key measure of their group's prowess and influence.
With the Martial Alliance Leader as one of the Ten Great Masters, the Alliance reaped countless benefits, known and unknown. Losing that status meant losing much in return.
It was entirely natural for Jegal Jung-cheon, the Martial Alliance's brain, to fixate on it.
"Ugh, what a mess. I can't very well tell the Leader to challenge someone to a duel..."
Even after finishing his duties, Jegal Jung-cheon brooded over the issue. If Dugun Un dueled Heavenly Shadow and won, everything would resolve. It was the simplest solution—and the least feasible.
A faction leader couldn't move so freely.
Even if another Great Orthodox-Evil War erupted, the Martial Alliance Leader stepping forward personally would raise problems. The Martial Alliance and Righteous Heaven Alliance had different stances and circumstances.
"If only the demonic cults would stir, it would help a great deal..."
If demonic cultists swarmed, Dugun Un could unleash his mighty Golden Demon Art to its fullest. After all, only he and his secret Demon Extermination Squad possessed it.
But that was wishful thinking. A demonic surge would spell disaster.
No matter how potent the Golden Demon Art, limits existed. It couldn't be sustained indefinitely, and the Demon Extermination Squad's numbers were finite.
Facing hordes of demonic cultists at once would overwhelm them.
"Not that they'd ever unite like that."
Demonic cultists were even harder to rally than unorthodox sects—far more selfish, most driven mad. Obsessed with blood and power, those who practiced demonic arts would do anything to grow stronger. They were scarcely human.
"Ugh, we need a grandmaster."
They desperately needed one. A single grandmaster could elevate a sect's status. Take the Paek Sword Sect: not numerous, yet it dominated Hunan thanks to the Tyrant Dragon. That was the weight one of the Ten Great Masters carried.
The Martial Alliance brimmed with experts, yet none ranked among the Ten Great Masters. Shaolin, Wudang, and Mount Hua had them, but strictly speaking, they weren't part of the Martial Alliance unless dispatched as elders.
Among the current Ten Great Masters, the top figure was the Martial Sovereign. As lord of the Martial Sovereign Citadel, he was universally acclaimed the world's greatest.
Next came the Heavenly Demon, lord of the Heavenly Demon Fortress.
Who was stronger between the Martial Sovereign and Heavenly Demon remained unknown—they'd never clashed, nor had comparable feats surfaced. Few sided with the Heavenly Demon; people naturally placed the Martial Sovereign above.
In any case, those two stood a cut above the rest.
Several incidents proved it.
The Martial Sovereign had once overpowered the Tyrant Dragon through sheer force—overwhelmingly so. Though pre-Ten Great Masters, the Tyrant Dragon ascended soon after, making it a near-equivalent victory.
The Heavenly Demon withstood a joint assault from two Ten Great Masters: Shaolin's Hyeon-o Grandmaster and Wudang's Okheo-ja. Both veterans of the list. Yet even combined, they couldn't touch him.
Small wonder the orthodox sects held the Martial Sovereign and Heavenly Demon in special regard among the Ten. Plus, each led their unique citadels.
The Martial Sovereign Citadel and Heavenly Demon Fortress shared traits: gatherings of power-hungry souls, unified by their lords' overwhelming might.
"The Martial Sovereign Citadel..."
Jegal Jung-cheon mulled it over. The Heavenly Demon Fortress was untouchable, leaving the Martial Sovereign Citadel. It teemed with experts—none quite Ten Great Masters, but renowned powerhouses aplenty.
What made the Citadel tricky was its position between orthodox and unorthodox.
Strictly, closer to orthodox, yet it had ignored their conflicts entirely. They sought only to hone their arts and grow stronger—understandable.
But the Citadel didn't merely spectate. When it moved, sects shattered, alliances crumbled—decisively.
The reasons remained murky, but Jegal Jung-cheon could infer them.
The Citadel acted on self-interest. In his view, it was profoundly selfish.
"Which means there's an opening to exploit."
Jegal Jung-cheon pondered deeply. In these times, nothing tempted like the Martial Sovereign Citadel. It could instantly elevate the Martial Alliance's prestige and power.
If he could bring it into the fold, that is.
Choe Geuk. A simple name. But paired with his moniker, it was anything but ordinary.
Martial Sovereign. That was Choe Geuk's title.
He rarely left the Martial Sovereign Citadel. Yet he knew the world's happenings better than anyone. Unbeknownst to all, the Shadowless Pavilion—the martial world's premier intelligence network—was his secret arm.
Choe Geuk harbored grand ambitions, concealed flawlessly. He'd cunningly leveraged the Citadel to pursue them.
Each Citadel action shifted merchant flows, benefiting certain trading houses—nameless, scattered, overlooked, yet vast in scale and thriving under its shadow.
The Citadel's influence extended beyond commerce into the martial world, especially intelligence.
Its moves could warp information flows, crippling networks and absorbing even assassins who depended on them.
All orchestrated from Choe Geuk's mind. Only he knew. To others, he projected leisure and unmatched prowess.
His chambers crowned the Citadel's highest tower.
Situated mid-Shaanxi near Xi'an yet remote, amid desolate wilds without villages, the Citadel matched its name in grandeur, housing multitudes.
Choe Geuk enjoyed surveying it from his all-windowed room, his gaze piercing every corner.
"Magnificent."
Most residents burned with martial passion—some bordering on fanatic obsession.
He watched them train. They were the Citadel's strength.
Sensing approaching presences, he turned. A voice called from beyond the door.
"My lord, guests have arrived."
"Bring them in."
Choe Geuk replied without hesitation. The speaker was the Chief Steward, overseeing all Citadel affairs—the sole resident not obsessed with martial arts.
Three presences accompanied him: extraordinary, yet fireflies to Choe Geuk's sun.
The door opened, revealing the steward, who bowed lightly before ushering in the guests.
Choe Geuk smiled faintly at the departing steward's back. The Citadel's busiest, most trusted man.
Turning, he eyed the trio: two men in their fifties, one beautiful woman in her late thirties.
"So, you've come to see me?"
He gestured to the chairs before him.
"Best to sit comfortably and talk. Take a seat."
Choe Geuk sat first. Instantly, a dense aura fog blanketed the floor. The three startled, then sighed inwardly and sat.
'Worthy of the Martial Sovereign.'
A mere seating had crushed their presences utterly.
"Pardon our belated introduction. We hail from the Martial Alliance."
The woman spoke hastily. Im Hwa-yeong, vice leader of the Martial Alliance's Vermilion Bird Unit. She sensed delay would let him dominate.
Choe Geuk smiled faintly at her.
"I knew as much. What brings the Martial Alliance here? We've had little dealings, as I recall."
"To foster friendship between the Martial Alliance and Martial Sovereign Citadel."
"Friendship...?"
He paused, then nodded.
"A great faction like yours seeking good ties? No harm in that."
Im Hwa-yeong beamed, producing a small book from her bosom and offering it quietly.
"We're glad you think so. A modest gift from the Martial Alliance."
Choe Geuk's eyes gleamed faintly at the sight.
"Ho, the Seven Stars Linked Ring Sword Formation."
"A gift from our strategist."
The Martial Alliance's strategist was Jegal Jung-cheon. Choe Geuk nodded. The formation was an ancient Jegal family supreme art recently restored.
"Heh, they say the Jegal family's genius is unmatched. Seems true."
He pondered. To him, it was an irresistible temptation.