Chapter 43

Clan of Generations.

A glorious title given to families that have long wielded power in the martial world. Each of these families had a distinct and unique character.

Dongtian Imperial Family, Nangong Clan.

Xitian Divine Mechanism Family, Zhuge Clan.

Nantian Poison Dragon Family, Sitian Tang Clan.

Beitian Black Tortoise Family, Hebei Pang Clan.

These were the representative clans of the orthodox factions, each responsible for a part of the martial world and having built their reputation and righteousness over a long period.

However, at the center of these clans, or rather, at the center of the martial world, was the Sima Clan.

Zhongtian Guardian Family, Sima Clan.

They were the only family that could claim to protect the martial world, the focal point of the entire Jianghu, and the direct descendants of the divine.

Their reputation was such that even Shaolin could not surpass it, and even Huashan, which was at its peak in the current era, could not overshadow it.

Their position in the Jianghu was thus unique and singular.

Zhaohui's indifferent gaze turned to a man who was raising his fist to the sky.

But Zhaohui was soon slightly startled.

He tried to penetrate the mental barrier around the man with his mental map, but was repelled by a powerful counterforce.

Not even the Seven Martial Seats of the Nangong Clan or the absolute ruler of the Black Heaven Chain, Black Heaven Great Killer, could block his mental map.

A situation he had never encountered since he entered the Jianghu.

This meant that the man was at least on par with him or even stronger, so he could not help but feel tense.

At that moment, the voices of his ancestors thundered in his mind.

-Those bastards!

-How dare they tell the descendants of the Overlord what to do, after discarding the vow of eternal respect like a piece of trash!

-Step aside! I will manifest myself!

Zhaohui shook his head in fear.

‘Ah, no, Sword Deity! No more possession, please!’

The possession by Sword Deity had been too frequent.

Zhaohui could clearly feel that his spiritual level had declined.

The most decisive evidence was that only a weak voice of Sword Deity could be heard.

His spiritual power was being consumed, and his existence as a soul was fading.

‘Absolutely not!’

But then, Cao Cao stepped in.

-They are not human! How can someone who knows the way of humanity, someone who has sworn the loyalty of a vassal, betray the soul of the former king and desecrate the capital in such a cruel manner while the king visits the mausoleum?

In fact, Zhaohui did not know much about the story of the Three Kingdoms after the establishment of Wei, Shu, and Wu.

Like most readers of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhaohui's interest waned in the later parts, and he often flipped through the pages quickly.

This was because his favorite characters, especially Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, had died, and he lost the motivation to continue reading.

Moreover, even if Shu had been doing well, it was not the case. Zhuge Liang's one-man show ended in a futile death at Wuzhangyuan, and from that point on, he could hardly find any enjoyment in the story.

He knew that the Sima family eventually unified Central China and established the Jin Dynasty, but the intense power struggles that occurred during this period were of little interest to him.

‘Ancestors, please just watch. I will handle it. Don't you know me by now? I am Zhaohui.’

Strangely, Zhaohui's words filled Cao Cao with a sense of anticipation.

The other ancestors felt the same.

What made Zhaohui extraordinary and terrifying was not his absolute martial arts but his eloquence and guile.

It was only natural that they were curious to see if his remarkable strategies and mental fortitude would work even on the First Family of the World.

-...Are you confident?

Zhaohui smiled with a sinister look.

‘Of course. After all, they are just ancient Chinese. Once they taste my sophisticated modern strategies, they will be completely overwhelmed.’

Zhaohui's sudden pride in being modern.

It felt as if he was insulting them as well, which was somewhat annoying, but the curiosity was irresistible.

After a moment of contemplation, Cao Cao spoke with a resolute voice.

-Good! I entrust all matters concerning the Sima to you. Remember, the honor and vengeance of the Cao family are in your hands.

‘Hmm... Yes.’

In fact, the honor and vengeance of the Cao family did not deeply resonate with him, but the mere act of trying to ruin his grand opening was enough to rouse him.

Sima was certainly his enemy.

Zhaohui strode forward and approached the front of the Sima Clan.

The man from the Sima Clan, who was slowly lowering his clenched fist toward the sky, looked down at Zhaohui with a composed face.

Zhaohui greeted him with a friendly smile.

“Were you looking for me?”

The man from the Sima Clan, who had been staring at Zhaohui with cold eyes, let out a voice as cold as ice.

“Scum!”

Immediately, a vast mental assault emanated from his fist.

Boom!

His mental-infused punch, which Zhaohui dodged with a lightning wind, still left a sharp cut on his face.

Wiping the blood that trickled down to his chin, Zhaohui smiled.

The body of the Sword Heaven Omnipotent Body could manifest all the physical movements that could be realized with human flesh.

In particular, the Thousand Wind Steps of the Nangong Clan, enhanced with the notation of the sword, had evolved to a near-perfect state mathematically.

Yet, he could not avoid the opponent's punch.

Zhaohui was more curious than angry about this.

Was the opponent manifesting a physical force beyond that of the Sword Heaven Omnipotent Body?

This was impossible to explain without the dense mental map, i.e., the mental martial arts.

In just one move, Zhaohui realized that the opponent was wielding a higher level of mental power than his own.

However, the opponent seemed even more surprised.

“...At your age, to have reached the Wuji (Ultimate Void)?”

Indeed, he had instantly recognized Zhaohui's realm.

Zhaohui looked at him with a bewildered expression.

“To hear such words from someone who has achieved the Wu Liang (Boundless) realm, the true peak of the Absolute Realm, is a bit frustrating.”

Moreover, this man from the Sima Clan was likely not much older than forty.

The age difference between them was at most a dozen years.

However, the gap between Wuji and Wu Liang was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

Someone who had reached Wuji might spend their entire life honing their martial arts and still not achieve the Wu Liang realm.

“Explain yourself. I have never had any dealings with the Sima Clan. Why are you showing me hostility?”

“Dealings?”

A look of extreme contempt appeared on the man's face.

“Are you now denying that you are of the Cao family?”

At that moment, Zhaohui's face twisted like a demon.

“Then you should have looked for the descendants of the Cao family, not the Little Sword Deity. What are you doing, confusing people?”

“What? How dare you!”

Zhaohui's taunt continued.

“Hey, Sima, I don't know the details, but the grudge between our Cao family and your Sima is as deep as the netherworld. Are you trying to maintain etiquette in the middle of this? Why are enemies acting like this?”

“Huh!”

Zhaohui scratched his ear with his little finger and spoke again.

“I really... I didn't think it would be this simple.”

“Simple?”

“Isn't it? Why would I name all the branches of the organization as the Cao family, instead of using those grand and noble names? Because they are descendants of a prestigious family? No way! I was just curious to see how you would react.”

Zhaohui waved his finger at the man.

“Haven't you been trying to ruin the Cao family's rise in Central China? Seeing how you fell for such an obvious trick... Well, it looks like you won't be called the First Family of the World anymore.”

“Ha ha!”

The man from the Sima Clan burst into hearty laughter and then gazed at Zhaohui with a deep look.

“You have quite the eloquence. However, words without the backing of strength are just empty talk. But can you even surpass this Sima Qiang?”

With a sardonic smile, Sima Qiang faced Zhaohui, who also smiled back.

“Honestly, these high-minded people of Central China are all the same, and it's getting boring.”

Are you not from Central China?

As Sima Qiang thought this to himself,

Suddenly, Zhaohui's eyes turned a deep dark color, and his figure seemed to vanish.

Sima Qiang stood there in a daze for a moment, then expanded his extrasensory perception.

Before his extrasensory perception could locate the opponent, a massive mental assault was detected from the sky.

Sssssss-

Around the Sima Clan's procession, countless dark dots appeared.

Then a voice whispered in Sima Qiang's ear!

-This is the Sword Deity's sword technique, the Sky Void Way. You should be able to sense the destructive power of each of these dots.

Sword Deity's sword technique!

Sima Qiang could not help but tremble at Zhaohui's words.

Is this the legendary Sword Deity's unique sword technique?

Looking at the numerous dots slowly enveloping the space, he could feel the profound world of swordsmanship of the Sword Deity.

But why is he doing this?

Then, Zhaohui's voice whispered in his ear, and Sima Qiang froze like a statue.

-Even if there were five of you, you couldn't block all the Sky Void Ways. At least a third of these dots would cover the Sima Clan's procession. I guarantee the complete annihilation of all your subordinates except you.

Sima Qiang could not believe Zhaohui's words even after hearing them all.

Someone who had reached the Wuji realm of the Absolute Realm was a martial artist who could rival the head of the Seven Martial Seats.

Such a person, who had achieved such a lofty realm, would not hide and attack with mental maps without engaging in a single move?

The image of a martial artist he had revered all his life, his sense of self-respect, could not bear to see such behavior!

Even if we set aside the lofty self-awareness of someone who has achieved a realm, could a martial artist lack the competitive spirit?

-Oh, there is a way. My mental map's range is three hundred zhang. If you can use a mental map to instantly destroy three hundred zhang of space, I might be in trouble. But the moment you raise your mental map, I will immediately activate the Sky Void Way. Who will be faster?

The natural threat was so convincing that it did not even provoke anger.

Holding hostages and threatening is the most notorious method of bandits in the underworld.

But he could not raise his mental map.

He had an instinctive premonition that the moment he raised his mental map, the opponent would activate the Sky Void Way without hesitation.

At that moment, a sudden hearty laugh was heard.

“Ha ha...”

From the middle of the Sima Clan's procession, an old man slowly descended from a carriage.

A tall and imposing old man.

His eyes, completely black, were truly a chilling sight.

His strange eyes, without a single white part, instilled a natural fear in those who saw them.

The old man looked at the countless dots surrounding the procession with a curious expression.

“Hmm. The Sky Void Way.”

Zhaohui, who heard the old man's voice from a distance, was greatly surprised.

He could hear the mental message infused with intent?

Is that even possible?

But the surprise did not end there.

“Boy, it's called Heavenly Ear. Is the Six Supernatural Powers of this seat so astonishing?”

Can he even read my mind after the mental message?

Is the legend of the Six Supernatural Powers real?

At that moment, Sword Deity's thunderous voice echoed in Zhaohui's ear.

-Natural Realm! It might even surpass the peak of this seat's prime!

Zhaohui's face, hidden in the shade of the Cao Construction Hall, stiffened.

Natural Realm?

Zhaohui found it hard to accept Sword Deity's words.

The reason was that he had personally witnessed Sword Deity and the Demon God in the Spirit Realm of the Blood Prison.

The presence of a martial artist who had reached the Natural Realm was so unfathomable that it was indescribable.

But this old man with completely black eyes felt like an ordinary person who had not practiced martial arts.

There was no overwhelming presence like the Sword Deity, who was like a massive sword, or the intense aura of the Demon God, who could cover the world with demonic energy.

-There's no need to be amazed. It's literally the Natural Realm. He is not drawing in natural energy and is simply empty, so he feels like an ordinary person. Without raising his will, he is empty.

Sword Deity's voice was followed by the Demon God's opinion.

-However, the emptiness of this realm is astonishing even to this seat. I can instantly feel his dedication to emptying himself over a long period.

At that moment, the old man with black eyes turned pale.

“Indeed... to be able to communicate with the venerables of the Spirit Realm.”

His words shocked not only Zhaohui but also the venerables of the Spirit Realm.

-What an incredible level of Heavenly Ear.

-He is truly a divine being! How can he achieve such a realm and still remain in the human world?

-His spiritual level is on par with ours.

-Who is this person?

He is a being that even the venerables of the Blood Prison, who dominated their era, found shocking.

Zhaohui realized that hiding himself was meaningless and used the lightning wind to reappear in the Sima Clan's procession.

At the same time, the numerous dots of the Sky Void Way that had enveloped the Sima Clan's procession faded away, leaving only a faint afterimage.

“Indeed, the free use of mental energy is astonishing. A rare mental great achievement in the history of the martial world. I suspected it, but I didn't think you were really the joint incarnation of the Sword Deity and the Demon God. Ha ha.”

Sima Qiang looked at Zhaohui with a disbelieving gaze as he listened to the old man's words.

A joint incarnation of the Sword Deity and the Demon God?

How could martial artists from such different eras leave a joint incarnation?

But it was the words of the revered Wu Zu (Martial Ancestor).

To doubt it would be a grave sin.

“Let's walk.”

As the old man with black eyes led the way, Zhaohui followed him as if in a trance.

His voice had a kind of irresistible charm.

Thus, Zhaohui silently followed the old man.

They arrived at the training ground of the headquarters.

When the old man with black eyes suddenly raised his left hand, auspicious energy arose.

Whoosh!

The auspicious energy enveloped his right arm.

Thud.

Zhaohui stared blankly at the old man's arm that had fallen to the ground.

“Ah, no, what's this all of a sudden?”

The old man's expression was completely numb, showing no sign of pain.

His deep, dark eyes looked at Zhaohui, or rather, at the venerables of the Cao family within him.

“...Please forgive the Sima.”

Thud.

The old man knelt on the ground and bowed his head.

He