"Ugh... Already here?"
Swish!
As Id retreated while using his protection ability,
"I'll handle this."
Dongbang Sak passed by him and stood in front of the Infinite Sword.
The transparent sword that had pierced through the door in one go,
Floated in the air until Dongbang Sak stepped forward.
As if waiting for him to co out.
And when he raised his sword,
Swoosh!
The Infinite Sword didn't aim for Dongbang Sak.
Instead, it rushed towards the sword he had created.
Clash. Clash...
Thousands of sword strikes colliding in an instant.
As the swords clashed, massive shockwaves swept the surroundings, but.
"Kuk...!"
As Id gritted his teeth and unleashed his protection ability,
Ziiing...
A huge curtain of light ford, blocking the shockwaves.
The light curtain protected himself and spread widely to cover the people behind and even the Tower.
Seong Jihan spoke up.
"Why are you protecting us all of a sudden?"
"W-we need to protect Yggdrasil, don't we!"
"Ah, I see."
Well.
For soone who so desperately wanted his na written in the registry, he must have been worried about potential damage from the shockwaves of the clashing swords.
"...Ha. If that thing cos flying, even the protection ability will be torn apart quickly. You should help too. We need to strengthen the defense."
"Leave it to Dongbang Sak."
"Your summon? I know he's strong, but... shouldn't we prepare for the worst? What if the sword changes direction towards us?"
"I don't think that will happen."
Seong Jihan watched the exchange of sword strikes with a slight smile.
"The Infinite Sword's interest is solely focused on Dongbang Sak's Taiji Sword."
For sothing like the Infinite Sword, it shouldn't be hard to notice that Dongbang Sak's origin is in the Tower.
If it truly aid for victory, rather than clashing with the Taiji Sword like that, it should have focused on cutting down the Tower instead.
But the opponent seed uninterested in the Tower, Seong Jihan, or Id.
It was concentrating its attacks solely on the Taiji Sword.
Clearly, its interest wasn't here, so there was no need to make a fuss like Id.
'That aside...'
Seong Jihan observed the space rippling as the swords clashed.
For a battle between a martial artist who had reached the extre of martial arts and the Infinite Sword, it seed like a simple battle at first glance, with just swords clashing,
'The Infinite Sword is truly the perfection of martial arts. Once the sword is manifested, there's no need to use martial techniques.'
Seong Jihan imagined himself wielding Blue and Red and facing the Infinite Sword in that situation.
How many tis could he withstand those attacks?
He'd praise himself if he could block even ten strikes.
That was how perfectly the Infinite Sword embodied martial arts in itself.
'Thinking about it that way, Urd is quite impressive... How did she manage to defeat and even subjugate that thing?'
Even if she used the Black Administrator, it was amazing how she defeated Jiang Shang who had perfected the Infinite Sword.
Urd herself didn't seem like that difficult an opponent when they faced each other.
'No. Her ability was just completely blocked by Stat Blue. It might have worked on Jiang Shang. Plus, the Black Administrator also has considerable power, so if they attacked together, it might not have been easy...'
As Seong Jihan was speculating on how Urd had managed to subdue that terrifying Infinite Sword,
"...Hmm."
Dongbang Sak, who had been continuously defending against the sword, slowly opened his mouth.
"Emperor Jiang Shang. Is the test over?"
At those words, the sword paused briefly in mid-air.
And soon from there,
[You recognized .]
A voice identical to Dongbang Sak's flowed out.
* * *
"W-what? That sword. It can talk?!"
Id, who had been watching the battle from behind the barrier, shouted in disbelief.
[His sword completely awakened .]
The opponent kindly answered that outcry.
Did this an it regained consciousness after clashing with Dongbang Sak's sword last ti?
'Dongbang Sak also said more mories from the Murim Empire era ca back after the last clash... They must have influenced each other.'
Thinking this, Seong Jihan quietly observed what the Infinite Sword was saying.
[Though our lives were different, our origins are the sa. You are a match for .]
"I'm still lacking compared to you."
[Haha... No. I'm truly satisfied. To think the worthy opponent I've sought for over a thousand years was myself from another world.]
"..."
[But it's also sad. In the end, is there no one who can match except myself?]
Once it started talking, the Infinite Sword, which had sohow held back until now, began pouring out words.
Lanting that there was no one to share martial arts with except himself, it then,
[My other self. Your na was Dongbang Sak, correct?]
"That's right."
[I'll give you the position of Emperor. How about becoming co-Emperor and competing in martial arts with for life?]
"Hmm..."
At those words, Dongbang Sak slowly stroked his beard.
"Competition with another ... That's an attractive offer. To have a rival."
[As expected, I knew you would understand .]
"But hasn't the empire fallen?"
To Dongbang Sak's question,
[We can revive it. Just lend your body for a mont.]
Crackle...!
The Infinite Sword began to burrow into the sword Dongbang Sak was holding.
Jiang Shang's Infinite Sword, which seed to have been holding back until now, looked like it could split the Taiji Sword at any mont.
Seeing this, Dongbang Sak glanced towards Seong Jihan.
-If things go wrong, recall anyti.
As Seong Jihan nodded,
Swish swish...
The Taiji Sword's resistance weakened, and the Infinite Sword completely burrowed inside.
And soon,
"Hmm... So this is the body from another world."
Dongbang Sak, raising his arm and examining his body curiously.
But he soon frowned and looked towards Seong Jihan.
"This fellow. His developnt has been quite suppressed... Was it your doing?!"
Developnt suppressed?
Dongbang Sak?
'Ah. The Martial God tried to suppress Dongbang Sak's growth by placing restrictions.'
Compared to Jiang Shang who established an empire and lived as he pleased,
Dongbang Sak, who beca a servant of the Martial God and had his growth suppressed, would naturally be weaker.
But the Martial God did that, so why bla him?
As Seong Jihan frowned at Jiang Shang who was already getting angry,
"That guy is an assistant, don't act rashly...?"
Jiang Shang, who had entered Dongbang Sak's body, seed to have heard sothing from him.
Slowly stroking his beard, he was calming himself down.
"...You say he's like your only disciple? That guy..."
"To be called a disciple is the greatest honor. Please convey that to Dongbang Sak."
"Hmm. At least you have manners... Even though you hold the power of life and death over ."
Jiang Shang quickly softened at Seong Jihan's humble words.
He also seed to have noticed the strengthened binding of the Tower, not forgetting to ntion the 'power of life and death'.
"Well then."
Step. Step.
As Jiang Shang slowly walked towards Seong Jihan,
Id, who had been maintaining the barrier, looked over anxiously.
"...Hey. What's wrong with that old man? Has he beco an enemy?"
"Enemy? Just take down the barrier."
"W-what if he attacks?"
"Could you stop him even if he did?"
"...No."
At those words, Id quietly lowered the barrier.
"Hmm."
Jiang Shang approached Seong Jihan and examined him closely.
Soon, he smiled with satisfaction.
"I see why 'I' took you as a disciple. You have martial talent."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I've seen over a thousand of my children, but none surpass you. The sa goes for my disciples... Yes. Among humans, you deserve second place."
Was he really that good?
Seong Jihan recalled his starting stats from when he was level 2.
'Back then, all my stats were at the minimum of 5.'
Thinking back, it didn't seem like his aptitude was that exceptional.
Maybe it was because he inherited Dongbang Sak's martial talent through Stat Blue?
As Seong Jihan was making such speculations,
"Good. I'll specially make you my crown prince."
Jiang Shang was confidently appointing him as crown prince, as if he was being generous.
"Crown prince...? It's fine. You should pass the empire to your children."
"No. In my empire, martial arts are the truth, not bloodline. You have the qualifications to beco the second emperor."
"...But, is the first emperor still ruling that empire?"
At Seong Jihan's question,
"Unfortunately, yes. There were no children who could even withstand 10 exchanges with , let alone defeat . How could I entrust my empire to such weaklings?"
So that server had been under Jiang Shang's dictatorship for over a thousand years?
Compared to that, Earth seemd better.
As Seong Jihan was feeling dumbfounded,
"Still, hmm. There might be those who oppose you, a being from another world... Alright. Do you have a partner?"
"...I don't."
"Good. Then marry my daughter. I'll give you the imperial surna, Jiang."
The scene he had seen in the future prediction was unfolding naturally once again.
'This is where he went crazy when I took ti to think.'
Unlike Dongbang Sak, Jiang Shang had quite a temper, probably from being an emperor for so long.
Seong Jihan decided to respond imdiately this ti, unlike in the future prediction he had seen.
After all,
'His world has completely disappeared with the server... He no longer has a daughter or an empire.'
He could at least humor the words of a fallen emperor who had lost everything.
"Alright. It would be my honor."
Jiang Shang laughed heartily at Seong Jihan's prompt answer.
"Haha! How manly! Truly worthy of being 'my' disciple. Ah, yes... How old are you, by the way?"
He had regressed to 27, and been trapped in Blue and Red for a few years, so...
"I'm in my 30s."
"30s? Not even 100 years difference with my youngest. Perfect."
...How old was this youngest daughter supposed to be?
As Seong Jihan was trying to maintain his expression to hide his shock,
"1-100 years? Pfft...!"
Id, who had been listening from behind, snickered.
"Huh. This bastard?"
Whoosh!
With just a wave of Jiang Shang's hand,
Id's body was slamd into the wall in the blink of an eye.
"Kuh. Kak..."
"To insult my imperial family before . I've never seen such an insolent fool."
As he spoke, Id's body began to swell rapidly.
Perhaps because Jiang Shang's movents were too fast for him to use his protection ability, his body looked like it was about to burst.
'...Sigh. What a short temper.'
Seong Jihan quickly intervened.
"Your Majesty. He is an indispensable talent for our future plans."
"Huh. That guy? He seems quite useless..."
"Yes. Please forgive him just this once."
"Alright. I should listen to my son-in-law's words."
Already confird as son-in-law?
As Seong Jihan was inwardly sighing,
Swish.
As Jiang Shang lowered his hand, Id's swollen body quickly returned to normal.
"Kak. Huh. Huk..."
As Id, who had fallen to the ground, was trying to regulate his breathing while shedding tears and snot, Jiang Shang turned his gaze to Seong Jihan.
"Well then. Before we hold the wedding, let's deal with the great evil first."
"By great evil, you an..."
"Hasn't the northern passage opened now that I've joined forces with my son-in-law? So let's go split that evil woman's head right away."
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