Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1682: Elder Wu’s Resolve
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BOOOMMM!!!
Maria’s attack erupted with a massive explosion of black void, consuming half of the night skies. The white clouds conjured by the White Mist Immortal were swallowed whole, as space fractured and time twisted, warped beyond recognition.
The people below watched in awe. Even the three elders of the White Mist Sect were left flabbergasted. Any battle that might have ensued was forgotten, as all eyes turned to this world-shaking clash for supremacy—between the Immortal of the White Mist Sect and the Foreigner from Beyond the Stars.
"Hoh, impressive."
Maria smiled confidently as she saw the tattered body of the Immortal crawl out from the fragmented space. His golden staff was cracked, leaking divine Ki energy, slowly beginning to "die" as if the Soul Artifact itself were alive.
The Immortal’s once-pristine face was filled with hatred, now bruised and burned, bleeding all over. His divine robes were torn apart, revealing the extent of the damage he had sustained.
"Honestly, it’s amazing you survived one of those spells at full power, right on your face," Maria laughed. "Perhaps you’re a good punching bag for me to get a little more serious."
"I won’t fall for the same trick again, you foreigner!"
The White Mist Immortal roared, white and dark clouds surrounding his body as he blitzed toward Maria. The fragments of his golden pole gathered together once more, divine essence restoring it to its former glory.
A second later, he appeared above Maria, striking her with his weapon infused with thunder, sending her pummeling down at lightning speed. Without wasting a moment, he flew down, striking her from below and launching her skyward again.
Then, he turned into pure lightning, appearing at her left side to strike, then at her right, striking again.
Constantly, relentlessly, he struck Maria, sending her crashing everywhere, never giving her a second to respond.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
"That damn bastard is overwhelming Maria?!" Partner cried in disbelief. "We have to help her!"
"Where do you think you’re going?!" The Third White Mist Elder appeared suddenly, younger than Fang Sheng, striking Partner from behind. His palms overflowed with shadows and red mist.
CLAAASH!
"Tch! The hell do you think you are?!"
Partner rushed back, her spears overflowing with dark and blood energies. She clashed against the Elder, whose Aura took the shape of a giant demon made of red mist and shadows, enormous arms striking Partner back.
"Partner!"
Emeraldine quickly fired her arrows, snapping the rest of the disciples from their daze. They charged forward at full power, their auras surging, clashing against everyone in sight.
"This is not just our master’s war; it’s our war as well!"
The fourth elder of the White Mist Sect roared. She appeared in her early thirties, yet carried immense power. Her white mist transformed into giant Spirit Mist Beasts as she swung her fists and kicked her enemies aside.
"Ungh!"
Nia struggled as the first target. She defended with her weapon and aura but was pushed away by masterful attacks, unable to find an opening.
"The warriors of Murim are so good at fighting... I just can’t find an opening in their Martial Arts!"
She was overwhelmed—until a giant tsunami washed the female elder away, sending her flying. The water turned into dozens of serpents, hissing at her and her disciples.
"Mama! Are you okay?"
"Celes! Yes, I am. Sorry for worrying you."
"Mama, fighting them head-on isn’t a good choice. They’re really good at fighting!"
"Yeah, but you showed me how to fight them, dear. Let’s use our own world’s specialty—Magic!"
While the Martial Arts of Murim were vastly superior in technique and control, there was something they could never fully adapt to, even after centuries in the tower.
Magic Spells—and their incredible range and unpredictability.
FLUOSH!
Windstorms and lightning surged from Nia’s Aura and Spear as she unleashed a dozen attacks, pushing back the female elder and her disciples.
"Don’t let their sorcery overwhelm you, my disciples!"
But they didn’t give up. Their supernatural martial arts unleashed mist beasts from their blows, pushing back the powerful magic spells.
At the same time, hundreds of soldiers charged together, each equal to S+ Rank beings. Their Martial Auras enhanced their physical power, making them stronger than mere ranks suggested. Many carried lanterns, spreading red mist, summoning Blood Beasts, and empowering themselves further.
"Huh, this really became a full-blown war now!" Partner laughed, kicking the old man she fought. "Can’t say I dislike it. And with all this nice red mist around, you’re really awakening something within me, hahahaha!"
Her Aura exploded with power. Her giant wing-like crimson skeletal arms grew larger, spear-like fingers impaling dozens of martial artists and soldiers, draining their blood.
"Hmph, Partner is really having fun! But Maria...! Is he too strong?!" Lucifer asked, slashing away soldiers like ants in his dragon form. "Don’t you need help?"
"Shouldn’t you be worrying about yourself, lizard?! Perhaps you defeated Fang Sheng, but you can’t possibly go against us all!" Another Elder appeared, not of the White Mist Sect, wearing red and purple robes, carrying needles in his hands.
"Fufu, so this is where the commotion was happening! How interesting. We just happened to be visiting Kunlun City—what a coincidence!" laughed a gorgeous woman with long blonde hair, wearing a bright red and gold dress, a crown shaped like a sun above her head. She summoned a blazing katana.
"What are you fools trying to do here?! This is Murim Alliance territory!" roared a third martial artist—a huge, muscular man with brown skin, short black hair, and sharp eyebrows. His fists were suddenly covered in hard stone.
"It can’t be... three other Golden Core Experts in the city already?!" Elder Wu gasped. "The Poison Needle Assassin from the Poison Sect?! The Sunblade Damsel from the Sunlight Mountain Sect?! And... Ken Hitaken, that bastard from the Beggar Sect?!"
"Hoh, some big shots appeared!" Lucifer laughed.
"They can’t help themselves but make things worse..." Jonathan sighed.
"Well, if they want to die, then let them come! Hahaha!" Partner laughed, dancing in the red mist while slaughtering dozens of martial artists.
"T-This is escalating too much!" Elder Yoomyung cried. "Damn it all! My reputation is ruined. I’ll never return to my sect! The Murim Alliance has set their eyes on us too! This is the worst night of my life, Wu! I’ve lost all my honor—all because of you and these people you brought along..."
"You worked with people who committed atrocities in the name of justice. There was never anything honorable about them!" Elder Wu shouted, stepping into battle. "It’s time to fight back against their oppression. You were once my father’s disciple—don’t you remember?! I will fight for him, for our lost family... for mother and my younger siblings who couldn’t make it this far."
"Wu, what are you even talking about?! You’re not even in the Core Establishment Realm! And you think you can face Golden Core Experts?!"
"No. But I am not alone..." Wu smiled, as his disciples walked to his side, led by Kim Hua. "And our Lady gifted us with a wonderful power... to embody our own dreams!"
"What?!"
FLASH!
Suddenly, Elder Wu and his four disciples glowed with powerful pink and purple auras. Their energies gathered in their chests, then released, materializing into physical objects.
Each disciple summoned a weapon of their own, while Kim Hua conjured a massive floating shield of black and golden steel, a roaring lion at its center, protecting his juniors and his master.
And Elder Wu—the eldest son of the Heavenly Demon, the last surviving member of their millenary family once respected and feared by Murim’s greatest sects—summoned something greater.
"T-That’s...! It can’t be!"
It was no weapon, no shield, no armor, no book.
What Elder Wu summoned grew larger, manifesting within his aura, appearing as a guardian.
A tall, powerful guardian made of crimson and purple energy, with glowing golden eyes and long hair of shadows.
"T-That form...! The Heavenly Demon?!"
"This is my dream, Yoomyung... I might have lost hope once, but Maria reignited it with her tender words!" Elder Wu declared. "My dream is to find my father, to free him from the cruelty of the Murim Alliance... No, to free this world and fight against fate, just as he always did!"
Elder Wu awakened his Dream Heart Weapon—or rather, transcended it, manifesting a Dream Spirit.
[Congratulations! You have successfully crystallized a Dream Heart and manifested your Dream Spirit: {Heavenly Demon’s Shadow: Rank 1}!]
"For the Blood Demon Sect, for the Heavenly Demon’s Legacy—fight, my disciples!"
Elder Wu roared, charging with his disciples, as Yoomyung saw them bravely clashing against soldiers and martial artists much stronger than them.
And winning!
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