Sovereign of the Infinite Clones [Novel] Chapter 440

My Alter Ego’S Path To Greatness Chapter 440

***

The Black Dragon Society (2)

The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero, Ha Seunghoon.

He was a hero who had made outstanding contributions to stopping the Demon Cult’s uprising during the final war in Beijing, as well as a rising star who had reached the Transcendent realm at the mere age of his early-to-mid twenties.

Those who knew of him were unanimous in saying that the future strongest under heaven had practically already been decided.

It was only natural, then, that more than one or two factions came courting him after the war ended.

He was merely staying with the Zhuge Clan because of a slight connection, and wasn’t even officially affiliated with them, after all.

If they could somehow bring him into their fold, they would gain both overwhelming martial prowess and fame in one fell swoop.

“They may have thwarted the Demon Cult’s schemes and brought them down, but that doesn’t mean everything is over. The remnants of those who survived are still wreaking havoc throughout the world, and there are countless people still suffering because they couldn’t overcome the chaos. I want to be of some small help to those people as well.”

Given that he had declared his intention to travel across the continent as a wandering hero under those circumstances, it was hardly strange for the Zhuge Clan, who had just begun pouring all their efforts into rebuilding their family, to feel as though a treasure that was practically within their grasp might be snatched away by someone else.

“I want to take part in such a meaningful cause, too! I practically owe my life to everyone who helped me survive. I want to repay the debt I owe the world, even if only in this way. Ah! Of course, the debt I owe Young Master Ha, I’ll repay that separately and personally…”

One major reason they reluctantly approved the youngest treasure of the clan’s participation was precisely because of this.

At least as long as she remained by his side, there was little chance of him suddenly becoming the son in law of another faction.

There was even a chance that he might become completely tied to the clan and return to them sooner than expected.

Of course, her newly acquired ability to properly wield dragon sorcery as the Child of the Dragon also played a major role.

Hadn’t she already been considered exceptionally talented even among the Zhuge Clan, where geniuses in theoretical knowledge were practically everywhere?

But once all the restrictions that had bound her disappeared and only her strengths remained, her talent began to fully blossom, to the point where she could look down upon most sorcerers.

“Hah, you’ve already mastered our Zhuge Clan’s prized ultimate formation…!”

“My goodness! Dragon sorcery! P-Please! Show it to us just one more time!”

“If only we could incorporate that into our clan’s sorcery…”

Some of the elders, impressed by her abilities, insisted that she should be kept under strict protection within the clan for her own safety.

However, the Clan Head and Grand Patriarch, who held the final authority, supported her wishes and allowed her to venture out into the world.

“However, there are a few conditions. First…”

Naturally, there were some restrictions, such as having several of the clan’s experts accompany her as guards or having her notify them of her destination in advance through communication sorcery, but those conditions were hardly burdensome.

‘It isn’t a bad arrangement for me, either. There’s no denying that Zhuge Hyemi’s abilities will be useful during my travels through the martial world. Besides, simply watching the sorcery she’s improved is helpful in itself.’

Her secret guards also specialized in covert operations, so they weren’t much of a hindrance.

With the world still filled with danger, having that sort of insurance for her safety wasn’t a bad thing either.

There was, however, one thing he hadn’t anticipated…

“Huuu~ I can’t believe we can still take a warm bath even in a remote place like this. Sorcery really is amazing! I wish I could learn it, too.”

“Hmm, the reason I’m able to use sorcery like this is all because of innate factors….”

“Eyy~ Of course I’m joking, Sis! Even if you taught me, I couldn’t handle something that gives me a headache. I’ll just stick close to you, my capable big sis! Heehee!”

On their way to Mount Mao Sect in Jiangsu Province, their first destination.

They happened to stop by the Namgung Clan in Anhui Province along the way to pay their respects, and somehow ended up having Namgung Soran join them as well.

She was so sociable that she quickly became like sisters with Zhuge Hyemi despite having just met her.

Afterward, with the support of the Sword Saint, one of the Namgung Clan’s senior figures, she naturally joined the group.

Ha Seunghoon couldn’t bring himself to refuse the request of someone who had been his comrade-in-arms during the final war, and thus had no choice but to accept her into their party.

‘Hmm… Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. One or two people is pretty much the same anyway.’

If anything, traveling alongside descendants of prestigious clans would further increase his influence, so it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

If he ever needed the assistance of one of the clans, it would also be easier to call upon their strength.

And so, the martial world journey of the three, accompanied by several secret guards dispatched by the two clans, began.

Although not much time had passed since the battle with the Demon Cult ended, they crossed the continent and experienced and resolved numerous incidents along the way.

They not only eradicated bandits who were still actively operating, but also punished thugs who continued to commit atrocities without realizing that the world had changed, remnants of the Demon Cult who rampaged unchecked after losing their control, and corrupt officials who exploited the people.

They also performed smaller good deeds, such as reopening water channels for villages whose wells had dried up and hunting dangerous beasts.

However, their primary objective was, above all, to deal with the malicious elements who continued to stir up chaos throughout the world.

“Oh! Thank you so much, great heroes!”

“P-Please spare me! I’ll live an honest life from now on!”

“Ohhh~! Our Malsuk can finally rest in peace now…!”

Naturally, their reputation continued to soar as they experienced countless battles along the way.

They had even defeated a Transcendent expert once, so there was no need to explain how fierce their journey had been.

And The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero Ha Seunghoon.

At some point, he was forced to realize one thing.

‘…Why? Why am I no longer growing?’

At some point, his growth had stagnated.

He continued taking [Growth Elixirs], so his skill proficiency itself continued to increase, but the wall of transcendence still showed no sign of appearing.

He needed to at least see something before he could figure out how to overcome it….

‘I don’t lack martial prowess. At my current level, I could be considered among the very strongest even within the Transcendent realm. Then why?’

His [Heavenly Spirit Body] was a legendary physique that allowed him to manipulate natural qi according to his will, eliminating the limits of both his internal energy and physical body.

On top of that, the [Heavenly Dragon Divine Art] he had obtained through the Dragon God’s blessing was an ultimate martial art comparable to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, or perhaps even superior to it.

And [All Rivers Return to the Sea], [Jack of All Trades], and [Mimicry] were all skills that could be considered the ultimate aids for learning martial arts!

‘Ah, I see.’

However, having already brought several avatars into the realm of transcendence, he soon realized the reason.

Transcending through the mystery of martial arts, reaching the Profound realm, could not be achieved through the methods he had used until now.

‘…Come to think of it, my avatars didn’t exactly break through their walls through their own strength alone.’

Hans naturally ascended to the position of the Third Immortal King after completing the ‘Heart of the Immortal King,’ inheriting the legacy of the previous generation.

The Immortal King was the very symbol of the world’s destruction, having once covered half the continent in death.

Simply inheriting the power and achievements of such an existence was more than enough to satisfy the conditions for transcendence.

Heinz II, who inherited the roots of an entire race—the vampires—and Hella, who greedily devoured the vacant position and achievements of the Demon King, were no different.

Under normal circumstances, their minds should have collapsed from forcibly trespassing beyond their limits without the proper qualifications, but the absurdly powerful [Avatar] skill, and abilities such as [Mind Hub] and [Soul Firewall] linked to it, had made the impossible possible.

‘Heinrich and Harris, who broke through their walls with the help of the Supreme God and the World Tree, suffered fewer side effects, though.’

Even so, the fact remained that they had received external assistance.

Without the special circumstances of being a priest who received power through faith or a High Elf serving as a priest of the World Tree, it would have been impossible.

‘If I think about it, is Harley the only one who reached transcendence entirely through his own power?’

Whether forcibly devouring and stealing the potential of other lifeforms, then digesting it through sheer force, could truly be considered self-reliance was debatable.

Regardless, Harley’s case—breaking through his limits through nothing but his own physical characteristics—could only be considered an exceptional one.

‘But this time is different. To reach the Profound realm, I can’t rely on such lucky breaks. I have to refine martial arts itself, cultivate the Martial Way, and gain enlightenment through it.’

He let out a quiet sigh. Not a single person among those who had reached the Profound realm had ever gone without being called a genius.

Even the Heavenly Demon, who had grown rapidly thanks to the various bonuses granted to him as an Awakened, had been born with the extraordinary talent known as [Heavenly Killing Star].

His unique skill, [Heavenly Killing Star], was simply his innate talent turned into a skill, with various supernatural effects added to it.

Even if he hadn’t awakened, he probably would have become a renowned martial artist on Earth.

Of course, there was a much higher chance that he would have operated as a psychopath serial killer behind the scenes before eventually being caught and killed by an Awakened.

‘Enlightenment. I need enlightenment. Not the principles and knowledge I’ve learned through artificially implanted techniques, but something that contains my own philosophy and beliefs….’

Perhaps it was the destiny of someone who had chosen the path of martial arts.

Due to Hugo’s mature and broad-minded personality, he always wore a magnanimous smile on the outside.

But as time passed, he could feel a growing thirst for power welling up inside him.

‘Is this how martial artists end up falling into demonic arts? …No, demonic arts only allow rapid progress at lower realms. For me now, they’d probably be more poisonous than anything.’

It was then.

The clue he had discovered on Earth, the ‘Black Dragon Society’—was more than enough to become a ray of light for him, whose growth had stagnated.

China, a land with an unusually high number of returnees from martial arts worlds.

Among them was the oldest and most secretive organization, composed of martial artists who had been carefully selected and gathered together.

Those who had been forced to face the limits of growth within the environment of Earth had, after countless martial worlds and the secrets derived from them, perhaps discovered some kind of ‘something.’

The anticipation of discovering what that ‘something’ was made his heart race.

“Young Master?”

“Big Brother?”

At that moment.

The voices of the two people beside him made him abruptly raise his head.

The two companions who had continued the journey with him were looking at him with strange expressions.

“Did you call me? Is something the matter?”

“No, it’s just… um….”

“Rather than something happening, it’s your expression, Big Brother….”

“My expression?”

He touched his own face and tilted his head in confusion.

All he could feel beneath his fingertips were the muscles wearing the same gentle smile as always.

But roughly understanding the situation from their expressions, he continued casually.

“Ah! I was just lost in thought when a good idea suddenly occurred to me. I suppose I smiled without realizing it.”

Apparently, that was the right answer, because the two readily nodded.

Well, if he suddenly started grinning to himself in a situation like this, it was only natural that they would find it strange.

“It looks like everything’s taken care of, so let’s get moving.”

“Yes. By the way, we’ve finally reached the territory of the Mount Mao Sect. If we hadn’t taken those detours along the way, we would’ve arrived ages ago.”

“We couldn’t help it, Sis. We found information about the Demon Cult remnants’ hideout. We couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.”

As the three men and women gradually disappeared into the distance, fearful gazes followed them.

But that lasted only for a moment.

People dressed in shabby clothes cautiously made their way into the estate they had just left.

A broken signboard lying on the ground, completely collapsed buildings, and countless martial artists writhing on the floor with ruined dantians and crippled bodies.

They had once been vicious criminals of the dark world who ruled this area through blood and terror.

“Ugh… spare… spare me….”

“Get lost! How dare you beggars… Guh!”

And naturally.

The end awaiting those who had accumulated countless grudges was not a pleasant one.

For quite some time, screams and the stench of blood continued to spill from within the ruined estate.

Just as they had from every other place before this one.

***

Heinz II had gone to great lengths to capture the Black Dragon Lord for certain.

Not only had he interrogated Heukyeong and analyzed the information he obtained, he had also secretly installed alarm barriers and Blood Gates at the headquarters and all the safehouses nearby.

So that wherever and whenever the man appeared, he could immediately rush there.

“I didn’t expect this….”

That was why he couldn’t help but feel somewhat perplexed by the current situation.

He stared at the old man who was boldly entering through the main gate of the headquarters, as though completely ignoring every precaution he had prepared.

The old man had the exact appearance Heinz had already learned through various means, dressed in a black wushu uniform that was practically the first thing that came to mind when one thought of a Chinese martial artist.

He was the leader of the Black Dragon Society, the man commonly known as the Black Dragon Lord.

“I seem to have kept you waiting. I did try to hurry as much as I could, but as I’m in a position where I have to travel in hiding, it couldn’t be helped. I hope you’ll be generous enough to overlook my being a little late.”

Despite having surely grasped the situation by now, there wasn’t the slightest trace of tension in his demeanor.

As though he had already given up on everything and simply accepted whatever happened.

‘Or perhaps he’s certain that I won’t harm him.’

Heinz narrowed his eyes and carefully examined him.

Just as he had heard, the old man had reached the Profound realm, the realm of transcendence.

And he was even at an upper-tier level among those who had reached it.

“…As expected, just as I’d heard.”

“Hoho? May I ask what you’ve heard about me?”

The Black Dragon Lord responded cryptically to his quiet remark.

Unfazed by his attitude, Heinz continued speaking.

“You’re a Transcendent born on Earth, aren’t you?”

“Oh-ho!”

The only Transcendent to have emerged from Earth, a barren land devoid of Mysteries.

Of course, that didn’t mean he had reached his realm one hundred percent purely through the power of Earth.

He had been a returnee from a martial arts world who came back during the early days of the Great Cataclysm, and his realm at the time of his return had been the very edge of Transcendent.

But he had refused to give up there, repeatedly attempting to break through the wall… and had boldly succeeded in that impossible challenge.

‘I’ve heard that he sacrificed his lifespan and youth in exchange for it.’

It couldn’t be helped.

No matter how much he relied on spiritual medicines, reaching transcendence required an truly tremendous amount of energy.

On Earth, where qi did not exist, it wasn’t strange that he had consumed his innate qi—essentially his life force, instead of internal energy.

“Well, if you know that much, I suppose it’s safe to say you already know just about everything important about me.”

Even though his opponent already knew important information about him, he didn’t seem particularly bothered.

Instead, he simply smiled as though he found something amusing and looked at Heinz.

“This is something I’ve never told anyone before…. Well, I suppose I can reveal it to you.”

“Hmm?”

“Hohoho~, you’ll be truly surprised. It’s a top-secret, you know!”

Then he went a step further and revealed it himself. There was even an excited air about him, like a child about to share a secret.

“The former East Asian Branch Leader of the Transcendence Society.”

Heinz’s body stiffened for a moment at those words. The Black Dragon Lord continued speaking with an amused smile.

“I am none other than Heaven Defier, the predecessor of Lawgiver.