Chapter 122: A Race of Gods?

"The spirit summoning contract is actually quite simple. You just need to place your palm against the ground and shout 'Summoning Technique.' My presence consumes energy from your body, brother; the longer I remain, the more it consumes," Long Qian explained, detailing the use of the summoning contract.

"It's actually similar to the Summoning Technique? Do you not need to weave hand seals?" Yun Xuan asked, somewhat surprised. The summoning techniques in the Ninja world were quite similar.

"Hand seals? Does brother mean the kind of contract used with summoning scrolls? Those are for use by an entire clan. The spirit summoning contract can only be used by the Dragon race and a few other ancient species," Long Qian shook her head, clarifying the matter.

"Then, have you ever heard of Mount Myoboku?" Yun Xuan asked curiously.

"This world is vast. Even a Martial Emperor-level expert couldn't possibly visit every corner. It's better to guard one's own territory and grow stronger at a steady pace," Long Qian smiled.

"I see. I'll be going now. If I encounter danger, I will use the summoning contract to call upon you." Yun Xuan checked the time; his smartphone adjusted to the environment, keeping perfect time.

"Brother, your strength is impressive, but if you encounter a Martial Emperor, you must summon me immediately. Martial Emperors are capable of short-distance gliding through the air," Long Qian said earnestly.

"No problem." Yun Xuan nodded. His power armor materialized, and he shot into the sky, breaking through the clouds.

...

Having flown away from the Rupture Valley, Yun Xuan headed toward Nine-Star City, remaining in stealth mode to assess the situation.

The entire city of Nine-Star City was deathly silent, with numerous corpses scattered across the ground. Nearly a month had passed in this world; when Yun Xuan was away and the game was not saved, the flow of time remained normal.

"Could they have retreated?" Yun Xuan wondered about the bandits. It shouldn't have been that simple.

"Let me find a map first." Yun Xuan descended. His power armor activated thermal imaging, but there were no signs of life in the vicinity.

In a grocery store, Yun Xuan found a map of the Tianxing Kingdom and a hand-drawn map of the Northern Territory.

"The Northern Territory? So this Tianxing Kingdom is only a small part of it?" Yun Xuan did not dwell on it. The system already possessed a map, albeit an incomplete one.

Yun Xuan circled Nine-Star City and found a large amount of ironware, though any gold or silver ornaments had long since vanished.

"This place has already been ransacked. It is a pity for these ordinary people; no one even came to bury their bodies." After a moment of thought, Yun Xuan gathered the corpses together and a massive fire swept through Nine-Star City.

"May you rest in peace," Yun Xuan whispered, standing atop the city gate.

With his power armor equipped, Yun Xuan soared into the sky, his target set for the Four Directions Demon Gate.

The Four Directions Demon Gate was a formidable sect; according to the map, it was located between four small nations.

...

A day later, in the capital city of the Dabao Kingdom.

Yun Xuan sold over a dozen ordinary weapons and finally obtained the local currency: 32 gold coins.

The currency here consisted of gold coins the size of copper coins, which were the standard medium of exchange throughout the Xuan-Yan Continent.

A single gold coin could cover ten days of lodging at an inn or hire a decent companion at a pleasure house. As for the top-tier entertainers, it would likely cost hundreds of gold coins.

As a high-level blacksmith, crafting weapons was simple for him; the items he sold were merely low-grade weapons.

The most powerful weapons were Saint Artifacts—weapons born from the heavens and earth that humans could not forge. Of course, a Saint-level blacksmith might be capable of crafting a pseudo-Saint artifact, but would a Saint-level expert lower themselves to blacksmithing? It was impossible. Even among Saints, there were those unsuited for smithing; like alchemy, it required natural talent.

Low, middle, and high-grade weapons were used by ordinary people, while martial artists utilized Dharma Artifacts and Spirit Artifacts.

Dharma Artifacts allowed a weapon to channel internal energy more smoothly. Spirit Artifacts, however, possessed a spiritual essence; a top-tier Spirit Artifact, even in the hands of the lowest-level martial artist, could potentially slay a Great Martial Master in an instant.

As a high-level blacksmith, Yun Xuan could only forge high-grade weapons, and the success rate was quite low. Even so, he was satisfied.

"It is time," Yun Xuan said, rising to his feet.

"I can finally cast explosion magic! Thank you, Yun Xuan." Megumin also stood up, her face flushed. The mere thought of casting explosion magic made her heart race.

The two left the city, equipped their power armor, and flew toward the Four Directions Demon Gate.

The Four Directions Demon Gate had existed for over a hundred years and boasted Martial Emperor-level experts. However, Yun Xuan was not afraid. He refused to believe that a Martial Emperor could withstand a missile.

The anti-aircraft missiles from the post-apocalyptic era were not the shoulder-fired types from the main world, but rather those designed to intercept stealth fighters in the sky. According to the virtual laboratory's explosion calculations, if used against ground targets, they could easily devastate an area within a hundred-meter radius.

Indeed, these were the very anti-aircraft missiles used by the robots of Research Institute 258.

"Is this the Four Directions Demon Gate?" Yun Xuan looked at the buildings on the ground; the sect looked just like a town.

Yun Xuan brought out a megaphone, hovering in the air with Megumin. Beside him, the robots of Research Institute 258 locked their electromagnetic cannons onto the ground.

"People of the Four Directions Demon Gate, listen! Your core disciple, Liu Mei, hunted me down outside Nine-Star City. Today, I have come for revenge. If you dare to attack the God Clan, be prepared for destruction!" Yun Xuan's voice boomed through the megaphone.

The God Clan? It didn't exist. He had fabricated it entirely, but it sounded formidable enough to command respect.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!" The electromagnetic cannons began their barrage.

"Crack!" The sky above the Four Directions Demon Gate shattered like a mirror.

"A defensive formation? It seems your formation is quite fragile," Yun Xuan chuckled into the megaphone.

"Fellow Daoist of the God Clan, there must be a misunderstanding. I am Ji Feng, Sect Master of the Four Directions Demon Gate. I offer my apologies and am willing to compensate the God Clan." A voice rose from the ground.

Yun Xuan spotted a middle-aged man in green robes hovering in the air about a hundred meters above the ground—likely the limit of a Martial Emperor's flight.

Yun Xuan descended, keeping the electromagnetic cannons aimed at the Martial Emperor.

Ji Feng felt a chill run down his spine. This was the great formation of the Four Directions Demon Gate! Even a Martial Venerable couldn't break it in such a short time, yet this God Clan's attack had shattered the formation in less than three seconds!

What kind of power was this? If such an attack landed directly on the sect, how many could possibly survive? Especially after seeing the massive armor in the sky—could that be one of the legendary divine abilities?

"Sect Master of the Four Directions Demon Gate? What do you have to say for yourself? Your core disciple, Liu Mei, tried to kill me in Nine-Star City. If I hadn't managed to escape the Rupture Valley, I would have been killed by her," Yun Xuan said coldly.

"This... I am willing to compensate you with ten Dharma Artifacts, Fellow Daoist," Ji Feng said awkwardly.

Liu Mei was the daughter of the Great Elder; he was in a difficult position. As for the events at Nine-Star City, it was part of a grand plan, and Liu Mei was technically just doing her duty.

In the world of martial arts, it was rare for someone to seek revenge with such justification, and even rarer for them to have such powerful backing. Liu Mei could never have imagined that the person she once hunted would possess the power to destroy their sect.

"Ten Dharma Artifacts? Do you have any idea what those are? These are the God-Slaying weapons of our God Clan! The energy consumed just now is worth more than a hundred Dharma Artifacts!" Yun Xuan sneered, his mind already calculating the next move.