Chapter 265

At their core, the five techniques that made up the Five Great Wisdom Kings were dynamic arts. And as long as one learned how to move properly, they would be able to learn

any

unique martial arts related to Buddhism. They were manifestations of koans, and moreover, they were more accessible than Shaolin martial arts.

Of course, this only applied to those who were in the Transcendence Tier or above, and especially to members of the Cardenas family, who spent most of their lives training with the sword. A complete beginner in martial arts would have to go through multiple stages of grueling training to be able to learn even one form.

“The martial arts I’m about to teach you are even more advanced than Demon’s Bane. They borrow the power of the five generals of the Underworld who will punish the Demoniacs, and are quite different from simple swordplay,” Leonard said.

They were the complete opposite of Skanda’s Demon Felling Sword, which displayed its full potential even when used in the Middle Realm. The Five Great Wisdom Kings were more than twice as powerful when used beyond the Hellgates, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that these techniques existed for the sole purpose of slaying Demoniacs.

“First, I’ll show you the unique movements they use and build a foundation with palm, fist, and leg arts. The sword will come in last.”

The training process was similar in the Potala Palace. Students began by practicing Acala’s Art until it was second nature, which then allowed them to use palm, fist, and leg arts in that style. Once they learned Yamantaka’s Sword, they became fully fledged Vajra practitioners.

And someone who could use all the Five Great Wisdom Kings arts was easily on par with the elites of the Nine Great Sects.

They were more than twice as powerful as the Mount Hua Sect’s Blossom Swordsman, who was overly fixated on materialistic things, and on par or a little stronger than the Kongdong Sect’s Purifying Swordsman. It was hard to say if they could beat the Wudang Sect’s Taiji Swordsman and the Shaolin’s Eighteen Disciples of Buddha, but either way, it was incredible that a Vajra practitioner could stand on even ground with such highly acclaimed martial artists.

“What makes this movement style unique is that it looks like you're not moving at all. The next four techniques you’ll learn start with the same opening display, so mastering this one first will make the rest much easier to learn. Once you’ve reached a certain level of proficiency, you’ll be able to move at the speed of sound while never changing your stance. Watch.”

With that, Leonard proceeded to demonstrate Acala’s Art.

Boom!

He kicked off the ground like he was going to take a leap or tackle an opponent, flying through the air until he suddenly stopped.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Or rather, it

looked

like he had stopped. In fact, he suddenly stood over ten meters away, leaving only his afterimage behind. The knights, who had been watching intently, blinked a few times, not believing their eyes.

Movement in stillness.

There was a reason the Shaolin kept scriptures of Acala’s Art in the deepest recesses of their libraries despite being so different from Esoteric Buddhism.

“This is the starting point for every punch, kick, palm strike, and swing you will make. Once you practice enough to be able to use it in actual combat, you’ll be able to dodge and attack simultaneously,” Leonard explained.

It wasn’t that the technique gave the user the power of foresight, or allowed them to read their opponent’s movements well enough to immediately counter them. Rather, it focused on reactive movement.

“Not only is this very effective against Demoniacs, it’s an optimal technique to use in battle, so training in this one area will teach you a lot,” Leonard added.

Unsurprisingly, the knights were bustling with excitement. With how experienced they were, they could tell just how profound these martial arts were just from a single demonstration and a verbal explanation.

In an instant, the Five Great Wisdom Kings arts set their ambition ablaze, and from then on, they learned much faster than Leonard had expected. It took them one week to reach the seventh stage of Acala’s Art, which was the foundation of the Five Great Wisdom Kings.

It took another week for them to reach the fifth stage of Trailokyavijaya's Palm, Kundali’s Kick, and Vajrayaksa's Fist.

Thus, it only took them two weeks to meet the conditions for learning Yamantaka’s Sword. The monks of the Potala Palace would probably throw a fit if they saw this, given that they trained decades to reach that stage.

The Cardenas bloodline has an innate talent for martial arts... but I still can’t believe how fast these knights are learning.

Planting a seed was different from replanting a fully grown tree, but the knights’ learning speed proved to be unfathomable.

But it might have helped that I put them right to work to figure it out on their own. Someone who isn’t already gifted can’t master the Cardenas family’s formless swordplay. It’s an absurd style that expects users to react to any scenario without learning any specific strategies. Learning formal martial arts is probably a piece of cake for people who could adapt such a crude fighting style.

These knights had survived wandering through a metaphorical desert, and now that Leonard had given them signposts, it was indeed a piece of cake. At this rate, it wasn’t far-fetched to think that they might reach the tenth stage, or even surpass it, before they marched into the Demonic Realm.

It wasn’t long until the mages were also ready.

“Hades has taught us the principle for manipulating the laws of the Underworld,” Simon announced. “I never imagined that us mages would learn how to use godly powers.”

With Simon at the lead, the mages of the Wickeline family could now call upon Hades’s divine power to further boost the force of the expedition.

The Middle Realm and Demonic Realm weren’t entirely separated, and the space in between them was naturally unstable. But now, as someone who was affiliated with both, Hades could help with that.

“Most supreme magic is derived from ancient myths and legends, but receiving the blessing of a god from those very legends is completely unprecedented. In fact, the mages almost seem excited to fight for once so they can test them out,” Simon remarked.

“So you’re returning to your roots.”

“...I would not quite put it that way, but I suppose you are correct.” Simon looked a little offended, but either way, this was good news.

Unlike knights, who were driven by fighting spirit and a sense of honor, it was scholarly curiosity that motivated mages, especially as they advanced in Classes.

In fact, it was rare for Archmages who were Class 7 or higher to even leave their workshops unless they felt a strong sense of duty as they did now. And even when they got involved in large missions like this one, their enthusiasm depended heavily on their level of interest.

Rumors about the mysterious nature of the Underworld had already spread, and once the principle that Hades taught them was revealed, the mages were practically bursting with excitement.

The House of Jehoia wasn’t too different either.

—The last Axiocersus statue is complete, so take a look! We sculpted it with a face full of rage, in an intimidating pose with the sword raised—

“It’s incredible...” Leonard gasped as he stared at the statue of Acala through the crystal ball.

This statue seemed even more exquisite than the one he had seen at the Potala Palace. It was so lifelike that it seemed like it would leap up at any second to vanquish evil spirits. Though Hades was only a Void Deity now, the statue was still to be a host for an apostle, so the craftsmen had used all the rare and precious metals they could get their hands on to sculpt decorations in the ancient style.

Even Hades was so impressed that he promised to reward them handsomely if he found his cornucopia[1].

And just like that, the day of the conquest drew closer and closer.

Neither the Cardenas, Wickeline, nor Jehoia wasted a single second preparing for the big day—all for the counteroffensive that the Demoniacs would never see coming.

***

Four months had passed since the Grand Council. For most people, it wasn’t too long a period of time, but that wasn’t the case for the Arcadian Empire and the Three Noble Houses.

The people of the Empire could feel the tension in the air, and even those who lived outside the borders could sense it faintly.

All the knights stationed overseas returned home to train in the Five Great Wisdom Kings. The Arcane Society, which hosted daily seminars on multiple topics, suddenly closed its doors and most of the Archmages disappeared. As for the House of Jehoia, they placed commissions on hold and denied any visitors.

Something big was happening.

Taking notice, the great powers in the world sent thousands of spies, but the Light Dragon Knights disposed of them all before they could even cross the borders.

“I believe I said not to keep me waiting.”

Hades, still at the Seventh Division’s base, didn’t turn around when he spoke. Though he sounded displeased, there was a tentative smile on his face—he had already gauged the scale of their fighting force and their chances of victory.

“It has been less than a year, so we were actually very swift,” Leonard argued.

“Is that so?”

Hades stood and scanned the troops, seeing just how much the Arcadians had prepared.

Five knight orders with five commanders; three Grand Magi and eighty-two Archmages leading a magic corps composed mostly of offensive mages that were Class 6 and higher; 1200 Titans that had been modified to adapt to the Demonic Realm’s environment; and thousands of golems made with the help of the Wickeline family.

It was a grand sight.

But among the crowd, Hades’s eyes remained fixed on the Five Great Wisdom Kings statues, who would soon become his generals.

“...What fine creations. Even Hepheastus, the god of fire and blacksmithing, would be impressed.”

Hades stretched out his hand, invoking his divinity. Though he was but a fragment of his former self, he nonetheless remained one of the three greatest gods of Olympus.

He released a tiny sliver of his power, imbuing the five statues with life. Their sharp eyes snapped open, as though a fire had surged within them. Now, they were no longer just lifelike—they were actually alive.

“Rise, Axiocersus. Your lord commands you,”

he ordered lightly.

With that, the Five Great Wisdom Kings—no, the Axiocersus stood and kneeled before him like knights before a king.

“I see you cannot speak yet. But it matters not. As symbols of my authority and dignity, you do not need language to fulfill your duty.”

Demian approached the satisfied-looking Hades and held out a hunk of metal that glinted sharply.

“I found this in one of our warehouses. Will this help?” he asked.

“A fragment of Kynee. I thought it was shattered by Thor’s hammer... You did well to find this.”

Kynee, the Cap of Invisibility, was the most powerful and famous of Hades’s three symbols of power.

Now that it had been returned to its rightful owner, Hades, it melted into him, causing his divinity to flare. His power and presence intensified severalfold, to the point where it was hard to believe he was just a Void Deity.

“Not bad. Now it will be easier to draw upon the power of the Underworld. If you can find any fragments of my bident, bring them to me as well, no matter how small. It will serve as more than just a weapon in this fight,”

Hades advised Demian. He then turned around back toward the Hellgate, which flickered in a way that was almost nauseating.

He took one step, then another—with each one, his power and aura as the Underworld king surged more and more. When he was finally in front of the Hellgate, Hades looked almost like he did back in the ancient days in his armor and billowing cape.

He no longer had his Cap of Invisibility, his Horn of Plenty, nor his bident.

“Open the gate! Your rightful ruler has returned!”

But he was still the king of the Underworld. As he yelled the command, the Hellgate expanded just enough for a certain knight order to be able to charge through.

The disturbance was so great that it would have been noticeable on the other side, but they wouldn’t give the Demoniacs enough time to react.

“There are not many forces by the gate, but I do not think a battle will be avoidable. The fight will begin as soon as you pass through. Are you ready?”

Hades warned.

Commander Leonard stepped forward in response, standing at the lead of the Golden Dragon Knights. Their power was much more concentrated than in other knight orders, making them the perfect candidates to open the battle, to be the point of the army’s spear.

“Whenever you give the word.”

“Heh. Good.”

Hades scanned the forces one last time and whipped back around. His hand shot out.

“I have come to reclaim my kingdom! Axiocersus, charge!”

The idols charged forward, the ground quaking with each step they took as they broke through the Hellgate.

They were creations born of precious metals, the Jehoia’s talent, and the power of a god, making them living weapons. Not even a high-ranking Demoniac would be able to take them down alone.

“The time has come, my fellow Golden Dragon Knights,” Leonard announced to his men. He raised his jet-black sword. “We are the blade of the Empire!”

“In the name of Arcadia! For the honor of the Golden Dragon!”

“It’s time! After me!”

With that defiant battle cry, Leonard charged forward, anticipation blazing within him as he broke through the Hellgate.

1. Symbol associated with Hades. ☜