Chapter 88

Chapter 87

How could one describe that monstrous, gigantic body with words?

It was truly a mountain of flesh.

How could a human body become so enormous?

General Jazhen, befitting his status as a general of the empire, immediately envisioned the practical utility of such a massive, brutish body on the battlefield.

Such a giant wielding weapons!

A single strike would shatter the enemy infantry formation.

It would be no different for cavalry.

No matter how valiant the warhorses, they would surely tremble in fear and retreat before the might of such a giant.

Even under a rain of arrows from the archers, the giant's skin would only tingle slightly, and there would be no problem sweeping through the battlefield. The enemy's siege rams and catapults would be reduced to scrap with a mere kick.

A monstrous giant on the battlefield.

Truly a god of war!

However, Jazhen could not help but doubt his ears at Zhao Hui's answer.

"What did you just say? Rice, soldiers?"

"Yes."

Soldiers, not generals?

Could he command not just one but hundreds or thousands of such battlefield titans?

Zhao Hui looked at Nangong Zhanghu calmly.

"That giant is the young master of the Nangong family. He has awakened to the essence of the Dharma Sutra."

"The essence of the Dharma Sutra!"

"Yes. Of course, not everyone can achieve such an outstanding form of awakening. However, those who have trained in martial arts are more likely to awaken in a more combative form."

"Then!"

Zhao Hui looked at Jazhen with a smile.

"As you thought, General. Soldiers who have spent their lives handling horses and weapons would have potential far surpassing ordinary people."

Seeing the might of a god of war before his eyes, how could his heart not be agitated?

Jazhen seemed to have made up his mind and nodded readily.

"Give me that Dharma Sutra! Hurry!"

Decide so easily?

Zhao Hui, with wide eyes, unfolded a bundle filled with neural link chips.

"Just one battalion for now..."

"What nonsense! Give them all to me! I will distribute them to all the soldiers of the Four Generals' Army!"

"All of them?"

Did he think dealing with such pedantic generals would be so difficult?

Zhao Hui never imagined that Jazhen would request neural link chips to arm all the troops of the Four Generals' Army.

However, that was impossible.

The awakening individuals had to appear gradually and in a chain reaction to minimize the shock.

Granting excessive power to a single group suddenly was dangerous.

Most of all, he was worried about the Tang Family Village, which was close to the Four Generals' Army.

"All new weapons require trial operations. Let's do it step by step. For now, I'll give you enough for one battalion."

"Hmm..."

Jazhen nodded, as if acknowledging the logic, and calmed his excitement.

"Very well. I will not forget your loyalty to the palace."

Zhao Hui, inwardly smirking.

He knew better than anyone how much Jazhen had bribed to elevate the Four Generals' Army to the Grand General's Army.

For such a slave to power to talk about loyalty to the country was truly laughable.

It would be interesting to watch what actions he would take after transforming the Four Generals' Army into a group of awakened individuals.

Zhao Hui took out about a hundred neural link chips and handed them to him, then immediately performed a salute.

"I wish you good fortune, General. Then..."

Jazhen and Lu Ying disappeared on their swords, leaving a faint afterimage, while Zhao Hui stared blankly at them.

* * *

Exactly a month after Zhao Hui toured all the regional armies, countless carrier pigeons flew into the Cao Family Trading Company.

The Nightshade, now a full-fledged intelligence organization of the Cao Family Trading Company, was in shock as Hong Ye checked each of the messages flying in from all over.

"Wh-What is all this?"

Disasters are rare, hence they are called disasters.

In the history of the Nightshade, which handled information from the Central Plains, such simultaneous and widespread disasters had never occurred.

Whoosh—

With incredible lightness, Hong Ye burst out of the office and rushed toward Zhao Hui's quarters.

Ever since Zhao Hui had stopped meeting with his officers and secluded himself with the newly promoted Little Zhuge, his colleagues and officers were all curious about what secret conversations they were having, but they never revealed themselves to the outside world.

However, this matter was not something he could handle on his own.

"Zhao Hui!"

After a moment, the window of the quarters opened.

Zhao Hui looked at Hong Ye with an unpleasant expression.

"I clearly said no one should come in."

"This is not the time to argue about that!"

Zhao Hui exchanged glances with Zhuge Yun, who was sitting opposite him, and then looked interested.

"What is it?"

Hong Ye, tense, swallowed hard.

"Minghua, the Great General, has ascended the throne and declared himself the King of Hanzhong! He is also leading his troops to Tang Family Village!"

"King of Hanzhong?"

Huh, trying to imitate Liu Xuande?

"Not only that! General Fang Ji of the Hubei Army has also declared himself the King of Wuhan! His troops are heading to Wudang Mountain!"

Zhao Hui and Zhuge Yun exchanged glances, as if they had already anticipated this.

How could these generals, who talked about loyalty to the country, all rise in rebellion so consistently?

The actions of these generals, which did not deviate from their expectations, made Zhao Hui find them ridiculous.

However, the news that piqued his interest only went that far.

"It's even more serious! All the people of Lanzhou are dead!"

"Lanzhou?"

Isn't Lanzhou the capital of Gansu Province?

All of them are dead?

"What do you mean? All the people of Lanzhou are dead? How? Has a war already started?"

"Everyone says they don't know. There are no witnesses."

"What?"

"Lanzhou has turned into a sea of ice! There's only a chilling cold everywhere, and not a single trace of blood was found. Also..."

"Wait! Cold?"

Zhuge Yun, sensing an ominous premonition, slowly turned to look at Zhao Hui.

"Could it be...?"

When a large number of human souls disappear in the material world, the laws of nature are momentarily distorted.

If the vast Lanzhou had suddenly been covered in a chilling cold and turned into a sea of ice, it would be a typical symptom of consumption.

A being that could move faster than any constellation to consume a large number of human souls.

"It's a gap. That bastard is moving."

Zhao Hui, grinding his teeth.

If the gap was moving, it meant the descent of the constellations was imminent.

The timing was too bad. The people of the Central Plains had not even awakened to a fraction of their potential.

"Deploy all the Nightshade's intelligence assets in the Lanzhou area to find headless corpses wandering around!"

Hong Ye's face turned pale, as if the mere thought sent shivers down his spine.

"Headless corpses?"

Zhuge Yun nodded urgently in agreement.

"We must find them! As quickly as possible!"

If there were headless corpses, they would be the embodiment of the gap.

While it wasn't the gap's true form, blocking such an embodiment could significantly reduce the damage.

"Hurry! Go now!"

"Y-Yes!"

As Hong Ye disappeared with a burst of light, Zhao Hui looked at Zhuge Yun with a determined gaze.

"I believe in you."

Zhuge Yun, swallowing hard, nodded.

From now on, Zhao Hui would never appear in the Cao Family Trading Company again.

He had to face truly cosmic beings from now on.

Although his mind was filled with the tremendous plans and strategies he had discussed with Zhao Hui over the past month, the weight of the survival of the Central Plains civilization in his hands made his heart heavy.

"You can do it. You are the best strategist I know."

Zhuge Yun, trying to make a joke.

"Better than Yilong?"

"He's too intermittent."

As Zhao Hui mounted his sword and transformed into the Little Sword God.

"Wait! Wait, Brother!"

Han Xueyan, who had silently approached Zhao Hui's quarters, was fidgeting, adjusting her collar.

"Han Xiaojie..."

Zhao Hui looked at her with a sympathetic expression.

Han Xueyan, who had always waited for him calmly after they had promised a future together.

However, Zhao Hui had recovered all his memories of reincarnation and restored his divine self.

The passionate emotions between men and women belonged to Zhao Hui, not to the 'denier of existence.'

Therefore, his feelings toward her had inevitably been diluted.

Moreover, the Central Plains would soon become the battlefield of the Constellation War.

Whether he could live on after this life's great battle was uncertain.

More importantly, whether she would still be alive was uncertain.

In such a situation, consummating their relationship would be like a poison.

It would be better, a temporary pain, for her.

"Why... why are you..."

Han Xueyan, unable to calm her troubled heart, could not continue her words.

The engagement day had already passed helplessly.

Even the memory of strolling through the garden together had become hazy.

Zhao Hui sighed and spoke.

"Yes, I intentionally avoided you."

Suddenly, Han Xueyan burst into endless tears.

"I am not human."

Han Xueyan already knew through Zhao Hui's colleagues that he was a guardian deity striving to save humanity from the destruction of the Central Plains.

But no matter how she looked, he was still the same person she loved.

The only man for her.

"Cheater."

Zhao Hui, unable to meet the fierce gaze of Han Xueyan, who was clenching her teeth, turned away.

"If I can return, we'll talk then."

Zhuge Yun, who had been looking at the two awkwardly, suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

"Ha ha! Crazy guy! You don't plan to return? Leaving Han Xiaojie in tears like this?"

Zhuge Yun approached and grabbed Zhao Hui's shoulder.

"Come back and let's complete the Cao Family Complex Tower together."

Zhuge Yun's warm voice made Zhao Hui smile.

"The top floor is the chairman's of this Cao Family Trading Company."

"Leave one empty."

Suddenly, Zhao Hui felt a surge of emotion.

Even if he had experienced countless reincarnations and become a transcendent being completely free from human emotions.

Even if he saw human desires and struggles as worthless.

He was transforming more and more humanly with each life.

This was his life, loving people.

At least, he was infinitely closer to Zhao Hui than to the 'denier of existence.'

Zhao Hui walked over and gently held Han Xueyan's hands.

"I will definitely return."

In Han Xueyan's clear pupils, a clear sky shone brightly.

Following her gaze, they looked up at the sky together, and indeed, it was a beautifully sunny day.

* * *

It was a world of snow, where the sky and the earth seemed to meet, making it difficult to gauge the height of the towering peaks piercing through the clouds.

The highest place in the Central Plains, the Heavenly Mountains.

This was the first place Zhao Hui, who had left the Cao Family Trading Company, rushed to.

Whoosh—

Despite the relentless snowstorm, Zhao Hui stood motionless on the highest peak of the Heavenly Mountains.

His eyes, as transparent as water, were fixed on the vast universe beyond the white sky.

He had been gazing at the sky for nearly half a month, trying to detect the presence of the constellations.

But he could only sense the movement of the stars, and nothing else.

'The same as before...'

It was the same as during the previous Constellation War.

They would never reveal themselves first.

That bastard gap, who would cause chaos by harvesting the souls of countless humans, would only be followed by countless constellations.

Revealing themselves first would only result in being negated by the 'denier of existence,' a near annihilation.

Then.

"Heh heh..."

Suddenly, a hoarse old man's voice echoed in Zhao Hui's ears.

Zhao Hui, slightly startled, looked at the source of the voice.

"Who...?"

An old man with a common appearance.

But this extreme peak was not a place where such a frail old man could climb.

Moreover, what was with that ridiculous attire?

Even wearing several layers of thick cotton clothes would not be enough in this cold, yet he was only wearing a light hemp robe and a shabby cane.

This was the highest peak of the Heavenly Mountains, the roof of the world, a place beyond human reach.

"Truly astonishing. I cannot even guess the aura you possess. How long has such an existence been in these Heavenly Mountains?"

Zhao Hui's eyes widened in disbelief.

That was a question he wanted to ask himself.

Zhao Hui briefly gauged the old man's martial prowess and was utterly amazed.

His realm had far surpassed the level of natural mastery and reached the realm of a demigod.

Even the three legendary gods of the Central Plains' long martial history were inferior to this old man!

Even the Six Venerable Gods could not compare to this old man.

It was the first time in his countless reincarnations that he had encountered someone who had reached such a realm through martial arts alone.

He was so flustered that he even thought the old man might be a constellation at first.

While he possessed a presence comparable to a constellation, his aura was not divine.

Zhao Hui revealed his authority as the 'denier of existence.'

"Rather, I have something to say. I have observed people for a long time, but I dare to say I have never seen anyone like you. Who are you?"

Zhao Hui tried to deduce the old man's origin from the nature of his martial soul, but it had already transcended to a completely colorless state.

"Heh heh... Answering a question with a question, what a troublesome greeting. Can't you be as curious as I am?"

The old man slowly approached Zhao Hui, his eyes scrutinizing him up and down as if he were a strange object.

"I can't believe it. The power you exert in all directions, is it not telekinesis? How can a martial artist's will manifest such harmony? I must have an answer for such a profound curiosity."

Zhao Hui's eyes turned as cold as ice.

Even if the old man was a great martial artist who had reached the realm of transcending humanity, with the disaster of the Central Plains' destruction at hand, there was no time for such riddles.

"Rude. Get lost."

At Zhao Hui's thunderous dismissal, the old man's eyes widened.

It was quite a novel experience to be treated this way.

The people of the Heavenly Mountains would burst into tears and prostrate themselves at the sight of him.

He had been a divine being of the Heavenly Mountains for hundreds of years.

Moreover, he was at a loss for how to introduce himself. He didn't even have a human name.

Zhao Hui, who had resumed his indifferent gaze towards the distant sky, left the old man even more astonished.

The old man's face was stained with shock.

"Could it be... Can you read the celestial aura...?"

Zhao Hui frowned deeply.

"I've already told you to get lost. I have no more time for this."

"Heh, heh, heh!"

The old man, stroking his long beard, burst into hearty laughter.

"Indeed, what other greeting can there be between martial artists besides a test of strength!"

Whoosh!

Zhao Hui was dumbfounded as the old man's cane struck him, cutting through the wind.

To dare challenge him despite sensing his overwhelming presence!

"You're a crazy old man."

Bang!

As Zhao Hui casually reversed his grip on his cane, the old man was even more surprised.

"How dare you...!"

It looked like a light, casual move, but the force contained in the cane was at least several million catties.

As evidence, the peak where Zhao Hui stood was collapsing due to the immense shockwave.

Crack!

A massive disaster struck the tranquil Heavenly Mountains.

The shockwave not only shattered the peak but also enveloped the entire massive glacier.

Rumble—

A massive landslide engulfed the entire Heavenly Mountains, yet Zhao Hui merely floated on his sword, looking down at the old man with indifference.

"Stop provoking me. I could kill you. Do you still want to continue?"

"What? Kill?"

The old man's expression was no longer carefree.

His face twisted with malice as he glared at Zhao Hui intensely.

"Have I been treated like a cripple because I've been too lenient? I've never met a human as worthless as you! Fine! I'll grind you into minced meat today!"

"Are you crazy?"

Zhao Hui,