As genius as he was at strategies and planning, Zhuge Gun's talent in Martial Arts was lousy. The support of resources could only push him to the level of a 1st rate, but that couldn't stop him from becoming the Head of the Murim Alliance for a reason.
Although the support of his family was the main driving force, everyone trusted in his ability to lead a new wave of progress. Most Families and Sects preferred the stagnation that was in place, but they couldn't refute his strong points without showing the ugly faces behind the masks.
All they could do was keep him in check and stand in the way of every decision of his, hoping to turn him into a dummy head that had no force at his disposal. However, the monsters' invasion made for the perfect opportunity to put things in the right place, the Monster Hunter Association was just the start.
"Brace for the impact! Keep up the formations!"
At this point in time, whether it was those who supported him or those that didn't, everyone had to give it to him that he was the perfect commander they could get. The various plans and strategies that he employed to clear several problematic monster nests.
His role was the most important of all, so he stood at the very end of the army at a watch tower constructed specifically for him. Only his control of the armies could lessen the casualties to the very minimum.
Gwaaarrrr!
The Head had flown high, but the monsters on the ground weren't that much less fearsome. They couldn't fly, but the charge was headed by five earthly dragons along with some other gigantic monsters!
"Everyone aside from the Unrestrained Martial Artists, hold still until the charge is pushed back. Wait for the right moment to attack enemies of your league once they come closer!"
Not even the Transcendents could deal with the dragons and the giants on par with the Emerald Calamity unless they were prepared to die. Only once the powerhouses occupied the head of the spear could the others engage with the monsters that passed by.
Other than the Inescapable Arrow that maintained his location in the middle, the other three pillars jumped at the first Earth Dragon their eyes met. Back then Cheon Chang couldn't do much on his own, but things were now different with the combination of the three of them!
The Fist Lord was the perfect opponent against turtle-shelled enemies, while the Absolute Spear's serious piercing damage was the greatest screwdriver to go with it. The versatility of the Blade Spirit additionally connected the two sides into one united force.
'It's finally our turn.'
With other powerhouses taking the charge of the behemoths, the Transcendents behind them including Leo and the others prepped themselves to engage. The curtains of the battle of the century had just been opened!
As the strongest weapon he had at hand, Leo held onto the White Tiger as he eyed the monsters that tried to slip through. Despite preparing him thoroughly for this, he was still a bit shaken to be standing in the middle of everything…
Once the crack had been opened, Yeon was the one who had it the worst. Her body was drenched with sweat, shivering as if she had a fever, but everything stopped a few seconds later.
Rather than causing more trouble, the Demon Lord's true descent had ended the uncontrollable side effects she was experiencing!
"I'm fine, Ho. Let's do this!"
Recovering to her peak, Yeon seemed to be full of excitement for battle. Just by looking at her eyes radiating in scarlet as it spread to the Black Heaven Jade, Leo felt the last of his apprehension melt away.
'Right, what is there to fear?'
Although his perspective was that of a 20-year-old at the moment, Leo was someone who had already experienced as many as three lives, two of which had enough excitement to last a lifetime. If he were to add everything up, he would already be a full-fledged middle-aged man!
However, he was still greedy for more! He wanted to experience more and more worlds! He wanted to spend more time with Yeon! He wanted to visit the Sword Continent again! There were so many mysteries he wanted to figure out!
Death wasn't something to fear after so many experiences, but Leo had no plans to throw himself at it. He would stand by Yeon's side and bravely defend his third home, clawing out more and more time!
Swish!
The monsters that followed behind the Earth Dragons were a mix of different species, but the majority were manticores. Gruesome monsters that looked no different from chimeras, possessing tyrannical physical abilities.
In terms of pure power, they were slightly stronger than transcendents, at least that was what Leo could see judging from their energy. Still, energy wasn't everything for Martial Artists, it was how skilled they were at using their martial arts!
The White Tiger moved through Leo's hand, displaying the skills that he built up over two lives. In addition to learning new skills, Leo had integrated a few more martial arts into his main ones.
The sequence had now gone beyond complicated that no one with flimsy skills could execute it, but it was a great fit for Leo! The manticore found it hard to follow the pattern as the sword bit off its front long!
What followed was the blade covered in scarlet taking out the other leg. By the time the two finished their dances, their swords met in the manticore's neck, reaping its life in a matter of seconds.
"This is great!"
Yeon's face was flushed red as she drew the manticore's blood. However, this wasn't another 'duel' like the ones that they had back at Mount Hua or the Northern Island. This was an endless war! Without sheathing their swords the two turned to the manticore that had ignorantly designated them as his target!