THE MARTIAL KING - Season 7 Episode 78

With the years he spent in this colorful world, Zen had also heard of a few things about the Genuine Dragon.

The Dragon Lineage Human had its descendants scattered all over the world. Where Zen was from, they had remained in power for a time but were eventually thrown off their rule.

They had kept some beasts alive as their familiars- some of them were the flood dragon, the winged dragon, and horned dragon. When their power was toppled, the beasts became ownerless and wandered.

The records about the True Dragon dated back to 160, 000 years before, at a time when a far-reaching battle between the union of seven divine kingdoms and the Dragon Lineage Humans was happening on the other side of the Chaotic Ocean of Stars.

Even though the Dragon Lineage Humans had inherited power from the Genuine Dragon, they were defeated by the alliance of the seven kingdoms. One of the goals of the alliance was to wipe out all the Dragon Lineage Humans. Even after their victory, they continued to pursue and kill the descendants as they were running away.

But desperate men were the most dangerous. When those Dragon Lineage Humans were cornered with no way of escape, they offered millions of their lives to their ancestors. With enough people being killed as sacrifice, they opened a tunnel from which they summoned a Genuine Dragon.

According to old retellings, the dragon that emerged was of such massive size that people who laid eyes on it were not even able to tell where it ended and began. From the front, there was a glimpse of its head, its eyes burning in the darkness. Then, after it breathed out once, the tunnel collapsed, leaving no trace of the dragon.

The world’s energy was too weak to support the legendary beast. Despite millions of sacrificed souls, it was only enough for a moment. With one breath, the dragon disappeared.

However, the Dragon Lineage Human’s sacrifice had not been in vain. So powerful was the dragon that even just its breath was strong enough to annihilate people from all three of the seven kingdoms. The four kingdoms that existed today were those who had survived.

The Dragon Lineage Human had all but vanished, but the people had not been able to forget the dragon, inspiring both awe and terror to those who had laid eyes on it. Those who lived to tell the tale passed it on, and its legend was a living and breathing story. Hundreds of thousands of years had changed the surface of the world considerably- mountain tumbled and seas had become mulberry fields, but the image of the Genuine Dragon was as fresh as yesterday in people’s minds.

The Genuine Dragon had power beyond anything that anyone could conceive. Which was why Letitia was surprised.

That day when Zen left Cloud Hall secretly, Letitia had found him. She had seen him in Cloud Road, and so she had a clear idea of his abilities. Luck was on this man’s side. He would not be killed easily. It was no surprise that he managed to get in Cloud Hall, along with the best of the best.

Now, Letitia was wondering if she had misjudged him.

He was giving away a drop of Genuine Dragon blood so casually, as if it was an ordinary market trinket. Why would he do that?

Letitia herself possessed some things as valuable as this drop of Genuine Dragon blood, but no amount of wealth on the face of the Earth would make her give them up.

‘Is he that generous? Or is it that he is just stupid?’ she thought to herself in shock.

Seeing Letitia’s confused look, Zen’s face broke into a grin. “You don’t want it? If that’s the case, then you can give it
back,” he said, reaching for the vial.

“Bang!”

At this, Letitia slapped Zen’s hand away, her beautiful eyes glaring at him. Then, she put the vial away.

Somehow, Letitia found herself forgetting her position in front of him. She was the leader of Cloud Hall. Elders of the Virtual Tribulation Realm would bow to her in reverence.

And yet, here he was, a mere disciple without any reputation, speaking to her so casually. What made matters worse was that Zen knew her position, but seemingly showed no regard for it. ‘Should I remind him of my position?’ Letitia thought in irritation.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Zen suddenly said, “Tia, I heard the others talking about the Martial Arts Contest. Is this for the Dragon Soar Arena?”

Letitia nodded. “Yeah. The Dragon Soar Arena appeared three months ago.

Normally, the Martial Arts Contest was held every ten years, but there were great disputes among the famous sects, so the World Commercial Alliance decided to hold the Martial Arts Contest this year in advance in order to put an end to the quarrels. Whoever wins would get the Dragon Soar Arena as reward.” Letitia paused for a moment before continuing, “However, the Dragon Soar Arena is a road to death. Without Genuine Dragon blood, it will be of no use for a person to win it.”

Letitia shook her head. She was clearly astonished with Zen’s news.

“Are people from Bloodwood Cliff, Black Mountain Sect, and Ethereal Spirit Sect the only ones to compete?” He asked. Hearing Zen’s question, Letitia looked at him with confusion and then answered, “Not exactly. There will be people from other fourth grade sects including Mysterious Luna Hall, some gifted disciples from the third grade sects, and even the independent ones who have joined no sect.”

“Independent warriors?” Zen asked, his curiosity piqued.

Letitia nodded again. “Almost all of the famous ones will come here. There is the Confucianism Sage named Winston Liu, the Venerable Starry, and the Evil East Lord named Eddie…. They will come with their disciples,” she explained.

At the mention of Eddie’s name, Zen’s eyes flashed with the intent to kill. It was a momentary glint, but Letitia had caught it.

‘He seems to be particularly interested in Eddie. Did something happen between them? But how?

Zen is from a second grade sect in the Eastern Region. There is no way he would have encountered Eddie before.’ All of a sudden, Letitia’s eyes widened as understanding dawned upon her. She turned to Zen, who met her wide-eyed gaze with his own steady one.

“You understand?” Zen asked, his voice uncharacteristically cold.

Letitia nodded.

It was easy enough to guess what Zen’s intention was. It was Letitia who had sent Yan to Eddie. Even now, she had a strong impression with Yan, who possessed the Purple Power body.

Yan and Zen were both from Eastern Region, and Zen had shown great hostility to Eddie. Letitia understood quickly what Zen planned.

As the leader of Cloud Hall, Letitia’s foremost interest would be making Cloud Hall stronger. She held Cloud Hall’s safety and reputation in her hands. She could not put her own selfish desires over her responsibilities and put Cloud Hall at risk. Yan was a gifted disciple from the second grade sect attached to Cloud Hall, but fighting Eddie would be unreasonable.

A great silence fell between them as Letitia searched in vain for the right words to say.

To Zen, her silence was like air blowing on the embers of his anger.

He had kept Yan in his heart secretly like a forbidden memory. He had told no one about what had happened to him and Yan, except Rocher and Patrick.

Kenneth had ever explained to Zen why Cloud Hall let Eddie take Yan away. At that time, Zen knew that Eddie was too powerful to fight against and he watched his dear sister get taken right in front of his own eyes. In his silence, he had unknowingly watered the seed of his resentment. Now, its branches burst over with poisonous fruits.

“Don’t you think you owe me an apology?” He said through gritted teeth. “If you could protect Yan as you did for me just now, she wouldn’t have been taken away!”

Letitia visibly tensed at the face of Zen’s anger. “I…” she began, but was interrupted.

“Is it because the secret of Dragon Soar Arena is more valuable to you than Yan’s power? Is that why you saved me but not her? If I didn’t know the secret of Dragon Soar Arena, would you have left me behind like you did to her?” Zen shouted, his eyes burning with rage.

Despite her position as the leader of Cloud Hall, Letitia was young. She was carrying a huge responsibility upon her shoulders, but her heart was still tender. She felt stinging in her eyes as guilt crept inside her chest.

She had fought side by side with Zen on the Cloud Road.

The time she spent with him was when she was her most free. She forgot her position, her responsibilities, and just like people of her age, she was allowed to make her mistakes.

If other people saw that a master of Virtual Tribulation Realm, the leader of Cloud Hall, was being questioned by a mere disciple, they would have been at a loss for words.

Her delicate oval face twisted in guilt, like a reprimanded child in the brink of tears. She hung her head down and murmured, so softly that Zen almost missed it, “Sorry…”

He wanted to tell her off and curse, and say that her apology made no difference, but seeing Letitia’s expression, Zen became soften.

He clenched his fists. It was no use to blame her.

The warrior’s world was cruel. Eddie joined no sect and he was an independent warrior, but he was the most powerful one in Central Region.

Even the Ethereal Spirit Sect would not want to upset him, let alone Cloud Hall which was much weaker sect!

As the leader of Cloud Hall, Letitia had only done what she had to.

“Right,” Zen grunted.

Looking at Zen, Letitia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Suddenly, an old woman’s voice sounded, “Young man, it is the Evil East Lord who has taken away your sister. If you’re brave enough, go to find him and save her. Do not pass the blame on Cloud Hall. This matter is your concern.”

Zen was shocked at her words. An old woman with silvery hair was walking towards them, her back hunched from old age. She went through Letitia’s enchanted barrier without any difficulty.

Letitia welcomed her quickly, holding her arm and addressing her as “Master.”