The Sword Emperor Transmigrates-Chapter 267

Once the expedition forces passed through the Seventh Hellgate and entered the netherworld, they set up a defensive position. Unlike with the Spriggans, this wasn’t a mission that could be completed just by taking down one key opponent. No matter how swift the expedition team tried to be, this would very likely end up being a prolonged battle, and as they were fighting to capture territory, they would have to constantly be on guard to defend it.

And of course, above all else, they had to defend Hades with their lives, as he was the key to their success. Their entire strategy relied on Hades expanding his Divine Territory by expelling the influence of the Demonic Realm. It wouldn’t matter how many battles they won if Hades died in the end.

Of course, this was something they had taken into consideration. If all else failed, the forces would retreat and set up an impenetrable defense line by the Hellgate, courtesy of the great House of Jehoia.

Boom...! Boom...! Boom...!

Three thousand golems, generously funded by the Arcadian Empire’s treasury, marched through one by one. They dug their feet into the ground and transformed into rectangular blocks. The formation resembled an iron wall that could be set up and dismantled in under an hour.

The magic arrays carved on their surface resonated with one another, creating another shield that covered the area around them. The amount of mana stones required to maintain this formation for even a day could bankrupt several kingdoms. It was an endeavor only the Arcadian Empire could dare attempt.

The sight was awe-inspiring on its own, but Leonard was even more stunned when he realized how much it resembled a mystical technique.

The Heaven’s Righteous Demon Felling Formation...?!

It was a formation art of the highest realm he knew of, though he had never witnessed or attempted it himself. It was also the last remaining legacy of the Chen Qian Justice Martial Sect, an organization that had been annihilated hundreds of years before Yeon Mu-Hyuk’s time.

The technique required thousands of gold units and at least three hundred martial artists to even attempt it, and not even its architect had ever used it.

The only record of this formation being used dated back to ancient times, during a battle with great evil factions. Theoretically, it would have been strong enough to overpower three hundred Peak Realm experts and three or four Creation Realm masters, even with just the minimum requirements being met.

“What do you think? Is this how you pictured it?” Simon asked Leonard.

“...I knew it was possible in theory, but it’s hard to process.”

“Haha. This is a scientific marvel born of the Arcane Society and the empire’s resources,” Simon claimed, looking very pleased.

Testing prototypes alone had cost more than the entire yearly budget, and they even had to make a special request to the Minister of Finance. If the fate of the entire world weren’t at stake, the minister would have fainted after seeing the numbers.

In any case, it was fortunate that they now had a temporary base of sorts. They no longer had to dedicate substantial manpower to protecting Hades now that the fortress was there to keep him safe. Since they were taking a blitzkrieg approach, this made a big difference.

“I sense the five high-ranking Demoniacs that the weaker ones have gathered around. They’re too far apart to attack all at once, so I believe the best course of action would be to divide into groups to take them out one by one.”

Wade nodded in agreement. “Thanks to Commander Leonard, they will not expect us, but we have spent too much time setting up the golems. If we don’t act fast, the entire Demonic Realm will soon become aware of our presence.”

“Splitting up into multiple groups will be dangerous though. The Brain and Heart Demoniacs are stronger here than in the Middle Realm, so each group will need at least two Demigod Tiers.”

“We have to be wary of unknown enemies, but we have to take the Named into consideration as well. If we bump into one of them, the subsequent fight will attract plenty of attention.”

Luckily, there were eight Demigod Tiers with them, so they could easily attack four at once. Besides, not all Demigod Tiers were the same—Leonard, who had killed a Brain Demoniac with one hit, and Simon, a Class 9 Grand Magus, could kill a Named by themselves.

In other words, they could safely afford to attack all five at once. Before they did that, though, Hades had to reclaim as much power and territory as possible.

However, Leonard came up with an alternate solution.

“The Golden Dragon Knights and I will attack the closest group of Demoniacs. Depending on our state after the battle, we’ll either go support the others or return to the base to regroup and maintain the defensive line.”

Since the Golden Dragon Order had the fewest troops but the most powerful fighters, they had a lot more flexibility and freedom of choice. Knowing this, the other Demigod Tiers readily agreed with Leonard’s proposal.

“Hmm, sounds like a decent plan.”

“If there are more than three Demigod Tier entities or more than two Named, contact the people at the base. We’ll redirect forces to you.”

“Understood.”

So, it was decided that Leonard and Simon Magus would each take on a group of Demoniacs, while the other Demigod Tiers would split into groups of two.

The troops moved like lightning, dispersing the moment their objectives were assigned. Hades’s apostles, the Axiocersus, joined them—one for each group.

“It would be more efficient to send them out to reclaim my power if I am to remain here,” Hades told them before they left.

“Aren’t you afraid they might get destroyed?” Leonard asked.

“The craftsmen made them incredibly strong. But even so, it is no matter. Since they are my apostles and beings of the Underworld, it is not difficult for me to make them immortal,” he assured confidently.

Hearing that, Leonard felt at ease. He gazed into the distance, his Dragon Eyes making the destination feel much closer. With a glance, he could instantly assess the enemy’s numbers.

Most of them are Bone and Claw Demoniacs. The Teeth are the only high-ranking ones I see, he noted.

According to the Black Dragon’s records, the noble-rank Demoniacs each had different types of guards. For example, Brain Demoniacs were typically escorted by Tongues and Hides. Based on the ones Leonard saw, he could safely assume they were guarding a Heart.

“It’s a Heart Demoniac,” he said aloud. “It should be easier to take down than a Brain.”

“Aren’t all enemies easy to defeat for you?” Una said from beside him as she drew her sword. The Golden Dragon Knights moved so fast that they got within fighting range in under a minute.

The battle was about to commence.

Leonard sensed someone eavesdropping and raised his sword.

“Don’t be humble! We are the Golden Dragon Knights! Whether it’s a Brain or a Heart, they’re nothing to us! These rats are trying to play king—let’s show them the power of the House of Cardenas!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Fall into the Eighteen Arhat Formation once we break through the wall, and be on guard for Demigod Tier entities! The rest are only distractions!” he yelled, his voice echoing.

That was when they realized the Demoniacs had just discovered them.

“It’s too late, you wretches!”

Leonard couldn’t tell what the wall was made of, but he broke through it with two swings of his sword. It was almost as tough as the golems they had brought, but to Leonard, who was on the brink of the Deification Tier, the wall was soft and fragile.

As he carved an X onto its surface, the wall imploded and crumbled, opening a path for the knights, who immediately fell into formation.

The Demoniacs had expected to keep a defensive position, but now, they were being forced into a full-frontal battle. It was no wonder the Golden Dragon Knights were regarded as the Empire’s strongest.

“Squad One! Fall into formation!”

“Squad Two! It’s time!”

As the knights swiftly broke through, they proceeded to slaughter the Bone and Claw Demoniacs with ease, though the average fighter would have had trouble defeating even one of them.

They executed the formation so flawlessly that only the Shaolin monks in the high mountains would be able to compete with them.

Good. Now I don’t need to worry about them. Leonard nodded. As their commander, all he needed to do now was find this Demigod Tier entity and defeat it.

He figured it wouldn’t try to run away as long as he managed to isolate and corner it, though it would be a different story if the entity was one of those incredibly fast ones. Leonard braced himself and started hunting, but then...

Suddenly, he felt an oppressive presence looming over him, as if the Demoniac had been waiting for him.

“Wha...”

It wasn’t that it was extraordinarily fast; it almost seemed to appear out of thin air. If it hadn’t revealed his presence, Leonard would’ve likely been defenseless against the attack.

The power of the Azure Dragon shot out from within him, his brain sending signals to his nerves as fast as lightning. He managed a delayed response.

Deep Frost Shroud

He gave up on attacking and instead shielded his entire body, narrowly avoiding death.

So heavy...!

Even though he had just used a mind martial art infused with the nearly deified power of the Black Tortoise, his opponent not only managed to land a hit but also sent him flying.

This wasn’t a brute-force attack relying on sheer mass and speed. Rather, it was the pure, refined strength behind the punch that overwhelmed Leonard. His fingers, wrapped around his jet-black sword, tingled, and since the shield couldn’t absorb the impact entirely, he felt his insides churn, nausea rising within him.

It was the familiar, almost nostalgic feeling of being hit by heavy internal arts.

Booooom!

After rolling all the way to the corner of the fortress, Leonard burst through the cloud of dust. His attack went beyond flawless; his sword was an extension of himself. And the monster, one step ahead of him, intercepted.

Sword and fist met, clashing elegantly like lightning.

Clang! Boom! Clang! Booom!

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged nearly a hundred blows before they both retreated at the same time. And then, finally having a good look at his opponent, Leonard recognized who it was. There was a cold smile on his face, as if he had expected this.

“You’re a Named one, classified as extremely dangerous, even among the Heart Demoniacs. Your name... Belial, was it?”

The physical prowess of the Heart Demoniacs was exceptional, and their powers revolved around that. Since Leonard had been sent to the southern seas of the Far East, he hadn’t had the chance to fight one himself, but he had an idea of how they fought based on the reports.

Unlike Brains, which used psychic powers, the Hearts’ abilities seemed almost simplistic in comparison. But that only made them stronger, their martial abilities, that is.

If one could dash like a tiger, strike like a bear, stomp like an elephant, and swim like a killer whale, there was no need for martial arts. After all, martial arts and martial theories had been invented in order to hone a weak body.

But Heart Demoniacs stood at the peak of physical prowess. Strong, resilient, and swift, these monsters possessed limitless stamina and a vitality that made them near immortal.

But this one is very different from Behemoth. He’s already extremely powerful, and knows how to use hand-to-hand combat like a human. Like a highly skilled martial artist.

If Behemoth was like a mountain, Belial was the force that could crush a mountain in the most optimal way. On the outside, Behemoth seemed more intimidating, but Belial was the truly terrifying one.

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“—■■, ■■■■■.”

Belial wasn’t frenzied with bloodlust like a typical Demoniac. Instead, he put his fists together and looked at Leonard with an unreadable expression.

The stance reminded Leonard of the countless exploding fists he had faced with his sword in his past life. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You’re an odd one. Is that how you became a Named?” he asked in a somewhat reverent tone.

A little over two meters tall, the monster was elaborately humanoid, with muscles, bones, and tendons that resembled a human’s. The idea was laughable, but Leonard felt a strange connection with him, one that had just grown stronger.

He placed his sword on the ground and brought his fist to his palm. “I am Leonard, Golden Dragon Knight of the House of Cardenas.”

“■■■.”

“I might not understand your words, but I understand the intent behind them. I’d imagine the same is true for you.”

With that, Leonard picked up his sword and settled into his opening display while Belial also assumed a fighting stance.

They didn’t need words anymore. All emotions were erased from the eyes of the swordsman and the Demoniac boxer. At the same time, they both took a step forward.

Boooom!

As sword met fist, the resulting impact shook the entire ground.

It was a declaration of war.