The Divine Martial Stars

Chapter 924 The Reckoning

The highest summit of the mountain range to which the Mount of Divinity belonged stood tall and proud like a huge pillar that stood out from the ring of mountains that encircled it. The Great Five relentlessly mounted one assault attempt after another to no avail. The defensive force field just would not budge an inch, with or without the Champion of the Western Wildernesses intervening.

What they expected to be a quick end with a coalition of this size and scale was clearly a big mistake.

To top it off, the Creed of Divinity might have defenders hurt or wounded, but they had suffered no casualties yet. None of the injured were fatal enough and whenever a Creed of Divinity acolyte faced impending doom, a white flash of light from the main edifice of the Creed’s stronghold would shoot up into the sky and arced sharply down and save the acolyte.

The whole world knew what that was — the Aspect of Vengeance himself saving the acolytes of his order with his god-like powers and invincibility.

This was becoming a war that the coalition could see no hope for victory in sight.

Such a war had never before taken place on the soil of Molderad. A war where the invading faction had lost almost a hundred thousand men when the defenders still remained intact and this was taking a toll on the invaders.

That caused the morale of the coalition to fall to an understandably-predictable low.

But the leadership of the Great Five just wouldn’t care. Day after day, they directed the sects and orders of the coalition to send men to their deaths, just so that the magical force field of the Creed’s main summit could be weakened even if just by a bit.

The freakish war would go on for six months.

By now, the dead bodies left by the coalition of the Great Five had reached more than a whopping hundred and fifty thousand. No war on Molderad had been waged with such incredible losses.

Discontent was growing among the leaders of the various sects and orders of the coalition.

The frustration of seeing so many allies, friends, or even loved ones dying slowly began to erode the coalition’s resolve. More so, since most of the factions within the coalition each harbored personal agendas of their own. Some were just trying to use this war as a means of removing competition, while some expected retribution and vengeance out of this war. The failure to register any success after so many losses and time was beginning to show cracks within the coalition and even with the Great Five’s influence, the unity among the coalition was beginning to shatter.

Several sects and orders have become extinct in this war and many more had already broken away from the coalition and had left despite the urgings and pleas of their colleagues. They quickly retreated out of the Northern Steppes and returned to their respective strongholds to rebuild.

The regrettable outcome of this war was beginning to become an object of humiliation and ridicule for the Great Five and the sects and orders that launched this war.

Inside a secret chamber, the five men that represented the coalition’s highest echelon convened.

“If this drags on, it’s only a matter of time before we’ll be sacrificed on the altar of our very own humiliation!”

“But the magical force field that guards the Creed of Divinity is just too strong. There’s just nothing we can do.”

“And it won’t be long before the voices of dissent are going to overwhelm us.”

“But we cannot lose. If that happens, the Great Five will be history. We will lose our dominion over Molderad and what that entails, I’m sure all of you are aware of that.”

From the complaints of the four, one could almost feel how palpable the anxiety was in the air.

All save the one man who sat at the center. He had not uttered a word since he came in.

“What about the Sage? Does he have any ideas or not?” asked one of the four.

Every pair of eyes panned to look at the figure at the center of the table.

“Fret not, my friends. Our half-year worth of assault hasn’t been for naught. The Sage has discovered the crux of Li Zhiyuan’s magical force field,” said the man at last, breaking his reticence with a hoarse voice. “The main summit of the Creed of Divinity stronghold is where five ley lines of the mountains nearby converge. That makes the place hallowed lands blessed with rich natural energies. It was with these same energies that Li Zhiyuan has been relying on to keep his magical force field holding for so long. Long has the Sage been observing and he has found the spots where the five ley lines pass. Cut them all off and the magical force field will fall.”

The news was glad tidings enough to the other four.

“But how do we cut off these leylines?” asked one of them again anxiously.

The person in the middle responded, “The Sage will make known his arrangements to us once he is ready.”

…

“Teacher, the Dragon of Arcusstone Nie Renlong has arrived.”

Shen Jia reported when he found Li Mu at his bamboo grove.

“Oh?” Li Mu smiled thinly. “Very well, off to the main audience hall then.”

Later.

“We meet again, my friend,” Nie Renlong saluted with an apologetic look on his face.

“Surely you’re not here to negotiate my surrender again, Nie?” Li Mu remarked facetiously, returning the gesture.

“Would you draw your weapon against me if my answer is a yes?” Nie Renlong asked.

Li Mu shook his head. “Arcusstone has almost been no part of the assaults which have been occurring for these past six months. I’m sure you must be sustaining heavy pressure yourself. Please, have a seat.”

Nie Renlong sat down. “I’m not here to negotiate, but I’m here as a messenger.”

“Oh?” Li Mu betrayed a surprised expression.

“The Great Five have found it difficult to withdraw from their current position without any success in their campaign against us,” Lu Chuan explained, “That is why Grand Master Nie is here to propose a duel with you, Brother Zhiyuan.”

Lu Chuan’s impression of Nie Renlong and Arcusstone had improved greatly over the past six months. He had seen how Arcusstone had been refraining from joining in any of the assaults on the Creed of Divinity. One could almost expect how much scorn and pressure Nie Renlong has been facing on a daily basis.

This display of friendship he had shown thus far was a fair return for the debt owed when Li Mu saved his life ten years before.

At the very least, it was enough for Lu Chuan to no longer regard Nie Renlong with contempt.

“Very well, let’s hear the details to this challenge them,” uttered Li Mu as he lifted a cup up to his lips. He sipped at the warm brew and said, “Pray tell, Nie.”

“The coalition has found a savant in arcane arts who provided the leaders of the coalition with advice on how to destroy your magical force field. He had discovered the five ley lines that connect to this summit, Li. According to him, all they have to do is just destroy all five ley lines. The magic of this force field would be undone and this stronghold will be exposed.”

As he spoke, Nie Renlong took careful note of every detail of Li Mu’s countenance.

Li Mu might have hidden it well, but nothing, not even that faintest and fleeting stir in the look of his eyes, could escape eyes as experienced and sharp as Nie Renlong’s.

“So, it would appear that the savant is right,” Nie Renlong confirmed what he just observed, “What would you do, my friend?”

Li Mu said nothing. He mulled in silence until he finally uttered very quietly, “Let them come. We’ll deal with them by then.”

Lu Chuan’s expression shifted into one of curiosity. “Do you know who this so-called savant is, Grand Master Nie?”

“No, I don’t,” Nie Renlong replied, “Because of my reluctance, the others in the coalition have grown cold to me. Plus my pretenses to stay away from most of the war councils which some have interpreted as a sign of my trying to maintain distance from them, many within the coalition have become extremely wary of me. They’ve excluded me from discussions that involved secrets of the most extreme nature. But I do know that this savant is being referred to as the ‘Sage’. He’s a most mysterious enigma and few have seen him before. Even the other four heads of the Great Five treat him with respect.”

Li Mu nodded knowingly, still in deep thought.

“That’s right.

“Only someone who’s not from this world could divine the true nature of my magical force field.

“And who else could it be if not for that demonic being with the trident?

“Has he finally decided to reveal himself?”

“But this ‘Sage’ person did say that even with the knowledge of where the ley lines are, it won’t be easy destroying them. Hence, to prevent further bloodshed and carnage, the Sage had decided to issue a challenge. He proposed a duel with the rest of Molderad as a witness. Should you triumph, the Great Five will sound like an immediate retreat. Everywhere the Creed of Divinity has a presence, the Great Five will show nothing but respect and fear. But should you lose, the Creed shall have to remain defunct for five hundred years, whereas you shall submit yourself to five hundred years of incarceration in the dungeons of Arcusstone,” said Nie Renlong, “That is the message they want me to convey,”

“Five hundred years of incarceration?!” Lu Chuan burst out with rage, “What difference is that to a life sentence?!”

Nie Renlong could only smile weakly in response.

Li Mu smiled thinly again. “Heh, so be it then. The lives of one hundred fifty thousand warriors were partly my handiwork after all. The terms you mentioned aren’t too harsh, I’ll give you that. So, a duel it is then, since this ‘Sage’ fellow has decided to challenge me. Where and when?”

“Sunrise three days from now. On the peak of Dawncrest.”

Dawncrest. One of the mountain range’s tallest and most precipitous pyramidal peaks. Shaped like a gigantic sword being driven into the ground, even the strongest of avians and the most agile of apes found it hard to conquer its incredible height, making the summit a virtual no man’s land. Without any Creed of Divinity structure on this summit, that made Dawncrest the ideal spot for the reckoning.

“Very well.”

Li Mu bobbed his head, assenting to the challenge.

Nie Renlong rose to his feet and saluted once more. “So be it then. I shall return at once to convey your agreement. I wish you good fortune in the battle to come. Truth be told, this ‘Sage’ fellow looks awfully shady and crooked if you ask me. Nothing about him screams decent and honorable. But if he could make even the other four heads of the Great Five bow to him, then he must be extremely powerful. You really need to be careful, my friend.”

On that note, Nie Renlong turned around and left.

Lu Chuan peered at Li Mu and asked quietly, “Brother… That matter about the ley lines keeping the magical force field working…”

Li Mu nodded. “It’s true. Once the ley lines are severed, the force field will fall.”

Lu Chuan quietly suppressed whatever reactions he nearly displayed. “Was that why you agreed to the duel? But the Great Five has been known for their perfidy and subterfuge, Brother. Even if Grand Master Nie looks honest enough, I’m not sure if we could fully trust his words. You really need to be careful, Brother.”

“It’s fine,” said Li Mu, “Whether we win or lose, it’s all up to Fate now.”

…

News began sweeping through the coalition like winds over meadows.

The Aspect of Vengeance Li Zhiyuan was going to duel against an unknown savant of great strength and power and the duel would take place on the summit of Dawncrest. At long last, the war which had taken more than a half-year was finally reaching its curtain call.

The final reckoning would determine the fate of all good and evil on Molderad.

Never before in centuries had any duels on Molderad could garner such attention.

However, voices from other quarters of the Jianghu expressed their concern about the identity of this unknown savant. Who was he and what merit did he have that even the heads of the Great Five could stake the fate of the whole continent on him?

The heads of the Great Five were quick to provide an answer:

That this unknown champion wielded powers and strength unsurpassed by any.

Powers and strength unsurpassed by any.

When the six words slipped out of the lips of the heads of the Great Five, all of Molderad reeled with shock and awe.

For everyone knew that this could very well be the best candidate the forces of good could field against the greatest demon the continent has ever seen.

In three days, the Duel of Dawncrest would commence and the final reckoning would be at hand.