With Bu Jingyun no longer interfering, and with the Sword Saint's fully prepared Sword Twenty-Three, Xiongba's fate was sealed.
Chu Yang's shadow clone carefully observed Sword Twenty-Three in action. The instant Xiongba died, the clone dissipated.
Standing at the foot of the mountain, Chu Yang suddenly found new memories flooding into his mind.
Before long, a group of martial artists with panicked expressions rushed out of the World's Number One Tower.
Many were shouting, "Xiongba is dead! The World Society has turned on itself!"
With Xiongba gone, every member believed they now had a chance to become the leader—especially the ambitious Twelve Fiends of the Heavenly Pool.
They were effectively Xiongba's personal guard. Aside from Qin Shuang, Nie Feng, and Bu Jingyun, no one wielded more influence within the World Society than the Twelve Fiends.
The internal slaughter within the World Society was something no outsider dared interfere with. Most feared being caught in the crossfire and hurriedly fled the World's Number One Tower.
Some World Society members even blended into the crowd and escaped along with everyone else.
For example…
Wen Chouchou.
This sycophantic little man had risen entirely by currying favor with Xiongba. Now that Xiongba was dead, his status plummeted overnight. Coupled with his usual arrogance and countless enemies, if he didn't leave now, his fate would be a single word—death.
Just as Wen Chouchou was congratulating himself on being clever enough to slip away at the first sign of trouble, a powerful hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder.
He jolted in terror. Without even looking at who it was, he clasped his hands together, shut his eyes, and begged desperately, "Mercy, my lord! I'm nothing but a piece of rotten fish and trash. I have nothing to do with the World Society. Please, spare me!"
"Wen Chouchou—Xiongba is really dead?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Wen Chouchou opened his eyes and cried out in shock, "Bu Jingyun?! You're not dead?!"
Bu Jingyun only cared about one thing. He stared at Wen Chouchou intently. "Is Xiongba dead or not?"
Wen Chouchou shuddered and hurriedly replied, "Dead! Dead for sure! So dead that even the gods couldn't save him!"
Bu Jingyun released his grip and stood there in a daze.
He had devoted his heart and soul to revenge, and now Xiongba was dead. Where was he supposed to avenge Kong Ci? Where could he vent the fury burning in his chest?
Bu Jingyun turned and glared at Chu Yang. "You stopped me from taking my revenge. You will pay for this!"
He was just about to strike when Jian Chen firmly blocked him, whispering in his ear, "This man's martial arts are no weaker than my master's. You can't beat him—don't be reckless."
Chu Yang ignored him. Instead, he grabbed Wen Chouchou, who was trying to slip away, and said coldly, "Explain Xiongba's plan to turn the three senior brothers against each other. Save him from acting like an idiot."
"Yes, my lord," Wen Chouchou replied obediently.
Though he had no idea how Chu Yang knew all this, he still recounted everything honestly—the prophecy given by Mud Buddha and all the causes and consequences—to Bu Jingyun.
After hearing it all, Bu Jingyun's expression grew complicated. "So I misunderstood Senior Brother Qin and Junior Brother Feng…"
"If you don't go up now, Qin Shuang will be beaten to death by the Twelve Fiends of the Heavenly Pool," Chu Yang kindly reminded him.
"I'll settle accounts with you next time!" Bu Jingyun shot Chu Yang a cold glance.
Oh?
Who do you think you are?
Chu Yang kicked Bu Jingyun hard in the rear, sending him flying straight up the mountain. Bu Jingyun clutched his backside, rolling on the ground in pain.
By the time Bu Jingyun wanted to find Chu Yang again, Chu Yang had already disappeared with the Sword Saint's body.
Left with no choice, Bu Jingyun swallowed his anger and rushed toward the World's Number One Tower. Given Qin Shuang's loyalty to Xiongba, he might really fight the Twelve Fiends to the death.
After leaving the World Society, Chu Yang carried the Sword Saint's body to the Chinese Pavilion, moving far faster than he had on the way there.
Nameless seemed to have anticipated that Chu Yang would bring the Sword Saint's remains back and had already prepared a burial site.
Together, they held a simple funeral for the Sword Saint.
"Judging by Xiongba's fate, he shouldn't have died like this. That's why I tried to dissuade the Sword Saint from taking such a risk," Nameless sighed. "I never expected even Xiongba to die."
Even now, he couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong.
No matter how much he calculated, he never accounted for Chu Yang—a variable that didn't belong to this world at all.
"Before passing, Senior Sword Saint entrusted Sword Twenty-Three to me and asked me to find a successor for it," Chu Yang said. "I'd like to stay at the Chinese Pavilion for a while to discuss Sword Twenty-Three with you…"
Nameless was deeply curious about Sword Twenty-Three himself and readily agreed.
With Nameless's help, Chu Yang's comprehension of Sword Twenty-Three would only accelerate.
But Chu Yang had even more important matters to attend to. Seeing that Nameless had yet to comprehend Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin, Chu Yang decided to give him a push.
During his stay at the Chinese Pavilion, Chu Yang discussed Sword Twenty-Three with Nameless while casually dropping hints about the core principles of Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin.
"Senior, do you think there are martial arts in this world that require one to cripple their own cultivation before learning them?"
"Crippling one's own cultivation? Where did you hear such a thing? That doesn't sound like the orthodox path."
"The Daoist who taught me swordsmanship said it. When he was young, he suffered a great calamity, and all his martial arts were destroyed—he became like a blank sheet of paper again."
"A blank sheet of paper?"
"Yes. What he learned in his youth was too mixed, like a chaotic painting. Once it returned to blank, he could focus on painting a single color."
"The Daoist who taught you Taiji sword intent?"
Chu Yang nodded. To guide Nameless toward Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin, he had no choice but to borrow Zhang Sanfeng's name.
The effect was excellent.
Chu Yang relayed many key points of Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin to Nameless, all under the guise of Zhang Sanfeng's teachings.
He mixed in Taiji philosophy and years of Zhang Sanfeng's martial insights.
After his duel with Chu Yang, Nameless had already gained much enlightenment. With Chu Yang's deliberate guidance, inspiration for Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin exploded in his mind.
The next day, Nameless specifically asked Chu Yang to guard him as he entered long-term seclusion, instructing that no one disturb him.
As a result, he completely missed the news of the peerless sword's emergence.
Though Xiongba was dead, Bu Jingyun would most likely still go to the Sword Casting Villa to obtain the peerless sword, because he had hidden Kong Ci's body in the imperial mausoleum.
The mausoleum had the World-Severing Stone—impenetrable and weighing tens of thousands of jin. Without the peerless sword, it couldn't be opened.
In the end, it was Bu Jingyun bringing trouble upon himself.
But with Duan Lang already killed by Chu Yang, even if Bu Jingyun went to the Sword Casting Villa, the future events might not unfold the same way.
After all, Jian Chen only turned into a beast because Duan Lang fed him the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Pill.
Two months later—
The chaos stirred by the peerless sword finally subsided. Bu Jingyun seized the sword and vanished without a trace, while Jian Chen returned to the Chinese Pavilion safe and sound, seemingly unchanged.
Just as Chu Yang was lamenting the missed chance to send Jian Chen on his way, Nameless emerged from seclusion, his sword qi and sword intent purer than ever.
"Many thanks, young friend, for guarding me all these days. Thanks to you, I was fortunate enough to master Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin!"
With Nameless having mastered it, Chu Yang naturally proposed a duel. Nameless agreed readily, seemingly eager to test the art's power.
They returned to the same forest as before.
Only this time, the Sword Saint was no longer there.
A cause for melancholy.
Jian Chen, the sole spectator, was filled with excitement despite his lingering dislike for Chu Yang.
This might well be the highest-level sword duel under heaven.
And he would be its witness.
Unlike last time, Nameless drew the Hero Sword immediately, while Chu Yang instead imitated the Sword Saint—using qi to control the sword and fighting with sword qi.
Nameless used the Nameless Sword Art.Chu Yang used the Holy Spirit Sword Art.
It was as if the Sword Saint were crossing infinite time and space to duel Nameless once more.
With perfect tacit understanding, the two used this method to mourn the fallen Sword Saint.
Whether Sword Twenty-Three or Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin was stronger had been the Sword Saint's lifelong obsession.
Countless sword qi erupted, destroying everything around them. Even Jian Chen, merely observing, had to retreat to avoid the overwhelming aftermath.
In the next instant, he stared back at the battlefield, his eyes filled with yearning.
The Nameless Sword Art's natural restraint over the Holy Spirit Sword Art seemed less effective here. Nameless failed to gain a clear advantage.
After another moment—
Nameless gathered his sword momentum and finally unleashed the Sword Sect's supreme secret art passed down for generations—Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin.
Ferocious sword qi surged from his body. His figure became like a breeze, sword qi scattering in all directions like a violent storm, filling the sky.
A web of swords—spectacular beyond words.
Chu Yang stood firm, Armament Haki covering his entire body, reinforced by the Nine Yang Divine Skill, allowing the sword qi to crash against him freely.
Clang after clang echoed endlessly.
Standing amid the rain of sword qi, Chu Yang resembled an Immovable Wisdom King of legend—Nameless's Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin couldn't harm him in the slightest.
Nameless's expression changed.
"To think there exists such an overbearing body-refining art…"
He remembered the first time he met Chu Yang, when Chu Yang repelled the Hero Sword with a single finger, making it tremble in protest.
From that moment, he knew Chu Yang was a formidable body-refinement expert—he just never imagined even Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin couldn't wound him.
"Senior Nameless, I'm striking now," Chu Yang shouted.
Nameless immediately steadied his mind, condensing his sword qi. Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin shifted from offense to defense.
Golden light erupted from Chu Yang's body.
Time and space seemed to freeze.
Chu Yang took a single step—like shrinking the earth to inches—and appeared before Nameless in an instant, stabbing at his vital point with a sword finger.
Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin activated automatically, forming layers of solid sword-qi barriers around Nameless.
Fear and shock flashed through Nameless's eyes!
In his view, Sword Twenty-Three had already transcended swordsmanship itself.
It was more like a rule.
"This peerless sword art truly surpasses Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin," Nameless blurted out instinctively, only to realize he could move again.
When he looked up, Chu Yang had already withdrawn his strike.
"Senior, that's not quite right," Chu Yang said. "Sword Twenty-Three is indeed powerful, but it still has a flaw—the swordsman himself. Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin happens to compensate for that weakness."
"Hahaha, I know your intent," Nameless laughed. "I won't keep Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin to myself. Consider it repayment for the many kindnesses you've shown."
Nameless felt that without Chu Yang's subtle guidance, he might never have comprehended its true essence.
Not to mention that today, Chu Yang had openly demonstrated Sword Twenty-Three before him, holding nothing back.
The two began exchanging insights.
Day turned to night, night to day—the sun rose and set several times. Jian Chen couldn't hold on any longer and returned to the Chinese Pavilion first.
Another half day passed.
Chu Yang returned to the Chinese Pavilion together with Nameless and began closed-door cultivation to practice Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin, with Nameless guarding him.
In truth, Chu Yang didn't need anyone to protect him at all. He deliberately dispersed his inner energy, but all his other abilities remained intact.
Thanks to his extremely powerful physique and abundant vitality, the damage caused by dispersing his inner energy was negligible.
It was precisely during the period when Chu Yang was dispersing his cultivation that—
An unfriendly guest arrived at the Chinese Pavilion.
Po Jun!
The moment Po Jun entered, brimming with killing intent, he smashed the main hall to pieces, roaring for Nameless to come out. He even injured the shopkeeper who tried to reason with him.
Blocking the exits, he used the lives of the guests as leverage to force Nameless to appear.
Utterly arrogant!
"Why must you drag innocent people into our feud?"
Nameless used sword qi to blast open an escape route, then walked to the shopkeeper's side and used his inner energy to heal his injuries.
Po Jun wanted to provoke him further.
Nameless turned and stared at him. His eyes were like divine swords.
"If you want to fight, I'll accompany you. But do not harm others here."
Po Jun froze.
All the prepared taunts stuck in his throat. The Nameless before him seemed very different from the one he remembered.
After healing the shopkeeper, Nameless didn't even look at Po Jun. He walked straight out of the Chinese Pavilion.
Po Jun was furious, yet intimidated by Nameless's aura and didn't dare make a move.
When the two reached the outskirts, Nameless said coldly:
"Po Jun, today I will only ask you one thing. Was it you who poisoned my beloved wife back then?"
Po Jun burst into laughter.
"So that's why you've changed. You were holding back all this just to seek revenge? That's right! I killed her!"
Even though Nameless had long prepared himself, his heart still trembled violently.
"So it really was you… In the end, it was I who caused her death…"
Seeing Nameless's grief, Po Jun unleashed his inner energy, shaking loose the twin swords on his back. Before the swords even landed in his hands, he rushed forward and attacked first.
Nameless responded calmly, countering every move with ease.
At this point, his martial cultivation far surpassed Po Jun's. Dealing with him was effortless.
Po Jun seemed to have anticipated this. As he caught the twin swords, he unleashed the ultimate move he had learned in the Eastern Seas—
"Killing, Breaking, and the Wolf."
For the sake of this technique, he had stayed in the Eastern Seas for over a decade.
"Po Jun, our grudge began with Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin. It should also end with it."
A vast torrent of sword qi erupted from Nameless!
He leapt into the air, sword qi flowing like rain, scattering in all directions!
Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin!
"You learned Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin?! Nameless, you despicable bastard! You secretly opened the Sword Sect's hidden vault!"
Po Jun was driven mad with rage. His moves immediately revealed flaws, and the endless sword qi seized the opening, striking directly into his dantian.
With this blow, Po Jun's dantian was destroyed—he was utterly crippled!
"I only ever had half of the key. How could I possibly obtain the Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin manual?"
"I comprehended it myself."
Nameless shook his head with a sigh.
Out of respect for their master's past kindness, he couldn't bring himself to kill Po Jun.
"You… comprehended it yourself…"
"That's impossible! There's no such thing!"
Po Jun stared at Nameless in disbelief. This truth hurt him far more than if Nameless had stolen the technique.
"From this day onward, live quietly as an ordinary person."
Nameless turned and left, unwilling to spare Po Jun another glance.
Not far from where they fought, Jian Chen was being held hostage.
Standing beside Jian Chen were two men—Jue Xin, eldest son of Jue Wushen, and his younger brother, Jue Tian.
"We must quickly report to Father that Nameless has comprehended Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin!"
...
"Having inner energy that's too deep is also a problem. Just dispersing it takes a ridiculous amount of time."
After mastering Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin, Chu Yang stepped out of his room, only to find no one outside.
"They said they'd guard me, but there's not a soul in sight. What kind of guarding is this?"
Looking puzzled, Chu Yang walked out to find something to eat—only to discover the Chinese Pavilion had been smashed to pieces, with the staff leading people in cleanup.
After casually asking around, he learned that Po Jun had come.
"So… that means Jue Wushen is here too?"
"His Killing Fist is average, but his Indestructible Golden Body is somewhat interesting…"
Ever since Wood Release in the Naruto world, Chu Yang had developed a fondness for skills that stacked defensive layers.
Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin was already top-tier for defense.
Since he couldn't eat anyway, Chu Yang decided to go find Jue Wushen and "borrow" the Indestructible Golden Body.
Unexpectedly, he ran into Nameless returning just as he stepped outside.
When Nameless saw Chu Yang, a smile appeared on his face.
"Young friend, your talent truly is astonishing. Less than half a month, and you've already emerged from seclusion."
As he spoke, Nameless stepped forward, forming a sword with his fingers and stabbing at Chu Yang.
Chu Yang likewise raised a finger as a sword, meeting Nameless head-on.
Their sword qi collided, producing a noticeable shockwave.
Nameless withdrew his finger and nodded in satisfaction.
"Your Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin is extremely refined—no weaker than mine."
Chu Yang humbly exchanged a few words, then asked:
"Senior, was that Po Jun who came earlier?"
Nameless nodded.
"He spent over ten years in the Eastern Seas to learn 'Killing, Breaking, and the Wolf' to defeat me. Just now, I shattered his dantian with Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin. One could say he got what he wanted."
Chu Yang silently smacked his lips—'got what he wanted'. Nameless could be ruthless when he chose to be.
"Besides Po Jun, did you encounter anyone else, Senior?"
"No."
Nameless shook his head decisively.
"'Killing, Breaking, and the Wolf' is a secret art of Godless Palace. Po Jun should have ties to them."
"Godless Palace operates despicably. They'll likely target you next."
The moment Chu Yang finished speaking, Nameless's expression changed.
"Not good! I haven't been able to contact Chen'er for days. I assumed he was busy, but that's never happened before."
"He's most likely been taken by Godless Palace."
Nameless spoke urgently and hurried to leave.
"Senior, please don't panic. If they captured Jian Chen, it means they want something. They'll come to you soon—we might as well wait."
Chu Yang stopped Nameless, intending to wait for Jue Wushen to come knocking himself.
"That makes sense."
After calming down, Nameless chose to heed Chu Yang's advice.
Years ago, Jue Wushen had already lost to him once. Nameless had no reason to fear a defeated foe.
So the two waited at the Chinese Pavilion for Godless Palace to arrive.
Given Jue Wushen's pride, once he learned Nameless had mastered Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin, he would certainly come to challenge him.
His goal was to dominate the Central Plains' martial world.
Defeating Nameless was the fastest way to build overwhelming prestige.
Two days later.
The Chinese Pavilion received a challenge letter, signed by Jue Wushen himself. Using Jian Chen's safety as leverage, he formally challenged Nameless to a duel.
Chu Yang accompanied Nameless to the appointed location.
When they arrived, they saw Jue Wushen—and also Jian Chen, tightly bound with ropes.
Chu Yang smiled very happily. He and Jian Chen had never gotten along, and he hoped the other man would suffer a bit more.
"Nameless, we finally meet again. Do you still remember this old man?"Jue Wushen stood with his back to them, striking the pose of a lonely supreme expert.
"A defeated opponent, that's all. Good thing you came early—give it a few more years, and I might truly forget who you are.""Ten years ago you weren't my match. Today you still won't be. And in the future, even less so."
Nameless opened with full mockery, completely unlike his usual demeanor.
Chu Yang could tell that Nameless had also placed his wife's death on Jue Wushen's head. He couldn't bring himself to kill Po Jun, but Jue Wushen? He could kill him a hundred times without blinking.
Surrounded by members of Godless Palace, Nameless's words were equivalent to grinding Jue Wushen's face into the dirt.
Enraged and humiliated, Jue Wushen spun around, his arms trembling as golden light enveloped his entire body—Indestructible Golden Body activated.
Then he raised his hand and unleashed a Killing Fist!
The terrifying fist force blasted toward Nameless through the air, sand and stones flying in an instant.
Nameless's fingertip sliced through the void, sword qi shattering the incoming blow. In the same breath, he closed the distance, engaging Jue Wushen in close combat.
Sword qi continuously slashed against the Indestructible Golden Body, exploding in bursts of golden light.
Nameless's first thought was that Jue Wushen's Indestructible Golden Body was inferior to Chu Yang's body tempering. His movements became noticeably calmer.
Jue Wushen had long prepared himself for a decisive battle. His Killing Fist struck fiercely, each blow heavy and brutal, smashing head-on into razor-sharp sword qi.
After a short while, Jue Wushen's offensive slowed.
He realized that no matter how strong his Killing Fist was, it couldn't break Nameless's protective sword qi—and his Indestructible Golden Body was approaching its limit.
At that moment—
Nameless's sword finger slammed into Jue Wushen's qi sea. The single strike sent him staggering backward.
Realizing defeat was imminent, Jue Wushen suddenly pointed toward the bound Jian Chen.
Nameless halted, furious. "Despicable!"
"Winner takes all, loser eats dirt. You don't understand something that simple?""Hahaha! So much for Heavenly Sword Nameless—still defeated by my schemes!"
Jue Wushen threw his head back in wild laughter, utterly arrogant.
"Little friend A-Yang, please help me hold him for a moment. I'll go save Chen'er," Nameless said, turning to Chu Yang.
"Please go, Senior."
Chu Yang stepped toward Jue Wushen.
"Nameless! You actually let a wet-behind-the-ears brat stop me? Then I'll beat him to death right in front of you!"
Jue Wushen stared viciously at Chu Yang, believing this threat would force Nameless into a dilemma.
But Nameless didn't even glance back—he charged straight toward the Godless Palace members.
Jue Wushen panicked and turned to stop him.
"People can leave," Chu Yang said calmly, "but your Indestructible Golden Body stays."
Chu Yang's pupils abruptly turned red, tomoe spinning within. In a flash, he appeared in front of Jue Wushen.
"You're courting death!"Jue Wushen raised his Killing Fist, intending to smash this arrogant youngster outright.
Boom!!!
The Killing Fist struck Chu Yang squarely in the chest, like pounding a muffled drum. Jue Wushen's pupils shrank—his entire arm throbbed with pain.
"My turn."
Chu Yang threw a punch straight at Jue Wushen's face.
Jue Wushen crossed his arms to block, but a horrifying force exploded through him, golden light flaring violently over his body.
Jue Wushen was terrified—he nearly screamed.
Just one punch had nearly shattered his Indestructible Golden Body.
"I've learned it."
In that instant, Chu Yang's Sharingan had already memorized the full circulation paths of Indestructible Golden Body.
"What?!"Jue Wushen froze.
"I mean—you can die now."
Chu Yang swung his right fist with full force. Eleventh-layer Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique erupted, mountain-splitting power crashing into Jue Wushen.
BANG!!!
The Eastern Sea tyrant who ruled through Indestructible Golden Body was smashed into a pile of minced flesh before everyone's eyes.
Jue Xin: "???"Jue Tian: "???"Jian Chen: "???"Nameless: "..."
Holy shit.
Our dad is gone.
Jue Xin and Jue Tian stared blankly at the bloody pulp on the ground, feeling as though they were dreaming.
Even Nameless was stunned. He hadn't expected Jue Wushen to be beaten to death in just two punches.
Indestructible Golden Body had withstood hundreds of sword qi strikes.
Chu Yang's physical strength once again shattered Nameless's understanding.
"Master… I swear I'll never offend Senior A-Yang again…"Jian Chen's legs gave out, warmth spreading below his waist.
Even when he'd been kidnapped and tortured by Jue Wushen, he hadn't been this scared.
A living person… beaten into pieces?
Wasn't it supposed to be Indestructible Golden Body?
You tanked so much sword qi—couldn't you even handle bare fists?
"Sorry," Chu Yang said politely, smiling at the Godless Palace crowd. "Been a bit irritable lately."
"AAAAH!!! Don't kill me!""Help! Please spare me!""I'm leaving! I'll leave right now!"
After a chorus of wailing, most of the Godless Palace members fled in all directions.
Are you kidding?
If someone as strong as Jue Wushen got beaten to death, why would they stay?Stick around as bonus loot?Risk their lives for a few coins a month?
The young Jue Tian stared vacantly, unable to process what had happened.
His brother Jue Xin, however, was already preparing to flee with the others.
"Please take your father with you. Don't pollute the environment," Chu Yang kindly reminded them.
Jue Xin's legs trembled. He didn't dare run anymore. Enduring grief and humiliation, he began collecting his father's remains.
Such a huge mess—who knew how long it would take to clean up.
Watching his brother wipe up their father like cleaning a table, Jue Tian vomited violently.
Jian Chen turned his head away, feeling like he might throw up as well.
Nameless walked over and cut the ropes binding Jian Chen.
"Thank you, Master, I—ugh…"
Jian Chen ultimately couldn't hold it in anymore. Together with Jue Tian, he squatted in the corner and vomited nonstop.
"Young people—still lacking training,"Chu Yang shook his head helplessly, then noticed Nameless's face was also pale, his lips twitching.
"With Jue Wushen dead, the Godless Palace should collapse just like the World Society. At least that's one less thing to worry about," Chu Yang said to Nameless.
"Dongying has always coveted our Central Plains martial world. This time it was Jue Wushen—next time, it may not be him,"Nameless sighed. He had wanted to stay out of worldly affairs, but when things truly came to pass, he realized he couldn't simply stand aside.
"You mean… you plan to come out of seclusion?"Chu Yang was rather surprised. Nameless's shift in thinking was abrupt, even catching him off guard.
Had he influenced him somehow?
"Not exactly coming out of seclusion," Nameless replied."I plan to use the Chinese Pavilion as a base, quietly amassing strength, just in case the demons rise again in the future. It's better to be prepared."
"So you're planning to go head-on with Di Shitian,"Chu Yang said with a playful grin, finding the situation suddenly far more interesting.
Huh?That sounds kind of like what I'm planning too…
Why do I feel like I'm becoming more and more like a villain?
Chu Yang quickly dismissed the strange thought.
"A-Yang, if you have nowhere to go, why not stay here at the Chinese Pavilion?"Nameless's first recruitment target was actually Chu Yang.
What's this?Wind and Cloud version of the Avengers?
Chu Yang nodded. "I don't really have anywhere to go anyway. Staying here and freeloading meals sounds good."
Nameless smiled with visible relief. "Meals guaranteed. Wine included."
Hearing their conversation, Jian Chen's face instantly turned ashen.
He really, really didn't want to deal with Chu Yang anymore.
The psychological shadow was just too severe.
"Brother Jian Chen," Chu Yang suddenly leaned in close, smiling warmly."Your expression makes it look like you don't really welcome me?"
"A-Yang, Senior, how could that be?"Jian Chen put on a face full of sincerity."I admire you deeply. I'd be honored to sweep the floor and welcome you!"
...
One Punch Man World
The great prophet Shibabawa, who could predict disasters with 100% accuracy, had passed away.
Before dying, she left behind a note with just four words:
"The Earth is in trouble."
As a result, the Hero Association headquarters convened an emergency meeting, requiring all S-Class heroes to attend.
Saitama and Genos, who were at Bang's dojo, were also temporarily dragged in.
Genos was fine—he was already an S-Class hero.
But Saitama, having missed out on credit for defeating the Deep Sea King, was still only C-Class.
A single C-Class hero standing among a crowd of S-Class heroes was extremely eye-catching.
The atmosphere was heavy. Everyone looked at Saitama with disdain.
Until—
Another C-Class hero arrived.
Sonic.
Saitama instantly felt much less awkward and even waved at Sonic in a friendly manner.
Sonic ignored him, retreating respectfully to the side.
Chu Yang slowly walked into the conference room.
The atmosphere shifted from heavy to tense.
Especially Tatsumaki—when she saw Chu Yang, her heart skipped a beat. She immediately pretended nothing was wrong.
The other S-Class heroes already knew the result of Tatsumaki's battle with Chu Yang.
Most wore expressions of pure anticipation, eager to watch the drama.
Atomic Samurai looked openly displeased. His three disciples had suffered badly at Sonic's hands—wasn't that indirectly saying Chu Yang trained better than him?
Flashy Flash's gaze lingered on Sonic, his expression complicated. It was only after the Deep Sea King incident that he learned Sonic had joined the Hero Association.
As for Chu Yang, the Hero Association maintained a cautious attitude.
If not for this crisis threatening the entire planet, they wouldn't have contacted him at all.
After all, relations between the two sides had previously been extremely unpleasant.
Chu Yang casually plopped down next to Saitama.
Saitama silently scooted a bit to the side.
Chu Yang laughed. "Are you afraid of me?"
Saitama shook his head. "I just don't want nightmares."
Chu Yang continued, "Didn't you say you were interested in ninjutsu? Come to the Evolution House next time—I can teach you."
Saitama's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Chu Yang nodded. "Of course."
Having Saitama come by the Evolution House regularly was a good thing—at least there'd be no shortage of bloodline factors.
The two chatted enthusiastically, completely ignoring the purpose of the meeting.
The presiding board member kept coughing, but couldn't interrupt their conversation. Left with no choice, he began the meeting.
There wasn't much core content—just a few sentences.
Some S-Class heroes took it very seriously, while others didn't care at all.
The opposing stances quickly turned into heated arguments.
"It's just a potential crisis that might happen within half a year. Is it really necessary to gather everyone now—"
Before Child Emperor could finish speaking, the entire building began to shake violently.
Outside the windows, several winged monsters—led by a monster calling itself the Sky King—were attacking the Hero Association headquarters.
The heroes were just about to act—
When the Sky King was suddenly sliced in half.
His corpse fell from the sky.
Everyone looked up.
A massive interstellar battleship had appeared above City A.
(End of Chapter)