Chapter 201: Where to Find the Seven Martial Gods?

Given the current situation, you feel it would be better to be completely open and honest with the Sword Lord.

Through the bonds formed in the third and fourth simulations with the Sword Lord, you know his character is among the rarest under heaven, only a tiny bit inferior to your own.

Therefore, he is trustworthy; there's no need to worry that he might do something unfavorable to you just because he knows too much.

You tell the Sword Lord everything: the future invasion of the Dragon-Man tribe, the secret of the world war you learned about in the Demon World, the clues you discovered while clearing out various strongholds, and even the key elements for breaking the situation with the Seven Luminaries Immortal Array.

After listening, a trace of doubt still lingers on the Sword Lord's face.

"Everything is tightly interlocked and logically rigorous. You don't seem to be lying."

"Every word is true. It's just that it involves variables spanning decades into the future. How it ultimately unfolds may not be exactly as I described, but the Dragon-Man tribe's arrival is inevitable."

With that, you present your evidence.

The Dragon-Man Pearl, along with the various materials collected from the Dragon-Man tribe strongholds.

After examining them, the Sword Lord's brow furrows tightly.

"I have never seen the material of this pearl before. It doesn't resemble a natural creation; it bears some similarity to the Demon Cores of the Demon Tribe."

Not every member of the Demon Tribe possesses a Demon Core; only those with noble bloodlines have them within their bodies.

The Sword Lord attempts to damage the pearl. Of course, he doesn't use his full strength, so he fails to destroy it.

"It doesn't seem like something from the human world..."

Combined with those vast, ocean-like records about the human world, a feeling of being scrutinized and monitored naturally arises.

You believe that at this moment, the Sword Lord already trusts you eighty percent.

"Foreseeing the future, while bizarre, is not entirely impossible.

I will personally investigate this matter later.

But right now, the matter is of utmost importance; I cannot pretend I didn't hear it.

For the time being, I will assume you are the person with the clearest understanding of the overall situation. I want to know, how can I help you?"

You think for a moment.

"Currently, the most difficult thing for me is finding seven Martial Gods. Sword Lord, do you know of any seven Martial Gods in this world?"

The Sword Lord's expression turns troubled.

"Seven... I only know of four, and one of them is..."

"Finding four is fine for now. New Martial Gods might appear in the future."

The Sword Lord reveals a bitter smile, as if wanting to say how incredibly difficult it is to become a Martial God, and that even he isn't confident of breaking through before his lifespan runs out.

"In the current human world, the Martial God realm powerhouses I know of are four. They are:

The Holy Master of the Free and Unfettered Holy Land, the Free and Unfettered God. This person's lifespan is not yet exhausted; he remains at his peak.

Shen Yang, the Founding Ancestor of the Shen Family of the Starry Domains. He prolongs his life generation after generation through secret arts. He hasn't left the Starry Domains for many years; his condition is unknown.

The Southern Borderlands' Granny Wu. She is a Guardian of the human world. Her whereabouts are mysterious, appearing and disappearing like a divine dragon. No one has ever seen her make a move.

And..."

"The Southern Borderlands' Granny Wu?"

You think of the Female Emperor's master.

"She is indeed a Martial God? I didn't expect she was also a Guardian... Oh, and the last one is?"

"The last one, the Great Qian's Ancestral Dragon, Li Wentian."

You remember this Li Wentian was the second Guardian after the ancient times.

"Isn't Li Wentian dead?"

"Yes."

"What use is a dead one..."

"Dead, but his power remains. He can still act if necessary. This is the greatest trump card ensuring the Li Imperial Clan's enduring prosperity."

"The problem is, a dead Martial God can't join the formation..."

"Even if he could, you would still be three short for forming the Seven Luminaries Immortal Array to save the world."

You ask, somewhat shamelessly.

"Ahem, is there any possibility... of pooling the strength of the entire world to elevate three people to Martial God?"

Your mind is already envisioning the glorious scene where you, the Female Emperor, and your Elder Brother are all Martial Gods.

From then on, the human world would be our home!

The Sword Lord pours a bucket of cold water on your idea.

"Even if you could unite the human world to that extent, Martial Gods are not something you can simply pile up with resources.

If it were possible, every Martial God would use force to control all the world's resources and spare no effort in cultivating their descendants to become new Martial Gods.

But look, the four Martial Gods I just mentioned have no familial ties to each other; they aren't even master and disciple.

Moreover, you cannot achieve that premise.

Everyone has their own selfish desires. Having the entire world support one person, or three people, is an ideal, not reality.

If it truly came to a life-or-death moment, I would believe people could be selfless and face the calamity together.

But in peacetime..."

The Sword Lord stops, and there's no need to say more; you understand this principle.

Even if Martial Gods could be mass-produced with resources...

By the time the Dragon-Man tribe begins its attack, if the entire human world only then unites to support three people, it would be too late. Breakthroughs aren't that easy to achieve.

You shamelessly bring up your need for some Spirit Sea realm elixir resources.

Although he doesn't know why you, already a Martial King, would need Spirit Sea realm items, the Sword Lord immediately contacts people in his sect. They will be delivered here shortly.

During the wait, you and the Sword Lord chat about some major events in the human world.

Now you truly are sitting as equals with the Sword Lord.

The topics you two discuss are on a much grander scale.

Things like whether humans and the Demon Tribe should coexist peacefully, or if one side should eliminate the other.

How many Spiritual Veins exist under heaven, and how should they be allocated to most benefit human development.

How the Central Plains court's mandate is nearing its end, and whether the Li Imperial Clan will choose a royal resurgence or start anew elsewhere.

As you chat, the Sword Lord remembers something.

"Can Martial Gods who aren't human join the array?"

"The Seven Luminaries Immortal Array doesn't specify that the Martial Gods entering the array must be human. But in the human world, if not human, then could it be the Demon Tribe?"

"You know of the Dragon Corpse and Phoenix Corpse among the Demon Tribe?"

"I've heard a little."

In the last simulation, the Dragon and Phoenix Corpses did not participate in the war against the Five Regions.

But actually, they were crucial because they had to keep an eye on the Holy Lands and the Shen Family to prevent a stab in the back.

After Azure Dragon and the others lost, they used the two corpses as an excuse, saying things like if they had come, they definitely could have won.

"Could it be that these Dragon and Phoenix Corpses are both Martial Gods? They sound dead too."

"They are dead objects, but similar to Li Wentian's situation, there are ways to make them act. However..."

The Sword Lord recounts the secret history he knows.

The Dragon and Phoenix Corpses were called the Dragon God and Phoenix God in life.

Thirty thousand years ago, they were the left and right arms of the Demon Emperor, extremely powerful enemies when the Demon World attacked the human world.

Unfortunately, they encountered the Human Emperor at his peak and were successively slain.

The physical bodies of the Demon Tribe are exceptionally robust; by the Martial God realm, they can be described as incorruptible and indestructible.

Back then, the Human Emperor only killed them but did not destroy their bodies. Later, the Dragon and Phoenix Corpses left in the human world became things no one could destroy.

As the Demon Tribe is not adept in such methods, their preservation of the two corpses has been unfavorable. So compared to thirty thousand years ago, even if there are ways to make the Dragon and Phoenix Corpses act, they no longer possess Martial God-level power.

"Now, the Dragon Corpse and Phoenix Corpse can at most be considered half-step Martial Gods. Even if the Demon Tribe is willing to cooperate, these two cannot be counted among the seven."