Ranker Who Shatters Myths - Chapter 140

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Broken Ranker

Devours Myths

 

Chapter 140

Ritual (1)

 

 

 

Kim Min-jeong let out a hollow laugh as she lowered her brooch.

“Just like Senior’s orders.”

Most of the commands were obscured by the magic storm, but understanding the content wasn’t difficult.

Hold position to protect civilians.

Help even enemies if necessary.

It was good because it was clear.

She switched the communication back to the general channel without hesitation.

“This is Cloud 1. Relaying orders. Everyone hold your positions. Repeat. Everyone hold your positions.”

Crackle.

“If the overlap continues to spread like this, it could damage civilian areas, so from now on we’re changing the mission to Ice Palace conquest and Jade elimination. Over.”

Jade, meaning ‘jade’, was Xu Changyou’s old codename.

『……firm.』

『……Confirmed.』

『……ders…….』

『……That.』

Fortunately, her orders seemed to have been properly transmitted to all team members. ASTRA’s response was also crisp.

Kim Min-jeong ran her hand through her hair.

As her magic power was nearly depleted, fatigue hit her hard, but she suppressed it for now and brought her eye back to the scope.

Rumble!!

Throughout the base, she could see Ping Xin’s unit members who had luckily avoided being swept up in the ritual and were fleeing in panic.

With pale faces, they raised both hands high, signaling desperately not to shoot.

Behind them, the ice legion was running this way.

A scene similar to what she had seen four years ago.

Her finger trembled without her knowing it, but,

“……Whew.”

Kim Min-jeong took a long breath to steady herself and placed her hand on the trigger.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, at that moment.

Dungeon ‘Present World Kunlun’.

 

Son Wukong’s eyes flashed at the unfamiliar voice that suddenly flowed out through King Wuyu’s mouth.

King Peng and Sha Wujing standing behind him also hardened their expressions.

“How dare you speak to me this way when you know who I am. You have quite the nerve.”

Son Wukong’s voice dropped very low.

His Golden Eyes of Truth glowed eerily.

As if trying to find the exact location of that being.

That being was using a skill called Telepathy.

A supernatural ability from Buddhism.

 

[Telepathy]

One of the six divine powers that practitioners who attained enlightenment in Buddhism could obtain.

-Type: Supernatural ability. Divine Authority.

-Origin: Scripture ‘Abhidharmakosa’

 

“Hehe. I’m just some nobody who’s grown too old and lives worrying about maintaining my position. If this country bumpkin truly had such nerve, wouldn’t I have come to pay my respects in person?”

Feng Jinghao smiled vaguely, deflecting Son Wukong’s anger.

A good-natured smile. He appeared to be acting respectfully to gain Son Wukong’s favor.

“So there’s no need for you to go through the trouble of finding this country bumpkin’s location, Great Sage Equal to Heaven. I’m already not where you’re looking.”

His words were true.

Son Wukong’s Golden Eyes of Truth could penetrate all sorcery.

Even the Main Gods couldn’t escape from here, yet strangely that being’s supernatural ability appeared blurry.

No, his eyes were visible. But they were his eyes, yet not his eyes.

He was daring to ‘look at the Golden Eyes of Truth’ while borrowing the power of something else.

Something that looked like glasses.

Could it be a Sacred Relic?

“Sha Wujing!”

“Understood.”

Flash!

Sha Wujing struck the ground hard with his staff and disappeared with the wind.

It was to get a clearer grasp of the situation.

Moreover, there was a familiar scent from the supernatural ability cast on King Wuyu.

Son Wukong growled.

“You, what’s your relationship with Xuanzang?”

King Peng’s eyes widened in the middle.

Xuanzang?

That was Tripitaka’s name.

King Wuyu twisted his lips.

“By chance, I happened to have a connection with that person and came to serve him. Should I call myself a disciple? Though in the Master’s eyes, I’m probably just a lacking country bumpkin.”

“……!”

“……!!”

Son Wukong’s eyes bulged.

King Peng covered his mouth.

“I’ve been receiving various help from the Master. Being able to see the Great Sage Equal to Heaven whom I so wanted to meet through the Nine Spirits Saint, isn’t this also what Buddhism calls the bonds of fate?”

Though he spoke in circles, it meant he had Xuanzang Tripitaka with him.

In the end, the golden bands binding King Wuyu, being able to speak through telepathy,

and being difficult to locate with the Golden Eyes of Truth were all results obtained by exploiting Xuanzang Tripitaka’s myth.

Son Wukong clenched his fists.

King Peng felt anger so thick it was suffocating.

Rumble………

The dungeon shook slightly.

“Anyway, the reason this coward wanted to meet the Great Sage Equal to Heaven like this was to dare request a deal.”

“A deal?”

Son Wukong’s eyes twisted.

Heh.

Feng Jinghao smiled faintly.

“That’s right. The position this country bumpkin currently finds himself in is quite precarious. So, what I’m saying is,”

“……?”

“Won’t you give this humble man a chance to inherit your Fighting Against Heaven technique?”

“……!!”

“If you do, this old man will confess the whereabouts of your remaining brothers that I’ve discovered. How about it? Doesn’t that sound tempting?”

Son Wukong clamped his mouth shut. Rage flowed down from the corners of his eyes.

The Peng Demon King also fell silent.

The smile hanging on Yu Rong Wang’s lips spread wickedly.

“Ah, of course I’ll return the Bull Demon King here unharmed. I’ll also give you the Golden Child’s Release Method. This seems like quite a reasonable trade condition.”

The Peng Demon King couldn’t bring himself to interrupt this conversation.

The whereabouts of their brothers was important, but she also knew how crucial the Fighting Against Heaven technique was to Son Wukong.

The ultimate technique he had perfected even while giving up his position as Buddha.

His entire life was contained within it.

It was also the reason the Chief Deities had tried to kill Son Wukong.

And now he was asking for that to be handed over?

Using their brothers as leverage to demand everything he had.

‘Master Sa! Please find him quickly! This is truly dangerous at this rate!!’

But somehow she kept feeling increasingly anxious.

“I don’t know where you picked that up, but do you even know what you’re talking about? What? Want to become a god or something?”

“If I could become a god, that would be wonderful. No matter how expensive an item is, it can’t create immortality or rejuvenation. If this body that has already grown disgustingly old could enjoy the blessings of eternal life and immortality, what couldn’t I do?”

Son Wukong smelled a nose-rotting stench from the creature.

A stench full of rotten old desires.

“No matter how much I squeezed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven’s brothers, somehow it wasn’t enough – something was still lacking. So what I found was,”

“The Fighting Against Heaven technique?”

“Exactly. The Fighting Against Heaven technique is the power to escape the reality of the world and leap into the ideal. I desperately need that.”

The creature smiled wickedly with Yu Rong Wang’s face and bowed its head.

“Therefore, I have been searching for you for a very long time, Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Much longer than you might think.”

Yu Rong Wang’s gaze rolled toward the Peng Demon King and curved into an arc.

“Perhaps the Sage Who Moves Heaven over there would know this better.”

“……You were the real master of this place!! That one from back then!”

Sparks flew from the Peng Demon King’s twisted eyes.

Memories of an oppressed past surfaced.

An eternal grudge she could never forget in her lifetime.

Because of that, she had even lost one of her brothers.

But such anger was joy to Feng Jinghao, who possessed Yu Rong Wang.

“Hehe. You seem to think this is the only place?”

“……What?”

“The Sea-Covering Great Sage buried somewhere in a Pacific trench, the Mountain-Moving Great Sage being devoured by wolf-like creatures, and even the Heaven-Pacifying Great Sage whose traces cannot be found. All of them were ‘hunted’ under this humble man’s direction.”

“……!!”

The Sea-Covering Great Sage meant the second brother, the Flood Dragon Demon King, and the Mountain-Moving Great Sage was the fourth brother, the Lion-Camel King.

And the Heaven-Pacifying Great Sage was the Bull Demon King, the eldest of the Seven Great Sages.

“Your arrogant talk of gods and logos – in the end, to this humble man, it was all just simple ‘firewood’ for immortality and eternal life.”

Whoooosh!!

The flames rising from the Peng Demon King formed a whirlwind. The sky instantly turned bright red.

“However, I also learned quite a lot thanks to that. I discovered that the true nature of you who acted so arrogantly as if you were rulers controlling this entire world was more insignificant than I thought.”

There was exactly one emotion contained in Feng Jinghao’s tone.

Contempt.

“I also learned what you are trying to hide from this world.”

For a moment, the Peng Demon King unconsciously drew in a sharp breath.

The corners of Yu Rong Wang’s mouth spread wide. His fangs gleamed.

“The Outer Sea.”

“……!”

“You were trying to hide that from us mortals by any means necessary, weren’t you?”

“……!!”

“On the surface, you desperately make excuses that it would only bring chaos if we mortals knew, but in reality, you were trembling in fear that the petty order you established would crumble and your vested interests would be destroyed along with it.”

“…….”

“But you were different, Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

Yu Rong Wang’s gaze turned toward Son Wukong.

His eyes blazed with vitality.

The emotion contained this time wasn’t contempt.

Worship.

“Learning more secrets, I came to realize that you were a true god and king. Different in class from those Chief Deities who only pursue falsehoods… A king whose very perspective was different from the beginning.”

Feng Jinghao had made Son Wukong his idol.

“That’s why this humble man has been searching for you all this time. To find even the smallest trace of your footsteps.”

Within the vision of his Golden Eyes of Truth.

Over Yu Rong Wang’s face with its particularly gleaming fangs, the face of a completely different being overlapped.

It was certainly the face of a kindly old man from the countryside,

But to Son Wukong, it looked like the smile of a fierce evil spirit living in the heart of a burning hell.

“So you want the Fighting Against Heaven technique?”

“Because you’re different from other gods. Therefore, I need it too. This humble man’s dream lies beyond the heavens.”

Son Wukong didn’t answer for a moment.

What that fierce evil spirit was targeting wasn’t simply this world or the heavens. His deep anger and resentment reached much further beyond.

It was heaven-destroying.

“You have the appearance of a demon. A particularly vile and rotten-smelling demon at that.”

Suddenly, his Golden Eyes of Truth glowed eerily,

“A demon! Haha! That might certainly be how it looks! I suppose it naturally became this way while chasing after you as my idol,”

“No. You can never become me. You claim to have chased me, yet you don’t know me at all?”

“……?”

Yu Rong Wang stopped laughing and tilted his head. As if he couldn’t understand.

Son Wukong spoke coldly.

“Someone who would borrow others’ power to become a god claims to have tried to resemble me? What ridiculous nonsense.”

“……!!”

“I am a king, but I don’t claim to be one. Because a king is never a free being.”

“…….”

“What would the likes of you, clinging to Tripitaka and the Fighting Against Heaven technique, possibly understand?”

Feng Jinghao said nothing. His face looked as if he had received some great shock.

For someone who had spent his entire life ruling over others’ heads, his whole life had just been completely denied.

Son Wukong rose from his seat.

“I’ll accept your proposal.”

“Wukong!”

The Peng Demon King urgently called out to him, but Son Wukong extended his hand as if it was fine, stopping her.

His gaze remained fixed on Feng Jinghao.

“However, the condition is that you hand over Xuanzang as well. That person isn’t someone who should be bound by the likes of you.”

“…….”

The Peng Demon King quietly extinguished her flames while biting her lower lip hard.

An invisible tension.

On one hand, her heart ached knowing how great a decision Son Wukong had made.

But there wasn’t a trace of hesitation in his eyes.

To Son Wukong, his brothers’ safety was far more important than the Fighting Against Heaven technique, his life’s work.

“……I didn’t begin this journey to receive your recognition, but still, being denied so directly does stir up rebellious feelings, I suppose.”

Yu Rong Wang let out a hollow laugh, then stared up at Son Wukong.

A new mindset ignited.

Greed.

And the image of ambition.

“You called me the image of a demon, didn’t you? But you also possess two images, do you not?”

Demon King and Buddha.

Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Victorious Fighting Buddha.

Two faces that symbolize Son Wukong.

“This humble man will become the image of the Demon King. And thus, I will… drag you down from that position and take your place. Then, you’ll have no choice but to agree with my words. Since I’ll have become your successor.”

Successor…

Son Wukong crossed his arms and snorted.

“What a touching dream.”

“Originally, I had no intention of going this far. Haha! But you planted such a dream in me just moments ago. I wonder if I should thank you or complain about the difficulty.”

“Arrogant.”

“Besides, one must reach that level to truly be called a demon, mustn’t they?”

“You don’t know your place.”

Son Wukong realized that although Feng Jinghao possessed the status of a mortal, his vessel and boldness had already surpassed such levels.

There were few even in the heavens who could dare look him straight in the eye while spouting such nonsense.

“Here and there, so many fools want to resemble me. Idiots.”

Tsk!

Just as Son Wukong clicked his tongue,

『This bastard seems to have used clone techniques. Senior brother. I can only find his mental projection, but there’s no sign of his real body.』

Sha Wujing’s voice came through the psychic link.

‘Clone techniques?’

『That’s right. Somehow it’s quite similar to senior brother’s clone techniques… Do you have any idea about this?』

For a moment, the face of his first master who taught him the 72 transformations and Transformation Arts, Patriarch Subodhi, flashed through Son Wukong’s mind, but,

‘No. Not at all.’

Son Wukong shook his head.

『Well, that’s true. There’s no way senior brother would have taken another disciple besides Yu.』

‘So what’s the result?’

『It doesn’t look good. This mental projection has been made to spin around in circles so many times that I can’t track it anymore. Damn! This guy seems more cunning than we thought?』

Deep anger could be felt in Sha Wujing’s laughter.

『I’ll try chasing a bit more, but I don’t think I can give you an answer worth expecting.』

‘No. It’s fine now.’

『Hmm…? What do you mean? Don’t tell me you want to give up?』

Sha Wujing’s voice turned coldly serious.

However,

Snicker.

Son Wukong chuckled lightly.

‘No. I mean it’s really fine now. Thanks to you, I now have an idea of what to do.’

Something had been crossing Son Wukong’s mind since a while ago.

If his guess was really correct, this guy called Feng Jinghao was…

『…I don’t know what you’re thinking, but your tone has completely changed. Did you come up with a good idea?』

Sha Wujing also laughed along and cut off the psychic link there.

As if he could clearly see what would happen next without watching.

“It seems the Golden Arhat has failed.”

Feng Jinghao’s voice interjected at the perfect timing.

“Well then, it should be easier to decide now. What will you do? Though it may be presumptuous of me to say, I will not accept the conditions the Great Sage Equal to Heaven has offered.”

Son Wukong silently stared at the Jade-faced King, then soon unclasped his hands from behind his back and waved them in the air.

Whoooosh-

Various lines gathered in the air, forming the shape of a scroll.

Thud!

The scroll rolled inward. It tied itself with string and fell onto Son Wukong’s palm.

“It’s a skill book containing the incantations of the Fighting Victory Style.”

The Jade-faced King grabbed the scroll Son Wukong handed over with a twisted smile.

Finally…!

Ecstasy appeared in his eyes.

However,

“But, while you may take this, I’ll give you one warning.”

Son Wukong didn’t immediately release his grip on the scroll and growled lowly.

“You said you’d take the image of the Demon King from me? But the world is made of the exquisite contrast and harmony of yin and yang. Where a Demon King is born, naturally a Buddha will also be born.”

Feng Jinghao didn’t answer for a moment. Son Wukong reflected in the Jade-faced King’s pupils was smiling.

With his fangs fully exposed.

A cruel and savage smile.

It was the smile of the great Demon King who once plunged the world into chaos.

“That Buddha will come for you before long… It would be wise to wash your neck and wait.”

Son Wukong’s will pierced into Feng Jinghao’s mind.

“Because that neck will be broken then.”

BANG!!

An invisible mark was carved into his soul.

“Hehe… Speaking such words while having the eyes of the great Demon King, there’s no greater contradiction.”

Son Wukong’s eyes curved into crescents.

“Originally, there’s only a hair’s breadth difference between Demon King and Buddha.”

“…I see. I’ll keep the Great Sage Equal to Heaven’s words in mind forever.”

“That’s good enough.”

Son Wukong released his hand from the scroll.

But the Jade-faced King didn’t retrieve it, just stared at it blankly. He seemed to be pondering something.

And then,

Rustle!

The Jade-faced King unrolled the scroll wide.

Countless densely written characters appeared in the world. The moment Feng Jinghao’s gaze tried to ‘see’ them,

“AAAAAARGH!!”

Suddenly the Jade-faced King grabbed both his eyes and began writhing in extreme agony.

 

* * *

 

Terrible pain as if his eyeballs would be torn out.

Through the power of mind-reading, the massive amount of imagery contained in the Fighting Victory Style struck Feng Jinghao’s soul.

It was too enormous a weight for him, still just a human, to accept.

‘This is… this is…!!’

Through the gaps between his slightly parted fingers.

Bloody red eyes streaming with tears of blood reflected Son Wukong.

He was smiling coldly like a great Demon King.

“Great Sage Equal to Heaven… Great Sage Equal to Heaven!!”

“Eyes are windows that reflect the soul. Not knowing your place and trying to obtain something beyond you, this is the terrible fate you face.”

Son Wukong slowly reached his hand toward him.

“Though my body is not yet complete and I cannot kill you who hides like a rat, as punishment for coveting and trying to see vain things, I’ll take your two eyeballs.”

“…!!!”

“So until the Buddha comes for you, do take good care of that neck.”

Feng Jinghao had no chance to resist. No chance to scream that it couldn’t be.

Son Wukong had already used his Golden Eyes of Truth to completely rip out the ‘eyes’ of the mind-reading power.

CRRRACK!!

The horrific sound of muscles being forcibly torn apart.

Feng Jinghao was sent flying from the Ox King without even being able to scream.

Crack!

Hissssss…….

It was right around that time when the Golden Cudgel stopped spinning and fell to the ground. Soon it turned to ash and disappeared.

“……Wukong, you.”

The Peng Demon King rushed over urgently.

Son Wukong indifferently spread his hand wide open.

Inside it were two eyeballs that appeared to belong to someone other than the Ox King.

There was also a rolled-up note. It was originally the note with his brothers’ locations that he was supposed to receive after the deal was completed.

Crunch!

Son Wukong only took the note and crushed the eyeballs.

As if he never wanted to touch them again.

And…….

“Lyu.”

“Yeah. Tell me.”

“There’s something else behind this bastard. Something completely different from the human force called the Committee.”

“What……?”

“It seems like those bastards,”

Son Wukong’s eyes deepened.

“are the real culprits who made our brothers scatter.”

“……!!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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