Reaper of the Martial World

Book 12: Chapter 20: Speak Less (2)

Pill Sword Mountain.

It was a Hegemon that stood amongst the topmost Hegemons, ranked at the very highest God tier. It had stood for countless trillions of years, having a history almost as long as the existence of the Immortal Plane itself.

Its name was quite odd at first glance. However, it was written this way on purpose.

The sword was the ancestor of all weapons. It was among the simplest and most difficult to use at the same time. It encompassed the magnitude of nature and the complexity of the Heavens. Even those who chose to use weapons aside from it appreciated its majesty.

A mountain was the embodiment of stability and sturdiness. It was steadfast and longstanding, an existence with a foundation that reached endless depths and a height that pierced through the skies. Some of the oldest structures of the Immortal Plane came in the form of mountains, those ancient existences that had stood since time immemorial.

And yet, simply put, the Pill came first. There was no grandiose explanation aside from this one line.

However, when the receptionist and Venerable Piers head these words, it wasn’t because of the lauded Pill Sword Mountain, a reality that would have baffled those who didn’t understand the legends.

Many trillions of years ago, Pill Sword Mountain stood above many. Very few could match its power. However, everyone was aware that the greatest alchemist of their Immortal Plane was not the Head of Pill Sword Mountain, but rather a man no one dared breathe the name of.

Much like other Hegemons and Immortals, Pill Sword Mountain was exceptionally elitist. There was a point in time where mortals were not even allowed to take their certification exams. Even those rare few unlucky enough to be born with mortal bodies, but lucky enough to have innate auroras, were instead killed to have their soul talents snatched away.

When that man rose to power, he found out about these things. It may have been shocking to many that it took so long, but he simply hadn’t had a mind to focus on anything but his own strength. He never considered joining a Pill Sword Mountain because he relied on no one else but himself and his master to rise. Plus, it was he who created array alchemy, evolving it from the normal, piddling alchemy that ruled Pill Sword Mountain.

So, when he learned that those birthed with a talent he created were being used and abused by Pill Sword Mountain, how could he not be pissed?

No one dared to touch Pill Sword Mountain. It wasn’t just because of their power, but also because of the resources they represented. If one offended them, they could forget about consuming another pill in their lifetimes, if they lived long enough to regret such a thing, that is.

However, this man didn’t care. He slaughtered his way into Pill Sword Mountain, single handedly killing every single so-called expert that dared to consume the Innate Aurora of another.

In the end of it all, the only way Pill Sword Mountain managed to appease him was by swearing a Heavenly Oath that promised to treat both immortals and mortals fairly in the certification process. It was an event that shocked the Immortal Plane and one that reverberated even to this very day.

A Heavenly Oath, especially one sworn on the foundational Faith of a Hegemon, is even more binding than a soul contract. Should there come a day where Pill Sword Mountain ever broke this promise, their Hegemon that had stood since the beginning of all would crumble before their eyes.

This was exactly why the receptionist and Venerable Piers both trembled beside themselves. Even though there were rumors that that man had passed, the Heavenly Oath still stood strong. If Pill Sword Mountain found out that they were disobeying these rules…

Their establishment was nameless, simply known as an alchemy guild. They didn’t have the right to be bestowed a name as names held power, which would require Pill Sword Mountain to share some of its Faith with them.  

In addition, not every alchemy establishment was under the control of Pill Sword Mountain, that man’s actions had caused them to greatly weaken, allowing many weaker Hegemons to grow.

However, what stood as fact was that the alchemist ranking system was overseen by Pill Sword Mountain. This was how a pristine standard was held amongst all alchemists. So, even if not all alchemy Hegemons were bound by the same rule, they had to follow it nonetheless for fear of Pill Sword Mountain’s retaliation.

So, when Dyon said these words, everyone in the room felt as though an axe was looming over their heads. It took several moments before Venerable Piers recollected himself.

When he finally settled himself down, he forced down his anger and replaced it with a sneer.

He unfortunately had no idea that Dyon wasn’t aware of this story at all. His previous threat of consequences was just as a result of his confidence in himself. If they dared to try to reject him, he would go to another nameless alchemy guild and build them up to the point of crushing them. But, it seemed he didn’t have to do any of that.

“Are you aware of the penalty for failing the lowest certification exam?”

Dyon, who had a curious expression on seeing their reactions, raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? Penalty? Do enlighten me.”

Venerable Piers’ sneer deepened, believing himself to have caught Dyon. He believed Dyon had thrown out the idea of a certification exam to save his skin, but that he had no real skill to speak of. It was unfortunate that the very same time Pill Sword Mountain established their rules of equality, they also added a new rule as well…  

“The penalty is death. Do follow me.”

With a spin of his heel, Venerable Piers turned.