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Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Sun God Temple
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The group came to a halt at a peculiar place where countless sand dunes stood in rows, led by Yagul Jeokson.
This spot was called the Great Sand Hill Graveyard because the dunes rose like tombs. The dunes varied in height from three hundred to fifty zhang. Unlike the outer dunes that appeared and vanished repeatedly, the hundred or so in the center never changed.
As he stopped, four people stepped forward from the group.
"Who are they?"
Heuk Pung asked Yo Pung.
"The fat pig-looking one is Gaharap, the Wheel Demon King and abbot of the Demon Temple. The Demon Temple is the top sect of Western Snowy Sumeru Heaven among the Eight Emperors Chaotic Heavens. Next to him is the Black Curtain's leader, Storm Emperor Miyamoto. The Black Curtain is the strongest sect in Eastern Ocean Storm Heaven among the Eight Emperors Chaotic Heavens. The white-haired woman beside Miyamoto is the Ice Palace's palace lord, Neung Ha-sang."
"What are the Eight Emperors Chaotic Heavens?"
"You don't know?"
"I only know Blazing Sand Sun Heaven."
"First is the one you know: Blazing Sand Sun Heaven. It's near the Flame Mountains north of the desert—the hottest place in the sands. You saw those people in red robes on the way, right?"
"The old man with red hair?"
"Yeah. That's Geuk U-yeom, Heaven Lord Fan Zun of Sun Heaven, the strongest sect in Blazing Sand Sun Heaven."
Heuk Pung recalled the red-haired elder's face. He was a striking old man with red hair and a white beard. Perhaps because of the red hair, he exuded a profound sense of unease.
"But calling it the strongest sect in Blazing Sand Sun Heaven means there are multiple sects there?"
"Yeah. Unlike the Central Plains, the Border Wastelands have countless nations and tribes, each forming their own powers. They war to become the supreme ruler, and the final victor claims the Heaven Lord seat."
"I see. So where's the second power?"
"Xinjiang Hell Heaven. It's at the westernmost edge of the desert, and Yagul Jeokson here—the one you met—is its Heaven Lord. He's also the fortress lord of Hell Fortress. The third is Great Desert Wolf Heaven. That's the force that warred with you all to the bitter end. It includes the Blood Wolf Clan, Black Wolf Clan, Iron Wolf Clan, White Wolf Clan, and more. Right now, the Blood Wolf Clan's Wolf Forest is the strongest sect. It used to be led by Iron Wolf Ageukta, but it recently changed to Red Wolf Adalta."
"And Tal-li?"
"He's the White Wolf Clan's chieftain."
"Got it. Next?"
"The fourth is Sand Sand White Camel Heaven. It's in the White Sands region at the desert's heart, currently ruled by the White Camel Kingdom. See that old man in all white over there?"
"That guy?"
"Yeah. White Sand Venerable Tarokha. He's the Heaven Lord of Sand Sand White Camel Heaven and king of the White Camel Kingdom."
"And the one next to him... that's the guy who let me see a live naked woman for the first time. I owe him a drink later."
Heuk Pung grinned.
"Wanna die?"
Yo Pung glared at him with fierce eyes.
"One thing's clear: out of all the women's bodies I've seen, hers was the best."
"Shut your trap."
Yo Pung swung her fist.
Thwack!
"Ow!"
Heuk Pung yelped and clutched his head.
"What do you mean 'all the women's bodies you've seen'?"
"I was an embalmer's assistant."
"Embalmer?"
"You know how they wash corpses, dress them, and bind them before burial—that's embalming."
"So you saw corpses?"
"Assistants wash the bodies and repair any damage."
"Repair?"
"Sewing up torn wounds."
"You did that before joining the squad?"
"I'm pretty good at it. If my master hadn't been a thief, I never would've ended up in the squad."
"He stole too?"
"Wealthy folks sometimes bury their dead with expensive grave goods. Embalmers have to guard against greed the most—especially with those goods. You absolutely can't touch them. But my master started dipping into them. You know what they say: a long tail gets stepped on. He got caught, and his head rolled. At first, they pegged me as an accomplice too, but after investigating, they cleared me since I wasn't involved. The problem was no one in that line of work would hire me anymore. So I quit embalming, wandered looking for other jobs, and spotted the squad recruitment. I figured I'd stick it out for a year or so..."
"But it turned into ten?"
"We slaved away without a single coin for it."
"Tsk."
Yo Pung clicked her tongue.
"Where's the fifth?"
Heuk Pung returned to the main topic.
"Western Snowy Sumeru Heaven. The west has places like Podalrab Palace, Yellow Sect, Red Sect, and more, but the Red Sect's Demon Temple is the strongest."
"So that fat pig is the Demon Temple's abbot?"
"Yeah. The sixth is Northern Sea Ice Extreme Heaven—probably better known in the Central Plains as Northern Sea Ice Palace."
Heuk Pung turned his gaze forward.
A silvery glow shimmered from Ice Palace Lord Neung Ha-sang's hair. Under the sunlight, it looked more like silver than white.
"The seventh is Eastern Ocean Storm Heaven. I already explained it roughly, so we can skip that, right?"
"And the last one's that guy?"
Heuk Pung's eyes shifted to the man with dark, swarthy skin and disheveled hair. He looked like a Beggars' Sect beggar you could call big brother without batting an eye, but the aura he emanated was no less than the others.
"Right. That's Parap, Black Wind Death Venerable of Black Dragon Temple and Heaven Lord of Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven."
Yo Pung nodded.
Those ahead came to a stop.
Before the spot where they halted loomed a sand dune taller than any ordinary mountain. It had to be at least three hundred zhang high, judging by eye.
"That one's gotta have a name."
"It's the tallest dune in the desert—Sand Heaven Emperor Peak."
"Tah-ha!"
With a mighty shout, one person shot into the air. It was Yagul Jeokson, who had been leading from the front.
"Tah-ha!"
He soared up to ten zhang and swung both hands downward. In an instant, pitch-black palm force poured out, slamming into the ground.
Boom!
A dull thud echoed as sand sprayed in all directions.
"Hell Storm Palm..."
Yo Pung murmured softly.
"Impressive."
Heuk Pung stuck out his tongue. Yagul Jeokson's palm force had carved out a massive crater: one zhang deep and five zhang wide.
"Look at the bottom."
Yo Pung said.
"What's that?"
Heuk Pung's eyes widened. Square stones paved the crater's floor—not the usual rocks you dig up from earth, but precisely cut and laid slabs.
"Clear it!"
At Yagul Jeokson's shout, Xinjiang Hell Heaven warriors rushed in, unleashing palm strikes at the sand. Soon, the ground was exposed. One zhang below the surface lay a hidden path leading upward.
The path was one zhang wide, its stone slabs two chi square. They were thick too—stomping hard didn't budge them. After ascending a hundred zhang while digging through sand and dirt, the path ended.
"Finally..."
The group looked up with excited faces.
"Let's blast it with palm force."
Yagul Jeokson said.
"Sounds good. Tah-ha!"
"Tah-ha!"
"Haa!"
Over ten people leaped up simultaneously, unleashing palm force at the dune.
Boom! Boom! Thud! Thud!
The strikes hammered the dune's surface.
Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!
Whoosh!
Sand poured down like an avalanche.
Moments later, a twenty-zhang vertical cliff face appeared before the group.
"Ooh, Diamond Finger Force!"
Someone exclaimed in admiration.
Etched into the center of the cliff were the words "Sun God Temple." Each character was nearly one zhang tall—not chiseled with chisel or hammer, but inscribed in a single stroke with Diamond Finger Force.
"You mean someone wrote that by hand?"
Heuk Pung asked Yo Pung.
"Yeah."
"Cool."
"What is?"
"They flew up ten zhang, stopped midair, and carved it into the cliff."
"I guess..."
Yo Pung nodded too.
"There are five holes under the characters?"
Heuk Pung pointed out.
"You can see those?"
"Yeah."
"Your eyesight's sharper than a master's."
"I've got good vision. Probably stick the Sun Medallions in there."
No sooner had Heuk Pung spoken than five people shot into the air simultaneously—the ones holding the Sun Medallions. They traversed the cliff face with midair stepping techniques, positioning themselves before the holes.
Then, starting from the left, they inserted the medallions one by one. After all five were in place, they descended.
Woooong!
The cliff trembled, sand cascading down.
Grind!
Soon, the base of the cliff parted left and right.
"Ooh!"
"It's opening!"
Exclamations rose here and there. Darkness shrouded the interior. All eyes turned to the five.
"Come here."
Tal-li called Heuk Pung.
Heuk Pung approached.
"Wanna go in?"
"If I pick up some treasure by dumb luck, it'll end like this right away..."
Heuk Pung mimed slicing his throat.
"Not asking 'cause I pity you."
"Then why?"
"Need a porter."
"What about them...?"
Heuk Pung nodded toward Tal-li's men.
"No telling what happens inside. Could get attacked by other factions. Need fighters for that."
"They all going in?"
"Not all. Ten per faction."
"We've got ten, plus them makes fifteen."
"Medallion holders can bring up to thirty."
"That's the rule, huh?"
"Yeah."
"You got no one else besides them?"
"That's everyone."
"So you're not Blood Wolf Clan?"
"I'm White Wolf Clan."
"Then why'd you come to grab us?"
"Agreed to help the Blood Wolf Clan."
"The problem is that place is dangerous. Barely survived ten years of war—dying inside would be such a waste."
"Not safe out here either."
Tal-li said.
"Why?"
Heuk Pung turned his head.
"Those guys have been eyeing us... no, you... since earlier."
So Pung said. The "guys" he meant were the Hell Fortress and White Camel Kingdom warriors.
"Yagul Ma-ha and Ta-ryu probably gave orders to their underlings."
"Seems likely."
So Pung nodded.
"You up for it?"
Heuk Pung asked Yo Pung.
"I want to go in."
Yo Pung said.
"You all?"
"We busted our asses for ten years and got nothing."
So So said.
"Could die if luck's bad."
"Heard that when signing up for the squad."
"Anyone else think like So So?"
"Let's go."
So Pung said.
"...Fine. Let's go in."
Heuk Pung nodded.
"Let's go."
Tal-li took the lead. The group followed him into the Sun God Temple. Torches lined the cave walls, making entry easy—likely lit by those who entered first. The tunnel spiraled downward. The group descended carefully, scanning their surroundings.
After fifty-some zhang, the tunnel opened into a plaza. Those who entered first stood before it.
"Not going in? What're you doing?"
Tal-li asked.
"Take a look at this."
Yagul Jeokson pointed ahead.
The group turned their gazes to where he indicated.
Swirl! Swirl! Swirl! Swirl!
Sand swirled like water.
It moved slowly but steadily, without fail.
"Death Sand Vortex Flow!"
Tal-li groaned.