The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS-Chapter 1165 - 190: On the Road

"Sword God said he has received it."

The image on the Thousand-Mile Mirror Light Array spoke to the silhouette in front of the window.

"I understand." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Ren Piaomiao's thoughts subtly shifted, and the array closed.

"With this, the arrangement on the Central Plains side is complete. Next·······"

His gaze swept towards the east, as if he could see the realm by the East Sea, "Now we'll see how the arrangements in Japan unfold."

He deliberately spared Suzan Ming Venerate then, waiting for the day to use it. The Supreme Taoist thought Qing Yu was solely focused on collecting Heavenly Demon Energy, truly an underestimation.

With Qing Yu's current Realm, how much use can Heavenly Demon Energy still be? Counting through the generations of Heavenly Demons, how many have been Extreme Strong People?

Perhaps only Sword God has the hope of reaching the pinnacle of Martial Arts after a duel with Sword God, achieving the Extreme Dao, while the other Heavenly Demons merely remain at the Strongest Realm.

Even the extraordinarily talented First Generation Primordial Sky Demon met a tragic end before reaching the Extreme Dao, missing this Realm.

"What truly is of use to me is the Sixth Heavenly Demon Energy, which symbolizes the peak of Demonic Qi, and the union of Six Heavenly Demon Energy. The rest is merely for strategic planning."

Yang Nine Yin Six, the six is a symbol in the Demon Path, with little difference to the nine of Math's extremes. After the Sixth Heavenly Demon, the world has no more Heavenly Demons, making this last demon naturally unique.

Of course, with the union of Six Heavenly Demon Energy, it becomes special among special.

Ren Piaomiao cast aside the boring thoughts that occupied his mind, chuckled softly, and continued gazing into the distance.

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On the East Sea, a warship proudly bearing the Rizhang Banner unfurled its sails, advancing eastward.

"In the end, we still left the Central Plains······"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi looked at the receding coastal scenery and shook his head, "Japan ultimately lost."

To consume the great with the small, using an island's power to invade the Central Plains is akin to a snake trying to swallow an elephant; besides Ba Snake, every other snake has burst from such an attempt.

But think back to when the plan to invade the Central Plains was set, Japan had two strongest warriors presiding, a third, though not openly, had never been reported dead, and with over a dozen Divinity Realm warriors cultivated over centuries, devising this plan was a natural decision.

People's power grows with ambition.

At that time, although the Central Plains had over a dozen strongest warriors, they acted independently and were enemies to each other, whereas Japan was united. Despite Central Plains being strong, they were susceptible to being defeated one by one.

Who could have foreseen how quickly the situation would change over the years, with various warriors appearing one after another, causing Amaterasu, once ranked among the top three in Central Plains, to not even be in the top five, ultimately crushed by someone single-handedly.

"Defeated indeed······" Toyotomi Hideyoshi sighed once again.

"Toyotomi-san, do not dwell too deeply on this; for us, knowing how to recover and cultivate is key." Yagyu Munenori stepped forward, alongside Toyotomi Hideyoshi, gazing at the East Province scenery, "We are returning to Japan first, and must prepare for related matters and ensure the smooth receipt of the supplies Lord Yueyejian brings back."

They are among the first batch returning to Japan, naturally having many tasks to handle. Aside from anything else, the East Province resources Yue Jianye is scavenging must be dealt with promptly.

Japan's defeat has been confirmed, even the strongest Yueyejian has no power to reverse the situation. What Japan must do now is to extract every ounce of value from East Province so Japan can recover swiftly.

"Accumulated losses of nearly three hundred thousand are too great." Toyotomi Hideyoshi's face remained heavy with gloom.

Though this Martial Arts World Japan differs from Qing Yu's ancient past, where populations were sparse and battles of hundreds counted as major conflicts, a loss of three hundred thousand remains an exceedingly grave number.

Japan's total population is around ten million now; removing the old, frail, ill, and women and children leaves around four million plus.

Of these, youths and adults comprise three-quarters, while Martial Artists make up one-tenth of the latter.

Hence, the number of Martial Artists is roughly over three hundred thousand.

Japan dispatched an army to the Central Plains, with two hundred thousand as Martial Artists, while the rest were resilient adults.

Losing two-thirds of the Martial Artists, one can only imagine Japan's despair.

Thinking this way, Toyotomi Hideyoshi sighed and shook his head once more, returning inside his cabin.

"Toyotomi-san has taken quite a hit." Yagyu Munenori glanced at the slightly stumbling figure, speaking softly.

He knew Toyotomi Hideyoshi wasn't one deeply concerned about state affairs, but even so, the blow suffered was considerable.

As Suzan Ming Venerate's deputy, Hideyoshi shared in his master's glory and defeat. Suzan Ming Venerate's quiet return to Japan caused an uproar internally.

All Japanese who entered the Central Plains harbored a spirit of determination and sacrifice, yet their leader silently fled back home.

Other Japanese are unaware that Suzan Ming Venerate returned for his life and to safeguard the Great Freedom Demon Qi. They wouldn't know the enemies Suzan Ming Venerate faced; they only knew he fled.

With the added factor of Amaterasu's death, many started linking it to Suzan Ming Venerate's escape causing Amaterasu's demise.

This association found considerable traction among the middle and lower tiers; even some high-level figures couldn't exclude the possibility in private.

Suzan Ming Venerate's strength disallows these questioning individuals from probing, but power alone cannot erase the seeds of doubt within their hearts.

Though expressed openly is forbidden, pondering privately remains free.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, thus, became the prime target under this mentality. Not being the strongest nor a Divinity Realm, he made a perfect target.

As Oda Nobunaga's deputy, Hideyoshi's position soared with Suzan Ming Venerate's awakening, inviting envy from those even matching Divinity Realm authorities.

A significant portion of the animosity directed at Suzan Ming Venerate shifted towards Hideyoshi, so life wasn't easy for him recently.

"But who can find ease at such times?" Yagyu Munenori mused quietly.

In a toppled nest, none emerges unscathed; even those within the Divinity Realm, enjoying esteemed positions, also encounter considerable risks.

The Central Plains, following the invasion, won't concede easily. The deeds of Japan in the Central Plains will one day be repaid.

Then, they, in the Divinity Realm, will stand at the forefront of danger.

'I hope that day arrives a bit later.' Yagyu Munenori thought internally.

As the sun set, crimson sunlight bathed over the ship's mast with the Rizhang Banner, enveloping it in a heavy dusk sentiment.

Originally symbolizing the rising sun in the east, the Rizhang Banner now resembles the sunset, adorned with mere remnants of its glory.

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After returning to his cabin, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's face cleared from its somber expression, regaining a calm demeanor.

Arranging his attire, he proceeded respectfully several steps forward, kneeling towards the silhouette bathed in the sunset glow by the window: "Daoist Master, with numerous Martial Artists propelling the warship, it will reach Japan in seven days."

"Seven days, that's not slow."

The silhouette, appearing both ethereal and tangible under the sunset's beam, displayed a faint unreal feel; upon closer inspection, it was discernibly a ghostly projection.

Yet, this projection, in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's eyes, held tenfold the grandeur of the sinking western sun.

"Toyotomi Hideyoshi, are you prepared?" The ghostly image raised its head towards the sunset, addressing Hideyoshi with its back turned.

"Willing to become the Daoist Master's sacrificial offering." Toyotomi Hideyoshi declared spiritedly, akin to a loyal minister.

"Then I'll anticipate your sacrifice."

The ghostly image gradually dispersed into nothingness, vanishing within the evening afterglow.

Meanwhile, Toyotomi Hideyoshi remained kneeling on the ground, unmovable, unswayed. He only rose once the last remnants of light faded, night fell, and the sound of a servant delivering food reached outside the cabin, before quietly rising, arranging his garment, and opening the door.

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Across the sea, waves undulated; under the night's cover, the ocean's sounds of surf and wind echoed, revealing the sea's tranquility amid its noise.

A single small boat drifted alone amidst such a night, floating aimlessly by the sea.

On the boat lay no supplies or provisions, nor any other nautical gear; not even oars were present, seemingly adrift upon the waves.

Yet, its direction remained constant, even against the tide, cutting through the waves, heading straight forward.

On this small boat, a white-haired elegantly dressed figure stood at the bow, isolated and detached, ethereal like a fairy.

"Toyotomi Hideyoshi, do not let me down."

Qing Yu gazed east, standing with his hands clasped behind, "Japan, do not let me down either."

A mysterious smile appeared on his face, as light flickered unpredictably within his eyes, Trigram Formation rotating, an intricately dignified Array Plate slowly developing.

And at the farthest reach of this boat's eastern view, a warship bearing Japan's Rizhang Banner steadily sailed eastward.