Path of the Martial God

The first strike was nothing special, flattening only several hundred meters around the Martial Arts School. The casualties were not particularly high.

But the second strike was already more powerful than an ordinary-yield nuclear bomb. Within several miles, everything was destroyed by the shock wave. Buildings collapsed, the ground shattered, and the dead and injured were strewn everywhere. The mushroom cloud that rose from the site was clearly visible throughout New York.

Anyone with even a little common sense, upon seeing a mushroom cloud, would immediately think of a nuclear bomb. But in reality, mushroom clouds were not exclusive to nuclear bombs.

A mushroom cloud was a characteristic cloud of smoke and dust formed by a massive explosion.

Whether it was a nuclear explosion or a conventional one, the intense heat and pressure generated within an extremely short time heated the air around the blast center. The hot air, together with the enormous amount of dust stirred up by the shock wave, rapidly rose under the force of the explosion and buoyancy, easily forming the shape of a "mushroom cloud."

It was just that ordinary bombs were usually too weak to achieve this effect, so most people still regarded "mushroom clouds" as symbols of nuclear explosions.

The appearance of a "nuclear explosion" in a place like New York immediately scared the civilians out of their wits, sending them fleeing for their lives.

But the more chaotic things became, the more accidents occurred, and all kinds of traffic collisions happened one after another.

Normally, traffic officers would come over to deal with them, but now they were busy running for their lives too. How could they spare any time for mere traffic accidents?

Fortunately, unless someone was killed on the spot, everyone simply pretended that minor scrapes and collisions had never happened and kept fleeing with all their might.

If someone was unlucky enough to get hit, the driver would not even stop, simply running them over. The cars behind them pretended they had seen nothing and stepped on the gas, causing a second injury.

If a vehicle broke down on the road, that was the real disaster. Abandoning the car and running away, or robbing another vehicle on the spot, was the most efficient course of action.

But when everyone did the same thing, traffic ground to a halt. All the so-called smart people were trapped, leaving them with no choice but to run out on their own two legs.

Fortunately, New York had suffered one disaster after another. Whether it was Hulk or tsunamis and other natural calamities, the city had endured them all. The authorities had numerous emergency response plans and abundant experience, so they were not panicked by the sudden situation in the slightest.

While calling for military support, they dispatched personnel to organize the evacuation of the civilians and rescue operations. Everything proceeded in an orderly manner, without the slightest chaos.

Meanwhile, the instigator had already found the severely injured Old Wang and Raven and taken them to a five-star hotel, where they quietly recuperated.

As for the dead disciples, Zhan Liu did not even spare them a glance. They were a bunch of scheming bastards; good riddance to them all.

Only those who continued to stand on his side at critical moments could be considered his own people.

Old Wang was seriously injured, but for a Magnetic Field Rotation Adept, as long as he had not died on the spot, the remaining injuries were merely a matter of how much time they needed to heal.

After using Ultimate Limit Qigong to help Old Wang circulate his energy and heal his injuries, Zhan Liu discovered that Old Wang had benefited from the disaster. After walking once through the boundary between life and death, he had finally reached the Fifth Heaven of the Magnetic Field Rotation Realm. Given his age and aptitude, this was truly no easy feat.

After confirming that Old Wang was safe and sound, Zhan Liu withdrew his hand and stood up. He called the hotel to send up some food, and only then did Raven ask, "What are you planning to do next?"

"Have Tony pay for it, rebuild a Martial Arts School, and continue accepting disciples!" Zhan Liu said indifferently.

"You just killed so many military personnel, and at least tens of thousands of civilians died because of you this time. The casualties and economic losses indirectly caused by you are incalculable. Instead of thinking about how to escape, you actually plan to continue running a Martial Arts School?" Raven asked, torn between laughter and exasperation.

"First of all, I am a War God. It is only right and proper for me to kill people. They deserved to die!" Zhan Liu sat on the sofa and began correcting Raven’s deep-rooted misconceptions.

"Secondly, Emil and those people dared to betray their master and ancestors, gravely violating this sect’s rules. Killing them was an act of cleansing the sect, entirely justified."

"Finally, if anyone refuses to accept it, I will kill until they do."

Zhan Liu spoke as though everything were self-evident, making Raven feel as if she were the one in the wrong. She was left speechless, unable to figure out how to respond.

"Raven, you still have not realized one thing. The path you must take from now on is the Path of the Martial God."

"What is a War God?"

"First comes martial power. You must at least reach the power of the Nine Heavens. That is the foundation. Without it, you have no right to call yourself a War God. Of course, only those who can reach beyond the Twenty-Five Heavens are qualified to be called Adepts."

"Second, in the World of Martial Gods, there are actually certain requirements for obtaining the status of a War God. I simply did not explain them in detail after coming here because the environment is different."

"There are four ways to obtain the status of a War God."

"First, gain the recognition of more than ten War Gods."

"Second, kill another War God. People will naturally assume that you possess the power of a War God."

"Third, command one hundred thousand people."

"Fourth, kill one hundred thousand people. But considering that this world is different, one hundred thousand may not be enough here. You may have to kill a million or even ten million."

Zhan Liu spoke lightly, but the coldness and ruthlessness in his tone made even Raven, a warrior who had killed countless people, feel a chill run down her spine.

"Raven, you must understand one thing. You cannot be like Magneto, scurrying around like a rat in the street, hiding here and there. That is not the Path of the Martial God."

"You may die in battle, but you cannot run away!"

"You may be defeated, but you cannot admit defeat!"

"If you want to walk the Path of the Martial God to its end, you must make humanity fear you, dread you, and not dare provoke you."

"Only then can the Mutants under your protection walk openly down the streets without worrying about being captured, locked away, or sent to an operating table."

"And that requires powerful martial strength, as well as sufficient conviction."

Raven was stirred by Zhan Liu’s words, her excitement surging. She asked instinctively, "What conviction?"

Zhan Liu looked at Raven and said calmly, "The conviction to kill all non-Mutants!"

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over Raven’s head, and she immediately came to her senses.

She stared at her master in terror, while Zhan Liu looked at her indifferently and said:

"Magneto has that conviction, but he does not have the ability. Professor X has that ability, but he does not have the conviction. You currently have neither the ability nor the conviction, but you have the potential!"

"Fighting for the Mutants and all that is not empty talk, much less playing house or treating it like a game. This is a major decision that determines the future of one or two races. If you do not even possess this level of conviction, you will not win."

"Even if your martial power one day becomes unrivaled beneath the heavens, if you do not possess the heart of a War God, others will always find a way to restrain you!"

"Frame you!"

"Threaten you!"

"Use you!"

"Destroy you!"

"So, Raven, I ask you: are you prepared to stand alone against the entire world?"