The Sword Emperor Transmigrates-Chapter 229

Leonard’s eyes widened in astonishment.

The Order of the Golden Dragon was an elite order consisting of those who were classified as vessels for Ancestor Cardenas, having barely managed to preserve their consciousness after joining. While those who knew of their true nature scoffed or mocked the group, no one denied the need for the Golden Dragon Knights and their unparalleled power.

Each member of this formidable order far surpassed the Transcendence Tier. When gathered together, they could even stall for time against a Demigod Tier threat. Unlike the other Cardenas kin, whose Dragon Blood Awakening barely triggered one or two traits, the Golden Dragon Knights had awakened every draconic trait below the intermediate grade, making their power unimaginable.

If you were to rank the Seven Great Orders purely by strength, excluding strategic weapons and the commanders, the Order of the Golden Dragon would undoubtedly claim the top spot.

Even the Order of the Red Dragon, with twice the number of members as other orders, would be no match. A single Golden Dragon knight could easily handle five or six Transcendence Tier opponents by themselves. And in group formations, the Golden Dragon Knights were even more fearsome.

Something as simple as a three-man formation would likely prevent anyone weaker than a vice-commander from even landing a scratch.

Leonard recalled facing Tress, a Golden Dragon knight, and how he hadn’t been confident he could pierce through his armor even with his most powerful moves.

Indeed, their resilience exceeded even the Vajra Physique, and their absurd physical prowess allowed them to crush giant demonic beasts like ogres. Moreover, due to the Ancestor’s influence, their martial skills had reached an unparalleled level of refinement.

The capacity and output of their internal energy were also immense, and considering that Tress hadn’t utilized all of his traits against Leonard, it was evident that these warriors were too formidable for anyone below the Demigod Tier to face.

If they ever started a rebellion, they would cause massive casualties before a commander managed to intervene.

“...Are you perhaps concerned about the possibility of the Golden Dragon Knights going rogue?” Leonard inquired.

This would make sense as to why the Ancestor wanted to assign him the role of commander. Currently, among those strong enough to rein in the Order of the Golden Dragon, Leonard was the only Demigod Tier knight without any affiliation. With Uluka’s recent death and Audrey’s injuries, there were already gaps in the chain of command.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that that’s entirely wrong,” the Ancestor Cardenas replied nonchalantly, leaning back.

Her answer hinted at some concern, but she didn’t seem too troubled. She rose slowly akin to a rising wave, her fluid movements highlighting that her muscles were more supple than Leonard’s.

Leonard couldn’t help but stare at her in awe as she suddenly got very close, filling his vision with a golden brilliance.

“Hmm, what remarkable purity,” she observed. “I can’t fully see into your Mindscape, but you’re qualified to use Draconic Words. You’ll need them to command the knights.”

“I have already used Draconic Words once,” Leonard replied.

“Oh, you mean that Demoniac from the Tongue Tribe? I’ve read the report. You could barely manage three syllables, and you had to vocalize them,” the Ancestor commented, making it clear that true Draconic Words were far more advanced. She took a few steps back, explaining nothing more.

And then—

—Groar!

An invisible force suddenly pressed down on Leonard.

“Ugh!”

He instinctively activated his augmented energy shield. Had he not done so and steadied his knees, he might have collapsed.

Even so, it felt suffocating. The sheer weight was akin to experiencing a multiplied gravitational force. Within a two-meter radius around him, the ground was compressed into a crater, lowering his eye-level by a fraction. The force felt as if a giant demonic beast like a cyclops were pressing down on him with its palm. No, it felt even heavier than that.

If it had been brute force, he could have deflected it one way or another, but this mysterious pressure wasn’t something he could brush off.

“When space itself is compressed like this, you need the skill to warp the spatial plane to disperse the force. It’s a different feeling from dealing with a sword or magic,” Ancestor Cardenas explained as she clicked her tongue.

With that, the pressure lifted, freeing Leonard.

The ability was more threatening than a Class 9 spell. With supreme magic, there was a detectable flow of mana, allowing time for counteraction. But Ancestor Cardenas’ Dragonic Words took effect the instant she uttered them.

“Is this... true Draconic Words?” Leonard asked.

“Yes. When a dragon’s will commands the world’s laws, we call it Draconic Words. If I were in my prime, you’d have no chance of resisting,” she explained. “Given my current state as a fragmented soul, what you experienced was the limit of what I could manage.”

If she had unleashed that power in her original condition, Leonard wouldn’t have been able to withstand it, and the force would have buried him deep underground to the core of the earth.

Ancestor Cardenas was a Gold Dragon—known as the mightiest of all dragon species—and the one who had decimated her kin for the ideals of the founding emperor. A legend worthy of being called the strongest dragon of all time, her status remained formidable, even as a cursed remnant.

Leonard swallowed nervously and asked, “What did you say with Draconic Words just now?”

“I told you to fall. It’s something I used frequently when dealing with my kin,” she replied with a chuckle.

Among the countless abilities of a transcendental species like the dragons, flight was indispensable. Dragons could circle the world in a day, so stopping them from flying was vital; otherwise, they could easily escape. Cardenas herself had used her Draconic Words to bind the wings and claws of her kind, rendering them unable to fly.

Once they were within sword range, killing them was easy; as long as they were trapped on the ground, the battle was as good as won.

“But let me tell you one thing, Leonard. No matter how much you train, you’ll never surpass me in Draconic Words. Even with your awakened eyes and heart, your bloodline is too diluted. Ah, I’m not speaking based on my prime self, but my current state,” she said.

“I understand, but...” Leonard nodded, but he couldn’t shake the question that had just crossed his mind.

“What do Draconic Words have to do with leading the Order of the Golden Dragon?”

“Quite a bit,” the Ancestor replied with a smirk. “You see, while Draconic Words are primarily used to assert power over the world, they’re also a way for dragons to establish their hierarchy.”

“Your generation is too far removed to be affected by Draconic Words, but you’re a unique case. The Golden Dragon Knights, like you, are dragons in human form—Dragonians. They cannot oppose a Draconic Words user as well as someone who has awakened the Dragon Eyes and the Dragon Heart.”

“Ah...” Leonard murmured, finally understanding her point.

If all the Golden Dragon Knights were to rebel at once, it would be nearly impossible for Leonard to control them through sheer force. He might manage to kill every last one, but he would never succeed in subduing them.

However, if he could command them through Draconic Words, any thought of defiance would be quashed.

“And yet... you couldn’t compel me to obey,” Leonard remarked.

“The Demigod Tier has steered away from the constraints of a species, transcending them. Moreover, you’re not a pure dragon—you’re more like a branch family with two core traits. So, that’s why you’re not affected,” she explained.

“That’s vague. Nothing seems to work, huh?”

“Right?”

The two of them unexpectedly found a shared sense of understanding.

“There’s another reason I want you to take charge of the Golden Dragon knights. While I don’t think they’d ever rebel, they’re still my descendants. I don’t want to leave them stranded.”

“If you’re gone, then they would no longer be your vessels. Wouldn’t they all just move on with their lives?”

“I don’t think so, and that’s why I’m asking you,” Ancestor Cardenas sighed. “They inherited a fragment of my martial arts and extraordinary physical prowess through a ritual. They earned none of it through their own efforts, so their minds and bodies are not strong. Once I’m gone, they would be left feeling like they’ve been demoted from proud prospects of the family to disposable tools. There’s no telling how they might act when frustration and despair set in.”

Indeed, there is nothing more dangerous than a strong child who knows nothing. Fortunately, it was unlikely that the Golden Dragon Knights would suffer from energy deviation, but it was also unclear how their negative emotions would manifest.

Leonard nodded in sympathy and tilted his head. “But I’m not sure if I would be able to resolve that problem.”

“No, you could do it. You’re exactly who they need. The skills you’ve been training since your past life, was it called martial arts? If you teach that to the Golden Dragon Knights, it might give them a new sense of purpose.”

In a world where it was normal for everyone’s meridians and vessels to be unclogged, such intensive efforts to overcome a lack of talent and constitution were practically rare.

However, Ancestor Cardenas, an entity born as a transcendental species who had managed to step into the realm of the God of Swords, had just vouched for it. She believed that Leonard’s knowledge from his past life was what the Golden Dragon Knights needed.

“Although there is a slim chance of them breaking through to the Demigod Tier, knowing that they could grow stronger from their current condition would be enough to rekindle the fire within the Golden Dragon Knights and restore their spirit.”

When the spirit of a warrior halts, they are as good as dead. The Golden Dragon Knights, who had been preserved like living relics, needed their flames rekindled, and Ancestor Cardenas believed that the knowledge of martial arts could provide that spark.

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Leonard, who had revived their spirits, would naturally be positioned to become their commander, the pillar on which the Order of the Golden Dragon would depend.

“Now, should we get back to your training?” Without giving Leonard a chance to hesitate, Ancestor Cardenas readied her sword.

There was no sign of the usual disorientation caused by a domain. The entire landscape—the horizon, the heavens, even the depths underground—was within the range of the Ancestor’s sword domain. Any mortal would undeniably realize that death was imminent against a True God entity like the Ancestor.

“My goal for you is to reach a point where you can wield the domain of your Mindscape freely, at least within your sword and without needing to use your unique traits.”

Ancestor Cardenas raised her blade, and the space around it visibly warped. In essence, it wasn’t much different from sword energy, which was manifested by focusing power compressed with energy and intent around the sword.

However, what the Ancestor was currently demonstrating was projecting her Mindscape around her sword. Unlike sword energy, which was a product of destructive power, she could manipulate anything that entered her domain.

Leonard focused on her with his Dragon Eyes, trying to decode the principle behind her technique. Then, Ancestor Cardenas raised her sword and slowly made her move.

“Does your mind need to be confined within your body? Sure, you can channel your intent outside your body, but what about the mind? If you give it a bit of thought, you’ll realize that it is indeed possible,” the Ancestor condensed her insights as a Deification Tier sword wielder into words.

“Just as a tall person can reach higher and someone with large hands can grasp more, your mind, too, has its own way of extending its reach.”

“My mind, too...?”

“Observing and controlling your own body is just the beginning. And don’t think of it as breaking away from yourself. The body is only a vessel for the mind. It’s not a prison, after all. You can actually project it anywhere you wish.”

With that, she slowly swung her sword in a weak arc, barely enough to cut through a straw dummy. Even a countryside knight could imitate a move like that.

Yet, as he beheld it, a shudder ran through Leonard.

“Huh?!”

Leonard saw it—the vision of her Mindscape flowing from her body, surging into the blade, and slicing through the fabric of reality faster than lightning. The clouds in her Mindscape split open, unveiling the night sky.

It was literally a single, divine slash of the God of Swords.

“If you can do this, you pass. If you can’t do it by the time I’m gone, you fail,” Ancestor Cardenas stated firmly.

In response, Leonard adjusted his grip on his jet-black sword. He didn’t use sword energy or conceptual martial arts. With this enlightenment, he realized that energy and unique traits only served as distractions.

Seeing his resolve, Cardenas smiled proudly. At that moment, Leonard flew like a storm as he cut deep into the ground.

Clang!

As their swords met, a metallic clang echoed across the open plains like an orchestra. It was clear that their clash would not end anytime soon.