Chapter 91
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Master of the Heavenly Isle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"The Demonic Alliance has abandoned the path of humanity!"
A subtle glow emanated from Cheon Yeong's eyes. It was a light that carried solemn weight. The gathered assembly began to be overwhelmed by the intensity in his gaze.
"It's been revealed that the Black Warriors they paraded before us are mere tools for creating Steel Corpses!"
Cheon Yeong's words sent everyone's hearts plummeting.
"Steel Corpses?!"
"That's impossible!"
Murmurs erupted from all sides. Steel Corpses were terrifying entities. Though centuries had passed, during the era when the Blood Cult had drenched the martial world in blood, it was the corpses—reinforced Steel Corpses and Blood Corpses—that had instilled the greatest fear in people. They were the martial world's most dreaded foes at the time.
The mere mention of Steel Corpses stirred terror in people's hearts. And it ignited rage.
Only now did everything the Demonic Alliance had done fall into place like pieces of a puzzle.
The Demonic Alliance had used Black Warriors to topple sects, only to later recover their corpses somehow. The mystery unraveled naturally once Steel Corpses entered the picture.
"Kuhahaha! Realizing it now is already too late!"
The voice echoing from somewhere sent the assembly into a frenzy.
Shriiik!
A sharp gust of wind accompanied the descent of numerous figures. All clad in black garb, their faces as dark as their clothes.
About thirty black-clad assailants had appeared. Compared to the hundreds of martial artists assembled in the front courtyard of the Pure Heaven Alliance, it was a negligible number. But the words that followed were enough to plunge everyone into panic.
"Feast your eyes on the terror of the Steel Corpses you fear so much!"
Before the sentence even finished, the thirty black-clad figures moved like lightning. Their speed rivaled that of peak masters, and their bodies shrugged off swords and blades alike.
"Kaaack!"
"Gahk!"
Screams rang out here and there. People scrambled into action.
"Don't fear them! There are only thirty!"
At someone's shout, the martial artists moved with agility. They first distanced themselves from the Steel Corpses, then began organized attacks.
Sword qi flew in all directions, followed by explosive blasts. Yet the Steel Corpses pressed on undeterred. Casualties mounted relentlessly.
The moment the Steel Corpses appeared, Dan Hyeong-u had unleashed his aura, forcing his companions to retreat.
Unable to resist, they unwittingly stepped back—even the Sword King and Sword Demon.
From their safe distance, the group watched anxiously as people fell to the Steel Corpses. Then their eyes turned to Dan Hyeong-u, trusting him to resolve the crisis.
The Sword King and Sword Demon saw no need to intervene themselves. A single swing from Dan Hyeong-u's sword would end it all.
But Dan Hyeong-u remained still.
As the Sword King furrowed his brow to speak, a group burst into the fray.
"All of you, stand back!"
They were warriors of the Pure Heaven Alliance.
It happened in an instant. They charged in, the Pure Heaven Alliance Leader Cheon Yeong joined the fight, and the Steel Corpses shattered into debris across the ground.
The martial artists gathered at the Pure Heaven Alliance witnessed the awe-inspiring scene clearly. Cheon Yeong's prowess and presence etched itself into their minds.
After dispatching every last Steel Corpse, Cheon Yeong ascended the platform once more, his dignified poise unbroken. His back, as he slowly climbed, seemed indescribably vast.
And so the Pure Heaven Alliance's martial conference concluded—as if orchestrated by some unseen hand.
Volume 6: Master of the Heavenly Isle
The martial conference was not an end, but a beginning. Its purpose was to unite people and sects. With goals set and hearts aligned, it was time for them to learn about one another.
And nothing smoothed human relations like liquor.
As the new phase of the conference began, Dan Hyeong-u's group left the Pure Heaven Alliance and returned to their inn.
"Shocking, isn't it? Steel Corpses, of all things."
Despite the words, Jegal Lin's tone and expression remained calm. Tang Ho-gwan, however, couldn't stay composed.
"Steel Corpses... How could the Demonic Alliance recreate such monstrosities?"
"The real issue is how many they have."
Jegal Lin mused inwardly as she spoke. At least a few hundred, she guessed. Maybe far more.
"I never imagined the Black Warriors hid such a secret. I suspected something important, but not this..."
The Demonic Alliance had even tried stealing Black Warrior corpses from the Physician Immortal Sect. A secret was obvious, but Steel Corpses? Unthinkable.
In any case, the martial world's situation was spiraling urgently.
"Don't you find it a bit odd?"
Jegal Lin maintained her composure throughout. Unfazed, even after such a major incident.
Protected by Dan Hyeong-u, threats felt distant—but Steel Corpses were fearsome by legend alone.
"Odd? What do you mean?"
The Sword King asked. He too couldn't sit idle with Steel Corpses loose. Mishandled, they could plunge the world into chaos.
"Why show up at the Pure Heaven Alliance? And only thirty, at the most crowded moment?"
"They must have targeted it after their secret was exposed," the Sword King replied, though something nagged at him. The Demonic Alliance had little reason to clash with the Pure Heaven Alliance beyond it being an orthodox gathering.
"The ones they truly grudge are the Martial Alliance and Golden Alliance—they caused their downfall. So why here?"
The group's faces hardened at Jegal Lin's words.
"Are you saying..."
"Today's events felt off to me."
Jegal Lin scanned the room with sharp eyes.
"Like it was staged for show."
Her words stunned the room.
"What? You mean the Pure Heaven Alliance colluded with the Demonic Alliance for that atrocity?"
The Sword King glared sharply. Jegal Lin didn't respond directly. She wasn't certain. But the possibility loomed. Above all, she still didn't trust the Pure Heaven Alliance.
"That's too much of a leap. Sure, it's suspicious, but these are leaders representing the orthodox sects—they wouldn't stoop that low."
Tang Ho-gwan shook his head. The Sword King added a few words.
"Besides, the Tyrant Dragon isn't one to scheme from the shadows."
The others agreed. With the Tyrant Dragon in the Pure Heaven Alliance, alliance with the Demonic Alliance seemed impossible.
Jegal Lin quietly surveyed the group before speaking.
"I'm only suspicious of the Pure Heaven Alliance Leader. The others, I don't know yet. But him? Absolutely. If he'd intervened sooner today, the damage wouldn't have been so great."
She had a point. The leader had let the situation escalate deliberately, seemingly to showcase the Heaven-Shaking Squad's might.
"Hmph. Still, it's too soon to conclude."
Deep down, their reluctance to accept Jegal Lin's view stemmed partly from her Martial Alliance ties. The two alliances were no friends.
While the group debated in their room, Yeom Hye-mi swung the Heavenly Isle.
Back at the inn, Dan Hyeong-u's piercing gaze forced her to grab the blade without entering her room. His eyes terrified her. Each flash sent shivers down her spine.
Yeom Hye-mi glanced at Dan Hyeong-u while swinging. Umun Hye clung close beside him, practicing her sword the same way—light overhead chops, repeated without boredom.
Every time she saw Umun Hye's expression, Yeom Hye-mi couldn't hide her bewilderment. She knew Umun Hye fancied Dan Hyeong-u.
But how could anyone enjoy such monotonous training?
'My arms feel like they're going to fall off.'
Her face twisted. She'd overdone it for days. Swinging the massive blade all day was torture. Today, her arms screamed warnings early.
"Hngh."
Unable to endure, she staggered and collapsed. She peeked cautiously at Dan Hyeong-u. Flames blazed in his eyes. Startled, she sprang up and resumed swinging.
Sensation faded from her arms. Soon, she couldn't tell if she was swinging or just standing, her mind fogging over.
That's when the strange sensation hit.
Zzzt!
Her eyes widened. Something electric pierced her soles, surging up her body. It raced along her spine and burst from her crown.
Gone in a blink, yet vividly etched. The tingle lingered, buzzing through her.
"Don't stop."
Only then did she realize she'd dropped the blade, standing dazed. Dan Hyeong-u's words snapped her back.
"Y-yes, got it."
She raised it again. Swung down. Hoping for that thrill.
Swoosh!
The blade fell. No sensation. Undeterred, she lifted it once more. Light sparked in her eyes. Her expression brightened.
It now mirrored Umun Hye's—the one she'd envied moments ago.
Zzzt!
"Hngh."
The electric surge climbed her soles again. She moaned unwittingly but didn't stop. She kept swinging, savoring it repeatedly.
Dan Hyeong-u nodded once, watching Yeom Hye-mi tremble yet persist.
Faint but unmistakable, the energy rising through her feet was thunder qi—born from the Heavenly Isle and earth's resonance. It entered via her soles, coursed through her body, and shot skyward from her crown.
The more she swung, the stronger it grew. Too subtle for anyone but Dan Hyeong-u to notice.
He stared at her a moment longer, then turned. A massive aura approached—one he'd felt before.
Overwhelming, domineering—like it would crush all. The Tyrant Dragon's presence.
Those inside sensed it too. The Sword King and Sword Demon couldn't miss such blatant force. Yet they continued discussing the Demonic Alliance. Dan Hyeong-u was outside.
"He's coming."
Umun Hye murmured tensely. Her sword had stopped long ago. No room for practice under such pressure.
Her gaze matched Dan Hyeong-u's. The Tyrant Dragon entered the inn's rear garden.
His fierce eyes glared at Dan Hyeong-u. His aura swelled further.
But it failed to pressure him. The Tyrant Dragon's might scattered like spring breeze before reaching Dan Hyeong-u.
Flames roared in the Tyrant Dragon's eyes, as if sparks might fly. Dan Hyeong-u met them calmly.
After a long glare, the Tyrant Dragon slowly turned to Yeom Hye-mi.
She swung obliviously, lost in trance, unaware of him.
He couldn't miss the thunder qi enveloping her from the Heavenly Isle's resonance. It triggered his massive outburst.
Whoosh!
Fierce winds erupted around him. His robes whipped wildly, hair standing on end.
"So the Heavenly Isle's master is that weakling."
His voice boomed with inner power. But it dissipated before exerting force.
"Everything in the world has a master worthy of it."
He glared at Dan Hyeong-u. Silence was his only reply.
The Tyrant Dragon's brows twitched. His hand drifted toward the blade at his waist, tension thickening the air—as if he'd draw and cleave everything.