Chapter 110: Divine Art (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 110: Divine Art (4)
A young man and woman each held a petal-shaped iron plate.
With the inky-black plates pinched between their fingers, they moved through a series of stances. Each time their forms shifted, violent waves of energy surged from their bodies.
"How's this?"
"No, a little lower. To the right."
"You're right. It's slightly tilted. If the form is meant to strike downward, we have to consider the follow-up trajectory..."
Their delicate features were strikingly similar, as were their builds. Though small, they possessed lithe, agile frames, and the green silk light armor they wore suited the siblings well.
They looked incredibly happy as they discussed the art of hidden weapons.
A short distance away, a gaunt old man watched them with a pleased smile. His body, like a withered tree trunk, was draped in a brilliant golden robe.
He was Tang Tae-dok, the Supreme Elder of the Sichuan Tang Clan. He was an old master, also known as the Supreme Sect Leader.
"Celestial talents. Truly, celestial talents."
The siblings' talent, which had skipped a generation, had been brought to brilliant perfection.
They are incomparable to my son, who severed ties with the clan, Tang Tae-dok thought to himself.
The transaction had been a success. As expected, the Blood Flame Cult Leader had spared no support.
They had started with the body of the Blood Master Sword, then captured Blood Flame Cultists with regenerative abilities, and even the Elder Council Head of the Desolate Fortress.
An astonishing feat, especially since he had to join forces with the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect to do it.
Tang Tae-dok had also given his all. He had poured his clan's spirit medicines, medicinal herbs, and even poisons into the effort. Leaving only the bare minimum required to sustain the Tang Clan's foundation, he had invested everything into the Meridian Alteration Technique.
As a result, his grandchildren were reborn with unprecedented talent.
They can master the Myriad Blossoms Rain. With senses like theirs, they are more than capable.
The anatomical diagram provided by the Seventh Apostle of the Blood Flame Cult had played a massive role. The chart, a part of the 'Flash Art of the Desolate Fortress', had brought the results of the Meridian Alteration Technique to full fruition. The procedure was a body modification technique that synthesized the sorcery, medicine, and poison arts of both the Blood Flame Cult and the Tang Clan.
His grandchildren already possessed remarkable bodies, born with rare and sturdy bones. That was why they were able to fully withstand the great technique.
After the procedure, the Tang siblings quickly rose to fame.
No matter how they varied their throwing techniques, their hidden weapons always found their mark. Their manipulation of True Qi was even more exceptional.
Though they had yet to reach a transcendent realm like the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, the precision of their internal energy output was astounding—a level that most mid-tier experts would struggle to match. They had yet to meet a peer who could withstand their brilliant talent.
Rumors in the Sichuan martial world claimed that only the absolute elite of the Nine Sects or the Thirteen Heavens could withstand a single strike from the Poison Dragon and the Poison Phoenix.
They don't even know the true value of those children.
Tang Tae-dok sneered inwardly. The Tang Clan's true expectations for the Dragon-Phoenix Twin Poisons did not lie in their martial prowess alone. Of course, their talent certainly surpassed the best in Sichuan and was now worthy of being discussed on the world stage.
But that was an obvious matter.
The attention of Tang Tae-dok and the leadership of the Tang Clan was focused elsewhere.
The Myriad Blossoms Rain.
The peerless secret technique that had symbolized the Sichuan Tang Clan for ages.
It was a lost divine art, preserved only in texts. His predecessors had failed to even grasp its fundamentals. The lineage of the Myriad Blossoms Rain had been severed decades ago, and since then, no one had been able to learn it.
If one could master it simply by reading a manual, it wouldn't be considered a divine art, and there would be no need for a master.
And yet, when the people of the Central Plains thought of the Tang Clan, they still envisioned an invincible rain of flowers filling the sky. For that was the essence of the Tang Clan's martial arts, passed down through oral tradition for hundreds of years.
My entire ninety years of life were dedicated solely to that.
The restoration of the Myriad Blossoms Rain, a task Tang Tae-dok had undertaken out of duty in his youth, had long since twisted into an obsession.
If their comprehension was too lacking to grasp the divine art, if the flow of True Qi through their fine meridians couldn't keep up with the manual's mnemonics… then he would alter it all. All he needed to do was force open the Baihui Point and realign every acupoint in their bodies.
Tang Tae-dok had poured his soul into this heaven-defying great technique. It had been this way since he was the young master. Once he became the Clan Head, he led the research. Even after stepping down to become the Supreme Elder, he never let go of his work.
Recently, the research had borne fruit. However, his aging body could not withstand the great technique.
Therefore, he performed the procedure on the children who had trained in the Tang Clan's martial arts since they were young, bestowing them with peerless talent. They were siblings who had inherited the purest strain of the Tang Clan's bloodline.
He had believed they would endure the great technique, and the results were exactly as he had envisioned.
He would use the talent of the Dragon-Phoenix Twin Poisons to completely recreate the divine art.
It was for this reason that he had accepted the Blood Flame Cult Leader's proposal.
Their lifespans will only last a few more years, but what does it matter if they die after manifesting the Myriad Blossoms Rain? The matter of succession can be resolved by adopting a child from a collateral branch.
The corners of Tang Tae-dok's mouth curled up so high they threatened to tear.
He was pleased with the siblings, who laughed and chattered without a clue as to when they would die. The sight of them enjoying the process of restoring the Myriad Blossoms Rain was truly beautiful. They were indeed worthy of being direct descendants of the Tang Clan.
My lovely children. You will be the final nourishment that allows my life's work to bloom.
Tang Tae-dok's gaze held a dual nature—a layer of satisfaction draped over raw madness.
The Poison Dragon and Poison Phoenix, however, saw only the warm smile in his eyes.
The Poison Phoenix waved a hand toward her grandfather.
"Look at this! We've got it down to a single breath now!"
Turning back to her twin brother, the Poison Phoenix spread her pale fingers. Her hands were flawless, without a single wrinkle, a result of her training in the Tang Clan's poison arts.
The petal-shaped iron plate pinched between her fingers vanished in the instant she flicked her wrist.
Tang Tae-dok saw it all.
It was a technique executed with an infusion of True Qi. The iron flower flew toward the Poison Dragon. The launched plate split into eight pieces in an instant, each rushing toward a different target.
Grinning, the Poison Dragon's left hand blurred. His pale hand drew a curve, and with a single step back, he swept up all the incoming iron shards in one smooth motion.
It was a truly sensational form.
"Top-tier indeed," Tang Tae-dok said with a laugh.
Tossing and catching flower darts was a game passed down through generations in the Tang Clan. At the same time, it was a training method to practice launching hidden weapons and hand techniques, as well as a means to evaluate individual talent.
That was why he had called it top-tier. The evaluation of one's talent depended entirely on how they handled a flower dart thrown by a Tang Clan expert of equal caliber. It tested reaction speed, internal energy output, precision of form, and the eye for the point of impact.
Since he had caught them all with just a single step back, the Poison Dragon's talent could be considered the greatest in the history of the Tang Clan.
The Poison Phoenix was no different.
A charming smile bloomed across her face.
"I think our senses are sharp enough now, don't you?"
"Yeah, we've rested enough. Grandfather, we're going to train again! We need an open space, and I like our usual spot. It gives me inspiration, you know? It feels like I can create anything there."
The confidence on the Poison Dragon's pale face was identical to his sister's. It was the spirit of a young expert who would soon take the world by storm. Their lightning-fast martial talent filled them with an endless sense of exhilaration. The very foundation of their talent had changed. It was a completely new world.
Tang Tae-dok nodded.
"Go ahead."
They were embers that would illuminate the Tang Clan's future before burning out. He could grant them whatever they wished.
Guard them thoroughly.
Tang Tae-dok sent a single transmission, his hands clasped behind his back. The command was for the experts guarding the direct descendants of the Tang Clan.
* * *
There is a saying: "A hundred thousand disciples." It is both a metaphor and a literal description of the Beggar Sect's numbers. While such a number might not represent actual combat-ready forces, their influence was said to reach across the entire Central Plains.
The Successor of the Beggar Sect.
Jeong Yeon-shin stared blankly at the man collapsed at the Lazy Flame Dragon's feet. This was the man destined to become the master of all martial artists in the Beggar Sect.
In other words, he was the next leader. His presence in the Jianghu was immense.
"In terms of numbers, even if you combine the Thirteen Heavens and the Nine Sects, they still fall short of the Beggar Sect."
"Yes, in terms of both manpower and information, it is truly the greatest sect under heaven. They certainly... must know a lot."
The white-ranked warriors of the Flash Art lineage spoke, all of them wearing indifferent expressions.
"Hey, hey! Who do you imperial dogs think you're touching?!"
"Hands off! I said hands off! Do you want to get beaten with a begging bowl?!"
The white-robed warriors blocked the path of the successor's indignant subordinates. Lined up, they completely barred the beggars from advancing. The way they rested their hands on their sword hilts or toyed with their handguards was threatening. The Beggar Sect members flinched.
The white-ranked warriors spoke.
"Weren't you the ones who provoked us first, bringing up the imperial treasure sword?"
"Don't worry. We won't kill you. Well... as long as you have nothing to do with this matter."
The warriors of the Radiant Wing Unit, who were generally more knowledgeable than Jeong Yeon-shin, remained unfazed, even though the Lazy Flame Dragon had just assaulted the successor of a great sect. They understood the gravity of the situation and the urgency of their mission. After all, the Demonlight Wing was not just another martial unit—they were their comrades from the Desolate Fortress.
"Great sect, my foot. No matter how many of those ragtag bunch there are, they're nothing more than a swarm of ants," the Lazy Flame Dragon said, chewing on a poppy stalk. His face was relaxed.
He was currently sitting on the successor's back.
"I've heard plenty about the Beggar Sect's current successor. Even though the Hwangbo Clan is tucked away in a corner of Jinan, we still get news about the great sects. They say that whenever you go begging, any sect will lay out a feast for you. And apparently, you enjoy it quite a bit. I was waiting to see when you'd show up at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, but you never did."
"I heard the Lazy Flame Dragon has a terrible temper. It seems I made the right choice not to go."
The collapsed successor's wit was formidable. Harsh words came naturally to him, and he did not lose his composure even while completely pinned down.
"I apologize for the provocation. This beggar misjudged his opponent, not knowing he would be so utterly humiliated. But tell me, how did the Lazy Flame Dragon end up as a pawn of the Desolate Fortress?"
"As expected. Has the rumor spread all the way here? Then you must also know why we are here."
He slyly brushed off the taunt. The Lazy Flame Dragon's way of speaking seemed careless, but he never strayed from the point. A bitter smile played on the successor's lips.
"The annihilation of the Demonlight Wing is a major event for us, too. When two or three of the Divine Sword Corps' units gather, it causes a massive uproar—just like when the Hwangbo Clan was destroyed. Of course, the Desolate Fortress is so widespread that its forces can't unite easily."
"You seem to think I'll get angry if you bring up the Hwangbo Clan, but it doesn't hurt at all. Keep talking."
"...Our sect has also been thoroughly investigating the Demonlight Wing incident. We heard that the Tang Clan's twin geniuses, the Dragon-Phoenix Twin Poisons, frequently appear in this vicinity, so we were trying to make contact."
His tone had changed. It seemed to be his natural way of speaking.
"I see."
The Lazy Flame Dragon stood up and dusted off his backside. Glancing at Jeong Yeon-shin, he said, "Now, the acting unit commander can handle it. It doesn't seem like we'll be doing any more time-wasting nonsense. Jianghu folk always need to be suppressed with force upon the first meeting. Especially those from the great sects."
"Such a way with words."
The successor grumbled, pushing himself off the ground. He twisted his upper body this way and that as he stood, his movements incredibly fluid, as if nothing had happened at all.
At the same time, the successor's eyes gleamed as he looked at Jeong Yeon-shin, a sparkle in his gaze.
"So, the young hero is that Flash Art? The rumored rookie who studied under the Lord of the Desolate Fortress and slew the Azure Qilin Namgung Se-jin. It is no easy feat for an expert from northern Huguang Province to spread his fame all the way to the Sichuan martial world, but if the rumors are true, it is well-deserved. I was already well aware of the incident where you caught the Eight-Fanged Rakshasa Sword of the Hegemon Sword Sect off guard."
He was thick-skinned. He felt like he was somewhere between the Lazy Flame Dragon and Heonwon Chang.
"They say the Beggar Sect's information network is the best under heaven. If you tell me what you know, I will reward you," Jeong Yeon-shin said. He then took slow steps forward.
Passing the successor and the beggars, he walked toward a section of the cliffside ground that was covered in countless marks.
This is it.
It matched the description he had heard in the report.
Daggers, iron plates, flying needles... Countless hidden weapons, all infused with internal energy, had rained down here. The gouged marks in the earth told the whole story.
He slowly parted his lips.
"The Demonlight Wing suspected the Tang Clan of manufacturing Thunderbolt Bombs. That was why they set out to investigate. These hidden weapon marks left here—are they indeed the traces of the Myriad Blossoms Rain?"
Just as Jeong Yeon-shin finished speaking.
Swoosh!
He felt the wave of energy before the sound. He sensed two hidden weapons flying like rays of light.
The moment he turned, iron plates shaped like flower petals shot into his vision. They immediately split into eight pieces each. Sixteen streaks of light pierced straight through the space toward him.
Heat flared in his head as his Upper Dantian ignited on its own.
There was no time to decipher the attack. It was too fast—he couldn't even gather the internal energy for his Body Protection Scripture.
Jeong Yeon-shin reacted on pure instinct.
Thud.
He lightly kicked the ground. A strand of True Qi rippled through the pebble struck by the tip of his foot.
The kicked pebble split into sixteen identical pieces, blocking the hidden weapons from all directions.
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
The trajectories of the iron petals were thrown completely off course.
Amidst the crumbling stone fragments, Jeong Yeon-shin slowly raised his head.
The culprits—the young man and woman in green light armor—were staring at him, their faces pale with shock.