Chapter 118: Law-Transcending Halo Qi (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 118: Law-Transcending Halo Qi (6)
The massive stone gate slowly split open. Poison Lord Tang Un-hwang suddenly stepped closer and spoke.
"You, did you say your surname is Jeong and your title is Flash Art?"
"Yes, Clan Leader," Jeong Yeon-shin replied, his gaze fixed straight ahead. His tone was calm.
He couldn't spare a glance for the Tang Clan Leader, even with the man standing right beside him. He was about to put his life on the line. All he could think about was the safety of the Demonlight Wing.
Tang Un-hwang didn't seem to mind. He studied Jeong Yeon-shin for a moment before continuing.
"Your speech and bearing possess a certain elegance. You do not seem to be of mere rogue origins. By any chance, do you know of Taoist Return-to-Origin?"
"He is the author of the Vegetable Root Discourses," the boy replied quietly.
The Jeong Family Manor of Henan was the preeminent power in Xinye County. Fearing that flaunting their wealth would make them look like vulgar nouveau riche, they required everyone of their bloodline to be cultured. Even an outcast of the family could not neglect his studies.
He had skimmed through the Compendium of the Great Ming, the Four Books and Three Classics, and even the Vegetable Root Discourses.
The corners of Tang Un-hwang's mouth curled upward, lifting his thick beard into a smile.
"You are knowledgeable. He wove Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism together quite well. It teaches one how to conduct oneself in life, and it contains many words worth savoring."
"..."
"'Even as night and day change in a clamor, their light remains constant in the world, just like the unchanging universe.' It refers to the virtue of a gentleman."
It was a passage the boy knew well. He had memorized it entirely.
Yet, the way it resonated with him now was slightly different. Was it the difference in the years they had lived?
Rumble!
The stone gate of the City of Master Craftsmen's eastern district was different from the ones they had passed through before. It was exceptionally massive.
As the gate slowly opened to the grinding of the rotating mechanism formation, Tang Un-hwang continued.
"Martial arts unleashed in a rush leave no room for retreat. It is best to maintain stillness within motion during moments of leisure, and motion within stillness during emergencies. This holds true for both swords and hidden weapons."
It was advice from a supreme expert. A profound depth resonated in his voice. Jeong Yeon-shin instinctively realized that this, too, was a fated encounter.
The Lazy Flame Dragon suddenly chimed in.
"You seem to have a real knack for speaking in riddles. Doesn't that just mean if you're impatient, you're likely to end up in an early grave? That's the absolute basic of basics."
"I've heard rumors that the Hwangbo Young Master's words and actions are unconventional. It seems they were true. You are right. I simply felt that our friend here, Flash Art, needed to relax his mind."
"Our temporary commander may be young, but he's an old soul. I'm sure he'll handle it on his own."
It was a comment made purely for the sake of appearances.
Yet, even blatant flattery took on a subtle nuance when it came from the Lazy Flame Dragon's mouth. Tang Un-hwang let out a hearty laugh.
"It is also something I tell myself. I have always muttered it to myself. To fully avenge my wife, I must first survive. If I am to seek revenge, I must keep my life."
His voice was like a desolate wind sweeping over dry leaves.
A man who was once a peerless expert now walked the Jianghu alone, suffering from internal injuries.
All because he had lost his lifelong companion. Just how deep were the shackles of that pain? Jeong Yeon-shin could not even begin to fathom it.
The Vegetable Root Discourses. Even as night and day change, the light does not.
He engraved the Tang Clan Leader's words into his heart, chewing over them.
Circulate true qi calmly. Keep the sword path in motion within stillness.
And then.
Jeong Yeon-shin stepped toward the light of the City of Master Craftsmen's eastern district. His steps gradually quickened.
As he passed through the open gate without hesitation, his sprint seamlessly transitioned into a lightness skill.
A gust of the Brightfolk's wind wrapped around his legs. It was the movement technique secret art that Cheong-myeong had taught him.
Whoosh!
Pushing off the ground of the vast cavern, Jeong Yeon-shin dashed forward.
The dim lighting of the City of Master Craftsmen grew brighter.
The eastern district was different. From the very entrance, it was as vast as a cavern chosen as the lair of an Imugi waiting to ascend to heaven.
The ceiling was so high it was swallowed by the shadows. Just how deep underground had they descended?
Behind him, he could feel the presence of the Radiant Wing Unit running silently in his wake. It was his sole comfort.
They're over there...!
His field of vision opened up completely. It hadn't even been five breaths.
A devastated village lay before him.
It came into view the moment he took a few more steps. It could almost be called a vast wasteland. Not a single house remained intact, as if a typhoon had violently swept through the underground.
In the midst of the ruins.
Experts were clashing swords. There must have been at least fifty of them, and every single one was a master.
Their swift movement techniques whipped up whirlwinds across the battlefield.
Every inch of space within his sight had turned into a warzone. They clashed with incredible violence.
Boom! Crash!
The air trembled from the collision of shockwaves born of fa jin.
Though tales of Murim experts dueling for over seven days and nights were not uncommon, the sheer devastation present the moment they arrived was shocking.
Just how long had they been fighting? It seemed the pursuit had ended, devolving into a full-scale battle.
The Demonlight Wing. Where is the Demonlight Wing?
He scanned the battlefield as he ran.
Corpses littered the ground.
They said the heavens were indifferent and merciless. There was no way Jeong Yeon-shin's seniors weren't among the fallen.
The boy's experience in the Jianghu was no longer shallow. He didn't naively expect everyone to have survived.
He had already received a report at the Desolate Fortress that two White-ranks had died. He only hoped there were few additional casualties.
Senior Oh Yu-gwang, Senior Du Cheong-cheon.
It was a futile hope. As his field of vision rapidly expanded, the corpses of his White-rank seniors came into view.
Among those still moving, there were no white martial uniforms of the Desolate Fortress. The White-ranks had presumably been wiped out.
It seemed only about fifteen members of the Demonlight Wing remained in total. The blue robes of Cheong-myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo, who were fighting desperately, were drenched in blood.
Shring!
He recalled what the Red-Day Sword had said before the formation of the Radiant Wing Unit. He had asked him to draw the Desolate Fortress Sword at the very front lines.
There was no time to issue commands. Before he even realized it, the boy had already drawn his blade.
"Hmm? Who is that?!"
"The Des...! It's the Desolate Fortress!"
The voices of the approaching enemies sounded chilling. Gripping his hilt tightly, Jeong Yeon-shin charged headlong into the fray.
At the center of the fierce battle—
Clang!
The left sleeve of a black robe was sliced away. A sturdy forearm flew into the air.
The scar-covered left arm of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing was severed and sent flying, trailing a storm of shockwaves that hadn't yet fully dispersed.
He had been holding off two of the enemy's supreme experts all by himself.
"Commander of the Demonlight Wing! They said you were worthy of being called the strongest of the Black Ranks, and indeed, your reputation is well-deserved!" shouted the blond-haired, blue-eyed Westerner who had severed Ma Jin's left arm with a hand blade.
The exotic middle-aged man's voice carried a powerful wave of internal energy. His intention was obvious.
He had spoken to boost his allies' morale.
Pure Demon God Hand Ha Yul-geuk.
He was an incredibly famous supreme expert. His massive build alone set him apart.
He was a towering figure, standing well over six feet tall. His blue eyes were filled with a majestic aura, and draped over his back was a sleeveless, pitch-black overcoat—the signature attire of the Pure Demon Alliance.
The Sichuan Pure Demon Alliance.
It was a Great Sect of the Thirteen Heavens, formed by a faction of the Demonic Cult that had risen from the ashes after being wiped out during the founding of the Ming Dynasty.
Among them, the Pure Demon God Hand could be considered the leader of the Thirteen Heavens' elites gathered here.
He was the one who had severed Ma Jin's arm, albeit through a coordinated attack. A monstrous aura sliced at Jeong Yeon-shin's skin. It was a testament to the realm of the Desolate Fortress's Black Ranks.
He didn't care. All rational thought vanished from Jeong Yeon-shin's mind.
Boom!
The true qi in the Yongquan Point of his soles exploded. The stone floor shattered beneath the boy's feet.
Whoosh!
With a sudden burst of acceleration, Jeong Yeon-shin broke away from the Radiant Wing Unit and charged into the center of the battlefield in an instant.
However, the enemies were quick to react. These were the very experts who had been suppressing the Demonlight Wing. Six men and women turned toward the boy.
The Tenth Sect and the Pure Demon Alliance. The secret martial arts of these Great Sects filled the space ahead.
They thrust forward with fist strikes, spears, and sword strikes, none of which were ordinary.
A faint stream of light from the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style surged from Jeong Yeon-shin's fingertips. He swung the Desolate Fortress Sword as if it were a mere club.
Crack! Crash!
He shattered them all. Groans erupted from the enemies' mouths.
Shards of weapons, severed arms—everything fell away behind Jeong Yeon-shin.
He didn't slow his pace for even a second.
Fortunately, they were small fry. The enemy's Blue-rank level experts seemed intent on wiping out the Demonlight Wing elsewhere.
Whoosh!
He reached the center in an instant, having perfectly executed a surprise attack.
"Yeon-shin!" the newly one-armed Ma Jin cried out in surprise. He had been helplessly pushed back by the Pure Demon God Hand and the Tenth Sect's supreme expert.
"Reinforcements?" an elderly man muttered. He was the one standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Pure Demon God Hand.
He took a light step forward, blocking Jeong Yeon-shin's path. Amidst the chaotic battlefield, he alone displayed a relaxed bearing.
He was a warrior of the Tenth Sect. His appearance was peculiar; he wore a dark blue battle robe draped like a great general's mantle and wielded a greatsword.
With such extraordinary attire and profound martial arts, it would be difficult for him not to be famous in the Jianghu.
Sword Scorpion Demon Dokgo Gwang.
He was the sword of a Great Sect, said to have synthesized eighteen different types of weapon martial arts.
He led the sect's premier strike force and was considered exceptionally extraordinary even within the Tenth Sect.
"The kid's spirit is remarkable. His refined true qi is truly magnificent. What is your name?" the Sword Scorpion Demon asked. He sounded sincere. Admiration, bordering on shock, was evident in the gaze that swept over Jeong Yeon-shin's figure.
"Your body is well-tempered, too. No, you are a vessel the likes of which I have never seen. Why have you come here now? Had you lived longer, you would have become a peerless expert capable of contesting for the world."
"..."
Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer.
He wanted to check on the condition of his maternal uncle across from him, but the presence of the supreme expert blocking his path was overwhelming.
Leisure was not a luxury afforded to the weak. In this moment, the strong were the Sword Scorpion Demon and the Pure Demon God Hand.
They had every right to evaluate Jeong Yeon-shin and express their pity.
Ma Jin, having lost his arm, confronted the Pure Demon God Hand.
The seniors of the Demonlight Wing seemed to have their hands full just holding off the experts of the two Great Sects due to their severe numerical disadvantage.
Behind him, he could feel the presence of the Radiant Wing Unit joining the fray one by one.
Even so, a sense of being completely overwhelmed washed over him.
They had merely transitioned from a hopelessly disadvantageous position to a weak offensive.
They lacked an expert who could turn the tide of the battle.
Although the Tang Clan Leader was slaughtering the densely packed warriors of the Thirteen Heavens in the distance, even if he came here, his limit would be facing either the Sword Scorpion Demon or the Pure Demon God Hand.
That was because he was still suffering from internal injuries caused by the schemes of the Sichuan Tang Clan's Supreme Elder.
I have to do it, the boy thought.
This was where the core experts of the Desolate Fortress, the Pure Demon Alliance, and the Tenth Sect were locked in a fierce battle.
It was a place where three supreme experts of world-renowned fame had gathered. He had unintentionally stepped onto a deadly testing ground. He had to win here.
"Come," the Sword Scorpion Demon said with a smile.
Jeong Yeon-shin pushed his Jeong Family Dynamic Art to its absolute limit. Immediately after, he began to tune the muscles of his entire body.
* * *
On a cliff far from the battlefield, beggars sat around leisurely.
Every single one of them was a Beggar Sect expert with several knots tied around their waist. Their postures as they overlooked the battlefield were thoroughly relaxed.
"This is a rather ambiguous situation. The Demonlight Wing is being pushed back more than I thought. Even if the opposing force is twice their size, they should have been able to hold out if they focused entirely on defense," the Beggar Sect Successor said, addressing the Beggar Sect experts who had accompanied him.
"It seems to be because of the residents of the City of Master Craftsmen. It looks like the Demonlight Wing managed to evacuate them safely. They must have exposed a vulnerability to do so."
"Well, if they did that, it's only natural. Trying to rescue hostages with insufficient forces... Though the righteousness of the Demonlight Wing is something even we beggars can learn from," they replied. Their insolently sprawled postures suited them perfectly.
"The thing is, I don't see an opening. It seems Zen Master Bodhidharma's Treasure Token has already fallen into the hands of the Pure Demon Alliance... Oh, look at that, the Forest Killing Sword is holding it. He's not an expert who would easily fall even to a Blue-rank of the Demonlight Wing. Is there really no way for us to snatch it?" the Beggar Sect Successor muttered, stroking his chin.
It was then.
"I have something to ask."
Along with a woman's voice, a red beam of light swept past the beggars.
It was a faint yet chilling gaze. The eerie aura blooming from it was truly formidable.
"What...?"
The group, including the Beggar Sect Successor, raised their heads. Their movements were stiff. They had instinctively sensed the presence of an expert they could not hope to match.
Immediately, cries of shock erupted.
A woman standing perfectly perpendicular to the stone wall was looking down at them. The pressure of her terrifying Body Protection Scripture weighed heavily on the air.
Her hair flowed like ebony, and her crimson eyes were striking.
A Pure Blood Robe, even redder than her eyes, wrapped around her entire body. She was both bewitching and noble.
Her ruby-like eyes gazed leisurely at the Beggar Sect experts. They swallowed hard.
"About that fragment of the Manifestation's true qi said to be in that Treasure Token," she said, slowly parting her lips.
"..."
"Is it good for the body? A boy about this big is going to eat it," she asked, lightly raising a hand as white as jade to indicate the height. It was a gesture that seemed innocent at first glance.
"...Of course! Of course it would have miraculous efficacy! Wouldn't some kind of spiritual energy bloom within the body? If it is the legacy of Zen Master Bodhidharma, it certainly wouldn't be harmful!" the Beggar Sect Successor stammered. It was an extremely urgent reply.
"Yes. I see."
The corners of the Seventh Apostle's mouth curled up slightly.