Chapter 119: Law-Transcending Halo Qi (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 119: Law-Transcending Halo Qi (7)
When I named it and gave it an identity, that was when the Jeong Family Dynamic Art was born.
Jeong Yeon-shin thought. There was no particular reason why a fragment of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art's mnemonic—one he had pieced together in his childhood—suddenly surfaced in his mind.
His martial arts were his most powerful weapons. It was only natural that he recalled them now, standing face-to-face with a formidable enemy.
The boy could recite the three-hundred-character mnemonic in a flash of lightning. However, creating an entirely new heart cultivation art in the middle of a life-or-death battle seemed out of the question.
A truly formidable foe stood before him.
The aging swordsman, the Sword Scorpion Demon, Dokgo Gwang.
He was a supreme expert of the Tenth Sect.
Clad in a battle robe like a seasoned general, the man exuded an aura as solemn and imposing as his attire. As one of the preeminent martial artists of the Thirteen Heavens' great sects, he was more than capable of matching a Black Rank expert of the Desolate Fortress.
The deep wrinkles around his eyes were a testament to his vast experience in the Jianghu.
He's the strongest life-and-death enemy I've ever faced, Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
He existed on a completely different level from anyone Yeon-shin had risked his life against so far—even the Azure Qilin, Namgung Se-jin. Even though the Imperial Sword Form was an overwhelmingly powerful sword art, the sheer aura exuded by the veteran expert before him felt far more terrifying.
It wasn't a matter of the quality of his martial arts. His realm was simply that high.
"Outstanding young talent, what are you doing? Since fortune favors us, you do not have the luxury of time."
"……."
Just because Dokgo Gwang goaded him didn't mean he would blindly charge in.
Every second he had to think increased his chances of winning, even if only by a fraction. He could analyze his opponent and devise a countermeasure. It was all thanks to his cursed Baihui Point.
He's an expert with a wide range of sword control. His internal energy is immense. The range of his shockwaves will be massive.
Jeong Yeon-shin took in his opponent's entire posture. He had a gut feeling that if he approached with fist and palm techniques, his head would instantly be severed.
There were zero openings in the enemy's stance as he let his greatsword hang by his side. His energy waves were suffocatingly dense.
Therefore, his first move had to be the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style. There was no other choice.
Shhhk.
He slid the sole of his foot against the ground, twisting sideways to shift his weight.
The Jeong Family Dynamic Art compressed his calf muscles, packing them with explosive power. Beneath him, the hard stone ground felt almost soft.
Simultaneously, the fine meridians throughout his body reacted. Chanting the sword art's mnemonic, he drew out the True Qi of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art.
It was a sword secret he had harvested from the cliffs of Mount Zhongnan. The hilt of the Desolate Fortress Sword in his right hand grew rapidly warm—the precursor to a sword move manifested in a single instant.
Thud!
Stepping forward, he struck. It was a horizontal slash, exploding outward from his center.
The air split. The pure white blade drew a perfectly straight line, trailing a faint beam of light.
Clang!
The Desolate Fortress Sword and the greatsword clashed. An immense force surged down the blade.
Violent vibrations shook the hilt. His grip instantly went cold and numb.
His sword force is on another level.
Jeong Yeon-shin gritted his teeth, gripping the hilt with trembling hands.
He knew instantly: he was completely outmatched in internal energy. There was a vast, insurmountable difference in their years of accumulated Qi.
It was a miracle he hadn't been cleaved in half along with the Desolate Fortress Sword the moment they clashed. The enemy's sword force was just that overwhelming.
"Your skill is remarkable. You are more than meets the eye," Dokgo Gwang said, his neatly trimmed beard pulling to the sides as he smiled.
His mouth drew a straight line. It was a martial artist's genuine shock, yet also a display of absolute composure. He spoke effortlessly while their swords were still locked in a deadly clash. This was something one could never do against an equal opponent.
I can't win with internal energy. I have to fight with pure skill.
Jeong Yeon-shin didn't prolong the confrontation. He immediately twisted his body.
Screeech!
The blade of the Desolate Fortress Sword slid down Dokgo Gwang's greatsword. The friction transmitted to his grip was incredibly rough.
Something far denser than steel wrapped around the enemy's blade. It was the physical materialization of True Qi.
This meant Dokgo Gwang had mastered a proper greatsword martial art. In the Jianghu, greatswords existed for one primary purpose: to shatter True Qi shields. They were meant to crush internal energy armor—like body protection Qi and body protection astral Qi—using raw sword Qi and sword force.
Jeong Yeon-shin's mastery of body protection Qi was not nearly deep enough. The moment that blade touched him, he would be split down to the bone.
I must avoid clashing swords directly.
Jeong Yeon-shin thought, spinning away like a leaf in the wind. Dokgo Gwang's heavy kick grazed his waist.
A heavy wave of energy exploded near his flank. His upper body reeled from the sheer force of the release, which hit with the concussive impact of a Thunderbolt Bomb.
In the same breath, the old bastard's kick turned into a heavy stomp. Planting his foot into the ground, he swung his greatsword in a brutal horizontal arc, aiming to cleave Jeong Yeon-shin in two.
It carried an immense, suffocating weight of True Qi. The air itself wailed, unable to withstand the sheer sword force.
It was terrifying. While unleashing internal energy that vastly surpassed Jeong Yeon-shin's, Dokgo Gwang seamlessly chained every single movement into a relentless offensive stance.
Whoosh!
The boy bent his waist completely backward, parallel to the ground. It was the Iron Plate Bridge technique. He had perfectly internalized the evasive stances commonly used by Murim experts.
Just inches above his eyes, the wide blade swept past, tearing through the air with a deafening, storm-like howl.
The sword force was absurdly strong. The tips of his hair were caught in the strike's slipstream and violently swept upward.
Now.
A sky-blue light flashed in Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes. He sharply contracted the large muscles from his glutes down to his thighs. The explosive power of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art firmly anchored into his lower body.
Slash!
He thrust his sword straight up, aiming right at Dokgo Gwang's arm. He was targeting the fleeting opening before the horizontal strike could be recovered.
The faint beam of light from the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style distorted into a deadly straight line.
It was then.
An immense pressure erupted from Dokgo Gwang's hand gripping the greatsword. There was zero precursor to the movement.
A colorless shockwave of True Qi exploded outward in an instant.
Whoosh!
It crashed toward Jeong Yeon-shin like a suddenly rising castle wall, threatening to crush him flat.
The boy, still hovering in his lowered posture while thrusting the Desolate Fortress Sword upward, was forced to halt his strike. For a moment, his entire body trembled violently alongside his blade.
If he lost his balance now, it would be the end.
Supporting his weight on the ground with his left arm, Jeong Yeon-shin pulled up one foot. He kicked out with the blinding speed of a drawn sword.
In that split second, he had funneled True Qi into the Taichong Point above his big toe.
This, too, was a release of force. Packing his internal energy into the kick, he struck out in short, sharp bursts.
Crash!
A deafening crash rang out, as if the air itself was being crushed. They were contesting force release in the true realm of experts.
The scene froze: Dokgo Gwang, sword raised high to cleave his opponent in half, and the boy, supporting himself on the ground like an acrobat, kicking upward to intercept.
The sheer force of their clash erupted from the center, sweeping wildly in all directions. The floor of the vast cave split like plowed furrows. Dust and crumbled stone fragments exploded into the air around them.
It was a pure contest of True Qi—a brutal battle of force release.
"Hmm?"
Dokgo Gwang's relaxed eyebrows furrowed slightly. The volatile vortex of internal energy, which had seemed ready to explode at any moment, suddenly stopped expanding.
The boy's precise force release was cutting through Dokgo Gwang's storm-like shockwaves, dismantling them strand by strand. It was as if a sharp, contrary wind had pierced straight into the heart of a raging whirlwind.
It was a rare miracle. The only explanation was that the boy had instantly created a counter-formula for a True Qi operation he was seeing for the very first time, and flawlessly executed it.
And he had done it all within a split-second exchange of stances.
Dokgo Gwang shuddered. Is this what it feels like to witness a young spirit beast, like an Imugi?
"Ah, what a pity you did not have more time."
Having confirmed the absolute gap in internal energy—a gap that allowed him to kill the boy at any moment—he stopped his swing and sighed.
In terms of pure skill, the Sword Scorpion Demon, Dokgo Gwang, was outmatched. He was only winning through overwhelming power. He felt genuine regret that he had to kill such a talent.
Jeong Yeon-shin poured strength into his raised right foot.
Boom!
He kicked off against the vortex of shockwaves, which felt as solid as a physical stone wall. The rebound blasted his entire body backward.
His left foot, which had been supporting his weight, skidded across the ground as he retreated from the impact zone.
Bright red blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. He had failed to completely withstand the immense pressure.
Jeong Yeon-shin regained his balance and stood his ground. He had suffered internal injuries. The pain was severe; his organs throbbed agonizingly against his ribs.
The boy's expression sank.
I couldn't overcome the absolute gap in internal energy.
Even with the incredibly high density of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art's True Qi, it wasn't enough. This was not an opponent he could defeat solely with a dynamic art meant for body refinement.
For an expert of Dokgo Gwang's caliber, even a single strand of True Qi possessed world-shaking power.
"If you had just one more year of accumulated effort, the outcome might have been different. You possess truly unbelievable sense and talent," Dokgo Gwang said.
Jeong Yeon-shin stared at him silently.
He could feel the composure of a supreme expert—a man who wore the generosity of the strong as a mask. It was an attitude perfectly in accordance with the cruel providence of the Jianghu. It was a demeanor that was hard to criticize.
"You are far too dangerous to be allowed to grow into the sword of the imperial family. Outstanding rising star... you must die here."
"……."
Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his posture without a word, rapidly calculating his next stance.
It was then.
Grab!
A hand gently grabbed the back of his neck. The grip was as hard as rock. At the same time, a familiar wave of energy washed over him.
An internal energy wave as soothing as a gentle breeze. It was none other than Cheong-myeong of the Demonlight Wing.
"It is admirable that you have survived this far, and it is truly surprising that you have become this strong, but..."
A rapid whisper brushed past his ear. It felt as though Cheong-myeong was refining the True Qi throughout his entire body just by breathing the words into his ear.
There was zero wasted energy. It was the unique heart cultivation breathing of the Brightfolk.
"What would we do if our youngest died here?"
The swordsman's grip pulled Jeong Yeon-shin and tossed him backward. The boy had no intention of retreating.
He landed immediately, using his left foot as an axis. Just as he was about to leap forward again using the rotational force of silk-reeling power—
A pale, bloodless hand, radiating a freezing water art, blocked his path. It was Baek Mi-ryeo, standing tall with her back turned to him.
The brutal aftermath of battle stained her blue robe. Her long, disheveled hair was proof of the intense life-and-death struggle she had just endured.
"Yeon-shin. Managing your internal injuries comes first. Learn to distinguish priorities."
Genuine concern bled through her usually indifferent tone. It wasn't the formal voice used to address the commander of the Radiant Wing Unit. It was the voice of Baek Mi-ryeo of the Demonlight First Team—the exact same tone she used when addressing the white-ranked Flash Art.
"So, I finally get to see our temporary commander lose," a voice chuckled. "Well, he was an opponent worthy of it. It'd be stranger if you won. The Sword Scorpion Demon, Dokgo Gwang, is an expert capable of dominating the entire Sichuan Province single-handedly. He's a powerhouse who rarely finds a match."
Lazy Flame Dragon approached with a faint smile. His steps were leisurely.
His physical appearance, however, was anything but leisurely. Just how much fervent yang energy had he been forced to emit?
The sleeves on both of his arms had been blown away without a trace. His exposed, bare skin was littered with deep sword wounds and dark bloodstains.
"I will guard you."
He stepped up to stand side-by-side with Baek Mi-ryeo. Lazy Flame Dragon's broad back stood before him like an immovable volcano.
Further out, the Tang Clan siblings and their martial artists held the line. Among the Radiant Wing Unit, Red-Day Sword guarded the rear.
Everyone else was locked in a fierce, chaotic battle.
"Grandmaster, perform Qi meditation."
The boy knew there was no other choice.
"Very well."
They were right; recovery had to come first. He decided to place his trust in Cheong-myeong. He remembered what he had heard when he first entered the Demonlight Wing.
Cheong-myeong had once briefly matched Namgung's First Sword, the traitor who had defected to the Thirteen Heavens.
If that's the case, then creating a new heart cultivation art here...
He recalled the True Qi transformation he hadn't been able to attempt earlier because he was too busy rushing into battle. It was a paradoxical situation. But if he was entering Qi meditation to soothe his internal injuries anyway, he would have enough time to simultaneously focus on creating a new heart cultivation art.
It was then.
"The treasure token! The treasure token has been stolen!"
"Southeast from the entrance! Over there, look over there!"
"What a terrifying expert! Form up!"
Frantic alarms rang out from afar. Total turmoil swept across the already chaotic battlefield.
It happened before Jeong Yeon-shin could even sit cross-legged. Accompanied by irregular, pulsing waves of True Qi, an overwhelmingly powerful force rushed in.
It was an elegant yet deeply gloomy presence—like a bat soaring on the wings of a divine bird.
She's coming this way!
Flutter!
The moment he recognized the threat, it was already upon him, carrying a heavy, intoxicating scent of blood.
"I missed you."
Black hair, fluttering like fine silk, briefly obscured his vision. The owner of that sinister energy wave now stood directly in front of Jeong Yeon-shin.
Her red lips drew a smooth, alluring arc. It was a smile that gently curved her sinisterly shining crimson eyes.
The Seventh Apostle of the Blood Flame Cult.
In a single instant, she had completely bypassed the protective formation of the Desolate Fortress experts.
"What...!"
Jeong Yeon-shin saw Lazy Flame Dragon look back in utter shock at his own incompetence.
Baek Mi-ryeo's reaction was faster, but having already suffered a penetrating wound to her back, her movements were fatally sluggish.
The Tang Clan siblings and Red-Day Sword froze and collapsed the moment the Seventh Apostle snapped her fingers. They had been instantly acupoint-sealed by the invisible finger wind shooting from her fingertips.
But in that exact moment, Jeong Yeon-shin was already striking. His blue sleeves violently fluttered.
A wild gale gathered around his thrusting fist. The second form of the Infinite Flower of Time Hand—Advancing Thunder—shot forward with devastating force.
"Your talent, your aura, your expression, your body... Every time we meet, they are polished to an even more dazzling sheen. Looking closely, you truly shine. It is absolutely, utterly ecstatic."
The Seventh Apostle whispered, casually extending her hand to deflect Jeong Yeon-shin's punch.
Flutter—
The Pure Blood Robe she wore spread wide open.
It billowed on its own amidst the storm of True Qi, shrouding all directions in an eerie red light. It all happened in a split second.
At the epicenter stood only Jeong Yeon-shin and the Seventh Apostle. No one else could see what was happening between them.
At the same time, her hand smoothly swept down, parrying Jeong Yeon-shin's punch. Was it because she wasn't human? Her hand felt impossibly soft, as if she had never spent a single day training in fist or palm techniques.
Pushing the boy's elbow inward, she covered Jeong Yeon-shin's lips with her other hand. It was over in an instant.
"...!"
A strange, foreign substance was forced into his mouth.
The Seventh Apostle's finger, which had briefly lingered on his lips, trailed seductively down his cheek. It slid straight down to the back of his neck.
He desperately tried to twist his body while operating the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, but it was too late. His reactions were simply too sluggish due to his internal injuries.
Until the moment her hand lightly pressed against his Adam's apple and finally pulled away, he couldn't manage a single counterattack.
Her speed was incomprehensible. Every single exchange of moves had taken place entirely within the realm of the Desolate Fortress's Black Rank.
"Live a long life. That is a fragment of Bodhidharma's True Qi."
The Seventh Apostle parted her red lips in a smile. The Pure Blood Robe settled back down on its own, wrapping elegantly around her body once more.
"We still have to finish it, right? Our bet. See you later."
Smiling, she kicked off the ground. For a brief moment, the wind blasting in all directions seemed tinged with a bloody red hue.
She soared into the air, shrouded in a high-level body protection scripture. No one could stop her. Lazy Flame Dragon finally landed beside Yeon-shin, his eyes wide in a daze.
"What the hell was that...? Commander, are you alive?"
"Guard me."
Jeong Yeon-shin ordered curtly. He had no other choice.
The moment the substance the Seventh Apostle had fed him fully penetrated his system, an immense, overwhelming inspiration bloomed in his mind like gathering storm clouds.
He had a sharp intuition. If he didn't seize this opportunity right now, he would never escape the City of Master Craftsmen alive.
"Senior So! To the rear!"
"Form up! The Demonlight Formula doesn't work on these Pure Demon Alliance bastards!"
The battlefield was pure chaos. The number of martial artists left to guard him had visibly dwindled.
Nearby, there was only the injured Baek Mi-ryeo and the Nameless Disciple, Lazy Flame Dragon.
Jeong Yeon-shin closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on the ruined ground.
At that exact moment.
A radiant flower of light bloomed within his Upper Dantian. It was a blinding brilliance that entirely filled his mind.