Chapter 134: Blue Flame (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134: Blue Flame (7)
The Tang Family Pagoda fell silent for a moment.
“……”
What Jeong Yeon-shin said was true. It was a truly hollow sight.
The last Black Rank expert brought out by the Tenth Sect was dead. She had died without ever avenging her nephew, So Jin-rang, or her lover, Dokgo Gwang.
Slip.
The boy slowly loosened his grip.
Leaving his Desolate Fortress Sword on the ground, he used both hands to gently lay Yeo Ju-ha's body down.
To her, Jeong Yeon-shin was simply an enemy; she had committed no other evil against him. Since she had challenged him as a martial artist, he wished to show her the same respect in return.
He picked up her spear and laid it beside her. She was someone with whom Jeong Yeon-shin shared no personal history of gratitude or resentment.
With her eyes closed, Yeo Ju-ha's face looked peaceful.
Jeong Yeon-shin had used his true qi to relax her facial muscles, which had been frozen in shock.
Tap, tap!
A man rushed out from the Tenth Sect's side. He was a young man with a robust aura.
He looked about ten years older than Jeong Yeon-shin and wore a battle robe similar to Yeo Ju-ha's, though his was blue.
“Senior Sister…… Senior Sister……”
He muttered, his face blank with devastation.
He appeared to be a disciple under the same master, and his devotion to his senior sister was evident. Yet, even in his grief, the glare he directed at Jeong Yeon-shin was sharp and fierce.
He looked ready to hack the boy to pieces right then and there, but Jeong Yeon-shin endured his gaze in silence.
While the young man's behavior could hardly be called typical of a martial artist from the Heterodox Sects, anyone would have reacted the same way.
If I were to lose Senior Cheong-myeong or Senior Baek……
Jeong Yeon-shin thought to himself. If he were in that young man's shoes, he would have charged forward immediately.
With those thoughts, he calmly reached his hand downward.
The Desolate Fortress Sword rose on its own and flew into his grasp—the absorption technique of the Myriad Blossoms Rain.
A lingering warmth emanated from the hilt resting in his palm—the residual heat of the shockwave he had unleashed during their brief, fierce battle.
“Ugh……!”
The young man, who was lifting Yeo Ju-ha into his arms to retrieve her body, flinched.
Had he mistaken the technique for the legendary Sword Kinesis? His face flushing red, he turned around and walked away.
The boy sheathed his Desolate Fortress Sword without a word.
“Benefactor!”
The Tang siblings approached him simultaneously, moving incredibly fast by utilizing their Body Protection Scripture.
Holding pieces of blue silk that attested to their family's immense wealth, they tried to wipe away Yeo Ju-ha's blood from Jeong Yeon-shin's clothes.
What in the……
Their behavior, taking on menial tasks like servants, made him uncomfortable. Jeong Yeon-shin pushed the siblings' shoulders away with both hands.
The eyes of the Poison Dragon and the Poison Phoenix, who allowed themselves to be pushed back without resistance, looked peculiar.
He was reminded of the white cat that used to beg for leftovers at the wealthy Jeong Family Manor.
No, that white cat was a bit cheeky.
It was a silly thought. The boy dismissed the name—which also happened to be the alias of his junior, Shin So-bin—from his mind.
Just as he pushed the siblings away and looked up, a voice rang out.
“Your fist and foot techniques were impressive. They are a counter-study of our sect's martial arts. There are traces of malicious training.”
A deep voice spoke from directly ahead as someone slowly walked forward.
The footsteps of a middle-aged man clad in pure white light armor approached with a heavy, echoing resonance.
The boy instinctively knew that this armor was not worn for protection.
It was ceremonial attire, a symbol of authority marking the personal intervention of the Sect Leader.
“……”
Still, not a single trace of qi could be felt from him.
The middle-aged man, the Lord of the Tenth Sect, stopped ten steps away from Jeong Yeon-shin. He possessed an incredibly massive build.
One of his ears was cleanly severed as if cut by a sword. Yet, rather than looking unsightly, it exuded the aura of an undefeated, legendary general.
Even without revealing his internal energy, his terrifying presence carved itself into the very air.
In contrast, his eyes looked gentle. His pupils, resembling those of a bull, merely held a pitch-black light.
It was chilling. His aura reminded Jeong Yeon-shin of the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect, whom he had first seen during the blood massacre at the Jeong Family Manor.
The Lord of the Tenth Sect slowly spoke.
“Your counter-forms…… If you researched them all on your own, you are truly a genius blessed by heaven.”
Even though an expert of his sect had just died, his tone was calm. His expression remained unchanged.
What kind of martial artist was he? The aura of an unrivaled expert provoked such a question.
He was a man whose words betrayed no emotion. It was impossible to read him.
Still…… he doesn't seem to know about my Heavenly Punishment.
He showed no sign of having seen through the boy's constitution.
So far, only three people had seen through Jeong Yeon-shin at a single glance: the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan, and the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. Was it a difference in the level of their martial arts? Or perhaps it depended on the lineage and characteristics of the cultivation methods they practiced.
Regardless, he is a Purple Rank expert. Letting my guard down is out of the question.
Just as Jeong Yeon-shin gripped the hilt of his Desolate Fortress Sword once more, a voice rang out.
Suddenly, the Lord of the Tenth Sect grinned and shouted, looking over the boy's shoulder.
“Tang Un-hwang! How far you have fallen! To think the best place you could find to hide is behind the back of a boy who barely looks fifteen!”
“You call that a provocation?”
The boy spoke from amidst the steel petals that had suddenly drifted into the air around him.
A few steps behind him, Tang Un-hwang stretched out his hand, unleashing a divine ultimate technique to cover his family's benefactor.
Whoosh!
“……”
A heavy silence fell for a moment. Only the vortex of shockwaves unleashed by Tang Un-hwang vigorously battered the atmosphere.
The Lord of the Tenth Sect's eyes widened slightly before he grinned even wider. He looked ready to burst into roaring laughter.
“Myriad Blossoms Rain!”
After chuckling for a moment, he continued.
“Yes, I have heard the rumors. They say an unbelievable miracle occurred on the Giju Highway. Because the events were so absurd, I believed that part to be true. You actually managed to restore the Tang Clan Secret Art. And they say that, too, was accomplished by the fingertips of a young expert raised by the imperial family's guard dogs.”
“I thought you would be a man of few words,”
Jeong Yeon-shin said. He had already assumed his sword art's starting stance.
He crouched low, his hand resting on the hilt.
The Lord of the Tenth Sect did not reply. He simply continued speaking.
“No matter. There is something more important. To think the affair at the City of Master Craftsmen would end in such failure. Was it you who snatched Bodhidharma's treasure token?”
“The Blood Flame Cult took it,”
The boy lied calmly, thinking of using Heonwon Chang and Lazy Flame Dragon as scapegoats. It was easier than he thought.
However, the Lord of the Tenth Sect did not seem to believe him. Perhaps it was due to his long experience in the martial world.
“No matter. I can simply search the Tang Clan or the Desolate Fortress branch myself. Know this: I will slaughter every single thing that stands in my way.”
“Let's run,”
Lazy Flame Dragon whispered, suddenly stepping up beside him. Jeong Yeon-shin did not even bother to reply.
He silently drew his Desolate Fortress Sword and raised it into a middle guard.
He felt as if the wind brushing against the blade was being split in two.
Thanks to having dispatched Yeo Ju-ha so easily, he was still in perfect condition.
The Lord of the Tenth Sect approached without even drawing his sword. The corners of his mouth stretched wide.
Because his eyes looked so gentle, his face was all the more terrifying.
“Even if you do not block me, I will kill you. Our sect has fallen into decline because of you bastards. Since we are now at a stage where we must discuss reconstruction, I intend to extract a heavy price in blood.”
Flash!
The boy listened no further. He could not afford to yield the first strike to an opponent of the Purple Rank.
Behind him, Tang Un-hwang's Myriad Blossoms Rain reacted swiftly.
The moment Jeong Yeon-shin's sword strike emitted a faint light, the blossoms of hidden weapons surged forward alongside him, guarding the boy's advance.
“Good. Very good!”
The Lord of the Tenth Sect shouted boisterously. His strides carried the aura of an absolute master.
The surrounding air shrieked, as if an earthquake were shaking the atmosphere.
He had already witnessed the palm technique unleashed by the Flash Art.
Its power was exceptionally prominent even among divine ultimate techniques. It was to the point where he had to half-close his eyes and focus entirely.
The combination of that palm technique and the Myriad Blossoms Rain was peerless.
If one were hit by the palm technique amidst the swirling hidden weapons, even a Lord of the Thirteen Heavens would find it difficult to emerge unscathed.
The Lord of the Tenth Sect's eyes locked entirely onto Jeong Yeon-shin and the Myriad Blossoms Rain.
It was then.
Rip!
A pale face rose from behind the Lord of the Tenth Sect, as if declaring that their battle was already over.
He was a chillingly beautiful man.
In the brief instant his glossy, pure white hair fluttered, the fangs of the Blood Flame Cult Leader unleashed a monstrous wave of qi.
It happened in the blink of an eye. The moment the wave of internal power surged, his fangs sank deep into the nape of the Lord of the Tenth Sect's neck.
“Aaaargh—!”
The scream of an unrivaled expert erupted. It was an unbelievable sight.
The Blood Flame Cult Leader, his fangs buried in the Lord of the Tenth Sect's neck, flashed a crimson light from his eyes.
The terrifying blood-red light grew deeper by the second.
Blood Art. Absorption.
He had exploited a perfect opening from within the same peerless realm. He looked less like a human and more like a demon.
The speed of the absorption through his fangs was staggering. The Lord of the Tenth Sect's wave of qi was visibly dwindling.
“Hehehe.”
A sinister laugh leaked through the Blood Flame Cult Leader's teeth. It sounded as if it were echoing from an abyss.
The surrounding atmosphere froze.
It was a moment that would leave anyone utterly dumbfounded.
The Blood Flame Cult Leader did not miss this opening.
While still biting the Lord of the Tenth Sect's neck, he unleashed a massive wave of qi beneath his feet.
Boom!
The internal power erupting from the Gushing Spring points on the soles of his feet was immense.
Holding the Lord of the Tenth Sect from behind, he soared upward like an arrow, practically taking flight.
The steel rain of the Myriad Blossoms Rain was swept up by the wave of qi and scattered in all directions.
From behind, Tang Un-hwang let out a bewildered groan.
The Blood Flame Cult Leader. He's doing this to buy time to absorb his energy.
Jeong Yeon-shin quickly assessed the situation. If left alone, disaster would strike.
The muscles of his entire body tensed. The true qi of his halo surged through him.
The moment he stimulated the Support and Hold point beneath his buttocks, the Gate of Abundance point right below it on the back of his thigh, and the Gushing Spring points on the soles of his feet in rapid succession, the boy borrowed Cheong-myeong's movements.
“Block him!”
“Use your bodies to block him!”
At the same time, crimson figures lunged at Jeong Yeon-shin. There were far more than just one or two.
They had arrived stealthily, taking advantage of the chaotic battle that required his absolute focus.
Ten members of the Blood Master Sword rushed him without warning. They seemed intent on buying time for their Cult Leader.
A pure white light flashed in the eyes of the boy, who had been prevented from leaping up.
Radiant Brilliance Sword Style……!
The Desolate Fortress Sword flashed.
He exerted his full strength in an instant. Gripping the hilt, he drew a half-moon with the pure white blade.
The true qi, violently contracting in his triceps and biceps, exploded outward.
He felt his wide, horizontal slash shatter bones and tear through flesh.
Splat!
“Don't get any closer!”
“Treat the Grand Preceptor as an equal to an Apostle!”
With a single sword move, three corpses of the Blood Master Sword fell to the ground. The aftermath of the slash was even greater.
Those injured by the shockwave clutched their abdomens and retreated in disarray.
Groans echoed as blood dripped everywhere.
Jeong Yeon-shin clutched his left chest, attempting to leap once more.
Violently spinning his halo in an instant had severely strained his heart. It felt as if his chest were tearing apart.
At the same time……
“Ahahahahaha—!”
A mad laughter echoed. The ecstasy felt by the Blood Flame Cult Leader seemed to dye the surroundings crimson.
The wave of qi surging from his voice alone was immense.
Had he already refined the Lord of the Tenth Sect's true qi into his own in such a short time?
It was a level of internal energy manipulation that was hard to believe, even for the leader of the Heterodox Sects.
Stepping onto the roof of a pavilion, the Blood Flame Cult Leader tossed the Lord of the Tenth Sect's body aside.
He did not even spare a glance at the corpse as it fell helplessly to the ground.
The Grandmaster of the Blood Art. The Master of the Blood Flame Cult.
The smile on his slender face held a demonic charm.
As he stood proudly with his feet together, looking around, a sense of elegance exuded from his movements.
The dignity in his bearing was like that of a noble from Beijing.
He used this gathering of the Desolate Fortress, the Tang Clan, and the Tenth Sect…… as an altar to advance his own martial arts.
Though he had sensed the Cult Leader's presence earlier thanks to Supreme Elder Tang Tae-dok, he had not expected him to intrude so dramatically.
Now he understood why unrivaled experts were referred to as natural disasters.
He had swept in like a flash and instantly cleared away Jeong Yeon-shin's opponent.
It was a sight that made the boy realize the vastness of the martial path. After all, the Lord of the Tenth Sect was also a master of the Thirteen Heavens.
It is the peerless realm. Is it the Five Qi Converging to the Origin?
The boy instinctively knew. He was too late.
It was then.
A gust of wind brushed past his cheek, as if it had been waiting for this exact moment.
A fluttering violet sleeve blocked Jeong Yeon-shin's view.
When had he arrived? A warm voice called the boy's name.
“Yeon-shin.”
“Grandfather……?”
Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes widened slightly. A robustly built old man stood with his back to him.
Unlike the Blood Flame Cult Leader's, the white hair swaying in the wind was dull and coarse.
“Only now do I realize that my time and yours flow differently.”
His voice was incredibly heavy and sorrowful.
It was also a statement that startled Jeong Yeon-shin. His grandfather had noticed his constitution.
“I wished to share long conversations with you…… but the timing of heaven did not align. This is how things turned out while I was pursuing the Blood Flame Cult Leader and contemplating the Jeong Family Dynamic Art.”
“……!”
“Yeon-shin. Our first meeting is to be our last. I am deeply sorry.”
Ma Yeon-jeok's voice echoed softly.
“Engrave this grandfather's teachings into your eyes. You must eat the fruit of the World Tree, yes? I shall show you the realm you must reach in its entirety. If it is you, you will surely reach it one day.”
“Ma Yeon-jeok, you ridiculous old man. Still, you are indeed worthy of being my nemesis. I shook you off once, yet you managed to catch up.”
The Blood Flame Cult Leader looked down with a laugh.
The intrusion of the two unrivaled experts seemed to be the culmination of a long-running pursuit.
What kind of trials and tribulations had occurred between them?
For the first time, the boy faced a situation that had completely slipped from his control.
He could only stare silently at his grandfather's back.
Hummmm.
Ma Yeon-jeok lowered his hand diagonally.
Before he knew it, a precious sword that had appeared like an illusion was gripped in his right hand.
It was different from the mysterious and splendid Invisible Sword of the current Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
The straight, pure white sword was undoubtedly Moon Preservation, famous as Ma Yeon-jeok's cherished blade.
Yet, it still carried the exact same feeling.
It was strong enough to make one believe it could take on the entire martial world. It was, quite literally, a level of martial prowess that could command the world.
“Yeon-shin, from this moment on.”
The old man in the violet robe parted his lips.
As if temporarily borrowing his youth, a fierce, domineering spirit began to infuse his voice.
From between his wrinkled lips, a low murmur like a lion's roar escaped.
“Behold the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.”