Chapter 147: Black Rank (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147: Black Rank (5)
Everything happened in a flash.
Giant tents were erected in a circle around the Main Fortress’s central training ground. This place served not only as a training ground but also as a venue for various events, including promotion ceremonies. Seating for hundreds was arranged, all facing the center.
“A bit more to the left!”
“On two, lift!”
“We’re missing a stone pillar! Bring a medium-sized one!”
Dozens of servants, Nameless Disciples, and White-Ranked Warriors carried stones and unfurled massive silk canopies. The Desolate Fortress rarely used timber, a consideration for the Fortress Lord, who was one of the Brightfolk. Creating a venue using only cloth and stone was no easy feat, but the Nameless Disciples and White-Ranked Warriors unleashed their formidable internal power, raising stone pillars with ease.
Their teamwork was incredible, far faster than any labor force a government office could mobilize.
“I never expected even this kind of chore to be like military labor. Back when I was just a nuisance to my family, I couldn’t have imagined this. It’s fun. Extremely unfun.”
Lazy Flame Dragon grumbled to himself. Some members of the Demonlight Wing had also been drafted as laborers.
Heonwon Chang glanced at him. Lazy Flame Dragon was carrying a stone pillar as large as his own body. Despite his complaints, he was doing the work of more than three ordinary White-Ranked Warriors all by himself. He sauntered with the splay-footed gait of a lazy nobleman, yet his balance was impeccable.
“You’re practicing your footwork in a bizarre way.”
Watching Lazy Flame Dragon intently, Heonwon Chang pursed his lips. The Hero’s Headband tied around his forehead was caked in dust from the long hours of work.
“The fact that you noticed, Senior Heonwon, says a lot about your own skill.”
Beside them, Shin So-bin let out a chuckle as she carried an armful of stone slabs with surprising strength. Like many rising stars of the Jianghu, she cared about her appearance; her neatly braided hair hung below her waist. Unlike Heonwon Chang, her complexion was pristine, a sign of her high skill in the Body Protection Scripture.
The three of them, being the youngest members of the Demonlight Wing, had been drafted for the task. Their low seniority and rank made them perfect for chores, and they hadn’t been able to slip away.
“You could carry more, but you aren’t. And they call you the number one rising star of Jinan,” Heonwon Chang complained.
The corners of Lazy Flame Dragon’s mouth curled up. “A person should only work as much as their station requires. A sect’s young master is expected to possess both martial arts and popularity, but no one expects a proper horse stance from a new disciple. Shouldn’t you be grateful a Nameless is doing this much? In fact, isn’t it shameful for a White-Ranked warrior to be so useless?”
“Is that insubordination I hear?”
“Don’t mistake honest advice for disrespect. That kind of thinking is how a sect rots from the inside, like a stagnant well. That’s how my family fell to ruin. I kept telling them that forcing the commoners into labor was madness, but they treated me like a stray dog on the street—as if I didn’t exist. Such contempt.”
“Honest advice, you say?”
“Isn’t it gentle advice? It seems you can’t even hold a candle to the Interim Unit Commander.”
“So, you’re provoking me. A Nameless provoking a White-Ranked.”
Heonwon Chang replied instantly to Lazy Flame Dragon’s sly remark. Seeing there was no room for argument, Lazy Flame Dragon merely raised his eyes slightly, his mouth forming a small ‘o.’ Ah, so that’s how it is.
Thud!
He drove the stone pillar into the training ground floor. “Anyway, this is what happens when a sect stubbornly insists on using only stone. The duty of a Jianghu martial artist is to cultivate their martial arts and character, pursue the Limitless, and spread their righteous reputation. Yet here they are, drafted to carry building materials, and not a single one is complaining. Truly bizarre.”
He spoke like a stuffy young master from a prestigious family, and his slow manner of speech suited him strangely well.
Shin So-bin shook her head. “This isn’t just any event; it’s a Black Rank promotion ceremony. No matter the outcome, the ceremony itself is a monumental occasion.”
“I get the gist. You’re saying it’s the sect’s ethos.”
“Isn’t it obvious? Think of it as a ceremony to choose the head of Shaolin’s Eighteen Arhats or the leader of Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Swordmasters. No, the Main Fortress’s Unit Commander promotion exam is even grander than that.”
“Hmm.”
“What single sect is larger than ours? This has to be one of the grandest events in the sect. It’s a rare festival. Even the great sects outside must be watching closely.”
“I suppose so. Still, it’s a bit much seeing people who’d be treated as masters on the outside silently carrying loads like common laborers. It makes it hard for me to slack off. Oh? Look at that guy over there, his balance is precarious… Ah, never mind. He has decent footwork.”
“The Fortress Lord herself is attending. What wouldn’t they do for her? There isn’t a single master in the Main Fortress who doesn’t admire her.”
“Well… she was indeed overwhelming, though I’ve only seen her once.”
By now, Lazy Flame Dragon had mastered the art of speaking informally as if talking to himself—probably his greatest area of growth since entering the Desolate Fortress. He glanced toward the seat of honor: the white stone throne where the Lord of the Desolate Fortress would sit. Positioned atop several tiers of marble, it resembled an altar and offered a clear view of the entire training ground. Around it, a layout resembling a great sect’s banquet hall was taking shape.
The Black Rank Unit Commander promotion exam. The scene heralded a ceremony of massive proportions.
“Just get back to work.” Even Shin So-bin didn’t bother saying much else. The young master of the Hwangbo Clan was uncannily good at walking the line, and as the precious daughter of the Shin Clan, she found little to criticize. It was more accurate to say she had given up.
Lazy Flame Dragon ignored her and asked out of the blue, “Has the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit ever lost in an exam like this? She rarely shows herself in the Jianghu, so my family’s intelligence only noted that she was highly skilled.”
Rumors had already spread. The identity of Flash Art’s opponent for the promotion duel was the hottest topic in the fortress. Interest had skyrocketed the moment the Law Enforcement Unit was mentioned. It was guaranteed to be a rare spectacle.
“Once.”
As Heonwon Chang sidled closer, Shin So-bin spoke.
“The current Commander of the Divine Sword Corps defeated her. Other than that, she is undefeated. The Commander of the Heaven-Aligned Wing and the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit both lost to her before challenging others. I believe it took them a long time to try again.”
“She must be incredibly strong. The Commander of the Azure Sky Unit is a transcendent swordsman whose skill even I have witnessed.” Lazy Flame Dragon stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Of course she is. There isn’t a single Unit Commander who isn’t a peerless master. Though there are different levels even among the Black Rank, that’s not a realm for us to discuss. Anyway, more importantly…”
“There’s something else?”
“The problem is the very nature of the Law Enforcement Unit. They say they know the martial arts of every warrior in the Desolate Fortress who holds a heavy responsibility. They have to, in order to easily apprehend warriors who break the law.”
“Like the disciplinary hall of my family. It was terrifying.”
“The Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit has it all: beauty, character, martial arts, and counter-techniques. She’s an idol to all the female martial artists in the Main Fortress. I doubt Senior Mi-ryeo is any different.” Shin So-bin’s focus drifted for a moment, as if lost in a daze.
Watching her, Lazy Flame Dragon shook his head slightly. Not a single normal person among the children of noble families.
“So, you’re saying the Interim Unit Commander doesn’t have a high chance of winning?”
“Well, that’s hard to say for sure. But there’s a reason for that, one that only I know.”
Her gaze snapped back instantly. Heonwon Chang asked with interest, “Is there some secret between you and Young Hero Jeong?”
“Senior Flash Art told me,” Shin So-bin murmured. “He said he didn’t reveal his martial arts just to gain recognition. He actually wants someone to develop a counter for it.”
“Of course. I knew that much,” Heonwon Chang said, turning away without another word. His departing steps seemed lighthearted, fitting for someone who claimed to be Jeong Yeon-shin’s close friend.
Only Lazy Flame Dragon remained, wanting to hear more. “He wants it? Why?”
“I’m not telling you.” Shin So-bin tilted her head with playful malice, a slight smirk on her lips.
Lazy Flame Dragon let out a hollow laugh, amused by the cheeky girl acting like a mischievous superior.
Thud! Thud!
Time flowed on. As they bantered, the venue for the promotion ceremony gradually took shape.
There was a reason they went to such trouble to decorate the central training ground instead of using a separate stage. The symbolism of a Black-Ranked expert was just that immense. They were the precious swords of the fortress, pillars for missions spanning the vast Central Plains. It was a position expected to single-handedly match the entire elite force of a great sect.
The Chief Steward's Office pushed the preparations forward at a tremendous speed. Having just lost two peerless masters of the Purple Rank, they knew a grand ceremony was an excellent way to capture everyone's attention and boost morale. Thus, they were crafting a promotion ceremony of unprecedented scale.
Below the duel stage, hundreds of people soon took their seats. An immense pressure pulled the air taut, filling the space with excitement, curiosity, and tension. The massive circle of tents alone was reminiscent of a grand imperial palace event. The crowd was a mix of warriors with sharply honed auras, neatly dressed servants, artisans displaying their rugged appearances with pride, and various guests invited as spectators.
The venue was bound to be incredibly noisy.
“Hah—!” “Haah—!”
On the central duel stage, a sword dance was being performed to build anticipation. Over a dozen swords drew elegant, synchronized curves through the air. On one side, artists residing in the Main Fortress plucked zithers and sang verses praising the spirit of martial artists, the ceremonial music harmonizing with the dance.
However, the masters in the audience were too busy talking.
“If there’s one characteristic of the Flash Art lineage, it’s the flow. The stances aren’t drawn out, yet they’re incredibly powerful.”
“That matches what I saw. It focuses on short, explosive strikes. It felt like the timing relies entirely on instinct.”
“It doesn’t seem to value a continuous, unending flow. Instead, it seems to have traded that for raw power.”
“It’s a martial art specialized for decisive, short-term battles. Every single stance is rushed, as if being chased by something…”
“Indeed. They were all single-strike moves. Powerful in the moment, but…”
“The weakness is clear. When facing a master of that style, you must remember two things: don’t trade blows for long, and don’t give them time to adapt to your own martial arts.”
“It’s easy to disrupt. One must overcome it with quick adaptation. Though he seems to have done well so far.”
“That’s why he’s standing at the Black Rank promotion ceremony. It means he has perfectly seized that split second in every life-and-death duel. It would be impossible unless he was born with astonishing senses.”
Sharp insights were exchanged. Not only the Blue Ranks but also the few Black Rank peerless masters present were discussing the martial arts. The lives of most masters in the Main Fortress revolved around righteousness and their martial arts; an event as interesting as this was a rare treat.
Just how high was the level of Flash Art? Would it be enough to face the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, who was known to possess counter-techniques for everything?
Would a new Commander of the Demonlight Wing be born today?
It was a matter of utmost concern. No one present could remain indifferent. Even the old masters of the Elder's Council, who usually ignored Blue Rank promotion ceremonies, had attended in droves.
“She arrives early.”
The Commander of the Heaven-Aligned Wing, seated at the bottom of the wide steps leading to the seats of honor, muttered while looking up at the sky.
A slender figure was blotting out the sun. It grew larger, along with a shadow that spread its arms gracefully. Her Body Protection Scripture sliced through the air with a skill that seemed beyond human attainment, reminiscent of Void Treading.
Flutter!
With the sound of a pitch-black robe flapping, she descended right into the middle of the duel stage. The sword dancers and musicians froze. The beautiful Brightfolk peerless master stepped lightly onto the marble.
Rustle.
Her long, pitch-black hem swept across the floor like the train of a royal gown. The Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit had made her appearance.
The martial uniforms of the Black Rank Unit Commanders differed from person to person, as the Chief Steward's Office accommodated their individual preferences. Rumor had it that the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, who deeply revered the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, had requested a robe exactly one inch shorter than the Fortress Lord's. It was the longest robe among the seventeen Unit Commanders.
“Oh.”
Heonwon Chang let out a brief exclamation. Seated in a corner due to his low rank, he hurriedly covered his mouth. It was the arrival of a master who had fully integrated her clan’s innate abilities into her martial arts. A momentary silence fell over the crowd. There wasn’t a single warrior in the Main Fortress who wished to get on the bad side of the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, and the Elder's Council was no exception.
“…”
A brief silence lingered. Even the blazing sunlight seemed to freeze.
It was then.
Step.
A boy clad in a blue robe slowly walked up. A path opened through the crowd of artists who were now hurriedly dispersing. Jeong Yeon-shin stepped onto the duel stage, lightly adjusting his blue sleeves. He carried two swords at his waist, looking no different than usual.
“Wow.”
This time, it was Shin So-bin.
Jeong Yeon-shin had bathed and purified both his body and aura. His expression was pristine. He looked like a young swordsman stepping out of a legend. It was the age when the features inherited from his famously handsome parents had fully blossomed. His well-defined nose and sharp, dark eyebrows complemented his somewhat lonely eyes. Standing opposite the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, a woman whose beauty was rare even among the Brightfolk, he cut a handsome figure.
After gazing at her for a moment, Jeong Yeon-shin slowly turned his head.
“There is no need for formalities.”
Before the boy could speak, a clear, resonant voice rang out. The gradually rising sun had just caught the edge of the Inner Castle’s roof. Beneath a thick arborvitae tree sat a stone throne. Pure white sunlight shimmered through the shade, and where it touched the hair of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, it rippled with the faint color of grass.
The peerless beauty, leaning back with her long legs crossed, opened her eyes. Beneath her finely defined eyelashes, her deep green eyes were slowly revealed.
“Think of etiquette once you are draped in the black robe. You may begin the duel now.”
Her gaze, looking down intently, was deep. The eyes of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress were, as always, like an abyss, and they seemed to wrap around the boy’s as he looked up at her.
Swoosh.
Meanwhile, the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit was already rising from a brief kneel. Unlike other Brightfolk, she had pitch-black eyes. She turned her head, her dark eyes staring coldly at Jeong Yeon-shin. It didn’t seem to be out of malice; she had shown nothing but indifference toward him from the very beginning.
She is a lofty swordsman, Jeong Yeon-shin thought. He felt it the moment their eyes met. The inherent virtues of a swordsman were all present in her—the cold composure of a clear mirror and still water.
“…”
Without any warning, the two masters faced each other, entering the duel immediately. Both possessed personalities that required no long-winded words.
Silence.
Only the air between them danced. The dry wind whipping between them gradually began to carry shockwaves. The ground began to split with sharp gouges. It was a battle of a realm where they could execute Fa Jin with their internal power alone, without even drawing their swords.
Peerless masters, contesting the realm of the Black Rank.
Thud!
Suddenly, a heavy stomp resounded as Jeong Yeon-shin stamped his foot down hard. He drew the Desolate Fortress Sword from his waist.
The moment the white blade soared and distorted the sunlight, the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit unleashed a sword strike.
Clang—!
In an instant, Jeong Yeon-shin’s Desolate Fortress Sword shattered into pieces. It was an entirely different realm of power. The sight of the sword that had been with him since he first entered the sect shattering in a single clash flashed before his eyes.
The boy did not panic.
He reached out toward the metal fragments that had been like a close friend. As his palm moved, petals of light scattered.
Refracting the sunlight in brilliant streams, the mnemonics of his divine art sprouted at the very start of the duel.
Chiririring—!
In a split second, the Myriad Blossoms Rain enveloped the entire body of the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit.
Many of the masters watching sprang to their feet.