Chapter 208: Turbulence (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 208: Turbulence (2)
The Flash Art, Commander of the Demonlight Wing, was executing a Tang Clan Secret Art.
Those in the know were already well aware of this fact. Within the main fortress of the Desolate Fortress, it had been an open secret ever since his promotion ceremony.
The truth had come to light during his Black Rank promotion test, overseen by Un So-yu, Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit.
Those with a keen ear for rumors had dug even deeper, discovering that he had formed a master-disciple bond with the Tang Clan Leader in far-off Sichuan.
A connection between figures of their stature was nothing short of a fated encounter.
This was evident from how the Tang Clan Leader, who had personally graced the Martial World Alliance with his presence, threw his full weight behind Jeong Yeon-shin. The bond they had forged through martial arts was truly extraordinary.
The same applied to the Brilliant River. Information regarding a Desolate Fortress Commander was worth its weight in gold.
Those standing at the apex of the Jianghu looked down upon the masses, holding the power of life and death in their hands. To face them without knowing their secrets meant certain death.
The Flash Art and the Brilliant River. The Commander of the Demonlight Wing and the Myriad Blossoms Rain.
By now, many knew of these pairings. They were ultimate techniques synonymous with Jeong Yeon-shin.
However, executing them simultaneously was an entirely different story. There had been no word of such a monstrous feat.
Unleashing two ultimate techniques at once was a realm of impossible difficulty. Even stances that required wielding both hands independently could not compare.
One had to direct the internal energy flowing through their meridians in two completely different ways within a single breath.
Without a profound level of insight piercing through the twelve meridians, the three hundred and sixty-five acupoints, and the countless minute vessels beyond them, attempting such a stunt would invite immediate Qi deviation.
The pathways of True Qi had to be flawlessly refined so the two distinct flows of operation wouldn't tangle.
For techniques on the level of the Brilliant River and the Myriad Blossoms Rain, that difficulty skyrocketed to terrifying heights.
Even if one could fully visualize the simultaneous execution, pulling it off physically posed another massive hurdle. Dividing the movements of the body's muscles and internal power to successfully manifest both techniques was the absolute pinnacle of martial execution.
One had to imbue hundreds of acupoints with conflicting intents.
The resulting efficiency would likely be far worse than simply unleashing a single ultimate technique to its absolute limit.
It was something even most peak experts who had achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak would not dare attempt.
Since the majority of the onlookers were seasoned experts, many noticed the anomaly the moment the stance began.
Gleams of astonishment flashed across their faces.
"The Wudang Dual-Principle Mind Art?"
"If he split his mind in two, it would make sense."
"Still, that's utterly absurd."
"There's no way a treasure of the Wudang Sect fell into the hands of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing."
"Then how do you explain the Myriad Blossoms Rain?"
"You can't put a mind art and a physical stance on the same level. The cultivation required to govern the entire body is incomparably more complex."
The mouths of the Desolate Fortress experts moved at breakneck speed. Their voices, transmitted through waves of energy, fired back and forth like rapid-fire.
This was the Lip-Reading Technique—a method of silent communication used in extreme situations by the martial artists of the Desolate Fortress, who frequently engaged in group battles.
"Could such a thing be done purely through instinct...?"
"The difficulty is on a completely different level compared to wielding dual swords."
Regardless of their lightning-fast debate, the situation on the sparring stage progressed even faster.
No matter how quickly the experts' lips moved, they were still slower than the hands of the Desolate Fortress Commanders.
Swaaaaa—!
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing and the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit.
The vortex of ice enveloping the two scattered a rainbow-colored light.
The sight of pure white crystals spreading from the Commander of the Demonlight Wing and whirling into a gale was truly like a fantasy.
The snowy Myriad Blossoms Rain was restricting Cheon So-so's evasive movement technique. Its efficacy was obvious at a single glance.
Because it was conjured spontaneously, it could not pierce her Body Protection Qi, but simply restricting the movements of a Black Rank expert was an incredible feat in itself.
The Cold Sky Flowless Ice Art of Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, was a Divine Art.
She had elevated the already powerful capabilities of her martial studies even further through her innate spirituality.
The moment the ambient water vapor froze under her Yin-Cold Energy, it was transformed from mere frost into deadly hidden weapons, perfectly serving as the medium for the Myriad Blossoms Rain.
These were ice crystals hardened by internal power. At this moment, they swirled like a monstrous blizzard of hidden weapons.
Seven-colored brilliance flashed here and there within the whirlwind that dyed their vision white. Even to the eyes of a Commander who had traversed the entire continent, it was an astonishingly sublime technique.
Cheon So-so calmly met the pitch-black eyes of the new Commander. Her right wrist, gripped tightly by the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, throbbed with a dull ache.
‘He has trained in external martial arts. His grip is incredibly firm.’
Perhaps it was the power of a Dynamic Art, enhancing the effects of external martial arts through internal energy.
Either way, it was an achievement that transcended the limits of his age. They said he was favored by the Castle Lord—had he perhaps eaten a piece of the World Tree's fruit?
No, that couldn't be.
Cheon So-so dismissed the thought the moment it crossed her mind.
That was not a spirit medicine a new Commander could handle.
Even if it were just a fragment, the same logic applied. No one could easily consume the greatest treasure of the clan.
Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, was different from the Han people who had reached the peak.
She had honed her clan's uniquely sharp five senses like a precious sword.
Having also acquired wondrous insight through the eye techniques of the North Sea lineage, she realized something the moment she faced the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing:
He was still a greenhorn who had not yet achieved the unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
But she could not probe any deeper.
This was because the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, just like her, had refined his True Qi into a Divine Art.
His mystical internal energy fundamentally blocked any prying eyes attempting to pierce through anything beyond his basic martial disposition.
Unless one possessed eyes trained well enough to rival a Purple Rank expert, it would be nearly impossible to glean any more information just by looking at the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
She did not let her guard down.
This was no time for carelessness, even if her opponent had not yet attained the state of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak.
The Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit did not lack discipline like the experts of the heterodox sects or the noble families.
She approached every mission with cold rationality.
She knew well that knowing oneself and the enemy was a virtue far more important than most martial arts.
Although she had no particular desire to form a close bond with the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, as a fellow Commander of the Desolate Fortress, she had thoroughly reviewed all the achievements of this Black Rank expert.
She had recognized immediately that he was an extraordinary individual.
‘His martial disposition is incredibly distinct. It is a mnemonic of absolute speed and strength.’
Cheon So-so's consciousness flowed like a flash of lightning.
This was truly the High-Level realm. The sensations currently washing over her like waves were the exclusive domain of peak experts.
The cold wind brushing against the Body Protection Qi on her skin felt like a sheet of sliding silk. The sensation dragged on for what felt like an eternity. It was a state of heightened perception where all things moved in extreme slow motion.
Yet amidst this, the palm of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, currently hurtling toward her abdomen, was exceptionally fast.
It was a strike unleashed without a single wasted thought.
The energy rising from his palm would strike her abdomen the exact moment it reached its peak, regardless of how unstable it might be.
It would hit with immeasurable power. This was not something she could take defenselessly.
It was the Brilliant River.
He was overcoming the palm technique's inherent drawback of a slow execution time in three distinct ways.
By restricting Cheon So-so's movements with the Myriad Blossoms Rain; gripping the pulse of her outstretched right arm to seal her internal energy flow; and utilizing his naturally swift control of internal energy to form the core of the palm technique as quickly as possible.
It was the talent of a born fighter.
She now understood perfectly why he had become a Commander at such a young age. He was a talent perfectly suited to the brutal nature of a great sect like the Desolate Fortress.
Whoosh—!
The sensation of her black robe fluttering violently near her abdomen reached her slowly.
He was now within arm's reach. The mere aftereffects of the palm technique's execution made her lower abdominal muscles tighten.
In that realm of a split second, she deliberated. Peak experts of the High-Level realm were those who could clearly plan their next move even when a single breath was desperately urgent.
Countless thoughts flowed through the realm of instinct.
‘What should I do?’
It was already half a breath too late to strike with her remaining left hand. She had not expected her Divine Art's freezing effect to be shattered by a single exhalation from the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
The True Qi filling the minute vessels of his entire body must have vibrated with colossal power.
She could not comprehend how the acupoints in his body were structured to withstand such immense dynamism. It was truly astonishing.
‘Rise,’ she murmured inwardly.
At the same time, the chilling internal power of the Cold Sky Flowless Ice Art surged from her Dantian like a beam of light.
The intent of a peak expert whose Essence, Qi, and Spirit were unified flowed perfectly with their internal energy. This meant that the speed of unleashing True Qi was nearly as fast as the speed of thought itself.
Thrum!
The True Qi, rushing instantly to the Yinjiao Point — Yin Intersection above her navel, spread to her surrounding rectus abdominis muscles.
The speed at which she wove the structure of her internal energy according to her designated mnemonic was faster than the palm of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
This was how a true Black Rank expert manipulated True Qi.
Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, was a master of ice arts.
The core principle of Yin-Cold Energy was essentially a subtle state of stillness within motion. An ice art that had reached the realm of a Divine Art granted countless capabilities.
An internal energy barrier was one of them. She could elevate her Body Protection Qi to the realm of a Divine Art far more easily than experts of other martial lineages.
The Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield.
An invisible barrier of True Qi enveloped her abdomen.
It was a Body Protection Qi forged from the mental image of eternal snow that would never melt.
As another of the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit's ultimate techniques, the defensive power provided by these ten layers of internal energy raiment was truly immense.
It was powerful enough to withstand even the joint attack formation of the Yang Family Spear experts she had encountered not long ago.
Most renowned martial artists could not shatter even a single layer.
The exterior of the black robe Cheon So-so wore was smooth, without a single blemish. This pristine appearance was a testament to the durability of the Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield.
The exact moment that Divine Art was fully formed, the right hand of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing slammed into her abdomen.
BOOM!
A terrifying shockwave erupted. The hair of both peak experts whipped upward violently.
Even the petals of the Myriad Blossoms Rain that had been swirling like snow scattered in all directions. The force of the palm technique's Fa Jin surged even beneath their feet.
It was as if the explosive power of a Thunderbolt Bomb had been hyper-compressed and detonated. Cracks raced across the floor of the sparring stage.
‘Ugh.’
Cheon So-so met the palm technique with an upright posture, preparing her next strike with her free left hand.
To an onlooker, her back was elegantly straight. It was a beautiful sight, contrasting sharply with her wildly fluttering robes.
It was the kind of mystical scene that the clashes of peak experts so often produced.
She narrowed her eyes. Even as the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's signature technique, the Brilliant River, shattered six layers of her Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield in an instant, she observed her opponent with a cold, calculating gaze.
All of this had occurred in a mere split second.
Only after this strike ended could she deliver a meaningful counter-blow.
If she let the fight drag on, she would be swept up in the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's terrifying combat instincts.
She resolved to prepare a major stance and end the duel quickly. She trusted in the Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield, a Divine Art rare under heaven.
Thruuuuum—!
The power gathered in his palm was indeed monstrous. The aftereffects of the internal power pressing against her abdomen seemed ready to shatter the seventh layer immediately.
Yet, it would not penetrate deeply enough to inflict internal injuries.
‘This Han man is strong. He took my first move and created this situation. His execution was incredibly instinctive. If I don't strike back properly with my next move, I'll have no choice but to take another direct hit.’
She thought with lightning speed. ‘I must take the initiative on the third exchange.’
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing no longer felt like a mere boy to her. He appeared as a threatening peak expert. Thus, he was a man.
In that split second, even as the fiery power of the Brilliant River shattered the invisible layers of the Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield on her abdomen one after another, that fact remained true.
His Fa Jin did not stop. He was extending the brief moment of close-quarters combat for an incredibly long time.
The force of the Brilliant River's palm strike pressing against her stomach did not fade.
It was like lightning continuously striking a peak of eternal snow.
There was the tempest of the palm technique raging against her abdomen, and there were the eyes of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, locked with hers for what felt like an eternity in the realm of thought.
Cheon So-so's blue eyes widened. The brilliant blue eyes unique to the Brightfolk were fully revealed.
‘An additional application of internal power...?!’
A realization like a bolt of lightning flashed through her mind.
It was not just a double execution of the Myriad Blossoms Rain and the Brilliant River. From the very beginning, he had woven his internal power into a triple layer before unleashing his counter-strike.
He had loaded the consecutive strikes of the Brilliant River into the Neiguan Point — Inner Pass of his wrist like artillery shells.
They said he preferred quick, decisive battles, but this was practically at a level that defied comprehension. She had not expected him to wager the entire duel on just two exchanges against a fellow Black Rank expert.
Did he not consider the consequences if this single strike failed?
He would have absolutely no strength left. This was precisely why not everyone could afford to favor quick, decisive battles.
It was hard to believe he possessed meridians capable of withstanding such a load of internal power, let alone the sheer combat instincts to boldly wager everything on this single exchange.
Rumble!
A violent vibration shook her vision.
The Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield shattered in rapid succession. The sensation of short, rapid strikes pounding her abdomen rushed in relentlessly.
The palm of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, which seemed to strike the empty air just in front of her stomach, was truly terrifying. The shockwave of the Brilliant River reached its absolute peak in an instant.
—Even if you strike back now, it is already too late.
The swirling tempest of force seemed to declare.
With a violent tremor, Cheon So-so's bangs were blown back. The wave of energy from her Upper Dantian, gathered on her smooth forehead, distorted as if commanding a counter-strike.
The frost characteristic of the Cold Sky Flowless Ice Art began to form. This was no time to trust her Body Protection Qi and prepare a major stance. The moment her left hand lifted slightly—
The seventh layer, the eighth, the ninth...
Crash!
Even though her consciousness was immersed in the High-Level realm, they were demolished at a terrifying speed.
No matter how fast a strike from the state of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak might be, it was still slower than the monstrous power the Commander of the Demonlight Wing had already unleashed.
SHATTER!
It took only a single breath for the final layer to break.
A soft cough escaped Cheon So-so's lips. A spray of clear blood splattered onto Jeong Yeon-shin's shoulder.
"...!"
In an instant, it felt as if her ice art had spread across the entire sparring stage. The mouths of the experts, who had been debating without pause, froze shut.
A silence as cold as ice enveloped the surroundings.
It was then.
Looking past Cheon So-so's shoulder, which sloped elegantly from her neck, Jeong Yeon-shin's gaze locked with someone far off in the spectator stands.
It was a handsome man with skin as white as snow.
While the sleeves of the black robe he wore were loose, the fit around his forearms was tight, revealing the outline of firm muscles beneath the fabric.
His body was built to be exceptionally agile.
Jeong Yeon-shin knew he was positioned at the very top of the Divine Sword Corps' wanted list.
‘Jin Myeong-jo, Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit.’
He had a pale complexion and slender facial features.
The black robe enveloping the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit exuded a cold, foreboding aura. With his arms crossed, he merely tilted his chin slightly toward the sparring stage.
It was impossible to guess how deeply he had cultivated the martial arts of the heterodox sects. A sinister aura emanated from his entire being.
In that moment, his lips parted slightly. It was unclear whether he was talking to himself or addressing the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
Jeong Yeon-shin closely observed the movement of the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit's lips for a brief second.
‘Damn it. Fucking hell. Shit.’
Jin Myeong-jo, Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit, muttered with an entirely expressionless face.