Chapter 216: Flash (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 216: Flash (3)
‘The Black Rank seniors...?’
Jeong Yeon-shin rotated the halo around his heart.
Immediately, a minute wisp of Law-Transcending Halo Qi drifted upward.
Passing through his solar plexus, the internal energy pooled and thickened at the Fengchi Point, where the meridians at the back of his head and below his ears converged.
The qi stimulated the surrounding blood vessels and sharply heightened his nervous system. It was a sensory cultivation technique focused entirely on hearing.
The ambient sounds flooding his ears amplified drastically.
Even so, the conversation between the Black Ranks remained faint. Only by condensing his Halo Qi even further could he properly capture their voices.
It seemed they had erected a soundproof barrier of internal power the moment the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit finished shouting.
Hahu Wi-jin had only infused his voice with internal power that single time.
From then on, they had spoken in normal tones. Because they were sealed within the unit commanders' energy barrier, no one in the vicinity besides Jeong Yeon-shin could eavesdrop on them.
Relying on the pure efficacy of the Law-Transcending Halo Qi, a young woman's voice faintly transmitted into his ears.
"...You lunatic! How could you just blurt out the name of the secret manual?!"
There were very few people in the world who dared to scold the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit like that.
It was unmistakably the voice of Ak Su-rim, the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress. She seemed to be running alongside Hahu Wi-jin. A grumpy response immediately followed.
"What is the problem?"
"I know you're not stupid, so why are you acting like this? The name itself is the problem! It practically screams that it's the Flash Art's manuscript. It's a direct provocation to the Orthodox martial lineages!"
"It is an exceptionally well-chosen name."
"Isn't it obvious at a glance what kind of manual it is? Anyone with half a brain could guess! You giant oaf, have you completely lost your mind?"
"I simply do not like hiding things. Such knowledge should be widely known. Maintaining our dignity is vastly different from walking on eggshells. Keeping silent out of fear of outsiders' martial prowess? That is what truly goes against the dignity of a Black Rank."
"You've well and truly lost your mind. Do you have any idea what will happen to the Main Fortress if this is exposed? Stop staring like a dumb bear and use your head like a proper Brightfolk! Do you think being skilled in eye techniques is everything?"
"We can handle it. The Divine Sword Corps is strong."
"Even if over a dozen Purple Ranks and scores of Black Ranks charge at us? You know this matter is serious enough to warrant exactly that, right? You literally just came back from seeing the Martial World Alliance, yet you're still full of hot air. And this time, the backlash won't just end at the scale of the Alliance."
"Setting the Nine Sects aside, you overrate the Clan Heads. Over a dozen Purple Ranks, indeed."
"Stop bickering over trivialities and read the room. Am I wrong? If you can take on any of the Clan Heads of the Eight Great Families and kill even one of them single-handedly, I'll concede. Could you do now what you haven't been able to do for decades, even with that massive frame of yours? And don't just think about the Great Sects. What about the peerless experts who roam the Jianghu alone without any sect affiliation?"
"If the 17th Unit of the Divine Sword Corps unites as one..."
"Even back when we had three Purple Ranks, it was overwhelming to handle the entire Jianghu! Speak realistically, for heaven's sake. If the Main Fortress abandons the common people of the world, can it still be called the Desolate Fortress?"
"..."
"You're a complete fool. Throwing away your fox-like wits for the sake of pride. If you ever die on a mission, that will be the sole reason. Mark my words."
"I have a plan. This is not something only the Black Ranks should keep to themselves. It would be better to aim for an overall increase in the power of the entire Main Fortress..."
"What's the point of getting stronger against the Righteous Factions if it means risking the spread of rumors? Do you think the Thirteen Heavens will just roll over like dogs? It is a hundred times better for only the Black Ranks to learn it! More importantly, look at this guy who could barely last fifty exchanges talking back so boldly. Blabbing about this without any prior discussion is sheer madness!"
"Which Black Rank at the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall would have listened to me seriously? It would have been dismissed the moment I brought it up. By the way, fifty exchanges? That differs greatly from my memory."
"What?"
"Did I not last at least sixty exchanges?"
A snort rang out in response.
"Is having short breath in your heart cultivation something to boast about? Your strikes are terribly inefficient, which is exactly why you're the inferior one!"
"What's done is done, so let us stop. The Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit was indeed careless. There will likely be repercussions. We can only count ourselves fortunate that it is late at night."
The arguing voices gradually drew closer.
By the time the clear, melodious voice of Un So-yu, Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, chimed in to mediate, three figures were already coming into view.
They appeared directly opposite the main gate of the Demonlight Wing pavilion.
The characteristics of their respective Body Protection Scriptures were incredibly distinct.
Whoosh!
Ak Su-rim kicked off the ground lightly, while Un So-yu's footwork was silent and springy.
On the other hand, Hahu Wi-jin's Body Protection Scripture was awkwardly light.
To an expert's eye, his movements would have seemed clumsy. It appeared he was currently in the middle of training, having taken Jeong Yeon-shin's previous advice to heart.
All three were moving quite slowly compared to their actual martial prowess. Because they were within the Main Fortress, they refrained from unleashing their full speed.
Even so, they were Black Ranks. The moment their figures imprinted upon his vision, they closed the distance in a flash.
The Blue Ranks of the Demonlight Wing, who had been on high alert, hurriedly retreated behind Jeong Yeon-shin toward the main gate.
The blue robes of Cheong-myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo brushed past their commander's shoulders.
Pung-ran and Na Il-cheon, who had come over from the Bloodkeeper Unit, also blended into the Demonlight Wing's formation in the confusion.
In the blink of an eye, the three unit commanders arrived.
A strong gust of wind swept over the courtyard, causing Jeong Yeon-shin's hair to flutter backward.
"Greetings, seniors."
Jeong Yeon-shin offered a simple clasp of his hands, calmly observing each of his seniors.
Earlier, Hahu Wi-jin had mentioned the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous.
Since there had been a gathering at the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall, it seemed the secret manual he had painstakingly written had finally been revealed to the others.
He grew curious about their sudden visit. Was the content of the document insufficient?
‘Come to think of it... I also dismantled the Body Protection Scripture of the Shandong Ak Clan.’
He recalled Spear-Wielding Ak Ye-rim. As the fiancée of the Azure Qilin, she was the one who had sincerely apologized to Jeong Yeon-shin at the moment of their parting.
She was said to be the niece of the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress. The dismantling methods he wrote down would likely apply to Ak Su-rim's martial arts to some extent. He wondered how she would take it.
It was then.
Rustle.
Landing right in front of him, Ak Su-rim smiled brightly.
"Our Flash Art's features grow more defined by the day, don't they? Your limbs keep growing without stopping, so you'd better master your combat intervals thoroughly, kid. You know a master's sense of distance is their lifeline, right? A mere inch can drastically change the efficacy of your fa jin."
"Thank you for the advice."
"As if you didn't already know."
Just as she lightly waved her hand, a massive shadow loomed over Ak Su-rim.
In the bright evening moonlight, Hahu Wi-jin's physique stood out like a mountain. Even his shadow looked incredibly robust.
A giant of seven feet. He was hailed as the tallest wall of the Desolate Fortress.
Among the commoners, he was revered as a divine general who descended when heavenly fortune aligned.
His overwhelming presence perfectly befitted his alias, the Thousand-Fist Dragon-Strength Retainer. It was said he had been active as a Black Rank for far longer than Ak Su-rim.
"How can you perceive and think in such a way?" he asked abruptly.
Jeong Yeon-shin replied even more briefly. "Pardon?"
"You do not seem to have trained in any supreme eye techniques, yet your observation and insight are astonishing. To create such a thing at your age, with those hands... It possesses a delicacy that even I, who have mastered my clan's eye techniques, do not possess."
"You flatter me."
"I came here after skimming only the first few pages. Yes, first..."
Whoosh.
As Hahu Wi-jin trailed off, a colorless wave rippled outward from his body.
It swept over Jeong Yeon-shin's face. A faint barrier had been erected—the pure materialization of true qi.
He had extended his internal power to form a hemispherical soundproof barrier. Ordinary internal cultivation could never achieve this.
His absolute control over his true qi was immaculate. It was an internal energy technique that proved he had reached the state of the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
"Let us go inside first. There are matters for the unit commanders to discuss..."
"Compendium of Crushing the Righteous? What is that..."
The sounds from outside faded entirely, cutting off the murmurs of the Demonlight Wing's Blue Rank experts.
Soon, they were completely sealed off from the rest of the world.
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing, the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit, and the Vice Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
Hahu Wi-jin's energy barrier enclosed only the four Black Ranks.
It was a boundary separating the dignified Black Rank martial artists from everyone else. The low humming sound of the barrier bore witness to the terrifying depth of the Brightfolk master's internal energy.
It was a realm that even Jeong Yeon-shin's current accumulated qi from the Law-Transcending Halo could not reach.
Hahu Wi-jin was truly worthy of his noble clan. The sheer number of years he had spent breathing in true qi put him on an entirely different level.
‘Would I catch up if I kept the halo rotating non-stop for about a year? The gap really is vast.’
While Jeong Yeon-shin marveled inwardly, Hahu Wi-jin looked down at his junior with a strange expression.
"Let me ask about the Moyong Clan's Thirteen Mountain-Treading Sword Steps first. The method to dismantle it was written very briefly."
A trace of heat lingered in his deep voice.
Jeong Yeon-shin recalled the Commander of the Heavenly Spirit Sword Unit, the man he had clashed swords with during the Martial World Alliance's Sect Founding Ceremony.
He was a swordsman who seemed to harbor a deep grudge against the Desolate Fortress. Representing the Moyong Clan, he had plotted to publicly humiliate Jeong Yeon-shin.
It had been an absurd display. In the end, he was utterly defeated by Jeong Yeon-shin's sword technique.
‘There was profound mystery in the sword art itself. It won't be so easy if we meet again.’
Just as Jeong Yeon-shin was reminiscing, Ak Su-rim spoke up.
"This giant almost kicked the bucket to the Mountain-Treading Sword Formation once. I heard he charged in alone to protect his subordinates. He tried to face a sword formation deployed by thirty men of the Moyong Clan's Heavenly Spirit Sword Unit—all of whom were easily at the Blue Rank level—entirely by himself."
Ak Su-rim continued teasingly, her lips curving upward into a smirk.
"It's a miracle he didn't die. If the Commander of the Heavenly Spirit Sword Unit hadn't been lured away elsewhere, he would have truly departed this life. As you can see, there aren't many sane ones among your seniors. Probably just the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit here and me."
Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his eyelashes slightly, pretending not to hear her boast, while inwardly feeling grateful once again for his maternal grandfather's unchanging demeanor.
"I have recorded the core principles in sufficient detail," Jeong Yeon-shin replied.
Hahu Wi-jin spoke with a solemn face. "That is not incorrect. The mnemonics are indeed as you say. However, there are parts that are difficult to grasp unless one is the author of the manual. For instance, when breaking the Moyong Clan's characteristically rigid sword momentum... did you not write to weave the true qi into the shape of the character 'Yong' (冗) at the point of contact? Adding about thirty percent more force to the lower 'Gwe' (几) part. That is exactly how you wrote it."
"The momentum of the Heavenly Spirit Sword was inherently insidious," Jeong Yeon-shin calmly explained.
"The form of the internal power wrapped from the arm to the tip of the sword was peculiar, and the structure of that true qi had distinct strengths and weaknesses. If one is to pierce through with a thrusting strike, forming the character 'Yong' (冗) is correct. A single-point concentrated strike forces one to rely on luck. It would be fine if you accidentally pierced a weak point in their flow of internal power, but if you wish to lead the battle stably, you must not gamble like that. Tuning the emitted shockwave into two strokes will guarantee victory."
Slowly, Hahu Wi-jin closed his mouth.
For a brief moment, his thick eyebrows twitched. The unreadable expression characteristic of the Desolate Fortress's unit commanders wavered.
It was a prominent change, made all the more noticeable because his bangs were swept back cleanly off his forehead.
He did not reply for a long moment. Neither did Ak Su-rim or Un So-yu.
His casual explanation brought home the reality of the situation once again.
The one who had authored the manual to dismantle the Orthodox martial lineages was indeed their junior.
The master of Crushing the Righteous. This rookie Black Rank had achieved a feat that transcended mere martial prowess. It was truly no ordinary matter.
His accumulated merits might not yet compare to those of the veteran unit commanders.
But was there any other Black Rank who had achieved such a monumental feat with a single contribution, aside from the Flash Art himself?
While it was incredibly marvelous and admirable, at this point, he could no longer be viewed simply as a newly appointed junior. He was a competitor.
They were racing together along the path leading to the Purple Robe.
It would not be strange no matter who reached it first. Everyone present realized this at that exact moment.
Hahu Wi-jin spoke slowly.
"You should take on a major task for your next mission. A joint mission involving two martial units."
His voice was husky, almost choked up, coming from a face rigidly set in a sly attempt to hide his astonishment.
It was a strange sight to anyone watching. Jeong Yeon-shin's head tilted slightly to the side. What is it? Why the sudden suggestion?
"Anyway, let us return to the Thirteen Mountain-Treading Sword Steps."
Hahu Wi-jin deliberately changed the subject as if nothing were amiss.
"I understand the structure of the true qi you mentioned, adding thirty percent to the lower stroke. However, if it were merely a matter of having strong internal energy, a dismantling formula wouldn't even need to exist. Isn't the core principle about how to distribute the total amount of internal power? There are omitted mnemonics like this here and there. Of course, I understand that you have been extremely busy lately."
"Did you come all this way just to ask that?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked.
"Is it not important?"
"I didn't really think about it. Isn't that just basic cultivation? The margins were too narrow to add annotations anyway. In actual combat, you just do it as you feel is right..."
In that instant, Jeong Yeon-shin witnessed a drastic change in the expressions of his three seniors.
Their faces looked as if they had been challenged to a life-or-death duel in the middle of their sleep.
Would peerless masters look like that if they were suddenly smacked in the face with a pillow? The moment he saw their dumbfounded expressions, his voice trailed off.
‘...Is there a problem?’