Chapter 221: Vast Art Formula
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 221: Vast Art Formula
It was noon.
A brilliantly blue sky blanketed the massive tiled roof.
An elegant indigo hue stretched across the gracefully curved roof tiles, exuding an antique charm. The very air here was steeped in the aura of a prestigious clan.
Thud!
A white-shoed foot stomped onto the training ground, carving a deep indentation into the floor. The internal power erupting from the Yongquan point on her sole was perfectly controlled.
As the girl stamped her foot, the shadow of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing seemed to overlap with her fist technique. The same was true for her straight, thrusting punch.
Bam!
Her straight punch pierced the air, the long sleeve at her wrist fluttering in a white blur.
It was an incredibly fierce movement. The fa jin unleashed from her small fist swept through the air like a gale.
Advancing Thunder. It was the second form of the Infinite Flower of Time Fist.
She didn't stop there. The fist technique flowed seamlessly into the next.
Whoosh!
She unleashed a spiraling Silk-Reeling Power with the first form, Spiral.
After releasing a force that scattered even the dust beneath her feet, she immediately executed the third form.
It was Fist Flower. Stepping forward, her thrusting fist blossomed like a flower in full bloom.
As the invisible shockwave wrapping her right arm scattered in all directions, the low roar of tearing wind echoed repeatedly.
Crack!
Immediately after, she relaxed her stance and brought her feet together. The transparent force gathered around her right arm dispersed into shreds.
Her long, braided hair caught the faint breeze, rising momentarily with a glossy sheen.
The girl stood straight and poised, lowering her hands.
She had to regulate the recoil of finishing her strike with her entire body, as immense power was loaded into every single movement of this ultimate technique.
The Infinite Flower of Time Fist was essentially a single-strike martial art designed for short, decisive battles.
Since its core lay in powerful and rapid mnemonics, a careless finish would inevitably strain the body.
Shin So-bin of the Demonlight Wing understood the Infinite Flower of Time Fist deeply.
‘The more I practice, the more I feel it. It's an ultimate art that utilizes the body perfectly. I must reach the stage of great completion with this.’
As her mastery of the fist technique deepened, she felt closer to her senior.
She could fully sense the martial principles he pursued, along with the true intent inherent in those laws.
It was a mnemonic that channeled thunderous fa jin through a calm mind.
Naturally, such intuitive and simple essentials were not easy to learn.
They relied heavily on the practitioner's innate senses. Thus, the martial artists of the Flash Art Lineage were typically born with outstanding comprehension.
Shin So-bin was unrivaled even among them.
She hadn't yet reached the stage of great completion. She couldn't fully comprehend its subtle truths or push her internal power to the absolute maximum.
As this was a relatively new technique, only Senior Jeong—its creator—could achieve that.
Yet, she was satisfied with her current progress.
With an eighty percent mastery of the Infinite Flower of Time Fist, she could skillfully execute the Radiant Wing First Step.
If asked to name the best among the Flash Art Lineage, she would point to herself without hesitation.
Even the Blue-Ranked Experts probably couldn't surpass her level of understanding.
“The Realm of the Fist Shadow. A highly commendable achievement.”
By a tree trunk at the edge of the training ground, a woman with sharp, distinct eyes slowly stood up.
“That fist technique suits you well. I can tell just by looking at your solid shadow. I was worried at first, but seeing this, I can put my mind at ease a little. Above all, the creator of that technique is your direct superior.”
Shin So-bin turned her head and remained silent. She didn't answer immediately, merely gazing at the elder of her clan.
The newcomer was a middle-aged woman dressed in luxurious clothing, carrying a precious white sword.
Her calm, settled aura proved her high achievement as a swordsman.
The orange robe she wore was decorated with fine white lines that shimmered like silver in the sunlight, giving her a deeply noble appearance.
It harmonized perfectly with the serene aura enveloping her.
“You say that, but...”
Shin So-bin spoke, furrowing her brow.
“...you don't actually accept it, do you? Weren't you keeping me here because you're displeased that I turned my back on the Martial Scripture of the Great Sage? Because you dislike that I learned a martial art with no history?”
“You know it is not because I look down on the Flash Art Lineage, don't you? There is simply an order to the martial arts that a direct descendant of the clan should focus on.”
A gentle reply came back.
The head of the Desolate Shin Clan of the main fortress was an outstanding figure who, as a woman, had elevated her family's prestige.
Shin Seol-ha, the Moon-Swaying Azure Sword.
She was a lofty swordsman, equally famous as an educator who brought out the latent talents of her bloodline.
Unlike other clan heads, she commanded respect even without wearing the official martial uniform of the Desolate Fortress. Privately, she was Shin So-bin's biological mother.
“Think about it. Our main family has produced countless experts generation after generation. Every single one of them filled the ranks of the Divine Sword Corps. They cast aside the name of the Desolate Shin Clan and took on the identity of elites like the Divine Sword Squad and the Thread-Annihilation Unit. Of course, that is as it should be. Up to that point, yes. That is the reason the prestigious families under the main fortress exist, and it is a duty they must fulfill. However...”
Shin Seol-ha paused, her gentle eyes suddenly hardening.
“...if even the direct line does so, won't the family name fade away? The lifeblood of a martial clan in the Jianghu is carried on through its martial arts. You reached the White Rank at the same age as the Commander of the Demonlight Wing. You possess the talent to look beyond the Blue Rank and aim for the Black Rank in the future. Even so, can you truly not comprehend how significant your signature ultimate technique will be?”
She asked, stepping closer to Shin So-bin.
These were words meant for the precious daughter of the Desolate Shin Clan. But the White-Ranked Warrior of the Demonlight Wing did not agree. Instead, she knit her brows.
“That is looking down on it. You believe our Commander's lineage isn't worthy of surpassing our family's Martial Scripture of the Great Sage. Aren't you just telling me to raise the family's prestige?”
“We are always running in circles.”
“That's exactly what I want to say to you.”
“As you say, the history accumulated within our family's Martial Scripture of the Great Sage is extremely deep. It is by no means inferior to the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's sect-exclusive martial arts. It is the ultimate art that my cousin used to lay the foundation of his martial arts. Surely, you haven't forgotten that the Commander of the Thread-Annihilation Unit is your maternal uncle?”
“He is a master of the Divine Flame Double Hands, not the Martial Scripture of the Great Sage. As you said, Clan Head, he probably only used it to lay his foundation. And he became a Black Rank at a later age than our Commander.”
“The martial arts of the Flash Art Lineage will not guarantee the same growth as that of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.”
Having spoken, Shin Seol-ha's lips pressed into a firm line.
Shin So-bin sighed.
“How long do you plan to keep me locked up?”
“I told you, until you reflect on your actions. Yet your tone hasn't improved at all. I heard the temperament of the Demonlight Wing was rough... but I only knew it through rumors. I didn't expect it to be to this extent. Please show proper respect to your clan head.”
“It's because I cannot accept your decision, Clan Head. Even the pretext is absurd. My sister was the one who insulted my superior first. I merely punished her rightfully as a warrior of the Demonlight Wing. It was a fair martial duel. How many times do I have to tell you? Won't outsiders speak ill of us?”
“I have heard enough of your words. Since the returned Commander of the Demonlight Wing will come looking for you, I will meet him face-to-face and speak with him.”
“With our Commander?”
Shin So-bin's face turned somewhat pale. Beneath her black bangs, her straight eyebrows twitched slightly.
Embarrassment and worry were clearly written on her face, her expression laying bare exactly what she was feeling.
“I have heard that he is a reasonable man. He even goes out of his way to show courtesy to the scholars of the Grand Steward's office. His reputation is excellent.”
“…….”
“There were concerns about his character since he carries the blood of the Hegemon Hero, but those have all been dispelled. He is said to be a vessel worthy of looking forward to as the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps in a few decades... I believe he will understand what I have to say. I shall receive him with due courtesy.”
Shin Seol-ha spoke with a smile.
A brief silence fell. Shin So-bin did not reply.
‘One is a clan head, and the other is a unit commander. This... is something I can't possibly stop.’
The girl recalled a well-known fact about the Jianghu. The Desolate Fortress was considered a great sect straddling the line between the orthodox and heterodox factions because it strictly adhered to the law of the jungle.
It was a temperament that perfectly suited her Commander, who lately seemed like the very incarnation of a raging storm.
* * *
Jin Myeong-jo, the Divine Blood Ultimate Demon, sat cross-legged and half-opened his eyes.
Dim light filtered through his narrowed eyelids. The sunlight drifting through the windows of the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall felt dull against his skin.
This was not how things usually were.
Naturally, this was not a place where he could easily maintain his composure.
Holding a document lined with green silk, the Grand Steward was speaking.
“This is an agenda regarding the number of weapons to be supplied to each martial unit...”
“Just skim through it.”
The man known as the Hegemon Hero spoke. His youthful appearance made it hard to believe at first, but only for a moment.
Looking at his words, actions, and sheer martial prowess, it made sense. If he wasn't the Hegemon Hero, who else could he be?
He didn't treat every agenda this dismissively, but it was a behavior he had repeated several times today.
No one dared say a word, even as the dignified atmosphere of the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall was thoroughly disrupted.
Hahu Wi-jin and Ak Su-rim, who usually maintained strict discipline, seemed to have completely washed their hands of the meeting. It was quite a sight to see them hanging their heads or pretending to look elsewhere.
“…….”
Hahu Wi-jin sat motionless, hands resting on his knees.
His posture was as static as a Brightfolk Shaolin monk who had spent decades staring at a wall.
His bold and unconventional demeanor had vanished without a trace. Having served under the Hegemon Hero's command for many years in his youth, he apparently still couldn't shake off the attitude of a subordinate.
Ak Su-rim was even worse. Sitting furthest from the Hegemon Hero, she had dragged the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing over to sit next to her.
For the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, she had been glaring sideways at the Flash Art.
As the top expert with the deepest internal energy breathing among the Black Ranks, how agonizingly long must the time of a single cup of tea feel to her?
She never took her eyes off her young junior for a single moment, her slightly upturned eyes looking almost pitiful.
Such was the state of the Thousand-Fist Dragon-Strength Retainer and the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress. It was a sight hard for anyone to believe.
Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, and Un So-yu, the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, also sat through the meeting with their eyes cast downward.
They were no longer eager to tear Jin Myeong-jo apart over his bloodline. Did they think keeping their mouths shut while maintaining an elegant posture would make them look any different?
‘Ha!’
Jin Myeong-jo sneered inwardly. Not a single one of these proud Brightfolk unit commanders can hold their heads high.
Yet, he was suffering just as much. Because the round table had been broken, the distance between the unit commanders had narrowed.
The wave of energy faintly radiating from the Commander of the Demonlight Wing felt as if it were slicing his skin.
He couldn't even show his discomfort.
He had just reduced the number of Blue Ranks to be sent from three down to two with a single letter. He had put on a pathetic show of acting like a senior.
It was a result achieved entirely through bold pretense. The truth could never be found out. Otherwise, he would undoubtedly receive a challenge for a martial duel.
‘Damn it...!’
Jin Myeong-jo straightened his back, maintaining an indifferent face. He sat extremely loftily, adopting the most prominent posture in the room.
Immediately, the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's gaze locked onto him. His pitch-black eyes seemed to sparkle. The Flash Art was somehow managing to completely ignore the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress's intense glare.
“Is the Demonlight Wing going on the Shaanxi mission alone?”
Jeong Yeon-shin asked abruptly.
The Grand Steward nodded slowly.
“On paper, yes. However... rather than the top expert of Lingering Spirit who is posing as the fake sect leader at the White Sun Sect, I am more worried about the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect, whom you might happen to encounter.”
“The size of Shaanxi is comparable to that of an average country. Isn't your anxiety a bit excessive?”
“Since Shaanxi is vast and the White Sun Sect is located in the north, it is indeed an extremely unlikely event. However, the Commander of the Demonlight Wing is a rising top expert who symbolizes the future of the main fortress. It is only right to send a scout. For now, I am considering the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit. Since she is born with peerless Yin energy, her radius of sense of Qi is extremely wide. She will be able to flee before encountering the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect.”
“Hmm...?”
Jin Myeong-jo, who had his arms crossed, twitched his hand.
Desperately, yet with a face that appeared deliberately calm, he spoke up.
“That seems like an excessive deployment. Is the Grand Steward's office underestimating the martial prowess of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing? With the Flash Art's sense of Qi and Body Protection Scripture, there are not many things in the world that can harm him. I, Jin, consider my junior as an equal unit commander. He is a top expert who has no need for babysitting.”
The corners of Jeong Yeon-shin's mouth twitched slightly.
Being acknowledged by a member of the main fortress always helped fill the emptiness that had lingered in him since his days at the Jeong Family Manor.
It brought him a warmth he could never have imagined in his childhood. This was why he didn't simply avoid Ak Su-rim—who seemed to have undergone rejuvenation in her personality as well as her body—but actually felt close to her.
He liked his senior's warmth. Even the way she was glaring at him from the side felt somewhat cute.
‘If Senior Ak or Senior Jin were the scout, that would be fine too.’
At that moment, Ma Yeon-jeok showed a rare sign of satisfaction.
“I think highly of your words. That Yong fellow has quite the luck with people. It seems a decent fellow has joined while this old man laid down the Sword of Divine Attainment.”
He smiled and continued.
“Go.”
“…….”
The Grand Steward, sitting beside Ma Yeon-jeok, naturally turned the page of his document.
“Lastly, we have the agenda regarding the promotion tests for the Nameless and the White Ranks. These are major events involving promotions to the White Rank and Blue Rank, respectively. Since the Commander of the Demonlight Wing has a keen eye, would you mind taking charge of them? The Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit and the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit must head straight to the headquarters of the Ming Cult. The matter of the Heaven-Aligned Wing is urgent...”
“Very well.”
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded readily. When he was a White Rank, he had taken his Blue Rank exam under the supervision of the Commander of the Thread-Annihilation Unit.
Now, he was supervising the exam from the position of a unit commander. He had already recommended Heonwon Chang and the Lazy Flame Dragon for promotion.
The Grand Steward smiled.
“Splendid. Let us conclude today's meeting here.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Grand Steward and seniors.”
He stood up without delay. He had been sitting on pins and needles due to his maternal grandfather barging in unannounced.
The misunderstanding regarding the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous could be resolved when his grandfather wasn't around. For now, escaping this embarrassment was his priority.
Step.
Jeong Yeon-shin walked away. He intended to head straight to the Desolate Shin Clan.
He needed to bring back his junior, Shin So-bin, and sort out the Demonlight Wing's internal conflicts and strength.
“Yeon-shin, why are you leaving first? I worry that your impatience might bring trouble upon you in the future. This grandfather of yours wishes to teach you the way of tea.”
“I will ask you next time, Grandfather.”
He left the place without once looking back.