Chapter 223: Vast Art Formula (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 223: Vast Art Formula (3)
Whoosh! Clang!
A colorless force blurred through the air. An opaque wave, accompanied by a violent shockwave, swept out in all directions.
When fist and sword clashed, a ringing sound echoed as if a great bronze bell had been struck.
The hems of their robes—one a vibrant azure, the other a faded gray—fluttered wildly in the gale.
One was the man who had complained about the Unit Commander's absence; the other was the man who had called him out for it.
The ultimate techniques of the Flash Art lineage and the Hwangbo Clan.
The Demonlight Wing's Great Drill Ground, where they clashed, was famously vast. Not every martial unit was granted a training ground capable of accommodating hundreds of people. It was a privilege reserved for specific forces under the Divine Sword Corps—a venue for preliminary training ahead of the exceedingly rare "Divine Sword Corps Assembly."
There was a clear reason why the weakened warriors of the Demonlight Wing walked on eggshells and felt inferior to other units: the privileges they enjoyed. The Demonlight Wing had always been afforded many luxuries within the Divine Sword Corps, and they had always carried themselves as the strong.
Their Great Drill Ground was immense.
But not today. Not since these two had started their duel. The sheer momentum of the two experts filled the entire arena.
Invisible waves of internal power collided violently.
Swish!
A giant of a man was executing a sword technique. It was Kang Chang-mu, a Blue Rank expert who had transferred from the Forest-Treading Unit to the Demonlight Wing.
The greatsword in his hand shed a supple, shimmering light as the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style of the Flash Art lineage unfurled. Sword marks were carved into the air, leaving faint afterimages behind.
Lazy Flame Dragon faced him barehanded, not even wearing gauntlets. A colorless haze enveloped his hands, shimmering like heat waves. He struck upward, directly against the flat of the blade.
Clang!
Kang Chang-mu's blue sleeves shook violently. The veins bulging on his briefly exposed forearms testified to the intensity of the duel.
The same was true for Lazy Flame Dragon, who wore a nameless, sleeveless martial uniform. He was withstanding the sword force of a Blue Rank expert possessing heavy True Qi. This was not a fight he could take lightly.
"He's using his Body Protection Qi like gauntlets. Is that guy completely insane? How many exchanges has it been?"
"I've heard of the Hwangbo Clan's direct line Body Protection Qi. It's called the Heavenly King's Qi Silk. An ultimate technique is truly in a class of its own. I knew the martial arts of the great clans were profound, but I never expected this. He's catching a Blue Rank's Radiant Brilliance Sword Style with his bare hands."
"He was originally trained in fist and palm techniques… and above all, his internal energy is just that deep. In terms of accumulated Qi, he might even surpass the Unit Commander. Ordinary blades won't even scratch his hands. His body itself is a weapon."
"The Solar Divine Pulse… it truly lives up to its reputation. They say it burns away one's lifespan to grant supreme talent."
This was a duel between Dawn Tree Sword Kang Chang-mu and the Nameless Disciple Lazy Flame Dragon. The Demonlight Wing experts surrounding them made no move to stop the fight. It was taking place on the Great Drill Ground and had stemmed from Lazy Flame Dragon's insolence; it violated no rules.
Besides, they had to respect the pride of Kang Chang-mu, who had joined as a seasoned newcomer.
Dawn Tree Sword Kang Chang-mu was a swordsman who had achieved great feats. He had once slain a demon from an Unorthodox faction who had been secretly threatening the Branch Head of Wuchang, Huguang, to live in luxury. It hadn't taken many exchanges. He had integrated the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style into his original sword technique and severed the demon's head in a single stroke.
The principle of instantaneous swordplay had fascinated him, and he couldn't help but admire the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
'Yet this bastard has no respect,' Kang Chang-mu thought, watching Lazy Flame Dragon thrust both hands forward.
The fist and palm techniques blocking and parrying his sword were vicious, preventing him from extending the blade's trajectory. A swordsman as profound as a Blue Rank could feel his opponent's state of mind just by crossing blades. Lazy Flame Dragon's disgust was palpable.
The bastard was speaking through his strikes: I can't bear to watch your pathetic attempt at the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style any longer.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The horizontal sweep of his sword was disrupted as heavy vibrations rattled the blade in rapid succession.
Lazy Flame Dragon’s right fist struck upward from below, his left palm pierced through the scattering force to push the blade aside, and his right palm struck the flat of the sword once more.
It was a sequence of techniques that flowed as gracefully as water, forcing the sword skyward. Three clean, heavy strikes that completely shattered the trajectory of the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style.
Boom!
Dust billowed from Kang Chang-mu's heels as he retreated using the subtle principles of the Radiant Wing Step.
"You're using that as a retreat step?"
Frowning, Lazy Flame Dragon kicked off the ground and lunged forward. The Fervent Yang Energy surging from his body tore through the air, and the transparent heat waves around him whistled sharply.
Thud!
Kang Chang-mu retreated no further. He slammed his back foot down hard—the stomp of the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style.
A violent tremor shook the ground, and a cloud of dust rose from his feet, shrouding the upward-slashing blade as he gripped its hilt tightly.
A faint white sword light soared.
Lazy Flame Dragon's lips curled upward. His lazy eyes crinkled into a sneer, his downward gaze saying it all: That's not how you use it.
Crash!
Kang Chang-mu's rising sword was forced back down, pinned beneath Lazy Flame Dragon's foot. The tip of the blade couldn't even pierce the leather boot. The Hwangbo Clan's Heavenly King's Qi Silk had formed an invisible barrier around it—the Body Protection Qi of the proud Jinan aristocrats.
Kang Chang-mu's eyes widened. In contrast, Lazy Flame Dragon knit his brows.
"The Radiant Brilliance Sword Style is a technique that must be executed through pure sensation. If you're calculating the trajectory in your head, you're already too late. It is essentially a fast sword style meant to catch an opponent off guard, yet you practically announce where you're going to strike. Your lower body, your wrists, your energy signature—everything gives you away. A sparrow trying to mimic a Golden Wing Bird."
What a joke. How unpleasant.
Lazy Flame Dragon muttered slowly, his foot still pinning Kang Chang-mu's sword.
"Indeed, it pays to live a little longer. To think I, this young master, would dismantle the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style so effortlessly. I've envisioned it a few times in my dreams, but in the end, talent is everything. Not that this was particularly fun."
Lazy Flame Dragon did not look satisfied. His lips turned down in a bitter expression, revealing a deep sense of disappointment.
"They say our Unit Commander created this sword style back when he wore white robes, right? Looking at you, the weaknesses are glaringly obvious. If you can't even master the Demonlight Formula, your martial arts should at least be strong. At this rate, you'll be lucky not to drag the Commander down. This is no fun at all."
"...Do not look down on your Commander's lineage. And do not disparage the Hwangbo Clan's martial arts just because they are ancient," Kang Chang-mu bared his teeth, his voice seething with fury.
Yet the sword pinned beneath Lazy Flame Dragon's foot did not budge an inch. Even when he channeled massive amounts of power into his lower body, waist, and arms, it remained immovable.
"The Solar Divine Pulse's accumulated Qi is the greatest in our unit. And since his internal energy is fire-attributed, it's the most aggressive."
"So that's how it ends."
"A Nameless Disciple defeating a Blue Rank..."
"Well, he was a young master, after all. It makes sense."
"He knows our Commander's martial arts inside and out. It's no exaggeration to say he fought with half the counters already in hand. The mnemonics of the technique are public, and he's seen it in action more than anyone. In a way, isn't he the one who understands the new Commander best, after Cheong-myeong, Baek Mi-ryeo, and the former Commander?"
"What about the Eloquent Speaker of the Desolate Fortress?"
"Tell him to show at least seventy percent of his true power first."
"Is that guy still sleeping all day? I haven't seen him at all lately."
"He said he was going to challenge the Blue Rank, but at this rate, all the achievements he's built up will go down the drain."
The promotion tests of Lazy Flame Dragon and Heonwon Chang were a major topic of discussion. It wasn't just the Demonlight Wing paying attention; many warriors of the Divine Sword Corps awaiting missions were also focused on this promotion.
These were the rising stars who had spent the most time with the new Commander. It was a test of the virtues required of the leader of the Demonlight Wing. How did he train his subordinates, and how well did they grow? Aside from creating martial arts, did he possess the caliber of a grandmaster capable of leading a sect? If they traveled the Jianghu with the new Commander, could they expect a meaningful increase in their martial prowess?
The scoundrel of the Hwangbo Clan was already a fully realized warrior to begin with. The problem, in the prevailing opinion of the Demonlight Wing experts, lay in Heonwon Chang's martial arts.
"It'll be hard to expect much," someone muttered, observing Lazy Flame Dragon's disdainful expression.
* * *
The Desolate Shin Clan was on high alert.
It was only natural. A Black Rank supreme expert had entered the Clan Leader's Hall, openly displaying his displeasure. And his reason was entirely justified—he had come to reclaim his subordinate. It didn't matter how young the Commander was. As warriors, they had every reason to be tense.
"Nothing will happen, right?" a swordsman clad in a blue robe asked one of the gatekeepers, his tone casual.
The gatekeeper didn't dare answer. The one who had asked was a collateral young master of the Desolate Shin Clan: Sin Baek, the Nanmyeong Sword. He was known as a mature master of the sword in his mid-thirties, with a gentle impression and soft, friendly eyebrows.
But his personality was anything but gentle.
"I am asking you a question. Just because the new Commander's martial arts are profound does not mean our clan should act discourteously, does it? Or do you find it hard to agree with that?"
"No, sir," the youth in plain clothes acting as the gatekeeper answered immediately, his voice strained.
Sin Baek, the Nanmyeong Sword, harbored deep resentment toward the direct line. He had been overshadowed by the eldest son of the Desolate Shin Clan, who was of a similar age, and had never received attention due to the genius of the young Shin So-bin. This was true even though he had reached the Blue Rank, an exceedingly rare achievement.
His reputation outside the clan was good. Inside, however, he was highly neurotic.
"Seeing the Commander of the Demonlight Wing in person only makes me pity So-bin more. If she were just a bit older, she would have been a strong candidate for successor. If it were up to me, I would have pushed her to be the next Clan Leader... Isn't she far too precious a genius to hand over to the Demonlight Wing? Unless he is completely unreasonable, even the Commander of the Demonlight Wing would have to agree and back down, wouldn't he?"
Sin Baek's eyes gleamed with a strange intensity. He was forcing a mere gatekeeper to discuss the legitimacy of the succession. The existence of the young Commander of the Demonlight Wing had triggered something within him. It wasn't jealousy toward Flash Art; it was closer to self-loathing, a resentment of his own bloodline.
In the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, who was the same age as Shin So-bin, he saw his cousin's future. The direct bloodline of a prestigious clan, a once-in-a-millennium talent—these were things Sin Baek did not possess.
"That..."
Just as the gatekeeper hesitated to answer—
Boom!
An explosion roared in the distance. A massive shockwave whipped past their collars.
Sin Baek's expression turned cold and indifferent.
"So, an incident has occurred after all."
Whoosh!
He immediately kicked off the ground. The wind rushing past him felt like a solid wall as he sprinted forward. He was not alone. Warriors of the Desolate Shin Clan were converging from all directions, the lightfoot movements of dozens of martial artists gradually converging on a single point.
It was the Clan Leader's Hall, which they had intentionally been keeping their distance from.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The experts covered ground in wide strides, quickly reaching the garden surrounding the Clan Leader's Hall.
A disastrous sight unfolded before them.
Roof tiles were scattered in all directions. The collapsed roof no longer spoke of the Clan Leader's dignity. Had someone unleashed the legendary Brilliant River? It didn't look like a scene created by human hands. It was practically a ruin.
Sin Baek was dumbfounded.
'The position I yearned for so desperately can be destroyed just like that? So futilely?'
A heavy silence fell. For a moment, no one dared to take a step. The situation already seemed to have been settled. Even for a Black Rank, could they really subdue the leader of a prestigious clan under the main fortress so effortlessly? If such a person was enraged, rushing in blindly was out of the question. It would mean risking one's life. They could only stand frozen, staring blankly at the threshold of the Clan Leader's Hall.
Light footsteps approached. Suddenly, a young girl landed in the middle of the garden.
"What on earth is—!"
Tap.
Her pitch-black braided hair fluttered in the headwind of her lightfoot technique, along with the hem of her brilliant white martial uniform. It was Shin So-bin, who had broken out of her confinement amidst the chaos. Her lips parted slightly as she stared at the hall.
Then, her eyes widened. She had sensed a familiar energy signature.
"Unit Commander...?!"
"Quiet."
Sin Baek placed a finger to his lips. Shin So-bin glanced at him and didn't even pretend to listen, merely snorting in response.
Her Commander had finally come for her. No matter what had happened, she couldn't just stand by. It had been a long time since she last saw him, and joy filled her heart.
Rustle.
Just as she took a step toward the hall, a faint voice echoed from within.
"Get up."
It was the voice of Jeong Yeon-shin, Commander of the Demonlight Wing. Had he stimulated his opponent's acupoints as he spoke?
Suddenly, a cough erupted from within. It was unmistakably their Clan Leader's.
Shin So-bin paused.
"Just now, what happened..." The voice sounded disoriented. Shin Seol-ha, leader of the Desolate Shin Clan, had regained consciousness.
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing spoke immediately after.
"I made a move."
"You made a move, just like that? You did?"
"You couldn't react. I wanted to show you the kind of martial arts So-bin will possess."
"You bring up So-bin at a time like this?"
"It was my way of persuading you. It seems it turned into a discourtesy. My apologies."
The faint rustle of clothing echoed, followed by the sound of hands clapping together. It clearly reached the sensitive ears of the Desolate Shin Clan experts. The Commander of the Demonlight Wing seemed to have clasped his hands in a martial salute—a rare gesture of respect from a Black Rank.
"...Did your hand even move? I didn't see it. I only felt the ceiling suddenly collapse; there wasn't even a fluctuation of True Qi..."
"The martial arts So-bin will learn must be that profound."
"Why do you speak as if you are talking about someone else's martial arts?"
"...I am not accustomed to praising my own sect-exclusive martial arts."
"Ha...! Even with such a fiery temperament?" Shin Seol-ha sighed. "You are no longer a rising star, yet you were still a hidden dragon. To think you were concealing such profound power. And at your age... the other Unit Commanders would be shocked as well."
"Nonsense."
"It is a pity I could not gauge it, as it was a technique too overwhelming to handle. Your mind is incredibly deep. This Shin has learned a valuable lesson. And so will So-bin. I have engraved this lesson deeply today—with my own body."
* * *
Inside the inner chamber of the Clan Leader's Hall.
"Stop," Jeong Yeon-shin said with utter sincerity.
To Shin Seol-ha, it sounded like humility. Even after having lost consciousness, her gaze softened. Such was the character of the leader of the Desolate Shin Clan, a master of a prestigious family. She valued martial prowess above all other virtues.
"I now know that your martial arts surpass my vision. However, that alone is not enough of a reason to completely give up on So-bin. This is not something that can be resolved by martial arts alone."
"Still persistent, I see," Jeong Yeon-shin narrowed his eyes. "So-bin is an outsider now. Do not interfere any further."
He spoke curtly, but Shin Seol-ha did not agree. She thought as the head of a martial family.
"The prestigious families under the Desolate Fortress strive to raise warriors of excellent bloodlines and willingly supply them to the Divine Sword Corps. You know as well as I do that experts do not just appear out of nowhere, do they? All we gain from our grueling efforts is honor. Our clan's martial arts, our clan's name... this is not an excessive desire."
She was trying to bind So-bin to the clan by any means. There was no telling how she might interfere in the future.
Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes grew sharp. Her words and actions struck a nerve. The Demonlight Wing was the family he had gained after leaving the Jeong Family Manor. It was where he had first received warmth, the sanctuary he had finally embraced after walking a lonely path in his childhood. As the home he would never let go of, even at the end of his life, it had become the most sensitive touchstone in his heart.
"The experts of the Divine Sword Corps' martial units are under the care of their Unit Commanders. As the leader of the Demonlight Wing, I will make this clear."
He spoke casually, yet with immense weight.
"She is mine."
A divine True Qi was infused into his words. It originated from the halo that spun in tandem with his beating heart. The Buddhist power of the Law-Transcending Halo Qi unfurled and carried his voice, lending it an auspicious resonance.
It was a voice of absolute sincerity. It echoed far and wide.
"...Ah."
A soft exclamation escaped Shin Seol-ha's lips. Her expression turned peculiar. Her raised eyebrows and slightly parted lips painted a strange picture. It was her immediate reaction to Jeong Yeon-shin's words.
"I see. That would be fine too."
"What?"
"With those martial arts, appearance, status, and bloodline... it would be a good thing if it works out. And even if it doesn't, if you cherish your subordinate that much..." Muttering to herself, she suddenly spoke up.
"Take her. I have been very discourteous."
"...?"