Chapter 332: Grandfather and Grandson (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 332: Grandfather and Grandson (5)
The Star-Brilliance Great Sword Lord, Moyong Jung-rak, and the Lotus Nezha, Jeong Yeon-shin.
They had just unleashed their strikes, swords in hand. The elegant white robes and the pitch-black long coat stood in stark contrast on either side of the battlefield.
Clang!
Sharp streaks of white light practically enveloped their bodies. Every single flash was the deadly afterimage of a sword strike. The sword paths carved into the air with every clash felt like something that transcended the mortal realm entirely.
Appearing and vanishing like smoke, their movements resembled the fluttering robes of celestial immortals. Yet the raging shockwaves they produced were terrifying. It was an earth-shaking duel.
Even to a scion of a prestigious family within the Desolate Fortress, it was an awe-inspiring spectacle. Just watching it broadened one's horizons.
"Ah..."
Standing on the slope of the Hegemon Hero, Shin So-bin focused her round, clear eyes. She strained to track the fight.
Even if she couldn't fully follow the trajectories of their blades, something profound was being etched into her mind. She was witnessing the clash of spiritualities between two masters who had pushed their divine arts to the realm of completion.
She had seen the martial prowess of the Unit Commanders during the Black Rank promotion ceremony, but the spectacle created by the Moyong Clan Head and Senior Jeong was exceptionally sublime. At a glance, one had to wonder if they were even human.
For this girl—who wished to protect the common people and elevate the glorious name of the Desolate Shin Clan, the junior who had witnessed Jeong Yeon-shin's Blue Rank promotion—a fresh wave of astonishment washed over her.
"To think he could take the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style to such heights..."
The white martial uniform of the Flash Art lineage practitioner fluttered in the wake of their residual force.
The wind radiating from the two powerhouses was strangely heavy. The sheer caliber and depth of the martial attainment they had cultivated existed on an entirely different level.
Such an achievement was only natural for the Moyong Clan Head. But for the youngest Black Rank in the Desolate Fortress, it was different. Anyone would call it a miracle.
The forms I sense are perfect. It’s as if he has trained with the sword for decades.
Did it stand out so much simply because his opponent was a head of the Eight Great Families?
She didn't feel a wall between herself and this grandmaster of her own age whom she so revered. She practically treated Senior Jeong as if he were the founding ancestor of a sect.
She had long since grown fond of his clumsiness in forming relationships, his slight arrogance, and his somewhat awkward disposition.
Yet, occasionally, she felt as though they were walking through completely different flows of time.
Just like right now.
It was bordering on a sense of dissonance. It couldn't be explained away solely by a difference in talent.
Shin So-bin thought that perhaps there was a secret the Demonlight Wing didn't know.
"Is that really a sword technique rooted in the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style? The Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style... Come to think of it, we haven't had the luxury of facing it very often. The Unit Commander's instructional spars have been sparse."
"How long has it been since our young Unit Commander transformed his sword technique into a divine art? If your eyes were as sharp as your tongue, you would have realized it long ago."
Words feigning leisure amidst the urgency. It was Heonwon Chang and the Lazy Flame Dragon.
Step.
The two lightly stepped in front of her. Shielded by them, the storm of rushing shockwaves grew noticeably weaker. The energy of the Vast Art Formula, highly familiar to Shin So-bin, dispersed the fierce wind.
These seniors—always reliable yet simultaneously untrustworthy—actually possessed exceptionally deep attainment in the Vast Art Formula, even among the Demonlight Wing.
"Why do you practice it so diligently, Senior Poppy?"
"...Hmm?"
Rumble!
His answer was delayed. Along with a deafening roar, Jeong Yeon-shin was blown backward across the clearing. Lazy Flame Dragon's head whipped around to track him, entirely absorbed in the fierce battle. Only his jaw, chewing on a poppy seed pod, kept moving restlessly.
Shin So-bin didn't scold him. She, too, was anxious.
Rumble—
The cliff where the two powerhouses clashed began to crumble. The Unit Commander was facing an opponent of an entirely different caliber all by himself.
The incomprehensible senior from the main fortress—the man who had ripped off the arm of the Deep Martial Alliance Leader—was undoubtedly a tremendous ally. Yet he just stood there with his arms crossed, exuding an arrogant aura. He looked as if he had no intention of speaking to anyone.
It was as if he were declaring this to be a crucial, sacred moment.
The exact moment before the birth of an unrivaled powerhouse capable of handling missions against the heads of great sects.
Isn't it too early?
Shin So-bin had overheard his conversation with the Unit Commander. Jeong Yeon-shin intended to use this life-and-death duel as a stepping stone for his martial achievement. This senior might not intervene in their one-on-one battle at all.
She forced herself to suppress her anxiety. Parting her lips, she quickly conveyed her thoughts using the sound transmission technique.
"I'm talking about the Vast Art Formula. The martial arts of the Hwangbo Clan are practically on par with most divine arts."
"...For someone with this young master's talent, the more high-tier martial arts I learn, the more I benefit. I've reached a realm where broadening my horizons directly increases my martial prowess. Believe it or not, I'm not far from achieving the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak."
"Even with your talent, Senior Poppy, aren't you at best only fit to shine the Unit Commander's leather shoes? You barely reach his heels."
"Hardly something I should hear from an amateur. At any rate, the Vast Art Formula is fun to cultivate. Although there's only one form written in the manual, there are often much higher-level techniques hidden within its depths. It's quite satisfying to unearth things they hid away because they didn't expect much from the likes of us. Playing around with that is exactly how the Flame River came to be."
"They say all paths lead to the same destination. But isn't digging a single well deeply enough for you?"
"I get bored easily. My vessel for martial arts is so vast that I'm naturally fickle. That freak of nature over there, the Star-Brilliance Great Sword Lord, has probably mastered all nineteen sword techniques of the Moyong Clan. He's someone who spares no means to advance his martial arts. There are even rumors that he harbors a deep, unspoken grudge regarding his Yan royal lineage."
"..."
"Anyway... you might not sense it, but even though that monster is only using his sword, he looks much more relaxed than our Unit Commander. Their depth is completely different."
Lazy Flame Dragon restlessly tapped his foot. On the other side, Heonwon Chang had long since turned his stiff shoulders.
He was facing the direction where Jeong Yeon-shin was currently sprinting along the sheer face of the cliff as if it were flat ground.
"The weight of his energy is entirely different in each strike," Heonwon Chang said. "It's difficult to count them one by one... but he clearly possesses both hardness and softness, as well as speed. And all of it at an unrivaled realm."
"In the first place, it's ridiculous and shameful. For someone of the Moyong Clan Head's status and age to seriously clash swords with our Unit Commander..."
"How do you think it will turn out?"
"The Unit Commander's martial arts are entirely focused on overwhelming power and rapid attacks. It might not work against an unrivaled swordsman produced by a prestigious clan. While martial arts meant for short-term, decisive battles have the potential to decapitate even an equal expert in a single strike... they are inherently vulnerable in long-term battles and against counterattacks. Won-chang, when I give the signal, throw me with all your might. My family's Yeojo Heavenly King Scripture should be able to buy the Unit Commander at least one move."
Right then.
Boom!
On the side of the cliff, the figures of Moyong Jung-rak and Jeong Yeon-shin were swallowed by a massive burst of light.
It was as if a second sun had risen. A sphere formed entirely of the Moyong Clan Head's shockwaves suddenly manifested, reflecting the sunlight. It exuded a profoundly mysterious quality.
It was said that once a martial artist reached an unrivaled realm, the boundary between martial arts and sorcery blurred. At a glance, this sphere looked exactly like a formation barrier deployed through sorcerous arts.
"Won-chang!"
The moment Lazy Flame Dragon shouted, the movements of all three Demonlight Wing members came to a sudden halt. An overwhelming energy had bound them in place. For a moment, it felt as if their acupoints had been forcibly sealed.
"A truly heaven-sent genius..."
Ma Yeon-jeok, who had been standing silently, finally spoke. He still hadn't uncrossed his arms.
"...learns what he has never heard, and knows what he has never experienced. The Golden Wing Bird that feeds on dragons spreads its wings toward the heavens without ever being taught. But what if there is an Imugi right before his eyes?"
The three members of the Demonlight Wing weren't listening. The internal power waves rising from their bodies sharply swept through the air as they struggled.
Yet, none of them could move an inch. The members of the Killing Gate holding their ground nearby, along with the various notables of Taiyuan, all held their breath.
* * *
Two hundred and thirty exchanges.
Jeong Yeon-shin counted the sword moves he had exchanged with the Moyong Clan Head.
Despite so many clashes passing before he was finally pushed back, the actual time elapsed was less than fifteen minutes. Every single sword move consisted of rapid strikes as swift as beams of light.
The Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style, even executed with a half-broken sword, was still devastatingly powerful.
However, it was difficult to withstand the ever-changing Meteor Sword. With the Infinite Flower of Time Hand, he had only managed to destroy the cliff, not the Moyong Clan Head.
Every split second demanded a succession of choices.
Ultimate Lightning and the Fan Dragon Lotus Art could not be used together. Since both were ultimate techniques designed to break through the body's limits, simultaneous activation would tear him apart.
Unless he possessed a divine ultimate technique like the Wudang Dual-Principle Mind Art, he could not simultaneously employ two arts that pushed the absolute limits of internal energy manipulation.
When he needed raw power, he unleashed Ultimate Lightning; when reaction speed was paramount, he activated the Fan Dragon Lotus Art.
Meanwhile, the Moyong Clan Head never let his guard down.
Whether Jeong Yeon-shin unleashed the Myriad Blossoms Rain with his broken Northern Light Sword or unified his sword and mind through sword control techniques, the Clan Head blocked them all with the cunning tactics of a seasoned veteran.
He was completely different from the Jegal Clan Head, who had foolishly closed the distance despite practicing sorcery martial arts meant for long-range combat. The Star-Brilliance Great Sword Lord never yielded an inch, relentlessly pressing Jeong Yeon-shin with his unrivaled sword techniques.
The surrounding air grew tense to its absolute limit.
Fragments of residual force drifted between them like shattered mirror shards. Everything felt as if it would detonate at any moment. The battle had reached its climax.
The impact is too heavy. He’s redirecting all the shockwaves of our clashes toward me.
His opponent was a true master of the sword.
In a span of time where a single breath was split into hundreds of fractions, Jeong Yeon-shin struggled to steady his body. Right before his eyes, Moyong Jung-rak delivered a faint, whitish sword strike.
Only a divine art could break a divine sword. Jeong Yeon-shin hadn't even formed a layer of body protection qi on par with a divine art. If this was a strike capable of snapping the Northern Light Sword, it could easily sever his neck this very instant.
Hum.
The two hundred and thirty-first exchange.
"I have grown weary of your sword talent," Moyong Jung-rak declared. "Let us end this here."
Suddenly, the fragments of residual force that the Moyong Clan Head had scattered throughout the battle coalesced, forming a distinct domain.
The sword sphere that Jeong Yeon-shin had sensed earlier fully materialized through true qi. He could feel its oppressive weight. It was a space designed to accelerate the advancing blade to impossible speeds.
It carried the intent to transform the surrounding area—where stones fell and fierce winds blew—into a miniature universe where all creation drifted at the caster's whim.
Another divine art had sprouted.
Just how many ultimate techniques did this man possess? This was the sheer, terrifying depth of a leader commanding a great sect with hundreds of years of history.
Hummmmm—
A low vibration echoed, sounding like hundreds of throbbing heartbeats. At the same time, their surroundings darkened.
It was a shadow cast by the condensed fragments of shockwaves. It was a sacred space conjured by a sword technique that had breached the realm of a divine art.
The air in all directions resonated with a heavy, suffocating vibration. Even with the eye technique of the Sight of the Lowly fully active, Jeong Yeon-shin could only distinguish faint shadows.
Every martial artist has a life-saving trump card.
It could be a desperate evasion technique like the Lazy Donkey Roll, an unexpected hidden weapon, or a continuous form that grows stronger as the battle drags on.
However, the trump cards of unrivaled experts were on a completely different level. Their lives carried immense weight.
A trump card in the unrivaled realm was a personal, esoteric secret technique that a grandmaster could deploy at a moment's notice. For the Star-Brilliance Great Sword Lord, Moyong Jung-rak, it was this very space—the manifestation of his sword sphere.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt as if he were drowning in crashing waves beneath a pitch-black night sky. Every single current of energy was directed straight at him.
The moment Jeong Yeon-shin tightened his grip on his broken sword, a dry, chilling intent pierced his ears. By virtue of the profound spirituality that constituted a divine art, the thought was transmitted directly into his upper dantian.
[ Divine Star Halberd Construction. ]
The inherent profound truth of the sword technique blended seamlessly into the shadows. It was an impossibly natural thrust.
It was a trajectory that fully exuded the lifelong experience of a Jianghu veteran and the supreme realm of an unrivaled swordsman. There was absolutely no time to react.
Squelch—
The long shadow of a blade pierced straight through Jeong Yeon-shin's abdomen.
It cleanly impaled him, erupting from his back.
The pain was immense. A massive, horrifying foreign sensation filled his stomach, and his skin felt as if it were burning away.
"This is a rite of passage that the high-ranking figures of the Desolate Fortress must always go through."
A rumbling voice echoed from the darkness woven by the divine art's shockwaves.
"The test of whether or not one can take the head of a sect leader who guides a great sect. Those who completed the mission earned the right to wear purple robes. Those who failed were buried in the wild hills, their corpses left to rot, never to be found."
"..."
"My junior, what a pity," Moyong Jung-rak continued. "Liaodong, Liaoxi, Liaoning—any of them would have been fine. If only you had stayed in any of those places..."
"Ever since I became a Black Rank..." Jeong Yeon-shin rasped.
"Hmm?"
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly parted his lips. Beneath his skin, the Jeong Family Dynamic Art was working desperately to hold his ruptured internal organs together. Blood bubbled in his throat like thick phlegm.
"I have always pondered..."
"Child of the Jeong family, you are overexerting yourself," Moyong Jung-rak said, his voice tinged with genuine admiration.
Jeong Yeon-shin paid him no mind and finished his thought.
"...how I should deal with someone like you."
"What?"
Moyong Jung-rak could only utter a brief question, unable to move a single step further. He, too, had severely overexerted himself to land that strike.
He had made his all-or-nothing gamble and succeeded, but now he was forced to suppress the immense backlash of unleashing such an extreme, lightning-fast sword move.
In this domain where even the sunlight was choked out by the dense flow of shockwaves, maneuvering was just as difficult for the Moyong Clan Head.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer. Instead, the gentle breathing of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress seemed to linger by his ear, echoing a memory.
—An expert's senses cannot be easily toyed with. You must engrave this fact into your heart first.
—It seems difficult for now...
—Difficult?
—It looks hard to use properly. Controlling the energy waves to penetrate the opponent's sense of Qi, and disrupting their senses in the middle of actual combat.
Jeong Yeon-shin whispered to his past self in his mind. Toying with their senses might be hard, but dominating their energy was always easy.
Whoosh—
The monstrous talent residing within his entire body flowed outward like beams of light. The internal power waves of the Law-Transcending Halo Qi clung to the surrounding space, radiating an auspicious, holy quality.
At the exact same time.
The fragments of residual force that Moyong Jung-rak had scattered to form his domain began to change their texture all at once.
It was as if a passage entirely constructed of mirror shards was violently flipping over, scattering blinding light in all directions. The space woven from bundles of invisible paths was forcibly shifting its direction.
It was a tangled skein of countless sword paths, and now, they rose like a tidal wave, reversing their flow to surge from Jeong Yeon-shin directly toward Moyong Jung-rak.
Heart Sword.
The pitch-black surroundings began to brighten. It was as if the dawn had suddenly broken over the battlefield.
Jeong Yeon-shin had completely dominated the sword sphere of energy waves, hijacking the domain and turning it into his own path. The presence of the Moyong Clan Head, who had been casting an imposing shadow before him, violently flinched.
He had no choice but to be the first to feel the shift. For an unrivaled expert, losing control over his own energy was a terrifying anomaly.
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke no further.
From the jagged edge of the half-broken Northern Light Sword in his hand, brilliant blue flames erupted.
The azure fire swallowed the shortened blade, instantly extending and solidifying to form a complete, blazing sword blade. It was a display of internal energy manipulation that had touched the divine realm. He had forcefully molded the chaotic shockwaves into a single, cohesive stream.
The Moyong Clan Head's brow twitched. A split second later, their entire surroundings were dyed in a deep, dark blue light.
The Star-Brilliance Great Sword Lord was a grandmaster who had reached the ultimate height of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak. In that brief moment of intense mental shock, the internal energy barrier of the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor instinctively enveloped his entire body. It was a fatal mistake born from his subconscious survival instincts.
[ Azure Flame First Form. ]
Jeong Yeon-shin's intent flowed out in a quiet, chilling murmur.
Whoosh—!
The flaming sword strike that sprouted from his right hand surged forward, dyeing the entire cliff in a brilliant blue. It was a speed that even an unrivaled swordsman could not react to. It was as if a new, azure sun had risen upon the world.
A freezing blue light flooded the sword sphere surrounding them, violently sweeping over and engulfing the Moyong Clan Head's entire body.