Chapter 341: Ranking Battle (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 341: Ranking Battle (2)
The realm where mind and internal energy assimilate.
Jeong Yeon-shin knew that the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit was not entirely beneficial. The late Moyong Clan Head was proof of that.
Even knowing of the existence of Dharma Power martial arts, the man had unconsciously activated his Heavenly Demon Divine Armor, a mistake that cost him his life. And that was against Jeong Yeon-shin, who had only used the Azure Flame First Form, the ultimate technique of the Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style.
He hadn't meant to smash through the roof of the Chief Steward's Office.
It was a side effect of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, which flickered in and out of existence within him. The issue wasn't his temperament; his mind was as calm as the Clear Mirror, Still Water state of the Demonlight Wing's Commander.
As fragments of blue-black roof tiles rained down around him with a harsh, grating sound, Jeong Yeon-shin took a single Radiant Wing Step.
Step.
An intangible shockwave surged from beneath his foot, sweeping the dust away to his left and right. It looked as if a massive, whitish curtain were being torn down the middle.
'This is a problem,' the young man thought.
Every movement had to be strictly controlled by his consciousness. Martial arts that slipped out of his control were useless in a clash between experts. In such high-speed exchanges, the precision of one's forms decided life and death.
Fortunately, there was a solution. He recalled being told that the aftereffects of Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth could be resolved simply by eating well.
The advice had come from the Former Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. It meant that his body and energy were now strong enough to contain the Spirit of his Upper Dantian; all he needed was proper nourishment to stabilize them.
Indeed, the intervals at which the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak faltered had grown longer. It was likely thanks to the massive amount of smoked wild boar he had eaten on his way down to Xiangyang. Feeling a renewed sense of respect for the elderly senior of the Desolate Fortress, Jeong Yeon-shin surveyed his surroundings.
He was on the top floor of the Chief Steward's Office pavilion, in a meeting hall that resembled the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall. The entrance was blocked by hanging silver screens, and elegant stone sculptures of dragons and phoenixes were placed throughout the area.
"The Radiant Wing Step?"
"The orthodox version, not a branch style."
Seven people were present.
Seated around a massive stone round table, they all turned their eyes toward Jeong Yeon-shin. The air where he stood instantly began to shimmer with heat.
Only two people had leaped from their seats to counter a potential attack; the remaining five merely turned their heads, still leaning back against their marble chairs. They acted as if the roof caving in was of no concern.
Sssss—
A translucent current of air wavered, like the baked atmosphere of a summer afternoon. The combined aura emanating from the seven men and women was immense.
None of them seemed to possess mastery of an art like the Lazy Flame Dragon's Fervent Yang Qi Art, yet the density of their internal power, which intertwined like smoke, was extraordinarily high.
This was a world where even peerless masters could fall to a coordinated attack by top-tier experts. It was said that any place where three or more Black Ranks gathered was, for all intents and purposes, the Desolate Fortress itself.
How many were here now?
Standing perfectly still, Jeong Yeon-shin suppressed a groan behind an expressionless face. The pressure from these respected seniors pressed against his skin, sinking deep into his very muscles.
Even after undergoing Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth, a path to survival seemed faint. If this were enemy territory, it would undoubtedly be the most dangerous place in the world.
Just how powerful was the Desolate Fortress, if it had never once needed to deploy its full strength for anything less than a crisis that threatened the people's livelihood?
As he pondered this, he decided, if only for a moment, to hide his identity. It was the only way to confront the guest who spoke so carelessly of the Fortress Lord while he feigned ignorance.
It was then that the massive man at the head of the table—Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong—who had been watching him with heavy eyes, opened his bearded mouth as if seeking the opinions of those around him.
"Was that truly the Radiant Wing Step?"
The vibration in his voice pushed the very air back. It was a level of martial prowess Jeong Yeon-shin had felt once before. The Grand Steward's power was on par with that of most Unit Commanders.
As soon as he spoke, Ak Su-rim, Jin Myeong-jo, and Un So-yu gave their opinions.
"He's incredibly strong. I was wondering what kind of audacious bastard would dare, but he clearly has the power to back it up."
"...If the manual for the Flash Art has been leaked, this is a problem."
"We must interrogate him. Capturing him should be our priority, though it won't be easy..."
The last to speak was Un So-yu, Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit. She was already on her feet, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. As the leader of the unit that enforced the laws of the Desolate Fortress, she had fought Jeong Yeon-shin during his Black Rank promotion. She was a swordswoman whose perfectly straight posture suited her well.
Beneath her beautiful features, her hair swayed gently, framing a face as sharp and focused as a fine blade. It was the precursor to her draw. Even before the sword left its sheath, a chilly sword wind was already leaking out.
No one spoke directly to the intruder.
This was the way of the Desolate Fortress. They never negotiated with an opponent who struck first. In the Jianghu, enemies lurked in every direction.
"I heard the warriors of the Desolate Fortress were suffering outside Xiangyang, and today's events make it clear how the Jianghu views this place lately. What is the meaning of this commotion in broad daylight? An ignorant powerhouse intruding upon a meeting of the Desolate Fortress."
The middle-aged man sitting next to the Grand Steward spoke nonchalantly. He had handsome features and somewhat long ears, and anyone could see he was a high-ranking official. His silk robes, which made his status obvious, matched his languid expression. The hilt of the precious sword at his waist was worn smooth—a sign it had been gripped with internal energy for a very long time.
"This is all because the Fortress Lord is absent. A military leader, no matter how great their divine might, must remain at their post to bolster morale... How could she leave the main fortress when there are no Purple Rank peerless masters left inside? This is unacceptable. At the very least, she should have informed the Grand Steward or the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress."
He blamed the Lord of the Desolate Fortress in an archaic tone, then pointed an accusatory finger at Jeong Yeon-shin.
"In the end, does this mean my trip was a waste? I don't know what the King of Fathomless Light will think. A sovereign's letter marked 'personal delivery' has remained unopened for days, and now this person appears."
A man with the status to deliver a sovereign's letter that only the Fortress Lord could open, who also possessed martial arts capable of contending with Black Rank experts, was by no means common. It made no sense unless he was a direct descendant of a sovereign enfeoffed by the imperial family.
"..."
This was a gathering of martial arts masters. As far as Jeong Yeon-shin knew, not even half of them were free of eccentricities. Now that insults had been hurled at the Fortress Lord, their attention was bound to focus on the man's intolerable behavior rather than the identity of the mysterious intruder.
The Grand Steward sat at the head of the table. The middle-aged man who spouted whatever came to mind sat to his left. To the Grand Steward's right sat a girl with short black hair and a serious expression.
It was Ak Su-rim, the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress. She was fidgeting with her fingers, looking as if she wanted to grasp her spear that very instant.
"Duke of Sword Might, please watch your words. The Lord of our fortress is also treated as a sovereign by the Son of Heaven," the Grand Steward said in a calm tone.
The middle-aged man, addressed as the Duke of Sword Might, snorted.
"How many Unit Commanders of the Divine Sword Corps are being wasted here? If you had listened to me from the start, we would have taken those bastards' heads long ago."
"It is treacherous terrain, and we don't know how much strength will be required. The area is also extremely vast. Excluding the forces that must remain in the main fortress, our surplus is..."
"That damn standing force." The Duke of Sword Might waved his hand dismissively, as if sick of hearing it. "What meaning does that principle hold now? The Lord of the Desolate Fortress has vacated her post. Do you intend to stubbornly cling to tradition even when the world looks down on you? The warmth has likely long since faded from her bed. What is needed now is a decision from the Grand Steward and the Divine Spear..."
Treasonable words.
He didn't know the full story, but Jeong Yeon-shin knew it was time to make his move.
'He must be from the Forbidden City clan in Beijing.'
As the thought crossed his mind, he felt his Halo Qi expand explosively, surging down his thigh muscles to the Yongquan Point—the Gushing Spring—in his heel. A cool yet hot sensation coursed through his meridians. The technique activated before he consciously willed it.
The lightness skill, Ten-Mile Light Grace.
His body moved instinctively, manifesting the technique from his subconscious.
The ground beneath his feet buckled. With a crushing sound, the stone floor shattered as dust and debris erupted, leaving a circular shockwave in their wake. At the same time, a hazy, mist-like radiance trailed behind his heels.
Boom!
He shot forward, seemingly tearing through space itself.
As the round table rushed toward him, a powerful gale whipped past his ears and blew his hair back. Even as the wind clawed at his face like blades, he took in the scene.
Un So-yu, Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, being the closest, drew her sword.
The moment their eyes met, Jin Myeong-jo, the Divine Blood Ultimate Demon, who sat to one side wrapped in black robes, began suppressing his refined aura, strand by strand. Behind him, Ak Su-rim's eyes ignited, crackling with pitch-black lightning.
Un So-yu's blade carved a dark arc through the air, a strike worthy of her title, the Black Cloud Sword Absolute. The sword rose from her waist in a diagonal slash. To reach the seat next to the head of the table, Jeong Yeon-shin had to pass her first.
'One exchange.'
Jeong Yeon-shin did not slow his charge.
Thud—
Just before the Law Enforcement Unit Commander's sword could graze his throat, he pressed down on the flat of the blade with his palm. The intangible sword wind enveloping the blade fluctuated violently, threatening to tear his hand apart, but his body had already dispersed the force in his palm into five streams, unraveling the shockwave of her strike strand by strand.
For a brief moment, a loud noise rang out, like paper being violently torn apart.
An exchange of blows in an infinitesimally small domain.
It took but an instant to press her blade down and sweep it aside. The space before him opened completely. Although Jeong Yeon-shin's sleeve, unable to withstand the aftermath, was shredded to pieces, not a single drop of his blood was spilled.
"..."
The eyes of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing and the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit met as they closed the distance. Un So-yu's eyebrows shot up. By the time her eyes flashed with belated recognition, Jeong Yeon-shin was already past her.
His counter was nearly perfect, its execution thrillingly instantaneous.
In this high-speed realm, the world around him seemed to crawl.
Leaving countless questions, shock, and bewilderment in his wake, the young man stepped onto the massive round table.
Crack—
A fracture formed on the stone table beneath his foot. Long cracks spread in all directions, as if racing to keep up with his sweeping leg.
Swish!
Several streaks of light grazed his right arm like cool flames. It was the attack of those who had failed to recognize him. Sharp threads of energy and sword qi were left in his wake, but not a single one could touch the starlit mist swirling at his heels.
Passing through those chilling flashes without hesitation, the young man extended one leg. He aimed to land a kick directly on the Duke of Sword Might's sword guard. His trajectory was a ray of light, fully charged with the momentum of his world-shaking movement technique.
With a heavy thud, hazy dust rose from all directions.
As the Duke of Sword Might drew his blade across the table, Jeong Yeon-shin stomped on its pommel, driving it straight back into its scabbard. The shockwave from the impact swept violently through the hall, and a tremendous sound of tearing air engulfed the room.
"..."
A heavy silence fell. Only the desolate sound of falling stone debris echoed.
"Your words are excessive."
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke in a low voice as he lowered his leg. "Even a fellow sovereign wouldn't dare speak of the Fortress Lord's bedchamber."
The Grand Steward, who had leaped to his feet beside him, wore a stunned expression. He scanned the young man's face with the eyes of a mountain herb collector who had just stumbled upon a hundred-year-old wild ginseng. It seemed he was confirming his identity after sensing the Halo Qi.
Ak Su-rim, who had somehow appeared from behind the Grand Steward, peered up at Jeong Yeon-shin, not even blinking.