Chapter 363: Ten Perfections (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 363: Ten Perfections (4)
The King of Divine Wisdom was a man who bore a striking resemblance to the Lazy Flame Dragon.
Not just in appearance, but in personality as well. The moment he heard Jeong Yeon-shin's harsh words, he merely waved a hand dismissively.
He remained casually perched on a high tree branch.
"I came here thinking the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit was being played by Peng Yeo-ran, but it seems it was actually the other way around. I'm relieved. Things turned out well."
"...?"
"An ignorant fool shouldn't be using a troublesome item like the sapling of the World Tree as they please. Since it could shake the very foundation of this formation art," he finished, wearing a somewhat weary expression.
His words and actions carried a strange duality of youth and old age.
A similar feeling emanated from his face, which mirrored the Lazy Flame Dragon's. Though his skin was completely wrinkle-free—a testament to his profound martial arts—his expression was closer to that of an elderly man confined to a back room, finding everything to be an absolute nuisance.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not particularly like this sight. After all, this man's grandson—the poppy addict—would never get to enjoy such longevity.
He glanced down at Peng Yeo-ran's severed head, which lay sprawled at his feet.
The gazes of the surrounding One King and Two Lords followed Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes.
They looked at Peng Yeo-ran's face, her cheek pressed into the dirt with an expression far from elegant; at the corpses of the Hidden-Realm Peng Clan's old experts, which were already beginning to emit a foul stench across the wide mountain path; and at the earth, stained a dull, dark red.
"I asked if you have ever harmed any warriors from our fortress," Jeong Yeon-shin said.
Hwangbo Gon smiled faintly, looking troubled. Even the way the corners of his mouth curled up resembled the Lazy Flame Dragon.
"That's a difficult question to answer. There have been more than a few bastards whose heads I've turned to mush."
"Come down."
"Now, calm down. The sword of a peerless swordsman like you should be heavy."
Hwangbo Gon lightly leaped down from the branch.
Thud.
His yellow sleeves billowed magnificently before settling.
His internal energy infused his hem, assisting his movements. He seemed to be activating the Hwangbo Clan's Yeojo Heavenly King Scripture, displaying a depth that Jeong Yeon-shin had never felt from the Lazy Flame Dragon.
Despite acting casually, he didn't neglect his guard against Jeong Yeon-shin. He was indeed an experienced expert of the older generation.
"Hmm... How can a human body be like this...?"
Standing face-to-face with Jeong Yeon-shin, the former Hwangbo Clan Head stroked his chin.
His gaze, scanning Jeong Yeon-shin up and down, was as sharp as a blade, a stark contrast to his droopy eyes that seemed so weary of everything.
"...Now that I think about it, I haven't used any lethal moves since the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit entered this land. Things have been reasonably orderly here. Does that answer your question? More importantly..."
He seemed to have little interest in Jeong Yeon-shin's question. Hwangbo Gon was only intrigued by the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's body, which had been completely reshaped through Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth.
"It's even more astonishing up close."
"What?"
"I experienced Bone Rebirth in my youth as well, but your body seems blatantly designed to easily accommodate a specific martial lineage. I don't know how such a thing is possible, but..."
Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer and simply raised his head.
He saw two powerhouses.
A shabby-looking old man lay askew on a rock on a distant mountain ridge, staring in their direction, while an old Taoist priest clad in a jade-colored robe floated in midair, silently looking down at Jeong Yeon-shin.
They were Ghost Lord Man Hu-gae and Dark Lord Perfected Emptiness.
Their energy was intense.
They were old experts who formed the order of the Twin Kings and Three Lords, possessing divine power that ranked among the top five within the formation art.
They were powerhouses capable of easily harming the Desolate Fortress's martial units, including the missing Heaven-Aligned Wing.
He needed to hear answers from them as well. The moment any words left their lips, his upper dantian would reveal the truth.
But Jeong Yeon-shin did not speak further. He merely tilted his chin upward, as if demanding an answer.
He had already witnessed the older generation's experts within the formation art exploiting the commoners. With the death of Ha Do-un, Commander of the Heaven-Aligned Wing, practically a foregone conclusion, there was no way he felt like respecting the age of these old monsters.
"...A demeanor close to the tyrannical way of martial arts," the King of Divine Wisdom Hwangbo Gon murmured, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"..."
Jeong Yeon-shin silently stared at the two old experts from within the transparent flower bud of the Ultimate Lightning.
Sssss—
A heavy pressure spread naturally, even without him consciously raising it. The sight of the wildly fluctuating atmosphere was terrifying.
It was the spirit of a man who would not hesitate to fight again.
The halo in his heart, which had temporarily thinned, was of no concern to him.
Even if the internal energy consumed while annihilating the experts of the Hidden-Realm Peng Clan—including the Ghost-Howling Hegemon and the Wind Lord—was immense, that sense of emptiness could not overcome the grief in Jeong Yeon-shin's heart upon hearing the tragic news of his senior.
He was furious to the core. He just didn't show it.
Just let one of them cross me.
It was right as he thought that.
The old man lying on the rock on the far opposite hill, Ghost Lord Man Hu-gae, suddenly let out a smirk.
A cunning, experienced composure emanated from him. Was it because the distance between them would take someone ignorant of martial arts at least two hours to traverse?
"They say the rear waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves forward, but to think a young wave of the Jianghu would oppress this old beggar."
"..."
"Now look here. If you glare so fiercely with the head of the Ghost-Howling Hegemon at your feet, who would easily open their mouth? Truly, those bastards of the Desolate Fortress, whenever they see a martial artist..."
In an instant, the sword in Jeong Yeon-shin's hand vanished, leaving behind the monstrous sound of tearing air.
Immediately after a gust of wind—unraveling like coarse threads—swept up his trouser cuffs, his Sword Kinesis pierced through the air in a straight line. In the blink of an eye, it embedded itself directly into the rock where the Ghost Lord had been lying, unleashing a circular shockwave.
Boom!
Rock fragments shattered into pieces with the explosion.
Heavy debris rolled down the distant slope. For a brief moment, a succession of dull, heavy thuds echoed continuously.
"..."
A few breaths of time were dyed in a noisy silence.
Standing behind Jeong Yeon-shin, the blue eyes of Cheon So-so, Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, widened slightly. Meanwhile, Hahu Wi-jin, Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit, ruffled the back of his own head—the very spot Ma Yeon-jeok had once grabbed and pinned down.
Soon after.
"Good grief. Youngsters who get strong at such a tender age are always like this."
Ghost Lord Man Hu-gae landed right in front of Jeong Yeon-shin, emerging through the hazy dust.
His movements were so swift and elusive that the moniker "Ghost Lord" suited him perfectly. From the rags the old man wore, the agile energy characteristic of the Beggar Sect's Body Protection Scripture emanated.
His expression was grim.
Perhaps he felt deeply insulted. His sunken eyes already gave him a gloomy impression, but the gaze he directed at Jeong Yeon-shin now was downright chilling.
Man Hu-gae spoke.
"Is that how they teach you to negotiate in the Desolate Fortress?"
"I heard the Beggar Sect teaches begging before martial arts."
"What?"
"It seems the old man never learned the posture of an underdog," Jeong Yeon-shin replied calmly.
Man Hu-gae's wrinkled brow furrowed instantly.
"We can guess that your strength is exhausted after wiping out the Ghost-Howling Peng Clan. What do you hope to gain by deliberately provoking us? The Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit and the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit don't look to be in perfect condition either, so at best, it would end in mutual destruction..."
Flutter!
The old beggar stopped mid-sentence, spun around, and thrust his palm backward.
At the same time, a streak of light that had rushed from afar, drawing a pure white line, grazed Man Hu-gae's shoulder and slammed—clack!—right into the scabbard at Jeong Yeon-shin's waist.
It was a perfect sheathing. The divine sword made by the Tang Clan siblings fit reasonably well into the scabbard of the Meteor Sword.
Because his halo had weakened, the strike did not possess the same speed and power as when it pierced the Ghost-Howling Hegemon's body. However, it was more than sufficient as a threat. To an observer, it might even seem like a well-mannered junior had simply shown some leniency.
In any case, the Ghost Lord had ended up reacting excessively. Yet, the old beggar only flushed red and did not utter another word.
He had no choice if he wanted to save face.
Having quietly retracted the colorless lotus of the Ultimate Lightning, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke softly.
"Answer the question."
"...Within this formation art, we have never personally clashed with any of the Desolate Fortress's bastards," Man Hu-gae said.
Jeong Yeon-shin stood still, stroking the hilt of his divine sword.
His upper dantian, thoroughly heated by the successive casting of the Fan Dragon Lotus Art, the Ultimate Lightning, and the Fan Dragon Lotus Art once again, detected no falsehood.
It seemed the same for Hahu Wi-jin and Cheon So-so, who, as powerful Brightfolk, were adept at seeing through to the truth.
He raised his head.
His gaze met that of Dark Lord Perfected Emptiness, who was floating in the air. The old Taoist stared at Jeong Yeon-shin with eyes so deep they could only be described as profound, then silently shook his head. Likewise, no malicious intent could be felt from him.
This was enough.
Jeong Yeon-shin had no interest in the personal secrets of the Ghost Lord, the Dark Lord, and the King of Divine Wisdom. It was enough to gather his comrades from the fortress and return safely.
"Seniors, please bring your subordinates. We must leave now."
He continued, keeping his guard up against the three old experts without looking back.
"Are the warriors of the Immortal Wood Spirit and the Forest-Treading Unit unharmed?"
"The Immortal Wood Spirit is safe. The children captured by the Hidden-Realm Peng Clan... Peng Yeo-ran periodically showed them to us to confirm their safety."
Cheon So-so nodded slightly behind him. She seemed to be looking at Peng Yeo-ran's head lying on the ground.
There must have been many twists and turns before they could seize the sapling of the World Tree. Feeling anew the weight of the missions carried out by his fellow Black Ranks, Jeong Yeon-shin listened to Hahu Wi-jin's gruff reply.
"The Forest-Treading Unit will gather once called."
"Let's go back," Jeong Yeon-shin said.
The sight of him deciding the movements of seniors far older than himself, and the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit and the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit nodding without hesitation at his words...
An unusual gleam flashed in the eyes of the King of Divine Wisdom, Hwangbo Gon.
"There is one thing I'd like to ask."
"...?"
"The sapling of the World Tree that must be in the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit's possession. What do you plan to do with it?"
"We intend to go outside and ask the Fortress Lord for instructions on what to do with it," Jeong Yeon-shin said.
His transition from informal to polite speech was completely natural.
The current Commander of the Demonlight Wing was not ignorant of propriety, and in any case, the man before him was his comrade's grandfather.
"Why the change in tone? Informal speech suits you better. As a Black Rank of the Desolate Fortress, you're not in a hierarchy where you need to worry about generational standing."
"One of my subordinates happens to be your grandson."
"Hmm? Hard to believe. A warrior of the Desolate Fortress came from among the scoundrels of my clan...?"
Hwangbo Gon chuckled and stroked his chin. He didn't seem particularly concerned, but a much deeper warmth showed in his eyes.
"In any case, this is troublesome. Since the Flood Dragon has long since vanished, this formation art will soon disappear as well..."
"That is none of my concern. I only intend to take the commoners and leave."
"Do you have a way out?"
"Yes."
"The only function of the World Tree's sapling is to sever space. Unless one is someone of the Desolate Fortress Lord's caliber, it would be difficult for the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit to draw any other utility from it...?"
The way he subtly nudged closer suggested he fully intended to accompany them to the village where Hahu Wi-jin served as chief.
"There is a way."
"Did a peerless expert of sorcery martial arts tag along? Come to think of it, it's truly strange. Didn't you say you entered because the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect opened a gap in the formation art? Yet, what is that monstrous fellow doing, not showing his face until now?"
He was quite talkative.
He was the exact opposite of the Ghost Lord and the Dark Lord, who had already vanished in the blink of an eye.
Feeling a temperament strikingly similar to the poppy addict back in the distant Desolate Fortress, Jeong Yeon-shin thought that unlike his own, their bloodline must run very thick.
Step.
The low sound of treading soil echoed. As a gust of wind cooled the ground, which was heated and muddy with blood, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke.
"Lest it be seen as deception, I should tell you."
"Hmm?"
"Your clan has fallen."
"The current Commander of the Demonlight Wing is quite a character. You're very considerate for a young fellow."
"Yes."
"Well, the rise and fall of a noble family is like a spinning wheel, constantly turning. Having reached the Realm of Feathered Ascension anyway, I have no lingering attachments."
"For the crime of privately conscripting commoners into forced labor."
"..."
"It was treated as treason. The clan was completely annihilated by our fortress."
"Hmm...?"
"The only bloodline you have left is my subordinate."
"..."
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing, the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, and the King of Divine Wisdom.
The four of them descended the mountain.
They left behind the gazes of the onlookers, who remained utterly astounded by the earth-shaking battle, like footprints in their wake.