Chapter 379: The World (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 379: The World (3)
He was a man who had survived to old age in the demonic path—a place often called a living hell.
If forced to weigh honor against his life, he would naturally choose his life. Yet, it was still a statement that anyone would find hard to accept at face value.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader, who had been speaking in a booming voice laden with terrifying internal energy, uttered those last words without the resonance of the Six Harmonies Sound Transmission.
The distance between them was immense. To perceive his actual voice, one had to enhance their hearing through the Path of Senses or read his lips.
As the crowd at the foot of the mountain murmured, even the experts of the Nine Sects doubted their own ears and eyes. This was especially true for the Taoists of the Qingcheng Sect, even more so than those of the Emei Sect.
"What did that demonic anomaly just say?"
"Unless my eye technique played tricks on me, he definitely said he lost..."
"Did they clash in that brief interval?"
"They say the current Pure Demon Alliance Leader has reached the realm of Demon Transcendence. Surely he wouldn't be frightened so easily by a seemingly opposing True Qi?"
The soft voice of Diancang's Small Sword Empress drifted among them.
"It's Dharma Power True Qi. And the weapon techniques of the Lord of the Tenth Sect... the Commander of the Demonlight Wing has created the ultimate conditions. Though I have no idea how such a thing is possible."
Her words confirmed what many had already suspected. The Emei monastics chanted their Buddhist prayers in low voices once more, and the Qingcheng experts stirred restlessly.
"Dharma Power...? I have heard rumors of him wielding a divine power, but..."
"We should have watched from closer up. Is the Commander of the Demonlight Wing truly using an energy comparable to the Three Pure Powers?"
Their voices carried a faint trace of excitement. The Three Pure Powers of Taoism was famous for being the most auspicious force in the world. Even among all the Taoist sects of the Nine Sects, it was said that perhaps only the Wudang Sect Leader had mastered it.
"Quiet."
The Qingcheng Sect Leader, standing at the edge of the cave entrance, spoke.
His back was turned, his sharp ears perked. The sudden wave of energy from his lightness skill had sent the hem of his white Taoist robe fluttering high behind him.
"What do you think, Abbess?" he asked quietly, staring intently at Jeong Yeon-shin, who was surrounded by the glowing aura of the Eighteen Weapons.
The Qingcheng Sect Leader's gaze remained fixed, without a single tremor.
Abbess Baekyak, who had uncrossed her legs and stood up at some point, spoke.
"That elderly benefactor is the longest-living figure in the demonic path. Anything is possible with him. Whether he is truly seeking his own safety, or harboring some other scheme in his heart."
"The Eighteen Weapons Technique... can we assume the Commander of the Demonlight Wing has fully mastered it?"
"Have you not already witnessed it?"
When Abbess Baekyak asked in return, a heavy silence fell. The Qingcheng Sect Leader's expression was complex. He seemed lost in deep thought as he scrutinized Jeong Yeon-shin.
"...It is a talent that defies the very laws of nature. Extremely dangerous. A man who dismantles and counters techniques as naturally as breathing. I wonder how many sects would tolerate the existence of such a being..."
The Qingcheng Sect Leader trailed off. Abbess Baekyak shook her head as she watched the confrontation between the Pure Demon Alliance Leader and Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Emei and Shaolin have no choice but to welcome him."
"The more the Commander of the Demonlight Wing distinguishes himself, the greater the storms that will brew within the Orthodox Factions. He will make even more enemies than the current Commander of the Divine Sword Corps."
"That is indeed a concern, but it does not seem to be our immediate worry. Look at that old benefactor of the demonic path. Something is amiss."
Right after Abbess Baekyak finished speaking, an Emei nun clad in monastic robes leaped up from beneath the cliff in a hurry.
"Sect Leader! The hordes of the Thirteen Heavens are running rampant!"
"Calm down and report."
"It seems the neighboring sects, which were left empty, have all been utterly annihilated. Not to mention the martial clans and the sects caught between the government and the martial world, even the martial halls have all been... Our sect's communication channels have also been cut off."
"Amitabha."
"No messenger weasels have returned from Junior Sister Geum Seon. She wrote that hunters possessing internal energy, led by a short woman, are bringing natural disasters in their wake... Judging by her letter, it seems the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect is heading this way."
It was then.
On the hill where the gazes of the Nine Sects' experts were focused, a similar conversation flowed from the mouth of Jeong Yeon-shin as he faced the Pure Demon Alliance Leader.
"Do you truly have no intention of making a move?"
"Child of the Desolate Fortress. Your goading tactics are certainly extraordinary. However, they cannot overcome the weight of my years."
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader chuckled. The demonic qi that had dyed the entire sky in darkness had vanished without a trace. It had long since retreated back into the old man's black robe.
The surroundings were bright once more.
As pure white lightning flickered between the weapons surrounding them, Jeong Yeon-shin stared blankly at the Pure Demon Alliance Leader and spoke.
"It is fascinating how someone of your age can be so utterly shameless. You claim to have reached the realm of Demon Transcendence, but has the demonic qi invaded your Baihui Point?"
"……"
"I said this is not a duel, but a punishment. Did you think you could escape it by tucking your tail like an old dog?"
While asking his questions, Jeong Yeon-shin was examining his own body.
The life-and-death duel with the Lord of the Tenth Sect had taken its toll. His external wounds were not a major issue, as he had grown accustomed to pain. The real problem was the shockwaves of the Ten Thousand Kinds Mixed Origin Art accumulated throughout his body. It felt as if long, sharp needles were piercing his blood vessels.
The Fa Jin force left behind by a battle-hardened peerless expert obstructed the flow of his internal energy with a texture as hard as diamond. At this rate, it would be difficult to exert his full strength.
This was the price of defeating and killing a man who stood at the pinnacle of the Heterodox Paths. He needed a moment to perform Qi Healing.
If I properly employ the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, I will recover quickly, but...
Whoosh—
Jeong Yeon-shin felt a gaze that seemed to stretch from the abyss. A pitch-black light was scanning his body. It was the gaze of the Pure Demon Alliance Leader.
Defeating the old man here would not be difficult. Even if he fought him right now, his chances of winning were over ninety percent.
The only problem was having to face the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect immediately after taking the Pure Demon Alliance Leader's head.
Mother.
Jeong Yeon-shin activated the Jeong Family Dynamic Art while standing.
Rustle—
The moment the core principles flashed through his mind, his body began to gently mend itself.
A soft, fuzzy sensation spread through him. The process of stitching his torn meridians with True Qi and restoring the elasticity of his acupoints proceeded slowly. It was significantly slower than when he circulated his energy alone. This was because a peerless expert stood right before him.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader, who had been watching him like a hawk, smiled faintly.
"A punishment? It has barely been a month since I ascended to the seat of Alliance Leader. I have never personally provoked the Desolate Fortress; I merely found it amusing to watch my subordinates bicker. More importantly..."
The old man, curling his wrinkled lips upward, continued slowly.
"I am curious about your martial attainment. Did you truly master all the weapon techniques of that brat of all weapons?"
A deep curiosity was evident in his aging voice. He seemed to be asking about something of immense importance.
"Do you know the whereabouts of the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked in return, acting as if he found no value whatsoever in the old man's question.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader's eyebrows twitched.
In his long life, the old man had never encountered such dismissive behavior.
By all rights, he should have used the palm technique of the Dark Heaven Demon God Stance to crush the brat's head into mush, but the radiance of the Eighteen Weapons surrounding them was so divine it was almost unprecedented.
"...The Lord of the Golden Wing Sect's path through the Jianghu has always been consistent."
"Stop beating around the bush and explain properly."
"She is likely annihilating any sects that stand in her way of finding a Dharma treasure. To open the hiding place of a spirit beast, one needs a miraculous weapon."
"That old woman is shameless as well. She must have seen the message I wrote."
"You need not worry. From the moment you ruined the Flood Dragon's formation, she was destined to seek you out."
The old man replied in an archaic tone.
It was a conversation between peerless experts. While the surrounding crowd held their breath, regardless of whether they could hear, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke without paying any mind to the countless eyes on him.
"Spit out where you've hidden the rest of your rabble as well. The Tenth Sect, the Pure Demon Alliance, the Golden Wing Sect, and all the rest."
"...Your words are harsh, fitting for the bloodline of the Hegemon Hero."
"I told you to come show me your martial arts, yet you do nothing but plot trivial schemes."
A faint trace of disappointment flickered across Jeong Yeon-shin's face. Because he had maintained an expressionless face until now, the emotion seemed even more pronounced.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader's brow furrowed.
The expressions of the experts lined up along the nearby mountain slopes also shifted.
Martial artists were beings who paid close attention to every single move of the world's greatest geniuses. And when that genius was a young man who had just slain the Lord of the Tenth Sect single-handedly, they could not help but unconsciously seek his favor, regardless of their sect.
They reacted to his slightest shift in mood. This was evident in the women who were staring at the Commander of the Demonlight Wing as if spellbound at this very moment. A young, peerless expert could win the hearts of people through his sheer martial prowess alone.
Today was just the beginning.
"Brat of the Desolate Fortress, this is because you do not know the Jianghu of the Heterodox Paths."
"Do not use the term 'Heterodox Paths' anymore. You are nothing but honorless thugs."
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader fell silent.
The sunlight rippled along with the atmosphere. Time began to flow once more.
*
Some among the crowd looking up at Unhoe Peak rubbed their eyes. Others could not hide their shocked expressions. The scene unfolding on the hill surpassed all imagination.
An elderly Buddhist nun and a handsome Taoist of the Brightfolk were standing guard. They stood silently on either side of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, who was now sitting cross-legged.
The Buddhist Exalt, Thunderbolt Guanyin Baekyak. The long-standing Sect Leader of the Emei Sect.
The Twin-Wall Sword Lord, Perfected Cheongsu. The Taoist who had newly ascended to the position of Qingcheng Sect Leader.
"……"
The air was heavy.
Swoosh—
The wind that had been sweeping up the cliff toward the hill turned back on its own. Only a faint haze of dust scattered and vanished. It could not even come close to the face of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, which was bathed in brilliant sunlight.
It was an unprecedented sight.
"Are those truly Thunderbolt Guanyin and the Twin-Wall Sword Lord...?"
"Send word to the main family. From now on, any rumors regarding the Commander of the Demonlight Wing are to be classified as Purple-rank information of the Desolate Fortress. This refers not just to his martial prowess, but his status."
"I've truly lived long enough to see everything. To witness the absolute masters of the Nine Sects standing guard for a single person..."
The Sect Leaders of the Nine Sects.
The orange monastic robe and the pure white Taoist robe fluttered gently. Massive concentrations of energy waves were gathered in one place.
If the names of the Qingcheng and Emei Sect Leaders had not been on the public notice announcing the martial arts tournament, the Pure Demon Alliance Leader would have fled long ago. Or so he thought to himself.
Inviting someone as a guest only to gang up on them? Unless they were prepared to close their gates forever, it was something an Orthodox martial artist would never do.
Thus, the old man spoke shamelessly, his brow furrowed.
"For people who call themselves the leaders of the Nine Sects, you have no sense of dignity."
The Lord of the Tenth Sect had just been slain. Anyone could guess that the Commander of the Demonlight Wing was not in perfect condition. Yet, it was utterly shocking that he still looked capable of easily handling the Pure Demon Alliance Leader.
And now, he was recovering his body through Qi Meditation right here.
He could not even be disturbed. There were extremely few people in the world who could break through the guard of two Sect Leaders of the Nine Sects.
"……"
The two did not reply. They merely stared at the Pure Demon Alliance Leader with heavy, powerful gazes.
Is that bastard going to restore himself to perfect condition here...? the old man pondered. Was it time to summon the Demonic Weasel?
Slide—
A strange presence stirred within the Pure Demon Alliance Leader's wrinkled palm. Though his hand appeared empty, as if grasping thin air, the atmosphere within it rippled silently.
A spirit beast. A type of demon.
An invisible weasel.
Just as the Brightfolk monastics of Shaolin and Emei raised brown weasels to use as messengers or tracking devices, the absolute master of the demonic path possessed a demon made of spirituality and demonic qi. Normally, it was used to deliver orders to subordinates during closed-door cultivation.
Those who practiced Orthodox martial arts could not sense its presence, as it was a sacred relic of the Pure Demon Alliance, which had branched off from the Ming Cult. This held true even if the opponent was a peerless expert. However, because the Demonic Weasel's power was extremely weak, it posed no real threat. Furthermore, it possessed a restriction that prevented it from straying beyond a certain distance from its master.
But now was different.
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing was right before him, deep in Qi Meditation. It was worth a try. Even a microscopic wound to his acupoints would suffice.
He couldn't just stand by and do nothing. The Pure Demon Alliance Leader slowly channeled his intent toward his palm. Go.
Squeak—
It was a sound that resonated spiritually. The invisible weasel glided through the air at breakneck speed. Slipping between the two Sect Leaders, it reached the shadow of the forward-leaning Commander of the Demonlight Wing in an instant.
Brat. You do not know the Heterodox Paths.
Just as the Pure Demon Alliance Leader's wrinkled lips curled slightly upward—
Slide.
A head rose silently from the shadow.
Ebony hair billowed, sweeping through the air in long waves, and pale, porcelain-like skin scattered a smooth, lustrous glow.
In this high-level realm where everything slowed to a crawl.
"……!"
The woman, who had emerged face-first, parted her red lips and bit down hard on the form of the weasel.