Chapter 382: The World (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 382: The World (6)
The moment the Leader of the Pure Demon Alliance and the Seventh Apostle were flung back in opposite directions, the Qingcheng Sect Leader lunged at the former. Meanwhile, Abbess Baekyak of Emei scanned their surroundings with deep, searching eyes.
She was on guard against an unseen threat, her Qi sense spread wide.
It was rare for peerless masters who had achieved transcendence through martial arts to act in unison during a crisis. Each possessed an unshakeable mental image.
Their inner thoughts were difficult to fathom. This was especially true for the absolute masters of the Nine Sects, whose profound cultivation allowed them to see through Chaotic Spirits and Demonic Immortals alike.
Nor could their actions be swayed by mere words, for their power was transcendent.
Jeong Yeon-shin was no different. Despite the unexpected turn of events, the Sect Leaders of Qingcheng and Emei had not conveyed any of their intentions to him.
Yeon-shin took this as a given.
Glancing at the Leader of the Pure Demon Alliance and Perfected Clear Water, he prepared to leap in pursuit of the Seventh Apostle. If one were to weigh debts of gratitude against grudges, gratitude always came first.
He had suffered from a profound lack of human connection since childhood. To this day, he was plagued by a sense of urgency and deprivation, even if he didn't consciously acknowledge it.
—My grand, young Grand Preceptor, there are a few places I must visit for a moment.
He was about to move—until the rapidly receding Seventh Apostle transmitted a message to him.
For the first time, he felt her true intent. Her voice carried a clear refusal.
—The previous Cult Leader subtly twisted the teachings of the Buddha to expand our influence. He used to teach Karmic Reincarnation. He said the more blood of non-believers we took, the more freedom we would enjoy in the next life. Though he told me never to touch the blood of half-breeds...
The soft whisper tickled his ears. Unconsciously, Yeon-shin halted his execution of the Ten-Mile Light Grace.
—Our cult's karma is Blood Karma. Now, it is all mine. Because I am the Cult Leader. And Blood Karma cannot be burned away by ordinary penance.
Her tone was strange.
—I'm sorry for making you sad, my Grand Preceptor.
She was talking about the Tang siblings.
A certain sorrowful madness clung to her words. While her obsession and possessiveness still felt sticky and suffocating, a newfound sense of transcendence accompanied them.
With that, the Seventh Apostle departed.
At that moment, Yeon-shin had no choice but to stop completely.
Even now, as he descended to follow Perfected Clear Water—who seemed to have belatedly sensed something new—her words still rang in his ears. The empty shadow she left behind felt hollow.
It was like the loneliness that washed over him like moonlight whenever he thought of the Azure Qilin, Seon-ryong, and the Tang siblings.
Here, there was no Demonlight Wing, nor any fellow Unit Commanders.
He was alone.
"What are you thinking about? Why aren't you making the first move?"
A small, clear voice scattered his drifting thoughts.
Yeon-shin slowly raised his head.
He was already gripping the Divine Sword: Lingering Thunder, his entire body surging with True Qi. Yet, he felt that even if he thrust his sword right now, it would not reach the being before him.
"Calculating my moves," he said.
The small face of the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect tilted to the side.
"Was that ever a necessary talent?"
"Before the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, it was always necessary. It gave me a headache, just like it does now."
"You must have spent most of your time fighting experts of a higher caliber."
She nodded in understanding. There was no particular force in her voice, only an unadorned, absolute composure.
They stood in the middle of a village, a massive mountain range at their backs and an endless horizon stretching out before them.
The silence was heavy.
Yeon-shin quietly stared at Sichuan's greatest expert.
Though her eye level was far below his, her stature did not seem small at all. An intangible dignity radiated from her, creating a dense, overwhelming presence.
There is no opening to exploit, he thought.
She was different from the Lord of the Tenth Sect, who had lost his inner energy to the Blood Flame Cult Leader, and the Leader of the Pure Demon Alliance, whose martial arts were the natural enemy of Yeon-shin's own.
She was an opponent he had to clash with purely through martial arts.
She had no weaknesses. He could not even fathom her realm.
Yeon-shin slowly parted his lips.
"Does the Golden Wing Sect know no shame?"
"Shame?"
"There is a group pursuing the commoners who just fled. I sense the presence of your sect among them. What do you plan to achieve by capturing children?"
Yeon-shin was tracking them through his Qi sense. They were the same people he had encountered at the Golden Wing Sect in the past.
He could sense the old Guardian who wielded a great saber, along with various spirit beast hunters armed with bizarre weapons, hunting down the fleeing villagers.
The lips of the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect twitched slightly. It almost looked like a pout.
"It's because of you. We have to gather Dharma Treasures and offerings all over again. We're going to open the Flood Dragon's formation here once more."
"What?"
"Spirit beasts love pure Innate Qi. One child is better than two adults."
Innate Qi.
The energy a person is born with. As one lives, turbid Qi naturally accumulates. This was why folk tales of child-devouring monsters were so common among the populace.
Yeon-shin's eyes sharpened.
Truly fitting for one of the Thirteen Heavens of the Wicked Way. Her very worldview was twisted.
"Worse than a Southern-Fried Chicken Leg..."
"Hmm? I like fried chicken legs, though."
The casual words of the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect barely registered with him. Confronting her while simultaneously protecting the commoners? It wasn't a matter of feasibility; it was practically an absurdity.
What should he do?
"I... will go...!"
A voice rang out from behind, a cough cutting between the words. The Qingcheng Sect Leader was pushing himself up, supporting his weight on his sword.
Without turning back, Yeon-shin spoke.
"The Left Guardian of the Golden Wing Sect is leading them. You seem to have sustained severe internal injuries, Taoist. I am concerned about your ability to move."
"Be... extremely careful of the Heaven-Ruling Dragon-Slaying Art. Our sect's Azure Cloud Red Sunset Sword was completely powerless against it."
Ignoring Yeon-shin's concern, he offered a warning instead.
Perfected Clear Water had not held the Qingcheng Sect Leader's Command Seal for long. Even as a Taoist, he possessed a fierce pride.
He could not afford to struggle against a mere Guardian, not when he was a Sect Leader.
"Do not clash with her power-to-power. If possible, use Fa Jin, technique, or some other energy..."
He suddenly trailed off, recalling the vast difference in age between the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect and the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
The gap between them was like that of a cliff weathered by endless storms and a mere pebble.
It is highly astonishing that he possesses Dharma Power. However, his martial forms must be tailored to that energy...
The Hidden King Amidst Flowers was famous in many ways. Her appearance, reminiscent of a noble clan's scion, was one thing, but her unbelievable age was another.
How many years must a martial artist spend to wield a single type of True Qi like their own limbs? The refinement required was endless.
Containing a completely different kind of inner energy within one's body without suffering Qi Deviation was also a monumental task.
Perfected Clear Water thought of the proverb about losing the forest for the trees. Rather than losing the Commander of the Demonlight Wing in an attempt to save the commoners, wouldn't it be better to cast aside his pride and join forces here?
It was then.
"Go."
Yeon-shin's long hair flared upward, accompanied by the rushing sound of wind.
A colorless current of air spread strand by strand through his hair. It was an incredibly eerie yet elegant wave of inner power.
"That True Qi is...!"
Seeing Yeon-shin's back, Perfected Clear Water's eyebrows shot up. Across his mind flashed the image of the Blood Flame Cult Leader, whom he had only seen from a distance in his youth.
Languid yet mesmerizing, exuding an aura in all directions as if he were the sole existence under heaven...
This made it even harder for the Taoist to take a step. The young man's astonishing talent was one thing, but that was secondary. Had he cultivated a Blood Art under the guise of Dharma Power?
"How did you...?"
"Senior Divine Blood Ultimate Demon was a great inspiration."
A solemnity settled into his voice, which had grown as smooth as that of a Blood Flame Cult aristocrat. It carried immense respect.
The Divine Blood Ultimate Demon, Jin Myeong-jo. As a man of the Jianghu, the Qingcheng Sect Leader was intimately acquainted with that name.
"The Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit of the Desolate Fortress... I see...!"
Without asking further, Perfected Clear Water turned around. Stumbling once, he propelled his body into the air, lightly kicking off the atmosphere.
Qingcheng Body Protection Scripture, Azure Mist Wind-Walking. With every drum-like sound his footfalls made against the air, his figure rapidly receded.
The Lord of the Golden Wing Sect did not seem to care. Her reddish-yellow eyes pierced through Yeon-shin with transparent clarity.
"That's how geniuses are. They can never be satisfied with just one talent," she murmured.
Yeon-shin adjusted his grip on Lingering Thunder.
"Let's begin."
"Or are you a Flood Dragon using an incarnation technique?"
Her voice was completely devoid of tension.
The surrounding air, however, was a different story. It fluctuated translucently and compressed at a rapid pace, letting out a loud, low hum.
A distance of ten paces.
Yeon-shin closed it in a single stride. A gale billowed from his hand gripping the hilt. The Lord of the Golden Wing Sect still held her liquor bottle as he slashed Lingering Thunder upward.
Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style: Qilin's Judgment.
The streak of light, which looked as though it had been permanently engraved into the air, was abruptly cut off with a loud crash. It was blocked by her gourd bottle.
Even as cracks spread along the surface where the blade met the bottle, it did not shatter.
A sweet scent of alcohol wafted over.
"Want a drink?" the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect asked softly.
In that instant, a thick golden wave rippled out from her body.
The wave of Qi swept over Yeon-shin's body and cleared the surroundings in a flash. It was no mere wave of inner power. Yeon-shin felt the True Qi throughout his entire body instantly freeze.
At the same time, she lightly swept her open palm up his chest. Following the path of her fingers, golden ripples seeped into his black robe.
A shockwave erupted. The True Qi of the Heaven-Ruling Dragon-Slaying Art, and the Heaven-Overturning Dragon-Slaying Formula.
Boom!
Yeon-shin was blown backward. First came the sensation of splintering the swing that a fleeing child had been riding earlier.
Immediately after, the impact of slamming into the cliff on the far side of the village reverberated through his back.
A hazy cloud of dust billowed up. Stone fragments scraped against the rock wall as they fell.
How many yards had he been thrown by that single strike?
He realized it then.
She is different.
She was unlike any opponent he had faced so far.
He could not end this quickly. A martial art meant for short-term decisive battles was, by nature, a method of exploiting the opponent's breathing and mistakes with a perfect, unexpected blow. It would not work against her.
Sichuan's greatest beauty. Sichuan's greatest expert.
It meant she was the most esteemed figure in the entirety of Sichuan Province, a region that boasted six great sects. For the Desolate Fortress to face her, they would have had to send a Purple Rank expert widely recognized throughout the world.
"You shouldn't have interfered with the formation. You were such good eye candy."
Her delicate features filled his vision.
It was the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect.
It was said that her Dragon Slaying Scale-Treading Movement Technique was one of the four great movement techniques of the Jianghu.
It was a technique that could easily scale the long body of a Flood Dragon. Her body protection scripture bordered on the superhuman.
Its secret lies in closing mid-range distances. Her speed is superior to the Wind God Movement Technique, but slower than the Ten-Mile Light Grace. If I can predict her path of movement...
His mind spun as fast as a halo.
He let go of Lingering Thunder. A dragon of mist, born from his mental image, coiled around the sword and supported it in the air. Sword Control.
The moment the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect's beautiful eyebrows arched deeply—
Clang!
The sword tip struck upward against her abdomen and soared. Before he knew it, her entire body was enveloped in blue flames.
The Body Protection Qi said to withstand a Flood Dragon's breath. Her body, unpierced even after taking a direct hit from his Sword Kinesis, shot upward like a ball of fire.
Still, she seemed to feel the pain. Even as she was propelled upward by Lingering Thunder's strike, she furrowed her beautiful brow and pressed the gourd to her lips.
Like a poppy addict soothing pain with petals.
She was someone whose speed of internal energy deployment, versatility in martial arts, and the Fa Jin power loaded into a single strike were all transcendent.
Had he not achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, he would have struggled to even exchange blows with her. Had he not undergone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth in his own unique way...
She must be viewed as a Strange, Violent, Chaotic, and Supernatural entity—a spirit beast on par with a Flood Dragon.
Yeon-shin's caved-in chest popped back into place with a series of cracks. It was the secret of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art.
He expanded the meridians near his chest and wrapped his shattered ribs in inner power, forcing them back to their original state. A white-hot, agonizing pain gripped his mind.
Yeon-shin's eyes flashed with a brilliant blue light.
He didn't care what happened to his mind. Beneath his chest, a fighting spirit raged like a tempest.
Every mnemonic he had learned poured out from his body's meridians, the halo of his heart, and his Baihui Point, constantly dismantling and reconstructing themselves.
The arc of the smiles etched on the lips of the Tang siblings in his memory unraveled into brushstrokes, beginning to sketch an applied form of the Flash Art Lineage's ultimate technique.
He had to win. He would kill her, without fail.
Thud!
Yeon-shin kicked off the cliff face. His eyes were fixed on the sky.
The Lord of the Golden Wing Sect was wrapping her small hand around Lingering Thunder. She looked ready to unleash a technique at any moment.
[It is a pity there is no proper audience. Since you are crossing the Sanzu River anyway, it would only be fitting for the many experts who recognize your true worth to watch.]
The voice echoed very faintly from afar, distorted and raspy with inner energy. He could feel a power resembling the True Qi structure of the Lord of the Tenth Sect.
Yeon-shin resolved to strike off the head of every enemy he met from now on.
Step.
He stood with both feet planted horizontally on the side of the peak. At his feet, the light of the Ten-Mile Light Grace spread like mist.
One step, two steps.
He began to scale the vast cliff face.
The wind rushing against him grew stronger. It took only an instant for his walk to turn into a sprint.
He widened his stride immensely. As his speed drastically accelerated, the scenery in his vision blurred into hundreds of streaks.
Whoosh!
His figure rapidly closed in on the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect, who had soared into the sky.
The trees, moss, and large boulders scattered along the cliff face he passed turned pale and exploded from the sheer force of his momentum.
From his wide-open hands, the waves of his sect-exclusive Blood Art and the Desolate Fortress Lord's Moon Spirit Harmony Art swirled behind him in a reddish, hazy vortex.
"There! Over there!"
"The Lord of the Golden Wing Sect and the Commander of the Demonlight Wing...?"
Those who had poked their heads out to search for the participants of the martial arts tournament witnessed the sight.
The figures of the two peerless masters overlapped as one.