Chapter 406: Peerless Realm (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 406: Peerless Realm (6)
Jeong Yeon-shin narrowed his eyes against the forest wind whipping fiercely across his face. The purple silk robe clinging to his shoulders miraculously remained intact, fluttering wildly in the gale.
He ran along a mysterious white line cutting through the air, balancing like an acrobat on a tightrope. His lightness skill was faster than ever before, and he was only accelerating.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoooosh—!
The air compressed beneath his feet.
His strides were impossibly wide.
With every step, a pale ripple spread outward as if he were treading on water, the circular shockwaves receding behind him in an instant.
The lightness skill, Ten-Mile Light Grace.
As he dashed along the beam of light from Shooting the Moon, his vision blurred completely.
It was a speed he could rarely reach under normal circumstances. Even with the Sight of the Lowly active, the rushing forest scenery was nothing but a smear of color.
I got lucky.
It was just like his fight with Namgung Mu-jin.
Just as he had used the Lord of the Dark Night Hall's Unified Martial Transcendence to dismantle Namgung Mu-jin's Unified Martial Transcendence, that very same Unified Martial Transcendence was now lending power to the propulsion shockwaves beneath his feet.
"Something's coming. Wait... is that a person?"
"Above! No, behind us!"
"Void Stepping...?"
"It's an enemy!"
A noisy commotion erupted below.
These were the experts forming the Net of Heaven and Earth. More and more of them snapped their heads up toward Jeong Yeon-shin, who seemed to be running through empty air.
Quite a few tried to hurl spears or daggers, only to immediately give up.
The moment he entered their field of vision, he crossed the sky and vanished into the distance.
There are so many of them. Is this Mount Huaguo?
Jeong Yeon-shin once again felt the sheer scale of the Net of Heaven and Earth deployed against the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
Even as the landscape below flashed past in a blur, he could still make out the details.
Martial artists crouching in ambush along deserted paths using the Turtle Breathing Technique; dozens of swordsmen sitting cross-legged in a Combined Attack Formation with swords resting on their knees; and even vagabonds posing as commoners in a makeshift village.
Everywhere his eyes landed was a sea of people.
And this Net of Heaven and Earth was said to have been personally orchestrated by a single person.
The Yeoryeong Lord...
A peerless master said to possess incredibly insidious methods.
How many others in the Jianghu could mobilize such immense power?
The Yeoryeong Lord was someone who rarely made a move unless victory was absolutely guaranteed. There wasn't even a portrait of his face.
Although the Perfected Ancient Sword of Wudang had set out to track him, it seemed unlikely he would be caught.
Catching a peerless master who was actively hiding or fleeing was next to impossible.
Even the Emei Sect Leader, whose depth of martial arts Jeong Yeon-shin could not fathom at a glance, had ultimately failed to capture the Pure Demon Alliance Leader.
Hadn't the Qingcheng Sect Leader also quickly abandoned his pursuit and descended from Unhoe Peak to protect the civilian homes, only to run into the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect?
A peerless master focused solely on escaping was truly elusive.
The Lord of the Dark Night Hall was no different.
The man hailed as the Greatest Archer Under Heaven had stopped assisting Namgung Mu-jin at some point. It must have been to preserve his strength.
With a personality that unconditionally prioritized his own safety, he had likely been planning his escape even then. Thus, the only clue to track him was the trace of Unified Martial Transcendence that Jeong Yeon-shin was currently treading upon.
Screeech—!
It came from above Jeong Yeon-shin's head. The long, echoing cry of a bird rang out, carrying an intensely hostile aura.
Without even lifting his head, Jeong Yeon-shin knew what it was.
The ominous bird that had guided him to this land because of the Young Lord of the Dark Night Hall. It was a highly famous spirit beast, and it was said that the faded Brightfolk even revered it as a divine beast.
Dangerous.
Jeong Yeon-shin shattered the law-transcending halo Qi of his heart into crumbs, drawing the fragments to his skin. The moment his entire body was enveloped in a faint shroud of light—
Thud!
His right shoulder was violently jerked back.
He had been struck by a suddenly incoming arrow. The numbing shock from his shoulder traveled down to his chest, even though he had clearly defended himself with his body protection Qi.
As the arrow that failed to pierce his internal energy barrier deflected off his shoulder and flew away, Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes grew sharp. He continued to run along the faintly glowing thread of Shooting the Moon.
The Lord of the Dark Night Hall!
The arrow carried a profound internal heavy hand technique.
Normally, even if executed with fists or palms, this technique would mark one as a master. Yet, just now, the black arrowhead had effortlessly bypassed his body protection Qi to unleash its explosive force.
He had truly arrived.
He had entered the Lord of the Dark Night Hall's mid-range combat interval. Usually, when an arrow traveled a long distance, the internal power infused within it would dissipate significantly, but that was not the case just now.
Catching a Ten-Mile One Kill shot from afar would have been much easier than this.
Another one...!
Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his posture.
At the exact same time, an arrow grazed his ear.
The sound of tearing air, like military artillery, sliced through the atmosphere with a sharp whoosh, and the hair near his temples whipped upward as if sucked into its trajectory.
It was sheer luck.
The speed of the Ten-Mile Light Grace was added to the Lord of the Dark Night Hall's already blindingly fast arrow. Evading the strike was nothing short of a miracle.
I must protect my head.
His opponent possessed archery skills that bypassed even body protection Qi of a divine art's caliber.
If he were hit near the ear by a peerless master's internal heavy hand technique, he would struggle to maintain his balance for a while.
Jeong Yeon-shin was not yet the greatest swordsman in the Jianghu.
But the Lord of the Dark Night Hall was the universally acknowledged Greatest Archer Under Heaven. That was what the Jianghu called him.
In that case...
Crack.
As he trod upon the faint thread, the toe of Jeong Yeon-shin's foot twisted slightly outward.
Immediately, a heavy weight pressed down below his thighs.
Considering his speed, it was an absurd maneuver, but his dense bundles of tendons were robust enough to withstand even this movement. His Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth had been designed for this from the start.
He could overcome the weakness of the Flash Art lineage's simple and straightforward forms through variations.
Because he was born with a transparent, gentlemanly nature, he had never used proper variations before, but initiating them was always within his grasp.
Now...!
A transparent shockwave erupted from the front of his ankle, where the Jiexi Point—Stream Divide, one of the major acupoints of the lower body, was located.
Flash!
His figure, which had been shooting forward in a straight line, blurred.
Immediately, a black arrow pierced through his mist-like, scattered form. The air tore apart violently in an instant.
Just like that.
As Jeong Yeon-shin reappeared, a flicker of interest crossed his eyes.
So this is a variation of the Body Protection Scripture...
He had redirected the propulsion shockwave, which he had previously used only for acceleration, to another purpose. The principle was not difficult; he had simply lowered his body and spun.
By briefly decelerating and then instantly regaining his original speed to dash forward, he executed the entire sequence in a fraction of a second.
How did it look to his opponent?
The Lord of the Dark Night Hall was said to possess an eye technique worthy of his title as the Greatest Archer Under Heaven.
He must be seeing this clearly even now. If Jeong Yeon-shin were in the Lord of the Dark Night Hall's shoes, he would be incredibly vexed.
A faint look of satisfaction crossed the young man's eyes.
In truth, he had been hit far more by the Lord of the Dark Night Hall's archery than by Namgung Mu-jin's sword.
Was this the difference between the second-in-command of the Thirteen Heavens and a Lord of the Thirteen Heavens? From the moment the Lord of the Dark Night Hall began to flee, a subtle anger had been rising in Jeong Yeon-shin's chest.
Today, by whatever means necessary, he would slay the Greatest Archer Under Heaven. Under the banner of the Desolate Fortress's Divine Sword Corps.
With a righteous justification.
Swoooosh—!
Three pitch-black arrows flew toward him simultaneously.
It was a strike so powerful that it left three colorless trails in the air. But as Jeong Yeon-shin's body dissolved into a blurry afterimage once more, only a single clang resounded.
An arrow shattered and fell, its tip crumpled.
The other two black arrows grazed both sides of his body by a hair's breadth, receding into the distance with a ferocious roar of tearing wind.
Jeong Yeon-shin let out a long breath. The shockwave from the archery strikes filled his defined abdominal muscles like lightning, rattling his internal organs. The impact of the shockwaves was growing stronger.
Even though the Lord of the Dark Night Hall's True Qi must have been heavily depleted from using Unified Martial Transcendence.
The distance was closing. That was certain.
Almost there.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not stop his rapid advance.
He repeatedly blurred and solidified as if using the legendary Earth-Shrinking Art, pressing ever forward. He had completely adapted to the white line of Shooting the Moon, an existence that was transcendent in itself.
How long had he run?
Though the days were long in this season, dusk had already begun to fall. It was around the time the reddish glow of the sunset painted his long, fluttering purple robes.
Having endured thirteen of the sixty-seven arrows fired at him so far, Jeong Yeon-shin's gaze grew exceptionally sharp.
In the distance.
Very faintly, someone's back came into view.
The moment Jeong Yeon-shin recognized him, the distance between them closed rapidly.
A figure leaping across treetops as if they were flat ground, maintaining the distance. His faded white hair and wide black robes fluttered behind him. He carried an antique red sandalwood chest on his back and held a massive bow, presenting an imposing figure.
The Fire-Governing Grand Demon Bow.
Its red wooden frame was curved at an angle. Though it looked simple at a glance, it was the symbol of the Greatest Archer Under Heaven. It was as famous as the Dog-Beating Staff of the Beggar Sect Leader, whose clan possessed a deep history.
—Impressive.
A rough, low voice reached Jeong Yeon-shin's ears.
Their eyes met.
The Lord of the Dark Night Hall, his eyes gleaming with a gray light, moved with afterimages like the fluttering of a moth's wings.
Before anyone knew it, he had nocked an arrow in the Fire-Governing Grand Demon Bow, twisting only his upper body. His arrow was aimed directly at Jeong Yeon-shin.
—You have arrived far too quickly. But would you believe me if I said this was a decoy?
The Lord of the Dark Night Hall drew his bowstring.
A creaking sound reached Jeong Yeon-shin's ears. The tension was extraordinary. A spiral vortex emanating from the fletching of the Lord of the Dark Night Hall's arrow scraped violently against the ground.
Hummm—
Suddenly, the faint white line of Shooting the Moon that Jeong Yeon-shin was treading upon rippled once and was absorbed into the arrowhead.
Jeong Yeon-shin was forced to land on a tree branch.
The Lord of the Dark Night Hall's eyes seemed to speak: If you managed to slay one of us after enduring a joint attack by two peerless masters, you should have been satisfied with that.
At this moment, Jeong Yeon-shin's body protection Qi was incredibly faint.
That was the price of pursuing his target after fighting consecutive fierce battles. The arrow flying toward him this time might completely pierce through his body.
Under the tense, taut air.
"..."
Both of their rapid advances came to a halt. They landed on separate tree branches, separated by dozens of yards.
Amidst the vortex of the arrow aimed by the Lord of the Dark Night Hall, they exchanged searching glances.
The peerless masters sized each other up.
Neither was anywhere near peak condition. They could not even hide their weakened internal power waves from each other.
"No great sect can remain whole after losing a martial artist of your caliber. I shall make your death the herald of the Desolate Fortress's destruction."
The Lord of the Dark Night Hall spoke in an archaic manner, befitting someone who had lived for ages as a faded Brightfolk.
He was the Greatest Archer Under Heaven, possessing some of the finest focus in the Jianghu.
His eyes showed no particular emotion, suggesting he had seen right through Jeong Yeon-shin's extremely depleted internal energy.
"Have you no shame? Even after joining forces in a combined attack," Jeong Yeon-shin asked quietly.
A faint smile played on the Lord of the Dark Night Hall's lips.
"A true martial artist's duel is something you should seek from the Lord of Heaven's Bane. To me, martial arts are merely a cornerstone to rebuild a fallen nation, so the honor of Jianghu warriors is utterly trivial. Your Desolate Fortress is likely no different. Does a constable argue about fair play when capturing a ruffian? I have merely returned the favor to you."
"A Black Way ruffian. You know yourself well."
"...I pay my respects to your martial prowess in slaying Namgung's First Sword despite my interference. As a martial artist, I have lost."
Then, suddenly.
The Lord of the Dark Night Hall casually released the bowstring. With that single, simple gesture, the air tore open with a sharp, screeching rip.
A killing strike from a Lord of the Thirteen Heavens. He seemed absolutely determined to kill Jeong Yeon-shin. Even as he released the string, he was already drawing the next arrow from the chest on his back.
All of this unfolded slowly in Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes.
A single-exchange life-and-death duel, the arrow hurtling toward the space between his brows...
Ah.
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly realized that the Lord of the Dark Night Hall was just as tense as he was. Because they were staring each other down, neither of them had looked up.
Suddenly, a presence descended between them.
An intruder.
An incredibly refined manipulation of internal power could be felt. Had they been waiting for an opening? In an instant, the completely concealed aura was unleashed, forging itself into the shape of a sword.
A sinister wave rippled from the sword, which was formed from the internal energy of the black-robed intruder.
The figure closed in rapidly, the fluttering of their robes elegant.
Crack—
There was no time to lose.
Jeong Yeon-shin's foot pushed off the branch. Leaving behind the shattered fragments of the wood destroyed by his propulsion shockwave, his figure shot forward in a straight line.
Swoooosh!
The moment Jeong Yeon-shin, channeling the Mara True-Blood Art, reached his arm upward, the Dark Night Radiant Blood Magic Sword—hailed as the ultimate technique of the Bloodkeeper Unit—was grasped in his hand.
A dark-red mist in the shape of a blade.
This occurred even as Jeong Yeon-shin's figure was blurred in midair. It was a supply from Jin Myeong-jo, the Divine Blood Ultimate Demon. It was positioned precisely along his trajectory.
Jeong Yeon-shin immediately crossed the space with a single strike.
"..."
A dark-red line was etched into the air. A trajectory that flickered in a single line, slicing the black arrow horizontally and passing straight through the Lord of the Dark Night Hall's neck. A moment later, the rushing backdraft knocked the head of the Greatest Archer Under Heaven from his shoulders.
A bleak thud echoed.
The Lord of the Dark Night Hall's head rolled across the dirt ground, his wide-open eyes staring up at the sky. His face was painted with shock and futility.
Soon after, his unbalanced corpse collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Ssshh—
Early summer exhaled a dry breath.
The wind grew gradually cooler. As Jeong Yeon-shin landed on the ground, his purple robes fluttered behind him.