Chapter 434: Grandmaster (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 434: Grandmaster (8)
A strange rumor was spreading in secret: a man clad in a pink robe was hunting Imugis with nothing but a single sword.
It was a fleeting rumor of unknown origin. No one believed it, and even as it grew louder, the public's reaction remained largely unchanged.
Meanwhile, the news sweeping through the Green Jade Sword Manor was incomparably fierce.
—The Desolate Fortress and the Diancang Sect are going to clash to determine whose martial arts are superior!
Both great sects were deploying experts from every generation. From the rising stars heralded as the future of their sects, to Purple Rank peerless experts, and even the immortals of the sword.
The massive manor buzzed with feverish excitement. Outside its towering walls, gambling dens had already sprung up. Wagering—a tradition stretching back to before the ancient Qin and Han dynasties—offered the chance to win overnight fortunes on the outcome of this great clash.
It was a showdown between a powerful martial lineage led by a young Grandmaster and the thousand-year-old martial arts of the Nine Sects.
The sheer strength of the Flash Art Lineage was already well known. By now, no dilettante in Dengfeng County dared to look down on the martial arts created by Jeong Yeon-shin.
Instead, they argued boisterously over who reigned supreme at the absolute peak of the Jianghu, sweeping countless others into their heated debates.
But for the Demonlight Wing, such matters were an afterthought.
"All our duels so far have been like this, but this time, we absolutely must not use the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous. Our opponent is one of the Nine Sects, after all."
The words came from the one-eyed Brightfolk youth, speaking leisurely at a large stone round table. He addressed the warriors of the Demonlight Wing, who were perched around the table or sitting cross-legged on the floor.
The demeanor of the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword, Cheong-myeong, was as relaxed as ever, but the aura leaking from him was like a biting, cold northern wind.
"Counter-techniques are only meant to be shown to those who must die. If you reveal them carelessly in a place like this, you'll make us public enemies of the Jianghu. That goes double for our Commander. So, if it looks like you're going to lose, just accept a clean defeat."
He spoke as if warning the rest of the Demonlight Wing warriors.
The Compendium of Crushing the Righteous was a secret manual rated at the highest tier among the nine grades of importance. By rule, only Black Rank members of the main fortress were permitted to read it.
However, Jeong Yeon-shin had long since used Heonwon Chang as a proxy to teach the Demonlight Wing warriors numerous counter-techniques designed specifically against orthodox martial arts.
Since this had occurred alongside the gifting of the secret manual itself, the Chief Steward's Office could do nothing to stop it.
Baek Mi-ryeo, sitting on one side of the round table, nodded.
"In any case, this duel only holds meaning if we win using pure martial arts. Otherwise, it's bound to invite gossip."
"Exactly. This is the stuffy orthodox Jianghu, after all."
Cheong-myeong tapped his fingers on the table in agreement.
Jeong Yeon-shin sat between the two of them.
With the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword and the Sun Lotus Sword Enchantress flanking him, it was a sight that would soon become rare—now that the Commander of the Demonlight Wing had ascended to the Purple Rank.
"Overthrowing the Nine Sects, who live leisurely in their world of immortals, using martial arts created by our Commander...?"
Lazy Flame Dragon murmured, twirling a blue poppy stem between his fingers. He was leaning casually against a wall far from the round table.
He hadn't been able to participate in a single duel of the Mount Hua Agreement so far, which was why he often threw out trivial remarks to remind Jeong Yeon-shin of his presence.
"That would be incredibly entertaining."
No one paid attention to Lazy Flame Dragon's muttering. From the seat of honor, Jeong Yeon-shin finally spoke.
"I have chosen three people."
The translucent energy barrier radiating from Baek Mi-ryeo beside him dissipated. At the same time, the heavy doors of the inner chamber swung wide open.
Beyond them, in the spacious main hall, the warriors sitting cross-legged in neat rows raised their heads.
They were the men and women of the Flash Art Lineage.
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke three names.
The reactions in the hall were mixed. Joy and disappointment crossed the faces of dozens of warriors, and a green leaf crumpled with a dry rustle in Lazy Flame Dragon's grip.
"Any objections?" a deep, heavy voice rang out.
It was a question from the Naraka Reaper, Ma Jin, who was observing the hall while leaning against a pillar. His demeanor was like that of a tyrant looking down on a crowd of talented scholars.
No one raised a hand or dared to answer.
"Then we will proceed with the agenda. Even those not selected must listen closely. There is no telling what changes might occur before the day of the duel."
Soon after, Ma Jin's tone shifted as he turned his gaze toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Even if it is difficult to counter every detail of their forms, we must have a thorough understanding of who the opposing sect's experts are. Their primary martial arts, the figures likely to step forward for the duel... every sect participating in this gathering will be conducting the same analysis. Our own fortress has likely been thoroughly analyzed as well. For a group like the Nine Sects, it wouldn't be surprising if they already have countermeasures prepared against the Flash Art Lineage."
"Indeed," Jeong Yeon-shin nodded.
Since this was an official meeting, he spoke with casual brevity, yet his commanding demeanor suited him perfectly.
Ma Jin looked at his nephew with eyes filled with both deep concern and warmth. Then, crossing his arms in front of the Purple Rank expert, he continued.
"There is only one selection we can be absolutely certain of. No one other than the Sword Empress, Geum Seon-seon, would dare draw her sword in front of a Purple Rank."
The Sword Empress.
A leader of the Nine Sects.
Several warriors let out low groans. It was a reaction they couldn't help, even if they had already guessed as much without having to think too deeply.
Looking up past the clouds was bound to make anyone's mind go blank for a moment.
"The martial arts of the Diancang Sect are exceptionally aggressive, even among the Nine Sects. There is no retreat in Diancang's secret Shooting Sun Sword Technique."
"Is it because all of its ultimate forms consist of thrusts?"
There was a faint trace of interest in Jeong Yeon-shin's question.
He had once taken an interest in stabbing sword techniques when he met the Small Sword Empress of Diancang.
Furthermore, his Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style did not yet possess a form that thrust the tip of the blade forward.
"Yes. According to the assessment of our fortress's Chief Steward's Office, in terms of tyrannical sword force, they contend for the very top even among the Nine Sects. They are a breed that concentrates a thousand years of internal cultivation into a single point of impact. They cannot possibly be weak."
"Concentrated into a single point... to what extent?"
Jeong Yeon-shin had admired the immortals of the Nine Sects since his days at the Jeong Family Manor. As he became absorbed in the conversation, his speech naturally grew shorter and more direct.
Ma Jin's eyebrow twitched for a split second, but the moment he saw his nephew's purple robe radiating a faint indigo hue in the room, he lowered his gaze slightly, as if lost in profound contemplation.
"To what extent... It is difficult to say for certain since I have never fought a Diancang disciple of particular skill. But if a peerless expert of a sect leader's caliber were to execute it, any ordinary defensive form would be rendered utterly meaningless."
"Defending is impossible?"
"There is a saying: the Three Impossible Swords."
"Three things are impossible?"
At that moment, Heonwon Chang, whose eyes had been shining as he listened to their conversation, quickly chimed in.
"It refers to the sword art of the Diancang Sect Leader. 'It cannot be fled from, it cannot be deflected, and it cannot be blocked. To win, one must strike before it arrives, but the sword that pierces the sun is as swift as the dawn's light, leaving absolutely no way to withstand it.' These were the words left behind by the Dark Sky Emperor, who ruled Yunnan with poison arts over a decade ago. He was said to be a terrifying peerless expert from the Poison Valley, but he died after exchanging only seven bouts with the Diancang Sect Leader."
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded.
"His last words were quite long."
"Actually, only the first phrase was his."
"The Three Impossibles?"
"Yes. The original text lacked poetic grace, so..."
Ma Jin, who had been listening silently, raised an eyebrow in disbelief at the sheer absurdity of embellishing a dying man's words. But Jeong Yeon-shin simply took Heonwon Chang's explanation as genuine insight into the Shooting Sun Sword Technique.
If the Sword Empress's blade-work was truly as the Three Impossible Swords described, then a stabbing technique that was faster and took the shortest path would be the most effective countermeasure.
The problem was whether such a sword technique even existed in this world.
A White-Ranked warrior of the Flash Art Lineage raised his hand.
"If the saying of the Three Impossible Swords is true, doesn't that make the Sword Empress invincible?"
Heonwon Chang—who was now a proper Blue-Ranked warrior and beginning to challenge Lazy Flame Dragon's prestige—wagged his index finger side to side.
"The leaders of the Nine Sects are all considered invincible near their home mountains. Only a tiny fraction of people truly know what happens when transcendents of martial arts clash. Of course, many will soon witness it firsthand."
Immediately, all eyes turned toward the young Grandmaster.
A few of those gazes held worry. It wasn't because they doubted the martial prowess of the newly appointed Purple Rank. It was because they were all keeping Jeong Yeon-shin's age in mind.
This was not a burden meant to be borne by someone who hadn't even reached twenty.
Ma Jin furrowed his brow.
"It is not your place to worry. Our opponent is one of the Nine Sects. Anything could happen. You should focus entirely on how to play your own parts."
"There is a way to drastically increase our chances of winning," Jeong Yeon-shin said.
The hall fell silent in an instant. After calmly scanning his surroundings, he slowly parted his lips.
"...Training."
It was a single word, yet it carried the profound weight of someone who had just uttered something magnificent. In that brief moment, the wind blowing into the hall felt incredibly refreshing.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly continued.
"I am entering seclusion. I expect great achievements from you all as well."
A rare strength was infused into the word seclusion. He spoke with the air of an enlightened sage teaching the stone monkeys of Mount Huaguo how to build a fire.
No answer came. Jeong Yeon-shin accepted the stiffened atmosphere as a fitting display of awe.
* * *
It was different from usual.
Until now, Jeong Yeon-shin's creation of martial arts had always been reactionary.
Only after facing an event, using it as inspiration, or being pushed into a corner where he had to find an immediate solution, would an ultimate form be born.
He thought to himself:
What if, instead of a counter-technique, I prepare an offensive form in advance? Especially when I have been granted such a peaceful and long stretch of time.
Huu—
In the underground inner chamber of his quarters at the Desolate Fortress, faint dust drifted along with Jeong Yeon-shin's exhalation.
There was nothing lacking in the Green Jade Sword Manor, which had been built by wealthy patrons from the Shaolin lay disciples.
As if anticipating that the entire Jianghu would gather at Mount Song Shaolin at least once, the manor was impeccably constructed. Only the faintest traces of presence could be felt outside the underground chamber where Jeong Yeon-shin stood.
It was said to be a space prepared specifically for peerless experts of a great sect leader's caliber.
Screeech.
He drew the Divine Sword: Lingering Thunder.
His entire body's senses heightened. He could feel every single speck of dust floating through the inner chamber, vivid as a cluster of stars.
Diancang's Shooting Sun Sword Technique... the Three Impossible Swords.
His journey through the Jianghu had been a constant race against his own mortality.
It was a desperate sprint to catch up to those who had walked the path for long years before him. All the martial arts he possessed had sprouted during that frantic run.
But the Jeong Yeon-shin of today was a Purple Rank.
Even now, he did not want to rely on straining his Upper Dantian only when cornered. He wanted to stay ahead.
And I will test myself.
Did he have the right to take the fruit of the World Tree?
Would he be able to receive the fruit from the Lord of the Desolate Fortress one day, bear its full weight, and overcome his Heavenly Mandate?
Kiiiiing—!
He spun the wheel of light residing in his heart. Only one of the two layers of the halo rotated.
The outer ring, which had faintly formed after his return from the hidden realm, belonged to the Tang twins.
The Law-Transcending Halo Qi filled the acupoints of his right arm. A sharp creak echoed from his grip on the sword hilt.
His surging grip strength fused his arm and the sword into one. It was a tyrannical Unity of Body and Sword.
With a light movement, Jeong Yeon-shin extended his sword.
Swoosh.
A slow thrust. The tip of Lingering Thunder parted the dust as it advanced. Countless particles brushing against the blade traveled up the sword's body and reached his arm.
Though each grain was far smaller than a speck of dust and infinitely finer than a breath of wind, Jeong Yeon-shin's senses measured the movement and weight of every single one.
He repeated the same motion.
The Pishu Point and the Zhizheng Point.
He felt the contraction and relaxation of the acupoints above and below his elbow. Slowly, incredibly slowly.
To achieve ultimate speed in a thrust, one had to master slowness. This realization came to him from the realm of pure intuition. It was an innate talent.
Whoosh—
Occasionally, as he thrust, he twisted his waist, observing the acupoints and muscles around his lumbar spine. All of these movements were executed at a snail's pace.
The Silk-Reeling Power that recoiled through his waist; the Scripture of Initial Overcoming that caused a compounding of True Qi in his acupoints the moment his right arm shot forward; and Qilin's Judgment, which gave elasticity to every movement the instant he tensed his entire body.
The hem of his purple robe rustled softly against itself.
There was no obstacle in weaving these profound principles together. Everything integrated seamlessly.
The dust is in the way. It is slowing down the sword's speed.
In that instant, Jeong Yeon-shin took a step forward.
It was the Radiant Wing Step.
Fwoooooosh—!
A shockwave rising from his toes split the air to the left and right. It was like a translucent wave parting in two. It was different from his usual Radiant Wing Step.
This footwork did not target an opponent's momentum. It swept away everything irritating his skin to either side. It was the martial principle of the void.
In a fraction of a second, he thrust his sword through the gap and pulled it back.
It was incomparably faster. The force concentrated at the tip of the sword was on a completely different level. So was the load placed on his muscles.
I need to adjust my body's balance.
It would be a disaster if he fell and ruined his dignity as a Purple Rank.
He repeated it again.
Stepping with the Radiant Wing Step, twisting his waist, and thrusting the sword forward. It was a basic skill so simple even a monkey would yawn at it.
Yet, Jeong Yeon-shin felt no boredom.
The sense of balance, the distribution of force, and the flow of True Qi that had to be tuned to pierce through all movements with a single strike were incredibly complex.
What appeared on the outside to be a simple thrust was entirely different on the inside. The acupoints throughout his body expanded as if they were about to explode.
His vision warped into pure sensation. Slowly, he fell into a state of selflessness.
Accumulating Grinding Power.
It integrated perfectly.
Brilliant River on my back and elbows.
It permeated without a hitch.
At a distance... take a step with the Radiant Wing Step, and use Ten-Mile Light Grace for a propulsion shockwave...
It was as easy as flipping his hand.
The sword path is a straight line. The direction of force adapts to the situation, and the mnemonic is left to my senses.
Time slowed down around him. The sword path, drawing a single, perfect line, gradually reached completion. Soon, the trajectory became as familiar as a form he had held in his hands from the very beginning.
"Ah."
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly raised his head and stepped outside.
The night sky was bright.
There was no moon. Only the starlight filling the darkness of heaven and earth looked down upon him.
Though the white, shimmering shapes in the pitch black were incredibly beautiful, the cluster of stars was not as dense as the dust in the underground chamber.
His skin tingled.
As he silently stared up at the night sky for a moment, the damp air settled on his skin like the breath of the stars.
They said the Shooting Sun Sword Technique was a sword that pierced and brought down the sun.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not need such a brilliant light. It was enough to have the Tang siblings, who would be floating up there as a pair of stars.
I didn't get to say goodbye.
How wonderful would it be if he could keep them by his side?
Wuuuung—
Lingering Thunder let out a resonant hum in his hand. His mental image had descended upon his sword form.
The spirituality that transformed martial arts into divine ultimate techniques. In that instant, a tyrannical mnemonic was engraved into Jeong Yeon-shin's mind.
—A sword form capable of bringing down any star.
Jeong Yeon-shin harbored this selfish mnemonic, so unlike his usual nature, deep within his heart. Then, he murmured to himself, Rest there.
* * *
The Desolate Fortress and the Diancang Sect.
The day of the great duel dawned. Countless experts flocked to the scene.