Chapter 459: Heaven's Tremor (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 459: Heaven's Tremor (3)
Suddenly, the Heaven-Smiling Invincible chuckled beside him. Did she notice the shift in Jeong Yeon-shin's aura? She turned her head toward him without hesitation.
[I wish the world would just perish.]
The tip of her sharp nose brushed against Jeong Yeon-shin's cheek. It was an act that didn't just violate the unwritten rules of martial artists—it utterly shattered the very concept of a combat interval.
Like Mara Papiyas of Buddhist lore, she whispered wickedly into his ear.
[Seeing how desperately you want to escape, I suppose you feel differently?]
Jeong Yeon-shin kept his eyes fixed on Perfected Zhang Sanfeng's iron sword, only moving his lips to speak.
"Why should the world perish?"
[I'm saying we should fulfill the heavenly mandate that damned sky bestowed upon us. Since we're doomed to die young as the price for talents we never asked for.]
Whether they had already ascended or were still drawing breath.
Three individuals possessing nearly equal, peerless talent across history were gathered here. The damp darkness of the cave dragged the innermost thoughts of these supreme geniuses into the light.
Water dripped from an unseen stone wall, echoing in the quiet. The current Ming Cult Leader finally began to bare her true intentions.
"And?"
[When I return to heaven, the world ends with me. If I drag this world to ruin before I die, at least I'll feel less wronged. I have the power to do it. And I have no desire to cross the Sanzu River alone.]
She was a demon.
The Ming Cult Leader laughed.
[Kid, I can truly feel the heavens. The heavenly mandate actually exists. When the upper dantian reaches its absolute peak, you realize that the entire world is a tangled mass of destiny, like a ball of yarn. There is no role for us in it. The heavenly mandate granted to Bodhidharma, Zhang Sanfeng, and our cult's First Heavenly Demon was never passed down to us. They were the heroes of an era, blessed with heavenly luck, but we are destined to vanish as mere stepping stones in history.]
Rustle.
She gave Jeong Yeon-shin's shoulder a light push and stepped back. As she did, her white sleeve rolled up slightly, mirroring the exact movements of her physical body.
Pitch-black demonic qi flickered around her wrist, so dense and oppressive it was as if she were the very incarnation of a demon.
[Even after we return to heaven, the world will go on. Could there be anything more horrific? We will feel nothing in the abyss of death, while the world we couldn't fully explore due to our short lives flows on like a river.]
"Stop saying 'we' all the time."
Jeong Yeon-shin finally understood, if only a little, why the Heaven-Smiling Invincible was cooperating with the Master of Taemo Mountain Fortress. She wanted to drag the entire world down with her into the grave.
The Dark Sky Emperor's Dragon Summoning Formula, said to summon a flood dragon, was merely one of her methods. It seemed she had completely lost her mind while using some obscure method to delay her death.
She truly belonged to the heterodox sects.
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke nonchalantly.
"I take it you have no friends."
[What?]
"And your parents, whom you should have been supporting, must have already closed their eyes as well."
Is that why she thinks this way? Because she has nothing left to protect? Jeong Yeon-shin surmised as much, engraving Perfected Zhang Sanfeng's iron sword into his memory.
Then, he tuned out the ghost of the Heaven-Smiling Invincible beside him. There was nothing to gain from humoring a madwoman.
Even as he did, a single sword grew increasingly vivid in his mind.
A sword with a chipped blade and a thoroughly rusted body. The metallic scent of the Songmun Ancient Sword—which Perfected Zhang Sanfeng must have wielded in life while shrouded in the Three Pure Powers of Taoism—penetrated his nose and filled his mind.
He lowered his eyelids slightly in thought.
There was a hard limit to a human's accumulated qi amount. Even if the Ming Cult Leader, the Heaven-Smiling Invincible, seemed to possess an almost infinite reservoir of demonic qi, it was impossible as long as she was born human.
However...
It was simply that her internal cultivation had reached such a profound height that she could generate qi in a flash of light.
She had reached a state where her rate of qi accumulation vastly exceeded her rate of internal energy consumption. Furthermore, the Heaven-Smiling Invincible transformed the ambient energy she absorbed into demonic qi as naturally as breathing.
The former greatest genius under heaven, who was merely three years older than Jeong Yeon-shin, was a true monster.
And Perfected Zhang Sanfeng must have been exactly the same.
Softness Overcomes Hardness, and Four Ounces Deflecting a Thousand Pounds. The profound principle of redirecting and managing immense force with a mere handful of true qi. The founding patriarch of the Wudang Sect had synthesized these supreme principles under the name of Taiji.
Furthermore, if he had accumulated a power like the Three Pure Powers of Taoism to the absolute limit of human capability, nothing would have been impossible for him. No attack, no matter how devastating, would have ever been able to touch Perfected Zhang Sanfeng.
The proof of that lay right before his eyes.
The Taiji, which had symbolized the source of all creation since ancient times, was overlaid upon the skeletal remains of the imugi.
The strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural entity—which might have eventually become a true dragon—had resisted fiercely, but in the end, it had succumbed to a single strike from Perfected Zhang Sanfeng that drew a massive circle.
The deeply gouged earth around its long torso stood out. It was a sword mark left by the sheer shockwave of Perfected Zhang Sanfeng's strike. It was also the very texture of Taiji.
He could see it all.
The profound principle that seamlessly encompassed disparate flows. The Wudang Dual-Principle Mind Art, renowned as a divine ultimate technique spanning a thousand ages, must have originated from right here.
This unworthy junior shall receive your teaching, Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
It was a feeling of deep reverence toward a great predecessor. Even without consciously trying to be humble, a profound sense of kinship naturally lowered his head.
What had happened here? Where had Perfected Zhang Sanfeng vanished to, leaving his sword behind? Had Jeong Yeon-shin been swept here from the river thanks to the fragment of the imugi's inner core given to him by his maternal grandfather?
He set his myriad questions aside and slowly parted his lips.
"...As the sunset passes, another day is shaved away."
[Hmm?]
Jeong Yeon-shin was a martial artist who breathed through a divine art. Even the words he uttered casually carried a profound spirituality.
In fact, they possessed a more mysterious quality than the mantras chanted by practitioners of sorcery martial arts. Now, with the halo of his heart lying dormant, his spoken words were enough to substitute for the driving force of his qi circulation.
"The flow of the sun and moon coming and going is like waves, yet this body is lesser than a salmon swimming against the rapids."
This was the mnemonic of the Law-Transcending Halo Qi. It was the introductory passage that lent power to his breathing technique. Since the foundation of his inner cultivation method was a dynamic cultivation art, speaking while circulating his qi posed no issue.
Rather, it allowed him to harness the same advantages found in the mantras that sorcerers chanted like Buddhist prayers.
The Heaven-Smiling Invincible's reaction was immediate.
[Aren't you being a bit too bold?]
Jeong Yeon-shin paid her no mind.
Without knowing the exact path of qi circulation, the verses were completely useless. Furthermore, the Law-Transcending Halo Qi was only completed after circulating through the twelve meridians, the three hundred and sixty-five acupoints, and countless other minute vessels.
He had no intention of explaining the flow or the intent behind the mnemonic's structure to her.
Thus, to her ears, it was no different from him muttering a diary entry.
"Though I desire to defy heaven, I follow the providence of the sky. No matter how I struggle, I cannot go against it."
As he focused his intent into his words like a sorcerer, the reaction was instantaneous.
Hummmm.
The air in the cave trembled gently. Soon after, a damp energy began to rise with his inhalation. Perhaps because his body had been utterly emptied while recovering from the Lord of Heaven's Bane's sword strike, the speed of his qi circulation was extraordinary.
My anguish is solely the desire to burn away this brief cycle of reincarnation.
I shall borrow the wheel of the Buddha and use it as a stepping stone.
At some point, the Heaven-Smiling Invincible had stopped speaking. In her silence, only Jeong Yeon-shin's voice resonated.
If one's destined fate is the law of heaven.
[......]
"I shall transcend that law at any cost..."
Whoooosh—
A whirlwind began to rise around his body. The massive bones of the imugi rattled slightly.
The airflow generated by Jeong Yeon-shin drew a perfect circle along the long skeleton. The water vapor seeping from the cave floor spread out into a hazy white mist.
Simultaneously, the mental image of the iron sword and the Taiji beneath its blade seeped deeply into Jeong Yeon-shin's mind.
A single, massive flow settled within his body. The energy, which had initially risen slowly like a gentle breeze, now surged violently through the acupoints and minute vessels of his entire body.
[Transcend the law...?]
The Heaven-Smiling Invincible echoed his words in a strange tone, but Jeong Yeon-shin chanted the mnemonic no further. His inner cultivation method had already gained momentum.
Rumble.
Before his eyes, the skeletal imugi seemed to writhe. It was merely the aftershock of his qi accumulation.
Yet, Jeong Yeon-shin's gaze remained fixed solely on the iron sword embedded in its skull. His eyes never wavered.
"......!"
Suddenly, Jeong Yeon-shin sensed two presences.
It was not the Heaven-Smiling Invincible.
Two figures stood with their backs straight on either side of him. One held a fan, and the other held a sword.
The presences registering in his mind were as vivid as the Ming Cult Leader's—even though they were two people who could not possibly exist in the same place.
Slowly, Jeong Yeon-shin stood up. Immediately after, the iron sword embedded in the imugi's skull trembled.
* * *
On a narrow path, a young man casually chewing on a red flower suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Though dark shadows hung under his eyes, his gaze was anything but dull. His blue robe, embroidered with the character 'Hwang', was as luxurious as a noble's attire, perfectly suiting the young man's natural temperament.
"Caught by my senile grandfather, it seems."
"Ha! Impudent brat. No matter where you run, you are ultimately still in the palm of my hand."
The voice came from above. A man in a yellow robe, bearing a striking resemblance to the youth, crouched on a tree branch.
"How long have you been following me?"
"I've been with you the whole time. Don't all of us local aristocrats of the martial world have an extraordinary obsession with our successors? More importantly..."
The former Hwangbo Clan Head, Hwangbo Gon, the King of Divine Wisdom, grinned.
"Aren't you heading in the wrong direction? What are you planning to do in the North?"
"You don't need to know."
"As expected, the Desolate Fortress is a troublesome faction. Even with a Purple Rank dead, you still have to run around like this. To protect such a vast world... I've thought this since I was just a rising star, but it truly is an absurd duty. You don't even have time to mourn, do you?"
"......"
The Lazy Flame Dragon began to walk again. However, he couldn't escape his grandfather's biting words.
"In the end, what is left? Regrettably, your unit commander lost his life to the Lord of Heaven's Bane and the Dark Sky Emperor. I, too, have received favors from him, so naturally, I would like to avenge him. But facing those two is like jumping into a fiery hell while carrying kindling. They were monsters even when I was in my prime."
"He isn't dead."
"What?"
"If anyone were to return to heaven, it would be me first. There is no way a Purple Rank with such a bright future would go before me. He is not someone to be lightly judged by a grandfather who doesn't even have the courage to personally sire descendants."
"You wag your tongue quite well for someone who is running away."
"Running away...?"
"Are you not just afraid to confirm that child's death?"
"The North. The Ice Palace."
"......?"
"That is your grandson's destination."
Hwangbo Gon's eyes widened slightly.
"...Do you think the Ice Palace would ever let you in? That was impossible even when our clan was whole. Much less now. What can a half-wit who cannot even use his own name do there? A fool who has achieved nothing but a brainlessly massive amount of internal energy, failing to even reach the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak."
The Lazy Flame Dragon didn't answer. He simply stamped his right foot onto the ground.
Thud!
The moment a thick cloud of dust rose, his body shot forward like an arrow. It was a lightness skill made possible only by his immense accumulated qi amount.
The rippling waves of energy originating from the Hwangbo Clan's Scripture of the Heavenly King's Elegant Adornment stretched far to the North.
"So you do have something to rely on," Hwangbo Gon muttered, following behind him with his hands clasped casually behind his back.
* * *
Long, white fingers tapped rhythmically against a golden armrest.
Tap, tap.
The resonance was deep. In the massive grand hall, sorcerers lined up like the Emperor's ministers, bowing their heads one after another.
Cho Il-seo, the grandson of the Dark Sky Emperor and the new young fortress lord, sat in the grandmaster's chair. A long, red scar was starkly visible on one side of his cheek.
"Myriad Blossoms Rain," he muttered. "I didn't expect the Tang Clan Leader to come personally. Given the distance..."
From Sichuan to Hangzhou—it was no exaggeration to say he had crossed the entire country. For anyone other than an absolute master of the martial world, such a journey would be close to madness.
Even for martial artists, these were times that demanded caution. In the current state of affairs, one never knew what kind of strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural entity they might encounter and be killed by.
"What of their movements?"
"They are still occupying the market square where the magic sword, Lingering Thunder, is embedded. We have received no reports of further movement. This holds true for both the Tang Clan Leader and Mount Hua's Hidden Dragon."
"Unless they've gone mad... they have actively sought out the place of their own deaths."
A fierce smile curled Cho Il-seo's lips.
The sorcerers he had brought with him were all elite masters of Taemo Mountain Fortress.
Individually, of course, they were no match for the Tang Clan Leader. However, if they activated the sect's secret Nine Extremes Thunderbolt Formation, the story would change entirely.
With it, escaping even the hellish Myriad Blossoms Rain would be possible.
They had retreated as one, yielding a small patch of land to the Tang Clan Leader and Mount Hua's Hidden Dragon. And naturally, the Tang Clan Leader had been unable to pull out the magic sword.
The deceased Wilderness Sunfall was a man who had been close to a strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural entity himself.
The cherished sword of a Desolate Fortress Purple Rank was more than capable of becoming a dharma treasure. It was still far too early for such a miraculous phenomenon to lose its efficacy.
The Lord of Heaven's Bane could have easily pulled it out, but he had zero interest in Wilderness Sunfall's weapon.
"And the Fortress Lord?"
"He is still in seclusion."
"Tell the guardian martial artists to tighten their guard. From what I was told previously, the Dragon Summoning Formula should be reaching its climax soon."
"Yes, sir."
"The news must have reached Heaven's Bane as well."
"There has been no particular reaction from them."
"Damn them. Is it the same for the Five Sword Masters of the Heavens?"
"The Thunder Sword and the Blade-Net Venerable entered brief closed-door cultivation after seeing the magic sword, Lingering Thunder. They are expected to emerge soon."
"The absence of the Three Arts Great Seats is deeply felt..."
Cho Il-seo sighed softly, though he didn't grow anxious.
They were all going to die anyway.
Taemo Mountain Fortress had already calculated the fallout that would arise from Wilderness Sunfall's death. Even if there were minor miscalculations, they would ultimately be able to handle it.
In fact, the more enemies that came, the better. If they were internal cultivation experts harboring a grudge over the death of a Purple Rank, their accumulated qi amounts would be extraordinary.
"Now," Cho Il-seo spoke slowly, "I will hear the reports on the matters I haven't asked about."
The moment his words ended, the sorcerers standing in neat postures raised their hands simultaneously. It was a refined demeanor characteristic of educated men, quite unlike the brutes of Heaven's Bane.
The disciples of Taemo Mountain Fortress possessed an infinite curiosity regarding natural disasters, but unless ordered, they never rashly showed emotion or moved out of turn. It could only be described as a schematic elegance.
However, Cho Il-seo furrowed his brow. This unprecedented sight stirred a deep sense of unease within him.
Yet, as the one who had been handed absolute authority by the Dark Sky Emperor, he was practically the ruler of the vast land of Hangzhou.
Calming his mind, Cho Il-seo commanded them to speak one by one.
The sorcerers opened their mouths. Monotonous, dry voices flowed out in rapid succession.
"This is news from ancient Shaoxing. It is said that the fortress walls of Shaoxing, including both the outer and inner walls, collapsed from a single spear throw. It is believed that the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, who was in confrontation with the King of Fathomless Light, has completely ignored the royal decree."
"Our main fortress's Jiaxing Branch and its subordinate sects—the Heukgeon Sect, the Strange Tiger Killing Tent, the Gyojan Sect, the Vigorous Blade Gang, and the Plain Mountain Spell Sect—have had over three hundred of their martial artists slaughtered. Intelligence states that a one-eyed woman in a red robe piled their corpses into a mountain and has been lying on top of it for half a day. An eye technique practitioner reported her to be a peerless expert."
"The Blue-Eyed Demon Sword of the Desolate Fortress has blockaded the waterways of Zhejiang. Two ships of the Myriad Phenomena Water Channel Fortress were sunk in a single strike, which we estimate to carry the power of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak."
"A beggar with nine knots tied around his waist has reportedly been spotted in Sun'an County. His path aligns perfectly with the destination of the Lord of Heaven's Bane. We estimate it will be one day before they clash."
"Urgent news has arrived of the Shaolin Abbot heading south. In Nanjing, the corpses of three human-faced spiders, each measuring over ten zhang in height..."
"A formal letter of protest has arrived from the Grand Coordinator of Zhejiang Province. The message states that since they can no longer maintain public order, they have no choice but to hold us accountable."
Unlike them, Cho Il-seo possessed emotions. This was because, unlike these mindless pawns, he had been raised as a true successor. Before he even realized it, his face had gone completely pale as he picked up a brush and ink.
Urgent.
It was the first word he wrote.