Chapter 465: The Five Great Swords of the World (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 465: The Five Great Swords of the World (3)
Slowly.
The space, which had been scattering brilliant sunlight in every direction, regained its original color, like a sky clearing after a storm.
The invisible swords that had formed a literal sea of clouds vanished without a trace. In their wake, the clay-colored ruins, riddled with sword scars, were revealed.
“……”
Two figures stood there.
No wind blew. The air was utterly dry, the transparent moisture of the autumn day swept away by the preceding tempest of sword strikes. The only beings permitted to move were the two swordsmen.
“Well, I'll be…”
A groan escaped, followed by a sly voice.
“If I had used both hands, both of my arms would have vanished.”
“……”
“I told you, didn't I? Prudence is my creed. Sticking to one hand today certainly paid off.”
As he spoke, the Lord of Heaven's Bane's right arm was gone, severed clean at the shoulder. The clothing on his upper body was in the same state.
Blood gushed from a long, horizontal red line drawn across his bare chest.
It was the sight of a legendary swordsman, now crippled. His upper body, nearly bisected along with the arm that held his sword, bore testament to the ferocity of the battle.
“In all my grueling years, this is the most unique sensation I've ever felt.”
Swaying slightly, the Lord of Heaven's Bane laughed.
In contrast, the upright Jeong Yeon-shin did not look at him. His gaze, shifted slightly to the side, fell upon two severed arms.
One was a right hand, obliterated from the wrist up by sword force. The other was a left arm, severed with a cut as smooth as glass. They belonged to the Lord of Heaven's Bane and Jeong Yeon-shin, respectively.
Even the remnants of true qi flowing through the severed vessels were starkly different.
So, too, were their situations.
The Winter Dream Sword, dropped by the Lord of Heaven's Bane, lay on the ground. Jeong Yeon-shin, however, still held Lingering Thunder.
It was more than a draw.
It was a decisive outcome that both the Lord of Heaven's Bane and Jeong Yeon-shin understood.
“...How does it feel? You’ve become a swordsman who would undoubtedly be counted among the top five in this vast world. Crowds thicker than clouds would gather to hear our story. Even the brutes of the Demonfolk, who wield nothing but massive weapons like crescent blades and great axes, will respect your sword force—just as they did mine.”
The Lord of Heaven's Bane spoke with a smile, but Jeong Yeon-shin did not reply. The First Sword of the Outer Paths didn't seem to expect an answer either.
“I have always been curious.”
In an instant, the Lord of Heaven's Bane extended his left arm, and the Winter Dream Sword shot into his palm. It was a Void Grab as swift as a sword-draw.
Clack.
“How did the Divine Monk, who returned from the North a cripple, maintain such martial prowess? From where does Abbot Beomheo's immense strength come? It cannot be achieved through mind-numbingly vast internal energy alone.”
Words poured from him, as if he had once again become a storyteller in a bamboo hat. Jeong Yeon-shin slowly parted his lips.
“...You seem to have energy to spare.”
“Embarrassingly, it’s because I’m excited.”
He had already staunched the bleeding by manipulating his true qi to seal his acupoints, a feat accomplished without even moving a hand. Both of them had.
Only the two arms lying at their feet stained the dirt with muddy blood. The earth was a deep, dark red.
“After witnessing a certain horrific sight, I gouged out my own eyes, opened my mind's eye, and entered the Heterodox Path. Similarly, Abbot Beomheo lost both arms and an eye, yet drew close to the supreme peak of the Orthodox Martial World. It is as if we shed our old selves through sacrifice.”
The Lord of Heaven's Bane swung Winter Dream, now held in his left hand, a few times. He truly did seem quite excited.
“In that case, what would the First Sword of the Outer Paths look like if he focused on the left-handed sword? In fact, my skill with it is already far from shallow.”
It was just as he said.
Holding the sword with his left hand did not look awkward in the slightest.
It was only fitting for a peerless swordsman said to harbor a thousand swords in his mind. For a master who could manifest countless profundities with a single blade, it was impossible that he hadn't trained his left hand.
Hummm—
Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin stared at him blankly while adjusting the Law-Transcending Halo Qi within his body. He had to do so to maintain the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
Delay would make the task impossible. The acupoints corresponding to an entire arm had completely vanished.
He needed to restructure the flow of true qi not only in his body's Twelve Meridians and major acupoints but also in his most minute vessels.
Fortunately, the process was no different from regaining one's balance after leaning too far to one side.
‘Further strengthen the momentum of the Great Heavenly Cycle. Offset the aftermath of losing the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian with the Great Heavenly Cycle’s flow of Law-Transcending Halo Qi. Concentrate the functions of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art into the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian and, as a temporary measure, establish a new axis of true qi in the left half of my body...’
Once grasped, enlightenment is never let go. The same applied to the state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak.
As a gentle breeze emanated from Jeong Yeon-shin's bare, muscular torso, the peerless blind man, who had been idly practicing his swing, burst into a hearty laugh.
“I had intended to recuperate for at least half a month, but...”
“I won't disturb you,” he added, shaking his head.
“Let us each do what we must. Thanks to you, I feel compelled to meld the insights of the left-handed sword into my very being this instant. I will not step out into the Jianghu for over a year. Furthermore, even if I clash with the Desolate Fortress in the future, I will not lay a hand on your martial lineage. I swear it on my sword, Winter Dream.”
His voice was filled with unprecedented goodwill. The First Sword of the Outer Paths had declared his departure from Hangzhou.
He truly was an eccentric master. Even as he spoke, he swung his sword through the empty air and let out a carefree exclamation.
“Ah, heaven's luck is with me.”
A faint, translucent line—the trajectory of Void Displacement—was carved into the air where his blade passed. Glancing up at the sky for a moment, the Lord of Heaven's Bane trudged forward.
“You had better get the Divine Doctor to treat you as quickly as possible. That is, if you don't want to lose your left arm forever.”
It was then.
Suddenly, Jeong Yeon-shin's fingers twitched.
Thud—
A portion of the ethereal line vanished as if by magic. While focused to his limit on circulating his qi, the functions of his dynamic art still allowed him to move just enough to blend in a technique that dismantled sorcery martial arts.
For a rare moment, a look of surprise crossed the Lord of Heaven's Bane's face. "Oops," he muttered.
“Our farewell will have to be brief.”
Stepping into the spatial rift with a large stride, the Lord of Heaven's Bane's body was sucked into the vertical line like smoke.
“I hope your autumn leaves remain hanging in the wind.”
With a well-wish tinged with a faint smile, he vanished without a trace.
At that same instant, an energy in the shape of a giant palm swept through, displacing the very spot where he had just stood. It was a brilliantly radiant golden light.
Fwoooooosh!!
A thick wave of dust violently swept the surroundings.
The strike had been aimed precisely at the Lord of Heaven's Bane. Resembling the palm of the Buddha, the golden force dispersed on the spot, causing no further explosion or collision.
‘The distance is incredible.’
Jeong Yeon-shin thought, still focused on circulating his qi.
It was a glimpse of an ability to control energy from a great distance, much like Sword Kinesis. It was truly terrifying—all the more so because it was something impossible for even the present Jeong Yeon-shin.
Could it be the Tathagata Divine Palm? A peerless martial art that, when fully mastered, transforms into the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm.
The energy had clearly arrived from afar.
But if the energy could reach this place, its wielder could close the distance in an instant.
In a split second, an old monk appeared before Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes as if soaring up from the ground.
Whoosh!
“Amitabha.”
A monk with his left eye neatly bound in hemp cloth. He wore orange robes, the empty sleeves hanging limply at his sides.
For a moment, Jeong Yeon-shin felt an immense presence, but that overwhelming wave of energy and spirituality vanished the moment the old monk saw Jeong Yeon-shin's empty sleeve.
Sorrow welled in the Divine Monk's single eye. His gaze was like autumn leaves faded with dust.
“I am sorry.”
Those words were incredibly heavy. His voice was a deep rumble from his exceptionally broad chest, a testament to Shaolin's unique external martial arts.
Yet, Abbot Beomheo's robes were also covered in dried blood, with parts torn as if bitten by some beast.
Lacking both arms and an eye, he looked nothing like the symbol of absolute perfection the world knew him to be.
Jeong Yeon-shin raised his single hand in a martial salute. The gesture resembled the one-handed prayer of Shaolin monks.
“There is no reason for me to receive the Abbot's apology.”
No answer came from the Shaolin Abbot. Jeong Yeon-shin silently felt the deep gaze of the Orthodox supreme master as he finished circulating his qi.
Step.
He stood facing the old monk.
The guardian deity of the Orthodox factions who governed the 'gate' of Henan.
In fact, there were local rituals praying for Abbot Beomheo's protection. One had even existed in Xinye County, where Jeong Yeon-shin used to live.
Such a being could not simply arrive at a designated time and place. His presence meant the entire, vast province of Henan had moved as one.
“It seems your own journey here was far from peaceful, Abbot. You must take care of your precious body...”
Jeong Yeon-shin's voice trailed off. This was a being to whom he had offered rituals alongside his fellow villagers during his childhood. Even after all he had experienced in the Jianghu, his childhood illusions about monks and Taoists remained intact.
Every cultivator of the Nine Sects he had crossed paths with so far had been exceptionally pure.
Abbot Beomheo, who had been staring at him blankly, opened his mouth again. However, there was no time for any words to emerge.
Rustle.
Without a sound, a foot clad in a pure white sock stepped onto the ground. It was a woman in a pale pink robe, a worn sword at her waist.
Where she stepped, some of the crushed bushes instantly regained their verdant color. This was the realm of the Living Sword.
“Yeon-shin.”
A faint purple hue tinged her exhalation—the color of her divine art. Lady Yul-ha's internal energy was in turmoil. Jeong Yeon-shin forced a faint smile. He only just now realized it.
He realized that pushing Lady Yul-ha away during the joint attack of the Dark Sky Emperor and the Lord of Heaven's Bane might have caused her more humiliation and pain than it prevented.
“Lady Yul-ha.”
“Your arm, how...!”
The body of the Saint Flower Sword God, a divine sword herself, trembled slightly. Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head.
“We are both safe. That is enough. I am glad.”
“No. It is not. If only I… if only I had been a little faster…”
The Mount Hua Sect Leader's Dark Fragrance Drift was already overwhelmingly swift; even with his own Ten-Mile Light Grace, Jeong Yeon-shin couldn't guarantee he was faster.
It was simply that the land of Hangzhou, where three cities had merged during the chaotic founding of the dynasty, was absurdly vast.
Jeong Yeon-shin bent down.
Rustle.
The ends of his hair, which hung to his lower back, disintegrated and scattered—a result of the Lord of Heaven's Bane's sword qi that had permeated his body.
A web of blood trickled down his bare abdominal muscles.
“The First Sword of the Outer Paths…”
Jeong Yeon-shin picked up his severed left arm and slung it over his shoulder. A drop of blood splattered softly to the ground, and Lady Yul-ha's eyes trembled.
“...is no longer in Hangzhou.”
He concluded calmly. The Lord of Heaven's Bane would not return to this land.
The result of two peerless swordsmen clashing. Jeong Yeon-shin's quiet declaration announced his victory in a duel rarely seen under heaven.
His words seemed to draw their attention.
Suddenly, the gazes of the supreme masters of the Nine Sects gathered in one place.
Thump—
A single right hand, still emitting a transparent energy that pulsed like a heartbeat. It lay on the dirt like a drunkard who had collapsed mid-dance, yet it contained a force of Fa Jin powerful enough to chill a man to the bone.
Even a sorcerer with vast knowledge would treat it as a Dharma Treasure.
It was a sight that even a peerless expert would find difficult to look upon calmly. It was all the more so because that right hand signified only one thing.
“……”
The deep silence was broken.
Suddenly, something flew from afar, tearing through the air with a sharp shwoooosh. It was a long silver streak that rapidly grew larger.
In the eyes of Jeong Yeon-shin, who raised an eyebrow, a girl standing on a long spear came into view.
Jeong Yeon-shin's lips parted.
“Senior.”
The Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, Ak Su-rim.
Her posture, leaning slightly forward, was combative.
She cut through the air at an incredible speed, as if she had been sprinting with her lightness skill, grown frustrated with her own pace, thrown her spear, and then hopped aboard.
“What's with your arm! What happened to your arm?! The Divine Doctor! I know the Divine Doctor is here! Hey! What were you all doing?! Move it, you bald monk and old Taoist!”
She was upon them in an instant. Her technique was loaded with the utmost limit of her internal power, filling Jeong Yeon-shin's vision before he could even blink.
The moment she hugged Jeong Yeon-shin's waist with her arrow-like momentum, she spun around with a whoosh.
It looked like someone failing to uproot and carry away an unyielding tree. For a moment, Jeong Yeon-shin caught a warm scent that reminded him of his grandmother from deep within his childhood memories, but he let none of it show on his face.
Thud!
The shaft of the spear tumbled far away.
Jeong Yeon-shin's body was exhausted from ‘Great Taiji Enter the Way: Unified Transcendence’, but even so, his center of gravity and sense of balance were not disrupted.
He was not about to be carried away on Ak Su-rim's back like a piece of luggage, especially not with his dignity as a Purple Rank.
“Senior Ak.”
“Are you okay? Are you really okay? Your face is so pale... wait, no, it was always like this, wasn't it?”
“I doubt His Highness, the King of Fathomless Light, sent you.”
“Who cares?”
“……”
Jeong Yeon-shin gently helped her up as he pondered what would come next. To say the forces gathered here were formidable would be an understatement.
But what if two supreme masters of sorcery martial arts and even a flood dragon were added to the mix?
‘Can mere humans handle that...?’
However, it seemed that what was truly important to the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress right now lay elsewhere.
While Abbot Beomheo and Lady Yul-ha watched them with differing expressions, Ak Su-rim pulled on Jeong Yeon-shin's right arm with her small hand.
“They say that old man from the Beggar Sect is with the Divine Doctor right now. I don't know where that fellow called the Divine Beggar got hurt, but if our turn gets pushed back because of that eccentric drunkard, we're doomed! Hurry, let's—huh...?”
Only then did her lips part as she finally noticed the Lord of Heaven's Bane's right hand.
Above their heads.
Swoooosh—
A cold wind rippled through the ruined forest. A wave of fallen leaves and autumn foliage swept over the ground again and again. The sunlight, striking the yellow and reddish hues, illuminated the gathered masters equally.
The transparent breeze seemed to carry with it all manner of thoughts and emotions.
After exchanging a few more words, the four of them left the place.
Thus, as the dam of time burst and the dim light of the setting sun began to spread across the western sky, the upheaval of the Jianghu began.