Chapter 469: The Peerless Grand Festival (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 469: The Peerless Grand Festival (4)
The manifestation of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
Shin Byeok's words were merely a confirmation. The King of Fathomless Light and Im Jin-myeong had already noticed it as well.
The bell situated in the inner castle was a type of Dharma Treasure. Few could perceive its spiritual resonance; only those who had highly cultivated their upper dantian could hear its toll.
“When do you think she will arrive?”
The King of Fathomless Light asked the other two. The letter he had previously crumpled in his hand was now as stiff and pristine as new, smoothed out by his pure internal energy the moment the bell rang.
Im Jin-myeong pretended not to notice.
“I understand she entered an extremely deep place. An abyss from which a normal human could hardly emerge alive. If the bell has only just rung, it will take her some time.”
“Even so, the deployment of the Black Ranks must be called off. I will not permit it.”
“Understood.”
He had no choice but to answer that way.
Regardless, they could no longer afford to draw from the standing forces of the Desolate Fortress's main castle.
The manifestation of the world's greatest expert naturally drew the attention of the entire world. Even if she made her way to Zhejiang, the eyes of the Jianghu would still pour toward the main castle in Xiangyang.
Among those eyes were those watching for any opportunity to bring about the destruction of the Desolate Fortress.
Such was the influence of the Extinction Sword Lord.
“We must solidify the defenses of the main castle,” Im Jin-myeong said reluctantly.
Even with all kinds of absolute masters on the move, the sheer weight of the Commanders of the Divine Sword Corps remained unchanged.
Over a dozen individuals whose combined forces could challenge a peerless expert—constantly reminding the world of this truth was exactly what the Chief Steward's Office of the Desolate Fortress had to focus on.
If even a single great sect were to invade Xiangyang, the order of the Jianghu, which had been flowing in a somewhat organized manner, would spiral into a strange and turbulent current.
“The Blood Flame Cult, where the First Apostle has ascended to the position of Cult Leader; the Hegemon Sword Sect, which has begun to wield power mightier than any military; the Ming Cult, which absorbed the Pure Demon Alliance... plus the Martial Dragon Association, Lingering Spirit, the Dreaming Mortal Moon, the Horde of Demons Green Forest, the Myriad Phenomena Water Channel Fortress...”
Tap, tap.
The King of Fathomless Light tapped the table with his index finger.
“At a time when we desperately need a martial arts army, I do not know what is happening with the Deep Martial Alliance. We left them to be kept in check by the Shandong Ak Clan... but there are rumors that the Ak Family Head has recently lost his mind.”
“The Young Alliance Leader Gun Yurin and the Radiant Blade Venerable Geum Min are well-known geniuses of the world, and both are clever individuals. They will not neglect their duties at a time like this.”
“The matter in Hangzhou is significant. It will affect the state of the world.”
“It likely will. By our estimates, there are at least six peerless experts in Zhejiang Province right now. Aside from them, our main castle's Divine Spear and the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword are also present. If all of them are unleashed upon the world once more...”
“The question is how many of them will return. I do not know how far the Master of Taemo Mountain Fortress's schemes will succeed. Nor can we know where the Extinction Sword Lord will head.”
At those words, Im Jin-myeong's eyes widened slightly. He had suddenly realized there was one more place where the Lord of the Desolate Fortress might set her feet.
“Oh dear...”
“Mmh.”
A low groan escaped Shin Byeok, who had remained silent.
The three of them had arrived at the same thought.
Was it the north, where the Emperor had departed? Or the south, from where the tragic news of Jeong Yeon-shin had arrived?
“……”
It was difficult to make a hasty guess.
Meanwhile, it was still noisy outside the circular window. The sounds of debate between the scholars of the Chief Steward's Office and various officials drifted in along with the sunlight.
* * *
Things had gone awry.
So thought Cho Il-seo.
The perfection he had painstakingly maintained as the Young Master of Taemo Mountain Fortress had cracked. He had failed to fulfill his duty.
Although his grandfather, the Dark Sky Emperor, had recognized him as the ruler of Hangzhou, the series of events erupting across that vast land had dragged Cho Il-seo down.
‘But none of this is my fault.’
Every single incident had struck like a bolt from the blue, and each one contained variables completely beyond his control.
Cho Il-seo did not lose heart. Instead, he mobilized the subordinate sects of Taemo Mountain Fortress as planned.
“The Martial-Veneration Gang, the Hyeong Family Manor, the Seven Sects of Gyeongha, the masters of Strange Blood Mountain, the Medicine Emperor Divine Sect, and the Jiangxi So Family... thank you.”
“Of course we had to come. Is Taemo Mountain Fortress not like a mentor sect to us all?”
A man's reply echoed softly.
They were in a dim underground cave.
Faint halos of light flickered like candles, and beneath them, hundreds of martial artists lined up and clasped their hands in salute.
The rustle of sleeves brushing against skin was perfectly synchronized. The mouths of those who wore the darkness like masks remained as motionless as statues.
If anything, the glow of the night-shining pearls embedded in rows along the vast underground walls felt far more clamorous.
These were people who had followed Taemo Mountain Fortress for decades.
It had been a long time since the Dark Sky Emperor and the Three Arts Great Seats subjugated these powerful sects using the elusive movements unique to their sorcery martial arts. Afterward, they had bestowed precious teachings upon them.
Subordinate gangs, or lay sects.
This was the true power of a great sect possessing the martial attainment that everyone yearned for.
However, even though the Nine Great Sects and the Eight Great Families commanded an immense number of lay sects, they still had to walk on eggshells around the imperial court. They could not openly mobilize such large numbers of personnel.
Taemo Mountain Fortress was different.
They had no hesitation in exerting the entirety of their power.
“It is not merely a matter of course. Have you not come all the way from distant Jiangxi and Fujian? The Dark Sky Emperor will recognize your efforts.”
Sitting in his palanquin, Cho Il-seo commended them in a somewhat youthful voice.
There were over a hundred sorcerers from Taemo Mountain Fortress, and another three hundred or so experts from the subordinate sects. On top of that, there were dozens of Jiangshi, whose lineage was on the verge of extinction.
Everyone here would follow the sorcery commands of Taemo Mountain Fortress, a faction well-versed in collaborative formations. In terms of sheer efficacy, Taemo Mountain Fortress's Nine Extremes Thunderbolt Formation was second only to the Shaolin 108 Arhat Formation.
It was truly overwhelming.
If they were to march out into the world with this force right now, the Imperial Army would surely pursue them.
‘This is more than enough to make up for the defection of Heaven's Bane.’
Cho Il-seo smiled.
Fortunately, their forces had gathered quickly.
They had almost suffered a fatal blow from the rebels of the Blood Flame Cult earlier, but they had managed to retreat with minimal damage. It was thanks to the Nascent Soul of the Dark Sky Emperor, which had manifested just in time.
“Young Master.”
Someone in the crowd raised a hand. It was a young man with twin swords crossed on his back. His face, briefly illuminated by the light of the night-shining pearls, still looked quite youthful.
“I heard a rumor that the eccentric monk of Shaolin is on his way down. If it is Beomheo, he is a man who can shatter a mountain with a single punch...”
“Which elder has permitted a subordinate to speak?”
Cho Il-seo interrupted with a smile. His voice was sharp, as if laced with lightning. The middle-aged man standing beside the twin-sword martial artist quietly apologized.
He offered the excuse of failing to keep his disciple in check.
Cho Il-seo nodded gently.
“Our fortress has already turned the entirety of Hangzhou into the axis of our formation. The natural Qi flowing from this vast land, the energy of the common people, and even the strength of mediocre martial artists—all of it belongs to our Fortress Lord. This underground cavern we stand in is the very essence of that. Naturally, when it comes to the Dragon Summoning Formula, as well as repelling intruders...”
He continued speaking.
His quiet tone belied the shocking nature of his words, which repeatedly shattered conventions to the point that even the expressionless martial artists began to pale.
Having spun his tale, Cho Il-seo smirked.
“The Dark Sky Emperor has tended to this land for over a hundred and fifty years. This is also the span of time our fortress has operated in the shadows. No matter how high one's martial arts may be, one does not simply walk into a domain painstakingly woven by a sorcerer over time. Furthermore, the Dark Sky Emperor has claimed a third of Zhejiang Province...”
“That is how deep your delusion runs.”
A voice rang out, bringing to mind the texture of dry wood.
The thick, lingering dust of the underground cavern surged like waves caught in a storm, and the crowd's gaze snapped backward all at once.
Step.
It was an ordinary footstep.
Yet, the incredibly deep underground cavern was completely filled by that low, solitary sound.
An old monk.
Because he lacked both arms, his orange monastic robe fluttered loosely on both sides as he walked. Rather than the attire of a monk, it resembled the traveling cloak of a lone wanderer traversing rugged terrain.
His single eye clearly reflected the darkness of the cave, while the hemp cloth covering his ruined eye carried a rough, coarse texture.
His very aura was different. It was the epitome of the extraordinary.
Snap!
Cho Il-seo snapped his fingers without a moment's hesitation. The King of the Underworld himself had arrived before him. It was only natural to activate the Nine Extremes Thunderbolt Formation already laid out in the cavern.
[Thunderbolt Readiness.]
With a short mantra, waves of blue lightning surged in all directions. A harsh crackling sound scraped against the ground. In an instant, the vast underground cavern was brightly illuminated.
There were three others besides the old monk.
It did not matter. Now that Divine Monk Beomheo had arrived, the enemy's numbers were of no consequence.
He was the pinnacle of the current Murim. The Shaolin Abbot was the very incarnation of the orthodox Jianghu—a man more than capable of standing against an entire army on his own.
“Those missing arms... could it be?”
“It's the eccentric monk!”
Even the experts gathered here could not help but freeze for a moment.
The clamor of over three hundred martial artists drawing their weapons rang out, but a heavy silence quickly fell among them as they were woven together by the net of blue lightning.
[Do not fear.]
From behind those experts.
The energy flowing from the cave had completely filled Cho Il-seo's acupoints.
Though it was a mere speck compared to the power the Dark Sky Emperor drew, it was enough for him to prepare for a fierce battle while uttering a mantra that subtly bewitched the crowd.
[The Nine Extremes Thunderbolt Formation will bind our Qi waves together...]
A brilliant light flared beneath Abbot Beomheo's feet as he approached with ordinary strides. With every step, it faintly diffused, like the smoke of incense burned when bowing to the Buddha.
It was a bizarre form of Qi wave.
Rumble.
The white light, spreading like mist over a river at dawn, directly crushed the net of lightning that had dominated the cavern.
In that instant, Cho Il-seo coughed up a mouthful of blood. Astonishment gleamed in his eyes, which had been shimmering with a colorless light.
‘With pure martial arts alone...!’
He had used the Shaolin Buddha's Light Qi Stream as if it were the legendary Heavenly Demon's Reigning Step.
The Qi wave of the Body Protection Scripture, which originally served only to lighten one's steps, had completely pushed back the energy of the sorcery martial arts. It was a divine power for which the word 'monster' was a gross understatement.
“Calm down. This place is also a combat domain established by the Dark Sky Emperor.”
“The formation will recover. Is he not the grandson of the Jade Emperor, after all?”
“Disciples, form the sword formation...!”
Realizing that standing still would achieve nothing, the experts of the subordinate sects lunged from all directions. From the weapons gripped in their hands, the artificial wind unique to sorcery martial arts swirled translucently.
The vast underground cavern was filled with Qi waves in an instant.
It was a scale rivaling that of any decent great sect—a force that could contest the world if they were to leave this cavern.
They possessed a blind faith in the Dark Sky Emperor Cho-yeol. For a long time, he had bestowed highly mysterious teachings upon them like acts of charity.
They calculated that if this matter concluded well, they might be granted some other martial attainment that would bring them ultimate euphoria.
But they did not last long.
For while Abbot Beomheo walked from afar, there were those who charged in even faster than he did.
One wing of the rushing crowd was instantly buried in a bluish cloud. It was a sea of sword Qi that had suddenly surged up. The sound of tearing flesh erupted continuously like a tempest.
It was an art difficult for a human body to resist. The Qingcheng Sect Leader, whose striking appearance stood out, was executing the Blue Cloud Sword Art with his razor-sharp precious sword.
The only Brightfolk among the group, Perfected Cheongsu, the Twin-Wall Sword Lord, was incredibly resolute and overwhelming in his movements.
In two other directions, the air shook as well. One after another, people collapsed, unable to withstand the fragments of red light scattering like flower petals.
Holding her sword low, Lady Yul-ha did not halt for a single step amidst the fragments of Fa Jin scattering in all directions.
Whenever she swung her sword with light strokes, as if painting orchids with a brush, the air distorted chaotically like flower petals under the shockwave, crushing the enemies along with their weapons.
She was a sword genius who had literally entered the realm of the strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural.
Beside her, a short-haired girl clad in the black robe of the Desolate Fortress was shattering the enemy lines with a single spear. She could only be the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, famous for the tale of the 'Regret of the Shandong Ak Clan'.
Just like that.
The sects subordinate to Taemo Mountain Fortress were swept away.
All Cho Il-seo could do was watch the scene blankly. Meanwhile, the intruders casually conversed among themselves.
“Old Mother Ak.”
“What, me...?”
“Yeon-shin's arm must have been reattached, right?”
“Of course it was! But these days, the Mount Hua kids...”
“Lady Yul-ha, Great Hero Ak, since we are on the subject, let me ask. Is it true that the new Purple Rank defeated the Lord of Heaven's Bane? I have been away from the rumors of the Jianghu for a while to focus on my recuperation, so this poor Taoist finds it hard to believe.”
“What's so hard to believe? Our Yeon-shin is one of the Five Great Swords of the World now. Honestly, those Brightfolk, just like that giant from the Forest-Treading Unit in the main castle...”
“Old Mother Ak.”
Ak Su-rim, who had been raising her voice at the Qingcheng Sect Leader, snapped her head in the other direction.
Lady Yul-ha, the goddess of the Mount Hua Sect's Taoism, whose pale pink Taoist robe was stained with blood splatters that looked like budding orchids, indifferently parted her lips amidst the wind of her sword.
“If that child's arm was not properly reattached, I will formally send an invitation to bring the Desolate Fortress's Purple Rank to our sect.”
“Bring him for what?”
“To settle our debts of gratitude and grudges, of course.”
“If it's a favor, it's a favor. What do you mean by 'debts of gratitude and grudges'?”
“My karma is heavy. Since we have already shared a bond of life and death, as a junior who will become the light of the world in the future...”
Lady Yul-ha's words were suddenly cut off.
Behind Abbot Beomheo, who had already reached the palanquin Cho Il-seo was riding in, a single drop of dew fell from the cave ceiling.
Sshhh—
A peerless expert perceives an instant as if it were stretched into eternity. It is also possible for them to view a speck-like point of impact as a vast plane.
The falling dew at this moment was no different.
From the droplet of water reflecting everything in all directions, a person's figure suddenly expanded rapidly and soared outwards. It was as if they were breaking through a mirror.
From the body of the figure that revealed itself in this manner, a single, brief thought-transmission escaped in an instant.
[Void Extinction Realm.]
It was activated immediately.
The domain of the one and only sorcery martial art in the entire world, known to disrupt the balance of essence, Qi, and spirit, bringing ruin to peerless experts. It was a space said to be like an invisible, bottomless abyss.
The Dark Sky Emperor's Unified Martial Transcendence blanketed the entire underground cavern.