Chapter 482: Wilderness Sunfall
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 482: Wilderness Sunfall
In an instant, the Heaven-Smiling Invincible dispersed like a mirage in a summer desert, only to reappear in the sky below, on the exact opposite side.
It happened before Jeong Yeon-shin could even pit his Body Protection Qi against a sword strike that seemed forged from moonlight.
She had successfully executed Void Displacement—a supreme technique for which Jeong Yeon-shin held a deep love-hate relationship.
It was different from the Lord of Heaven's Bane, who had to strike down with his blade multiple times to achieve it, and different from Yeon-shin, who had summoned Abbot Beomheo with a desperate wish, relying on the resonance of Dharma Power.
Yet, as the newcomer stepped onto the empty air, the Heaven-Smiling Invincible furrowed her brow for the very first time.
The Heaven-Smiling Invincible had been in the middle of invoking a mantra to boost the efficacy of her sorcery martial arts. A low, telepathic thought slipped past her lips.
[How could you...!]
It felt as though she had spat the words out.
High above the canyon.
Whoosh!
The vast, flickering clouds of lightning were sliced apart by a single sword strike, scattering to either side.
They looked like wicks caught in a violent blaze; it was as if that single strike had severed the very foundation of her sorcery martial arts.
By the time Jeong Yeon-shin, watching from below with wide eyes, could exhale a single breath, the lightning clouds had completely vanished.
It was the literal destruction of a technique. Truly overwhelming.
[Since when have you been watching?!]
Rustle.
A light green hem brushed against the empty air. Her hair, an even deeper shade of green, caught the gentle sunlight on the breeze that was beginning to carve its way through the canyon once more.
It felt as though she were descending along the Heaven-Smiling Invincible's Six Harmonies Sound Transmission, which had roared like thunder just moments before.
Debris crumbled and fell from the nearby cliffs.
Amidst the falling rocks, the figure holding a single, downward-pointing sword slowly descended to Jeong Yeon-shin's eye level. She stopped right there, as if stepping onto a cushion in midair.
In that instant, her deep green hair, dappled with long streaks of sunlight, swayed softly from the recoil of her landing.
Yet, not a single sound arose from her stepping on the air.
She emitted absolutely no presence.
"..."
Jeong Yeon-shin stared at her with a rare, dumbfounded expression.
He was standing on a barren branch protruding from the nearby cliff. Beside him, the Seventh Apostle, who had slipped closer unnoticed, floated in the air using her Graceful Body Technique.
The glow of his Eye Technique had long since faded. In his pitch-black pupils, the reflection of the Martial God he had missed so dearly was cast.
Ears that were more elegantly pointed than those of any Brightfolk.
Her slender jawline formed a rare beauty that reached the pinnacle of harmony in the mortal world, but even that was nothing compared to her deep green eyes, which seemed to draw in one's very soul.
Swoosh—
The strong canyon wind naturally began to blow once more.
The Lord of the Desolate Fortress slowly met Jeong Yeon-shin's gaze. In that moment, her lips parted slightly.
"The fabric suits you."
Her clear, resonant voice tickled the air.
With that single sentence, Jeong Yeon-shin felt as if his Purple Rank Promotion Ceremony was finally complete.
A hazy sense of pride seemed to swell like a cloud at the back of his mind; regardless of the situation, coming from her, it was an immense compliment.
But at the same time, a question arose.
Why...?
It was safe to say he harbored the exact same thought as the Heaven-Smiling Invincible.
Things were different from when Jeong Yeon-shin had been a White Rank or a Blue Rank. The world had clearly entered a chaotic era.
The Lord of the Desolate Fortress should not be personally accompanying a Purple Rank. From the perspective of the world, there was no greater waste of military power.
The Desolate Fortress, which had to oversee the vast livelihoods of the common people, was in no position to deploy its absolute masters to overlapping locations.
What kind of ripples had the gathering of the Divine Sword Corps Unit Commanders already caused? The Lord of the Desolate Fortress surely had her own karma to bear.
The Purple Rank warrior still revered his master, but he knew he had to speak plainly.
"Fortress Lord."
"How was your journey through the Jianghu this time?"
Her question, which filled his ears like a gentle breeze, left him speechless. The events he had experienced in Hangzhou flashed through his mind like turning pages. He could not easily bring himself to speak.
Yet, the green eyes of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress meeting his were nothing but serene.
There was no sign of her rushing him. She simply gazed at him quietly, carrying a pure temperament like a leaf laden with morning dew.
Suddenly, Jeong Yeon-shin felt a desire to seek sleep within her eyes. Perhaps it was because his body and mind were so deeply weary. It felt as though it would be nice to forget the suffocating Jianghu, even if only for a moment.
The Lord of Heaven's Bane, the Dark Sky Emperor, the Flood Dragon, and the Heaven-Smiling Invincible.
He had fought world-shaking battles one after another.
Throughout all his journeys in the Jianghu, there had never been such a grueling march. The sheer caliber of the battles alone was staggering.
His entire body was battered, and his physical condition was deteriorating by the second. By now, it was becoming difficult to even maintain the Grass-Gliding technique he used to stand upon the branch.
...No.
He shook his head inwardly.
The heart of the Perfected Ancient Sword was with him like an unbroken Taiji. He had to see this matter through to the end.
"Baek Mi-ryeo of the Divine Sword Corps' Demonlight Wing..." he slowly continued. "...is in the hands of the Ming Cult Leader. Because your disciple was lacking, I have not yet been able to retrieve my comrade."
"You are not lacking."
The Lord of the Desolate Fortress cut off Jeong Yeon-shin's words in a low voice. At the same time, her hand slowly reached forward, moving like the wind that naturally drifted through the canyon.
The realm of the Nature Sword.
In an instant, she grabbed Jeong Yeon-shin's arm and pulled him in. The Seventh Apostle beside him reached out blankly, but her fingertips only grazed his back.
Before he knew it, he had been lifted slightly and was held in the embrace of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
Rustle.
Their collarbones gently touched, and their respective purple and green robes pressed against each other, making a soft rustling sound. At the same time, the master whispered into her disciple's ear.
"Normally you wouldn't be like this, but your body is full of openings. You must rest."
"Not yet..."
Jeong Yeon-shin could not finish his sentence.
The Lord of the Desolate Fortress, supporting his back, had pressed her long index finger against the Sleep Acupoint on the nape of his neck. Along with a warm sensation, a heavy drowsiness spread throughout his entire body.
His vision narrowed rapidly, and soon, his eyes slowly fluttered shut.
The energy of the Moon Spirit Harmony Art filled the meridians of his entire body like moonlight flooding a lakeshore. It was absolute, yet incredibly gentle.
Just like that.
It took only an instant for his vision to turn pitch black.
"Leave it to me."
His master's voice penetrated his ears.
That was the end of it.
It felt as though the soul within his body was escaping the turbulent waves of the world.
Before long, Jeong Yeon-shin's consciousness sank into a deep, profound sleep, like a pebble sinking to the bottom of a lake.
*
Hangzhou's Mu Manor.
This was the manor that the Eternal Candle Divine Physician, whose medical skills were said to reach the heavens, called home.
Though many had packed their bags and fled, claiming that misfortune had cast a shadow over Hangzhou, even supernatural entities like dragons could not take precedence over a person's desire for health and longevity.
The Divine Physician's residence remained bustling even after the Flood Dragon had manifested and subsequently vanished in Zhejiang.
Yet, apart from the commoners who constantly drifted in and out of Mu Manor, the martial artists tightly surrounding the walls did not dare move so easily.
Each carrying either a gleaming or a rusted weapon, they merely created a grim atmosphere, standing like a forest of blades.
These were men who had acted like kings in their own hometowns, but with Mu Manor right before their eyes, they were cautious to even open their mouths.
"Is it true that the Twin-Wall Sword Lord is here...?"
"Not only is the Qingcheng Sect Leader staying secluded in the inner quarters, but someone even managed to obtain a weed that the Sword God of the Mount Hua Sect stepped on. They say the completely withered leaf turned vibrant green."
"The realm of the Living Sword...!"
"Could we meet Abbot Beomheo under the pretext of offering alms?"
"Maybe if you can erase the murderous intent clinging to your body. Until then, don't even dream of it."
All kinds of regional accents and dialects mingled in low whispers.
This was the aftermath of the rumors spreading about the peerless experts.
While many commoners had fled Hangzhou, martial artists from all over the world had conversely used their lightness skills without rest or ridden their fine steeds until they collapsed foaming at the mouth, all to reach Mu Manor.
It was all to gain even a tiny bit of insight so they could elevate themselves as true masters.
After all, for those who had abandoned the plow, the only way to fill their bellies in a chaotic era was to rely on their own martial prowess.
Beings of the caliber of the Nine Sects' Sect Leaders were famous for imbuing the profoundest martial arts into their every minor action.
The same was true for the high-ranking warriors of the Desolate Fortress, whom most martial artists actively avoided.
However, the gathered martial artists did not dare set foot inside the manor. This was because the absolute masters of martial arts were subtly releasing waves of energy.
It was a presence that seemed to freeze time inside Mu Manor. Their temperament was so absolute that the radiating waves of internal power sent shivers through the internal cultivation experts who possessed a sense of Qi.
There were also third-rate martial artists who hadn't even developed such a sense of Qi, but they were stopped by the others just before they could boldly fling the main gate open.
"W-Why are you doing this...?"
"Shut up and back off. Just wait until they come out."
The moment they entered, they might be suffocated by the dense energy waves and suffer Qi Deviation. The absolute masters of the Nine Sects might also grow angry.
It was a space where even the God Thief, rumored to have been rummaging through the imperial treasury in Beijing lately, would have turned back. It would be difficult for anyone in the world to enter without permission.
Beyond the gate they so desperately wished to cross...
The weeds glowing with vibrant green light throughout the manor's courtyard looked like the footprints of someone who had lingered there. Further inside, the doors to the buildings in the inner courtyard were all wide open.
"I don't know what those so-called Taoists and monks are waiting for in such a bizarre state..."
The Eternal Candle Divine Physician, whose presence made the tranquil atmosphere of the manor look like a picturesque portrait, spat out a curse, finding it all absurd.
He spoke while sitting on a wooden bench in the wide-open courtyard, administering acupuncture to the commoners. Because of his words, the pale-faced patients held their breath in fear.
"..."
The Sect Leaders of the Nine Sects, each occupying a building in the inner courtyard and sitting cross-legged, did not move an inch. They merely exchanged telepathic words among themselves that others could not hear.
— I believe we have waited long enough. I have recovered from my internal injuries to some extent, so do not try to stop me from leaving.
[ That 'some extent' must be far from Your Ladyship's full strength... Are you truly intent on seeking out Benefactor Jeong? ]
— Because I am indebted to him.
[ Please ponder whether this decision was made after considering your duty as the Mount Hua Sect Leader. We have left Mount Song, Mount Hua, and Mount Qingcheng vacant for far too long. Our disciples must be struggling greatly. ]
— I...
At Beomheo's words, Yul-ha's voice trailed off. On one side, Cheongsu of the Qingcheng Sect raised an eyebrow.
— My sect will think differently. The disciples raised under the earthly energy of the immortal mountain, Qingcheng, possess strong resolve. They would not want their sect leader to abandon a bond forged in a life-and-death struggle. If I were to speak of the greater good instead, they would rather be disappointed.
[ You have pondered deeply. I respect Qingcheng's will. ]
Beomheo smiled faintly.
The Eternal Candle Divine Physician did not offer his medical skills to any of them. He had merely permitted them to stay for a short while. In fact, whenever Beomheo drew near, he recoiled in aversion.
Even so, Mu Manor was close to being the safest place in the world.
The Spirit residing in the Upper Dantians of these peerless experts was a mysterious entity that amplified the power of their individually deep internal energy.
It did not fade just because they had suffered internal injuries. It merely exuded a pressure rarely matched in the world.
Furthermore, the unique composure of these absolute masters devoted to Taoism and Buddhism surpassed that of ordinary humans, so their True Qi was always carried along with the pressure emitted by their Upper Dantians.
It was to the extent that even if lightning were to strike from the heavens, there would be no worry of a single spark reaching them. Simply by existing, it was as if an impenetrable diamond net had been cast around them.
Absolutely no approach was allowed.
They were accustomed to a quiet atmosphere, for they carried such silence around themselves.
Since even Ak Su-rim, the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, who was usually so talkative, had vanished at some point, the only sounds echoing in the manor right now were the groans of the patients and the low scolding of the Divine Physician.
Just then.
The emaciated Beomheo suddenly raised his head.
At the same time, a tempest surged.
Whoosh!
The invisible net formed by the absolute masters of the Nine Sects was naturally torn to shreds, as if the wind traveling between heaven and earth was meant to flow without interruption.
Immediately after, a heavy shockwave pressed down upon them.
Thud!
In its recoil, dust billowed like clouds along with the strong wind.
"...!"
Yul-ha and Cheongsu sprang to their feet.
"What madness!"
The Divine Physician, who had been feeling a patient's pulse from a distance, shouted with wide eyes—a rare sight.
Swoosh—
Jeong Yeon-shin, lying upon hundreds of layers of leaves, slowly descended on a faint tempest. His closed eyes showed he was deeply unconscious.
And high above in the sky.
A figure stepping on the bright, pouring sunlight looked down at the Divine Physician and parted her lips. It was an incredibly slow movement.
"Heal him within two hours."
"..."
The courtyard was dyed in yet another profound silence.