Chapter 496: The Brightfolk Tree (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 496: The Brightfolk Tree (8)
Inside the Elder's Council of the World Tree.
Even after sending Master Golden Thunder away, the First Elder continued to issue a flurry of orders to her subordinates.
She could not allow an uninvited guest harboring such clear hostility to reach the true body of the World Tree.
"The Elder's Council must not be swept up in the impending battle. Move quickly. Deploy your Body Protection Scriptures with all your might."
The warriors of the Elder's Council vanished the moment her command fell.
Hummmm!
The First Elder activated all eight formations. Each possessed a different function, dyeing the hall in a hazy mist. Formations that were normally difficult to overlap even in pairs blended harmoniously, emitting a dense, natural Qi.
But that was not all.
She sent word to the clan experts living in seclusion scattered throughout the World Tree. By briefly playing a sacred grass flute, she signaled the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit to unleash a long-range killing strike of the Soul-Transcending Archery.
It was no exaggeration to say she had mobilized the entire city.
The First Elder of the World Tree. This feat was only possible because she was also known by her other title: the Great Elder.
The Soul-Transcending Archery was a peerless archery technique that served as the foundation for the Ten-Mile One Kill, created when the Thirteen Heavens' Dark Night Hall betrayed the clan. Even the current Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, who possessed the Half-Dragon Constitution, had once drawn his rainbow-colored sword of internal energy without hesitation after facing just one of its arrows.
That incident had occurred after he first visited the great city of the World Tree and sarcastically remarked that the dignified clan was "like a lazy giant panda." At the time, the man of the Desolate Fortress's Dragon Clan had claimed victory.
However, a strike from the Soul-Transcending Archery fired from a blind spot amidst a chaotic battle would be a different story. It would be a guaranteed killing blow.
However...
As always, the clan's best course of action differed from that of the Han people.
There was nothing to be gained from clashing with a Purple Rank at close quarters. He had to be pushed as far away as possible, immediately. If it was Master Golden Thunder, it was possible.
It was said that the new Purple Rank possessed neither the ignorant, tyrannical power of the Ma Family's Nightmare nor the dizzying Invisible Sword of the Dragon Clan's man, who used to mock the heavens with his brilliant seven colors.
As long as he used metal as a weapon, he would inevitably struggle against Master Golden Thunder. This was true regardless of who was stronger. The First Elder herself had raised him that way.
"Drive him out before he even steps over the threshold of the Elder's Council..."
But before she could even finish her sentence, an entire wall of the hall shattered into pieces.
A translucent, exploding ripple pulverized countless stone fragments into dust as it swept in like a tempest. That alone was enough to rapidly smash the towering tiled roof, leaving the pavilion half-destroyed.
It happened so suddenly that the sight felt like a surreal dream.
Immediately after, an explosive roar swept through the hall.
Craaaash!
It was the sound of the pillars of the pre-activated formations being pulverized. The jade gourd bottle on the tea table, a scroll that was clearly rare at a glance, and a Go board carved from marble exploded, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
All the chairs in the hall collapsed into mounds of dirt. It was due to the formless energy that filled the hall in an instant.
Did this once-in-a-generation genius hold some sort of grudge against sorcery martial arts? It was an internal power wave that fundamentally blocked any technique attempting to manipulate the air. Her first line of defense had crumbled in a single blow.
A thorough and tyrannical temperament...
The First Elder stood tall and straight in her spot, facing the gale.
Her hair, gleaming like melted gold, whipped wildly behind her back. The long, deep green hem of her robe, a testament to her tall stature, was covered in dust. One could not see an inch ahead.
She did not blink even once, but she was genuinely surprised. Seeing the Hegemon Hero of years past in the blow that pierced the wall was only momentary. It felt as though an energy she had felt once before had briefly appeared and vanished.
"No, this heavy energy... it is not Taoist. It is a Buddhist martial art." Speaking aloud on purpose, she shook her head slightly.
There was a time when the vast world was filled with the name 'Zhang Sanfeng.' It was an era when the reputation of the world's greatest expert overwhelmingly crushed even the nobility of the clan.
At that time, Master Golden Thunder would return with an uncannily light and sacred energy clinging to his entire body. Thanks to that, the First Elder had also made immense progress in her martial arts, but the formless wave the intruder was currently emitting was nothing like it.
Step.
The figure who walked in amidst the violent roar lightly brushed off one of his long sleeves. In an instant, a strong gust of wind blew, dispersing the dust in the hall, and the intruder's figure was finally revealed.
"……"
He was exactly as the First Elder had heard. A young man whose facial features seemed to gather the ultimate harmony of Mother Nature. Because his back was to the outside of the pavilion, his purple robe appeared in its full, vivid violet hue.
"What is the meaning of this insolence?" the First Elder asked quietly.
The true body of the World Tree lay behind her back.
If one were to part the long-hanging bead curtain made of countless twisted, water-soaked fallen leaves, the most important space in the world would be revealed. That bead curtain was a Dharma treasure that separated the mortal world from heaven. Was it not perfectly intact even after facing the tempest unleashed by the Purple Rank?
"Your master is not wasting three days for nothing. Anyone with business at the World Tree must undergo the appropriate customary rites. Leave for now. I will send word to you later."
"What I said outside." The young man stared blankly at her and slowly continued. "Did you not hear it?"
It was an equally quiet question.
"Let's just say I didn't feel the need to refute it," the First Elder replied with an indifferent expression.
The young man before her was too young for her to show any emotion. Had the growth rings of the World Tree turned even once since this new Purple Rank was born and reached his current age? No, it would be a miracle if even a single quarter-hour had been carved. It was an absurdly short span of time to truly know the world.
"What do you know of the Ju Imperial Family and our clan? It is not something for you to argue about with your narrow perspective."
"It is already broad enough."
Rustle.
The young man, whose presence had been razor-sharp throughout, straightened his back with mature poise. It was an incredibly natural movement, accentuated by his breathtakingly beautiful appearance.
His strange demeanor captivated the observer's gaze. The First Elder lowered her eyes to his throat—one of his vital points—and parted her lips.
"A Purple Rank is a sword. You should not have a mouth to privately discuss your master's forms. Did you say that the Censorate and the Desolate Fortress's interference are inevitable wherever state funds are involved? You are wrong. Above the Great Ming Code stands the Son of Heaven."
"Are you speaking of the late Emperor now?"
"Yes. If it is the Emperor Geonreung I know, he would never have wished for a Purple Rank to go astray. Because it is a power that must be thoroughly controlled."
For a moment, one corner of the young man's mouth curled up slightly. The First Elder waited for his reply, but instead, only the sound of his leather boots taking a step forward returned. It was a sign that he would no longer converse.
A green jade-like light flashed from her eyes. It was the glow of an eye technique.
It must be one of two things...
But the answer did not come quickly.
Was he so excessively arrogant that he did not even care about the Imperial Family? Though it was a slim possibility, perhaps Emperor Geonreung had openly given the young man some sort of hint or instruction.
Just then, the young man spread his hands wide and muttered softly. "You don't know much either. Now, move aside."
"Return with your master in accordance with the legitimate rituals of the clan. If you step any closer..."
Whoosh!
A cool wind wrapped around the First Elder's body. It was the force of the Fa Jin she had unleashed.
It was a starting stance unique to Brightfolk experts, allowing them to emit shockwaves of force without any major movement. The First Elder was highly powerful. She was the High Priestess who presided over all the clan's rituals.
As long as her vessel permitted, she could take countless things possessed by other clans through the mysterious functions of the World Tree and secret great laws. The type did not matter. It was possible to take not only internal energy, but even memories and personalities without paying much of a price.
She was the very person who had made the clan's Four Great Protectors flawless through such deprivations. In the process, the First Elder had also risen to the ranks of an unfathomably powerful expert.
Members of the Ju Imperial Family who periodically entered from the outside had once said that even the leader of a typical great sect would not dare to look down on the First Elder. Since she was not a warrior on the front lines, she could not pour her entire life into a single technique, but a level of strength that made such a thing unnecessary flowed through the acupoints of her entire body.
Thud!
The moment their hands collided, she spread her fingers wide and suppressed the sound of the impact. This was thanks to her interlocking her fingers with his along with the Fa Jin.
The shockwave of force that had been shimmering translucently between their palms vanished without a trace with that movement. Unlike the clashes of typical internal experts, no destructive aftermath rippled outward. This was the intention of the First Elder, who had curled her lips into a smirk.
Immediately, an invisible bolt of lightning sliced through the young man's hand like an internal heavy hand technique.
Crackle!
For an instant, the surroundings distorted transparently.
The lightning originated from her Wood Qi. It was the clan's internal energy she had once taken from Master Golden Thunder, which had greatly helped expand the First Elder's role within the World Tree. Thanks to this, Master Golden Thunder had stopped refining the Wood Qi that would have ruined his body by endlessly intensifying the lightning, and instead learned the Metal Qi that could control it.
This was her first contribution regarding the Four Great Protectors. The First Elder of the clan had accomplished what even Perfected Zhang Sanfeng could not prescribe in advance.
"The death of Emperor Geonreung," the First Elder slowly moved her lips while gripping the young man's hand, "is proof that the chaos of the world has reached its peak."
"You keep speaking of the late Emperor so carelessly." The beautiful young man did not bother to meet her gaze. He merely stared intently at her hand, as if engraving the First Elder's martial arts into his mind.
She narrowed her eyes. She could not fathom what his intentions were. Only the clan's unique sense of Qi whispered in her ear: The young man has not told a single lie.
Sssss―
Before she knew it, a faint aura of light enveloped his entire body, repelling the lightning energy like morning dew. Sparks flew with a harsh friction sound, illuminating the surroundings. As expected, he was not an opponent to be subdued in a single blow.
The First Elder quickly continued speaking. "Since ancient times, the Desolate Fortress has been a target of vigilance for every powerful force. Even the Imperial Family is no exception. Do you think the sects of the martial world, facing times of trouble, will leave the Desolate Fortress in peace? Instead of acting like this here, you should run outside immediately and prepare for a joint attack the likes of which the world has rarely seen. Right now, are you not creating enemies out of nothing instead of gathering allies? The Desolate Fortress could face destruction in your generation."
"Measures have already been taken. It is none of your concern."
"Indeed, now that I think about it, the spirit beast swallow that should be nesting in your bosom is absent. You despise the clan of the World Tree today, but do you know that we raised that child, White Swallow? In any case, to speak so lightly of a matter that requires your utmost effort... No matter what measures you took with your subordinates, if you have given up because the Desolate Fortress lacks capable people..."
"Did you just dare to insult the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit of our main fortress?"
"……?"
The First Elder did not even have time to question the seemingly meaningless words.
The young man's knee suddenly shot upward like an arrow from the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit, slamming into her abdomen.
Craaaash!
She almost lost consciousness in that instant.
As she was sent flying upward, she squeezed her interlocked hands.
I am the final guardian warrior.
Her past achievements flashed through her mind like lightning.
The things that had perfected the clan's Four Great Protectors—who must never be taken away—as warriors. There were three other things besides Master Golden Thunder's internal energy.
Hummmm!
Her pant cuffs, which had flown upward as she was inverted, became as sharp as blades. The kicking technique that plunged down in a large arc toward the young man below originated from the memories of the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit.
A peerless form had existed in the childhood memories she had spent with the Lord of the Desolate Fortress. In addition, the First Elder had nourished her Wood Qi with the Water Qi of the Northern Sea Fist Marquis. With the swollen Wood Qi, she unleashed the lightning dwelling in her kick even more fiercely.
The crowning touch was the intent of Yongji's Sword Art layered over the divine art's stance. An explosive temperament erupted with a rumbling roar from her toes in an instant. A detonating ultimate strike.
For the Han people to skillfully manipulate various energies, they required attainment like Wudang's Dual-Principle Mind Art. But at least when it came to the energy of the Five Elements, the Brightfolk had no need for such things.
The corners of the First Elder's eyes curved elegantly, and—
Claaaang!
The instep of the Great Elder's foot, which had drawn a semicircle downward from its peak, was stepped on by the young man and buried straight into the floor.
At the same time, the young man extended his foot in reverse, kicking away her hand which was gathering internal energy for a counter-strike. Then, as if nothing had happened, he snapped his leg back into place like lightning, slamming his heel down to break the side of her calf.
The First Elder collapsed heavily, almost unbelievably. The footwork of the Desolate Fortress's Purple Rank. To call it completely free and unrestrained was an understatement. He used his legs like swords. It was the mark of a master.
Step.
Was he showing respect to his elder even after unleashing such a strike? The beautiful young man did not step over her body, choosing instead to walk around her.
The First Elder stared blankly at his retreating back. Her eyes were filled with profound regret. I should have made him draw his sword instead. The young man had ultimately overcome all of the clan's obstructions.
There was no hesitation in his gesture as he parted the dense bead curtain.
Rustle.
The darkness rapidly receded. The mysterious place of the World Tree, carpeted with countless fallen leaves like gold coins, was ruthlessly revealed by his unhesitating hand. The Flash Art faced the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.