Chapter 501: The Great War of the Desolate Fortress
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 501: The Great War of the Desolate Fortress
A quiet mountain path wound through the deep forest.
It was an official road, yet commoners avoided it, terrified of the sudden misfortunes that might befall them there. The path was narrow, the winter branches of the mountain terrain jutting out as sharp as blades. But to those who had mastered the Body Protection Scripture of Grass-Gliding, it was as smooth as a well-paved staircase.
Moreover, as one of the routes leading to the Desolate Fortress, it was a vital strategic chokepoint heavily contested by warlords, foreign factions, and the great sects.
Thud.
Standing in the middle of the path with his eyes closed, a scar-faced, middle-aged man suddenly hurled his scabbard to the ground. Gripping only his bare blade, he broke into a sprint.
Whoosh!
His coarse blue martial uniform rippled violently in the gale. The footwork of this blue-robed warrior, Red-Day Sword, only grew faster as the headwind intensified.
This was a Body Protection Scripture infused with the subtle principles of the Wind God movement technique—a method unique to the Desolate Fortress's Flash Art lineage.
As he cut through the mountain path like a tailwind, brushing past rattling, leafless branches, the three figures pursuing him matched his incredible pace.
At this very moment, similar chases were unfolding simultaneously in all directions around the Desolate Fortress—east, west, south, and north.
"He's mimicking the Brightfolk. The intelligence was accurate."
The lead pursuer spoke, her tone laced with curiosity.
She wore a light green palace dress beneath a snow-white padded coat. As she sped forward using her lightness skill, her hair—cascading past her waist—billowed behind her like a pitch-black wave, forming a striking contrast with her pale skin. Activating her eye technique, she locked her sharp gaze onto Red-Day Sword's back, repeatedly kicking off the ground.
Tap!
With a single light step, her body propelled forward over thirty feet. The distance to Red-Day Sword's back closed rapidly.
She was Hwayeonbi, the top disciple of the Lord of the Martial Dragon Association, and one of the team leaders tasked with striking the Secret Line in today's War of Annihilation against the Desolate Fortress.
Her role was to crush the final intelligence network of the Desolate Fortress, which had locked its gates and left only a skeleton crew outside.
Meanwhile, an old man in yellow robes leisurely followed behind Hwayeonbi with his hands clasped behind his back. He gestured toward Red-Day Sword with his chin.
"Is that the Flash Art lineage?"
"Yes, that is Red-Day Sword of the Thread-Annihilation Unit. Judging by his movements, he indeed learned a move directly from the Grandmaster. Lingering Spirit certainly hasn't been slacking with their intelligence lately."
Her insight carried profound depth. It was a statement impossible to make with such certainty unless one could pierce through and accurately gauge the absolute limits of an opponent's talent.
—The practitioners of our lineage respectfully pay their respects to the Grandmaster.
Red-Day Sword.
He was the warrior who had heralded the birth of the Flash Art lineage. High-ranking officials and merchants staying at the Desolate Fortress at the time had spread the tale of that very event.
Whoosh!
A man in white, who was also cutting through the gale alongside Hwayeonbi and the yellow-robed elder, suddenly asked,
"Didn't you encounter the Lotus Nezha on the day the direct descendants of the Namgung Clan died? Why bring up intelligence now?"
"The one I met was a rising star, not one of the Five Great Swords of the World. They are two different people," she replied slowly. "A Grandmaster of a lineage influences a life-and-death duel even if he isn't present. That is what a living teaching is. It is only right to thoroughly analyze everything related to that lineage."
"...I wonder. According to Lingering Spirit's intelligence, the main base of the Desolate Fortress currently doesn't house a single peerless master. Isn't it no different from a pavilion built on sand?" the white-robed warrior countered.
His words and actions reflected the core ethos of the Martial Dragon Association.
They were a group that broke the Murim's taboo of valuing the master-disciple bond over blood relations, openly sharing all kinds of martial arts among themselves. As one of the Thirteen Heavens, the Martial Dragon Association questioned freely and sought answers that satisfied their own standards.
Hwayeonbi smiled faintly.
Whoosh!
The air grew turbulent. The backdraft generated by Red-Day Sword's lightness skill began to flutter the robes of the Martial Dragon Association experts.
The distance had closed to about a hundred feet. They were now practically within arm's reach. Hwayeonbi's lips, dyed a deep crimson from achieving the seventh stage of the World's Greatest Qi Art, parted slightly.
"We are currently plotting against the world's greatest, the Desolate Fortress. While our forces are overwhelmingly superior, if we let our guard down, we might suffer unexpected damage..."
Her sentence remained unfinished. Shrouding her left hand—poised like a blade—in an invisible gale, she seamlessly chopped down at the back of Red-Day Sword's neck.
With that single strike, a faint gust of wind split violently to both sides, sucking the surrounding dust along the trajectory of her palm.
Boom!
Red-Day Sword's body spun, blown back like a leaf caught in a gale.
Yet, the pursuing Martial Dragon Association experts did not smile. Instead, they accelerated even further, unleashing a barrage of fists, palms, and swords.
They had immediately realized that Red-Day Sword had deflected over eighty percent of the palm force using the Wind God movement technique and his Body Protection Qi.
Rumble!
A faint orange wave rippled from the shoulders of the Martial Dragon Association experts, shattering dry branches into splinters and tearing the ground to pieces.
It was the violent aftermath of the force release boosting the momentum of their strikes. Simultaneously, Red-Day Sword thrust his sword forward and spun like a whirlwind. A cluster of faint, glowing flowers bloomed along a long, curved trajectory.
It was only a split second before the strikes of the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style—which the Lotus Nezha had once realized on Mount Zhongnan—collided with the lethal moves of the Martial Dragon Association experts.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
They clashed three times. As the cluster of light burst upward like countless feathers, a torrent of blood erupted from Red-Day Sword's mouth.
With the ground itself shaking beneath him, he failed to find proper footing and staggered momentarily.
In that instant, the Martial Dragon Association experts landed, completely surrounding Red-Day Sword. Because they had all utilized the Body Protection Scripture of Grass-Gliding, their descent made absolutely no sound.
In a sect war where the survival of both sides hung in the balance, suppressing one's presence was basic etiquette.
"Would you mind delivering a letter? I have no other business with you," Hwayeonbi spoke softly.
"A letter? Rascals who attack without warning dare speak of communication? No doubt you intend to use the brush like a sword," Red-Day Sword muttered, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Yet, the curve of Hwayeonbi's lips did not falter.
"Even after we sent several duel challenges to the Desolate Fortress, the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps acted like a coward. Our Association's Lord was greatly displeased by that absurd silence. As his disciple, I must draw out the Lotus Nezha, so please deliver this letter to him. It seems the Desolate Fortress intends to hide the hope of their sect in a hopeless battle... but shouldn't we fight without any lingering regrets?"
"..."
"The Lord of the Martial Dragon Association desires a fight befitting his status. This is a war with the eyes of the entire world upon it. It shouldn't end so anticlimactically."
Even as she spoke, she did not show much expectation.
The remaining forces of the Desolate Fortress had already been laid bare to the highest echelons of the Jianghu. This war of annihilation was a grand scheme planned long ago.
The Lotus Nezha would not be able to change the tide of battle alone.
Hwayeonbi was content with merely keeping up appearances. Unlike the other disciples of the Martial Dragon Association who were obsessed solely with martial arts, she actually cared somewhat about public perception.
"The other 'eyes' of the Desolate Fortress like you must already be experiencing the exact same thing all over Xiangyang. If Red-Day Sword of the Flash Art lineage dies in vain, how do you think the Lotus Nezha will feel?" Hwayeonbi concluded, her voice laced with a feather-light laugh. "Accept the proposal."
"...You Martial Dragon Association brat."
The corners of Red-Day Sword's mouth curved upward, pulling at the scar on his cheek. From the hilt in his hand, the unique Sword Qi of the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style seeped out like a watery mist.
"Can you spout that same nonsense alone, without those other two backing you up?"
"Kill him."
Hwayeonbi's command was casual.
Unlike the yellow-robed elder who stood leisurely with his hands behind his back, the white-robed man reacted instantly. He struck down swiftly with his sword, intending to end it all by splitting Red-Day Sword's crown.
A reddish-orange light flickered along the blade's restrained trajectory.
Clang!
With a sharp shockwave, the flat of the blade was violently deflected to the side.
A figure had rushed in at high speed from out of nowhere—without a single trace of energy or sound—and driven a knee upward to intercept the strike. The intruder landed swiftly, his blue robes fluttering in the air, and blocked the path in front of Red-Day Sword.
Thud.
It was a young noble with sharp, prominent eyes.
He was quite tall, with smooth cheeks that spoke of a privileged upbringing. His face still held the softness of youth.
"Senior Red-Day Sword," the youth—barely a young man—spoke. "I see why the retreat order was issued. The main fortress will not open its gates for the time being. The atmosphere there was so tense that it wouldn't be surprising if it has already turned into a battlefield."
"Ah, the Young Master of the Ma Clan. Where are the bodyguards who usually follow you around, and why did you come alone?" Red-Day Sword asked, adjusting his grip on his sword.
"...It is wartime. What does status matter?" the boy, Ma Se-in of the Desolate Ma Clan, replied in a heavy voice. Then, without another word, he drew the Desolate Fortress Sword from his waist with a sharp ring.
Hwayeonbi's brow furrowed.
"That move just now..."
"It's a Dynamic Cultivation Art. I've seen a few of those Desolate Fortress bastards use it, but his movements are slightly different. Much more precise. It looks worthy of study," the yellow-robed elder said, stroking his wrinkled chin.
Upon seeing him, Ma Se-in's face quickly stiffened.
It was an empty-handed old man wearing thin, scholar-style robes suited for the scorching summer heat, right in the dead of winter.
He gave off a gentle impression.
His demeanor suggested he took everything lightly, but if his identity was indeed the Supreme Guardian of the Martial Dragon Association, his very presence here was a grave problem.
He was a supreme master from two generations ago who should have long since retired from the Elder's Council. In Desolate Fortress terms, it was as if Ak Su-rim, decades from now, were acting as the Vice Commander of the Divine Sword Corps without holding any official position.
"Ah."
The Supreme Guardian, the Heaven-Scorching Elder, smiled warmly.
"Do not mind this old man. Surely you don't think I would seriously trade blows with youngsters like you?"
"..."
"Rather, you should prepare yourselves for the turbulent currents of the battlefield, which may throw any situation your way. As has been the case with all wars throughout history, the fate of Xiangyang will change several times over in the blink of an eye."
The Heaven-Scorching Elder's aura completely belied his words. As his aged voice echoed, a dense, suffocating pressure began to emanate from his body.
The dust rolling faintly across the ground was flattened by an unnatural force, forcing Ma Se-in and Red-Day Sword to unleash their own energy waves just to resist the pressure.
'And they said he primarily practiced orthodox martial arts...!'
There were only two options here.
Die, or be captured.
These were madmen who openly plundered martial arts manuals and held casual discussions over them. Naturally, they were capable of anything.
Just as Ma Se-in, his eyes wide, was deflecting the pressure through a full-body force release, the elder spoke again.
"Indeed, this is none other than a sect war at the very peak of the Jianghu. The unfolding battle will be highly volatile."
"Just like right now," the Heaven-Scorching Elder concluded, suddenly stretching both arms toward the sky.
In an instant, massive ripples—like those on a disturbed lake's surface—spread from the space above his hands. At the center of each impact point appeared a dark blue sword and a heel flowing with a smooth, metallic texture.
Figures in black robes fluttered grandly in midair.
Striking a split second apart, they were the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit and the Master of the Martial Apex Hall of the Desolate Fortress.
Rumble—!
The ground abruptly sank in a massive crater. It happened literally in an instant.
The airflow, which had instantly begun to rage like a typhoon, slammed repeatedly against the ground, erupting in violent friction. Ma Se-in, immediately releasing force throughout his body, was the first to escape the crushing pressure.
He was, after all, a Blue-Ranked Expert.
"To the main fortress!"
With a loud shout, he swung his sword horizontally, forcing Hwayeonbi and the white-robed man back. He had instantly grasped the intentions of the Unit Commanders.
The Commander of the Azure Sky Unit and the Master of the Martial Apex Hall were a detachment sent to retrieve the remaining fortress warriors scattered in all directions.
Thanks to the communication from the White-Ranked Warrior Ma Ung, the Desolate Fortress had ultimately decided to withdraw the "eyes" it had scattered across Xiangyang.
'We must move quickly...!'
Ma Se-in turned and kicked off the ground alongside Red-Day Sword.
The urgency was absolute.
Xiangyang had long since turned into a land roamed by bizarre entities—incomprehensible figures otherwise known as peerless masters.
The master of the Dreaming Mortal Moon, in a beautiful yet disheveled state, roamed Xiangyang as freely as if it were her own home. The Horde of Demons Green Forest, refusing to take any detours, was on the verge of reaching the main fortress, crushing all sorts of sects and civilian homes in a straight line.
Tidal Fist Heaven, the Lord of the Myriad Phenomena Water Channel Fortress, had not only crippled the left arm of the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit with a single punch, but had also completely evaporated the water channels of the moat surrounding the main fortress. He had then leisurely departed, casually stating he would return when things got less boring.
These were all recent occurrences.
In addition, the warriors of the Martial Dragon Association were engaged in sporadic skirmishes all over the outskirts of the main fortress. And the true experts of the Dreaming Mortal Moon and the Horde of Demons Green Forest had not even fully arrived yet.
A few leaders of the great sects who had already arrived were projecting a terrifying pressure over the vicinity, as if conducting a preliminary skirmish.
Thus, the winter wind of Xiangyang felt exceedingly dry.
The Chief Steward's Office predicted that the moment the martial arts army of the Horde of Demons Green Forest arrived would mark the true beginning of the great war.
'If we waste time in a place like this...'
The natural disasters known as the Lords of the Thirteen Heavens might descend upon them.
Ma Se-in was wise. He knew that rather than clumsily trying to assist the Unit Commanders, it was better to simply not be a burden.
"Two Unit Commanders are a bit much. Especially you, Martial Apex... I didn't expect you to join in a coordinated attack."
Tap!
The Heaven-Scorching Elder's voice faded into the distance behind them. Ma Se-in kicked off the ground even harder. However, his complexion only grew darker.
'It's coming...!'
From afar, an aura that felt like all the firebombs in the world had been compressed together erupted in a massive wave. It was as if a volcano had just violently exploded.
The word "unmatchable" was the first thing that came to mind.
The energy wave and its terrifying characteristics perfectly matched the descriptions of the Lord of the Martial Dragon Association relayed by the Chief Steward's Office. It was truly overwhelming.
'Is this truly a martial art refined by a human?'
Ma Se-in thought. Was this what a peerless master who was not an ally looked like?
"It's going to sweep over us! We're already too late!"
Just as Red-Day Sword braked his lightness skill and spun around—
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the movements of every warrior filling the mountain path ground to a dead halt. They were all experts who had deeply cultivated their Baihui Point or had just entered the sensory realm of the Upper Dantian.
Not only Ma Se-in and Red-Day Sword, but also the Martial Dragon Association experts and the Desolate Fortress Unit Commanders ceased their midair movements and landed heavily on the ground.
A moment later, they all snapped their heads in the exact opposite direction of the presence presumed to be the Lord of the Martial Dragon Association. It was as if each of their heads had been forcefully grabbed by something invisible.
Ma Se-in felt it faintly.
"..."
It was as if something were looking down upon the entire land of Xiangyang from an impossibly high tree.
Sliiiide.
A colossal gaze locked onto them, heavy as an earthquake.