Chapter 509: The Great War of the Desolate Fortress (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 509: The Great War of the Desolate Fortress (9)
The sky was overcast.
Yet, it did not carry the bitter chill of winter. Instead, the landscape felt like a sweltering summer day, the air so scorching hot that it shimmered and warped in the empty space.
Clack.
Charred fragments of stone tumbled desolately from the ruined walls.
The fortress walls, now reduced to mere traces of their once vast expanse, sprawled across the ground like a half-finished sandcastle built by the ancient giant Pangu.
The stones crackled, as if they had been baking under a fierce sun for far too long.
This was the western boundary of the War of Annihilation at the Desolate Fortress.
Nearly two thousand people, divided into two opposing factions, stared silently at one another. They circulated the true qi within their bodies, their internal breathing steady and tense.
The sheer number of rogue martial artists was immense. It was impossible to guess just how many great merchant guilds the Yeoryeong Lord controlled from the shadows.
There were even about thirty members of the Ironfolk standing within the Thirteen Heavens' camp—the very same beings who had previously shattered the Desolate Fortress's formations.
Given this, several brutal clashes had already taken place.
Dark red blood glistened on the ground separating the two armies. The earth was damp and sticky, unable to fully absorb the sheer volume of blood that had been spilled.
The outside invaders stood with their backs to the shattered ruins of the walls, having pushed the forces of the Desolate Fortress back a considerable distance.
Even so, the Jianghu masters gathered by Lingering Spirit remained expressionless. Faint waves of telepathy constantly rippled among them.
—Where is the Yeoryeong Lord?
—He is nowhere to be seen. It is strange. Could he have abandoned the grand plan...?
—Nonsense. Even if the Wilderness Sunfall made an unexpected appearance, it is far too early to say the tide of battle has completely turned. They have been preparing this for over a decade.
—Of course, I don't believe the Wilderness Sunfall could slay the Lord of the Martial Dragon Association and the Leader of the Horde of Demons Green Forest at the same time, but...
It was then.
"Is it not enough for you to strike so swiftly that such anxieties become meaningless, take what you want, and withdraw?"
At the words of the middle-aged man clad in blue silk, the telepathic murmurs of the rogue martial artists abruptly ceased.
The Demon-Governing Venerable, the trusted lieutenant of the Yeoryeong Lord, had intercepted their private transmissions. For a moment, the eavesdropped masters couldn't hide their chills, their faces pale with shock.
Slowly, the Demon-Governing Venerable placed his hands behind his back.
Narrowing his eyes into thin slits, he smiled.
"Throughout all of history, there has never been a battle like this in the Jianghu of this land. It is truly a great war watched by the entire world. What good does it do to lower morale with useless speculation?"
"..."
"Ah, the watchdogs of the Imperial Court are coming again. Though, I suppose even they do not wish to face the Six Harmonies Morning Demon Thunderbolt of the Tidal Fist Heaven a second time. Everyone, move."
At his command, translucent shockwaves erupted from all directions. Stepping on those ripples of force, the masters of both sides rushed at each other, clashing in a violent explosion of qi.
Rumble! Clang!
The atmosphere shook violently. In an instant, the battlefield descended into chaos, erupting as if a barrage of fire bombs had detonated.
Shortly after, the figure who had been sitting cross-legged at the Demon-Governing Venerable's feet slowly stood up.
He was not particularly tall.
Nor was there anything remarkable about his build. Yet, the moment he rose, the surrounding scenery subtly warped with a whoosh.
It was due to the intense heat faintly swirling along the contours of his body.
"..."
He wore a somewhat faded red battle robe, his face concealed behind a four-eyed demon mask. His appearance was peculiar, looking almost like a clown poorly mimicking a great general.
The Demon-Governing Venerable whipped around to look at him, furrowing his brows.
"Are you already finished circulating your qi? The spirit elixir you swallowed is our sect's 'Late Sun,' which is comparable to a Small Restoration Pill. No matter how deep your internal cultivation is, it should take at least an hour to fully dissolve it into your acupoints."
The man in the demon mask replied in a low voice.
"On the battlefield, even fifteen minutes of circulating qi is too long."
His pronunciation was slightly slurred. His speech felt clumsy compared to his ornate attire. However, the Demon-Governing Venerable merely offered a brief reminder and fell silent.
"Please remember our promise."
The Lord of the Thirteen Heavens, Tidal Fist Heaven, did not reply.
Step.
He silently took a step forward. Seeing this, some of the Desolate Fortress masters began moving even faster to activate their formations—
Suddenly, the world slowed down.
Tidal Fist Heaven transformed into a streak of reddish light right where he stood, leaving a scorched curve on the ground as he bypassed the entire battlefield.
It was a movement that seemed to swim through a completely different flow of time.
With the fortress walls that had previously anchored the formations already collapsed, there was nothing left to block Tidal Fist Heaven's path.
Even the roaring explosions of his Body Protection Scripture echoed in fragmented bursts.
Boom— Boom— Boom—!
The bodies of those caught in the wake of his trajectory simply melted away, regardless of whether they were ally or foe. Most of the casualties were rogue martial artists who hadn't even had the chance to look back.
Leaving that carnage far behind, Tidal Fist Heaven dashed deep into the main fortress.
With every step he took, the ground sank like mud. Before the earth could even fully melt into a swamp of heat, his figure had already shot further forward.
The greedy eyes of the rogue martial artists, who slowly followed the path he had carved, turned toward the westernmost edge.
The Demonlight Wing pavilion. The birthplace of the Flash Art Lineage, a place where who knew what other divine arts lay dormant.
"...!"
Whoosh!
However, a corner of that very pavilion complex suddenly began to collapse and burn. It was merely the aftermath of Tidal Fist Heaven's passing movement.
Naturally, the walls of the training grounds—which still bore the footprints of the Demonlight Wing Flash Art's footwork—were shattered and covered in soot.
Yet, Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit Un So-yu and Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit Cheon So-so, who were recovering their qi there, could not pursue the culprit.
The difference in their qi recovery speeds was bizarrely vast.
Thus, for the first time in history, an intruder crossed the inner castle of the Desolate Fortress in a straight line without hesitation. Tidal Fist Heaven reached his destination in an instant.
Thud!
Before him stood a small fortress crafted from pure white marble.
It was the Gold-Piercing Martial Library of the Desolate Fortress.
"..."
Even though the main fortress had entered a state of war, there were still thirty gatekeepers standing guard outside.
It was only natural. If this were Shaolin, it would be the Library of Sutras. There was no way they would neglect the place where all the martial arts manuals of the Desolate Fortress were stored.
From behind Tidal Fist Heaven's demon mask, his slurred voice drifted out.
"Step aside."
"This is the first time we've welcomed an outsider here. May I ask your business?"
Clack!
The young man who opened the doors of the Gold-Piercing Martial Library and stepped out asked the question. He and the other scholars of the Chief Steward's Office never spoke respectfully to enemies.
Even if the foe standing right before them was a peerless master who held their lives in his hands, it made no difference.
Scholar Oh Il-hwan.
He shared a deep friendship with Lord Jeong of the main fortress. It was a connection that had lasted ever since the young boy of the Jeong family, clutching the manuals of the Flash Art Lineage to his chest, had first knocked on the doors of the Gold-Piercing Martial Library.
At that moment, the Demon-Governing Venerable of Lingering Spirit landed beside Tidal Fist Heaven.
"There is no need for long words," the Venerable said. "We know your Gold-Piercing Martial Library has a formation that sets the building ablaze when an unstoppable intruder sets foot inside. Deactivate it now."
"What a load of bullshit."
The moment Scholar Oh spat those words with an expressionless face, the guard warriors standing around him drew their swords in unison, pointing their blades at the intruders.
The Demon-Governing Venerable turned his gaze to Tidal Fist Heaven.
"Seal his Mute Acupoint first, then proceed with the Muscle-Splitting and Bone-Dislocating Technique. I followed you out of concern, but seeing this reminds me of the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit and the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, who have done nothing to stop us from reaching this place. This seems like the perfect opportunity... I intend to ensure the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, Cheon So-so, is dead before I return."
Well, you've always had a far better hand for torture than I do anyway.
Just as the murmuring Demon-Governing Venerable was about to turn around—
From afar, an old man slowly made his way toward them. He had just turned the corner from an alleyway.
Rustle—
It was a gait that could hardly be described as powerful. Rather than a martial artist, his walk resembled the steps of a spry country elder. Only his sleeves, dyed in a clearly precious purple, fluttered elegantly in the wind.
Naturally, one would expect someone of his status to have attendants assisting his movements, yet the old man was entirely alone.
However, upon seeing him, the Demon-Governing Venerable's face lit up.
"Are you not the Elder Council Head of the Desolate Fortress? You have made quite a precious visit."
"What is so precious about me? I am merely a shabby body, just like you," Shin Byeok retorted.
Meanwhile, Tidal Fist Heaven merely stared blankly at the main gate of the Gold-Piercing Martial Library. He seemed to have absolutely no interest in an old man who had already fallen from grace.
Shin Byeok paid him no mind and asked,
"You should be focusing on the destruction of our fortress. What is the meaning of this outrage at an innocent library?"
"There are books we must urgently take before this place burns down," the Demon-Governing Venerable replied. "For instance, precious manuals like the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, Brilliant River, the Dragon Ring Sword, the Harmonious Bloom Divine Art, and all the martial arts of the Immortal Wood Spirit. Surely you wouldn't have left things like the Jeong Family Dynamic Art and Brilliant River in the Demonlight Wing pavilion, would you?"
"Ignorant fool. How many of those do you think are actually stored in this library?"
"If we manage to get even one, that is enough. But more than that, I have a question of my own. How did someone with such an ailing body manage to arrive so perfectly on time?"
"The Gold-Piercing Martial Library is positioned beside the First Clan of the Desolate Fortress. Such is the law of our fortress."
"Ah, so the Shin family estate was nearby. I understand." The Demon-Governing Venerable smiled as he continued. "I have one more question. This is purely out of curiosity regarding your sheer audacity. Just what kind of confidence..."
Flash!
Vanishing from his spot, the Venerable reappeared in an instant, grabbing Shin Byeok's shoulder.
Naturally, the purple fabric of the old man's robe creased under his grip—a perfect illustration of the Desolate Fortress's current, weakened standing in today's Jianghu.
"...Why did you show yourself? You're nothing but a washed-up old man who wears purple only in name."
"..."
Before they knew it, the area around the Gold-Piercing Martial Library was suffocating under the heat radiating from Tidal Fist Heaven.
A dense silence fell over the vicinity, riding upon the sunlight. The clear sky warped and shimmered, much like the old man's creased robe.
It was then.
The Demon-Governing Venerable suddenly caught a faint trace of telepathy.
Where had it descended from? The voice was marked by the distinct, clear pronunciation characteristic of scholars. It was the voice of the Grand Overseer of the Desolate Fortress.
[...Approved. The formation is ready, and the range is up to... The Nascent Soul of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps from two generations ago... is being activated now.]
"Not yet."
Shin Byeok moved his wrinkled lips, his face expressionless. He was not replying to the telepathy, but declaring a truth to the Demon-Governing Venerable.
"My spirit is purple."
Even before those words could fully leave his mouth, an intense energy rose from beneath the earth, enveloping the old man's feet and surging up his entire body.
Hum!
At the same time, a translucent wave of energy spread from Shin Byeok's forehead.
It was a ripple originating from the spirit of his upper dantian, cultivated meticulously over a long period. Instantly, the Demon-Governing Venerable's hand tightened on the old man's shoulder.
He shouldn't be taken hostage! I must kill him right here—!
It happened in a mere split second.
An afterimage of a figure with long hair, loosely tied and cascading down like a waterfall, rose from Shin Byeok's body.
Whoosh!
The wrinkled lips of the Elder Council Head were suddenly overlaid with supple skin, and his somewhat gaunt limbs swelled into smooth, muscular curves.
It was a profound mystery comparable to Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth. It was as if something unimaginably miraculous had possessed his body.
"..."
Before anyone could launch a surprise attack from such close proximity—
In the next instant, Elder Council Head Shin Byeok was gone. In his place stood a woman with long hair cascading down the back of her purple robe. It was as if a ghost had taken physical form and flawlessly overlaid itself onto a human body.
It was a state where the Nascent Soul—left behind by a deceased master of a supreme realm—resonated with an upper dantian of an equally lofty caliber, materializing the original body from when she was alive.
It was a trump card that could only be left behind by someone who had reached the legendary status of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
A sorcery martial art that transcended death itself.
Her red lips moved with a bold, hearty air.
[How much time is left?]
—An hour.
[More than enough.]
The Commander of the Divine Sword Corps from two generations ago did not care whether the Demon-Governing Venerable removed his hand from her shoulder or not. She simply placed her palm lightly against him.
At that exact moment—
BOOM!
An invisible palm force completely crushed the Demon-Governing Venerable's body like mud, sweeping even Tidal Fist Heaven aside and slamming him violently into a nearby wall.
Rumble!
In an instant, a thunderous vibration spread from the cracks radiating from the impact point, shaking the entire battlefield.
Shin Cheon-hwa muttered as she casually dusted off her hands.
[I should at least be able to see my successor's face before I go.]