Chapter 511: Sunset (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 511: Sunset (2)
Immediately after exchanging a single blow with the Leader of the Horde of Demons Green Forest, Ak Su-rim's voice transmission pierced into Jeong Yeon-shin's mind.
—Close your eyes. I will stand guard.
It was the advice of a seasoned veteran.
Her words carried two meanings.
That this was not a battle the Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps had to fight alone, and that it was time to cool both his mind and body.
Jeong Yeon-shin stood still for a brief yet seemingly eternal moment, calming his internal state.
The Sword House and the Myriad Blossoms Rain.
He had unleashed them on a scale unprecedented throughout his entire journey in the Jianghu.
Nearly a thousand deaths. The price for driving two of the Thirteen Heavens to the brink of total annihilation with a mere two moves was bound to be immense.
The strain on his Accumulated Qi Amount and the acupoints across his entire body was monstrous. For the first time in a very long while, a tingling sensation radiated from the Baihui Point at the crown of his head.
To fully recover his body, half a day—let alone a mere fifteen minutes—would naturally be insufficient.
Moreover, the gaze of Hyeokryeon Pung-wol, Lord of the Martial Dragon Association, constantly swept over Jeong Yeon-shin, giving him the sensation of his exhausted body being dragged entirely into a swamp.
Ak Su-rim slammed the butt of her spear into the ground, glaring at the two peak experts of the Horde of Demons Green Forest for what felt like an eternity.
Finally, just before the standoff shattered—as the Master of the Martial Apex Hall was sent flying into the fortress wall by Hyeokryeon Pung-wol's palm technique, and Leader Je Gang-cheon managed to suppress the backlash of the Unified Martial Transcendence he had previously unleashed—
An anomaly occurred.
"..."
Jeong Yeon-shin stared blankly ahead.
Step.
Against the backdrop of thick, rising dust, a man stepped out of the trench Jeong Yeon-shin had carved and stood up. He wore a four-eyed demon mask and the faded red battle robe of a grand general.
Just by straightening his posture, the air above his head seemed to warp and distort. The atmosphere grew searingly hot, biting into the skin as if summer had been dragged forward ahead of its time.
For a brief moment, Jeong Yeon-shin thought that if the poppy addict of the Demonlight Wing hadn't neglected his training, he would have looked like this.
—Tidal Fist Heaven. He is the Lord of the Myriad Phenomena Water Channel Fortress. A person of interest who blends the martial arts of the imperial navy and the northern Jianghu with overwhelming skill...
The profound Thousand-Mile Voice Transmission of Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong struck Jeong Yeon-shin's ears, only to abruptly cut off.
Had something gone wrong?
At this moment, when he had to focus his entire body's sense of Qi on his enemies, it was impossible to tell.
The Main Fortress, which comfortably housed ninety-nine pavilions, was as vast as the palace of a decent-sized nation. The distance from the main gate to the Grand Steward's office was no small span.
'...No.'
Jeong Yeon-shin pictured the faces of all the scholars in the Grand Steward's office at once, but he didn't let any emotion show on his face. He had to trust in their resolve and the eye technique of the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit.
And then.
[The weeds of the Jianghu...]
A slightly playful yet weary voice rang out. It came from a woman who now stood with her back to Jeong Yeon-shin, her considerable height half-blocking Tidal Fist Heaven from view.
[...are endless, no matter how many you pluck.]
she murmured.
Rustle—
An overwhelming presence emanated from her back as her purple robes fluttered.
It was something beyond internal energy. It was something Jeong Yeon-shin did not yet possess—an aura that didn't stem merely from raw power.
"Could it be...?"
Behind him, Ak Su-rim blankly muttered to herself. Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin rapidly analyzed the sequence of events that had occurred up until this unfamiliar Purple Rank figure had driven Tidal Fist Heaven back to this spot.
He measured the faint traces of internal power waves lingering in the air above them.
'She drove him here through the air.'
She had continuously deflected Tidal Fist Heaven by executing more than twenty-seven techniques in rapid succession, each perfectly placed. And she had done so using sorcery martial arts.
An absurd level of skill.
It was bizarre, in a different sense from the Heaven-Smiling Invincible.
She gave off the feeling that she could effortlessly crush any variable like flowing water. She seemed like someone who had lived at the absolute peak of the Jianghu for a very long time.
"Who are you?"
Jeong Yeon-shin asked in a low voice. Immediately after:
Slight turn.
The woman, who had been staring quietly at the distant horizon, turned her head slightly to the side.
Her jawline, sharp as a blade, was naturally accentuated as her lips moved without hesitation.
[You don't have the Sword of Divine Attainment. You are not the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.]
"..."
[Did the Ma family brat wash his hands in a golden basin?]
At that moment, the axe that had been spinning like a typhoon in the grasp of the Leader of the Horde of Demons Green Forest, who sat atop his warhorse, suddenly ground to a halt.
Thud!
A powerful backdraft erupted, carving a deep trench beside the horse's hooves. A heavy vibration spread outward. At the same time, Leader Je Gang-cheon looked down at them from an angle and spoke.
"If you speak of the esteemed senior, the Hegemon Hero of the Desolate Ma Clan, it has been a long time since he last showed his face in the Jianghu..."
As he spoke slowly, a ghost-like realization flashed across his face.
"What is your name? I never dreamed there would be another Purple Rank in the Desolate Fortress."
[How regrettable.]
The woman smiled faintly.
[You do not deserve to hear it.]
"..."
She then turned her head a bit further back. Her gaze was directed not at Jeong Yeon-shin, but at Ak Su-rim standing beside him.
[Su-rim, you look exactly as you did in the old days.]
Jeong Yeon-shin glanced to his side.
The expression of the senior, who had stood guard for him with the most reliable presence in the world, was now painted with sheer shock.
She didn't look like a seasoned veteran of the Jianghu, but rather the young girl she appeared to be. It was somewhat similar to when he had once seen his maternal grandfather regain his youth.
'An ally.'
Just as Jeong Yeon-shin reached this brief conclusion:
"As expected of the world's greatest sect."
The Lord of the Martial Dragon Association, who had been standing off to the side, clapped with a look of mock admiration.
"They just keep coming out endlessly. First, lightning suddenly strikes in the far east... Truly fitting for a pandemonium plotting to overthrow the Jianghu. How terrifying."
Was it a premonition of his Body Protection Scripture? He tapped the ground with the tip of his foot as he spoke, but the Purple Rank woman's gaze turned back to Jeong Yeon-shin.
She asked:
[What is your rank?]
"...Acting Commander."
[I am curious about your mettle. Shall we coordinate our hands?]
She was proposing a joint attack.
Even without emitting any particularly powerful energy, she was effortlessly calming the atmosphere of the battlefield.
She was different from Jeong Yeon-shin, who had previously unleashed wide-area ultimate techniques purely on impulse.
"You are curious about the mettle of the Wilderness Sunfall? Having experienced it firsthand, I can tell you myself."
Je Gang-cheon chimed in with a refined voice.
Perhaps the sudden appearance of this woman in purple robes loomed as a massive variable. At this moment, he seemed to have decided to wait for the martial artists of the Jianghu who were crossing the distant horizon beyond the Main Fortress's main gate.
"He is certainly an absurdly outstanding figure as a martial artist. In the distant future, he might even be able to challenge the Fighting God of the northern lands."
Then, a deep and resonant voice flowed from his lips, which wore an elegant smile.
"But as a Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, he is arguably the worst candidate in history. Unable to control his own temper, he went and created such a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Anyone can easily guess how much of his energy was wasted in doing so. If such a person were to take complete control of the Desolate Fortress's Divine Sword Corps... well, I shall stop there."
[A mere bandit talking like a scholar.]
"I am a mountain bandit."
The Leader's reply was brief.
The woman in purple robes glanced at the severed heads in Jeong Yeon-shin's hands.
[Are they your comrades?]
"...The Commander of the Searing Abyss Unit and the Commander of the Netherflow Unit."
Hum.
Jeong Yeon-shin replied, sending their heads flying toward the fortress wall with a gentle Void Grab.
The male and female peak experts of the Horde of Demons Green Forest, each clad in silver armor and blocking the rear, did not stop him.
Whether it was because the clash was imminent, or because their earlier words praising the two unit commanders had been sincere, it was impossible to know.
Meanwhile,
[Those bastards...]
The Purple Rank woman rarely hid her inner thoughts. Her immediate expression of utter dismay made that clear.
Jeong Yeon-shin said no more and stepped toward the Lord of the Martial Dragon Association, Tidal Fist Heaven, and Taebaek Buwang.
Step.
He advanced toward the three peerless experts without hesitation. He hadn't even verbally coordinated with the unknown Purple Rank woman.
It was an action that made no sense unless he had some meticulous plan.
"Even though I just pointed out your lack of qualifications as a Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, Lord Jeong..."
Je Gang-cheon's lips twitched. It was a face that made it hard to tell if he was smiling or frowning.
"That momentum of yours is certainly terrifying. I was thinking of sharing some pleasantries with this unknown guest until our reinforcements arrived, but it seems you are both Desolate Fortress martial artists to the bone. Utterly selfish, and completely incapable of understanding that victory and defeat are common in war."
His words shattered the long standoff.
Boom!
Suddenly, one of the peak experts of the Horde of Demons Green Forest lunged at Jeong Yeon-shin, only to be blasted back by Ak Su-rim's instantaneous spear throw.
A heavy ripple disturbed the air with a thud. Simultaneously, the silver-armored peak expert, who had spun in beside him by a hair's breadth, threw his entire body weight into a kick that sent Ak Su-rim flying by her raised forearm.
Crash—!
It was a coordinated attack carrying the distinct military style of disrupting the enemy's formation.
However, he didn't get to watch Ak Su-rim bounce and slide along the ground like a skipping stone to the very end.
Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been walking toward Je Gang-cheon, had returned to his original position as if by magic, grabbing the very leg that had kicked Ak Su-rim in the span of an instant. It was a retreating footwork that seemed to rewind time.
Radiant Wing Sixth Step.
The Lord of the Martial Dragon Association, who had been standing with his arms crossed like a true bystander, slowly unclasped his hands and muttered, "It's not the Vajra Immovable Body Art...?"
"You shouldn't have done that."
The voice leaked through Jeong Yeon-shin's teeth.
"...!"
The eyes of the silver-armored peak expert widened. According to reports from the Desolate Fortress's Grand Steward's office, he had suddenly appeared, earned the moniker Gaewol Cheonsu, and had since found few rivals in the mountain martial world.
Crunch!
Jeong Yeon-shin crushed his leg in a single grip and raised his head.
The massive figure of Je Gang-cheon atop his warhorse was falling from the sky, casting a giant shadow.
In an instant, Jeong Yeon-shin spun in a blur, throwing Gaewol Cheonsu by his leg and slamming him into the fortress wall with a crash! Right beside him, the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit, who had been sitting slumped like a corpse, naturally raised his reversely held Desolate Fortress Sword and pierced the man's throat.
Spurt!
The black-robed swordsman of the Divine Sword Corps still hung his head deeply as if unconscious, having only moved his hand.
His arm was, in essence, the arm of the Acting Commander.
Thanks to this, Jeong Yeon-shin didn't waste his internal energy unnecessarily and was able to raise his palm toward the horse and rider descending upon his head.
Brilliant River erupted instantly.
Craaaack—!
A massive shockwave erupted. Threads of pale shockwaves whipped in all directions alongside a wild wind.
At this moment, Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes flashed with a ghostly blue light as he repeated a single thought over and over.
Kill the Jianghu.
No matter how much he calmed his mind and body, the composure of the Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps—who would turn eighteen when tomorrow's sun rose—was incredibly shallow.
It was like the moat surrounding the Main Fortress, which now held not a single drop of water because Tidal Fist Heaven had evaporated it all.
Rumble!
The ground beneath Jeong Yeon-shin's feet fractured into tiny pieces, while the Body Protection Qi enveloping Je Gang-cheon and his warhorse was torn away entirely like mist.
In the next instant, he stepped aside and drew Lingering Thunder above his head.
It was a combination of the Radiant Wing Step and Qilin's Judgment, and the hazy trajectory of his sword draw violently grazed the warhorse's torso.
Splat!
The warhorse's body tore apart in all directions as if struck by a cannonball.
[...I am well aware of your terrible physical condition, Lord Jeong.]
Amidst the sight of blood, flesh, and bone fragments scattering and messily refracting the clear sunlight, Je Gang-cheon kicked off his saddle and soared into the air.
[And I know that whenever you were cornered, you defeated your enemies by inventing incredibly novel and bizarre techniques.]
It was an intent that flowed out like a beam of light when the power of essence, qi, and spirit was pushed to its absolute limit.
It was clearly the precursor to the Unified Martial Transcendence. Since he had already unleashed it once, he was undoubtedly prepared to completely ruin his Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
[But unless one reaches the realm of the Fighting God, that is merely a trivial individual ability. Commanding a group comparable to an army is an entirely different matter.]
Thuuuum—!!
It was a bizarre sound, like the beating of a great drum.
Perhaps because he had unleashed it on foot rather than on horseback, a vibration instantly enveloped his body and violently shook the atmosphere. It literally felt as if an earthquake had struck the heavens.
And Je Gang-cheon was not the only one.
Behind Jeong Yeon-shin's back...
A highly similar resonance was felt from the body of Tidal Fist Heaven, who was facing the Purple Rank woman.
It was an aura that drew the attention of the martial artists who were now crossing the private residences of Xiangyang with swift lightness skills and overwhelming numbers, fiercely boosting the energy of those about to step onto the battlefield.
That, too, was a military trait.
[Today, the Desolate Fortress will fall, and all boundaries under heaven will vanish. Differences in nation, status, clan, and orthodox or unorthodox paths will soon become meaningless before the famine that will sweep the world. As a mere mountain bandit of the lowest status, I am taking away the 'gap' you possess. This world—at least the Jianghu—must become one body.]
Je Gang-cheon's intent poured down all at once like a waterfall, accompanied by a vibration that generated a massive suction force around him.
It was clearly a form of Fa Jin.
Unleashing it after losing his steed was surely his true life-saving technique.
Rumble!
A pale ripple rose from the feet of the martial artists who had approached within a short distance of the Desolate Fortress's main gate.
It looked as if the Star Absorption Technique had manifested from a distance; the propulsion shockwaves of the lightness skills they were using were all sucked into Je Gang-cheon. Just as the fierce power of the cavalry charge had gathered in him earlier.
"Heh...!"
"What is this!"
The sounds of people tumbling in confusion.
At the same time, two swords were sheathed and drawn from Jeong Yeon-shin's waist.
It took only an instant for the Songmun Ancient Sword in his grip to trace a sharp circle, as if swimming through time.
The moment the sword tip pointed at Je Gang-cheon, the shockwaves in all directions subsided, leaving only a single sound of tearing flesh.
Thud—
A disappointingly weak sound of impact.
It erupted from Je Gang-cheon's body.
Immediately after, Jeong Yeon-shin's figure, which had fragmented like a mirage, dragged Je Gang-cheon down and stood stamping on his chest. It was a movement that occurred literally in the blink of an eye.
Slam.
"..."
Jeong Yeon-shin looked down at him with eyes rolled back, flashing blue. He had no need for new techniques against an inferior opponent.
Pfft...
A hollow laugh escaped Je Gang-cheon's mouth, though it wasn't loud since his chest was currently ruptured.
"To think... you possess such a profound... Taiji. Against crowd after crowd... how do you plan to handle that multitude, the entire Jianghu...?"
It was then.
"Lord Jeong!"
A gourd flew from afar.
Jeong Yeon-shin caught it instantly and glanced at the thrower. It was a young man with a languid impression clad in blue martial robes. He had seen him in passing once; he was Sam-bok of the Netherflow Unit.
A familiar aroma of alcohol wafted from the gourd.
It was the Thunder Immortal Treasure Wine, known in the Desolate Fortress as an eternal healing medicine. He had once drunk it in front of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress when accepting the name Flash Art.
'I will end it here.'
Pop.
Without hesitation, Jeong Yeon-shin popped the stopper and began to gulp down the wine.
Standing on a land piled high with a mountain of corpses, treading upon the Leader of the Horde of Demons Green Forest, he didn't even hide the sound of his throat gulping down the liquid, unlike his usual self.
He looked completely possessed by the spirit of battle.
"..."
The surrounding area fell into a dead silence.
Even the movements of the martial artists rushing in with their lightness skills ground to a halt.