Chapter 514: Sunset (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 514: Sunset (5)
Void Displacement.
A peerless great technique that the Ming Cult Leader, the Heaven-Smiling Invincible, had once used as a Life-Saving Herb. It was a skill that required countless preparations to cast properly even once, and twice as much effort to move to a specific destination.
For Jeong Yeon-shin, it was a technique of love and hate.
Quite some time had passed since he was robbed of the woman who had been like an older sister to him. Yet today, in a situation completely opposite to when he had lost Baek Mi-ryeo, he had successfully protected the Desolate Fortress.
Originally, this ultimate technique was not something Jeong Yeon-shin was permitted to use.
He had long since seen through its internal energy operation, of course. However, he lacked the enlightenment required to fully realize the subtle truths of Void Displacement—namely, the intent and the mnemonic.
Naturally, he could not step to any place he desired like the First Sword of the Outer Paths or the Dark Sky Emperor.
It was the same reason Jeong Yeon-shin and the Heaven-Smiling Invincible could not perfectly execute Lady Yul-ha's Plum Blossom Sword Art or Abbot Beomheo's Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm.
Only...
Jeong Yeon-shin was capable of directly pursuing his enemies' profound escapes.
He tracked the waves of energy they left behind in space like stains. It was a method of thrusting his sword into that faint mist and then triggering the internal energy technique of Void Displacement.
His enemies, certain of their escape, were often thrown into utter shock by this alone.
But it was not enough.
Just as the Lord of Heaven's Bane had once grumbled about luck while tracing the sword path of Void Displacement, Jeong Yeon-shin could not always succeed in his counter-pursuing sword strikes.
That was why he had entered closed-door training.
Even if only for a short time, he had honed those sword strikes in the city of the World Tree.
Jeong Yeon-shin had become quite adept at clumsily mimicking those superior to him.
It was also after that closed-door training that, with the permission of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, he had unified his sense of Qi with the World Tree to look down upon Xiangyang.
Thus, the swordplay of a mayfly, trained like the monkeys of the wild, had leaped across a vast distance in an instant, embracing the trunk of the World Tree. From Jiangsu Province to Huguang Province in a single breath.
[Yes, at that level, you are truly worthy of going with me. You are better than that Ma fellow.]
This was Shin Cheon-hwa's reaction after hearing the whole story.
Jeong Yeon-shin remained silent. But a gentleman's silence usually implied acknowledgment.
Rustle.
At the same time, Shin Cheon-hwa's pitch-black hair rose high as if bursting into laughter, then settled back down.
It was a sight that proved her peerless Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak. The True Qi within her body followed her mind without even a split second of delay.
Soon, her lips parted again.
[Anyway... no matter how much the martial world of the land dislikes the Desolate Fortress, a war like this has never occurred right in front of the main fortress. At least, not until I died... Hm, at this point, I don't even need to look around further to know. The country has fallen into ruin.]
Jeong Yeon-shin stopped observing her internal power waves and nodded.
"Yes, these are troubled times. And a time of famine as well."
For a moment, a pitch-black light flickered in Shin Cheon-hwa's eyes.
[Come to think of it, the Earth Qi is also unusual... You have suffered much. Both you and the warriors of the main fortress under your command.]
Soon, her gaze shifted to one side.
Ak Su-rim was now carrying the defenseless Tidal Fist Heaven on her shoulders like a bundle of luggage. She had sealed his acupoints with an Air-Hitting Palm while he was bound to the ground.
Tidal Fist Heaven let his massive body hang limp, looking exactly like a prisoner of war. If Ak Su-rim had been even slightly shorter, his toes would have scraped the dirt.
[Our Su-rim, her martial arts have improved a lot. To think she knows how to subdue a fellow like that.]
"It feels like only yesterday she was a runaway greenhorn," Jeong Yeon-shin replied.
Just as Shin Cheon-hwa finished speaking with a hint of amusement in her voice, Ak Su-rim suddenly asked, "Are you leaving for good?"
[Yes, there is something I must discuss with the other Purple Ranks.]
Nodding, Shin Cheon-hwa suddenly wore a mischievous expression.
[If you feel it's unfair, try creating a decent Life-Saving Herb of your own. Looking at you now, your physical condition is unusual in a good way; you might easily last another hundred years. You will certainly live longer than me.]
She spoke of Unified Martial Transcendence as if it were nothing.
Yet, Ak Su-rim's expression remained perfectly calm.
It was a face Jeong Yeon-shin had never seen before. At this moment, the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress truly looked like an old veteran of the martial world, one accustomed to farewells. Shin Cheon-hwa must have found this unfamiliar as well, for her eyes widened slightly.
Ak Su-rim handed Tidal Fist Heaven over to two Netherflow Unit experts who had hurriedly approached her, and said, "You know how difficult it is. Even my spear play drags on instead of moving forward."
The two warriors—one Blue Rank and one White Rank—briefly showed an awkward respect to Shin Cheon-hwa. They cast a deeply emotional glance toward Jeong Yeon-shin, conveying feelings that could not be fully expressed in a single look, before turning around and vanishing like lightning.
Whoosh!
In the backdraft of their lightness skill, Shin Cheon-hwa's robes fluttered in shades of purple.
[Is the latter half of the Ak Family Spear's ultimate techniques still your lingering regret?]
"Of course." Answering nonchalantly, Ak Su-rim reached her hand out toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
Void Grab. The energy released from her palm pulled the spear, and Jeong Yeon-shin obediently let go of the flag he had fashioned.
The moment Ak Su-rim snatched it, she slammed it into the ground.
Thud!
The ground shook violently.
Some martial artists who were slowly retreating from the distant marketplace of Xiangyang flinched. The girl clad in black robes possessed a temperament remarkably similar to that of the Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
The dust rising in a haze from the slammed spear shaft blurred the outline between Ak Su-rim's figure and the main gate of the Desolate Fortress.
They looked like one and the same.
It was the same when Ak Su-rim spoke again.
"For about fifteen minutes, I can more than fill in for the Acting Commander. He won't answer even if you call him now, so don't waste your time in vain."
[Yes, I once predicted that your spear would take the place of the main fortress's banner.]
The farewell of the veteran Desolate Fortress warriors was simple and understated.
Step.
The purple-robed woman turned fully toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
[I wonder if my guess is correct. From what I hear of the circumstances, it seems even the Chief Steward's Office cannot reach the current Purple Ranks of the main fortress.]
At her words, Jeong Yeon-shin immediately recalled his maternal grandfather's letter.
— The Dragon Clan and this old man will annihilate those that are not human, so you must subjugate the world.
Just as those words said.
Even as the main fortress faced crisis after crisis, Ma Yeon-jeok and Yong Hee-myung never showed themselves.
Had even a whisper of the main fortress's situation reached their ears, the martial world would have witnessed something entirely different in today's War of Annihilation at the Desolate Fortress.
Namely, the sight of Jeong Yeon-shin, Yong Hee-myung, and Ma Yeon-jeok standing side by side, their purple robes fluttering in the wind.
Recently, Abbot Beomheo had told Jeong Yeon-shin something similar.
That he must live in the martial world of humans. Naturally, beneath such words lay the sacrifices of their predecessors.
For the realm beyond the 'gate,' which not even the wings of Spirit Beasts could reach, was the domain of the Desolate Fortress's Elder's Council and the masters of the Nine Sects.
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke slowly.
"...I was told we can no longer hope for the assistance of our predecessors. The Chief Steward's Office of the main fortress is also handling everything while excluding them from our active forces."
He inwardly winced after casually categorizing even Yong Hee-myung as a predecessor. Though he truly meant it, it was hardly something to say in front of a grand senior of the main fortress.
[Indeed. Even the Lord of the Fortress wouldn't be able to pinpoint their exact location.]
Yet Shin Cheon-hwa did not seem to mind. It was hard to tell whether her nerves were naturally as blunt as iron rods, or if they had become that way after surviving countless profound battles.
She only continued to amplify the waves of energy she had raised since mentioning Ma Yeon-jeok, making them resound like the beating of drums.
Hummm!
It was the precursor to Void Displacement.
[Once you step inside the gate to deal with the strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural, you become isolated in that land as if you've entered the Immortal Realm. It's bound to be difficult to find them, even for a Spirit Beast's grandfather, let alone a Spirit Beast. And cutting down the gate with human martial arts is no easy task.]
This naturally brought to mind the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan. The old swordsman who had passed away after cutting down the gate of Mount Zhongnan.
But instead of speaking of him, Jeong Yeon-shin asked about the urgent matter at hand.
"The time you mentioned is almost up. Is your body alright?"
[Ah.]
Thump—
Shin Cheon-hwa suddenly stamped her foot, the corners of her mouth curling upward.
[It seems I've gained more time than I originally estimated.]
At the same time, a dense source of light sprouted beneath her feet.
Hummmmm!
In an instant, it split into several streams of blue light. They moved with a sharp shhh, like the bold brushstrokes of a painter, drawing a large circle.
In a flash, characters presumed to be from ancient times and bizarre patterns filled its borders.
[Your Dharma Power. I have no idea how you refined it, but it is currently holding this dispersing Nascent Soul together. If not for you, I wouldn't have had the time to look for that Ma kid.]
Shin Cheon-hwa slightly lowered her eyelids.
The former Commander of the Divine Sword Corps from two generations ago was completely immersed in a single technique.
Color returned to the face of Jeong Yeon-shin, who had inwardly given up. Even though he had declared victory earlier, he had just witnessed the deaths of his comrades from the main fortress.
Ever since he began to be addressed as 'Lord Jeong,' he had long lost any place to fully rest his mind. At this moment, he desperately craved Yong Hee-myung's counsel.
In a situation where I must lead the Desolate Fortress alone...
What should he do now, and how?
Though they had upheld the prestige of the Desolate Fortress, the aftermath of the war left immense damage.
In what direction should he restructure the organization of the main fortress after this war? His master, the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, would remain in the city of the World Tree for the time being due to the vast distance traveled.
[Ah, right.]
Just then, Shin Cheon-hwa lowered one hand diagonally.
[To see a wide range of expressions on that fellow's face, it would be best to bring this along.]
In an instant, dust and dirt were sucked into her palm.
Shhhhh—
The dust gathered in the center of her palm like mist, soon condensing into the shape of a jade bead.
On its surface, a faint image of the Desolate Fortress's main gate shimmered, and even Jeong Yeon-shin's figure was present. It was the scene from the beginning of the Great Sect War.
[We're in luck. I've captured most of it,] Shin Cheon-hwa muttered with a satisfied face.
A truly transcendent sight. At this moment, she seemed like a Mountain God scraping together the memories of the earth.
It was to a degree that could not even be compared to the Jegal Clan Leader whom Jeong Yeon-shin had once encountered.
Soon after, she spoke. Now, time was the issue.
[Sorcery Martial Arts begin with a Mantra and end with a Mantra. Generally, the martial arts you have learned manifest their power by filling the inside of your body with the mental image of the mnemonic... but with Sorcery Martial Arts, that intent must flow out into the world. Annoyingly so.]
The two stood atop the circular formation rotating with blue light.
[To bring about a great event, certain conditions must be met. Luck and inevitability must intertwine. And the condition to find Ma Yeon-jeok from here is...] Shin Cheon-hwa's words continued.
[From this moment on, that Ma kid only needs to call your name once. The instant he does, the formation will activate, consuming most of the energy of this powerful Nascent Soul.]
"I understand the gist of it."
At Jeong Yeon-shin's calm reply, Shin Cheon-hwa smiled somewhat sheepishly.
[To be honest, this is a miracle that only the Ming Cult Leader of old could have performed. I'm sorry for speaking as if it would be possible right away, but first, heaven's luck must...]
It was then.
Suddenly, a tremor like an earthquake rumbled from beneath the ground. The patterns of the formation began to slowly rotate with the sound of crushing earth.
Fwoosh!
Shin Cheon-hwa shut her mouth and vanished from her spot, utterly speechless. Immediately after, Ak Su-rim, who had stood at a distance, wore an exasperated expression.
Jeong Yeon-shin's figure also completely dispersed, leaving behind only the image of a sword slashing through the air.
* * *
A mountain of pitch-black scales.
It was of no ordinary size. It was, quite literally, a colossal evil. Beneath the endlessly vast shadow it cast, two men sat casually on the dirt ground.
Though their attire differed, they were men who appeared to be in their thirties.
"They told us to live in the martial world of humans? Isn't this a bit too much?" one of them spoke.
He had parted the elegant purple hem of his robes, which looked as if they belonged in a painting, and was cauterizing a deep, torn wound on his chest himself—with his left hand, which was ceaselessly distorting the surrounding air.
Smoke from Samadhi True Fire rose with a sizzle from his flesh.
Rumble.
At that burning aura, the mountain of pitch-black scales gave a massive squirm.
Yet neither of them looked back. For the handiwork of these two men never allowed for any variables from their opponents. This held true even if the enemy was a Flood Dragon akin to a heavenly god.
Soon, the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, Yong Hee-myung, frowned slightly and spoke as if reciting a poem.
"How fleeting is life. To think I am already in a position where I must tend to a hale and hearty old man. What use is being the owner of the Sword of Divine Attainment under heaven? I, too, wish to stroll along a lakeside where people live."
"Quiet," the man with his back turned to him, clad in a pink robe, retorted bluntly.
Yong Hee-myung replied immediately. "Is your flank alright? It seems to have gone in quite deep. If you feel like you're about to suffer a stroke, you must tell me in advance. I absolutely detest troublesome things."
"You are talking nonsense out of sheer boredom. If you babble any more useless drivel, this old man's hand might strike you instead."
Yong Hee-myung chuckled at those words. Adjusting the front of his robe, he asked casually, "Nothing major has happened at the main fortress, right?"
"My grandson is there. Worry about yourself."
"Speaking of him, how far do you think that fellow has climbed by now?"
"He will catch up to you soon, at the very least," the man said.
Yong Hee-myung smiled broadly. It was a somewhat teasing smile. "Of course, that is entirely possible. Weren't you, senior, also a 'soon' to me? Right up until the ownership of the Sword of Divine Attainment shifted to me."
"What did you say?"
"I have high expectations in my own way. I, too, quite dislike holding an ambiguous position."
At Yong Hee-myung's words, the man in the pink robe snorted. "Soon, the whole world will know. That my grandson, the Flash Art Jeong Yeon-shin, will wash away the Death Sword Yong Hee-myung like the leading waters of the Yangtze River and grasp the Sword of Divine Attainment."
"We shall see. I have only just begun to get used to this hilt. More than anything, we must first return alive..."
In that instant, both of them fell silent at the same time. Translucent figures suddenly began to shimmer between them.
"What now... Hm?" Yong Hee-myung, who had been leisurely clenching and unclenching his fist, narrowed his eyes.
Shhhhh—
Shades of purple gently spread through the gloom cast by the mountain of scales. It was the moment they amounted to four robes in total.
[We've arrived at the right place.]
It was the purple-robed master of the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall.