Chapter 529: The Southern Venerable (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 529: The Southern Venerable (8)
The sword of Wudang.
And the martial arts of the Wudang Sect Leader, which had not been overshadowed by the prestigious reputation of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps for decades.
Before facing the Perfected Mystic Concord, Jeong Yeon-shin had anticipated a sword technique based on the principle of softness overcoming hardness—a style that gently suppressed even the most powerful strikes. After all, Wudang's martial attainments were widely known throughout the Jianghu through such tales.
Experiencing it firsthand, however, proved otherwise.
The Perfected Mystic Concord's Songmun Ancient Sword pressed down on Jeong Yeon-shin with overwhelming force. With a gesture that looked like he was casually waving a tree branch, all the nearby Natural Qi was sucked in, wrapping around Jeong Yeon-shin's Body Protection Qi in a curved trajectory and shattering it.
It was like fighting a materialized typhoon.
The Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style was utterly powerless within it.
The same went for his Brilliant River.
An eight-layered offensive stance was shattered by a mere Cotton Palm. He didn't even get to see the Ten Stages of Brocade. The Fa Jin force of his Brilliant River was constantly dispersed by a technique that filled the gaps between its waves like gusts of wind. It was an event so unbelievable it was hard to accept, and it repeated itself over and over.
And this was despite the fact that the current Perfected Mystic Concord's martial arts should have been clearly inferior to Abbot Beomheo's.
‘Have I fallen into demonic possession as well?’ Jeong Yeon-shin wondered. Had something gone wrong with the precision of his most crucial stances? Otherwise, this made no sense.
And so, three days passed.
Time, flowing like water, reached a cliff called Mars Rock. True to its name, it was a place so exceptionally high that one couldn't help but wonder if it was the entrance to the Immortal Realm. It was located somewhere deep within the mountain ridges of Wudang.
Ssshh—
Stone dust drifted down like smoke. Below, a sea of pure white clouds silently swallowed the falling dust. As if by magic, the roaring sounds that had echoed across Mount Wudang subsided.
The Perfected Mystic Concord stared quietly at Jeong Yeon-shin, who was embedded in the cliffside. His eyebrows were raised so high that deep wrinkles creased his forehead. Was this the supreme Wudang Sect Leader's own expression of exasperation? It was a world away from their first meeting, when he had barely shown any emotion.
Rustle.
The old Taoist took a step back, treading on empty air. As he did, the sunlight clearly revealed his face.
The first thing that caught the eye was his dry, rough skin. He had clearly not eaten properly for some time, yet a chillingly sharp energy gathered in his gently curved eyes. This was true even though his ash-gray hair hung limply, much like that of a rustic mountain Taoist.
Hyeon-gong of the Immortal Boundary.
The impression given by this absolute master, said to stand at the very edge of the immortal martial lineage, was reminiscent of a noble lion. It was even said that Lady Yul-ha's Unified Martial Transcendence, ‘Crimson Horizon,’ was named after the Perfected Mystic Concord's alias.
—Will you continue?
He asked without moving his lips.
Jeong Yeon-shin forcibly pulled out his right arm, which was embedded so deeply in the stone wall it looked like an engraving. With a sharp crack, a long, fine fissure split across the cliffside.
The Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. The focus of his eyes was slightly off, but a strange madness clung to his face.
“I can go on for another year and two hundred and seventeen days.”
—Ah.
The Perfected Mystic Concord let out a soft sigh of exclamation and continued.
—You have gone mad from two different things.
“The Buddha's eyes see only Buddha. I will make sure to chase away your senile spirit, Sect Leader.”
—Must you truly lose a limb before you come to your senses? It is not I, but you who…
Suddenly, the absolute master of Wudang slowly shifted his gaze. It moved toward Jeong Yeon-shin's left hand.
—…
In that grip, a wrapping cloth was held tightly, without a single speck of dust on it.
Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin had been striving for three days not to lose sight of the mad Taoist's gaze. Naturally, as he followed that gaze, his own eyes widened.
“I…”
“Had another hand, it seems.”
A belated murmur escaped the lips of the Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
Even amidst the fierce battle, the box was safe. He had made sure it remained safe. Of course he had to. Although the current world was one where even the corpses of high-ranking officials were used to nourish the earth's energy, the Wudang Ancient Sword deserved to return to the embrace of its sect.
Intact.
“Haha.”
Jeong Yeon-shin laughed with a look of newfound relief. It was an unprecedented sight: the temperament of a righteous madman.
Conversely, the Perfected Mystic Concord's expression stiffened visibly. The roles of host and guest had been reversed. Which of them was supposed to be protecting the Ancient Sword?
“Madman,” he said, this time speaking aloud. “Why are you so…”
But the Perfected Mystic Concord could not finish his sentence. A hazy frost crept back into his eyes, which had cleared for a brief moment. His wrinkled lips locked tight into a stubborn, straight line.
His mind was slipping in and out. It was a symptom of demonic possession. It was undoubtedly madness.
Jeong Yeon-shin's face showed confusion. Is he like the Lazy Flame Dragon?
—How pitiful.
The Perfected Mystic Concord clicked his tongue. Regardless of the process, he had successfully suppressed Jeong Yeon-shin.
—Every single one of your stances was a killing strike. Whether it is because you have recently strode through battlefields, or because you unleashed them with the resolve to do so in the future… Though you seem to have touched upon a few fated encounters by heaven's luck, the Three Pure Powers of Taoism will never be permitted to you. It is a power on an entirely different plane from that wondrous Dharma power of yours.
“What do you mean by a different plane?”
—One who hates, one who is possessed by killing intent and impatience… Buddhist Dharma power would naturally expand its own strength to soothe such a mind. However, the power of Taoism is not water, but wind. It does not linger in those whose minds are stagnant like a rotten well.
Thud.
The old Taoist took another step in midair. Instantly, a freezing wind whipped up from the hem of his Taoist robe. Jeong Yeon-shin felt a mortal threat.
—Therefore, I have no interest in you…
“Just take the wrapping cloth.”
—Go. Return and look after yourself. I will not be bound by anything. Not my sect, not my disciples, not my martial brothers…
The aged voice scattered into the distance. At that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin activated the Sight of the Lowly, his eyes turning pure white, but—
Whoosh!
The Perfected Mystic Concord's figure dissolved fleetingly like mist. It was a Wudang Cloud-Ladder Step that no one in the Jianghu had ever heard of. The mnemonics of his Body Protection Scripture had clearly been developed on the premise of Void Stepping.
And one last phrase remained.
—Do. Not. Look. For. Me.
The voice was halting and extremely rough, just like the cliffside Jeong Yeon-shin was currently embedded in.
“…”
Following the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect, the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, and the First Sword of the Outer Paths, who was the Lord of Heaven's Bane—it was yet another defeat.
‘Am I truly the lowest of the five…?’
Though it had occurred under special circumstances in a place where no one was watching, Jeong Yeon-shin felt a rush of heat rising all the way to his head.
‘No.’
Despite having lived so long, none of them could swing a sword normally besides himself.
Ssshh—
Meanwhile, the stone dust from the cliff was repelled the moment it touched the wrapping cloth in his grip. It was thanks to a faint barrier of True Qi.
The Tang Clan Siblings were cradling the Perfected Ancient Sword.
From the moment he stepped into the world until now.
Incessantly, through day and night.
*
The Five Great Swords of the World.
A collective term for the peerless swordsmen who could be counted on one hand in the vast Ming Dynasty. Those who possessed sword techniques comparable to an entire army. Naturally, any ruler commanding a great power had no choice but to watch their every move, and the Deep Martial Alliance of the Thirteen Heavens was no exception.
At this moment, a register of names lay on a massive table.
Immortal Boundary Hyeon-gong.
Death Sword Yong Hee-myung.
Tyrant Sword Mad Dao Dan Seong-eum.
Heaven-Surpassing Wanderer Man Hwi.
Wilderness Sunfall Jeong Yeon-shin.
The scent of ink wafted strongly from the report, which was thick enough to be a book. It had only recently been completed.
Glancing at it, a woman slowly parted her lips.
“Not a single name on here is someone we can reason with.” Her tone was definitive.
Slide.
She then slumped lazily against the backrest. The front of her yellow martial uniform was messily disheveled, and a large broadsword leaned casually against her thigh. Yet, no one in the room dared to point out her attitude.
Young Alliance Leader Gun Yurin. She was acting on behalf of the Leader of the Deep Martial Alliance, who had entered closed-door cultivation. The Eldest Son, whose arms had been torn off by a pink-clad freak, had crossed the Sanzu River long ago. As the sole successor of the great sect known as the Deep Martial Alliance, Gun Yurin was also the master of a martial arts army numbering in the thousands.
“The Imperial Court's pressure on our alliance has grown stronger,” she said, resting her chin on the back of her hand. “Whether they've been backed into a corner because of those demonfolk monsters, or if they've simply found this chaotic age too difficult to control. At any rate, our alliance needs to decide on our stance soon, but I have no idea how many of those five will actually show up in the North… We desperately need either the symbolism of their swords or their sheer martial power. If the northern front is truly devastated, it might just be like pouring water into a broken jar.”
Her words did not end as a mere murmur. It was an inquiry into her subordinates' thoughts. Gun Yurin's gaze shifted to the saber-wielder sitting with her.
Radiant Blade Venerable Geum Min. She was the greatest beauty of the Deep Martial Alliance. Her appearance featured the hilt of a large broadsword rising prominently behind her smooth yet disheveled hair. Her intelligent eyes were deep in thought. She had originally been a strong warrior of upright conduct, but her personality had changed after witnessing a certain freak kill the Eldest Son and vanish into thin air. She had fallen into a heart demon after beginning to train a saber Qi as fierce as a blazing fire.
“The only one with any real possibility…” the Radiant Blade Venerable spoke. “…would be the Wilderness Sunfall. Although there was an imperial decree from the Emperor forbidding him from heading north, that is precisely why he is someone who would head north anyway. Given the character he has shown in the Jianghu over a considerable period and his connection with Emperor Geonreung.”
“That's true,” Gun Yurin nodded. She said this because she had accompanied Jeong Yeon-shin, even if only for a short time. “But the northern Jianghu is damnably vast. One person simply won't be enough. The only peerless experts on our side who have delved into the Nascent Soul are the Perfected Ancient Sword and the Lord of the Tenth Sect.”
Gun Yurin continued her questioning. “So, aside from that marvelous friend, what about the others?”
The Radiant Blade Venerable replied with a blunt face. “It is said that the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect is living in seclusion in Shaanxi. Although there are rumors that he encountered the Mount Hua Sect Leader, and that the Lotus Peak vanished entirely from that spot… in any case, the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect is not someone who will help with this country's affairs. What could we possibly expect from royalty of the fallen Dali Kingdom?”
“Hmm.”
“It has also been quite some time since the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, Yong Hee-myung, went missing. At this point, it’s almost certain he has passed on. He must be excluded from the discussion.”
Slide.
Gun Yurin clasped her hands behind her neck. “Should we keep our soldiers to ourselves? There's no point in even discussing the rest. Wudang and Heaven's Bane.”
Her speech, which showed no respect to anyone, was proof of her status as a member of the Murim local aristocracy, which was now beginning to transition into a regional warlord class.
“With even the whereabouts of Sword Saint Hyeon So-baek currently unknown… we must assume that a massive force with the symbolic weight of the Five Great Swords of the World no longer exists in the Central Plains.”
“Boosting morale is out of the question, then. Our alliance's martial arts army will just die the moment they arrive in the North. So, no matter how I look at it…” Gun Yurin tilted her head toward her master, the Radiant Blade Venerable, and whispered casually, “It seems better to take advantage of this chaotic era to establish a small dynasty of our own. Who would dare touch us? The Imperial Court is crumbling, and they say the Desolate Fortress is in shambles now too.”
“The Dali Kingdom tried that and was destroyed by the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.”
“That's a different case. The Dali Dan Clan joined hands with the demonfolk.”
“Founding a nation is a much graver matter. It is an absurd idea to begin with.”
At the Radiant Blade Venerable's firm assertion, one corner of Gun Yurin's mouth curled upward. “Well, I'm a bit suspicious. I wonder if there are limits to the distance and time the Lord of the Desolate Fortress can move around. It's been especially true since the famine began. He hasn't intervened in too many incidents.”
“Young Alliance Leader.”
“Anyway, our alliance must absolutely not go blind right now. Deploy our subordinates as much as possible to keep a close eye on all directions. I learned that in times of chaos like this, all sorts of events are bound to erupt simultaneously. Especially concerning these five.”
Tap.
Gun Yurin's index finger traced down the register of the Five Great Swords of the World. The friction between her calloused skin and the paper filled the quiet room.
“They possess far too much fame and martial power. Naturally, these are names directly linked to the state of the world. If they were to contact one another on their own, without the intervention of the Imperial Court or our alliance…”
She cut herself off. A subordinate had entered the room without permission, his footsteps incredibly hurried. He was a scribe whose duty was to gather and organize the reports regularly sent to the Deep Martial Alliance from across the endlessly vast land, utilizing his Body Protection Scripture to travel.
The moment Gun Yurin received the report from him, she flinched. It was a scroll so long that it seemed fit for use on a battlefield. The paper was packed with writing in a rigid, military-style hand.
— Shaanxi: The study hall known as the Hibiscus Academy collapsed under the palm technique of the Jongcheon Child, Jeong Hye. The prominent spiral palm print is similar to the Brilliant River of the Flash Art lineage. Movements by nearby Jianghu martial artists seeking the mnemonics of the divine art have been detected.
— Shaanxi: The Cloud Sword Dragon, Wiji Myo-hwa, slaughtered over a hundred Jianghu martial artists targeting Jeong Hye. She is estimated to have reached the realm of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, but confirmation is required.
— Shaanxi: Mount Hua's Hidden Dragon, Yu-hyeon, has inherited the Sect Leader's Command Token and the Purple Mist Divine Sword.
— Shaanxi: The Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect is heading southeast.
— Jiangxi: Rumors that the true body of the World Tree has made a slight movement.
— Huguang: The absence of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress continues.
— Huguang: The Divine Blood Ultimate Demon, Jin Myeong-jo, is leading the forces of the Desolate Fortress as the Vice Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. The whereabouts of the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, Ak Su-rim, are unknown.
— Huguang: Half of Mount Wudang's peak has collapsed. Repeated landslides. The Wudang Sect Leader, the Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, and the Lord of Heaven's Bane—these three individuals have made contact.
— Zhejiang: Aside from Heaven's Bane, all sects in Hangzhou, including the Great Thoroughfare Sect, have been annihilated.
— Beijing: Lord of the Wish-Fulfilling Spring Bukgung-a and Commander of the Dragon-Treading Unit Wiji Geuk, both under the Divine Sword Corps, have been escorted to the Forbidden City as high traitors.
— Beyond the Border, North Sea Ice Palace: The Ice Palace Master is pregnant.
— Beyond the Border, North Sea Ice Palace: Lazy Flame Dragon of the Demonlight Wing, in his capacity as the First Consort of the Ice Palace Master, has received the Ming Cult Leader, the Heaven-Smiling Invincible.
— Beyond the Border, North Sea Ice Palace: An accidental duel occurred between the Former Hwangbo Clan Head and the Grand Preceptor of the Ming Cult. Rumored to be a draw.
— Northern Great Wall: The Fighting God has appeared.