Chapter 78: The Contest (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 78: The Contest (2)
"What about the Lord of the Desolate Fortress?"
"It has been a long time since I last beheld his face. Even before this contest was announced."
This conversation took place in the seats of honor overlooking the central training ground of the Desolate Fortress. The speakers were the Elder Council Head and the Former Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
An elderly man, elegantly draped in purple robes, chuckled. He was the Elder Council Head of the Desolate Fortress.
As he stroked the white beard hanging from his chin, the sheer presence radiating from his smallest gestures proved no less formidable than that of Ma Yeon-jeok.
He spoke.
"A long time? It has barely been seven days and nights. You ought to pay more attention to your own household instead. I heard there was a foolishly large commotion over there."
"I have just returned from venting my fury. Before she is imperial royalty, she is a member of my household. How dare she act so rashly..." Ma Yeon-jeok muttered, his expression grim.
He had just turned the detached villa of the Desolate Ma Clan upside down. Ju Yeon-jeong, Ma Se-in's mother, had secretly made contact with the Flash Art.
An affair that might have otherwise slipped by unnoticed had been dragged into the light, all thanks to the commotion stirred up by the warriors of the Demonlight Wing.
"Is she not your niece-in-law? One cannot call her actions entirely rash."
"I am deeply disappointed. I believed she, alongside Se-in, would place the Ma Clan upon an unshakeable foundation."
"How could she maintain her composure when her child's right of succession is being threatened? Even more so if she blames it on an interloping maternal relative."
"An interloping maternal relative? I see now that you are simply jealous. To say such things even after witnessing that sight... if you are truly serious, you had better start looking for a gravesite for your own eyes."
Ma Yeon-jeok pointed downward.
In the center of the training ground, Jeong Yeon-shin, the Flash Art, had just won his match in the contest leading up to the finals.
The boy clad in a blue robe was slowly sheathing his sword.
There was not a single tremor in his movement, and his exceptionally calm expression stood out.
He had easily defeated a White-Ranked expert who was on the verge of a Blue Rank promotion. This meant he was a martial artist of the elite caliber of the Nine Sects, someone any dweller of the Jianghu would acknowledge.
And his age was said to be sixteen. It was a fact anyone would find hard to believe.
"The Azure and White Twin Qilins of the Namgung Clan made a name for themselves when they were even younger than that boy," the Elder Council Head said with a smile.
"The legitimate eldest son Azure Qilin's Emperor Sword, and the concubine's son White Qilin's Azure Sky Boundless Sword. It was said to be a combination that would eventually reach invincibility. Do you truly believe the Flash Art, with his paltry background, can catch up to them? Those raised preciously on spiritual medicines have their very meridians filled with true qi from birth. Feeding him high-grade spiritual elixirs at this late stage will not bridge that gap."
"..."
"Of course, the Flash Art is also extraordinary. I have heard much of his martial arts that vanquish demons, and his sound arts that annihilate the weak. However, such tricks will not work against a true master of the orthodox path."
"I am aware of White Qilin's growth," Ma Yeon-jeok replied. "He was already strong, but it seems he has fully dissolved the spiritual medicine's energy within his fine meridians."
"He is a child I have been keeping an eye on, and his achievements are immense. You said the Lazy Flame Dragon is locked up in the Thunder Prison, yes? Even he would not be able to look down on the boy now. He has been blessed with a heaven-sent talent for martial arts. Even without being born with something like a severed pulse, his talent is peerless. But the Flash Art's circumstances are different."
The Elder Council Head pointed at the Flash Art and White Qilin in turn as he continued.
"Look at their faces. Though born of a concubine, White Qilin was raised in luxury, and a smile naturally graces the corners of his mouth. Is it not pleasant to look at? Extremely natural. But what about the Flash Art? He is so expressionless that one might wonder if he was beaten growing up. Look at those cold eyes of his. It is a face perfectly suited for killing."
"..."
"No one can defeat a man who smiles. When a perfect childhood is added to innate talent, there is nothing more to desire. White Qilin is a boy who has it all. Had it not been for his elder brother, he might have become the Namgung Clan Head. Though, I cannot say I know much about the Flash Art."
"He may already..."
Ma Yeon-jeok spoke once more.
"He may already be comparable to White Qilin. Yeon-shin was born with unprecedented senses. Since martial arts crafted with the caliber of a grandmaster will fit his body perfectly, I cannot even begin to fathom how much further he will grow."
The Elder Council Head smacked his lips in an exaggerated manner.
"An expression on a face is something that can be fashioned. I am almost tempted to adopt him. Or perhaps... my granddaughter possesses overflowing talent."
"You'll have to step over my sword first."
"Then I suppose I should take in White Qilin instead. But if your heart is so resolute, why do you not take the Flash Art in yourself? It seems you cannot even shower him with wealth."
"..."
"I think I have a rough idea. You are afraid, aren't you? Afraid of upsetting the maternal grandson you once abandoned. Or perhaps, did the Lord of the Desolate Fortress give you a talking-to? Normally, you would have done something long ago," the Elder Council Head said with a smirk.
"..."
"It is both! How pitiful your karma is!"
No answer came from Ma Yeon-jeok.
Seeing him remain silently tight-lipped, the Elder Council Head's smirk deepened.
"The days when you ruled the Jianghu as the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps feel like a dream. Do you remember the day we annihilated the remnants of the Demonic Cult and planted the Desolate banner on the Tianshan Mountains? You were truly strong that day. There were few in the world who could compare to you, so how have you fallen to such a miserable state?"
"It is because the martial arts of the Ma Clan are far from the orthodox path."
The Elder Council Head's eyes widened slightly, as if he had not expected such an answer.
"You have changed a bit."
He was right. Ma Yeon-jeok was not originally a man who would say such things.
The talent of the maternal grandson he had recognized so late was dazzling.
He had assigned people to him, using the masters of his family as informants.
He ordered them to personally observe and report on the Flash Art as he ventured into the Jianghu. However, he could not order them to intervene.
To defy the stern warning of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress was akin to defying heaven, even for Ma Yeon-jeok.
Thus, he had been unable to respond to the kidnapping attempt by the Seventh Apostle of the Blood Flame Cult. It was an absurd state of affairs.
He had received a report stating that while the Namgung Clan stood by, his men could not approach due to the presence of two Apostles and dozens of cult swordsmen.
Ma Yeon-jeok had been furious with himself for not assigning top-tier experts, but it was too late to dwell on what had already passed.
He only felt relieved after the Lord of the Desolate Fortress personally intervened. Reading the vivid, raw written reports of his grandson's journey had stirred his heart.
A sprint. It was nothing but a sprint.
The boy ran without rest. It was to the point that Ma Yeon-jeok felt breathless just reading the words.
A path that seemed to sacrifice everything for achievements and martial arts even sprouted a noble spirit within the boy.
At some point, when Ma Yeon-jeok came to his senses, his identity as the patriarch of the Desolate Ma Clan was fading away.
It was always like that whenever he thought of the boy. It felt as though the years he had spent as the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps were slowly rewinding.
It was an emotion that even he found difficult to define.
He finally spoke.
"You called it a decline. It is inevitable. What is easily built is easily destroyed. One's prime does not last long. I merely envy the old men of the Nine Sects—a thought I have harbored for a long time."
Ma Yeon-jeok looked down at his grandson. Before he knew it, the duel between the Flash Art and White Qilin was close at hand.
He muttered, "Yeon-shin will become the Divine Sword of the main fortress, so the martial arts of the Ma Clan do not suit him. I must think of another way. Especially if that child is to face the Namgung Clan, the greatest of the Righteous Path, in the future..."
* * *
The combination of the Mara Blood-Roaring Art and the Demon-Quelling Azure Steel Hand.
It was a technique developed by spending a long time at the headquarters of the Blood Flame Cult, turning sorcery formations into martial forms.
At this moment, he had only increased its precision and power. The sensation offered by operating two opposing internal energies was extraordinary.
‘Cold.’
His outstretched left hand felt icy, as if submerged in a sheet of ice. The true qi passing through the Neiguan Point below his wrist was fierce.
While irregular waves surged from the Blood Art, the Demon-Quelling Azure Steel Hand enveloping his left hand radiated an uncannily vibrant radiance.
It was a blue light that pulsed like a heartbeat.
The moment the blue light surrounding his left hand surged violently, a deafening roar erupted.
Boom!
A shockwave exploded in midair. The instantaneously compressed air pushed outward, reaching all the way to his feet.
Along with a plume of dust that shot upward, Namgung Hwa-shin's body was flung back. The heavy recoil pushed Jeong Yeon-shin back as well.
‘I need to keep refining this.’
The power was undeniable. Even though it hadn't landed directly, an expert of White Qilin's caliber had been forced back seven steps.
However, the drawbacks were just as significant. Its precision was severely lacking.
It was an extremely reckless deployment of internal energy; if it couldn't even land a clean hit, it was meaningless.
This was a task he had to resolve before he went to the Namgung Clan.
For now, it was fine. His opponent's bewilderment was immense.
The moment Namgung Hwa-shin struggled to regain his balance under the aftermath of a martial art he had never heard of, that tiny split second registered in Jeong Yeon-shin's perception.
Thud!
He took a step. It was a heavy stomp. He had already focused his intent on his Lower Dantian. True qi erupted from the Yongquan Point beneath his foot.
Whoosh!
As the wind whipped past his ears, Namgung Hwa-shin loomed larger in his vision.
With a single step, he closed a distance of five paces. A wave of true qi rippled from the hand that drove the Desolate Fortress Sword forward.
‘Radiant Brilliance Sword Style.’
The sword marks of Zhongnan, sublimated into his own sect-exclusive martial art, unleashed themselves.
The moment he twisted his arm within the faintly blurring halo of light, the Desolate Fortress Sword lunged forward. It was a straight horizontal slash.
Clang!
It was blocked by a sharp white light. A clear wave of energy washed over him. Was this the Azure Sky Boundless Sword of the Namgung Clan?
His eyes met those of Namgung Hwa-shin as their swords clashed. A colorless light flickered in the pupils reflecting Jeong Yeon-shin's face.
He seemed completely immersed.
Squeeze.
Namgung Hwa-shin's sword force grew stronger. He pushed back with deep internal energy.
It was the moment when the ground beneath White Qilin's feet transformed into Earth Qi. He was trying to crush an opponent with lesser internal energy through sheer force.
Jeong Yeon-shin's arm, holding the Desolate Fortress Sword, trembled slightly.
He thought of the spiritual elixir he had received as a reward. He had deliberately chosen not to consume it.
He was bound to encounter countless enemies who had been fed spiritual medicines since birth. Jeong Yeon-shin was born into a third-rate martial family.
Since he would face situations where his strength fell short at any moment, blaming his internal energy every time would be foolish.
Call it an eccentricity if they must. He wanted to accumulate experience and overcome it through his senses.
"Hup!"
Twisting his waist, he channeled true qi into the oblique muscles beside his abdomen.
The internal energy gathered up to the Zhishi Point supporting his spine flared intensely.
Flutter!
With his robes fluttering, he spun around. He had intentionally let himself be pushed back in the contest of strength.
He channeled the silk-reeling power generated by his spin into his left fist. After the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style came the Infinite Flower of Time Fist.
A spiral shockwave swept up from the ground and collided with a straight punch. A whirlwind formed at the hem of Namgung Hwa-shin's robe near his flank.
A dull thud echoed. With that single strike, Namgung Hwa-shin spun widely and brushed past Jeong Yeon-shin.
It was the sublime Unimpeded Clear Stream Body.
His blue robe, which had been caught and swirled in the shockwave, unfurled again in an instant.
‘He reacted the moment he felt the spiral airflow.’
Jeong Yeon-shin felt it through the fabric that had briefly grazed his fist. It was shallow. It hadn't damaged the internal organs.
There was more. As their bodies crossed, the flash of Namgung Hwa-shin's sword grazed his thigh.
It stung slightly. They had fully exchanged a single clash.
Step.
This was a formidable opponent who had already observed his sect-exclusive martial arts and devised a countermeasure. Jeong Yeon-shin did not wait for him to strike first; he pressed forward.
Namgung Hwa-shin did the same. Raising his sword above his head in a high stance, he unleashed a grand sword technique.
A properly refined martial art of a noble family was both solemn and magnificent.
The forms of the Azure Sky Boundless Sword swept over Jeong Yeon-shin, emitting unrestrained shockwaves.
Whoosh!
Multiple colorless waves of energy clung to a single sword strike. They approached like a net covering the sky.
It seemed to be the technique known as Sword Qi. He had heard it was one of the many branches of shockwaves.
‘Evade and counter.’
He executed the Radiant Wing Step. He recalled the Mount Hua Sect Purple Grace Pill incident. It was a footwork technique he had created while undergoing Ma Jin's test to receive a solo mission.
First was the Radiant Wing First Step.
The trajectory of the sword and the direction of the shockwaves drawn by Namgung Hwa-shin came into view as if within his grasp. The Baihui Point at the crown of his head grew warm.
A single footstep capable of weaving through the net of Sword Qi was etched into his mind. It glowed with a brilliant, white-hot light.
He stepped exactly on it.
Step.
The moment his foot landed, the residual force of the sharp sword energy sliced through the fabric of his shoulder and fell away.
In that split second, a battle of wits unfolded.
Namgung Hwa-shin had unleashed another shockwave as if anticipating where he would step, and Jeong Yeon-shin had foreseen that anticipation, twisting his footwork to evade it.
Step.
The boy paid it no mind and took another step forward. A wave of energy spread from beneath his feet.
The Radiant Wing Second Step. A colorless wave forcefully pushed back the scattering shockwaves of the Azure Sky Boundless Sword.
It was a step he had gained when he had shared a cup of Thunder Immortal Treasure Wine while discussing the Jianghu.
Before he knew it, the distance had closed once more. He established a combat interval and broke through the opponent's momentum.
Hum!
Once again, he swung the Desolate Fortress Sword upward using the mnemonic of the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style. Namgung Hwa-shin was also preparing a continuous form.
The way he brought his sword down diagonally was picture-perfect.
The moment gusts of wind leaked along the blades of the two Desolate Fortress Swords, internal energy exploded from the clashing weapons.
Clang—!
In an instant, a heavy recoil traveled up his palms, numbing his senses. Jeong Yeon-shin suppressed a groan.
He couldn't stop. The combat interval was narrow. This meant there was nothing left but a fierce brawl.
Evading and clashing began to repeat endlessly.
Clang! Clang! Boom!
The Radiant Brilliance Sword Style, the Radiant Wing Step, and the Infinite Flower of Time Fist's spiral—Advancing Thunder—Fist Flower.
Jeong Yeon-shin unleashed every martial art he had created and mastered up to this point.
He treated this arena as a place to refine his martial arts. It was another form of training.
Even as blood splattered and wounds opened from the sword marks, he did not stop.
Whenever Namgung Hwa-shin, who had previously analyzed Jeong Yeon-shin's sect-exclusive martial arts, thrust his sword with a terrifying counter, Jeong Yeon-shin would alter his mnemonics on the spot to strike back.
"..."
The spectators gradually fell into a hush.
It was a duel between a genius and a genius. They were testing their martial arts against each other.
An extraordinary temperament flashed continuously in the ceaseless exchange of blows.
The surrounding crowd, which had been clamorous in their own ways, gradually fell silent.
"...It is truly marvelous," someone whispered. Those who agreed murmured in kind.
"Martial arts I've never even seen before are being unleashed endlessly, yet they aren't falling behind the ancient divine arts of the Eight Great Families."
"White Qilin's skill is also astonishing. To handle that level of internal energy so skillfully..."
"The Flash Art of the Demonlight Wing... there are already rumors that he is a grandmaster. That he creates and refines his own martial arts."
"To counter the divine arts of the Eight Great Families with a sect-exclusive martial art? At a glance, he even seems to lack true qi. The martial arts of prestigious clans are supposed to grow endlessly stronger with time..."
Jeong Yeon-shin heard none of it.
He was just as immersed as Namgung Hwa-shin. They exchanged senses, tactical maneuvers, and the essential principles of martial arts.
It was a realm of talent that radiated light like a comet. He wished it would last forever.
He felt as though his sect-exclusive martial arts, which had already suited his body, were permeating his entire being.
Whoosh!
The wind wrapping around his outstretched hand felt gentle.
Namgung Hwa-shin's surging Sword Qi was parted by the Advancing Thunder shockwave of the Infinite Flower of Time Fist at the end of the Radiant Wing Step.
His technique ascended to endless precision.
It was immensely enjoyable. The sensation of talents clashing and elevating each other was nothing short of ecstatic.
It felt as if something inside his entire body was awakening once more. The anxiety he had felt while counting down the seven days and nights left until the full moon subsided.
He thought to himself. There was still the spiritual elixir. Soon, he would also meet the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
And then...
The boy began to smile.