It was the pinnacle.
The air clung to his right arm like fine hair. It felt like dancing with a sword in a dream.
Not toward Shaanxi's Number One Demon.
He didn't perceive Wei Guk-sang as a person. The man was merely an obstacle blocking the path to his niece.
No matter how strong the opponent was, it didn't matter. He was tired of the great evils of the martial world wielding power over his mother's homeland and the family he was bound to.
It was time for the black rank of Desolate Fortress to prove himself undefeated.
His vision was hazy. He could barely make out Shaanxi's Number One Demon's form. The effects of the painkiller were overwhelming.
'It's fine.'
He simply swung his sword along the thin, glowing thread that unraveled in his mind like a spool of silk.
The grip of his sword energy surged forward on its own. The sheer force of Jung Yeonshin's talent drove him forward.
The salvation's final stroke, an ultimate technique exclusive to the noble clans, meant to shatter extreme situations.
A sword path of lightning.
Radiant Sword Like Phosphorescence.
Wooong!
The essence of the technique seeped from the crown of his head to his fingertips naturally. It was an unimpeded and free-flowing state of thunderous lightning.
'Break once from the center, then strike upward again…'
As the Beiming Sword traced a dazzling arc, its dreamlike radiance clung to the blade like a ghostly flame.
It was the fourth form of Sword Thunder Flash Art. A drunken hand gesture, distorted and erratic.
At its end, came Shaanxi's Number One Demon's groan.
"Khrrgh…!"
The moment the lightning-shaped trajectory flickered, the surreal world shattered. The battlefield came into clear focus. Blood was the first to enter his sight, splattering toward him in large droplets.
His sword strike had forced through the defense of the dark blade. A red line had been drawn across Shaanxi's Number One Demon's chest. A long, horizontal sword scar.
Blackened blood spread across it. It was the mark left by a sword strike that had torn through even his protective energy.
The divine force imbued in the blade had, in the end, burrowed into the demon's body.
"The bastard was already half-dead, and yet…!"
Wei Guk-sang staggered back a step, his lips twisted. His golden robe, once held firm by his immense inner power, slackened and drooped. He looked utterly defeated.
Huuup—
Jung Yeonshin inhaled sharply, using his breath to barely sustain his stance. The flower's effects provided only pain relief. He had to forcibly keep his body tensed to maintain balance.
The sword energy wrapped around his grip was scorching. Radiant Sword Like Phosphorescence was a counterstroke.
The longer one's movements intertwined with an opponent's, the deadlier the decisive slash would be.
The Blade of Perception, a technique that drew out every ounce of one's talent. Unlike the second form, Nine Azure Rivers, which required meticulous accumulation of sword energy in peak condition, this form seized the moment in an instant.
Even a genius would need extraordinary luck to pull it off. It was the kind of strike that one might unleash by chance and never again.
This was why martial artists of prestigious sects often meditated—
But Lightning Genius was different.
'A lightning strike from a clear sky…'
He recalled every single flow of inner energy, every minuscule muscle movement that had passed through his body.
Even sensations freed from control were instantly re-experienced. For him, losing enlightenment was unthinkable.
The fourth form of Sword Thunder Flash Art had been completely reconstructed.
His combat potential had expanded. Jung Yeonshin had taken another step toward becoming a perfected warrior.
"..."
The battlefield fell silent. Those who had been fighting or watching froze in place.
The sheer disparity in martial prowess, displayed through the devastated figure of Radiant Demon Squad's leader, had shattered their implicit expectations.
Everyone had assumed he would die to Shaanxi's Number One Demon. Even Wei Guk-sang himself had thought so when he boldly struck, only to be countered by Salvation's Final Stroke. No one had foreseen this sword path.
Only whispers filled the air among the martial artists of the Radiant Demon Squad. Some pressed in through the broken encirclement, others kept their guard up.
"…Did you see that?"
"The leader's body, you mean?"
"No, the sword technique. I can't believe it… But at least we can breathe easier now."
"That reckless bastard… Get the Golden Wound Medicine!"
At the center of it all, Shaanxi's Number One Demon clutched his chest, staggering. Blood gushed through his fingers in torrents.
Even at a glance, his wounds were just as severe as Jung Yeonshin's. Yet, he was a ruler who had held dominion over Yeoryeong's Shaanxi branch.
"How could this be…"
"Lord Wei…!"
The martial artists of Yeoryeong Sect could no longer hold back the Radiant Demon Squad.
At the battlefield's edge, the leader of Mount Hua had arrived, standing alone yet commanding an overwhelming presence.
She gazed at the leader of the Radiant Demon Squad, her white, slender chin slightly raised, exuding an air detached from the scene.
Standing on the tip of the ruined foliage, her flowing pink robe draped around her, she looked as though she belonged to another world entirely.
It was a mystical presence, enhanced by the life-nurturing energy of Grass Flutter and the transcendence of a supreme martial artist.
"Mount Hua's sect leader…was she hunting down the Radiant Demon Squad!"
"She must have descended to observe the rising demonic sects and stumbled upon us…"
"This is bad. It's over. We need to find an opening to escape, at least some of us."
Starlight Sword Deity Yulha Nangnang was considered the most dangerous figure in Shaanxi's orthodox sects.
To them, her serene, painting-like features were no different from the grim visage of the King of Hell himself.
She was the supreme master of Shaanxi's lands, encompassing even Xi'an. No one in the nearby martial world could match her blade except the leader of the Tyrant Sword Tribe.
She was an untouchable opponent.
The battle lines surrounding the Radiant Demon Squad's leader and Shaanxi's Number One Demon crumbled in an instant.
"Leader! Leader!"
"It's over! The mission is complete! The leader has won!"
The elite warriors of the Radiant Demon Squad rushed toward their leader. But until that moment, Jung Yeonshin and Wei Guk-sang continued to glare at each other.
Both were drenched in blood, barely able to keep themselves upright, gripping their swords as they teetered.
Jung Yeonshin's breaths came in irregular bursts.
The black hem of his blood-soaked coat swayed with the rise and fall of his heaving chest.
"..."
Life and death hung on a single trajectory.
The focus of true swordmasters was terrifying. They seemed oblivious even to Mount Hua's sect leader's presence.
Then—
Keuhhk—!
Wei Guk-sang coughed up blood. A dark torrent poured from his lips, shocking the Radiant Demon Squad warriors into stillness.
It wasn't normal. Blood didn't blacken so quickly.
Internal injuries alone wouldn't cause one to spit out congealed blood immediately. This was the aftermath of clashing opposing energies.
Shaanxi's Number One Demon twisted his lips in a grimace.
"You possess both the essence of martial arts and strategy… A mistake of the heavens."
He had infused his sword strike with divine force. His mind hadn't solely been on the sword's trajectory. It was a talent that turned a single decisive blow into a fatal strike.
Wei Guk-sang thought, Was my destined end at the hands of this era's Radiant Demon Squad's leader?
He let out a raspy chuckle.
"A warrior's death is determined by their opponent. By status, lineage, and skill… you are more noble than the greatest of clans. The world must seem laughable to you, but I hope you do not meet an early death in the martial world. I sincerely wish you well."
"…There is truth in your final words. Yes, the heavens made a mistake."
Jung Yeonshin replied slowly.
Wei Guk-sang's smile deepened.
"I see the grace of the demonic path in you."
He murmured.
"The arrogant noble of Desolate Fortress… Your nature suits the way of dominion."
Jung Yeonshin did not respond.
He simply lifted his Beiming Sword in a diagonal slash.
Saaak—!
Shaanxi's Number One Demon did not close his eyes until the white blade filled his vision.
He watched as the arc of the strike reached his throat.
Now, at last…
Jung Yeonshin felt it vividly through his extended fingers. The clean severance of the neck. The sensation of ripping through the last remnants of protective energy.
Thump.
The head rolled into the grass.
For a moment, silence reigned. The martial artists of Yeoryeong Sect remained motionless.
Saaah—
The dry winter wind swept through the shattered battlefield.
As the chill settled over the wasteland left by the battle of supreme martial artists, the demon's lifeless body collapsed onto the frozen earth.
Thud.
That was the moment everything changed.
The elite warriors of the Radiant Demon Squad could finally take a proper look at Jung Yeonshin. The reversed flow of life energy swept away the dust in all directions.
"We really shouldn't have started this…"
"How many fingers do you see? I swear, I'll be much more careful with my words from now on."
"Can you move? Let me carry you."
Calloused hands hesitated before touching their leader.
Jung Yeonshin's body was so grievously wounded that even his abdominal muscles were exposed. The skin peeking through the tattered bandages was crimson. No one dared to touch him recklessly.
"Leader, we are sorry. Truly… we have done something unforgivable."
Even Wei Ye-ryeong, the esteemed bowmaster Moon Bow Demon, who was always composed, clasped her hands together and bowed in apology.
"Don't fuss."
Jung Yeonshin gave a slight shake of his head and gestured for them to step back.
He needed to find Hye-ah.
Regardless of ordering his men to search for her, he wanted to see her himself. From what Baek Miryeo had said after interrogating Ghost Spirit Sword, she was here. She must be imprisoned somewhere.
He took a slow step forward.
"Yeonshin! Yeonshin!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from afar.
It was his friend, Yoo Hyun of the Mount Hua Sect, who always seemed to be getting beaten up whenever they met.
'Mount Hua is one of the great sects of Shaanxi. Given their's reputation, they must have been monitoring the inns and followed me here.'
A faint warmth flickered in his weary gaze.
"Is it finally time I formally greet you? I've been watching for quite some time now."
A clear and bright voice rang right beside him.
It was an overwhelming presence of life energy.
The moment he turned his head, he was met with a sharp, pale nose. The absolute force contained within her body was so near that he could feel its energy in his ears.
"Your sword is truly fearsome."
She spoke in an even tone, locking eyes with the leader of the Radiant Demon Squad.
"Hidden Fragrance Drift, Yulha Nangnang."
"The Sword Deity of Mount Hua should keep her distance…!"
Chung Myung and Baek Miryeo murmured sharply as they swiftly approached, their faces taut with alarm.
Even the warriors of Desolate Fortress, who prided themselves on their might, found it difficult to respond immediately to the presence of an absolute martial master.
Let alone Mount Hua's sect leader, a Han who had ascended to the same rank as the noble clans. It was said that she had perfected the Violet Dawn Sacred Arts, preventing her from aging.
Only then did Jung Yeonshin properly acknowledge Yulha Nangnang.
"…Thank you for your assistance."
His words were fragmented, broken by unstable breathing.
Yulha Nangnang offered a vague smile. Her slightly upturned lips revealed a complex mix of emotions.
The gentle air of a mountain breeze, yet also the harshness of the treacherous Western Mount Hua.
"I did nothing. I was merely curious."
"Then, speak your mind."
"I noticed that the Sword Sovereign of the Profound Martial Alliance was watching you. Until I drove her away, her gaze was unwavering. There was a rather sorrowful feeling that seeped into my mind…"
She smiled as she asked,
"What exactly is your relationship with her?"
"I do not know."
"Truly?"
"Yes. Furthermore… I do not believe it is something that the squad leader of Desolate Fortress needs to explain to the sect leader of Mount Hua."
"..."
A heavy silence settled over the area.
The status of a grandmaster of the Nine Great Sects was on par with the purple-ranked leaders of Desolate Fortress. They were absolute forces in the martial world.
Had his body not been in tatters, had the effects of the painkillers not dulled his mind, had his niece not been weighing on him—perhaps Jung Yeonshin would have been more polite.
Yet, Mount Hua's supreme leader did not show any sign of anger.
She simply smiled.
"One cannot take the seeds of the Demonic Faction lightly. Who knows what kind of schemes they might weave against you in the future? I merely wished to see whether you carried any impurities. To determine if corruption has taken root within you. It is not easy for the righteous martial world to place blind trust in you, even if Desolate Fortress does look after the people. After all, in the martial world, order and chaos are two sides of the same coin."
"I am in a hurry."
"Understand the perspective of Mount Hua's leader."
She waved her hand lightly as she spoke.
Her casual gesture exuded the hues of the setting sun.
It was the prelude to a strike. The entire battlefield fell silent. No one here could stop her if she chose to act.
At that moment, gasps erupted from every direction.
Jung Yeonshin had suddenly grabbed her hand.
"You spoke of stains."
He channeled his inner energy into her Laogong Acupoint.
Despite the clearly discernible flow of internal force, Yulha Nangnang merely looked at him.
She stood still, unbothered even as an attack could land at any moment.
But Jung Yeonshin did not strike.
Instead, he infused her hand with divine energy.
Wooong.
"A junior must find his kin."
It was divine inner force.
Though not as pure as the Three Purities Force of the Taoist sects, it was still among the most sacred energies in the world.
At the same time, a pale radiance swept outward like a visible gust of wind.
"Use this to cleanse yourself."
With that, he abruptly released her hand and walked past her.
[T/L: Please support me AND read further chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans.]
[T/L: Subscribe for a membership on my Buy Me a Coffee page and receive 15 extra chapters upon joining, along with daily updates of one chapter: buymeacoffee.com/revengerscans ]
[Additional Info: If anyone is facing the issue of payment on Ko-Fi, please contact me on revengerscans1@gmail.com]