Chapter 141: Return of the Storm (6) |
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The approach of the Pure Demon Alliance Leader was inevitable.
She had lost nearly all of her powerful subordinates.
Considering the events at the City of Renowned Craftsmen and the Desolate Fortress’s Kuizhou branch, as the leader of her faction, she had every reason to come and punish Jeong Yeon-shin and the Desolate Fortress masters.
The appearance of the Lord of Desolate Fortress was not surprising either.
She had referred to Ma Yeon-jeok as an old friend.
Having received reports that her companion of decades, the Divine Sword Group Leader, had become crippled, she might have rushed here before Ma Yeon-jeok’s last breath.
But there was something mystical about it.
The sight of the Lord of Desolate Fortress stepping out from behind the Pure Demon Alliance Leader was striking.
Was the timing merely a coincidence?
Perhaps those who wielded heaven-granted power to its limits received special mandates.
Considering the abilities of Jeong Yeon-shin’s upper dantian, it wasn’t such a far-fetched assumption.
Or perhaps the Lord of Desolate Fortress had noticed the Pure Demon Alliance Leader first and was delaying the confrontation, feeling the wind brush against her skin as usual.
If so, what was the reason? She hadn’t hesitated to defeat even the Blood Flame Sect Leader before.
Just as the boy was pondering these questions.
Step.
It was a truly strange sight.
The Lord of Desolate Fortress approached, blending with the green of the dense leaves. It was as if she had set down her presence like mist through the gaps in the trees.
The most noble among the clans.
Her abilities in the forest intertwined with the bearing of a peerless master. It was enough to deceive even the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s qi sense.
Only after the Lord of Desolate Fortress fully emerged from the tree’s shadow did the Pure Demon Alliance Leader seem to notice her presence.
It happened in an instant. She turned with wide blue eyes, clearly startled.
“…!”
Before that, Jeong Yeon-shin had already raised his internal energy. The Luminous wheel in his heart spun.
Qi gathered in the Renying acupoint on both sides of his throat and the Liantian acupoint just above his vocal cords. He immediately extended a sound transmission.
―The energy waves must not spread.
His grandfather was in danger. He had to prevent it, even if it meant committing the discourtesy of whispering in the Lord’s ear.
For a moment, the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s emerald eyes brushed past the boy.
As if welcoming her emergence from the forest’s shade like a curtain, rays of sunlight settled on her pale face in that instant.
Moon Spirit Divine Technique.
A hazy light net rose from her body. Her light green sleeves, as broad as a palace hall, fluttered slightly.
Moonlight-like radiance wrapped around her clothes and filled the entire space.
Energy Screen.
She materialized qi to create a solid barrier. The defensive shield of internal energy spread massively, its texture strong enough to push back Jeong Yeon-shin’s body.
Boom.
His feet carved furrows as he was pushed back. The boy’s eyes widened.
An energy screen about ten zhang in radius was revealed in a hemispherical shape. It only contained the Lord of Desolate Fortress and the Pure Demon Alliance Leader.
It was a sight created just from hearing Jeong Yeon-shin’s words. It seemed to transcend the human realm.
Every aspect of her energy control was mystical. It didn’t appear to be a human technique.
“Desolate…?!”
It happened in an instant. The moment the shocked Pure Demon Alliance Leader fully turned around, the Lord of Desolate Fortress was already swinging her sword.
The radiance flowing from the blade was brilliant. A sword strike mixing moonlight into sunlight flashed.
Slash.
Blood sprayed in a long line from the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s abdomen. Her internal energy armor, which had briefly flickered black, was torn.
She hadn’t spread it firmly enough to handle the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s surprise attack.
Yet it still didn’t feel real.
That’s how it seemed to Jeong Yeon-shin. The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s demonic path true qi. That energy had felt so profound.
Boom.
The roar echoing from the energy screen was deafening. The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s blood-soaked form distorted along with a whirlwind of energy waves.
It was a Body Protection Technique so swift it was hard to capture in an instant. Her martial bearing, even after taking a strike, was astonishing.
But Jeong Yeon-shin instinctively knew. Even after spreading the energy screen, the Lord of Desolate Fortress was overwhelming the Pure Demon Alliance Leader.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s timing was bad.
Even in a direct confrontation, the Lord of Desolate Fortress would have had the advantage.
But she had been caught off guard by a noble clan’s peerless master in a tree-filled forest.
She took a strike and began a life-and-death battle. She was already at least two moves behind.
Step.
Just looking at the Lord of Desolate Fortress taking steps one at a time made it clear. She wasn’t even holding her sword pointed down anymore.
Her sleeves fluttered like leaves. The sword she thrust with her snow-white hand spread like a hazy moon halo.
It was something beyond even swift swordsmanship. Layered sword strikes so distant they seemed about to shred the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s entire body.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
The endlessly unfolding sword energy was like a scene of nature. It was as if endlessly accelerating wind carving down a cliff.
But the Pure Demon Alliance Leader was also a peerless master. She blocked the sword strikes while continuously bursting black energy waves with her limbs.
Her fist techniques and leg techniques showed a form scattering like moth wings.
She deflected many sword techniques while striking with her hands and feet. She was creating afterimages too fast for the eye to follow.
It meant her hand speed had completely surpassed Desolate Fortress black rank.
It was like a battle between monsters competing with their innate powers.
‘I must be able to kill one like that to get the World Tree’s fruit…’
Jeong Yeon-shin thought. That was why he had unconsciously felt relief at the Lord’s arrival.
In that moment, the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s leg extended long. It was along with one step forward.
Rumble.
Though she stepped lightly, it created earthquake-like tremors.
The sword light creating radiance in the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s hand grew dim. It wasn’t that her sword energy had weakened.
Rather, the sword strikes visible to the eye had notably decreased because they had become too powerful.
The Lord thrust her sword again. From inside her body outward, she unleashed a horizontal strike. Suddenly, the air boomed.
Sword energy like compressed typhoons spread faintly.
Boom.
It was as if the air itself was being torn. The energy screen scattered like mist from the aftermath of the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s own sword strike.
It seemed ordinary sword energy wasn’t enough to kill a Thirteen Evil Sect Leader.
Gasp.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s battle cry rang out. At the same time, black internal energy armor wrapped her entire body. Ominous and desolate energy waves rose.
Materialization of true qi was a rare technique, yet these two peerless masters were displaying profound methods as casually as third-rate street swordsmanship.
Boom.
Another earthquake rang out. This time, the Pure Demon Alliance Leader stamped her foot.
Jeong Yeon-shin roughly caught Hyeon Won-chang’s staggering shoulder beside him while not turning his gaze.
Just staring intently forward, he saw the sight of the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s form explosively soaring up.
‘With one true step… how many times did she compress qi in her bubbling well point?’
Her form stopped in midair. It was the Void Crossing Movement Technique which transcends law.
“Lord of Desolate Fortress!”
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader shouted.
The ends of her hair, which had been black as ebony, were sparsely cut.
Above her characteristically blue Western eyes, blood flowing down her forehead created a yaksha-like impression.
With black demonic path true qi flowing from various places on her body, she didn’t look human.
Starting from her blood-stained upper body. Her spirit was astonishing.
“You were in a hurry! How petty!”
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader, who had twisted her face like an evil spirit, wiped the blood mark between her brows with the back of her hand while speaking.
Even while treading air, one leg was slightly bent. Despite being a peerless master, her conduct and nature of provoking enemies could be understood.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader continued speaking.
“I didn’t expect you to suddenly swing your sword from there. Aren’t you ashamed? Having reached that realm yet not considering martial arts competition. I know strange rumors have been spreading from Xiangyang lately. That you took someone not even of royal blood as a disciple.”
The corners of her mouth curled up. A small nod of her chin pointed down at Jeong Yeon-shin.
“Was that young one so precious? Lord of Desolate Fortress, lapdog of the Ming imperial court.”
Speaking while treading air, she looked no different from a demon from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
She seemed somewhat cheerful yet not entirely heroic. Though a sect leader, she engaged in frivolous provocation.
It was demonic path conduct, satisfied just with winning and breaking opponents.
Just her gaze sweeping the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s entire body, as if searching for gaps, showed that.
The Lord of Desolate Fortress didn’t answer.
She just calmly lowered her gaze.
Without bothering to look up, she slightly half-opened her eyes. Her long lashes cast shadows on her jade-like pupils.
A truly mystical appearance. It was the bearing of a noble clan master said to live as a friend to the wind and feel qi sense like touch.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader slowly closed her mouth.
That’s when it happened.
“A demonic path ancestor speaking of pettiness. Is this opera?”
The boy wearing the black robe muttered. The true qi imbued in his monologue spread like a spring breeze.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s head slowly turned. It was toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
Though her qi sense must have been raised toward the Lord of Desolate Fortress, just receiving her gaze felt like mountains crashing down. It was an extremely heavy feeling.
“Child. What did you say?”
A rough, hoarse voice demanded an answer. The boy readily opened his mouth.
“I said your conduct is like a back-alley thug.”
“…”
“No. I’m just amazed that even street thugs wouldn’t discuss things during actual combat, and you can speak of disciples without shame while having such a mindset. If you pass on the secret manuals of the demonic arts you cultivated, I could fix them for you. It seems your power has invaded your hundred meetings point after all.”
Jeong Yeon-shin lightly tapped his temple with his lengthened index finger.
He knew the effectiveness of direct words.
He had learned well through his murim journey so far.
There was no need for deliberate provocation.
The pride of masters who had cultivated martial arts was like heaven—just speaking facts without reserve could easily bring the flow of life-and-death battle.
Narrowed vision from great anger was quite fatal in the realm of masters.
Because an instant’s reaction was immediately one move’s difference.
‘No time to be considerate anyway.’
The boy thought. The Lord had spread an energy screen immediately upon hearing Jeong Yeon-shin’s sound transmission. She must have guessed what state Ma Yeon-jeok was in.
Entering a life-and-death battle with a Thirteen Evil Sect Leader while bearing that burden. It wasn’t an easy fight.
Even though the first strike succeeded, the opponent was also a peerless master. Besides the Lord of Desolate Fortress, there was no one who could discuss odds of victory.
Even so, it was difficult, so Jeong Yeon-shin wanted to lessen his teacher’s burden. By whatever means.
‘The Pure Demon Alliance Leader wouldn’t have come alone.’
He imagined the sight of her outpacing her subordinates, unable to control her nature.
It was a battle that needed to end quickly.
The leaves quietly settled around the Lord of Desolate Fortress caught his eye. Looking at the energy, it reminded him of the calm before a storm.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader staring down at Jeong Yeon-shin also seemed to be operating some kind of verses.
The current lull was just breathing to regain composure.
Ma Yeon-jeok was in danger. It had been revealed that maintaining the energy screen would be difficult in battle with a peerless master.
His teacher, the Lord of Desolate Fortress, seemed to be honing sword energy for a short, decisive battle.
Then it would be enough to just distract her slightly. If a gap appeared, he intended to throw even flying swords.
Whoosh.
A whirlwind swept around Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet. Scattered dirt spun together with the wheel’s movement.
It was along with whitish air currents. Auspicious dharma power energy waves began filling the surroundings.
The boy parted his lips again.
“I am somewhat interested in demonic arts. I know the hundred meetings point quite well too. Leader, in my view, you…”
“Young hero, that’s enough…”
With roles reversed, Hyeon Won-chang tried to stop him. The hand gripping Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder trembled slightly. The boy shook his arm once to brush it off. What, why?
That’s when it happened.
Huff.
A small breath rang out. An extremely thin laugh came especially clearly. Jeong Yeon-shin’s gaze moved.
It was none other than the Lord of Desolate Fortress. She who had remained still even at the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s harsh words slightly raised her head.
“I shall give the second teaching.”
A brilliant voice flowed out. A small smile played on her lips.
“Mind Sword.”