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Chapter 142- Return of the Storm (7)
by Heavenly CatRead only at nineheavens.org
Translated by Nine Heavens!
***
“Mind Sword. Today’s wind is indeed excessive.”
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader laughed, echoing the words of the Lord of Desolate Fortress.
Her black robe, as dark as Jeong Yeon-shin’s attire, billowed in the wind. Her qi felt as if it were wrapped in hellfire.
The final obstacle before their return was formidable. The last challenge of this mission had returned in the form of the Pure Demon Alliance Leader, a difficult problem to overcome.
Her demeanor was gradually regaining composure.
Hiss.
Along with the steam of Samadhi True Fire, some of the bloodstains on her abdomen vanished. At the same time, a burning scent, detectable only by masters, filled the air.
The source was clear. She seemed to have used Samadhi True Fire on her sword wound.
It was the injury inflicted by the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s Moon Spirit Divine Technique sword strike, stretching from near her ribs down to her hip bone.
Rather than stopping the bleeding through acupoint sealing, she was cauterizing and fusing the long abdominal wound entirely.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes widened slightly. It seemed like an improvisation, showcasing the supreme control over body and true qi that only a master of her caliber could possess.
It was astonishing.
Her face, with lips slightly bitten and a faint grin, exuded a lion-like spirit despite her slender frame.
A true demonic path practitioner. The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s temporary measure during this life-and-death battle was befitting of a sect leader.
She spoke.
“Rumors of the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s martial realm being beyond heaven have long spread throughout the world. But I didn’t expect you to be of my kind. Look here, child.”
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s gaze lowered. Her blue eyes, cold and mysterious, seemed to smile as they met Jeong Yeon-shin’s.
“If I had been your martial aunt, I would have taken you under my wing and taught you. Even masters are human, after all. To survive in this chaotic murim, one must wield both martial arts and words. But your teacher, it seems, is too lofty to engage in even half the verbal sparring you’re capable of.”
“Martial aunt” referred to a female elder of the same generation as one’s teacher—essentially, a teacher’s elder or younger sister.
Her words demonstrated just how unrestrained the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s speech and conduct could be.
“It’s surprising that you speak of fairness while spouting nonsense to a senior in the murim.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke slowly, gripping his sword handle. As he took a flying sword stance, his words carried sincerity.
“The side effects of demonic arts are truly fascinating. The meridians in your mind seem heavily blocked. Is there a special method in demonic arts cultivation to narrow the blood paths? If you tell me, I might even consider taking you as my martial sister.”
“…”
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader was one of the Thirteen Evil Sect Leaders, a figure of supreme status.
Though her words were free and unrestrained when provoking, she remained silent when faced with rude speech, as if it were beneath her dignity.
“What a fool.”
Jeong Yeon-shin continued to hurl insults at the faction leader without hesitation.
By now, not only Hyeon Won-chang but even Lazy Flame Dragon beside him shook his head slightly, taking a defensive stance.
They were preparing in case the Pure Demon Alliance Leader turned her attacks toward them.
“Looking at you now, commander, you don’t seem particularly afraid of an early death. But I find the idea quite frightening. Am I the strange one here?”
The boy paid no mind to his words and continued to circulate his true qi. His heart tingled as the Luminous wheel within him turned.
To resolve this situation while keeping Ma Yeon-jeok safe, the only option was for the Lord of Desolate Fortress to strike down the Pure Demon Alliance Leader without causing any energy wave collisions.
This seemingly calm standoff had to be handled with wisdom.
Whoosh.
Extraordinary energy waves began to spread throughout the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s body as she moved her mouth. Had she bought enough time?
In contrast, the Lord of Desolate Fortress stood quietly, her gaze fixed on the distant forest.
If her killing strike wasn’t ready, Jeong Yeon-shin intended to throw flying swords first to buy time.
‘My protective qi is still insufficient. How can I intercept the techniques of supreme masters?’
He had felt this limitation during the battle between Ma Yeon-jeok and the Blood Flame Sect Leader as well.
The boy kept these questions in his heart as he glared at the Pure Demon Alliance Leader.
He had already summoned his demon light. The optimal trajectory formed in his mind.
That’s when it happened.
“It’s done.”
Suddenly, the Lord of Desolate Fortress spoke.
Several breaths had passed since she mentioned the “Mind Sword.”
Her grass-colored sleeve rippled once.
She stepped forward like an illusion and gently raised her sword.
The strike was aimed at the Pure Demon Alliance Leader, who stood in mid-air using the Void Crossing Movement Technique. The sword flashed pure white, advancing in a single, elegant curve.
At first glance, it seemed like a meaningless sword draw.
Swoosh!
But it wasn’t. Far from it.
Jeong Yeon-shin, standing at a distance, heard an inaudible sound. It echoed in his mind.
A faint cutting noise seemed to dig into his hundred meetings point.
It traveled straight to his upper dantian. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a sound but a phenomenon he sensed.
Had she truly cut through the mind?
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader gasped. Her black hair, which had been scattered in the air, spread wildly.
Her form, using the Void Crossing Movement Technique, staggered in mid-air. But that wasn’t the end. She suddenly fell nearly three zhang.
[TL Note- 1 zhang= 3.33 metres]
If she fell another four zhang, she would be within flying sword range.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes flashed. The white handle of the Northern Light divine sword in his grip shone brightly.
But he didn’t have time to draw.
The Lord of Desolate Fortress’s second sword form followed. This time, it was visible.
Flutter!
Her broad sleeves billowed like the colors of the forest.
Above her small, green-haired head, the sword that had been raised to her upper three yang points came down again.
One sword.
It was a gesture that could have been either a sword strike or a demonstration of a sword dance.
Her movements were so elegant. At the same time, a hazy flash left her sword, like a ray of light.
It was a superhuman sword draw, radiating brilliance. It was different even from the rare skill of sword qi.
That’s how it felt—more mystical, far more transcendent.
***
Read only at nineheavens.org
Translated by Nine Heavens!
***
Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t fully comprehend the series of sword strikes.
He only caught the moment when moonlight suddenly arose, spewing light in the form of a long slash.
It was a direct hit. The strike shattered the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s black internal energy armor and scattered fragments of light from her abdomen.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s movements froze as she stretched out her hand, her eyes wide with shock.
Boom.
How profound were the principles of martial arts she had unleashed?
The sound of energy waves colliding echoed only within the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s body. It was almost imperceptible unless one listened closely. With a single sword strike, she had embedded the shockwave entirely within her opponent’s body. It seemed she had taken Ma Yeon-jeok’s condition into account.
‘Wow.’
An exclamation burst in his heart.
Jeong Yeon-shin had never seen a more noble sword draw. Even his sharp eyes struggled to grasp its subtleties.
It was more impressive than the first form she had called the “Mind Sword.”
Then.
Boom!
Mighty energy waves erupted from the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s falling body.
At the same time, black qi flows, like the night sky, surrounded her entire form. She continuously spewed waves of power.
It was overwhelming, as if it could crush mountains with ease.
Was this the Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s hidden strength? She gritted her teeth and straightened her posture, immediately resuming her Movement Technique.
Black energy waves exploded from behind her body. Her entire form soared diagonally once more.
Even Jeong Yeon-shin could sense that she was forcibly drawing out her true qi. It was at a level where demonic deviation was a real risk.
‘It’s over.’
The boy thought.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s decision was swift. The direction of her body as it crossed through the air was peculiar.
Whoosh!
She soared far above her head, her form momentarily blocking the sun. With that, she left the battlefield.
She was fleeing.
“The Pure Demon Alliance Leader is fleeing!”
Hyeon Won-chang, standing beside the boy, shouted with clasped hands. His extraordinary perception seemed to have grasped the flow of the battle.
His energetic voice was filled with true qi, as if he had never tried to restrain Jeong Yeon-shin.
He was warning the Pure Demon Alliance masters who must have been rushing to escort their leader.
―This leader will not forget today!
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s voice echoed. By now, she was already a distant figure.
Even as she fled, the demonic path supreme master seemed mindful of Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been gripping his sword handle until the end.
Despite facing the Lord of Desolate Fortress, she never entered the range of his flying swords.
‘I must find a way to deal with the Void Crossing Body Protection Technique and air treading.’
This was a challenge for the boy, who would soon formally rise to the black rank.
The Pure Demon Alliance Leader’s situation—mentioning Baek Mi-ryeo’s name, manifesting her power, and ultimately retreating after defeat—didn’t seem dishonorable.
She was still a supreme master, far beyond Jeong Yeon-shin’s current reach.
He resolved that if they were to meet again, he would take on the Lord’s role in facing her.
‘The black rank realm is vast. Even more so than the blue rank. If I had my uncle’s or the Alliance Team Leader’s skill, along with the Luminous Wheel That Transcends Law, I might have been able to face her. Should I aim for the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown first?’
As the boy briefly organized his thoughts, an elegant voice rang out.
“I should see Yeon-jeok.”
Step.
The Lord of Desolate Fortress slowly approached. She headed toward the three war carriages that Jeong Yeon-shin’s group was guarding.
She didn’t look back at the fleeing Pure Demon Alliance Leader. She showed no intention of pursuit.
She seemed to refrain from hasty actions, not knowing the details of Ma Yeon-jeok’s condition.
She deliberately chose not to obsess. To her, even the Pure Demon Alliance’s master was just a frontier branch leader.
She had shown the boy, who had struggled through the murim of Sichuan, a new world. Her conduct alone was enough to inspire.
“You protected me.”
With those simple words, the Lord of Desolate Fortress passed by Jeong Yeon-shin.
The fragrant scent of grass leaves tickled the boy’s nose. Her voice carried a faint trace of laughter.
It was truly over.
The final hurdle of their mission’s return journey had crumbled.
***
Read only at nineheavens.org
Translated by Nine Heavens!
***
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