Chapter 196 – Lightning-Annihilation Sword Style (4)

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader Jeong Yeon-shin’s fingertips moved gracefully.

Just as six sword strike energy waves threatened to shred his robes, his gesture unleashed a storm of steel flowers.

His five fingers alternated concealing and revealing his palm, harmonizing absorption and emission energy waves. The sword fragments, aglow with radiance, scattered dreamily left and right.

Pop-pop-pop!

Dull thuds resounded. Blood spurted from the fingertips that danced as if strumming a zither.

The six masters of the Virtuous Heaven Squad jolted briefly. They froze mid-thrust.

“Ugh.”

“Hmm…”

Each staggered with bloodshot eyes.

Not instant death. They weren’t lesser foes to be swept away in one broad strike.

Though rooted in orthodox martial arts, their family’s pragmatic bent clad their bodies in notably sturdy protective energy.

They weren’t at a level to be felled by the hastily unleashed force of Myriad Heavens Flower Rain.

Rather, for the Martial Alliance warriors, the scene now unfolding was astonishing.

Gasps erupted among the onlookers who’d boldly followed Zhuge Qing-ya into the family’s domain.

For the Radiant Demon Wing Leader, it was expected. Thanks to Yue Shou-lin, he’d preemptively disrupted their core techniques.

Since they weren’t on par with the Divine Sword Squad relying solely on innate martial arts, having their counters meant he could break through.

“To weigh the gravity of matters.”

Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his right hand slowly, declaring.

“This Leader must prioritize today’s report above all. If my judgment’s wrong, I’ll formally apologize to your family, so don’t block my path further. I’m showing mercy for Fan Dragon’s sake.”

He spoke, recalling Zhuge Xian’s remarkably honed movement techniques. Jeong Yeon-shin resumed his stride.

Zhuge Qing-ya, hurrying to catch up, spoke cautiously.

Behind them, the family warriors, unable to steady themselves, stared blankly at her and Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Their condition…”

“With protective energy even shielding their veins, they’re well-trained warriors. No need for concern.”

“Ah.”

A dazed exclamation followed his impassive reply. Zhuge Qing-ya couldn’t fully grasp martial arts beyond her comprehension.

Unlike when she deduced from scars, the Radiant Demon Wing Leader existed in another realm.

‘The Virtuous Heaven Squad is a force comparable to the Radiant Demon Wing.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

That’s what elite faction warriors were.

Their martial prowess varied by lineage, but fundamentally, family arts honed over history were sturdier than some of the Thirteen Heavens.

Had they fully deployed their sword formation, they might have contained him. Yue Shou-lin’s advice had been crucial.

Time was the worry now.

He eyed the warriors ahead. Six more, rushing from the rear of those felled by Advancing Thunder and Myriad Heavens Flower Rain.

They halted, honing their sword momentum, seemingly shifting formation.

Jeong Yeon-shin paid no heed.

Boom!

Both hands’ Eternal Blossom Fist shattered several weapons. He charged relentlessly.

Radiant Wing Step countered the Virtuous Heaven Squad perfectly. With a supreme master holding the advantage in compatibility, the Zhuge Family elites couldn’t fully unleash their skill.

The Alliance’s unique setting aided this. Even as a key site, they likely hadn’t brought their home base’s full might.

The prowess of long-established factions, especially those mastering mystical martial arts, peaked at their foundational strongholds.

Suddenly, he thought of Azure Qilin at the destination. His lifespan, less than three years, surfaced too.

Disillusionment crept in.

A fundamental question etched into his mind.

—Are you truly raging for Namgung Se-jin now?

Half-true. Half for merit.

The black-rank realm was vast beyond measure.

Competing with high-caliber supreme masters, even Yue Shou-lin and the Annihilation Team Leader, with their rare prowess, hadn’t reached purple.

The incidents they resolved were hardly trivial, yet still so.

He couldn’t fathom how much merit was needed. Each time he felt his widened Hundred Meetings acupoint, a renewed sense of vast uncertainty hit.

Now, Jeong Yeon-shin raged to survive.

Guilt—that he too might be exploiting Namgung Se-jin—wrapped his limbs in fury.

To deal a severe blow to the Zhuge Family, a Martial Alliance pillar, and gain further merit, the boy inwardly repeated.

I’m truly sorry. Not for pure intent.

Zhuge Qing-ya had said it was now or never.

His upper dantian’s ability confirmed the truth. A gamble. He couldn’t miss it.

“Check the trigram! Step the bearings precisely!”

“He manipulates energy waves at will! Assume beyond-normal strikes and prepare!”

“Draw swords!”

Over a dozen men and women in green robes radiated potent energy waves. Their resolve not to let him pass was palpable.

Some abandoned the Cloud Soul Severing Formation entirely, sharpening raw sword strike energy waves.

By now, even Zhuge Qing-ya felt the strain.

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s front-back-left-right defense fell short. Swords gleamed from warriors leaping overhead.

As if one hit sufficed, their movement techniques spared no thought for retreat.

Treasured swords, brimming with powerful internal energy and warping sunlight, raced toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

The momentum of family masters wholly focused on sword arts loomed like an iron wall.

Instantly, Zhuge Qing-ya’s eyes widened. She was so shocked that the onlookers’ presence faded from her senses.

Swish.

The boy’s black robe fluttered gently.

The moment he took a step, the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s form blurred. His body seemed to turn to wind. In one stride, he slipped past every sword.

A reaction one step ahead of all their strikes.

As the Virtuous Heaven Squad’s paths tangled, colliding and evading each other, Jeong Yeon-shin leaped forward again.

Swish.

He didn’t glance back. Only his right hand aimed rearward.

The fourth technique of Eternal Blossom Fist’s flaw mattered only against peers. Against lesser foes, casting time wasn’t an issue.

The mystical formation sprouting from his palm wove two energy strands inherent in the Luminous Wheel Technique.

Blood energy and dharma force clashed like lightning. Brilliant River exploded forth.

Kwaaaaaang—!

It burst seven paces away. Dust surged from the shattered ground, and nearby pavilions trembled as if collapsing.

Pursuers behind were swept up in the energy wave, bouncing like skipping stones.

The deafening blast reverberated through alleys, lingering as an echo.

Divine might. Terrifyingly refined. Movement evasion and fist technique assault fused, forging an unbelievable supreme master.

Zhuge Qing-ya followed, her eyelashes trembling faintly. She’d seen seven-tenths odds; now, it rose to nine-tenths.

She thought. How could a peer be this strong? Was it tied to the desperation felt in Azure Qilin’s scars?

Step.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s jet-black back advanced impassively. Each time Zhuge Family warriors appeared, a godlike breakthrough followed.

He struck with lightning-fast hands, his wind-like movements relentless.

A prowess silencing even the onlookers’ mouths. A master’s martial arts shone in one-against-many battles.

“There!”

Zhuge Qing-ya suddenly shouted, pointing with a slender white finger.

A quaint pavilion. Three Zhuge Family warriors raced toward it from the side.

They were closer than the two of them. The target seemed clear. They appeared to be racing against Jeong Yeon-shin.

Opening that door.

He’d see his lifelong rival lying like a Tang Clan test subject.

It couldn’t be taken. Nor defiled. Jeong Yeon-shin filled his right hand’s meridians with the Luminous Wheel Technique.

His palm heated. Absorption and emission incantations crossed in three aligned acupoints.

“Huh?!”

An odd yelp. Without touching it, he yanked Zhuge Qing-ya’s scabbard whole and hurled it with a gesture.

Dust billowed. Myriad Heavens Flower Rain’s energy wave, twisted upward from below, scraped the ground.

Swish!

Emission energy carried ferocious Luminous Wheel force. The white scabbard shot like a beam.

With an air-rending sound, it smashed two heads and slammed into a third’s lower back, bursting like a strike.

Boom!

A heavy thud. It seemed to jolt their protective energy and shock their bodies.

A path opened through the three sprawled figures. An unforeseen ambush by a supreme master, unprepared for by the Zhuge Family.

A supreme master’s grandeur. Fit to serve as a faction war weapon.

“Let’s go.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said. His voice carried a hint of gloom.

Zhuge Qing-ya unconsciously pursed her lips. Dry saliva touched them.

An unbelievable sight, a swelling heart.

She could now break free from her father. Overthrow his authoritarian oppression and reshape the family with her brother’s will.

Even a family bore the righteous martial lineage. Just cause was the mightiest divine sword.

So she thought.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

***  

Suddenly, the sky darkened.

Dusk fell early. Low clouds drew near, pulled by some force.

Reality? The fading sunlight seemed to herald an absolute presence.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced aside. A pavilion with blue tiles gracefully rising from its eaves.

Atop its highest roof. A man in white robes stood nobly.

“This young beast, stepping fearlessly into the cage time and again.”

He spoke, gazing down at Zhuge Qing-ya. His left hand held a white crane fan with teal tassels.

Snow-white robes suited his pale skin perfectly, his slender face framed by thick brows.

Scholarly yet not frail. An air of transcendence cloaked him.

The moment he entered sight, the world filled with him. Even the free breeze slowed abruptly.

“Family Head!”

A pursuing Zhuge Family master cried out, voice strained with dread of punishment.

An absolute figure debating the martial world with prowess. His arrival felt utterly natural.

The current Zhuge Family Head’s moniker was Reborn Hidden Dragon.

Not named for Zhuge Liang’s intellect, but for extraordinary intuition.

Thus, he bore the appearance and grace to rival Shu’s Zhuge Liang. Calling Wind and Rain. Paired with peerless mystical martial arts.

He’d been watching Zhuge Qing-ya’s odd moves.

With a head’s prudence, he weighed the upheaval Azure Qilin’s body could bring. Even with urgent matters, he never turned from the Alliance.

Thus, he descended here, now. With movement techniques rare in the martial world, he struck at the youths’ vulnerability.

His gaze shifted slowly to Jeong Yeon-shin. Like Mount Tai moving.

“You must pay a price.”

The absolute figure with the fan spoke.

“Had you taken the Great Rejuvenation Pill and left, that would’ve sufficed.”

“…”

“Greed shortened your life.”

Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent briefly. Words failed him. What would Hyeon Won-chang or Lazy Flame Dragon say?

Feeling his upper dantian whisper faint odds, the young Radiant Demon Wing Leader parted his lips slowly.

“…You should know shame. One who calls himself a family head no less.”

“Not words for a lawless intruder to say.”

The Zhuge Family Head’s lips curved slowly.

“I’ll send your head to the Lord of Desolate Fortress. If she flies here in rare fury, the Martial Alliance’s unity will hasten. The cause lies with my family. Then, the Alliance’s might will surpass Desolate Fortress.”

A calm proclamation felt starkly real.

With a sudden flick of his fan.

Kwaaaaaang!

A typhoon struck abruptly. Razor-sharp winds, as if imbued with a divine sword. Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t draw in time.

Too slow. He forcibly clad both hands in the Luminous Wheel Technique, crossing them to withstand the cutting gale.

No chance to track the Zhuge Family Head’s moves. His energy flow was terrifyingly swift.

Amid blurred vision, pain seared his forearms. Blood spurted in patches.

To counter divine techniques, protective energy needed to be in divine realm too.

His current energy barrier’s weave was weak. He realized it instinctively, taking one hit.

Unapproachable.

He’d need two or three more of himself to attempt a killing technique. Without them, he’d die here.

Soon.

Kwaaaaaak!

A sound like tearing long cloth rang out. The black-robed boy’s form flew back.

Yet, spinning midair to barely regain balance was astounding.

What movement technique was that? That instinct—what was it? The Zhuge Family Head’s eyes glleamed.

“Indeed.”

Folding his fan with an elegant gesture, he said.

“He can’t be spared.”

A thought from seeing the Ming Cult’s young leader afar. He hadn’t expected to feel it again.

As one debating the martial world’s tides, this boy’s talent was perilous. Unpredictable future sword techniques.

Why wasn’t such a child born to the Zhuge Family?

Boundless potential etched caution even into a peerless master.

He must die here. Another Divine Sword Squad Leader mustn’t rise.

‘Another Lord of Desolate Fortress, even less…’

Resolve hardened. Kill him. Even if it meant enmity with Desolate Fortress.

Swish.

As the Zhuge Family Head’s fan traced a transcendent afterimage.

Whooooooosh—!

From afar.

From very far, the air rumbled. The roar doubled each instant.

The moment it registered as behind, something dark and elongated pierced the mystical formation’s barriers like a sculpted shadow.

A sonic boom arrived like a beam, striking beside Jeong Yeon-shin.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

With a fearsome tremor, someone landed. Earthquake-like reverberations spread. No guessing where it leaped from.

The black robe fluttered in the tsunami-like energy wave—not Jeong Yeon-shin’s, but the girl who’d just descended.

A familiar profile.

Short black hair defying etiquette and decorum. A thunderbolt-like energy wave flickered on cheeks translucent with sunlight.

An ivory-carved nose bridge, familiar too. As if born in Desolate Fortress’s black robes, unrestrained colorless energy overflowed her frame.

Oversized sleeves, unfit for her, billowed like a fairy’s garb.

Yue Shou-lin, the Desolate Fortress Divine Spear.

Turning slightly to Jeong Yeon-shin, she grinned.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

More came. From the side.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang—!

Pavilions crumbled one by one. Each time a massive figure burst through walls, the unleashed waves were monstrously potent.

A giant in black robes with pointed, leaf-like ears. He charged, shattering, crushing, and toppling walls.

The force in his soles raised smoke at each mark. The fierce energy surge even birthed heat.

“Damn—back—stabbing—b*st*rds—!”

A roar erupted. Like a lion’s cry, it shook all directions fiercely.

A voice explosive beyond years of energy amassed. The energy in his shout swept the surroundings like a thunderbolt.

Doorframes shattered on their own.

“Desolate Fortress intruders!”

“The ‘Desolate’ mark! Desolate Fortress!”

“Emergency! Defend with sword formations!”

Faint cries echoed from afar. Beyond the girl and giant, more were coming. Had those without peerless movement techniques breached the main gate?

Even they seemed beyond ordinary. Martial Alliance warriors, formidable anywhere, panicked visibly.

A foe hard to face with standard defenses.

Desolate Fortress.

Had played near-peerless cards from the start. To guard their transcendent late talent against calamity.

‘Not a small force?’

Relieved to escape death’s brink, Jeong Yeon-shin felt no small shock. He hid it from his face. Wasn’t this declaring war?