Chapter 627 – Red Sky (8)

Transcendent Martial Art is the art of time.

It requires long years for cultivation and many internal energy breaths precede its deployment. Naturally, battles of life-saving ultimate techniques were also battles of wits observing each other’s signs and combat ranges.

Taking long periods of time.

The peerless masters of Black Capital Old Palace were the same.

They filled their entire detailed meridians with true energy friction in preparation for intense movements, firmly fixed in their minds the will that needed to enter their upper energy center spirits, while endlessly raising the precision of minute muscles directly connected to divine art secret techniques’ accuracy like closed-door cultivation.

So that the sword forms to be extended would suit the enemy’s movements and environment.

That is, engaging in battle while preparing Transcendent Martial Art.

The final technique that pierces through one’s entire life in a single move. Since it inevitably places tremendous burden on the entire body, unleashing one’s life outside the world is very difficult.

Only those belonging to an extremely small minority can deploy Transcendent Martial Art in an instant.

But the peerless masters of Black Capital Old Palace took breaths for a different meaning. To certainly kill the Northern Emperor who had revived despite dying once.

They were all viewing each other’s protective energy and vitality like monsters.

“……”

The sky was reddish.

The sparks of Dragon Sword Gazing Homeward, the Transcendent Martial Art Yong Hye-myeong had deployed, were mixed in the clouds.

Had they soared riding the cold northern wind? It was scenery that had heated red from the aftermath of sword force that had been like a dragon’s breath. An untimely sunset seemed to have arrived.

Even the black mist that had somehow surrounded all directions like an abyss couldn’t block the sky.

Even the internal energy mist that would support the Northern Region’s greatest’s techniques had been pushed back by the traces of explosive force Yong Hye-myeong had poured out.

Befitting the most overwhelming sword wind throughout Jeong Yeon-shin’s experience. In reality, it was right not to expect anything more from Yong Hye-myeong.

The Southern Emperor also seemed to have seen through such circumstances. Rather than continuing to be wary of Yong Hye-myeong, he had suddenly discussed other situations.

[Tyrant Hero Ma Yeon-jeok… I failed to assume a variable of Divine Sword Group Leader caliber. It could be called a natural result.]

A voice without highs and lows as always. But extremely faintly, strange emotions seeped through.

Meanwhile, Dharma King and Lu Ban Heavenly Emperor showed deep shock even within the Transcendent Martial Art energy waves that had thickened like dawn mist. Especially Dharma King’s face was openly full of disbelief.

[Northern, Blade, under, heaven, has…!]

After the energy waves of the figure who had been war’s incarnation crumpled into transcendent pressure.

Not only peerless masters but even people without energy perception had no choice but to feel it. Because the presence that had seemed to fill the demon realm alone remained as an empty void.

Then.

Suddenly Yong Hye-myeong chuckled and took a step.

“It ended in the blink of an eye. Well, if someone of that age achieved rejuvenation, they should earn their keep to that degree.”

The appearance of diagonally hanging the tip of the divine sword he had taken back from Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Well, however it turned out…”

While other peerless masters endlessly raised their Transcendent Martial Art’s completeness with dozens of long exhales and inhales, Yong Hye-myeong settled the aftermath of Transcendent Martial Art deployment with deep internal energy breathing.

Then after regaining his usual leisurely complexion. It was a face that made his extremely depleted essence, energy, and spirit seem meaningless.

“If we confront each other any longer, I’ll collapse from exhaustion.”

He began walking step by step toward the three absolute masters on the enemy side. It was a scene natural enough to appear very surreal.

Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t help but quickly send sound transmission while worrying about his maternal grandfather’s condition.

—What are you doing?

—It seems the current me is hardly suited for a feast of life-saving ultimate techniques. I’ve become quite weary thanks to that Upright Star fellow and the two Northern Kings… Most importantly, the technique you’re preparing is too great. Since it’s completely opposite in temperament to Enter the Dao Transcend Together, you’ll need time buying.

He spoke absurd words. Jeong Yeon-shin lightly clenched then opened his hand where sword-blue heat haze rippled.

Immediately the entire ruins shook violently, and even the jet-black mist rippled like waves.

Rumble—

Though it could be mistaken for an attack, there was no movement from the Southern Emperor’s side. Meaning he was pouring transcendent concentration on Jeong Yeon-shin. He wouldn’t fall for any feints.

Yong Hye-myeong was the same.

—Don’t do pointless things. There’s no one here who doesn’t know you’re the strongest in this place right now. If only that bipedal emperor didn’t have Black Capital’s formation, the fight would have been twice as easy… Really.

—It’s enough if you support the precision of my ultimate technique. Please wait.

—Sorry, but that would be difficult. If left like this, it’s not a fight of three against two. It’s just you alone handling them. Watch quietly.

Yong Hye-myeong’s words continued slowly.

—…What an Enter The Divine Sword Master is.

That was all.

Sound transmission was no longer heard. Like sound caves collapsed in the starry night.

And Yong Hye-myeong was somehow wielding the divine sword before the Southern Emperor’s face. Shape-shifting position change. Following the trajectory of afterimages that suddenly arose, rainbow colors rippled gently.

Dragon Ring Sect, Myriad Intentions Dragon-Subduing Sword

Falling Nature Single Form

Bang…!

It was an instant. After explosive sound burst from light swordwork like a teacher’s switch, that sound was buried in completely suppressed shock waves then swallowed by the Southern Emperor’s black mist.

A scene of black mist fragments fluttering left and right like feathers.

Heaven Steel Light Armor Deception.

Through those gaps, the Southern Emperor’s will rippled.

[Useless action.]

“Is that so?”

Just by seeing his purple back, one could tell. Yong Hye-myeong was smiling.

By then, Dharma King and Lu Ban Heavenly Emperor’s explosive forces were already distorting space on both his sides, but they each collided with Deception’s fragments then scattered like gentle breezes.

Enter The Divine Sword Master’s technique.

Simultaneously, Yong Hye-myeong leaping backward and rotating like wind. With terrifying sonic booms, two shock waves successively struck from the white blade of the divine sword that had drawn a circle.

Dharma King’s fists that had charged in with consecutive strikes, and even Lu Ban Heavenly Emperor’s feathers that had crossed the void while preparing Transcendent Martial Art.

Within that, shabby purple sleeves fluttered and spun like dance movements. Of course, flapping sounds arose violently.

Crash…

Enter The Divine Sword Master’s worn leather shoes carved long furrows in the ground as they reached before Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet. It was instantaneous from competing with the three Northern Kings in single techniques each and returning.

Soon Yong Hye-myeong smiled slightly and said.

“I stole one breath.”

It was certainly a great gain. Because the enemies’ Transcendent Martial Art breathing would have been disturbed however slightly.

Then.

[Hope greatly. Stop tormenting me…!]

Whoosh!

Suddenly fierce wind blew in all directions. The reverse wind of very dignified lightness skill. Dharma King, who had somehow charged to Yong Hye-myeong’s face, thrust out a palm glowing pure white.

It rang out from his only arm.

[Vengeful Destruction of Ming.]

Space rippling slightly around Dharma King’s grip.

Yong Hye-myeong glanced down at the scene of that palm striking into his solar plexus, but couldn’t show movement befitting a Divine Sword Group Leader’s reaction speed.

Only his chest being soundlessly crushed was reflected in his pupils split up and down.

The Divine Sword Group Leader’s perfection went only that far.

Because the palm dyed with pure white light had penetrated Yong Hye-myeong’s protective energy like dew. An unbelievable scene. The palm force of the Transcendent Martial Art Dharma King deployed had strange aspects.

Simultaneously, Dharma King’s arm shook along with the palm force.

It was Radiant Wing Eight Steps.

Bang!

As soon as Jeong Yeon-shin stomped the ground, Dharma King’s chin was suddenly lifted up as his whole body soared.

For a moment even the Western Region old monk’s eye sockets turned white, but even in that brief time, Dharma King’s lips held a faint arc like a Buddha statue. As if he too had stolen one breath like Yong Hye-myeong.

It wasn’t so.

Because Jeong Yeon-shin had ridden propulsive shock waves like a shell and reached Dharma King’s flank. Belatedly, the reverse wind of that movement pushed away the dark atmosphere with a whoosh.

It was simultaneous with Dharma King’s forehead marked with a red handprint rising along with wrinkles.

[Ruined monk…!]

Radiant Wing Steps was footwork. The strike at the moment of advancing was only shock waves accompanying the steps.

Otherwise, it was extremely aggressive footwork.

Clang!

When Jeong Yeon-shin’s knee struck up Dharma King’s side along with his Heaven Steel Light Armor, the surroundings were somehow rippling with dozens of sword-shaped starlight containing feathers. It was Lu Ban Heavenly Emperor’s sword energy group just before piercing into Jeong Yeon-shin.

Instantly Jeong Yeon-shin’s grip lightly tightened like Family Head Tang Yun-hwang’s hand holding a hammer.

Simultaneously, the ground’s dry stone powder was swept up like a waterspout by the myriad flowers rain, directly striking the lower part of the sword energies.

Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang!

Tremendous shock waves burst out with the roar of hammering iron plates. Fragments of explosive force scattered in all directions like colorless petals.

Lu Ban Heavenly Emperor, who caught one of them with heavy hand movements, spun once.

Sword energy that diagonally deflected the divine sword strike of Yong Hye-myeong who had approached leisurely. Of course, intense friction sounds and orange sparks flew in succession.

‘Joint attack.’

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes, which had torn through that like a ray of light, flashed steel-blue eye-light. Simultaneously, the divine sword that had flowed like water from Yong Hye-myeong’s hand to Jeong Yeon-shin’s grip rose diagonally across Lu Ban Heavenly Emperor’s chest.

It was an instant until Heaven Steel Light Armor crushed by tyrannical sword force carved a long furrow in its master’s body.

The sword tip that soared to the sky.

Yong Hye-myeong, who immediately caught the divine sword again with a forward leap, collided directly with the Southern Emperor’s jet-black hand blade. It was a low stance that blocked the peerless palm technique, the technique of Heavenly Soul, that had been charging toward Jeong Yeon-shin beneath his feet.

Thump…!

Heavy shock waves grabbed up the ground like a tsunami.

Yong Hye-myeong, who had fixed his body with void-treading while airborne, was pushed back about ten steps with a whoosh while laughing as if it were interesting. While glancing at Jeong Yeon-shin behind him.

Thud.

He landed beside Jeong Yeon-shin like that. His faded purple sleeves settled down long and slowly like a crane’s wingbeats.

Yong Hye-myeong shook out his divine sword toward his feet once and said.

“Our coordination matches quite well. This is also difficult to achieve.”

“The divine sword follows its master well.”

“Hmm?”

Meanwhile, they were somehow surrounded on three sides.

The demon realm’s emperor and two Northern Kings had naturally surrounded Jeong Yeon-shin and Yong Hye-myeong, and by now tremendous pressure was crushing all space.

Even the pebbles rolling around their feet were crumbling by themselves.

Crack…

A hollow sound.

All Transcendent Martial Arts had finished loading.

They weren’t hastily prepared life-saving ultimate techniques either. Except for Yong Hye-myeong, both sides had tacitly allowed complete preparation to each other. The pride that if each fully unleashed their own life, they naturally wouldn’t be defeated.

Though problems had arisen in Dharma King and Lu Ban Heavenly Emperor’s conditions from the coordination they had just shared, no one could say that was unfair.

Because for Jeong Yeon-shin, who now had to handle three peerless masters’ Transcendent Martial Arts, the burden had lessened however slightly.

Suddenly Yong Hye-myeong asked.

“Are you confident?”

But Jeong Yeon-shin only glanced at his chest where torn purple robe hems were self-repairing, then quietly asked back.

“Didn’t you bleed?”

“That would be trouble.”

Yong Hye-myeong shook his head.

“If even one drop had fallen, the entire city would have reacted. There are few places where formations as vicious as this land are spread.”

“Then it’s fine.”

Then Jeong Yeon-shin silently surveyed all directions.

Three absolute masters on the enemy side.

Surprisingly, Dharma King stood out for now. Because he was still breathing deeply while holding white radiance in one hand.

Yong Hye-myeong also pointed him out.

“That monk’s Transcendent Martial Art is quite dangerous.”

The palm force continued. Like the extremely few techniques that change space. That would be the strength of the Transcendent Martial Art called ‘Vengeful Destruction of Ming.’

But Jeong Yeon-shin soon placed his gaze on the Southern Emperor.

And asked quietly.

“What are you waiting for?”

[The pillar of this nation that will suppress all variables. The final piece given to me.]

It was when the Southern Emperor’s voice rumbled muffledly.

[Mencius Devoted Firm.]

A solemn will burst with tremendous resonance like some roar and penetrated the Southern Emperor’s black mist.

The atmosphere even shook for a moment, and some giant shadow crushed all those reverberations and landed on one side of the battlefield.

Crash!

Tremendous wind pressure swept through all space. Even the ground that was already close to ruins was shattered into pieces like a spider web once more.

Six Star Lord Literary Star. Despite losing one eye and a corner of his head, he smiled elegantly like a scholar. While emitting transcendent pressure with his entire body, he gave a friendly greeting to Jeong Yeon-shin.

[Have you been well?]

“…!”

[As you can see, I’ve been busy. You have good subordinates.]

A voice filling the hall like thick ink fragrance.

It permitted no void. Transcendent Martial Art Mencius Devoted Firm was like that. A space that suppressed all energy emission and only allowed close-range strikes to the greatest in external arts. A purely physical battleground.

It was also a technique that struck at the weakness of the second Transcendent Martial Art Jeong Yeon-shin had prepared.

It had truly been deployed suddenly.

The height of thoroughness. Unlike the Southern Emperor who still hadn’t activated ‘South-Facing Capable Emperor’ because it was Transcendent Martial Art that also affected allies.

When Yong Hye-myeong suddenly moved to block between the Southern Emperor and Literary Star, the Southern Emperor’s toneless voice fell heavily.

[Literary Star, your senses have greatly dulled. Even your Heaven Steel Light Armor has nearly faded. Was it an intense battle?]

Literary Star’s large lips rose faintly.

Anyone could see it was a smile of affirmation, and immediately the Southern Emperor’s words continued.

[What did you drag behind you?]

Suddenly, silence originating from Literary Star’s giant back swept down the vicinity chillingly.

A black-robed youth clinging to his large shoulders like an assassin with Gecko Technique grinned. While wearing a blue hero’s headband on his forehead.

“You should at least not notice this much. How many squad leaders have clung on so far?”

Even while speaking, there was no presence at all. As if all energy was forbidden. The same was true when a demonic sword in Hyeon Won-chang’s hand scraped Literary Star’s throat and fell.

A thin line carved on the greatest in external arts’ skin as if it had penetrated space.

In an instant, Yong Hye-myeong, who had grabbed Heon-won Chang’s nape, pulled back with a whoosh, and Literary Star’s fist that turned like lightning struck and crumpled empty space.

Crash!

Just from that aftermath, Hyeon Won-chang’s ribs were all crushed, bursting even dark red blood. The flow had suddenly become urgent. It was then that Yong Hye-myeong’s words suddenly flowed out.

“From now on, I begin the succession of Enter The Divine Sword. The condition is victory.”

“Then.”

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly moved his lips. Soon what poured out his voice was not his throat but his upper energy center spirit.

[I’ll go first.]

When trying not to worry about Hyeon Won-chang.

Rustle…

There was a feeling of overlapping on the back of his hand. The hand of the old man who had gripped Jeong Yeon-shin instead of a sword. The hand of the boy Taoist No Do-sa who had gained eternal life through a chivalrous man’s deeds.

[TL Note- I’m not sure whom No Do-Sa refers to here. 노도사 if anyone knows anything about it, let me know.]

Thinking of the two people, grayish light clusters surged in all directions from his grip. It was Jeong Yeon-shin’s explosive force that could only rival Transcendent Martial Art by weaving others’ lives.

Screeeeech!

It violently rubbed against space, settling sharp noise here and there. A scene of painting over the atmosphere dyed with the Southern Emperor’s black mist with sword-blue color like some paint.

The faint light clusters stopped in the sky in the form of gentle light sources. Clusters of sword strike shock waves that had truly positioned themselves like stars.

As new night swallowed space, the shadows of those present also narrowed long like swords, and among them Dharma King hastily breathed lest the pure white radiance surrounding his hand be extinguished.

While inevitably spreading his own will nakedly.

[The demon realm’s intelligence is the emperor’s parents! Empty and again empty…! Must prepare differently…!]

[Vast Taiji.]

Under the sky mottled with dark demonic energy and bluish dharma power.

Jeong Yeon-shin was somehow gripping a sword burning with dark blue light.

At this moment, with a sword circle that had expanded to the wilderness and all the sword mysteries he had experienced in jianghu contained in his grip.

[Silent Radiance Sword Constellation.]

—The constellation of blades.