Chapter 430 – Grandmaster (4)

A hot wind swept across the sparring ground, blowing toward the viewing stands.

The sunlight pouring down from the wide-open sky was already glaring in its intensity, but it wasn’t as noisy as the chatter of those who lived in the tumultuous martial world.

“Who is that person? By what right does he enter the sparring match?”

“Didn’t he just say Jeong Family Dynamic Technique…! It’s the martial art that the defeated White Rank warrior mentioned as a simplified version!”

Murmurs of restlessness erupted from the audience. The shattered wall continued to crumble, spitting out rough fragments of stone with a clattering sound.

On one side, the members of the Peng Family, adorned in silk martial uniforms and ancient-looking blades at their waists, remained silent. Each bore a different expression on their face.

Many were dumbfounded by the conduct, something unheard of in the righteous martial world.

The majority of the crowd only began exchanging opinions with those around them after the intruder deflected Peng Family Blade Marquis’s blade strikes.

Some, seemingly recognizing the black-clad intruder’s identity, let out low groans of realization.

Even the high-ranking experts of the Peng Family reacted similarly.

Unlike a moment ago, when they had subtly shown a sense of triumph at Namgung Hwa-shin’s silence, their expressions now betrayed suppressed shock. The hint of a smile had vanished from their lips. Elders, seasoned masters, and young blade warriors whispered in hushed tones.

“Harbinger of Death Ma Jin… He’s the former Radiant Demon Wing Leader.”

“I heard he lost an arm and became the Desolate Ma Family Head, yet the movements he just displayed were not those of someone who lost meridians. What on earth is going on…?”

“He mentioned Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, didn’t he?”

“I’ve heard it’s a martial art created by the Radiant Demon Wing Leader. Of course… since this man is the uncle of the Radiant Demon Wing Leader, it’s highly likely he was granted the complete version, not the simplified one.”

This was a tournament to determine the hierarchy of martial lineages among prestigious great sects.

There had never been a sparring conference with such immense honor at stake. That was why Harbinger of Death Ma Jin introduced his martial art here.

After forcing Peng Family Blade Marquis’s blades back into their scabbards, who was one of the Five Marvels of Resplendent Brilliance as, he explained its intricacies. No one could help but pay attention.

Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

It was a martial art with little known about it.

Some Desolate Fortress warriors who had ventured into the martial world claimed it rivaled Shaolin’s Muscle-Tendon Changing Sutra, but hardly any martial artists took such claims at face value.

This was due to the symbolic weight of the Muscle-Tendon Changing Sutra. A supreme divine skill that fundamentally reforged the bones and muscles of the world’s greatest martial monks.

Moreover, the talent of a martial god who rapidly ascends to great strength as if compressing time, and the quality of a grandmaster who creates unprecedented divine skills, were often considered separate matters.

“Hoo…”

Among those seated in the viewing stands, a few with keen insight let their eyes gleam.

These were the ones the surrounding crowd had referred to as the “Six Kings Martial Lineage.” From youthful young men to aged, handsome men and beautiful women, they all wore leather gauntlets on their bare hands.

“A prosthetic arm crafted with the renowned skill of the Iron Clan, I see. However, even if one attaches a hand powered by internal energy, it’s impossible to fully restore the balance of meridians that were torn out entirely.”

“He called it a dynamic technique. If its efficacy matches even half of Shaolin’s Muscle-Tendon Changing Sutra, it could certainly refine meridians.”

“Did you see his strike?”

“Only faintly.”

“My eye technique couldn’t fully capture it.”

This was the White Path martial world. A realm where exchanges and hospitality between sects flourished, inevitably leading to the development of martial discussions.

Naturally, many in the viewing stands debated the origins of Ma Jin’s martial art.

Meanwhile, at the center of the sparring ground.

Peng Family Blade Marquis narrowed her eyes, gripping the pair of blade handles at her back.

Colorless energy waves, like smoke, emanated from her grasp, tousling the ends of her hair.

“Full-body energy emission…?”

She muttered. Since the moment her twin blades were forced back into their scabbards, she seemed to be analyzing her opponent’s martial art.

“I’ve heard you possess considerable martial talent.”

The black-clad man, the former Radiant Demon Wing Leader known as Harbinger of Death, continued calmly.

“But it will be difficult for you to comprehend.”

“Ha…!”

A scornful laugh twisted Peng Family Blade Marquis’s lips.

Harbinger of Death Ma Jin.

He was a man of infamous repute. To common folk, he was called a chivalrous knight, but in the martial world, he was known as a rogue and closer to a murderous demon.

When he fell from grace due to the Sichuan’s City of Renowned Craftsmen incident, there were even mocking remarks. They said he had met a fitting end for his moniker.

Some felt relief. After all, Ma Jin was considered one of the most vicious among the seventeen Black Ranks of the Divine Sword Group.

If Harbinger of Death had indeed revived through the martial arts of Lightning Genius, such rumors would be treated as urgent news. Many sects would both blame and revere Lotus Nezha for it.

While they would be shocked by the emergence of a rare, unparalleled divine skill in the martial world.

Boom!

Peng Family Blade Marquis’s body vanished from where she stood. Only a concentric ring of pale dust remained.

Her footwork blurred the vision of onlookers. At a glance, it nearly resembled the mythical transposition technique.

In contrast, Ma Jin merely stood still. Both his dark metallic left arm and intact right arm hung loosely at his sides.

“Hmm.”

His chest was puffed out with an air of defiance. Only the hem of his black robe, emblazoned with the character “Desolate”, fluttered fiercely, exuding an intent to probe the depths of his opponent’s capabilities.

His preparatory stance, even his expression, remained utterly composed.

Hwaak!

Suddenly, Peng Family Blade Marquis, having drawn her twin blades, revealed herself at his flank.

With her disheveled hair whipping in the wind, she slashed horizontally with both blades simultaneously. The surrounding air trembled as if struck by an earthquake.

In that instant, Ma Jin extended his metallic prosthetic without even turning his head.

Clang-!

The iron fingers, made of precious black iron, flicked the twin blades upward from below. That alone blocked the blade strikes.

This was thanks to his sister, buried in the Jeong Family graveyard, whose energy flow firmly supported the connection from his shoulder to the prosthetic.

Ma Jin then extended his iron prosthetic to grab Peng Family Blade Marquis’s collar.

“Your spirit is commendable.”

He spoke briefly. It was a comment on her lack of caution in her strikes, despite wielding such an extreme offensive technique as twin blade arts. Instantly, a colorless gleam flashed in Peng Family Blade Marquis’s eyes.

In a fleeting moment, she reversed her grip on the twin blades that had been flung upward.

A near-miraculous feat of dexterity. As Ma Jin pulled her collar, dragging her helplessly toward him, Peng Family Blade Marquis stabbed downward with the blades now held in reverse.

Of course, Ma Jin immediately swung his intact right arm to deflect the blade strikes.

Boom!

A fierce shockwave erupted. At the same time, the sparring ground’s floor shattered violently, sending clouds of dust and stone fragments scattering in all directions.

Ma Jin laughed.

“You managed not to drop them, impressive.”

His tone was too plain to be mocking. However, it was not a remark to make to a martial artist representing an entire family.

Peng Family Blade Marquis, having retreated a significant distance, spat out blood-mixed saliva with a grunt. Still, she held both blades firmly.

“You thought that energy emission strike would work twice?”

She was a genius of martial arts.

She had long surpassed the limitations of her age. Occasionally invited by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to serve as an instructor, she was the object of admiration among the martial artists of the Forbidden City.

Excluding royalty, she could be considered the foremost talent in the Northern Capital Region.

Reflecting on the opponent’s earlier strike, she could adjust her grip on the blades with a method that ensured she wouldn’t fall for the same technique twice.

She subtly twitched the five fingers of both hands, redistributing her strength.

She also poured significant energy into the Shaofu and Laogong acupoints on her palms.

Then she fixed her gaze on her opponent.

‘That thing…’

The dark prosthetic Harbinger of Death wore was clearly more akin to a mechanical device to anyone who saw it.

Just as a supreme master who has achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown can manipulate internal energy at will, this prosthetic also channeled energy, mimicking human movements down to the finger joints.

A rare treasure that only Desolate Fortress, with its boundless wealth and resources, could create. It was undoubtedly a divine weapon crafted through the Iron Clan’s secret techniques.

But it couldn’t fully replace human flesh and bone. There must be limitations.

A spark of cunning flashed in Peng Family Blade Marquis’s eyes.

‘It must consume an immense amount of energy. That’s why he hasn’t made any large movements. The longer this drags on, the more advantageous it is for me.’

She just had to endure. She thought to herself.

The Jeong Family Dynamic Technique was undoubtedly a rare dynamic martial art in the world. What more needed to be said? It could even reunite the spirit, energy, and body of someone who had lost an entire arm.

But could it match the robustness of a prestigious family’s martial arts, honed over hundreds of years? Could its energy flow combine stability and explosive power?

‘In this sectarian battle, I can force a draw.’

One corner of her lips slanted upward.

Watching her silently, Ma Jin tossed out a question as if it were nothing.

“Why cling to such a trivial victory?”

“Because it’s not trivial.”

Peng Family Blade Marquis replied, channeling the energy from her dantian through her body’s meridians. From now on, it would be a series of powerful strikes.

She had to maintain the flow of the fight without being overwhelmed by her opponent’s attacks. If she could do that, a chance for victory would eventually emerge.

Her lips moved slightly.

“This sparring determines the fate of my family. Due to the unilateral actions of the late family head, we engaged in matters we shouldn’t have, and even that failed. If we lose here, we might as well seal our gates.”

“Matters you shouldn’t have engaged in?”

Ma Jin echoed in a peculiar tone.

Both understood they were referring to the Heavenly Net incident against the Divine Sword Group Leader. Peng Family Blade Marquis nodded slowly.

“You may not believe it, but our family opposed it. I was in the Forbidden City at the time because I didn’t want to follow orders. I thought the family head had completely lost his mind. All that talk of freedom in the martial world…”

“You’re deeply mistaken. My belief is irrelevant.”

Ma Jin briefly glanced at the viewing stands. There, seated under the shade of a canopy tinted red by the light, was Jeong Yeon-shin in a crimson-tinged robe.

His posture, slightly touching his forehead as if ignoring High Sword beside him, exuded a mature air. He seemed burdened by his uncle’s towering dominance.

-That’s not a lie.

Jeong Yeon-shin was now Purple Rank. The extent of his upper dantian’s power was impossible to fathom. At the very least, he could discern the truthfulness of someone’s words and actions.

‘To think he’s already become such a steadfast man. I must accept that I can no longer guide this child properly in the future.’

Ma Jin inwardly shook his head.

Even so, he couldn’t abandon his role as a surrogate for his sister, Ma Yeon-sang. He had to set a proper example for his nephew, who continually broke conventions.

“I’ll finish this with the next strike.”

He declared. One of Peng Family Blade Marquis’s eyebrows shot up.

“What?”

“Fortunately, it seems your interests align somewhat with those of my fortress. With the Thirteen Evil Sects possibly regrouping to cause trouble at any moment, there’s no need to add another corpse here.”

The uncle of the Purple Rank of Desolate Fortress, who had slain the Peng Family Head, spoke.

Peng Family Blade Marquis closed her mouth. She had already prepared to unleash her ultimate technique. There was no reason to entertain nonsense.

‘First, one strike.’

A martial aristocratic family.

Also known as a martial clan.

They have a strong tendency to overwhelmingly crush their opponents.

Thanks to prioritizing their clan’s interests across generations, they’ve flourished in the martial world by overpowering nearby sects.

It was no different now.

A grand, unobstructed resonance emanated from Peng Family Blade Marquis’s blades. The Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade, Devouring Dragon Vast Tiger. As the technique’s name implied, it embodied a tiger swallowing a dragon.

Her arms, charged with immense power, began to vibrate, wrapped in afterimages. This was due to the strain of loading a powerful strike.

Peng Family Blade Marquis could unleash this five times. That’s why it was called the Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade.

Even if Harbinger of Death Ma Jin wielded the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, the martial art of Lightning Genius Jeong Yeon-shin, she could still test the limits of its effectiveness.

In this moment, the crowd watching the sparring ground likely shared the same thought. After all, riffraff couldn’t even cross the gates of Green Jade Sword Manor.

This was a stage where two martial lineages measured their respective prowess.

Peng Family Blade Marquis’s toe lightly tapped the ground. At first glance, it seemed a gentle movement. But it was a powerful stomp.

The sparring ground rippled outward in concentric circles, like a lake disturbed by a stone. A thunderous roar followed belatedly.

Boom! Hwaaaaak!

In the next moment, she was slashing with her twin blades crisscrossed directly in front of Ma Jin. The force propelling her forward deepened the piercing sound of her blades cutting through the air.

Facing her, Ma Jin widened his stance and thrust a fist-forward. It was aimed at the intersection of the twin blades.

This time, it wasn’t his prosthetic. It was the opposite arm, the one of flesh and blood, delivering a single punch.

Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-!

Peng Family Blade Marquis’s eyes widened, having anticipated five exchanges.

Reflected in her pupils, flickering with colorless light, was the sight of a fist shattering both blades into fragments as it advanced.

‘What…?’

That wasn’t all.

Through the gaps of the metal fragments scattering in all directions, refracting the sunlight, Harbinger of Death’s full figure came into view.

A blade handle protruded diagonally from one of his shoulders. She only noticed it now. It was a truly shocking sight.

Indeed. It was said that the signature technique of the former Radiant Demon Wing Leader was a practical blade art meant for the battlefield. She hadn’t realized it due to his initial strike.

A fact that brought immense disgrace to the entire Peng Family. Even if she were to plunge into the abyss, she couldn’t erase this shame.

‘Damn turtle-like…’

Boom!

Ma Jin pursued her as she was flung backward. It happened in an instant.

The moment he struck her abdomen with a hand-blade, a circular shockwave exploded with a resounding clang. Peng Family Blade Marquis crashed into the sparring ground’s floor.

Thud!

A dull sound rang out, accompanied by a thick cloud of dust.

“…”

The midday sun was blindingly bright. It was clear to everyone who lay on the ground and who stood tall. Before silence could fully envelop the venue, a single voice echoed from the viewing stands.

“The Peng Family has been defeated.”

It was the voice of the newly appointed Purple Rank of Desolate Fortress.

High Sword, who had been speaking as the official witness of the sparring, paused momentarily.

Lotus Nezha, Lightning Genius, who had faintly twitched the corner of his mouth while looking down at his uncle, soon returned to an impassive expression.