Chapter 129 – Azure Flame (2)

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

“Face me with technique alone, without internal energy. I’ll show you our martial arts are no less profound than Desolate Fortress’.”

When Su Jin-lang challenged Jeong Yeon-shin to a duel.

Jeong Yeon-shin readily accepted.

It was a decision made with Fierce Sword Ge Siliang in mind.

A supreme master capable of facing Desolate Fortress’s black-rank.

They said the Ten Perfections Sect’s Myriad Primordial Origins Technique didn’t have strong demonic characteristics.

Perhaps that’s why he couldn’t guarantee victory with just the entry level of the Luminous Wheel That Transcends Law.

Like stabbing pricks, both his upper dantian and the luminous wheel sent warnings simultaneously.

Saying he should deal with Ge Siliang, not Su Jin-lang.

That’s when it happened.

“Such confidence. Indeed born with monstorous talent. You must not have envied the bloodlines of prestigious families.”

Step.

Su Jin-lang took a step forward. Though his expression seemed indifferent, the spirit emanating from his whole body was different.

His calmly honed presence approached like a sword blade. From his flashing eyes to his bearing, everything testified to his peak martial prowess.

“Now I understand why one so young wears the black robe. Whatever martial art you cultivate must come naturally.”

He spoke while taking steps forward one at a time.

Since they agreed not to use internal energy, he wasn’t using the instant power boost of true steps.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood still waiting for him. He paid no attention to his words.

Crescent Moon Sword Su Jin-lang approached unconcerned.

“Desolate Fortress raised you as a weapon. How many spiritual medicines did you consume, how many diverse divine techniques were you taught? You must have studied all seventeen martial arts of the Divine Sword Group’s seventeen masters?”

“…”

Jeong Yeon-shin scanned his lower body. It was a foot technique that pressed heavily into the ground.

Likely due to the habit of constantly condensing power at the bubbling well point on the soles of his feet, even the act of drawing the sword at his waist carried a sense of weight.

Swoosh.

His sword draw seemed to carry years of experience.

With a crescent blade on his back, Su Jin-lang drew one sword and raised his lips.

“I may lose to you even in a battle of pure technique. But I’ll instill fear in you with the depth of a prestigious family’s accumulated strength. That’s enough. Because you’ll become a great enemy who will greatly clash with our sect in the future.”

The boy thought he spoke such embarrassing words well. He quietly raised his sword.

“Those from prestigious bloodlines.”

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly parted his lips. As he took a step forward.

“Talk too much.”

The handle of the Desolate sword already in his grip tightened firmly.

The strength in his grip felt solid even to himself.

It was muscle power cultivated through the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

Even without qi energy it created unity of sword and body like sword-spirit unity.

It meant that the sword and his hand had become one.

Thud!

A single light step was enough. The soles of his feet firmly pressed into the ground.

Even without internal energy, the true mastery created a heavy resonance within his body.

It was an instant until he twisted his waist along with the Desolate sword.

At the same time he struck the sword horizontally. It was a forward spinning strike.

The air split with a sharp sound. The force of true steps seemed to rise in a spiral contained in the sword strike.

Clang!

He created sword force without internal energy. It was the Accumulated Strike Technique he hadn’t used in a while.

He met So Jin-rang’s downward strike head-on. The man’s eyes widened.

Whoosh–

He was helplessly pushed back by the Desolate sword. The force entering Su Jin-lang’s hands could be clearly felt through the blade.

But he didn’t resist. He bent his arms while stepping back half a step.

A footwork that drew a diagonal line backward. Along with the sword blade that seemed to touch his nose, he spun outward.

The fluttering hems of their robes brushed against each other as their shoulders grazed.

‘The art of flowing like water. He executed it exquisitely without internal energy.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought. This man, too, was a swordsman unbound by the constraints of the Demonic Path.

In that moment of clashing swords, he felt something. This man had truly honed his sword techniques. Unlike the boy.

These were techniques crafted over a long time. He had fused talent and effort into a single sword.

Flutter!

After spinning like interlocking wheels they clashed again.

The Desolate sword and Ten Perfections Sect’s nameless precious sword let out a clear resonance.

Vibrations rose through the crossed blades. On both sides.

‘This is…’

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes narrowed.

It was due to Su Jin-lang’s defensive sword technique. He received it with the flat side of the sword rather than the edge.

The Desolate sword that had been struck down without hesitation stopped at his shoulder. He used the blade like a shield.

Spear-axe Sword.

The three characters meant spear, axe, and sword. His title contained all weapons.

Heir of the Ten Perfections Sect. It was said that the sect had elevated martial arts by intertwining internal energy, transforming it into divine techniques.

No energy fluctuations could be felt.

Without internal energy, such adaptability and skill were enough to challenge Jeong Yeon-shin without shame.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

“How easy has your life been?”

Su Jin-lang whispered. He was enduring the Desolate sword pressing down on his shoulder with his sword face.

The spirit of a demonic path swordsman showed through as he stood firmly with trembling legs.

“Lightning Genius Jeong Yeon-shin.”

“…”

“For a young talent who receives the title of teacher from the Tang Clan Leader, It’s like the superficial training of a hero from a delusional tale. Easily gained, easily discarded. Do you think you can keep rising? I believe you will stop at the threshold, unable to open the door to the transcendent realm. Someone like you, with only one exceptional aspect, will never unify your essence, energy, and spirit.”

He spat out venomous words.

The middle dantian near his heart pulsed. It was a scornful taunt filled with envy.

Su Jin-lang stared into the eyes of the boy who had come close with crossed swords. They were calm.

No effect huh. Su Jin-lang thought. Words without much meaning.

They were close to the curses that thugs usually spout in life-and-death battles.

Su Jin-lang didn’t mind. It was enough to vent his boiling emotions.

The boy before him was a master who had cut down Pure Demon Alliance’s Blade Fist Demon.

He had quite admirably received the sword technique of such a supreme master just now. He had saved enough face.

A feeling like having swallowed Tang medicine seared his mind. He had grown up as the demonic path’s precious jade.

Even if Lightning Genius became enraged and cut off his head, he had to say what needed to be said.

If he could suppress with his tongue that would be enough.

“It is said that when a sword strike, honed over decades, gains a spiritual quality, it begins to approach the divine techniques of martial arts. All the divine techniques of the Nine Great Sects are like that. This is what I call accumulated strength. You, you don’t understand the value of time. You never will.”

He hurled plausible insults at a master he couldn’t handle.

Su Jin-lang closed and opened his eyes once while feeling strange satisfaction.

Having somewhat alleviated his terrible inferiority complex, he thought it was now up to the boy whether to behead him or not.

“…”

Their gazes met. Su Jin-lang was greatly shocked in that moment.It was as shocking as when the Sword Demon Fist had been killed.

The boy’s gaze, which had remained consistently calm as if he had mastered the Shaolin’s martial arts, had subtly changed.

He saw a burning intensity in those eyes.

Perhaps the internal energy remaining in the three eye meridians had stirred. It was a colorless gaze.

A glimpse of madness peeked through the mask of calm he had maintained.

It was something deep within, masquerading as composure.

Restlessness, anxiety, fear, hatred, rage.

It was the internal energy rigidity and expression of someone driven by an irresistible force.

It must have been right after he spoke of the value of time.

The vibration of the sword blade struck like a ray of light and passed.

As a swordsman who had reached the realm, Su Jin-lang felt the other’s emotions.

With heightened senses he confirmed the boy’s agitation.

None of it was directed at the opponent he was crossing swords with.

It was the isolated feeling of emotions held alone that caused it.

The sword shook as if it were trembling on its own. Along with the light in his eyes.

‘Did I sense that correctly?’

Su Jin-lang unconsciously asked himself. Though interest arose, he inwardly shook his head.

He was a young supreme master who had reached black rank. He must have everything the world has to offer. It must be an illusion.

That was when it happened.

“…!”

The Desolate sword pressing down on Su Jin-lang’s sword face at his shoulder was was tilted in the same manner.

It moved in sync with Su Jin-lang’s upper body, which was subtly shifting with his breath.

It happened in an instant. The change in grip was astonishing.

The flat of the blades met. If he slashed sideways, his neck would be severed.

Once the sword’s momentum shifted, there was no way to resist. That was the posture.

Originally, changing grips mid-battle was something that couldn’t be done.

The strength would disperse while rotating the sword in hand. It made no sense.

Unless it was a divine skill that followed the opponent’s breath with extreme precision.

‘I’m dead.’

Su Jin-lang thought. No matter how he responded, it was too late. Without using internal energy, there was no escape..

Pride or life. When actually faced with the choice he decided. As heir apparent of the demonic path major sect.

Though he had spoken plausibly to the boy, his lifeline came first.

The power built up with spiritual medicines stirred.

Before thinking, internal energy scattered in all directions was already racing through his whole body’s meridians.

It was the moment tremendous power dwelled in his entire body.

Thud!

A heavy impact dug into his abdomen. Jeong Yeon-shin had kicked him. The force in his toe was tremendous.

Gasp–

Along with a gasp of breath being knocked out, Su Jin-lang’s upper body bent slightly.

Even in that moment, he didn’t take his eyes off the boy’s face. He saw his expression.

‘This b*st*rd.’

His lips twitched slightly. The small, wrinkle-free frown between his brows was terrifying.

For a swordsman who rarely showed emotion like Desolate Fortress’s young supreme master, that should be considered anger.

Clang.

Su Jin-lang was right. Jeong Yeon-shin simply let go of his sword. Unlike his initial thoughts, he hesitated to kill him.

Many Radiant Demon Wing seniors had died and been injured. He had witnessed his uncle’s arm flying off right there.

The pillar of his heart, which had failed to protect the Jeong Family, had shattered.

He had been desperately pushing aside the fear rising as his hundred meetings point narrowed, when some b*st*rd scratched at his heart.

Crack!

While creating a close-ranged strike distance he grabbed Su Jin-lang’s wrist.

The hand holding the sword was weakly pulled away.

The moment he sensed qi waves he raised the Luminous Wheel That Transcends Law in his lower body and left upper body.

He didn’t imbue internal energy in his right hand. Instead he filled it with emotion.

Fear and rage toward heaven’s mandate that he had been suppressing.

Crack!

Su Jin-lang’s abs could be felt against his fist. They were hard. The boy’s lips rose slightly.

After striking with bare hands, he felt it resembled the sky that showed no movement after being given a ridiculous lifespan.

Not caring even if a qi shield formed on Su Jin-lang’s abdomen, Jeong Yeon-shin struck again.

Thud!

The thin yet firm feeling characteristic of protective qi and internal energy armor scratched his hand.

It was fine. He felt sadistic pleasure.

While gripping Su Jin-lang’s sword hand, whenever he tried to take a stance he kicked his shin.

The man had no choice but to endure the strikes to his abdomen.

‘Advancing Thunder.’

The second technique of the Eternal Blossom Fist was repeatedly unleashed.

Advancing Thunder, Advancing Thunder, Advancing Thunder. The fist technique inspired by Ma Se-in’s strong fist burst forth without internal energy.

His innate sense was enough to disrupt Su Jin-lang’s balance and seal his sword techniques.

This, too, was power gained at the cost of ‘the value of time.’

The boy spoke to himself. Damn b*st*rd.

“…”

The main road that had been so noisy seemed frozen in silence.

Only the sound of formless fist techniques striking the Ten Perfections Sect heir rang out in the stillness.

Clothes rustled and Su Jin-lang’s miserable groans flowed.

The dignity of the Thirteen Evil Sects’ demonic path was being shattered to pieces.

In a fight excluding internal energy, the boy’s martial prowess could be said to be invincible on Kuizhou’s main road.

Fierce Sword Ge Siliang watching from behind fully felt it.

That he transcended the realm of mastery with innate sense.

From the moment the young prodigy and the formidable enemy crossed swords until now, it had been clear.

‘I must kill him here. If not now, it won’t work.’

Ge Siliang secretly raised his internal demon force.

While drawing the trajectory in his mind, he grabbed his sword like a ray of light.

He gripped it in reverse. Flying sword. He intended to throw the sword just like that.

From what he saw, Desolate Fortress’s young black-rank supreme master hadn’t yet reached the realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.

Rather than power control with mind and internal energy completely unified, he was at the stage of showing off supreme master martial prowess through ridiculously powerful divine technique strength and innate sense.

Then it was worth trying.

Youngest black-rank supreme master? Isn’t he crushing the Ten Perfections Sect heir right there?

With the arrogance of not even imbuing internal energy in one hand.

‘The sect’s honor. A sprout that will become a great enemy in the future. If I must choose, it’s the latter.’

But Ge Siliang was also distracted.

While thinking of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and judging Lightning Genius, it was still killing a black-rank supreme master.

No matter how much he focused it wasn’t enough. While slightly lowering his stance he honed his mind to a point… Only the boy wearing a black robe striking Su Jin-lang became clear in his vision.

‘I’m still uneasy. Will it work? If I don’t kill him in one move, there’s no going back. I must stake my life. I’ll give it my all.’

Swoosh!

A sharp trajectory deepened in Ge Siliang’s mind. It was a flying sword technique trajectory.

The sword in his hand absorbed the spirit of a swordsman who had once dominated the murim of Sichuan.

Just as he was about to throw the sword.

Clatter!

Suddenly a silver butterfly swarm flew in like a storm.

It was the divine technique of the Tang Clan Leader who hadn’t doubted his teacher’s skill and only watched his enemies.

In an instant, the distance was crossed by the flash of Myriad Heavens Flower Rain.

Splat!

Blood burst from Fierce Sword Ge Siliang’s whole body. Hundreds of metal pieces were embedded.

It was futile and magnificent. The blood petals blooming in this moment marked the end of the Ten Perfections Sect.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***