Chapter 190 – Bond (5)

The final spar of the Opening Tournament.

It was different from the time with Taoist Cheon Ju. Only after the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader had felled forty-five opponents did the prestigious families bring out Valor Fist Lord Yan Hwa-ryeon.

The banner of the Desolate Fortress Alliance fluttered in the heart of the Martial Alliance. Even the leadership likely had no choice.

Jeong Yeon-shin faced the Alliance’s final trump card with a body already heated from battle.

This came after he had sequentially unleashed the Eternal Blossom Fist.

He had been circulating the Luminous Wheel Technique even before stepping onto the sparring stage, and it took less than two breaths to progress from the first move, Spiral, to the third, Blossoming Fist.

The internal energy barrier of the Yan Family’s First Fist was truly formidable.

It was an immense protective energy. Yan Hwa-ryeon had refined the art of manifesting energy throughout her entire body.

As a fist master, she was worthy of overshadowing the fame of many swordsmen.

The image of a carefree drunkard had vanished.

On the sparring stage, she was something divine. An invisible current flowed robustly across her entire form.

It seemed she had elevated her fist techniques and protective energy to the realm of divine skill.

The moment the spar began, she closed in without hesitation, erasing the distance for a sword draw in an instant.

The boy didn’t mind. He had anticipated close-quarters combat from the start.

With the first move, Spiral Fist Strike, he deflected her hand and aimed an Advancing Thunder fist technique at her abdomen, but a strange rebounding force returned, as if he had struck a moving swamp.

His wrist nearly bent in that moment. The practical energy structure unique to prestigious families was weaving an extraordinary protective energy.

Jeong Yeon-shin immediately wrapped the Luminous Wheel Technique around the inner gate acupoint of his wrist.

He had to protect the bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments layer by layer.

It was his first time facing a black-rank fist master. There were countless factors to consider.

Yan Hwa-ryeon’s eyes, with her hair fluttering forward, also drew his attention.

She was observing the boy while retreating with short steps.

For some reason, the secret eye technique of the Zhuge Family, once shown by Zhuge Qing-ya, seemed to flicker in her gaze.

A faint blue gleam held Jeong Yeon-shin within it.

Even as the boy employed the Brilliant River’s internal energy finesse in his arm, it persisted. It almost felt like she was deliberately leaving an opening.

Boom boom boom boom—!

The force swirling from his palm was fierce. The blood energy and dharma power sprouted within the Luminous Wheel Technique, bound by the mysteries of a spell formation.

Shockwaves spiraling out from the wheel of his heart tore across the sparring stage as they advanced.

The intensity escalated until the moment he struck with a palm technique toward Yan Hwa-ryeon.

A technique symbolizing invincibility was completed. He couldn’t fully draw out its power. That was a compromise he made himself.

He had shaved down the Brilliant River’s inherent weakness—its excessively long execution time in the ascended realm—with the boundless adaptability of the Luminous Wheel Technique.

It came with reduced power. Even so, the force of the shockwaves was strong enough to shake the air.

That’s when it happened.

Swish.

A soft touch brushed beneath his forearm. It felt cool against his skin.

It was a fleeting moment. His vision filled with jet-black hair.

Yan Hwa-ryeon, suddenly advancing with forward steps, ducked under the Brilliant River and seized his lower arm, lifting it.

Even the protective energy around her face was so solid that she clearly revealed her gleam despite the gusts of force from the Brilliant River.

Her languid, sunken eyes approached like a treasured sword. The instant her pitch-black pupils shone.

Kwaaaaang—!

The Brilliant River erupted above. A tremendous shockwave surged down his arm to his feet.

It felt as if the ground beneath his heels had crumbled. His vision shook briefly, and even the sparring stage itself trembled for a moment.

A technique that compensated for flaws with sheer power, the Brilliant River.

Until now, he had somehow managed to land this palm technique, but it missed entirely. It was a complete first.

The title of Yan Family’s First Fist seemed to pierce through alongside the lingering force of the shockwaves.

She had pinpointed the blind spot of explosive techniques. With her robust protective energy, she fearlessly closed in and altered the palm technique’s point of impact.

The skill of a seasoned black-rank fist master was truly terrifying.

Yan Hwa-ryeon’s hand, gripping the boy’s forearm, slid down to his shoulder.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes flashed. In that instant, countless techniques she might employ flooded his mind. Acupoint sealing, inch-force strikes, internal energy disruption—anything was possible.

Whoosh!

He invoked the Wind Body movement technique. He twisted from his feet. The Luminous Wheel Technique’s energy, spiraling from the Gushing Spring acupoint, resonated with the minute muscles of his body.

A small motion birthed the vigorous rotation of a protective stance. The young Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s form turned into a whirlwind.

His black robes spiraled with his body. The force of his full-body exertion outmatched her grip. He slipped from her grasp and gained distance.

Kwaaaak!

As Jeong Yeon-shin halted his spin, the wind unraveled around him. A fierce gust briefly summoned silence.

The clash of refined warriors always captivated onlookers. At a glance, it seemed an even match.

“…”

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader and the Valor Fist Lord stood motionless, facing each other.

It was a two-step distance. The exact range where, if Jeong Yeon-shin drew his sword, the Yan Family’s First Fist’s ultimate technique could erupt.

To respond in time, he had no choice but to maintain an empty-handed stance.

Yan Hwa-ryeon was thoroughly honoring the words she’d spoken at Clear Crane Tower. She had said she’d have no qualms clashing body-to-body.

The boy gazed at his opponent steadily.

He couldn’t gauge the depth of Yan Hwa-ryeon’s protective mastery. Her hair, neatly settled despite enduring such fierce shockwave gales, stood out.

It meant she had been cloaked in energy from the start.

She had enveloped her entire body with a flexible yet sturdy internal energy barrier. It seemed the Yan Family’s master even possessed the Zhuge Family’s eye technique.

Her martial arts, specialized for close-range combat, were intricately woven together. The pressure was immense.

‘She’s likely inferior to a peak-form Taoist Cheon Ju or Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost, but…’

It was meaningless. All three were masters who had trained far longer than Jeong Yeon-shin. Yan Hwa-ryeon’s strengths were distinct.

The caliber of her protective mastery was exceptional, and her energy structure was highly suited to enveloping her entire body.

What was her weakness?

It was the moment the boy sank into thought.

“Your protective energy doesn’t match your internal energy level, does it?”

Yan Hwa-ryeon spoke with a smile. Unlike at Clear Crane Tower, her speech wasn’t slurred.

The clear tone sparkled with intellect, highlighting only the demeanor of a supreme master boasted by the prestigious families’ alliance.

“The texture I felt was thin. It was almost like I could feel your bare skin.”

She gently flexed her calloused fingers. It was a gesture heedless of the crowd densely surrounding the sparring stage below.

She had just displayed the overwhelming presence of a supreme master. Her provocation even elicited cheers from some of the onlookers.

“Your energy flow was oddly slow too. Only your razor-sharp senses, reading a move ahead, were fearsome. Now that I see it, you have quite a few flaws for a supreme master. And that palm technique…”

Her corners of the mouth lifted further.

“I find it hard to agree with what the Namgung Family kid said. That it’ll one day vie for the best under heaven? Well…”

“…”

“Your palm technique outpaces the current era too much. As long as the martial arts of prestigious orthodox sects maintain their restraint, it’ll struggle to shine. The higher the realm of masters you stand in, the more so. It’s heavily influenced by the flow of battle, unlike the time-honored techniques of renowned families. Your martial structure is still shallow.”

It was said that the nature of prestigious family martial arts lay between orthodox and unorthodox sects. They blended seamlessly into real combat no matter when they were unleashed.

No matter how long a fight dragged on, they pursued certain victory. That was why Yan Hwa-ryeon had scrutinized Jeong Yeon-shin at length earlier.

She had confirmed that, aside from sword techniques and the Brilliant River, he had no means to pierce her protective energy and strike directly.

“Unless it’s that distant young leader of the Ming Cult, no one your age could rival you. But on the stage spanning the martial world, who knows? Your eyes aren’t fixed on your peers but encompass the entire martial realm, don’t they? As the Radiant Demon Wing Leader destined to roam the Central Plains, none of the foes you’ll face will be easy.”

“Bloodlines of prestigious families tend to be talkative.”

Jeong Yeon-shin parted his lips.

“The only worthwhile thing to learn is a handful of methods to broaden my horizons.”

“Unleash whatever you’ve got. That’s my stance. You’ve audaciously planted the Desolate Fortress banner and built your fame. To shatter both your fame and that flagpole together, you can’t just show an ordinary spectacle.”

Yan Hwa-ryeon spoke. Her smiling face radiated ease.

She had fully countered the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s Eternal Blossom Fist. It was a smile backed by confidence.

Her arms, hanging from the sleeveless robe, rose to her chest, assuming a fist technique stance.

The forearm tendons extending thinly to her wrists showcased the heat of her Cold-Heat Invulnerability energy.

Even under the warm autumn sun, her smooth skin stood out. It pulsed faintly, as if proving her deep internal breathing.

She whispered.

“Kid, come at me again. Five exchanges remain.”

“Your eyes are supposed to be so good at spying, aren’t they?”

Jeong Yeon-shin opened his mouth slowly.

“Then this Leader will change how he sees too.”

Suddenly, a white gleam flickered in the boy’s eyes.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***  

Nanyang Prefecture, Henan Province.

A serene pavilion stood open on all sides. Two people sat facing each other across a liquor table.

A young woman and a man of a prestigious lineage.

The woman’s appearance was striking. Glossy gray hair barely covered her nape.

As the breeze caressed the ends of her hair against her pale neck, her lofty yet carefree demeanor suited her remarkably well.

Her beauty, perhaps just past thirty, exuded a strong sense of refinement.

“It seems the Alliance Leader didn’t cause a fuss. Even though half the martial force you led vanished.”

A man, revealing a bit of his chest through a green robe, spoke. His careless posture belied his noble heritage.

His unusually jet-black hair flowed long, giving off a decadent air.

A flush colored his sharply pointed ears peeking through his hair. It seemed he’d indulged in daytime drinking.

It was the Hao Clan Leader.

Hmph.

The Sword Venerable of Henan, Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost Baek Seo-gun, let out a small scoff.

“There’s no one in the Heart Martial Alliance who can replace this Sword Venerable. A fuss? That’s absurd.”

“You know that in a real military, they’d count that as annihilation, right?”

“It was a worthy opponent.”

“Oh, the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader. He’s heating up Hanzhong right now, isn’t he? Our faction’s keeping an eye on him too. The rise of a new powerhouse always draws attention.”

The Hao Clan Leader spoke.

Baek Seo-gun’s frost-cold face shifted. A slender smile formed on her red lips.

“I never imagined Pan Yue’s son would come to command the martial world. I thought he’d be raised well, but he exceeded my expectations. He’s grown splendidly as a martial artist too. Shamelessly, it made my heart swell. I couldn’t tire of mulling it over the whole way here.”

It was true.

She recalled the intricacies of Go that Jeong Pan Yue had taught her during her days as a servant.

Jeong Pan Yue’s son was embodying the aggressive knight’s gambit with his entire being. It was an assertive approach to life.

His father’s visage and teachings had been passed down intact. To Baek Seo-gun, it was a profoundly noble sword technique.

She had abandoned the Jeong Family estate to escape a lowly life, and now she realized that the time she’d built from that humble status wasn’t in vain.

Through Lightning Genius, the life of Henan’s Sword Venerable had been fully realized. It was a precious time.

“He was raised so well and grew up astonishingly.”

She recited her feelings in a soft tone. The words slipped out unconsciously.

The Hao Clan Leader’s expression turned odd.

“Well, raised well? I’m not so sure.”

Baek Seo-gun’s fair brow narrowed. A chill flowed from the shadowed eyes beneath her thick lashes.

“Your counter doesn’t sit right. If I say so, that’s how it is.”

“No, it’s just that so many rumors swirl around the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader…”

He trailed off. Baek Seo-gun’s corner of the mouth dipped slightly.

“Don’t hide your thoughts from me. Speak plainly.”

“After Lightning Genius made his name, our faction mobilized its informants. He’s a blood descendant of the Desolate Ma Family, isn’t he? Since he’s risen to prominence, we assumed he’d become a titan of the martial world and dug deep. We even questioned the commoners of Xinye County, where the Jeong Family was based. Something the lofty Tyrant Sword faction wouldn’t bother with.”

“And?”

“It doesn’t seem he grew up so cleanly…”