Chapter 199 – Lightning-Annihilation Sword Style (7)

A faint gasp escaped the lips of the Martial Alliance’s supreme authority.

The veteran swordmaster possessed an extraordinary eye. He could discern the mindset behind the stances of the swordmasters he faced.

The grip on the sword hilt, the balance of the body, the alignment of footwork, the nature of the energy wave radiating from the entire form…

These many elements allowed him to gauge his opponent. The eyes of peerless swordmasters pierced through their foes, irrespective of mastery in ocular techniques.

They could even estimate a person’s character before crossing blades.

“Intriguing.”

Hyeon So-baek carefully observed the stance of his young junior.

The upper stance was anything but ordinary. The black robe he wore fluttered incessantly.

He had cloaked himself in an energy wave as if it were a garment woven from wind.

To the master known as the Sword Star, the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s appearance registered as a defensive mechanism against his lifespan.

Hyeon So-baek saw no distinction between the martial arts crafted by prodigies and the melodies spun by poets.

A common thread existed. Both bore the deep imprint of their creator’s spirit.

He could not predict where this sword would lead.

The Lord of Desolate Fortress was said to wield a sword like stern nature itself. Had the Radiant Demon Wing Leader imbued his sword techniques with wind to emulate his master?

Outwardly, he stirred tempests, yet his muscles and energy moved ceaselessly like lightning.

Within the shell of an exceptional genius lay a human figure curled up in anxiety.

As a man, Hyeon So-baek pitied the boy.

As the Sword Star, he felt differently. The peerless swordmaster marveled at his junior.

“A swift sword that fully employs the body.”

It was truly a refined technique of rapid assault.

He sensed an intent to strike anywhere first. The Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s distinctive, free-flowing energy wave enveloped the surroundings.

A wind reminiscent of noble clan abilities, it carried the momentum to bolster sword strength in any direction. The red leaves at his feet scattered chaotically.

“What does not disturb me is what disturbs me.”

Xiahou Wei-zhen, the Thousand Fists Dragon Vassal seated behind Jeong Yeon-shin, propped one knee up and rested his elbow on it.

His rough snort accompanied the remark. As a supreme master of a noble clan, he seemed to feel an unusual thrill.

“Judgment Qilin.”

Zhuge Qing-ya murmured, her gaze fixed intently on the Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

Yue Yu-lin, standing to one side, flinched.

Her eyes, watching Jeong Yeon-shin, carried a tangle of emotions. The affair between the Radiant Demon Wing Leader and the Zhuge Family had punctuated the recent turmoil.

She felt as though the martial world had crumbled. The young Desolate Fortress talent had utterly overwhelmed her in both martial prowess and chivalry.

The righteous martial world she had staunchly believed in shattered within her.

As the legitimate heir of the Shandong Yue Family, she no longer knew how to conduct herself.

‘Jeong Yeon-shin…’

Meanwhile, the duel between veteran and youth unfolded, heedless of the onlookers’ thoughts.

“Come slowly.”

The Sword Star did not rush his strike. He waited for his junior to fully display his capabilities.

A prodigy who could command his body at will. The longer he honed his sword momentum, the more his skill would evolve.

Hum—

Indeed, it was so.

A pressure akin to the Emperor’s Sword Form stirred from Jeong Yeon-shin’s body.

Yet the Sword Star recognized it as an entirely different principle. This realization came instinctively.

The martial techniques differed vastly in essence. It was not an energy wave aimed at dominating the opponent.

Rather, the pressure arose from an energy wave stretched to enhance his own movement. A proud sword technique.

‘He has fully tailored the sword momentum to his body.’

The Sword Star thought this as he ran his left hand along his cherished blade.

He recalled a verse once recited by the Desolate Divine Hero, a youth now quite renowned.

As a swordmaster, the phrase “A youth’s moment is worth a thousand gold” resonated more deeply than “His rival forever bound within that sword”.

A sword technique only the Radiant Demon Wing Leader could wield. Ordinary senses could scarcely conceive of using such an energy wave in a strike.

It seemed his preparation to strike had concluded.

The moment the seasoned youth sank into brief contemplation, the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s form surged forward in his vision.

He leaped and swung his sword downward. The sunlight condensed on the blade fell like a thunderbolt.

Clang—!

It clashed fiercely with Hyeon So-baek’s sword.

A powerful shockwave radiated outward. A heap of maple leaves soared upward, obscuring the forms of the veteran and youth.

Bathed in reddish sunlight, they fluttered like sleet. Soon after, the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s sword talent revealed itself.

“Hmm?”

Amid the scattering light and red leaves, the Sword Star’s eyes widened slightly. The stance had shifted.

The white “Desolate” character swirled through the foliage. Immediately after unleashing sword strength, he had spun his entire body.

The energy wave of his movement technique, paired with recoil, whipped up a whirlwind. The sound of his fluttering robes was intense.

Jeong Yeon-shin executed a second swift strike with truly instinctive motion.

‘He does not contest strength. Wise.’

The Northern Light Sword traced a diagonal arc once more, slashing downward. The white blade tore through the air as it lunged.

Though a repetition of the first technique, it took a wholly different form. The speed of the diagonal strike barely differed from the initial one.

As if the upper stance was merely a preparatory form, the sharp gusts of sword wind alone grazed the Sword Star’s sleeve.

For Jeong Yeon-shin, distinguishing techniques by form was unnecessary.

If he mastered the principles and incantations, a single technique could yield dozens of variations. After just two exchanges, the Sword Star’s eyes curved into a smile.

Sword talent. Truly a sword talent.

Hyeon So-baek forgot his pity and smiled with satisfaction. He swung his wooden hilt diagonally downward.

The simple trajectory carried the essence of the Heaven-Piercing Martial Net Sword Technique. Seventh Technique: Unbreakable.

A colorless energy wave surged from his arm to the sword tip in an instant. A steadfast, unshakable strike.

Boom! Screech—!

The clashing blades grated loudly. Jeong Yeon-shin’s downward slash rebounded upward. The sword paths merged in violent tremors.

The strength in the Sword Star’s grip was unyielding, causing orange sparks to flare smoothly. The recoil returned fully to his opponent.

Rumble.

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s sword hand shook fiercely. Holding firm was commendable in itself.

Even if the Sword Star, feeling indebted to his junior, tempered his strikes to broaden his experience, it was so.

Hyeon So-baek rarely felt such delight, yet he was profoundly astonished. He understood the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s intent in an instant.

Even she could not have ignored this. How could she turn away from such a youth?

Clang! Clang! Slash—!

The sparks scattering in all directions faded like petals. The edges of black and white robes fluttered with the maple leaves.

Sunlight shimmered along the blades brushing past their collars, their internal energy breaths crossed at length, the noise of footwork energy waves echoed from the ground, and fallen leaves rustled beneath their feet.

The eyes of some onlookers gradually widened.

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader was capably receiving the Sword Star’s guidance.

In the short breaths of their exchange, too brief for grand techniques, he produced thirty-five variations from a single form.

Each followed a distinct path. Relentless strikes assailed from every direction.

To an untrained eye, it might seem a single technique constituted a full sword style.

‘He substitutes intuition for form. This cannot be learned.’

Taoist Cheon Ju, the Mount Hua Sword Saint, mused. He worried this sight might unsettle Yu Hyeon, gaping beside him.

Swordsmanship required tens of thousands of swings to build a foundation, yet Jeong Yeon-shin’s technique skipped that process, its patterns short and instinctive.

His body instinctively knew when and where to strike.

If not, such natural use of rapid energy waves would be impossible.

Beyond the method of channeling energy in short bursts, no fixed form was needed.

He had transcended years with talent. A staggering sword talent.

The Sword Star’s stance was equally astonishing. He met Jeong Yeon-shin’s techniques with a beaming smile.

Unlike the eccentric master who avoided the Opening Tournament, he was fully engaged.

Dozens of sword gleams intertwined gracefully. As if nothing could be more joyful, he immersed himself deeply in this exchange with his junior.

The Martial Alliance’s intent to disgrace a Desolate Fortress master shattered.

Taoist Cheon Ju spoke without blinking.

“Should the Alliance Leader not take a disciple? The heirs of the great families are prime candidates. The Sword Star’s lineage could symbolize the Alliance, but will a worthy successor emerge…?”

“Who would rashly step forward after seeing this?”

The Tang Family Head replied, his short arms clasped behind his back.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

***

At that moment.

Jeong Yeon-shin sensed the duel nearing its end. He spun his body widely with his sword.

The strain on his body’s meridians had reached its limit. The accumulated shock of energy waves had narrowed his right arm’s meridians.

The Sword Star was a peerless master. He had transferred all the energy emission from the duel onto Jeong Yeon-shin.

Even his protective energy outmatched Jeong Yeon-shin’s, so relying solely on physical endurance was untenable.

‘One final exchange.’

The tendons in his forearm stood out sharply. Energy waves rippled from the elegant lines descending from his triceps.

A transparent pulse of energy throbbed powerfully. The muscle strands down to his thumb’s extensor tingled.

This was the energy wave he had borne and amassed until now. It converged with the Sword Star’s sword strength.

Hyeon So-baek’s eyebrows rose.

‘He has harvested it like a farmer.’

Jeong Yeon-shin advanced, heedless of the Sword Star’s expression. The hilt in his hand burned hot.

An explosion of energy erupted from the ground he pushed off with his toes. He swung the Northern Light Sword.

A horizontal strike stretched from within outward. Red leaves fragmented in the wake of the elongated white gleam.

Autumn imbued the sword path.

Boom—!

Sword Star Hyeon So-baek faced a technique of endurance. The peerless swordmaster’s eyes softened.

‘How could he conceive this…’

A sword technique that endured and endured before shining brightly.

It was not a blade one should wield with such a casual expression, yet it seemed crafted without deliberate intent.

The Sword Star found this poignant. It reflected a resolve that enduring would eventually yield an end. He sensed anguish.

He perceived a life’s stance in a single strike.

The Sword Star did not counter.

Swish.

He lowered his sword and stepped aside with evasive footwork. As if using ground-shrinking steps, he scattered the pile of maple leaves beneath him and stood beside.

Simultaneously, a fearsome sword strike energy wave swept past his side.

Crash—!

An invisible sword wind surged forth. Shredded foliage carved a sharp path.

The devastating energy wave reached the garden’s lakeside, etching a long ripple.

It lingered with the sound of clear waves before fading.

“…”

Silence fell.

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s brow furrowed as he lowered his divine sword. Whether he intended to confront the Sword Star, Hyeon So-baek spoke first with a wry tone.

“You wielded a single technique throughout, then shifted your momentum at the end. What is the name of the first technique?”

“…Judgment Qilin.”

He respects seniority well. The Sword Star mused with hands behind his back.

“And the second?”

“I have not named it yet.”

“Fortunate timing, then.”

Sword Star Hyeon So-baek smiled.

“What name suits such refined swordplay? I hope you remain in autumn, not reaching winter’s frost, for as long as you wish. Vibrantly green.”

“…”

He spoke of the boy’s lifespan. Like Hyeon Won-chang’s verse. Words whose meaning only the knowing could grasp.

It recalled his urge to embrace Jeong Yeon-shin at their first meeting.

The Sword Star continued.

“Yes, ‘Evergreen Blade’ would suffice. May its greenness flow unbroken like the Yangtze River. Might I gift it the name Nine Verdant River?”

The supreme master of swords spoke.

Nine was a beloved number across the continent, nearly homophonous with “long-lasting”.

It signified longevity. A sword technique ever green and flowing like the Yangtze. It echoed the technique’s principles.

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded slowly.

“…I will accept it.”

The Sword Star’s expression brightened. His middle-aged face blended youth and age.

They say no peerless master lacks eccentricity, and Hyeon So-baek bore a unique temperament.

Thus.

The final rite of the Opening Tournament concluded.

The duel between the Sword Star and the Radiant Demon Wing Leader was a focal point of interest, yet those gathered were elites of the martial world’s upper echelon.

Today’s events would not spread as rumors. However, Jeong Yeon-shin had gained ample renown through his Alliance exploits. He had also perfected his sword techniques.

Shing.

With a quiet sheathing, the dim gleam vanished into the scabbard.

His waist vibrated faintly. Jeong Yeon-shin sheathed the Northern Light Sword, sinking into thought.

The sword techniques forged in Hanzhong unfolded in his mind.

First Technique: Judgment Qilin.

Second Technique: Nine Verdant River.

Third Technique: Azure Flame Slash.

These three techniques laid the foundation for the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s signature style. How many more paths would emerge remained unknown.

A sword style brimming with boundless potential.

“Your swordplay feels entirely new.”

Yu Hyeon approached casually. The bond between Mount Hua’s Hidden Dragon and the Radiant Demon Wing Leader had already spread by word of mouth.

Unlike other young talents hesitant to step forward.

“It’s your exclusive sword style, right?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of martial art is it? It’ll probably get famous, won’t it? I’m sure it will.”

Yu Hyeon’s question drew attention. Not just from the young talents.

Even the supreme masters moving away could not help but take note, yet the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader lowered his eyes slightly, lost in contemplation.

‘This sword style…’

Its essence was distinct.

It blended swift, destructive sword paths with subtlety. It adhered most faithfully to the sword’s innate purpose.

A technique that wielded the blade as lightning against foes. A resolve to flatten the martial factions encircling Desolate Fortress like rugged hills.

The words slipped out unconsciously.

“Lightning-Annihilation Sword Style.”

A brief answer.

Suddenly.

Rustle—

The autumn breeze that had caressed the garden faded. Fallen leaves, like old cotton, blanketed the ground.

Some yellow and red leaves settled lightly on Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet, as if signaling the end of his long Alliance mission.

At autumn’s twilight, before the eyes of countless masters.

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s sword style proclaimed its name.