Chapter 226 – Radiant Arts Bond (6)

Creating a martial art for others.

It was a difficult task.

He had never done it before. It was a path that past grandmasters had walked in their twilight years. For someone not yet twenty, it was hard to imagine.

‘Martial arts are the culmination of studying the human body.’

One must master the three hundred sixty-five acupoints, the twelve main meridians, and the even more numerous minor meridians. Without sufficient insight, the body could break down.

The first step was to safely refine the energy circulation paths to prevent the flow from tangling, a task that was immensely challenging.

Crafting some form of utility through the flow of energy was even more so.

‘It mustn’t be something only I can perform.’

Jeong Yeon-shin was aware that his senses were exceptional.

Though he did not constantly dwell on it, he possessed a talent that could rival the fruit of the World Tree within three years, a gift he both cherished and resented.

He could not dismiss it as the price of his lifespan. He must not. Who would accept such a fate if they were in his shoes? It was an unfairness bestowed by the heavens.

Nine days had passed since he secluded himself in Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s quarters.

Bathed nine times in the twilight seeping through the door cracks, Jeong Yeon-shin focused on a single question.

If any senior or junior failed to benefit from the new martial art, the meaning of this endeavor would be lost. Everyone had to be able to begin it.

Not a single member of Radiant Demon Wing should slip from his grasp. Death in missions was the most dreadful outcome.

He did not want to lose subordinates like Immortal Tree Spirit Leader Cheon So-so had. Nor did he wish to be in the position of Obeying Heaven Wing Leader Ha Do-woon, who clashed over Namgoong Hwa-shin, the White Qilin.

‘I lack the magnanimity of Senior Jin from Blood Guardian Squad. My vessel is small. I don’t want to let anyone go.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

He sat cross-legged, drawing out all the martial principles in his mind. He needed to craft a martial art that anyone from Radiant Demon Wing or Lightning Genius’s lineage could easily enter.

‘Think of it as teaching a monkey.’

His thoughts converged on this conclusion.

He wrote it simply. He added annotations to each line of the incantations.

‘Radiant Demon Technique is a method of using the body. It can be considered a comprehensive study of what human hands and feet can achieve. As an incantation that instinctively finds the optimal pattern, it encompasses all combat methods from close-range bare-handed strikes to mid-to-long-range spears, excluding archery.’

He wrote fluidly. He recalled the time Ma Jin taught him Radiant Demon Technique.

Even if he died in a mission or succumbed to his lifespan later, he took care to ensure the manual would feel like an uncle’s guidance.

‘Radiant Demon Technique is like a treasured sword for warriors with exceptional senses. However, it does not apply to practitioners connected by fate. Doubt your instincts. You must do so. Your senses are dull and slow. The direction and utility do not align. Since it’s not the time to seek lethal patterns, it’s better to employ other martial arts with that principle. This martial art serves as an incantation for that purpose.’

‘This is the key, so I should emphasize it. The utility of martial arts follows the state of mind.’

‘You must engrave this essence in your heart. Repeat to yourself, “I am wrong.” Only then will your mastery of this study improve. The senses of fated practitioners are very dull. The incantations in this manual are correct. Follow only this key.’

He wrote in a neat script. He used a clear standard Ming Dynasty regular style, precise and legible.

The phrases emerged in a remarkably calm form.

‘If they hold this in their hearts, the rest will follow.’

He twisted Radiant Demon Technique’s essence and linked it to Lightning Genius’s martial arts. “Integration” was the apt term.

When reaching out with prior training, the techniques of Eternal Blossom Fist and Radiant Sword Style would emerge, blended with Radiant Wing Step’s strides and Fate Defying Scripture’s energy layering.

The mindset was that the optimal pattern was his martial art.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not consider it arrogance. He thought calmly. Isn’t it the truth?

Unimpeded Flow. Unhindered and unobstructed.

Radiant Demon Technique, with its unbroken move execution, merged with Lightning Genius’s lineage. The uncle’s teachings met the nephew’s study.

Light sparked. Energy enhanced by Fate Defying Scripture fused with Radiant Sword Style’s blade energy waves.

The white glow intensified. The radiant waves flowing from his body became a distinct trait of the martial art.

After nine days.

This was the characteristic revealed from Jeong Yeon-shin’s body as he stood in the Grand Training Ground.

A soft hiss spread.

The lingering energy waves continued from his sword-gripping hand. They scattered in vivid white strands, shimmering.

They rose from the settled black sleeve to the shoulder-length tips of his hair.

Fragments of radiance gradually faded, catching the orange dusk light and glinting.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader Jeong Yeon-shin felt immense joy. He was deeply satisfied. Only his expression remained unchanged. He savored a feeling new to him after crafting a martial art.

‘It’s well-forged. A fine martial art.’

A greater sense of accomplishment than any prior creation washed over him. It was a martial art for his family.

In that moment, he confirmed it. A fortress to protect Radiant Demon Wing had been fully built.

“…”

To the surrounding masters, it appeared different. The still Radiant Demon Wing Leader seemed a martial deity.

It was a sight beyond mere martial prowess.

No one in the grounds was ignorant of Lightning Genius’s martial arts. They all recognized the moves displayed.

They discerned how naturally the fist dance and sword dance flowed. Single-strike power chained without breaking energy flow.

He had altered the lineage’s nature. Though it clearly consumed internal endurance rapidly, its formidable might more than compensated.

He was a grandmaster.

A cold wind brushed the dusk-shadowed wall, chilling the skin.

A silence that seemed to stifle breaths persisted until dust settled on Northern Light Sword’s tip.

“All of Radiant Demon Wing.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke as he sheathed his sword. The white blade traced a smooth arc into its scabbard.

It was an elegant sheathing. The blade and sheath aligned perfectly beneath his grip.

A clicking sound rang unusually clear. It coincided with the end of his words.

“Use your bodies like this.”

“Uh…”

Gongye Mi-ryeong, the Deep Chivalry Fist, a white-rank warrior sent by Xiahou Wei-zhen, let out a low groan and startled herself.

Even a bold warrior who favored single strikes for close combat reacted so.

No one objected. She mirrored everyone’s sentiments. They witnessed a lineage renowned for single-strike power transform into one specialized for prolonged combat.

The martial principles woven into the dance were unified.

“Use our bodies like that?”

Shin So-bin asked abruptly.

A hint of awe entered Jeong Yeon-shin’s view. Since the Desolate Shin Clan incident, she had grown closer.

Yet, unlike her bold nature, she seemed to lack competitive zeal for martial arts.

It heightened Jeong Yeon-shin’s satisfaction. Lightning Genius’s heart swelled with confidence.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s eyes lifted slightly. His posture straightened.

“It’s simple. I wrote it very clearly. Grasp the knack, and it’s done. For warriors versed in either Radiant Demon Technique or Lightning Genius’s lineage, it’ll be remarkably easy to master.”

Jeong Yeon-shin recalled the manual left in his quarters. Anyone reading it would be moved.

They might feel so elated as to live and sleep in the training ground. He had written it that simply. Even a monkey could become a warrior.

“Shin So-bin.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“I left a manual on my chamber’s desk. The energy waves have dried it enough, so fetch it now.”

Jeong Yeon-shin commanded.

The manual comprised four volumes. Given that no formal warrior in Desolate Fortress lacked exceptional memory, Radiant Demon Wing would not take long to study it.

A sharp step sounded.

Shin So-bin’s white robes fluttered with her braid. She vaulted over the wall with nimble agility.

She tapped the wall’s edge and dashed forward, her elastic lightness skill befitting her nickname, Radiant Demon White Cat.

Since the Desolate Shin Clan incident, Radiant Demon White Cat acted like the Leader’s confidante.

“It feels like a new principle underlies all martial arts…”

Baek Mi-ryeo, standing aside, trailed off before speaking again. It was a formal setting. She had to use honorifics.

“What’s its name?”

She asked.

It was a weighty question. Martial arts renowned across the martial world instilled dread in foes with their names alone.

Few sects in the martial world did not fear Shaolin’s Hundred Steps Divine Fist or Ming Cult’s Heavenly Demon Divine Technique.

Signature techniques of great martial factions each bore a weight befitting their names.

To Jeong Yeon-shin, it was unimportant. He had not crafted it for fame.

‘Just…’

He recalled a single character.

The martial world held curious words. Some carried opposing meanings within one form.

The character “Radiant” was such a case.

Vast emptiness, radiant brightness. A word he had pondered since before his seclusion. He had held it in his heart during his retreat.

“…”

Jeong Yeon-shin briefly closed his mouth. He gazed at Radiant Demon Wing’s seniors and juniors quietly.

Faces that made mission returns a homecoming. Each conversation granted warmth he never found at Jeong Family Estate.

Unlike the siblings who rejected Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

Wouldn’t they accept his martial art with joy? As fellow disciples of a shared lineage.

‘May they grow stronger and stay with me…’

It was a sentiment hard to express as a Leader.

‘If you vanish, my heart empties in vain; through you, I am brightly fulfilled. You taught warmth to me, who left my clan. I’m grateful. A debt I can’t repay.’

Thus, with the name Lightning Genius you gave me, I craft and offer this martial art.

Only one phrase came to mind.

“Radiant Arts Bond.”

Radiant Demon Wing Leader murmured. The name of a martial world technique flowed forth.

It was Radiant Demon Wing’s time.

Yue Shou-lin, standing among them, smiled warmly.

A swell of contentment rose in her chest like cotton. It overshadowed her curiosity. She thought to herself. I’ll need to come back later.

‘Where’d that Jin Myeong-jo run off to?’

Yue Shou-lin tilted her head slightly in her mind and stepped forward briskly.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

Three days passed.

Three cycles of day and night alternated between awe and bewilderment.

For the first time since rising to black-rank, the new Leader held a training session. Radiant Demon Wing’s Grand Training Ground buzzed with unprecedented vitality.

Masters’ gazes gathered. The carefree demeanor during Jeong Yeon-shin’s seclusion had partly faded.

“Of course. Lighter now. Think of fully transferring the energy of the Hand Yang Bright Large Intestine Meridian to your fingertips. The follow-up is a shoulder strike, so the motion will flow naturally.”

The Leader positioned Shin So-bin and Hyeon Won-chang side by side. Without checking pulses, he assessed their energy flow through waves.

Even Radiant Demon Wing masters found it remarkable anew. Though still youthful, the boy who joined as a junior anticipated guidance after witnessing Radiant Arts Bond’s demonstration.

Radiant Arts Bond was less an initiation and more an advanced training.

Within days, the issue of enhancing combat strength was resolved. They were already formidable masters. Now, they could rival Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Swordsmen or the Eighteen Arhats of Shaolin.

“Time flies. It’s already time for the promotion exam…”

“That Group Judgment Blade Jin kid picked a fight. His nature’s not bad, but he struts as a merchant guild heir.”

“An Obeying Heaven Wing swordsman, right? Must’ve returned from a solo mission. What’d he say?”

“He envied securing a blue-rank spot. Thanks to luckily taking in Hwangbo Clan’s wastrel…”

“He doesn’t know our Desolate Divine Hero lifted seven-tenths of his limit. Being wary of only Lazy Flame Dragon will cost him dearly.”

“Rightly said.”

Radiant Demon Wing masters chuckled as they spoke.

Since Radiant Arts Bond’s demonstration, time raced by. Of Radiant Demon Wing’s twenty-three blue-ranks and seven white-ranks, a third had skimmed the manual.

They didn’t pass it individually. They studied it by the squad structure set by the former Leader. Radiant Demon First Squad went first.

Reactions were peculiar.

A mix of shock, awe, and unease. Even Blue Eyed Demon Sword Cheong Myeong felt it.

Desolate Fortress housed martial arts nearing the world’s finest. Every formal warrior boasted exceptional talent.

None had grown up in their hometowns without being called a prodigy.

“There they go again. Faces all strange.”

Howling Beast Sword Kang Chang-mu crossed his large arms.

He could only describe the expressions of those emerging from the Leader’s quarters that way. It was Radiant Demon Third Squad and one nameless disciple.

Their eyebrows slightly raised, mouths agape. They didn’t look like seasoned masters.

Had they faced an insult beyond expectation? Awe softened the emotion somewhat.

Only Lazy Flame Dragon bore a hint of a smile. He strolled casually, hands clasped behind his head.

“This is it.”

He murmured as if chanting.

The words didn’t reach Kang Chang-mu.

“He makes that face too. Hwangbo Clan’s wastrel heir.”

Having lost to Lazy Flame Dragon before, Kang Chang-mu’s eyes narrowed.

A man who judged worth by talent showed such an expression just from the manual. It inevitably piqued the mid-tier newcomers’ curiosity.

“You’d know without seeing. The movements of those who started have changed. Stronger linked strikes, noticeably better than a day ago. There’s a limit, though.”

April Bow Ghost Wei Ye-ryeong said.

She stood haughtily beside Kang Chang-mu on the roof tiles of the Leader’s quarters overlooking the training ground.

Radiant Demon Wing’s squad had begun training in the secret art. Standing guard was only proper.

Looking down at Jeong Yeon-shin, she spoke. Her blue eyes gleamed with noble clan luster.

“Leader Lightning Genius is an odd one.”

“I know.”

“This Radiant Arts Bond, you’ll see when you train, but it’s beyond what you think. Rumors of the Fortress Lord’s favor weren’t baseless. He might one day handle affairs in our clan’s domain.”

“Will the Leader be invited to the immortals’ realm?”

Kang Chang-mu raised an eyebrow.

A clear chirp rang from afar. A pure white swallow swooped down from the sky.

Its speed was astonishing. White feathers seemed to reflect sunlight.

A spirit creature raised by noble clans for Desolate Fortress Leaders. Known to Radiant Demon Wing Leader as White Swallow.

“That little one looks urgent.”

Wei Ye-ryeong said in her melodious voice.

The Leader slightly raised his forearm. White Swallow landed with its tiny legs.

Jeong Yeon-shin murmured.

“You said you were going out to play, but you’ve been to the Grand Administrator?”

“From the administrative office…!”

Wei Ye-ryeong’s sword-like ears caught his words.

Her noble clan voice overlapped with his. Her lips stilled as her eyes filled with doubt and surprise.