Chapter 245 – Punishment, Fate (2)

“Insolent brat!”

A veteran master possessed the leisure to vent anger with words.

With her wrist gripped by Jeong Yeon-shin, Yeo So-hyang’s treasured sword glowed white. This occurred before Jeong Yeon-shin’s right-hand palm technique could reach her abdomen.

Loyal-Shattering Desolation Sword Technique, Gazing Blossom.

A resounding clash erupted.

An overwhelming wave of energy burst from the sword. It generated a slicing wind without even being swung.

Blood sprayed from Jeong Yeon-shin’s body as he released her wrist and dodged. The sword wind tore his black blood-stained robe to shreds, leaving dozens of sword scars. The pain felt as though his entire left side had been severed.

A wound unlike any he had ever experienced in his life.

Jeong Yeon-shin spun like a waterwheel, scattering blood.

Yeo So-hyang’s hand hesitated as she moved to follow up with a decisive strike.

This pause stemmed from the tendon-snaring technique he had applied earlier. The pain must have been immense.

Though not an extreme counter like evil faction inner energy, her cultivated tyrant power could not fully escape the influence of the Luminous Wheel Technique’s potency.

A sharp ring sounded.

Jeong Yeon-shin drew the Northern Light Sword upward. He turned in a full rotation mid-motion. His talent transformed even evasive footwork into a grounded stance.

From his right hand to the sword tip, weight and force aligned perfectly. The Luminous Wheel Technique surged through the swift sword formula of the Thunder Flash Technique, contracting his forearm and upper arm muscles.

‘Judgement Qilin.’

In an instant, the blade transformed into a streak of light. It whirled like a typhoon with his body and shot forward. The sword strike raced through the air, leaving a piercing shockwave in its wake.

Yeo So-hyang’s eyes widened slightly as she closed in and swung her sword, befitting a seasoned supreme master.

A thunderous clash resounded.

Sword clashed against sword, sending fragments of energy scattering in all directions.

The colorless emergy of the Lightning-Annihilation Sword Technique grazed Yeo So-hyang’s cheek and soared upward. Faint blood trickled from her wrinkles.

She refused to yield even a single move gracefully. This was a battle of heaven’s prodigies.

Jeong Yeon-shin masked the tearing pain in his grip with a calm expression.

Blocking a strike capable of cleaving a mountain peak in advance and enduring its residual force was already overwhelming.

His senses sharpened acutely. It felt like walking a tightrope on thread swords without inner energy.

Had he not devised the Lowly Revelation Technique, this fight would have ended in certain defeat. Jeong Yeon-shin believed this. Their raw sword power differed vastly. He felt himself at an extreme disadvantage.

The onlookers, unaware of the stakes, did not see it that way.

Explosions and clangs echoed.

Sword energy waves swept the surroundings relentlessly. Beneath the fragments of foliage scattering in all directions, the ground cracked each time swords collided and the fierce wind of their clash pressed the air.

The battle of supreme masters resembled a natural disaster in itself.

Yet the crowd at Great Moon Gorge gradually drew closer. They climbed cliffs or ascended the hill.

It was a life-and-death duel rarely witnessed in a lifetime. Something seemed to draw human souls toward it.

“That is worth watching.”

“If they kill us, what then?”

“She is a demon riding a sword through the air. Hiding here might be better.”

“True, outside is just the Guanzhong Plain. We would stand out more there.”

“Might as well enjoy the spectacle of supreme martial arts.”

“I cannot fathom it. Are those two even human?”

They had come to witness the elder overseer of Tyrant Sword Sect in action. This proved they were individuals obsessed with martial arts.

No matter the outcome, they could not resist surviving to spread word of this day far and wide.

Storytellers were not a separate breed. All who aspired to the martial world were narrators at heart.

However, they could not approach too closely. Unless they wished their flesh crushed, mustering such courage was difficult.

Clashing and booming sounds reverberated.

The center of the hill, now a battlefield, blurred with spiraling dust.

Those who wielded swords to create typhoons. No one had expected the Radiant Arts Squad Leader to perform this well. Their ages differed greatly, did they not?

Those who crossed the gorge were martial artists with considerable experience or profound skills.

The more they knew, the differently they perceived the scene before them. Shock was evident on most faces.

Crowds hiding in rock crevices or standing upright in trees could not tear their eyes from the life-and-death struggle.

Some momentarily lost their senses.

The Radiant Arts Squad Leader’s upper garment had nearly disintegrated.

Blood flowed from his entire body as he thrust his sword, his densely woven muscles standing out amidst the crimson. He moved with captivating ferocity, unleashing supreme sword techniques rare even among evil factions.

The elder overseer of Tyrant Sword Sect, Ghost White Divine Sword Yeo So-hyang, was no less battered.

Bloodstains marked her shoulder, neck, and face as she swung her sword with a grimace akin to a vengeful spirit. These were superficial cuts from Jeong Yeon-shin’s finesse.

Had they been slightly deeper, they would have instantly become fatal wounds. Their lack of depth rendered them insignificant, yet to the crowd, it appeared a contest of equals.

The same held true for the masters of Yu Ling Sect watching the fierce battle from the shadow of an elongated shade.

“That one seems like someone the main sect would have ranked.”

“A supreme master under thirty, capable of contending with the martial world. There are not many. Shall we list them?”

“The Seventh Apostle of Blood Flame Sect.”

“That crazed monster turned twenty-one this year, I hear. Besides, do you think that one looks like a woman?”

They were twin siblings with long, dangling bangs.

The Brilliant Sound Twin Demons of the Thirteen Evil Sects’ Yu Ling Sect. They had once pursued Zhongnan Sect’s Wei Ji Myo-hwa and Jeong Hye, only to encounter Heart Martial Alliance’s Sword Venerable and escape swiftly to survive.

“It cannot be the young leader of Ming Cult. We should rule out orthodox factions too, like Dark Night Hall.”

The woman shook her head at the man’s words.

“He uses a sword to begin with. What about Desolate Fortress?”

“Well, then… could it be the current Radiant Demon Wing Leader? That would explain why he came to thrash us so fiercely. His prowess fits too.”

“Let us capture him and see.”

“What about that old demon hag? She will throw a fit if we interfere.”

“If left alone, she will win, of course, but what if her remaining arm gets wrecked in the process? She does not look easy to handle at a glance. The main sect is currently sparring with Tyrant Sword Sect. What fit? That hag is an evil faction elder. She might even be pleased to spill less blood.”

The Brilliant Sound Twin Demons’ gazes turned to the clash of the two supreme masters.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

A loud thud sounded.

On the increasingly ravaged hill, Jeong Yeon-shin swung the Northern Light Sword downward. Shattered foliage followed the sword energy wave.

He forged his sword path, ignoring the wounds rending his body. Lightning-Annihilation Sword Technique, Nine Nine Verdant River. An intangible force, bound into a single stream, erupted with a massive resonance.

A deafening clash rang out.

The recoil in his grip was tremendous. Cracks like an earthquake spread left and right from his feet.

Yeo So-hyang blocked the supreme technique with a fearsome expression. She did not retreat a single step. Jeong Yeon-shin immediately channeled energy into the Gushing Spring acupoint beneath his feet.

If he did not move at once, Ghost White Divine Sword’s signature power would surge forth at full strength. He had to use the Lowly Revelation Technique to find gaps and prevent her from unleashing her sword energy.

It was then.

A roaring cry pierced the air.

Suddenly, a man and woman leapt from the right shadow, their lion’s roar exploding outward. The density of their sonic energy wave was staggering.

It shot forth like a semi-transparent cannonball, its trajectory aimed at Jeong Yeon-shin.

The green leaves of nearby evergreens trembled violently in unison.

“Damn it!”

“Tch!”

Zhuge Xian and Lazy Flame Dragon charged to intercept the attackers from both sides, their faces contorting. They were a step too late.

They had hesitated, fearing that rash interference in a supreme master’s fight might disrupt Jeong Yeon-shin’s rhythm. The assailants’ prowess was absurdly exceptional.

A sword from the elder overseer of Tyrant Sword Sect in front, and a sonic strike from Yu Ling Sect’s Brilliant Sound Twin Demons on the right.

Jeong Yeon-shin felt it fully. Even countering Yeo So-hyang’s colorless, warping sword energy wave head-on was a daunting prospect.

Evading here would scatter the momentum he had seized with the Lowly Revelation Technique. He was already at a disadvantage.

If he had to rebuild the rhythm from scratch, the outcome was uncertain.

‘Still, I must avoid a fatal blow first…’

He made his decision.

A sharp whistle cut through.

Abruptly, a white radiance streaked long and narrow beside Jeong Yeon-shin’s neck.

Another third party intervened. A sword hilt surged forth suddenly, followed by a circular wave exploding outward from its rear. An earth-shaking roar accompanied it.

The energy wave’s tail lingered like a comet. In an instant, this controlled sword shattered the sonic energy wave, veered, and collided with Yeo So-hyang’s blade.

The Brilliant Sound Twin Demons spat blood in the background, their cries echoing faintly.

A colossal boom resounded.

A direct hit. The controlled sword’s tip struck Yeo So-hyang’s blade as if embedding itself. The hill trembled in that moment.

The monstrous clash of energy waves reverberated in all directions. Yeo So-hyang’s face, which had curled into a smirk, turned to shock.

“Eight Illusory Divine Sword? Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost…!”

By then, Jeong Yeon-shin’s sword grazed her solar plexus. A chilling crackle sounded as it clashed with her protective energy.

Had the energy wave penetrated deeper, it would have shattered her ribs instantly. Yeo So-hyang’s complexion paled for the first time.

The elder overseer of Tyrant Sword Sect.

A sharp snap followed.

She attempted to flee. Seizing the gap in the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s strike, she leapt upward and mounted her sword. The Heart Martial Alliance Sword Venerable, whose intent remained unclear, had not reached the realm of heart-controlled swordsmanship.

This meant her controlled sword followed her eyes rather than her mind. Having sent the blade without revealing herself, she could not chain attacks in that brief instant.

Yeo So-hyang left a warning with her verbal technique.

“A mere child, fodder for the sect leader, you will surely face execution by dismemberment in the future.”

The sword tip beneath her feet turned rearward.

A piercing screech sounded.

Sword flight activated instantly. She sliced through the air and vanished in the blink of an eye.

‘I predicted it. With the Lowly Revelation Technique.’

Jeong Yeon-shin did not look up at her as he ran. He had unleashed the Wind Body movement technique at full speed. His entire body became a swift sword advancing forward.

The scenery in his vision expanded ceaselessly. Amid the wind tearing at his robes like a storm, he spotted Zhuge Xian directly ahead.

Their eyes met.

It was a fleeting moment. A communion between heaven’s prodigies occurred.

The next instant.

A light tap sounded.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood atop the crane-wing fan Zhuge Xian had raised.

Faintly.

The leather boots of Desolate Fortress’s Radiant Demon Wing Leader overlapped with the socked feet of a Jeong Family Manor boy.

In that moment, the fan of a martial world master transformed into a swing from the Dragon Boat Festival, untrodden by fate. A support his mother would have stepped on at any time.

He leapt off it.

A fierce gust roared.

His true energy circulated powerfully throughout his body.

Lightning seemed to strike from the Hidden Gate acupoint behind his thigh and the Gushing Spring acupoint on his sole. Even the pain racking his body began to blur.

In an instant, the old woman’s face, turning toward him, drew rapidly closer. Jeong Yeon-shin gripped the Northern Light Sword’s hilt with both hands. The wind rushing past his ears was fierce.

‘Will I not reach her?’

No. A month ago, that would have been the case. Now, the length of his limbs had subtly changed. These were days of growth.

They had lengthened amid knee pain. He had to study daily and adapt it to his innate martial arts.

[TL Note- So i looked up this constant knee pain thing, i thought it might just be a Chinese thing but there’s a disease called Osgood Schlatter disease.

Osgood-Schlatter disease affects children experiencing growth spurts. Children who play sports in which they regularly run and jump are most at risk.

The disease causes a painful lump below the kneecap.

The condition usually resolves on its own, once the child’s bones stop growing.]

Until Yeo So-hyang’s wrinkles, beginning to etch shock, filled his vision.

The Lowly Revelation Technique absorbed countless details.

The lingering force of the controlled sword the elder overseer of the riffraff could not dispel, the protective energy starting to recover at her solar plexus, and the energy fully focused on sword flight. In an instant, a sword path formed in his mind.

Trajectories of countless blades crashed into his consciousness like lightning. Jeong Yeon-shin aligned his sword with one among them.

He thrust upward with both hands gripping the hilt. The auspicious wave of the Luminous Wheel Technique spread in all directions.

‘Lightning-Annihilation Sword Technique, Third Form.’

Azure Flame Solar Eclipse.

[TL Note- The moves of Lightning-Annihilation Sword Technique may have been translated differently in previous chapters. I don’t have a glossary so i can’t remember.]

In a fleeting instant, the sword flared like lightning, surpassing even the sunlight. The blue sword light, burning fiercely as if to swallow the explosive sound of the grip’s energy wave, streaked straight ahead.

It aimed for Yeo So-hyang, who hastily raised her treasured sword. The blue arc sliced through the air, passing her shoulder.

A gushing spray erupted.

Blood burst forth as an arm soared upward.