Chapter 326 – Heaven Shaking (5)

It was as if a monster from the Classic of Mountains and Seas was pounding on the mountain peak.

At this moment, the waves striking the cave layer upon layer were incredibly fierce. Powerful shockwaves continuously erupted.

The brushstrokes of the Slaughter Sect disciples, who had been ceaselessly muttering and transcribing sound transmissions, completely ceased.

A fear emanating from the incomprehensible seemed to creep through the underground plaza.

Boom! Boom—! Kwaaaang!

The energy waves of sound transmission that had been delivering news from above disappeared one by one. The speed was terrifyingly fast.

The semi-transparent energy waves that had filled the void like concentric circles on a water surface vanished without a trace.

It didn’t feel like something humans could create. It was closer to a fragment of calamity.

“So he has finally come. The most powerful and greedy peerless swordsman of Liaoning…”

Slaughter Chivalry Kim Jon-hwi muttered as if reciting a poem.

Was this his way of finding calm composure in an urgent situation? It was befitting of Desolate Divine Hero’s brother, who always did what needed to be done.

Until then.

Jeong Yeon-shin had not taken his eyes off the sword marks left by the Murong family head.

The flawlessly smooth traces seemed to pull at one’s soul. Even Jeong Yeon-shin’s upper dantian briefly hummed in resonance.

It was a divine skill. The sword strike itself was that.

Slaughter Chivalry’s words were beginning to make sense. The Slaughter Sect elders who had become idiots from staring endlessly at the sword trajectory.

An extremely mystical quality emanated from the traces left by the Eight Great Clan Leader who had likely spent his entire life refining a single sword. It was the spirituality said to dwell in divine skills.

‘There’s no extraneous thought in the cutting plane. I can feel only one thing.’

The mental image that nothing could withstand his cut.

The conviction that his sword strikes would fall like a meteor shower in accordance with heaven’s mandate.

They say swordsmen who have reached the realm communicate through their swords. The arrogant mental imagery of the Murong family head came through directly.

It was a mental state befitting a ruler of the martial world, far removed from the humility that the current Radiant Demon Wing Leader had cultivated. It conveyed an absolute confidence that bordered on nobility.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly raised his head.

The dark cave ceiling.

A type of vibration was being transmitted along the wall that would be invisible without eye techniques. It was sword power that traversed an unknown distance of several zhang. It was incredibly refined.

Mountain-Crossing Cattle Strike.

A technique that transmits foot energy to a target regardless of any obstacles in the way.

It’s usually deployed through fist techniques, but the peerless master now driving his sword down from dozens of zhang above the cliff seemed to transcend common sense.

The sword strike energy waves were transmitted straight down like an earthquake.

Kuuung—! Kuuung—

After pounding like that a few more times, the sound began to fade. It was as if a monster searching for prey had moved to another location.

Only then did a strange sense of relief fill the underground plaza.

“We’re still safe for now. He doesn’t know where we are yet.”

Slaughter Chivalry Kim Jon-hwi casually stamped the ground.

“The Heavenly Demon’s mystical dharma treasure is concealing our sect’s presence. No matter how great a peerless master he might be, even if I were to dance like a ruffian here with my power fully unleashed, he wouldn’t sense a trace of energy. It’s just… the annihilation of those who formed our sect’s intelligence network, that’s what pains me.”

His words trailed off with bitterness. There was a sorrow uncharacteristic of an assassin in his tone.

Jeong Yeon-shin just nodded slightly.

Another dharma treasure. A treasure that wielded the marvels of spell martial arts on its own. The more powerful one’s martial arts became and the broader one’s knowledge grew, the more one encountered all sorts of mysteries in the martial world.

‘I wonder if it’s safe.’

He recalled the pebble of the Valor Fist Lord that he had given to Zhuge Qing-ya before heading to Taiyuan.

A dharma treasure imbued with the refreshing quality unique to the Zhuge family that had inspired the creation of the Fan Dragon Treading Lotus Technique. The girl who had lost her brother and father at the time had stared at the pebble for a while before carefully accepting it.

—Thank you for your trust. I’ll uncover all its powers… Please take care of yourself, Squad Leader.

That was all. He heard nothing else.

Jeong Yeon-shin had deliberately given her leeway. He had permitted her to act independently.

With Fan Dragon and Revived Hidden Dragon dead, she had become the only direct descendant of the Zhuge family, and Zhuge Qing-ya rightfully had the duty to shoulder her clan as the future family head.

Her original purpose in becoming a guest martial artist of Radiant Demon Wing was to demonstrate the friendship between the Martial Alliance and Desolate Fortress.

A warning directed at the Thirteen Evil Sects would not take precedence over matters concerning the survival of the Zhuge family.

‘Where could she have gone?’

Whether she had returned to Desolate Fortress with the two senior squad leaders or turned back to head home was unknown.

Either way, he hoped she would find peace. After finishing the matter at hand, they would meet again in some form.

While Squad Leader Jeong Yeon-shin was briefly lost in thought, Hyeon Won-chang had grabbed Slaughter Chivalry’s collar and led him to one corner of the cave.

He was asking for understanding from Jeong Yeon-shin via sound transmission.

—The final incantation of the Slaughter Sect’s secret technique that I mentioned was a lie. I ended up unlocking and closing my restriction with the squad leader’s martial arts and my own power.

—You mean you couldn’t fully release it?

—Later, later I’ll tell you everything. Over a cup of bamboo leaf wine.

Hyeon Won-chang only turned his gaze to Slaughter Chivalry after seeing his squad leader nod.

“Brother, there’s something I need to discuss with you. It’s a matter directly related to your future path.”

“Is it urgent? Even with the dharma treasure, our position remains unchanged, and before the monster with the Flowing Star Sword bursts in, I need to move the disciples to a safe house. No one knows how much power these absolute beings of the martial world are hiding. These monsters with incredible strength might even carve out the entire cliff, and it wouldn’t be surprising.”

“It’s important. You must hear this before the elders arrive. What those old men have been concealing and how they’ve been deceiving you…”

The rest of the conversation became inaudible. It seemed they were communicating via sound transmission.

Only Slaughter Chivalry’s irregular breathing patterns hinted at the importance of the conversation.

Occasionally, the sight of Hyeon Won-chang patting his cousin brother’s shoulder suggested glimpses of their childhood.

Jeong Yeon-shin watched the two and thought: Brother Hyeon still cherishes his blood relatives after all.

“……”

After briefly recalling the Jeong family, he turned his head back toward the sword marks left by the Murong family head.

The elongated traces of the sword’s trajectory were perfect for focusing his attention. They contained so much… Strong sword, swift sword, and even the true energy manipulation method that elevated the cutting power of sword strike energy waves to the highest level. With a bit more observation, he could even reverse-engineer the grip technique for holding the sword handle.

The current Radiant Demon Wing Leader liked such refined martial arts. It had been that way since he successfully escaped from the Jeong family courtyard that no one paid attention to, using the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

Even when his fellow disciples of Radiant Demon Wing were reuniting with their true families, Jeong Yeon-shin was never particularly lonely. Because he always had a mother who embraced his entire being.

How much time had passed like that?

Dozens of presences spread from a passage on one side of the underground plaza, and familiar voices reached Jeong Yeon-shin’s ears.

“You look brilliant. It’s as if I haven’t seen you in ten years.”

“Squad Leader!”

Two figures separated from the group.

The ruffian with short hair who walked with a leisurely swagger was the Hwangbo family’s descendant, while the girl who leaped forward with cat-like, nimble footsteps was the true heir of the Desolate Divine lineage.

Lazy Flame Dragon and Shin So-bin had reached their squad leader.

“Your energy is different again. As expected from someone still growing.”

“Were you alright? Your complexion seems fine… I heard you killed that unfilial Zhuge Clan Leader. I couldn’t believe it when I first heard, but then I did. Because it’s you, Squad Leader.”

The sharp, casual remarks thrown by Lazy Flame Dragon and the chattering greetings of Shin So-bin that buried them were all familiar.

A faint smile appeared on Jeong Yeon-shin’s lips.

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, Shin So-bin leaned her small face slightly forward.

Was she imitating Baek Mi-ryeo? With her dense eyelashes raised, she looked as if she were trying to act like a sister.

“You must have been quite exhausted. It sounds like it was no ordinary martial world journey… I’m afraid of getting scolded by Senior Bewitching Sword Demon and Senior Blue Eye Demon Sword for not properly supporting you. No, I’m personally not feeling good about it. May I check your pulse?”

“The white cat hasn’t matured yet.”

“What? Who’s saying what to whom…?”

“At your age, being in the same generation as our squad leader, your stormy period will come late. Even lying in bed, the heart becomes weary at that time. Moreover, with our squad leader’s karma being somewhat heavy, those legs will inevitably become stronger night after night, so the martial world will soon fear the Lotus Nezha’s footwork more than his sword…”

“Have you been chewing on opium while in the Slaughter Sect?”

It had been a long time since he’d told them to stop. Jeong Yeon-shin muttered as he watched their banter.

The reunion of Desolate Fortress’s Radiant Demon Wing.

It was quite boisterous yet natural.

Even as the old assassins of the Slaughter Sect in black windbreakers moved with cautious glances at Jeong Yeon-shin, the two subordinates of Radiant Demon Wing examined the muscle lines revealed by their squad leader’s clothing and the flow of his energy waves.

The discerning eye of Desolate Fortress masters perceives much in a brief moment. Their gazes were only withdrawn nonchalantly after several breaths.

By then, the conversation between Slaughter Chivalry Kim Jon-hwi and Hyeon Won-chang had concluded.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

“I’ll lead the disciples, so Seon-hwi, you go to the hidden storage and bring back a small bronze box. It’s very small. It contains just a few scraps of paper. There’s no map or anything… but I know you’ve already examined all the escape routes and are familiar with the geography here. I’m counting on you.”

“I am not a Slaughter Sect disciple. I don’t want to be involved anymore…”

“What can I do when you’re the only one I can trust now?”

Slaughter Chivalry’s archaic eloquence resembled Hyeon Won-chang’s.

His tone was somewhat cold. He had just learned that the Slaughter Sect’s secret technique for recognizing a successor as family head had been completely lost during the chaos at the Heavenly Demon’s Tomb.

He trusted his brother. Slaughter Chivalry, with his black hat pulled low, didn’t reveal any telling expressions before the dozen or so elders who had now approached.

“Hidden storage? Sect Leader, are you planning to entrust our sect’s precious treasure to Kim Seon-hwi?”

“An outsider! How could you say such a terrible thing? The test wasn’t even completed!”

Slaughter Chivalry didn’t respond to each remark.

“Did you not sense the Flowing Star Sword’s presence? Elders, you should come with me to evacuate the disciples first, and the only direct descendant, Seon-hwi, should follow with the relics of the Heavenly Demon’s Tomb. In terms of legitimacy, he could even challenge for the position of family head. How dare you elders call this child an outsider?”

“Listen here, Sect Leader!”

“The peerless swordsman of Liaoning has come to our sect. No matter how I think about it, haste is our priority. That monster with incredible power might split the mountain peak at any moment, so we should first gather the disciples and head to the safe house.”

A proper assassin’s safe house is never just one.

The saying about a cunning rabbit having three burrows is a principle that assassins must engrave in their hearts. There must be multiple burrows prepared.

“Disciples, this way! Those who have just returned, have the Black Messengers send sound transmissions! We will meet at the southern safe house of Taiyuan Prefecture!”

It was the system of a major faction.

He commanded like a general in the guise of an assassin. Dozens of Slaughter Sect disciples crossed the underground plaza following Slaughter Chivalry’s gestures.

Among them, Slaughter Chivalry’s presence exerted its influence.

The vast underground cave became bustling.

On one side, Lazy Flame Dragon clicked his tongue as he watched them gather.

“Reminds me of Namgung. The sight of an assassin stepping into the light.”

“The number one sect in Shanxi has been decided amid the chaos. Right, Squad Leader?”

It was then.

Suddenly.

Boom! Kwaaaang! Kwaaaaaaang—!

A roaring sound raced along the cave ceiling. Stone fragments showered down.

The complexions of the Slaughter Sect disciples sitting at the stone desks changed. It was incomparable to when they had reported on the activities of the Murong family head and Profound Martial Alliance Leader.

“The Forbidden Gate Formation has just been broken.”

“Urgent report. The mechanism formation of the Using Shout Wall appears to have been destroyed.”

Their manner of speech had changed. Despite their monotone voices, a great urgency could be felt.

They all seemed to have cultivated their crown acupoints, absorbing the energy waves of the cave through their Baihui acupoints as they spoke.

“Black Sword’s sound transmission has been cut off. No energy waves can be sensed.”

“The Golden Immortal Palace Ringing Formation has been shattered! Everything above has been breached!”

“He’s coming!”

Wooooooong—!

The next moment, a thick echo swallowed all their voices. It was as if a dragon from legend had thrust its head into the underground plaza and roared.

The pressure on the cave walls was tremendous, as if trying to completely crush them. An invisible force was rapidly expanding in all directions.

Something was coming.

Kwaaaang!… With an explosion, dust erupted. The eight directions were dyed with dust, and the ground beneath people’s feet truly shook like an earthquake.

Lazy Flame Dragon’s judgment was the swiftest.

“It would be better to get out of the way without making a fuss.”

With a voice imbued with scorching yang energy, he cut through the storm of shockwaves. Without even glancing at the Slaughter Sect group, he urged Hyeon Won-chang and Shin So-bin to retreat while looking at Jeong Yeon-shin.

It was meant for everyone. The madness gleaming in the corners of his eyes pushed away any burden that might fall on Jeong Yeon-shin.

“It’s like a spider’s web. Hide in any of the Slaughter Sect’s safe houses.”

Everything was covered in dust. Only the vague outlines of figures could be distinguished.

It was thanks to the sunlight that had begun to pour down from above, but no one at the scene considered it fortunate.

Ziiiing—

A chilling sword sound scraped the air. It came from within the dust cloud that occasionally obscured the rays of sunlight falling vertically.

An extraordinarily sharp quality began to fill the vast cave. At some point, a figure holding the form of a sword had appeared, standing on air and looking down at the gathering below.

“……”

It had manifested.

The peerless swordsman who had long coveted the Heavenly Demon’s legacy.

He was surrounded by grayish dust like a curtain. His appearance was not visible. Only his overwhelming presence was clear. It was as if it forcibly constricted one’s breath.

“Found you.”

A deep voice rang out.

The power imbued in that single phrase swept through the hall like a hazy dragon’s ascent.

No one could respond. The silence only deepened.

They had been placed beneath the feet of the number one figure of Liaoning.

The master of the Murong family.

Star Radiance Great Sword Lord Murong Jung-rak.

A name that needed no introduction. The Eight Clan Leaders are long-standing absolute beings.

The moment one sensed their presence, it was as if one’s life thread had been cut. It was as inevitable as the principles of the martial world.

Having encountered him, it was already too late. No one dared to break the silence.

Only.

At this moment, a figure silently floated up. It slowly soared toward the shadow of the peerless master who was looking down at the underground plaza.

The back view with the hem of a pitch-black long robe fluttering.

Standing on a long sword blade with both hands hanging down.