Chapter 609 – Three Swords (2)

Wei Zhi-ji walked straight out of the barracks.

For a moment, winter wind rippled along the tent fabric at the entrance, and Shin So-bin looked down silently at the book before her, paying no attention to her fluttering hair.

Divine Sword Group’s Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

‘Extreme completion…’

Extreme completion beyond great accomplishment meant a realm where abilities were fully demonstrated even when freely applying martial arts. It was also a state of completely finding the will that matched one’s energy circulation.

For Shin So-bin, it was a distant realm.

—The marriage is all done now.

What she had learned was not the Divine Sword Group’s Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, but the true version of the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique that Jeong Yeon-shin had cultivated since childhood. She had started with the simplified version and reached this point.

—The main fortress is already a sect that denies master-disciple relationships, but after learning even the Brilliant River formula, I can’t establish a separate household. People would point fingers and call me a thief. That’s what divine martial arts are like.

Words she had once spoken to Jeong Yeon-shin.

They were sincere.

Now the only path left for her was to become the next Divine Sword Group Leader.

The current blue-ranked Lightning Genius like herself, then black-ranked Lightning Genius, and finally if a life spent as Jeong Yeon-shin’s chief disciple could unfold in one technique, she would completely inherit him.

Naturally, her Jeong Family Dynamic Technique also had to reach extreme completion, but in the recent situation of hearing about Jeong Yeon-shin’s lifespan, her martial progress had stopped.

Because her unconscious mind wouldn’t acknowledge it.

If she deeply accepted that Jeong Yeon-shin would soon face death, she would greatly understand all the Lightning Genius lineage formulas she had learned and make progress.

It was a type of mental demon. Just as Desolate Shin Family had stably supported her life for long years, in the Divine Sword Group, Jeong Yeon-shin was precisely her divine family.

Woong— Woowoong—!

So at this moment, what was greatly advancing in achievement was Brilliant River.

She had seen the moment Jeong Yeon-shin held Azure Qilin’s corpse, and had been beside him whenever he spoke about Azure Qilin.

Hyeon Won-chang glanced at her palm and said bluntly.

“Now it should be usable in actual combat too.”

But unlike the others, Shin So-bin’s Jeong Family Dynamic Technique remained unable to advance. No words could comfort her.

She slowly opened her mouth.

“I learned that striving so the master won’t be forgotten is the attitude a disciple of a prestigious orthodox sect should have. From my family.”

“What’s so new about that? Even demon caves like the Thirteen Evil Sects would teach that, wouldn’t they? I don’t know about those man-eating demon realm b*st*rds though.”

Yeon So-ha, who replied nonchalantly, continued.

“I won’t ask what you heard from the Ming Cult Leader that made you lose your wits, but keep your mind firmly set. When things go badly in Black Capital, you’ll face at least twelve Northern Kings. You’ll really die.”

Since the demon realm’s jianghu was the Qing Dynasty’s jianghu, it naturally corresponded to the Ming Dynasty’s martial world. It was equivalent to the Thirteen Evil Sects and Nine Sects Eight Families being bound into one country.

Hyeon Won-chang nodded faintly.

One hand on the bandage-wrapped sword hilt, the other quietly placed on his crown where he would forcibly unlock the Seven Pillar Forbidden Acupoint Great Method.

“We need to strike fast and withdraw. As soon as our comrades finish their energy circulation.”

It was the final training.

Their time was as precious as gold like Jeong Yeon-shin’s. Once they rose from here, they wouldn’t rest from then on. They would have to keep running.

Their opponent was a nation.

Molten Rock Castle Lord, Shame Extreme King, Gao Yao Holy Sword Lord, Heaven Palace King, Great King Vajra, the Dharma King, Lu Ban Heavenly Emperor, Aisin-Gioro Black Return, Literary Star, Upright Star, the Southern Emperor, Young Heavenly Demon Invincible, and even the unfathomable Northern Blade among the Six Star Lords who might or might not cooperate with the Southern Emperor.

This was just the intelligence the Nether Stream Squad had already obtained.

Breaking through Molten Rock Castle would be a major undertaking, but if they were delayed by the Southern Emperor’s martial army forces in Black Capital beyond that, they would have to accept annihilation.

Because unlike the Ming Dynasty, the Northern Kings were bound together under names like Jin or Great Qing.

At the same time, what coordinated them knowingly or unknowingly was Shame Extreme Son-in-law.

An existence who could cross between dreams through other people’s upper energy centers.

That is, his role was to convey in detail what he saw to the Northern Kings of Bright Wind Spirit. He might be close to the southern jianghu’s Spirit Leader.

It had recently been revealed that he was the only great warrior to enter Bright Wind Spirit.

The Southern Emperor’s vanguard. One who never died.

“That Shame Extreme Son-in-law fellow seems like he’d be very difficult to deal with, being a master of worldly wisdom. I heard he inherited some of Divine Thief’s lightness skills… If he runs away, there’s no way to catch him.”

Yeon So-ha changed the topic. Had his shoulders stiffened unnecessarily at Hyeon Won-chang and Shin So-bin’s expressions? He hadn’t read the message the Ming Cult Leader was said to have left at Jeong Yeon-shin’s residence.

Shin So-bin tried to nod calmly.

“They say the Divine Sword Prisoner and Divine Sword Squad Leader focused on other matters.”

“What matters?”

Hyeon Won-chang asked. He had been observing only his own body from when they marched from Yeoktru Castle until now. The temporary Blood Guardian Squad Leader was most in the dark about the Divine Sword Group’s current situation.

“I don’t know exactly.”

Yeon So-ha interjected.

“Well, just that they’re grafting Demonic True Blood Technique onto the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique… Annihilation Team Leader and Ultimate Martial Hall Master also left the Wish for Peace Sword Hall to Wish-fulfilling Spring Leader and went to circulate energy. Since they know Shame Extreme Son-in-law is slippery, they just left the reception to others.”

That was all.

“……”

The next moment, what permeated them was unbelievable silence. Even if they reviewed the current situation and trained martial arts during conversation, the Divine Sword Group Leader’s absence couldn’t be filled.

Only Shin So-bin’s Brilliant River sound spiraled the silence together.

The friction sound of true energy that resonated and then crackled. The air inside the barracks was split into hazy spirals, and because of this, the silence became even more prominent.

The Wish for Peace Sword Hall would have been the same.

* * *

The Desolate Fortress’s Wish for Peace Sword Hall doesn’t exist only in the main fortress.

Wherever two or more black ranks gather, that place becomes a round table for discussing the world’s people. Even in the demon realm.

Even if it’s a space with only very dirty tables, a tent with holes punched here and there.

“Negotiations have broken down again. But you should think carefully.”

A voice that archaically mocked the Wish for Peace Sword Hall.

Rustle.

A young man with enchanting lines around his lips and eye corners rose from his seat. Mockery always faintly crystallized in his seemingly elegant eyebrows. It was Shame Extreme Son-in-law.

“Look here, Wish-fulfilling Spring Leader. No matter how you try to hide it, the entire jianghu knows that the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader fell into critical condition at the hands of the Southern Emperor under heaven. Would it be only my king? Dragon Sound Sasa King will soon send envoy to you too. The naadam ends here.”

His words flowed like flowing water.

The one who most greatly represented Northern Kings among all great warriors in the demon realm. As a Dream Demon Body possessing a powerful upper energy center, he was someone who had preserved himself from any threat with extraordinary intuition.

He boasted of killing five blue ranks of the Dragon-Treading Squad in one place, but demon realm jianghu people were in a state of betting on how Shame Extreme Son-in-law would be killed.

But he had survived several encounters with the Divine Sword Group. That’s what the upper energy center of Dream Demon Body was like. If survival was at stake, it would definitely sound an alarm in advance.

There was also the lightness skill of Divine Thief under heaven that he learned by hearsay. It was why he was chosen as the demon realm’s envoy.

In reality, he had come to scrape at the Divine Sword Group’s morale, but couldn’t see the reaction he wanted.

“…I’d rather deal with a scarecrow. Such treatment for an envoy – even calling yourselves Ming Dynasty’s black swords and whatnot, you’re ultimately just a military unit. Ah, perhaps it’s because you’re military that you’re like this.”

There was no leisure at this moment on his face beautiful enough to be called jade-faced in the south. His expression had been slightly distorted for some time.

From the beginning until now.

Because he had been openly humiliated by Wish-fulfilling Spring Leader Beigong Ya. She sat with her bare feet on the table, crossing her long legs.

Though she shouldn’t bend her knees much due to aftereffects from the Clear Light Plain battle, Shame Extreme Son-in-law could see it.

That Beigong Ya’s legs were released as firmly and flexibly as a divine sword.

‘She’s a monster I can’t beat in a frontal confrontation. Even so, she’ll sleep, so should I target her dreams? Her upper energy center seems quite strong, but if the camps are this close…’

Moreover, Wish-fulfilling Spring Leader was a woman. Conversely, Shame Extreme Son-in-law was a Dream Demon Body clan member born male.

He stared quietly at her with pale eyes and said.

“Orthodox sects have never acted rashly in nation-to-nation affairs. They are history’s losers. If they had truly been strong enough to encompass lands equivalent to empires, martial artists would be emperors. Your Desolate Fortress is the same. If you overstep further, you won’t avoid the calamity of clan annihilation.”

“Oh, have a good trip.”

“…Molten Rock Castle Lord is targeting you. In the eyes of one who annihilated the Northern Palace Royal Family, the last descendant of that royal family has entered his sight. He’ll want to take you as his wife for posterity. Just as the Ice Palace Master took Lazy Flame Dragon as her husband.”

“Nonsense.”

“Not even funny. I’ll take my leave.”

Now Shame Extreme Son-in-law rather smoothed his brow. Because he had glimpsed bluffing in her attitude. He immediately threw open the tent’s entrance.

‘I should tell Molten Rock Castle Lord to march out immediately. Of course, to our Emperor too…’

Rustle.

“…?”

At the place where he pulled back the fabric, someone’s face was there. A cheerful impression with young features. A man he had always been wary of despite pretending otherwise.

The sight of his neck slightly thrust forward and stopped was eerie. Like encountering some statue in the middle of the night.

‘There’s no killing intent, but…’

When Shame Extreme Son-in-law newly realized that the Divine Sword Group’s aura had changed.

Dragon-Treading Squad Leader Wei Zhi-ji opened his mouth.

“The Acting Group Leader seemed to be seeking harmony with your king, so I left you alone, but now it’s enough.”

“Don’t tell me here…?”

“Leave your head and go.”

As if those words became some fuse.

Kugugugugung—!

The wide camp shook entirely. Tremors like an earthquake. The sect with the most keen-eared people under heaven finished their energy circulation and activated lightness skills at a single word.

It was an advance.

Shame Extreme Son-in-law immediately rotated with his entire body in place. His sleeves spread like a pinwheel, and the windstorm that arose pushed Wei Zhi-ji away. The entire barracks crumpled from the massive explosive force.

“You moths! Have you forgotten that Molten Rock Fortress is right in front!”

Shame Extreme Son-in-law, who spat out curses, disappeared from that spot with a whoosh. His afterimage was carved in the air simultaneously.

A trajectory that drew a grayish parabolic line while not just running out of the barracks but instantly leaving the Divine Sword Group’s camp.

The movement line of lightness skills was overwhelmingly long.

There were those who could match martial arts with even peerless masters in specific studies.

Demon Contempt Blade’s protective energy, Lazy Flame Dragon’s internal cultivation, Wish-fulfilling Spring Leader’s combat distance calculation, Annihilation Squad Leader’s palm techniques, Shame Extreme Son-in-law’s lightness skills.

And Dragon-Treading Squad Leader’s lasso techniques.

“…!”

Shame Extreme Son-in-law, who had been flying across the night sky in one leap, flinched. Gray silkworm thread rope twisted in layers, a cotton rope lasso, was wrapped around his ankle.

His right ankle.

He had been bitten by a northern killing demon.

Wei Zhi-ji, whose killing intent had even subsided as if he had read some profound Taoist scripture. At this moment, he was hanging from the rope and following Shame Extreme Son-in-law.

It was a hair-raising sight.

Meanwhile, behind Wei Zhi-ji was also problematic.

Kugugugugugung!

The ground shook widely. An earthquake originating from tremendous lightness skills. A cloud made of people rose up, and nearly five hundred blue robes fluttered violently like wings.

They seemed wrapped in wind all over their bodies.

Energy waves that kept surging even though they had clearly finished energy circulation. It was said their reorganization was fast, but energy accumulation was possible even while moving. The Divine Sword Group was operating moving cultivation.

Kugugugugugung! Kugugugugugugung—!

They raced at terrifying speed.

Each time they took a step, the ground shook sporadically, and those tremors extended to the slope leading up to Molten Rock Castle.

Paying no attention to the smoke flowing low from the ground.

Though they were clearly low-level warriors, they didn’t seem human.

Divine Sword Group’s seventeen squads.

Their lightness skill sprint continued accelerating, and while continuously bursting tremendous energy waves, they rather showed signs of gaining strength.

It was like a tidal wave made of light. They raced up the slope with momentum to tear space apart, so overwhelming that the martial army forces of Molten Rock Fortress each urgently burst the energy waves of Heaven Steel Light Armor.

Finally they collided.

Radiant Art Bond and Divine Sword Group’s Jeong Family Dynamic Technique. And the demon realm jianghu’s Heaven Steel Light Armor.

‘They’re really going to collide…?’

Bewilderment appeared on Shame Extreme Son-in-law’s face.