Chapter 665 – Desolate Banner (9)

The vicinity was quiet.

Not even a single sound flowed in from outside the outer castle, let alone the inner castle. Only sunlight struck the transparent hemispherical energy barrier and flowed down eerily.

“……”

The reason the two Thirteen Evil Sects leaders remained leisurely throughout while watching Jeong Yeon-shin’s attacks. Because Jeong Yeon-shin had entered the range of a sound technique absolute master.

It belonged to Divine Demon Mad Silence Sect Master Wol-yo.

He had dominated the atmosphere within a hundred zhang like a swordsman’s sword circle. He could naturally attack anywhere at any time.

But Jeong Yeon-shin had other urgent matters at hand.

Though she had leaped and flown from somewhere so far it was hard to fathom, Desolate Fortress Divine Spear hadn’t recognized the Divine Sword Group Leader.

‘Insubordination?’

He was slightly shocked.

Was the changed appearance and new demonic energy the problem? In a state where his whole body was made of whitish mist, and his voice couldn’t be transmitted because Form-shifting Void was incomplete.

Rather, the more unfamiliar one was with Jeong Yeon-shin, the easier it would be to deduce his identity. Just looking at Yue Shou-lin tilting her head at this moment showed that.

“Demonic art breathing… what? It’s human, but the body form isn’t properly visible either.”

After muttering like that, she turned her head toward Sky-Trampling Palace Master and Divine Demon Mad Silence Sect Master. Unrestrained behavior ingrained in her body.

Naturally, there had been no exchange of names, nor arrangement of mutual positions.

Corpses of those who weren’t Desolate Fortress warriors.

That is, laying out the bodies of those who shouldn’t have come to the Heavenly Martial Arsenal seemed sufficient. It was also an attitude that no one could not know Desolate Divine Spear Yue Shou-lin.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin took in her much-changed appearance.

Her cheeks had become slightly slender, and she had grown a bit taller. Her garment edges were short enough that her thin wrists and ankles showed.

That very appearance made Jeong Yeon-shin realize the Divine Sword Squad’s vacancy period. As much as the time spent in the north, everything in Central Plains had changed.

Yue Shou-lin spoke indifferently to him without even turning around.

“There’s no one like you among Seven New Enemies of Defeated Desolation’s appearance records, so I’ll put you second for now. If you interfere, you die, got it?”

Unlike her light tone, her voice had no highs and lows. A tone Jeong Yeon-shin had never experienced from Yue Shou-lin before.

Rustle.

When she slightly shrugged her shoulders, just that carved a long furrow in the ground. Power overflowed from the rusted spear tip.

Jeong Yeon-shin smiled faintly.

‘She’s become stronger.’

Not just explosive force.

The eye-light gathered in Yue Shou-lin’s two eyes was unprecedentedly thick. An appearance meaning her upper energy center’s spirituality had intensified. Whether this was because of Resonance Art’s Shared Sect Sutra, or due to special enlightenment like Sky-Trampling Palace Master, he didn’t know.

Only one thing was clear: he wasn’t in the mental state to deeply contemplate this and that.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought. To tear apart Yue Shou-lin’s protective energy bothering him from the side, there was no choice but to load demonic energy into Judgement Qilin Technique.

‘Sword momentum should be lower left. Grip method should support the sword hilt with the thumb…’

His head spun naturally like a leaf falling to the ground. Besides that, it was when combinations of fighting paths and methods capable of killing Yue Shou-lin flashed through his mind.

“…The homeowners are arriving one by one.”

Sky-Trampling Palace Master, who had been facing Jeong Yeon-shin, nodded and cupped his fists toward Yue Shou-lin with square fists.

“I’m shameless.”

“What?”

“One day I had a great enlightenment and walked to Desolate Fortress, then inadvertently got my name listed in the alias of a bandit group called Seven New Enemies of Defeated Desolation or whatever. Originally I intended to present a martial challenge to the Divine Sword Group Leader…”

“What nonsense are you talking?”

“I mean I had no interest in grand affairs like Desolate Fortress’s annihilation.”

The gentle smile disappeared like face-changing from Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s face, who had even roughly bowed his head forward as if sincere.

“How much of the world’s Divine Sword Group Leader’s martial arts can I receive? And how will the Divine Sword Group Leader counter my martial arts?”

After uttering that expressionlessly, he smiled again.

“Such exciting questions. Even now it’s the same, but with such single-minded focus my head was heated like molten metal. With Desolate Divine Spear’s old upper energy center, you should be able to feel that my words are sincere.”

“Haven’t you heard rumors that the Divine Sword Group Leader went on northern expedition?”

“I was born and raised in a nameless valley. Naturally I was ignorant of rumors too.”

Sky-Trampling Palace Master shrugged lightly.

“I had never even encountered spiritual medicines or messenger birds. I only heard world news from the village below when I occasionally went to exchange wild vegetables and grains.”

“You’ve never eaten spiritual medicine?”

Yue Shou-lin’s counter-question.

Then Sky-Trampling Palace Master was someone who had achieved ascension alone like Sword Star Hyeon So-baek.

At a glance, even his energy accumulation inferior to most of Desolate Fortress’s black ranks became understandable. A human immersed only in martial arts without great backing like major sects or support like spiritual pills.

Grrroan—

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin was enduring World Tree’s absurdly enlarged pressure. It had progressively grown heavier until it constricted his whole body, yet somehow this oppressive feeling had come to feel natural.

Like a leaf hanging on a large branch enduring a typhoon.

His eyes were fixed on enemies, sweeping over everything about them. Sky-Trampling Palace Master and Divine Demon Mad Silence Sect Master. From their postures as if taking a stroll in the main fortress to minute habits.

‘Solitary jianghu…’

A world where massive natural earth energy was concentrated only on warriors, while the world’s temperature and Yellow River’s water level had fallen like an abyss.

Finally, they began emerging one by one. Strongmen who had been buried in vast deep mountains and valleys without any particular jianghu activities.

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly recalled Little Heavenly Demon Invincible’s resentful words.

—We’re the scythe harvesting those fellows’ heads.

“Ah.”

Arc lines were carved around Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s lips. It was a smile like a famine-stricken tree trunk.

“Of course, I didn’t think this lowly body could defeat the world’s Divine Sword Group Leader. I thought if I could take away one of his limbs, there would be meaning to a life that coveted martial extremity.”

“So you were insane?”

Yue Shou-lin stepped forward with a thud. The banner hanging from her spear also fluttered more violently before wrapping around the spear shaft.

“Insane, you say. Isn’t the Divine Sword Group Leader such a venerable title that even a mountain ignoramus like me knows it?”

Sky-Trampling Palace Master tilted his head.

“Unlike Desolate Fortress Lord who was born an absolute master, it’s a name forged by history. Shouldn’t one immersed in martial arts naturally revere and set it as a goal?”

Soon he playfully turned his hand.

Crack—

A hazy crack appeared in the whirlwind that had been wrapping around Yue Shou-lin’s whole body. Literally a scene where something like a scar was carved into wind.

He had struck energy with Striking Air Palm.

If he had hit properly, he might have cut off Resonance Spirit Squad’s true energy supply. This was why Yue Shou-lin had lowered her posture at this moment as if about to explosively leap out.

Sky-Trampling Palace Master laughed delightedly.

“Anyway, I intended to obtain some grain pills or such before dying, but the storehouse is quite desolate.”

He really seemed to have lived in a mountain with nothing. Because his internal energy breathing had mixed into his chatter.

Looking at the storehouse, there seemed to have been no supplies even until just before Ming’s imperial family’s collapse, it seemed to be because none other than the Divine Sword Group Leader was absent, he couldn’t ask for food from a house where the owner was away so he had starved for about seven days and nights…

A madman.

He was indeed an emerging Thirteen Evil Sects leader.

“Anyway, my goal is only the Divine Sword Group Leader. Even if this neck ultimately falls, I want to pluck at least a few fingers imbued with his martial arts. It’s regrettable that things have turned out this way for now…”

Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s gaze was naturally about to find Jeong Yeon-shin when he said that.

Bang! Whooooong—!

Suddenly Yue Shou-lin’s body hazily disappeared then bounced back to its place.

There had been an exchange of one bout.

Semi-transparent ripples exploded in the void, tearing the ground to shreds, and even earthquakes spread from the belated aftershock.

“Oh my, my bones nearly got pierced.”

Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s exclamation.

He immediately shook his left hand greatly once, and white steam rose from the back of his hand. For an instant, several sparks burst in succession then disappeared without a trace.

The spear strike’s light skill that had nearly pierced his palm was completely resolved. Though it seemed evenly matched at a glance, it was a scene revealing Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s superiority in responding to the first attack.

Jeong Yeon-shin clearly saw with his barely moving body. The scene where Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s extended hand cut off Resonance Spirit Squad’s power supply and collided with the spear strike.

Wooooooong—

The sound of Resonance Spirit Squad’s Shared Sect Sutra’s true energy wind gathering to Yue Shou-lin again. She was frowning with her young brow.

“A bit better than that Zhuge bastard.”

It was high praise.

Meanwhile, she was also resolving the semi-elasticity dwelling in her spear, and following the trajectory that had gracefully turned once behind her back, the spear tip’s vibration scattered with a whirring sound.

More eyes were watching such Yue Shou-lin.

A handsome youth who had somehow crouched beside Sky-Trampling Palace Master. For some reason he had bright red lips as if painted with rouge, and earrings spreading spiritual radiance.

“Annihilation Sword Master, Defeated Hero, Iron Demon Sword Divine Army, Desolate Fortress Divine Spear…”

It was Wol-yo.

“Old era aliases. The Divine Sword Squad’s seventeen names are the same. Now like that sunset, we should properly carry the night for them.”

It was telling them to die, but his voice was soft and pleasant like cotton clothes. It seemed spiritual power that kneaded souls was dwelling in his voice.

Sky-Trampling Palace Master smiled again.

“A Ha Sect Master who came here recently said Desolate Fortress Divine Spear was a warrior like a symbol of marking time… but experiencing it, it was information different from fact. I apologize for inwardly taking you lightly.”

Then he added. If you ultimately survive and grow, you’ll become the Divine Sword Group Leader.

An expression full of interest on his face. With a look that Yue Shou-lin had now gained value to kill, he was indeed a monster obsessed with ‘Divine Sword Group Leader.’

“Then let’s see the end.”

“You, monster.”

Yue Shou-lin suddenly parted her lips. While glancing sideways.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand, receiving her gaze, rose slightly with a groan. It meant the insubordination was excessive.

But that was all.

The flow of thought felt buried in soggy mud.

Surprisingly, his upper energy center in his head held no particular thoughts.

He was becoming extremely peaceful. With a sensation Jeong Yeon-shin had never experienced before, it was absurdly comfortable.

Meanwhile, Yue Shou-lin’s talk continued.

“You understand words, right? I’m grateful you knew your place and stayed still, but if you interfere here by any chance, you’ll really die. There are already many bothersome guys.”

Great Righteous Orthodox Alliance, Four Province Martial Alliance, Martial Forest Inspection Alliance, Divine Demon Mad Silence Sect, Sky-Trampling Palace and others’ Xiangyang branches.

Jianghu people who had made branch offices in Desolate Fortress.

Over a thousand masters had long surrounded the vicinity. A scene where cloud-like crowds filled not only rooftops and walls but even small paths. Each was flashing bleak eye-light.

They had only been temporarily blocked by Divine Demon Mad Silence Sect Master’s energy barrier that seemed to dislike commotion. When the technique was withdrawn, countless ultimate techniques would inevitably rush into the hall.

“Are you concerned?”

Smooth laughter was carved around Wol-yo’s lips as he took in both Yue Shou-lin and Jeong Yeon-shin at a glance. He had simultaneously pointed at the void with long fingers. Hand movements like plucking invisible seven-string zither strings.

For some reason, Jeong Yeon-shin thought of that technique’s name as if unified with World Tree.

Drumming Heaven Formless Zither.

Formula for ultimate techniques he had never seen before came to mind by itself. The method was the same. A technique that connected any point between heaven and earth with internal energy thread, internal power silk, and shook it with sound technique methods.

It was a wide-area absolute technique.

Rustle.

Wol-yo plucked the formless string.

As soon as Yue Shou-lin’s eyes, who had tried to ambush him but collided with Sky-Trampling Palace Master, widened.

“……!”

Blood sprays began bursting throughout all of Desolate Fortress. The heads of masters that had filled the surroundings like a tsunami were also falling in heaps while bursting bright red fountains. Naturally, bizarrely thick silence covered all of Desolate Fortress.

There was no sound at all.

It was literally soundless sound technique, and in an instant all jianghu people of Desolate Fortress fell and closed their eyes. Most of those who had been outside buildings had died.

In the midst of that, Wol-yo muttered peacefully.

“The Heavenly Martial Arsenal’s door protection formation is indeed amazing. They say it was woven by ancient Annihilation Seat Divine Heaven Flower…”

Yue Shou-lin’s eye-light became dazed.

“You, what did you just do?”

“Such a symbolic world’s greatest gate like Desolate Fortress shouldn’t have excuses. Desolate Fortress Divine Spear should attack one of us with full strength and be honorably killed in fair fight.”

Defeated Desolation Seven New Enemies Wol-yo.

The emerging Thirteen Evil Sects leader smiled brightly after personally annihilating his own disciples and allies.

It was a smile without a wrinkle.

Sky-Trampling Palace Master wrinkled his brow irritably.

“That’s not something for the ringleader of bandits who bloodlessly occupied this place to babble. Don’t you have shame, Sect Master?”

Crack—

Words uttered while being pushed back step by step by Yue Shou-lin leading with her spear. But Wol-yo only slowly stood up and put his hands behind his back.

“Isn’t there the Divine Sword Squad’s main force? It seems they ultimately retreated from the north, and those who will swarm from now on are the real ones.”

A look of slight eye-smile as if Jeong Yeon-shin’s lack of movement was puzzling.

“Two people didn’t die from ‘Drumming Heaven Formless Zither’ just now. One madman crossing the main road with sword dances, and another with powerful energy waves. According to Ha Sect Master’s information, the latter would be Annihilation Squad Leader Silent Dawn. I heard that three black ranks make Desolate Fortress…”

Words that seeped into Jeong Yeon-shin’s ears then became hazy.

While all of Desolate Fortress was suddenly stained with invaders’ blood, Jeong Yeon-shin thought with a mind becoming unified with World Tree.

‘Drumming Heaven Formless Zither, starlit night, sword song…’

He was gradually feeling he wasn’t in his right mind. Wasn’t he only thinking of ways to kill bothersome jianghu people in this urgent situation? He shouldn’t be recalling scenes of connecting heaven and earth with formless sword starlit night.

‘Come to think of it.’

Jeong Yeon-shin had contacted World Tree more deeply than any noble clan member.

Not only had he attempted form-shifting void multiple times using World Tree’s branches as medium, he had also received and eaten fruit fragments from Desolate Fortress Lord. When he had killed that Lost Sound Elegant Scholar fellow earlier, he had been somewhat unified.

Infinite power stirred.

It was separate from his exhausted physical condition.

Grrroan—

His hand moved by itself.

Perhaps because this time it wasn’t voluntary.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s arm rose much higher than when he moved it by force, and Sky-Trampling Palace Master and Wol-yo opened their eyes wide for the first time.

‘No.’

Jeong Yeon-shin felt it.

That his and their thoughts had coincided.

Everyone dies.

—No matter how presumptuous you act, a younger brother is a younger brother.

Suddenly some woman’s voice settled by his ear with laughter-like mockery.

Swish.

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly shuddered at the fingertips that had lifted his chin. A feeling of leaves covering his whole body being torn to shreds. It was an instant until his vision returned to the tranquil room.

Just before that.

Sky-Trampling Palace Master made a strange expression in the scene scattering like smoke.

“Divine Spear, that person. It was the Divine Sword Group Leader.”

That was as far as it went.

The scenery reversed in an instant.

“……”

Before he knew it, Little Heavenly Demon Invincible’s face filled his vision.

Their nose tips were so close they might touch, and her exhaled breath was striking Jeong Yeon-shin’s mouth like down while boosting his demonic art inhalation. From snow-white fingertips to internal energy breathing that hazily touched his mind. She had pulled Jeong Yeon-shin from World Tree through heaven-defying methods.

She leisurely moved her lips.

“You owe me a debt?”

“My…”

When he touched the cheek before his eyes somewhat dazedly, Little Heavenly Demon Invincible flinched as if encountering the first Heavenly Demon. Regardless of her expression, Jeong Yeon-shin continued.

“Broken mirror.”

My mind is snapping alert. Jeong Yeon-shin muttered. Naturally wrinkles formed on Little Heavenly Demon Invincible’s flawless brow.

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke without concern.

“I’m going to Xiangyang. That’s where it starts.”

A huge presence moved outside, then let out refined laughter.

“I’ll prepare.”

It was Literary Star.