Chapter 669 – Desolate Banner (13)

“Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since new World’s Five Swordsmasters emerged.”

The sunset was thick.

“Recent jianghu is fast. The political situation constantly changes. It’s very different from our dragging battle.”

Crimson sunset glimmering and swaying in the clouds. On the distant ground, pure white marble fortifications stood out.

Divine Demon Mad Silence Sect Master Wol-yo’s voice was the same. Ringing very distinctly somewhere at the boundary between woman and man.

“Though Wudang Sect Leader and World’s Greatest Sword Tyrant Sword Sect Leader still hold their positions… now the Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword and Desolate Fortress’s two purple ranks are only five swords in backwater villages with slow information. Ah, this is intended to provoke you.”

A voice flowing softly on the sunset’s light. Even melody was embedded like a cheerful song.

“Anyway, three people filled their vacancy. Of course, we should count World Tree’s Praising Earth Sword Duke first. Also Great Righteous Orthodox Alliance Leader when holding Vast Wave Sword rather than Thunderous Stern Blade among his twin swords, and Sword King Buddha known as our Seven New Enemies of Defeated Desolation’s leader.”

It was from the west.

Suddenly there was a grand display of explosive forces.

Crash crash crash crash!

Marble dust bursting in succession along collapsing fortifications. Even amid this, Wol-yo’s androgynous words were like marketplace opera.

“Someday all of jianghu will learn of Lotus Nezha’s survival, but whether he can regain World’s Five Swordsmasters’ reputation is unknown. Having retreated from the north, it might be worth considering secluding for about ten years to restore dignity…”

“Shut up!”

Yue Shou-lin’s cry burst like a battle roar.

Wol-yo didn’t listen. Just with voice carrying smooth sound technique energy waves, filling Desolate Fortress’s inner castle like clouds.

“Speaking of Sky-Trampling Palace Master crossing hands with Divine Spear, I heard Sword King is similar. However, he’s a noble clan wild man who trained by cutting Hainan’s waves rather than mountain energy…”

“Ah, so noisy!”

“There’s never been an era when Yangtze River’s front and back currents rippled at such rapid speed. Perhaps Divine Spear too should lie down in sand. Aren’t you getting sleepy?”

Wol-yo laughed quietly.

“Do you plan to stay up even seven days and nights like gossipers who habitually exaggerate jianghu people’s fights?”

That was the starting point.

As if matching rhythm to his laughter, the atmosphere rippled like a lakeside. It was as if Desolate Fortress had gained a roof of semi-transparent energy waves.

Drumming Heaven Formless Zither.

Sunset light carried in twilight distorted and collided in the void, then drew huge ripples while falling toward the voice’s source.

“Lightning Genius lineage was said to be famous for quick decisive battles, so why haven’t you died yet?”

It was Radiant Demon Wing Hall’s front yard.

“……!”

Yue Shou-lin, who had been bounced toward the hall by Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s tremendous fist wind, thrust her spear into the ground with a thud. Her shoulder-length hair whipped violently in the fierce recoil. Without even turning her head, she shouted.

“Shin Hwang!”

A roar spread from the hall’s roof.

It was right after Annihilation Squad Leader Shin Hwang had thrust both hands up at Drumming Heaven Formless Zither’s shock wave. Divine art secret technique Divine Flame Twin Hands. Flame-like light skill burned white from his large hands.

The shock wave falling in concentric circles with distorted sunset light suddenly stopped. It was materialized power fluctuation.

Shin Hwang had thrust his twin hands into the very center of sound technique energy waves, seemingly empty void.

His lips trembled slightly.

At his feet, roof tiles were being crushed like mud. Because materialized sound technique energy waves had begun pressing him down with overwhelming weight.

“It seems to gradually exceed the scope of understanding. Though Annihilation Squad Leader Silent Dawn’s palm techniques discuss peerless realm, continuously generating such palm force for two days and nights is a different matter, isn’t it?”

A voice smoothly seeping into listeners’ ears from all eight directions. Meanwhile, Wol-yo’s whereabouts were nowhere to be found, as if hidden in spring wind.

It was hermit masters’ stealth secret techniques.

Meanwhile, cracks began racing across Radiant Demon Wing Hall’s roof.

‘Still heavy. A martial learning system where upper energy center spirituality explosively increases Divine Demon Mad Silence Sect Master’s power.’

White breath spread from Shin Hwang’s mouth. Because his whole body had been warmed by Dynamic Technique for a long time. Simultaneously, his pupils moved ceaselessly in all directions like a madman playing marbles.

It was to find Wol-yo.

Then.

Crash!

Finally the entire roof collapsed, exploding roof tile fragments. Shin Hwang landing in the room below the roof amid thick dust clouds.

Cough.

Blood drops from coughing up blood mixed with dust.

It was the inner room Jeong Yeon-shin had used during his time as Radiant Demon Wing Leader. Now it was Blue Eye Demon Sword Cheong Myeong’s office, who had taken up calligraphy and painting as hobbies. Face portraits of Radiant Demon Wing Leaders that noble clan member Cheong Myeong had assisted over time were attached to the walls one by one.

It was disordered enough to show jianghu people had already swept through once.

No intact paintings remained. A scene as if they had deliberately made sword marks without burning them. Especially Jeong Yeon-shin’s face had been carefully mutilated.

“……!”

It was the instant Shin Hwang witnessed the signature stamped in the center of the vandalized painting.

Once more, orange currents curved in concentric form and fell. Sound technique energy waves that had fallen carrying twilight from the sky, with momentum to completely smash even the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s office.

Crackle!

The moment he blocked that power fluctuation overhead, Shin Hwang’s eyes, violently vibrating bodily, suddenly caught sight of Jeong Yeon-shin’s calligraphy and painting.

Perhaps it was the only painting not antagonistically made by jianghu sects as appearance destruction. Even more so considering where Radiant Demon Wing Leader Cheong Myeong had headed from the north.

‘…Divine Flame Twin Hands.’

The seal of Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

Whole body power pushed to the extreme filled the most elastic palm acupoints of both hands, converting to explosive force without any loss. Originally ten-tenths palm technique had reached twelve-tenths great achievement beyond that.

Thud!

The moment he clapped loudly as if crushing the void, twilight’s sound technique energy waves were compressed and disappeared. Instantly, fierce wind roughly swept the office. The recoil went only that far.

“Hmm?”

Wol-yo’s voice. Perhaps because it wasn’t the aftermath he had initially expected. Shin Hwang leaped into the void where the roof had disappeared. Similarly, his body flew tearing through the atmosphere with small recoil. It was toward Radiant Demon Wing’s front yard training ground.

Immediately Wol-yo’s voice followed.

“They say there’s no one among Divine Sword Squad’s seventeen great leaders who isn’t a genius, so did you have enlightenment during three days of fighting?”

It was true.

‘Fighting God.’

Something most Central Plains people still didn’t know. Few squad leaders hadn’t felt the single exchange between Fighting God and Jeong Yeon-shin at the Black Capital Great Battle.

Shin Hwang had certainly sensed it. The instant when even explosive force’s aftermath was struck down in one blow, making its recoil completely absent like a calm lake.

Shin Hwang had once seen Desolate Fortress Lord’s attacks, and they were surprisingly similar to her gestures. As if it were a quality of the world’s greatest person.

It meant there were common mysteries.

Warriors had no choice but to make it their goal. Especially since current Desolate Fortress black ranks were in circumstances where they had to protect great things.

It was one strand of insights Shin Hwang had grasped recently. Based on his countless experiences with Annihilation Squad Leader’s characteristic annihilation battles, though trivial, he might someday be able to report insights to the Divine Sword Group Leader.

“……”

Around the time Jeong Yeon-shin’s face flashed through his mind once more, Shin Hwang landed silently in Radiant Demon Wing’s front yard training ground.

Ten steps ahead like that.

A cheerful man in sleeveless clothing was fondling his fist. Naturally it was Sky-Trampling Palace Master. Seemingly having felt Shin Hwang’s approach, he smiled brightly while fluttering his blue heroic scarf behind his head.

Mad about fighting.

“Silent Dawn doesn’t get tired. Since my completion of spirit-energy-mind unity is different, even moving the same way doesn’t greatly drain energy…”

A very delighted face.

Meanwhile, Yue Shou-lin’s breathing was spreading beside Shin Hwang.

Hah, hah…

The third day of Desolate Fortress recovery battle.

Fighting that had continued nonstop for two days. It had never been anything but full strength. Rather, it was amazing that Yue Shou-lin still hadn’t collapsed, only exhaling fierce breaths until now.

It contrasted even more because Obeying Heaven Wing Leader Namgung Hwa-shin was buried in a pile of stones on one side of the wall like making it his grave.

Moreover, she was said to have continuously flown from Shandong to Xiangyang with some spear technique secret art. With heat rising to her head, it was already strange that she could stand on both feet at this point.

Whoosh!

Even when Sky-Trampling Palace Master suddenly appeared with advancing footwork and thrust a straight punch into her chest, she reacted belatedly.

“……!”

The front of her black robe caved in. A punch that even suppressed the sound of ribs crumbling. Her protective energy flickered semi-transparently, and thick ripples burst from the impact point.

Craaash!

She bounced away piercing through dust clouds that rose like waves on both sides. Her body moving away roughly penetrating thick walls several times. Clamorous roars followed in succession.

Just before Sky-Trampling Palace Master followed in one step, Shin Hwang caught his wrist with palms burning snow-white.

Hissss—

White steam rose.

It was because palm force and protective energy made contact, but Sky-Trampling Palace Master grinned even at the grip strength that seemed to crush his wrist.

“It seems Desolate Fortress’s first black rank has changed.”

Then the main fortress’s atmosphere rippled from far away. It was because Yue Shou-lin had ridden on the spear shaft she’d thrown like a light beam.

Thud—!

Around the time the thrown spear’s shock wave smashed several layers of walls, she had returned at speed that transcended even sound and was kicking down on the spear’s tail end. Sleeves rippled from her body that had done an elegant somersault.

Yue Family Spear. Unwavering Loyalty.

The spear tip burrowed into Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s shoulder while bursting noisy sparks. Along with sound like iron crumpling. Shin Hwang had held Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s right hand until then, then kicked his knee hollow with a thud, intending to make him kneel.

“Mm!”

Sky-Trampling Palace Master, who staggered greatly for an instant, caught Yue Shou-lin’s ankle with his left hand. Bones making crushing sounds in low void. Simultaneously using her foot as a mortar, he struck down on the spear shaft.

Craaash!

Immediately Shin Hwang’s knee pierced through dust and struck Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s side. Sky-Trampling Palace Master, who spat bloody phlegm with a laughing “puhah,” spun away with silk-reeling force.

And said.

“Why doesn’t Silent Dawn get tired?”

Shin Hwang didn’t answer. Just feeling Yue Shou-lin who had landed silently on one foot, he only silently gauged his opponent.

‘Even if a peerless master, he’s emerging. If I combine attacks completely with Senior Yue, we win.’

Extremely crude fist and palm techniques. Since everything was basic foundation, it was far from prestigious great sects.

It was then.

Rustle.

A handsome man walked over trailing sunset sunlight like ornaments. With powdered skin making his face snow-white, all sounds were cutting the pulse of energy circulation.

“Why are you so persistent? Please die now.”

Thirteen Evil Sects leader Wol-yo.

He had acted as battlefield master until red sunset colored the sky for the third time. He had continuously cut off the three black ranks’ combination attacks with a few words, and had long blocked all blue-ranked warriors’ approach from outside the fortress.

Instant death range.

Right now Desolate Fortress was land of death.

One had to be able to defend the head through Jeong Family Dynamic Technique’s functions unifying with upper energy center spirit. Without such realm, one would be killed by sound technique energy waves that shook the mind.

From beginning to end.

Wol-yo’s words had constructed such a domain. Even his leisurely provocations from the start had been a type of upper energy center martial art.

Shin Hwang stepped forward in front of Yue Shou-lin.

“I’ll take the vanguard.”

“What nonsense? If it’s just black ranks, naturally I should lead and resolve the light skill…”

Suddenly Yue Shou-lin stopped talking mid-sentence and closed her mouth. She had recognized that Shin Hwang’s breathing was as calm as usual. Simultaneously, the handsome youth buried in the training ground’s wall also rose like a ghost.

Thud!

Striking his arm that had been bent the wrong way to restore it completely. Clear bone sounds continued from his joints.

Shin Hwang asked.

“Can you continue coordinating hands? If you’re tired, don’t interfere.”

“I can fight for seven days and nights.”

The gathering lost words at Obeying Heaven Wing Leader White Qilin’s answer. Though he showed no sign of backing down, faint traces of being fed up began forming on Wol-yo and Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s faces.

“Always as meaningful strength, we are black ranks because our duty doesn’t change.”

Namgung Hwa-shin spoke without highs or lows.

“What the Divine Sword Group Leader who has reached Xiangyang should face is an open castle gate. He’ll come soon, but we must finish before then.”

“……”

Desolate Fortress siege battle facing emerging Thirteen Evil Sects leaders as enemies. A battle all nearby forces would watch because the returned Divine Sword Squad’s prestige was at stake.

Only Yue Shou-lin was tired.