Chapter 675 – Divine Sword’s Domain (5)

Soon the acrid burnt smell scattered in the spring breeze, but traces dark as ink remained on Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder.

Any internal cultivation master could recognize that there had been the world’s greatest person’s Samadhi True Fire.

The overwhelming spirituality of Desolate Fortress Lord was embedded in a single attack, and the discolored character for Desolate flowed with not a trace of luster as if it would be black forever.

“……”

She had stopped with her fingertip touching Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder. Slowly, but certainly her arm’s pulse had vanished.

Like a tree in famine.

Until then, Desolate Fortress Lord’s deep green pupils had fallen obliquely to her feet. Shadows fell on her long downcast eyelashes. Master never met eyes with disciple.

Even after announcing the end of their master-disciple relationship.

“What are you doing…”

Some noble clan master’s click of the tongue.

Only then did focus return to Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes.

His ears were stuffily blocked as if he had entered water. The backlash from forcing his way through like a monster through the Gates that Grand Empress Dowager Wei Yan had opened from Desolate Fortress Lord’s office. All sounds were becoming faint.

‘Master.’

Voice still wouldn’t come out.

At this moment.

There was nothing he could do. For Desolate Fortress Lord who seemed stuck to time.

Though their sleeves overlapped and their bodies brushed against each other in the gentle breeze, she felt as distant as the Great Wall in the north.

“That appearance, that energy waves.”

Another unified noble clan’s muttering directed at Jeong Yeon-shin. A voice clearly tinged with analysis.

“We can hunt the Divine Sword Group Leader.”

“He’s surrounded by Gates. His energy perception must have dulled. Movement restrictions would also be great.”

“Set up a siege.”

“Send word to Archery Palace Master.”

The next moment, massive vibration occurred at Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet. Some arrow had flown like a cannonball, tearing through space to strike, and if he hadn’t moved twenty steps to the side just before, it would have hit properly.

Whooom—

Meanwhile, the vibration that rose from the ground had seeped into Jeong Yeon-shin’s body. Without looking, it was clearly a group battle secret technique of World Tree archery masters, which he had heard about from Yong Hui-myeong.

–Since you succeeded in northern expedition, paradoxically when you come down to Central Plains, enemies will be everywhere. Jealousy, wariness, conspiracy… that’s how the world is.

Jeong Yeon-shin struggled to recall the former group leader’s advice in that instant. Because he wanted to shake off the feeling of being eternally distant from Desolate Fortress Lord.

–World Tree’s marksmen aren’t different either. It’s quite an old story. I nearly became a pincushion after making friends with a fellow called Northern Darkness Fist Marquis. It seemed their dharma protector was impressed by my martial arts and got jealous, and they were experts at projecting group archery at one person. What was it called…

‘Blue Sky White Sun Target Body.’

It was induction martial arts.

A certain-death secret technique where all arrows repeatedly accelerated and stuck to one person. Even shooting ten thousand arrows would hit without fail, and only Ming Dynasty ancients and eastern Lee Family Special Guards could keep pace during the Yuan-Ming transition period.

“Divine Sword Group Leader. You violated sacred land not only without Main Tree’s permission but without any notification.”

Grand Empress Dowager Wei Yan’s voice settled quietly like fallen leaves.

“It’s time for World Tree to harvest earth energy, and you have already turned our clan into enemies at Desolate Fortress main fortress. Will you surrender here?”

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly raised his head.

His vision opened wide.

World Tree’s archery masters were visible.

Over a thousand people filled the lush tree branches like leaves. Each had already loaded archery light energy. The nearby atmosphere was distorting semi-transparently.

Similar-sized presences were felt not only in front but also to both sides and behind.

Counting heads, it was the scale of one nation.

It seemed many included those who had once competed with Yuan Dynasty’s war demons when founding Ming Dynasty and returned. The group that had greatly contributed to making noble clans into noble bloodlines.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly surveyed them, and Wei Yan didn’t ask twice.

“Bind him.”

A command seeing through Jeong Yeon-shin’s protective energy that had advanced in the north. In an instant, thousands of arrows filled the sky. So explosively dense that clouds were momentarily obscured, and beneath them Grand Empress Dowager Wei Yan, who had begun walking like a mirage, caught his eye.

A feeling of time compressing with her slow footsteps.

Rustle—

As if embodying a dull sword with balance nerves, she gave Jeong Yeon-shin the intuition that evasion was impossible. While actually closing distance at tremendously fast speed, it was advancing footwork that disrupted the opponent’s sense of distance and time with upper energy center spirituality.

Her wrinkled right hand was distorting space with unprecedented strength. Finally, the moment the founding absolute being stepped forward.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently mixed Radiant Wing Eight Steps with Myriad Heavens Flowers Rain’s emission formula. While keeping only Desolate Fortress Lord’s profile, still obliquely lowering her head, in his eyes.

Step.

In one step, the nearby earth’s surface flipped over vastly and exhaled invisible storms. The raining arrows all stopped in midair simultaneously.

Crash!

Gales rising semi-transparently while completely swallowing tremendous inertia. Orange lightning repeatedly flashed and disappeared in streaks from the friction of forces.

‘Urgh.’

Tremendous load was placed on Jeong Yeon-shin’s upper energy center, and the facial muscles of noble clans who had already nocked second arrows twisted in shock.

“Divine Sword Group Leader…!”

“How even while surrounded by Gates?”

World Tree’s unified noble clans.

The main force that had driven out Yuan Dynasty which had dominated all the world, originally strong and large enough to require assembling the Divine Sword Group to match.

In terms of collective power, they would be equal to the thirty thousand Yao tribe army that had once returned by the black capital and nearly annihilated the Divine Sword Group. Only then could Ming Dynasty have been established.

He couldn’t block the second strike.

Even Wudang’s Zhang Sanfeng hadn’t handled Yuan Dynasty alone. At this moment, Jeong Yeon-shin was like stepping into a grave seeking his master, and even so he was only looking at his master’s face. Desolate Fortress Lord whose breath had stopped even beneath her nose.

“I envy that child’s and your humanity.”

Wei Yan’s words rang from the side.

She was pushing up her palm right at close range, and in a brief moment the dry spring wind compressed the nearby atmosphere to a state without a single bit of air.

‘Hongwu Divine Art.’

He had heard of it. The martial learning created by Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and World Tree’s noble clans during the founding period. It was also the main martial art of Emperor Qian-ling.

Jeong Yeon-shin only sent all arrows upward like a reverse waterfall with another Radiant Wing Eight Steps. In that instant, what deflected Wei Yan’s palm was some sunset-colored single sword.

Craaash!

Ground settling in a huge hemisphere as if a meteor had fallen. Instantly Jeong Yeon-shin heard the sound of a woman’s bare feet scraping the earth.

Turning his head, plum blossom patterns on white sleeves were fluttering violently. Along with sweat-soaked hair.

“This way.”

Sword God Lady Lu Xian whispered.

The next moment, Jeong Yeon-shin was gently drawn into her hand shadows.

The scene of dirt-covered hands blooming like flower petals everywhere. Mount Hua’s Falling Petals Palm Technique spun Jeong Yeon-shin once with Dark Fragrance Drifting’s graceful movements.

In the process, Jeong Yeon-shin brushed shoulders with Lady Lu Xian briefly, and he could feel intense breathing as if she had been repeating long escapes. The fishy smell of blood also drifted over from the aftermath of blocking Wei Yan’s palm technique.

“……!”

They had already coordinated several times in Shaanxi and Hangzhou. When the two people’s propulsion light energy unified into the same trajectory as they drew close like dancing, they could deflect Wei Yan’s second palm technique with a precarious rotation. In the process, Jeong Yeon-shin’s internal energy barrier also cracked.

Flash!

“I came wondering what was happening, but we always meet like this.”

Lady Lu Xian chuckled. Though rarely a breathless voice, delight seeped from the sound transmission transcending divine speed.

“Did you come to fetch me by chance? No need to worry… only Beggar Sect’s old master can block a peerless master’s escape. Even World Tree’s monsters are no exception to this.”

While sweeping Jeong Yeon-shin’s front robe with her left hand sword fingers, World Tree Blue Sky White Sun Target Body’s transparent induction energy waves were cut by Purple Mist Sword Fingers. Such was the assistance of a Nine Sects leader.

But Jeong Yeon-shin wasn’t in a state to respond to her. Because if he didn’t return to the main fortress outside the Gates World Tree had created soon, he would inevitably be eroded again.

If he delayed further, he would reach the same state as Desolate Fortress Lord. Already even now, Jeong Yeon-shin’s internal energy circulation and movement weren’t normal.

Did she notice this with keen senses? Lady Lu Xian’s brow furrowed slightly in the infinitely slowed time. Even beings who seemed to have been pursuing her until now were falling like meteors from the sky.

Guessed from their presence.

Archery Palace Master, Praising Earth Sword Duke, and another massive presence. With high probability, it would be Northern Darkness Fist Marquis among the Four Great Dharma Protectors.

“Oh no.”

It was when Lady Lu Xian muttered.

Suddenly Master Beom-heo’s voice rang through World Tree’s main headquarters like a temple bell.

“Beom-ryeol.”

One word.

Instantly, the unified noble clans who had been about to release bowstrings again all stopped in unison. Like being wary of Master Beom-heo’s Transcendent Martial Art that had once unfolded before Jeong Yeon-shin against a dragon, ‘Hell Incomplete, My Body in Nirvana.’

An absolute sacrificial killing technique that might send even the world’s greatest person to their death if it hit properly.

“…Beom-heo.”

Grand Empress Dowager Wei Yan slowly lowered her ancient tree-like hand, having reached before Jeong Yeon-shin and Lady Lu Xian.

“Namo Guanyin Bodhisattva.”

An aged Buddha invocation penetrated the invisible Gates.

Precisely, it had seeped through the cracks in space that Jeong Yeon-shin had already half torn open, and given the status of the former orthodox path’s greatest person, anyone had to prepare. Even if many gossips were predicting the current Shaolin Abbot’s decline.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyelids narrowed slightly.

‘Unified noble clans.’

They easily acquired information unknown to any force and shared it at speeds unlike any sect. To oppose them would require the north’s Bright Wind Cave.

At the same time, they wouldn’t sacrifice a single clan member. Should one call it arrogance befitting the world’s greatest power? From this moment, the formation that had stopped in place yet surrounded Jeong Yeon-shin and Lady Lu Xian without gaps showed this.

In that instant.

“Buddha damn it.”

A hand tinged with bluish light appeared cutting through space, then penetrated the colorless light surrounding Jeong Yeon-shin’s body and grabbed even his sleeves.

It had intervened in World Tree’s passage.

The defrocked monk who had accompanied Master Beom-heo to the main fortress, and dharma power was felt from his grasp. A move revealing that Shaolin’s long-cherished wish had been fulfilled. The lost seventy-two unique arts.

‘Guanyin Azure Unyielding Palm…!’

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t resist the Vajra Hand drawing him in. He disappeared as if sinking into colorless space. Naturally while firmly gripping Lady Lu Xian’s sleeve.

Instantly.

Swish!

A middle-aged swordsman’s blade that had rushed before them cut off Lady Lu Xian’s sleeve. A clean sword strike with no greed, so clean it felt he had aimed only for this.

Same as Golden Thunder Viscount.

Similarly, it was sword path of World’s Five Swords level.

The middle-aged noble clan swordsman, Four Great Dharma Protectors’ Praising Earth Sword Duke, calmly watched Jeong Yeon-shin disappearing into the void and said.

“I’m sorry about your master’s matter, Divine Sword Group Leader.”

Before he could fathom what was being plotted through Mount Hua’s sect leader, Jeong Yeon-shin had disappeared from that place.

Whoosh!

A few grass blades rose in the remaining sword wind, forcing silence. Until then, Desolate Fortress Lord remained standing in place, and Wei Yan and all dignified noble clans had put away their hands or weapons.

Left alone, Lady Lu Xian’s lips drew an arc.

“Should I start hide-and-seek again?”

“Give up. I loaded Blue Sky White Sun Target Body’s energy technique in the sword wind that just touched you. Archery Palace Master is aiming at you.”

It was when Praising Earth Sword Duke spoke bluntly.

Rumble—

Distant thunder spread.

Before the unified noble clans could even restore their archery formation. With sound like very thick paper being torn to shreds, some grip appeared in dragon forefoot form and wrapped an arm around Lady Lu Xian’s waist.

The Divine Sword Group Leader’s arm had torn through space and emerged again.

[Heaven Breaking]

As overwhelming spirituality echoed like an echo, tendons split in the arm that firmly embraced Lady Lu Xian’s abdominal muscles. It was an instant until Jeong Yeon-shin’s face appeared in the spot where he had spun her strongly and pulled her back.

“Lu Xian, this way.”

Bright blue eye-light was flashing.

Soon, while the forcibly opened World Tree passage was rapidly closing, Desolate Fortress Lord’s face was captured in Jeong Yeon-shin’s pupils. The face of the world’s greatest person who had somehow raised her red lips. A smile with a white feeling unlike usual.

She had changed as a person. The atmosphere itself was different.

“I will cut you down.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke calmly as the unified noble clans rushed in like ghosts. Following Lady Lu Xian whom he had pulled first, until his whole body disappeared toward Desolate Fortress main fortress.

“With everything I have.”

The Divine Sword Group Leader’s declaration of war struck against the wind and fell.