Chapter 696 – Whistle (3)

Reactions split instantaneously.

The realm of instants.

Taoist Sanfeng made an expression that seemed to smile yet not smile with a mysterious face, while Yue Feng in pink robes who had been rushing from afar stopped in place, restraining the young Desolate Fortress Lord.

At the same time, young Grand Empress Dowager Wei Yan was spinning around toward Jeong Yeon-shin while swinging her long legs like a whip.

‘The speed…!’

Without any chance to draw his sword, Jeong Yeon-shin’s raised arm was struck directly.

CRASH!

The thickets lay down like plains, going beyond that to burrow into the earth below. The ground cracked and split noisily. Inside his skin, blade-like sword energy poured in like inner weight techniques. It was from the forearm that had blocked Wei Yan’s instep.

Tinnitus like blade winds colliding rang out from within his body. If it hadn’t been for his enhanced Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, this single strike would have torn not only muscles but meridians and channels as well. Even though it was clearly leg techniques.

Jeong Yeon-shin intuited.

‘Natural Body.’

She had cast off the limitations of forms and styles.

Deploying peerless sword techniques with her legs, even her toes contained palm technique mysteries that amplified shock waves. Even her reaction speed was tremendous. It was as if gales rather than blood flowed through her vessels.

Swish.

Meanwhile, when her strike came to nothing, Wei Yan slowly withdrew her foot. That appearance was as restrained as sheathing a sword after drawing it, though it didn’t match an absolute being of Natural Body who could strike with full power from any posture.

Behind her.

Perhaps she was concerned about Taoist Sanfeng, who was now standing leisurely with his hands clasped behind his back.

“You want to ask for directions? Someone like you, here…?”

Wei Yan quietly asked in return.

At this moment, she was tall enough to match Jeong Yeon-shin’s eye level, with striking green eyes like a mountain lakeside.

Her gorgeous golden ceremonial robes, the empress’s formal dress, rippled without tearing despite having withstood the adverse wind of shock waves. Jeong Yeon-shin noticed the material was the same as his own long robe.

‘A dharma treasure that can only be tailored by the Ming imperial household.’

Wei Yan seemed to have noticed the same thing, as her straight eyebrows gathered toward her brow.

“You are…?”

For just a brief moment, as Jeong Yeon-shin silently met her gaze, he felt a different temperament from the aged Grand Empress Dowager. Stormy vigor existed within her.

‘An absurdly energetic nature. Her martial arts are probably the same.’

It was then.

“Did my husband send you? Though it’s been long since I saw the dragon’s countenance, he couldn’t wait.”

Her voice, which had been flat as iron, softened like a gentle breeze. At the same time, in the green eyes that glanced at the character ‘Desolate’ on Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder, incredibly bright affection like spring vegetation showed through.

“Rough… the dragon’s heart might be like that. But he shouldn’t use an incomprehensible master like you as a messenger. Yes, when I’m not there, his judgment becomes so scattered.”

Simultaneously, Master Won-jeok’s wise light mind speech flowed densely into Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind.

[Like the outside world where sacred earth energy doesn’t return to the ground but endlessly produces strong people, this time period saw all kinds of hermit masters and unidentified strong people pouring out from mountains, rivers, plants, or gates. There were also peerless masters who coveted fiefs and such, taking advantage of the founding period…]

[You’re saying I’ll inevitably be mistaken for one of them.]

[Exactly. Fortunately things are going well. If things proceed peacefully like this, it seems unlikely that time will return to the starting point due to this poor monk’s death.]

‘The third time I should take off my robes first.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

This was a world where Master Won-jeok’s past could repeat endlessly. A supernatural ability World Tree had activated. Where else could such an opportunity be found?

Grand Empress Dowager Wei Yan was now one of the few strong enemies even to Jeong Yeon-shin, so he needed to experience as many of her divine techniques as possible. To make it easier to protect civilians and Desolate Fortress people outside.

Meanwhile, young Golden Thunder and Master Won-jeok were standing well away from Wei Yan. They seemed accustomed to her attacks as clan leader.

“Somehow it’s as chilling as when the Yuan Martial Gods invaded the main tree. Friend, I have a bad feeling. Shall we run for a moment…?”

Golden Thunder whispered to Master Won-jeok, and Master Won-jeok tilted his head.

[Was your upper energy center ability already at that level? Since it seems time to suppress lightning, you must have entered the clan’s Golden Star Thousand Immortals Technique around this time. You were also designated as one of the Four Great Dharma Protectors then. You who were already like Zhang Sanfeng’s anonymous disciple.]

Golden Thunder asked back with a startled expression at the wisdom light mind speech that Jeong Yeon-shin could also hear.

“Did you get chosen? Did you unify with our tree?”

“You sometimes spit out sharp words even with a dazed face. It gives me chills.”

That was all.

Wei Yan seemed accustomed to the trivial conversation of these two subordinates. Because she had spent time caressing Jeong Yeon-shin’s robes with her eyes as if savoring her husband’s heart.

“…Unfortunately, I cannot leave the clan’s sanctuary right now. You can see for yourself. The one before your eyes, Zhang Sanfeng.”

“Primal Beginning Taoist.”

Beyond Wei Yan’s shoulder, the hearty-faced old Taoist smiled as he spoke his title. Perhaps because the clarity contained in that voice was like pine fragrance, his ears felt refreshed after being layered with Heretical First Sword’s trivial title like stickers.

“I am a wanderer of the Jeong family named Lightning Genius, and have long admired the Taoist. Though I didn’t know I would be able to meet you like this today.”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s respectful bow, Wei Yan narrowed her brow. She knew he wasn’t some messenger sent by the Ming founder.

“…Yuan Dynasty jianghu remnants, riffraff seeking opportunities, masters mad about martial arts. There have been many invaders of the main tree recently. Is Zhang Sanfeng the culprit after all?”

Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head.

“I came seeking to broaden my knowledge through World Tree. I’m quite interested in its fruit.”

At the same time, the young Desolate Fortress Lord who had been approaching alongside Yue Feng from afar flinched slightly and stepped off-rhythm. For Jeong Yeon-shin, it was still an unbelievable sight. Because he had the perception that the world’s Enter The Extinction Sword Master would have been perfect from birth.

‘…So she also spent such times. Times when her limbs’ coordination was short.’

Personally, it was a chance to experience another aspect of his master that he would never be able to see again in the future, and on a grand scale, an opportunity to observe as much as possible the unconscious movements of Desolate Fortress Lord before ‘unification.’ Perhaps he was using the latter as an excuse while his heart leaned toward the former.

Jeong Yeon-shin wanted to keep the image of his young master in his eyes for a long time, but he also had to devote time to Wei Yan.

“I tell you, wanderer who possesses nothing but curiosity and martial learning, the clan’s tree is not a martial technique that broadens your knowledge.”

He looked at her speaking clearly.

She had let both hands drop below her waist, but such a peaceful energy posture felt like battle readiness just before a dragon’s ascent.

‘Natural Body… somewhere between Fighting God and Southern Emperor.’

That is, equal to Emperor Qian-ling. The same as the Ming Dynasty’s last bastion who had draped the purple robe over Jeong Yeon-shin with overwhelming mystique.

“Though I won’t use imperial authority against a master like you, return now. I won’t say it twice.”

It was as she said.

No matter what Wei Yan said, Jeong Yeon-shin silently imprinted only her minute muscles and energy waves in his eyes, and exactly three breaths after that time passed, he faced her attack.

“You were a madman.”

She suddenly manifested in Wei Yan’s grip as she approached with large strides.

Whooom…

The cool breeze and brilliant sunlight, the grass blades underfoot, all mixed together like dandelion seeds in an instant, taking the shape of a long sword.

A whitish pale green Formless Sword hummed in high tones as if whistling. Immediately the atmosphere began to waver and distort here and there like summer heat. It seemed as if space itself was flinching.

‘The woman who taught young Emperor Qian-ling might have been her.’

Separate from Jeong Yeon-shin’s thoughts, at this moment the few present didn’t seem newly surprised by her Formless Sword. Rather, they were only those who looked up at the suddenly darkened sky then had their gazes drawn to Jeong Yeon-shin’s right hand.

“……!”

A sword that could hardly be called metal was already gripped there. As if a night sky mixed with faint constellations had been forged into a single blade.

‘Let’s go.’

CLANG!

It was an instant until he deflected Wei Yan’s Formless Sword that had thrust right to his eyes. The tremendous rebound force boring into his grip like lava was brief, as the nearby thickets and hills were engulfed by the dark blue sword wind of starlit night and collapsed entirely.

* * *

Crack, crackle.

Blue-green sparks sizzled from the burnt ash powder here and there. Smoke rising faintly above it. A very acrid smell also stung the nose, most of it the burnt smell from the friction heat of transcendent explosive power.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood on the land that remained only earth and flames like a giant crater. While glancing at the empty spots of Master Won-jeok and Golden Thunder who had flown away without even body fragments.

‘…Twelfth regression.’

He thought. Why do they all explode so easily?

“Wanderer, you’re no different from a tyrant who made martial arts your throne. Do you so want to observe World Tree? Perhaps you covet eternal life?”

Ten steps ahead.

It was Wei Yan’s question, holding her Formless Sword down to her feet, and this too was the seventh time he had heard it. Even though they had exchanged less than a hundred techniques in all their matches combined.

It was Master Won-jeok’s fault for repeatedly exploding like some strange fish from the South Sea.

‘The opening attacks are different each time.’

Jeong Yeon-shin narrowed his eyes.

‘Due to Natural Body, countless variations emerge from all kinds of postures. It’s a different realm from Master’s.’

Experiencing it repeatedly, he understood.

The outside time period.

Currently there was no one in Desolate Fortress who could be considered her match. Though her body as well as the combination of essence, energy, and spirit would be in an aged state, World Tree’s unification ability would offset that.

At best, Literary Star might be able to hold Wei Yan back.

‘However.’

Literary Star was still a temporary ally with whom Jeong Yeon-shin had built little bond. As the leader of the great force called Divine Sword Group, he shouldn’t rely on him too much. The same went for those he had made Divine Sword prisoners.

It was then.

Just before returning to the past again, Taoist Sanfeng, who had been standing far away, opened his mouth. The wrinkles around his eyes that had originally held only hearty temperament somehow carried small boredom.

“Friend is an unusual person.”

“Pardon?”

“You say you admire this old Taoist, yet you don’t particularly ask this poor Taoist for teachings like sword dances. Unlike the countless martial men of the turbulent jianghu. Though this poor Taoist cultivated even Natural Sword to hide the blade dangling at his waist.”

It was a gentle story.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly shook his head.

“Certainly the Taoist’s Pine Gate Ancient Sword appears clearly to me. However…”

“However?”

Taoist Sanfeng showed curiosity all over his face, and Jeong Yeon-shin calmly asked in return.

“Isn’t completion something one seeks for oneself?”

Unity. Void Culmination.

He had been taught not to seek teachings.

Because he kept the broken mirror called Little Heavenly Demon Invincible close, he knew that a grandmaster’s transcendence was not in following something.

It was what he had clearly realized after breaking the luminous wheels. He could not become the greatest of all time merely by walking paths someone else had already taken.

Therefore, in this world of infinite regression, what Jeong Yeon-shin should avoid most was precisely the existence called Zhang Sanfeng.

‘Like the saying to kill Buddha if you meet Buddha.’

Perhaps because he had reached the point of even feeling time rewinding, Jeong Yeon-shin heard an unfamiliar sound for the first time in the scenery that had begun to fade hazily.

Taoist Sanfeng was laughing heartily.

* * *

When the aged laughter had faded without a trace as if caught in the pages of time, Jeong Yeon-shin found himself back in the thick grassland.

‘I should stop learning about Wei Yan. Natural Body is a realm where learning is useless.’

He silently reached a conclusion.

And he slowly took one step. While killing his presence to the extreme along with Return to Origin. With the mental image of his entire body becoming transparent.

[Benefactor, if you intended to liberate this poor monk through the pain of death, give up. It’s something that wasn’t achieved even with a hundred years of Wall-facing.]

[I apologize. I won’t go that way for a while.]

[Find another method… Hm? What are you doing now? Where are you?]

[Wei Yan is done now. I intend to observe Master and World Tree in turn.]

Step… At that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin, who had cut through space like a gale across the wilderness, was holding the girl with dark green eyes in both arms. It was simultaneous with his protective energy swallowing the blade winds of counterattack techniques that exploded from her entire body like full-body explosive power.

“……!”

This was before young Master and Yue Feng reached Master Won-jeok’s group. The scabbard of the Enter The Extinction Sword, longer than Master’s height, scraped the earth and floated up.

Master Won-jeok’s shocked voice rang out.

[Now who are you kidnapping…!]

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t answer. Because Yue Feng’s sword had flashed pure white at close range.

[Are you from Yuan Dynasty jianghu!]

Instantly a pure white lightning bolt tore through the internal energy barrier at his side and even burst blood. Obeying Heaven Wing White Lightning Sword Technique. The very hot pain of sword wounds was the same as reality. He hadn’t known it was a divine technique of such power.

‘Has the original Obeying Heaven Wing regressed…?’

Along with the question, he took another step of the world’s fastest movement. Immediately the world formed in his vision became blurrily distorted, and the next moment Jeong Yeon-shin was standing in a deserted forest. While holding the fifteen-year-old Desolate Fortress Lord in his arms like a pillow.

“I apologize. My mind wasn’t at ease.”

“Let go.”

Even before he could set her down, she stomped on Jeong Yeon-shin’s knee with a thud and moved away. Body movements that opened a distance of thirty or so steps in an instant.

Rustle.

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly watched her descending like a leaf carried by wind. It was lightness technique similar to Wind God Body Technique.

‘When engaging in fierce battles, does she move with that kind of approach?’

Results were already showing.

No matter what incident might unfold nearby in the future, for Jeong Yeon-shin the current benefit and joy were everything. He had always wanted to spend such time with Master at least once. Like other people.

He slowly opened his mouth.

“Would you like to try something?”

The girl stared at Jeong Yeon-shin, who had asked politely, as if looking at a madman.