Chapter 733 – With the Geniuses (4)

Jeong Yeon-shin calmly looked up at Golden Thunder Viscount in empty air.

Crackle, crackcrackle.

The sight of brilliant lightning fragments ceaselessly falling. It was as if he was making eye contact with a thunderbolt in broad daylight. But it didn’t feel particularly eerie. Because all the sparks felt like the worldly attachments of long years.

Accumulated layer upon layer in the noble clans who lived long lives.

“I held Wudang’s first Pine Pattern Ancient Sword, and at Mount Wudang I saw Taoist Sanfeng’s primordial spirit. Fortunately, I also awakened to the knowledge of Taiji.”

Simultaneously Jeong Yeon-shin drew a broad Taiji in his mind. A mental image of bluish flames surrounding his surroundings. If he drew up martial power with this intent, it would soon transform into Azure Flame Radiant Taiji.

“I established the same intent as Taoist Sanfeng. Recently I even met him directly in Great Master Beom-heo of Shaolin’s mind.”

He didn’t bother manifesting the mental circle.

Golden Thunder Viscount was already surveying the invisible Taiji’s outline. It was literally like reading minds, similar to feelings he had received several times from his master Wei Gun-hye.

Perhaps thanks to the lightning power dwelling in Golden Thunder Viscount’s upper energy center. By Jeong Yeon-shin’s judgment, it seemed to transcendently elevate not only insight and lightness skill acceleration but even reaction speed.

Not Taoist Sanfeng’s Nature Sword or the north’s Nature Body, but some state equal to those things. If he remained an enemy, it would become hard to protect allies. Ultimately Jeong Yeon-shin would have no choice but to act.

Taoist Sanfeng’s words flashed through his mind.

“In ancient times, Dharma Master seemed to have been merely robust, and that fellow called First Heavenly Demon couldn’t have walked the righteous path… What do you think? Will you also try making one?”

The existence who achieved that was Golden Thunder Viscount who had returned to his right mind. It would be the result of following Taoist Sanfeng’s teachings for hundreds of years.

“…So it’s true.”

Golden Thunder Viscount opened his mouth with sunken eyes.

“Yeah, Elder Sanfeng can be anywhere…”

“First Heavenly Demon was the same.”

“When did you meet that one too?”

Golden Thunder Viscount asked back with a rarely dumbfounded face, but Jeong Yeon-shin shifted his gaze. To the plains where dozens of unified noble clans and Divine Sword Group had already collided.

Kuguuuuuuung!

Roars and vibrations overlapped like waves.

Semi-transparent released force fragments scattered in all directions.

Even though the scene was obscured by thick dust clouds, Jeong Yeon-shin saw through the interior. The noble clan masters who didn’t stop arrow attacks with swift retreating footwork, and Dragon Treading Leader Wei Ji-zhi among others who wrapped rope around four of their ankles and slammed them to the ground with a bang.

Meanwhile, some noble clan masters holding extremely thin blades were torn apart by the blue masters’ lightness technique breakthrough shrouded in gentle halos. Radiant Art Formation’s collective energy waves bound their martial arts into one like First Divine Sword Group Leader Yue Feng.

A natural development.

Because through that skirmish, World Tree would be reading Divine Sword Group’s current capabilities.

‘This battle, for me…’

It might be the first and last.

A life-and-death struggle where he himself had to set up a grand scheme and wield his Desolate Fortress comrades as hundreds of swords at the right time and place.

– What?

– These things…!

Familiar comrades’ voices rang out containing bewilderment. Because the bodies of fallen noble clan masters suddenly became hazy like immortals.

At a glance it looked like a peerless master’s lightness skill, but was completely different. Because they vanished without a trace leaving only ochre wind on the plains. Tree branches that rose like new shoots in the remaining spot then sank into the ground. It was World Tree’s Form Shifting Void.

Jeong Yeon-shin already knew from experiencing it several times. There was no particular recoil to movement through the strange and mysterious branches of the greatest tree of all ages.

Another difficult problem.

– They’ve gauged this side’s forces.

Blood King muttered from afar. His arm rested on Jin Myeong-jo’s shoulder. Two men with white hair hanging down. Blood King’s subsequent advice was secretive.

– As you know, those wretches’ regenerative abilities are meaningless before overwhelming released force. That’s why they fled avoiding Divine Sword Group Leader. They’ll return with more plausible ear people masters, so you must prepare.

– I’m aware.

– Looking at it, making you Divine Sword Group Leader in the near future will be difficult. Until that Dream Flight woman suffers major injury… Since things are like this, you must move like a swift sword. It’s difficult to obtain Divine Sword Group Leader material all at once.

– What do you mean?

– If one has two children under one’s knees, that is the world’s greatest person.

The woman who married Jin Myeong-jo, Blood King Jeok Family’s Jeok Lee-seo, was at Desolate Fortress stronghold. Being escorted by Wudang Taoists who had walked to the stronghold just before the expedition. Though a great force as a super master, she was deliberately left behind. Of course it was Jeong Yeon-shin’s order.

‘Like the two ear people’s child.’

If each child came fully into the world at the right time.

That timing would be right before Jeong Yeon-shin’s heavenly mandate ran out. Perhaps he could even bestow Bone Transformation and Marrow Cleansing with Jeong Family Dynamic Technique. If he planted Jeong Family Dynamic Technique fitted to a newborn baby’s body like that, wouldn’t they grow into a physique matching Literary Star in the future?

It was something only he could do.

Must be possible.

By surviving until that day.

“Why did you suddenly space out? Like someone about to die soon.”

When he raised his head, Golden Thunder Viscount was looking down with a strange face. He had somehow calmed the lightning wrapping his entire body. But his crossed-arms appearance didn’t look like an ally.

‘No hostility.’

As he began walking, the sight of him floating and following along was just suspicious. Whenever Golden Thunder Viscount was with him, things always became ambiguous like this.

Thus movement began again.

Divine Sword Group, having defeated World Tree’s frontline masters, advanced northeast, while Jeong Yeon-shin surveyed them.

Meanwhile, none of Divine Sword Group’s masters looked back toward Jeong Yeon-shin. There was no one in all under heaven who would worry about the safety of the current Desolate Fortress Lord, Li Chun-gap, Seventh Apostle, and Elder Council’s old masters.

“He’s an extremely dangerous person. Will you leave him like that?”

Literary Star asked quietly. While elegantly brushing off Golden Thunder Viscount’s blood and bone fragments from his hands a couple times.

Jeong Yeon-shin tapped his forearm a couple times as if in praise. Gestures feeling the muscle texture and energy wave flow touching his fingertips.

‘…Just creating and teaching dynamic technique flow suited to this, he would master that dynamic technique with this body.’

Upon fresh insight, he was indeed a monster.

Meanwhile, Literary Star’s expression became awkward beyond strange for the first time. Even his eyebrows drawn thick as if with a brush wriggled. A quite funny face. Because they weren’t yet close enough to express intimacy while ignoring each other’s personal space like this.

“Why…?”

Jeong Yeon-shin only shook his head once, then turned his gaze to Golden Thunder Viscount.

“What are your intentions?”

“Uh, the old crone told me to go around killing as many as possible. If you seem to have no intent of peace… so she said to pull out necks and run away like an assassin, then repeatedly ambush again.”

Though spoken casually, the assassination acts of someone like Golden Thunder Viscount would be catastrophe. Inevitably Jeong Yeon-shin would have no choice but to move. Ultimately World Tree hoped to consume the great force called current Desolate Fortress Lord in some way. They seemed to have many means to do so.

“Peace is possible anytime. If you sever World Tree yourselves and surrender, that moment will be the end of war.”

“That, our tree you see…”

Golden Thunder Viscount scratched his head and continued.

“Can’t be severed now.”

The roar of fierce battle also subsided, on land where only fragments of lightning that fell to the dirt ground faintly flickered with golden light. Even the spring wind hitting dry earth made no particular sound.

……

Only after departing on expedition as Desolate Fortress Lord did he hear a corner of the world’s greatest secret.

Jeong Yeon-shin repeated in a low voice.

“Can’t be severed…?”

“Yeah, the tree has no distinction between essence, energy, and spirit. That’s why it performs all kinds of strange transformations.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said. The earth energy the tree absorbed is precisely the tree’s upper energy center spirituality, and that spirituality is precisely protective strong energy, and that protective strong energy is precisely tree bark. So it’s like wrapping bark with all under heaven’s life force as spirituality.”

It made sense yet didn’t.

Though a short story, the words were difficult. From the beginning, sacred transformations were like that. Jeong Yeon-shin asked again.

“There is nothing without weaknesses in all things. What would be needed to sever it?”

“Time?”

Soon after, Golden Thunder Viscount added nonchalantly. Waiting until it dies withered… or will we die before that? Words close to rambling.

“……”

“Even if you load spirit refined in a human’s upper energy center into a sword strike, it’s only attacking with that one person’s lifespan. No matter how secretly you exert yourself, only one layer of bark falls off.”

“How do you know that, Elder?”

Golden Thunder Viscount didn’t answer.

* * *

The words of the absolute noble clan elder who lived hundreds of years lingered in Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind for a long time.

Cannot be severed.

The pressure of those few words was hard to describe. Because forces that could care for people’s livelihood everywhere in vast all under heaven were gathered.

It was his responsibility.

‘There must be that much meaning.’

When he stopped walking on the hill, a tremendously huge city came into view. Huizhou. The land where the world’s greatest merchant groups like Hui Merchant Acting Spring Association were based. On both sides of the city, rivers as huge as the sea tightened bluish.

That terrain alone could be called brilliant.

There was something even more noticeable.

Like evidence of chaotic times, the scene of castle walls surrounding the city wrapped by even thicker tree branches. The greatly developed city appeared as part of World Tree. It seemed like an immensely huge wooden dragon coiled around the ramparts.

The continuously silent old swordsman muttered while stroking the three swords at his waist.

“The end of days.”

He was the former Law Enforcement Leader. Golden Thunder Viscount, who had been glancing at him, suddenly interjected.

[TL Note- Fromer Law Enforcement Leader is male. He was referred as female in previous chapters.]

“I heard from Cheon-hwa that you said that word to Ominous Dream’s face when she became Divine Sword Group Leader too? The fortress was in an uproar.”

But no one engaged in conversation with him.

Because of the desolation the city exuded. It could also be called pressure. Tree branches wrapping castle walls with absurdly thick size. New shoots that bloomed through piercing reddish-brown bark rustled in the breeze, with peacefulness so excessive it felt eerie.

Saaaaaaaa!

The hundreds of human shadows standing on the tips of countless new shoots with Flying Grass were the same. All with ears sharp as blades, they exuded pressure never felt even at Black Capital in the north. Enough that dry spring wind felt heavy.

How many super masters.

How many peerless masters.

Could be guessed through Golden Thunder Viscount’s admiration.

“The tree took care. Those kids over there with both large bows and curved willow leaf blades are called Nine Complete Guests. Though they have no actual combat experience, all nine were Three Flower Gathering at Crown. Now maybe half are peerless masters? Those ninety with them were raised imitating Desolate Fortress blues. The group name would be ‘Flourishing Leaf.’ They’re so prideful in both civil and military that they subtly avoided me. They thought this old soul wouldn’t come…”

“……”

“Anyway, it’ll be really difficult, right? The regenerative ability is also a problem. How about skipping that and talking more with me about Elder Sanfeng?”

It was Golden Thunder Viscount’s proposal. His attitude was still ambiguous whether ally or enemy, but at a glance it had persuasive power. But Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head.

“Radiant Demon Wing Leader at the stronghold said Huizhou’s earth energy must absolutely be burned. Just World Tree being unable to utilize nearby earth energy would open up some chance of victory.”

“That’s correct but… can you win against that with human forces? Without you?”

Golden Thunder Viscount’s doubt was reasonable, but what Jeong Yeon-shin felt at this moment was strange déjà vu.

Occupying and digging up specific land to weaken the martial power World Tree could mobilize. What Tyrant Sword Sect Master Dan Seong-eum had done at Jeong family estate. The affairs of the world always revolved like this, confusing what was right and wrong.

‘Was Tyrant Sword Sect Master ultimately goodness that crossed the line?’

Jeong Yeon-shin, Dan Seong-eum, Wei Gun-hye.

Perhaps they might be part of common jianghu. Like Wan-hwi’s words expressing jianghu once.

Jeong Yeon-shin hoped the ties of three people including himself would be resolved quite nicely like Wan-hwi. Even if it was shallow intention to justify immediate matters.

Swoosh.

When he raised his hand, not only Golden Thunder Viscount in empty air but even Elder Council’s old masters flinched.

“You’re really going to do it seeing those faces? I’m saying you might only waste time.”

[Conquer.]

It rang out from below the hill.

It was Yue Shou-lin’s Six Harmonies Uniting Heaven Sound, and even to Jeong Yeon-shin who had delegated full authority to her, it was a strange directive.

Bang! Shin So-bin who activated Ultimate Thunder charged into the castle walls like a shell. Of course, black leaders were flying over the gently overflowing halos following her heels. It was simultaneous that Jin Myeong-jo’s intent eerily echoed.

[Silent Night, Punishment Prison.]

The rivers surrounding the city were dyed dusky.

There was an immediate reaction. From World Tree’s masters who had stood loftily like new shoots that would endlessly grow no matter how much they were torn and plucked. Suddenly blacks who grabbed formless swords made of dark red mist before each of their faces passed through with vertical blood streams.

Pfwaaaa!

In an instant, identical sword paths. Blade work that swept up noble masters’ ribs and even brushed past their hearts. Right after, blue and white person-shaped glows rose trampling the ramparts.

Flararararak!

Clothing rustling sounds were clamorous.

For masters, one breath is an eternity.

Enough time to demonstrate regenerative abilities, yet the only movement of those hit by blade work was collapsing in place.

Dark Night Blood Absorption Demon Sword.

No one recovered. Suddenly Literary Star beside Jeong Yeon-shin only gently stroked his empty eye sockets.

“……!”

Jeong Yeon-shin had overlooked it.

That Divine Sword Group were those more urgent than himself.

This expedition might be nothing more than something they wanted to quickly clear away for them. Because they were masters who could more than feel the time-limited intent dwelling throughout Lightning Genius’ constitution.

The city surrounded by the giant tree was being filled with dim light. Radiant Art Formation energy waves’ accumulation speed was abnormally fast. All were those who had mastered the profound meaning of short decisive battles.

They were the giant Jeong Yeon-shin.