Chapter 734 – With the Geniuses (5)

Advice was useless.

Jeong Yeon-shin blankly looked down at the city wrapped by a giant wooden dragon. It was something he hadn’t anticipated. His stronghold comrades were absurdly quickly and skillfully occupying Huizhou.

The Nine Complete Guests, half-baked peerless masters who combined blade and bow, were entangled like threads by the blacks’ dark red sword paths, while other blues imprisoned other enemies with martial power waves. While freely wielding hands, feet, and blades like Jeong Yeon-shin.

Radiant Art Formation energy waves continuously accumulating white.

They surged from all directions as if compressing World Tree’s masters. The originally whitish martial power waves thickened like clouds and churned. While repeatedly crushing the noble clan masters’ regenerative abilities.

Zzzzzzzzzzt!

They endlessly burst lower backs, abdomens, and napes. It was right to say they were carving them down, and even to Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes, there was hardly any better countermeasure.

Around that time, the Elder Council’s old masters had their hands in their robes with peaceful faces about everything.

“It seems like seeing the end of the Yangtze River.”

“Very skilled. Those fellows have absurdly abundant sect war experience.”

“Their aptitude is no different from our time.”

What each took out was a copy of ‘Divine Sword Group Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.’ Things the General Administration clerks had quickly transcribed and delivered during movement, and naturally it was something Jeong Yeon-shin had promoted.

“…Huh, divine art contains warmth.”

“Was this what a lord is?”

A leisure shown because they accepted Huizhou’s occupation as a foregone conclusion. Soon they began burning the books one by one. They had engraved the oral instructions in their upper energy centers with a single reading.

Among them was an old man with black rope wound round and round his arm. Someone glancing at Literary Star at this moment, he was the former Dragon Treading Leader. They said he was someone who had engaged in northern jianghu travels like the current Wei Ji-zhi.

The old man opened his mouth.

“A body that’s a typical Yao tribe pureblooded physique. Truly transcendent to a terrible degree… But you’re the lord’s strategist, yet you don’t resemble at all the dynamic technique bodies of those underlings running rampant in that Huizhou.”

On the other hand, Literary Star was carefully looking down at Huizhou lands. Eyes measuring World Tree masters’ sword formations and collective Traversing Empty Space movements. Even opening his mouth was perfunctory.

“Since I’m a foreigner who suddenly butted in, being acknowledged as strategist is enough.”

With eyes at towering heights, he could have glimpsed Jeong Family Dynamic Technique’s secret manual once, but he seemed to think it wasn’t something to be given to him.

Extreme clear mirror-like water.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin observed with energy perception Literary Star’s Tongziliao acupoint at the corner of his eyes. Eye technique energy waves flowing very peacefully. He had to feel Literary Star’s every movement. Because weaving dynamic technique suited to the Yao tribe was an unfamiliar and difficult task.

“Do you have something to say…?”

The northern number one’s body reacting immediately despite only paying attention.

“No.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who shook his head, stepped forward.

Huizhou lands were quiet.

It was after the World Tree masters who had been stationed in the city disappeared like fog once more. Consecutive victories in tremendous short decisive battles. Desolate Fortress’s advance had never once been blocked so far.

* * *

< Report to Lord.

One. Nine Complete Guests.

Noble clan peerless masters who combine willow leaf blades and bows. A group presumed to have envisioned large-scale sect wars, as there is military-like thorough discipline in a series of sword techniques and archery.

Presumed to have been super masters before unity.

Major defect in practical combat experience.

Though martial prowess doesn’t reach the Eight Family Heads before chaotic times, reports that achievements increased the more exchanges occurred.

Reduced to Seven Complete Guests by Divine Sword Vice-Leader and Blood King Jeok Family Head.

Two. Flourishing Leaf.

Likewise a group of ninety combining blade and bow, but Divine Sword Group struck down thirty-seven.

Specially formidable masters at blue rank level.

Those who greatly surpass the stronghold’s general blues in accumulated energy and upper energy center spirit, but a situation with absolutely no super masters who achieved Three Flower Gathering at Crown.

……. >

There was more content below, but Jeong Yeon-shin turned his gaze to the side. It was because Great Administrator Lim Jin-ming had carefully cleared his throat, precisely right after surveying ‘Flourishing Leaf’ on the report.

“We’ve discovered unity’s blind spot.”

“Masters who had acquired the sensation of Three Flower Gathering at Crown become peerless masters even if half-baked, but unity of essence, energy, and spirit cannot be awakened by external means?”

“Precisely.”

A marketplace wide open without a single stall. Lim Jin-ming’s words continued calmly as he walked half a step behind Jeong Yeon-shin’s side.

“The ascetic practice of finding the balance of essence, energy, and spirit… is separate from merely power ascending. Other noble clans were the same. Besides the Seven Complete Guests, there were no complete super masters.”

Three Flower Gathering at Crown was that lofty. Jeong Yeon-shin nodded his head and opened his mouth.

“We mustn’t give distance to archery martial arts, and should stick in close combat. Great Administrator, will you instruct them?”

“Yes. The battle here… was easy because World Tree’s archery masters were wary of the lord. Then I’ll take my leave.”

Lim Jin-ming, who raised both hands together, turned and moved away.

Huizhou was desolate.

Common people’s presences were rare. Even the few holding their breath in residences seemed to be those left behind to attend to World Tree masters. Those who seemed to be Huizhou’s powerful clans with strong energy waves were already approaching Jeong Yeon-shin or fleeing far away.

Jeong Yeon-shin strolled through the city that had become safe despite him doing nothing himself. While smelling the bloody scent occasionally carried on spring wind.

Kuguuuuuuuung!

In the distance, Desolate Fortress masters were digging up and smashing Huizhou lands’ earth veins. The process of exposing the ground then projecting released force, it was like tearing out World Tree’s acupoints. Due to this, the earth energy World Tree operated would greatly decrease.

The land reported to be where that tree had rooted.

Because Nanjing was right nearby.

Boom!

That just now was Annihilation Team Leader Shin Hwang’s palm force.

Thus great vibrations overlapped with each of Jeong Yeon-shin’s tranquil steps. As if he was driving true energy into the ground, so the dissonance was thick. Because it felt like he had become Tyrant Sword Sect Master Dan Seong-eum who had once walked to Jeong family estate.

Even the white-robed warriors busily moving around all directions of the city at this moment were the same. Even now they too might be no different to Huizhou natives than Tyrant Sword Sect and Blood Flame Sect’s warriors. Even if only examining whether there were other enemies nearby and where the magistrate who had managed Huizhou had gone.

“……”

He stopped walking in front of a fairly clean inn. Jeong Yeon-shin briefly turned his back on the white-robed ones like occupation army soldiers and pulled aside the inn’s curtain.

Gentle wine fragrance permeated.

Inside the inn stood a man in red robes glistening like blood like a statue. With a simple drinking table before him without a single side dish.

“A little.”

Now moving his bright red mouth like Blood Flame Sect Leader Baek Rak, awkwardness unlike usual showed to Jeong Yeon-shin. His characteristic cool voice was the same.

“Won’t there be time left?”

“Yes, Senior.”

Jeong Yeon-shin smiled faintly.

It was a time when supplies were needed from the start.

Clearly Jin Myeong-jo’s Transcendent Martial Art was eerily far from tyrannical force, so the recoil was also small. But that was only as Transcendent Martial Art. Since he had deployed a major decisive battle technique, he should rest a bit.

The two men sat facing each other, and the wine rippling like a mirror in the cup reflected Jeong Yeon-shin’s smile.

“Wine I’ve never seen.”

“Though it hasn’t aged at all yet… it’s Daughter Jeok brewed by my wife’s family. I sneaked some out before burying it.”

“A daughter…?”

“Yes.”

“It’s an honor.”

Jeong Yeon-shin blankly looked down at the wine cup filled with clear yellow wine. What color would that gentle yellow be when Jin Myeong-jo’s daughter was born and held her wedding ceremony? Would he be able to see that hue?

This was why he couldn’t rashly lift the cup at this moment.

Brief silence flowed.

The atmosphere could have become heavier, but to the two men’s shoulders, that much was nothing. Jin Myeong-jo opened his mouth with an indifferent face.

“I know there’s a problem with supplies. They say connection with Kaifeng Qing Family Head was cut off.”

Lavish supplies were supposed to be provided.

To raise Divine Sword Group masters’ essence, energy, and spirit to the best state, but it was impossible with only Fasting Pills. Large and varied eating was needed.

There was also no food for the noble clan masters who should have originally been guarding Huizhou. They were facing World Tree’s demon immortals who used Form Shifting Void freely. Envisioning Huizhou’s fall, they hadn’t brought in even a single grain of rice.

Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head.

“Literary Star went to resolve it. He’s coming now.”

Simultaneously fierce strong wind descended and tore the inn entrance’s curtain in all directions.

Kwaaaaaang!

It was because Literary Star had landed from immensely high in the air, and another presence was added to his giant presence. He had brought another person like luggage.

A report immediately followed.

“Jin Yao-lan, I’ve brought the golden leader of Hui Merchant Acting Spring Association……”

Literary Star’s voice gradually faded.

It was somewhat strange. The external martial arts number one’s vocalization was the foundation of Transcendent Martial Art ‘Mencius Solitary,’ so even ordinary energy barriers couldn’t affect his chest’s resonance. It was a feeling as if space had been dislocated.

Even though not a single point of energy waves spread.

Golden Thunder Viscount’s shout who said he was going to take a nap also burst from afar then.

[What, already coming…?! Why!]

Simultaneously Jeong Yeon-shin felt a tremendously large pulsation. The tree trunk that had wrapped Huizhou’s ramparts like a flood dragon pulsed like a heart.

Upper energy center insight flashed like lightning.

‘Wide-area Form Shifting Void…!’

He naturally expected something like a trap. Nevertheless, entering Huizhou was because he had to greatly carve down World Tree’s truly infinite martial power once. It was a conclusion the noble clan leaders and General Administration reached unanimously.

They couldn’t face World Tree forces at full strength without even that. Because it would be like facing head-on the thirty thousand Black Capital great military forces including Fighting God and Six Star Lords, and northern kings of close Fighting God faction.

“As you know, the probability it’s even more than that is high.”

It was as Lim Jin-ming had said.

Whoosh!

Suddenly the vicinity became hazy. Along with an absurdly fragrant and thick grass scent. It was as if fog had settled on eye technique martial power, and the same phenomenon seemed to have affected Jin Myeong-jo too.

“Lord Jeong….”

Approaching Jeong Yeon-shin’s vicinity in one step, but like Literary Star, a voice that was fading. He couldn’t hear more. It was right before Form Shifting Void was accomplished with a feeling that transcended even energy perception.

Jeong Yeon-shin intuited that the same thing was happening throughout Huizhou.

‘Six Gates.’

His brow slightly gathered.

Thud!

The murky atmosphere shattered helplessly like a mirror.

All directions immediately brightened, and the inn’s entrance area was packed with human presences. Yue Shou-lin, Literary Star, Blood King, Dharma King, Shin So-bin, Hyeon Won-chang, sleeping Namgung Hwa-shin… those who had charged in with lightness techniques as soon as they felt the anomaly.

One by one.

They disappeared like mirages.

Time of super ascension where even a strand of spring wind that entered through them touched heavily like steel. Jeong Yeon-shin intuited with energy perception. The Form Shifting Void that World Tree seemed to have personally activated was an irresistible technique for the majority of them.

The opposite also existed.

The most formidable person in Divine Sword Group and the most skilled person in Desolate Fortress.

‘Ah.’

Jeong Yeon-shin felt Yue Shou-lin’s whole body muscles that had suddenly relaxed. She had yielded to Form Shifting Void. At this moment it was to follow along Divine Sword Group scattered sporadically throughout Huizhou.

Conversely Literary Star alone was distinct.

Same as Jeong Yeon-shin at full strength. A body that Form Shifting Void couldn’t affect.

When countless Desolate Fortress masters disappeared like catastrophe over his shoulder, Jeong Yeon-shin made eye contact with Jin Myeong-jo nearby.

It was the world’s fastest nod. In eon-like time, Divine Sword Vice-Leader’s red pupils brushed past Daughter Jeok’s wine cup.

Whoosh!

He disappeared together with Yue Shou-lin.

Even until then, two remained enduring in the instant’s domain. Blood King in conflict while gazing at Seventh Apostle who had somehow slipped out of Jeong Yeon-shin’s shadow. Suddenly Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand split the swamp of time. While pulling Seventh Apostle’s front lapel and bringing his mouth to her ear.

Rustle.

A whisper followed.

“Ah…!”

Just his lips moving a few times made fine hairs stand up on her pure white nape. She wasn’t in a state to resist Form Shifting Void. She vanished like dandelion seeds. Blood King immediately followed his daughter.

In an instant, time regained its own flow.

Strange and mysterious force.

It was after engraving that meaning on Jeong Yeon-shin.

“……”

Dust that had been floating through the inn’s murky air fell like flower petals. Above the sword hilt of the woman who had somehow appeared before Jeong Yeon-shin’s drinking table.

The previous Desolate Fortress Lord.

“This is.”

Wei Jun-hye lifted the cup. And raised the corners of her mouth slightly. Like the girl who had once faced Jeong Yeon-shin drinking tree sap.

“Jianghu murim.”

Wine flowed into her mouth.