Chapter 760 – Three Radiances Demon (6)

Then.

—Excuse me…

A voice subtly intruded into the Bright Wind Cave’s voice transmission space. It was a remarkably clear voice, despite the commotion of Divine Sword Group members coordinating with each other and battlefield reports.

Blood Guardian Leader Hyeon Won-chang.

—Grand Administrator, there’s something… I need to tell you.

His internal energy breathing was choppy, cut short in bursts. Apart from his deep internal injuries, one could easily picture his extremely cautious expression.

Literary Star smiled. Because he would have worn the same face when clinging to his back to stab him with killing strikes.

Tssss.

He clenched his fist around his palm, which had begun emitting white steam.

Overheated acupoints.

It was due to radical energy circulation, like Mencius.

“……”

The noble clan masters nearby were staring intently at Literary Star’s body. While sensing that all kinds of eye techniques were being employed, Literary Star secretly transmitted his voice through Bright Wind Cave.

—The Deputy Grand Administrator has confirmed the transmission. Blood Guardian Leader, please speak comfortably.

—What’s the matter?

Right after Lim Jin-ming’s reply came through, Hyeon Won-chang continued.

—The book is acting strange.

—Pardon?

—Lord Jeong’s war trophy… I mean, the Black Capital’s sacred treasure. Right now, strange strokes are wriggling as if they’re about to be written or not.

At those words, Literary Star’s expression grew serious.

—Would you like to speak with the Grand Administrator first? I need to assess how to move and make decisions now…

—Ah, yes, well.

—It seems like an important matter, so I’ll make sure the transmission doesn’t reach my side for a moment. There are now those who eavesdrop on even Bright Wind Cave’s conversations… It’s truly the World Tree’s depths.

That was all.

Literary Star dispersed the flow of energy that had been circling nearby like wind. It was to block Bright Wind Cave’s transmissions.

There were literally existences like former Burning Abyss Squad Leader Woon Yu-jeong. Just as she had secretly shared the World Tree’s transmissions, an extremely small number who wielded wind and moisture to a master’s realm.

In other words, masters of Wind-Water Energy Arts.

Literary Star had known about them for a long time.

‘The World Tree’s Law Enforcement Department.’

They said they were exalted beings. That they gained the qualification to stand at the World Tree’s peak from birth.

They were those who gave orders to the tribe’s masters like a general administration office. What differed from Desolate Fortress’s General Administration Office was that masters belonging to the World Tree’s faction revered them. Of course, Desolate Fortress would become the same someday.

“My greetings are a bit late.”

He slowly opened his mouth.

“Li Family’s Literary Star… the Deputy Grand Administrator of the current Desolate Fortress. Since the great sect battle is still in full swing, please overlook any impropriety in my hurried courtesies.”

“……”

“In any case, which of you will receive me?”

His words were gentle, spreading with a pleasant resonance. Only then was there a response. From within the crowd of noble clan masters that filled the surroundings like a forest’s thicket.

Rustle.

A slender, handsome man walked out with an expressionless face.

He exuded a strange feeling.

Because the grass blades beneath his feet didn’t sway at all. He was, however slightly, treading on the air above the thicket. It was absurdly natural lightness skill.

Yet there was no particular sense of massive internal energy consumption.

‘A truly high-ranking tribe member… Someone who came down from the tree’s peak.’

Literary Star, stroking his chin, quietly asked him.

“Who are you?”

“According to Central Plains customs, I could be called the Grand Administrator of the main trunk’s Law Enforcement Department.”

“Ah, my status is a bit lower then.”

Literary Star smiled contentedly with his thick skin. The man who introduced himself as Grand Administrator shook his head.

“That’s a very rigid and foolish perspective. If we judge by martial prowess, you are far superior. However, if we look at the status of existence, I am inevitably higher. Because I can communicate directly with the main trunk.”

“Well, the tree is the center of the current all under heaven.”

“Nevertheless, this is currently a battlefield. Naturally, my status is inferior to yours. So, collateral practitioner of Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, consider this when we engage in questions and answers.”

“By chance, have you experienced having your head and neck separated?”

The Grand Administrator’s steps stopped.

Surprisingly, he was only five paces before Literary Star.

At the same time, the man’s mouth opened.

“…With such martial force, coming all the way here to threaten? There must surely be a reason.”

Literary Star shook his head.

“I’m merely asking out of curiosity about your intentions.”

“What is there to ask at this point?”

“The agony of torn flesh and bones is immense even for masters of upper energy center martial arts. Even if the World Tree’s martial lineage wins here and survives, will they be able to properly govern the world in the future? When their spirits will be close to completely shattered.”

A bitter smile formed on the man’s lips.

“To ask such a thing. Of all people, you.”

“Because it’s me.”

Literary Star quietly cut off his words.

“That’s why I question it.”

“It’s already too late.”

At the man’s gesture, the ground wriggled.

Rustle.

A clump of grass blades was pulled up by the roots, then rose beneath his hand. It was an extremely smooth aerial manipulation.

Again, no particular energy wave fluctuation was felt. It seemed to be an ability the man gained when achieving Three Flowers Gathering at Crown.

When essence-energy-spirit fully unified.

All Under Heaven’s Northern Blade could share intent with his war horse, and Literary Star just became more robust. According to Yu Ling’s intelligence, Tyrant Hero could accumulate energy better than most Yao tribe members in his meridians.

And the World Tree’s Grand Administrator.

With Wind General-level power, he wielded more delicate techniques than Wind King practitioners. He was naturally an opponent whose techniques should be guarded against.

‘Even more so now.’

After annihilating the ten thousand elite martial military forces several times, and even breaking through the masters of World Tree’s Seventeen Halls where Yun Xiong and Yang Cheon were stationed in one go.

No one else could do such a thing.

It was a heaven-defying power.

Hmm…?

When Literary Star concealed his internal energy breathing with a faint exclamation, the World Tree’s Grand Administrator had removed all the grass blades and was burying only the roots in the ground.

He said.

“This is our great cause.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone will soon die. The tribe is no exception. But we can leave roots. Even if all the people of all under heaven, including us, are exterminated, the lineage won’t be destroyed.”

The man continued slowly.

“The main trunk will at least shift into the void to the next world, and transform the people of that all under heaven into noble clans through Bone Transformation.”

“……”

“Traditions are greater than individual lives. Therefore, our traces will never be forgotten eternally.”

Literary Star smiled faintly.

“I understand. It’s no different from the purpose of the history books humans compile.”

“……!”

His words somehow moved the World Tree masters. Though dozens seemed to simultaneously step closer while emitting energy waves, Literary Star remained calm.

“All under heaven’s dynasties eventually perish. Even the descendants of founding emperors and warlords are eventually scattered and lost. Aren’t the history books compiled to prevent such endings?”

He continued speaking while looking around.

“But all the people of all under heaven know. That no matter how brilliant the deeds recorded in history books, they belong to someone in the past who can never return.”

“What does someone who believes in great causes wish to say?”

“Thanks to my Major Heavenly Circulation, my consumption leaves no remnants. Consider yourselves fortunate in this.”

Literary Star smiled broadly, buying time.

The man smiled like Literary Star for the first time. In the midst of the noble clan masters who occupied all the vast vine land and tree trunks.

“Family Clan. Branch faction.”

“……”

“Martial arts give birth to sects, and connections tie people together. Master and disciple. Elder martial brother and younger martial brother… They are those who cultivate the same spirit and share martial arts more important than blood. Therefore, the Divine Tree is the true grand patriarch. Our traces will never be forgotten eternally.”

It was no longer a great secret at the martial forest’s highest levels. The World Tree shared and transmitted all kinds of learning through the noble clans’ long ears and Baihui acupoints. One result of that must be the incredibly solid protective strong energy, Pale Dew Divided Light.

Literary Star unconsciously asked back like Jeong Yeon-shin.

“But aren’t you people, not grass? When torn off, it hurts as it’s torn off, and even if something else grows, it’s not that grass blade from back then.”

“As I know it, Literary Star of the Six Star Lords kills people like trampling grass. Was there room for individuals in your great ambitions?”

“……”

Literary Star suddenly had nothing to say, so he approached the man in one step and gripped his head. It was simultaneous that the skull was crushed along with the blue-green protective strong energy.

Kwajik…

The conversation had been too long.

A situation consisting only of dialogue shouldn’t continue for so long. There was a high probability the enemies would discover his body’s condition.

‘Sometimes appropriate tension is essential for bluffing…’

It was indeed effective.

His vision filled with the sword radiances of blades. The feeling of silent thickets suddenly bristling after lying down. All kinds of Six Directions Sound Transmissions immediately filled the forest resonantly.

[Stop.]

[We thought you were trying to negotiate with threats of force.]

[The main trunk’s Law Enforcement Department judges that you are not a monster that absolutely cannot be hunted. Human power is not infinite.]

“Can all of you.”

Literary Star looked around at the vine ground packed with crowds at the World Tree’s center.

“Say the same words before Fighting God or Emperor Qian-ling?”

Instantly, a woman from the World Tree’s Law Enforcement Department asked back.

[Are you saying you’re Fighting God in perfect condition? What you’ve accomplished could have been done if Fighting God moved like Literary Star of the Six Star Lords. Are you perhaps even stronger than him?]

“That remains to be seen.”

Literary Star showed an ambiguous smile and asked himself. Am I stronger than Fighting God?

That’s not so.

During that long yet short time, he observed himself through Jeong Family Dynamic Technique. So he knew well. North Star Fighting God was the greatest in Demon Realm throughout all time, and would remain such an existence forever.

The current all under heaven where Jeong Yeon-shin exists.

Jeong Family Dynamic Technique was clearly the Supreme Art Under Heaven. Because the grand master who could directly transmit it was alive.

When direct transmission from Zhang Sanfeng was possible, Taiji Wisdom Sword must have been so, and when Bodhidharma was alive, Muscle-Tendon Change Classic and Marrow Cleansing Classic must have been no less than Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

‘But no divine art can create talent that didn’t exist.’

Literary Star thought he was born with quite good physique and talent for body building. Enough to cultivate the robustness of his body, external cultivation, to the same level as Fighting God.

On the other hand, he wasn’t as good a fighter as Fighting God. His sense of handling the body was so.

Jeong Family Dynamic Technique was martial learning of physical transformation.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t waste effort creating senses that didn’t exist. If that were possible, he wouldn’t have made those self-deprecating remarks about stones and monkeys during his turbulent period.

“If you saw me as Fighting God moving like Literary Star, you shouldn’t have conducted yourself this way in conversation…”

Literary Star’s grip.

Saaaaa…

The World Tree Grand Administrator’s head turned to ashes and scattered in the Heavenly Steel Light Armor Annihilation that briefly occurred.

At the same time, he smiled slightly at the World Tree’s masters. While recalling the conversation he had with Jeong Yeon-shin through their upper energy centers.

—The power you and I can exert is generally equal. But the reason is different. I’ve reached a realm where I’m unharmed even after pushing release force to the limit, but the Yao tribe still has strength left even after exerting their permitted full power. That immediately becomes your stamina and vitality. Am I wrong?

—You speak correctly. Common sense is to strike within the bounds of not exploding one’s body. Even if one strains considerably to squeeze out strength, far from transmitting release force to the opponent, only the tendons thicken and the body stiffens.

—It’s a difference in sensation. Fighting God fights while crossing the limits by a hair’s breadth. So he’s stronger, faster, and skillfully unfolds all kinds of fighting methods. Yet his lifespan is also long. An upper energy center of longevity…

—Why are you angry at me?

—You’ll now fight like an ordinary person. You can exert ‘desperate strength’ in urgent times, and even doing so only ends with muscles tearing slightly, and when you greatly overexert yourself, you’ll be out of breath. Like someone being chased.

—I’ll be quite human-like.

—No… I don’t think so.

Complete acupoint transformation of the entire body’s muscles.

Flexibility and elasticity that transcended even the extremes of external cultivation.

It was the result of Bone Transformation.

Just applying force to his grip explosively increased his grip strength like the principle of overlapping ring strength. The same was true for other parts.

Such release force couldn’t be free.

Since even muscles were acupoints and fine meridians, what was damaged by excessive force was also acupoints and fine meridians.

‘I can’t endure this.’

Literary Star briefly relaxed the tension in his entire body’s muscles.

Tsssssssss…

His whole body began emitting white steam like a teapot. Even quite stinging pain spread along with it.

A ten-foot giant for quick decisive battles.

The reason for deliberately increasing his height lay here. It meant to use distance as a weapon when strength ran out. Anyway, whether nine feet or ten feet, being a good target for archery martial arts was the same.

“Could it be, Ultimate Thunder…?”

“That can’t be. That man doesn’t have the talent to handle heterogeneous energy arts…”

The masters at the World Tree’s center who had been gradually closing the distance hesitated. It must have appeared a threatening ready stance for the moment.

‘Like walking a tightrope.’

They mustn’t know this.

Of course, the most important virtue for a strategist was deception. Therefore, Literary Star’s face remained calm throughout.

Most enemies fell into panic when he was calm. Though Literary Star didn’t have the talent to eavesdrop on or read others’ transmissions, at this moment, it seemed their Wind King techniques were echoing in his head.

—Continue waiting?

—What are the upper levels, the Law Enforcement Department doing? They must send down proper countermeasures before we can strike!

—We must protect the Divine Tree statue…!

Though the tones might differ, the conversation content would be much the same. Literary Star nodded with a strategist’s intuition.

‘Still, this much…’

He had rested enough.

If he went through one more intense battle, he’d be quite tired, but having claimed orthodox inheritance, he couldn’t lose.

Then.

Suddenly the sky grew darker.

Beneath his feet, some blue light began wrapping around the ground like Taiji.

Wuung…

It was the scene of a starry world unfolding in an instant. For jianghu people who experienced the northern battlefield, a space more horrific than any nightmare.

Literary Star sensed with his energy perception. The sky studded with pale stars and the deep blue light were racing across the entire World Tree beyond the central village. Techniques that no jianghu person could now fail to recognize.

Silent Radiance Sword Constellation.

Southern Splendor Vast Taiji.

But that was all.

The echo of intent didn’t ring out.

Nevertheless, Literary Star sensed Jeong Yeon-shin’s presence.

It was by no means friendly. It even exuded a temperament of indifference.

“……”

In the dusk where the untimely starry night and blue Taiji met to form a boundary line, a shadow with long ears was fluttering familiar robes.