Chapter 765 – Three Radiances Demon (11)

“Jianghu has gathered. To save one younger brother… Well, it’s not the first time, but the scale is different from Hangzhou.”

[…Wait and see. There’s still time to think of moves. In the peerless realm, it’s but an instant.]

“How do you feel? I’m genuinely curious.”

[Focus on our sword debate. I melted your Heavenly Demon Divine Armor with Heavenly Steel Light Armor’s release force. The strike point is your solar plexus.]

“Why are you so obsessed with debating swords with this Cult Leader?”

[Don’t lower your voice like that.]

“I’m really curious why.”

[It’s to adapt to your upper energy center. I need to be able to handle your senses, intuition, reactions and such.]

“What?”

[I might have to compete with such an existence. It’s Taoist Sanfeng’s arrangement.]

“Before asking what exactly is planned, I need to address this first. Can we get out of here? I thought my younger brother would watch the outside forever… Finding solace in seeing his martial lineage prosper.”

[Taoist Sanfeng said he once entered the tree without the World Tree knowing.]

“What’s so impressive about that? It was possible for me too.”

[You entered with demonic arts and don’t even know how to leave, but the Taoist was different. A sword imbued with Natural Energy can momentarily open and close the inside and outside of the tree. The World Tree is also an aggregate of Natural Energy, he said.]

“Ah, he used the Natural Sword as a key…? So that’s how that deranged Wudang Sect Leader can come here.”

[It would be difficult to extract many people with just one Natural Sword though.]

“So, why is my younger brother obsessed with my mouth?”

[I must become the greatest under heaven here.]

* * *

The manifestation of Ma Yeon-jeok.

The one who reacted immediately wasn’t Yue Shou-lin.

A secret transmission came first.

—Clan Leader, could you please disengage and come this way…

Was it because of the azure flame that disrupted the transmission network? Grand Administrator Qian So-ming’s voice also reached Yue Shou-lin’s ears.

In an instant, Yue Shou-lin’s arm blurred.

Enter The Divine Spear, which had blown off his head with a bang, ran for a while before returning. Following the spear throw’s curved trajectory, over a dozen heads belatedly exploded and burst upward from the shockwaves.

Full power in one instant. For a peerless master who learned Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, even a sudden single strike was like a natural disaster.

“Divine Sword Group Leader…!”

“The Grand Administrator was conversing with you! How can you be so ruthless?!”

The World Tree masters’ energy waves distorted space like summer sunlight.

But to Yue Shou-lin, it only appeared a bizarre scene. Because their reaction was too weak to be outraged over the death of someone practically like sect brothers.

‘It must be because of the regeneration ability.’

Qian So-ming would rise again. Compared to reviving a peerless master, it would take even less effort.

The man of azure flame, who was always ignorant of rumors, asked back blankly.

“Divine Sword Group Leader? You?”

“That’s what happened.”

Bang!

When Yue Shou-lin struck the spear shaft to the ground, blood scattered in all directions. Setting Enter The Divine Spear aside, now clean as if never thrown, she slowly moved her lips.

[You most ruthless ones under heaven.]

Yue Shou-lin’s Six Directions Voice Transmission continued in an archaic tone like a declaration of war.

[Hand over Lord Desolate Fortress Lord Jeong’s honored body.]

It rang so intensely that it spread even beyond the vast World Tree. To anyone listening, it was a declaration of war right before the final battle.

The World Tree masters at the front advanced with indifferent faces.

Thud.

Heavy steps unlike noble clan lightness skill. Because they were movements accumulating release force with each advancing step.

“I see many familiar faces.”

When Ma Yeon-jeok approached while furrowing his brow, they naturally executed retreating footwork like groves nodding.

Movements to secure distance. A learned response.

“Old Ma should open the path.”

Yue Shou-lin said while nodding to herself.

“Great-great-great predecessor should create a good one-on-one situation for the current generation.”

But Ma Yeon-jeok seemed not to hear even with his ear. He only asked the World Tree masters sarcastically.

“Will you die painfully, or will you die and be eternally painful?”

A middle-aged Daoist gave a hollow laugh.

“Those words are truly unchanged. That’s right, you were insolent to the Clan Leader and received a beating from Annihilation Seat.”

He had a massive build that brought to mind Forest Treading Leader Xiahou Wei-jin, with black hair grown smooth as silk. Immediately Literary Star’s transmission pierced into Yue Shou-lin.

—He’s called Never Forget Hall Lord Hyeon Wi-rim, they say. The World Tree’s Seventeen Hall Lords organized after the Divine Sword Group’s Seventeen Great Squad Leaders… Though he hasn’t achieved Three Flowers Gathering at Crown, he was quite a sharp swordsman. Like the main city’s veteran blue ranks receiving concentrated support from the World Tree.

—Weren’t you catching your breath? Not yet?

—Please wait just a little. Just enough to read the Elementary Learning while savoring it…

By then, Never Forget Hall Lord Hyeon Wi-rim was making eye contact with Ma Yeon-jeok. With one hand gripping a shoulder-height sword hilt.

“Ominous Dream, you’re not the only one who became formidable enough to reach transformation. The tribe has changed, I say.”

“Can you not speak?”

The one Ma Yeon-jeok addressed wasn’t Hyeon Wi-rim. Where he gestured with his chin, the World Tree’s Jeong Yeon-shin was concentrating on accumulating energy in the form of the current Lord Desolate Fortress.

A changed stance as soon as the wide-area Fan Dragon Flower Treading Technique was broken by Ma Yeon-jeok’s energy waves.

A bygone era.

The Divine Sword Group Leader and Divine Sword Deputy Group Leader of that time.

It must be because they remembered the rumors about Ma Yeon-jeok and Yue Shou-lin’s combined attacks.

Wrinkles formed on Hyeon Wi-rim’s brow.

“What safety does a doomed one…”

Rip.

His head was pulled up with his frowning face intact. Ma Yeon-jeok dropped the head with an insignificant gesture.

Before it could even touch the ground, robes fluttering before ‘Jeong Yeon-shin.’

[You oversized bookworm.]

A pale pink color.

[Move aside.]

It was the intent Ma Yeon-jeok spat at Literary Star across space. When some emotion faintly formed on Literary Star’s pale face, Yue Shou-lin had already overtaken the two madmen like a beam of light and pierced Jeong Yeon-shin’s body with her spear.

The roughly torn vine ground instantly shot up like dust.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaang!

In the space distorted in a straight line, a roar like tearing steel plates exploded.

‘The big job is the Divine Sword Group Leader’s share.’

She thought.

All of them were unreliable.

Whether the old man who belittled an external cultivation monster as a bookworm, or the monster who took those words as praise.

Especially since ‘Jeong Yeon-shin’ stood before her, gripping Enter The Divine Spear’s blade with both hands.

Kureureung!

The existence of Jeong Yeon-shin wearing Heavenly Steel Light Armor might even surpass the Fighting God. But to receive Dream Flight Yue Shou-lin’s spear strike, hand techniques like Grasping Blades with Bare Hands weren’t enough.

He used both hands.

Where did the formless sword Starry Night go?

‘Controlled sword!’

The moment Yue Shou-lin’s blue eye radiance flashed, Starry Night was just about to pierce through the side of her head.

Huuk!

It suddenly collided with a fierce blue fist that burst in while tilting space.

Simultaneously the sky rippled in streams as if covered in heat haze. A deafening roar reached Yue Shou-lin’s ears. Starry Night shot straight up into the distant sky along with tremendous shockwaves. The distance it bounced vertically was easily several hundred zhang.

[Now that I’ve confronted it, I understand that formless sword’s framework! It’s intent that draws grandfather! Yeon-shin…!]

Ma Yeon-jeok burst out with terrifying intent.

Though his fist was charred black, the energy waves of Crimson Ashes Hidden Heart remained fiercely unchanged. Enough that the rain of arrows pouring down on them lost their way and scattered. It was so each time Ma Yeon-jeok spoke.

Even though all the archery strikes were unified noble clan archery martial arts.

Zzejeng! Zzejejejejejeong!

To the absolute master of tyrannical martial arts, unless it was ultra-transcendent archery martial arts, it wouldn’t work. Unless Heaven-reaching Bow Count turned his arrowheads this way, because of Ma Yeon-jeok, the archery masters at the World Tree’s peak would be meaningless.

[You imitation tree, if not me, who would suit you?]

Ma Yeon-jeok with his back to Yue Shou-lin’s gleamed with fierce blue eye radiance.

Simultaneously the World Tree’s Jeong Yeon-shin exhaled a short breath. The azure flame dharma power that had been wrapping around Ma Yeon-jeok’s entire body also shattered like glass shards at the same time.

“……!”

Crimson Ashes Hidden Heart.

They said it was Ming Cult Leader Invincible’s method to break Jeong Yeon-shin. Also an energy cultivation that had been thoroughly analyzed by Jeong Yeon-shin again.

Yue Shou-lin roughly pulled Ma Yeon-jeok’s nape.

—I’m the front.

Simultaneously the ground beneath Yue Shou-lin’s feet became empty. It was right after the World Tree masters bursting in from both her sides were crushed along with their weapons. Literary Star’s single fist’s aftereffects and his Bright Wind Cave transmission spread simultaneously.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaang—!

[The Deputy Grand Administrator will cover the Group Leader.]

‘What is this now…!’

Yue Shou-lin felt trapped in vacuum. It was because Literary Star’s fist strike recoil bounced even her and Ma Yeon-jeok at a tremendous speed. A feeling of unrealistic pressure carrying her entire body. Whether it was trust in great achievement realm Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, he seemed to have unhesitatingly used full power.

Thus the two.

Quiiiiiiiiiiuuung—!

Where they soared while tearing the atmosphere, a horizon existed. Ma Yeon-jeok, who incredibly wrapped himself in azure flames again, had a calm face. He simply stepped on the dusky horizon and stood atop the World Tree.

There was no ground.

The tips of the World Tree’s branch leaves.

A lofty domain.

Though composed of such dense groves, it was as vast as if overlapping with the horizon. To use it as a dwelling, one would need to constantly deploy ultra-transcendent lightness skill.

It was actually so.

Because the scholar-styled noble clans were adding their voices to the Wind King technique’s transmission network.

“Northwest direction, Demon Realm martial military forces observed. The Nine Complete Guests should urgently return.”

“Those detained by Demented Sword and Seal Palm, listen. Those two are suppressing you only with release force aftereffects in their panic. The moment regeneration ability activates, if you exert lightness skill at full power, you can escape. Since your opponents are the former generation Divine Sword Group Leader and Nine Great Sects’ leader, it’s no shame.”

“Reporting in obedience to the Clan Leader’s summons. If choosing between Blue Eyed Demon Sword and Lazy Flame Dragon, it would be proper to first kill Blue Eyed Demon Sword. As you’re experiencing now, a peerless master with Scorching Divine Meridian doesn’t tire. Also, since suspicion has been raised that Lord Desolate Fortress Lightning Genius is watching the outside from inside the main trunk, to hasten his unification, the spirit must be disturbed…”

“Confirmed regeneration of Yun Xiong and Yang Cheon. Where should they be deployed?”

“To Grand Administrator Lim Jin-ming’s side.”

The voices bursting with energy waves were rapid-fire fast. Everyone’s lip techniques were at deep realms.

The only ones not moving at all were two. The peerless masters who discovered Yue Shou-lin and Ma Yeon-jeok first. Beautiful women with drums and bows respectively, with black and blue hair flowing down.

Gyo Cheon and Heaven-reaching Bow Count.

Only after several breaths did the noble clan woman moving her mouth make eye contact with Ma Yeon-jeok.

Her mouth twisted.

“Right now this place is… Ominous Dream…!”

All the peak noble clans’ breathing faintly scattered. The moment the World Tree’s Law Enforcement Department masters simultaneously emerged from their trance-like state.

Ma Yeon-jeok only glanced downward.

Yue Shou-lin sensed that direction with her energy perception. Starry Night gripped in Literary Star’s hands was bursting out as is. The moment’s vibration also shook the entire World Tree simultaneously.

Keugeugeugeugeugeung—!

“I don’t match with that fellow. I’ll have to substitute later.”

“…When the Grand Administrator isn’t on the front line, it is right for the Deputy Grand Administrator to devise strategy.”

This case was the same.

It meant to eliminate them. Those who analyzed all battles from the peak and exerted themselves in archery martial arts while giving instructions for breaking techniques.

The opponent was Jeong Yeon-shin.

If they clumsily combined attacks, like Namgung First Sword and Dark Night Palace Leader once, they might be killed by each other’s techniques. An incident that had already greatly shocked the jianghu.

“……”

Suddenly Heaven-reaching Bow Count drew her bowstring.

An arrow of energy formed from between her fingers to the bow, and instantly emitted a resonant sound—jiiiing.

A bluish light beam.

A formless arrow that inevitably required pouring immense mental power each time used. Literally a technique corresponding to formless swords. It was the price for allowing Yue Shou-lin and Ma Yeon-jeok distance.

Because by the time one pulled arrows from the quiver on one’s back, one’s head would be flying off.

She moved her lips.

“Two old monsters had their great glory stolen by a rolling boulder? If it’s Six Star Lords Literary Star, he would have killed Desolate Fortress warriors quite thoroughly during the Divine Sword Group’s northern expedition.”

She spoke of glory.

As Heaven-reaching Bow Count said.

Battles in various places were being cleaned up little by little. The truth about the World Tree’s fruit would also become known. That it took the form of a person who entered the tree throughout long years, finally leading the noble tribe.

In other words, it was acceptable to say a rare-throughout-all-time martial forest gathering had unfolded.

A jianghu where the martial arts of all people reached their peak.

Who under the current heaven possessed martial arts capable of plotting against Lord Desolate Fortress Jeong Yeon-shin?

Those with aliases shining like stars would gather. Just as Ma Yeon-jeok stood beside Yue Shou-lin.

‘And…’

Yue Shou-lin felt it.

Below.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwa—

Literary Star’s massive frame repeatedly collided with Jeong Yeon-shin at terrifying speed. It felt similar to the fighting path of Jeong Yeon-shin who, according to what she once received reports of, went mad with rage at Nether Stream Squad Leader Woon So-hyeon’s death during the northern expedition.

Literary Star was moving like a war god.