Chapter 776 – To My Younger Brother, From The Heavenly Demon (9)

The night sky where the moon retreated.

It was extremely dim. The moonlight that had been fairly bright was swallowed by a sea of clouds. Like a lantern blocked by white paper screens.

The sea of clouds that was drawn from the horizon as if wound on a cartwheel could not escape the sky due to a single sword technique.

In such dimmed moonlight, shadows on the ground faintly rippled. Including the silhouette of an old Taoist who leisurely severed Literary Star’s shoulder that burned with blue light.

Rustle.

Literary Star’s left arm fell like a blade of grass.

It happened the moment his breath grew thick. Not only all the fine meridians throughout his body, but even his dantian had overheated. Because they had already exchanged countless moves almost equally.

If the old Taoist took even one direct hit from a fist strike, he would die instantly. That’s why Literary Star’s fists never landed. The old Taoist who stepped onto Literary Star’s right fist that thrust forward while creating cracks in space as if flowing on clouds.

In the moment their eyes aligned, the old Taoist’s Pine Pattern Ancient Sword was already seeping toward the side of Literary Star’s nape.

Kwang!

The Enter The Divine Spear that thrust in at ultra-high speed loaded onto the blade surface of Pine Pattern Ancient Sword that instantly changed trajectory. There was no collision. The spear merely struck down vertically following Pine Pattern Ancient Sword’s guidance. Only then did the spear shaft’s energy pulverize the World Tree’s leaves, but Enter The Divine Spear fell to the distant ground.

Blood King and Jin Myeong-jo flew in stepping on those remains like bats. Afterimages of Body Shifting techniques fragmented from their bodies like wingbeats, yet the old Taoist’s eyes remained still as the universe.

Until Blood King’s head suddenly caught the night breeze and flew away.

“……?!”

It was sword wind. It flickered darkly just from the old Taoist adjusting his sword grip.

A trajectory that severed and split the upper dantian between the brows. Because Jin Myeong-jo had pushed Blood King’s nape first, it stopped at the neck. Jin Myeong-jo’s right hand was cut off along with it, naturally.

Uwoong.

Jin Myeong-jo grasped that scattering blood and drew a sword of dark red mist. A formless sword that had become even darker, but before it could be swung, the old Taoist stepped on it. Dark Night Brilliant Blood Demon Sword scattering again like blood mist.

It was a counter.

In an instant, he reverse-calculated the principle and shattered the formless sword’s true energy structure. A realm of speed that even reflected the scene of hazy moonlight fragments falling. The old Taoist’s leisurely steps lightly touched Jin Myeong-jo’s temple.

Crack.

A neck that shattered along with its protective strong energy.

Jin Myeong-jo’s neck twisted bizarrely like a bat’s corpse. Simultaneously, Pine Pattern Ancient Sword pointed at him as he fell. Leisurely, as if using the empty air beneath his feet as a cane.

In that instant, the sword strike shockwaves pouring from the blade tip were like transparent drizzle. After repeated explosions, Jin Myeong-jo finally scattered like a thunderbolt made of blood clots. The blood that had been his body disappeared through gaps in tree branches.

The end of thousands of exchanges.

“……”

It was a silence that had already descended many times.

It deepened with each repetition. To the point where only Literary Star broke the silence. Even now, the one-armed giant stood stepping on grass blade tips, speaking calmly.

“It’s Sword Rain. How do you use forgotten martial arts of old eras so appropriately? And Grafting Wood technique that blocks Enter The Divine Spear every time is simply on another level.”

It was to boost his internal energy breathing.

“As expected, you see one move ahead. Is it an eye technique?”

Hwaryeok.

Literary Star’s skin revealing deep sword scars whenever blue flames rippled. Every sword mark penetrated to his acupoints. Because his protective strong energy was crushed by the old Taoist’s blade and often burrowed into Literary Star’s body.

Already combat incapable.

Most masters who had climbed to the top and fallen were like that.

That scene.

Lazy Flame Dragon, who had long ago stood atop the World Tree’s peak, moved his hand. He quietly bit a dried flower in his mouth.

“Wisdom Sword…”

Words that flowed between his teeth.

The name of an art that made even Heavenly Steel Light Armor annihilation into his sword qi. It was the sword technique that created the saying “Ten Thousand Swords Look Back at Southern Wudang.”

Cloud Stepping technique that created one-on-one moments regardless of the situation, of course, even possessed the World Tree’s nature that made close combat impossible. In other words, nature in human form.

Lazy Flame Dragon whispered rapidly through Bright Wind Cave.

[The Deputy Leader who just fell. Do you think he’ll survive? In the end he touched the monster’s foot… blood demon’s regeneration ability requires innate qi to manifest, doesn’t it.]

[…I order as Grand Administrator. Don’t be concerned about others’ deaths and fatal injuries. Focus only on somehow drawing the monster to the ground. So the One Hundred Eight Arhat Formation, Seven Star Sword Formation, and the Divine Sword Group’s Radiant Art can bind him…]

[No matter how I see it, it’s impossible. That invisible internal energy shell, meaning that monster’s protective strong energy extremely restricts close combat.]

[I know. They said only an immortal swordsman can face him directly. One who remained intact even after having innate qi and spirituality absorbed by the World Tree…]

[Because of that transparent protective strong energy and Cloud Stepping, combined attacks don’t work. Didn’t everyone die competing one-on-one in those eternal-seeming instants? Those who are at least breathing are in meditation below.]

Every peerless master not at the top was like that.

Only five people entered Lazy Flame Dragon’s vision right now. Literary Star who could only use one hand, the disheveled Tyrant Hero, the Demon Realm’s emperor exhaling dark steam, Baek Seo-gun with a single sword floating behind her, a Western Lama monk in neat orange robes…

‘That one is called Dharma King.’

She showed no sign of joining the fight. She had helped the Divine Sword Group’s battle considerably, but now only glanced below the tree from the corner of her eye. Like an assassin waiting for someone’s emergence from seclusion.

Should he count only four masters excluding the Dharma King as their strength? No. Literary Star and Tyrant Hero already had less energy than the slightly recovered opium addict.

Right now, all the masters across the World Tree must be feeling with their upper dantians the profundity of a night sky that even swallowed moonlight. The intuition that they must resist with bodies where personal martial arts were meaningless against an irresistible dragon fist wind.

‘If only there had been no protective strong energy of tree bark, would the result have been different?’

Suddenly Tyrant Hero and Literary Star seeped into moonlight along with the old Taoist.

Those who disappeared as soon as they moved. A massive path several hundred zhang in diameter was carved toward the northern leaves direction. A literally erased space like a furrow.

[Can’t last long.]

It was Literary Star’s transmission.

Lazy Flame Dragon who shook his head added words across all of Bright Wind Cave.

[Retreat for now. Unlike us weak Radiant Demon Wing First Group, this lively young master will try to buy even a little time…]

Suddenly.

The night sky that had been pulling the hazy moon halo like thread and rotating was spread out like ebony as if snatched by someone. The heavenly dome regaining its form in an instant. The Taiji force domain that boosted the old Taoist’s movements with ‘Zhang Sanfeng’s’ footwork energy shattered completely.

Some giant descended the night sky.

Stepping on clouds like palace stairs with endlessly limping legs.

Step.

Lazy Flame Dragon’s face turned pale. He wondered. He can move?

Fighting God.

He killed Clan Leader Wei Yeon three times and pushed her once more to death’s threshold. He faced her Transcendent Martial Art multiple times without his own Transcendent Martial Art. The reason Lazy Flame Dragon could completely kill Wei Yeon. With such an achievement, even in a carnage, he could lie down with a liquor bottle.

He would have done so himself.

Step.

Fighting God stepped on the World Tree’s peak. Simultaneously, his eyes met Lazy Flame Dragon’s.

Did he have Baihui acupoint foresight? Lazy Flame Dragon thought Fighting God’s eyes flashed like Jeong Yeon-shin’s. It was now the upper dantian spirit domain that even Lazy Flame Dragon had somewhat entered.

Fighting God’s mouth opened.

“You.”

“What at a time like this…?”

“You conserve your energy. There will be use for it.”

“You?”

“My heavenly mandate continued from tomorrow to now. From that day in my wandering childhood when I didn’t perform military courtesy to Southern Emperor at first meeting.”

Fighting God’s arm rose to the side.

Regardless of circumstances, it was a precursor to attack. Northern jianghu people always were. Fighting God would be even more so.

[Nadam dance.]

An echo that flowed into Lazy Flame Dragon as meaning Transcendent Martial Art. Fighting God’s intent roughly caressed the leaves beneath his feet.

[A bountiful feast.]

When the phrase Seven Stars Joyous Dance flickered in listeners’ minds.

Suddenly the Big Dipper became clear in the moonlit night.

There was no time to feel the bright seven halos of light. Because the old Taoist holding Pine Pattern Ancient Sword was already formed in Fighting God’s hands that had ascended first.

Formed. It truly only looked that way.

Lazy Flame Dragon belatedly realized. That Fighting God had discerned the old Taoist’s movements flowing at invisible speed.

Pajijijijijik!

Space bent and curved like lightning strands through Fighting God’s hand gaps. Tremendous repulsive force. Fighting God’s Grappling Technique was clearly strange. Because it ignored the tree bark’s internal energy barrier that stole even innate qi and spirituality.

By what means did he discern it?

How did he reach it?

[That guy…?]

[Fighting God!]

Tyrant Hero and Literary Star’s questions inevitably followed. They belatedly stopped their ultra-high-speed guard nerves, but as soon as they revealed themselves, fell side by side below the leafy ground. Because of bodies that had reached their limits. Lazy Flame Dragon spat out to Tyrant Hero in his confusion.

[If you come again it’s the fourth time. Don’t come up anymore, or your grandson will cry again.]

Around then, the old Taoist’s snow-white eyebrows moved for the first time. Because his face had been consistently calm, the change stood out.

Fighting God laughed heartily and said.

[I grew up in a land without law or order. There is nothing in my hands. So what can you read and absorb?]

No-form fighting style.

It doesn’t permit foresight. Because it was built without form through experience and instinct, eye techniques are useless. Even against the greatest swordsman of all time, it was so.

“The bark.”

Finally the old Taoist’s words opened.

“Does not recognize you as something nutritious. Therefore absorption does not occur.”

The tone had clear inflections. It was truly a tone like ‘Zhang Sanfeng.’ In that instant Lazy Flame Dragon realized the opponent was no different from a person and trembled, but Fighting God answered nonchalantly.

[Isn’t dance a gesture expressing oneself? I am barren land, merely soil that longed for abundance all my life…]

Fighting God continued peacefully.

[All creation must know this too.]

The sight of him adding that even tree bark was no exception was reckless. Despite having energy to stop the old Taoist only once.

Lazy Flame Dragon raised energy waves from his entire body and infused intent into transmission.

[You deceived the World Tree’s protective strong energy with upper dantian spirituality? What kind of Transcendent Martial Art is it that ‘Zhang Sanfeng’ only watches you with interest?]

[A battlefield’s banquet means making the same expressions as comrades. Though I’m poor at arts, now I can be complete in both arts and martial arts like Southern Emperor, though I can’t converse with horses I can achieve man-horse unity like Northern Blade, and I might once beat Literary Star at arm wrestling, and can look at you with eyes as experienced as Flame Butcher.]

Not an existence that epitomized a few strengths, but the perfect sum of the Six Star Lords. Talent is ultimately the body’s intimate movements, so it would be the ultimate technique of Fighting God, who had mastered combat, unleashing his lifelong close friends. He couldn’t help but be omnipotent.

Lazy Flame Dragon asked.

[If you’d used this when fighting Wei Yeon, you could have won quite easily…?]

[My life isn’t as futile as that old hag’s.]

In the instant questions and answers occurred like light beams.

Fighting God was pulling up translucent clothing from the old Taoist’s body with hand movements faster than Martial Star’s starlight.

[Convenient martial arts combine weaknesses like this. Moreover, this armor has no charm.]

Zzjejejejejejejeong!

[It doesn’t suit Nadam.]

Tremendous roars following one after another in an instant. Lazy Flame Dragon clearly witnessed it. The scene of the tree bark’s protective strong energy peeling off from the old Taoist’s body and scattering.

Fighting God’s energy lasted only that far.

Rustle.

His limbs’ meridians were cut by the sword path that circularly swept his body. He wasn’t severed because his body momentarily surpassed even Literary Star’s, but still, immediate recovery was impossible… In the instant blood gushed forth, Fighting God still smiled. Lazy Flame Dragon’s intuition followed like a light beam, of course. That Fighting God wasn’t one who hoped for luck.

‘There’s a reason he intervened now. Like the young Fortress Lord at times, did he foresee the future…?!’

[I knew to come now. Because I’ve long awaited this moment.]

Fighting God’s echo.

Two silhouettes formed in Lazy Flame Dragon’s eyes as he raised his head. One embedded into the World Tree with shockwaves trailing like a comet, and the other shadow descended riding moonlight.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!

The latter was Jeong Yeon-shin.

He manifested stepping on the roar. Gripping one sword-blue night sky and one milk-white divine sword in each hand. An appearance like folding wings formed from moonlight and starlight.

Somehow, Lazy Flame Dragon felt those steps had passed through many paths and reached the destination. Fighting God’s voice, already long fallen, reached him faintly.

“This land’s fate has arrived.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who lowered his two swords, faced Zhang Sanfeng.