Chapter 229 – Treasured Sword (2)

Jeong Yeon-shin stood ten paces away from the two combatants. His stance, arms crossed and motionless, did not appear awkward.

Only fragments of energy waves, spreading like wind, brushed past the hem of his pitch-black sleeves.

“Well now.”

Kang Yoon-chan raised his head. He stood face-to-face with Hyeon Won-chang.

Full Cart Sword Kang Yoon-chan.

A faint bitter smile crept onto his revealed face. It suited his nickname, suggesting he could fill a cart with the texts he had mastered.

Such was the temperament he possessed as a warrior guarding the administrative office. He drew wisdom from both martial and scholarly manuals without distinction.

Kang Yoon-chan was a master vying for blue-rank status. Even an abrupt strike strong enough to shake the air should not have rattled his protective aura.

Not even if the opponent were a black-rank supreme master.

The force applied had not been significant enough to shatter his internal energy barrier. It resembled the pique Leaders often displayed.

It was a scenario very familiar to Desolate Fortress’s masters.

Eccentrics like Divine Sword Deputy Leader, Forest-Treading Leader, and the former Divine Sword Group Leader roamed freely.

They fully exercised their authority under the principles of survival of the fittest and obedience to superiors. Moreover, Lightning Genius hailed from the Desolate Ma Clan’s bloodline.

Few expected anything specific from Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s disposition. Only the new Leader himself remained unaware.

“This Kang’s prattling dragged on too long.”

Kang Yoon-chan rubbed the back of his head. He had delayed the duel’s start without initiating it himself. Since it was not a strike mid-combat, fairness was hard to question.

“Radiant Demon Wing Leader said as much… that it’s noisy.”

He spoke to Hyeon Won-chang with a glint in his eyes. His hand, stroking the back of his head, moved oddly slowly.

It was a gesture probing the texture of the energy wave.

He was obsessed with martial arts. It was said no one in Desolate Fortress lacked genius. He had felt curiosity about the recent strike.

He simply could not turn and ask. It mirrored the murmurs of the gathered warriors. What technique was it?

“Don’t dawdle. I’ve ordered it repeatedly.”

Radiant Demon Wing Leader Lightning Genius spoke.

“This Leader’s experience is shallow, so I’m not adept at provocative rhetoric. However, I know techniques useless in a duel. Compete with your martial arts. I’ll judge fairly based on your skills.”

His subdued voice flowed sincerely. The calm conclusion carried a Leader’s dignity.

“My apologies.”

Kang Yoon-chan said as he reached for his sword hilt. Hyeon Won-chang, who had been standing with an odd expression, drew his blade in response.

Sunlight danced vibrantly along the two sword edges. It was a silent gleam.

Glancing at them, Jeong Yeon-shin briefly reviewed his technique.

‘The palm wind compresses that far.’

Creating a mid-range energy wave was, in itself, simple.

It followed the principle of Striking a Cow Beyond the Mountain. Hit the mountain, and the cow on the other side feels it. Jeong Yeon-shin had struck the air with a brief burst.

He had struck fiercely with an energy wave. It was akin to when he created Wind Body Steps using noble clan movement secrets.

The moment he converged the full-body burst onto one point, the wind responded, delivering the blow. It resembled a technique noble clans favored.

‘Does Shaolin’s Hundred Steps Divine Fist use this principle too?’

Jeong Yeon-shin delved into the subtle logic of martial arts.

The utility was not great compared to the mental effort expended. Hundred Steps Divine Fist was not a technique to wield on a whim.

As the most famous divine supreme art across the martial world, it likely held Shaolin’s millennial secret. It was not something to ponder deeply now.

‘No one should get hurt. Not anyone in headquarters.’

Jeong Yeon-shin lifted his head.

A sharp clang resounded!

A piercing noise erupted, as if striking brass. Swords had clashed. In an instant, a shockwave swept through like a cutting wind, grazing the skin.

Tendons strained in the wrists of Hyeon Won-chang and Kang Yoon-chan as their blades met. The energy waves in their swords were exceedingly powerful.

They shimmered colorless, as if summoning summer heat.

Beyond the blades, Kang Yoon-chan’s lips curved slightly upward.

“Young Hero Hyeon’s sword strength is more impressive than it appears.”

“What’s impressive is your protective aura. The energy shield at your nape must be as thick as your face. To remain so composed after inviting trouble and disgrace, this Hyeon truly admires your skill, Warrior Kang.”

Hyeon Won-chang replied with a playful twitch of his eyebrow. He spoke while trading blows.

His internal breathing was astonishingly deep. It meant he had breath to spare for lengthy banter.

Kang Yoon-chan’s eyes widened slightly.

So did those watching from below.

Zhuge Qing-ya, standing beside Lazy Flame Dragon, showed interest on her impassive face. Her eyelashes lifted faintly.

“His breathing doesn’t match his energy reserves. It’s remarkably deep.”

“A wastrel of dubious origins.”

Lazy Flame Dragon said with a smirk. He plucked a red poppy flower, heedless of Zhuge Qing-ya shaking her head beside him.

“Not transparent like this young master. There’s a sly edge to him, the opposite of me, you could say.”

“You’d do well to mind your words. They say squads under Divine Sword Group are each like small sects, and he’s our fellow Radiant Demon Wing member.”

“That’s why I spoke freely. Judging an irrelevant outsider is for enemies we’d kill. That guy’s got to guard our Leader’s back, hasn’t he?”

A heavy thud sounded! A sharp clang followed!

Their eyes remained fixed on the dueling platform as they talked. The stomps and sword clashes reverberated fiercely.

Vibrations reached the platform’s base. The two swordsmen crossed paths, white sleeves fluttering.

Dozens of sword paths intertwined and collided.

The crowd around Lazy Flame Dragon and Zhuge Qing-ya let out low gasps.

“Full Cart Sword’s sword moves are indeed marvelous. Did you see that upward slash just now? The energy fragments covered the entire front. The wave rose like flower petals. It blocked all of Radiant Demon Technique’s patterns.”

“They say he’s scoured all the Heavenly Gold Arsenal’s manuals… It’s no empty rumor.”

“He mastered every low- and mid-tier text. That’s why he’s Full Cart Sword. A genius is a genius.”

“His observation skills must’ve been honed through unique training. How vast is his knowledge?”

Hyeon Won-chang’s sword momentum was pushed back. His forward steps had long ceased. He braced his feet rearward.

To anyone watching, he was clearly losing, with weaknesses in sword strength and perception glaringly evident.

Kang Yoon-chan, wearing a faint smile, spoke.

“You need to learn humility.”

“What?”

“I know you inwardly dismissed my words. Isn’t that why you can’t fully draw out Leader Jeong’s potential? The martial world doesn’t yet fully grasp Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s caliber.”

Kang Yoon-chan spoke gravely as he thrust his sword. A sharp clang rang out, sparks flying everywhere.

Though Desolate Divine Hero’s internal breathing was deep, he could not afford a verbal sparring in a defensive position.

Hyeon Won-chang was not Jeong Yeon-shin.

It had been less than two years since he joined Desolate Fortress. It was far too early to vie for blue-rank with martial prowess.

Their ages differed too. Full Cart Sword Kang Yoon-chan was a seasoned swordsman in his thirties.

His demeanor alone bespoke courage and capability. He possessed a swordsman’s virtues in abundance.

That was why he remained composed even when facing Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

‘Damn it.’

Hyeon Won-chang’s eyes narrowed.

He kept retreating on the platform. Kang Yoon-chan’s sword strikes, brushing his ears and sleeves, lived up to their reputation.

His opponent’s sword moves made Hyeon Won-chang’s sleeves bristle. The efficiency of the sword burst was remarkable.

‘He’s certainly blue-rank material.’

Hyeon Won-chang did not panic. The symbolic weight of the martial art he would display today mattered.

‘Renowned arts like Plum Blossom Sword or Shaolin Five Fists shine through mid-tier elites. They’re as vital as supreme masters. They say a Plum Blossom Sword Formation by elite swordsmen can trouble even Mount Hua’s Sword Saint.’

Radiant Arts Bond had to start on that level too. It must.

It was the first martial art his young comrade created solely for Radiant Demon Wing.

Jeong Yeon-shin had crafted it. Everyone would come to know it. That was why he paid no heed to the crowd’s chatter.

“Radiant Demon Wing’s strength is famed, but… how can hastily recruited forces coordinate? That guy’s no different. Great Tongue Sword Hyeon Won-chang. Radiant Demon Wing Leader is a hero hard to support with ordinary talent.”

[TL Note- idk where did that Great Tongue Sword came from, it’s the first time it was mentioned. Maybe it’s a new nickname for him due to his sharp tongue.]

“His future’s promising. It’s just now that’s lacking.”

“It’s the limit of Radiant Demon Wing, reduced to a fledgling squad overnight. So many were gravely injured.”

“At least they’ve barely filled the gaps. All that’s left is to grow with the new Leader. No need to disparage them now. It’d insult those who died in Sichuan.”

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

At that moment.

Sword trajectories clashed at their peak.

A heavy boom resounded!

Kang Yoon-chan stomped forward as he parried. An energy wave erupted from the Yongquan acupoint on his sole as he struck down hard.

A colorless torrent surged from his ankle. It sliced through the air fiercely.

It flared up to his waist, unleashing immense force. He leaned forward, slashing outward, tearing the air violently.

A deafening roar followed!

The energy cloaking the blade seemed to chew through the void. Then, suddenly, Hyeon Won-chang swung his treasured sword downward from above. It was a direct counter-strike.

Just before the blades crossed, a buzzing like a swarm of bees spread.

The sound emanated from Hyeon Won-chang’s grip. It rose alongside the radiance enveloping his hand.

White light strands wrapped the blade in an instant. For a brief moment, they unraveled outward like threads from the sun.

It was different from before.

Light strands unseen prior bloomed as Hyeon Won-chang unleashed his energy wave. They stretched out in a truly beautiful arc.

“That…!”

The crowd leapt from the stands. Every warrior with discernment did so.

A technique no one had anticipated emerged. It resembled the move Radiant Demon Wing Leader had shown earlier.

A secret art thought exclusive to Lightning Genius unfolded from a mere subordinate’s hand.

It shattered the rigid assumptions based on common sense.

A thunderous roar erupted!

Hyeon Won-chang’s treasured sword, wreathed in radiant currents, surged forward. It deflected his opponent’s strike outright.

The energy wave’s momentum scraped the air, as if clawing at the ears.

It was an astonishingly ferocious slash. Even in that fleeting instant, the art’s essence shone through.

The straight, forceful sword path reflected its creator’s temperament. It held true right up to the moment it reached its foe.

‘Madness!’

Kang Yoon-chan’s eyes widened. The sword he had thrust outward snapped back to his chest, burdened by Hyeon Won-chang’s blade.

He could not withstand the amplified sword force in that split second. His body felt on the verge of being cleaved apart.

Beyond the dazzling, elegant sword energy wave, Hyeon Won-chang’s dark eyes sank chillingly.

Beneath the ornate Hero’s Band, his narrowed gaze brimmed with killing intent. It was razor-sharp.

He wielded the same martial art as Radiant Demon Wing Leader, yet the difference in wielder made it worlds apart.

A heavy thud resounded!

Hyeon Won-chang twisted his wrist, striking Kang Yoon-chan’s forehead with the flat of his blade.

A massive shockwave spread. Amid the deep, resonant echo rippling outward, white light strands danced chaotically.

Each was an energy wave, transforming into sharp threads that shredded Kang Yoon-chan’s upper robe to tatters.

A tearing sound ripped through!

Even the aftermath felt like a blade of threads. Hyeon Won-chang had tempered the blow by using the flat, sparing all he could. Controlling the residual energy was beyond him.

He gazed at Kang Yoon-chan’s well-honed body with disdain.

“Compared to our Leader, your external skills are soft.”

Hyeon Won-chang spoke and continued.

“Regardless, your words were wrong. I’m just a good peer? No.”

Kang Yoon-chan remained silent.

“Not just good—exceptionally so. Too much for Full Cart Sword’s thick skull to fathom.”

A swift flick followed!

He shook his sword lightly, as if dusting it off.

Radiant Arts Bond.

The martial art Radiant Demon Wing Leader had forged as the squad’s signature finally manifested.

It tore through the noisy air with a vibrant energy wave, crumbling like a halo from the gaps in Hyeon Won-chang’s hand.

The once-brilliant light dimmed as if it had never shone, scattering into fragments.

It was a scene that imposed silence. As if demanding it.

In an instant, the vast central training ground froze. No one present lacked insight.

The incantations need not be seen to know.

‘That’s a divine supreme art.’

The gathered masters of Desolate Fortress silently agreed. Even without spiritual infusion, it would earn such a title.

Sichuan Tang Clan’s Myriad Heavens Flower Rain was such an art.

It felt different from when Lightning Genius wielded it. A supreme master’s strike, elite among factions, was hard to fully catch with the eye.

The speed alone set it apart. Hyeon Won-chang displayed it fully.

He had concealed an unheard-of supreme art like a dagger, not revealing it from the start. It was an assassin’s instinct. Hardly typical of a common killer.

He amassed energy through ordinary moves, then unleashed it in a single supreme strike. Only innate talent could explain it.

It was far from factions that relied on vile ambushes.

Suddenly.

Lazy Flame Dragon’s laughter broke the silence. The crowd’s gazes split between the officiating Radiant Demon Wing Leader and Hyeon Won-chang, who had caused the upset.

“…That.”

Kang Yoon-chan parted his lips beside him. His face was expressionless, almost dazed. Yet a star-like yearning flickered in his eyes.

“What is that technique?”

He asked.

Hyeon Won-chang raised a corner of his mouth. He channeled energy into the Renying acupoints beside his throat and the Lian Tian acupoint above his vocal cords.

It was an internal energy technique akin to Desolate Divine Hero’s specialty.

Even suppressing the energy’s vibration to maintain dignity was remarkable. It was a skill few could replicate.

He spoke at once. Not through transmission, but in a voice loud enough to pierce the ears of every warrior in the central training ground.

“Radiant Arts Bond.”

His refined voice spread outward.

As energy moved lightly in his throat, his tone remained grave. It resonated heavily, like the Yangtze’s waves.

“It was created by Radiant Demon Wing Leader to serve as our squad’s standard.”

Hyeon Won-chang concluded, then spoke again. This time with his natural voice.

“It’s Radiant Demon Wing’s exclusive art. You won’t find it in the Heavenly Gold Arsenal even after a lifetime of searching.”