Chapter 304 – Tamed Nezha (3)

It was a sword energy that formed like flower petals.

Burning semi-transparently, it brushed past Zhuge Clan Leader’s face and fell away.

Saaaa—

Jeong Yeon-shin felt the power of divinity surging like waves within his body. This was while completely shattering all ten strands of Zhuge Clan Leader’s Yin and Yang Divine Whip.

Amid the mystical upper dantian ability that enveloped his entire body, his internal energy perfectly matched the speed of his thoughts. It felt as though he had finally found clothes that fit him properly.

He had entered a completely different world.

[Ink Qilin As Commanded…!]

The incantation from Zhuge Clan Leader, who had black mist swirling around both feet, revealed his bewilderment. This came right after he made a great leap backward upon witnessing the world-shaking enlightenment from Jeong Yeon-shin.

As a mystical practitioner, he was adept at creating distance. The sound of his pure white robe hem fluttering violently like a storm was deafening.

His display of close-combat martial arts had vanished.

The crowd surrounding them was shocked by this alone. The expressions of masters whose eyes gleamed with technique changed dramatically.

However, the advantage gained by the peerless master’s sacrifice of dignity was substantial.

Hwaaaak!

His evasive footwork was incredibly fast. Zhuge Clan Leader had retreated three zhang before one could even blink.

His lips silently formed the character ‘Grand.’ A peerless master of mystical martial arts uses even the briefest moment to prepare his next powerful strike.

For him, it was Grand Thunder. The martial art that had incapacitated Blood Guardian.

Thud.

Jeong Yeon-shin landed among the fragments of the White Crane Fan, slightly bending his knee.

He didn’t show himself straightening up. The moment his figure disappeared from that spot, a thunderous sound swept through the arena.

Jjeojeojeojeong—!

The earth revealed its reddish-yellow flesh as it was overturned in a long line. It was as if a dragon’s body had swept through.

With tremendous friction force, water vapor rose to envelop the sky, making the sun appear hazy.

After Northern Light Divine Sword properly struck Zhuge Clan Leader’s abdominal protective energy, Jeong Yeon-shin was at close range, raising his left hand with Brilliant River to strike.

It was aimed at his chest. Following his hand that extended from his wounded shoulder, space bent and twisted.

The moment the spiral energy waves of environmental force that surged violently penetrated Zhuge Clan Leader’s collar, a loud bang erupted as flesh and blood burst forth like vomit.

Fragments of colorless protective energy that had been mercilessly torn apart belatedly mixed in.

Puhwak!

The sound came after the strike had landed. The battle’s dynamics had completely changed.

Zhuge Clan Leader’s eyes, thrown upward into the air, widened with shock.

‘This b*st*rd, he read the structure of my protective energy…!’

It wasn’t a reckless strike.

The spiral energy waves that surged in streams filled the extremely minute gaps in his protective energy like they were being filled in, then exploded—it was a move that completely shattered the internal energy barrier.

It was different from before when he couldn’t match the speed. The full capabilities of Radiant Demon Wing Leader Lightning Genius were now on display.

He shouldn’t have allowed the distance.

In the martial world, there are as many combat methods as there are martial lineages.

He entered Desolate Spear’s range, determined to sever Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s throat. It was a grave mistake for a practitioner of mystical martial arts.

It was an extremely fatal error. Especially in a battle between those whose single strikes could end each other’s lives.

If he had continued to maintain distance, such a situation would not have unfolded.

Woooooong!

The forms of both men floated about three zhang into the air. The strong wind that bluntly surrounded their ears felt like a wind from another world. It was the same for both of them.

Beneath Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet, who had stuck to Zhuge Clan Leader, a hazy white light distorted.

The lightness skill Ten Li Gentle Light absolutely never allowed the opponent to gain distance. The same was true for Jeong Yeon-shin’s innate combat sense.

[Nine Clouds Fierce Flame Crown…!]

“Too late.”

Northern Light Divine Sword moved upward. It was already stained with the blood of its battered owner.

The blade swam through a different time axis. While being wrapped strand by strand in the hazy colorless sword energy of Judgment Qilin’s swift sword.

Energy waves burst forth from his arm as propulsive force.

The trajectory of the sword suddenly seemed to disappear as it rose, then reappeared in Zhuge Clan Leader’s abdomen where his protective energy was being reconstructed.

Immediately after, the shockwave that rose like flames along Jeong Yeon-shin’s forearm created a long, thunderous sound.

Jjeojeong! Kwakwakwang—!

Colorless energy currents scattered from Zhuge Clan Leader’s body. His entire body’s protective energy had shattered in a single strike.

The sword strike that had deeply penetrated even split his dantian. It was close to the quintessence of short decisive battles.

The two men fell slowly.

Jeong Yeon-shin with his sword lowered, his tattered black robe fluttering, and Zhuge Clan Leader, unable to control his body, plummeting straight down.

Thud.

A dull sound rang out. The peerless handsome man who had fallen spread-eagled groaned.

Beside him, Jeong Yeon-shin planted his foot and swung Northern Light Divine Sword to clear it, spraying blood. The sound rang out with particular clarity amid the silence that had fallen over the arena.

“……”

Silence flowed from the crowd surrounding them. It was a different kind of stillness from before. As if completely frozen.

None of the masters who had been watching the life-or-death battle opened their mouths.

The one who had established himself as the absolute being of Shanxi now lay at Radiant Demon Wing Leader Lightning Genius’s feet.

“Heok, heok…!”

The six-directional spirit energy that had feigned divinity was released. Mortal sounds flowed from the absolute being’s mouth.

They weren’t even proper words. Only intermittent, shrill exhalations echoed.

There were countless terms that symbolized his position.

Reborn Hidden Dragon, cold-blooded peerless master, founder of the Martial Alliance, the incarnation of mystical formations who had embodied the entire Zhuge clan.

That’s why the scene unfolding before their eyes didn’t feel real.

It required time equivalent to several breaths. The saying that one couldn’t believe their eyes even after seeing it fit this moment perfectly.

And so.

Gradually, the enormous shock enveloped the arena.

“Reborn Hidden Dragon Zhuge Clan Leader?”

“How is this possible? At that age…”

“We might be witnessing the future Divine Sword Group Leader. No, regardless of how many years it takes, it’s already certain now. More importantly… messengers! Carrier pigeons! We need to rewrite everything! Our family must not act rashly!”

The aristocrats dressed in clean silk robes began to cause a commotion… They called for carrier pigeons and horses and men. Some carefully took out spirit beasts that understood human language from their bosoms.

Those who behaved like bats to survive in a world where supreme masters roamed the wilderness.

The dignity that made them appear noble in the common world had completely vanished. This was the ecology of the martial world governed by the principle of survival of the fittest.

The Shanxi aristocrats, true to their status, possessed aristocratic dignity but couldn’t hide their emotions at this moment.

Their gazes, alternating between the sprawled Zhuge Clan Leader and the standing Radiant Demon Wing Leader, were filled with shock.

Hoo—

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin examined his internal state as if in meditation. He needed to do this to fully retain the method of upper dantian coordination he had just acquired.

‘I can’t let this be a one-time occurrence. It shouldn’t be something that activates by luck, but a technique I can deploy whenever I face a peerless master.’

And it would be.

The supreme harmony of the upper dantian was said to be no different from mystical techniques.

Fan Dragon Treading Lotus Technique.

It clearly transcended the realm of techniques. It was a skill whose principles were difficult to fully comprehend even by its creator.

It was completed by sensitively scanning, feeling, and controlling energy and body in a mystical manner.

It was like Zhuge Clan Leader’s Yin and Yang Divine Whip. It bore an unreal divine quality.

It felt like he had woven the capabilities of his upper dantian, which had been arbitrarily manifesting premonitions and foresight since his white period, into a martial art.

And the body that fully accepted it was also strange. Could the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique he had scribbled as a child be a dharma text? Like the pebble vibrating slightly in his bosom.

‘Sensing the state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown is nothing special.’

It was the harmony created by the unity of upper dantian, body, and senses.

He had honed his innate talent to the extreme, and now he had reached a realm that blurred the boundaries between mystical arts and martial arts.

It seemed he had come close to the azure flame his maternal grandfather Ma Yeon-jeok had once shown him.

Now he no longer needed to flee before peerless masters. Jeong Yeon-shin clearly realized this. He felt he could activate Fan Dragon Treading Lotus Technique at any time.

This came with the sensation of the spirituality residing in Zhuge Clan Leader’s upper dantian flickering out like a candle.

The man was losing his strength as he lay blankly staring at Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet.

‘The side effects are a problem.’

It was somewhat different from when he deployed the ultimate technique of Thunder-Annihilation Sword Style, Azure Flame Solar Eclipse. It felt like his head was being crushed rather than his body.

Though the backlash was quite light for a technique that approached heaven-defying, it wasn’t a martial art that could be used consecutively.

It was then.

“It’s the realm of the transcendent.”

A whisper tickled the nape of his neck.

It was Yue Shou-lin. Jeong Yeon-shin, startled, took two steps back, and she smiled brightly.

“The Divine Sword Group Leader’s Dragon Transformation Sword, Zhuge Clan Leader’s Yin and Yang Divine Whip. They all seem beyond this world’s harmony. Skills that are difficult to measure with human insight… Your martial art has now entered that realm.”

She seemed to have sensed his energy waves. As Zhuge Clan Leader’s vitality dimmed, they were fading in tandem.

It was a decisive battle technique against peerless masters. By stepping on their lotuses in exactly the same way, one could match martial arts at the same eye level.

Though the incantations were woven with various meanings, their utility was singular.

“Well done. Finish it.”

A cold voice rang out from nearby. Subtle energy waves scattered from Jeong Yeon-shin’s collar.

It was Jin Myeong-jo, who was far away, using the marvel of sound transmission.

Was he yielding the glory entirely to his junior? His figure, wrapped in a black robe and standing apart from the battlefield, was bathed in moonlight breaking upon him. He appeared extremely noble.

After responding with a brief, respectful bow.

Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his head.

Zhuge Clan Leader, lying with the appearance of a defeated man, was trembling his lips.

He kept twitching, trying to rise, but couldn’t get up. Had blood begun to pool in his throat? His voice broke intermittently.

“You… you b*st*rd…!”

“I have a question.”

“I was… not wrong. With your… small mind… you could never… comprehend. But… for the sake of the world, Desolate Fortress Lord… must die. My entire life… has been devoted to this.”

“Why did you kill Fan Dragon? Wasn’t he your son?”

Suddenly, Zhuge Clan Leader’s rambling ceased.

He stared blankly at Jeong Yeon-shin with unfocused eyes, then laboriously moved his trembling lips.

“You are now… discussing… the world with me. A son, you say. What… nonsense.”

Jeong Yeon-shin remained silent.

A wind that suddenly arose scattered his hair dryly.

He didn’t bother to arrange the few strands of black hair that covered his eyes. He only thought: what meaning does a child hold for a father?

Soon.

The emotion disappeared from Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s eyes. The gaze looking down at his extremely threatening opponent lost its interest.

His face resembled one looking at a roadside pebble.

This was Jeong Yeon-shin’s defense mechanism, having never received his father’s heart.

But Zhuge Clan Leader seemed to receive a terrifyingly great shock, his eyes bulging.

The eyelids that had always rested elegantly rose to the point of tearing and trembled.

“You b*st*rd…!”

It was an expression his final adversary should not wear.

At this moment, Radiant Demon Wing Leader was the most significant being in Zhuge Clan Leader’s world.

They say peerless masters of the martial world are those obsessed with martial arts. The same was true for clan leaders. Their lives are woven with martial arts.

They spent every moment of their lives comparing martial arts with other aristocrats.

The character of one who had committed acts like those of unorthodox and dishonest means among them could not be ordinary.

They don’t suffer from trivial matters and even bury their children’s deaths in the greater cause they’ve set for themselves.

Reborn Hidden Dragon Zhuge Liang.

His handsome face twisted horribly.

If Jeong Yeon-shin had directly tortured him or questioned his crimes, he might have closed his eyes with a sneer, but the emotionless expression of his adversary seemed to give him eternal shame and pain.

“No… it cannot be.”

The martial artist Zhuge Liang stammered.

“You, you cannot… look at me… like that…!”

The face of the one who would be etched in my final moments shouldn’t be like this—

Jeong Yeon-shin’s face, bathed in the pale moonlight that spread desolately, was beautiful like a dream yet indifferent.

The tendons and muscles visible through the tattered sleeve of his arm were the same. His mind and body seemed forged of sword.

Heok—! Heeeok—!

Zhuge Liang’s breathing became irregularly intense. Could there be a more miserable end for one who had been supremely noble in life?

“Now go.”

The blood-stained blade of Northern Light Divine Sword touched Zhuge Liang’s neck… The crowd held their breath. The death that would bring upheaval to the martial world was about to occur.

At that moment.

—Five Armies Command! The Deputy Commander has arrived!

As if they had been waiting, a massive voice rang out. It came while invoking the name of an official position that none in the world would dare impersonate.

It was from the direction of the estate’s main gate.

The voice carried extremely powerful internal energy. But the content was far more destructive as it swept through the arena.

A first-rank official who oversaw the military affairs of the world had suddenly arrived. As if to prevent Zhuge Clan Leader’s death.

“Deputy Commander?!”

“What is happening…”

“Quiet! Bow down!”

The crowd stirred.

Aristocrats and officials are intertwined through agricultural land rights. How else could martial sects that commit murder as casually as eating meals openly establish themselves on official roads?

The principle of non-interference between officials and martial artists only applies to wanderers. Officials of high status and martial world families are inseparably connected.

That’s why many were now kneeling, their knees touching the ground.

Rustle.

The sound of clothes brushing the ground was loud. It was because a being who held the lifeline of family interests like a noose had arrived.

Amid this.

The masters of Desolate Fortress did not kneel.

Yue Shou-lin and Jin Myeong-jo gazed at their youngest, while Jeong Yeon-shin stared at Zhuge Clan Leader. Martial artist Zhuge Tian-shang looked up at Jeong Yeon-shin with an expression stained with shame and pain.

The sword at his neck had not been withdrawn.

“You… wouldn’t hesitate…”

Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer.

Woong.

Pure white sword light coiled from his right hand.

The blade of Northern Light Divine Sword that immediately plunged in caught Zhuge Tian-shang’s neck, and in the trajectory that swept upward, red blood droplets trailed at length.

The sensation coming through the handle was heavy. He had completely severed the head.

Thud.

The head that had rolled away stopped after hitting a small pebble. Zhuge Liang’s face, with furrowed brows, looked extremely pained.

It seemed his soul had touched hell. Along with his resentment toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

“I see.”

He murmured indifferently to the corpse.