Chapter 453 – Den of Demons (6)

Jeong Yeon-shin stared blankly at the empty space.

‘When will he come?’

He did nothing. Though something that couldn’t even become a corpse seemed to have been babbling for quite some time, that body was essentially like a flare meant to summon the Taimo Mountain Castle Lord.

It was not much different from the spirit-nourishing jade used by Radiant Demon Wing.

Dark Heaven Emperor Cho Yeol.

He was said to be like a tyrannical Jade Emperor of the Ming clan.

A transcendent being for whom nothing was impossible in the world. One whose attainment in martial sorcery reached the heavens, an unparalleled master.

An ancient monster who had spent his youth during the era when “Taoist Three Peak” was the representative name of the martial world, and who had lived since before the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

‘Who did I hear that from?’

Jeong Yeon-shin stood dazedly, then blinked once. And inwardly let out a brief exclamation. Ah, the Elder Council Head.

-“You should know. Back then, Cho Yeol was far from the demonic path, and as one who walked the righteous path, he formed ties with the founding master of Wudang. He’s an ancient monster who directly conversed with the Taoist Three Peak in his lifetime. Naturally, he’s far senior even to our Lord. That’s why enthusiasts always place him in a category of his own when discussing the ranks of the martial world.”

-“Then my maternal grandfather and the Elder Council Head are also like chicks-“

-“One’s ears tend to get blocked with age. What did you just say?”

-“I said the Elder Council Head is still in his prime.”

The aged laughter echoed vividly in his ears.

Elder Council Head Shin Byeok was frugal only with Divine Sword Group Leader Yong Hye-myeong, but usually had a simple disposition and was widely respected.

-“Anyway, according to what I heard from the previous Elder Council Head, that person reached some realization after encountering the most auspicious Taoist Three Clear Powers. It must have been because he was influential even during the prime of Wudang and Shaolin. Whatever he experienced, he gradually became more violent, and in the process of turning toward the demonic path, he would sometimes kill those who were natural enemies to martial sorcery.”

The words Shin Byeok had poured out, holding back Jeong Yeon-shin who was about to depart right after receiving his sunset flag departure ceremony, out of elderly concern.

The sorcery of Cho Yeol, who had once interacted with Zhang Sanfeng, caused natural disasters without being hindered by any kind of power.

It was said that the complete transformation of the terrain of Xinye County in Henan Province, originally a hub of trade and transportation, isolating it, was the result of a battle between some monstrous being and Dark Heaven Emperor.

With such a level of skill.

Naturally, he would be aware of his successor’s death from afar.

‘Sooner or later.’

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly turned his head.

Lady Lu Xian was staring at him while surrounded by the three swordsmen of Heaven Conquering Sect.

Crack-

Blue lightning flickered between them like several strands of thread.

Even the swordsman who had suffered a deep stab wound from Lady Lu Xian’s sword strike earlier was occupying one axis of that sword formation.

It was Drunken Sword Fierce Tiger of Heaven Conquering Sect.

“This keeps stinging.”

She smiled bitterly, as if her provocation hadn’t gone well.

Jeong Yeon-shin could clearly see how her blood-soaked abdomen had been treated.

After tightening her internal abdominal muscles, she had sealed the area with true energy from divine skills imbued with spirituality.

Though she might suffer aftereffects later, for now she had not abandoned her fighting strength. The words of that thing who had spoken of Desolate Fortress’s three Black Ranks were not entirely exaggeration.

But.

At this moment, the swordsmen of Heaven Conquering Sect were facing both the Mount Hua Sect Leader and Desolate Fortress’s Purple Rank.

And yet they showed no sign of retreating. They merely displayed the demeanor of masters with their hands on their sword handles.

Perhaps they thought they could hold out for an hour or so.

[Might I ask how many of these you see?]

Semi-transparent fingers intruded into Jeong Yeon-shin’s field of vision. The ghost-like Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword waved his snow-white hand like Snow White.

Jeong Yeon-shin paid no attention. It wasn’t as if his vision was being blocked.

The problem was drowsiness.

It felt as if fluffy clouds had settled in his head. While digesting the fragment of the serpent’s inner core in his upper dantian, periodically his entire body’s senses would dull and then revive.

Sometimes the surrounding scenery and the wind touching his fingertips felt as hazy as a dream.

It couldn’t be helped. He was always fighting against time.

“Seeing it like this, I’m glad I’m not alone.”

Lady Lu Xian spoke while twirling her pure white treasure sword. Despite the possibility that two of the Thirteen Evil Sects might descend upon them soon, her voice was somewhat playful.

“By now you’ve probably realized… Why are you opening your eyes like that? Has drowsiness come to visit?”

“……”

“My friend.”

“I am listening attentively.”

“Having donned the purple robe, you must now understand. The Nine Great Sects have traditionally guarded the world as mountain sects established on sacred mountains filled with natural energy. They have devoted great effort to dealing with monstrous beings that appear outside civilian areas.”

“I am aware of the Sect Leader’s hard work.”

Jeong Yeon-shin responded while rotating the Luminous Wheel Technique inside his body. And inwardly checked by sensation whether any saliva had dripped from the corner of his mouth.

“After the sparring competition ended like that, the Nine Great Sects that participated in the Mount Hua Agreement had to immediately check on their main sects. Fortunately, our sect and Wudang were able to do so… but it was different for Qingcheng and Emei, whose main sects are in Sichuan. Because an enormous human-faced spider appeared in Sichuan, Emei’s Sect Leader Venerable went there, and Qingcheng’s Sect Leader decided to first visit a lay disciple sect where messengers frequently come and go, to receive reports on the situation in Sichuan. And then……”

“They came to this Hangzhou first and nearly died at the hands of our sect’s leader, right?”

A youth holding a sword from behind interrupted Lady Lu Xian’s words.

Hidden Sword Absolute of the Five Central Swordsmen.

His languidly drooping eyes were notable, but contrasting with that impression, he held a sword extending in a dignified straight line.

His age was hard to guess. This was due to his ears that jutted sharply on either side of his head. It was difficult to gauge how long he had been honing his swordsmanship.

“Our leader will be here soon. Is there really a need to cross swords here? Our martial sister is also badly injured.”

Hidden Sword Absolute concluded his words while fidgeting his body this way and that.

At this moment, he didn’t even glance at Drunken Sword Fierce Tiger, whose abdomen was soaked with blood.

As if all his nerves were directed at Lady Lu Xian and Jeong Yeon-shin, he gave off a blade-like energy sense despite his impression.

None of them were easy opponents.

Heaven Conquering Sect, which stood as a peer to Wudang as a sword sect.

Boom-

A subtle vibration was spreading from beneath the feet of the three supreme masters to the floor. They seemed to have already fully activated their sword formation.

If they took the offensive and fortune favored them, they might be able to target the leaders of major sects; if they maintained a defensive stance, they might be able to hold out for three days and nights, even if they would eventually die.

That’s what would happen if the leaders of the Divine Sword Group practiced their joint attack formations for a long time.

“You may come in.”

Those were the words of Dragon Power Sword Ghost, who was now fluttering the hem of his robe sharply like a blade.

Lady Lu Xian slowly looked around at them.

She seemed to be examining which part of the sword formation to break down to quickly end this standoff. She casually addressed Jeong Yeon-shin.

“What do you think of their story? Could Taoist High Sword truly have met with misfortune at the hands of the Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword?”

“Lady.”

Her eyes widened for a moment.

Not because of the unusually familiar address. It was because Jeong Yeon-shin, who had suddenly placed his hand on Lady Lu Xian’s shoulder, was now flipping upside down through the air.

It was an incredibly fast aerial somersault. At this moment, a white ripple spread from the tip of his feet as they brushed the sky.

“Time is precious.”

Radiant Wing Step.

Boom!

The moment Jeong Yeon-shin stepped onto the ground after passing over Lady Lu Xian, the floor undulated like waves and emitted a heavy vibration.

Simultaneously, the semi-transparent circular energy waves that the Heaven Conquering Sect masters had been generating scattered and flew away all at once.

“…!”

A footstep that rendered the power of their joint attack formation meaningless.

Dragon Power Sword Ghost, who was at the forefront of the enemy side, widened his large eyes. Due to that single step, he was now facing Desolate Fortress’s Purple Rank in a defenseless state.

Kwaaaa-!

Jeong Yeon-shin was extending his hand toward his face.

By now, a semi-transparent whirlwind was raging from his arm, which was wrapped in the spiral muscle strength of Brilliant River. He intended to shatter his head with a single strike.

At that moment.

“What a fearsome young man. How about stopping right there?”

From behind.

It was a voice that hadn’t been in the room before. There was a sense of a middle-aged man’s rough quality, the kind commonly encountered in marketplaces.

But it was intense. The presence in the voice was extraordinary.

It was because a voice that had nothing particularly special about it struck the nape of his neck like a blade. It felt as if he would be sliced by an invisible sword if he didn’t withdraw his hand immediately.

Jeong Yeon-shin realized while in the midst of his high-speed strike.

‘Heaven Conquering Sect Leader.’

The peerless swordsman said to sever principles with a single sword. The rebel currently cooperating with the Taimo Mountain Castle Lord.

He was someone to whom no opening should be shown. Even if he had caught an excellent opportunity, it would be right to withdraw his hand for now.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not do so.

Splash-!

His palm shattered Dragon Power Sword Ghost’s face as it passed through. It was Brilliant River layered seven times.

There was not even a hint of resistance. The sound of protective energy and flesh exploding echoed grimly.

Soon after, bone fragments and droplets of blood scattered in all directions, caught in the whirlpool of muscle strength energy, making splattering sounds.

Shock swept through the eyes of Drunken Sword Fierce Tiger and Hidden Sword Absolute.

“…Very well done.”

It was the voice of the middle-aged man presumed to be the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader.

Due to the somewhat exaggerated quality felt in it, it was difficult to distinguish whether it was sincere or affected. It was as if he were performing transformation or illusion sword techniques with his speech and behavior.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly turned his steps.

Swish.

A middle-aged blind man with a whitish film over his eyes lifted the conical hat from his head.

With his other hand, he held a sword about four feet long, which Lady Lu Xian was blocking, having turned her back to Jeong Yeon-shin.

A small wooden box that the blind man seemed to have brought rolled on the floor.

From the lid that had opened with that small impact, a person’s face emerged. It was a face Jeong Yeon-shin knew.

It was very familiar. So familiar that it made him wonder if this was truly a dream in his dazed state.

“…Taoist.”

Wudang’s Taoist High Sword.

Just the head existed, with the features of that youthful boy intact.

A heavy silence flowed for a moment. The moment the deaths of Dragon Power Sword Ghost and Taoist High Sword-two figures who had engraved weighty presences in martial history, though with differences in magnitude-were revealed, Hangzhou transformed into a land representative of chaotic times.

“……”

From the eyes of Jeong Yeon-shin, who had briefly lowered and then raised his eyelids, a white radiance rose like flames.

The moment he gripped Remaining Thunder anew.

[Let’s change locations.]

Another voice came from above.

Simultaneously, there was a sharp finger-snapping sound, and Jeong Yeon-shin felt the air beneath his feet being compressed and then bursting forth like lightning in an instant.

Kwaaaaa-!

An enormous explosion propelled his body.

It was literally like being shot like an arrow. In an instant, his form was launched from the top of the towering pavilion toward the distant waterway of Hangzhou. Along with the rough sensation of flotation, he felt the fierce wind striking his ears.

Jeong Yeon-shin sharpened his gaze while in midair.

Toward the top of Meditation Spring Pavilion, which was rapidly shrinking in his field of vision.

Boom!

He saw a man flying after him like thunder through the void. His appearance was different from the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader who had stepped forward first.

His ears, rising up to either side of the headband that had gathered and tied his jet-black hair, were prominent. A gold pattern resembling the sun was engraved on his pure white robe.

An appearance matching the description Jeong Yeon-shin had received from the Administrative Office.

It was Dark Heaven Emperor Cho Yeol.

‘Just now…’

It had been a strike from the Taimo Mountain Castle Lord, who had appeared without even a trace of presence. The Castle Lord had sensed his son’s death and ascended to Meditation Spring Pavilion.

The activation speed of his martial sorcery was as swift as light.

It was a technique as fast as any swift sword he had ever encountered.

Its speed seemed adapted for practical combat, and the fighting style estimated from the energy sense was not much different from the Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword.

“Listen here. Why not have a civilized conversation first, rather than killing the Young Castle Lord and Dragon Power as soon as you arrive in Hangzhou?”

The blind man, pressing the crown of his conical hat with one hand, was flying alongside them from a distance to the side.

It seemed he intended to reach the waterway where the navy was coming and going. The sparkling river was getting closer behind them.

Perhaps there was something precious near Meditation Spring Pavilion?

Or it might have been that they could not afford to lose any more of the Five Central Swordsmen, who were the decisive weapons in factional battles.

Both possibilities were plausible. Even Desolate Fortress’s Divine Sword Group, with its seventeen Black Ranks, would face a critical situation if it lost three leaders.

And between the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader and Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Pull yourself together. From now on……”

Lady Lu Xian called out to him in a loud voice. She too had been propelled along with the two of them.

While the Taimo Mountain Castle Lord’s formidable sorcery power was evident, she seemed to have entrusted herself to the explosion of her own accord.

She likely did not want to harm the common people of Hangzhou.

The same was true for Jeong Yeon-shin. The four of them must never fight in civilian areas.

They included two of the Thirteen Evil Sects, who had already become legends in the martial world, plus the Nine Great Sects’ leader. Even while feeling both rage and haziness, he could still distinguish between right and wrong.

He paid little attention to Lady Lu Xian’s advice.

“Lady..”

“Hmm?”

Jeong Yeon-shin ran his hand up along her back.

Rustle.

They had already exchanged debts of gratitude and enmity. Lady Lu Xian simply stared at Jeong Yeon-shin as he pulled out the soft sword tied to her waist.

“What are you trying to do…?”

Srrng-

The white sword that looked like a belt swayed and bent. Whether due to the craftsmanship of the Iron Clan or not, it didn’t emit a single ray of light.

Originally, swords are consumable items, and Lady Lu Xian’s waistband served as a spare weapon. Any perceptive supreme master would naturally notice it.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t hesitate to throw it.

Following that gesture, a straight beam of light raced through the void.

Woooosh-!

The soft sword, infused with internal energy and standing rigidly, flew back along the exact trajectory Jeong Yeon-shin had been propelled.

The spirituality imbued in the sword was so powerful that it did not lose its strength even as the distance widened enormously.

That distance was over ten li.

Lady Lu Xian’s eyes gradually widened.

In an instant, the soft sword crossed Meditation Spring Pavilion, bending like a whip as it swept across the necks of Drunken Sword Fierce Tiger and Hidden Sword Absolute.

The swords they brandished like light beams in that brief moment pushed the blade away slightly, but soon after, their throat wounds widened and burst from the explosive wave that erupted from the soft sword.

A sword song imbued in mind-controlled sword technique.

Their heads, severed and bent sharply in the white shockwave, soared into the air.

[TL Note – No words, just 💀]