Chapter 463 – Heaven’s Five Swords

Jeong Yeon-shin took a step back. The pale, frost-like skin of the Seventh Apostle’s nape moved that much farther away.

It was just after he had activated the sword song with a feeling of spreading the Six Harmonies Voice widely.

“……”

The open space, covered with wide shadows, was somehow immersed in silence.

Even Invincible, who always chattered beside him, was silent. She gradually faded away with her hands still behind her back.

Jeong Yeon-shin paid no attention.

Saaaa.

Following a gentle breeze, maple leaves from who knows where piled up softly over the tree shadows that rippled like waves.

That’s why the silence of Taimo Mountain Castle and Heaven Conquering Sect was tinged with redness.

The Sima unorthodox path of the Thirteen Evil Sects, still dominating Hangzhou amidst prestigious great sects like Wudang, Mount Hua, and Qingcheng.

At this moment, those surrounding the open space were elite masters. Though there might be differences in their achievements, they had inevitably been knocking on their upper dantians with internal energy for a long time.

Naturally, they could vaguely feel the intent imbued in the melody of the sword.

But Jeong Yeon-shin hadn’t addressed them. The cry of the divine sword Remaining Thunder had raced through space toward completely different individuals.

‘Come.’

He mentally calls Remaining Thunder, which had been floating beside him.

Wuuung.

The milky divine sword, which hadn’t suffered any cracks due to not using the sword song as an attack technique, returned in an elegant curve.

Then it lightly struck the handle of the Pine Pattern Ancient Sword tied at Jeong Yeon-shin’s waist before entering its scabbard.

Thus, two swords now rested at his waist.

Sabak.

The Seventh Apostle turns toward him. Hair that brushes the transparent autumn breeze with pitch-black darkness. Had she herself been startled by her own movement?

The black eye patch crossing her face diagonally flinched, and in her red eye on the opposite side, a crimson light rippled.

Her lips slowly parted.

“I……”

“They’re coming.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said, turning his head sideways. Even before his words were fully completed, the Seventh Apostle had also shifted her gaze in that direction.

Swak!

A whitish straight line was etched in the air. It was as if space itself was being torn.

The dust floating over the deep yellow-earth ground was suddenly sucked toward that vertical line with a “hwook” sound.

Simultaneously.

A figure emerged from that crevice like smoke.

A figure loosely gripping a sword from which white steam was billowing. The red-tinged blade made a “cheek” sound, as if from some mysteriously structured true energy.

Like hot iron immersed in cold water.

It was a behavior beyond common principles. The term “unorthodox path” suited it perfectly.

“This is no easy feat, but today I succeeded.”

A middle-aged man’s voice, which could be heard in any village, continued.

“I had quite a struggle detaching the Mount Hua Sect Leader whose eyes had turned inside out… but what else could I do? In my not-so-short life, this is the first time I’ve seen such a junior who makes such an incredible fuss.”

An extremely calm voice.

Swik.

Jeong Yeon-shin placed one hand on Remaining Thunder’s handle. Various parts of his upper body were numb. All of these were sword wounds sustained in Hangzhou, symbolizing the first defeat he had experienced in actual combat.

“Heaven Conquering Sect Leader……”

A pebble far from the open space mutters. Still with a youthful appearance.

Seated in a palanquin, escorted by dozens of martial sorcery practitioners with their hair tied up, it could only be the leader of Taimo Mountain Castle.

The sudden manifestation of the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader seemed to have surprised even those who had mastered martial sorcery.

‘Form Shifting Void through sword techniques…?’

It was while Jeong Yeon-shin was lost in thought, staring at the blind man with the conical hat.

Thud.

Footsteps fearlessly pressing the ground.

It was the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader.

He smiled faintly as he pulled up the conical hat from behind his back to cover his head.

The wide brim created shade, covering his eyes coated with a whitish film, and only his smiling mouth stood out prominently in the silence.

“Don’t disappoint me. If you show that same unreasonable interference as before, I’ll have no choice but to never see again not just you, but all of Wudang’s swordsmen. It means I won’t associate with you as a swordsman.”

“……”

“I don’t think any more words are necessary.”

The Heaven Conquering Sect Leader said as he twirled his sword once.

He didn’t even glance at the swordsmen of Heaven Conquering Sect positioned at one part of the encirclement. His body was completely oriented toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

He showed no sign of even considering the Seventh Apostle, who would be a fatal force if she joined the fight.

Perhaps to help the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader? The young man at the center of Taimo Mountain Castle’s martial sorcery practitioners suddenly shouted loudly.

“Begin!”

Pajijik!

In that moment, blue lightning branches spread like a net from the Taimo Mountain Castle side.

It appeared to be connecting individual martial sorcery practitioners like a formation to enhance their momentum by resonating internal energy. Heat suddenly spread in all directions.

Cho Il-seo’s words didn’t stop there.

“The will of heaven has descended upon this land of Hangzhou, and there’s a noble clan with medical skills as miraculous as our castle’s martial sorcery by West Lake! Though now he only bestows his medical skills on those he likes due to not knowing his place, if we invoke the name of the Taimo Mountain Castle Lord, even the world’s finest physician would have no choice! Just avoid death! Those who contribute to the untimely death of Desolate Day Extinction will receive a great reward…!”

Swik.

The head of the martial sorcery practitioner at the lead was suddenly grasped by a white hand, and then immediately pulled up with a “jjeojeojeok” sound, along with the long spine.

“What an ugly neck.”

A smooth voice.

The Seventh Apostle, who had somehow crossed the void like a bat, was holding the head of the Taimo Mountain Castle master.

What kind of lightness technique had been used? A red mist with an ominous quality rose and pressed down on the blue lightning branches.

It was a fog of true energy accompanied by remarkable martial talent. That red mist filled the air, preventing the lightning created by the martial sorcery practitioners from reaching the village in front of the open space.

She was covered in the blood that had belatedly burst forth with a “puhwak” sound.

“……”

The Seventh Apostle’s red pupils were remarkably clear. A hint of joy seemed to be mixed in. She even smiled a bright red smile as she casually tossed the pulled-out head at her feet.

Due to the complexly entangled power dynamics, but in any case, this was the first time Jeong Yeon-shin and the Seventh Apostle had been bound together.

She would take care of the jagged stones.

Now he forgets.

‘As long as the village is safe.’

Jeong Yeon-shin turned all his energy sense, which he had extended toward the enemy side, completely toward the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader. Instantly, a strange pressure enveloped him. It felt as if sharp needles were slicing through his entire body.

Even now, the level of martial arts that could only be sensed by keeping all senses heightened.

Without a doubt.

The blind man before him is a being who could be discussed as the world’s finest sword if the entire broad martial world were laid out. One of the five individuals counted among the best swordsmen in the world, alongside the Wudang Sect Leader, Divine Sword Group Leader, and Tyrant Sword Sect Leader. Jeong Yeon-shin had already deeply felt his own inadequacy when he clashed with him in Zhejiang.

This fight would be a tremendous turning point.

He would definitely recover and bring back his disciple and sister, Baek Mi-ryeo, and before winter’s end, he would formally challenge Divine Sword Group Leader Yong Hye-myeong.

“As a senior of the martial world, I waited to give you the first move, but at this rate, all those you called will arrive. Not only the Mount Hua Sect Leader with her eyes turned inside out… but especially Abbot Beomheo of Shaolin, who is quite troublesome even for me.”

So I’ll strike first-the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s voice, tinged with laughter, seeps into the sword wind.

With one step, he approached very close to Jeong Yeon-shin and raised his sword to strike.

Jeong Yeon-shin instantly drew Remaining Thunder and brought it down. That very act of drawing the sword was both a defensive technique and a counterattack sword technique.

Jjeoeoeoeoeng!

His body flew backward like a cannonball.

He was completely overwhelmed by sword power. The Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s strike was a formidable strong sword.

The essence and foundation of sword energy. That is, he had mastered the art of wielding a sword strongly and quickly. It momentarily evoked the temperament of Tyrant Hero.

‘As expected.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought. It won’t work without activating Ultimate Thunder.

Hwaak!

The sound of wind violently brushing past his ears. The force imbued in the Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword’s strike was pushing Jeong Yeon-shin all the way to a distant ridge.

The mouth shape of the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader, who had become distantly small, became visible. The blind man with the conical hat was muttering, “So you deliberately held back.” It seemed he had noticed Jeong Yeon-shin’s intention.

Soon after, the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader followed him to the upper air with a single step.

“You, it seems there’s no merit in having survived death.”

Kwalrung!

By then, Jeong Yeon-shin’s body was already becoming the stamen of a massive colorless lotus flower.

A single large blossom, the pinnacle of Brilliant River practice that fills the entire body’s meridians and acupoints with thunderous intense power. From the energy taking the form of transparent petals, a resonant sound spread widely.

In that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin entered a world where each strand of wind could be felt. It was the realm where those who are peerless masters could deploy all martial arts they possess in a single move.

‘First.’

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had extended his legs in the vast void, hooked the back of the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s neck with the top of his foot. Like a sickle cutting grain.

Shameful Night Leg Technique.

It’s called Shameful Night because it means a night of shame. After once disrespecting ancient Sword Immortal, it’s a martial art that his body spontaneously created whenever day turned to night.

Sheek-

Jeong Yeon-shin’s upper body tilted downward. Soon after, his leg, curved like a whip, threw the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader down to the ground by the neck, and a semi-transparent force wave burst from the tip of his foot, which had drawn a smooth curve.

Kwaaaaang!!

The Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s body plunging vertically.

In an instant, the ridge shook greatly, spewing thick dust, and several trees collapsed with a crashing sound.

Soon after, a calm voice resonated.

“Your linking of techniques has become surprisingly natural.”

“I meant to break your neck.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had descended into the forest with Remaining Thunder in hand, replied. The surroundings were entirely filled with desolate tree branches. The battlefield had completely changed.

Within it, the blind swordsman was smiling. As if he had never fallen and had landed properly, there wasn’t even a speck of dust on his conical hat or his dark blue clothes.

But Jeong Yeon-shin’s composure remained unshaken.

‘Though not visible.’

The protective energy of the Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword is incredibly solid. As if he had constructed an internal energy barrier that could withstand even his own sword strikes.

Literally a perfected peerless swordsman.

If one allows a sword wound, it becomes impossible to heal on the spot, and it’s difficult to inflict fatal wounds even with leg techniques or reinforced hand techniques.

Having mastered a wide variety of sword techniques to the level of expertise, he cannot be overwhelmed by skill. Moreover, he can even cut through space with a single sword strike.

‘He must have perfected Transcendent Martial Art too.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

How should he approach this fight to take that neck?

“A sword I couldn’t sense.”

At that moment, the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader gestured with his chin toward Jeong Yeon-shin’s waist. He was behaving as if he could actually see with his two eyes.

“Wait, that pine pattern is……”

“The conical hat is bothersome.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been staring at him intently, suddenly said.

“Hm?”

“Due to such outer adornments, your movements must also be restricted.”

“Ah, even protective energy can’t block sunlight. To unfold martial world stories interestingly in front of crowds, a smooth facial skin is just as important as a fluent tongue. You too, don’t waste your precious features……”

It was then.

The sound of branches breaking came from afar. It was from behind, beyond Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder.

“……?”

The senses of masters flow like water.

On a level battlefield, they spread widely like the ocean, but before an opponent who could threaten their lives, they pour all their energy sense toward that opponent like a narrow waterfall.

That’s necessary to precisely grasp the techniques exchanged in fleeting moments.

The higher the realm, the more threatening the opponent, the stronger this tendency.

That’s why herb gatherers carrying travel packs and A-frame carriers could approach at this moment. Hangzhou was known to be less affected by the famine.

As it was difficult to expect harvests from the fields, people sought food in various mountains, hoping for the mountain god’s mercy.

With the great number of people living in the metropolis, this was by no means uncommon.

“We, we didn’t see anything!”

“Run! Quickly run!”

Five or six people who had been startled by the sight of the two fled with their backs turned.

Interest colored the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s face. A situation similar to before. The swordsman who was said to be the best in the unorthodox path had a chance to test his junior’s growth.

“Your true energy operation was flexible enough to remind me of an old sword.”

Suddenly, the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s sword came down in a straight line. The long trajectory drew a crescent moon.

In that moment, a colorless, rippling, half-moon-shaped slash burst forth along that sword path. Toward those who were running, beside Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Isn’t swordsmanship most important after all?”

Kwaaaaaaaaa!

The air, split to either side, crumpled in on itself.

A strike that crossed a distance of thirty steps before one could even blink. It had enough momentum to potentially halve even a wall built with ten-thousand-year cold iron.

Jeong Yeon-shin had never seen such a long-range sword technique before. It was clearly a renowned technique.

It might be Heaven Filling Sword Sea, which was said to have been used to slay an evil spirit that appeared in Fujian Province a decade ago and take its inner core.

Sabak.

Such naturally flowing speculations soon faded from Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind. He faced the sword energy wave with unprecedentedly light footwork.

Only after extending his sword forward did the fallen leaves beneath his feet shatter.

Remaining Thunder cried out.

The sword edge, which had traced the energy rippling like a transparent tidal wave, drew a large circle in the void, emitting a subtle light.

Wuuung-

Even at a glance, it was a very gentle taiji shape, but the speed at which the curved trajectory was completed was incredibly fast. There wasn’t even a hint of energy wave collision or shockwaves.

“Hmm…?”

Just as the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s eyebrows rose.

Jeong Yeon-shin slightly twisted the wrist holding the sword.

In that moment, the thunderous power of Thunder Annihilation was added to the energy he had already released, and a “kurung” sound came from Remaining Thunder, which had somehow semi-transparently enveloped the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s slash.

Soon after, Jeong Yeon-shin’s arm holding Remaining Thunder blurred.

Kwajik!

The conical hat of the Heaven Conquering Sect Leader, who had raised his sword again in that brief moment, was torn to shreds.

“……”

The distance of thirty steps remained unchanged.