Chapter 476 – Ultimate Wickedness

“……”

The masters of Taimo Mountain Castle, who had never closed their mouths while chanting incantations, fall silent.

Taoist Two Walls and Yue Shou-lin were the same.

They stopped piercing the bodies of corpses animated by martial sorcery techniques with a single sword or smashing the heads of sorcery practitioners with spear shafts, and turned their gazes.

An extraordinarily large-scale factional battle.

A battlefield that would soon become fierce again, but the powerful figures called extraordinary beings in the martial world stopped their attacks for a moment. It was after the mass of scales had been pushed back with tremendous shockwaves.

The flood dragon had been pushed back by a single strike.

The implications were significant. It meant that humans who had learned martial arts could resist natural disasters.

Dark Heaven Emperor had long since been swept away and disappeared by the typhoon-like waves of the fist strike that had risen earlier.

This was naturally bound to happen.

He had unexpectedly faced the joint attack of absolute masters. Even Dark Heaven Emperor, who had squeezed out a spirit projection as a dead man, would take some time to return to the battlefield.

Flutter!

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been floating upside down in the void, flips his body right side up. His wide robe hem fluttered following his momentary movement. Due to the sky having become quite dark, his long robe was tinged with blue.

His eyes were dim.

‘Not enough.’

He clenched his fist once, then opened it.

Wuuung—

Tremors crossed his palm lines. It was the aftermath of a single fist strike.

There had been assistance in the strike he had just thrown. Divine Monk Beomheo, who had just created golden luminous arms below, was straightening his waist that he had twisted earlier.

This was because he had added the tremendously powerful fist force of Hundred Steps Divine Fist like propulsion waves.

“…Amitabha.”

The old monk exhaled a hollow breath.

Not a trace of energy waves flowed from the body of the current Shaolin Abbot. He was simply quiet. The words Vajra and Immovable naturally came to mind.

[TL Note- Vajra means indestructible.]

The fist power of Hundred Steps Divine Fist was much more refined than the strike Jeong Yeon-shin had thrown. The accumulated energy was also of a different class.

‘Shaolin.’

The main temple of the Great Rejuvenation Pill.

Guuuuuung—

The flood dragon, which was straightening its head that had been twisted to the side, entered Jeong Yeon-shin’s vision.

Thick roaring sounds rumbled like a storm, and it looked like a steep cliff carved in bluish color was moving.

He had to go further.

He felt a wall from Divine Monk Beomheo’s move. The sequence of flowing evasion and striking attacks.

Internal energy operation that naturally further amplified powerful striking force. He didn’t have confidence that he could surpass such simple foundational skills. It was a matter of achievement.

‘I must keep up.’

It was possible now. Because the Fan Dragon Flower Treading Technique was activated.

Jeong Yeon-shin moved his lips slightly.

—Lady.

—Yes, Yeon-shin.

An immediate answer came back. A very friendly call. At this moment, it was Lady Lu Xian, who was shaking out her sword once on the ground.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced down.

The pale pink sleeves of the Mount Hua Sect Leader were fluttering upward mixed with fragments of red energy. She was truly like an immortal.

The temperament of the sword sect of West Peak, famous for its fierceness, was subtly felt.

[TL Note- West Peak means Mount Hua because of its geographical location.]

—That sword curtain.

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke calmly while meeting eyes with the flood dragon that had now begun to gaze directly at him.

Lady Lu Xian’s Transcendent Martial Art.

‘Crimson Horizion…’

The overwhelmingly massive sword curtain had pushed the entire flood dragon back. While properly containing the propulsion waves of Jeong Yeon-shin’s fist strike.

A move worthy of being called a great achievement.

If he had only poured out fist strikes, it would have been limited to making the long dragon’s body sway here and there. There were limits to what could be done alone.

—I shouldn’t ask for it again, should I?

Just as Jeong Yeon-shin spoke to Lady Lu Xian, he pondered other methods. It was before a small laugh came back.

“You still don’t know me.”

Lady Lu Xian’s voice descended like flower petals to his ear. Along with the following words that he would gradually come to know.

Soon after, she, who had lifted her heel with a “step,” slowly rose to Jeong Yeon-shin’s left side.

“Mount Hua is a rocky mountain, and Purple Dawn Divine Skill is a tree rooted in rock. Since internal energy holds spirit and divine essence very firmly, the plum blossom sword techniques I unleash in one breath remain in my hands as long as energy permits.”

The words were difficult, befitting a Taoist. But Jeong Yeon-shin understood immediately. It meant she could deploy Transcendent Martial Art as many times as she had true energy remaining.

It didn’t make sense. Was this the foundation of a thousand-year orthodox sect?

‘By what principle…?’

He couldn’t help but wonder for a brief moment. Perhaps sensing Jeong Yeon-shin’s expression, Lady Lu Xian’s eyes curved slightly.

But she didn’t say more about ‘Crimson Horizon.’

“Naturally, I can’t deploy it continuously like chain techniques without rest. You would have to guard my breathing… would that be possible?”

Rustle.

Suddenly, wrinkled monk robes blocked the front of the two people.

Divine Monk Beomheo had suddenly appeared and sat cross-legged in the air. Simultaneously, a resonating sound arose.

A subtle golden light was seeping out like Buddha’s divine light from his deep orange kasaya hem. It was the energy wave of the Marrow Cleansing Sutra (洗髓眞經), said to be on par with the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic.

The foundation of all martial arts in the world was there.

“From what this old monk has experienced.”

A aged voice flowed plainly from the back of the old monk.

“Spiritual beings with dense divine essence in their minds, like that flood dragon, do not distinguish between people and stones.”

Jeong Yeon-shin behind him flinched slightly. Perhaps worried that the newly appointed purple would feel burdened, Lady Lu Xian gently squeezed his shoulder once and smiled.

Divine Monk Beomheo’s words continued.

“Moreover, it was dragged down in a confused state by extreme great techniques. Even if it regains reason, this land cannot avoid its wrath.”

Kururururing!

Suddenly, a roar like a crater boiling arose from the flood dragon’s snout. Even searing heat that cut through the skin rushed in.

Soon after, Divine Monk Beomheo’s voice, transformed into Six Harmonies Voice, began to overlap in layers like echoes.

[As Benefactor Jeong says.]

It seemed like he was preparing something. Jeong Yeon-shin, who immediately met eyes with Lady Lu Xian, passed Divine Monk Beomheo and heard the continuing words.

[Pushing that body back further is first, and after that, we must open a killing plan.]

He spoke of the flood dragon’s death… Was this possible? Jeong Yeon-shin briefly wondered, then realized. It was not about possibility but about duty. This was also the mindset that a nation’s sword should rightfully possess.

[However, we must decide roles. Someone to lead the offense, someone to support joint attacks…]

Advice followed not to directly confront the transformations wielded by the flood dragon. It was seemingly reasonable.

There was no reason for a human body to deliberately counter attacks equivalent to natural disasters. It was right to focus on maintaining offense with the protective nature characteristic of absolute masters.

Just like now.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwa—!

A sea made of bright red fire spreads beneath the feet of the three people who kicked the void. The surrounding atmosphere instantly warped semi-transparently, and rapidly expanding air pushed up Jeong Yeon-shin’s soles.

It was the flood dragon’s breath.

Whoosh!

Though he had clearly shot upward to evade, his body’s balance was shaken. Mist that rose from the void with a hissing sound began to obscure his vision.

The energy contained in the flames was so fierce that even with the divine movement of Floating in Void, it wasn’t easy to maintain his body.

Jeong Yeon-shin made up his mind.

“You two should move as you wish.”

Before he knew it, Remaining Thunder was gripped in his hand. The silver wave pattern that extended down the long blade. Even in the air dyed red with fire lightning at this moment, it emitted a subtle radiance.

“I will coordinate the flow of battle.”

He spoke calmly among the absolute masters at the pinnacle of the martial world.

Only a martial artist who sought perfection in all aspects could do such a thing. Lady Lu Xian’s eyelashes rose slightly, and Divine Monk Beomheo silently nodded.

He would suppress all variables.

In other words, domination. It was the temperament of Desolate Fortress.

* * *

The earth had long been dyed dimly dark, and blue light flickered riding the sea of dark clouds in the sky.

The air had become humid despite being winter. The sound of thunder striking down was like the roar of a fierce beast arising from afar.

The wide marketplace was quiet as a mouse.

Stalls displaying wooden toys and sweets made by carving wood cracked wetly. Damp boards. Water droplets flowing down in small lines along the yellowish surface were like dragon scales.

But no merchant looked down at their own stall.

The same was true for passersby.

“……”

Crowds of all appearances were looking up at the void, but not one person could easily open their mouth. Even martial artists wearing swords at their waists were no different. All with pale expressions.

The crowd was divided into three groups.

While there were common people hurriedly entering their homes and slamming doors shut, there were also people standing blankly in the marketplace or trying to leave the city.

Hyeon Won-chang and Shin So-bin were also mixed among such crowds.

“Don’t look back.”

“How can I not look at that? The purple’s martial world that I only heard about from grandfather…”

“You spoke well. It’s not a place where epithets like Blood Radiance Successor would work. Are you going to step on the void and climb up like our Lord Jeong? Come on, even if you could, it would be fortunate if you didn’t miss your footing on the way. To the left.”

“Why are you using your tongue like a sword on me? Do you want to get hit, senior?”

“The hierarchy of the main fortress and the dignity of prestigious families have fallen to the ground… turn right here.”

“We’re both blue rank now, so what hierarchy? Did you see Senior Beigong Ya of Wish-fulfilling Spring Squad showing courtesy to other black rank seniors?”

“It seems a white cat is changing into a tiger. Perhaps you too are in a period of storm and stress… let’s turn left.”

[TL Note – storm and stress means adolescence.]

“There’s nothing wrong with me though. Thunder sword entered three hundred steps to the southeast.”

“What, already…?”

With natural and quick movements, they passed through the crowd, and over their shoulders.

A body so massive it reminded one of the northern Great Wall was surrounded by mist in the distance.

The flood dragon that had manifested between heaven and earth. Without any exaggeration, it was large enough to encompass West Lake and more. Naturally, it couldn’t help but be noticed.

The same was true for the sight of those wielding attacks while surrounding that massive body in the void.

Though very faint, each time the flood dragon was pushed back, their silhouettes also became slightly discernible. This was because the energy surrounding each of their entire bodies was very dense.

Jjeojeojeong! Kwaaaaang—!

The roar from shockwaves could be heard faintly.

Nothing in the world could compare. Truly peerless. The fight of figures rarely matched in the current world was like that.

Hyeon Won-chang and Shin So-bin deliberately turned away from that scene.

Their battlefield was elsewhere. They had to prevent Jeong Yeon-shin from being held back by unnecessary matters.

Though martial artists from other sects who had even deployed eye techniques were groaning here and there, it was right to ignore them all.

“A joint attack by the Shaolin Abbot and Mount Hua Sect Leader… it doesn’t seem like we’re seeing illusions…”

“Are they really them?”

“They’re not clearly visible. But they’re a monk and a Taoist. Who else could there be besides them?”

“Dark Heaven Emperor has finally defied heaven…”

Kwaaaaaaaang—!

Suddenly, a tremendous roar swept through heaven and earth, and invisible shockwaves scraped up the skin while lifting even the crowd’s hair.

Soon after, exclamations burst forth from various places that Divine Monk Beomheo and Lady Lu Xian had somehow moved and bounced the dragon far away.

These were the words of those whose eyes couldn’t keep up with the movements of absolute masters.

Stories about the young man in purple robes didn’t flow out.

Hyeon Won-chang had seen the scene of Jeong Yeon-shin’s fist strike pushing back the flood dragon from the beginning, but the eye techniques of wandering warriors or local martial artists couldn’t activate in time like that.

The same was even more true for the common people of Hangzhou.

“Heaven Conquering Sect b*st*rds.”

He muttered while hurriedly moving his steps. It was a situation where disaster had arrived on earth. He had to somehow dispel the tension that ran up his spine like ice.

“If the sect leader disappeared, they should just assume he died somewhere as a guest, but they don’t have the guts to ask our Lord Jeong directly… Hm? Why are you there…”

Hyeon Won-chang, who had suddenly looked back, saw Shin So-bin.

Standing blankly with her mouth slightly open. Below her very sharply cut short hair, her blue robe hem was fluttering helplessly.

“Appearance Breaking.”

She moved her lips.

“What?”

“Give me the Appearance Breaking technique. The one from the Thirteen Evil Sects.”

This wasn’t the usual Shin So-bin. Something was strange. Hyeon Won-chang didn’t ask again and quickly rummaged through his belongings, then paused momentarily at her wondering muttering.

“Why is the Prince of Dali Kingdom here…?”

A voice filled with extreme tension. The Prince of Dali Kingdom refers to the direct bloodline descendant of a fallen kingdom. It also meant the Tyrant Sword Sect Leader.

Shin So-bin was already gripping her sword.