Chapter 484 – Desolate Day Extinction (3)

The walls of the Mu Family Estate.

It was when sunlight and cool air mixed at the boundary line of shadows that had stretched long along the outline of the walls.

Several people were gathered in the winter wind that burst with a clear feeling like flower buds.

Among them, Hyeon Won-chang, carrying a roughly shouldered bundle, suddenly furrowed his brow.

He had been cupping both hands to his ears listening to the conversation inside, which wasn’t particularly exaggerated body language but rather a type of Thousand-Li Earth Listening Technique, a secret skill of the assassination arts.

“What do you think it means…?”

“What?”

To Hyeon Won-chang’s question, a noble clan swordsman who was sitting roughly against the wall as a backrest casually replied.

A handsome man with a blue headband.

His originally gentle impression now harbored a mysteriously sharp temperament. Blue-Eyed Demon Sword Cheong Myeong. Cold killing intent stood out from the eyepatch covering one eye.

He was a man whom the blue long robe casually draped over both shoulders no longer suited.

“Senior, you heard it too, didn’t you?”

Hyeon Won-chang glanced at him and asked back. Cheong Myeong opened his mouth slowly without even turning his head.

“About taking our Great Leader to World Tree?”

“Yes, that. I don’t understand a single thing the Fortress Lord said… That Divine Physician fellow is also somewhat strange, isn’t he? Talking as if some mystical tree branch had taken human form…”

“It’s understandable that you don’t understand. The story is missing its essence, and you know nothing.”

It was an indifferent reply.

Hyeon Won-chang showed a somewhat shocked expression.

From one side, Shin So-bin, who had been glaring at the bricks as if she would break through the wall at any moment, chuckled.

It had long been established that in Desolate Fortress, when they spoke of Great Tongue Sword, he was known as a storyteller who penetrated even all sorts of trivial martial world affairs, and Hyeon Won-chang himself proudly considered that he had been of great help to Jeong Yeon-shin’s martial world knowledge.

“They spoke of purple jianghu and such… If, if this happens… I won’t be of any help at all…”

As Great Tongue Sword rambled incoherently, Shin So-bin turned her head toward Cheong Myeong.

“Is our Great Leader really the Fortress Lord’s true successor?”

She asked.

Shin So-bin was someone who knew more about Desolate Fortress affairs than Hyeon Won-chang.

As someone from the Shin family, one of Desolate Fortress’s First Families, and the granddaughter of Elder Council Head Shin Byeok, she naturally had seen and heard quite a bit.

“When was he ever fake?”

Cheong Myeong answered without the slightest change in expression.

But his words hinted at facts that would be received as tremendously significant not only in Desolate Fortress but throughout the world.

The meaning of taking Jeong Yeon-shin to World Tree.

Though many imperial family members had passed through the Fortress Lord’s tutelage and accumulated deep martial arts, the words about a true successor had to carry a different tone.

“Excuse me for interrupting.”

A hollow-cheeked boy of about eighteen suddenly interjected.

“I’m too curious, you see. I’ve never heard that Lotus Nezha uses the Fortress Lord’s Moon Spirit Harmony Formula, so was he really under the Fortress Lord’s tutelage?”

Speech and conduct that didn’t seem Taoist-like despite wearing Taoist robes.

He wore an old sword at his waist, and at the ends of his narrow sleeves, a small taiji in blue and red colors was embroidered.

It was a pattern representing the Azure Cloud and Crimson Glow, famous for being the divine skills of Qingcheng Sect’s immortals.

This was Jin Mu, the Taoist to whom Qing Shu had personally bestowed martial arts while ignoring even the allocation order.

He had begun to make a name for himself as a rising talent who would combine Qingcheng Sect’s Azure Cloud Sword and Crimson Glow Sword in the future. Naturally, he was a heaven-sent genius.

Hyeon Won-chang’s expression became somewhat displeased.

“This is main fortress business. To express doubt about the master-disciple relationship between Desolate Fortress’s purple and the Fortress Lord? I don’t know where you learned such manners.”

“Well, whatever I learned naturally came from teachings that emerged from our Qingcheng…”

Suddenly Jin Mu’s upper body leaned backward. It was because a middle-aged Taoist beside him had pulled him back sharply.

“I truly apologize. This is a child our sect is also having difficulties with.”

It was a supreme master of Qingcheng Sect who used the Taoist name Qing Eun. He was also famous as a strong figure who possessed mysterious swordsmanship, but he often showed a troubled expression caught between Qing Shu and Jin Mu.

Qing Shu, who had newly become sect leader, was somewhat lacking despite his resolute appearance, and Jin Mu was a youth who practiced non-action naturalness without being bound by worldly common sense.

“Uncle Taoist must be curious too, right? The Heaven Conquering Sect Leader who drove our sect leader to such extremes suddenly disappeared, and it was all because the new purple engaged in direct confrontation and defeated him. How could we not be interested? At least here we can exchange words with his close associates, but right outside Hangzhou there must be a storm raging…”

Thwack.

With a dull sound, Jin Mu’s words stopped.

Qing Eun had struck the mute acupoint. Jin Mu’s eyes, having been struck hard on the back of his neck, became tinged with an aggrieved look.

But Qing Eun raised cupped fist salutes to the Desolate Fortress group without even looking at his disciple-nephew.

“On behalf of our sect, I apologize again.”

“No, it’s roughly correct. Actually, our Lightning Genius is a grandmaster of martial studies, so he mainly uses martial arts he created himself.”

A girl’s voice fell from the wall.

It was Yue Shou-lin, who had been lying sprawled on the high wall, with sparkling laughter gathering above her black robe hem that hung downward.

She didn’t want the martial arts that had accompanied Jeong Yeon-shin’s life to be overshadowed by the Fortress Lord’s shadow.

The corners of Qing Eun’s mouth rose slightly.

The Nine Great Sects possessed countless affiliated family sects. Naturally, they often had large and small conflicts with Desolate Fortress, which operated actively on the front lines of the martial world.

It was rare for the atmosphere between both sides to be good like now, but since Jeong Yeon-shin had appeared in the martial world, they had mysteriously grown closer like this.

‘There had been virtually no purple who formed such friendships with the Nine Great Sects’ leaders.’

Even Elder Council Head Shin Byeok was like that. Despite his seemingly gentle impression, he was an extremely stubborn old man who had once declared that even common marketplace inns were national property.

Whenever he spotted martial artists who occasionally broke fixtures in private disputes, he would capture them on the spot and destroy their dantians in exactly the same way.

What about Divine Sword Group Leader Yong Hye-myeong?

His brilliant true martial arts, which could be called the most splendid in the world, had been completed through blade work that elegantly mocked martial artists.

Qing Eun deliberately didn’t think about Tyrant Hero… “By the way, I’m worried about Master Jeong’s body. Though the Divine Physician’s medical skills are said to reach heaven, having fought such successive fierce battles… unless we bring an immortal living in the legendary Great Luo Palace, it would be difficult to recover quickly.”

His words trailed off. Yue Shou-lin responded with a snort.

“An immortal from Great Luo Palace? There’s no need to drag in nonexistent stories. Even if such things really existed, the Divine Physician would be better.”

“Indeed, aren’t the Great Luo Immortals originally famous for being incompetent?”

It was a rare gentle atmosphere.

Perhaps it was leisure that might never return. After all, Annihilation Team Leader, who had gained priority for the Eternal Candle Divine Physician’s pulse examination, had immediately gone off to find yet another mission.

It was right after seeing the Fortress Lord descend with Jeong Yeon-shin.

Yue Shou-lin recalled his words.

—If the Divine Sword Group Leader changes, someday all seventeen squads of the main fortress might gather under Master Jeong’s banner. Not just the squad leaders, but all our forces.

—Are you crazy? What do you think is the reason that Yong fellow is about to be dismissed, that you’re making such harsh remarks before leaving?

—Some squad leaders like Beigong Ya aren’t close enough to Master Jeong to readily respond to such orders, but that’s the new purple’s responsibility. Preparing for the true chaotic times that will cover the world in the future.

—Hey!

—Senior Yu should naturally do the same. I know you’re working day and night to achieve Transcendent Martial Art with Yue Family Spear. But you must hurry even more.

Silent Dawn Lord Shin Hwang had left like that.

[TL Note- Silent Dawn Lord was previously translated as Silent Lord ]

Yue Shou-lin’s brow furrowed as she recalled his extremely one-sided words, thinking that this fellow and that fellow only said what they wanted to say.

“By the way, what do you think will happen to Dark Heaven Emperor’s spirit projection? It seems we’ve completely missed it…”

Qing Eun spoke with undisguised concern. He still hadn’t released Jin Mu’s mute acupoint.

“The aftereffects will be great.”

Cheong Myeong answered briefly, but he showed no signs of leaving the wall that backed against Jeong Yeon-shin’s quarters.

The other masters of Desolate Fortress standing around in various places were the same.

Shin So-bin spoke casually.

“What can we do? Protecting our Great Leader comes first.”

“With the Fortress Lord present, is your protection necessary?”

Qingcheng’s Jin Mu finally spoke. He had moved his true energy on his own to release the acupoint strike. Qing Eun shook his head.

“How many Nine Great Sects’ leaders are in there? The more powerful figures there are in a confined space, the denser the energy sense becomes like a blade. No matter how great the world’s foremost martial artist may be, she can’t expand her sensory range here. Preparing for contingencies is a martial artist’s instinct, isn’t it?”

“That Fortress Lord is wary of our sect leaders? I think Uncle Taoist is rating our sect leader too highly…”

“Dark Heaven Emperor Cho Yeol is an old monster who lived through the founding period. Why can’t you think that such a grandmaster of sorcery martial arts could use the energy waves of absolute masters to deceive the world like a divine thief?”

“Really, the fight is over but he won’t die and keeps showing up. And he’s supposed to be an absolute master…”

No one responded to Jin Mu’s grumbling.

They each passed time slowly in different postures and with different thoughts. On one side, Tang Family Head Tang Yun-hwang sat endlessly waiting for Jeong Yeon-shin.

* * *

[Child.]

An impudent voice rang through his mind. A voice that felt ancient despite having no decrepit feeling. But it was the call of an extremely ignorant being.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had lived quite a bit, immediately came to his senses.

‘What is it?’

And he immediately realized.

That his consciousness had awakened, but his body was still circulating the Great Circulation with eyes closed.

[Very quick reaction. A speed worth remembering. The sorcery practitioners facing you shouldn’t pathetically imitate mind swords when they attack the mind.]

Speech and conduct as if insight was ingrained in his body.

Jeong Yeon-shin, recognizing who the voice’s owner was, spoke through thought. It was because he felt that the other party had entered his mind through strange methods.

‘Dark Heaven Emperor, were you still alive?’

An archaic answer immediately returned.

[I do not die. As long as even a fragment of my internal energy remains on this land, my years will continue for eons.]

‘Truly immortal?’

[Indeed, I feel deep envy. Having entered through the gap in your internal energy barrier, I understand.

You possess a mind that wavers extremely anxiously. Like someone who has received notice of their death date.]

Somewhere in the heavy voice, triumph could be felt. Even ancient absolute masters were still human.

‘I envy you.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

If one truly lived long, they could be together for a long time with those they had formed friendships with until now.

For a moment, Dark Heaven Emperor, who had read his mind, fell silent.

[…You.]

His voice continued slowly.

[Have not yet lost it.]

It was incomprehensible words. Was he talking about connections? If it was Dark Heaven Emperor, who was said to have already been roaming the martial world when the Ming Dynasty was founded, that would make sense. He would have few remaining connections.

It wasn’t Jeong Yeon-shin’s concern.

‘Come out.’

Suddenly, Dark Heaven Emperor’s form took shape in his mind where nothing had existed. A handsome man with long ears hanging down, wearing thick robes. It was a body made of faint light.

Jeong Yeon-shin had done that.

Just as he manifested sword energy by putting intent into martial arts, he had focused consciousness on his mind to illuminate Dark Heaven Emperor’s form. It wasn’t particularly remarkable.

But Dark Heaven Emperor seemed to receive it differently.

[Truly… qualities like Taoist Three Peak…]

His form rippled like waves. An expression as if newly surprised.

[If you could only obtain it, you could freely wield even Taoist Three Clear Powers.]

‘Taoist teachings are difficult. Unlike Buddhism, they lack intuitive aspects. Short study won’t achieve it.’

Jeong Yeon-shin said while pondering how he could capture and kill Dark Heaven Emperor’s spirit projection, which was like a separate ghost.

Perhaps because his body was incompletely recovered, no particular method came to mind.

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly Dark Heaven Emperor’s laughter flowed in.

[I’ll give it to you.]

‘What?’

[I’ve been preciously keeping it in my soul. A tiny fragment of Zhang Sanfeng’s true energy exists within me! With this, you could someday awaken the Three Clear Powers. Truly heaven-sent geniuses don’t do things like study. Beings like Taoist Three Peak accomplish everything through intuition, so you won’t need long time.]

‘Are you insane?’

[I wasn’t sane to begin with.]

Dark Heaven Emperor answered.

He soon muttered song-like words.

[Did you not see.

The idle Taoist who has severed learning and acts without purpose.]

Proving the Way Song.

The teaching of a Tang Dynasty monk.

From the low voice, a completely empty void leaked out. At the same time, Dark Heaven Emperor’s fingertips created some kind of pine carving, then immediately melted it away into Jeong Yeon-shin’s mental space.

A fragment of Zhang Sanfeng’s true energy.

A treasure that even absolute masters who walked the martial world alone without building particular forces would covet.

Thump!

Suddenly the mental space rang loudly. It was as if a giant drum had struck the dim mental image.

[There’s no Taoist Three Peak to deeply understand my studies, and I acknowledge that heaven’s mistake continued to later generations and bore you. So I must feel Zhang Sanfeng through you! I want his recognition…!]

That was it.

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly felt the foreign substance that had entered his mind leaving the space. Dark Heaven Emperor’s toneless voice continued.

[You are a born martial artist. In the end, you’ll have no choice but to obtain the Three Clear Powers. On that day, I’ll come to you again and take this body. Thus I’ll feel Taoist Three Peak’s sensations with a body like his.]

‘Soul Transfer Great Method…?’

[You know of it.]

Dark Heaven Emperor’s voice gradually became faint.

[Zhang Sanfeng’s true energy that I treasured in my soul is now mine as well. You and I are connected. Now the great method needs only time, so enjoy your remaining life until that day.]

‘Damn…’

Suddenly sharp pain arose from his abdomen. The Divine Physician had inserted needles into Jeong Yeon-shin’s body. Tremendously dense natural energy flowed in through the thin metal.

In that instant.

Dark Heaven Emperor’s form completely disappeared from his mental image.

* * *

Hyeon Won-chang, who had been leaning against the wall of the Mu Family Estate, suddenly tilted his head. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“…Isn’t it a bit cold?”

“It’s winter, so naturally it’s cold. If you wouldn’t feel anything, you would be an absolute master.”

Jin Mu said with a slight smile.

It was after those who had gathered to talk earlier had scattered in all directions. It was because of Yue Shou-lin’s words that numerous energies were entering Hangzhou in formation.

She said their scale and strength were equivalent to military martial forces. Whether helpful or not, they had no choice but to set up protection in all directions.

“Well…”

Hyeon Won-chang tried to ignore the Qingcheng Sect youngster’s words and tilted his head sideways again.

Suddenly something strange caught the eyes of Desolate Fortress’s Great Tongue Sword. The sight of a round shadow rising from one side of the wall’s shadow.

Something like a human silhouette originating from a person’s head was a scene difficult for Hyeon Won-chang, who had encountered all sorts of variables as someone from the assassination arts, to casually pass over.

Swoosh!

He who had become blurred in place somehow stood on opaque ground. Faintly spherical air was beneath Hyeon Won-chang’s eyes.

“No matter how weakened you’ve become, you seem to have greatly declined. A spirit projection visible to the eye despite deliberately hiding… Your movements are also very slow. How did you escape from the inner quarters? Did the Fortress Lord and various sect leaders have a great confrontation?”

[Your eyes are exceptionally good.]

The air buzzed weakly. Dark Heaven Emperor’s final spirit projection left on earth. It was truly a strange sight.

“An assassin’s eye technique is delicate.”

Hyeon Won-chang said while looking down at it.

[Your worthless martial arts can’t do anything to me. If you want to inflict damage, try breathing with divine skills.]

“You’re saying it needs to be black rank.”

Hyeon Won-chang glanced at Jin Mu, who was somehow standing beside him, then shook his head. There was no particular hope.

“Spirit projection?! A real spirit projection? We need to call people quickly…!”

[Formless Void.]

Along with Jin Mu’s shout mixed with internal energy, a low incantation flowed out.

In the instant the air rippled once, Hyeon Won-chang was already taking something out from the bundle on his back.

One right hand wrapped in transparent energy.

It was a human hand.

Before anyone could react, Hyeon Won-chang grasped its index finger and struck through the void. Instantly a roar burst forth and the semi-transparently rippling air scattered into pieces.

[How could you have the Heaven Conquering’s hand…]

“Where our Master Jeong fought battles, tremendous traces are usually left. Naturally, all sorts of martial artists would flock to see those sword marks or palm prints, so it’s only natural to erase them, isn’t it? This is what I discovered while doing that.”

[Wha… what…?]

The voice lacked strength.

Anyone could tell. The spirit projection was being annihilated.

“The Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword was truly a tremendous figure. This hand that fell from his body doesn’t rot, you see. What kind of fight did our Great Leader wage…”

Along with Hyeon Won-chang’s muttering, the shockwave subsided. Nothing remained in that spot. Only the winter wind was still clear.

It was right after that when Jeong Yeon-shin awakened.