Chapter 508 – Desolate Great War (8)

Right after Golden Thunder was startled awake and abandoned his pretense of sleeping, and his lightning energy caused the Dream Human Moon masters to die en masse.

Suddenly the sky rippled vastly like the distant seawater of Hainan.

The flow that spread out began to scatter even the clouds while undulating in massive circles. It was strangely soundless movement compared to its scope.

Divine Skill Secret Technique.

White Butterfly Forgetting One Life.

It was Guangxi’s greatest martial art.

An internal cultivation technique that used mystical energy barriers to prevent those who had learned eye techniques from observing from afar, while the true energy scattered like mist naturally penetrated the opponent’s skin to strike acupoints.

But it didn’t work on those already asleep.

It was the same here today.

For Golden Thunder, everything was dreamlike. Simultaneously, due to that powerful state, even when actually awake, the lightning energy in his body burned away the energy that penetrated to his acupoints.

The efficacy of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.

It was because his internal energy had become one with senility.

Rumble—

Thunder sounds echoed distantly from the immeasurably high sky.

Dream Human Moon Lord Shang Yi-ling.

The lips of the absolute master who commanded the eastern vanguard of the Desolate Fortress Annihilation Great War slowly opened.

“…The jianghu is like a dreamland. Lives are fleeting, and goals are vain.”

In her hazy eyes like ink mixed with soot, the forms of disciples who had met death were seeping in.

“Did you have good dreams?”

She muttered.

Saaaa—

Massive natural earth energy repeatedly gathered and scattered like mist in the distant sky. It was movement that matched her inhalations and exhalations.

A most strange thing. There were virtually no distance limitations in her internal energy operation. Even the gaze of the elf clan youth who had earlier glared at Ma Jin with bulging golden eyes turned toward her.

Golden Thunder of World Tree.

Even to those who didn’t know his identity, he appeared as a living disaster.

This was even more so because no one had completely escaped the influence of White Butterfly Forgetting One Life.

Would Shang Yi-ling have to die helplessly or be defeated by the mentally deranged elf clan like this?

No. Such a person could not be called a master.

Dream Human Moon Lord had prepared for the appearance of opposing martial arts. Originally, the backing of drunkards was themselves alone, and she had devoted herself only to survival until reaching the position of one of the Thirteen Evil Sect Leaders with the status of a disciple expelled from Beggar Sect.

Though inferior to the north, the lands of Guangxi were very rough.

Dream Human Moon Lord moved her lips slightly.

“Just keep pretending to sleep.”

In that moment, she withdrew the energy barrier that had been surrounding the entire eastern region of Desolate Fortress, and immediately the energy that had been surging in the sky struck down toward her like a semi-transparent waterfall.

Kwaaaaaaaa!

Literally light-like speed. A flow that precisely penetrated the Baihui acupoint and upper dantian vertically. The next moment, her pupils rippled with blue light as she wrapped her entire body in pale mist.

Kiiiiing—

Strange tinnitus even leaked from her eyeballs.

It was not a scene of the mortal world.

The martial arts under heaven were that diverse, and Golden Thunder, seeing that appearance, cheerfully pointed at Dream Human Moon Lord.

“You look exactly like when Yeon-shin gets angry! That friend only said the right things back then, but you also use your upper dantian a lot, don’t you?”

“I didn’t kill many people either, and it was enough to just pluck a little of World Tree’s trunk.”

Each spoke only their own words.

Before long, Dream Human Moon Lord’s words and actions exuded reason that had become remarkably clear.

Like a drunkard suddenly casting off their drunken stupor. Because natural earth energy between heaven and earth filled her body, only her speech was slightly slurred.

In contrast, Desolate Fortress’s Harbinger of Death was silent. He was still only surveying all the Dream Human Moon survivors who were staggering from Golden Thunder’s single move.

Whoosh!

It was an instant.

The body of the Ma Family Head wearing jet-black robes drew a large parabola to the side while compressing distance and rotating, then stopped after striking his blade directly into the side of Magic Phantom Divine Killer Zhao Quan-yi, who was still alive.

Zzzzzing!

The blade strike shock waves burst out hazily then were driven back into the impact point.

The supreme level internal heavy hand technique. Ma Jin’s wide blade not only passed through the protective energy Zhao Quan-yi wore, but also penetrated skin and muscle in an instant before shattering even his ribs with a suppressed explosive sound.

“Urk…!”

Zhao Quan-yi spat up blood.

Crack.

Ma Jin, who turned his gaze from him, put strength into the hand gripping the sword hilt.

Though crackling sounds leaked from Zhao Quan-yi’s skin that had completely swallowed the wide blade, Ma Jin’s gaze was already silently fixed on Nine Provinces Dream Fiend in one part of the group.

The temperament of Tyrant Hero in his youth.

Chilling killing intent emanated from his bearing. At that menace, even Golden Thunder made a startled expression and closed his mouth in advance.

But Ma Jin no longer paid attention even to the World Tree monster. He merely glared at the remaining Dream Human Moon like trash while turning his back on the Azure Sky Squad swordsmen who had taken position behind him.

“……”

Those who had brazenly violated the main castle.

Though many factions had plotted against Desolate Fortress before, none had stepped on the land inside the castle walls. All of this was happening for the first time today. Even before Jeong Yeon-shin officially took the seat of Divine Sword Group Leader.

“Azure Sky Squad, I convey the Administrative Office’s will.”

Ma Jin continued speaking.

“We will execute them. Preserve the enemies’ heads.”

The Azure Sky Squad swordsmen responded with the sword songs humming from their blades instead of words.

They were truly the last line of defense carved into Desolate Fortress’s eastern side.

If breached further, it would directly connect to the halls where the families and dependents of the main castle’s affiliated families lived. The reason they had to end the fight here lay there.

Piiiiik!

Above their heads.

Against the backdrop of snow-white brick walls, a pure white swallow spread its wings and soared high into the distant sky. The white swallow of the current Acting Divine Sword Group Leader that had flown from the Administrative Office. It had stopped by Blood Guardian Squad Leader earlier.

At that moment.

Suddenly Dream Human Moon Lord’s gaze swept between Ma Jin and the white swallow alternately, and her form and Golden Thunder’s simultaneously distorted on the ground.

Kwakwakwakwakwang!

The atmosphere tilted and warped with roaring sounds.

Before long, the two people were pressing palms together while stepping on the immeasurably high void. Sounds like the crying of dark clouds faintly leaked from their collision point.

Neither was pushed back in the first exchange.

“…!”

Faint surprise rose in Golden Thunder’s eyes. It was the same for Dream Human Moon Lord. She was feeling like a beggar who had climbed over a wall thinking it was an empty house only to encounter government officials.

She said.

“Was there a reason to risk your life for Desolate Fortress? It’s going to be trampled anyway.”

Both were peerless masters with lethal techniques. Even if there were differences in martial arts levels, they couldn’t be confident of complete ten-tenths victory.

But Golden Thunder didn’t answer.

“Mm.”

His appearance with tightly closed mouth looked taciturn at a glance. A scene that seemed to exactly imitate what Ma Jin had shown just before. The old man who had become a child through deep senility was unmistakable.

But that behavior didn’t last long.

A cork from one liquor bottle at Dream Human Moon Lord’s waist belt, who glanced at him, popped out and fell by itself. Simultaneously, a transparent stream of water shot up from that gourd toward her mouth.

Splash—

The practical energy circulation of Drunken Fist caused by Void Liquid Absorption. It was a technique that greatly used the upper dantian through drunkenness.

As the fragrance of clear fruit wine spread in that instant, suddenly the formless energy that leaked from Golden Thunder’s palm with a zing swept up that water stream and disappeared.

Chiiiik!

The fruit wine that instantly turned to smoke and only moistened Dream Human Moon Lord’s lips.

But even that alone made her eyes lose focus again. She had greatly absorbed drunkenness, reaching the realm of freely adjusting the nerves in her body.

Golden Thunder smiled brightly and asked.

“I heard earlier. What’s the reason for coveting World Tree’s trunk?”

A strangely clear voice. But Dream Human Moon Lord only removed the palm she had been pressing against his and bent one leg upward to kick.

Kwaaaaaaaa!

Air sucked in like a storm following that trajectory. A thin line was also drawn in the sea of clouds that had been flowing like feathers.

Golden Thunder, who retreated far back in the air to evade, whistled as if impressed, but it didn’t sound properly due to the strong wind Dream Human Moon Lord had created.

“Xi-ming makes good mouth sounds.”

It was when he laughed awkwardly.

Whoosh!

Dream Human Moon Lord was sucked into the suction force of the leg technique she had created. She had accelerated her own supreme void treading movements.

The speed with which she followed up to Golden Thunder’s front in that instant was comparable to lightning streams that flickered golden here and there.

Bang!

The next moment, her instep struck Golden Thunder’s side, and hazy strong wind arose from that impact point like unraveling thread.

Screeech!

Golden Thunder’s form bounced to the side like a cannonball with roaring sounds.

Simultaneously, Dream Human Moon Lord’s body seeped into the wind stream she had created once more, and rotating like a dance, she followed Golden Thunder and positioned herself behind his back.

It was only an instant before her knee struck up at Golden Thunder’s back.

Continuous Drunken Wind Immortal Dance.

Zzzzzing!

The colorless shock wave that exploded from his lower back was brief, and Golden Thunder’s form shot up into the void from the properly landed strike.

It was a meaningful hit.

Blood flowed from Golden Thunder’s lips for the first time. Their attitudes toward engaging in mortal combat were completely different.

Flutter!

Dream Human Moon Lord’s shabby sleeveless sackcloth continuously fluttered. Explosive sounds like firecrackers began endlessly from her calves divided into smooth and distinct muscles.

Bang! Kwakwang! Zzzzzing—!

They mixed their hazily distorted hands and feet in the sky.

Thus the two people’s movement lines extended to distant places then returned to their original positions again, and repeatedly disappeared as if suddenly extinguished.

Throughout this, Dream Human Moon Lord’s eyes continuously shone bright blue. It was the eye light of insight.

She had long since completely seen through. That illusions or hallucinations wouldn’t work against an opponent who had refined lightning energy to the extreme.

Therefore, she thoroughly took only two means. Only clashing with Golden Thunder through the efficacy of upper dantian awakened by drunkenness and close combat.

Kwaaaaaaaa!

She crossed the void at light-like speed worthy of discussing the world’s greatest swiftness. Naturally, she endlessly linked techniques with the irregular movements characteristic of supreme void treading.

Before long, the sky was hazily curved here and there with the pale afterimages her body left behind.

When the wind that settled from the void like an echo swept down the hair of Obeying Heaven Wing’s Shin Bin-bin, who had been striking down with her sword on the ground.

Suddenly Dream Human Moon Lord’s leg bent long like a whip, and that trajectory trapped Golden Thunder like a fan while striking massive energy waves seven times.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!

Tremendous recoil swirled in concentric circles.

While the feather clouds in the sky continuously spat out white threads, on the ground everyone except Ma Jin staggered several times.

Great War of Annihilation.

The name Desolate Fortress makes one realize its weight more frighteningly as one rises to the upper levels of the jianghu. Needless to say for extraordinary figures like Dream Human Moon Lord Shang Yi-ling at the very top of the world’s martial forests.

A demon-subduing battle that must account for unexpectedly lethal variables.

Even hearing of the Fortress Lord and purples’ absence, one cannot step on Xiangyang’s land without resolve to die. Naturally, the invaders’ bearing had to be exceptional.

Dream Human Moon Lord was clearly goal-oriented even while roaming the void as if in a dream.

In contrast, Golden Thunder wandered reality like a dream, ambiguously smiling while getting hit by feet, deflecting with hands, and evading with mirage-like body techniques before suddenly stopping his body in the void.

With his clothes torn in various places and his whole body stained with bruises, he asked.

“Why do you need World Tree’s trunk?”

[With that, we won’t starve.]

“Huh?”

[You’re drawing away all the earth’s energy with that damned huge trunk, and from what I see, this land has no hope now.]

Dream Human Moon Lord’s mental intent echoed like reverberations.

Fragments of thoughts that rang out exactly as they were without needing to open her mouth.

It was the precursor to Transcendent Martial Art. Striking without rest.

[You precious clans might be able to look down on rather useless beggars from high places.]

The view of the peerless master who had walked from the southern borderlands to Xiangyang was thus.

In the martial jianghu: power.

In lands facing poor harvest: food.

The noble upper levels of the martial jianghu also ultimately moved by the logic of survival of the fittest. Each to maintain their own position.

[Right, from much higher places.] 

The moment he saw Dream Human Moon Lord gently soar high into the sky while surpassing him, Golden Thunder’s complexion became slightly pale.

Soon after, brief muttering flowed from his mouth. “If I get hit by that, I’ll die.”

Huuuuuung!

It was the sound of strong wind.

The vicinity was dyed black and white.

Dusk seemed to have come early to the main castle’s sky.

The sun that had been floating in midheaven disappeared as if erased by brushstrokes, and pale circular energy took its place.

It had the appearance of a hazy full moon.

It was also the technique of creating an insurmountable domain by emitting explosive force outside the body, and using it as an interval to precisely deploy hundreds of leg technique paths with a completely drunk upper dantian.

Transcendent Martial Art.

[Dream Moon Joy.]

Before long, Dream Human Moon Lord’s form was backed by a full moon made of internal energy. The appearance of long limb shadows carved on the pale full moon.

“……”

The wind that had been violently swirling subsided all at once.

Simultaneously.

Her eyes widened.

Crack—

It was because Golden Thunder had suddenly grasped Dream Human Moon Lord’s crown right in front of her nose.

Rough hands like an old man who had lost his mind a little. Clusters of light that remained like afterimages behind his back scattered faintly. They were traces of golden lightning.

[Stop hitting.]

Golden Thunder’s mental intent flowed leisurely like light.

[Unlike Yeon-shin, you lack persuasiveness. You should try farming by some quiet riverside before talking.]

Lightning-like reaction speed.

Movements that cut off the opponent’s energy sense.

Though it was a nameless Transcendent Martial Art, it was close to an instant before taking Dream Human Moon Lord Shang Yi-ling’s head with one hand after catching her off guard.

[I promised Grandmaster Sanfeng. I have to live longer and see the end of our tree.]

[You…!]

[Was it a good dream?]

Crack!

Golden Thunder pulling up Dream Human Moon Lord’s head against the backdrop of the pale moon.

Blood explosively gushed up with the heavily wet sound of flesh tearing. The shadows of the two people rippled like ripples in the hazy winter wind.

That was all.

Dream Human Moon Lord’s world, whose head had risen, became even higher, and in the place the beggar called Shang Yi-ling looked down at last, a pure white bird was blinking and gazing at her.

It was the swallow of Desolate Day Extinction.