Chapter 515 – Sunset (6)

How agile would the movements of past Divine Sword Group Leaders who had properly prepared for battle be? Before Shin Cheon-hwa’s words saying “you have come to the right place.” could even finish, Jeong Yeon-shin had to witness an astounding sight in his field of vision.

His eyes filled with purple hues.

This was because Yong Hye-myeong and Ma Yeon-jeok appeared right before his face, and for an instant their bodies seemed to have melted into the void before emerging.

It was reaction speed that completely countered a sudden and transcendent surprise attack.

‘Fast…!’

Even to Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes, who had immediately activated Lowly Revelation Technique, they didn’t appear slow. Before blue light could completely fill the whites of his eyes, both men’s feet were already planted on the stone ground.

As the ground sank entirely while bursting whitish ripples.

“…!”

Suddenly Ma Yeon-jeok’s eyes widened boundlessly, then the process of him pushing Yong Hye-myeong’s side with his palm flashed by like lightning.

The sight of Yong Hye-myeong’s body, which had somehow twisted, rotating magnificently like a scholar performing a fan dance was also visible.

Kwaaaaaaaaang! Flutter—

Ma Yeon-jeok’s palm force immediately burst the atmosphere in succession while causing violent earthquakes, and Yong Hye-myeong’s sleeve edges, which had smoothly deflected that force, fluttered widely.

From the dust clouds that extended endlessly in a straight line beside them flowed the fishy scent of blood.

A land where sunlight could not be seen.

The next moment, Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder was grasped by his maternal grandfather’s large hand.

“Yeon-shin! How did you…!”

“That temper of yours.”

On one side, Yong Hye-myeong brushed off the hem of his side garment while continuing to speak. He had stopped on his own.

“Have you been well all this time?”

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin, who had politely greeted them, fell into brief contemplation.

If he had properly faced the reflexive attacks of those two people, how much of that assault could he have countered with his current achievements?

Considering it was a joint attack, perhaps about thirty percent.

It wasn’t a low amount by any means. Rather, it was high enough for Jeong Yeon-shin to surprise himself.

‘Did I estimate too generously…?’

Then.

“The Elder Council Head seems possessed by ghosts. Form Shifting Void and many other things are sudden.”

It was Yong Hye-myeong’s voice.

Jeong Yeon-shin turned his head and the face of the current Divine Sword Group Leader came into his field of vision.

Yong Hye-myeong’s pupils were faintly torn vertically. That alone made the atmosphere seem to freeze like ice.

‘Slightly, but he’s become stronger.’

Jeong Yeon-shin momentarily fell into doubt. It made him reconsider whether he possessed martial prowess worthy of challenging the Group Leader.

Meanwhile, where Yong Hye-myeong’s gaze was directed.

Shin Cheon-hwa stood with her arms crossed, moving her lips.

[Yes, are you the current generation? You were born with an absurd amount of talent. You feel like you’re not human at all… Indeed, our Fortress Lord was born with good fortune in people.]

A voice that leisurely seeped into the atmosphere. Yong Hye-myeong shrugged his shoulders once.

“You flatter me. So who might you be?”

It was a conversation between those who were naturally tremendously strong.

Though he didn’t show it outwardly, at this moment Jeong Yeon-shin began to wonder if the main castle’s past and present were alright.

‘Indeed, I should pacify the main castle…’

Meanwhile.

Ma Yeon-jeok, who couldn’t quite shake Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder but had been vigorously massaging it several times, turned his head. Their gazes met, and immediately Ma Yeon-jeok’s mouth opened.

“Yeon-shin.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“Aren’t you weary?”

“A little…”

“The fact that this was unleashed means the main castle was cornered. How did you manage it?”

[Young one.]

Shin Cheon-hwa’s lips curved slightly.

[You’ve grown quite a lot.]

Ma Yeon-jeok completely ignored her words. It felt as if he had crushed the existence called the former Divine Sword Group Leader from his recognition.

He continued speaking while examining Jeong Yeon-shin’s entire body again.

“Your acupoints are fine, but I can see traces of fierce battle.”

“Yes, well…”

“Those damned b*st*rds… How much damage did the main castle suffer? What kind of scoundrels dared to violate Xiangyang?”

That’s when it happened.

Wuung.

Suddenly Shin Cheon-hwa floated a sphere made of earth above their heads.

A simple void grasping that was nothing particularly significant in this place. Ma Yeon-jeok asked with an annoyed expression.

“What’s that?”

[There’s a story to discuss about your grandson, that is, the main castle’s future.]

Tap.

Instantly Shin Cheon-hwa flicked her finger, and simultaneously semi-transparent light clusters began to distort the twilight and form some image in the earth sphere.

Castle walls spread wide left and right around a massive main gate, dried moats, Jeong Yeon-shin stepping down while crushing an old man’s head, garment hems fluttering violently from all directions and weapons flashing with light…

She freely manipulated earth energy and its spirituality. It was a sight that couldn’t be described even with the word “mysterious.” It was sorcery martial arts that was no different from divine techniques.

[First, let’s watch this before talking. I haven’t properly seen it myself yet.]

* * *

Desolate Fortress Administrative Office.

The ink fragrance that scholars had been burning had long been mixed with the fishy animal scent.

It was the unique body odor of spirit creatures, and transparent sunlight rippled into the interior where such contrasting fragrances mingled.

The movements of spirit creatures that had been intensely coming and going inside and outside the Administrative Office as messengers were also gradually becoming infrequent.

At the head seat of the Administrative Office scholars who were striking with brushes while flashing intellectual eye light transparently among dozens of desks and even more Four Treasures of the Study.

Huuu—

Grand Administrator Lim Jin-myeong slowly exhaled while opening his eyes from his seated position. The energy circulation and breath control of the supreme master who had overseen all battlefields as the central axis of the main castle had ended.

Instantly, the air that had been heavily distorted around him was suddenly released, lightly pushing the bundles of paper on his desk.

Lim Jin-myeong had encompassed the vast Desolate Fortress at a glance, in a single mind throughout the factional war.

Naturally, it was impossible without squeezing out the true energy in his body and extremely overworking his upper dantian.

Time was needed to settle his internal injuries even slightly. This was also why he had hastily cut off the mental transmission he had been sending to Jeong Yeon-shin earlier.

—The imperial family never sent support to the end. They said a large number of imperial experts came down from the north, but where did all the monsters that were directly confronting that northern jianghu go?

—There’s news here. Many urgently gathered in Shaanxi. Searching for the remains of the dead Zhongnan Sword Immortal…? Indeed, they’re an unpredictable tribe.

—Perhaps they were more accurately assessing Lord Jeong’s martial prowess than we were…

Before long, the scholars in the hall were conversing with each other through mental transmission… The Administrative Office’s Moon Protection Daily Energy Technique was such a sensitive internal cultivation method.

Soon, beside Lim Jin-myeong who had straightened his waist.

A young man in scholar’s clothing who had been staying by his side slowly opened his mouth.

“The jianghu people who had gathered south of the main castle are rapidly scattering. Also, Lord Jeong has declared victory.”

“Yes, then it’s victory. Ah… How long has it been since Lord Jeong manifested?”

Lim Jin-myeong asked as if confirming something. The young scholar answered without delay.

“Half a time period and a bit over one moment have passed.”

“…He’s no longer a new purple now.”

Lim Jin-myeong muttered somewhat blankly, then put strength into his eyes and asked another question.

“What about the situations at the east and west gates? Were the jianghu scoundrels who entered the main castle interior properly dealt with?”

“Didn’t you already see? With Tranquil Eye… Desolate Fortress’s foremost eye technique.”

The young scholar answered dryly. It was literally a somewhat parched-feeling voice.

But the nearby scholars didn’t react to that strange speech and conduct.

They couldn’t perceive that Lim Jin-myeong had opened his eyes or the fact that he was conversing with the young scholar.

A brief silence flowed.

“……”

Lim Jin-myeong’s gaze, which had turned to the side, slowly rose.

The mouth of the Desolate Fortress Grand Administrator slowly opened.

“You speak Hubei dialect quite well. A Yao tribesman’s speech is no different from a person of this nation.”

“Did you figure it out to that extent?”

The young scholar asked back in a toneless manner. On one side of his unremarkable face, near his cheek, the skin momentarily became transparent like glass.

Above his head, a conical hat that hadn’t been there originally shimmered like a mirage in the desert.

The Grand Administrator didn’t answer. Rather, he only calmly posed another question.

“Truly a simple trick. Infiltrating during the chaos of the factional war to stab the heart of the main castle… Is this Yu Ling Leader’s Transcendent Martial Art?”

[My life reflects upon you b*st*rds.]

Even though the young man’s voice began to rumble, Desolate Fortress’s Administrative Office continued functioning normally.

Only they were disconnected from that. At this moment, it was as if a mirror that reflected inside and outside differently surrounded the two people.

Everything was due to the energy waves flowing transparently from the young scholar’s body. He had implemented a transcendent scene with the skill of handling internal energy.

Both ends of Lim Jin-myeong’s beard rose minutely.

“An enviable technique. Truly lethal.”

[I asked how you knew my identity.]

“I wondered if Yu Ling Leader’s Transcendent Martial Art was merely illusion, but thinking about it again, it would display tremendous utility in actual combat too. It’s certainly incomparable to things like human skin masks.”

[I’ve competed with you in skill for quite a long time. In the end, I’ve worn down this land’s military strength considerably, so your mood must be sour.

But shouldn’t questions and answers be fair? I’ve already answered once.]

They mocked each other with leisurely expressions. In go terms, it was a situation of external shortage. Naturally, Lim Jin-myeong was the one cornered.

He tapped the table with his index finger.

They had won the fight.

‘But…’

Looking at the entire jianghu, victory and defeat became ambiguous.

Such was the opponent’s position. It would be excellent if Desolate Fortress were annihilated, but even if that didn’t happen, it was a position with nothing to regret.

It was the northern jianghu.

Wuung.

Lim Jin-myeong secretly drew the true energy he had raised to his Baihui acupoint down to the inside of his eyes.

“To be honest, only now am I certain of your identity. Of course, I had been suspicious. Someone who failed with every result he produced, not even caring about his own prestige, causing such an incident once more… No matter how much I thought about it, his temperament was different from this side’s jianghu.”

He spoke slowly. Along with words that he had been meticulously investigating Yu Ling Leader’s tracks, which couldn’t be caught because he was a supreme master.

The young scholar, Yu Ling Leader’s mouth drew a faint arc.

[I acknowledge it. That I failed as one of the Thirteen Evil Sect Leaders.]

“Yes, it’s quite amusing to see an incompetent b*st*rd laughing happily.”

[You’ve lost your mind.]

Yu Ling Leader raised his hand while briefly cursing. It was a precursor to attack. Instantly, colorless light flashed in Lim Jin-myeong’s eyes.

“You seem to be mistaken about something.”

A growling-like voice flowed out thickly.

Speech and conduct similar to what the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader had shown at the main castle today. Before long, Yu Ling Leader’s smile, who had dyed his fingertip with pure white radiance, was erased.

[A b*st*rd who’s about to die keeps his mouth alive. Everything happening on this land is merely your mutual destruction, no blow to us at all.]

“We didn’t wear down this land’s military strength. We merely trampled to death bandit swarms that gnawed at the common people’s lifelines. With Lightning Genius Lord Jeong’s leather shoes.”

As always.

Lim Jin-myeong continued speaking in a voice like spitting.

“Of course, there’s no need for great self-reproach. No one in this jianghu could foresee Lord Jeong’s appearance.”

[A name that will die young before reaching the divine realm.]

“Naturally, no one could guess what arrangements that person might be able to make.”

[Once you die, this land will become even more chaotic.]

They each only spat out their own words.

Lim Jin-myeong didn’t rise even until Yu Ling Leader’s hand stabbed down toward him.

Already suppressing heavy internal injuries. In a situation where any resistance was meaningless, only two things were moving.

Palm technique energy waves that slithered through space like a snake’s tongue, and another hand that suddenly smoothly crossed space to grasp Yu Ling Leader’s throat.

Zzzzzzzing!

It was the sound of the illusion surrounding the vicinity and Yu Ling Leader’s protective energy being crushed. Blue veins writhed on the pale white back of the hand.

Beside Yu Ling Leader.

A woman in red robes was letting her jet-black hair hang down like the night sky. From her raised lip corners, dense blood technique energy waves oozed out.

“Who said he’d die young?”

A voice similar to Yu Ling Leader’s flowed from Seventh Apostle’s lips. She had completely copied his voice through the hand grasping his throat. It wasn’t particularly intended.

It was merely due to the power overflowing from Seventh Apostle’s body and her innate senses.

Yu Ling Leader smiled back.

[A blood demon as hidden escort like Desolate Day Extinction in the shadows, did you think I wouldn’t prepare for you?]

Supreme masters’ martial arts tend to encompass all sorts of situations. Cases of dying futilely are extremely rare.

Whoosh!

Yu Ling Leader’s body became hazy like smoke.

Almost simultaneously, Lim Jin-myeong’s martial art activated. Divine technique secret art Tranquil Eye… His vision shot up violently with Desolate Fortress’s foremost eye technique, and the scene captured in his eyes was completely crumpled before spreading again on a distant tree.

A view looking down at the Administrative Office hall whose roof was completely open due to spirit creatures constantly coming and going.

It was none other than sharing eyes with White Swallow, and at this moment the pure white spirit creature swallow was stabbing at the void with its small beak. While perched on the shoulder of some woman who had nocked an arrow to a great bow.

—Over here!

Lim Jin-myeong’s mental transmission, already released while activating the eye technique, raced through the void like lightning. Heaven-Reaching Bow Spirit’s hand immediately released the bowstring.

Thwang—!

Following her body that met the explosive recoil, green hair fluttered, and a stream of radiance was gently carved like moonlight from the tree branch to the Administrative Office.

The scene that entered the white swallow’s small eyes.

First was Yu Ling Leader’s appearance, suddenly raising his head precisely toward them.

In the time of supreme masters that stretched moments like eternity, his eyebrows began to rise. It was an appearance unbefitting one who had mocked all under heaven with parched eye light.

Wuung—

Just before the illusion of Transcendent Martial Art rose like mirror fragments to fill the broken parts following his hand gesture that even had afterimages, blood-red heat haze ruthlessly blocked that movement.

The instant bewilderment rose like waves in Yu Ling Leader’s pupils.

Peoeoeoeoek—!

His head burst into pieces.