Chapter 554 – Five Swords, Six Stars

A peerless master who had melted their life into a single technique.

Another who possessed Transcendent Martial Art.

Such a being could not enter under a Northern King or become a monarch under their command.

Having already attained the status of an absolute, they could only ascend to the position of Northern King themselves or wander the northern lands as a solitary existence.

This was like the principle that no territory could have more than one king. No king would want to keep a threatening existence near their bedchambers.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

‘The customs are different.’

The fact that one could have a peerless master as a proxy warrior, and actually did so, meant it was a revolutionary concept. It meant becoming invincible as a Northern King.

Moreover, Sword Star was originally one of the world’s greatest swordsmen.

He had once been compared to the Divine Sword Group Leader, and even now, he was a strong person whose victory or defeat would be difficult to judge in just a few exchanges.

Naturally, it was worth Northern King Yelu abandoning even his military camp to come running. Though now that they faced each other like this, he was at a loss for what words to use for persuasion.

Wuung!

Jeong Yeon-shin first surrounded the area with a wide, semi-transparent energy barrier.

“Do you recognize me?”

At his question, Sword Star nodded.

“Though the alliance has already become meaningless in name, I knew thanks to the Zhuge Family’s intelligence network. About your transformation.”

The old swordsman said this and patted Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder tap-tap. Before he knew it, he had ghostly sheathed his iron sword.

“I also know that you saved me by contributing to the Taimo Mountain Castle Lord’s return to heaven. That audacious boy has become a man. I, shamefully, have become an old man.”

“Your current appearance is my dream.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke sincerely. The appearance of the old swordsman who had found his years was not shabby at all.

Rather, he wore the weight that only time could bestow throughout his entire body, like looking at a precious toy that Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t have had in his childhood.

“…How pitiful.”

Sword Star Hyeon So-baek’s eyes quickly reddened. Just like when he had once recognized Jeong Yeon-shin’s constitution at a glance.

The old swordsman was still full of affection.

“However, this old man cannot merely pity you, as you have become such a great person. Here, may I embrace you once?”

Previously at the Martial Alliance, he had tried to embrace Jeong Yeon-shin without even asking.

Though the current Jeong Yeon-shin wasn’t experiencing the turbulent period as intensely as then, he somehow felt embarrassed and changed the subject.

“It’s fortunate that you remain so vigorous as always. By the way, I’d like to remove my mask to show you, but please forgive me for not being able to do so. Eyes follow me everywhere…”

“You have no leisure in your heart. Yes, I’ve heard about that appearance here. Northern King Yelu. Isn’t that an extremely dangerous identity?”

“Aren’t you surprised?”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s question, Sword Star smiled gently.

“I’ve experienced even more astounding things. I wouldn’t be surprised even if you asked me to become a monarch under Northern King’s command right now.”

“Please become my proxy warrior.”

“……”

At those calmly delivered words, the nearby silence became complete. Sword Star slowly closed his mouth. Jeong Yeon-shin felt anxious for the first time in a while.

A proposal he could make because he considered himself the Divine Sword Group Leader.

Prioritizing mission over propriety and dignity.

The silence was long.

* * *

A massive stone chamber in broad daylight.

It was a place with a widely opened ceiling, yet cold darkness flowed through the hall. This wasn’t coolness originating from northern wind, but the aftermath of some martial art.

“Southern Emperor under the Fighting God, above ten thousand people… they say he calls forth night with a single fist, and the rumors were not exaggerated. Martial arts that push away sunlight. What is the principle?”

An elderly beggar wearing patched robes muttered. At this moment, he was deeply immersed in the dusky air.

Soon after, some man’s voice rumbled and filled the hall. Even though no one else was visible except the old beggar in this place.

Only one thing was clear.

Just as the northern lands had ranked killing priorities with their jianghu name record, the Southern Emperor was conversely the existence whose name was written at the top of the killing list created by the Ming Empire. Because he was the current greatest in the north with the Fighting God’s whereabouts unknown.

[Chief of the southern beggars, you are as fearless as our divine warrior.]

A voice that felt like frost shattering. Instantly, one strand among the light rays descending from the sky transformed into dusky smoke.

Then it slowly descended below the stone chamber with the opened roof, making the darkness in the hall thicker.

A scene where the principles of heaven and earth were distorted.

Though it was just a single word, it was like peerless sound arts.

Anyone knowledgeable in jianghu affairs might unconsciously compare it to Lotus Nezha Lightning Genius’s ‘sword song,’ and Beggar Sect Leader Divine Beggar was precisely such a being.

“……”

His eyes shook minutely, but only briefly. The old beggar laughed heartily.

“Today’s fortune is very good! To think that after shaking off Dragon Sound Sasa King, I arrived at the dwelling of the northern greatest! I could feel strange mental transmission energy waves connecting her and this place, so I walked here, but this time even they might nod their heads.”

[I should change the path of wind. Your words are helpful. Continue babbling.]

“Curious about who would nod their heads? Listen and don’t be surprised. None other than the leaders of the Nine Great Sects! Though they often evade the mouth of this Dragon Head Sect Leader out of fear, their martial arts are no less than the Northern Kings of this land…!”

The Southern Emperor steeped in darkness waited silently until Divine Beggar finished speaking, then said.

[Do you plan to flee south? I know your footwork is superior to those famous Five Southern Swords.]

“It’s Five Greatest Swords under Heaven.”

[A name inferior to Six Star Lords. At least here.]

“You mean the six particularly extraordinary Northern Kings? I heard that title includes you and Northern Blade… your face is thicker than expected? Sorry, but you’re the one with an unfamiliar name in our jianghu.”

[You’re that ignorant of affairs here? It will be difficult to counter our assault. Useful information. Spit out more.]

Words that made Dragon Head Sect Leader Divine Beggar’s spine tingle chillingly.

He was being analyzed thoroughly.

The Southern Emperor was not arrogant. Looking at each story separately, he spoke only facts thoroughly. All for a single great victory.

The old beggar was silent for a moment, then immediately stamped the ground hard. It was to generate propulsive energy waves for lightness skill.

Kung!… The dust raised by that footstep was immediately swallowed by the darkness in the hall.

Even the shock waves that surged up from the recoil were shattered to pieces in an instant, as it was already a space that didn’t permit any energy release.

Transcendent Martial Art.

Southern Face Capable Emperor.

Power activated without warning.

Kugugung-

A rumbling arose from Divine Beggar’s leg that had stamped the ground. It was the sound of protective energy being crushed.

“…!”

An absolute domain created by the current northern greatest.

A technique of unified offense and defense where none who had even slightly delved into its principles remained alive.

[You are the world’s greatest lightness skill master. Naturally, I don’t think you can be captured alive. You will surely commit suicide. That’s why your current words are extremely precious.]

A forced smile formed on Divine Beggar’s wrinkled lips.

“…They said the Fighting God’s right arm is thorough even in small matters. To think you’ve even calculated my footwork, I suppose you also know this beggar will show his back from now on?”

[Of course I know. I also know that if I break your sturdy legs, that lightness skill becomes meaningless.]

“It’s unlikely, but could you accomplish what even Tyrant Hero Ma Yeon-jeok, having undergone rejuvenation to become even stronger, would find difficult…?”

Crack.

Divine Beggar slightly rotated his ankle while engaging in provocation. Fortunately, the opponent’s answer came.

[I was also interested in that fellow. It would have been good if you had brought him to me.]

“I guarantee you wouldn’t have faced his Transcendent Martial Art calmly. This isn’t nonsense. It’s a clear fact….”

[I’ll remember that. Don’t you have more to babble? I’m listening. Hmm…? The beggar brought a tail.]

The Southern Emperor cut off Divine Beggar’s words while muttering alone. Instantly, Divine Beggar’s smile deepened.

“Found out. It’s one of the Imperial Three Great Masters. Why do you think I casually mentioned rejuvenation? Throughout ancient and modern jianghu history, there has never been an era with as many strong people as now, so I too must properly utilize this situation…”

Then an extremely young boy’s voice came racing down riding the sunlight.

“Run!”

As if prepared for a long time, it was activated without delay along with crude words.

Imperial Transcendent Martial Art.

It was high in the air.

A child who appeared to be about eight years old was floating while armed with full body armor, blocking the sun.

He even wore a red-yellow helmet symbolizing noble status. Like a mounted soldier before charging with a spear, his waist was twisted and his hand stretched far back.

[Heaven Heart Overflowing One Feather.]

After the intent characteristic of peerless masters flowed out of his body like an echo.

Instantly, sunlight that had gathered thickly from above and elongated like a spear burst forth circular shock waves from the child’s grasp and struck down into the hall.

Kwaaaaaaaaang-!

The nearby earth flipped over entirely like a tsunami, hazily coloring all directions. The deafeningly dull roar scraped the surroundings widely as if visible.

A technique that made the radiance between heaven and earth into one’s own striking power.

In the space where the spear passed vertically and thickly, sunlight rippled like waves – a type of energy wave.

Thus Imperial Three Great Master Lord Imperial Hero’s Transcendent Martial Art didn’t end with just once.

Infinite consecutive attacks. Sunlight shock waves continuously hammered into the dusky hall, and thick cracks spread widely around the stone chamber like earthquakes from the energy wave effects.

The plains were changing into a deeply hollowed crater.

Kiiiiiiing!

While strange friction sounds arose from the infinitely concentrated pillar of radiance.

Nevertheless, low laughter flowed from the intact stone chamber.

* * *

A great mountain where cities were located throughout the mountainside.

It was a place where lions’ roars regularly scratched the atmosphere from afar. Literal growling echoes spread faintly like thunder beyond the clouds.

Each time, small children would scurry toward houses with black, pointed roof edges.

Their dwellings had many curves and sharp roof ends that rose up, with infinitely artificial yet combative aspects that suited the rough mountainside well.

Mineral Soul Mountain.

Those overwhelmed by its size also called it the Mineral Soul Mountain Range. Mainly Han people who had come from distant lands did so.

It surrounded extremely deep valleys to the side, where no water flowed at all. Scenery with only yellow earth soil nakedly exposed. So it wasn’t really a valley.

Only cold air was thick.

The same was true of the place named Soul Extinguishing among Mineral Soul Mountain’s cities.

Fitting its extremely strange name, people staring blankly at the group entering the city’s entrance at this moment.

“The gazes are intense.”

A girl wearing gray robes with sleeves flowing generously like palace dress muttered.

With height reaching about the shoulder blades of Northern King Yelu walking one step ahead, a jawline smoothly falling and gathering to both sides of her face hidden by a silver mask, and round ears.

Anyone could see she was Han Chinese.

It was Shin So-bin, who was using the name Monarch Cheonji.

“Look at your appearance. Isn’t that the attire of a fugitive who came from around Beijing? Very typical clothing.”

The middle-aged swordsman wearing a mask, Demon Contempt Blade, scolded her.

But Shin So-bin didn’t bother dealing with him. It had been so from the start of the journey until now.

Nevertheless, Demon Contempt Blade couldn’t establish his authority through rough methods.

This was because all his attention was focused on the old swordsman walking alongside Northern King Yelu in front.

The old man had introduced himself vaguely then stubbornly followed all the way here. To Mineral Soul Mountain Range. Even though it was a place where two Northern Kings resided.

Demon Contempt Blade’s brow furrowed as he glanced at the old swordsman.

‘Really a proxy warrior?’

Bearing that made an iron sword at his waist rattle like a wanderer. A shabby, gaunt body.

He had clearly undergone severe hardships somewhere or hadn’t been given opportunities to eat for a long time.

But his realm was difficult to gauge.

Long, lightning-fast thoughts flashed through Demon Contempt Blade’s mind.

‘There aren’t many masters who have acquired Return to Origin so deeply. Among them, if it’s a southern figure who might come north, it would be Desolate Fortress’s Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader or Dragon Treading Leader, or Zhenzhou’s Hidden Hand Dragon Fist or Mount Heng’s Grand Disciple… There shouldn’t be many among major sect elder ranks who maintain Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, so where did he find such a person?’

Separate from questions that had no immediate answers, at this moment Yelu’s group had one purpose.

Southern pacification.

North of the Great Wall as a standard, it was land where four Northern Kings including Shame Extreme King and Dragon Sound Sasa King resided. The southern territory in the vast northern jianghu.

It was fact even though Demon Contempt Blade found it so unbelievable he had asked several more times.

Other monarchs had long established themselves as close associates of various Northern Kings, wanting to enjoy positions above ten thousand people beside a new king.

He earnestly offered advice.

“…Reconsider even now. Haven’t the other Northern Kings avoided each other well since Flame Heat Divine King? They seemed to clearly realize how dangerous this land is.”

Only then did Northern King Yelu’s voice flow leisurely from within the silver mask.

“I was only staying briefly. But there are those for whom staying is no different from retreat. I’ve dawdled enough.”

It was a calm story.

Now Demon Contempt Blade was somewhat distant from the group. He had slowed his steps somewhat with defensive walking, somewhere between advance and retreat techniques, which was very natural.

‘In the turbulent jianghu, one must choose sides well.’

He was a master of survival.

It was so when struck by the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader’s lightning-like Qi-Controlled Sword Strike, and so now when directly facing another Northern King’s forces.

Hwaaaaaak-!

The entrance to the mountain city now filled with brave spectators. A place where Yao tribe members with pale, scarred faces outnumbered Han and elf people.

[Comrades of Mineral Soul Mountain, behold.]

Dark energy covered part of the blue sky as if pushing it away.

It was clearly energy waves accumulated by a person’s internal cultivation. But it also looked like dark clouds following a flood dragon.

[An incompetent Northern King has finally abandoned even his own military camp to come here. I am a monarch and proxy warrior serving Dragon Sound Sasa King, and now I wonder if that fellow is truly a Northern King.]

A voice that constantly rang out through Six Harmonies Voice due to impossibly massive accumulated energy.

Rustle.

A tall youth walks through grass blades.

Along with a voice like echoing from a deep cave, a large form was revealed.

Yellow pupils shone through gaps in darkly rising smoke. Within them, pupils erected long like northern spears.

On a flawless body as if having undergone transformation two or three times, snow-white, spotless facial skin stood out.

His name was Sword Silk.

A monarch and proxy warrior known to have a half-dragon body like the Divine Sword Group Leader.

Far behind him was his Northern King. Atop the shoulder of a statue rising massively in the city center, a woman lying while embracing a war horse in her arms would be Dragon Sound Sasa King.

Before he knew it, Demon Contempt Blade had cleverly stopped where her gaze didn’t reach.

Was it because Northern King Yelu had been self-restrained for some time?

Dragon Sound Sasa King seemed unconcerned with whatever Sword Silk did.

If she hadn’t had faith in the laws established by the Fighting God, she clearly wouldn’t have let Sword Silk, who was obviously inferior to Northern King Yelu, approach him.

[How should I treat that fellow?]

Sword Silk asked while looking around at the city’s citizens. Befitting his status that symbolized a Northern King’s vessel and was sometimes identified with the king he served, he had drawn the people’s attention.

That’s when it happened.

Before Northern King Yelu could say anything, the old swordsman beside him stepped forward. Sword Silk’s question immediately followed.

[Is the old man the proxy warrior?]

“Let’s have a bout.”

[Cannot be read. You are strong.]

Instantly, Sword Silk’s body was surrounded by dark smoke. Tremendously thick power created crackling sounds as it rubbed against itself within.

Like Lotus Nezha Lightning Genius’s Ultimate Thunder that constantly released powerful force.

[Though I am younger, I will make the first move.]

Sword Silk’s left foot curved like a whip and cut through the air.

Belatedly, dark ripples burst from behind his heel with a bang, and for a brief moment, the trajectory of his leg technique shook up and down minutely five or six times.

It was a fierce strike faster than sound with variations included.

Immediately after, the old swordsman’s back of hand shot upward.

Jjeoeoeoeoeoeng!

Precisely striking upward at the ankle, the hand that bent like a flame became a sharp hand blade.

At the same time, he cut straight at the Yongcheon acupoint on the sole that hadn’t fully risen, and with a crackling sound, struck sideways at the leg where semi-transparent protective energy had been peeled away.

Huuuuuung!

Hazy blade wind arose.

Instantly, Sword Silk was swept up in sword wind while maintaining his extended leg posture and flew away. Naturally, strong wind sounds like a typhoon arose belatedly.

Bean-roasting sounds burst noisily from his skin caught in the pale blade wind.

“You’re too young for me to use my full strength seriously.”

The old swordsman asked while placing his hands behind his back.

“King Yelu, have I done something wrong?”

“Not at all.”

Northern King Yelu answered.

It was awkward conduct as if dealing with something unfamiliar. It also felt like a manor lord who had taken in an excessive guest, and Yelu soon asked as if adding.

“May I know what martial art that was?”

“Naturally it’s Three Talent Sword Technique, isn’t it? The origin point of all sword arts under heaven. It can be deployed with hands and feet as well as blades.”

“Ah.”

Before he knew it, Demon Contempt Blade was standing upright behind Northern King Yelu.

It was a new Northern King faction.