Chapter 560 – Five Swords, Six Stars (7)

Giant Wave King. Mad Demon Divine King.

Peerless masters of transcendent builds. They had originally been on their way to kill Northern King Yelu.

But at this moment.

The throats of both monsters were instantly stained with bright red blood.

Blood bursting from within their transparently protective energy. It looked as if the skin inside a thinly spread glass membrane had split open by itself.

Kwang!

In an instant, Giant Wave King and Mad Demon Divine King vanished from where they stood. They had struck the void in a flash with extremely agile evasive lightness skill.

Soon after, the twin peerless masters who appeared on both sides of the bamboo-hatted swordsman spoke with phlegm-filled voices.

“The blade technique permeated all creation.”

“Distance is meaningless, so let’s consider it as not wearing Heaven Silk Steel Armor. Evasive movement technique should come first.”

“Prioritizing footwork that makes striking points impossible to capture…”

Immediate reactions and lightning-fast muttering. They were enjoying the suddenly arrived battle. Without even using mental transmission.

The incarnations of the phrase “heart-to-heart understanding.”

This was both the leisure possessed by the twin absolute masters and their unique battle stance.

While dust clouds from the earlier leap belatedly spread in wide circles, rolling small stones with low sounds.

“Mm.”

The one-armed swordsman in the bamboo hat, who had positioned himself in the exact center of the two Northern Kings, nodded his head almost imperceptibly.

“Blade technique study has no end. To think it would weaken this much just from crossing space once.”

His tone suggested regret at failing to cut their necks with a single sword strike.

The man didn’t praise the tough and resilient flesh of the two Northern Kings that was hard as divine weapons. He showed signs of thinking all problems lay with his own sword technique.

“In any case…”

The one-armed swordsman glanced around slightly.

The Taoists of Kongtong and Mount Heng who had been on the verge of being crushed by the Northern Kings’ sound pressure.

At this moment, they were bleeding from their eyes, nose, and mouth with shocked expressions, clearly surprised not only by the two Northern Kings but also by the sudden appearance of the bamboo-hatted man.

“This has become embarrassing. I had been greatly interested in Buddhism and Taoism lately, thinking to learn Taoist scriptures including Laozi’s teachings from you all… but it seems this is as far as it goes.”

The blind man who spoke thus smiled awkwardly.

“If there’s leisure even on the Sanzu River crossing, please pray for my happiness. I’ll occasionally reflect on your teachings in this world.”

There was no one who could handle two Northern Kings while also caring for those nearby.

Even if there was the slightest possibility, the blind man in the bamboo hat standing here now considered himself the worst scoundrel under heaven. There was no reason to take great risks unnecessarily.

The Taoists of Kongtong and Mount Heng.

They had willingly taken in the one-armed blind man who had been alone in the wilderness, and had agreed to travel together until reaching the next village.

Naturally, no one could have imagined. That their companion might be a peerless swordsman who could distort the space around his face at will.

But what mattered immediately was the current situation of being caught between three peerless masters.

“Kheuk!”

“Uuuk…!”

The noble Taoists continuously spat blood. The blades at their waists or backs shook along with their sheaths, unable to be drawn.

Paradoxically, these were people barely staying alive thanks to the blind man in the bamboo hat revealing his martial prowess.

At least some with deep achievement in cultivation methods were gathering their internal energy breathing, but their complexions had turned darkly pale just the same. They had all suffered heavy internal injuries.

At this moment, only Giant Wave King and Mad Demon Divine King, who looked exactly alike, remained calm despite their blood-covered appearances.

“That swordsman is as warlike as Yelu.”

“Very strong. He seems to have come up from the south, so let’s try pulling off his head first.”

Thump!

In a flash, only their voices remained where they had been. They had suddenly charged in with lightness skill.

The bodies of some Taoists caught in the two Northern Kings’ movement paths exploded miserably.

Blood from their bodies burst out in several large rings, connecting tail to tail toward the center.

“Yelu? You mean that mayfly Ming Cult Leader…?”

Along with the blind man’s muttering from the center, the largest shock wave spread from the very center of the encirclement.

Naturally, the wave that surged out like a tsunami swept away and scattered all the Taoists.

Jjeoeoeoeoeoeoeng—!

The epicenter of the roar.

The blind swordsman had flowed back one step like water and raised his sword diagonally, while the two Northern Kings twisted their bodies lightning-fast to avoid colliding with each other and struck at that sword starting from their shoulders.

Shoulder strikes like crashing down, their entire bodies wrapped in faint protective energy light.

Kwagagagagak!

The blind man in the bamboo hat was pushed back quite far, carving deep furrows in the ground. Countless sparks bloomed like snow between the long blade and the two shoulders.

Meanwhile, the two Northern Kings didn’t stop talking.

“For a qi-filled blade, it’s unusually solid. To withstand Heaven Silk Steel Armor.”

“Let’s give it to Yelu as prize of war! After seeing his delighted face with these two eyes, then pulling off his head with both hands…!”

A realm where speech was internal energy breathing itself. That’s why it was possible to continue endless chatter like provocations during battle. It was natural psychological warfare.

“This sword, you mean? Its name is Winter Dream.”

At the same time, the blind man in the bamboo hat was also quite skilled in that area.

Swish.

With ghost-like hand movements, he slightly twisted the sword hilt to make the sword strike recoil explode with a thump, then rotated in place using that rebound to slip past the two Northern Kings.

All while endlessly babbling long stories with his mouth like them.

“It was an insignificant blade, but luckily it didn’t break many times and before I knew it, it had become known as my treasured weapon. Perhaps because it absorbed internal energy for quite a long time, it became like a divine weapon… now it’s like my other self.”

Ha—!

The Northern Kings didn’t let him pass easily. The moment the blind man flowed past their bodies, they each strongly pulled back their elbows.

Armor Energy Surging Disaster.

In short yet massive movements, the divine ultimate art Heaven Silk Steel Armor responded.

Muscles and acupoints were fitted together with some formula, creating countless silver blade winds, which were instantly woven into massive shock waves that widely overturned the ground in a radius of over thirty zhang.

Jjeojeojeojeojeojeong! Pubuk!

The land that had been barren from the beginning and hardened like diamond through repeated famines over long years.

The man in the bamboo hat tore apart all the shock waves with his sword swung dozens of times in an instant.

Without stepping on the ground that was being crushed deep like mud, maintaining his body’s height through void treading.

The series of movements flowed like rippling light streams.

After naturally unleashing variable sword, phantom sword, and swift sword techniques like this, the one-armed swordsman glanced back. The sight of cutting through the air with the hand holding ‘Winter Dream Sword’ was leisurely.

It was the motion of loosening a temporarily twisted wrist.

“Your body feels a bit heavy…? How can you eat so well in these famine years?”

At the end of his gaze that moved as if he could see ahead, the two Northern Kings existed. Slowly turning toward him.

The monsters bearing the royal title of Northern King muttered.

“That bastard’s eyes.”

“I can see traces of them being gouged out by hand, but the whites remain.”

Could he possibly use eye techniques? These were mutterings filled with such questions. Before they knew it, the two Northern Kings were looking at their opponent like generals at the front of a battlefield.

Despite extremely brief exchanges where hundreds of sharp and powerful striking force waves had passed back and forth, neither side had any particular wounds.

Seemingly a draw at first glance.

This meant the one-armed left-hand swordsman’s sword skill was overwhelmingly superior to each of the two Northern Kings individually.

This was because Giant Wave King and Mad Demon Divine King’s joint attack was among the finest in the entire north. Enough to face one of the Six Star Lords under heaven.

Therefore, the twin Northern Kings shouldn’t have achieved a draw with a lone opponent. The reason they could openly and lightly discuss other Northern Kings’ heads also lay there.

Meanwhile.

“My eyes, you mean? It’s true I can’t see.”

The smile that formed on the blind man’s lips deepened.

“Because such ugly things as this body don’t enter my sight, I can seek peace. Whether as a swordsman or as a person.”

He spoke, but the Northern Kings didn’t listen.

Before they knew it, Giant Wave King and Mad Demon Divine King’s huge pupils contained the Taoists scattered throughout the wilderness.

With completely colorless eye light, as even sunlight couldn’t penetrate deeply due to the protective energy covering their entire bodies.

[Come.]

It was intent flowing from Giant Wave King’s head.

Wuuuuuung!

The power of the upper dantian spirit raised to the extreme instantly deployed wide-area Void Grasping, and the Kongtong and Mount Heng swordsmen who were still alive were drawn flying like fallen leaves by that gravitational force.

Mad Demon Divine King, standing one step ahead of Giant Wave King, was restraining the man in the bamboo hat.

[We go with the Southern Emperor’s technique.]

“Prepare.”

It was the conversation of the twin Northern Kings.

The Southern Emperor’s formation under heaven.

Otherwise a wide-area absorption technique, they intended to supplement the energy entering the ultimate technique with the Taoist swordsmen. Just as people’s innate true energy quickly nourished earth energy.

In other words, they meant to certainly kill the blind man without any gambling or tactical maneuvering.

While even leaving enough strength to kill Northern King Yelu, who was currently the most talked about in the Bright Wind Spirit’s mental transmission space.

“Give it a try.”

A faint smile appeared on the man’s lips revealed below the bamboo hat.

Step.

Below the shabby straw shoes of the man who suddenly took one step forward.

Shrinking One Sword Sea.

Shadows formed into pale sword shapes covering the ground.

The peerless swordsman’s mental image began to influence the vicinity. There was no particular resonance of true energy. It was an instant before all directions were dyed pale and empty.

A sea of sword clouds that instantly multiplied like clouds. Exactly one thousand swords.

“You two use your full strength. I’ll reserve some energy.”

The blind man stepping on the sword clouds spoke.

Huuuuuuk!

The transparent winter sunlight from the north was curving down from all directions.

Within it, the only clear existences were the blind man holding down a single blue-black sword, and the two Northern Kings who were somehow inflating their bodies like the ancient giant Pangu.

The Taoists scattered like pebbles nearby slowly but surely withered without even groaning. While revealing blue blood vessels all over their bodies with cracks.

If there had been elite leaders capable of immediately resolving hostile energy waves, the immortals of the nine sects would have resisted in a completely different form.

But now they were dying on the sparsely snow-covered plains due to the intimate circumstances of each sect.

Even though the two Northern Kings possessed enough accumulated energy to use them in a life-and-death duel.

When all areas were filled only with the energy waves of the three people like thick snowfall.

Kwadeuk!

Suddenly a foot hooked like a claw in front of Giant Wave King’s throat. It was a snow-white bare foot that contrasted with the blood-covered skin from earlier encounters with Golden Wing Sect Leader.

“Stop it.”

A young woman’s voice.

Kwajik!

She immediately pressed the Liántián acupoint located between Giant Wave King’s throat and tongue root as if pulling it down to paralyze him with pressure point techniques, and the protective energy wrapping her foot like ice was cold and hard.

Frost-like wind pressure mixed out from the propulsive recoil in her sole.

Kwaaaaaaa—!

It was already a situation where hundreds of swords were piercing in from all directions with various mysterious principles of mastery realm.

The cloud of formless swords raised by the blind man. The only one who could counterattack the bare foot that had exquisitely penetrated through that gap with terrifying combat sense was Giant Wave King himself.

His twin Mad Demon Divine King had already rushed toward the blind man who was unleashing incomparably fast sword strikes.

[Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader Beigong Ya.]

Giant Wave King laughed with intent.

[I heard much in the Bright Wind Spirit. That if we take you as a great warrior, we could pacify the demon realm.]

Instead of an answer, what came charging at him was some rope. It literally struck in an instant.

Kkaddeuddeuk!

Brilliantly shining cotton rope lasso wrapped around his huge body tightly. Sparks from violent friction continuously flew up.

Another joint attack. This time they were on the receiving end.

[Dragon-Treading Squad Leader…!]

Giant Wave King’s face hardened for the first time.

* * *

The desolate winter plains of the north.

The wilderness where battle had begun from the confrontation between a peerless swordsman and two Northern Kings.

It was ruins.

Everywhere was roughly and deeply gouged, and pieces of flesh and bone scattered sparsely all around steamed with heat… The blood stains messily splattered on the ground were like paint that an artist with a brush had roughly shaken off.

“Truly a painting. Those friends are the finishing touch.”

Heaven Conquering Sect Leader praising the huge Northern Kings’ bodies lying in the center of the ruins. But the Winter Dream in his one remaining hand had not yet entered its sheath.

The twin peerless masters were dead.

Mad Demon Divine King by the blind Heaven Conquering Sect Leader.

Giant Wave King by the surprise attack and exquisite situational management of the two seasoned Divine Sword Squad Leaders.

The grayish-white bodies of the Yao tribe Northern Kings, stripped almost naked, were covered with sword marks from the formless swords Heaven Conquering Sect Leader had poured out.

Among them, Giant Wave King had his skull completely shattered from crown to cranium, and his right thigh was completely crushed and pulled out.

These were respectively the aftereffects of leg techniques and rope techniques that had reached divine ultimate art.

“That aside…”

Heaven Conquering Sect Leader tapped the hilt of Winter Dream held in one hand with his index finger. Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader and Dragon-Treading Squad Leader.

The man and woman who had somehow been freed stood blankly. Their black robes, darker than their human shadows, constantly fluttered in the north wind.

“To use me. Your young leader… that friend called Lightning Genius also never dared attempt such a thing, yet you’re truly reckless.”

Words calmly spoken down at the two Squad Leaders.

It was a precursor to making a move.

Peerless masters were all mad about martial arts.

Especially one who had long lived with the epithet Unorthodox Finest Sword would have to prioritize opportunities to fall into selfless absorption above all else.

There was no way he would show mercy to those who had damaged his peerless insights.

“I’ll cut you down after three breaths, so raise your power in advance. You should convey the same words to your subordinate group following behind there.”

Words pointing to the dozens from Wish Fulfilling Spring and Dragon-Treading Squad rapidly approaching from beyond the two people’s shoulders. As soon as Heaven Conquering Sect Leader finished speaking with a bright smile, the young man among the two Squad Leaders opened his mouth.

“…Our Acting Squad Leader regards the main fortress warriors as blood brothers.”

Dragon-Treading Squad Leader Wei Zhi-ji.

The killing demon who had earlier tied Giant Wave King’s thigh with rope and pulled it out, holding him down until just before Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader burst that Northern King’s head with her heel.

He had even used Giant Wave King as a shield against the formless swords of the Shrinking One Sword Sea raised by Heaven Conquering Sect Leader.

“Perhaps because of that, he sends all sorts of messages to the Administrative Office. Anything that could benefit the main fortress warriors.”

His refreshingly extended jawline stood out.

Anyone would naturally think of the word “fine man,” and regardless of his hand techniques, his cheerful speech continued every moment.

“So I’m wondering… haven’t you made any unnecessary promises?”

Wei Zhi-ji’s question.

It was a question dredging up a story Heaven Conquering Sect Leader had once spoken himself.

—Even if conflict with Desolate Fortress arises in the future, I won’t lay hands on your martial lineage. I promise before this Winter Dream.

Brief silence flowed.

Soon Heaven Conquering Sect Leader slowly opened his mouth.

“How many of you…?”

“All of us.”

It was Dragon-Treading Squad Leader’s answer, as if everything was peaceful.

“……”

Heaven Conquering Sect Leader stared down at Winter Dream in his grip for a long while.

He showed signs of contemplating whether to abandon it on this land.