Chapter 588 – The Fortress of the Northern Emperor (3)

In front of the gates of Yeoktru Castle.

A chilling atmosphere settled like thin ice.

The Desolate Fortress Divine Sword Group was facing their second battle. Not one where fragments of weapons or waves of explosive force burst forth, but a battle of wills where defeat would soon lead to a fatal situation.

It was inevitable.

“……”

The outer walls of Yeoktru Castle were wide and long enough to encompass the great city within. Thick enough for hundreds of people to be looking down at Jeong Yeon-shin from inside the ramparts.

The crowd was dense.

Not only the common people and martial artists who had lived in Yeoktru Castle since ancient times, but also all sorts of jianghu people from various martial lineages who had briefly stopped by while wandering the demon realm, and those who had come from afar to see Jeong Yeon-shin’s forces for whatever purpose.

At this moment, a youth hiding his body in a gray winter cloak with a fur-lined hood on the corner of the ramparts was the same.

One Sword Tiger of the Thirteen Evil Sects’ Profound Martial Alliance.

The next Sword Master.

He had learned swordwork from Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost Baek Seo-gun and had taken on the role of intelligence agent to master her Eight Illusion Divine Arts.

His plan was to become the next generation Sword Master while freely roaming the jianghu under heaven.

It was the world, not secluded cultivation, that made people strong.

From the beginning, he had no desire to get involved in the political strife between the Profound Martial Alliance Master who had lost an arm somewhere unknown and his son.

Swish.

He slowly surveyed his surroundings. Then he pulled down his wolf fur hat deeply.

‘In the end, that mad master didn’t entrust herself even to the son of Jeong Pan-yue.’

A message had come from the Profound Martial Alliance headquarters.

None other than an order to track the movements of the monster of the Imperial Faction, Desolate Day Extinction. It was a command sent by Crimson Pheonix Baldev Gun Yu-rin in her capacity as acting alliance master and successor to the Profound Martial Alliance Master.

But for One Sword Tiger, the whereabouts of his master Baek Seo-gun was most important.

His master’s martial arts were constantly improving like other young masters, and those new insights into the Eight Illusion Divine Arts should rightfully come to him.

‘It’s certain that her tracks were cut off at the Martial Alliance meeting.’

The incident where the Hanzhou Martial Alliance meeting was turned into a wasteland by the suddenly uprising Dark Heaven Emperor Cho Yeol, and Alliance Leader Hyeon So-baek was brought to near death.

At that time, Baek Seo-gun was said to have lent a hand to Hyeon So-baek while staying as a guest of the Martial Alliance meeting. Naturally, One Sword Tiger had come tracking not Jeong Yeon-shin but the Sword Star.

With the intention of asking what had happened.

Adding the information he had gathered through his jianghu travels so far would draw a plausible picture.

He was confident he could make the Sword Star talk. At this moment, he carried in his bosom a fragment of a map to the tomb of an unknown Heavenly Demon.

A handwritten copy of the Treasure Map that the deceased Murong family head had possessed.

It was something the Profound Martial Alliance Master had obtained from the Murong family head through some negotiation, and Gun Yu-rin, who had been keeping it as the successor, had handed it to One Sword Tiger.

At that time, she had been busy making her own people.

Of course, it wasn’t a complete version, but it was a treasure with many uses.

Whether to use it as a means of negotiation with the Sword Star, or to enter the tomb of the ancient Heavenly Demon with Baek Seo-gun to refine the Eight Illusion Divine Sword.

Therefore, turning his gaze down to the ramparts at this moment was a kind of killing two birds with one stone.

‘I never thought the Sword Star would join with Desolate Day Extinction…’

He couldn’t completely ignore the orders that came up from the Profound Martial Alliance headquarters. Since the identity of King Yelu, who had made a name as a new Northern King, had been revealed.

This was surprising even to One Sword Tiger, who had only been paying attention to Baek Seo-gun.

‘Troublesome Nether Stream Squad b*st*rds.’

How much trouble he had avoiding their eyes.

With Yeoktru Castle as the base, the four directions of the wilderness were already filled with Nether Stream Squad members.

They were scattered in various disguises hiding their identities, but only One Sword Tiger with the eye techniques of the Eight Illusion Divine Arts would be able to see them.

A woman practicing Half-Step Return to Origin in the guise of a Han Chinese old woman in the inner castle marketplace, a peddler testing Radiant Wing Steps in a corner of the empty Clear Light Plain, an old man clinging like a spider with Wall Gecko Arts to the distant Ice Breathing Mountain cliff…

Truly terrifying.

All those Nether Stream Squad members could be called Desolate Day Extinction’s eyes. The Nether Stream Squad Leader would be constantly sending reports.

Of course, this was when Jeong Yeon-shin’s consciousness was intact.

One Sword Tiger had seen it.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s battle sense and transcendent single decisive strikes. Also his lightness skill sprinting that, while not matching the Divine Thief, was absurdly fast.

If he was a monster like Literary Star in terms of external martial arts endurance and battle sustainability, then throughout the demon realm, only the Fighting God existed. It was said that combining all the characteristics of the Six Star Lords would make one a god of war.

Literally one possessed by a god.

People cannot be like that. The same goes for the young Acting Divine Sword Group Leader.

Many Northern Kings would be looking for opportunities to defeat Jeong Yeon-shin from there. Whether through combined attacks or some fatal scheme.

That’s why the jianghu people who filled not only One Sword Tiger’s surroundings but the entire ramparts were eagerly watching below.

Their thoughts were obvious. It would be to carefully assess.

What condition Jeong Yeon-shin’s body was in.

How many battles he could continue physically.

Whether they could plunder what they wanted if they took advantage of the moment right after the fight ended and attacked Yeoktru Castle.

‘Desolate Day Extinction… he had already drawn more attention than necessary as a Northern King.’

One Sword Tiger thought.

Lightning Genius Jeong Yeon-shin was a remarkable person.

Now there would certainly be few beings who could face Desolate Day Extinction alone. But even so, the world was vast and there were many forces.

Enemies who would come charging at any time, calculating the characteristics of unique martial arts or available forces.

At this moment, the gates of Yeoktru Castle were not a platform celebrating victory.

Rather, it was closer to a guillotine where the gaze of some southern great clans and the demon realm had fallen. A situation where giant wolves were watching for gaps.

“…King Yelu’s body is intact?”

Suddenly someone’s voice descended onto Yeoktru Castle’s ramparts. It was a voice filled with surprise.

That was the beginning. The demon realm jianghu people who had been looking down like One Sword Tiger began chattering one by one.

“Not even Literary Star.”

“It doesn’t make sense. To have fought such a fierce battle…”

They didn’t find it awkward to show naked shock to someone or express admiration to enemies.

They were mainly Yao tribesmen.

But One Sword Tiger paid no attention to the admiration of the monstrously large giants. He was originally a sword ghost absorbed in his own sword.

Even if there were those showing transcendent martial prowess outside his world, what was important to him was his own completion and his master Baek Seo-gun… In other words, he could objectively observe Lightning Genius Jeong Yeon-shin in the realm of duty. With eyes that had trained in the eye technique chapter of the Eight Illusion Divine Arts, a elf tribe secret technique discovered at the Jeong family estate in Xinye County.

‘Something’s strange…’

An absolutely beautiful youth wearing a dark red long robe.

His jet-black hair was stickily matted down with blood. His originally purple robe edges were the same, making him look like a Blood Flame Cult noble at first glance.

Was it because he was damn handsome like the divine sword at his waist?

Step.

He slowly passed through the cavalry forces lined up on both sides. His gait overflowed with strength. Enough to make those lined up on the ramparts fall silent.

But it was strangely slow.

And somehow awkward like a noble puppet show. As if the black-robed masters around him were moving his limbs with void manipulation.

Come to think of it, the focus of his eyes was also blurred. The pure white light rippling in them only slightly concealed this.

‘This is a matter for reporting…!’

The moment he thought that far, suddenly a large shadow fell over One Sword Tiger’s head.

A fishy smell also wafted over.

Along with blood dripping down.

When he reflexively looked up, he saw the owner of the shadow. An elf person as large as any Yao tribesman, who was now looking down at One Sword Tiger with irritation.

“Why are you opening your eyes like that?”

A voice that echoed like a cave from his massive body.

One Sword Tiger inwardly cursed. Damn.

It was a face from the appearance records organized by the Divine Martial Alliance. Forest Treading Squad Leader Xiahou Wei-jin. He shouldn’t have let him get this close.

‘No. This guy, his physical condition is…?’

Not normal.

The heavy bleeding was secondary. Right now, an acrid smell was flowing down from his skin, clearly traces of being hit by Fierce Yang Energy. It would be Six Star Lord Literary Star’s Heaven Silk Steel Armor.

Come to think of it, Literary Star had also retreated in tatters.

The seven black ranks who faced Literary Star couldn’t be unharmed either. It wasn’t just any Six Star Lord, but they had faced the body of an external martial arts transcendent that was like diamond to weaklings.

He could escape. Perhaps leisurely.

Step.

He thought so until Wish-fulfilling Spring Leader Beigong Ya came down to the seat next to him.

“What are those guys doing?”

She said while casting her gaze down to the ramparts.

Her eyes scanning around Jeong Yeon-shin.

There was Lazy Flame Dragon grinning while glancing at Jeong Yeon-shin’s left leg, and Desolate Fortress Hero Hyeon Won-chang holding the Sword Star, who was One Sword Tiger’s target.

He could see the Radiant Sword Squad Leader, Azure Sky Squad Leader, and Radiant Demon Wing Leader walking with similar strides to those three.

“…I understand.”

It was Beigong Ya’s self-question and answer.

Soon steam rose with a hiss along her long legs covered in bloodstains.

It was because the energy waves heated by unusually intense true energy operation met the cold air of Yeoktru Castle. She was probably cooling the acupoints extending to the Yongquan point.

This too was not normal.

The energy circulation of a master at the level of the Three Black-rank Strongmen never permitted even the slightest waste. The black ranks were monsters who used even the power from true energy friction as strength.

One Sword Tiger was certain. The Divine Sword Group’s power was not as mighty as it appeared on the surface. Even though they were gathering frighteningly as if they would immediately make Yeoktru Castle into the Desolate Fortress.

‘This too is a matter for reporting…’

This place was currently full of bluffing, so if Jeong Yeon-shin and the squad leaders weren’t given time to recover their bodies, there was a high possibility it would collapse like a sand castle.

They wouldn’t even have leisure to properly establish themselves. The northern demon realm was such a land.

Under the six stars of winter.

There were all sorts of Northern Kings besides the Six Star Lords.

It was natural if it was natural. The demon realm jianghu had concentrated the enormous power of the imperial Ming Dynasty northward.

Right now there were even stories from weaklings in the distance who hadn’t noticed the manifestation of new black ranks.

“That purple long robe swaying like clouds over there seems like it will disappear soon. He’s a monster who faced the Northern Blade under heaven… it seems he cast some sorcery like our tribe’s shaman.”

“King Yelu is the Divine Sword Group Leader…?!”

“Where does the northern wind of the wilderness end with just once? What would happen if the other Northern Kings under the six stars joined hands and came charging?”

Above and below Yeoktru Castle was bustling.

There were many people.

They watched the scene of Demon Contempt Blade and the Northern Gatekeeper stepping forward. The southern martial people had retreated with confused faces at King Yelu’s identity.

Only one person, Mount Hua Acting Sect Leader, was advancing toward Jeong Yeon-shin, but One Sword Tiger, who was looking for a chance to leave his position at this moment, didn’t care.

He didn’t even dare look at Divine Sword Group Leader Yong Hye-myeong, whom a few bold ones pointed at with their fingers. He didn’t know what situation he might face if he even made eye contact.

‘In any case, if fortune doesn’t follow, the Divine Sword Group will be swept away before they can even establish themselves in the north.’

Those who had gone to track Literary Star and Upright Star were returning one by one, but how many of them had intact meridians throughout their bodies or limbs?

The Profound Martial Alliance would have to decide quickly.

Whether to bring the Profound Martial Alliance Master out of secluded cultivation to lend a hand to the Desolate Fortress, or to remain silent and hold their position in the south.

Swish.

One Sword Tiger turned his heel. It was to escape his position first.

It was better to face Jeong Yeon-shin or the Sword Star as a guest than to be dragged away by Forest Treading Squad Leader like some criminal as he was now.

“Hey there.”

Thousand Fist Dragon Duke Xiahou Wei-jin glared with wide eyes.

One Sword Tiger ignored him and concentrated all his true energy to the Yongquan point. If they were worn-down black swords, it was worth trying to escape.

Flap—

He thought so until suddenly some white-haired black-robed figure descended in front of Jeong Yeon-shin with the sound of bat wings.

Thud.

At the same time, some woman landed alongside him, smoothly fluttering her red robes, but the appearance of the white-haired man who didn’t have a speck of dust on his body stood out more. He was obsessively clean.

Not injured at all.

No internal or external wounds.

At least that’s how it appeared on the surface.

‘Divine Blood Extreme Demon? What kind of fight did he have with the Six Star Lords…’

Bang!

Xiahou Wei-jin’s large hand struck down on One Sword Tiger’s shoulder, but he only staggered while maintaining a dazed expression.

How could he escape from a castle where a perfect absolute master had coiled up?

Meanwhile, below Yeoktru Castle.

Divine Blood Extreme Demon Jin Myeong-jo’s knee naturally bent downward. It was an elegant movement as if his leg crook had twisted by itself.

The Divine Sword Squad Leader had knelt on one knee.

It was the bearing of an absolute master.

“……”

Those who had been doubting Jeong Yeon-shin’s unconsciousness closed their mouths one by one. Soon the scene of Sword Star, Desolate Day Extinction, Divine Blood Extreme Demon, and True Blood Cult Leader together came into the eyes of the audience including One Sword Tiger.

“Isn’t that the Blood Flame Cult?”

Lazy Flame Dragon spat out, but no one paid attention.

Soon after, Yeoktru Castle even let hundreds of martial army forces with the character “Desolate” carved on their shoulders inside. The night sky was growing dim with the grayish-white energy waves of Radiant Art Bond.

It was after that when various Northern Kings requested meetings with Jeong Yeon-shin.