Chapter 592 – Gathering the Night Sky

Most of the missions in the Desolate Fortress mean that failure is equivalent to death. Those who are alive among the black ranks are those who have repeatedly achieved countless successes.

“……”

The place where Jeong Yeon-shin disappeared.

The king’s inner chambers.

There were circles filling the ceiling, both walls, and the floor, covering all four sides.

It was a sorcery formation containing the chaotic characters and strange patterns of the ancient times. It was the sorcery martial art that Young Heavenly Demon Invincible had previously called ‘Silence.’

Its function was clear. It killed all signs of presence in the inner chambers. Until she subdued Shin So-bin and prepared the wide-range Form-Shifting Void.

The death of a jianghu person comes suddenly.

At this moment, the black ranks under the Divine Sword Squad suddenly faced a death-like failure. They were now forced to entrust everything to Jeong Yeon-shin’s heavenly fortune.

Saaa—

The inscription embroidered on the bed seemed to mock them. A strong north wind blew through the broken windows and cracks in the walls, slowly pushing away the ashes.

The space was filled only with those of extraordinary talent.

The words left by the Ming Cult Leader were engraved in their minds like a fire seal. Even in the eyes of Lazy Flame Dragon, Namgung Hwa-shin, and Hyeon Won-chang, who were slightly late compared to the other squad leaders.

“……?”

A question appeared on Lazy Flame Dragon’s face. His mind had grasped the situation, but his more essential inner self could only repel the truth like protective energy.

Whoosh!

Namgung Hwa-shin, still wrapped in the wind pressure of Judgement Qilin throughout his body, was the same. He stood dumbfounded while gripping the Desolate Sword, but a huge question clouded the refined face of the noble young master.

Among the young supreme masters of the black rank, only Hyeon Won-chang was free from doubt.

The Radiant Demon Wing and temporary Blood Guardian Squad Leader who was called true elder brother by Jeong Yeon-shin. Even so, his eyes filled with killing intent were spreading energy perception in all directions. His face showed signs of bitter defeat beneath the Hero Headband.

“Where… where to…!”

He muttered anxiously.

Lazy Flame Dragon naturally felt a strange sign from Hyeon Won-chang. His mouth, which had been chewing poppy, slowly opened.

“Did you know something?”

“Better shut up. If you have time to babble, extend your energy perception instead.”

“I’m already doing that… so you knew?”

The hottest mouth in the world spoke with a voice like frost. But no black rank felt the chill from such rare dissonance.

“…Step aside.”

Immortal Tree Spirit Squad Leader Cheon So-so tapped Lazy Flame Dragon’s elbow and walked to the bed where Jeong Yeon-shin had disappeared.

Her movement was so silent that even the sound of rustling footsteps was absent. Soon she was taking out a twig from her bosom with slightly trembling hands.

Thud—!

She stuck it directly into the bed. For a moment, the blanket, crumpled like the squad leaders’ mental state, hummed, and soon Cheon So-so let out a faint groan.

The twig absorbed her energy. Soon, the scene of it taking root in the bed still warm with Jeong Yeon-shin’s body heat appeared with a crackling sound.

It was a sapling of the World Tree.

It was also a milestone for the Form-Shifting Void that Jeong Yeon-shin might someday unfold with his sword.

Since he was a peerless swordsman who could freely move from World Tree to World Tree, this was grasping at straws.

It was also their limit.

“……”

Time stopped for many people.

It was the early hour of Hai (9 PM). The time when the sunset had disappeared.

The purple light was nowhere to be found.

The northern horizon, which had been rippling with sunlight all day and boasting vitality, had also disappeared. It was overlapped by the dark sky.

But they could not fall into silence.

Yeon-shin-ah!

There was one blood demon who was transcendentally breaking and overturning everything in all directions with thunderous screams. She constantly made the Divine Sword Squad painfully aware of reality.

They had achieved great victory in the Clear Light Plain battle.

They had driven away the northern transcendents in a battle where no less than four of the Six Star Lords had descended. It was a result that would shock the vast northern and southern jianghu.

But losing Jeong Yeon-shin was an irreparable mistake that could not be compensated by anything. It was defeat in the post-war arrangement.

Therefore.

It was a crushing defeat for the Divine Sword Squad.

Soon, a dark twilight settled on the face of Shin So-bin, who had descended beside the ‘Divine Sword Squad Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.’ It had been quite a long time.

* * *

There was a secret chamber where even the dim twilight could not reach. It would be right to call it a dark room.

“I do not understand the Cult Leader’s intentions. It is said that you personally allowed outsiders to participate in the Great Ming Flame Festival…”

“Outsiders?”

Two men’s voices echoed softly, and murky energy waves flowed out along with them, rippling in the darkness.

A cold, flickering presence like a snake’s tongue. It was thick demonic energy.

“Yes, they say there are two Han People.”

“Your reaction is surprising. Isn’t this festival an initiation ceremony? Where the foolish ones come to uphold the Heavenly Demon’s will.”

“That is so, but…”

“This northern branch is already filled with the sweat scent of Yao tribes. One or two Han People wouldn’t even be visible on the battlefield. You should properly distinguish the gems from the stones.”

“Elder, this is an exceptional matter.”

The one who had been speaking respectfully throughout suddenly spoke urgently.

“The outsiders I mentioned were unconscious, but the Cult Leader specifically ordered the believers to take extreme care and push them into the festival…”

“Then the Cult Leader must have picked up talents. There are 1,370 participants in this initiation festival. The Cult Leader’s insight has been added to what will soon be a successfully conducted initiation festival. Is this not a great blessing for our sect?”

“What I mean is, shouldn’t we care for the safety of the outsiders… Elder, don’t you know? With Yao tribes from the demon realm entering in large numbers, this event is extremely dangerous.”

“Ah.”

The shadow of the old man called Elder trembled in the dark room. He was laughing.

An aged voice continued.

“You speak like a Ming Dynasty jianghu person. Trying to defile the festival with petty concerns? It’s also presumptuous to try to fathom the Cult Leader’s mood. Safety? Safety! That’s the word that least suits our sect.”

“No…! How could I dare…!”

A small noise arose.

It was the sound of flesh being torn bone and all. In an instant, the old man who had merged his hand movements with darkness lifted his subordinate’s head like a ball. It was a movement like flowing water.

One of the Five Great Master Techniques quietly manifested.

The Ming Cult’s Dark Heaven Hand Wall Formation.

“Of course, I don’t know either. The Cult Leader’s inner thoughts.”

The old man, the Ming Cult Elder, muttered peacefully in the pitch-black secret chamber. The darkness rippled at the sound of the headless body collapsing with a thud.

* * *

Jeong Yeon-shin had a dream.

It was a nightmare where Baek Mi-ryeo was embraced in Young Heavenly Demon Invincible’s arms.

Thanks to his innate upper energy center qualities, he knew he was in a dream, but it was still terrible. The older sister he had gained from the Desolate Fortress did not look back at Jeong Yeon-shin.

She was just led far away by Young Heavenly Demon Invincible.

Then suddenly Baek Mi-ryeo’s head fell from her neck, and when he looked closely, it was the Ancient Sword Immortal. The small face rolled around like a pebble.

‘Ah.’

When he closed his eyes once and opened them, a stone field was spread out. They were all the heads of comrades who had died in the Desolate Fortress Great War.

Even at that moment, Baek Mi-ryeo was moving away, but Jeong Yeon-shin dared not advance. How could he step on his comrades’ faces?

—Fertile land. I envy you.

Suddenly a chilling voice echoed, and Jeong Yeon-shin’s consciousness sharpened like a blade.

Baek Mi-ryeo’s retreating figure had changed into some giant’s back. The sight of black Heaven Silk Steel Armor fluttering like a cloak. It was the Northern Greatest, the Southern Emperor.

From that point on.

The Southern Emperor’s retreating figure changed into countless others. Literary Star, Upright Star, Northern Blade, Heaven Conquering Sect Leader, Tyrant Sword Sect Master, Young Heavenly Demon Invincible, and again the Southern Emperor…

Beings who had gained supreme freedom through their decline like rays of light. Now no one could stop the retreat of those retreating figures.

Jeong Yeon-shin was the same.

At this moment, even in his dream, he could not catch them.

‘The fastest under heaven…’

He thought.

What would it have been like if it were Elder Divine Beggar Zhu Guang? If it were the Divine Foot Technique that was said to be faster than even his maternal grandfather, couldn’t he have caught anyone?

The Six Star Lords who had disappeared as if it were natural.

The life of Nether Stream Squad Leader Yun So-hyeon.

The flowing time.

That’s when it happened.

“…Hey there! Hey!”

Suddenly a strange voice struck his ears.

In an instant, Jeong Yeon-shin escaped from his dream at transcendent speed. He felt air cold as ice touching his skin and lifted his eyelids heavy as a thousand pounds in a flash.

He saw some man.

Features that looked quite human. He was smiling somewhat awkwardly. While elegantly fluttering the ends of a winter cloak, common northern attire with a fur-lined hood.

For some reason, Jeong Yeon-shin was grasping his wrist. While sitting roughly on the dirt ground.

The man asked cautiously.

“Won’t you let this go? Despite appearances, you’re quite a strongman. At this rate, bones might break.”

“……”

As soon as Jeong Yeon-shin’s grip loosened slightly, the man’s hand quickly slipped away.

“Well now, are you perhaps a wanderer? Your sensory path is terrifying. I almost met with trouble trying to gently wake you up.”

The man jested.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently observed his own brain. He scanned the sensations that had flowed from his body to his mind during the few seconds he had been unconscious.

His upper energy center spirit was at a level transcending humans. His qualities instantly saw through the opponent’s lies.

The opponent had struck with malice, and Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand had unconsciously caught the palm technique. His skin remembered.

Jeong Yeon-shin swept the surroundings with energy perception. He couldn’t feel the Sword Star’s presence. Even though his senses remembered being with him until recently.

“Wasn’t there another person beside me? An old man with a wanderer-like appearance.”

“You were the only one lying here peacefully.”

The man shrugged his shoulders with apparent nonchalance. And he continued.

“Anyway, an old wanderer…? Is there really a need to worry? If it’s a wanderer who has survived to old age, he must have skills that even the Northern Kings of the demon realm would find hard to imagine.”

“……”

“Naturally, wouldn’t he somehow survive this ‘initiation festival’ too? Even if he can’t be selected as top rank.”

Festival.

A word with two meanings. A grand event or some kind of ritual ceremony. In this case, it seemed to be both.

The reason was that behind the man’s shoulder, a hellscape was unfolding. The sight of hundreds of men and women of all ages and appearances engaging in chaotic battle with bare hands.

Blood splattered, protective energy shattered like glass, and those bounced away in all directions were trampled and burst by those who had been nearby.

It was literally demonic. Demons were using each other as touchstones to become stronger.

Bang! Crack! Rumble—!

Without even screams, only the collision of explosive force, the roar of true energy, and the sounds of tearing each other’s flesh ran rampant. They were all people of great skill.

The man who had been caught by Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head with a sickened expression.

“There are several more such areas nearby. I’m originally from Seokgwon Territory, but I didn’t know there was such a place underground. I just volunteered because the Ming Cult said they would join hands with the Southern Greatest under heaven and bestow martial arts. In my opinion, this is now the Ming Cult’s main headquarters.”

The map of the Imperial Army’s Great Governor came to Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind. Seokgwon Territory was a major city in the northern part of the demon realm.

About four thousand li north from the Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall at Juyong Pass. Yeoktru Castle was roughly in the center.

He had been moved an absurdly far distance.