Chapter 689 – Origin (7)

“…A strange matter.”

These were Hell Deviation Beom-ryeol’s first words.

It was conduct that maintained the composure of a clear mirror even though his hair had been grabbed and pulled up. The same as usual when he kept his distance, misunderstanding the Divine Sword Group Leader’s character.

“Suddenly the air twisted and spat out some hand. Since I knew it was Benefactor’s energy waves, I left it alone, but why did the grounds become like this?”

His appearance sitting cross-legged in whitish mist, looking down from above. While roughly fluttering his disheveled hair. Rather than a Buddhist disciple, he seemed like an evil spirit that would be enlightened by underworld divine generals.

“……”

Many people’s movements stopped.

Martial Star and Zhuge Qing who could guess Beom-ryeol’s martial arts level, even the swordsmanship of former Gongsun Family Head who had trapped Master Won-mu with overwhelming sword wind on the ground.

Third Wife Xing Lan also had a serious expression. Perhaps she thought that unlike Jeong Yeon-shin, Beom-ryeol would disregard the incense bearers’ safety. Judging by his destructive impression, it was understandable to feel that way.

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke quietly.

“This is a place called Great Righteous Alliance. According to the reports I received, it was said to be a truly meaningful martial alliance. Something that has never appeared in ancient or modern times…”

“Now please release my head.”

Meanwhile, Zhuge Qing beyond the gate laughed with an incredulous expression.

“Even the Western Region Dharma Kings haven’t perfected subspace techniques in gates for long, yet you pull a person from a gate with mere hand movements that are only fist techniques…? While making even my dominance useless? No one at the Round Table would believe this story.”

“Oh.”

Wol-yo clattered from behind Jeong Yeon-shin’s back.

“Sorcerers generally have no friends. It seemed to be because of the habit of talking at length about stories only they know.”

Tap, tap.

He bounced around near Mingmen acupoint as if blown by strong winds, which was indeed energy accumulation movement. His power had become insufficient after facing Great Righteous Alliance’s hundred elites.

‘There are limits to upper energy center accumulation.’

He was obsessed with sound cultivation. To travel the world as a dharma treasure, he had no choice but to become a master’s baggage.

If power wasn’t replenished after displaying sound cultivation techniques, he would meet true death like a lamp that had run out of oil.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought this wasn’t different from the situation of the great force called Great Righteous Alliance. Because they were people trying to establish a nation.

They had to constantly prove powerful strength in troubled times. They were also a group that would collapse at any time if they didn’t always maintain abundant storehouses. Because many secular martial people were included, it was differently a flame that burned greatly using jianghu as kindling.

‘What kind of person would Nang Seong be?’

Gripping Enter the Divine Sword that had been floating in the air, he slowly began to speak.

“They were discussing Shaolin’s temple closure.”

Beom-ryeol’s reaction was immediate.

“What?”

“You must have felt there are more besides these. The military energy climbing the mountain.”

There was a group climbing Mount Song from the distant mountain base. He had felt it just before entering the Wall-Facing Cave earlier, and it was truly a number that could plot a nation.

‘If there had been only a few strong ones, they wouldn’t have aimed for founding a nation.’

A martial force numbering easily ten thousand.

It wasn’t the scale of jianghu. They had to discuss a great nation.

“Are you done talking?”

It was behind him.

Before he knew it, Martial Star’s large shadow swallowed Jeong Yeon-shin and Beom-ryeol, and instantly Beom-ryeol threw back his hand like shaking off a shoulder embrace, creating cracks in the air.

‘Guanyin Azure Unyielding Palm with Hundred Step Divine Fist…?’

Bluish explosive force seeped into the wind like spider webs and abruptly stopped Martial Star. Immediately after, sounds like dharma hall wind chimes breaking in a row exploded.

Crack crack crack crack crack!

Shock waves that shattered dozens of layers of defensive energy and penetrated to the abdomen. Soon a huge concentric circle was drawn centered on Martial Star, then with a crash and roar, the Yao tribe giant was spat out in a straight trajectory to the stone mountain beyond Shaolin Temple.

“……!”

He was knocked far away. The scene of white stone powder rising in a chain like skipping stones. Simultaneously, gentle resonance was transmitted to the skin.

Rumble.

It was accomplished in one exchange.

“What kind of rebound force… I’ve grown old too.”

Beom-ryeol shook his head while rubbing his wrist. Soon he glanced toward the direction Martial Star had flown with sunken eyes. Northern Six Star Lords’ characteristic powerful energy waves were vibrating with joyful laughter without weakening at all.

—This is interesting!

“…The harmony between internal energy barriers and flesh is strangely solid. Benefactor Jeong, I think I’d be overwhelmed just facing that fellow.”

The one who suddenly manifested discussed fighting Northern Six Star Lords. Former Zhuge Family Head and Great Righteous Alliance Third Wife seemed somewhat bewildered. The expression deepened as soon as Beom-ryeol disappeared from where he sat cross-legged as if scattering.

Another roar exploded from where Martial Star was knocked away, and the mountain terrain began turning upside down from their collision.

Third Wife Peony Immortal Xing Lan muttered.

“Vajra Immovable Divine Method? There’s such a person in Shaolin?”

“Generally, a sect’s crisis of destruction is what determines how prestigious and long-standing that sect is. Yes, even regarding Desolate Fortress alone, there were rumors that former Divine Sword Group Leader Shin came back alive…”

Zhuge Qing’s question stabbed at Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Is it true?”

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t answer.

Because it was a trick to gain leisure. The strong ones in sorcery martial arts he had encountered were always pressed for time. That was why Jeong Yeon-shin stepped sideways with void stepping at this moment.

His body that became whitish after striking the instant manifested like a gentle breeze from Zhuge Qing’s side, and his left hand containing constant Brilliant River drew scattered afterimages like petals. It was the form of Eternal Blossom Fist’s Blossoming Fist, and simultaneously the white mist swallowed the hand shadows that bloomed like a flowering tree in an instant.

Techniques that break all things.

Crack!

Zhuge Qing, who had blocked even the aftereffects of Brilliant River with the gate, got slight wrinkles around her lips.

“Skillful. Truly befitting the Divine Sword Group Leader. Yes… it should be like this. It should be such a person.”

“Mind Controlled Sword?”

Jeong Yeon-shin muttered quietly.

From the beginning until now, the movement of mist gathered like the sun wasn’t ordinary. It literally reacted and moved as if mental images were projected. Like proving former Zhuge Family Head’s long journey to the Western Regions.

‘Are the means of becoming stronger so varied?’

She had made the greatest mystery of ancient and modern times her dharma treasure. Study that the dead Zhuge Tian-sang might have reached after decades if he had lived as long as his mother Zhuge Qing.

Crash crash crash crash crash!

On the ground, several hazy sword winds from former Gongsun Family Head barely avoided the incense bearers’ heads, and Master Won-mu roared bloodily at that old swordsman.

Meanwhile, the stone mountain that supported the great temple called Shaolin also shook gently. The scene of grayish white stone powder spilling from various peaks. About ten thousand martial forces had climbed to the mountainside.

Rumble—

Even Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been to the black capital, had never personally experienced such a scale. Because the thirty thousand troops of Heavenly Steel Light Armor’s charge had been stopped by Southern Emperor’s will.

‘Even now it’s not easy to protect incense bearers from the aftereffects of battle. If they come up too…’

Wide-range sword songs and Wol-yo don’t distinguish between enemy and ally, so it would be right to save Grand Taiji until then. Originally, even Formless Sword Starry Night would be a waste of power against gates.

‘How far can it react?’

He bit Enter the Divine Sword once more in the dragon’s teeth of his mental image.

Swish—

Instantly the sword bypassed Zhuge Qing in a light-like curve, and in an instant white mist clusters covered her body. The appearance as if the gate had volunteered to serve as clothing. Simultaneously, Enter the Divine Sword’s blade cut through the mist and extended out, then returned to Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand while rotating with a buzz.

Originally a sword that should have completely split Zhuge Qing’s side. Jeong Yeon-shin narrowed his brow.

“Unification with the gate…?”

[I am not Zhuge Qing now. I am the sum of some studies.]

The old woman’s voice resonated.

Whitish mist threads fluttered around her like the robes of Daoist Nine Heaven Mysterious Woman. Though her body was buried, she hadn’t entered the gate.

The direction of sorcery study was different.

[This thing called gate is a natural disaster that dealt devastating blows even to the distant West. Famous scholars and mysterious sorcerers, dignified Dharma Kings, and monsters in full armor devoted themselves to research, and I too lent a hand to their studies as entertainment. And I saw both limits and results.]

“……”

[This unification technique is a byproduct that came from the process of their seeking life, the ultimate trick permitted to sorcery martial arts. Of course, what they truly sought was the gate’s extinction, but… creating such noble porters was the limit. Even that was a technique abandoned because it couldn’t move far.]

The technique of moving gates opened in countries. Zhuge Qing’s tone was like that.

[If this were made into divine cultivation, one could enjoy being world’s greatest and invincible, but what use is all that?]

When the world is terminally ill— Zhuge Qing concluded. The feeling of transcendence created by the sorcery martial arts absolute’s broad experience mixed like smoke with hatred toward Jeong Yeon-shin at this place.

[The other great nations beyond the Silk Road are also gradually becoming aware of World Tree’s existence. There may already be those who have raised armies and are crossing the sea. Either way, your master will die, and this world will also meet catastrophe.]

Third Wife Xing Lan’s voice rang from below.

“This was the reason my husband made Luoyang his base. To be able to block the Divine Sword Group Leader to that extent? If my husband the alliance leader, World’s Greatest Sword Dan Seong-eum, and that old master Zhuge were together, we might dare speak of proclaiming imperial title…”

Suddenly Wol-yo mocked them.

“When protective studies gain power, internal injury recovery methods became popular, but if unification realms boast invincibility in times like these, what will become of the world’s state…?”

Whoosh.

Suddenly Zhuge Qing approached Jeong Yeon-shin with ghostlike void treading and grasped his right forearm. The wrinkled hand surged with blue lightning and white mist like dawn just before lightning strikes, which were respectively sorcery martial arts’ internal energy lightning and gate mist.

It was a combination of offense and defense unified.

[Combined Lightning.]

As soon as it touched his sleeve, defensive energy was sucked into the gate, and the forearm with emptied exterior was sizzled by lightning’s palm power. Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand fragmented like clouds into the mist Zhuge Qing wore and went in and out hundreds of times.

Originally they existed in different time axes.

Among sorcery martial arts practitioners, only Little Heavenly Demon Invincible could handle such close combat intervals.

‘There’s oiliness in my palm…’

Zhuge Qing laughed.

[Meaningless. You should also stop caring about incense bearers now. They’ll die of famine anyway.]

“I wonder.”

Jeong Yeon-shin retreated about one zhang with a single void stepping step. While wrapping his entire body in semi-transparent defensive energy again. Meanwhile, above their heads, hundreds of ochre meteors were falling scattered onto Shaolin grounds.

Drawing a huge circle.

Rumble! Rumble rumble rumble—!

The moment 108 monks wearing yellow robes landed, suddenly time stopped. It was pressure that truly felt that way. Because any explosive force aftereffects subsided before even reaching the dharma halls. Suddenly even the air became infinitely clear.

Only the incense scent seeping from distant dharma halls grew thicker.

[Shaolin’s 108 Arhats. Indeed forces difficult to place near Luoyang.]

Zhuge Qing muttered.

[However, they too are ultimately fated to die dry in gates… In fact, my revenge is also merely futile struggling. Divine Sword Group Leader Lightning Genius, I’m just hastening your pain of loss a little.]

It was then.

Crash!

The direction where Martial Star and Beom-ryeol’s energy waves exploded.

A tremendous explosion occurred inside the distant mountain peak, and an untimely landslide spread. Some boulder crashed down at Jeong Yeon-shin’s side simultaneously.

‘Wall-Facing Cave’s stone wall?’

Whooom—

The first luminous wheel began trembling as if tearing. It was indeed Wall-Facing Cave’s fragment. Because the words Empty Sect were also faintly visible. There couldn’t be such bad luck.

‘No, it’s heavenly fortune.’

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly descended to the ground.

He put strength into his grip holding Enter the Divine Sword, not caring whether the luminous wheel glowed or not. He only calmly lowered his eyelids.

“Hmm, what a wonderland?”

It was Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s voice. It seemed he had been led out by Master Beom-heo’s sleeve, and Zhuge Qing laughed seeing them.

[Beom-heo, I’m sorry to destroy Mount Song’s Buddhist martial lineage before you. Seeing that you can’t even raise Transcendent Martial Art in your body’s condition, watch the futile power of world’s greatest from there.]

Her words all had the same context. Death, loss, end. Conversely, Jeong Yeon-shin newly realized. That greed for World Tree’s fruit had long disappeared from his heart.

Suddenly he seemed to hear Master Bodhidharma’s voice.

—Empty Sect.

Emptying brings peace.

Jeong Yeon-shin answered small in his heart. I was originally empty.

Instantly his heart became light as clouds.

Originally, heart method was a way of using the heart, and as soon as he heard the origin of unification techniques from Zhuge Qing, Jeong Yeon-shin realized. The heart of Zhongnan Sword Immortal who wrote the formulas had transcended even life and death.

‘Seeing Hye-ah and Hero Wei Jii, and also seeing the common people of Mount Zhongnan who might die at any time.’

That formula’s words.

A swordsman who could speak with the dead.

Was a terminally ill person who could walk even into death himself. A blade wielder possessing both transcendence and fierceness. At least that level of intention was necessary.

Then the luminous wheel was also trivial.

‘Anyway.’

Aren’t you nothing compared to the common people’s lives?

The questioning intention formed in his grip holding the sword, and the luminous wheel shattered completely in his heart then was entirely sucked into the blade. Then the sword body repeated being brilliantly radiant like sunlight teased by clouds before darkening to its original color.

Instantly Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand also became hazy.

Toward Zhuge Qing and the gate.

“……!”

Untimely twilight flickered on the faces of the 108 Arhats, Heaven Conquering Sect Leader, Master Beom-heo, and all present. Mist cut and split by one sword reflected like mirrors in hundreds of pupils. With strange friction sounds like dry wood crumbling.

Yet.

Jeong Yeon-shin felt no exhaustion.

Crack crack crack crack crack crack!

Sounds continuing from the sword hilt into his body’s interior.

As if a spiritual creature’s inner core formed over long ages had broken its shell, powerful energy like the tremendous power of Yong Hye-myeong and Lazy Flame Dragon surged in like waves. The movement filling his entire body’s acupoints completely matched Jeong Family Dynamic Technique’s Great Circulation pathway. It would have been impossible with original Jeong Family Dynamic Technique’s internal energy cultivation power.

‘Ah.’

The instant his father Jeong Pan-yue’s shabby grave flashed through his mind.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly sheathed his sword.

Soon after, Zhuge Qing fell from the sky cleared of any mist with wide eyes. All kinds of emotions seeped from her faded pupils.