Chapter 690 – King of the Sinners

A plain where all surfaces were carved hemispherically as if tremendously massive star clusters had collided. A young woman who had been racing swiftly like fallen leaves mixed in hazy gales suddenly hesitated.

“…Wait.”

She stood upright in place.

Whoosh!

Fierce headwinds piled more dust on her dusty black robe, and between her jet-black fluttering bangs, blue pupils froze solid. While fully revealing tremendous shock.

“Squad Leader?”

The dozen or so masters following closely also stopped without delay, scraping the ground deeply with both feet. Movement skillfully releasing the recoil that should have penetrated to their joints with Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

All were noble clan members.

Desolate Fortress Divine Sword Group, Immortal Tree Spirit.

Immortal Tree Spirit Squad Leader Cheon So-so quietly murmured.

“Really? How…?”

A crystal-clear voice without highs or lows. Great bewilderment seeped through. It was an emotional turbulence the Immortal Tree Spirit masters had never witnessed even once.

“What sensation did the young tree transmit?”

A blue-ranked master with twin swords crossed on his back asked. Though his tone was very serious, Cheon So-so only slowly grasped her inner robe.

Rustle.

“Mount Song, gate… Group Leader.”

A quiet whisper. When the outline of a small branch became visible under her soft front robe.

Without any warning.

Suddenly the earth’s surface rose expansively. Like an immeasurable flood dragon raising its body from the depths.

Rumble!

Some ancient tree’s bark began filling the Immortal Tree Spirit masters’ vision completely. It was a tree trunk as thick as Desolate Fortress’ fortress walls, and the sight of it dropping mounds of earth like waterfalls was bizarre.

“World Tree…!”

“It’s not the main tree! It’s a trunk!”

As soon as the ambush was identified, tree trunks that charged in like world-changing swift swords wrapped around everyone. The aftereffects and recoil were naturally tremendous. Tremendous wind pressure created shallow canyons in the area, and Brilliant Art Formula energy waves exploded from the bodies of Immortal Tree Spirit masters bound and lifted by the tree trunks.

Rumble! Crackle!

Whitish light rays exploded with techniques equivalent to full-body explosive force, but ultimately couldn’t break or pierce the scale-like bark of the wooden dragon. Energy waves that transformed into fragments of pure white radiance and mixed into the sandy dust.

Cheon So-so immediately raised her gaze. The top of the tree trunk coiled like a snake. A human shadow with its back to the sun held a great bow downward. While gazing down at Cheon So-so steadily.

Cheon So-so slowly moved her lips.

“…Heaven-Reaching Bow Count.”

A voice that flowed out clearly word by word.

A figure who began being called by the alias World’s Greatest Archer throughout all jianghu. It was said one of her arrows equaled one sword of World’s Five Swords. Even the current Dark Night Palace Young Leader couldn’t exchange more than three arrow strikes with her.

“I announce to the young tree’s chief dharma protector.”

The great bow’s shadow, Heaven-Reaching Bow Count, said lowly.

“Return to the main tree.”

Cheon So-so shook her head slightly.

“Clan affairs are none of my business. Put the kids down.”

“Even if your subordinates want to return to the main tree?”

Simultaneously, the tree trunk emitted resonance like a giant heart’s beating. Along with afterimages as if much larger and semi-transparent trunks were overlapping.

Cheon So-so’s eyes widened as she was already raising rainbow-colored power waves and Radiant Art Formula in both hands with Extreme Heaven Flowing Ice Technique.

‘Unification…!’

Originally, World Tree unification is achieved more easily by those who have long contact with trunks, but besides main tree masters, it’s a condition difficult to fulfill unless one is a figure like Nine Sects’ sect leaders or grand elders.

Yet many clan members had unified.

Just like now, because Four Great Dharma Protectors had personally led trunks and engaged in jianghu activities.

Crack—

The giant tree trunk literally constricted like a flood dragon. While strangling the main fortress martial artists who would die in remote mountains rather than betray.

Instantly.

Divine Sword Group Jeong Family Dynamic Technique

Chapter of Baihui Protection

The Immortal Tree Spirit nobles’ eyes flashed with blue light, and the tree trunk’s resonance stopped. Even the afterimages like heartbeats scattered completely. Heaven-Reaching Bow Count at the top also gripped her great bow with strength simultaneously.

“…Lightning Genius’ martial lineage.”

“Squad Leader, retreat alone. Currently Squad Leader’s lightness technique is comparable to peerless masters. You can sufficiently escape…”

The words of one blue-ranked master bound by tree trunks stopped. Because suddenly a long arrow like a short spear crashed into Cheon So-so’s feet and disappeared. Countless cracks spread from that impact point, then in an instant the plain’s center was carved down remotely like a cliff.

“……!”

Fierce earthquakes spread in all directions.

Arrow strike that completely penetrated feng shui’s dragon veins. It literally pierced through the blood channels where earth’s essence flows. The aftereffects were tremendous.

Rumble!

The earth split on its own creating dark canyons everywhere, and the ground Cheon So-so stood on suddenly transformed into the middle of some peak. Truly a natural disaster. The creation of arrows penetrating providence transformed even plains into steep valleys.

Terrain impossible to escape.

“Now no one in the world underestimates Jeong Yeon-shin. The same goes for his martial lineage.”

Heaven-Reaching Bow Count said. While aiming her great bow at Cheon So-so. Right after, her hand gripping the bowstring fragmented hazily.

She nocked and drew arrows twice in peerless realms, and the iron rain pouring toward Cheon So-so totaled four. Instantly, some man’s shadow that charged from the horizon’s edge kicked two of them while splitting one with a hand blade.

Crash!

He was a middle-aged man in sleeveless martial clothing.

With ghostly chilling observation skills and consecutive strikes that extinguished massive arrow strike energy waves like fire. He landed close to Cheon So-so in an instant and laughed heartily. While rotating his wrists and ankles here and there as if his joints had become very stiff at this moment.

“To be this accurate. Since all people are on our Great Righteous side, even without Beggar Sect it’s enviable intelligence capability.”

“Martial Dragon Society Leader.”

It was Cheon So-so’s murmur.

Helian Feng-yue’s smile deepened as he glanced at her.

“The young tree you carry is needed by our alliance as well. Isn’t the gate the greatest variable in world conquest? Your precious item is a dharma treasure that will block many gates in the future, so it’s difficult to hand over to demons at least.”

Immediately a dry voice fell from the air.

“Helian Feng-yue, your confidence is excessive.”

“Ah, Heaven-Reaching Bow Count. Won’t you call it courage? I desperately need a place and time to enter seclusion safely. We Han people have difficulty coveting martial extremes as comfortably as you.”

World Tree, Great Righteous Alliance, and Desolate Fortress.

Three of the four great forces that had risen as axes of the vast Central Plains gathered. The beginning of a massive power struggle. For some reason, Helian Feng-yue showed no sign of retreating from clear disadvantage.

Heaven-Reaching Bow Count said.

“It’s bothersome to conduct business. If you withdraw now, I won’t immediately do anything to you.”

“That tone is irritating.”

Helian Feng-yue spoke while slowly loosening his hands.

“I don’t respect you. The sight of acting strong with freely obtained martial arts… If you don’t retreat now, I’ll demonstrate here the techniques I’ll someday use on Tyrant Sword and Lightning Genius.”

It was then.

“I also have business with that woman, the Immortal Tree Spirit Squad Leader.”

A giant shadow fell behind Helian Feng-yue. Appearing suddenly and absurdly naturally, with very overwhelming presence. The hoarse voice that rang like from deep caves was the same.

“Show me first.”

Fighting God spoke.

* * *

Absolute defense techniques were broken by one sword, and time as long as a peerless master’s breath had passed. Even until then, Shaolin remained quiet.

Sigh—

Former Zhuge Family Head’s faint breath scattered like smoke. Thousand Fan Martial Empress Zhuge Qing. She was just blankly looking up at the sky. At the air cleared without a single cloud, not to mention the mist that had been white like the sun.

It was simply blue.

Nothing existed. It was completely emptied.

“A mere martial warrior.”

On the old woman’s face that seemed like it would always have all emotions mixed like a secular immortal, disbelief stood out faintly.

“…Hundreds of years of study…”

Her breathing was unstable.

If she were an absolute of sorcery martial arts, her internal energy breathing would have to be more solid than any peerless master, but not now. Because she had suffered internal and external injuries difficult to bear.

Because Divine Sword Group Leader’s swordsmanship was different from Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s.

Space sword techniques that penetrate and cut only what one desires are methods permitted only to unorthodox madmen. Zhuge Qing had completely withstood Jeong Yeon-shin’s single sword with gates and defensive energy. Thanks to this she avoided instant death, but it wouldn’t be strange if her breath stopped anytime.

“Yes… it’s not a matter of aptitude.”

Suddenly hazy light swept through the old woman’s unfocused pupils. The light of insight. At this moment she seemed less like an aristocrat who lost a child and more like an old scholar who had devoted her life to some study only to be betrayed.

“You, what is different about you? There was no one who wasn’t desperate…!”

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t answer immediately. Because he was organizing his insights.

‘Three things in one sword.’

What’s consumed as kinetic force of sword strike energy waves is the energy accumulation vessel of a master imbued with overwhelming spirituality. In other words, the lower energy center created by peerless masters.

The sword strike’s form is one sword path flowing like clouds, devised by Zhongnan Sword Immortal.

The formula is mental imagery that accepts even one’s own death.

That is, techniques that implement divine sword techniques in a short time with all of a master’s everything and senses, premised on mutual destruction. Only then do things that cannot be cut catch on the blade tip. Naturally, Zhongnan Sword Immortal’s death was also inevitable.

Peerless-level power without an energy center would inevitably tear the body apart. It was the price of particularly tremendous energy accumulation.

Thus.

In a situation where he understood everything.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought. I could do it three more times.

‘Two luminous wheels remain.’

Soon he slowly opened his mouth. Toward Zhuge Qing at his feet.

“Though I’ve heard rumors about Annihilating Seat Divine Heaven Fire.”

He briefly cut off his words. To breathe deeply silently like Senior Jin Myeong-jo. He must not show his physical condition to anyone.

“…You seem not to have heard about Zhongnan’s Sword Immortal elder. That was a bigger matter.”

Zhuge Qing said nothing, and Shaolin’s grounds had also fallen into strange silence. Only roars from Martial Star and Beom-ryeol’s explosive force echoed faintly like distant thunder from afar.

The temple’s silence was serene.

“……”

Below broken stone steps.

After dead sprouts poked out their pale yellow heads, they shimmered golden mixed with transparently pouring sunlight. The high spring wind that blew in long cursive script barely visible to the eye wove dust and stone powder like silk thread and pushed them away. Scenery connected in one stream like dharma hall mandala patterns.

Master Beom-heo’s voice settled down as gently as fallen leaves carried on that high spring wind.

“Human affairs in the dusty secular world. Hell Gate that had budded since the Ming Dynasty was split by human blades and died down for the second time. Shaolin Abbot witnessed this on the fourteenth day before Clear Bright Festival and said… The owner of that sword is.”

Then concluding words with calm Buddha’s name.

“Lightning Genius of the Jeong family.”

That was all.

In the center of silence that had deepened again as if honoring achievements few in the world possessed, Jeong Yeon-shin stood blankly for a while.

Rumble—

Lungs and blood vessels leaping roughly like a heart that had received plenty of blood.

It was gradually becoming difficult to move. Because the power contained in the wheel of light had been tremendous.

Jeong Yeon-shin swallowed his groan.

He felt it inside his body. The tsunami of energy that abundantly filled the twelve main meridians and 365 blood channels, even countless minor meridians. It was truly a state requiring energy circulation for days and nights.

‘It’s like suddenly ingesting a flood dragon’s inner core.’

Luminous wheels are masses of tremendous true energy.

They had been used to inflate countless energies until now. Natural earth energy drawn by inhalation, the luminous wheels’ own internal energy, and a kind of dharma treasure that amplified power enhanced in Great Circulation once more.

Perhaps that’s why.

Only after breaking it himself did he realize. The density of true energy condensed inside had become so thick it was close to incomprehensible. Hadn’t he originally thought even one luminous wheel could accumulate energy comparable to noble clan member Xiahou Wei-jin?

—Like Taoism’s inner core studies. You truly showed great courage.

It was gentle wise light mind speech. As soon as he turned his gaze to Master Beom-heo, quiet pupils stood out.

‘Buddhist Heavenly Eye Penetration…?’

Eye technique said to see through all suffering and joy, mind and body. Though he didn’t know if it was truly so, at this moment he seemed to be the only one who grasped Jeong Yeon-shin’s physical condition.

—First set aside the second and third. You might die at this rate.

Master Beom-heo said.

Though his voice was peaceful as always, the situation in the hall was not. Starting from the existence of ten thousand troops that had begun intensifying on the mountainside growing incomparably larger.

Rumble—

Gradually intensifying vibrations shaking the ground fiercely and the smell of blades. Also sporadically bursting military energy. If ten thousand martial forces wearing iron armor and marching in formation to steep Mount Song, that was already the power of a ‘nation’ that even very few masters could hardly resist.

“If backed by that military force, a peerless swordsman like former Gongsun Family Head commands the battle situation with military gate sword techniques and observation skills…”

Great Righteous Alliance’s Third Wife Xing Lan, who had been frozen like Zhuge Qing, moved her lips. Signs of somehow trying to recover composure.

Where her gaze pointed.

There was an old swordsman who had buried his opponent deep in a pit made of blade wind. Master Won-mu with his monk robes completely cut away revealing his grayish-white upper body. Thanks to his robust Yao tribe birth and Muscle-Changing Classic, he breathed fine even while lying down, but the old swordsman’s face was calm.

Mad Lord Gongsun Yue.

An old man who had cultivated unknown sword techniques from the east.

Even while facing Master Won-mu with swordsmanship, his gaze was fixed on Jeong Yeon-shin. From when Zhuge Qing surrounded her entire body with gates until they were cut and scattered, throughout.

“…Before being a family head who submitted to Nang Seong.”

His wrinkled lips moved slowly.

“I am a swordsman.”

“Elder?”

Gongsun Yue didn’t answer Xing Lan’s question. He just suddenly gazed down at his own sword steadily, then casually threw it toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

“……?”

“I cannot hold a sword today.”

Ring—

An aged voice settled down with the crystal clear sword cry characteristic of divine swords.

“It’s a day to honor your swordsmanship.”