===============
Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read only at Novelbyu.com
================
Chapter 327 – Heaven Shaking (6)
Beneath the pure white sunlight mixed with dust clouds.
Void treading and sword flight.
The contrast between the two figures was intense. It was a rare sight in the world.
Star Radiance Great Sword Lord Murong Jung-rak's figure stood on the air, while Lotus Nezha Jeong Yeon-shin was floating up, riding his sword that he had drawn at some unknown moment.
Amid the dust rising from stone fragments everywhere, flowing like mist. It was like a painting, this confrontation.
Below them, exclamations of astonishment flowed from the stunned crowd. The Radiant Demon Wing Leader also heard the voices of his three companions.
"Good heavens… what I saw earlier really was sword flight! I can finally believe it now."
"You seemed envious of our young master's height, but in a manner befitting a squad leader…"
"Is that really sword flight?!"
Jokes and shock were mixed together. The typical speech of Radiant Demon Wing's martial artists. Finding composure even in urgent situations.
Woong—
Standing on the white Northern Light Divine Sword, he silently gazed ahead.
The figure of the Murong family head, surrounded by grayish currents like a curtain, met his gaze.
"..."
The eyes of Liaoning's number one figure flashed colorlessly.
They were extraordinarily intense.
That's how his eyes were. A gaze like dozens of sword blades compressed into a single thread. Though only his silhouette was visible through the dust, he felt like something other than human.
Jeong Yeon-shin wondered. What difference would there be between him and Zhuge Clan Leader?
'Power accumulated purely in the body…'
It's different from spell martial arts. It means his characteristics aren't outstanding variations and extreme power.
He's just strong. Even without employing all sorts of spell formations and dharma treasures. A single sword must contain his entire life. Regardless of what the Murong family head's life had been like.
Perhaps it's because their martial lineages are completely different. The superiority between the two family heads isn't easily determined.
But the martial prowess of the Eight Clan Leaders couldn't all be the same. As one becomes more powerful, the world they inhabit also broadens.
Since even Black-ranks have varying levels of martial prowess, the realm of major faction leaders would be even more diverse.
'In any case, I need to fight on the ground.'
He can't handle this in a sword flight state. A martial artist who can freely deploy sword techniques while void treading would inevitably have the advantage.
The sword flight was initially activated to draw the attention of Murong Jung-rak. The strike of the peerless swordsman shouldn't be directed at innocent bystanders.
It was then.
"Put aside distracting thoughts."
The shadow with its waist held nobly straight moved its lips.
"You should be tempering your sword energy even now."
The absolute ruler of Liaoning spoke. It seemed almost like he was offering advice.
He doesn't express any particular sentiments. Star Radiance Great Sword Lord Murong Jung-rak no longer looked down at those below and spoke only to Jeong Yeon-shin.
Despite surely knowing that his young family head had been killed by the Radiant Demon Wing Leader's subordinate.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer.
There was no need to communicate with such a figure. It would be foolish to attempt negotiation with a monster wielding a sword.
He is the enemy of Hyeon Won-chang, and Jeong Yeon-shin had witnessed the moment his son died.
In terms of martial world grudges, they were irreconcilable. This would be true even if one side performed the Golden Powder Face Washing.
'If I die, so be it. I'm doing my duty.'
He circulated the Luminous Wheel Technique from his heart to the three meridians of his face. As the energy passed through the Tongziliao acupoint outside both eyes, blue light flashed.
The eye technique was activated. The Luminous Wheel Technique flowing between his optic nerve and Baihui acupoint.
Simultaneously, his vision flashed white.
It was the scabbard of the Murong family's Flowing Star Sword. It had suddenly struck.
'Let's go.'
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke to the Northern Light Divine Sword.
The blade immediately responded to its master's thoughts. Unlike his body that couldn't achieve unity of essence, energy, and spirit.
He soared upward riding his sword.
Whoosh—!
His field of vision changed. The moment he felt pressure bearing down on his crown, his surroundings transformed into straight lines, and then the barren mountain peaks of the wilderness unfolded before his eyes.
He had escaped from the deep cave in an instant. The air flowing into his lungs through his internal energy breathing became much fresher.
Kuguung—
A tremendous roar sounded far below. A fierce wind brushed against the toe of Jeong Yeon-shin's leather shoe as he stood on the Northern Light Divine Sword.
It was the aftermath of the peerless sword strike. Despite clearly evading it, the sword power that shook the void for dozens of zhang was tremendous.
"You."
There was faint surprise in the voice.
With intense vibrations, Murong Jung-rak's voice became clearer. The figure rising from beneath the Northern Light Divine Sword. The ruler of Liaoning cutting through the void with incredibly refined void treading skill, as if swimming through the sky.
The confidence that he could now capture the Slaughter Sect masters at any time was evident. In determining priorities, the Lotus Nezha had been placed first.
"Must leave your head here."
His words concluded right before Jeong Yeon-shin's face.
The current Radiant Demon Wing Leader almost unconsciously felt grateful. This was the attitude always shown by enemy monkeys. The situation made it difficult to guarantee survival, but it put his mind somewhat at ease.
They faced each other amid the bright sunlight pouring down.
He was a middle-aged man with unusually thick eyebrows. His impression was both stubborn and fierce, intertwined with transcendent energy waves.
Dressed in spotless white robes, he appeared like a deity of the sky.
In the air.
Jeong Yeon-shin silently crossed one mountain peak. The Murong family head followed slowly like a ghost.
Thud.
The Radiant Demon Wing Leader descended onto a yellowish-brown open space with an apparently nonchalant demeanor. Murong Jung-rak also landed on the ground with a perfectly straight posture.
Both were swordsmen. The ground, where true steps could be planted, would inevitably be more comfortable. After the dull sound of footsteps echoed, the silence filling the space between the two men deepened.
A rocky mountain in the barren wilderness.
The distance was one zhang. For a peerless master, this was extremely close.
Jeong Yeon-shin, who had met Murong Jung-rak's gaze, extended his hand to the side.
Tap.
The energy waves of the Northern Light Divine Sword that had been floating came into his grasp. At the same time, he transferred the mental image of a fan made of light strands from the Northern Light Divine Sword toward the Murong family head.
Mystical Secret Technique. Fan Dragon Treading Lotus Technique.
Just as a dragon that had suddenly appeared in his mind was about to grasp that white crane fan and fly toward the crown of the Murong family head.
Thud thud thud—
It was the sound of hoofbeats.
An incredibly massive presence of men and horses approached at an extremely rapid pace. The Radiant Demon Wing Leader's perception, which had focused all his energy sense on the Murong family head, was delayed.
Murong Jung-rak seemed to be in a similar situation. The speed at which he turned his pupils was only slightly faster than Jeong Yeon-shin's.
A massive dust cloud rose along the ridge. It came with the resonance of hundreds of people moving as one.
"Profound Martial Alliance."
Murong Jung-rak muttered.
Jeong Yeon-shin had already guessed… It was the martial forces he had only heard about. They were different from those led by Goon Yu-rin. The energy waves they emitted were uniformly powerful, suggesting they were no ordinary members of the Profound Martial Alliance.
At the front, a man wearing a fur coat that reached down to his feet was flying across the ground.
He was an enormous figure. He was surrounded by semi-transparent energy waves like a city wall.
His protective technique, like that of an immortal wandering the netherworld, was impressive, and while his bearing was dignified like that of a king, he approached with terrifyingly cold eyes while continuously carving the space.
The air trembled incessantly. The invisible military aura made of internal energy pierced the sky.
Thud thud thud thud—!
They were deploying a sword formation while riding horses. The internal energy they coordinated like invisible threads grew stronger as they approached.
They all pointed their sword tips at Jeong Yeon-shin while galloping forward. These were the ones directly led by the Profound Martial Alliance Leader. How powerful they might be could be guessed without experiencing it firsthand.
***
***
"Military King. You've made up your mind."
Murong Jung-rak's lips curved up slightly. Was this the leisure of a peerless master?
Even when facing an equal opponent, he didn't lose his distinctive atmosphere. He could probably escape at any time, which might explain his composure.
He slowly turned his head. It was toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
"They say you excel at short decisive battles. I'll behead you before they arrive."
"You seem quite relaxed."
Jeong Yeon-shin replied briefly. While once again envisioning the dragon holding the fan.
"You have no sword spirit."
Murong Jung-rak continued.
"Not even Namgung's corpse will protect you."
He was referring to the Martial Alliance meeting.
The ruler of Liaoning paid no attention to the approaching martial forces.
He and the Radiant Demon Wing Leader were acquainted. They had passed by each other several times during the Great Faction War.
At that time, Jeong Yeon-shin had strengthened Sword Star by retrieving Azure Qilin's corpse from the Zhuge family.
It was an act that even diminished the influence of the Murong family head who had allied with Zhuge Clan Leader. The Murong family had to sever ties to maintain their position in the Alliance.
Just now, Murong Jung-rak had pointed out Jeong Yeon-shin's situation.
It meant that in this place, his backing and justification would not protect him. He was right.
The gaze and silence of Sword Star, the Nine Great Sects, the Forest-Treading Squad Xiahou Wei-jin and the Desolate Divine Spear Yue Shou-lin, as well as the white path martial world silenced by Azure Qilin's corpse—none of these were present.
He couldn't even hope for the overwhelming force that had annihilated the Hwangbo family two years ago.
The Black-ranks counted among the Three Black Pillars—the Annihilation Team Squad Leader, the intact-armed Divine Blood Extreme Demon, and the Burning Abyss Team Leader with his refined spell sword techniques—along with seventy or so Desolate Fortress Blue-ranks would be nearly invincible.
But such a force would be difficult to gather again. The situation was too urgent, with everyone busy with their own missions.
The major factions that had accumulated martial prowess under the oppression of Desolate Fortress.
Times were changing. The Zhongyuan Martial Alliance meeting was just the beginning. Martial artists were breaking the sword clusters of the imperial court in various places.
Now Desolate Fortress could no longer preemptively stop the coordination of all sorts of factions. This was why the Administration Office of the main fortress always complained of being short-handed.
Complete isolation.
At this moment, Jeong Yeon-shin was like the current Desolate Fortress. That was his situation. Only the hearts of the three members of Radiant Demon Wing who were now bursting out from underground would reach him.
A martial force of over a hundred deploying a sword formation. Two major faction leaders with transcendent presences.
This was the martial world in which the Lotus Nezha found himself.
He had become a target of attention as significant as the Desolate Divine Spear representing Desolate Fortress.
[Drop your sword.]
Six-directional spirit energy. A dry voice struck his ears like lightning.
It rang out from the vanguard of the martial artists riding up the gentle slope. The Profound Martial Alliance Leader spoke with a kingly, dignified bearing as he approached and continued.
[Radiant Demon Wing Leader Jeong Yeon-shin. If you do not resist, you will be treated as a prisoner. Do not raise your sword even with Murong Jung-rak before you.]
The voice of the Profound Martial Alliance Leader gradually faded.
It wasn't that he had lowered his voice. Colorless energy waves were flashing from his Adam's apple.
One who had reached the extreme of unity of essence, energy, and spirit. His internal energy responds to even the slightest movement. Even his blood flow and pulse are said to be composed of martial in the state of Five Elements Returning to the Source, which he might have stepped into.
The fact that internal energy waves shimmer at his throat means he is clearly moving the muscles and ligaments inside his throat.
[This is…]
The trailing words of the absolute being suddenly faded like an echo.
"Vermin."
Hwook—!
A rough voice struck down from the void, and at that moment, the sunlight unraveled in all directions like threads.
It was as if the world was confusing day and night.
Amid countless rays of light that had been illuminating the ridge bending in various forms, shadows rapidly flickering in all sorts of shapes below. Colorless fragments of true energy creating and vanishing shadows everywhere.
Saaaa—
The distant sky was the source.
What had been merely a black dot grew rapidly larger. It came with energy waves pouring down like a tidal wave.
A handsome man with thick, distinct facial features.
He appeared to be about thirty. The figure descending with his arms folded had endless concentric waves continuously surging around him.
The air around his body was constantly distorting and straightening with a deep pink hue. Amid this, the complete stillness of his long robe hem and the purple silk tassel at his sword hilt appeared strange.
A bearing with no refinement or dignity whatsoever.
Yet what those on the ground saw looking up was the sight of a monstrous divine power in human form tearing through space as it descended.
The figure of the man violently flicking one sleeve was etched in the void.
It was a foot technique.
A pale blue wave of energy fell upon the heads of the charging mounted martial artists.
Translucent blue shockwaves stacked in layers in an instant. Then a heavy vibration distorted space like flames.
Harmonious Flower Annihilation Technique. Sword Sun.
Puhwak—!
A hundred pairs of men and horses were simultaneously crushed and shattered.
Amid the blood that exploded outward like an eruption and immediately turned to white steam, fragments of blue flames surrounding the area scattered like flower petals.
[TL Note- GRANDPAA IS HERE]