CHAPTER 135
—This must rightfully be called the Jung Clan Dynamic Arts Manual.
That night was overcast.
An elderly man of noble status secretly shed tears.
In his embrace was the manual of the Jung Clan Dynamic Arts, safeguarded from his son, Ma Jin.
The old man treasured the secret manual left by his grandson like a priceless treasure.
While Jung Yeonshin claimed it was excellent for preserving vitality, Ma Yeonjeok, with his long experience in the martial world, thought otherwise.
It invigorated muscles and blood flow while refining the body's vital and meridian channels.
It transformed the body into a divine vessel granted by heaven—a martial art that tempered bones and sinews.
It was a mystical cultivation method, a divine art.
Ma Yeonjeok was a peerless martial artist.
Mastery over his entire inner force was only the foundation.
Even with the unison of essence, energy, and spirit broken, he remained formidable.
What was deteriorating was only his aging body, which could no longer endure his domineering martial techniques.
His sharp mind and transcendent inner force, however, remained unshaken.
They were as keen and profound as in his youth when he served as the leader of the Divine Sword Squad.
"Your father…"
At the Headquarters of the Desolate Fortress' Branch, Ma Yeonjeok suddenly called his son, Ma Jin, sensing the presence of the Blood Flame Cult Leader.
"…never regretted sending his daughter away."
"To protect Sang-ah's happiness and the family's banner, there was no better decision even in hindsight."
"...."
"It would've been better if I had killed him earlier—before that bastard Jung Ban-ak met her."
"It is an eternal regret."
"Yeonshin is a blessing. You must protect that child. It troubles me that a fiendish blood demon lingers nearby, as if targeting Yeonshin."
"Is it truly the Blood Flame Cult Leader? Then, does that mean the Elders' Council…"
"It seems the heavens have placed a mandate upon me. What I couldn't accomplish as the leader of the Divine Sword Squad, I must achieve this time."
"Can you handle it?"
"Handle it…? Remember this—there are few among the masters of the world who remain stagnant. Unless blocked by heaven's decree like me, even the heads of the Nine Sects and the Thirteen Heavenly Leaders continue to grow. They are all madmen obsessed with martial arts, never content to stay idle. Furthermore…"
"...?"
"I am no different."
The purple robe of the Desolate Fortress.
Ma Yeonjeok instantly comprehended the essence of the Jung Clan Dynamic Arts Manual.
His cultivation and energy manipulation had already reached the domain of the Divine Sword Squad's leader—a supreme master.
Penetrating the core principles of the manual, he circulated energy through his body without pause. It was lightning-fast.
His body gradually revived, demonstrating its mystical power.
The manual's guiding principles, which had accompanied his grandson's childhood, gently caressed his limbs and meridians like a mother's touch.
Warm internal energy flowed through him.
The "Essence" of essence, energy, and spirit referred to the body, while "Spirit" resided in the mind's consciousness, thus forming the "Essence-Spirit" connection.
For a martial artist, internal energy harnessed from nature's forces fueled their cultivation. By rapidly mastering the Jung Clan Dynamic Arts, Ma Yeonjeok once again unified his essence, energy, and spirit.
This happened while he was tracking the Blood Flame Cult Leader.
At that moment, a surge of joy enveloped his entire being, and an enlightenment bloomed like a lotus flower.
Annihilation, liberation, transcendence… Words borrowed from Buddhist scriptures exaggerated the enlightenment of martial artists, but they flashed through Ma Yeonjeok's mind.
Simultaneously,
Another treasured manual, unrelated to the Jung Clan Dynamic Arts, unraveled in his consciousness.
Its pages seemed to flip on their own, and the inscriptions embedded themselves into his complete understanding.
At the peak of his unification of essence, energy, and spirit, some other cultivation surged toward perfection.
It all happened in an instant.
A fated encounter.
Perhaps it was the result of refining his heart while observing his grandson's inherent nature.
All Ma Yeonjeok needed was time to consolidate his enlightenment.
Even if the Blood Flame Cult Leader had prepared his forces in advance to ambush the clash between the Tang Clan and the Ten Perfection Sect, it didn't matter.
The former leader of the Divine Sword Squad had staked everything.
'The Divine Sword of the Desolate Fortress will set with justice.'
The old man resolved to burn away his grandson's and the common people's calamities with his own hands.
Even if his body burned to ashes, it was a duty he must fulfill.
* * *
The outer courtyard of the Tang Clan.
Ma Yeonjeok told his grandson that he would show him the leader of the Divine Sword Squad.
"...."
It was a statement that silenced the surroundings.
The reputation of the Divine Sword Squad's leader extended even to the remote edges of the martial world.
It was not something to be uttered lightly, especially by an aged martial artist who had spilled blood in his youth only to have his strength fade.
"How intriguing."
A smooth voice resonated from above.
The Blood Flame Cult Leader stood elegantly atop the roof's edge.
His crimson lips curved into a grin.
"Yeonjeok, Yeonjeok. I remember you as a cocky youth in black robes. Your arrogance back then is still vivid. You and those greenhorns from the Nine Sects tried to block my procession, even forming that ostentatious pact called the 'Mount Hua Accord'."
The story dragged on.
Ma Yeonjeok understood why. Just by looking at the Cult Leader's appearance and aura, he could guess.
Ssss—
The Blood Flame Cult Leader's white hair undulated like a mirage.
Around him, the air shimmered as if scorched by intense heat.
The crimson veins visible on his pale hands looked grotesque.
His slightly furrowed brow and sinister smile seemed eerie, yet to Ma Yeonjeok, it was mere bravado.
The Cult Leader couldn't contain his energy. He was buying time.
There were limits to how much power the human body could endure.
'Blood Flame Cult Leader. Even if you're not fully human.'
Heaven does not grant infinite power to any single being.
Nor does it allow unlimited time to harness that power. Martial artists refine their inner energy painstakingly over time.
Blood techniques are no exception. The laws of nature remain consistent.
'He cannot fully contain the energy of the Ten Perfection Sect's Leader.'
Ma Yeonjeok saw an opportunity for victory.
To completely absorb the profound energy of the Ten Perfection Sect's Leader, one would need over a decade of secluded training to refine it.
The Cult Leader's current power was highly unstable.
Because it wasn't his own internal energy, he couldn't wield it with precision.
His techniques lacked refinement.
The Ten Perfection Sect's Leader's resistance was formidable.
Ma Yeonjeok had already observed their battle using his internal sensing techniques.
As he approached, he captured the scene within a realm of violet light.
The Blood Flame Cult Leader had cloaked himself in darkness, striking with deadly absorption techniques.
The leader of the Ten Perfection Sect fought back fiercely, deploying his internal armor and forming tangible energy spikes to pierce the Cult Leader's body.
It was an extraordinary display of martial prowess.
Despite being subdued, the leader inflicted severe damage on the Cult Leader.
Were it not for the Cult Leader's regenerative abilities, the fight might have ended in mutual destruction.
The terrifying waves of energy evaporated blood in an instant, but the internal impact remained.
Yet he still stood.
Two ambitions collided—
The profound energy of the Ten Perfection Sect's Leader, and the opportunity to eradicate both elders and heirs of orthodoxy.
Given the overwhelming force, it seemed anything was possible.
Ma Yeonjeok, eyes sharp like a duelist facing life and death, studied his foe.
The lips of the bloodstained foe moved slowly.
"YourMount Hua Accord was a tiresome agreement. Looking back, I should have shed a bit more blood that day and finished the job. I let seven brats slip through my grasp… and now three of them have become sect leaders, while our dear Yeonjeok wears purple robes. When agreements pass to the next generation, don't they bring new winds of change?"
"..."
"I see your martial prowess has returned remarkably. But can you truly compare yourself to Yong? To think of him, your words seem almost arrogant. But then, perhaps it's because you have grandchildren? Your old spirit is admirable."
The current leader of the Divine Sword Squad was of the Yong family.
The martial world's upper echelons all knew one another or actively gathered intelligence about each other's identities and movements.
The Blood Flame Cult leader's words were a light provocation, anticipating a fierce battle.
Ma Yeonjeok did not respond.
Step.
He advanced silently, gripping the famed sword Moonlight Treasure Sword in his hand.
Having observed enough, he saw no reason to delay further.
The old man hoped that this life-and-death duel would fully etch its essence into the soul of his grandchild.
And that it would serve as the foundation for leading the young one into the transcendent realm someday.
Boom!
With a single step, the ground split open. The tremor from Ma Yeonjeok's movement spread like an earthquake.
By the time the shaken onlookers steadied themselves, the old man had already leaped into the air, appearing before the Blood Flame Cult leader's face.
At the edge of a rooftop, the two supreme martial artists locked eyes.
It was as if both were surrounded by an aura of transcendence.
Underneath Ma Yeonjeok's purple sleeves, the white blade of Moonlight Treasure Sword gleamed like a dragon's fang.
Invisible energy swirled around the blade, powerful enough to ripple through the air with waves that seemed to bite at the very fabric of space.
With a diagonal slash from midair, Ma Yeonjeok struck.
The Blood Flame Cult leader, grinning crimson, raised a palm to counter.
The energy emanating from Moonlight Treasure Sword was fierce, but his palm technique subdued it with eerie fluidity.
Zzzzing—!
The leader's strike carried the will of a centuries-old monster, as if he had embedded the immense power of the Ten Perfection Sect's leader into his palm technique.
When his palm met the blade of Moonlight Treasure Sword, only a mist of blood scattered.
Ma Yeonjeok's expression remained indifferent. A wave of energy rippled from the hand holding the sword.
In a fleeting instant, he unleashed the subtlety of a master at the peak of the martial arts.
He dispersed the opposing force through the void with a deft technique that redirected the shockwave from his wrist.
Boom!
The rooftop beneath the Blood Flame Cult leader collapsed with a thunderous crash, as if dozens of thunder bombs had struck at once.
The shockwave shattered a six-story pavilion, sending debris crashing to the ground.
The violent waves of energy tore through the surroundings, leaving deep gashes in the earth and filling the air with yellow dust.
At the epicenter of this catastrophe, Ma Yeonjeok's furrowed eyes relaxed slightly.
The Energy-Draining Demon was still displaying his elegant mastery of defensive techniques.
The Blood Flame Cult leader leaped onto the flying debris, effortlessly using the airborne fragments to obscure Ma Yeonjeok's vision.
His silken white hair fluttered gently, and his refined movements even exuded an air of grace.
Despite the exchange, he had lost nothing in the confrontation.
In contrast, Ma Yeonjeok, whose energy was surging toward its peak, felt strain in his right arm's tendons.
'It hurts.'
The old man thought, feeling a dull ache in his wrist akin to the persistent ailments of aging warriors.
Inside his body, it was as though tiny firecrackers were exploding. The energy turbulence was truly terrifying.
The Blood Flame Cult's leader possessed regenerative abilities as well, rendering him nearly invincible.
It was as if he sought to challenge the Lord of Desolate Fortress himself.
Ma Yeonjeok stepped into the air once more.
His sharp black eyes tracked the erratic movements of the Blood Flame Cult's leader, following every shift.
The moment his eyes caught the silver-haired figure precisely, the old man took a single step that distorted the very space around him.
It was an exquisite display of spatial mastery, a supernatural movement technique.
In an instant, he intercepted the Blood Flame Cult leader's defensive route, standing directly before him.
His purple robes billowed imposingly in the air.
The Moonlight Treasure Sword once again pulsed with an overwhelming force, and the Blood Flame Cult Leader's pale fingers moved deftly.
Ma Yeonjeok's white arc cut sharply and intensely.
The energy wave scattered by the sword path seemed capable of shattering the air itself.
When the Cult Leader deflected the sword strike, the explosive force contained in Ma Yeonjeok's attack erupted violently against the back of his hand.
Kwoooooom—!
A deafening roar filled the surroundings. Sword techniques and explosive energy were realms apart.
The attacks reached the pinnacle of cutting and detonating techniques—an absolute mastery that created a thousand pounds of force with mere ounces of energy.
From that moment, the titans exchanged blows midair.
Blurred and overlapping trails obscured the twilight, while the gusts created by evasive maneuvers erupted into typhoons.
The aftermath of their clash began to devastate the Tang Clan's estate.
Rumble!
The ground, untouched by feet, sank. It was an earthquake spanning the entire outer courtyard of the Tang Clan.
Ancient trees toppled with their leaves, and shards of force carved deep scars into the earth.
Ugh—!
Argh!
More than a dozen experts from the Ten Perfection Sect, the Tang Clan, and the Blood Flame Cult fell, shredded by energy waves.
With every burst of Ma Yeonjeok's sword energy, the ground heaved.
It wasn't a wave but a tidal force that crushed all experts nearby.
The old man paid no attention.
Having mastered domineering techniques, he was not well-matched against the Blood Flame Cult Leader.
Ma Yeonjeok's sword techniques emphasized controlling immense force, yet the Cult Leader wielded the Ten Perfection Sect leader's power, albeit imperfectly.
Every exchange required Ma Yeonjeok to redirect energy using advanced techniques.
He had to respond twice for every single move. Even so, he held his own.
He exploited the gaps created by the Cult Leader's lack of precision, slashing his body repeatedly.
Each time, the Cult Leader's regenerative powers sealed his wounds.
Ma Yeonjeok was not unscathed.
The Cult Leader's brutal energy waves left him struggling.
Blood stains appeared across his solid body.
'What is this bastard scheming?'
The old man pondered.
Could the Cult Leader afford to consolidate the Ten Perfection Sect leader's energy mid-battle?
Or was he preparing for a decisive strike?
The answer came after about fifty exchanges.
Suddenly, the Cult Leader's feet shifted downward.
"Form ranks!"
"Retreat! They've set venom traps!"
"Stay clear of the Grandmaster! Don't clash with the sword techniques!"
Chaos erupted below.
The remaining Ten Perfection Sect, now leaderless, unleashed murderous auras, assuming the Tang Clan and Blood Flame Cult had conspired.
Blood Flame Cult assassins, lying in ambush, attacked indiscriminately with energy waves.
The Tang Clan, holding their ground, did not yield.
Throwing weapons rained down like deadly petals, turning the area into a battlefield soaked in blood.
It was utter chaos.
At the center, Jung Yeonshin stood alone, slaughtering over a dozen Blood Flame Cult swordsmen.
His black robe rippled as if proclaiming invincibility.
None lasted beyond two exchanges with him, merely delaying him briefly.
He carved out his own space amidst the chaos.
"There he is."
At the edge of the Blood Flame Cult Leader's steps in midair stood the young heir.
Even the footwork of his evasive maneuvers revealed the intent to rattle Ma Yeonjeok.
'Blood Flame Cult Leader.'
Jung Yeonshin had already witnessed the duel between his grandfather and the Cult Leader.
His composure amid the slaughter wasn't due to indifference—it was because his grandfather's final words lingered in his mind.
Among the Blood Flame Cult's swordsmen, exceptionally skilled individuals were present.
They rivaled elite guards of the Desolate Fortress.
These were the personal followers of the Cult Leader—no weaklings among them.
The martial world was fortunate that the sect's regional branches couldn't fully mobilize their forces due to distance.
"Rear left is exposed!"
"Advance!"
Their formations were complex, blending sword techniques with formations.
Six swords focused forward, applying synchronized pressure.
It was a deliberate acknowledgment of their inferiority.
'Flame Dragon.'
The boy briefly shifted his senses backward, detecting Flame Dragon's fiery energy.
The Tang Clan's warriors were fighting desperately to join them.
"Temporary leader! If you die before me, I'll kill you myself! I can't stand being bored!"
The Ten Perfection Sect fought like demons.
While the Blood Flame Cult swordsmen tried to pin down Jung Yeonshin, the remaining Ten Perfection Sect's masters clashed with the Tang Clan.
Some even stabbed the Blood Flame Cult swordsmen attacking Jung Yeonshin from behind.
The chaos intensified. The boy refocused.
The Blood Flame Cult had already lost three men in the first clash, making them far more cautious.
The stronger ones pinned Jung Yeonshin down, while the rest scattered, throwing explosive projectiles.
There were too many of them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their attacks spared no one. Jung Yeonshin gritted his teeth. His back stung.
He unleashed a wave of throwing weapons, but lacked time to fully charge the attack.
Accumulated shocks and internal injuries weighed on him.
Still, the boy was a black-robed elite of the Desolate Fortress.
Despite kneeling once under the explosive barrage, he instilled fear in their eyes.
He decapitated enemies with linear sword strikes, and his left hand shattered bodies and air alike with explosive palm techniques.
White sword trails and shadowed palms erupted powerfully.
It was martial arts fit to stand alone against the sect's elites.
Swick!
The boy sliced through another foe's neck while preparing for the next strike.
He ignored the heavy resistance in his grip.
'It's coming.'
The Blood Flame Cult Leader, smiling eerily, descended diagonally with incredible speed.
His fluidity resembled the legendary Eight Styles of the Cloud Dragon of Mount Kunlun.
His grin sent chills down spines.
Then—
The Cult Leader's crimson robe flared violently. It wasn't his doing.
Behind him, the old man in the purple robe emerged with a fearsome expression.
Using aerial footwork and energy techniques, Ma Yeonjeok surged forward.
Crash!
The old man's wrinkled hand gripped the Cult Leader's white hair.
At the same time, the Cult Leader's hand pierced the old man's abdomen, tearing through his protective energy and flesh.
The Cult Leader's long smile twisted.
"You pathetic old fool. The martial world feared you, but not me. The Ma Clan of the Desolate Fortress is weak."
Both titans crashed to the ground, maintaining their deadly grip.
"Blood Demon, you stink."
Ma Yeonjeok smirked. He didn't let go.
With a towering frame, he gripped the Cult Leader's crown and ignited blue flames like divine purification.
"What…?"
The Cult Leader's body weakened instantly, his jewel-like eyes trembling.
He felt it—Divine Flames of Destruction.
No heat, only an overwhelming blue radiance.
Ma Yeonjeok, having mastered the Jung Clan Dynamic Arts, transcended with divine might to guide his grandson's path.
The azure fire danced, mocking the Cult Leader's vision.
For the first time, the Blood Flame Cult Leader's face twisted in fear.
Whoosh!
The flames flared higher, massive enough to engulf the two titans and keep burning.
The battlefield froze. Everyone stared.
It was beyond mortal techniques.
It was divine skill.
"Leader of heresy."
"No, this cannot be—!"
"The Divine Sword of the Desolate Fortress ascends to heaven."
The azure fire surged, piercing the night sky.
The Blood Flame Cult Leader's shrieks echoed.