CHAPTER 156

Yoo Hyun's parched lips moved slightly.

"Yeon... Shin...?"

He looked as if he were squeezing out the words from a dry throat. A faint smile lingered in the breath of the boy looking down at him.

His lips were the same, slowly forming a smile that only appeared before acquaintances.

"Don't your eyes seem shadowed? Your internal energy technique hasn't gone anywhere. Even though your energy seems momentarily scattered."

"You, that outfit, what is it...?"

Jung Yeonshin's lips curled slightly higher. Yoo Hyun wasn't ordinary either.

Asking about the color of his robe first—anyone could see he was a born martial artist.

He prioritized his friend's strength and standing, seemingly uninterested in why he had come to this place.

"Are all disciples of the Nine Great Sects like this? Such bold nerves."

Jung Yeonshin had ties to four of the nine major sects.

Cloud Sword Dragon Wei-Ji Myohwa, Hidden Dragon Yoo Hyun, Little Divine Monk Gak Jeong, Little Sword Queen Chui So-ok… none were ordinary people.

Each had a distinct personality, yet they shared one thing in common—their individuality was striking.

Even now, Yoo Hyun slightly stammered as he spoke.

"The color changes every time I see it… How do you do that? It's like you're equal to our Heavenly Master."

The Heavenly Master of Mount Hua Sect was better known by his epithet than his title—the Sword Immortal of Mount Hua.

As the leader of the Plum Blossom Swormasters, he left behind countless tales, even leading a draw against the Radiant Demon Squad in one encounter.

"Don't speak so lightly. It would dishonor the Sword Sage."

Jung Yeonshin brushed it off while hiding his true thoughts.

Only Wei-Ji Myohwa and the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan knew of the short-lived secret as outsiders.

It wasn't that he distrusted Yoo Hyun, but he simply didn't want to talk about it.

'Even my grandfather seemed to have kept it from my uncle.'

Ma Jin's demeanor suggested as much. He still looked completely unaware.

Ma Yeonjeok hadn't interfered in his grandson's affairs.

Jung Yeonshin didn't know what the former leader of the Divine Sword Squad was thinking, but he preferred it this way.

Now, Heon Wonchang, Chung Myung, and Baek Miryeo supported him. He didn't want to add to the worries of those close to him.

It was also a burden for Jung Yeonshin himself. Perhaps after obtaining the fruit of the World Tree and healing his constitution, he might mention it as a joke.

"So, how did you end up here? Dressed in black like someone from the Desolate Fortress."

Jung Yeonshin spoke casually, but Yoo Hyun kept scanning his robe.

Yoo Hyun's bewildered expression was rather amusing. Jung Yeonshin briefly glanced around.

Three warriors of the Zhongyang Sect stood frozen in the distance.

He had struck their pressure points. They couldn't move now.

'The main force must be inside.'

Flame Dragon, Namgoong Hwashin, and Heon Wonchang had gone to scout other directions.

Because the island was vast, it seemed Jung Yeonshin had come to the right place.

He took out a blue jade from his sleeve and tossed it upward. The jade split and scattered in all directions, refracting sunlight.

It was the Jade of Purity received from Ma Se-in.

When imbued with pure energy, it would crack. It had been designated as the signal flare for the new leader of Radiant Demon Squad.

"How did you end up captured?"

The boy asked lightly. Yoo Hyun, who had been staring blankly at the fragments of the jade, lowered his gaze.

"There was a survivor in the village. Just a boy. I followed his story, but it turns out the martial clans and the Unyangbu chief were working together. They even have hostages. I was too flustered."

"The magistrate?"

Jung Yeonshin asked again.

The existence of the village boy seemed suspicious, but it was nothing compared to the presence of a high-ranking official.

"It's ridiculous, really. The magistrate violated the law, but if martial artists lay a hand on him, it's considered treason. No matter how truthful a few martial artists are, their word can't outweigh the prefectural magistrate's claims of innocence."

"A martial artist with ties to the Heavenly Master—are you the Young Hero, Lightning Genius?"

A disciple of Mount Hua Sect who had been tied up with Yoo Hyun asked.

She had already lifted her head, and her notably large eyes were striking.

Jung Yeonshin gave a short nod and gripped the handle of his sword.

Swish!

A flash of light streaked.

The boy tied his unsheathing and resheathing of the sword into a single movement.

He unsheathed his sword, sliced through the ropes, and returned it to its scabbard in one fluid motion, feeling the enhanced speed granted by his Radiant Wheel.

The sensation of the sword severing the ropes and sliding back into its sheath was incredibly smooth. The Beiming Sword's quality played no small part.

"What a fast sword…"

Yoo Hyun murmured in awe, having barely glimpsed the sword's trajectory. Jung Yeonshin silently locked his blade back in place.

Clack.

Only after the sound of the sword being sheathed did the other Mount Hua Sect disciples realize their freedom.

The disciple who had questioned Jung Yeonshin stammered.

"Th-Thank you, great hero."

"Great hero, huh… Calling someone from the Desolate Fortress a young hero does feel odd. Feels out of place."

Yoo Hyun murmured as he got up, looking amazed.

However, his bow, with hands clasped together, was disciplined, reflecting the noble spirit of Mount Hua Sect.

"Thank you. I owe you my life."

"Don't even mention it."

Jung Yeonshin subtly turned his head but paused when he sensed movement from the opposite building.

Not just one or two—there were strong ones among them. The boy's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I heard a boat had crossed fearlessly, so I was expecting corpses."

It was the voice of a middle-aged man. A group appeared, led by a pair of men and women. The man wielding a large saber spoke of corpses. He was the leader of the Zhongyang Sect.

It was just as the village boy had said. Yet Jung Yeonshin also saw what hadn't been mentioned.

'So the officials really are involved.'

The entourage behind them was absurd. There were twenty, a mix of martial artists and soldiers.

The martial artists wore light clothing, while the soldiers donned iron-plated uniforms over plain garments.

"A mere brat playing at being from the Desolate Fortress? Are you a Mount Hua disciple? That robe suits me better than you."

The escort leader sneered.

His laughter spread among his men.

A few, eager to earn merit, approached Jung Yeonshin.

The escort leader didn't stop them, assuming the boy wouldn't even draw his sword.

"To wear black at your age, you're far too ignorant. You're not even a Mount Hua disciple—just someone who learned a few tricks from a minor officer."

"Only fools fail to pretend properly. Someone your age wouldn't deserve even the white uniform of the Desolate Fortress."

The Zhongyang Sect men approached with mocking remarks.

Coarse words were the norm among outlaws.

Despite their insults, they maintained proper fighting stances, gripping their weapons tightly after noticing the restrained guards behind Jung Yeonshin.

It was then.

"Husband, stay still."

The magistrate spoke. Her expression soured as she looked at Jung Yeonshin.

She seemed to have sensed something, extending her hand to stop the escort leader.

She also opened her mouth, about to command the approaching men to halt.

But she was a moment too late. The boy had already thrust his fist forward.

A colorless wave rippled from his outstretched arm.

It was an explosive palm strike without any forward movement—Formidable Wall.

Boom!

It felt as if a storm had descended. Dust burst forth with dull noises, and blood splattered like spray.

Three of the men were swept away by the strike, their bodies tumbling and scattering across the ground with tremendous force.

The unique spiral shockwave of the Radiant Wheel carved swirling patterns into the earth, mocking their deaths.

"..."

Everyone froze.

No one on the island had expected such overwhelming power.

Even the disciples of Mount Hua standing behind momentarily held their breaths.

Yoo Hyun, famously eccentric despite being a disciple of a prestigious sect, muttered softly, questioning the palm technique.

'The common folk.'

Jung Yeonshin spread the energy waves of the Radiant Wheel in all directions, controlling his internal energy over a ten-zhang radius.

He sensed the presence of the powerless commoners in an instant. They were in shabby annexes scattered around the training hall, forming a circle of buildings.

Even through simple energy detection, it was clear—they were all malnourished, their vitality drained, and the internal energy they had cultivated through the basic Three Essentials Technique, decreed by the Ming royal court, was shallow.

Were they gathered here as hostages to restrain martial heroes?

There was not a single guard. It seemed those who had seized control of the island had never experienced a force beyond their expectations.

The sickly presences of the starving hostages contrasted starkly with the plump, healthy cheeks of the magistrate and her husband.

'The Formidable Wall shockwave shattered them pitifully—their internal defenses and bodies alike.'

The boy glanced briefly at the sprawled bodies of the Zhongyang Sect warriors. They seemed to have honed their skills in the crooked techniques of outlaw martial sects.

There was no reason to show mercy.

"…Husband, he truly is the squad leader of the Desolate Fortress."

The magistrate belatedly spoke, her lips trembling slightly.

"The Young Leader Lightning Genius, Jung Yeonshin. They said the new Radiant Demon Squad Leader was exceedingly young. It must be him."

Hearing his wife's words, the leader of the sect hastily opened his mouth. He instinctively realized there was no chance of victory in a head-on clash.

They needed to bring out the rabble meant for plowing fields like oxen.

Just as when the disciples of Mount Hua arrived, they needed hostages.

"Immediately—!"

His words were cut off.

Whoosh!

An explosion of energy erupted from the boy's entire body, sending his black robes billowing upward.

The streams of energy surged outward, scraping the ground and leaving swirling marks like whirlwinds. Silence followed.

The sheer presence of his energy wave drew everyone's attention. Then, surrounded by a haze of dust, the leader of Radiant Demon Squad moved his lips.

"Kill them."

Boom!

Shockwaves burst from three sides outside the training hall. Figures in gray, white, and blue robes leaped in from outside.

It all happened in a blink. Heat, murderous intent, and sword auras tore through the air.

Swoosh!

Smoke and blood spurted from all directions.

Flame Dragon's twin blazing palms crushed eight men in an instant. Heon Wonchang used his signature murderous sword to decapitate five men in a single strike.

Namgoong Hwashin wielded his Boundless Heaven Technique, unleashing ten streams of energy in a single slash.

It didn't even take a breath for the area to be cleared.

The leader of Radiant Demon Squad drew attention with overwhelming energy, and the elite guards of the Desolate Fortress struck in an instant.

No martial sect could withstand such a tactic without taking losses. The only question was how much damage they would sustain.

For the Zhongyang Sect, it ended in a single blow. The soldiers were no different.

They had suffered near-total annihilation.

The sounds of bodies falling echoed throughout the hall. Most came from the areas where Heon Wonchang and Namgoong Hwashin had wielded their swords.

Having finished his task, Flame Dragon furrowed his brow slightly.

"They don't grow poppies here? Are these really just petty outlaws?"

"..."

The only ones still standing were the leader and the magistrate.

The so-called husband's face was drained of color, while the magistrate's expression was unreadable.

She simply stared at Jung Yeonshin in silence.

"As expected, Mount Dianqing's disciples didn't even need to come. It was the right decision to leave them to watch the child."

Heon Wonchang spoke as he walked among the scattered bodies.

He tapped the corpses with his sword sheath, checking for any survivors pretending to be dead using the Turtle Breath Technique.

The Desolate Fortress was a sect that operated like a military force.

They did not negotiate with those who threatened civilians, nor did they show mercy.

Once they reached their target and completed their mission, they left nothing but ruins behind.

Crack.

A strange groan sounded. It was Flame Dragon stretching, his hands clasped behind his neck.

After letting out a drawn-out yawn, he grinned at Jung Yeonshin with an oddly irritating look.

"Young leader, remember what you said when we sparred? What a shame. You said you were working on creating a sword style, but these guys didn't even last a second."

"I'm not trying to invent something new. I'm just looking to add a new flow to the Radiance Sword Style, to prevent openings like the leader of Law and Order Squad does."

Jung Yeonshin responded half-heartedly, as if indulging him. If he didn't, Flame Dragon would keep talking.

He had already endured enough chatter in the ruined village—it felt like his ears might develop calluses.

Perhaps it was because Flame Dragon was born with the talent of the Solar Divine Meridian, granting him unmatched potential. His interest in Jung Yeonshin, who possessed even greater martial talent, was excessive.

'Maybe not as much as the Seventh Apostle…'

A crimson smile flashed through his mind.

The magistrate before him added to his list of concerns. What should he do with her?

Just then, Flame Dragon continued speaking, a relaxed smile on his lips.

"Anyway, it looks like the only real fights left are at the Murim Alliance. Why not test your sword against the Alliance Leader? They say the Sword Star is comparable to the Divine Sword Squad leader."

"Even if I don't want to, it'll come to that."

Jung Yeonshin replied, his tone indifferent.

Winning the Grand Opening Tournament of the Murim Alliance granted two rewards—the first was the Great Revitalization Pill.

The second was personal instruction from the Alliance Leader, the Sword Star.

Both rewards stirred excitement among martial artists across the world, yet the central command of the Desolate Fortress believed the second reward came with a trap.

The Murim Alliance was an organization formed for mutual benefit, united under the pretext of avenging the destruction of the Hwangbo and Namgoong Clan.

What if a sect outside the alliance claimed victory at the Grand Tournament?

What if the winner was none other than a master of the Desolate Fortress?

'They said it would bring both the Great Revitalization Pill and humiliation.'

Jung Yeonshin set aside his thoughts and gripped the hilt of the Divine Sword, the Beiming.

He had to decide how to deal with the magistrate.

At the same time, Flame Dragon sidled up and whispered, suggesting they kill her to prevent future trouble.

"Shut up."

Jung Yeonshin replied indifferently, shoving him away with his elbow.

At that moment, the pristine blade of the Beiming Sword shot upward, and a flash of white lightning severed the neck of the sect leader, who stood frozen in despair.

Swish—

The sound of all his veins bursting and bones being severed echoed.

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