CHAPTER 208

The Radiant Demon Squad's leader, Lightning Genius, was using the Tang Clan's secret technique.

This was a well-known fact to those who had already gathered the information. From the very day of his promotion ceremony in Desolate Fortress, it had been widely publicized.

When he was tested by Un Soyu, the Leader of the Law and Order Squad, during his Black Rank promotion exam, it was revealed within the walls of the fortress.

Those who were well-versed in rumors dug even deeper. They discovered that Lightning Genius had established a master-disciple bond with the Tang Clan leader in the distant Sichuan Province.

Connections involving individuals of that level were akin to fateful encounters.

The fact that the Tang Clan leader personally supported Jung Yeonshin during the Murim Alliance gathering only proved this further. Their friendship, built through martial arts, was extraordinary.

The Radiant River technique was no different. The value of such high-level information within Desolate Fortress was worth its weight in gold.

It allowed them to overlook countless individuals within the martial world's upper echelons and even control their deaths. Ignorantly standing against them meant certain death.

Lightning Genius and Radiant River. Radiant Demon Squad's leader and Full Sky Flower Rain.

Now, many knew. These were inseparable from Jung Yeonshin.

However,

Simultaneous activation was a different matter entirely. It was unheard of.

Unleashing two techniques at the same time was extremely difficult. Even techniques involving different movements for each hand paled in comparison.

The internal energy flowing through the body's meridians had to be directed differently in a single breath.

Without the insight gained from mastering the Twelve Meridians, 365 acupuncture points, and even the numerous micro-channels beyond that, one risked falling into Energy Deviation.

The flow of energy had to be smoothly refined to prevent the two streams from becoming entangled.

With techniques as complex as Radiant River and Full Sky Flower Rain, the difficulty would skyrocket.

Even after successfully conceptualizing simultaneous activation, the real challenge remained.

Dividing the body's muscles and energy movements to manifest both techniques simultaneously was the pinnacle of technique mastery.

Hundreds of acupuncture points had to be charged with opposing intents.

The efficiency would undoubtedly fall short of activating a single technique fully.

Even top masters who had reached the level of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown wouldn't dare to attempt this.

Among the observing crowd were numerous experts. Many of them had already sensed the extraordinary anomaly from the very signs of the technique's activation.

A dazzling brilliance flashed across the faces of many masters.

"Mount Wudang's Dual-Intent Heart Technique?"

"If they split their mind into two, it's understandable."

"Even so, it's an absurd theory."

"Mount Wudang's treasured art wouldn't have fallen into the hands of the Radiant Demon Squad's leader."

"Then how do you explain Full Sky Flower Rain?"

"You can't equate heart techniques with martial techniques. The study encompassing the body is incomparably more complex."

The masters of Desolate Fortress quickly exchanged words. Their voices burst out along with waves of energy, firing off like machine guns.

This was known as the Art of Lip Synchronization. It was a communication method developed by Desolate Fortress' martial artists to convey messages during extreme combat situations.

"Could something like that purely be achieved through instinct...?"

"The difficulty is far greater than dual-wielding swords."

While the masters' rapid discussion unfolded, the events on the martial stage continued at a swift pace.

No matter how fast the masters spoke, their speed couldn't match the movements of the squad leaders of Desolate Fortress.

Saaahhhh—!

The Radiant Demon Squad's leader and the Immortal Spirit Wood Squad Leader.

The swirling vortex of ice surrounding them scattered rainbow-colored light.

The sight of white crystals swirling like a whirlwind around the Radiant Demon Squad's leader was truly mesmerizing.

The snow-like Full Sky Flower Rain restricted Cheon So-so's evasive movement technique. Its effectiveness was apparent just from its visual display.

Although it couldn't pierce through her body-protecting energy due to its spontaneous nature, the fact that it restricted the movement of a black rank master was already remarkable.

Cheon So-so's Frozen Heaven Stagnant Ice Art was a divine technique.

It originally enhanced the power of martial arts and elevated its effects with spiritual resonance.

As the insignificant vapor turned into frigid energy and froze, it transformed not just into ordinary frost but into weaponry worthy of forming the foundation of Full Sky Flower Rain.

The ice crystals, hardened by internal energy, became deadly weapons in the form of swirling snowflakes.

The vortex, which painted the surroundings white, glimmered with streaks of seven-colored light. Even with the vast experience of the Desolate Fortress leaders, it was a technique that could surprise them.

Cheon So-so gazed calmly into the dark eyes of the new squad leader. Her right wrist, gripped tightly by the Radiant Demon Squad's leader, felt a numbing ache.

'He's trained in external techniques. His grip is solid.'

It could be the power of a combined internal and external training technique.

Either way, it was an achievement that transcended his age. No wonder he had the favor of the fortress' lord, perhaps he had even consumed a piece of the World Tree's fruit.

No. That couldn't be it.

Cheon So-so immediately dismissed the thought.

Such an elixir wasn't something the new squad leader could handle.

Even a mere fragment of it wouldn't be easy. The clan's treasure wasn't something anyone could easily consume.

As the Immortal Spirit Wood Squad Leader, Cheon So-so was different from those who had reached mastery within Han lineage martial arts.

She had honed her clan's distinctively sharp senses to the point where they were as refined as a polished blade.

Thanks to the Sight Arts of the Northern Sea lineage, she had also developed a mystical level of insight, allowing her to discern the nature of the Radiant Demon Squad leader the moment they met.

He was still a novice who hadn't fully achieved the unification of essence, energy, and spirit.

She hadn't been able to probe further into his internal state.

The Radiant Demon Squad leader had refined his energy into a divine technique similar to hers.

The profound internal energy fundamentally blocked any gaze seeking to penetrate beyond its surface.

Without eyes sharpened to the level of a purple rank master, it would be nearly impossible to glean any further information just by observing him.

Still, she didn't allow herself to relax.

This wasn't the time to be careless. Even if her opponent hadn't achieved the level of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, it didn't matter.

As the Immortal Spirit Wood Squad leader, Cheon So-so wasn't someone with low training like demonic faction members or mere martial clans.

She approached every task with cold precision.

She understood well that knowing one's enemy was a virtue more important than any martial skill.

Although she had no intention of forming a particularly close bond with the Radiant Demon Squad leader, she had thoroughly reviewed the achievements of her fellow black rank master.

She instantly acknowledged his extraordinary nature.

'His martial aptitude is incredibly clear, speed and strength define him.'

Cheon So-so's mind raced like a flash of lightning.

This was a true state of elevation. The flood of sensations she was experiencing now was a realm reserved for supreme masters.

The cold breeze brushing against her protective energy felt like silk fabric gliding across her skin. It dragged out in an incredibly long stretch. She was aware of everything around her in slow motion.

In the midst of that, the Radiant Demon Squad leader's palm was moving rapidly toward her abdomen.

It was as if it had extended itself instinctively, without any conscious thought.

The energy gathering within his palm would strike her abdomen the moment it reached its endpoint, despite its unstable flow.

It would hit with immeasurable force. Taking it head-on without defense was not an option.

This was Radiant River.

The inherent delay of the palm technique was being overcome through three means.

Full Sky Flower Rain restricted Cheon So-so's movement, he had seized her right arm to block her internal energy flow, and his naturally swift internal energy manipulation had maximized the palm technique's core essence.

He had the instincts of a natural-born fighter.

Now she understood how he had become a squad leader at such a young age. He was perfectly suited for Desolate Fortress' large-scale martial faction.

Fwoooosh—!

The black robe covering her abdomen trembled violently, transmitting its texture slowly to her senses.

He was now within arm's reach. The mere force generated by the palm technique's preparation tightened the muscles in her lower abdomen.

In that fleeting moment.

She made her decision. Supreme masters, in the heightened state of battle, could calmly make precise judgments even when time was of the essence.

Countless thoughts surged forth from her instincts.

'What should I do?'

Countering with her remaining left hand was already half a breath too late. She hadn't expected the internal energy filling his body to shatter her freezing technique with a single exhale.

She couldn't understand how his body's acupuncture points had been arranged to handle such dynamic energy, and that astonished her.

'Arise.'

She chanted silently within.

At the same time, the cold energy of Frozen Heaven Stagnant Ice Art surged upward from her dantian like a ray of light.

The intent of a supreme master, whose essence, energy, and spirit were unified, flowed seamlessly with their internal energy. This meant the speed of energy mobilization was as fast as the speed of thought.

Wooong!

The energy, which had rushed up to the Yin Crossing Acupoint above her navel in an instant, spread out across her rectus abdominis muscles.

The speed at which she wove her internal energy into a structured pattern, using the prescribed mnemonic verse, surpassed the speed of the Radiant Demon Squad leader's palm.

This is how true black rank masters operate their internal energy.

Cheon So-so, the Immortal Spirit Wood Squad leader, was a master of freezing arts.

The essence of cold Yin energy lay in its ability to remain mysteriously still within motion. Upon reaching the realm of divine techniques, freezing arts offered numerous abilities.

One of them was the creation of an internal energy barrier. Cheon So-so could easily elevate her body-protecting energy into the realm of divine techniques, far more easily than other martial experts.

Deep Barrier, Heavenly Ice Shield.

An invisible energy barrier wrapped around her abdomen.

It was a protective energy forged with the imagery of eternal, unmeltable snow.

As one of the Immortal Spirit Wood Squad leader's unique techniques, this ten-layer internal energy shield provided immense defense.

She had once endured the successive strikes of the Yang Clan's spear masters without issue.

Most renowned martial artists couldn't break even one layer.

The exterior of her black robe, without a single blemish, testified to the robustness of Deep Barrier, Heavenly Ice Shield.

As soon as the divine technique was fully activated—

Boom!

The Radiant Demon Squad leader's right hand struck her abdomen.

Kwaaaang—!

A fearsome shockwave erupted. The hair of both supreme masters shot upward like black flames.

Even the snowflake petals of Full Sky Flower Rain, swirling like a blizzard, scattered in all directions. The force of the palm strike drove downward into the stage floor, creating cracks that spread like spiderwebs.

'Urgh.'

Cheon So-so withstood the palm strike with a straight posture, preparing her next move with her free left hand.

To an observer, she appeared elegant, her waist upright and her robes fluttering wildly, a mystifying sight often born of supreme masters' confrontations.

She narrowed her eyes, watching closely. Even as the Radiant Demon Squad leader's Radiant River shattered six layers of her Deep Barrier, Heavenly Ice Shield, she maintained her calm scrutiny of him.

This had all occurred within the blink of an eye.

For this strike to matter, she had to end it here.

If the battle dragged on, she would be swept up by the Radiant Demon Squad leader's combat instincts.

She decided to prepare a grand technique and end the duel swiftly, relying on the rarity of her divine technique, 'Deep Barrier, Heavenly Ice Shield'.

Wooooong—!

The energy contained within his palm was undeniably immense. The residual force impacting her abdomen threatened to break through the seventh layer as well.

However, it wouldn't penetrate deeply enough to cause internal damage.

'This Han man is strong. He responded to my initial strike and created this situation. His instincts were extremely sharp. If I don't properly retaliate with the next move, I'll inevitably take another direct hit.'

Her thoughts flowed like lightning. She needed to seize the initiative by her third technique.

The Radiant Demon Squad leader no longer appeared as a boy but as a menacing supreme master, truly a man to be reckoned with.

Even as the storm-like force of Radiant River shattered the layers of her invisible barrier one after another, the intensity in his gaze remained unchanged.

The strikes didn't cease. The short burst of his palm strike was being extended for an incredibly long duration.

The power of Radiant River, embedded in her abdomen, continued to rage on.

It was like a bolt of lightning repeatedly crashing down on an eternal snow-capped peak.

The typhoon of energy swirling through her abdomen and the deep gaze of the Radiant Demon Squad leader remained locked for what seemed like an eternity within the realm of heightened perception.

Cheon So-so's blue eyes widened. The luminous jade-green tint, characteristic of her clan, became fully visible.

'He's reinforcing his internal energy...?!'

Like a sudden thunderclap, the realization struck her mind.

This wasn't merely a dual activation of Full Sky Flower Rain and Radiant River. From the start, he had intertwined three streams of energy and prepared a counterstrike.

The successive strikes of Radiant River had been loaded into the Neiguan Acupoint on his wrist like artillery shells.

He truly lived up to the rumors of favoring short, decisive battles. He had cleanly severed all unnecessary thoughts, going all-in against an opponent of equal rank within two decisive exchanges.

Did he not care about the consequences of failure?

If this final strike failed, he wouldn't have any strength left to recover. That's why most didn't favor short, decisive battles.

His meridians, enduring such tremendous energy load, and his bold instinct to gamble on this outcome, were hard to believe.

Kwakwa—!

The fierce vibration shook her vision.

Her 'Deep Barrier, Heavenly Ice Shield' shattered continuously. The sensation of strikes repeatedly hitting her abdomen spread without pause.

The Radiant Demon Squad leader's palm, which seemed to collide against the air in front of her stomach, was terrifying. The power of the Radiant River had reached its peak in an instant.

―Even if you counter now, it's already too late.

That's what the storm-like energy seemed to be saying.

Amid the violent vibration, Cheon So-so's bangs flew backward. The energy surging at her upper dantian distorted, urging her to counter.

Frost characteristic of Frozen Heaven Stagnant Ice Art formed. This wasn't the time to trust her body-protecting energy and prepare a large technique. As her left hand slightly lifted—

The seventh, eighth, and ninth layers—

Kwakwakwa!

Even as her consciousness remained submerged in a heightened state, the layers broke apart at an alarming speed.

No matter how fast her strike was in her current state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, it couldn't match the brute force of the Radiant Demon Squad leader's already unleashed power.

Cheoooong—!

The final layer shattered within a breath.

Cheon So-so let out a small cough, and bright blood splattered onto Jung Yeonshin's shoulder.

"...!"

For a moment, the freezing energy spread across the stage. The mouths of the masters, who had been rapidly exchanging words, fell silent.

A frozen, deafening stillness enveloped the surroundings.

At that moment—

Beyond Cheon So-so's shoulder, tracing down her graceful trapezius, Jung Yeonshin's gaze met someone's from afar within the spectator stands.

It was a man with skin as pale as white snow.

His black robe's sleeves were loose, while the fit around his arms was tight, hinting at the solid muscles beneath.

A remarkably well-defined physique.

He was known to be ranked at the top of the Appearance Rankings within the Divine Sword Squad.

'Blood Preservation Squad leader, Jin Myeongjo.'

He had a pale complexion and a delicate, narrow face.

The black robe that wrapped around him exuded a cold texture. With arms crossed, he slightly raised his chin toward the stage.

It was impossible to gauge how much of the demonic faction's martial arts he had refined. His entire being radiated a sinister aura.

For a brief moment, his lips moved. It was unclear whether he was muttering to himself or directing his words toward the Radiant Demon Squad leader.

Jung Yeonshin closely observed the shape of his lips during that fleeting moment.

'Damn. Shit. Goddamn it.'

Blood Preservation Squad leader Jin Myeongjo had uttered it expressionlessly.

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