CHAPTER 250

A hill on one side of the manor, where a fierce battle was taking place.

The winter-stricken grasslands had rusted entirely into a shade of ochre. Even as the swordsmen, who had galloped as if soaring through the air, landed upon it, the ground remained the same.

The quiet hill, detached from the clashing steel below, gradually filled with profound presences. Five in total.

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen of Mount Hua.

The embroidered petals on their white robes were scattered in elegant disorder.

That was the only reaction granted by the movement of Huashan's Hidden Fragrance Drift. A technique of the Nine Great Sects' transcendent sages.

Step.

The vanguard of three Plum Blossom Swordsmen.

"The commotion was quite loud, and yet, here you are in such a place."

As the woman, with a worn sword strapped to her waist, stepped onto the grass, the ochre hue beneath her pristine white socks shattered into a vivid green.

In an instant, it was as if spring had been pulled forward, reclaiming its lost vibrancy.

Even as she stood in socks suited for polished wooden floors, the blades of grass remained upright and unbent. This was the harmony of martial arts.

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen who had landed behind her exchanged astonished whispers.

"Senior, did the Sect Leader manifest the Living Sword with her body?"

"Your question is its own answer. If it were not the union of sword and body, how else could such a thing be possible?"

"You're both mistaken. It's simply the Sect Leader's intent influencing the physical world. A swordsmanship realm so profound, it defies comprehension."

They spoke of martial philosophy without hesitation, gazing at their sect leader's back. It wasn't merely due to Mount Hua's tradition of severity toward foes and freedom in the mountains.

For standing beside her, a young Taoist boy was pointing downward like a child pestering his older sister.

"Master, Master...!"

"Do not rush, Yoo Hyun. This master was watching your friend's sword."

A clear and melodious voice drifted forth.

"Did I not tell you to recall the dusk? A name is a mnemonic verse in itself. Still your heart's fire. If you wish to master Violet Dawn Sacred Arts, you must breathe through its mnemonic verse."

"I mean that friend down there! His eyes are strange! And what he's holding in his mouth, isn't that an opium poppy? He may have had terrible luck, but he was always as upright as any of us Taoists!"

"You must speak correctly. What part of your conduct has ever been Taoist-like? You should be grateful if your name isn't affixed to Mount Hua's shame. Not long ago, I recall you searching for liquor at Lotus Peak. The scent was exceedingly strong."

"Master, your words make no sense! How can you be so leisurely in such an urgent situation...?"

"I have something to confirm, so be silent. From now on, I shall question why the Sword Sovereign of the Profound Martial Alliance is watching that child."

Suddenly, the mountain birds around them fell silent.

* * *

The manor where Jung Hye-ah was held captive.

The branch of the Thirteen Celestial Demons' Yeoryeong Sect and the Radiant Demon Squad of Desolate Fortress.

Jung Yeonshin engraved the sight before him into his mind.

The manor, reduced to ruins by the relentless clashes of countless weapons, blurred in his vision. His focus narrowed to a single point.

The battlefield farthest away, the one where the greatest threat to the current Radiant Demon Squad resided.

Boom! KWAH—!

An aged, yellow-robed swordsman unleashed overwhelming sword strikes.

With each swing of his blade, thick black haze surged forth, carrying a pressure so immense it was suffocating. His cultivation in internal energy was astounding.

As if he had drawn the night sky onto his sword, the dark smoke battered and shredded its surroundings before dissipating.

The sheer destructive force of his externalized internal energy was terrifying.

Most of the elite martial artists surrounding him couldn't even exchange a proper blow before being repelled.

Even the best of Desolate Fortress' forces struggled to engage or contain him. Their efforts felt like tightrope walking.

He was the right-hand man of the Yeoryeong Sect's leader, the Number One Demon in Shaanxi. Before mastering the Transcending Law Radiant Wheel, Jung Yeonshin himself would have found it difficult to face him.

Shaanxi's Number One Demon, Wei Guk-sang, was certainly worthy of being called an enemy of ten thousand men. He had long run rampant through the martial world.

Even with his wrinkled eyes curled in amusement, it did not seem unnatural. A cruel madness glimmered within. He showed no concern for the deaths of his subordinates.

"Such lofty martial skills, quite remarkable attainments. So, you lot were the ones who took Radiant Sound Twin Demons? Would it not be fitting for me to return you to nothingness with an empty prayer?"

Hahaha—!

He laughed as he crushed the white light streaks of Radiant Arts with his blade.

His temperament leaned towards eccentricity. Even though Jung Yeonshin should have recognized this, he remained preoccupied with his amusement.

In the martial world, demonic warriors were often called madmen who had mastered martial arts. Shaanxi's Number One Demon was no different.

He was one who derived pleasure from cutting short the lives of high-level martial artists. And he possessed the unparalleled prowess to do so.

"Your leader is quite young! Once I kill two of you, I bet his face will be worth seeing! Come! Come forth!"

CLANG! BOOM!

The deafening roar and billowing dust storm showed no sign of stopping. The elite warriors of Desolate Fortress, who had massacred hundreds in Great Moon Gorge, were visibly shaken.

The disparity in martial prowess was stark. Even his jest about making their leader's face worth seeing was a genuine threat.

The presence of an absolute master.

A true martial elite alone could rival the power of an entire army.

Thus, the essence of a sect war lay in the life-and-death battles of its top masters.

As the leader of Desolate Fortress' martial forces, Jung Yeonshin could not afford to be distracted by mere subordinates. Ma Jin and Ak Surim had drilled this into him countless times.

The underlings of the martial squad were there to create one-on-one situations for the leader.

If one walked the path of darkness, they had to pierce through their opponent and end the battle in an instant.

'The situation is dire. If even one Radiant Arts attack goes astray, the balance will collapse. Immediate slaughter will follow. Just as the heads of Shaanxi's Seven Great Sect leaders fell to me.'

Step.

He shifted his leather shoes slightly, ensuring his feet stood parallel.

Behind him, faint blue energy flowed from both his temples.

The two white-clad warriors guarding the unconscious Lazy Flame Dragon were struck with realization.

The Steel-Cleaving Swordsman, Ho Un-cheol, and Still Deep Eyes, Zhuge Qing-ya.

Ho Un-cheol, having transferred to Radiant Demon Squad under the permission of Thousand Fist Dragon Force Minister, was usually expressionless, but now, he frantically tried to stop Jung Yeonshin.

"You must not! In your condition...!"

Zhuge Qing-ya did not react the same way. Her keen eyes flickered green as she glanced at the unconscious Lazy Flame Dragon.

"You mean to leave this person behind, to draw attention away?"

"Exactly."

Jung Yeonshin's gaze swept forward. The pain had dulled, making his vision waver.

There were no fewer than twenty enemies ahead, yet their forms were splitting into multiple images as if he were drunk. The amplified effects of the opium poppy through the Radiant Wheel were taking hold.

"That one came alone! No reinforcements!"

"His energy presence is unusual!"

"Kill him first! The ones guarding Leader Wei come after!"

Their shouts echoed as though multiplied into countless voices, resonating directly in his mind instead of passing through his ears.

It was somewhat dizzying. The backlash from days of running without rest was being ignored by a mere handful of flowers.

The opium poppy would not buy him much time. He had to end this quickly.

Now, as the martial principles of short-term decisive battle that he had long pursued were truly being put to the test.

"You came here knowing what this place is!"

"Kill him!"

As the enemies lunged, Jung Yeonshin clenched his sword resonance. He had to focus his eyes.

Even so, he could not see them properly.

Jung Yeonshin thought— it didn't matter. He would simply cut them all down.

Boom!

Wind exploded from the Yongcheon Acupoint in his soles. The impact shattered the ground beneath his feet.

He shot forward.

Above his head, two men gripping long spears leapt, delivering elongated strikes.

The spear techniques, slashing diagonally downward in midair, resounded with a deep hum.

Wuuung!

The severity of a grand faction. The joint attack, infused with the signature murderous aura of the Demonic Faction, was formidable.

Jung Yeonshin spurred his charge forward, ignoring the spearmen's descending strikes aimed at his crown.

Deeper, faster, he plunged ahead, drawing a long streak of light with the Beiming. From his grip upon the sword resonance to its very tip, a storm raged violently.

Judgement Qilin.

KWAANG! CLAAANG—!

He shattered them all. Swords and gauntlets splintered into countless shards, scattering through the air. Three men, struck by the devastating sword energy, vomited blood as they were flung away.

The one who had faced him directly was severed in two, his protective energy defense sliced cleanly apart, his body falling to both sides. A direct path forward had been cleared.

An incomparable display of swordsmanship.

In the fleeting instant when the two airborne spearmen registered their shock, Jung Yeonshin slipped past them, extending his left hand behind him.

He did not even turn back.

From the luminous vortex in his heart to the fingertips of his left hand, a violent surge erupted outward. The shattered fragments of metal trailing behind him spiraled in all directions.

Full Sky Flower Rain.

Saaah!

Iron shards shot upward, piercing into the bodies of his foes. Dull, wet sounds rang out in succession as their bodies jerked midair.

Blood spurted from every inch of them. Even the spear shafts mixed among the cold iron petals shattered, further amplifying the Full Sky Flower Rain.

Jung Yeonshin drew his outstretched left hand forward, spreading his fingers wide. Without ceasing his Wind Body footwork, he executed an awe-inspiring circulation of energy.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—!

The thunderous impact against the ground was deafening. The cold petals of the Full Sky Flower Rain scattered in all directions.

Like a drunken, swaying spectacle, it was as beautiful as it was merciless.

The vortex of shattered steel expanded rapidly, soon surging like a towering waterspout toward the battlefield.

"Radiant Demon Squad! A big one is coming!"

"What the hell are these bastards doing...?!"

"Turn your stance! Don't expose your back!"

"Don't retreat! Gah—!"

The elite warriors of the Radiant Demon Squad knew their leader well. The moment Jung Yeonshin extended his hand, they instinctively stepped back in unison, already employing the Splendid Wings Step, dispersing without hesitation to wrap up individual fights.

The martial artists of the Yeoryeong Sect, however, were different.

They had no idea what was coming.

And so, they paid the price immediately.

Pwa-rararak—! Jjeojeojeojeong!

With the flurry of billowing robes, dozens of protective energy barriers were shredded in an instant.

"W-what the hell—?!"

"Unstoppable! Run for your lives!"

Blood and screams erupted from every direction.

From the hands of a Desolate Fortress black-clad warrior, intoxicated by opium poppies, one of the greatest area-wide martial techniques in the world had been unleashed.

A technique so overwhelming, there was no holding back. The warriors of Yeoryeong Sect were sprawled in every direction within mere moments.

"....."

Those who had failed to escape were left in a wretched state. Most were corpses.

From the bloodstains to the tattered garments, nothing remained intact. Their faces were beyond recognition.

The battlefield stilled.

Those who had fought on, indifferent to any interloper, lowered their swords, regardless of ally or foe.

Even far off, among the ranks of the Radiant Demon Squad's formation, Shaanxi's Number One Demon, Wei Guk-sang, did the same.

The wrinkles around the old yellow-robed swordsman's eyes deepened slightly in amusement.

Though he still did not regard his opponent highly, he could not completely mask his surprise.

Bit by bit, the overwhelming demonic energy radiating from his entire body subsided.

"You... that energy..."

"Shaanxi's Number One Demon, Wei Guk-sang."

Jung Yeonshin's mouth twisted, his expression unsteady with intoxication.

The lips of the Radiant Demon Squad's leader curved into a bright red arc.

"Your face is not worth looking at."

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