It was a remark pulled from the chaos of a battlefield. He had done it, thinking that killing the Radiant Demon Squad's masters would make Jung Yeonshin's face worth seeing.
As the high-ranking experts of the Yeoryeong Sect, who once ruled the martial world with veiled terror, either collapsed to the ground or retreated, the Radiant Demon Squad's leader returned the words to Shaanxi's Number One Demon.
How about the Yeoryeong Sect, who lost dozens to Full Sky Flower Rain?
Wei Guk-sang shook the yellow sleeves of his robe violently and laughed.
"That bandage, that trembling aura. Your internal and external wounds seem severe. Have you been drinking? They say the Divine Beggar of the Beggars' Sect practices Drunken Fist, but I wonder if your swordsmanship and martial arts compare to that. Looking at Full Sky Flower Rain, you must be the Radiant Demon Squad's leader, the one they call Lightning Genius, and these must be the Radiant Demon Squad members. Have you come looking for Jung Hye-ah? A big catch has fallen into my lap!"
It was arrogant drivel, utterly lacking coherence. His words were closer to delirious muttering than conversation, as if his mind had been distorted by demonic cultivation.
Yet, his words struck at the core. The Yeoryeong Sect thrived on intelligence-based insight.
Jung Yeonshin did not respond.
Step.
He walked silently toward Shaanxi's Number One Demon. The dirt ground of the manor crunched under his feet.
His vision was beginning to blur. The painkiller's side effects created faint hallucinations.
It was fortunate he had used Full Sky Flower Rain to settle the chaos in advance.
'The pain is gone now. It's not something I'd want to take again, but... this will do.'
The path was clear. No one stood in his way.
"The squad leader has finally arrived."
"Why are his eyes like that?"
"No way…."
The high-ranking Radiant Demon Squad members, who had stepped back from Wei Guk-sang, murmured among themselves.
Most of them were his seniors. Their discerning eyes, sharper than those of any ordinary martial artist, scrutinized the young squad leader.
They noticed his unstable breathing, the slightly contracted pupils, and the eerily twisted corners of his lips.
Not only Baek Miryeo, Heon Wonchang, and Chung Myung, but everyone else as well.
"We should have buried that Hwangbo bastard sooner…!"
"Shouldn't we stop him?"
"No. If we want to deal with Shaanxi's Number One Demon, the squad leader has to draw his sword. This isn't a place where retreat is an option. Using movement techniques to escape from him is impossible."
"Have you seen the squad leader's injuries? That demonic monster would be difficult to handle even in peak condition. How can he—"
Jung Yeonshin consciously ignored them.
Even as he became intoxicated by the amplified effects of the medicine, he wasn't confident he could face their worried expressions.
He simply thought calmly. Weren't they the ones who had caused this concern?
'They don't fear the color black.'
No, they had surely come knowing Wei Guk-sang's martial prowess. They simply valued their squad leader's loss over their own survival.
He felt deeply grateful. Enough to resolve that, once he rescued Jung Hye-ah, he would teach them the Radiant Arts Secret in its full depth.
Swish.
Jung Yeonshin came to a stop ten paces away from Shaanxi's Number One Demon.
Even though his opponent's presence had somewhat subsided, an eerie pressure loomed over him. This was a supreme martial artist who had perfectly fused inner energy and intent, a master of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
His presence against Jung Yeonshin's skin was different from that of the Pure Demon Alliance's leader, who had been crushed under the lingering will of Bodhidharma at the City of Master Craftsmen.
Perhaps it was because he carried the martial legacy of the Central Plains rather than Xinjiang. His demonic arts carried a far more combative, battle-hardened edge.
Jung Yeonshin silently observed him, and Wei Guk-sang's smirk deepened.
"The black of Desolate Fortress, the imperial hound that oppresses the martial world. How unbearably arrogant you people are."
At Shaanxi's Number One Demon's words, the Radiant Demon Squad's leader tilted his head slightly.
"Aren't you someone who lives off what the Shaanxi Province, built by the empire, provides? You don't farm, build houses, or manage foreign threats and public security. Rather than contributing, you only drain the resources required to maintain social order. You destroy property whenever you wish and disrupt the system. A mere gang of overpowered ruffians talking about the oppression of the martial world has always been amusing to me... Are you not ashamed of yourself?"
"..."
"Why don't you go live in the wilderness, then? You're no different from parasites."
His tone was calm, but his words were the most scathing insult imaginable.
Even for a demon of the Demonic Faction, one who had become formidable through martial prowess alone, it was a blatant provocation.
As Baek Miryeo suddenly stepped on Heon Wonchang's foot from a distance, Wei Guk-sang, who had been staring at Jung Yeonshin, slowly opened his mouth.
"…There was a time when I beheaded a few officials who irritated me. A couple of weeks later, the squad leader of the Scorching Abyss Squad came to see me. Alone. He said he was enough by himself, but I could see through his act. Like you, he feared his subordinates' heads would roll."
"The Scorching Abyss Squad?"
Jung Yeonshin suddenly snapped back to reality.
Just like the Radiant Demon Squad, they were part of the Desolate Fortress Divine Sword Order.
Their specialty was a unique defensive internal technique known as Boundless and Endless Life. The squad leader of that era was a master of movement techniques.
Wei Guk-sang's eyes wrinkled in amusement.
"He kept blabbering about the people's suffering, and then he died by my hand. And now you stand before me, the current squad leader. He had incredible movement skills, far superior to yours. From Sichuan, I received reports that your inner energy is close to spiritual power, but I hope you didn't come here believing in that nonsense. Unless you've made a grave mistake about the Yeoryeong Sect."
Jung Yeonshin's lips curled.
"A demon who kidnaps people is worried about honor. Talking about being at full strength or not, how petty."
"…There's not a single falsehood in your words. I hate hearing it. Die."
Crack!
Wei Guk-sang's yellow sleeve stiffened as he grasped his sword. His blade was imbued with an overwhelming demonic force.
Even among supreme martial artists, those akin to mountain deities, it was astonishing how quickly he changed his mind, immediately honing his swordplay to its peak.
He disregarded any pretense of seniority in the martial world. He had no intention of conceding the first strike.
"..."
A tense atmosphere descended. The compressed air felt as though it was pressing down on the surroundings.
An invisible thread trembled between them. It was the path their blades would take in this life-and-death battle.
Jung Yeonshin's vision wavered endlessly. Timing his draw would not be easy.
The medicine was to blame.
Still, this was the right choice. It numbed the pain, allowing him to move properly.
Jung Yeonshin gazed at him silently and adjusted his grip on the Beiming.
He positioned his Laogong Acupoint precisely at the center of the hilt and brought his index and middle fingers slightly higher.
It was an unfamiliar grip, even to himself. Yet, it didn't feel unnatural.
'I saw it from afar.'
Before the swords had even clashed, he had devised a counter-technique.
He had heard countless tales of Shaanxi's Number One Demon and his countless killings. He had also briefly glimpsed him clashing with Radiant Demon Squad. That was enough. He restructured the flow of energy within his grip accordingly.
The flower of true energy blooming in his upper dantian did not wither. Even with the painkiller dulling his senses.
'His strikes are those of a heavy sword. His energy moves in the form of an illusory blade. His swordplay separates blade technique from sword energy—a distinct dual-method sword art.'
Jung Yeonshin's thoughts defined the essence of the technique. At that moment, Wei Guk-sang, gripping his sword in a downward stance, took a crude step forward.
Hooook—
A strange sense of unease arose, recognizable to those who had long witnessed Lightning Genius in action. It was something profoundly disturbing yet awe-inspiring for any martial artist.
Wei Guk-sang's lips twisted.
"Those eyes of yours irritate me!"
Koom!
With a resounding cry, he stomped the ground. Instantly, a pitch-black wave spread outward.
It rippled violently in an ever-expanding circular shape. Even the demonic energy infused into his step took on a tangible form.
Kwoaaaah—!
The wave surged ahead of his advancing body. It was like the manifestation of hellfire itself, black flames bursting forth.
It was said that Shaanxi's Number One Demon could melt city walls with a single step. This must have been the fabled technique from Heavenly Grave Demon Art—Monarch's Dominion.
Jung Yeonshin raised his knee and channeled Radiant Arts Secret into the Yongcheon Acupoint on his sole.
Step.
A sacred ripple spread from beneath his feet. A colorless wave radiated outward, forcing apart the encroaching black flames like an advancing army.
Splendid Wings Step. Just like his opponent, he had pierced through the overwhelming force with a single step. The demonic energy was unable to withstand the brilliance of Transcending Law Radiant Wheel and was completely dispelled.
A duel between a supreme black force and the Desolate Fortress' black rank leader. A rare battle of life and death had begun.
Hwaaaak!
The collision of energy unleashed a fierce gale. Jung Yeonshin's black hair billowed long behind him.
At that moment, as the experts present began watching the battle closely, the Radiant Demon Squad's leader turned his back to the falling strands of his own hair and swung the Beiming Sword.
In an instant, leaves scattered as an intangible force erupted from his blade like a storm. It was the energy wave of Judgment Qilin.
Kwaang!
But it was not an offensive strike, it was a defensive one. After extinguishing the black flames, he saw Shaanxi's Number One Demon already swinging his sword in front of him.
The moment their blades clashed, an overwhelming force pressed down on him.
This was different from when Wei Guk-sang had fought the Radiant Demon Squad. There was no visible energy projection.
Yet, the sheer force pressing down on Jung Yeonshin's sword was immense, as if it could shove him aside at any moment.
Beyond the intersecting blades, Wei Guk-sang met his gaze and smirked. It was a seasoned smile.
'He's compressed his internal energy within his sword body and physical form, the moment he grasped the nature of our conflicting energies after our Monarch's Dominion and Splendid Wings Step collided.'
Jung Yeonshin understood instantly. Shaanxi's Number One Demon had recognized the clash of energies and immediately adapted his approach.
Rather than waste his internal energy meaninglessly, he intended to overpower him using martial instincts and swordsmanship.
A true madman. Even while absorbing the divine energy, he was smiling.
It was a grin tinged with sadistic delight.
Wuuung!
Jung Yeonshin, instead of locking blades, channeled Radiant Wheel Energy through his sword. It was a technique from the Internal Weight Manipulation Method.
If it penetrated the body, it would be enough to tear apart his opponent's meridians.
Wei Guk-sang let out a short gasp.
"Kh…"
In that instant, the force pushing against the Beiming shattered completely. Wei Guk-sang had discarded his sword, which had been blackened with demonic energy.
His blurred, distorted form reappeared at Jung Yeonshin's flank.
It was the Monarch's Dominion Footwork.
From the lowered black sword, a deep hum of resonance rang out.
He was coming again.
It was an upward cleaving strike.
Clang!
Jung Yeonshin countered with Judgment Qilin, his grip absorbing the powerful impact. It was Wei Guk-sang's sword strength.
The force concentrated in that single strike was immense. It felt as if the raw power that should have been released as sword energy was instead fully embedded into the sword strike.
Jung Yeonshin's thoughts flowed like lightning.
'His defensive technique is fast and sharp. The way he strikes at openings is the most practical I've ever encountered. He's seasoned. A complete martial artist. He can respond to any situation.'
If he wasn't of noble blood, his old age would mark him as a veteran of the martial world. The decline of martial prowess in practitioners of the Demonic Faction varied from person to person.
His opponent was still a formidable mid-tier grandmaster of the demonic path, one with his full strength intact.
With a grin, as if to show he wouldn't simply surrender his life to a Buddhist martial technique, he launched another sword strike.
Clang! Clang!
The afterimages of the black sword scattered in countless directions. Each strike was a powerful force that vibrated through Jung Yeonshin's grip.
It was dazzling.
Even without dispersing his internal energy into sword energy, he demonstrated the skill of a transcendent swordsman.
White and black trajectories interwove.
At some point, neither swordsman took a step forward. Wei Guk-sang's method of flanking with the Monarch's Dominion Footwork had been completely nullified.
The Radiant Demon Squad's leader's instinct did not allow the same technique to work twice. Whenever Wei Guk-sang tried to retreat and disappear, he responded in two ways.
He would either advance first or twist his foot slightly to preemptively claim the superior angle.
With overwhelming precision, he restricted Wei Guk-sang's movement.
Boom! Clang!
The two swordsmen clashed repeatedly, their movements appearing blurred to the onlookers.
Only the countless dried winter grass stems breaking apart around them remained sharply visible, scattering in the air.
Jung Yeonshin executed the optimal counter to every move. It worked because neither could unleash their full strength.
He moved through flickering vision and increasingly dull senses, while Wei Guk-sang, due to the dominant nature of Radiant Wheel, could not fully unleash his true techniques.
The spectators gradually fell into silence.
With each exchange, Wei Guk-sang's eyes deepened into a darker hue. A thick, oily bloodlust emanated from him.
'A sapling of the World Tree, indeed. You must die here.'
Splurt!
The moment he made up his mind, blood erupted from Jung Yeonshin's shoulder.
The tip of Wei Guk-sang's erratic black sword had grazed him, the wound blooming like a moth's fluttering wings.
The bandages wrapped around him were now stained red, the residual force of the sword strike further coloring the area around the wound.
With an indifferent expression, Wei Guk-sang once again activated the Phantom Demon Sword of the Heavenly Grave Demon Art.
The Radiant Demon Squad's leader, Lightning Genius—he was already struggling to move, borrowing a strange intoxication to compensate.
The Buddhist martial art he had never seen before had been astonishing, but just because he struggled to use his Phantom Demon Heavenly Grave Sword Energy didn't mean he couldn't handle a mere rising star.
Moving his right hand, which held the black sword's wave, he launched a chained sword strike.
It writhed like a massive serpent, surging forward.
Clang! Shhhhk!
Jung Yeonshin's abdomen and chest were slashed open.
Not deeply.
Before anyone realized it, his eyes flashed with a cold blue light, and he had already retreated half a step.
The Phantom Demon Sword, a technique renowned in the martial world as an absolute sword form, repeatedly struck empty air.
That was the kind of opponent he faced.
'With that body, he can't endure an explosive short duel or a prolonged battle of hundreds of exchanges. His natural talent is outright insane. No wonder the Ming Cult talks about reversing the heavens. The world is disgustingly unfair.'
Wei Guk-sang's eye wrinkles twitched in irritation.
"Make way!"
"Squad leader! Squad leader!"
"They're pushing in! Form ranks!"
The surroundings turned chaotic.
Seeing their squad leader at a disadvantage, the martial artists of the Radiant Demon Squad surged forward.
The Yeoryeong Sect's elite intercepted them, surrounding the battlefield.
Wei Guk-sang focused only on his duel with the squad leader.
These were warriors who called themselves the hands and feet of Desolate Fortress' squad leader. The Yeoryeong Sect's Shaanxi branch alone would not be able to handle the Radiant Demon Squad.
But even a few seconds of delay was enough.
Striking the head of the Desolate Fortress Divine Sword Order's combat squad first was the right move.
By that time—
Jung Yeonshin had narrowed his eyes.
They were half-lidded, like those of meditating monks.
Unconsciously, he continued to swing his sword, step back, and step forward again.
His body moved on its own.
'Have I ever been this free before?'
His body had always obeyed his will without fail. Even his muscles and meridians, down to the smallest fiber.
More precisely than any puppet from a grand opera troupe. He had been born that way.
Now, it was different.
Everything had completely unraveled.
"Yulha Nangnang! The Starlight Sword Deity of Mount Hua…!"
Even the commotion around him felt distant.
A single line carved itself into his pain-numbed, hazy vision.
A distorted gleam of light, drawn by its own will.
His boundless talent radiated from the realm of perception.
Following the overwhelming nature of the Radiant Wheel, he crushed the ground beneath his feet and swung his right hand in a long arc.
The trajectory of the Beiming overlapped perfectly with the glowing line before him.
Buzzzzzzz—!
His entire network of acupoints was filled with the sound of thunder.
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