A secret chamber enclosed by stone walls on all sides.
It was spacious and bright enough to accommodate a dozen or so people for lodging and meals.
The ceiling was high, and lanterns lined up, illuminating the surroundings.
"The commotion is quite something. Look at how it echoes. What's with these damn invaders… Should we check it out?"
"Leave it be. Our only duty is to hold our ground."
Four shadows flickered intermittently alongside the firelight.
They were swordsmen clad in green martial robes, standing guard while occasionally glancing at the girl sleeping on the bed near the altar. Their vigilance was close to mere attendance.
"Maybe I was overthinking. Right, unnecessary meddling is defiance."
"They're probably just a bunch of nobodies. Maybe bandits trying to raid the escort bureau."
"They must think they're the greatest in the local mountains, completely unaware they've stepped into the depths of hell."
The four swordsmen conversed, their voices devoid of any variation in tone.
"I don't think that's the case. Those who discovered the main stronghold wouldn't be so insignificant…"
"But isn't the Number One Demon here? The child is still here, so he hasn't left yet."
"Hmm, true."
A bit of laxity was permissible. Their task was simple, after all, and they were stationed in an extremely secretive location.
They were guarding a child, no older than six or seven, deep within the underground stone caves of the manor.
The walls were thick, making it difficult for even the keenest senses to detect anything within. Even if intruders attacked the escort bureau after spotting the plaque, the Yeoryeong Sect wouldn't be easily overpowered.
The sect wasn't known for handling matters lightly. It would take an eternity just to locate this place.
Even an extreme martial expert like Wei Guk-sang was holding his post as the branch leader. Not even the leaders of the Seven Great Sects of Xi'an could set foot beyond this hall's threshold.
"Judging by the looks alone, one could believe she's of royal blood."
A woman in green robes muttered, glancing at Jung Hye-ah with a sidelong gaze.
Her hand rested atop her sword, emitting a subtle yet intense aura from her habitual prayers. Though she seemed relaxed, her presence was unmistakably that of a demonic sect warrior—a composure befitting the strong.
"She's the disciple of the Sword Immortal who died in senility, isn't she? She should be skilled enough to trample the sect allocations of Zhongnan."
"They say no man of beauty comes from an insignificant bloodline. Perhaps noble blood runs in her veins."
"She's the niece of the current leader of the Radiant Demon Squad. What else would you expect?"
"You mean Lightning Genius? Even after reading the reports, I still doubted his existence. No matter how vast the world is…"
"The feats of the Young Lord of the Ming Cult were also dismissed as mere legends at first. Just think of it as one of the many mysteries of the martial world."
Their low voices faintly echoed.
It was at that moment, as the Yeoryeong Sect's martial guards engaged in idle conversation.
"Uh…"
A soft voice rang out. It came from the bed near the high seat. Jung Hye-ah had opened her eyes.
She flinched slightly before sitting up, the lantern light casting shadows across the bridge of her small nose. Her young, delicate features were both neat and distinct.
The Yeoryeong's experts glanced at Jung Hye-ah. Their gazes swept over the girl as though she were a rare porcelain artifact.
"She's awake."
"She'll be asleep again within the next quarter of an hour. How long must we keep playing nursemaids?"
"Until her internal energy stabilizes, they said."
She was the disciple brought in by Wei Guk-sang, the Number One Demon of Shaanxi.
She had just undergone a grand ritual to transform Zhongnan's inner arts into the vital energy of the Heavenly Grave Demon Art.
Precious herbs like centennial fleeceflower root had been administered, and her internal energy had undergone major circulation.
Everything was meticulously conducted to ensure her body was not harmed. The intent was to raise her into one of Yeoryeong Sect's ultimate martial artists.
A preparation phase had begun. Her frequent, prolonged slumbers were expected, given that the Heavenly Grave Demon Art was one of Yeoryeong Sect's most formidable techniques.
One of the swordsmen spoke with a smiling face.
"You must be hungry by now. Do you have a preference?"
"Mount Zhongnan…"
Jung Hye-ah murmured vacantly, still groggy from sleep, yet the intent within her small voice was startlingly clear.
One of the Yeoryeong Sect's swordsmen turned his head toward the opposite door.
"She wants tofu stew again… She really is fond of it. I should tell the servant to prepare it properly."
"I'll go. Might as well check on the situation."
The tone remained casual. A faint shimmer of moisture gathered in Jung Hye-ah's eyes.
No one else paid her any attention. A single man simply stepped forward, making his way toward the large stone door.
Boom!
The incident unfolded in an instant.
Without warning, an enormous explosion erupted, sending the door crashing inward. A force beyond human limits swirled behind it.
A brutal energy storm surged forth, and the man who had approached the door suddenly found himself facing a projectile-like stone slab. He swiftly struck the door's surface with the back of his hand.
The reflexes of a demonic sect's warrior were that sharp.
"Hup!"
The man's narrowed eyes let out a breath.
The rapidly accelerating door shattered his attack trajectory, barreling toward him.
His arm, having struck the stone, was folded back into his chest. The unleashed energy within his palm swirled aimlessly before dissipating.
Even so, he was pushed all the way to the wall. It was overwhelming. The air itself was torn apart by the sheer force.
Kuuuuuung!
His body was crushed against the wall along with the door. The ripple of energy from the impact scattered through the cracks of the door. Death was instantaneous. There was no time to assess further.
At the same time.
A tattered leather shoe stepped over the threshold.
Step.
The toe wobbled slightly. The figure staggered somewhat. Blood had seeped beneath the black leather sole.
"Defensive positions!"
"I'll take the front!"
They were indeed demonic sect's warriors. Despite the unforeseen event, the remaining swordsmen reacted instantly.
Even after facing the unimaginable, their reflexes were impeccable.
The three formed a triangular battle formation, Heavenly Grave Phantom Sword Formation. It was a secret art of the Yeoryeong Sect.
A faint current rippled around the high-ranking swordsmen, mingling with the dust-laden air.
Hwoooong—
It signified energy synchronization. Their internal energies aligned.
Sword formations were martial techniques devised to properly utilize the combined strength of multiple warriors. The higher their mastery, the greater their cooperative effectiveness.
The Heavenly Grave Phantom Sword Formation was a supreme technique that enhanced speed and sword strength through the combined power of fellow disciples.
Snap!
All three warriors lunged simultaneously. Their movements were fundamentally different from the one who had perished earlier.
As they leaped, they unsheathed their swords at an incredible speed.
The slicing sound of their strikes ripped through the air. Three streaks of sword light shot toward the intruder like lightning.
It was then that the figure was fully revealed.
Disheveled, ink-black hair that swallowed the lantern light, eyes filled with a quiet loneliness, a face so striking it defied reality, a body drenched in blood.
"Vermin."
He spoke.
A formidable aura poured from his stance, sword lowered, its pristine white gleam almost blinding. The semi-transparent waves of energy swayed unstably, yet his presence was overwhelmingly terrifying.
The lantern flames flickered wildly as if caught in a storm. The shadows of the charging swordsmen scattered chaotically in all directions.
As the three-pronged sword attack of the Heavenly Grave Phantom Sword Formation split through the air, the intruder raised his left hand.
The drifting dust twisted, a harbinger of an attack.
The energy concentrated in his palm was beyond belief, and his control over it was unfathomably swift. Before the three swords could even reach him, an overwhelming force had already gathered in his palm.
'A grandmaster…!'
In that brief instant, the three swordsmen's composure crumbled.
But it was too late. A devastating storm of energy erupted forward.
An overwhelming force swept through the swordsmen. Amidst the semi-transparent whirlwind, scattered droplets of blood briefly caught the lantern light.
The palm strike that severed a life in an instant dispersed in all directions. The swordsman hadn't even fully collapsed yet. Then, with a final thud, silence took over.
Only Jung Hye-ah had the right to break the stillness.
"Ah…?"
A dazed exclamation slipped out. The child's lips parted slightly.
Despite her tender age, she had been revered as the disciple of the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan. She had consumed rare spiritual herbs and studied the Taoist scriptures.
Her already exceptional intelligence had been sharpened to brilliance, and after experiencing the Heaven Spanning Net of Yeoryeong Sect and the Tyrant Sword Tribe, she had even gained insight into the Demonic Faction.
Frightening people.
That was why the sight before her felt like a dream.
Her uncle had always been a faint presence at home, but now, he looked like the most distinct figure in the world. Was this reality?
"Hye-ah."
A quiet call, deep and resonant, was pleasant to hear.
Jung Hye-ah, who had been fearing this might be a dream, brightened with a teary smile.
"Uncle…!"
"So it really is you, Hye-ah."
Jung Yeonshin finally released the tension in his body.
By now, even the effects of the painkillers weren't enough to keep him moving properly. He had no choice but to unleash an explosive palm strike, a technique he had once used during Heon Wonchang's blue-rank ascension trial.
He had considered it a mere degraded version of the Hundred Steps Divine Fist, but luckily, the enemies' level of attainment had been so pitiful that it worked well enough.
'Good thing those weaklings could still eat with that level of skill.'
Relieved, he knelt down on one knee.
"Uncle—!"
Jung Hye-ah ran toward him on her short legs and threw herself into his arms.
With one arm wrapped around his niece's back, the leader of the Radiant Demon Squad faintly smiled.
Jung Yeonshin thought,
'Mother, I have protected the child born from your companion.'
"It's alright. Everything's alright now."
His words, spoken to reassure her, gradually softened toward the end.
His eyelids felt heavy. As he gently stroked his niece's small back, his eyes closed.
Behind him, three presences rushed in, swift as flying shadows.
One carried a sharp and refined wind, another a deep yet warm aura like an abyss, the third had an energetic yet silent footstep.
Chung Myung, Baek Miryeo, and Heon Wonchang— the elites of the Radiant Demon Squad.
"This uncle is a little sleepy…"
He whispered softly into Jung Hye-ah's ear.
He wasn't afraid of passing out here. His only concern was his niece.
"Don't be scared."
And then, Jung Yeonshin lost consciousness.
* * *
The battlefield was gradually settling.
The leader of Mount Hua Sect stood still, hands behind her back.
"..."
The Starlight Sword Deity, Yulha Nangnang.
The hem of her pink robe fluttered over her white socks, an ill fit for the rough dirt ground yet somehow appearing natural.
The title Nangnang was rarely used, it was a name meant for Taoist deities.
"The cargo from Zhongyang Trading Company has arrived."
"Move it over there. The military will handle it."
"Stay alert! Get moving!"
The presence of an absolute master was transcendent. Even without doing anything, everything fell into place.
The surviving enemies either took their own lives or surrendered to become laborers. They had already lost their will to fight after witnessing the battle between the leader of the Radiant Demon Squad and the Number One Demon of Shaanxi.
Under the watchful eyes of the warriors of Desolate Fortress, they moved about. Yeoryeong Sect's Shaanxi branch, which had disguised itself as an escort bureau, was dismantled in an instant.
"You've tangled with the Sword Sovereign of the Profound Martial Alliance."
Yulha Nangnang slowly parted her lips, flexing her hand where remnants of spiritual energy-infused inner force had momentarily lingered.
"I thought he was living his days as a wandering soul, yet here he is, making us look shameful."
A large portion of the Radiant Demon Squad had gathered, forming a semicircle.
At the center, lying atop a pile of thick layered bedding, was the leader of the Radiant Demon Squad.
Yulha Nangnang's gaze swept over Lightning Genius' face as if she were admiring a rare delicacy.
"More beautiful than any sword's path. If one were to dine with this child, even fasting pills would go down smoothly. One wouldn't even feel parched."
"Leader, please… maintain some dignity…"
A young Taoist boy mumbled while looking down at Jung Yeonshin with concern.
He was Yoo Hyun, the Hidden Dragon of Mount Hua.
The elite warriors of the Radiant Demon Squad stepped back but remained silent.
The warriors of Desolate Fortress were renowned for their untouchable air.
They focused all their attention on their leader, lowering their voices as they spoke.
"His internal injuries are severe. Moving him any further is impossible. We must worry about Energy Deviation."
"I don't know how he even managed to fight. How did he display such divine prowess with a body in this state? It's driving me mad."
"Hmm…"
"…Someone tore apart the seat next to that Hwangbo scoundrel."
"It was his grave. Let him wake up before he departs, he should at least know his sins."
"The Tyrant Sword Tribe and the Blood Flame Cult are both on the move. We should leave this place first. What should we do…"
The conversation grew heavier.
It remained so until Yulha Nangnang spoke once more.
"Someone with exceptional movement techniques should take charge of the leader of the Radiant Demon Squad. As you suspect, his internal injuries are severe. He will require a long recovery period just to regain consciousness. Find a safe hideout to settle in. The blade-wielding ghosts and bloodthirsty fiends who disturb Shaanxi have always been the responsibility of Mount Hua and Zhongnan."
Her clear voice carried an undeniable weight. The words of Mount Hua Sect's leader bore authority.
The warriors surrounding Jung Yeonshin remained silent as they looked down at him.
His skin, seeming to absorb sunlight more brightly than others, the bridge of his nose, sharp and noble like a warrior's spirit, his long eyelashes, casting their own shadows, exuded an air of stillness.
And then.
Suddenly.
The eyelids of the leader of the Radiant Demon Squad lifted naturally.
His pitch-black pupils were revealed, flashing with the capabilities of the Jung Clan's Divine Sword Movement Arts.
"..."
Those dark eyes reflected the gazes of a dozen warriors.
Jung Yeonshin slowly parted his lips.
"…What."
A somewhat hoarse voice escaped.
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