Chapter 456: Den of Demons (9)

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly raised his upper body. The hand that touched the floor sent a cold sensation up his arm. It was an incredibly clear feeling.

“……”

Many questions lingered.

Why was he still alive?

The martial sorcery attack from Dark Heaven Emperor at that time was no ordinary matter. Given the situation where evasion was nearly impossible and assuming a direct hit, the power should have been fatal even if he had been at his peak condition.

Dark Heaven Emperor, who had claimed Hangzhou as his domain, was the absolute master of martial sorcery.

Then.

Was it truly a near-miraculous coincidence that he had been crushed by the ice mountain and sucked into this cave? Or perhaps Heaven Conquering Sect Leader had deployed Form Shifting Void for some reason and hidden him here?

‘Would there be any reason for that?’

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes narrowed.

Why had his body recovered even this little? The sword strike of Heaven Conquering Sect Leader had suppressed even the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

Lastly.

Why had Heaven Conquering Sect Leader left the finishing blow to Dark Heaven Emperor?

Though the ice mountain formed by martial sorcery had been plunging down from above at the time, nonetheless, the swift sword of the Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword had clearly been superior to Jeong Yeon-shin’s.

Even if the internal injuries accumulated from consecutively defeating High Sword and Jeong Yeon-shin had been extremely heavy, this would still hold true.

No matter what, it shouldn’t have been impossible for him to take Jeong Yeon-shin’s head in that instant.

Or perhaps he truly lacked the confidence to cut through Jeong Yeon-shin’s protective energy just before the ice mountain fell? Due to his worsened internal injuries.

-What an unlucky day.

The blunt muttering of the Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword echoed vividly in his ears.

He was hard to comprehend. Why? It couldn’t just be because the one-on-one life-and-death duel hadn’t concluded as he wished. Literally, wasn’t he just a swordsman of the demonic path?

It was as his thoughts were getting complicated.

[Brother Yeon-shin, do you know what the “demonic path” is?]

The nonsense of someone who couldn’t age rang out.

[It’s rebellion. Rebellion against the decree of heaven.]

Ming Cult Leader.

She was now gently stroking the surface of a wine cup that she held in one hand, moving only her index finger.

She exuded a leisurely air completely different from Jeong Yeon-shin, appearing lost in some contemplation. This aura was apparent despite her semi-transparent form.

She was now wearing a white sleeping garment.

Had she changed through some sorcery?

Her round shoulders and the long forearm muscles, split down to below the elbows, were faintly visible. Along with the pulsing veins that moved whenever she wiggled her index finger.

A body inevitably skilled in close combat as well. Already perfected. It was true both in martial arts and sorcery.

‘Hangzhou, wine, bed, a space where nonsense is blocked, a dwelling where one can leisurely savor wine, a time that seems like night…’

There were many clues.

Jeong Yeon-shin engraved her appearance in his mind.

[I want to do all sorts of things, but that damned heaven has arranged it so I can’t do anything. That’s what the demonic path is.]

It was a shrewd voice.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently straightened his sitting posture and crossed his legs in a lotus position. Soon after, Ming Cult Leader’s whisper, suddenly lowered, tickled his mind.

[For instance…]

A voice suddenly turning mischievous.

[Don’t you want to live until old age?]

“……”

[Even that becomes rebellion and the demonic path according to the perspective of these so-called prestigious righteous sects. Why? Because the means are problematic.]

For a moment, the fruit of the World Tree flashed through Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind. Along with the fact that it could only be fully obtained after being recognized by all the Noble Clans of the world.

That was practically impossible, and even contemplating it was close to absurdity from the start.

Only a very few people, including the Zhongnan Sword Immortal who had already crossed the Sanzu River, had taken the young boy’s immature longing seriously.

It was something to be grateful for.

He slowly opened his mouth.

“So your goal was rebellion against heaven. I’ve heard that among rare martial sorcery techniques, there are methods to anchor oneself to this land as a spirit.”

[That’s just a rumor. It’s none of your business.]

“I’ve also heard of something called the Great Soul Transference Technique.”

Jeong Yeon-shin looked up at Ming Cult Leader while seated.

“It wouldn’t be strange if there were methods to settle one’s soul and spirit in someone else’s body.”

The founder of the Ming Cult, the first Heavenly Demon, was someone infinitely close to the divine. It was said that he was versed in all manner of rare sorcery and demonic arts, with nothing impossible for him.

Those studies, after the arrival of the Noble clan and Iron clan, were sometimes called laws that defied principles through the power of demons when mixed with the martial arts they possessed.

That was how martial sorcery developed. Many Noble clan members had turned to the Ming Cult during the founding period.

[You know about the Great Soul Transference Technique?]

Interest gleamed in Ming Cult Leader’s twisted smile.

When Jeong Yeon-shin was in Beijing.

He had been able to broaden his previously narrow knowledge of the martial world a little.

It was thanks to spending days and nights with Divine Sword Group Leader Yong Hye-myeong. As evidenced by the scholarly-style purple clothes that symbolized the current Divine Sword Group Leader, he enjoyed all sorts of stories, verses, and songs.

It was a kind of elegant leisure. Yong Hye-myeong had such broad knowledge that he constantly poured out stories even to Jeong Yeon-shin.

-I imagine the youngster of Ming Cult might have been born with a similar fate as yours. No matter how much of a world’s finest genius he is, unifying the scattered demonic path of Xinjiang in such a short time is a matter of a different caliber. He must possess very special qualities to make it possible. Like leading all demonic practitioners to submission as a grandmaster of the demonic path.

Jeong Yeon-shin had once had his constitution discerned by Yong Hye-myeong when he was Blue Rank. It was during the time of the life-and-death duel with the Namgung Family.

That’s why Yong Hye-myeong had offered many pieces of advice to Jeong Yeon-shin in Beijing. Among them were stories about Ming Cult and Ming Cult Leader.

[……]

She didn’t answer. Her finger that had been rolling the wine cup never ceased. Ming Cult Leader displayed leisure through silence.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s toneless voice continued.

“What do you intend to do to Senior Baek?”

[Well, I’m thinking of telling her about your death and enjoying her reaction. Then she might learn my martial arts for revenge, and the more she does, the closer her body will become to the Heavenly Demon’s form.]

“Don’t try anything reckless.”

[Little boy, you don’t know what you’re saying. What stands before you now is the Ming Cult Leader. The pinnacle of the demonic path who wishes for the world to end when I die.]

There was laughter in Ming Cult Leader’s resonant voice. She was twisted in some way.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t care.

“I could lead the main fortress’s full forces.”

A growling voice escaped through his teeth.

“And turn the demonic path of Xinjiang into a wasteland.”

[Madman…]

It was a confrontation between Desolate Day Extinction and Ming Cult Leader.

Ming Cult Leader, who had been staring down at him, shook her head from side to side.

[Do you know? Even the Tyrant Hero of fifty years ago couldn’t do that. Well, if you’re prepared to be dismissed from your position, perhaps you could try it once.]

Jeong Yeon-shin said nothing more. He simply sat upright with both hands on his knees, closed his eyes, and examined his body.

And he realized.

That the circulation of true energy had stopped.

‘What…?’

Due to his greatly dulled energy sense, his awareness had been delayed.

The Luminous Wheel constantly rotating like a waterwheel in his heart had stopped moving. Naturally, the Luminous Wheel Technique that should extend from it showed no movement either.

The twelve main meridians and the eight extraordinary vessels, commonly referred to as the small universe, along with all the energy pathways throughout his body, were in an empty state.

This was an internal injury he had never experienced before.

Could it be due to Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s sword strike? In this condition, he couldn’t break through the cave. He had no idea how long recovery might take.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin, furrowing his brow, suddenly looked around. Even with careful examination, no exit path caught his eye. It was truly strange.

“…Was it your doing that brought me here?”

[Who knows.]

Ming Cult Leader raised one corner of her mouth.

It was an ambiguous smile.

[There might be a footwork technique somewhere that can fold and unfold space on its own, which wouldn’t be strange. The world is vast, and even I have experienced only a portion of it. Of course, you must have realized this now too…]

Indeed, Jeong Yeon-shin had newly realized how immeasurably vast the world was because of Heaven Conquering Sect Leader.

But Ming Cult Leader’s story was an entirely different matter. He couldn’t guess what her aim might be.

Had her intentions and coincidence overlapped?

‘I should stop this.’

The current Ming Cult Leader was chaos incarnate. The more he engaged in conversation, the more questions arose.

Thud.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly rose from his place and began to walk.

If even a trace of true energy remained for him to move, it would be different, but in the current state where his acupoints were completely empty, it was better to stimulate his body through the Dynamic Technique.

After all, his Jeong Family Dynamic Technique was a martial art that continuously generated energy and invigorated the body through movement.

[By the way, what a peculiar place this is. How can the walls be so smooth?]

Ming Cult Leader, with her hands behind her back, floated up and examined the cave. It truly seemed like her first time here.

Jeong Yeon-shin ignored her and walked silently. The sensation of the ground beneath his leather shoes was indeed smooth.

The damp cave didn’t even have intersecting passages. Just a thick darkness that swallowed his footsteps.

Thud, thud.

A cave like a condensation of the night sky.

But even without activating his eye technique, he could see the path.

This was because spirituality resided in his eyes that had undergone metamorphosis. He could see the outlines of objects not only through light but also through energy sense. His body was already a divine sword.

[I can see why Dark Heaven Emperor chose Hangzhou as the base for his Dragon Summoning Ritual Formation. Come to think of it, Dark Heaven Emperor harbored an inferiority complex toward Taoist Three Peak that could never be resolved. This is… truly a major discovery. If my guess is right, this is no ordinary marvel.]

‘Marvel?’

While enduring directionless anger, concern, and drowsiness, Jeong Yeon-shin inwardly echoed Ming Cult Leader’s words. Had he voiced them aloud, they might have carried mockery.

To him, marvels were the precious connections with many people. They were very far from what one might hear about in oral traditions or storybooks.

The marvels that martial artists of the Jianghu yearned for didn’t exist in reality. Naturally, he had never expected them.

After walking like this for about an hour.

Tap.

Suddenly, a piece of stone fell from the tip of his foot. Ice-cold air swept harshly over his skin.

There was no more floor ahead. He could only look down.

The path he had traveled led to a place like a vast underground plaza. The space before his eyes was opened up enormously wide.

Slowly.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes widened.

An incredibly long and enormous bone was coiled into a circular shape. Its length was close to a hundred zhang, and if flesh and scales were attached to its surface, it would resemble a serpent. The long snout touching the ground suggested as much.

“……”

It possessed a presence that weighed down on one’s soul just by existing. This was true even though it was clearly already dead.

The silence carried a heavy weight.

What filled the vast space was the corpse of a monstrous being of incredible strength.

Following the human-faced spider he had encountered in Beijing, this was the second one. This time it was a dragon. It was literally overwhelming. But its posture was peculiar.

A taiji was visible.

The body, lying across the center in a curve. Literally coiled in the shape of a taiji. As if the monstrous being, close to a rain dragon, had been forced by some power.

‘And.’

A rusted iron sword was stuck in the serpent’s skull.

The pine pattern engraved on the sword handle caught his eye. It was Wudang’s Pine Pattern Ancient Sword. But it was slightly different in form from what Jeong Yeon-shin had seen before.

The blade was much narrower, and the handle was shorter. It was just long enough to be wielded leisurely with one hand. It didn’t match the current trend that emphasized sword power.

The current Wudang Sect didn’t have such a Pine Pattern Ancient Sword. It wasn’t High Sword’s either. At least not according to the newly appointed Purple Rank’s knowledge.

Thud!

Without realizing it, Jeong Yeon-shin took a step and fell to the underground area. For a moment, intense pain surged throughout his body, but he quickly stood up and began to advance one step at a time.

His body, structured like a divine sword, was able to endure significant impact despite the internal injuries.

[I’ll need to see the flesh up close. Could you perhaps take off your clothes?]

Ming Cult Leader’s low exclamation of admiration was secondary. The sense of kinship he had felt from her, consciously or unconsciously, also flowed through the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Despite pretending otherwise, it must have been the same for Ming Cult Leader. She was only focusing on Jeong Yeon-shin because there were no inner cores or spiritual elixirs left.

Crack-

Lightning flashed through his mind. The focus disappeared from Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes.

* * *

The sun and moon alternated, rising and setting many times.

The Sword God of Mount Hua, with her long hair flowing strand by strand, had been cutting and slicing the bottom of the deep river with bloodshot eyes.

A rumor spread widely.

Initially, it spread rapidly as if deliberately fanned by some massive force, but it didn’t take long for the story to grow wings even without that.

It was due to the status of the subject of the rumor.

-“Desolate Day Extinction has died!”

This short tale began to turn the vast country upside down.

Words passed from mouth to mouth were sometimes faster than fine horses. This was especially true for news so massive that it would affect the entire world in some way or another, as it was directly related to the livelihood of the people.

In a world where incredibly swift spiritual creatures traveled through the sky carrying all sorts of rumors, faster than any message relay system, it was bound to spread rapidly regardless of distance.

Many timelines mixed together.

Several spiritual swallows, symbolizing the Divine Sword Group Leader, flew like arrows from all directions toward the main fortress of Desolate Fortress.

A red-eyed woman with a single eye, walking down the official road with her blood-soaked bright red robe fluttering, suddenly stopped in her tracks.

The sound of hammers flowing from the majestic walls of the Sichuan Tang Family mansion ceased.

Three Blue Rank masters of Radiant Demon Wing, who had been transporting a coffin along a rough mountain path with a Martial Alliance party, abandoned the coffin and began to sprint.

While the palace-like residence of Bewitching Sword Demon Baek Mi-ryeo, who had been designated as the successor to inherit Ming Cult, was filled with pitch-black sword light.

“……”

Elsewhere, on a land littered with shattered monstrous beings of incredible strength-humans with arms reaching thirty zhang, serpents covered in scales like brilliant diamonds, monsters as large as hills.

A hawk with blue feathers crossed through distorted space and then slowly flapped its wings as it landed on the elbow of the world’s finest.

That mysterious hawk moved its sharp beak once, as if conveying a message.

Saaaa-

Soon after, the whitish wind stream filled with long, green hair.

That was all.

She didn’t move, like a tree. In a place where space was tilted and warped in all directions, she simply stood silently.

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