Chapter 597: Gathering the Night Sky (6)
A point about two thousand li north from Juyong Pass of the Great Wall, crossing fifteen great mountains through precipitous mountain ranges and wilderness.
It was right next to Clear Light Plain where Jeong Yeon-shin and the Six Star Lords had clashed. Even for masters acknowledged for their lightness skills by major sects, it would be a distance requiring horses if departing from the Great Wall.
The Divine Sword Group’s Yeoktru Castle was located there.
A yellowish-brown earthen fortress measuring about one hundred zhang from north to south and seventy zhang from east to west. Beyond it, walls stretching 666 zhang enclosed the inner citadel in a rectangular formation.
It was a fortress that the first Northern King killed by Jeong Yeon-shin—Flame Heat Divine King—had solidified like a “Fire King” with her Towering Yang Energy Arts.
Naturally, it far exceeded the scale of an ordinary village.
Northern Yao tribes, southern Han Chinese, the Noble Clan descended from heaven, the Dwarf clan, as well as Mongols and Jurchen peoples of the same roots all lived together forming one great city.
Even bloodlines from the destroyed Dali Kingdom could be seen scattered throughout this land.
The exits leading outside were the same.
In front of the castle gate carved entirely from a massive boulder, surrounded by iron studs.
“We need to leave from here.”
“Rumors are rampant that the Southern Emperor has raised an army. Yeoktru Castle has no chance of victory, so please let us pass.”
It was a group where massive builds, pointed ears, short statures, and topknots revealing foreheads were mixed together like a melting pot. Dozens of such people had gathered at Yeoktru Castle’s gate.
The one blocking them was a middle-aged man wearing silk clothes patched together like a beggar’s rags—none other than the Northern Gatekeeper.
“No chance of victory? Isn’t that too hasty a judgment?”
At his question, an noble man with hair braided long down his back chuckled.
A northern wanderer who moved from castle to castle, securing food in exchange for swordwork. One of those not uncommonly seen in the demon realm.
“You’re a Han Chinese chosen as gatekeeper by the Fighting God, so you’d want to preserve your honor regarding vouching for the Divine Sword Group Leader as Northern King. You can’t speak with two tongues from one mouth. But do the Divine Sword Group executives holed up in that inner citadel think the same?”
As he said this, the topknotted noble wanderer pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.
Toward the inner citadel where blade-sharp roofs were densely clustered. The place where the Divine Sword Group leadership was staying.
The wanderer continued.
“How long has it been since they came outside? The Divine Sword Group Leader doesn’t even show his face, the black-robed Great Warriors have grown cold as if struck by northern winds and are practicing strange internal arts, and some have even left their true nature with faces twisted like madmen… Is this right?”
“Correct. When they should be devising military strategies, aren’t they just showing the behavior of a ragtag group?”
A Yao wanderer carrying a large axe interjected.
He glanced hostilely at the Desolate Fortress blue ranks positioned like soldiers on the ramparts, but when no warrior looked back at him, he shouted in a thick voice.
“At this rate, they’ll only be trampled by the armies of the Noble Wind Spirit Northern Kings! The Northern Greatest will surely return! Have you seen the martial army forces he raised for founding a nation? Truly overwhelming! How will they handle not only them but also the Southern Emperor, Literary Star, Upright Star, and other absolute masters of Noble Wind Spirit? The inner citadel of Yeoktru Castle has only those with dead eyes!”
Dead eyes.
It was quite accurate. The black-robed Great Warriors no longer flashed with eye-light. They were even silent.
An icy silence had long filled the central inner citadel of the great city.
At this moment, those who had become mute in Yeoktru Castle’s inner citadel were learning internal arts, and none of them had any interest in outside affairs.
As if they had something to do by making their already superhuman bodies even stronger.
Meanwhile, news that struck the vicinity had arrived.
Rumors that Bright Wind Spirit strongmen were beginning to gather at Black Capital, the demon realm’s capital city. Stories that the Southern Emperor, master of that Black Capital, would lead a great army down to Yeoktru Castle.
“Open the gate!”
“Move aside! Bright Wind Spirit is attacking!”
“Staying means a dog’s death!”
But when the Northern Gatekeeper, concerned about troop losses, ultimately refused to step aside, those remaining scattered in all directions.
Kugugung! Hwaaaaaak!
People leaping onto the ramparts by stepping on market stalls and such scattered throughout the streets appeared one after another. It was because there wasn’t a single person in the city who hadn’t learned lightness skills.
It was an unstoppable flow.
The Desolate Fortress warriors also didn’t particularly try to stop them.
The blue-ranked warriors lined up on the ramparts silently sensed behind them. The increasingly quiet and settled aura of the squad leaders.
“……”
The current state of affairs where the great Ming Dynasty’s gaze was rising one by one. As the era began to watch them.
The ground was still barren, with no sign of sprouts emerging.
The late winter northern winds only grew colder.
* * *
An underground cavern untouched by any strong winds.
Among the successive Ming Cult Leaders, some Heavenly Demons left their final secret transmissions in their own tombs. This was the story of some Ming Cult Leaders including the First Heavenly Demon.
Thus Heavenly Demon Tombs were created, bringing bloodstorms to the jianghu.
On the other hand, the Ming Cult’s main branch had the Heavenly Demon Treasury.
Literally a treasury.
A place where only the orthodox successors of Heavenly Demons were permitted entry, where most Ming Cult Leaders left their true transmissions in the Heavenly Demon Treasury.
The cavern Jeong Yeon-shin had entered at this moment was such a place.
Though clearly a deep cave, not even a trace of moisture could be felt—just a space of nearly thirty zhang in radius packed densely with books.
Kwaaang! Kugugung!
Outside was noisy.
It could be heard faintly. The sound of bells ringing as if to bewitch people, roars bursting forth like demon howls, and the thunderous sounds of urgent lightness skill sprints trampling the ground.
It would be Ming Cult forces arriving belatedly.
But none of the party looked back at the door that had closed again. They were all busy looking around.
“Truly amazing. Something to see after living long.”
The Beggar Sect Leader muttered while carried on Yu Xiong-gong’s back. Yu Xiong-gong made a phlegm-filled sound at the unconsciously tightened arms, but deep internal energy breathing also leaked out with his soliloquy.
“To enter the Heavenly Demon Treasury…”
Heavenly Demon.
It had been the name of omnipotent beings since ancient times… Even if shunned by the world, when given the opportunity to broaden one’s knowledge through Heavenly Demon martial lineages, few would refuse. It would be a heavenly opportunity for anyone.
So it was magnificent.
The sight of massive bookshelves lined up in layers like fortress walls. Each was nearly three zhang high and stretched from end to end of the cavern. A distance of easily over ten zhang.
Divine Beggar Zhu Guang, who had been looking around in all directions beside Jeong Yeon-shin, clicked his tongue.
“I wonder if Beijing’s Hanlin Academy would be like this. Even though the most terrible demonic arts under heaven would be organized here…”
“It’s madness. The Hanlin Academy isn’t like this. Rather, it’s a mess. Neat scholars only exist in stories.”
Yu Xiong-gong replied while readjusting the Sword Star in his arms.
It was as they said.
Every space was filled with secret manuals. Traces of Ming Cult members who pathologically abhorred the loss of martial arts—that is, the severing of lineages.
The closer one was to the pinnacle under heaven, the greater their obsession with leaving their name.
Demons whose demonic energy had penetrated to their bones, wanting anything good, were even more so.
“They say successive demonic cult giants hoped their names would remain forever. By having their insights recorded in the Heavenly Demon Treasury for glory. Seeing it now, it seems to have been true…”
Divine Beggar Zhu Guang trailed off.
Eternal years.
Revering eternity.
It was the Ming Cult members’ expression replacing “ten thousand years.”
They didn’t discriminate in means when elevating martial arts, so Ming Cult martial arts developed into demonic arts.
It was madness. Even the paper scent tickling Jeong Yeon-shin’s nose at this moment was imbued with such temperament.
But he didn’t care.
What was his original purpose in entering this place?
Since Young Heavenly Demon Invincible had extended the Sword Star’s lifeline with the Ming Cult’s “Seven Pillar Forbidden Acupoint Great Method,” perhaps there was a way to save him in the Heavenly Demon Treasury.
A place storing the insights of successive Heavenly Demons as well as all sorts of giants.
“I never thought I’d enter with my own feet…”
Hwangbo Gon, who had inadvertently joined Jeong Yeon-shin’s party, muttered.
Entering another sect’s martial arts library was inevitably a first for anyone.
Unless they were northern plunderers or madmen from the Martial Dragon Society, jianghu people spent their entire lives buried in their own sect’s martial arts.
It was the same for Jeong Yeon-shin, but at this moment he was rotating two luminous wheels so dim they seemed about to extinguish.
Kiiiiiiing!
He immediately drove the energy squeezed from his heart to both eye areas.
It was the Lowly Revelation Eye Technique.
Thus expanding his vision with eye techniques, he began to scan like lightning through the titles densely packed on the bookshelves.
[Mixed Demon Split Mind Art], [Earth Following Demonic Art], [Dark Heaven Hand Wall Formation], [Bare Hand Demonic Art], [Towering Ancestor Great Transposition of Northern Darkness], [Bright Phoenix Divine Form], [Bright Phoenix Divine Form, Yelu Zhen’s Commentary]…
Ming Cult divine arts and supreme techniques that had only been rumored were carved into his vision.
Wooong! Pararaak—!
Jeong Yeon-shin used Void Manipulation to grab and pull over everything that particularly caught his eye. Then he began reading through five or six volumes floating before him on the spot.
The book pages fluttered on their own like wings.
Rustling sounds arose ceaselessly, and Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes became completely filled with text.
It was pouring formulas and insights into his mind through tremendous speed reading. With the momentum to compress and absorb Young Heavenly Demon Invincible’s years from childhood.
Divine Beggar Zhu Guang, who had been riding on Yu Xiong-gong’s back like a palanquin, was startled and tried to dissuade Jeong Yeon-shin.
While tapping Yu Xiong-gong with one hand as if telling him to go forward quickly.
“Look here, just reading a lot won’t…”
Divine Art Secret Technique
Southern Splendor Radiant Taiji
Hwaaareuk!
Suddenly blue-black soot arose and formed a circle at Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet. Yu Xiong-gong’s short feet carrying Divine Beggar Zhu Guang hesitated.
Blue taiji.
Jeong Yeon-shin moved his eyes like sword strikes within a circle barely large enough for one person. He had already taken on blue eye-light. Pupils moving ceaselessly in zigzag patterns like lightning.
Like a sorcerer from stories, he floated over ten volumes and simply stood there reading everything that entered his vision.
While sensing all the brush stroke traces of every title with energy perception that had covered the entire Heavenly Demon Treasury.
‘No. No. Right. Yes, bring that too…’
[Seven Pillar Forbidden Acupoint Great Method], [Trance Demon Scripture], [Divine Demon Eight Methods], [Small Universe Heaven-Defying Scripture], [On Methods of Absorbing Demon Essence], [Heaven-Violating Three Bonds]…
The books surrounding him were increasing one by one.
Even Hwangbo Gon, who had been stealthily taking the ‘Bright Phoenix Divine Form’ famous as a Ming Cult internal art from one side, stopped in his tracks at that sight.
Southern Splendor Radiant Taiji was a divine supreme technique that annihilated the recoil of Jeong Yeon-shin’s possessed techniques.
If complex martial arts’ counter-elasticity could be returned to nothingness, it wouldn’t be difficult to focus on multiple places in the peerless realm.
The same applied to acquiring the insights of Ming Cult demonic arts.
At least for Jeong Yeon-shin.
Mysteries connected to Wudang’s Dual Mind Art.
‘The starting point of demon… is drawing out the most intimate desires from mental imagery to the outside…’
At this moment, he was controlling consciousness collisions with Southern Splendor Radiant Taiji’s abilities. Completely digesting the tremendous information volume of outrageous extensive reading as his own.
Seeking. Saving.
Not wanting to lose anyone.
Really.
Really…
This was the intent filling Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind. The light clusters from luminous pearls embedded like grains in the ceiling rippled intensely along his hair.
Kung!
A great resonance arose from outside. It was from the entrance where Jeong Yeon-shin had opened and entered. Ming Cult demons had struck the door.
“Already…!”
Divine Beggar Zhu Guang spat out irritably. Then Yu Xiong-gong spoke gravely.
“It seems they’ve decided it’s better to destroy everything together rather than allow outsiders into the Ming Cult treasury.”
“It would be the cunning Ming Cult Grand Preceptor’s decision. Others don’t have such authority.”
When Hwangbo Gon casually added this, Divine Beggar Zhu Guang nodded. Soon a sunken muttering flowed from the old beggar’s mouth.
“Well, it’s not like only the Ming Cult Leader would be in danger in the Ming Cult…”
Kung!… The ceiling shook greatly.
Four or five luminous pearls fell with thuds. The weight was no ordinary matter.
Literally the feeling of a mountain crashing down. It would be the Ming Cult’s Dark Heaven Hand Wall Formation, counted among the Five Great Palm Methods under heaven.
Divine Beggar Zhu Guang and Yu Xiong-gong’s brows naturally furrowed.
“This is serious. They won’t give us time.”
“Aren’t these complete madmen?!”
Separate from their outcries, the intervals of the terrifying palm techniques striking down gradually shortened. It seemed like earthquakes were approaching from an invisible place.
Kung!
The entire library swayed.
The deep resonance now reached even Jeong Yeon-shin, surrounded by twenty-seven volumes. It penetrated his feet, passed through his leg acupoints, and finally burst in his head.
Kung!
That waveform coiled like some drum sound in Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind at this moment.
Ceaselessly colliding and friction-generating knowledge, plus insights born like lightning from there—drum sounds unifying everything into one.
Before he knew it, [Heavenly Demon Divine Formula, Yelu Zhen’s Commentary] was turning its own pages before his eyes.
[When ten people gather, one acts as a monarch.]
Kung!
[The dust winds of the wilderness are the cries of distant heart demons.]
The Heavenly Demon Divine Formula was posing some question to Jeong Yeon-shin. It really felt that way.
The sensation he had once felt from Murong Family Head’s Heavenly Demon Divine Armor—something situated behind the seasonal energy looking into his upper energy center.
Kugung!
Consciousness elevated and rose. Together with all the text carved in his eyes.
Disgusting characters like ‘seventy-two methods of taking living people’s vital blood’ seemed to form thick bodies like flood dragons ascending to heaven.
As his mind became distant.
Another wheel was being carved extremely faintly like a constellation in his heart. Unlike the two-layered luminous wheels, it was a dark color.
He had merely devoured all studies into his mind to save the Sword Star.
Kung!
[In this land where ten-day-built fences are like sand castles awaiting high tide.]
Kung!
[Are the massive waves of time.]
The drum sounds gradually quickened. Now it seemed to strike his heart rather than his head.
Kuwong!
[A heavenly mandate that should be accepted?]
Kuwong—!
[A permitted test to go against the current?]
That was as far as it went.
Suddenly an old man’s voice seething with damp demonic energy penetrated down through the underground cavern.
—Kill all those heretics! It’s fine to destroy this land!
Woowoong! Kwakwakwakwakwakwaang!
Suddenly tremendous roars burst as if hundreds of fire bombs had exploded, and stone debris poured down like rain.
Gray dust naturally burst out following the cracks racing chaotically across the ceiling.
Kururururing—!
The cavern began collapsing entirely.
Before he knew it, Jeong Yeon-shin was flowing dark eye-light in the falling stone dust.
Since he couldn’t pour methods cultivated only in his mind onto the Sword Star, it was the result of operating demonic arts himself.
He answered the Heavenly Demon.
“A test.”
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