Six sects suffered damage equivalent to annihilation. The thousand-year-old capital shook entirely.
From the perspective of all of Shaanxi, it was merely an anomaly in a single major city.
Even if there were few provinces as vast as Xi'an, it did not change the fact that it was just a regional stronghold of the martial world.
Martial artists of medium and small factions had divided the land, each claiming their own share.
Rather than calling in the military for trivial matters, they would extort protection fees and ambush passersby with ghost-like agility.
A dozen swordsmen moved forward.
The plum blossom embroidery at the hem of their white martial robes swayed, the sound of their footsteps on the thin layer of snow restrained and subdued.
They were like a single, finely-honed blade. The way they walked, guarding a single carriage, exuded an air of strict solemnity.
"Plum Blossom, Mount Hua."
"…Is that the smell of blood? A Taoist master must have been injured."
"Heh, I hope nothing serious has happened."
"These days, even Taoists…"
The eastern edge of Shaanxi.
A bustling highway with heavy foot traffic. The masters of Mount Hua drew no small amount of attention.
Every step they took left an oddly faint footprint, and the aura emanating from them was as sharp as a divine wind.
A Taoist's transcendent energy, honed like the edge of a blade. The accumulated power of the great and ancient Mount Hua Sect, which had existed since before the Ming Dynasty.
To ignorant low-level martial artists and commoners, they could only be seen as immortals. It had always been that way.
No one dared to approach them recklessly.
At this moment, it was exactly what the Taoists of Mount Hua intended.
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen and the Mount Hua Sword Disciples had suffered greatly at the hands of the Tyrant Sword Tribeand the high-ranking masters of the Demonic Faction.
The leader of Mount Hua Sect was gravely wounded, unable to move. That meant those guarding her were not the strongest forces of Mount Hua.
"We'll soon reach Huayin County. Look over there, you can see Lotus Peak."
"Don't let your guard down. We're still far from safe."
"Being too tense might instead make the people wary. Shaanxi being under the control of the Demonic Faction is a thing of the past, isn't it? We haven't encountered a single attack."
"There's a flaw in that reasoning. The only reason we weren't in danger is because we were able to counter them."
A young Taoist perched on the roof of the carriage waved a book in the air.
His expression was languid, as if nothing in the world was worth caring about, occasionally opening his mouth in a yawn.
Mount Hua's Hidden Dragon, Yoo Hyun. The most promising young swordsman in Shaanxi. Despite his age, he led the group with an unreasonably high rank.
"Insight, huh."
Yoo Hyun traced the words on the cover as if he were marveling at a great treasure.
The Comprehensive Overview of Demonic Factions' Annihilation.
A supreme martial tome that allowed even the clumsy Plum Blossom Sword techniques of aged instructors to cut down superior masters.
He murmured,
"This is awfully generous. Not like that guy at all. I still can't believe this thing exists."
"Master, do you know the owner of the manual?"
A swordsman in white, walking beside him, suddenly asked. Yoo Hyun answered indifferently.
They had already endured many battles. A brief conversation would allow them to catch their breath before reaching their destination.
"I already told you. He's my friend."
"I meant, do you know him well? The difference in caliber between you two must be vast. The current leader of the Radiant Demon Squad is hardly someone you can still call a Hidden Dragon…"
"You just had to provoke me, huh? You thick-headed fools are still at least ten years away from becoming Plum Blossom Swordsmen. Keep your mouths shut."
"Rest assured. We would rather die than speak our benefactor's name carelessly. More importantly, the leader of the Radiant Demon Squad was reportedly severely injured. Will he be alright?"
"You're worrying over nothing. Your intact body is probably in worse shape than his battered one."
Though the conversation seemed light, the grandeur of the Western Mountains lingered in the air.
Just as they were exchanging such hushed banter—
"That conversation."
A high-pressure voice suddenly resounded. It came from above.
The moment Yoo Hyun lifted his head, the sun was obscured.
How long had she harbored such profound martial power? It was as if the very light was being drawn into the divine sword beneath her feet.
The aura of a swordswoman, meticulously honed for absolute lethality.
Her gray hair, cut short, glowed under the sunlight.
Yoo Hyun's eyes widened in shock.
"The Sword Sovereign… the Eternal Heaven Sword Demon…!"
"Speak. I will not cut down those who cannot move."
Her smooth, blade-like face was shadowed. Even her voice was somber.
"The recent events in the martial world are not unfolding as I had willed."
* * *
"It's been a while, young master of the Jung Clan."
A tall man sat at the highest seat in the grand stone hall of Wonpyeong's First Sword Hall, lifting a hand in greeting.
He had the appearance of a scholar.
His martial robe, flowing like a scholar's attire, was a deep shade of purple, yet not a trace of martial aura could be felt.
As if he had completely concealed his presence.
His complexion was terribly pale, to the point where anyone would mistake him for an invalid.
'They say he inflicted fatal wounds on two of the Thirteen Celestial Demons.'
Jung Yeonshin couldn't gauge the severity of the Divine Sword Order's leader's internal injuries.
He had no idea how grave they were. If the word "recuperation" was being used, then perhaps they were at least as serious as his own.
"I greet the Leader."
He cupped his fists to his direct superior.
The Divine Sword Order's leader, his pale face looking somewhat amused, gazed at his youngest subordinate.
"You returned quite spectacularly."
"…Excuse me?"
"Every time I fought, I had the impulse to flee using the Protection Meridian Technique. Some people are just suited for it. The current leader of the Radiant Demon Squad seems to be one of them. Then again, his lineage is nothing ordinary."
"What do you mean…?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just that your achievements in Shaanxi were the kind only high-ranked black-robed masters would dare to attempt."
The Divine Sword Order's leader spoke.
Jung Yeonshin stood there blankly, unable to make sense of his words.
And then—
"Our dear Lightning Genius, don't just stand there. Sit down. No need to keep up appearances for that lizard-faced bastard."
A girl sitting before him turned her head. Holding a spear propped against the armrest of her seat, she gestured casually toward him.
Even in the presence of the Order's leader, her presence was strikingly vivid.
A supreme master who had reversed the flow of time on her own body.
Desolate Divine Spear, Ak Surim, smiled brightly.
"Blood Preservation and Little Yeon are waiting, but you were the only one we found. The Lord had specific orders."
"I'm relieved to see you well, Senior Ak."
Jung Yeonshin's tone relaxed slightly.
Ak Surim, twirling her spear playfully, grinned.
"You're happy to see me? Or is it because I mentioned the Lord?"
Her short, jet-black hair carried a touch of wildness, her immense martial aura surging alongside it.
Yet, it no longer felt overwhelmingly oppressive as before.
For the first time since entering Wonpyeong's First Sword Hall, Jung Yeonshin felt confident in his martial skills.
Perhaps he had grown as much as he had learned humility.
'It will only be for a fleeting moment, but if luck is on my side… I might truly have a chance…'
The leader of the Radiant Demon Squad tilted his head slightly.
Or not. Was it still too early? His perception hadn't quite caught up to the sheer increase in power from Ultimate Thunder.
The world of supreme masters only expanded the higher one climbed, vast like the horizon.
Especially for figures like Ak Surim, who smirked as she spoke.
"Oh? My scalp just tingled."
"What do you mean?"
Jung Yeonshin, caught off guard, feigned ignorance.
Ak Surim's smirk deepened as she narrowed her eyes.
"You just measured me, didn't you? I felt it all."
Her jet-black pupils seemed to flicker with lightning. For Jung Yeonshin, it was a crucial moment.
The strongest candidate for the next Divine Sword Order's leader.
The one he had deemed his only true rival.
"Our dear Lightning Genius, do you not realize how piercing your gaze is?"
"This should be enough to take the Order's leader with us. He seems to be in rough shape, but… we won't be making a grand departure anyway. A few subordinates will accompany us as well."
"I read Senior Ak's official letter, but where exactly is this place of recuperation?"
"It wasn't an official letter, just a personal letter. Anyway, the Order's leader made this decision after hearing about your condition. You will go to the recuperation site with the Order's leader. Have you heard of Tianzhu Sect?"
"A sect belonging exclusively to the noble families that shun the secular world… so it actually exists."
"You need to rest there. You've been pushing your body too hard."
"I can still move."
"You're hiding the stiffness in your muscles and the soreness in your meridians, aren't you? Your vitality has likely been depleted. You know it's difficult to bring out your full strength after consecutive battles, right? If you keep going without rest, you'll collapse."
"..."
"Think of it as both recuperation and closed-door training. That sect protects an important branch of the World Tree. There are many mysteries surrounding it."
"Closed-door training…?"
Jung Yeonshin's eyes lit up for a moment.
He had come to understand just how effective the training methods of wise martial artists could be.
His heart wavered. Even though his internal injuries had oddly subsided since waking, as Ak Surim said, he needed fundamental recovery.
The Divine Sword Order's leader, who had been lazily slouched in his seat, waved a hand.
"Select four, including the Azure-Eye Demonic Swordsman. Add one or two white-robed warriors. Hmm, that should be enough. Even the most unremarkable blue-robed warriors stand out too much, even in disguise."
"Why the Azure-Eye Demonic Swordsman?"
"Tianzhu Sect is his homeland. Even I don't particularly welcome that remote place, but having someone from there might at least earn us some courtesy."
"With just the four of us and the leader of the Radiant Demon Squad, it won't be enough. Wouldn't it be better to ensure maximum security?"
The calm question brought a faint curve to the Divine Sword Order's leader's lips.
"I am quite popular in the martial world, you see. The heads of the great sects frequently come looking for me, sharpening their blades quite menacingly."
"Ah."
"Lightning Genius, when you reach my position soon enough, disguising yourself will become routine. You'll frequently witness the terrifying sight of entire great sects launching joint attacks. The martial world offers no room for boredom. It's brutal. Absolutely brutal."
Ak Surim shot a glare at the Order's leader, shaking her head.
"That's a situation you brought upon yourself. The Martial Dragon Association's leader never intended hostility in the first place. Even just listening to the details makes that clear."
"Sitting across from that damned eavesdropper from the Dark Night Division, shouldn't I assume the worst from the start?"
"What's the point of talking to you? Anyway, Lightning Genius, escorting the Divine Sword Order's leader is still an official mission, so you'll be rewarded. Tianzhu Sect is also known as one of the holders of the Moonlight Piercing Art, one of the Five Supreme Palm Techniques. Almost nothing is known about them, but you'll gain valuable insight."
"The Five Supreme Palm Techniques…"
Jung Yeonshin suddenly recalled how a disciple of the Tyrant Sword Tribe and how he dismissed the Supreme Monarch Palm. He hadn't thought much of it.
Ak Surim continued in a lighthearted tone.
"They are an extremely exclusive sect. They keep themselves far removed from the secular world."
"Like a secluded village with its own native religion?"
"No, it's more than that. The most arrogant noble families in the world have built their own village. They completely reject the culture of the Central Plains. Unless it's the Lord himself, the only way to enter is by demonstrating martial techniques that did not exist in the Ming Dynasty. That won't be a problem for you."
Jung Yeonshin listened to the summarized explanation.
Tianzhu Sect was located in the northernmost part of Huguang Province, not far from Desolate Fortress.
It was said to possess a lake imbued with powerful regenerative abilities. There were many other mystical stories about it.
'If it truly possesses regenerative abilities…'
It would not only stabilize his body but also help draw out his latent potential.
The leader of the Radiant Demon Squad silently chose three more warriors to accompany Azure-Eye Demonic Swordsman.
Lazy Flame Dragon, White Cat Shin So-bin, and Desolate Fortress' Sacred Warrior Heon Wonchang.
They, along with the Divine Sword Order's leader, would be heading to Tianzhu Sect.
"When you return, the General Affairs Bureau will have piled up your mission rewards. The Chief Administrator was sweating as he smiled. He said they'll be spending the equivalent of five years' worth of black-tier funds all at once."
Ak Surim grinned, tapping the armrest.
"Tianzhu Sect is a mysterious sect with an unknown location, so there shouldn't be any trouble while you're resting. Just go and come back lightly. I'll be staying behind to guard headquarters. The Divine Sword Order is too short on people these days."
"Is there any particularly bad news…?"
"There's none! Absolutely none! Just go with peace of mind!"
Jung Yeonshin had no choice but to return and change into a disguise.
* * *
Jung Yeonshin left through the city gates.
He was accompanied by his superior, who could barely stand on his own.
With four of the Radiant Demon Squad's comrades in tow, their journey was unusually peaceful.
"What trouble did Lazy Flame Dragon cause this time?"
"This young master? I have no idea… why am I always the one being blamed?"
"The people at Headquarters were looking at me strangely…"
"They admire the young leader. Your recent achievements have been tremendous."
"It's still not enough. Not even close."
"Well, of course, for our leader, it's far from enough."
The sunlight shimmered like a flowing curtain, painting the surroundings in green hues.
Walking beneath the sun and moon for seven days and nights, they arrived at a fortress formed by the mountain terrain and tree trunks.
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