* * *
As the battle that would determine the fate of Shaanxi's Murim began, in the distant sky, under the faint bluish moonlight, a woman's figure, standing atop a single sword, was softly enveloped.
Baek Seo-gun stood upon the sword's blade, gazing down below.
Though the howling winds roared so loudly that they threatened to deafen her, she did not blink even once.
From outside the magical formation cast by the Zhuge Clan's leader, she observed the battle. Her eyes, following the rare clash of supreme warriors, moved incessantly.
Boom! Boom!
The shockwaves reached beyond the formation's barrier. Even the sword beneath her feet trembled slightly.
'Reincarnated Dragon.'
(Note - A correction in the nickname of Zhuge Clan's leader. Sleeping Dragon will be translated to Reincarnated Dragon from here on.)
The prowess of the Zhuge Clan's leader was truly formidable.
Perhaps it was because he had accumulated immense martial cultivation and received the full support of the Yeoryeong Sect and the Tyrant Sword Tribe.
It was said that without the Sword Saint's interference, he had been able to construct the formation and close in on the Sword Saint's throat. Now, he might even be on par with the Profound Martial Alliance's leader.
Since the formation of the Murim Alliance, there had been much discussion among the upper echelons of the martial world.
As a member of the Zhuge Clan, where completing one's martial path required immense wealth, was he not simply gathering the resources of the martial world for his own greed?
Indeed, traces of vast sums of money flowing into the Murim Alliance had mysteriously faded over time.
However, the banner of overthrowing the Desolate Fortress was at its peak, and because of it, the Zhuge Clan's leader was able to leave the alliance and perfect his martial arts.
It was the outcome of his position as the Murim Alliance's Grand Strategist and his collusion with two of the Thirteen Celestial Demons.
'Zhuge Clan's Secret Art, Universal Enlightenment Divine Art.'
Masters of magical martial arts often struggled to exert their full power.
Even conjuring a single fireball required meticulous internal energy control and incantations. More often than not, they were beheaded by swift swordsmen before they could fully unleash their techniques.
The Zhuge Clan's leader was also considered the lowest-ranked among the Eight Clan Leaders in terms of personal combat ability.
However, if an absolute master of sorcery had fully established his domain, and if that master was none other than the Zhuge Clan's leader, already renowned as a supreme warrior even when unprepared, the battle unfolding beneath that barrier would shake the entire balance of the martial world.
Clang! Boom! Boom! Boom!—!
Though supreme warriors, each possessing extraordinary talent, continued to grow stronger over time, the Zhuge Clan's leader's rapid surge in power was beyond the realm of comprehension.
Unlike the unexplained advancements of the Tyrant Sword Tribe's leader, the Zhuge Clan's leader's growth, already spreading through the skies on the wings of messenger birds from the Gongya Clan, would soon alter the stance of many sects.
'However….'
Baek Seo-gun's gaze narrowed as she shifted her sight to the side.
Far below.
Someone lurking in the shadows of the barrier caught her attention.
Their long, jet-black hair cascaded down like obsidian, and they wore a scarlet robe. Their unnaturally pale skin was not merely a trick of the moonlight.
Their gaze, fixed upon the interior of the magical formation as if seeking to pierce through it, was filled with an almost fanatical obsession.
Deeply sinister. The way they hungrily eyed Lightning Genius made it all too clear.
A pure-blood noble of the Blood Flame Cult, a sacred existence among blood demons.
'Now acting as the tyrant of her clan, they say.'
The Shaanxi branch of the Blood Flame Cult had been eradicated by her hands. She was an extremely dangerous individual.
According to the intelligence network of the Profound Martial Alliance, she was the successor who had inherited the legacy of the Blood Flame Cult's leader.
She was also the very one who had kidnapped Jung Yeonshin and taken him to the cult's main headquarters.
Because of Lightning Genius' movements, which her subordinates had investigated, Baek Seo-gun had painstakingly acquired the Eun Clan's Face Abandoning Technique.
The unseen blade is the most dangerous one. And for a warrior of her caliber, even more so.
If she were to join forces with the Zhuge Clan's leader, backed by two of the Thirteen Celestial Demons, Lightning Genius's life would be in grave peril.
The Sword Sovereign's lips slightly parted.
"How dare you."
Immediately after, a lion's roar resonated through the air.
Hwaaaaaak!
The sword carrying Baek Seo-gun plummeted downward.
As the faint resonance of the Sword-Control Technique spread, a hazy storm followed, whipping her short, gray hair high into the air. The ground below rapidly expanded into view as her accelerating descent surged forth.
Far below, the face of the Seventh Apostle abruptly turned.
"What?"
A sharp irritation laced her voice.
In the blink of an eye, a faint crimson gleam flickered beneath her feet, and she soared backward through the air, narrowly avoiding the descending strike.
* * *
A sphere of darkness had engulfed the Radiant Demon Squad.
It was the purification essence of the Zhuge Clan's secret sorcery formation, the Heaven-Piercing Zero Fall Formation.
The battle revolved around this strange entity.
Ten colorless threads wove through the air, attempting to sever Jung Yeonshin limb from limb, controlled by the Zhuge Clan's leader.
Opposing them were two black-clad warriors from the Desolate Fortress, standing to shield their youngest against the encroaching onslaught.
The assembled martial clans and spectators who had gathered to witness the clash slowly lost their composure.
Most stood atop rooftops or walls, maintaining a lofty presence, yet despite their luxurious silken robes gleaming under the moonlight, their faces betrayed unease.
"We chose wisely. Consulting the elder was the right decision."
"The Zhuge Clan's leader is truly the reincarnation of the Dragon. How could he be defeated?"
"Truly an invincible presence… The balance of the martial world is shifting."
"Clan leader! I have delivered a letter to the Beggars' Sect branch!"
"Well done. I will reward you generously. In time, we will gain even more valuable information."
More than a hundred exchanges had passed.
The earth-shattering battle showed no signs of ending soon.
Gradually, the contest of life and death was converging toward a single outcome.
Whenever ten strands of Divine Male and Female Whips inscribed the principles of the Eight Trigrams into the air, a deep gash was immediately carved by Ak Surim and Jin Myungjo, who wielded the ultimate strokes of the Ak Clan's Spear Art and the Flash Blood Claw.
Each time, the ground beneath them shattered.
Crack! Boom!
The Zhuge Clan's leader laughed.
[Arrogant mongrels, since when did you fools care so much for your juniors? Act like the Imperial Hounds that you are!]
A fierce storm erupted from Jin Myungjo's claw strike, scattering crimson mist through the air. A massive shockwave immediately followed.
Two strands of the Divine Male and Female Whips, which had drawn too close to the sphere, were sent flying.
Jin Myungjo, his black sleeves billowing, trembled slightly. He had yet to fully recover from the piercing wound suffered earlier in the battle.
His limit was near. Only his smoldering crimson eyes betrayed the depth of his fury.
"..."
[Are you trying to save face by maintaining your composure? But should those who fight in unison really wear such expressions?]
The Zhuge Clan's leader swept his hand across the divine threads upon his pristine robe. The two strands merged into one, instantly intensifying with an overwhelming force before being swung toward the sphere entrapping Jung Yeonshin.
Just before the sphere was cleaved in half, a small figure wielding a spear landed in its path.
Boom—!
Their very first step had already been taken as a True Advance. A faint vortex spiraled up from their spear tip, originating from their torqued waist that coiled with elastic force.
It was the technique of Silk-Spinning Force, a method that resonated through the atmosphere like an earthquake.
General's Thunder Roar, a technique of Ak Clan's Spear Art.
Not a single movement in the sequence was wasted. Instead, the emitted shockwave only intensified with each moment.
The spear shaft bent like a flash of light, then lashed out violently, striking at the threads of energy.
For an instant, the corners of the Zhuge Clan's leader's lips curled smoothly upward.
KWA-AAAAANG!
Cough—!
A black-haired girl, draped in a dark long robe, coughed up blood.
She had been impaled through both shoulders by the two strands of energy threads.
Out of the heavily shattered Divine Male and Female Whips, only three remnants returned to the Zhuge Clan's leader, swirling around him.
[Each trajectory contained thirty-six variations. You managed to defend against all ten strands of the Divine Male and Female Whips.]
A transmitted voice from Six Harmonies Voice Transmission seeped into Ak Surim's ears alone.
[However, the counter to Ak Clan's Spear Art was the very first secret technique I devised after you left. Your spear strikes never escape my insight. Hasn't this always been the case? Though, I must say, I am quite grateful for that.]
Thud.
Ak Surim, holding herself up with her spear, let out ragged, uneven breaths, struggling against the disrupted internal energy flow.
The strike of an absolute master did not end merely as piercing wounds.
The Weight-Imposing Technique was constantly layered into the attack, forcing her to endure the surging energy infiltrating her body.
She was in the same state as Jin Myungjo, who stood frozen beside her.
Her entire body convulsed uncontrollably from the overwhelming force.
With great effort, Ak Surim twisted her lips into a grimace.
"Somehow, Yerim and Fan Dragon seemed close… So you used the children's interactions like that? How many times did you spy on the Bimu? Your filth reaches the heavens. Truly, you're no different from a dog."
[An elite warrior of the Eight Clans entering the Desolate Fortress, why would we need to consider the ethics of the martial world? If it were the Annihilation Squad Leader instead of you, the situation might have turned out differently. Even Ruyi Spring Master might have had a chance at victory alongside your two juniors.]
"So you've at least heard of the Black Three Strengths. And yet, you couldn't even plant a spy within our ranks."
[Enough talk. Just die.]
At that moment.
Behind Ak Surim.
A crack formed in the jet-black sphere.
Rumble—
Light burst forth, accompanied by a fierce tremor that shook the ground beneath them. Radiance spread in all directions, like a flower bud blooming.
And when the sphere shattered into fragments, the surrounding crowd erupted into turmoil.
[Hmm?]
The shattered strands of the Divine Male and Female Whips floated around the Zhuge Clan's leader, who uttered a questioning sound.
The threads of internal energy were automatically restoring themselves and levitating in midair, a truly astonishing sight. So much so that the murmuring crowd quickly regained their composure.
"It's over."
"Even if the Radiant Demon Squad's leader emerges now…"
"Isn't the Desolate Divine Spear already in that state? And the Supreme Demon of Sacred Blood as well."
"Now, it's a one-on-one match."
"The youngest of the black ranks against the Zhuge Clan's leader…"
"Let's go inside. If we're to meet Moon Castle Sect's demands, we need to re-examine the ledgers of the Mountain River Trading Group first."
Step.
A supreme noble warrior, sword lowered, exuded an extraordinary presence.
A translucent lotus surrounded his entire body.
With hair flowing under the moonlight, his features and aura seemed almost unreal, as if a legend had been pulled from ancient tales rather than a living person of this world.
If it were simply about appearance, one might compare them to Song Yu or Ban-ak, but the aura that sliced through flesh and soul was something else entirely.
The martial world had always been a place where exaggerated titles amplified each other's renown.
"With that lotus and that ethereal beauty… It calls to mind Buddhism's divine protectors. Like Prince Nezha. Though they don't have three heads, their aura and dignity…"
"A precious life is about to fade."
As some among the crowd gasped and murmured, the Zhuge Clan's leader let out a clear laugh.
[It would have been better if you had died there. For your own sake. Isn't it preferable to that, rather than living only to be consumed by a powerlessness you have never known before?]
"Senior Ak, Senior Jin, how are your injuries?"
At that moment, Jung Yeonshin, his lotus aura momentarily dimming, checked on his seniors beside him, while simultaneously containing the Zhuge Clan's leader within his sharpened awareness.
His gaze swept over their wounds, tinged with gloom. Jin Myungjo, eyes wide, remained silent, while Ak Surim made a fuss.
"That's enough. We need to go."
"Go where?"
"When the balance of the joint attack breaks, we retreat! Think about your age! It's nothing to be ashamed of! We've lived long enough, killed enough people. We have no lingering attachments to crossing the River of Three Crossings."
"Senior Ak, Senior Jin, how are your injuries?"
"Are you seriously repeating yourself?"
She let out a wheezing chuckle, weakly smiling.
Rustle.
Across from them, snow-white sleeves fluttered.
Was he commemorating the first step of a long-planned endeavor?
With hands clasped behind his back, the Zhuge Clan's leader appeared relaxed enough to allow for a momentary pause amidst this battle to the death.
The two faced each other. A true one-on-one.
[You won't escape. This body does not lose sight of its primary assassination target. Your sluggish internal energy manipulation won't allow you to evade the Divine Male and Female Whips. Even with that peculiar force surrounding you now, the outcome remains unchanged. You have yet to achieve unity of essence, energy, and spirit, child.]
"Sluggish…?"
As Jung Yeonshin gazed at him, the stone tucked in his robes reacted. Stronger than even the technique possessed by the First Fist of the Eun Clan.
His blood surged to his head at the Zhuge Clan's leader's words, and amidst the heat rising through his upper dantain, a strange sensation seeped in.
It was an eerily peculiar feeling.
The resonance he had experienced in his battle to the death with the Fist Grand Duke resurfaced instinctively.
The world as Eun Hwaryun perceived it, the five senses held by the First Fist of the Eun Clan—
Jung Yeonshin's aptitude had let nothing slip.
—Your senses will remember me.
For a fleeting moment, he thought he heard her voice.
Like a gentle breeze entering his mind, something nudged at an old question buried deep within.
"…There's no need to concern yourself with my essence, energy, or spirit."
Jung Yeonshin's lips moved slowly.
"It's unnecessary."
* * *
A vast moonlight stretched over the clustered halls of a grand structure.
The fortress standing tall in the expansive central grounds was shrouded in a faint twilight.
A dim glow scattered across the marble walls, while within the inner chambers, a young maid's face was stiff with tension.
She clutched a book, carefully wrapped in silk, against her chest.
'Does this even make sense?'
She kept repeating three questions in her head. Me? Really? Is this even possible...?
—If it's you, you might earn even a sliver of the Lord's favor, as minuscule as the dirt under your fingernails. You've been born with a relatively pure innate energy. Small mistakes won't even reach him. Only I will hear them loudly. Do well.
The steward boy's words had long faded from her mind.
The strange, warm texture of the pristine white hemp garments worn by the workers of the Desolate Fortress felt unfamiliar once again. Had it always been this rough?
She had no memory of how she climbed the spiral staircase, coiled like the body of a mythical dragon. The characteristic chill of marble scraped against her skin.
Groooan—
When she finally regained her senses, she found herself staring at a massive stone door as it opened on its own.
'Ah.'
She was dreaming. Or so it seemed.
Her vision wavered as if she were drifting through a mist of illusions.
From the moment the scent of fragrant grass reached her nose, to when she caught a glimpse of the figure reclining against a tree trunk, her consciousness sank into a sea of dreams.
It felt as though her awareness was overflowing. She was losing herself, just as the phrase implied.
She could not fully comprehend the presence before her, as if her mind refused to grasp someone so lofty, so divine.
Ssshh.
Still lost in a daze, she instinctively loosened the silk wrap and withdrew the book, taking slow steps toward the celestial figure.
At the same time, she opened the book and began flipping through its pages. She vaguely remembered being told which section to read. The Lord already knew the contents by heart.
Rustle.
Before she knew it, the maid had unknowingly taken a seat near the Desolate Fortress' Lord.
It was then she realized, the aged manuscript in the Lord's hands was the original version of the book she had just opened.
As if by some unseen force, the two books hovered in midair, opened to the same passage.
Even though the sight was unfathomably mystical, she remained dazed, breathing in a dreamlike trance.
The text from the original manuscript entered her vision.
It was written in an awkward, pressured script.
Messy ink strokes, unbalanced yet somehow forming perfect lines, letters bold and fading at irregular intervals.
Had the scribe never seen good calligraphy? Had their teacher been careless?
At that moment.
The Desolate Fortress' Lord raised her arm.
Ssshh.
Her long fingers lightly traced over the phrase "Magpie Bridge".
Like white jade against dark ink, her fingertips slowly followed the mnemonic passage down to its final words.
[From this point, one may extract the mnemonic verse that resonates most with them. The three core principles are as follows: Fortune Arises from Subtlety, Qi and Life Connect at the Acupoint, and The Great Magpie Bridge. There's no need for an anatomical diagram. One understands by feeling. If I present the completed version, with all my additions, to my seniors, they may scold me.]
"Summon the leader of the Ma Clan."
The crystal-clear voice caressed the attendant's ear just after the words were spoken.
A snow-white finger traced the final lines of the mnemonic verse, moving upward before gliding back down over the aged paper.
Even as the attendant, momentarily losing focus, rose from her seat, the figure before her remained indifferent.
[It is the Chilseok(Seventh Lunar Moon Night Festival).
The cowherd, who once dwelled in the distant eastern constellations, reunites with the weaver maiden on the opposite side.
The village is lively. The young and old laugh together.
They say it is a day for those who love one another. It seems foolish, yet somehow enjoyable.
The sight of two people flying a kite, deliberately entangling their strings, is amusing.
My eldest brother was given a kite shaped like a hawk. He said he would fly it with the daughter of the Kang Trading House's leader.
I have none. I tried to make one, gathering wooden sticks, but the Chief Steward stopped me.
Father said that the wicked energy that harmed Mother must not spread into the cultivated lands, or disaster would follow… He was right.]
[I shall build a Magpie Bridge within myself.
How sturdy must the bridge that connects the two sides of the sky be?
I thought of the Sea of Energy Acupoint at the navel and the Life Gate Acupoint on the back. Among the many energy pathways, they are the most effective.
I wonder what would happen if they were united.
I don't think I will experience Energy Deviation. It feels as if my organs will be protected… And my intuition has never been wrong. That is what makes this interesting.
Shall I try to carefully guide it past the abdominal artery? Together with Mother.]
[The Sea of Energy Acupoint and the Life Gate Acupoint.
Even if they do not touch directly, if I overlap an internal energy bridge over the intermediate three minor vessels, won't they still be connected?
It worked when I tried it.
I should weave it into the Jung Clan Movement Arts' Microcosmic Orbit technique.
Mother's will lingers even here. If my control over True Energy is not gentle, I am sure I will be injured.
On the other side of my Magpie Bridge, you are there.
Warm.
I have no need for a kite.]
For a brief moment, moonlight settled into the silence.
But the stillness did not last long.
"You may speak freely."
A voice, gentle and warm, brushed against the leaves in the hall.
"Your life has already repaid it."
Dooong—
The book touched by the Desolate Fortress' Lord's fingertip trembled with a faint reverberation, leaving behind a hazy afterimage.
A sacred artifact, refined through the accumulated will of ascension over countless years, had at last awakened to a mystical sentience.
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