The man sitting on the rock met Jung Yeonshin's gaze.
Ziiing.
A resonant hum echoed in his mind.
In that instant, it was as if they had exchanged swords—a silent communion between supreme masters.
Jung Yeonshin felt an overwhelmingly powerful energy.
'It feels like he's fused his sword into his inner power. This is a supreme swordmaster.'
It was no ordinary fluctuation of energy. He could sense fragments of an immensely profound inner force, and at the same time, the keen and honed intent of steel itself.
The temperament of a lifetime's dedication to swordsmanship was embedded in his energy.
He appeared to be in his forties, yet his strength was far beyond his years. In the vast world of Murim, that age would still be considered mid-tier at best.
"You… You are who I thought you were."
The man spoke slowly.
"You have reached the realm of housing a sword within your heart. Your blade is so sharp, it refuses to remain still."
"Your energy is also quite refined."
Jung Yeonshin returned the compliment out of ingrained humility.
Just then, from the side, Tian Po, who had been frozen in place, sharply inhaled. Had he recognized the man? Or was he reacting to an unexpected rudeness?
Yet the white-clad swordsman didn't even glance at Tian Po.
He merely raised an eyebrow.
"Arrogant. But you have the right to be. I never thought the rumors were true… It would be disastrous if the treasure of the Slaughter Sect ended up in your hands."
He had seen through Jung Yeonshin's condition at a glance.
Then, his muttered words came through clearly, as if he were swallowing them.
"If I don't kill him now, I may never get another chance."
Shhhhhh…
The sound of rain striking the ground thickened, and the splattering of muddy water at his feet filled the air with a crisp sensation.
The white-clad swordsman, sitting there so leisurely, was not someone one could meet by mere coincidence.
He carried the unmistakable presence of the Profound Martial Alliance. He had to be one of the three top swordmasters of the demonic faction, the supreme figures who had shaken all of Murim.
The size of Murim was as vast as the continent itself. It was as expansive as several nations combined.
It was said that the most devastating and fastest blade in all of Henan belonged to a woman—the Radiance Blade Lord.
She was presumed to be the master of Gun Yurin. If so, then could this be the Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign , who had mastered the art of wind and was known for splitting dozens of warships along the Yangtze River in a single stroke?
'But the Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign was known for wielding twin swords…'
Regardless, his presence alone was proof that Jung Yeonshin had fully ascended into the upper echelons of Murim.
He had reached a position akin to being a peer to the Four Great Diamonds of Shaolin.
No longer did he encounter ordinary people.
Perhaps it was fate—his upper dantian, nearing the brilliant reversal state, was drawing in mighty figures like a force of destiny.
"If someone this young has such deep energy, he must be from an elite clan."
The older Jung Yeonshin recalled his uncle's advice.
His perspective had changed since he ascended to the position of Radiant Demon Squad's leader. The lives of his subordinates depended on his judgment. He had to sharpen his ability to read people.
Rustle.
Suddenly, the sound of fabric brushing against itself came from the side.
The dense, refined presence of internal energy was deeply embedded in the silk robes.
"I wasn't sure if what I saw was real. Are you seriously talking about killing my guest? Who gave you permission?"
It was Gun Yurin's signature slightly husky voice.
She stepped forward beside Jung Yeonshin, shoulders squared.
Her head was held high, her hand resting on the hilt of the sword strapped to her back. Though unseen, her presence was overwhelming.
"Why are you interfering now? You didn't move a single step when I almost died to the Green Forest's leader. Back then, I thought I didn't even have a hidden escort."
It seemed they were familiar with each other.
The white-clad swordsman's reaction confirmed it.
"I knew the Lady would overcome it on her own. This, however, is different."
His expression was one of utter disinterest, as if he found explanations bothersome. Though his words were respectful, they carried no trace of actual deference.
A sharp crease formed between Gun Yurin's brows.
"What's different? If anything, Moon Axe Skybreaker was even more dangerous..."
"This is the Imperial Blade. The one standing before us possesses the skill to have led Reincarnated Dragon to his death. He is an individual who, despite his youth, holds an ultra-high ranking in the strict hierarchy of Desolate Fortress. Given the influence a Radiant Demon Squad's leader can wield over Murim, it would be wise to keep your distance. But I understand—it must be difficult for your small mind to grasp. Just step aside."
His words, drawn out as if they bored him, carried an unmistakable tone of condescension.
It was the tone of a sect leader dealing with an impudent superior.
Clang!
Gun Yurin drew her greatsword and slammed it into the ground.
The massive weapon left a deep gouge in the earth, scattering dust into the air before it settled.
She wielded a weapon as tall as herself as if it were nothing more than a wooden stick.
"You talk too much. Cut the bullshit."
Her voice had dropped into a growl, like a beast ready to pounce.
Her long black hair flared wildly behind her, a powerful aura surging from her frame, giving her the appearance of a young warlord.
"You're following my brother's orders, aren't you? Keeping me from dying because it would be inconvenient for him. If I have someone like this next to me, it'll be harder for you to make me disappear with a stray assassin's dagger or a poisoned needle."
She had mentioned the heir of the Profound Martial Alliance.
Jung Yeonshin's fingers twitched slightly near his sword hilt.
Even though he had never seen him, this was a man he had a grudge against.
The betrothed of Sword Blossom, who had lost her head after attempting to slaughter innocent civilians.
Later, Jung Yeonshin had faced the remnants of his forces, sent to take revenge, only to be thwarted by the King-Style Sword Arts of Azure Qilin.
'They say grudges in Murim last even after you've washed your hands of them.'
Even the enemies he made in his early years still sought to drag him down now.
Jung Yeonshin was reminded once again of Murim's bottomless cycle of feuds.
"Your words remain reckless, my Lady."
The white-clad swordsman slowly shook his head.
"My subordinates are listening. Do refrain from making such foolish accusations."
He remained half-reclined on the rock, unbothered, his gaze encompassing both Jung Yeonshin and the Enlightened Monk Wonjeok without faltering.
Perhaps it was absolute confidence in his swordsmanship.
"Cut the crap. You care because your master's eyes are watching through theirs, don't you? You think I can't see through your obvious lies?"
Her body trembled with anger, unlike the ever-unshaken Gun Yurin of before.
The pride of a noble heir was now surfacing.
"I know it all. The Profound Martial Alliance has to compete with the Murong Clan over the Heavenly Demon's legacy. You don't want me dragging in an unpredictable variable. You're trying to keep me out of the succession battle and making excuses for it."
"Enough. You talk too much."
Jung Yeonshin cut her off.
He was beginning to grasp the situation.
'It's becoming clear now.'
The Slaughter Sect guarded Heavenly Demon's Tomb.
The Murong Clan and the Profound Martial Alliance were after the relics.
Within the Profound Martial Alliance, Gun Yurin and the Heir Apparent were at odds.
The white-clad swordsman had sided with the Heir Apparent, while Gun Yurin had drawn Jung Yeonshin—and inadvertently, the Shaolin Diamond—into the conflict.
No wonder the Heir Apparent's side found this development deeply unsettling.
"You said the village was wiped out. Is it your doing?"
Ensuring the safety of the people took priority over his objectives. That was the stance of most warriors from Desolate Fortress.
At the same time, Wonjeok, who had been observing with half-lidded eyes, muttered a subdued chant.
"Amitabha…!"
A note of lament tinged the voice of one of Shaolin's Four Great Diamonds.
For a brief moment, Jung Yeonshin felt like a five-year-old child. He quickly shook off the sensation.
This was a moment that demanded his full attention. Even if his bald-headed grandfather had been standing beside him.
"...."
The white-clad swordsman did not respond.
He merely curved his lips into a subtle smile.
The upward tilt of his usually reserved lips felt as sharp as a blade, and it grated on Jung Yeonshin's nerves.
"I asked you what you did. Answer me."
Jung Yeonshin spoke.
"The youngest black-ranked warrior… favored by the Lord of Desolate Fortress… born of noble blood… the Dark Flame King of Sichuan… the Lotus Nezha of Shaanxi…"
The white robed warrior spoke slowly.
Even as he kept his gaze on Jung Yeonshin, he never let Wonjeok out of his sight.
"There was nothing you couldn't have."
"...?"
"It must have felt like the world existed for you. I've been watching you from a distance lately, and seeing how you've now ensnared even Shaolin's Four Great Diamonds alongside our alliance's young lady, I understand now. I understand why the Yeoryeong Sect and the Tyrant Sword Tribe wanted you dead. And to top it off, you're a blood descendant of the Tyrant Hero, meaning you could even force the Nine Great Sects' leaders into the Mount Hua Agreement. Quite the predicament…."
Ting— Ting—
With his upper body leaning back, he flicked his fingers in a slow rhythm.
The tips of his fingers tapped against the surface of a rock, but the resulting sound carried a peculiar resonance.
Upon closer inspection, he wasn't tapping the rock.
A long, colorless, transparent sword lay sprawled beside a single steel blade.
Twin swords.
"That is the Glazed Spirit Sword. Be careful."
Gun Yurin whispered through gritted teeth.
She didn't bother explaining his identity. There was no need.
The Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign.
A swordsman of unparalleled mastery, wielding two legendary blades as if they were his wings.
The youngest of the three top martial masters of the demonic faction of Shaanxi.
An exceptional prodigy who had, at an unusually young age, become the personal swordmaster of the Heir Apparent of the Profound Martial Alliance.
His raw talent with the sword was rumored to be truly monstrous.
There was a famous story involving the leader of the Hengshan Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects.
When the Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign was a mere child, the Hengshan Sect's leader had once invited him to ascend the mountain.
An offer of tutelage from one of the supreme figures of the Nine Great Sects.
The martial world had been shaken by the event.
Jung Yeonshin, however, didn't care.
"… Just tell me. What did you do to the villagers?"
He spoke as he slowly adjusted his entire body using Jung Clan Movement Arts.
The minuscule flow of energy embedded within 365 acupoints moved gradually.
From his thighs up to his waist, and finally to both shoulders and wrists, unseen contractions and expansions rippled through his body—his form shifting into a combat stance.
'This isn't the time to worry about internal injuries.'
Had he sensed the subtle shift in aura?
The hem of Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign's white robe twitched ever so slightly.
"There's no need for me to take any risks here, is there?"
He spoke.
"Leave the lady behind and turn back. Whatever you choose to do in Shaanxi, I won't interfere. If you walk away now, the village will return to its original state."
"What proof do you offer?"
"I stake my own name on it. As Desolate Fortress's squad leader, isn't this an offer you're obliged to accept?"
The meaning was clear.
He had taken the villagers as hostages.
"…Why not just say it outright?"
Yoo Hyun, who had remained silent, finally stepped forward.
The embroidered plum blossoms on the young Taoist's sleeves fluttered gracefully.
"I know why your Profound Martial Alliance can't tell heaven from earth. You receive imperial favor in exchange for training and sending martial forces to the northern front, don't you? And I understand why you're reluctant to get involved with Yeonshin. Unlike before, he's become too troublesome to touch. Maybe the imperial family will even revoke your privileges."
His gaze was unwavering, and his words were precise.
Even if Jung Yeonshin and the Enlightened Monk Wonjeok weren't beside him, he would have spoken just as directly. Such was the spirit of the Nine Great Sects.
Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign chuckled.
Swish.
He gripped the transparent Glazed Spirit Sword along with a second longsword and slowly stood up.
The drizzle that had been falling in a haze suddenly parted in all directions.
He had fully unleashed his internal power.
Then he spoke.
"The affairs of my alliance are of great purpose. Do you really think a single Radiant Demon Squad's leader can replace the martial forces supplied to the northern front? No one in this world would believe that."
"That's just your opinion. You think the leader of the Zhuge Clan couldn't accomplish the same?"
Yoo Hyun shot back, subtly shifting to stand behind Jung Yeonshin.
"Ridiculous."
The swordmaster of the Profound Martial Alliance scoffed.
"Now that I see it for myself, the current Radiant Demon Squad's leader doesn't have the skill to slay Reincarnated Dragon alone. Even accounting for your injuries, the outcome remains the same. You're still too young. I don't know what tricks you used back then, but no doubt, Desolate Divine Spear played a major role."
Jung Yeonshin did not reply.
He simply focused on sharpening his presence.
The Slaughter Sect, the Murong Clan, and the Profound Martial Alliance.
Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign was one of the core forces of the Profound Martial Alliance.
If he were to fall here, the martial forces advancing into Shaanxi would inevitably falter.
In a way, eliminating this variable was a preemptive strike.
The only problem was the villagers, who had been seized by his subordinates.
At that moment—
As Jung Yeonshin met his gaze, it was clear they had both arrived at the same conclusion.
"You would turn your back on the people? A single signal, and they're all dead."
Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign's lips twisted as he spoke.
Standing atop the rock, gripping two swords, his entire being exuded an oppressive intensity.
At the same time, the surrounding foliage trembled.
Kugugung—!
The ground quaked as dozens of martial troops approached.
It was as if they were declaring that the injured Radiant Demon Squad's leader was their prey.
Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign was their commander.
Unlike Gun Yurin, who stood beside Jung Yeonshin, his position was entirely different.
"He's someone who has perfected the Profound Martial Alliance's dual-sword techniques—a man whose talent was too great to be satisfied with a single blade."
Gun Yurin muttered with a resigned expression.
"You won't be able to face him in your condition. No matter how strong Lotus Nezha may be right now…"
Jung Yeonshin simply stared at her.
"What are you saying? We already agreed to go to the Slaughter Sect."
"I'll just go back. Sorry for being a burden. With the Shaolin Diamond by your side, you should be able to clear a path. It was fun while it lasted."
Step.
Gun Yurin's wild hair swept past his field of vision.
Contrary to her words, her movements were feather-light.
As her leather shoes pressed against the wet ground, faint ripples formed beneath them.
It was the energy of Protective Energy Technique.
Despite her apparent surrender, she was drawing closer to Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign, preparing to stab him at the first opportunity.
"People, people."
Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign's sneer deepened.
"Desolate Fortress spreads hostages across the world. And now, the mighty Radiant Demon Squad's leader is completely paralyzed. At this rate, I should consider simply erasing you from existence…"
"Namo Avalokiteshvara."
A low Buddhist chant rang out.
It came from directly beside Jung Yeonshin.
The Enlightened Monk Wonjeok had moved.
Step.
Shaolin's martial arts were known for their weight. Yet with a single step, the air became heavy.
Jung Yeonshin forced his senses to sharpen.
His upper dantian rapidly filled with an ethereal light.
He focused all his perception on Enlightened Monk Wonjeok, pulling time itself like strands of straw into his own awareness.
"I was curious. This will definitely help."
The rustling sound of pine needles overhead ceased.
The wind suddenly slowed.
Even the surroundings and the approaching troops seemed to lag behind.
Jung Yeonshin found himself staring at the back of Enlightened Monk Wonjeok.
And at the hem of his orange monk's robe, soaring in a direct line toward Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign.
"That technique…"
There was no overwhelming speed or urgency in his movement. It was merely the act of shifting one's body.
Yet in this frozen world, he was the only one who could move freely.
A certain path became clear to him.
A vast will guided it.
― Forget movement, and space itself ceases to exist.
He couldn't see it.
There was only a force pulling at his very skin.
Jung Yeonshin felt compelled to move.
Even as his thigh muscles tightened painfully, he ignored it.
Within Enlightened Monk Wonjeok's movement, he perceived a presence—the echo of time itself, etched into the Seventy-Two Divine Techniques of Shaolin.
A profound resonance surged through his mind.
A warmth filled his chest.
For an instant, it felt as though he had touched hands with someone across time.
An inspiration that transcended eras.
A massive name flashed through his mind.
Bodhidharma.
"A man just like me left behind this..."
Swish—
Enlightened Monk Wonjeok stepped onto the air.
With the soles of his leather shoes, he rode the currents of wind.
He had fully entrusted himself to the suction force of that straight-line space.
Jung Yeonshin's vision blurred. Perhaps he had forced his way into the realm of transcendence.
A faint red blotched his vision—blood vessels bursting in his eyes.
But he did not care. He took another step. And another.And another…
…When he came to his senses, he found himself standing on top of a blade so clear it looked like glass.
One of the legendary Glazed Spirit Swords of the Profound Martial Alliance.
Whoooosh!
The frigid winter wind cut across his skin.
The temporal pathway of Diamond Immovable Body Technique had dissipated.
Below him, Twin-Winged Blood Sovereign gazed up at him in shock.
And beside him, Enlightened Monk Wonjeok stood with his hands clasped behind his back, pressing down on another sword.
"…Hmm?"
The esteemed monk, rarely one to express emotion, slightly parted his lips.
A sign of genuine surprise.
"When did you get here, benefactor?"
"I'm… used to places like this."
Jung Yeonshin muttered vaguely.
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