* * *
Blood dripped from the air.
The ground, alternating between white snow and yellowish earth, was dyed black and red. It was accompanied by the sound of crunching.
Sabak.
"Ugh."
Jin Myungjo, the leader of the Blood Preservation Squad, staggered as he tapped his thigh lightly with his index finger.
His upper thigh had a deep gash, and within the empty space, red mist and an auspicious energy clashed against each other.
The regenerative ability granted by his bloodline fought against the residual effects of the enemy's martial arts technique.
[Supreme Demon of Sacred Blood. I know that your secret art is linked to the Divine Sword Order's leader. Do you think I'd let you draw it so easily? Try channeling your energy again. I'll show you the Eight Burning Hells befitting your clan.]
The voice carried a mocking tone, distinctly human.
The blades of grass at his feet and the surrounding branches trembled.
As if showcasing a realm that influenced all of nature, the transcendent Six Harmonies Voice Transmission continued at a deliberate pace.
[This is my domain. Even the Sword Saint cannot oppose me here, so there is no escape for you.]
"Ridiculous. Bookworms love to exaggerate. Just because you can take a few of that old man Hyun's sword strikes, you think you're invincible?"
Ak Surim slammed the tip of her spear into the ground.
From the heavens, a clear, ringing laughter flowed down.
[Desolate Divine Spear, Ak Surim. Do you not realize you are mistaken? You have achieved Revitalization, yet you act like an ignorant child. In any case, I see right through your tricks.]
"What tricks?"
She cocked her head sideways and spat out the words.
[You are searching for me. Your energy waves are frantic. But it is not enough. Like your short legs, you cannot even reach me.]
"You bastard."
[Do not mistake my presence here as fear of confronting you. I was merely traveling when I sensed you from afar. Since you have willingly walked into your demise, the Desolate Fortress will soon tremble with your deaths.]
"Listen to this guy's tone. Do you think you're some kind of supreme being now that the Sword Saint isn't around?"
[Talking to you feels as though I am lowering my own standing. However, you are correct. Seated in Shaanxi, I am a celestial deity. And soon, I shall take the World Tree from your Lord.]
"You lunatic!"
A world-shaking surge of energy erupted from Ak Surim's body.
Boom!
That alone caused a thunderous roar, and the conifers above them toppled in every direction.
The snow-covered ground caved outward in a perfect circle, and even the sky above seemed to split open.
"You cowardly bastard. Your martial prowess is barely on par with mine!"
[Ignorant fool, this too is strength. If you were to face me directly, you would find it even harder to withstand.]
"Shut up. How long do you think you can keep hiding? Do you even realize who you're dealing with? This is Desolate Fortress' black."
[Whether the Fist Grand Duke comes for me, or whether you all die before that… the outcome remains the same.]
"Eun Hwaryun won't defeat our youngest. She'll be dead before sundown. First, we'll cut off your limbs and then start from there."
[Ak Surim, you are a fool.]
Far above, a scholar stood atop the clouds, unfolding a fan to obscure his face.
Beneath the pitch-black hat and translucent veil, Zhuge Clan's leader's lips curved smoothly.
[Nothing of mine can be broken without my permission. Your came looking for me despite knowing you are at a disadvantage. Was it merely because of the exposure of martial arts secrets? No. The reason the Eight Great Clans hold their title is because of me. She will not lose, for she is under the protection of Zhuge Liang.]
Ak Surim's delicate eyelashes lifted sharply.
"A sacred relic…?! You handed a family heirloom to an outsider?"
[I am complete on my own. It is only natural for me to oversee that which is not.]
Zhuge Clan's leader's White Crane Fan swayed elegantly. As the hand of a transcendent martial artist moved, the clouds unraveled like fabric.
[It is time. There is no need for further conversation. Both you and I have gathered sufficient strength.]
Saaaa—
Suddenly, a colorless radiance blossomed, absorbing the clouds and swelling in size.
A colorless thundercloud. Its release happened in a fraction of a second.
A single, thick pillar connected the heavens and the earth in an instant, carving itself into the air at a speed beyond comprehension.
Jin Myungjo twisted his body in reaction but failed to evade it entirely.
This time, it was different. There were two streaks.
Whoooosh—!
One of the pillars pierced straight through his torso.
* * *
In a single second, the dignity of the youngest black-robed had been established.
Now, the Radiant Demon Squad's leader's hands were akin to cannons.
While numerous Shaanxi aristocrats gleamed with excitement beneath the pavilion, watching the duel like gamblers at a tournament, Jung Yeonshin's strike sent dust swirling around their silk garments.
Even though this was Eun Clan's First Fist's redemption match, none of the aristocrats dared to predict her defeat.
For they knew the martial prowess, accomplishments, and innate talents of the Fist Grand Duke, passed down through the Eight Great Clans.
But such concerns did not occupy Jung Yeonshin's mind.
"Ugh!"
A groan from Eun Hwaryun. It was frighteningly close.
A sharp exhale scraped against her gums near Jung Yeonshin's shoulder, then rapidly distanced itself.
Hoo—
The woman who had widened the gap between them grinned.
Then, she casually pulled something from her sleeve and tossed it behind her.
Thud.
A small stone lay sprawled on the ground.
It bore engravings so old they resembled a painting, with faint luminous strokes emitting a mystical aura. At a glance, it was clearly extraordinary.
Had it fallen beyond the dueling stage's boundary?
The aristocrats, who had been watching with complicated expressions, turned their attention to it.
It was an object of extreme prestige, carried by none other than a member of the Eight Great Clans. Greed and curiosity flickered in their eyes.
Jung Yeonshin subtly gestured with his chin.
"What is that?"
"A testament to how cunning I am… but now it's just a hindrance. Don't mind it."
Eun Hwaryun spoke, her expression unfazed despite the evident pain in her fist.
'It looks like an enchanted artifact I've only heard of.'
Jung Yeonshin was about to say something but stopped. Her face showed no sign of recognition.
From the moment their bodies clashed, he had sensed something unusual.
The way her internal energy coursed, how she wielded her energy with frightening speed, it felt eerily similar to when he had eaten a fragment of the World Tree's fruit from the Lord of Desolate Fortress.
For fleeting moments, it was as if he himself had become the Fist Grand Duke.
So he could read movements faster and anticipate the next form a step ahead.
It was a very strange sensation.
'Even so… I need to finish this quickly.'
Just as his gaze sharpened—
Hwaak—!
The Extreme Swift Protective Energy Technique, unique to the Eun Clan's martial lineage, unfolded once again.
The fiercely whipping side strands of Eun Hwaryun's hair filled his vision. From beneath her feet, the rotational force of the Silk-Spinning Force surged.
She spun like a whirlwind as she closed the distance, a movement characteristic of one from the Eight Great Clans, her footwork terrifyingly stable.
'She only grazed me, but even her defensive energy is exceptional.'
Paak!
Her returning hand shot up and grabbed Jung Yeonshin's right underarm.
"Hup!"
In an instant, his Middle Mansion Acupoint was struck, draining his strength, while the defensive energy around his arm was shattered by a single strike of Radiant River. He could feel the calloused hand gripping him tightly.
From that hardened grasp, Eun Clan Fist's energy swelled and gathered—an intensely combative posture.
'Does she think my right hand will follow after my left?'
At that moment, Jung Yeonshin's left palm had already reached Eun Hwaryun's lower back.
His four fingers pressed together, distorting the fabric of her clothes, a precursor to one of the most devastating strikes in the world.
A constant Radiant River.
The battle between the greatest martial artists of the world was always this bizarre.
Kwaaaaaang!
Another massive shockwave erupted.
It was the pinnacle of destructive force.
A translucent, colorless wave crashed against Jung Yeonshin's chest, crumpling his robes, while Eun Hwaryun, who had been reaching for a follow-up strike, widened her eyes as she coughed up blood.
At this point, a few of the noblemen, who had been seated in feigned composure, finally stood from their luxurious Zitan wood chairs. Each tried their best to conceal their stunned expressions.
"What… is that?"
"That is a martial technique that defies natural principles. How can he use something like that again? It hasn't even been that long since he first executed it…"
"Demonic arts! Are you saying that is a demonic art?"
"Don't spout nonsense, fool. You're embarrassing yourself. If you want your words to carry weight, you need to actually sense the energy properly before you speak."
"I've heard of it. Radiant River… the very technique that sent the Azure Qilin of the Namgoong Clan across the River of Three Crossings…"
"No wonder the clan leader is so startled. But to be able to unleash another strike of that caliber…?"
The men and women draped in elegant silk robes spoke in grave tones.
It was then they began to realize, this battle would irreversibly shift the martial world of Shaanxi.
But that was the outside world of the duel arena.
'One strike alone won't be fatal.'
Jung Yeonshin's mind unraveled into countless streams of thought, like falling rain.
He analyzed his opponent's energy flow, anticipated her next technique, and assessed the precision of his own muscles and meridians.
There was no time to worry about his disheveled clothes.
Eun Clan's First Fist was not the same person she had been during the Murim Alliance Opening Tournament.
'Dismantling her defensive energy should have been enough. Even though Transcending Law Radiant Wheel has grown stronger…'
The defensive cultivation of renowned fist masters was known to render blades and spears useless. The inner energy barrier of a top martial artist from Eun Clan was even more formidable.
Even after taking a direct hit from Radiant River, her fist remained intact.
At that moment, Eun Hwaryun's lips twisted into a smirk.
Kwaaaaaa—!
Colorless waves surged over her entire body. In the blink of an eye, her right arm and back radiated light.
Her shattered defensive energy had fully recovered.
Union of Essence, Energy, and Spirit. Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
Her energy restoration speed was as fast as thought itself.
'This one is different.'
Jung Yeonshin recognized this in an instant.
She could properly control the state of Essence, Energy, and Spirit Unification—far more so than any opponent he had ever killed.
Eun Clan's First Fist.
As one of the Eight Great Clans, her fist arts were among the greatest.
Blood seeped from Jung Yeonshin's lips, yet the way she suddenly seized his wrist and underarm, lifting his entire body in a grappling throw, exuded deadly finesse.
Eun Clan's Divine Fist, Form 180—Twin Lights Move Mountains.
"Haa—!"
A sharp battle cry burst from her lips.
In that extreme instant, Jung Yeonshin endured the recoil of repeated Radiant Rivers.
From his grip to his shoulder, then down to his waist—this was beyond the ability to continuously execute devastating attacks.
A Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown master, one who had refined Eun Clan Fist to its pinnacle, was now piercing through an infinitesimal window of opportunity.
Hwaaak!
Jung Yeonshin's vision flipped upside down. The sky plunged beneath him, and the snow-capped mountains beyond the duel stage tumbled downward.
A violent gale roared past his ears.
He was on the verge of being slammed into the ground.
A streak of light flashed through his mind.
His thoughts blazed fiercely.
How could he land a decisive hit?
How should he proceed with his next move?
Thuuung!
With his opposite hand, he released the compressed Radiant Wheel Energy he had been gathering all along.
From the moment his arm had been grabbed, he had begun his calculation, when facing masters of the Union of Essence, Energy, and Spirit, foresight and insight were crucial.
A faint Finger Wind struck Eun Hwaryun's shoulder repeatedly.
Her robe crumpled in succession, and at the same time, the strength in her grip rapidly loosened.
Kwaaaang!
She crashed back-first into the ground.
The force that had invaded her waist roared up her spine, rattling her cervical vertebrae.
Even though he had weakened the blow, it still felt like being hit by a cannonball.
Shattered fragments of the duel stage shot up in both directions, slicing through the air.
Yet in the split second that followed, Jung Yeonshin's back arched, his latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles twisting subtly, sending an energy wave through his meridians.
'Divine Bow—Wind Body.'
Jung Yeonshin dispersed a significant portion of the impact.
The dust cloud below him parted violently to either side.
This was Harmonious Balance at the level of full-body energy discharge.
Eun Hwaryun's eyes widened in shock.
The moment she locked eyes with Jung Yeonshin's chest, his feet shot up from beneath his black robes.
Kuuung!
His entire musculature, from tendons to fibers, went through a cycle of contraction and expansion, following pure instinct.
Energy flowed through his core and limbs, reversing the power dynamic completely.
As his Yongquan Acupoint absorbed Full Sky Flower Rain, his abdominals and arms surged with the power of the Transcending Law Radiant Wheel.
"…!"
Eun Hwaryun was flung upside down.
Her right fist, which had been ready for a follow-up attack, swung through empty air.
Jung Yeonshin, who had risen without even using his hands, saw a glint of blue.
And then he hurled her.
Kwaak.
As he twisted her body, he channeled energy through his Inner Gate Acupoint, blasting a shockwave through his wrist.
The grappling mastery of Eun Clan Fist evolved within the Radiant Demon Squad's leader's hands in mere seconds.
For a brief moment, Eun Hwaryun's jet-black hair flared skyward.
Hwaaaaak!
Zeeooong—!
"Guhh—!"
The dueling stage split apart in all directions, as if struck by an earthquake. Dust immediately rushed along the cracks, rising in a thick cloud. It happened just after Eun Hwaryun was sent crashing into the ground, blood spraying from her mouth.
The buffering power of her Body Protection Energy had its limits.
However, her eyes snapped open, and her body swiftly responded once more. The movements of a supreme master trained in close-quarters combat could only be as swift as lightning.
Like Jung Yeonshin, she stomped both feet down with a resounding crash, and as her restrained hands burst with energy like flashes of light, the muscles in her arms tensed sharply.
Suddenly, the foremost fist master of the great sects saw a pair of eyes gleaming brilliantly blue.
The faint energy waves emanating from the Radiant Demon Squad's leader's hands twisted into a spiraling vortex. She wasn't mistaken, both his right and left hands were doing the same.
It was rare for an aura to crush the very skin before it was even fully unleashed.
"...!"
Once again, it was Radiant River.
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