novelburst
Chapter 116
Chapter 116
Chapter 116 – Divine Technique (4)
“Apostle, please… would you accept this offering?”
Suddenly someone called out to the Seventh Apostle. She slowly turned her head from staring blankly at the young Grand Master.
Her bright red eyes lowered and turned into an uninterested gaze.
She briefly asked back.
“Offering?”
“Yes, yes. Noble Seventh Apostle.”
A man with black hair mixed with red strands. The Blood Flame Sect’s Blood Swordmaster.
With an extremely lowered posture, he looked up at the Seventh Apostle with blood on his lips.
At his feet lay a warrior wearing black shoulder armor. Teeth marks were clear on his neck.
“…”
The Seventh Apostle quietly looked down at Blood Swordmaster. Young age, face flushed with heat.
A familiar expression. It had been in her memory since birth.
All sect members she saw growing up worshipped her. With exactly that kind of face.
“The demon essence qi of this Pure Demon Alliance seed is a delicacy. Please…”
Blood Swordmaster said.
“Madman!”
Another Blood swordmaster cried out in shock, then used lightness techniques to approach her.
While pressing down the back of Blood Swordmaster’s head who spoke of offering, he urgently whispered.
“A newcomer showed presumptuous conduct. Apologize a hundred times for the insult! How dare you suggest crude qi absorption like us mortals to one who refines limitless innate blood energy into pure blood technique true qi! It would taint the Apostle’s supreme martial realm!”
“What… I heard the Third Apostle reached apostle level through qi absorption technique.”
“The Seventh Apostle is of sacred blood lineage no less than noble families. Even our sect’s aristocrats call it noble pure blood…! Remember the Scorching Divine Pulse in Jinan? They said the heat yang force grew infinitely. The Seventh Apostle’s innate blood energy is like that!”
“Ah…”
“Qi absorption is not the method of sacred blood. It is only the Sect Leader’s grace bestowed out of pity for us lowly Han People disciples. How dare you try to defile the noble mouth of the Seventh Apostle born with holy blood with human flesh and blood? Let us mortals be enough to reach realms by chewing the pain of conflict!”
The Blood Swordmaster who tried to offer trembled. He immediately pressed his forehead to the ground.
“Please consider my sin of ignorance!”
He begged while prostrated. Indeed, reverence is an emotion mixed with fear.
That was how all Blood Flame Sect members felt toward the Seventh Apostle.
Even Blood Swordmasters said to be able to dominate a province were no exception.
“Little one, don’t be a bother. It’s also in the verses of the Demon Roaring Blood Technique. It’s all useless to me.”
The Seventh Apostle replied indifferently and turned her head again. That’s when it happened.
“Seventh Apostle.”
Another sect member said, the one who stopped the offering. He respectfully bowed to the Seventh Apostle who gave an annoyed glance.
“As the Sect Leader intended, Desolate Fortress’s reinforcements have descended to this City of Renowned Craftsmen.”
“Yes. Now I don’t have to exert any more effort into attracting their attention. It’s become convenient.”
“Then, should I now make a letter to send to the Sect Leader? It seems he will wish for complete annihilation, shall I tell the subordinates to sharpen their sword energy?”
The Seventh Apostle gently shook her head.
“No. Don’t do that. My Grand Master made a promise with me. To create martial arts just for me. I realized this after experiencing the headquarter’s incident. Even a great master must walk the martial path without wavering to achieve divine power, so my Grand Master must enjoy a long life in a good environment.”
“…I cannot understand your words.”
The swordmaster showed a puzzled expression. At the same time, the corners of the Seventh Apostle’s lips lifted slightly.
“It’s fine. You can understand in our sect’s next life.”
Whoosh!
A bright red flower of sharpened true qi bloomed. A blood flower that bloomed leaving an eerie fragrance in the air.
It was materialized internal demon energy. The sacred blood true qi he had been talking about.
The swordmaster’s vision tilted.
The world seemed to change slowly. The swordmaster slowly, slowly looked down at his chest.
It was soaked in blood. Like red paint carelessly splashed by a drunk painter.
He didn’t see the strike. It was truly a move unleashed from an incredibly higher realm.
He collapsed with a thud. The one prostrated earlier already had his head cut off.
‘A fatal strike…?’
He lost vitality with eyes open while his mouth twitched.
“Perhaps because he was thoroughly beaten by the Lord of Desolate Fortress, the Sect Leader has become quite dull. He has become so obedient, not even recognizing a playful ruse. That technique, even doing it properly wouldn’t have worked… He seems to have thought I took my Grand Master’s uniqueness lightly.”
The Seventh Apostle’s muttering tickled the dying swordman’s ears.
“I should say the young Grand Master’s martial prowess was higher than expected.”
It was a voice tinged with laughter.
* * *
There was no sound in the civilian houses of the City of Renowned Craftsmen’s Spring Area.
Only silence filled it.
It was like a dead village with stagnant air.
‘Was it always like this?’
Probably not.
Jeong Yeon-shin arrived at the village entrance. He sensed qi energies gathered together at what seemed to be a plaza in the distance. They were martial artists.
All the energies irregularly extending without focus suggested they were warriors from either the Thirteen Heavens or between righteous and evil paths.
The entrance to the City of Renowned Craftsmen, the city of craftsmen.
These were the ones who seized Spring Area, the first village.
Their conduct was obvious just looking at the empty streets.
People could be clearly felt crouching with anxious breaths inside the picture-perfect houses.
They were enslaving the craftsmen said to make divine weapons of the world.
He recalled the words of Zhang Zhong-ming, the blacksmith met at the entrance. He had begged the disciple of the Lord of Desolate Fortress.
Not knowing what the Thirteen Evil Sects villains might do.
?Our city has many common folk! Please, please protect them!
Those words were right. The further along the road, the more faintly it could be heard. The sounds of furnace fires, anvils, and hammers striking iron.
Though the village was dead, they were making weapons. It was clearly forced labor requiring no long thought.
Whoosh!
A sudden breeze scattered Jeong Yeon-shin’s hair.
“Shall we handle them?”
Suddenly.
Lazy Flame Dragon stood shoulder to shoulder with the young commander. Perhaps due to the Scorching Divine Meridian’s firepower, dried blood stuck to both his hands.
Not just him. Namgung Hwa-shin’s noble blue robe fluttered in peripheral vision.
Crimson Day Sword’s steady qi also took position behind, and with light footsteps brushing the ground’s edge, the Return Wing Corps experts began lining up and following behind… They had instantly killed the Hyeong-chang Gate warriors.
The smell of blood came from their weapons. Still, no one had sheathed their swords.
They were all warriors more experienced than Jeong Yeon-shin. They recognized what the boy felt. Even if their qi sense couldn’t reach far, they could guess from experience.
***
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Translated by Nine Heavens!
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***
The plunderers act as masters of the City of Renowned Craftsmen’s Spring Area. They surmised demonic path warriors remained.
“Commander, your orders.”
Namgung Hwa-shin said.
Boundless heavenly power rose from the White Qilin’s whole body. Waves of clear-feeling true qi.
Before being the power of the Azure Sky Grand Divine Technique, it was a hero’s spirit.
He had put aside frustration at the commoners’ catastrophe.
“Commander…? Did you just say commander?”
Hyeon Won-chang stumbled over his words. It was a sight he had never even imagined.
Namgung Hwa-shin treated Jeong Yeon-shin as commander and requested orders.
Was this possible? White Qilin was a young talent who had dominated the eastern Dragon Phoenix Gathering south of the Yangtze River.
“I am temporarily commanding the reinforcement warriors.”
Jeong Yeon-shin explained briefly.
Leaving Hyeon Won-chang with eyes opened extremely wide behind him, the boy spoke quietly once more.
“Clean this area up.”
It was a simple order, which would result in significant impacts.
It became words calling death to the enemies remaining in the City of Renowned Craftsmen’s Spring Area. The Return Wing Corps experts scattered in all directions.
Clang! Boom!
“Desolate Fortress! The Radiant Demon Wing returned?!”
“Stop! Stop! In the name of the sect leader I request peace… Urk!”
The sounds of clashing swords and qi waves awakened the underground village. The silence was filled with sudden sounds of fierce battle.
“What is this?”
“The experts of Desolate Fortress’s Divine Sword Group…”
The Tang Clan and Beggar Sect experts swallowed hard. From near the Tang Clan, above a nameless cliff to the City of Renowned Craftsmen.
From fighting the Sect of Brilliant Prosperity warriors until now, it had been nothing but surprises.
And that doesn’t even account for Lightning Genius Jeong Yeon-shin’s martial talent.
The various sects of Sichuan were being killed.
Because Desolate Fortress’s official warriors moved at the boy’s single word. It was something hard for anyone to believe.
They couldn’t even speak up about it. The Return Wing Corps’ attack was justified.
The series of actions drawing swords against enemies was righteous revenge.
Thinking of the City of Renowned Craftsmen’s craftsmen, it could even be called a hero’s judgement.
‘Lightning Genius… no need to record more about his position. I should observe what martial arts and techniques he has mastered.’
Senior Beggar thought. Lightning Genius’s rank was clearly high. He had completely won the hearts of the Divine Sword Group’s military force.
No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t understand how it was possible. This point was worth noting.
‘Must go and investigate this thoroughly, He’s not just a young talent with high martial arts.’
In the Spring Area village where unexpected chaos broke out.
The world’s second most dignified beggar turned his gaze.
His eyes captured one boy. Standing quietly wearing a deep blue robe, the bearing he possessed approached strangely.
It was the dignity of one who commands respect. It was a feeling Senior Beggar knew well from meeting many heroes.
Perhaps because he saw him controlling Divine Sword Group experts with brief words.
‘When the Martial Alliance forms, I must add him as a person to watch carefully. A target to be wary of.’
Their gazes met for a moment. The Senior Beggar subtly turned his head away.
Half an hour later.
They gathered at the entrance to Summer Area after Spring Area. It was before a huge semicircular stone door.
The Return Wing Corps experts had gathered the residents of the City of Renowned Craftsmen. It was after all the cleanup was finished.
From the forges of Spring Area village to the various civilian houses and plaza, blood from the villains’ corpses soaked the stone ground.
“Truly, truly thank you!”
“We thought we would become slaves… Thank you so much.”
The small commoners repeatedly bowed their waists. The man at the front kept his chest pressed to the ground without moving.
It was Zhang Zhong-ming who had been holding his breath at the Spring Area’s entrance. He had said he was the village head of the City of Renowned Craftsmen’s Spring Area.
Meanwhile Crimson Day Sword had sought Jeong Yeon-shin’s permission. Whether they could interrogate the captured enemies.
The boy quietly nodded.
“I, I will tell you everything!”
“Shut up! You shameless traitor who knows no honor!”
The head of the one who said shut up flew off. Namgung Hwa-shin’s sword strike had drawn a straight line. Not even blood trails remained.
“Yet I’m the one who needs merit.”
While Lazy Flame Dragon grumbled, Crimson Day Sword asked the enemies’ objective.
There are few warriors in the Central Plains who walk between righteous and evil paths with what is called heroic conviction.
Several warriors from neutral sects answered immediately.
“They said Bodhidharma’s manifested body was in the City of Renowned Craftsmen. In the form of a treasure.”
“Manifested body?”
The Tang siblings who had been staring at Jeong Yeon-shin questioned. They couldn’t help it.
It refers to one of the three bodies possessed by Buddha.
In the murim, it was understood as internal energy condensed into an inner pill.
Bodhidharma’s manifested body meant a fragment of the true qi said to have been accumulated during his lifetime.
The Tang Clan experts who handle poisons and medicines couldn’t help but prick up their ears.
Zhang Zhong-ming who had bowed to Jeong Yeon-shin again got up and dusted himself off.
“So that’s what they were after.”
“How could something from such ancient times still remain?”
Tang Li-li asked.
Zhang Zhong-ming glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin’s expression, and only after the boy nodded did he open his mouth.
“Seems there were people before the iron folk. They refined crystallized materialized true qi. A craftsman of a realm rarely seen throughout history.”
“You’re saying they refined fragments of true qi? How could such a thing…”
“Though the Tang Clan Leader could also do such things, it seems he distanced himself from his children. Anyway, the density isn’t high. But if melted into a sword it would become a spirit sword, and if a person ate it… though I don’t know what would happen, it’s a treasure anyone would covet. Enough to bring such disaster.”
His expression turned bitter as he finished speaking. He seemed unable to think of any words of comfort.
Jeong Yeon-shin turned his head. He had his palm pressed to the groove of the stone door that was Spring Area’s exit and Summer Area’s entrance.
“We go immediately. Take care.”
It was when he was saying farewell to the Spring Area villagers including Zhang Zhong-ming.
“I don’t know who you are to lead Divine Sword Squad warriors, but you are as foolish as your age.”
One of the captured enemies spoke. He was a man with a dignified impression.
Perhaps struck by Lazy Flame Dragon’s heat Yang force, the front of his solar plexus was burned and dried together with flesh.
One could barely tell it had been fine silk.
“The treasure key to Summer Area was divided and taken by the Ten Perfections Sect and Pure Demon Alliance. It would be better not to act rashly. The stone walls will collapse.”… His manner of speech was extraordinary. He seemed to be of no ordinary status.
The Desolate Fortress experts including Hyeon Won-chang and Lazy Flame Dragon stared at him blankly.
“I have the true qi diagram of the Summer Area treasure. About thirty percent of the complete version. Don’t think you can get it from me through torture. I can surely endure. Just if you grant one condition…”
Rumble–!
Faint streaks of light began leaking in. The door parted from Jeong Yeon-shin’s fingertips.