The Aura-Filled Sword came first.
The Transcending Law Radiant Wheel Energy penetrated the sword's core, forming a straight axis.
A technique that fills the sword with internal energy, preventing it from breaking easily. It was already in effect, but now, the energy was condensed even further.
This temporarily prolonged the lifespan of the Meteor Sword, which had already begun to crack internally.
Jung Yeonshin took it further.
In an instant, he infused the Radiant Wheel Energy once more, filling both sides of the blade. With the Energy-Filled Sword's internal energy forming the central axis, two currents of surging power waves rippled along the edges.
Two strands of tightly woven energy threads surged violently on either side of the blade, following a specific mnemonic verse. Even in a moment divided into countless fragments, the resonance it emitted was immense.
Wooong—!
This was a supreme technique that had long been abandoned due to its lethal effects on the Baihui Acupoint from the heat surging through the upper dantian during activation.
'Spread far and wide.'
At that moment, Wind Lord Lee Shi-myung's kick grazed Jung Yeonshin's clavicle, leaving behind a scorching wound. Yet, Jung Yeonshin remained unmoved, relentlessly lashing the energy currents within the Meteor Sword, gripping the blade diagonally downward.
Time flowed differently.
His mind perceived the world around him in slow motion, and his innate mastery over internal energy, enhanced by Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, accelerated the flow of Transcending Law Radiant Wheel Energy to its absolute limit.
Finally, it activated.
A supreme technique was born in its complete form at this very moment.
"...?"
The first to sense the anomaly was Ghost Roar Tyrant King Peng Yuran, who had been lifting the veil of Cheon So-so with her slender fingers.
As she was admiring the breathtaking view beyond the cliff and the delicate beauty of Cheon So-so, she slightly tilted her slender chin.
Peng Yuran's subtle nod moved through time faster than the full-force Leg Art unleashed by Wind Lord Lee Shi-myung.
'Would he make a good concubine?'
Her fingertips lazily brushed against the crimson veil.
Before Cheon So-so could even flinch, Peng Yuran cast a fleeting glance at Jung Yeonshin, whose neck was nearly exposed to Lee Shi-myung's kick.
A black-clad fledgling from Desolate Fortress whom she had never seen before.
A young man of rare and exceptional handsomeness, whom she had privately considered taking as a concubine.
The reason she did not care whether her subordinates, the old monsters, lived or died at his hands was precisely that.
Just like her one and only defeat at the hands of the Golden Wings Sect's leader, what mattered to the Ghost Roar Tyrant King was not an unsightly, wrinkled old face, but men and women who were pleasing to the eye.
And if they possessed formidable martial prowess on top of that, even better.
The breathtakingly handsome youth, clad in flowing black robes, radiating hazy waves of sword energy, was worth more than a hundred aged martial masters.
Had it not been for the Flood Dragon Formation, he might have felt more valuable than Cheon So-so herself.
During the brief moment in which a foreign technique emanated from Jung Yeonshin,
'What kind of martial art is this?'
Peng Yuran hesitated, debating whether she should momentarily forgo the soft and intoxicating sensation of the Immortal Spirit Wood Squad's leader's shoulder beneath her fingertips.
With one hand resting gently beneath Cheon So-so' nape, she let go of the veil without shifting her fingers.
Thirty-five of Secret Realm Peng Clan's elder martial artists had been slain by Jung Yeonshin.
That much was fine.
This land was a paradise for past-generation martial masters. That level of force could be replenished endlessly.
But no more. If the Secret Realm Peng Clan suffered irreparable losses, her authority as the Ghost Roar Tyrant King would be compromised.
Peng Yuran had long since ruled as the law of this land, reveling in her position.
Her Five Tiger Gate-Cleaving Sword was an exceptionally practical martial art, but as one of the Eight Noble Clans' Supreme Techniques, it also required refined internal energy, making it a true Orthodox Martial Art.
To one day surpass the Golden Wings Sect's leader's Heaven-Flipping Dragon Cleave, she had to maintain absolute inner peace.
Born into the ruling family of Hebei's greatest noble clan, Peng Yuran could not sustain such serenity without power and indulgence.
Her divine status had been forged in a realm of revelry and carnage.
Even this supreme domain, stretching and fragmenting time like melted taffy, followed the same principle.
Shaa—
Even the black-clad youth of Desolate Fortress, possessing an unparalleled visage, was merely a stepping stone on the path to martial extremity.
There was no reason to wait patiently for him to complete his mysterious technique.
'Five Tiger Blades, Severing Gate Agony.'
Lifting her calloused right hand like a flawless sculpture, she murmured the mnemonic verse of the Five Tiger Gate-Cleaving Sword.
Her expertise in Formless Swordsmanship was shallow.
However, a grandmaster of the Peng Clan could manifest razor-sharp sword waves simply by envisioning their lifelong martial arts in their mind.
In a world of extreme speed, beyond the reach of most high-level martial artists, no inferior warrior could survive this technique.
From her palm, a radiant wave of energy flared into a long, greatsword-shaped outline.
The sword energy of the Five Tiger Gate-Cleaving Sword.
With a mere flick of her wrist, she could graze Wind Lord's throat and pierce the youth's solar plexus.
Yet, she briefly adjusted the energy wave, adding a touch of Internal Piercing Method.
Judging by the youth's dazzling physique, ordinary strikes would be absorbed by his energy-infused muscles. Rather than mar his smooth skin with a half-hearted attack, it was better to burrow inside and turn him into a preserved corpse.
'Farewell.'
With an empty-handed motion, she executed a world-shattering slash.
With a wistful flick of her wrist, she sent the strike toward Jung Yeonshin.
Swish—
And then, unexpectedly.
Jung Yeonshin's gaze shifted toward her fingertips.
Slowly, yet unmistakably, his eyes followed the Five Tiger Gate-Cleaving Sword, the very technique Peng Yuran had refined her entire life to surpass the Golden Wings Sect's leader.
His pupils, tinged with a radiant sky-blue glow, moved ever so deliberately.
A sight beyond all imagination.
"...!"
At the same time that Peng Yuran's eyelashes lifted in slow motion,
—Thank you.
Jung Yeonshin's lips parted.
—So this is how the flow works.
The battle instincts of the Radiant Demon Squad's leader, sharpened through endless struggles at the front lines, had reached an extraordinary realm.
Following an intuitive sensation akin to an invisible gaze caressing his body, he reconfigured the internal energy flow in his upper dantian into a fan-like array and, through Fan Dragon Lotus Binding Technique , connected his spiritual threads with Peng Yuran's crown.
A direct confrontation of sight, an unseen observer locking eyes with him.
A hemispherical explosion surged forward, tearing through the ground.
Within it, every single elder of the Secret Realm Peng Clan was swept away.
One after another, they collapsed, blood bursting from their eyes, noses, and mouths. The vast internal energy within their bodies flared briefly before vanishing entirely.
There were none left who had leisurely indulged in the wedding eve's feast.
When the overwhelming roar subsided, the only figure still standing was Wind Lord Lee Shi-myung.
Yet, even he could not hide the stream of blood trickling from his ear. A clear sign of severe trauma to the head.
The rest lay sprawled on the ground, their eyes soaked in blood, lips stained red.
The number of corpses reached over a hundred.
Instant death.
The entire preceding generation of Secret Realm Peng Clan had been annihilated. The backdraft from the Sword Resonation swept over the fallen bodies, lifting their garments as it passed.
It was an eerie wind.
To call it meaningless would be difficult.
Jung Yeonshin pondered. Dying to a martial art that had never before appeared in the world, wasn't that a better fate than the countless Desolate Fortress warriors who perished namelessly in remote hills?
"You went through unnecessary trouble."
He spoke.
"They would have died soon anyway."
"..."
Wind Lord remained silent, his face frozen in shock.
Anyone would be.
Only the faint sounds of dirt and stone tumbling echoed through the air.
Jung Yeonshin, having been gazing at the Meteor Sword, which had been reduced to only its hilt, silently tossed the broken blade behind him.
Thud—
The distant onlookers flinched at the dull sound.
The young man paid them no mind as he reflected.
'This is not a technique I can use recklessly.'
Even though it had already developed cracks, the sword had once belonged to the leader of Murong Clan.
It had been as sturdy as any superior treasured blade, yet it had shattered in a single strike, despite being infused with the Energy-Filled Sword.
This meant that the technique itself rapidly consumed the lifespan of any blade.
Yet, simply wielding any weapon wouldn't be enough to unleash its full power. A restriction, albeit an implicit one.
Still, the strike he had just delivered had revealed something crucial.
'My Baihui Acupoint is intact.'
Damnable as it was, the Crown Acupoint had not ruptured. Even while executing the Sword Resonation, he had not felt an unbearable strain.
Everything pointed to a single conclusion.
A perfect union of Essence, Energy, and Spirit.
His body had fully synchronized with the upper dantian's divine energy and the Transcending Law Radiant Wheel Energy. His innate senses had been entirely supported by his physical vessel.
Jung Yeonshin shifted his gaze past Wind Lord's shoulder, locking onto Ghost Roar Tyrant King Peng Yuran and Cheon So-so.
At some point, Peng Yuran had turned her entire body toward him, her face expressionless, while Cheon So-so stared wide-eyed, her breath caught at the unrestrained radiance of the Radiant Wheel Energy.
"You…"
"Silence."
Peng Yuran extended her hand backward, cutting off Cheon So-so' words. Then, tilting her chin slightly, she nodded toward Jung Yeonshin. A cold beam of sunlight caught along the sharp curve of her jawline.
"So, you finally avenged Obeying Heaven Squad's leader. Can you handle the aftermath?"
"…Revenge?"
Jung Yeonshin repeated quietly, sensing the ominous malice from Ghost Roar Tyrant King brushing against the back of his head.
"So, you didn't know."
Peng Yuran's lips curved into a faint smirk.
"That boy, Ha Do-un, has long been dead by my hand. He came to reprimand me for using Iron Tribe slaves, and had the audacity to draw his blade."
"..."
"He held out quite well. Unlike the household servants of this clan, who perished to your bizarre single strike."
She mercilessly belittled her own slain subordinates. Did she think that would shake his composure?
At that moment, the heavy silence broke.
"What just happened…?"
"Was that even human technique…?"
As the spectators who had gathered for the grand ceremony whispered among themselves, Peng Yuran's figure suddenly blurred.
Hwaak!
A sound of air splitting burst behind Jung Yeonshin.
Before he could blink, Ghost Roar Tyrant King had closed in behind him, her presence burning like the infernal flames of the netherworld.
Five Tiger Gate-Cleaving Sword, Tiger Immortal Emerges to the World.
At some point, she had seized a greatsword from who-knows-where, and was now bringing it down with both hands.
The crimson sleeve, signifying the groom's ceremonial attire, fluttered upward.
Chwaaaargh—!
A massive trajectory tore the air apart, its sheer weight pressing down on all sides with terrifying force.
Amidst it all, Jung Yeonshin naturally turned his body backward.
Nothing obstructed his movement.
The countless micro-muscle twitches throughout his body squeezed out the force of Explosive Step, while his Wind Body movement allowed his long robes to flow freely, even within the storm of her sword wind.
At the same time, as his Heaven-Piercing Sight activated, his glowing blue pupils locked onto Ghost Roar Tyrant King's gaze.
"...!"
She immediately withdrew, pulling her blade inward and leaping back. A masterful retreat technique. Like Ground-Shifting Steps, she covered ten paces in a single bound.
A moment later, from the distant ridgeline, an uproarious laughter rang out.
Kehahahaha—!
"The Secret Realm Peng Clan, who once ran wild about the battlefield, has been wiped out, and now, the great Tyrant King herself is forced to retreat! If I set you aside, would it not be worth speaking with the leader of the Immortal Spirit Wood Squad instead?"
A conspicuously large boulder.
An old man, clad in a tattered straw mat, lay slanted on his side.
With one arm propping up his head and the other lazily scratching his stomach, he looked every bit the beggar. Yet, the way his gaze swept downward was chillingly sinister.
Ghost Lord, Man Hu-gae.
A disciple of Radiant Divine Beggar, he had stolen the secret manuals of the Dog Beating Staff Technique and the Drunken Eight Immortals Steps before fleeing.
"That beggar always chatters from a distance."
Above the heads of Ghost Roar Tyrant King and Jung Yeonshin,
"Young warrior of Desolate Fortress, that was quite an impressive technique."
A gallant-looking young man, perched on a tree branch, spoke.
Jung Yeonshin's eyes, glancing up at him, widened slightly. For an instant, he felt as if he were looking at Lazy Flame Dragon.
The dignified yet unyielding aura was familiar.
Yejo Celestial King Steps, belonging to the Hwangbo Clan.
Hwangbo Gon, Divine Hand King.
A former leader of the Hwangbo Clan.
The grandfather of Radiant Demon Squad's Lazy Flame Dragon, now exuding an utterly irreverent air.
There were other unfamiliar figures.
Beneath the branch where Hwangbo Gon sat, a figure was hovering in the air.
An old Taoist, his hair bound in a crown, murmured as if speaking to himself.
"The end has finally arrived..."
His words were archaic.
His eyes held unfathomable depth. His flowing robe, fluttering lightly in the wind, shimmered like an immortal's attire due to his mastery of Hollow Void Traversing.
He had reached a state where he constantly utilized the Eight Styles of the Cloud Dragon, the lost art of the annihilated Kunlun Sect.
"True Immortal of the Void!"
"Even Shadow Lord…!"
Murmurs of astonishment spread across the mountain ridges.
The absolute rulers of this land.
The Twin Kings and Three Lords, surrounding the area at varying heights, all fixed their gazes on Jung Yeonshin.
Each of their eyes laid bare emotions—hostility, curiosity, indifference, and wariness.
The sheer weight of their stares was overwhelming.
Any ordinary person in this position would have already collapsed to their knees.
Many of the spectators who had gathered for the grand ceremony began descending the mountain all at once.
"What will become of this land now?"
"I had wondered if such a young talent existed beyond the outer world, but for the Twin Kings and Three Lords to all gather here…"
It was a flow akin to upheaval.
Yet, at the center of it, Jung Yeonshin simply gazed at Ghost Roar Tyrant King.
The one who had claimed to have killed Obeying Heaven Squad's leader, Ha Do-un.
He paid no mind to the Twin Kings and Three Lords.
He simply extended his hand forward.
It didn't matter that Peng Yuran, standing in his way, furrowed her brows and released an immensely dense surge of energy.
It didn't matter how the surrounding Twin Kings and Three Lords reacted.
[Lightning— Genius—!]
A deep voice echoed. A voice he was familiar with.
From afar, the presence of Forest Striding Squad's leader, Xiahou Wei-Jin became distinct.
In his massive grip was something long.
Reinforcements had arrived.
Instinctively, Jung Yeonshin overlapped the fan within his mind with it. He felt a certainty that he must do so.
Silently, he murmured.
Come to me.
Buaaaaaaang—!
A deafening sonic boom closed the distance in an instant. It happened in a mere fraction of a second.
A blade, gleaming in a cold blue light, burst through Ghost Roar Tyrant King's abdomen with a resounding puek—!
The explosion of blood, scattering chaotically, failed to even touch the tip of the light.
"Cough…?!"
With only a slight twist of his waist, Jung Yeonshin effortlessly seized the blade's hilt.
Tak—
It was astonishingly light.
The sensation in his grip was warm. The Radiant Wheel Energy surging within him trembled intensely, as if it had found its counterpart, radiating searing heat.
His arm muscles, as if fused seamlessly with the sword, formed an absolute equilibrium. His exhilarated mind instantly refined his internal energy to its peak.
Body-Sword Unification.
Wooong!
The enormous golden 'Desolate' character that had been imprinted on his shoulder melted away, forming a perfect ring around it. The Heavenly Silk Robe of Forest Striding Squad's leader remained unscathed.
He felt the long strands of his hair flowing freely behind him.
Shaa—
Dandelion seeds, drifting around the battlefield, absorbed fragments of the Radiant Wheel Energy, fluttering like white petals in the wind.