Chapter 474: Chapter 474

The rolling head was followed by the crumbling body of the Dark Heaven Emperor.

For a moment, the entire battlefield froze. Even the martial masters of Taemo Mountain Fortress, who had been spreading a net of lightning-blue internal energy to reinforce their formation, suddenly halted in place.

An overwhelming silence swept across the land, and from the bottom of the hill, the voice of Cheongsu Jin-in, who had been sharpening his sword aura, echoed in disbelief.

"Was he executed...?"

It was none other than the head of Cheongseong Sect who openly displayed both shock and relief. And he had every reason to.

At this very moment, all across Hangzhou, vast fields had withered, and narrow streams had dried up. Ordinary citizens, witnessing these strange phenomena, had begun seeking the protection of government shrines, famous temples, and Daoist sanctuaries, praying for peace in the city.

But it wasn’t the wrath of the Jade Emperor or a mountain god.

Those well-versed in the ways of Jianghu knew the cause of it all. The experts here needed no further explanation.

Each time the Dark Heaven Emperor cast a single technique, the grand gardens of entire estates would be reduced to barren wastelands.

Even uncultivated plains and low mountains were no exception. His massive spell formations devoured the natural energies of the land itself.

For supreme martial masters, this was even clearer.

The suction of energy that had been emanating from the Dragon Subjugation Ritual Formation had ceased. The ancient inscriptions that had been faintly glowing now crumbled like scattered dust beneath the rubble.

The howling winds that had once torn through the ears of the martial masters were gone, and the spell formation, which had been absorbing the natural energy through the Dark Heaven Emperor as its conduit, could no longer consume its prey.

It simply spun in place, tearing apart into meaningless fragments like sheets of paper.

Hangzhou had been restored.

"This is a blessing, truly a blessing."

Two breaths after the Dark Heaven Emperor’s head fell, a sense of wonder appeared on Cheongsu Jin-in’s face. A rare sight indeed, as the current head of Cheongseong Sect was known for his cold temperament, much like the late winter of Mount Cheongseong.

"Yes... so that was the new Violet’s Spatial Severance..."

His admiration was barely veiled. The once-tense battlefield seemed almost meaningless now.

The Spatial Severance of supreme masters was a secret kept even among the great sects. Rumors occasionally spread, but it was so rarely seen that even in the most honorable duels between sect leaders, it almost never manifested.

It was, quite literally, a technique used only at the brink of death—an absolute culmination of one’s martial prowess.

Most sect leaders would never get the chance to witness it. Every master focused only on refining their own martial path.

A soft breeze whispered.

Standing midway up the hill where Jeong Yeon-shin had passed, the Peerless Sky Devil remained motionless.

She had raised her smooth, porcelain-like hand slightly. In the gaps between her fingers, jet-black flames flickered, shedding dark embers like crow feathers.

[How could you possibly use Spatial Severance...?]

Her mental voice trembled slightly. A supreme master who had never once called herself the Heavenly Demon but had always acted as the ruler of the Ming Cult—the mocking smile on her lips was gone.

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his eyelids slightly.

He sensed several presences.

The faint sensation of violet silk brushing against the handle of his Thunderstrike Sword, the sight of the Dark Heaven Emperor’s head rolling and stopping against a rock, the silent gaze of the Peerless Sky Devil fixed upon him from below the hill...

‘The Dark Heaven Emperor is definitely dead.’

He had sliced through flesh.

The feeling of severing veins and bone still lingered in his grip. In that fleeting moment, the Dark Heaven Emperor had clearly been surprised. He had even twitched his fingers, as if trying to form a defensive technique.

Now, there wasn’t even a trace of innate energy left.

He had spoken of a centuries-long plan.

The body of a transcendent being who had lived through ages beyond Jeong Yeon-shin’s comprehension had truly perished. The strike of Spatial Severance had executed him.

Why didn’t it feel like it was over?

Even though the Dragon Subjugation Ritual Formation beneath his feet had completely dissipated.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly turned around. The Liberated Beggar King was watching him with an odd expression.

He seemed deeply astonished, yet also slightly perplexed.

“...You show no hesitation in revealing your life-saving technique. There are many eyes here. The unique characteristics of your Spatial Severance may be spread across the world.”

“Aren’t we undertaking something great together?”

The corners of the Beggar King’s mouth twitched.

Jeong Yeon-shin held back from mentioning that his Spatial Severance was not limited to a single variation. There was no need to reveal such personal details to a man who sought to conquer Jianghu, even if he was a highly respected senior.

‘More importantly...’

Jeong Yeon-shin narrowed his brows slightly.

A fatigue like dense fog was seeping into his muscles and meridians. The radiant ring spinning fiercely around his heart slowed, like a waterwheel with severed water channels.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

There was a reason supreme masters so rarely used Spatial Severance.

It was, quite literally, a life-saving technique—an ultimate means of overturning a desperate situation. The recoil was immense.

It had been the same when he severed the arm of the Celestial Extremity Lord. Even now, maintaining his balance was difficult. He needed time to inspect his condition.

The problem was the Peerless Sky Devil standing below the hill.

A soft scent brushed past his senses.

The whisper of wide, thin pant legs brushing against his foot. The barely audible sound of a stockinged foot touching the ground beneath a pale pink martial robe.

She had boldly stepped past the Peerless Sky Devil and climbed the hill.

An act only possible for someone with an extraordinary level of bodily reinforcement. Without hesitation, she reached out and wrapped her arm around Jeong Yeon-shin’s waist.

Their robes crinkled softly. Her slightest movements carried the refinement of a supreme master, as if ensuring that her touch did not place any additional burden on him.

It was the etiquette of a senior martial artist. A display of admiration for Jeong Yeon-shin.

Yulha Nangnang spoke.

In the next moment, Jeong Yeon-shin found himself standing at the bottom of the hill.

His vision had warped momentarily. The Floral Fragrance Step of Mount Hua had transported them both below in an instant.

Yet there was no lingering recoil.

Even the natural backlash from bodily reinforcement had been redirected outward by Yulha Nangnang.

All the while, the Peerless Sky Devil did not make a move.

She seemed to be sinking into deep contemplation.

Her expression, usually filled with arrogance toward the heavens, was instead blank—strangely vacant.

Meanwhile, Yulha Nangnang gently pressed Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder, easing him into a seated position.

“Take a deep breath. That’s right, just like that.”

Her voice carried a trace of laughter, as if encouraging his breath.

It was the tone of a senior who had mastered Spatial Severance before him. Though she was clearly shaken by the technique, she had already grasped his physical condition.

More importantly, she no longer expected anything from him.

After all, she had held him just moments before.

Of course, she understood the recoil of Spatial Severance.

Jeong Yeon-shin accepted her kindness.

Even if the Dark Heaven Emperor was dead, something still felt off. He also needed to consider the Peerless Sky Devil’s next move.

“I will rest for a moment.”

“Perhaps you should even sleep? I will stand guard.”

Atop the hill, the Dark Heaven Emperor’s corpse crumbled into dust. Another aftershock of Spatial Severance. The cascading power of the Final Thunderclap merged with the cataclysmic sword force of the Celestial Dragon Fusion, which turned the body itself into a living blade.

Traces of the teachings from the Thirteen Heavens Ten Profound Schools were embedded within it. Jeong Yeon-shin’s initiation into Spatial Severance had left no lingering aftereffects.

A deep silence settled over the surroundings.

Cheongsu Jin-in, who had caught a glimpse of the scene, let out a half-breathed sigh before his lips tightened.

A bluish sword aura spread out like clouds, swallowing the dozens of bolts of hellfire streaking in from all directions.

He had begun wielding his sword again against the ranks of Taemo Fortress’s elites, yet his movements were not returning to their usual sharpness. The sword should have flashed like a streak of light, yet it felt sluggish.

It was an extraordinarily bizarre sensation. Unlike the dissipated spell formation, the state of Oblivion's Silent Destruction was still in effect. That made no sense.

He had no time to say more.

Cheongsu Jin-in was still caught in a strange inertia, while the warriors of Taemo Fortress tightened their grip once more—even after witnessing the death of the Dark Heaven Emperor.

The more their numbers increased, the more the Heaven-Sealing Nine Palaces Formation surged in strength. Even with a net of crackling blue lightning woven at their feet, traces of unease flickered across their faces.

All of it was drowned in the cacophony of overwhelming sound.

The ground trembled endlessly. Bolts of hellfire, torrents of Tri-Flame Truefire, and massive stone pillars erupting from the ground like mechanical formations filled the battlefield with desperate energy surges.

Scorched rock dust and crimson sparks scattered in all directions. At one point, Ak Surim whirled her spear in a circle before abruptly thrusting it forward—piercing straight through the chest of a warrior, exploding his torso.

“What the hell?! What’s going on?!”

Her voice turned sharp with irritation, cutting through the din as she turned away from watching Jeong Yeon-shin with a satisfied gaze. Her Three Harmonies Sublimation had yet to return as well.

The group sensed an abnormality.

The state of Oblivion's Silent Destruction had not changed. That was the real anomaly. Having witnessed Jeong Yeon-shin’s transcendent technique firsthand, they found it even more incomprehensible.

On one side of the newly flattened canyon, Jeong Yeon-shin and Abbot Beomha sat cross-legged in meditation, while Yulha Nangrang stood nearby, scanning their surroundings in a protective stance. Even the Celestial Peerless, standing motionless without taking any retaliatory action, was unsettling.

Such was the enigmatic nature of the battlefield of supreme grandmasters.

“...The Dark Heaven Emperor was clearly slain...!”

Cheongsu Jin-in murmured in a low voice. Everyone in the battlefield had confirmed it. The Purple Robe of Iphwang Fortress had not carelessly invoked Spatial Severance. The true body of the Dark Heaven Emperor had been severed from its lifeline, his very flesh crumbling into the earth.

And yet, outside of the area where Yulha Nangrang maintained her vigilant defense, the battlefield still raged with relentless force.

A quiet chuckle echoed like a whispering specter.

[A sorcerer who could face such a Spatial Severance and yet not meet death... The only one in this era would be that young Master of the Bright Cult.]

It came from atop the hill where Spatial Severance had struck.

There, pure white bone dust swirled within the updrafts, slowly coalescing—shaping itself into the form of a skeletal human figure, as if sculpted by the wind itself.

It was seamless. In a fleeting instant, the bones locked into place, reconstructing a humanoid form. At the same time, a sacred energy rippled outward, sweeping across the battlefield in concentric circles.

The hollow sockets of the white skull flickered with deep blue flames—an eerie, spectral fire akin to the Ghost Lights carried by demons in ancient tales.

In that moment, pale frost crackled across the battlefield. The last vestiges of warmth that had clung to the lingering winter breeze twisted into an icy, biting chill. The city of Hangzhou now felt like the frozen wastes of the Northern ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Sea.

[Iphwang Fortress’ fledgling severed my ancient lifeline, so I shall never again feel the stones of Three Peaks Cliff beneath my flesh. A grievous loss.]

A brittle whisper scraped against the air.

It was the voice of the Dark Heaven Emperor.

A spectacle beyond legend. It was not merely bizarre—it defied the natural order.

A man had shed his flesh.

This was no ascension to the heavens through profound enlightenment, nor a transcendental moment of shedding mortal constraints. No—right here, in the mortal realm of Hangzhou, he had surpassed the cycle of life and death.

A pure white robe descended from the sky, draping itself over his skeletal frame.

A sacred artifact, perhaps. The thick, reinforced ribs of his exposed form disappeared beneath the heavy folds of fabric, yet even that conveyed a sense of profound invulnerability, as if it added countless layers of protective energy.

A King of the Underworld, no different. His entire bearing and aura exuded that very essence.

“...A Heaven-Defying path to the Realm of Transcendence...”

Yulha Nangrang whispered, her lips tightening as she glanced between Jeong Yeon-shin and Abbot Beomha. Her foot shifted slightly upon the ground.

What does the Daoist martial tradition seek above all else?

Immortality. Ascension.

Mastery of Azure Lotus Divine Art halts aging, and delving into the Supreme Principles of the Taiji Sect renders one almost untouchable by harm.

Sorcery, intertwined deeply with the ways of Daoism, pursues the same ideals.

And the ultimate form of that pursuit?

The Supreme Phantom Body.

Within the skeletal grip of the Dark Heaven Emperor, a small orb glowed with ethereal brilliance.

[...Shall be mine to replace.]

It was a Neidan, brimming with an almost divine radiance, pulsating with an essence that should not exist.

It pulsed with the dense vitality of Innate True Energy, as if the very lifeforce of an ancient being had been compressed into its rounded form. The frigid storm surrounding him could not encroach upon its glow.

It was as if the Dark Heaven Emperor’s lifeline had taken physical form.

At that moment, Celestial Peerless, standing below the hill, gazed up at him. She had abandoned the Six Harmonies Transmission, and this time, her voice was spoken aloud.

The sensory perception of a Supreme Grandmaster surpassed the five senses of ordinary humans. A Supreme Phantom Body was no different.

It replaced all mortal perception with an acute awareness of energy itself. Deception and illusions held no sway.

“You’re no longer human.”

[Did your master, Zixiu, teach you to think that flesh is anything more than a passing mirage?]

“Our teachings differ. The Bright Cult does not hold Zhuangzi above our Heavenly Demon.”

[How very fitting of your cult.]

Without another word, the skeletal hands of the Dark Heaven Emperor released the Neidan.

A golden-red arc of sword energy tore through the air, hurtling toward the falling orb, yet it was diffused by layers of internal energy barriers woven by Celestial Peerless and the Dark Heaven Emperor. The strike scattered into embers before dissolving.

Yulha Nangrang’s eyes sharpened as she lowered her still-extended sword.

The Neidan vanished into thin air, slipping into the cracks of reality itself.

A massive spell formation surfaced once more, spinning into motion, devouring its own tail as it expanded exponentially.

It surged over the canyon, swallowing even the mountain ridges.

Beyond the distant clouds, a deafening crack of thunder split through the heavens.

From the depths of the storm, something roared.

Jeong Yeon-shin steadied himself, suppressing the residual recoil within his body using True Harmonization Breathing Technique before rising to his feet.

Then, he cast a glance downward.

Abbot Beomha remained motionless.

Had he foreseen that it would come to this? The armless monk was now seated atop a monochrome lotus blossom, its petals formed of pure, condensed energy.

Three Blossoms Sublimation.

The technique’s name was literal—the form of three overlapping lotus flowers. A floral manifestation born of immeasurable energy cultivation.

And from within that stillness—

A voice tore through the void.

The Six Harmonies Transmission of the Dark Heaven Emperor resounded in the air.