Chapter 482: Chapter 482

How many days had passed?

Jeong Yeon-shin had no sense of time.

It had been after rushing along the river and crossing over a couple of mountain ridges. He had fought shoulder to shoulder with the Seventh Apostle and faced So Cheonmujuk.

After several fierce battles, his energy points had been pushed to the brink of exhaustion. It wasn't just his meridians and blood vessels that were close to rupture—his purple robe, which was usually resistant to tearing, had a gaping hole around his abdomen.

A gust of wind swept through the bloodied, gaping wound between his ribs. Without a combined attack, facing such a formidable foe was impossible.

The pain, as if his body might tear apart at any moment, surged through his whole being.

Though his body felt as though it was pierced by countless blades, a strange, detached sensation lingered as if it had been a long time since he had fallen into a trance, casting off his martial intent and swinging his sword. Was it because he was facing someone like the symbol of turmoil?

It was an unknown ravine. Sunlight poured down like long blades of a sword from the cliffs rising on either side of the valley.

Jeong Yeon-shin, standing on a ledge beneath it, threw several strikes with his sword.

The transparent shockwaves scraped the cliffside.

The aftermath of the powerful strikes sent rocks flying in all directions. With the intense friction came the sound of rocks scraping down the cliff, forming a cave that looked like the shape of a crescent moon.

Jeong Yeon-shin, the Seventh Apostle, and the leader of the Bloodflame Cult, So Cheonmujuk.

The three of them crashed through the air, dashed across the walls, and stepped on branches jutting out between the cliffs, crossing paths like streaks of light.

The colors of deep purple, red, and pure white flickered among the intense energy waves, occasionally splashing with red blood.

So Cheonmujuk tore a chunk of flesh from the side of the Seventh Apostle. In an instant, a white wind swirled around, tightly wrapping around the Apostle’s skin with a sharp sound.

It was a maneuver to momentarily block the overwhelming regenerative ability of So Cheonmujuk’s blood.

The master of the Bloodflame Cult’s hand technique.

Her fingers, dyed as transparently as ice, left a trail of blood that stretched long behind her.

A soft laugh came from beyond the fluttering hem of her clothes, which fluttered white like a windstorm along with her white scarf.

She had never called herself a celestial demon, but this laughter had long been heard even before Jeong Yeon-shin ventured into the martial world. It was a derision from someone whose existence was called a mistake by the heavens.

No matter the outcome, the battle would ultimately shake the entire world’s balance.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought, pulling the Seventh Apostle’s shoulder back.

She, who had been staggering like she was about to fall, suddenly stretched her arms wide behind her the moment his hand touched her.

With the sound of fabric flapping, her bright red cloak spread like bat wings, lingering in the air, a technique called "Body of the Fiery Flame" from the Bloodflame Cult’s signature moves.

She was even more energetic than Jeong Yeon-shin.

The remaining energy was different. It was thanks to her regenerative ability.

Jeong Yeon-shin stepped down from the ledge and kicked the hilt of his sword.

In that instant, a translucent wave of energy exploded at the tip of his foot, creating concentric circles that split the air, and the rushing wind from the cliff slammed into So Cheonmujuk’s abdomen with a heavy blow.

Crimson sparks scattered.

The sound of several layers of ceramic shattering followed.

The intangible defense of So Cheonmujuk was shattered by his sword technique.

After being pushed back for a moment, a short exhalation escaped her lips, but it wasn’t her skin that had been pierced—it was only the hem of her cloak.

Through the gap, her pure white abs were barely visible, with a faint shadow trailing down along their edges. How many layers of inner energy had she woven together, he wondered.

So Cheonmujuk's physique, honed by years of training, had reached an unimaginable level. Not only had she mastered close combat techniques, but her ability to walk freely through the air while playing with distance was unmatched.

She reacted to every variable with ease and added subtle variations to her martial techniques. Jeong Yeon-shin found it increasingly difficult to keep up with her, as her movements had changed over time.

Jeong Yeon-shin wrapped his arm around the Seventh Apostle’s waist and supported himself in the air.

Techniques like "Body of the Airless Void" require a steady state of balance, and if the energy wasn't sufficient, the reaction speed would inevitably slow. But thanks to her, they were able to continue this battle.

"You’re considerate of me."

The Seventh Apostle smoothly smiled.

While engaging in the battle, her skin, which had originally been pale from her neck to her face, was now tinged with a reddish hue, as if her inner energy was flowing to the surface.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought it was a tremendous will to fight.

"You can make it stronger. After all, it’s life and death."

She said, exhaling a reddish breath in rhythm with her blood flow.

Jeong Yeon-shin, despite joining forces, still felt awkward. His energy was fluctuating and, even with So Cheonmujuk, a life-and-death opponent in front of him, the same awkwardness remained.

Had he not seen the softness in the Great Taiji or if Bai Mi-ryeo's safety hadn't been at stake, this would not have felt so natural.

If her energy barrier wasn’t as firm as his, how could she move freely through the air?

[Even while dying, this much swordsmanship...]

Her breath echoed in the valley, reverberating through the space. It wasn't demonic power—it was an energy close to the natural flow of life.

So Cheonmujuk was wielding an extraordinary level of inner energy against Jeong Yeon-shin.

Just as he had created his own techniques like "Energy Rim" and "Demon Slaying Energy," So Cheonmujuk had overcome the opposite trend with her flawless inner energy through her method of “Endless Cycle.”

It was the mark of a grandmaster.

[From the cave of the Great Zhang Sanfeng.]

So Cheonmujuk grabbed Jeong Yeon-shin’s sword with one hand and pushed it down. The fabric of her sleeve, woven with pale fur, made a soft sound as it moved.

[We shared a long night together, yet you treat my sister so badly?]

She muttered absurdly.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Jeong Yeon-shin paid no attention to her words and focused on the next move. She was not an easy opponent to strike with conventional techniques.

‘I don’t have the strength left for the Great Taiji. I can't use "Heavenly Moonstrike." Then...’

His mind began to whirl with various possibilities, drawing abstract paths.

The Seventh Apostle asked in confusion. So Cheonmujuk nodded.

"If we shared that much in private, it must be a bond deeper than blood. Even though we are equals, unlike you."

She spoke in a voice full of laughter.

For Jeong Yeon-shin, it didn’t matter much. With every breath allowed, his energy would only grow.

The immediate problem was whether his internal energy, still fresh, could produce the power needed to challenge the Bloodflame Cult leader.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s thoughts led him to the answer.

An unbelievable answer.

It was the natural flow of his consciousness, seamlessly concluding. His insight, which had always been precise. The very same part that had helped him break through every limit when cornered.

[Something tickled beneath my skin. Was she scrutinizing me?]

At that moment, So Cheonmujuk, who had exchanged a brief conversation with Chilsa-do, spoke to Jeong Yeon-shin.

[You won’t win. Thanks to you two, I won’t even last another half a year. The mere moments I loosened my restraints have already left me in this state.]

Her words were plain.

In martial arts and physical cultivation, restraints were among the most intimate matters in the martial world.

It was akin to never asking another martial artist about their sect’s Life Extension Techniques. That alone was proof of how arrogant the current leader of the Ming Cult was.

Jeong Yeon-shin, aligning himself beside Chilsa-do, parted his lips.

“Are they a grand technique that extends life in exchange for martial power?”

[Brother Jeong, isn’t that obvious?]

So Cheonmujuk lifted one corner of her mouth slightly in response. It conveyed the idea that only the heavens could impose restrictions on her.

Without realizing it, Jeong Yeon-shin found himself agreeing with that sentiment.

Perhaps it was because, for a moment, he had seen himself in her.

It was an odd feeling—aloof yet strangely unbothersome.

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke slowly.

“You’re the same as me.”

So Cheonmujuk’s eyelids lifted slightly.

It was because she had never heard such words from Jeong Yeon-shin before.

The current leader of the Ming Cult had only ever sought camaraderie and understanding from him. She had never displayed hostility.

But that wasn’t Jeong Yeon-shin’s concern.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

What he wanted now wasn’t something grand or profound.

“You must also have things that make a short life meaningful. For me, that is Ma Gwang-ik. Return Baek Sister to me, and I won’t pursue you further.”

A brief silence followed.

So Cheonmujuk idly rolled Yeorei’s sword ripple in her palm, her dark blue eyes gleaming as she silently gazed at Jeong Yeon-shin.

That alone quieted the gorge.

The Summoning the Wind and Calling the Rain Technique.

Even the fierce windstorm that had been violently scouring the cliffside was now held within her grasp. She had silenced nature itself without releasing even a trace of demonic energy.

She stood firmly in midair, lips pressed shut, an air of absolute stillness enveloping her.

Had she released her restraints, or had she placed them back again?

There was no way to tell.

Either possibility seemed plausible.

So Cheonmujuk’s lips moved slowly.

“I, too, have something I desperately long for. That # Nоvеlight # means I can no longer share sentiments with you.”

“I’ll recite the final verse.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke plainly.

He had voiced the last line of the Radiant Dharma Wheel Scripture—the scripture she had yet to fully hear.

For a fleeting moment, her eyes, sharp as thunderbolts against the night sky, wavered ever so slightly.

She had an unusual obsession with understanding Jeong Yeon-shin’s thoughts.

That was why she had always shown subtle interest in the Qi cultivation methods he had devised.

It was enough to shake her composure, even if only slightly.

However, So Cheonmujuk soon shook her head.

“I’ve changed my mind. I won’t listen.”

And that was the end of it.

[Your existence alone is resolute.]

At some point, So Cheonmujuk’s voice, which had shifted from internal speech to spoken words, began to echo like a chant.

Once more, it was the Six Harmonies Absolute Voice.

[Which is why you have no backing. You alone are your own support.]

It was a declaration.

She displayed endless respect for Jeong Yeon-shin, yet her words also dismissed Ipwang Fortress and its grand sect entirely.

Jeong Yeon-shin whispered to Chilsa-do before stepping onto her foot and soaring into the sky.

A sharp tearing of the air.

At some point, the Final Thunder had been activated.

Translucent, colorless leaves bloomed from his entire body like a lotus flower, and the sky behind So Cheonmujuk was shrouded in the misty haze of her dissipated internal energy.

For a moment, sunlight was veiled, and the surroundings dimmed.

In an instant, the darkness deepened at an alarming speed, and a vast cloud, brimming with blue lightning, stretched across the sky.

The domain was massive.

It extended so far that it seemed to swallow the entire gorge, and Jeong Yeon-shin instinctively thought of one thing.

So Cheonmujuk stood against a backdrop of a sea of piercing blue lightning.

Her voice rang eerily.

Amidst the dazzling bursts of light, the Six Harmonies Absolute Voice resonated clearly.

[Even this Absolute Technique will be something you can dismantle with a smile. I know this better than anyone. In all the world, no one can reach deeper into your mind than I can. So for now, we leave it here...]

The presence of killing intent was ambiguous.

This would not end as a mere act of suppression.

And yet, did she think that Jeong Yeon-shin, with his resourcefulness, would somehow find a way to survive?

‘Heaven-Piercing Method...!’

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes flashed with a pure white glow.

Then, suddenly, So Cheonmujuk’s voice blurred.

Beyond the dark clouds she had gathered above.

Something scattered a soft silver radiance like moonlight.

But it was not the moon.

It took the shape of a long, slender sword in an instant.

Then, like a dream, it descended, cleaving through the entire sea of lightning.