Chapter 498: Chapter 498

The short yet long journey through Jianghu had reached its final destination.

As the protective qi flowing through Jeong Yeon-shin’s body like transparent lake water dissipated, the hem of his robe deepened into a darker shade of violet, extending downward.

A land where only an extremely select few throughout the vast world of Tianxia could set foot.

Alongside the Forbidden City in Beijing and the northern Jianghu, it was known as one of the Three Great Forbidden Lands of the Nine Provinces.

— The true form of the Tianxia Tree will be there.

That was what the old man from Dongyeok Village, Jong-yeon, had confidently told Jeong Yeon-shin.

Unlike the other Myung Clan members he had met in the cities and villages along the way, Jong-yeon’s words were trustworthy.

The old man, the only one among the Tianxia Tree’s clan who had spoken nothing but the truth without concealment, was an unusually kind figure—perhaps the most revered in this land.

He had just crossed swords with an opponent whose martial arts were but a crude patchwork—a Myung Clan Elder, as they claimed.

But this time, he was certain. He had found the right place.

Jeong Yeon-shin unconsciously parted his lips.

A faint breath escaped.

Inside the Tianxia Tree, there were no seasons.

Had he been outside in the winter, white vapor would have risen, but instead, what drifted from the corners of his mouth were luminous green particles, like fireflies.

Somehow, they moved like snowflakes in vain.

As the radiance drifted forward, it clashed against an unfamiliar, stark white chin, scattering like dust.

It subtly illuminated the figure standing before Jeong Yeon-shin—one who bore the same face as the Lord of Yuhuang City.

"So this is the true form of the Tianxia Tree?"

His mind filled with doubt.

A woman stood atop a massive, severed tree stump. Her expression was so devoid of emotion that she hardly seemed human.

From the moment he faced her, all of his senses focused solely on her, yet he could not detect the slightest breath, not even the beating of a heart.

Naturally, there was no color to her face or lips.

Was she a statue, intricately carved from white marble?

At a glance, she resembled someone who had lost consciousness due to her vital points being sealed.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

Not only did his intuition reject the idea, but all circumstances contradicted it.

Most of all, his master was not someone devoid of expression .

A person whose smile felt like leaves basking in the early morning sunlight.

This lifeless statue could not possibly be the Lord of Yuhuang City.

Even her long hair, draped in an old-fashioned gown of the palace, was entirely white.

Jeong Yeon-shin placed his hand on her shoulder.

An inexplicable pull compelled him to do so.

Under his grasp, the fabric, more colorless than white, compressed slightly.

A startlingly cold sensation. Yet, oddly, she carried the weight of a real person.

His heart resounded like a drum.

More precisely, it was the vibration from the Luminous Wheel Qi that constantly circulated within his body.

Meanwhile, from where his hand touched the true form of the Tianxia Tree, a faint breeze flowed outward like drifting smoke.

It was as if the being was exhaling qi.

"It has meridians...?"

A roaring explosion filled his mind.

His innate perception etched an endless network of lines into his consciousness.

The blood points and meridians of a being that was neither statue nor human.

Only upon touching it directly did he realize that its insides were filled with a vast concentration of natural energy.

A density that far surpassed the limits of human potential.

The meridians of the Tianxia Tree’s true form all converged at its solar plexus, resembling a grandmaster who had opened their middle Dantian.

However, there was no accumulated qi.

Only an overwhelming suction force.

A presence that seemed as though it could devour all of Tianxia.

In that moment, the gentle breeze flowing from her shoulder licked Jeong Yeon-shin’s palm like a small tongue.

Her sleeve wrapped around his fingers.

In an instant, a storm-like pressure seized the Luminous Wheel Qi flowing within him.

It was as if it intended to unravel his qi like a spool of thread.

A force so immense it resembled the Great Absorption Technique.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s gaze sharpened.

It felt like being seized by an unfathomable abyss.

He could not help but question.

Why was the true form of the Tianxia Tree so thirsty?

Was this truly the being that upheld the world?

And why did it resemble his master?

The ground beneath him caved in.

He could not remove his hand from her shoulder.

The force pulling him in was so strong that it felt as though it would even suck in his soul.

It was a presence that outright denied understanding.

Jeong Yeon-shin ignored his human perception.

Unlike the skilled experts of Jianghu who used various techniques to evade detection, the true form of the Tianxia Tree was unguarded, like any ordinary tree.

The moment its blood points and meridians became visible in his mind, he had already thoroughly analyzed its body as a Grandmaster of the Jeong Family's Internal Arts.

"Instead of blood, natural energy flows through its veins. From the Shoulder Point where my hand is placed, it’s exactly like a human. The elasticity in the meridians... The source of this suction force is the Jade Hall Point in the middle Dantian. A circular flow... Although its chest muscles show no movement, the circulation of natural energy creates a massive absorption pattern, like the Taiji symbol. What does it seek? How much energy would it take to satisfy it? Perhaps if I rotate my Luminous Wheel Qi in the same way and feed it..."

As his thoughts rippled like waves of light—

A sudden, heavy impact struck his abdomen.

It was the sheath of someone’s sword.

The force behind the strike was immense—so much so that his body was sent hurtling out of the Elder’s Hall like an arrow.

A deafening gust of wind swept past his ears.

The hand that had been impossible to remove now naturally fell away.

As Jeong Yeon-shin was suddenly sent flying, he spun once in midair before forcefully driving his foot into the ground.

His body was pushed back for quite some distance, carving a deep furrow in the ground.

When he lifted his head, he saw a swordsman walking out against the backdrop of the half-destroyed Elder’s Hall.

A middle-aged man with black hair, draped in a long robe the color of deep autumn leaves. The nearby bushes swayed to the sides in sync with his steps, as if nature itself was opening a path for him.

Around them, countless members of the Myung Clan were gathering, all rushing toward the two figures.

"A person who has survived a battlefield."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The middle-aged man spoke in a deep voice.

"You must have already learned many lessons in Jianghu. This place is no different from the outside world. You should not recklessly touch what you do not understand. Your life was nearly lost."

Even as he spoke at length to Jeong Yeon-shin, his facial muscles barely moved. A man so expressionless, he seemed like a statue.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently regarded him before responding with a respectful bow of his fist.

He had already sensed this man’s presence.

The one who had been sitting in a meditative state, focused on his breathing, with his back to the true form of the Tianxia Tree.

There had been no reason to approach or disturb him, so Jeong Yeon-shin had not paid him much attention.

The middle-aged man nodded slightly toward him before slowly opening his mouth.

It was the foremost guardian of the Tianxia Tree, The Blade of the Land.

Even now, the foliage at his feet bent smoothly, as if laying out a carpet beneath him.

"I overheard your conversation while circulating my qi. I cannot deny your words. The clans of this land also receive substantial compensation from the Zhu Imperial Family. It is not reasonable to merely turn a blind eye to the world outside."

"Yongji! Watch your tongue!"

A sharp cry rang out from the direction of the Elder’s Hall behind him.

However, neither of the two facing each other paid any attention to it.

The Blade of the Land remained as indifferent as if he had lost all interest in anything else, while Jeong Yeon-shin had no intention of listening to the Elder who had previously blocked his way.

"There is a reason Elder Jong-yeon only spoke of the Four Guardians."

The Elders meant nothing.

The oppressive presence emitted by the Golden Wall had been far stronger than the Elder’s lightning techniques.

There was no sense of imminent death, no murderous arrow from the Heavenly Bow Lord lurking in the shadows.

The Elder was simply someone who had gathered the remnants of others—pieces of the Golden Wall and the Heavenly Bow Lord—merely imitating a master.

The gaps in his technique were as vast as a river.

Unlike true masters who had forged their martial arts into unbreakable diamonds, his foundation was flawed.

"You fought the Grand Elder for quite a while."

The Blade of the Land silently observed Jeong Yeon-shin before abruptly speaking.

"What was your reason?"

"I gained personal insights."

Jeong Yeon-shin answered quietly.

The Grand Elder of the Tianxia Tree carried many different energies within her.

Naturally, his understanding had broadened. He had gained a significant realization.

It concerned the future path of his Moonlit Blade. There was no need to speak of it here.

"A matter for celebration, then."

The Blade of the Land nodded mechanically, like a clockwork automaton.

Even his movements were strange, as if his sword path would be as straight as his demeanor.

Then, he asked another question.

"Can you retreat now? If you insist on entering again, you will have to defeat me. Regardless of your reasoning, the Myung Clan’s laws regarding the Four Guardians are absolute."

"Do those laws take precedence over your own judgment?"

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s words, the Blade of the Land slowly shook his head.

"If an event occurs that threatens the stability of the clan, then the matter would be different. But that is not the case now."

Suddenly, they both came to a stop, their swords drawn in unison.

A perfectly natural draw.

Both had reached the absolute peak of sword unity.

The members of the Myung Clan surrounded them, treading silently on leaves and branches.

Their footwork was eerily quiet, as if the Floating on Grass technique was nothing more than a basic skill.

"For the Grand Elder to end up in such a state...."

"Should we have intervened?"

"But to call her useless so hastily... Shouldn’t we have taken time to reflect on the clan?"

"It’s hard to believe given his age. With such martial arts, he could certainly fight our Blade of the Land on equal footing...."

"Naturally, he must surpass our expectations. The Lords of Yuhuang City choose their partners strategically, even for bloodline continuation. Do you think the lineage of that Nightmare would simply disappear? Of course, he should be transcendent."

At this point, no one showed overt hostility toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

Unlike the Elders, they seemed free of arrogance.

Perhaps it was due to the presence of the Golden Wall, who was swaying unsteadily in one corner.

Jeong Yeon-shin only memorized the voice of the last person who had spoken recklessly.

"Brother Yongji and...? Who am I supposed to root for here?"

Amidst the crowd floated a supreme Myung Clan master clad in gold.

Unlike other powerful warriors, there was no discernible qi around him.

An invisible lightning force was suspending the Golden Wall in the air.

It was the peak of mysticism.

There was no need to see more—if he joined the Blade of the Land, Jeong Yeon-shin’s defeat was inevitable.

"That Tianxia Tree... It’s strange. Far too strange."

Yet, even as he focused on his opponents, that was the thought that lingered in his mind.

It was riddled with contradictions.

Not knowing whether it was a tree or a person, and how the entire Myung Clan was bound to it.

He could only speculate that the terrifying suction force it radiated was one of the biggest factors.

He could already envision the clan periodically offering their immense reserves of qi to it.

Even after feeding on the energy of the Blade of the Land, its garments had only faintly regained a tinge of green, like a small blemish.

And even that color was fading away again.

"If it fully regains its energy... Will it take on the same colors as Master?"

The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

As soon as his opponent took a step forward, a sharp sensation descended from afar, striking his skin like a bolt of lightning.

He realized it without even looking.

The Heavenly Bow Lord’s arrow was locked onto him.

"It’s the Soul-Piercing Archery!"

The cry erupted from the Elder’s Hall—it was the Grand Elder’s voice.

"Stop right there! Do not disgrace your master’s name any further!"

The Blade of the Land muttered, but the Grand Elder paid no heed.

"Semye, you may think you know a great deal, but in the end, you are still an ignorant Han. You have no idea what we have endured. No matter how chaotic the world has become, taking someone from this place is nothing more than an outrageous demand. If your knowledge were truly broad enough to understand our clan, you would not do this."

"We have taken this nation’s name as our own and sacrificed ourselves like the rain that nourishes barren lands. What you see as the true form of the Tianxia Tree is proof of that. Our great tree quite literally holds up the heavens and the earth, and should this role ever be forsaken, the world will witness a catastrophe—at the very least, hundreds or thousands of Flood Dragons will coil and descend upon it. Yes, let me put it in terms suited to your knowledge. The beings that exist beyond time and space, those who should never have been, will reveal their faces. Such a thing must never come to pass."

For the first time, Jeong Yeon-shin turned his gaze past the Blade of the Land.

Beyond the ruined Elder’s Hall, the Grand Elder was now standing with the support of two attendants, watching him with heavy eyes.

"That is why our clan fulfills its duty by protecting this land and this tree. So stop here. Any further, and you will only disgrace yourself."

Her voice rang out like thunder.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been silently watching her, slowly spoke.

"What if I told you there is a way?"

"A way? What do you mean?"

"A way to temporarily release the stranglehold on this land."

"I see that you are sincere. But I cannot so easily trust the judgment of one who has only just become a Violet. I hope you understand."

The Grand Elder shook her head firmly.

Her gestures carried the weight of centuries, as if her body had solidified over the years like a monolithic stone.

She then moved her lips.

"With the clear eyes of our clan, I see that this intruder has not wavered in his intentions. The Grand Elder commands it—Guardians, you are to subdue him immediately."

In that instant, the Blade of the Land’s sword blurred.

At the same time, a thunderous explosion erupted from dozens of miles away as an arrow tore through the air in an instant.

Along with it, the ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) floating Golden Wall’s hair rose in strands, standing on end like unsheathed swords.

A suffocating pressure bore down on Jeong Yeon-shin, choking his breath.

Three opponents. Each one formidable enough to make victory uncertain in a one-on-one battle.

All of them were supreme masters of the Tianxia Tree, their strength honed over centuries.

"If I take even one hit, I’ll be defeated."

He launched himself forward.

With the sensation of crushing the ground beneath his feet, he surged ahead.

As the Thunderclap Movement Technique activated, his vision stretched like molten sugar.

It felt as if time itself was kneaded by his Perception Technique, a sensation he had grown familiar with in supreme-level combat.

Yet even in that moment, the Blade of the Land’s sword had already torn through the frozen time and reached his throat.

Jeong Yeon-shin pressed his left hand against the flat of the blade.

The force of their clash sent sparks flying in all directions.

The foremost Guardian of the Myung Clan was indeed a master of the sword.

His blade, which had been cutting toward Jeong Yeon-shin’s neck, seamlessly shifted into a thrust aimed at his heart.

He had completely tracked Jeong Yeon-shin’s movements through time itself.

But before the violet cloak had even completed a single flutter, Jeong Yeon-shin used the Blade of the Land’s sword as a foothold and vaulted upward.

"A direct fight offers no chance of victory."

However, he could dictate the flow of battle for a brief moment.

A storm of battle trajectories swirled through his mind.

The ability to control the battlefield’s rhythm as he wished.

It was a quality possessed by only a few—Jeong Yeon-shin, the Invincible Little Heavenly Demon, the Seven Death Saber, and The Burning Dragon.

As an arrow plummeted from the sky like a meteor, detonating the ground into a massive crater, the Blade of the Land’s deflected sword energy slashed diagonally across its pressure.

And in that narrow opening, Jeong Yeon-shin streaked forward like a ray of light.

He dashed through the battlefield, stepping lightly on the invisible force that radiated from the Golden Wall, using it as a bridge.

It was the result of the energy wave he had unleashed when he had first pressed down the Blade of the Land’s sword with Phantom Strength.

In a single moment, he had escaped the battlefield.

Perhaps due to his concentration reaching its peak, an idea flashed in his mind as if he had activated Moonlit Blade.

[If the problem is the absorbing force of the Tianxia Tree that continuously devours energy, then treating it as a cogwheel and carving a specific energy structure to block it should work. It’s akin to how masters use energy shockwaves with every breath. By slightly opening the Great Intestine Meridian below the waist and tensing the abdominal rectus muscle to create elasticity....]

Ignoring the stunned expression on the Grand Elder’s face, Jeong Yeon-shin stepped deeper into the Elder’s Hall.

Then, without hesitation, he reached out to the true form of the Tianxia Tree.

It took only an instant to press his palm against the chest of the being that resembled the Lord of Yuhuang City.

[Twist the Tai Chi three times to form the Six Harmonies, then advance twice more to align the Eight Trigrams, anchoring on two focal points... By setting the intention of halting the absorption and offering an appropriate energy fragment....]

But the scene before his eyes changed.

In an instant, the expressionless entity’s garments were dyed a bright green, like fresh leaves.

Not just a single point—its entire body was transformed.

As if a bold brushstroke had swept across it.

Behind him, the Blade of the Land and the Golden Wall froze as if turned to ice.

The arrow, which had already been loosed once more by the Heavenly Bow Lord, twisted sideways in midair as if it had been guided by the mysteries of swordsmanship.

A distant section of the ground collapsed.

"You said you have sacrificed yourselves for centuries."

Jeong Yeon-shin cast a glance at the entity that resembled the Lord of Yuhuang City before withdrawing his hand.

This time, it was not difficult.

"Was it like the wall-gazing meditation of the Bodhidharma? I am quite curious about the reason. But if there is something you must atone for, then I will not press further. Even if I withdraw now and beg forgiveness from my master...."

"You do not understand."

Once again, the Blade of the Land’s response was as mechanical as a clockwork machine.