Chapter 509: Chapter 509
The moment Golden Barrier Master abruptly ceased his pretense of sleep—
And the thunder energy within him annihilated the Mong In-wol warriors in an instant.
Suddenly, the sky rippled vastly, like the ocean waters of distant Hainan.
The expanding flow undulated in a massive circular motion, scattering the clouds. Despite the immense range, it moved eerily without a sound.
A Secret Divine Technique.
White Butterfly, Forget One World.
Guangxi’s greatest martial art.
A mystical technique—
It prevented distant observers trained in divination arts from spying on the battlefield. At the same time, the diffusing mist of energy seeped into the opponent’s skin, disrupting their meridian flow as if piercing through acupoints.
But it had no effect on those already asleep.
That remained true even now.
To Golden Barrier Master, everything was a dream. And due to the sheer force of his state of being, even when he was technically awake, his internal thunder energy incinerated any invading force attempting to disrupt his meridians.
The power of Three Blossoms Returning to Purity.
His internal energy had become one with his senility.
A distant peal of thunder echoed softly from the sky high above.
Mong In-wol's leader, Sang I-ryeong, the supreme commander of the eastern front in the Ipwang Fortress Extermination War, slowly parted her lips.
“...The martial world is like a dream. Life is fleeting. Goals are meaningless.”
Her murky, unfocused eyes—
Like ink soaked in mist—
Reflected the fallen disciples of Mong In-wol.
"Did you all dream well?"
The immense natural energy in the sky condensed and dispersed, gathering like mist only to scatter again.
The movement coincided perfectly with the rhythm of her breathing.
It was a bizarre phenomenon—
As if there were no distance limits to her energy manipulation.
The shift was so peculiar that even the golden-eyed noble youth, who had fiercely glared at Ma Jin just moments ago, turned his gaze toward her.
The Golden Barrier Master of the Celestial Tree.
To those unfamiliar with his identity, he appeared as nothing less than a living catastrophe.
No one had ever completely escaped the effects of White Butterfly, Forget One World.
Would Sang I-ryeong now be helplessly slain or forced into retreat by this senile golden monster?
A person who allowed such an outcome could not be called a true master.
Mong In-wol’s leader had always prepared for counterforces. Drunkards had only themselves to rely on.
She had survived entirely on her own, rising to become one of the Thirteen Lords of the Martial World despite having been expelled from the Beggars’ Sect.
The southwestern lands were harsh, though perhaps not as merciless as the northern regions, one could not thrive without the instincts of a predator.
Sang I-ryeong’s lips moved slightly.
“...Keep pretending to sleep.”
She withdrew the vast energy field that had encased the entire eastern sector of Ipwang Fortress.
Immediately, the previously turbulent sky energy surged downward, crashing upon her like a translucent waterfall.
The speed was blinding.
A precise vertical stream, striking directly through her Baihui Acupoint and Upper Dantian.
As she became completely enveloped in pale mist, her pupils gleamed with an unnatural blue light.
A high-frequency resonance leaked from her eyes.
This was not a sight of the mortal realm.
The martial arts of the world were varied and vast.
Seeing this, Golden Barrier Master pointed excitedly at her.
"You're making the same face Yeon-shin does when he’s pissed off! That guy was totally right about everything that day! You really do use your Upper Dantian a lot, huh?"
“I haven’t even killed that many people, all I took was a few leaves from the Celestial Tree’s trunk.”
They spoke over each other, completely ignoring each other's words.
By now, the clarity in Sang I-ryeong’s speech had sharpened.
Like a drunkard who had suddenly sobered up, her body was now filled entirely with the essence of natural energy.
Her words only seemed slightly sluggish due to the intense surge of power flowing within her.
Meanwhile, Ma Jin said nothing.
Still steadying himself after the Golden Barrier Master’s thunder strike, he simply observed the surviving Mong In-wol warriors—those still reeling from the shock.
In the blink of an eye, Ma Jin’s black cloak spun through the air as he lunged forward in a wide arc.
Compressing the distance between them with his rotating step, his blade struck deep into Demonic Illusion Divine Slayer, Zhao Quan-il’s side.
The impact rippled faintly—
Not dispersing outward, but instead compressing itself into the point of impact.
A Supreme-Level Internal Art.
Ma Jin’s blade tore through Zhao Quan-il’s protective energy, ripping through his skin and muscles, before shattering his ribs completely.
A suffocating explosion echoed.
Blood gushed from Zhao Quan-il’s lips.
Without even glancing at him, Ma Jin tightened his grip on the hilt.
The wide blade sank even deeper, the sickening sound of flesh rupturing emerging as his ribs caved in.
Yet Ma Jin’s gaze had already moved on.
It was now locked onto Je Wi-cheol, Leader of the Nine Provinces.
The same cold intensity as the reckless warriors of his youth.
The air around him hummed with killing intent, so piercing that even Golden Barrier Master flinched, momentarily shutting his mouth.
But Ma Jin no longer paid any attention to the monster of the Celestial Tree.
With the Azure Heaven Division’s swordsmen behind him, he gazed at the remaining Mong In-wol warriors with utter disdain.
Those who had dared violate the fortress.
Many factions had sought to conquer Ipwang Fortress.
But never had any of them actually set foot inside the walls.
Even before Jeong Yeon-shin had officially taken his seat as Lord of the Divine Sword Corps.
“The Azure Heaven Division conveys the orders of the General Bureau.”
“They will be beheaded. Preserve the heads of the enemies.”
The swordsmen of the Azure Heaven Division responded wordlessly, their blades humming ominously.
They were the final barrier etched into the eastern front of Ipwang Fortress.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
If this line was breached, the enemy would push straight into the inner halls where the families under the fortress’s banner resided.
This was why the battle had to end here.
Against the backdrop of pristine white brick walls, a snow-white swallow spread its wings and soared into the distant sky.
It was White Swallow, a message carrier from the General Bureau, sent by the current acting leader of the Divine Sword Corps.
It had previously visited the Blood Demon of the Extreme Veins.
The Mong In-wol leader’s gaze flickered between Ma Jin and White Swallow.
Her and the Golden Barrier Master's figures suddenly distorted on the ground.
With a deafening roar, the atmosphere tilted violently.
In the blink of an eye—
The two of them stood high above the ground, pressing their palms together in midair.
From the point of collision, a low, rumbling sound echoed like the mourning cries of storm clouds.
Neither had been pushed back from the first clash.
A subtle look of astonishment flickered in Golden Barrier Master’s eyes.
Mong In-wol’s leader felt the same.
She had thought she was breaking into an empty house only to find herself face-to-face with the government's enforcers.
“Was there really a reason to risk your life for Ipwang Fortress?
It’s going to be trampled anyway.”
Two peerless masters both wielding lethal techniques.
Even if one surpassed the other in raw martial ability, neither could confidently claim a perfect victory.
But Golden Barrier Master did not respond.
His lips remained firmly shut, giving him a strangely stoic appearance.
It was as if he were mimicking Ma Jin’s earlier demeanor—
A senile old man, playing at youthful arrogance.
But it did not last long.
The moment Sang I-ryeong glanced at him—
The cork of a gourd at her waist popped open by itself.
At the same time a clear stream of liquor rose from the bottle, pouring directly into her mouth.
A real combat stance of Drunken Fist.
Manipulating liquor to fuel her Upper Dantian— a technique that let her harness intoxication itself as a power source.
The fragrance of pure fruit liquor spread instantly and in that same moment a humming resonance burst from Golden Barrier Master’s palm.
The formless energy traced along the rising stream of liquor and in the next instant It disappeared.
The fragrant fruit liquor turned into mist within moments, barely moistening Sang I-ryeong’s lips.
Yet, even that was enough to make her gaze unfocused once more.
She had drawn in the intoxication in its entirety, manipulating the nerves within her body at will.
Golden Barrier Master chuckled and asked,
“I heard you earlier. Why do you desire the branch of the World Tree?”
His voice was unnaturally clear.
But Sang I-ryeong didn’t answer.
Instead, she withdrew her palm from his and folded one leg up in a kick.
The air sucked into the trajectory like a storm.
Even the sea of drifting clouds above was carved by a razor-thin line.
Golden Barrier Master whistled in admiration as he dodged backward into # Nоvеlight # the air, but the whistle failed to sound properly, swallowed by the fierce wind Sang I-ryeong had conjured.
“She’s got quite the sharp tongue, just like Hui-myeong.”
He grinned awkwardly—
Sang I-ryeong let herself be pulled in by her own vacuum-like leg technique.
She had accelerated her own movement using her mastery of the Void Steps.
In that instant— she closed in on Golden Barrier Master’s front.
Her speed rivaled the flashes of golden lightning crackling in his wake.
Her foot struck his side a ripple of distorted wind bursting from the impact, unraveling like a loosened spool of thread.
A thunderous roar followed.
Golden Barrier Master’s body was launched sideways like a cannonball.
But Sang I-ryeong merged into the very wind she had conjured, twisting through the air like a dancer.
In an instant, she appeared behind his back.
Her knee drove upward, crashing into his spine.
Drunken Wind Immortal Dance.
A colorless shockwave exploded from Golden Barrier Master’s back—
And the next moment his body was hurled skyward like a pierced arrow.
It was a meaningful strike.
For the first time, blood trickled from Golden Barrier Master’s lips.
Their approaches to combat were completely different.
Sang I-ryeong’s tattered sleeveless rags billowed wildly.
Her legs, carved with lean, powerful muscles, thrummed with the sound of exploding thunderbolts.
BOOM! KWAKWAKWANG! BOOOOOM—!
Their blurred limbs collided midair.
Their battle trajectory stretched far into the distance, only to return to the same point—only to vanish suddenly again like a dying star.
All the while— Sang I-ryeong’s eyes gleamed a piercing blue.
She had seen through him long ago.
There was no point in trying to deceive an opponent who had forged their lightning to its peak.
Thus, she wielded only two means of attack.
One: The power of Upper Dantian, awakened through intoxication.
Two: Close-quarters combat.
She streaked through the sky like a flash of light.
Her erratic body movements, the signature of Void Steps, linked her attacks seamlessly like an endless chain.
At some point, the sky had become warped her afterimages bent the horizon, etching a twisting path across the heavens.
And when the wind drifted down, brushing against Shin Bin-bin’s hair, who had been swinging her sword on the ground—
Suddenly, Sang I-ryeong’s leg curved like a whip.
The motion unfolded like a fan, trapping Golden Barrier Master and slamming him with seven consecutive waves of force.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG!
A shockwave rippling in concentric circles.
Above the clouds in the sky unraveled like frayed white threads.
Below everyone but Ma Jin staggered from the force.
The Annihilation War.
The name of Ipwang Fortress carried a weight that only grew heavier the higher one climbed in the martial world.
For someone like Sang I-ryeong, who stood at the absolute pinnacle—it was an inescapable truth.
To step into the fortress during this war meant preparing for death.
No matter how many allies were missing, Ipwang Fortress would not be conquered easily.
Sang I-ryeong knew that.
Even as she soared through the air like a dream, her goal was clear.
Golden Barrier Master, who had wandered through the battle like a sleepwalker, suddenly stopped moving in midair.
His robes were tattered, his body covered in bruises.
Still, he smiled vaguely and asked,
“I asked you. Why do you need the branch of the World Tree?”
[Your kind is siphoning all of the earth’s energy with that damn tree. And from where I stand—this land has no future.]
Her thoughts rang out like an echoing bell.
She didn’t even need to speak her intent rippled through the air like a living force.
It was the sign of Void Martial Arts.
A relentless onslaught.
[You people, from your lofty clans, can look down on worthless beggars all you want.]
That was her perspective the view of a peerless master who had walked from the farthest borders to Yangyang.
In the martial world, strength was everything.
In a land ravaged by famine, food was everything.
The high lords of the martial world followed the same law of the strong.
Everyone clung to their status to survive.
[Yes. From a much higher place.]
At that moment, as Sang I-ryeong soared gracefully into the sky, surpassing even herself—
Golden Barrier Master's face paled slightly.
And then, a short murmur escaped his lips.
"If that hits me, I'm dead."
The sound of a raging storm.
The world turned black and white.
It was as if twilight had suddenly draped over Ipwang Fortress.
The sun at its zenith was being erased, as if wiped away by an ink brush.
A pale, circular radiance emerged.
It resembled a hazy full moon.
A technique that expelled force outside the body, forming an untouchable domain.
A technique that used that very force as a stepping stone, allowing the drunken Upper Dantian to unleash hundreds of consecutive kicks with inhuman precision.
[Moon of Mirthful Dreams.]
At some point, Sang I-ryeong had positioned herself against the glowing full moon.
Her long limbs cast dark shadows upon its pale surface.
The roaring winds fell silent.
Suddenly, Golden Barrier Master was right in front of her.
His hand clamped down on her crown.
Like the rough grasp of a senile old man.
Yet behind him, the lingering afterimage of golden lightning flickered faintly.
His thoughts flowed smoothly, like drifting light.
[Unlike Yeon-shin, you’re not very convincing. You should've tried farming by a quiet river before talking about this.]
His reaction speed was like a thunderbolt.
His movement severed her sense of Qi.
It was an unnamed Void Martial Art but in an instant, he had seized the head of Sang I-ryeong.
[I made a promise to Elder Three Peaks. I have to live longer—So I can see the end of our tree.]
[Was it a good dream?]
Against the backdrop of the hazy moon, Golden Barrier Master ripped Sang I-ryeong’s head upward.
A thick, wet tearing sound.
Blood burst forth in an explosive fountain.
The two figures wavered, rippling like shadows in the winter wind.
As her severed head ascended, her world rose higher the last thing Sang I-ryeong, the beggar, saw as she looked down— was a small white bird blinking at her.
The swallow of the Wild Annihilator.