Chapter 517: Chapter 517

The futile strokes of a brush scattered, sending droplets of blood flying.

In the briefest moment, a shimmering haze of red erupted from the body of the Seventh Apostle, and the drops of blood were forcefully swept down to the ground, not a single drop touching her skin.

She muttered under her breath.

Meanwhile, Im Jin-myeong, watching her with a peculiar gaze as the Blood Demon, who so disdainfully rejected others' blood like vermin, politely passed a message to Cheocheong.

-- It's over now. Thank you.

There was no reply from her.

Only the brief shake of Im Jin-myeong's view, once connected to the white swallow, was felt. Cheocheong gently stroked the head of Baek Yeon before she suddenly dissolved into the air.

A tremendously swift movement of her personal energy.

Perhaps because she had poured her full strength into a single strike, her body slightly wavered, and the direction of her movement became somewhat predictable.

To the east of Ipwang Fortress. In the direction where Mong In-wol had infiltrated, it was also the place where the Golden Phoenix had been snoring in a deep sleep, its snout dripping.

Cheocheong was now preparing to return, packing the spoils as if nothing had happened. The pace was too quick for the usual defenses of the Central Guard Division to intercept.

If she, such a transcendent, ran nonstop, she would reach her original resting place in three days.

Clearly, it was difficult for her to leave for long.

"After all, it's the tree that supports the world..."

Im Jin-myeong muttered softly, as if exhaling a sigh with his thoughts. The tension that had tightened his muscles since the moment he encountered Yeoryeongju was only just starting to ease.

Some information, even those violet-ranked experts didn't know, had already been absorbed into his mind. Of course, he was also well aware of the situation of the world tree and the rough characteristics of its four great methods.

The Battle of Ipwang Fortress was over.

News of their great victory would soon shake the world. The vast martial world, except for a few eccentric sects, would be cautious for a while.

But Im Jin-myeong didn't smile. Despite the surge of pride, astonishment, and overwhelming emotions he felt for Jeong Yeon-shin in this moment, he couldn't show it.

Now, it was time for post-battle arrangements.

It didn't matter how many bandits had died. The truly important matter was the death of the core warriors from their home sect. There were even more than one or two.

"Regardless of how much the swordmasters bicker..."

The commoners, who still needed protection, hadn't changed. And Ipwang Fortress had clearly weakened.

The damages must be addressed and rebuilt. The organization of the new formations under the Singeom Master must be restructured. Those who survived, in diminished numbers, must be strengthened.

All of this had to be led by the assistant leader of the Singeom Master.

Im Jin-myeong, without looking down at his fellow colleagues, asked the Seventh Apostle.

"Is the energy truly gone? I can still sense the presence of the Lord in you, but I can't understand their intentions."

The Seventh Apostle asked blankly.

At this point, she too had become a headache for the grand marshal.

The eerie trace left behind by Yeoryeongju’s Moonless Dance still lingered around the area.

A few of the scholars, sensitive to the aura, glanced at each other and then around the room.

The life of a transcendent like her, while tough, was now gradually fading away, just like Yeoryeongju’s life, who lived deceiving the world and passing away without much failure.

The scholars in the Central Guard Division would witness the proper scene.

Im Jin-myeong, while still seated, began listening intently to the reports of his subordinates.

"... The west has been secured."

"From the start, no one was able to handle the Lord of the Suncheon and the Yulryeong Lord."

"And the survivors of the enemy?"

"The west is completely wiped out. The Iron Clan artisans and the allied families were all gathered, so..."

The voices had relaxed.

It was after news spread that Mong In-wol, in the east, had been massacred by Ma Gwang-ik, Changcheon, and some warriors from the Suncheon Ik, with only two survivors.

Earlier, the Central Guard Division had kept a close watch on the ever-approaching battlefield from all directions. Now, many were beginning to relax.

Some even cracked jokes, mostly those who had close ties to the fallen warriors from their home sect.

"... It’s an impertinent thing to say, but a violet one saved the lives of the scholars here. How many strokes did we save this time?"

"Not exactly. The hawks will be coming again. Isn’t it about time for the Lord to start his family? He’ll be eighteen tomorrow."

"Speaking of which, we received marriage proposals for the Lord... from the Palace, the Lord’s Family, the Eun Family, and the Ice Palace... just from the major names, we’ve gathered so many..."

"Ma Gwang-ik and Tae Yeom-ryong too? I'm doubtful about their skills as spies, especially with the Ice Palace included."

In the middle of this, a voice identical to Jeong Yeon-shin’s echoed, but only Im Jin-myeong reacted to it.

He glanced at the Seventh Apostle, who, like Jeong Yeon-shin, was naturally skilled at adjusting the muscles and meridians of her body. He then slowly stood up.

He kicked Yeoryeongju’s body, which was now lying carelessly, to the side.

"Clean up this corpse first."

With that command to his subordinates.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The dust from Yeoryeongju’s remains scattered, spreading his voice throughout the area.

At the moment, sunlight poured from the broken roof above, mixed with the last remnants of the twilight haze.

"From now on, the Central Guard Division will begin cleaning up. The first task is to take stock of the enemy’s remaining forces."

The words marked the end of the Battle of Ipwang Fortress.

Jeong Yeon-shin kicked the ground for no reason.

The earth was cold. His leather shoes had thick soles, perfectly suited for winter, but the chill of this land mocked them and bit into his feet.

Even the energy of Cold and Heat Cannot Invade, gained through his Bone-Shedding Rebirth, was useless here.

Jeong Yeon-shin, standing before his three seniors, glanced downward for a moment, then quietly lifted his gaze.

The body of the flood dragon loomed like a mountain.

It was covered in an overwhelming layer of dark, thick scales, cloaked in a pale mist like a second skin.

He had no intention of diminishing the efforts of his maternal grandfather or the Singeom Master. Their deeds had been noble. But the flood dragon that he, Master Beomheo, and Yulha Nangnang had driven away was far larger. The difference was clear, even at a glance.

As the corners of Jeong Yeon-shin’s lips twitched faintly—almost curling into a smile—

The three violet-ranked seniors, who had each been looking up at the sky, slowly opened their mouths one by one. They had all watched his every move at the gates of his home fortress.

“You’ve killed the ones who needed killing. Truly... well done.”

Ma Yeon-jeok, who had silently appeared beside him at some point, offered a compliment. Just before his grandfather’s arm could rest on his shoulder, Jeong Yeon-shin quietly stepped aside.

Yong Hui-myeong, on the other hand, remained silent.

His face showed no expression.

He had smiled while watching Jeong Yeon-shin’s every move with interest—right until the moment he confirmed the severed heads of Master Myeong-ryu and Sub-Commander Soyeon.

Jeong Yeon-shin understood. The two deceased Black-Robe seniors had once been long-standing comrades of Yong Hui-myeong, the Singeom Master.

Even when he had faced death himself, Yong Hui-myeong had never lost his smile.

How must he feel now?

By contrast, Shin Cheonhwa turned toward Jeong Yeon-shin without hesitation and offered something akin to a lecture.

[Your martial arts are exceptional, but you were a little sloppy.]

“What’s wrong with my grandson?”

It was a strangely affectionate reply. She didn’t flinch in the slightest even when Ma Yeon-jeok momentarily released a suffocating pressure upon her.

[There is no such thing as a non-lethal variant of Moonless Dance. It’s a technique that those so-called peerless masters have poured their entire lives into because they refuse to die without a fight. That bandit-looking scholar was no different. You shouldn’t have taken that head-on. The same goes for the indiscriminate, large-scale techniques. As a result, you nearly collapsed and needed assistance from the Command Bureau.]

Shin Cheonhwa continued in a slow, firm voice.

[Keep this in mind. The Singeom Master is one who suppresses even the unexpected. You must always keep composure.]

Jeong Yeon-shin responded plainly.

He had long thirsted for teaching and affection. And if it came from a senior who spoke from care, he had no reason to resist—it naturally took root deep in his heart.

‘She’s right about everything.’

He had failed to restrain his killing intent and overexerted himself more than once.

If Jeong Yeon-shin kept charging ahead without distinguishing between before and after, he might truly end up like some naive rookie making his first rounds through the martial world.

The peerless masters all lived far longer than he had, and their trump cards were often beyond imagination. Even the Moonless Dance devised by Je Gangcheon of the Green Forest Cavalry had been so.

It was a technique that replicated the exact shockwave formation of the military forces he commanded. If Je Gangcheon’s martial army had been thousands instead of five hundred, the outcome might have been different.

Suddenly, she smiled.

[Trusting the Command Bureau was the right choice. You have the qualities to lead the home fortress.]

A view opposite that of Je Gangcheon, one of the Thirteen Heavens. Jeong Yeon-shin bowed his head in gratitude.

Meanwhile, Ma Yeon-jeok, who had been glaring at her with dissatisfaction, gave a sharp flick of his sleeve.

“So what do you propose?”

The body of the flood dragon, which had been casting a massive shadow like twilight, scattered into pieces. Through the fragmented mist, rays of dark sunlight filtered in like dust.

Everything about this place was strange.

Yong Hui-myeong jerked his chin toward Jeong Yeon-shin and spoke.

“If you die here, not even a corpse remains. Isn’t it such a peculiar, bizarre place?”

[What else? The home fortress is in such a state—we need to do what must be done.]

Shin Cheonhwa’s scolding tone followed.

[I’ve grasped the gist of it. Two of them are bound beyond the gate, and one is fulfilling the role of the violet rank back in the human world. With the other one’s body in this state, that leaves this friend as the only functional violet left. Wouldn’t you agree?]

She brushed the hem of her robe with a flick.

[Then, as a proper senior, shouldn’t we help make this junior a bit more complete? Or am I wrong?]

Jeong Yeon-shin echoed without thinking.

In that moment, Shin Cheonhwa’s eyes met his—and curved like a sharp, crescent blade.

[We’ll add our experience to your martial arts. Those born to families under the home fortress all receive this training from childhood. But in your movements, I saw nothing of the Ma Clan’s fundamentals. Not even a trace. Clearly, there’s some messy family history behind that.]

Immediately after, Jeong Yeon-shin witnessed something rare—his maternal grandfather falling silent for the first time. But with the grace of a gentleman, he pretended not to notice.

[You’ll gain two things from this, I believe.]

[First, how to fight when you're unlucky enough to face multiple peerless masters at once. Second, how to compensate for the difficulty of passing down your style, which relies heavily on instinct. That’s something even the major sects like Shaolin, Wudang, and Mount Hua overcame with time...]

Suddenly, Shin Cheonhwa's smile deepened.

[Four Singeom Masters could stand in for a thousand years. With that, you will become complete—not only as a martial artist, but also as a great master. You’ll be able to raise the martial artists of your lineage to a much stronger level. Oh, and—are you any good at teaching?]

Jeong Yeon-shin replied confidently.

[Good. Then let’s refine all of your martial arts.]

Whether it was agreement or something else, Jeong Yeon-shin noticed Yong Hui-myeong had approached him silently.

His face was still unreadable, but he was, without question, the Singeom Master. Even his maternal grandfather now seemed to accept what the previous generation had said.

“I have long wanted to pass the Unified Harmony Mind Technique down to # Nоvеlight # you. It just so happens I was adjusting my breath—it’s perfect timing.”

Though the surroundings were dim, their presence blazed like the sun.

And so began the transmission of martial arts—directly from the Singeom Master’s proxy.