Chapter 609: Chapter 609

Since stepping into the martial world—

Jeong Yeon-shin had lived through an intensely condensed span of time.

He had never wasted a single moment. Every experience held meaning, and the martial arts that arose from them were deeply entwined with his life, like a radiant wheel encircling his heart.

Given enough time, there was no opponent he couldn’t defeat. The same went for cornering an enemy into desperation.

“You’ve locked the gate. I’ve lost.”

The Lord of Cheongeuk finally raised both hands. At some point, as if it had all been a lie, he had already returned the Child’s Dream Sword to its scabbard.

He was a man who claimed safety in the unorthodox path was his creed.

With Spatial Void completely sealed—

There was no chance he would abandon his beloved sword infused with his spiritual energy and risk a life-or-death duel with Jeong Yeon-shin. This was the very definition of a dead-end. To the Lord of Cheongeuk, it seemed absurd and bleak beyond anything he’d experienced before.

“Well now, living long enough, you really...”

And yet, there was a certain cheerfulness in the voice that came out from beneath his bristly beard.

“I’ve seen it all. Really, I have.”

As he was told, the Lord of Cheongeuk had to follow Jeong Yeon-shin. Falling behind too much wasn’t allowed.

In the shattered valley of Han Hyeol-gok, Jeong Yeon-shin had held some kind of exchange with the Blood King and his daughter. Then, with the Yin-Resonant Sword Song, he had driven the elite cavalry of the Violent Wind Division to the brink of annihilation.

Before reciting the sword song, Jeong Yeon-shin had asked the Lord of Cheongeuk to lend him the Child’s Dream. But sensing something strange, the Lord refused, forcing Jeong Yeon-shin to settle for the paired saber of the Vice Lord of the Violent Wind Division instead.

Both the Lord and Vice Lord of the Violent Wind Division were still alive. That was because Jeong Yeon-shin had pierced through the gaps in their internal organs with the formless blade of his sword. Even the destructive shockwaves from the “Starlit Night” technique had been suppressed to make it possible.

Their bodies were soaked in blood, barely able to move. Their internal energy was no longer as mighty as before.

The Lord of the Violent Wind Division, suffering from demonic blood corrosion, was being dragged around like a sack of grain by Jeong Yeon-shin. Even the bandit’s characteristic rough voice came out like it was being clawed from his throat.

“Why’d you let me live? Aren’t you the commander of the Divine Sword Corps?”

“Aren’t you with the Semi-Divine faction? If I toss you before the Pro-Divine Northern Kings, you’ll do something. Even struggling to survive is of use to me.”

“That’s what makes a hero.”

By that time, Eo Ung-gong and Joo Gwang-shin, who had descended belatedly from the summit, were at a loss for words. Even more so after seeing the Lord of Cheongeuk.

The Divine Sword Commander moved quickly.

Not even half a day had passed since he arrived at Han Hyeol-gok.

Like the sword in its sheath being completely different from the one drawn—before Jeong Yeon-shin, who had now revealed his martial power, everything progressed swiftly and without hesitation.

“So what’s your goal? You could’ve made a bigger move.”

“Use your Spatial Void.”

“You’re going to take me to the Southern Emperor’s territory. The Black Capital—the capital of the Demon Realm, to be exact.”

Originally, it was a journey of more than a thousand li southeast, and that was assuming a straight line cutting through the Demon Realm. The terrain wasn’t even flat.

It was the chaotic end of the Yuan Dynasty, when monsters and spirits roamed unchecked.

Like how Shin Yae-hyeon of the Jeong household had witnessed terrain completely altered, countless regions had changed. The Demon Realm was even worse. It had never been seen as a place where the “gates” needed to be closed in the first place.

Maps passed down since the Yuan era had all been rendered obsolete in the current time.

Even if Jeong Yeon-shin used sword-flight alone, the time lost between rests would be immense.

So if he had met one of only three masters in the world of Spatial Void, he had every right to make use of him.

But the Lord of Cheongeuk’s reaction was expected.

“Cut space, like you always do. Widen the blade path enough for all of us to fit through.”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s voice was calm.

Behind him stood over two hundred members of the Blood King’s household. Around one hundred twenty riders and horses of the Violent Wind Division.

The two groups were slightly separated on a low ridge, but the Blood King’s people bared their fangs at the fallen warriors of the Violent Wind Division who couldn’t even stand.

They were gathered by strength. The experience of playing bandits with Ma Gwang-ik back in Xi’an had been significant.

It was a unity forged through the martial world.

The Lord of Cheongeuk’s lips twitched.

“To cut a sheath into the fabric of nature like Spatial Void... you do know it comes with a heavy price, don’t you? The ones passing through the door I open may be at ease, but...”

“Of course. I thought you, being an unorthodox martial artist, wouldn’t mind such things.”

“You’ve got a smooth tongue.”

The Lord of Cheongeuk pulled the wide brim of his bamboo hat down to cover his mouth. A clear sign he had no intention of continuing the conversation.

That left only the Blood King.

―Do you know? In Ming territory, those red eyes of the blood demons—do you know how they’re treated! Do you know why our clan, once allied with the Bloodflame Cult, was forced up here to the Demon Realm, living among the Yozoku!

It was a story still ringing clearly in Jeong Yeon-shin’s ears.

Just like when he’d spoken those words through voice transmission, the Blood King now stood at the front of his people, his blood-red eyes narrowed. Not even a trace of goodwill remained in his gaze toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

Only Jeok Iseo stood at his side, looking as though she might rip her father’s arm off at any moment.

“They’re stronger than us. Father, don’t act recklessly.”

“How would you know...?”

“I want to see Harin. He says I can go.”

“How can you believe him?”

“He’s told only the truth. You felt it with your own energy center, didn’t you?”

“That’s exactly the problem!”

It would’ve been comical if it weren’t so threatening.

And it truly was threatening. Jeong Yeon-shin had gained much from the Ming Sect, but the natural body the Blood King pursued was a different level entirely.

“That attitude’s only natural. Even if you don’t say it outright...”

It was Joo Gwang-shin who spoke.

By now, Eo Ung-gong looked completely at ease on his back, while Eo Ung-gong himself was clearly hoping to hand him off to Jeong Yeon-shin. His youthful cheeks flinched several times.

Jeong Yeon-shin ignored it and strode up to Jeok Iseo.

Of all the royal members of the Blood King’s family, she was the most awkward and yet most comfortable to be around—because she resembled the Seventh Apostate.

Her kin recoiled in shock.

He ignored them and placed a hand on her crown. It was a soft and dreamlike movement.

At the same time, Jeong Yeon-shin noticed she had been gripping her father’s arm tightly for some time.

A man who looked like he would drink beast’s blood like wine was cowering before his successor. Before the Blood King could protest, Jeong Yeon-shin asked:

“Is ‘Iseo’ a courtesy name?”

It was to ease her tension. She nodded obediently.

“Most would use their courtesy name publicly. I’m curious why it’s reversed for you.”

With that, Jeong Yeon-shin awakened the True Blood Energy sealed in the first radiant wheel.

It was inner energy invented through a deal with the Seventh Apostate, created solely for her. The very same power that made it possible for Hwan-gang’s true energy to clash with friction during the development of the Radiant Wheel Method.

Demonic True Blood Art.

A translucent wave of energy spread erratically, burrowing straight into Jeok Iseo’s eyes. By then, the Blood King, who would become a key part of Jeong Yeon-shin’s future forces, was on the verge of erupting.

But he didn’t lash out. Because her response was so calm.

“...Our clan doesn’t use public courtesy names. During our coming-of-age ritual, we’re given a true name instead. Our fate is tied to that name. We only reveal it to those we’ll share our lives with. Like a secret name—so the blood demon hunters won’t be able to track us.”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s blood energy was now at its peak. Stone dust flew outward in all directions from beneath his feet. The Blood King finally shook her arm off in a panic.

“You bastard! Just because you’ve learned the Blood Art—do you think that makes you one of us? What the hell are you doing...?!”

Jeong Yeon-shin opened his mouth quietly.

“I am the master of the True Blood Lineage.”

He had said he never wasted a single moment of his life.

He had dug into the very foundation of the True Blood Energy’s structure, until even its madness and nature were pliable in his senses.

It was a talent thrown at him like divine favor, in exchange for his lifespan. The very meaning behind why the Bloodflame Cult Leader had once appointed him as Taesa.

And it was also the long-cherished wish of all blood demons.

Suddenly, Jeok Iseo’s pupils began to turn black. A dreamlike, surreal transformation.

The true energy that once blazed in her ruby eyes rapidly lost color, like Jeong Yeon-shin’s lifespan being spent. Soon, the crimson irises faded to charred obsidian, like burned-out embers.

While the Blood King found himself at a loss for words—

Just then, as the clearing emptied of voices, a gust from the north swept down like a storm. Countless pinecones were kicked into the air, scattering upward without end.

Crossing the cracked riverbeds of late winter again and again, sweeping across vast mountain ranges and endless plains without pause—

Until it finally brushed past the garrison of the Divine Sword Corps in Ipwang Fortress.

The barracks at the garrison—

A military camp built in the middle of a sloped plain, where the sheer heat caused the sky above to ripple in constant vortexes.

It was the site stationed just before the Lava Fortress of the Northern King, Lord of the Lava Fortress. If they continued further, they would reach the capital of the Demon Realm: the Black Capital.

Inside one of the hastily pitched tents, three people sat together.

A young nobleman in black robes with his hair tied by a hero’s cord across his forehead; a lovely girl in a blue long robe with jet-black hair trimmed just below her nape; and another youth, also in blue, whose delicate features still bore a noble air.

They were Hyeon Won-chang, Shin So-bin, and Yeon So-ha.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Chi Geuk King turned back,” said Shin So-bin. Then she hesitated, fingers halfway to twisting the empty space behind her ear—a habit from before.

“It just gets better and better,” Yeon So-ha replied breezily.

But the crisis tightening around the Divine Sword Corps had nothing to do with his calm demeanor.

If they retreated south, they’d be pursued by the factions wielding the Whirling Wind Hollow. Had they stayed in Yeokluseong, they’d have been surrounded by the powerful forces of the Demon Realm’s martial world.

“We really need to strike the head... If only Hero Yong were here...”

Yeon So-ha lazily bobbed his head from side to side.

They had raced north at top speed to avoid being overtaken, but there was no countermeasure for the Northern Kings descending from above.

The sky in the northwest, where the Great King Vajra was advancing, had been filled with thunder and lightning for some time.

The Northern King, Sage Sword Lord of Goyo, had disappeared since the first reconnaissance report.

Meanwhile, the Southern Emperor’s heir, Aisin Gioro Heukhwan, was descending from another direction, cutting down every agent of the Ming Sect across the Demon Realm. He was focused on eradicating scouts.

And then there was the Lord of the Lava Fortress, whom the Divine Sword Corps now faced.

He had never shown his face. Just fortified himself inside a massive fortress that stretched wide enough to block the open wilderness. This despite being known as one of the most battle-hungry Northern Kings.

“They say Chi Geuk’s son-in-law came again. As an envoy, urging us to surrender.”

Shin So-bin fidgeted her small fingers as she spoke.

In her palm, two different streams of inner energy sparked like lightning—the legendary Jecheon Martial Scripture and the demonic Mara True Blood Art.

At times, the friction sent shockwaves fluttering the tent ceiling. Hyeon Won-chang watched it blankly before Shin So-bin asked her question.

“You’re in black, too, aren’t you, Senior Hyeon Won-chang? As Acting Black Blood Corps Master, you could’ve received the envoy. Why didn’t you go?”

“I might’ve killed him.”

Hyeon Won-chang replied without emotion. Like the fallen Flame Dragon who had deserted the army long ago, the lines of his mouth had long forgotten kindness.

Only the sword wrapped in bandages at his hip growled ominously.

Someone threw open the tent flap without hesitation and walked in. The three welcomed the black-robed man with calm expressions.

It was Wеi Ji-geuk, Lord of the Heavenly Dragon Corps.

His face was terribly indifferent. So much so, it contradicted the boldness of his impression.

The moment he entered the tent, he glanced at Shin So-bin and handed her a thin booklet.

“Great Completion and Full Attainment. You don’t need to look anymore. Since the Deputy Commander’s away, I’m giving this to you.”

Shin So-bin didn’t hide her admiration.

“So the Lord is truly a genius... They’re saying he’s the next of the Three Black Steel Pillars.”

“There are others who reached Full Attainment before me?”

“How many do you think you ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) are?”

“In order—Senior Yang Guifei, Lord of Yeouicheon, and Lord Ma Gwang-ik.”

“...I’ve already reviewed it myself, but double-check that nothing’s missing. Once it’s confirmed, incinerate it with Samma True Fire.”

Shin So-bin gave a small nod and opened the booklet. On the eve of battle, the rustle of turning pages fell softly over them.

The ones who sleep, sleep in peace. For they forget their weariness.

But the lanterns hanging on the walls of the Main Training Ground in the stronghold never extinguish. They do not rest. Like the spirit of chivalry within the warriors of the stronghold.

The heart of indestructible steel.

It already holds the essential will. From the energy center to the Liver Meridian of the Lesser Yin Foot Channel, it forms a perfectly flowing circle.

Then the energy center becomes your true stronghold. No matter where your inner energy drifts, no matter how the enemy’s force strikes, you can receive and return it.

From the moment you step into the true essence, you gain unshakable conviction. That conviction is the core of the Breath-Flowing Movement to be explained later.

Rotate your internal energy to your heart’s content. From the moment you read these words, your acupoints will never break. If your unit achieves Full Attainment, you’ll be invincible in group combat.

Even when gravely wounded, even when on the brink of death—it will protect your whole body.

Your inner energy, moving alone on solitary missions, will always find nourishment. There’s no need to seek compassion from the outside.

If you fully establish the Sea of Qi point in the Lower Energy Center as your home, the energy sweeping your entire body will return to the Life Gate at your back.

Once it returns, it will come back stronger. Bones, muscles, blood vessels, entire meridian paths, even the thickest acupoints will grow sturdier.

The will guiding your energy will feel like a return home. Like us, constantly moving—it is active cultivation. Set your heart , and it will work.

Divine Sword Corps of Ipwang Fortress. As human beings, we protect one another. Even in death, we will not be forgotten.

Now, you family bound by the word “wilderness”—

With a gesture, break rivers. With awakening, trample lakes.

It’s okay to be swept away by the currents of the martial world sometimes. If you grow tired, come home.

Because I am your home.

Let this be the True Family Martial Movement of the Divine Sword Corps.

By the time she had finished reading the prologue, Wеi Ji-geuk had already exited the tent. Hyeon Won-chang’s question followed him immediately.

“That’s not your quarters. Has the Original Sword Duel opened?”

Perhaps because he’d handed over a booklet that warriors of Ipwang Fortress rarely dared bring out of their coats, Wеi Ji-geuk’s voice carried a touch of emptiness.

“We advance. I’ll kill the envoy of that dream-dwelling monster and catch up. You go on ahead.”

It was spoken so naturally, it lacked even a trace of killing intent.