“Dharma power martial arts! Really…!”

Master Won Jong let out a shocked cry upon seeing Jeong Yeon-shin.

His wrinkled eyes trembled as if greatly surprised. The Seventh Apostle seemed more composed in comparison.

“Easy to handle? Looking at it, it seems to be martial arts at the level of Shaolin techniques, just strong against blood techniques. It’s not enough to overcome the difference in our true martial prowess. You’re still far below me. Quite cute.”

The Seventh Apostle said with a bright smile. Simultaneously her form seemed to disappear and segment.

The energy wave that blazed up as if planned was tremendous. This time even Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t react.

Bang!

Ma Jin blocked it. The air crumpled at the clash of two supreme masters.

Terrifying momentum rose from Ma Jin’s body as he took a step forward.

The Radiant Demon Wing Lord’s great sword seemed to have the power to push back the Seventh Apostle’s hand.

She narrowed her eyes.

“Radiant Demon Wing Lord. So you were betting much on that youngster Lightning Flash?”

“Shut up.”

“Strike.”

The Blood Flame Sect members reacted to the Seventh Apostle’s short murmur. It was a call for melee.

They swarmed in, surrounding with military formations from all directions.

With so many pressing in, it began to feel like falling into the middle of a war.

Blood-colored hair could be seen from all directions. The sharpness of all kinds of blades echoed approaching from eight directions.

Jeong Yeon-shin saw eyes widely opened with madness.

Each red pupil had something beyond human contained within.

Murderers like those seen at the Jeong family house overflowed everywhere. Strength entered his sword-gripping hand.

Clang!

He struck upward immediately. One guy’s blade was completely shattered. He stepped forward and cut through to the neck.

The feeling of catching bone was brief, the smoothly distorted trajectory entered the realm of rising sword techniques.

The Desolate Sword in his hand began drawing sword paths while raising dim light.

‘Radiance.’

Light streams flowed like waves. Everything following was sword strikes.

The Radiant Sword Style created at Zhongnan Mountain had an unbroken flow. It was different from when he only used the swift sword technique.

Without using much power, he could ride over three swords and send five heads flying.

“Seal his hands!”

“Drive teeth into his neck!”

The Blood Flame Sect guys weren’t in their right minds. They attacked with methods he couldn’t even think of.

Throwing their bodies was common. As if aiming to exploit all blind spots, they tried to grab and hang onto his limbs.

Some even scattered coins like hidden weapons. All had true energy imbued so he had to deflect or dodge them.

It was when Jeong Yeon-shin took Radiant Wing’s First Step to brush past a crescent-shaped wheel.

“Lightning Flash! This way!”

Baek Mi-ryeo’s shout was buried under the Blood Swordmasters’ sword strike force waves. There wasn’t just one or two.

There were over twenty who could reign as kings at the county level.

‘The sect leader is tied up with the Seventh Apostle, and there are more Blood Swordmasters than blue-levels.’

He assessed the battle situation with his group battle sense. They said Cheong Myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo were outstanding even among blue-level masters.

The other blue-levels also faced several Blood Swordmasters without retreating. What needed worrying was Jeong Yeon-shin himself.

He operated Eternal Blossom Fist’s technique in his left hand. He immediately burst force waves with his clenched fist.

Simultaneously the air distorted tilting. The second move, Advancing Thunder’s strike shattered both wheel and head.

Puhk-!

Was it just before transforming into a Blood Swordmasters? The force bouncing back from the fist surface was considerable.

Yet it was one strike. Even a Radiant Demon Wing senior nearby looked on in surprise.

‘Still not enough.’

Breaking through the situation was impossible. He still didn’t have the power to lead the situation in the realm of supreme masters.

They said that was the role of Desolate Sect black-levels. Unless Ma Jin killed the Seventh Apostle, it wasn’t a situation that could be easily resolved.

Slash!

He sent another head flying with a swift sword technique Radiant Sword Style in one go. The guy went without even sensing the sword strike’s sign.

Simultaneously Jeong Yeon-shin immersed internally. The martial art that had risen when grabbing the Seventh Apostle’s dagger had subsided again.

He couldn’t raise it at will. It seemed because the chants weren’t concretized.

“Haah-!”

An aged shout rang out. It was right beside Jeong Yeon-shin’s left.

Turning his gaze, he saw Master Won Jong striking out palm techniques with a battle cry. The energy wave didn’t feel that strong.

‘They said he was a martial way monk.’

A monk who studied martial principles and oral chants. There were also stories that Shaolin’s potential came from them.

However, their activities in the murim were inferior to warrior monks, so they rarely made their names known.

That’s when it happened.

“Can’t even handle one guy.”

“Kill the old monk first.”

Two Blood Swordmasters approached Master Won Jong. Harming monks was a taboo regardless of era.

In contrast, their actions showed no hesitation.

It meant Blood Flame Sect doctrine was free from worldly concepts. That’s why they were an evil sect.

Jeong Yeon-shin swept his surroundings with all his senses. He had somehow become far separated from Radiant Demon Wing.

Having omnidirectional perception? Controlling distance at will in masters’ melee was a separate issue.

At this moment, he was the only one who could help Won Jong.

He stomped the ground. Self-generated wind swept past his eyes.

The figures of guys wearing cold smiles rapidly grew larger.

Dim light clusters rose at the edge of his vision. It was the precursor of Radiant Sword Style gathered in the Desolate Sword.

He split the strong wind brushing over his hand.

Swish-!

The Radiant Sword Style’s strike passed through striking upward between one guy’s brows just as he turned around.

He fell in instant death. The sword strike didn’t stop. It clashed with a guy who had somehow turned and prepared.

Clang!

“What sword force…!”

Bewilderment settled in the Blood Swordmaster’s eyes.

Jeong Yeon-shin wasn’t relaxed. The fact that the guy could speak itself was evidence he had energy left over.

The Blood Flame Sect believed in their numbers. Being an evil sect made them spread even more widely. It was paradoxical.

“Master! To the north!”

Jeong Yeon-shin finally made a decision. Before the attack, Ma Jin had mentioned the Righteous Heaven Sword Family.

If he had anticipated such a scattered situation, it was something that should be included as an option.

Following Radiant Demon technique moves, he kicked the Blood Swordmaster’s knee hollow. It was a kick imbued with Fate Defying Scripture true energy amplification.

With a thud, the guy collapsed. He beheaded him and passed by.

Slash!

Master Won Jong who had been hidden by the guy’s body was revealed. His eyes were wide open.

“I guessed you weren’t ordinary since sparring with Gak Jeong… but how could one at that age have such martial arts…”

“It’s meaningless. Let’s move.”

The battlefield kept expanding. It was even more so because Radiant Demon Wing and Shaolin were strong.

They had already left the Xinye White Martial Faction behind, and somehow reached the marketplace.

“How far are we going!”

“Ask them!”

The Blood Flame Sect seemed determined. The hundred or so weren’t all of them.

Seeing the endlessly surging Blood Flame Sect members, one had to wonder what the government troops were doing.

He hadn’t known Xinye County was this corrupt. At this point it was a great battle in martial world terms.

Fortunately the breakthrough route was good. It was because they passed the tavern where Radiant Demon Wing had unpacked.

They recovered and mounted two fine horses. He wasn’t worried about his companions.

‘If I can break out, everyone can.’

Among the Radiant Demon Wing masters on the mission, only Hyeon Won-chang was weaker than Jeong Yeon-shin. Even he wasn’t much cause for concern.

Hyeon Won-chang was a master who overlaid killing sword on Radiant Demon techniques. It meant he was proficient in killing.

It was sword techniques that would show greater effectiveness than any martial art in melee.

“This way!”

Master Won Jong followed behind Jeong Yeon-shin who gripped the reins. Only the sound of galloping horses rang through the streets.

All surrounding civilian houses trembled in silence with doors locked. While feeling sorry, Jeong Yeon-shin thought of his companions.

Going back would only be a burden. The Seventh Apostle was still a master he couldn’t handle.

Avoiding a battlefield where one couldn’t protect oneself was helping.

The old monk who had briefly become a companion seemed to know too. Master Won Jong riding beside him opened his mouth.

“They don’t seem to be chasing.”

“Unless their lightness techniques are faster than horses, even decent Blood Swordmasters would have trouble, since we killed two of them.”

“You did.”

He closed his mouth after those words. His mood seemed complex.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t mind and drew Henan Province’s geography in his mind.

Though Central Plains maps were treasures only viewable by Desolate Sect’s sect leader level and above, Ma Jin had made him memorize them for missions.

‘We need to cross the river.’

The horses’ steps had already reached the waterside. They had completely left Xinye County.

“Let’s get on that.”

“You mean that pleasure boat?”

He was wondering if they’d have to abandon the precious horses, when there happened to be a leisure boat leisurely passing nearby.

It was a flower boat with an awning in the center. Quite large.

It was the season for young people to enjoy spring energy. Perhaps boat rides common at this time.

They couldn’t relax due to the incident that had erupted nearby.

“Come here.”

Master Won Jong spoke with true energy. What? Jeong Yeon-shin muttered.

As a martial way monk devoted to Buddhist dharma and martial art principles all his life, he seemed to lack worldly experience.

For someone said to have done wall-gazing practice for over ten years, he was a monk with eccentric aspects.

Perhaps his status before becoming a monk had been high.

The pleasure boat began turning and approaching. Jeong Yeon-shin’s brows furrowed slightly.

It was because he saw ten warriors standing like guards.

The young men and women looking this way with strange smiles among them were secondary.

It was a world where swords were expensive. It wasn’t easy to find warriors with suitable character and martial arts to keep nearby.

‘Children of famous families? They seem properly trained in martial arts.’

Just as Jin Yul who approached pretending friendliness to attempt assassination came to mind. The boat that had already come close felt even larger.

The timber composing its body was luxurious and neatly fitted. It was extraordinary no matter how you looked at it.

The first to speak weren’t the young masters holding wine cups.

“The old monk seems to need travel companions.”

A young lady who appeared to be from a powerful family’s daughter stood and approached the ship’s side.

Perhaps around eighteen. She was adorned to match her splendid beauty, and she seemed to be the group’s center.

Appearance and such weren’t an issue to Jeong Yeon-shin. His gaze went to the precious sword at her waist.

Energy waves could be felt. They were martial artists. Which sect were they from?

He opened his mouth looking at the young lady.

“Venerable Monk is focused on his practice so he couldn’t mind courtesies. Please understand.”

“What is this fellow saying?”

As Master Won Jong turned sharply, she laughed out loud.

“I was getting a bit bored, but this is interesting. Will you come aboard? As you can see, we can easily handle a couple horses.”

There wasn’t particularly powerful energy. Jeong Yeon-shin slightly bowed his head and stepped onto the ship’s side.

He ignored Master Won Jong glaring at him from beside.

The interior was even more luxurious than the outside. It was hard to tell if it was a ship or a banquet hall.

Those seated around exchanged eye greetings.

They were mostly young people around the young lady’s age, who didn’t seem to feel the need to stand and pay respects.

The young lady who had taken a seat nodded slightly.

“This is a rising talent meeting of the Deep Martial Alliance. The fellow practitioners call me Sword Art Flower.”

The title meaning a flower skilled with the sword was secondary. At this moment, Jeong Yeon-shin’s martial world expanded.

Deep Martial Alliance. Another of the Thirteen Thousand. They said they had power no less than the Demon Blade Sect and Blood Flame Sect.

It was a gathering of rising talents from demonic path sects.

‘Seems there’s no heir to the Deep Martial Alliance leader.’

No one seemed particularly strong. Perhaps because Jeong Yeon-shin’s standards had risen.

These too must strictly be promising talents of the Deep Martial Alliance.

A young master sitting close to Sword Art Flower leisurely propped his chin.

“You seem to be a Desolate Sect martial artist, why are you trying to cross the river in such a hurry?”

“Blood Flame Sect groups are running wild nearby. We fled while listening to the monk’s dharma talk.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke the truth while observing their reactions. They said Deep Martial Alliance.

Though the Thirteen Heavens weren’t a single unified alliance, they often cooperated.

There was a high possibility they already knew about the Xinya County incident.

Indeed they did.

Each smiled with strange expressions. The young master smiled.

“Desolate Sect wags its tail to the Thirteen Heavens. This is interesting.”

Laughter burst out everywhere. From the start it wasn’t just a boat ride of wealthy family children.

Dignified sneers filled the boat.

“You know what? The blood-sucking ghosts worried about a small fry like you fleeing. Didn’t expect to catch a Shaolin martial way monk too.”

“This happens to be the best place in the world for silencing people.”

Sword Art Flower smiled slightly. She seemed to be referring to the water. Bodies thrown in would be hard to find.

The boat moved further from shore. Now there was no turning back.

“Amitabha.”

Master Won Jong quietly chanted the Buddha’s name, and Jeong Yeon-shin silently gripped his sword.

“You don’t seem very afraid. Youngster.”

Sword Art Flower muttered. She was already holding her sword.

“Shall we spill some blood first?”

Along with the light words, energy waves rose from Sword Art Flower’s slender body.

Immediately followed by sword drawing that seemed to prove her title. The rising sword light headed in an unexpected direction.

A woman bringing food widened her eyes without knowing why. She seemed unrelated to the Deep Martial Alliance.

This is why they’re demonic path. They consider human lives trivial.

Jeong Yeon-shin sitting opposite was already circulating Jeong Family Dynamic Training.

The wooden floor cracked with his single step rising.

While gently pulling the woman’s arm with his left hand, he advanced.

He struck out with the Desolate Sword along with anger rising like river mist.

The Radiant Sword Style’s light rays dyeing the mist white. The sword that rushed like lightning charged pure white.

It deflected Sword Art Flower’s blade and still rushed forward like a tremor to split her neck.

Splash-!

‘Hm?’

He was stronger than even his own thoughts. He corrected his posture while ignoring the rolling head.

“Don’t try anything.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said quietly. Those grabbing weapons in shock flinched.

The sneers filling the hall were covered by fear and panic. Sword Art Flower had been the strongest among them.

“How could such a sword strike…”

The young master stammered.

The others couldn’t even open their mouths, now looking more like demonic path underlings than noble family children.

There was only a difference in discernment to recognize the essence of one sword strike.

Being on water together with higher-level masters hostile to oneself. Could there be greater terror in the martial world?

“She, she was the precious daughter of the Deep Martial Alliance’s Cheng family estate! Are you not afraid of future consequences?”

“You’re the ones who should worry about Desolate Sect’s consequences. You aimed for our necks. For now we’ll settle for going north. We’ll decide your fate then. You row.”

Having lost interest, he even sheathed his sword. Jeong Yeon-shin’s face was indifferent.

‘The Deep Martial Alliance’s elites must be elsewhere.’

Did his thoughts show on his expression? The young master’s face turned red.

“She was Sword Art Flower of the Cheng family! Do you truly not know?”

“We didn’t exchange names.”

He tapped his sword wave.

“Radiant Demon Wing, Lightning Flash.”