The late-winter wind was dry.
Saaah—
It brushed transparently across his face. Perhaps it was because an unparalleled supreme master stood before him, smiling as his enemy.
The dust on the ground, stirred by their battle, skimmed over his ankles like clusters of cold blades. The aftershocks of the clash between his senior black-clad comrades and Zhuge Gaju still lingered.
The two seniors said nothing.
Had they accepted Jeong Yeon-shin’s decision as equals in rank?
As the Final Thunder Lotus around him thickened, Jin Myeong-jo's gaze sharpened with concern, while Ak Su-rim clenched and unclenched her fists before stepping back.
The chilling fluctuations in the surrounding air were meant to deter any interference from the noble families.
I can’t let them step in.
His seniors might still have some strength left, but it wasn’t enough to stand against an absolute supreme master.
If Jeong Yeon-shin showed even the slightest sign of faltering, they were ready to intervene at the cost of their own lives—
And that would be the moment they died.
He couldn’t allow that.
Absolutely not.
Jeong Yeon-shin forcefully suppressed his anxiety.
Today is the day.
At the same time, a whisper seemed to murmur from his Upper Elixir Field.
He had to grasp the pinnacle of martial insight in the heat of battle—connecting his own perception, Eon Hwayeon, the Sacred Relic, and Zhuge Gaju like constellations in the sky.
He felt it.
A moment of enlightenment that came only a few times in a lifetime.
It was an intuitive realization.
His mind tingled.
It was similar to when he had created new martial techniques before—yet different.
A great wave of realization surged beyond the corpses of Zhuge Hyeon and Eon Hwayeon, threatening to drown his very soul.
For now, he could not fully grasp its shape.
But the sheer scale of the inspiration was overwhelming.
A crossroads.
Would he become a man who could judge the crimes of supreme masters and the leaders of great sects?
Or would he fail to overcome the innate imbalance of his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, burn brightly for a moment, and fade away as the youngest-ever Grandmaster?
A brilliant light shone over everything he had experienced—his past, his childhood training in Jeong Family’s Dynamic Gong, every moment flashing through his mind.
Here and now, in a life-or-death battle, he had to forge something new.
A technique that could threaten even absolute supreme masters with death.
Can I do it?
And then—
Swish.
Twenty paces away, Zhuge Gaju’s fingertips traced an elegant arc.
Threads fluttered around him like the robes of an immortal maiden.
Each strand was a Zaung Divine Strand, stronger than even hardened internal energy.
[Show me everything you have. Let the martial world witness the heights you have reached. Through you, I will raise the banner of Mooncastle (Wolseong)—and show that Ipwang Fortress can be destroyed like any other sect.]
"Let’s begin."
Zhuge Gaju talked too much. His karma seeped from his very mouth.
Jeong Yeon-shin stepped forward.
The Final Thunder Lotus around his body thickened.
An explosive surge of power roared through his body like a thunderous hum.
The ground beneath his feet shattered the moment he moved.
Boom!
A streak of blurred radiance trailed behind him like a comet—the Ten Mile Radiance Step.
In an instant, he closed the distance and struck the ground with Jingak, his step carrying immense force.
Kuung!
The earth caved in. Shattered debris shot upward.
"Transcendent Qilin."
A burst of wind howled from the impact.
Amidst the scattered stone fragments, his Boreal Abyss Blade lashed out in a sharp, white arc, slicing toward Zhuge Gaju’s face.
Only after it severed the air did five Zaung Divine Strands descend like spears.
Zzzzzng!
A deafening shockwave blasted outward.
Jeong Yeon-shin clenched his teeth.
The backlash climbing up his arm felt like lightning scorching his flesh.
His narrowed vision caught sight of the man who had desecrated Azure Qilin’s corpse.
The resemblance to Zhuge Hyeon was uncanny—those finely drawn yet piercing features.
Irritating.
That man should not ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) be wielding a fan.
A fan was only fitting for a figure as noble as Zhuge Hyeon.
At least, that was how it felt to Jeong Yeon-shin, who had lived only a short life in the martial world.
The man who killed his son laughed.
[You will be the harbinger of Ipwang Fortress’s annihilation. You are worthy of such a role.]
His voice vibrated like the buzzing of countless wasps.
The Six Harmonies Transmission Voice mixed with the profound resonance of True Incantations.
The ten Zaung Divine Strands wove together above and below him.
The air itself distorted from their overwhelming power.
Zzzzzzng!
Jeong Yeon-shin deflected them with his blade, bouncing backward.
Even with his Wind God’s Steps, he had to push himself to the limit.
He spun, letting the surrounding winds coil around his body.
Evading the relentless divine strands, he felt their razor-like gales scrape across his skin.
If he got trapped, it would be the end.
Each strand was a masterpiece of martial sorcery, bordering on Weapon Awakening.
[That technique... it must be putting immense strain on your body. How much longer can you sustain it? You wear power beyond your means.]
Zhuge Gaju laughed as he waved his hand once more.
The divine strands lashed out in chaotic trajectories.
He no longer even bothered to hide his true strength.
Jeong Yeon-shin, having activated Final Thunder Lotus, could not fully channel his Blade Force into his sword.
The Boreal Abyss Blade no longer glowed with blue light.
He had effectively sealed away the Bane of Demonic Qi, his sword’s greatest advantage.
Yet, to keep up with Zhuge Gaju’s attacks, he needed to maintain Final Thunder Lotus.
The only thing allowing him to hold his own was the translucent lotus blooming around his body.
The overwhelming strength of his internal energy field barely kept pace with the extreme speed of Essence, Qi, and Spirit Unification.
[You do not understand the evil that Ipwang Fortress has wrought upon the world. It is a den that should have been purged long ago. A place that disturbs the order of the martial world while pretending to serve the common people—it is an insult.]
Final Thunder Lotus won’t last much longer.
This is bad. I will die.
With each breath, despair gnawed at the edge of his mind.
A whip-like divine strand sliced past his ear.
Boom—!
A deafening explosion erupted behind him.
Searing pain lashed across his temple.
He had nearly died.
His movements were balancing on the edge of death itself.
It was as if he were trapped in an arcane formation.
Zhuge Gaju’s technique flowed like an orchestrated masterpiece.
With a faint smile, he plucked his fingers through the air as if playing a golden harp.
Zzzzzng!
Kwaaaaang—!
The encroaching Zaung Divine Strands did not relent.
They struck, slashed, and pierced from all directions.
They tore through the Sword Thunder Flash Ridge Strike’s radiant trajectories and Boundless Floral Palm’s left-hand movements, sealing them completely.
The resulting shockwaves only served to scatter Zhuge Gaju’s long, untied hair.
He was the one who had extracted the counter-technique from Azure Qilin’s corpse.
And now, a lesser warrior had their martial arts completely deciphered.
The more exchanges that passed, the more wounds accumulated. The black long robe, inherited from his uncle, was being torn apart, thread by thread.
The spots that darkened, turning crimson, were undeniable evidence of blood loss. Protective energy meridians scattered droplets of blood onto the ground.
The lotus surrounding his body was beginning to fade.
Final Thunder Lotus was reaching its limit.
[Thunder Roar.]
A sudden beam of hazy light flared beside his vision.
The sight reached him first—then the pain followed like a shadow.
The sensation of flesh being deeply gouged came before the realization that his shoulder had been pierced through.
I saw it...!
Puhwaak—!
Blood exploded from multiple wounds, accompanied by searing agony.
The pillars of martial sorcery descended upon him, carving deep gashes into his abdomen.
Never before, since becoming a martial artist, had he been this close to true desperation.
Even as the pain surged toward his head, fury bubbled underneath.
His inner energy flow couldn’t keep up with his own movements.
Had he been just a fraction of a second faster, he could have evaded it all.
Whiiiiiish—!
His vision blurred as he found himself surrounded.
The Zaung Divine Strands coiled around him like a crushing net.
Zhuge Gaju’s art of movement closed in with the precision of an arcane formation.
Each defensive strike now met with an impact so fierce, it stirred thoughts of death.
His black-clad seniors, already at their limits, might step in at any moment.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s heartbeat raced.
His overheated blood and inner energy surged to the very top of his skull.
He did not want to be alone in a foreign land.
Seeking warmth through books and martial arts—it was all the same.
His mother had been enough.
Wuuung.
Then, without warning—
A scorching heat bloomed within his Upper Elixir Field.
A ripple of concentric waves spread outward from beneath his feet, like lotus buds floating upon water.
For a fleeting moment, his willpower overflowed.
Why is it that only you can bloom the Three Flowers Fusion Lotus?
Was it because the heavens had not yet struck you down with an early death?
That’s unfair.
That damned sky had granted him nothing but flawed balance and a short life.
If that was truly all he had been given—
Then I will balance the scales.
I will climb upon your lotuses, whether you like it or not.
Hwaaah—!
The unseen rippling waves of power suddenly surged forward.
All ten Zaung Divine Strands streaked toward him like radiant lances.
The Upper Elixir Field, now blazing white-hot, forcefully expelled its energy forward.
Like a storm wind driving the ocean, it surged invisibly—
And crashed into Zhuge Gaju’s skull.
Zzeooong!
Only Jeong Yeon-shin heard the sound.
He had replicated the resonance phenomenon he had felt through Eon Hwayeon’s Sacred Relic.
By forging a vast bridge of energy, he linked himself to Zhuge Gaju.
A pathway carved directly into the sensation of Essence, Qi, and Spirit Unification.
He had temporarily shared Zhuge Gaju’s Three Flowers Fusion state.
A technique that defied the natural laws of the heavens.
And yet, despite its unnaturalness—his body felt lighter than ever before.
The Jeong Family’s Dynamic Gong, honed to perfection, and his sword-sharpened senses stabilized the resonance.
For a moment, his entire body became a Sacred Relic.
And then—
Had it taken too long to establish this new martial technique?
His vision filled with streaks of light.
The Zaung Divine Strands.
And—
A girl, her short black hair whipping through the air, had already charged in.
"Seomye! Go!"
Ak Su-rim had broken through Zhuge Gaju’s formation.
Her body was already heavily wounded, blood seeping from her lips, dark as ink.
Her mouth barely moved—
And to Jeong Yeon-shin, the world seemed to slow.
It was as if she were whispering an apology.
[Welcome, Ipwang War Spear.]
Suddenly—
The battlefield sharpened into clarity.
The Zaung Divine Strands all retracted into Zhuge Gaju’s grasp.
The ruined Courtyard of the Gongyase Family—
The crowds watching from a distance—
The staggering figure of Jin Myeong-jo—
And—
The White Crane Fan in Zhuge Gaju’s hand, regaining its form.
A decisive strike was gathering.
The title of Ipwang War Spear carried weight—
And now, Zhuge Gaju intended to kill with a single, unstoppable blow.
In a flash, he closed the distance and raised his fan—
Its arc tore through the air.
The shockwave it produced was like an earthquake in the sky.
And then—
Kuuung—!
A pair of leather shoes stomped down upon the White Crane Fan.
[What?!]
He had descended from above.
Like a constellation shattering in midair, faint traces of light scattered where he had landed.
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The lingering aftershock of Ten Mile Radiance Step.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet had planted themselves firmly upon the fan itself.
At that moment—
The absorptive force of Myriad Heavenly Rain Dance churned like a whirling typhoon.
[What is this...?]
“Seomye...?”
Jeong Yeon-shin, the Radiant Abyss Lord, looked down at Zhuge Gaju in silence, standing atop his fan—Ak Su-rim behind him.
His feet, planted upon the White Crane Fan, exuded the weight of Thousand-Catty Drop.
Even as catastrophic force surged through the fan beneath him, he remained unmoving, his balance flowing like lightning—a precarious yet perfect standoff.
Fwaaaah—!
His black long robe rippled dramatically atop the fan, embodying the pinnacle of mysticism.
Torn in places, it billowed like the hem of a celestial maiden’s robe, lending an ethereal grace to the scene.
“......”
Across from him, Zhuge Gaju—his emerald-hued gaze unwavering—held his fan steady.
And upon it stood Jeong Yeon-shin, poised and motionless, his feet aligned front-to-back, an exalted silhouette against the night.
The air tightened with deadly tension.
With a single move, life and death would be decided.
Even the spectators, encircling the battlefield, remained utterly silent.
Zhuge Gaju’s gaze lifted to Jeong Yeon-shin, the Radiant Abyss Lord, scrutinizing him with cold calculation.
[“...You are one who should not live long. You will be a great hindrance to my march upon Mooncastle Gate.”]
As one of the Eight Great Family Lords, he recognized the horrifying potential before him.
If the Rogue Hero Ma Yeon-jeok had been tempered into a divine sword, would he not have turned out like this?
“Marching...?”
Jeong Yeon-shin pressed his feet down, his lashes lowering slightly.
Even the simple act of clasping his hands behind his back became a part of his technique—his entire being an expression of martial will.
Seomye, the Radiant Abyss Lord, parted his lips and thought aloud.
“You’re talking nonsense.”
If all else was equal—
“Then this is Mooncastle Gate.”
Let’s see how well a monkey can match my senses.
[Arrogant wretch!]
Rare rage flared in Zhuge Gaju’s expression as his teeth bared.
Whiiiiooooooong—!
Once again, the fan’s countless bone spines split apart, sheathing themselves in colorless qi—
A force so immense, the very air shuddered.
Upper Elixir Synchronization... Three Flowers Fusion.
Perched upon a single fan-spine, Jeong Yeon-shin closed his eyes.
A fleeting recollection—
He seized a familiar sensation from Zhuge Gaju’s Upper Elixir Field, synchronizing it completely with his own body.
A feeling he had once experienced through Grandmaster Eon Hwayeon—
That exhilaration, like a divine dragon soaring beyond the lotus blooms.
A forbidden martial secret—
Soaring Dragon Lotus Convergence.
Wuuuuuuuuuung!
From the tips of Jeong Yeon-shin’s toes, a rippling force surged outward.
Its speed instantly matched the manifestation of the Zaung Divine Strands.
And then—
A colossal, colorless lotus erupted like a lightning strike across the White Crane Fan’s spines.
It was no mere lotus bloom.
It was a thousandfold storm of sword qi.
The depth of his inner energy had reached the realm of divine mastery.
[......!]
Before Zhuge Gaju’s long fingers could even adjust the currents of qi—
Thunderous energy erupted from the Yongcheon Acupoint in Jeong Yeon-shin’s soles.
A deafening boom roared through the battlefield—
As the rapidly expanding lotus petals devoured all ten strands of the Zaung Divine Strands.
Leaving them to burn away, never to become a fan again.