Jung Yeonshin's tone was monotonous.
It wasn't just the pitch of his voice. Even as he spoke, his expression didn't change. His lips moved only minimally.
Because he was speaking the truth.
"The main force of the Divine Sword Order, the Grandmasters beneath the Order Leader…"
The easygoing demeanor on the Ten Perfection Sect's leader's face faded slightly. His brows furrowed as he muttered to himself.
"There was never a sane one among those wearing black robes embroidered with the character 'Desolate', but you take it to another level."
"That is how a traitor sees it."
"..."
Meanwhile, some among the gathered crowd echoed Jung Yeonshin's words verbatim.
From the mouths of seasoned experts who had mastered Sense Refinement, the phrase Mi-Hu was repeated.
Hearing this, some common folk let out gasps of admiration.
— That young master truly despises the demonic faction!
"You said you wanted to test my martial arts. I never said I would abide by the unspoken rules of the martial world."
Jung Yeonshin stroked Yurei, adding,
"Even if you fall, the duel continues."
It was a statement that broke the customs of the Murim. But Jung Yeonshin didn't think much of it.
Wasn't it odd for a constable from the government to abide by the customs of the black path?
Even if his opponent was the Master of the Thirteen Celestial Demons, it made no difference.
No matter how exceptionally skilled they were—enough to challenge the leaders of the Nine Great Sects—their names were still written in the military registry. To Jung Yeonshin, they were no better than lowly gangsters conscripted as soldiers.
"Hah."
Suddenly, the Ten Perfection Sect's leader's lips curled into a smirk.
"A monkey… A monkey, so it doesn't matter…?"
He mumbled to himself, then gestured with a single hand.
Ku-gu-guung!
A series of short tremors overlapped, shaking the ground.
The source was among the disciples standing behind him.
They had driven a dozen massive wooden chests into the ground and then retreated a great distance. Their movements were so perfectly coordinated, it was as if they had rehearsed the technique countless times.
"I am curious… Whether the fledgling of Desolate Fortress has accumulated enough inner force to rival Surpassing Limits Martial Arts."
A mystical wave pulsed from the Ten Perfection Sect's leader's body.
At the very moment Jung Yeonshin sensed an energy wavering between Sword Telekinesis and Void Grasp, the wooden chests behind the sect leader exploded.
Kwa-ji-jik!
Wooden splinters burst apart as weapons floated into the air.
These were the Eighteen Martial Weapons, used on the northern battlefields.
A staff with a massive hook instead of a handle—the Guai Staff.
A halberd with an extra axe blade beneath its spearhead—the Yuege Axe.
A nine-sectioned whip that flexed and snapped—the Jiu-Jie Whip.
A polearm with crescent blades on either side—the Fang Tian Halberd.
A shield engraved with swirling patterns.
All of the short and long weapons radiated divine energy.
Suspended in midair, they gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight.
Brought forth by the Master of the Thirteen Celestial Demons, even these Mystic Armaments had no choice but to exude spirituality.
Uuuuung—
The sacred weapons hovered behind the sect leader.
A retired grandmaster's fierce gaze flashed with intensity.
The disposition of a battle-hardened general, forged on countless battlefields.
Now, he stood as an absolute force in the ever-evolving, ever-strengthening world of Murim.
"Let's see for ourselves."
The once-noisy crowd fell silent.
Even the air around the foothills and mountains tensed as if being stretched taut.
Swaaang—!
As the Ten Perfection Sect's leader drew his sword from his waist and simultaneously reached back to seize the handle of a silver Nine-Section Whip.
Jung Yeonshin had already lowered Yurei into his grip.
The sect leader let out an admiring Hooh at the sight of the seamless unsheathing, as natural as flowing water.
But Jung Yeonshin, his senses sharpened, did not so much as shift his gaze.
To him, the man before him was no different from a mighty spiritual beast.
— Great Sage, Equal to Heaven…
The crown of his head burned hot.
Not simply because of his prior Unified Sword and Will technique.
The sect leader's martial arts, imbued with divinity, were exerting spiritual energy.
Just like his own Fan Dragon Lotus Binding Technique, the Ten Perfection Sect's leader's Primordial Art of Ten Thousand Sects seemed to contain a secret art that controlled the upper dantian.
His lofty energy suspended the weapons in the air, allowing him to wield them at will.
Lord of Ten Thousand Soldiers, Emperor of Ten Thousand Weapons—The leader of the Ten Perfection Sect.
He had refined his Primordial Art to its peak and mastered the secret technique known as Jeng Jianwu.
Even when ambushed by the Blood Flame Cult's leader, he had managed a lethal counterattack.
'Here I go.'
Jung Yeonshin stepped forward.
Even in broad daylight, a faint purple glow flickered at his heels.
Not from some hidden Flood Dragon Formation.
But from the ever-spinning heart of the world.
His form blurred.
Kwoong!
In the next instant, he had already driven his long leg into the earth before the sect leader.
His pitch-black robe flared amidst the pale fragments of light.
Using Ten Li Radiance Step, he had closed the distance in a flash.
An immense recoil surged through his waist and legs.
But only for a moment.
He twisted the internal energy and muscles around his Life Gate Acupoint, channeling it all into his right hand.
Simultaneously, a technique burst forth as naturally as thunder.
Sword Thunder Flash Art, Judgment Qilin.
Jung Yeonshin raised Yurei and brought it crashing down.
Zzeooong—!
A deafening explosion erupted.
A translucent shockwave clawed fiercely at the ground.
At the same time, a searing heat radiated from the armor of the Ten Perfection Sect's leader, who had barely intercepted the strike.
He had been forced to draw upon an immense surge of inner energy in an instant.
Had his Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown not reached the extreme, even reacting would have been impossible.
"This is… remarkable."
As sweat beaded on the sect leader's forehead and dissipated into pale mist, Jung Yeonshin, who had locked blades with him, cast a brief glance at Yurei's sword edge, which was partially obscuring his face.
A Nine-Section Whip had coiled around it.
It had lashed out the moment the sect leader swung his sword.
A technique that sealed an attack before it could reach its peak.
The whip, like a young Imugi, had wrapped around the blade, suppressing the force of the strike.
A method he had never seen before.
Profoundly refined.
"…It's useless now."
From a single exchange. Clicking his tongue, the sect leader released his grip on the whip.
The gold lacquer on its handle was peeling.
Simultaneously, a battleaxe was drawn into his other hand.
Without ever letting go of his sword.
This time, axe techniques.
Swak!
It came for Jung Yeonshin's side at terrifying speed.
A chilling gray energy trailed first, with sound following belatedly.
The force behind it was overwhelming. A master's chain of techniques. No rigid forms, only the intent to kill.
Jung Yeonshin spread his left palm and pressed it against his opponent's abdomen.
'A body reinforced with protective energy.'
A waterfall-like current surged beneath his hand. An invisible wall of internal energy. So, he had something to rely on.
Jung Yeonshin didn't care. The moment he recalled the mnemonic of Radiant River, a spiraling current erupted from his palm. The condensed energy of a summoned storm. His shackled potential had been unleashed through Rebirth of Bones and Flesh and Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown. It manifested as soon as he willed it.
Kwaaaah—!
A deafening roar tore through the air.
A heavy tremor spread across the wide hill. The ground that had once supported their feet caved in a vast circle, and the torn-up foliage, along with dirt and sand, shot upwards like a waterfall in reverse.
Through the cloud of dust, a single figure was violently flung backward.
It was the leader of the Ten Perfection Sect.
"A martial lineage more suited for killing than for actual martial arts...!"
He waved both hands in frustration.
In place of the sword and axe that had been sent flying far away, a Crescent Blade Halberd and a Shield soared through the air and landed in his grip.
"Your mouth is still working, I see."
Jung Yeonshin swung Yurei in a wide arc, shaking off the Nine-Section Whip.
The ever-changing array of weapons replenished by his opponent was an annoyance.
Though not as free as Sword Telekinesis, they hovered in the air, clearly obeying the sect leader's will.
Even when the Radiant River exploded, they had scattered instead of being destroyed. Targeting them individually would mean turning his back on the sect leader.
A supreme master of the Eighteen Martial Weapons.
His method of blocking Radiant River had been unexpected.
Realizing he was too late, he had pressed the axe blade against the technique's shockwave and wrapped it in an internal energy barrier.
Then, he had flowed with the force of impact using Harmonious Balance, softening his body—just like a Taoist of Wudang, famed for their Taiji Swordplay.
The sight of him surrendering his body to an irresistible force was impressive.
A true master who had attained complete enlightenment in the principles of martial arts.
This was why he could still reign over Sichuan even after being struck by the Blood Flame Cult's leader's Energy-Absorbing Demon Art.
'To reveal so much…'
Jung Yeonshin was inwardly impressed.
A man who could draw out the full potential of his techniques in any situation. His skill was profound. It carried the weight of time.
Suddenly, he recalled the words of the Golden Wings Sect's leader.
"Your skill is mere technique."
Words she had casually thrown at him after witnessing his Full Sky Flower Rain.
"That technique—Full Sky Flower Rain—is a style where a Tang Clan master unleashes a lifetime's worth of poison and hidden weapons like a silver river. It is a martial art forged through the passage of time. Those who achieve everything too easily would struggle to understand it."
The words rang true.
Even though the Ten Perfection Sect's leader had yet to unleash Surpassing Limits Martial Arts.
Unlike the Ghost Roar Tyrant King, who ruled alone in the Flood Dragon Formation, the leaders of the Thirteen Celestial Demons constantly clashed with the world, honing their skills against reality itself.
Jung Yeonshin unconsciously parted his lips.
"You must have lived your entire life with the mindset of a secluded cultivator."
Those who were born with dull senses etched their life's struggles into their martial arts through Surpassing Limits Martial Arts.
Of course, it required relentless patience.
Unlike other martial artists who set aside specific times for training, Jung Yeonshin had never thought much about the concept of practice.
"Since your body is sluggish, I suppose the hardships of the world felt that much greater to you."
"Hm?"
"You've worked hard to survive, Sect Leader. I acknowledge your efforts."
Jung Yeonshin spoke.
For a moment, the leader of the Ten Perfection Sect stared at him, then burst into hearty laughter.
"I've heard every curse imaginable across countless battlefields, but this is the first time I've met a brat who provokes in such an absurd way. I wonder if it would even work on the Martial God of the North."
"Provocation...?"
"Draw your sword so you won't regret it. Every single one of your techniques was astonishing, but from what I see, they won't be enough to withstand my Ultimate Art."
"Are you referring to Surpassing Limits Martial Arts?"
The sect leader answered with a silent smirk.
Something truly worth watching was about to unfold.
Jung Yeonshin felt a faint thrill.
The Ten Perfection Sect's leader finally spoke.
"Open."
His voice echoed like a resounding chime, laced with an ethereal quality that clouded the listener's mind.
It was a trait infused with spirituality. The prerequisite of a divine martial art.
It was said that martial arts at a transcendent level became indistinguishable from sorcery.
As the Ten Perfection Sect's leader slowly stepped toward Jung Yeonshin, his Eighteen Martial Weapons spread out in a massive circle.
Encircling them both.
The very atmosphere split apart with an eerie tension.
Saaah—
A staff with a blade, a Crescent Blade Halberd, a great axe, a battleaxe, a hooked weapon, and a long spear—
They all began rotating like a massive formation of sorcery, gradually closing in.
"I never had an Ultimate Art to call my own."
The sect leader smiled warmly as he spoke.
"I simply mastered all arts to the extent that they were sufficient for taking lives. I had no need to seek out something grand and designate it as my life's ultimate technique."
"Sufficient, you say?"
Even as Jung Yeonshin tilted his head slightly, the sect leader's smile did not waver.
It was a grin laced with killing intent from the very beginning.
"And so…"
He took another step forward.
"I decided to unfold all Eighteen Martial Arts at once. It was nothing more than youthful arrogance back then."
Duuung—
The sound rang out as his foot touched the ground. Like the beating of a great war drum within a deep cavern. At the same time, the Ten Perfection Sect's leader halted his advance.
Then, another Ten Perfection Sect's leader split from his form and took another step forward.
His body appeared slightly blurred.
"Sword."
He spoke, then stopped.
As he extended his hand, the sword that Jung Yeonshin had knocked away flew into his grasp.
"Saber."
Another Ten Perfection Sect's leader stepped forward.
As he spoke, a massive saber was drawn into his hand.
The sight continued.
For every weapon named, another Ten Perfection Sect's leader emerged.
It was a divine technique.
It was no different from the Avatar Technique of the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven.
The gathered crowd murmured as if they had been granted an audience with the Jade Emperor himself.
Jung Yeonshin, however, felt only the faintest trace of excitement.
At long last, he had arrived.
Into the realm of true violet.
[Shape-Shifting and Position-Switching Technique.]
Eleven voices spoke in unison.
Each of the Ten Perfection Sect's leaders slowly shifted position, forming a vast circular formation.
It was an overwhelming sight, as though detached from reality itself.
Unlike the well-known swift body technique of the same name, this was something entirely beyond.
A supreme master's Surpassing Limits Martial Arts had elevated it to an art of pure transcendence.
[And, this is…]
As another Ten Perfection Sect's leader stepped forward,
Jung Yeonshin seized the final weapon before he could.
Beneath his feet, the propulsion force of Ten Li Radiance Step scattered like stardust.
"Axe."
He spoke.