The leader of the Revered Sword Sect closed his mouth and stepped back. Only the desolate sound of his retreating footsteps echoed in the air.
The imposing presence he had shown earlier when declaring fate to Jung Yeonshin was nowhere to be seen.
Not only the hundreds of masters forming the Heaven Spanning Net, but even the crowd gathered on the nearby mountainsides fell into deep silence.
Cloud Circling Peak was the highest peak in the vicinity.
A banner, made large for ceremonial purposes, was bound to be visible to everyone.
And suddenly, standing at the edge of the hill, were figures who now slowly began moving forward.
Their identities.
The impact their assembly would have on the world's balance of power.
Messages carried by carrier pigeons should have been flying to sects, trading groups, and escort agencies at this very moment.
Just like when the duel between the Radiant Demon Squad's leader and the Ten Perfection Sect's leader had reached its conclusion. But no one dared to move.
Rather, it was more accurate to say they couldn't.
Whistle—
A young man clad in a black long robe whistled. It was as he passed by the banner of the Dragon-Stepping Squad of the Divine Sword Order.
At a glance, his sharp jawline gave him the impression of a carefree man, brushing past the inscription of Celestial Dragon.
"The waves were wild, yet an unfamiliar junior was already handling the demonic faction. Sorry about that."
He spoke.
"That's beyond the level of martial arts you could comprehend. In any case, the rabble of Jianghu acts the same whether in Sichuan or anywhere else."
A middle-aged man, likewise dressed in a long black robe, responded. He walked past the banner of the Supreme Martial Hall.
From one of his legs, a continuous metallic clanking sound rang. It seemed he wore a prosthetic limb, something only those with immense internal energy refinement could endure.
"You're carrying yourself with more weight these days, Supreme Martial Hall Brother. I heard your squad was promoted to a Hall."
"The only difference is the headcount."
"You've always been a natural at teaching. You and the Lightning Genius' lineage will have a good match. These days, people say true prowess lies either with Lightning or Supreme Zenith."
It wasn't mere idle talk.
Shaaa—
Bushes that had been motionless within the massive encirclement began swaying in all directions, as if stirred by an internal breeze.
It was the invisible current of their internal energy scattering into the air.
They were breaking through the restrictive currents of the Heaven Spanning Net, claimed by the demonic faction, and seizing full freedom of movement. It was the same principle as a swordsman expanding their domain before unleashing a Swift Sword strike.
[You… Divine Sword Order? What is the meaning of this…?]
The one to speak first was the Ten Perfection Sect's leader.
On the very day he suffered a crushing defeat as a supreme martial master and sect leader, he now faced another event beyond anyone's expectations.
For a fleeting moment, two phantoms of Surpassing Limits Martial Arts flickered indistinctly at his sides. His composure was utterly shattered.
[The Divine Sword Order's leader must be insane…!]
"Oh? General, it's been a while. About nine years, I think? Last I saw you, you were wearing blue in the Forbidden City, and now here we are…"
The Dragon-Stepping Squad's leader smirked.
But his gaze was different.
His eyes swept across the Ten Perfection Sect's leader's entire body, as if scrutinizing him.
"Huh? Covering-Heavens Divine Armor has been completely shattered! Wasn't that armor something you risked your life to steal from the Martial God beyond the Great Wall? You used to boast that having an extra lifespan made you untouchable, but today, the so-called Supreme Physician seems to have returned to the underworld for another visit."
[You… couldn't even meet my eyes in the North…]
"And yet, after performing the noble Surpassing Limits Martial Arts, you only managed to withstand three people! For that divine armor to be in such a state, you must barely be able to move, yet you were standing here boasting in front of the monstrous youngest of the true lineage? You must have placed too much faith in the Heaven Spanning Net woven by the dregs of Jianghu and in the Golden Wings Sect's leader."
As his words continued, the rise and fall of his tone flattened.
The mocking honorifics he used naturally shifted to an informal tone.
With that, an intangible pressure flowed from his black robe, causing the masters of the Heaven Spanning Net to instinctively step back.
Along with the dust spiraling into a circle at his feet.
The Dragon-Stepping Squad's leader, feared as a Living Specter in the Northern Jianghu, bore a cold, murderous air.
Ever since he had begun his playful speech, it had been there.
And the faces of several seventeen seniors, who had locked eyes with Jung Yeonshin up until now, bore the same expression.
"..."
Ak Surim, silently shifting her silver spear onto her back.
Un Soyu, the Law and Order Squad's leader, smoothly drawing her sword from beneath her flowing black robes.
Boom—
Xiahou Wei-jin, the Forest Striding Squad's leader, merely clenched his massive fists, gathering an achromatic shockwave of power.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Immortal Spirit Wood Squad, Cheon So-so, spread a rainbow-hued cold energy like gossamer silk.
They did not speak.
Their message was clear—handling the matter at hand came first.
It was the distinct temperament of Desolate Fortress.
[I need to regulate my energy. Buy me some time.]
Three of the Ten Perfections Sect's warriors discreetly faded into the gaps of the crowd.
Their movement was grandiose. The fluctuations of their internal energy, which had already been faint, disappeared entirely.
A supreme master could regulate their internal injuries in the midst of battle with just a few breaths.
There was no need for them to assume a meditative posture; they could cultivate their energy while standing.
The experts forming the Heaven Spanning Net glared with cold, gleaming eyes.
"They can't all be squad leaders of the Divine Sword Order! Desolate Fortress isn't that kind of sect!"
"You speak truth. Changing one's attire is a trivial matter."
"But their aura…"
"Attack! We clear the outskirts first!"
The clamor of weapons being unsheathed rang throughout the air. Their numbers reached the hundreds.
The collective wave of internal energy swelled and surged like a pale mist, in an instant engulfing the entirety of Cloud Circling Peak's hill.
It was the momentum of the demonic faction, their subordinate sects, wandering martial artists, and the masters of the Heaven Spanning Net.
Kugugung—
The sunset that had painted the sky began to distort.
Like air shimmering under the summer sun, the atmosphere rippled with energy waves. A force so immense it seemed capable of annihilating anyone under heaven.
The squad leaders of the Divine Sword Order each took up their own stances.
"Ten Perfections Sect, Pure Demon Alliance, Golden Wings Sect, and even the Tyrant Sword Tribe… So you were all gathered here. That actually makes things easier."
"We can't leave out those who took orders from Yeoryung Sect, either. In any case, be cautious—the elite armor of the Ten Perfections Sect blocks inner force manipulation techniques."
"Leave the ones trained by the Tyrant Sword Tribe to me. After spending a few months in Shaanxi, their sword paths are as clear as day to me."
"Is that necessary? If you visit the main sect, you should study the Comprehensive Overview of Demonic Factions' Annihilation manual."
"The what now? What even is that?"
Boom――!
Powerful waves of energy erupted one after another from the banners marking the core of the Heaven Spanning Net's formation. The battle had finally begun.
The elite demonic masters of the Heaven Spanning Net turned their backs on Jung Yeonshin, at least for the moment. They had no other choice.
The squad leaders of Desolate Fortress unleashed decisive strikes from the outset—single-move techniques designed for explosive impact.
The siege formation was so dense that even the lingering gazes fixated on Jung Yeonshin were forcibly drawn away by the sheer force of the attacks.
"Heavenly Spirit."
Fwoosh!
As soon as the Heavenly Squad's leader ran his left hand along the flat of his blade, sixteen streaks of bluish sword energy shot up in a perfect circle around him.
The Thunder-Clashing Sky Sword, a sorcery-based martial art.
Blinding pillars of light pierced upward from beneath the groins of enemy masters, flickering like lightning.
The sound of flesh being torn apart crackled through the air, followed only by blood curdling screams.
The Scorching Abyss Squad's leader, whose ears were as sharp as sword points, spun midair, kicking off the void itself.
Boundless and Endless Life, a technique from the Protective Energy Arts.
The sheer compression of air under his kick crushed in on itself. It was as if he had performed Shaolin's Hundred Steps Divine Fist with his legs.
The enemies at his feet, weapons and all, exploded outward, sending a storm of blood and shattered steel howling through the battlefield.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It wasn't just the two of them.
Everywhere a banner was planted, the ranks of the Heaven Spanning Net were obliterated all at once.
The relentless shockwaves struck Cloud Circling Peak, sending clouds of dirt billowing into the air, making the vast peak itself seem unstable.
"They were all black-clad! I told you! Even their faces are black with it!"
"What is happening…?!"
"Fall back! Fall back! We need reinforcements from the rear! From the flanks, too!"
No reinforcements came.
The squad leaders who had begun their assault showed no mercy.
The sheer force of their strikes shattered bones and burst flesh, drawing translucent concentric ripples in the air.
A mere dozen black-robed figures were pushing through the hundreds surrounding them, closing in.
Their mind, energy, and body were unified, even their idle chatter revealing the mastery of breath control through internal energy.
Even the Dragon-Stepping Squad's leader and Supreme Martial Hall's leader, who had never met Jung Yeonshin before, were no exception.
"At this rate, the rumors we heard from below must be true, huh? Just look at the pitiful state of that northern coward."
"He really fought three of the Thirteen Celestial Demons alone…?"
"They say he intervened just before the Sichuan Tang Clan fell, prioritizing the people over his own life. At this point, rank and seniority don't even matter—he should be leading a whole division… Where do you think you're going?!"
Boom!
A vast, suffocating black siege.
The storm of violence refused to subside. Trees and shrubs were torn from the ground, while the surrounding landscape was gradually veiled in a thickening haze of dust.
For a moment, Jung Yeonshin simply stared at the scene in a daze.
It felt like floating in a dream.
Even as the Golden Wings Sect's leader stumbled, shifting her feet erratically, no sense of fear reached him.
It was like that day under the warm sunlight, when he and Heon Wonchang learned the Radiant Demon Arts from his uncle, Ma Jin.
It was enough to simply focus on martial arts.
Amidst the deafening cacophony, he slowly parted his lips.
"You."
"Hm?"
The Golden Wings Sect's leader immediately responded.
She whipped her head around to face Jung Yeonshin, the brilliant golden light still crackling in her eyes.
Those piercing eyes.
Rumors called them the Sight Arts of the Golden Winged Bird. They said not even a soaring flood dragon could escape her vision, let alone a martial artist.
Jung Yeonshin continued, his voice calm.
"We need to settle this."
"You already lost. Stop being insolent and admit it. You're far younger than me in both rank and age."
Step.
With a slight remark, she turned away. It seemed she had sensed something during their earlier exchange.
A woman old enough to have seen the founding of an empire was speaking without regard for seniority.
As if he were something beyond human.
Jung Yeonshin rotated the Radiant Wheel in his heart as he pondered.
Moving only according to one's whims, seizing sacred treasures as one pleased, disregarding the order of nations as an inconvenience.
She wasn't the type to take risks. Like an unparalleled martial artist, she possessed boundless freedom.
Who could stop her?
"I'm going to Under Heaven. Let's not waste any more time."
The Golden Wings Sect's leader took a step forward.
Whoosh—!
A long streak of silver flashed. A single spear tore through the siege in a straight line.
Every master of the Heaven Spanning Net caught in its trajectory was blasted apart.
And then—Boom!
The silver spear embedded itself right at the Golden Wings Sect's leader's feet, shuddering like the fragile wings of a moth.
It was Ak Surim. She hadn't even looked before throwing it.
Immediately after, she pulled the Divine Sword Order's banner toward her using Void Grasp.
Then, like a spear, she began wielding the flagpole.
Did she have expertise in Flag Arts as well? No one could block her strikes.
Within the swirling banner, flesh and bone were flung skyward with brutal, resounding force.
"...."
The Golden Wings Sect's leader could not take another step.
The thunderous roar struck twice in succession, crashing down upon the battlefield.
Two immense gusts of wind pressed in from both sides with a splintering force.
The tremors racing across the ground were overwhelming.
Kuguguguguung—!
A fist wind and a palm wind. Silent strikes embedded themselves into the battlefield like iron bars.
They had come from two individuals.
At that moment, Bukgung Ah, the Ruyi Spring Squad's leader, swept her piercing blue gaze over the battlefield with an air of irritation, her long limbs exploding into motion.
Meanwhile, Shin Huang, the Annihilation Squad's leader, descended once more into the midst of the enemy, his lean frame wrapped in wide sleeves fluttering like banners.
Even within the Heaven Spanning Net, the Black Three Steel moved with ease.
Despite the immense forces converging upon them, they remained unshaken.
Their combat awareness spanned the entire battlefield, their martial expertise reaching even distant targets.
They could likely perceive even the slightest movement of the Radiant Demon Squad's leader's fingers, fully grasping their junior's intent.
"This is Under Heaven."
Jung Yeonshin spoke.
He had envisioned a single decisive strike within a one-on-one life-or-death duel.
[You speak the truth! Where else under heaven could there be a battlefield like this, other than the North!]
The voice rang from afar.
It was the Ten Perfection Sect's leader, a being who could be called the very embodiment of calamity yet to come.
It seemed he had resolved to escape from the battlefield, now plunged into utter chaos.
Three identical forms leaped in different directions.
Unlike before, even his clones had gained the clarity of reality. A brief moment of energy circulation had granted them this form.
Kwak!
[Radiant Demon Squad's leader! You will come to regret setting foot in the Jianghu of the demonic faction! Your existence is a grave threat to the martial world…!]
Three voices fell silent at once.
The Divine Sword Order's flag, hurled by Ak Surim, ripped through one clone and thud—lodged into the rock beyond.
The second clone was seized by the throat and slammed into the ground by the Annihilation Squad's leader.
"The Lightning Genius already finished him off. We're just cleaning up."
"Hm, he was already pathetically weakened."
As twin shockwaves erupted from both sides—
The Dragon-Stepping Squad's leader's Cotton Rope Binding Lasso streaked white as it tightly coiled around the true body of the Ten Perfection Sect's leader.
At the same time, the Supreme Martial Hall's leader struck from the side, his kick slamming into the man's knee, forcing him to kneel.
Then, a shadow, clad in jet-black robes fluttering like a bat, materialized directly behind him.
It was the Blood Preservation Squad's leader, Jin Myungjo, his eyes gleaming blood-red.
Fwoosh—!
A pale hand seized the Ten Perfection Sect's leader's head and crushed it.