Chapter 223 - Radiant Genius Formula (3)

WHOOSH! CLAAANG!

Colorless martial force spread in a hazy blur. Opaque ripples swept in every direction, accompanied by a violent shock wave. Fists and palms met a sword, yet the ringing clash sounded like a great iron bell being struck. The swordsman's and fist fighter's garments billowed, vivid blue and faded gray fluttering through the air.

One had complained of the captain's absence; the other had rebuked him for it. The Lightning Genius martial lineage faced the ultimate techniques of the Hwangbo clan.

The Radiant Demon Squad's main training ground, where they now fought, was famous for its size. Not every combat unit had a training ground large enough to accommodate hundreds. Even among the Divine Sword Squad's units, only a select few forces had been granted such grounds. They served as preliminary training sites for the exceedingly rare occasions when the entire Divine Sword Squad assembled.

There was a clear reason the weakened Radiant Demon Squad warriors had grown self-conscious and could not hold their heads high before members of other units. They had enjoyed privileges. Even within the Divine Sword Squad, they had been given much, and had carried themselves as the strong. Their main training ground was vast.

Not now. Not since those two had crossed blows. The masters' imposing presence filled the grounds. Invisible waves of martial power collided violently.

SWISH!

A huge man was wielding his sword. It was Kang Changmu, the blue-robed expert who had transferred from the Forest-Treading Squad to the Radiant Demon Squad. The greatsword in his hands shed supple streams of light. The Lightning Genius lineage's Radiant Sword Art unfolded amid its gleam, carving slashes into the air that lingered as hazy afterimages.

The Supreme Flame Dragon met him barehanded, without even a pair of fighting gloves. Colorless heat shimmers blazed around both hands. He struck upward against the flat of the sword.

CLAAANG!

Kang Changmu's blue sleeves shook violently. The veins bulging on his briefly exposed forearms testified to the intensity of the bout. The same was true of the Supreme Flame Dragon in his sleeveless cotton martial attire. He was withstanding the sword force of a blue-robed expert with weighty core energy. This was no task he could take lightly.

"He's using protective force qi like fighting gloves. Is he completely insane? How many exchanges has it been now?"

"I've heard plenty about the protective force qi of the Hwangbo direct line. Heavenly King's Qi Silk, they call it. A supreme art indeed, it seems. I knew the noble clans had profound martial arts, but I never imagined this. He's taking a blue robe's Radiant Sword Art barehanded."

"He trained in fist and palm arts to begin with... More importantly, his internal energy runs that deep. In reserves alone, he might even surpass the captain. Most swords and sabers wouldn't hurt his hands. His body is a weapon in itself."

"The Solar Divine Meridians... They certainly live up to their reputation. They say you gain that talent by burning away your life."

This was a spar between the Dawn Tree Sword, Kang Changmu, and the unranked disciple known as the Supreme Flame Dragon. The Radiant Demon Squad experts surrounding them made no attempt to stop it. It was taking place on the main training ground and had begun with the Supreme Flame Dragon's insolence. No rules were being broken. They also had to consider the dignity of Kang Changmu, a seasoned warrior newly transferred to their ranks.

The Dawn Tree Sword had great accomplishments to his name. He had slain an unorthodox fiend who had lived in luxury by secretly threatening the prefect of Wuchang in Huguang Province. The fight had scarcely lasted a few exchanges. Combining the Radiant Sword Art with his original swordsmanship, he had taken the man's head with a single stroke. Its principles of instantaneous strikes had captivated him. He could not help admiring the new captain of the Radiant Demon Squad.

'But this bastard has no respect.'

Kang Changmu watched the Supreme Flame Dragon thrust both hands toward him.

The fist and palm arts blocking and chipping away at his sword paths were rough, denying him any extended sweep of the blade. An accomplished swordsman of blue rank could sense an opponent's state of mind merely by exchanging blows. The Supreme Flame Dragon's disgust was immediately apparent. His attacks spoke for him: he could not bear to watch another of these Radiant Sword Art trajectories.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

The path of his horizontal slash faltered. Heavy vibrations coursed through the blade in succession. The Supreme Flame Dragon's right fist struck upward from below, then his left palm pierced the scattering martial force and pushed the edge aside. Finally, the heel of his right palm slammed into the flat. The movements flowed together with the elegance of running water. The sword shot upward. Three solid blows—a single maneuver that completely distorted the Radiant Sword Art's trajectory.

CRUNCH!

Dust split and rose from Kang Changmu's heels. He retreated using the subtleties of Evading Swift Step.

"You're using that to retreat?"

Frowning, the Supreme Flame Dragon planted his foot and charged.

Blazing yang power surged from his entire body, tearing through the air. The transparent heat shimmers whistled.

THUD!

Kang Changmu retreated no farther. He slammed his rear foot down—the Radiant Sword Art's forceful stomp. A fierce tremor sent dust billowing around his feet, thickly veiling the blade he swung upward with a firm grip on the hilt. A faint white sword gleam rose.

Facing him, the Supreme Flame Dragon's lips curled upward. His languid eyes curved in mockery as well. His lowered gaze said it all: That isn't how you use it.

BANG!

Kang Changmu's rising sword sank back down, crushed beneath the Supreme Flame Dragon's foot. Its tip failed to pierce his leather shoe. The Hwangbo clan's Heavenly King's Qi Silk had formed an invisible barrier—the protective force qi of Jinan's proud regional nobility. Kang Changmu's eyes widened. The Supreme Flame Dragon, in contrast, knit his brows.

"The Radiant Sword Art has to be used instinctively. If you calculate the trajectory in your head, you're already late. Fundamentally, it's swift swordsmanship that catches the opponent off guard, but you're announcing where you'll strike. Your lower body, your wrists, your qi waves—everything is a clue. A little wren trying to imitate a golden-winged bird."

"What a spectacle. Not an enjoyable one."

Having slowly muttered those words, the Supreme Flame Dragon spoke again, still pinning Kang Changmu's sword beneath his foot.

"Truly, one ought to live a little longer and see what happens. To think I would counter the Radiant Sword Art so easily. I'd imagined it a few times in dreams, but talent really does come first. Not that this is particularly entertaining."

He did not look particularly satisfied. His smile had faded. His bitter expression betrayed profound disappointment.

"Our captain created this sword art while he was still wearing white, didn't he? Looking at you, I can see its weaknesses plain as day. If you can't learn those radiant demon arts, you ought at least to be strong in your own martial arts. We'll be lucky if you don't hold the captain back. This takes all the fun out of it."

"... Do not belittle your captain's martial lineage. The age of the Hwangbo clan's arts gives you no grounds to disparage it."

Kang Changmu bared his teeth in considerable anger. Yet the sword beneath the Supreme Flame Dragon's foot did not budge. Not even when he poured power into his lower body, waist, and both arms. The Dawn Tree Sword's internal cultivation was outstanding. There was no doubt of that.

"... The Solar Divine Meridians give him the greatest energy reserves in our unit. And the internal energy itself is fire qi, making it the fiercest."

"So that's how it ends."

"An unranked disciple beating a blue robe..."

"For all his faults, he was a young clan head. It makes sense."

"He knows our captain's martial arts well, doesn't he? It wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say he went in with half the countering forms in hand. The formula is public, and he must have seen it in actual combat more than most. In a way, after Chung Myung, Baek Miryeo, and the former captain, he might know the new captain better than anyone."

"What about the Desolate Fortress's Silver Tongue?"

"Tell him to show even seventy percent of his own power first."

"Is he still lying around asleep? I hardly ever see him these days."

"He said he was going to challenge blue rank. At this rate, all the merit points he's worked so hard to earn will be for nothing."

The Supreme Flame Dragon's and Heon Wonchang's Promotion Exams were a major topic of conversation. The interest was not confined to the Radiant Demon Squad. Many Divine Sword Squad warriors awaiting their next missions were watching these examinations closely. These were the rising disciples who had spent the longest time with the new captain.

It was a test of the qualities the Radiant Demon Squad's leader ought to possess. How did he train his subordinates, and how well did he foster their growth? Apart from creating martial arts, did he have the capacity to lead a school as a grandmaster? Could those who ventured into the martial world alongside the new captain expect meaningful improvement in their skills...?

The Hwangbo clan's wastrel had been a fully developed martial artist from the start. Heon Wonchang's martial arts were the real question. That was the prevailing opinion among the Radiant Demon Squad's experts.

"Hard to expect much."

One of them murmured this as he watched the Supreme Flame Dragon's expression toward the Lightning Genius martial lineage.

* * *

The Desolate Fortress's Shin Clan was on high alert. It could hardly be otherwise. A Black-ranked supreme master had entered the clan head's hall, openly displeased. He had good reason, too. Had he not come to reclaim his subordinate? The captain's youth was irrelevant. Any martial artist ought to be tense.

"Nothing will happen, will it?"

A swordsman in long blue robes addressed one of the gatekeepers in a casual tone.

The gatekeeper dared not answer. The man asking was a young master of the Shin Clan's collateral line: the Clamorous Sword, Shin Baek. In his mid-thirties, he was known as an accomplished master of the path of the sword. He had a gentle face and amiable-looking brows. His disposition was another matter.

"I asked you a question. However profound the new captain's martial arts may be, surely he cannot behave rudely in our own house? Or do you find that difficult to agree with?"

"No, sir."

The young gatekeeper in cotton clothing answered at once, his voice subdued.

The Clamorous Sword harbored resentment toward the direct line. He had been overshadowed by the clan's eldest young master, who was his own age, and the young Shin Sobin's talent had kept him from receiving attention. This had persisted even after he reached blue rank—an exceedingly unusual state of affairs. Outside the clan, his reputation was good. Within it, things were different. He was terribly irritable.

"Having seen the Radiant Demon Squad Captain in person, I find Sobin all the more regrettable. A little older, and she would have been a strong candidate for succession. I would have backed her as the next clan head... Isn't she far too gifted to hand over to the Radiant Demon Squad? Unless he's utterly unreasonable, their captain will have to agree and back down, won't he?"

A strange light gleamed in Shin Baek's eyes. He was forcing a mere gatekeeper to discuss the legitimacy of the succession. Something about the young Radiant Demon Squad Captain had touched a nerve. It was not jealousy of Lightning Genius. It was closer to self-loathing over the bloodline he had been born into.

In the captain, reportedly the same age as Shin Sobin, he had seen his younger cousin's future. The direct bloodline of a distinguished clan. Talent seen once in an age. Things Shin Baek did not possess.

"Well..."

The gatekeeper was struggling to find a safe answer when it happened.

KABOOOM!

An explosion thundered in the distance. An immense shock wave swept over their collars. Shin Baek's expression settled into impassivity.

"So trouble has come after all."

THWIP!

He immediately kicked off the ground. At his swift pace, the wind struck his face like a blunt weight. He was not alone. Shin Clan warriors were rushing in from every direction. Dozens of figures sped along with lightness skills, gradually converging on the same destination: the clan head's hall, from which they had deliberately kept their distance.

THWIP! THWIP!

The experts covered great distances with each stride. They swiftly reached the garden surrounding the hall. A dismal sight greeted them. Roof tiles lay scattered in every direction. The collapsed roof no longer proclaimed the clan head's majesty.

Had he unleashed his renowned ultimate technique, Radiant River? It scarcely looked like something a human body could have wrought. The place might as well have been a ruin. Shin Baek was dumbfounded.

'The seat I coveted so desperately can be destroyed like this? So utterly, so easily?'

A heavy silence fell. For a time, none could take another step. It already seemed to be over. Could even a Black subdue the head of a distinguished clan under the fortress so effortlessly? If someone like that was enraged, they could hardly rush straight in. They would have to stake their lives. All they could do was stand dazed, staring at the hall's threshold.

A patter of footsteps approached them. Suddenly, a girl landed in the middle of the garden.

"What in the world is...!"

TAP.

Her black braid streamed in the backwash of her lightness skill, fluttering with the hems of her bright white martial robes. It was Shin Sobin, who had broken out of confinement amid the chaos. Her lips slightly parted, she stared toward the hall. Then her eyes widened. She had sensed a familiar qi wave.

"Captain...?!"

"Be quiet."

Shin Baek raised a finger to his lips. Sobin glanced at him and ignored him entirely, offering only a derisive snort.

Her captain had finally come for her. Whatever had happened, she could not stand idly by. It had been so long since she had seen him. Joy at his arrival filled her chest.

STEP.

Just as she started straight toward the building, a faint voice sounded from the clan head's hall.

"Get up."

It was Jung Yeonshin, captain of the Radiant Demon Squad. Had he stimulated the other person's pressure points as he spoke? A sudden cough erupted inside. It was unmistakably their clan head's. Shin Sobin stopped short.

"What just happened...?"

The voice sounded bewildered. Shin Seolha, head of the Desolate Fortress's Shin Clan, had regained consciousness. The Radiant Demon Squad Captain spoke at once.

"I struck you."

"Without warning? You did?"

"You failed to react. I meant to show you the martial power Sobin will possess."

"You bring Sobin into this?"

"It was my way of persuading you. I was discourteous. I apologize."

A faint rustle of clothing followed, together with the sound of hands meeting. The Shin Clan experts' keen ears caught it clearly. The Radiant Demon Squad Captain seemed to be offering a martial salute—an unusual courtesy from a Black.

"... Did your hand move? I saw nothing. I sensed only the ceiling suddenly collapsing. There was not even a movement of core energy..."

"The martial arts Sobin will learn must be that profound."

"You sound rather as though you are speaking of someone else's martial arts."

"... I am not accustomed to praising my own unique arts."

"Ha...! Despite that fiery temper?"

Shin Seolha sighed.

"You are no longer one of the rising generation, yet you were still a hidden dragon. To think you concealed power so profound. And at your age... Even the other captains would be astonished."

"Nonsense."

"It is regrettable that the move was beyond my ability to withstand or discern. Your depths are considerable. There is much I could learn from you. The same must be true for Sobin. Today, I have learned a thorough lesson—with my own body."

Inside the clan head's private chamber, Jung Yeonshin spoke in earnest amid the quiet.

"Stop."

Shin Seolha saw it as modesty. Despite having been knocked unconscious, her gaze had softened. Such was the disposition of the head of this distinguished martial clan: she prized martial might above every other virtue.

"I understand that your martial arts surpass my discernment. But that is not sufficient reason for me to relinquish Sobin entirely. This is not a matter that martial arts alone can settle."

"You still insist."

Jung Yeonshin drew his brows together.

"Sobin has left your household. She no longer belongs to it. Do not interfere again."

His words were curt, but Shin Seolha did not agree. She thought as the head of a martial family.

"The distinguished clans under the Desolate Fortress devote themselves to raising warriors of good blood and willingly supply them to the Divine Sword Squad. Surely you know that masters do not spring up anywhere, at any time? All we gain for our painstaking efforts is honor. Our family's martial arts, our family's name... These are not excessive wishes."

She was trying to bind Sobin however she could. There was no telling how else she might interfere in the future. Jung Yeonshin's gaze sharpened.

Her words and conduct rankled. The Radiant Demon Squad was the family he had found after leaving the Jeong Clan Estate. It was where he had first received warmth—the refuge he had finally taken into his arms after the lonely road of childhood. A home he would not relinquish even at the end of his life. In his heart, it was becoming the most sensitive of forbidden scales.

"The experts of the Divine Sword Squad's combat units are under their captains' care. As leader of the Radiant Demon Squad, I will make this clear."

He spoke without thinking, but with force.

"That girl is mine."

Numinous core energy imbued his words. It came from the radiant wheel turning in time with the beat of his heart. The Dharma-power nature of the Dharma-Surpassing Radiant Wheel Art unfurled into his voice, lending even its sound an auspicious quality. It was a voice that reached the heart in earnest. It rang far and wide.

"... Ah."

A small exclamation escaped Shin Seolha. Her expression turned peculiar: brows raised, lips slightly parted. It happened the instant she heard Jung Yeonshin's words.

"I see. That would be good, too."

"What?"

"Those martial arts, those looks, his position, his bloodline... If it works out, all the better. Even if it does not, if he regards his subordinate so..."

After murmuring to herself, she abruptly said,

"Take her with you. I have been most discourteous."

"...?"