Regression of the Yong Clan Heir

Chapter 123: Completing the Absolute Formation (3)

"Please, go ahead."

"In truth, although this Black Silk Celestial Silkworm is a sacred treasure of our clan, it cannot truly be said to belong solely to us."

"Since childhood, we were trained to handle the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm. But we couldn’t use it. As you may know, to properly wield the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm, one needs this specific internal energy cultivation."

Yong Hwarin nodded in understanding.

"And since we were young, our mother taught us that the one who could use the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm would be its rightful owner."

"Hmm, so you're saying that even if it's not me, anyone with exceptional internal strength who can wield it is considered its owner?"

He asked, slightly doubtful of the logic.

Jeong Minji shook her head.

"Master Yong, are you aware of the relationship between the Heavenly Central Sect and our clan?"

"I’ve only heard that the elders of our families were acquainted."

"I thought as much."

They themselves hadn’t known of their family’s secrets until recently.

"Tell him, sister."

When Jeong Daji urged her, Jeong Minji shook her head.

"No. That’s not something for us to interfere in. If Master Yong doesn’t know, there must be a reason for it. But it’s not our place to reveal it carelessly."

Her two younger sisters nodded at their elder sister’s cautious words.

It was a reasonable stance and hard to argue against.

"May I ask what this is all about?"

"You should ask the Sect Leader about that. We can’t speak of it ourselves. Let’s end that discussion here and return to the matter of the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm."

Jeong Minji continued.

"Our mother told us that if someone from our clan, the Heavenly Central Sect, or the Golden Clan House could wield the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm, then that person is its rightful owner. Since you can wield it so well, Master Yong, we can consider you its owner."

"Is that really so?"

The more he used it, the more he craved the item.

And now, unexpectedly, they were saying that the person who could use it was its owner. He was so bewildered it seemed like they were joking.

"Are you saying I can keep it?"

After a brief silence, Jeong Minji answered.

"Yes."

Even the fierce Jeong Suji didn’t object, which suggested it was true.

"Heh heh heh."

Yong Hwarin let out a chuckle befitting an old man and looked at the three sisters.

"This item clearly has a story behind it."

At his words, Jeong Minji spoke.

"The true name of the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm is different."

"Really? What is it?"

"The Black Tortoise Tail Sword."

At that, Yong Hwarin gasped in realization.

"Ah, now it makes sense."

When he injected internal energy, the image of the Black Tortoise appeared on the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm, and its black, whip-like form did indeed resemble the tail of a tortoise.

Then, a thought suddenly struck Yong Hwarin, making him stop breathing for a moment.

"Wait, if this is the Black Tortoise Tail Sword…"

Several thoughts raced through his mind and quickly vanished.

"The White Tiger Subjugation Sword of the Shaolin Temple, the Black Tortoise Tail Sword of the Jeong Clan House, and the Azure Dragon Triple Rings of the Blood Demon’s Successor."

He recalled the conversation between the middle-aged Demonic Master and Deung Hwaun, realizing these items were all connected.

"And our clan’s Vermilion Bird Blood Goblet. These are tied to the Four Symbols. Am I right?"

When Yong Hwarin asked, Jeong Minji gave him a look that confirmed it.

"You won’t answer even if I ask, will you? Very well, I’ll find out for myself."

Yong Hwarin realized that the items the middle-aged Demonic Master and Deung Hwaun were searching for were far from ordinary.

"For the time being, we’ll be following you, Master Yong. We intend to observe whether you truly deserve to be the owner of the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm."

"Do as you please."

Even Jeong Minji couldn’t bring herself to say that the rightful owner of the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm was also their master.

They disliked the idea that their fate would be determined by a single person, so they chose to wait and observe a little longer.

Yong Hwarin couldn’t stop smiling at the thought that he had obtained the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm.

‘I really wanted this thing.’

He loosely tied the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm around his waist.

It blended in so well with his clothes that one might mistake it for a regular belt.

While Yong Hwarin was immersed in the joy of acquiring the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm and contemplating how to make money, Jeon Woong of the Iron Response Sect, having just succeeded as Sect Leader, summoned the top disciple of Iron Blood Saber.

That disciple was Eom An.

A man in his middle years, Eom An had already claimed one of the seats of the Sixty-Six Demon Lords.

Though considered beneath the Four Great Demons, the Sixty-Six Demon Lords were all disciples of former masters and had proven their skills.

Known by the ominous title “Severing Demon Blade,” he was infamous for cutting off the wrists of those he fought.

If displeased, he would sever both wrists, delivering a defeat more humiliating than death itself.

"Please, avenge my father."

Jeon Woong’s voice was filled with sorrow.

"He was like a father to me as well. How could I simply let it go?"

After Jeon Man’s death and Jeon Woong’s succession as Sect Leader, his only thought was revenge against Yong Hwarin.

He never imagined his sect would be so utterly devastated by a single man.

The public ridiculed the Iron Response Sect, saying it had been defeated by Yong Hwarin.

When his father died from internal injuries, Jeon Woong took over the sect with the intent of launching a major assault on the Heavenly Central Sect.

That was why he hastily inherited the position.

However, the Dark Cry Valley intervened and restrained the Iron Response Sect.

Jeon Woong was still not strong enough to defy the commands of Dark Cry Valley.

"In truth, even within the Dark Cry Valley, there’s been much talk about this defeat. The upper elders are not pleased, since you acted so unilaterally."

"That’s why I’ve invited you, First Senior Brother."

"What would you have me do? Just say the word."

"If they say not to start a war, then I’ll challenge him to a duel. Please go and cut off both of his wrists."

"Will that be enough for you?"

"Yes, that will suffice for now. After that, I plan to wipe out everything related to the Heavenly Central Sect."

"Very well. I’ll go to the Heavenly Central Sect and challenge him to a duel. Then the elders of Dark Cry Valley won’t be able to say anything. It’s not war—it’s a duel."

"Please, I beg you."

"Don’t worry. I’ll bring back both of his wrists as a gift."

With that, the Severing Demon Blade Eom An headed straight for the Heavenly Central Sect.

A month had passed since the Heavenly Central Sect announced it would welcome martial guests, yet not a single person had come as a guest.

The only guests were Man Saengtongja, whom Yong Hwarin had personally brought, and Deungae, whom he had recently brought along.

But there was a reason for that.

Martial artists with real skill preferred to stay as guests of prestigious clans. They wouldn’t even consider staying with a local, mid-tier sect like the Heavenly Central Sect.

If one had the choice, of course it was better to join a renowned sect to be properly treated.

So, despite the Heavenly Central Sect’s invitation, it was no surprise that not even a whiff of real martial guests had shown up.

Well, there were some people who visited—people whose nicknames no one had ever heard of.

Such types just wanted to freeload and eat for free, offering no real value.

Once, a man named Eojasuh came, but when the Twin Dragons of Fury Swords suggested a martial duel, he ran away without a word.

Only these not-even-third-rate sorts occasionally showed their faces; not a single reputable martial artist came.

"Brother, what should we do?"

Yong Kijoong came to ask Yong Hwarin.

Yong Hwarin had decided to open up the family gates to guests, but if no one showed up, then that decision was pointless.

Only then did Yong Kijoong and Yong Biyang realize their true standing. Until now, Yong Hwarin alone had been the true face of the Heavenly Central Sect.

Thanks to Mo Biyoung’s reputation as a female swordswoman in Henan, the sect had barely managed to escape being labeled third-rate.

Yong Hwarin gave the matter some thought before smiling gently.

"I have a good idea. In one month, we’ll need to build a new guesthouse on our grounds."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Listen closely."

Yong Kijoong listened, tilting his head in confusion at times, but eventually nodded.

"Will that really work?"

"You’re still too young to understand. Just do as I say, and people will flock to our sect begging to become guests."

"I don’t know… it doesn’t sound convincing to me."

"That’s just because you’re young and don’t know yet."

Yong Kijoong smirked.

They weren’t even that far apart in age, yet his brother was treating him like a child—it was kind of funny.

But since his brother was so confident and it didn’t cost anything, Yong Kijoong decided to follow Yong Hwarin’s plan.

Since returning to the clan, Yong Hwarin had focused on refining his martial arts.

He was also preparing for departure to the Tri-Sect Alliance Gathering. Within the Heavenly Central Sect's grounds, dozens of workers were digging a large pit to construct an artificial lake.

It was part of a project to create the Rotational Linked Formation, conceived by Jong Munhye and Man Saengtongja.

Building an artificial lake required a significant amount of funds, so Yong Hwarin couldn’t afford to only focus on martial arts training.

Meanwhile, the 200 elite warriors of the Heavenly Central Sect were training under the guidance of Mo Biyoung and the Twin Dragons of Fury Swords.

Their Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword technique had already reached a fairly advanced level.

When practiced through a demonic cultivation method, the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword was like giving wings to a tiger.

It was unstoppable—aggressive and domineering.

When the technique was unfolded, the sword’s energy was so overbearing that it seemed like the sword itself had turned into a saber.

As Yong Hwarin observed their training, Mo Biyoung shouted to the warriors.

"Formation: Heavenly Sky Flying Dragon Unit!"

At her command, the warriors lined up and gathered in formation.

"Shall we have a look at the Young Sect Leader’s skill for once?"

Waaaaaah!

At her words, the Flying Dragon Unit erupted into cheers.

Seeing how Mo Biyoung had completely taken command of the clan’s elite forces made Yong Hwarin smile with satisfaction.

Though she was the best martial artist within the clan, until recently, she had only served as Yong Seollan’s martial instructor.

That had always been a bit of a pity to Yong Hwarin. But after several major incidents elevated her fame and acknowledged her strength, the clan’s warriors finally began to recognize her.

Yong Hwarin figured that if he displayed his own achievements, they too would gain insight. So he didn’t refuse.

He began demonstrating the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword and the Azure Bamboo Sword from the first form.

As the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword moved into its later forms, the energy requirements multiplied.

Thus, while one could theoretically perform all the forms without internal energy, it wouldn’t be a proper display of the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword.

But when Yong Hwarin infused internal energy into the technique and displayed it properly, the Flying Dragon Unit watched in awe.

"Ah, now that is the true Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword!"

From the moment he began Spiral Through the Sky, even the air around him seemed to ripple from the aura he exuded.

With the force of one and a half bursts of internal energy, Spiral Through the Sky, Piercing the Deep, and Heavenly Thunder Ascending Dragon flowed in succession until Yong Hwarin’s sword pointed straight ahead.

"Cloud Dragons Filling the Heavens!"

Suddenly, fine strands of sword qi spiraled around Yong Hwarin—so intricate and fierce, it looked like dragons dancing in the sky.

Then, that swirling energy condensed into his sword and blasted outward.

That was the level of the Qi Compression Stage.

BOOM!

When the condensed energy struck the ground, an explosive sound erupted.

Dust blew into the air, and wind surged.

Even in that moment, the Flying Dragon Unit didn’t flinch.

When the dust settled, cries of astonishment burst forth all at once.

"No way!"

"Is that level of power even possible?"