Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

Chapter 117 – Divine Technique (5)

The entrance opened wide with the sound of the stone doors grinding. Jeong Yeon-shin calmly lowered his hand from the groove.

He had already extracted the qi diagram traces in reverse from the Spring Area’s threshold. He created a qi key just like he did before.

“What was that about your 30 percent diagram?”

Hyeon Won-chang abruptly asked. It was directed at the man who had been discussing the treasure’s qi diagram.

A bold sneer played on the Desolate Divine Hero’s lips.

He had never doubted Jeong Yeon-shin’s talent in the realm of internal energy control.

Even if he hadn’t seen the Spring Area stone door opening, he would have felt the same.

“What, what…?”

The man who had previously held himself with dignity stammered.

He frantically examined Jeong Yeon-shin’s whole body looking for the treasure key, but anyone could see the boy’s hands were empty.

He held nothing.

“What technique did you use!”

He cried out in confusion. He was someone without the insight to guess what method Jeong Yeon-shin used.

“Should we kill them all before going?”

Tang Li-li stepped forward and asked.

While fiddling with her sleeve and staring up at Jeong Yeon-shin, the boy recognized the hidden weapons inside her sleeve.

She was a noble lady of the Tang family. Though appearing proper before Jeong Yeon-shin, she had no hesitation in throwing her hidden weapons.

“Wait! I am the illegitimate son of Shunjing Prefecture’s Police Chief, and after leaving home I founded a new sect as Founding Master Seo Gwon-il! If you treat me accordingly, I will never forget this kindness!”

The man with an elegantly groomed beard shouted with trembling lips. His body froze with fear.

It was because his acupoints had been sealed by Lazy Flame Dragon’s rough touch.

“A Founding Master?”

“Claiming to be a master. He must really be a Police Chief’s son.”

Several Return Wing Corps warriors raised their lips.

All were of the Lightning Genius lineage, who they temporarily served as their commander and master.

Founding meant establishing a new sect. It was words that the Return Wing Corps warriors did not take lightly.

“Status? Are you begging for your life?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked. He had only slightly turned his head.

Sect Leader Seo Gwon-il’s beard lifted slightly, bitting his lip.

“They say Desolate Fortress warriors’ conduct is unbefitting of martial artists, and indeed it is so. I am not begging for my life. I am giving you a chance to receive my favor. Are you not originally swords of the government?”

Perhaps because he was a high official’s illegitimate son, he maintained his dignity to the end.

There are all sorts of people in the Central Plains. With a vast continent like this, different perspectives and norms prevailed everywhere.

The provinces dividing the Central Plains were each like small countries.

It was not easy for people of Huguang Province to understand Sichuan Province’s customs and values.

The same was true for this Seo Gwon-il. It was a mindset Jeong Yeon-shin had no need to empathise with.

The boy turned around.

He didn’t give any order whatsoever, just walking forwards towards the wide open door.

He felt Crimson Day Sword’s sword energy sharply rising behind his back.

“Heok…!”

It was a death spasm. Seo Gwon-il’s body collapsed.

He had tried to enslave innocent craftsmen. It was a turbid world. That was reason enough to die.

“Actually it’s hard to see these craftsmen as commoners. They live in hiding without paying tributes to the country, right? Are they really Ming citizens? Doesn’t seem like civilians Desolate Fortress should look after.”

It was Lazy Flame Dragon’s voice tinged with laughter. His characteristic languid nature sharply pierced the weakness of City of Renowned Craftsmen’s residents.

While Spring Area Village Head Zhang Zhong-ming’s breath trembled faintly, Hyeon Won-chang’s voice rang out.

“Though they may not be in Ming’s tax system, they are still those who breathe in the Central Plains. If they are innocently in trouble, it is only right to help. Of course, now that the City of Renowned Craftsmen has been revealed to all under heaven, I believe these people too will rightfully contribute to the Central Plains’ civilian welfare from now on.”

“…”

The iron folk including Zhang Zhong-ming were silent.

It was the Desolate Fortress’s motto. They didn’t just blindly protect anyone.

The conviction of Hyeon Won-chang who called himself a Desolate Divine Hero was not naive.

It meant his justice was not easily exploitable by others.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently moved his feet. While pushing aside the face of Azure Qilin Namgung Se-jin that subconsciously came to mind.

‘How to live is something to think about after surviving first, isn’t it?’

He recited internally.

Step.

The Return Wing Corps experts followed their young commander.

The captured enemies’ breaths were cut off. It was by the hands of the Tang Clan warriors.

They seemed to have received some kind of instruction from the Tang siblings.

Perhaps they had been ordered to support Lightning Genius’s advance. Jeong Yeon-shin, while activating the entry technique to Myriad Heavens Flower Rain, walked forward without paying attention.

Behind his back, he drew the gazes of the Beggar Sect experts including Senior Beggar. It was a strange feeling.

* * *

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

The group easily broke through each area of the City of Renowned Craftsmen.

With Jeong Yeon-shin at the lead, there was no one who could stop them penetrating the City of Renowned Craftsmen.

The Return Wing Corps experts advanced, sprinting forward without hesitation.

It didn’t even take half a day.

They conquered Summer Area, and cut off the heads of demonic path and neutral sect warriors stationed in Fall Area.

Most of the Thirteen Evil Sects elites seemed to be in the Winter Area, and those remaining in the three areas were mostly warriors from small and medium neutral sects.

Occasionally there was one expert each from the Pure Demon Alliance and Ten Perfections Sect mixed in, but they couldn’t handle Namgung Hwa-shin and Lazy Flame Dragon.

Like that they arrived at the Winter Area’s entrance. It was the City of Renowned Craftsmen’s final area.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jeong Yeon-shin stood before the stone door.

With his hand pressed to the groove for inserting the treasure key, his speed in scanning the traces of energy had clearly become faster.

A boy and girl standing to one side stared intently at Jeong Yeon-shin. They were the Tang siblings.

Tang Li-hua and Tang Li-li’s eyes never left Jeong Yeon-shin. Their expressions were as if amazed no matter how many times they saw it.

“Please, please let them be safe…”

Hyeon Won-chang muttered. Senior Beggar beside him opened his lips.

“A futile wish. Though I hesitate to say it.”

“What did you say?”

“If you were separated from the Radiant Demon Wing’s group, you should know well too. The martial arts level of the expert groups from Pure Demon Alliance and Ten Perfections Sect is no less than Radiant Demon Wing. Moreover, there are two of them. Just by simple arithmetic there is twice the power difference.”

“…”

“Total annihilation would be natural in a proper clash. That’s why the Radiant Demon Wing was helplessly pushed back. Though they seem to be somehow holding on since they’re all experienced masters.”

He smoothly deflected Hyeon Won-chang’s gaze. Senior Beggar slowly continued…

“Originally they said the military forces under the Divine Sword Group were created to face the Thirteen Evil Sects and Nine Sects’ elites. Conversely, it means the elites of one major sect could match one Divine Sword Group military force. At least, that’s how it looks from the outside. I’m pointing this out because I don’t want to see you all perish meaninglessly either.”

“…”

There was no reason to argue about facts. Hyeon Won-chang closed his mouth. There was no practical benefit in continuing the war of words.

“The child from the Beggar Sect speaks true. They are very powerful. The Thirteen Evil Sects have always been so.”

A voice came from above.

Jeong Yeon-shin quickly raised his gaze. He hadn’t sensed any presence until the stranger spoke.

“Your martial talent shines amazingly. You, you, and you. It’s like washing my eyes after a long time.”

It was a man standing upside down on the high cave ceiling. His two feet were stuck there with supreme Body Protection Technique.

He pointed with his eyes at the group. It seemed to be at Lazy Flame Dragon, Namgung Hwa-shin, and Jeong Yeon-shin.

‘Could it be…!’

The moment he recognized it, a tremendous spirit pressure swept in. It was an overwhelming presence. It made his very small height seem meaningless.

Jeong Yeon-shin could guess the middle-aged man’s identity, through his intuition.

With iron folk appearance and such an impressive supreme master, there was only one person he had heard of since entering Sichuan.

“I am Tang Yun-hwang.”

The middle-aged man wearing a green robe said.

Poison Lord Tang Yun-hwang. It was a widely known name. His fame had spread from Sichuan all the way to distant Yangyang.

“Tang Clan Leader…!”

Hyeon Won-chang swallowed hard. Tang Yun-hwang, the Tang Clan Leader who had been standing upside down on the cave ceiling, fell down casually.

He adjusted his body in mid-air with supreme Body Protection Technique.

It embodied the subtlety of the Tang Clan secret technique, Nine Heavens Body Technique.

Swoosh.

When his feet touched the ground the great presence disappeared. He approached right before Jeong Yeon-shin with soft steps.

Though the Tang siblings watched with shocked faces, he didn’t even glance at his children.

“The Radiant Demon Wing Leader said so. That it would be worth waiting for reinforcements. Though he didn’t expect such an unexpected rising talent would come, it turns out he was right in the end.”

“I pay my respects to the Tang Clan Leader.”

Jeong Yeon-shin raised his clasped hands. He was careful not to give the impression of looking down.

The boy’s height had been growing rapidly recently. It had been since carrying out the Dragon Phoenix Gathering mission.

His whole body was advancing toward adulthood. The Tang Clan Leader’s head came up to just above his waist.

Poison Lord Tang Yun-hwang’s lips lifted slightly.

That’s when it happened.

Cough.

Tang Yun-hwang coughed up congested blood along with his cough. It was sudden bleeding. Dark red blood beaded in his beard.

“…Pay it no mind. It only proves how severe my father’s handiwork was.”

He said after spitting out the remaining blood.

The Tang Clan Leader.

They said he lost his wife to the Ten Perfections Sect and Pure Demon Alliance.

They said he wanted to pour the Tang Clan’s martial force into revenge, but when the Supreme Elder opposed it, he cut ties and left home.

‘It didn’t end with just an argument.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

Whether they had fought head on, or the Supreme Elder who actually controlled the Tang Clan had set a trap, was unknown.

Originally they said an Eight Family Leader would look down even on most Desolate Fortress black-ranks.

But he was different. He didn’t feel stronger than Ma Jin.

He also hadn’t been able to heal his internal injuries.

For a moment the image of his maternal grandfather Ma Yeon-jeok overlapped.

They were people advancing toward what they wanted to achieve, while carrying the burden of their martial power weakening with time.

“We won’t have the leisure for a long talk. I want to help you all. I’ll lend my strength in annihilating those inside the Winter Area. Honestly I had no intention of joining a fight with no chance of winning, but now it seems it’s worth a shot.”

Tang Yun-hwang said. As Tang Li-li and Tang Li-hua hesitantly tried to approach, he turned away with just one word.

“The timing isn’t right. Finishing the City of Renowned Craftsmen’s matter comes first.”

“…”

With that, the mission to rescue the Radiant Demon Wing gained rapid momentum.

Tang Yun-hwang told them in detail about the Ten Perfections Sect and Pure Demon Alliance.

They learned precisely about the identities, martial arts, and numbers of those in the Winter Area.

“No need for a treasure key? I see you are born with a thousand-year talent in internal energy control. I want to see it in actual combat, how you would use that talent.”

The words were directed at Jeong Yeon-shin who had again placed his hand on the stone door’s groove.

The boy closed his eyes.

‘The decisive battle begins the moment the door opens.’

He thought while extracting the qi diagram in his mind.

He also recalled the internal energy pathway of the mind technique that was now nearing completion.

From when he received the Moon Spirit Harmony Formula from the Lord of Desolate Fortress until now, he had been holding onto it for a long time.

‘I have to change the nature of my qi all at once. Can I achieve it in actual combat?’

He recalled the starting points. The Diamond Sutra’s dharma text, Moon Spirit Harmony Formula, Demon Destroying Azure Unyielding Palm, Demon Roaring Blood Force, Jeong Family Dynamic Technique…

Meanwhile, the conversation between the sociable Hyeon Won-chang and the Tang Clan Leader could be heard.

“Aren’t you also after the Winter Area’s treasure, Clan Leader? They say Bodhidharma’s qi crystal creates spirit nature.”

“I don’t need it. Because I can create it myself. When I strike a hammer while imbuing my soul, my weapons gain spirit nature. That’s what’s commonly called divine swords and divine weapons.”

“Create…? What exactly is spirit nature?”

“To human eyes it’s an extremely faint will, but a power different from internal energy. It’s a mysterious quality. Only craftsmen who have reached the realm can handle it.”

“Are you praising yourself?”

“Think about a chipped piece of iron repairing itself. That’s how great such divine weapons are. Like the giant Pangu in creation myths, it’s creating life with human hands.”

[TL Note- Pangu is a prominent figure in Chinese mythology. He is a creator god who is said to have formed the world out of chaos. According to legend, Pangu emerged from a cosmic egg and stood between yin and yang, the two opposite forces of the universe. He then separated the yin and yang to create the earth and the sky, and he used his body to create the mountains and rivers.]

[E/N – He’s also got a sick axe]

The Tang Clan Leader seemed a more pleasant person than expected. Unlike when dealing with his children, he got along well with Hyeon Won-chang.

‘He says putting spirit nature in iron makes divine swords? Then, if put into martial arts…’

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly thought.

The Lord of Desolate Fortress’s advice flashed through his mind. Her teachings aligned with Tang Yun-hwang’s words.

“Emb intent in the flow you create. If you can breathe with this divine technique, you will rise to the pinnacle of the sword,” she had told him then.

Meanwhile,

Rumble—!

The door opened from the boy’s fingertips.

The group of warriors who revered the Lightning Genius lineage drew their swords simultaneously.

Dim streaks of light poked through. The City of Renowned Craftsmen’s final area was slowly being unveiled.