WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 195: Sword Thunder Flash Ridge Form (3)
──────
“This martial uncle has grown old too. I forgot something important.”
Cheon Ju-jin spoke as he glanced down at Yu Hyeon. They had just left Fragrant Rhyme Residence, where the Desolate Fortress envoys were staying.
Their footsteps sounded calmly over yellow earth steeped in the autumn of Mid-Autumn Festival as the martial uncle and disciple-nephew spoke in low voices.
“Ah... You said you had other business with Yeon-shin. If you forgot, does that not mean it is no longer necessary?”
Yu Hyeon lifted his head slightly and raised his dark brows.
His Sword Absolute martial uncle was known even within the sect for severity.
Cheon Ju-jin never forgot what needed to be done, and he held Mount Hua Sect disciples to standards befitting his own conduct.
To martial artists outside the sect, he was a noble swordsman. Within it, he was a living King Yama.
‘I might be ordered into closed-door training when we return. He even exchanged swords with Yeon-shin.’
The corners of Yu Hyeon’s mouth drooped.
Cheon Ju-jin had shown an unusually gentle side toward Jeong Yeon-shin. It was truly unprecedented.
It was not easy for a swordsman to win the Sword Absolute’s favor. It was harder than finding an actual plum blossom among Mount Hua’s barren stone peaks.
The lower-ranking disciples at the main mountain might grow jealous if they saw it.
Just as Yu Hyeon had become isolated among those his age after becoming the sect leader’s disciple at such a young age.
‘Does Desolate Fortress not have that sort of thing? He is far more absurd than I am, yet he seems close with his subordinates. It is ridiculous enough that those subordinates are the White Qilin and the Languid Flame Dragon.’
Noticing the strange look on Yu Hyeon’s face, Cheon Ju-jin patted his head once.
“Wasn’t the way the Leader of Demon Wings honed his blade astonishing?”
Cheon Ju-jin recalled Seom-ye. A strange youth. He was no longer the White Uniform martial artist under Ma Jin’s protection in Xi’an.
Seom-ye’s growth was so remarkable that it was impossible to guess what kind of carnage he had endured.
Perhaps it was fortunate that such unfathomable talent belonged to Desolate Fortress. Had he been born in the Demonic Sect, he would have become a concern for the entire world.
Yu Hyeon’s pale face puffed up.
“I know how to make it double-edged, not just single-edged. I have already mastered the first ten moves of the Plum Blossom Sword Art.”
“Can you still say that after seeing the Leader of Demon Wings’ sword forms? It will be exceedingly difficult for you to handle force waves that powerful. You are ten years too early.”
“Yeon-shin does live several times faster than I do. Still, I do not know if it is truly ten times faster. No, I will not think about it. It only hinders my progress and makes me impatient.”
“Comparison breeds inner demons. If you silently build accumulated effort, a sunset will one day bloom from your sword. Very good. You have grasped the true meaning of wall-facing training. Once we return, first gather the Purple Cloud Pellet’s energy within you. I will prepare fasting pills.”
“Martial Uncle?”
They had long been martial uncle and disciple-nephew. Only after exchanging a few more idle remarks did they come to the real matter.
Yu Hyeon adjusted the white cap resting atop his topknot.
Speaking aloud of his inferiority before a friend’s talent had even disheveled the symbol of his Taoist identity.
“You meant to tell Yeon-shin about the Tyrant Sword Sect Master, did you not?”
“Yes.”
Cheon Ju-jin lightly rubbed his side. Yu Hyeon watched him with shadowed eyes before speaking.
“Will he try to strike Zhongnan again? He has become utterly arrogant now...”
“The sect leader of the Qingcheng Sect has passed away. Having faced the Tyrant Sword Sect Master myself, I saw that he had tempered his swordsmanship through natural law. Had we not fought beneath the main mountain, it would have been my heart rather than the Plum Blossom Sword Formation that was cut. The Tyrant Sword Sect Master has become a peerless swordsman capable of attempting anything. Our sect must prepare as well. The Tyrant Sword Sect will rise again, and a blade wind will sweep through Shaanxi.”
The Sword Absolute’s voice was heavier than ever. Yu Hyeon suddenly glanced behind him.
“He is Yeon-shin’s enemy. Shouldn’t we go back and tell him now...?”
“It is better to tell him later. A swordsman approaching battle must sharpen body and mind. I fear talk of his enemy may dull his blade instead.”
“Ah.”
Yu Hyeon nodded as if he understood, then hesitated.
“They say the Sword Star’s single strike can split even a mountain peak... Still, a Black Uniform of Desolate Fortress should at least save face. The Alliance Leader would not use a killing move either.”
“The real problem is that my martial arts are so weak,” the young Taoist muttered self-mockingly before suddenly looking up.
“More importantly, I heard the Tang Sect only arrived now. Why are they so late? The grand founding ceremony has already ended...”
“Sichuan Province is in turmoil as well. Seom-ye slew the Pure Demon Alliance’s principal experts, and the Ten Perfect Sect Master has reportedly been gravely injured. For the Tang Sect to dominate Sichuan, overcoming the Dragon-Slaying Alliance should have been enough... Yet I hear that, rather than remaining an alliance, they recently consolidated into a single sect called the Golden-Wing Sect. The resistance must have been fierce. What I do not understand is why the Tang Family Head personally came all the way to Hanzhong.”
At that moment, Cheon Ju-jin’s eyes narrowed.
“Yu Hyeon.”
“Yes?”
“From far away, the Leader of Demon Wings’ aura is spreading like raging waves. Something must have happened.”
* * *
Jeong Yeon-shin advanced with Jegal Cheong-a.
There was not much time.
The Family Head-tier figures would be away for less than half a shichen. Even Jegal Cheong-a did not know where they were.
She could only guess that they might be on the top floor of Azure Crane Tower before the Martial Alliance’s main headquarters.
It was a place where high-ranking figures, including Eon Hwa-ryeon, secretly enjoyed refined leisure.
A Desolate Fortress Squad Leader could not handle a Family Head-tier expert.
It was as plain as day.
Three Squad Leaders at the edge of the Black Uniform realm had launched a combined attack against the Huangbo Family Head.
Just as Jeong Yeon-shin had swiftly slain enemies whose martial prowess did not greatly exceed his own, he too could be killed in the same way.
Experts close to the Purple Uniform realm were said to stand as absolute powers anywhere beneath heaven.
Because of their status and seniority, the Zhuge Family Head, the Moyong Family Head, and others had watched the grand founding ceremony from the sidelines. They looked down on the youth as an inferior.
Considering their age and position, that was only natural.
‘I have to take it before they return.’
The youth thought.
If he failed to secure the Clear Qilin’s corpse in time, it would amount to launching a preemptive strike against the Zhuge Family on flimsy grounds.
He would surely be driven into a corner. Jeong Yeon-shin was now invading the heart of the family estate built within the Martial Alliance.
Even if the Zhuge Family Head cut off the Leader of Demon Wings’ head with a fan, no one could object.
That was the law of the martial world.
After some martial artists branded as traitors escaped extermination with the elusive Body Movement Scripture, the imperial court publicly drew a line between itself and Desolate Fortress.
For the sake of the dynasty’s dignity, Desolate Fortress’s enemies were no longer traitors.
In the end, only a difference in strength remained between the martial world and Desolate Fortress. That was why the Martial Alliance was formed.
Now that the Martial Alliance had been established, if the heads of the Eight Great Families gathered in one place, they would be in a position to challenge Desolate Fortress.
People of the martial world who possessed both legitimacy and martial strength could do anything. This was no ordinary situation.
That was why Desolate Fortress’s leadership had sent out its new Leader of Demon Wings, a youth of unprecedented talent. It was meant to crush the Martial Alliance’s morale in advance.
Now came the final phase.
It was a battle against time.
Thud!
Dust rose each time he kicked off the ground. Walls and pavilions flashed past like arrows.
Even as he ran, he had to remain aware of everyone’s gaze. It was an exceptionally difficult task, even for a one-time mission.
Reason and fury tangled together. Even while rational thought underpinned the circulation of qi, flares of wrath rose without warning.
It was as though sharp maple leaves had lodged inside his head.
A clear ringing in his ears, movements stained with killing intent, rage carried within force waves, and an upper dantian that flashed colder than reason.
“The main gate... An intruder...!”
“The young lady is with him!”
“Is she a hostage?”
“It is the Leader of Demon Wings! Deploy the formation to its utmost!”
Many people stood in the way of his lightness skill charge. Seven formed the front line, while more rushed in from behind.
White cranes were embroidered over the left breasts of their green martial uniforms, yet not one of them looked down on the youth.
The Zhuge Family’s Profound Heaven Squad. It was a combat unit with men and women evenly mixed. Extraordinary light gleamed in every pair of eyes.
They specialized in martial formations. They were the family’s elite.
Whoooong!
Artificial wind rose from their bodies. It was aura given form. It billowed like clouds and brushed against Jeong Yeon-shin’s skin.
A superb formation had clearly been activated. It was likely the Cloud Soul Severing Formation.
It was not an ordinary formation.
Without using mechanism formations or nearby objects, it made the inner-energy methods each member had cultivated resonate through designated positions. It increased their martial strength while slowing their opponent.
Ak Su-rim, the Desolate Divine Spear, had warned Jeong Yeon-shin before the departure.
“They know the nature of your inner energy, so they might use some strange sword formation. Do not rush in blindly. Cut down their aura first. Back when I caused havoc at the main family and wore Blue Uniform, I showed off before those damned Zhuge bastards and nearly crossed the Sanzu River alone. Do not do that. They are incredibly underhanded. Their combined attacks are vicious as hell.”
It was as though the senior, whose speech and behavior had also undergone Rejuvenation, were chattering in his ear.
If this combat unit represented the family, its level was no different from the combat units under the Divine Sword Squad.
Their strength was immense. Anyone would understand if they managed to hold a Black Uniform expert in place, even briefly.
That could not happen.
‘Quickly.’
Cutting down an opponent’s aura was a vague concept. There were few ways to accomplish it. Yet Jeong Yeon-shin had a suitable method.
Fwoosh!
A black gale coiled around the hems of his Black Uniform trousers. The Light Wheel energy that had raced down to the minor meridians in his legs scattered into light at the Zhongdu acupoint beside the calf.
In an instant, the three acupoints around his ankle were clad in invisible armor.
The release mnemonic formula.
Footwork born from the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s wine cup stirred.
‘Phantom Wing Second Step.’
Boom!
It was a step that pierced momentum and created an opening. A wave of qi spread outward from his planted foot.
Colorless ripples shoved the air aside. It lasted only an instant.
The aura densely pouring from the seven martial artists was struck, then scattered in every direction as though spun in reverse.
The principles of a formation were profound. Resonance joined at each axis created its power.
That was especially true of formations as practical as the Profound Heaven Squad’s Cloud Soul Severing Formation. Their force dispersed in an instant.
Pine needles floating above their heads began to drift down like downy feathers.
They stood ten paces from the Leader of Demon Wings.
“...!”
The Zhuge Family’s Profound Heaven Squad did not halt its advance, though some twitched their brows and others parted their lips.
Was this the family’s foundation? Their spirit as retainers was formidable. They rushed forward like a keen north wind sharpened to perfection.
The dust their feet kicked up rose cleanly. Their Body Movement Scripture was refined.
So was their skill. The axes of their formation seemed ready to align again at any moment. Pine needles scattered among the aura rising anew from their ranks.
It would be best if the formation was restored just before they collided with Jeong Yeon-shin, but even if it was not, they had resolved to hold their ground.
Their paths could become tangled with the comrades rushing in from behind.
It was fine.
The youth thought.
What truly frightened him was the Zhuge Family Head’s return.
The small force that had secretly followed Jeong Yeon-shin from Desolate Fortress to safeguard its youngest Squad Leader had not acted even when Jeong Yeon-shin faced the Heart Martial Union’s army.
It would be different before a Family Head-tier expert.
If things went wrong, it could turn into a war between factions regardless of the original intent. It had to end before the situation grew complicated.
‘Movement art, Wind Body.’
Crack!
He violently tightened the long extensor muscle of the big toe with energy, from the joints of his toes to his calves.
The fine muscles across his body repeatedly contracted and expanded. Fallen leaves swirled beneath his feet.
The moment the powerful wind brushed past his eyelids, the faces of the Profound Heaven Squad martial artists suddenly grew larger. Jeong Yeon-shin had closed the distance at tremendous speed.
The Cloud Soul Severing Formation had not yet fully recovered. Jegal Cheong-a, who had fallen behind in an instant, was now among the onlookers.
“Draw swords!”
The Profound Heaven Squad martial artist at the front shouted like a battle cry.
Though she had not fully hidden the shock on her slender face, she leaped gracefully and thrust out her sword.
Her extended rear leg formed a straight line with her blade. She used her body as an arrow, honing the force wave of her sword strike into a single stream. It was the stance of unity of sword and self, deeply cultivated.
Papapap!
The enemies spread to both sides tightened in like the wings of a phoenix.
Even without the formation’s mystery, they launched a combined attack with extraordinary spacing. Pine needles and maple leaves split apart against the narrow blades of their thrusting swords.
The piercing force waves sounded like rustling leaves. The air rang with a chill.
There was no carelessness in them. This was the strike of their lives.
Within the aura sense of his upper dantian, which accelerated again and again like a streak of light, the youth realized anew.
His name was now known everywhere.
He was no longer a rising talent who had earned an epithet in Clear Night Valley of Southern Zhili, nor a newly emerged master called king only within isolated Sichuan.
He had entered the heart of the martial world in Hanzhong.
He was now a supreme expert watched by all beneath heaven.
The blade forests and sword mountains of the world would no longer see him as a youth. Risking one’s life was how lesser fighters showed due respect to a master.
Those strong enough to contend with a Black Uniform expert would prepare killing moves from the beginning. After conquering the grand founding ceremony, Jeong Yeon-shin could no longer expect luck.
Unless he faced the forests of blades and mountains of swords, all desperate to kill the Leader of Demon Wings, with his full strength, he would die as his enemies had.
The sword before him, rushing close enough to touch, told him exactly that. He felt it viciously cutting through the air against his skin.
‘Sihwa Boundless Hand.’
The youth embedded Light Wheel energy into the Tianzong acupoint at his right shoulder blade while contracting his upper-arm muscles.
The instant the minute movements of muscle and minor meridians amplified the strength of his inner energy, power erupted violently.
The Record of the Dharma Light Wheel exploded behind his back like a thunderclap bomb. Jeong Yeon-shin’s right fist tore through the air.
His fist drove in from the side, accompanied by a fist force wave that swept past his ears.
Second move, True Barrier.
Craaaang!
His fist strike swallowed even the rebound force and surged upward. Shattered fragments of the sword mixed into the violent wind.
Sunlight reflected in every direction from the pieces of metal swept across the Profound Heaven Squad martial artist’s face.
Still airborne, she twisted along a falling leaf’s trajectory and tumbled away.
She let out a hollow gasp, as though her sternum had been crushed by the direct hit of Force Projection. She could not endure the aftermath of True Barrier.
The youth did not stop even after hearing the shrill cry. Combined attack sword strikes timed within a single breath were already rushing at him. Three from the left and three from the right.
This truly was a movement specialized for hunting powerful martial artists. It was too late to move.
There was no triumph on their faces. Their expressions remained impassive as they closed in and swung their swords from point-blank range.
At a glance, they were giving everything they had to ensure not even the smallest opening appeared in their sword forms.
The youth relaxed the fist raised for the strike. The moment he spread five fingers, the sword fragments that had been falling while scattering light stopped in midair.
The acupoints aligned in a straight line through his palm, the Shaofu acupoint, Laogong acupoint, and Zhongzhu acupoint, heated up in an instant. The mnemonic formulas of absorption and release achieved exquisite balance.
‘If the martial world will treat me fully as the Leader of Demon Wings, then I too will carry myself with the mastery of the Leader of Demon Wings.’
Myriad Flowers Rain.
The Zhuge Family and the Leader of Demon Wings clashed without either side yielding. True to his name, Seom-ye’s footsteps unfolded amid dazzling streams of light.
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
