WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 208: Turmoil (2)
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Seom-ye, the Leader of Demon Wings, used a Tang Sect secret art.
Those in the know had long been aware of it. Within Desolate Fortress's main fortress, it had been widely known since Seom-ye's Black Uniform promotion ceremony.
It had been revealed when Un So-yu, the Law Enforcement Squad Leader, administered his Black Uniform promotion test.
Those well informed about such rumors had dug deeper. They even knew that Seom-ye had formed a master-disciple bond with the Tang Family Head in faraway Sichuan.
A bond between figures of that stature was akin to a fortuitous encounter.
One only had to look at how the Tang Family Head had personally attended the Martial Alliance Assembly and supported Jeong Yeon-shin. Their friendship, forged through martial arts, was extraordinary.
The same went for the Radiant River form. Information on a Desolate Fortress Squad Leader was worth its weight in gold.
They looked down on countless people in the upper circles of the martial world and often held authority over their deaths. Anyone who faced them without knowing better would die.
Seom-ye and Radiant River. The Leader of Demon Wings and Myriad Flowers Rain.
By now, many knew these ultimate techniques were difficult to separate from Jeong Yeon-shin.
But simultaneous activation was another matter. There was no known precedent.
Manifesting two ultimate techniques at once was exceedingly difficult. Even forms that required both hands to move differently could not compare.
The inner energy flowing through the body's meridians had to be directed differently within a single breath.
Without the insight to perceive the twelve regular meridians, three hundred and sixty-five acupoints, and even the countless minor meridians beyond them, one would come close to qi deviation.
The qi pathways had to be smoothed so the two currents of operation would not become entangled.
For techniques like Radiant River and Myriad Flowers Rain, the difficulty would rise to a terrifying degree.
Even after fully visualizing how to activate them simultaneously, another problem remained.
Dividing the movements of one's muscles and power throughout the body, then truly manifesting both ultimate techniques, was the essence of executing forms.
Opposing intentions had to be carried through hundreds of acupoints.
It would be less efficient than fully unleashing a single ultimate technique.
Most supreme masters at Three Flowers Gather at the Crown would not dare attempt it.
Many among the watching crowd were masters. Quite a few had noticed the anomaly from the very signs of the forms' activation.
A flash of surprise passed over their faces.
"Two Principles Mind Art of the Wudang Sect?"
"If he split his mind in two, it would make sense."
"Even so, that's absurd."
"The Wudang Sect's treasure couldn't possibly have fallen into the Leader of Demon Wings' hands."
"Then how do you explain Myriad Flowers Rain?"
"A mental art and a martial form cannot be placed on the same level. A cultivation art that encompasses the body is incomparably more complex."
The Desolate Fortress masters' mouths moved rapidly. Their words burst forth alongside aura, as swiftly as a volley of arrows.
It was called lip-speech. It was a method Desolate Fortress martial artists, hardened by frequent group battles, used to communicate in extreme situations.
"Could he be doing that purely by instinct...?"
"The difficulty is on a completely different level from wielding twin swords."
Separate from their lightning-fast discussion, the duel atop the platform unfolded quickly.
No matter how swiftly the masters moved their lips, they were slower than the hands of Desolate Fortress Squad Leaders.
Saaaaa!
The Leader of Demon Wings and the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit.
The vortex of ice surrounding them scattered rainbow-colored light.
The sight of pure white crystals spreading from around the Leader of Demon Wings and whirling like a cyclone was truly fantastical.
Snowflake-like Myriad Flowers Rain restricted Cheon So-so's evasion movement art. Its effect was obvious at a glance.
Because it had been raised on the spot, it could not pierce her Protective Qi Technique. Even so, simply restricting a Black Uniform master's movements was extraordinary.
The Frostless Heavenly Ice Art of Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, was a divine art.
It amplified the power of an already formidable martial art through spirituality.
The moment yin-cold qi froze the insignificant water vapor, it ceased to be ordinary frost and became hidden weapons fit to serve as the material for Myriad Flowers Rain.
They were ice crystals hardened with martial power. At that moment, they swept about as a savage storm of snowflake-like hidden weapons.
Seven-colored radiance flashed amid the whirlwinds that dyed the field of vision white. Even from the broad experience of a Squad Leader who had raced across the continent, it was a startling ultimate technique.
Cheon So-so calmly met the new Squad Leader's pitch-black eyes. Her right wrist, caught in the Leader of Demon Wings' grip, ached.
'He has trained his external arts. His grip is strong.'
It might be the power of a cultivation art that enhanced external arts through inner energy.
Either way, it was an achievement beyond the limits of his age. They said the Fortress Lord favored him. Could he have received even a fragment of a World Tree fruit?
No. That could not be.
Cheon So-so dismissed the thought that had arisen unbidden.
That was no spiritual medicine the new Squad Leader could endure.
It would be the same even if it were only a fragment. Not just anyone could easily consume a clan's treasure.
Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, differed from Han Chinese who had reached a high realm.
She had honed the sharp senses unique to her race until they were like treasured swords.
Through the eye technique of the Northern Sea lineage, she had even attained miraculous insight. The moment she faced the new Leader of Demon Wings, she understood.
He was still a greenhorn who had not united essence, qi, and spirit.
She could not examine him more deeply.
Like her, the Leader of Demon Wings had refined his qi through a divine art.
His mysterious inner energy fundamentally blocked eyes capable of seeing through more than one's disposition.
Unless one possessed eyes trained enough to contend with Purple Uniform masters, it would be difficult to gain further information merely by looking at the Leader of Demon Wings.
She did not relax her guard.
This was no time for carelessness. It remained true even if her opponent had not attained Three Flowers Gather at the Crown.
The Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit was no less disciplined or cultivated than the masters of the Demonic Sect or the great families.
She approached every mission with composure.
She knew well that knowing oneself and one's enemy was a virtue more important than most martial arts.
She had no particular desire to form a friendship with the Leader of Demon Wings, but as a Desolate Fortress Squad Leader, she had examined every accomplishment of her fellow Black Uniform master.
She immediately acknowledged that he was exceptional.
'His martial disposition is remarkably clear. It is the mnemonic formula of swiftness and strength.'
Cheon So-so's consciousness flowed like lightning.
This was truly the higher realm. The senses surging over her like waves were the privilege of supreme masters.
The cold wind brushing her Protective Qi Technique felt like silk against her skin. It passed over her for an exceptionally long time. She was in a realm where she perceived all things with extreme slowness.
Within it, the Leader of Demon Wings' palm approaching her abdomen was especially fast.
It seemed to have shot forth without passing through thought.
The energy rising from his palm would strike her abdomen at the very moment it reached its endpoint, however unstable that endpoint might be.
It would arrive with immeasurable force. She could not take something like that unguarded.
It was called Radiant River.
It overcame the weakness of its slow activation time in three ways.
Myriad Flowers Rain restrained Cheon So-so's body. He grasped the meridians of her extended right arm to seal her inner energy operation. At the same time, his inner energy control, which had clearly been innately fast, completed the core of the palm art as swiftly as possible.
He had the aptitude of a born fighter.
Now she understood why he had become a Squad Leader at such a young age. He was a talent suited to a major faction like Desolate Fortress.
Fwaaaash!
The sensation of the black robe lashing violently around Cheon So-so's abdomen reached her slowly.
It was already close. The aftermath of the palm art's activation alone made her lower abdominal muscles seem to tighten.
Within that momentary realm, she considered her options. A supreme master in the higher realm was one who could clearly determine the next move even when a single breath was urgent.
Countless thoughts passed through the domain of instinct.
'What should I do?'
It was already half a breath too late to strike with her remaining left hand. She had not expected the frost of her divine art to shatter at a single exhalation from the Leader of Demon Wings.
The qi filling every minor meridian in his body must have trembled with immense force.
She could not understand how the acupoints within his body had been arranged to bear such dynamism. That was why she was shocked.
'Rise.'
She recited inwardly.
At the same time, the cold power of the Frostless Heavenly Ice Art shot from her dantian like a ray of light.
The intention of a supreme master whose essence, qi, and spirit were united flowed with inner energy. It meant the command of qi was nearly as fast as thought.
Wooooong!
Qi surged in an instant to the Yinjiao acupoint above her navel and spread into the surrounding rectus abdominis muscles.
The speed at which she formed the structure of her inner energy through its prescribed mnemonic formula was faster than the Leader of Demon Wings' palm.
This was how a true Black Uniform master's qi operation worked.
Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, was a master of ice arts.
The essential core of yin-cold qi lay in the strange stillness of movement within stillness. Ice arts that had reached the realm of divine mastery offered countless abilities.
An inner energy barrier was one of them. She could raise her Protective Qi Technique to the realm of divine mastery more easily than masters of other martial lineages.
Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield.
An invisible wall of qi wrapped around her abdomen.
It was a Protective Qi Technique formed from the image of eternal snow that never melted.
Another of the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit's ultimate techniques, the defensive power granted by these ten layers of inner-energy garments was truly enormous.
Not long ago, she had even endured the coordinated attacks of masters of the Yang Family Spear with her body.
Even martial artists of considerable renown could not break through a single layer.
The outside of Cheon So-so's black long robe was smooth, without so much as a stain. It demonstrated the strength of the Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield.
The moment that divine art was fully formed, the Leader of Demon Wings' right hand exploded against her abdomen.
Kwoooong!
A terrifying shock wave erupted. The black hair of both supreme masters rose into the air.
Even the petals of Myriad Flowers Rain, which had swirled like snow, scattered in all directions. The Force Projection of the palm art surged down toward the ground as well.
It was like the condensed firepower of a thunderclap bomb exploding. Cracks raced across the dueling platform.
'Kgh.'
Cheon So-so received the palm art with her posture straight. With her unrestrained left hand, she prepared her next strike.
Outwardly, she stood with her waist proudly straightened. In contrast to her robes flapping wildly, she looked almost beautiful.
It was the mysterious sight often created by contests between supreme masters.
She narrowed her eyes. Even as Radiant River, the Leader of Demon Wings' signature technique, shattered six layers of the Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield at once, she calmly observed her opponent.
Even this took only an instant.
Only after this strike ended could she deal a meaningful blow.
If the battle dragged on, she would be swept up in the Leader of Demon Wings' combat instincts.
She resolved to prepare a powerful technique and end the duel quickly. She trusted the Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield, a divine art rarely seen beneath heaven.
Wooooong!
The power dwelling in his palm was certainly savage. The force pressing against her abdomen seemed ready to break the seventh layer immediately.
Yet it would not penetrate far enough to inflict internal injuries.
'This Han Chinese man is strong. He took my first move and created this situation. His moves are extraordinarily instinctive. If I don't launch my next move properly, I'll have no choice but to let him land another clean hit.'
The thought flashed through her mind. She had to seize the initiative on the third exchange.
The Leader of Demon Wings no longer looked like a boy. He looked like a threatening supreme master. That was why she saw him as a man.
Even within that instant, as the power of Radiant River blazed forth and repeatedly shattered the invisible Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield around her abdomen, she thought the same.
The Force Projection did not stop. He was stretching the brief breath of a close-range strike to an extraordinary length.
The palm force of Radiant River embedded in her abdomen did not fade.
It was like lightning continuously striking a peak of eternal snow.
The storm of palm force sweeping through her abdomen, and the Leader of Demon Wings' eyes that had met hers for so long within the realm of thought.
Cheon So-so's blue eyes widened. The crystalline blue eyes unique to the elven race were fully revealed.
'He is adding another layer of power...?!'
A realization like lightning flashed through her mind.
This was not simply the simultaneous activation of Myriad Flowers Rain and Radiant River. From the start, he had woven his power into three layers before launching his counterattack.
He had loaded the next Radiant River into the Neiguan acupoint of his wrist like a cannonball.
It was well known that he favored quick battles, but he had practically dispensed with thought itself. She had not expected him to force a two-exchange contest against a Black Uniform master of equal standing.
Had he not considered what would follow if this short strike failed?
He could not possibly have any strength left then. That was why not everyone favored quick battles.
The meridians that could withstand such a burden of power, and the combat instincts that dared to stake everything so boldly, were both difficult to believe.
Kwakwakwa!
Violent vibrations shook her vision.
The Deep Jade Heavenly Ice Shield shattered one layer after another. The sensation of her abdomen being struck in short bursts pressed in without pause.
The Leader of Demon Wings' palm, as though it had struck the empty air before her abdomen, was truly terrifying. The Radiant River force wave reached its peak in an instant.
The storm of swirling force seemed to say, "Even if you strike now, it is already too late."
With a violent tremor, Cheon So-so's bangs swept back. The upper dantian aura gathered on her smooth forehead distorted as though commanding a counterattack.
Frost spread, unique to the Frostless Heavenly Ice Art. This was no time to trust her Protective Qi Technique and prepare a powerful technique. The instant her left hand lifted slightly,
the seventh layer, eighth layer, ninth layer...
Kwakwak!
Even with her consciousness immersed in the higher realm, they shattered at a frightening speed.
No matter how fast a strike in the state of Three Flowers Gather at the Crown might be, it was slower than the monstrous force the Leader of Demon Wings had already unleashed.
Chwaaaang!
It took one breath for the final layer to break.
A small cough escaped Cheon So-so's lips. Bright blood splattered onto Jeong Yeon-shin's shoulder.
"...!"
For a moment, it was as if ice arts had spread around the dueling platform. The masters who had been endlessly discussing the match fell silent.
A frozen stillness colored every direction.
Then, beyond Cheon So-so's trapezius muscles, flowing gracefully from her neck to her shoulders, Jeong Yeon-shin met the eyes of someone far off in the spectator stands.
He was a handsome man with skin as white as fresh snow.
The sleeves of his black long robe hung loose, but the fabric around his forearms was tight enough to reveal the shape of his solid muscles beneath it.
His build was exceptionally lithe.
Jeong Yeon-shin knew he stood near the top of the Divine Sword Squad's facial-feature portraits.
'Jin Myeong-jo, the Blood Guard Squad Leader.'
He had a pale complexion and narrow facial features.
The black robe covering the Blood Guard Squad Leader's body carried a cold impression. With his arms crossed, he only slightly raised his chin toward the dueling platform.
It was impossible to tell how deeply he had cultivated the Demonic Sect's martial arts. A bewitching disposition seeped from his entire body.
At that moment, his lips moved. It was unclear whether he was speaking to himself or addressing the Leader of Demon Wings.
For a brief moment, Jeong Yeon-shin carefully watched the Blood Guard Squad Leader's lips.
'Damn it. Fucking hell. Goddamn it.'
Jin Myeong-jo, the Blood Guard Squad Leader, said it without changing expression.
Footnotes:
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