WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 267: Master of the Martial Book (4)
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The Mount Hua Sect Leader’s sword brought twilight to the mountain ridge.
The early sunset forced silence upon the world. It meant the effect of her sword strike had preceded sound.
Along the path of the slash, which flared with a faint red glow before turning purple in an instant, the air around Mount Taebaek convulsed only afterward, as though being drawn in.
The heaps of snow blanketing the ridge scattered like a dream. Soon afterward, a tremendous explosion erupted.
Kwaaaaaang!
A fierce wind swept through, carrying flurries of snow in every direction. Shrubs and branches revealed their rusty winter-brown hues.
Jeong Yeon-shin watched the scene ahead without blinking.
Even sublime was not enough to describe it. It was a truly transcendent sword form.
‘A realm that can contend with the main fortress’s Purple Uniforms...’
It felt as though the Baihui acupoint at the crown of his head had opened into an immense expanse. When would he ever reach that point? He could not even read half of the hundreds of changes contained within that single strike.
The straight sword strike held a principle that made evasion impossible. As though that was only natural at the peak of the martial world.
Purple Haze Divine Technique and the Twenty-Four-Hand Plum Blossom Sword.
The strike of an aged peerless master did not permit a lesser fighter to interpret it deeply.
This was on an entirely different level from the way Jeong Yeon-shin had assessed the state of others’ bodies and qi.
‘So this is what cultivation achieves.’
He could see the years. They had accumulated somewhere beyond the reach of his judgment.
A Nine Sects sect leader would hardly lack talent. When he had examined the maturity of Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader Xiahou Wi-jin’s power, he had thought in terms of a year. Now, he could not even begin to measure it.
The same was true for the depth of the forms and the inner energy. Would he be able to withstand such an attack by the time he was nineteen?
He silently carved the sunset-colored sword strike into his mind. A Daoist sect, the principle of following Heaven.
“There was no feeling to it.”
Yulha Nangnang, standing beside him, flicked her sword once. The sect leader’s Daoist robe cracked through the air.
She had unleashed a mighty sword strike that would have left even an accomplished master dumbfounded, yet she showed no trace of recoil from the form. The epithet Starflower Sword God suited her.
‘He’s coming.’
Jeong Yeon-shin heard footsteps.
Heavy reverberations gradually drew closer. With the signs of mountain beasts gone, the crunch of dry grass and branches sounded unusually loud.
The slow footsteps climbing upward were strange. They resembled the presence of a condensed typhoon.
Soon, a massive shadow appeared.
The moment his head came into view, his entire body rose over the hill.
Step. Step.
He walked with strides as long as his huge frame, sunlight from beyond the ridge at his back.
He clearly had a human shape, yet Jeong Yeon-shin’s aura sense told him that a landslide from the wilderness was approaching. The pressure against his skin felt as though it might push his body away.
The heavy fluctuations of qi still felt unreal.
Beyond the level of his martial arts, the unbroken rhythm of his breathing carried the realm of selflessness. He possessed the silent bearing of someone walking a path already decided. That was why he looked like the center of the world.
A massive greatsword hung from his hand.
Had he received Yulha Nangnang’s attack head-on? White steam rose from its blade, likely the aftermath of their clashing sword strikes.
Jeong Yeon-shin sharpened his focus.
‘The Tyrant Sword Sect Master.’
He was different from when Jeong Yeon-shin had seen him at Jeong Family Manor, and from when they had met beneath Mount Zhongnan.
Back then, he had not truly seen him. He had not even clearly recognized his features. Their energies had belonged to different realms.
There was a gap between a new White Uniform of Desolate Fortress and an absolute expert at the summit of the martial world as vast as that between commoners and immortals. It had been even greater when he was the unwanted burden of Jeong Family Manor.
Now was different. The Record of the Dharma Light Wheel filled his entire body.
Those who breathed through a Divine Technique had the right to observe the leader of a major faction.
“Starflower.”
His voice was deep, as though it had echoed from within a cave. The mouth that called the Mount Hua Sect Leader’s name looked taciturn.
He was said to be the crown prince of the ruined Dali Kingdom, of mixed elven blood. Even the shape of his body beneath his yellow long robe was extraordinary.
His body was that of a battle-hardened swordsman, muscles forged like iron armor. His sharply defined jaw, free of even a trace of excess flesh, spoke of a flawless state.
His blade-sharp nose and eyes carrying a colorless gleam were all strikingly handsome.
‘So that’s how he forged his body.’
This was the face of his enemy. Jeong Yeon-shin did not blink.
The culprit who had destroyed the home of his late mother, slaughtered her companion and the servants she had grown close to, stood there. Seeing him now, the gap between them was overwhelming.
“I heard you’ve been flopping about like a mudskipper. Your sword force has grown deeper. Your qi makes me reluctant to cross blades with you.”
Yulha Nangnang spoke with feigned ease and took a step.
Swoosh.
In an instant, the ground seemed to contract. Her Hidden Fragrance Drift carried her ten jang forward before she stopped.
No answer came. The Tyrant Sword Sect Master only watched her with slightly lonely eyes.
The Mount Hua Sect Leader and the Tyrant Sword Sect Master stood facing each other.
Such a scene was rarely seen.
If word spread, the martial world would be shaken. The moment either took their eyes off the other, it would not be strange for someone’s head to fly.
They said short battles were especially common in life-and-death duels between masters.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly opened his mouth.
“Tyrant Sword Sect Master.”
“...Brat.”
A response came. The Tyrant Sword Sect Master answered without looking at the Leader of Demon Wings.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not care.
“There was someone who raised me at Jeong Family Manor. I called him Uncle Su. He might have been similar to your Ghost-Spirit Divine Sword.”
“...”
“I heard she was your nursemaid. I hope she was not merely your right hand. She should have been something closer to your heart.”
He spoke in a flat tone.
The feelings he had separated into one corner of his mind when Jeong Family Manor was destroyed slowly rose again. They were more than a boy who had once envied other children on the swings during the Dano Festival could bear.
Wooooong.
The upper dantian within his mind breathed once more. A vivid blue sensation rose like a wall and swept away the unnecessary thoughts.
He had done it willingly. He temporarily locked away the heart his comrades at Desolate Fortress had helped open.
“You grew well. Seom-ye of Desolate Fortress.”
The Tyrant Sword Sect Master spoke.
His face was expressionless, and he still did not look at Jeong Yeon-shin.
“What?”
“You are a vessel that would amount to nothing if you died, but if you seek a martial match, I will accept at any time. Come take your revenge.”
Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes darkened.
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“You grew on your own without being watered, so you surpass the World Tree. If you had not measured up, I would have soothed your nursemaid’s soul.”
The Tyrant Sword Sect Master continued slowly.
“But that will not be necessary.”
Silence fell for a moment.
Jeong Yeon-shin could clearly sense the snowflakes drifting down from the sky.
“Why would he deliberately spare you when it was obvious his enemy would grow stronger? Was he moved by the nature of a child? Absurd.”
The words of Baek Seo-gun, the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost, crossed Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind.
“Your joining Desolate Fortress could not have been wholly welcome to the Lord of Desolate Fortress. If the Tyrant Sword Sect Master were compared to an animal, he would be a clever bear.”
At that moment, a voice rang out.
“Does the Mount Hua Sect have no rules? To strike without warning, no matter how much you fear our Sect Master.”
It was the voice that had earlier called for them to receive the Tyrant Sword Sect Master’s arrival. It was remarkably clear, and it did not hesitate to criticize Yulha Nangnang, the Starflower Sword God.
Tap.
A young man suddenly landed one step behind the Tyrant Sword Sect Master.
A large travel pack hung carelessly from one shoulder, as though he had come to attend his Sect Master.
His eyes were sharp as blades, and like the other martial artists of the Tyrant Sword Sect, he had a well-trained body.
The aura flowing from his entire body was remarkably deep for his age. A brilliant treasured sword hung at the waist of his stained blue martial robes.
“That nearly killed me.”
The young man muttered to himself, then suddenly looked at Jeong Yeon-shin.
“So you’re Seom-ye. I was in closed-door training during the Zhongnan matter, so I didn’t see you. Your head should have been taken then, but now you’re a Black Uniform of Desolate Fortress... When I came out and heard about it, I was stunned. Mu-hyeok and that old Rakshasa Sword must be laughing in the underworld.”
“Who are they?”
“...It’s fortunate they died at the hands of a superhuman master like you. I had no idea the Leader of Demon Wings was the leader of Radiant Art Stronghold until the Young Lord of Yeoryeong sent word.”
The light of an eye technique flashed in the gaze that scanned Jeong Yeon-shin from head to toe. Soon, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“You’re not in sound condition, are you? Your aura is a sight to behold. You look right on the verge of qi deviation. Still, you killed Elder Ghost-Spirit Divine Sword and the First Demon of Shaanxi... Your achievements are stranger than your body. Are you the reincarnation of the Ming Cult’s founding patriarch or Zhang Sanfeng? That’s how you look to me. Like someone who must be killed.”
“You talk too much.”
Jeong Yeon-shin replied idly.
He did not take his eyes off the Tyrant Sword Sect Master, who faced Yulha Nangnang.
Krrrumble! Kugugegeung!
Invisible lightning flickered in the space between the two peerless masters. The battle had already begun. The intentions of those who had long surpassed Three Flowers Gather at the Crown were competing in their exchange of openings.
Though neither had made a move, aura that felt like whipping lashes tore through the ground and struck his skin.
“Gi Do-hyu. The Sect Master’s direct disciple.”
Jeong Yeon-shin turned at the sudden introduction. If he was the Tyrant Sword Sect Master’s disciple, he was worth looking over at least once.
Gi Do-hyu smiled.
“What do you expect to accomplish by watching my master in that state? It’s nothing but foolish bravado. I heard you were quite cautious, but it seems that seeing your enemy has made you lose your head.”
Jjeeeeeeng!
Thunder suddenly rang out. The swords of two absolute experts who could be spoken of alongside Purple Uniforms had collided. With a blast that struck his ears, a hazy whirlwind rose.
Dry leaves and branches shot up from all directions as though caught in a Myriad Flowers Rain.
The ultimate principles of the Tyrant Sword and the Plum Blossom Sword had met.
Kwaaaaaa!
A large vortex surrounded the Tyrant Sword Sect Master and Yulha Nangnang. The domain of the peerless masters had taken shape.
There was no place for Jeong Yeon-shin, whose bloodstains across his upper body had not yet dried, to enter. The acupoints throughout his body, where Ultimate Thunder had gathered and then dissipated, still tingled.
“Isn’t even moving a single muscle fiber difficult? Your qi will not circulate as you wish.”
Gi Do-hyu smiled as he stepped forward.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not refute him. He was right.
Tap.
The closer Gi Do-hyu came, the higher his eye level rose. Dry blades of grass supported his feet without bowing beneath them. It was not an ordinary Body Movement Scripture, but an exceptionally profound lightness skill.
“I understand the Leader of Demon Wings, Seom-ye, has rarely faced hardship until now. Aren’t you the pampered young master of Desolate Fortress?” Gi Do-hyu said. “Have you come here and realized how formidable the Thirteen Heavens’ connections are? Even those incapable of uniting by nature can move together. Doesn’t it frighten you that they may launch a combined attack under the banner of destroying Desolate Fortress? Today’s incident alone is no ordinary matter. Even setting aside the Blood Flame Sect below the mountain... the Rogue King, the Beast King Sect Leader, and even a superhuman master who once served as Yeoryeong’s chief guardian have arrived.”
“They died in roughly three exchanges.”
“...”
Gi Do-hyu shut his mouth.
Then he casually threw his travel pack to the side.
Thud!
A heavy vibration traveled through the ground beneath them. Gi Do-hyu’s eye level rose even higher as he employed his lightness skill.
“It will not be easy to find a day when the Leader of Demon Wings is as weakened as today.”
One step, then two. The distance gradually closed. Gi Do-hyu did not stop talking.
“My master is right. You are a vessel that amounts to nothing if you die. I will test whether your Radiant River can compare to the Five Great Palm Arts Under Heaven. The worth of a supreme art reveals itself in a crisis.”
Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer.
He only stood still and watched Gi Do-hyu calmly before suddenly parting his lips.
“You’re blocking my view.”
“You must have heard of it. It is our Sect’s Sword-Guarding Sovereign Palm. I have not yet reached mastery, though.”
The young masters each spoke only what they wanted to say. Perhaps because their pride was so strong, neither gave way until the distance between them had narrowed to a single step.
Kugugegeung.
Jeong Yeon-shin raised his brows. Gi Do-hyu’s palm approached, releasing a deep rumble.
Rather than engage in a contest of techniques with Desolate Fortress’s youngest Squad Leader, he seemed to have judged that it was better to fully exploit Jeong Yeon-shin’s body, which was close to qi deviation.
“You may evade.”
Gi Do-hyu spoke with smiling eyes.
At the same time, his palm pressed into the Leader of Demon Wings’ solar plexus. The moment it touched the blood-soaked front of his robe, hazy ripples spread outward in concentric circles.
It was the secret art of an internal heavy-hand technique. The weight carried in his grip was truly immense.
Whoosh.
It had landed perfectly. At this level, recovery would be impossible. It might even cause immediate death.
“Ha...!”
Joy entered Gi Do-hyu’s eyes. Seom-ye of Desolate Fortress, by my hand.
His master had said Gi Do-hyu could kill Seom-ye. The current Leader of Demon Wings was also an enemy of the Tyrant Sword Sect.
How many masters had he killed until now? He was closer to prey, one who had piled up an enormous reputation.
Gi Do-hyu braced his arm and slightly raised his head. He needed to see Seom-ye’s face. What expression would this peerless prodigy wear now?
The Leader of Demon Wings’ figure vanished without a trace, as though he had never been there from the beginning.
Only afterward did Gi Do-hyu see the leather shoe. It was the cause of the weight on his arm.
As he raised his gaze, a black long robe filled his sight. He had no choice but to look up until he saw a smooth jawline.
The Leader of Demon Wings stood atop the back of Gi Do-hyu’s outstretched hand. His posture, hands clasped behind his back, was lofty.
The Tyrant Sword Sect Master and Yulha Nangnang were reflected in Jeong Yeon-shin’s blue eyes.
Gi Do-hyu’s lips trembled. His head and the Leader of Demon Wings’ leg were far too close.
“What was that just now...?”
“A Heart Sword feint.”
Jeong Yeon-shin answered without looking down.
Footnotes:
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