Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time-Chapter 351: Late but Arriving First (7)

Temperament, speech, and eyes.

Jeong Yeon-shin had always been adept at discerning others' true intentions since he was a child.

There had often been moments where he needed to anticipate things in advance.

One time, when his eldest brother had invited him to play with the village children, he arrived at the agreed-upon spot, only to find a sign crudely nailed into the ground with the words, “The one who devours his mother.”

What about now, when the Baihui point at the top of his head was fully open?

He could feel the heart of the martial world’s absolute beings, close to the divine, flowing into him—the tiniest fragments of their thoughts.

‘She doesn't see me as a person.’

In this moment, from the Master of the Golden Chamber’s eyes, he felt a profound emptiness.

A temperament that didn’t acknowledge him as an equal. She seemed to regard him not as a person, but as a precious tool.

The key to hunting the Celestial Dragon. A net forged beautifully by the heavens.

Her question about his marital status had likely been nothing more than a way to check if there were any obstacles to her goal, something that got in the way.

She would need a weapon that could be gripped and wielded, not one stored away in its scabbard. The Master’s strange behavior hinted at a life lived with hidden motives.

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly studied her before finally speaking.

“Let go.”

He completely quelled the power of the Threefold Convergence Technique within his grip. It had already been useless, blocked by the Master’s hand locks.

Boom—

The sound of debris—wood and roof tiles—scattered across the hall with a loud noise, but Jeong Yeon-shin paid it no mind. Instead, he focused on the sensations between his hands.

The energy of Celestial Dragon Slayer Technique wrapped around the Master’s arms.

Like an invisible bolt of lightning, the immense resistance continuously provoked the energy of Threefold Convergence Technique, pushing it deep into his meridians. The air seemed to crackle with tension.

If the Master made a decisive move and fully unleashed her strike, it would be as if he had to surrender one of his arms, just like his grandfather had done to Lord Ma Yeon-jeok in his youth.

‘Just as the rumors say. The energy that annihilates supernatural forces.’

The power of the Threefold Convergence Technique seemed to resist not just internal and external energies but even forces that sought to overwhelm them. In contrast, the Celestial Dragon Slayer Technique had the ability to crush all favorable energies in the world.

This meant that facing her head-on with an incomplete analysis was unwise.

His primary martial techniques, the Eternal Blade Form and Geomroe Seomyeong styles, were both focused on using Threefold Convergence Technique to its fullest.

Other energies should not mix. Transcendent masters were not to be faced with such haphazard moves.

‘If only I could block her approach itself...’

Just as Jeong Yeon-shin was recalling Lord Mo Yong’s Celestial Demon Armor, a dry voice interrupted his thoughts.

“There's no need for an agent here.”

The Master of the Golden Chamber had withdrawn her hand and spoke flatly, as if the struggle with Threefold Convergence Technique had been nothing more than an unnecessary effort.

Her attitude had been the same from the moment their eyes met. No martial artist would vent their frustration on a weapon.

She had shown no animosity at all. A leader of a strange sect, indeed.

“Your name?”

The Master asked.

She was small. Her slightly raised head only reached to Jeong Yeon-shin's chest. But the way she looked up at him made it clear that she was far from fragile.

A transcendent being. A supreme martial artist. Dressed in a luxurious crimson robe, her presence alone demanded the silence of the room.

“Tang Manyun.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered.

He had chosen to assume the identity of a rising star from the Tang Clan.

With his appearance far removed from Lord Ma Gwang-Ik, and inheriting the techniques of the Famed Swordmaster Jin Myeong-jo, Jeong Yeon-shin had restrained the flow of Threefold Convergence Technique with careful control.

Even if someone suspected him of being linked to Master Seomye, it didn’t matter. After seeing through the indifferent nature of the Master of the Golden Chamber, he knew that she wouldn’t act based on mere assumptions.

‘It won’t take long.’

Jeong Yeon-shin decided to bide his time, waiting until he could meet his seniors.

***

A mysterious new talent.

The being who would seal the Celestial Dragon's writhing body emerged in human form, and naturally, this became a topic of great discussion.

People from all walks of life gathered in the grand hall, along the walls, and in the streets, freely talking about the event.

Even three days after the incident, the excitement hadn't died down. The number of people coming and going kept it alive.

“Did the Heavenly Hand Technique get thwarted?”

“Serves him right. At least the precious elixir won't be wasted on Toxic Commander.”

“Just how strong is this Tang Manyun?”

“Go see for yourself at the Golden Chamber. You’ll see what kind of miracle he worked with Thousand-Year-Hwa-Woo.”

“This is why the orthodox sects are so annoying. Whether they’re old masters or newly awakened, they always have some endless tricks up their sleeves.”

“I hear his appearance is more exceptional than his martial arts.”

“They say the Master kept him close. I want to see him for myself.”

“Forget it. I heard Heavenly Hand was glaring at him in the Master’s Hall.”

The martial world’s major factions.

The Golden Chamber is a sect of madmen obsessed with slaying dragons. Their nature is different from those who’ve mastered dark martial arts.

They each had complex reasons, grand ambitions, and twisted motives that led them to kill supernatural beings in pursuit of martial greatness.

No one asked about Jeong Yeon-shin's background. No one tried to understand his intentions.

They only kept their distance from the Golden Chamber Master's hall, ensuring he couldn’t make any hasty moves.

Except for one person.

The Heavenly Hand Technique—Dragon Soul Divine Fist. Wanyang, the attendant who deceived the guests.

“Are we really meeting for the first time?”

“...Yes.”

“That’s what I thought.”

It was a clearing beside the Master’s Hall.

The short Tang Clan twins, arms crossed, were dismissively answering Wanyang’s questioning.

At this moment, the unique energy of the Golden Chamber Master’s Heavenly Hand Technique was violently shredding the scattered stones at their feet, but the boy and girl, dressed in green silk, didn’t even bother to make eye contact with Wanyang.

They were born noble. Despite their family’s decline, their spirit was unbroken.

“Didn’t you say that Toxic Commander’s previous master once used Thousand-Year-Hwa-Woo? How can that be true?”

“We never knew anything. Even when our grandfather, the Great Lord, allied with the Bloodflame Cult Leader, we had no idea Golden Chamber would go so mad as to commit acts the Bright Sect wouldn’t even consider.”

Toxic Phoenix tossed a rock upward before catching it. Toxic Dragon, sitting casually nearby, grinned.

Wanyang’s brow twitched.

“Shut up.”

Crack—

The stone in Toxic Phoenix’s hand shattered in mid-air.

Intent can wound. The realm of those who’ve mastered Threefold Convergence Technique—those high-level martial artists who can hurt with just their energy, without any warning.

It was a sight that even those in major factions would find hard to fathom.

Finally, a faint tension appeared on the twins’ faces.

“Wasn’t the Thousand-Year-Hwa-Woo used by Seomye from Ipwang Fortress just a trick? No one here can be unaware of the Tang Clan’s disgrace.”

Wanyang spoke in a low voice. Toxic Phoenix forced a smile.

“You spit on your own face. What a joke.”

“What did you say?”

“Doesn’t the Golden Chamber Master know martial and mystical arts? The Golden Chamber is so filled with false faces, it’s ridiculous. How could someone deceive your eyes and pretend to be someone they aren’t?”

“Truly, we’re the ones with questions.”

Toxic Dragon added casually.

No one in the Golden Chamber cared for such talk. Martial artists who wield sharp blades usually prefer to pull them out rather than talk.

Wanyang was no different.

As a master of Hand Techniques, he released a translucent aura from his body, causing the air to vibrate as though invisible flames were licking the atmosphere.

“Only after you’ve tasted defeat will you learn to speak properly. The Celestial Dragon only cares about energy, not your pitiful bones and flesh.”

“Enough, Heavenly Hand. We’re about to face the battle of a lifetime. There’s no reason to invite misfortune when we’re already calling for good omens.”

An old man with a sword on his back spoke. It was The Grand Master of Steel Saber, an expert from Ipwang Fortress.

At the far end of the clearing, Wanyang and the Toxic Phoenix were not the only ones present.

Close to three hundred martial artists, including the top-tier masters of the Golden Chamber, youth warriors, and experts wielding eighteen different kinds of weapons from the Ten Great Sects, had gathered.

The ground beneath them was covered in stakes, stones, and ancient symbols, forming a massive circle—a battle formation, the very core of their technique.

This was the ritual ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) of offering sacrifices to open the gateway to the Celestial Dragon’s hidden realm.

As the Golden Chamber and Ten Great Sects’ warriors filled the outer edges of the formation, the Tang Clan twins and dozens of other masters were surrounded by the two major factions in the center of the circle.

They could not resist. They were thoroughly restrained, unable to use their energy.

With a leisurely shrug, Wanyang readied himself.

“Even if he’s the Master of Ipwang Fortress, what does that matter now? He’s already stepped into a deadly trap.”

“With this strength, we could strike Ipwang Fortress itself,” one of the Golden Chamber’s warriors joked. The icy stares of the Tang Clan twins swept over her.

“Didn’t you hear? The Mountain King just killed the Zhuge Clan Master.”

Toxic Dragon spoke.

“Most likely just a rumor. Think about it—how far is Shanxi from here? If the rumors are like a snowball, then the truth must be the hidden pebble inside. It wasn’t something happening right here.”

“You’re still young, so you believe everything you hear.”

The Golden Chamber’s warrior responded, and laughter spread through the hall.

The hunt for the Celestial Dragon was a once-in-a-lifetime event. They each dealt with the growing tension in their own way, either through meditation or idle chatter.

“Let it be. At least Heavenly Hand believes that. He was thoroughly outdone by Tang Manyun—in both martial arts and appearance.”

Toxic Phoenix lightly patted Toxic Dragon’s shoulder.

Swoosh—

The sudden fury of the high-level masters was silent. Heavenly Hand, Wanyang, stretched both arms toward the twins.

A faint shimmer of heat rose from his fingertips. The aftershocks of his immense energy, compressed to the limit, were palpable.

His arms moved as if to tear apart the very air. And then, a large hand, gloved in white, reached out to seize both of theirs in a single motion.

Thunk.

“How dare you...!”

Wanyang was about to curse, but he shut his mouth.

The one who blocked the Golden Chamber Master’s Heavenly Hand Technique, one of the strongest martial enforcers in the Golden Chamber, was a middle-aged man wearing pure white armor, who flashed him a faint smile.

“Stop it. You’ll ruin the grand plan.”

Boom—

The shockwave restrained by their hands spread out into the air. The ground trembled violently for a moment, but the formation had no effect on it.

The flow of energy, reaching the pinnacle of technique, forcibly took the power from Wanyang’s hands and spread it upwards.

The middle-aged man, who displayed a martial technique beyond human limits, did not release any visible energy. He simply crushed the seat of power of the Golden Chamber’s two great enforcers with sheer martial law.

He was the Master of the Ten Great Sects.

The leader of the Ten Great Sects, a former general from the northern regions who had retired and founded a new sect, a transcendent martial master.

Even after a surprise attack from the Bloodflame Cult Leader, he countered and allowed the Bloodflame Cult Leader to meet their end honorably.

‘He fell off the map...’

Wanyang swallowed his silence.

The massive form of the Master of the Ten Great Sects overpowered him. One ear had been severed as if sliced by a sword. But instead of looking grotesque, he exuded the aura of an undefeated master.

Without showing any energy, he etched an intimidating presence into the air.

In contrast, his eyes were calm. His pupils, resembling those of a bull, seemed to glimmer with a strange, unsettling light.

Wanyang bit his lip and took a step back, while the Tang Clan twins kept their usual haughty posture and glanced at the Golden Chamber Master’s quarters.

“...”

They waited in silence for the Golden Chamber Master.

After a short while, a woman in crimson silk appeared, accompanied by a young man of extraordinary beauty. It was the Golden Chamber Master and Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Let’s begin.”

As soon as her foot touched the boundary of the formation, a thunderous noise erupted from beneath the ground.

The symbols of the formation began slowly rotating, accompanied by the sound of crushed earth.

It was a manifestation of pure mystery.

They were entering a completely different martial world.

But instead of excitement, Jeong Yeon-shin found himself asking the same question he had pondered over the past few days.

“Those offered as sacrifices... won’t they lose their lives?”

“Yes.”

—Before they fall into the Celestial Dragon’s jaws.

The dry voice of the Golden Chamber Master and the Sonic Warlord’s voice rang out at the same time.

The Golden Chamber Master’s answer was final.

In contrast, the Bright Sect’s young leader added one more line.

—You can do this, can’t you? Even though you’ve faced Bloodflame Cult in their base...

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t respond.

The words of the Sonic Warlord, far off in the distance, were of no consequence. What mattered now was whether, after this formation unfolded, he would see any of the surviving seniors within it.

‘My martial foundation... is more fundamentally rooted in Dragon Demon Armor than in anything else...’

Swallowing his thoughts, he glanced at the Golden Chamber Master, who was atop the formation. She was a peculiar person.

For the past three days, she hadn’t spoken a word to him, merely dining with him as if he were nothing more than a mere weapon or a sight to behold. The Golden Chamber Master showed no suspicion of him at all.

Three things had led to this relaxed state.

The unanticipated transformation, the sacred bloodline that made her a treasure to Ipwang Fortress, and her unmatched martial prowess within this land.

—Western River Eastern Zhujia, Hidden and Mighty Echo, Forbidden Sight Below...

The Golden Chamber Master’s voice resonated like a beautiful song.

The martial incantation flowed through the Six Harmony Formation, causing the rotation of the formation symbols to accelerate. The Master of the Ten Great Sects stood beside her, guarding her.

Jeong Yeon-shin closed his eyes.

He recalled the Ipwang Fortress Master. He thought about the intricate insights of the spiritual swordsmanship passed down from her whispers.

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At the same time, his awareness reached out and seized every fluctuation of the Golden Chamber Master’s energy that was spreading around him.

Whoosh—!

A radiant light, like the sun, flickered at the Baihui point on his head.

He absorbed every incantation and intent embedded within the formation, analyzing it in his mind.

Where should he suppress the flow of energy, where should he fix his inner force, which points would grant him the desired effects, and how should he manipulate his energy to unfold his intentions?

His consciousness surged like an electric current.

Anything beyond his understanding he didn’t waste time trying to figure out. The one thing he had to focus on was this:

To choose the companions who would accompany him through the Celestial Dragon Formation. That was all he needed to know. He didn’t need to understand the whole formation.

His Upper Dantian flared up. His ability to live a day as if it were ten years allowed him to skim through the formation and grasp everything.

While undoing centuries of work from the Golden Chamber Master with his own martial path.

Squeak—

At the same time, high above them.

From the far reaches of the sky, a white swallow swooped down, then hovered in place, soaring through the air.

A small scroll, loosely bound to its legs, fluttered as it passed in front of the sun.