Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

"Leader of the Azure Sky Sword Heaven Squad."

The one who spoke was the Lord of the Namgoong Clan. After a brief glance at the corpses of Namgoong Se-jin and Namgoong Mi, he said,

"I will bear the shame of the wheel."

"…I shall follow your command."

The Azure Sky Sword Heaven Squad Leader, who had turned around, raised both hands in respect.

The meaning of the lord's words was clear. Wheel—a term referring to the wheels of a carriage.

In the martial world, it symbolized a strategy where the many took turns attacking the few.

It meant to endure humiliation in order to exhaust the strength of the Divine Sword Squad Leader, even at the risk of death.

"Impressive."

The Divine Sword Squad Leader smiled.

The eyes of the Azure Sky Sword Heaven Squad Leader, who turned back, gleamed sharply.

"If you wish to mock me, speak with your sword."

"No. That is only proper. After all, isn't this a battle for the head of the Namgoong Clan? It's only right not to spare any means."

The Divine Sword Squad Leader's expression was filled with satisfaction.

His presence, as the supreme master of the Desolate Fortress, exuded overwhelming authority.

It was a demeanor that Jung Yeonshin had never witnessed before—a strategist who seemed to craft tactics with ease.

He spoke of ignoring means as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

At that moment, their eyes met.

The Divine Sword Squad Leader's gaze, which resembled that of a gentle scholar, curved into a slight arc.

"You should return now. I wonder how many more wrinkles the old man will have gained. He nearly had a fit when you exchanged swords with Azure Qilin."

"…I wish you good fortune."

At Jung Yeonshin's words, delivered with a bow, the Divine Sword Squad Leader looked momentarily startled.

"To think someone would wish me luck. I've lived long enough to see it."

He then let out a cheerful laugh and gave a short nod.

"Radiant Demon Squad's Lightning Genius. You've done well."

Jung Yeonshin expressed gratitude and returned to the Desolate Fortress' camp. His steps felt heavy.

It felt as if the shadow of Azure Qilin, Namgoong Se-jin, loomed over him.

With each step, neither the people nor the scenery registered in his sight.

"Hey, hey, you're quite interesting, aren't you?"

"Grandmother Ak, please show some dignity."

It was at that moment that several Divine Sword Squad members, including Ak Surim, stepped forward.

But before they could approach, an old man strode toward him.

"Yeonshin!"

It was the first time he had ever been called so affectionately.

Jung Yeonshin looked up.

Ma Yeonjeok had already approached within a few steps. His wrinkled eyes scrutinized him closely.

To Jung Yeonshin, the former Divine Sword Squad Leader and the Ma Clan's head were simply his maternal grandfather.

"You're not seriously hurt. Very, very admirable. Are there no internal injuries?"

"No. Let's talk later."

Jung Yeonshin nodded slowly, unable to meet Ma Yeonjeok's gaze.

His attention was fixed on the Divine Sword Squad Leader, who stood facing the Azure Sky Sword Heaven Squad Leader.

They were each the leaders of their respective forces—the Desolate Fortress and the Namgoong Clan.

It was a rare duel between supreme masters.

The boy steeled himself. He hoped to gain some insight from a battle of such extraordinary experts.

But he worried that his current skill would not allow him to keep up with their movements.

'I must not think of following their moves with my eyes. I won't be able to. I'll just try to capture the scene in my vision.'

With that resolution, he stirred his internal energy.

An invisible flame flared from the crown of his head. At that moment, a sky-blue light flickered in his eyes.

It was a flash from his upper dantian.

'Divine Sword Squad Leader. Just how strong is he?'

The boy's goal lay there.

He was already standing at the peak Jung Yeonshin had set his life's purpose to reach.

Even if he gained nothing today, he hoped to recall this moment someday.

While Jung Yeonshin stared blankly ahead, Ma Yeonjeok was smiling—a rare sight.

"You said we'll talk later. To me."

There was a trace of joy in his voice, as if he might melt into contentment.

The grandson who had always maintained an icy demeanor toward both the Desolate Ma Clan and himself.

Promising to talk later?

Even if it had been said in passing, it was enough. Even if it wasn't sincere.

The Divine Sword Squad seniors watching from the side wore twisted expressions.

Their faces openly displayed the shock of having seen something unimaginable.

Desolate Fortress' Ak Surim scrunched her lips as if she might vomit.

"That's not normal, is it?"

"I think so too."

"Soha, Yeon Soha. Where is Lightning Genius's family from?"

"Why would we care about that? We're too busy wandering the Central Plains."

"That troublesome Ma elder is acting so deferentially. Aren't you even a little resentful? Ah, but Soha wasn't even around back when he was the Leader. You don't know how much I suffered then. And that Lightning Genius Jung Yeonshin—what is he? The more I think about it, the more it seems like he's hiding something about the Ma Clan…"

"Grandmother Ak, they can hear you over there."

While the young girl in black robes and the youthful Yeon Soha exchanged words, the third duel between the Desolate Fortress and the Namgoong Clan began.

The sudden halt in the wind made it clear to all.

The Divine Sword Squad members fell silent.

This was a fight of a different caliber than those involving rising talents.

The Divine Sword Squad Leader versus the Azure Sky Sword Heaven Squad Leader.

Although the winds of the canyon roared without end, no dust stirred in the space between the two masters.

Their tightly woven auras had formed an impenetrable barrier.

Swish.

From the very first second, it was different.

The moment their sleeves fluttered, sword light flashed.

Namgoong Ryeok of the Azure Sky Sword Heaven Squad wielded a heavy sword.

It wasn't the King-Style Sword Arts.

It was the Boundless Heaven Technique of the Namgoong Clan, honed to its peak.

Its technique combined unrestrained movements with destructive sword energy.

The Divine Sword Squad Leader faced him barehanded.

Boom!

The canyon trembled.

A terrifying shockwave radiated outward.

The blade of Namgoong Ryeok's heavy sword was deflected by the Divine Sword Squad Leader's hand, which had formed a knife-hand strike.

It meant he had matched the sword energy with a similar level of martial intent.

Fwoosh!

Despite the storm, the Divine Sword Squad Leader's purple robes remained still.

It was a sight possible only with a supreme internal energy barrier.

"That sword is quite sturdy. It's no ordinary material. Was it forged by the Iron Tribe?"

The Divine Sword Squad Leader asked calmly, as if taking a stroll.

"Hup!"

Namgoong Ryeok's feet scraped the ground as he was pushed back a full length.

His internal energy exploded from his bubbling well acupoint, halting his movement.

Then, stepping on the furrows he had made, he charged forward again.

It was an explosive movement.

The earth trembled once more as he advanced.

Swoosh!

His sword gleamed white as it slashed through the air.

It was quick.

The Boundless Heaven Technique embodied freedom in its movements—seamless and unhindered.

Unrestrained swordsmanship.

Its quick and heavy strikes demonstrated its full power within the same principle.

The strike carried no wasted force, reaching the Divine Sword Squad Leader in an instant.

At the same time, sharp energy surrounded the Divine Sword Squad Leader's hand, as if it carried an invisible blade.

As Namgoong Ryeok's sword neared his shoulder, the Divine Sword Squad Leader seemed to walk through a different flow of time.

His right foot shifted slightly, and his sleeve blurred.

Swish.

Namgoong Ryeok's body, clad in deep blue robes, brushed past the Divine Sword Squad Leader.

He rose as if to fly, then collapsed.

He had failed to control his momentum and fell, his balance utterly broken.

A master's dignity was shattered in an instant.

And then—

He stopped moving. He was dead.

"…"

The crowd froze again.

The clamor of messengers and martial artists using lightfoot techniques fell silent one by one.

There was no room for interpretation.

The Namgoong Clan, a giant sect, had lost yet another of its swords.

It hadn't even lasted long.

Namgoong Mi, Namgoong Se-jin, and now Namgoong Ryeok.

The situation was escalating beyond expectation.

"Leader of the Azure Sky Sword Heaven Squad, you've forgotten how to fight like a novice."

The Divine Sword Squad Leader straightened his robes.

Despite the large movements, his purple robes were pristine—free even of bloodstains.

"You should have realized the gap in skill. If you'd been more cautious, you might have lasted a few seconds longer."

He spoke with the tone of everyday conversation.

He muttered toward the corpse, a provocation as natural as breathing. Yet, no one dared to respond.

Amid the silence, the Divine Sword Squad Leader turned his gaze toward the Namgoong Clan's side.

"It seems you are shamelessly displeased with the order of the participants. Then, is the next opponent as originally intended—the Elder Council Head?"

"No. That won't be necessary."

Step.

The one who answered, stepping forward, was not the Elder Council Head of the Namgoong Clan.

Finally.

The Namgoong Family Head slowly emerged, his overwhelming aura cloaked around him like an imperial mantle.

The pressure emanating from him felt as imposing as a fortress wall.

He was a master who had reached completion as a martial artist—a true head of one of the Eight Great Clans. From the very aura he exuded, it was clear he was different from his son, Azure Qilin.

"Now that I think about it…"

The Divine Sword Squad Leader tilted his head slightly.

Despite his reputation as a peerless master, his playful demeanor exuded an even greater sense of dread.

"That old man still isn't here, is he? Such an immature elder."

"Divine Sword Squad Leader, show some dignity."

The Namgoong Family Head spoke in a low voice.

The sheer depth of internal energy in his voice could make anyone feel as though they were sinking into an abyss, yet the Divine Sword Squad Leader furrowed his brow as if annoyed.

"The one who needs to stop speaking nonsense is you. Where is the Namgoong Elder Council Head?"

"The Elder Council Head of the Desolate Fortress has been absent for quite some time. We merely matched the number of our main family's members to yours. Do you have the face to raise an objection?"

Jung Yeonshin, who had been quietly listening, suddenly recalled something.

Ma Yeonjeok had mentioned it before—the Elder Council Head of the main family had been pursuing the Seventh Apostle.

'It's been days, and still?'

The Elder Council Head was one of the only three people in the Desolate Fortress who owned a purple robe.

It was unlikely the Seventh Apostle's lightfoot technique could completely outpace a master of such caliber.

Perhaps he was enduring by relying on the regenerative abilities of blood techniques, even to the point of extreme strain.

At that moment—

"So, you've played your tricks to preserve some leadership for the main family?"

The Divine Sword Squad Leader's voice echoed.

His tone had grown languid.

"What a remarkable decision. There's no helping it. We'll have to deal with the immediate matter first."

And then—

Jung Yeonshin witnessed something he could hardly believe.

The Divine Sword Squad Leader, facing the Namgoong Family Head, raised his right hand.

Crack.

A streak of light surged within his grasp. At the same time, the space around them cracked and distorted.

With the sudden wave of energy, a sword took shape in an instant.

Wooong!

It looked as though all the colors of the rainbow had been fused into a single blade.

The Divine Sword Squad Leader now held a brilliant sword formed of seven-colored light.

It was a literal blade of radiance. An overwhelming surge of energy rippled out like a tidal wave.

'This is nothing like my Radiance Sword Style. That's simply a sword of light.'

It felt like an unstoppable strike, even just from holding it.

'A blade forged from internal energy…'

Jung Yeonshin immediately recognized it.

It was a realm where one could manifest a sword purely through internal energy.

Even though he had never seen such a technique before, he knew it instinctively.

The aura was so rich and dense that it made its nature unmistakable.

"…Your style is as extravagant as your nature."

Even before such godlike skill, the Namgoong Family Head did not seem shaken.

His expression remained composed, as though he had prepared himself for anything within the realm of martial supremacy.

"Come forth."

The Namgoong Family Head drew his sword. Those words were his last before they clashed.

Boom!

The two masters vanished. Only the radiant trail left by the Divine Sword Squad Leader's sword lingered, slowly dispersing.

Jung Yeonshin could not catch the movements that had unfolded in an instant.

How many exchanges had there been?

――――!

Pressure struck before sound could follow.

The aftermath of the collision bypassed even the realm of explosions.

It took everything Jung Yeonshin had not to be swept away.

He pushed his internal energy to its limit and released movements from the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike to cut through the surging waves of energy.

Crash! Crash!

His hands stung painfully.

He had no idea how many techniques he had executed.

'How much longer…'

Each breath felt like an eternity.

Then, after briefly blinking, he finally saw them again.

The Divine Sword Squad Leader's blade of energy had dissipated.

Yet, he stood alone, gazing down.

His opponent was different.

The unified master of the Namgoong Clan—the pillar of one of the Eight Great Clans, acknowledged by all of Jianghu lay fallen, glaring with wide-open eyes.

His upper body had been completely severed.

In the end, he met the same fate as his son, Namgoong Se-jin.

Neither clan, bloodline, nor offspring entered his view.

He simply stared without turning his head, fixating on the Divine Sword Squad Leader.

His expression laid bare his fighting spirit and resentment.

"…"

The one who broke the suffocating silence was the Divine Sword Squad Leader.

He glanced at the Namgoong Clan's side.

All their martial artists were frozen, unable to move, as if paralyzed.

And it wasn't just them. The entire vast canyon was the same.

The Clan Head of one of the Eight Great Clans was dead.

No one could predict the repercussions this would bring.

"Well, clean up the corpse."

The Divine Sword Squad Leader clicked his tongue and began walking toward the Desolate Fortress' camp.

"Our Leader sure took a lot of hits, huh? I counted up to five."

Ak Surim commented.

Jung Yeonshin's gaze shifted to the Divine Sword Squad Leader's tattered purple robe.

Despite being made of silk woven from celestial threads, it had failed to withstand the Namgoong Family Head's sword strikes.

"Hmm. He was strong enough."

"Stop bluffing. I can hear your shaky breathing. Shouldn't you be focusing on stabilizing your energy flow?"

The Divine Sword Squad Leader gave a half-hearted nod.

It was then that Yeon Soha chimed in with an innocent face.

"Things are settled for now. But I'm more curious about the reward the Leader promised Lightning Genius earlier. Was it something about martial bonds? Since when do you care about such things?"

"…"

The Divine Sword Squad Leader suddenly turned to Jung Yeonshin.

Their eyes met directly.

The supreme master's lips curved into a faint smile—one that looked rather awkward.

"In our position, what bonds could we possibly have…? Most sects in Jianghu shun the Divine Sword Squad. We'd be lucky if they just chant prayers instead of cursing us."