Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

Chapter 35 – Demon’s Family

The Grand Violet Pill was a secret elixir of the Mount Hua Sect. It was said that Taoist alchemists spent decades crafting just one.

After experiencing it, Yeon-shin understood. The power it held was not inferior to its reputation.

Buzz—

Within Yeon-shin’s body, energy circulated like a clump of plum blossoms dissolving.

From the curved bone acupoint below his navel to the celestial acupoint between his collarbones.

He included the jade hall acupoint in the trajectory that formed a large circle in his upper body.

This was the area where the middle dantian was located. He stimulated it continuously.

‘It’s working.’

He felt his abilities being activated. He noticed a significant change.

The qi from the Grand Violet Pill, circulating through the great circulation of the Jeong Family Dynamic Training, was thickening as it passed through his middle dantian.

This was likely the endurance Baek Mir-yeo had mentioned.

‘It’s not fully open.’

It felt only half open. He would have to penetrate it with the qi he had internalized.

Even this was an excessive achievement.

A warrior who had cultivated their middle dantian was said never to have their internal energy disturbed in any situation.

He had stepped into the realm of a master without further training in his qi. He had shortened an immense amount of time.

Satisfied, Yeon-shin moved his hand.

He placed his palm on the center of Yu Hyeon’s back, channeling the qi of the Grand Violet Pill that circulated within him.

“Already…!”

Cheon Ju’s voice could be heard. Yeon-shin spoke, intensifying the force he poured out.

“Yu Hyeon. Get up.”

Even as he spoke during the circulation of qi, his energy remained steady.

It was a characteristic of the Jeong Family Dynamic Training, which involved moving while training internal energy, and his innate control over qi.

Cheon Ju must have closed his mouth, as no voice was heard.

“I told you to get up.”

With those words, he pressed Yu Hyeon’s neck firmly with his left hand, stimulating an acupoint.

Making it so he couldn’t speak was easy.

While constantly circulating qi, he stimulated the young disciple’s interior. His consciousness had to awaken.

“It’s the energy of the Grand Violet Pill. Use the Violet Dawn Divine Art.”

Yeon-shin said, sensing the rising pulse.

He felt Yu Hyeon’s tumultuous emotions through his fingertips. Yeon-shin transferred all the energy and withdrew his hand.

This was called energy transmission. It referred to the act of transferring qi to another person.

He had heard that it naturally accompanied extreme physical exertion.

Yeon-shin was different. Perhaps because he had opened his middle dantian widely, he felt energy overflowing throughout his body.

He straightened up and stepped back. Ma Jin’s hand, which was about to support him, awkwardly swept through the air.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

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The three of them waited in silence for Yu Hyeon to finish circulating his energy.

When Yu Hyeon finally rose from his seat, Cheon Ju, who was checking his pulse, widened his eyes in astonishment.

Yeon-shin had completely dissolved the energy of the Grand Violet Pill and infused it into Yu Hyeon without any loss.

A supreme master like the Sword Absolute of Mount Hua would have noticed immediately.

“Your power…!”

The Sword Absolute, Cheon Ju, was speechless for a moment. After taking a few breaths, he finally let out a sigh.

“To transfer such an immense amount of energy completely? How is this possible…”

His expression, as he looked up at Yeon-shin, was filled with shock and admiration.

“You are truly an extraordinary person!”

“You entrusted him to me, I would not let you down.”

“Even so…”

The emotions on his face didn’t easily fade. Yu Hyeon looked at Yeon-shin with similar eyes.

He had originally felt a kind of admiration, but now he seemed to regard him as a senior brother from the same sect.

“You’ve saved the future of Mount Hua. You’ve treated the Mount Hua Sect with the demeanor of a great hero, so you will surely be rewarded.”

Cheon Ju spoke without hiding his reverence. Even his tone had changed.

The Sword Absolute of Mount Hua’s respectful manner felt awkward.

He had only transferred the burdensome energy because he lacked the time to become the leader of the Divine Sword Squad.

“Of course, we are not measuring your grace with material wealth. It’s just a token of our appreciation. Yu Hyeon said he would visit the Desolate Fortress. I’ll send him with a gift for you once he decides to visit.”

“Thank you.”

Yeon-shin replied with a bow of gratitude and glanced at Ma Jin.

“Is the mission over?”

“Yes. You’ve done everything.”

“What do you mean?”

Cheong Myeong had returned voluntarily, bringing the Stealthy Demon’s left hand.

The powerful Blood Flame Sect warriors were defeated by Demon Wings and the Mount Hua Sect.

Yeon-shin had merely placed a spoon in the bowl, inadvertently concluding all the incidents.

The Grand Violet Pill, the root of the turmoil, was returned to the disciple of the Mount Hua Sect’s head. It couldn’t have been cleaner.

The mission ended even before reinforcements arrived from the main fortress.

They exchanged farewells with the Mount Hua Sect masters, who expressed immense goodwill.

Perhaps they sensed another change in Yeon-shin’s aura after opening his middle dantian.

Cheong Myeong smiled slightly, and Baek Mir-yeo shook her head as they set off together.

The return journey felt like a martial tour, just as Hyeon Won-chang had hoped. The success of this mission was that significant.

The Desolate Fortress returned leisurely with Ma Jin’s tacit approval. It had been a long time.

By the time they entered Yangyang, the sight of the Desolate Fortress was both welcoming and unfamiliar.

During that time, Yeon-shin had diligently honed his martial arts, hoping to make significant contributions on his next mission.

Originally, Yeon-shin had planned to request martial arts instruction from the Lord of the Desolate Fortress upon returning. But now, things were different.

During the mission, he had obtained the Radiance Sword Style and the Splendid Wings Step, which he had never imagined he would acquire.

There was still much room for improvement. He decided to refrain from requesting more since he didn’t know which martial arts he might need later.

“Are you going to the training grounds again? Aren’t you tired from the journey?”

It was Won-chang, whom Yeon-shin met in the great hall of Demon Wings’s pavilion.

His face, shadowed by the amount of drinking he had done at the tavern, was close to Yeon-shin’s. Yeon-shin pushed his chin away.

“I’m fine.”

He hadn’t touched even a drop of alcohol, focusing on his internal energy cultivation.

With his middle dantian significantly opened, his stamina seemed limitless.

Leaving Won-chang, who shook his head in amazement, Yeon-shin set out.

On the way to the small training grounds, he heard praise and whispers from various seniors.

“Lightning Flash! They say you accomplished an unbelievable feat.”

“Did you really behead the Fierce Asura Sword?”

“They say it was done using a sequential battle tactic.”

“Sequential battle? The Elder of the Tyrant Sword Sect was killed by a White Robe of the Desolate Fortress. Could someone who belittles it in such words really be from the Desolate Fortress?”

“The Blue Robe suits you well. I’d be willing to give you mine if you need it.”

It was incomparable to when he had killed the Blood Master Swordsman.

The reverberations were tremendous. Some seniors even knocked on his door.

He had heard that the Elders of the Thirteen Heavens were difficult for even the Blue Robes of the Desolate Fortress to handle.

No matter how it was done, it was bound to be a huge topic.

“They say you saved the life of the Mount Hua Sect’s head disciple too.”

“How many masters of the Nine Great Sects did you befriend in just two missions?”

“Zhongnan and Mount Hua. We should request the Lightning Flash to be dispatched when we have missions in Shaanxi.”

Dealing with each one was exhausting.

It was the first time he felt tired after activating his middle dantian, and it was because of his mouth.

Eventually, he forced a smile and passed by the large training grounds.

In the small training grounds, made up of private rooms, he revisited the martial arts he had gained from the mission.

He contemplated how to infuse more power into the flow of the Radiance Sword Style and how to take the second step of the Splendid Wings Step.

He also couldn’t stop creating new moves for the Fatebreaker’s Codex.

‘I can’t get a feel for it now.’

Inspiration didn’t come immediately. It seemed he needed to broaden his horizons.

‘I heard there’s a good place for that.’

Yeon-shin immediately changed direction.

The land used by the Divine Sword Squad of the Desolate Fortress was incredibly vast.

It had to accommodate not only the warriors of each squad but also servants and attendants.

Demon Wings’ Demon’s Light was different from the Azure Sword of the Azure Squad.

The seventeen martial squads under the Divine Sword Squad were each likened to independent sects.

While their size was similar to small or medium-sized martial factions, there was a significant difference in their martial strength.

It was a diverse range of martial arts on expansive land. It was a challenging environment to interact in if left alone.

‘They said we must meet to form an ocean instead of becoming narrow wells.’

Ma Jin’s words came to mind.

The Desolate Fortress was a collective of innovative martial arts. It was established by breaking the unspoken rule of non-intervention in military affairs.

The Great Ming Empire had made every attempt to sharpen its swords. Radical changes were inevitable.

“Who are you?”

The middle-aged scholar asking Yeon-shin was another example of this.

Behind him, a neatly arranged training ground was quite impressive. There were even small steps for observation.

Strange warriors sat scattered around, watching the center. Following their gaze, Yeon-shin saw various martial arts he was seeing for the first time.

Clang! Boom!

It was a scene of White and Blue Robes from different squads exchanging techniques.

It was the training ground where all the warriors of the Divine Sword Squad freely sparred. It was a place where the martial arts of the seventeen squads intersected.

“Is this the Martial Arena (武越濫)?”

“Yes, it is. The young swordsman in the Blue Robe… you must be the Lightning Flash. I am Do Yu-won of the Headquarters.”

“I am Jeong Yeon-shin of the Desolate Fortress.”

The two exchanged bows.

Do Yu-won spoke. The goodwill in his expression was curious.

“I’ve heard of the Lightning Flash of the Desolate Fortress. All the news of the Desolate Fortress flows into the Headquarters. We are the ones who classify the merits you have achieved. They are truly astonishing.”

Do Yu-won’s sharp features softened as he smiled.

“You’ve built a name as a chivalrous hero at such a young age… Seeing you brings joy to my heart. Let me tell you a little secret.”

“What is it…?”

“If you complete even a small mission, you will be promoted to Blue Rank. Each of your accomplishments has been so substantial that they’ve earned you many points. You only need to go through the exam as a formality.”

“Ah.”

Yeon-shin’s short exclamation came from the heart.

He was indeed making significant progress.

He knew the merits he had accumulated over three missions, including the Zhongnan Sect, were substantial.

However, hearing it directly from a scholar of the Headquarters was different.

He was managing the personnel within the Desolate Fortress. To Yeon-shin, he was even more significant than Ma Jin.

“Congratulations in advance.”

Do Yu-won smiled slyly.

“In any case, you’ve come to the right place. I’m glad to be managing the arena today. You might witness some sparring among young masters, right?”

“You mentioned young masters?”

Yeon-shin’s tone involuntarily became more respectful.

He realized the significant difference in how he treated Ma Jin, his inept uncle.

Lord of the Desolate Fortress? Now he understood. Those in charge of personnel were like kings.

“You didn’t know? Over there, the successor of the Desolate Fortress is training.”

In the direction Do Yu-won pointed, there was a familiar figure.

With a handsome appearance reminiscent of Cheong Myeong’s youth. He was the grandson of his maternal grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok.

He was now wearing a White Robe with the character ‘荒’ (Desolate) of the Desolate Fortress on it.

Yeon-shin recalled the memory of creating the Fatebreaker’s Codex with his help.

He was using the flow of martial arts he had developed significantly. Gratitude welled up once more.

‘It was a good lesson.’

While Yeon-shin reminisced, Do Yu-won continued speaking.

“There is much praise for the Desolate Ma of the Desolate Fortress. He has been winning continuously against other White Robes here in the Martial Arena. It’s even more remarkable since it hasn’t been a month since he passed the Imperial Martial Test. Thanks to him, the area around the main fortress is quite lively.”

“I see.”

Just then, Yeon-shin nodded. He met the eyes of the distant figure.