Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time-Chapter 376: Ritual (6)

Jeong Yeon-shin’s voice was flat.

It wasn’t just the tone.

Even as he spoke, there was no shift in his expression.

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His lips barely moved.

Because he meant it.

“The core force of the Society of Sacred Swords. A Grandmaster beneath the Leader...”

The Lord of the Tenfold Gate’s amiable demeanor faded slightly. His brows knitted together as he muttered to himself.

“Those dressed in black with the character ‘Huang’ embroidered on them... Not a single one of them was ever sane, but you—you're on another level.”

“That is a traitor’s perspective.”

“......”

Among the crowd, some repeated Jeong Yeon-shin’s words verbatim.

Those well-versed in Sensory Path Techniques, possessing heightened hearing, passed the message on.

And as it spread, certain common folk gasped in admiration.

So that young master truly despises the Unorthodox Sect...

“I said I would see your martial arts. I never agreed to follow the unspoken rules of the wulin.”

Jeong Yeon-shin ran his fingers over Thunder’s Wave as he added:

“Even if you step down, the duel continues.”

It was a statement that broke convention.

But Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t care.

Wouldn’t it be strange for a government enforcer to follow the customs of outlaws?

It was the same for the Lords of the Thirteen Heavens.

Even if each of them were powerful enough to match the heads of the orthodox sects,

they were still no better than ruffians—those whose names ended up on military drafts, dragged off as conscripts.

That’s how Jeong Yeon-shin saw them.

“Hah.”

Suddenly, the Lord of the Tenfold Gate’s lips curled into a smirk.

“So, because they’re just monkeys, it doesn’t matter...?”

Muttering, he raised a hand and gestured backward.

Rumble!

A series of tremors rippled through the ground.

It came from behind the Lord of the Tenfold Gate, among the ranks of his disciples.

They embedded a dozen large wooden chests into the earth before stepping back in perfect synchronization.

It was like a well-rehearsed technique.

“I wonder... Has the brat of Ipwang Fortress cultivated enough internal energy to rival Gongwolmu?”

A mystical aura rippled from the Lord of the Tenfold Gate’s body.

The moment Jeong Yeon-shin sensed that his energy was teetering between Sword Control Techniques and Spatial Manipulation,

the wooden chests behind the Lord of the Tenfold Gate all shattered at once.

Crash!

Splinters burst outward as weapons floated into the air.

These were the Eighteen Arms of War, weapons used on the northern battlefronts.

A staff with large hooks instead of a grip—Guai Staff.

A polearm with an extra axe head beneath its spear tip—Yuegeuk.

A nine-sectioned whip—Jujolpyeon.

A halberd with crescent blades flanking its spearhead—Fangtian Huageuk.

A shield adorned with swirling patterns.

The surfaces of all these weapons radiated divine energy.

Suspended mid-air, they gleamed as they caught the sunlight.

The Lord of the Thirteen Heavens had summoned them.

Naturally, even mystical weapons carried spiritual resonance under his command.

Wuuuuuuung—

The divine armaments arrayed themselves behind the Lord of the Tenfold Gate.

A retired Supreme Grandmaster, his fierce gaze glimmered.

The disposition of a great general, hardened by battlefield experience.

Now, he stood as an absolute force within the ever-evolving and strengthening martial world.

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The once-boisterous crowd fell silent.

The air over the hills and mountains felt tense, drawn taut like a string.

Swaaaang—!

The Lord of the Tenfold Gate unsheathed his sword, reaching backward with his other hand to grasp the handle of a silver nine-sectioned whip.

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin had already drawn Thunder’s Wave.

The moment the Lord of the Tenfold Gate saw his opponent unsheathe his sword as effortlessly as flowing water,

he let out a low whistle of admiration.

But Jeong Yeon-shin, focused entirely on his senses, didn’t even blink.

He recognized his opponent as a formidable beast.

‘The Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal...’

His crown chakra burned hot.

Not just because of his earlier use of Qi-Sword Control Techniques.

But because the Lord of the Tenfold Gate’s martial arts—empowered by divine armaments—were radiating a spiritual presence.

Just like his own Seonryong Fusion,

the Ten Thousand Bell Convergence Technique of the Lord of the Tenfold Gate must have contained an esoteric method of controlling the Upper Dantian.

A solemn energy floated the weapons in midair,

each one poised to be summoned into his grasp at a moment’s notice.

The Ten Thousand Soldiers Heavenly Lord, the Emperor of War,

a man who had refined his Ten Thousand Bell Convergence Technique to its utmost,

and mastered the divine technique Zeng Jianwu.

The man who had retaliated lethally even when ambushed by the Bloodflame Cult Leader.

‘I’m going in.’

Jeong Yeon-shin stepped forward.

Despite it being the middle of the day, his heel momentarily flickered with a violet hue.

Not the concealed formation of a Coiling Dragon,

but the ceaselessly turning center of the world.

His form blurred.

Boom!

In the next instant,

he was right before the Lord of the Tenfold Gate,

his long leg slammed into the ground, his black robes billowing amid the scattering white flecks of light.

Ten-League Radiance had closed the distance.

His waist and legs absorbed the massive recoil.

But only for a moment.

Immediately, he twisted the energy from his Mingmen Acupoint, driving it all into his right hand.

And at the same time, an instinctive sword move bloomed like a thunderclap.

Thunder’s Ridge Slash—Heart-Piercing Qilin.

He raised Thunder’s Wave and struck downward.

ZZZZZAAAAAAANG—!

A thunderous explosion erupted.

A semi-transparent shockwave tore through the ground, racing outward.

The armor of the Lord of the Tenfold Gate radiated heat, a sign of rapidly drawn qi.

If he had not perfected the Three-Fold Refinement Technique,

he wouldn’t have even been able to react.

“This... is impressive.”

As cold sweat beaded on the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Lord of the Tenfold Gate’s forehead,

it evaporated into white mist.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at Thunder’s Wave, partially obscuring his face.

It was entwined in a chain of nine iron segments.

The Nine-Section Whip.

The Lord of the Tenfold Gate had simultaneously lashed out with it while deflecting the attack with his sword.

The moment Heart-Piercing Qilin reached its peak,

the whip coiled around the sword, sealing off its momentum.

A technique like this...

It was a masterstroke.

“It’s ruined now.”

With just one clash,

the Lord of the Tenfold Gate clicked his tongue and let go of the whip.

The gold plating on its handle was completely stripped.

At the same time,

a small axe flew into his hand,

without ever letting go of the sword pressed against Jeong Yeon-shin’s blade.

This time—Axe Techniques.

Swish!

It came hurtling toward Jeong Yeon-shin’s ribs at terrifying speed.

A cold gray aura spread from the axe first,

followed by the sound.

It carried tremendous force.

A chain of attacks at a master’s level.

It had no set form—

only the intent to kill.

Jeong Yeon-shin spread his left palm and placed it on his opponent’s abdomen.

‘He’s using protective energy.’

A fierce, unseen barrier of internal force.

He was trusting in something.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not care.

The moment he recalled the Formula of Flowing River,

a spiral current surged from his palm.

A compressed typhoon of internal force.

With his shackles broken from his rebirth and Three-Fold Refinement,

his thoughts manifested in an instant.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM—!

A Sound That Tore Through the Ears.

A heavy tremor spread across the vast hill.

The ground beneath their feet caved in a wide circle, and the shattered underbrush and dust were thrown skyward—like an inverted waterfall.

Through the dust, a figure was hurled backward with great force.

It was the Lord of the Tenfold Gate.

“A martial lineage suited more for killing than traditional cultivation...!”

He waved both hands in frustration.

In place of his lost sword and axe, a crescent blade glaive and a shield flew into his grasp.

“Your mouth is still working.”

Jeong Yeon-shin swung Thunder’s Wave once, forcefully shaking off the Nine-Section Whip.

His opponent’s endless supply of weapons was beginning to annoy him.

Though not as free-flowing as Sword Control Techniques, they hovered in midair, obedient to the Lord of the Tenfold Gate’s will.

Even during the shockwave burst, the weapons had dispersed rather than being destroyed.

Going after them one by one would mean turning his back to the Lord of the Tenfold Gate—a fatal mistake.

A Supreme Master of the Eighteen Arms of War.

The way he had defended against the Whirlpool Fist Strike had been unexpected.

Realizing he was too slow, he had placed the axe head directly against the incoming energy and wrapped it in internal force.

Then, he had softened the impact by redirecting the force using advanced neutralization techniques.

Almost as if he were a Daoist priest from Wudang, known for Tai Chi martial arts.

Allowing irresistible force to flow through him—

That was impressive.

A true master, well-versed in every principle of martial arts.

That was how he had survived even after being drained by the Bloodflame Cult Leader, remaining a dominant force in Sichuan.

‘To reveal so much already...’

Jeong Yeon-shin was genuinely impressed.

A man who could bring out the full potential of every technique, regardless of circumstance.

His skill ran deep.

Time was woven into it.

For a brief moment, Jeong Yeon-shin recalled something the Lord of the Golden Dawn Sect had once said to him.

—“Your techniques are nothing but tricks.”

She had spoken offhandedly after witnessing Flowers of Steel Rain.

—“That technique unleashes the lifetime mastery of Tang Clan’s poison and concealed weapon skills like a celestial river. It’s the culmination of decades of martial training.

You, who accomplish everything so easily, will never understand.”

It resonated with him now.

Even before the Lord of the Tenfold Gate had revealed his true technique.

Unlike the Ghostly Tyrant King, who had played warlord inside an isolated formation,

the Lords of the Thirteen Heavens had honed their martial arts against the world itself.

Jeong Yeon-shin unconsciously muttered:

“You must live your entire life as if in closed-door cultivation.”

Those born with nothing had to carve their existence into their martial arts.

It must have required grueling endurance.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had only recently started paying attention to the concept of dedicated training,

was very different from them.

“Your body must be slow. You must have felt the hardships of the world even more keenly.”

“Hm?”

“You’ve worked hard just to stay alive. I commend you.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said.

The Lord of the Tenfold Gate stared at him for a moment before bursting into booming laughter.

“I’ve heard all manner of insults across countless battlefields, but I’ve never encountered a brat who provokes me as absurdly as you do.**

I wonder if your words would even work on the Warlord of the North.”

“Provocation...?”

“Raise your sword before you regret it.

Your techniques have been impressive so far, but I doubt you can withstand my ultimate art.”

“You mean Gongwolmu?”

The Lord of the Tenfold Gate did not answer.

His smirk was response enough.

Something worth witnessing was about to unfold.

And as anticipation rose within Jeong Yeon-shin—

The Lord of the Tenfold Gate spoke:

“Open.”

His voice resonated like an echo.

A tone that seeped directly into the mind, subtly clouding one's senses.

There was spiritual energy mixed into it.

A prerequisite for divine martial arts.

It was said that when a technique reached the absolute level,

it became indistinguishable from sorcery.

As the Lord of the Tenfold Gate stepped toward Jeong Yeon-shin,

his floating weapons began to shift into a great formation.

A vast ring of war surrounded them.

The very air itself shuddered.

Saaah—

A hooked staff, a crescent halberd, a massive axe, a polearm, a pair of claws, and a long spear

began to rotate like a spell formation, closing the distance.

“I never had an ultimate technique.”

The Lord of the Tenfold Gate smiled, his expression casual.

“I mastered every martial art to the point that I could kill without one.

So I never felt the need to create some grandly named supreme skill.”

“You call that enough?”

Even as Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head, the Lord of the Tenfold Gate never lost his smile.

Because his smile was inherently filled with killing intent.

“So...”

He took another step forward.

“I simply decided to unleash all of the Eighteen Arms at once.

It was the folly of my youth.”

Dwoooong—

The sound that followed his step was deep, like a drum echoing inside a cavern.

At the same time, he stopped moving.

Then, another Lord of the Tenfold Gate stepped out from his body and took a step forward.

His figure blurred slightly.

“Sword.”

He spoke, and the blade Jeong Yeon-shin had knocked away earlier flew back into his grasp.

“Saber.”

Another Lord of the Tenfold Gate emerged, taking another step.

A massive saber was drawn into his waiting hand.

The scene repeated itself.

Each time he named a weapon,

another identical copy of himself split away, taking one of the Eighteen Arms of War.

It was a divine skill.

A replication technique akin to the Great Sage’s Clone Arts.

The crowd murmured as if they had witnessed the Celestial Emperor himself descend.

Meanwhile, a faint exhilaration sparked in Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes.

Finally.

A battle worthy of the Violet Realm.

[Shape-Shifting Step.]

“Shape-Shifting Step.”

Eleven Lords of the Tenfold Gate spoke in unison.

As they moved in formation, their placement shifted subtly.

A scene so surreal it felt detached from reality.

It was nothing like the speed-based Shape-Shifting Techniques that were commonly known.

A supreme master’s ultimate technique, refined into Gongwolmu,

had transcended the limits of mortal arts.

[And this...]

The moment yet another Lord of the Tenfold Gate stepped forward,

Jeong Yeon-shin moved first.

Ten-League Radiance flickered beneath his feet like scattered starlight.

“Axe.”

He declared.

And the final weapon flew into his hand.