Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

But it lasted only for a moment. The foresight from the upper dantian vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

The images that had brushed past his mind scattered like dust.

'What was that?'

Jung Yeonshin quickly regained his composure. The spiritual resonance of the Baihui acupoint, which had whispered of divine arts, had left his head.

But it didn't matter for now. The vision of the Radiant Demon Squad he had just seen was the issue. He couldn't tell whether it was the present or the future.

'It's hard to distinguish.'

The ability of the upper dantian was always like this.

Transcendental senses, such as foresight or wide-range clairvoyance, never came at the desired time or in the desired form.

Often, they showed useless things, as if the providence of heaven were mocking the boy.

Swoosh.

His body swayed slightly. The lingering sensation beneath his crown felt like the pain of a burn.

It was becoming more intense as time passed. Was the power of the upper dantian growing? That meant death was drawing closer.

It reminded him once again—he had only about three years left.

'I know.'

He repeated the words inwardly, as his mind suddenly felt dry.

"Leader? Is something wrong?"

Had he sensed the disturbance? Namgoong Hwashin immediately asked. Jung Yeonshin answered aloud.

"It's nothing. However, we may need to hurry."

"It seems we've entered the territory of a sorcery formation. The darkness is unnatural. Even with inner sight, I can't see ahead."

Namgoong Hwashin was right. It was pitch black, as if they had stepped into an abyss.

Jung Yeonshin raised his arm and lowered his gaze. He couldn't see anything.

Even his own hand, close by, was swallowed by the darkness.

The air pressing down on his shoulders was heavy. Something was definitely there. The darkness was eerily deep.

'We've come to the right place.'

The boy unconsciously recalled the formation of the Blood Flame Cult. The Twin Flame Blood Spirit Formation.

It was a formation that created mysterious harmony, dividing the main headquarter of the Blood Flame Cult from the outside.

The darkness brushing against his skin held a similar mystique.

"Quite eerie."

Flame Dragon's voice echoed nearby. His usually languid tone seemed slightly intrigued.

"Comrade, when visibility is poor, it's better to disperse your energy."

Crimson Noon Sword stepped closer, as if to guard Jung Yeonshin's back. A seasoned warrior indeed.

It was advice drawn from martial experience.

Though it couldn't be seen, Jung Yeonshin nodded.

"Everyone, release your energy waves."

With those short words, he infused his voice with internal energy, spreading it widely.

Immediately, waves of energy rippled outward from the elite warriors of the Returning Wings Squad.

The currents of energy, brushing against their skin, helped them sense each other's presence. They regained some sense of space.

This was the power of a high-level group.

No matter the situation, they could respond flexibly. Even without sight, no one panicked.

Even the Beggars' Sect would be the same. Everyone here was a top-tier elite.

"Does anyone have night pearls?"

At Flame Dragon's words, Hu-gae interjected.

"They say you die early if you carry those."

"Typical Beggars' Sect nonsense, always thinking cheap. The stones charged by sunlight are harmless."

"Well, aren't you lucky to be a failed heir of a wealthy clan?"

Even the Tang Clan siblings followed Jung Yeonshin's orders.

Thin, mist-like energy waves flowed out from the boy and girl.

Their internal energy manipulation clearly revealed traces of poison arts training.

"This feels oddly familiar."

"I've heard faint sounds a few times, but I never thought a place like this actually existed…"

Tang Yeohwa and Tang Ryeo-ryeo spoke.

"Why didn't you come down here before?"

At Jung Yeonshin's question, a faint rustling of clothes was heard. It seemed Tang Ryeo-ryeo turned her body.

"Because traces of our father were here. The guards protecting us are our grandfather's warriors, but our grandfather hates our father, who abandoned the clan. The Tang Clan's laws are strict, and blood relatives who violate them are not forgiven, so we…"

"Grandfather might kill our father if he finds him. When we were training in the Full Sky Flower Rain above, we could just dismiss the guards and pretend not to know."

Tang Yeohwa clarified her sister's vague words.

Their childish speech felt surprisingly direct.

"I see."

Jung Yeonshin nodded briefly.

It wasn't just when the Returning Wings Squad arrived that the strange noises were heard.

The siblings' words made sense now.

"As expected of the Tang Clan. Quite the ruthless family."

"You, I heard from Hu-gae that you're the young master of the Hwangbo family. Isn't your clan just as bad?"

Jung Yeonshin ignored Flame Dragon's amused tone.

While the siblings and Flame Dragon began arguing, Jung Yeonshin silently closed his eyes.

He needed to concentrate.

"Quiet."

Namgoong Hwashin's clear voice rang out. He must have sensed Jung Yeonshin's focus through his subtle eyelid movements.

His sharp perception centered on the Returning Wings Squad leader and those nearby.

If Flame Dragon was a flame that was hard to control, Namgoong Hwashin was like the sky—dull yet flawlessly steady.

At moments like this, he was more reassuring than ever.

Jung Yeonshin twisted the flow of his energy.

Instead of using his family's standard techniques, he activated the supreme breathing method that was one of a kind in the world.

'Moonlight Harmony Technique.'

He stirred the technique bestowed upon him by the Lord of Desolate Fortress.

His internal energy began to feel both cold and transparent.

Since it wasn't his primary cultivation, he couldn't draw out the full effects of the technique.

However, Jung Yeonshin's control over his inner power allowed him to manifest enough of the Moonlight Harmony Technique's abilities.

Buzz—

Energy gathered at the acupoints near the corners of his eyes. It was the yin energy of the Moonlight Harmony Technique.

Night was the time of yin, when yang faded away.

The energy, formed by martial refinement, made his eyes glow faintly.

"Your energy waves changed? Can you also cultivate yin energy?"

Flame Dragon's voice came again. It sounded half playful but carried a hint of surprise.

Swish!

A blue gleam crossed Jung Yeonshin's vision.

His sight became faintly clear.

The jagged cliff walls surrounding him came into view.

"Follow me."

The boy spoke.

Step.

He confirmed a space carved underground through his upper dantian. Moving to find the entrance, he started walking.

The warriors of the Returning Wings Squad, understanding the situation through Flame Dragon's words, followed Jung Yeonshin's energy waves.

'I need to use both sight and energy waves.'

Jung Yeonshin continuously spread his energy while scanning his surroundings.

He imbued his energy waves with his intent.

It was a technique to expand his senses.

He aimed to detect an entrance hidden within the walls by feeling the rebound of energy.

Meanwhile,

'He cultivated a yin-based martial art?'

Hu-gae, walking behind him, pondered deeply.

The martial leaders under the Divine Sword Squad were of the highest caliber.

All seventeen were unmatched elites.

Even Lightning Genius was a temporary addition, making him the eighteenth.

And yet, he led both the White Qilin and Flame Dragon.

Even for someone merely on the level of the rising talents, even the smallest details were now worth treating as intelligence.

'If Flame Dragon didn't know, it must mean yin-based martial arts aren't his main focus.'

Hu-gae silently let his mental brush move.

'He doesn't seem to have learned assassination techniques, yet he blocked an attack from the Twin Venoms, Dragon and Phoenix. Remarkably sharp senses. This deserves special notation. In a contest of techniques, no one could match him. Carrying two swords as well—his swordsmanship can't be shallow. His movement techniques resemble those of a famous sect.'

Piece by piece, the information was inscribed.

This was how the intelligence network of the Beggars' Sect, which spanned the martial world, was built.

Hu-gae personally led when action was required, and now was such a moment.

'Desolate Fortress' Lightning Genius. Many still haven't even seen his face, yet he's already at the pinnacle among rising talents in the martial world. We can't leave this to old geezers or dying masters. I'll handle it.'

Hu-gae's assessment of Jung Yeonshin was being compiled in real time by the Beggars' Sect successor.

It was then—

"Here. It's the entrance."

The boy's voice rang out calmly.

Leading the group, Jung Yeonshin slowly extended his arm.

Infusing powerful energy into his right arm, he pulled aside the boulder that concealed the stone wall.

Boom!

With a heavy sound, the cave entrance was revealed.

* * *

"Nothing here."

Flame Dragon's voice echoed.

A full hour had passed. The group had entered the cave without hesitation.

It was just wide enough for five people to stand shoulder-to-shoulder.

Jung Yeonshin led the way, supported from behind by Flame Dragon and Namgoong Hwashin.

The Tang siblings followed, with the elite blue-robed warriors of the Returning Wings Squad lining the rear.

"For a passage this long and deep, it's extraordinary in itself."

Namgoong Hwashin responded.

"I suppose so."

Flame Dragon's lazy voice prompted Crimson Noon Sword to add,

"We need to be cautious. If a fight breaks out, assume you'll need to constantly emit energy waves. We have to sense the terrain. Our leader seems proficient already, but the whites are the issue."

"We're fine."

"Weren't you still in white ranks until recently, Crimson Noon Sword?"

Voices of assurance came from behind. It was the white-robed warriors of the Returning Wings Squad.

'So many.'

Jung Yeonshin suddenly became aware of the long line of people trailing behind him.

It felt strange to be leading so many already.

It hadn't even been two years since he underwent the Desolate trials under the watchful eyes of senior white-robes.

'A reliable force, but…'

He also had to minimize casualties among the Returning Wings Squad.

They were his responsibility, people who addressed him as their leader.

The weight of that responsibility pressed harder than the dark, suffocating air licking at his skin.

Then—

"Huh?"

"There."

It was the Tang siblings, Tang Yeohwa and Tang Ryeo-ryeo.

Their reactions were fast, as their reputations suggested, but they were slower than Jung Yeonshin.

The boy was already sprinting through the darkness, his blue robe billowing behind him.

Whoosh!

No formations were set within the cave, and the vision techniques of skilled warriors functioned effectively.

Moreover, Jung Yeonshin was still channeling the yin energy of the Moonlight Harmony Technique.

To him, the terrain was as clear as daylight.

Thud!

Energy erupted from the acupoints at the soles of his feet.

A figure appeared within his sharp vision, hidden between the rocky walls.

It flinched—its build was very small.

'An Iron Tribe member!'

With certainty, Jung Yeonshin closed the distance. The figure seemed to realize it was too late to dodge and let out a rough cry.

"Traitors! Are you the Thirteen Heavens again? Or the meddlesome clan, stabbing Desolate Fortress in the back…! Those shameless bastards!"

The voice carried fear but was still filled with defiance.

Jung Yeonshin quickly suppressed his aura.

The small figure continued shouting.

"No matter how much you covet our clan's underground city, we won't let another fiend inside! We've already lost the treasured badge. Even if you cut my stomach open, you won't enter!"

"I am Jung Yeonshin of Desolate Fortress, Returning Wings Squad."

Whoosh!

A powerful gust swept past, lifting the edge of his sleeves.

Jung Yeonshin stepped lightly and stopped just short of the stranger.

Looking down, he saw a man whose height barely reached his waist, leaning back with fear in his eyes.

Thick facial hair and short limbs resembled the traits of the Iron Tribe from Desolate Fortress.

His heavily muscled arms looked like rocks piled together, yet his clothes were ragged—hardly befitting a clan reputed for wealth and craftsmanship.

"Desolate Fortress…?"

The dwarf muttered slowly.

His gleaming eyes, trained in internal arts, scrutinized Jung Yeonshin.

The boy slightly shifted his shoulder to reveal the engraved 'Desolate' character.

Then, he drew out a golden identification token from his robes—the Desolate token, revealed for the first time in a long while.

The golden emblem shimmered faintly in the dark.

"Not Han craftsmanship…"

The dwarf mumbled.

It was an arrogant certainty. Very much like the Iron Tribe.

Co-founders of the Ming Dynasty along with the Bright Clan, they were treated differently from the Western tribes.

Despite imperial oversight, who would have expected their underground city to exist here?

'I've found a clue.'

Jung Yeonshin ignored the dwarf's attitude and spoke immediately.

"You mentioned Desolate Fortress. Are they inside?"

The dwarf didn't answer right away. His lips pressed firmly shut, radiating stubbornness.

'That's fine.'

Jung Yeonshin thought.

He had already gathered enough information.

The underground city of the Dwarves, the Thirteen Heavens, the Middle Way Sect, betrayal, Radiant Demon Squad…

So many were entangled, just like the energies latent within his own body.

Suddenly, he recalled the vision he had seen through the upper dantian.

The backs of his seniors were torn apart. Baek Miryeo and Chung Myung's bodies were in tatters.

Buzz!

The surge of emotion caused the energy within his body to churn violently.

The pure energy of the Jung Clan mixed with the divine force of the Demon-Slaying Azure Steel Palm in his lower dantian.

The yin energy of the Moonlight Harmony Technique coiled outward from his skin.

Even the remnants of the Demon Roaring Blood Art spread faint, sinister waves.

'No.'

Jung Yeonshin took a deep breath and suppressed his energy.

He had sensed the danger of Energy Deviation.

His internal energy could spiral out of control at any moment.

It was then—

"What was that just now…?"

It was Tang Ryeo-ryeo's voice, trembling with alarm.

Flame Dragon, Namgoong Hwashin, and the Twin Venoms, Dragon and Phoenix stared at Jung Yeonshin in a daze.