Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time Chapter 490

◈ The Tree of Fame (2)

Jeongyeonshin, Iphwangseongju, and Shinui.

The three people’s journey over a fortnight was strangely uneventful.

Even though sword-wielding warriors act as bandits everywhere and people practice water magic on the riverbank, the group has not personally experienced the troubled times.

It was as if the world’s dizzying connections had avoided them on their own. To be precise, it felt as if they had avoided the Lord of the Heavenly Realm.

I was walking along a mountain path as usual, without any problems.

It was a dream come true.

Also, she didn’t hurry her steps.

It’s like what it would be like if an ordinary priest and priestess went on a trip during a time of peace.

It was all the same: sharing food such as barley and dried meat, resting while making a fire, and when the sun went down, leaning against the rough tree stump across from the fire and falling asleep.

Considering the turbulent times of recent times, it was a rather strange behavior.

There was no use of any kind of fine horse, palanquin, or light horse.

In the process, Jeong Yeon-shin spent a long time with her teacher for the first time.

Beyond the relationship of master and subordinate, they now live their daily lives as true priests and disciples.

―That’s undercooked. But have you eaten meat, Master? I heard from the Cheonganmagum that the Ming tribe is a friend of the forest, not a friend of horses and pigs… … .

―If you want to cultivate and maintain your swordsmanship, you must first eat. Before your internal energy, there is your body, so you cannot reach the infinite by eating only grass. You must not forget your roots.

―Is that what Jeong Ga-dong said? I will keep that in mind. By the way, since last winter, even wild boars have become rare, so I am glad that I can hunt them with a sword. I was a little worried because the winter winds felt stronger… … .

-Your Heart Sword is already excellent.

-ah.

―Because there is a momentary gap before you can raise your mind, it is better to devote yourself to meditation. If you narrow the gap between your mind and body, your sword will become faster.

-Yes, that’s also undercooked meat. Please eat this.

-thanks.

The experiences that Kang Ho-in, who has a master, gains as a child.

Jeong Yeon-shin was able to enjoy such tranquility in her heart for two weeks.

The time spent with my teacher was warmer than I thought. It was so much so that I couldn’t help but remember it as a precious memory.

Sometimes, when I would blankly look up at the thick moonlight, the god would talk to me about Cheonhamok.

―Of course you’ve heard that it’s big, but inside that damned big tree, it’s a huge city. You can’t even call it a town.

– Are you saying that you dig up the inside of a tree and live there?

―The Heavenly Tree has two layers. It is divided into a round outer shell and an inner shell. Just inside the outer shell, there are thousands of seeds with big ears like Emperor Zhao Lie of Shu Han. It is called the outer shell. The tree that can truly be called the true essence of the Heavenly Tree is located in the innermost center… Even the most famous people cannot dare enter. It is a place close to the clan’s sore spot.

-Can’t go in…?

– I won’t let them in. They are masters who have spent a long time studying martial arts. In the first place, the collateral Zhou clan is claiming to be the border guards of the outer castle, so isn’t that saying everything?

A story about beings who are completely separate from the existing martial arts order.

In many ways, time had no choice but to pass quickly.

like that.

As I was walking through the mountains, I suddenly heard the teacher’s voice ringing out clearly, saying, “This is the best in the world.”

As if I had just stepped through some mysterious gate of life and suddenly arrived at my destination.

The world’s best.

It felt like I could touch the clouds.

There is no exaggeration in the two characters “heaven”. It is as high as if the sky and the earth are connected. Clouds, spread out like white fluff, hovered around it.

There was a thick, heavy silence. I could faintly hear the sound of a heavy horn blowing from somewhere, but I couldn’t figure out where it came from.

The word overwhelming is not an understatement.

‘this…….’

My mind became a little hazy. Even if I just looked at it quietly, it felt like my soul was being sucked away somewhere.

The feeling I used to get when I was young and quietly looked out into the night air was slowly creeping back to me.

It’s a mystery of the world. It doesn’t look like a tree at all.

“But.”

Jeongyeon Shin opened her mouth as she stared at the castle made of copper.

“How do I get in?”

There was no entrance anywhere, and it did not seem like a place to test the visitor’s footwork. At that moment, the god glanced at him, who was absentmindedly moving his fingers, and hurriedly stepped forward.

“No, wait.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke reflexively. There is no gentleman who acts rashly in the presence of his master, but he felt that there had been a lot of groundless rumors about him lately.

Even though he had deliberately made his ears numb, he was still nervous around Ip Hwang Seong-ju. It was a situation where showing only a good appearance was not enough.

“Can I ask you a few questions?”

The god who asked that question continued speaking without even hearing a definite answer.

“First. Please take a deep breath.”

“yes?”

“The breath of a peerless master like you takes away a lot of natural energy. In these times when the earth energy has already fallen to the ground, you are taking a deep breath in this Cheonhamok realm as if you were bragging…? That is provocation. A very effective provocation. Of course, I have heard that you are good at the Gyeokjangjige, but this is a little different.”

“Who says such things?”

Jeongyeonshin asked quietly.

I once asked Cheongmyeong what any word beginning with ‘광자’ meant.

But even at the moment when he turned back to his true nature, he only showed his characteristically vague smile. Even the more talkative Aksurim and Shinsobin just vaguely muttered or pretended not to know.

“hmm?”

Shin-ui, who had been talking in an impudent manner, flinched. However, he did not give a specific answer.

“Well, I don’t know. It’s just a rumor, so don’t worry about it. Anyway, the second one is the sound of footsteps. When you go inside, please walk carefully.”

“… … .”

“They are just crazy people whose five senses are more sensitive than the average person. They are so sensitive that they can easily get into trouble for no reason. They are not bound by worldly status or rules… so you might end up seeing something you wouldn’t want to see. You should definitely be on your guard.”

“If it looks like it’s not worth seeing…?”

“You probably don’t want to hear it. The third and final one… … .”

“If you have nothing more to say, I will stop here. Master, I will deliver the message.”

Jeongyeonshin walked slowly. Even though he had not come to overcome his destiny right away, Cheonhamok was right in front of him.

It was difficult to maintain the same composure as usual.

“There is no compromise on their boundaries. If you take even one step further from there…!”

Just as the rare, flustered god was about to approach, waving his hand, a thin beam of light suddenly flashed in the air and fell, trailing a pure white ripple like a tail.

Kwaaaaang!

Exactly in front of Jeongyeonshin’s feet.

The ground sank in a circle with a loud noise. The violent vibration spread and rippled in all directions, and the debris flying out in all directions rattled like pieces of iron and roughly dug into the surroundings.

It took several breaths for the dust cloud that had exploded so large to subside.

“… … .”

In the middle of a sunken land.

Long iron bars were stuck in like arrows. At the end of them, a white flagpole was vibrating and creating an afterimage. The power of the blow seemed to have pierced through the axis of the earth.

Kugu Palace―

The ground shakes gently as the flagpole moves. The waves, close to a natural disaster, seep into the ground like a stern warning.

Right in front of it.

“You could say it out loud.”

Jeongyeonshin’s body was intact even after being hit by a huge shock wave.

It was not a blow aimed at the body in the first place, so his long sword did not flutter and was covered in a faint light like a cluster of stars. It was simply silent.

He silently looked up.

A human figure standing vertically, stepping on the bark of a reddish tree.

The intense pressure unique to a peerless master can be felt from the sight of him lowering a large bow as large as his body.

Even though the distance was about a mile, the energy that swayed like a breeze and swept over Jeongyeonshin’s skin was that dense, the spirituality that amplified the power of her entire body.

Even with its back to the clouds and sunlight, its body lines were clear.

The body was perfected by someone who had practiced archery, and it was a body that was both nimble and resilient, and it felt like a mastery of archery.

“… I think the best palace in the world was called the Dark Night Palace.”

Jeongyeonshin opened her mouth slowly.

“Was it a false reputation?”

At those words, Shin-ui, who had been standing far away, shook his head.

“There are rumors in the world that are true and false. Sword-wielding thugs hardly acknowledge those who have not made a name for themselves, as if their world is theirs… The more profound their martial arts, the stronger their pride. By any chance, were you also intoxicated by the fame of having defeated the best palace in the world?”

He asks playfully. He looks like he’s raised his head towards Inyoung, who shot the arrow earlier, but Shin-ui continues speaking politely without waiting for Jeongyeon-shin’s answer.

“It’s a place so dark that the reputation of the Wilderness’s Annihilation has not reached it… How is it that the Chicheon Palace Spirit, who has settled deep in the Cheonhamok, is out at the entrance?”

It was hard to tell whether he was telling a story or talking to himself. Jeong Yeon-shin looked back at Iphwangseongju.

Swish.

A gentleman who discusses the cultivation of the mind and body as the best. Even when he is attacked and his head is filled with fever, he asks his teacher first. Is it okay to take action here and now?

“Master.”

“Purple.”

She slowly moved her lips.

“You can handle it yourself.”

“If I act rashly and bring shame on my teacher….”

“face.”

The Emperor repeated his words. His lips slightly turned up. It was like when he had once told Jeong Yeon-shin that it would be a good idea to grow out his hair if he became a master.

“It’s small compared to what you think.”

Jeongyeonshin didn’t ask any more questions.

bang!

It kicks off the ground and springs up.

The ground, which had already been hemispherically shaped, sank even further, making a loud noise, and Jeongyeonshin’s new form turned pale like a purple lightning bolt before flashing vertically in a single line.

Finally, a rough, creaking noise continued along the path that paralleled the bark of the tall Cheonhamok tree.

‘There is no other entrance.’

Jeongyeonshin thought as she jumped faster than the strong wind.

After hearing many stories from the god.

The status of the Emperor of the Imperial City was so high that no one could compare to it even among the noble clans, but there were few people in the world who would welcome a foreigner as a guest. It was said that it was even more closed off than the Forbidden City in Beijing.

A true paradise.

I still don’t know what the Lord of the Castle wants, but it was a place I had to go to at least once. I had to at least talk to him earnestly.

Swish.

By that time, Inyoung, who was holding the bow, was sinking into the shell as if she had stepped into a swamp. It was as if there was an invisible door.

“This is not your place.”

A dry voice rang out. Cheonhamok Chicheon Palace Baek. He wore a crown made of green leaves and blades of grass on his head, and he turned his back without hesitation, revealing his green hair, resembling Iphwangseongju.

Could it be that we are blood relatives?

At least, it was certain that he had considerable status within Cheonhamok, which was called the most mysterious place in the Central Plains.

Sarak.

Without even looking at the pure spirit, it seeps into the bark of the tree.

Only a few green hairs remained like threads, swept across the surface of the shell and then broke off. As if teasing Jeongyeonshin, who had reached that height a step too late at this moment.

Her presence disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only the shell of the Heavenly Tree, which was harder than any diamond. Then, a sigh of the god was heard from below.

“You, you have to take the test without fail…!”

That moment.

Time passed slowly.

At least that was how it was in Jeongyeonshin’s mind. The words Shinui had thrown at her earlier, as if they were annoyances, flowed through her head like a river.

― If a foreigner wants to enter Cheonhamok, he has to pass all sorts of tests. Martial arts, character, learning, master-student relationship, past history in the martial arts world… They take a lot of things into consideration before granting qualifications. Well, isn’t that obvious? As far as I know, the world’s greatest sword master, even the Lost Sword Yong Hee-myeong, was no exception. The problem is that the test… is reminiscent of Shaolin’s Pan-Dong Samshipyuk Gwanmun. Of course, even if you have the martial arts to handle it, it would take dozens of days just to break through, so I wonder what your master, who doesn’t have much time, is thinking…

Jeongyeonshin slowly pulled out the lightning bolt.

Sling.

A faint line was engraved on the tree bark along the trajectory of the sword. It was the spot where the aerodynamic waves that Chicheon Palace Baek had emitted as if they were slaughtering the world remained.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who was floating in the air, extended his legs towards the sword mark just before falling, and at the same time, his body was sucked into the gap like smoke. Just like Cheon Geuk-mun-ju had done some time ago.

There was no test.