The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 210

Chapter 210
Chapter 210. An Enemy’s Grace (3)

I assembled a team for the Formation Breaking.

“He requested that I bring my Master as well, so he is here with me.”

First to arrive were Murong Jae-hwa and Yeo Sam-tong of the Ghost Bow Sect, who stood as his instructor in the martial arts.

Next, I summoned Il-gak, Namgung Seon-hwa, and Cheol Sun-jik from the Twelve Peak Citadels.

While awaiting the others, I listened to the Jegal Clan’s Formation Master detail the mechanics of the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation.

In truth, I likely possessed a deeper understanding of the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation than the expert himself, yet I feigned ignorance and listened with feigned interest.

“This Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation was designed as a Life Formation from its inception.”

“A Life Formation?”

I adjusted my demeanor to mirror the reaction of someone hearing this for the first time.

The Formation Master puffed his chest out with vanity.

“As long as the internal energy of the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation remains, it is indestructible. Any impact from inside or outside simply causes the energy to shift and repair the structure.”

It was undeniable that the introduction of the Life Formation concept had revolutionized the nature of Mystic Gate Formations.

However, his smugness, even in the midst of a disastrous situation, grated on my nerves.

I deliberately tapped my forehead with an exaggerated flourish, as if struck by a sudden realization.

“Oh! So, if we attempt to shatter it by force, every Academy student trapped inside could be killed.”

“……”

While I endured the Formation Master’s explanation, his face darkening with annoyance, the rest of my group finally gathered.

“I heard your summons.”

Cheol Sun-jik, arriving alongside Il-gak and Namgung Seon-hwa, wore an expression of profound irritation.

Nevertheless, he had arrived.

“May I inquire as to why?”

I answered him with complete honesty.

“Because there are few people I know who possess One Cycle of inner arts.”

“……Nam Hwa-seong also possesses One Cycle of inner arts.”

“Does that individual look like someone capable of manipulating their internal qi with such precision?”

When I offered that assessment with a casual shrug, Cheol Sun-jik found no room to argue.

Following a brief silence, he fixed his gaze on me and spoke.

“Do you genuinely believe I will assist you, Representative Jin So-un?”

“I am not requesting your aid.”

“Then what is this?”

Who else could it be but my reliable authority?

“I am telling you to carry out the Grand Strategist’s orders.”

“The Grand Strategist?”

As my eyes shifted toward the figure behind him, Cheol Sun-jik turned, visibly startled.

“Is there a concern?”

Jegal So-myeong’s resonant voice bore into him.

Cheol Sun-jik bowed his head, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.

“……N-no.”

Jegal So-myeong assessed Cheol Sun-jik briefly before turning to me.

“What is your estimated time for preparation?”

“I will be ready within fifteen minutes.”

“Very well.”

As Jegal So-myeong took charge of securing the perimeter, I addressed Yeo Sam-tong.

“Can you assist Jae-hwa in launching arrows at four distinct locations at the exact same time?”

“Four distinct locations?”

I nodded, clarifying my requirements.

“The impacts must be simultaneous.”

Yeo Sam-tong retreated into deep contemplation.

“Hmm……”

“Brother, I do not believe I possess the skill for that yet……”

However, Yeo Sam-tong quickly gave a nod of agreement.

“I believe it is achievable.”

“Pardon?”

Ignoring the stunned Murong Jae-hwa, Yeo Sam-tong responded with confidence.

“The air currents around the Grand Riding Ground are subtle, which should make the feat possible.”

“What does that……”

I turned to Yeo Sam-tong and bowed with clasped hands.

“Understood. Please stand by for my signal.”

“No, wait! Brother! I cannot do this!”

He was clearly the one being tasked, yet the decision had been made without his input, leaving him utterly flustered.

Frankly, this was not the first time this had happened. Why did he continue to be so rattled?

I seized Murong Jae-hwa by the shoulders with both hands.

“Jae-hwa! The survival of seventy-eight souls rests upon your precision! You are capable of this!”

“No…… Brother! I told you I cannot……”

“Everyone else, gather here.”

“B-Brother……?”

Leaving a bewildered Murong Jae-hwa behind, I finalized the plan, directing Il-gak, Namgung Seon-hwa, Cheol Sun-jik, and Buk Won-pyeong to their specific roles and locations.

As the others moved to settle into their positions, Cheol Sun-jik remained, staring at me with intensity.

“Do you perhaps not grasp the procedure?”

A man of his intellect surely understood the method.

Was he truly so averse to working with me?

Regardless, lives were at stake.

“That is not the source of my curiosity.”

Cheol Sun-jik’s expression turned icy.

“Why are you doing this?”

“What do you imply?”

Seeming utterly baffled, Cheol Sun-jik continued.

“The Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation is a newly developed Mystic Gate Formation. Regardless of your prowess, Representative Jin So-un, I cannot fathom how you expect to dismantle a formation you have seen for the first time without incident. If you fail……”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a whisper.

“Could you not simply turn a blind eye?”

“……”

“If you did, the Orthodox Path Association would inevitably collapse, and your standing, Representative Jin So-un, would become unassailable.”

It was a logical query.

As he suggested, my current actions might indeed be reckless.

The organization was a massive entity that ruthlessly pursued its own survival.

Perhaps by intervening, I was merely allowing the Orthodox Path Association to dodge the consequences of its own disintegration.

But.

So what?

Even in my former life, those who were crushed by political maneuvering were always the ones at the bottom.

It was only when the blood of those voiceless people pooled until it stained the feet of the powerful that those at the top bothered to notice.

Now that I held a modicum of power, was I expected to mirror the apathy of those who had long since surrendered to the inertia of their status?

Was I to emulate that moral decay and become one of them?

Unfortunately for them.

“Because I am able to.”

I harbored no desire to become the kind of base human being they were.

“Pardon?”

At my reply, Cheol Sun-jik knitted his brows in confusion.

I looked at him with detachment.

“I can save them, so I am choosing to. That is the only reason necessary.”

Cheol Sun-jik’s gaze faltered, his eyes betraying his inability to process my intent.

“……But if you fail, you alone will bear the blame. Is that truly acceptable to you?”

I gave a single, dismissive shrug.

“That is the burden inherent to the one giving the orders. Is it not?”

“……”

Cheol Sun-jik bit his lip, clearly frustrated by the sentiment.

Life Formation.

A legendary Mystic Gate Formation that had blocked the advance of the Demonic Practitioners, sparing many lives.

Yet, the rise of the Demon Brain, who possessed the ability to shatter even this impenetrable Mystic Gate Formation, had dealt a crushing blow to the Murim Alliance.

The Sojeong Squad had been stripped of every sanctuary where we might have found respite, leaving us to grind our teeth in hatred against the Demon Brain repeatedly.

But now, utilizing the very method the Demon Brain had employed to break the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation felt deeply ironic.

‘Am I actually accepting aid from that detestable Demon Brain?’

I forcefully pushed the stray thought aside.

Does it matter if I receive the Demon Brain’s assistance?

It meant people would live.

If I could protect my allies and strike at my enemies, I would gladly accept help from the Demon Brain, or even the Heavenly Demon himself.

I steeled my resolve and scanned the area.

“I am initiating.”

At my command, the four individuals positioned at the Eight Gates simultaneously surged their internal qi.

They funneled immense pressure into the four gates, bypassing the primary gateways such as Life, Death, Open, and Rest.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE.

Under the crushing force closing in from all sides, the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation began to shudder.

The usually concealed mechanisms of the Mystic Gate Formation were forced into the open, exposing its inner workings to the world.

Shortly after, the black fog enveloping the interior of the Mystic Gate Formation began to drift toward the four focal points under attack.

It was attempting to pool its energy to fortify itself against the external breach.

And.

“Now!”

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Our window of opportunity had arrived.

With the synchronized explosion of our internal qi, the structure of the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation buckled.

I shouted to the four operators.

“The phase begins! Maintain a steady flow of internal qi!”

The Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation struggled to concentrate its power to mend its outer defenses, but the external pressure was too overwhelming for it to restore its equilibrium.

Eventually, even the energy safeguarding the main four gates began to migrate toward the points we had compromised.

“Jae-hwa!”

Acting on my signal, Murong Jae-hwa, perched upon the rooftop, released his arrows in accordance with Yeo Sam-tong’s guidance.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

The four shafts climbed in unique arcs until they vanished from sight, only to plummet simultaneously.

The blunt arrowheads struck the pillars of Life, Death, Open, and Rest at the exact same moment.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—CRASH!

The ground jolted from the impact, and the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation surged in a panicked wave.

Detecting the assault on the main four gates, it desperately tried to divert energy to secure them.

I could not let this chance slip.

“Seize it now!”

This was precisely why I had insisted on Cheol Sun-jik over Nam Hwa-seong.

We had to restrain the rebounding energy.

“GRAAAAAAGH!”

“GRAAAAGH!”

“Hup!”

Perhaps the suction force was truly monstrous, as every one of them—excluding Buk Won-pyeong—let out strained roars.

The dark mists of the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation began to recede, and the forms of those trapped within came into view.

A glimmer of hope remained.

Now, for the final phase.

Stationed atop the central pavilion, I unleashed my Flying Dragon Claw, hooking onto the four pillars of the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation.

“GRAAAAAAAAGH!”

I seized the Heavenly Silkworm Thread with both hands and heaved against the structures securing the four gates.

The Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation began to wobble.

It was teetering, much like a loose tooth ready to be extracted.

I felt that with just a bit more force, I could pull the pillars free.

At that instant.

“Uh, uh!”

I had intentionally requested Cheol Sun-jik instead of Nam Hwa-seong to manage the internal qi output.

Yet, perhaps he had failed to calculate the sheer force of the energy surging as the pillars destabilized, as shock flickered across the faces of Buk Won-pyeong and Il-gak.

“Benefactor Jin!”

“Jin So-un! We have lost our grip……!”

The energy that had been suppressing the four operators instantly shifted toward the pillars I was fighting to dislodge.

The four operators were unable to stabilize the runaway surge.

Consequently, the energy of the Mystic Gate Formation began to rush back toward the main gates.

At this rate, I would be dragged directly into the heart of the Mystic Gate Formation.

‘Damnation!!!!’

This had become a test of raw endurance.

With the determination of a gambler risking everything on a final hand, I poured every ounce of my energy into the effort.

‘Do you have any idea how many Spiritual Medicines I have consumed!!!’

I began wrenching the pillars with vicious intent.

The taut Heavenly Silkworm Thread sliced into my palms, but I ignored the sensation and applied even more pressure.

Agony, as if my nerves were being shredded, flooded my entire being.

But recalling the cries of those held prisoner within, I bellowed.

“GRAAAAAAAAGH!!”

Entering the Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation meant confronting one’s darkest nightmares.

Those who had taken lives were consumed by remorse, and those who had committed atrocities were paralyzed by the guilt of their own actions.

They had intended only to experience the Myriad Phenomena Formation, but the energy dominating their Upper Qi Centers had drained them of all vitality.

They struggled to draw power from their qi centers to shield their Steadfast Hearts, but they could not break free from the phantoms.

TREMBLE TREMBLE TREMBLE.

An Academy student, having finally broken free from the vision, gazed down at his trembling hands.

The corpses that had littered the area just moments ago, and the gore that had stained his martial arts uniform, had vanished.

“I-I am certain……”

Within the illusion, his clan had been slaughtered because of his own incompetence.

His kin, comrades, and mentors had all perished, leaving him alone to await his end.

That had surely happened……

Just as he had been groveling before an enemy whose face remained shrouded in shadow.

The reality he had believed in simply dissolved.

‘What occurred?’

His hands shook violently.

His gi was pristine, devoid of a single drop of blood.

All around him, other Academy students appeared just as disoriented.

Only then did he comprehend that they had stepped into the Myriad Phenomena Formation and witnessed a fabrication.

At that moment.

“GRAAAAAAAAGH!!”

When he looked up at the shout from above, he saw a man gripping a thin thread, pulling with all his might.

The man looked somewhat familiar.

‘J-Jin So-un?’

He could not mask his disbelief that the person was indeed Jin So-un.

Doubting his own senses, wondering if this was another trick, he glanced around.

The other Academy students seemed to share the same sight, their expressions frozen in shock.

“I cannot hold it!”

A voice echoed from beyond the Myriad Phenomena Formation.

With that, dark clouds began to shroud the ceiling once more.

The Academy students caught in the black fog began to shriek from within.

Aaaaaaagh!

Ah, h-h-hah.

Please…… please……

Forgive me! I was in the wrong!

The sounds of sobbing resonated clearly.

Only then did the Academy students realize that being enveloped by those clouds meant facing illusions, and that Jin So-un was working to put an end to it.

‘But why……’

To those aligned with the Orthodox Path Association, Jin So-un was nothing more than an enemy.

The majority of those trapped here had harbored deep hostility toward Jin So-un and had joined the Orthodox Path Association’s event with that intent.

Why would Jin So-un risk himself to rescue them?

“GRAAAAAAAAGH!!”

Finding the thin thread difficult to hold with both hands, he wrapped it around his arms again and again.

The tension bit into his flesh, causing his skin to swell grotesquely, and blood trickled from his hands, staining the thread crimson.

“Why…… on earth……”

“What is this……”

“Not Jegal Jeong-gi…… but Jin So-un?”

The other Academy students were similarly stunned.

They simply stared, blank-faced, at Jin So-un’s desperate expression, even forgetting that they remained in peril.

At that moment, a thunderous shout erupted from Jin So-un as he looked down at them.

“What are you idiots doing?! Break the pillars attached to these threads right now!”

“What? What did he say?”

Blood continued to drip from his hands.

“Urgh…… If you want to escape that place, shatter the pillars!”

“U-understood!”

Without needing a leader to move first, they rushed to the pillars connected to Jin So-un’s threads.

Even inside the Myriad Phenomena Formation, locating the pillars was trivial.

The blood trailing from the threads marked the pillars clearly.

“Move faster, you bastards!”

No one took offense at Jin So-un’s curse.

They struck the pillars as if compelled, exactly as instructed.

CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH, CRASH.

As they poured every drop of their remaining internal qi into the assault, the pillars began to vibrate violently.

Craaaack.

And at that moment.

“Haaaap!!!”

With Jin So-un’s mighty roar, the pillars were ripped from their foundations and launched high into the air.

THUD, THUD, THUD-THUD.

The four pillars slammed into the ground.

Slowly, the black mist that had engulfed the surroundings thinned and evaporated.

“H-heavens!”

The Two Principles Eight Trigrams Myriad Phenomena Formation, into which the Jegal Clan had poured their life’s work.

The peerless ultimate formation, rumored to surpass even the Seven Stars Seven Seizures Formation.

Jin So-un had destroyed it.

“……”

“……”

Those inside the Myriad Phenomena Formation and those outside stared at Jin So-un with eyes wide and mouths agape.

“Damn it! I truly nearly died there.”

Jin So-un slumped to the ground and spat out a curse, and every gaze naturally shifted toward his shredded hands and arms.

“Damn Orthodox Path Association bastards! If you must have accidents, keep them in moderation.”

Though the majority of those in the Grand Riding Ground were members of the Orthodox Path Association, no one showed signs of hostility or attempted to attack him.

“……”

“……”

“……!”

Everyone simply stared in silence at his blood-soaked hands and arms.