The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 96

Chapter 96
## Chapter 96. The Sharpest Blade in the Darkness (3)

“Our primary brother has a great fondness for wealth.”

During the opening phases of the conflict, Eun-ho, Seong Mo-ran, and Cho Mu-bin bore the brunt of a concentrated assault launched by the Dark Soul-Severing Unit.

Acting on the realization that these foes reviled illumination, Eun-ho ignited blazes in every direction whenever an opportunity presented itself.

By the time the surrounding area was engulfed in flames, numerous test-takers had already detected the unusual danger and commenced their retreat.

The critical issue lay with Seong Mo-ran, who had thoroughly drained her internal reserves in her desperate bid to hold back the Dark Soul-Severing Unit.

“Yet, it is commonly said that gentlemen feel overwhelmed when a lady’s household possesses too much opulence.”

“……I am skeptical that such a rule always applies. We have a recently arrived junior sister named Wang So-so. Her household is extraordinarily affluent, yet our primary brother did not appear to find her company particularly taxing.”

Having completely spent both her spiritual energy and physical endurance, Seong Mo-ran was no longer capable of maintaining a defensive posture.

Eun-ho had been offering various remarks to rekindle her fighting spirit when he observed that she became alert specifically at the mention of their primary brother.

Consequently, they found themselves immersed in a dialogue entirely incongruous with the perils of an active war zone.

“Wang So-so? Are you referring to the sole heiress of the Wang Estate? Has Wang So-so affiliated herself with the Taeul Sect?”

“Were you already familiar with her?”

“Naturally, I am aware of her identity. The Wang Estate is numbered among the Three Great Merchant Families under Heaven. Furthermore, her countenance is remarkably exquisite…… Curse it all, I harbored the belief that my sole competitor was Junior Sister Hong.”

“Pardon?”

“Could it be that the two of them developed some sort of romantic inclination toward one another?”

“…….”

Eun-ho questioned whether such matters held any genuine relevance on a field where the boundary between survival and demise was so thin, but noting how Seong Mo-ran’s blade techniques grew more aggressive as she pressed for answers, he complied and responded.

“No, they scarcely possessed the chance to interact in the first place.”

To be sure, whispers circulating within the sect suggested that Jin So-un might marry into the Wang Estate as a dependent son-in-law, but since there was no utility in mentioning that detail at present, he kept it to himself.

“The bonds between a gentleman and a lady can often solidify within a brief span.”

The movements of Seong Mo-ran’s blade began to slacken.

Melancholy and fatigue were taking their toll on her. Eun-ho deflected an assailant attempting to strike her from the rear and spoke again.

“To our primary brother, Junior Sister Wang represents nothing more than a cherished younger sibling. Furthermore, she does not align with our primary brother’s personal preferences in a companion.”

“Is that the truth?”

Sweeping her weapon in a massive arc, Seong Mo-ran reduced two adversaries to a gruesome state through sheer, overwhelming impact.

It was a striking spectacle to witness her manipulate a massive blade, twice the weight of standard weaponry, with such apparent ease despite her profound weariness.

“In that case, what manner of lady commands the affection of Young Master Jin?”

In truth, Eun-ho had never concerned himself with the romantic preferences of his primary brother and remained entirely ignorant on the matter, but the urgency of the moment allowed no room for hesitation.

Eun-ho uttered the first concept that occurred to him which might salvage their current predicament.

“He harbors a preference for formidable women.”

“What?”

“Ladies who refuse to capitulate regardless of the adversity, choosing instead to shatter any obstacles before them.”

“……Can that truly be considered a romantic preference?”

Eun-ho thought to himself, *Ah, a misstep*, yet he maintained an unreadable countenance. Had he not absorbed the lesson from his primary brother that the art of misdirection relies entirely upon one’s demeanor?

“You possess firsthand knowledge from observing our primary brother. Does he not command a disposition more unyielding, relentless, and fierce than any other?”

“……That is accurate. He does possess a merciless aspect, resembling someone who has abandoned his senses.”

Though their discourse centered on Jin So-un, the velocity of Seong Mo-ran’s strikes continued to diminish.

The forearm she utilized to intercept an opponent’s blade began to shudder.

The underlying crisis was not merely a deficit of spiritual energy, but the profound physical exhaustion she had incurred through relentless, protracted engagement.

“Ah, and there is an additional detail. This much is absolute.”

“Speak.”

“He favors ladies with a hearty appetite. Those who consume food with relish and exhibit no fastidiousness regarding their meals.”

“Truly?”

As Eun-ho articulated this, he retrieved a substantial portion of dried meat from his rations pouch and placed it into his jaws.

He performed this action directly before Seong Mo-ran so that she might instinctively mirror his conduct.

“My appetite is substantial.”

Seong Mo-ran likewise secured a fistful of dried meat and packed it into her mouth.

Observing that the stratagem was yielding positive results, Eun-ho resolved to press forward with absolute confidence.

“Furthermore, he looks favorably upon ladies who demonstrate exceptional synchronization within Battle Formations.”

“…….”

Even amidst this pressing crisis, Seong Mo-ran deliberately paused to direct a skeptical gaze toward Eun-ho.

“To synchronize within a Battle Formation implies a harmony of actions and intentions, does it not? Our primary brother admires ladies who maintain seamless rapport.”

Spurred by Eun-ho’s assured assertions, the posture of Seong Mo-ran’s blade steadily recovered its poise and began to realign with the cohesive Battle Formation. Cho Mu-bin, who had been enduring immense strain due to Seong Mo-ran’s erratic advances, offered a subtle nod of appreciation.

“What further details can you provide?”

“Let me see…… additionally, our primary brother holds a deep affection for ladies who show great consideration for his junior brothers.”

Eun-ho remained incapable of foreseeing what complications his fabrications might eventually engender, but in this critical hour, he had no alternative but to improvise and sustain the dialogue by any means available.

Ultimately, the directive issued by Jin So-un had been to contend alongside Seong Mo-ran and ensure her safety.

*He did not specify the precise methodology I was required to employ, did he?*

Pondering the long-term ramifications at this moment was an unaffordable extravagance.

—

I advanced directly toward the obscurity.

This was the exact antithesis of my actions in my former existence, during which I had retreated from the gloom.

I hunted the darkness with unyielding persistence.

As I glided from one pocket of shadow to the next, I simultaneously monitored the status of the martial artists belonging to Namgung Seon-hwa’s and Seong Mo-ran’s respective organizations.

Looking ahead, when the time came for me to confront numerous political adversaries within the Orthodox Path, if rumors spread that Seong Mo-ran and Namgung Seon-hwa had accompanied me outward only to perish in a calamity, neither the Azure Emperor Divine Sword nor the leader of the Iron Sword Sect would remain passive.

“My foes are already numerous. There is no utility in generating additional adversaries.”

Remnants of mortality littered the terrain where the shadows had previously held sway.

The regulations stipulated that casualties and altercations occurring during the Murim Regular Exam would be exempted from scrutiny, and the unwritten code among participants was to observe at least a baseline of moderation, but no rationale existed for practitioners of the Dark Arts to honor the protocols of the Orthodox Path.

They abandoned all pretense of stealth and, replicating their conduct from my past life, lacerated the remains of the fallen to eliminate the necessity of verifying their deaths.

Their primary aim was to preclude any identification of their lineage.

Consequent to this strategy, the killers who had initially focused their malice upon us were now shifting their attention to striking down those attempting to abandon the field.

For me, this presented the premier occasion to manifest the reality of the Demonic Cult to the entire world; thus, even though these individuals had entered the grounds seeking to strip me of my Trial Tokens, I exerted myself to the absolute limit of my physical capabilities to rescue any soul attempting to flee the zone of conflict.

“They will not embrace the truth instantly, however.”

The decadent, established factions of the Orthodox Path, who viewed themselves as the permanent rulers of the Jianghu, would resist acknowledging the evidence unfolding right before them.

Nevertheless, if occurrences of this nature transpired repeatedly, they would eventually be forced to adopt a measure of vigilance.

Should that occur, they would refrain from the folly of deploying lower-tier combatants of the Alliance directly against the vanguard of the Demonic Cult.

“Am I anticipating too grand an outcome?”

In my previous incarnation, I had traversed numerous fields of conflict identical to this one.

Whenever obscurity enveloped the forces of the Alliance, the Dark Soul-Severing Unit would be deployed.

If a survivor reported that the shadows themselves were harvesting lives, the solitary response from leadership was a command to cease uttering absurdities.

The casualties among the lower-ranking martial artists of the Alliance under those circumstances amounted to no fewer than two thousand souls.

The Dark Soul-Severing Unit represented the supreme terror for the lower tier of the Alliance.

They inflicted enduring psychological trauma upon the few who managed to survive, causing those individuals to spend the remainder of their days recoiling from the absence of light.

“Thus, I find myself curious. What duration of time is required to cultivate a solitary operative of the Dark Soul-Severing Unit, an entity that functioned with a mere twenty combatants throughout the entirety of the Great Righteous-Demonic War?”

—Kehek.

The operative of the Dark Soul-Severing Unit, whose vocal apparatus had been destroyed by corrosive means, expired while weeping crimson tears.

“That marks the tenth.”

Eleven, if I accounted for the initial adversary I annihilated utilizing the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm.

“It is a minor regret that I am barred from claiming a recurring compensation from those wretched individuals of the Sojeong Squad.”

In my prior existence, the operatives of the Sojeong Squad had declared that anyone successful in terminating even a single combatant of the Dark Soul-Severing Unit would be granted half of their lifetime regular income.

“Ghh.”

An individual resting near my boots, evidently a participant in the examination, was gripping a laceration while shuddering with profound dread. Fortunately, it appeared that the skeletal blade of the Dark Soul-Severing Unit operative had merely rent his arm.

“Are you capable of standing?”

“Wh-What sort of abomination is that entity?”

The examinee was shaking violently as he stared at the lifeless agent of the Dark Soul-Severing Unit suspended in my grasp.

Indeed, those creatures possessed a genuinely monstrous aspect.

“I remain uncertain. It merely appeared they had no legitimate business with the examination, so I chose to neutralize one.”

“…….”

Upon the mention of the examination, the participant’s gaze flickered with a turbulent mixture of sentiments.

“I…… I approached with the intent to deprive you of your Trial Tokens.”

The individual appeared bewildered as to why I would extend salvation to someone who had harbored hostile intent.

“Is it your desire to initiate a challenge now?”

“…….”

The examinee bent his head downward, clearly overwhelmed by mortification regarding his current state.

“Regardless of the intensity of this evaluation, do we not both ultimately belong to the selfsame Orthodox Path?”

“…….”

The remains of the Dark Soul-Severing Unit agent in my hand grew completely flaccid.

Excluding the initial foe I had dispatched with the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm, every single corpse exhibited this identical transformation.

The moment I discarded the agent’s remains onto the earth, the flesh dissolved away with a sharp, sizzling emission of vapor.

Upon the cessation of cardiac activity, a reservoir of Bone-Melting Powder integrated within the anatomy automatically ruptured, obliterating any physical evidence.

“Under these parameters, even the leadership of the Murim Alliance will dismiss the claim.”

In response to my grim observation, the participant spoke up.

“I witnessed it! I perceived the event unmistakably with my own sight.”

“In that case, your obligation is to survive and return to report it.”

“…….”

“Evade the shadows and retreat, ensuring you assist as many fellow survivors as you can manage.”

“Will your own safety be preserved?”

My physical presentation was sufficiently degraded that even an unfamiliar person manifested anxiety on my behalf.

“Should I cease my movements, no individual will remain to contest these creatures. Consequent to that, the pointless slaughter on this terrain will persist unabated.”

“…… uncomfortable truth.”

“Banish your anxieties regarding my fate.”

“……You have my gratitude.”

The examinee regarded me with an expression of profound complexity, then offered a nod and lent his physical support to a nearby individual incapable of independent locomotion.

After pacing forward a short distance, he paused to look back in my direction once more.

“Guard your life. I shall ensure this benevolence is repaid in full.”

—

My internal energy reservoirs were utterly depleted.

The secondary reserves I had previously accessed were now entirely dry.

The skeletal structures of the Dark Soul-Severing Unit operatives had been artificially altered to possess the density of tempered steel; thus, to fracture them with a solitary strike, I had been forced to expend vast quantities of internal energy.

“I am likewise restricted from utilizing the Azure Dragon Bracelet.”

The sole mechanism that suggested itself was the Azure Dragon Bracelet.

Setting aside the volume of Internal Qi the Azure Dragon Bracelet could extract from corrupted energy, if any witness on this battlefield observed me deploying the Great Star-Absorbing Art, I would inevitably be branded as an associate of those very Dark Soul-Severing Unit monsters.

Yet, this did not imply that I was entirely devoid of options.

“Rest is an unavailable option. I must hazard a dangerous venture.”

With every stride I took, sharp cracking noises echoed persistently from my muscular framework.

My articulations throbbed with agony, and my circulatory system was pulsing with unprecedented velocity.

Nevertheless, if I refrained from action at this juncture, no living soul would depart from this location.

Should all perish, the reality of the Demonic Cult would remain concealed from the world.

*Bang.*

With an explosive sound indicative of cloven air currents, I propelled myself into the adjacent shadow.

I extended the Flying Dragon Claw, yet its golden luminescence had degraded from its pristine brilliance.

I directed the Demon-Severing Radiant Whip with absolute precision toward a coordinate where no vital signature could be perceived.

*Slash.*

As anticipated, its potency had significantly waned.

The Demon-Severing Radiant Whip rebounded harmlessly, and a pale skeletal blade emerging from the gloom impaled the centers of two examinees’ torsos.

“Your true adversary stands here, you monsters!”

*Thudthudthudthudthudthud—.*

A succession of multiple Fist Forms was drawn into the obscurity. The adversary that had transfixed the victims with the skeletal blade utilized its malleable anatomy to intercept the entirety of the Fist Forms.

*Slash.*

I manipulated the retracted Flying Dragon Claw, shifting its function to simulate a lash across that space.

Finally, the obsidian, fluidic exterior split asunder, exposing the antagonist’s authentic physical form.

The muscular tissue of the creature, whose facial epidermis had been completely removed, shifted into a vivid expression of malice.

The precise instant I unleashed the Twin Heaven Sword Formula upon that position—

*Sliiiiide.*

The fluidic mass that had been severed into two portions surged forward and completely enveloped my physical form.

Ultimately, I found myself confined within the creature’s malleable exterior.

—Identify yourself.

“This sensation is utterly repulsive.”

Once ensnared within the fluidic substance, any conventional means of extraction was neutralized.

With one’s mobility entirely checked, one would inevitably be transfixed and executed by skeletal blades materializing from indeterminate origins.

—What manner of entity are you?

“An agent of demise destined to banish your kind back to the Demon God.”

I engaged the Azure Dragon Bracelet to its absolute threshold.

At this intensity of draw, illumination would typically have penetrated even the structure of the Flying Dragon Claw, but owing to my confinement within the fluidic mass, that anomalous manifestation remained hidden from external view.

—Could this turn out to be the Great Star-Absorbing Art?

“Your familiarity with the technique is accurate.”

—An impossibility! You wretched creature, Lord Demon Fiend’s……. Kehehehk!

The entity that had been articulating a response attempted to wrenched itself from my grip, yet it proved incapable of overcoming the immense drawing force exerted by the Azure Dragon Bracelet.

The fluidic substance restricting my movements steadily began to slough away, prompting me to swiftly diminish the intake intensity of the Azure Dragon Bracelet.

—Keheuk, by what rationale would the progeny of Lord Blood-Drinking Demon…….

The antagonist’s physical presentation had unmistakably manifested signs of rapid senescence and decay, though its baseline appearance was already so unnatural that the modification wrought no striking visual distinction.

“Direct your inquiries to the Demon God.”

As I delivered a concussive strike to its throat, a torrent of dark fluids erupted outward in every direction.

“As anticipated, processing corrupted energy presents a significant challenge.”

Though I had engaged the mechanism at its maximum threshold for a brief duration, the volume of internal energy replenishing my central reservoir was dissatisfyingly meager.

—So the responsibility for this rests with you.

At that precise juncture, the vocalization of a different Dark Soul-Severing Unit operative resonated once more.

“You grant me no intermission to recuperate.”

As I instantly launched myself toward the antagonist, to my astonishment, the creature retreated backward along a perfectly linear path.

—Are you the solitary combatant responsible for the termination of my subordinates?

It was a peculiar sensation.

Even within my former incarnation, the solitary vocalizations produced by the Dark Soul-Severing Unit monsters were confined to variations of “perish” and “keeeek.” Diverging from its peers, this entity’s tone was remarkably composed.

—You must also be the strategist who orchestrated this entire scenario.

“Fascinating. Do you occupy the position of commander within the Dark Soul-Severing Unit?”

The fluidic shadow within the gloom manifested distinct undulations.

—You represent an exceptional hazard. You are the individual destined to compromise the Great Plan.

“That assessment is precise. I intend to mirror your actions and return the devastation precisely as it was dealt.”

I concentrated the meager gathering of internal energy I had managed to salvage and executed the Unrivaled under Heaven Movement Art.

*Bang.*

As I lunged toward the antagonist with a sound that seemed to shatter the atmosphere, the creature likewise initiated a rapid retreat using its full capabilities.

Subsequently, an acoustic emission emanated from the creature that seemed designed to rupture the tympanic membranes of any nearby listener.

*Screeeeech—–*

Even those engaged in desperate combat across the field involuntarily relinquished their weapons to seal their ears against the sound.

Simultaneously, the obscurity that had deployed across every sector, extinguishing all source illumination, ceased its erratic motion and began to concentrate rapidly toward our immediate position.

“Wh-What sort of phenomenon is this……”

“D-Did you witness that event? Can shadows alter their distribution with such calculation?”

“Look over here! A r-remnant of mortality!”

“Uwegh!”

As the shadows converged into a singular locus, the nearby martial artists began to lose their composure upon witnessing the mounds of casualties and the torrents of blood generated by the Dark Soul-Severing Unit.

The conflict centered around the acquisition of the Trial Tokens had reached its conclusion.

“With your identities laid bare in this manner, will your Great Plan not face immediate ruin?”

—I remain ignorant of the means by which you acquired this data, but both you and these witnesses shall deposit your remains upon this earth before the day concludes.

Following that declaration, the concentrated mass of shadow swelled violently, discharging dark vapors in all directions.

“Curse it!”

The instant my gaze locked onto the dark vapor, I instinctively uttered an imprecation and delivered a booming warning.

“Retreat! A toxic mist is descending!”

Black Bone-Corroding Qi.

This was the characteristic corrupted energy that circulated through the vascular systems of the Dark Soul-Severing Unit operatives who had submitted to the Fluid-Body Bone Sword modification.

Strictly defined, it was inaccurate to classify it as a conventional toxin, but it functioned as a corrupted energy that mimicked toxic behavior.

The moment it infiltrated an anatomy, it eroded the bone structure and severely impeded physical velocity.

Individuals possessing deficient internal development would freeze solid where they stood, while even those gifted with robust internal energy would endure prolonged agony in their efforts to purge the corrupted essence.

The explanation for why the skeletal remains of the Wudang Sect’s Hyeoncheong and the Mount Hua Sect’s Yeon U-mun had been discovered in a blackened, deteriorated state was their exposure to this very Black Bone-Corroding Qi.

I initiated a countermove instantly, yet I too found myself ensnared within the perimeter of the Black Bone-Corroding Qi.

A similar fate befell the test-takers and their accompanying guardians who reacted less swiftly than I did.

Now that their presence had been exposed amidst the tumult of the field, the creatures discarded all restraint, morphing into entities of even greater ferocity and violence.

They had ceased to concern themselves with obscuring their signature before an audience numbering nearly a thousand individuals.

“These unhinged monsters.”

I deployed the Demon-Severing Radiant Whip, trapped a member of the Dark Soul-Severing Unit, and engaged the Azure Dragon Bracelet.

I extracted internal energy with the totality of my strength, but as suspected, the volume integrated into my central reservoir remained trivial.

“Gold, Silver, Bronze! Flee the area!”

Originating at my midsection, a sensation of paralysis slowly began to claim my entire physique.

I vociferated utilizing whatever remaining Internal Qi I could muster, but it did not appear that my vocalization carried across the distance.

*Is this the point of expiration…….*

Despite the presence of numerous individuals in my vicinity, I could detect no life signs whatsoever.

My perceptive faculties had degraded to the point where I anticipated the imminent transfixion of my cardiac region by the Fluid-Body Bone Sword.

At that exact instant, my right hand exhibited a sudden spasm.

Perception reestablished itself beginning at my digits, subsequently ascending my lower arm until it achieved my shoulder.

And in that flash of clarity, I recalled a particular object I had salvaged from the Demon Spirit Plateau.

*The Heavenly Demon Supreme Bracelet.*

This was the artifact I had designated as the Red Phoenix Bracelet, carrying it on my person due to its visual symmetry with the Azure Dragon Bracelet.

That Red Phoenix Bracelet was autonomously neutralizing the Black Bone-Corroding Qi.

Without wasting a single second on further deliberation, I secured the Red Phoenix Bracelet onto my right wrist while retaining the Flying Dragon Claw upon my left hand.

I then thrust my arm deep into the gloom, gripped an operative of the Soul-Severing Unit, and engaged the Azure Dragon Bracelet.

—Kehehehehehk, gurgle.

Spiritual energy surged inward through my left hand.

The experience diverged entirely from the instances where I was forced to filter out dense corrupted energy, recovering merely a nominal portion.

A monumental volume of internal energy, resembling a vast ocean, instantly saturated my Ren and Du Meridians.

The internal energy circulating throughout my entire physical framework incinerated every vestige of the Black Bone-Corroding Qi that had been invading my tissues, establishing its residency within my central reservoir as though it had found its proper home.

Following this, the Flying Dragon Claw extending from my left hand erupted with its pristine, brilliant illumination.

As the absolute dark began to fracture, seven skeletal visages all widened their eyes in profound shock.

—What manner of power is this!

I channeled the Taeul True Scripture utilizing the structural logic of the Reverse Demon Scripture.

Though it utilized the same underlying internal energy as before, the Qi I now radiated was distinct in its properties.

It manifested as luminous, transparent, and above all else, incredibly dense.

I unleashed the Twin Heaven Sword Formula in a wide distribution toward every quadrant. It was immaterial where my edge connected or which target was deceived. Such was the immediate proximity between myself and the Dark Soul-Severing Unit.

*Slash. Slash. Slash.*

With every execution of the blade, the shadows were forcefully rent apart, accompanied by the monstrous shrieks of the expiring Dark Soul-Severing Unit operatives.

—You wretched entity, you preserved an unheralded technique in reserve.

The vanguard commander, who had suffered the loss of two subordinates within a mere fraction of time, clattered his jaw as he articulated his words.

—Yet, do not harbor the illusion that you shall depart from this place with your life intact.

“I am likewise aware that I lack the capacity to eliminate your entire complement at this juncture.”

These were adversaries that even a member of the Ten Greatest Masters under Heaven could fail to survive against.

Had it not been for the benefit of a surprise engagement and the utilization of the Reverse Demon Scripture, I would have lacked the capacity to even confront them initially.

“Nevertheless, the triumph belongs to me.”

—What?

“The dawn is breaking.”

Oblivious to the savage conflict that had raged throughout the dark hours, a radiant illumination began to drape its morning light over the scarred terrain.

—Y-You execrable……

“Deliver a message to the Heavenly Demon of this generation. The Jianghu has been made aware of the Demonic Cult’s resurgence.”