The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 265

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Youngest Son of the Jin Family of Luoyang – Chapter 265

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Countless marks were carved between the towering canyon walls.
These were not mere stone fragments, but deep and razor-sharp lines as if a colossal brush had descended from the heavens to scrape across the rocks.
These traces were no simple wounds.
Sword marks.
Each stroke, each technique bore the imprint of those who transcended mortal limits—masters worthy of being called celestial beings.
The moment the wind flowing through this place touched me, I understood.
The wind was not merely passing through; it subtly shifted direction as if carrying intention.
What permeated it was not mere energy, but will itself.
I recognized the presence of a consciousness infused with someone’s intent—the same force I had witnessed in the ‘Divine’s Throne’ at the grand pavilion—lingering here.
I narrowed my eyes and swallowed hard.
The sight of sword marks and willful intent intertwined, blanketing the canyon, was suffocating to witness.
Sweat gathered in my palms, and my throat grew parched as a desert.
And in that moment, I understood.
The sword marks were unmistakably traces of resistance.
And the one who had wielded their blade against those who stood and resisted in this place was not a group—but a single person.
Stride, sword marks, the resonance left upon the wind.
I could discern the name without speaking it aloud.
‘The Divine.’
It was their shadow.
The lines before my eyes connected, and the will embedded in the wind wove together as white threads, forming a single image.
Their sword had swept forth, and the blades of those fiercely resisting extended endlessly, creating countless lines.
The traces left by those who resisted were not mere sword marks. They felt as though they embodied the heavens themselves, as if they had become nature itself.
Each technique resonated with a sensation that evoked the dance Mu Heo had shown me—perfectly manifesting nature in its purest form.
Then the lines began to ‘remember’ one another, connecting in chaotic succession. Followed by sound, breath, pulse, heart, bone—sensations arising from subtle resonance.
I was drawn in.
Irresistibly.
The countless lines etched before my eyes seized my vision and embedded themselves in my mind, and as those embedded lines consumed my consciousness, I found myself crossing my legs and sitting, gently closing my eyes.
Nothing was visible, yet it was undoubtedly there in my mind.
With my eyes closed, the chaotic lines resurfaced alongside light, and simultaneously they began to impose order, drawing something forth.
Soon, one strand after another began to fade.
As if shedding everything away.
The lines that had been drawn dissolved, and I sank once more into the abyss.

The state of no-self.

At the same time, my inner energy stirred and surged from my dantian.
It coursed through the meridians, spreading across all eight extraordinary vessels, then rose with momentum to pierce through the blocked acupoints one by one.
Thump, thump, thump—!
My body convulsed violently each time something broke through.
But in the moment I sank so deeply I could barely feel it, the energy that had spread outward gathered once more into my dantian, forming a dense mass before—
My heart trembled as the energy revealed itself, and a refreshing force emanating from that point enveloped my entire body, gently wrapping around the inner energy of my dantian.
My body felt utterly at ease, and my mind grew crystal clear.
Then the energy spread outward again, circulating through the eight extraordinary vessels and cleansing the remaining pathways before beginning its ascent toward the Baihui point.
Then.
Boom—!
My body convulsed violently as my head tilted toward the sky.
As if I were drawing in the very essence of heaven itself.
And with it.
Crack, crack, crackle—!
The sensation of bones shattering and realigning.
Like shedding a husk, the feeling of flesh peeling away.
Simultaneously, a subtle energy began to circulate throughout my body.

* * *

Two days had passed since then.
Jin Cheon-u showed no sign of emerging, while Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo were forced to pass the time by reluctantly filling their empty bellies.
There was nothing they could do.
The place where Jin Cheon-u was could not be reached due to a peculiar formation, and everywhere else was sealed off with no way out.
As a result, even eating and drinking became difficult, and their bodies grew weary rapidly.
If there was no way forward, it meant they would have to climb back up this towering cliff again to return, and the mere thought of it made their vision darken.
Moreover, what exactly was this place?
They had never known of such a gorge at the summit of Mount Taeак, and it was a mystery how Jin Cheon-u had discovered and found his way here.
But what troubled their minds even more was none other than—
The existence of the enemy.
Simply by wearing that peculiar white mask, it raised the question of whether they were connected to Pyo Hyeong-geom.
It seemed possible that Jin Cheon-u had deliberately investigated Pyo Hyeong-geom’s background for Moryeong Hyeok’s sake, and had thus become adversaries with them.
“Could it not be so?”
“What do you mean?”
“No, those white-masked ones. No matter how much I think about it… I wonder if they’re connected to Pyo Hyeong-geom’s faction. What do you think, Garyeo?”
“I… had the same thought.”
If one were to name the most famous masked figure currently in the Central Plains, it would undoubtedly be Pyo Hyeong-geom, who had twisted Moryeong Hyeok’s limbs.
Though the mask they had seen before felt different, the fact that they wore one was reason enough for suspicion.
“Did the Young Master come forward for Hyeok’s sake?”
“Their relationship isn’t bad at all. That doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s… right?”
Paeng Dohan nodded in agreement with Eon Garyeo’s words.
At first, it was something one could overlook, but with the matter of the Sword Emperor, there was no turning back now.
Paeng Dohan shook his head with a bitter smile.
How had things come to this?
Whether it was Moryeong Hyeok or Jin Cheon-u, Paeng Dohan felt affection toward both of them, and the current situation was far from pleasant.
In the end, he released a long sigh and shook away his useless thoughts.
Now was the time to focus on the situation at hand.
He turned his gaze toward where Jin Cheon-u had disappeared—a place where even if one wished to enter, the relentless wind prevented it.
As he sighed and turned his attention elsewhere.
Skreeeee—!
A bizarre sound from somewhere seized their ears.
Paeng Dohan, startled, quickly raised his saber and turned his head to look in one direction.
Ominous light flickered in both men’s eyes.
Soon it became visible.
Thud, thud, thud—!
About ten figures were plummeting down the cliff. Some, unable to properly grip the cliff face, tumbled head over heels and became mangled corpses, while others managed to descend the cliff and landed on solid ground.
The count was four.
Six out of ten were dead.
He was horrified by their tenacity—pursuing even at the cost of death itself.
Watching this, Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo swallowed hard.
Shing—!
Paeng Dohan drew his blade and remained vigilant against them.
Though merely four, each one was a formidable warrior.
There was no path of escape in this place, so a single moment of carelessness meant death.
The four men silently surveyed their surroundings, discovered Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo, and nodded as if understanding something.
Then they retrieved something from their robes and ignited it.
Boom—!
The signal flare shot high into the sky but never reached its peak, yet its sound rang out loudly and clearly.
Anyone who heard it would surely descend toward this location without question.
Paeng Dohan’s lips trembled as he forced an awkward smile.
“Garyeo, I think we’re in real trouble here.”
“Yes… I can see that.”
Clang—!
He gripped his blade with force and stared at the four men. Baek Myeon-in, displaying utter composure, approached with vacant eyes fixed on the two of them.
Without a word, he closed the distance and thrust the sword in his hand lightly toward Eon Garyeo.
“…!?”
The moment she tried to evade.
The incoming blade suddenly accelerated.
Thump—!
“Fall back!”
“Older Brother?!”
My sword pierced through Paeng Dohan’s shoulder as he shielded Eon Garyeo.
Had he not protected her, it would have been her neck that was run through, not his shoulder.
Witnessing this, Eon Garyeo’s eyes blazed with fury, and in the next instant, she sprang upward with lithe grace, her leg lashing out with precision.
Whoosh—!
Her extended kick struck the man’s chest squarely, yet he raised his hand to block it without flinching, and his sword moved again without even a single step of retreat.
Clang—!
Simultaneously, as though oblivious to pain, Paeng Dohan swung his saber.
I barely deflected the blade and pulled Eon Garyeo back a couple of steps, yet this was hardly enough to escape Baek Myeon-in’s gaze.
Their eyes spoke with unmistakable clarity.
‘Die.’
To survive, we would have to struggle with everything we had.
Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo steadied their breathing and gathered their momentum.
“Your target is Jin Gongja anyway, isn’t it? Even if we fall, we’ll hold this line!”
“I have a debt of life to repay. This life was already forfeit once—it matters little whether I lose it here or elsewhere.”
Eon Garyeo’s eyes blazed with fierce determination as she clenched her fists.
Without Jin Cheon-u, I would already be dead.
To give my life here was not without meaning.
Though I could not discern their exact purpose, it was certain to be the same as Jin Cheon-u’s, and the moment I let them pass, they would surely target him.
“Hiyah—!”
Whoosh—!”
It was Paeng Dohan who struck first.
The saber came hurtling forward at a speed so tremendous it seemed impossible for the Paeng Family’s blade technique, carrying enough force to cleave the man before us in two.
Was it because of this?
The man’s eyes narrowed, and in the moment he retreated half a step.
Boom—!
The saber crashed into the earth, sending debris erupting skyward.
Through the momentary veil of dust, Eon Garyeo moved.
With nimble footwork, she drove forward, closing the distance in a single breath.
Her extended leg came flying with weighty force.
A strike born of conviction.
Whoosh—!
As her kick struck the man’s chest squarely and pushed him back, Paeng Dohan’s saber swung again, as though he had been waiting for this very moment, seeking the opening.
Boom—!
The ferocity of that strike was enough to inspire genuine alarm.
Yet there was not just one Baek Myeon-in in this place.
Slash—!
“Ugh?!”
Suddenly, a short blade thrust through the opening.
The dagger swung relentlessly, slashing across Paeng Dohan’s chest. He staggered backward with a groan, attempting to create distance, but the whirling blade moved far faster than his retreat.
Screech—!
“Gahhhhh—!”
“Older Brother?!”
Paeng Dohan, his chest and face slashed open, collapsed with a terrible cry. Eon Garyeo, alarmed, rushed forward instinctively, but turning her gaze away in this moment would be fatal.
Splurt—!
“Ugh?!”
The blade thrust in without mercy, piercing deep.
The strike to her abdomen narrowly avoided her vital points, but as the sword twisted as if to tear through her insides, her pupils dilated in shock.
In that instant.
“Ahhhhhhh—!”
Paeng Dohan surged to his feet, his saber infused with powerful qi as he swung it down. With unwavering resolve to protect Eon Garyeo at all costs, he unleashed a strike laden with saber wind.
Boom—!
The technique, imbued with extreme internal force, wrapped around the man and erupted with power. Even the Baek Myeon-in, formidable as they were, recognized the threat and began to retreat.
However, Paeng Dohan’s movements suddenly shifted.
As if he had anticipated this very moment.
Simultaneously, Eon Garyeo, suppressing her pain, launched herself forward, and the moment her leg swept toward the man’s face—
Boom—
Screech—!
Paeng Dohan’s saber descended, severing the man’s body.
“Kugh…!”
His eyes, wide with disbelief, lost their light as he collapsed helplessly. The other three stared in shock, unable to comprehend what they had witnessed.
But to hesitate in this moment was a grave mistake.
Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo pushed off the ground.
The saber, still laden with powerful saber wind, swung upward in a flash, and sand and gravel from the earth erupted instantly, scattering toward the men.
Dirt and dust filled their eyes, obscuring their vision.
Eon Garyeo seized the moment without hesitation, launching forward and driving her fist toward their vital points.
Boom—!
Paeng Dohan’s saber followed without restraint.
Imbued with extreme internal force, it descended with crushing weight.
Screech—!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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