Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 55

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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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“But isn’t it quieter than expected?”
Jang Sam-tae glanced about nervously, surveying his surroundings. One might have expected chaos and commotion, yet strangely both the Demonic Sect members and the Righteous Sect disciples stood in eerie silence.
There ought to have been drawn blades.
Their jaws clenched tight, they glared at one another with barely suppressed rage, yet no one had unsheathed their swords; nor did anyone carelessly display Lightness Skill.
This was deeply strange.
“Because it’s the sacred ground of the Martial God. Moreover, with the remains of the Three Heavens resting here, no one would dare disturb the peace without cause.”
Namgung So-hye murmured, her gaze flickering across the surroundings.
At first, she too had wondered if a bloodbath was about to unfold.
Yet the Murim Alliance’s lord, Namgung Cheon, and the Demonic Sect’s Sa Do-hak had apparently already concluded their discussion—no one had drawn a blade.
This was strange indeed, for surely mortal enemies were mingled among those present.
“The sacred ground of the Martial God… is it truly so remarkable?”
Namgung So-hye turned to Dan Woo-hyun with a look of considerable surprise.
Any martial artist worth their salt had heard the tales that were common knowledge in the martial world.
Jang Sam-bong, Dharma Master, and the Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Sect all had many stories told of them; but if one were to name the most famous, it would be the tales of the Three Heavens.
They had exerted such great influence over the current martial world, after all.
Yet among them, only one had become legend.
A figure whose very existence remained disputed—had they truly lived, or were they merely myth?
The one they called the Martial God.
“It’s only passed down as legend, and hardly anyone truly believes it. They say he cut down tens of thousands, that none could match him, that he even mocked the heavens themselves and provoked the wrath of the Eight Immortals, and after more than a hundred days of battle, he finally died without a victor.”
“Tales have a way of being exaggerated.”
Dan Woo-hyun let out a quiet laugh.
Tens of thousands cut down?
True, he had slain many—but he had never bothered counting them one by one. One could not measure numbers by the crimson stain of blood alone on a blade.
The interesting part was the tale about the Eight Immortals.
‘Not something to be ashamed of, at least.’
Dan Woo-hyun nodded steadily to himself, a faint hum of amusement escaping his lips.
The truth was, the moment he sensed their presence, he had become as ice—memory abandoning him entirely.
Their forms had only flickered briefly in his dimming vision before all faded to nothing.
For a figure of legend to have been sealed away in so embarrassing a manner would indeed invite mockery.
“Ah! Though there is another version. Some say the Eight Immortals appeared, and he fled in such panic that he was caught and killed instead.”
“Ha ha ha!”
Dan Woo-hyun burst into genuine laughter—the first in a long while.
The tale was false, certainly, but it had a certain appeal. Whoever had crafted it, had they stood before him now, he might well have torn their mouth apart.
“That… do you find tales of the Martial God so amusing?”
“It stirs my interest. But tell me—what brings you here?”
“Just… keeping watch for anything unusual, really.”
Namgung So-hye lifted her shoulders in a shrug.
The Phoenix Unit’s role was merely to maintain vigilance over the surroundings. Their blockade of the sea route into Gunja Island served that same purpose.
Namgung So-hye remained within Gunja Island, but that did not change her assigned duties.
Her task was simply to stand endlessly before the silent, still waters—a duty of profound tedium.
Already bored out of her mind, the arrival of Dan Woo-hyun had been a welcome diversion—which explained why she clung to his side without letting go.
“None of the Evil Sect disciples have shown themselves, then?”
Namgung So-hye nodded in confirmation.
Of the three remains being gathered, only one could not be accounted for—Nam Joo-ryun’s.
Yet she bore a name that ill-suited one of the Three Heavens, having pledged herself to no faction.
As though maintaining perfect neutrality.
Thus the Evil Sect’s disciples dared not claim her remains.
To set foot in this place would mean certain death by the combined assault of both the Righteous and the Demonic.
Many had already resolved to accept that fate.
“How amusing. That people should be swayed by mere remains, scarcely a thousand years old.”
“These are not remains to be called ‘mere,’ though. They are a symbol.”
Dan Woo-hyun chuckled and turned his gaze elsewhere. Among the many gathered, certain figures stood out distinctly.
Particularly those in Daoist Robes.
There they were—clad in azure robes, crowned with Daoist Crowns.
Each wore a single blade at the waist, and upon it was clearly inscribed the name Wudang. Their eyes burned with fiercer intent than all the others.
“Who are they?”
“They’re from Wudang. You claim to be a martial artist and yet don’t recognize them on sight?”
“I see. You’re after Taigong Jin’s remains?”
“That’s right. They say that Taigong Jin of the Three Heavens was so great that even Jang Sam-bong, the Four Patriarchs themselves, bowed their heads in reverence.”
Dan Woo-hyun let out a small laugh. Was he really that remarkable? The Taigong Jin in his memory was nothing more than a fool weighed down by the Three Heavens.
That was when it happened.
“Found it!”
A great shout echoed from somewhere across the island.
Everyone scattered across Gunja Island turned their gaze toward the sound in unison.
At this moment, “found it” meant one thing: they had discovered an entrance into Bi Dong.
“I… I should head over there too!”
Namgung So-hye rushed forward urgently.
Whoever found it first would have the chance to enter first. Given such an agreement, it was imperative to confirm whether the discoverer belonged to the Demonic Sect or the Righteous Sect.
Dan Woo-hyun stroked his chin, humming thoughtfully.
“What do you think we should do?”
“Hard to say…”
The sound had come from the northwest.
Was there an entrance in such a place?
But given that she was so elusive and had even fled from Dan Woo-hyun in the final moments, it was perhaps only natural that there were passages and openings he knew nothing of scattered throughout the island.
Having finished his deliberation, Dan Woo-hyun nodded.
“You all stay here and keep watch over the situation.”
“What are you going to do, Lord Jang?”
“I’m going to take a short nap.”
“Pardon?”
What nonsense was this?
Cold sweat beaded on the faces of Jang Sam-tae, Gwon Mu-jin, and Hong Won-chang.

Dan Woo-hyun began to move slowly, gazing at the landscape as he walked northward. A thousand years had passed, and the past scenery was no longer visible.
Only the shape of the island retained a faint resemblance to what it once was.
There was something in that spot, and something else over there.
As he walked, recalling such memories, he was struck once more by just how much time had elapsed.
The very word “thousand years” weighed upon him, and he pressed on toward the northern end of the island.
Then, at last, he came to a halt.
He stood at a cliff face on the northern edge of the island.
Below stretched a precipice that dropped dozens of zhang, and the steep ravine between the jagged cliff walls seemed impossible to scale or descend, even for one skilled in Lightness Skill.
A single misstep would mean a fatal fall.
Dan Woo-hyun threw himself over the edge, plummeting downward. Yet in moments, before falling far, he reached out and grasped a stone ledge.
He shifted deftly and took one more step; though the cliff face appeared completely solid and featureless, his body was inexplicably drawn inward as if pulled by an invisible force.
A massive entrance then revealed itself.
The space was wide enough to accommodate hundreds of people with room to spare. The marks along the walls bore a strange, grotesque pattern like the scales of a great serpent.
Dan Woo-hyun ran his hand along the wall and murmured to himself.
“This Formation Method is remarkably enduring. A thousand years have passed, yet it shows no signs of fading.”
He laughed quietly.
It meant that for a thousand years, no one had set foot in this place.
Those who were called the Three Heavens had probably failed to find this entrance and instead created other passages by which to enter.
Perhaps that was precisely why this entrance had just been discovered.
“Was it deeper than this?”
His memory was hazy, so he tilted his head thoughtfully as he walked on.
In that space where only his own footsteps echoed, a darkness so complete that no light penetrated, Dan Woo-hyun walked as if seeing everything before him.
This cave had been created by the great serpent.
And it was here that he had grappled with it for an extended time. Thus, no matter how many years had passed, he could never forget these paths.
One step, then another.
He continued forward toward some unseen destination.
Finding one’s bearings in such darkness should have been immensely difficult, yet his stride remained steady and assured.
Tilting his ear slightly, he could hear voices echoing from far ahead—likely those who were exerting considerable effort to enter through the way that had been discovered.
But the path twisted and stretched longer than expected, and it seemed unlikely they would arrive quickly. In the meantime, Dan Woo-hyun stopped abruptly and gazed at the wall before him.
Though the space contained nothing but that wall, when he extended his hand, it was drawn inward.
The same Formation Method was used to conceal the entrance here, and indeed, there were many such hidden passages throughout this cavern.
The moment Dan Woo-hyun stepped through, his eyes adjusted and the interior of the cave came into sharp focus.
The first thing visible was an enormous chamber. Space so vast—several times larger than anything he had seen before—that it seemed almost impossible for human hands to have carved it out.
The second thing visible was the cave wall itself.
Sword marks spread across all four walls bore the unmistakable signs of great age.
But it was executed rather crudely, and seeing it, Dan Woo-hyun let out a soft chuckle and turned his gaze away. At the edge of his vision lay three sets of remains, sitting in perfect stillness.
“They’ve recarved the markings on the wall. So no one would recognize them…”
Perhaps. Perhaps not.
It was possible these three had overlaid the marks to test the limits of Dan Woo-hyun’s skill—and their own.
Either way, the result was that anyone who saw it would take it for nothing more than crude scratches on stone.
Dan Woo-hyun turned his attention back to the characters carved into the wall and began to read.

Honoring the Martial God, we have gazed upon the place where his journey began.
Honoring the Martial God, we sing the praises of his achievements.
Honoring the Martial God, we give voice to his anguish.
Honoring the Martial God, we weep for all that could not be protected.
Honoring the Martial God, we lay his memorial tablet to rest.
Honoring the Martial God, the Three Heavens find their slumber here.
Taigong Jin.
Nam Joo-ryun.
Cheon Mu-gwang.

As he read, a faint smile tugged at his lips once more.
Here he stood, alive and breathing with such certainty, while they had laid down to sleep unaware of even this—their hearts still heavy with unresolved resentment.
Dan Woo-hyun drew close to the three sets of remains, nothing now but bone, and knelt before them, exhaling a quiet, shallow breath.
Then, in a low and measured voice, he spoke.
“It has been far too long.”
Though he knew well they could no longer hear, he spoke as though they were listening to every word, and continued.
“A thousand years have passed, and by right I should have fallen beside you—yet I remain in this world while you have crossed over into the next.”
He regretted having no wine to offer them. One by one, he called forth their faces in his mind’s eye, drawing up the shadows of ages past.
The Three Heavens—they were men who had yearned for Dan Woo-hyun’s strength since childhood. Wanting to overtake him, they sought him out, and each time their eyes met, they drew their blades and clashed.
The very reason their power grew by the day and their influence rippled across the Central Plains was because there existed in Dan Woo-hyun an unreachable pinnacle they could never touch.
Among them, Nam Joo-ryun held a place apart.
She was neither particularly beautiful nor remarkably gifted. Unlike Taigong Jin or Cheon Mu-gwang, she possessed not a shred of natural talent.
Yet she was one who carved out everything through sweat and relentless effort. Having nothing, she grasped for everything. A child who yearned to claim something with her own hands.
Much like Dan Woo-hyun himself.

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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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