Emperor Namgung Mu of the Thousand Years - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#109

-Thud!

At the same time, my fist disappeared.

-Crack!

Cheolwoong’s head snapped backward.

“Guh…?!”

And my fists continued to shoot out in succession.

-Crack! Crunch! Crack!

In an instant, three short, sharp punches crushed Cheolwoong’s face.

“You bastard…!”

Cheolwoong’s eyes changed.

He stepped left and right with his footwork.

“Now you’re getting serious.”

My body also became blurred.

I met fire with fire.

Since our last fight, I had strictly imposed limits on myself.

I didn’t use Pasabeolsik.

I didn’t use my internal energy.

I only utilized my trained body.

My body was, for the first time since I was born, perfectly reflecting whatever I envisioned into reality.

If before I had to think and proceed while considering my slowly reacting body, now I had to think faster during combat to keep up with my body that moved even faster than my thoughts.

I synchronized my body and mind to the extreme.

Life-and-death battles were essential for this process.

Using Pasabeolsik and internal energy would allow me to overwhelmingly crush my opponent.

But what meaning would that have?

From Sword Master Hwirong and Sword Master Yeomjak down to Ha Song, this world still overflowed with overwhelmingly powerful masters.

Their overwhelming strength was so high that sometimes I felt unpleasant thoughts – wondering if I was just wasting my effort, if I was just an ant, what was I even doing?

But changing my perspective, that unpleasant feeling was also pleasant at the same time.

The fact that I felt unpleasant meant I could at least see their feet.

Before, I naturally couldn’t even think of catching up and couldn’t see a path, so I would have felt only despair, not unpleasantness.

But feeling unpleasant now meant that while it was endlessly high, it was just high – ultimately, it felt like looking at the height of stairs I could climb.

Based on the infinite growth of internal energy through Bukmyeong Singong, the simultaneous growth of danjeon’s internal energy and the assassin’s blood techniques.

Explosive combat through the synchronization of these two.

My method that no one in the Martial Arts World had attempted or thought of,

My incomplete thoughts that were mere hypotheses born from desperate measures were taking shape and actually working in this reality.

I felt this when I saw Ha Song’s terror-stricken eyes when he faced me after I activated the final chapter of Pasabeolsik, though it failed.

I was right.

I had the correct answer.

Apart from martial arts growth, this filled me with ecstasy.

It was a sense of achievement.

When I discovered that even what I was uncertain about was the correct answer,

When I felt that if I just continued on this difficult path, I would eventually reach my intended destination, that ecstasy was beyond imagination.

“You… bastard, what kind of hand movements are those!”

My opponent also wasn’t someone who learned proper mental cultivation methods.

He was someone who had only ground down and trained his body.

To survive in this arena of life and death, he created his own formula,

Without a single master, he must have created and developed his own answers.

I can see it.

I can see that wildness.

Under that eerie sharpness, all those who came out showing off their superior martial arts from safe zones would have had their throats cut.

Because I had lived that way.

But at the same time, he would know too.

That there are ultimately limits to this.

-Crash!

I think while watching Cheolwoong get knocked back.

That’s why I tried to show him the path.

In that state, no words would work anyway.

But when fists clash like this,

When blades clash.

‘You’ll realize what kind of existence I am…!’

-Clang clang clang!

I mirrored Cheolwoong’s movements exactly.

I deflected only the sides of Cheolwoong’s blade work.

When Cheolwoong took two steps back, I matched him with two steps forward, and when he thrust forward two steps, I took two steps back.

It was as if my body was attached to Cheolwoong’s body, moving together.

The distance between us gradually closed as our offense and defense intensified.

“What… what is this.”

“This kind of thing…”

The murmuring of the spectators gradually died down.

Even without blood flying,

Even without someone trampling another’s pride and life, beating them to a pulp or cutting off limbs, everyone could tell.

“It’s overwhelming.”

Someone muttered.

“In that dog fight, that life-and-death battle… was it even possible to show such an overwhelming display? Without even killing?”

And Cheolwoong was feeling all of this most clearly.

“This is impossible…”

Cheolwoong looked at me.

“You are… you are.”

He had noticed it too.

The wildness underlying my movements.

It was truly raw, having climbed up from the very bottom.

Normally I would use techniques to hide my foundation, but right now I was thoroughly using only my combat skills from my previous life.

So he would understand.

That I was serious.

“This should be enough for you to know I’m not playing around. And you’ll also know that what I’m about to say isn’t a lie.”

“You are…”

Thirty-three times.

Witnessing his dagger, swung horizontally with all his might, being deflected by a bare fist – and just the side of it at that – Cheolwoong muttered in bewilderment.

“Just what kind of monster appeared from where?”

Eyes that completely acknowledged me as his superior.

Seeing those broken eyes, I knew the time was ripe enough.

Here, I decided to drive in the final nail to completely seal the deal.

“I told you. I’m the master.”

“What?”

-Clang, clang clang!

In an instant, I retreated five steps.

I spoke to Cheolwoong, who was cornered and had his back against the outer wall of the arena.

“This is the final test. Try to endure it. Prove that you’re the vessel I’m looking for.”

The air around me completely changed.

I spread my legs apart.

I placed one hand on my waist.

I lightly clenched one fist.

“It’s still clumsy, but if you’re truly the material to become my blade, I believe you’ll definitely dodge.”

Cheolwoong frowned.

He looked at the wall behind him that blocked his escape route.

Then he looked again at the distance between us, more than ten steps apart, and shouted.

“What are you trying to do with bare fists at this distance-“

-Whoosh.

My fist cut through the air.

And Cheolwoong’s eyes filled with shock.

“What the hell…!”

He dropped even one of his daggers and collapsed.

-Crash!!

The stone wall was completely crushed as the fist wind slammed into it.

“You dodged well. Next.”

I kept one hand on my waist and threw four consecutive strikes as if shaking off my hand.

-Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

“This crazy bastard!”

Cheolwoong leaped to the side with all his might in terror.

-Crash crash crash!!

-Rumble!

Right behind him, the boundary wall exploded like fireworks going off.

The stance I was using now was exactly the stance of Sword Master Hwirong that I had seen at Samyeong Mountain.

The very punches that sent the Hyeongsan Sect Leader flying with a single finger and killed fifty martial artists by bursting them.

I had seen it and was executing it as I understood it.

In the past, even if I could read it with my eyes, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.

But as my body began to catch up with my thoughts, this was becoming possible.

“This… this…! I have my pride too…!”

Cheolwoong’s eyes were bloodshot after dodging the fourth attack.

He changed direction like lightning.

He charged toward me.

“Do you think I’ll just keep taking it!”

The speed he showed in that moment was different from before.

That meant one thing.

He had deliberately suppressed his maximum speed until he was driven to the extreme.

People tend to unconsciously adjust and match their opponent’s speed and strength while fighting.

An ordinary person vulnerable to life-or-death situations would have their throat pierced by the rising blade right here.

This was truly an innate combat sense and instinct that couldn’t be learned.

The most outstanding advantage I possessed, according to my master.

And this was exactly what I had been looking for…!

“You pass.”

I snatched the dagger and bent it with my fingers.

Cheolwoong looked up at me.

“That’s impossible-“

“It’s possible.”

For the first time, my hand moved like lightning.

My fist struck Cheolwoong’s chin upward, and I slapped both his ears with my palms.

I kicked his left ankle. I drove my knee into his falling face. Five straight punches drilled into Cheolwoong’s briefly floating face.

-Thud thud thud thud!!

“Gaaah!!”

Cheolwoong’s body floated up with a spray of blood.

Before his body could sink down, I grabbed him by the collar.

I slammed him down to the ground and stepped on his foot before he could collapse.

My fist swung like lightning.

-Thwack thwack thwack!

Blood splattered on the white sand.

Cheolwoong’s upper body shook as if having a seizure.

“Phew.”

Breathing out hot air, I lifted my foot.

Only then, as if finally given permission to fall, Cheolwoong collapsed backward like a giant tree falling.

-…

Everyone was silent.

Everyone stared at me.

“This reminds me of the Soga Clan Heir Selection Competition.”

I looked at Cheolwoong’s dagger stuck in front of me.

I flicked it up with my toe and kicked it.

It flew far and struck hard next to the Yellow Dragon Team members who were watching from beyond the arena’s outer cage.

-Tremble…

The forty wild horses recoiled in terror and fell backward.

“Regarding this result.”

Looking at them, I spread both hands.

“Anyone have objections?”

Then I realized something.

“Ah, there’s also that this time.”

And I pointed to Guk, who had been cheering ecstatically from the spectator seats, and said.

“Guk, go collect all the other betting money.”

***

Arena backroom.

There was a large room.

Sunbi had mentioned this was the largest room in the arena, also used as a waiting room for team battles.

Having just finished the fight, I sat on the table and brushed off the white sand from my body.

“Where’s Sunbi? I haven’t seen her since earlier.”

“She fainted, so I just tossed her aside somewhere.”

Guk answered and stood beside me.

“By the way, even after cleaning out all their money, it wasn’t enough for the betting winnings, so I just asked them to show me the arena safe. The manager insisted he didn’t have the key, so I just crushed and twisted the lock with my hands and cleaned it out.”

“Well done, Guk.”

“There were five silver coins left in the safe, but it felt wrong to leave them in the broken safe, so I threw them on top of the unconscious Sunbi.”

“That’s so like you, Guk.”

Guk looked at me with stars practically pouring from his eyes.

“My lord, what was that fist technique from earlier? You were so amazing that I could hardly believe you’re really my lord. Would it be alright if I asked you about that form later?”

“Of course. You’re fine.”

“You’re… fine…? Ah.”

Guk made an expression like he was about to faint.

“I really almost beat the faces of those bastards to a pulp when they called you ugly earlier. I told you before that I recognize my lord’s true worth, didn’t I? When you won, I really wanted to stand up and shout that this is the true Sakongjja of the great Namgung Family.”

“Someone might hear you, be careful.”

“I’m just saying.”

Looking at Guk snorting with excitement, I thought to myself.

He seemed so clever when I first met him…

Why is he gradually becoming a fool?

Right, it must be my fault as his master.

-Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

The moment he heard another person’s presence, Guk turned cold as frost and his smile disappeared.

Looking at my guard, I sighed and spoke toward the outside.

“Come in.”

With my permission, Cheolwoong entered cautiously, his face a mess.

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