I Became the Namgung Clan’s Omnipotent Item-Powered Martial God - Chapter 4
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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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Episode 4
Episode 4 – Fulfill Your Loyalty
#1
Where in all the realm’s martial world stands supreme with the sword?
The world’s people would answer without hesitation.
That place is none other than Namgung.
The Namgung Clan was the place where none could stand against the sword, an absolute power that once reigned as sovereign over an entire region.
Absolute martial mastery built through toppling countless challengers and waging innumerable wars.
They had to be kings, transcendent beings beyond humanity.
And so, they gave it this name.
The Emperor’s Sword Form.
“Kyaaaah!”
The master of the Martial Hall, now utterly stripped of any human appearance, revealed crimson skin and eyes of pure black.
Namgung Yeon sidestepped the creature’s vicious assault and pressed forward with ruthless momentum.
Boom—!
He gathered what little Inner Energy remained and distributed it with surgical precision.
Movements practiced countless times flowed forth of their own accord.
A blade that crushed all before it.
The massive surge of Inner Energy tore through the Demonic Entity and rent it in two.
“……Huh?”
The master fell, scattering black blood.
One corrupted by Demonic Energy split cleanly down the middle.
The bodyguard standing beside him dropped his jaw.
What in the world had just happened?
“Hah…….”
At the commotion, officials from the Martial Hall began pouring out.
Namgung Yeon withdrew something from the Infinite Hidden Vessel and brought it to his lips.
Azure-Green Milk.
Not quite the rarest azure stone essence, but a spiritual elixir potent enough to serve as both tonic and restorative.
Its efficacy granted the strength to fight without fatigue for three days and nights—more than sufficient power to contend with these creatures.
Such treasures lay stacked like mountains within the vessel.
Since this was the end, Namgung Yeon had resolved to spend without restraint.
“What is the meaning of this commotion!”
“There’s no need for pretense. Your secret’s already exposed.”
“…….”
Kee-kee-kee-kee-kee-kee—.
Krr-krr-krr-krr-krr—.
Those who heard Namgung Yeon’s words began shedding their disguises one by one.
A sinister aura poured forth, their bodies warping and twisting into grotesque forms.
The transformation that came from prolonged exposure to Demonic Energy.
While Namgung Yeon remained unmoved, the bodyguard’s senses were reeling.
‘What in the heavens is happening here!’
That such creatures had burrowed into the heart of the Namgung Clan’s domain—it was unthinkable!
As the guard stood frozen in shock, Namgung Yeon tossed him a vial of Azure-Green Milk.
“How far do you think you can go alone?”
“This is—?”
“Drink.”
At Namgung Yeon’s cold command, the bodyguard straightened sharply and obeyed.
A wondrous sensation bloomed within him.
With an elixir of this caliber, he could sweep away all these creatures in a single decisive strike.
Yet a pang of regret flickered in his heart.
Had he taken time to properly circulate and absorb it through careful cultivation, he could have elevated his own mastery with such a spiritual treasure.
But now he was being asked to simply drink it down and fight?
It was such a waste.
But what choice did he have?
‘Damn it…….’
Orders were orders.
“That will be sufficient, sir.”
“Good.”
The bodyguard drew his sword.
He was a first-class warrior.
One who had infused true energy into his blade and body, claiming strength and speed beyond the human—a master of his craft.
He didn’t understand the full scope of what was happening, but he knew one thing for certain: these were enemies.
“I shall annihilate them.”
“Show no mercy.”
“As you command!”
Boom—!
Namgung Yeon led the first-class warrior forward, his sword cutting through the air.
Shriek—!
The noise pouring from the demonic entities grated on him.
‘Their cries have always been unbearable.’
He had heard that wail countless times before.
This time, to be rid of that despicable sound forever, Namgung Yeon moved.
#2
“Huff… huff….”
“Are you well?”
“Yes, sir. But what are these creatures?”
The battle had not lasted long.
A first-class warrior raised by the Namgung Clan was worthy of his reputation.
With the aid of a spirit elixir, he had shredded those consumed by demonic energy in mere moments.
With each swing of his blade the very air shattered, pulverizing his foes—truly, this was the sword of Namgung.
‘He’s been trained well.’
Namgung Yeon surveyed the Martial Hall with that thought.
There was no presence from within.
Sensing the demonic energy coiling upward, he answered the question.
“Those consumed by demonic energy. They are our enemies.”
“Demonic energy, you say….”
This was the Eastern region of the realm.
He had believed the demonic entities dwelled in the west and south, that they would never venture this far… and yet.
They wore human form, but the presence was utterly inhuman.
Should these things rampage through the villages, catastrophe would surely follow.
‘This is far different from what the records showed.’
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had been destroyed long ago.
The texts described them as tyrannical, reckless, wielders of tremendous martial power—but still, fundamentally human.
Yes, there were accounts that suggested they remained human, at least in form.
But these… these were monsters in truth.
What could possibly have spawned such abominations?
“Should we not report this to the clan head?”
“Not yet. The time is not ripe.”
“But—”
“Do you not think such things could remain hidden within the Namgung Clan, undetected during the Young Master Succession Competition?”
“…”
The bodyguard had no choice but to hold his tongue.
This was the southern edge of Hapbi.
In other words, the very threshold of the Namgung Clan’s main headquarters.
And no one had noticed their intrusion.
What then of the Young Master Succession Competition, where countless figures would gather?
The thought chilled him.
How long had this been happening?
“That is why I have come here. We must gather intelligence in silence and haste, then wait for the opportune moment.”
“…”
Namgung Yeon spoke to the bodyguard with eyes deep and dark as midnight.
“Do not be reckless. Build your strength here first. Since we’ve seized something, we must bide our time until the hour of advancement arrives, must we not?”
“Understood, sir.”
“If you perform well, there will be reward. Otherwise, you shall return bearing this secret. Or rather—the secret is too heavy to carry. Perhaps I shall simply have your head before you leave.”
This journey required no excess baggage.
Eyes cold as ice swept across the bodyguard’s frame.
That gaze alone made his entire body feel as though it were being crushed by unseen hands.
What on earth was that look in his eyes?
How could a young master who’d secluded himself all this time possess the gaze of an emperor?
The guard’s mind grew tangled.
He was a martial artist raised by one of the many elders.
He bore the duty of reporting information back to them.
‘How much should I tell? At this rate, I won’t be able to say anything…….’
In the midst of his confusion, Namgung Yeon drew something out and spoke again.
Then he hurled the object he’d retrieved from the vessel with a sharp flick.
“I’m the sort of person who always honors his debts. This is the price of your silence.”
“…….”
The guard caught the flying object with trembling hands.
A spirit elixir.
Though the aura it radiated was not overwhelming, his instinct told him the truth.
If he served Young Master Namgung Yeon from this moment on, far greater rewards would come his way.
This was a test of him.
How loyal could he be?
How well could he keep his silence about what he’d seen?
How deep would his devotion to Young Master Namgung Yeon run?
‘This is…….’
He had no choice but to follow.
Namgung Yeon already knew a truth that no one else did.
This would become an enormous weapon, and it would one day become the catalyst for Young Master Namgung Yeon’s rise.
A first-class martial artist was no fool.
Thud!
And so, he dropped to his knees.
“This servant, Park Man-ho, swears to guard the secrets of Young Master Namgung Yeon of the great Namgung Clan! Please trust me!”
“Good.”
Park Man-ho.
An outsider who’d nonetheless caught the eye of the Namgung Clan and claimed his place as a guard through merit.
His talent had been proven through everything he’d accomplished thus far.
Talented people must be cultivated.
One pair of hands cannot hold back ten.
To stand against those who would destroy the martial world, one must raise the overall strength of all martial artists.
With this in mind, Namgung Yeon spoke.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“I shall stake my life to protect you from all threats.”
There was no need for such grandiose promises, but seeing the loyalty flowing from this man’s conviction, Namgung Yeon nodded.
He did not linger on the moment and moved on to his next task.
Soon enough, Nam Ho-ho and the other items would arrive.
But there was work to be done beforehand.
The Infinite Hidden Vessel.
The Demonic Spirit Sword.
He withdrew one of the relics contained within his mind.
From now on, he planned to train using this blade.
Ting—.
A sword with a distinctive bell-like ring materialized before him.
Constellations were embroidered along its blade, and a mysterious aura swirled around its edge.
Man-ho gazed at the sight in wonder.
‘What manner of sorcery is he employing?’
How could anyone ever master such arcane magic?
The more he learned, the stranger Young Master Namgung Yeon seemed.
At the same time, he sensed that keeping this secret was the only way to preserve his own life.
‘I pray my choice was not in error.’
Man-ho’s instincts were generally sound.
So surely they would prove reliable now as well.
He resolved to trust Namgung Yeon with complete faith.
#3
The Demonic Spirit Sword.
This blade’s ability was quite simple.
It absorbed Demonic Energy.
And then release it back toward the opponent, or allow the blade itself to absorb it and grow stronger.
A sword that became more powerful the more it hunted those who wielded Demonic Energy or possessed strange forces.
That was precisely the Demonic Spirit Sword.
Yet Namgung Yeon’s body remained far too frail to draw forth its complete power.
There was also the constraint that woman had placed upon him.
‘Still, this much should be enough.’
Thunk!
The Demonic Spirit Sword chimed as it drove deep into the corpses of the Demonic Entities.
And then the blade drank in the strange forces greedily.
Realizing it could absorb no more Demonic Energy, Namgung Yeon muttered in frustration.
“So this is the limit for now. Tsk, beginnings are always this tedious, aren’t they.”
He had to absorb Demonic Energy only within the limits he could manage, making it his own.
His ultimate goal was to reach First-class or higher within three months.
From this moment forward, he would need to train diligently.
And for that, he required even the strength of those he despised.
After absorbing the Demonic Entities’ power, Namgung Yeon began his Energy Circulation.
Through countless returns, across endless hours of repetition, he had searched for the optimal Heart Method of Inner Energy cultivation.
What sort of supreme divine art must he master to prevent catastrophe?
‘But it had all been futile.’
He came to understand that which Heart Method one practiced mattered far less than he’d thought.
What truly mattered was how deeply one could delve.
And how far one could push forward and grow stronger.
Only the strong could reach the pinnacle of martial arts.
For Namgung Yeon, there was only one Heart Method he was most familiar with and could penetrate most deeply.
A martial art his ancestors had created with the will to transcend nature itself.
The Namgung Clan was the vessel of an emperor, meant to contain—and overflow—beyond nature.
Thus, they had named it accordingly.
The Azure Sky Great Evolution Divine Art.
A cultivation vast enough to fill and overflow the boundless sky itself.
That alone was the supreme divine art to prevent catastrophe, the only path forward.
It was a truth he’d grasped after dozens of failures, and through it he’d learned how profound the martial wisdom of the Namgung Clan truly was.
‘To master the Azure Sky Great Evolution Divine Art, I need preparation first.’
Before deploying the Namgung Clan’s divine art, there was something that must come before it.
Namgung Yeon carried his mother’s bloodline, and thus also the blood of a Poison Person.
He planned to apply first the martial knowledge of the Sichuan Tang Clan, his maternal family.
‘Demonic Energy is poison to orthodox martial artists. But if I use the Tang Clan’s martial arts—those that master poison—things are different.’
The Sichuan Tang Clan was orthodox, yet treated as anything but.
Because they wielded poison and hidden weapons, even among the orthodox schools they were treated as morally ambiguous outcasts.
‘But I discovered that such martial arts have excellent compatibility with demonic forces.’
He had noticed this truth during his twenty-second return.
Therefore, before deploying the Azure Sky Great Evolution Divine Art, Namgung Yeon decided to first activate the secret Heart Method of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
‘Converting Demonic Energy into pure Inner Energy.’
Why had the Sichuan Tang Clan, despite dwelling on the frontier, earned renown across the entire central realm?
Because of their stubborn vitality and their mastery of poison.
How did those who wielded toxins potent enough to dissolve even supreme masters into mere handfuls of blood manage to survive so completely?
The Myriad Flows Return to Source Divine Art.
No matter how powerful the poison, it too was a product of nature.
In the end, all things never escaped the principles of nature.
And all things born of nature would return to their origin through the martial artist’s power.
Ting-ting.
The Demonic Spirit Sword sang out eerily.
Dense Demonic Energy began to flow into Namgung Yeon’s body.
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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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