I Became the Namgung Clan’s Omnipotent Item-Powered Martial God - Chapter 61

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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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Chapter 61
61 – Brothers
#1
Family is, truly, a mysterious bond.
Under the name of Heavenly Bonds, a mark that cannot possibly be severed.
Something unnecessary in life, yet something that refuses to bend to one’s will.
Family is that which you wish to shake off yet are dragged along by, which you desire to control yet cannot.
Namgung Hyeon-geum was no exception.
He had abandoned the Namgung name, yet he retained memories of those training days.
Paradoxically, the Poison Sect Martial Art he wielded bore a striking resemblance to the Namgung Clan’s foundational techniques.
“A shabby trick. But know this—you have no chance of defeating me.”
…….
A blade that appeared weathered yet carried ferocious power came slashing down.
Namgung Yeon lifted his sword slowly, precisely, to block its path.
Crash—!
A violent explosion.
The shockwave born from clashing True Qi shook the Training Ground itself.
After their first exchange, Namgung Hyeon-geum could only stare in disbelief.
‘So young, yet……’
The years he had accumulated were not to be taken lightly.
To become a master, time was an inevitable and necessary force.
He understood that his Internal Power, cultivated through long years of living, was something no young martial artist could withstand.
It was both lamentable and awe-inspiring.
Perhaps such a child emerged precisely because he was of the Namgung line.
Had he not been betrayed.
What if he had not grown disillusioned with a clan that abandoned its faith?
“Many emotions crossing your mind, I see.”
The words that reached his hesitating form were neither warm nor cold.
Perhaps it was precisely because of that toneless quality that his heart wavered.
That was the moment.
[What are you doing. Kill him now.]
A harsh groan escaped.
A voice from the darkness.
A voice invading his very reason began to gnaw away at his sanity.
Like a great serpent coiled and ready, slowly raising its head before prey, came the command.
There was no time to think.
His body was already moving to slay the figure before him.
A crimson Sword Aura surged forth from Namgung Hyeon-geum’s blade.
‘Sword Aura. So it begins at last.’
The Power Level difference was overwhelming.
By Power Level here was meant the Internal Power and True Qi a martial artist possessed.
For any warrior, strength was a measure of how profound their Internal Power was.
Namgung Yeon’s unripe body was nothing compared to Namgung Hyeon-geum’s—perfected, hardened, tempered through countless temptations of the world.
Images of defeat flashed past.
When he was younger.
When he was older.
‘From which death onward did I begin to overcome you.’
At some point, he had become less concerned with victory or defeat in duels than with the survival of those around him.
Defeating a person was not a difficult thing.
Especially not when they were trapped in a cage as vicious as Namgung Yeon’s.
“……I shall end you.”
“It seems it has already begun.”
Growl—!
Until moments ago, traces of the Namgung Family Estate’s ancient nature lingered in Namgung Hyeon-geum.
But not now.
An old phantom scattering a crimson Demonic Aura, snarling.
Only the sower of seeds stood there, revealing his Killing Intent.
Idle talk was over.
Now, only grim perseverance remained.
A long breath.
He settled his churning internal power and opened his eyes, fixing his gaze forward.
He could see it now.
His killing intent.
His will.
And even the future unfolding mere seconds ahead.
“Come.”
Boom—!
Namgung Yeon planted his feet firmly to anchor his lower body, and spoke through gritted teeth while gripping his sword with both hands.
Now I too shall meet him as a returnee.
[Heavenly Spear Vast Heaven Divine Art]
The true martial prowess of the Namgung Clan revealed itself.
#2
The demon’s assault was ferocious.
Beyond that, it carried an effect that continuously gnawed away at the opponent’s internal power.
So much so that later manuals would warn never to let such a prolonged engagement drag on.
Namgung Hyeon-geum’s attacks were no different.
Endless rotation.
Ceaseless strikes.
A barrage of linked attacks that sought to crumble everything from the wrists down to the foundation of his lower center came howling forth without pause.
“Die—!”
…….
Namgung Yeon was calmly receiving every last one of those attacks.
With maximum efficiency and minimum force.
He deflected the power meant to split him at a slant.
The force pressed down from above—he evaded it lightly.
Maintaining optimal distance always, he read his opponent’s movements with the precision of one who could predict the future itself.
He was not seeking victory now.
Merely holding ground.
Whether the animosity would be shaken loose, extracted, or detonated.
He was simply buying time to witness the source of all this chaos settle things directly with his counterpart.
One attacked.
The other evaded.
A tedious back-and-forth, yet time flowed on steadily.
“Raaaagh—!”
“With that form, you expect to land a blow? Do exert yourself a little further.”
“I shall end you!”
Even now, the eloquence remained.
Namgung Yeon felt laughter rising to his lips and stifled it, continuing to unfold his martial techniques.
This was practice through combat.
Practice through combat waged with lives at stake.
‘Again, I must carve the martial arts of the Namgung Clan anew into this body.’
There was no training as meaningful as bitter, cruel real combat.
Though he had waged countless battles before, even one as experienced as Namgung Yeon had to pour his whole heart into this moment.
His experience remained intact, yet his body was still unrefined at this stage.
How well he could unify mind and flesh at this critical juncture would determine everything that followed.
There had been moments when he trusted in experience alone and grew overconfident in his knowledge.
When those moments inevitably ended in failure, someone had spoken to him thus.
<You have seen and heard much from many places. Yet if you cannot execute it flawlessly, what use is any of it?>
<That is precisely what they mean by calling someone a hollow scholar!>
A humiliation he could never forget.
From that point forward, Namgung Yeon neglected no opportunity to temper his flesh.
Especially when deploying what was called the divine arts—the upper-tier martial techniques—he refined them with meticulous, ruthless care.
Exactly as he did now.
“How is this possible—not a single blow landing…….”
“I wonder about it too. Each time I serve the Master, it remains nothing but a mystery.”
…….
By now, Man Ho and Gyogwan had tidied their surroundings.
Clearing the area with such skill had proved no difficulty.
The real problem had always been the numbers, not the strength of the demons themselves.
Power too overwhelming could not be concealed, and so they would never have breached the inner sanctum of the Namgung Clan Estate in the first place.
Gripping the sword that dripped with blood, the two men stared blankly at what appeared to be a ferocious battle.
In truth, it was only the Demon thrashing about while Namgung Yeon dodged repeatedly.
The problem was that despite the obvious gap in Power Level, he wasn’t being pushed back.
‘Speed, strength, and the difference in Internal Power—clearly the Demon holds the advantage in every measure. And yet…….’
How could the young master be overcoming such an overwhelming difference in ability?
Gyogwan rubbed his eyes and looked again, but the answer eluded him.
He had witnessed countless martial artists throughout his life, but never one who had reached this incomprehensible realm.
If this were the martial grounds of the capital, perhaps…….
“A prodigy?”
“That’s what I thought as well.”
Man Ho answered the murmur with a satisfied expression.
Upon witnessing Namgung Yeon’s skill, Gyogwan was seized by peculiar emotions.
Everyone was now predicting that Namgung Cheon would become the next Family Head.
Yet shouldn’t they now consider the name Namgung Yeon as well?
The battle grew increasingly fierce.
Namgung Yeon too was gradually focusing less on engaging and more on evasion.
‘The time is drawing near.’
A game board laid out through countless experiences.
Now it was time for others to take the stage—not for him to remain the protagonist.
He had run desperately toward that moment.
Yes.
When he first learned the truth, he had been truly astonished.
Swoooooosh—!
A sound like air being torn open came from somewhere.
The instinct that something was flying toward him—something intent on piercing him as well.
Right again, as always.
“Kraaaagh—!”
Namgung Yeon leaped clear of the charging Namgung Hyeon-geum, launching himself into the air.
And in his place, a massive sword embedded itself.
Boom—!
Had he remained there, he would not have left even bones to recover.
“……Are you unharmed!”
The Grand Elder had arrived.
#3
Grand Elder Namgung Hyeon-jong.
Inwardly, he clicked his tongue as he observed Namgung Yeon.
The Training Ground had become a horrifying scene.
Countless bodies lay strewn about, and Demons were dead, their blood staining the ground.
Remarkable—he had managed to contain this entire crisis.
Gyogwan.
And one warrior from beneath the Third Elder.
And finally, the Fourth Young Master, Namgung Yeon.
These three alone had held back this catastrophe.
‘And that strike he just evaded…….’
In truth, he had deliberately thrown the sword.
After all, it could be disguised as an accident.
The Namgung Clan would manage well enough even without Namgung Yeon.
Yet no mere boy should have been able to dodge his strike.
Namgung Hyeon-jong felt the weight of their stares upon him as he retrieved the sword from the ground.
Whoosh—the heavy blade was drawn toward his hand with a gesture.
The Grand Elder, having reached the pinnacle of Void Object Attraction, cut an impressive figure.
Namgung Yeon let his Demonic Spirit Sword hang at his side and opened his mouth.
“Please, both of you, settle your hearts.”
…….
A thin line of blood trickled from the corner of Namgung Yeon’s mouth.
He had sustained considerable internal injuries—severe enough that he ought to enter recovery and regulate his True Qi urgently.
Turning his head and deliberately concealing the fact, Namgung Yeon slowly began to circulate his Internal Power.
And from the battlefield, he began to withdraw, step by step.
The Grand Elder turned his gaze from Namgung Yeon and looked upon the old man.
His face was bent with age now, yet how could he fail to remember?
Some things could be known by instinct alone.
Things that remained recognizable no matter how many years had passed.
How could one forget a brother’s face?
That old visage seemed to stand before him unchanged.
The way he used to smile at him.
The way he stood beside him against their enemies.
And.
The way he had raged and lunged forward, Killing Intent burning in his eyes.
The face had withered and the light in his eyes had shifted, yet the instinct that recognized him remained untouched.
“How is it that you…….”
“I trust you’ve been well. You’ve managed to become an Elder, it seems.”
Namgung Hyeon-geum, barely suppressing his Demonic Aura, fixed him with a clouded gaze.
Had the Namgung Clan prospered in his absence?
Were the rotted roots of the Family still standing firm?
“The years you fed upon the blood of brothers and comrades—were they happy, then?”
…….
Namgung Hyeon-jong could not bring himself to answer.

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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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