I Became the Namgung Clan’s Omnipotent Item-Powered Martial God - Chapter 63

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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 63
Chapter 63 – An Unexpected Shift
#1
“…….”
“…….”
Everyone fell silent.
Even the Grand Elder stood motionless, staring at the corpse collapsing before him.
The old man who had burned through everything transformed into a wrinkled mummy, crumbling away with a brittle sound.
Only Namgung Yeon, absorbing the Ma Ryeong Sword’s essence, felt a surge of exhilaration.
“Are you well?”
“…….”
The calm voice fell into the silence.
Namgung Yeon.
The fourth young master regarded the Grand Elder with his usual composed expression.
Namgung Hyeon-jong stared at Namgung Yeon for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“Indeed.”
“Good fortune, then.”
After that, no words were exchanged.
Only a heavy silence filled the space where the demon had been.
Namgung Yeon quietly sheathed his blade, turned his head, and left a brazen remark.
“You owe me a life.”
“Ha…….”
Namgung Hyeon-jong let out a hollow laugh, as if at a loss.
For a moment, incomprehensible anger boiled up—but he mastered himself at once.
That was true.
Objectively, the fourth young master had saved his life, nothing less.
If he had struck back here, he would have violated the law.
Or perhaps the fourth had simply severed, with his own hands, that stubborn karmic thread he had never been able to cut.
The thought brought his heart unexpected peace.
For what reason had he clung so desperately to survival all these years?
Perhaps some corner of his mind had always anticipated a moment like this.
‘Maybe that’s why I clung so fiercely to strength, to power.’
This incident had become an opportunity for Namgung Hyeon-jong to confront his own past.
And then, all at once, he closed his eyes and began to meditate.
“Huh?”
“Grand Elder?”
“Quick—the Dharma Protection Formation! Raise the formation!”
Those with sharp minds swiftly erected the Dharma Protection Formation and began to keep watch.
Namgung Yeon observed them and exhaled slowly.
His pupils began to tremble faintly, and his expression showed confusion.
‘Why…….’
It was a phenomenon that had never occurred before.
Now the Grand Elder had transcended the pinnacle of mastery and was standing at the threshold of the legendary Jowhwagyeong.
Whether he had turned enemy or stood as ally, his overwhelming skill had always been evident.
But never before had there been such a rapid surge in power.
He would fall into schemes and die.
Or be surrounded and perish.
Or fall into the traps of demons and meet his end—such was his fate.
‘No, perhaps it will happen only after I’m dead. Did the Grand Elder possess this capacity all along?’
An achievement he had never accomplished himself.
Suddenly, self-reproach reared its ugly head.
What had he been doing all this time?
Because he was not a genius, he could not even witness such a sight.
What if he had been one of those other geniuses?
Such a person might have saved the world long ago and lived out their days in glory.
Namgung Yeon put away the Ma Ryeong Sword and stood motionless, gazing at the Grand Elder.
‘I envy him. Even at that age, he still has heights left to climb.’
His dull, hollow eyes continued to behold the flickering light.
To witness such a brilliant blooming—how overwhelmingly profound it was.
And yet, at the same time, a vague unease stirred within him.
Right now, this very instant, he wanted to draw his blade and thrust it into that defenseless nape of the neck.
Why such an impulse arose was painfully clear.
The Grand Elder of the past, sword in hand, meeting him face to face—that image overlaid the present.
Obstructing at every turn.
Clashing.
The Grand Elder’s demonic visage—the one bent on his death—merged with what stood before him now.
The sight of him standing higher still, gazing down with arrogant eyes, felt utterly alien and repugnant.
“Are you well, Young Master?”
“Man-ho.”
“Yes.”
The flower that had been waiting only for the day of its death was now blooming its final bud in brilliant light.
Namgung Yeon found himself curious what expression that flower would wear for him.
So he spoke.
“Do not betray me.”
“How could I possibly do such a thing.”
……
Namgung Yeon paid Man-ho’s boast no heed, his gaze remaining fixed on the Grand Elder.
‘For now, I shall use him as a breakwater to protect the Namgung Family. But…….’
If that beautifully blooming flower were to eclipse his sun, he would snap it off without hesitation.
Very indifferently.
Mercilessly.
#2
“Mmm…… well.”
“Are you unwell?”
“No, I’m fine.”
The Grand Elder’s appearance had changed.
His wrinkled face seemed twenty years younger, and his inner strength had visibly increased.
One could sense directly that his realm had ascended.
Yet the Grand Elder smacked his lips with a hint of disappointment.
“I haven’t broken through the barrier yet. Still, it was good experience.”
“Congratulations.”
“As for you…… I’m not sure what to say. A strange feeling, really.”
……
The Grand Elder regarded Namgung Yeon with a peculiar expression for a moment.
He was certainly someone who needed to be struck down.
He had wished for the next Family Head to come from one of his own bloodline.
But now, having turned his gaze inward and ascended to a new realm—what of that wish?
His heart had not changed, certainly. Yet he had learned one thing.
Recognition itself.
Letting go.
Shaking off the burdens of the mind and moving forward again, light and unburdened.
“You’ve worked hard. And I’m grateful.”
“I’m the one who’s incurred a debt.”
“See that you repay it properly. With interest, too.”
The Grand Elder laughed warmly at Namgung Yeon’s deflection.
One might say the man had gained composure.
The Grand Elder’s aura, always sharp and edged like a blade, had softened somewhat.
“Compose yourself and come down. The work is not yet finished.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Thanks to you…… I’ve shed one burden.”
His expression was unburdened.
Namgung Yeon watched quietly as the Grand Elder descended with his attendants.
Had he ever seen the Grand Elder wear such a smile before?
‘Was the key, then, simply to face him directly?’
It had never happened before.
Through countless iterations, Namgung Hyeon-jong had been someone to efficiently wrap up and move past.
Why had he not thought of it?
A trap sprung by assuming something was too obvious to question.
Namgung Hyeon-jong had always appeared before the Grand Elder as a cold corpse.
Because Namgung Yeon himself had made it so.
It was the most efficient method, and he’d believed it could minimize sacrifice.
“Hmm…….”
“Shall we head back down as well.”
“Yes.”
The petals were warmer than expected, and soft.
Whether they could shield the sun was unclear, but the impulsive urge to draw his sword had already subsided.
He had lived many long years and witnessed countless souls.
‘Even now, the human heart remains…… so difficult to fathom.’
Unless one possessed the Heart’s Eye to pierce through the depths of another’s soul, a thousand years hence would not yield understanding.
Namgung Yeon proceeded with these thoughts, his steps measured and deliberate.
Misalignments continued to layer upon one another.
A future once within his grasp growing steadily more opaque, dissolving into uncharted territory.
Anxiety swelled with each passing moment, yet why was it—
He felt as though things were improving, not worsening.
‘This time, could we truly lose no one.’
Namgung Yeon’s long-held wish.
A lifelong desire for which he stood ready to sacrifice even his own soul.
For that, he would leap with a smile into an abyss where not even a single step ahead could be seen.
‘I must verify whether the family was harmed.’
Moreover.
There were matters Wol Young needed to investigate.
Whether his dear friend yet lived.
How the Demons were making their moves.
And whether what he had commanded was being carried out properly.
He could not stop here.
To grow complacent now was to stagnate and sink.
This world was far crueler than one might think, laden with countless obstacles.
Merely shifting course slightly would not suffice.
‘Are you watching.’
The woman he would one day face crossed his mind.
What expression, he wondered, might grace her face.
Would she smile with satisfaction.
Or would she shake her head, saying the path was wrong.
One thing was certain—the day he would see that tiresome visage was drawing near.
#3
The chaos raging through Anhui’s streets had been largely quelled.
The Red Dragon Corps and White Dragon Corps lived up to their reputations.
They dispersed through the streets, eliminating Demons and rescuing citizens.
And now that the Vicious Beast had vanished, no new Demons emerged.
Yet anxiety lingered through the night in Anhui’s streets.
People trembled, staying awake through the hours, dreading the arrival of those who meant them death.
“This is going to make people terribly anxious.”
“What can we do. It’s not as if they have anywhere else to go…….”
“We’re worried about bad rumors spreading about the Namgung Family.”
Within the White Dragon Corps, various murmurings arose regarding this affair.
For the warriors of the White Dragon Corps, it was an especially sensitive matter.
Their families lived here in Anhui’s streets.
“And our own families as well…….”
“They too came under attack.”
“Only the outlying areas were targeted, but it seems they knew the locations.”
“…….”
Unease rippled through the White Dragon Corps.
Then came the voice of Baekryong Daejoo.
“What are you doing. If the mission is complete, we return.”
“Yes, sir!”
“You handled it thoroughly.”
“Yes. We confirmed multiple times.”
Baekryong Daejoo nodded quietly.
Blood still clung to his blade, not yet dry.
Evidence of the savage slaughter he had wrought.
You’ve seemed quite on edge lately—I hope this lifts your spirits a little.
“We should return. The Family Head will be waiting.”
“As you wish.”
The White Dragon Corps returned.
By then, all the key figures of the Namgung Family had already assembled.
Those who realized they had arrived late scrambled into motion.
“Everyone is here at last.”
The Family Head appeared in person to oversee the entire operation.
There had been considerable losses, but most importantly, the Namgung Family’s talented individuals had been preserved.
In particular.
“It’s fortunate that all the students returned unharmed. Especially…….”
…….
The Family Head, Namgung Mu, gazed upon the students
who had returned either covered in wounds or unscathed.
There were those who stood out in particular.
Namely, Group Three, to which Namgung Yeon belonged, and Group One, to which Namgung Cheon belonged.
‘How interesting.’
“I shall bestow rewards upon Group Three and Group One.”
“Thank you.”
“I will grant them Intermediate Spirit Pills. Furthermore, I shall open the armory so they may select Intermediate Martial Weapons.”
“We shall carry out your orders.”
“And the rank order of each Group Leader will have changed.”
Those carrying the flags had shifted.
Most noteworthy was Namgung Geon-ho.
He had seized the flag of Group Eight and become Group Leader with bold confidence.
He regarded Namgung Yeon with a meaningful gaze and brandished the flag deliberately.
Namgung Yeon met this with an impassive expression and a slight nod.
Now, connected to this, they would face yet another upheaval.
“Those who lost their flags in the Group Leader Selection Tournament.”
…….
“And those who failed to seize a flag.”
To reiterate: the Namgung law is the Law of the Strong.
In the Martial Realm, the strong are those who have never known defeat.
The Family Head’s words were delivered without inflection.
Though Anhui was stained with blood.
From the lips of one who stood at the apex of Dae Namgung.
Judgment fell.
“All are eliminated. You are free to train, but you shall not ascend to Sub-family Head.”
Thus, the first event of the Sub-family Head Selection Tournament came to an end.

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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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