The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 166
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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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The Youngest Son of the Nakhyang Jin Family — Chapter 166
* * *
Whoosh—!
Blades cascaded from all directions, slicing past my face and tearing at my garments.
Dodge one, and another materializes.
There was no time to catch my breath.
Though Jang Chuchyeong prided himself on experience in one-against-many combat, the battle unfolding before me now was of an entirely different caliber than any opponent I had faced before.
Precise, razor-sharp, each technique carried lethal intent.
Fail to evade, and death comes swiftly.
Fail to block, and I perish.
Every technique flowing from their hands demanded absolute vigilance without respite.
Because of this, even Jang Chuchyeong—usually so vocal with complaints—was forced to keep his mouth shut, eyes locked on the incoming blades.
Whoosh—!
Seizing a gap, I drove my fist forward.
The opponent staggered from the force of my strike.
Though the blow was undoubtedly solid, my expression darkened.
Anyone I had struck before would have shattered bones or fallen dead.
Despite channeling that same devastating power, my opponent merely stumbled backward, losing balance momentarily.
That alone told me everything.
They were strong.
Extraordinarily so.
Without Gu Gunbaek’s teachings, I would have been a corpse by now—this realization cut deep as I felt the full weight of my opponent’s capabilities.
Clang—!
“Ugh?!”
Had my moment of distraction lasted too long?
A blade suddenly materialized, grazing the tip of my jaw.
Had it penetrated any deeper, I would surely have been cleaved in half—a devastatingly sharp technique.
But it was far from over.
Abruptly, the blade’s trajectory shifted, descending vertically with crushing force.
My body reacted instinctively, attempting to evade, but the blade’s speed was fractionally faster.
I launched my fist in alarm.
When retreat was impossible, striking before the opponent’s attack landed was instinct honed through countless repetitions.
Clang—!
That instant.
Another blade suddenly materialized, intercepting and deflecting just before it split my skull open.
As the sharp ring echoed and the blade bounced away, my fist connected with the man’s chest.
Boom—!
A tremendous sound erupted.
So severe that bones could turn to dust without seeming out of place.
Yet as the man staggered backward, unable to fully penetrate his opponent’s defensive technique, he regained his footing and raised his blade once more—
Shing—!
Namgung Yeon’s sword extended with elegant precision, cleanly severing the man’s neck.
“Haa… haa…”
“Gasp… gasp…”
Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon exchanged heavy breaths, their eyes locked on one another.
Had her blade not intervened, Jang Chuchyeong’s head would have been split in two. Had his martial technique failed to land properly, her sword would never have pierced through the defensive barrier.
Sensing this mutual understanding, they finally spoke.
“You owe your life to me. Be grateful.”
“Without me, you wouldn’t have landed that cut.”
Grrr—
The two individuals bared their teeth at one another.
Even in this moment, neither could resist the urge to assert dominance, each convinced of their own superiority.
But it was short-lived.
Whoosh—!
In an instant, two more figures surrounded them, their blades flashing with lethal intent.
Clang—!
Namgung Yeon parried both strikes, her body driven backward.
Though she had absorbed some of the Jaso Sect’s inner power, it proved insufficient against the Twelve Sect Warriors.
And in raw strength, she was outmatched.
Seeing this, Jang Chuchyeong surged forward.
Boom, boom—!
As his fists tore through the air, the two men’s bodies were violently hurled backward.
Watching them stagger, still dazed, Namgung Yeon swiftly closed in and unleashed her blade.
Shing—!
Not shallow.
But not deep either.
As her sword carved through flesh and withdrew, Jang Chuchyeong’s fist—as if waiting for this moment—came crashing down.
Boom—!
The crude, devastating blow struck both men, and they staggered backward, coughing blood.
Namgung Yeon seized the opening.
Her blade thrust forward, cleaving through their chests, then she drove her sword into their ribs.
Shing—! Thud!
As the men collapsed, bleeding out, Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon locked eyes, their gazes gleaming with understanding. They nodded.
“For now, let’s work together.”
“Right! This Jang Chuchyeong will lend you a hand!”
Jang Chuchyeong thumped his chest confidently and laughed.
Since Namgung Yeon had proposed it first, he clearly believed himself the superior party.
Though exasperated, Namgung Yeon decided that being magnanimous enough to understand was the wiser choice. She spat on the ground and turned away.
In that instant.
Kwaaaaaang-!
The earth trembled violently as a gust of wind swept through.
The moment I turned my gaze, I saw it.
Gu Gunbaek’s fist, like that of a ferocious beast, came hurtling toward Chu Won with terrifying intent.
* * *
Thud-thud thud thud-!
Gu Gunbaek and Chu Won continued to probe for openings in each other’s defenses.
Chu Won’s martial techniques—combining fists, footwork, and energy projection—were remarkably versatile and seemed impossible to predict.
His smile suggested ease and composure, yet his eyes had grown increasingly troubled since moments ago.
‘He’s changed.’
The martial arts he displayed in the past were nothing like this.
It was a method of elevating beast forms into martial technique—something anyone familiar with the Southern Barbarians would recognize.
Those unfamiliar with it would be astounded by the overwhelming agility, mobility, and destructive power, inevitably succumbing to it.
This was why the people of the Central Plains feared the Southern Barbarians.
But now, the Gu Gunbaek before me was different—vastly different.
Whoosh-!
Chu Won twisted his head and furrowed his brow.
It was merely a swinging fist, yet an enormous pressure bore down, and the wind pressure felt as though it were tearing at his cheeks.
The fist that followed came even more ferociously.
Shwack-!
As it swung, he felt intense pressure pushing his body back, and simultaneously, a sharp aura cut through like a blade.
This was fist wind.
But not for impact—rather, a sensation as though being slashed by a sword.
He retreated again to evade, then unleashed his own energy in response.
Thwack-!
A powerful strike landed squarely on Gu Gunbaek.
The force that clearly connected pierced through his body and continued onward, shattering a thick tree into splinters.
No one could doubt that this was a blow that should have devastated his internal organs upon impact.
“…!”
Yet Chu Won’s eyes widened.
Gu Gunbaek, whose organs should have been torn asunder, merely raised his fist with an unbothered expression and swung it.
Thwack-!
“Cough?!”
Chu Won’s body was driven back once more.
The impact reverberated to his very marrow, shaking his vision violently. Seeing how Gu Gunbaek’s fist pierced through his protective energy so effortlessly proved his strength transcended the ordinary.
But he could not afford to be pushed around like this.
Chu Won’s widened eyes locked onto the rapidly approaching Gu Gunbaek.
I extend my hand.
Dodging the heavy fist that comes flying at me again, I target the small opening that briefly appears.
Thwack!
My extended strike succeeds in piercing through his ribs and tearing flesh. Not deep, but enough to halt his movements.
Yet.
Whoosh!
Gu Gunbaek doesn’t stop swinging his fist.
As if the pain means nothing to him.
But blood drips from the corner of his mouth—proof that my tension and strike landed properly.
Still, his expression doesn’t change.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
In an instant, a shock powerful enough to make the world sing crashes into me.
Gritting my teeth against the dizzying sensation that threatens to steal my consciousness, I sense Gu Gunbaek approaching again and move my body.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, something like mist erupts from my body, beginning to envelop me entirely, and Chu Won’s presence gradually begins to fade.
As if I don’t exist.
It feels as though I’ve truly become mist itself.
Gu Gunbaek, sensing this, furrows his brow.
The opponent he detected is trying to escape.
I cannot allow that.
I draw a long breath and release a shout.
“Hah!”
“…!”
The air trembles at my cry.
An overwhelming force extends outward, enough to scatter even the wind itself, and Chu Won’s fading presence becomes clear once more.
Simultaneously, a fist comes flying.
Crack!
“Gah?!”
The mist suddenly disperses, and unable to mount a proper defense, Chu Won’s body is helplessly sent flying, crashing against a rock.
Sliding down.
Chu Won’s eyes move with difficulty, gazing at Gu Gunbaek.
His eyes are filled with disbelief.
He has never experienced or even heard of Divine power being pierced by something as simple as a shout.
The shock that this impossible thing has happened twice in a single day is profound.
Once it was Jin Cheon-u, and once it was Gu Gunbaek.
“Do I look like an idiot to you? You think Young Master So can do something I can’t?”
“This bastard…!”
Chu Won grinds his teeth and rises to his feet.
The mere fact that he can stand unharmed despite the considerable impact suggests his level is no less than Gu Gunbaek’s.
However, Gu Gunbaek appeared delighted instead.
He flexed his fingers as if loosening his body, clenched his fists, and fixed Chu Won with a piercing gaze.
“I’ve been tearing through the Central Plains searching for you, and here we are meeting again in this very place.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk— you’ve chased me so relentlessly yet failed to kill me. Do you truly believe today will be different?”
“You don’t even entertain the thought of killing me, only of escape. Is your head truly so defective?”
“….”
Gu Gunbaek laughed heartily, his expression dripping with contempt.
If one were to count the number of times they had faced each other and exchanged lethal blows, it would easily exceed five.
After such a considerable span of time without meeting, Gu Gunbaek still harbored the intent to kill, while Chu Won seemed convinced he could flee at any moment.
This difference in mindset stemmed from the fact that despite their numerous clashes, he had never once bested Gu Gunbaek.
Thus, rather than believing he could win, the thought of escape came first.
He was thoroughly consumed by a sense of defeat.
Gu Gunbaek pointed out this very weakness as he continued loosening his body.
“Don’t worry. You won’t be buried in Namman. I’ll erase you without a trace.”
“Tsk, tsk, even one who hasn’t received the Divine’s blessing fails to grasp his own position.”
Chu Won laughed as if exasperated, extending his index finger to point at Gu Gunbaek.
Whoosh—!
In an instant, a sharp piercing sound cut through the air as his finger technique shot forward.
Extending in a straight line like a beam of light, it was clearly one of Chu Won’s hidden techniques—it bored through trees and rocks without losing any of its force or speed.
There was no doubt it would pierce through even Gu Gunbaek’s formidable body in an instant.
And that belief proved correct.
No matter how resilient Gu Gunbaek was, this technique could not be blocked.
Splurt—!
The finger technique shot through his flank, leaving a gaping wound.
Blood erupted from the massive hole in his body.
Surely he should have cried out and tumbled to the ground.
Yet the scene unfolding before my eyes was entirely different.
Despite sustaining a wound far more severe than before, Gu Gunbaek did not stop his charge.
His expression bore no trace of pain.
His eyes showed no sign of enduring it.
He simply ran.
As if pain did not exist in his mind at all.
He charged forward brutishly toward Chu Won.
“Ugh?!”
Shocked by the unbelievable turn of events, Chu Won deployed his finger technique again, but in his panic, he failed to land it properly—it merely grazed and tore at the skin.
In that moment, Gu Gunbaek had already closed the distance.
He leaped into the air and, regarding the horrified Chu Won, unleashed his fist.
A devastating blow—as if he could shatter the very stars in the heavens—descended upon Chu Won with terrifying force.
Boom—!
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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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