The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 178

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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 178

CRASH—!
“What?! What’s happening?!”
The sudden explosion and piercing cry sent panic rippling through the crowd.
This was no external assault—the enemy had breached the Demon Sect’s inner sanctum itself.
With the terrifying thought that invaders had penetrated their headquarters, everyone’s eyes sharpened with lethal intent.
Drawing their blades with the fervor of those ready to sacrifice their lives for the Demon Sect, they rushed forward—
DONG—!
A massive bell suddenly tolled.
No one present failed to understand its meaning.
One by one, they turned their heads to identify who had rung the bell, yet strangely, no one was visible.
“Who is it?! Who initiated the advancement trial?!”
“I don’t know! Is this some kind of joke?”
“What madman rings the bell as a prank? Unless they’re tired of living.”
The crowd began frantically scanning their surroundings in confusion.
How could they mount a defense or offer support without knowing who had rung the bell?
In truth, though advancement trials were the official name, most warriors typically banded together to suppress their rivals and prevent them from rising in rank.
After all, watching someone climb above you was enough to breed resentment.
So they searched desperately for their opponent, but the inability to locate anyone left them utterly frustrated.
Then, in that moment—
“HYAAAAH—!”
A figure suddenly ascended high into the air.
The brilliant sunlight made it impossible to discern who it was.
Yet the figure gazed down at the assembled Demon Sect disciples below, a smile spreading across their face, before declaring:
“Celestial Star Crushing Strike!”
A fist shot forward.
The terrifying punch, swung with devastating force, unleashed power that seemed capable of shattering the very stars themselves.
A vicious shockwave hurtled toward them.
CRASH—!
Power enough to obliterate everything in its path.
When Chu Hyeongi’s innate divine strength merged with Gu Gunbaek’s martial techniques, the resulting technique was pushed to its absolute limit—something that made anyone who witnessed it recoil in horror.
In a single instant, over a dozen warriors were sent sprawling.
Just as those who barely escaped were gritting their teeth and turning their heads—
A blade flashed, as if to say this was far from over.
SLASH—SLASH—SLASH—SLASH—SLASH—!
The Lightning Thirteen Sword Technique unfolded in an instant.
Against those who had failed to mount a proper defense after being shocked by the initial punch, it descended without mercy, inflicting fatal wounds.
Those who vomited blood collapsed helplessly.
After some time had passed, those who had maintained their distance finally caught sight of the two individuals.
“…Chohwon Hall?!”
“Is it true? They held a promotion battle in Chohwon Hall?”
“This is insane…!”
The Demon Sect disciples who witnessed this incomprehensible spectacle were left bewildered, yet none dared to step forward carelessly.
There existed no one foolish enough to advance without thought after witnessing what had just transpired.
Perhaps because of this?
Chu Hyeongi, now brimming with confidence, burst into raucous laughter.
“Hahahaha! Behold what I, Chu Hyeongi, have accomplished! Worship me!”
“What nonsense….”
“What?!”
“Pardon?”
Namgung Yeon whispered softly beside him, but Chu Hyeongi’s senses had grown so bestial that he shot her a piercing glare.
As the two of them snarled and bared their teeth once more, a heavy sigh echoed from behind.
“Stop fighting already and get organized. There’s still much left to do.”
Those caught off guard by the sudden situation furrowed their brows at the newcomer’s appearance.
As if this person stood in a position to command martial artists of such caliber.
Who was this?
As the figure fully revealed themselves, all present could not help but express their confusion.
An unfamiliar woman and man.
And one figure unmistakably recognizable.
It was Na Cheonmun.
This confirmed that a promotion battle had truly taken place within Chohwon Hall.
But then, who were these people?
Their trembling eyes could not stop moving.

* * *

“Phew—quite the gathering we have here.”
I surveyed my surroundings, taking stock of those who had fallen.
There had to be roughly fifty of them.
They each possessed their own level of skill, but the reason so many lay defeated was because my sudden, decisive strike had proven devastatingly effective.
Thanks to that, I’d managed to acquire far more Demonic Disciples’ marks than I’d anticipated.
I’d wondered if such chaos was permissible, but given that we were within the Demon Sect itself, it was entirely justified.
When I turned my gaze elsewhere, I caught sight of Chaeseoha humming contentedly as she collected the Demonic Disciples’ marks from the fallen, while Na Cheonmun stood motionless, watching the spectacle unfold in stunned silence.
I furrowed my brow.
“What are you doing? Get to collecting the rest.”
“Y-yes! Right away!”
Startled by my sudden command, Na Cheonmun hurried into motion, scrambling to gather what remained.
But this was far from over.
Thud-thud-thud-crack!
Clang—screech!
Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon’s blades continued their relentless dance. Their determination to completely annihilate the remaining soldiers in the street was unmistakable.
The warriors from each Hall, still reeling in shock, watched their comrades fall helplessly before finally glancing down at the ground.
Weapons of every conceivable type lay scattered across the floor.
Having slipped from the hands of their now-unconscious masters, they seemed to be searching for new owners.
I approached one sword, grasped it, examined its blade, and tossed it toward Na Cheonmun.
“Discard that inferior weapon and use this instead.”
“This…this one? No matter how I look at it…this is a blade from the Amsudeon…”
The moment Na Cheonmun uttered the name Amsudeon, his complexion darkened considerably.
From his expression and pallor alone, I could discern just how deeply he feared that place.
“What kind of place is it?”
“That…they handle security and surveillance. They’re the most formidable Hall in this Mayen-ji.”
I nodded at his explanation.
So Mayen-ji referred to this lower layer?
And it seemed the Amsudeon was the strongest Hall in this place. Having provoked them, they would surely not remain idle.
“Their numbers?”
“The largest of all.”
Even as he spoke, I could sense the tremor in his voice.
His eyes glistened as though tears might spill forth at any moment from sheer terror, but I dismissed it without concern.
Whether they were strong or weak mattered little.
If they stood in my way of ascending, I would simply eliminate them.
Clang-clang-clang-crash!
The sound of clashing blades reached my ears again. I turned my attention toward it—someone appeared to be holding their own quite well against Namgung Yeon.
The man’s sword and Namgung Yeon’s blade collided frantically, flashing brilliantly.
It could be called an evenly matched situation, but unlike Namgung Yeon, who was still assessing his opponent, the man was already wielding his blade with desperate intensity.
The shift in momentum came in a heartbeat.
Namgung Yeon’s blade moved with exquisite precision, toying with his opponent as it descended. The sword path changed in an instant before his eyes, flowing seamlessly, disarming the man’s weapon and striking the back of his neck.
Whoosh—!
“Gack?!”
The man’s body finally gave way.
Though he had mounted a respectable defense, Namgung Yeon had grown through far more violent battles in Namman.
No matter how skilled a Demon Sect disciple might be, they could not ignore her blade.
“That… a Protector of Geum Sujeong fell so easily…!”
“The Evaluator was a Protector?”
“…Yes.”
Na Cheonmun’s expression betrayed utter disbelief.
It was reasonable to expect that Chu Hyeongi, a disciple of the Fierce Tiger Emperor, would be formidable, but his eyes revealed he had not anticipated Namgung Yeon to be equally so.
“Where in the blazes did this cursed Demon Awakening War come from!”
Then, a thunderous roar erupted from somewhere, striking my ears.
Simultaneously, something descended with terrifying speed.
The aura it carried was entirely different from anyone I had faced thus far.
With such confidence in his martial prowess, he charged forward with eyes blazing as though he alone could face us all.
I narrowed my brow and turned to Na Cheonmun with a question.
“Who is that?”
“Ah… the Junior Leader of Amsudeon…”
Indeed, there was reason for such an extraordinary presence.
If he were the Junior Leader of the place called strongest here, such an aura would be entirely fitting.
He charged toward me.
The fact that he rushed forward, ignoring Namgung Yeon and Chu Hyeongi locked in combat in the center of the exchange, suggested he had accepted me as the leader.
“I cannot allow our Junior Prince’s feelings to be hurt.”
“…”
For a moment, I sensed Na Cheonmun’s peculiar gaze directed at me, yet I paid it no mind and focused solely on the approaching opponent.
My eyes fixed upon the sword he wielded.
Even from considerable distance, it was evident at a glance.
It was the finest blade I had seen thus far.
As expected of a Junior Leader—he was indeed different.
Then again, Ryu Gak of Chohon Jeon had carried a respectable blade as well.
“You mad bastard! Die!”
Clang—!
His sword came slashing down.
The blade aimed precisely at my vital points in that instant.
I extended my hand and lightly struck his wrist away.
Pat—!
“…!?”
In a flash, his sword was blocked, and a massive opening appeared.
I gently drove my palm upward against his jaw.
Whoosh—!
“Crack!”
With a brief cry, the opponent’s body stiffened like deadwood before crashing forward.
Thud—!
The fallen figure lay motionless, and were it not for the faint whisper of breath, one might have believed him dead.
“Gasp—!”
Na Cheonmun could not suppress his shock at the sight.
With his mouth hanging agape, he alternated his gaze between me and the fallen opponent, rubbing his eyes as though questioning whether it was real.
“…Y-you’re… quite formidable, Cheon the Protector….”
“Ha, is that all you have to say?”
I turned my gaze away, taking in the astonished expression of the young man.
Despite his unconsciousness, Sojeonju still gripped his sword, so I pressed my foot gently against his hand to pry it free, then took the blade for myself.
Unlike Na Cheonmun’s weapon, the blade was smooth and the edge was in remarkably good condition.
When I flicked it lightly, the sound rang clear and true.
Ting—!
“Good. At least I’ve acquired a usable sword.”
“Stop celebrating over a sword and help me out, would you?”
Chaeseoha, who had been collecting Demonic Disciples from the fallen bodies, approached with her arms full and set them down at my feet.
The quantity was considerable.
By rough count, there appeared to be around fifty or sixty.
“Quite a haul.”
“We ransacked the marketplace—of course there are this many.”
At Chaeseoha’s words, I scratched my cheek and turned my head away.
This marketplace was the central district of the Demon Sect’s lower layers. Having stripped all the warriors belonging to the Halls here, it made sense that so many Demonic Disciples had accumulated.
However, not all of them belonged to the Halls, so there were quite a few who watched from a distance without participating in the fighting.
Beyond that, there were even unseen gazes fixed upon us.
“Who are they?”
“Ah, they’re from the Gak Dang Ru. It’s a place unrelated to the promotion tournament… those dispatched here from Cheon-ma Ridge.”
“So the Halls manage it, but they oversee the Halls themselves.”
“Yes… and they also verify that no underhanded tactics are employed during the promotion tournament.”
I nodded in understanding.
If all power were concentrated in the Halls, they would prevent the chaos that could ensue—that was their role as overseers.
And now, with the Sect Leader’s ascension imminent, they appeared to be watching the promotion tournament with heightened vigilance, assessing the situation.
Beyond that, I suspected there were quite a few who belonged to no faction at all.
The gazes I felt from unseen places—I suspected they belonged to such individuals.
I paused to collect my thoughts and turned my head.
Clang-clang-clang—!
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
I watched Namgung Yeon and Jang Chuchyeong as they continued their relentless barrage against their opponents.
Seeing them execute their attacks without a trace of fatigue, I could sense the vast gap in skill between us.
But we have precious little time.
I need to reach the top before the Sect Leader’s enthronement ceremony begins.
I casually kicked a stone lying on the ground.
Crack!
Shatter, shatter, shatter!
The moment my foot connected, the fragmented shards scattered like projectiles, striking the heads of those nearby with perfect precision.
Unable to withstand the impact, they collapsed one by one, and Namgung Yeon and Jang Chuchyeong seized the opportunity to finish them off.
“Phew— Young Master. How much longer do we have to do this?”
“It seems like it’ll be faster than expected, Junior Prince.”
“Ah—.”
At my pointed remark, Jang Chuchyeong finally realized his mistake and hastily clamped his mouth shut.
But words already spoken cannot be taken back.
Na Cheonmun looked back and forth between me and Jang Chuchyeong, and as if understanding something, he held his breath and trembled.
I turned my head with an indifferent expression toward the nearest building.
“What is that place?”
“…It is Geum Sujeong.”
Geum Sujeong—the place where those men I’d seen earlier belonged. Their smug faces flickered briefly in my mind before being swiftly erased as unworthy of remembrance.
“You said Amsudeon had the largest concentration of people, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes! …That is correct, but….”
“Then let’s go there first. We’ll gain something along the way regardless. If that’s still not enough, we can decide which other places to raid then.”
At my unexpected words, Na Cheonmun’s complexion turned ashen.

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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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