The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 95
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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 156
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In a forest some distance away from the Namman Beast Palace.
Two elderly men sat in that place.
Around them lay massive beasts, torn to shreds and scattered about—their number easily exceeding ten.
Chu Won the hunchback and Yeom Ji-hak.
Using corpses as backrests, they lay sprawled out, tearing into beast carcasses raw and shoving them into their mouths without cooking.
With each bite, blood streamed down their chins.
Their mouths became caked with crimson in an instant, yet their expressions remained utterly indifferent, as though such things were beneath notice.
“Raw meat truly is the finest.”
“Hehehehe—you’re right. Cooked flesh has its merits, but the raw food we’ve eaten since childhood is convenient and nourishing.”
The sight of them not merely tearing flesh but swallowing organs whole, as though rolling them up like thin crepes, inspired both revulsion and terror in any observer.
As Yeom Ji-hak chewed through a beast’s leg, he suddenly turned his gaze toward Chu Won.
“So? Is it truly there, as you claimed?”
“Hehehehe, why such impatience? Wait a moment. I’ve sent the children in, so answers will come soon enough.”
“You mean the Forbidden Zone?”
“Indeed.”
With eyes half-lidded, Chu Won recalled the Forbidden Zone of Namman.
In the past, when moving to recover the Jade Orb, I had turned all of Namman upside down and searched thoroughly, yet there was one place I could not examine.
Or more precisely, another team had attempted to enter that location, but not a single member returned alive.
That place was none other than Namman’s Forbidden Zone.
The Jade Orb, which I could not obtain anywhere else.
If it was truly certain to be in Namman, then the Forbidden Zone was the most likely location.
“Why wait until now to investigate, rather than before?”
“The formation array is far too intricate. It took considerable time to cultivate those capable of breaching it.”
“To that extent?”
At Yeom Ji-hak’s surprised expression, Chu Won nodded.
The Divine Sect possessed many individuals well-versed in formation arrays.
If I resolved to send them, there were masters capable of shattering even the formation arrays of the Sega in a single breath.
But the formation array laid here was different.
Even such masters had not returned alive.
As a result, preparation took considerable time.
“If it’s not there, you’ll need to prepare yourself. I’m currently restraining myself because of you.”
“Kekeke, I know. Wait. After all, you also know that recovering the Divine Artifact is our highest priority.”
Not long after we had entered Namman.
By fortunate chance, I learned that the Demon King had returned.
Yeom Ji-hak was suppressing the urge to rush toward him immediately.
I needed to confirm whether this man was truly the same one I had encountered in Anwhui.
Every time the wounds I had suffered throbbed with pain, it felt as though the shame of my past was being dragged to the surface, and I sensed that if I did not find this man and resolve this matter, I would suffer eternally.
But I endured it.
As Chu Won, the aide to Sin Gak, had said, I understood that verifying the existence of the Divine artifact and recovering it took absolute priority over personal vengeance.
“Kekeke— exercise restraint. Does not fortune favor those who wait?”
“If nothing emerges from this, I will snap your neck first.”
“My, my. That is quite a terrifying prospect. Kekekeke.”
Yeom Ji-hak’s eyebrows twitched as he observed Chu Won smiling.
Despite releasing a thick killing intent, the sensation that reached him suggested the other man felt not even a trace of fear.
A mere Shadow Assassin who had become an aide.
Though this displeased him greatly, he soon snorted and composed himself.
After all, he understood priorities better than anyone else.
Yeom Ji-hak turned his attention away and continued gnawing and swallowing the beast’s bone.
Crunch—!
The thick bone, which seemed impossible to break with human strength alone, crumbled within his mouth and slid down his throat.
As if venting his rage.
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I furrowed my brow and surveyed my surroundings.
Whoosh— rustle rustle—!
Trees shook in various places, and I heard the sound of something moving.
It moved with remarkable agility and speed, and with my senses twisted, pinpointing its exact location proved difficult.
I tightened my grip on the sword and steadied my breathing.
Soon, I gazed upon what lay scattered across the ground.
Three monkeys.
They were monkeys of a size incomparable to those I had seen outside.
The claws on their hands were exceedingly sharp, and their teeth appeared longer and more resilient.
I found myself thinking that they must have evolved to be far stronger in order to survive within this realm where such a bizarre formation array was laid.
I had felt it the moment I cut through their skin.
As if to prevent sharp objects from piercing their hide, the monkeys’ skin was extraordinarily thick, tough, and flexible.
So much so that even sword energy could not easily cut through it.
Then, something rushed toward me, piercing through my heightened senses.
The sensation I felt pointed unmistakably to one location, yet from experience, I could not be certain that place was accurate, so I retreated swiftly while remaining vigilant in all directions.
At the same moment, I saw it.
The Black Shadow rushing toward me.
This too was from an entirely different location than what I had sensed.
Screech—! Clang!
As razor-sharp claws aimed for my chest, I swiftly swung my sword and deflected the strike.
Confirming that my opponent was indeed pushed back, I stepped forward, and in the precise moment I grasped the distance perfectly and swung my blade—
I spun through the air from the force of the monkey’s body rebounding, tumbling backward as I fell.
Faced with this absurd spectacle, I let out a hollow laugh and drew my blade.
Shing—!
The sharp sword energy tore across the creature’s body.
I could feel the hide being severed, but its toughness prevented the blade from penetrating deeply.
Screeeech—!
The enraged monkey retreated, shrieking as if in anger.
It was as though it were saying, “That hurts!”
Watching this, I furrowed my brow even deeper.
I closed the distance in one breath and swung my blade before the startled monkey could flee.
Shing—!
The blade pierced through the tough hide completely, cleaving the body in two.
The moment the severed upper half flew through the air and crashed into a tree with a sound like a watermelon splitting, a dozen monkeys suddenly launched a coordinated assault.
Screech—! Shing!
Terrifying, swift, and agile.
Their elongated claws were more threatening than steel, and their nimble movements were so dizzying that one might think fighting humans would be preferable.
There was more bad news.
They naturally fought as a coordinated pack.
The dozen monkeys moved as though they understood how to capture prey larger and stronger than themselves, maximizing their advantages while eliminating their weaknesses.
This was their method of survival.
Shing—!
I cut down one, then two more.
I parried the relentless fangs and claws raining down upon me, retreating while my twisted senses registered cuts and tears, yet I maintained the upper hand.
But this was not a battle I could drag out indefinitely.
I quickly surveyed my surroundings, searching for one in particular.
The largest and most ferocious monkey among those before me.
The one hanging from a tree by its tail, chittering as if issuing commands.
At a glance, it was clearly the leader.
Since ancient times, creatures that live in packs become nothing once their head is severed.
All the more so if they are beasts.
Like moonlight swallowed by clouds slowly revealing itself once more, a surge of blue moonlight shot forth toward the creature.
Startled, it moved desperately to escape its position.
That was when I pushed off the ground and launched myself forward.
I closed the distance in a single breath.
Ignoring the chittering creatures blocking my path, I approached and swung my blade with all my might.
Shing—!
The blade cut through the thick, tough hide, penetrating flesh. But as if that were not enough, I poured more force into it, tearing through the flesh, grinding bone, and finally ripping through the organs before withdrawing.
Screeeech—!
Yet the creature, still clinging to life, shrieked and attempted to flee despite its organs being torn apart—a remarkable feat in itself.
With the determination not to let it escape, I reached out and seized its tail.
I pulled hard and thrust my blade forward once more.
Thwuuuk—!
The piercing blade drove straight through its heart.
I watched as the thrashing creature convulsed and went limp.
Confirming that all life had drained from it, I withdrew my sword as the massive monkey leader’s body collapsed pathetically, spraying blood across the ground.
Was that the reason?
The monkeys surrounding us appeared startled.
They halted their charge and trembled with fear, their eyes darting toward one another like terrified humans.
Soon, as if they had decided this was hopeless, they began scattering in all directions.
In an instant, the monkeys vanished from my sight.
Not merely their forms.
Even their presence was fading into the distance.
It seemed they had only now felt true fear—from the death of their leader.
I finally exhaled a breath of relief.
“I need to handle this quickly.”
The strength of a single monkey defied all reason.
Combined with my twisted senses—the worst possible situation.
But the greater problem was that my blade proved ineffective against them.
No matter how sharp my sword energy, I found it difficult to cleanly cut through their thick, resilient hides.
The issue was that this problem extended beyond mere monkeys.
The massive creature I had encountered before meeting the monkeys was the same.
I couldn’t know what beasts I would face ahead, but encounters with increasingly powerful predators would likely lead to life-or-death battles.
I gazed intently at my sword.
Even to the eye, it radiated a keen sharpness.
Yet it was insufficient.
To overcome this situation, I would need….
“Sword Force….”
That supreme realm capable of cleaving even diamond stone with ease.
The very height from which one could even aspire to the throne of the Divine.
The Pinnacle of Transcendence.
That meant I had to open the Upper Dantian, but it was not something I could traverse again simply because I had walked that path once before.
If it were that simple, I would have ascended long ago.
But what if, even without reaching that realm, I could at least dip my feet into it?
I furrowed my brow and steadied my breathing.
I had to keep that thought in mind and devise every possible method.
That was when.
Crackle—!
A sound of footsteps came from somewhere.
They were unmistakably coming from the direction of the thicket, so I gripped my sword while remaining vigilant in all directions.
In this place, anything could emerge from anywhere without surprise.
In that instant.
A figure burst forth from where the sound had come.
“Raaaaagh—!”
Appearing with a sudden roar was none other than Jang Chuchyeong, his clenched fist aimed directly at me as he charged forward.
Meeting his vacant gaze, I blocked his strike without hesitation.
Boom—!
The moment his fist collided with my blade, my body was driven backward.
I had known it, but the force was tremendous.
Whether Gu Gunbaek’s training had been remarkably effective, his technique was now incomparably refined and overwhelming compared to before.
“Die!”
Yet something about his state was peculiar.
It was as if he did not recognize me.
Seeing that his eyes lacked all focus, I suspected he had fallen under some form of illusion or brainwashing.
Fists swung with full force, pouring out fist energy.
This was unmistakably Gu Gunbaek’s true technique.
Countless waves of fist force came flying at me, intent on crushing me.
Boom boom boom—!
I deflected it all with ease.
Nothing made contact, not even grazing my clothes.
I only felt the force tearing through empty air, embedding itself into the ground, and exploding with tremendous sound and overwhelming destructive power.
“Die! Die! Die!”
Yet Jang Chuchyeong did not relent and continued his assault.
As I observed him calmly, I soon discovered something.
A small insect on the back of his neck.
It clung there without falling, writhing, and each time it did, I could see Jang Chuchyeong’s body move in response.
“A parasite that controls people…”
Seeing it, I let out a hollow laugh.
A parasite that manipulates humans.
I wondered if this place truly was hell itself.
I narrowed my eyes slightly and gripped my sword with a light touch.
My body moved as light as a feather.
It felt as though Namgung Yeon himself were executing his lightness technique.
I pushed off the ground and soared upward, vaulting over Jang Chuchyeong’s form, spinning mid-air before driving my blade toward the back of his neck.
Schwick!
The parasitic creature that had clung to him split in two and fell away, and in that same moment, Jang Chuchyeong’s body collapsed as though all strength had drained from it.
I watched him fall, then let out a hollow laugh.
“Damned old fool.”
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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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