Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 103

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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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Third-rate Martial Arts Family, Greatest Under Heaven – Episode 103
Hwacheonggi infused with abundant celestial energy seeps into my blade.
My sword, carrying the mysteries of Gaecheon, trembles and vibrates, releasing a resonant tone.
Booooong!
Resonance. The harmony and pitch of sound.
Of these, pitch was what mattered most.
Booooong!
Booooong!
Booooong!
Sometimes so high it was barely audible.
Then in an instant, I slowed the vibration’s speed, producing a deep and heavy tone.
It was remarkable.
As I ran, I could see the poison creatures that filled the space around me vanishing through the cracks between the corridor walls and earthen barriers.
‘Thank goodness it worked.’
Sound could become pleasant melody, but in truth it was often just noise—irritating and grating.
If humans reacted this way, what of mere creatures?
Unless the poison creatures were driven by some sense of duty to guard the corridor, I had predicted they would flee when bombarded with noise that tortured their hearing.
Whoosh!
With the poison creatures gone, the corridor was nothing but smooth ground for running.
I passed through the corridor in an instant and entered the passage beyond.
‘Next is… hmm.’
A wide hallway with a structure similar to the previous corridor.
Far too obviously suspicious.
I pulled out a chunk of hardtack from the bundle I carried and hurled it at the wall.
Whoosh!
‘There’s a mechanism installed behind the wall.’
I watched the hardtack shatter under dozens of steel pellets fired from within, then drew my qi to its peak.
‘…I can see it. I can feel it.’
Since entering Geom Wang’s Tomb, my already keen qi perception had become so vivid and intense my head throbbed.
Thanks to this, I could clearly sense the mechanism hidden behind the wall.
Thrust!
I carefully advanced and pierced the earthen wall with my sword tip.
The mechanism shattered with a cracking sound.
‘Destroying them all would be foolish considering what lies ahead.’
In this wide hallway, whether a mechanism triggered or not depended on which point I stepped on and how I adjusted my body’s height.
I passed through the hallway, destroying only the minimum number of mechanisms.
“Phew. That makes three gates now.”
Why would someone build three gates in a tomb like this?
And it seems there are still more, so at minimum there are three remaining.
Did the Geom Wang of old have money rotting away in abundance?
True, I’ve saved all of the Central Plains and even become the greatest martial artist under heaven, so it’s only natural I wouldn’t lack for wealth.
‘But… do I really need to go this far?’
A sense of discomfort continued to gnaw at me.
This Geom Wang’s Tomb was absolutely not a place to find disciples and continue a martial lineage.
To be blunt, I was only passing through smoothly because of my innate talent combined with the guidance of Seon-gi, but considering the difficulty of these trials, even a peak master wouldn’t be able to pass through easily.
‘No. Put it another way. At least for me, the difficulty isn’t that high. Oddly so.’
This was a legacy from centuries past, yet if I actively utilized the abilities I possessed, I could pass through without difficulty.
Was this mere coincidence?
Thump!
Feeling the pulse of Seon-gi, I kicked off the ground once more.
The corridor stretched endlessly. I was wondering when the next trial would appear.
Whoooosh—
Suddenly, I came to my senses.
‘What was I doing?’
“P-please save us! I beg you!”
Ah. Pungga Village was being occupied by bandits.
Perhaps fatigue had accumulated—my head felt a bit foggy.
With that thought, I caught the blade of the woman aiming for my back.
“See that, Chu Dal? This is why all those heterodox bastards need to be exterminated.”
“…”
“Chu Dal?”
Where did he go again?
As I looked around searching for Chu Dal, I suddenly felt an urgent pressure.
I didn’t know what it was, but I felt like I needed to resolve this situation quickly and head somewhere.
Ah, yes. I need to go to Geom Wang’s Tomb. I need to find traces of Seon-gi.
‘Quickly crush these bandit bastards… no. That might make me late.’
I looked at the middle-aged woman collapsed and sobbing.
Helping them would make me late.
So for my objective… to maximize my own benefit…
I had to abandon them and leave.
“Namgung! Please save my child! Please…!”
This was the woman who had tried to harm me moments ago.
But did I really need to carve out precious time to save her child?
Of course not.
Just because I pursue righteousness doesn’t mean I should act like a foolish pushover.
What I needed to prioritize now was clear.
“I’m sorry, but…”
That was the moment.
“My son. Your father’s epithet is Si-hyeop-il-jeol. It’s a mocking epithet meaning someone of low martial ability dares speak of righteousness.”
But.
“I have never once been ashamed of my name.”
I clenched my teeth. My mind became clear.
“I will help.”
“Namgung! Do you truly mean it? Thank you! Thank you, oh… hic…!”
Time was scarce. Even now, urgency and desperation were driving my heart wildly.
But.
Was time truly scarce?
No, it was my ability that fell short.
So I would not make excuses.
I would simply do my best.
If I lacked the strength, so be it.
I would reflect on this moment and use it as a stepping stone to advance further through greater diligence.
‘I’m not sacrificing my gains to save them. I’m simply unable to seize gains due to my lack of ability.’
The moment I held that thought.
My vision cleared with a sudden opening sensation.
“Ah.”
The illusion vanished.
No, I only now realized it had been an illusion.
“It was a formation. An absolute one at that.”
An illusory formation I had once experienced at Eum Hu’s Jeongeum-ogwan in the past.
Back then, thanks to my keen energy perception, I had been aware of being caught in the formation and had broken through it without difficulty.
This time, I was ensnared without any awareness whatsoever.
The installed formation was of remarkably high caliber—a supreme absolute formation of ancient origin.
What was fortunate, however.
“Was its goal to test human virtue?”
A cooperative heart. A compassionate heart. A virtuous heart.
Based on the content of the illusion, it seemed this absolute formation was designed to filter only those who possessed such qualities.
Suddenly, Yang Hwi’s lips curved upward.
“Hehe. A formation I could not possibly fail to pass.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I activated the Gicheon Step once more and surged forward like an arrow.
The pull of the immortal energy grew stronger and stronger.
I could feel it. I was nearly at the end.
“Hmm?”
At some point, the corridor suddenly widened.
A vast and lofty space better described as a cavern than a corridor or hallway.
Before me stood an iron gate inscribed with intricate patterns.
‘How do I open that?’
I immediately unleashed a sword strike at it.
Ting!
Ting? Not a clang, not a ring, but a ting?
I immediately examined the material of the iron gate.
The black luster that flowed in a peculiar way, and despite being underground, a chill so intense it was bone-piercing.
“Could it be… cold iron?”
Not quite the legendary ten-thousand-year cold iron treasured since ancient times, but it felt like cold iron infused with at least a century’s worth of earth energy.
They’d actually used this expensive material underground, and worse, fashioned it into a gate door?
‘I could forge a hundred swords from just this single door.’
If I brought it back to the Main Residence and gave it to Baek Cheol, he’d be overjoyed.
My strength has grown considerably lately—maybe I could forge a new blade in the process?
…Of course, that’s only if I could carry it back up.
Essentially impossible.
In frustration, I struck the iron gate.
Ting!
“Damn it. How do you open this thing?”
I drew up a massive amount of vital energy and poured it in.
Nothing happened.
This time I studied the intricate patterns carved into it, tried to interpret their meaning, and even pressed various spots.
Nothing happened.
“Could it be… that it requires a key?”

* * *
After the golden light created an escape corridor for the martial artists.
Hyeolanra frowned, displeased with how events were unfolding.
From the original plan of savoring the sacrifices without effort being destroyed, to this current unexpected situation.
“Hogyodaejoo.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
The Hogyodaejoo lowered his head in shame.
“It seems there is something you failed to perceive.”
“Indeed. I beg forgiveness for failing to prevent this unforeseen circumstance.”
“It matters not. In the end, they are all merely rats in a poison vat.”
The outcome remains the same—all the sacrifices’ blood will be consumed.
The process has merely become somewhat more troublesome, and there is an irritating presence interfering from the shadows.
“Let us proceed.”
The martial artists, driven by the blood cultists and half-vampire corpses under his command, squeezed through the narrow entrance in flight.
I followed leisurely behind them, strolling as if taking a casual walk.
With each step, I unleashed claw energy from all ten fingernails, savoring the feast of blood and flesh.
“Krraaaagh!”
“What are these things!”
“Poison creatures! They’re poison creatures!”
At the commotion coming from ahead, the Hogyodaejoo observed Hyeolanra’s expression.
“Great one. Allow me to investigate and report back.”
“It must be. After all, it’s the gun of the Greatest Under Heaven—there’s bound to be something installed.”
The martial artists paid a considerable price as they pushed through the swarms of iron poison centipedes.
By the time the Blood Cult disciples arrived, the area was filled with warriors collapsed and groaning everywhere.
“Ughhhh….”
“My body’s stiffening, ack, help me….”
“Savor the pain a while longer and harbor the primal poison. I’ll finish you all after.”
Hyeolanra, wearing a faint smile, began walking again.
“Bishop. The path ahead is filled with poison creatures. If you wait a moment, I’ll clear them all.”
“Very well. Can mere vermin obstruct the grand design of the great one?”
I could see those who had collapsed from poisoning or were circulating their energy to expel the toxins.
No matter what they did, they couldn’t escape today’s fate—yet they still thrashed about desperately.
Delightful. Exhilarating.
It was just as I finished passing through all the poison barriers with such thoughts.
Thump!
My languid eyes widened in shock.
No—they expanded as if my eyeballs would burst from their sockets, and blood-red light surged forth, dyeing everything crimson.
“This is!”
“Bishop! What troubles you?!”
“Don’t you feel it?”
“W-what exactly are you referring to?”
Ahhh, ahhhhhhh!
Those who cannot touch it, those not close enough to receive the blessing—they cannot even sense this tremor!
“Haaah. So that’s how it is. That’s what happened.”
Hyeolanra spread both arms wide and expanded my body.
As long, sharp nails extended outward in all directions, the form resembled a blood flower with its thorns raised.
“Hahahaha! Hahahahahaha!”
Hyeolanra burst into mad laughter, my body shooting forward at unprecedented speed.
“Bishop! It’s dangerous!”
Dangerous? Such things don’t matter.
I feel it. The call of the great one.
The call of the sacred relic that he cherished and kept close!
‘With divine guidance, how could mere mortal peril ever touch me?’
I was right to come here!
The reason I resolved to move without the Blood God’s command was precisely because of this guidance!
Hyeolanra felt ecstasy in finally understanding everything.
‘Blood Soul’s Demon Sword! Allow this humble servant to receive and serve you!’
Faster, even faster!
I drew every drop of blood energy filling my dantian and forced it into my legs.
Sinister and peculiar energy surged through the yongcheon point, pushing against the ground as my body stretched forward.
That was the moment.
Click!
Whoooosh!
In that fleeting instant, Hyeolanra beheld hundreds upon hundreds of steel pellets streaking toward her from all directions.
Ordinarily, her protective qi alone should have sufficed to deflect them, yet each pellet carried an otherworldly force within it.
‘So. You refuse to yield so easily.’
Geom Wang, villain of centuries past.
I know not how a sacred relic came to rest in this place.
‘Did you truly believe the ignorant could obstruct a destiny so grand!’
Hyeolanra’s lips curved upward.
Hundreds of steel pellets erupted in brilliant detonation.

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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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