Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 147

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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 147
Of course, Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol did not join them.
He came with four peak masters of the Hyeong-san Sect and roughly ten first-rate experts.
“Adu! If you, Seolha, and Elder Brother Gu block those bastards together, I’ll give you ten pounds of rice cakes!”
“T-ten pounds?!”
Adu’s eyes ignited with fervor as he counted on his trembling fingers.
“Wooooooh!”
In the still-dark dawn, golden radiance blazed forth as if the sun itself had risen.
Handling them all alone would be impossible, but with the help of Gu Ak, the members of Baek Ik-gak, and Jegal Seol-ha, it was entirely feasible.
“Do you truly believe those fools can withstand the elite forces of our main sect?”
I lifted one corner of my mouth as I regarded Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s sharp inquiry.
“Fools, you say? Poor Adu will hear that and feel wounded.”
-Bzzzzzzzz!
The sound of a bee’s wings resonated from my blade.
The vibrations grew faster and faster, the pitch climbing higher and higher.
Simultaneously, true energy began to accumulate.
-Kiiiieeee!
It was the manifestation of the Hawk’s Cry Resonance.
“I’ve heard of it, but you possess quite the remarkable technique.”
“Ah yes, unlike someone of such lowly birth, I received instruction from a superior master.”
The irritation and anger etched on Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s face deepened.
His past as a black-clad assassin groveling in the depths was a sort of reverse scale to him.
“You dare speak of others when you yourself were once the most wretched beggar?”
“Oh that? I just ran away from home. Truth is, both my parents are doing quite well and living comfortably.”
“…?”
“I’m lying, you bastard.”
Why waste words? I drew the Harmonious Heavenly Immortal Qi from my lower dantian and expelled it through the Yongquan point at my feet.
The Gicheon Step, swift swift swift.
With explosive speed, I launched my body forward and swung my blade.
Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol raised his hand to block, and flesh met steel.
Clang!
Though it was the collision of metal and flesh, a metallic ring echoed out.
“Quite solid, aren’t you?”
“Solid is an understatement. My hands are tougher and more resilient than ordinary steel. They could tear through your belly and still have strength to spare.”
Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol was a master of hand techniques.
An adept who had reached enlightenment through fist methods, palm techniques, and claw arts.
His hands, infused with true energy, were more than sufficient to block my blade.
Screech!
Rather, he pierced through the sword energy and applied pressure against my weapon.
‘His grip strength is extraordinary.’
But that wasn’t all. The moment our blades met, I felt the sinister chill of yin energy.
Penetrating force was traveling through the sword, attacking my meridians.
Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol earned the epithet “Eum-hyeol” not merely because of his cunning nature, but primarily because he was a master of the Yin Palm technique.
‘Well, if I’m proficient in this too, I won’t fall behind.’
—Screeeech!
The blade trembled. Through the vibrations came the resonance of internal force.
Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol furrowed his brow.
“So you weren’t merely wielding the subtleties of yin techniques?”
“Didn’t know? You should have conducted more thorough reconnaissance beforehand. Know yourself and know your enemy—then victory is assured in every battle.”
“A bold statement from one who allowed my hand to make contact.”
Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol dramatically increased the volume of internal force he was channeling.
In other words, the assault on my meridians grew exponentially fiercer.
But.
“Sorry to say, I did this with full knowledge of what I was doing.”
“Hmm?”
Until now, I had not prioritized rapidly advancing my cultivation realm.
What I had focused on instead was the perfection of my physical body.
What did perfection of the physical body mean in this context?
Simply training muscles and bones to be more resilient and robust?
No, that wasn’t it.
“Let’s test it then. Whose meridians are more resilient?”
For a warrior, physical cultivation extends far beyond mere muscles and bones.
For those who have learned internal cultivation—true inner force—what takes priority is actually the tempering of meridians.
Widening and strengthening not only the major pathways but also every channel through which internal force flows.
I didn’t push away Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s hand. Rather than withdrawing my blade, I unleashed my internal force with even greater intensity.
Comparing the prowess of penetrating force and gauging the level of internal cultivation.
These were two things a younger person should absolutely avoid when facing an elder.
—Screeeech!
“…You brat…!”
Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol bared his fangs.
Contrary to his expectations, I was not significantly outmatched in either regard.
The penetrating force technique could be attributed to the opponent being a genius of the Gae-cheon lineage, possessing exceptional skill at such a young age.
But how could someone not yet in their twenties possess such vast reserves of internal force? It was incomprehensible.
“It seems you’ve picked up quite a lot along the way.”
“Ah yes, those blessed by heaven are naturally followed by numerous fortunate encounters.”
It wasn’t a jest. Reflecting on everything I’d experienced, it might all have been the arrangement of something transcending human destiny.
Well, that’s not important right now.
“Surely the lower dantian alone shouldn’t put me at a disadvantage?”
“That much is certainly true. However…”
The instant Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s eyes blazed with killing intent, I thrust my blade forward using the technique of Sawu-gwan-am, then swiftly withdrew it.
“Oh no, that won’t do. I haven’t opened my dantian yet.”
A warrior who reaches the pinnacle can transcend the lower dantian and utilize both the middle and upper dantian.
Unlike the lower dantian, one can even acquire special abilities.
If I just stand idle while the situation turns disadvantageous, I’d be a complete fool.
“It seems you old man have only succeeded in opening your dantian as well?”
“…Did you propose an internal energy clash just to confirm that?”
“Yeah. What, did you think I was being arrogant?”
I assessed Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s level.
If the pinnacle realm were expressed as ten steps, he had climbed seven or more, but three steps still remained.
‘At this level, there’s nothing I can’t handle.’
It might be somewhat dangerous, but if I stake my life, I can kill him without difficulty.
I’d have to endure injuries, but with the Tang Family’s medical arts combined with Hwa-cheon Seon-gi, I could recover quickly.
“I’m going all out. Prepare yourself, old man.”
“That’s my line.”
A hand wrapped in solidified energy aimed at my vital points.
Even the slightest touch would tear flesh away, but that wasn’t the main concern.
If I allowed direct contact with my body instead of the sword, I could suffer severe internal injuries and collapse—nothing would be surprising.
‘The key to this fight is speed.’
I must whittle down my opponent without allowing any contact whatsoever.
I need to move one step faster than that old demon, surpassing his speed and seizing the advantage in close combat.
‘Well, it shouldn’t be too difficult. Actually, it will be difficult, but it’s entirely possible.’
That’s why I’ve progressed slowly but steadily and firmly, unlike my past life.
Gae-cheon-bak-pal-geom, Sixth Form.
Wind Swift Hawk Return.
The wind spins the hawk’s divine form, causing it to ascend.
I thrust my sword upward from below, striking Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s forearm as he aimed for my neck.
Clang!
‘His protective energy is quite formidable.’
Even though I targeted his forearm instead of his hand wrapped in energy, I couldn’t inflict a wound.
Considering the sword energy blazing from my blade, his protective energy could be called protective force instead.
My sword form came to nothing, so now it was Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s turn.
As I lowered my stance and twisted my body, his palm strike pierced through my scattering hair, aimed at my neck.
Unsatisfied with that, Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol spread his fingers wide, trying to touch even one finger to my vital points.
Moreover, his fist energy extended and stretched, targeting my body.
“Tch!”
Seeing him deform his solidified energy so freely, I felt a genuine sense of danger—he was no ordinary opponent.
The speed at which he transformed his solidified energy was itself proof of his martial prowess.
“Hehe, are you getting scared now?”
The sense of danger must have shown on my face.
“Did it show?”
“Stop pretending to be calm. A year from today will be the anniversary of your death.”
One misstep, even by a fraction, and I’d be departing for the afterlife with the ferryman of the dead.
But if I feared that, I wouldn’t have taken up the sword in the first place.
‘I suppose I’ll have to push myself after all.’
I admitted it—with my current martial prowess, I couldn’t defeat Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol uninjured.
In other words, if I accepted injury, I could win.
Faster. More powerful.
“Hss, haa.”
The moment my eyes flashed with brilliant light, Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol let out a sharp cry.
“Latent Force Eruption? Are you insane! How could you even—!”
“Hehehehe, let’s die together.”
A warrior at the pinnacle realm can manipulate three types of qi.
The qi of the lower dantian. The original qi of the middle dantian. The spirit qi of the upper dantian.
Among these, original qi refers to the innate qi.
The fundamental power that all life possesses from birth.
“How could one who just reached the pinnacle realm unleash Latent Force Eruption!”
What makes a pinnacle master terrifying isn’t their ability to reach the realm of sword qi merchants and fight with materialized qi.
The core of martial power comes from the opening of all three dantians.
In battles between pinnacle masters where sword qi is the baseline, this is what determines victory and defeat.
‘I haven’t even begun to open the Conception and Governing Vessels yet.’
It would be safer to proceed cautiously, but the crisis is immediate—there’s no other choice.
I’ll force it open. There will be aftereffects, but in this lifetime where I can manipulate spirit qi, recovery is well within reach.
Thump! Thump!
A sound like a hammer striking stone, or perhaps like the beating of a heart, resonates through my inner being.
One of the functions of opening the middle dantian—Latent Force Eruption.
Blood dripping from the corner of my mouth, I grinned and swung my blade.
The Gae-cheon-bak-pal-geom’s fourth form, opening stance—White Feather Presses Apex.
Divine transformation stance, Heavenly Wing Presses Peak.
A sword infused with the mysteries of Heavenly Escape swordsmanship bears down on Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol from above.
From the moving blade, sword qi blazes forth, appearing ten times larger than the blade itself.
Kwaaang!
Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol succeeded in blocking the sword strike itself.
But my attack wasn’t composed of the blade alone.
What happens when you swing a burning torch against a wall?
The moment it collides, sparks scatter in all directions.
The blade is the wing. As the wing unfolds, countless feathers scatter.
Each one was a lethal instrument of attack.
“Kugh!”
In an instant, Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s entire body was drenched in blood.
Had it not been for his protective qi, he would have become a lump of flesh with a single strike.
Yang Hwi slashed his blade again with a vicious grin.
“You wretched old bastard, you shouldn’t have done that.”
You had no right to mock and insult my father.
-Screeeee!
Each time the blade trembled roughly, wings fluttered feathers through the air.
The sword energy split apart, spewing feather-shaped sparks of light.
“How dare you spout such nonsense?”
Boom!
“You? A petty wretch with nothing but emptiness in your heart?”
Boom!
Cough!
I spat blood even as I pressed the attack. There was no helping it—I’d forcibly drawn out the power of my middle dantian.
Well, that bastard was bleeding from every inch of his body anyway.
If I could cleanly sever his neck, it would be worth it regardless.
-Screeeee!
The hawk shrieked sharply. It spread its wings, revealing beautiful feathers.
Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol desperately surged his energy, but it fell woefully short.
“I’m going all the way. If you don’t want to die, use your original energy. Let’s fight until our qi runs dry.”
Boom!
Dread settled across Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s face.
No—it went beyond mere dread. Fear painted his features.
“Heh, getting scared now?”
I threw back the exact same words he’d spoken moments before, then slashed my blade again.
Gae-cheon-bak-pal-geom, Second Form: Twin Wings Folding Slash.
Two streams of sword energy converged from both sides, targeting Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol.
If he couldn’t evade, his head would separate from his body.
“Ugh!”
Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol, no Taoist priest, twisted his head upward and wore a Taoist temple crown like one.
Both streams of sword energy severed the crown and a chunk of his head. With disheveled hair, Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol pulled his body back.
I gave him no opening, closing the distance and slashing again.
That was the moment.
“Burst!”
With Hyeong-san Eum-hyeol’s convulsive cry, several intense auras erupted from the surroundings.
‘So this is how it comes out?’
I knew it—that black-robed bastard’s methods are absolutely repulsive.

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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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