Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 245

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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 245
Seeing Namgung Cheon-yeong’s distorted face, I couldn’t help but smile.
Ever since his recent enlightenment, much of his childish demeanor had faded, yet Namgung Cheon-yeong remained fundamentally unchanged.
“Don’t be angry, Soga-joonim. This is the moment your worthiness to wield my right hand has been proven.”
“Baek Yang-hwi… you bastard.”
When someone hurls insults at your parents to your face, it’s only natural to feel rage—unless you’ve achieved enlightenment and become a Buddha.
‘What I’m doing now is an even greater insult to a warrior.’
Despite being naturally right-handed, I had wielded my sword with my left hand throughout this match.
It was no different from a master calligrapher writing with his feet while mocking someone for not being worthy of using his hands.
“Whoa, calm down. Losing your composure won’t help. You mustn’t let your guard slip.”
After speaking, I genuinely increased the distance between us, giving Namgung Cheon-yeong time to compose himself.
I couldn’t afford to appear as though I’d provoked him into excitement.
I needed to overwhelmingly crush Namgung Cheon-yeong once he’d regained his focus and unleashed his full power.
‘That’s precisely why I’ve deliberately used only my left hand until now.’
This wasn’t limited to today.
Months ago, when I first left the family for the Yongbong Conference.
From that point on, Yang Hwi had begun designing strategies for the opponents I would face in the True Dragon Tournament.
Victory was already assured, but I had been contemplating how to maximize gains in reputation and other benefits.
‘The card I prepared for you was my left hand, you bastard.’
I had consistently wielded my sword with my left hand to deceive a warrior’s keen eye.
Fortunately, since no one—not even the Namgung—had noticed, this secret remained known only to my companions.
‘This level of humiliation should be enough to say I’ve truly crushed the roots.’
In my past life, Namgung had tried to kill Yang Hwi to nip him in the bud.
But I couldn’t kill Namgung Cheon-yeong in kind.
Setting aside immediate disqualification from the True Dragon Tournament, engaging in open warfare with the Namgung Family now would guarantee the clan’s destruction.
Therefore, I needed to be more cunning.
‘It’s not necessary to kill someone to crush their roots.’
I simply needed to trample them thoroughly so they could never grow.
For instance, making the four characters of Namgung Cheon-yeong synonymous with the Namgung Family’s shame.
Transforming the family’s greatest talent—carefully nurtured by Namgung’s devotion—into the family’s disgrace.
“Well, you seem calmer now. Shall we resume the match?”
Namgung Cheon-yeong responded in a composed yet intensely resolute tone.
“Baek Yang-hwi. From this moment on, I shall forget this is a match. I will kill you without fail.”
Though he openly declared his intent to kill, the Referee did not halt the match.
Actual killing would result in disqualification, but a mere declaration couldn’t be considered a rule violation.
It wasn’t uncommon for competitors to shout things like “Die!” as a battle cry during matches.
In fact, the Referee himself thought that had he received the insult Namgung Cheon-yeong endured, he would have been seething with murderous intent.
“By all means. However… the nature of this match will change considerably, so don’t be shocked.”
Until now, the flow of the match had been Namgung Cheon-yeong launching relentless offensives with his Thirteen Thunderous Strikes while I defensively blocked or evaded.
But now.
Blade clashed against blade. Yet unlike before, no thunderous boom echoed forth.
“You’ve seen it before, haven’t you? Wuhua Daiso.”
Wuhua Daiso. A supreme technique of borrowing force to redirect an opponent’s power, grounded in the mysteries of vibration—akin to a Shaman’s Four Directions Breaking Heaven technique.
It was a move that had been mistaken for a sorcery of the Suction Star Great Method during the preliminary matches.
Namgung Cheon-yeong responded with an immediate counterattack rather than hesitation.
A sword strike targeting the vital point, infused with the essence of thunder.
A thrust reminiscent of Seomjeon.
“Too slow.”
The tip of a sword blade was literally nothing more than a single point.
I met the incoming blade tip with my own blade tip with perfect precision, neutralizing the thrust.
A wondrous technique that could never be displayed at any ordinary level.
But that wasn’t all.
“You’re starting to catch on, aren’t you? I’ve deciphered all thirteen sword thunders of Seomjeon.”
“….”
All thirteen sword thunders, every technique had a corresponding counter-method.
No matter which technique Namgung Cheon-yeong unleashed, I easily parried his attacks.
Even the onlookers, who knew not a single move of martial arts, could see the blatant dismantling of Seomjeon’s thirteen sword thunders.
“Thank you, Family Head. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to see through the mysteries of the Namgung Family’s secret sword technique. Though it’s quite meager, it should prove helpful to my studies.”
Completing a counter-method meant mastering the target martial art from beginning to end.
The leakage of martial arts. Regardless of righteousness or evil, all martial sects viewed this gravely and sought to prevent it.
Yet none blamed one for mastering techniques during a duel.
To do so would be admitting that one’s sect’s martial arts were so shallow that their secrets were revealed in mere exchanges.
‘Well, truthfully, I’ve been preparing this counter-method since right after my regression.’
And this was the sword technique of the Namgung Family, foremost among the Five Great Families.
There was no way a counter could be devised from a brief glimpse.
I had seen the martial art itself countless times in my past life, and I had merely added the final piece—this duel with Namgung Cheon-yeong—to the counter-method I had devised through long contemplation.
‘A truth Namgung Cheon-yeong can never know.’
“One technique alone is unsatisfying, so let’s move on. Unfurl the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Method. Perhaps I’ll gain one more worthwhile technique.”
“Baek Yang-hwi….”
“You’ve already realized that if you keep relying solely on Seomjeon’s thirteen sword thunders, you’ll never kill me. So what will you do, Family Head?”
Namgung Cheon-yeong’s momentum transformed.
The sensation that had been swift and electrifying as lightning shifted into something serene yet lofty, vast yet heavy.
‘Cangqiong Boundless Sword.’
Cangqiong Boundless Sword Method. The Namgung Family’s supreme secret sword art.
Cangqiong meant the heavens themselves, while boundless signified something vast and distant with no end.
In other words, it was a divine technique that succeeded in capturing the infinite nature of the heavens within a single blade.
It proved why Namgung deserved the epithet of the Cangqiong Sword Family.
“Prepare yourself. The boundlessness of Cangqiong reduces even Seomjeon’s sword thunders to mere fragments within it.”
“How considerate, even warning me beforehand.”
‘I’m the fool here—in my past life, I fought you at your absolute peak.’
The Boundless Azure Sky Sword? Yes, certainly impressive.
It lives up to the name of a divine technique.
But here’s the thing.
At the end of the day, it’s still just a hand wielding a blade at the peak realm.
Boundless Azure Sky Sword Technique, Middle Stance Sword Secret.
Inner Azure Sky Piercing Downward Support Stance!
In mastering the sword, I cultivated within myself the image of the heavens.
The heavens thrust downward upon all beneath them.
In this moment, the carpenter’s hammer became the heavens, and the chisel in my other hand became the azure sky.
The Boundless Azure Sky Sword Technique—the core sword form that serves as its very trunk.
‘Certainly, it is an impressive technique.’
Impressive. My admiration ended right there.
I had already witnessed the pinnacle of the Namgung Family’s sword arts in my previous life.
Beginning with Sword Thunder, ascending to become the heavens, and finally achieving the majestic bearing of a completed Emperor’s Sword.
‘The Emperor Sword Form… Since I seized the Heavenly Dull Sword Technique that Namgung should have obtained, it cannot be created in this lifetime. That’s somewhat regrettable.’
No matter how vast and heavy the heavens are.
No matter if one uses such heavens as a hammer to drive in the chisel.
If the one wielding it is not an emperor.
‘You fall short, Namgung Cheon-yeong, not yet even of age.’
In my previous life, you were an opponent I could feel exhilaration in defeating.
But that changes nothing about who you are now.
Underdeveloped, clumsy, unable to reach the same height.
“Heaven or whatever—it’s all beneath me!”
If the heavens transformed into hammer and chisel were to strike the earth below.
The Gaecheon Hundred Eight Sword, Sixth Form.
Wind Swift Hawk Return, Second Secret Variation!
Just as the wind changes the direction of a hawk’s flight, my blade surged upward from below.
Dense sword energy clustered on the surface, while vibrant intent dwelled within.
Crash-crash-crash-crash-boom!
The Gaecheon Sword perfectly neutralized the Boundless Azure Sky Sword.
The shockwave was so fierce that several referees had to step in.
I twirled my blade and lifted the corners of my mouth.
“What a shame. For all that resolve, it blocked far too easily.”
Instead of a response, came the sound of grinding teeth.
At this point, surely every Namgung guy watching was seething with rage?
Now was the time to transform that rage into a frustration beyond description.
“Family Head, I’ve seen your heavens well enough. Now let me show you mine. Since I’ve witnessed how high Namgung’s azure sky reaches, consider this the price.”
If Namgung’s way is the Azure Heaven, then the Baek Family’s way is the Gaecheon.
Ironically, this path too sought to manifest an image that included the heavens.
But that was not all.
‘Leaving Gaecheon behind, if we’re talking about the heavens, I have a move carved into my mind as well.’
I quietly swept my gaze across the surroundings.
The Cheonmu-sip-jon seated in the upper positions watching over me—among them, Pacheon Eum Hu and the Taeguk Sword Master.
The heir of the Seon Family and the successor of the Geom Seon bloodline.
And beyond that, even the Hyeol-gyo Leader watching with their identity concealed.
I was curious what reaction they would show upon witnessing this.
‘Heavenly Escape Sword Technique (天遁劍法), First Form. Heavenly Press (天押)’
A sword form from Geom Seon Yeo Dong-bin, obtained when I faced a crisis caused by Hyeol-an at the Geom Wang Fortress.
Five long years had been sufficient time to create and perfect dozens of forms from that foundation.
“Watch carefully. The height of my heavens.”
Among the Three Calamities Sword Technique, the form that slashes downward from above is called Mount Taishan’s Press.
It means crushing all things beneath the weight of Mount Taishan.
Extremely simple, yet a sword form that cannot help but follow the principles of reason.
Just as the Spear Palace Unobstructed Sword’s inner spear character downward press, this new form I’m about to demonstrate likewise follows the pattern of Mount Taishan’s Press.
-Kyiiiiiiii!
The blade begins to sing. A faint image of a white hawk materializes over the sword in my grip.
It means the vivid qi is taking on its own form.
“Here I come, Namgung Cheon-yeong. Try to block it once.”
A single blade transformed into a pair of wings.
White. And immense.
Could the wings of the great Peng bird from the Classic of Mountains and Seas be like this?
Still faint, they spanned only dozens of zhang, but that was more than enough to fill the entire fifteen-zhang-wide martial stage.
Gaecheon One Hundred Eight Sword Technique (蓋天百八劍), Second Secret.
Heavenly Wings Pressing Heaven Below (天翼壓天下)!
Wings embracing the heavens pressed down upon all things beneath the sky.
-Kyiiiiii!
The Namgung Family’s Great Breaking Hawk gained enlightenment of unobstructed wisdom by gazing at the heavens, and thus created the Spear Palace Unobstructed Sword.
Yet in this moment, the heavens of the Baek Family of Gaecheon were more unobstructed than those of the Spear Palace Sword Family.
Ku-gu-gu-u-u-ung!
As if the heavens themselves were collapsing, the wings covered the martial stage.
Gaecheon—the technique of covering the heavens—yet instead of becoming a roof, it collapsed and covered the earth as a Heavenly Collapse (天崩).
Instead of becoming a roof, the sky collapsed and covered the earth.
‘Hss. The power is more tremendous than I expected. Well, I poured a massive amount of inner force into it.’
Namgung Cheon-yeong… he’s not dead, is he?
If he dies, it’s a disqualification loss, and then it’s all-out war with those Namgung bastards.
That would be troublesome.
Fortunately, I sense it.
The dust cloud slowly clears. Namgung Cheon-yeong lies sprawled on his knees, his entire body tattered and torn.
I looked at his eyes.
Empty and unfocused, as if his spirit had departed his body.
Upon reflection, it was indeed an apt comparison.
I turned my gaze toward the spectator seats where the Namgung Family Members sat.
‘Heh heh, you Namgung guys. Every last one of you has eyes like a frozen pollack.’
And well they should. The Cangung Unbound Sword was the very soul of the Changcheon Sword Clan—in other words, the Namgung Family.
For such a sword technique to fall before another of similar principle yet higher mastery was inevitable.
From the Namgung perspective, it must have felt like losing their very soul.
‘They all felt it. Beyond the realm of swordsmanship itself, they were overwhelmed by the enlightenment contained within the sword technique.’
No matter how extraordinary the Cangung Unbound Sword might be, it could never surpass the Heavenly Benefit Pressing Heaven, forged from the foundations of Geom Seon’s techniques.
“Referee. Will you declare the victor?”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
The Referee, having assessed Namgung Cheon-yeong’s condition, cried out.
“The victor is… Gaecheon Geomryong Baek Yang-hwi!”
I had toyed with the Family Head, even playing with my left and right hands, while listening to the death cry of the Namgung Family’s hope.
In merely a few hundred exchanges, I had completely dismantled the Namgung Secret Technique: Thirteen Thunder Swords.
Moreover, I had pressed down the heaven contained within the Namgung sword with a different heaven of the same principle, thereby denying the Namgung Way itself head-on.
‘At this point, I can say I’ve thoroughly crushed their roots.’
I was satisfied.
An ancient grudge spanning lifetimes.
I had placed the final punctuation mark on the last character and written the first character of a new story exactly as I desired.

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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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