Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 315

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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 315
“Mudang Il-geom, Yun-un Shin-geom, Taeguk Hyeon-ryong. Waryong Musang, Gae-cheon Jeil-ryong, Pye-wol Jeil-bong. Show respect.”
Three from the Mudang Sect: an Elder-class master, a First Disciple, and a Late-stage expert.
Two from the Jegal Family: the Family Head and a Late-stage expert.
The balance was hardly what one would call a fair match.
It would be no exaggeration to say the Mudang had forced this confrontation, so heavily did the scales tip in their favor.
The gathered onlookers naturally began whispering their speculations.
“I came to watch the Mudang and Jegal clash, but… should I leave?”
“Indeed. The atmosphere feels ominous.”
“Is it possible the Mudang arranged this gathering to publicly humiliate the Jegal Family?”
The Mudang Sect Master was a Transcendent Master. Even the faintest whisper would reach his ears with ease.
His shoulders trembled slightly.
“Wait and see, Jegal Family Head.”
“Hmm? I’m not sure what you mean.”
Watching Jegal Pae continue to feign ignorance, Yang Hwi silently marveled at his cunning.
‘He must have planned this far ahead, suddenly including me in the match.’
It seemed he had already prepared contingencies for defeat as well.
But I couldn’t afford to lose to the Mudang.
Victory opened far more possibilities than defeat ever could.
“Elder brother. Can we win?”
The voice beside me carried a hint of anxiety.
“Of course. We’ve trained hard these past four days. Isn’t that right, Uncle?”
Jegal Seon nodded firmly.
“Seol-ha. Believe in yourself. Only those who believe can grasp the rope.”
Had circumstances been different, Seol-ha would have shown a cheerful and confident demeanor.
But her role in this match was far too crucial.
Without her, this confrontation could not even take place.
‘True enough… they have two Transcendent Masters and one Late-stage expert.’
While we have one Transcendent Master and two Late-stage experts.
The disparity in strength made victory seem impossible.
And yet.
“Seol-ha.”
“Yes, elder brother.”
“Relax. We will win.”
“…Yes!”
Seol-ha’s face brightened. More precisely, a glimmer of faith kindled within her eyes.
Jegal Seon could only watch this with a grim expression.
“All three pairs, begin the match!”
The match had begun, yet none of the Mudang’s three moved.
‘Remarkably composed, aren’t they.’
Objectively speaking, comparing our full strength would be meaningless.
“For fairness, I shall concede the first move, Jegal Family Head.”
“I appreciate your goodwill, Mudang Il-geom.”
Mudang Il-geom nodded with a look of indifference.
Save for the Taeguk Sword Master, Mudang Il-geom was practically synonymous with being the Mudang’s First Sword, so it was only natural.
Even Jegal Seon, the oldest and most skilled among them, was merely on par with Yun-un Shin-geom, a Transcendent Master of the First Disciple rank.
‘I won’t be nervous. But you see, a person can die from a single rusted needle pricking their sole as they walk down the road.’
Over the past four days, that frail needle had succeeded in embedding rust that would fester a person’s foot.
“Seol-ha, we have time now. Prepare yourself slowly.”
“Yes. That’s a relief, truly.”
The foundation of the demonstration I would show shortly rested on Seol-ha’s abilities.
Since my skill in wielding these abilities was still immature and required time to concentrate, receiving the concession of the first move was quite convenient.
“It seems you have some strategy prepared?”
It was a question from Mudang Il-geom.
He certainly looked at ease.
I called out warmly in response.
“Yes! Please look forward to it!”
“Very well. Show me what you have.”
With such a disparity in strength, conceding the first move was inevitable.
Otherwise, there would be gossip in the aftermath.
It seemed they intended to watch leisurely after making the concession.
‘From their attitude… they’ve grown careless. Or rather, they’re certain of their superiority.’
Since things had become easier, I couldn’t help but smile.
However, Jegal Seon appeared to have his pride wounded.
“Yang-hwi. Look at the attitude of these Mudang bastards. They’re making me want to teach them a lesson.”
“Let’s show them that one can lose their life to a rusted needle stepped on while walking down the road.”
“Indeed. Have they not even learned that carelessness is forbidden in combat? I never expected the Shaman’s Disciples to display such arrogance.”
‘It’s precisely because they are the Shaman’s Disciples that they can afford such composure even against the Jegal Family. More accurately, because they are the disciples led by the Taeguk Sword Master.’
Everything has its limits.
When confidence becomes excessive, it transforms into arrogance.
They’re at ease because they trust in the martial arts of the Mudang Sect, which rose to prominence only a century ago.
But when ease overflows, it becomes negligence.
‘Even if only for the sake of using this against the Demonic Cult bastards in the future, I should prick their backsides with this needle. Sharply, at that.’
If they’re at ease because they believe we cannot defeat them no matter what we do,
If they believe that one who has learned the martial arts of the Mudang Sect, created and transmitted by the Taeguk Sword Master, will never lose to an opponent of lower rank,
Then they could suffer greatly from the Demonic Cult’s mysterious and wondrous techniques.
“Kekeke.”
“Elder brother, why are you laughing like that all of a sudden?”
“Look at their expressions now, and imagine what they’ll look like shortly after.”
Mudang Il-geom with a bored face. Yun-un Shin-geom with a contemptuous expression.
Hyeon Geom, the Taeguk Transcendent Master, maintained an expressionless face, yet those two visages alone were more than enough to provoke Seol-ha’s anger.
“Hehehehe. Hehehehehehe. You were comforting me because I was trembling so much, weren’t you? The effect is absolutely remarkable.”
Seol-ha, her eyes sharp as blades, concentrated even more intensely and unleashed her power.
In response, Jegal Seon also began drawing forth the mental image from within his mind to the outside world.
It was a mental image he had named Mwoa-mwoa.
‘The mental image of the Jegal Family Head is called One Blade, Half Corpse? Is this right?’
One Blade, Half Corpse—literally meaning to cleave something in half with a single stroke.
Moreover, Jegal Seon was not a Daoist but a Swordsman!
‘It must mean the Jegal Family’s recent circumstances were that suffocating.’
As the Family Head and confirmed successor, Jegal Seon must have felt it all the more acutely.
So much so that he wished to split everything in two with a single blade.
“Hmm. At least assume a proper stance.”
“Yes, Elder.”
All three Mudang Sect Disciples raised their swords and began to take defensive positions.
But it was already too late. Rather, they were only facilitating the activation of the formation.
For to destroy something required an opponent to exist.
“Uncle! Now is the moment!”
“Understood!”
Jegal Seon’s mental image, One Blade Half Corpse, began to transform.
The momentum that had been like one massive blade shifted into points of light.
“Haaaah!”
With Jegal Seon’s battle cry, the points multiplied.
From one to two, from two to three. From three to dozens.
The glimmering points emanated a sensation that evoked something profound.
‘Uncle’s fundamental swordsmanship is ultimately the Great Celestial Star Sword Technique.’
The ultimate form of the Celestial Star Sword Technique that the Jegal Family prided itself upon.
Yet even the Great Celestial Star Sword Technique fell short compared to the blades of renowned sword sects.
Not only the Great Celestial Star Sword Technique, but all the martial arts of the Jegal Family suffered the same limitation.
For a family claiming to be among the Five Great Families, the principles they contained were not particularly profound.
‘But the Hyeon-won Jeon-dan Divine Art is different.’
A divine art capable of handling Spiritual Qi from the Upper Dantian from the moment of initiation.
Practitioners gained exceptional intellectual ability along with a unique power of their own.
One of the strengths that allowed the Jegal Family to maintain its position among the Five Great Families.
‘The Jegal Family can depict everything through formations. The Hyeon-won Jeon-dan Divine Art derives mathematical formulas.’
The points of One Blade Half Corpse—no, the stars of the Celestial Star Sword Technique—began to draw formations and shapes.
And people call such a gathering of stars with formation and shape by this name.
Constellation—the stars themselves arranged in pattern.
Therefore, the formation prepared over three days should be called thus.
“Three-Day Constellation Formation, activating.”
“Brother, it’s not the Three-Day Constellation Formation but the Waryong Musang Extreme Breaking Formation.”
“Activate it, then.”
The Mudang Sect Disciples were also releasing their combined formation.
Three streams of momentum converged into one, circulating in harmony.
In essence, it was the Taeguk itself—the very pinnacle of Mudang martial arts.
‘Yet it is not without flaws.’
In my past life, I had ascended to a far greater height than they.
Therefore, I could see it. A gap that my current realm could not directly exploit.
‘If I cannot probe it directly, I shall entrust it to the blade.’
I pulled my lips upward, acutely aware of the weakness I had discovered.
My intent unraveled completely, and Jegal Seol-ha’s eyes snapped wide open.
‘Show me…!’
Mental interference. Her ability, likely originating from a blank canvas body.
If compared to painting, she was a copyist. She could only observe and replicate.
That was enough.
“I understand, daughter!”
The constellation shifts. The formation changes.
The stellar formation wedged itself directly into the gap of circulation.
“…!”
“…!”
“What!”
All three Mudang Sect Disciples gasped in shock, regardless of their positions.
The circulation—the flow of the Seven-Star Sword Formation that the Mudang boasted—had been severed.
“Elder! Hyeon Geom! Support us!”
“Understood!”
“Understood, Master!”
Yun-un Shin-geom at the forefront swiftly wielded his blade.
The movement changed, so the flow changed as well, and the gap in circulation vanished.
But Jegal Seon’s response was equally immediate.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Yun-un Shin-geom, struck hard, gritted his teeth and cried out.
“Kugh, Elder! I will go all out!”
“Understood! I shall draw forth my mental form as well!”
The difference between two Transcendent Masters and one Transcendent Master.
Since the realm of the two was higher, victory should come swiftly.
It had to.
“Hahahaha! Futile!”
Jegal Seon laughed heartily as he brought his blade down, and the shifted constellation devoured the mental forms of both Transcendent Masters entirely.
“What manner of technique is this!”
“Waryong Musang, your martial prowess was not of this caliber!”
“This is the Great Heavenly Star Sword Art of the Jegal Family, you Mudang whelps! Hahahaha!”
Before countless eyes, the Cheonseong Sword Technique was overwhelming the Mudang Sword Arts.
For Jegal Seon, joy surged from the crown of his head—it was simply inevitable.
His hearty laughter never ceased.
“I shall take the lead, Saja!”
“Please, Elder!”
Mudang Il-geom began to exert his full strength, yet the situation would not change.
The gap had only narrowed, but it remained visible, and Yang Hwi’s intent was transmitted to Jegal Seon through Seol-ha.
“Mudang Il-geom! To receive the blade of one so renowned—it is truly an honor!”
These words came right after deflecting the sword’s essence. It was difficult not to catch the hidden meaning.
The Jegal Family members wore satisfied expressions, while the faces of the Mudang Sect disciples grew increasingly darker.
‘It is time to end this.’
Despite my current animosity, we must eventually stand together to reclaim Mu-han.
If I demoralize them too much now, it will create problems later….
“Let us end the duel here.”
“Huh?!”
“Kyaaah!”
A gale erupted. The Samil Seongja Formation shattered in an instant.
Jegal Seon and Jegal Seol-ha were blown backward, and suddenly the Taeguk Sword Master stood before Yang Hwi.
“Young one. Where did you obtain it?”
For now… it would be best to play ignorant.
“What do you speak of, sir?”
“Young one. You did not destroy the disciples’ martial arts through normal means, did you?”
I had anticipated that if the Taeguk Half-Sword were revealed, the Mudang Sect would resort to any means to silence me.
But the reaction was more violent than expected.
‘I never expected the Sword Master himself to intervene directly.’
For now, I would feign ignorance and buy time….
“Waryong Musang is impossible. No one of the Jegal Family can break through the Taeguk. Yet, young one, they call you Pye-wol Jeil-bong.”
Pye-wol Jeil-bong. A title earned by slaying a Transcendent Master at the peak realm.
Praise meaning one who destroys all without crossing the wall itself.
“Breaking through the principles of the Taeguk is an impossible feat. Yet young one, you have accomplished it.”
Though it was clearly Jegal Seon who had performed, the Sword Master’s eyes never left Yang Hwi.
Whatever I said would not be believed.
No, it seemed the Taeguk Sword Master had no intention of listening from the start.
“Receive it. If you cannot, you will die.”
“Pardon?”
No discussion. The Sword Master did not wait.
The Sword Master’s blade—the current greatest sword under heaven—descended upon Yang Hwi’s head.
‘Damn it, if I cannot block this, I die…!’
I felt no killing intent, yet he was truly attempting to slay me.
No—he possessed absolute conviction that I would block it.
‘What kind of ridiculous certainty is this? He’s not even a disciple I raised—he’s a complete stranger!’
My body moved in a frenzy of motion, dancing without restraint.
Following the sword dance, my intention likewise painted a singular image.
The Taeguk, the subtle principle that severed the logic of circulation.
The Taeguk Sword Master sheathed his blade.
“Haah, haah.”
Though it lasted only moments, it felt as though we had exchanged hundreds of strikes.
I gasped for breath, my vital energy depleted from the sudden exertion, as I gazed upon the Taeguk Sword Master.
An expressionless face.
‘It seems I’ve been defeated, doesn’t it.’
Immediately after, the Taeguk Sword Master opened his mouth.
“Young one. Will you not learn the Hyeon Geom?”
Shockwaves rippled outward.
Astonishment and impact erupted into chaos.

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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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