Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 325

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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 325
The first step of Shatter Heaven Divine Form. That is, one step.
Tread Heaven. The character for tread, combined with the character for heaven.
How can I shatter heaven when I haven’t even set foot upon it?
Therefore, to achieve Shatter Heaven, I must first Tread Heaven.
“Brother, I’ve been meaning to mention this for a while.”
“Hmm?”
“Your naming sense seems to lean heavily toward grandiosity. It lacks a certain elegance, doesn’t it?”
“….”
“Honestly, even Twin Wings Twin Life Flower Three Calamities feels like an assassin who’s read a few characters and wants to show off by deliberately choosing grandiose technique names.”
It stings. She’s struck right at the heart of it.
This Seolha, with eyes that read one’s true nature—has she somehow read even my past life?
“Fine, I’m childish. Are you satisfied?”
“That wasn’t meant as criticism! I actually like it. Our Jegal Family tends to be too restrained in how we display our elegance.”
Come to think of it, even Primordial Foundation Divine Art has that quality.
A tree rooted entirely in a foundation of profound and mysterious origins—it’s certainly difficult to grasp what it truly means.
‘In comparison, Tread Heaven is simple, direct, and impressive.’
Seolha let out a soft laugh watching Yang Hwi puff up with pride, then asked in earnest.
“So what ability does this divine form contain? Are the abilities of Shatter Heaven Divine Form and Tread Heaven separate?”
In Seolha’s eyes, a winged creature spanning roughly twenty zhang still shimmered before her.
It had begun as a hawk, but now it was a divine form—a majestic presence that could even be mistaken for a dragon depending on how one looked at it.
Having witnessed it directly, she couldn’t help but be curious.
“Well, the ability of Shatter Heaven Divine Form… I’ll think about it more and tell you later. For now, Tread Heaven is like this.”
The heavens grasped in the palm of a hand fracture.
It resembled the sphere of the Taeguk that Geom-ong had drawn with his sword, seemed to contain the melody of all things that Eum Hu sang, and felt like Baek Moo-ryang, the Family Head of the Baek Family, proclaiming that this very thing was Opening Heaven and Connecting Earth.
“A heart that wishes to reach all things, wherever they may be… isn’t that what you said?”
“Yes. That very heart is Tread Heaven.”
The person who had called Primordial Foundation Divine Art abstract was now spouting something even more vague, which was somewhat absurd.
But Seolha leaned forward with even greater curiosity.
“Would you demonstrate it on me?”
“Should I?”
When a warrior displays such passion, one must naturally oblige.
Yang Hwi nodded readily. Tread Heaven’s ability was not of the dangerous variety, so there was no problem at all.
“I’ll apply one second of force to you, Seolha. Prepare your full defense.”
“Understood.”
Seolha drew the Heavenly Sound Lute from her back and plucked the strings while striking the drum.
Boom, boom-boom, boom-boom-boom!
Ching, ching-a-ling, ching-a-ling-a-ling!
A third melody layered upon the two harmonies.
“Ahhhhh, ahhhhhhhhh!”
I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight before me.
‘So Seolha truly is a born genius, after all.’
It wasn’t as though I had never wielded three types of sound techniques before, but this was distinctly different from anything prior.
She was applying the mysteries of the Twin-Wing Twin-Life Flower Three Talents to maximize the technique’s power.
‘Sound waves. Nothing but formless vibrations, and yet….’
A circular sound wave barrier undulating around Seolha. No—a sound membrane.
It was so seamless that there appeared to be no way to breach it whatsoever.
“Impressive, isn’t it? Since sound is ultimately formless, it can seal off both inside and outside like a qi barrier without suffocating anyone.”
“Exactly.”
Seolha’s voice transmitted through the sound membrane sounded strangely ethereal.
“For a Sound Master, the most important thing is not taking damage in the first place.”
Block or evade. Since evasion had the Thousand-League Step, it seemed she had devoted considerable effort to the blocking approach as well.
But here’s the thing.
“Seolha. You don’t realize?”
“Realize what?”
“No matter how hard someone at the Peak realm struggles….”
Seolha’s expression turned fierce. She continued without backing down.
“They cannot compare to a Transcendent Master.”
It was hardly my place to say such things, having crushed Transcendent Masters back when I was merely at the Peak realm, earning the title Moonless Wave Wall Breaker.
But what did it matter? What mattered now was thoroughly enjoying this exchange.
“Now, watch!”
I thrust my hand forward. Piercing through the sound membrane that seemed impenetrable, my hand grasped Seolha’s hand firmly.
“How—how is this possible?”
“Because I willed it.”
The will to reach all things, wherever they may be.
“Brother, surely not?”
She stepped upon the wind. Her form vanished in an instant, leaving only a single thread of sound transmission.
-Try to cut me.
Without drawing my sword, I unfurled the Sword Finger technique instead.
I swung it lightly, and three strands of Seolha’s hair fell.
-Kiiiiiiiii!
I deployed the Thousand-Response Thousand-Life Divine technique. Wreathed in the hawk’s cry, I appeared before Seolha.
“I touched you.”
“…Brother.”
Seolha could not hide her shock.
She had grasped what the function of Dap-cheon meant.
“Could it be a technique that occupies space itself?”
“Halfway there? To be precise, it’s that if I will it, I can reach anything.”
‘That’s the same thing!’
After releasing an internal cry of protest, Seolha asked again.
“Then you also blocked Seon’s assault? And his retreat?”
“Yes. I didn’t want to be touched, and I wanted to be touched.”
In essence, it was like this.
Dapcheon’s ability was infallibility—a guaranteed strike.
“Of course, if Seon had come at me with true intent, I’d be dead. His will and mental image are incomparably superior to mine.”
Though I had achieved a martial transcendence that could be called ascension rather than mere elevation.
Still, Seon remained a formidable force. An overwhelmingly formidable force.
To use an analogy, it was like the gap between humans and insects had narrowed to that between humans and dogs.
“But I can block a single kick, and if luck favors me, I might even bite his throat and kill him.”
“…You told Seon something, didn’t you? That you’d finally glimpsed a single path to reach him. This is it, then.”
“Exactly. Dapcheon—the way to touch the heavens.”
Infallibility. Throughout the martial world’s history, there had been those who took it as their epithet.
But infallibility was not a concept to be discussed so lightly.
Even Jeomchang, who sought to pierce the sun itself, had been achieved by fewer than five swordsmen across all of history.
“It’s not that remarkable. I still lack much and have far to go. It’s merely a single step, and I’m simply following where my heart leads.”
“….”
Seolha fell silent, unable to find words.
There was simply nothing to say.
For some reason, the person she thought closest to her seemed to have suddenly grown distant.
“Brother. Does everyone become this skilled immediately upon reaching the Mental Image Realm?”
“No? That couldn’t be.”
Yang Hwi, about to continue casually, paused for a moment.
That expression on Seolha’s face. I recognized it.
My younger brother Seo had shown it first, and I’d seen it countless times since.
Those who wore that expression chose one of two paths.
They either looked up, or they grew distant.
I hoped Seolha would be neither.
“It’s possible because I’m a genius.”
I deliberately made a mischievous expression. My entire body said: I’m clearly teasing you.
“You know this. The greatest talent under heaven surpasses the imagination of ordinary people. For me, nothing is impossible. At least not in this world.”
“You want to tease me that much? I’ll repay the debt. I’ll let you have it until I’m satisfied!”
With overwhelming momentum, Seolha swung her hand.
The strike was fierce, but it followed a trajectory that clearly anticipated Yang Hwi would dodge.
I offered my cheek.
Smack!
“Kyaaak!”
“I’m the one who got hit, so why are you surprised?”
“Brother!”
Tch, this girl. She put inner qi into it?
I grasped my reddened, swollen cheek and grinned widely.
“Your touch is quite sharp, isn’t it? If you can inflict pain upon a Transcendent Master’s body, you’ll ascend quickly, Seol Ha-ya.”
“Brother….”
“Seolha. You can do this too.”
There was no need to elaborate on what I meant.
“Really? Truly, do you think I can?”
The resolve I had held when I first saw Yang Hwi’s back.
I wanted to follow in the footsteps of that person.
No, not follow—I wanted to walk alongside him!
I alone would become his companion, walking beside him!
That resolve was wavering.
Doubt crept in about whether I could walk with him, whether I could achieve it.
And so Yang Hwi’s single word shook Seolha’s heart mercilessly.
“Really? Do you truly think I can reach such heights, brother?”
To ascend to such towering peaks as you have?
To transcend the wall of the Transcendent realm, not through ascension as immortals do, but to touch the very heavens themselves?
“Yes. Believe me. Have I ever spoken falsely?”
Yang Hwi nodded firmly.
“You are the one who lives witnessing the profound mysteries with your own eyes. It cannot be impossible.”
Even if the years endured and the pace achieved differ, if there exists but one person in all the world who has confirmed a position above the Cheonmu-sip-jon.
That person is Seolha.
Seolha is the one who can claim to have grasped a future that even Adu could not confirm.
“Believe. Have confidence and pride in yourself. Seolha, you will walk with me.”
I am carving a new path to walk together.
We will walk together.
I will make it so.
“Brother….”
It was when Seolha’s eyes began to shimmer with a tender light.
Gently, something floated into view.
“Lanterns.”
“Lanterns, indeed.”
Square lanterns now illuminated various corners of the darkening sky.
The slightly pale deep blue of the heavens, and in contrast, the bright and crimson lanterns shining beautifully.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Isn’t it? You knew, didn’t you? That’s why you suggested we play on the roof.”
“Hehe, yes.”
Points of light sparkled all around. Seolha casually extended her finger, connecting point to point.
“Oh, brother.”
“Hmm?”
“I can’t help it.”
“What do you mean?”
The words seemed to come out of nowhere, leaving Yang Hwi bewildered.
Seolha did not answer. Instead, she thought to herself.
‘Let it be connected.’
Once more, she traced her finger between the two square lanterns, linking them together.
The faint infusion of Inner Qi left a luminous trail of energy suspended in the air.
Like a pair of lovers’ trees intertwined, the square lanterns floated, connected in the void.
Though officially betrothed, the two of us were siblings bound by trust and friendship.
Yet I had resolved to weave together the threads of a different fate.
Still too shy to speak of it aloud, I would do so in secret.
Just as I had done since childhood—unbroken, persistent, and enduring.
“Elder brother.”
“Yes, Seolha.”
“Become the greatest martial artist under heaven.”
“Out of the blue?”
“If you are the betrothed of the most beautiful woman under heaven, shouldn’t you be the greatest martial artist under heaven as well?”
“You’re something else. But you’re not wrong.”
As Yang Hwi accepted it as a jest and laughed with delight, Seolha smiled, her violet eyes gleaming with light.

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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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