Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 376

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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 376
The Sun Demon Master and the senior disciples of the Great Thunder Sound Sect clung to every part of my body with their palms.
If I did not permit it, they could never remove their hands.
‘Originally, Banchen is not a technique of the Suction Star Great Method variety… but now things are quite different.’
They had first attempted interference through brainwashing and sealing by infusing their demonic energy.
The tendrils of demonic energy extending from their dantians had come under Banchen’s control.
If I pulled the tendrils taut, their dantian essence would be drawn out like a potato.
“Divine Being… I beseech you….”
“Please show mercy….”
“Hmm.”
As I nodded, their faces brightened.
It was not that my heart had softened to these demon bastards’ pleas, but rather my judgment that killing them now was premature.
‘If the senior disciples all die, weakening our forces aside, I would need to spend time bringing the Great Thunder Sound Sect under my control.’
Yet at the same time, another thought occurred to me.
These bastards are all demon-headed fools—if their bodies remained intact after attempting to stab me in the back, wouldn’t they try again?
Some measure was necessary.
‘Ah. Would it be possible with Seonran?’
A sudden flash of inspiration.
I pulled my lips into a wicked grin and opened my mouth.
“Sun Demon Master. Tell me yourself—if you were in my position, how would you dispose of someone like you?”
“….”
The Sun Demon Master could not bring himself to answer.
Had it been him, he would have gifted the most agonizing death imaginable.
“You would have killed them, wouldn’t you? After sucking out every last bit of their essence.”
“…Divine Being, please….”
To set an example as a demon, killing them all would be correct.
The crucial part was being demonic about it.
If that were the case, there was one better method.
‘Among demons, the Mad Demon is the truest form.’
Let me play the madman for once.
I had done it quite often before, so I was confident in my performance.
“Sun Demon Master. If you die, is there someone to replace you?”
“Ugh, Divine Being! I swear I will never do such a thing again! Please, please!”
“You have no intention of answering? Then I’ll ask the others. Whoever can replace the Sun Demon Master, raise your hand. That person, I will absolutely spare.”
Three or four hands rose.
I laughed brazenly and spread my index and thumb apart.
“Open your mouth.”
The moment I issued the command and wielded Void Grasping, the Sun Demon Master’s throat became visible.
‘The Egg-Grasping Immortal Technique.’
Seonran began to form and grow at my fingertips.
Now that I think about it, this is my first time feeding Seonran to someone with demonic energy.
If I’d known it would come to this, I should have captured a mercenary during the Yangtze River Tournament and experimented beforehand.
‘Well, things should go according to my plan either way.’
“Swallow it.”
The Seonran passed through the Sun Demon Master’s throat and entered his body.
I heightened my spiritual sensitivity to the maximum and carefully observed the changes in his energy.
‘As expected. I can use this as a form of restriction.’
The moment I snapped my finger, Seongi flowed from the Seonran, and the Sun Demon Master’s eyes flew wide open.
The collision of demonic and divine energy delivered a pain as if his internal organs were shattering.
“Ugh, uuuugh…!”
After inflicting roughly half the pain, I manipulated the Seonran.
“Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!”
The Sun Demon Master collapsed, breathing heavily.
The amusing part was that even so, one of his hands remained firmly attached to my body.
“You must have felt it. What seed I planted in you.”
“….”
“Inflicting pain is the most basic function of a restriction, isn’t it? Beyond that, you should know that I can detonate it whenever I wish.”
“…I am grateful for your mercy, Divine Being.”
The Sun Demon Master bowed, beads of sweat glistening on his bald head as he expressed his gratitude.
Placing a restriction was as good as saying I wouldn’t kill him.
“I was growing bored, so thanks to you, this has been entertaining. Therefore, I shall let you live.”
The mask I wore radiated an ominous gleam.
“This is an order. Continue attempting schemes from now on. That too shall be my amusement. Hahahaha!”
By now, they should have firmly grasped that I was a madman not to be trifled with.
To be honest, it had been rather precarious.
Had I not obtained the power of Half-Heaven, I would have been brainwashed or become a puppet of the restriction.
‘With this display of bluffing, they’ll remain quiet at least until the Struggle Tournament.’
That’s sufficient.
After the Struggle Tournament, I suspected my role as Injoong Sinma would end.
Thus, I turned all the senior disciples of the Daerae Eumsa into puppets of the restriction.

* * *
In the heart of the desert, within the valley between Potala Palace and the Great Thunder Sound Temple.
A riverbed long since dried up, yet remarkably deep.
“Chu Dal, this is the meeting place, correct?”
“Yes. This is precisely it.”
After waiting briefly, familiar faces appeared.
Neung-o and Adu.
And Seolha.
“Well, it’s been a while for all of you, hasn’t it?”
I raised my hand, and Seolha smiled, launching herself toward me.
“Brother!”
A pleasant fragrance wafted through the air.
“Even for a master, you’ve been in the desert for months, yet your complexion remains like white jade?”
“Hehe, Master taught me a secret skincare method.”
…Eum Hu knew such things too?
“Neung-o, Adu. You’ve both been well? Ah, being stuck among those demon bastards, it’s truly refreshing to see you like this.”
Yang Hwi, who had been approaching with a pleased smile, suddenly paused.
Neung-o and Adu’s expressions were grim.
“Baek Dou.”
“Hmm?”
“I nearly drew my blade. You look openly like a demon now.”
“….”
Neung-o had opposed my entering the demon lair before.
Given the circumstances, we had no choice but to part ways, and I eventually headed toward the Great Thunder Sound Temple.
“Come on, you know it was unavoidable.”
“Do you realize something?”
“What?”
“You once spoke formally to Bin-do. Then you called Lee Hu ‘brother’ and spoke casually, but after Bin-do lost his arm, you returned to formal speech. Yet now your words have grown short again.”
That was because right after his arm was severed, I felt such remorse and respect that it showed in my manner of speech. Now that time has passed, shouldn’t I return to normal?
“It seems impossible. Leave the Great Thunder Sound Temple, Dou.”
“Neung-o. We gathered today to devise a strategy to maximize our surprise attack on Potala Palace.”
The distance between Potala Palace and the Great Thunder Sound Temple was such that even a Transcendent Master would require considerable time to traverse it with lightness technique.
We certainly hadn’t gathered merely to see each other’s faces.
“If I leave, the entire premise collapses. I cannot allow the disciples of Potala Palace to die.”
“You must accept it. To Bin-do, no one is more precious than Baek Dou.”
I’m grateful for those words.
But it’s far too inefficient.
So I needed to construct logic that would convince Neung-o.
“Yang Hwi. This doesn’t seem right. Why not stop?”
“….”
I fell silent, studying Adu intently.
‘He’s not the type to say things like this.’
Though Adu’s martial talent rivaled my own, his mental maturity remained that of a child.
He rarely offered opinions on matters of judgment.
Yet for him to speak this way now meant there had to be a reason.
“Why? Do I seem like a bad person to you?”
Adu shook his head vigorously.
“No. But you’re not as kind as before. Something feels strange.”
I gazed into Adu’s eyes for a moment.
Eyes as clear and gentle as those of Seo.
“Seolha.”
“Yes, brother.”
“What do you think?”
Seolha answered carefully.
“To be honest, it has become unsettling compared to before. Still, you’re my brother, so…”
I lifted my gaze upward. Through the narrow ravine, I could see the blue sky.
‘So that’s what they’re saying? Am I truly walking the right path?’
I had my reasons for accepting and accumulating demonic energy.
Yet I did not believe my own thoughts were unconditionally correct.
Those closest to me, those who watched from the nearest vantage point, all spoke the same words?
That meant there was truly a problem I had not recognized.
‘But…’
[Obtain a companion, unite the sword path, pierce through heaven.]
Obtain a companion, unite the sword path, pierce through heaven.
Gain a companion and merge the way of the sword into one to pierce through the heavens.
This path was likely the correct one.
I was walking the right path now.
Even if this judgment proved wrong.
“I will overcome myself. I will transcend. Believe in me, all of you.”
Transcendence. The enlightenment essential to reaching the Transcendent Master realm and the bearing of a true warrior.
Only those who overcome themselves can break through their limits and ascend to the Transcendent Master stage.
This moment was no different.
“I’ve found the path. If I continue walking it, I believe I can reach the realm of Cheonmu-sip-jon.”
Shock rippled across the faces of my companions.
The realm of Cheonmu-sip-jon.
In other words, the Transformation Realm.
Or put differently, the Heavenly Transcendent Realm was not a stage someone in their twenties could even speak of.
“How can accepting demonic energy not be dangerous? But precisely because I bear such danger, I advance rapidly. Finding this path is the proof.”
“Baek Dou. Those who fall into demons typically use such logic. They choose demonic cultivation as a means to grow stronger quickly.”
And then they fall into deep demonic delusion, becoming demons without question.
Even if it were the right path, it would still be an extraordinarily perilous one.
Yet Yang Hwi smiled and replied.
“Unlike me, they don’t have Neung-o, Adu, or Seolha.”
Seolha, who inherited the lineage of the Immortal Sect.
Adu, who inherited the lineage of Buddhism.
Neung-o, who inherited the lineage of Daoism.
By coincidence, my companions specialized in guiding demons toward enlightenment.
“I’ll trust you. Because I trust you, I’ll continue walking this path. If I ever succumb to demonic influence, grab me, beat some sense into me, and guide me back to clarity.”
“….”
“….”
“….”
Glances exchanged in silence.
Then laughter erupted.
“That too is sound reasoning, haha. If a friend goes astray, one simply corrects them.”
“I’ll bind you up and make you listen to sacred sound all day long, so prepare yourself.”
“If you lose to demonic influence so easily, Baek Dou, be prepared to lose an arm.”
Your jokes are terrifyingly dark.
When someone who’s lost an arm says such things, it makes you feel apologetic.
With such thoughts, I gazed at Adu, who remained silent.
“Adu. Will you be alright?”
“…Yes. If Yang Hwi wishes it.”
“I’m always grateful, Adu.”
From our first meeting, he followed me saying I was a good person, and has offered kindness without any expectation of return.
Is it because his mental age is low?
Regardless, a debt of gratitude is still a debt of gratitude.
I’ll have to repay it generously someday.
“I’m grateful too.”
“Huh? What for?”
“For giving me delicious food!”
“Ah, I happen to have brought something. A special crepe from the Western Pavilion made by Madu—want to try it?”
“D-delicious!”
This fool, it’s made by a demon?
Does anything go as long as it tastes good?
“Anyway! Let’s devise a strategy before eating.”
We need to minimize damage to the Potala Palace while bringing down the Great Thunder Sound Sect and the Small Thunder Sound Sect for the future of the Western Pavilion.
“I’ve given this some thought. What if we did it this way?”

* * *
After catching up with my companions, I returned to the Great Thunder Sound Sect.
Demons swarmed about the surroundings—clearly chaos had erupted.
‘They must be searching because I disappeared without a word.’
I headed straight to the Sun Demon Master’s quarters.
“Gasp! Divine Being! Where have you been? Your disciples have been searching, thinking you had vanished—”
I snorted and cut off his words.
“I was bored, so I went sightseeing in the desert. Must I report my whereabouts to you every time?”
“Of course not….”
“Besides, I have something to say.”
“Please give your command.”
Yang Hwi grinned wickedly.
The ominous nature of the Sun Demon Master came to mind.
“Since I’ve been waiting for the competition, I’ve grown bored. Send a letter ahead to the Small Thunder Sound Sect.”
“…What should I write, Divine Being?”
“Just four characters: Absolute Obedience.”
….
The Sun Demon Master’s expression became indescribable.
It was a complex expression mixed with so many conflicting emotions.
“…Divine Being. I fear they will reject it outright.”
Yang Hwi immediately shouted.
“Then they shall become my sustenance! Hey, Sun Demon Master. Do you dare let those who refuse to follow me live?”
My voice grew louder, and by the end, it became a lion’s roar.
All the disciples of the Great Thunder Sound Sect nearby must have heard it.
‘There must be a spy from the Small Thunder Sound Sect here.’
“Send the letter at once! That is my command!”
I even inflicted pain through the Celestial Lute for emphasis.
The Sun Demon Master would have no choice but to obey the command.
‘Poison with poison. A demon must be crushed by a demon to be satisfying.’
Beneath my mask, my lips curved into a savage smile.
“So send the letter immediately! In the name of the Great Thunder Sound Sect!!”

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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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