Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 379

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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 379
It strikes me anew that sight is the sense that dominates human perception.
The landscape below, viewed from dozens of stories above.
No people are visible—only demons swarming like insects.
Well, I never treated those demon bastards as human beings anyway.
‘This will take less time than I expected.’
Offering to transfer some of my energy proved far more effective than anticipated.
I had meant to add conditions—that if the escape route was too narrow, they wouldn’t move as intended, so I’d stop once half remained—but it seems unnecessary now.
‘Already halved their numbers. The weak ones are all dead.’
They all went mad at the prospect of receiving the energy of a Divine Being who would become the Sect Leader of the Bright Cult in the future.
Only about a quarter of an hour has passed since they began killing each other.
It’s a veritable frenzy of slaughter.
‘This is why you can’t underestimate fanatic bastards.’
Between the two sects, the Small Thunder Sound Sect had more survivors.
Fa Dap Mok Cheon was with the Small Thunder Sound Sect, and their overall level seemed somewhat higher.
‘Hmm, I should intervene to minimize casualties for the Podal Lap Palace.’
The Solar faction, whose temperament becomes explosive, and the Lunar faction, whose emotions are suppressed.
In large-scale combat, the Lunar faction has certain advantages.
The situation was gradually becoming a confrontation between the Great Thunder Sound Sect and the Small Thunder Sound Sect.
So I’ll play the role of balance keeper.
-Chu Dal.
A transmission came back from Chu Dal, who had been hiding somewhere.
-Yes, brother.
-Kill some of those Small Thunder Sound Sect bastards.
-…Me? I can’t kill people.
Ah, right—Chu Dal has never directly killed anyone.
It’s due to psychological trauma from being forced to commit murder when he was raised in the Salsoo sect as a child.
-How about your first experience?
-…Please forgive me.
“Tsk.”
A man, supposedly a warrior, with such a weak heart.
If I intervened directly, this whole situation would collapse, but hmm.
I’ll have to work indirectly.
“Hahahaha, how delightful! Let me play a tune for you all!”
The Black and White Twin Swords dripped with demonic energy, emitting a sound like metal scraping.
-Krrrrgggggggg!
A sound that resembled the Ghost Valley Cry yet somehow seemed like striking gongs and cymbals.
Though noise, when properly combined, it becomes sound itself—a sonic martial technique.
‘As a disciple of Pacheon Eumhu, I should at least do this much.’
-Krrrrgggggggg!
—Screeeeeech! Screeeeeech!
—Screeeeeech! Screeeeeech!
A bizarre melody saturated with demonic energy.
Veins bulged prominently across the faces of the demons who had mastered the First Wave school of demonic arts.
Meanwhile, the disciples of the Great Thunder Sound Sect showed no change whatsoever.
—What did you do, brother?
—I stimulated their spirit consciousness with sound energy, driving them into a state resembling frenzy.
—Heart Sound? Isn’t that only possible after reaching the absolute pinnacle of sound energy mastery?
Well, normally yes.
But watching Seolha use it from the side, I figured out a way to achieve a similar effect without actually comprehending Heart Sound itself.
“Kahahaha! Die, all of you!”
“I shall offer your blood and flesh to the Divine Being!”
“Krrrrgh!”
On the surface, I merely drew out some melodies because I was feeling spirited, but the battle’s balance was now perfectly even.
My plan was to send them one by one from each side down the road to the afterlife, maintaining perfect symmetry.
—Chu Dal, how much time remains until the appointed hour?
—About half a double hour now?
I counted the swarming insects once more.
I could probably reduce them to half of half of half, rather than just half.
‘Indeed, insects taste best when exterminated all at once.’

* * *
A total of roughly one hundred martial artists were racing across the desert.
At their center stood a banner bearing four characters: Podal Lap Palace.
‘Once the greatest sect in Western Tibet, now reduced to barely a hundred disciples even when scraping together everyone.’
They had declined as far as they could decline.
Yet the fact that all of them had set out with the resolve of a death march meant their spirit remained unbroken.
Seolha smiled warmly for a moment.
‘Elder brother would be pleased to see these people.’
Yang Hwi unconsciously revealed his softer side to those with unbreakable spirits.
His very nature was that kind of person, and there was even a living witness in Neung-o.
‘I should tell elder brother about the Palace Master… wait. I completely forgot about that.’
I had forgotten to mention something I needed to say.
Seolha’s gaze drifted toward the Podal Lap Palace Master.
A face filled with resolve. Yet unmistakably tense and anxious beneath.
Naturally so.
From the perspective of the Palace Master and the disciples of Podal Lap Palace, they were marching forth to stake everything on killing a Sect Leader candidate.
—Nong Daoist Master.
—Speak, Miss Jegal.
—Shouldn’t we tell the Palace Master now that the Sect Leader candidate is on our side? I forgot to mention it yesterday.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Neung-o’s response was utterly characteristic of him.
-Why belabor the point now? Once we arrive, we’ll discover everything anyway.
-Hmm, is that so?
-After all, you’re already aware that we’ve planted a spy within the Great Thunder Sound Sect.
Whether the spy’s true identity was a Sect Leader candidate or not mattered little to Neung-o’s thinking.
-We’ll sow discord to reduce their numbers by half. We’ll strike swiftly and eliminate the Sect Leader candidate to thwart the demons’ grand design. It seems you understand everything already.
Neung-o’s assessment held merit.
Seolha, who had been tilting her head in brief contemplation, soon made her decision.
‘I’ll simply remain silent. If I explain, I’d have to stop moving.’
I wanted to reach Yang Hwi quickly.
Since harboring affection for him, I had never been separated this long before.
Yet conscience pricked me enough to offer just one word.
“Palace Master, there’s no need to worry so much. Everything will turn out well.”
“…My feelings showed on my face, it seems. As a leader, I’ve been dampening my disciples’ morale. I’m grateful for your counsel.”
Resolve crystallized across the Palace Master’s face.
It was an expression of unwavering determination—the very embodiment of fighting to the death or living in victory.
“Disciples of the palace! We shall be victorious! For the Western Sanctuary!”
“For it!”
I watched silently as the people of Podal Lap Palace unified their hearts.
‘That wasn’t quite what I meant.’
As we drew closer to the contested ground, their resolve grew ever sharper.
“We shall perish today. Yet we shall endure eternally alongside the Western Sanctuary’s future!”
“Do not forget! The reason for our existence!”
“For the Western Sanctuary’s peace! Even if we become kindling, can we not kindle the flame?”
There were those trembling with fear.
Yet even they possessed the courage to rush toward death.
The Dalai Lama—for generations the leader of the Western Sanctuary and Palace Master of Podal Lap Palace.
Judging by the disciples’ fervor, the Dalai Lama must have been an extraordinary person indeed.
‘Then why did such a person fall into the darkness of the demonic path?’
Had he chosen the Mado after becoming intoxicated with power?
No, that couldn’t be right.
According to what the Palace Master told me, the Dalai Lama was….
-Kiiiieeee!
The cry of a hawk echoing from afar.
A signal from Won-woo.
-Palace Master, to maximize the advantage of a surprise attack, we should suppress our presence and approach from here on.
-Understood.
As the Palace Master’s order spread, the disciples immediately concealed their auras.
A murderous resolve blooming forth.
The determination to stake everything.
Even if I perish, I will take my opponent with me—such was the resolve of sacrifice.
Within this atmosphere, the palace disciples finally reached the battlefield.
“It’s, it’s Podal Lap Palace!”
“These prey creatures know where they are!”
“We planned to slaughter them all, yet they walked right into our hands!”
Fierce cries from the demons. Yet the emotion beneath was unmistakably fear.
Like a frightened dog barking louder to mask its terror.
Meanwhile, the disciples of Podal Lap Palace felt relief wash over them.
There was only one reason.
-Jegal Sojeo. The numbers… seem quite different from what you reported?
-Indeed…
The demons were all bearing severe wounds, gasping for breath.
Their total fell short of thirty.

* * *
The demons’ slaughter ended in merely half a quarter hour.
They had realized that continuing would mean death for all.
But it was far too late.
Their numbers, which had once reached a thousand, had dwindled to barely thirty.
If they could devour the vitality and thoughts from the overflowing corpses, the remaining thirty might grow stronger… but that required time they did not have.
-Wol Ya-noe-seung. The prey creatures number over a hundred. Without coordinated assault, we all perish.
It was the Sun Demon Master speaking, one of the faction’s most volatile temperaments.
For him to propose cooperation to Wol Ya-noe-seung, whom he had been trying to kill moments before, spoke to the severity of the crisis.
Yet Wol Ya-noe-seung remained composed.
-What troubles you, Sun Demon Master? The Divine Being stands with us.
Then Wol Ya-noe-seung cried out.
“Divine Being!”
“You called for me.”
“The prey from Podal Lap Palace have gathered to celebrate the Divine Being’s ascension! Please grant them the honor of your presence!”
Honor in name, but slaughter in truth.
No trace of fear appeared on Wol Ya-noe-seung’s face.
Had his emotions been severed?
No.
He genuinely believed that Sect Leader candidate Injoong Sinma was the true Divine Being.
With emotions excised, he operated purely through reason and logic—a fanaticism.
“Divine Being!”
And thus, all the more terrifying was this blind faith.
‘Amusing. I wonder what expression he’ll wear when that faith shatters.’
Yang Hwi descended to the ground, wielding the Thousand-Weight Pestle.
A murderous aura swept across his entire being.
The disciples of Podal Lap Palace flinched at the sheer, suffocating demonic aura.
A sinister voice echoed through the air.
“Ah, I shall kill you all. Do not worry.”
“Divine Being! Ahhhhh! Divine Being!”
I moved forward slowly.
One step toward the Podal Lap Palace disciples, then another.
Then I realized something from their reaction.
‘Hmm? It seems Seolha didn’t reveal my identity.’
Why didn’t she tell them?
Did she want to surprise them?
Well, either way, it seemed fitting to play along as her senior brother and elder.
Besides, it would be more entertaining that way.
“Podal Lap Palace. I am known as Injoong Sinma. I offer you two choices.”
The response came immediately.
“Silence. We have no intention of choosing from options presented by a mere demon.”
Radiating demonic energy, I walked a hundred paces.
Twenty steps away from the Podal Lap Palace group.
Yang Hwi stopped and drew his sword.
“So be it. You shall regret this.”
“Regret? No. But I shall make you regret your arrogance. Everyone, attack!”
As the Palace Master commanded, the disciples of Podal Lap Palace hurled themselves forward in perfect unison.
Yang Hwi suddenly turned his body.
His drawn blade now pointed toward the Madu bastards.
Turning my back to the enemy?
The Podal Lap Palace group, steeled with resolve, could only be bewildered by such an action.
And the words that followed transcended bewilderment into shock.
“Come at me, you Madu bastards!”
“…?”
“…?”
“…?”
“…?”
The Podal Lap Palace Master found himself asking Yang Hwi without thinking.
“What are you doing?”
What am I doing, he asks.
Can’t you see clearly?
“If you wish to live long, you must always have the courage to stand with the stronger side!”
“…?”
“…?”
“…?”
“Hahahaha! My brother, you really are something! Hahahaha!”
With Seolha’s crystalline laughter, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
“Come now, let’s finish this quickly and grab a meal!”

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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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