Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 397

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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 397
Eung-hyo Je-il (鷹哮第一).
A young hero who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts while barely past his twenties, proclaiming himself the future Greatest Under Heaven.
All under heaven believed this without doubt.
As long as he was not broken or shattered beyond recovery, Eung-hyo Je-il would surely grasp the title of Greatest Under Heaven.
Yet that Eung-hyo Je-il had been broken.
He had returned from a confrontation with Cheonmu-sip-jon Su-sa-jae-seon, stripped of his martial prowess.
‘Kkhahaha, this reckless fool! How perfectly things have turned out. What fortune for Baek Do, kkhahaha!’
A sin born from shallow scheming that had caused displeasure?
I had forgotten it all.
What did such trivial pranks matter?
‘Lakbul and Eum Hu pestered me so much that I took on the role of Geom-ong, but if things unfold this way, matters will become far more interesting.’
A great calamity was approaching.
Therefore, it was necessary to unite Baek Do.
Had Il-ik-maeng grown more rapidly, there would have been no need to intervene, but it was still far from becoming the center of Baek Do.
Thus, I had no choice but to step forward and establish the Yongwang Alliance.
‘Well, had I known that fellow would return like this from the start, I would have acted more aggressively. Hehehehe.’
The reason was simple. I was the Grand Patriarch of the Peng Family, and I did not wish to see my main family lose its position as the Greatest Under Heaven.
Concealing my true thoughts and laughing only within, Yongwang-do wielded his aura once more, vast as the great sea itself.
-Kkeeeeeee!
-Kkeeeeeee!
Hundreds and thousands of feathers rippling against the tidal wave.
This was no less impressive than before.
No… perhaps even…
Daehaeyongwang-do’s excitement grew, and his body trembled with delight.
“Come out. I have no wish to destroy the Baek Family’s main hall.”
He had spoken expecting the other party would naturally accept.
But.
“I’d rather not.”
“Huh?”
A refusal that did not fit the flow and atmosphere.
Daehaeyongwang-do’s eyes widened in shock.
“I won’t ask you to apologize for the disturbance during the auction. Instead, remain quiet until it’s over. Otherwise, I simply won’t fight you.”
“….”

* * *
I absorbed Il-wol-myeon, the avatar of Cheonma, overcame the crisis, and reached the realm of Hwagyeong.
However, my realm was only a half-formed Hwagyeong.
‘If Heuk-baek-sin-jo unfolds both wings completely… I could be branded a public enemy of the martial world.’
At a time when the Demonic Sect was stirring and a chaotic era was expected to arrive, would it be discovered that the Young Master of one of the Six Great Families harbored demonic energy?
Even if I avoided becoming a public enemy, it wouldn’t benefit the Baek Family.
‘So I won’t reveal it yet. In other words, the version of myself I can show to the outside world is only half-formed Hwagyeong.’
Moreover, Daehaeyongwang-do was a monster who had surpassed Cheonmu-sip-jon decades ago.
Without unleashing my full power, defeat was inevitable.
‘Well, even if I appear to be losing ground, everyone will consider it natural. I need to wrap up this auction while the momentum is on my side.’
This was my chance to sell the remaining divine weapons at high prices—I couldn’t afford to miss it.
I couldn’t let myself be swept along by the current, not even if my stomach was aching.
“Did you all witness it!”
I raised both arms high. The jet-black Chil-heuk-u-geom and Sunbaek-sin-geom in my hands sang out with a resonant cry.
-Kyiaaaaaaaa!
-Kyiaaaaaaaa!
“Not only did I recover the martial arts I had lost, but I also withstood a strike from Venerable Daehaeyongwang-do of Cheonmu-sip-jon! This is the true power of divine weapons!”
At the same time, I sent a transmission of sound.
-Venerable Yongwang-do. If you interfere, chaos breaks out immediately. Don’t forget that I’m enduring a blow to the back of my head without complaint.
Daehaeyongwang-do’s mouth fell open.
How dare he be so insolent?
It was behavior he hadn’t experienced in decades.
And to exploit the situation like this?
‘He’s truly coveted, after all. I should have forced him to become my disciple long ago.’
“Krahahahaha!”
Yongwang-do, laughing heartily, sat back down.
Then he folded his arms, adopting an attitude of watching to see what I would do next.
“We resume the auction. The next item is the Man-ryeon-gang-gap, designed for warriors who practice Gwon-jang!”
Those who had been cautiously observing began raising their hands one by one.
The bidding competition grew fierce in an instant.
“Forty thousand gold from the Wi-ji Family!”
“Forty thousand gold has been offered. Is there anything higher!”
It was when the Cho Family Head, a heaven-class martial sect belonging to Yongwang-meng and famous for their fist techniques, was about to secure the bid.
“Wait. The Dang Family will also place a bid.”
Though the Man-ryeon-gang-gap was designed for those who trained in Gwon-jang law, when possessed by a master of the Dang Family, it was a divine weapon that would display subtle and wonderful applications beyond measure.
“We will bid the same amount—forty thousand gold.”
For the Cho Family Head, this was an infuriating sum.
‘Not raising by a thousand or two thousand gold, but the same forty thousand gold. If I double it to eighty thousand gold, without special favor…!’
To the Cho Family Head’s eyes, the Man-ryeon-gang-gap was clearly a treasure that would double his full strength.
The increasingly desperate Cho Family Head cautiously glanced toward Yongwang-do.
“When did this Yongwang-do ever force anyone into the alliance? Leaving is equally free.”
The Great Sea Dragon King spoke in a booming voice, ensuring everyone heard.
After a long moment of deliberation, the Cho Family Head cautiously opened his mouth.
“Eung-hyo Je-il. Would it be possible for us to join the Il-ik Alliance now?”
“That’s a question you’ll need to ask our Il-ik Alliance Master.”
As the Cho Family Head looked toward Baek Moo-ryang with the same proposal, he nodded solemnly.
“Welcome to become a feather of the single wing, Cho Family Head.”
With this, the same privileges applied equally.
The Cho Family Head called out the final amount at forty thousand gold and one thousand taels, while the Dang Family Head withdrew his bid as a gesture of welcome to the new member.
“From this day forward, the owner of the Manryeon River Armor is the Cho Family Head! Next!”
The spark had fallen. In fact, oil had been poured on it as well.
So the next item would burn with roaring flames.
“The Heavenly Great Sword shall be taken by our Jongnam Sect!”
For the Jongnam Sect, which had lost the Sect Leader’s Token during the Blood Sect Leader’s time, a single sword.
“Baek Dou, I desire the Tae-eul Direct Sword for fifty thousand gold taels.”
The Tae-eul Direct Sword, originally crafted as bait for the Cheongseng Sect, had somehow become the Jeomchang Sect’s share due to its shape being perfectly optimized for the Sa-il Sword Technique.
“Next is the Dragon Scale Divine Sword! I dare say that whoever obtains this blade will never regret it.”
“Young Master, no—Yang Hwi, Namgung Cheon-yeong! I’m Baek Sang-ji, whom you saw before! Our Baek Hwa-mun will also join the Il-ik Alliance, so please let us have that sword….”
For reference, Baek Hwa-mun had not yet joined either the Il-ik Alliance or the Yongwang Alliance.
It was one of several sects trying to walk the line and maximize their gains.
‘This bastard dares to be so presumptuous?’
“Baek Hwa-mun is not acceptable.”
“…Why is that!”
“Tsk, you’ve done things before, so how can you be like this.”
“….”
Beyond that, all nine divine weapons found their owners, and the Il-ik Alliance gained three heavenly-rank martial sects and the Shandong Ak Family, one of the six great families, as new allies.
“Hehehehe, I never expected the Ak Family Head to join hands with us.”
“Please don’t mention it. How could I refuse when you’re offering such precious gifts, Baek Family Head.”
As the Family Heads of the Baek and Ak families exchanged pleasantries, Yang Hwi, who had been grinning, shouted.
“With this, I declare the auction concluded! Thank you all for your participation!”
As if waiting for this moment, Yongwang-do rose to his feet.
His energy flowed as if declaring he would show no more mercy.
“Well then, you brat. I think I’ve waited long enough.”
A momentum that erupted like a storm, like the great sea itself.
Though it came from only one person, it was enough to push everyone back.
In an instant, everything in the banquet hall was swept away, creating an empty space.
“I apologize for destroying this carefully prepared place, Baek Family Head. However, I believe I have shown sufficient courtesy.”
“I share that sentiment. Thank you.”
After exchanging courtesies with Baek Moo-ryang, Yongwang-do turned his head and smiled wickedly.
“You brat. I scanned your body throughout the auction, yet you didn’t notice.”
“He was quite persistent.”
I had broken into a cold sweat while blocking the Cheonmu-sip-jon’s investigation.
Thanks to that, Yongwang-do wouldn’t be certain whether I had ascended to the Hwagyeong realm or not.
“You’ve grown considerably. I thought you possessed talent so remarkable that even your shortcomings seemed endearing, yet I never expected you to develop this quickly.”
“Children always grow rapidly when you take your eyes off them for even a moment, don’t they?”
“You still haven’t lost your gift for verbal sparring.”
“And I imagine you’re not falling far behind in sword combat anymore?”
“What? Krahahahaha!”
After laughing heartily, Yongwang-do drew the Daeho-bulkwae-do and pointed it at me.
“Eung-hyo Je-il Baek Yang-hwi. And your father, the Ilik Alliance Leader Baek Moo-ryang. I propose this to you both: what do you think of joining the Yongwang Alliance?”
“…!”
“…!”
It was a shocking proposal. In the current Baekdo martial world, it was no exaggeration to say that the Ilik Alliance and the Yongwang Alliance divided everything between them, save for a few neutral factions.
‘Indeed, this is Venerable Daehaeyongwang. The man who made the Peng Family the greatest under heaven.’
‘So this hidden strategy was why he permitted other sects to defect to the Ilik Alliance.’
If he could swallow the Ilik Alliance in one gulp, it mattered little if a few sects departed.
Rather, it was an opportunity to make the leaders of those sects watch the Alliance Leader’s every move.
As the senior disciples nodded in understanding, Yongwang-do threw out a stunning proposal.
“Baek Family Head. I shall make you Vice Alliance Leader. And you, Baek Yang-hwi—I shall grant you the position of Junior Alliance Leader, plus anything else you desire.”
It was essentially a proposal to merge the two alliances by mutual consent rather than absorb the Ilik Alliance.
With the positions of Vice Alliance Leader and Junior Alliance Leader combined, it was tantamount to sharing power nearly equal to my own as Alliance Leader.
However.
“Why should our Ilik Alliance fall beneath the Yongwang Alliance?”
“The realm will be engulfed in chaos. Shouldn’t Baekdo become one, at the very least?”
“Then let the Yongwang Alliance become part of the Ilik Alliance instead.”
A fearless declaration from a mere child.
Yet Venerable Daehaeyongwang laughed with delight.
It was laughter brimming with competitive spirit.
“Krahahahaha! How could a tiger ever serve beneath one who is not a tiger!”
My face contorted.
“Those words leave a bad taste in my mouth. Are you disrespecting our Ilik Alliance Leader?”
“If it leaves a bad taste, then punish me for it.”
‘This old man is really starting to provoke me.’
No matter how much he claims I started this, he was the one who struck first from behind.
“Let me ask you one thing. Why did you try to cut off the Baek Family’s financial lifeline?”
“Honestly?”
“Yes. Honestly.”
“I didn’t know. While establishing the Yongwang Alliance and preparing for the coming chaos, by the time I received the report, the damage had already been done.”
In other words, it was like this.
A small person trampled beneath the footsteps of a giant, suffering in pain.
“Your words wound my pride far more than deliberate harassment ever could.”
“What can I do? It’s the truth.”
I understood clearly now.
This old man was subtly provoking me, testing my patience with his words.
If I lost my temper and came at him seriously, that’s what he wanted.
He was curious about my true strength and wanted to gauge it properly.
Shwing! Shwing!
The Heuk-baek-sin-jo and Sunbaek-sin-geom materialized in both of Yang Hwi’s hands.
Though the Heuk-baek-sin-jo couldn’t unleash its full power…
‘My right hand alone is enough to astound him.’
A brilliant gleam erupted from Yang Hwi’s eyes.
The cyan-white radiance that began in his right eye soon consumed his left as well.
‘I can only reveal half of it. But…’
Conversely, at merely twenty-five years old, I had become a half-awakened Transcendent.
If this became known, heaven and earth would tremble at such an achievement.
And now was precisely the moment to astonish the world.
-SCREEEEEEEEEE!
-SCREEEEEEEEEE!
The Heuk-baek-sin-jo rose from its crouched form.
Of its twelve pairs of wings, only six were revealed.
Yet six pairs of wings were more than sufficient.
“You… this wretch…! Krahahahaha! Krahahahahahaha!”
Daehaeyongwangdo, whose eyes had widened in shock, laughed as if the heavens themselves would depart.
“You’ve ascended! At last, at such a tender age, you’ve made yourself heaven and earth!”
In this banquet hall of the Baek Family, senior disciples from thirty-six sects had gathered.
Over fifty masters all gasped in unison.
“A Transcendent…!”
“At barely mid-twenties!”
“Is this even possible!”
Letting out a faint laugh.
‘Of course it’s possible. What else wouldn’t be?’
Yang Hwi then cried out.
“One mountain cannot harbor two tigers, can it not, Venerable One!”
“Your words ring true! I failed to recognize a fellow tiger!”
Daehaeyongwangdo’s Great Sea Blade Force.
Eung-hyo Je-il’s Twin-Wing Feather Sword.
The strikes of two absolute masters collided.
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!
“…!”
“…!”
“…!”
“This… is impossible…!”

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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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