Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 42

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Third-rate Martial Arts Family, Greatest Under Heaven – Episode 042
A surge of energy like an active volcano erupting from within my body.
The nature of the energy crashing down like waves was, surprisingly, something familiar to Yang Hwi.
‘Immortal Qi. This is Immortal Qi.’
Every spiritual elixir and spiritual pill possessed its own unique nature.
Shaolin’s Great Returning Pill and Wudang’s Primordial Clarity Pill each carried the essence of demon-slaying and devil-extermination, combined with the unique temperament of Buddhism and Daoism respectively.
Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and Thousand-Year Fire Lotus were spiritual medicines that could grant the extreme yin and yang energies befitting their names.
The spiritual pill I had hastily swallowed contained the nature of Immortal Qi.
The Immortal Qi emanating from the Immortal Elixir and the Immortal Qi of the spiritual pill moved as one, merging into my Heavenly Flame Qi and unifying its nature completely.
‘So that’s why the Immortal Elixir seemed to crave the spiritual pill… Ugh!’
Clang!
I blocked the blade of the first Salsoo to rush at me.
True to form for an assassin, the Hyeol-bong Sword was closer to an iron skewer than an actual blade.
I brought point to point with his blade and, channeling force through the exquisite technique of Grafting Two Fires, flicked it away.
Squelch!
With a swift and efficient sword stroke, I severed more than half of the assassin’s throat.
Dodging his body as it collapsed toward me, gurgling blood, I yanked the Hyeol-bong Sword from my hand and hurled it with all my strength.
“Gahhh!”
The Hyeol-bong Sword pierced through the heart of the second Salsoo charging down at me.
Thanks to that, I managed to buy myself a moment to gather my thoughts.
‘First, I’ll eliminate all these bastards.’
Until moments ago, it had been impossible due to numerical and qualitative disadvantage.
‘But with this much energy surging through me, taking down these dogs is like eating rice cakes while lying down.’
-Elder Brother, please leave the Sect Leader to me!
Simultaneously with the telepathic transmission, I dispersed the Heavenly Flame Qi swirling within throughout my entire body.
I was still young. My physical strength was lacking, my body’s conditioning was insufficient, and my inner energy was meager.
The reason why, despite possessing memories and enlightenment from before my regression, my martial arts remained merely third-rate.
But.
‘With sufficient inner energy, I can overcome most of my weaknesses!’
I stepped into the Heavenly Stride. I still couldn’t channel a thousand li in a single step, but at least I could manage ten, or even more.
Seeing Yang Hwi close the distance in an instant, the foremost Salsoo thrust his Hyeol-bong Sword forward, but—
Squelch!</
By the thinnest margin—in other words, through movement of extreme efficiency—I evaded the attack and pierced through his Adam's apple.
"Even if he ate a spiritual pill, he's still just a brat! We'll kill him in one coordinated strike!"
Did these bastards not know the Martial Arts World's maxim to beware of women, the elderly, and children?
Salsoos rushed at me from all directions. From four of the six cardinal directions, excluding above and below, Hyeol-bong Swords thrust toward me.
"You might all end up dead underestimating a child, you bastards!"
A single line connecting the assassins' attacks appeared in Yang Hwi's vision.
Gae-cheon-bak-pal-geom, Fifth Form.
Hawk Feathers Scatter,
With a single sword strike, I deflected the Hyeol-bong Swords thrust at me from left, right, and front simultaneously.
Using the recoil, I spun my body and caught the Hyeol-bong Sword attacking from behind with my bare hand.
Even a Hyeol-bong Sword, blunt as an iron skewer, still possessed an edge.
Under normal circumstances, grasping a blade with bare hands would sever my fingers—an impossible technique. Yet my hand, saturated with Hwa-cheon-gi, withstood the Hyeol-bong Sword's vicious aura with ease.
"Die, you bastard."
I yanked the hand gripping the Hyeol-bong Sword, dragging the assassin toward me.
Without hesitation, I drove the sword's tip into the space between his eyebrows.
'One down.'
From three directions—excluding the rear—I could see the assassins preparing their second assault.
I hurled the stolen Hyeol-bong Sword at the one in front, killing him, then evaded the blade of the assassin on my left first.
"Ugh!"
The price of a failed attack was death. The left assassin's head flew from his shoulders.
The assassin on my right, indifferent to his comrade's demise, seized the opening to strike.
The speed and distance made evasion impossible.
Yet dozens of times more Hwa-cheon-gi than usual transformed the impossible into reality.
Whoosh!
Expelling my vital energy, I bent my waist at a right angle.
Evading the unavoidable attack, I severed both legs of the right assassin while keeping my upper body lowered.
"Argh, cough!"
"Does it hurt?"
"Y-yes, it hurts. I'm scared. Please… save me… ack!"
As I silenced the creature's screams of agony, a strange realization struck me.
"Scared?"
All assassins of the Nameless Ruthless Sect had mastered the Heartless Technique.
They were essentially emotionless killing machines.
Yet the one I'd just killed had felt fear.
'Could it be the effect of consuming the Spirit Pill?'
The assassins seemed equally confused, as a question pierced the air.
"Brat. How did you break the Heartless Technique?"
Though I couldn't determine the exact reason, I feigned composure.
"Curious? Then come here and offer your neck. I'll explain it to you."
"…."
"Truly remarkable. That you move unharmed after consuming a Spirit Pill"
The assassin's question was valid.
Normally, upon consuming a Spirit Elixir, one must immediately begin circulating vital energy.
Otherwise, the explosively surging power could cause the body to collapse entirely.
'Had the Spirit Pill's energy not naturally fused with my Hwa-cheon-gi, I would be dead.'
Beyond that, embodying the enlightenment of Heart-Life Eternal Technique at Jeongeum-ogwan proved divine intervention.
Without it, I could never have displayed such martial prowess.
"Exceptional talent makes the impossible possible, you mediocre wretch."
"Is it the power of a Spirit Core? I'll kill him quickly, gut him open, and drain his blood."
"Not Spirit Core strength—raw talent. Just come at me. I'll slaughter all of you."
"…Palganhap."
At the command from the assassin standing furthest back, eight Salsoo simultaneously rushed toward Yang Hwi with their blades raised.
The spacing between them was so tight their hands nearly touched the shoulders of the man in front.
A rapid assault executed in a single-file formation.
Yang Hwi recognized their intent the moment I saw their formation.
Palganhap—Eight-Gap Unity.
Literally, half of half of half combined.
Just hearing the name made the technique's purpose immediately clear.
Eight assassins launching continuous attacks at intervals of one-eighth gaps.
A mutual destruction technique—multiple inferior fighters coordinating against a single master.
'Typical assassins, truly. You bastards have no regard for your own lives. Did you think I wouldn't see through your scheme?'
Whooooosh!
Yang Hwi's blade trembled, emitting the sound of a bee's wings.
The assassins rushed forward in single file. I parried the first one's attack and slashed his throat.
Before the first even fell, a second Hyeol-bong Sword aimed at my brow.
I twisted my head to evade while driving my own blade straight into his brow.
The third assassin's strike was already descending toward my heart before I could even withdraw my sword.
Continuous combined attacks delivered before I could recover my stance after each strike.
This was precisely what made mutual destruction techniques like Palganhap so terrifying.
'But if you know how to break it, you're just throwing your lives away, you bastards!'
I threw my body backward to evade the Hyeol-bong Sword aimed at my heart.
A lethal technique where multiple inferior fighters could kill a master?
Yes, it was effective—under the assumption that the opponent stayed in place, attacking and defending repeatedly.
But what if the one being attacked wasn't an idiot? What if I simply didn't stay put?
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
I retreated backward with swift footwork, creating distance. As the gap widened, the continuous attacks of Palganhap began to fracture.
Using distance to forcibly expand the intervals of the combined technique.
This was the method to break through mutual destruction techniques employed by assassins like these.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
After slaughtering all eight assassins, Yang Hwi swung my blade once to shake off the blood.
"What's this? I couldn't even wound the brat, and my forces are halved?"
"…."
Because I had mastered the Heartless Art, no emotion like fear flickered in their eyes.
Though there existed a subtle principle within the Heartless Art to counter it, based on experience so far, it seemed I needed to inflict at least an injury to truly break through it.
Yet recognizing through rational judgment that rushing forward would only result in meaningless death, they paused their assault.
Of course, Yang Hwi had no intention of waiting.
"Now it's my turn, you bastards!"
The first form of the Gae-cheon-bak-pal-geom—the Heaven-Covering One Hundred Eight Sword.
Piercing Feather Through Stone.
A feather shot forth pierces through rock.
With that same momentum, my blade shattered the Hyeol-bong Sword blocking its path and embedded itself directly into the opponent's solar plexus.
"Ugh?! It hurts! It hurts so much!"
Ignoring the bastard's wailing like a child, I turned my attention to the next target.
With a single step that seemed to cover several zhang, I advanced forward.
Thus, Yang Hwi drove my shoulder into the falling body of my opponent.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The assassins thrust their Hyeol-bong Swords without hesitation, even using their comrade's body as a shield.
The sharp sound of blades piercing flesh echoed through the air.
Before they could retrieve their swords, I pressed the corpse downward to create an opening, then swung my blade.
"You bastards have no camaraderie at all!"
Gae-cheon-bak-pal-geom, Eighth Form, First Variation.
Hawk Feather Scatter.
Fourth variation, Second variation, Fifth variation, Sixth variation.
I executed the Heavenly Steps technique, treading the ground with precision.
With each step, I wielded my blade in dazzling succession.
Thus, the sword form possessed sharpness akin to a hawk's talons.
The sword dance flowing from these combinations swept across all directions.
"Hah. Only two left now?"
All those assassins were dead, and now only three remained, including the Gok Ju.
I was grateful these bastards had learned the Heartless Art.
Otherwise, they would have felt fear and fled.
"Come on. Who should I kill first?"
"…."
"…."
The two assassins exchanged glances and simultaneously began fleeing in different directions.
Ah, so even without emotions, the desire to live is the same.
'Though it seems rational judgment hasn't been completely lost.'
But what can I do? It's already too late, you bastards.
I poured the true energy still churning like an active volcano within me into my blade.
Lifting one leg and driving it down forcefully to generate momentum, I hurled my sword with that same force.
Whoooosh!
"Krrgh!"
The blade shot forth at a speed and force impossible to evade.
Watching the assassin whose back was pierced collapse, I threw my body in the opposite direction.
'One opponent is easily handled without a sword.'
The distance between us had widened considerably by then.
But it was insufficient to shake off Yang Hwi, who carried the aura of an active volcano within my dantian.
"Why do you run away so annoyingly?"
I drove hard against the ground and thrust my knee forward.
Thus the last assassin's spine shattered under my knee strike, and he died.
"Phew. That was close."
Not that I had any right to say such a thing after slaughtering over a dozen assassins.
Yet I genuinely felt the relief of having narrowly escaped death.
Even with a sharp premonition, consuming the Spirit Elixir was nothing short of gambling.
Things turned out well, but if they hadn't, I would have simply perished.
'Now all that's left is to kill that bastard sect leader.'
I hurled myself toward Yuga Manor without hesitation.
I could see Gu Ak and the Nameless Ruthless Sect Leader still locked in fierce combat.
Clang! Clang clang clang!
Unlike before, desperation was evident in the sect leader's sword technique.
The situation had shifted—whenever the sect leader attempted to flee, Gu Ak pursued and pressed his attack.
"Elder Brother! I'll help you!"
"Hahaha! Come on then!"
At that moment, the Nameless Ruthless Sect Leader cried out.
"You dare claim the White Path while shamefully joining forces against me!"
"So what!"
"…"
"A Sapa assassin bastard lecturing me about shame?"
In an instant, I subdued the Nameless Ruthless Sect Leader and forced him to his knees.
"Whew. I thought we were done for, but things turned out this way. Little brother, how did you manage such martial prowess?"
Instead of answering his question, I said something else.
"Elder Brother, press his vital points and stand guard for me, would you?"
The reason one must immediately enter the Breathing Meditation after consuming a Spirit Elixir.
Only then could I fully channel the elixir's essence into my dantian.
'In hindsight, it's a shame. If not for these bastards, I could have started right away.'
I sat down in a cross-legged position without delay.
This was my first time consuming a Spirit Elixir in my entire life—I couldn't waste it.
I had to absorb as much as possible into my dantian.
'Not a single drop shall be wasted—I'll convert it all into inner strength!'
Thus I began the most desperate Breathing Meditation of my entire life.
And then I realized.
'What…? What is this…?'
I had fought while consuming the Spirit Elixir without entering Breathing Meditation.
It was for survival, but it was essentially the same as throwing the elixir away—a terrible waste.
Yet, at this very moment.
The pure essence of the Spirit Elixir that had permeated my entire body was flowing intact into my dantian.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————