Ultimate Martial Venerable - Chapter 23

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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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Chapter 23. Yuk Beom Returns
The meat that Kkamangi had grilled was half-charred black.
Still, it wasn’t inedible. O Jin carefully picked out the salvageable pieces to share with Yuk Beom, and tossed the largest chunk to Kkamangi, who had labored over the flames.
Kkamangi clutched the meat he’d cooked between his front paws. The instant he took a bite, his large eyes narrowed with joy. His black tail drummed the ground without pause.
O Jin laughed at the sight.

“Now that he knows the taste of meat he’s cooked himself, he’ll blow that fire with even more dedication.”
“When it comes to eating, there’s no one more sincere than he is.”

Yuk Beom rose from his seat and strapped the Weaponless Heavy Sword

across his back.
The Ice-Heart Meteorite refined into the sword’s hilt drew in the Heavenly and Earthly Force

from the surrounding air. As the refined energy flowed through his meridians, the weight of the Bongryeok Seok

and the Xuanwu Breaking Qi Stone

bore down upon his body and his Fusion Strong Energy.

His legs, which had barely grown light during rest, grew heavy once more.
Yet Yuk Beom straightened his back.

“I’ll continue my cultivation. By this year’s Tournament of Immortals at the latest, I must wield this blade with freedom.”

He recalled the eight characters that had surfaced on the blade.
Heavy Sword Without Blade

, Great Skill Without Form

.
To actually unfold even a single cross-strike from the first character, he first had to be able to lift the blade itself.

“And I need to enter the Martial Arts Academy.”

O Jin nodded.

“Yes. The Martial Arts Academy

is a place you must visit. If you can gain entry, choose the Ilwon Academy

.”
“Is there a particular reason why it must be the Ilwon Academy among the various halls?”
“If my memory serves, the very method you need most for your Dual Cultivation Path is taught there.”

O Jin raised a single finger.

“The Ilwon Dao Jue

. Just as you’ve unified two forces into one, it’s a cultivation method that directs all scattered techniques back to a single source. If you master it alongside the Limitless Evolution Formation

, you’ll be able to build your path far more solidly.”

Yuk Beom’s eyes hardened with resolve.
The Martial Arts Academy was no longer merely a place he’d dreamed of since childhood. The next key to continuing his path lay there.

“Then I must gain entry at all costs.”

He took his first heavy step forward.
Kkamangi followed eagerly behind him, crying out in delight.
Cultivation brought more grueling days than easy ones.
He had to start from the beginning—strapping the sword to his back, moving one step at a time. Once his body grew accustomed to the weight, O Jin would draw more power from the Ice-Heart Meteorite, and as Yuk Beom braced himself with Fusion Strong Energy, the Xuanwu Breaking Qi Stone would press down on that force once more.
And so the seasons changed.
Once Yuk Beom could walk, he ran. Once he could run, he placed his hand on the sword’s hilt. Every time he tried to follow the horizontal cut he’d seen in his vision, the Weaponless Heavy Sword barely lifted from the ground. When he forced it up, his Fusion Strong Energy collapsed and the muscles in his arms tore.
Still, he did not set down the sword. When he fell, he caught his breath where he lay, then rose again. At first, Kkamangi had bounded about beside him mockingly, but as time passed, whenever Yuk Beom collapsed, the dog would sit at his side and wait for him to stand.
Spring’s new shoots deepened into lush green, blue leaves turned red and gold, and then vanished beneath the snow.
Ganglim Castle

saw the year’s end arrive once more.
On a day when snow had settled on every branch, a great Black Stone

was erected in the center square of the city.
It was the day the Martial Arts Academy came each year to recruit new disciples.
For the next four days, anyone under eighteen could stand before the Black Stone. Those whose measurements exceeded the Academy’s standard would gain the right to train at the Martial Arts Academy for three years, regardless of birth or family name.
Yet few actually passed each year. When a faint light appeared on the Black Stone after someone placed their hand upon it, sighs rippled through the crowd; when an unexpectedly high stage was revealed, even strangers offered their applause. For some, that single test was the moment that determined the course of an entire lifetime.
Still, the square never emptied of people from early morning onward. Parents hoping for miracles for their children and young people wanting to verify hidden talents formed long lines before the Black Stone.
On the first and second days, mostly youth from ordinary families took the test. It was customary for young disciples from renowned houses like the Yuk Clan and the Mak Family to appear on the final day.
This year, several families felt more at ease than usual.
Yuk Myeong, Jang Wol Ham, and Mak Un Bi had already entered the Martial Arts Academy. The three had returned to Ganglim Castle for the annual recruitment and now sat beside their respective family heads.
The teahouse beside the square offered the finest viewing spot. From a private room on the upper floor, one could look down and see the square and the Black Stone at a glance.
Mak Cheon sipped his tea while laughing and joking with Mak Un Bi and Mak Rim.
By contrast, Jang Am, the head of the Jang Family, could not ease the frown from his brow even while holding his teacup. After paying out a hundred thousand gold coins to the Yuk Clan following their loss at the Seo Mountain hunting competition, the family’s finances had taken a severe turn. Discontent festered within the house, and it would take at least a year and a half to recover their former state.
Jang Wol Ham said nothing beside her father. Her gaze did not linger on the square but extended toward the distant sky beyond the castle walls—like someone waiting for someone who had not yet arrived.
In the Yuk Clan’s private room, Yuk Ho Yeon could barely drink his tea properly.

“When on earth is Yuk Beom coming back?”

He pressed Yuk Ho again.

“He cannot be unaware that the Academy’s recruitment has begun. Did you send someone properly?”

Yuk Ho repeated an answer that had become familiar by now, and this was only the latest of many times today.

“I have already sent people to Seo Mountain. However, when he left, he said only that he would train deep in the mountains, so we cannot determine his exact location.”
“And what if he misses the deadline?”
“You know how much that boy wanted to enter the Martial Arts Academy. He will return by tonight, even if late.”

Worry remained etched on Yuk Ho Yeon’s weathered face.

“He hasn’t met with some accident on Seo Mountain, has he?”

Yuk Ho laughed off that concern.

“Given Yuk Beom’s current strength, there is little danger of him falling into peril on Seo Mountain.”
“True. That was needless worry on my part.”

Yuk Ho Yeon gazed at the Black Stone standing in the square.

“Once Yuk Beom returns, the test will be mere formality. This year, two disciples from the Yuk Clan will enter the Martial Arts Academy.”

He called to Yuk Myeong, who sat beside him.

“Yuk Myeong. At the Academy, you must help each other with Yuk Beom. No matter how much you quarreled at home, you are brothers who share blood. Out in the world, it is the way of the Yuk Clan to watch each other’s backs.”

Yuk Myeong rose from his seat to answer.

“I will remember this always.”

Yet he did not sit back down, but lingered uncertainly—a man with words trapped behind his teeth.
Yuk Ho Yeon’s brows drew together.

“What is it?”

Yuk Myeong drew a breath, steadying himself, then spoke.

“Grandfather. Even if Yuk Beom returns…… please prevent him from taking this test if you can.”

The air in the private chamber grew heavy and still.
Yuk Ho Yeon’s eyes turned sharp as a blade.

“So your jealousy still runs that deep?”
“That is not what I mean.”

Yuk Pung placed a hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Yuk Myeong would not speak like this without reason. Let us hear him first.”

Both Yuk Ho and Yuk Ho Yeon’s gaze fixed on Yuk Myeong at once.
Yuk Myeong spoke with his teeth clenched.

“I heard word at the Academy. Mak Un Bi has bribed the instructor in charge of this recruitment—Gwak Jin Hyeok. The aim is to keep Yuk Beom from entering the Martial Arts Academy.”

Yuk Ho Yeon turned his body toward the courtyard.
Beside the Black Stone sat three Academy instructors. The middle-aged man in the center was Gwak Jin Hyeok. He wore white martial robes embroidered with dragon motifs, and a long scar ran across his face. One finger was missing from his left hand.
He was the very man whom the Yuk Clan and Mak Family had feasted and entertained together the day before.

“Are you certain of this?”
“If it is a lie, let heaven strike me down.”

Yuk Ho Yeon’s expression darkened.

“Gwak Jin Hyeok is the lead instructor among the three. If he moves to stop Yuk Beom, the other two will not easily contradict him.”

Yuk Ho’s hands clenched into fists.

“But the Black Stone shows his strength plainly. What trickery could possibly stop him?”
“There is no need to falsify the measurements.”

Yuk Ho Yeon spoke quietly, almost like a rebuke.

“They need only seize upon the fact that his growth has been far too rapid. Claim his strength came from forbidden cultivation methods or dark arts that harm the body, and even if Yuk Beom denies it, who will believe him? The word of an Academy instructor carries more weight than that of our clan.”

The ease drained from Yuk Ho’s face as well.
A boy once called dull-witted had broken the young masters of Ganglim Castle in mere months. To those in the Yuk Clan who knew the truth, it was the fruit of agonizing discipline—but to strangers, it was a tale ripe for suspicion.

“First, we must find Yuk Beom.”

Yuk Ho Yeon reached his conclusion.

“We will assess his current stage and physical condition, then devise a counter. Yuk Ho, send out more people.”

Yuk Ho left the chamber at once.
Yuk Myeong sat down again, but unease remained in his chest. He harbored no desire to harm Yuk Beom. Nor did he wish for his nephew to become the clan’s shame through the Mak Family’s schemes.
Yet his doubts had not vanished entirely.
Could a man who had learned not a shred of martial skill in ten-odd years truly grow so swiftly through effort alone?
Yuk Myeong could not yet say for certain.
But one thing was clear: whatever doubts lingered, he could not stand idle and watch the Mak Family block Yuk Beom’s path so shamefully. To acknowledge Yuk Beom was one matter; to prevent one of the Yuk Clan from being trampled by outsiders was another entirely.
In the private quarters of the Mak Family across the way, Mak Cheon was smiling with satisfaction.
When Mak Un Bi informed him that the deal with Gwak Jin Hyeok was complete, his smile deepened further.

“Excellent. If we miss this opportunity, Yuk Beom will exceed the age limit. He’ll never be able to enter the Martial Arts Academy again in his lifetime.”

Mak Cheon set down his tea cup.

“Without gaining the academy’s prestige and advanced cultivation methods, he’ll fall ten years behind everyone else. Blocking him just once shatters his entire future.”

Mak Un Bi laughed as well, but voiced one doubt.

“Could it be that Yuk Beom has truly grown stronger through forbidden methods? His growth rate alone doesn’t seem natural.”

Mak Cheon waved his hand dismissively.

“Abandon such foolish hopes. Someone who merely swelled their power through sorcery couldn’t withstand your attacks or properly deploy the Blazing Gold Body

of the Yuk Clan. Yuk Beom’s strength comes from genuine, arduous cultivation.”

His gaze turned cold.

“When facing an enemy, you may be ruthless and forget about morality. But you must never underestimate your opponent. The moment you misjudge their true strength, it is you who dies.”

Mak Un Bi’s smile faded, and he bowed his head.
Mak Cheon turned his attention toward the Jang Family’s private quarters.

“The suspicious growth is rather on Jang Wol Ham’s side. His foundation is unstable, and his Strong Energy isn’t solid either. It’s as if someone forcibly pulled at his seedling to make it grow.”
“The academy appears to have found a stronger patron. Now he doesn’t even acknowledge me.”

At Mak Un Bi’s answer, Mak Cheon let out a scoff.

“All he’s learned is the trick of climbing by leaning on others. How far will that take him?”

He turned to Mak Rim.

“Has Yuk Beom still not returned?”
“There’s no word yet that he’s passed through the castle gates.”
“If he died on the mountain, he’d at least become a legend. But if he returns alive, from this day forward he’ll be nothing but a charlatan who gained his power through forbidden methods.”

Laughter rippled through the Mak Family’s private quarters.
At that very moment, at the foot of Seo Mountain beyond the walls of Ganglim Castle.
A figure emerged from the snow-covered forest.
His upper body was bare, and across his back he carried a black heavy sword as tall as a man. On his head, Kkamangi stood balanced with his front paws splayed wide.
Yuk Beom gazed at the castle wall that had appeared before him and spread both arms wide open.

“I’m finally back!”

He had spent long months on the mountain. Each day he had wrestled with the weight of the Weaponless Heavy Sword, and eaten nothing but meat that Kkamangi had roasted or hunted. The sight of the familiar gates and rooftops made him smile without thinking.

“Kkamangi. From now on, you won’t have to roast meat every day. Since Master is staying on the mountain, let’s eat our fill together first.”

Kkamangi let out a short roar toward the human city he had never seen before.
Yuk Beom began to run.
Even with the Weaponless Heavy Sword strapped to his back, his body no longer stumbled. When his feet skimmed across the snow, they left no deep tracks behind. Months ago, he had gasped for breath with every step, but now the sword’s weight could not hinder his movement.
Yuk Beom pushed his speed higher still.
Unaware of those waiting for him,
unaware of those who hoped he would never return.
He ran straight toward the open gates of Ganglim Castle.

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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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