Ultimate Martial Venerable - Chapter 5

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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 5. Everyone Bowed Their Heads
A few days later, the Yuk Clan bustled with guests from morning onward. Red lanterns hung from every eave, and drums and gongs rang out ceaselessly at the front gate.
Each year, the Yuk Clan held a two-day festival before the Annual Memorial.

On the final night, only Yuk Clan members gathered to make offerings to heaven and earth, and the young disciples’ progress in their training was assessed.
Yuk Beom sat in a corner of the Banquet Hall, leisurely sipping from his cup.
In previous years, he would have fled to his room the moment the examination ended, desperate to escape ridicule. But this year was different.
Squeezing the fist he kept hidden in his palm was enough to settle his mind.

“Cousin.”

A voice he’d rather not hear came from behind.
Yuk Beom didn’t even turn his head.
Yuk Myeong and Yuk Cheon Gang approached with several other young clan members in tow.
Yuk Cheon Gang tapped Yuk Beom’s shoulder.

“You’re ready to make everyone laugh tonight too, aren’t you?”

Yuk Beom kept his eyes on the dancer on the stage.

“Is that all you have to say?”
“Putting on a brave face, are we?”

Yuk Cheon Gang bent close and whispered near his ear.

“Challenge me the moment the examination is over. I’ll make you kneel and beg in front of everyone.”

Only then did Yuk Beom lift his eyes to meet his gaze.

“I’m waiting.”

Yuk Cheon Gang’s brow twitched at the terse reply.

“We’ll see how long that arrogance lasts.”

Yuk Myeong’s group left with derisive laughter trailing behind them.
Yuk Beom picked up his cup again. He had never knelt and begged before, and now there was even less reason to.
As the sun set, hundreds of lanterns lit within the Banquet Hall, illuminating the night with brilliant clarity.
The dancing and music ceased, and Yuk Ho Yeon, the head of the Yuk Clan, rose from the seat of honor.

Though past sixty winters, his broad shoulders and straight back were no less impressive than a young martial artist’s.
When he raised his cup, the once-raucous Banquet Hall fell silent in an instant.

“All the young disciples of the Yuk Clan, rise.”

The assembled guests rose as one from their seats.

“We give thanks to heaven and earth, and pray that the Yuk Clan’s Martial Lineage shall not fade even in the new year.”

Yuk Ho Yeon tilted his cup and poured the wine onto the ground.
Every member of the Yuk Clan followed suit.
When the brief ritual ended, servants carried the Black Stone to the center of the Banquet Hall.

Yuk Pung, the eldest son of Yuk Ho Yeon and father of Yuk Myeong, stepped forward with a scroll in hand.

“We shall now assess this year’s progress in training.”

As each name was called, the younger clan members came forward to the Black Stone. Cheers and sighs echoed in turns, depending on the results.
Yuk Ho, seated at the head table, could not tear his eyes from his son sitting at the far end of the Banquet Hall—not for any other test result.
Yuk Ho Yeon, noticing this, spoke quietly.

“You’re anxious?”
“A little, I confess.”
“It’s because of Beom, isn’t it. Did you give that boy the Chwiryeok Pill you received?”

Yuk Ho smiled bitterly.

“It was all a father could offer him.”

Yuk Pung, listening nearby, set down his cup.

“You’re too soft-hearted, brother.”

Yuk Ho’s eyes turned cold.
Yuk Pung continued regardless.

“If someone has remained at the same stage for years, it must be one of two things: they haven’t trained properly, or they were never meant for martial cultivation. A single pill won’t change that.”
“Do you know how hard Beom has trained?”
“Without results, no one recognizes effort.”

As the air between them grew sharp, Yuk Ho Yeon raised his hand.

“Enough.”

His voice was low, but both sons fell silent at once.

“The Black Stone will reveal the answer. If it truly shows the boy cannot stay within the clan, then a quiet, ordinary life beyond these walls may be the better path for him.”

Yuk Ho said nothing more.
Then Yuk Pung’s name rang out through the Banquet Hall.

“Yuk Cheon Gang, step forward.”

Yuk Cheon Gang rolled up his sleeves and strode forward with confident bearing.
With a sharp shout, he brought his fist down upon the Black Stone, and light flared across its surface.
――――――――――
【Black Stone Judgment】
Realm: Lianti Realm
(煉體境)
Stage 5
Grade: Intermediate
――――――――――
Yuk Cheon Gang’s expression hardened for a moment.
He’d been expecting Lianti Realm Stage 6, but he quickly composed himself, rolling his shoulders as though unbothered. He could easily make up for it in the sparring matches that followed—a few opponents brought down would be enough.

“Yuk Myeong, step forward.”

This time, voices full of anticipation rippled through the Banquet Hall.
Yuk Myeong accepted the cheers with practiced ease and stood before the Black Stone.
Bang!
Through the light that engulfed the stone, clear characters emerged.
――――――――――
【Black Stone Judgment】
Realm: Lianti Realm, Stage 8
Grade: Superior
――――――――――
His realm was unchanged from the last test.
Yet the hairline cracks spreading across the stone where his fist landed were far more extensive than they’d been a month ago. It was clear evidence that even at the same stage, his power had grown considerably.

“As expected of you, Yuk Myeong.”
“All those hours at the Martial Arts Academy have paid off.”

Yuk Pung couldn’t hide his smile beneath the cascade of praise.
Yuk Ho Yeon likewise nodded with evident satisfaction.

“If you continue to discipline yourself like this, you may well forge Strong Energy by next year. When that time comes, I shall transmit the Blazing Gold Body to you personally.”
“Thank you, Grandfather.”

Even as Yuk Myeong bowed deeply, his eyes flicked toward Yuk Beom.
His gaze burned with the composure of a victor.
A moment later, the name everyone had been waiting for was finally called.

“Yuk Beom. Come forward.”

A peculiar smile rippled through the Banquet Hall.
Some openly smirked; others shook their heads as if in pity. Their faces betrayed the certainty that after today, Yuk Beom would be cast out to the provinces.
Yuk Beom rose from his seat.
Every eye in the hall followed him with each step.
Their mockery and sympathy meant nothing to him now.
Standing before the Black Stone, Yuk Beom clenched his fist.
All the words he’d heard and endured over the past several years flashed through his mind.
Hopeless.
He’d chosen the wrong path.
A disgrace to the family.
Yuk Beom poured every word—every ounce of that weight—into his fist and struck the Black Stone.
Boom!
Brilliant light erupted across its dark surface.
The moment the characters appeared, the entire Banquet Hall fell absolutely silent.
――――――――――
【Black Stone Assessment】
Realm: Lianti Realm Stage 6
Grade: Intermediate
――――――――――
Not a breath was heard.
Yuk Ho shot to his feet.
His son—who had been at Lianti Realm Stage 3 only a month ago—had now left a record showing Stage 6.
Yuk Pung’s mouth fell open, and the smile vanished from Yuk Myeong’s face.

“This can’t be….”

Yet the characters on the Black Stone remained perfectly steady.
Yuk Beom withdrew his fist.
His mind was calmer than he’d expected.
Long years of disappointment had taught him how to conceal his emotions.
Yuk Pung was the first to recover.

“Brother.”

He turned to Yuk Ho with sudden urgency.

“What kind of elixir did you give him?”

The corners of Yuk Ho’s mouth curved upward in a smile none of them had seen before.

“The Chwiryeok Pill. You know what it is.”
“It’s impossible to advance three stages in a month with just the Chwiryeok Pill.”
“That’s right. Pills alone can’t do it.”

Yuk Ho gazed at his son and spoke with unmistakable clarity.

“The rest, Beom did on his own.”

Yuk Pung, who moments before had belittled Yuk Beom’s effort, clenched his jaw and said nothing more.
Then Yuk Cheon Gang shot to his feet.

“It’s a trick!”

Every eye turned toward him.

“Yuk Beom cannot possibly be at the sixth stage of the Lianti Realm. He must have done something to manipulate the Black Stone!”

The smile vanished from Yuk Ho’s face.

“Yuk Cheon Gang.”

His voice carried a surge of Strong Energy as he spoke the name.
A wind erupted, sending wine cups across the table into a trembling dance. Struck by the overwhelming presence—as if a tiger’s roar echoed through the mountains—Yuk Cheon Gang involuntarily took a step back.

“Do you understand what you are saying?”

Yuk Cheon Gang bit down on his lip.
Yet he could not accept that Yuk Beom stood a stage above him.

“I will verify it myself.”

Yuk Ho Yeon regarded Yuk Cheon Gang quietly.

“There is no way to deceive the Black Stone. Do you truly believe Yuk Beom accomplished what even the masters of the Martial Arts Academy could not?”

Yuk Cheon Gang’s face flushed crimson.

“Still, I cannot accept it.”
“Then use your challenge token this year.”

Yuk Ho Yeon’s voice had turned glacial.

“Win or lose against Yuk Beom, you will receive no additional prize. But if you fall, you will go to Binsan County and guard the forests there for one year. Will you still challenge him?”

It was a condition where victory brought nothing and defeat meant exile to the remote borderlands. Yet Yuk Cheon Gang’s eyes had already clouded with rage.

“I will. I challenge Yuk Beom right now!”

Yuk Cheon Gang’s father started to rise from his seat, but a single glance from Yuk Ho Yeon silenced him.

“Good. Let the two of you begin this year’s sparring matches.”

Yuk Cheon Gang stripped off his outer robe and strode to the center of the Banquet Hall.
Yuk Beom stepped forward again.
The space between them narrowed to barely three paces.

“You haven’t forgotten what happened a month ago, have you?”

Yuk Cheon Gang bared his teeth.

“Today I’ll make you beg for your life in front of all these people. Whether you deceived the Black Stone or not, my fists will reveal your true skill.”

Yuk Beom asked without emotion.

“Are you finished?”

Yuk Cheon Gang’s face twisted.
He pushed off the floor and rushed forward.
His first punch tore through the air, aiming at Yuk Beom’s bridge of the nose.
Yuk Beom tilted his upper body slightly and slipped the blow.
As the wild punch grazed his cheek, Yuk Cheon Gang’s left hand immediately drove toward his ribs.
This time, Yuk Beom raised his hand.
Catch.
Yuk Cheon Gang’s fist was pinned within his palm.
Yuk Beom gave his arm a light shake, and the pressing force scattered without a trace. Then, as he pushed the wrist away, Yuk Cheon Gang’s body was driven back three full steps.
The Banquet Hall fell silent again.
Yuk Ho smiled as if he had already seen the outcome.
In terms of raw power, there was no comparison.
Yuk Cheon Gang steadied himself by gripping the floor.
His expression of disbelief quickly turned to shame.

“Don’t think you’ve won just because of this!”

He stamped his foot hard.
All the power of his body surged forward with his momentum, concentrating into his right arm.
Chongzhen Fist.

A military martial technique designed to pierce enemy formations and shatter their ranks. It concentrated the speed and weight of the charge into a single point of the fist, then detonated upon impact.
Yuk Cheon Gang’s fist hurtled toward Yuk Beom’s chest.
This time, Yuk Beom did not dodge.
The fist he had driven into rock thousands of times at Seo Mountain moved slowly forward.

“Collapsing Mountain Fist.”

The two fists collided head-on.
Crack!
The sound of bone breaking rang out crisp and clear.
Yuk Cheon Gang’s right arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
The force of the Collapsing Mountain Fist did not stop at one arm. The shock that burrowed into his torso lifted Yuk Cheon Gang completely off the ground.

“Gahhh!”

His body flew several steps away and crashed to the floor.
Wine cups on the tables rattled, and the young clan members nearby jumped back in alarm.
Even Yuk Myeong rose from his seat.
He himself was at the eighth stage of the Lianti Realm.
Yet if he had to take that punch head-on, he had no confidence he would come away unscathed.

“Excellent!”

Yuk Ho Yeon cried out loudly.
He recognized first not the result, but the time that must have been required to forge Yuk Beom’s fist.
It was a power that could never have emerged without enduring the agony of shattering hands and arms.
Yuk Cheon Gang struggled to his feet, clutching his broken arm.
Yuk Beom walked slowly to stand before him.

“Will you continue?”

Yuk Cheon Gang could not answer.
Until moments ago, Yuk Beom had seemed like someone to brush aside—now he felt like an insurmountable wall.
Yuk Cheon Gang no longer had the courage to raise his fists again.
At last, Yuk Cheon Gang’s eyes closed.
He collapsed to the floor.
Yuk Beom lifted his head.
He looked slowly around the Banquet Hall and spoke.

“Is anyone else willing to step forward?”

His voice was quiet.
But as his gaze swept across the room, the young men of the Yuk Clan bowed their heads one by one.
Those who had laughed moments before, those who had pitied him—none could meet his eyes.
Yuk Myeong stepped forward with a hardened expression.

“I’ll take him on.”

But Yuk Pung immediately stopped his son.

“Yuk Myeong, stand down.”

Yuk Myeong turned to his father with displeasure.
Yuk Pung shook his head slightly.
If Yuk Myeong, superior in both realm and age, stepped forward now, victory would cost him face. Moreover, Yuk Beom had not yet shown his full strength.
Yuk Ho Yeon raised his hand, bringing the match to an end.

“That will be all for today. Yuk Myeong, return to your seat. Yuk Beom, rest yourself.”
“Yes, Clan Head.”

Yuk Beom bowed deeply.
He felt the weight of countless eyes upon him as he returned to his seat, gathered a wine bottle and the remaining food, then left the Banquet Hall without hesitation.
In past years too, Yuk Beom had always left alone.
But today, no one smiled at his departing figure.
Yuk Ho Yeon watched his grandson recede into the distance, then turned to Yuk Ho.

“Yuk Ho.”
“Yes, Father.”

A satisfied smile spread across Yuk Ho Yeon’s lips.

“You have raised a remarkable son.”

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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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