Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Black God Martial Art (2)
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Black God Martial Art.
There are only a few people in this world who know the true, terrifying nature of this veinless martial art.
However, back in my past life, after I leaked the intricate details of the Black God Martial Art in the community hangout for the veteran gamers, their collective verdict was unanimous.
The Black God Martial Art is the ultimate martial art of this entire world.
‘It’s a truly insane technique.’
The Reverse Heaven Body is constantly flooded with Reverse Heaven energy, a force that renders the physical vessel incapable of utilizing mana. But in exchange, this specific body possesses the unique power to neutralize almost any mana-based ability it comes into contact with.
Reverse Heaven energy.
The martial arts specifically fueled by this primordial force are on a different level entirely—
The Black God Martial Art can only be truly manifested using the Reverse Heaven energy inherent to the Reverse Heaven Body. Without that specific foundation, it remains a hollow, half-baked technique. Though even then, it remains top-tier among mortal arts.
It is a martial art specifically forged from the very power that nullifies all hidden abilities, martial techniques, and destructive spells composed of mana.
To put it simply: The Black God Martial Art effectively nullifies all mana-based enemy defenses and counter-attacks.
That is exactly right.
This legendary technique dubbed the Black God Martial Art possesses the power to pierce straight through any magical defense in existence.
However, the entry barrier is extraordinarily steep. You must possess the Reverse Heaven Body from birth. And that is not all—it demands immense spiritual talent, and Reverse Heaven energy does not accumulate within the body easily.
The Black Heaven Demon Sword’s explanation of the art concluded there.
“Eh, talk is cheap, Master. You won’t truly understand its power without learning it in the heat of a real battle.”
Ssssh!
Thick, black energy began to billow from the length of the Black Heaven Demon Sword. It quickly coalesced, spinning and hardening until it took on a distinct, human form.
The shape of a stunning woman materialized before me.
She had flowing black hair and sharp, predatory red eyes.
She was dressed in a pristine white cheongsam adorned with intricate black stripes, with a long, traditional pipe clasped delicately in her hand.
- “The sword’s original form isn’t exactly ideal for instructing its master. You should count yourself lucky. The previous master pulled every possible string and expended massive power just so I could manifest in this physical realm.”
The spirit of the Black Heaven Demon Sword offered me a languid, knowing smile.
- “Or maybe it’s the other way around. This body could be quite the dangerous temptation for a young boy going through puberty.”
She grinned and pouted her lips playfully. In any normal situation, her beauty might have actually gotten to me.
“I’m not interested.”
But my current circumstances were anything but normal.
I could drop dead any day now if I didn't get stronger fast. I simply didn't have the luxury to get hung up on a woman, spirit or not.
- “How dull you are.”
The Black Heaven Demon Sword pouted with visible disappointment.
“Let’s hurry this up. The sooner I master this martial art, the slimmer my odds of keeling over in some gutter become.”
- “...Very well, Master. Let’s start with something light—basic breathing exercises.”
“Breathing?”
- “Indeed. Breathing is the foundation of all veinless power. I’ll show you the path first.”
The spirit of the sword slipped the pipe between her lips and circled slowly behind me. She laid a cold, steady hand on the center of my back.
- “Reverse Heaven energy differs fundamentally from mana in its very nature. A regular mana user wouldn’t be at risk if they made a mistake, but with this force, if you so much as twitch at the wrong time, the best-case scenario is that you end up a permanent cripple. Stay absolutely still.”
The Black Heaven Demon Sword warned me with a sudden, grave seriousness.
I gave a short nod, bracing myself.
- “Here we go.”
A strange, foreign sensation began to seep in from my back. It started weaving its way through every corner and meridian of my body.
‘So this is the feeling of Reverse Heaven energy.’
A ferocious, savage black energy coursed through my veins under the expert guidance of the sword spirit.
Slowly.
She guided the wild force with the utmost care, as if she were handling explosive glass.
Suddenly, a flicker of doubt crept into my mind. To me, the Reverse Heaven energy didn’t actually seem all that hazardous or difficult to manage.
In fact, it felt more familiar and welcoming than threatening.
‘Is this my Inexplicable Talent at work already?’
Still, I resisted the urge to take over and followed her lead perfectly.
Reverse Heaven energy was objectively dangerous. If I botched the guidance even slightly, I would be crippled for life. No matter how tame it looked now, prodding it could set off a chain reaction. There was no sense in poking a beehive when the master was already showing me the way.
The Black Heaven Demon Sword eventually gathered all of the scattered Reverse Heaven energy at my core.
She funneled it toward my heart.
Into the middle dantian, as it is called in martial lore, or the primary origin of magic circles in this world.
She began to shape the energy into a perfect, dense sphere there.
- “Fhew. I finally got it made at last.”
“Is that it?”
- “No, that is just the foundation of the foundations. The Black God Martial Art begins by harboring the Black God within your own heart. Your first real step: you must infuse the heart’s Black Essence with your own Reverse Heaven energy.”
“You mean like this?”
- “...?”
As I effortlessly drew the Reverse Heaven energy I felt swirling inside toward my heart, the Black Heaven Demon Sword spirit stared at me in a complete, silent daze.
- “H-how? How did you move it so easily?”
“It just... worked.”
Literally.
It just did.
The savage Reverse Heaven energy bent to my will almost instantly. It threw a minor, rebellious tantrum now and then, but it settled right down and obeyed my command the moment I applied pressure.
- “...Simply continue to manipulate the energy. Your Reverse Heaven Body will steadily accumulate it over time. Scour every single bit of it to forge the Black Essence.”
I strictly adhered to her guidance, focusing my mind.
The Black Essence formed in a literal flash. Since my Reverse Heaven Body was technically postnatal, I didn't have much energy stockpiled yet.
I funneled every drop of Reverse Heaven energy toward my heart. The seed-sized Black Essence swelled until it reached the size of half a thumbnail.
“Alright, I think I’m all set.”
- “...Already? I thought I’d seen everything in my time, but this level of talent truly defies my imagination.”
The Black Heaven Demon Sword spirit, now standing before me again, bulged her eyes wide in shock.
In a weird way, she actually looked kind of cute making that face.
You have officially begun learning the Black God Martial Art Breathing Method!
You have mastered the foundation of the Forgotten Veinless Art! 2,000P has been awarded!
I gazed at the spirit of the Black Heaven Demon Sword.
On a second glance, her beauty was so otherworldly she could rival any legendary fairy.
The Black Heaven Demon Sword spirit regarded Lee Seo-ha with serene, contemplative eyes.
This boy was far from anything she would call ordinary.
To tell the truth, she hadn’t held such high hopes even for her previous master. And that master had been exceptionally gifted, even by a sentient sword’s high measures.
That master was a Grandmaster.
A true prodigy in the art of crafting entirely new martial disciplines.
Plagued by her own Reverse Heaven energy from a young age, she couldn’t learn any conventional techniques. So, she forged her own, using the Heavenly Demon Divine Art as a framework—a legendary feat enabled only by her rank as the sect's vice-leader.
She birthed a new kind of energy and wove a complex martial system around it. For an entire era, she ruled as the world’s undisputed supreme being.
Then, she set about the impossible task of finding an heir.
10 years passed.
100 years. Then 300 more.
No bearer of the Reverse Heaven Body ever emerged. It was as if the constitution were heaven’s own unique blunder. Refusing to let her art die, she scattered countless contingencies across the world.
The Black Heaven Demon Sword was the most powerful of those contingencies.
‘Perhaps, in this boy, I will finally witness the true pinnacle of the veinless art.’
The previous master’s creation was flawless in theoretical design. Her own innate physical flaws had barred her from absolute mastery, but this new successor was fundamentally different.
He might not just reach her prime—he might eclipse her entire legacy utterly.
The sword spirit vowed she would ensure it happened.
- “I’ve changed my mind, Master. I had planned to have you drill the breathing method all day, but your talent makes such a simple task inadequate for your growth.”
“What’s next on the agenda?”
- “I will now impart the first Form of the Black God Martial Art.”
She extended her hand toward the floor. The Black Heaven Demon Sword lifted into the air and snapped into her grip like a magnet.
- “Tell me, Master. Do you have any prior martial arts training?”
“None at all. I've never even held a real sword until yesterday.”
- “A pity. But in a way, it makes you a blank canvas. The Black God Martial Art transcends simple weapons. Its core essence is the ability to shatter an enemy's defenses and land lethal blows where they feel safest.”
The Black God Martial Art was a style that preyed on anything born from mana.
Protective mana auras or a wizard’s painstakingly crafted barriers couldn’t hope to halt the flow of Reverse Heaven energy.
- “Thus, we are unbound by the weight of arms. We are swift. We are direct. That alone renders most foes helpless. As the previous master used to put it—”
The sword spirit added with a look of relish.
- “Black God Martial Art is, at its heart, the art of masterful body control. It is sufficient unto itself. Depth of style often suffers as a trade-off for such direct power, but fear not—the previous master was a grandmaster, and she packed this style with weapon arts aplenty.”
“I guess I’ll have to learn both self-defense and swordplay then.”
- “Sound thinking. A true warrior always plans for the absolute worst scenario. I would prefer to cling to you like a leech forever, but the possibility of separation always looms.”
“Just start the teaching already.”
- “How heartless you are.”
The Black Heaven Demon Sword spirit assumed a perfect, low-center combat stance.
- “The first veinless art of the Black God Martial Art: The Black Flash Sword Art.”
She flowed into sudden, violent motion. I watched the sequences of the Black Flash Sword Art unfold with wide eyes.
My honest take on the Black Flash Sword Art?
‘It’s fast. Terrifyingly fast.’
The Black Flash Sword Art was the manifestation of pure, unadulterated speed.
“As you can see, Master, the Black Flash Sword Art is purely about blinding speed. Later arts will add complex layers, but for an entry-level swordsmanship, nothing in this world beats it.”
“Is that so?”
I snatched a wooden training sword from the nearby pile and immediately began to mimic her movements with a focused intensity.
The next day, classes resumed at their usual grueling pace.
I found myself in 'Understanding of Close-Quarters Combat.'
This specific lesson was designed to sharpen a student's instincts through high-stakes ‘duels.’
One real scrap beat ten hours of boring theory, or so the instructors always said.
“To that end, today’s first class will go straight into live sparring sessions.”
The instructor declared with a grave, expectant look.
“Our first pair up: Lee Seo-ha versus Park Un-hyuk.”
“W-what?! It’s me against... me against L-Lee Seo-ha?”
“What’s the matter, Un-hyuk? Are you scared already?”
“S-scared? What absolute nonsense! I’m just a hair behind him in rank right now. Give me a bit of time, and I'll... but right now...”
“Most folks just call that being scared, buddy.”
Park Un-hyuk and Kim Seo-hyun began to squabble like children.
“Naturally, in this ring, no use of mana or hidden talents is allowed. Is that clear, Lee Seo-ha?”
The instructor eyed me pointedly. Hearing the restriction, Park Un-hyuk visibly relaxed, his shoulders dropping.
It seemed he figured the match was playable if I couldn't use my supposedly monstrous mana or talents.
“Hmph, I guess it can’t be helped. Come on then, Lee Seo-ha. I’ll personally teach you the true ‘gap’ in our physical levels.”
“You're pathetic, Park Un-hyuk...”
I said nothing and stepped wordlessly into the center of the ring.
‘Reverse Heaven energy isn’t mana, technically.’
Looking at his confident smirk, I realized I had zero confidence in my own restraints.
I had absolutely zero faith in winning this without accidentally breaking him.