Chapter 66
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 66.
Yoo Baek-jun immersed himself in training for a while.
[As befits the successor of the Martial God.]
The Martial God was said to have mastered all martial arts. As his successor, the one who has vowed to carry on his legacy, you must do the same.
While learning the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique, achieve outstanding accomplishments and awaken the dormant blood of the Martial God.
―Reward: 200P.
A quest that appeared just in time.
"Achieve outstanding accomplishments while learning the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique."
A rather demanding quest.
So, is it impossible?
‘No way.’
The Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique and the Heavenly Destruction Mind Technique.
Both were techniques Yoo Baek-jun had practiced to the point of tedium after countless repetitions of his route.
He was certain.
He had no doubt he would fail.
‘The key is breathing. The mindset of unfolding the mind technique while executing the sword technique….’
Yoo Baek-jun rose from his seat.
There was no need for sudden, intense movements. Slowly, he picked up his sword and began to move.
As he did so, he used the mind technique he had learned from Han Seong-ah and those he already knew.
“Huuuuu….”
He took a deep breath.
Then, he focused his mind. On what? On his inner self, the magic flowing through his body, and the place where that magic reached—the diantan.
‘Circulate the magic within the body along with the breath.’
As if using the Heavenly Destruction Mind Technique.
He moved the inner magic.
Faster, even faster.
And faster still.
The madly circulating magic began to accelerate even the blood flowing through his body.
‘And then… turn this into a pattern.’
Inhale to circulate the magic, exhale to accelerate the blood flow.
He was conditioning himself.
So that this pattern would naturally continue even when executing the sword technique.
Once this conditioning was perfectly completed—
“Huuu, whooosh!”
He would gain control over blood flow acceleration.
Yoo Baek-jun’s body swelled up. Seol Yeong, watching from a corner, momentarily felt that way.
His muscles had strengthened.
“Uh, um….”
Han Seong-ah, who had been observing, was momentarily flustered.
‘Did he learn it too quickly?’
After being taught just a few times, he was already executing blood flow acceleration as skillfully as if it were second nature.
Moreover, he was now even performing the extraordinary feat of wielding the sword technique while using blood flow acceleration.
‘Even for a genius disciple, it takes months—or at the very least, years—of training….’
Yoo Baek-jun had accomplished it in just a day.
“Instructor Han Seong-ah, I think I’ve got it now. How about teaching me the sword technique next?”
“Ah, yes. Understood, young master!”
In a fluster, Han Seong-ah hastily taught Yoo Baek-jun the basic stances of the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique.
And two days later.
“Oh my, we have a guest.”
“It’s been a while, Grandmaster Ja-yeon.”
Yoo Baek-jun and Han Seong-ah headed to Ja-yeon’s training hall. They intended to put the learned stances to practical use.
“I’d like to spar with some of the disciples.”
“Sparring, you say? Of course. Have you learned a new martial art?”
“I have, but this time, I’d like to test my sword technique, not my fists.”
“Sword technique.”
Ja-yeon’s eyes flashed momentarily.
She gestured, and an instructor handed Yoo Baek-jun a wooden practice sword.
“Will one-on-one suffice?”
“No. I’d like to train under the assumption of fighting multiple opponents. About ten.”
“That seems a bit excessive… but very well. Please ensure you don’t get hurt.”
Ten disciples stepped forward.
All were equipped with protective gear and wooden swords. Even if skills were used, they wouldn’t be seriously injured.
Though it would hurt like hell.
“…….”
The disciples lined up opposite Yoo Baek-jun.
Ten of them.
It might seem excessive, but for the current Yoo Baek-jun, that number was just right.
“We’ll learn from you, young master!”
“I’m the one who’ll be learning.”
The disciples were visibly tense.
In contrast, Yoo Baek-jun calmly reviewed everything he had learned, one by one.
As he did so—
“Here we come, young master!”
The spar began.
Three disciples charged at him simultaneously. Yoo Baek-jun raised his sword and employed the breathing technique.
‘Breath.’
Inhale, circulate magic.
Exhale, accelerate blood flow .
The accelerated blood flow strengthened his body.
“Whoosh!”
An explosive burst of power.
Yoo Baek-jun stomped the ground.
Crunch!
The ground beneath his feet shattered, and his figure vanished instantly.
“……!”
At an incredible speed, Yoo Baek-jun appeared before the lead disciple.
The disciple panicked momentarily at the speed but quickly composed himself and swung his sword.
The wooden swords clashed.
Craaack!
“What the…!”
The disciple’s sword shattered.
Not Yoo Baek-jun’s, but the disciple’s.
It splintered into pieces with a deafening sound.
It couldn’t withstand the force and broke.
“Guh…!”
Yoo Baek-jun closed the distance and swung his sword upward.
The blade struck the disciple’s chin with precision.
The disciple’s body went limp.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Other disciples rushed in.
Yoo Baek-jun kicked the unconscious disciple to disrupt the approaching ones.
Then, he immediately took a stance.
‘I’ve only trained for a day, so it’s still lacking.’
Yoo Baek-jun took a deep breath.
Perhaps because his blood was accelerating, time seemed to slow.
He lowered his stance.
Then, in an instant, he charged, spinning his body in a wide, circular motion.
The wooden sword in his hand flashed.
Swaaaash!
“Guh…!”
The flashing blade transformed into a sharp sword aura, striking the disciples.
The sword aura, perfectly arcing, shot outward.
The disciples’ protective gear was crushed, and their bodies were sent flying.
‘Moon Cleaver.’
The first stance of the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique.
Using sword aura, it could attack multiple enemies simultaneously. It was especially lethal against those who relied on their defenses.
‘A little faster.’
Another disciple approached.
From his fingertips unfolded the Nine Dragons Fangs. Yoo Baek-jun raised his sword and executed another stance.
Whooosh!
Sword Barrier.
A defensive shield formed around his sword blocked the countless thrusts aimed at him.
Yoo Baek-jun struck the panicked disciple’s nape and charged at the remaining ones.
‘Two.’
His body, accelerated by blood flow, combined with footwork techniques to maximize his speed.
In an instant, he closed in on a disciple and delivered a crushing blow to the abdomen.
“Cough!”
The last remaining disciple.
He abandoned any thought of attacking and raised a sword barrier.
Yoo Baek-jun charged right up to it.
Then, he swung his sword upward from below.
“Hup!”
Swooosh!
No—he thought he had swung upward.
But in that very moment, Yoo Baek-jun’s figure blurred, and his stance shifted.
From an upward swing, his posture changed to a downward strike.
Craaaash!
The wooden sword slammed into the top of the barrier.
The blade tore through the barrier instantly and struck the ground beneath with full force.
The shattered ground released a shockwave that engulfed the disciple behind the barrier.
“Guh… guh!”
The Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique’s stance: Thunderclap Strike.
The disciple collapsed in agony.
With that, all ten disciples were down.
Yoo Baek-jun looked around. The ten disciples were groaning on the ground.
‘Was that too much?’
He felt a bit of guilt.
So, he quickly retrieved potions from his subspace and hurriedly treated the disciples.
“…….”
“…….”
Han Seong-ah and Grandmaster Ja-yeon watched him.
Both wore expressions of utter astonishment.
“Since when has the young master been so proficient in the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique…? Instructor Han Seong-ah, how long have you been teaching him?”
“Well, uh….”
Han Seong-ah, unusually, stammered. She didn’t hide her shock as she answered.
“…Two days.”
“Two days?!”
Grandmaster Ja-yeon was stunned.
The disciples eavesdropping on their conversation were equally shocked.
Just two days?
“J-just based on his sword technique, it looks like he’s trained for months!”
“Not only that”
A disciple continued with a stunned expression.
“T-the young master was using… the Heavenly Destruction Sword breathing technique. Even if the sword technique could somehow be learned, the breathing technique….”
“Right, exactly. Many of you still haven’t fully mastered the breathing technique.”
“Y-yes.”
The disciples all nodded in unison.
Including those who had sparred with Yoo Baek-jun. They were still in the process of learning the breathing technique.
It was the most challenging hurdle of the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique.
‘And he did it in two days?’
Ja-yeon shook her head.
He was overwhelmingly faster than even Young Master Yoo Tae-rang, once called the prodigy of the family.
He even took a long time to learn the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique and master its breathing technique.
‘It’s only been two months.’
Yoo Baek-jun had only been properly training in martial arts for two months.
And yet, this level of achievement.
“Hah….”
She couldn’t help but laugh dryly.
Just two months.
For most disciples, this would still be the time to learn the basics.
Yet, the man before her had surpassed the disciples in just two months and gained strength comparable to a successor.
‘Is this even possible?’
Even among the elite talents gathered in the Sword Saint family, this was impossible.
She had never seen such a case before. And having never seen it, she had no way to explain it.
But if she had to interpret it—
‘Talent.’
A talent that overwhelmed not only other successors who had trained in martial arts since birth but also every other disciple who had endured grueling training.
A talent so overwhelming it was almost violent.
Only such talent could make this miracle possible.
Some might cry foul, lamenting how someone who trained for just two months could surpass those who trained for years.
But that very possibility is what defines talent.
“…….”
Ja-yeon looked around.
She had gathered only the most exceptional talents from the illustrious Sword Saint family.
And they were all intimidated.
Because they had witnessed talent that defied reason.
“The successor of the Sword Saint family.”
“Huh?”
Han Seong-ah, standing beside her, questioned, but her voice didn’t reach Ja-yeon.
She was lost in thought, her expression grave.
‘The head of the Sword Saint family is a position only the most outstanding and powerful can attain.’
She had never supported any particular successor.
But among the current successors, she had thought Yoo Tae-rang was the most suitable.
After all, she had taught him herself and knew of his extraordinary talent.
‘But now….’
She wasn’t so sure.
Her long-held belief that Yoo Tae-rang was the most outstanding had just been shattered.
Though Yoo Baek-jun had shown remarkable progress recently, his faction was still weak.
“Hmm.”
Yoo Tae-rang would return soon.
If he and Yoo Baek-jun were to clash, could Yoo Baek-jun hold his own?
Could he survive?
And at that time—
‘Should I remain neutral?’
It was the first time she had questioned this.
Because she wanted to see just how far this genius, Yoo Baek-jun, could grow.
Such a desire had taken root in her.
“…….”
Han Seong-ah watched him intently.
“I’ve given them first aid treatment, but just in case, have them see the Pharmacist.”
“Understood, young master.”
Just then, Yoo Baek-jun, having finished treating the disciples, approached Han Seong-ah.
She looked at him with proud eyes.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing, young master.”
She wondered what Ja-yeon was thinking.
Having trained by her side for so long, Han Seong-ah could guess her thoughts.
And at the same time, she felt proud to serve someone with such talent.
“…It’s nothing.”
Han Seong-ah smiled quietly.
Thinking that this training might, in some way, be of great help to Yoo Baek-jun.