Chapter 117: Qualification (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 117: Qualification (1)
One week.
A period of time neither long nor short.
It was too long to simply waste away, yet too short to truly immerse oneself in a new endeavor.
Seo-jun decided to just keep living the way he always had.
Do I really need to work my ass off just to look good for that old man?
No matter how much he thought about it, the answer was a resounding no.
Coincidentally, news arrived that the Heaven-Man Divine Elixirs for Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah were finished. He figured it would be better to focus his attention there instead.
The training ground exclusive to the Family Head had essentially devolved into a communal hangout spot.
Seo-jun sat Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah down and began his lecture on the Heaven-Man Divine Elixir.
"You’ve heard the gist of it, right? This is a spirit herb aimed at physical improvement rather than increasing internal energy, so it’ll feel a bit different from the ones you’ve taken before."
Pae Jin-gwang examined the Heaven-Man Divine Elixir with a peculiar expression.
"Physical improvement? With just one spirit herb?"
"Don't get any weird ideas. It’s not like you’re going to sprout massive muscles just by eating it."
"What weird ideas?"
"I’m saying don't go trying to destroy it because you think it’s some 'heretical art' or whatever."
"Do I look like a madman? I wouldn't do that."
"Oho. That’s actually surprising."
"Are you picking a fight with me right now?"
After a brief bickering match with Pae Jin-gwang, Seo-jun snatched the Heaven-Man Divine Elixir back from his hand.
"It’s useless for you to take this anyway, old man. Your 'Essence' has already left your 'Qi' and 'Spirit' in the dust to go tap-dance at the edge of the heavens. If you eat this, you’ll probably just end up having a very high-quality bowel movement."
"I never said I wanted it, you brat!"
"Don't worry, I’ll take good care of you separately, old man."
"I’ll eat well and live just fine even if you don't do a damn thing."
Seo-jun smirked as he watched Pae Jin-gwang step back, then refocused on his instruction.
"Anyway, you know that the efficiency drops if you take the same spirit herb multiple times, right? That’s why the first time is the most important."
"Do you think I’ve only had a spirit herb once or twice?" Chun-bong grumbled.
The number of spirit herbs she had consumed just to treat her Severed Meridians was quite substantial. However, this one was different.
"Ahem. Focus, Miss Geum."
Seo-jun stood between Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah, who were both sitting cross-legged.
"Think of the internal energy I’m about to inject as the Heaven-Man Divine Elixir itself. Memorize the pathways and the sensation. This is how you squeeze out every last drop of its efficacy."
Since he had mastered the Five Elements Formation within the Heaven-Man Divine Elixir, he knew exactly how to extract its benefits down to the very marrow.
"Alright, let’s begin."
The Super Peak Realm was not far off.
* * *
Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah consumed the Heaven-Man Divine Elixirs and guided the energy to refine their bodies.
The Heaven-Man Divine Elixir was a spirit herb that aimed for the Middle Path among the Five Elements of nature's principles.
It was a state that did not lean toward any single element.
In essence, it was designed to condition the body into a neutral state, allowing the individual to progress in whatever direction they desired.
Since it would take quite a while to fully absorb the medicinal effects, Seo-jun lay down on the training ground and watched them.
Beside him, Pae Jin-gwang—who was currently exercising by doing a handstand on a single finger—asked, "Have you given it any thought?"
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm talking about."
"I'm not thinking about anything anyway, so whatever it is, it's all the same to me."
"Good grief."
Pae Jin-gwang clicked his tongue and corrected his posture.
"I’m talking about those three criteria Namgung Hyeok put forward. Integrity, Swordsmanship, and Martial Arts, was it?"
"Wait. Namgung Hyeok?"
Seo-jun suddenly bolted upright.
"Wait, old man. Are you actually older than that geezer?"
"I am."
"What...?"
Just how old was this old man?
His father-in-law was probably a bit under three hundred years old, so to be older than his father-in-law’s great-uncle...
"Wow, a walking corpse."
"Why, you little...!"
Seo-jun nimbly dodged the Fist King’s finger flick—which would have exploded a normal person's head—and quickly changed the subject.
"Integrity, Swordsmanship, and Martial Arts... Let’s set aside Swordsmanship for now."
"Why would you set that aside?"
"Well... because I’m not confident in my swordsmanship?"
"What kind of nonsense is that coming from a swordsman?"
"I’m not a swordsman, though?"
"What?"
"Swordsmanship is hard to cheat at compared to Qi arts, so I’m only at a mediocre level."
Pae Jin-gwang’s face contorted into a deep scowl.
"More nonsense... You didn't look mediocre to me."
"That’s what my father-in-law said."
"Hmm. Then he’s probably right."
For a walking corpse, he was quick to concede.
Impressed, Seo-jun slipped in a bit of a humble brag.
"Still, it’s only been about two years since I first picked up a sword. He said I was doing alright for that amount of time."
"Two years? Hmm... Well, I suppose if you picked up the sword after reaching the Super Peak Realm, you’d already have an established martial logic, so your skills would improve quite rapidly."
"I’ve been holding a sword since I started learning martial arts."
"What are you talking about? You just said it’s been two years since you picked up a sword."
Pae Jin-gwang wore a bizarre expression. It looked like he was trying to do mental math.
The Fist King was notoriously bad at math.
"That’s what I’m saying. It’s been about two years since I started learning martial arts."
"...Are you being serious?"
Seo-jun grinned.
His heart always fluttered whenever he got to flex like this.
Did he ever get tired of it?
Not at all. It was fun every single time. It felt fresh every time he did it.
Seo-jun said with a smirk, "I mean, isn't the Super Peak Realm something you just hit after about two years of training? Is it supposed to be hard?"
However, the reaction was different from what he expected.
Pae Jin-gwang, who had been agonizing over something with a deeply furrowed brow, finally spoke after a long silence.
"When you become a big shot later, don't forget the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art. And make sure to remember that I was the one who taught you."
"What?"
"Actually, why don't I just be your master starting now? I’ll treat you well."
Was this the wisdom of an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years...?
Seo-jun couldn't help but be impressed.
* * *
Time flew by, and soon a week had passed.
Arriving at the clan’s Great Training Ground, Seo-jun’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of the massive crowd.
The sheer number of people was one thing, but most of those present were martial artists at the Peak Realm or higher.
Despite it being a time of war and labor shortages, such a formidable force still remained within the clan.
As expected of one of the Six Great Clans, their raw power can't be ignored.
The current Seo-jun was confident he could easily defeat an army of a hundred thousand martial artists at the First-rate level or below.
But hundreds of Peak Realm experts? That wouldn't be so easy.
If he used hit-and-run tactics, he could eventually win, but a faction like a Great Clan wasn't just about numbers.
They had all sorts of formations designed for those who practiced the same martial arts to combine their strength.
Those formations made it so that even a Super Peak martial artist couldn't simply ignore a large group of Peak Realm warriors.
In Seo-jun’s case, he could just blast them from afar with his Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Art, but... anyway, that was the case for most Super Peak martial artists.
"I am Namgung Hyeok, an Elder of this clan. The reason I have gathered you all here today is to judge whether Lee Seo-jun, the son-in-law of our Family Head, is worthy of learning the Emperor Sword Form, and at the same time..."
As the appointed time arrived, Namgung Hyeok began his speech, his voice booming with the power of his internal energy.
Namgung Jin-cheon sat on a platform slightly higher than the one where Namgung Hyeok stood, silently observing the situation.
This meant that Namgung Jin-cheon himself had permitted this event.
Standing in the center of countless gazes, Seo-jun closed his eyes and half-listened to Namgung Hyeok’s speech.
Integrity... How exactly are they going to test my integrity?
His question was answered almost immediately.
"If there is anyone who opposes Lee Seo-jun learning the Emperor Sword Form, step forward and speak. In response, Lee Seo-jun must provide a convincing explanation and gain the consent of more than half of those gathered here."
It was a bit unexpected.
There wouldn't be many people willing to step forward and oppose him in front of such a massive crowd.
Wasn't this condition heavily in his favor?
As Seo-jun raised an eyebrow, a woman suddenly leaped out from the crowd and stepped forward.
"Oh, Auntie? When did you get here?"
"Mmm, I arrived last night. I heard something interesting was happening, so I came to see!"
Namgung Yeon grinned.
Looking at her, Namgung Hyeok said, "Speak your mind."
"Ahem. I am Namgung Yeon, an Elder of the clan and the Captain of the Vast Heaven Unit."
Namgung Yeon suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Do you all know what our lucky charm here has accomplished?"
She began to regale the crowd with the story of the Azure Lightning Heart Method and the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms.
Furthermore, she even brought up his conflict with the Giryeon Sect Leader, though how she had heard about it was a mystery.
Namgung Hyeok had asked for opposing views, but she was just standing there bragging about her nephew-in-law.
To top it off, a highly excited Namgung Yeong-bo jumped out and started speaking out of turn.
"Our Young Master is a god of alchemy...! The Five Elements Formation! He just! With the Reverse Five Elements Formation! Huh? That is no ordinary feat!"
Namgung Hyeok looked at Namgung Yeong-bo with an expression of profound exasperation.
"...Heavenly Medicine Hall Master. If you wish to speak, wait until Elder Namgung Yeon is finished and step forward formally."
"Ah, yes, sir!"
Seo-jun was starting to feel embarrassed.
Is their strategy to make me die of shame?
Since it was a formal occasion, he stayed quiet and listened, and before long, even Namgung Yeong-bo’s speech came to an end.
The people gathered in the Great Training Ground began to buzz with excitement.
They had known about some of Seo-jun’s deeds, but usually only one or two; they hadn't known the full extent of his accomplishments.
"Wait, if he’s done all that, shouldn't we be giving him the Emperor Sword Form plus extra and begging him to stay in the clan? If he stays for just ten years, we’ll be the undisputed number one clan in the world in no time."
"Shh. Just be quiet for now."
"Did I say something wrong?"
"Still, it’s better to refrain from rash comments in a place like this."
An old man walked out from the murmuring crowd.
"I am Namgung Hyeon-cheol, the Master of the Disciplinary Hall."
The Disciplinary Hall was responsible for the clan’s rules and regulations.
The Hall Master was naturally a high-ranking official, and his words carried significant weight.
As soon as Namgung Hyeon-cheol spoke, the murmuring crowd fell silent.
"I do not deny that Young Master Lee has achieved extraordinary feats. However, the Emperor Sword Form is a martial art that has traditionally been permitted only to the Family Head and the Young Lord of the Namgung Clan. Your learning of the Emperor Sword Form implies that you intend to compete for the position of Young Lord. Am I incorrect?"
"You are incorrect."
"Then, regarding the succession rights..."
Suddenly, Namgung Yeon cut in.
"Oh, you old fossil! Why do you keep bringing up succession rights? Stop being so noisy and get back in line!"
"Yeon, you be quiet. Even in a place like this, your conduct shows no sign of improvement."
"I’m telling you, old man, stop twisting everything into something weird! You’ll die young if you keep that up."
"I’ve lived long enough."
"Ugh, so frustrating! Just get out of here!"
"...Let go of my collar. I’m asking nicely."
The atmosphere was starting to feel like a large family gathering during a holiday.
One might wonder if a family of the Six Great Clans should be acting like this, but in a way, it was only possible because it was the Namgung Clan.
What they pursued was the sword and nothing else.
Unless it was a specialized combat unit, a strictly military atmosphere was rare.
This was all possible because of the existence of Namgung Jin-cheon.
He was a being whose authority was not delegated by someone else, but was entirely his own. It was fundamentally different from a modern military.
The authority of a one-star or three-star general comes from their rank and a bit of ability (which is minuscule compared to the influence of the rank itself), but Namgung Jin-cheon possessed an authority that no one could defy, born from his absolute strength alone.
There might be slight exceptions for combat units that needed to act independently, but other than that, there was no reason to strictly enforce military discipline.
In an emergency, everything would be decided by a single gesture from the man who stood at the absolute apex.
His status was on a completely different level from those who had to constantly assert their authority for fear of mutiny or insubordination.
Plato, are you seeing this?
A philosopher-king was sitting right there.
Of course, since Seo-jun didn't know much about philosophy, he couldn't fully empathize with Plato.
"...Let’s leave it at that. It seems there is no further need to prove his integrity."
Namgung Hyeok seemed to have a slightly different opinion.
He looked at the members of the Namgung Clan with a complicated expression and let out a deep sigh.
It seemed the Namgung Clan of the past had been quite disciplined, and seeing how much the clan had changed upon his return likely gave him a lot to think about.
Regardless, the proof of integrity ended rather anticlimactically.
No one seemed to have any major complaints about whatever he did, and above all, the faction supporting Seo-jun was far larger than expected.
This was equivalent to saying that Seo-jun had already proven his integrity within the clan.
Therefore, there was no reason to continue this mess just to prove his character.
Seo-jun, who had barely said a word, just scratched his head.
"The second is Swordsmanship. To properly master the Emperor Sword Form, one’s achievement in swordsmanship must also be outstanding. This is a necessary requirement to judge one's qualification."
Is it? I feel like the Emperor Sword Form would be fine even if you took the swordsmanship out of it.
"The test for swordsmanship will be... Yes, what is it?"
When Seo-jun raised his hand high, Namgung Hyeok, who looked half-resigned, gave him the floor.
"Can't we just skip swordsmanship and go straight to martial arts?"
"......"
Namgung Hyeok just wanted to give up on everything.